Little Willow wanted to play a game? She was about to find out just what kind of man I was. I didn't lose and I certainly didn't back down. She'd thrown down the gauntlet. I was only too happy to pick it up. I'd have to bide my time a little bit longer. She wasn't ready for what I wanted to do to her yet. But she would be. A small part of me laughed at my arrogance. This wasn't a woman who played with her life. She attacked it. I could see her walking away at the end of this...whatever this was...just as happy as she was now not to be in my bed. My body screamed in denial. She was mine. I had to taste her. At least once. Just one taste and then I could move on. The longer I was in her orbit, the more she consumed my every waking thought. I needed to get her under me and then get her out of my mind. My life. I pushed all of that aside. Nothing was happening tonight except food and making her legs feel better. I had to win this battle first. We made it back out to the livi
Do not cry. Do not cry. Do not cry. I bit my lip to keep the tears from falling, my breath from sobbing. "Good night, Willow," he said. Get the fuck out so I can breakdown! Just leave! I raged at him mentally. I needed this man and his ulterior motives out of my life. Not only did he want to have sex with me, but he also didn't share any part of himself outside of surface information. I didn't need those kinds of people in my life. And certainly not from someone who wanted to use my body for his own pleasure. The door snicked shut softly. Like the dam had burst, tears flooded from my eyes. I pressed my face into the back cushion and screamed as long and as loud as I could. He'd let me believe, for just a sliver of a moment, that I was...not important, really. But wanted. But he didn't really want me. Or certainly not all of me. He wanted the package I was wrapped in. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted me for the connections to the Amatuccis. As much as they we
An ear-piercing scream had me jumping to my feet, fists ready before my brain could catch up. I blinked my eyes clear as another scream shattered the silence. Willow.I burst into the loft, expecting to see someone standing over her, a knife brandished in the low light. But it was just her. Still on the couch, huddled under her blanket. The low light from over the stove didn't cast a lot of illumination. "Please don't. Please don't hurt her. I'll try, Ethan. Please, she's just a little girl." The words sobbed from her chest as I crept closer to her spot on the sofa. She was flat on her back, arms down at her sides. Her beautiful eyes were open wide, but blind and shuttered as she watched the horror only she could see. "Willow?"She jerked. Tried to sink further into the cushions that supported her. "Shh, baby. Shh. Go somewhere else in your mind, okay. He can't hurt you in your mind." Her hand twitched by her side as if she were trying to pet someone's head. Only her fi
I scrambled to pull the boyshorts up my legs before he came back in the room. Getting my dress off and my tank on had taken entirely too much of the one minute he'd given me. With a wince, I crashed back onto the bed as I heard his footsteps reach the outside of my doorway.Holy cannoli that had been close. "Where are your extra towels?" he asked.I looked over at him. He was stirring something in a bowl, his gaze fixed to my body. And not my legs. I glared at him. Not that he noticed. I snapped my fingers. Waited until he raised his gaze to my eyes. "Friends, Ten. Friends."He grimaced and glared. "I already hate that nickname. Towels?"I pointed him back towards the bathroom. "Same cabinet, lower right." I was keeping that nickname until a better one came along. It was so very fitting. In a number of ways. Ryker came back out of the bathroom. A towel draped over one arm, a glass bowl with something white in it. He set both on the floor next to my bed. Reaching dow
I bit my lip as she wiggled and slithered around on the bed. She was going to drive me fucking bonkers. Her moans had me believing in angels. Forcing myself to keep the pressure light, correct, was the worst lesson in self-control I'd had in at least a decade. Her pelvis dipped low and bumped up as I tried to keep being her friend. Think of Grams. Think of Grams. Think of Grams. Treat her like a princess. Grams' sweet voice in my head helped clear the lust that was as thick as the lotion I was using on Willow. Sweet fuck, let this be over soon. Her left leg pushed into my hip. Shit. Her other leg. Not to mention the backs of her legs. I was going to implode. Or die. Can someone die from blue balls? Is that a thing?It had started out fine. Very platonic. I could feel the fluid sitting just beneath her skin. Felt it move out of the way under the light force of my hands. Her skin was losing that puffiness that accompanied the purple and blue colors. At least in her lower
I hurried to sit up. My body was mostly mush, so it took a hot minute. I grabbed onto Ryker's leg to help. He shoved me away like I was a leper.I fell back against the pillows. "Minus five points," I said under my breath. "Jerk."He sighed, reached over, and helped me sit. "Can I have them back now?"I narrowed my eyes at him. "Maybe.""What are you two whispering about? Why is Ryker on your bed?" Tali asked, arms crossed, one hip popped out. She tapped her long red nails against her opposite arm. "I'm waiting.""He was helping me with my legs. Apparently there's a type of massage that helps move fluid around. Lymphatic massage." I looked at Rafe, glared. "At least he didn't drug me."Rafe ducked his head, scooted away from the doorway. "That's not going to save you, Rafe. We're going to have words, you and me," I yelled after him. I looked at the other Amatucci siblings. "How's Momma?"Tali shook her head. "Nope. Still on you and Ryker."I rolled my eyes. "He
I slammed the car door behind me as I slid into the driver's seat. Curling my fingers around the wheel, I gripped it so hard my knuckles turned white as a cramp spasmed through my palm. What the fuck had I been thinking? I wanted to hit something. Kick it. Beat it to a bloody pulp. If my own ass had been within reach, I would have laid me out. I'd been so close to getting her under me. Had it not been for my big stupid mouth, the next time I met up with Willow, I could have closed the deal. But no, Domenico came in. All but pissed on her to claim his territory and I'd snapped. She'd been calling my name, moaning under my hands. She was fucking mine!I stabbed the button to turn the car on. Waited for the systems check before gunning it. I headed out of the parking garage. Turned so fast, my tires squealed. Fury blinded me as I shot down the street. When I almost took out a nice couple too wrapped up in each other to notice the silent bullet of my Tesla firing down the street
"Chase, you've got a visitor," Tali called from the door. I looked up at the clock over the oven. Shit. I hadn't planned on losing that much time to baking. I grabbed the hotpads and pulled the cupcakes from the fiery depths of the oven. "Let him in, Tali. Thanks," I called. I eased the cupcakes from the pan and settled them on a cooling rack. I still needed to get the frosting put together. Hopefully this affidavit nonsense didn't take too long. I turned around and eyed my official visitor. He was one of those guys who was utterly forgettable. Poor thing. "Come on in. Can I get you anything to drink? Dom should be here soon."The DA's assistant tugged at his tie. "No, ma'am, but thank you. It sure smells good in here."I smiled. "Thank you, and please call me Willow. I'm not old enough to be a ma'am yet."He smiled politely as he set his briefcase down on the high top counter section of the kitchen island. "What are you making?" He gave a dramatic sniff of the room.