Damn, is this woman even real? I pause, wavering. I never want her to think that I consider my work more important than her. And she doesn’t even seem upset about her company losing the bid.
She rolls her eyes at me like she can see what I’m thinking. “Dylan, I’ve seen you almost every day this week, I can handle an afternoon without you.”
She stands up to come around the table and I meet her halfway. I cup her face in my hands and give her a kiss. If Darren weren’t here it would last much longer but I try to keep it PG. Mostly.
I pull back and search her eyes. “I’ll see you tonight?”
She bites her lip. Jesus, it drives me crazy when she bites her lip like that and she knows it. “I’ll see you tonight,” she whispers, running a hand down my shirt.
Darren clears his throat and we spring apart. Shit. For a second I forgot he was here. Being with Miranda can do that—shut out everything else in the world besides us.
I grin sheepishly at my brother.
“I’ll show Miranda out after we finish dessert.” He looks to Miranda. “Sound good?”
Her eyes flick my way but then she smiles back at Darren and nods. “Sounds great.”
I give her one last kiss and then, with the hand that Darren can’t see, I pinch her ass. She stifles a yelp and I grin. “See you tonight, babe.”
Twelve
MIRANDA
Darren and I eat our crème brûlée in companionable silence after Dylan walks out the door. Meeting Darren has been a nice surprise.
I was so nervous all the way over here. What if Darren didn’t like me? I know how important he is to Dylan, being the only family that he has left that he’s close with.
But things have gone so well that all the nerves in my stomach have finally settled.
After the last bite, I settle my spoon back in the empty bowl and smile Darren’s way. “Well this really was lovely. It’s been great getting to know the little brother Dylan talks about so much.”
“Oh?” Darren asks, eyebrows going up. “He talks about me? That’s funny because I was lying earlier. Before today, he’s hardly ever brought you up.”
I frown. “I’m sorry?” I must have heard him wrong.
“Nothing to be sorry for. I’m just saying that Dylan never talks about his whores much.”
My jaw literally drops open. Did he just—? It’s several long seconds before I shut my mouth with a clack of teeth.
I shove my chair back. So Dylan’s brother is a total jackass. Okay. Well, I’m getting the hell out of here.
But Darren stands up right when I do. And as I skirt the table and head for the door, he grabs my upper arm in a grip so crushing I cry out.
“Where you headed in such a hurry, whore?”
I yank to get away but it’s no use, his hold is like iron. “Let go of me,” I spit. “Or I’ll scream.”
He just grins cruelly. “All the catering staff left before Dylan did. No one will hear you. Besides, I thought you liked it rough.”
Fear makes all my arm hair stand on ends and my stomach upend. Did Dylan tell him about…? Is that why he thinks this is okay?
Darren wraps an arm around my back like an iron bar and yanks me against his chest. He’s hard. I can feel him against my leg.
I scream. Or try to.
But the next second, his big hand is covering my mouth and he’s shoving me against the nearby wall. My head bangs painfully against the brick and he’s all but smothering me, his hand is cutting off most of the air to my nose as well.
No. No. This isn’t happening. It’s a nightmare.
Wake up. Wake UP, Miranda!
“Oh yeah, you like it rough, don’t you, little slut?” Darren breathes into my ear. “But then I’ve experienced it first hand, haven’t I? I’ve already had your mouth around my cock.”
What—?
Tears squeeze out of my eyes as I fight against his grasp. He just shoves me harder into the wall.
Not like Dylan does. With Dylan, it’s just enough so that you feel his leashed strength. But Darren pounds my skull into the wall repeatedly until I’m lightheaded. I fight but it doesn’t matter. He’s huge and his grip is bruising.
“Bryce always told me how well he’d broken his slut.”
I freeze at my ex’s name. No. Oh God, no. Please, no, don’t let—
“But I wanted to see it for myself. Lucky for me, Bryce never minded sharing.”
No, no, no. I whimper into Darren’s hand but he just keeps talking.
“Remember the night Bryce had you in the leather hood and on your knees? When there was a room full of Bryce’s friends?”
No. No.
“I was one of them. I was there.”
My body sags in his grip. I can’t help it. Oh God.