Lust & Lies Box Set-Sexual Awakenings, Excess, Predator & Prey

“No.”

He placed an unusually soft kiss on my lips and pulled back. It was there. All of it.

He scrutinized me as his phone rang somewhere in the mess of sheets. He retrieved it with a pained look on his face and then answered it to angry Arabic. He shot out of bed and was dressed and out the door within a minute with a rushed, “I will return.”

I spoke to the ceiling as the door closed behind him. “I guess vacation is over.”

“You fucking fool,” Rocco spit out as I jumped into the passenger side of the truck.

“I will change this. I will make this right.”

Rocco whipped the SUV around the sharp curves of the garage as I glanced in his direction. His tone was full of contempt as he tore into me. “You cost us the contract playing with your whore!”

“I did no such thing.” I pulled my phone from my pocket.

“Too late!” Rocco sat at the exit and glared at me. “I already spoke to him.”

It took everything I had not to rip him apart where he sat. “Tell me what he said.”

“He asked what kept you.”

My whole body tensed as I looked to my cousin. “You told him.”

Rocco nodded as he sped out of the garage.

“One week!” Amber pranced around my condo, full of excitement. “God, that lawyer is a miracle worker!”

One week meant it had been a month since I’d heard from Daniello. With every day that passed, I grew more frantic. I slept at the penthouse for a solid week then gave up. Our vacation was most definitely over. But were we? And my worry for him in the state he left only worsened the dread in my chest. Was he alive?

I shook away the thought as the heavy feeling threatened to overtake me. We weren’t supposed to have lasted this long. It wasn’t supposed to be this hard. But it took very little to stir the feelings I had for him, even in his absence. I felt our connection no matter how far the space between us. I bathed in his soap and was clouded in our memories. I needed answers, but mostly I needed to know he was still out there.

“Earth to Taylor.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I was thinking we could go shopping for a toddler bed to put next to mine.”

“Amber,” I said carefully, “if you don’t get custody—”

“I will. I just know it.” She shook away my doubts. “I’ve called every night sober. His mother knows I’m clean.”

“If she’s attached to Joseph, we have to be prepared for a fight.” I shrugged after seeing Amber’s light dim. “But let’s just think positive, right?”

“Right.” Her phone pinged with a text, and she looked over at me.

“Laz?”

“No. It’s a work friend.” She sent a text and set her phone face down. “You will love Joseph, Taylor. He’s so smart. He’s such a happy little boy.”

“I will,” I agreed, though I had little to no experience with children other than Amber.

Her smile disappeared as she studied me. “If Laz tries anything—”

“We’ll be ready. He has no idea we’re coming, right?”

“Either that or he’s playing ignorant. His mother won’t speak to him. Won’t let him over. There is a good chance we could get in and out.”

“Then that’s the plan.”