She seemed mollified by my explanation, but her determination didn’t waver. “The only way I’ll go back is if that bastard is six feet under.”
Standing from the other side of the bed, I walked around the edge until I was standing right in front of her. “How about a compromise, kitten? You come back with me now and I swear on my life, I will protect you. And, we’ll make sure you’re free from Pat O’Reilly.”
She hesitated, clearly wavering on her decision. I crowded into her space and clasped her face between my hands before leaning down to kiss her plump lips. “Do you trust me?” I asked softly, lowering my hands to her waist.
“Yes.” She gasped after her abrupt answer and slapped a hand over her mouth disbelievingly. I was sure she could see the smug satisfaction in the smile that formed on my face. She removed her hand and her nose scrunched up adorably when her look turned annoyed. “I don’t know why, but yes, I trust you.”
I kissed the tip of her nose and muttered, “Great, now get ready to go.” She opened her mouth, more than likely to argue with me, so I kissed the fuck out of her. I had to tear myself away before I dragged her to the ground and buried myself inside her.
Turning her, I gently pushed her in the direction of the bathroom with a smack on her butt to get her moving. “You’ve got twenty minutes.” She shook her head but didn’t fight me and disappeared to take a shower. I seriously considered joining her, but I knew not only would I break my vow to make her first time special, but I wouldn’t be able to stop and we’d get out of there much later than I planned.
To my pleasant surprise, she was ready in less than fifteen minutes. Stepping from the steamy bathroom, her face scrubbed clear of makeup, dressed in jean shorts and a white tank top. Her gorgeous hair, damp and hanging down around her, drying into natural curls. I had a flashback to the sight of matching curls, neatly trimmed between her legs. With a tight smile, I strolled into the bathroom and took an arctic shower.
When I emerged, she was completely packed and ready to go. She knew how to travel quick and light, something I admired, but was irritated she’d ever had to learn.
She was powering down a cell phone and my brow furrowed. “Calling someone?” I growled in irritation.
“Messages,” she answered shortly. She held out her hand, palm up, and looked at me expectantly. “My gun.” It was a statement, not a question, but I shook my head.
“Not until I’m convinced you won’t be aiming it at me, kitten.” She made a sound of aggravation and spun around, marching for the front door. So fucking cute.
She was waiting at the bottom of the porch steps as I shut and locked the door. Which made me curious. “Who is Mac Thomas?” It was the name on the mortgage for the little house.
She shrugged casually. “Friend of a friend of a friend.” I frowned, not happy with her answer, or her overly nonchalant attitude. Before I could delve into it, she asked, “What do you want to do for wheels? I took the bus here from the next town over where I ditched my um—borrowed car.”
I tried not to laugh, but damn, I really did love everything about this woman. The thought didn’t stagger me like I would have expected. I guessed my mind was simply accepting what my heart had already known.
There was a reason I’d had to chase her. She was well equipped with the knowledge to go on the run, as well as a talented thief, an excellent markswoman, and sexy as fuck. I was definitely going to have my hands full. A very appealing idea.
“That’s my rental, right there.” I pointed to the non-descript, dark blue SUV across the street.
“A rental?” she scoffed and shook her head. “Amateur.”
I rolled my eyes. “Says the kitten in the house I was able to track her to,” I drawled, enjoying the sight of her cheeks becoming a little pink. “Do you really think I don’t have the contacts for completely clean alternate identities? This car is buried so deep, the devil himself couldn’t connect it to me.”
“Touché,” she replied before setting off for the car.
Once our bags were in the car and we’d both settled in our seat, I started the drive home. She was holed up in a tiny town in Maine, and we had around an eight-hour drive. I grilled her on everything she knew for a couple of hours, making sure I knew as much as she did about the situation. Every detail I wasn’t aware of was a potential threat.
Eventually, she fell asleep and I was pleased to see her getting more rest. The purple hue I’d seen under her eyes that morning indicated how little rest she’d been getting. I hated to wake her, but we switched out vehicles in Mount Vernon.
She was quiet for the rest of the relatively short drive, but when I pulled up in front of my apartment, she shook her head and gave me an address in the Bronx. “If you’ll take me, I’d appreciate it. It’s been a long couple of weeks and I’d rather not have to traipse up there on the train.”
I raised an eyebrow. “And, why exactly would I be taking you there?”
“I’ll stay there for now. I know it’s safe.”
I gritted my teeth, deciding which ludicrous idea I was going to approach first. “Let’s get something straight, right now, Carly. You are not to go anywhere without me or the handful of Nic’s men I will allow to protect you if I need to be away from you. As I cannot protect you if you aren’t with me, your sexy ass will be living in my house.”
She tried to speak, but I railroaded right over her objections. “This is not a democracy, babe. When it comes to your safety, I am in charge. This is not up for debate.” I turned fully to face her, my eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Not that it truly matters since you won’t be stepping foot in that place, but how do you know it’s safe?”
“A friend of a fri—”
“Of a friend of a friend,” I finished for her dryly. “This Mac Thomas guy again?” My tone was low with warning.
“Sort of,” she hedged.
“Carly,” I ground out, my gut telling me that I was going to hate her answer, which fueled my ire. “I swear to St. Bonaventure, if you do not tell me the truth right now, I’ll take you to bed and drive you to the peak of orgasm over and over again. But, I won’t let you come until you’re begging for release and ready to tell me anything I want to know.”
Chapter 4
Carly
“Umm.”
Yeah, that was my response. In my defense, I really didn’t know what to say. Hell, I didn’t even know if he’d just threatened me or promised me a good time. My mind went with the threat theory, but my body was another story. If my damp panties were any indication, I was more than up for some of his sensual torture. Either way, this wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have while sitting in his car on the street.
“Can you hold that thought until we’re in your apartment?”
“As long as you understand I’m likely to take every moment I wait for an answer out of your hide,” he grumbled, climbing out of the car.
I giggled, literally, like a schoolgirl, while he walked around to open my door. Somehow, I knew he wouldn’t lay a hand on me to cause pain, not after the sick look he’d had on his face when I described my childhood. I also didn’t have any doubt that he’d find a way to make me pay with pleasure. I should probably be afraid of the fact that I was actually looking forward to his efforts, but I was starting to get used to the way he made me feel things I’d never experienced before. It was addictive, this rush of emotion I felt whenever he was around. So was seeing the smirk he flashed my way as he helped me out of the car.
“How can I be frustrated as fuck one minute and want to laugh right along with you the next??
??
His question was a deep purr in my ear which made my laughter die in my throat while I shivered at the goosebumps he caused instead. “It’s good to know I’m not the only one acting completely out of character.”
He tugged my hand, leading me into his building and down a small hallway. “Or maybe this is exactly how we’re supposed to be—you and I are better people because we found each other.”
Seriously, how the hell was I supposed to protect my heart from a hot as fuck guy who said shit like that? It was impossible not to melt while my panties spontaneously combusted.
“Brandon,” I sighed.
“Carly,” he breathed, his lips swooping down to claim mine as he stopped in front of the door on the left.
His kiss fogged my brain, and I didn’t notice him unlocking the door until he ushered me inside. How the hell he managed that while kissing the fuck out of me was a mystery. The man had serious skills, that was a fact. I didn’t have the chance to properly appreciate his apartment. I caught glimpses of black leather furniture, gleaming chrome accents, and dark wood touches as he ravaged my mouth again while shuffling me into his bedroom. Or at least, what I assumed was his bedroom because of the king-sized bed with the masculine comforter that he picked me up and tossed me onto.
“Oh, I don’t think so,” I gasped, crawling off the mattress and stalking towards him. “You want me to tell you about Mac Thomas and my connection to him, right?”
“Whatever connection,”—he practically spit out the word—“you had with this Mac guy is over. Done. Finito.”
“You’re even sexier than usual when you’re jealous and speaking Italian.”
“I’d be very careful about pushing my buttons right now, kitten,” he growled, reaching for my hand to press it against his hardened length. “I’m barely holding on by a thread as it is.”
“Aww, poor baby,” I cooed, cupping him and squeezing. “You gave me all those orgasms without taking anything for yourself.”