The Bastard (Filthy Trilogy 1)
“I had a need for family after I lost my mother and the Navy filled that void. I came here to Denver the night I met you because I’d lost that connection. I thought I needed family but these people were never family.”
My gaze goes to one of the tattoos on his right arm, a black and gray skull with an anchor that I assume represents his years as a SEAL. My hand dares to settle over it, our eyes locking, warmth waving between us. “Harvard graduate. Genius IQ. Navy SEAL. Self-made billionaire. You are so many things that this family is not.”
“This family will kill you to get ahead. My fellow SEALs, and anyone with the Bennett name, that’s real family to me, the kind that would bleed to protect you.”
“Then you understand family, despite this family. You protected your mother. You understand why I stayed for mine. I know you do. You say you don’t, but you’re not seeing me and the real picture. The company is all I have left of my father and my mother—I love her. She might not be perfect, but she’s all I have.”
He inhales and cuts his stare before he looks at me again, his eyes turbulent, a story in their depths that I don’t understand but want to understand. “I understand why you were here. I don’t understand why you’re still here, though.”
“My mother—”
“Is my father abusing her? Is she in danger?”
“If there was negligence that was intentional, there’s criminal liability that she could get wrapped up inside. I could end up with that liability, too. You know Isaac will look for a fall guy. I’m terrified. I can’t leave now. I could end up the fall guy.”
“Have you done something to expose yourself?”
“No. Not that I know of, but who knows what fingerprint I could have on something I don’t understand. I don’t know what’s happening. I just know something is. The recalls. Weird money movement.”
“You need to be honest with me.”
“I am. I am being honest with you.”
“What don’t I know?” he presses, and I want to scream with the impossibility of this situation.
“I already answered that question. I can show you everything I have collected, the paperwork, the notes I’ve taken. The information Gigi gave me. I have it at my house.”
He tangles his fingers in my hair, and drags my mouth to his, obviously oblivious to anyone else around us. “If you burn me, Harper, you won’t like the results.”
“What can I do to make you trust me?”
“We need to leave.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m here for you. I came for you. I want, and can, protect you but you aren’t being straight with me.”
“I am,” I whisper. “Stop saying that.”
“I say what I see, sweetheart, and clearly,” he adds, “the only way I’m getting everything from you is with your clothes off. I need to talk to you and I need to fuck you and I can’t do both here.”
Heat rushes over me. “You don’t have to get me naked for me to talk.”
“Let’s do it anyway. Any objection to that plan?”
“No,” I whisper. “No objection.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Harper
After announcing that he’s basically taking me home to fuck me, Eric kisses me, a deep slide of his tongue that is over too soon, but he doesn’t pull back. His lips are a breath from mine, lingering there, taunting me with another kiss that doesn’t come, and the sound of the restaurant buzzes around us, fading away. The intensity of the pull between us stealing my breath. “Holy hell, woman,” Eric murmurs, stroking my hair and then lifts his hand to flag the waitress.
That stroke of my hair undoes me. It’s intimate. It’s possessive and tender, a command and a question. No man has ever made a simple act so very provocative. No man has ever affected me like this one. He’s ruined me for anyone else and that’s a little bit terrifying.
The waitress joins us and Eric is quick to get us out of here. “We need boxes,” he says. “We’ll take it all with us.”
The woman looks confused. “Oh. Yes. Of course.”