Black

“We haven’t gotten around to a lot of things,” he says, pulling me back into his arms. Heat spreads over my body, landing between my legs, and my mind wonders what other “things” he could be talking about.

“Wanna get out of here?”

I stop moving. My entire body is still, except for my heart—it’s beating wildly, as though it’s trying to throw itself at him.

“I—” Oh my gosh, am I really going to do this?

For a split-second, I reconsider my decision. It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him I can’t, but the words don’t come out. Instead, I glance over at JJ and Chelsie. There’s no doubt he’ll end up at her place tonight because JJ doesn’t fuck girls in the condo if Erin and I are home—it’s an unwritten rule—and he’s definitely fucking Chelsie tonight. Erin and Jacob will undoubtedly end up back at his place. That will leave me alone in our condo while my friends are off having wild, crazy, monkey sex.

I turn back to Rex as JJ’s words from earlier come to me again. “I wouldn’t expect that from you at all.”

“Let’s get out of here.”

I offered up my place at the same time Shae offered hers, but I deferred to her. If there’s one thing I want, it’s for her to feel safe.

“Nice place,” I tell her as I survey the scene.

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t a place that rivals mine. Big, open spaces like this are hard to come by in the city, and it leaves me wondering what she does for a living.

“Thank you. Although I can’t take the credit. JJ and Erin live here. Well, mostly JJ now since Erin will be moving in with Jacob. I’m just crashing,” she says, grabbing two wine glasses from the cabinet. Before we left Vault, I had Dante snag me a bottle of wine from behind the bar.

She hands me a corkscrew, and I pop the top, pouring us each a glass. It isn’t the red Shae requested, it’s white, and I’m just now noticing.

“I think you got your colors mixed up,” she quips. I shoot her a look and she grins, bringing the glass to her lips. “That’s okay. Sauvignon blanc is my second choice.”

“It’s all Dante’s fault.”

“Who’s Dante?”

“My brother.”

Her eyes soften. She watches me almost wistfully for a few seconds and smiles. “You’re going to blame your brother?”

I nod. “Absolutely. He’d do it to me in a heartbeat.”

Shae pinches her lips into a thin line, but I can see the smile trying to form. “You’re such an ass.”

And that right there I find sexy as hell. Most women wouldn’t dare say that to me. To be honest, they’re probably too afraid, because most women know me. They know what I’m capable of, and where I come from.

And that’s some scary shit.

Sure, I’ve separated myself from my father’s life, despite his protests. But my history is my history, and no matter how fast and far I run, the family is always there, lurking in the dark, waiting for the perfect moment to jump out and make itself known.

It would be easier if Shae knew who I was, but I like that she doesn’t. It’s a nice change of pace to spend time with a woman who isn’t drooling over my bank account or dying to make me a baby daddy, all in the name of being the next Ambrosi heir. She has no preconceived notions—that I know of—and that’s oddly refreshing.

Shae’s next words are so soft I can barely hear them. “Sounds like something my sister would’ve done.”

I don’t miss the past tense in her statement, and I want to pry, ask more, but I lose the moment when she sets her glass on the counter, turns, and walks down the hall.

“I’ll be right back. I’ve gotta get out

of these shoes.”

I take a sip of my wine, set the glass down next to Shae’s, and walk into the living room. Her condo has an open floor plan with dark hardwood floors and light-colored furniture. A stone fireplace is tucked in the corner, and I walk over, make sure the pilot light is lit, and flip the switch. The fire roars to life, bathing the room in a soft, orange glow.

“Wow.”

I turn around to see Shae walking down the hall, her bare feet padding lightly against the wood floors.