Payback (Dueling Devils 2)

“What ‘bout you? That’s a hell of an accent.”

“Got it honestly from my Dad who moved here long before I was born, but kept the accent.”

“Aaah. Nice to keep the old traditions alive in the new home.”

“Do you?”

“Mm-hmm. Cooking and music mostly. You can take the girl off the island, but you can’t take the island out of the girl.” Gia smirked and shook her head.

“I bet it was beautiful there.”

The mirth faded from Gia’s eyes. “The surroundings were, but a cage, no matter how beautiful is worth imprisonment.”

“No, it’s not.” Ardy thought back to her life and couldn’t help but feel like she’d dodged a bullet. If it weren’t for Demon she’d still be there working her life away, worrying about everyone else but herself. She loved her family, but there came a time when you had to break free and go your own way. It took her this trip to understand she wasn’t responsible for anyone else’s happiness. It sounded harsh, but in the end…it was true. Her father had gotten himself into the mess and if she hadn’t offered herself up like some tribute, he would’ve had to find a way out of it. Luckily, it worked out for both of them.

“There’s many different ways to be locked up. We make prisons out of many things. Some, we’re born into, others we’re forced into and some, we believe so deeply it’s a sort of brainwashing.”

The wisdom in the words stunned her. She’d written Gia off originally, as a flunky with nothing between her ears. Clearly, she’d been mistaken. “That’s a damn accurate statement.”

“Every now and then, I have a gem of knowledge. Don’t get used to it.” Gia winked.

Ardy knew they’d be okay.

They sat together in silence until Gia

finished her glass and stood. “Thank you for the conversation…and the friendship,” she whispered. A tentative smile turned her lips up.

“You’re welcome Gia. Sleep as late as you need tomorrow. Kids and hangovers don’t really go hand in hand.”

Gia laughed and ran a hand through her hair. “Yeah, I can imagine. This plan wasn’t that well thought out.” She shook her head and made her way down the hallway, looking a bit steadier.

Smiling to herself Ardy turned off the light in the kitchen and padded off to the bed.

Sometime later, the bed dipped. The strong scent of alcohol accosted her. Grunting she rolled away from the source. “In case you’re confused. Friends don’t do this.”

“What the hell’s been going on while I was away?”

His deep voice made her smile sleepily. “Why do you smell like a brewery? Are you drunk?”

“I couldn’t be farther from drunk if I wanted to,” he mumbled. “Come on, take a shower with me.”

She blinked, groaning as her eyes struggled to adjust to the pre-dawn light. “What’s going on?”

“I can’t stay long, but I wanted to see you. I need you, Ardy.”

The undercurrent of his tone made her gut ache. “Jonah?”

“Shhh, no, don’t do that.” He kissed the corners of her lips. “Just give me this moment with you.”

She opened her mouth to protest and he thrust his tongue inside. Dark and rich like roasted coffee, he drugged her senses. Her body came to life. Unable to resist his pull, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down. His weight covered her and she moaned, opening her legs. Resting in the curve of her hips, he ground the bulge in his jeans against her. The friction and the wickedly skillful kiss stole her breath and turned her panties into a sodden scrap of fabric.

Their lips separated. He trailed kisses down to her neck and moved his lower body, ripping away the thin sheet. His hands slid down to her hips and he lifted her from the bed. “Wrap your legs around me baby.”

She did as he asked, clinging for dear life as he devoured her lips. Nipping, sucking and fucking her mouth he handled her with a roughness she’d never experienced before. Her nipples pressed against her t-shirt and her pussy pulsed in anticipation.

“Your mouth is so sweet. “ He mumbled against her lips. “I can’t get enough.” They stumbled to the bathroom and he set her down by the door. He reached the shower in two strides, turned on the water. Clothes hit the floor.

Naked, she eyed him, drinking in his masculine beauty. His muscles moved beneath his skin as he stalked over like a lithe jungle cat, lean, confident and aggressive. Gripping her hips tight, he lifted her slowly, dragging her over the hard planes of his body.