by Piper Stone
She pursed her lips, tipping her head as if daring me to show her the savage I’d become.
I could almost taste her sweet lips.
Could almost feel her body writhing beneath me.
Could almost imagine spending the rest of my life with her.
Fuck. Fuck!
I couldn’t take the temptation, the desire that had overwhelmed me. I kept my grip tight as I fisted her hair with my other hand, pulling her into the heat of my body. I couldn’t give a shit about the pain or the anger. I no longer wanted to live my life in the shadows of myself. She was the reason.
Beautiful.
Ballsy.
Bratty.
Delaney.
There was no holding back. I crushed my mouth over hers even as she whimpered, pressing both hands against me, resisting as she’d done before. But there was no denying what we shared, the hunger that had broken through so many barriers. As she began to relax in my arms, I thrust my tongue inside, savoring her intoxicating taste, the way she trembled as I held her.
We were fire and ice, combustible in every way. Maybe we were even toxic, but I couldn’t seem to get enough of her. Everything was so raw, so animalistic. I shifted my hips, pressing my throbbing cock into her tummy, delighting in her whimpers. I wanted to drive my shaft deep inside her pussy, taking her to new heights of pleasure. I longed to shower her with everything good that life could offer.
Only I didn’t know how.
Yet a part of me wanted to try to learn to be a better man.
For her.
For us.
When she smashed her fist against my chest, I was shocked at her vehemence. Another game. Another pretense. Fuck.
Releasing my hold, I turned away, barely able to contain my anger. Even though I wanted to drag her over my knee, giving her another brutal spanking, some part of me knew she didn’t deserve my anger or my wrath. She certainly didn’t know anything. A case of mistaken identity. Jesus.
She jumped away, her breathing scattered. Then seconds later, her resilience kicked in. The woman wasn’t going to be afraid of me or anyone else.
I should apologize, but I’d never been good at that.
While I caught a glimpse of the fire in her eyes, she remained quiet as she finished dressing the wound, her hands shaking.
“I’ll need to change the dressing every day,” she said in a perfunctory manner as she started to clean up the mess.
She said the words as if this was our home. Our life. Big, fat chance in hell.
I eased off the counter, grabbing my tattered shirt. “Leave the shit there and come with me.”
“Can I at least take a shower first?” she retorted. “Or do you prefer your feast smelling like a wet rat?”
She’d jacked her damn defenses around her to the highest degree. I had no method of dealing with that. How had she been able to crawl underneath my skin in such a short period of time?
“Fine. Take a shower but if you’re not down in fifteen minutes, I will have no choice but to punish you.”
“Punish. That’s all you want to do to me.”
Clenching my jaw, my thoughts shifted back to the dirty and kinky desires that continued to rip through me. “That’s what is necessary.”
“Why don’t you just lock the door? I’m certain you’ve sealed off the windows by now.”
“I’m not going to lock the door, Delaney. The storm is approaching fast. We have no way off this island, and while I want to trust you, that is earned, and you’ve done everything to ensure that I can’t.”
“Let me guess. Because of my bad behavior.”
I exhaled before answering. “That’s one reason. The other is that I. Don’t. Know. You.” I moved toward the door, simply needing some space. I’d lost sight of what I was doing. How long had it been since I’d gone back over the details of the weeks leading up to my arrest? I was fighting with a demon inside of me while trying to figure out what Carter’s next move would be. With the boat gone, the asshole would have the upper hand.
Unless the pilot arrived on the island without law enforcement.
Which I knew wasn’t going to be the case.
“You’re right. You don’t. You assumed that you did know me. You and your buddies were positive that I was sleeping with a man like Carter, not only a pompous jerk but a womanizer. I’m not stupid, Sawyer. He uses then throws away women as if they were disposable,” she stated through clenched teeth. “Maybe I would have gone farther if I would have slept with him, but like you, I also have integrity. All I wanted to do was make a living on my own. Just like you. I wanted to find a space that was all mine, make a real home one day. You know the kind I mean. With a loving husband and a couple of kids. Baking bread on Sundays and going to the park.”
I glared at her, feeling her contempt as well as the utter conviction that oozed from every word. Yet I couldn’t say anything. Nothing.
“I’m very sorry I made fun of you. That isn’t me, but you give me no choice. You’re so intent on ruining an asshole that you lost sight of the man you are. A good man. A loving man.”
“You really don’t know me, Delaney. Not at all.”
“And what if I wanted to? What if I wanted to get to know all three of you? What then? You grew up together. Didn’t you? You looked out for each other, forging a friendship that neither time nor space could destroy. Hell, they are risking their entire futures to help their buddy. That says something amazing to me. That tells me that the three of you are worth getting to know. That you’re worth loving. Like a beautiful family. And I want that desperately. I’ve craved that my entire life. Don’t you get it? For some fucking crazy reason, I actually like all of you.” She laughed as she shook her head.
“Don’t. Just don’t,” I growled. A pain rushed into my head, the dark ache I’d experienced before just being around her more explosive, my yearning breaching another level.
I couldn’t let her go.
I refused to allow anyone else to take her.
“Fine. I won’t give a shit. Have it your way.” Cursing under her breath, she grabbed the washcloth and towel, tossing them in a pile on the floor.
Her words were stunning, leaving me feeling cold inside. She’d been telling the truth all along. “Then why go to work for Carter, a man just like your father?”
“Because I felt I had no choice. I had no money. I applied for dozens of jobs. I was about to lose my apartment and I could do one of two things. Beg my parents for money or accept the only job offer that had come my way. Call me stupid, but I chose the lesser of the evils.”
“I don’t understand. If you have loving parents who give a shit about you, why wouldn’t you take help, if only for a little while?” What wasn’t she telling me?
Delaney took several steps away, shaking her head. “You want to know the truth? I’m the girl who grew up with a silver spoon in her mouth just like Carter, so I know all about ruthless men with more money than God. You see, my father was one of those, treating his employees as if they were nothing, stepping on his competitors every chance he got. And the worst part? He loved it. Imagine my surprise when he didn’t have time for a family. Me. His only child. He couldn’t have cared less. I learned that the hard way, so I pretend that I am no one from nowhere. That’s who I am, Sawyer. We’re very much alike, you and I, including the shame of how we grew up, pretending that it didn’t shape us. I’ve made several mistakes, including pretending to be someone I wasn’t, but that doesn’t include being Carter’s girlfriend.” She sagged against the counter, tears forming in her eyes.
I reached out, clenching my fist before I dared to touch her because I knew if I did, I’d never be able to let her go.
“But that’s not the worst mistake or the most painful,” she struggled to say.
“What is?” My entire body began to shake as she lifted her gaze, daring to look me in the eyes.
“Falling in love with you.”
Chapter Fourteen
Delaney
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br /> Love.
What the hell did I know about love?
I’d seen the look of shock on Sawyer’s face, as if I’d tried and convicted him all over again. I was one stupid girl. I’d blame it on the accident, another ridiculous decision that I’d made. I couldn’t love him, or any of them.
How could I actually think I’d be able to love three men who’d...
Opened my eyes to passion?
Allowed me to feel free for the first time in so very long?
Hissing, I closed my eyes, finding it difficult to shove the images of Sawyer’s face the moment I’d been brought back from the dead out of my mind. I’d never experienced the kind of fear I had when tossed off the boat. Unable to catch my breath. The waves slamming me against the hull. The fear that had become paralyzing when I hadn’t been able to fight my way to the surface. I’d felt the heat of the roaring fire as the thunderous sounds of the explosion echoed in my ears.
Then everything had gone black.
Until I opened my eyes and stared into his. I’d been able to look past the rage and the hurt he’d felt, finding his soul. The glimpse of the real man had been amazing but lost almost instantly.
God, I was losing it if I thought I could psychoanalyze him.
Why had the boat exploded? A cold shiver trickled down the backs of my legs. I’d worked at Bradley Enterprises long enough to know the boats they produced were topnotch, the engines and other mechanics passing several inspections.
A bomb.
But who? How? And more important, when?
God, I could barely think straight.
I swirled the glass of wine, giving myself a mental toast to being one stupid woman. Why the hell had I blurted out anything about my life? And why did I think Sawyer would actually give a shit?
Because you want him to. You long for him to sweep you off your feet just like he did in saving your life. Because you crave his strong arms around you, holding you tight.
Right. Just after I’d attempted to kill him. Granted, I knew exactly where I was aiming. One of the benefits of being in various countries for my education was my ability to take unusual courses, including weaponry. I snickered at the thought.
I hadn’t admitted who I was to anyone for as long as I could remember anything about my background. My wealth. Or my family’s wealth. I’d ignored the looming trust fund, the one held over my head. In fact, I’d told my parents in no uncertain terms I didn’t want their money. I’d fashioned a new life, leaving my old one behind the moment I’d left college. Although my mother had initially feigned her love and worry for me, she was far too happy taking expensive, luxurious trips to foreign countries on my father’s arm.
They’d pretended the majority of their life that I was just another possession like their expensive cars and vacation homes. I’d had the best education, and chances to see the world in my studies. As long as I was kept away from the family home, the donations kept coming to the various higher education organizations. I often wondered why they’d bothered to have a child in the first place.
Shivering, the sound of wind and rain were more disturbing than I’d ever experienced before. In all my travels, I’d never been through an actual hurricane. A laugh bubbled in my throat at the thought. All the money my parents had spent over the years and I’d never been allowed in a tropical environment. Maybe that’s the real reason I’d picked Miami to try to build my new world.
Trust.
Sawyer had spouted off the word as if I was still a part of situation, a reason he would never be exonerated. The three men had captured me. They’d trapped me. They’d spanked me. They’d fucked me. They’d released... me. Oh, God. I’d never felt anything like being with them, the passion so intense, making me feel so alive. My nipples ached just thinking about sharing another night together.
All four of us.
My thoughts shifted to the girl Sawyer lamented over, although it was all about anger.
The girl in the picture. I’d seen the look on his face, the way his eyes held both a haunting as well as furious look. She’d scorned him in some way. That wasn’t what troubled me. I’d seen her somewhere. I could swear that I had. I even knew her name for some reason.
I’d thought of little else but what Sawyer had told me, still surprised he’d opened up, especially after I’d shot him. I remained rattled, my mind trying to wrap around everything I’d heard or seen during the last six months as well as the information Sawyer had provided. Something didn’t add up, only my mind remained far too foggy to try to figure it out.
Even from where I was standing, I could see the three of them huddled together. Three rugged men. Three... killers. I had no doubt they all had the ability to take a life buried deep within them. From what Sawyer had told me, they hadn’t just grown up on the wrong side of the street.
They’d owned it.
I had no true understanding of what they were capable of, but I had the distinct feeling I was going to find out. Swallowing hard, my gaze shifted to the array of weapons placed on the table in front of them. The gun I’d snatched might be lost, but they had enough firepower to take out an army. Maybe they were expecting their own version of a monster to come through the barricades placed in front of all the windows and doors. I’d never felt more like a captive than I did at this moment.
Besides, it wasn’t what they’d said, but the possessive way in which all three continued to look at me. Their longing for me had shifted with my rescue, becoming more encompassing, as if they’d determined that while I might not be one of their enemies, I was important enough to keep in a cage.
Why did the thought excite me as much as it did? Why was my pussy aching as much as the pain filtering through my head?
I gripped the edge of the kitchen counter as a rumble of thunder seemed to vibrate the entire house. I remained rattled, every nerve on edge. While there was no chance of the electricity going out given the extensive power system that had been installed, including a generator, I’d found and lit a candle. Maybe for comfort. Maybe to continue pretending this was paradise. Either way, the scent of vanilla was too overpowering, the desire to retch getting stronger.
As the wind rattled the shutters on the windows, I couldn’t help but feel small and helpless. I’d been a fool to take the boat out. I’d known it the minute I was only a few feet from the dock, yet I’d remained determined to get away from them.
I had to face the real reason why. I did adore all three of them, or maybe my emotions were all about the unbridled lust we felt together. Nothing made sense any longer.
Especially with regard to Bradley Enterprises.
One thing I knew for certain. I believed what limited information Sawyer and the others had told me. I’d seen Sawyer’s name on a piece of documentation, only I was having difficulty remembering where, just like recollecting why I knew the woman. Maybe the fact I’d hit my head on the damn boat when I was tossed over was the reason. I felt the lump on the back of my scalp, wincing when I did so. The headache remained, and no amount of liquor was going to stop the hard thudding. Maybe drinking wasn’t in my best interest, but right now, I didn’t give a shit.
After my shower, Sawyer had remained true to his promise, refusing to allow me out of his sight. I was worried about the wound he’d suffered becoming infected. What little I’d found in the way of supplies wasn’t going to do a damn thing if he continued acting like some he-man out of an action flick.
And he would.
He was determined to go against the odds, finding salvation.
Maybe there was none to find.
When another rumble sounded like more of an explosion, I almost knocked over my glass, a moan slipping past my lips. Immediately, there was a presence behind me. Jax.
He flanked my side, leaning over the counter. “Why don’t you come into the living room? We still need to talk.”
“I just don’t know what I can tell you or how it can matter.”
“Everything matters at this point,” he
answered, although there was no conviction in his voice.
I took a sip of wine, trying to figure out what to say. “The boat. Was that a bomb?”
“Hard to tell without any evidence.”
“But what if it was?”
He exhaled, the sound exaggerated. “Then we find the fucker who did it.”
“I’m no fool, Jax. Boats don’t just blow up without a reason.”
“No, they don’t. You need to stop worrying about things you can’t control, princess. You’re injured.”
“And so is Sawyer.” While I wanted to chastise him for calling me princess, I not only didn’t have the energy, I knew he was just as worried as the rest of us.
“Why’d ya shoot him?”
The question was one I’d wrestled with since regaining consciousness. “I don’t know the right answer.”
“There is no right answer, princess, only the one which holds the truth.”
His words were strangely comforting.
Sighing, he tilted his head in my direction, his eyes more soulful than I’d seen. “Let me tell you about Sawyer.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“I think it is. I’m sure you’re wondering why Rafael or I would bother helping him.”
“I know you are friends and care for each other very much.” I brought the wineglass to my lips, realizing my hand hadn’t stopped shaking since almost dying.
And Sawyer saved you.
The thought reverberated in my mind.
“Yeah. Sawyer mentioned what he said to you, but what you don’t know is that he saved my life, risking his own in the process.”
I shifted toward him, studying his high cheekbones and chiseled jaw. The three-day stubble was damn hot. The man was pure sin in a six-foot-four-inch frame. “Just like you’re doing for him now.”
“I owed him one, but even if I hadn’t, I would have helped him. He got a raw deal. I don’t know if Carter is behind what happened or if someone else framed Sawyer but given the money and the influence Carter’s family threw at the investigation, Sawyer didn’t have a chance. All he could get was one crappy attorney who had no business trying a case. It all happened so damn fast that neither Rafael nor I could do anything.”
