by Ashley Hall
I nodded. “Yeah,” I said. Again, I felt surprisingly guilty and I couldn’t explain why. “I’ll be home tomorrow sometime, to get my stuff.”
Mom held me by both shoulders and looked into my brown eyes. All my life, people had called us sisters but I’d never really understood the resemblance until now. We both had big round eyes, heart-shaped faces, and masses of brown hair. The only differences were the slight wrinkles forming by the corners of her mouth and her eyes. It made me sad to see that she’d aged. Stop thinking like that, I ordered myself. Don’t be such a freaking weirdo. She’s your mother. Of course she’s older than you.
I had pulled myself together by the time Mom and Dad walked off toward their car. It felt strange to think that I wasn’t going home with them, that perhaps aside from the occasional visit, I wouldn’t ever go home with them again.
But all thoughts of my parents were forgotten as Mack walked up to me, grinning a cocky smile.
“Babe,” Mack said. “C’mon. Let’s go.”
I burst out laughing. He looked so different from earlier! He looked so happy and relaxed.
“I’m so glad to see you,” I said, walking up and throwing my arms around him. As always, his leather jacket creaked from our shared weight. As his lips met mine, I shuddered. Mack slipped his tongue in my mouth and wrapped his arms around my waist, sliding them down to my ass and squeezing hard.
A jolt of arousal shot through me. “Let’s go,” I whispered into Mack’s ear, as soon as we pulled away from each other. “I can’t wait to be alone with you.”
Mack and I climbed on his bike and he drove us out of town, all the way to the edge of the woods. Our ritual was driving out here, then bringing a blanket and some cheap wine into the woods. I loved being alone with him – it made me feel mature and safe. Mack’s big frame was enough to protect us from any danger that came our way. I knew that no matter what, he’d always keep me safe.
Mack’s motorcycle roared around the sharp curves and turns of the Carlsbad hills. When we got to the outskirts of the forest, he slowed down and we stowed his bike. Then he handed me a big basket.
“Carry this,” Mack said. “I’ll lead the way.” He clicked on a flashlight and started plowing into the woods. The basket was heavy and I was still wearing my heels from the graduation ceremony – stupidly, I hadn’t thought far enough in advance to wear other shoes. I stumbled and almost fell multiple times, but Mack didn’t slow his pace. He kept walking and I practically had to run to keep up as I scrambled along in his wake.
“Here,” Mack said. He gestured for me to set the basket down on the ground, When I had, he opened it up and pulled out the familiar red-checked blanket.
“Is this a special night?” I glanced into the basket, half-hoping that there would be a surprise inside. Instead, I saw everything that we normally brought: two bottles of Boone’s Farm Apple wine, plastic cups, and a baggie containing marijuana. I didn’t like to smoke, but Mack didn’t like to have sex with me unless he was stoned. He said it ruined the experience otherwise. Secretly, I was always hoping that we could do it sober. But I’d spent enough time with Mack to know that his habits died hard. There was no way he’d change, even with time. He’d always loved smoking pot, and the one time I asked him not to, he’d gotten really angry with me.
Mack glanced up at me. “Why would this be a special night?”
“Because I graduated today,” I said meekly. “And because I thought we could celebrate. You know, us moving in together and all that. Aren’t you happy?”
Mack narrowed his eyes. He dropped the blanket on the ground in a pile of folds and I swallowed. An icy, strange feeling came over my stomach until I was feeling just as anxious as I had that morning.
“Why the fuck would we celebrate you graduating from some dumb school?” Mack sneered. “Why the fuck would we do that when we could concentrate on gettin’ drunk and fucking?” He stepped towards me and the sound of menace in his voice made me shiver. As he balled up one of his hands into a fist and swung it behind his back, I stumbled backward. But my heel caught on a twig and I fell over, landing hard on my ass. The ground was littered with sharp rocks and I felt one of them pierce my thigh. Howling in pain, I wrapped my hands around my leg and leaned over my lap.
“What the fuck are you crying about, bitch?” Mack yelled. He leaned down over me and suddenly, there was a sharp, explosive pain in my jaw. For a moment, it was so intense that it didn’t even register as pain. I saw stars and felt the air whoosh out of my lungs as I fell to the ground.
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Books by Ashley Hall
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Owned by the Bodyguard
SHE'S STRICTLY OFF-LIMITS… WHICH IS ALL THE MORE REASON TO TAKE HER.
I know I shouldn't.
I shouldn't touch her.
Shouldn't taste her.
Shouldn't bring her to my bed and run my tongue between her legs until her eyes roll back in her head.
But rules are for cowards and cuckolds.
A man like me takes what he wants when he wants it.
And so I do it – all those things I shouldn't.
I touch her, taste her, claim her as my own.
When she claws my back and cries out my name, it makes it all worthwhile.
I knew the risk when I first crossed that line.
And I'm not scared – never have been, never will be.
But there's a damn good chance that by the time all of this is over, we'll all be murdered in cold blood:
Me, her, and the baby in her womb.
Owned by the Mob Boss
Some lines are meant to be crossed – over, and over, and over again.
I knew she was desperate, and so I used her for what I needed most: an heir.
Does that make me bad? Probably. But I’ve never claimed to be a nice guy.
I want an heir to carry on the Kovalsky name. I’m the last of my family, ever since my most hated enemy murdered my parents.
When Rachel offered herself up for the job, I knew I wouldn’t regret having her sweet little body be mine for however long it took to get her pregnant.
I make her scream until she’s hoarse. I want to own her, to brand her, to fill her with my child.
But now she’s in danger of being hurt by the same man who killed my parents.
And when he takes Rachel and the baby she carries, I know I’ll do anything to protect them.
It’s time to teach the world a lesson:
Never, ever steal from the mob boss.
Griffin
He didn't need a chokehold to take my breath away.
Sadie
I’ve got my career and reputation to worry about. The last thing I need is some bad boy adrenaline junkie who can’t keep his hands to himself.
So why does the sight of this guy make me want to drop to my knees?
This guy could practically snap me with those massive arms and his double-wide hands. It’s primal. It’s disgusting.
So why do I want it?
He makes headlines with his strong fists and fast women. He discards everyone and everything. I’m a smart girl—too smart to set myself up.
So why am I dying for him to knock me down?
Griffin
She’s just another clean-cut girl hoping to piss off daddy by bringing a bruiser like me around.
Still, I’d like to see that uptight little suit on my bedroom floor.
She thinks she’s smarter than me. I wanna take her down a notch. In fact, I wanna take her all the way down.
A girl like that is just aching to be broken by a man like me.
She seems so pure, so untouched—more likely to curl up with a book than a ma
n.
But we’ll see how much she feels like reading after I’m behind her with a fistful of that gorgeous hair.
Go ahead, sweetheart. Roll those beautiful eyes and use that condescending tone on me.
Soon enough you’ll be tapping out.
Hunted
She was searching for answers. But now the hunter has become the hunted.
I’m a killer, a rogue. I prey on the predators of this sick and twisted world.
The men I send to the grave have earned their one-way ticket.
They’re animals. Monsters. Less than human.
Still, some say I go too far.
Too bad I don’t give a damn what they think.
In my realm, I am judge, jury, and executioner.
But when my ex old lady stumbles back into my life,
her memory scrambled by a vicious car accident,
all the roles get mixed up.
Nothing seems so clear-cut anymore.
Do I succumb to her temptation?
Do I reclaim what’s mine: her body, heart, and soul?
Or do I turn my back on her petite little curves
and focus on my self-appointed mission?
My burden is heavy, and she isn’t making it any easier.
She’d better be careful, though.
Because I’m about to turn my sights on her.
Flirt
It takes a perfect bastard to ruin a perfect life…
Wesley Sykes was everything I was taught to stay away from – cocky, foul-mouthed, and living in perpetual sin. He looked the part, too, with broad shoulders wrapped in a leather jacket and a smile designed by the Devil himself.
And now he’s moving in…to my perfect, religious household.
All my life I had been the good girl. Wes warned me he was no good, and every time I wanted to get too close, he reminded me of who he was. I wanted to hate him for it, but I couldn’t. Every time he said no just made me want him even more, and no matter how many times I laid in bed, dreaming of his hands on me, it was never enough. I had to try it.
So I did.
Just once, I promised myself. But once temptation finally won, once wasn’t enough for either of us. There's no turning back now. I'm just praying that no one ever finds out about the things he’s done to my body when no one was looking.
But under this roof, nothing ever stays secret for long…
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