Without Regret (Devil's Playground #1)

by Nicole Edwards

  That didn’t make the words any less true.

  “One day at a time,” he added. “Remember?”

  A small smile formed on her lips. “I’m not so sure I like that plan anymore.”

  Isaiah frowned.

  “We don’t know what tomorrow will bring,” she told him, going up on her toes so that her mouth was closer to his.

  “True,” he replied, his lips inches from hers. “We don’t.”

  Her smooth fingers caressed his jaw, and he leaned into her palm.

  “I love you, too,” she whispered. “It’s a little unexpected, but…”

  “You don’t need to explain,” he told her. “Just show me. That’s all I need.”

  And with that, Isaiah pressed his lips to hers.

  20

  Love.

  That was such a hard emotion to grasp, but as Isaiah held her in his arms, Cassidy knew that was exactly what she was feeling. With his lips pressed to hers so reverently, she could practically imagine the rest of her life with this man.

  How that had happened in such a short time, she couldn’t understand. Nor would she question it.

  At almost thirty years old, Cassidy was beyond trying to figure out how the universe worked. She simply wanted to live her life, enjoy her time there, because as she’d seen in the last twenty-four hours, there was no guarantee on how long they had.

  Sliding her tongue along the seam of Isaiah’s lips, Cassidy sought more.

  He didn’t disappoint.

  Isaiah’s hands slid down her arms, coming around to cup her ass. He lifted her, causing her to wrap her arms around his neck, never breaking the kiss. Pressing her body as close to his as she could, Cassidy held on, moving her tongue along his, inhaling him into her soul.

  This man … he’d come into her life by chance, and look where that had gotten them.

  Granted, at the moment, it had gotten them into his bed, a place she found she really enjoyed being.

  Especially when he was there with her.

  It only took a few minutes of groping before they were both naked, skin to skin.

  “I want you in my bed every night,” Isaiah whispered as he came down over her. “Right here with me.”

  Cassidy smiled, and it filled her entire being from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair. Every part of her felt him, the emotion that transpired between them; it was something she’d never felt before. Strong, potent. Invincible.

  “Here?” she asked, smiling against his mouth while she ran her hands over every square inch of his perfect body.

  “For now,” he replied. “At least until we have kids.”

  Cassidy pulled back to look at him. “Kids?”

  “Unless you don’t want them.”

  “No,” she said quickly. “I want kids. I just thought…”

  “There’s plenty about me you don’t know yet,” he said, kissing her neck. “But you will, Cass. You’ll know every part of me the same as I’ll know every part of you.”

  She liked the sound of that. They might still be strangers, but they were tied together by their hearts. As far as she was concerned, that was the first step.

  “Kids, huh?” she asked when he stared down at her.

  Isaiah nodded.

  Cassidy managed to force him onto his back. From there, she crawled over him, her hands gliding over his hard chest, his taut abs. Then down. She found his erection with her fingers, teasing him before wrapping her hand around him.

  “There’s something else I don’t know about you yet,” she whispered, grinning up at him.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  Cassidy leaned down, placing a kiss on the head of his cock before looking back up at him. “Whether or not you like this.”

  “Oh, I like it. Don’t you worry about that,” he said on a gruff moan. “Don’t stop.”

  She loved the aggressive side of Isaiah.

  Wrapping her lips around the head of his cock, she sucked him into her mouth, using her tongue to lave him, tasting him, inhaling his musky, masculine scent.

  “Fuck, Cass. So good.”

  His hand slid into her hair, holding her head in place while she used her mouth and her hand to pleasure him. He didn’t let her stop until he was thrusting his hips upward, driving his cock into her mouth. She took him as deep as she could, using her hand to keep him from going too far.

  “Damn, baby. I want to come in your sweet fucking mouth.”

  A chill raced down her spine; her nipples pebbled from his words alone. She wanted that, too. She wanted to send him over the edge, to make him lose control.

  But he had other plans.

  “Not yet, though,” he growled, releasing her hair and pulling her up so that they were face-to-face.

  With ease, he rolled her onto her back, then grabbed a condom from the nightstand. Cassidy watched as he sheathed his thick cock, entranced by the way he gripped himself, stroking slowly. It was so fucking sexy she couldn’t look away.

  When he was kneeling between her thighs, looking down at her, she finally tore her attention away from his beautiful cock, looking up into his eyes.

  “You like that, do you?”

  “What?” she asked.

  “When I stroke my dick. You like watching me.”

  Cassidy nodded. Yeah, she liked watching him.

  “Good to know.”

  Her arms went around him when he leaned down to her, her mouth seeking his as he guided his cock into her. Her muscles relaxed enough to take him inside, holding him there, then clenching around the delicious invasion.

  “I want this,” he breathed against her mouth. “For the rest of my life.”

  “Me … too…” Cassidy could hardly breathe for how good it felt. He stretched her completely, the soft hair on his chest tickling her nipples, sending shards of sensation firing beneath her skin.

  Isaiah started out slow, but his pace soon increased as he thrust into her, over and over, harder, faster. She clung to him, her eyes closed as she relished the feel of him against her, inside her.

  When he growled, Cassidy tightened her inner muscles, locking him to her.

  “Fuck, Cass. I’m going to come, baby. Come with me.”

  Her body caught fire. Rocking with him, she took him deeper, loving the way he felt, the way he smelled, the sound of his voice. It was more than she’d anticipated, more than she thought she deserved.

  No, Isaiah Fontenot wasn’t perfect, but he was perfect for her. And she loved him.

  Without regret.

  An animalistic growl tore from his chest as his body stilled, his cock buried deep, and that’s when Cassidy let go, her orgasm shattering within her, making her light-headed from the intensity.

  Yes, perfect.

  21

  With Courtney’s hand in his, Max Adorite walked into Isaiah’s office, briefly scanning the room. His beautiful wife released his hand and went straight for the attractive redhead standing on Isaiah’s left.

  “Courtney Adorite,” she greeted the other woman.

  “Cassidy Owens,” the redhead replied. “So nice to meet you.”

  Courtney smiled but then offered the woman a quick hug.

  Max watched the interaction, shaking his head. He’d never understand how two women—two complete strangers—could hug one another as though they were long-lost friends.

  He then turned his attention to his club manager, who had gotten to his feet as soon as they’d walked in. Isaiah headed toward him, holding out his hand, and Max shook it.

  “Things handled?” Max inquired, speaking softly.

  “Yes, sir. Our guest is waiting to speak with you. From there, he’s got an appointment.”

  Max knew how to translate, and he appreciated Isaiah’s discretion. Then again, the man had always been that way. Very professional, very understanding of the way things worked within his organization. It was the reason Max valued Isaiah, paid him a handsome amount for his loyalty.

  “When can I speak w
ith him?” Max inquired.

  “Whenever you’re ready.”

  “Courtney,” Max said, turning toward his wife. “I need to talk to Isaiah about business. Privately.”

  His wife nodded, understanding in her gaze. “Cassidy and I will be at the bar.”

  “After you,” Max told Isaiah, allowing the other man to lead him to their guest.

  “Is Cassidy doing well? After the … altercation.” Max had been livid when he’d found out that Howard Turner had dared to come into his hotel and kidnap a woman right out of her hotel room. However, he didn’t think his fury had come close to matching Isaiah’s. When Isaiah had relayed the information while Max was on the plane, en route, he’d detected the murderous intent in the other man’s tone.

  He couldn’t blame Isaiah. Max would personally end the life of any man who dared put his hands on Courtney. And he’d do it slowly, inflicting as much pain as possible.

  So, yes, he understood Isaiah’s response.

  “How about the brother?”

  “I personally settled his debt. I’ll be taking him in for the time being.”

  “You trust him?”

  “Not yet, no,” Isaiah admitted.

  Max also liked that about Isaiah. He was honest.

  “But I will. He wants to do right by his sister. I’ll be the one to ensure that happens.”

  Max smiled to himself. He didn’t doubt that. “And Micah? How’s he doing?”

  “Well,” Isaiah stated. “He held his own throughout.”

  “And he’s still content?”

  When Max had brought the Fontenot twins into his organization, he’d been leery about Micah. The man had a short fuse, despite his fun-loving nature, but from what Max could tell, Isaiah calmed him. The brothers were close, but Max expected now that Isaiah found himself otherwise preoccupied with the pretty redhead, they’d likely need to rely more on Micah to handle things. It was time Micah moved up in the organization, had more responsibility. He was a good man, a loyal employee.

  But he would allow Isaiah to handle that. As he did everything that took place at Devil’s Playground Las Vegas.

  They arrived at their destination, a holding room in the basement of the hotel, a short time later. Max opened the door, stepping into the cold, concrete room.

  “Mr. Turner,” he said, formally greeting the man, who was currently tied to a chair, completely naked. It was a tactic Max knew well. Most men felt incredibly vulnerable when they were naked. It was an intimidation factor that had worked well for Max over the years. Seemed Isaiah had had the same experience.

  “I’m sure Mr. Fontenot has kindly relayed my disappointment,” Max said, addressing Howard Turner.

  “What the fuck do I care?” Howard retorted.

  Max had to hand it to the guy, he was disguising his fear well. Surely the bastard knew he wouldn’t be leaving that room alive, yet he still held his own.

  “You should’ve cared,” Max said dismissively.

  “Why? Because some punk kid thinks he can tell me what to do?”

  Max smiled, a feral grin that reflected his hatred for the man.

  He did glimpse fear in Howard’s eyes at that point.

  Moving closer, Max calmly placed his hand around the old bastard’s throat, squeezing just enough to cut off his airflow.

  “Oh, the pleasure I’d get from killing you.”

  Howard had the common sense to keep his mouth shut. More than likely, he was trying to conserve oxygen considering Max was allowing him none. Leaning in closer, Max lowered his voice as he said, “Unfortunately, I’m leaving that to Mr. Fontenot. I’ve learned that you wronged him in a manner that I cannot contend with. He advised me that he’d already made you a promise. I’m of the belief that men should keep their promises.”

  Releasing Harold’s neck, he watched as the man gasped for air.

  Turning to Isaiah, he waited for the other man to speak.

  “I’d like to allow him to think about what he’s done for a while. There’s no sense in you wasting your vacation time with this scumbag.”

  Max agreed. He’d prefer they return to the club, check on the scene. He had no doubt that Isaiah would handle Harold when he was ready. Until then, he agreed that the man would do well with some time to think.

  Pivoting on his heel, he faced Harold again. “I’d tell you that, in the future, you should consider respecting others when they request something. However, I don’t think that’ll matter soon.”

  With that, he followed Isaiah out of the room, ready to get back to Courtney.

  The trek back to the club wasn’t as long as before. Or so it seemed.

  When they entered the club, Max took it all in. The Fontenot brothers had done well by him for the past five years. They’d taken the club beyond the realm of what Max had anticipated. It continued to thrive, pushing numbers far greater than the Dallas club and remaining on a similar level with the New York club.

  “Hey,” Courtney greeted when Max joined her at the bar. He kissed her mouth and then glanced over to see Cassidy Owens staring back at them.

  “I wanted to thank you, Mr. Adorite,” Cassidy said quickly. “I owe you and your wife my life. My brother does, too.”

  “You owe us nothing,” Max told her simply, briefly glancing at Isaiah, who had come to stand beside Cassidy, his arm possessively wrapped over her shoulder.

  It was interesting to think that these two had only met a couple of days earlier. Then again, under the circumstances, it made sense that they’d ventured into … whatever this was between them so quickly. Adrenaline tended to make people do things they otherwise might not do. He figured love could potentially be a byproduct of that.

  His eyes strayed to Courtney, and he remembered the day he’d met her. He’d been captivated by her, and he’d known at the time that she was different.

  He was glad Isaiah had found that as well.

  “How about a toast,” Courtney said, passing around four shot glasses.

  “What are we toasting to?” Max asked.

  “To living life,” Courtney said, lifting her glass. Max watched as his wife’s gaze met Cassidy’s.

  “Yes, to living life … without regret,” Isaiah added.

  Max couldn’t have said it better himself.

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  I hope you enjoyed Isaiah and Cassidy’s story. Without Regret is the first book in the Devil’s Playground series, which is a spin-off from the Southern Boy Mafia series. You can read more about the Adorite family — the owners of Devil’s Playground — here.

  Want to see some fun stuff related to the Devil’s Playground series, you can find extras on my website. Or how about what’s coming next? I keep my website updated with the books I’m working on, including the writing progression of what’s coming up for the Devil’s Playground series.

  If you’re interested in keeping up to date on the Adorites as well as receiving updates on all that I’m working on, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter.

  Want a simple, fast way to get updates on new releases? You can also sign up for text messaging. I promise not to spam your phone. This is just my way of letting you know what’s happening because I know you’re busy, but if you’re anything like me, you always have your phone on you.

  And last but certainly not least, if you want to see what’s going on with me each week, sign up for my weekly Hot Sheet! It’s a short, entertaining weekly update of things going on in my life and that of the team that supports me. We’re a little crazy at times and this is a firsthand account of our antics.

  ♥▫▫▫▫♥▫▫▫▫♥

  Keep reading for an excerpt from

  WAIT FOR MORNING

  (Sniper 1 Security #1)

  Nicole Edwards

  Copyright © Nicole Edwards, 2015

  Excerpt from Wait for Morning

  One

  Connecticut

  February

  Thump-scrape-thump

  Marissa
Trexler came awake slowly, trying to fight the groggy feeling as she forced her eyes open. A quick glance at the blurry red digits on the alarm clock told her it was just after midnight. The dim light from the lamp on her bedside table, along with the Kindle resting on her chest, said she’d fallen asleep reading again.

  She really needed to stop doing that. More than likely, the suspense novel she’d been engrossed in before she finally dozed off was making her paranoid. Stephen King had a way of doing that to a person.

  Sliding the e-reader to the pillow beside her, Marissa scrubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands and glanced over at the bedroom door. Shut and locked. Exactly the way she’d left it. No boogeyman looming over her, ready to do whatever it was that boogeymen did.

  She lay there, momentarily listening for the sound that had awoken her. Nothing.

  Yep, just as she’d thought. Paranoid. Thanks a lot, Mr. King. Maybe it really was time to switch to some lighter reading at night. Perhaps her best friend, Courtney, was right, Marissa should try romance on for size.

  Just when she reached for the lamp to shroud the room in darkness so she could attempt to get back to the blessed dreamless state she’d been in, Marissa stopped, her hand hovering inches from the lamp base.

  Thump-scrape

  Okay, maybe paranoid wasn’t the right word because she clearly hadn’t imagined the sound that time.

  Glancing toward her bedroom door once more, Marissa tried to make sense of the noise, but she couldn’t. It sounded almost as though someone was dragging something across the floor and then carelessly dropping it. Over and over again.

  There was no way that could possibly be it, though.

  Right?

  Maybe it was the screen door. Yes, that made perfect sense. A much more likely culprit. The damn thing was always coming unlatched, a reoccurring problem with the blistering cold winds slamming brutally against her small rental—aka safe house—especially in the dead of winter.

  Not for the first time, Marissa wished she was back in Texas. Back where the temperatures weren’t freeze-your-nipples-off cold.

  Figuring the screen door wouldn’t fix itself, Marissa forced her legs over the edge of the bed and slid her feet into her cable-knit boot slippers.