“Never,” I vow.
We enter the building that used to be the lighthouse keeper’s home.
“We’re not going to the lighthouse.”
“We are, but not yet,” I assure her.
Upon entering the room, Avery gasps, taking in the surroundings. I have a romantic candlelight dinner set up for two. When she leans back against me, my arms wrap around her waist, holding her close.
“Once upon a time this room served as the Head Lighthouse Keeper’s parlor,” I whisper in her ear. “But tonight, it’s a private dining room for us.”
Avery walks around the room checking out the drawings and photographs on display. I follow her, enjoying her obvious fascination with the lighthouses’ history.
“How did you manage all this?”
“I had help,” I confess.
After the lighthouse closed at 4:30, Helen coordinated everything to my specifications. The caters, the florist, and the musician, all to surprise Avery.
“And they just said yes to you making all these changes?”
“The Montauk Lighthouse is a self-funding nonprofit entity, depending entirely on patrons for support. And...”
“And you’re a very generous patron,” Avery finishes.
“Something like that.”
“Wow!” she says, amazed. “You did all this for me?”
“I’d do this and so much more for you,” I say, pulling out her chair. “You must know that by now.”
“I do.”
How can two words send my heart racing and calm my nerves at the same time. Taking the seat across from Avery, I meet the heat in her gaze. She feels it as much as I do, the electricity between us, the universe pulling us together.
I’m barely seated when the servers arrive on key. Dinner smells amazing but grilled rack of lamb and saffron rice is not what my mouth waters for. After instructing the server to leave the wine on the table, I pour Avery and myself a glass. The chef has chosen an Australian shiraz to complement the meal. Avery takes a bite of the lamb and moans her appreciation. And my cock swells.
“It’s delicious,” Avery says, offering me a bite.
My mouth covers her fork, taking the morsel of lamb. After I have swallowed it down I lick my lips and say, “It is.” And she knows I’m not talking about the lamb.
Avery shifts a little in her seat and I would give anything to know if she’s as wet for me as I am hard for her. I will find out soon enough.
OVER DINNER OUR CONVERSATION is easy, and her laughter fills my heart with unimaginable happiness. Happiness I thought had eluded me a short while ago. But now I know that life has more in store for me. More laughter. More happiness. More Avery.
Avery and I decide to skip dessert, and I move us on to phase two. We head to the lighthouse, taking the stairs to the tower. About halfway up Avery stops to remove her high heels sandals.
“I’ll get them on the way down,” she says, leaving them behind.
Excitement fuels my walk the rest of the way. I’m eager to see Avery’s reaction to the rest of the surprises I have in store for her.
“It’s beautiful up here,” Avery says, looking up at the stars.
“How many stars do you think are in the sky tonight?”
“I haven’t got a clue. There are so many that we can’t see.”
“Do you think there’s room for a few more?”
I give Avery a folder containing registries. She throws her arms around my neck after she’s done staring at the pages.
“You named stars for my parents.”
“I named the binary star Caroline and Malcom. It’s a star system consisting of two stars orbiting around each other. Now they can always be together watching over you.”
“I love it. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Can we see the stars from here?”
I point the stars out to Avery and she hugs me tighter.
“I hope you don’t mind that I included Ian.”
“The three of them can watch over us.” She beams.
When Avery tilts her head offering me her mouth, I kiss her hard, taking what I need from her. We’re both breathless when I drag my mouth away from hers. I take a step back, preparing to take the leap of my life.
“I’ve rehearsed all the things I want to say. I wanted tonight to be special, a night we will remember fifty years from now. But no amount of practice will ever prepare me for this.”
Dropping to one knee, I meet Avery’s shocked gaze. “I love you, Avery West. I want to spend the rest of my days waking up with you and the rest of my nights fucking you. I want you to be my lover, my always and forever, my everything. Avery West, will you marry me?”
Avery’s hands are covering her mouth and her eyes are filled with unshed tears. But she still hasn’t answered.
“Say yes, Sweetness. Be my wife.”
“Yes sweetness.” Her tearful words are fucking music to my ears.
Standing, I reach into my pocket and pull out her ring. I slide the four-carat cushion cut diamond and platinum ring on Avery’s finger. Pulling her close, she holds me tight. I taste the saltiness of her tears, when my mouth collides with hers.
“I’m never letting go,” I moan against her lips
“Avery Thorne,” she says as if testing the name.
And fuck if I didn’t like the sound of it.
“Say it again, Sweetness.”
“How soon would you like me to become Mrs. Avery Thorne?”
“As soon as fucking possible.”
“It takes time to plan a wedding,” Avery chuckles.
“How much time?”
“At least a year.”
“Hell no!” My tone was harsher than I intended. “Three months. I don’t want to wait a day longer than I have to until you’re officially Mrs. Avery Thorne.”
“Three months. Evelyn is going to have a heart attack.”
“I only need you Avery. You’ve already said yes. We can fly to Vegas and make it official in a few hours.”
“I will not get married by an Elvis impersonator at a drive thru chapel. I’ll make it happen in three months.”
“Deal,” I say, stealing a kiss from her pouty lips.
I make a mental note to give Helen a much-deserved raise. She has done an amazing job pulling this all together on such short notice. I had to promise to give the cleanup crew at least two hours to put the lighthouse back to its former state before it reopens at 10:30 tomorrow morning.
I lead Avery, my fiancé, back toward the spiral staircase. We will spend our first night as an engaged couple in the Head Lighthouse Keeper’s bedroom. The room has been transformed into a romantic oasis fit for two and worthy of the future Mrs. Avery Thorne. We have the place to ourselves for the next ten hours or so. And I intend to make the most of them.
Looking up at the sky from lighthouse, I have the distinct impression that I’m floating, just a tiny speck in this vast universe. Words cannot describe how wonderful it feels to know that I will have Avery by my side for the journey.
Wicked Wolff
The Wicked Ones Are Coming Soon. Affectionately known as the dirty dozen. Twelve standalones novels, featuring sinfully sexy alpha males with wicked appetites, dirty secrets and huge... Let’s just say EGOS.
Wicked Wolff is the first book in the Wicked Ones Series.
Available Now for Pre-Order
Are you ready to meet Dorian Wolff?
Enjoy this preview of the unedited first chapter of Wicked Wolff.
Chapter One
Dorian
WOLFF, IT'S NOT JUST my name, it's who I am. An apex predator always on the hunt. The Gray Wolf has become synonymous with the name Dorian Wolff. It's a brand I've work hard to build. I'm top of the food chain, dependent on no one. I make the rules and I have only one. "Do. Not. Fuck. With. Me.” Tonight, I’m on the prowl, waiting to catch the scent of something new. The only problem is, with this crowd, I’ve already fucked most of the women twice.
It’s a self-imposed limit. Any number of them would gladly jump into my bed tonight. But, I don’t want or need any attachments. There are too many women in this town, willing to be added to the rotation. Women willing to accept my terms, while satisfying my needs. But, like I said, tonight I’m craving something a little my challenging.
“Dorian darling. When did you arrive? My head turns in the direction of a familiar voice.
“Elise.” I greet her pleasantly as she leans in close offering her cheek to me.
Elise Michaels has chosen tonight to make her debut. She has been recovering the last few months from extensive cosmetic surgery. The woman has been nipped and tucked so many times, if it didn’t recognize her voice, I wouldn’t have known this person before me. The aging B list actress has been trying to stage a comeback for the past five years. She was quite beautiful in youth and before all the plastic surgeries. I can still recall the first time we meet. She had been crying in my mom’s arms, over losing a part in a movie she was sure she already had. That was the first time I heard the term ‘casting couch.’ My father, a man I admire to this day. Yelled to Elise. “Stay off the damn casting couch, Elise.” Before my dad could utter another word, my mom shooed him away. It seems she’s made her career by bending over every casting couch from Hollywood to Bollywood. But as a longtime friend of my parents she’s the closet thing I have, to family in this town.
“Have you met her yet?” Elise’s question refocuses my attention, stopping me from wandering farther down the poor little rich orphan road.
“Met who?” I query
“Olivia Frost, the young woman this party is for. She won top prize on that cooking show you produce.” Top prize being her very own cooking show produced by yours truly.
“I haven’t had the pleasure.” Having only just arrive on the scene, I’m in no hurry to make my presence known. A party like this is filled with wannabe actors and actress, every single one of them know who I am. Before the inmates start to roam the asylum, I decide to take whatever precious little time this event allows me, to just mingle freely.
“What the hell is he doing here?” I follow Elise’s line of vision, finding the one face in the crowd she vowed she never wanted to see again. Nigel Weston, one of her many ex-husbands. He is her import from the UK and husband number four. Before I can respond, she’s excusing herself and traipsing off in Nigel’s direction.
I watch her walk away and witness the moment the fight leaves her, when he pulls her into his arms kissing her tenderly. My phone vibrates with an incoming call. Stepping away from the gathering crowd, I search for a quiet place to take the call. I’m approaching the kitchen when the most mouthwatering aroma assaults my senses.
“I have to call you back.’ I say into the phone, ending the call before the party on the other end can respond.
Stepping further into the kitchen, I watch as this angelic creature moves gracefully, completely unaware that the devil is at her back.
“The sauce was a little bland, I just added a little flavor to it.” She announces, keeping her back to me. “Would you like to taste it?’”
Oh, god yes.
“Very much.” Are the words I let leave my mouth.
She dips a spoon into the sauce then turn around to face me. Her glacier blue eyes meet the steely gray of mine. A moment of awkward silence holds us captive. She offers me the spoon, dropping some of the sauce on her finger. I take the spoon, capturing her hand, licking the sauce from her finger.
Releasing her finger, I give her my most wolfish grin. “Delicious.”
The flush of embarrassment turns her cheeks a rosy pink. And I desperately want to know what the color would look like on her ass covered with welts. The thought makes my cock twitch.
She takes a step back, placing her hands behind her back. Hiding them from me no doubt. She’s wise to be cautious. That small taste of her has me hungry for more. Now that there is some distance between us, I take her in fully. The first thing I notice is, she’s not a typical Hollywood starlet. Even in this eighty-degree weather, she’s moderately covered. Her face is nearly absent of makeup, but I’m guessing she’s about twenty years old. Young but legal. The blonde hair flowing down her back radiates sunshine, a warmth that glows from within.
“Are you going to just stare at me all night?” The angel speaks, breaking the spell I’m temporarily under.
“If that’s what you want, sunshine. But, I can think of better ways to fill your night.”
She cheeks are blushing again, but this time she stands her ground meeting my gaze.
“And what makes you think, I’m interested in-”
We’re interrupted by the harsh sound to of yet another familiar voice. Observing that he’s not alone he abruptly ends the call he’s on.
Has everyone decided to escape to the kitchen. I tear my gaze away from the angelic beauty to address the unwelcome intruder.
“Colin.” I say by way of a greeting.
“I see you’re not wasting any time.”
His comment annoys me, even more so when a whisper of a voice says. “Excuse me.” Leaving me and Colin alone in the kitchen.
“I guess she shot you down too.”
I don’t answer, instead I ask a question of my own.
“Who is she?”
“That’s Frosty.”
“Excuse me.” I say, echoing the words I just heard.
“Everyone calls her Frosty. Every man who has come near her since she was a contestant on ‘I Want to Be a Chef,’ has been shot down cold. No pun intended. With that blond hair and glacier blue eyes, she’s every bit a snow princess.”
I guarantee I can make her melt.
“We haven’t officially met. I thought she was part of the catering staff.”
“If it’s any consolation, she’s an excellent chef and will make the you and the show a ton of money.”
I already have more money than I will spend in this lifetime or the next. The only child of two Hollywood legends, I inherited a fortune when they die nearly twenty years ago. As an adult, I have more than triple my net worth. Not to brag, but I’m one of Hollywood’s most powerful and successful writer/director/producer. I’ve come a long way since the Mickey Mouse Club with Justin, Ryan and Britney.
“Would you like me to make an introduction?’ Colin asks.
Reminding me that he was one was the celebrity judges on the show. Colin Paine, restaurateur, celebrity chef, author and a royal pain in the ass to most. But, I consider him a close friend.
“No. I think I’ll just mingle for an hour or so before calling it a night.” He nods, understanding that I enjoy parties of a more private nature.
We make our way back into the fray. My reappearance garners immediate attention from the partygoers. All except one. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she’s intentionally avoiding my gaze. I watch her, willing her to look my way. I lose sight of her, when a crowd gathers around me blocking my view. And I find myself resenting the obstruction. The gods smile on me when I hear Elise’s voice. The crowd parts like the red sea, allowing her passage. Elise sashays up to me with Olivia Frost in tow.
“Dorian, darling.” She says taking my hand in hers. “You simply must me this lovely girl.”
“Miss Frost.” I say, freeing my hand from Elise grasp. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
With a slight hesitation, she extends the hand I licked moments ago. She’s still embarrassed, I see it in her beautiful blue eyes. The way she’s looks, purposely from Elise to Colin, eluding my gaze.
“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Wolff.”
I held her hand a little longer than I should before releasing it.
“Please, call me Dorian.”
“Only if you call me Olivia.” This time she holds my gaze.
“Alright, Olivia it is.” I say, my voice is a low growl. I realize how much I want to hear her say my name. How much I want to hear her scream my name. My cock starts to swell, imaging her under me and at my
mercy. “Olivia, did you move to Los Angeles for the show?” I say her name again, hoping that she will reciprocate.
“Yes, I moved here from New York three months ago.”
“And how do you like it?” Beside me Colin clears his throat, clearly not missing the intended double entendre.
“I love the weather, but I’m still finding my way around.”
“I’d be happy to give you a tour of the city.”
“And your bedroom.” Colin says for my ears only.
“That’s very kind of you, but I can manage on my own. I like getting lost and discovering new things.”
The things I can help her discover, will have her getting lost in me.
“Let me buy you a drink, Elise.” Colin offers, finally earning his wingman status. Not that I’ve ever needed him in that capacity.
The crowd seems to have taken the hint and have backed off, leaving me alone with Olivia. I point to a nearby sitting area, intending to continue our conversation.
“It’s getting late. I really must go.”
Disappointment flows through me, hearing her words. I nod in acceptance.
“Let me walk you out.”
I place my hand at the small of her back, unable to resist the urge to touch her again. I lead her to the front door, aware that all eyes are on us.
“That’s me she says.” Pointing to the sporty red Mercedes convertible. She climbs behind the wheel, removes her heels, before changing into a pair of flip flops. “Will you be at the studio on Monday.” My brow raises involuntarily, questioning her. “For the first day of taping for my show.” She adds.
“Is that an invitation?”
Covering her eyes with pair of shades, she responds. “Do you need one. You are the producer after all.”
“That I am.” I confirm, making a mental note to clear my calendar for Monday. There is no way I’m not seeing her again the first chance I get.
“Good night, Mr. Wolff.” Olivia says, shutting the driver’s side door before starting the ignition.
“Good night, Miss Frost.” I say, stepping away from her car.
I watch as she drives away, until her taillights become too faint for me to see.
Inseparable Bond Page 16
