by Jo Raven
“You want trust? This is definitely not how you earn it. Not with me.” I felt a chair push underneath my knees, forcing me to sit down. “What, are you going to kill me? Well, do you want to know what my will says about my assets? Any assets. That’s right. I’ve updated it, and they certainly aren’t going back to you!”
My father slammed his fist on the wooden table, making me jump. There was the calculated and ruthless man I remembered—the one my mother feared and was not able to live with. The one she hid me from her entire life. His face reddened with anger and his eyes seemed to darken from sky to navy.
Axel and Ace, on the other hand, who had joined us in the massive library, didn’t even flinch. I could see on Cash’s face that he regretted his father’s action and temper. I may not have known them for over ten years, but I could recognize the disappointment in my brother’s facial features as if we hadn’t spent a day apart. Did Cash even want to be here?
“I don’t want your assets, Grace. Only what belongs to this family.”
“Are you going to keep me imprisoned here?” I asked.
“Of course not.” Cash came around and poured my father a glass of what I assumed was scotch—his favorite.
“Grace, we don’t do what we used to do,” Cash said. “Ace just passed the bar, and he’s joining the company. We’re totally about legal cases now. No more scams. Father’s sick. We’d like the few years or months he has left to be happy ones. That’s why we’d like to get to know you better and try to put this family back together.”
“You’re strangers to me.” I looked from Axel to Ace and then to Cash. The only reason I knew we were related was because the genes didn’t lie. “And how can I believe anything you say? Scar tried to kill me.”
My father cleared his throat. His facial expression shifted from the cunning man I knew him to be to a version of his gentler self—which meant he desperately wanted something from me.
“We’re trying to take care of that, Grace. Scar fell off the wagon and got dealing with the wrong people. He’s confused. But if you sign this”—my father pushed a piece of paper across the desk—“we’ll get him off your back.”
Cash’s face twisted with disapproval. If this was the way my father was expecting me to join his clan, he was going about it the wrong way.
“What is this?” I asked, quickly scanning the legal documents.
“Grace, we want you to be part of our family. You can see your mother, your brothers. All you need is a proper name. A Wagner name.”
Somehow I doubted my name would be the only thing I’d be giving up.
“Don’t beat around the bush. What is this exactly about?”
“It’s you getting what’s rightfully yours, Grace.”
He wanted me to change my name? Seriously? And why didn’t I believe that this was it? After so many years, why now?
I stood up and slammed the pen on the table. “I don’t want anything from you. Especially your last name. I never did.”
“Grace, if you don’t do this, we won’t be able to keep Scar away.”
“Why not? You kidnapped me, why not just kidnap him?”
“It’s not that easy with Scar.”
I could tell he was lying. In fact, it didn’t seem he cared about Scar at all. At every mention of Scar’s name, a shadow of disappointment and regret crossed my father’s face. Whatever my youngest brother had done, he was certainly not one of my father’s favorites right now.
Cool wind blew through the library. I felt as if a dozen ghosts had walked right through my body. And that’s when the sound of guns ricocheted around the house. I fell down to the area rug at the foot of my father’s desk, and everyone else around the room also dropped down, right in the spots they’d stood in a second before. My brothers each drew a gun—Axel’s came from behind his back, Ace drew his from a strap at his ankle, and I didn’t see where Cash got his—but the point was that they were prepared. Someone kicked down the library door. Its metal hinges bounced on the wooden floor. Standing in the doorway, pointing one gun at my father and another one at Axel, the next most dangerous man in line in this house, was Hunter. Tristan, Emma’s brother, stood beside him with another set of weapons, pointed at my other two brothers. Outside, I heard Julian’s voice: “If you don’t want your brains splattered, stay the fuck on the ground!”
“Remind me to fire the security team,” Cash growled. “I’m assuming you don’t have a warrant, Mr. Reeve.”
“I don’t need a fucking warrant when you kidnap my girlfriend from underneath my nose. You okay, Grace?” Hunter took five long steps toward me, never losing the sight of his targets, holding both his arms steady.
“Grace is family. This is her home. And if you’d let us near her in the first place we wouldn’t have been forced to go through such extreme measures to have her escorted here so we could talk,” Axel barked.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Escorted? All I want is for you to leave me alone. Do whatever it is that you do and keep me out of it.”
“You were part of this a long time ago, Grace. There’s no going back.” Cash wearily closed in toward our father, standing in front of the desk, using his own body as cover.
“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t arrest you now,” Hunter said.
“You know exactly why, Mr. Reeve. You arrest us, and I won’t have a choice but to show the police how Grace has been laundering money the past three years. And believe me, I wouldn’t be the one going to jail.”
“What the hell?” I gasped.
“Come on, Grace. It’s time to leave. Next time I see any of you, I will not hesitate to pull the trigger.”
“You’re not a killer, Mr. Reeve,” Axel mocked.
And in a split second Hunter was at my oldest brother’s side, pointing the barrel of his gun right in the middle of Axel’s forehead, “Do you want me to prove you wrong?”
“Hunter, please…”
Was I the only one who believed that Hunter wouldn’t hesitate? I had no doubt in my mind, and I think it was the fear in my eyes of what Hunter was capable of doing that made my brothers take a step back and finally let me go.
CHAPTER 17
We arrived at Maddox’s with five minutes to spare. One of the things I was sure I loved about Hunter was his punctuality. But I guessed being an ex-Seal he had to be on time. After the ordeal at my father’s house, Hunter had taken me home and asked me to change into a fancy gown. He said he had a surprise for me.
Maddox’s was the type of fancy restaurant you dressed up for, where you could expect not only to eat in style but also to have plenty of privacy. The secluded booths, private rooms, and abundance of nooks and corners created a truly romantic atmosphere. I couldn’t help but feel nerves deep in my tummy. Hunter wore a gray suit with a white shirt and a silver tie. The attire appeared to have been tailored to him. With Hunter freshly shaved and smelling appetizing, I couldn’t take my eyes away from him—and neither could any of the women we passed while the waitress led us to our table.
My adrenaline and hormones had been spiked since this morning, when Hunter hinted at a special evening to celebrate returning to work. He also mentioned that he was getting closer to resolving our issue with Scar and the entire family, but he wouldn’t tell me until he was certain. Because of this man, the past three weeks of my life, although dangerous, had been the best ones yet.
We were led to a secluded booth, and I took a seat on the plush banquette. The waitress tipped the wine bottle into my glass, filling it an inch to taste. The dry Merlot flowed like silk ribbon on my tongue, and it was exactly what I needed right now. I nodded in approval and she topped my glass.
My heart was pounding and I couldn’t contain the surge of emotions inside me, so I took another sip of the courage potion. Hopefully it would work itself into my veins quickly.
“So what’s the occasion?” I asked, feeling my voice shake. “It’s not like we have an anniversary coming up or anything.”
Crap! D
id I just say anniversary? I could just slap myself. Great way to scare a man off, Grace! Tell him you’re expecting an anniversary dinner.
“Well, there is a reason I brought you here tonight, but not one I can yet reveal.”
“Really?”
“Yes, but I’d like to think we can first spend some time alone.”
“You’re not proposing, are you?” I asked.
Hunter’s face sobered. Was he? No way! It was too early and too fast, with too many unanswered questions.
“Just kidding,” he finally smiled, and I breathed out in relief.
“Is marriage something you’ve thought about?” he asked in a more serious tone.
“I think so, one day. Not yet.” I felt my knees bop up and down underneath the table. This certainly wasn’t the topic I was expecting tonight. Getting nervous over perhaps hearing the “L word” now seemed silly. Hunter had just gone way beyond what I was ready for.
Hunter reached forward and took my hand into his. “Grace, relax. Please. If you want me to help you do so, just say the word.” He scooted around the half-moon booth to sit beside me, and wrapped his arm around me. “You look gorgeous tonight.” He kissed my shoulder, then swept his lips along my neck, awakening shivers on my skin.
“Oh, this old thing?” I smoothed my hand over the brand-new red dress I’d had stashed away in the closet since the day Emma dared me to buy it. And now I prayed I’d remembered to rip the tag off of this take me now–screaming ensemble. The fabric dipped all the way to my lower back, nearly revealing my ass. At the front, the collar ran straight from one shoulder to the other, just underneath my collarbone. And of course this was one of those outfits you couldn’t wear a bra with, so as Hunter smoothed his hand over my thigh and nibbled on my earlobe, I was sure my nipples were beginning to misbehave.
“You clean up quite well too.” I grasped his thigh, gently smoothing my palm along the strong muscle, reaching closer to his crotch.
“Grace, honestly, if I didn’t have any other plans for tonight, I’d sweep you into my arms and take you back home so that I could watch you strip out of that skin-tight fabric. Better yet, I don’t think I’d be able to wait. We’d just have to manage with the dress on.”
“And what exactly would you do?” I asked, leaning my head to the side as he continued nibbling on my neck. The unbelievable pull of his lips along my skin was beginning to break me apart.
“I’d taste every pink shade on your skin, kiss every freckle I could find, and lick the sweat beads as you writhed underneath me. I’d wait until your pussy was so wet, I could slide inside you with all my might to your deepest reach. But not before I devoured your breasts, and every curve and fold on your body, until you begged me to take you. Because the only thing that could take the ache away would be me, inside you.”
I could already feel the sweat collecting between my breasts. For a moment I couldn’t breathe. There wasn’t enough air in here, and if Hunter told me he wanted to leave right this moment, I’d tell him to hurry.
Hunter’s hand scrunched up my dress and was now resting on my bare thigh. It took everything I had inside me not to spread my legs open and yield to his insistent fingers walking along my skin. Thankfully the tablecloth was long enough all the way around the table, and the booth secluded enough, that we couldn’t be seen. And the moment the waitress returned, instead of pulling his hand away, Hunter forced my knees to fall apart and pressed the tips of his fingers against my panties, drawing them back and forth over the sheer fabric. And at that moment I felt myself leak with pleasure.
“Are you ready to order?” she asked.
I wasn’t too sure how Hunter managed to remain so composed. The waitress could surely notice what we were up to, couldn’t she? From Hunter’s calm voice as he asked for the specials and ordered his food, my date seemed to be playing the part of a gentleman quite well. Except that under the table he was playing with me, slowly nudging his fingers to the inside of the elastic on my panties. He touched my skin, and I felt my thighs squeeze his hand momentarily. This had to stop. I couldn’t do it here. He wouldn’t do it here, would he? There was nothing gentle about the way my core was getting heated. I felt like I harbored the mouth of a volcano between my legs, with sweet lava flowing just beneath my skin. Feeling my pulse speed, I began dripping with desire. This place really needed the air conditioning to be turned up.
“Would you like me to order for you, sweetheart?” he asked. “I know exactly what you like. Don’t you think?”
“Aha,” was all I could muster as Hunter continued ordering. At this point I didn’t really care about the menu, so long as Hunter would continue rubbing my swelling mound. And would he please finally put those fingers inside me? Gosh, it felt like it took forever for the waitress to leave.
“I don’t think this was on the menu tonight,” Hunter whispered into my ear. I grasped his thigh, digging my fingers deep into his flesh, panting with each of his strokes over my clit, as he rubbed it with more intensity each second.
“But I’m glad it is.”
“Hunter… I’m gonna…”
“What, do you want me to stop?” he asked.
“Don’t you dare,” I said between my teeth, feeling the first spasms burst through me. I no longer cared where we were or who could see us. I just wanted Hunter to bring my climax to fruition—if he cared about me at all, he’d do it well and fast. I leaned further back against the seat and partially onto his shoulder, spreading my legs wide, circling my hips to the rhythm of his touch. What I really wanted to do was pinch my nipples, or at least grasp Hunter’s leg and pump the pleasure out of him the way he was doing to me.
“Oh Grace, my love. I adore it when you succumb to my touch. Truthfully, I’d prefer my mouth on you and my cock inside you, but we can keep that dessert for when we get home.”
His breath flowed from my ear, down the back of my neck where he’d kissed me, and over my bare back, which I was beginning to arch.
“I’ll make sure to suck every sweet drop of you into my mouth and lick you dry before making you wet again, so that I can fuck you. Over and over again, until you cannot stand or walk.”
Imagining his lips on me, with the promise of afterward fucking slithering on his tongue and the constant rubbing of his thumb and pumping of his fingers inside me, I found my release. Biting my lip, keeping the scream that wanted to burst out of my lungs contained, magnified the force of the pulses that jarred my body in the plush seat. I pushed into his hand, needing those extra few strokes to finish me off until I couldn’t take it any longer and slouched in the seat, completely spent.
“Back straight, sweetheart. Here comes dinner.”
Holy shit! Did that just happen? I was sure my cheeks had reddened—in fact, my entire body was flushed with heat. The electrifying shocks hadn’t yet left my limbs, and he wanted me composed when I’d actually forgotten where we were?
“You’re going to pay for this.” My breaths were still heavy and uncontrolled.
“I hope so,” he winked, pulling his soaked hand from underneath the table. He licked his finger and wiped himself onto the black napkin, where a wet stain remained. I felt my mouth open and didn’t know what to say. This man had a way of making everything hot.
“Don’t worry. I’m keeping this one for myself.” Hunter stuffed the fabric into his pocket.
Wiggling in my seat, I adjusted my dress just as the waitress brought our food.
“Thank you,” I smiled politely, praying she didn’t know what we were up to. Guilt must have been written all over my face.
“This is wonderful. I’m starving,” Hunter smiled. I was sure he was. From the side glance I got at his pants, it looked like I would perhaps need to sneak him to the bathroom for a quick dessert myself, and blow him until all that hot cream spilled.
“Whatever you’re thinking, Grace, my answer is yes.”
“If you knew what I was thinking, we’d be out of here already.”
He froze
for a moment, as if re-analyzing his entire plan for the day, before saying, “Of all the days, today is the one we cannot rush home. Enjoy your meal, Grace.”
I wondered what was so important that he’d choose to stay here over hurrying home for a promising night of heavy sex.
The asparagus soup and grilled chicken with rosemary potatoes were delicious. We talked about work, and I told him about the stunts I’d pulled with Emma over the past year.
“How did I not meet you before?” he asked.
“Maybe you were just busy with other ladies?”
“Maybe,” he replied.
“Hey.” I punched him in his arm. He caught my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently.
“No one in this world could ever be compared to you, Magic Fingers.”
Hunter continued with more stories about his sisters, kayaking and white water rafting. Apparently Cindy had taken a liking to me and had been calling him more often to ask about me. That was the kind of relationship I used to have with my mom as well. Our conversation made me miss my own mom so much. It’d been too long since I’d seen her. I wished I had her in my life the way Hunter had his mom.
“Have you told your mom we’re living together?” I asked.
“Of course. I also told her you like sleeping naked and prancing around the apartment in nothing but underwear.”
“No you didn’t,” I laughed.
“I also told her how much you mean to me.” His face suddenly became serious. The same way it had up in the mountains.
“Sounds serious,” I said, feeling the same kind of anticipation I had earlier in the evening float back.
“That’s because it is, Grace. When this is all over, I’m gonna take you away for a week. We’ll go to Hawaii or Bahamas and drink coconut rum under palm trees.” His voice sounded distant, as if he was definitely planning such a getaway.
“What else did you tell her?” I felt my voice lower. My heart hammered in my chest, and I began praying that I wouldn’t need to reach for my pills right this moment. Hunter looked into my eyes, and the way he looked at me, saying so much in that moment without speaking a word, I thought I’d melt in my seat.
