Dante sputtered.
“I told you that I wasn’t kidding.”
When she was gone, Greyson focused on Dimitri—partially to ignore his brother’s bitching and moaning.
“I need a favor,” he asked.
“Yes?”
“Can you run our overly helpful cop? I know we went basic, but I want to go so deep that I know what kind of kink goes through his head.”
“I can do better than that,” Dimitri offered. “While he was with us, one of my associates visited his place. He’s wired, his car is tracked, and we’re covering our bases—just in case he tries to screw the family over. Meanwhile, I’ll start working on that little background check.”
Greyson grinned. “And that’s why you’re the head of security.”
Chris stood.
There were so many violations going on, he didn’t know where to even start.
He held out his hand to Natasha. “Want to retire to bed?” he asked.
While he’d prefer to be in his condo, so they could stay together, he wanted to test his boundaries.
“She’s not sleeping with you,” Dimitri stated. “We’ve already had this discussion earlier, did we not?”
Then he rattled something off in Russian that only his sister could understand. The whole room got the gist of it, and it wasn’t pleasant.
Chris looked back and forth.
Oh, he wasn’t giving up.
“She is going to be sleeping with me, and I ignored your earlier commentary because honestly, it’s none of your damn business.”
“She isn’t. Why is it so hard for you to get this? It’s not appropriate.”
Greyson knew this was going to get ugly. If he didn’t throw something on this fire, the two stubborn men would be butting heads.
“Dimitri, would you be okay if they retired to the pool house?” Greyson offered, taking one for the team.
He really wasn’t.
“I don’t want her to be hurt.”
“Natasha, please go wait for me outside,” Chris asked softly.
She touched his chest. “Please don’t fight.”
He gave her a soft kiss on her lips. “I won’t hurt him.”
Dimitri snorted.
Natasha left the room, looking back at the door imploringly at her brother. She didn’t want him to ruin this moment. She was so happy. For the first time in her life, she had something everyone else seemed to get freely.
Love.
Peace.
Happiness.
“Go, Natasha,” Dimitri stated. When she was outside, and the glass door was slid closed, he faced the man. “State your argument.”
“I’m not going to hurt her.”
“What are your intentions with my sister? Man to man, tell me what your plans are, and that will give me a better way to handle this. I’m not, after a one-night stand going to hand her over.”
“It wasn’t a one-night stand.”
“Are you marrying her?”
He stared at Dimitri. “One day, I will. I can’t yet. I’m not there. Why is it so fucking hard for everyone to see how this frustrates the hell out of me?” he asked, running his big beefy hands through his hair.
Greyson patted him on the shoulder. It was time to play mediator.
“Chris, look at it from his point of view. He’s only taking care of a woman he raised. He’s not being a hard ass. He likes you. Don’t you, Dimitri?”
The man said nothing.
“I said, don’t you, Dimitri?”
He sighed. “If I were to pick a person for my sister, it would be a man like you. Okay?”
Chris relaxed.
He’d meet him halfway.
“I don’t do one-night stands. I don’t sleep around, and when I give my word, I keep it.”
Greyson focused on Dimitri. “I vouch for him.”
“You plan to marry her?”
Chris tried to stay calm. He hated being pressured, but he got it. Greyson was right. This was like her father. It cooled his jets.
“I want that. I want a family, a wife, and a life where I’m not pretending I’m happy. I believe it’s with her. I just need to figure out how to move forward. I’m relearning how to do this. I won’t hurt her, but I can’t tell you I’m going to marry her tomorrow, Dimitri. I just can’t do it.”
He saw how hard this was for Chris.
“Just love her like she deserves and don’t break her heart. It’s fragile.”
“I know, or you’ll break mine.”
“No, Captain, I won’t. From this moment on, I’m going to let my sister experience all the joy and hell of life. I have to do it. I can’t protect her anymore. She’s gotten a taste of that freedom, and she’s ready to fly the nest. I won’t kill you. I will just lose respect in you.”
He was pretty sure someone had abducted the real Dimitri.
This was…odd.
“I can’t intimidate a man to love her. That wouldn’t be doing her justice. From this moment on, I’m done.”
“I promise to be gentle. I can’t promise I’ll move fast, but when I know it’s right, I’ll do the right thing.”
“Just don’t knock her up.”
Chris held out his hand. “Can I date your daughter?”
He laughed and shook his hand. “Go. She’ waiting for you, Chris.”
He headed out.
When they were gone, Greyson stared at the man. “Do you trust me?” Greyson asked. He could see the emotion on Dimitri’s face.
Both Steele and Dante watched and didn’t say a word.
“Yes, I do.”
“He’ll come around. I’ve watched him watching her, and I’ve seen that look before. He’s closer than he thinks.”
“Care to bet?” he asked, trying to stay calm.
“I say weeks.”
Dimitri wasn’t sure. “I say months.”
“Can I get in on this?” Dante asked.
They glanced over.
“He’s a turtle when it comes to everything,” Dante offered. “I say our resident slow mover is at a year.”
“I’m out,” stated Steele. “I’m rooting for love.”
Dimitri wasn’t sure how slow the man really was. “He just asked my sister to spend the entire night with him, AGAIN, that is not moving slow.”
“He’ll commit,” Greyson said, hoping his wife was right. If he didn’t, they were going to have one hell of a mess on their hands, and it wasn’t going to be pretty. Dimitri said he was butting out, but NO ONE believed that.
At all.
“I have patrols,” Dimitri stated. “I’ll be leaving later to handle something.”
“For a nightcap?” he asked, hinting at a hooker.
“Yes,” Dimitri stated.
Only, that wasn’t the truth.
He was going to handle a situation, and he needed to keep it quiet.
Sam’s abuser was getting a visit.
Once and for all.
* * * G r e y s o n C r o f t * * *
Emma knocked on his door.
When Sam opened it, he was in brand new pajamas, scarfing down pizza, and he didn’t look as scared as he had the previous night.
“I came to say goodnight,” Emma said, standing there. “Can I come in?” she asked.
He stepped back and let her into his room.
“Did you eat enough today?” she asked, as she stared at the almost gone pizza sitting on his desk.
“Yes, I did.”
“Good. We need to talk.”
He didn’t like the sound of that at all. He stopped chewing. “You’re not sending me back, are you?” he asked. “I didn’t do anything, I swear!”
She shook her head. Emma hated that he was afraid. “No, Sam, but we need to discuss school.”
“Oh.”
“You’re going.”
“I don’t see why I need to go,” Sam asked. “I don’t like it, and it’s not for me.”
“Why?” Emma asked. “What is it about school tha
t you dislike so much?”
He shrugged.
“You can tell me, Sam.”
“Kids know I’m in the system. They tell me no one will want me. It sucks to be reminded of that all the time. I hear them whispering behind my back. I get called names. I’m not dirty and garbage.”
Emma was both angry and wanted to weep at the same time. She imagined that did hurt him.
It hurt her.
“Who said that to you?” she asked.
“I heard my guidance counselor tell my teacher I’d just end up a criminal and I’m a lost cause. Am I?”
“Oh, Sam. You’re not a lost cause, sweetheart. I want you, and I already love you.”
“If you love me, then you won’t make me go back.”
Emma wanted to cave, but the boy, by law, had to get an education. There had to be a way to figure out how to make both sides happy.
Then she figured it out.
“I’ll make a deal with you.”
“What?” he asked.
“I’ll get you a tutor and you can do your schoolwork here. You don’t have to go back to public school. In a year, maybe you’ll find a private school you’ll want to go to so you can earn your education.”
He shrugged.
“Will you try?” Emma asked.
“I guess. Can it be a woman tutor?”
“So you can call her babe?” she teased.
Tears filled his eyes. “So I don’t have to be afraid. I’m not afraid of women.”
She got it.
“Oh, Sam.”
Emma moved toward him, and he stepped back.
Immediately, she regretted it. While she understood why Sam wouldn’t let her near him, it still hurt. She wanted him to love her like she already loved him.
“I’m sorry. I’m a hugger. I didn’t think.”
He shrugged.
Emma quickly regrouped.
“I’ll get you a female tutor. I’ll have everything set up in a few days.”
When she went to leave, he called her name.
“Emma?”
“Yeah, Sam?”
“One day, I’ll take that hug.”
She hoped he would. “Whenever you’re ready, Sam. It’ll be waiting for you.”
And it would.
Emma closed the door, and Sam tossed his crust into the pizza box.
That hug wouldn’t be from Emma because he knew he couldn’t stay. Sam didn’t belong there. This was the opposite of what he’d been living, and honestly, it was hard to adjust.
He was finding it hard to believe that they really wanted him. No one ever did, and now a whole house full of people had turned up?
There had to be a catch.
A second shoe would drop, and he didn’t want to stick around to be hurt. If he let them love him, he loved them back, and then they broke him, Sam knew he’d die more inside.
He couldn’t let that happen.
If he only had one shot, he knew it would have to be with a normal family. This one pitied him.
They were rich, they had money, and he was a nobody.
Later, he’d leave.
He was so sorry that he was going to hurt Emma. She deserved better.
Better than him.
* * * G r e y s o n C r o f t * * *
When Emma got to their bedroom, she was distracted. A part of her wished Sam would open up to her, but she couldn’t reach him.
He was struggling.
They all were.
What she really wanted was to make him happy. She wanted to give the boy some joy.
She was torn.
As she focused on their room, Greyson was nowhere to be seen. It was clear where he was.
Their closet was open, and she could see the door cracked to their secret love nest. That was the room they went to when one of them wanted to play sexy games.
One never knew what it would be. Could it be a stripper and horny business man? A teacher and naughty principal?
Emma’s curiosity was piqued.
What was Greyson up to now?
As she walked into the room, she had to stop to catch her breath. Standing there, in all his sexy glory, was her husband. She wasn’t expecting this. He was wearing his military uniform.
Emma got wet.
How could she not?
The mere sight of her husband in his gear was enough to make all the sexy soldier fantasies come to life.
“Hello, Captain Croft,” she said, not sure if she was going to be able to handle him in all his military finery.
Her husband was an amazing specimen of masculinity on a normal basis, but throw in an Army Ranger’s uniform, and he was hotter than hot.
“You mentioned you wanted to see me in it.”
She laughed lecherously.
“Am I amusing you?” he asked, lifting one brow.
Oh, she was anything but amused.
“The funny thing is, Greyson, now I want to see you out of it,” she admitted.
He grinned. “Well, then you’ll have to do the work, kitten.”
Emma headed his way.
As she crossed the room, she started stripping like a mad woman. Her plan was to get down to her bare essentials and then rock his world.
Greyson watched his wife, and she was the most amazing woman in the world. She was staring at him like she wanted nothing more than to devour him.
And he was ready.
Getting Emma to put her hands and mouth on him was his plan all night.
“Come to Captain Croft,” he stated.
Emma couldn’t handle it.
Greyson was wearing his beret, his medals, and his shiny shoes. She wanted to devour him whole.
Jumping, he caught her against his body, and they fell back onto the bed.
“This is your fantasy, Emma, my sweet. Have at it,” he said, as she grinned wickedly.
“I’m going to make you scream my name, Captain Croft.”
It was time to show her soldier how much she loved him—including his past.
She began kissing him.
When her mouth devoured his, Greyson let his hands wander. He had handfuls of his wife’s ass, as she ground her body against his erection.
He hoped he survived the torture.
Tonight, he was going to let her be the aggressor, and he’d play prisoner of this war. He always had his way with Emma, and she deserved a little fun.
Besides, he was going to get off in a big way.
He could tell.
He’d be crazy to protest any of this.
As her lips left his mouth and traveled to his throat, her fingers were working on the buttons of his jacket. When she bit him, Greyson moaned.
Emma loved being in control.
What she really wanted was to tell him her secret. In a bit, she’d do just that, but first, she was going to enjoy his body. This was her playground, and she wanted to try it all out.
When his shirt was open, Emma ran her fingers through the spattering of chest hair.
It gave both of them the chills.
Slowly, she moved her mouth across his large chest, and then headed lower.
“More,” Greyson begged.
Oh, he was going to get that and so much more.
Emma continued her trek down his body, stopping at his erection. It was rock hard, and throbbing through his pants.
“I want to ride you until you cum,” she stated.
Greyson was already breathing hard.
When Emma pulled him out of his pants, stroked him once, and then straddled his body, he wanted her on him.
“Yes, please,” he muttered as he tracked her fingers gliding up and down his rock-hard flesh.
Emma couldn’t wait.
She needed to feel Greyson buried in her. She was going to use him for pleasure, and then let him have his fun.
She knew her cave-Croft. He wouldn’t be submissive for long—especially after she gave him some news.
“Do what you want, kitten. I’m ready for you.
”
She tugged her panties aside, and loved the way his eyes went molten in heat.
Yeah, he was horny.
If not more than she was too.
This was going to be fun.
Emma slid him home, roughly driving her body down his erection. “Oh, I love a saluting soldier.”
Greyson couldn't think.
“Don’t cum, Greyson. I want you to see what it’s like,” she said, knowing she was taunting the beast in him.
It was fun.
As she bounced on his dick, he moaned in so much pleasure. His hands went to her hips, and he pulled her down harder and harder.
“Emma,” he muttered. “if you keep it up, I’m not going to make it,” he promised.
She didn’t care.
This felt amazing.
The way his body met hers, slide for slide, it was going to culminate in one hell of an orgasm.
For her.
As she rode her husband, he looked so damn sexy beneath her. He was still wearing his uniform, but it was open and he was disheveled.
It was perfect.
He was perfect for her.
When he began begging her to end it, she didn’t hold on. Instead, she let herself fall.
Alone.
Emma broke apart and rode out the pleasure of the orgasm. When she opened her eyes, he was practically panting beneath her as he struggled not to fall.
“You’re wicked, kitten. What do I get for not losing it?” he asked.
“I’m late.”
“What? Late for what?”
“My period.”
He stared at her.
It took a second to figure out what she was talking about. Maybe it was because all the blood had drained to his lesser brain.
“Wait! Are you telling me…what? Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” he asked, as his heart began thumping even more.
Greyson didn’t have words.
There was no way…
“I think I’m pregnant. I think you managed to knock me up, Greyson Croft, you sexy mob devil.”
His heart skipped.
“Please tell me you’re not kidding.”
“I’m not kidding.”
He got harder.
His woman might be carrying his child.
“Emma,” he said, fighting the emotions that were welling up in him at the mere idea that they’d created a life.
Lost Justice (Croft Family Mob Series Book 2) Page 38
