by Sam Crescent
She loved Dawg.
There was no way she was ever going to waste another moment, if by some miracle he saved her.
Louis’s men were standing with their guns pointed at her, not doing anything. She couldn’t look at him for fear that one of them may pull the trigger.
“You know, she’s fat for being Dawg’s bitch. Seems like he could do so much better,” one of the men said.
She rolled her eyes. Of course they’d go for her weight, but she didn’t care.
If I make it out of this alive, I’m marrying Dawg, and we’re going to have lots of sex, and soon, lots of babies, and I’m not going to waste another moment of it.
Lori wriggled her hands in the chair, vowing that if he didn’t save her, she was going to beat every single man here and watch them die.
“What was that?” the other man asked.
She heard it, too, but wasn’t able to look behind her.
The sound of a gunshot had her gasping. Then a second gunshot. She tried to duck her head, and both men who had guns trained at her fell down, a single bullet in each of their foreheads.
“Don’t look at them,” Paul said, moving in front of her.
“Paul.”
He had a knife and cut the rope from around her wrists. She hugged him close.
“Where’s Dawg?”
“He’ll meet us outside. Come on.”
“No, I’m not going anywhere without him.”
Paul gritted his teeth, and she cried out as he bent forward and lifted her up. She began to hit him.
“Let me down. Stop it. Dawg needs us.”
“No, Dawg needs to know that you’re safe, and we all need to live. I’m not having you put your life in danger while he deals with business.”
More gunshots could be heard, and as they cleared their way into the street, Lori panicked.
Paul’s hold was steady on her though. He wouldn’t let her go. Even when he placed her on the ground, and she was watching the door, he wouldn’t let her pass, and she was growing even more pissed off by the second.
Suddenly, the doors opened, and the men drew their weapons, waiting.
She watched as a couple of men came through the door, and then she saw him, Dawg. She kicked Paul between the thighs, and he went down with a thud and groan.
“Sorry.”
Lori didn’t linger. Running across the parking lot, she saw Dawg moving toward her as well. He had some blood coming from his shoulder, but she flung herself into his arms, and he lifted her up with a grunt.
Cupping his face, she rained kisses all over his face and lips, not caring that they were watched. All she cared about was showing her love for Dawg.
He let her down, and held her cheek. “You’re okay.” His thumb ran across her split lip.
“Louis didn’t like being called a limp-dicked prick.”
“You cursed?”
“It wasn’t as bad as some of the things I could have called him.”
“He’s gone. He’s not going to hurt you anymore.”
“Good, I’m pleased he’s gone.” She hugged Dawg close.
“Are we … good?”
She pulled back to look at him, and she saw the fear in his eyes. “We’re more than good. I love you, Dawg. I love you so much, and I’m not going to waste another moment.”
“I won’t let anything like this happen again.”
“Don’t hurt Rafe,” she said. “He did everything he could to save me. I promise. Louis shot him, and…”
Dawg silenced her with a kiss. “I won’t do anything. I promise.”
“Take me to Vegas,” she said. “I don’t want to wait. I want to be your wife, and for us to have a future together.” She took his hand, and even though her own shook, she knew her own mind, and the only person she wanted was Dawg.
“You want Vegas?”
“Yes, as soon as it can be arranged,” Lori said.
“Paul,” he called to his brother.
“What’s up?” Paul asked.
“Get us three plane tickets to Vegas. We’re heading there right now.”
She held onto Dawg as he began to make the arrangements to clean up the place. She didn’t listen to anything else. Instead, she held onto her man and promised herself she was never going to let him go.
Once they were in the car, Paul began driving them to the airport.
“I thought you were going to say no to everything. With everything that happened,” he said.
She smiled. “I’m not that weak. I’m not going to leave you, Dawg. There’s not going to be any more pushing you away either. I’ve wasted three years. I’m not going to waste another moment.” She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. “I’m free for the next fifty-plus years. What about you?”
The smile on his face would stay with her forever. It was so charming.
Yes, Dawg Hampshire wasn’t a very good man, but he was her man, and she was going to love him for the rest of her life.
“I’ve got no plans. Can I share mine with yours?”
“Yes.”
Epilogue
Ten years later
“The only way you deal with bullies is by fighting fire with fire,” Dawg said. He stared down at his son and watched as Tommy frowned with his fists up.
His father had once told him before he died that in order to raise men, you had to take away their childhood. For a long time, he’d believed that, but then he held Tommy in his arms, seconds after he was born, and that all changed.
“You’ll learn to defend yourself, and when they can’t hit you, you’ll worry them.”
“Are you teaching our son to fight again?” Lori said, stepping out into the garden. She had a tray of cookies in her hands, and all of their kids, every single one of them, rushed toward her.
He watched as arms wrapped around her body, and she laughed.
She was heavily pregnant with their fifth child.
Taking the tray of cookies off her hands, he offered them to the kids, which they all took before going to finish their projects in the garden.
Pulling his wife against him, he tilted her head back and stole a kiss. Her eyes were closed, and he smiled. “How are you feeling today?”
He placed his hand on her stomach, knowing pregnancy always made her smile. He’d vowed to never get her pregnant again, but after they held their son or daughter, they wanted to do it all over again.
“I’m tired, but we’re all good. Everything is more than good.”
Ten years of married bliss. Even with the troubles of his work, Lori didn’t give him shit about it. He came home, they talked, and she’d run him a bath. Afterward, they’d make love.
His days at work were hell, but coming home was the part he loved the most. He’d waited for this woman for what felt like a lifetime, but every single time he thought of that time before he finally made her his, she’d needed that time.
“Mommy, Daddy, come see.”
And hearing that sound was the icing on his cake.
Holding his woman in his arms, they made their way over to their children, their family, and the love he felt for her, kept on growing, and he knew it would never stop.
The End
www.samcrescent.com
Other Books by Sam Crescent:
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BONUS SAMPLE CHAPTER
BRED BY THE BILLIONAIRE
Breeding Season, 1
Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino
Copyright © 2017
Chapter One
“Where’s my fucking coffee?” Tobias Bennett sifted through the files on his desk. He was getting too old for this shit—late nights at the office and staff who couldn’t follo
w simple instructions. At this point in his life, he’d imagined living on a private island, a mojito in one hand and The Wall Street Journal in the other. But he was still running the family business with no sign of slowing down. He’d been termed a perfectionist, and probably a lot worse, but he strongly believed wealth was the measure of success.
A couple minutes later, one of the interns set a mug on the corner of his desk. She scurried out of his office, nearly breaking into a jog. Was he that much of an asshole?
Tobias scrubbed both hands over his face. He knew exactly what had been driving him crazy lately. His parents were riding him hard for an heir, another Bennett to carry on the family empire. The problem—he wasn’t looking for a wife. His bachelor life suited him just fine, and even at forty-five, he wasn’t ready to settle down. He would have told his aging parents to back off, but they had a point, one that kept crowding his thoughts.
Morgan peered in his office. “Why are you still here?”
“Work.”
“Go home. It’s Friday night, for God’s sake.” He’d gone to university with Morgan, and hired him to work on the Bennett Corporation legal team over a decade ago. Morgan was the only man who dared to speak freely with him.
“I’ve got that big bid on Monday. I need to be prepared,” said Tobias.
“We’ve already got it covered. Everything’s in order.”
“It has to be perfect.”
Morgan exhaled, then shook his head. “Well, I’m heading out.” Then he added, “Don’t push yourself so hard.”
“See you Monday.” Tobias leaned back in his leather chair and gave his friend a mock salute.
Once alone again, he pondered Morgan’s words. Yes, he pushed himself. It was life as a Bennett. His parents expected perfection from day one, and he’d always delivered. The company was strong, profitable, and dominating the stock market because he didn’t fuck around. He always put a hundred percent effort into everything he set out to do, and demanded the same from his staff. If one of his employees couldn’t meet the mark, he didn’t think twice about showing them the door. He had no room for weakness.
After another couple of hours, he packed up his paperwork and flicked off the lights to his corner penthouse office. As he stood in the darkness, the lights of the city sparkled with life beyond the floor to ceiling windows. He grabbed his briefcase and walked over to the window, looking down from one of the highest vantage points. It was one big party below, a city that never slept.
He’d put the Bennett Corporation on the map, made his father’s business into something multi-national, but what happened next? What would happen when he died? The legacy he’d built would die along with him, all his hard work and sacrifices for nothing. The business might continue with the family name, but without the blood of a Bennett, it would be a soulless enterprise, nothing more than dollars and cents.
“Mr. Bennett?”
Tobias snapped out of his reverie, turning to see a silhouette in the doorway of his darkened office. “Yes?”
“Would you like some company tonight?”
He narrowed his eyes as he strode to the door. “Aren’t you one of the new analysts we just hired?” Tobias had thousands of employees, so couldn’t remember many names and faces. He only allowed minimal staff on the penthouse floor of his skyscraper. He remembered this woman from the new staff tour yesterday morning, and only because she’d worn a short skirt.
“Yes, sir.”
“And why are you up here?”
“I wanted to offer my company.” She ran her finger along the low collar of her blouse. Was she actually trying to seduce him? “I have many skillsets beyond analyzing, and I thought you’d like me to show you some.”
He scoffed. “You thought wrong, sweetheart. If you’d actually done any digging, you’d know I never mix business with pleasure.”
“But—”
“Stay on the fifth floor. I don’t want to see you up here again.”
She sulked off, clearly not expecting him to reject her. Tobias wasn’t hard up. He had a long list of women he could call for a hook-up. None of them meant a thing to him. They were available for sex, and that’s how he liked it—until now. If he wanted a kid, he had to find a decent woman to be the mother. Unfortunately, most of the women he fucked were gold-diggers, and he didn’t want any baby drama. He just wanted the heir, nothing more.
He could already envision it, a life similar to his own childhood. His son would be raised by a nanny, go to boarding school, and be trained to be the best at everything. Tobias knew parenting wouldn’t take much effort on his part—he’d rarely seen his own mother and father growing up.
Tobias took the elevator down to the parking garage, trying to push thoughts of babies and legacies out of his head. This responsibility shouldn’t have fallen on his damn shoulders. He’d been the younger brother—until he turned sixteen. Maximus had been nineteen when he died of a heroin overdose. Of course, his parents made sure the real cause didn’t hit the media, appearances being more important than the truth. Tobias had seen it coming. He’d done nothing. Unlike him, Maximus wanted more, wanted the love and warmth he’d seen in other homes. Their father said he was weak, he couldn’t cut it, and that’s why he killed himself. No one ever mentioned Maximus, like he never existed.
The elevator dinged, and Tobias stepped out into the secure garage. He dug the keys to his Mercedes out of his pocket, turning off the alarm system. Once behind the wheel, he tossed his briefcase onto the passenger seat and squeezed the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. Reflecting on a past that couldn’t be undone was pointless, and like his father taught him, emotions were for pussies. He needed to block that shit out, forget about the brother taken from him too soon. Trying to imagine an alternate reality would only break down his carefully maintained exterior.
He turned on the radio, hoping the music would drown out the noise in his head. Right now, he wished he could have fucked that blonde bitch over his desk to release the tension, but he refused to get involved with women in the office. Nothing was worth risking the reputation of the family business, certainly not a piece of ass.
Tobias hit the gas as he drove, the streetlights and bright signage disguising the fact the sun had set hours ago. At least leaving late thinned out the downtown traffic. His condo was only ten minutes from the office in one of the waterfront condos owned by the Bennett Corporation. There wasn’t much they didn’t have their hand in.
He nodded to the doorman as he walked to the elevator. Normally, he’d go out for a drink on Friday, maybe choose who he wanted to take home with him for the night. Today, he just wanted to crash. He’d pour himself a scotch on the rocks and drown out all the insecurities. Friday meant he could sleep in tomorrow, so he’d drink enough to keep all his nightmares at bay.
****
Adora Garcia had three major assignments due in the next two weeks, so her desk and laptop were going to be her best friends for a while. She’d been studying all morning, empty coffee cups and balls of scrunched up paper hiding her cellphone. When it began to ring, she remembered the promise to pick her mother up from work while her car was in the shop.
She drove out to the waterfront where her mother worked cleaning Tobias Bennett’s condo three days a week and every Saturday. Adora hated driving in the downtown core, but it was the least she could do for the woman who raised her single-handedly, working her fingers to the bone to provide the basics.
“Can I help you?”
Adora had been wandering around the massive lobby of the condo, admiring the modern architecture, use of glass, and difficult angles. The security had apparently had enough of her presence. She was used to being questioned in stores when they assumed she was stealing something. Her absentee father had been a blue-eyed, white businessman who’d used and dumped her mother twenty years ago, leaving her alone and pregnant. Although Adora didn’t have her mother’s skin color, she had many of her Latin American features, including her long dark hair
.
“I’m looking for Tobias Bennett,” she said.
The security guard sauntered over, his thumbs hooked in his pockets. He looked her up and down. “Is he expecting you?”
She was going to give him the whole story, but decided to keep it simple. “Yes.”
He tilted his head. “You’re not his usual type, but who am I to judge? Top floor.”
Adora bit her tongue and hit the elevator button. She’d grab her mother and get the hell out of this overpriced neighborhood. It was hard enough getting by without all the judgmental stares and stereotypes.
She wasn’t one of Mr. Bennett’s whores.
Her mother had told her all about the old bastard’s weekly escapades. There wasn’t enough money in all the world to pay Adora to sleep with him—not that he’d want her. She imagined a man in his position could have whoever he wanted. It made her sick thinking of all the beautiful young women who gave themselves to him in exchange for money or status. That would never be her. A degree in architecture would be her way out, a chance to make a real life for herself.
When she reached the penthouse suite, she softly knocked on the door. When no one answered, she turned the handle. She decided to slip inside and find her mother for herself. If she knocked too loudly, she could wake Mr. Bennett. Adora was used to finding her mother on the job. When she was younger, she’d helped her clean the condos and offices so they could get home sooner.
The condo was huge, and not what she expected. She knew he had money, but nothing like this. Adora whirled around in slow circles as she admired the vaulting ceilings, massive windows, and impressive collection of artwork. She couldn’t even imagine living like this. It would be like stepping into a fairy tale. Mostly she craved the security that money could offer, not the luxuries. When she was a kid, she’d pretend to live in the homes her mother cleaned, role-playing and escaping into her imagination. Now she was an adult, and knew the only way she’d get ahead was working her ass off.
