VERSUS

by Deborah Bladon

  “I loved it,” I admit. “I was excited to go to my office every day.”

  “Why did you make the switch from that to working for Kurt?”

  I skim my fingertip over my top lip. I answer in the simplest terms. “Money.”

  Aron and I split with an agreement in place that we’d both walk away with what we brought to the marriage. I fought hard for that. I didn’t want to accept anything from a man I no longer had an ounce of respect for.

  With that came a feeling of freedom and independence. I’ve never regretted the decision to turn down the large settlement he offered me.

  I never wanted to be in his debt in any way.

  My decision was right for me, even months later when my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer, and I faced the first of many medical bills.

  Kurt saw that I was drowning so he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.

  I packed my things, moved to Buffalo, and took care of my dad and his financial needs.

  Carrying that burden for him was the right thing to do.

  The move also gave me more time with him before he died.

  Dylan’s phone vibrates on the coffee table. He glances down at it. “It’s Griffin calling.”

  “Take it,” I suggest, needing a break from our conversation.

  We’ve covered a lot of ground quickly.

  It’s good but exhausting and since I have more to tell, I need a break to recharge. “I’m going to take another nap.”

  “I’ll come to tuck you in as soon as I’m done.” He scoops his phone into his palm. “I’ll be right there.”

  I let him help me up from the couch, waiting as he presses a kiss to my cheek. “I love you, Eden. I’ll always love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  I always have.

  ***

  I wake to a rush of desire when I feel Dylan’s body wrap around mine from behind.

  He’s nude.

  I am too.

  He helped me undress, taking special care with the sling on my arm. I only suffered a sprain and not a fracture, which means I’ll be healed in no time.

  I invited him to join me under the covers, but he insisted that I sleep first.

  When his lips brush over my bare shoulder, I’m grateful that he didn’t let me sleep the entire night away.

  “I called Dr. Yelena,” he admits on a sigh.

  Worry crowds my thoughts. After the accident when I was seventeen, the doctor didn’t tell me everything. He held things back because my dad asked him to.

  It wasn’t until the third surgery on my right leg that I realized that I’d never dance professionally.

  I still suffer from pain in my legs, but it’s not enough to steal away my love of dance for good.

  I glance over my shoulder at his face. “Why?”

  His features look softer in the darkened room. “I wanted to be sure it was safe.”

  “You wanted to be sure what was safe?”

  I’m not sure if it’s the minor concussion I suffered or sleepiness, but I finally realize what he’s talking about as the question leaves my mouth.

  “Oh, you’re talking about…”

  His hand skims over my hip. “I know you’re tender. She said I had to be gentle, so we’re not going all out tonight, but I want to do one thing for you.”

  I close my eyes, relishing in the way his fingers are gliding over my hipbone. “What do you want to do for me?”

  His hand moves slowly, trailing a path over my stomach until it dives lower. “I want to touch you, kiss you. I want to feel you come.”

  I roll onto my back, wincing from the pain in my shoulder. “I want those things too.”

  He brushes his soft lips over my collarbone. “You don’t have to move a muscle. Let me help you feel.”

  I breathe out on a heavy exhale when he slides down my body, nestling his shoulders between my legs.

  He parts me with his fingers. That lightest touch ignites something deep inside of me. I moan. “Dylan, please.”

  “You’re so fucking beautiful.” His tongue skims my cleft. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you,” I whisper in a breathy moan.

  I tangle my fingers in his hair as he takes me with his mouth.

  Chapter 52

  Dylan

  “Dylan Colt.” I hold out a hand to the man because I’m a decent human being, and I can’t exactly tell him to go straight to hell with Eden and another woman looking on.

  “Hey, buddy.” Chet Richmond ignores my hand and goes all in for a full-on hug.

  I let him take it where he needs to because Eden is beaming like sunshine.

  The guy has some strength in his arms. When he finally lets me go, he gives me a quick pat on the cheek with his palm.

  I swear to fuck it’s almost as hard as a slap. I consider lifting my hand to his face to return the favor, but I step back and wrap my arm around Eden’s shoulder.

  She’s mine, dude. Back the hell off.

  That’s the intended meaning of my actions.

  I think the message got lost somewhere because Chet does the same with the tall blonde he’s standing next to.

  “We’re getting married,” he declares.

  I look down at Eden because her reaction is all I care about.

  The smile on her face says it all. She’s happy. She’s genuinely happy that her on and off again boyfriend is taking the plunge with someone else.

  “I didn’t even know you two were dating.” She leans forward to check out the diamond on the blonde woman’s hand.

  No one has bothered to introduce us yet, so I take that small matter into my hands.

  “Congratulations.” I offer her the same hand I offered her fiancé, but I take a step back so there’s no chance she’ll rush in for a hug. “We haven’t been introduced yet. I’m Dylan.”

  “June Bug,” she says.

  I furrow my brow because I have no idea if that’s her actual name or a nickname. Eden doesn’t flinch, and Chet’s about to shed a tear, so I go with it.

  “It’s good to meet you, June.”

  “Bug,” she adds.

  “June works with us.” Eden looks up at me. “She started in the office about three months ago, I think.”

  “Three-and-a-half,” June corrects her. “It was love at first sight.”

  “Instantaneous,” Chet chimes in. “I knew it when I first saw her. She’s my forever.”

  “When is the wedding?” Eden bounces on her heels.

  “Soon.” June smiles. “You’ll come back for it, won’t you?”

  Eden’s gaze meets mine. “We’ll come back for it, won’t we, Dylan?”

  I nod because I’ll go anywhere with her.

  It’s the reason I followed her out of the bedroom when the doorbell rang. I joked that the doorman would get it. Eden scoffed and told me that I was spoiled rotten.

  We had both just finished getting dressed. It’s barely nine a.m., but Eden didn’t mind the intrusion. She invited Chet and June in as soon as she swung open the door to her condo.

  “We want you to rest.” Chet reaches for Eden’s hand. “I was worried, Ed. I told everyone at work that you were too tough to let an accident keep you down for long.”

  Eden squeezes his hand briefly. “I’m glad you both stopped by.”

  “We ordered some flowers.” June wraps a hand around Chet’s bicep. “They’ll be delivered this afternoon. If you need anything, you’ll call us?”

  Eden slides her hand into mine. “I have everything I need right here.”

  ***

  “I can brush your hair if you want,” I offer once Chet and June Bug take off.

  Eden runs her right hand through her hair. “Why? Is it messy?”

  Beautifully so.

  “It’s perfect.” I sigh. “You’re perfect.”

  She looks down at the simple light blue sundress I helped her get into earlier. I slid on her lingerie first, taking special care with her sprained arm. I adjusted the sl
ing so there wasn’t too much pressure on her neck.

  I put on a new pair of jeans and a plain black T-shirt I bought yesterday.

  “You can ask me the question,” she says matter-of-factly.

  “I don’t have a ring yet,” I say with a smirk.

  A blush creeps high on her cheeks. “Oh, no. Gosh, no. I didn’t mean that.”

  “You don’t want to marry me?” I tease because I know damn well that if I dropped to a knee right now, she’d say yes.

  I have the perfect ring in mind. I doubt it exists, so when I’m back in Manhattan, I’m going to visit Ivy Marlow-Walker. She’s the owner of Whispers of Grace. She helped me design a necklace for my mom’s birthday two years ago. I trust her with the task of bringing my vision of an engagement ring to life.

  A brilliant sapphire will take center stage. Small diamonds will line the band.

  I’ve given this some serious thought.

  “You know the answer to that question.” She glances down. “Don’t ask me until the time is right.”

  “That’s a deal,” I agree with a nod of my head.

  “I was talking about the question about what June meant when she asked if I’d be back for their wedding.”

  I’m a reasonably smart guy.

  I noticed the cardboard boxes near the front door. I saw the business card of a Buffalo based real estate agent sitting on her kitchen counter.

  I didn’t give a lot of thought to the missed call on her phone yesterday from a guy named Darrell Carver.

  I looked him up early this morning.

  He’s an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan.

  Eden’s going back to her roots.

  “I emailed June yesterday to ask her if she would be willing to take over two of my open cases here.” She smiles. “I told her I needed time to recover from the accident, but it’s more than that and I want you to be the first to know.”

  I don’t interrupt because I want to hear the words from her.

  “I’m going to accept a job at the prosecutor’s office in New York. They offered me the position right before I came back here.” Her gaze drops. “I’m not good at this divorce thing. I’m really good at putting bad guys away and keeping them there.”

  “You’ll move in with me.” I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “If you hate the place, we’ll find a new apartment.”

  “I love your place.” She smiles. “I didn’t want to assume that we’d live together, but I have started packing.”

  “I’ll finish that up.” I flex my arms. “We’ll get you moved in as soon as possible.”

  “I have work here that I need to see through to its end, and there’s the Alcester case.”

  I tilt her chin up with my hand. “Griffin talked to Trudy. She’s willing to agree to your most recent offer.”

  “You’re not serious?” Her eyes light up. “Dylan, are you serious?”

  Griffin told me that Eden’s accident hit a chord with Trudy. Her dad had been in a car wreck when she was a kid, and she lost time with him during the recovery. It made her realize that shutting Troy out of their daughters’ lives isn’t the right thing to do.

  “Griffin and Martin will close the case out.” I breathe a sigh of relief. “It’s over.”

  Epilogue

  3 Months Later

  Eden

  “I’m open to all offers, Mr. Colt.” I hold up two bras. “If you want me to wear the red one tonight that will cost you a quickie in the shower, and if you…”

  “A quickie?” Dylan snatches the red bra out of my hand. “Quickies are never part of our negotiations. I take my time with my beautiful fiancée. You should know that by now.”

  I glance up at my left hand and the beautiful sapphire engagement ring Dylan gave me last week.

  It’s been twelve weeks since my accident.

  I’m fully healed.

  We went out to celebrate that fact.

  The night started with pancakes for dinner and ended with Dylan on one knee inside the club that Billy owns.

  It was perfect and breathtaking and everything I could have ever wished for.

  After we danced, we came back to our apartment and made love.

  “What will it cost me if I want you to wear the black one?” He eyes the black lace bra in my right hand.

  “What are you offering?”

  He slides the boxer briefs he’s wearing down to mid-thigh.

  His hand wraps around the root of his erection. “This.”

  “In my mouth?” I whisper.

  “Wherever the fuck you want it?”

  I toss the bra over my head. It lands somewhere on the bed.

  I edge my legs apart just enough that I can slide a hand over my core. “I think I want it right here.”

  I gasp when he lunges at me.

  He spins me around, dropping me onto my back on the bed.

  His boxer briefs hit the floor in an instant.

  He slides his big body over me. “Do you know how much I love you?”

  I’ll never tire of hearing it from him. He tells me as often as he can. He whispers it in my ear just as I’m falling asleep at night. It’s the first thing I hear every morning.

  I’m greeted with voicemail messages at work from Dylan telling me how the world brightened when I danced back into his life.

  “Tell me.” I inch my hips up so I can feel his cock pressing into my core.

  He slides the tip into me. It’s exquisite. The feeling of him bare when he enters me pulls a moan from my lips.

  “I love you more than I thought it was possible,” he whispers against my lips.

  Plunging himself deeper, I gasp. “Dylan.”

  “I love you for every beautiful memory you’ve given me and all the promise that is ahead of us.”

  I close my eyes because it’s so much. It’s all-consuming.

  He thrusts over and over, pushing me closer to the edge.

  “You, my beautiful Eden, are what my every dream is made of.”

  I dig my fingernails into the skin of his shoulder. “I love you.”

  “Forever.” He pumps harder and faster.

  “Forever,” I repeat back, biting his lip.

  Pleasure pulses through me as he works his cock in long strokes.

  I cry out when the orgasm hits me. I cling to him, twisting beneath him as he fucks me through one climax and straight into another.

  ***

  “I changed the locks today so Gunner can’t just show up whenever the hell he wants.” Dylan comes strolling into our living room dressed in a tailored black suit, a black shirt, and a blue tie.

  He’s gorgeous.

  I twirl in place. The black dress I’m wearing lifts up to reveal my thighs.

  I was wearing this dress when we first saw each other at the club.

  “Gunner loves you,” I pout. “That makes me kind of love him.”

  Adjusting one of his cuff links, Dylan lets out a hearty laugh. “He keeps telling me that he’s great with kids. I keep telling him that we’re giving it a couple of years.”

  It’s what we both want.

  We’ll get married at the end of the year.

  We need time to love each other before we add a baby to our world and I need time to settle into my new job as an assistant district attorney.

  Adding to our family will happen when the time is right.

  Dylan is determined to cut his workload once we do become parents.

  “Are you ready?” Dylan gives me the once-over. “Because you look like a million bucks, Ms. Conrad.”

  “I could say the same for you.” I smile. “We didn’t have to get this dressed up for tonight.”

  “I’m taking my fiancée to her first Broadway musical.” He slides his hands into mine. “It needs to be done right.”

  It will be done right.

  I know what he has planned for me.

  Gunner let it slip when I met him for lunch yesterday. I promised I wouldn’t say anything to his boss.


  Tonight, I’ll sit next to my fiancé while I watch my first musical. Once the theater has cleared, we are going to go backstage to meet the cast. They’ll soften the lights, clear a path and while the orchestra plays, I’ll dance on a Broadway stage for the first time in the arms of the man I love.

  “I love you, Dylan.” I brush my lips over his. “Thank you for finding me again.”

  He deepens our kiss. “I love you.”

  I inch back and look into his eyes. “Promise that you’ll keep me.”

  “I promise. You’re mine.” He glides a finger over my cheek. “That will never change.”

  That’s not open for negotiation. I want to be Dylan’s forever until the end of time.

  Preview of Ruthless

  Ruthless, a new standalone romance from New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Deborah Bladon.

  When I agreed to go on a blind date my best friend set up, I had no idea how the night would end.

  As soon as I got to the restaurant, I spotted the dark-haired, gorgeous man I thought I was there to have dinner with.

  I sat down at his table, ordered a drink, and proceeded to flirt awkwardly with him.

  When his actual date came back to their table from the ladies’ room, I realized my mistake.

  The sinfully sexy man I told a condensed version of my dating history to wasn’t Dale, the friend-of-a-friend I was there to meet.

  Mortified, I went home and hid in my bed for the rest of the night swearing off blind dates forever.

  Three days later, I came face-to-face with the hot-as-hell stranger from the restaurant again.

  This time he introduced himself.

  Barrett Adler.

  He’s that Mr. Adler. Barrett is my new boss.

  He quickly proves he’s the most annoying, arrogant, and ruthless man I’ve ever met.

  My employment contract ties me to him for the next year.

  Three hundred and sixty-four days from now I’ll be free of him forever.

  Or will I?

  I’m about to prove that he’s never crossed paths with a woman quite like me.