by Bex Dane
"Stay in your car or I'll shoot!"
Oh my god. Panic zipped through my veins.
I'm going to die.
"Hands up."
I raised my hands through the open door.
"Who are you?"
"Cecelia." My voice shook.
"Speak up. I can't hear you."
"Cecelia," I said louder.
"Why're you here?"
"Is Zook here?"
"What the hell?" Zook burst out from behind her. "What's going on?"
"She says her name's Cecelia."
His hand pushed the gun barrel to the ground. "Put that down." He ran to my car. "Holy shit. CeCe."
Frigid rain peppered my face as he pulled me out and crushed my front to his chest. Cotton mixed with sawdust, paint, and manly sweat hit my nose.
"You're shaking like crazy."
"I- I'm- Zook..." I could barely speak.
"It's okay, baby. Shit. I'm so sorry." His arm around my back urged me toward the house, but the woman remained on the steps, her body tensed.
He pivoted so I couldn't see her. "Blythe, get the fuck out of here!"
She sauntered toward us with the gun pointed at the ground. Her hand still gripped it like she could raise it again if she needed to.
"Put that fucking gun away!"
"Sorry to scare your girlfriend, Zook." She didn't sound sorry at all as she tucked the gun into her purse. "See you next Saturday." She climbed into the Range Rover I'd parked next to. Her lights popped on and blinded me as she turned down the drive.
Zook tucked me in and kissed my forehead as she drove away. His lips were an elixir calming the shivers that had been racking my body. "She's gone. Come inside now. Let's get you out of the rain."
She's gone? Yes, but who was she? Zook had another woman at his place? A mean, beautiful woman wielding a gun to protect him? With the immediate risk gone, jealousy flooded my brain.
"I brought… pie." I pointed to the passenger seat of my car.
He leaned in and lifted out the box, grabbing my keys from the ignition as he straightened.
With one arm around my back and the other holding the pie and my keys, Zook guided me up the steps, through a huge foyer, and into the kitchen. He cleared some hammers, nails, and a drill from a countertop made of plywood and placed the box on top.
Our movements slowed and the house became shockingly quiet. The windows he'd installed muted the crash of waves on the bluff. The air in the house was chilly, but I felt a layer of sweat forming on my arms.
As I peeled off my jacket, I examined Zook. He looked deliciously sexy. Tiny drops clung to the beard covering his strong chin. His hair poked out in a floppy mess. Muddy brown clouds stained the armpits of his tee and the knees of his faded blue jeans. Off-white paint speckled the corded muscles of his arms. His eyes hung half-lidded and his shoulders hunched slightly forward as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the countertop. I was right. He'd been working to the bone to finish the roof before tonight's storm.
My skin heated as he perused my clothes. During a shopping trip to Barney's New York last month with Soraya, she'd talked me into buying these Yves St. Laurent black leather pants. She said they'd be fun to wear on Zook's bike, so I went for it. Tonight, I wore those pants with a dangerously low-cut Vera Wang blouse. Paired with matching leopard print belt and Louboutin ankle boots, the ensemble looked sexy and edgy. I figured if I wanted to earn his forgiveness, a fabulous outfit would help. By the way his mouth dropped open and his eyes darkened, I assumed he liked it.
He drew his gaze from my chest and plastered a frown on his face. "Why're you here, Cecelia?"
Oh shoot. Not the amiable welcome I was hoping for.
"I'm sorry," I said. "If you're busy."
"I'm not." Yep. Very angry. What did I expect after the way I'd treated him? I needed to break the ice.
"That woman— "
"Blythe?" His voice became even more gruff. Darn. I shouldn't have brought her up. "She works for my boss."
Okay. So a coworker. He hadn't mentioned her before. I thought he was working up here with a small crew of men. "She seemed very, uh, protective of you?"
"Yeah, shit. I'm sorry she scared you. I'll talk to her next time I see her."
Next time he sees her? "Saturday?"
"What?"
"She said she'll see you Saturday."
"Right."
I knew it. Zook replaced me without blinking. Here I'd been agonizing about being away from him, and he'd gotten cozy with some gun-toting woman in business suits.
"I- I should go."
"Why?"
"You had company. I interrupted whatever you two were doing."
"She was helping me read the plans."
So it wasn't a date? She helps him read the plans? "I could help you with that."
"I don't want you helping me with my work no more." I flinched at the harshness in his voice. He uncrossed his arms. "Why're you here, CeCe?" At least he'd gone from calling me Cecelia to calling me CeCe. A sign he was softening toward me.
"Well, uh, the first storm's moving in tonight. I assumed you'd be done with the roof. Thought you might like some pie to celebrate. It's Boston Cream Pie Day." God, it sounded stupid coming out of my mouth. "And you didn't call, so I uh, figured I'd come bring it to you."
"I didn't call."
I nodded slowly.
"I didn't call?"
"That's what I said."
"Last we talked, you said you wanted to end it because your family wouldn't approve of you with me."
"I did."
"And now you're rethinking things?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Time to give him some honesty. As much as I could, I would give him. "I'm so sorry for what I said. You're right. I was… scared. I still am, but I never should've said such cruel things to you. But I can't stand it anymore. Being away from you is torture. I don't care what they think."
"You don't care anymore?"
"Nope. I'm taking a risk. If they disown me, at least I'll have you, like you said."
"Really."
I couldn't blame the skepticism in his response. He had no reason to trust me.
"Besides, I think you'll win them over with your charm and intelligence. Who could resist a gorgeous witty cowboy like you?"
His jaw worked as his eyes studied mine. He probably sensed I wasn't being completely honest, but all I could do was hope he accepted that.
"That is, if you still want me?"
Before I knew it, Zook's huge body covered me and pegged me against the kitchen wall. "I still want you. I'll never stop wanting you. Last three weeks, every nail I drive in, I'm wishing I was nailin' you. Every screw… I'm screwing you. Every time I'm hammering, well, you get the idea."
His mouth crashed on mine. Yes! My whole body ignited with the press of his lips. My fingers clutched at his shirt. I'd risk anything for this. I couldn't go another day without kissing Zook. I moaned into the kiss as his big hands came up and cradled my face in his palms. He ended the kiss and licked his lips. "What kind of pie did you bring again?"
His smile and easy mood caught me off guard. "Boston cream."
He chuckled. "Do they actually eat Boston cream pie in Boston?"
I loved how Zook forgave so quickly. It made me feel safe. With Maksim, even the smallest mistake would mean months of punishment and shame. With Zook, all was forgotten with one hot kiss. "I do. It's delicious. And we're not in Boston, technically."
"True. Let's eat pie then." He laughed and his weight left me as he turned to the kitchen counter.
"What's so funny?"
"I'm holding back my dirty jokes."
"Why?"
"You're too proper."
"I am not. I always laugh at your jokes, don't I?"
"You miss so many of my jokes, you don't even know I made them before I'm moving on to the next." He cut the pie and put a piece on a paper plate. He bowed as he offered it t
o me with a plastic spoon. "I'd very much like to give you a cream pie."
"Oh."
"See. You're a lobster and I just threw you in a boiling pot."
"Um…"
He smirked and watched me struggle. I'd missed his smile and his humor.
"God, you're hot as hell when you're turned on and embarrassed at the same time. My prim and proper tutor gets wet when I tease her."
"I do n—" I stopped myself because it was a lie. I totally get turned on by his jokes.
He grabbed his piece of pie and headed through an arched doorway leading to a sitting room with a high vaulted ceiling. "Come sit on the sofa with me. The fireplace ain't in yet, but I got some blankets and a space heater."
I folded my legs under me as we sat close together in the middle of a small loveseat. The view of the storm was awesome through the living room windows. Billowing angry gray clouds hung so low, they looked like a sponge dipping down to suck up the ocean.
"Wow. It's getting closer."
"Yep, I worked through the night the last three days. Got the roof done."
"I knew you'd make it in time."
"You always believe in me, CeCe."
"I do. I think you're amazing. I've told you that."
"It's my talented tongue. No woman can resist." He licked up the side of his pie slowly, scooping a dollop of chocolate onto his mouth. "Mmm. Shit, this is good."
"I don't mess around with pie."
He laughed again, probably thinking of more dirty puns.
"You make this?"
"No. This one is from Parker's. But I have a yummy version I make too. It has a layer of cheesecake. Tonight was kinda, uh, spur of the moment."
"It's fantastic. You'll have to make me yours someday."
"I'm glad you like it. And I will." I smiled and took a bite. The smooth chocolate ganache and vanilla custard blended with the sponge cake in an incredibly tasty combo.
"You ever had a Boston cream kiss?" he asked with a wicked grin and a tiny bit of custard at the corner of his lips.
"No."
He took a big bite and leaned in to kiss me. The sweet chocolate flooded my mouth. He moved slow, making sure I got a good taste of pie. And oh my goodness, the man could kiss! My body responded instantly. My heart rate picked up. My core tingled. After he'd licked every last grain of sugar from my lips, he pulled away and said, "Now you have."
Hmm? My eyes stayed closed and my tongue traced my lips. "Now I have what?" I asked dreamily.
"Had a Boston cream kiss."
"Yum."
We laughed as we ate more pie. All the tension from the drive here, getting a gun pointed at me, missing Zook for three weeks, disappeared when I was with him. He was optimistic and light-hearted and fun to be with. Not to mention so beautiful to look at. When I couldn't take another bite, I set my plate on the coffee table. He grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch, leaned back, and opened his arms and legs for me to climb inside. As his big warm arms surrounded me, a flash of lightning followed by the rumble of thunder rocked the house.
"Your work's gonna be tested soon," I said.
"Bring it on." His deep voice vibrated against the back of my neck.
"Is this house like others you've built?"
"In many ways, yes. Lots of rooms, secret passages. But this one has fancy shit. Rainfall showers and LED lights under the water. Why the hell would someone want their bath water to change color?"
"I don't know."
"I think some kinky bastard is gonna live here. There's so many shower heads, he's either planning an orgy or he likes his balls blasted with water."
"Secret passages?"
"Rich people have secrets." He nudged my ear with his nose. "They go out of their way to hide them. They trust me because they don't feel threatened by me."
"And should they? Trust you?" Should I trust you?
"If a man is honest with me, he can trust me. He screws me over, I know all his secrets, I won't hold back in using them against him."
"Like you did with Jeb Barebones?"
"Yep."
"What about your current boss? Torrez. Is he trustworthy?"
"So far, yes. I'm watching him close though. Not liking his right-hand man pulling a gun on you."
"Is that what he called Blythe?"
"Yeah."
"That's an odd way to phrase it."
He was quiet for a while. I flinched when lightning cracked. As the thunder rolled, he tightened his arms around me. "He offered to introduce me to his associates."
"Really? You know Boston's notorious for underground crime, right?"
"Yes. Heard all about it in prison. I wouldn't be surprised if Torrez was involved with the mafia. He said he'd keep my hands clean. Just wants me to build houses for him."
"I'm sure they say all kinds of things to grow their organizations."
"Shit. I'm sure they do. It doesn't matter anyway. I'm just using him to get started. I'm gonna be my own man. Not gonna answer to no one. I'm using Blythe too. Just so you know, I'm not attracted to her at all. She's too old for me, and the way she reads to me grates on my nerves."
I smiled with smug satisfaction. "Are you still going to let me tutor you?"
"Oh yeah. I'm learning so much from you. I'll always be grateful. When I walked out of prison a few months ago, never in a million years did I think I'd have a beautiful tutor and be living in a mansion I built myself. Things are going good for me for the first time in my life. Not gonna rock the boat now."
"Mmm."
"How about you, Cecelia Boujani? Are you happy?"
"Right now I am."
"What about before right now?"
I sighed. "I'm not sure."
"You're not sure if you've ever been happy?"
"It's a long story."
"I've got nothing but time. Where were you born?"
I knew this was coming. I'd mentioned my family, and now he had every right to ask me. "Atlanta, Georgia. We lived there till I was ten." I could tell him that much.
"And then?"
"My mom died." A lie. She became dead to me, but she didn't die.
"I'm sorry." The empathy in his voice jabbed into my conscience like a hot poker in a fire. I didn't deserve it.
"I went to live with my uncle." Another pseudo-lie. I was forced to live with a man who called himself my uncle.
"And where did he live?"
This was it. My chance to tell Zook the truth. I was taken from the States, sold to a family in a foreign country, and forced to marry a man I barely knew. But the truth would only give rise to more questions. Will you be returning there after graduation? No, it was best to lie. To keep the ugly truth from him so we could have this time together without worrying about the future or far off lands.
So while I burned to tell him, I kept the secret, saying the first city that came to mind. "Jacksonville, Florida."
His arms lifted me and turned me so I was facing him. I had to raise my legs over his thighs, opening my core to him. A swift heat filled the space between us. "Mmm. And were you happy there?" His voice sliced through me like hot velvet.
"Yes." His eyes watched my fingers fiddle with my pendant.
"You don't seem like a girl from Florida." Shoot. I should've picked another state. Why didn't I say Connecticut or Maine?
"There's all kinds of people in Florida. It's a big state." I also should've picked a state I knew more about apart from its size and the weather.
"What happened in Florida that caused all this fear in you?"
"Nothing." He wasn't going to let this go. All his attention was focused on me and getting me to tell him everything. The pressure welled in my chest. I wanted to tell him.
"I don't believe you."
"It's the truth." I closed my eyes because I couldn't stare into his intense gaze any longer.
"Are you close with your uncle in Florida?"
"No."
"But he pays for your schooling?"
"Yes."
"So he's just a pocketbook to you? But he must care about you if he wouldn't approve of me."
"Don't worry about him anymore, okay? When you meet him, he'll love you. Forget what I said."
"I'll drop it for now, but I have one more question."
I was sure he had a million questions. I wasn't giving him much to go on. "Yes?"
"Did someone hurt you?" He ran his hands up and down my back, gently trying to coax me to open up.
Yes. "No." I grabbed his head and desperately kissed him. Please, Zook. Stop digging. I can't bear it. I'm your tutor and you're my student. Nothing else matters. I climbed higher on his lap and ground my sex into his belly.
The sweet taste of sugar hit my buds when our tongues met. He kissed me with deep affection and longing. We needed to stop talking and kiss forever. His hands on my face pulled my head back, and he ended the kiss with a sigh.
"What's wrong?" I asked, breathless.
"I want you to tell me the truth now, before I fuck you." God, the authority in his voice was impossible to resist.
"We're not… I shouldn't."
"Oh, we're doing it. You could be gone again tomorrow, and I'm not letting you get away without being inside you like I been dreaming of since the second I saw you."
"The second you saw me?"
"Yeah. But don't change the subject. Tell me about your family. Your past. Why all this screwed up I can't shit?"
"I can't."
"Exactly." His hands lifted my hips and placed me back on the couch. He stood and strode to the other room.
Chapter 12
Zook returned a second later with a blue nylon rope wrapped around his knuckles.
"What's that?"
"Rope."
"And you need this now because?"
"I'm gonna break you." He snapped the rope taut between his hands.
"What?"
"When you get a skittish new filly, you gotta break 'em. They need to know you love 'em, but you're also the owner so what you say goes."
"Love? I'm not owned by anyone." That you know of. Why would he think he needed to own me?
"I'm not saying I'm your owner. I'm saying I'm gonna break you in so you trust me enough to let me guide you."
"With rope?" My voice hitched, and a tingle spread from my belly to between my legs.
"Yes. And Boston cream pie." He smirked and tilted his head toward the remaining pie on our plates.
