I held my breath as I waited for his answer. Watching him battle his personal demons had almost crushed my heart. I knew intimately what it took to stay here, in the now, in the present. That this oversized, handsome man struggled in similar ways broke my heart. He licked his lips as he looked up at me. "I don't know, cupcake. I hope not. Even if I didn't want you like a flame needs oxygen, I also don't think we could be with other people. Not and be happy. Not and have our baser needs met. Not and feel seen and accepted for exactly who we are."I nodded. His words resonated in my soul. Spoke to my heart. Never before had I felt so noticed. As if he saw the deepest, ugliest parts of me and still decided he wanted me. "So, if I do touch you, it can be your hands and forearms?" I asked. I needed to focus on the now. The here. I didn't think I could examine those deeper parts of myself right now. Even with him here. Maybe because he was here. He smiled, although it looked tinged w
I almost shouted in relief when I felt her respond to me. To my mouth. I'd about fucked it up and we'd barely begun. Her hands slid up into my hair, clenched in the depths of it. Her nails bit into the scalp. My hips jolted forward as if they were attached to a piston line. It was one of the singularly best sensations in the world, her nails against my scalp. I sank a little deeper into her body. As if our bodies were old friends, we moved in concert. Each anticipating the other.Her fingers clenched down into fists as she gasped into my mouth. Sweet fuck. She was going to unman me right here. A fucking virgin and she was going to make me cum in my fucking pants before I ever got inside her. I eased between her legs, snarled when they didn't slide up to cradle my hips. Why wasn't she lifting her legs? I reached down, intending to lift one up over my hip. My fingers brushed against gauze. Shit. I flung myself backwards. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." My chest heaved as I tri
"WILLOW CHASE!" an unfamiliar voice shouted from my front door. Beside me, a giant-sized lump jackknifed straight up in bed. A low growl sprang from his throat as he got to all fours in front of me, taking the blankets with him. "What the fuck, cupcake?" he whispered without looking at me. I shook my head, shivered in the cool air. Realized he wasn't watching me. "I have no idea. I don't recognize that voice." And I was stuck, flat on my back. I flung my hand out, hoping to catch my phone. Shit. I still didn't have mine back from the hospital from when my legs got crushed. The burner I'd had in Ethan's maze was long gone as well. I sighed. I really needed to get my priorities straight. Like an angry lion, Ryker slid from the bed. His muscles moved with fluid grace as he reached for something at the foot of the bed. He came up quickly. His hands cradled a matte black piece of metal that was both very sexy and very scary at the same time. Ryker flicked a look at me quickly
I clenched my teeth as Willow went lax beneath me. I was hard enough to drive spikes through railroad ties, and she had fallen into post-orgasmic sleep. Except her mouth, I hadn't even gotten to taste her. With her asleep, I certainly couldn't do that now, either. I'd have to wait for her to wake up. Wake up and then let me control her pleasure again. The chuckle that escaped my mouth was possessive and strained.Releasing her body, I straightened. My gaze fell back to the gun on her nightstand. Once again, fury rose shot through me in one fast, burning spurt of rage. I was going to kill him. Fucking Domenico. I pushed up from the bed. I didn't want Willow to wake up to me being a rage case right above her. I stalked into the bathroom, ran some cool water. Splashing it over my face, I waited for my dick to deflate. It wasn't going to take long, not with where my thoughts had gone. He's put her in danger. Knowingly. Selfishly. At least I hadn't known what would happen if I dropp
"Help me get a dress on," I said, trying to will him into faster movement. The man was a slug in molasses on a cold day. I wanted to grab his shoulders, tug him in the right direction. But his shoulders were out of bounds. He stood there, a dumbfounded look on his face. "All of this freakout is over her parents? Are they horrible people who hurt orphans or kill vagrants?"I jerked back. "No! They're the salt of the earth. Very loving and cuddly." A smile pulled at my mouth. "Especially Momma. But you don't want to get on their bad side. I don't want you on their bad side. And if they find out that you were here last night, you'll never crawl out of the bad side." I cradled his cheeks between my palms. "They're important to me, Ryker."He leaned forward, pressed his lips to mine. "Then I'll do my best. But they better not come down on you for anything. That I won't accept. You're a grown ass woman capable of making her own decisions about what she does with her body. They don't g
Shoving a leg into my pants, I struggled to put my emotions away. The fact that I even had to struggle pissed me off to no end. She'd pulled her stitches. Didn't say fucking boo about it while I'd been inside her and pulled her stitches. I wanted to ring her pretty neck and bury myself inside her again. As soon as I got her to my penthouse, I was going to lock her to my bed and ravage her body. Shove a gag in her mouth so she couldn't convince me to do things I hadn't planned on doing. My body shuddered as goosebumps rose up on my skin. The feeling of being inside her, no barriers between us...I pushed the thoughts away. I had to get dressed, get back out there. I licked my lips, remnants of her sweet cream remained. I was moving before I finished the thought. I wanted her under me. Over me. In front of me. However I could get her, I would take her. Just as I was about to cross back into her bedroom, sanity returned. Her adoptive parents are coming. They're important to her
I couldn't help but respond. Even knowing Momma and Papa were outside my bedroom door. It meant nothing. Not when Ryker overwhelmed me. When he took his pleasure from my body. When he gave me mind-blowing sensations in return. I'd almost come off the bed and Superman punched Momma in the throat for attempting to touch him. Let alone the fact that he was mine, he didn't like to be touched. No one would be touching him but me. Not if they wanted to keep their hands attached to their bodies. With the slightest tilt, Ryker somehow managed to push his tongue even deeper inside my mouth. I sucked on his tongue. Reveled in his groan that vibrated through our joined flesh. My arms were getting tired, and I didn't want to accidentally touch him again. Not after everything else so far today. It wasn't even lunch time and I felt like the day had been as long as a month. I tried to pull back, to put some space between us. He growled and pulled me closer. Bossy, possessive jerk. M
My wound dressed to Ryker's exacting standards, and I was back up in his arms as he carried me to the couch in the living room. He set me down. Gave me a kiss. "What do you want for breakfast?" Papa laughed from over at the kitchen island. "Momma and I brought everything a healing body needs. We can all eat together."Ryker looked up and over. Nodded. "That works for me." He left me on the couch and went over to help Papa. Tali took his spot. "What the hell is going on? I've never seen Momma so quiet and subdued."I nodded. "Ryker set her back on her heels. Not one shit was given, Tali. If I'd been able to climb him like a tree, we certainly wouldn't be having breakfast right now. It was really hot...after I wanted to punch him in the face for it."Tali snickered. "I'm surprised he tamed the beastie."I smiled. "With a couple sentences. It was amazing. A little brutal, but amazing. Papa even backed Ryker."Tali whistled low. "Damn.""Yeah. Good luck finding anyone who
I crept along the rooftop. The target was staying in the long term suites across the road. It was our first night, and it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders the farther we got from New Trenadie. The next moment, I crashed to the roof's floor. "Damn it." She snickered. "Still a sucky spy, Raphael." She slid her body over mine.I sucked in a breath. Nodded. Hell, I practically begged her for it. But without words. When she got that tone, my words were not necessary. She smiled. "I'm not going to beat you to death. Nor am I going to stuff you into a padded room." She bent down, flicked her tongue over my lips. "But I will tie you up, spank you, flog you, fuck you, and then make you do it all over again. My dick went to iron between her legs. Her laugh was husky. "I'm keeping you, Raphael. Do you understand me?"My heart settled. Skipped a beat. "Yes, Mistress."The end.
My phone dinged with a new incoming text message. Considering my phone had been going off since the wee hours of the morning with Willow and Ryker announcing the baby was finally coming, I was tempted to just shut it off. But it could be something important. And since Angelo and I were at home with the other babies, it fell to us to make sure we kept everything running as it should. I grabbed the phone. Unlocked the screen. A video message popped up. Raphael and his girl, Nia. Their heads mushed together to get into frame. "Momma, I have to leave. But I wanted to tell you I love you. And thank you for everything. I will let you know when I get back." Nia smiled. "I'll keep him safe, Momma. I swear it.""Bye, Momma," they said together before they ended the call.I smiled even as tears filled my eyes. Angelo looked up at me from his spot on the bed. He was restrained, a ball gag in his mouth. I held the crop up high. "Our last baby is finally happy, Angelo." I s
Two weeks later I glared at the woman on the table. "I still don't know why I have to be here. I barely know you."Willow snorted. "Because you're scarier than anyone else in my family. And I don't want those doctors trying to get all bitchyyyyyyyy." Another contraction hit her. She clamped down on my hand hard enough that I thought I was going to need surgery to remove the bones from each other. And this little firecracker had more strength inside her than her grip would show. Raphael had told me some of her story. She'd told me the rest of it. A ritual the Amatucci women apparently indulged in was something called Girls' Night. Really it was a bunch of drinking, talking about sex, and watching movies while we ate enough of Willow's confectionaries to give ourselves diabetes. Willow blew out a breath. "Ryker can't handle seeing me in this kind of pain, so he has to stay out in the lobby with the rest of them. You're second chair." She panted. Demanded some ice chips.
Three days laterWalking into my parents house when they didn't know I was alive was a risky thing. A multitude of crappy things could happen. Not the least of which was Momma killing me for real this time. Or Papa crying. Or either of them fainting."Go on," Nia said as she shoved me forward gently. "You're already here. Just go into the kitchen. Nik said she told them to wait for her in the kitchen."I nodded, felt my palms go clammy as my breath backed up in my lungs. This could go terribly wrong. So fucking horribly wrong. Man up, Si, that no longer too small voice said inside me. Since I'd been actively listening to it more, he wasn't so easy to shut up. Even when I wanted to. Thankfully, the nasty bitch who lived inside me was getting fainter. Although he could still throw a temper tantrum to beat a two year old. "I'm right here. And I'll be right here the whole time. They've waited long enough, Raphael." She nudged me again. Even as bile rushed up the back o
We all stood in the kitchen, guzzling water by the gallon. I hadn't been this dehydrated since the last time I got in trouble at Petter Manor. But at least this time it was due to happy tears and reunification. Raphael sat and watched it all. Just absorbed it. But he never got so far away I couldn't touch him. That I even needed to touch him still blew my mind. But I wasn't going to question it. He helped steady me when it felt like everything inside me and around me was bending and flexing too fast for me to catch up. "What are your plans for tomorrow?" Liam asked as he finished his third glass of water. "Tomorrow is the gala. I'm going to string Anders up-the guy who had you kidnapped again. I'm going to tell everyone the Petters have been blackmailing and abusing and paying off that the Petters are dead and gone. That they're all on watch." I studied Liam and Lilly. It blew my mind that they had gone into the government side of this dirty world. That they willingly put t
Nia came over to me while I was helping drag some bodies away. "Hey Raphael, can you come with me, please?"Foster grunted at me as we got the body up on the catering cart. "Go. I've got this." I nodded, turned back to Nia. "Sure, Nia." She took my hand and we walked from the room. Her hand was trembling in mine. It was only the slightest degree, but it might as well have registered on the seismic scale. "You good?" I asked her softly as we walked down a set of stairs. She said nothing, made no movements except to keep walking. I pulled her to a stop. Made her look at me. "Are you good?" I asked again. Her eyes were wide, as if she were trying to stave off the tears. "Amelie and Anton..." she blew out a breath. "They're t-""The only two people you love in this world." I smiled sadly. "I know, Nia."Her eyelids fluttered shut as a tear escaped down her cheek. Her breath was shaky as she exhaled. "I got them away from here. Put them in with a good woman with a hu
Day before the gala "Charlie team in position," the man's voice came through the little earbud I wore in my right ear. I kept a tight hold on my fear. My relief. My heart. All of the planning, all of the tears, all of the arguments. It all came down to this. "Delta team in position," Raphael said through my ear. "Foxtrot team in position," another voice said. I still wasn't quite sure who was who by their voice, but I'd done an okayish job of remembering names and faces. The fact that I had a team full of women with me made me like the Amatuccis even more. They didn't discriminate. If someone had the skill and the drive to join the security teams, they were given a position. "Estrogen team in position," I said. A series of clicks came through the earbud. I'd made a single joke about Echo team being full of vaginas. They called us the Estro team now. Since we were collectively badass, I didn't really care what they called us as long as it wasn't disrespectful. "A
Her babies? She had kids? I shook my head. Knew there had to be a different story, but I needed to get her back with me to learn it. I set her down on the chair. Pushed her head down between her knees. "Breathe, Nia." I made my voice hard. As hard as I dared when all I wanted to do was cuddle her up and carry her away. Nowhere was my fierce and strong Dominant. Right now, she was a broken, hurting woman. I would hold her together until she could find herself again. Ivan came rushing into the room, his gun drawn. He lifted it to the ceiling when he saw what was going on. One of his brows rose in question.I gave him a brief rundown of what I knew. Which was damn little. I shrugged when I was out of information to share. Mas came hopping in behind Ivan. He didn't have a weapon, but he did have concern etched on his face. "Who the hell are you?" a voice said from behind me. I whirled around, putting Nia behind my body as I faced the threat that shouldn't be there. A
After rushing through the shower and the delicious meal that Raphael put together for breakfast, I walked into the space Ivan and Klara had set up for me. Everything was as I left it, but that didn't mean a whole lot. Especially in a place I didn't control one hundred percent. Brushing the weird vibe away, I walked to the computer. Booted everything up. Once it was up and running, I went through my process of accessing my cloud accounts. Jasper had set some up for me that weren't the typical commercial kind. Luckily, I'd memorized the process, or I'd be up a creek with zero paddle at the moment. A ReadMe file was highlighted when I got all the way into my account. I right clicked, read through the metadata how Jasper showed me. Recognizing his signature, I opened the file. Ms. Flower~I've attached all of the information I could find re Cucumber Butt and Pretty Mean. You'll find them in the associated files.I snickered at Jasper's sense of humor. That kid was a genius and