Once they arrived back at the resort, Presley was taken into a reserved room where food and drinks were prepared for her and her family.Algernon and Sloane were the last to arrive and Presley was dumbfounded by her best friend’s appearance. Bruised eyes, swollen lips and hair in disarray, her friend who was usually so well put together, was a mess.Sloane raced to her and hugged her tight. “I missed you.”“Did you because you look like you’ve been very well distracted.” Presley was only half-teasing.“I think I love him,” Sloane whispered in her ear. “I’ve never felt like this before. He sees me, Presley. He sees my heart and we connect so deeply. I can’t help but feel all of this was some divine plan to bring me into his life or him into mine. All I know is it’s meant to be. I think I love him.”Presley squeezed her friend in her arms, “then love him. It’s okay to love him. He’s a good man. He’s a nice man. If he makes you happy, then I’m happy.”“Are you okay?” Sloane leaned back t
The room looked the same. Why she thought or believed the room she shared with Cruz was going to be different somehow after only a couple of nights away was confusing to her. Yet, in her mind, as she looked around the room and saw all her belongings exactly where she left them, interspersed with Cruz’s things, she felt the urge to cry. Nothing was changed.“What’s wrong?” Cruz immediately noted the way she was rapidly blinking.“I thought it would be altered.”“Altered how?”“I don’t know. I thought maybe my things would be gone or put away or yours would be packed up.”He smiled as he took her hand and led her to the bathroom. “Now why would I pack stuff up? I wasn’t leaving here without you, Presley.” He turned the shower on. “Do you want help or do you want some time alone?”“Would you be upset if I said I wanted some time alone?”“You’ve been surrounded by men for the last twenty-four hours, all of whom you didn’t know. I completely understand why you want to be alone. Take your s
Walking into the breakfast area in the morning, Presley was surprised to find it full of Russian men and she couldn’t contain her giggle when Cruz walked in behind her, and they all pounded their chests and screamed “Kong!”“You are so never living it down.”“I imagine they could have given me worse nicknames,” he shrugged as he nodded at Anderson who was sitting in a corner morosely pushing an omelet around his plate. “They named him Chip.”“Chip?”“Like microchip but chip.”“I wonder what is wrong with him?”“I imagine it’s that,” Cruz gestured in the direction of where Halima was sitting at a table surrounded by six Russian men all eagerly sharing their breakfasts with her and flirting outrageously.“Rami is here!” Presley tore away from Cruz and raced to where he was standing by the breakfast bar. “Rami!”“My fifth sister!” he swung her up in his arms, hugging her tightly. “It is so good to see you looking so well rested.” He set her down and pulled something from inside the pocke
Presley entered her place in Gastown, in the city center of Vancouver and felt the tears fall down her cheeks.Cruz immediately seeing her crying grabbed her and hugged, “what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”“I’m so happy to be home. I thought,” her words were clogging her throat as she tried to get them out, “I’d never come here again. I thought I’d never see my own place again.”“Oh Ladybird,” he sighed as he lifted her up in his arms bridal style and carried her deeper into the space and towards a loveseat. He sat down and cuddled her against his chest.She sniffled and reached for a throw blanket behind his shoulder, “my Nana made this for me when I was a little girl. She died when I was really young, but I still have it and I’m so happy it’s still here and I get to touch it again.” She draped it over her knees as she sat across Cruz’s lap. She gave a giggle. “You make my small apartment look even smaller, Kong.”“Kong with two dongs,” he amended as he recited the name Algernon gave
Presley looked down at Cruz as her shaking fingers unbuttoned his shirt to push it back off his shoulders. His hazel eyes were clear and focused on her as if memorizing each tiny detail of her features and yet she was mesmerized by the golden flesh she was uncovering. Vacation sunshine gave his skin a sun kissed and burnished glow Her palm ran over his thick pecs, stroking his nipples and cupping the taut sinew of his flesh. His cock twitched under her as she explored the curves of his abdomen and then back up his shoulders and it forced a smile to her face.“What are you grinning like the Cheshire Cat for?” he asked as he wriggled his arm out of the sleeve of his shirt to allow her further exploration.She ground her pelvis against his, “ten seconds of touching you and you’re already getting hard.”“Ladybird, I can get hard thinking of the smile on your face, let alone having you touch me.”She continued letting her hands search as he pulled his shirt from under him and tossed it asi
Presley Brookmore wasn’t one to let an opportunity pass her by. All of her life her older brother Odin and his two best friends Cruz Hawley and Anderson Oak did everything they could to terrorize her. Everything from jumping on her sandcastles when she was a little girl to making fun of her when she got her braces at ten to interrupting her first kiss when was thirteen.It was the first kiss which was on her mind now. While Odin and Anderson were always just on the right side of going too far, it was Cruz who didn’t just straddle the line, he hopped over it with vengeance. Cruz always took their games too far and if she wasn’t crying, he wasn’t laughing, and man did that boy love to laugh.She cocked her head to the side as she and her two friends, Sloane, Anderson’s little sister, and Halima were sitting in a restaurant. One might argue it purely happenstance which put them in the same restaurant as Cruz Hawley, but Presley was certain it was fate.“I haven’t seen him in like five, s
“I’m going to kill your fucking sister,” Cruz hissed into the phone he held to his ear.Odin’s voice was quiet for a half beat before he responded, “half-sister and what the fuck did she do?”“Assaulted me in a fucking restaurant, accused me of abandoning her at an abortion clinic, beating her up, breaking her arm which all ultimately scared my fucking date off. This was a fifty-million-dollar deal with my date’s father and your bitch of a sister fucked it up!” He kicked the tire of his car and growled furiously wanting to punch the fuck out of something. Considering the way many of the patrons were watching, he didn’t dare.“Well, you did break her arm,” Odin chuckled.“It was an accident.”“My Dad still thinks you were trying to kill her. I mean I don’t like the brat but bumping her off seemed excessive even to me.”“Would you fucking focus?” he nearly screamed at his childhood best friend. He and Odin were not as close as they once were. He’d moved away more than seven years ago an
Her footsteps faltered as she entered her parent’s home and noted the quartet seated on the patio. She caught her mother’s eye who was in the kitchen with the chef and housekeeper and pressed her lips together.“I didn’t know Odin was coming to brunch today or he was bringing guests.”“Me either and it’s been fucking delightful,” her mother guzzled a mimosa and then started making a second one while the housekeeper Mary huffed her agreement of the woman’s sarcastic snarl. “Anderson is drunk already I think, and Cruz hasn’t said two syllables however your father and Odin were bickering about money. I came in here to try to get a good buzz before I go back out there. Join me?”She giggled at her mom’s words and then accepted the offered drink, “bottoms up.” She took a long drink and then smacked her lips together, “delicious.”“Thanks. I told your father if I needed to put up with the bullshit out there, I was opening the champagne he was saving for our anniversary.”“Fair deal.”They c
Presley looked down at Cruz as her shaking fingers unbuttoned his shirt to push it back off his shoulders. His hazel eyes were clear and focused on her as if memorizing each tiny detail of her features and yet she was mesmerized by the golden flesh she was uncovering. Vacation sunshine gave his skin a sun kissed and burnished glow Her palm ran over his thick pecs, stroking his nipples and cupping the taut sinew of his flesh. His cock twitched under her as she explored the curves of his abdomen and then back up his shoulders and it forced a smile to her face.“What are you grinning like the Cheshire Cat for?” he asked as he wriggled his arm out of the sleeve of his shirt to allow her further exploration.She ground her pelvis against his, “ten seconds of touching you and you’re already getting hard.”“Ladybird, I can get hard thinking of the smile on your face, let alone having you touch me.”She continued letting her hands search as he pulled his shirt from under him and tossed it asi
Presley entered her place in Gastown, in the city center of Vancouver and felt the tears fall down her cheeks.Cruz immediately seeing her crying grabbed her and hugged, “what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”“I’m so happy to be home. I thought,” her words were clogging her throat as she tried to get them out, “I’d never come here again. I thought I’d never see my own place again.”“Oh Ladybird,” he sighed as he lifted her up in his arms bridal style and carried her deeper into the space and towards a loveseat. He sat down and cuddled her against his chest.She sniffled and reached for a throw blanket behind his shoulder, “my Nana made this for me when I was a little girl. She died when I was really young, but I still have it and I’m so happy it’s still here and I get to touch it again.” She draped it over her knees as she sat across Cruz’s lap. She gave a giggle. “You make my small apartment look even smaller, Kong.”“Kong with two dongs,” he amended as he recited the name Algernon gave
Walking into the breakfast area in the morning, Presley was surprised to find it full of Russian men and she couldn’t contain her giggle when Cruz walked in behind her, and they all pounded their chests and screamed “Kong!”“You are so never living it down.”“I imagine they could have given me worse nicknames,” he shrugged as he nodded at Anderson who was sitting in a corner morosely pushing an omelet around his plate. “They named him Chip.”“Chip?”“Like microchip but chip.”“I wonder what is wrong with him?”“I imagine it’s that,” Cruz gestured in the direction of where Halima was sitting at a table surrounded by six Russian men all eagerly sharing their breakfasts with her and flirting outrageously.“Rami is here!” Presley tore away from Cruz and raced to where he was standing by the breakfast bar. “Rami!”“My fifth sister!” he swung her up in his arms, hugging her tightly. “It is so good to see you looking so well rested.” He set her down and pulled something from inside the pocke
The room looked the same. Why she thought or believed the room she shared with Cruz was going to be different somehow after only a couple of nights away was confusing to her. Yet, in her mind, as she looked around the room and saw all her belongings exactly where she left them, interspersed with Cruz’s things, she felt the urge to cry. Nothing was changed.“What’s wrong?” Cruz immediately noted the way she was rapidly blinking.“I thought it would be altered.”“Altered how?”“I don’t know. I thought maybe my things would be gone or put away or yours would be packed up.”He smiled as he took her hand and led her to the bathroom. “Now why would I pack stuff up? I wasn’t leaving here without you, Presley.” He turned the shower on. “Do you want help or do you want some time alone?”“Would you be upset if I said I wanted some time alone?”“You’ve been surrounded by men for the last twenty-four hours, all of whom you didn’t know. I completely understand why you want to be alone. Take your s
Once they arrived back at the resort, Presley was taken into a reserved room where food and drinks were prepared for her and her family.Algernon and Sloane were the last to arrive and Presley was dumbfounded by her best friend’s appearance. Bruised eyes, swollen lips and hair in disarray, her friend who was usually so well put together, was a mess.Sloane raced to her and hugged her tight. “I missed you.”“Did you because you look like you’ve been very well distracted.” Presley was only half-teasing.“I think I love him,” Sloane whispered in her ear. “I’ve never felt like this before. He sees me, Presley. He sees my heart and we connect so deeply. I can’t help but feel all of this was some divine plan to bring me into his life or him into mine. All I know is it’s meant to be. I think I love him.”Presley squeezed her friend in her arms, “then love him. It’s okay to love him. He’s a good man. He’s a nice man. If he makes you happy, then I’m happy.”“Are you okay?” Sloane leaned back t
The men lifted the door off the groaning man on the floor and Presley stifled a giggle.“That was insane.” She looked at Cruz who was glowering at the man with such rage she wasn’t sure he wasn’t going to stomp on the man without the door between them. She immediately moved to stand in front of him. “Hey, Kong,” he turned and gave her an annoyed glance, “good job taking out the bad guy like a movie star stunt man but maybe we can get out of the way so they can get him upstairs.”“I’d rather throw the fucking door back on top of him.”“With the way his nose is bleeding, I think it’s broken and he’s breathing funny so definitely some broken ribs. You’ve done enough damage.” She was tugging him back towards the stairs. She grinned at Belkin who was waiting, “it worked. Cruz jumped on him.”The men all started cheering as Liborio was dragged up the stairs and thrown at Belkin’s feet. Belkin squatted and grabbed the semi-conscious man by the jaw.“You fucked up my friend. You kidnapped a w
Presley wrapped her arms and legs around Cruz’s neck, and he crushed her to his frame.“Fuck Ladybird, oh fuck,” his voice cracked as he buried his head in her hair.She couldn’t help herself and she was sobbing uncontrollably in the crook of his neck as he stood holding her while men milled all around them. Despite the yelling and the way everyone was rushing around, in the midst of trying to get the ship back under their control before other factions arrived to assist Liborio, she felt nothing but the relief of being in Cruz’s arms.She felt him carrying her away after someone yelled at him in French and he was taking her to a more secure location, away from the possibility of gunfire. He wasn’t letting her go through. The sound of his sniffling and clearing his throat made her pull her head back and look at him. Tears stained his cheeks as he tucked them against a small corner of a wall. Cupping his cheeks with her hands she stared into his eyes. “Hi.”His laugh made her smile, “hi
Presley looked around the quiet room, grateful the men were still tending to the bruises and shallow breathing of Odin despite how furious they all were with him. Then suddenly there was a cacophony overhead as it sounded like hundreds of feet hit the deck overhead.“What is going on?” she made wide eyes at Rami.“The cavalry has arrived,” he smiled at the men. “Now we wait. As much as we’d love very much to go up and shoot some of these fuckers who stole our ship, we will wait here with you and keep you safe.”Liborio’s voice rang out, but it seemed he was talking to someone other than them. “You should leave. I have your crew and Presley locked up down here and she does not leave without me. If you try to come down for her, I will kill us all, including your eleven men, the captain’s wife and child, and Presley.”“He’s nuttier than a Christmas fruit cake,” Presley muttered angrily. “Would your gun’s bullets make it through the metal barricades? Seriously. If you could take one shot
Cruz could feel his heart thundering in his chest. He was a known adrenaline junky. He’d be the first to admit it. He’d sky dived multiple times in his life. He loved activities which got his blood pumping and his heart racing. Yet, this time, the adrenaline running through his veins was not excitement but nervous terror.Belkin let him know before they boarded the chopper Presley wasn’t lying about Liborio taking a hit out on him. The man wanted him dead. Belkin said he’d sent out a message to the underworld indicating Cruz was now one of his and any attempts on his life would not end well for anyone. He’d also confirmed he declared a war against Liborio for violating multiple treaties between their families and he’d collected allies. The problem was, Liborio had friends in places as dark as some of Belkin’s hid and as a result there was a great divide. Many families were indeed on Liborio’s side, supporting his right to choose his bride how he saw fit. Most of those families were no