I briskly walk into my room, close the door behind me, and sit down on the edge of the bed, covering my face with my hands. My insides feel like they have grown teeth, trying to eat away at the butterflies forming in the pit of my stomach. A prickly sensation engulfs my flesh, almost like it has been set ablaze.What the hell was that all about? I was so captivated by Maverick's words that I found myself eagerly hoping for him to end my suspense and lean in for a kiss as I shamelessly moved closer to him.If Levi didn't show up when he did. I most likely would have made the first move and kissed Maverick myself. Would I have regretted it? Undoubtedly.His words have a unique ability to make me feel truly seen and understood.It’s such a dangerous sensation that leaves me feeling stripped of any self-control I have left when I am with him. And for the life of me, I can’t understand why I feel drawn to him when I should be trying to keep my distance from him.We are bound by contrac
I walk inside Club Infusion with my hands curled into tight balls at my sides and make my way to the back, where my men are unloading the rest of the crates that arrived late last night. Dan is following a few paces behind me. Trex and five more of his guys are standing next to the truck, squabbling like a bunch of school girls, blaming each other for the unnecessary fuck up that has bought me to the Club and having to deal with them in person. What should have been a pretty straightforward arrangement has somehow turned to custard, putting me in a tight spot. And I hate it when people fuck me over because they are too incompetent to sort their shit out and complete the transaction smoothly.“My condolences about your father, Maverick,” Trex says the instant he sees me.I nod my head, biting my tongue as the words, ‘He’s where he belongs.’, burn the inside of my mouth. “What happened with my shipment?” I nod toward the crates left on the truck and ask him instead.“Arthur stuffed u
I lift my phone as I look away from the window and glance at the time.The day has already passed, and it's now evening. Maverick still hasn't bothered to return my calls. I've tried to contact him multiple times, and they all went to voice mail.I had to ask Lucy for his number, and she looked a little bemused as to why I didn’t already have it saved on my phone.“I don't mean to pry, Mrs. Quinn, but may I ask why you don't have Mr. Quinns number already saved in your contacts?” She asked as she reached into her apron pocket and extracted her phone.“This is a new phone and…”“Oh, say no more.” She muttered before she read me Mavericks' number out loud.If I had any idea that Maverick was going to ghost me, I would have asked to borrow her phone instead.I have this weird sense that he already has mine. Of course, he does…I bloody worked for him and wrote it down on my job application form. What's the point of having a phone if he isn’t going to bother answering my calls?Well, scr
I knocked on Arnicas' bedroom door, not getting an answer. She called me several more times today. However, I was still in a mood, so I kept ignoring her.I do somewhat feel like a douche, but I can not go back and change what has already taken place. I just hope that it wasn't anything too important. I knock again. Nothing. “Angel, is everything okay?” I open the door and find the room empty. My brows furrow as I look around her room. I had already checked the living room and the library on the ground floor, but she wasn’t there. Maybe she’s around the back, lounging by the pool as the last rays of sun beam down from the heavens. I walk through the living room and step outside onto the terrace to find that she is not there either. A weird, prickly sensation rides my spine, and I can't control the rage that is slowly brewing in my abdomen. Where could she have possibly gone? When I find her, it might be a good idea for me to let her know that if she tries to run away from me.
“Are you threatening me, Mr. Quinn?” I ask him with amusement.“Not at all, Angel.” He replies gruffly. “Are you done visiting your aunt?” He gazes back at the house and his brows furrow. “Where is your aunt, by the way?”“Yes, I am finished, and I put my aunt to sleep after I made her some soup.” I reply. “Are we taking the chair with us too?”Maverick lets go of the chair and moves aside. I smirk at him as I get to my feet and pick my handbag up.He trails two steps behind me in silence as I walk across the lawn toward the driveway, and the sound of silence has never rung so loudly in my ears.As I step from the lawn onto the footpath, I miscalculate my step, and the heel of my stiletto gets caught in one of the many cracks riddling the pavement.I stumble forward, feeling my heart rise in my throat, and I squeeze my eyes shut as I wait for my body to collide with the ground.Instantaneously, Maverick springs forward, his fingers grip my waist, steadying me. His fingertips send a
The instant I open my eyes, I know I’m in the wrong room. Instead of a small curtainless window, I’m looking at long burgundy drapes covering French doors that lead to a balcony.Mavericks' room.He obviously carried me here while I was asleep because I doubt I would have slept walked into his room with my bags that are currently sitting by the wall.A small smile tugs at my lips. I roll over, finding the other side of the bed empty, and an unwelcome pang of disappointment stabs me in the chest.Did I secretly hope that Maverick would be next to me?I guess I did, a little.The bedroom door is closed, and he’s nowhere to be seen. I reach for his pillow and bury my face in it. It smells like him. I might like waking up in Mavericks' bed, but I’m still going to move my stuff back into the room across from his again, later.I’m not sleeping with the man when I'm not ready to get pregnant.The explicit beat of approaching footsteps resonates in the hallway. I throw the pillow away as if i
“I’m not sure your shoes are a good choice,” Maverick says, looking me over. I look down at my feet. I'm wearing a pair of yellow Chuck Taylors'. “And why is that?” I ask with a scowl on my face, trying to think of a reason why he would say that when we are just taking a tour of the property. Should I have worn gumboots? “You’ll scare my dogs.” I stiffen. “I’m not interested in seeing your dogs.” “You don’t like dogs?” I meet his piercing gaze and smile while bile rises in my throat. “I hate dogs with a passion.” I manage to say without my voice trembling. “That's too bad. You’re meeting them, anyway.” He takes my hand and leads me outside across the lawn. “Maverick, please. I don’t want to see your dogs!” I try to pull away as we walk around the estate. “Maverick!” I cry out, causing him to stop dead in his tracks, and he takes my chin between his fingers. “They're guard dogs, Angel, but they are unfamiliar with your scent. You must meet them so they can familiarize and ack
She's still terrified of dogs. I pause with my hand on the doorknob. I’m not exactly sure why the thought of my wife being scared of dogs has been playing in my head like a broken record. When I visited Joy before going through with purchasing the mansion, I demanded that she tell me everything she knew about Arnica. What frightened her and what brought delight to her life. When Joy had mentioned that Arnica rarely walked through their neighbourhood alone after being attacked by a stray dog, I knew I had to forcefully make her meet my guard dogs. As big and threatening as my boys are, they are also a bunch of softies that thrive on any affection you give them. Over time, I hope she will see that and come to realise that not all dogs are feral. It all comes down to how their owner treated them. “Where is my wife?” I ask Devin who’s on guard duty at the front door. “In the pool house.” I step inside and turn right toward the French doors that lead to the pool house. There are se
I adjust the fabric of my turtleneck, pulling it higher over my throat to conceal the red mark along my neckline. Even though it's like ninety degrees outside, a cold chill creeps through my veins, leaving me on edge. What happened this morning between me and Maverick is a little hazy because I refuse to dwell on what transpired between us. The way he looks at me when he knows something is up… When he tells me that everything is going to be okay because he will never let anyone hurt me…I believe the things my mother used to mutter to herself. 'If you can’t stop thinking about someone. It’s because they can’t stop thinking about you too.'I should never have mentioned his mother and sister. It was a low blow, and if anyone knows what it is like to lose someone you love and admire dearly. It's me. But he is experiencing it tenfold as he lost two important people at once, and I refuse to try to imagine how that would feel. Returning my attention to my Aunt Joy. I turn my body sideways
“Maverick. Did you hear what I just said?” Removing my hand from my cheek that still stings from Arnicas’ palm, I raise my gaze to meet Levis’. “Yes, I heard you. Was I listening? Well, no.” I state boldly, rising from behind my desk. Combing my fingers through my hair, I head towards the door. “What the fucks gotten into you this morning?” Levi hisses, hot on my heels. “If this is about last night. I’ve apologized once for how I handled things with Mrs. Quinn. You won’t get a second one out of me.”I stop dead in my tracks and spin around to face him with my nostrils flaring. “I fucking put my hands on her.” Raising my head, I meet his stunned, encased irises. “She mentioned my mother and Scarlett.”Exhaling and shaking his head, “shit.” Levi says. “When you say that you put your hands on her-”“I tried to fucking strangle the life out of her. A red haze took over me and I was consumed with rage. The look in her eyes…” My voice trails off as I swallow thickly and try to elevate my
A moan filled with pleasure escapes with my breath as my hands ball the bedsheets at my sides. Still groggy from my sleep, I arch my back as the sensation of my clit being licked and then sucked on, causes my body to shudder. Pressure builds in the pit of my stomach as my clit is flicked and a finger slides between the slick folds of my sex. “Shit…” I cry out, squeezing my eyes shut when another two fingers stretch me, thrusting deep inside me. “Come for me, Angel,” a hoarse voice growls with desperation. “Come all over my face and scream for me.”Overwhelmed by desire, I can't help but lose control. I gently grasp Mavericks' hair beneath the sheets, keeping him in place as I indulge in the intense pleasure. Ecstasy courses through my heated body, igniting a whirlwind of tremors as waves of pleasure consume me. Maverick delicately teases my sensitive clit with a flick of his tongue, and he gradually eases the pace of his tortuous fingers within me, extending the duration of my clima
After Maverick leaves the library, I pause for a moment, touring the books before making my way out and heading towards the flight of stairs to find the powder room. I could have opted for the one on the main floor, but I prefer not to engage in conversations with unfamiliar people in particular, considering that I currently have semen running down the insides of my legs. I walk down the hallway, noticing the different color doors and handles.“Mahogany door with a brass knob.” The barmans' words enter my mind at full force, trying to compel me to seek out Mavericks’ office.I swiftly pivot on my heel and head back towards the staircase. I'll just wait until we get back home to freshen up. This seems like a risky and ill-advised plan, especially if I were to be discovered. The last thing I desire is to betray Mavericks' trust and have the other members of the Elite family suspect me of being a spy.“Make it happen, Matthias, or I will personally see to it that you and Contessa lose ev
I fold over Arnica, my hair falls forward, and it tickles her heaving chest, matching my heaving lungs. “Gods, you are fucking perfect.”She runs her fingers through my damp hair, giggling. “I think a certain someone has had a little too much to drink.”I nuzzle her breasts, liking how soft they feel against my face. “You do realise that this changes everything between us, don’t you?” I pull her up as I get to my feet, my cock still buried deep inside her, until the soles of her heels touch the hardwood floor, and she is standing in front of me. “I will have your things moved back into my room before we return home.”She pulls her lower lip between her teeth and nervously starts to chew on it as her gaze shifts to the other side of the library. Her good mood disappears, and I can’t help think it’s because I’ve said something I shouldn’t have. I place the pad of my thumb on her chin, bending at the knees so we are face to face, and her gaze lifts to mine.“Tell me what is going on in t
“I’m losing my mind over you. I can’t work, I can’t sleep or think straight. My body aches for you, but I won’t force you to do anything that you don’t want to do. Give me a safe word, Angel.”Tears run freely down my face, splashing on the upper swelling of my breasts, and Maverick licks at them. How will I recover if I let him make love to me? How will I survive if I don’t let him?“I want you, Maverick,” I whisper. “The need to have you fill me is consuming and overwhelming at the same time. You have the power to hurt me. To destroy what little of me that isn’t damaged.”His gaze flits with confusion and a promise that he will never do wrong by me the same way his brother did. “Don’t compare me to my brother, Angel. This is about us. What was meant to be. You were mine from the moment I laid eyes on you. Once won’t ever be enough. You’ll crave it. Need it. Dream about it. No one will ever satisfy your body again. Don’t let your past push me away.”I nod my head, “I won’t,” I whispe
I make my way to the bar, placing my wine glass on top of the varnished counter, lifting my hand as I grab the barman’s attention.“Another refill?” He asks me, holding up a bottle of flat white wine.I don’t know what I’m currently drinking because I never bothered to ask him what he is serving. As long as it loosens the tension in my body, I'll drink it.Pushing my glass forward, “that would be lovely, thank you.” I say with a forced smile, not wanting to be here.When Maverick had picked me up from my aunts earlier this evening, he reluctantly informed me that we had to attend a prestigious event to pay tribute to one of the influential Don's he is associated with at the Elite Family estate. This venue is perfect for exclusive events, where a strict code of conduct ensures a peaceful atmosphere for all attendees.This particular Don, whose name I didn’t bother to remember, is being recognized for his outstanding achievement in leading a big project aimed at providing a safe and eng
I walk out of Mavericks' office, ignoring the dozen sets of eyes staring at me as I slide my large shades over the bridge of my nose with a little bounce to my steps. My body feels lighter, and I still feel raw. Sensitive. Full. And truly well fingered. Two of Mavericks men cast shadows behind me as they follow my movements. I wonder if they can see the slight tremble in my legs with every step I execute. Not that it matters. One of them rushes forward to hold one of the double doors wide open for me. A stream of sunlight hits my face all for a second before it is eclipsed by a large shadow that instantly has killed my mood, and I try to step around the obstacle blocking my way, but I fail. “Arnica, fancy seeing you here.” A deep voice murmurs with an underlay of surprise and lack of conviction. “Why wouldn't I come here, Matthias?” I say in a placid tone to cover the irritation in my voice. Just by being in his presence, he has killed my mood, and after all these years, seein
“Now's not the time or place, Angel. Besides, only good girls get what they ask for, and you showing up here unguarded was a seriously naughty thing to do.” She blinks at me, lowering her skirt, and she stands up. “Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, and you won't hear me begging you, Maverick.” I watch as she walks to the door and sticks her head out, looking left then right. “See you at dinner,” she calls over her shoulder. “Oh, Thomas…” She calls out to one of my barmen in a singsong voice that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. “Why are you calling for Thomas?” How the fuck does she know who Thomas is too?“I need a problem solver,” she says and turns to look at Thomas when he reaches her. “Hey, Thomas. Do you consider yourself to be a problem solver?" Thomas’s gaze nervously darts between me and Arnica before he finally decides to answer. “Well… I've always been told that I have a knack for solving the impossible, most times.”I bite down on my molars, silently