AugustThere was nothing right about this, a relationship that was forced. Forbidden. But I wanted more than anything to take a chance. I might burn in hell for eternity, but I yearned for her more than ever."I don't understand why I'm so drawn to you. I can't stand the fact I ache for your touch, your kiss. I'm terrified every time that you walk out that door that I'll never see you again, that I'll hear about some horrible bloody shooting or a terrible explosion. That's not a way to live, August. Don't you get that?" Her defiance abated, her shoulders slumped, and she held her face in her hands.Moving closer until I was only a few inches away, I wanted nothing more than to ease her pain, take away every fear, sheltering her from the horrible deeds. I didn't know how to be that man.Sensitive.Caring.God help me, I longed to try. I slid my arms around her, tugging her back against my chest and cupping her face. She was so warm to the touch, my fingers on fire the instant I laid ha
SashaUnleashed. The beast had come crashing out of his cage, hungry to feed.I'd broken through some barrier, digging my way into the corner of his very soul. He was unlike the man who'd left, revved with an aggressive passion, a dark rapture that I had no doubt would consume me. There was no turning back, no jerking our collective chain. I'd given myself to him now, and possibly forever. For right or wrong.Good or evil.The dangerous criminal had finally captured the self-proclaimed good girl.I'd tossed away everything I thought I knew about myself, embracing the darkness. And why? Because he was enigmatic. He was a portion of my very soul, healing the sadness that had been in my heart for the majority of my life. He'd managed to carve a place in my mind refusing to be denied.I'd been petrified after hearing about the bomb, unable to think or breathe, completely lost in a fog. There were no words to describe the terror, wrapping bony fingers around my throat. I'd known at that ve
SashaPain.Ecstasy.They were rolled together, the longing the same for both. I was crazed with desire as he gave four more severe spanks, moving from one ass cheek to the other. Then they simply stopped. I hung my head, licking my dry lips and wiggling my hands.Something wet was placed on my pussy lips. I gasped, rearing back as the sensations rocketed through me. His tongue. He'd shoved his tongue inside, lapping at my cream. I could hear his guttural sounds as he sucked and licked, his tongue working against my muscles. I opened my legs as wide as possible, dazzled by the electricity shooting through me.The amazing bliss stopped cold, his hand moving up from my buttocks to my back, caressing in a loving manner."As I said, I will return. I want you to reflect on your misguided behavior. I also want you to think about time. How long you've been here. Remain quiet. Not a single word spoken. Let's see if you can follow my simple rules."Time? How in the hell long was he leaving me
SashaThe heavy breaths continued to float along my skin, creating a trail of goosebumps as he eased his finger to my pussy lips. The lightest tap. The softest caress. I had no idea how he could stand fondling me with such restraint, but he was driving me mad with yearning, stifling any ability to think clearly.His finger teased every inch of my pussy, swirling only once around my clit. A clipped moan finally escaped my lips. Within a split second, the two hard cracks against my bottom were given. I was shocked how intense the pain was in comparison. I wiggled and twisted my hands, literally biting my lip to keep from crying out.He resumed his soft caress, repeating the move but never sliding his finger all the way into my pussy. I heard another sound, a shift in movement. Then I knew he'd opened the drawer once again. I braced for whatever wretched implement he was going to grab.Silence.Please, God. Please. Fuck me. Fuck. Me!Nothing.One minute.Two.The weight on the bed was he
AugustI wasn't going to lie that her words didn't haunt me. Perhaps that made me even more of a scoundrel than I knew myself to be. After all, I'd had the thoughts myself in the throes of passion. The word itself was foreign to me, existing only in fairytales and romance books. I took a swig of my whiskey, staring out at the sun just cresting over the horizon. I'd left her alone in my bed, her naked body barely covered by the soft sheets.The thought of her would always make my cock hard, my balls swollen. This morning was no exception, but the sleepless night was a reminder why I shouldn't get too close.Danger.I posed a threat to her even in my home. In my bed. My instinct told me that my life was a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment. My love for her meant I should send her away, reneging on the deal I'd made. I snorted at the thought. How many times had I mentioned the concept of consequences to her? If I sent her away, I'd be forced to deal with Drummand directly.
AugustHer body wiggled beneath mine and she wrapped one leg around my thigh. Everything about this seemed so forbidden, as if I was tasting fruit that didn't belong to me. That made me want her even more, desperate to be inside, fucking her with wild abandon.She responded, raking her nails down my back, arching her back as much as possible in her effort to cling to me. When I finally broke the kiss, I cupped her chin, keeping her in place as I licked her neck, sliding the tip of my tongue down to her cleavage."Oh... August.""Are you hungry for more, my sweet Sasha?""Yes.""Are you willing to give me everything?" My husky voice was that of a true barbarian."God, yes." She sucked in her breath as I growled and pulled her nipple into my mouth, sucking and biting down. Struggling, she managed to ease her hand between us, stretching to reach my cock. She wrapped her fingers around the base, pumping up and down in a seductive manner.The lights dimmed, my eyes becoming hazy as she cre
AugustI left her in the bathroom, dressing quickly and grabbing my phone. Once again, an emptiness filled my heart. Even remorse. There'd been no calls, no emails that would indicate any major disturbances in the middle of the night. The quiet was as disconcerting as the events of the day before.Even the freshly brewed coffee tasted bitter. I poured the cup into the drain, glaring at the morning light."A pensive man."I snickered, watching the reflection in the glass as she walked in. "I have a lot on my mind.""Such as the explosion?""Yes. That and other aspects of business.""That you still won't tell me about."As she moved to find a mug, pouring herself a cup of coffee, I shook my head. "We have legitimate businesses such as the casinos and other real estate development.""You also have others that are directly related to crimes," she said quietly, no condemnation, simply a statement."I'm not going to insult your intelligence. We are into various aspects that are considered c
August"You're many things, Sasha but you'll never be just arm candy. I promise you I will find her. My father..." I hissed, realizing I shouldn't have said anything. I pulled her into an embrace but she pushed me away."Your father what?""He's attempting to locate her. He has significant and very influential friends, much more so than your father and several of them owe him a favor. We should know something soon.""I hope to God you're right or I will get the answer from my father myself. There is nowhere that asshole can hide."The phone interrupted the conversation and instantly my hackles were raised, seeing Lorenzo's number on the screen.She glared down at the phone, snorting. "I'll leave.""Stay." I no longer cared what she knew. "Lorenzo. This had better be good. Please tell me you found the fucker.""No, although my father was very interested. The reason for my call is that you're going to want to catch the morning news. Check NBC." There was a level of fury I rarely heard i
Sasha"You're so disobedient," he breathed as he peppered his hand from one side to the other, the hard slaps pushing me hard against the thick railing.The stinging sensations were intensified from my earlier spanking, the pain rushing down the backs of my legs. I'd accepted my role, my place by his side. He would always be in charge, the head of household, and in truth, the arrangement was perfect.As the spanking continued, my heart racing, I wiggled and moaned, my nipples hardening to the point they ached. I wanted him to twist and pinch, lick and suck."Are you wet for me, my sweet Sasha?""Yes, sir.""I can see how swollen those pretty pink pussy lips are for me."He smacked harder and faster, keeping a perfect rhythm."Yes. Sir." The scent of my cream wafted all around me, my hunger building.A slight chuckle slipped from his lips as his hand came down hard and fast. I imagined the warm blush, turning quickly into a deep scarlet as the spanking proceeded.I closed my eyes as he
SashaLove. L.O.V.E. The concept was honestly ridiculous.And beautiful.And breathtaking.And exhilarating.And maddening.But I was in love with a man I should run far away from. I knew that the odds were against us, danger lurking at every turn, but honestly? I didn't care any longer.In the three weeks since everything had occurred, my life had changed. At least the fifteen minutes of fame for the defamed daughter of a promising presidential candidate was just about over, the newscasters moving onto other scathing stories. And here I sat in a convertible sports car on St. Thomas Island, my hair flowing in the breeze, the day more gorgeous than any I'd seen in months.And I sat beside August."Where are we going? Some beautiful resort?"He grinned, shifting his gaze in my direction. "You're going to have to learn patience, my dear. We'll work on that on this trip. As a matter of fact, we'll take care of that right away."I wiggled in my seat, knowing exactly what that meant. More d
AugustFive Days LaterThe bright sun cast a shimmer down the length of her body as she stood at the window, her lovely copper hair smooth as silk. She seemed pensive, her eyes never blinking as she stared out at the parking lot. I stood in the doorway, watching her.Bathing in her beauty.I heard Bruno behind me, the larger than life man refusing to stay in the hospital for more than two days. He'd been my constant companion, rarely leaving my side. The days had been nothing but a blur of activity, including shoring the ranks within the family, but thankfully, today I was taking her home."I'll be waiting downstairs, boss." Bruno kept his voice hushed, his eyes twinkling from the sight of her.I nodded, waiting until he walked away before taking cautious steps inside. She and I had talked for hours after she'd garnered her strength. Although I hadn't confided about the information in the box, only telling her that her mother was safe and in good hands, she needed to know. After she'd
AugustThe drive was without incident, although I had no doubt that Drummand had summoned various police officers and that they were preparing for a raid. The ammunition I had should be enough to cease the brazen activity. I laughed at the concept. If what I suspected was about to happen did occur, there would be ripples from here to Chicago, a shift in the operation of both the Feds and the two local police departments.There were numerous cars located in my father's driveway, several of which I didn't recognize. I didn't bother to wait for the housekeeper, letting myself inside and immediately heading to my father's office. The door was closed, and I could hear loud voices, angry tones. Within seconds, I was able to recognize the second voice.Carmine Francesco.My father had called him. To have a meeting here and now meant a culmination of betrayals on several levels. I threw open the door, the box under my arm."You have to stop this madness, Gio," Carmine exclaimed. "You have no
AugustAt ten minutes past high noon, I found the fucker, a man I thought I could trust coming out of the district attorney's office by the back door. My hunch had played out. I sat in the shadows, watching as Jo-Jo hunkered down, yanking the collar of his coat up over his neck. He walked toward his truck, the massive F-350 one he insisted on driving. The front-end damage was actually minimal in comparison to the destruction on the SUV. He obviously didn't give a shit that anyone would ask questions. I'd driven by the impound lot, able to see the twisted wreckage that had once been a fully protected vehicle.And my anger continued to increase.I twisted one hand around the steering wheel, the other around my phone, calling Angelo. "I've found him.""Where?""At a location where he shouldn't have been. Meet me at the warehouse with a full crew in one hour. We'll take care of this.""That shithead. What the hell?""Absolution." Jo-Jo had no family, nothing to keep him loyal for any leng
AugustI resisted slamming the cup on the nightstand and jerked to a full standing position just as two nurses bolted into the room."You shouldn't be here!" one of the nurses barked."Don't worry. I'm leaving." I took one last look at him, the gentle giant who'd protected me for so many years. The man would receive his dues soon enough.I moved down the hallway, finding the nurse's station. "Sasha Morales."The nurse glared at me in obvious recognition, taking a full minute before she reacted. The same wretched fear crossed her face as she typed on the keyboard. Everyone was terrified of my wrath. "She's just out of surgery and in recovery.""Her prognosis?"The nurse gave me a comforting smile. "She should be fine. The doctors were able to stop the bleeding, but she had her spleen removed. She did well in surgery.""Where the hell is recovery?" Relief flooded me, but the adrenaline remained high."Are you family?""Her fiancé."The news seemed shocking, her face sagging. "You can se
August"You shouldn't be here, August," Angelo said under his breath as he walked with me down the hospital corridor."Like hell I shouldn't." I stormed down the hall, pushing past anyone who attempted to get in my way."You know it's only a matter of time before they're going to try and arrest you again."I laughed, touching my gun for effect. "As if I give a shit." I noticed a nurse and nearly accosted her as I grabbed her arm. "Sasha Morales. What is going on? Where is she?"The woman sputtered then shook her head. "In surgery from internal injuries, but she's alive. That's all I know.""Where?" I barked."You can't see her, sir. You're going to have to wait." She managed to jerk out of my hold, racing down the hallway."Calm down, August. Bruno is in his room. Talk to him."I ran my fingers through my hair, calming my breathing. "What do we have on the accident?""Nothing right now. The SUV was broadsided somewhere just after nine. There are no cameras at the intersection and nobo
AugustThis had nothing to do with any interrogation. I nodded, scanning the parking lot and surrounding area before climbing inside. By the time he started the engine, his hand was shaking.He roared out of the parking lot, checking the rearview mirror three times before speaking. "I want you to know that I'm putting my job, hell, my career on the line for you and your family." Dick laughed bitterly. "Stupid. I have no idea why I'm doing this.""That begs the question. Why the fuck are you doing this?""Your arrest was a setup.""Tell me something I don't know."He looked as uncomfortable as hell, now sweating profusely. "You have no idea the kinds of connections that Senator Morales has as well as the chief of police and the district attorney. They are hell bent on destroying your operation. And I think there's more upper echelon politicians, law enforcement, and God knows who else in on this. This is fucking huge and terrifying."Wait a minute. What in the hell was he suggesting? "
SashaThe parking lot in front of the UPS store was almost desolate. While the location had a neon sign indicating it was still open, there was no one standing behind the counter. Number 518 was found easily, the group of boxes nestled all the way in the back of the store. When the clerk finally realized there were customers, Bruno had already cut the lock. I chatted with her briefly, finding out the box had been rented for five years, all paid in advance.My hands were shaking as I attempted to open the door, uncertain of what I would find. The shoebox fit almost exactly with no room to spare, the lid taped as if that would matter to prying eyes. I didn't waste time searching the contents. Maybe I really didn't want to know after all.I was so very cold as I secured the seatbelt, my arms and legs shaking. Just holding the thin cardboard in my hands made me feel closer to my mother, but also bitter and angry. Canada. I would hold August and his father to the promise of bringing her ho