He didn’t hesitate. “Of course. I’d keep you alive, but I don’t like the idea of sharing you with that chef you married. Besides, my wife hates my . . . little toys.”His wife? She flinched. What he planned was bad enough, but to desecrate his wedding vows, too? Then again, it didn’t sound like the first time he’d strayed.Joshua’s eyes flared with the promise of pain as he stalked toward her with a twisted smile. She backed away. “Leave me alone.”“I can’t do that. After you left, I was a laughingstock among my friends. They ribbed me that you’d hated fucking me so much that you left home.”I did! But she knew confirming that would be unwise.“I began to wonder if my friends were right. It might have been a bit painful at first, you being a virgin, but I was sure I fucked you good.”He’d thought terror and anal bleeding were good? “That’s all in the past. There’s nothing between us now, Joshua.”“I’m the one who decides that. When you left, you took that control from me. Then you sha
Sadie glanced at her watch. “Why don’t you get your purse together? I’ll meet you in the car. I’m parked out front.” Alyssa tried to stifle her disappointment at Luc’s no-show long enough to smile for her friend. “Sure. Thanks.” As soon as she heard the click of the door behind Sadie, Alyssa felt pesky tears sting her eyes. Damn it, she had a doctor to see, a baby to confer about. If Luc had suddenly embraced the annulment . . . well, maybe it was for the best. At least she tried to tell herself that. The last week without him, she’d come to realize that she would never be completely happy or completely whole without him. But she also knew that she couldn’t be married to a man she loved this fervently who remained only to be with the child he’d always dreamed of having. Without Luc’s love, sharing a home, a bed, and a last name would be hollow. Eventually, it would tear them apart. If he didn’t truly love her for her, better that she know now—not when the child was cranky for a nigh
He hesitated; then disappointment crashed over his face. He clenched his jaw and finally nodded. “Do you have any objections?” “Have you read the annulment papers?” “Yes.” His tone gave her more hope. “You spit that out like a bad word.” Luc anchored a hand around her waist, then brought her closer to him. Their bodies nearly touched . . . but not quite. Then he lay his forehead on hers, his breath tightly controlled. “It is. Ending our marriage is the last thing I want.” He took a deep breath and stepped back. “But I’ll respect your decision, whatever it is.” He left everything to her, put the power in her hands. If he cared only about himself and his chance to become a parent, he’d never do that. Ever. He’d push and coerce, threaten, cajole . . . anything but let her make the ultimate decision. “I love you,” she whispered. The next split second of silence terrified her, especially as both hope and disappointment mingled on his face. What was he thinking? “I love you, too. So
He was going to burn in hell and he didn’t give a damn. The moment she walked into the ballroom of the Hotel where HCM Global Resorts and Hotels was holding its grand opening, he hadn’t taken his eyes from her.She was forbidden fruit. His best friend’s little sister. Only she wasn’t so little anymore, and he had definitely taken notice. She’d become some kind of twisted preoccupation for him. He’d fought it but found himself unable to resist her powerful lure.He wasn’t fighting it any longer.The fact that she was here, tonight, and Jace was nowhere around, only confirmed to Gabe that the time was right and it was time to make his move.He sipped at the glass of wine he held and listened politely to the group he was conversing with. Or rather that he was mingling with since he rarely engaged in anything more than polite pleasantries as he made his rounds through the crowd.He hadn’t known she was going to be here. Jace hadn’t said a word. Had Jace even known? Gabe thought it was lik
And that hesitation likely had a lot to do with her deluded fantasies regarding the man hauling her away by the arm. She had to get over this fixation with him and move on. She couldn’t spend her whole life with the ridiculous notion that he was going to one day notice her and decide he had to have her.She greedily drank in the sight of him, like an addict getting their next high—like she’d gone far too long without that fix. He was a man whose presence filled any room he occupied. He wore his black hair cut short, styled with minimal product. Just enough to give it an expensive, sophisticated look.He had the look of the sinful bad boy all the women went wild for. He had a total “don’t give a fuck” attitude, and what Gabe wanted, Gabe always got. His confidence and arrogance were two things that drew her to him—had always drawn her to him. She was helpless to fight her attraction to him. God knew she’d tried for years, but her obsession showed no signs of waning.“Mia,” he said in a
There was nothing like being made a complete fool of by a woman he’d trusted implicitly to ensure he didn’t travel that path again.It wasn’t as if he’d sworn off women—he liked them too much. Loved the feel of a submissive woman under his hands and tutelage. But his approach had changed. The way he dealt with them had changed. He hadn’t had a choice.But Mia…He couldn’t pretend she wasn’t different from any other woman he’d had. She was. She wasn’t just another female face that he might view with affection, but keep his distance from any messy entanglements. The women he chose to be with knew the score. They knew what was expected of them and what they could expect in return.Mia was Jace’s baby sister. Beyond that, she’d been a girl he’d watched grow up. Hell, he’d attended her high school graduation. He’d scowled at her prom date when the little prick had come to pick her up. He’d enjoyed watching the jerk’s balls shrivel up when he, Jace and Ash had told him in no uncertain terms
“Have I ever failed?” Ash asked mockingly.Gabe waved his hand, making a dismissive motion. No, Ash hadn’t ever failed. Gabe had no worries on that issue. The three of them made a solid team. Their strengths and weaknesses complemented one another very well.HCM wasn’t just a business. It was a corporation forged in friendship and fierce loyalty. The very things Gabe was about to test, all because he was obsessed with Jace’s little sister. Jesus, but if that wasn’t fucked up.Thankfully, Jace rose, his hand sliding from the woman’s leg. He reached to pull her up from Ash’s lap, and she settled comfortably between him and Ash as they moved toward Gabe’s office door.Jace paused and then turned, a frown on his face. “I’ll try to call Mia on my way out but can you check with her while I’m gone? Make sure everything’s okay and she doesn’t need anything? I hate that I missed her last night.”Gabe gave a short nod, controlling his features carefully. “I’ll take care of it.”“Thanks, man. We
“So you want me to work for you and you want…me. Physically, I mean.”“Oh yes,” he murmured. “Definitely.”“And this relationship you propose. What exactly do you mean by nontraditional?”He hesitated for the briefest moment. “I’ll own you,” he said bluntly. “Body, soul. You’ll belong to me.”Whoa. That sounded so…heavy. She couldn’t even wrap her brain around it. Her mouth went dry and she tried to lick her lips but stopped when she remembered his reaction when she’d done it moments earlier.“I’ll guide you through this,” he said in a more gentle tone. “I’m not going to throw you to the wolves. I’ll be patient as you learn your way through the kind of relationship I expect.”“I don’t even know what to say right now,” she blurted out.His hand slid over her jaw and to her cheek. They were on eye level, their mouths just a few breaths apart.“I think this is where you tell me where I stand with you,” Gabe prompted. “Do you want me as badly as I want you?”Oh God, was this really happen