Deep Pockets (Kings and Rivals #1)

1

The right thing to do would be to walk away. To pretend like I didn’t feel the way his eyes burned into me, like I wasn’t aware of the electricity snapping in the air between us. But I was long past doing the right thing.

“You’re a liar,” he whispered, his breath warm against my skin, sending a shiver down my spine. “Want me to prove it?”

I should’ve pushed him away. Should’ve scoffed and rolled my eyes like I always did. Instead, I stood frozen, my heartbeat hammering in my chest, my body betraying me.

I hated him. I had to. I had spent years perfecting that scowl, building walls around my heart every time he looked at me with those piercing eyes, every time his smug smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

No, you don’t.

Lance was a complication I didn’t need, a risk I couldn’t afford. My sister was his best friend. His boss was my brother-in-law. It was a tangled mess, and I knew getting involved with him would be like lighting a match in a room full of gasoline.

Yet here we were, inches apart, his fingers grazing my skin as he tucked one of my braids behind my ear. It was such a simple touch, but it sent heat rolling through me. My lips parted in surprise, but I didn’t move away.

He tilted toward me slowly, hesitating just enough to give me an out. But I didn’t take it.

Because I wanted this.

The truth settled over me like a thick fog. I could lie to everyone else. I could even try to lie to myself. But I couldn’t lie to him. And worse, he knew it.

His lips brushed mine, so softly at first it could have been an accident. A cruel tease. My body ached for more. Then, as if something in him snapped, he muttered, “Screw this,” and captured my lips with his.

A sharp gasp left me, but then I melted, gripping the lapels of his tuxedo and pulling him closer. The kiss was desperate, reckless, all-consuming. I could taste the gin on his tongue, the hunger in the way he devoured me. It was everything I had fought against for so long, and now that I had it, I never wanted it to end.

His hands skimmed down my waist, pulling me against him, no space left between us. My fingers threaded through his hair, and he groaned against my lips, the sound vibrating through my chest. The sheer intensity of it made my knees weak, and if he hadn’t been holding me, I might have collapsed.

I should’ve stopped this. Should’ve pushed him away, reminded him of all the reasons why this was a bad idea. But all rational thought was drowned out by the rapid pounding of my heart, the fire searing through my veins.

His forehead rested against mine as we caught our breath, our bodies still entwined. My mind spun, struggling to make sense of what had just happened.

“We shouldn’t…” I started, but he silenced me with another kiss, softer this time.

My heart pounded like a wild beast. I knew this was reckless, but the rush of blood drowned out everything rational.

“I’m not…” I started again, but he cut me off.

“Shh.” His voice was husky as he cupped my face gently, brushing his thumb across my cheek. “I know.”

I needed to walk away, needed to stop the madness. And I almost made it. I almost locked my brain down into solid we’re-not-doing-this territory. I gave the command to pull back.

But then I mewled and pressed my hips against him, seeking more contact, making his body go rigid against mine.

“Damn it,” he groaned against my lips. His hands slipped down to my waist, pulling me so close my body molded against his with no room left for secrets. Desire flared, the heat radiating off him like a beacon in the dark that I found impossible to steer away from.

I knew what we were risking, knew the consequences. But somehow, in that moment, none of it mattered. There was only Lance, with his stormy eyes that had always held my gaze captive. Lance, whose lips I’d fantasized about tasting and now couldn’t get enough of.

He dragged his lips from mine. He was the one lying. He wasn’t walking away. “Tell me to stop, Morgan.”

My eyes held his, my breath hitching as I sucked in a deep gulp of air. I started to shake my head, and I could see the internal struggle raging within me. “I... I can’t…”

My hands snaked up around his neck, tangling themselves in his hair as I returned the kiss with an urgency that matched his own. The world around us ceased to exist at that moment, replaced by the intoxicating heat of our bodies pressed together.

This was a mistake. A big one. But if I was going to hell, I was taking him with me. Easing back, he took my hand. “Last chance. Am I taking you back to the ballroom? If not, I’m going to take you out of here and fuck you.”

I met his gaze levelly and whispered, “Let’s go.”

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Find out how hard Lance has to grovel——> READ HIGH STAKES NOW!

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A marriage of convenience is the only way to get her back...and to keep her safe.

The beautiful Morgan doesn't need to know how dangerous the NYC waters have become. She doesn't need to know that old family debts have come to be settled.

She doesn't need to know the way I've longed for her. We can keep things cordial...at least until night falls.

The more time we spend together, the more I come to crave her. Another one of her laughs. A smile. And god, a kiss. I've become addicted to my own wife.

I lost her once. I won't lose her again.

She hates me for the secrets I've kept. But beneath that hatred burns a passion neither of us can deny. In my arms, she remembers what we once had. In my bed, she forgets why she ever left.

As threats close in from all sides, I'll risk everything to protect what's mine. Because some bonds can never be broken, some hearts can never truly be separated, and some loves are simply... inevitable.

High Stakes is a super steamy marriage-of-convenience romance where past wounds collide with present dangers, forcing two stubborn hearts to face the truth: sometimes what you fight the hardest is exactly what you need the most.