Chapter 17
Ididn’t think there had ever been a time when I was as content as I was when Riley said she was mine. The words settled in my chest, weaving through my heart and clinging tight to it. Everything I’d initially wanted with her had fallen to the wayside like leaves blowing on a windy day. Even the way I’d imagined taking her was a lost thought because I wanted to be something different with her. She made me want to be different, to be the soft lover and leave the dominating prick I was every day aside.
I rose before dawn, running home to change and check on a few things. I’d promised her the day, which meant no work. And I never went a day without work. There was always something I needed to deal with. After showering, I called Den to find out the status of Clint Randall. There was still nothing. It gave me hope that the scumbag had gone back to his family with his tail between his legs, but that wasn’t the way with the Bad Omens. They were relentless unless presented with an obstacle they couldn’t surmount…like me.
After their run-in with me decades before, they kept to their province. I wouldn’t have cared if they brought down Mason, but then I’d have them in my province, and I wanted them nowhere near anything of mine. So my threat had included the entire province, including Mason’s territory—a threat they’d now challenged. I had every right to retaliate, but I needed my men here. Randall wouldn’t quit because if he returned without his prize, his family would kill him. Mason was his job, and he would complete it. That meant he would come after anyone Mason loved.
“Hey,” Riley said, drawing me back to the present.
I’d promised her I’d spend the day with her and had taken her to the seaside town of Cantwell, a quiet place with shops and history. Lights and garland decorated the streets and houses. This was the weekend of their Christmas market, which ran the length of the main street.
I took her hand in mine and pulled her to me, hating how much I loved the feel of her in my arms. Her green eyes were light as they searched mine.
“Where did you go?” she asked.
There was a comfort with her, as if she’d always been a part of my life. Always been mine.
“Just wondering what to get you for Christmas,” I lied. “It’s only two weeks away.”
“More gifts, Greyson?”
Raising a brow, I said, “You don’t like my gifts?”
She wrapped her arms around me. Her pink hat brought out the blush on her cheeks, giving her an innocent look. I brushed my knuckles over her cheek, feeling the warmth of it even in the cold. A snowflake dropped on her nose, and she smiled. My heart leaped in reaction, and I fought the need to pull from her, to push her away, because I knew what that meant. Knew I’d fallen too hard in the few weeks Riley had been in my life, even before I’d taken her the prior night. I wasn’t sure how she had woven her way into my icy heart, but she had.
“I love your gifts,” she replied softly. “But I already have everything I want.”
“And what was it you wanted?”
“You.”
That leap in my heart became a pounding I couldn’t ignore, and I pulled her closer, kissing her and tasting her berry lip gloss. I’d been cold and heartless for too long, keeping everyone out, and Riley Brinks had obliterated that barrier, seeping into my heart and claiming it. The idea left me uncertain because this wasn’t my life—walking the streets while holding hands and ignoring the threat that existed outside of my peaceful moment. My life was risky; it was violent and deadly. There were reasons I didn’t let people in, and Mason Brinks was learning the hard way why loving someone was a liability.
“Grey?” Riley said, her voice layered with vulnerability.
“You know, no one calls me Grey,” I scolded. She looked unsure, her demeanor changing, and I didn’t like that I’d turned the moment like that. “But I like how you say it.”
“So it’s mine?”
“All yours. But I’m still getting you something better for Christmas. I’m not sure I count.”
“You do,” she whispered before pulling my lips to hers again.
We spent the day in Cantwell, and as night fell, I watched her reaction, loving how her eyes lit with excitement as the town became a winter wonderland. The snow had continued in light flurries, and they shimmered in the lights as they fell.
My phone rang, ruining the moment. We were in line for hot chocolate, so I excused myself, walking just far enough for privacy but close enough to keep her in sight. From my periphery, I spotted Tinge alongside another of my men, both on edge with my move. Riley hadn’t questioned their presence, and I supposed having Mason as a brother normalized the constant need for security.
“Speak,” I said to Alec.
“We found no trace of Randall in Bridgeville, but we found something.”
My hand tightened on the phone. “Go on.”
“He was in Creekwood.”
My chest cinched, and I swept my eyes around Riley, suddenly on guard again.
“When?”
“That’s the interesting part. Remember the day Riley was there?”
Fuck. My heart was hammering in my chest so hard I was worried Riley might hear it from where she stood.
“Well, he was there that day. There’s footage of him inside the mall, but none outside.”
“How close was he to her?”
“He was two tables away as she ate lunch.”
“Dammit.” I searched the crowd for any sign of him as Riley made her way back to me with her hands encasing her hot chocolate. “Double security in the city. I want eyes on every entrance in and every way out.”
“Boss, Bad Omens are like ghosts. They remain hidden. You know what this means, right?”
“Yeah, he wanted to be seen. It was a message for Mason, one he missed.” Riley was getting too close to talk any further. “Let me know if you find anything else.”
I hung up just as she approached, giving me a smile over the rim of the cup while she blew on the liquid to cool it down.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, just a pest in an inconvenient place. I’ll take care of it. We should probably head back.”
Her brow lifted delicately. “Back…and what does that mean?”
Giving her a coy smile, I said, “It means you’ll be sleeping in my bed tonight so I can use that body like I’ve been thinking of doing all day.”
I wasn’t about to let her return to her apartment, nor was I about to let her sleep alone.
“That sounds tempting, but…” There was a distinct seductive quality to her voice that reached in and tugged at my dick.
“But?”
“What if we don’t go back yet?”
“Well then, that would delay my ability to touch you and rip that climax from you.”
She shivered delectably. “Let’s stay here. There’s a bed-and-breakfast down the street?—”
“Done,” I said before she could finish. We were far enough from Bridgeville, and I could protect her if Randall was anywhere close. “Ready to turn in? Because I’m starving, and I know exactly what I want to eat.”
Her blush returned, and I took her hand, leading her to the small bed-and-breakfast. It wasn’t a place I usually would have stayed, but for Riley, I would. The reward of having her naked body against mine the entire night was worth the sacrifice.
I spent the night touching her, exploring every inch of her body as she explored mine and finding that even with as much as she blushed, Riley was far from shy. She was confident and aggressive when she wanted to be. By the time she fell asleep in my arms, she’d left me exhausted. I listened to her soft breaths as I held her and wondered at the effect she had on me. Wondered at the way she was claiming me and deciding that I was hers to claim.
Riley was a late sleeper,which worked out perfectly because I was not. At dawn, I rose and made my way out to the porch, leaving one man stationed outside the room while Tinge followed me.
“What?” Mason answered in a cranky tone.
“Did I wake you, asshole?”
“Tides.” His tone changed instantly.
“Your guy was in Creekwood.”
I could sense the tension in the silence that followed. “When?” he finally asked.
“Recently. We pulled cameras and tracked his movements in the mall. Seems he sat at a table in the food court for a while but didn’t eat. Not sure what he was looking at, but my guy said he was pretty intense.” I knew what he was looking at, but I wasn’t about to let Mason know I had Riley.
“Fuck. Any sign of him after that?”
“No. And we haven’t seen him in the city. We’ll keep searching. The prick won’t make it past me if he dares step foot in Bridgeville.” I didn’t like the fact that he’d been in Creekwood. It fell under my territory, and that meant I had no choice now but to retaliate. My threat against the Bad Omens stood. They’d pay if they dared step foot in any part of my territory.
“What made you look at Creekwood?” he asked. Damn, he was smart, and I hoped that didn’t send him looking for Riley here. He knew better than to cross into my city.
“I had my men start from the center of Bridgeville and work their way out into the smaller towns. I warned those derelicts that they weren’t to take a step in any part of my territory, regardless of how far out it was from Bridgeville.”
“Creekwood edges your territory and mine, Greyson. Don’t get cocky and think it belongs to you.”
I gritted my teeth. “It does,” I said, not bothering to wait for his response and ending the call.
“All good, boss?” Tinge asked.
“It will be in a few minutes,” I said, eliciting a laugh from him.
Rolling the tension from my shoulders, I returned to the room. Riley was still sleeping soundly, but I was restless. My instinct was gnawing at me that I was missing something, that Clint Randall was out there threatening to hurt my girl.
Kicking my shoes off, I crawled back into the bed, kissing her shoulder and neck. She stirred, turning over, her eyes lazily blinking open. A dazzling smile filled her face as she raised her hand and cupped my cheek. I leaned into it, enraptured by how that touch lit my heart.
“Good morning,” she murmured.
“It’s about to be,” I replied, kissing her.
“You’re dressed,” she complained, her hands running down my shirt.
“Is that a problem?”
She tugged at my shirt. “It is because I need you naked.”
Chuckling, I sat back, removing my shirt and perusing her naked body. She eyed my pants, and I couldn’t help laughing again.
“You are a demanding thing, aren’t you?”
“I have certain expectations,” she replied as I rose and slowly removed my pants.
She sat up, scooting to the side of the bed, and watched me.
“Better?” I asked, moving closer to her.
Her hand ran the length of my chest, causing sparks to blaze through me. “Better.”
I wanted her again. I didn’t think there would ever be a time when I wouldn’t crave Riley, especially now that I’d had her. Putting aside the concerns, the worries, and the threat that lingered in the distance, I leaned down and picked her up, pulling her against me and kissing her. Her legs wrapped around me, and my body responded, coming alive with her touch. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I guided her body so that she enveloped me. She was drenched, and my dick twitched at the feel of her around it. I brought my hands down her body to hold her waist as she rose and fell over me. Our kisses never stopped even as my need for release rose, taking over until it was a tsunami threatening to drown me.
Threading my hands through her hair, I wondered at how she brought the gentle side of me out. I’d imagined pulling her hair and forcing her moves, but those thoughts fled as soon as I touched her, maybe even before. Because all I wanted to do to Riley was make love to her. To hear her cries, to feel her come undone in my arms, to bring her pleasure.
As my climax tore through me, she came, her cry intertwining with mine, and I knew then that I never wanted to hear anyone’s cry but hers, never wanted to feel anyone come undone for me but her. I held her against me while the ripples of my release drifted through me. Her body trembled when my hand skimmed up her back to weave through her hair.
When our lips finally parted, she leaned back to study me. The look in her eyes penetrated what remained of my hard shell and crumbled it, my heart becoming hers completely in that moment.
I brushed her hair back, slipping my fingers through the ebony strands. Her green eyes were rich as they searched mine, and I broke, knowing she had claimed me, just as she had on that first day I’d seen her.
“I love you, Riley,” I said, speaking the words I hadn’t said in years. Words that had never had real meaning until now. Words that had always felt empty, but with Riley, they had definition.
Her eyes sparkled, her smile growing.
“Is it possible to love a person you don’t really know?” she asked, and I frowned, not sure how to answer the question because I knew every part of her. But she didn’t know that. It was a secret I’d have to share at some point and hope it didn’t ruin what we had. And she didn’t know me because no one knew me. I never let anyone in. “Because, if so, I love you, too, Mr. Tides.”
My smile was one I couldn’t have stopped if I’d wanted. It lit every part of my body, and I pulled her to me, kissing her deeply. I’d expected to use Riley, to fuck her, to taste her, then break her. But I’d never expected to love her, to crave her like I’d wanted no one before, to have her break me. And that’s precisely what she’d done.
Riley was standingin my bedroom window, looking out at the snow on the ground below. The rumpled sheets on my bed showed the only sign that I’d made love to her the prior night, falling asleep to the soothing sound of her breaths as she slept on my chest. I’d risen early, knowing her sleeping patterns now. It had been three days since the Christmas party, three days and nights of knowing she was wholly mine.
After leaving her to sleep, I hit the gym on the lower level of my house, my hour on the bike fueled by thoughts of Riley. It had been too early to wake her, so I spent the next hour checking in with Alec, then taking care of a few loose ends. When I returned to my room, I took a moment to observe her. She had put on my white button-down shirt, the bottom touching the top of her knees, the sleeves too long to do more than hang loose. She looked sexy and adorable at once.
I liked her there, in my home, in my clothes, in my bed. It was where she belonged and where she would be safest, but I couldn’t tell her that yet. It was too soon. Although with the threat of Clint Randall out there, I’d be broaching the subject soon, no matter how much she complained.
I slid my hands around her waist, loving how she leaned back into my chest.
“Where were you?” she asked, her hand raising to touch my cheek. I turned my head into it and kissed her palm.
“I had a quick workout, then made a few calls.”
She peeked over at me, her green eyes twinkling in the morning light. “So you’re all sweaty?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.
“No more than you had me last night,” I replied.
Nibbling at her neck, I pushed the sleeve of the shirt down, kissing her shoulder and sliding my hand down to caress her breast.
“Have I been a good girl?”
I pushed the shirt further down, pulling her hair to the side and kissing the back of her neck. She shivered, my pulse racing in response.
“Oh, baby girl, you’ve been a very good girl.”
Her sigh reached deep inside of me, my cock bucking at the sound of it. My fingers skirted down her back, tracing her scar. I heard the slight hitch of her breath. She didn’t need to tell me who had given her that scar. I knew a knife wound when I saw one. I’d noticed it and the others—one behind her neck and another low enough to have punctured a lung—when I’d first explored her body, but I hadn’t asked about them. She’d yet to divulge anything about her past or her brother and I’d yet to push because I had my own secrets.
Lingering on the one on her back, I asked, “What are your scars from?” curious to hear her answer.
She went rigid, and I moved my fingers around her, cupping her breast and feeling her relax, her nipple rising to my touch.
“An accident about a year ago,” she mumbled.
“Huh, an accident where you ran into a knife blade?” I pushed.
“Something like that,” she answered, turning to me.
She eyed my gray t-shirt and sweats. “I like this look,” she said, pushing my shirt up and running her hands up my chest.
“It’s hard to work out in a dress shirt,” I muttered, her touch leaving me longing for more.
She pushed further, and I took the hint, looking forward to more of that touch, even if she was using it to divert my attention. I tugged the shirt over my head, her fingers tracing my abs and causing my stomach to knot in anticipation. Weaving my fingers through her hair, I brought my lips to hers, expecting this to escalate. Her fingertips settled over my own scar, and she mumbled, “And where did you get this scar?”
Her green eyes challenged me. She knew that as much as she kept secrets from me, I guarded my own. And I was learning quickly that my girl was a vixen, even if she looked sweet and innocent on the surface.
I drew back, irritated that she’d stopped my pleasure and debating if I should punish her for it. I wasn’t in the mood, and I hadn’t tested how amenable she’d be to letting me completely dominate her. She broke me so easily that I’d been nothing but soft with her, losing all resolve to be anything more because of it.
“An accident about twenty years ago,” I answered, mimicking her answer to me.
She traced the bullet wound that had changed my life. No bullet had touched me since. I’d hired the best sharp shooters money could buy, training until my shot was quick and lethal every time. Ensuring my enemies knew never to fuck with me again. I’d never taken a chance after that, doubling my security and becoming the most calculated, feared boss in all the territories. And no one had dared go against me again.
I stopped her hand, her emerald eyes glancing back up at me.
“We both have our secrets, don’t we, baby girl?”
Her mouth parted, and I brushed my thumb over her bottom lip.
“Yes,” she breathed, her tongue sweeping around my thumb. She was diverting my attention again, and I intended to let her because that move had me so hard, my pants were tenting. I’d yet to experience her mouth around me, but I was a patient man, and I knew when she finally dropped to her knees like I’d imagined before my game had morphed to forever, that she’d be worth the wait.
She dropped my shirt from her shoulders, her eyes mischievous, and my dick jumped like it did anytime I even thought of that body.
“Are you trying to distract me, Riley?”
“I’m not trying,” she replied, her lip curving deliciously.
I wrapped my hand around her neck, pulling her against me with more force than usual, and her eyes lit. I knew the day would come when I’d test that reaction, see if she welcomed my aggression like I thought she would, but for now I let it simmer, releasing her neck and finding her lips. Her kiss set my soul on fire, my desire for her flaring.
I skimmed her curves and grabbed her ass, lifting her. She didn’t hesitate to wrap her legs around me as I walked her to the wall, her kisses becoming increasingly more feral with each step. Shoving her back to the wall, I tugged my cock free and rested it in her folds, the warmth almost too inviting to ignore.
She whined, shimmying her body to envelop me, but I stopped her, sliding through her as she grew more soaked. Frustrated, she pushed against my chest, complaining. With a tsk, I pinned her hands above her head.
“Don’t make me tie you up again,” I warned, her eyes shimmering with excitement.
“But I want you inside of me.”
I grinned, loving how desperate she sounded. “And I want you so close to coming that you’re clenching around me when I’m fucking you. Now settle down before I spank you.”
The inhale she took was beautiful, her arousal soaking me more. I was looking forward to discovering all the ways my girl liked to play. I returned to sliding through her wetness, dropping my mouth to her breast and sucking on her nipple. Riley’s breasts were small but firm and perfect for sucking. They’d quickly become one of my favorite parts of her body, and I loved how she responded when I touched them. Soon she was trembling so hard I could tell she was close.
Keeping her arms pinned above her head, I drove into her just as she fell apart, her body clamping so tight around me it almost took me over the edge with her. I thrust through it, relishing her cries as my mouth fought to smother them. Her legs were tight around my waist, her heels pressing me deeper. I had her arms still locked above her head, my body slamming her into the wall with each thrust. My desire for release was climbing and I could feel another climax building in her.
“That’s it, be a good girl and come for me again,” I demanded, my mouth against her ear.
My words pushed her over the edge, her body convulsing, her muscles bearing down around me so that I lost control, filling her as my orgasm surged through me with a force that left my knees shaking.
When I could finally function again, I released her wrists from my grasp, and slid from her warmth. She drew my head down, kissing me sensually and stirring my craving for her again.
“You better stop that, or we won’t leave this room all day,” I warned.
Her lips pouted, and I nibbled on the bottom one before I stepped from her.
“I need to work, and you need to be here naked and waiting for me when I return.”
Her expression shifted, her eyes narrowing, and a distinctive hiss escaped through her teeth.
“You don’t like that idea?” I asked, fixing my pants and picking my shirt up.
“I need to work, too. And I’m not some trophy piece you can keep in your bed to fuck at your convenience.”
She snatched the button-down she’d been wearing from the floor, oblivious to the ire that was building in me.
“You no longer have a job,” I said, my teeth grinding. She whipped her head toward me. “You can’t fuck the owner of the company all weekend and expect to show up at the office the next Monday.” My words were harsh, but her insinuation that I wanted her for convenience had soured my mood.
Her face fell. “That’s right,” she mumbled. “But I need to work, Greyson. I can’t just sit around all day.”
“Waiting to fuck me at my convenience?” I groused.
Her eyes snapped up, realization setting in them. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”
“No? And how did you mean it? Is that what you think, even after Cantwell?”
I hated how vulnerable I sounded, how her words had wounded me. She walked over to me, her fingers caressing my cheek.
“No, it’s not,” she said, a deep sigh slipping from her. “I know that’s not what you want. That you love me, even if you fell in love with me in a creepy way,” she added, her tone playful.
I scowled, not ready to reciprocate.
“I love you, Grey. But I can’t sit around playing house while you work. It’s not in my nature. I need to keep busy. I need to work and I promise I’ll still be in your bed or my bed, naked and ready for you to take me.”
I yanked her to me, taking the shirt from her hand.
“I’ll find you something, but you can’t work in my firm.”
“And you’ll let me go back to my apartment?”
My jaw clenched. I didn’t want her out of my sight, but I still had the cameras set up so I could monitor her, and I could have her guarded when I couldn’t be with her.
“Yes, but with security.”
“Security? Is that necessary? It’s bad enough they follow us everywhere. Why do they do that, anyway?” Her brow had furrowed, suspicion sitting within her eyes.
“I’m worth a lot of money, Riley. I need security and now that you’re part of my life, you do, too.”
I wasn’t certain she bought the excuse, but she didn’t question it.
“Fine,” she muttered, trying to move from my hold.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I asked.
“You need to get ready for work and I need to find a job.”
“I’ll find you a job.” I noticed how the crease between her brows deepened. “But I need a shower first.”
She struggled to free herself from my arms, but I held her tight.
“Go shower then,” she complained. “And let me go.”
“I want you in that shower, Riley. That water needs to be warm and soaking your naked body before I walk in.”
She shivered, relaxing into my hold.
“Then you’ll turn that ass around, like a good girl, so I can punish you for that earlier comment.”
Her brow raised as her lips pursed.
“I think a few good slaps to that ass should suffice before I fuck you again.”
Her eyes had grown so large, the emerald was breathtaking. I released her and turned her toward the bathroom, giving her a loud smack on her ass. Her squeal was like her hand on my cock, and it leaped to life again. “Start moving, baby girl, before I add to my count.”
She peered over her shoulder at me, her hand rubbing her ass cheek. The look she gave me had my stomach flipping, and I returned it with a devious grin to match the hunger in those eyes.
I made good on my promise, delivering enough light slaps to leave her completely soaked and me so hard it ached before I yanked her hips back and took her there, the water pouring over us and muting our satisfied groans.