17. Lissie
Chapter 17
Lissie
“I want my book back.”
T he next day, Letti is washing dishes as I enter the kitchen. I’m not sure how to ask her for anything when she has already given me so much.
“I-I need a lift,” I say with a slight stutter.
She raises a brow, and her hand pauses at the sink as she leans on it. “To where?” she asks with a smile on her face.
“The clubhouse.” Her eyes light with mischief, a playful glint in her eyes.
“I need to head there too. Is there a reason you want to go? Dare I say it’s because of Milo?” She wiggles her brows, and I mockingly laugh, but it comes out more like a nervous chuckle.
“He took my book and I want it back,” I say, shaking off whatever she’s insinuating.
“And does he do that often?” She looks at me, puzzled.
“No, he just…” What am I going to say? He wanted to service me? No. “I just need it. I’m bored, and that book was providing entertainment.”
“Okay.” She shrugs and steps past me, grabbing her keys.
I slip on my sandals and follow her out. “Do you enjoy working there?” I ask.
“Yes, though it’s changed. It’s cleaner now that Milo runs the place.” That makes me think of his room and the pristine white bed sheets. It was so odd, but I didn’t really put much thought into it.
Until now.
Now, Milo is a source of unwanted turmoil in my head. He is in there like glue that is impossible to remove.
I want to remove him.
Why? Because I’m married.
It may be a loveless marriage, and it may have been over a long time ago, but I’m still married. And even though I’ve left Cody, until it’s official, I won’t cheat on him. I won’t stoop to his level.
“Cody is back,” she mentions, and my body locks up in shock. “Morris told me. Just wanted you to know.” I’m not sure what to say to that. I haven’t seen or heard from him since I escaped, and I’m thankful for that. He is the last person I want to see, and soon, I’ll have to talk to someone about getting a divorce. But I really need a job first. I need income to even begin to pay for a lawyer.
“I want you to know how thankful I am for you,” I tell her. “I promise I will pay you back… for everything.”
“It’s no issue, really. I enjoy having company. Plus, I was going to throw all those clothes out anyway.”
“You bought me new underwear,” I remind her.
“Yeah, I guess you can pay me back for those if it makes you happy.” She laughs, parking her car in front of the clubhouse and getting out. I climb out, too, and we walk next to each other as we head around the back. It’s late, and there’s a fire lit in the firepit where almost everyone is gathered.
“Lissie, that you?” I turn to see Mason holding two drinks in his hands as he walks out of the enclosed area where the bar is located. In two large steps, he has his arms around my shoulders, hugging me. “It’s good to see you.” He pulls away and nods to where everyone is sitting. “Come say hello.”
I notice his vest no longer says “Prospect” on it. He’s obviously moved up in the club. I spot Milo straight away. He has a woman next to him, but he pays her no attention as he sits there listening to something Aiden is saying. Milo’s gaze, however, is trained on me. There are a few people I don’t recognize, but most of them I do. It feels awkward, as I know this place is invite-only. And usually, when I’m here, I read to Milo and then leave, so there’s no other socialization.
“Prez, you see Lissie is back.” Mason passes Milo a drink and sits down beside him.
Milo says nothing, and everything goes quiet, but once he realizes how awkward it is, he starts talking. “Why are you here?” His voice, the only sound besides the fire crackling.
“I want my book back,” I reply, straightening my shoulders to try to stand tall. I feel the eyes of his men on me.
“Why?” he asks.
“So I can read it, obviously.”
He shakes his head. “That’s not the real reason. Now, why do you want it back?” I grind my teeth at his stubbornness. I know what he wants to hear. “Use your words, Elizabeth. Why do you want it back?”
“Because I want to pleasure myself with all the smutty scenes I read.” I place my hand on my hip, and his smirk only grows as someone whistles. He taps the small space next to him as Mason moves over. I try not to think of the flush of blood that rushes to my cheeks, knowing everyone just heard me say that.
“Sit.”
Stepping through the middle of the circle, I stop when I’m standing in front of him. “Give me my book back,” I demand, holding my hand out.
“Sit,” he repeats, and my annoyance flares.
“Book. Now.” He looks away, ignoring me.
Huffing, I turn around and walk to his bike. I know he’s watching me from his spot by the fire. I lift my leg, ignoring the twinge it delivers, and kick his bike. It falls over onto its side.
People stand, gasping.
Letti calls my name.
And I think for a good second that it was a very stupid thing to do.
But I told myself I would never let a man hold me hostage or treat me that way again. Maybe I should have thought about my actions for a little longer, though, especially about where we are and who I just mightily pissed off.
Holding my ground and not backing down, I flip him the finger as I turn and stomp out to the driveway with every intention to walk my ass home or at least get far enough away so he doesn’t kill me in his backyard. When I reach the entrance to the property, it’s dark, and I hug my arms around my body as I turn left on the road. I make sure to stay on the side of the road as I hear footsteps running up behind me. I turn as they reach me, ready to kick whoever it is when I’m lifted into the air.
I know that smell.
It haunts me.
In more ways than one.
“I should spank your fucking ass for touching my damn bike, let alone pushing it over.” Milo walks with me, thrown over his shoulder.
“You shouldn’t steal other people’s property and then refuse to give it back,” I shout, hitting his back, but he’s not even flinching. “Put me down.”
Milo carries me back to the clubhouse. He stalks past everyone, and I hear my name uttered a few times before he kicks open a door and drops me on a bed. It’s bigger than the last bed, but it has white sheets like the other one. I run my hands over the sheets as my gaze tracks him in the dark. He flicks on the light, locks the door, picks up a chair, and places it in front of the door before he pulls my book out from his vest and sits facing me.
“I want my book,” I insist, holding out my hand.
There’s no point in trying to leave—he has the door locked, and his body is parked in front of it. He doesn’t say anything as he looks down and opens to the page he has marked with a piece of paper.
“Those hands, hands that will haunt me for days and days to come, roughly stroke every inch of my body.”
“Give me my book,” I mutter.
He ignores me.
“I’d always imagined what those hands would feel like, taste like, even as he would slide one finger into me before he would utter sweet, dirty words to me. I breathe heavier as they move lower and lower.” I realize he’s read the book and gone to a different part from where I left off.
I’ve read this part already, but having him read it? Fuck .
“I’m already wet.” He pauses and meets my eyes. “Are you wet, Elizabeth?”
My jaw grinds front to back as I stare at him with heated, angry eyes. “No.” The lie slips easily off my tongue. I think he can taste it in the air because he clucks his tongue before he goes back to reading.
“He does that to me easily…” He pauses as someone knocks, thank God because he moves his chair and opens the door. I stand from the bed and move up behind him, trying to snatch the book back, but I’m stopped by the voice on the other side of the door.
“I didn’t realize you had company,” one of his men says.
Ignoring him, I turn to Milo, who’s still blocking my path to leave.
I try to leave, but he catches me. Milo swears under his breath and shuts the door in whoever’s face, then pushes the chair back before he resumes his seat and locks his gaze on me. “Sit. We aren’t done.”
I try to snatch the book back and scream, “We are done! I want to leave, go and fuck some whore to get this shit out of your system.”
He chuckles at my outburst, shaking his head.
I turn and see a side table. Stomping over to it, I go to kick it over, but before I can, he grabs me by my hips and pulls me backward, my back slamming into his front.
“Don’t kick my shit! And I don’t want to fuck some whore. Not the way I would fuck you that is,” he says, his breath on my neck. He turns me around, so I have to meet his glare.
“Stop pissing me off. And give me my book back. Don’t you get it? It’s mine. You men can’t have fucking everything that… is… mine !” I scream. As soon as the last word is out, his lips slam down on mine. At first, I don’t move because I’m shocked by what’s happening, that is, until his hands start to roam up my sides, then slide back down and grab my ass. I open my mouth to say something, and that’s the only invitation he needs to pull our bodies closer together. I feel him all over me, and my body responds in a manner I don’t want it to.
It wants him.
Badly.
I hate my body for betraying me.
I shouldn’t want him—not Milo. He is everything I shouldn’t want.
A loud bang comes on the door, and I pull away to see him smirking.
“You taste good, Elizabeth.” He swipes his thumb over his bottom lip, and I try to restrain myself from leaning forward and kissing him again.
Because I want to.
I enjoyed that kiss more than I should have.
Why did it taste and feel so good?
But then the anger and frustration take over again. “How dare you,” I seethe, shaking my head. Stepping past him, I pull open his door to find Letti standing there.
“Take me home, please .” She looks over my shoulder at Milo. “ He doesn’t get a say.”
I hear a low chuckle from behind me as Letti nods her head and waves for me to follow her. Everyone watches as I walk out. I glance their way once and don’t look back until we reach her car.
“Are you okay?” Letti asks.
I open the car door and check back to find him standing there under the moonlight.
He’s so beautiful.
Deadly but beautiful.
After a moment, I turn back and scramble into the car, but I don’t look back again.
I’m a bad, bad person.
And Milo Savage is a good, good kisser.
Better than my husband.
But let’s face it… that would not be hard.