Twenty-Eight
Ransom
She was back in her bed, and I could relax.
She’d been cute today, arguing with the train conductor about her digital ticket, saying her seat was in the premium cabin. The man was so confused. I would guess that was the first time he’d had someone argue about being moved from coach to first class.
I’d considered getting on the damn train with her, but she’d have had questions I didn’t want to answer.
So, I had taken the short flight here, dealt with Linc—who was pissed about my leaving without telling him why and where—then camped out across the street and waited until she got home and was in bed long enough to be asleep before I made my way over.
Watching her sleep wasn’t what I should be doing. I should be on the damn plane, headed back to Madison. But here I was. Embracing the fact that she’d turned me into a psycho.
I couldn’t do this every time she had a date, and she’d have more men interested.
The fucker whose car I had trashed lived two and a half miles from her.
That piece of information had sent me into a small spin, but I’d reined it in somewhat.
For now. As long as she didn’t see him again.
If she did, then … well, I couldn’t promise his apartment wouldn’t catch on fire.
Yep. I had snapped. Lost my fucking mind.
The longer I stayed in here, the worse it was just going to get.
I’d made sure she was home safe, and I needed to go.
Moving from the shadows in the corner of her bedroom, I paused beside her.
Damn, she was beautiful. Not as beautiful as when she was coming, but it was a close second.
No … maybe third. She was fucking stunning when she laughed and her eyes lit up.
“What am I going to do with you?” I asked softly.
She was controlling me and didn’t even realize it.
The only sleep I had gotten the past two weeks was on the nights I went to the guest bedroom where she’d slept and lay down in there.
Wilma had washed the sheets, and I was pissed about it, but just being in the room where I’d slept with her helped.
I didn’t want anyone else touching her. That was a new development, and I realized I was going to be dangerous where that was concerned.
Was this it? That thing that made the others lock themselves to one woman?
Had this been why? They’d done some unhinged shit.
I knew that much. I’d helped Oz with his insanity.
We all had. I hadn’t understood it then, but now it made sense.
Could I have her and not lose our friendship? Was that a possibility? Because I needed her in my life. Sure, I wanted to slam my dick into her until I was buried deep inside, but more than that, I needed her to make me smile. I needed to hear her laugh.
Damn, why had this gotten so twisted up?
Stepping away from the bed before I touched her and chanced waking her up, I eased toward the door quietly. A light illuminated the room that caused me to stop and glance back. Her phone was lighting up, but she had it on silent. I walked back over to it and looked down to see the name.
Thirst was on it. Who the fuck was Thirst?
Snatching it up, I swiped over it, and the numbers for her passcode came up. Not an issue. I could bypass that. Taking it with me, I headed out of the bedroom and closed her door softly behind me before moving into the living room and kitchen area, where she had left a light on over the bar.
Typing in the code that would unlock her phone, due to the hidden app I’d put on it to track her, it opened, and I went to the text messages to see who Thirst was.
Thirst: Sorry about this morning. That was a fucking nightmare. Jellie said you went home, and I can’t say I blame you. Her apartment complex needs an updated security system. I’m back too. Good to be back in Manhattan. What does your Sunday look like? We never had that brunch.
I seethed as I read over the fucker’s words again, then deleted it and blocked his number. Thirst? Had he told her to put that in there? Had she called him that? Did they already have inside jokes? And what fucking brunch had they been planning on having?
Contempt began to slowly burn through my veins, and I set her phone on the counter, for fear I might destroy it. Taking a step back, I inhaled deeply, doing my best to calm the maddening that seemed to only be triggered by another man getting close to what was mine.
Mine? Was she mine? Yes. She was fucking mine. She was my calm. She was the ray of light that I needed.
I swung my gaze back to the closed door of her bedroom.
Noa Raines wasn’t available to be those things for any other man. I required all of her fucking shine.
Fuck this. I’d make it work. She was a necessity. Having the freedom to fuck whoever I wanted and whenever wasn’t. I could live without that. But what I couldn’t live with was … her with some other man.
I started toward her door again when I heard the first pad of bare feet on the hardwood and froze. She was walking. I listened as the steps moved closer to the door, and I played out the two options I had here. I could hide until she was asleep, and she’d never find me or know I was ever here.
Or …
I could stand here. Let her see me. And deal with this now. Make sure she was aware that there would be no brunches with Thirst. She was mine. If she wanted motherfucking brunch, I’d take her. If she wanted to fuck, I’d do that too. Many times. In several different ways. He wasn’t required.
Her doorknob turned slowly, and I moved back, leaning against the counter. Crossing my arms over my chest, I almost grinned, thinking about her reaction. She might get pissed, but I’d make her forget. With my tongue.
That image began to play out in my head as my cock started to stiffen.
The door eased open so fucking slowly it was clear she’d heard something. I bit back a smile. If I were someone intent on hurting her, this was not the way for her to handle it. But she didn’t have to worry about that. No one was going to be getting near her.
The sharp gasp came before the door flung open, and Noa came barreling out of the room, her silver eyes wide, confused and, yep … slightly pissed.
“Ransom! What are you doing in my apartment?! How did you get in here? You scared me to death! I woke up and heard the floor creak and almost had a heart attack!” she said, throwing her hands up, and I saw the black boot she was clasping tightly in one of them.
“What are you doing with a boot?” I asked, unable not to grin.
She narrowed her eyes and swung it at me. “To hit you with! Or whoever had broken into my apartment.”
“You were going to use a boot?” I asked, cocking one eyebrow.
“It’s the only thing I could find in the dark! What—how—” She shook her head. “Am I asleep?”
Damn, I was glad I hadn’t hidden.
“No, Shakespeare. You’re awake.”
Her shoulders rose and fell, and my eyes went to her tits, pressing against another of those nighties she liked to wear. This one was an animal print.
“How did you get in here?” she asked. “That doesn’t make sense. I have to be asleep.”
Straightening, I walked over to her, and she watched me hesitantly. This was right. I could do this. Right now, my dick seemed to only want her. I hadn’t touched another woman since I’d almost fucked her.
“We went over the whole Mafia bit,” I told her, reaching out to wrap a strand of her hair around my finger. I’d wanted to do that while she slept and hadn’t, so I gave in to the desire to feel the silky tresses.
“You … you broke in?”
I shook my head. “I used my key card.”
“Your key card?”
“Yes. The one that gets me into your building and apartment.”
She sucked in a breath when I leaned closer to smell the lock I was currently playing with.
“Wh-where did you get a key card?” Her tone was slightly breathless, so I took advantage of it and stepped closer.
“I had a copy made of yours,” I explained and gently gripped her right hip and tugged her closer. “I like the way you smell.”
“Ransom?”
“Yes?”
“As, um, uh … well, as much as I am enjoying, uh … this … I need you to explain why you got a copy of my apartment, uh …”
“Key card,” I offered, then took a small nibble of her earlobe.
A shiver ran through her, and the monster she had seemed to trigger was soothed and back in whatever cave he’d come out of. I wasn’t thinking about burning down apartments and murdering men who looked at her too long. I was thinking of stripping her naked and fucking her against the wall.
“Yes, that.” She arched her neck slightly, giving me more access.
My hand fisted in the satin fabric of her nightie, and I began to tug it up. I wanted this off. I hadn’t gotten to see all of her. I’d deprived myself, and I was about to fix that mistake.
“Ransom.” She said my name again and walked backward willingly as I began to press her that way with my body until her back met the nearest wall.
“Yes?” I whispered before licking the area just below her ear.
“I can’t think,” she sighed.
Moving my knee between her thighs, I pressed my thigh against her cunt, and she moaned. That was better. No more questions. We could cover all that at brunch. The one she’d be having with me.
“Thinking isn’t required,” I told her, slipping the gown up and over her tits. Fucking hell, this body was better than I’d imagined. “Hands up. I want this off.”
She lifted her hands, and those silver pools met mine.
“Are we … what are we … doing?”
I pulled the gown over her head and dropped it to the floor. “Getting you naked.”
She licked her lips, and that reminded me that I could have that too. I didn’t have to restrain my hunger to taste her. That mouth was also mine. I reached up and grabbed her chin, then tilted her head back. The desire in her gaze flared as she stared back at me.
“I don’t share. I’ve never been good at it,” I told her, then bent my head to bite her lower lip. “I won’t share you with anyone.”
“I don’t—”
My mouth covered hers before she could say anything more.
I didn’t want to explain this. Hell, I wasn’t sure I understood it all myself.
I just knew that if another man took her from me, I’d lose my fucking mind.
That was what I was one hundred percent sure of.
So, I had to make her only want me. Need no one but me.
I could do that and fucking enjoy every second of it.
She wasn’t leaving me. I wasn’t losing her. I’d been looking at it all wrong. My making her body need me would lock her to me. Give me the security that I’d always had with her.
Her soft whimper into my mouth was as sweet as her taste. Grabbing her waist, I lifted her until she wrapped her legs around me and I could press my throbbing dick into her panty-covered cunt. We needed to get those off too. Along with my jeans. This time, there would be no head only bullshit.
She grabbed the back of my head and tangled her fingers in my hair while I savored her, growing delirious with lust. Tearing my mouth off hers, I held her while walking back to her bedroom.
Stalking over to her bed, I put her down onto the mattress, then pulled my shirt over my head, tossed it, then started unzipping my jeans while she watched me.
I had to stop and pull off my boots, and then I shoved my jeans and boxer briefs down and kicked them aside.
“I don’t have a condom,” I said, knowing even if I did have one, there was no fucking way I would use it. I wanted her cunt bare. “Tell me you’re on birth control. If you’re not, just lie to me.”
She let out a small, breathy laugh. “I’m on birth control, and it’s not a lie.”
I honestly did not give one shit if she was or not. I just wanted inside her.
She dropped her gaze to my cock and sucked in a breath. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen it already, but it seemed the size was something that continued to surprise her.
“Get these off,” I said, grabbing the sides of her panties and tugging them down.
She lifted her bottom, and I slid them over her thighs and down her calves until I had them in my hand. Smirking, I tossed them over to where my jeans were. I was taking those to add to my collection of her panties I’d started.
“There are a lot of things I want to do to you. Many scenarios I’ve entertained in my head, but right now, I need to fuck you.”