Текст книги "Shattered"

Автор книги: Skyla Madi

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“A fucking favor? Ha! After everything you’ve done?”

“That was then. I’m not working for Skull anymore. I want him dead just as much as you do.”

“Bullshit!” Joker glances down the length of his gun.

“I’ll prove it—I’ll prove it! Just give me a second of your time—in private—and I’ll tell you everything. I want to end Skull. When he’s gone, you can have New York back. It’ll be yours again. I promise you.”

The fuck it will be. New York isn’t Joel’s to give.

Joker’s jaw ticks, contemplating Joel’s words. Why is he doing this? Why the fuck is he recruiting the Twisted Sons? And why does he need me—any of us—if he’s getting their help?

“Kid! Holy shit. Is that you?”

From the back room, a familiar man steps out. Graham? Last time I saw him, we were drinking with those two girls in the tunnels. He’s alive? How? I was sure Skull would have killed him by now.

I look at Emily so does everyone else.

“Pops?” Emily asks, her disbelief reflecting in her wide eyes, following through to the tone of her voice.

Joker adjusts the grip on his gun. “You know these other assholes, Crow?”

Graham Crow? He is Graham Crow? Of course he is. How’d I not put two and two together?

“I know her.” Crow states, glancing around the room until his dark eyes settle on me. “Him too.”

“Who the hell are they?”

“They were in the tunnels with me. They’re the ones who killed a handful of Skull’s men and escaped. They’re the reason he flooded the tunnels, killing just about everyone in them.” He beams widely as he adjusts his leather vest. “Good to see you.”

I swallow hard and nod. How many people were down there? I can’t remember. Still, the news of their death is another bucket of concrete on my shoulders. Their death is my fault.

Emily clears her throat. “Y-you mind helping us out?”

“Sure, once you tell us why you’re liaising with the man that killed my nephew.”

Jesus. I scowl at Joel. What else has he done that he’s failed to mention?

“Your nephew pulled a gun on me. I had no choice.” Joel’s attention flicks back to Joker. “Do you want your city back or not? Tomorrow night. All you gotta do is hear me out.”

Joker grinds his teeth, the thick muscles in his jaw clenching tightly. His knuckles are white, his fingers fighting the urge to pull the trigger. In my own hands, the gun is wet—slick with the efforts of my muscles as they fight the desire to shoot Joker in the head.

I can do it.

One squeeze. That’s all it will take.

“New York. You can guarantee me New York?”

Joel nods, moving the shotgun with his head. “I’ll deliver the city to you on a silver platter.”

Silence falls and it’s deafening. This is it. Decision time. We’re either going to die right here, right now, or we’ll live. To be honest...I don’t know which is worse.

Ten

****

Inhale

Emily

I can’t breathe. In my grasp, the vinyl on the stool is damp from the fearful sweat leaking from my palms. Joker is scary. A forty-something year old monster in leathers. He smells like whiskey and weed all mixed in with pussy and gun powder.

Jai has the same look on his face as Huss and Ted do. They’re pissed. They feel betrayed and why wouldn’t they? Joel lied to us. He brought us to this hell hole. He claimed it’s a place Skull and his people wouldn’t see us. Yeah, no shit. It’s because we’re hiding in the house of Skull’s enemy. Joel has balls, I’ll give him that, but he has risked all our lives without asking and that’s never okay.

My heart pounds like nothing else as my stare flicks between the gun pressed into Joel’s head, less than a feet away from me, and Jai—who is on the other side of the room with a gun in his hand and an unconscious man at his feet. I estimate twenty guns pointed in his direction and it makes me sick.

One slip.

All it takes is one little slip and he’s gone…and I haven’t even told him how I feel about him.

Joker lowers his gun, leaving an angry red circle in the middle of Joel’s forehead.

“Let’s talk.” He states, resting the gun against his shoulder as he turns around and walks the length of the bar with Joel on his heel.

No one moves. We wait, silently, until Joker and Joel disappear into the back room. Then, and only then, does my body allow me to empty my lungs and inhale fresh air.

“Lower your guns.” Pops—a.k.a Crow—orders, crossing the room to Jai and Ted. “It’s over.”

I release the stool and glance at my damp hands. They shake—vibrating like an airport runway. I don’t know how long I glance at my hands or why I’m feeling so numb. My stomach churns with emptiness and any lingering effects from the alcohol I’ve ingested tonight are gone. Scared sober. I guess it really is possible.

“How are you doing, kid?” I jolt, snapping my head up.

Crow stuffs his hands into the pockets of his black jeans. I survey his vest. The leather work is impeccable and the detail of the pale orange raging bull sewn into the breast of it is amazing.

“The usual…cheating death.” I chuckle nervously, rubbing my opposite elbow with my hand.

He smiles, his thin lips pulling up at the corners, and it’s friendly. “It’s good to see you.”

I offer him a fake smile. Is it though? I mean, he was going to let Joker kill us.

“You too.”

“You thirsty?” Crow moves close to the bar and rests his elbows on the scratched wood. “Lip! Two beers.”

I glance down the length of the bar and the man behind it, the one he called Lip, gives him a thumbs up. Huss catches my eye then as he lifts his glass of water to his mouth. His hands shake, like mine, and as he drinks, rogue drops of water spill down his chin and drip onto the bar. I’m glad I’m not the only one who was spooked by what just happened.

“Actually, I’m going to go get some air.” I fan my face as a boiling blast of nervous heat overcomes me. “If that’s okay?”

Crow nods. “Sure thing, love. Your beer will be here when you get back.”

Irrational tears well up in my eyes as the numbness in my chest fades. I will not cry here. I will not cry in front of all these people. I whirl around on my heel and march for the door. I grip the metal handle in the palm of my hand and pull the door open. A gust of cold air slams into me, drying my tears before they have the chance to fall. I close my eyes and inhale. The air feels like xylitol into my lungs, fresh and cold. I like to think I have grown strong through everything I’ve suffered through so far, but I haven't. I’ve grown so used to relaxing around the lake house that I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be in a violent situation. It’s absolutely terrifying.

I hate that I’m so weak. Jai was able to handle his situation and Joel didn’t flinch as a loaded shotgun was pressed to his head—even Huss and Ted were able to stand strong. I saw the way they looked at me when it was happening—Joel, Huss, Ted, and Jai. Their concern was plain on their faces whenever their eyes met mine. They felt sorry for me...because I’m a girl. Because I’m not strong like them. It's not like it's unwarranted. I mean, I barely know how to use a gun and I sure as hell can’t fight off someone bigger and heavier than me. I don’t even know why I’m thinking this. I guess...I just wish I could be more like them. I wouldn’t be left behind to wait in the dark while they get shit done if I was more like them. I’ve said it before, when do I become not worth the trouble? When do I become the baggage they don’t want to carry anymore?

“Hey.”

"Oh!" I gasp, startling foreward.

Jai catches me, pressing the palm of his hand against my tummy as my thighs touch the wooden railing that sections off the five stair drop to the ground. With a firm squeeze, he pulls me back against his body where it's safe.

Where it's warm.

I was so consumed by my own pathetic thoughts I didn’t realize I had walked onto the porch. I didn't hear Jai sneak up behind me either.

I fall back against him, absorbing all of the warmth his body exudes. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he holds me tightly and lowers his head to my shoulder. I sigh as he plants a kiss on the nape of my neck. And another.

And another.

Each press of his lips sends a delightful shiver down my spine and branches out, following each vein to the tip of every limb.

“Are you all right?” He asks, his lips delicately brushing my skin.

“Yes.” I say, cringing at my lie. “It’s a little hot in there, that’s all.”

Jai gives me a little squeeze. He doesn’t believe me, but at least he doesn’t make me tell him the truth. Being pathetic in my own head is one thing. Saying it out loud is another thing entirely.

“Can we go home?” He whispers, gifting me with another kiss.

Home.

It sounds so nice. I’ve never really had a home—or at least I haven’t had a home that feels like the lake house does.

The lake house is our home for one more night, at least.

A heavy cloud lingers over me, dispersing it's sadness onto me with a torrential downpour. I’m not ready for this to be finished. I’m not ready to lose my only home.

I nod. “Let’s go.”

****

“Joel’s finished?” Ted asks as he crosses the parking lot with Huss in tow.

Rocks crunch and grind together underneath their boots, taking over the sounds of nature.

“No.” Jai states, lifting the car keys chest high.

With a click of the button, the car’s indicators flash and the doors click.

“He can walk back.”

Ted and Huss march behind Jai who stormed inside to retrieve them in case things take a turn for the worst...again. Even though they’re here on Joel’s invite, Jai feels responsible for them. We’ve already established that both Huss and Ted are grown men who are capable of making their own decisions, but Jai doesn’t see it like that. He wants to look after them and make sure they're safe. He can’t bear to shoulder a heavier conscience so he carries all of the responsibility and refuses to share it.

Typical Jai.

“Maybe we should wait a little while longer for Joel...I don’t think he should walk alone.” I say as the men come to a stop in front of me.

“No.” Jai gives me a dark look as he reaches around me and opens the passenger door to the front seat. “Get in.”

I scowl at him, keeping my feet planted where I stand.

“She has a point.” Ted interjects. “Walking back isn’t safe for him.”

“Need I remind you he brought us here on our last night under false pretenses? We had guns pointed in our faces. We had threats made against us—insults hurled at us and you want to wait for him because you’re concerned for his safety?” Jai shakes his head. “I’m tired, I’m angry and I want to go home. Now, you can either come with me or accompany Joel’s ungrateful ass on the walk home.”

I open my mouth and Jai lifts a finger to silence me. His black eyes terrifying through their aggressive slits. “You don’t get a choice. You’re coming with me regardless.”

Sighing, I climb into the car. Leaving Joel to walk on his own isn’t a good idea and I know it’s one Jai will regret for the rest of his life if something happens. He knows it. We all know it. Sadly, he hasn't left it up for discussion. Jai has made his choice and once he makes his choice, there’s nothing anyone can do.

“Well, I sure as shit ain’t walking.” Huss announces, limping toward the back door. “Dragging my ass out here and for what? Screw him.”

Ted steps closer to Jai. Shadows settle in the hollows of his face, his lips turning down as he angles his head to the side. “Jai...give him another ten minutes. Ten. That’s all.”

Jai pushes my door and it slams shut. Thankfully, Huss still has his open so I can hear every word. Not that it matters. As soon as I strain my ears to listen, Huss engages me in conversation.

“These brothers...” Huss groans over the click of his seat belt. “They have a death wish.”

I twist in my seat, glancing over its shoulder. “And yet you’re still here. Why is that?”

He hesitates—not obviously—but I see the slight twitch of his bottom lip and the words that lodge themselves in his throat for the briefest second. “Because I’ve got nothing better to do.”

My brows furrow. Nothing better to do? Risking your life is better than having nothing else to do? At least he has a choice. I, on the other hand, don’t. This is my life at the moment. I can’t opt out, despite how desperately I wish I could sometimes.

Huss clears his throat as I straighten in my seat.

“How fortunate for you.” I mutter, folding my arms tightly across my chest.

He simpers. "Where are you going to be tomorrow night? Locked up in that big old house by yourself?"

"If Jai has it his way, yes."

I turn my attention out the window as Ted drags his hands down his face. “All right. I knew, okay?”

His voice is muffled, but I hear it.

Uh-oh.

I shift forward, leaning closer to the glass, desperate to clarify what I just heard. Ted knew? Ted knew about tonight? How could he not tell us?

Jai inches closer, his hands squeezed into fists at his side. “What’d you say?”

Ted lowers his head, his proud shoulders slumping forward. “I knew about tonight. I knew he was going to come here and recruit Joker’s men for the job tomorrow.”

Jai whips around, his large frame tense and tight, and takes three aggressive steps before turning and storming right back to Ted.

“You knew? You knew and you didn’t tell me?” Jai demands, his voice well above the acceptable level for this kind of conversation this time of night.

“I’m sorry, man. He told me not to tell you. He knew you wouldn’t be down for it.”

“We could have been killed!”

“But we weren’t.”

My forehead presses against the glass.

“That remains to be seen. Do you forget who these people are?”

“I know who they are.”

“Obviously you have no fucking clue.”

“Joel knows what he’s doing. We use the bikers as a distraction and then we go in and get the girl.”

Jai shakes his head. “You should have told me.”

He turns his back.

“Jai. C’mon, man. Don’t do this.” Ted curves his hands around his mouth to help project his voice as Jai rounds the front of the car.

“Jai! It’s a two hour walk.”

Jai snatches his door open, drops himself into the car, and slams the door shut. Huss and I remain silent, not daring to add to the hurricane of anger swirling around him. Without a word, he shoves the key into the ignition and turns the car on. Swallowing my panic, I reach for my seat belt and quickly pull it around me as he reverses. It clicks into place as Jai slams the car into drive and drops his foot against the accelerator. The tires spin the gravel, the sound loud and hoarse even from inside the car. Instinctively, my hands fly to my seat and I clench it as we zoom through the parking lot and out onto the road, leaving Joel and Ted behind.

Eleven

****

Firsts

Jai

The garage door rolls to a close behind us. I twist the key in the ignition, shutting down the car, and drop my head against the steering wheel with a heavy sigh. I feel like shit—I feel worse than shit. I’ve gone to extreme lengths to save Joel. I’ve built my adult life around him…only to abandon him. Was it foolish of me to believe he’d be the same person I grew up with? Surely I had to know things would be different…

Emily and Huss simultaneously unclip their seat belts, but Emily stays put as Huss opens his door and slams it shut behind him, leaving Emily and I alone.

Good.

I want to be with her. Alone.

I lift my head and watch as Huss accesses the house through the white door in the far left corner of the garage and disappears. I watched him on and off on the car ride home. He’ll never admit it, but he’s shaken up. The way he'd grind his teeth and swallow harshly...nervousness is hitting him hard. I'm nervous too. We're doing this thing tomorrow and we still don't know the fucking plan.

“It was never supposed to be this complicated.” I sigh, falling back against my seat.

I look at Emily and I can’t stand it. I can’t stand the glow of sympathy in her eyes, mixed with harsh judgement and something else—something intense.

“Do you think I’ve made a mistake?”

“Making them walk?”

I nod.

“No.” She utters, avoiding my eyes.

She’s lying, but I’m thankful for it. I don’t think I can stomach her disappointment on top of my own.

“I think your decision was justified.”

Justified? Hardly. I shift my hands to the base of the steering wheel and pick at a swallow crack in the leather.

“If you were me...would you have left them?”

Emily lifts her eyes to mine. “No.”

“Why?”

“Because I wouldn’t be able to handle the guilt if something happened to them.”

I close my eyes. If something happens to them...what have I done? No. I will not guilt myself into going back for them. Yes, the possibility of something happening to them is higher than I’d like...but they left me with no choice.

“I can’t go back for them.” I slam my palms against the steering wheel. “They need to know who’s in charge here. I run the goddamn show—not Ted, not Joel—me.”

She reaches out with her slender hand and glides her palm up my bicep. “I know.”

The look of terror on her face when Joker had his gun in Joel's face plays in my head over and over. I couldn’t defend her or protect her. I was fucking useless and I never want to be in that position again. I need her too much.

“All of those bikers...all of those guns...I couldn’t do anything. If only I had known, I would have left you here.”

“But you didn’t know and we’re home safe and sound so don’t dwell on it, Jai. You’ll only make yourself sick.”

Our eyes lock and a million and one emotions vibrate through me. Tomorrow is the end in one way or another. Either I make it back alive, freeing me to spend the rest of my life trying to woo Kitten into loving me, or I won’t make it back at all. The thought of her on her own, scraping by to make ends meet, or snatched from her bed my Skull...I can't. Panic swirls, growing in mass by the second. What about the shit the old man said about her? What if he can “feel” her future like he claims? If she’s in unbearable pain and Joel is somehow involved...maybe Monique and I die, leaving Joel and Kitten to keep each other company.

Sharp points of jealousy stab my stomach and fuel my panic.

I shut my eyes and focus on the touch of her palm on my bicep. For now, it’s enough to hold off the impending panic attack.

“I had that dream again last night.”  I mutter, changing the subject, doing anything I can to stop torturing myself with possibilities of our stark future.

“The one where I wear the red dress?”

“Mm.” I nod, smiling slightly. “You look amazing in that red dress. It’s a wonder we even make it to dinner.”

She laughs as I open my eyes and it’s a beautiful sound—girly and sweet. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about that. In your dream you said I fall madly in love with you after dinner.”

I nod.

“When do you fall madly in love with me? During dessert?”

“That’s funny.”

I chuckle, then pause. How doesn’t she know? After everything we’ve been through, after everything we’ve done, and everything I’ve said, how she hasn’t put two and two together. I open my mouth, then shut it. Rejection isn’t something I think I can handle with her. For the briefest moment, disappointment flashes in her eyes and shatters my fear of being rejected. What have I got to lose? If I’m going to die tomorrow, then I want to die knowing that Emily is aware she’s loved by another human being.

“I’ve already fallen in love with you, Kitten.”

A bright pink blush flares up her throat and pools in her cheeks. Her hand shakes as she reaches up to push a thin lock of hair off her forehead, but even with her visible nervousness, her shoulders lift in relief as she straightens her spine. It all makes sense. The distance she’s kept—her strange attitude. I conjured up a million reasons to explain her behavior, how’d I forgo the simplest one? I tortured myself with incredulous scenarios and theories, working myself up for no reason when the answer was so obvious.

She loves me too.

“O-Oh..." She stutters. "I...I...wasn’t expecting—”

“And forget what I said about you falling in love with me after dinner. You’ve already fallen in love with me too.” I state.

Just like earlier, the churn of her stomach is visible as a bout of nausea crosses her countenance.

“How do you know you love me?” She asks, sheepishly.

Her large, doe eyes flick to mine. There’s a sad droop to her eyebrows at the end of a concerned curve. What is she so afraid of?

  “How do I know?”

“Yeah.” She glances at her hands and threads her fingers together. “How do you know for sure?”

I exhale and flick off the headlights, drowning us in darkness—not complete darkness. I can still see the outline of her face, the slope of her neck and the curve of her breasts. I notice the change in her breathing in the darkness. It’s calm and relaxed—like there’s no more pressure to look me in the eyes when she speaks.

“I haven’t really thought about it.” I say, scratching my head—which reminds me I need a damn haircut. “I guess, in summary, the thought of not being with you for even a second makes me feel tight in the chest.”

Emily whips her head in my direction. “Does it?”

“Oh, yeah.”

Through the darkness, she reaches out and slips her warm hand into mine. It’s damp, but it no longer trembles and it feels so tiny enclosed in my giant paw.

I like this. Being able to tell her everything I’ve been thinking—everything I’ve been feeling. Why stop there?

“I find myself stealing glimpses at you all day. You’re so fucking cute.”

With her free hand, Emily covers her mouth and I can only imagine the fierce blush in her cheeks at this very second.

“Oh my God. Stop. You do not!”

If only she knew just how many times I catch myself watching her—admiring her. Perhaps then she wouldn’t ask me if I’m sure about loving her.

“I do.”

“What if I’m picking my nose?” She asks, shock and disgust dominating her tone as he cringes.

“I’m sure you’d find a cute way to do it.”

Emily’s beautiful, uncontrolled laughter fills the car and I add it to my list of things that make me certain that I love her.

I shift in my seat. “I know I love you because the thought of being with anyone else—or you being with anyone else—just...it drives me fucking insane.” I swallow the bitterness in my throat. “All of those things...they’ve gotta count for something.”

A thick silence falls and all I can think about is begging her to tell me she loves me. I want to hear it more than anything—more than I want to live. I need to know that the last few years of my life—the life I’ve dedicated to finding a brother who doesn’t give a shit—hasn’t been a total waste.

“I feel the same, but...” She sighs, dropping her head back against her headrest. “I’ve never...God. I’m so pathetic.”

I release her hand and she pulls it back to shield her face.

“You’re definitely not pathetic, Kitten.”

She snorts, dropping her hands against her thighs with a slap. “Will you ever stop calling me that?”

“I don’t think so.” I laugh. “No.”

I’ve never been a pet name kind of guy. To be honest, the thought of them make me cringe, but she was too fun not to tease when I met her and it’s stuck.

She is Kitten.

She hates it, but that doesn’t matter.

“I’ve never said the words before.” She admits and the sadness in her voice hits me hard.

I shift in my seat again, angling my body towards her. “Never?”

“I grew up without parents and siblings. I’ve avoided any serious relationships and have never had the means to own a pet so no...never.”

Ah, so she has first time jitters. Nothing a little booze can’t fix. Turning in my seat, I reach behind it, stuffing in my hand into the pocket attached to the back. I remember seeing Ted stash a bottle of Vodka in there before we left. There’s nothing like a bottle of Russian water to loosen the tongue. I push deeper and my fingers graze the side of a cool bottle. Smiling, I wrap my fingers around the neck and pull it free.

“What are we going to do with that?”

I smile. Isn’t it obvious?

“We’re going to drink your first time jitters away.”

Emily quirks an eyebrow in the most mischievous of ways, making my blood sing. Fuck she’s beautiful.

“You know, this is all starting to sound a little like tenth grade.”

I arch a brow, matching hers. “Please tell me you did not drink Vodka and fuck in a car when you were in high school.”

Cringing, she nods as she pushes herself out of her chair and forces herself through the space between the front seats. With a squeeze and a huff, she’s drops onto the back seat.

“In the back of a truck with senior footballer Tommy Field and the smallest bottle of Vodka I’ve ever seen.”

Exhaling, she rests her feet on the back of the passenger seat.

“What, there weren’t any girls his age?”

She snickers, patting the space next to her. “Apparently not.”

Fucking sleaze. Then again, I can’t talk. If we went to the same school I’d have followed her around relentlessly. I would have had her and not in the back of a fucking truck.

Clenching the bottle in my hand, I join her on the back seat. We share the booze without talking, both of us reveling in the silence. Around us, the air grows warm and humid, coaxing Emily to ditch her jacket while I ditch my sweater. Admittedly, I’d be more relaxed if I knew the answer to the question that’s burning at the back of my mind. Tommy Field. Who was he to her? I can imagine what he looked like so vividly in my head. Broad shoulders, black slicked hair, dark eyes and a smug look to match. I hate him and I don’t even know the piece of shit.

I clear my throat. “You and Tommy...was he your first?”

She rakes her perfect, white teeth over her bottom lips, biting back an awkward smile.

“Yeah. He was.”

Yep. I hate the shit out of him. Has a time machine been invented yet? If so, how much will it cost me to go back in time and beat the shit out of this guy?

I take the bottle from her hands and fill my mouth with it. My head spins with the effects of the alcohol and I grit my teeth as I swallow. I hold the bottle in front of my face. How have we almost finished it? How long have we been sitting here?

She extends her hand and I return the bottle.

“How’d that pan out afterwards?” I ask.

“Afterwards?” She downs a mouthful and hisses with a shudder. “Afterwards I didn’t exist and Mr. Quarterback went back to his on again off again high school sweetheart.”

“Fucking asshole.”

It’s official. I’m going back in time to shove an unlubricated football up his dick hole.

She shrugs. “It is what it is. What about you? Where was your first time and what was her name?”

I drop my head against the seat. How long ago was it? Too long to remember the girl’s last name.

“Her name was Melanie Something and it was on a beach.”

Emily turns in her seat, stretching her long legs across mine. Unable to resist, I rest my hand on her thigh.

“A beach? How romantic.”

I roll my eyes. “Sex on a beach is overrated. It was fucking horrible and anything but romantic.”

“How so?”

There is nothing, and I mean nothing, romantic about chaffing. The whole ordeal was a mess—and not to mention it lasted less than six minutes. Teenage nerves ruin lives.

“Don’t ask.”

I peer at Emily. Her eyes are wide and her face is lit up by both amusement and excitement.

“Were you drinking?” She asks, handing me the booze.

“No.” I take a sip. “I’m pretty sure every teenage boy wants to remember when they first have sex and exactly what it felt like the next morning.”

Emily shifts closer to me, scooting forward until her ass touches the side of my thigh. “Did you enjoy it?”

I blink at her.

“I had sex...with a girl...for the first time in my life. Of course I enjoyed it.” I clench the bottle in my hand. “Was Tommy—a douche baggy name, by the way—was he good? Did you enjoy it?”

With a single laugh, she shakes her head. “For months I worked the whole thing up in my head before he asked me out on a date. It was going to be romantic and nice—and it was going to feel better than it did when I touched myself.”

“Was it?”

She slaps her hand over her face. “Oh, God, no. It was horrible. At least your six minutes was still double Tommy’s time—not to mention it felt like I was being punched in the cervix with a cucumber.”

I laugh—we laugh—and the sound mixes so perfectly, her light tones meshing with my deep.

“No one has made me feel as good as you make me feel.” She murmurs, raking her teeth over her bottom lip as the last giggle bubbles up her throat.

My heart ceases to beat as she leans in. All it takes is a gentle brush of her lips against mine and lungs refuse to function properly.

She plants a kiss on my lower lip. “I love the way you make me feel.”

“Almost.” I whisper, kissing her lip in return. “Say the other line.”

Her lips curl into a mischievous grin. I can’t take my eyes off them until she lowers her face, disappearing under my jaw line, and kisses my neck in the most delicious of ways. I tilt my head offering her more skin as she presses her warm, gentle lips in a trail all the way up to the lobe of my ear.

“I want you to force it out of me.” She whispers, finishing with another kiss.

I groan, tempted to rip open the fabric that hides her body from me and come on every pore, hair follicle and freckle on her body.

“Not in the car, Kitten.”  I tell her, gripping her shoulders and pushing her back. “You’re too good for the backseat of a car.”

My stare drops to her chest. The rise and fall of her breasts mesmerizes me—hypnotizing me to take back what I said. She can sit on me. She can ride me...fuck me into oblivion. This seat makes it so easy to do...makes it so easy to just...fucking...do it.

Emily moistens her top lip.

“Then take me to bed.”