We talked all night, and having found the answers to the questions that have haunted me, makes me feel better.
Dead tired, but better.
And nervous as I watch Carson shrug on his jacket.
When I first met him, I fell in love with the intense vibe coming from him. But, like I told him, now that I know what the vibe really means, it makes my stomach flutter like a kaleidoscope of butterflies has taken up residence in it.
It’s intimidating… and scorching hot.
Carson adjusts the lapels of his jacket as he glances up at me.
Yep, definitely hot.
“I’ll see you after work?” he asks.
“Yes,” I reply, a spontaneous grin stretching around my lips.
Lifting his hand, he brushes a finger over my bottom lip, and it sends tingles rushing crazy fast over my skin.
“That smile,” he groans as he takes a step closer to me. Slowly, he begins to lean down, his eyes locked on mine. My heart rate picks up dangerously fast, and when his mouth brushes against mine, my insides start to quiver.
Then he pulls back, and giving me a way-too-hot smirk, he opens the front door.
I startle when I see MJ standing in front of the door. “Hey, are you ready for work?” She asks me while her eyes dart between Carson and me.
Carson pins her with a serious look. “We need to talk about your contract.”
“Okay.” She nods, looking at Carson with a world of respect in her eyes.
When they start to leave, I say, “Hey, she’s my personal protection. Shouldn’t I be a part of this conversation?”
They both stop, and then Carson nods for MJ to come into my apartment. He shuts the door, and I watch as they both cross their arms over their chests.
“You did good,” Carson says, his voice brisk.
“Thank you.”
“Contract extension of one year,” he mutters.
“Fee?” MJ asks.
Carson thinks for a moment. “Name your price.”
My eyes keep darting between them because this is not how I thought the conversation would go.
“Two million for the first twelve-month period. To be negotiated at every extension.”
My eyes go wide on MJ. “Two million? I freaking feed you.”
She doesn’t even glance at me, her eyes locked on Carson as he replies. “Contract accepted.”
“What?” I gasp. “That’s a lot of money!”
Carson’s eyes snap to me. “It’s not negotiable.”
I throw my arms up in the air, then scowl at MJ. “You’re paying for dinner.”
She just grins at me.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I ask, “Why are you so cold toward each other? You’re both important to me, and the way you interact makes me uncomfortable.”
“We can’t form an attachment,” MJ explains. “You’re my priority, not Carson.”
“MJ needs to focus one hundred percent on you,” Carson adds. “She’s your custodian. Not mine.”
I begin to frown. “Why don’t you have one?”
“Mine got married,” he mutters, “and I prefer to work alone.”
Still my introvert.
Carson walks to me, and wrapping his hand around the back of my neck, he presses a kiss to my forehead. “I’ll see you later.”
“Okay. Be safe,” I say, giving him a smile.
He doesn’t even say goodbye to MJ as he leaves, pulling the door shut behind him.
“Yeeeaaah… I’m going to have to get used to the way things work in your world.” Then I pin her with another scowl as she engages the lock on the door. “And here I’ve been the one paying for our dinners?”
She gives me a cute apologetic look. “You were always so happy feeding me.” She slides up to my side and lifts an eyebrow. “Things looked good between you and Carson?”
Instantly a smile spreads over my face.
“Oooh, that good?” she teases me.
Tilting my head, I look at my friend. “All because of you.”
“What did I do?”
Reaching for her, I wrap her up in a tight hug. “You told me the truth, and it made me see Carson for who he really is.”
MJ pats my back. “I’m glad I could help.”
Pulling back, I give her a playful glare. “You’re not just my friend for the money, right?”
“Well,” she teases me, then her face softens. “No. Just think of it as danger pay, Hailey.”
“Damn, you really have a way with words,” I say. “You can make everything sound much better than it really is.”
She wags her eyebrows at me. “Just one of my many skills.” She checks the time. “You need to get ready, or you’ll be late for work.”
“Shoot!” I dart to my bedroom. “How much time do I have?”
“Twenty minutes.”
After my shift at the restaurant, I was so tired, I came straight to my apartment to have a nap.
Walking out of the building with MJ so we can get something for dinner, she suddenly stops and shoves me so hard behind her, I stumble. “Stay back, Hailey,” she snaps.
“Huh?” I grunt in the most unladylike way ever. Then only do I see the group of men waiting on the pavement.
“I told you you’d regret it,” the guy who asked me on a date says vindictively.
I count six men, and the sight of them makes fear race down my spine.
Shit. This is bad.
Can MJ take them all at once?
Her stance is on guard as she threatens them, “Leave while you can still walk.”
The main guy laughs. “Teach this bitch a lesson.”
A squeak escapes me as they move in on MJ. She darts forward and slams the heel of her palm into the first guy’s nose. Blood spurts from him as she moves to the next guy. MJ grabs hold of his shoulders and knees him in the crotch. I cringe, thinking that’s going to hurt.
Then the main guy comes at me.
Oh shit.
Knee him, Hailey. You’ve seen how MJ does it.
Someone grabs hold of me from behind, and before I can shriek from the fright, I’m pushed to the side, and then Carson darts past me.
The main guy takes a swing, but Carson blocks it effortlessly by grabbing hold of his arm, and then he flips him over his shoulder, slamming him against the hard ground.
My eyes dart everywhere, trying to keep an eye on MJ while watching Carson in badass mode. He runs toward a guy coming up behind MJ, and then my man is airborne, kicking the ever-loving shit out of the guy.
Holy. Shit.
The main guy groans as he begins to climb to his feet. Letting out a squeal as if I’m about to step on a bug, I dart forward and kick him in the crotch. “Please stay down, you idiot.”
When I look up, Carson’s looking at me with an incredulous expression on his face, then he says, “That was fucking cute.”
CARSON
Slowly the guys start to climb to their feet, drawing my attention away from Hailey.
I feel MJ at my back and order, “Get Hailey out of here.”
“Okay,” she replies, her tone sharp. She runs to where Hailey’s standing, and grabbing hold of her arm, she pulls her back into the building.
Turning to the group of men, I say, “Who’s the fucker who tried his luck with my woman?”
The one guy points at the man Hailey kicked. To the rest of them, I say, “Get out of here.”
They scatter like cockroaches, and then I walk to the fucker as he finally climbs to his feet.
A passerby gives us a wary look, then hurries into a nearby building, which means I can’t kill the piece of shit, and I need to end this quickly before someone calls the police.
Grabbing hold of his throat, I force him into the alley next to the apartment building. I tighten my grip around his airway until he can’t breathe, and locking eyes with him, I say, “If I ever catch you near them, or this part of town again, I will kill you.”
He takes a weak swing at my chest. I shove him up against the wall and deliver two blows to his side, making the air explode over his lips. He grabs hold of my shirt, and the fabric moves, exposing the eight-pointed star on my left collarbone.
“Don’t fuck with the property of the Russian Mafia,” I growl. “I will fucking kill you.”
At the words ‘Russian Mafia’, his eyes finally go wide with fear. “Shit, I didn’t know,” he says, his voice trembling.
I shove him down the alley. “You better run.”
He stumbles away from me, his face white as a ghost. I watch until he’s out of sight then glance around the area.
I don’t hear any sirens, so I’m guessing no one called the police.
Walking around the corner, I head into the building and take the stairs two at a time. When I open the door, MJ’s standing on the other side of it, her stance still ready for action.
“They’re gone,” I say. “Take a break.”
She nods and leaves me alone with Hailey, who rushes toward me. Her body slams into mine as she throws her arms around my neck.
I wrap her in a tight embrace, thinking those assholes must’ve triggered the trauma from the Albanian attack.
“Are you okay?” she asks before I can form a word.
I nod. “Yes.” Pulling back, I place my hand against her cheek, my eyes scanning over her face. “You okay?”
She surprises me by smiling and then pushing her body up against mine, she fuses her mouth with mine.
I move my hand to the back of her head and taking control of the kiss, it quickly goes from slow to fucking her with my tongue.
Our breaths come fast as our mouths can’t get enough of the taste of each other. My teeth tug at her bottom lip, my lips kneading hers.
I push her back against the nearest wall, which is right by the kitchen counter. My hand moves down from her face to her breast, and cupping the perfect swell, I squeeze hard. I press my whole body against hers, my rock-hard cock aching to be buried deep inside her.
“Christ, baby,” I moan into her mouth.
Slow down, Carson!
Yanking away, I take a couple of steps backward, my eyes smoldering on Hailey’s swollen lips.
She lifts her hand to her heaving chest. “God. I’m starting to regret saying I wanted to take things slow.” Her eyes meet mine, and seeing the desire darkening her gray irises, it takes more strength than I have to keep still.
“Screw it,” she moves toward me. I crash into her, both my hands framing her head, and then I fucking devour her.
Hailey pushes my jacket off my shoulders, and we work fast to strip each other out of our clothes. When I have her naked, I grab hold of her hips and lifting her, I set her down on the kitchen counter. Tugging her ass to the edge, I take hold of my cock, and lining up with her entrance, I slam inside her.
A satisfied growl rumbles from my chest as I feel her heat wrap around me.
Fucking, finally.
Grabbing hold of her hands, I position them above her head and pin her wrists against the wall. My mouth crashes against hers as I begin to move, taking her desperately hard and fast.
The sound of our rushing breaths mingles with the slap of our skin meeting on each thrust of my hips.
Keeping hold of her wrists with one hand, I move the other one down to her breasts, and my fingers feast on her nipples until they’re straining and puckered for me.
Breaking the kiss, my eyes lock on Hailey’s as I drive harder into her. Her lips are parted, her eyes burning with her need to climax.
Not being able to get enough of her, I slam harder into her. Hailey lets out a needy whimper, and it only makes me wild for her.
“Carson!” Her face tightens as her orgasm creeps closer. “Say it,” she begs.
I shake my head, keeping my pace relentless, sweat beading on the back of my neck.
Her body begins to quiver.
“You’re mine,” I growl. “You’ll never leave again.”
“I won’t,” she whimpers. “Please.”
I press my forehead to hers. “Come, baby.” My teeth tug at her lips. “Come for me.”
Hailey cries against my mouth as her body begins to shudder, her orgasm tearing through her.
When her inner walls clamp around my cock, I fuck her harder than I’ve ever done before, prolonging the pleasure ravaging her until she can only let out breathless moans.
So beautiful.
Yanking her arms down, I pull her to me, and keeping her body locked against mine, my own orgasm sizzles through my body until I can only jerk inside her.
The pleasure hits me in waves. “Fuck, baby. So fucking good,” the words rumble from me.
As Hailey comes down, she wraps her legs around my ass, and her arms circle my neck. She clings to me as the last of my pleasure shudders through me.
When my body grows still, only our ragged breaths break the silence in the apartment.
Hailey begins to press kisses on my shoulder, and working her way up my neck, she finds my mouth. The kiss is tender and filled with the love I only crave from her.
