This story contains scenes of domestic abuse that may be upsetting to some readers Please take care when reading
THE EXPECTED KNOCK ARRIVES AT MY DOOR A FEW MINUTES EARLIER THAN EXPECTED. I DON’T USUALLY SUFFER FROM CLAMMY palms,butthey’reclammynow Igrabatissueandwipethem,knowingI’llhavetoshakethehandofmyenemy Notthathehas anycluewhoIam.
Iknowhim,though.
Soon,I’llknowhimawholelotbetter,too Istraightenmyspineandtakeadeepbreath,havingspentmostoflastnightstaringattheceilingandrunningpossibilities throughmymindforhowtodealwiththisunexpectedsituation Thisishappening,andfarearlierthanwe’dplanned Iguess whenluckcomes calling, itmakes sense to grab the opportunitywithbothhands, althoughIcan’tstop the prickle ofworry circlinginmytummy Ifeelunprepared,despitethemonthsofgroundwork
Iforce a professional smile that’s friendly, warm, butnotoverlyfamiliar. “Nota problematall. Ihad a free slotinmy calendar,anditwaseitherseeyouorgotothegymwithanoverzealousfriend Youweretheeasychoice”
Declan’sslow grinlightsafireinthosecompellingeyes.“Notafanofworkingout?”Idon’tmissthebriefsweepofhis gaze over my body a normal reaction from a lot of men I come into contact with, but this one leaves me with a very uncomfortablefeeling.
He removes a folder fromhis briefcase and sets it down on my desk. I give his hands a cursory glance: well-shaped fingernails, smooth skin, no scars or calluses Those aren’t a worker’s hands But then, why would they be? He’s led a privilegedlife.Atonetime,sohadI,untilhisfathercamealongandstolemychildhood.
“Tellmemore I’vereadthenotesaccompanyingtoday’sappointment,butI’dprefertogetthefulldetailsfromyou” He clears his throat. “I recently purchased two adjacent properties in Manhattan. The plan is to merge them into one boutiquehotel.Unfortunately,afterthesalehadgonethrough,mylawyerdiscoveredacovenantononeoftheproperties,which
Istare athim,dumbfoundedandincredulous Whyhas a burningsensationtakenupresidence inmychest? Isuppress an urgetorubmysternumandreachforthePeptoBismol.“They’reluckytohaveyou.”
Declanlooksdirectlyatme,hisgreengazeunwavering “I’mnotsuretheywouldalwaysagreewiththat,butthankyou” “You’re welcome.” I pushbackmychair and stand, suddenlyneedingto end this meetingso I canexamine the strange feelingsswirlinginsideme,thenmakethemgoaway.“I’llbeintouch.”
Declanrises fromhis chair and refastens his jacket He reaches into the inside pocketand pulls outa business card “I appreciateyourtime.Ifyouneedanythingfurthertosealthedeal,don’thesitatetogivemeacall.”
My teeth graze my lip. Declan O’Reilly hadn’t turned out at all as I’d expected. Such a shame that a man so hellishly attractive,theepitomeoftall,dark,andhandsome,camefrombadstock
Icutthecallwithoutwaitingforaresponse,notinthemoodtolistentothejubilanceinhisvoice.Imayhavewaitedalong time for this opportunity, butnow it’s arrived, a nastytaste inmymouthhas replaced the expected rushofexcitementatthe chancetoexactthejusticewe’reowed.
A COUPLE OF DAYS PASS WITHOUT ANY WORD FROM INDIA MONROE. I CALL HER OFFICE NO ANSWER. I LEAVE A MESSAGE WITH thereceptionist,butwhenIndiadoesn’tcallmeback,I’mleftwithlittlechoiceotherthantoassumethedealisano-go Bonedeepdisappointmentweighs heavilyuponme,notonlybecause itmeans myplans are shottohell, butalsobecause Iwon’t haveachancetosee her again.
The lackofcontactfromher means Ican’tputoffthe inevitable anylonger, though. Isend a textto Callum, and one to Ciaran,askingthemtostopbythepropertiesafterwork,thenIspendthenexthourpacing Mymoodturnsblackerwitheach step.Ihavetwostrikesagainstmewhenturningtomybrothersforadviceorhelp.One,Dadbroughtusupwithapridestreaka milelong.Two,I’mtheeldestbrother,theguardian,andtheonewho’ssupposedtohaveallthefuckinganswers.
He unbuttons his suit jacket and pulls up a chair at the antique oaktable inwhat I’d planned to turninto the restaurant kitchen.Ciaran,stilldressedinhisNYPDuniform,shakeshisheadathistwin,andtouchestheGlockslottedintohisdutybelt. “CanIjustshoothimnow?”
Callumflipsoffhistwin.Despitethebleaknessofthesituation,mylipstwitch.Theymightbeidenticalinlooks,butthat’s where the similarity ends Callum is the more hotheaded and blunter of the two, whereas Ciaran is calm, measured, and kindhearted. Their personalities fitwell withtheir chosencareers. Callumis the consummate salesperson, whichis whyhe headsupthesalesdivisionofNecron,theliquorcompanyhestartedwithZayden,hisbestfriendfromcollege He’salsothe jointCEObutleavesmostoftheboringbusinessstufftoZayden,preferringthecutandthrustofsales.Hischarm,alongwith hisdoggeddetermination,serveshimwellindrivingtheaggressivegrowthofthecompany.
He’sadamnedgoodcop,too,andwhilehehasthepoliticalacumentoclimbtheranks,hebelievesthattruegoodcomes from working the streets. From engaging with the kids before the gangs get hold of them, and steering them in the right direction.
Heconsidersmyquestioncarefully,takinghistimetoanswer.Whenheeventuallyspeaks,itis,asalways,worthlistening to “Ithinkwhenyoufoundtheseproperties,asparklitupinsideyou oneIhaven’tseenfor alongtime For somereason, thesearedifferentfromalltheotherhotelsyou’verevampedandopenedoverthelastfewyears.Idon’tknowwhy,andI’mnot sureyoudoeither,butthatexcitementisworthholdingonto,nomatterwhatthecost.”Hehitchesoneshoulder.“Mytwocents, forwhatit’sworth.”
Ciaranstaresatmeforasecondortwoasifhe’stryingtosolveapuzzle.Botheyebrowsflickup,andheslapsahandon the wall “Christ” He takes two strides until he’s rightinfrontofme Grippingmyshoulders, he gives me a shake “Fuck, Declan, that’s it. That’s whythis place is so fuckingspecial.” His eyes lightup. “It’s almosta replica ofhome. Our home, wherewelivedwithMomandDad”
“Fuck,” Callummutters. Walkingto the fireplace, he trails a finger over the dustysurface. His expressionmorphs from belligerenttobleak,andafreshtorrentofremorsesweepsthroughme
“HowcomeIdidn’tseethisbefore?”Irubmyforehead.“Iknewthisplacewasdifferent,butIcouldn’tfigureoutwhy.” Itall makes sense now. The overwhelmingdesperationto find a solution, and the riskofgoingto outside investors. The bone-deepstubbornnesstomakethiswork,evenifIhavetorenovateeverysingleinchwithmybarehands.
Callumshakeshisheadandjabsafingeratme “No, you wantedtobeastageactor Natewasalwaysmoreinterestedin moviesandTV.”
Mychesttightens,andIforcedownaswallow.HowcanInothaveknownaboutthis?SomehowCallumisaware,yetI’ve remainedblindtothetruth.IalwaysthoughtNateandIhadaspecialbond.Notatwinbond,likeCallumandCiaran,butjustas special. Yet, these pastfew years, he’s slipped farther and farther away. Our lives are diverging, and Idon’tlike it. “Since when?”
Ciarandirects a flashofirritationathis twinbefore his eyes cutto mine. “Nate told youhe wanted to be a stage actor becausehefeltguiltythatyou’dgivenupyourdreamstotakecareofuswhenMomandDad…”Ciaranshakeshishead,the slightmovementtingedwithsadness.“Anyway,hefeltheowedittoyoutofollowinyourfootsteps,butmoviesandTVwere alwayswhathereallywantedtodo.”
“WhataboutaskingNateforaloan?”Ciaranproposes “No. He’s distanced himself enoughfromthis family. I want to pull himbackinto the fold, not alienate himfurther by treatinghimasacashcow”
“I’mnot Noneofusare Oneofmybrothersispissedathavingtomoveinhere He’sworriedhemightgetaspeckofdust onhisarrayofdesignersuits.”Irollmyeyesandshehuffsalaughthroughhernose.“Butneedsmust.Mybusinesscomesfirst. Putup withsome discomfortnow, reap the rewards later I’mcontentto be a multi-millionaire onpaper for the time being Growingbusinessesisallaboutreinvestingprofits.Plentyoftimetolivelikeaking.”
God, I fucking want her First, I gave up relationships to raise my siblings Then I gave themup to start my business Perhapsnowisthetimetoputmyselffirst,butrushingheristhewrongthingtodo.Idon’tknowhowIknowthat,butintuition tellsmeifIpushher,she’llbackawayratherthanmoveincloser
Indie licks her lips, givingme a flashofpinktongue. Ialmostgroan, somehow bitingbackthe telltale sound atthe last minute.Shehasthemostenticingmouth.Theplumlipstickoffsetshertoffee-coloredhairperfectly.Ireachforherhand,witha thrillrunningthroughmewhensheletsmetakeit.Herslenderfingers,tippedwithpale-pinknailpolish,wraparoundmine.I suppressashiverasanelectricshockpassesthroughme.
“Let’sstartonthefourthfloorandworkourwaydown”
Ibarelyremember the climb to the top floor. The floweryscentfromher perfume drifts up mynostrils, and the wayshe pantsasweconquereachflightofstairshasmyimaginationrunningonovertime Igripherhandtightly,runningmythumboverherwrist.“Almostthere.”
The inflection in her voice leads me to peer closer, and my eyes lock on hers It almost sounds as if there’s a hidden meaning behind an innocent question. I drop her hand and move into her body, testing the waters. She doesn’t disappoint, holdinghergroundasI’dhopedshewould.
“Dependsonthereward”
Herlipscurveupatthecorners.“Goodanswer.”Sheturnsaroundandmakesherwaydownthenarrowhallway.Multiple doorways lead off to the left and right When she reaches the end, she faces me, leaning back against the door “Are you keepingitlikethis?”
Ifollowher,mystepsslowbutsure “No”Ibangafistagainstthefarwall “Theseareallcomingdown Iwanttocreate one bigroomhere, and anidentical one nextdoor thatI’ll turninto two penthouse suites. California kingbed, comfyliving area,thickcarpeting,luxuriousbathroom.Thewholeworks.”
Indielowersherchin,lookingupatmethroughherthickeyelashes,eachblinkgracingherpalecheeks “I’msingle” Awhooshofreliefshoots upmyspine.Exactlyas I’dhoped.“Good.”Istudyher reactionfor anysignthatmyresponse made her uncomfortable,butitappears tobe the opposite.Asmall smile creeps across her face,andas she walks past,her bodyskimsmine,eventhoughthereisplentyofroomforhertokeepherdistance Mylungsflattenattheall-too-briefcontact “What’s next?” She glances over her shoulder atwhere I’mstanding,frozentothe spot.WhenIdon’tmove,she frowns. “Declan?”
Whenwe reachthe firstfloor, Ibringthe tour to a close. “So, whatdo youthink?” Iaskinaneffortto draw her outof herself For some unfathomable reason, I want her to love this place as muchas I do to share inmyvisionand give her approval.
THE FOLLOWING EVENING,I ARRIVE OUTSIDE THE BAR WHERE I’VE ARRANGED TO MEET INDIE WITH TEN MINUTES TO SPARE. MY cheeks burnfromthe cold, and Ican’tfeel myhands The weather is behavingmore like winter thanfall Myskinmightbe cold,butmyinsidesheatattheanticipationofspendingtheeveningwiththewomanI’veobsessedoversinceourfirstmeeting.
I’mstill a little surprised she agreed to come ona date. There’s somethingabouther thatscreams suspicionfromevery pore,whichiswhyI’dexpectedtohavetoworkhardertowinherover Withoutknowingmuchabouther,onethingI’mcertain ofis thatIndie is differentfrommostwomenI’ve dated. Notthatthe listis long, butIhaven’tlived like a complete monk. Indie’saloofandbusinesslikeoneminute,thenwarmandfriendlythenext Awomanlikethatkeepsamanonhistoes Awomanlikethatkeepsamanlikemeinterested.
Ipushopenthedoor,andtheheatfromthebarhitsmelikeafurnace Aftershruggingoutofmycoatandgloves,Itakea seatatatablewithaviewoftheentrance,givetheservermydrinkorder,thenslipmycellfrommypocketandanswerafew emails while Iwait. Everytime the door opens, Isnap up myhead, disappointmentdartingthroughmychestwhenthe new arrivalisn’tIndie
She could stand me up. In fact, I half expect her to. And if she does… I won’t let it go. There’s an undeniable spark betweenus Idon’tknowaboutIndie,butit’sunusualformetoreacttoawomanlikeIhavetoher Whatwehave couldhave israreandprecious,andIdon’tintendtothrowitaway,notwithoutgivingitmybestshot.
“Hopeyouhaven’tbeenwaitinglong.”Shetakestheseatadjacenttomineandfoldshercoatinhalf,settingitdownbeside her. “Gosh, the weather is crazy.” Slidingher cell outofher purse, she gives ita cursoryglance, thenturns itover withthe screenfacingdown.
Runningherhandupmythigh,shestopsjustshyofmygroin.Iinhaleasharpbreath.Whoa,she’smovingfast.I’vehada fewone-nightstandsovertheyears,unabletocommitthetimetoafull-onrelationship,butwithIndie,Iwantmorethanthat I wanttogettoknowher,tobuildsomethingfardeeperthanafastfuck,thenanevenfastergoodbye.Asmuchasmydickwants metotakeheruponherblatant althoughtempting offer,it’sthewrongcall
Inanefforttoslowmythuddingheart,Iholdtheairdeepinmylungsforafewseconds,thenblowitoutsteadily.“Iprefer togettoknowmywomenoutsidethebedroomfirst.”Awhitelie.It’s her Iwanttogettoknowoutsidethebedroomfirst. Shemeetsmygaze,hersoft,hazeleyesboringintomine.Sensual,determined,unapologetic.“Andwhy’sthat?” “Makesthesexhotter.”
“Ithinkit’dbeprettyhot,anyway”Sheupsthepressureonmyleg,herfingerscrawlingdangerouslyclosetomydick Thewayshe’s caressingmemakes mycockthrob.IfIwas interestedinnothingmorethanapassingfling,I’dtell her to meetmeintherestroom,whereI’dfuckherfastandhard,thenpartwayswithacolossalgrinonmyface
“I do like you, but delayed gratificationcanbe explosive whenyoufinallyget betweenthe sheets.” I pickup mybeer. “Whataboutwefinishuphere,gotodinner,andwecangettoknoweachotheralittlebetter?”
Shereturns toour table a few seconds later,her eyebrows perchedlow over her luminous eyes.“Sorry,Ineedtotake a raincheck”Scoopingupherpurseandhercoat,shemutters,“I’llcallyou” Idon’tevengetachancetoaskherifshe’sokaybeforeshe’salreadygone,thedoorslammingclosedbehindher.
BLOOD RUSHES THROUGH MY EARS AS I STOMP DOWN THE STREET, THE MUSCLES IN MY LEGS TREMBLING WITH PURE RAGE. I struggletowrestlemyarmsintomycoatwithoutdroppingmypursewhilemutteringcursesundermybreath Goddammit Ihad him.Ihadhiminthepalmofmyhand.Hewaspracticallysalivating.Anothercoupleofhoursandhe’dhavebeenhalfinlove withme.Givemeaweek,andI’dstealtheotherhalf.
Familiar footsteps pound the sidewalkbehind me, butIdon’tstop, notuntil I’mwell outofsightofthe bar and canbe certainDeclandidn’tfollowme.
Duckinginbetweentwo shop fronts, I whirl around, glaringat the manwho’s supposed to be facilitatingthis plan, yet seemsintentonruiningit.
“Phil!” Iyell, butit’s no good It’s like talkingto a wall Animpenetrable, solid wall Ichange tactic “Whatwere you doingthere,anyway?It’screepy,nottomentioninappropriate.”
“Sitdown,”hebarks,pointingtoatableinthecorner “I’ll getthecoffees”Heholds outhis handfor money Color me surprised.Iopenmypurseandtakeouttendollars,butheglaresatmeandtapshispalmformore.Ipulloutanotherten,andhe snatchesbothbillsoutofmyhandbeforehestridesuptothecounter
Releasingadrawn-outexhale,Iremovemycoatandlayitoverthebackofthechair.MyskinpricklesatPhil’sstiffposture andthewayhekeepsrubbingthebackofhisneckashewaitstoputinhisorder.Iknowthisbodylanguagealltoowell.He’s furious.Fromthisangle,helookstoomuchlikeDad.Shiversnipatthebaseofmyspine,butIrefusetoallowfeartogainthe upperhand.I’mnothappywithmybrother,either,andthistime,Iwon’tholdback.Heneedstoletmehandlethisinmyown way Hecan’tdirectmelikeanactressinamovie Forourplantowork,Ihavetolead
thefuckingcarthatranthemofftheroad.And,yeah,ifIcould,I’dbringthatbastardbackfromthegraveandkillhimallover again.Painfully.ButIcan’t. We can’t.Andthat’swhywehavetogothroughwiththisplan.”
“Youlistentome,” Phil hisses.“Youwill dowhatever ittakes tomake DeclanO’Reillyfall inlove withyou,andonce he’s in so deep he can’t see straight, then we’ll strike You’ll break himemotionally I’ll break himfinancially That was alwaystheplan.That’sstilltheplan,andyouwilldoasIfuckingsay.Understood?”
Inodvigorously anythingtomakehimreleasemebeforehesnapsabone Acruelgrintugsathislips,thenslidesoffhis face.Hiseyesnarrow,andhegivesmeafinal,painfulsqueezebeforehereleasesme.Icradlemyarmclosetomychest.By themorning,I’llhaveanastybruise.Goodthingit’scoldandIcangetawaywithwearinglong-sleevedshirtsandsweatersat work
Mythroatscratches,andmoretearsburnthebacksofmyeyes,thistimebroughtonbysadnessratherthanpain.Iwishthere was another way, butwe’ve spenta decade waitingfor the righttime to strike, and thattime is now DeclanO’Reillywill neverbemorevulnerablethanheisatthismoment.He’sgotmillionsinassets,butit’scold,hardcashthatkeepsbusinesses afloat,andliquidatingassetswhiletheeconomyslidesintorecessionisn’teasy Philassuresmehe’sgotthemoneysideallin hand,andthathe’splanningtherightmomenttostrike.It’sodd,really,thathe’sassumedresponsibilityforthatsideoftheplan. I’mtheonewiththefinancialdegree IfonlyDeclanO’Reillywasgay
Foramoment,Iallowmyselftoimaginethatheisgay,andPhilistheonewhohastosleepwithhim.Betmybrotherwould findanotherwaytoruinDeclanthen.Thethoughtdepressesme,soIpushitasidebeforeithasachancetoburrowinsidemy mind
Twentyminuteslater,Iletmyselfintomyapartmentandheadstraighttothefreezertoremoveabagofice.Isetitonthe counterandduckintothebathroomforafacetowel Idropafewcubesontothetowelandfolditover,pressingthemakeshift icepackto mywrist. Phil reallyhurtme tonight, butIhave to take some responsibility. Ishouldn’thave goaded him. You’d thinkbynow,afterdealingwithtwoabusivemensinceIwasachild,I’dknowthetellstowatchoutfor,anddoeverythingin mypowertoavoidpushingbuttonsthatgetmehurt.
I press myself into the corner of the dark, dank room with Barney my one-eyed, scruffy teddy bear dangling from my hand as I wait for Daddy’s breathing to change into something deeper. His breaths are too shallow, and if he isn’t properly asleep, the tiniest sound might wake him up And then and then
An empty bottle lies beside the sofa. Daddy is drunk again. Drunk Daddy is the meanest of them all. I have to be careful, but I’m so hungry My tummy rumbles, and I press my hands to it in case Daddy hears
I count to a hundred and slowly slither from the dark corner I’ve hidden in. Tiptoeing past him, my tummy rumbles again, but my eyes are on the half-eaten sandwich lying on the carpet Daddy brought home from the bar. He must have
Chapter 6
Declan
AFTER PASSING A BOTTLE OF WATER TO CALLUM, I TAKE A LONG DRINK OF MY OWN AS I SCAN AROUND THE ENORMOUS ROOM thatwillbecomethehubofthehotel It’sabar-loungehangoutthat’sthesignaturegatheringplaceinallmyboutiquehotels,but thisonehasaspecial placeinmyheart.Ever sinceCiaranfiguredoutthereasonIwashellbentonkeepingthisproperty,in spiteofthecolossal,unexpectedmillion-dollarbillthatmeantwehadtosellourhome,I’vefallenmoreandmoreinlovewith theplace
“Itoldhimwe’re all gettingtogether for Thanksgivingandthatit’dbe nice ifhe made the trip.KnowingNate,he won’t replyeitherway.Andifhedoesturnup,he’llbroodtheentiretime,thenheadbacktoCaliforniatheverynextday.”
HisrelationshipwithDadwasmorecomplicated,buthemissedhisstrictinfluenceallthesame.Wealldid.Dadwasthe hubofthe family,the toweringauthorityover all ofus,andeventhougha decade has passed,Imiss himas muchtodayas I everdid
Imeander over to the window, and peer out onto the street. Alight dustingofsnow covers the sidewalks, althoughthe passingtraffic has washed awaywhat little had settled onthe roads It hasn’t snowed inNew YorkinOctober for over a decade,andthattimehadprecededalong,hardwinter.
Igive hima wide-eyed look. “Are youtryingto kill me? I’mstressingenoughaboutdeadlines as itis. IfI’d found this placeacoupleweeksearlier,sure,I’dhavelikedto.”Ishrug.“Can’tdoanythingaboutthatnow.”
“No.Make her feel special.” Callumholds his hands intheair whenIopenmymouthtointerrupt.“Iknow.Nochasing. Well,youknowwhat,bro?Soundslikeyou’llhavetomakeanexceptionforthisone.Ifyouwanttogetlaid,thatis.”
Callumdrainsthebottleofwateranddropsitinthetrash.Heliftshisjacketoffthebackofthedoor,slidinghisarmsinto it “Okay,Igottago Can’tkeeptheladieswaiting”
“Ladies?Asinmorethanone?”
“Yup.”
Ishakemyhead Nothingchangeswiththatone Thenagain,he’sneverbeenshortofoffers Asthefrontdoorslams,IslipmycellfrommypocketandtrycallingNateagain.Thefamiliarvoicemailmessagekicksin oneI’veheardsooftenover theyearsthatIcanreciteitwordfor word Ihangupwithoutleavingamessageandpull up Indie’snumber.MightaswellsetCallum’sadviceintoaction.Nopointinputtingitoffanylonger.
Myfingerhoversoverthecallbuttonforafewseconds.“Oh,fuckit.”MyheartthudswhenIheartheringtone.Afterfive rings, Iexpecther voicemail to kickin, too, as ithas onthe previous occasions I’ve tried to reachher. I’monthe verge of hangingupwhensheanswers.
“Hi,Declan”
Her silky-smoothvoicehas myears singing.God,I’vemissedhow shesounds.Ibarelyknow her,yetIcanalreadyfeel myselffallingunderherspell Itakeaseatonthewindowsillandclosemyeyes,pinchingthebridgeofmynoseasexhaustion setsin.
Ismootha handdownthe frontofmyshirt,andpour a glass ofwater for myself,thenone for Indie.The same Indie whois runningfifteenminuteslate I’vealreadyhadthesympatheticlooksfromseveralservers theannoyingheadtiltandchecking ofwatches. Anyminute now, they’ll askme to move to a table bythe kitchen, or the one squished into a corner nextto the restrooms
As weleavetherestaurant,agustofwindknocks Indieoffbalance.Ireachout,catchingher beforeshefalls,andwhenshe doesn’ttrytobackaway,Islide myarmaroundher waist.There’s somethingveryrightabouthow she feels tuckedintomy side,andI’mloathtolethergo,butwhenacabpullsintothecurb,Ihavenooption.Iwaitforhertoclimbinandclosethe door,stridingaroundthereartoenterthroughtheotherside,lettingthenoisefromthestreetfadeasIclosethedoor.
Indie gives the driver her address, butsomethingaboutbeinginsucha confined space makes the earlier jovialitywe’d sharedvanish.Sheswitchesbetweencheckingherphoneandchewingherlip,andwhensheisn’tdoingeitherofthosethings, shestaresoutofthewindow Sensingshewon’twelcometheinterruptionofherthoughts,Ileavehertoitandusethetimeto sendafewemailstomyprojectmanagerontherenovation.
Sheslipsherarmsaroundmywaist,andit’stheonlysignIneed.Ipressmylipstohers,softlyatfirst,butwithinasplit second,Ican’tholdback.Imoveintoherbody,pushingherbackwarduntilshe’spressedupagainstthewallofherapartment building Herbreathingspeedsup,herbreastssquashedagainstmethroughhercoat Aquietmoanechoesinherthroat Holyshit.Thatsound.I’dkilltohearitagain.
I slip my tongue between the seam of her lips She tastes so sweet, so luscious, so goddamn sexy I grow hard and instinctivelycirclemyhips.Whenshetiltsherpelvisandgrindsagainstme,Igrowl.
Itcrossesmymindtoargue,butgiventhatshepushedmeaway,insistingIwalkher righttoher door won’treassureher whenshe’sgivingclearsignalsthatshewantstobealone.
