“So you asked the mob for a loan?”
“It was eighteen and fucking stupid. I thought they’d help me, I’d pay them back, and then we’d be done.”
“That’s not what happened.”
“Of course not. I paid them back, but they kept coming to me. They kept asking me to place bets with them, just to keep in touch, they said. But it was obvious what they really wanted.”
“What do you want, Owen?” she asked suddenly. “You talk about what other people want. What do you want?”
“For you to understand. This wasn’t my choice.”
“You always have a choice.”
“No, I don’t. Because of some stupid fucking decision when I was a kid, I’m trapped in this never-ending fucking loop. Every time I find success, the mob is there, asking for more.”
“So stop. Go to the police.”
“I can’t. I’m a public figure. It would ruin me.”
She shook her head. “I can’t be okay with this. Betting on your own team? It’s the lowest thing imaginable.”
“I don’t expect forgiveness, but I was hoping you’d at least try to understand.”
She bit her lip. “Why do you care if I understand?”
“You know why.”
“No, I don’t. One second you want me, and the next you’re blowing me off.”
“That was to protect you.” I pushed off the counter and moved toward her. “Plus, you’re the one who’s hot and cold. You want to be professional, but you also want to ride my cock in the hot tub.”
She looked away. “Yeah. I shouldn’t have done that. I make mistakes, too.”
“That wasn’t the mistake.” I stopped in front of her and crouched down. She looked back at me reluctantly. “The mistake was pretending like you didn’t want this.”
“I don’t know what I wanted, but I do know that you’re involved with the mafia. How can I see past that?”
“I know how,” I said softly. I reached out and took her chin. She didn’t move, just stared into my eyes, her mouth slightly open. “You want this as much as I do. Look at you. You’re practically trembling. I bet you’re dripping wet.”
“I’m afraid.”
“Good. You should be afraid,” I said. “The mob isn’t something to fuck around with. But I’m here, and nothing will happen to you while I’m around.”
“How long will that last?” she whispered.
“Don’t ask questions I don’t have an answer to.”
“You need to know. I need to know.”
“Nothing else matters to me but right now. Don’t you get it? That’s why I do what I do. That’s why I’m here.”
“You should have told me sooner.”
“I was protecting you.”
“I don’t need to be protected.”
I smiled at her and shook my head. “I know you think that, but you do.”
“What do we do now?”
The question lingered in the air between us for a moment before I pulled her against me and kissed her hard.
For a half a second, she seemed almost indecisive. She seemed like she couldn’t choose between the person who kissed me back and the person who pulled away, between giving in to what she wanted and giving in to fear. For a second, I wasn’t sure which version of herself she wanted to be.
Then she kissed me back, and I knew.
She wanted to be the version of herself that was mine. She wanted to be the version that said “fuck you” to everything that didn’t matter.
The mafia was still there. The problems were still there. My injury was still there. But as I kissed her in her kitchen, none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was her body against mine.
The only thing that mattered to me was her.
23
Taylor
He kissed me, and I realized that it was exactly what I wanted.
When I first saw him, I’d been afraid. I hated to admit that to myself, but I was afraid of him. He was like a stranger to me, a guy suddenly involved with the mafia. I didn’t want anything to do with men like that.
But Owen was different. I didn’t understand my intense attraction to him, but I couldn’t deny it. As soon as he came closer to me, I knew what the final outcome was going to be.
There was just no other choice. I was going to kiss him, and I was going to kiss him hard. His lips pressed against mine, and I knew I had to make the decision.
I chose Owen. Maybe I didn’t like the choices he had made in the past, but he wasn’t a bad person. He was a good person in a bad situation.
I could help him. I kissed him back, giving myself over to him, just like I wanted.
He pulled me off the chair and wrapped his arms around me, kissing me hard. I fell against his body and let him hold me like that, losing myself in his kiss, in his taste.
He pushed me back toward the counter. I felt it bump up against my thighs, and he rested my ass against the edge.
“I knew you couldn’t resist,” he whispered in my ear as he kissed me. A shiver ran down my spine. “You’re mine whenever I want you.”
“Owen,” I gasped as he roughly pulled my shorts down around my knees.
He tipped my head back and kissed my neck as he pressed his fingers between my legs. He felt my soaking wet panties as he rubbed me in soft circles.
“Spread your legs wider,” he commanded, and I obeyed. He kept working me. “I want to get you down on your knees, begging for my cock.”
He slipped his fingers down my panties and began to rub my clit. Pure pleasure burst through my brain as he slowly rolled his rough fingers along my skin. I groaned, wanting him to take me, to fuck me rough. His fingers slipped down and pressed inside me as he pulled my hair back.
“Tell me you want to feel my cock slide down your throat,” he said. “Tell me you want me to fuck every single inch of you.”
“I want you to take me,” I said.
“Take you? I own you now.” He fucked my pussy with his fingers. “I own this tight cunt. I own your slutty little mouth. You’re my dirty girl.”
“What are you going to do with me?”
“I’m going to fuck your body until you can’t stand. I’m going to use you up until you’re left in a pile of sweat-soaked sheets, begging for more.”
“Owen,” I moaned, moving my hips, losing my mind at his dirty talk. I loved the way he talked to me. He was so bad, so incredibly, deliciously bad, and it only made me soaking wet. His flingers slipped in and out of me.
“Strip for me,” he commanded.
I pulled off my shirt and my sports bra. He grabbed my hips and spun me around, pushing me over the counter roughly. I moaned as he slapped my ass hard and then pulled my hair.
“Look at this fucking ass,” he said, his fingers teasing my pussy. “You’re just begging to get fucked rough and deep, aren’t you? That’s all you can think about when you’re around me. You want my cock to break your body.”
“Fuck,” I gasped as he pressed his fingers inside me. “Oh shit, Owen. You asshole.”
He laughed and then slapped my ass harder. I groaned as I felt him pull his fingers out and drop to his knees behind me.
He began to lick my pussy from behind, spreading me wide open. I groaned as he spread my legs wider, his tongue finding every inch of me, licking me up and down. He tongued my tight pussy, pressing deep inside, and then slapped my ass again.
“I love the way you fucking taste,” he said. “Dripping wet on my tongue.” He kept at it, sucking my pussy and licking me. It felt incredible and dirty, which was exactly what I wanted from him. He kept at it, licking and sucking faster before pulling back and pressing his fingers inside me.
He pistoned his fingers in and out. “Beg for my cock,” he said. “Beg for it.”
“Please,” I moaned. “Owen, don’t tease me.”
“I fucking love teasing your little cunt.” He slapped my ass again and stood up. I could feel his hard cock through his shorts. “Turn around.”
I turned. He pressed me down to my knees and then pulled his shirt off. I looked up at his ripped body, his tattoos, and his intense eyes.
I slowly pulled his shorts down and then his black boxer briefs. His cock was thick and hard as I slowly licked him base to tip.
“Don’t be fucking shy,” he said. “Suck that cock, you dirty girl. Use those fucking lips. Take my cock down your throat.”
I took him into my mouth and started to suck his tip. He groaned and pressed my head down farther, pushing his cock down my throat. I moaned and began to suck him like that, letting him press my head down.
“Touch yourself while you suck me off,” he said. “I want to hear you moan with my cock down your throat.”
I obeyed, rubbing my clit as I sucked his cock, taking him deep into my throat. Pleasure rolled through me, pleasure and desire as he fucked my mouth and I rubbed my own clit. I’d never touched myself in front of someone before, but it felt so natural to let Owen watch.
“That’s right,” he said. “You’re so fucking desperate for it. You love touching your little clit. Rub that dripping wet pussy, you dirty fucking girl.”
I pulled back, taking a deep, gasping breath and jerking his thick cock off. I spit into my palm and worked it into his shaft, and he groaned.