Roxy Sinclaire's Blog

Continue with Buried Obsession, book 1 of the Dark Obsession series, here!

I have my own inheritance, and I can do what I want.

He rose and dressed quickly, still in the darkness until he stepped into the hall. He was in a rush to find the next toy, and he didn’t see his brother approaching. He knocked into his brother and took a step back as the breath whooshed from him for a moment. He glared at his brother, looking into the distorted mirror that reflected all that he should’ve been, but wasn’t. Like always, he longed to break the mirror, but couldn’t. His brother ran the business, controlled the bulk of the estate, and knew his darkest secrets, so he couldn’t afford to destroy him. Yet.

“You all right?” his brother sounded concerned and wore a frown.

He wasn’t buying it. He knew it was an act. Summoning some of his acting talent, he put on a careless smile. “Just fine, brother.”

“Are you sure? You’re pale and sweating.”

“I just need…” Blood. “Coffee.”

For a second, his brother seemed poised to keep him from going down the landing and leaving, but then he stepped aside with a sigh. “Be careful.”

“Sure.” He didn’t bother to hide his smirk as he moved past. He was almost to the edge of the landing when his brother calling his name made him still. He thought about ignoring him, but relented when his brother said his name again. “Yeah?”

“Did you take your meds?”

He squeezed his fists tight enough to feel the sting of his nails. “I sure did, thanks for asking.” Stop trying to control me!

“Good. That’s good. We both know what happens when you don’t.” There was a hint of threat in his brother’s words.

He just nodded before rushing down the stairs and out of the house. He retrieved his Ferrari and drove like the demons he didn’t believe in were hounding him every step of the way.

No, not hounding. Just encouraging. They were hungry for bloodshed too.

The coffee shop wasn’t too busy, which suited him when he wasn’t hunting. Tonight, when he wanted soft and willing flesh to mold and break, it was disappointing. There were no prospects, except…

“Here’s your coffee,” said the new barista as she placed it before him. She didn’t even glance at him.

She was petite and Asian, though he couldn’t guess which nationality. She reminded him so much of his Japanese pet that he reached for her and almost grabbed a handful of her blue-black hair before common sense reasserted itself. She was back behind the coffee bar a moment later.

That gave him time to regain control and think of a strategy. He glanced around, finding no one else at the few stools arranged in front of the coffee bar. Scooping up his cup and saucer, he moved there from the red couch on which he’d lounged.

She moved closer to him, wearing only a polite smile, but he could imagine how she would grimace with pain. “Is there something wrong with your coffee, sir?”

He shook his head. “No. I’m just looking for conversation.”

Her body language radiated reluctance. “I can’t really take the time to talk.”

He looked around in a dramatic way. “Why? It’s dead in here.”

“Um, company policy.”

He was angry for a moment, squeezing the coffee cup so tightly in his hand that it shattered a second later. Hot liquid spilled over his hand, and he cursed at the distraction.

“Oh, my gosh. Are you all right?” She was feigning concern now as she rushed to the sink before returning with a cold cloth. “I’m so sorry, sir. I guess the cup was defective.”

“Yeah, defective.” He took the cloth and pressed it against the burn, though the pain was actually blissful in its own way. Sometimes, when he couldn’t immediately inflict pain, being on the receiving end could temporarily soothe him.

“Do you need some burn cream or something? I think there’s a first-aid kit…” she trailed off with a wave of her hand toward a white box on the wall behind the bar.

“No, it’s okay.” He handed back the cold cloth and flexed the hand. “Just fine.”

She still looked concerned. “Maybe I should call my manager?”

He waved a hand. “Don’t bother. I don’t want you to get in trouble.” He leaned closer, pitching his voice to a whisper, “You know what would make me feel better?”

“New coffee and a scone on the house?” Her tone sounded wary.

He laughed. “Sure, but I was thinking more along the lines of your phone number. I’d like to take you out sometime.”

Her expression closed. “That’s so sweet of you, but I just broke up with someone, and I’m not really ready to be with anyone else yet.”

His gaze dropped to her small breasts for a moment, but then darted to her nametag. “I’m sorry to hear that, Keiko. Any man who’d leave you is a fool.” He reached into his pocket to pull out a bill to place on the counter as a tip. “Don’t worry about the coffee and scone. I’m done here.” He flashed a charming grin. “Have a good night.”

She looked relieved as she said, “Good night,” and watched him leave.

He walked out the door and around the block before stopping in the alleyway for the store. He laughed to himself as he imagined Keiko currently inside the store trying to dismiss her instinctive fearful reaction. She was like a timid bunny, but too civilized to listen to the instincts warning her to run. He loved that about them. They were all so clueless, and it was usually self-inflicted.

He had to wait for two hours, but the pain in his head had faded, and he was caught up in the fantasies of what he’d do to Keiko. He was so immersed that he almost missed it when she walked by. He blinked and gave her a few moments before emerging from the alleyway to follow her.

She lived near the coffee shop, so it was a quick walk. He waited until she let herself in before slipping closer. The side window provided the perfect view of the mailboxes in her lobby, and he saw 118 clearly before she unlocked and opened it.

He walked on then, grinning and whistling to himself. “I have plans tomorrow night.”

It was bright and early in the morning. The air was warm, filled with the sounds of cars and people moving around the streets. Camila was stuck in a bit of traffic on her way to Central Park. She sat in the back of the taxi with the window down, looking outside at the passing life. Internally, she was trying to calm herself down.

You’ve done this plenty of times before, Camila, she told herself. This is your job.

She was going to meet a man for an interview. And not just any man, but one of the most rich, influential, and handsome men in New York. Camila knew it was for her job, but just seeing a picture of the man had her heart pumping, and hearing she’d get to meet him in real life had left her dazed for weeks.

Good thing she took her work seriously, or she wouldn’t be prepared for this at all.

Camila wasn’t actually a reporter, she was a photographer. She worked for a blog, a “Humans of New York” style photoblog, that didn’t have a great many resources that they could afford to hire both photographers and reporters separately. But it still earned her quite a bit, and the blog was pretty popular, or they couldn’t have managed to get ahold of a man like Samuel Kane for an interview, one of the billionaires that lived in New York City.

“Ma’am, we’re here.”

The cab driver speaking brought her out of her reverie, and she focused her eyes outside. Sure enough, he’d let her out just at the edge of the park, and she riffled through her purse to pull out some bills. She checked the meter, then gave the man his money.

“Thank you,” she said, holding her jacket, purse and camera in her arms as she stepped out of the cab and onto the sidewalk. She looked around and took in a deep breath, then let it out in a heavy sigh. “Now, to find the man I need.”

Central Park was a pretty large area. Camila had been surprised when she heard it was where she’d be having the interview, instead of one of his many offices, or even his main office. Then she was told it was his idea to have the interview somewhere outside, and it made her curious of this man. She had stared at pictures of him long enough she was pretty sure she could find him easily in the crowd, and there was an agreed spot for them to meet. She’d been to Central Park before, so she knew exactly where to go.

Because this was for work, Camila had made an effort to dress up. Usually, she was in t-shirts or flannel shirts, and thick, khaki shorts or pants with boots, pretty much anything she could go on a hike in, but today, she was wearing a short, peach dress that fit her small but curvy frame well. The dress had short sleeves and a modest neck cut, falling to her knees, and she carried a long, beige trench coat in case she felt cold. Her blonde hair, which she usually wore up in a ponytail or a bun, was left down today, and it floated around in the breeze, tickling her face and neck.

Camila was aiming to make a good impression. All for the sake of her job, of course.

The only concession she didn’t make, was her camera. It was pretty big and bulky, with a huge lens to go with it, but of all the things she owned, it was her prized possession. She’d had the camera for three years already and she’d gone with it to all sorts of important adventures and job tasks, it took the best pictures, not to mention it had cost quite a pretty penny so she took its maintenance seriously.

As she walked around, to get rid of some of her nervous energy, she brought the camera’s strap around her neck, then framed the camera with her hands. This was where she was most comfortable, looking at the world behind her camera, and she snapped a few shots of random things as she went to the appointed meeting place. She couldn’t use them for work, but she did have her own portfolio where she kept her own private pictures. When she was really tight for money, she’d usually look for sites to sell the photos, and it had been a surprise how well they really sold. Then again, she’d come a long way from being a rookie photographer.

As she got closer to the meeting point, she lowered her camera and looked around for Kane. They were meeting close to a big fountain, in an area covered in grass and trees, it was fall so the ground was also littered with leaves in burnt fall colors. There were several benches spaced around so they would have plenty of privacy. The place was pretty quiet and tranquil, and even though it was a weekend, there weren’t so many people moving around that it would be disruptive to their interview. Which was good, because Camila liked to use a tape recorder instead of writing things down like some people still did. Then, she would listen to the recording afterwards and add her own comments before typing out an article.

Where is he? Or am I early?

Camila checked her wristwatch to confirm that she was pretty much on time. She was actually a minute early, but she didn’t know if the man she was meeting would be punctual or not.

Then, she saw him. And, she was surprised.

Wow.

Kane hadn’t seen her yet, but he was walking toward a bench just in front of her. She slowed her steps as her mind blanked out a little bit.

For one, he was dressed casually in a long-sleeved t-shirt, dark slacks and casual shoes, and a scarf wrapped around his neck. The t-shirt was the perfect fit for his muscular frame, the straight slacks emphasizing just how long his legs were. Camila was pretty short herself, and she was sure if she stood right next to him, she’d probably come up to his shoulder or chest. Because of her height, she’d met plenty of tall people so she wasn’t conscious of her height, but this was different. New York was pretty vast, but she’d never seen someone so tall this close to her before.

Her hands rose instinctively, and she took a picture of him without thinking twice about it. The sound of the camera’s click caught his attention. He blinked, and shifted his focus to her, their eyes meeting. Camila felt her breath catch in her throat.

Hot…damn.

Samuel Kane had trimmed, jet black hair, tanned skin and green eyes, but just stating his characteristics that way made him sound like a lot of other people in the country. She had known all of this from his picture already, but he was really attractive, and the intensity in those green eyes of his had her heart pounding and her insides tightening. She felt like she could just swoon from him looking at her, but of course she didn’t, because she was a professional.

“Um,” she started, trying to get her cool back. “Sorry for taking your picture so suddenly. I’m Camila Blake, you’re Samuel Kane? I came here to meet you for the interview.”

His eyes widened a little and she thought she saw some recognition in them. Then, his eyes darkened as he pressed his lips flat together and looked away. Camila bit down on her lip, worried for a moment. If she didn’t know any better, she would have said he looked embarrassed, but this was Samuel Kane. He was probably annoyed with her, and that didn’t bode well for the interview if she’d already pissed him off.

“Sorry,” she said quickly. “I shouldn’t have sprung that on you, but I do need some photos.”

He arched an eyebrow, eyes meeting hers once more. “I am aware you would need photos for your photoblog, Camila Blake, but at the very least, I like to think I deserve a warning?”

“You do. And I promise I’ll warn you before taking any more pictures.” She even let go of her camera and let it dangle around her neck. She gestured at the bench with a hand and did her best to give a natural smile. “May we sit so we can go ahead with the interview? Unless you’d prefer to do this standing?”

He didn’t say another word, but he did move to the bench and sat down at one end of it. He crossed one leg over the other and looked forward. Camila didn’t know if she was being ignored, but she took it as her cue to stare at his face all she wanted.

Damn, he’s really good looking. Then the rumors about him…could they be true? I would believe them, with looks like that, not to mention his wealth, women probably throw themselves at him left and right.

“Miss Blake?”

Camila startled a bit, surprised to find his eyes staring at her.

“Ah,” she murmured, moving too quickly sit beside him. “Sorry about that.”

Her face was warm, and she just knew she was blushing. She wanted to leave him with a lasting impression, call it her pride as a woman or whatever, but she didn’t want his impression to be of someone so clumsy. She folded her coat over her lap, then pulled her tape recorder out.

“I like to record my interviews,” she said, looking up at him. “Because my memory isn’t so good that I could follow it all, and I may not be able to write everything down, either. I hope you don’t mind.”

“By all means, whatever makes you most comfortable,” Kane said.

Even his voice is attractive, and especially this close, she thought.

“Okay, then,” she said out loud, starting the recorder and placing it down between them. “Mr. Kane, may I please have your story? There are quite a few people interested in who Samuel Kane the man, and not the business mogul, really is.”

His lips pursed as his eyes narrowed on her. “Well, to tell you the truth, there’s not much interesting about Samuel Kane the man.”

“A lot of people would disagree with you,” she said with a smile. “I can’t give you an exact number, but I can assure you that won’t be a problem. Please only speak of whatever you’re comfortable with, no need to divulge any family secrets, but a bit about your background, maybe?”

His reluctance was almost palpable. Camila could see just how badly this man didn’t want to talk about himself, and it made her wonder why he even agreed to this interview in the first place. Maybe because it was for a photoblog, so he wasn’t expecting any prying questions? Not that Camila had any. Or did he expect questions regarding his business life only? That wasn’t really what their blog was about, though, so he should have done some research.

Kane was tight-lipped, and it took a bit of coaxing, before he finally opened his mouth and said what she was looking for.

“There really isn’t that much,” he started. “I’m assuming you’ve done some research on me, but other than business, I don’t let details of my life outside the office leak out into the media. I’m not sure what you would like…”

“Anything,” Camila said quickly. He looked so uncomfortable, like he would change his mind if she didn’t strike while the iron was hot, so she was eager to get something from him. Even something small would be more than anyone else had managed to get. “Maybe your family background, or even where you went to school. What you did before you ventured into business and such.”

“Ah,” he nodded. “Well. Family background, huh… I won’t mention what school I went to, but I can start by saying that I enlisted a couple years after high school. Uh, I did go to college within that time, but I had to cut my studies short, in the end.”

“You were in the army?” she said, surprised.

“Yes, I was. For a number of years. Of course, I can’t give you details on what happened while I served in the army. On the family side…my parents weren’t entirely happy with my enlistment, but they went along with whatever I wanted to do. Sadly, they passed away several years ago, and I had two siblings to look after, so I came back. A younger brother and sister.”

“They must have been devastated,” she murmured. “As I’m sure you were, too.”

“It was a hard time for all of us…”

Camila watched him in rapt attention as he spoke a little more about his family situation, and his time in the army. Even though she reacted to the words he said in all the appropriate ways, speaking up where needed, she wasn’t listening, at least not entirely. She was only taking in his words on the surface, but her mind was completely different.

So glad I chose to go with the tape recorder! If I’d trusted my mind, or tried written notes, I would have tanked this interview…

Camila knew she should act more professional, but she couldn’t help it. Maybe because she’d spent so long staring at his picture, that seeing him in real life made her even more fixated on this man. Samuel Kane was too attractive for his own good, or hers, and if this hadn’t been an official meeting, she might have even tried…flirting a little bit.

It had been a while since Camila tried flirting with anybody.

Still, her body unconsciously gave her away. She would tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear, her fingers lingering at her throat. She would cross her legs one way, then the other, causing her dress and the coat on her lap to raise up a bit and flash some thigh. Even when she noticed she kept doing it, she didn’t stop, her heart beating nervously the entire time.

Only, it ended in disappointment for her, because while he kept his eyes on hers as he talked, occasionally looking away or getting lost in thought, he didn’t once look at the rest of her. Camila sighed as she picked up her camera, once she was out of questions for him and Kane had run out of things to say.

“Now that the spoken part of it is over, may I please take a few photos?”

“How do you want me?” he asked.

Camila froze for a second, all sorts of thoughts going through her mind, before she metaphorically shook them all off.

“Um, just act natural. You can look at me, or look at the camera. Even away is good.”

Kane leaned back on the bench, throwing his arm on the back of it. With his legs crossed, and him looking right at her with his other arm folded in his lap, he looked delectably relaxed. Camila sighed as she took several shots, even as her heart skipped a few beats.

“Okay, now if you could please…” she continued to direct, asking him to shift in different poses so she could get several angle shots, each one practically stabbing her in the chest because it was so perfect.

Anyway, what was I expecting? That someone like that would be anything but disinterested in me?

Camila knew she was somewhat attractive. She didn’t turn many heads, but she’d been told plenty of times by men that she cleaned up pretty well when she paid attention to her looks. Still, it was probably too fantastical to expect Samuel Kane to look twice at her with anything resembling attraction, or even the slightest interest.

“Thank you, Mr. Kane, I think I have enough,” she said after a few minutes. She looked at the camera’s screen, scrolling through some of the photos. They all looked pretty much perfect, and she couldn’t wait to get back to her computer so she could look at them all properly. “I’d like to thank you for cooperating with me on this interview. I hope I didn’t inconvenience you with the time, or make you uncomfortable with any of the questions.”

“It’s all completely fine,” he said reassuringly. “I have no prior engagements for today, and as for the questions, I can only hope I gave you something useful?”

“Very useful, thank you.”

She shot him a smile, then let go of her camera, as she moved closer to the bench once more to pick up her coat and her purse.

“Well, I guess this is it. I need to go back and write the article. Someone will be in contact with you before it’s published so you and your people can take a look at the content, and nothing will be going up on the blog without your express approval.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Kane said, standing up. “Though, I would really appreciate it if you would call me Samuel, Miss Blake. I’m afraid, even after all this time, hearing Mr. Kane reminds me too much of my late father.”

“Oh,” she breathed out. “I’m sorry. Samuel.”

“No worries. The loss of my parents is something I can’t escape, after all.”

Camila stood with her things in her arms, feeling a little awkward as she thought of how to back out of this. Just say goodbye and leave? Or would that be rude? This wasn’t the first interview she’d ever done, and usually she knew what she was doing, but she didn’t get to meet men this attractive so easily, either.

“U-uh,” she floundered for something to say, only to pause when Kane…uh, Samuel held his hand out to her. Guessing he wanted a handshake, she slid her hand into his. His larger, warm palm enveloping hers made her breath catch in her throat for a sec, and that was when she knew she just had to leave before she gave herself away.

Before she could say anything, though, Samuel did, and it left her surprised.

“Would you like to have coffee with me?”

Camila blinked up at him. “… What?”

It wasn’t the most eloquent, but it was the best she could manage.

Samuel cleared his throat as he dropped her hand, then put both of his into his pants pocket. His expression was still flat as he watched her, but she thought he’d softened a bit from when she first saw him a little over an hour ago.

“You don’t need to say anything right now,” Samuel said. “Would you give me your phone number? I’ll text you so you have mine, and you can let me know later. I have a good memory, so just read it to me?”

Camila found herself nodding, and she read her number out to him. Samuel looked serious, and when she said the last number, he nodded his head once. She assumed he’d gotten it. He said goodbye, then turned around and walked away.

For the longest time, Camila could only watch his back until he disappeared. And when he was out of her sight, she sat back down on the bench, feeling dazed.

Did… that really just happen?

Camila wasn’t sure how long she stayed at the park, before she felt more herself and got up to leave. By the time she managed to get a cab to head back home, though, she felt hungry.

At least I don’t have to go to the office, she thought with a sigh.

The photoblog actually did have an office where they handled everything, since it wasn’t just something casual. It was a pretty small office, but the blog had about ten people working for it, so it wasn’t as if they needed much space. It was also pretty relaxed, in that the employees didn’t have to show up at the office and stay there all day, as long as you had a project to do, you headed out, aside from the few people who were responsible for putting up the articles and photos on the blog.

On the ride, she remembered to text in that the interview had gone without a hitch. Because it was someone so high profile, everyone had been worried about how it would go. Not to mention, some of her coworkers had been envious of her getting this project, and Camila felt pretty lucky herself, since it practically just fell in her lap. With the message sent, she looked outside. She figured she might as well buy some groceries on her way back, because there wasn’t much left at home.

“Right here, please,” she said to the driver, a block away from her apartment building.

She made the payment and jumped out of the car, then walked into the store and made a quick purchase. She wouldn’t be getting paid for another week or so, so she managed on a small budget, and walked out a few minutes later.

It was the middle of the day so the sidewalk wasn’t as crowded as it usually was, since she was out early in the morning and back late in the evening on most days. The day was surprisingly still warm, even with the breeze, and she took a leisurely walk, her thoughts swirling around her mind the whole way.

Her thoughts were, of course, on Samuel Kane. No…it was just Samuel now, though it felt odd to be on first name basis with someone so out of her league.

Let’s see, she mused internally. The info I gathered on him online…

Like any other high profile person in New York, there was a lot of information about Samuel going around on the news, in the papers, and online. Most of the research she and the guys at the office had done had mostly been what they could find online, and most of it was gossip. Like how there was a lot of gossip around that Samuel Kane was this notorious rake that preyed on women and had more exes than you could count on one hand. This little bit of info had given Camila some apprehension, but now, she was wondering if it was really true.

The man that I met…a notorious rake?

When she thought about it now, he definitely carried himself like an ex-soldier. Even when they sat down, besides when she had him posing for photos, he’d kept his spine straight and his posture was very formal. Even the way he spoke, and his voice wasn’t quite expressionless, though it was more like you couldn’t tell what he felt from just looking at his face and hearing his voice. He was someone hard to read.

He definitely did not look, or act, like any of the playboys she’d ever heard of before, though at thirty-six years old, calling him a playboy was a bit much. And now she was wondering if there must have been some misunderstanding in all that info she managed to find before, and the bit that she was given.

I’ll need to look into it again, she thought decisively.

Camila looked up to realize she was already at her building, and she could have passed it if she hadn’t paid enough attention. She readjusted the bag of groceries in her arms and headed up the steps. Her apartment was on the third floor, which made going up and down a serious annoyance, but it was a nice apartment, spacious, a little old, but she was happy to have the space to herself.

Well, for herself and her mom.

“I’m home,” she called out as she walked inside, knocking lightly on the door to alert her mom.

There was no sound, but that probably just meant her mom was asleep, busy in her room, or out. She didn’t go out often, though, so probably locked up in her bedroom. Camila debated going to check on her for a moment, then sighed and headed to her bedroom instead. The apartment was just comfortable enough for two people, with a mid-sized living room and kitchen, they had separate bedrooms, but had to share a bathroom, and another small room where they did their laundry.

They both had enough privacy to themselves that Camila didn’t feel awkward at all about living with her mom at twenty three. Their relationship was also okay and they knew to respect each other’s boundaries, so she actually enjoyed having someone else around.

With her mom occupied, she headed back to her bedroom and let herself in, then locked the door. When she worked, she didn’t like to be disturbed by anyone or anything, and locking herself up in her room was her way of closing the rest of the world out to get the work done. She put her coat away, moved to her desk, set down the camera and her purse, and then sat down. She pulled up the lid of her laptop and turned it on, then picked up her camera as she waited for it to log her on.

She’d scrolled through the pictures on her camera, all the ones of Samuel, and the random ones she’d taken of the park, too. They were all good pictures. Of course, the ones of Samuel, she couldn’t do anything with them if they weren’t going on the blog besides saving them on her computer.

But… I kinda don’t feel like sharing this with anyone, she thought to herself with a small smile.

Once her computer came on, she shut off her camera and pulled out the memory stick, then connected that to her computer and opened the images to save them in her drive.

Now, all I need to do is work on that damn article, and send it in with the photos. Other people can worry about the design and positioning…

But, she still had time to do the article. Besides, she’d have to listen to the recording of the interview and make a bunch of notes, then create the article from that. It wasn’t like what she wrote would be the final draft, anyway, and she didn’t need to bother about it beyond that point.

Right then, there was something that was on her mind more than just this. After a short hesitation, she minimized all the windows she already had open, and pulled up her browser. She could sort the photos later.

“Okay,” she mused out loud, rubbing her hands together as a new tab opened on the browser. “What to look for, exactly…”

Finding information on the internet was a simple thing, but sometimes, what you found in the end could depend on the wording you used in your search. Sometimes, information wasn’t that hard to find, but considering all the posts she knew must exist that included Samuel Kane in the content, she couldn’t just look for something general.

After a short hesitation, she made searches on his family and background. To try and understand someone, you had to know where they came from first, after all. But, his words from earlier were totally true, there was barely all that much about him that she could find online with those searches.

“There has got to be something,” she muttered. “Unless he’s somehow paying people to keep his news out of the papers or whatever, someone would have posted some stray piece of news. I just need… to find…”

Feeling like she needed to sort out all the info she was getting somehow, she pulled open one of the drawers on her desk and picked a notebook and pen from it. It was where she wrote down all her notes, and she had several such filled notebooks in a different drawer so she wouldn’t get confused. She went through a bunch of searches, noting a few things down here and there, because it was more useful than using bookmarks when she probably wouldn’t be looking into this again. He’d invited her out for coffee, but that wasn’t any guarantee that anything would happen between them, either, and she couldn’t use work as an excuse to stalk him online.

There is definitely something weird here, she thought after a while, leaning back into her chair.

It was all over the place, only she’d managed to find some in more detail. She couldn’t even call it a discovery since rumors were all over the place, but now there was evidence and true statements summing up that Samuel was a somewhat infamous, womanizing billionaire. Still, even with the comments, most of them verified, Camila wasn’t buying it.

“Absolutely impossible,” she murmured out loud.

She couldn’t dispute the billionaire part, even though he’d been dressed pretty modestly when they met. But, it wasn’t as if she could tell the cost of clothes at a single glance. And he definitely had the looks, but he didn’t seem to have the charm for this kind of reputation.

When he asked me out for coffee I couldn’t even tell if he was interested, or if he just wanted someone to sit down with him and drink coffee. A guy like that could really be a womanizer?

Camila sighed and dropped the matter for the moment. She might as well start up on work then figure everything else out later. They hadn’t agreed on when the coffee date would be, so she at least had time to determine whether or not she should be wary of this guy.

“Camila! I have lunch ready, come out, okay? You can go on with work after!”

At the mention of lunch, she perked up, and her stomach growled, and she remembered that she was hungry. Also, that she’d skipped breakfast that morning because she felt too nervous to eat anything.

“I’m coming,” she called out, closing down everything on her computer, then shutting it down.

Some time to think things over might be good for her, not to mention having some advice from her mom might be good. She closed her computer lid and got up to leave her room.

Once she got the door open, she could smell the food her mom must have cooked at some point. How long had she spent in her room? And how focused had she been to miss her mom moving around and cooking.

“What’s for lunch?” she said happily, walking into the kitchen, where her mom already had plates set on the small dining table to one side of the room.

“It’s just simple pasta with homemade sauce and a side of fried minced beef.”

“One of my favorites then.”

She helped finish setting up the table, then sat down. Her mom waited for Camila to serve first, then served herself. Camila took a few bites of the food, but she was too distracted and ended up poking at the food with her fork. She was thinking about Samuel Kane, and how to bring up the topic with her mother.

“What is it?” her mom asked, making her look up. “You have this look on your face like you’re a million miles away. Is it something to do with work?”

Camila figured it was the best time as any to launch into the subject, and she put her fork down and met her mom’s eyes.

“It is to do with work, sort of.” She stopped herself before saying it might be more personal in the future.

“Shoot,” her mom said, taking a bite of her food as she gave Camila some attention.

“I went out this morning to do an interview of this man. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of him since you don’t listen to sensationalized news, but he’s someone pretty high up, really rich. I read a bit of info on him online, and it painted a picture completely different from the man I met. And I’m supposed to meet up with him again in the next week or so, but I don’t know what kind of man he is, so I’m wondering if I should listen to all the news out there, or try to find out for myself.”

She bit her lip when she felt she had said more than enough, only giving her mom the details she needed to understand the situation, but making it all sound about work. She waited eagerly for her mom’s opinion, though she didn’t seem all that concerned herself, finishing the bite of food in her mouth, then facing Camila with a serious expression.

“If you want my advice? Avoid him.”

Camila blinked. “What?”

“You heard me,” her mom said. “Avoid him. Rich philanderers never bring anything good to people like you or me, not when it’s quite so personalized. One interview should be enough for what you need, yes? Then why set up another one? Your part of the job is done, so that should be the end of it.”

With that, she went back to eating calmly. It took Camila a while before she could do the same, and the two of them ate in complete silence.

Camila didn’t look down on her mom’s word of advice. She had to agree on it herself, but her mom didn’t have the facts that she did, either. Also, her mom was overprotective, and could sometimes be a bit controlling, especially since they got reunited, so she would take the words with a grain of salt.

In the end, when she ended up back in her room, she still hadn’t made up her mind. Just then, her phone which she’d left on her desk, vibrated. It cut off quickly and didn’t resume, so she guessed it was a text message and picked it up to read.

It was from Samuel. Even though he’d said he would, she was still surprised he actually went through with it. The text was pretty simple, asking her to let him know about that coffee. Camila thought for a moment, then sent a quick text back that she was agreeing. His reply came quickly.

My place?

Camila widened her eyes, surprised once more. Samuel was inviting her for coffee…at his private home? As far as she knew, he definitely lived in his family home with his younger siblings. They barely knew each other, and it was okay with him? Then again, if they went out into the city, he might be recognized by someone, and if any pictures leaked out, it could lead to a scandal.

She hesitated again, but sent back her reply.

All right. Let me know when?

She set the phone down, and with a heavy sigh fell into her chair, resting her head on her desk.

“What exactly am I doing?” she murmured to herself, because she wasn’t sure she knew just what she was undertaking, getting further involved with a man like Samuel Kane.

Camila left her house a bit early on the day she was supposed to go to Samuel’s place to meet him for coffee. She still didn’t have any directions, but she knew where his family house was, so she figured if she could get a taxi to send her there, she could call him while she was outside and wait for him to get her. Only, things didn’t go the way she expected.

When she made it out of her apartment building, it was to find a black Mercedes parked on the curb with a man standing beside it. It was a surprise, but she’d been prepared to pay it no attention, until the driver asked if she was the guest Samuel Kane sent him to pick up. Samuel actually sent a driver for her.

It made her feel a little giddy. No guy had ever done that for her before, and maybe it made her easy, but she already felt dazzled.

The back door was opened for her and she slipped inside. There was a partition behind the seats in the front, and it was up, so once the driver got in the car and it started to move, it was as if she was completely alone. It was a new experience for her, and she turned down the window to have a clearer view outside, since the windows were tinted dark. People-watching, or just looking outside at passing scenery while she was in a car, was a hobby of hers. With everyone having cell phones, mp3s and access to the internet these days, it was more common to find people engrossed in their devices instead of watching the world pass them by, but Camila wasn’t like that.

She only felt sad that she had to leave her camera today, since it was more something casual than an official meeting. She didn’t want to think of it as a date, since Samuel didn’t outright say it was a date, and she didn’t want to get ahead of herself only to be disappointed later.

Maybe Mom had it right and I should have stayed away. It would be bad if I got the wrong idea and embarrassed myself.

Camila had dressed nice again, and now that she was in the car on the way to his place, she regretted wearing the peach colored dress to the interview, since it was one of her better dresses. She got lucky and managed to find something in the back of her closet, a simple, black dress with a modest neckline that was fitted around the top and flared out from the waist, reaching to just below her knees. Paired with silver, strappy sandals, some silver jewelry and a gold clutch she had, she thought she looked okay. She’d also tried something with her hair, putting it up in a loose ponytail, letting a few wisps come out of the hold to frame her face. She thought the style suited the dress and jewelry well, but it had taken her about an hour to get ready this morning.

She sighed to herself and leaned back in the seat. She really was taking this too seriously, but it was hard not to. Even without any deeper meaning, getting any sort of invitation from Samuel was something amazing.

The car headed toward the outskirts of the city, to roads that led away from the large skyscrapers. Buildings got scarce, then placed further apart, and bigger. This must be the rumored area where the upper crust lived. Camila had wondered if they’d go all the way to the Hamptons, but it was in the wrong direction. Still, she got to see so much more lush green than she’d ever expected to within this short distance from the city.

After a while, the car slowed, then turned down a smaller road. Camila only got a look from the side before the car completely turned onto the road and she couldn’t see anything ahead, but it led to a pair of large gates. It took a minute for the car to arrive at the gates, and there was a short stop, just a few seconds, then the car was moving again, even slower, and the gates closed behind the car. Camila fisted her hands in her dress and bit her lip.

She was at Samuel Kane’s main house. The place he must have lived in with his parents before they passed away, where he was probably raised. As far as she knew the Kane siblings still owned the original house, and…she actually got to be here?

Could she…possibly be the only one?

Don’t get ahead of yourself, she reminded herself. Getting all worked up by herself would lead her nowhere, anyway.

The car came to a stop, and Camila straightened out her back. She wasn’t sure what to do for a moment, open the door for herself, or wait for the driver to do it? Was he even planning on opening it for her? As she dithered, the door was pulled open, and she scrambled to step out. She stumbled a little when her feet touched the ground, and felt her face warm, but thankfully managed to right herself quickly, and could only hope not too many people saw.

“Thank you,” she murmured toward the driver, who just gave a slight nod and got back into the car.

Camila took a deep breath, then let it out slowly, and faced forward. The Kane house was, of course, impressive. It was large, a sprawling mansion with about three floors, though that didn’t account for if there was attic space in the building, and she was thinking there could be with the space between the third floor windows and the roof. She stepped forward carefully and made her way up the front marble steps.

She came to a stop at the front door, but before she could wonder whether to knock or find something that looked like a bell to ring, the door was opened. Two men, one on each side, were holding the double doors open, and another stood right in the middle of the open doors. He bowed slightly, turned to the side, and gestured her inside with a gloved hand. All three men were in white shirts, with black slacks, vest, tie and shoes. She imagined they were workers in the house, and they were all dressed in uniform, too.

“Madam,” the man that gestured her inside said. “Mr. Kane has been waiting for you, so if you would please come this way?”

Camila dazedly followed after the man to the direction he led. The foyer was wide, and connected to the rest of the house through archways. She was led through the middle one, then to the right. They stopped at what looked like a parlor, with several seats arranged around the wide room, clustered around small, glass topped coffee tables. There was a chandelier above, and large windows with the curtains pulled back that let in a lot of bright light into the room. The place was tastefully decorated with paintings and other art pieces, a few lamps and flower arrangements.

It was like a scene straight out of a movie, or one of those books about royalty or…just anything out of her league that she couldn’t imagine she would ever get to see in real life.

“Mr. Kane will be right with you, Madam,” the servant that brought her there said.

Camila barely heard, or noticed that the man had left already. She was looking around the room with fascination, interested particularly in the art pieces around the room. Her eyes fell on one particular painting, tastefully done, and she wondered if she knew the painter. She’d been an art major in college, after all, even though her focus was mainly on photography, she still got to learn plenty about all forms of art.

“You’re here.”

The voice came from behind her, and it was the same as before, low and deep, and even from a distance away, it made her insides tighten and her heart flutter. Slowly, Camila turned around, and she saw him. Samuel Kane, in all his glory, descending a spiral staircase as if he was some sort of prince, with one hand on the railing.

Something is different, she thought, even before she saw him. His voice sounded a lot livelier than their first meeting, too, but seeing how he looked was an even bigger surprise.

She didn’t have anything against the look he’d had on when they met last time. It was modest, but chic, though still, nothing that popped out too much. The man in front of her might as well have been a different person.

Since he was above her coming down, she eyed him from his feet, and the blue sneakers he was wearing were particularly eye-catching. His long legs were encased in dark jeans that were loose around the calves, but tight around his thighs, and she even noted a few artificial rips. The only thing recognizable on him was the white t-shirt, and over it he had a black blazer, with a blue scarf hung loosely around his neck, along with a few silver and gold chains. On one wrist, he had several leather and silver bands, and on the other wrist he had a gold watch, not to mention the silver and gold rings on his fingers.

The biggest shocker for her, still, was seeing him smiling. It was as if he’d turned from the reserved ex-soldier she’d met to a peacock, and she could feel her eyes widening and jaw dropping in her surprise.

“I trust your drive here was uneventful?” he said, arching an eyebrow, a corner of his mouth raising a bit higher, and she could feel her heart skip a beat. “You’re a bit earlier than I expected, there was hardly enough time to finish preparing, but I can’t say I’m disappointed.”

After a few seconds, she found her voice.

“H-hi,” she stuttered, her face warming up even more. “Uh, the drive was…nice. Thank you for sending a car to me, but I could have found the place fine if you’d left me with directions…”

“But where’s the point in that?” Samuel said, an eyebrow jumping up, his look turning a little flirtatious. “I like to spoil the women I like, and I wouldn’t have invited you here if I didn’t like you.”

He’d already reached the bottom of the steps, and Camila could only watch as he walked even closer to her. He was so much more friendly and charming, compared to before, that she didn’t know what to do with herself. So she just stood there dumbly, watching him get ever closer, with her hands holding onto her clutch purse in front of her and her heart beating so fast in her chest, she thought it wanted to escape.

“You look absolutely amazing,” Samuel said, his voice dropping down an octave.

As if she wasn’t already taken in before, she really thought she would swoon with that low tenor in his voice. She wondered what it would feel like, to have him call her name like that, and felt her breath hitch in her throat. Even if he was just playing with her, she didn’t think she would refuse him, and she wondered if that was the secret behind the rumors, how he could be known as a womanizer and still be so popular with women.

His eyes intent on hers, he raised a hand slowly toward her, and her eyes shifted from his face to that hand. It was coming ever closer, and the closer it moved, the faster and harder her heart beat, and her breath even started coming short. Her eyelids fluttered as that hand got closer to her face. She thought he would cup her cheek, and a slight tremor went through her body at the thought of that wide, warm palm touching her skin.

Before it could happen, though, they were interrupted.

“You better not be doing what it is I think you’re doing.”

Continue reading Buried Obsession, book 1 of the Dark Obsession series, here!

Here is the cover for Triple Threat, coming out in the beginning of October!

Chapter One

Jax

I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t believe in luck, but today was one of those days that I wasn’t having any at all.

“Fuck!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. What was the point of having a private jet if I couldn’t fly to where I wanted at any time that I wanted? I was pissed right now because I wanted to get off this island, now!

“We’ll have it up and running in a couple of days,” said Frank, my new pilot. One whom I felt like firing the moment we got back home. He didn’t realize that it was a couple of days too late.

Two days’ time in my world was like a fucking lifetime because there were a thousand things that I could do in that time. I grunted and put my hands in my pockets. Two fucking days. I didn’t want to be here for another minute.

The only reason I’d come to the island was to seal the deal with Brad Wilson, an eccentric tycoon who insists on sealing his deals on his island. He claimed that the heat and sand are good for one’s soul, which may be the case for him. But being eaten by mosquitoes and being sunburned weren’t my idea of fun. I’d tolerated it for two days, and now it was time to move on.

It felt as if his philosophy had rubbed off on Frank because he’d had a little too much fun on the island and hadn’t done his job properly and checked on the plane. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be stuck here for another couple of days.

I headed into the limo waiting to take me back to the villa, and the only thing on my mind was what was I going to do for two days while being stuck in the air-conditioned villa. I never knew that my jet wasn’t working, and I didn’t have to spend my time outside pretending that I loved the heat. Because I fucking hated it, and the sand even more.

Brad had signed on the dotted line and then left on his yacht, which he offered for me to join him, stating that we could celebrate together. I told him that I had to get back to the city. Which was true. He’d invested heavily in the thirty-million-dollar deal, and I had to get back to make sure that everything went smoothly from the word go. I was a fucking control freak, and I was proud of it. It was why I was successful, and if I played my cards right then, I wouldn’t need any financial support from the likes of men like Brad. I would be able to fund such deals by myself, just the way I liked to in the past, but I’d grown so much that the only way to get even bigger was to invest more. Something that I couldn’t do right now, and my only ticket to a project this size being successful was to have an investor. Someone just like Brad.

I must admit that it was a love-hate kind of business relationship. He loved being happy, and I hated it with a vengeance, but then I loved money, and one thing was for sure—he had plenty of it.

“Where to, sir?” The driver asked as he opened the limo door, and I hesitated for a minute before hopping inside. I decided that there was only one place to go, and that was back to the villa.

“Back to the villa.”

I ignored whether he said anything in return as he slammed the door shut. I came here not only to sign on the dotted line but to get away. I hated to admit that I needed a rest, but I was fucking exhausted. My sister accused me of being a slave driver and not trusting anyone, but that’s because if I’d sent anyone else to seal the deal, then it wouldn’t have been done or something would have fucking gone wrong. That part I knew for sure.

My phone vibrated the second the driver started the engine. I didn’t even look at the name as I answered it, put it on speaker mode, and put it on the side table. I reached out to pour a drink. I needed something to stop me from feeling so wound up.

My little sister, Gia, was on the line. “Hey, big bro.”

“Sis,” I replied as I continued to pour the bourbon which was screaming my name.

“You still with Brad? Just wondering when you’re coming home.”

I couldn’t answer her question until the bourbon hit the right places, and it did the moment I had a sip and it went down my throat, the burning sensation suddenly making me feel alive once again.

“Jax?”

I shook my head. “Sorry, still here. Nope, the jet’s done. Stuck here for the next couple of days.”

She sighed. “That’s a waste.”

I wasn’t going to bother asking why she thought it was a waste. I knew the answer to my question. Gia had told me more than once that she didn’t understand the reason I wanted more money when all I did was nothing but work.

“What do you want, Gia?”

She called for a reason, and as usual, she was beating around the bush.

“Just wanted to know if it was okay to crash in the penthouse?”

“You in New York?”

I thought she was in Cali with our parents. That’s what she did, especially during the winter. She said that the cold climate should be illegal.

“I was. Just wanted to know if you were around. Really could have done with your company.”

Things must have been bad if she wanted my company and not one of her endless list of friends. We were related, but our priorities were completely different. Ever since she’d graduated from college a couple of years ago, she’d been trying to find herself. That meant doing nothing but drinking and partying all night long and spending days recovering.

“You must be bored.”

“Do you always have to be so rude?”

When did she get sensitive?

I was about to ask her when she said, “It’s okay. I’ll wait for you to get home. But just do me a favor?”

I was pouring my second glass of bourbon, and as the limo came to a sudden stop, I blurted out, “What?”

“Well, if you are stuck there for another couple of days, then try and have fun for once, big brother.”

I expected something else from her, a sarcastic comment or something, but not her telling me to have a good time. I was about to ask what was wrong and behave like a big brother and not just a big jerk. Before I had a chance, she had hung up the phone, and the limo doors opened simultaneously.

I found myself asking something that I never expected to say. “Take me to the place that’s having fun right now.”

This time, I heard the driver speak, possibly smile, as he said, “Right away, sir.”

I should have picked up the phone and called Gia back, but if something was up, then she wanted to tell me face-to-face, and to know that I was stuck on this island and couldn’t sort out her issue made me feel helpless.

I was stuck here, and there was nothing I could do for two days but possibly have some fun.

Something that I didn’t think was possible, but I was about to find out if it was for once in my life.

Chapter One-Rosa

“You have to give me the recipe for your blueberry muffins!” Margaret begged as she took a crumbling bite.

“If I do that, how will I ever sell any?” I said with a grin.

“Fine,” she said with a wink, dropping a couple of dollar bills into the tip jar. “One of these days, young lady, I’m going to figure out what that secret ingredient is though.”

I winked at her. “It’s love—don’t you know that?”

The elderly woman rolled her eyes at me and laughed as she left the bakery. I smiled when the next customer in line stepped forward. Rugged and handsome, he was new to the area. At least new to me. I’d only been there for five years, so I was still largely considered an outsider. He was fresh, though, working in the city and living somewhere in town for the past few weeks. There was something about him that made my heart race. A blush rose to my cheeks.

“The usual, Peyton?”

“You know it.”

I grinned and turned away from him, trying to hide the beads of sweat that had started at my hairline. He always made me feel like my skin was on fire, a towering man with strong Irish features and kind eyes. I couldn’t resist fantasizing about him late at night. On the days when he didn’t come into my small bakery, I felt like a sheep without a shepherd. Pouring his coffee and adding an ample amount of chocolate shavings, I quickly snapped on the lid and handed him the cup.

“Extra chocolate?” he asked with an easy grin.

I nodded, looking down at the register and entering his total. He handed me a five, as he always did. Our hands touched briefly, sending small chills of desire coursing through my body. It had been too long since I’d known the touch of a man beyond Peyton’s passing graze. Every weekday, it was the same routine, and this Friday was no different. He waited until the touch was over, the change safely nestled in his hand, before dropping it into the tip jar.

“Keep the change. You always give me extra chocolate for free.”

I nodded. “Thanks. Big plans for the weekend?”

“Not yet. How about yourself?”

“Nope, just the usual. This place doesn’t run itself. I like to spend the weekends getting it cleaned up. Makes things easier during the week when the rush hits.”

He looked around at the empty storefront. He didn’t know that most of my customers ordered online and had the baked goods delivered. How could he know that when we never talked beyond the counter? I wondered how it would feel to have his hand linger longer than a few seconds. I could almost feel his gruff beard as it bristled against my neck, moving lower down my body.

“So . . .?” he said, catching my attention.

“So, what?” I shot back, unaware that he’d been talking to me.

He raised an eyebrow. “I was just wondering why you always give me a little extra. I’m sure the tip doesn’t cover the cost.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “You just look like you need a little sweetening up.”

He smiled and turned away. I loved watching him leave, his skin-tight jeans showing off his perfectly sculpted backside. It was a view that I would never get tired of. I did hate it when he left, though, especially on Fridays. It meant that I’d have to go through the next two days without seeing him. With a sigh, I turned my attention back to the waiting cookie batter on the counter and reminded myself again that I had to get a boyfriend.

“Hey,” said Peyton.

I spun around instantly, and he was already at the counter again. “Is everything okay?”

“Perfect,” he said with a sly smile. “I was just wondering if you have plans tonight. I’ve heard there’s a great jazz band playing in the city.”

“Really?” I said enthusiastically.

“Well, I don’t know if they’re really that good, but we can find out together,” he said playfully.

“Right,” I muttered. “Yes. I would love to go with you.”

“Great, pick you up here after you close?”

This was going to be my first date in at least a year, and if my body was any indication of how I felt about him, it wouldn’t be the last. I needed some time to pick out an outfit and take care of my personal things. Plus, I needed time to think about Peyton as a person. Was I really ready to take a chance again? The last relationship I was in had left deep and vibrant scars on my heart.

“How about eight? Is that too late?”

Peyton grinned. “Band doesn’t go on till nine. We can eat there and skip dinner.”

“Sounds perfect.”

I watched him go again, praying the day would pass by quickly. When my part-time help came in at noon and I left to go to the bank, I stopped at my house and dug through my closet. Everything that I owned was outdated. I didn’t have any of the usual feminine staples. No little black dresses or frilly lace negligees graced my closet. With a dramatic sigh, I stormed out of my small house and hopped back into my car. I needed to go shopping.

***

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I muttered to myself. “This is a terrible idea.”

I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Though I didn’t look half bad in the tight leather dress, I had other reasons to be worried about starting a relationship. Reasons that were deeper and darker than anyone I knew in this town could imagine. The last conversation I’d had as ‘Brandi’ played through my mind as I finished putting on my makeup.

The stranger who had driven me to Dumont, Maine looked like all the other agents I’d met. They shared the same blank expressions, looking at me only when they were forced to. One of them had explained it early on—the less I knew about them, and vise versa, the safer it was for everyone. That’s how life worked when you were on the run.

“This is your new identity,” he’d whispered as he handed me a manila folder. “You need to forget everything about your former life. Forget about Brandi.”

“How do you do that? Just forget someone that you were for your entire life?” I’d asked, young and naive.

“You learn to do it. Otherwise, you’ll slip up, and I promise that the men hunting you will find you. We can only offer you protection up to this point. After this, it’s up to you to bury your past.”

“Thanks,” I muttered sarcastically. “So, that’s it? I’m just supposed to start over?”

“We’ve given you a severance package and a new identity in exchange for your cooperation. What more did you think you would get?”

I shrugged. “A friendly face, maybe?”

He shook his head. “Then get a dog. With two grand in unmarked bills, you should be able to buy a few companions.”

“Are all of you agents so cold and careless?”

He barely glanced in my direction as he hit the Door Unlock button, signaling that the conversation was over. “Lady, you’re lucky to be getting any help at all. I’ve seen people on the run for a decade before getting anywhere. You’ve got it made. Just be grateful and get out.”

“You’re an asshole,” I hissed.

He shrugged. “That’s life—have a good one.”

“I can’t believe you’re with the government. You have no heart,” I muttered.

Unable to sit there without crying any longer, I’d left the vehicle, and the agent had sped away just as the tears started to fall. I hadn’t bought a dog, a stripper, or anything else. Instead, I’d bought a rundown, boarded-up home and storefront, spending years of my life making it into what it was now. But now, that could all be threatened. Peyton was wonderful, too sweet to be a hitman. I knew that at some point in my life, I would have to take a risk. There was no one better than Peyton to venture into those uncharted waters with.

I gave myself one final glance in the mirror before heading to my car. As I drove the few short miles to the bakery, I tried to keep my confidence up. He liked me and it was just a date. I parked around the back in my usual spot, and to my surprise, he was already there waiting for me. My heart started to flip as he stepped from his car and shot me another stunning smile. I knew that he was dangerous in that second, but I didn’t care. I wanted every part of him and nothing was going to stop me from fulfilling that need.

Chapter Two-Peyton

I’d spent weeks watching her, wondering if it were possible that she was the one I was looking for. When I finally worked up the nerve to ask her out, I’d left the small bakery shaking with anticipation. If she were the one I’d been tracking, then the shaking made sense. If she wasn’t and my emotions were starting to get in the way of work, we would have problems. The late-night date I’d planned was just for her. She seemed like the type of woman who liked jazz. I sure as hell wasn’t driving back into the city for my sake.

I held open her car door and let my eyes travel down the skin-tight dress that she was wearing. No underwear outlined her perfectly toned ass, making my cock jerk. When she was safely inside, I walked around the back of the car. I was taking my time getting back into the driver’s seat and praying that the boner she’d created would go down some.

“You look amazing,” I said honestly as I climbed in.

A red flush reached her cheek, bringing back the hard-on in my pants. I shifted uncomfortably and looked away from her, focusing on the road as we pulled away from the storefront. An awkward silence started to settle between us, and I knew if I wanted a second date, I would need to say something. I couldn’t really come out and ask her if she was Collins’s ex. She would run in an instant. Plus, if she wasn’t the woman I was hunting, I’d ruin any chance I had of getting lucky later. It had been too long to run the risk.

“Thank you. You look nice too,” she muttered. “So, you like jazz? You don’t seem like the type.”

“I’m not,” I blurted out. “I thought you would like it though.”

She smiled. “That was very thoughtful of you. I don’t really care what we do though. I’m just excited you asked me out.”

I raised an eyebrow. She was honest. That was rare in my line of work. “Really? So you don’t have your heart set on jazz tonight?”

She shook her head. “Nope. I do know a little dive bar on the edge of town. The beer is warm but the food is good.”

“Sounds perfect,” I said.

I hoped that the bar wasn’t too low-class. I was no snob, but the last thing I wanted was to run into someone who knew me for who I really was. It was just on the edge of town, like she’d said. Instantly, I was at ease. Her idea of a dive bar was more like a small mom and pop restaurant. I saw no motorcycles parked outside, and I let out a sigh of relief. She looked at me with a questioning gaze and I quickly thought of an excuse.

“I was worried it would be a biker bar or something,” I said. I winced at my words. What the hell was my problem? I couldn’t seem to lie to her and it was going to get me in some serious trouble.

Her face paled. “A biker bar?”

I cleared my throat and smiled at her. “In that dress, I’d be fighting men off you left and right. That’s no way to spend a first date.”

“Oh!” she said, her warm laughter filling the car. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that. I don’t go to bars like that.”

“Yeah? You don’t like bikers?” I asked.

She shrugged. “I don’t like getting hit on. It always makes me feel uneasy.”

“Well, I hit on you, and you didn’t seem to mind.”

“You’re different,” she whispered softly. “I liked it when you hit on me and when you asked me out.”

“I’m glad. I didn’t want to find a new coffee shop,” I said with a playful wink.

“We can’t have that. So, what do you do in the city?”

I had to think fast. Too much honesty could get us both killed. “I mostly just run numbers. It’s really more of a desk job, but here recently, I’ve been out in the field a little more.”

“That’s vague,” she muttered.

“I’m sorry.” I frowned. “It’s just a boring job. I work in imports and exports. All sorts of stuff, whatever comes in from overseas.”

“Nothing illegal, I hope?”

“Do I look like the criminal type?”

She shook her head. “No. But they come in all shapes and sizes.”

“What about you? Have you owned the bakery long?”

She shrugged. “Some days, it feels like I’ve been there forever. Other days, it’s new and fascinating all over again.”

“And you gave me crap about being vague.”

Rosa laughed. “I’m not sure . . . a few years now? It took some time to get the money together. Before that, I just kind of flitted from one job to the next.”

A few years, I mused. She fit the timeline perfectly, but I struggled to think that the sweet girl sitting next to me could ever be tangled up with Collins and his men. “What about before that? Are you from the area?”

“I’ve lived here since I was born,” she said softly.

Something about the tone of her voice hinted at sadness. I liked to think that I was pretty good at reading people, and she just didn’t fit the mafia type. Still, I never would have thought my own sister would get tangled up with mafia men, but she did, and now she was gone. The woman I was hunting would know about Shannon, and I needed answers. Until I was sure one way or the other, I would just have to keep digging.

“This is it,” she said, her mood seeming to lighten as the small diner came into view. “I hope you like it. It’s really a great place. Very low-key.”

“If you like it, then I’m sure I’ll love it. You seem to have great taste,” I said, laying on the charm.

She rolled her eyes. “You sure do know how to lay it on thick, don’t you?”

Winking, I parked the car and jogged to get the passenger door before she could open it. We’d parked around the side of the small restaurant where the light barely touched. She stepped out and leaned against the car for a second. I could tell from the look in her eyes that she didn’t want to eat, at least not the cuisine that the elderly couple I’d seen in the window would be serving. My job was simple. I was just supposed to get to know her—with no physical contact—but when she bit her lip, my morals flew out the window.

Stepping closer to her, I placed a hand on either side of her, pinning her between myself and the car. Her chest was heaving up and down, making her breasts quiver. I could have watched her there in the dim light all night without touching her, just taking in her rare beauty. Her raven hair hung loose around her face, accentuating her perfectly plump lips and emerald eyes. Every Irish bone in my body was set on fire as I watched her wiggle under my steady gaze.

“You really are something—do you know that?”

She nodded. “I don’t feel much like eating anymore.”

I stepped closer. Our bodies pressed together as my lips brushed against hers. Her breath caught in her chest as my cock pressed against her warm body. The thin fabric of her dress did little to hide her desire for me. As her nipples grew hard and poked through the material, I groaned in pleasure. She trailed her fingers up my arms until they cradled my face. When she pulled my lips down into a crushing kiss, I lost all control I had over the situation.

Time seemed to slip away, and I forgot that we were still standing in a dimly-lit parking lot. I pulled her body against my own, thumbing her hips and sliding my hands down her ass. As I suspected, she was wearing nothing under the thin sheath. I slid my hands back around to the front of her dress, letting one brave hand slide between us and trail up the inside of her thigh.

If I didn’t stop soon, I knew that I would take her right there in the parking lot as our tongues intertwined and darted between our mouths. She bit my lower lip as I pulled away and nibbled playfully on her earlobe. Her nails dug into my arms as I tried to keep myself under control. Every sigh of pleasure that slipped past her lips sent me into another frenzy of desire.

“Let’s get out of here,” I said in a heavy voice. “I don’t care where we go. I just want to get you alone.”

She nodded breathlessly. “Let’s go to my place. I need you.”

With those final words, I knew that I was hers to control. I would do anything to keep her wrapped in my arms.

Coming out Nov 1st!

Chapter One-Kevin

Everything was silent in the house apart from the sound of the anticipation of the two of us.

“Right there, Kevin!” she cried out, her hips moving against mine. “Right fucking there!”

I chuckled, the sound trembling with the effort I was already putting out. “I’m fucking trying over here, Stacey! Cut me some slack, would you?”

She didn’t laugh at the joke. Though that probably meant something good for me. I readjusted my hands under her thighs and ass and felt her legs around my waist tighten up as I fucked her even harder against the door.

Usually, we wouldn’t do this at her house, in her bedroom. She’d brought me over to her house under the excuse of studying, and when she saw there was no one home, Stacey dragged me to her bedroom and attacked me before I even got the door closed. Because she was too much temptation to resist, we were fucking like bunnies against the door, even though her bed wasn’t ten steps away. Her panties were somewhere on the floor, and my pants and boxers were around my knees. I always loved seeing her in a dress, or a skirt, because she had a long pair of sexy legs, but I had a new appreciation for them now.

“You’re taking too long,” she groaned. “Kevin, I want to come already…”

I huffed another laugh, cutting off with a moan as her insides clenched around my cock, and she started mouthing at my neck. Whatever words I’d wanted to say got caught in my throat. I was getting close myself, but I knew better than to come before she did. It was embarrassing enough when it happened the first few times we did this.

“Shouldn’t…” I started, speaking through heavy panting. “That should be a good thing, right? If you last longer, it feels better.”

She didn’t say anything, just a bit down on my neck with her teeth and sucked. I let out another groan, my hips snapping in a harsh thrust as that suck went to my cock. Stacey moaned in turn, and my rhythm was broken. I was quick in picking it up again, fucking her in quick, shallow thrusts, and then grinding my hips against hers to get some stimulation on her clit.

“If we take too long…” she murmured, sounding breathless.

That would be a bad thing. Her family didn’t know she and I were together, let alone that we were sexually active. For one, I was pretty sure her dad would kill me. Her mom would never let me into their home again.

And her brother…he would probably kill me for messing with his sister, even though we were best friends.

“Maybe we should come clean?” I suggested. “You want us to fuck every time I come here. If we told them, it would be less of a shock.”

Her body shuddered in my arms, and I grunted as I readjusted my hands again. I wasn’t sure how long we’d been at it, but my arms were starting to get tired. I didn’t plan on putting her down until we were done, though.

Stacey placed a kiss right beneath my ear, then nibbled on the lobe. Her warm breath washing over my ear, down my nape, felt a little ticklish. But it only turned me on more.

“How about this,” she breathed out. ”We can come clean, but only after you make me come.”

That made me laugh again, only to cut off with a groan when she tightened around me and shuddered again. We were both riding on the edge, and I completely forgot about keeping up a rhythm, instead of fucking her with short, erratic jabs, my hands squeezing hard on her flesh. Then her insides were convulsing around my cock, and I was coming in her.

“Oh, fuck,” she muttered, practically strangling my neck and gasping as her body was wracked in shudders.

Then, she slumped into my arms, and I grunted again, pressing her forward against the door so she wouldn’t slip.

“That does get better every time we do it,” she said softly, her head rested on my shoulder with her eyes closed. “Did you finally learn some technique?”

I rolled my eyes. That was Stacey; even blissed out from a good orgasm, she knew how to be sassy.

“You realize you’re going to have to come down soon, right?” I said with some worry, catching my breath. “Because I can’t keep holding you, and I don’t suggest you wait until my arms lose feeling.”

She huffed, raising her head to glare drowsily at me. “I’m not that fucking heavy, Kevin,” she grumbled.

Then she was squirming in my arms, and we both gasped because we were still connected. Carefully, I pulled out of her, and her legs lowered to the floor while she kept her arms around my neck. Once her feet were down, she released the stranglehold she had on me, and I took a step back.

That must have gotten her hot again. Because the tired look was gone from her eyes, instead replaced with one full of desire. My cock had softened, and at her look, it jerked a bit. I looked down at it in irritation. I was glad to be young because I could get it up maybe five minutes, or less after I came. At least when I was giving myself a hand job; when it came to Stacey, it was even shorter.

But doing it once had been risky enough. It would be so fucking awkward if someone came home while we were still doing the nasty.

“Do you see what you do to me?” I complained. “With one look, I just came, and my cock is already twitching.”

She tried to give me a sultry smile, but ruined it when she broke down giggling.

“Well, it’s good for me that you’re so into me. I don’t want you to get bored with me and go looking for someone else.”

I rolled my eyes, amused. “Who the fuck else could I go for? I’ve told you I love only you, right?”

At that, her smile went soft.

Stacey didn’t give me time to tuck myself back into my pants. Instead, one of her arms was back around my neck, tugging me down for a kiss, as her other hand wrapped around my cock and stroked.

“We really should try to have some restraint,” I said, pulling back from her lips. My hips were moving because I couldn’t help it, fucking myself in her fist, slowly growing to full hardness again. “At this rate, we’re going to get caught.”

She pouted. “But this is the first time we’ve gotten alone at my place. We have more privacy here than the pool room at school, you know. And, there’s a perfectly good bed.”

I rolled my eyes again. “Yeah. A bed we never even made it to.”

But even as I complained, I knew I’d give in. This was Stacey. When I said I loved her, I meant it. I’d seen plenty of guys my age say the same thing to a girl and go around her back with someone else, but I thought what she and I had was special because she was special to me.

Why else would I risk my best friend’s wrath by going behind his back? I never even told him I liked her. And while a part of me felt guilty, it didn’t compare to how happy I was with Stacey, even without the fucking. We’d been together, secretly, for nearly a year, and it wasn’t until a few months ago that we took our relationship farther.

Coming out with it now, though, would have a lot of problems attached. Her family, for example, won’t know what it took to get us to where we were. The worst thing I feared, was her brother thinking I was just playing with her, or breaking up our decade’s long friendship.

Not enough to give her up, though.

“We really should start talking about this, though,” I said, trying to be serious while she had a hand around my cock. “They’re gonna need to know sooner or later. And I just think it would be better if they found out from us directly, not because they caught us, or someone else did, and they told us.”

“It’s not like I don’t know,” she murmured, looking down.

I thought she didn’t want to meet my eyes. Or, she just wanted to watch the movement of her hand on my cock. It was certainly a change from when she first saw me naked, partially horrified and fascinated by my male organ. I gave her plenty of time to get used to my dick after that, and most of the time when we couldn’t fuck, she’d get me off with her mouth, and I’d do the same for her.

“Then what’s holding you back?” I asked.

The situation was ridiculous. I wanted to tell her to let me go so we could have a proper talk, but then, I wasn’t going to be tucked back into my clothes again anytime soon. After a short bout of silence, she looked up at me.

“Why can’t we keep this silent just a bit longer?” she practically pleaded. “I know what they’re going to be like once we tell them we’re dating. We won’t get any time alone after that, not like we have today. I’m going to be fucking eighteen soon, and they still treat me like I’m a kid!”

“Stacey,” I said, my voice trembling. “That isn’t fair, you know.”

“Hmm?” she hummed, tilting her head slightly in an innocently confused expression.

Her hand had tightened around my erection, and she was stroking me more firmly, squeezing around the head. My breathing had sped up. I gave her a mock glare, and she rolled her eyes at me.

“Make me come again, then we’ll talk,” she bargained.

I laughed. She wasn’t playing fair. “Whatever you say, princess,” I teased.

I reached my arms around her, catching her dress’s zip and tugging it down. She had to let me go so I could slip it off her shoulders, and she kicked it off to the side. Next was her bra, and she stood in front of me, gloriously naked. I groaned just looking at her.

“Fucking gorgeous,” I growled.

She giggled. “Thank you. Now it’s your turn.”

She pecked a small kiss on my lips, then walked around me with a sway to her hips, heading for the bed. One look at her ass and I was rushing to get my clothes off and following her to the bed for round two.

Here is the cover for book 4, One More Night, that will be out within a week!

Prologue-Opal

I’ve known Ethan for far too long. Our moms were friends before we were born. They were drawn into a friendship due to their difficulties of having to raise their unborn children alone. My dad used to beat the hell out of my mom, and Ethan’s dad disappeared as soon as she found out that they were going to have a baby.

Ethan’s mom, Laura, gave mine the strength to do it without a husband, and they’ve lived together ever since. Ethan and I shared everything, from toys and milkshakes, through to our first heartaches, and our first taste of alcohol. Our moms treated us as siblings; people often asked whether we were brother and sister. When we were young, it felt as if we were. Every morning we would eat our breakfast together and walk to the same school, where we sat only a table or two away from each other. Ethan was the first person to know anything that happened to me, and I was always the first to know anything that happened to him.

We stayed up for countless nights talking and laughing. I guess we took it all for granted, because I’ve never understood why we fell apart the way that we did, but fate has brought us back together again.

Chapter 1-Opal

It was difficult to describe how close Ethan and I were. I don’t think either of us could have imagined life without the other, not fully. People used to call us the evil twins and jokingly say that we were joined at the hip. We would hang out with the same people and play in the same band. We listened to similar music, watched the same movies and it was as if nothing could tear us apart.

We supported each other when no one else would. We knew everything about each other. I don’t think we ever argued, even when we didn’t see eye to eye. I know that we had never spent longer than three days away from each other until it was time for us to go to college. That was when everything changed.

The summer filled us with a curious mixture of apprehension and expectation. We were both accepted to college, but we weren’t going together. For the first time in our lives, we were going separate ways. We spent weeks reassuring each other that we would keep in touch and, of course, spend our breaks together. Our moms still lived together. I looked forward to med school and making new friends, and Ethan was excited about seeing the world and his studies.

Each year since we were in our early teens, we went away together along with some other kids we knew. As we got older, we would go alone, no longer needing our moms to hold our hands. It was a two-week holiday in cabins in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nature and away from everyday distractions and problems.

Ethan and I would take long walks and take pictures of animals and plants we encountered. We would sit by the stream for hours talking about our hopes, dreams, and fears. We teased each other and laughed about our past.

He knew all my flaws, but they never seemed to bother him, and I would tease him from time to time about them. He had a kind heart and sensitive nature, which he sometimes covered by acting like a clown. That summer was pleasantly warm, but not so hot that we couldn’t enjoy it. The annual holiday passed way faster than we would have liked.

Days in the sun amongst nature and evenings by the fire, telling scary stories and anecdotes, drinking beer, and playing games. There were only two cabins there, so each of us shared a room with someone else. We always went for the boys-girls split, mostly out of habit. The last night of the trip came too soon and changed more than I could ever imagine…

We sat down by the fire as usual as we drank beer and started to play party games. We weren’t setting off home until the next day, so there was no rush to end the night early. Some of us began to crumble out into bed and only the hardcore night owls like Ethan and myself stayed around the fire.

One of our friends suggested that we play truth or dare. After a short debate, we agreed to give it a shot. We laughed as our friends squirmed with the questions and made fools out of themselves when dared. One of the boys, Jamie, ended up putting on my dress and dancing to music picked out by another guy while we recorded it, someone else had to pretend to make love to a nearby tree, some people exchanged awkward kisses and opened up about personal details when asked.

After a few rounds, Ethan and I were dared to kiss each other. My heart skipped a beat as I heard the dare. I’d had feelings for him for a while, but kept them locked away, I knew we were going to part soon, and I didn’t dare to lose the precious friendship we shared by telling him. We stared at each other in a moment of awkward hesitation before moving closer, and, to my surprise, he didn’t argue with the dare.

This wasn’t going to be our first kiss, but something had stopped us from going further with it. Ethan was the popular one. Girls loved his smoking blue eyes and dark hair. He wasn’t too dark, but had olive skin, and everything about him was different compared to the other guys. Including the fact that he was towering over six feet when he left school.

Guys loved him because he was funny. He loved pranks and could always tell a good joke and everyone enjoyed his antics. He played sports and studied hard; his best quality was that he was always trying to do his best to make people around him feel good about themselves. Which was a rare quality back in high school. Everyone was only worried about themselves. All the time.

I was quite well liked, but timid and quiet until I got comfortable around people. I didn’t like large groups and loud company.

That night, our lips touched, I could feel my head spinning as our tongues danced and my hidden feelings came to the surface with an unexpected force as his strong arms wrapped around my waist. Before I knew it, I put my arms around him.

It was as if there was so much chemistry between us. I’ve never experienced a kiss like that; it was as if he wanted me and only me at that moment in time. Our bodies were so close to each other that you wouldn’t be able to put a leaf between us. His lips were soft, and he tasted of beer and the boiled sweets we’d been snacking on, his chest felt strong and firm against mine and his embrace made me feel safer than ever.

I didn’t know how long we were lost in each other, but I could feel him bury his hand in my hair and his manhood firm against my hip. Everyone was quiet when we finally opened our eyes. I sheepishly looked into his eyes and saw that odd, passionate glimmer in them; he bit his lip, and I bit mine, before we turned to the rest of the group and laughed nervously. People laughed and clapped; some made a few joking comments about us getting carried away, and we laughed them off as we returned to our respective seats.

We sat back down, and I heard my phone buzz. I glanced at it to see a message from Ethan as he put his arm around me in a reassuring way. He was asking whether we should disappear into his room. We stayed around the fire for a few more minutes, and then awkwardly made our excuses.

My heart was racing, as I had no idea what was going to happen, and all I knew was that I wanted to be alone with him and away from the curious eyes of our friends. We held hands as we slowly walked to his cabin and made our way up the stairs and into his room.

This is the cover for book 3, One More Chance, which will be live next week by the 17th!

This comes out this Wednesday, the 11th!

Chapter 1-Ross

“Dad!”

Sophia was shouting in my ear and I couldn’t believe that she still tended to wake me up, the same way that she’d been doing since she was five. I’d hoped that, seeing as she was older, she would stop acting like a human alarm clock that I could never turn off. I groaned and rolled away from the loud sound shouted directly into my ear. When I heard a whine in response to my actions, I groaned louder and pulled my pillow and covers over my head.

“Five more minutes, hon,” I grunted, muffled under all the covers.

She heard me, but her whining was only getting louder. A little body suddenly jumped on me, little hands trying to shake me and barely managing to move me.

“Dad! Can you please get up? I’m gonna be late for school!”

I sighed, knowing I wouldn’t get to go back to sleep. I pushed off my pillows and covers, letting out a hiss of breath when she moved to get off me and kneed me in the stomach. I sat up blearily and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I blinked them open and looked down at my daughter.

Hair as dark as mine fell around her face, over her shoulders, and down her back. It was getting a little long, but she’d stopped cutting it last year, saying she wanted it to grow out. She even had my slightly tanned skin, her bright green eyes one of the features she didn’t get from me.

She sat on her knees at the edge of the bed, arms folded over her chest.

Sophia was seven, soon to be eight, and considered herself in charge of me, even though I was the parent.

“Aren’t you up a little early, Sophia? I’m sure it can’t be that late.”

She just sighed and rolled her eyes. “Look at the clock and tell me that.”

I frowned, and my gaze turned to the alarm clock I kept on my nightstand. I’d bought one a while back after my phone woke me up one morning and I dropped it on the floor trying to shut off the alarm. I groaned when I caught the time.

“The alarm must be broken,” I murmured, turning to Sophia with a look of apology. “Give me five minutes, and I’ll come down to cook you breakfast, okay?”

She persisted with the sour look for a moment longer, before her expression burst into a wide smile.

“Sure, Dad! I’ll just shower and change. Don’t take too long!”

I just hummed. Not that she waited for an answer, because she scrambled off the bed and ran out. I pushed myself out of bed a moment later, picked some clothes from my closet, and went to have my shower. I was out ten minutes later, feeling refreshed, picked my phone from the nightstand and headed for the kitchen to get started on breakfast.

I was serving two plates of eggs, toast, and pancakes when I heard her running down the stairs.

“Come and have your breakfast already!” I called as I placed the plates on our tiny dining table. Then she came into the kitchen, and I winced. “Just what are you wearing?”

She frowned at me. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

Dammit, Sophia.

She was dressed in all pink, her favorite color at the moment. The pink dress was fine, if a little too much for school. She had the pair of bright pink shoes with a strap my mother bought her as a present, with a short heel and a large flower on the buckles. She also had matching tights and hat, with more flowers on top of it.

“It’s fine, honey,” I said hesitantly. “It’s just a little…”

She pouted at me again. “Too much? Or not enough? I wanted to add a scarf; I have the fluffy one grandma bought for me—”

“No, Sophia.” I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. I was pretty sure everything she had on was bought by my mother.

“It’s all nice, but I think your grandmother would prefer it if you dressed like this for a party. Not for school.”

Sophia crossed her arms over her chest and looked away.

“Your birthday isn’t that far away,” I tried to bargain.

“You can dress up for your birthday, and I’m sure grandma will bring you more pretty clothes. You don’t want to get them dirty, do you?”

There was some hesitation, but then her arms dropped. She stuck her tongue out at me and ran back out of the kitchen. I chuckled tiredly as I took a seat at the table but held back on eating first.

I was grateful to my mom on the days she took care of Sophia when I couldn’t, and I was happy that she had such a wonderful relationship with her grandchild, but she spoiled her too much. Besides, this parenting thing was so fucking hard at times! Sophia needed a woman’s touch, but at times Mom’s touch could be a bit over the top, as she seemed to smother Sophia at the best of times. Mom told me that Sophia was going through her ‘princess phase’ and there was nothing wrong with spoiling her. I was just worried about all the clothes that would be tossed aside when she grew out of the phase.

She was back minutes later, and I gave her a once over. She’d kept the tights, but switched everything else for a pink top, jean jacket, and beige shorts, with black sports shoes. I nodded once in approval, and she skipped over to the table.

“My hands are clean!” she told me, holding them out to me as evidence.

I smiled. “I see that. Eat up so I can take you to school.”

School started at eight a.m. and I usually tried to get her there around five minutes before the bell. She’d woken me up at fifteen past seven and I was cutting it fine, but I had to fucking make it. I ate my meal and was done before she was halfway done with her own.

“Did you do your homework last night?” I got up from the table with my dirty dishes and left them in the sink. I’d have to wash up when I got back; there wouldn’t be enough time now. “Tell me where your backpack is, and your stuff for school. I’ll bring them down while you get ready.”

She chewed and swallowed her food before answering. “I did all my homework, and my books are on my table. My bag is right under it.”

“I’ll be right back, then.”

I pecked her on the temple as I passed her and headed back upstairs. The door to her room was just a short distance from my own. It was a mirror of mine, only better suited for a young girl. She had a small bed, her little bookshelf shoved up against the wall, with a small table and chair right next to it. The little plastic table had books strewn all over it, and I sighed as I put everything to rights. Her backpack was where she said it was, under the table, and I packed it up, then went down the stairs with it in hand.

Sophia was just putting her dishes in the washer when I walked back into the kitchen, and I gave her another smile of approval. The smile she gifted me with was bigger and happier, and I couldn’t help chuckling.

“It’s time for school, now, baby. Let’s go.”

“’Kay, dad!”

I held my hand out for her, and she skipped over to me and took my hand. I wanted to carry her. I’d gotten so used to it that it was hard when she suddenly refused to be carried around because she was ‘a Big Girl’. Remembering how she sat me down to explain it all to me still made me crack a smile, though it had been over a year now.

I picked up two sets of keys on our way out—one for the house, and the other for my car, with a spare key for work.

The drive wasn’t too long. The only reason we took the car was that I didn’t want to tire her out before she got to school. We lived in a relatively small town, so plenty of people were out walking. I let Sophia in the back, set her bag on her lap and did up her seat belt, then got in the driver’s seat.

“Put on the music, dad!” she shouted when I didn’t move to do so immediately. “Please, daddy?”

I arched my eyebrow at her in the back, not surprised to see her with her hands held out in front of her, palms pressed together, eyes wide, imploring, as she pouted.

“You don’t have to beg me, you know,” I said, amused by her drama.

The CD was in the player, so I just turned it on and played the music. It was a compilation of popular kids’ songs, another present from my mom. Immediately, she was singing along as loud as she could. I just laughed and sang along to the parts I knew, though I’d pretty much memorized all of them by this point.

On the streets to either side of us were other people waking up, some taking their little ones to school. I got shouts and waves from a few people, and I waved back. Less than ten minutes later, we arrived at the school parking lot.

“We’re here, baby,” I told Sophia.

She was pouting before I turned off her music, but she took hold of her bag. She waited for me to get out and help her out of her seat belt. I held her under her armpits and pulled her out of the car, letting her down on the pavement.

“Dad, look! She’s here; she’s here!”

I smiled as she jumped at me impatiently. She knew better than to run ahead without me, though, after I’d scolded her for it a couple of times. The parking lot was at the school, but, while cars knew better than to rush around this street, it was better to stay cautious.

I was in a hurry, as well, so I didn’t hold her back too much. I was excited myself, and couldn’t help grinning. Once we were across the road, she took off with a squeal, and I was a little jealous I couldn’t do the same.

“Jessica!”

“Hi, Sophia!” I watched as my daughter’s teacher crouched down to receive her bear hug, giving her a tight squeeze before pulling back to smile at Sophia. “You’re as beautiful as ever today. How was your morning?”

Sophia practically vibrated in place with pleasure. “I had to get Dad out of bed, and he made me take off my dress, but he made me breakfast!”

Jessica glanced up at me. “Did he now? And did you thank your dad?”

Sophia suddenly stilled under Jessica’s eyes. Then she turned around and looked up at me with a serious expression. It was so cute on her face, still chubby with baby fat. I bit the inside of my cheek to hold back a smile.

“Thanks, Dad,” she said solemnly.

I did smile because she was acting way too serious about the whole thing.

“It’s fine, baby. Don’t you need to head to class now?” I prompted.

I wanted her to go so I could have some time to talk to Jessica. I didn’t have to check my watch to know it was almost time for school to begin, and I would have to leave then. Sophia seemed to realize what I wanted, and she narrowed her eyes at me for a moment. But then she abruptly gave Jessica another hug, then wrapped her arms tightly around my legs, before turning away and running into the school.

We both watched her go; then I held my hand out to help Jessica up from her crouch. She watched my hand for a moment, wary, and I breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t just rebuff me. Her soft hand slid into mine and I pulled her up. She didn’t immediately pull her hand out of mine, and I counted that as a victory.

“Good morning, Ross,” she said politely.

“How’ve you been, Jessica?” I asked, trying to be informal but really wanting to have her in my arms.

She pursed her lips. “Fine,” she answered curtly. Then she paused and hesitated, before sighing. “My Aunt Hayley was in town over the weekend; she helped my mom over at the diner.”

There were a few diners in town, but the biggest, not to mention the most famous, was owned by Jessica’s fifty-five-year-old mom, Rita. Our moms had known each other forever, even with my mom being five years older. Much like them, Jessica and I had been born and raised together.

“Hayley was in town, huh. I kinda wish I’d passed by the diner, now.”

She gave me a curious look. “Sophia was there with your mom. I was going to ask them why you didn’t come along, but then our moms got talking, and I couldn’t get a word in the whole time. So, I just ordered and ate. I didn’t understand why they even bothered to ask me to come along. It was clear that they didn’t want my company.”

I shrugged, then grinned. “I had my mom take care of her because I was working on your car all weekend.”

Her eyes widened, her jaw dropping. “Y-you don’t need to spend so much time and work on it.” She started to frown as if I’d said something wrong. Maybe she felt guilty about me missing out because I was working on her car.

“But you brought it to me so I could fix it!”

“Yes, because it’s a cheap car. If I could have afforded it, I would have gotten something that didn’t break down every other day. If you keep working on it, I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to afford it.”

I smiled a little, because it was fun to see her flustered. I took a step closer, and my hand rose on its own to touch my fingertips to her cheek. That made her freeze, and her eyes turned up to me. She didn’t move away from me, though. After a moment, I pulled my hand away and shoved it in my pocket. I had to tread carefully.

Jessica had left town and only recently gotten back. We had some history, the kind that made her want to avoid me when she got back. Sophia, and being my daughter’s teacher, was the only reason she couldn’t—though the thought of her becoming a quiet school teacher never occurred to me back in high school, it suits her so well.

If I was ever going to get her to go on a date with me—my obvious flirting wasn’t getting to her—I wanted her to be at ease around me.

It had taken too long to get this far for me to ruin it now because I couldn’t control myself.

“I already told you not to worry about the price; you’ll be able to afford it. You already gave me your budget, remember? I won’t go above it. And you did bring your car to me because my prices are more reasonable.”

She was still for a moment, then she pouted. I wasn’t sure she knew she was doing it, but it reminded me so much of Sophia at that moment that I had to bite my cheek to hold back a smile.

“Well, yes, but hasn’t it been too long? I’m sure you have other work to be doing…”

I shrugged. “Well, I do get a few drive-bys come to the garage, but they’re usually for small jobs. You told me I could take my time, so don’t worry, I’m not going to go broke because it’s taking so long.” Then I grinned. “You could always come by the garage later, and you can see. You could bring Sophia with you.”

She narrowed her eyes at that, even as her lips twitched slightly up at the corners. She opened her mouth to say something, only to pause for a moment. We were interrupted by the sound of the school bell, and we both looked toward the building, where the remaining children outside rushed indoors.

“Maybe some other time,” she said instead of whatever she’d had in mind.

I watched her turn and walk away, wishing we’d had enough time so I knew what she would have said. Before she walked through the entrance, she turned around and waved at me. She wasn’t so far that I didn’t notice the smile. I smiled back as I waved, then she was gone.

I turned away from the school and walked back to the parking lot so I could head to work, the smile still on my face, thinking that she was getting sexier the older she got. That was for sure. I knew that this was stage one and she’d be mine by the end of it. It was just a matter of time. I could wait because I knew that, this time, she was in town for good and I wasn’t going to take no for an answer. No matter how many times she tried to keep me at bay.