Take Me (Lessons in Seduction # - Sophie Holloway

TAKE ME

SOPHIE HOLLOWAY

Contents Take Me Copyright About the Book 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve

13. Chapter Thirteen 14. Chapter Fourteen 15. Chapter Fifteen About the Author Also By Sophie Holloway

TAKE ME

Lessons In Seduction Book Two By Sophie Holloway

All Rights Reserved Copyright Take Me © 2016 Self Taught Ninja Inc. All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. This erotic romance is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not

authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. This ebook is licensed for your personal use only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with, especially if you enjoy hot, sexy, emotional novels featuring Dominant alpha males. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work. Cover design by Bootstrap Designs. Editorial services provided by Leone Editorial. Created with Vellum

ABOUT THE BOOK

I want more of her. All of her.

I want to drive her wild every single night until she's learned all the sinfully

wicked things I need to teach her.

But someone is trying to tear us apart. Someone’s gunning for my company too. What they don’t know is that I’m the kind of man who protects what's his.

My family, my business, and this woman. I will do whatever it takes.

Just try me.

CHAPTER ONE

Eva it came to sex, there were a W hen lot of things Eva Fiorini didn’t

know. She didn’t know exactly what it was that drove men wild, though she’d spent a lot of this night finding out the answer to that from Jack Bennett, sexual education professor of epic proportions. She didn’t know quite where to put her hands or how to touch a man, though Jack’s instructions were proving very enlightening. And before tonight she’d had no clue how hard it would be to turn herself off, once she’d been turned on. The answer? It was damn near impossible. For the first time in her twenty-six years, she was ready. She had Jack, the only man she had ever really wanted. Here. Naked. Condom on. Go

time. But if anything could change a moment in the blink of an eye it was fear —the stone cold variety coursing through her veins. A strange man had just broken into her apartment. And according to the cell phone call she’d just received from American Security, the man was still there, looking through her things. Maybe even looking for her. Her heart raced painfully as worry tripped through her still-turned-on body. While she and Jack were getting ready to get down and get dirty, an intruder had bypassed her state-of-theart security system and was prowling around, pawing through her home, hunting for something to steal.

She shuddered at the image. Meanwhile, the security team had instructed her to sit tight and wait. Right. “I have to go,” Eva said, sitting up in bed, ignoring the way her body protested the thought of leaving the hotel. The frustrated place between her legs was desperate to continue what she and Jack had started. She was scared, but she was also at the mercy of a kind of arousal she’d never felt before. Jack, however, remained as controlled as ever, seeming to have no trouble switching his agenda from sex to assuring her safety. He rolled swiftly off the bed and reached for his boxer briefs. “No. You

stay put.” Eva squeezed her legs together as a chill fell over her naked body, still flushed from the way Jack had made her burn. She tunneled her feet under the blankets. “But I—“ “But nothing, Eva. I’ll go. I don’t want you anywhere near your apartment until I’m sure it’s safe.” He strode through the room, leaving her nearly salivating over his gorgeous, naked frame—the lean, sinewy muscles of his arms, the gym-defined pectorals and backside, the wondercock that was every bit as wondrous as the rumors… When clothed, Jack was easily the most handsome man in any room, but seeing him naked brought Eva’s

appreciation to a new level. And she wanted to be free to appreciate him at leisure, not stuck freaking out about who was breaking into her apartment. God, who had done this to her home? And why? She thrust her chin up, feigning confidence. “There’s nothing you can do that I can’t, Jack. And I want to see this creep who had the nerve to break into my home.” Jack met her gaze in the mirror as he buttoned his shirt. “What if it’s more than that? Didn’t you say earlier that you felt you were being followed?” “Well yes, but…” A chill skittered down her spine. She let out a nervous laugh. “But that’s all in my head, I’m

sure. Too many thrillers. Too many detective novels. I mean, why would anyone want to stalk me? It’s hilarious, really. I’m the most boring person I know.” Jack didn’t answer, but it was obvious he didn’t see the humor in it. The more she studied the stony look on his face, the more she had to admit this wasn’t all that funny. When he finished dressing, he returned to stand beside the bed, reaching out to lightly touch her chin. Even that simple touch was enough to send fresh ripples of desire all the way to her toes. “You were very precious to your family, Eva. Your safety is not something that they—or I—would ever

joke about.” Her heart, which had been pounding an urgent but steady beat ever since the phone call from American Security, suddenly fluttered. She could’ve melted right there. Could have brought him back into bed with her and let him take care of her, and screw whatever was happening outside the hotel room. If she kept him here, at least she wouldn’t have to worry about him getting into danger on her account. And she did worry. As much as she’d told her friends Georgie and Nelson that she wouldn’t get emotionally wrapped up in Jack Bennett, she couldn’t help it. He was the closest thing to family she had left.

She curled her fingers around his. “I don’t want you to go,” she said. She’d meant to sound sexy, seductive, but the words came out small and scared. “I mean, it’s my apartment. I should go with you.” “That’ll accomplish nothing, Eva. I’ll sort it out. Stay here. Be safe. I’ve got this.” He threw his jacket on and tucked his cell phone into his pocket. “I’ll call you when I arrive.” She wrapped the sheets tightly around her naked body as he left and closed the door behind him. In the silence of the strange hotel room, everything that had happened in the past few hours slowly sunk in. She had been so nervous for her

“date” with Jack, but somewhere between giving Jack her awkward first strip tease, and clutching his hair as his mouth worked between her legs, she’d become lost in pleasure. Now, there were signs of his presence everywhere, from the whisker burn his stubble had left on her chin to the delicious spice of his aftershave still hanging in the air. He had awakened a wild, hungry part of her that had lain dormant her entire life. She felt electrified, on edge, and desperate for more of the primal connection she’d just discovered. Combined with the unbearable quiet, the solitude of the impersonal hotel room became too much to take. Shivering, she pulled the covers

over her shoulders and dragged them from the bed, using them as a makeshift shawl as she padded to the window. She pulled back the heavy curtain in time to see Jack standing under the marquee, hailing a cab. A light rain had fallen, making the concrete shimmer in the streetlights. She’d always thought the rain made the city beautiful, but in the past few hours her view of everything had shifted. She now saw another side of New York—a menacing, dangerous one. Someone had been following her. And maybe that same someone had broken into her apartment. She didn’t want to be alone. She couldn’t be. Not now. She closed the

curtains and quickly began to dress.

CHAPTER TWO

Jack

J

ack checked his Rolex as the cab pulled curbside next to Eva’s

apartment building in Tribeca. It was just before midnight. He would much rather be rolling up to her place to continue their lessons in seduction¸ but he was accustomed to shifting gears quickly. It was part of what made him a shark at the negotiation table. He didn’t have as much experience using the seek-and-destroy part of himself in his personal life, but right now he was ready to tear the son of a bitch who had broken into Eva’s apartment to pieces with his bare hands. What if Eva had been home? Alone? What would the bastard have done to her? The thought was enough to make Jack’s jaw clench and his hands ball into

fists at his sides. Eva’s apartment boasted a 24/7 doorman, a brightly lit lobby, and an address in one of the best neighborhoods in the city. One of the safest, too— Antonio had made sure of that. That safety came with a hefty Tribeca price tag, but Antonio had spared no expense where his little sister was concerned. The day they’d closed on the apartment four years ago, he’d had a team install a top-of-the-line security system. At the time Jack had thought the cameras in every room were overkill. But now, as he stepped onto the sidewalk to greet the policemen milling around outside the apartment building, he wondered whether Antonio’s instincts

had been spot on. “Were you the officer American Security sent to follow up on the breakin?” he asked the young policeman who was slouching against a squad car. The baby-faced cop stood up straight and waved him off. “I’m going to have to ask you to move along, sir. This is an active crime scene. Only residents are allowed in the building right now.” Jack’s jaw clenched. Ordinarily, the kid cop’s tough-guy act would have loosened the sharper edge of his tongue. But tonight he needed answers—fast— and there were times when honey caught more flies than vinegar. “Look. I’m Jack Bennett, Miss Fiorini’s friend. I’ve known her since she was a girl, and I

was with her when she got the call that there’d been a break-in. I didn’t want her coming here until I made sure it was safe. I’m worried about her and would appreciate any information you’re able to share.” The other man’s expression softened. “I get it. I’ve got two little sisters.” Jack nodded, though he certainly wasn’t thinking about Eva in a sisterly fashion any more. Not after tonight. “It’s safe,” the cop continued. “The perp got away, but we’ll need the resident to determine if anything’s missing. I’m Officer Valentine. Come on. I’ll show you what we’ve got so far.” Valentine motioned him through the revolving doors to where the doorman,

an older man with a thick gray moustache, stood in the elegant lobby, looking thoroughly spooked. “Nothing like this has ever happened here before,” he said as they approached. “Been here ten years, and we’ve never had a breakin.” Well, that makes sense. This place is like Fort Knox. If the intruder was a junkie looking for something to sell to get his next fix, there were about a million other places in the city that would be easier to get into. “I have no idea how this person gained access,” the doorman continued with a huff, “but he certainly didn’t come through my lobby.” “It’s all right, Harry.” Officer

Valentine clapped the doorman on the shoulder. “We’ll figure it out. And as soon as we do, you’ll be the first to know.” “You do that.” Harry nodded crisply. “If Miss Fiorini had been hurt, I never would have forgiven myself. Sweet girl like that should feel safe in her own home.” Jack smiled at the man as he followed Valentine deeper into the lobby, a fan of Harry already. “As I said, we’re working on figuring out just how the guy gained access.” The officer circled around the front desk, motioning for Jack to join him on the other side. There, below the polished black marble countertop was a

console with a series of six small television screens, each displaying a stretch of empty hallway. On one of them Jack saw the frozen image of a man working at the lock on Eva’s door. “This is their best shot of him so far.” The officer clicked the mouse beside the front desk computer, blowing up the image until the intruder’s pixelated face filled the screen. “We’re working with American Security to get the images from the cameras inside the apartment. We should have them soon.” Jack stared at the blurry picture of the fucker who’d ruined his evening. The guy was tall and wore baggy jeans and a hooded jacket that was drawn tight around his face. He could’ve been any

one of a million men. “That’s all you have?” The officer crossed his arms with a sigh. “’Fraid so.” Jack looked at the doorman, whose moustache was ruffling with irritation “So you were here in the lobby the entire time, Harry?” The older man nodded. “I sure was.” “And she’s on the, what? The twelfth floor?” When the older man nodded again, Jack pushed on. “Are there any back entrances this guy might have come through? Maybe a delivery entrance?” Harry shook his head. “There are, but all the other entrances are locked, and I didn’t see anyone out of the ordinary.” He leaned his forearm on the

desk and pointed to the log book on the other side. “All the people who signed in have checked out. Unless the bastard scaled the wall, I don’t know how he got in.” And if he had scaled the wall—or resorted to other elaborate measures to gain entrance—then this for damned sure wasn’t a random break-in. Jack turned back to the officer, his brow furrowed. He didn’t like this. Not one fucking bit. “So, what happens next?” “We’re looking into all possible leads,” Valentine said vaguely. Jack sucked in a breath. In other words, they had no idea. He rubbed his eyes, his frustration growing. “Do you

have any leads?” Valentine pressed his lips together. “We’re compiling evidence. Our first order of business is interviewing the victim. You said you were with her at the time? Is she close by?” “Yes, I was with her,” Jack said. “But no, she’s not close. I told you, I wanted to make sure—” “I’m here, I’m here,” a slightly breathless voice said behind them. Jack turned to see Eva hurrying toward them in her sexy-as-hell black dress and fuck-me heels. Emotions warred within him: irritation at her for not listening when he’d told her to stay put, relief that she was close enough that he could keep her safe from fuckers like

the one on that screen, and gratitude that every inch of her beautiful body was unharmed. Jack flashed back to the hotel room, when she’d let her sinful dress fall to her feet, baring the goddess underneath. The mix of innocence and seduction in her every movement had blown him away. Now, she wrapped her arms tight around her body, fear stealing her confidence. “I’m Eva Fiorini. What do you need to ask me?” The officer held out a hand, which Eva shook with her usual elegance. “Nice to meet you Miss Fiorini. I’m Officer Valentine. Why don’t you go on upstairs first and take a look around, so you can let me know if anything’s

missing. I’ll be up as soon as I make a quick call into headquarters.” Eva nodded, but as she turned toward the elevator, she cast an anxious glance at Jack over her shoulder. She half bit, half licked her lower lip in a way that made his cock twitch, despite the fact that his blood was boiling. What the fuck was she doing here? When he’d agreed to be her teacher, he’d assumed she would respect his direction, even if it extended to activities outside the bedroom. He needed her to listen to him, to obey him, especially at times like this. If something happened to her on his watch, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself. “I thought I told you to stay put,” he

muttered as he took her elbow and led her the last few feet to the elevator bank. “I’m not a dog,” she said softly, irritation clipping each word. He gritted his teeth. “Obviously. Dogs have more sense. As my student, you are under my authority. That was part of the deal, was it not?” After a brief pause, her breath rushed out. “Yes, but—” “Then you should have listened,” Jack said. “When I say I’m going to take care of something, and I want you to stay safe, I mean it.” “Then I guess you’ll have to punish me, won’t you?” Her voice still carried an edge of irritation, but there was heat in her eyes—heat that made him want to

push her dress up around her thighs the moment the elevator doors closed. Once again he wondered how she managed to straddle the line between innocent virgin and sinfully sexy vixen, a combination that kept his jaw dropping and his cock as hard as steel. His dick stiffened more as he imagined how he would show her who was in control. The way he would bring her to the edge with his mouth between her legs, but deny her release until she was begging him to get her off and swearing she would never disobey a direct order again. Damn, she turned him on like no one else. Not an hour ago he’d been a heartbeat away from burying himself

deep inside her, and now he was here again, in this unfamiliar, agonizing place of wanting her like nothing he’d ever wanted before. “Hold the elevator,” Valentine called, just as the doors were about to close. Jack reached out, opening the doors for the officer to slip through. Probably for the best. Being alone with Eva right now didn’t seem like the best idea. He needed to regain control, to rule his emotions instead of the other way around. On the way up to the apartment, Valentine filled Eva in on the particulars of the case. The higher the elevator rose, the deeper the crease of worry on her

forehead became. As the doors opened on the twelfth floor, the officer said, “Unfortunately, there have been a rash of burglaries in the area. It’s nothing new. We’ll just make a list of what’s missing and hope he gets careless next time.” Jack frowned as they made their way down the hallway to her home. What kind of plan of action is that? And what about the fact that this man went to all the trouble to rob someone on the twelfth floor, where it would be harder for him to make his escape? At her door, Eva took a bracing breath before turning the key and stepping inside. Jack followed her and was immediately enveloped in the

welcoming energy of the apartment. Even in pretentious Tribeca, this was just the sort of place that he’d expect Eva to have—homey and warm, with touches of her family everywhere. The shelves teemed with books, and the overstuffed couch was draped in the same colorful homemade blankets that had littered Antonio’s bed when they were in school—Jack couldn’t recall a time when he’d seen Mrs. Fiorini without her knitting needles. Family photos adorned nearly every inch of available wall space. As Eva walked to the middle of the room, two fluffy gray cats emerged from beneath the couch to curl around her ankles. She picked one of them up and

stroked behind its ears, still looking around. “Everything looks okay in here.” She pointed down a small hallway. “May I…?” The officer nodded. “Of course. We’ve already made sure it’s clear, and we’ve dusted for prints.” As Valentine followed her down the corridor, with Eva’s fuck-me heels clicking on the wooden floor, Jack couldn’t help but remember the way she’d walked toward him, nearly naked, and how perfect her tits had felt in his hands. He ached to touch her again, and not simply because they’d stopped seconds from the main event. He needed to hold her, to banish the stress from her eyes with his hands, his kiss, his mouth

against hers, promising that she was safe as long as she was in his arms. A moment later he heard Eva say, “It’s all fine in here, too. My jewelry, my computer, my iPad—everything’s here, even my grandmother’s pearls, thank God.” Jack turned back toward the living room and found himself facing a picture of a younger Eva, when she was probably eight or nine, wearing a riding habit and straddling a giant black horse. She held a blue ribbon, and an ear-to-ear smile brightened her face. Beside her was her family, all of them now deceased: Mrs. Fiorini, who died when Eva was in high school; her father, Pietro, who’d died in a boating accident

a few years ago; and her brother, Antonio, who’d been struck by a hit and run driver last year. Once upon a time they’d had it all— love, money, success, happiness. There had been a lot to envy about them. And now, Eva was the only one left. Cursed. Jack had heard the whispers after Antonio’s funeral. The only family I know of that has worse luck was the Kennedy clan. But Jack didn’t believe in luck or curses or coincidences. And he sure as hell didn’t believe in sitting tight and waiting for the man who had broken into Eva’s apartment to strike again. When Eva drifted back into the room

a moment later, her eyes wide and her fingers anxiously scratching her cat’s furry neck, he realized there was no way he was letting her out of his sight. Not for the foreseeable future, anyway. She swallowed and asked Valentine the same question he’d been thinking. “So what do you think the man wanted, if he wasn’t here to rob me?” “Oh, I’m sure he was after your valuables,” the officer answered, “It’s likely the alarm just got tripped and scared him away before he could.” Jack went over to the front hallway to study the elaborate panel on the alarm system. It looked like something out of the space shuttle. If that wasn’t enough of a deterrent, the warning signs on the

door that said THIS HOME IS PROTECTED BY AMERICAN SECURITY should have been. He remembered how proud Antonio had been when he’d had the thing installed. Let them come, he’d challenged with a glint in his eye. This alarm system makes NORAD look like child’s play. Despite what the officer thought, Jack knew one thing for sure: this was no run-of-the-mill burglary. The officer began another round of meaningless assurances as Jack paced behind Eva, itching to take action. As she and Valentine grabbed spots on the couch to run through the particulars of the phone call from American Security, Jack excused himself to the hallway to check the front door.

The doorknob was perfectly intact, without a scratch, and there was a fingerprint scan required to gain access. If the man had entered through the front door, wouldn’t the lock be damaged? How else had he gotten in without a print scan? Frowning at the buzz in his pocket, Jack slid out his cell. He had a text from Stella, asking if he was still alive. Just the person he needed to talk to.

CHAPTER THREE

Jack tapped on Stella’s contact H einformation and brought the

phone to his ear. “It’s about time,” she answered after the first ring, not even bothering to say hello. “What about my hairy details?” “I know, I know.” It had been less than a week since his good friend Stella had given him the final encouragement he’d needed to agree to Eva’s unconventional arrangement, but it seemed like a lifetime ago. He vaguely recalled telling her that he would keep her posted on the outcome, but things had changed. Suddenly it felt wrong to talk about sleeping with Eva Fiorini. “But I can’t really get into details right now.” Or ever, he added silently. “I need to ask you a favor.” A pause. “Okay. You all right, Jack?”

A few inquisitive neighbors in pajamas were peeking their heads out of nearby apartments. Jack strode past them, stopping at the end of the hall at the elevator bank, where there was a picture window overlooking the city. He took a deep breath and leaned his forehead against the cool glass. “Remember when you were having trouble with those vandals targeting your food trucks a couple of years back? You had to hire private security, right?” “Right…” she began cautiously, as if wary where this was leading. “What about it?” “What was the name of the outfit you used? You were pleased with them?” “Max Coby and Associates? Oh, yes,

they were great. Former NYPD. They caught the vandals, and we’ve never had any trouble since then.” Jack made a mental note of the name. “Great. Thanks. I’ll call you later.” “Jack, wait,” she said before he could end the call. “What gives?” He pulled away from the window and spied his reflection in the glass. No wonder Valentine had told him to move along at first glance. With his five o’clock shadow and wrinkled shirt, he looked like he’d just woken up on the street. “Nothing. I’ll explain later.” “It sure sounds like something,” Stella pressed. “I didn’t hear from you all week. I figured you were having the time of your life educating Eva, and

were too busy to come up for air. Now you’re asking about private investigators? Is everything okay?” He exhaled. “I’m sure it is, but I don’t know… I feel like someone needs to keep an eye on Eva.” “Keep an eye on Eva,” she repeated. “Are you going to tell me why?” “Someone tried to break into her apartment tonight. And I don’t know… call it intuition, but after what happened to Antonio and Pietro, I don’t feel right leaving her unprotected.” “Those were accidents, Jack,” Stella said. “Terrible, tragic accidents.” He gritted his teeth. “I know. But that doesn’t change the way I feel about this.”

“You sound like Antonio. He was so paranoid about everything.” “Yeah, well.” Jack sighed. “Maybe I need to be paranoid right now. I promised Antonio I would look out for Eva, and so far I’ve been doing a shit job of it.” “Stop it, Jack,” Stella said gently. “You’re too hard on yourself. Nobody can prepare enough to prevent random acts of criminal behavior. And you and I always thought Antonio was a little off his rocker when it came to protecting his family. Why are you suddenly changing your mind?” “I don’t know.” Jack shifted, glancing over his shoulder to make sure the hallway was still deserted. “I guess

I’ve got an ugly feeling that maybe their bad luck wasn’t luck, after all.” Stella huffed in disbelief, as he’d suspected she would. “That’s crazy, Jack.” “Maybe not,” he snapped. “Antonio’s dead, isn’t he?” “Yeah. He is.” Stella’s voice was soft, wounded. “Okay. I get it You should do what you feel is right. Call Coby. Do what you need to do. Don’t let me interfere.” “You’re not interfering.” He checked his Rolex with a heavy sigh. Shit, it was after one a.m. “I’m sorry, Stella. I’m just tired.” “It’s fine.” A long pause followed. “But I can’t believe you really think

Antonio’s death might not have been an accident. That would change everything, Jack. Everything we thought was true.” She was right. Just considering that possibility felt like crossing over into the realm of doomsday preppers and other conspiracy theorists. He had always laughed at Antonio for being so over-the-top careful. He lowered his voice. “It would. And I’m not saying I’m sure that hit and run was anything but an accident. But Eva talked about having a feeling lately that she’s being watched, and she’s really rattled right now. I would rather be safe than sorry. That’s all.” “So, you’re playing the big brother now?”

“I’m only doing what Antonio would want me to do,” he said defensively. “So you declined her proposition, then?” Stella asked. “Decided to stay above it all? Keep the wondercock in your pants?” “I didn’t say that.” He rubbed his eyes. He could hear Eva’s voice murmuring from inside the apartment, still talking with Valentine, but he wasn’t in the mood for more of the third degree. “Listen, I’ve got to go. But thanks for the information.” “Anytime, Mr. Wonderful,” she teased, before adding in a more serious tone, “And be careful, okay? On the off chance that you’re not crazy.” “I will.” He ended the call and

returned to the apartment, where Eva was just finishing up with Officer Baby Face the Incompetent. Valentine stood as Jack walked in. “We’ll keep you up to date with any developments. Don’t worry. Just turn that alarm back on, and let us handle everything.” Eva smiled gratefully, looking relieved as she escorted him to the door. “Thank you so much, officer. I appreciate your help.” Jack lurked behind her with his hands shoved deep in his pockets, unable to express the same confidence. Let them handle everything? Like hell. Once he and Eva were alone in the apartment, she turned to him with a

weary, half smile. “You can head out if you need to. I’m going to make some coffee and settle in with a book on the couch. It doesn’t matter how tired I am. I know I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight.” “Like hell you’re settling in,” Jack said, bristling at the thought. “You’re not staying here. Pack a bag. Whatever you need for the next few days.” She blinked, clearly surprised. “What?” “I have the room at the Plaza. We’ll go back there tonight.” “Oh, right. The Plaza.” She looked around her apartment as if seeing it for the first time. “But what about tomorrow night? Or the night after that? I’m not

Eloise, Jack. They don’t have the penthouse reserved for me.” “Tomorrow you’ll stay with me.” He had never cohabitated with a woman before. That was the fast track to getting serious, something he’d never aspired to do. He was surprised at how easily the invitation had slipped out, and even more surprised that he didn’t feel the need to kick himself afterward. It would feel right to have Eva with him. Not only right, but imperative. He couldn’t imagine letting her out of his sight again until the bastard who’d broken into her apartment was caught. Didn’t matter that he had a million things going on at work, including someone gunning for his job. Eva was a priority.

She stared at him, looking similarly shocked, before a slow, uneasy smile appeared on her face. “Yeah. Right. Sure. So you want to play house with me now? Give me a break, Jack.” She slapped his chest lightly, but he reached for her wrist and grabbed it tight, pulling her flush against him. The heat of her body and the softness of her breasts flattening against his chest ignited the desire that had been simmering beneath the surface since he’d slipped from between the sheets they’d set on fire. He dipped his head and claimed her mouth like she belonged to him. He crushed his lips onto hers, consuming her. She responded in kind, feeding off

of him until they were both breathing fast and her heart was pounding so hard he could feel it echoing in his chest. “You’re staying with me,” he murmured into her skin, eliciting a small groan from low in her throat. “I need to know you’re safe. Besides, I’ve got a full lesson plan to cover, and only a few weeks to do so. It will be best if we spend our nights together.” “Oh,” she murmured simply, her brows knitting in worry. Something was troubling her. He’d shocked her, maybe, as much as he’d shocked himself. His invitation reeked of commitment and relationships and other words that weren’t in Jack’s vocabulary. He had never invited a

woman to stay with him, though plenty had tried to invite themselves. He had never imagined that Eva might not be willing to spend her nights with him. But he should have. This was Eva, a woman unlike any other. What would he do if she didn’t accept? Old family friend status didn’t give him permission to throw her over his shoulder and carry her back to his cave against her will. But the longer the uneasy silence stretched between them, the more convinced he became that he might resort to such tactics. That, or sleeping on her couch, because he sure as hell wasn’t leaving her here alone. “Until you’ve completed your

training,” Jack added in a commanding tone, “I need you under my authority at all times.” She wrinkled her nose. “Oh. So, the dog thing, again?” she challenged. “No,” he said, that sense of welcome irritation that only Eva could give him settling in. “Like a student.” “I’m not an idiot, Jack,” she snapped, rolling her eyes. Then she sighed, her exhaustion showing. “Fine. Whatever you say, teacher. I’m too tired to argue right now.” He shook his head at her, suppressing the amused smile that teased at his lips, despite the frustration building inside of him. God, any other woman, he would’ve

given up on her by now. But as he followed Eva to her bedroom to help her pack, he realized that very little would make him give up on Eva Fiorini.

CHAPTER FOUR

Eva York might be the city that N ew never sleeps, but at three in the

morning, it was definitely experiencing a lull. By the time Eva settled into the back of the cab—after packing then rousing Mrs. Miller, her neighbor across the way, to beg her to watch Sasha and Mutton for a few days—she felt like she could sink into the smelly pleather seat and hibernate for a thousand years. She almost fell asleep in the vehicle. She would have, if the cab hadn’t sailed through the near-deserted streets like a bullet train, making a trip that would’ve normally taken half an hour in mere minutes. Thank goodness for small favors. Aside from a skeleton crew of hotel staff, the lobby was empty. And though

Eva knew the Plaza was like Jack’s second home, not a single person called out a welcome as they made their way to the elevator bank. Another thing to be thankful for. She didn’t want to chat, or force a friendly smile. All she could think about was bed. Not even sharing a bed with Jack. Just beautiful, wonderful, life-renewing sleep. She was still irritated with him for going full on alpha-hole on her at her place, but she couldn’t keep the smile from her face as they made their way to the elevators. Jack had insisted on carrying her bag, making her giggle when he pressed the elevator button and turned to her, holding a flowered Vera

Bradley on his shoulder like it was his own. “Nice bag,” she said. “Brings out the color in your eyes.” He patted it and pretended to show it off like a game show model. “You think?” She snorted, too shocked by the playful display to make a more ladylike sound. Who knew Jack was so full of surprises? She’d nearly had a heart attack earlier, when he’d suggested that she stay with him. Live with him, in his house, at least for the next few weeks. Jack was the quintessential bachelor and had medaled five times in the Avoiding Commitment Olympics. Even if the arrangement was all about the sex,

wasn’t living with a woman against his code? Did he feel so sorry for her that he was willing to alter his way of life to make sure poor little Eva didn’t get in trouble again? And if so, did she really want her first time living with a man to be because he pitied her? “What the hell did you pack in here,” he asked, hitching the strap higher on his shoulder. “Bricks?” “Books.” She lifted her chin, refusing to think about any more upsetting things tonight. Not until she’d grabbed at least a little sleep. “You know I don’t go anywhere without several things to read, and I couldn’t find the charger for my e-reader. You

pushed me out of my apartment so fast, I didn’t have time to look for it.” The elevator dinged, and they stepped inside. “I have books. And you know you and I share a similar taste in genre fiction.” She studied him through narrowed eyes as she leaned back against the elevator wall. “I know, but if I recall correctly, you’re a slow reader. You were always telling me about this amazing book you were reading, and that you’d lend it to me when you were finished, then I’d have to wait ages to start it. You’d get me salivating to dive in, and then leave me hanging.” He raised an eyebrow. “Is there something wrong with wanting to take

my time? Savor the experience?” Her blush deepened. Why was it that everything he said to her these days seemed to take on a sexual connotation? “It was frustrating is all,” she muttered, as the elevator climbed. He leaned into her. “Well. How about if I promise not to leave you hanging ever again?” She swallowed, keenly aware of his scent—all man and all Jack—filling her nose. “Sounds fair to me.” He studied her, humming lightly beneath his breath. “But what fun is fair? If I’m taking my time with you, Eva, it will be worth it, frustrating or not. Sometimes a little frustration makes the pay off at the end that much more…

explosive.” She shivered at the sensual promise of his words. As he opened the door to their hotel room, she couldn’t stop thinking about her earlier lessons. He’d asked her to do everything so slowly. It had been almost painful for her to go at such a leisurely pace, when so much frenetic energy pulsed inside of her, but he was right— the payoff had been phenomenal. She looked at him, trying hard to read his mind. What’s next, Jack? Where do we go from here? “You can have the bathroom first,” he told her, setting her bag down on the luggage stand just inside the door before crossing to peer out the window

overlooking the city. “I’m going to check my messages one more time.” Eva gathered what she needed from her bag and slipped into the bathroom to change into her pajamas. As she put them on, she gazed at herself in the mirror, wondering if Jack would be disappointed. Likely the women he usually shared hotel rooms with wore kinky lingerie, or nothing at all. Eva’s sleeping wardrobe consisted of comfy pants and soft T-shirts. Heck, when she first had the idea of seducing Jack, she’d spent hours in a naughty boutique, agonizing over choosing the right garter belt. The experience had been almost as embarrassing as buying her first box of

tampons. Finally, after brushing her teeth, removing her makeup, and completing her moisturizing routine, she emerged from the bathroom, still clutching her clothes to her chest. Jack was sitting on the edge of the bed in only his boxer briefs, thumbing through something on his phone. Her eyes roamed over his strong, muscular back, and she felt the momentary compulsion to run her hands over every chiseled feature. It was almost enough to chase the exhaustion away. She yawned suddenly. Almost. He turned back to her with a tired smile. If he was disappointed that she wasn’t wearing a naughty negligee, it

didn’t show. “Are you as beat as I am?” She nodded. “Beater.” “Come on. I already brushed my teeth at the wet bar,” he said, making her heart jump into her throat as he slid into the bed and pulled back the sheet, motioning for her to join him inside. She crawled onto the mattress next to him, feeling the waves of heat from his body surrounding her. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist, pulling her back to his front and nuzzling his face in her hair. She had expected to spend the rest of the night lying awake, too worried to fall asleep. But as she lay there, she felt something she hadn’t expected. Comfort. Safety.

Contentment. What happened to this arrangement being just about sex? She thought sleepily. She couldn’t think of an answer, though, because before long she relaxed into him, her heartbeat slowed, and they both fell asleep.

CHAPTER FIVE

Eva over in bed, still unable to E vadragrolled her eyes open. She felt

suddenly chilly. Great. Was the heater in her apartment on the fritz again? Pulling the covers up to her chin, she realized this wasn’t her worn flannel comforter, the same one she’d had through twelve years of Catholic boarding school. As she stretched her toes, she heard the faucet for the shower twist on in the bathroom. Jack. Eva blinked open her eyes to see the crown molding of the Plaza hotel room above her, and pale morning light peeking through the small gap in the drawn drapes. Her stomach lurched as she remembered the circumstances that had brought her back here. Someone had

broken into her apartment. Someone had managed to breach the Antonio Fiorini Fortress. No matter how tough she’d tried to play it, Jack had to have realized she was afraid. She’d never been good at hiding things like that. Plus, Jack had good radar in that department. He’d always been protective, and he was also fiercely loyal to Antonio¸ even now that Antonio was no longer among the living. That’s why she was here. She was Jack Bennett’s charity case. She’d known that the moment the words “You’re staying with me” had left his lips. Last night, however, she’d been too tired to fret about it. Now, reality

crashed into her as she remembered why she felt so cold this morning. She’d slept in his arms in a king-size bed. There was plenty of room to stretch out, and holding her wasn’t something he was required to do. She was pretty sure spooning wasn’t part of sex education, either. Interesting. Very interesting. But she refused to think about it too much. How much she liked it. How safe she felt. It’s only for a short while, she reminded herself. Don’t get used to it. She glanced around the hotel room. Everything was just the way they’d left it after last night’s sexy lesson—the halfempty bottle of Dom propped in the ice

bucket, the chair where Jack had watched her strip pulled out from the desk. Last night, before the break-in, he’d driven her wild… Yes, that was something much nicer to think about than her fear, or all the confusing emotions swirling in her chest. There was nothing mystifying about the way Jack made her feel when they were skin to skin. She shivered again, suddenly very awake as she remembered the way he had felt against her, the hungry way he’d touched her, clearly wanting her every bit as much as she wanted him. As she lay propped up against the headboard, her hand instinctively travelled beneath

the waistband of her pajama pants. She slipped her fingers under the fabric of her panties and touched herself, almost absently at first. She was already wet. Hell, now that she knew what Jack could do to her, would she ever not be wet, thinking of him? Her mind drifted to the electric touch of his skin, his hardness hot against her thigh, and she let out a sharp gasp. She’d been so close to having sex with him. She’d never been that close with any man, but even if she had, she couldn’t imagine that anything could compare to the enormity of having the man she’d lusted for since she was a teenager inside her. She opened her legs wider, her

fingers lightly grazing her clit as she recalled how his tongue had expertly and thoroughly explored her folds, the way he’d spread her apart, delving deeper and deeper until she thought she’d explode. He was damned good in bed. Or so the rumors went. But until last night, she hadn’t really understood what that meant. She hadn’t known anything could feel like that. As she rubbed her clit harder, her chest warmed. He’d always been the hottest guy she’d ever seen, a fact that had been amplified a thousand-fold by the hungry way he’d recently begun to look at her. She thought of his eyes

roaming the length of her body, the way his breath had hitched in appreciation when he touched her breasts. She breathed harder, faster, imagining him between her legs, licking and sucking and hungry for her, and she let out a low moan. She was so close to the edge that it took her a moment to realize the water in the bathroom had stopped running. When she did, she looked over to see Jack standing in the dissolving steam from the bathroom, wearing only a towel. Watching her. “Oh my God,” she mumbled, ripping her hand from her pajama pants, her face flushing hot enough to catch fire. It didn’t

help that his towel was slung low on his hips, not nearly covered up enough to help her cool down. That trail of hair below his navel, like a neon sign pointing the way to his cock, made her crazy. She couldn’t look away, no matter how embarrassed she was right now. Fresh wetness pooled between her legs, confirming she was becoming a hopeless sex maniac. “Don’t stop on my account,” he said. Her cheeks flamed even hotter as she snapped her legs together and started to tie her pajama bottoms. “Oh, no. I was just—” She cleared her throat and fought a hysterical laugh. “I wasn’t, um.” The laugh escaped. “I mean, I wouldn’t—” “I mean it, Eva.” His hair was wet,

and there were drops of water mingling with the fine brown hair on his broad chest as he prowled toward the bed and reached out, softly but firmly pulling the covers down toward the foot of the bed. “Don’t stop. Put your hand back between your legs.” She sucked in a breath. Oh, God. From the time she could fantasize, every one of her fantasies had involved him. She couldn’t. Not with him right here. Staring at her. “B-but I—” “There’s no need to be embarrassed.” He sat on the edge of the bed, very gently encircling her wrist with his fingers and removing her hand from her abdomen. His other hand tugged the string of her pajama bottoms

until the tie loosened. “Consider this your next lesson.” She gulped. “What? Oh, no. I couldn’t. I mean.” Her blush had now spread to encompass her entire blazing, shame-heated body. “Wouldn’t y-you rather do it?” “It’s clear to me,” he said, taking her hand, “that this is where we need to focus. Before you can please a man, you need to be confident pleasing yourself.” “Oh,” she said, wondering if that was true, even as another part of her screamed that she didn’t care if it were true, she still couldn’t do that in front of someone else. Anyone else, but especially not Jack. “But you’ll be late for work. You should go. Now. Maybe a

few minutes ago even. Traffic is… trafficky in the mornings.” Jack’s lips curved in a lazy, sexy-ashell smile. “Your education is a priority to me, Eva. And as the boss, I can make my own hours to a certain extent.” He nudged her bottom off the bed and helped her pull the pajamas down over her hips. His fingers fluttered over her silken panties and paused. He pressed his lips together, disapproving. “I thought I told you not to wear these.” “I forgot,” she lied. The truth was, when she’d packed last night, she’d thought specifically of that. It was almost embarrassing, the weight she placed on everything he said. She hadn’t wanted

him to know how she hung on his every word, or that a wicked part of her was ignited by the thought of wearing no panties, just for him, so like a good girl, she’d packed a few changes of underwear. He made a tsk tsk noise with his tongue. “Disappointing.” Then he cast her pajama bottoms aside, kissed her knee, and said, “Do what you were doing before. Let me watch.” “Jack, I can’t. I—” “You can. And you will,” he said, holding her gaze, the heat in his eyes making her think he wanted this for reasons other than her sexual education. “Show me how you touch yourself. Show me how you make yourself come.”

She bit her bottom lip, summoning her courage—this was what she’d signed on for, after all—as she hesitantly slid her hand down over her abdomen, between her legs to the silky fabric of her panties. She touched herself, feeling anxious, panicked, and completely unsexy. Jack watched her every move intently. “Not like that, Eva. Like you mean it, like you need it.” Her breath rushed out. “I’ve never done this with an audience,” she whispered. He leaned over and placed his palm over her eyes, so that her lids fluttered closed. “Close your eyes, then. Pretend you’re alone.”

She tried to focus on something other than Jack sitting there, to return to the fantasy that had nearly brought her over the first time, but her hand felt strange down there now. Cold. Stiff. And she could still sense him beside her. She inhaled the sweet spice of his aftershave, felt the steam radiating off of his body. As hot as it was to think of him so close, wrapped only in a towel, it was also maddening. Only his hands on her would do. Why couldn’t he see that? Why was he intent on making her suffer? She heaved a sigh that she hoped would inspire him to take pity on her and end this lesson.

“Eva.” His voice was low, steady, and so close to her ear she could feel his breath warm on her cheek. “Don’t be afraid. There’s nothing hotter than a woman pleasing herself, knowing what gets her off. I want to know what pleases you, and I want to watch. I want to see your hand between your legs, you fingers slick and wet from slipping in and out of your pussy ” As he spoke, his words awakened the desire in her again. She spread her legs just wide enough to slip one finger between them and ran it up along the damp satin of her panties, feeling her seam and the small curls of hair. “That’s right. Now let me see you touch yourself, beautiful,” he said,

emboldening her enough to lift the band and delve underneath. “Have you done this before?” She nodded, the slightest, shy tilt of her head. “Mmm hmm.” “Thinking of me?” She bit her lip. “Mmm hmm.” “And what did I do to you?” he asked, his voice husky and thick. “Everything,” she whispered, as she found her clit and touched it gently. “You did everything to me.” Rubbing her tender mound, she spread her legs even further. A moment later she felt him hovering over her, unbuttoning her top. “Do you want to touch yourself there, too?” he asked. “Your nipples are

so hard. I think they need attention, don’t you?” As she continued to stroke herself, her other hand drifted up to her aching nipple. She cupped her breast in her hand, moaning as her fingertip brushed across her pebbled skin. “That’s good…so fucking good,” he whispered. “Did I lick your pussy in your fantasies, Eva?” She nodded, her breath coming faster. “Did I fuck you? Did I make you mine, my cock working between your legs until you came so hard for me?” Eva gasped for air, feeling like all the oxygen was being sucked from the room. “Yes, Jack. God, yes.”

“Perfect,” he murmured. “Pinch your nipple for me. Yes, just like that. How does that feel?” “Incredible,” she said, squirming beneath her own hand. “It feels incredible.” “Fuck, baby,” he growled. “Do you know how hot you’re making me? How much I want you right now?” Shock made her hands go still for a moment. She was making him hot? By doing nothing but touching herself? “Don’t stop,” he said in an almost pained voice. “Don’t stop until you come for me, beautiful. I need to see you come.” Owning this newfound power she had over him, she began to rub herself

faster, arching her spine off the mattress as she thought of him between her legs, fucking her, harder and faster. Warmth began to bloom deep inside her, radiating out to her limbs until she couldn’t believe she’d been chilly before. “Do you want me inside you right now, Eva?” Jack asked. “Do you need me?” “Yes. Oh, God, yes, I need you so much” she blurted out, rubbing even more furiously. Somewhere along the line she’d forgotten everything that had once held her back; now the liquid velvet sound of his voice drove her, making every inhibition disappear. Now, her fingers were coated in her slick heat.

She inserted a finger into her pussy and thrust her pelvis against her own hand, imagining him gripping her tight and pushing inside of her. “Oh God. Make me come, Jack.” She opened her eyes to see him studying her, completely rapt. He was naked, absently stroking his hard cock, and it was that hungry look that made her lose it. She cried out as she came, hard, against her own hand, bucking off the mattress, waves of mind-numbing pleasure rendering her limp and useless. Her body quivered as he leaned over her, his mouth finding hers in a deep, probing kiss. “You are so fucking sexy,” he whispered against her lips, his voice

throaty, as his fingers lightly grazed her side. For once, she didn’t even think about covering up. If he keeps this up, I might even start to believe that. A moment later, as she was thinking about all the ways she wanted to make Jack come, he rolled off the bed and silently began to dress. His cock was still rock hard. “Um, don’t you want to…” She motioned toward his raging erection. “Do something about that?” He smiled as he reached for his Rolex on the night table. “I’m late enough as it is.” “Oh.” Embarrassment began to seep in again. She buttoned her top and

reached for her pajama bottoms. He kept his eyes on her as he tied his tie. “But the answer to your question is yes. Hell, yes. I do want to. I want to explore every inch of your body, fuck you until you’re too weak to get out of that bed for days. But that will take time I don’t have right now.” As hard as it was not to beg him to stay just a little longer, she hadn’t waited this long to lose her virginity with a quickie. “What time is it? I should probably—” There was a knock on the door. Eva pulled on her pajamas as Jack went to answer it, checking his watch on the way to the door, “Nearly nine.” Nearly nine. Nearly nine!

“Shit! I have a sales meeting this morning!” She rocketed out of bed and dove into her bag, rummaging for her work skirt and blouse. She grabbed the first pair of underwear she could find and piled it all together, wondering if she would be able to go another day without washing her hair. When she turned around, ready to make a mad dash to the shower, she nearly bumped into a giant room service cart. She smelled bacon and coffee— heavenly, considering she hadn’t had anything to eat since lunch the previous day. Her mouth began to water. She looked questioningly at Jack, who stood there in his three-piece suit, looking every bit as delicious as the

food smelled. He said, “I thought you’d want breakfast.” She lifted the cover on one tray to reveal a pile of fruit-filled Danish. “Me and what army?” “I’m sorry. I know you love Danish, but I wasn’t sure if you were a bacon or a sausage girl.” He knew she loved Danish? It was true, she absolutely did, but she couldn’t recall having eaten breakfast with him recently. During the brunch meeting where they’d made this arrangement, she’d been far too nervous to eat a thing. But somehow he remembered, making her wonder if Jack had been paying closer attention to her all these years than he’d let on.

“Are you eating?” she asked, feeling shy again, though she’d just bared herself to him in a way she never had to anyone else. “I’m not hungry,” he said, pouring himself a cup of coffee. He took a sip of it, stretched the kinks out of his neck, then checked his watch. “And I’m afraid I’m late enough already. I’ve got to go. But stay as long as you’d like. You had a hard night. Maybe you can cancel your meeting and get a massage at the spa, enjoy yourself.” She wasn’t sure why that made her spirits plummet. Maybe because she could think of nothing she’d like better than to spend a long, lazy day in bed with Jack, enjoying that breakfast and

each other. She pushed aside the thought of them making love, laughing, feeding each other Danishes like they were part of some cheesy Hallmark channel movie. What part of “he has sex for sport” or “he’s late enough already” don’t you understand, dumbass? She straightened and said, “No, I have to go, too. The head of finance is coming in with a big…” She trailed off. Since when had he ever cared about Eva’s Organics? She waved a hand. “I’m swamped today. Lots of meetings.” They stood there regarding each other in an awkward silence, as if neither knew how to say good-bye. Jack, not knowing what to say? Impossible.

Finally he slipped his briefcase off the table and started toward the door. Before he could reach it, though, he turned back to her. “My penthouse is in the West Village. Nine Barrow Street.” He fetched a key ring from his pocket, then pulled a key off it and handed it to her. “I won’t be there until later, I’m afraid. Will you be all right on your own?” She laughed nervously. “Of course. This city is my home, too, Jack.” “I understand that. But after last night, I want to make sure you’re safe.” She hugged her clothes to her chest, touched by his concern. “You heard the officer. It was just a burglary.” “I have a great deal of respect for the

NYPD, Eva, but I’m not sure I believe their wait and see plan is the best course of action.” Her brows drew together. “What would you do?” “For one, I wouldn’t line up to be a victim.” Victim. Was that what she was now? “Well, I don’t want that, either.” She also didn’t want to think about it anymore. “Anyway, thank you for letting me stay in your apartment. I appreciate the offer. It’s very…” Out of character? Strange? Intriguing? “Generous of you.” He must have realized what she was thinking, because he shot her a wry smile as he reached into the pile of clothing

she’d been holding to her chest, and pulled out the pink lace thong she’d put there. He crumpled it in a ball and deepsixed it in the garbage can. “Have a great day,” he said coolly, giving her one long, last smirk before disappearing out the door.

CHAPTER SIX

Jack

J

ack was used to the prickly atmosphere at the Fiorini Group.

He’d always been a favorite of the ladies there, but the Fiorini Group was still very much a men’s club. When Antonio was at the helm, Jack was the Head Asshole, the guy who always got people by the balls. As a result, he was sure the water cooler gossip about him wasn’t the best. So he kept his nose clean. He didn’t make mistakes. He didn’t cut corners. And for fuck’s sake, he didn’t work banker’s hours. At least, he never used to. He slipped quietly into his office, trying his best not to call attention to himself. There were no outward signs that someone inside was gunning for his job, but his mentor Leonard had told him

to keep his head down and an ear to the ground, and that’s what he’d planned to do. Little had he known that the last remaining Fiorini would make it so incredibly hard to concentrate on anything that didn’t involve her sweet, hot pussy. Fuck, watching her get herself off had been indescribably hot. It was worth any amount of office fall out, though he still hoped to slip into his office unnoticed. Unfortunately, the second he opened the door, Christof rounded the corner. Busted. That asshole had to have a radar for this shit. Jack threw his briefcase on his desk and put his hands up in surrender. “I

know. I know. I owe you the report on the Continental properties. It’s in my inbox. I’ll send it over in twenty minutes.” “I already got it from your assistant,” he said. Jack flipped open his laptop and frowned. Marcy wasn’t supposed to be sending Christof anything without his goahead. How many times had he told her that? He hadn’t had time to give the report his third and final once over, and this concerned some of the most highstakes properties in their portfolio. He’d have to have a talk with her later. “Then what else can I do for you?” he said calmly. Other than give you plenty of reason to bust my balls for

being late? “Nothing,” Christof said with a satisfied smirk. “You catch that Islanders game?” He shook his head. Like he had time to think of playoff hockey with Eva occupying his mind. “Didn’t have the time.” “Epic,” Christof said. The conversation ground to a fantastic halt. Oh, Jack could’ve thought of a thousand ways to keep it going, but at that moment, all he wanted was the brown-nosing slimeball out of his office. He fell into his chair and started to read an article from Business Insider someone—likely Leonard—had placed on his blotter. The title was Orion

Industries Takeover of Fiorini Group Imminent? Orion Industries. The name surprised him. There’d been talk that someone was feeling them out about making a bid, but Jack was taken aback that it wasn’t one of the big industry players. He’d never even heard of Orion Industries. Christof clapped his hands together, stirring Jack from his thoughts. “I’ll leave you to it, then,” he said, backing out of the doorway. Amazing. The guy can take a hint. “Hey, wait a second,” he said suddenly, still studying the article. “What do you know about these people?” “Orion?” Christof jumped at the question, as Jack had sensed he would.

The guy had a bit of a Napoleon complex. Barely five foot six, the only way he’d ever be able to stand over most men was by proving he was the smartest guy in the room, so he never hesitated to flex those muscles. “I know they’re big. Rumor is they’re European. German, probably. They’re keeping a low profile, definitely.” Jack stared at him, waiting for him to continue. But Christof merely shrugged. The man prided himself on being the eyes and ears of this place. If that’s all he knew, Orion was truly secretive. Unless Christof knew more than he was letting on, something very strange was going on. Jack was reminded of Leonard’s

warning that the takeover might be originating from inside the company. If that was true, Jack couldn’t trust anyone. After Christof left, Jack made an attempt to Google the mysterious Orion Industries, but he didn’t come up with much. In fact, what Christof had given him was a hell of a lot more than he was able to substantiate online. There weren’t any corporations matching the profile he was looking for. He found several companies going by the name of Orion Industries, but none of them appeared to be involved in real estate in any shape or form. He replayed Leonard’s words in his mind, growing more unsettled by the moment. Something’s very, very off about

this. Nearly as off as a man going to all the trouble to break into Eva’s apartment just for a look around. Thinking of Eva for the hundredth time that hour, he picked up his cell phone and found the number to the security company Stella had used. He called and spoke to the receptionist at Coby and Associates, making an appointment for a consultation on Friday, wondering if he should set up some private investigation of Orion Industries, as well. There had to be someone who knew something. A company didn’t just come out of thin air and make a multi-billion dollar deal. After lunch, his thoughts returned

once more to Eva. He imagined her going about her daily business without underwear. He could picture how sexy she would look in that sheer blouse, the tight pencil skirt, and those heels. His cock thickened as he imagined her getting all worked up during the day, turning so hot and bothered that by the time she returned to his home, she could barely control herself. She’d shut the door, fall onto his couch, and run her hands between her legs, as she’d done that morning. Fuck, she had looked so seductively innocent when he caught her touching her pussy, so sweet and yet so naughty as she moaned and writhed on the sheets. To

think she’d done that before, picturing him, made his dick even harder. It was that image that made him nix his plans to work late. He told himself that it wasn’t right to let Eva see herself in, and that he should be there to make sure she had everything she needed. His head said it was only hospitable, but his other head had something more wicked in mind. At the end of the day he managed to sneak out, this time without any of his associates noticing. When he reached the West Village and took the elevator to the penthouse, he breathed in sharply, thinking of the way she’d cried out his name as she’d come, bucking against her own hand, the smell of her arousal

filling the air. He needed only one thing right now—to surround himself in that scent, in Eva. He was so eager to touch her that he actually groaned aloud when he stepped out of the elevator and saw who was waiting in the hallway outside his door instead. Lucy. Fuck, hadn’t he told the doorman to keep her out? All Jack needed was for Lucy to run into Eva. She would probably rip Eva to shreds with that caustic tongue of hers. Lucy knew how to play nasty, something she’d managed to hide from him while they were dating. They’d dated for—what? Two months? It couldn’t have been more than

that. Two months was his limit. After that, things got dangerous. Women got clingy, expecting declarations of love and commitment, and all the other things that Jack wasn’t into. He’d dropped all the usual lines with Lucy—it’s not you, it’s me; you’re a lovely girl, a fascinating person, but this isn’t working; we’re just in different places. Most of his exes eventually got the hint, but not Lucy. In the beginning she’d been so breathtaking and so fun. She was a hand and foot model, and the rest of her wasn’t lacking in the looks department, either. With her gym-toned body and long, platinum blonde hair, the woman

was a stunner. She knew how to take care of herself and was wild and adventurous, with a ravenous sexual appetite that Jack hadn’t been able to resist. It was only after their relationship went sour that she started to reveal her true colors. What lay beneath the killer looks and vibrant personality was a healthy dose of crazy. “Did you get my gift?” Lucy asked as he reluctantly moved to meet her in the hallway in front of his apartment. He kept his head down as he searched his jacket pockets for the spare key the front desk had given him. “Which one?” The fact was, he’d gotten all of them.

Lucy had them delivered to his office, something he’d told her months ago needed to stop. Not that she had listened. “The tickets? To Cabo? For Memorial Day?” She grinned. “I know you’ve always wanted to go.” He frowned. Had he ever said that? At the tail end of their relationship, she’d started to remember things he’d said that he was certain had never escaped his mouth. Like wanting to go to Cabo with her. He’d never said that, but she certainly seemed to believe it. “I have to work over the holiday, Lucy,” he muttered. He didn’t expect this would deter her. Nothing did. He had told her point blank it was over. More than once. But

yet, here she was. “Oh well. I can always shift that date around. Change fees aren’t a big deal.” She laughed as she reached into her bag, pulling out a bottle of pinot noir. “At least we’re together now.” She wiggled the wine back and forth. “I thought we could order Thai and catch up?” “Now isn’t a good time,” he said, glancing at the door to his apartment and wondering if Eva was already in there, waiting for him. “Come on, Jack,” she said, lips pushing into a pout. “You haven’t responded to any of my texts. How am I supposed to keep up with all your news?” She’d sent him at least a dozen texts

this week, and more the week before. He’d been steadily deleting them. “I’m sorry, Lucy I have plans.” She smiled seductively at him. “Break them.” He gritted his teeth. “Can’t.” He wouldn’t, couldn’t open the door to his place until he’d gotten rid of her. If he did, she would weasel her way inside and never leave. “Can I call you a cab?” She held her ground. “You know you want to break your plans,” she murmured, reaching into her bag and pulling out a small leather box. “Look, I brought a new toy for us to christen.” She lifted the lid and pulled out a chain of anal beads. He watched her hold them out, not particularly surprised,

but not in the least bit interested, either. Lucy was all about new sex toys. During their first few nights together, Jack had been thrilled to find a woman with a sexual appetite as ravenous as his. But she suffered from ADD in the bedroom, constantly pushing the envelope, wanting new, different, exciting…more. That was all well and good up to a point, but Lucy took things way too far. She was like a carnival ride—fun for the first few go-rounds, but all too soon your stomach was in knots and you were begging to get down. Jack had made his great escape from her after she had suggested they invite one of his male friends into the bedroom and she’d thrown a fit when he said no

way in hell. That’s when her true colors had started to shine through. Like now. Who shows up un-fucking-invited on their ex’s doorstep with anal beads and plane tickets to Cabo? “Ready to play, Jack?” She loosened the tie on her coat, parting the folds of the fabric, revealing her naked body to him. He ran his eyes over her surgicallyenhanced tits, slim waist, and hairless mound. There was a time when she’d been tempting, but now irritation was the only emotion bubbling under his cool exterior. Of course she wouldn’t have anything on underneath. She lived to get

under a man’s skin, and if he refused, she would fight to worm her way in, whatever the cost. Considering all the texts she’d been sending him lately had included pictures of her anatomy and detailed descriptions of what she’d do to his cock, he should’ve expected something like this, but he’d foolishly hoped she would go away if he ignored her long enough. He set his briefcase down and crossed his arms, refusing to touch her, even to help cover her up. Jesus Christ, how had he ever found this woman attractive? Looking at her now, all he could see was the crazy. But that was her trick. She knew how to hide this side of herself at the beginning, and she had sure

kept it under wraps. “This isn’t going to happen, Lucy.” She moved toward him, but he stiffened, reaching one hand out to grip her shoulder, holding her at arm’s length. “Oh come on, Jack.” She went for his pants, reaching for his cock. “You know you want me.” “Stop it, Lucy. Now,” he boomed, batting her hand away, his calm finally breaking. He stepped away from her and reached for his phone. “I’m calling you a cab.” “Am I interrupting something?” a soft voice asked from behind him. Dread coiled in Jack’s gut as he turned to see Eva standing in the open elevator, staring at them with wide eyes.

Lucy’s eyes narrowed. She had the decency to pull her coat back over her naked body, but she didn’t tighten the tie. She rolled the anal beads between her fingers and said, “Yes, you are.” Oh, fuck. “No, Eva,” he said, biting back the urge to tell Lucy where to go. “I’m glad you made it safely. Lucy was just leaving.” Lucy raked her eyes from Eva’s head to her toes, then smiled thinly. “Oh, is she your plans, Jack?” “She’s a family friend who’s staying with me for a few days,” he said. “Oh, how benevolent of you,” Lucy said with a laugh, practically dancing down the hall to meet Eva. “You’re

taking in the neighborhood strays. It’s nice that you don’t discriminate, Jack. You’ll even take the chubby ones, as long as they suck that massive cock of yours well enough, hmm?” “Lucy.” Her name was a sharp warning she chose to ignore. She nudged Eva’s hip with her own. “Maybe you and I could take turns, sweetie? There is certainly enough of Jack to go around.“ “Lucy.” Jack spat her name out hard, no longer a warning, but a threat. That got her attention. She looked at him and batted her eyelashes innocently. “Enough,” he said through a clenched jaw. “You need to leave.

Now.” The smile dissolved from her face. “Why are you mad at me?” She tightened the tie on her coat and hissed, “The Sky Bar was our place, and you fucked this fat little thing there. If anything, I should hate you.” She drew her arm back and hurled the wine bottle at him. He caught it seconds before it hit the granite floor and glanced up to see Lucy storming down the hallway and into the stairwell, leaving Jack to explain what the hell she was doing here in the first place. “I’m sorry,” he said with a heavy sigh. “I called things off with Lucy months ago. She just refuses to get the message. She’s harmless, really, but—”

“Harmless?” Eva’s eyebrows lifted. “Um, okay, it’s probably obvious I’m more a fan of pasta fagioli and braciole than I am of exercise. But how did she know about the Sky Bar, Jack? You didn’t tell her, did you?” “God, of course not,” he said, with a scowl. “I would never tell anyone about what happens between us privately.” Her gaze softened. “Good. I didn’t think you would. But that leaves the question, how did she know?” Jack closed his eyes and massaged his temples with his free hand. He didn’t want to think about it, but it was pretty obvious that Lucy must have followed him. And that she must have seen him and Eva through the window at the Sky

Bar, a thought that sickened him. Semipublic quickie or not, he hadn’t thought anyone would see them, especially not his ex. Was Lucy the reason Eva had been having that strange “watched” feeling lately? No, there had to be more to it. The security cameras had shown a man breaking into Eva’s apartment. And Lucy might be crazy, but she wasn’t a felon. At least, he hoped she wasn’t. Jesus, what if she was one of those Fatal Attraction kind of women? She certainly had the money to hire someone to break in to Eva’s place, if that’s what she wanted to do. What a fucking mess. Eva didn’t

need any more drama in her life. Not after everything else that had happened to her. Jack sighed. “I’m sorry, Eva. Lucy is a part of my past that doesn’t seem to want to stay there. I hate that she’s sticking her nose into what should be between us and no one else.” Eva shrugged. “You don’t have to explain, Jack. I mean, I believe that you and that woman are no longer a thing, but I never said you couldn’t date other people while you were educating me.” “Date other women?” He stared at her, surprised. “You mean that?” She shrugged again. “Well, yes. Sure. This is a business arrangement, right? It’s not emotional. You’re free to

have feelings elsewhere. I don’t want to hold you back.” He swallowed the bile that had risen in the back of his throat and repeated her words slowly. “My feelings…” What the fuck was she getting at? “And what feelings are those, Eva?” “You know. Affection or whatever.” She smiled playfully, a smile that started to disappear the second she saw his hardened expression. “Or maybe you don’t know.” He found the key in his pocket and started to work the lock, an unexplainable ire frothing in his veins. He pushed open the door harder than he’d intended, and it hit the doorstop with a loud bang.

She stood in the hallway, eyes wide. “Did I say something wrong?” He shook his head tightly. “So you wouldn’t mind me fucking other women while I fuck you? As long as I only have ‘feelings’ for one of you?” he asked as she went inside the apartment. He followed, pausing in the darkened foyer and setting down the wine. He had no plans to drink it. He slammed the door behind her and crossed his arms. “I could line you all up and fuck you one after the other. Does that sound about right?” Horror dawned on her face. “Well, no, of course not. I just—” “I know the word on the street is I’ll stick my dick in any beautiful woman

who will hold still long enough. Isn’t that right?” She looked at the ground, fidgeting, clearly too embarrassed to admit the obvious truth. “Well, I don’t think it’s quite—” “Stop.” He held up a hand, not wanting to hear her skate around what everyone in the world knew. It was his own doing, anyway. Not too long ago he’d prided himself on being able to bed any woman he wanted, any time he wanted. Now he wanted to punch a wall. It was his player reputation that made people like Lucy think that they could drop by unannounced, naked and ready to go, and he’d be all in.

Fuck. He glanced back at Eva, the rage boiling inside him calming a little when he saw how worried she looked, how eager to say the right thing to talk him back from the edge. “ Is that what you think I am?” he asked in a softer voice. “Some kind of machine? An animal with no selfcontrol, who lets his dick call the shots?” She blinked. “No, Jack. Not at all. But this isn’t a normal situation. A teacher teaches. He doesn’t get emotionally involved with his student.” She glanced at the floor, her thick lashes sweeping down to hide her eyes. “I want to learn how to drive a man wild, and

you agreed to teach me. Simple as that. It doesn’t seem fair for me to hold your dating life captive while you’re fulfilling your obligations to me.” Simple as that. She’d said it entirely too casually. “Simple as that,” he echoed. But none of this was simple. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so out of control, and now Eva was staring at him like he had three heads. “I don’t understand, Jack,” she said softly. “What’s wrong? What’s gotten into you?” Hell if he knew. She was calling a spade a spade—everyone knew he refused to be tied down. But he didn’t like Eva being okay with that. He

wanted her to be hurt. Or maybe jealous. To at least show some goddamn emotion instead of being so cold and businesslike. A thought skittered through his mind —the idea of her taking everything he’d taught her and unleashing her new seduction skills on another man. Yes, she was free to do that. He should welcome that. That was the entire fucking point of their thirty days together, something he would do well to keep in mind before he started craving an emotional response from his student. Still, there was one thing Eva needed to learn— “I’ll tell you what’s wrong,” he murmured. “If you learn one thing from

what we’re doing, learn this: sex is at least eighty percent mental. I might have the reputation for not getting emotionally involved, but I promise you, my head is always in the game. If I wanted to keep things strictly business, cause and effect, I could take care of my needs myself. You could too.” He moved closer. “So from now on, I need more than your body, Eva. I need your mind. Fully engaged.” “My mind is engaged,” she said, lifting her chin defiantly. “Is it?” He took her arm, pressing her against the wall so that he could feel her heart beating madly. They stood there, eyes fixed on one another, breathing each other in for what seemed

like an eternity. He could tell there was something on her mind by the way her lips trembled and her eyes searched his. “So tell me,” he demanded. “What are you thinking?” Eva’s mouth parted, closed, parted again. “She was naked. Under her coat,” she finally whispered. “Is that what men like?” “Sometimes,” he answered. He pressed his lips against her hairline, savoring the sweet innocence in her question. He found it impossible to believe she didn’t know what she was doing to him. Dressed in her seductively simple blouse and skirt that showed off her curves, her eyes aglow with the

newness of it all, Eva was a million times more alluring than Lucy had ever been. Which led him to a thought that made his stomach drop. She’d come to him wanting lessons on how to drive a man wild, but Eva Fiorini didn’t need lessons. Not one fucking bit. And it was only a matter of time before she realized that. “Have you ever done that? What she was talking about,” she asked. “Slept with two women at once?” He shook his head almost imperceptibly. Maybe he had wanted that at some point. It certainly wasn’t the first time a threesome had been presented as an option, but more than

one lover in his bed had never been his style. But even if it had been, there was no way he would share Eva, not with Lucy or anyone else. Her lips parted, silently begging to be kissed, but he didn’t give her what she was asking for. He wanted to deny her, make her wait, make her as crazy as she was making him. His hands dropped to her sides. He began to tug her skirt up to her thighs as he pressed himself, hard, against her, still denying her that kiss. She tilted her mouth closer to his, but he pressed his lips together and urged her back against the wall, dominating her. “I assure you, I have only one pussy on my mind right

now.” He roughly prodded between her legs, finding her wet, bare flesh. Ripping the skirt up to her waist, he thrust a finger into her, making her cry out as his breath fanned her neck. “I see you’ve learned something,” he murmured into her ear. “Now, we’ll address the next part of your education.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

Eva the years, Eva had had a O ver thousand fantasies about losing her

virginity, and though the details would change nearly every time, one aspect always stayed the same. It had always been Jack. She’d often pictured his home, but she’d never imagined his penthouse flat would look this way. She’d expected something modern and minimalist, all bright clean lines and angles. But this place had more of a homey look. The floor-to-ceiling windows were there, but they were half obscured by overflowing bookcases of darkly lacquered wood—vintage English, Eva guessed, though she’d never been into furniture. Jack hadn’t struck her as an antique collector, and she’d never seen him in tweed, but there were enough

wing-back and distressed leather chairs in the place to make her think she’d stumbled onto the set of Downton Abbey. She didn’t have time to full-out gawk, however. Jack guided her, with no pretense, over lush oriental rugs to his bedroom. There would be no tour tonight. That much was obvious from the way he’d unzipped and dropped her skirt to her ankles in the foyer and unbuttoned the top buttons on her blouse in the living room. Jack clearly had only one thing on his mind—getting her naked as quickly as possible. Fine by her. By the time he pushed open the door

to his bedroom, he’d already succeeded in undoing most of the buttons on her blouse. She spotted an enormous, intricately-carved poster bed, but before she could fully investigate, he whirled her around to face him. She lifted her chin up to him, desperate for his kiss. Instead, he blinked down, past her mouth. A ragged breath fell from her lips as his hand cupped her breast, molding and massaging it with the pad of his thumb. Her nipple peaked instantly. She straightened her spine, offering more of herself to him. She didn’t care where he put his mouth. She just wanted it on her. Now. She moaned aloud when he finally

leaned down and flicked his tongue on the tops of her breasts, whisper-light. His warm breath alone was enough to make her skin prickle with a million goose bumps. Then he encircled her nipple with his mouth, sucking it hard. She hadn’t worn her bra or panties, and all day she’d felt a little strange, but mostly free and sexy. She had to admit, it had felt good to be bad. She could get used to sharing secrets with Jack Bennett, she thought, as he devoured her breast, making wild, hungry noises. As he sucked, his hands gripped her waist, and her mind went wild with possibilities. She looked down at his head as he laved her nipple, painting

circles with his tongue. The sight itself was so erotic, so hot, she could scarcely believe it was happening to her. It pulled a groan from deep within her. Both of her nipples were painfully hard, now. She could do nothing but tilt her other breast toward him, urging him to lavish equal attention on it. Every part of her body screamed for his touch. He dragged his hand from her hip to play with her other nipple, sending sparks of pleasure up and down her body. A pulse beat between her legs. She was so wet now. So wet and ready. He tore at the rest of the blouse, leaving it open, then suddenly stepped away, appraising her. The lack of his touch made her ache

even more for him. She watched his eyes travel the length of her nearly naked body, craving his touch. She started to close her blouse over her breasts when he stopped her. “Take it off.” She did so, hesitantly. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he was angry at her, that she’d done something wrong and now he was hell-bent on humiliating her. That old Boston accent of his, the one he tried so hard to hide, had made a reappearance, and that meant something wasn’t right with him. Was it because she’d tried to act aloof about him seeing other women? No attachments—wasn’t that the rule? Now she was fully naked,

completely exposed, wearing nothing but her heels. “What should I—“ He put a finger on her lips, silencing her. His eyes were cold as he started to pace in front of her. “Don’t talk. Don’t say a word. You’ve followed my directions well so far. This is your lesson in submitting your will to mine. You will do what I say, without question, without making a single noise. Do you understand? Nod if you do.” She nodded. Frowning tightly, he strode over to the bed and motioned her to follow. “Lie on the bed.” Thrilled to be given an order, she climbed onto the clean white sheets. Stretching out on her back, she propped

herself up by the elbows as sparks spread through her from the anticipation. She searched his face, seeking his approval. He gave her none. He motioned to her legs. “Spread them. As wide as you can.” She did, dragging her legs apart so that her pussy lips stretched open, leaving her more exposed than ever. He slowly began to loosen his tie, his eyes never leaving her. Her heart hammered in her chest, desperately awaiting his next command as he removed his tie and began to work on the buttons of his shirt. “That looks good enough to eat. Do you want me to eat you out, Eva?” It was the closest thing to his

approval she’d received, and her entire body shivered at the suggestion. She wanted nothing more than to feel him sucking on her clit, his tongue delving deep into her like it had last night. Biting her bottom lip, she nodded. “Not yet,” he said, removing his belt and shirt. “I want you do exactly as I tell you. If you do anything else, you will be punished, understand? And you’re not to come. Not until I say so.” She couldn’t acquiesce to that. She was already so hot, so close. She knew it wouldn’t take much to drive her past the brink. Now he stood at the foot of the bed, dressed only in his boxer briefs, his cock bulging hard against the fabric. He was as turned on as she was.

That seemed a sure sign of approval. He moved around to the night table and slid the drawer open. From it, he pulled out a condom. Oh, my God, she thought. This is really happening. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, and her heart jammed in her throat, but he continued speaking, as if this was something he’d done many times before. “Play with your pussy. Like you did this morning.” With a trembling hand, she reached down to rub her clit. Right away it pulsed under her fingers. She leaned back and closed her eyes, imagining it was him, like she’d done before. She pictured his muscled, powerful body

between her legs, ready to claim her. She imagined the roughness of his hands on her skin, leaving no inch unexplored. Even with her eyes closed, his presence was obvious. Ignoring the sound of the condom package ripping open, she tried to think only of how much her body craved release. This was no time for virgin nerves. It was time to go for this, to embrace everything Jack had to give her. She stroked furiously, working in wider and wider circles until he said, “Put your fingers in your cunt. Feel yourself. Find that place that feels good.” She slid her finger in, then another, biting back the urge to cry out. All of it

felt good—mind-blowingly good. “Pump your fingers in and out. Hit that spot and don’t stop unless you get too close.” She was already close. She started to pump her fingers, this time imagining it was him thrusting in and out of her. It was so much feeling, but still not enough to make her forget her audience. Above all she wanted to please him, so that he would end the anticipation and take her for real. She cupped her breast with her other hand and massaged it, letting the moan rising inside of her escape her lips, hoping the sound would turn him on. God, she was so wet that she didn’t even fear his monster cock. She was

ready, so completely ready. She spread her legs wider, silently inviting him in, letting the maelstrom of sensation build. “Are you going to come, Eva?” he asked. She knew she couldn’t stop now. She nodded. His voice was hard. “Don’t, or there will be consequences.” This was already punishment of the worst kind. With a whimper, she willed her hand to slow and tried to force unsexy images into her head. But it was so hard. Maybe she’d already gone past the brink. Maybe this was inevitable. All she knew was that she was beyond words, nearly beyond thought.

Silently she entreated him with her eyes to put her out of this sweet, maddening misery. She found herself mouthing the word please… “I told you not to speak,” he growled. She hadn’t realized she’d said it out loud. Before she could apologize, Jack was between her legs. With one swift movement, he slipped his hands under her hips and dragged her to the edge of the bed. There, he fisted his hands in her hair and crushed his mouth against hers. “You need to learn self-control,” he said, his breath coming fast against her lips. “We’ll work on that more. As soon as I make you come on my cock.”

She felt his blunt head at her entrance, spreading apart her lips, and could hardly manage a breath before he drove himself fully into her. The fusion of pleasure and pain ripped through her as he stretched her insides. She cried out, unable to keep silent any longer. He held her at the edge of the bed, his cock deep within her, frozen for what seemed like forever, until the pain ebbed and a strange realization overtook her. This was where she’d always wanted him to be, needed him to be. As much as it hurt, it also felt completely and utterly right. She looked up at him, surprised to see something on his face other than the

raw power he usually exuded. But his expression was uncertain, maybe even… worried. “Eva,” he murmured. “Are you a virgin?” She looked between them, at his shaft driven to the hilt within her, and nodded slightly, her face heating. “You may speak now,” he said. She sucked in a breath. “Yes. I am. I was, I mean.” If he was dismayed or overjoyed by the fact, he didn’t let on. He simply moved her gently back on the bed, holding her hips with one hand so that they remained joined. When they were face to face, with his forearms resting on either side of her pillow, he kissed her

softly, stealing her breath. After his aloof routine, she hadn’t expected anything quite so tender. He started to pull out, slowly, with much more gentleness than he’d driven inside her. “Does that hurt?” Yes, but that hardly seemed to matter now. She shook her head. His voice was soft, the anger gone. “Can I move? Slowly? Like this.” He glided back inside, sending fresh pleasure washing over the pain. She nodded, wanting nothing more. “Tell me if it hurts,” he said gently. “We can stop anytime.” “I don’t want to stop.” She ran her hands down his strong back and clung to him for dear life, wrapping her legs tight

around his ass. “Don’t stop, Jack.” “God, Eva,” he groaned as he began to move. Gradually, the pain and soreness was eclipsed by the fact that this was Jack, inside her. Fucking her. No. This was more than fucking. This was communion, wonder. This was her drowning in the sweetest heat, and Jack was the sun. Maybe her friends had been right. Maybe it was impossible to separate emotion from sex, and she was destined to suffer for letting Jack into every place inside her—body and soul. But she liked what Jack had said better. That sex without connection was pointless. That whatever she was thinking or feeling

right now was not only okay, but necessary. His movements fluid, he thrust in and out of her, slowly and gently, until she was trembling all over, a full, heavy feeling spreading through her pelvis until it felt like she was being wickedly, deliciously turned inside out. “You’re so fucking perfect,” he murmured into her skin. “So hot and wet. I can’t wait to feel you come. I can feel how close you are, beautiful. Come for me. Let me feel you tight on my cock.” It was his words that finally drove her past the brink. Her fingernails raked his back as her climax crested, and she exploded, her pussy locking down around him. Mouth open, eyes closed,

she came with a wordless cry of bliss, as Jack’s tempo increased between her legs, drawing out her release until the pleasure was almost painful. “Yes, God, yes,” he groaned. “I’m going to come, Eva. I’m going to come.” He thrust one last time and came apart, shuddering, jaw clenched as he moaned low in his throat. She’d never seen a man come before, and at that moment she realized this was her favorite part. Seeing the Jack who wasn’t so put-together, the human, vulnerable, exposed Jack so few people ever saw. Afterward, they held each other in silence. She knew the time was coming when he would pull out, leave her, and

everything would change. For the worse? For the better? She couldn’t guess. She didn’t want to guess. She just wanted to enjoy this moment of closeness with Jack—this moment, however short, when everything seemed damn near perfect.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Jack

J

ack slept poorly, and the next morning his eyes flew open at

five a.m. and stayed that way. Eva rested, her breath coming slow as she curled against his chest, clearly still spent from the night before. He had a thousand things to do and should be up and about his day, but at that moment, nothing seemed as interesting as watching her sleep. He could barely believe he’d been her first. He hadn’t been with a virgin since he was fifteen and a virgin himself, but the second he’d pushed into her, he’d known. She’d been so tight, so perfect… God, he’d never imagined he could fit inside any woman that way, like a key into a lock, every inch of him gripped so seamlessly tight. It had been pure heaven.

When Eva had approached him about her sexual education, Jack had assumed she must be more experienced than she was letting on. He wasn’t equipped to handle the emotional baggage that came with being someone’s first. If he’d known she was a virgin, he would’ve said no. Hell no. And then he would have missed out on this. This. This incredible thing that he couldn’t possibly find the words to explain. It wasn’t anything he’d ever experienced before. In a way, last night he’d felt like he was the virgin, like his world had shifted as much as hers. Sweet Eva. She rested against his chest, and he couldn’t help thinking of

the first time he’d seen her, back when he was just another high school student at the Hill, and she was nothing but his best friend’s little sister. And now she was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen. She’d obviously been embarrassed last night when Lucy had called her fat, but Eva was anything but. She was sensual, alluring, her every curve a work of divine creation. Just the thought of Eva’s unique mix of sweetness and abandon made his cock thicken again. Take it easy, he warned himself as she rolled over and murmured sleepily. She’s going to be sore today. Easier said than done, he thought as the sheet came loose, exposing more of

that sexy body of hers, those perfect tits, those dark, hardened nipples. He knew he’d go out of his fucking mind if he didn’t get inside of her again, and soon. And it wasn’t just because her pussy was the best place he’d ever been. It was the look in her eyes as he moved inside her, the way he could feel her heart beating in his chest, that sense of being so terrifyingly close to another person and only wanting to get closer. If he didn’t watch out, he was going to become helplessly addicted to this woman. She blinked and stretched her hands over her head, then tilted her head and looked up at him, her mussed hair veiling her dark eyes. “Morning.”

“Good morning,” he said, sitting up in bed. She arched her back, and those soft, perky tits poked out. He wanted so badly to suck them, to taste her again. “I slept so well,” she said dreamily, like she hadn’t a care in the world. He’d slept like shit. He wasn’t sure why. After good sex, he usually slept like the dead. And sex with Eva had been good. Mind-blowing, in fact. What the fuck was wrong with him? “Would you like coffee?” She shook her head. “I only drink tea in the mornings.” “Breakfast then?” he asked, needing to serve her in some small way. “I could make egg sandwiches.”

She rolled over and checked the bedside clock. “Oh, no. I have a huge meeting in an hour and a half. We should start setting an alarm.” He watched her jump from bed and scurry around looking for her clothes, and something inside him deflated. Whatever thoughts were plaguing him, she obviously wasn’t sharing them. She’d been a virgin, for God’s sake. Couldn’t she at least act like she was affected by what had happened between them? He slipped out of bed. As she stood after fetching her shirt, he braced his arms against the wall, caging her in. She turned to him, a question on her face. “You weren’t excused,” he

murmured, and kissed her hard. When they came up for air, he added, “I never said our lesson was over.” “I’m sorry,” she said, her breath coming fast. “You should be,” he said. “Your obedience needs improvement.” “Hmm. I see. So do you need to punish me?” She asked like she was begging for it, as he buried his face in the side of her neck. “I could fit some punishment in as long as I’m out the door before seven-thirty.” How the fuck did this innocent girl learn to be so wicked? “Punishment it is, then.” She melted against him, and he lifted her easily into his arms. “I’ll teach you a lesson you

won’t soon forget.” He carried her to his bathroom and set her down, holding her gaze as he opened the glass shower door and twisted the faucet until warm water began to fall from the rain showerhead. “Thanks for the lesson,” she said with a grin. “But I already know how to use a shower.” “You don’t know how to use it correctly,” he told her, checking the temperature before motioning for her to step inside. “There is a proper way to lather up. It’s an art, actually.” She stepped in and stood under the stream of water, letting it soak her. As it turned her hair darker, it revealed the natural beauty of her face, making Jack wish he were an artist of some kind. A

painter, a sculptor—someone who could capture how completely stunning she was in this moment. He’d watched many women shower, but something about the way the water fell on Eva was indescribably poetic. He marveled at how even her most mundane, ordinary gestures—a hand through her hair, a finger swiping water from the hollow of her upper lip—turned him on like no one ever had. Hell, she didn’t need lessons in the art of showering—she was a fucking Picasso. She tilted her head back and let the water drench her face, and his cock stretched out in front of him, begging him to take her.

Down, boy. You’ll hurt her. No, it was too soon for sex, but not for a little erotic torture. He stepped inside the shower and nudged her against the wall with her back to him, imagining the way she would beg for him to make her come when he was done with his punishment. She relaxed against him as he took the soap and worked it between his hands, making a thick lather. Then he reached around her and massaged the suds into her breasts, down to her navel, and back up, making sure to be extra thorough as he slicked her hard nipples. She squirmed at first, and then her head fell back against his shoulder, her breath coming faster.

“Is this my punishment?” she asked. “Yes,” he murmured against her damp forehead. “I’m going to take you almost there again and again, until you’re begging me to let you come.” “Sounds terrible,” she whispered, arching into his touch as he squeezed her nipples lightly between his finger and thumb. “And wonderful.” Jack couldn’t help but smile as she surrendered against his chest, giving herself up to the erotic torment as he plucked and teased her taut flesh. Finally, when she was panting in his arms, he let his fingers trail down to her pussy. “Oh, Jack,” she cried out. “Oh please, yes. Touch me there.”

“I’ll do more than touch.” He whirled her around and the moment the spray rinsed her breasts clean, his mouth was on them. His tongue trailing down her breastbone, to her abdomen, he laid small kisses at her mound as the water fell on his back. Kneeling at her feet, he hooked her leg over his shoulder and buried his face in her pussy. “Oh, God,” she moaned as he found her clit and nipped at the little nub. She tilted her pelvis up to him. “Oh God, Jack, please…I want to feel you inside me again.” He bit back a groan. At least one part of his anatomy was completely on board with that suggestion, but he’d promised himself he would never hurt

her again the way he unwittingly had last night. He murmured against her pussy, “No. Not this morning. I don’t want to hurt you.” She pressed her lips together and growled, “It won’t hurt me. Take me, Jack. God, I need it. I need you.” He lifted her leg higher, his tongue plunging deeper as he fucked her with his mouth. What they’d done last night had obviously had an effect; her pussy lips were red and swollen. But she was already trembling, getting ready to come. “Don’t come, not yet,” he said, backing off, letting his breath be the only thing touching her aroused flesh. “Wait until you have permission, Eva.”

“I will,” she said, fingers threading into his hair. “But when I have permission I need you inside of me.” “I said, not now,” he answered sharply, his resolve weakening. “I’m the teacher.” Her hips rocked closer to his face. “I know, but I want to learn everything. You don’t have to give me the sweet and gentle routine just because last night was my first time.” “Eva—” “Take me,” she begged, the hunger in her voice driving him crazy. “Now.” He rose to his feet, something building inside him other than desire. It was a touch of panic, the sense that control was slipping through his fingers

and he didn’t like it one fucking bit. He shouldn’t be feeling this way, but Eva had a way of intensifying his emotions. He met her gaze, glaring hard at her as the water fell upon their faces. She matched his glare with shocking intensity, throwing him even more off balance. “You want to it that bad?” he asked. “Yes,” she whispered, not backing down. “Then I have to get a condom.” He moved to go, but she stopped him with a hand. “I’ve been on the pill since I was thirteen,” she said breasts rising and falling with the increased speed of her breath. “Have you been tested recently?”

“Yes.” The truth was he’d been tested—regularly—but he’d never had sex without a condom. Not even once. He had never trusted any woman enough. But if anyone was going to make him feel that way, it would be Eva. Eva, who was hacking away at his defenses, eroding his control, and starting to make him wonder who was the student and who was the teacher. “Then I want to feel you in me. Just you,” Eva said, hands sliding down his slick back. “Now, Jack. Fuck me.” Fine. If she wants to be fucked, I’ll give her exactly what she’s asking for. He took her arm and whirled her to face the shower wall again, pressing his erection against her rear. She gasped as

he rubbed its entire length languidly up and down the crack of her ass. “This what you want? Hard and deep?” He didn’t wait for an answer. He simply bent her over so that her palms pressed against the shower wall, positioned his cock at her slick entrance, and drove into her, just as unrelenting as he had the first time. But this time she didn’t cry out. She let out a satisfied groan as he ran his hands down her slick sides and found a spot on her hips to hold her steady. And God, she felt good. Better than anything. He let out a guttural groan as he buried himself to the hilt and then pushed in just that half inch deeper. Fighting the urge to stay buried in

her, relishing how amazing it felt to have her pussy squeezing every inch of his cock, he pulled out and drove in again, even harder this time. Him, sweet and gentle? No woman would ever accuse him of that. The urge to possess her, to lay claim to her, to show her who was in control overtook him like a tornado. He rode her hard, but she matched him stroke for stroke, tilting her pelvis to allow him to penetrate deeper. “Yes, like that, so perfect,” she groaned, his student wresting control from him just as he drew too close to orgasm to care. “Oh, Jack, I’m going to come. I’m coming!” He dug his fingers into the soft flesh

of her hips as she screamed his name and pushed back hard against him, her slick heat locking around his cock. Jesus, this woman was unbelievable, incredible, undeniable. With a last thrust, he followed her over the edge, giving a roar as he pinned her against the shower wall, his cock jerking deep inside her pussy. Afterward, as hot as the sex had been—had it ever been hotter?—he still felt unsettled. He cleaned up quickly and left the steamy shower to allow Eva to finish her morning routine. When he’d dressed, he stood frowning at his own reflection in the mirror. He still looked the same, even if everything inside of him was in a

tailspin. “I’ve got to run,” Eva said, hurrying out of the bathroom in a breathless rush. “Thank you for a perfect morning.” She stood on tiptoe to press a quick kiss to his lips, and he walked her to the door. Afterward, as he made his way to work, his thoughts swam. For the first time in days, he missed Antonio. Jack had always been able to talk to his best friend about the things he couldn’t figure out on his own. He wished he could talk to him about these strange feelings for Eva. But of course, even if Antonio were alive, he couldn’t very well discuss the arrangement he had with the man’s sister. Antonio had been far from violent,

but Jack couldn’t imagine Antonio’s answer to this being anything other than a swift kick in Jack’s balls and a “Lay another hand on her, and you’re dead.” But at that moment, God help him, Jack could think of nothing else he’d rather do than lay his hands on Eva. No matter what her brother would do to him for wanting her like this.

CHAPTER NINE

Eva stood in the marketing office at E vaEva’s Organics, ready to have a

nervous breakdown. Two of the designers had called in sick, and the marketing comps for the latest ads for Divine, their newest fragrance, looked like crap. It was as if Nelson had hired a bunch of five-yearolds with a box of Crayolas to create the print ads, and now she was regretting ever choosing the tall pink vial with the gold foil around the neck for the packaging. Basically, all hell was breaking loose, and she couldn’t stop thinking of the way Jack had felt inside her. Which was really bad. She wasn’t wearing underwear, and as she’d suspected, thinking of him kept her constantly aroused. Her nipples seemed

eternally erect, pressing obviously against the sheer fabric of her blouse. If she had to endure eight hours at the office, all she really wanted to do during them was sit at her desk, alone, and touch herself, entertaining nothing but thoughts about last night. She laughed privately at the image. My, my, had she turned into a naughty woman or what? She leaned over Georgie’s shoulder and squinted at the Mac’s computer screen. “Nelson actually thought this looked good?” Georgie nodded. “Well, um, we all do. We thought the staircase to heaven wrapping around the bottle was genius. Remember?”

Maybe losing her virginity had made her temporarily blind to genius. Eva craned her neck, tilted her head. No, it was shit. Everything was shit. “Escape to Paradise.” She wrinkled her nose. “Did we really choose that as the tagline?” Georgie nodded slowly again, studying Eva curiously. Eva vaguely recalled the meeting a month ago, when all of these ideas had sounded so damn good. She’d come out of it and actually fist-bumped the entire team for their awesomeness. But now… “Is it just me,” she asked, “or does that bottle look like a giant penis?” Georgie’s eyes widened and she

grabbed Eva’s sleeve, tugging her into the chair next to hers. Her throaty voice was even lower than usual as she asked, “Eva, what the hell is up? I was expecting a full report right after the deflowering, but you didn’t even send a text. And since then you’ve been running around like a chicken with her head chopped off. Are you seeing penises everywhere because you got laid or because you didn’t? End the suspense, girlfriend.” Eva looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then smiled. “Last night.” Damn, it felt good to tell someone. Georgie clapped her hands excitedly. “So, was it good?”

The words bubbled forth. “It was amazing. Ah-maze-zing.” Then she thought about this morning. Something had gone wrong, but she wasn’t sure what. It had been hot as all get out, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that Jack was upset with her for some reason. “But then…” “But then, what?” She shook her head. “I don’t know. I tried to downplay the virgin thing. I wanted him to know that I wasn’t going to make a big deal of it, or expect flowers and a marriage proposal or anything. I told him I wanted the full Jack, no special treatment.” She glanced over her shoulder, making sure she and Georgie were still out of earshot of the

rest of the Eva’s Organics crew before she confided in a softer voice, “But this morning he kept trying to treat me like I was made out of tissue paper. And when I told him to cut it out, he got pissed.” Georgie nodded thoughtfully. “And then what did he do?” “He, um…” She fought a blush. “He really got into it. We did it in the shower and it was hot. And hard,” she added in an even softer voice. “But good. Great.” She shivered as sense memories swept over her skin. “Oh, steamy shower sex is the best!” Georgie grinned. “So how do you feel?” “I’m a little sore. And I don’t know. It’s like we vacillate between getting along perfectly and being mad at each

other for some unspoken reason. Sometimes I just want to…” She mimed choking someone. “Ugh! Smack him upside the head. And I don’t even know why. We barely talked before we left for work because I think we were both afraid of saying something we’d regret. Is that normal?” “Stop right there.” Georgie held a manicured finger up. “So you’re thinking about him so much that you’re seeing penises in perfume bottles, and yet all you want to do is rip his gorgeous head off? I’m sorry, darling, but that sets my warning bells to going off. Big time.” Eva frowned. “What do you mean?” “I hate to break it to you, but it sounds like you’re suffering from push-

him-away-before-he-pushes-me-awayitis,” she said, shrugging. “Next stop, an ugly case of Love with a capital L.” Eva stared at her, horrified. “No. No way!” “Yes way,” Georgie said, nodding sagely. “And if he’s doing the same thing, then maybe he’s feeling it, too.” She fluttered her eyelashes. “Maybe Big Bad Jack is falling in loooove.” Eva burst out laughing; she couldn’t help it. “No. That’s definitely wrong. You know who we’re talking about, right? Jack Bennett. You forget, I’ve known him since he was seventeen. Even when he was in high school, he would have a few new notches on his belt every time I visited campus.”

She shrugged. “Well, maybe ol’ lick ’em and leave ’em Jack has matured?” “Doubtful.” Eva pondered it another moment only to come to the same conclusion. “Totally doubtful. The saying about leopards and spots is coming to mind.” “Oh, well,” Georgie trilled, stretching her arms overhead and twiddling her fingertips. “When he shows up with flowers and a marriage proposal, I promise not to say I told you so.” Eva snorted. Jack Bennett and marriage proposals. Could any two things be more diametrically opposed to each other? Georgie pointed at the computer

screen again. “So, other than it looking like a giant penis staircase, is there any other feedback I should present to the design team?” Eva sighed. “No. Don’t tell them that. Just tell them good work.” She stood. “Is this a normal thing for the newly deflowered? To see penises everywhere they go?” “Absolutely.” Georgie nodded. “Post-first-coitus-itis. Penis hallucinations are a classic symptom.” Evan sighed again. “Tell me it goes away.” “Ordinarily I would say yes, but who knows the power of the wondercock?” Perfect. Eva smiled dryly. “Great. Very encouraging. I’m going to take a

little walk, okay? I need to clear my head.” Georgie fluttered her fingers. “You’re the boss, lovely. Take all the time you need.” Out on the street, Eva casually strolled down 5th Avenue, drawing deep breaths of air. She’d taken mid-morning office-break walks before, but never had one felt so desperately needed. Georgie was nuts. She had to be. Jack wasn’t falling in love. That wasn’t possible. His heart was covered in an impenetrable titanium coating. But Eva wasn’t so sure about hers, which was why she had taken precautions in the first place. She had known what she was getting into, and

had worked extra hard to steel herself against any emotional entanglements. She’d even practiced her causal, aloof, having-an-affair-for-the-first-time-is-nobig-deal routine in the mirror. And last night, when she’d met Lucy, she was sure she’d managed to pull it off. Who would have thought playing it cool would make Jack so angry? The truth was, meeting Lucy had felt like swallowing razor blades, and not just because she was a vile creature who had clearly worked some sort of Svengali magic on Jack when they were together. Coming face to face with someone else who had been naked with Jack hurt. Still, Eva had pretended that she

didn’t care, hoping to make things easier for both her teacher and her. Instead, Jack had lost his temper in a way that wasn’t like him. Ugh. Men. They could be so hard to figure out sometimes. Even Jack, who she’d known forever. But the sex. Oh, God, the sex. The thought of him driving inside her, filling her to completion, made her shiver in the warm air. When he’d realized she was a virgin, he’d turned so gentle, sweet, accommodating. She’d heard so many stories about horrible first times, but Jack had handled it the way he handled everything—like a master. Only a few days ago she had been so

anxious and uncertain, and now suddenly she craved him like a drug. No, I’m not craving him, she corrected. I’m craving it. The act, not the person. Don’t confuse the two, Eva. She refused to acknowledge the small thought tickling the back of her mind. That gentle, sweet side that was so uncharacteristic of Jack? It was lethal. Too much time with tender, adoring Jack, and not even the most experienced woman would be able to resist falling hard. And Eva was far from experienced. Eva wandered farther and farther from her offices, lost in her troubling thoughts. It was a nice, sunny day in the city,

with so many people out on their lunch breaks that the streets thronged with activity. Because the weather was so mild and her mind so confused, Eva managed to stroll right out of her neighborhood, letting her need for peace lead her away from the bustling main thoroughfares. Soon she found herself on a quiet, tree-lined residential street, far away from the usual midday bustle. When she surfaced from her thoughts, something niggled at the back of her mind. A disquieting sense of alarm. She turned a corner as another car slowly rounded it. It was a black Cadillac with tinted windows. She’d seen a similar car idling outside her

office building the week before. Was someone watching her? Following her? Her heartbeat quickened. She walked faster, her heels clicking on the uneven pavement. The car accelerated slightly, keeping close behind her. This time, whoever was in the car didn’t try to be cagey or stay hidden. Cold nerves skated over her skin, and she tensed everywhere. There could be no mistake. She was being hunted. Why, she couldn’t even imagine, but she didn’t intend to find out by allowing herself to get caught. She hastened her pace, feeling the sting of her patent

leather heel rubbing her ankle raw. Damn these high heels. She’d worn them because she knew they turned Jack on, but right now, she wished for her Adidas. The heels weren’t meant for athletic endeavors. She peered over her shoulder, trying to get a look at the driver, but the windows were too dark. Seeing a sign for the subway across the street, she took a deep breath, trying to settle her pounding heart. Then, without giving any warning, she dashed into the street, narrowly evading the bumper of the Cadillac. Oh, shit, she thought as she heard the car slam on its brakes. A door opened. She ran, eyes trained on the subway

entrance. Footsteps sped behind her. She picked up the pace as she ducked down into the subway station, taking the steps two at a time, at a speed she’d never traveled before in her life, praying she wouldn’t twist an ankle in her high heels. Breathing hard, she furiously flipped through her wristlet, trying to find her subway card. She picked through about a thousand credit cards, spilling some on the floor. She bent low, frantically shoving the cards back into her purse. With so much in walking distance of her apartment, she rarely took the subway. Where was the card? Where was the

fucking card? A shadow fell across her. Instinctively, Eva bolted. Heart beating madly, she crawled under the turnstile and scrambled back to her feet, racing toward the empty platform, desperately searching for help. But the waiting area was deserted. A city of nine-million people, and I’m the only one here? She flattened herself on the other side of a column, praying the person who was chasing her would just go away. But the swiftly moving footsteps came closer, echoing hollowly through the station. Eva bit her lip, pulse beating wildly at her throat as sweat trailed

down the valley of her spine. Any second she was going to be discovered. And then what would she do? There was nowhere left to run except onto the tracks. Suddenly she heard the familiar rumble of the train thundering through the tunnel, the volume rising before the brakes squealed. She could no longer see or hear her pursuer, but she could sense the presence of someone not far behind her, and more sweat trickled down her rib cage from beneath her breasts. Panting from the chase, she pressed her back against the column and watched the doors of the subway car slide open, aching desperately to be inside, heading away from her tracker.

She waited a beat, two, slowly slipping off her shoes and gripping them in her hands, ready to make a run for it at the last possible second. Just before the doors to the train could slide shut, she bolted, running faster than she ever had before. She slid into the subway car so quickly that she toppled into the far wall of the empty car, then collapsed into a seat, panting. Heart still crammed in her throat, Eva peered through the window onto the platform. The man stared back at her from far too close to where she’d been hiding. He had long dark hair, pulled off of his forehead in a ponytail, and his ruddy face was partially obscured by dark sunglasses and a scraggly black

beard. Tough was the first thought that came to her mind. He’ll kill me, was the second. Though she was certain she’d never seen him before, something about his face tickled a fragment of a memory she’d buried long ago. She cringed as he made a move toward her, but the doors slid closed before he could reach the train. Sighing with relief, Eva sunk into the seat, while the man still watched her from the platform, stone-faced. As the train pulled away, she thought of Antonio. She had always made fun of him for his tireless efforts to keep her safe. Only now did she suspect that there

had been no reason for jokes or laughter. None at all. She put her face in her hands and cried in a way she hadn’t since her brother’s funeral.

HE WATCHED his man Luca emerge from the subway entrance without Eva Fiorini and fought the urge to stub his cigarette out on the Cadillac’s leather seat. The coward had let her get away. Fucking Luca was too worried about getting caught by the police and not nearly worried enough about disappointing his boss.

Maybe it was time for him to have a lesson in what it meant to cross a man such as himself… Taking his pound of flesh out of the guy hustling back to the car wouldn’t bring him any closer to recovering all the things the Fiorini family had stolen from him, but it would take the edge off. That edge had gotten sharper the past few days as he’d watched Eva run around town without a bra under her whisper-thin shirts, practically inviting every man who passed her by to yank her skirt up around her hips and take her against the nearest wall. Her true colors were showing at last. She was as morally corrupt as every other member of her family,

people who had cheated and lied their way into their fortune, all while pretending that their hands were clean. It shouldn’t have come as any surprise. A rotten tree will only bear rotten fruit. Still, a part of him mourned the loss of the little girl he’d watched grow into a lovely young woman, even as he looked forward to showing Eva what happened to bad girls who didn’t play by the rules.

CHAPTER TEN

Jack Jack strode through the sea of A scubicles at the Fiorini Group,

returning from a financial meeting with a few other executives, he could’ve sworn he heard Eva’s voice calling to him. He’d foolishly thought once he’d bedded her, his mind would settle. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. “Jack, please, I really do need you.” One of the interns popped her head up from her desk. Julie. Not Eva. Not even close. Jack sighed inwardly. Julie was first in her class at NYU but had absolutely no ability to do anything on her own. The other executives in the vicinity rolled their eyes. Mike O’Halleran, the VP of Sales, gave Jack a nudge as he came to a stop beside him. It was a running joke that Jack was

the subject of all the female interns’ office romance fantasies. He’d never done a thing to promote it. But where most of the other executives hated his Head Asshole routine, the young women seemed to get off on it. They liked the thought of being bedded by the bad-boy billionaire, he supposed. He had a momentary thought of Eva asking him to punish her, and tamped it down as he came around to the redhaired intern’s cubicle. “What can I help you with, Julie?” The young woman started to explain a problem for which she didn’t truly need his help. Her supervisor likely had an easy answer. He listened politely, then asked, “Have you asked Ann?”

“Ann’s at lunch,” she said, wringing her hands. “And it’s due at one.” “It’s all right,” he assured her with a smile. “The Turner property isn’t going to auction until next week, but I would suggest you take a look at section two in the documents Ann drew up yesterday,” he said, then explained specifically where she should look to find the answer to her query. She nodded, blushing. “Thank you, Jack.” “No problem. Good work.” He excited the cubicle, rejoining Mike and the other execs as they started toward the other side of the office. “So, as I was saying, the properties downtown have always been our bread

and butter, but I don’t think…” Jack let his words trail off. Mike didn’t appear to be listening. Instead, he had a shit-eating grin on his face and seemed fixated on something behind him. Jack turned to discover Julie had come around the outside of her cubicle and was talking to another intern, in a skirt much too short to comply with the Fiorini dress code. “Good work is right,” Mike mumbled. “I’d hit that so hard.” Jack scowled. “And then what? She’s an employee.” “Who the fuck cares?” Mike grumbled. “Fire her ass. Even if HR came down on me, it would be worth it, for a taste of that sweet pussy.”

Mike was all talk, and the things he said were almost never PC, which made him the unofficial court jester of the Fiorini Group. But Jack didn’t find this particular breed of bullshit funny. “Are you out of your mind?” he asked in a cold, sharp voice. Mike blinked. “Hey, now, I was just —” “It’s unprofessional to talk about any of our employees that way,” Jack said, cutting him off. “Not to mention crass and classless. And I won’t stand for it. If I catch you so much as looking sideways at one of the interns again, there will be consequences. Consequences you won’t enjoy. Do we understand each other,

Mike?” Mike looked at the ground, sufficiently admonished. The other execs had already drifted away, clearly happy to let Mike take his medicine alone. As Mike hurried off—making some vague noises about following upon the Clement deal—Jack heard a voice over the usual office chatter. “Jack?” This time when he turned, Eva was standing behind him. He blinked, then blinked again just to make sure he wasn’t imagining things. What was she doing here? And why was she… He looked closer. She was trembling, holding her shoes in her

hands. One toe was bleeding, and her hair was loose, wild strands matted to her temples with sweat. He launched into action, closing the distance between them and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “What happened? Are you okay?” She shook her head. “No. Not okay.” Jack hugged her closer, his chest tightening as he noticed the trails of dried tears on her cheeks. “Come with me,” he whispered. “We can talk in my office.” As he led her across the room, heads peeked out of the cubicles and whispers of speculation rustled louder than the paper in the copying machine, but he didn’t care. Eva was his only concern.

He barely had a chance to close the door before she said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you at work.” “You’re always welcome here. Always. This is your company, too.” He ran a hand gently down her arm to squeeze her hand. “Right now I’m more concerned about you than any interruption. What happened?” “It was crazy, Jack.” She planted her backside on the edge of his desk. “I didn’t know what else to do. I rode the subway around and around because I was afraid if I went back to work, he would be waiting for me.” Jack’s eyes narrowed. “He? He who?” “I don’t know. Some guy. He

followed me. He chased me. I don’t know who he is, but…” She hugged herself tighter. “I think he wanted to hurt me. The look on his face was terrifying.” Jack’s jaw tightened. He went to her and wrapped his arms around her. Her heart was beating so fast he could feel the frantic patter in his own chest. “It’s okay. Shh. You’re safe now. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” She looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. “Do you think it’s the same man who broke into my place? And if so, what do you think he wants?” Jack handed her his handkerchief and strode around his desk. “I don’t know, but we’re ending this. Right now. I’m not going to let you be scared like this

again.” He picked up his phone and thumbed through it until he found the number for the security company. He brought it to his ear and waited for someone to pick up, all while watching Eva. She sat perfectly still, staring at her knees. Shell-shocked. “Hello,” he said when the receptionist answered. “I have a meeting with Max tomorrow. I was wondering if we could move that up to this afternoon? I’ll pay whatever he wants. It’s important.” The receptionist checked Max’s schedule and arranged the appointment change. When Jack ended the call, Eva said, “Who’s that?” “It’s a security firm. They come

highly recommended by some people I know.” She was leaning forward, her hair covering her face. He came back around to her and tucked the silky strands behind her ear. “We’re going to figure it out, okay? This ends now.” She nodded. “It’s just ridiculous, you know? Why me?” He could think of a million reasons why. The most obvious reason was the one that Eva seemed oblivious to—she was every man’s fantasy. Even frightened and dirty, perched at the edge of his desk with her shoulders slumped, she was maddeningly alluring, with the outline of her full tits pressing against her sheer blouse, and her long

legs visible under her short skirt. Knowing she was completely nude underneath was almost too much to take. He stood in front of her and ran his hands from her shoulders, down her bare arms, unable to keep from touching her. He wanted to be supportive and protective, but he also wanted to take her right there, to push inside her and assure her with his body that she was safe in his arms. “Well, that’s what we’re going to figure out,” he said. “Thanks.” She scooted back on his desk and placed her hands in her lap. Then she crossed her legs, granting him what he was pretty sure was an unintentional flash of her bare pussy. He

swallowed hard, doing his best to control the erection beginning to tent the front of his pants. She bit on her lip, and suddenly blurted, “I’m sorry, Jack. About this morning. I shouldn’t have pushed you into something you obviously didn’t want to do. That wasn’t part of our agreement.” He had to laugh at that. How could she be so damn oblivious sometimes? “Is that really what you thought?” He shook his head. “I wanted to. Damn, I wanted to. I was honestly worried about hurting you. I was afraid you would be sore from last night.” “Oh.” A small smile appeared on her lips. “Well, I was. But I also—I don’t

know, I can’t explain it. It’s like this switch has flipped inside me, and I can’t control it.” She gazed up at him through her lashes. “I want you. Constantly. I can’t help it. All I can think about is… you know what. Is that normal?” A blush had bloomed on her cheeks. Goddamn, she was so fucking beautiful, and Jack had never heard sweeter words in his life. He shifted in front of her, but there was no longer any controlling the erection swelling behind his fly. He let his hands smooth up her thighs to the hem of her skirt, playing with the fabric there. “You’re thinking about it now?” She hesitated before nodding almost imperceptibly.

Fuck. She’d been chased through the city, and here she was, sweaty and bleeding and scared as hell. She could’ve been seriously hurt, and yet she still wanted him to take her. Feeling a flash of pride at being the man to have muddled her priorities so thoroughly, he straightened, drawing so close that he could feel her short, rapid breaths against his face. He wrapped his hands around her waist and nudged her back across the surface of the desk. “Wait right there. Don’t move.” He checked the door and locked it, ignoring the flash of conscience that streaked through him. Hell, this was what they made locks for, right? He wasn’t about to deny Eva

right now, not when she was looking at him like his dick was all she needed to make everything all right again. He turned to her, his breath catching at her beauty. She’d taken to wearing her hair down these past couple of days, and hell, she had some sexy hair. He instinctively put a hand out to stroke it, and his fingers grazed her jaw. She leaned into his touch. His pulse skittered as she looked up at him, tongue sweeping out across her bottom lip. He ran a finger up her arm, toward the neckline of her blouse. The top buttons were undone. His finger hung on the opening before unfastening the next one. Now it was loose enough that he

could tug it from her shoulder, exposing her hardened nipple. “What, exactly, are you thinking about?” he asked, as he leaned over her and flicked the hard pebble with his tongue. “This?” She inhaled sharply. “Yes.” He cupped her breast, bringing it to his mouth. He showered his attention on it while unclasping the rest of the buttons on her blouse, and then found the other and squeezed them together. Her head fell back, allowing him to sweep his tongue up the column of her throat, pressing those gorgeous bare tits against his chest. “And what else?” he asked. His hands played at her thighs now,

pushing her pencil skirt up so that she could open her legs. She wiggled her backside on the desk, letting his hot hands thrust the fabric up, over her bottom. She moaned as his hands cupped her bare ass, massaging the full flesh there. “Everything. Anything you want to do to me,” she groaned in a rough, heady voice that was nothing like sweet Eva’s. He didn’t have to tell her what to do. She’d already spread her legs wide, baring her pussy to him. His hands were instantly drawn to that place. He found her clit as she worked against him, her hips rising off the desk as she squeezed him between her thighs. She pressed her swollen pussy against his growing

erection. No doubt about it. She was a woman possessed, hell-bent on coming. Here. Now. With or without his help. When he lowered his lips to hers, she responded greedily, her tongue exploring his mouth, kissing him hungrily. When she stopped, he was out of breath. She moved on, running her tongue over the cleft in his chin, then down his throat. Her hands slid up his chest and reached under his jacket, prodding it from his shoulders. “I want you,” she said. “Please.” He groaned aloud. He’d never had office sex before, but Eva had been driving him to do all sorts of things that

he’d never done. Just a week ago, he’d jacked off behind his grand office desk, imagining the taste of her. Unbelievably, that fantasy had paled compared to the real thing. Perhaps this was one lesson they could both use. As much as he liked the sound of her begging him, he put a finger on her lips, urging quiet. “These walls are like paper, Miss Fiorini,” he scolded her, his other hand in her wetness. “The first rule of office sex is to stay quiet.” Her fingers fumbled at his belt, unfastening it. She tore at the fly, urging it down. Her breath rushed out as she studied his erection pushing against the fabric of his boxer briefs. “You

shouldn’t wear these. They only get in the way,” she mimicked, hooking a thumb in the waistband. Who the hell was this woman? He had to wrestle back control before she owned him completely. He growled, vising her jaw in his hand. He dragged her face to just inches from his and claimed her wicked tongue. She forced his briefs down to his thighs. His cock sprang free. She leaned back on her elbows and widened her legs further. He grabbed a hold of her thighs and thrust inside her, determined to quell that need inside both of them. She heaved a loud gasp and arched her back off the desk, her belly

tightening and her nipples poking hard to the sky. “More,” she whispered, writhing under him. She placed her feet on the edge of the desk and rose to meet him as he pulled out and took her again. She closed her eyes, shaking violently, tits swaying, as every thrust pushed her farther across the desk. He wrapped his strong arms around her thighs, pulling her toward him, meeting her cunt again and again as the sound of flesh slapping flesh grew louder. She came while he was deep inside her, shaking against him, her mouth opening to groan his name. He clamped his hand over her lips, stifling her sounds and holding in his own as he

followed her there, his orgasm barreling down his spine as he released himself in her. Breathing hard, she lay sprawled on the desk, bared and spent. Never had his office been quite so intoxicating. He stood up and retrieved a cloth from the washroom, then gently wiped her clean. “You okay?” Her knees wobbled as he helped her to stand. She said, in a voice as fluttery as the rest of her body, “My whole body has turned to Jell-O.” He held her as she sagged again him, and stroked her hair, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. He wasn’t the nurturing, let-me-clean-you-up-and-thenwe’ll-cuddle, boyfriend type.

Hell, no. She was his student, and he was her sex teacher. That was all. It’s just because it’s Eva. She’s like family, he told himself. No matter what. But he was straddling a line, and it felt like every time he fucked Eva, he came closer and closer to the edge, to the point of no return. Return from what? He didn’t know. He didn’t care. All he knew was that it was uncharted territory, and how could he be the teacher if he’d never been there himself? He would have to be more careful from now on, to make sure they both played it safe.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Jack Jack finished a few final items A fter at the office, they took a cab to

midtown, just as a heavy rain began to fall over the city. When the taxi pulled curbside, they shared an umbrella. Eva snuggled in close to him, seeking shelter from the rain. The buttons on her blouse were open, giving him a perfect view of her cleavage. He inhaled the heady mixture of her apple shampoo, rain, and sex, while trying his best to forget the past hour. She wasn’t making it easy. In ten years at that office, he’d never had an experience like that. He doubted he’d ever be able to look at those four dull walls the same way. He was hard, ready for another round. Down boy. She’ll be in your bed

tonight. Just wait. The office for Max Coby, Private Investigator, was small and unpretentious, sandwiched between a travel agency and a pet supply start-up. They stepped into a small dark waiting room. Eva fluffed her wet hair as she crossed the space to the receptionist’s desk, then peered behind the glass. “No one here,” she said. Jack set his raincoat on a hook and looked for himself. “Hello?” “Oh, hey there. I’ve been expecting you.” A low voice came from nowhere, speaking a mile-a-minute. “I’m just finishing up a few things. Always have a few things to finish it seems.” A door opened, and a man with

silver hair wearing a gray sweat suit came out. “You’re Jack?” he asked. When Stella said that no one would mess with Max Coby, Jack had envisioned someone big, tough, and intimidating. The man in front of him was small, wiry, and grandfatherly. He shook Jack’s hand with a firmer grip than expected and turned to Eva. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Eva. Come on back.” He led them to an office that was positively overflowing with paper—on the walls, the chairs…every surface. As he slid behind his desk, nearly getting lost in the sea of paperwork, Jack turned to inspect the photos on his wall. It was crowded with pictures of Max with

famous people, and articles about Max’s heroism. Apparently, Max had been NYPD during 9-11. “You were at the Towers?” Jack asked, scanning the article. A younger version of the man was there with Mayor Giuliani, receiving an award. “Oh, yeah. Yeah,” he said, waving it off humbly. “Had to retire right after that due to the ol’ lungs. That’s what brought me here. Been doing this for twelve years.” Eva sat down on the chair that was offered to her and studied the pictures on his desk of smiling, pig-tailed kids and a golden retriever. She smiled. “Grandkids?” He looked at the pictures and

laughed. “Great grandkids. I’ve got two of them. They keep me young.” He laced his hands in front of him, getting down to business. Jack opened his mouth, prepared to give him the run-down, when Max said, “I’ll get straight to the point. This is an interesting case. I usually leave the office by noon so I can have lunch with my wife in Jersey and get in a round of golf. I don’t often consent to staying any later than that, but let me tell you…this is interesting.” Jack crossed his arms, doubtful. “How so?” Eva piped up. “I’m sorry, I thought we were here for a consultation. I didn’t realize you’d already been told the facts

surrounding the case.” “Well, my dear. I don’t like to go into any meeting blind, so I did a little research, and I consulted some of the officers handling the break-in investigation.” He lifted a manila folder from the top of his pile and opened it. “I understand that the two of you are heavily invested in the Fiorini Group?” Eva looked at Jack. They both nodded. “Well, the thing that concerns me the most about the break-in is that it wasn’t done by a petty thief, that’s for certain.” He patted a heavy stack of papers in the file. “There are no signs of breaking and entering, so they’re pretty sure the intruder used a key to enter the

apartment.” “A key?” Eva shook her head. “But they couldn’t have. I’m the only one who has a key to my apartment. I’m sure of it.” Jack rubbed at his five o’clock shadow. “Are you? No ex-boyfriends who might want to—” “No,” she said certainly, arching a brow in Jack’s direction. “I’ve never given a boyfriend the key to my place.” Max said, “The building owners have a key as well, I’m sure.” “Well, of course,” Eva said, forehead wrinkling. “So what are you saying?” Jack sighed. “He’s saying someone could have gotten access to their key

somehow and made a copy. So it could be anyone.” “Not necessarily.” Max lifted a hand. “They’ve been reviewing the tapes provided by the security company, and this is where it gets really interesting. That is some heavy duty security system you have, Miss.” He gave Eva a grandfatherly smile. “But the intruder bypassed it easily because he had the code.” Eva’s jaw dropped. “What? But that’s not possible.” She held up her finger. “It’s a fingerprint scanner. And last I checked, I have all my fingers.” “And the intruder set off the alarm,” Jack pointed out. Max nodded. “I’ll get to that. But

code, fingerprint, it doesn’t matter to these people. Likely, they picked up a print of yours somewhere, recreated it from ballistics gel, and mounted it onto a latex glove. There isn’t a security system out there that hackers can’t infiltrate with the right tools and know-how.” Eva stared at Max in horror before shifting her gaze to Jack. “But the alarm…” “He set off the alarm as he was leaving,” Max said. “On purpose, after he’d wandered all over your apartment, poking his nose in every nook and cranny. This guy wanted you to know that he’d been there. He wanted to scare you.” “Well…” Eva folded her hands in

her lap. When she spoke again, her voice was faraway. “Yes. You’re right. That is interesting.” More than interesting. This person— whoever it was—sounded downright diabolical. “Someone followed her today,” Jack added, shifting in his seat. “He chased her in broad daylight.” Max leaned back and nodded. “Well, that doesn’t sound like a petty criminal, does it? This person doesn’t seem afraid to take chances. Do you have any enemies, Eva?” Eva spoke without hesitation. “No. Not at all. No one.” Jack exhaled. He knew Eva had never met a person she didn’t like, and she was kind to everyone. Personally,

Eva hadn’t an enemy in the world. But when it came to the Fiorini Group, one could never tell. With all the upheaval lately in finding a new CEO, and the potential takeover, there was a lot to be concerned about. Eva had never gotten involved in the business, so she knew very little about what dangers lurked there. “Not personally, no,” Jack added. “But professionally…maybe. Eva’s largely isolated herself from the family business, but I’ve had concerns. The Fiorini Group has its enemies.” Eva turned to him, a question on her face. “You never told me that.” “I’ve seen the articles, about the rumors of a takeover looming in the near

future.” Max shifted some papers in the file and picked up some honest-togoodness news clippings from Fortune magazine and the New York Times. “Seems that a closer look at the Fiorini Group’s enemies could be a good place to start. You have names?” Jack shook his head. “Just rumors. Nothing concrete.” Eva was still staring at Jack, a mixture of hurt and fear on her face. “Jack, how could you even think that? Dad and Antonio were two of the most honest men in business. My father was practically a saint. What kind of enemies could they have made? Are you sure about this?“ Max held up two more articles,

photo-copied. Jack caught the headshot Antonio had taken for a seminar two weeks prior to his death, and his pulse raced. The obituaries. “Your father and brother died under suspicious circumstances,” Max said. “Didn’t they?” “No, they weren’t suspicious,” Eva protested, jumping to her feet. She started to pace behind them. “Tell him, Jack. Tell him what happened.” Jack didn’t answer right away. Before, it had been easy to explain her brother’s and father’s deaths as terrible accidents, nothing more. But now, with this psychopath after Eva…? Now, there wasn’t much doubt left in his mind. Someone seemed intent on

wiping every last Fiorini off the planet. She had to see that. She had to know she was in danger. “Eva, I don’t believe in coincidences,” he said gently. “And it’s time you stopped believing in them, too.” “Dad was not…Antonio was not…” She shook her head. “They weren’t…murdered. They can’t have been.” She clutched at her chest, and her shoulders slumped. “Oh, God. This can’t be true, Jack. Can it? Who would do that?” “I don’t know,” he said, wishing he could hold her, but not sure she would want that in front of Max. “But we’re going to find out.”

She slowly walked back to her seat and collapsed into it, head down. She swiped at her eyes, and the next time she spoke, her voice cracked. “All right. Assuming it might be true, what do we do?” “We put twenty-four-seven security on you, as soon as possible,” Max said. She looked up, and Jack saw the tears in her eyes. “How will that work?” “I’ll have a man sent to your building tomorrow morning,” Max said, matterof-factly. “He’ll accompany you wherever you need to go, and stay outside your office when necessary.” “This is insane.” A panicked laugh bubbled from between her lips. “My own private bodyguard? Everyone in my

office is going to think I’m out of my mind.“ “Better safe than sorry,” Max said with a smile. “Now, you two go on home and try to take it easy. I’m going to dig into things a little more, and I’ll keep you up to date on any findings. All right?” When they left the office the rain had stopped, but Jack had never seen Eva’s face look quite so stormy. They decided to walk the few blocks to his apartment. “I can’t believe that you think that,” she said as they walked down the street. “About Antonio and Dad and the company. Who do you think is responsible?” “I don’t know.” He shoved his hands

into his pockets. “You know Leonard said something about the rumored takeover coming from the inside. But whoever’s behind it is a complete mystery—some group called Orion Industries that seems to have formed from thin air. I can’t find anything on them, but something shady is definitely going on.” “Oh.” Her voice seemed deflated. “I wish you had told me what you were thinking.” “I didn’t see any sense in you worrying unless there was something to worry about. You’re angry?” “No. I’m…” She shook her head. “I don’t know what to feel. I guess I want to just run away.”

She slipped her hand into his. It was ice cold. He looked down at her face. He’d seen it a thousand times, but never before had she looked so beautifully fragile. “Then let’s run,” he said. “You and me.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

Eva raced about Jack’s bedroom in a E vaflurry, hunting for just the right

outfit. Jack had told her nothing other than “throw on something comfortable.” If Eva had been in her own apartment that would’ve been no problem, since she practically lived in sweats and jeans. But because she’d known she would be living with Jack, she’d packed only business clothes and a few sexy dresses. Lately she hadn’t seen Jack in anything other than slacks and a button-down shirt, and had planned to pretend she was equally professional at all times. Now that decision was biting her in the butt. After rummaging through her bag, she grabbed her one pair of leggings and threw them on with a baby T-shirt she’d intended to wear to bed.

He emerged from the bathroom wearing jeans and a Red Sox T-Shirt that stretched nicely across his broad chest. And the jeans…holy cow. They defined all the right areas. To keep from drooling, she pointed at his chest and said, “You are going to get us killed, wearing that.” “Nah. They’ll take pity on me. The Sox suck this year.” She arched a brow. “You overestimate us New York fans.” His jaw dropped. “No! You? Antonio was a Sox fan.” “Last I checked,” she said dryly, “I’m not Antonio.” He pressed his lips together. “Traitor.”

She shrugged, then realized his eyes were captivated by something under her chin. She looked down. Without a bra, her nipples were obvious beneath the flimsy T-shirt. It would only be worse in the cold air. She crossed her arms. He opened an ornate chest of drawers and handed her a sweatshirt. “Here.” She shook it out and sighed. Red Sox again, of course. “Funny.” He took it back from her. “All right. If you don’t mind everyone seeing”—he gestured vaguely to her chest—“all of that, then feel free to leave the shirt here. But don’t be surprised if I try to have my way with you every ten minutes.” Grinning, she said, “Is that a threat

or a promise?” She snatched the sweatshirt away from him and pulled it over her head. The fabric tumbled past her thighs. She pushed up the sleeves. “Beautiful,” Jack murmured, the look in his eyes making her blood run hotter. She smiled. “You have a thing for baggy sweatshirts?” “I have a thing for you,” he said, taking her hand and making her foolish heart do stupid fluttery things in her chest. But she didn’t have the energy left to tell it to stop fluttering. Instead, she held tighter to Jack’s hand, taking comfort from his strength as he led her out into the rapidly cooling afternoon. A few minutes later, they hopped the Q train, headed toward Brooklyn. Eva

peered out the window as unfamiliar stops rolled past them. “Where are we going, again?” He smiled. “I didn’t tell you.” Right. She gnawed on the inside of her cheek, a shiver of excitement finding its way under Jack’s big sweatshirt and traveling down her spine. The sweatshirt smelled as delicious as he did, not of any cologne, just of the manly, wonderful scent that was uniquely him. She had to fight the urge to bury her nose in it. At the Park Slope stop, he nudged her off the train. As they walked through the trendy neighborhood, she said, “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever been here. Not in my whole life.” He dug his hands into his pockets

and slowed his pace. She wasn’t sure if she was constantly trailing behind him because he walked too fast, or because she couldn’t get enough of the sight of his sculpted ass in those jeans. “So you’re one of those?” “One of…?” “Those snobs who refuse to cross the East River. You’ve lived your entire life in the city, Eva, and you’ve never even gone to Brooklyn?” Eva blushed. It wasn’t snobbery that contributed to her narrow perspective. It was her family, constantly sheltering her. She’d wanted to go new places, but her father had always found reasons to keep her at home. “I’ve been to Brooklyn before,” she mumbled.

Twice. Both times with Antonio to watch over her. She didn’t say that, though. “Just not here. You know the Fiorini Group only deals with Manhattan properties.” He stared at her, incredulous. “So, what? You’ve never left the city? Seriously?” “No. I have. All those times I visited Antonio at school in Boston. And I went to boarding schools in Connecticut for twelve years.” She frowned. “I guess my family was too busy to do much exploring outside our sphere. Dad always had his nose to the grindstone. You know how he was.” Or maybe it was something else. Maybe that was one of his ways of

protecting her. But from what? Or who? “There’s a big world out there, Eva. You should see some of it.” They reached the entrance to Prospect Park. Jack presented it to her and said, “It’s not much of an escape, I confess. But it might be good for a couple hours.” She smiled. Some fresh air, a couple of hot dogs with extra mustard—that might be just what she needed. “It sounds great.” “Have you ever been rollerskating?” She froze. “Roller-skating?” He laughed. “Yes. You can’t go to Prospect and not go skating.” “Oh.” The blush on her face

deepened. Her parents had arranged for her to have a host of expensive lessons over the course of her childhood. She’d had eight years of ballet, four years of horsemanship at the Ethel Walker School when she was a preteen, and she could probably hop back on the bench and play a mean Chopin piano etude, even though she hadn’t tickled the ivories in over a decade. But skating? “I’ve never even been on skates,” she confessed. He pressed his lips together. “If you’d rather, we can go for a walk instead.” “No, it’s fine. First time for everything, right? I’m up for it. Totally.” She clapped her hands together in effort

to sound more psyched than she felt. Was she really going to embarrass herself by getting on skates for the first time in front of Jack? “That’s the spirit.” He smiled and they headed over to the roller skate rentals. As Jack chatted with the attendant, Eva watched children, families, and couples skating by on the enormous rink. They all looked like pros, but she tamped down any doubts inside her. The fact was, nothing could be more dangerous than the reality that was waiting for her back in Manhattan. They sat on a bench and laced on their roller skates. It didn’t feel real, being here like this with Jack. It was

such an ordinary thing to do, but special, like she was being allowed access to a Jack she’d never met before. She clutched the side of the rink as he stepped out and did a fast circle, hands behind his back like a pro. Of course. It’s Jack. Since when does he do anything badly? He came to an easy stop right in front of her. “You didn’t tell me you were good,” she said, hitting his chest playfully. “Yeah, well. I thought that went without saying.” He grinned his irresistible grin. “You think I’d want you to see me falling on my ass?” “Oh. So instead you get to see me fall on mine? Great,” she mumbled, still

clutching the railing for dear life. Her feet felt like they were encased in cinderblocks. Every time she breathed, they seemed to roll out from under her. “So, how did you become such a master?” He executed an effortless figure eight, which made her mouth hang open. He always kept his hair combed back, but now it tumbled over his forehead in a rakish way that forced the breath from her lungs. And she’d thought Jack couldn’t look any hotter. “In Southie, there was a skate park right across from my grandmother’s house,” he said. “When my dad died, Mom had to sell off pretty much

everything to keep me at the Hill. But she let me keep my skates. She figured it would be cheaper in the long run than taking the bus twelve miles, every day. When skates are your only mode of transportation, you get pretty good pretty fast. I would be even better if Antonio hadn’t let me crash in his room so often.” She thought about all the times she’d seen his things in Antonio’s room when she came to visit. She’d known that Jack had been on the outs at Belmont Hill because his father had died and left them with a pile of debts, but that was all. “Twelve miles?” She shook her head. “Antonio would’ve let you bunk with him permanently. You know that.”

He shrugged. “Of course he would have. But I was the man of the house. My mom needed me. My grandmother was sick. And honestly, I wasn’t too welcome with any of the other Hillies, other than your brother.” He glided out toward the center of the enormous roller rink, then skated backward toward her, making it clear that he was just as comfortable on skates as he was with walking. “My real friends were at the skate park. We used to do stunts all over the city. I got arrested once. The look on my grandmother’s face…” He grimaced. Eva’s eyes widened. She loved hearing these stories about the man she increasingly wanted to spend more and

more time with. “Oh, really? What for?” “Doing stupid things kids do,” he said, lifting one shoulder and letting it fall. “I was caught on camera riding rails outside one of the big banks downtown. My friends and I bent some of the handrails on their stairs so we were charged with property damage. Got off with a warning and some community service. “Speaking of railings, I think it’s time for you to let go of that one.” He glided up close to her, then reached for her hand, prying it from the cold metal. She resisted, and her feet nearly slid out from under her. “Oh, no! I’ll fall.” “No, you won’t,” he said calmly taking her other hand, skating backward

as he towed her away from the safety of the railing. “I’ve got you.” I’ve got you. She liked the sound of that. He studied her feet. “Put them more like a V. Like mine. Then you’re going to do a duck walk. All right?” She couldn’t look down. Instead, she looked straight at his broad chest as he led her slowly to the center of the rink. Everyone else disappeared as he directed her, calmly and patiently. Suddenly, she realized that he was touching her, and for the first time it wasn’t about sex. And it was…nice. She liked the feel of his warm hands in hers, the sound of his voice in her ears.

It lulled her to a place where, for the first time in a long time, she felt safe. “So,” he said as he glided with her, moving faster until confidence began to seep into Eva’s limbs. She was surprised at how easy it was, with his arms around her, to forget just about everything. “I’ve always known you didn’t want to follow in your father’s footsteps. But I never asked you why.” She blinked at the unexpected question. “Well, I had planned to at one point. Dad didn’t discriminate because I was a girl. He groomed me the way he groomed Antonio. Thoroughly,” she added with a wry smile. “So what changed?” he asked. “I interned at a cosmetics company

in grad school, and they had all these animals in cages.” Her stomach dropped at the thought. “You should’ve seen it, Jack. It was horrible. I knew I had to do something different with my life. Something meaningful.” He didn’t respond, but something flickered behind his eyes. Something like hurt. Suddenly she realized what she’d said, and her face blazed. “Oh, God. I didn’t mean it that way. What you do is meaningful, of course it is. I just meant more meaningful to me.“ He chuckled softly. “It’s all right, Eva. I understand. And I admire the heart you put into your business. But I think you may have broken your father’s a

little with that decision.” She snorted. “No, I didn’t. He always had Antonio. He never missed me.” “You used to come around to the properties with us, though, in the early days. Remember?” Jack chuckled. “He called you his good luck charm. Said you had the best gut for real estate he’d ever seen. You always knew a winner from a loser.” She stared at her skates, trying to recall. In the early days of the business, she’d only been in high school. A lot of time had passed since then. But she did remember, around the time her mother passed away, that Pietro had relied on her a lot. “After my mom died, he

wanted to keep the family together. I think including me in the business was another way to do that. He never liked to leave Antonio or me home alone, even when we were teenagers.” Jack was silent for a long time, still holding her against him. Then he said, “That’s kind of odd. Isn’t it?” She mused for a moment. “No. I don’t think so. I mean, not to me. That’s just always the way things were.” She laughed. “Now you know where Antonio got his protective side.” “But Antonio wasn’t always like that,” Jack said. “In fact, in high school, he could be downright careless. He used to leave his dorm room door unlocked for me all the time. I used to tell him he

was going to get his wallet lifted, but he never listened. It wasn’t until we started working with your father that he became so fixated on your safety.” She frowned. “Maybe that’s right. I was younger, so I don’t remember exactly when Antonio joined the routine, but my dad was always obsessed with safety. Even when I was a little girl.” Jack’s brow knitted. “Exactly. Too obsessed, even for a man who loved his kids to distraction.” “So, you think Dad knew he had an enemy?” Eva asked, the cool breeze making her shiver inside her sweatshirt. “Maybe,” Jack breathed softly. “But Dad was just dad,” Eva said, still not wanting to believe it. “He had

his quirks. But you know he was the sweetest man.” “Yeah. I know. He was. And most of the time he didn’t seem to have a care in the world.” Eva didn’t like his tone, but before she could form another question, she realized his grip on her hands had loosened. “Wait a second. What are you doing?” “Letting go,” he said, his fingertips sliding out of her reach. “You’re ready. You can do this.” “Oh, no, I can’t,” she said as he drifted away. She coasted to a slow stop, helplessly stranded in the middle of the rink. Her knees locked. He motioned to her. “Come on.

You’ve got this.” She tried to duck walk toward him, but she only managed a small, dicey skid that got her nowhere. Face heating, she tried again, willing her feet to move toward him. This time she found herself toppling. She let out a shriek of alarm, but in an instant he was there. She thudded against his body, and he propped her up against him. “I guess I shouldn’t let you go again,” he murmured, fixing a lock of hair behind her ear. Somehow, that sounded just right to her.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Jack

J

ack handed Eva a soft pretzel as they resumed their unhurried walk

home. He couldn’t have timed it better if he’d planned it. The sun was setting as they walked across the Brooklyn Bridge toward Manhattan. Because of the rain earlier in the day, the sky was a painter’s palette, streaked with a mixture of wispy gray clouds and delicate pink rays. The effect dazzled Eva. She oohed and aahed with appreciation as the cars whizzed by beside them, which made Jack laugh. “You act like you’ve never seen a sunset before.” “I’ve never seen one from here,” she said, licking mustard off her thumb. “And I’ve never seen one with you.” She rolled her eyes. “But I’m sure you’ve taken thousands of women up here, right?”

He snorted. “No. I usually come here alone, actually.” She turned to him, clearly surprised, as she sucked grains of salt off her fingers. “Alone? Why?” “Because women expect more than pretzels,” he said, rubbing his thumb and index finger together to make the symbol for cash. “They want to have money spent on them.” Eva wrinkled her pert little nose and shook her head. “Maybe the type of woman you usually go for, but not all of us.” “The type of woman…” He trailed off, mulling over the words. “One, I don’t have a type. And two, I haven’t met a single woman, regardless of type,

who hasn’t thought, ‘Let’s see what I can get out of Jack Deep Pockets Bennett.’” Her jaw dropped, and she stopped walking. “Oh my God! Is that what you think of women? That we’re all after your money?” “Well. Not you. You’re just in it for the sex.” He grinned sideways at her, making her mouth fall open a touch wider. “Go on. Tell me that isn’t true.” She scrunched up her face, making him laugh. She could be too fucking cute for her own good sometimes. “Besides,” he continued casually, “You’re a Fiorini. You have your own deep pockets.” She swatted him. “Even so! I never cared about money. I mean, are you

kidding? This blows the Plaza out of the water. In fact, this is probably the best date I’ve ever been on, and I don’t—” She cut off suddenly. He knew why. She’d called this a date. Is that what it was? And if so, did it matter? So this wasn’t all about the fucking. That was a good thing, wasn’t it? He liked spending time with her, too. If she wanted to call it a date, fine by him. He noticed the blush on her cheeks, but kept walking, surprised at how the realization left him unfazed. Usually when a woman supposed too much, it sent him fleeing in the other direction. And now he was going on

dates with Eva, confiding in Eva, living with Eva, dreaming about fucking her every night for the foreseeable future, and was happier than he’d ever been. Something was wrong with him— clearly—but right now he couldn’t bring himself to worry about it. Not when she looked so happy, too. By the time they made it back into Manhattan and stood at the base of the bridge, the sun had sunk behind the horizon, leaving a bitter wind in its wake. Jack walked slightly ahead as a barrier, trying to shield Eva against its chill, but she still sunk into his big sweatshirt, shivering. At the first opportunity, they ducked into a bus shelter and Jack called for a

car service. “I think we’ve had enough exercise for today,” he said, holding her close as they waited for their ride to arrive. When the driver pulled to the curb a few minutes later, she climbed into the back of the car and perched near the heater, warming her hands and face. “It feels like March out there,” she said. He sat back and prepared for the ride, but the car jerked forward and came to a standstill not a dozen yards from the bus shelter. Jack peered out the window at the line of cars snaking their way onto the Cross Bronx Expressway. In front of him, all he could see were cars. Somewhere, police sirens blared. The minutes dragged on, increasing

Jack’s impatience to get back home and get Eva naked beneath him in his bed. Or on top. On top would be excellent as well. He tapped two fingers on his thigh, impatience mounting with every passing moment. Meanwhile, the car had grown warmer, and Eva began to fan herself. Then she lifted the hem of his sweatshirt and pulled it over her head, shaking out her ponytail and letting those gorgeous tits shake with her. Her T-shirt was completely lethal, sheer and form-fitting enough to showcase her hard nipples, even in the minimal light. Unable to take his eyes off them, Jack pressed the button for the privacy screen and murmured, “Best not to give

our driver a peep show.” “The show is just for you,” she whispered, giving him a sexy smile as she leaned back. The shirt rode up, baring her taut belly. God, she was alluring. He needed his mouth on that flash of skin, tasting it. He studied her. Then, in one sudden movement, he snaked a hand behind her back and lifted her onto his lap, so that she was straddling him. She gasped as she rested her forearms on his shoulders, her long hair falling in her face. He tugged the tight T-shirt up to her armpits, baring her tits. He gathered them into one heaping handful and began to flick his tongue over one nipple then the other, in succession. She groaned.

Her voice was barely a whisper. “I thought you said you’d had enough exercise.” “This is a lesson,” he murmured, grabbing her hair and yanking her head back to give him access to her neck. He ran a tongue across her clavicle, up her neck, to her chin. He paused at her mouth. “I’m going to fuck you here. In the backseat. Do you want that?” She turned slightly toward the tinted screen at the front of the car. “But, the driver, the people outside…“ He held her chin in his hand, forcing her back to face him. His voice was hard and controlled. “They can’t see. No one can see. Trust me, Eva.” “Of course I trust you.” She relaxed

against him, opening her mouth and letting his tongue meld with hers. “Then, yes. I’m ready for my next lesson,” she murmured. Holding her tight in his lap, he pushed the leggings down, sliding his hands in the waistband and massaging her full ass. “Here is what I want you to do,” he said. “Take off your pants.” Obediently, she slid off him, removing one flat shoe, and then the other. Then she wiggled up on the seat and peeled her leggings down over her knees and feet, leaving her bare except for the t-shirt that was nothing more than a handkerchief, pushed up to barely cover her breasts. His cock throbbed at the sight of her, and how she followed

his every instruction without hesitation. His hand moved instinctively to her bare pussy, travelling into the folds, feeling her wetness. She gasped. That sweet innocence in her eyes had begun to cloud over with lust. He loved that she could contain both at once. Suddenly, the vixen inside her took over, and she started to unbutton his jeans. “You’re going to straddle me again,” he said as she freed his cock from his underwear. She bit on her lip. He knew this was something she’d never done before, but he could tell that Vixen Eva was up for it. Up for anything. She slid a leg over his lap so that her thighs were resting on

his. She wrapped a hand around his cock, positioning it under her. “Like this?” she asked. He nodded. Yes, like that. God, exactly like that. “Help me,” she murmured. But it turned out she didn’t need any further instruction, because she slid down onto his cock in one fluid motion. He tightened his hands on her hips. “Now ride me, Eva. Don’t worry about me, just ride me in a way that feels good for you.” He wasn’t sure if she’d heard him, because before the words were fully out of his mouth, she’d already begun to do just that. And it was obviously feeling

good. She moaned softly. She rocked onto him, and he pushed up, meeting her with a thrust every time she dropped her hips. Her tits swayed and a line of sweat appeared on her chest as she moved. Car horns blared, and the city went on around them, and all he could think about was getting deeper inside this woman, his beautiful Eva. He needed to be there, because she’d already rocked him to his core. “Come with me,” she murmured, her hands buried under his T-shirt. “Are you ready?” He nodded, in awe of this woman that he’d shaped and molded. But no, he hadn’t crafted her into this goddess—he hadn’t made her what she was. She’d

done it all herself with the tiniest bit of coaching. He felt the tremors begin to wrack her body. Then her mouth fell open, and on a gorgeous silent O, she shuddered, her body shaking against his. She’d learned her lesson—how to come quietly—and it was fucking glorious. It sent him over the edge. With another deep thrust he came, a powerful surge of pleasure that ripped through him, tightening every one of his muscles. He tossed his head back against the leather seat as the waves of sensation reverberated through him. She pressed her body against his, letting out a deep, shuddering sigh. “Oh, my God,” she whispered. “Oh my God,

Jack. It’s so good with you.” Good? It was phenomenal. Had car sex ever been this mind-blowing? Afterward, he helped her dress, and peered out the window. They’d taken numerous detours and had made it to Hudson Street, but traffic had deadlocked again. “Well, once again, Mr. Bennett, you have left me a puddle of Jell-O,” she mused, looking out the window. She pulled the sweatshirt on over her head and grinned as she fanned herself. “Can we walk? I need air.” Jack withdrew the privacy screen and asked the driver to let them off at the curb somewhere near the Christopher Street Station. As they stopped, he took

her hand to guide her to the sidewalk, but walking back to his Barrow Street apartment, he was surprised to find he was still holding it, even a block later. He was even more surprised to realize how much he loved feeling her fingers twined with his. “Hi, Jack,” a voice said behind them. “Fancy meeting you here.” Jack gritted his teeth, praying for patience as he turned around. “Not really, Lucy. Since I live in the West Village.” This time, at least, Lucy wore more than just a jacket. She was dressed in a cream sweater, red jeans, and matching stilettos that probably cost more than his best suit. She spared no expense on her

attire, and went to great lengths to look flawless. “Oh, come on, Jack. I wanted to apologize for how I acted last night,” she said, giving him an innocent bat of her thick false eyelashes. “I was cruel.” “Not to me,” he said sharply. “But you were to Eva. Any apologies should be made to her.” Lucy’s eyes travelled over to Eva and filled with coldness. Her icy gaze ran the length of her body and locked on Eva and Jack’s firmly entwined fingers. “Oh, yes, your new roommate. I’m sorry, Eva.” Eva nodded stiffly. “It’s all right.” “Hey, you know what?” Lucy said brightly, reaching out and touching Eva’s

arm with one of her manicured fingers. Eva flinched, and Jack’s jaw tightened, his protective instincts kicking in. “I realized part of the reason I kept looking at you the other night was that I was so sure I’d seen you someplace before.” Eva blinked. “No. I don’t think so.” Lucy’s smile only grew, and Jack knew something was brewing. Unlike Eva, this woman had an ulterior motive for everything. He started to guide Eva away, but Lucy clamped a hand on her wrist. “And then it hit me. My old friend, Rick Metz. You two were together a while ago. Am I right?” Eva didn’t speak for a long, tense moment. Finally, she said, “Yes. Briefly.”

“You know him, right, Jack?” Lucy nudged Jack, making him bristle. “He’s the guy who writes that fucked up sex column for the Voice.” Jack shook his head. He never read rags like the Voice; he could barely keep up with the Wall Street Journal these days. And what the hell was Lucy getting at? He hated being in the dark as much as Lucy loved being in the spotlight. This conversation had already gone on too long, wasting precious time he could have had Eva in bed. “Lucy, we’ve got to go so if you’ll—” “Oh, come on, Jack.” Lucy laughed a little too loudly. “Of course you know him. Remember that column he wrote a few years back? About the Snoozer?

He’d gotten head from this woman, and he said it was like…” She tapped her chin. “How did he put it exactly, Eva?” Her eyes glinted. “That it was like getting blown by a coma victim.” Jack glanced at Eva. She’d not only gone completely stiff, but her skin had paled to a sickly green in the streetlights. Lucy’s mouth dropped open, mocksurprised. “Oh, my God, Eva.” She reached out and touched her hand, but Eva pulled away. “Was that you? Are you the Snoozer from the column? I guess you must be. Rick said she was a little on the heifer-side and nothing great to look at.” Lucy shifted her gaze to Jack, a glint of triumph in her eye.

Before Jack could open his mouth, Eva shook his hand away and bolted down the street, in the opposite direction of his apartment. “Wait, Eva! Come back!” He took a step towards her and called out again, but she only ran faster. He spun back to Lucy. “What the fuck was that?” “You said you two were just roommates, but I thought you would want to know. In case you were …” She grinned. “Considering sexual relations? Though her oral skills might not matter to you. Maybe you can just close your eyes and imagine you’re with someone better while you plow away. That’s what men do when they’re with fat girls, right?”

“Fuck you, Lucy,” he growled, backing away in the direction Eva had fled. “Stop playing these fucking games, or I’ll file a restraining order on you quicker than you can blink.” “I wouldn’t have to play games if you would just wake up and realize that we belong together,” Lucy snapped. “We are meant to be, Jack, and I’m not going to stop until you see that.” A tremor shook his body as he fought the urge to wring her neck. He had told Eva that Lucy was harmless, but now he wasn’t so sure. Looking into Eva’s background? Throwing out threats? Following them? Lucy had financial resources, and she’d already proven herself to be a lethal bitch of the first

order. As he turned and ran after Eva, he made a mental note to call Max and tell him that while he was looking into possible threats at the Fiorini Group, he should also keep an eye on Lucy. “Eva, stop!” he called, running after her. He found her at the corner of Seventh, waiting for a light. He rushed to meet up with her, calling out again, but the traffic stopped and she dashed across the street. Jack made it into the crosswalk just as the traffic surged forward. With a soft curse, he dodged back onto the curb, narrowly missing a collision with a taxi. Shit, shit, shit. He shouted Eva’s name again, but she didn’t stop, didn’t

even turn around. She hurried down the stairs to the Christopher Street station, head lowered. When the light changed at the intersection, Jack flew across the street and down the stairs to the station just as a train was departing. The platform was teeming with people. He scanned it, racing back and forth between the columns. She was gone. Fuck. He pulled out his phone and punched her name, but the call rang through to voicemail. He thumbed in a text. Where are you? Come back. Not smart, Eva. She wasn’t safe in this city all alone. As he stared at the phone, raking his hand through his hair

and waiting for a response, blood surged through his veins. To hell with waiting. He was a man of action. If only he knew where to go. But the more he thought about it, the more he knew exactly where she’d go. As much as he liked to think he had never gotten too close to a woman, he knew Eva Fiorini. He knew that the simplest things made her happy, that she was intensely loyal, and that she was a good girl who sometimes, perhaps only with him, loved to be bad. Above all, though, Eva was a woman who’d been sheltered most of her life. She had few options for escape. He took the next train downtown,

bound for Eva’s apartment.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Eva a sigh of relief as she E vasat breathed on the train headed downtown,

then buried her nose in Jack’s sweatshirt and inhaled the manly, woodsy scent that lingered there. She thought of the way she’d felt, riding him while they were stuck in traffic, and cringed. She was a complete fraud. The Snoozer. Yes, that was her name. Rick, the asshole ex, her only ex, had christened her that after their horrible last date. She’d been a little tipsy and, filled with liquid courage, she’d decided to give a blowjob a go. But he’d been drunk and had passed out before she’d even gotten his dick in her mouth. Some mutual friends from their social circle had called her one morning not long after and brought her attention to the Voice article. It wasn’t the way he

made it out to be, she’d explained, but who cared about the truth when Rick’s story was so darn entertaining? Afterward, she Googled the nearest cloister and how to become a nun. Thankfully, though, with time, the name had been buried. But now… Oh, God. Jack knew. That horrible woman, Lucy, knew. How had Jack ever gotten himself entangled with her? Eva hugged herself as the subway rattled on through the darkness, and a terrible thought occurred to her. Lucy’s harmless, he’d said. Well, maybe she had been. Maybe she’d once been normal, as perfectly lovely to be with as

she was to look at. Until Jack. Maybe Jack had destroyed her. Eva had heard the rumors about him, about the trail of wreckage and broken hearts he’d left behind. Maybe that was inevitable. Maybe, instead of emerging from her sex education with an arsenal of ways to knock a man dead, she would become…Lucy. She shuddered. No. She crossed her legs, feeling the wetness between them. Jack’s wetness. She loved fucking him. Loved it. But she also loved the way he’d taken care of her. The way he’d talked to her, asking about her, wanting to make sure she was okay. She swallowed. The problem was,

she didn’t just love fucking him. There was so much more. But the things she was starting to want were things Jack simply didn’t do. The train came to a stop at Franklin Street, and she climbed the stairs, pulling her phone out of her bag. She saw the message from Jack and sighed. Where are you? Come back. Later, she thought. I need to clear my head. She hit Georgie’s number on her phone, but it rang through to voicemail. Then she typed in a text. How do you know if you’re in too deep? Georgie was never one to respond right away. Eve didn’t expect an immediate answer, and she didn’t get

one. Passing under the scaffolding that spanned the sidewalk, she opened the text from Jack. She jabbed in the start to about a thousand replies to his text: Your ex is a bitch. I can’t talk to you right now. Maybe this was a mistake. I can’t lose you, too. She groaned. There it was. The truth. She’d just typed it out in black and white. She studied the words, thought about going back to her lonely apartment with no Jack in it, and shuddered. With a soft curse, she cleared the screen then, hands shaking, began jabbing in something about how she would talk to him tomorrow. She couldn’t be honest with him.

Tell him she was afraid of losing him, and the next thing she knew, she’d be showing up at his apartment in nothing but a jacket and calling his next girlfriend terrible names. She was in too deep, way too deep, and she had no one to blame but herself. She shivered as a familiar sense of disquiet enveloped her. She’d promised herself never to get wrapped up in Jack, and yet here she was, in so deep that she’d lost track of time and place. She looked up to see whether she’d gotten to Leonard Street yet, cursing her stupidity. Hadn’t she just been chased by a stranger earlier that day? And now she was walking alone through the dark, oblivious to the outside world? Antonio

would— Suddenly, heavy arms wrapped around her, dragging her toward the street. She shrieked and dropped the phone, her vision blurring before something came down over her head, shrouding everything in blackness. The suffocating stench of oil clouded her lungs and she kicked out at the cause of it. Another set of arms grabbed her feet, holding her legs immobile. Two sets. A sinking feeling clenched her stomach; she would never be able to fight them off. She remembered something. When she was a child, her father used to sit her down to watch videos about how to

protect herself during a kidnapping. Scream, fight, kick, do whatever you have to do, but don’t let them get you into the car, he’d told her. They get you in the car, and it’s all over. Summoning every last bit of strength, she wrenched her body hard, but it did nothing. Her father’s words spiraled through her brain as she heard a car door open. She could almost feel the seconds of the clock ticking away her life. Too late, too late, it’s almost too late. She opened her mouth and screamed with all her power. The trick didn’t work. The men holding her deposited her on a carpeted surface, and she fell face first against something hard. Doors

slammed shut with great finality behind her, and the idling motor roared. She tried to move, but tires screeched under her. Sliding with the motion of the car, she felt hands on her ankles, binding her legs together. She couldn’t breathe. It was all over. They were going to kill her.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Jack

J

ack kept his eyes trained on the busy sidewalks as the cab cruised

through Eva’s Tribeca neighborhood, hoping to catch a glimpse of her heading to her apartment. She couldn’t have gotten that far, considering she’d taken the subway. The traffic had lessened considerably, and his cab ride had proven a lot smoother. Maybe he’d even beat her to her door so he could be waiting for her when she arrived. He already knew what he’d tell her. I’m sorry. Lucy is a vicious witch who is not worth one hair on your head. What happened in the past is in the past. Please, let’s forget we ever ran into her tonight because… I can’t lose you, too. That was it. She would think he was

insane, but the fact was he’d lost Pietro and Antonio, and he wasn’t ready to lose her, as well. Jack liked spending time with Eva. He liked fucking her; hell, he loved that. In fact, he liked every single little detail about her in a maddening way that made him feel almost empty now that she was gone. But whatever was happening between them was secondary. Above all, he had to keep her safe. A scream pierced the air, shattering the usual city roar. The cab came to a stop at a corner. Jack stared for a split second, unable to believe his eyes. Across the street, two men wrestled a body into a car. In the dim glow of the streetlights, he could

make out very little, just a flash of long brown hair. But it was enough. He recognized her instantly. Eva. The van sped off as Jack jerked the cab’s door open and sprinted across the street, dodging traffic. It flew around a corner, wheels screeching, as Jack spotted something on the pavement. He scooped it up. Eva’s phone. The screen was still lit up with a message to him: I need some time to think. I’ll talk to— Fuck. He raced to the open door of the cab he’d just left. He dove inside and barked an order to the driver to follow the van, as he thumbed the numbers 9-1-1 into the

phone. These people, whoever they were, were dangerous, ruthless, and would stop at nothing to get what they wanted. Whatever that was. If he didn’t get to Eva in time, he knew Antonio’s worst fears would be realized, and Eva’s fate would be the same as her brother’s. As her father’s. As her mother’s. As all the people who had loved her and lost their lives too soon. I’m not going to let that happen, Eva. I’m on my way. Jack and Eva’s story continues in TRUST ME, Lessons in Seduction Three,

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sophie Holloway is from her favorite city on earth—Manhattan. When she’s not writing, she’s likely lost in a museum, basking in the sun in Central Park, or making excuses to buy gourmet cupcakes. She likes shoes, rooftop parties, lockets with surprises inside, arts and crafts (both in equal measure), long goodbyes, longer hellos, good friends, strong coffee and even stronger men. She hopes to meet her very own Prince Charming someday soon!

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ALSO BY SOPHIE HOLLOWAY The Lessons in Seduction Series: TEACH ME TAKE ME TRUST ME