“Look at me, Lex.”
I go up on my elbows.
“Can’t make you no promises. Can’t give you a damn thing but this. Understand?”
I nod. “You’re not mine. I know that. But it doesn’t mean I can’t be yours.” He snakes up my body and looms over me with intimidation masked over his features. “Shh.” I press my finger to his mouth. “Don’t argue. If this is goodbye let’s make it count. Make love to me.”
His forehead drops to mine, and I’m afraid he’s going to leave. I grab him between the legs, he’s hard as steel.
“I need you.”
A groan leaves his lips. “I fucked my wife before I came here tonight.”
I squeeze him harder. “It doesn’t matter. She’s not here now, but we are. You don’t love her.”
“No.” he tries to jerk away.
“So that’s it. You’re going to pretend that you don’t want me? That you feel nothing. That you don’t want to give me one last piece of you before you go. You gonna go home and kiss your wife after you ate me all night?”
“Watch it,” he growls the words at me.
“You want me.”
“Doesn’t mean I can have you.”
“C’mere.” I crook a finger at him.
“Fuck me,” he mutters and leans toward me.
I wrap a hand around the back of his neck. “Can you really walk away from what you feel for me?”
He pulls away and my heart shatters. My breath hitches in my throat. This is it. I’ve lost him.
“No.” I never knew one word could mean so much till now. He comes at me hot and fast. I go for his zipper, and he makes quick work of getting his jeans off. James lays me down, and slides inside me in one hard thrust that makes my body jolt. “When I’m inside you, feels like home,” he whispers into my neck. “But, baby, tonight I’m going to fuck you till you cry.”
His body moves against mine violently. Our skin slaps together, hips rubbing and rocking as though we can’t get close enough. Hard and deep his strokes are vicious. Sweat drips down his body and clings to me.
“Fuck. So wet. So tight.” He grunts and his cock jerks inside me, his warmth washing over me. Short of breath he kisses me, stroking my cheek. “Perfect, Lex.”
I hug him to me not ready to let go but knowing I have to.
Chapter Twelve
“Where you off to?” I glance at Rochelle, noticing my daughter is growing up too damn fast. I swear she keeps getting taller.
“I’m going out with Colter.”
I raise my brow at her. “Papa’s boy?”
“Yes.” She smiles, batting her lashes.
“Is this a date?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. I think so. I really like him.”
“You know the rule.”
“You already know him, so I didn’t think it’s a big deal. You like Colter and Papa is one of your best buds or whatever.”
“Whether or not I like him ain’t got shit do with him taking my daughter out.”
Ruthie comes out of the kitchen licking chocolate frosting off her fingers. “You leaving?”
“You knew about this?” Of course she did.
“I didn’t think it’d be that big a deal.”
Ignoring her, I turn my attention back to Rochelle. “He picking you up?”
“Yeah, then we’re grabbing Alexa and going out to eat.”
Hearing Alexa’s name freezes my blood.
I walked away from her. Our last conversation sounds inside my head.
“Why you gotta make shit so damn hard for me, pretty girl?”
A tear slid down her cheek. “Because I wish you'd choose me. That you'd show me I'm worth the fight. That somewhere buried deep in that black heart a part of you loves me.”
I cupped her jaw, my heart split in two. I'm living a double life. Caught between heaven and hell. “I care about you, baby. You’re the only woman I go on my knees for.” I went to my knees and practically begged her to understand. I never asked for any of this. Hell, she didn’t either. I never expected to fall for her.
“Hello.” A hand waves over my face. “Earth to, Dad.”
“What?” I grumble.
“So can I go?”
“Yeah whatever, but I want a word with him first.”
“Thanks. You’re the best dad ever.” She comes in for a hug.
Ruthie mutters, “That’s debatable.”
Fucking cunt. I’ve been trying my damnedest to appease her. Keeping my enemy close, working her for information on her bastard father. He’s at the top of my list. He’s not an easy man to get to. He started asking too many questions when Alexa turned back up a few days after I dropped her at the train station and Todd didn’t. Called up Lily’s old man, Bronson. Sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. Pressing for answers asking if there had been any new girls brought in.
Only person who knew about Alexa other than Slick was Grudge. I trust Slick. He wouldn’t have turned on me nor Lily, now Grudge that’s debatable. The fucker has a temper and when you piss him off forgiveness doesn’t come easy hence the name. I don’t think I’ve gotten on his bad side, though he did feel slighted when Lily turned him down, but hell that was years ago.
No. Lion’s got eyes on me. And if anything, he knows about Alexa, but the bastard has kept quiet. I know his secret and he knows mine.
“Is it okay if Alexa spends the night?”
“I don’t know if you hanging out with her is such a good idea.”
“She’s my best friend, and I have barely seen her since she got back.”
“Don’t her folks want her at home?”
“They kicked her out.”
“Where is she living then?” Ruthie questions, looking concerned.
Rochelle shrugs. “She’s been staying with Carla, but she can’t live there. I was hoping she could stay here.”
“Here?” I nearly choke the word out.
“She can stay tonight, but your father and I will need to talk about it. Her folks won’t let her come back?”
“I mean, you know how strict her dad is. He’s pretty pissed about her running off with Todd. He dumped her at some
