by Morgan James
Elle and I walked in front, but the men remained close by, not letting either of us out of sight. Both Fox and Hossam were protective, but I assumed they knew best. I'd heard horror stories about tourists, primarily females, who were kidnapped and never seen again. With these two at our side, I knew no one would mess with us.
I knew from what Elle told me yesterday that Hossam had worked as a guard to Spencer before they ended up together. It was obvious to me that she cared for him, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out why he’d chosen Elle instead of remaining loyal to Spencer. I was eternally grateful that he’d helped her, but I was just suspicious enough to be wary of his intentions. Our family was well-off, and I didn't want him taking advantage of her if she was only a means to an end.
Elle and I perused the fruit at the stand before moving on. I kept my voice low as I leaned closer to her and spoke. “I still have trouble thinking of you as Claire.”
She threw a smile my way. “Doesn’t really fit me, does it?”
“It’s not that. It’s just...” I hesitated. “I think it’s all of it. In my mind, you were gone for almost a year. And now you’re here. But everything’s so different.”
She pulled me to the side and we took a seat on a little concrete bench. “I know it sounds weird, but I wouldn’t have done this if I didn’t want to.”
That was true. Something had been bothering me, and her words stirred something in my mind. “Why don’t you stay in the main house with us? There’s plenty of room, and—”
Elle shook her head. “I like our house.”
“I won’t have my sister treated like a servant,” I snapped. “If Fox thinks—”
Elle grabbed my hand. “It was our choice.”
The wind immediately left my sails. “But why?”
“Fox did so much for us. Hossam’s pride wouldn’t allow him to accept Fox’s charity. We looked for another home on the island, but Fox finally managed to convince him to live in the servant’s quarters in exchange for taking care of the main house.”
I swallowed hard. There were so many facets to Fox I’d never seen, and each time a new one appeared, I fell for him a little more.
From outward appearances, it seemed that Hossam truly loved my sister. Still, I couldn’t stop the nagging need to keep asking, to make sure she hadn’t been coerced. “As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters. But don’t you ever want to go home?”
She shook her head. “There’s nothing for me there. I have everything I need right here. For the first time in years, I’m... happy.”
“Good.” I forced a smile to my lips. “I’m glad.”
She seemed to sense there was more to my question, because she tipped her head to one side as she studied me. “Something’s bothering you.”
“It’s just...” I sighed. “Don’t take this the wrong way, okay?”
She nodded, and I threw a quick look over her shoulder before meeting Elle’s gaze again. “I know you love Hossam—but does he feel the same?”
“I think so.” A tiny smile curled the corners of her mouth. “It seems strange to you, doesn’t it?”
I couldn’t lie. “I mean... He worked for Spencer. I don’t want him using you or tossing you aside as soon as he thinks it’s safe.”
“I don’t think he will.” She gave her head a little shake. “You know... Hossam and I had kind of a rough beginning.”
“What do you mean?” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and turned to face her more fully, pulling my knee up and resting it on the bench between us.
“Hossam and I didn’t exactly get along when we first met.”
“Really?” I’d assumed that they’d at least been friendly; why else stick up for her once he’d learned of her troubles?
Elle let out a little laugh. “Like, not at all. We butted heads constantly. He always seemed so... hard and fierce. He was more like a jailer than a bodyguard.”
It still struck me as a little strange that Spencer had needed bodyguards. Something Fox had said about him months ago came to mind, and I wondered if Fox was investigating him as a possible lead in the human trafficking ring. I made a mental note to ask him later as Elle continued.
“We pretty much despised each other. He thought I was high maintenance and snooty, and I called him a narcissistic, egotistical asshole.”
I smothered a laugh. “How in the hell did you guys end up together, then?”
My heart clenched as Elle’s expression turned serious, almost sad. “He overheard Spencer and me arguing one night. He’d been drinking more, and I didn’t realize at the time that he was using drugs, too. He lost his temper and slapped me right across the face, then stormed out of the house.” Her fingers curled around the seat of the stone bench as she spoke. “I was so embarrassed, you know? Part of me couldn’t even believe it had really happened. I went into the kitchen and Hossam was already there. He didn’t say a word, just handed me an ice pack from the freezer, then left.”
“Spencer came home later and apologized, swore he’d never do it again. Said he was just stressed out.” Elle blew out a breath. “Things were okay for awhile and after a month or so, I thought he’d really meant what he’d said—that it was just an accident. But he started using more, and things got increasingly worse. One night we got into it and he cracked my ribs. That was when Hossam finally spoke up. I’ll never forget that,” Elle said softly. “He wanted to take me to the hospital, but I refused. He looked me dead in the eyes and said, “Don’t you dare forgive him. You deserve better than this.” He took care of me afterward, then asked me about leaving. I tried to talk to Daddy, but he didn’t want me to come home. He said it would look bad.”
Elle shook her head. “Hossam tried to keep me out of the way when Spencer was in a mood, but sometimes it couldn’t be avoided. It escalated quickly over the next couple of months, but by then he’d contacted Fox about getting us out of there. He had to leave first so it wouldn’t look suspicious when I disappeared. Those few weeks without him were... horrible.”
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered. “I had no idea.”
“You couldn’t have known.” She lifted one shoulder. “I tried to hide it from everyone. It was strange how he and I went from almost enemies to friends, then... you know.” She smiled a little. “It wasn’t even a sexual attraction—not at first. But I knew there was more to him than met the eye, and he eventually admitted that he’d been attracted to me from the very beginning but couldn’t say anything because of Spencer.”
“I can understand that,” I said. Fox was the same way. There were so many facets to his personality that I wasn’t sure I would ever discover all of them.
“What about you?” she asked, studying me.
I shrugged. “I’m still processing everything, I think. It might take awhile for it to really feel real.”
“What about Fox?” she prodded. “Is he good to you?”
I hesitated before speaking. “Yes, though I didn’t know it at the time.”
Confusion filled her eyes, and she turned to face me. “What do you mean?”
I recounted the events I’d glossed over before, telling her how I’d broken into his home to avenge her death, then was caught by the man himself. I told her how he’d kept me captive, refusing to allow me to speak to anyone from my old life.
Throughout my tale, her expression morphed from disbelief to concern to fury. “I hope you gave him hell for that.”
“I may have...” I bit my lip. “Kind of... stabbed him.” Her eyes widened, and her jaw went slack.
“With a fork,” I added.
A muscle in her face twitched, then her composure cracked completely and Elle exploded into a fit of laughter. My cheeks burned as I met Fox’s curious gaze over her head.
“It’s not funny,” I said caustically.
“No,” she said between giggles. “It’s priceless. But I’ll bet he won’t piss you off again.”
I snorted. “He pisses me off all the time.�
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She used her thumb to wipe a tear from her cheek as she curbed her mirth. “Only because you two are so much alike. God, I swear you were made for each other.”
It felt like a swarm of butterflies had taken up residence in my stomach, their wings battering my heart. Outwardly our situation seemed so strange. Most people would have thought the absolute worst—that he was preying on me, taking advantage of me. But for Elle to see us as compatible meant the world.
Elle reached over and took my hand, leaning her head on my shoulder. I was aware of the men hovering several yards away, giving us our privacy but never letting us out of their sight.
“You love him, don’t you?”
Elle’s words startled me. “Who?”
She lifted her head and gazed at me, the expression on her pretty face telling me she didn’t believe my ignorance for a second. I sighed and dropped my eyes to the ground at my feet. “I... I don’t know.”
“He’s a good man.”
“I know.” I lifted my eyes to hers. “But life with him will never be normal. Nothing with him will ever be easy.”
Her gaze flitted over my shoulder before returning to me. “There’s something to be said for easy things. Anyone can do something if it’s easy. Fox will never be an easy man to love. It will take a strong woman to stand by his side and absorb the pain and hurt of others in order to help.”
My eyes burned with tears. “But what if something happens to him?”
Elle’s lips lifted into a tiny smile that almost immediately fell away. “People die every day. You could marry an accountant who lives a safe life and you could be happy. But he could die in a car accident on the one to work one day, and you’d feel exactly the same.”
I knew she was right, but it didn’t ease the emotions roiling in my stomach. I still had so many concerns, not the least of which was the fact that I continued to fall into bed with him every chance I got. I couldn’t tell if it was self-destructive behavior or if it was love. I’d fallen for him months ago, and the past few days had only served to reinforce those feelings. I knew he would keep me safe, do everything in his power to protect me.
Elle reached over and laid her hand over mine. “Men like Fox come around once in a lifetime. He has everything most men only dream of having—money, power, prestige. But not the thing he really needs. Love him, Eva. Love him the way he deserves.”
Tears pricked my eyes. “When did you get so smart?”
She looped her arm around my shoulders and pulled me into a hug. “Since I met the love of my life.”
In that moment, I knew exactly what I needed to do. Fox had left a mark on my heart that would stay with me forever, and no one could ever fill that space.
Chapter Fifteen
Fox
I watched Eva where she sat on the edge of the bed, smoothing lotion into her skin. We’d retired to our room again after dinner, and Eva had taken her time showering—alone, much to my chagrin—before coming back into our room. She’d pulled on a silky, semi-sheer nightie that I’d ordered from the boutique in Omaha. It clung to every soft curve, stopping mid-thigh so her lean legs were exposed to my view. Her hair was still damp, hanging in loose waves down her back, and she looked so goddamn pure and sweet that I wanted to strip her bare, take her over and over all night long. But the change in her demeanor worried me intensely. Something with Eva had seemed off all day, ever since she and Elle had spoken earlier while we were at the market.
“What’s bothering you, angel?”
She offered me a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Nothing.”
I shed my jacket, hanging it over the back of the chair before moving toward the bed. “Are you enjoying yourself so far?”
“I am. It’s been wonderful to see my sister—like a dream come true.”
She said it so wistfully that something tightened in my chest. “And that’s a bad thing... why?”
She sighed. “Because it can’t last.”
“Why not?” I took a seat beside her.
“Because I have to go home eventually.”
I shrugged. “Not unless you want to. You could stay here forever if you chose. “
Her misty green eyes met mine and held. “You would let me stay here?”
I tucked a strand of hair behind her ears. “Anything your heart desires is yours. You know that.”
I found myself hoping that she would see the truth in my response, that she would choose to stay here—to stay with me.
A heavy breath left her lungs. “I can’t. I need to go home and speak with my father.”
At that, I stiffened. “I would prefer you not.”
After everything that asshole had put her through, I didn’t want her anywhere near him.
Her eyes hardened. “I have to. After everything he’s done—to both Elle and me—I can’t let him just get away with it.”
Biting down on my tongue, I forced down the urge to forbid her from doing so. If I denied her outright, it would only push her to do the opposite out of spite. “We can do it together,” I offered. “Or we can figure out some other way to make him accountable for his actions.”
“I can’t ask that of you.” She shook her head. “You’ve done so much for me already.”
Her words sent a pang of guilt through my heart. I’d held her captive and lied to her about doing so, yet she still viewed me as her savior. “I will always be here for you. You can speak with your father and clear the air once and for all. Then you can come back here and stay with Elle and Hossam if you’d like, or...”
I couldn’t voice that last thought. The idea of letting her go again cut me like a knife. I wanted what was best for her, of course, but... I wanted her to choose me.
She was silent for a second, teeth cutting into her lower lip as she studied me. I could practically see the thoughts flitting through her brain as she undoubtedly tried to determine my sincerity. Finally, she spoke. “What about you?”
“I need to finish this. I need to find Araña and bring him to justice.”
She nodded a little. “I want to help.”
No way in hell. I never wanted to expose her to the things I’d heard and seen. I chose my words carefully, speaking with as much honesty as possible without telling her no outright. “We don’t have to figure this out today. You can stay here as long as you like, take all the time you need. But for right now...” I lifted one hand and slid my fingers beneath her chin. “I just want you to feel. We lost so much time, Eva. I want to make it up to you.”
She looked like she wanted to argue, and I slid my hand down her neck, teasing her collarbone with the tip of my fingers. “Close your eyes, angel.”
She did as I bade, and I took my time touching her, lightly dragging my fingertips up and down her arms, over her shoulders, kneading the tight muscles there. Her lips parted slightly under my ministrations, and I just had to kiss her. Lightly at first, I took her mouth with mine, teasing her with my lips and tongue.
Eyes still closed, she looped her arms around my neck and threw herself into the kiss. Sliding my hands down her back and under her bottom, I pulled her over my lap so she was straddling me. I tore my mouth from hers and kissed my way across her jaw, down her neck, and over her shoulder to the spaghetti-thin strap that held her negligee up. I slid one finger beneath the material, licking along the edge of her collarbone as I worked it over her shoulder. The bodice of the nightie sagged, and I moved lower, dropping kisses over the swell of her breast before freeing it from its confines.
Eva made a little sound of pleasure deep in her throat and curled one hand into the back of my head, holding me close. I could have told her she had nothing to worry about; I wasn’t going anywhere. But my mouth was preoccupied with much better things at the moment.
I worked down the bodice of her nightie until her torso was completely bared to me, and I plumped the mounds in my hands. “Fucking love your tits.”
“I know.”
I grinned at the breathless sou
nd of her voice and brushed one pink tip with my thumb. “You like it when I play with them?”
She arched into my hand, giving silent confirmation. She was going to have to do better than that. I rolled her nipple between my thumb and forefinger, then tweaked it hard. I was rewarded when she let out a sharp hiss. “You like that, angel?”
“God, yes.” She shifted on top of me, grinding her pussy against the swell of my erection, her body begging for release. Turning, I lay her on her back then kissed my way down her body as I slid from the bed. I grabbed the fabric pooled around her waist and worked it over her hips and down her legs, then dropped it to the floor. Once she was completely bare, I shucked my own clothing before climbing back onto the bed. Eva watched me through hooded eyes as I moved up her body and straddled her chest, my dick only inches from her lips.
“Take it, angel.” I fisted my cock and brushed the tip across her lips. “I want to fuck that pretty mouth of yours.”
Her tongue darted out, wetting her lips, and I eased forward, sliding into the hot cavern of her mouth. Her arms were trapped down by her sides, but that didn’t stop her. She grasped my hips, pulling me as far into her mouth as she could take me. I let out a little groan as her tongue swirled around the head, and my pelvis jerked at the sensation. Fuck, that felt so good. I reached between her legs and fingered her slit, fucking her mouth and pussy at the same time.
The angle wasn’t ideal, but I didn’t give a goddamn. The sight of my dick sliding between her shiny, saliva-slick lips, Eva completely at my mercy, was erotic as hell. I lifted myself off of her, replacing my cock with the fingers I’d had buried in her pussy. Eyes locked on mine, she licked my fingers, lapping up her own juices. “Such a dirty girl.”
I leaned forward and captured her mouth with mine in a hard kiss. My dick was rock hard, and I needed to be inside her. Rolling to the side, I pulled her with me and maneuvered to a sitting position against the headboard. “I want you on my cock.”