by Eden O'Neill
My groan hit the room at the smell of her sex, a glistening heat between her legs when I widened them. I dragged my hands down her legs. “I need a taste.”
And I did, sucking her lower lips right into my mouth. So sweet, my tongue tunneled directly into her heat, drinking her in.
Her thighs squeaking across the island, she fucked my face, laying back while I worshiped her. Taking her thigh, I brought it over my shoulder and made a home between her legs, Billie calling out as I flicked her clit.
“I’m going to come.”
“Fucking do it,” I groaned, shoving my sweats down, and my cock sprang free. I fisted it. “I’m coming with you.”
I didn’t even wait before claiming her, guiding myself inside her. She’d told me she was on birth control before, and that’s all I needed.
I physically shuddered inside her, and pulling her up, I thrust my hips, fucking her wildly across the counter.
Her lips parted, and I bit down on them, making her call out. She dragged her nails across my back, and I roared, working my hips so hard and fast I felt like I’d split her in two.
My mouth claimed hers as I picked her up. Kicking off my sweats, I walked with her into the living room, my dick still inside her. I had to walk slow but I wasn’t leaving this pussy for a second.
I made it to the couch still inside her, pressing her down on her back. Her thighs hugged me, and I rocked my hips, her breasts bouncing as I slapped my body against hers.
“LJ…” Her eyes rolled back as her body arched, mine too upon reaching that high. I grunted, filling her completely with my seed and didn’t stop until I emptied inside her.
Pulling out, I eased down from the high with Billie beneath me, kissing her sweetly into the couch. Before her, I didn’t think I did sweet. I didn’t have to, not before her.
I hadn’t cared enough.
I loved her, drowning in her heat as I fastened her to me. I only let go of her a little when I picked her up to take her to my bedroom. She wasn’t leaving tonight.
I wasn’t letting her go again.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Billie
I was by myself in the morning, a place that might have worried me had last night not happened. LJ and I fucked two more times last night, then after, we made love. It was different. It felt so different, and by the end, he hadn’t let me go until he literally got up this morning. He had a phone call, but I was so tired I’d turned over and went back to sleep. Achy, I still felt him inside me.
This was all different.
I didn’t feel like we were in the same place we were before, and I think last night really just put things into perspective for the both of us. There were no more games. No more who was going to break who. There was just this and what we did last night.
That was what ended up allowing me to get up with confidence that morning. I had no clothes here, of course, mine sprinkled downstairs no doubt. I found some of LJ’s, though, so after I got dressed in a band tee and a pair of boxers I found from his drawers, I came downstairs.
LJ sat at that same kitchen island he’d fucked me on, and the tingle instantly blazed between my legs. Shirtless, he had his back to me as he spoke to Niko, the demigod standing next to him. They both faced forward, talking to someone else but I couldn’t see who that person was. I moved closer, and by the time I came completely in the kitchen, I had no time to turn back.
Some people have told me I looked like my father, and I used to like that before he’d left my mom. I used to relish in the fact I looked like him, feeling that connected us.
Now, our similarities just angered me, those same light eyes staring back at me. My hair was darker than his, both my grandparents redheads on his side.
Daddy saw me first, lounging back against LJ and Niko’s range. He stood tall in my presence, his hands working. “Billie…”
His throat jumped following my name, and both Niko and LJ turned. Upon seeing me, LJ’s hand came instantly out for mine, and had it not, I know I would have turned right around. I’d seen my dad last night, sure, but I sure as hell hadn’t talked to him. I’d barely even spoken to him on the phone when I’d called him for help last night. I’d told him what I needed, and that was it. Call ended. He’d ended up doing the rest after I’d given him the location Niko believed LJ was located at.
“What’s going on?” I asked, tugged by LJ. His presence only slightly distracted me from the existence of my father, then fully when a strong arm looped around my waist.
He popped a kiss on my brow, a trail of heat drifting directly from his lips. He was so very handsome, sexy from his broad shoulders to his bare feet. He’d only put a pair of sweatpants on when he’d come downstairs, his hair a mess of lazy blond. He cradled my hip. “Your dad came to talk. I guess the police have some concerns. Ones about the Marvellis?”
That crime family? I frowned. “Why? Didn’t that guy get arrested? Alexi?”
At least, that was what the police told Niko and me last night. During the bust, we got a call that they’d gotten LJ on time and were bringing him to the precinct. I’d been so relieved. I just wanted him to be safe ultimately, regardless of what happened between us before.
Us getting together after had just made everything that much better.
“Yes, sweetheart, but the threat doesn’t stop just because he’s off the streets.” Daddy pushed his hands into his pockets, the frown hard on his face. He appeared completely at war with himself as he rocked back on his patented leather shoes. Like he wanted to come closer, but didn’t want to jinx it.
Probably best.
Daddy’s jaw moved. “The police believe he’s more dangerous now than he was before.”
“LJ?” I questioned. I wouldn’t look at my father, let alone listen to him.
I think LJ understood that, his arms falling around my hips. His attention drifted to my dad. “Alexi Marvelli is very powerful. Your dad says the police feel there might be some danger there. That Alexi might try to retaliate for his arrest. He’s head of the Marvelli family. Might cause some trouble.”
My insides jolted. “Wait. Are you saying you’re in danger? Could he hurt you—”
“No, baby. No,” he said, my insides instantly calming but not because of his assurances. It was because of what he called me. What I’d somehow come to mean to him. This guy went from hating me to loving me, the same on my end as well. I didn’t know I ever could, but I had somehow. His thumb dragged across my cheek. “The police have sent a detail for me. I’ll be safe.”
“So what is this then?” I asked to both LJ and Niko. Niko stood quietly, peering on during this whole thing. I jutted a chin at my dad. “Why is he here?”
“Sweetheart…” Daddy started to cross the room, but when I stiffened, he stayed in place. His hand lifted. “I’m here because I had some concerns for your well-being. Lance let the authorities know that you’re on Alexi Marvelli’s radar. They might try to go through you to get to him, and I can’t have you in danger.”
I frowned, looking at LJ, and he had so much war in his eyes it raced my heart. His throat constricted. “We need to put some space between us.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It would just be temporary. Babe—” He grabbed my hands, holding them when I tried to pull away. “Billie, it wouldn’t be for very long. It’d be short term, until things cool off around here for a little while, and I think it’s best.”
“Is that you talking or him?” I grunted, jerking my chin in Daddy’s direction.
“It was your dad’s idea, but I agree. You don’t know these people like I do, Billie. The Marvellis aren’t anyone to fuck with.”
“He’s right, Billie.” Niko forced his hands into his pockets. “We gotta get you off the grid.”
“You’d go to a safe house, honey.” My dad now came in, his expression grave. “And you’d have complete monitoring. I’ve spoken with the police, and they’re backing me up on this. You’ll be completely safe.”
“And Niko’s even going with you,” LJ chimed in with, his hand framing my face. “He’ll watch over you.”
“The least I can do, Queenie.” Niko shrugged with a smile. “And hey, we’ll have fun. Play board games and shit.”
“But what about you?” I pressed my hands to LJ’s chest. “Aren’t you going with us?”
“I’ve agreed to work with the police.” He gathered my hands. “I do that, and they give both me and Niko immunity for some of the other things we did. Our involvement with Alexi himself. I am going to meet you. Just not right away.”
“When?”
“Billie, honey?” My dad redirected my attention to him, and though he spoke to me, he didn’t move an inch in my direction. He didn’t dare, a sigh falling from his lips. “Lance will be safe. I’ve spoken personally with the police commissioner. He’s pulling out all the stops. Lance will be safe.”
He had?
“I’ll come right to you as soon as I help the police get what they need. I promise you, Billie.” LJ brought his arms around me. “I just need you to go along with this plan of your dad’s. I can’t worry about you.”
A plea deep in his eyes, and I knew that was the only reason I was agreeing to upend my entire life. It had nothing to do with my father.
I looked my dad. “I’m only doing this for him. Not for you.”
A blink before my dad nodded, but with that blink, so much relief hit his eyes. In fact, it was the happiest I’d seen him in a long time.
I didn’t know how I felt about that, looking at him. I just knew if something happened to LJ in all this, I couldn’t even think about what I’d do. I just knew my dad wouldn’t just be able to bank on me not coming to his wedding in the summer.
He’d be lucky if he ever saw me again at all.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Billie
My dad arranged for Niko and me to be housed in Woodcreek University’s Grey Woods, which were about twenty miles outside of campus. Since the term had ended, no one would really be around the area for hiking or anything. There were also many cabins for rent, a good place for Niko… or I guessed for me to lie low, but still, I believed this whole thing was ridiculous. I understood the threat, obviously. It was a real one but what I didn’t understand was why the authorities were allowing my dad to put me away like the president’s daughter. Meanwhile, LJ, the real person in danger, was out there on the streets. He was basically helping my dad’s cases and being punished for it. His freedom was being used as a bargaining chip, and as far as I could see, my dad was only to gain from the scenario. Like I said, it helped his cases with LJ being out there and helping the police.
Things were obviously more complicated than I could see, but I couldn’t help but make things personal. Especially since things were personal. There were a lot of lives just being tossed around, and from what I understood, LJ hadn’t even been given access to his own family. He’d had to make up some excuse about staying on campus to take a summer class. Meanwhile, his family had no idea what was going on. They’d at least been given a police detail from what I understood. The detail was assigned to keep an eye on things, and Niko’s family got one too. Thank goodness.
As for me, Mom believed I was taking a summer class too and needed to focus. I couldn’t tell her anything else for her own safety, and gratefully, she hadn’t asked. She’d been doing really well lately, pretty much stopped her heavy drinking, and I didn’t want to mess any of her progress up. She was finally healing, so with all this going on, I made sure to keep close to the cuff for her sake. Dad arranged to have someone go over there too for me, but the police didn’t feel she was in any immediate danger. I was the main focus here, and my dad sure let me know it.
One really would have believed I was the president’s daughter the way my dad had things set up. The police were on rotation in the woods, about four squad cars coming and going. Though suffocating, I dealt with it. I really wanted to cooperate for LJ’s sake and his peace of mind. I got to talk to him during designated hours but not nearly enough for my liking.
A cool month passed by like this, time spent in the woods and with not many updates from LJ himself. He honestly couldn’t tell me much, not allowed, but one thing I did know was he’d been supposed to meet me out there around this time. When that deadline obviously came and went, I thought I’d lose it the next time I spoke to him.
“Just a bit longer,” he said today, his honeyed voice through the line while I sat by the window. I stared at the swaying trees, not much to see beyond that. Besides the cops, I had Niko, who, when he wasn’t bugging me about playing board games, was playing video games on the cabin’s flat screen. He was either doing that or upstairs in his room watching internet porn. I knew because I caught him a time or twelve.
The quarantine was obviously getting to him too.
Currently, the guy shot zombies in my ear, winking at me from the couch when I passed him a look. Despite being trapped together for over a month, we had bonded. I found out he made a mean grilled cheese sandwich.
Though smiling a little, I let out a sigh in the phone. “I’m not sure how much longer I can do this. I thought you’d be here days ago.”
“I know, and I will soon.” It was hard not to be wrapped up in that deep voice, a smile in it. “Actually, it should be sooner rather than later. The police have arranged a meeting with the Marvelli family. There’s a new head with Alexi in prison, and the police are assuring me whoever it is seems agreeable.”
“How agreeable?”
“I hope enough to not retaliate for their family member being thrown in prison.”
“Which wasn’t your fault.”
“I know, beauty queen.” Another smile in his voice that literally made me burn. I could just see it in front of me, touch it. “Billie?”
I leaned my head on the window sill. “Give me an exact date. You said you didn’t want to worry about me, but that’s all I do here.”
It was all I could do, not really much else to do.
A sigh on his head.
“How about I ask around about that today? And as soon as I hear something, you’ll be the first person I call.”
“Promise?”
A light chuckle. “I promise. I love you.”
Weeks of hearing him say that and the same smile still appeared on my face.
Tugging down my hair, I told him the same before hanging up, and Niko chose that moment to stretch out his wingspan.
He’d decided to wear less and less clothing during our time together, nothing but workout pants hanging low on his chiseled hips. But where most girls would probably swoon in this situation, this guy had become nothing but my younger brother. And since he watched porn in his free time instead of looking hotly at me like he used to, I could imagine the understanding was shared.
Grinning, he did a little gorilla thump when he tapped his balled fists against his chest. He really was a riot, and I shook my head at him. He pointed. “Time for lunch? I can make my famous grilled cheese.”
It really was about the only thing he could make, and since it was tasty, I didn’t complain.
Getting up, I stretched out myself. “I’m actually going to go for a jog I think. Stretch my legs.”
Absolute delight took over his face. He backed toward the stairs, shooting a thumb back. “Let me just go get changed. We’ll go together.”
“Yeah, that wasn’t an invitation,” I said, watching all that elation fall. I’d spent every waking hour with this guy. Even during my runs and I needed a break. I put my hair up in a ponytail. “We got the armed warriors outside, remember?” I stated, referring to the squad cars on constant rotation. “They’ll stalk me so you don’t have to.”
“Yeah, Jay totally would have my dick in a jar if I let you go by yourself.” He jogged backwards. “Just let me get my sneakers on. Two seconds.”
“Niko, come on—”
And like every other guy in my life these days, he ignored what I wanted, spr
inting up the stairs two by two.
Rolling my eyes, I popped on my own shoes at the door. I had a pair of shorts on as well as a sports bra and tank already, planning to go for a run after my call with LJ.
I headed outside, then stretched once more in the day. The fresh air was my fuel, and as I stretched, Niko came outside to join me.
“We’ll stay on the trails,” he said, dropping his foot after stretching his thick calf. He had shorts and a red tank on. “That way the cops won’t lose track of us.”
Nodding, I figured that’d be the case. It always was, and with that, we headed off the porch. He hit the trail right away, and after, I texted our police detail to let them know we were going out. They liked us to do that, so I did. After getting confirmation, Niko and I headed deep into the trail. We were only about five minutes into the jog before Niko cursed, though. He jiggled his pockets, and when he came up empty, he shoved back a thumb. “We gotta go back to the cabin. I left my cell phone.”
“I have mine.”
“I need to track my steps, Queenie. Two seconds.”
Him and his two seconds. I started to follow him, but stopped.
He did too. “Aren’t you coming?”
“I’ll wait.” And when I got his eye, I raised and dropped my arms. “Dude, I will be fine. I’m not going anywhere.”
He frowned. “Promise me?”
“I promise you. Now go. So we can go.” The sooner he went, the faster he could come back.
A heavy sigh before he bunched his hair. “You better not go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”
I mean, where would I go? I nodded like that fact was obvious, and only after I did, did he sprint back. I lost his back through the trees, scrolling through apps on my phone. I had my own workout apps I liked to monitor and brought one of them up.
Leaning against the tree, I played around on the device, but the snap of a twig behind made me jump.