by Mia Knight
“Are you trying to make me crazy?” Lyla snapped as she rocked on top of him.
“It’s what you deserve for running from me,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Is this a game to you?” Lyla asked, enjoying the burn in her thighs as she raised and lowered herself on his thick cock.
Gavin’s eyes glinted. “I don’t play games when it comes to you.”
“So what are you doing?” Lyla panted.
He sat up and sank both hands into her hair. He took her mouth hungrily, tilting her head sideways for better access. Lyla lost her rhythm and sank her nails into his chest. When he pulled back, allowing her to breathe, they stared at one another.
“I want you desperate for me.”
He flipped her onto her back and held one thigh high as he thrust in. Lyla screamed and he gave her a feral smile.
“I want you bound so tight to me you can’t imagine life without me.”
He pounded into her hard, demanding her compliance and need. Lyla reared up and bit his shoulder as she climaxed.
“Marking me, baby girl?” he asked, voice filled with amusement. “That’s a good start.”
Gavin waited until she calmed before he began to move again, holding off his own climax to make her mindless again. Her skin was so fevered that she ripped off the sweater and cupped the back of Gavin’s neck.
“Fucking finish me,” she commanded.
“Who do you belong to?” he asked.
“You.”
“Who?” he demanded, dropping the easygoing facade. “Who do you belong to?”
“Gavin.”
“Say it. Say you belong to me.”
“I belong to you.”
“For how long?”
“Forever.”
Gavin’s eyes glinted a moment before he slammed into her. He bounced her on the bed, letting their momentum push him deeper than he ever had before. Lyla was breathless and delirious with lust. She kissed, bit and sucked what she could reach of him. She came again, screaming his name and he finally joined her, shouting her name and planting himself deep. Lyla huffed beneath him, stunned by how he could make her mindless. He raised his head and looked down at her, golden eyes staring straight into her soul.
“Whatever it takes to have you with me, I’ll do. Never doubt it.”
Chapter Twelve
Lyla woke alone. She moaned as she rolled because she was definitely feeling the effects of her night with Gavin. It was nearly noon and she was tangled in bedsheets. She didn’t feel him leave the bed or get ready for work. She must have been dead to the world. How much sleep did he get? Lyla worried as she walked into the bathroom to shower. He was dealing with the scum of the earth. He needed to be on his toes. She didn’t want him going out there half-cocked. Once she was dressed, she searched the bedroom for her phone, but couldn’t find it. Annoyed, she went into the kitchen and made herself a bowl of cereal. She spied the phone on the counter and texted him: Did you sleep at all?
He replied a minute later: Enough.
She rolled her eyes as she spooned up more cereal and texted him back. You need to sleep more.
Worried about me, baby girl?
Stupid man. Of course she did. Yes.
“That’s good to know.”
Lyla shrieked and whirled, milk and cereal splashing over the floor. Gavin walked into the kitchen wearing sweat pants and nothing else.
“I thought you went to work!” she snapped and grabbed the roll of paper towels.
“After you let me have you again?” Gavin wrapped an arm around her, lifting her clear of the mess and plopped her on the marble island. “I’m not leaving here unless I have to.”
“But what about—?” Lyla lost her train of thought when he unbuttoned her blouse and licked her nipple through her sheer bra. “W-What are you doing?”
“Making up for lost time.” He grinned when she gripped his hair. “You don’t want me to go, do you, baby?”
“I-I—” She couldn’t align her thoughts. They scattered in every direction.
“There’s something I have to take care of tonight, but today, I’m spending my day in you.”
Gavin was as good as his word. He ate her out and then fucked her on the marble island. When she tried to clean up the mess, he carried her into his home office where he sat her on his lap and ordered her to ride him. Watching his eyes go blind with lust was something Lyla quickly became addicted to. The first time they were together, they had sex daily, but it hadn’t been so... intense, consuming and insatiable. Gavin couldn’t keep his hands off her and spent most of the day stroking every inch of her he could reach. She had never seen him like this. Before, there had always been a cool distance. Now, he looked at her as if she was his savior.
They shut out the outside world and spent the day making love, eating and just being. Feelings Lyla thought had long gone rose up as she watched him nap with his head on her lap. It was like having a lion sprawled over you—strong, wild and capable of anything. This man, this terrifying, unstable being was hers. Always had been, always would be. He claimed her heart the moment they clapped eyes on each other. Confident, mature and powerful, he had her from the start and knew it. But, Lyla had never been completely sure of him and seeing him eating out one woman as she sat on his face while another fucked him and two others licked and kissed his body destroyed her. The man he became in the intervening years was nothing she could prepare herself for. He was more forbidding, passionate, volatile and dangerous than she could have imagined.
Now, here they were. Gavin seemed perfectly content stretched out on the couch with her, but she knew better. Gavin was a born leader and businessman. The craving to acquire spurred him on. He was naturally restless. Lyla had no idea what her life would be like tomorrow, in a week or one year, but she committed herself to him. Permanently. Lyla’s hands twitched nervously as she touched his hair. Would this sudden need for her wane with time? Would he crave the dark violence she was forcing him to give up? Lyla shook away worries she couldn’t control and forced herself to concentrate on the TV.
Gavin got up at seven and ate her out again before he showered. She warmed up the leftover meatloaf and they ate dinner together before he left.
“Are you going to be okay?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said.
“You can call me if you need me. If you have bad dreams, I want to know about it,” he said.
She nodded and gave him a chaste kiss before he headed out the door. This felt so domesticated, almost normal aside from the fact that he was leaving at nearly ten o’clock at night. Lyla didn’t have to ask to know he was dealing with the illegal side of his business.
Lyla went to shower and was in the middle of thoroughly cleaning herself when a thought struck fear into her heart. She wasn’t on birth control. She had the IUD since she was seventeen. Pregnancy wasn’t a worry she ever contemplated and because of Pervert, it was gone. Lyla stumbled out of the shower and found the doctor’s business card. She dialed while she tracked wet footprints over the carpet. The doctor was alarmed at first, but Lyla quickly reassured her that everything was fine. Lyla said she wanted another IUD, but the doctor was out of town and wouldn’t be back until next week. Lyla swallowed her disappointment and made an appointment. She thought of going to another doctor or planned parenthood, but she had no insurance, no ID. Her only choice was to wait until Gavin’s private doctor returned. She didn’t even have money to buy the morning after pill.
She and Gavin never discussed children. Ever. Lyla didn’t even know if he liked children. They were together for years and he never spoke of marriage, so children were completely out of the question. And, did she want children? Deep down, she did. She wanted the white picket fence and she wanted to be a stay at home mother. It was a dream that had seen the light of day with Jonathan, but Gavin? Lyla had extremely light periods to the point where she barely noticed them. She had no way of knowing where she was in her cycle. Lyla sat on the edge of the bed and
put her head between her legs because she felt close to passing out.
Once upon a time, she wanted a child with Gavin. Gavin said he was going to propose on a trip after she discovered his infidelity. Would she have said yes? Lyla had no idea and even now as she imagined a child, a son, that looked just like Gavin her stomach rocked with terror and elation. No. Her life was unstable and her relationship with Gavin, even more so. He wanted her now, but long-term? She wanted to believe that he really cared for her, but she couldn’t be sure. She agreed to stay because her heart wouldn’t let her say no. Gavin was an enigma. There was nothing special about her. She was ordinary in every way. The only difference between her and other women was her relationship with Manny. Lyla still suspected his father was a factor Gavin wouldn’t admit to.
When Lyla could think clearly, she realized that the bedsheets were soaked through. She stripped the sheets off the bed and finished her shower. She found another set of sheets in the hallway closet and remade the bed. Whatever drowsiness she felt vanished. She stomped on towels to absorb the water she tracked around the room and went to the kitchen to do the dishes and sterilize the countertops and floor. When that was finished, she searched for a vacuum.
“What are you doing?”
Lyla jumped and whirled to find Blade standing in the living room with his gun at his side. Lyla turned off the vacuum and gestured vaguely.
“I’m just... cleaning.”
“It’s one in the morning.”
“Oh.” She searched for a plausible explanation and decided on, “I can’t settle.”
Blade cleared his throat as he holstered his weapon. “You want me to call Gavin?”
“No!” When his expression turned suspicious, she waved her hand. “I mean, I-I’m fine. Just keeping busy.”
“He’d want to know.”
“It’s not an issue. I’ll go to sleep now,” she said and began to roll up the cord.
“You want sleeping pills?”
She should have done that hours ago. “Yes, please.”
Blade fetched her sleeping pills. She popped them in her mouth and was very aware of Blade watching her.
“I’m fine. Really. I don’t want to bother him,” she said quietly.
“Anything to do with you isn’t bothering him,” Blade returned.
Lyla gave him a strained smile and climbed the stairs. She slid between the fresh sheets and was glad the pills worked quickly.
***
Despite the pills, Lyla woke around six. The first thing on her mind was the risk of pregnancy. She felt like she had a hangover. She crept downstairs and peeked in Gavin’s office, but he still wasn’t home. Lyla made herself a cup of coffee and paused during her first sip. Pregnant women weren’t supposed to drink coffee, right? Fuck. Lyla felt like pulling her hair out as she rushed upstairs to get her phone. She paced the room as she dialed.
“Hello?” a cautious voice answered.
“Mom?”
“Lyla?”
Lyla’s eyes filled with tears. Her mom was a notoriously early riser. She’d been counting on that. Some things never changed. “Whatcha doing today?” she asked, trying to sound normal.
“Grocery shopping. Baking.”
“Can I come with you?” She needed to get out of the house and didn’t want to chance letting something slip to Carmen or Manny who she was sure would be ecstatic. Logically, the chances of getting pregnant were slim. She had the IUD for nearly a decade and recently took the morning after pill. It would be a miracle if she got pregnant in the two days of unprotected sex with Gavin but it was a possibility.
“Of course. How have you been, honey? Is this your new number?”
“Yeah. Let me get ready and I’ll be over.”
A pause and then, “With Gavin?”
“No. Just me.” She grimaced, “Maybe Blade.”
“I don’t know how your father’s going to feel about that.”
“Blade will stay outside,” she said as she went into the closet and paired a dress with a jacket and gladiator style sandals.
“Okay. Well, I’ll see you soon.”
Lyla put on enough makeup to hide the dark circles under her eyes and hurried downstairs. When she opened the front door, she came face to chest with Blade. Once again, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“I’m going to see my mom,” she said.
His brows arched. “Why?”
A valid question since she left her parent’s house in a hurry last time. But, her mother was her mother. “Because.” When he didn’t budge she said, “You don’t have to come with me. I can drive myself.”
“Not likely. Does Gavin know?”
She’d been hoping to avoid that. “I don’t want to bother him. He must be really busy if he didn’t come home yet.”
“Call him.”
It was part dare, part demand. She could see that Blade wouldn’t budge without Gavin’s consent. Lyla clenched her teeth as she pulled the phone out of her pocket and found his name under contacts. She turned away from Blade and paced to the fountain as the phone rang.
“You’re up early,” Gavin said.
“Yes.” She paused, mind going blank with nerves before she said in a rush, “I want to see my mom.”
A short pause. “I’m going to be finished in a couple of hours. I was hoping to be home before noon to spend time with you.”
“I’ll be back before then. I just need to talk to her.”
“Okay.”
She swallowed hard. “Thanks. See you later.”
“Call me if you need anything.”
“You’re okay?” she asked belatedly.
He chuckled. “Of course.”
“Okay. Just checking.”
“Bye, baby girl.”
She hung up and watched the early morning sun light up the desert. When she turned, she saw Blade on his phone. She crossed her arms, wondering if Blade called Gavin to make sure she had been talking to him or whether Gavin was making arrangements. Honestly, it didn’t matter. When Blade opened the back door of an SUV, she climbed in the back seat and was surprised when he climbed in beside her. Two guards sat up front. No one spoke and the tension got on her nerves. She leaned against the window and watched them approach the city.
“I want a donut,” she said absently.
“What kind?” Blade asked.
“Maple.”
The driver pulled up to a Dunkin’ Donuts. Lyla was mildly amused when Blade put in his donut preference, as did the guard in the passenger seat. Lyla felt marginally better when he came back with two dozen warm donuts. Lyla snatched a chocolate and maple donut before anyone else could claim theirs and finished both before they pulled up to her parent’s house. When she threw open the door to get out, Blade put a restraining hand on her arm.
“Let us check it out first,” he said and jerked his head at the two guards who climbed out.
Lyla’s body itched from the restriction and security. When the guards gave the all clear, she slipped out and walked into the house, which had already been searched by the driver. Her mother looked serene, but Lyla saw the unease and fear beneath the facade. Lyla shooed the guys outside before she hugged her mother.
“Hi, Mom.”
“You look great! Gavin must be doing something right.” She wore an overly bright smile and then worry crept into her expression. “You are keeping Gavin happy, right?”
With all that happened recently, it was easy to forget that her father’s half a million dollar debt brought her here in the first place. She and Gavin hadn’t talked about the debt since the night at the club. Another thing to talk to him about... Half a million was a lot of money, money she didn’t have. Her temples throbbed with tension.
“Gavin’s fine.”
“And you’re... with him?” Mom asked hopefully.
“Yes.”
She blew out a breath. “Good. Why don’t you go see your father while I get my things together?”
A not so subtle hint that she
had daughterly duties to attend to. Lyla went upstairs and knocked on her parents open bedroom door. Her father’s left arm and both legs were in casts. His face still looked mangled. After witnessing what Gavin did to Pervert, she knew her father got off easy. Her father lifted his head and sneered at her. Lyla half hoped he’d tell her to take a hike.
“If it isn’t Princess Lyla,” he drawled. “Come to see your boyfriend’s handy work?”
Lyla grit her teeth and walked forward so he wouldn’t get a neck cramp. “No. Came to go shopping with Mom.” His nose had been broken and not reset well. It was off center.
“You know how long I gotta stay like this?” he demanded as if she’d done this to him. “Three months!”
Lyla said nothing.
“I feel like a fucking handicap.”
Still, she said nothing. His mean brown eyes narrowed on her.
“Living the high life, Princess?”
The sarcasm and jealousy in his voice made her want to back away, but she stood her ground. He never wanted her with Gavin, not because of the business his family was in, but because Gavin took her out of her father’s control. Lyla loved her father and had done everything in her power to win his approval, even getting a job and giving him a portion of her paycheck to gamble away. That stopped once she got involved with the Pyres. Manny showered her with affection she didn’t have to work for and her father’s approval became less important to her. Her father resented the Pyre’s power and money.
“I’m okay,” she said. Her parents knew nothing about the kidnapping and honestly, she didn’t know if they’d care either way.
“I bet you are,” her father grunted. “You think about anyone but yourself?”
Lyla blinked. “Excuse me?”
“I don’t have a fucking job and your mother’s never worked!” he bellowed, face red with rage. “You ever think how we’re going to buy food to eat if I’m bedridden and don’t have a job?” When Lyla just stared at him, he mumbled, “Selfish fucking whore.”
“Don’t talk to me like that,” she snapped.