Steal Me (Longshadows Book 1)

by Natalia Banks

  Then Zac sees me.

  All I see is fury. Hatred, loathing, and maybe a hint of murder. Not because he loves me; he knows what he stands to lose if I walk away. Holy fuck, why do I feel like he was waiting to marry me to kill me and take my family money for himself?

  No way. That kind of shit only happens in those Dateline shows. Not in real life, not to people like me. I mean, those people are the unlucky ones. I can in no way, shape or form call my life unlucky.

  And, with Connor holding him by that stupid blue plaid shirt I hate, Zac tries to lunge at me. Connor is quick to shove him into the chair in the middle of the room. It’s kind of funny to see someone finally show Zac he’s not some big strong man’s man just because he can almost grow a big boy beard.

  “What the fuck, Jane?” he yells at me, his voice sounding like an angry little girl who’s older brother stole her favorite Barbie. I can almost imagine him turning his head to the side to scream, I’m telling mom! before stomping off. Though he’s more likely to tattle to my father.

  He tries to get up, but Connor drops an imposing hand on his shoulder and shoves him back down like he’s a sack of potatoes.

  Zac, not getting a rise out of me looks up at Connor. “You’re fucking my fiancé,” he says to an unimpressed Connor.

  Connor doesn’t even bat an eye. Instead of denying like some white knight hero stepping up to bat for me, he totally blows off the allegation and continues to glare at Zac. Which makes his claim seem like the stupidest thing he’s ever said. It’s almost an art how Connor manipulates people.

  I wonder if half my attraction to him is how he’s manipulating me?

  No way. That heat I feel at his very voice started before he ever even knew I existed. While it’s weird, perhaps, to be so deeply turned on by a voice, maybe that’s my thing. I don’t know. I’m twenty two. Maybe I’ve got a voice fetish and he’s the first guy with just the right voice that I’ve met.

  As Zac stares at me, I wonder why the hell I ever wasted my time with him. He’s such a child. This isn’t the first time he’s thrown a temper tantrum when he didn’t get what he wanted.

  As if reading my mind, Zac tries to get up again. And again, Connor’s hand pushes him down without any seeming effort. It’s amazing how Connor seems almost bored, as if this guy is such a non-threat that he’s not even really paying attention.

  Zac seems to try push back. But Connor isn’t having it.

  “You’re not in charge here,” Connor says, his low, threatening voice sending a tickle of pleasure down my spine. Those words, that voice.. oh, my god. I’m going to have to wash this damn counter.

  Zac, staring up at Connor, nods his head quickly; a frightened little flutter that makes me want to giggle.

  As I watch Connor’s set shoulders, he looks up at me, those incredible eyes melting the core of me to a liquid, molten hot need. He’s so damn sexy, so in charge it’s both scary and sexy. But mostly sexy, I think.

  “You should have fucking left,” Connor says to Zac, who’s staring up at him, his mouth open in what looks like slack-jaw stupidity.

  “But since you didn’t,” Connor continues, every inch of him exuding power and control, “your girlfriend has something to tell you. Something you’re going to fucking listen to and respect.”

  Connor leans toward Zac a little and my boyfriend cowers back. He glances at me out of the corner of his eyes and seems to decide it’s a good idea to act tough. He stretches a leg out before him and links the fingers of both hands and drop them in front of his other bent knee. He’s trying to look relaxed, but he looks like an idiot.

  “I won’t tell you twice,” Connor says, and I try not to gulp back shock and more than a little excitement.

  “It’s over.” The words burst from me and both men look my direction. Zac is dismayed, Connor seems amused.

  Zac’s not stopping without a fight. “You won’t leave me. I’m going to be famous and you’ll forever hate yourself for leaving me.”

  Not this argument again. “Zac, I wouldn’t love you even if you were famous.” I tell him wondering how a grown man could have such a stupid view of love and life. Does he really think that all it takes is fame to make everyone love you? That’s not love.

  “No, you would have been the only one to love me before. But now you’ll forever be the girl who broke up with me and didn’t support my career.” Zac takes the path of trying to garner my pity. It has worked before, because of course I don’t want to be the bitch that doesn’t support his dreams and his career.

  It doesn’t work this time. “It’s not your career if you’ve never made money doing it,” I say, as the words I’ve been holding in for too long, escape my mouth with ease and conviction.

  “Do you really want to tell the world you dumped the next Shia LaBeouf?” He asks, his petulant face nearly driving me to laughter.

  That’s really his aim? The top of the top for him is Shia? I want to tell him so badly to read the news and catch up on the latest events in the life of Shia. But I don’t. I’m tired of the fight, tired of his BS, tired of him not accepting that I’m breaking up with him.

  “It’s over. Good luck in your acting career. I’m sure the world will love you,” I say, feeling defeated.

  Chapter 16

  Connor

  “It’s over.” Jane sounds surprised by her own admission and I sense relief in the way her shoulders relax like the weight of the world has been lifted off them.

  But Zac doesn’t accept her break up. “You won’t leave me. I’m going to be famous and you’ll forever hate yourself for leaving me.”

  Jesus, doesn’t he realize how cringy it is to tell a girl that she obviously doesn’t mean it because you might, maybe, perhaps be famous one day? No, you won’t, I want to tell him. But this isn’t my fight. As much as I hate this shitty excuse for a human being, it’s Jane who has to handle this.

  Jane seems tired of it, as if she’s had this conversation before and it turned out exactly the same as this time will. The look in her eyes screams that she’s trapped in a relationship that’s going nowhere. And she’s tired of it.

  “Zac, I wouldn’t love you even if you were famous.”

  Damn. I’m proud of her for just spilling it like that.

  Zac isn’t done being an idiot arguing his own points like some kind of stupid devil’s advocate. “No, you would have been the only one to love me before. But now you’ll forever be the girl who broke up with me and didn’t support my career.”

  That’s what this guy thinks will work? Does he think Jane is so stupid she’ll fall for this pathetic manipulation?

  “It’s not your career if you’ve never made money doing it,” Jane says. She’s got a point.

  “Do you really want to tell the world you dumped the next Shia LaBeouf?” Zac says.

  I’ve… got no words.

  “It’s over. Good luck in your acting career. I’m sure the world will love you,” Jane says, her whole body saying she doesn’t believe this is the end of things.

  “Did you hear her?” I ask, leaning toward him just a little bit.

  Zac’s bitter expression turns my direction. “This is why I tracked her phone. She’s just a cheating whore. How long have you been fucking her?” He’s on his feet in a flash and I cross my arms, amused at his little show of temper. He’s like a little dog, he can bounce around and make as much noise as he wants, at the end of the day, he’s still a little dog.

  “I’ll fight for her,” he says, lifting his fists while dancing on his feet a little, like a guy who’s watched too many Kung Fu movies without any real knowledge how fighting really works.

  “Zac, don’t.” Jane sounds like she can’t believe how stupid her ex is being right now. I find it impressive that she doesn’t sound surprised, just upset she has to tell him again to stop being an idiot. It makes me wonder how many times she’s saved him from himself.

  As I stare at him, I wonder what I should do. Knock him on his ass? Or stay pu
t so he can have that feeling that I really don’t see him as any kind of threat.

  I think that’s the winner.

  “She said it’s over. Leave.” I say and he seems to deflate a little bit.

  It’s a bit of a relief that he has no idea what’s really going on between Jane and I. If he was more in tune with her, he might be able to figure out that she’s not here willingly. That she’s here because I require it. But he’s so caught up in his narrative that I’m fucking her that he has never let the thought that it might be anything else cross his mind.

  It’s sad, really. I bet he could fix everything if he’d save her from me.

  “No,” he says, his fists and feet resuming their movements. “We’re going to fight for her.”

  Jane continues being the voice of reason. “Zac, even if you won, I wouldn’t take you back.”

  Again, he seems to feel the words like a blow. I’m wondering why the hell he’s not backing off. What is with this girl? Why is he fighting so hard to keep her? There’s more to this, I know it.

  I glance at her and her whole body tenses as her hazel eyes meet mine. The way her lips part is an invitation, and I want nothing more than to see my cock slide past those pretty pink lips.

  As if reading my thoughts, she swallows, the motion of her throat enough to knock every thought from my mind. Fuck.

  Out of the corner of my eye I see Zac tense up and know what he’s going to do next. I sidestep as he lunges at me. He’s swinging wildly as if he’s just hoping to at least make contact once.

  He doesn’t.

  I grab his collar and hold him away from my body. I’ve got enough length I can keep him from landing any blows. Still, he twists as he continues swinging wildly. With him in tow, I walk toward the front door holding him like I’m taking out the trash. An apt description, I think.

  Opening the door, I shove him out. I watch with more than a little satisfaction as he sails into the wall across the way. The thud of him hitting, and the surprise in his eyes as he bounces off and turns to me is worth it.

  “I hope I don’t see you again,” I tell him, knowing by the way his eyes widen that he hears the threat loud and clear.

  “You’re not getting her money,” he says, impatiently shifting his shaggy blond hair out of his eyes and straightening the lapel of his button down shirt.

  “You’re shit if all you wanted was her money,” I say, everything suddenly making sense. Of course he doesn’t want to lose her. What a loser. “Get a job,” I tell him, closing the door.

  On the other side I hear him shout at me. “I have a job! I’m an actor.”

  Chapter 17

  Jane

  Oh, my god, I’m finally single.

  I watch Connor close the door and turn to face me. Icy terror tickles down my spine as he stalks over to me. I feel like my luck has run out. He looks tense, furious, even, and I know the whole delay has pissed him off.

  He stops before me and places his hands on the edge of the counter again. When he leans in, his scent overcomes me and I breathe deeply of him.

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper, needing him to know I didn’t want any of that mess to be a bother to him. My heart is slamming in my chest as he says nothing. He's staring me in the eyes like he can discern my secrets.

  “We need to talk,” he says finally, his voice low and sensual.

  “I’ll do whatever you want,” I breathe, feeling that tingling warmth flooding every bit of my body.

  His pupils spasm and I feel my breath catch in my throat. How does he have such a profound effect on me? It’s not even anything he’s doing or saying, there’s just something about him that leaves me trembling like a desperate little horny bitch. I love it.

  I want him to kiss me. Hell, I want him to do more. I want him to prove that whatever this is between us isn’t just lust. It’s mostly lust, sure, but there’s something else, some connection that’s undeniable.

  But he steps back.

  And every bit of my being silently screams at him to come back.

  “We’re going to lunch,” he says, the words clearly an order, not a request.

  I nod, wondering if I should ask if I need to change. I’d never expected to leave my room like this. It’s the situation that’s leaving me looking totally whorish and underdressed.

  “Should I change?” I ask, and he looks me over.

  After a moment, he shakes his head. Heat colors my cheeks as I think about stepping out in public like this. I mean, the shorts aren’t see through white, but they are short. And I’m not wearing a bra under this, so every little effect he has on my body will be obvious. Or if I get cold, I guess.

  Something tells me it’s not a good idea to cross him. His mood seems to have shifted to business. There’s still a heat to him, but the sensuality is subdued. He moves around the room quickly before walking over to me again.

  He grabs my ass and pulls me toward his hip. The movement is sexy as hell, but until my feet hit the floor, I’m unaware my legs are asleep. I almost fall.

  He holds me tight to his body as the fire of pins and needles elicit a gasp from my lips. The pain is intense, but his hands on me, his kindness not to let me crumple at his feet helps ease the torture.

  After a few moments, he leans away and I balance just fine on my own with only a little help from the counter. With his hand in mine, he leads me out of the room and locks it up behind him. I look around, expecting to see Zac. But he seems to be really gone. Finally. I thought I’d never get rid of him. Hell, a small part of me is still sure he’s around somewhere.

  We walk down the hallway and I find myself wanting to ask him questions. Questions about Cami, about the drama they were talking about. Then again, I’m pretty sure that it was all some kind of role play. But the story is so fantastic I want to know more.

  In the lobby, he leads me toward the door. We step into sunshine and he leads me across the street to a little place I was wanting to try but didn’t have the courage to risk. It looks like a dive, but the smell lingering around the place is amazing.

  We step in and the scent hits me full force. It’s incredible, like garlic and grilled steak. As he leads me to a booth near the corner, I wonder how many times he’s been here. I sit across from him and he studies me as I look at the menu.

  “Order whatever you like,” he says, and I notice how intense his tone is.

  “Thanks,” I say, surprised. I didn’t expect him to feed me, but I’m not going to complain. “What’s good here?”

  “I get the steak,” he says, and I realize that’s likely why he’s not even looking at the menu. He already knows what he wants. I look over the options, wondering when he’s going to start talking. He seems to be watching me, studying me like he’s debating where to start.

  “I’ll try the steak,” I say, putting the menu down to stare at him. “I’m sorry I was listening to you,” I say, needing to explain myself. “I was bored to tears, and your role play or whatever was interesting.”

  His eyes narrow a little bit.

  “And I’m sorry I stopped you from having sex.” My cheeks burn red hot. He’s staring at me, but I can’t quite make out his expression.

  I push forward, needing to fill the silence. “You know, if you’d asked me to go out with you, I’d have said yes.” I mean it as a joke, but he doesn’t respond.

  It's driving me up the wall. “So, Cami seemed like a neat girl. Why did she run out early on you?” I ask, not really expecting an answer.

  He doesn’t disappoint.

  So I try from another angle. “So, do you role play like that often?”

  I fall silent as a waitress walks up. Her eyes stay locked on Connor as he orders. Even when he’s done, she refuses to look at me or ask me what I’d like. Annoyed by the blatant insult, I make a joke. “Clearly she doesn’t want a tip, she wants the tip.”

  Connor’s gaze meets mine and I see something quite like a smile struggling to cross his lips. “What did you want, love?” he as
ks me and my heart nearly stops with the endearment.

  Chapter 18

  Connor

  “Order whatever you like,” I tell her as she studies the menu. The part of my brain telling me to use this leverage on her takes a backseat.

  She seems shocked, as if she didn’t expect me to say that. “Thanks,” she says, “What’s good here?”

  “I get the steak,” I tell her. As she looks over the choices, she seems totally at ease, not like a girl who’s sitting with a guy who might kidnap and harm her. This looks and feels like a date, not like I forced her to come with me, dressed in clothing that I know leaves her feeling a bit uncomfortable.

  “I’ll try the steak,” she says, setting the menu flat on the table before her. There’s a bit of shame in her eyes as she talks. “I’m sorry I was listening to you. I was bored to tears, and your role play or whatever was interesting.”

  Role play. She thinks it’s a sex thing. No wonder she’s been practically purring with desire.

  She blushes a little and looks down before meeting my stare again. “And I’m sorry I stopped you from having sex.”

  How much is she going to say while this desperate to keep the quiet from falling between us?

  “You know, if you’d asked me to go out with you, I’d have said yes.”

  Would she have? I remember the fear in her eyes when I’d cornered her in her apartment. Back then, she hadn’t rationalized what I was doing next door. She hadn’t decided it was a sex game. She’d still thought it was terrifying.

  But she keeps talking. “So, Cami seemed like a neat girl. Why did she run out early on you?”

  She barely hesitates, but I’m not going to answer anyway. I’m still torn between telling her it’s not a sex thing and letting her go on believing I’m the kind of guy who gets off on kidnapping and rape fantasies.

  I don’t.

  But then again, why the fuck to I care what this girl thinks?