by Aubrey Rose
Her eyes widened in alarm, and then her mouth opened and closed with no sound as she looked helplessly at Vincent, basically begging him with her gaze to help her. While she held her breath, waiting to see if he would save her. He looked no less of lean, masculine, suppressed fury when he tugged her into the line of his body and she quaked in relief.
“Get your fucking hand off her,” Vincent snarled, then she was transported, still stuck to Vincent’s side, but away from Steven.
“That’s my wife!” Steven started to exclaim.
“Was your wife,” Vincent growled. “Now she’s my woman.”
Steven looked thunderstruck, his gaze jumping between them. “No way,” Steven uttered.
“Oh yeah, fucking way,” Vincent spat. “Your and Luna’s fucking affair helped us meet.”
Well, if a person could look like their head blew off, that was what Steven looked like. Tess just hoped she’d not royally messed up all Vincent’s plans as she hugged Vincent’s side, while glaring at Steven.
“You two are ...” Steven pointed back and forth between them. “You two are ...” He did it again, then hissed, “Together.”
Tess finally found her voice. “Talk to my lawyer, Steven. I don’t want to talk to you ever again.”
Tess tugged on Vincent, trying to get him to move. She didn’t want bloodshed, which looked as if Vincent was willing and very capable of doing.
Steven blurted, “You can’t be together, it’s illegal or something.”
Tess’ mouth fell open. “Grow up,” she snapped at Steven, really tugging on Vincent, who finally moved.
She grabbed her purse and wrap in a sweep by, while Vincent basically flew her toward the entryway into the bar with his arm around her back.
“I’ll tell fucking Luna,” Steven yelled behind them, snapping Vincent to a halt. Tess grabbed Vincent’s black western shirt, at his waist, holding on. “Your wife,” Steven further hissed.
Vincent turned a stark gaze back at Steven. “Sorry, sucker, you lost Luna to Coronado. Are you going through him?”
Tess heard Steven make an actual whining sound, but Vincent was pulling her forward again. Luna was with another guy now, Tess wondered, and then it popped out of her head with Vincent’s growled voice.
“Next time, I’m handcuffing you to the bed.”
Tess jerked at his suppressed fury, but she so agreed with him. She’d not listened and showed up where he’d told her not to, and then she’d kissed a hot guy. She groaned at her reckless brainlessness. Still, hope skipped through her because Vincent had growled “next time” and “bed” in the same sentence about her.
She grabbed his arm, trying to keep up, and she saw they were heading outside. “Did the vote go your way, Vincent?”
Maybe she’d try to deflect onto other subjects, instead of the subject of being lip-locked with one of his best friends. Why had she done that! Well, she kind of knew why, but she’d never be able to explain it to Vincent and make him agree it was for a good cause. Like getting back at a cheating spouse.
“Bitch is cut out,” Vincent uttered.
Well, that was good, Tess thought. They’d arrived at Vincent’s truck. Maybe she should try apologizing, because the carved features on his face scared her. “I didn’t mean to mess anything up, honey, I just needed to be here for you—”
“In that dress,” he demanded over her words.
Okay, well, the dressing up was a symbol of ... Who was she kidding? She’d been desperate to outdo Luna. Vincent swung the passenger-side door open on his truck and herded her that way. Basically backing her up to it.
“She’s so beautiful,” Tess whispered.
Vincent stopped, with his hands holding her waist, not lifting her up into his truck as he looked at her closely. “I’m never fucking going to get women,” he said in a quiet voice devoid of eighty percent of his anger.
There was that. She agreed ... but... “I couldn’t arrive in just regular clothes. Not tonight. It’d be like you giving up on that vote to get Luna out of your charities.”
His hands tightened on her waist and she knew he was going to lift her, while he leaned close to her ear. Then, as he lifted, he uttered, “Baby, it’s just not the same.”
Her butt hit the seat and she swung her legs over. Well, maybe he was right, but it was kind of the same and maybe he’d get a little bit of it. Either way, she wasn’t going to argue with him about it, not with “the kiss” still hanging out there.
But he was calling her “baby.” She thought that was a very good sign. Vincent let go of her waist, then he stood back, looking at her. Actually, it was a long and slow sweep of his gaze lingering over the sweetheart cleavage of her dress, trying to hold her breasts from falling out, and then down to where she tugged on the super-short hem of her mini, which was barely covering her intimate parts. His gaze landed on her slut heels. Yeah, four-inchers were all about the inner slut, baby.
Warmth saturated her in ripples ... everywhere. He muttered something she didn’t catch, then he grabbed the door and slammed it shut. She jumped a little, while furiously thinking about how to soothe him and make up for all her blunders, because she was just glad he was in the same truck with her.
Vincent glanced over at Tess, huddled as far away as she could get from him on the other side of his truck. That damn dress saved her from him killing her. He glanced back and forth while driving looking over it again, hugging to her curves like sparkling illuminations. What the parts of the little, hot dress covering her did, were nearly as arousing as all the parts not covered by it.
While he should be pissed at Tess showing up when he’d asked her not to (ordered), Tess kissing Cabe (plastered to him). And Tess even thinking she needed to try to outdo Luna (a bad idea but unnecessary because Tess crawling out of a mud hole could outdo Luna, one hundred to one). He was mad because he had to keep his damn hands off her, after seeing her wearing that please-fuck-me, naughty dress.
After, he’d promised her, and himself he was going to slow it down. Maybe she wasn’t as sweet as he thought? His cock thought she was dirty, and it wanted to prove it. Making him growl deep in his throat. He needed to get his mind off that dress and Tess’ curves in it.
He stopped the truck at a red light and reached behind the seat, grabbing his leather, which he pulled free and tossed at Tess.
“Put that on,” he ordered curtly.
He got her wide, light blue eyes trying to gauge his growled voice. Then he turned his eyes forward so as not to watch the movements of her body as she pulled on his jacket. At the next light, he looked back and she was covered better, except for her legs and the damn sexy heels she was wearing.
His cell rang and he’d use any excuse to get his mind off Tess naked in bed while he performed his brand of punishment on her, so he pulled it out of his pocket.
A thumb swipe later had both he and Tess hearing a man’s voice. “I can make your wife a sensation or break her career. I can keep her on her knees sucking my cock or give her back to you, all you got to do, Indian, is be nice to me.”
Tess gasped but covered her mouth and silenced most of it, as he cut his gaze to her, telling her with a look to be quiet. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea Tess hear this. Then she’d have no doubt about his feelings.
“Coronado, I served divorce papers on her tonight. You can fucking have her.”
“I don’t think you get me, Indian ...” Coronado started to say.
“No, you are not feeling me, asshole,” Vincent shot back. “You got no hold on me now or ever. You just bought a worthless pussy, and I will be talking to the Feds you come dicking around my tribe’s casino again. I divorced her before you, not because of you, but I hope you fucking find out why, now that you got her.”
Vincent cut the call and tossed the cell on the seat between him and Tess as he tried to make his hands not strangle the steering wheel. He felt Tess’ hand on his bicep and he didn’t shrug it off as he drove. Then her perfume grew stronger and
her body pressed against his side while her head leaned on his shoulder. She was blessedly quiet, showing her support, as he drove them to his ranch house.
Fucking Luna could have the big monstrosity of a mansion she’d pleaded with him to buy on the west end of town. He didn’t have to give it to her because of the prenup, but he didn’t want it and never had.
He lifted his arm, putting it around Tess and pulling her tighter into him, where she felt perfect as he wondered if he had to make it crystal fucking clear to Cabe that Tess was taken.
NINETEEN / THE PROMISE OF SWEET
When he got Tess into his house, she looked at him warily, while being swallowed up in his big leather jacket. Hell she looked cute, as he worked to keep a stern look on his face.
“I’m sorry I went there.” She gave him a hopeful look. When he just stared at her, she tried, “Kissing him was revenge on all cheaters.”
Well damn ... he got that, didn’t he? “You're with me, those lips are mine.”
She nodded vigorously, more hope filling her eyes. One of her hands came up, palm out, as if taking a pledge, while his jacket sleeve sagged off her arm. “I swear that will never happen again.”
“Once Cabe and Finn get you are mine, it will never happen again.”
He watched Tess’ pink-tinted lips open, and then close, as if she couldn’t find the words, before she muttered, “I’ve never had this happen before. I don’t know what is wrong.”
“What happen?” he asked, trying not to smile.
She waved her hand. “Guys just, well ... liking me or something. Hot ones,” she added.
He let go of the fact she thought Cabe and Finn were hot. “Sweet and sexy woman ’comes available men are going to step in and see if they got a shot.”
She looked at him as if he was crazy. “That just does not happen,” she declared, with her hand falling to her side.
He walked closer, cupping her jaw, bringing her gaze higher on him as he traced her lips with his gaze. “It’s happening.” Those pretty, kissable lips parted, as he added, “I get it. The promise of sweet. You just have to shut it down, if they get in your space.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
A half-smile lifted his lips. “We’re on ‘no sex and get to know’ right now,” he said. “But you owe me for being so naughty.”
Her gaze tripped across his. “A spanking,” she squeak-whispered.
He nodded, with his erection thudding harder. “I owe you that ... later. Now on Friday, you and I, and that fucking dress... I’m taking you out.” Then he muttered, “Don’t know how I will keep my dick out of you wearing that, but I deserve being seen with you on my arm, in that dress. Get it?”
She nodded, lifting her lips to his by the look on his face alone commanding her to, and he settled for only a kiss sealing the deal, keeping it light and without body contact, before he pulled back. Then he stepped back. Tess looked disappointed and he got that, but he was going to show her that he could court her and maybe make sure his dick was right about her.
Tess went upstairs to change and came back down with her face scrubbed clean of makeup, her hair in a ponytail, and wearing one of his tee shirts over jeans. Cute as hell. They sat on the couch and he flipped on the TV, scrolling until he found a reality cooking show he half-assed watched. He knew they weren’t done talking, and he thought he needed to teach Tess the way he liked sitting on the couch with her. It wasn’t with her at one end and him on the other.
“Come here.” He patted the space beside him.
She started scooting toward him, saying, “I didn’t know if I should sit closer because we are on this no sex, dating thing.”
“Keeping it cool by dating means kissing, necking, and couch spooning,” he explained to her, right before he maneuvered her on the couch in front of him, laying them down for a tight spoon. Her head ended up on his bicep, and her plush ass ended up pressed onto his erection, as he hung his arm over her waist.
She looked back over her shoulder at him. “Vincent?” she questioned.
He hugged her tighter. “Ignore it, beautiful. I am,” he said of his hard-on. “It’ll be around with this new deal,” he explained.
“If I could be erect, I would be too,” she said, settling her cheek back onto his bicep.
That got a chuckle out of him, as he thought about the fact he couldn’t remember the last time he had this simple closeness with a woman. One who wanted to cuddle on the couch.
Tess watched his picked show for a while before she finally got to the questions he knew were coming. He had a few of his own.
She didn’t look back at him as she asked, “So you served Luna, then? How did she take it?”
Vincent inhaled the soft scent of Tess’ hair, then he answered, “Surprised me and said it was for the best.”
He felt the astonishment in Tess’ body. “Wow, is that going to be good, then?”
He shrugged, and his motion lifted her head and lowered it on the muscle of his bicep. “Who the hell knows? She was embarrassed about the concert going bust. She’d laid Navarro a new asshole about that it was his fault. The next thing I know, she’s on Coronado's lap and he’s telling her she needs a bigger venue and he can get it for her.”
“Will she be okay?” Tess asked, lifting to look back at him. That was her sweetness ... even worrying about his cracked ex-wife.
“I think he’ll keep her awhile, then dump her after he sees it’s not working on me. Then she’ll be our psycho again.”
“She’ll get possessive again?”
“No doubt.”
Tess settled back on him. “I’m going to keep taking those defense classes.”
He grasped her waist. “Tag will give them to you. I’ll supervise.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“I got something on her, beautiful. I’m going to use it to keep her away from us.”
“You do?” This time he got a full body turn from Tess, until she faced him and tangled her legs with his. Her cheek went to his bicep again. “That other man she’s in bed with?”
“Yeah, O’Neil gave up pictures.”
“Finn?” Tess questioned, then her nose scrunched.
He said before she could ask, “Don’t ask. Maybe someday I can explain.”
Her hand came up and smoothed over his chest. “So you think the pictures will keep her away, then?”
“Maybe ... looks like she dropped your bastard husband. I was going to use them as a threat to send to him.”
“Okay, well, I will keep my fingers crossed it works ... somehow.”
“Beautiful, speaking about your soon-to-be ex, wanna tell me what you think this bankruptcy thing is?”
“I think I’m not going to like what I find,” she said, looking worried.
“You get with your lawyer, tell him these revelations, and I have a guy can delve into this accounting.”
TWENTY / WE’LL NEVER MAKE IT WITHOUT HAVING SEX
Tess looked at the bedroom ceiling in the dark. Vincent really meant no sex. They’d cuddled on the couch, talked, then got up for bed where he’d walked her to her door. He’d kissed her lighter than he’d ever done, then patted her ass and walked to his bedroom.
After crawling into bed with his tee shirt on she’d lain there a long time, half expecting him to show up in the dark. Well, that and she was fighting not touching herself ...
She huffed a breath, tried turning onto her side, and stared at the darkness ... “It’s a good thing,” she muttered. She should be thrilled Vincent wanted to slow things down and get to know one another. They’d been headlong ... Any woman would be relieved. This meant long term. Right? But she wasn’t any of those things. She was horny and worried. Worried he’d discover she was just a boring housewife with a flower shop, while he was, she was beginning to suspect, a wealthy man with a variety of exciting interests and jobs.
Suddenly, her cell sounded out of the dark, and she reached, searching the bedside table where she’d put it. When she l
ay back, looking at it, excitement immediately rushed through her seeing it was Vincent. Quickly, she accepted the call.
“Honey?” she answered.
“Your panties wet?” his husky rumble asked.
Wow, if they weren’t before, they were now. But they had been! “Yes,” she whispered, squirming on the bed.
“Phone sex,” his voice growled, and her heartbeat went skipping with more aroused excitement.
Next morning, after she’d showered and come down stairs, she started blushing, while looking at Vincent by the coffeemaker. He gave her an I-know-all-your-dark-desires, lazy and burning look. While she remembered the things he’d whispered that she should do in the dark. Pull her panties off ... touch herself ... listen to him stroking his cock. Then when things got heated, Vincent’s yummy bossy side had come out and he’d ordered her on her hands and knees to finish herself off. After that she’d tried to be really sexy, saying she was licking his cock and sucking it hard.
She’d never done anything like it in her life.
Just thinking about it, with him looking at her as if he wanted to lick her all over, made her nipples go hard. He instantly noticed that with a wicked chuckle.
“We’ll never make it without having sex,” she pronounced, stopping on the other side of the kitchen island. His eyes narrowed on her, while his gaze still looked at the evidence of her taut nipples poking out her camisole tee. Then he seemed to shake free, raising a less burning and sexy gaze to her.
“Right,” he admitted. “Morning, beautiful.”
“Morning, handsome.” She smiled back, hoping he liked the endearment. He looked a bit surprised, and she said, “You are handsome, devastatingly hot. Hot.”
She turned away, hoping to hide her blush as she searched for her purses, finding them, then starting to transfer the things from her clutch purse of the night before with her head down.
“Take you to your shop. How’s your work today?” he asked.
Good, he was going to let her gushing about him go. “Hmm, I have to go in and arrange any orders, but school’s on break all week so I have Shannon there all day.” Then she took a breath to broach the next subject. “It’s a good thing because this afternoon, I need to go get my things from Rowdie’s.”