“You look good enough to eat,” he said seductively.
I kissed him before pulling the front door shut behind me, locking us outside. “Don’t even think about it, mister. We are having dinner with Mary and Eddie tonight. You promised.”
He frowned. “Can’t we do it another night? That dress has me thinking of eating something a little sweeter than dinner.”
“No sir, we are going,” I said with a stern glare.
“I don’t believe it!” I said, my mouth hanging open.
Peyton nodded his head as he took a sip of wine. All three of us were transfixed as we listened to him talk. He was telling us a story about a dog he met during the war. I didn’t know that he was in the army for a few years. Tonight had been the perfect idea. I was learning so much about him and falling for him even more in the process.
“I promise I’m telling you the truth. That dog would steal tequila but nothing else. You could have a bottle of scotch sitting there and he wouldn’t touch it.”
The table once again erupted in laughter. Dinner had been going on for well over an hour now. What had started out as awkward now felt like four old friends sharing a laugh. As Eddie and Mary started to look over the dessert menu, Peyton’s hand traveled up my leg. I blushed and looked over at him just as he leaned over to whisper in my ear.
“Let’s slip away for a second. Follow me in a few seconds.”
“What?” I whispered in shock.
He winked at me before excusing himself to go to the bathroom. My heart was racing as I waited a few minutes before slipping away. I’d never done anything like this before. It was thrilling. Just as I passed the bathroom door, I felt a hand pull me into the single-stall bathroom.
“I want you,” he whispered as he pressed me up against the door. “I want you right now.”
I bit my lip before kissing him, my fingers tangling through his hair. He lifted me up off the ground, sending my dress up to my waist and exposing my matching red thong. Peyton didn’t waste any time as he quickly unzipped his pants. As he lowered me down onto his cock, I felt a sense of peace. He was my everything, and my body was already dripping wet and waiting for him.
As his shaft filled me to the hilt, his free hand ran up my side and took both of my hands captive. I was pinned against the door. I was his prisoner of love and I couldn’t be happier. Shuddering, I felt the euphoric orgasm as it started to expand out of my body. Every fiber of my body was tingling with joyful pleasure as Peyton bit my nipples through the thin fabric of my dress. He could have done anything to me and I would have loved every part of it.
He quickly thrust into me repeatedly until I felt him swelling inside me. My own body clenched down on him as the orgasm shot through me in quick bursts. When he finally stopped, he kept me pinned against the wall as our bodies flexed and we both struggled to catch our breath. I moaned as his cock slipped out of me, stirring my desire again. When he once again set me back down on the floor, I was surprised by the disappointment I felt. His cock inside me felt right. His lips on mine seemed natural. Without him pressed against me, I felt empty.
Even though it had been fast, it was wonderful, as always. I felt like a wanton woman and I loved it. I glanced up at him as I tugged my dress down and pouted. Maybe there would be a way for us to sneak out of the restaurant without the others seeing. Then we could have sex in the car too. Eddie and Mary could always take a cab, right? I arched my back as he reached for the door, pressing my nipples against his chest. He ran his finger over one of them and I moaned.
“If you keep that up, we’re going to go for another round.”
“Maybe that’s what I want,” I whispered seductively.
“Do you think we can keep them waiting that long?”
I sighed and shook my head. “No, probably not. We should get back out there.”
His hands ran up my sides, cupping my rear before taking my hands and gently kissing each of them. One second, he could make me feel like such a dirty girl and then the next, I felt more loved than a queen. Peyton was everything I could ever ask for in a man.
“Hey, if you want to stay here, just say the words and I will keep that bathroom door locked.”
I shook my head. “We have all night, right?”
“Right,” Peyton said with a wink. “And I plan on making every second count.”
I groaned at the idea of leaving the privacy of the bathroom, but as we slipped back into the booth and listened to Eddie talk about his doctorate, Peyton again leaned over to whisper in my ear.
“Why don’t we get dessert to go? I can think of a few places I’d like to eat some cheesecake from and they don’t include a plate.”
I sucked in a sharp breath that was thankfully missed by our two companions before nodding my head. If he was going to be the death of me, I was fine with riding his cock all the way to the grave.
Coming Clean
Rosa
The days turned into weeks, and before I knew it, Peyton was practically living at my house. Things between us were hot and heavy. When we weren’t having wild sex, we talked about our lives late at night. There was a space between us though, a space that I knew could only be filled with the truth. No one knew about who I really was, not even Mary and Eddie. It was a secret that I had to take to the grave.
He leaned over the bakery counter, looking around to make sure we were alone before kissing me. “Want me to come over tonight?”
I smiled. “When have I not wanted you to come over? When was the last time you even slept at your apartment?”
Peyton shrugged. “Just want to make sure I’m not wearing out my welcome.”
“I don’t think you could ever do that, honey. Pick up some grub on the way?”
“As you wish, my lady,” he said with a wink before disappearing.
My mind went back to the question of honesty, and it stayed there until late that night. All men were fickle, right? Or was Peyton different? Everything about him was wonderful, and I knew that I was falling in love with him. I pushed my food around my plate as we sat at the table eating by candlelight. It wasn’t until he poured me another glass of wine that I realized I’d been neglecting him ever since I’d gotten home. My mind seemed to be consumed by the questions weighing on it.
“Is everything okay?” he asked with a crooked frown.
I nodded my head, taking another large gulp of wine to steady my nerves. “Yeah, I was just thinking about us.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah. You are honest with me, right? Like . . . you don’t keep secrets?”
The question got his attention. He set down his fork and leaned across the table as he took my hand. “Rosa, what’s going on with you tonight? You don’t seem like yourself. Tell me what’s going on and I can help.”
I shook my head. “I haven’t been entirely honest with you.”
He slid from his chair and knelt on the floor next to me. I could see the concern in his eyes as he took my hand. How could I tell him the truth? He would run away from me like any sane man would. No one wanted to be looking over their shoulder for the rest of their lives. Being with me was a curse. I didn’t want to subject him to the same fate as mine.
“Damnit, Rosa, talk to me!” he said, his voice shaking the table.
I shook my head, whimpering as I folded my hands in my lap. “My name isn’t Rosa,” I whispered.
“What?”
“I said, my name isn’t Rosa. I’ve been in the witness protection program for the last five years. My ex-boyfriend was a bad man. I helped to lock him up.”
His hands slipped from my lap as he sat back on his haunches. “Wow.”
“I’m so sorry I lied to you. You must think I’m a monster. I understand if you want to go,” I said through the tears.
Peyton shook his head. “Hey.”
Before I knew it, I was wrapped in his arms as he carried me upstairs and laid me down on the bed. The mood between us wasn’t sexual, which was a first. I curled up into
his arms, wondering if it would be the last time that he held me.
“Rosa,” he whispered softly. “Look at me.”
I turned my head up and gazed into his eyes as he spoke. “I don’t care what your name is, okay? I don’t care who you were in the past. I know what kind of person you are now. You are wonderful and caring. This doesn’t change anything between us.”
“Are you sure? You don’t understand the danger,” I whispered.
“I don’t care about the danger,” he said. “You are the only thing that matters to me now.”
“My ex . . . if he ever gets out, he will hunt me down. You don’t know what kind of a monster he is. He did terrible things to me.”
I felt Peyton’s grip tighten on me. “I will never let him hurt you.”
Every part of me wanted to believe him. I desperately wanted to trust in what he was saying, but we’d only been together for a few weeks. I had to wonder if I had blown it. Maybe it was too soon to tell him. As sexual as we were, he wasn’t making a move on me, and it almost seemed strange. He loved sex and was quickly turning me into a fellow addict. My desire was gone at that moment. With the thought of him leaving me, the only emotion I had was pure fear.
The wine started to catch up with me. Everything was becoming hazy as I tried to hold onto consciousness. I squeezed Peyton tighter, knowing that it could very well be the last time that I did so.
When my alarm sounded early the next morning, the only thought I had was of the pounding headache that had woken me. My mouth tasted like cotton as I felt around for Peyton. When he wasn’t lying next to me, my heart sank. I shut off my alarm and let a single tear slip down my cheek. I’d expected it, but it still hurt.
There was a sound outside my door. My heart fluttered as I sat up and watched the doorknob turn. Swallowing back against the dryness in my mouth, my eyes shot to the man standing in the doorway. Peyton was there, a bottle of water in one hand and two pills in the other. Immediately, I let out a sigh of relief as I wiped away the tear sitting on my cheek.
“Hey, I hope I didn’t wake you?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No. My alarm went off. I thought you’d gone.”
“Rosa,” he said softly as he sat down on the bed next to me. “I told you last night that I’m not going anywhere, okay?”
“I guess I didn’t believe you,” I muttered as I wrapped my arms around him. “When I woke up and you weren’t here, I freaked out a little bit.”
“Oh, man, I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t think about that,” Peyton murmured as he kissed my head.
I curled up next to him, knowing that I needed to get ready for work since he was there now. My mind was finally at ease. As his fingers trailed along my body, though, I felt the familiar stirring of desire. Looking into his crystal-clear eyes, I smiled. His sly grin and tattooed arms weren’t the only things I found entirely intoxicating about him. My fingers trailed up his perfectly muscular chest underneath his shirt. Kissing his neck and massaging his growing cock, I whispered into his ear.
“You know, I don’t need to leave just yet. Maybe we could seal this new honest relationship with a little bit of action.”
“Oh, yeah? I like the sound of that.”
“Then why don’t you get out of those clothes and we can make it official?”
“Shouldn’t you get to the bakery? I don’t want you to be late twice in one month. I swear that old lady is just looking for a reason to burn me at the stake.”
“Nah, I’ll just give her my muffin recipe and save your ass.”
He chuckled just as his phone rang. Instantly, he went stiff and moved away from me. It didn’t happen very often, but every once in a while, he would get a call and completely shut down on me. I didn’t want to be ‘that’ girlfriend who constantly asked him who was calling, but I was worried. Peyton seemed to like his job, but that damn phone was another story. Sometimes, I just wanted to toss it out the window.
“Maybe next time, Rosa. I need to get to the office.”
I frowned. “This early? You never leave for work before me.”
Peyton kissed me quickly before setting down the hangover cure on the bed. “I have an early meeting. Don’t worry, I will be back tonight in time for dinner. We can pick up then.”
“Sounds like a date,” I said, but he was already heading out the door.
I couldn’t believe it! Peyton never turned down sex, but this was the second time in a row that he hadn’t tried to make a move on me. What was worse, I actually got rejected. Any hope that I had of his being okay with the new situation flew out the window as I slumped back down onto the bed. I didn’t want to go to work. I didn’t want to move. Peyton was gone, and I wasn’t sure he was ever going to come back.
In The Box
Peyton
I flew down a back-country road on my bike, my mind racing. The voicemail from Collins had been brief. “Either you check in or I’m sending out a search party. If I have to drag you back here, it won’t be in once piece.”
So many thoughts kept racing through me, most of them centered on Rosa. I’d known that she was Brandi for some time in the back of my mind. Hearing her confess and seeing the fear in her eyes was a game changer. It was in that moment that I knew I would do anything to keep her safe. My beloved Shannon was nothing more than a ghost now, and I couldn’t keep holding a grudge based on one man’s word.
Pulling over, I dialed Danny again. He was less than thrilled to hear from me.
“Where the hell have you been? Collins isn’t happy.”
“Are you with him now?”
“Hell no. Anyone who is smart is avoiding him like the plague. He’s lived for your check-ins—they’re all he talks about. He wants to keep that chick’s head in the freezer once you find her.”
“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” I muttered.
“Jesus, Peyton, what are you talking about?”
“Nothing. Thanks for the update,” I hissed before hanging up on him.
Danny had only been with Collins for a few years. He didn’t know the depth of the man’s hatred. Collins was merciless when he felt he’d been wronged. Unfortunately, the poor kid would probably figure it out too late. Getting into Collins’s crew was tough, but getting out was unheard of. The only way you left the Irish mafia was in a body bag tied to a cement block, dropped in international waters.
“No one leaves the crew,” Collins had promised me on the first day I’d met him in prison. “Once you are in, that’s it. You need the approval of the five elders to leave.”
“That doesn’t sound too hard.”
He chuckled sadistically. “In my ten years, I’ve never seen someone leave.”
“Then why join up at all?”
“Because we protect our own. Like that whore who put me in here. By the time I get out, she will be dead.”
“Didn’t you tell me she turned to the FBI? Won’t they hide her?”
He nodded. “They will try. My boys will stop at nothing to get to her, though, and when they do, she will beg for death before it’s over. You don’t screw over the Irish without paying the price.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
He’d stuck out his hand. “Stick with me, Peyton, and I will make sure nothing happens.”
That handshake had sealed my fate, or so I’d thought. Now that life was quickly fading into the background and Rosa was more important. I flipped the phone back and forth in my hand. I needed to make the call but my mind wouldn’t let me. It just kept pulling me back to the October night three years ago when I’d first met Collins O’Doul on the outside. I’d been running guns for the Irish and a few others, keeping my hands clean and my pockets lined. Shannon was a fleeting thought anymore. I knew she was dead, and someday, I would find her killer, but a man had to eat.
He’d clapped me on the shoulder. “It’s good to see you on the outside, Peyton.”
“Aye, the air is better out here. What can I do for you, Collins?”
>
“I want the bitch who put me behind bars,” he hissed.
I shook my head. “Thanks for the offer, man, but I’ve got my own shit going on here. I’m no bounty hunter.”
His menacing laugh sent chills through my spine. “Oh, Peyton, I think you’ll want to reconsider.”
“Oh?” I said, “And why is that?”
“Because that bitch didn’t just put me in jail. She’s the one who hooked your sister up with the man who raped her.”
I felt the blood drain out of my face. “You know about Shannon?”
Collins nodded. “I know about everything. You find that bitch, and you can get your revenge.”
“Do you know who did it? Who hurt my baby sister?” I asked him.
He shook his head. “I wish I did, mate. I’d help you find him myself if I could, but you understand that I’ve got an organization to run here. If you find Brandi, though, I’ll start making some calls.”
“A trade?” I asked.
Collins nodded. “Bring me her head, and I’ll see what I can do.”
Remembering the conversation made my blood boil. Collins had been so sure that Rosa knew about Shannon, but after the last few weeks, I wasn’t so sure. We’d talked about her life leading up to when she met Collins, but never once had she mentioned Shannon. I didn’t know what I believed anymore, but I knew that Rosa wasn’t the same person she’d been all those years ago. I cared about her. Her past was hers and not mine. I couldn’t kill her.
My phone rang again, and this time I answered the call. “Collins, I was just about to call you.”
“Oh yeah? That’s funny because my boy here has been telling me that for the past three days. I was starting to think you were avoiding me, old friend.”
“What reason would I have for that? I think your lapdog is trying to stir up trouble.”
Dangerous Indulgence Page 4