Cold and Broken (The Titans of Founder's Ridge Book 1)

by Nichole Greene

  Connor grabs my hand and tugs me away. “Time to go.”

  I walk out sandwiched between Connor and Z. Ivy has her arms slung around Lev and Griff’s waists. When we walk out into the lobby there’s a limo with black SUVs on either side of it. The security team is larger tonight with three guys in each SUV. Connor slides into the limo first and when I try to sit beside him pulls me into his lap instead. He presses a kiss to my bare shoulder.

  “You guys are gross.” Lev makes a gagging sound. “Seriously hood rat, when did you have time to take his balls? This is not the Connor we’re used to.”

  Connor and I give him the finger in tandem and everyone laughs at our unintended synchronicity.

  “Is all this security really necessary?” I ask quietly while everyone else talks amongst themselves.

  “Our dads think so,” he replies with a shrug. “They’ll hang back when we get to the club.” His fingers ghost up my thigh. “Are you enjoying your birthday weekend?”

  “It’s alright.” I try and fail to hold back my smile.

  Ivy interrupts us to take more pictures and immediately posts them to social media making all our phones blow up with notifications.

  We pull up to the back of the club and a bouncer and a guy in a navy suit open the back door for us. I’m guessing it’s Grant because he smiles wide and opens his arms when he sees the guys.

  “Welcome to Indigo.” He shakes hands and does the man pat hug thing with Connor, Griff, and Levi. “It’s been forever since I’ve seen you assholes.” He looks beyond them at the rest of us. “Who did you bring with you tonight?”

  Connor holds out his hand for me to take as he pulls me to his side. “This is my girlfriend, Lilith. Lilith, this is Grant.”

  Grant’s eyes go wide when he calls me his girlfriend.

  “That’s Levi’s step-sister, Ivy.” Connor points her out and then gestures at Z. “This is Lilith’s friend from Chicago, Zion.”

  “I can’t believe you just used the word girlfriend. Hell must have frozen over.” He leads us inside down a dark hallway, the bass from Dance Monkey by Tones and I vibrating through the walls. We step into a large industrial space with a circular bar on one side and a crowded dance floor on the other side. A DJ is spinning off to the side of the VIP area. Two bouncers open blue velvet ropes and we walk up a small set of stairs. There’s blue velvet banquet seating and 60s style lucite chairs around low tables. An ice bucket sits on one table with top shelf vodka, tequila, and whiskey. There’s also a bottle of champagne in another ice bucket on a different table.

  “I have to go take care of some business in the back but I’ll be back to hang out in awhile,” Grant says as he walks away. He stops a server in a blue lace bodysuit before she comes up to us.

  Griff pops the cork on the bottle of champagne and pours glasses for Ivy and me. I notice Ivy glaring daggers at someone and look over my shoulder to see Levi leaning down to flirt with our server. He notices us looking and moves a piece of her black hair off her shoulder. When I turn back to Ivy she’s slamming her glass of champagne back and holding her glass out to Griff for a refill. He and I exchange a look and he shrugs he shoulders.

  Connor and Z have their heads together talking but I feel Connor put his hand on my lower back. It’s like he can’t handle me being near without touching me. If I wasn’t in denial, I would admit that I love it, him staking his claim on me all the time.

  “We’re going to need to go out on the dance floor,” Ivy says, still sending a death stare at Levi and the server. “Think we can tell the guys we’re going to the bathroom and hit the floor instead?”

  My smile grows wide. “Yes!”

  I wrap my fingers around Connor’s wrist and stand on my toes to yell over the music that we’re going to the ladies room. He nods and gives me a kiss.

  Ivy wraps her hand around mine and drags me through the crowd, zigging and zagging trying to lose security. We somehow manage to succeed and start dancing together, ignoring everyone around us and dancing against each other. I figure we have a solid ten minutes before Connor hunts us down.

  We draw the attention of two guys who start moving in our direction. I lean over and yell into Ivy’s ear, “you want to lose them before they even get here or do you want to dance with them?”

  She takes a long look at them and shrugs. “I wouldn’t mind dancing with them if you don’t? It’s not like anything is going to happen to us when we have the guys and a security team breathing down our necks.”

  “Fine with me.” We both turn and give them smiles. It’s too loud to talk but they have no problems with putting their hands all over us. Ivy seems to be enjoying herself as she grinds against the guy she’s dancing with but I keep pushing my guy’s hands off my hips.

  All of a sudden a large shadow falls over us and I smile, knowing Z is here to rescue me. He pulls me away and stares the guy down. I know that Z is a gentle giant and the guy has way more to fear from my possessive boyfriend but Z looks scary, all big and tatted up. Then I feel Connor beside me. He walks up to the guy and says something in his ear and before he even finishes speaking the guy’s eyes widen and he grabs his friend and runs away.

  Then Connor turns to me and he is pissed. His cold, angry gaze pins me in place.

  “This is not the ladies room, Lilith. Did you get lost?”

  “Nope. Ivy wanted space from Lev.” I shrug casually. “We wanted to dance.”

  “There’s an entire section you can dance in without random guys touching you right over there.” He points behind us. “The only hands that touch you are mine.” He pulls me against him and I fight the urge to rub against him like a cat.

  “So possessive,” I say into his ear and then nip his earlobe between my teeth.

  His fingers grip my ass and I feel a deep rumble in his chest letting me know his inner caveman is close to the surface. I look behind me and see Z and Ivy dancing so I leave them together and let Connor lead me back to the VIP area.

  We spend the rest of the night dancing and drinking. At some point Grant came out with a small birthday cake topped by a sparkler. The DJ played Bad Guy by Billie Eilish in my honor at Lev’s request. Griff and Connor were the only sober ones by the end of the night.

  24

  Lilith

  Goosebumps travel down my body at the feel of the cool glass of the penthouse windows against my heated skin. I’ve been standing and looking out in Connor’s room for the past few minutes while he gets ready for bed. My heels are tossed haphazardly in the closet but I’m still in my dress. Normally the height would bother me but I’m still tipsy enough not to care.

  “Getting kind of brave, aren’t you Lily?” Connor says as he walks up behind me.

  “Guess the champagne does that to me.” I lean back against him.

  “You don’t need champagne to be brave.” He kisses my neck. “Did you have fun tonight?”

  “Yeah, I did. I never really thought of myself as a club person but it was fun.” I watch a woman shut off her lights in her apartment across the street and it makes me wonder, “can people see into your penthouse?”

  “No. There’s a special coating on the glass that keeps people from seeing in. Why?” His hands glide up my sides and fondles the parts of my breasts that are exposed by the low sides of the dress.

  I reach up and grab the back of his head to pull him down for a messy but sexy kiss. His hands slip inside my dress and he starts tugging and rolling my nipples between his fingers. I arch back and rub my ass into his groin, loving the feel of his growing cock rubbing against me.

  “Fuck me against the window.” I command against his lips.

  He drops to his knees behind me and nudges my legs apart. Then he starts feathering light kisses up the back of my legs, behind my knees, and licks along my inner thighs. His hands lift my skirt over my hips and then tugs my panties down. He drags a finger along my already dripping slit before sliding it between my pussy lips. He pumps his finger in and out a few times befor
e swirling my wetness around my clit. I whimper as he takes his time, fucking me slowly with his fingers.

  My legs almost give out when I feel his tongue glide across me.

  “Fuck, Lily. You taste perfect. I could stay here for the rest of my life.” His urgency builds and I tip my hips to give him deeper access. My body builds toward climax but he stops again. After he presses a chaste kiss to both of my ass cheeks he stands and pulls my dress over my head. I hear his shorts drop behind me.

  When I look at our election in the window he meets my eyes.

  “Do you take your birth control regularly?” He asks.

  “Yes, why?”

  “I want to fuck you bare. No barriers between us. I want to wake up tomorrow knowing I filled you with my cum. I’m clean, I’ve never fucked bareback before.” He says all that never losing eye contact in the window.

  “You mean I’ll be your first something?” I tease. I already know I’m going to say yes. I can’t think of anything more enticing than feeling his velvety smooth and rock hard cock sliding in and out of me.

  “First girlfriend. First bareback fuck. So many other firsts.” He bites the tender flesh between my shoulder and jaw.

  “Do it.” I urge as I arch my back again, opening for him.

  He needs no more encouragement and thrusts into me. There’s a little sting as I get used to his size but then my hips begin to move in time with his powerful thrusts. He reaches around with one hand to rub circles in the perfect pressure over my clit and sends me flying into an orgasm that rocks me down to my toes.

  Connor isn’t finished though, he leans his forehead against my back as he whisper over and over how good I feel. How he can’t hold back anymore. My orgasm starts before his and lasts even longer. My palms and forehead are pressed against the glass as he keeps thrusting until I feel his hot release filling me. He cries out my name, his cock jerking inside me.

  When he’s finally spent he collapses against me, pinning between him and the glass. I can feel his heart thundering against my back. After a few deep breaths he lifts me into his arms and carries me to the bed. Then he disappears into the bathroom.

  “What are you doing?” I ask as he comes to me with a warm wet washcloth in his hands.

  “Cleaning you up.” He spreads my legs apart and gazes longingly at my opening. He studies me long enough to start making me nervous. “Although, I really enjoy seeing my cum leaking from that pretty little pussy of yours.” He runs his fingers along my folds, rubbing his cum into me. Then he lifts the wash cloth and gently cleans me up.

  “You really have a filthy mind, Con,” I say as my cheeks heat at his attentive care. “Get out of here with that dirty talk.”

  He responds with a smirk before getting up and going back to the bathroom. He flips the lights off and slides into bed with me.

  “Here’s another first for you. I’ve never slept beside someone before.”

  “I’d like to say that surprises me but from what Ivy told me when we first met I am so not surprised.”

  “What’d she say?”

  “That you were a dick. That Levi is a man whore. That Griff is savagely vicious and knows every secret in Founder’s Ridge.”

  “True. True. And true. Why were you interested in my dating life though?”

  “I wasn’t. I figured you were a womanizing piece of shit when you told me you could get plenty of quality pussy,” I say dryly.

  “I should probably apologize for my dickish behavior.”

  “No. Life’s too short for apologies you don’t mean. Your comment wasn’t a lie, regardless of how big of a prick it made you look like. Every cutting comment we shared is part of our story. No apologies.” I lay my head on his chest. “As far as my warnings from Ivy go your’s and Levi’s were accurate but I don’t see Griff’s being true.”

  “Uh,” he drawls, “Griff is the scariest of us all. You haven’t felt his wrath because he and Lev were actually team Lilith from the beginning. They supported me because we’ve always had each other’s backs but they weren’t into it.”

  “Huh.” This is surprising information. “They were team Lilith. I’m locking that information away for future use. I’m sure it’ll come in handy at some point.”

  “Strawberries or cherries?” Connor says after a few minutes of cuddling.

  “Strawberries. You?”

  “Same.” He kisses my forehead. “Only because you smell like them.”

  “Marvel or DC?”

  “Marvel, obviously.” He scoffs.

  We spend the next ten minutes debating our very different opinions on that subject. A yawn escapes me and he shifts us so he’s spooning me. I drift off sleep with his steady breaths fanning across my neck and his warmth seeping into my back.

  * * *

  The clouds are heavy and gray when I wake up the next morning, mirroring my mood at the thought of Z leaving. I look over my shoulder at Connor who hasn’t moved since we fell asleep last night. His face is completely relaxed in the dim light and he looks so much younger than he does when he’s awake. I take a minute to really study his face. He has gorgeous thick black eyelashes that fan out against his tan skin. His cheek bones and square jaw shape his face into a model of masculine beauty. He’d probably scowl at that description but he truly is the most handsome man.

  I slowly disentangle myself from his arms and sneak out of bed. I pull on a pair of his boxers and his shirt from last night. I walk quietly down the hall and tip toe into Z’s room. He’s sprawled on his bed and I crawl in with him. He opens one eye and pulls me over to him before we both fall back asleep.

  At some point I feel someone get in bed beside me but I’m so out of it I don’t fully wake up.

  “What the fuck?” I hear Connor growl as I come to consciousness.

  There’s insane amounts of heat coming off the bodies that are book ending me. I open one eye and recognize Z’s chest then I roll over and come face to face with Lev’s dark blue eyes. They’re crinkled in mirth as he tries not to laugh out loud at Connor’s possessive freak out. He wraps his arm over me and pulls me closer.

  Z partially sits up, groggily coming to and mumbles good morning to Connor.

  “Hey, Con.” I pop my head up to see over Lev’s shoulder. “I came in here to spend some time with Z before he leaves.”

  “Don’t ‘hey Con’ me.” He glares at the three of us in bed.

  Lev rolls over and pulls the covers down, “come join the cuddle puddle, man.”

  “Levi get your hands off my girlfriend.”

  “It’s not my hands-” Levi makes an oomph sound, “ouch.”

  “If you value your balls you won’t fucking finish that sentence,” Connor says from the side of the bed. “Come help me with breakfast.”

  “Chill,” Levi laughs after giving me a squeeze. “I’m coming.”

  “You came back in here smelling like another guy again this morning,” Z snuggles against me.

  “Yeah, well, deal with it.” I roll over so I can face him. “I’m sorry that I’ve been with him the past two nights and not hanging with you.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Lil. I’d pick sex with my hot boyfriend over you, too.” He teases with no hurt evident in his voice. “I told Connor I was gay last night. You should have seen his face.” He chuckles. “It went from that hard glare he has as a default setting to surprise to this look of total relief. It was great.”

  “I guess that explains why he wasn’t all growly when we were dancing last night.”

  “Yup.”

  “Give your honest opinion on everything now that you’ve spent so much time with us.”

  “I was worried at first. He can be a huge dick.”

  “Obviously.”

  “But he’s only been good to you in front of me. He’s made an effort to get to know me. We even exchanged numbers. For now I approve but if he makes you one cry one tear I’ll tear him apart.”

  “I love you, Z.”I snuggle up against him. “But your
morning breathe reeks.”

  “Deal with it.” He holds me down and blows in my face.

  “Let’s go see what everyone else is doing. What time does your flight leave?”

  “I changed it so I leave out of JFK this afternoon.” He pulls a shirt on before following me out into the living room.

  Griff is sitting on the edge of the couch grumbling at the TV under his breath and furiously texting someone. I look over at Levi with raised eyebrows.

  “Griff’s pissed about the new morning news anchor,” Levi explains.

  “NNC is owned by Griff’s family,” I explain when I notice Z’s confused face.

  “No shit.” Z looks impressed and I realize he probably has no idea who he’s spent the weekend with. He knows about the Volkovs because of dad working for them and us living on their property.

  “Levi’s family owns Marsh Bank and Finance. They’re all a bunch of rich assholes,” I joke.

  “I’m not,” Ivy says as she walks in. “My dad is just a lowly corporate attorney.”

  “Shut up, Ives. You’re part of the Marsh family. Dad would probably rather give you my position than he would me.” Levi rolls his eyes. He’s about to say something else when Connor walks in carrying bags of bagels.

  Ivy and I hang back, letting the guys descend on the food like a pack of starving wolves. We each pour cups of coffee.

  “So,” Ivy says quietly between sips of coffee, “you and Connor. Was he good?” She wiggles her eyebrows.

  “I have no frame of reference to answer that,” I say with a slight curl to my lips.

  “Did you orgasm?”

  I nod and feel the creeping warmth of a blush coming on.

  “More than once?”

  A giggle escapes when I nod.

  “More than good, then. My first time was awkward, painful, and over within a minute.” She rolls her eyes at the memory.

  “You are red as a tomato, hood rat.” Levi slings an arm over my shoulders. “What are you two talking about?”

  “Girl talk. Run along.” She shoos him away and grabs a bagel. The guys are spread around the living room so we grab two of the bar stools at the island.