by Avery Aster
"This is Sylvia, the woman we discussed a few days ago. She's here because of the arrangement to compensate for her brother's debt," Mike said. "Sylvia, this is Granger Smith, Neil Craig, and Slade Forrester."
She nodded as she gazed at their serious expressions. Tension curled inside her.
"So, she's going to be our office slave, right?" Slade said.
"Yes, that's the arrangement," Mike answered.
"Good, then I think we should start right off with seeing what's underneath those clothes she's wearing.
Her gaze locked on his and his charcoal eyes glittered as a slow smile spread across his face. Heat washed through her.
"Excellent idea." Mike said.
# # #
Breaking Free
Cathryn Fox
Spring Break at college is supposed to be a time of fun and parties, but Alaska Rossi, AKA Janey Smith, is on lockdown thanks to her father’s mafia dealings. She wants only to party down with the rest of her classmates. At least her hot, darkly mysterious bodyguard— deep undercover as her dorm’s resident assistant—gives her something to fantasize about during her boring nights in confinement.
Copyright 2015 Cathryn Fox
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
About The Author
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Chapter One
First week of college.
Alaska Rossi, aka, Janey Smith to all those who knew her at her upstate campus, leaned back in her chair and looked over the five cards in her hand. She tried to concentrate, but it was damn hard to focus on the jacks and aces, considering there were three half-dressed guys and three half-dressed girls—one of those being her—all sitting around the common room table.
Wearing only in his jeans, Jordan, one of the buff football players, finished off his beer and pushed to his feet. “I need another brew.” He walked to the mini-fridge and pulled the door open. “Anyone else?”
Everyone at the table nodded except Alaska. Glancing at her nearly empty bottle, she shook her head. She wasn’t much of a drinker and was feeling the effects of the two beers she’d had already.
“Ah, come on, Janey,” Melanie, the pretty blonde sitting across from her said, her voice slurring slightly. “It’s our first year of college. We’re finally out from under our parents’ thumbs, so why not loosen up and have another drink?”
A tremble moved through Alaska. If they only knew. Even though she was thousands of miles away from home, as the daughter of a powerful mob boss, she’d never be out from under her father’s thumb. No, even though she rarely saw him, he still had full control over her every moment. Of course, she couldn’t tell Melanie that. Here on campus, she was going under an alias, and after a near kidnapping when she was a child—her father’s rival wanting to use her to get to him—she knew better than to let anyone get too close.
Trevor sidled closer to her, his eyes zeroing in on the cleavage spilling out from her lacey pink bra. “Yeah, come on, have another one with me,” he urged, like he too was interested in loosening her up.
Colin, one of the other football players, cracked his beer open, chugged it, and reached for another. He let loose a loud burp, and Emery giggled, obviously drunk if she found his crudeness attractive.
Alaska shrugged. “All right. Why not? Give me another.” Truthfully, she was sick and tired of always being watched over and just wanted to have some fun. Which was exactly why she was barely dressed and playing strip poker with five virtual strangers during her first week on campus.
Jordan handed her a bottle. She twisted off the cap and took a long drink, then laid her cards out. Groans echoed around the table when they saw her full house. Melanie laid her cards down, and when the boys saw that she’d lost, they started chanting, “Take it off, take it off.”
Grinning, Melanie peeled her bra off, and the guys practically drooled when her breasts fell free. She jiggled them, and her glance caught Jordan’s.
“Eat your hearts out boys,” she cooed.
“I plan on eating something out,” Jordan mumbled. As he shifted uncomfortably and adjusted his pants, Melanie bit her lip in a playful, seductive manner. Clearly, those two would be hooking up tonight.
Alaska pushed back a twinge of envy for the two of them. How wonderful to be free, to throw caution to the wind, casually pick out a guy, and hook up with him. She peeked up at the other guys in the game and considered which one she’d like to take back to her room. But as she looked at them, she couldn’t help but think about Jesse Cavanaugh, the dorm’s hot resident assistant. She’d met him last week when she moved in, and since he lived two doors down, she’d had the good fortune to run into him on a daily basis. Hot, hard, and rough around the edges, everything about Jesse screamed sex and had her body reacting with need whenever he was around—and even when he wasn’t. There was just something about him that held her attention and, quite frankly, fascinated her.
Jordan leaned back in his chair, and the legs teetered. “Whoa,” he yelled and damn near fell over. As the guys all laughed, Alaska picked up the cards, shuffled, and dealt another round. She cringed when she saw the mish mash in her hand.
“Great poker face you got there, Janey,” Trevor said, his leg rubbing up against hers under the table.
She grabbed her beer and took a big drink, her brain growing fuzzier around the edges. She tossed four cards away and dealt a second round. If she didn’t get something decent this time around, she’d be the next one going topless. As she envisioned herself removing her bra in front of all these people, a strange new tingling zipped through her blood.
Honestly, she’d never done anything quite so naughty before, but had to admit, it secretly thrilled her. God, who knew she had exhibition tendencies? Certainly not her, since she’d been kept sheltered her entire life. Then again, she did love reading about it.
Colin adjusted his cards. “Hell yeah!” he said, fisting one hand in triumph. “Looks like I’m about to see me some more titties.”
To Alaska’s left, Emery put her finger to her lips and giggled. “Quiet you guys, or Jesse will hear us and shut down this game.”
“Fuck Jesse,” Trevor said.
Fuck Jesse, indeed.
Warmth grew between Alaska’s legs, and she squirmed as that delicious scenario played out in her mind’s eye.
Everyone laid their cards out, and Trevor looked at hers. He grinned, pointed to her bra, and said, “Take it off, baby.”
Feeling a bubble of excitement well up inside her, Alaska slipped the straps off her shoulder and slowly drew them down before unhooking it from the back. She let it drop to the floor with the rest of her clothes.
Jordan whistled and leaned back further in his chair, but this time, the legs did give out. He toppled over, his beer spilling all over the tile floor. As he let loose a loud curse, laughter broke out again.
Melanie jumped up to help him, but her feet went out from underneath her on the wet surface. She rocked the table, and everyone’s bottles toppled over. Alaska pushed back in her chair, but not before the cold beer spilled into her lap. In all the commotion, Melanie landed on Jordan with a thump, and his curse turned into a moan when her breasts settled over his face.
“What the hell is going on here?”
Collective gasps could be heard in the room as all eyes turned toward the door.
The second Alaska saw Jesse standing there, his eyes dropping to her near naked body, desire slammed into her like a sonic boom. She took a breath but could barely fill her lungs as those piercing blue eyes moved over her, leaving her feeling breathless, hot…so needy for his touch.
In a blur of activity, Colin grabbed Emery’s hand, and Jordan grabbed Melanie’s. They
bolted from the room, leaving her there with Trevor and Jesse.
Jesse turned to Trevor and took a combat stance as Trevor climbed from his seat and squared off against him.
“Beat it,” Jesse said, jerking his thumb toward the door behind him.
As Trevor stood there sizing up his opponent, he had a moment of hesitation. While Trevor was built and buff, his body and muscles lacked Jesse’s sinewy definition. Couple that with the scars on his face, and anyone with half a brain knew Jesse wasn’t a guy to mess with.
Trevor backed down and mumbled something about his football scholarship as he slinked past Jesse. When Jesse turned back to Alaska, taking in her near nakedness a second time, she felt her nipples harden and her pussy grow moist.
She listened to his throat work as he swallowed and knew this was her chance to seduce the guy she’d been fantasizing about all week. She blinked, working to clear her foggy head while she kicked herself for having that third drink.
“Let’s go,” Jesse said, scrubbing his chin.
She stood up, her heavy breasts on full display. “Where?”
“You…uh…” He exhaled slowly and pointed to the heap on the floor. “Your clothes.”
“I can get them tomorrow.”
The muscles along his jaw rippled, and he rooted his feet. “Or you can get them now.”
“Fine.” She bent down to get them, but a wave of dizziness overcame her. The next thing she knew, she was in Jesse’s arms. As his warm scent washed over her, her body moistened and she wondered if he could smell her excitement.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice sounding a little more hoarse then before.
“I am now.” She wrapped her hands around his neck, her nipples so hard, so desperate for attention, a moan caught in her throat.
“I think I need to get you to bed.”
She smiled. Yes! After a week of fantasizing about him, Jesse was finally going to give her what she wanted. Her mind traveled an erotic path as he carried her down the hall. She writhed slightly as she pictured him touching her body, his tongue licking the nub that was swelling painfully between her legs.
“Mmmm,” she moaned as she put her mouth on his neck, stealing a taste of his skin.
He shifted her in his arms and turned her doorknob, then he used his shoulder to nudge it open. With nothing but the moonlight shining in from the slant in her curtains, he carried her to her bed. Her insides shook and her body pulsed, so eager to feel his naked skin nest to hers. He lowered her onto her mattress, his fingers skimming over her flesh as he covered her with a blanket.
“Jesse...” she murmured, swiping her tongue over her bottom lip. She reached for him, but he backed up. Wait, what? What was going on?
“You need sleep.”
She shook her head. “No, I need you,” she murmured.
He raked his hand through his disheveled hair. “I gotta go.”
What the hell? Here she was, all but naked, her entire body beckoning his touch, and he was just going to walk away. What kind of guy walked away from a sure thing?
She blinked, her fuzzy mind trying to sort through matters.
“Get some sleep, Ala…uh…Janey.”
With that, he disappeared through her door. As it clicked shut behind him, and she tried to part the fog clouding her thoughts, she suddenly jackknifed in her bed.
Wait, was he just about to call her Alaska?
* * *
Jesse paced his room, his cock so goddamn hard he was about to shoot off in his pants. How he was going to watch over Alaska—or rather Janey Smith—for the next year without helping himself to a taste was beyond him.
From the pictures he saw at her father’s place, he knew she was gorgeous, but seeing her up close and personal was another matter altogether.
And those breasts…fuck.
When she writhed in his arms, her body so hot and needy, it took every ounce of strength he had not to take her up on her invitation. But it wasn’t just her sexy body that caught his attention. Oh no, not at all. After watching her steadily for a week now and seeing the quiet reflective side to her when she was alone, not to mention the untamed spirit in her when she danced, he couldn’t help but feel drawn to her. There was a real sweetness about her, a kindness and honesty that he rarely saw in others. He also saw a loneliness that he could relate to. It made him want to take her into his arms and tell her everything would be okay.
He threw himself on his unmade sheets and stared at his clock. After tossing and turning for what felt like hours, he rolled out of bed, deciding a cold shower was in order. He opened his door, and as night settled over the dorm, he was greeted with quiet. Without bothering to turn on the hallway lights, he made his way down the corridor.
When he reached the common bathroom—the boys and girls shower area separated only by a bank of shared sinks—he heard a strange noise. His footsteps slowed, and he listened. The noise, a mix between a moan and a strangled cry, sounded again, and this time he could tell it was coming from the female shower area.
When it grew louder, unease moved through him. Was someone hurt? Since it was his job to oversee the floor, he quietly walked around the tall partition wall.
“Hello,” he called out, but his words were met with more cries.
Moving a little quicker, he hurried toward the commotion, and what he saw next stole the breath from his lung.
Alaska…
He took in the look on her face, the honesty and openness she displayed as she aimed the nozzle head between her legs. She touched herself, her fingers slicking over her hot button, one his mouth was watering to taste.
Her full lips parted, and she made a sexy bedroom noise as she brought herself to orgasm. His cock instantly hardened, and there was nothing he could do to stifle the moan crawling out of his throat. The sound gained her attention. Startled, her lids flicked open, but when she saw it was him, heat moved into her eyes.
Walk away, Jesse. Just walk away.
He took a distancing step back, knowing better than to cross that line. She was sweet and sexy, and not only would her bastard father kill him if he so much as touched her, everything in his gut warned that he could get in deep with a girl like her. And the truth was, Alaska deserved someone better than him in her life. He took another step back, but when he saw the disappointment on her face, the need in her eyes, it felt like a physical blow to the gut.
He wasn’t sure why, but there was something about her that made him want to take care of her, to protect her, to give her everything she’d ever wanted. The one thing he did know, however, was that it had nothing to do with being her hired bodyguard.
Chapter Two
Spring Break: six months later.
Feeling horribly sorry for herself, Alaska let loose an exaggerated breath and snatched her floral cosmetic bag off the small bedside table. Since everyone in her residence was down south partying during Spring Break, and she had nothing to keep her occupied on this cold Chicago night, she decided to grab a long, hot shower and climb into bed early. At least between the sheets she’d have something to do, like read one of her favorite Sarah Fawkes or Eliza Gayle books, a nice prelude to stroking her needy body and bringing herself to orgasm while she fantasized about her dorm’s hot residence assistant.
Or at least the guy who was masquerading as their floor’s RA.
As she thought about Jesse Callaghan, the tough biker boy who resided two doors down and always smelled like warm leather, hot sex, and motorcycle fumes, she knew there was more to him than met the eye. Everything from the way he took care of her that night when he caught her half naked playing poker—when most guys would have taken advantage of the situation—to how he always watched her, told her he was no ordinary college boy.
Not at all.
After seeing him every day, watching the way he moved and acted, everything in her gut told her Jesse was a guy who’d been dragged up on the streets, his homegrown muscles a product of survival, not some polished, overpriced gy
m. And he was here masquerading as the floor’s RA, for one reason and one reason only.
Her.
All things considered, including the night when he almost let her real name slip from his lips, she knew he had to be one of her father’s men. Even though it pissed her off her that her father had gone behind her back and secretly hired Jesse to watch over her, there was no denying that biker boy was still nice to look at, and even nicer to fantasize about. Since Alaska had very few acquaintances on campus, and life here was as vanilla and uninspiring as her alias, at least her badass bodyguard gave her something other than her assignments to occupy her mind at night. She didn’t bother to call him on it. There was no point, really. Plus, she didn’t want to take a chance that her father would replace him with someone else, someone not quite so…yummy.
She took a moment to imagine what it would be like to peel that worn leather jacket from his broad shoulders, to touch that hard body all over with her fingers, her mouth, her tongue. As a fine shiver of want traveled the length of her spine, she tucked her cosmetic bag under her arm, grabbed a fluffy cotton towel from her closet, and used her shoulder to push through her dorm room door. She pulled it shut behind her, and the old hinges groaned like a wounded animal and cut through the unnatural silence in the hallway before the lock clicked into place.
She stepped into the long corridor and followed the dim path leading to the shower area. The coldness of the tile seeped into her bare feet, and as the blackness in the hall enveloped her, her thoughts once again returned to her father and how distant he was with her. But thinking of him instantly darkened her mood and stirred the sense of loneliness that had long ago taken up residence inside of her.
She hated how little he had to do with her, how easily he dismissed her, sending her to an out of state college and insisting she earn a business degree—no doubt so she could help cook the books when she returned home. Except accounting was the last thing she wanted to do.
Truthfully, she wanted to be a dancer, a performer of sorts, but the man she called daddy—when he happened to be around—cared nothing about her wants or needs. No, the man who didn’t deserve the title of father, the man who had wanted a son, not a daughter, cared only about what was best for him. And it wasn’t like she had a mother to turn to. Marilyn Rossi had skipped town years ago, never to be heard from again. As a child, her disappearance had hurt deeply, but as Alaska grew older, she realized that any mother who would abandon her little girl and leave her with a man who was as cold as the snow covered streets outside her window wasn’t someone Alaska wanted around anyway.