“Yes.”
Turning to his security, Randall pointed at the soaking wet man. “Get him out of here. He’s gone.”
“You’ll pay for this, Croft. I’ll teach you what happens when you play in Vegas!” Marianna threatened, even as he was being pulled away.
Croft wasn’t worried about his threats. His concern was his wife. He tried not to picture the man’s hands and mouth on his woman. If he did, Croft would pull out his gun and shoot the asshole dead.
Randall waved away all the people. “Go back to the fun, folks. Everything is fine.”
People were talking and whispering. There were comments about how Dominic was an asshole, and how Greyson Croft was screwed for messing with the mob.
Yeah, bad things were certainly coming.
“Emma, what happened?” Randall asked.
“I was out here waiting for Grey, and he grabbed me from behind. I couldn’t get any leverage to fight him. Then he…”
She didn't want him to relive it.
“Then he put his hands in her dress.” From the lighting outside, Greyson could see the bite mark on her shoulder. His blood pressure soared.
“It’s one thing to threaten me with Levi Hammond taking our home and cars, but I won’t tolerate anyone touching my wife. She’s off limits.”
Randall motioned to a waiter, and he rushed a glass of water over for Emma.
“I’m sorry about your party,” she said, taking a sip.
“This is nothing. I’m more worried about you both, and what Dominic will do to get revenge.”
Greyson didn't care. “Emma, honey, I’m sorry I left you alone,” he murmured, gently stroking the bite mark on her shoulder. Fortunately, it didn't break the skin.
Yeah, if the bastard drew blood, it would be his they would find next.
She burrowed closer to his body. Emma wasn’t worried about what had happened to her, she was fearful for Greyson’s life. He’d punched a mob boss in the face, at a public party, after he threatened his life.
This was really, really bad.
Randall led them toward his office and keyed in a code to the patio door. Once inside, he sat Emma down on the couch and prayed he could help the people who were his family.
“You mentioned Levi. What happened earlier?”
Croft told him about the threat from Marianna and his lap dog. “They can have our condo. I’m not going to let anyone touch my wife. I’ll die first.”
She became more scared.
“I can get people to watch Dominic,” Randall offered. “He won’t see it happening, and if he meets with anyone who he can hire to cause trouble, I’ll know. Besides, you have nothing to worry about. He won’t move now. It’s too risky. If he does, a hundred witnesses will throw him to the wolves. People here at the party aren’t fond of him.”
Greyson relaxed.
“As for the bank screwing with your mortgage and cars, it’s not going to happen.” Picking up the phone on his desk, he made a call.
“Yes, I need something handled.”
He paused.
Croft watched him, listening to the one sided conversation.
“I’d like you to erase all of Greyson and Emma Croft’s debt. Wipe it clean. You have access to my account. I don’t want to wait until morning. If you do it now, there will be a bonus in it for you.”
Again, he paused.
“Yes, thank you.”
Hanging up the phone, he smiled. “By the time you wake up tomorrow, you’ll be debt free. Then, Levi can’t do shit. He’s just a pawn for Dominic, and really, he has no power.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Greyson stated. “I don’t want you paying for my mortgage.”
“Stop, Greyson. I’m going to help, and you have no choice. Let me do this for your wife, if not you. She needs to be safe, and that ivory tower of yours is the only way.”
Croft calmed down and gave in. The man knew he wouldn’t put up a fight if he threw Emma into the mix. Then again, he was right. Sky Villa was the safest place for his wife.
“Thank you, Randall, I appreciate it,” he said, shaking his hand.
“There’s no need. Now, let’s get you to your limo and out of here. I don’t think staying is a good idea. Take Emma home and clean that bite mark. The mouth is a very dirty place.”
Croft would do just that. Standing, he scooped Emma up in his arms. “Get us out of here, Randall.”
They followed the man out through a door hidden in the paneling beside his desk. When it led to a private exit, he waited for them to pass through. “I’ll see you Sunday, Emma. Be careful.”
Greyson carried her through the private yard until he reached the area where all the limos were parked. Once his driver spotted them, he rushed to open the door.
“Is Mrs. Croft unwell?” he asked.
“Yes, get us home.”
As they pulled away, Greyson didn't speak. Instead, he held Emma in his arms, too afraid to let her go.
A part of him knew that he’d just endangered both of them. Now, Marianna would want Emma that much more. It was going to be important that he act as her shield.
No matter what.
His woman would live.
Croft would face the demons of hell to give her that chance.
When they were gone, Randall returned to his desk and picked up his phone. On the third ring, when it was answered, he spoke, “I want Levi Hammond taken care of now. He’s playing dirty pool with Dominic Marianna and screwing with an investment of mine. That needs to end.”
The man spoke, rattling off a number and details of how it would be done.
“Yes, that’s fine. Just do it right. I don’t want this coming back on me or the Crofts. Make him disappear, my boy. Like old times.”
He paused, coming up with an idea.
“The money will be in your account tomorrow morning, but I need something different this time. I want you to make it look like our friend Dominic had his hand in this. He needs something to keep him busy, so he leaves Emma and Greyson alone.”
The words exchanged were brief.
Randall hung up and glanced at the picture of his beloved Aria. “I’m sorry, my love. I know I promised not to play such games anymore, but something has to be done. I need to ensure my legacy goes on. She’s the only one who’ll do it.”
He closed his eyes.
After a minute, like a good host, he headed out to tend to his guests.
It was time to plant the seeds of doubt.
~ Chapter Nine ~
Steele wasn’t sure where the hell he was. All he knew was that he had one hell of a headache, and that his mouth felt like cotton.
The last thing he remembered was chugging some bourbon in a bar. Oh, and Greyson Croft.
Unfortunately, the entire conversation had a few holes in it. Maybe that was an understatement. There were big gaping ones.
As he rolled over, he focused on a familiar person sitting in a chair reading a book.
“Where am I?” he asked, trying to sit up.
Immediately, Dante got up to hand him two aspirin and a bottle of water. “You’re at Sky Villa in my brother’s condo.”
“How did I get here?”
“Grey tracked you down and brought you here.”
Steele swallowed the aspirin. “Shit! My job.”
“That’s your biggest worry?” Dante asked, sitting on the side of the bed. “You nearly killed yourself with booze, you were hanging out in a bar where God knows what could have happened to you, and that’s your biggest concern?”
“Please whisper. My head is pounding, and I feel like shit,” Steele admitted.
Dante did as he asked.
“I need to talk to you.”
“About?” asked Steele, resting on the pillows.
Dante lifted a brow. “About us.”
“There’s nothing to say. You dumped me, ran home, and threw away our relationship. That pretty much states all I need to know about my worthiness and place in your life.”
Dante’s heart hurt.
He’d done a number on the man. It was time to own it and ask for forgiveness. “I’m sorry. I made a huge mistake.”
Steele said nothing.
“I can’t live without you, Steele. I was wrong to handle this the way I did. I didn't mean to hurt you or what we had. I need you to forgive me.”
Steele Bentley sighed. “Dante, I can’t get on and off this rollercoaster. If you don’t want to be with me, or be gay, then feel free to move along.”
Dante lifted a brow. “I don’t think I can become un-gay. That would mean it’s a conscious choice. You weren’t some experiment to figure out what my sexual orientation is.”
Steele closed his eyes. “Are you trying to convince me, or you?”
Dante pulled out the big guns.
“I called my mother and father. At my brother’s urging, I came out to them.”
He didn't say anything.
“I also told them about you. We had a conversation about the man I love, and they can’t wait to meet you.”
Still, he kept his mouth shut.
“I want to go back to what we had because I’ve never felt that kind of love before. I know I screwed up, but I want you to give me a second chance.”
“I can’t do this now.”
His heart skipped in his chest. “Why?”
Steele lunged for the bathroom. “Because I’m going to be sick.”
Dante followed him in and couldn’t help but smile. The man currently tossing the last of the booze hadn’t said no. That was a damn good sign. In his heart, he didn't doubt that the man would take him back.
His life was turning around.
Now, he just had to live in the moment.
* * *
When they arrived at the condominium, Greyson was silent. The entire ride home, he’d held Emma in his arms, unable to speak. His heart was hurting that he’d let Marianna scare her.
This was his woman.
His duty.
Greyson’s job.
And he failed.
Once home, he carried her to the elevator, ignoring the stares of the guards. On the thirteenth floor, he made his way to their sanctuary, still holding onto his wife.
It was like she’d vanish if he let go.
That was a risk he couldn’t take.
Emma was really worried about her husband. He was emotionally distant, pulling away in the aftermath of this mess. Already, she knew what was he was stewing about.
Not keeping her safe.
While she could have forced him to talk, Emma decided to let this play out, seeing what would happened.
As he carried her to their bedroom, she hoped this wouldn’t end up being a fight. They’d just fixed their issues, and now Dominic Marianna was threatening to break them apart once more.
In their private space, he moved into their bathroom and placed her on the counter. Pulling out the first aid kit, he worked on the bite wound on her shoulder. Emma could see the gray eyes she loved so much, filled with wicked storm clouds.
There was no doubt.
Greyson was pissed.
With gentle fingers, he catered to her wound, finally placing a small bandage over it. When he was finished, he lifted her up and carried her into the bedroom.
When Emma was on her feet, he stared into her eyes. “I love you, and I’m sorry that he touched you.”
She honestly believed he was going to let this weigh on his conscience.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
It took him a second. “I know I can lose it right now, or let this break me, but I refuse to risk us. For eight weeks, I abandoned your heart. I won’t do it again.”
“And that means?” Emma asked hopefully.
“It means that I want to make love to my wife,” he said gently. Without waiting, he lowered his mouth to the bandage on her shoulder as if he could heal her by merely a touch of lips.
Emma heated up the second she picked up the scent of Greyson’s cologne. It filled her, making her forget what had happened, and what was likely coming.
“Grey,” she murmured, as his mouth moved across her shoulder to her throat.
“Let me make love to you, Emma. Let me show you tenderness, where he showed you fear.”
She wouldn’t stop him. When he reached down to tug her gossamer-like dress from her upper body, his mouth followed until he was burning her flesh with fiery kisses.
Her hands wandered into his hair, burying them in the luxurious silkiness. Emma loved the spattering of gray just above his ears. It was endearing.
As he pushed her clothes lower, Emma stepped free of them, standing before him in only panties and her heels.
“You’re amazing, Emma,” he murmured, following lower down her body, until he could leave kisses around her belly button.
“Oh, Grey,” she whispered, when his fingers traced across the indentation in her panties.
From his knees, he stared up into her emerald eyes and shared his heart. “I love how you respond to me, Emma. There’s never a moment that I don’t love knowing that you were made for me.”
Those words reminded her of something.
“Stop!”
He paused, his fingers hooked into the side of her panties as he prepared to dive into her. “What’s wrong?”
She giggled at the perplexed look on his face. “I bought you a present, and you just reminded me about it.”
He stood and was surprised that she had a gift for him. “You did? What’s the occasion?”
Emma took him by the hand and led him over to the mattress. “I saw it and thought about you.”
Going to her nightstand, she pulled out the prettily wrapped package. “It’s not as valuable as the gorgeous gifts you give me, but it reminded me of you. The second saw it, I thought of us.”
Greyson took the package in his hands and pulled apart the ribbon. When he flipped it over, he stared down at the chocolate handcuffs and the white lettering.
‘I was meant to be yours.’
It touched his heart and made it skip in his chest. It helped heal the damage the Dominic Marianna had inflicted.
“Emma.”
“It’s true. From the minute I looked over to see the two FBI agents crossing the field toward me, I knew. I loved you in that second, Greyson Croft. You’re my everything, and I hope you never doubt it.”
He couldn’t believe his fortune. Here, he had the most amazing woman in his life, and this little token had offered so much peace.
Croft couldn’t live without her.
Placing the handcuffs on the floor, he immediately attacked. While before he was worried about healing her, Greyson realized that she didn't need to be coddled. Emma was tough, and she could heal him.
His mouth hungrily sought hers. It devoured and plundered like a wild, starving man. Her present, the way she made breathy sounds beneath him, and Emma’s desire to belong only to him, made Greyson Croft lose control.
Emma held on for the wild ride. When her husband was lost in the storm of passion, she had no choice. It wasn’t as if it bothered her. After all, what woman didn't want to be loved by a man so passionately?
“Grey,” she murmured, as his hands slid down her rib cage. The slow steady openmouthed kisses had become more lust filled as he nipped lower and lower, heading for his ultimate goal.
When his fingers slid through her slick wetness, she shook beneath him.
“I can’t wait to have my way with you, kitten,” he admitted, stripping out of his clothing. Suddenly, they felt very restrictive. When he was finished, he noticed she was watching him. “I want to see if you’ll purr for me.”
“Always,” Emma admitted.
With that, he dove in, consuming and plundering her body, seeking more and more. With one taste of his sweet Emma, there was never enough to satisfy him.
She was his obsession.
For hours on end, he’d think about them coming together and being one. Now, he’d make the most of it.
/> Emma shook as he teased and tickled the most sensitive part of her body. It was as if she were strung so tight, nearly shattering under his lips and mouth.
“Greyson!” she shouted, as the fall loomed closer and closer. When he nipped her gently, Emma fell off the edge and into the heat of release.
Warmth, and a brilliant explosion of light and sound, erupted around her as she slipped into the bliss.
Greyson slid up her body, waiting for his delicious wife to surface. “I love you, kitten,” he said, staring down into her eyes once they opened.
Emma wanted him in the worst way.
She shoved him off her body as she rolled with him. Perched across his hips, it was her turn to stare down at him. “I’ve never wanted another man like you, Greyson. You make me crazy, wild, and so needy. I’ve never been this woman before you.”
Greyson loved her admission.
“I told you, Emma. We were made for each other. This is exactly how we should be. The reason you saw me, and it clicked, is that we’re meant to be. I’m your caveman.”
Grinning wickedly, she moved off his body. While he may have expected a fast ride, she wanted something so much more. Emma needed to make her husband want her.
With gentle fingertips, she traced the long, strong lines of his torso. Her hands appreciatively admired the body he worked so hard to keep in shape. When her palm caressed his erection, he shook.
“What do you want, Greyson?” she asked, knowing he loved to be bossy in bed.
“Oh Christ, Emma. What don’t I want when it comes to you?”
She didn't wait. Instead, Emma took him in her mouth, teasing, torturing, and making love to his body. With each hot stroke of lips and tongue, she could feel her very tough man break more and more.
Soon, he’d be ready for her.
Greyson watched her work him in and out of her mouth. With each long stroke, he wanted to thrust his hips up, burying himself in the delicious warmth.
It took so much control.
He was fraying.
“You're teasing me, kitten,” he stated, as she began using her hand to make him crazy. “When you’re done playing, you’ll have to pay.”
Heaven is Weeping (A Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Book 5) Page 22