by T. E. Black
“She’s my fiancée, but your damn near my sister and you’ve up and disappeared from my life!” Trent slides a side glance at Shay, who is too busy looking at me with wide eyes to notice. “You’ve done nothing but lied for months! You’ve been talking to my brother behind my back!”
“I haven’t been talking to your brother, Trent! Yes, I’ve had his number, but do you know how many times I’ve talked to him on the phone? Zero.” It’s not technically a lie.
“Oh no?” He scoffs. “I call bullshit.”
“I get that you’re jealous that Rook gave me his number first. I felt bad about it, but did you ever stop to think he has his reasons for staying away from you, from us, since coming back to Boston? Maybe reasons that stem from a murder investigation?”
“That’s a cop-out, and you know it. My brother is being a selfish piece of shit like he’s always been. There’s no reasons, Ry. All the reasons he’s fed you are bullshit. I don’t care if you talk to him, see him, hell, you might even know where he is. I don’t want anything to do with him, and if you’re going to keep picking him over me—your best friend—then so be it.”
Trent’s words are like a thousand knives gutting me. He couldn’t be more wrong. His love for Rook and opinions of the situation are clouded with anger, jealousy, and sadness. I couldn’t miss it for the world.
“Dammit, Trent! Do you ever think about anyone other than yourself? You’re so quick to find the bad in people, when maybe you should look for the good.” With my palms still pressed down on the tabletop, I lean forward and look him in his eyes so I know I have his attention. Then, with very soft and very controlled words, I lay a truth out for him. “I want you to take a second and think about something before you go shouting from the rooftops about how selfish Rook is. You know that fancy fucking rehab you went to? Who do you think paid for it? Who do you think pulled strings to get you in? Who do you fucking think made sure you had everything you needed to get better, Trent?”
His lips drop open, as if he hadn’t ever thought about it before. I think I’ve finally gotten through to him, but then his lips press together and he turns his head away. Pestilent child.
“He only did it because he felt guilty.”
I squeeze my eyes shut and take a deep breath, willing myself not to flip this table over and beat some sense into him. When I finally think I can manage, I paste a smile on my face, turn to my friends, and say, “I’m going home.”
A nasty laugh from Trent stops me in my tracks and forces me to look at him.
“You haven’t been at your house in weeks, Ry. Don’t think I haven’t stopped there to apologize to you. So, don’t stand there and lie to us. Why don’t you tell us where you’re really going.”
I can’t hear this anymore.
I’m leaving.
To hell with Trent, and to hell with all his bullshit.
I’m done.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ryleigh
It is three o’clock in the morning when I finally crawl into bed beside Rook. To say I am tired is a damn understatement. I am exhausted.
After my argument with Trent, I was hell bent on leaving, but Sarah talked me out of it. She pulled me into the office after seeing hell break loose and convinced me to stay. Well, she actually claimed that if I left, Trent would think he won. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of thinking he broke me down when he was saying those nasty things.
I know Trent didn’t mean them, but it didn’t hurt me any less. He has a way of doing that without even trying. I’m done letting it eat me alive.
I can’t.
I can’t keep going on in life like this—under appreciated and overworked by the people who “love” me. If it wasn’t Trent who fucked up his life somehow by doing drugs, it was Mac not being able to keep it in his pants when he was in love with another woman. It’s an ongoing cycle, one I have to break sooner or later.
I lie in Rook’s bed, surrounded by the smell of him. It’s everywhere, the comforter, the pillows, even my hair. It’s comforting and sexy all at the same time.
I snuggle closer to his sleeping form and pepper light kisses over his chest. I love him.
No one knows he’s here, and I thank God for that. Because, our little bubble is the only place I can find peace anymore—with him. He would calm every storm around me so long as I gave him the opportunity.
Except Trent.
That’s a storm I’m not quite sure I want to share with him yet. I don’t know what will happen once Rook finds out the way his brother has been treating me. There’s a good chance he’ll freak out on him, and I don’t want to do that to Trent. Trent isn’t a bad person. He’s hurt and angry and doesn’t know how to process those feelings. I get that. He’s still Rook’s family, and I won’t come between the two of them.
They’ll have their talk when the time is right. They will have to. Rook is with me now, and I won’t walk away from him to spare Trent’s feelings.
With the smell of Rook all around me and the weight of his arm now resting on my hip, I close my eyes and allow myself to sleep.
“Leigh!” Rook shouts from the shower. “Can you grab me boxers?”
Smirking, I answer him, “Yep!”
I climb out from the covers and make my way to the dresser where his boxers are. Once I open the drawer, I grab a pair and head into the bathroom with a devilish smile from ear to ear.
“Got ’em.”
“Thanks, babe.”
I stand on the cold, tiled floor barefoot, waiting for him to finish his shower. The scent of his body wash fills the tiny room, and the longer I stand here, the more turned on I get. All I can think about is Rook standing naked in all his muscular glory, dripping wet and soapy. I’m contemplating joining him when he turns off the water and opens the glass shower door. Then my thoughts come to a dead stop.
His naked body is so much more delicious-looking with water beading on it. There is one particular drop that has formed in the shallow of his collarbone, and when it gets too heavy, it falls. My eyes follow it as it treks down his pec and then over his abs, drawing my eyes lower until they land on his perfectly erect cock. Fuck me. His dick is a glorious sight—the perfect girth, accompanied by an orgasm-worthy length. It’s heaven.
“Like what you see?” His voice is low and rough.
In between my legs aches with desire as I nod my head.
“So turned on you can’t speak, love? That”—he steps from the shower stall—“is gorgeous.”
I watch his every movement, anticipating his strong hands on my body. A lump in my throat gets swallowed down while he stalks toward me.
He takes one of my hands in his own and runs just my fingertips softly over his abs. A moan slips from my lips at the same moment he sucks in a sharp breath.
He keeps on moving my hand, trailing my fingertips down. When we reach the hard V of muscle that points to where I really want to touch, I lose all sense of my control. I’m so worked up, it’s unbelievable.
“I love this,” I whisper, taking control back and running my whole hand over his skin.
“I don’t think that’s all you love.” His voice is low, husky. If I were to look, I know his eyes would be hooded, his lips parted, but I can’t drag my eyes away from my hand on his body.
My mouth waters, and I swipe my tongue over my bottom lip before dropping to my knees in front of him. I need to have him in my mouth. I want him to fuck it, like he fucks the rest of me.
Rook threads his fingers into my hair, tugging on the strands as he gets the perfect grip. As my eyes travel up the mountain of his body, they meet his hunger-filled eyes.
It’s so hot the way he’s looking at me.
“Tell me, Leigh,” he mumbles, his gaze steaming.
“Tell you what?”
“That you want my cock in your mouth,” he hisses through gritted teeth.
“I want your cock, Rook. I want you to fuck my mouth the same way you’ve been fucking me for weeks.�
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A low growl rips from his chest when I wrap my hand around the base of his cock and stroke him. I don’t want to tease him. Not today. So I don’t, and I take him into my mouth, and my core thrums with pleasure.
Swirling my tongue around him, I taste beads of pre-come on my tongue and swallow each and every drop down while bobbing my head over him in a steady pace. Hearing the groans of ecstasy coming from Rook turns me on a little more every time.
He sounds like a true man—raw, gritty, and incredibly hungry for me. He doesn’t let me control the pace for long, and when he twists his fingers tighter into my hair, I give myself over to him. He’s pumping himself into my mouth, and I have to hold on to his thighs for support from the thrusts.
If my panties weren’t wet before, they’re utterly soaked now. I’m beyond hot for this man. I’m yearning for him in ways I never felt before.
“Holy shit, Leigh. Your mouth feels amazing.”
I can’t talk with a full mouth, so I hum my pleasure deep in my throat, which earns me a sharp intake of breath from him. His movements speed up, becoming more hurried as his grip on my hair tightens.
“Do you still want to swallow it, Leigh? If not, tell me and I’ll pull out,” he offers as if he can barely hold his release in.
Gripping his thighs tighter, I swallow down his cock, not letting him pull away. I want to swallow him—every last drop as if it’s the last thing I’ll do before I die.
As he releases into my mouth, I keep my suction going, but I’m more gentle than before.
Rook steps back, his breaths ragged and short. “Bend over the sink, babe. I owe you for that amazing blow job,” he orders.
I’m throbbing, but instead of seeking out what I need, I smile and stand. “Nah. That one was for you, big guy.”
Staring at me in shock and confusion, he grabs a towel from the counter and wraps it around his waist. “Really? Well damn, Leigh. What did I do to deserve such a gift?” He adds a wink.
“You used to work out seven days a week, am I right?”
Clearly not understanding where I’m going with this, he raises a brow. “Yeah. What’s that got to do with it?”
“Well, lucky for you, I read an article about sex and calories not too long ago.”
“Oh? And, what did this article claim to be true?”
“You just burned twenty-seven calories by getting a blow job,” I chuckle.
“No shit?”
“True story.” I smile and mimic him.
“Well, it looks like I found a new workout plan. Tell me more about all these calories I can burn.”
Before I can answer, Rook’s cell phone rings.
He stares at me as if he’s silently asking for my permission to answer his phone.
“Answer it.”
My fake huff of annoyance earns me a crooked smile as he calls over his shoulder, “Don’t think we’re done talking about this new workout!”
As I stand in the bathroom, panties still wet and skin still flush, I can’t help but bark out a laugh.
It’s funny the way things work out.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Rook
My new workout plan was interrupted by Josie’s phone call. Although I wanted to complain because she stopped me from taking Leigh over and over again, she called with good news.
It’s only been a day, and my lawyer has Leigh’s mom’s check and paperwork drawn up already, which means, Leigh and I can finally forget all the bullshit.
She’ll be gone, and we can go on being happy, together.
“All right, my mom is going to be over in ten minutes, tops,” Leigh says, hanging up her phone.
“Josie’s about two minutes out, too. She just texted me,” I confirm as well.
When she doesn’t answer me, I throw a sideways glance her way as she sits on a bar stool. Her head is hung low, her mind seeming to be somewhere else entirely.
“What’s wrong, babe?”
She looks up at me, her fake smile not reaching her eyes. “Nothing. I’m all right.”
“You don’t look all right.” I move toward her.
“I’m thinking about how much I hate her,” she answers.
“Your mom?”
“Yes.” She blows out a breath before continuing, “I hate that she’s getting what she wants from you because of me. You’re out a hundred grand. That’s not like a twenty-dollar loan to a friend. That’s some serious money—money you worked for, money my mother doesn’t deserve.”
She tries to look away from me again, but I stop her by taking her face in my hands gently urging her to look in my eyes.
“Leigh, a hundred grand isn’t much for me. You haven’t seen the wealth I have because we’ve been hidden away in the apartment together. I promise you, the amount isn’t breaking the bank. Even if it were, I wouldn’t change my mind about giving it to your mother.”
“But, it’s a lot of money.”
“Once all this is over and we’re free to go out into the real world, I’m going to show you how little money means to me. I’m going to take you out on the most over-the-top date I can manage to think of, and hopefully, you’ll enjoy yourself so much you’ll stop worrying about the deduction from my bank account.” I smile softly.
She mimics my smile but adds in a small laugh. “I don’t need over-the-top, expensive dates, Rook. I don’t need to know the balance in your bank accounts. I don’t need to order from menus that don’t have a plain old hamburger on them. I don’t need anything but you.”
Hearing her say all she needs is me is a moment I’ll never forget as long as I live. The thing about Leigh is she’s a hard one to win over. She’s always been independent, kind, and strong-willed. I know why she told me to leave ten years ago, and I can only imagine what it cost her. But here, right now, I want to be the one to give her everything her heart has ever wanted. If I am what her heart wants, I will give her every last breath in my body.
“I love you, Leigh,” I whisper into her hair.
“I love you, too, Rook.”
A knock on the front door of the bar brings us back to reality. It’s one of two people on the other side—Josie or her mother. I don’t want to say it’s a bad thing for either one of those people to be outside, but it turns our moods somber.
“I’ll get it,” she says, pulling away from me.
I watch as Leigh walks to the door, peeks outside, and then opens it. Josie’s voice echoes through the bar while Leigh invites her inside.
“You’re beautiful! No wonder Rook’s crazy about you.” Josie gives me a knowing wink.
“Thank you,” Leigh says.
“Rook! I can see you are just wasting away holed up in here.” She tosses a file onto the nearest bar top and wraps her arms around me for a hug. Before letting go, she whispers in my ear. “I knew from the minute you talked about her in the car, she was more than just a friend.”
As I look over Josie’s shoulder, I bite back a laugh. Leigh is staring daggers at Josie’s back as if she’s killing her from across the room.
Shit. She’s cute when she’s jealous.
I pull away from Josie, making small talk on how nice it is to see her, but all my attention is still on Leigh. Her arms are crossed over her chest and the glare she had moments before is now filled with fire.
She must feel me looking at her because her eyes hit mine. I smirk at her, nodding my head for her to come closer. She follows my silent command, and when she gets next to me, I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her close.
Leigh relaxes against my body while Josie’s expression jumps in surprise. With a silent glance, Josie asks if Leigh is the one, and I nod my head in confirmation. There’s no trying to hide it.
Leigh is the one for me. She’s always been.
“My mother should be here soon,” Leigh says to Josie.
“That’s fine. Whenever she gets here is all right. She needs to sign a few lines, and then she’ll be out of your lives for good.” Josie smiles.
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“Thank God,” Leigh mumbles under her breath.
It’s as if her mom heard us talking about her, because the next second, she’s knocking on the front door. When Leigh starts toward it, I hold her tighter to my side and nod to Josie to go open the door.
“I told you, Leigh. You get to be done with her now. Josie will take care of it from here.” I soothe her, whispering into her ear and dropping a quick kiss on her cheek.
Leigh sighs in relief, wrapping her arms tighter around my midsection. “Thank you.”
Josie invites Mrs. O’Donnell inside and directs everyone to move toward the paperwork sitting on the bar. Her mother doesn’t look at us, and honestly, I didn’t expect her to.
I hope she feels ashamed over this—belittling her own daughter for a paycheck.
Josie begins going over the contract with Leigh’s mom, and we both stand on the side, watching as this woman leaves our lives forever.
“So, all I need from you is your signature on the lines marked with tabs,” Josie instructs.
Each time her mother signs her name Leigh’s body relaxes just a bit more. Years of anger, sadness, self-doubt, and hatred seep from her pores as she becomes a new person.
“All right, Mrs. O’Donnell. That’s all I need from you. Here’s the certified check. It should clear in three to five days depending on the bank you deposit it at.” Josie pauses. “Before you leave, I want to make you understand the repercussions of breaking this contract in any way. Failure to honor the terms will result in your having to pay back your money, plus any interest that will have accumulated over that time from now. There is also a financial penalty clause that states you will owe additional damages not to exceed three hundred thousand dollars.” I raise my eyebrows. That wasn’t something I had asked Josie for, but I can see why she put it in there. Having to pay that much more money just for showing up again will keep the vial woman away.
“I understand,” her mom confirms.