by Nikki Wild
“It’s late. Bruce will be asleep already, because he never misses being on the slopes before sunrise. We’ll see him tomorrow when he gets back.”
“Does that mean I don’t have to wait?” I smiled.
“Don’t worry, baby, I’m going to fuck you until you’re begging me to stop as soon as we get there.”
“Good luck with that,” I laughed. “I never seem to want you to stop these days.”
“Well, then maybe I’m not doing my job,” he said, winking at me. “I’ll have to fuck you a little harder.”
“Promises, promises,” I said, smiling over at him.
It was already dark, the sun completely faded over the horizon, the tall pines dancing in the breeze overhead as we whipped up and around the curves, the headlights of the Jeep the only light around for miles.
“I’m so glad we’re doing this,” I said, leaning back in my seat.
“Me, too, Chloe.” Bear reached over, grabbing my hand and intertwining his fingers with mine.
“Do you think Bruce will be shocked about the baby?” I asked.
“No,” he said, thoughtfully.
“You don’t think he’ll think we’re going too fast?”
“No, he knows how much I love you. He won’t care about that. He’s not that kind of person.”
“Marie seems to really like him.”
“Everyone loves Bruce, it’s impossible not to,” he said.
“He’s really special,” I said. It was true. Bruce was everyone’s friend, the kind of guy who accepted you without question. He’d welcomes me into their life with wide open arms.
“He is,” Bear said. “There haven’t been a lot of men like him in my life. He’s been my one true friend, the only person I would trust with anything.”
“It’s good to have a friend like that,” I said, thinking of Marie.
“It is,” he said. “I actually think he’ll be thrilled. He loves kids. He loves you. It really couldn’t be more perfect.”
He pulled my hand up to his lips, brushing his warm lips across my fingers. I beamed over at him, my heart bursting with joy.
This is my life, I thought.
My wonderful, beautiful life….
Owning Beauty Preview Chapter 2
Bear
I woke up with my arms wrapped around Chloe, her head lying peacefully on my chest, her long black waves covering half of her beautiful face. I bent my head, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair, just like I’d done everyday for the last week.
I’d insisted she move in with me, partly just so I could smell her hair every single morning for the rest of my life and partly because I couldn’t bear to be away from her.
I’d become addicted to her.
I loved everything about her. The way she smelled, the way she laughed, the way she talked, the way she moved…the way she moved on the end of my cock.
The thought of it made me hard instantly. Or, maybe I’d woken up that way. Either way, it was suddenly all I could think of and I was filled with pure need. A need that could only be fulfilled by her body.
I was still trying to wrap my head around all of this. In my usual manner, I was obsessed with why.
Why I reacted so strongly to her.
Why I continued to need her more than I needed air.
Why it was her, and only her, that could make me feel this way.
There were so many reasons, all of them perfectly valid, but I couldn’t help but contemplate the pure craziness of it all. It had all gone so fast, even for me, the king of fast decisions and even faster deals.
I’d learned to strike while the iron was hot, but my feelings for Chloe had even made my head spin a little.
I didn’t mind it, though, it made everything that much more exciting.
I was in awe of the fact that she’d gone along with everything. She’d had every opportunity, and probably every reason, to slap my face and demand that I never come near her again.
But she hadn’t. She’d been a little scared, at first, I’d seen it in her eyes.
But she’d also been brave. Braver than any other woman I’d let in before.
I know I’m a lot to handle. I’m not like other men. I have these needs that consume me, it’s like an aching inside of me that won’t go away unless I…well, you’ve seen it. You’ve seen how I get.
I can’t help it.
And yes, I’ve tried. I’ve tried to suppress the rage, the darkness, as Chloe calls it, and you know, it works for a hot minute. But all I’m doing in those instances is shoving it down, letting it build up until the need is even stronger and hotter and I just…explode.
It’s best to let the steam out a little at a time, you know?
I can control it better that way. It doesn’t get out of hand.
Not like before.
I was still filled with regret and shame for the way I’d acted because she’d lied about having dinner with Levi. Fucking Levi. He’d been trying to sabotage every relationship I had since Zoe had become infatuated with me.
It wasn’t my fault, but I’d been paying the price ever since.
Well, okay, maybe it was my fault a little, but it was a long time ago and he should have gotten over it by now.
But none of that mattered any more. Levi wasn’t a problem for me, he never was. I just didn’t want him anywhere near Chloe, because Chloe wasn’t just any woman.
She was the woman.
She was different from all those other women I’d dated. That’s why I’d lost my shit so badly. In retrospect, I should have gone over to Levi’s place and taken care of things like a man, taken out my rage on his face. Instead, my emotions had gotten all mixed up and I’d taken it out on Chloe’s beautiful, perfect ass instead.
I’d never fucked up like that before and I’d never felt as horrible as I still did about it. I would never make that mistake again.
She’d graciously forgiven me, but I knew I’d spend the rest of my life making it up to her. She deserved nothing but the best out of life and I intended to give it to her.
Starting with this raging cock between my legs.
I inhaled again, drinking in the scent of her like a sweet ambrosia, before moving my shoulder slightly in hopes that she would stir.
It worked.
She moaned, her eyelids fluttering before she graced me with those sparkling green lights of pure love.
“Good morning, Beauty,” I said, my voice husky with desire for her.
“Morning, babe,” she said, her sleepy whisper only making me harder.
“I’m so glad you’re awake,” I growled.
“You are? Why?” she asked, pushing her hair out of her face.
“So I can do this,” I growled, gently rolling her on her back as I rolled on top of her, my aching, hungry cock sinking into her warm, sweet softness easily.
I moaned, closing my eyes, the wave of delicious relief washing over me as I felt her thighs wrap around my hips.
I rocked into her, over and over, wrapping my arms around her writhing body, melting into her sweet pussy as I pulled her as close as I could, my tongue diving between her lips, the pure love bursting through me and exploding out of my cock, causing my entire body to shudder with violent, perfect pleasure.
***
“Bruce’s truck is still at his cabin,” I yelled over the shower door. “He must not be on the slopes yet. I’m going to go over and say hello to him.” Chloe was bending down and washing her leg, her soapy silhouette visible through the steamy glass, tempting me to take her again.
Later, I thought, we have the rest of our lives together.
“I’ll be out in a few minutes,” she called.
I walked out of the bathroom with a smile on my face. I stood at the large windows of the great room, gazing out at the picturesque view of the Hudson Valley. It never failed to take my breath away and this morning was no exception. I was envious of Bruce getting to enjoy this every single day.
He’d put in his dues, that was
for sure, and he deserved to live amongst such beauty. I was glad I could provide a place for him to get away from everything after all the shit he’d gone through.
His old job as the District Attorney had weighed hard on him. The cases were rough and the work load was unbearable. He’d gone into that job a completely different man than he was when he’d come out. He’d been out of the game for two years now and I was happy to see that Mother Nature was having the effect we’d hope it would have. He was quickly returning to his happy, easy-going self.
I couldn’t wait to see his face when I told him I was going to be a father.
Turning away from the view, I put on my boots and jacket and walked outside, breathing in the cold, fresh, morning air.
Bruce preferred to live in the smaller cabin on the property, even though it wasn’t nearly as nice as the main cabin. But he insisted it was much easier to clean and more comfortable for him, so I didn’t argue.
I trudged through the snow, walking down the slippery trail that led from one cabin to the other. His beaten up red Ford truck was parked in the driveway and I looked up at the small log cabin, surprised there wasn’t smoke coming from the chimney. The only heat in there was from the wood-stove and it was usually the first thing he lit in the morning.
He probably slept in, I thought.
I knocked on the door and waited a few beats before trying the knob.
It was locked.
That’s weird, I thought. Bruce never locked the door. I knocked again, waiting a few minutes before I pulled my keys from my pocket and unlocked the door, slowly opening it and calling out.
“Hey Bruce, it’s me,” I called.
Silence. Darkness.
I flipped the light switch and waited.
“Bruce!” I called his name again.
Silence.
I walked into the bedroom and saw him lying in bed, faced away from me.
“You’re still in bed? You must have really tied one over last night,” I said, walking around the bed.
I froze.
His eyes were open wide, his mouth wide open, blood streaked across his face, his body stiff.
“Bruce!” I ran to him, my heart racing, my hands shaking as I tried to shake him awake. His head fell limp onto his chest and that’s when I saw the bullet wound, going through his right temple.
A gun lay on the blanket, next to his side.
“Bruce! Bruce!” I yelled, my head shaking in disbelief.
I let him go, backing up from the bed, my heart shattering.
“No, fuck! No, noooo….” I screamed.
I scrambled to the phone in the living room and called 911, trying to control the shaking in my voice.
“I need an ambulance!” I barked, sinking to my knees.
“Now!”
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Novels by Nikki Wild
Bad Boy Fighters:
KNOCKOUT (A Bad Boy MMA Romance)
Bad Boy Bikers:
ROUGHNECK (A Dark Biker Romance)
Saving Landon (A Bad Boy Biker Romance)
Saved by the Bad Boy (A Devil’s Dragons Biker Romance)
Pride and Pregnancy (A Devil’s Dragons Motorcycle Club Romance)
Rough Rider (Outlaw Kings Motorcycle Club)
Hard Rider (A Bad Boy Biker Romance)
British Bad Boys:
Royal Prick (A Bad Boy British Romance)
Arrogant Brit (A Bad Boy British Sports Romance)
Rock Hard (A Bad Boy British Rockstar Romance)
Played (A Bad Boy British Romance)
Bad Boy Rockstars:
Double Treble (A Twin Rockstar Romance)
Illicit Behavior (A Bad Boy Rockstar Romance)
Rock Hard (A Bad Boy British Rockstar Romance)
Bad Boy Stepbrothers:
Lust (A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance)
Richard (A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance)
Bad Boy Billionaires:
Taking Beauty (Book 1 of the Taking Beauty Series)
Claiming Beauty (Book 2 of the Taking Beauty Series)
Owning Beauty (Book 3 of the Taking Beauty Series)
Pretend Married (A Billionaire Romance with a Twist)
Protect And Serve (A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance)
Bonus #1: ARROGANT BRIT!
Prologue
Of course I’d be running late for the most important banquet of the fucking month.
I scrambled to check myself in the mirror. The makeup was a thinly veiled hack-job, and my hair was barely kept in line. Image was the name of the game, image and proper representation… but I knew that I didn’t have the time to prepare myself any better.
At least my makeup covers the bases.
It wasn’t going to win me any awards.
But I’d leave a good enough impression.
With a slice of toast between my teeth, I quickly darted down the stairs and hopped in my ancient piece of junk Honda. No time to be cute and civil now, and I was starving. I could touch up my makeup at a red light…of which I anticipated there would be several because, you know, I was running late, and why the fuck wouldn’t there be red lights all the way there.
Twisting the keys in the ignition, I listened as the engine sputtered to life and ignored the obnoxious chime of the check engine light – the constant death knoll was ritual by now.
Moments later, I was on the road, a cavalcade of excuses and apologies whirling through my head. I didn’t know what I was going to say to the others when I arrived.
Forty-five minutes and a minimum of eight red lights later, I finally pulled to a halt in the parking garage, six floors above where I needed to be. I raced to the elevator, frantically punched the button, and rode it down the chasm towards the lobby. It was only halfway down that I realized I probably could have slipped down the stairs faster.
The Marines’ banquet was already starting by now, probably. All eyes were going to be on me as soon as I walked in.
Fantastic.
As I stepped out into the lobby, evading eye contact with absolutely anybody, I marched straight through the doors and to my people. There they were, standing in procession around our portly, impatient leader as his furious gaze fell down upon me.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me…I need to speak with one tardy Clara Campbell.”
Everyone’s gaze fell on me, and I felt small.
“You’re late,” Arnold told me after pulling me aside. Even with his whispered tone, I could see the others judging me as they paraded around the room. “I thought I could count on you to never be late. Where’s my Clara? I don’t see her here, just this tired, tardy young lady.”
“I’m sorry,” I replied truthfully. “It won’t happen again. Traffic was–”
“Don’t let it happen again,” he cut me off.
I nodded quietly, knowing that there would be no further discussion. All those half-hearted explanations in my head fell to the wayside, and I knew that he didn’t care to hear a single syllable.
Arnold cast me one final, judgmental glance before turning to the others, who collectively pretended to be occupied with their own devices.
“Very well then. Places, everybody!”
I grabbed a drink tray.
Oh. Wait. You thought I was going to be in the banquet, didn’t you?
Nope.
I‘m not the plucky romantic lead in a book, fawning over my billowing attired and preparing to take the ar
m of a sexy, rugged Marine. I wasn’t wearing a nice dress, although I did have a fetching black bow tie beneath my collar.
I bitterly adjusted my bow tie and waistcoat.
That’s right.
I’m on the fucking serving staff.
This was my place in life. My role was to work in the trenches while other people got the nice, glamorous lives. Being a banquet server meant working behind the scenes and making sure nobody saw what was really going on beneath our careful, manufactured smiles and in hidden corridors around the event rooms.
Spreading crisp, flawless tablecloths over ancient, folding wooden tables…
Stepping through concealed staff entrances into dank, filthy hallways, refilling ice pitchers and returning mountains of discarded plates…
Lining up in an assembly line of servers around a massive kitchen – marked with years of use and old appliances – to whisk out huge black trays of carefully plated entrees…
I saw the muck behind the charm.
It was my job to make sure they never did.
I’d never be the beautiful princess, or the intrepid reporter, or the esteemed socialite. I was just Clara – a working-class server, part of a freelance banquet and bartending crew that rounded out local hotels, sports games, and catered events. Being anything more than that just wasn’t the world that was in front of me.
Or so I thought.
Chapter 1
“That’s right, love. Just like that. Make my throbbing knob swell with pride.”
My strong fingers threaded deeper through her curly hair. Her full, rounded lips hungrily bobbed up and down on my rigid scepter. Of course, she couldn’t take it all in, even with her professed lack of a gag reflex – which we both knew by now had been a complete lie.
They never could.
It occurred to me, as I forced her to suck me down deeper, that I didn’t quite remember her name. She was just some quick draw from the club, a pretty face that went red with pleasure the moment she caught my rich accent. I knew she couldn’t remember my name, either, but she was going to ask for it again by the end.