by Sam Crescent
Later that night, Caleb lay in bed with Faith in his arms. She was sleeping soundly. He listened to her breathing as he stroked her hair.
Happiness was not something he was … used to. Or feeling content.
He’d killed more men than he could count on both of his hands.
Letting Faith go seemed like the safest option, and yet the pain he felt at the thought of letting her go was not something he wanted to think about.
He couldn’t let her go, even if it meant she was safe.
Caleb loved having her in his life where her smiles were all his. Sleeping at night without her would be torture. He loved the way she snuggled up against him, and if she wasn’t on her cycle, he’d be deep inside her as he slept.
Her stomach had been hurting her when he’d climbed into bed, and he’d stroked her until she fell asleep.
Caleb closed his eyes as he heard the first creak.
All of his senses went on high alert. No one should be coming up his stairs. Slowly, easing out from underneath Faith, he reached into his bedside drawer and grabbed his gun. Faith released a sigh, and he glanced over at her. She rolled, pulling the blanket over her.
Whoever was coming to his bedroom wasn’t supposed to be here.
****
Faith sat in Caleb’s study waiting for him to arrive. She’d woken up several hours ago to Caleb attacking an intruder. The man had been holding a gun, and for a few seconds she’d been completely scared that Caleb would get killed. He’d overpowered the man, and now Beast was there, and they were in the basement. She’d spotted the cleaning van that had already arrived. She sipped at the strong brandy she’d poured herself, waiting.
She hated waiting.
Whoever the man was, he’d killed one of the guards on the door. There were supposed to be two, so she knew without a doubt that someone was about to have a very bad night, or at least morning.
She turned toward the door when she heard it open, and there her man stood. He’d gotten changed into sweats, and he looked … angry.
Getting up from her seat, she held the glass in her hand, and waited. “Are you okay?” she asked.
“Am I okay?”
She frowned. “Yes.”
He chuckled. “A man attacked us and you were in danger, but you want to know if I’m okay?”
“It’s a perfectly reasonable question.”
“No, it’s not. You see, Faith, you’re supposed to want a normal life and have one yourself. You’re not supposed to be woken up in the middle of the night because I’m pounding the life out of someone.” Caleb threw his hand out, his actions jerky and angry.
She watched him, hating that he was feeling this way.
“You’re nearly nineteen. This is the last thing you should have to deal with. You’re supposed to be having fun, living your life.”
“I am having fun, Caleb.”
“You’re not listening.”
“I am listening, Caleb. It sounds to me like you want a reason for me to leave.”
“You should. If you value your life you should stay far away from me. I can’t even take care of kittens. There’s no way that I can take care of you.”
“Kittens?”
He shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
“I don’t need for you to take care of me.”
He snorted.
“No! You don’t get to tell me how I’m supposed to live a normal life and expect me to listen to all of your supposed ‘good reasons.’ They’re all bullshit, Caleb. Every single one of them. No one has a normal life. No one. They may go to college and have husbands, but there’s no way of defining normal. I grew up with a gambling father. Wow, I mean, I was so worried I even slept with someone so that I knew it would be my choice, that’s how much my life has been fucked up. I’ve gone without food, and I’ve had to lie under my bed while debt collectors came knocking on the door.” She pointed at her face. “I got this because he didn’t pay. What part of my fucking life has ever been normal?”
He went to speak, and she held her hand up. For once she was going to be heard. She wasn’t going to have a man tell her what she was going to do or what she should be doing.
“My father pulled me out of high school, and I didn’t fight him about it because I was tired of always being behind and I hated being the new girl. I hated my life, and I hated him. Then you happened. You came to collect a debt, and he handed me to you. I was so scared. I’d heard about you, but I didn’t know what to expect. Caleb Carson, one of the most feared men in the world, and he … he is the kindest man I have ever known.”
“I killed your dad.”
“I know, and I don’t care. That’s how much my life is fucked up, Caleb. I don’t care. All I know is that when I’m with you, nothing else matters.” She shrugged. “I guess I’m just a bit weird. I don’t know.” This was the biggest chance she had ever taken in her entire life. “If you’re wanting me to leave because you think I’m not happy, or that I’m not safe, then I … I don’t want to go. I love you, Caleb. But if you’re wanting me to go because you can’t stand the sight of me, and you’re wanting another woma—”
“What did you say?”
“That if you want another woman?”
“No, the bit before that?”
“That I love you.”
“I thought you didn’t do love.”
“So did I. I guess I was wrong. I love you, Caleb. I don’t want to go anywhere else. Being with you, it’s the happiest I’ve ever felt.” She held the glass tightly in her fingers.
He took a step closer to her.
“I know you’re not a fan of love.”
“I love you,” he said, stepping right up to her.
She tilted her head back, watching him. “What?”
“I’ve known for quite a while, and I’ve been fighting it, but I love you. All I want is the best for you.”
“There’s no one else that will ever give me better than you.” She placed the glass on the desk and cupped his face. Staring into his eyes, she felt herself get lost within him. “I know this life is dangerous. I trust you. I’ll train. I’ll do whatever you need me to do, but please, don’t send me away because you think it’ll do me good. I don’t want to leave you.”
He gripped the back of her neck, and in the next second, his lips crashed on hers, and she melted against him.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him back with a passion. She didn’t hold anything back, letting him know in her kiss how much she wanted him. Not only did she want him, she craved him more than anything else in the world.
The hand at her neck moved down and gripped her ass. Lifting her up, he placed her on the edge of the desk.
She opened her thighs, moaning as he tore at her panties. He threw them to one side.
Pushing down his sweatpants, she gripped his rock-hard erection. Caleb pressed her back, and she moaned as in the next instant, he filled her.
“You’re all mine, Faith. You had a chance to leave, and now I’m not ever going to let you go.”
“Good. I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to stay yours forever.” She cried out as he leaned forward and took one of her nipples. He sucked on the hard bud through her thin negligee.
The pleasure shot straight through to her pussy, and she tightened her grip on him as he rode her hard.
Caleb pushed all of the paperwork off the desk, and she giggled. He moved off her nipple, claiming her lips.
“I love you so fucking much. We’re going to get married.”
“Is that a proposal or an instruction?”
“It’s an order. You’re mine, and we both know you want it.”
Someone knocked on the door.
“Fuck off,” Caleb said.
“Is this a bad time?” a man asked.
“Dwayne, if you don’t leave now, I’m going to shoot your dick off. I’m fucking my soon-to-be wife.”
“I’m gone.”
“Your nephew keeps trying to cock block y
ou,” she said, smiling. How could she not be smiling? The man of her dreams loved her, and they were going to get married.
“No one will ever come between me and you. You’re mine, Faith, and I swear I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe.”
She believed him.
Closing her eyes, she arched up to his touch, feeling the beginnings of her orgasm. When she came, Caleb held her, whispering his words of love and possession.
Giving her to Caleb was the only thing her father had ever done right. She’d found the man of her dreams in her monster.
Epilogue
A few months later
Caleb smiled as he heard Faith gasp. It was fucking freezing, but nothing could take away from the beauty of the waterfall.
“Oh, my,” she said, standing next to him.
He held her hand tightly as they both watched the rushing water. “It’s beautiful.”
It was late October, and so cold for the time of year. He’d been tempted to cancel his trip, but Faith had been packing for a couple of weeks, and the excitement in her eyes at the prospect of getting away had been too good to pass up.
Beast had dropped them off at one of the sites known for hiking and touring. That had been three days ago.
He never for a second thought that his trips to nature could get any better, but having his wife curled up next to him, keeping him company, there was nothing else that was better.
“It’s not as beautiful as you,” he said, kissing her neck.
Faith giggled. “Please, you cannot even begin to compare me to something like this. I mean … look at it.”
They were both silent. The sounds of the water created a feeling of peace in the air.
“It’s really deadly though. If someone was to fall in, they’d be killed instantly. Head knocked out on the rocks.”
“Trust you to find something dangerous in something so beautiful,” she said.
He took her hand and they moved on. Caleb helped her over several of the large tree trunks that had fallen down in some of the storms.
Not once did he let her go, keeping hold of her until they found a good spot to make camp. It was as they were sitting, about to set up a fire, that he heard a twig snap.
He turned and saw a large deer there, watching them. The antlers looked fierce, and for several seconds neither of them moved.
“He’s so beautiful,” Faith said.
At the sound of her voice, the deer took off.
“I want to come with you every single year,” she said.
He set the fire, and Faith placed the small pan they had for their soup to warm up in. He patted the ground between his thighs, and she sat between them. Taking her hands, he stared at the ring that graced her finger. They’d had a very small church wedding, and Dwayne, Beast, Hope, and a couple of the men who worked for them had been there to witness them.
“I love you,” he said.
“Oh, there’s something I want to show you.” She released his hands and held up her phone. There was a picture of a box, and inside there were at least six kittens.
“Cute.”
“You like them. They’re black and white, and so cute,” she said.
“Yeah, they are.”
“Good, they’re ours.”
“What?”
“When you mentioned the kitten thing, I asked Beast about it. He told me what happened. I’m so sorry about your dad. Anyway, I’m not ready for a kid yet, so I was thinking we could start with being the proud parents of pretty kittens.”
Caleb was so overcome with emotion that he grabbed her and ravished her mouth. “I love you so damn much. Have I told you that lately?”
“Nope. Not enough,” she said with a smile.
“How did I get so lucky?”
“I don’t know, but when you find the answer, let me know because I feel the same way.” She kissed him back, and there really was no way he could ever let her go.
She was his woman to love, and he intended to spend the rest of their lives showing her in every single way he could.
The End
www.samcrescent.com
Other Books by Sam Crescent:
www.evernightpublishing.com/sam-crescent
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BONUS SAMPLE CHAPTER
BRED BY THE BILLIONAIRE
Breeding Season, 1
Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino
Copyright © 2017
Chapter One
“Where’s my fucking coffee?” Tobias Bennett sifted through the files on his desk. He was getting too old for this shit—late nights at the office and staff who couldn’t follow simple instructions. At this point in his life, he’d imagined living on a private island, a mojito in one hand and The Wall Street Journal in the other. But he was still running the family business with no sign of slowing down. He’d been termed a perfectionist, and probably a lot worse, but he strongly believed wealth was the measure of success.
A couple minutes later, one of the interns set a mug on the corner of his desk. She scurried out of his office, nearly breaking into a jog. Was he that much of an asshole?
Tobias scrubbed both hands over his face. He knew exactly what had been driving him crazy lately. His parents were riding him hard for an heir, another Bennett to carry on the family empire. The problem—he wasn’t looking for a wife. His bachelor life suited him just fine, and even at forty-five, he wasn’t ready to settle down. He would have told his aging parents to back off, but they had a point, one that kept crowding his thoughts.
Morgan peered in his office. “Why are you still here?”
“Work.”
“Go home. It’s Friday night, for God’s sake.” He’d gone to university with Morgan, and hired him to work on the Bennett Corporation legal team over a decade ago. Morgan was the only man who dared to speak freely with him.
“I’ve got that big bid on Monday. I need to be prepared,” said Tobias.
“We’ve already got it covered. Everything’s in order.”
“It has to be perfect.”
Morgan exhaled, then shook his head. “Well, I’m heading out.” Then he added, “Don’t push yourself so hard.”
“See you Monday.” Tobias leaned back in his leather chair and gave his friend a mock salute.
Once alone again, he pondered Morgan’s words. Yes, he pushed himself. It was life as a Bennett. His parents expected perfection from day one, and he’d always delivered. The company was strong, profitable, and dominating the stock market because he didn’t fuck around. He always put a hundred percent effort into everything he set out to do, and demanded the same from his staff. If one of his employees couldn’t meet the mark, he didn’t think twice about showing them the door. He had no room for weakness.
After another couple of hours, he packed up his paperwork and flicked off the lights to his corner penthouse office. As he stood in the darkness, the lights of the city sparkled with life beyond the floor to ceiling windows. He grabbed his briefcase and walked over to the window, looking down from one of the highest vantage points. It was one big party below, a city that never slept.
He’d put the Bennett Corporation on the map, made his father’s business into something multi-national, but what happened next? What would happen when he died? The legacy he’d built would die along with him, all his hard work and sacrifices for nothing. The business might continue with the family name, but without the blood of a Bennett, it would be a soulless enterprise, nothing more than dollars and cents.
“Mr. Bennett?”
Tobias snapped out of his reverie, turning to see a silhouette in the doorway of his darkened office. “Yes?”
“Would you like some company tonight?”
He narrowed his eyes as he strode to the door. “Aren’t you one of the new analysts we just hired?” Tobias had thousands
of employees, so couldn’t remember many names and faces. He only allowed minimal staff on the penthouse floor of his skyscraper. He remembered this woman from the new staff tour yesterday morning, and only because she’d worn a short skirt.
“Yes, sir.”
“And why are you up here?”
“I wanted to offer my company.” She ran her finger along the low collar of her blouse. Was she actually trying to seduce him? “I have many skillsets beyond analyzing, and I thought you’d like me to show you some.”
He scoffed. “You thought wrong, sweetheart. If you’d actually done any digging, you’d know I never mix business with pleasure.”
“But—”
“Stay on the fifth floor. I don’t want to see you up here again.”
She sulked off, clearly not expecting him to reject her. Tobias wasn’t hard up. He had a long list of women he could call for a hook-up. None of them meant a thing to him. They were available for sex, and that’s how he liked it—until now. If he wanted a kid, he had to find a decent woman to be the mother. Unfortunately, most of the women he fucked were gold-diggers, and he didn’t want any baby drama. He just wanted the heir, nothing more.
He could already envision it, a life similar to his own childhood. His son would be raised by a nanny, go to boarding school, and be trained to be the best at everything. Tobias knew parenting wouldn’t take much effort on his part—he’d rarely seen his own mother and father growing up.
Tobias took the elevator down to the parking garage, trying to push thoughts of babies and legacies out of his head. This responsibility shouldn’t have fallen on his damn shoulders. He’d been the younger brother—until he turned sixteen. Maximus had been nineteen when he died of a heroin overdose. Of course, his parents made sure the real cause didn’t hit the media, appearances being more important than the truth. Tobias had seen it coming. He’d done nothing. Unlike him, Maximus wanted more, wanted the love and warmth he’d seen in other homes. Their father said he was weak, he couldn’t cut it, and that’s why he killed himself. No one ever mentioned Maximus, like he never existed.