by Lauren Wood
“Kiss me Carol.”
I did as he asked, not even thinking about who had control anymore. It was painfully obvious that it wasn’t me. When I moved down to kiss him, I just pressed more of him inside of me, feeling him bottom out in my depths. I whimpered into his mouth as we kissed.
“Put your arms around my neck.”
Again I just complied. I didn’t have enough brain power to do much more than that. Another wave of pleasure crashed over me and I was lost to it all. I could feel my body wanting to collapse, not caring who was underneath me.
“I can’t David.”
It took too much energy to come like that and I literally didn’t have the power to keep going. He was still pumping me from underneath, but I was no longer helping him or meeting his thrusts. I just couldn’t. Breathing was too much to focus on at the same time. He was too much and I collapsed on top of him.
“You don’t get out of it that easily Carol.”
Flipping me onto my back, it felt like he never even left me. So quickly he was back on top of me and back inside of me. It felt instantaneous. It felt so right.
David propped by calves up on his shoulders and I jerked with the new depth of the move. He was relentless, deep, hard and fast. This was the man I remembered, the one that had made sure that I never forgot him. How could I?
“Look at me Carol.”
He was full of commands, while I just hung on for dear life. I moved my gaze to him. He looked so determined and I moved to touch his face. He was more than just a one night stand. David had become my savior.
“I’m looking at you David. But not for long.”
Another wave of pleasure went through me and without him even slowing down, he prolonged it until my hands were trying to push him off of me. I was coming so hard it physically hurt.
David said my name, making my eyes open. We locked gazes about the time he made one last thrust forward and stopped. The hot need from him was scorching to my bruised insides. I whined with the sting and tried to move away, but he wasn’t having it. David wasn’t done with me yet, even if I was done.
“That was one hell of a thank you Carol.”
He was throbbing and jerking inside of me, making me gasp and hiss. It took me a couple of moments to answer him. “Just wanted to make sure that it was proper.”
“Not proper at all, just the way I like it. I have wanted to do that as soon as I got back to Chicago. I have thought about you a lot the last few months.”
“I have thought of you too.”
“You didn’t seem too eager when I came to see you before. Going on about a boyfriend.”
“Things change.”
“Why, because the suit was the one that went crazy?”
“No, I think it is because I realized that I love being with you. I don’t know why this works, it shouldn’t, but it does. We are so different, but maybe that is the way it is supposed to be.”
Chapter 15
David
“Lucas will see you now David.”
Marcus looked a little nervous, but I wasn’t going to take his cue. After everything that I had been through, there wasn’t much of anything that I was actually afraid of. The only thing that I was afraid of was to lose what I had. Carol was mine and I couldn’t fathom losing her, not for anything. It had been almost a week that I stayed over at her place and even less time that we were actually out of bed. She didn’t want me to go and that was reason enough for me.
I moved into the room that Lucas used as an office. Last meeting was done in one of his establishments. This time it felt more secluded and I still didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Was I just walking into another trap because of what I had done to one of his men? I knew it was a possibility.
“Thanks for seeing me Lucas.”
“It has been hard to get a hold of you. I was looking for you a week ago.”
“Had to get back in fighting form, so I took a couple of days off.”
“I think you were doing fine when you got out of the hospital. It doesn’t seem like you took much time before you were out in the streets causing mayhem.”
He was talking about Leo and everything that had happened with him. I wasn’t going to tell him everything that happened, but I knew that Marcus had. He worked for Lucas after all, not me.
“Had to take care of a few things. Up north we like to retaliate right away.”
“I have always liked to let someone sit and stew a little while first.”
“I guess I don’t have the patience for all of that.”
“No, I guess you don’t.”
I wasn’t sure if he was mad or not. It didn’t seem like he was, but I couldn’t tell. I didn’t know Lucas, about as much as he didn’t know me. At the end of the day, I had made things harder for him when I got rid of his men. It had to be done, that much I know, but I had to wonder if there would have been a better way. I should have talked to him first before I started stomping heads, but it was too late for that now.
“Have you thought about my offer?”
“I didn’t know if it was still on the table.”
“Why, because of what you did to Leo, Brauns, Keith and Javone?”
“There was a couple more.”
Lucas chuckled. “Yeah, but they aren’t with me, so they don’t count.”
“Oh.” What else was I supposed to say?
“Yes the offer is still on the table. Leo was on his way out and the rest weren’t much help. I need someone like you more than I need someone like them.”
“Good, then I will take it.”
“Are you going to be able to abide by my rules?”
“What are they?”
“Pretty standard, but one that you might have a problem with is coming to me first before making a big play like that. You caused a lot of damage and I don’t want the cops sniffing around. We like to keep things quiet.”
“It was brought to my door, so I had to take care of it.”
“You should have come to me first.”
I nodded my head in agreement. I knew that I should have, it was a sign of respect, but I couldn’t. “Things happened pretty fast and I didn’t think about it.”
Lucas sat back in his seat. “I just don’t want a rogue man working for me. We do things together and you get my okay.”
“I don’t see that happening again.”
“After what you did to them, I think not.” He was smiling and I was going to take that as a good sign. The last thing I wanted to do was make him angry. He was the boss of a big gang, not someone that I wanted against me. It had turned out the best way that I know how.
“I just did what I had to.”
“No, I heard about it all. Marcus has never been one to get spooked.”
“I spooked him?”
Lucas looked towards the closed door. “Yeah you did. He is my nephew and I want him to be fearless, but I did tell him some fear is good. It keeps us alive.”
I didn’t know what to say. Lucas was getting off topic and before long we were back to the job that I had agreed to. It wasn’t that hard to figure out what it was he wanted me to do. He wanted someone to get their hands dirty for him and I have never had a problem with that.
“You do for me, what you did for you and I will make you a wealthy man. I know that having you around, things are going to change pretty quick.”
“Are you having troubles?”
“Marcus tries, but he needs someone with him, someone that can teach him a thing or two.”
“That is what you want me to do?”
“You already are and you have some integrity. That is who I want my nephew working with. It would be good for both of us. You get a bigger piece of the pie and Marcus gets what he needs to one day take over for me. Everyone wins.”
We shook hands on the deal and though he wanted to sit and drink a while, I had another place to be that was calling to me.
“Where are you off to in such a rush?”
&nbs
p; “Got to go see my girl.”
Lucas’ brow went up. “Is this the one that you tracked down and saved on that boat?”
He did know everything and I groaned a little. Carol was my weakness and I didn’t want everyone to know that. It would put her in danger and make me look soft. Both of those options are dangerous.
“Yeah, that’s the one. Some women are hard to forget.”
Lucas nodded and smiled to himself. I had a feeling that he had a woman in his life that he couldn’t shake either. Sometimes that was just how it was supposed to be and I knew that there was a reason that I had met Carol. I didn’t believe in fate, but with her, it was hard not to. She was the one for me and no matter what happened next, it would be okay if she was by my side.
THE END
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I hope you enjoyed YOU’RE MINE. For more enjoyment, I have included some bonus stories along with previews of my other books and next book blurb. Please check the table of content to choose what to read next.
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SPORTS ROMANCE COLLECTION
BAILEY
Chapter 1
“It doesn’t have to be this way, Lynn. I could easily offer you a promotion with all the benefits, but I’m not sure that you’re willing to take it. It will mean moving away from this no nothing town and finding a life in the big city. I want you to seriously consider my offer. I’m giving you the right of first refusal. You should not take that lightly and I’ve never been a man that was about charity.” Holden Mackie was the boss and usually whatever he wanted he would get. That was not how it was with Lynn Hawkins. She was a potential gold mine, but she was allowing her past indiscretions to get in the way of success.
“I never knew that you even saw me. I thought that I was wallpaper. I am flattered, but I’m going to have to give it some serious thought.” “I want to tell him yes, but I can’t do that with the responsibility of another to take care of. My young son Timothy is only five years old. I can’t take him away from everything that he loves including his grandparents. Having them around has been a godsend. Whenever I was at my wits end, they were always there to lend a hand. I understand that I might be losing out and that somebody else is going to benefit by my decision to say no, but I have to think of my son. It if was just me, I would jump at the opportunity for this kind of adventure.”
“I can give you, until the end of the week and then I’m gonna have to move on to another candidate. This could be the start of something huge, but it’s going to be up to you to take it. I’ve seen you get lost, but I’ve also noticed that you have the kind of work ethic that I’m looking for. I know that this is a huge step, but it’s a big opportunity that doesn’t come around all the time. Don’t squander the gift that I’m giving you on a silver platter. I don’t want you to get complacent and I want you to truly live up to your potential. This is not the place for you. I only keep this newspaper because the town needs it to stay up to date with local news.”
Lynn Hawkins had wanted to go to school to become a real international journalist. She wanted to jet set around the world seeing all those things and places that made her heart stop any time that she was thinking about traveling. She had gone to journalism school, but she had dropped out on her last year. She couldn’t juggle that kind of commitment with the terrible two’s of Timothy making her hair turn prematurely grey. Thankfully her hairdresser was able to give her something to bring back the body and luster.
“I’ll be sure to take everything that you say under consideration, Mr. Mackie. I appreciate you thinking of me.” She couldn’t come out and flat out say no and that would have been rude. She already knew that she was going to have to decline. Writing obituaries was not her idea of fun, but it was necessary to put food on her plate and a roof over her head. She made sure that Timothy had everything that he wanted regardless if she had to eat Ramen noodles for the next month.
“Miss Hawkins, I don’t do this for just any one and sometimes you have to stop looking a gift horse in the mouth. I’ve been watching you for quite some time and I think that you have what it takes. You’re just going to have to decide what you want from this life and if you’re going to allow anyone or anything to stand in your way. I have family myself and sometimes sacrifices have to be made. I’m offering you a chance to get in on the ground floor of an online publication.” Holden Mackie had many businesses, but those that he had a passion for was in the media.
“It’s not just me that I have to consider. I think you know that. Give me the week and I’m sure that I will have an answer for you by then.” Lynn knew that if she took it that it wasn’t going to give her any more money. It would essentially be a steppingstone and one that was required to really make her mark as a journalist. Having her byline under the obits was mostly ignored by her friends and her grandparents. “I do have one foot already out the door, but the other one is being held down by Timothy holding my ankle.” “I didn’t want to have a family this early in life. I had everything planned out, but any great laid plans can go awry at a moment’s notice. Holden Mackie was my idol and mentor and even working alongside him in this capacity was a dream come true. He was charismatic, but he was also a man that knew what he wanted and apparently he wanted me.”
“I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but this will disappear in a week. You never know when something like this will come up again. Don’t become stagnant and think that you have to do this. Think about your future and where you want to be in five years. Family is important, but you sometimes need to do what’s right for you.” Holden Mackie had five kids of his own and that was never more apparent than the gray hairs on his head. He had five different wives and each one was taking a bit of his soul every time that he had to pay alimony.
Lynn walked out of the office feeling like there was a shift in the air. She wanted to believe that her future was bright, but without the necessary money to go along with the position it was almost foolhardy to think about it. She would not have her grandparents to be instant babysitters. She would have to uproot her entire life. She was already living hand to mouth. This would be a risk that she wasn’t sure that she could take with her family in tow. “I think about how I got here. Bailey Welling was the one that got away. On prom night, we said our goodbyes with a soft kiss. It ended with him leaving to become a very high profile football star with the Patriots. I wanted to go with him, but I knew that he was still young and sowing his wild oats. He didn’t give any indication that he wanted to marry me and I had to believe that his feelings were not as deep as nine was for him.”
“You’ve been in there a long time. You don’t have to tell me what that was all about, but you really do look like something big has happened. You got a message and apparently an old friend of yours is getting married in the next few days.” Leslie was in competition with Lynn. She tried to ingratiate herself into Lynn’s life, but she was only doing it to keep her friend’s close and her enemies even closer. This girl had a bubbly personality and she knew how to use what god gave her. Leslie had no problem using her obvious sexuality to her advantage to get ahead. It was primarily the reason why she was writing the editorials and working with the sports side of things. “I think what we both need is a ladies night out. A few drinks and watching some young stud put the moves on us is something that we have been lacking lately. What do you say, Lynn? Are you ready to cast aside these cubicle walls and dance the night away?”
“I would really love to, but I have to get home. I have a child that I have to feed and take care of. I’ve already asked my grandparents for enough to last a lifetime. I know that they would gladly take him for the night, but I can’t do that without a damn good reason. Going out and having fun sounds great, but I just can’t do that.” “I’m not foolish to think for once that Leslie wants to be my friend. She would just as soon stab me in the back than to say anything kind to me. She wants to be noticed and the low cut tops have certainly gotten her some attention. It may not be the right kind of attention, but it
has gotten her this far. I’ve seen her flirt on several occasions with those athletes that are just getting noticed. She has no problem digging into their past and finding those skeletons that are better left buried.”
“I just think that we need to find some time for ourselves. If you can’t go out tonight, then maybe you can go to lunch with me.” Leslie wanted to grill her for more information about what that meeting with Holden Mackie was all about. She’d heard rumors that Holden had acquired something of a dysfunctional online publication. He was going to do a major retooling and poach some of the best talent from various companies underneath his umbrella.
“I suppose that I could take a long lunch. There’s a cute bistro down the street that makes the most amazing ravioli that you have ever put into your mouth. I go there all the time with Timothy. I think he enjoys trying new things.” “That kid is very curious, but he lets me know in no uncertain terms what he likes and what he doesn’t. I don’t think I’ve ever had to scold him or yell at him in public. I’ve taught him to be a little gentleman. He doesn’t give me many problems and being five years old, he’s starting to wonder about a few things.”
Lynn sat down at her desk seeing that there were only three obituaries that had to be written today. She saw the message on her phone and she pressed on it to hear a familiar voice from her past.
“Lynn, I want to be my maid of honor. I’m marrying a very successful producer. I’m going to be back in town and my whole family is coming in for the big occasion. We’re actually having it at the old family homestead. I should be arriving in the next couple of days. I’m looking for to catching up. I’ll give you a call when I get in."
Lynn couldn’t even think about what this could mean. Seeing him after all this time would be the worst thing that ever happened to her. She had seen him on TV several times going down the field looking for that touchdown. She would be screaming so loud that Timothy would mimic her. It had become a nightly ritual to watch the Patriots in action. She saw how he had climbed the ranks from his high school days all the way to his NFL career with the Patriots.