“Ah, another one,” Rich murmured, reaching for his scotch, not at all amused by the rejection.

“Another one?” Harper raised a brow at him.

“Emmie, Layla, Lana.” Rich shrugged his thin shoulders. “Beautiful on the outside, pure bitch on the inside.”

I tensed, ready to rip the guy’s head off for daring to call my girl a bitch when Harper laughed. “You think I’m beautiful?”

Sighing, I pulled her back a few steps. “Baby, you really need to look in the mirror,” I whispered against her ear before stepping in front of her.

Rich obviously thought he could speak to my girl any which way. Not only had he insulted her, but also the other women in my family, and I wasn’t about to walk away without correcting him. With Harper safely behind me, I bent over the table so I could meet Rich eye-to-eye.

“Speak like that to her, or any other female in my family, and I promise you will live to regret it. How will you afford those little blue pills that keep your dick hard while you fuck fake hos like her if the Demons suddenly drop you on your ass?”

I took pleasure in watching the man pale before straightening. With my hand to the small of Harper’s back, I guided her out of the restaurant and into the back of a taxi that had just let a couple out.

“I’m sorry about that.” I was quick to apologize to her. “I should never have put you in that position…” I broke off when she started shaking her head.

“It’s okay. I’m fine. You are the one I was worried about. Do you normally shake like that when you’re upset? Do you have high blood pressure or something?” Her tone was full of concern.

I hadn’t even realized I was shaking. I didn’t normally let my emotions get the better of me, but my rage at the other man was barely restrained. I wanted to beat the fuck out of him—badly. No one talked about Harper like that! No one.

A gentle hand covered my heart, and just like that I felt the anger start to drain away. Glancing down at her hand on my chest, I felt something deep inside constrict. It was almost painful and totally scary. Without thinking about it, I pressed her into the corner of the taxi’s backseat and kissed her.

She had the sweetest taste. My tongue stabbed inside her willing mouth and I sipped her nectar greedily. I wanted more, ached to hold her naked body against my own. I needed to be inside of her; my body was screaming for it—my dick weeping for it.

Instead, I only took what I knew she was ready to give. Each second the kiss lasted I savored, loving how she innocently kissed me back. I was her first kiss, and I was determined to be her last. 

Chapter 9

Harper

How long the taxi had been sitting in front of my apartment building I wasn’t exactly sure. But with the meter running, the taxi driver wasn’t exactly complaining about the delay.

With a tortured groan Shane raised his face from my neck, having buried it there several minutes before. His lips had left a scalding trail from my lips to my jaw and down to the base of my neck as he had kissed me. “I don’t want you to go,” he whispered, kissing my lips quick and hard. “But I know you have to.”

My brain was foggy with desire, so I didn’t understand. “Why do I have to go?” I whispered back.

Another kiss to the corner of my mouth. “Because you aren’t ready. You don’t trust me enough.”

“But…”

His lips stopped me from saying anything else. My fingers tangled in his hair, and I held on tight, trying to keep up with his demanding kiss. His hands stroked up and down my sides, his thumbs caressing the underside of my breasts, making me dizzy and aching in a way I wasn’t sure I had ever felt before.

There was a tap on the window behind Shane, and his head jerked around to see some guy in a suit standing outside on the sidewalk. Muttering a curse, he tossed a bunch of bills at the driver and opened the door. The business man, who I was sure lived on the eleventh floor in my building, was grinning when Shane helped me from the back of the car.

Shane growled something under his breath at the man, who smartly remained quiet before getting into the waiting taxi.

With a hand on the small of my back, Shane guided me inside and pressed the button to call for the elevator. The doorman gave us a nod in greeting but otherwise remained quiet until the elevator’s doors were closed behind us.

Shivering with suppressed desire, I leaned against the big man who wrapped his strong arms around me. The trip up to the twelfth floor felt like it took an eternity, yet was over far too soon. His arms tightened for a moment, his lips lingering at my ear, before he finally released me and walked me down the corridor to the corner apartment.

I tried to find the words to ask him to come in. “Do you...”

He shook his head. “No, beautiful. As badly as I want to, I can’t come in.” He lowered his head and brushed a tender kiss over my lips, then my nose, and lastly over my eyes. It was so sweet that I felt my throat clog with tears. “Can I see you tomorrow?”

All I could do was nod as he stepped back. Our hands were still linked as he started to turn away, holding fast until we could no longer stay linked. “Good night, beautiful,” I heard him say as I watched him walk backwards toward the elevators.

I bit my lip and watched until he disappeared behind the elevator doors before opening the front door of my apartment.

Of course no one was home, and I hadn’t been expecting them to be. It was Saturday night. Linc was probably on the prowl for a sleepover friend and he must have taken Dallas with him. Just as he was her guard, she was his. As for Lana, I was happy that she was spending yet another night with her Drake.

But that meant I was all alone in our big apartment, with an aching body and a whirling mind. I wanted to talk, take a long cool shower, and fall into bed. Sighing, I locked the door and headed toward my room. A cool shower would have to do.

I was stripping when my phone chimed with Shane’s designated text tone. Glancing down at the screen, I saw his message.

<3 <3 <3 I miss u already <3 <3 <3

A goofy smile spread across my face, and I sat down on the edge of my bed, holding my phone close like a love sick fool. Finally, I texted him back.

Wish you had stayed.

Almost instantly he sent a return text. Me 2. C U tomorrow, beautiful.

--

I was determined that I wasn’t going to let the attraction I felt for Shane get in the way. We were friends and I wanted it to stay that way.

Each morning I woke with that determination firmly in mind. And it worked until we were alone. His drugging kisses would always bend my resolve, and I would melt against him every time his lips touched mine. It was scary, crazy… Wonderful.