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  “Come here,” I demand.

  She walks across the marble floors. As soon as she is within reach, I pick her up and carry her with me into the living room, where I sit down with her in my lap before pulling out my phone and calling Bernard.

  “Shhhh, Angel,” I whisper to the top of her head and pull her firmly against me when I hear her sob.

  “Boss?” Bernard answers.

  “Get your ass up to my place now,” I order then hang up. “We’ll get you all new clothes,” I tell her, and she shakes her head, causing her face to slide against my shirt.

  “Why would someone take my stuff?”

  “Let’s not talk about that right now,” I say softly, kissing the top of her head.

  My mind is traveling rapidly, and I don’t want to explore the reason why until Bernard gets here. All I can think about is the fact that she left this morning, and that is when the people must have come in to take all of her stuff. I wonder what they would have done if she had been here alone. There is no telling what would have happened then. My building is secure, but just like any location, there is always room for improvement.

  It takes three minutes for the phone to ring and them to tell me that they are sending a guest up. Chloe jumps at the noise and I shush her again before sitting her on the couch next to me so I can meet Bernard at the entryway.

  “I’ll be right around the corner. Sit here until I come back,” I tell her, kissing her forehead. “Look at me, Beautiful.” I place two fingers under her chin, raising her eyes to mine. “It will all be okay.”

  “I know,” she whispers and then looks over my shoulder when the bell goes off again.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  She nods, and I kiss her lips before heading towards the door.

  “What’s going on?” Bernard asks as soon as I open the front door.

  I lead him back down the hall towards the living room, not wanting Chloe to be out of sight for more than a moment.

  “All of Chloe’s belongings are gone,” I tell him over my shoulder.

  “How is that possible?”

  “I would like to know the same thing.” I run a hand through my hair and walk to the living room, finding Chloe where I left her, but now, her eyes are on her phone in her hand, her face white as a ghost.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I just got an e-mail,” she whispers and then lifts her eyes to meet mine. “What happened when you were in Japan?” Her bottom lip trembles and tears fill her eyes.

  My stomach twists as I wonder what she could possibly be talking about. “What’s in the e-mail?” I coax.

  She lifts her phone up towards me. The image on the screen is of me from the night I flew home when I found out she was in the hospital. I’m sitting in one of the chairs, and the angle the picture was taken makes it appear like the waitress and I are kissing.

  I remember that moment. I had been taking a drink from the waitress, and she had bent down towards me to ask a question, so I had leaned forward to hear her more clearly.

  “That isn’t what it looks like,” I state, taking a step towards her. “Do not ever question the depth of emotions I feel for you. I would never disrespect you or us like that.”

  Her eyes search my face, and she swallows before lowering her face towards her phone again. For a moment, I wonder if whoever is doing this has won, if they have succeeded in taking away the most important thing in my life. Then her phone clicks off, her eyes meet mine, and I see that she’s still with me, and the knot in my stomach unravels.

  “I will find out who’s doing this and bury them,” I vow, turning towards Bernard. “I want to know who was here and how the fuck they got in. In the meantime, I’m taking Chloe to my house upstate. I want three men with us. I expect that, by the time I talk to you next, you have some kind of lead,” I tell him before turning back to Chloe and holding out my hand for her.

  She takes it and I pull her up off the couch.

  “Is Ricket driving you?” Bernard asks.

  My first instinct is to say yes, but I think driving may help ease what I’m currently feeling. “I’m driving,” I reply, picking up my briefcase and car keys from the table beside the door.

  As soon as we’re inside, I press the button for the garage then pull Chloe closer, rubbing her back. Her body melts into mine and I press a kiss to the top of her head while taking a deep breath of her scent. As soon as the elevator doors open, I turn left and head straight to my favorite car: my Aston Martin Vanquish.

  “I had no idea you even owned a car,” Chloe says quietly while putting on her safety belt.

  “Seven,” I inform her, starting up the engine, the loud roar bouncing off the concrete walls.

  “Seven?” She looks at me questionably.

  “Seven cars, Beautiful.”

  “You never drive,” she states, looking at me like I’m crazy.

  “In the city, no, but when I go to my house upstate, I drive.”

  “I didn’t even know you owned a house upstate,” she mumbles.

  “There was no reason to bring it up. I haven’t been to my old house in months. I have always stayed in the city. But my parents live near there and insisted I buy it when the market bottomed out. They wanted somewhere for me to raise a family that was close to them. I’m sure we would have gone sometime soon. My mother can only be put off for so long. You know she has been chomping at the bit to meet you since you answered my phone when you saw her name appear on the caller ID.” I smile at the memory.

  “Who keeps their parents saved in their phone under their real names?” she mutters, and despite the situation, I can’t help but laugh.

  “She got a good laugh out of it.” I squeeze her hand.

  “In all fairness, there were a lot of girls calling before that.” She sighs.

  “Then you came along and I couldn’t see past you. I still can’t see past you.”

  “I love you.” She places her hand on mine. The words “I love you” always feel so inadequate for what I feel for her.

  “Love you too, Beautiful.” I bring her hand to my mouth and press a kiss there. “I don’t want you worrying. I want you to trust me to take care of you and to keep you safe.”

  “I just wish I knew why all of this is happening.”

  “You were right earlier. This has nothing to do with you. This is all because of me.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I’m not sure, Angel, but in life, sometimes all you have to do is be breathing in order to piss people off.”

  “That makes no sense,” she replies softly, leaning her head over onto my shoulder.

  The rest of the drive is silent, with Chloe asleep while I go over potential suspects in my head. I know I have made enemies doing the work I do, but none of them would ever be so personal in their revenge. Women of my past flash through my head, but I can’t see any of them doing this.

  My mind keeps venturing towards Maxine, the way she has acted and the things she’s said to me regarding Chloe, but I believe my relationship with her father would deter her from doing anything like this. I have no main suspect, no real reason for this turn of events. Nothing like this ever occurred when I dated in the past.

  We pull up to my house after an hour, and Chloe sleepily lifts her head when I move her to punch in the code for the gate.

  “This isn’t a house,” she says.

  I turn my head to look at the structure in front of us. It’s all brick, with three-story, white pillars that line the front porch. It’s ten thousand square feet, eight bedrooms, nine baths, with a rec room and two large living rooms.

  “I know it’s big, but I plan to fill every room in that house with a kid someday.”

  “And who exactly is going to have that many kids?”

  “You.” I smile when I see her shake her head out of the corner of my eye while I pull into the garage.

  “Do I get a say in it?” Chloe asks, raising an eyebrow.

  “You had a say the
first night I walked you home. That was the time for you to run, but instead, you took my hand and let me get a taste of you. Now, I’m fucking addicted, and now, not even you can stop me from getting what I want,” I declare.

  She surprises me by leaning over and pressing a kiss to my lips before quickly getting out of the car. I turn off the engine and shut the door for the garage while I’m still in the car, and then I unhook my belt before opening the door and getting out. Chloe is standing at the rear of the car as I pull off my suit jacket, laying it over the trunk then pulling my belt loose. I hold it in one hand while the other one grabs Chloe around the waist, jerking her towards me.

  “My beautiful angel,” I mutter, crashing my mouth down onto hers while pulling her hands behind her back.

  Her moan is the exact sound I want to hear as I use my belt to quickly bind her hands. Once she’s bound, I lift her, placing her on my jacket.

  “Nolan,” she gasps as I slip her shoes off. Then I rip open her jeans, pull them over her hips, and toss them to the ground behind me.

  “No talking,” I snarl as I lift her legs from behind her knees and pull her ass towards the edge. “Do you see, Chloe?” I growl, using my fingers under her chin to pull her face towards me. “Do you understand that, when you continue to give yourself to me willingly, you constantly feed the addiction I have for you?” I travel my hands up her thighs, to her waist, then up under her shirt, pulling it over her head in the process. “But, for you, there is no cure, no treatment,” I rumble against her mouth, licking it before licking down her neck to the tops of her breasts, pulling down the cups of her bra, and then stepping back to look at her.

  “Open,” I say, placing my thumb in her mouth, swirling it around her tongue. Once it’s coated nicely, I pull it free, immediately placing it on her clit, using her saliva and juices for lubrication smoothly to circle it. “Put your feet on the trunk and stay open for me,” I order, never stopping my ministrations.

  Once she’s positioned like I want, I kiss her in approval, showing her what I will soon be doing with my mouth to her pussy. She cries out as I twist her nipple while thrusting deep into her soaking-wet sex. I slowly pull away from the kiss so I can watch her face as she comes.

  Her pussy tightens around my fingers as her eyes roll back into her head. Before her orgasm even passes, I lower my face, keeping my rhythm deep inside her while swallowing all of her juices. When her body begins to tremble, I know she is going to go over again, so I make a quick decision, using one hand to pull myself free.

  My cock is rock hard, throbbing with anticipation, knowing that, soon, it will be surrounded by hot, wet silk. There is nothing better than being inside her, nothing better than knowing that her pussy was made to take only my cock. Since taking her virginity, I swear my cock was designed to fit inside her like the perfect puzzle piece.

  I thrust slowly at first, then faster, watching my length disappear. Her tits are bouncing over the top of her bra with each thrust. Her knees start to shake as her pussy begins to ripple around my girth, and when I know she’s on the verge of coming, I pull out and bury my face between her legs so she can orgasm on my tongue. Then I stand, sliding back inside her hard and fast, making the car rock.

  Her cry of ecstasy eggs me on, making me fuck into her wildly until my balls draw up and I force her face to mine.

  “One more. Give me one more,” I growl, forcing my tongue down her throat as long jets of come shoot off inside her, filling her womb with my seed, setting off her third orgasm.

  Her body goes limp, and I pull her to my chest, running my hand down her back then releasing the belt from her wrists. It takes a few minutes for her to come back to me, but the first thing she does is kiss my chest, cuddling closer to me. This is why my addiction for her grows. She accepts me, all of me, while asking for even more.

  I tilt her head back and place a soft kiss on her lips before slipping out of her and fixing my pants. Then I look at her clothes, which are now in a pile on the floor, and take off my shirt, putting it on her before lifting her under her ass and wrapping her legs around my waist.

  “Okay, Angel. Let’s show you your new home,” I say, carrying her to the door.

  I should have brought her here a long time ago. When I knew what she meant to me, I should have kidnapped her ass and brought her here, where I could have kept her to myself and we could have started our lives without ever giving anyone the opportunity to fuck with us.

  I carry her inside, entering right into the kitchen, where I set her down on the counter.

  “Let me get you some water, and then I’m going to call my mom and have her pick you up some stuff to wear. When I know things have calmed down a little, we can go to the mall,” I say, going to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water, then bringing it to her.

  “I can go,” she says.

  My hand with the water bottle puts it to the side then lifts her face to me. “You will not leave unless I’m with you.”

  “I never said I was going alone,” she replies calmly, placing her hand on my cheek. “I just feel weird having your mom get me clothes.”

  I force my body to relax before speaking. “Don’t. It will make her feel like she’s helping. Would you like to take a bath?”

  She nods and I pick her up again, carrying her upstairs to our bedroom. Once I have the bath full, I help her out of my shirt then watch as she lowers herself into the water.

  “I think I’m going to wait a few days to call my mother,” I tell her, pulling my pants off.

  “Why?” she asks confused.

  “If I don’t call her, you have nothing to wear. I can think of worse ways to spend my days.”

  She bites her bottom lip then breaks out into laughter, tossing a handful of bubbles at me.

  “You’ll pay for that.” I lunge for her, making her laugh louder.

  That’s the instant I realize how much I have missed that sound and vow to find a way to make her laugh every day from this day forward.

  Chapter 5

  ‡

  “You’re not wearing that. Go and change,” I growl, watching my beautiful angel walk towards me in a white dress that looks like it was designed to piss me off.

  The front is hooked around her neck with some kind of choker made of crystals and gold. The fabric of the dress is attached there, just at the front of her neck, before flowing down over her breasts. Then the waist of the dress is bunched together with a belt that matches the choker. Her sides are completely exposed, showing off a large expanse of her skin¸ as the skirt flows to the floor. I’m sure if she turned even slightly, I would see the side of her breast. Being at a party attended by the men from my firm with her in that dress will definitely lead to me shoving my fist into someone’s face when they look at her too long.

  I watch as her step falters and her smile disappears.

  “You sent this dress for me to wear,” she mutters, looking down.

  I cannot stand that she is going to be out in public in that scrap of fabric, but I really can’t stand the look on her face right now. This is entirely my mother’s fault. She has fallen in love with Chloe and loves dressing her. She was in my office when the invite showed up for the party and insisted she be the one to pick Chloe’s dress. I should have known better.

  “You look stunning.” I step towards her, running my index finger down her bare side. “I don’t know how I’m going to make it through the evening without killing every man who looks at you.” That’s not a lie, I think, tracing the edge of her breast.

  “You didn’t pick this, did you?” she asks.

  I lift my eyes to meet hers and shake my head.

  “I can change.”

  “No. You look…” I shake my head, trying to think of a way to describe her. “You look absolutely beautiful.”

  Her hair is down, framing her face. Her makeup is light, just adding to her already elegant features. And the dress, though risqué, still looks charming on her. “I’m sure to be the envy of every
man there.”

  Her eyes narrow and she chews on her bottom lip. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

  It’s on the tip of my tongue to say no, but there is no way I can do that to her—not right now. We’ve been staying in Westchester for two weeks now, and since coming here, I have seen my girl come out of her shell more and more. The first week was difficult. I knew she was very worried about everything that had transpired since leaving the city, but with my family and me around, she has blossomed. I was working from home most days and spending the nights trying to implant my child inside her. Even with everything hanging over us, I feel content, more at ease than I have in a long time.

  “I know it’s not something I would pick for myself,” Chloe says, bringing me back to the moment, “but I kind of like it.” She smiles, and I know I will end up regretting this, but seeing that smile makes it somewhat worth it.

  *

  “Nolan.”

  I hear my name and turn my head to the left, seeing Carter standing with a tall blonde I’m sure he met sometime within the last twenty-four hours.

  “Carter.” I stop with my hand around Chloe’s waist, trying to block her from his view.

  Carter’s father owns the second-largest international law firm in New York City. He went to Yale and has made a name for himself in the world of law since passing his bar exam by settling billion-dollar cases. He has also made a name for himself in the beds of women all over the city. At thirty years old, good-looking, with enough money to put Bill Gates to shame, he has women killing themselves just for a moment of his time. All of them want to be the one to turn the player into the perfect husband.

  “Nolan, nice to see you.” He sticks out his hand.

  The blonde at his side latches on to him, her red nails digging into his suit jacket as she gives me a smile.

  “Who do you have here?” he asks, his eyes zeroing in on Chloe, whose own fingers begin digging into my skin through the fabric of my suit.

  “Chloe,” she replies, and I look down at her, seeing that her eyes are glued to Carter’s date. “His girlfriend,” she adds in a tone I have never heard from my angel before.