Page 54

"Need anything else, boss?" Donnie asks, and I shake my head, exiting the car. The cool night air hits my face, offering momentary relief.

Roman is waiting in the front sitting room when I enter. He stands, coming to the entryway to meet me. "Boss." He nods in greeting.

"Everything good?"

"All quiet, boss. Olivia’s upstairs." His eyes flick toward the ceiling briefly.

"Have a good night." I nod to Roman, loosening my tie as I head toward the staircase. The silk feels like it's choking me after the day I've had.

The door clicks behind Roman as I trudge upstairs. My thoughts drift to Olivia. I haven't seen her in days. Not since she came apart on my tongue in her bedroom back at her apartment. The sounds she made while I devoured her sweet cunt are playing on a loop in my mind and her taste still lingers on my tongue. I want to taste her again.

I need to shake these thoughts of her. I've been avoiding her because I know that I shouldn't act on these feelings. I'm keeping her captive, for fuck’s sake. Sleeping with her is a dangerous road to go down. I should let her go, but that doesn't sit well with me either. Even if I'm not convinced she'll run to the police the second I let her walk through that door. I just don'twantto let her go.

Instead of making a decision, I've been avoiding her like a coward.

Halfway up the stairs, I hear something, a soft sound that stops me dead in my tracks.

"Sam..."

My name breathed out in a way I've never heard from her before. Not angry. Not afraid.

I stand frozen, one hand on the banister. The sound comes again on a hitched breath, my name carried with it like a prayer.

"Sam..."

Something sharp and unexpected twists in my chest. I should walk away. This isn't meant for me to hear. But my feet won't move, like they're cemented to the step beneath me.

Another sound follows, a muffled gasp that sends heat crawling up my neck. The door to her room isn't fully closed, a sliver of light spilling into the hallway, casting a golden line across the dark corridor.

"Sam..."

My name again, this time breaking in the middle, followed by a sound that leaves no question about what's happening on the other side of that door. My imagination fills in the blanks, painting images I shouldn't be allowing myself to see.

I move without thinking, my feet carrying me to her door. I should walk away. I should turn around and pretend I never heard a thing. But my hand is already pushing the door open, revealing Olivia sprawled across her bed, one hand between her thighs, the other gripping the sheets.

Her eyes fly open, wide with shock, as she sees me standing in the doorway. She scrambles to pull the sheets over herself, her cheeks flushing crimson.

"Sam! I—" Her voice cracks, mortification written across her face.

I step inside, closing the door behind me. "Don't stop on my account."

"I wasn't—" she starts to say, but we both know it's a lie.

I cross the room in three strides, my body hard and aching. "I heard you, Olivia. I heard my name on your lips."

She swallows, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "This is embarrassing."

"Why?" I reach the edge of the bed, my fingers already working at my tie. "Because you want me as much as I want you?"

Eyes darkening, she watches me strip off my jacket, then my shirt. "I shouldn't want this."

"Neither should I." I climb onto the bed, the mattress dipping beneath my weight. "But here we are."

I hover over her, giving her one last chance to push me away. Instead, she reaches up, her fingers tracing the line of my jaw before pulling me down to her.

Our lips crash together, all the tension of the past weeks igniting between us. I tear the sheet away from her body, revealing her naked form beneath me. My hands explore every inch of her skin, memorizing the curves and valleys of her body.

"Sam," she gasps against my mouth, her fingers fumbling with my belt. "Please."