Page 30 of Between Never and Forever

“We’ve always belonged together, and you know it.”

She shook her head. “You’d better make this worth it, Dex.” And then she dove back in.

ChapterEleven

DEX

She dominated the kiss,and it showed me the spark I’d missed in her. Keelani Hale was bold, defiant, and absolutely stunning when she let herself be who she really was. They’d caged her for long enough.

Her lips were still pillow soft and full as we tasted each other. She wasn’t gentle or cautious with them, though. She bit at me and thrust her tongue over mine like she needed me to know who was really in charge.

Then she stepped back, and we both came up for air. Looking at her standing there in my penthouse felt dangerous but necessary, like she was a siren that had lured me in, waiting to have me try to devour her again. Instead, I was sure she’d tear me apart in some way.

And I was going to let her. I wanted her to feast on me, ravage me, and leave me all used up so I would never want her again. Six months with the woman I couldn’t get out of my head. Six months of hell…and maybe heaven.

She tasted like tequila and citrus but still somehow smelled like lilacs. It reminded me of the year I lost everything. I’d lost my reputation, my friends, my heart. Most importantly, I’d losther.

I dug into my pocket and handed her my phone. “Call your label.”

She hesitated. “It’s pretty late to be—”

“Now.”

Her eyes narrowed. “They don’t just pick up when I call. Mitchell is probably sleeping.”

I shrugged. “Let’s see.”

Her gaze darted to her phone and then to me again like she was looking for an ounce of sympathy or understanding. She wouldn’t get it. The quiver in her hands as she dialed the number was enough to show me she was scared, that she didn’t push back with them even when she felt she needed to. She never had.

Good.

“Hi, Mitchell.” I lifted a brow, and she rolled her eyes as she turned away from me. “I’m sorry to be calling so late, but with the whole proposal and everything, well, there’s been a situation.”

I heard the guy grumble something over the line. I followed her to the window, where we stood next to one another, looking out at the city lights.

“No. I accepted the proposal. Of course. But the guys from the HEAT Empire aren’t happy about it.”

HEAT had become big enough that no one ever wanted to hear that phrase. My brothers and I inherited the hospitality empire and made it our own. We dominated the resort industry, the technology and security industry, too. And, as of late, the food service industry with high-end restaurants and bakeries thanks to Clara, my sister-in-law.

Kee flinched at her manager’s loud response. “Yeah, I do know them, Mitch.” She glanced at me, and instantly I knew that fucker was leveraging our relationship. “But I sang during Dominic’s wedding tonight. The resort just opened and—”

I snagged the phone from her hand. He wanted to leverage the relationship, then he could discuss the game he was playing directly with me. “Mitchell, correct?”

The man stuttered, and I instantly remembered his slimy voice from years ago. “Y-Yes, hi. Who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?”

“It’s Dexton Hardy.”

“Oh, it’s a pleasure to talk with you again!”

“A pleasure? You used to ignore me most of the time, Mitchell. Let’s not forget.”

“I… I don’t recall that.” So quickly a man could forget when his ass was on the line. “So sorry if you felt I did that in the past. Probably was pretty busy. You know how it is when you’re working and—”

I didn’t have time for this, and I didn’t waste my time on things that didn’t matter anymore. “Kill the Ethan-proposal story.”

He chuckled at first, like he wasn’t sure I was serious, and then he floundered over his words. “Well, we can’t. Keelani already signed onto being engaged and has committed to attending events with a fiancé. It’s good for the brand. You understand?”

“I do. It’s why she’ll be engaged to me instead. The PR will be better anyway. You can figure out how to spin that story since you figured out how to spin the car wreck when we were kids.”