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  Shooter brought the phone down and rested it on the bed beside him and he went back to the moment that changed everything between them.

  He hefted the green duffel bag up on his shoulders and grinned. He’d been looking forward to leave for far too long. Being a Marine was a challenge on its own but being a sniper took the crazy to a whole new level. He wouldn’t apologize for the things he’d done. Every kill made had been government sanctioned and for the greater good. But it sure as hell left a mark. The hardest part was the secrecy. Never being allowed to tell anyone about what you’d been doing. It left him feeling like a ghost, and fucked with his relationship royally. I’m here to change all that.

  He grinned, thinking of the woman who’d helped him keep his sanity unknowingly. Some days the only thing he had to look forward to was her dazzling smile, sweet smell and curvy body made for loving. High school sweethearts, they’d been convinced long-distance dating would be a cinch until they could get married and she could move out with him.

  They hadn’t counted on all the changes both of them would be going through apart. I’ll make it up to her. She’ll have the wedding she’s always wanted. Jogging the last flight of stairs, he stopped at the first door on the third floor and let himself in with the key. His eyes took in the apartment. Everything was the same. The white couch with blue flowers, the end table in front of it that had seen better days. Pictures from their four years of high school covered the wall. The smell of cinnamon and vanilla he always associated with her filled the air. He closed the door behind him carefully, wanting to surprise.

  “Oh yes. Harder baby, harder.” The squeak of the mattress and the thud of the bed tapping against the window stole the breath from his lungs. His knees weakened and he clutched the doorknob to keep himself upright. The voice that whispered “I love you” was fucking someone else. Anger replaced the shock. He dropped his bag and strode through the small space. I’m going to kill the son of a bitch. He stepped to the door frame and froze. The bastard rutting into his fiancée like a stallion was his older brother. His vision grew hazy and his gut churned. His best friend, confidant and advisor had crossed a line he could never come back from.

  “What the fuck is this?” His voice got louder with every word.

  Angelina looked up and screamed. “Oh my god!” She rolled out of the bed, taking the covers with her.

  Joel sat up, covering his dick with one hand as he held out the other. “This isn’t how we wanted you to find out.”

  “You’re fucking my girl! In the apartment we picked out together!” His chest heaved. His vision went red. He charged forward, tackling him out of the bed. Angelina screamed, scrambling to the corner and climbing over the bed. Shooter’s fist connected with Joel’s face. The hardness sent jolts of pain spiraling through his hand and for a minute he could forget the gut-wrenching ache happening in his chest. Joel offered up no resistance, just lay there and took the beating.

  “Stop it! You’re going to kill him! Stop it.” Angelina yanked at his t-shirt. “You’re fucking psycho! I don’t even know you anymore.”

  His head snapped around and he stood. “You don’t know me? That’s fucking laughable. I leave and you become a whore?”

  “Hey don’t talk about her like that.”

  He peered down at the bloodied, bruised and swelling mess he’d made of his brother’s face and snarled. “Even now you’d take up for her?”

  “It’s not like that. We didn’t plan this out. It just happened. We both missed you, so we started hanging out, then one thing led to another…”

  “That’s weak bullshit and you know it. I come home looking for peace and instead I find this.” He swallowed, shaking his head. “You can keep her. You both deserve each another. Just keep your fucking distance from me. You’re dead to me, man.”

  “Dani—”

  He turned on his heel and walked out, teetering dangerously close to the edge. One more excuse and he’d snap.

  Shit had never been the same after that. He’d treated them with a thinly veiled disgust and aloof politeness only used for his parents. If it had been up to him he wouldn’t see them at all. Then his folks had passed five years later and he’d walked away after leaving the service and never looked back. Until he’d found Mayhem he’d been a piece of driftwood going from place to place. Then he’d met Moose one night in a bar and shit had come together. He’d prospected, earned his cut and found an identity that suited him. He’d seen and done too much to get out and pretend to be normal. Everyone else’s black-and-white moral compass didn’t suit when he knew how much gray actually existed.

  He tapped the phone, wishing he could forgive Joel. He’d missed him over the years. But how did one get over something like that and trust again? It was a question he still had no answer to.

  Chapter Five

  Juliette wrapped her arms around Shooter’s waist and held on tight. There was an electricity in the air that spoke volumes. The time for courting had come and gone. He couldn’t keep his hands off her. Every caress of her hand, side and knee had ramped up the sexual tension simmering between them. He’d ambushed her after work and taken her to dinner. There was no mystery why he’d taken her to his apartment for the first time. The wind tousled her hair, chilled her barely covered skin and forced her as close to Shooter as she could get.

  The man must be a hypnotist. One look into his eyes and she’d been a goner. The heat between them was undeniable. But it was the sweetness hidden beneath those layers of gruff bluntness that had her falling for him. He’d been hurt before, badly. She recognized the pain because she housed it too—like attracted like.

  They came to a stop outside an apartment complex on the south side of town.

  “It’s not much, but it’s clean and safe.” He shrugged. “I spend most of my time at the club.”

  Swinging his leg off with the grace of a dancer, he stood. Holding his hand out, he helped her stand on her heels.

  “Doing okay?” He peered at her from beneath ridiculously long lashes.

  “Y-yeah. I wasn’t dressed for riding tonight.”

  “No.” His heated gaze raked over her painstakingly slowly. Still not used to being the center of his piercing gaze, she fidgeted.

  “Are you embarrassed?”

  “No.” She looked away as her cheeks heated.

  “You are.” His teeth were a slash of white in the darkness. “I’m going to devour you whole, Juliette.”

  Please do.

  He chuckled. “You finally loosening up on me?”

  “Oh my god, I said that out loud.” She’d never wanted to make a cartoon exit so bad in her life. A black hole opening and engulfing her would be welcomed.

  “You did and I like it. Don’t hide yourself from me.” He cupped her chin. “Ever. I live unencumbered by rules. When you’re with me I expect you to do the same. You know that by now.”

  Completely under his spell, she nodded her head.

  “Fuck, what are you doing to me, Juliette?” He pulled her hips flush against his. The thick bulge in his pants pressed into her, dropping her belly down into her shoes the way a deep hill would. “Now all I can picture is you in a pencil skirt with a strand of pearls between your breasts. Those long legs spread wide on the checkout counter while I take you hard and fast.” The heated words he whispered tickled her ear and tangled up her insides. She squirmed against him, moaning at the friction it caused.

  “That’s it, baby. Feel what you do to me.” His silken voice and the whirlwind events of their courtship seduced her and robbed her of her modesty. Shameless, she ground her hips into him, whimpering as tendrils of pleasure unfurled in her pussy. Wetness formed between her legs, soaking her panties and the tops of her thighs.

  “That’s it. Do you like the way my cock feels?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s only going to get better from here.” He gripped her hips, lifting her up, and she wound her legs around his waist out of instinct. Stunned by her actions, she st
udied him with hazy vision.

  “We need to get inside before I take you on my bike.”

  “You can do that?” She whispered. Visions of their limbs entwined while she rode him made her moan.

  “We will do that, Juliette. You and I are going to do a lot of things together.”

  She liked the way her name sounded on his lips. Wild and untamed, the exact opposite of the woman she’d been for the past twenty-five years. He made her feel adventurous and sexy, like a brand-new woman with no tainted past. His long strides devoured the pavement as he began the walk to his apartment.

  The controlled precision made her kitten purr louder. They reached the top floor and he placed her back against the door as he fumbled for his keys. His lips tempted her and for once in her life, she took the initiative.

  His slack-jawed, wide-eyed expression that followed would have amused her if she hadn’t been so desperate. She traced his lips with her tongue, seeking entrance as his flavor flooded her mouth. Whiskey, tartness and Shooter. The trinity of tastes inflamed her and she dropped her legs lower, lining up with his pelvis once more. They’d built up to this moment and now she couldn’t wait another second. The prominent bulge she felt hinted at something long and thick. She shuddered in anticipation.

  “Fuck.” He hissed, bracing his arms on either side of her as their tongues dueled. Bringing her hands up to tangle in his soft locks, she tilted her head for more contact. A moan rumbled in his chest, and he obliged. Her breasts grew heavy as he took over, dominating her mouth with a masterful skill that made her lightheaded. “Need, now.”

  His animalistic words filled her with pride. She’d brought a powerful man to his baser self. Seeing the give in his dominating personality turned her on.

  The key shimmied, the tumbler turned and he staggered inside. He kicked the door shut and kept going. Her back met the soft surface of his couch.

  “Have to taste.”

  “No.” She clamped her thighs shut, embarrassed.

  “Yes.” His dark eyes and commanding pitch left no room for argument. “Open your legs and hold on to the couch, Juliette.”

  Her mouth went dry. “I-I never.” Unable to hold his gaze, she looked down. It made her feel wrong. What if she tasted bad?

  “Good. I want to be the first person to do everything, and the rest I’ll erase from your memory.” His words stole her breath. Shooter’s different. Try it his way. Shaking, she placed her hands over her head, gripped the back of the couch and re-centered herself in the here and now. Breaking free from another trapping from her past.

  “I’ll make it good for you, so good. But you have to ask. Let me hear how much you want it.”

  The need to please him rushed up from some untapped place inside and she found herself nodding. She wouldn’t let him control her any longer. Overcoming her shyness, she spread her legs a few inches.

  “I want it.” Her wobbly voice felt like a climb to the top of Mt. Everest, the first step of many on her journey to true change.

  “Wider, baby. I want to see that pretty pussy of yours. Are you wet for me?”

  No one had ever talked to her that way before. Her center throbbed, and her swollen clit screamed for attention. God help her, she liked it. Moistening her lips, she nodded.

  “I want to hear you say it, baby.”

  “Y-yes, I’m wet for you.”

  “Still so shy.” He reached out and ran a finger down her silky underwear. Her body jerked at the brief contact. “So responsive. I knew you were the right one for me.” His whispered praise heightened her pleasure. The positive affirmation felt almost as enjoyable as his actions. Moving in before she could protest, he buried his face between her legs and inhaled deep, nudging her apex with his nose. She curled her fingers into the couch to keep from grabbing him. She bucked toward him, hit by a powerful jolt of sensation. He moved back and grinned.

  “You like it, don’t you? I knew you would.”

  Uncertain what to say, she glanced away. What am I doing?

  “No, there’s no room for shame here. Everything we’ll do is consensual and for our pleasure. Everyone and everything else be damned. The outside world doesn’t exist here, you understand?” The words lifted a heavy burden. The gentle expression on his face empowered her. She got the impression it wasn’t one he wore often and if he could meet her halfway, she could do the same.

  “Yes.”

  “I want to hear you say my name, Juliette. I like the way it rolls off that clever little tongue.”

  “Shooter.”

  He groaned. “I have to taste you now, baby.” Hooking the straps of her underwear with nimble fingers, he gazed deep into her eyes. “Lift your hips.” She rose off the couch and he yanked off the black scrap of silk, holding it up to his nose. He breathed deep before setting them down. “Do you know what you smell like, Juliette?”

  Mesmerized, she shook her head.

  “Like everything good and clean.” He moved between her legs like a stalking panther and lapped at her pussy. Her eyelids slammed shut.

  “No.” His command made her body jerk and her eyes pop back open.

  “I want you to look at me. Watch me pleasure you. I want to see your eyes when you come.” The walls of her vagina shook.

  “I will have every emotion you produce. I’m greedy that way.” He caressed her with his tongue once more. She arched off the couch, fucking his face. Driving her hips up to meet him as he worked her over, she experienced pleasure unlike any she’d ever known. Fuck, his mouth is magical. Why have I never done this before? He flicked her swollen clit, sending tendrils of pleasure through her body. This man opened up an entire world and offered it to her on a platter.

  A finger circled her entrance and worked its way inside. Long, thick and calloused, it caressed her walls, stretching her deliciously.

  “You’re so tight. Are you a virgin?” he rasped.

  “No…it’s been a while.” Please don’t stop. Swiveling her hips with him, she wrung every ounce of pleasure out of his fingers as she could.

  “How long is a while?”

  “Six months.” The husky answer sounded nothing like her.

  “Was it good?” he whispered.

  “No.” The memories threatened to darken her mood but she clung to the emotions this man stirred.

  “I’ll make sure you forget all about him.” He curled his finger inside her and brushed a spot that made her see stars. She gripped him tight and held on for dear life as a wave of euphoria washed over her, battering her in the sea of lust and emotion he’d forged with his words and caresses.

  Afloat on a river of bliss, she came down only to start the climb once more as he continued to work her over with two fingers and his mouth. He alternated sucking and flicking her clit. Fire smoldered in her belly. She clamped her thighs around his head, seeking more. His moan vibrated her sex. She panted as she approached the precipice once more, fast on the heels of her first release. Her thighs shook.

  A rumbling growl spread from his chest. He sucked her sensitive nub into his mouth once more. Liquid gushed down her slick tunnel into his mouth. He sucked her dry like a dehydrated man at an oasis. The noisy slurps and growls of approval made her second time even more intense.

  The man had done exactly what he’d claimed he would—erased the vivid sting of a painful past. He’d taken the feelings of inadequacy directed at herself and placed them in front of a mirror for her to examine without prejudice.

  Her senses and mind were full of the rough-around-the-edges man leaning back on his heels, chin glistening with her juices.

  “Have you ever tasted yourself, baby?”

  She shook her head.

  “It’s time we change that. You’re so delicious, I just have to share.” He crawled up the couch between her legs and slipped his tongue into her mouth. Earthy and slightly sweet, her feminine flavor melded with his unique taste.

  Their kiss deepened and her eyes drifted shut. You kiss by the books. The words from the
tragic tale she’d been named after rose up in her mind. Damn, this man had her quoting Shakespeare. Separating only to ingest oxygen, their gazes locked and held. The shell-shocked surprise she felt was mirrored in his expressive eyes. “I think you might be in for more than you bargained for,” he said.

  “Why?”

  “Because there’s no way I’m letting you walk away after this.” The honesty in his voice sang to her soul.

  “Who said I wanted to?”

  “It’s written all over you. I knew this wasn’t your norm. You walked on the wild side. Now you want to return to your safe corner of the world and look back fondly knowing a moment existed when you didn’t follow the rules.” His face hardened and the intimacy they’d shared began to recede. His words stung.

  Is this where he turns into Peter? Shows his true colors?

  “You’re wrong.” Her body went stiff as a board.

  “What then?”

  “I wanted to live.” Her lower lip trembled and she shoved him away. The lashing from his sharp tongue cooled the arousal he’d raised. How dare he make me embarrassed? There she was, bared for him to see, living free and he’d chosen to attack. “I think we’re done here.” She’d be damned if she walked down this road again.

  “The hell we are.” The words rumbled in his chest. Refusing to be intimidated, she pushed to her feet and glanced down at him. No man would steal her sense of self and dignity.

  “You think you can judge me and I’ll still let you in my body? You must be crazy. I thought we had a connection. But I guess you spout pretty words to all the women you bring back here. Sad thing is, if you’d kept your mouth shut, you could’ve had me.”

  He rose to his full height, towering over her as though she didn’t top six feet. “I’m not an errand boy you can dismiss.” His jaw flexed.

  “I never said you were. Regardless, I’m leaving.” She moved to sidestep him. He blocked her. What the fuck was I thinking, letting things progress this far?