Sweet Venom: A Why Choose Romance

It’s been two weeks since I returned to California. I had planned on going to my home in San Jose, but just as my plane touched down, I received an alert on my phone that Vivian had used her fingerprint to enter my penthouse. Her return gave me pause for more reasons than one. We haven’t spoken a word since the day she left. When she took off, she did so with a text stating she was going home and needed space. The move caught me off guard. I knew Vivian wasn’t giving me herself completely. Our relationship started out differently than most. It was very unconventional, but it was ours, and I thought it had been working.

Vivian’s return to St. Louis didn’t upset me. Although it may have appeared otherwise, I didn’t focus on things beyond my control. Sebastian laid into me after she had left, going on about how she was wrong for me and not marriage material. He said her leaving made me look weak. In his eyes, I was letting a woman rule me, but he couldn’t have been more wrong. Through his rant, where I listened as he spewed his fraudulent hate, I found my only way forward—our only way forward. Now I just have to make them see it.

Sitting in the hearth room next to a fire lit more for ambiance and reflection than warmth, I wait. I wait for my brother to bring me a woman he thinks I don’t deserve and one he believes I know nothing about in his quest for rectitude. But because he can’t get past his anger, he can’t see my truth. I don’t expect people to understand my level of enlightenment. Our experiences shape us differently. My brother and I are proof of that, thrown into the same fire, yet cast out differently. Unlike my brother, I am slow to anger, whereas I would argue he is angry to a fault. He’ll tell you his rage makes him strong, and on the surface, when he compares himself to me, I suppose you’d think he’s right.

Sebastian believes I let a girl walk in and out of my life on her own free will, accepting whatever pieces she’ll give me. And in some ways, I am, but that’s not all of it. I stopped putting expectations on people years ago. I had to if I wanted to keep my sanity. I didn’t want to be bitter or mad. I didn’t want to take drugs to numb the pain. I saw firsthand how those choices played out in my youth, and I refused to be a product of my environment. For myself, I was able to find a level of mental peace where the noise could not reach me simply by releasing my expectations of others. If you’re not waiting for someone to wrong you or hurt you, they can’t. I care for Vivian deeply, more than I’ve ever cared for another woman in my life, and I’ve only known her for a few short months. From the moment I met her, I knew she was meant to be mine.

I’m topping off my whiskey with the decanter when I hear the front door open. I don’t stand in greeting or alert anyone to my presence. Instead, I wait, as I’ve done for the past two weeks. These are the two most important people in my life. They mean something to me, and it’s imperative that they get along. I’ve made my choice. I know what must be done, and since they can’t seem to figure out what I already know, I will intervene. No one will leave this estate until things are settled. But before my thought can even finish, the hushed undertones of bickering accompany the clicking of their shoes.

‘The house seems pretty fucking empty. I thought I was walking into an interrogation. You are such a fucking prick, you know that? I guess you need all that inflated, pompous BS to make up for what you lack in other areas.’

‘I know you’re not insinuating I have a small dick.’

‘If the ego—’

This is all I hear before her words are cut off, and I immediately stand, clearing my throat to announce my presence and gain Sebastian’s attention. I know he likes pain with his pleasure. For him, it’s a thrill, but right now, she’s still mine and mine alone, and I will not allow him to hurt her. ‘Brother, I’m going to need you to remove your hand from my girl’s throat.’ I don’t need to raise my tone to posture or intimidate. He is my brother, and I know he respects me the same way I do him, faults and all.

Releasing her, he turns to me and says, ‘Good. You’re back. Do you have any idea of the stunt your girl pulled tonight? She cost the club thousands of dollars in lost revenue while simultaneously aiding the robbers that have been targeting Covet for the past two months.’

I don’t bother listening to anything Sebastian has to say. I’m already fully aware of what transpired tonight. Besides always having eyes on my properties, I have them on her. Once I decided I was all in, I made it my business to know everything about Vivian, which meant keeping tabs on her. While I give her space and I can’t make choices for her, I’m also not naïve. If I wasn’t the one, I needed to know. I would have let her go.

I was well aware when Vivian booked a return ticket to San Jose, but I couldn’t be sure of her intent. I am not the only thing for her here. Her best friend, Mason Croft, lives in San Jose. But as she stands before me now, I know without question her return was for me. Her eyes never leave mine as I make my way across the room. Once I’m a few feet away from her, I wait to see if she’ll close the distance, and she does. Her eyes fill with tears before she throws herself into my arms. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she mumbles into my chest.

I wait to respond to her words. They are inconsequential at the moment. She never had anything to be sorry for. All that matters is that she came back. Her body melds into mine the way it always has, and the sweet smell of the floral lotion she loves to wear assaults my senses. I breathe her in like it’s the first time, but our moment is cut short when Sebastian starts back up with his biased rhetoric. We both know he is not innocent in tonight’s events.

‘You have got to be kidding me. The two of you haven’t spoken in months, and she rolls in without warning and shuts down our club for the night, and you act like it’s no big deal. It’s clear she has our staff eating out of the palm of her hand. After tonight’s stunt, it’s obvious she plans on recruiting our staff to help run her female-only gym.’

Placing a hand on either side of her head, I gently lift it away from her chest, bringing her eyes to mine. Her cheeks are now streaked with mascara as her beautiful brown eyes pierce my soul. ‘Do you plan on taking employees from Covet?’

She shakes her head before running her tongue over her dry lips. ‘No, I would never do that.’

‘She’s lying.’ Sebastian snaps, but I raise my hand to silence him once more.

‘How much did it cost you to shut down my club?’

Vivian pulls in a stuttered breath as the grip she currently has around my waist tightens. ‘Twenty-five girls, one night’s salary, room buyouts, plus tips for their cooperation. I’m out one hundred grand.’

‘Was it worth it?’

Her brow slightly furrows and she thins her lips before saying, ‘If you’re asking me if you’re worth it, I think the answer is clear.’

I want nothing more than to crash my mouth to hers, but I don’t. It’s been too long, and I know there are words we need to share, and things will not get said if we start down that path. Vivian and I are explosive when it comes to fucking. After I finally took her for the first time in my office, we returned to my place and didn’t wear clothes for a week. Her hunger matches my own.

‘So that’s it? Because our loss cost her money, her treachery and deceit don’t count in your eyes? You can’t be serious. You know, Ellis, I’ve spent my entire life looking up to you, but your choices as it relates to her…’ He pauses, rubbing his jaw, letting out a growl of frustration before throwing his hands into his hair and saying, ‘There’s no path with her that ends with the two of you living happily ever after.’

Before I can defend her honor or correct his error, he takes off toward the kitchen. I have my limits. I don’t care for how he spoke about Vivian in front of her, but I know she is more than capable of holding her own. Tonight is more than proof of that. His absence leaves us alone, and when my eyes return to hers, I see her guilt.

‘Don’t do that, baby. We all have pasts.’ I kiss her forehead before taking her hand and saying, ‘Come, I’ll show you to our room.’

Vivian comes out of the bathroom, freshly showered with no makeup, wearing one of my white tees, and I’m in awe. I wouldn’t call her high maintenance by any means, but she does like to look good. The woman is no stranger to a full face of makeup daily, though she doesn’t need it. During the time we’ve spent apart, I’ve put a lot of thought into everything she does and the words she doesn’t say.

When we met, I believed her high-maintenance appearance had to do with her family’s roots in fashion. Her grandmother’s family built one of the biggest fashion houses in Europe. To this day, her grandmother still sits at the helm. Even when dressed in her biker outfits, she’s still on-trend. I’m not opposed to a high-maintenance woman. However, I now know her outward appearance is just one of her many shields.

I’m sitting with my feet crossed at the ankles in a pair of gray sleep pants with no shirt, my back rested against the headboard. I’ve been thoroughly stalking all the footage of tonight’s events, ensuring I understand all that transpired so that when she tells me herself, I know where we stand should she choose to leave things out.

She pauses when she sees me, and for a moment, we just stare at each other, drinking the other in. If there is one thing that Vivian is not, that is insecure. The woman is fiercely independent and strong-willed, but I know when she cares, she does so deeply. If you manage to imprint on her heart, there isn’t anything she wouldn’t do for you. I know none of this is easy for her.

‘Are you back to let me in?’

She closes her eyes tight before saying, ‘What if I said I don’t know how, but not trying hurt me worse than letting go?’

‘Baby, come here.’ I pat the bed next to me.

She takes a step forward but stops. ‘Ellis, you need to know—’

‘Vivian, we tried things your way the first time, but now we will do them my way.’ Her brows slightly rise from my response, but I’m done letting her call the shots. I now know things I didn’t, or maybe deep down, I knew them all along but didn’t care to touch them because we were working until suddenly, she was gone. Regardless my eyes are wide open now.

‘Come here,’ I say more forcefully as I press my index finger into the bed, leaving no question as to where I want her.

This time, she comes with no argument. Reaching the foot of the bed, she crawls up to the place I instructed and sits with her legs tucked under, perched on her knees. When she brings her hands to her lap and nervously picks at her nails, I say, ‘Would you like me to start with what I know, or…’

‘I’m aware you know exactly what Sebastian pulled this week, but what I want to know is why you allowed it? Have you been here all this time I’ve been back?’

‘I suppose you do want me to start with what I know, because you are asking me questions to which I know you already have the answers.’

Her brow slightly furrows in response, but I pay it no mind. While she is back, she is still not ready to accept what’s in her heart, but because I know what is in mine, I will help her find it.

‘I landed in San Jose the same day you did. When I realized you went to my place, I came here. I’ve been working from Nico’s home office ever since. I’m fully aware of your new business venture with Blush, and baby, I’m so damn proud of you.’ I pause, and she looks up from her hands, searching my eyes for truth and finding it. ‘Do you want to tell me about it?’

Rather than continue with the heavy, I’m offering her a white flag. Vivian doesn’t do well with feelings. Talking about Blush gives her a minute to breathe, but she shakes her head no. ‘I think I’d rather rip off the band-aid. Ellis, I know you see my neck.’

Wow, I didn’t expect her to go straight for the kill. I thought for sure she would skirt around what happened between her and Sebastian tonight and offer me half-truths. ‘But this, and the things I know you saw, are nothing compared to what I did before I went there.’

I sit forward and place one leg on the floor, sensing maybe this conversation requires a little liquid courage. ‘Drink?’ I nod to the wet bar across the room.

She pulls a cleansing breath through her nose and nods as I stand and grab our drinks without another word. Vivian likes everything, but I know her favorite is vodka over ice with lime. While I don’t have fresh lime, I do have lime juice. I quickly pour us two stiff-as-fuck drinks before making my way back to the bed. I have never been good with feelings—discussing them or having them—but I also know if I want to keep her, I have to try.

No sooner do I hand her the drink than she blurts out, ‘I let another man fuck me with a dildo.’

My body instinctively goes rigid from her declaration. What man wants to hear that, especially when I have abstained from any relations while we have been apart, which is a first for me. Bringing my drink to my lips, I take a long pull, letting the alcohol wash over me and settle my nerves. I do not drink regularly; however, on occasion I make exceptions. Tonight is one of them. My parents were addicts, and I never wanted to become them. I’ll toast or have a drink when making deals, but that’s it, but tonight is for her and the words we both need to find to move forward.

‘Say something. Please,’ she pleads.

‘Did you like it?’

‘Yes, more than I should have.’

I feel a slight sting in my chest, and I try to understand what it means. Is what I’m feeling pain or something else? Vivian is here now confessing things to me that she knows will hurt me, giving me truths that I also know pain her. This woman stood up against my brother tonight to prove she wants to stand by my side. Unfortunately, her actions are what give her a bad reputation with my brother and even herself. It’s clear she knows her behavior today was reckless and now she’s here asking forgiveness that a normal person wouldn’t grant. But I am anything but normal and so is she. Vivian is impulsive, anxious, and dismissive, but she’s also never had anyone to put her in her place.

‘I see,’ I offer in response as I allow my own reactions and feelings to marinate.

I’ve played the role of the other man many times, working to win the girl and steal her away, and as nerve-wracking as that can be for anyone, man or woman, there’s always the thrill of the chase. But that’s not what this is. I’m not trying to steal her. Instead, I’m attempting to come to terms with how I will define what a deep, committed, long-term relationship should look like with her. So, I ask, ‘Who?’

‘Does it matter?’ She moves to set her drink on the nightstand, refusing to take a sip.

‘It matters very much. Was it random, or was your choice of partner someone you care about?’ For the places I want to take her, there’s a difference.

‘It was Tate. I believe I told you about him before.’

Ah, I see. Tate was the guy she used to run into at the gym occasionally. I’m not a jealous person, and she never gave me any reason to be. I followed her to the gym a few days after she first mentioned him, not out of jealousy, but because it’s what I do. Her business was automatically mine. What she liked, where she went, and who she chose to spend her time with were suddenly daily tasks to keep up with on my agenda.

The afternoon I followed her to the gym, I watched her entire workout. I saw the guy Tate she mentioned, quickly recognizing him from the minimal description she’d given me, which was literally, ‘Yeah, this guy covered in tattoos pretended to be my brother.’ It didn’t hurt that they had a brief conversation mid-workout, only solidifying that he was indeed the guy she’d spoken about. The guy maybe looked her way twice, which is saying something, because Vivian, in workout attire, may as well be wearing fucking lingerie. After both of them had left, I went into the gym and got Tate’s last name easily, which I didn’t like, considering it spoke to the overall lack of security and privacy the gym offered its clientele, which happened to include my girl.

When I looked into the guy, there was little there. He’s the same age as Sebastian, has held a few physical trainer jobs, and works other odd jobs here and there to make ends meet. He has no college degree, which is neither here nor there—considering I myself do not have one, and yet I am very successful—but overall, he didn’t seem like a threat. Just your typical millennial with a go-with-the-flow mindset I would never understand. I am nothing if not calculated and purposeful. At the end of the day, I didn’t see Vivian and Tate becoming anything more than gym acquaintances.

When I don’t immediately respond, Vivian adds, ‘I didn’t kiss him, and I didn’t let him touch me. Ellis, I was so wound up. I know it’s not an excuse, and I understand if you want me to leave—’

I hold up my hand, silencing her before retaking my spot on the bed next to her. ‘Did you think of me when you did it? Did you do it knowing it could hurt me?’

‘No,’ she says immediately, while adamantly shaking her head before adding, ‘You know I’m impulsive to a fault. I was in my office alone letting off steam when he walked in and then…’ She pauses, refusing to meet my eyes before finishing. ‘And then I didn’t make him leave.’

Of course, she didn’t. I own a sex club. So I am more than familiar with the allure of watching and being watched. Any other man would be livid, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t bothered, but it’s not for the reasons most would be. Setting my glass down on the nightstand, I say, ‘Come here,’ and gesture for her to sit on my lap.

She shakes her head no. ‘That is the last place I should be, Ellis, and you know it.’

I grind my teeth and bite back my words, knowing they will fall on deaf ears. What I want for her, for us, can only be done through actions. But I am a patient man, and I’ve waited this long; what’s a few more days, or hours, if I play my cards right?

‘It wasn’t a question. I didn’t give you a choice. Now, come here.’ The woman can be as stubborn as a petulant child. When she continues to hesitate and twist her fingers. I place my hand over the top of hers, halting her movements and forcing her eyes to mine. ‘Do you still want me?’

Her eyes dart back and forth between mine before she says, ‘You know I do.’

‘Then get up here.’

She moves to her knees, inching closer before throwing one leg over my lap to straddle me. But when she sits, it’s on my thighs. She’s playing shy, and we both know she is anything but. It’s another reason I know her feelings for me run deep. Vivian is battling her own self-doubt and attempting to find worth all because she wants to be by my side, and I hate that she doesn’t see what I do. Reaching for her ass to pull her forward, my hands find her cheeks bare, and I can’t help but groan as I pull her forward onto my cock. Her lips part with a gasp before she softly scolds, ‘Ellis.’

We both know her warning is futile. We have so many things to discuss, but I know the only way to get her out of her head is through her pussy. People are quick to forget the power of an orgasm and the release it is for not just your body, but your mind, and Vivian’s mind is her own prison. I lightly drag my fingers up the side of her arm, drawing her eye to the movement. She watches as her skin pebbles in their wake, and when I reach her shoulder, I brush her long, dark brown hair over her shoulder. When I do, I see the marks left by my brother. Her breathing falters when I lightly brush my thumb over her sensitive flesh. ‘And this, did you like this?’

Her eyes close from shame, and I slide my hand around the back of her neck, pulling her forward until her face is mere inches from mine. Vivian’s eyes open from the move and crash into mine. ‘Tell me,’ I say.

Before the answer can even leave her lips, my mouth is on hers, my tongue diving deep. My fingers push through her hair, pulling her close until I feel her soft breasts pinned against my chest. Fuck, I’ve missed her body, but before I can get lost in having her back in my arms, she pushes back. ‘Ellis, why? I don’t understand how you could want me right now. After everything—’

I bring my finger to her lips, halting her hate, and say, ‘It’s simple; I like a girl, and I like all of her, even the parts she doesn’t like about herself.’ Her eyes stay pinned on mine, and I know she’s trying to look for words to argue. It’s in her nature, but before she can, I slide my hands up her thighs until I reach the hem of the t-shirt she’s wearing. I toy with the edges for a moment, making my intent clear, but giving her a choice, and then I ask, ‘Can you show me?’

Her brow slightly furrows, and she asks, ‘Why?’

But I don’t give her my words. I’m not sure that I could if I wanted to. Instead, I wait lazily, letting my hands trail underneath her sexy hips, where they rest for short seconds until she reaches for the hem and pulls the shirt off over her head. Once the shirt is removed, my eyes automatically find her neck, seeing the full extent of his mark that was only partially visible before. I can only imagine what that moment was like for her, because I couldn’t see it in the dark. I’ve had this woman in every way. I’ve pounded into her hard, and she loved every second, but I’ve never laid my hands on her hard enough to leave a mark. It’s not in my nature, and if she had said no earlier, my brother would be in a world of pain, but I know better than most some people like it this way.

As my eyes slowly descend, I see a small bruise on her hip bone, and I take a deep breath, letting the sight of marks on my girl by the hand of another man steep. As my thumb ever so slowly brushes over the spot on her hip, I let the thoughts of the man who made it flood through my mind, and it’s then that I know this is what I want. Enough silence has passed to make her question her decision to show me the marks, and she reaches for her shirt out of insecurity, but I stop her hand.

‘Are there any more?’ I say, keeping my tone even and unthreatening. I’m not trying to make her feel self-conscious or insecure, but I know that my actions thus far have given her no reason to feel anything less than uneasy.

‘Ellis,’ she pleads. When her eyes meet mine, she sees my need and nods before slowly moving from my lap and turning so that I can see the bruise on her ass from where he gripped her cheek hard. I know she’s aware of every mark. Once the shower turned off, she was in there for long moments, surely examining her body and the damage done from their rendezvous at the club.

I saw her escape his hold, jamming her heel into his foot, only for him to chase her down the hall and pin her to the stairwell door. Were it not for the fact I watched her headbutt him, I would have had words with my brother, but I know my girl can more than handle herself, and what’s more, I’ve had a front-row seat to their shared hate, which I know is nothing more than a front for a desire they both have and can’t act on because I exist. They will defend their shared hate profusely, but they haven’t realized that some of our deepest desires spawn from the deadliest hate.

‘Bend over. Ass up.’ I order in a tone that allows for zero argument, and for once, she does so without question.

Sebastian’s marks are purposeful, but I don’t believe he left them for me. In fact, I’m sure I was nowhere in his mind when he left them. No, he left them for her. The two of them love to loathe each other for the same reasons they hate themselves. He is the devoted brother and son, putting family above his own need, and she is impulsive, letting her emotions rule over her good sense. To the outside looking in, they look like free spirits, uninhibited, but what he doesn’t see is that her impulsiveness is the bane of her existence, and in turn, she doesn’t see that his loyalty and anger are his.

With her naked on my bed, ass up in the air, and pretty pussy on display, I can’t help but get to my knees behind her and press myself against her flesh as I bend over and kiss her shoulder. I let my hands glide up her sides, over every curve. I want to take her so badly. I want my girl, but I won’t—not tonight. Tonight is about her. Lifting her hair, I move it over her right shoulder so that her neck is bared to me as I kiss my way from her shoulder to the spot behind her ear that I love to tease. Once I reach her dainty lobe, I give it a teasing nip before saying, ‘I missed you, baby.’

Her weight gives out underneath me, and I collapse on top of her. ‘Ellis, please. I can’t do this. I can’t—’

‘Are you telling me another man can see what’s meant for my eyes only, and you’ll allow my brother to cover you in bruises, but now my touch isn’t welcomed?’ I say as I roll off of her.

I’m already at my limit with my own feelings, but when she rolls over, and I see her tears, I see a first. ‘Ellis, I want you so much it hurts. It’s the entire reason I’m back, and I thought I could do it. I thought I could be what you deserve—’

Rolling her onto her side I brush the hair away from her face to meet her eyes. Vivian and I haven’t been together long—six months, tops, including the two months we were apart—and I have yet to see her cry. I never want to be the reason for any woman’s tears, but right now, I can’t find it in me to be anything but mad.

‘Vivian, this has to stop. You have to stop projecting how you believe I should feel onto me. Charlie used to do the same shit. I know what I want.’ I pull her into me and force myself into her space, making my presence unavoidable. She’s scared of how she feels, and in typical Vivian form, she comes back only to try and run, but this time, I’m not letting her go.

‘You realize comparing me to her is fucked up, right?’

I lift her leg and drape it over my hip, realizing that she isn’t going to make anything easy for me tonight. No, tonight I will have to force her into submission. She’s too wound up for the slow exploration I had hoped to give her. Her body is a fucking masterpiece, one I could explore for hours, and I had every intent on doing that tonight, reacquainting myself with every peak and valley, but that will have to wait.

‘That might be true, but you know why it was her.’ Charlie was supposed to be a job, but the second I moved her in to keep her close, she slowly crept under my walls and broke through my defenses.

‘It would probably still be her if she hadn’t married Mason. It’s cool. I get it; it’s not like you guys are blood—’

I silence her deflections quickly by sliding my middle finger through her folds. ‘Damn it. Why do you have to be so difficult?’ I bite out as I slip my finger into her tight pussy. Fuck, I want that to be my cock so bad. I watch as she bites her plump bottom lip and closes her eyes on a slow moan. I pump her slowly several times, ensuring she’s thoroughly aroused and pliant. I need her to relax and let go. Whatever resolve she found that brought her back somehow disappeared the moment we reconnected, and I need to bring her back. I slip my finger out, running it through her lips and spreading her wetness before dipping back in.

Bringing my mouth to her jaw, I trail kisses along the edge until I reach her mouth, where I stop when I meet the corner. Her hips have slowly begun to rock into my hand, and she’s right where I want her, but I need her eyes. Our conversations are far from over, but if I want my words to be heard, this is the way. I reluctantly slip my finger out and wait for her to open her eyes. It only takes her a second, and those big brown eyes that I love are on mine.

‘It was never going to be her, because she was never mine to have. She was taken long before there was ever an us. Charlie was not my fate.’ Her eyes leave mine, a sign she’s clearly overwhelmed by the emotion behind my words, but I’m not done. I know her pretty little head is looking for a smart reply that downplays the heart behind my words. So, I shove two fingers back in before she can find her deflections, earning her eyes once more. Then I add, ‘My destiny is the hellcat laying naked in my bed, and baby, I wouldn’t want it any other way.’

Her lips part, and I can’t help but cover them with my own, dying for a taste of more. I crave Vivian Fiori. I operate sex clubs. I’m surrounded by beautiful women all day, and no one has turned my eye since this woman entered my life. It’s how I’m resolute in our way forward. Not even the marks of another man dampen my desire. If anything, they only spur me on, making me want to work harder to leave my mark on her heart. The longer we kiss, the hungrier she gets. Her hand slides down my torso, looking for my cock. When she reaches the hem of my pants, she glides her palm over the outside, thoroughly stroking me before pulling back and saying, ‘Ellis, I need you inside of me.’

I don’t respond with words; instead, I push her onto her back and pin her arms to either side of her head as I firmly press my cock into her core. I can’t help but look down between us. She’s so damn beautiful spread wide for me. It’s hard not to take what she’s offering when I finally have her right where I want her, right where she belongs, but I’ll wait. I’ll wait because I have my eye on forever, not just tonight.

‘Patience, baby,’ I say before I come down on top of her and take her mouth once more, slowly making my way down her perfect body. As I kiss my way down her neck, I intentionally pay extra attention to the mark Sebastian left there, running my tongue over the entirety of his blemish. I need her to feel my acceptance, and the way she’s pressing her hips up into me, searching for friction as I do, assures me that, at this moment, she’s accepting that part of herself. The part that’s more than okay with me allowing another man to touch what should be mine alone.

Moving to her breast, I can’t help but lose myself a little and suck hard, making her whimper. Shifting my weight to one arm, I trail my right hand down her stomach until I find her clit, where I rub slow circles, giving her body the pleasure she needs to match the pain. I pinch her nipple between my teeth just enough to make her hiss before trailing my lips across her chest to the other. I match my treatment and suck hard, but this time, I shove two fingers in deep and curl as she cries, ‘God, yes.’

I know Vivian’s body like the back of my hand. I’ve fucked her more times in the few short months we were together than I’ve probably fucked in my life, and that’s saying something. We easily fucked three times a day. There wasn’t a night I didn’t fall asleep inside her or a morning I didn’t wake up beneath her. The woman is deliciously insatiable. I slow the thrust of my fingers as I make my way down her soft stomach, briefly kissing her bruised hip the same way I did her neck, unable to resist the need to taste her. When my mouth finally reaches the apex of her thighs, I can’t help but pull my fingers out and lick her straight up her center.

She instantly scoots up the bed from the sensation. My hands immediately find her hips, and I pull her back down to me as I slide off the edge of the bed and onto my knees so that my face is right where I want it for feasting. Draping her legs over my shoulders, I say, ‘This pussy is mine, Vivian. Stay still so I can have my fill.’

My tongue instantly finds her tight hole, and I can’t help but groan when I taste her juices. It’s so fucking hot tasting the evidence of what I do to her on my tongue. I lazily run my tongue through her folds, teasing her swollen flesh before sucking her little ball of nerves into my mouth. Her hands immediately dive into my hair as she presses herself into my face, and I revel in it.

‘Ellis, please, I need more.’

I know she wants my cock, but tonight she’ll have to settle for my mouth and hand. I shove two fingers in deep, and her pussy clenches hard. She’s close. ‘Give it to me, baby. Come on my tongue.’ I pump her slowly, curling my fingers every time to make sure I hit that spot I know drives her crazy, and when I bring my mouth back to her swollen lips she comes hard. I can feel the tension leave her body as her thighs go lax on my shoulders. I pump her through the waves of her orgasm as I thoroughly lick up every last drop.

Once the spasms leave her body, I withdraw my fingers and place a kiss on her lips before leaving one on each thigh. I let my lips trail back up her body, and when I find her mouth, I dive deep. I want her to taste herself on my lips. Vivian’s legs wrap around my waist, hungry for more than just a kiss, and I groan before unwrapping them and standing up. ‘Not tonight, baby.’

Her eyes search mine, not understanding why I’m not taking her. I pull back the covers and gesture for her to get under them, hoping that the simple act of showing her I still want her in my bed is heard without words.

‘Why?’ she questions as she crawls under, relieving some of my anxiety. I really didn’t want to argue anymore, and I’m not sure my cock could take going another session without being inside her.

Turning off the bedside lamp, I slide in behind her pulling her tight against my front before saying, ‘Because the next time I have you, it will be my way. The way it was always meant to be.’

I feel her chest inflate and mine does the same, as I pull in a deep breath and prepare for the line of questioning I know she’s about to lay on me. But it never comes. Instead, she slowly strokes her fingers over the top of my forearm that I have firmly locked around her front until she drifts off to sleep, and for that, I am grateful. She’s home and in my arms.

It took every ounce of strength I had this morning to leave my bed with Vivian tucked into my side, but I had to. I couldn’t risk Sebastian leaving. I’m optimistic he didn’t make the two-hour drive back to San Jose last night. They didn’t arrive until 10 pm, and after I didn’t cave into the tantrum he threw regarding me and Vivian’s relationship, I know he went straight for the tequila.

I’m just entering the kitchen to start the coffee when I see it’s already been made. Nico keeps two staff members on salary year-round regardless of what house he’s at. Mauricio, his personal chef, and Lucia, his housekeeper who wears more than one hat. She’s been the only consistent woman in our lives since Nico took Sebastian and me in years ago, after I ran away from home. Sebastian had only just turned twelve, and I think he and Nico bonded immediately, finding something in the other that had been missing. Nico never had a son of his own, and while Seb and I had parents, they weren’t ones any child would want. We were better off without their attention, because when they did remember our existence, the interactions never ended well.

For the most part, I was able to shield Seb from most of the beatings, but I wasn’t always around. I am six years older than him, and the day I turned fifteen, I started taking odd jobs—nothing with a set schedule, and nothing that I couldn’t be paid under the table for. I couldn’t risk my parents knowing I had money. The money I was making was to help feed me and my brothers. I couldn’t tell you what happened in those hours I was gone. But I know things started to get bad in the last year leading up to our departure.

When I would come home from a job, Seb wasn’t excited to see me. He had always been happy when I got home before. Milo and I were all he had, but during the last few jobs I worked, I could see the change in him, and I knew something had happened. I just didn’t know what, and he wouldn’t let me in. I knew then the money I had started to make would also be our escape. I had to get us out of there. The problem was, I was years too late. By the time I had saved enough money to get us away, Milo had overdosed. His grave wasn’t even dug before I took Sebastian and left in the dead of night. There was no way I would let the same fate fall on him.

As I finish pouring my coffee, I lean against the granite counter, all too eager for the caffeine to start working its magic. My eyes meet Sebastian’s. He sits on the buffeted booth seat of the bay window, sipping his coffee, eyes fixed on my every move. It’s clear he’s assessing me, and as much as I don’t care to hear his insults, they are necessary to bring him over to my side and earn his ear. I raised him myself. It’s how I know that if I don’t give him any words, he’ll believe I’m considering his suspicions while, in reality, I’m setting the trap.

‘We need to talk,’ I say, and he nods in agreement, setting his cup down and preparing to speak, but before he can, we are interrupted.

‘Good Morning.’ Vivian walks in wearing a short yellow sundress that perfectly highlights her bronzed complexion. Before I can respond in greeting, she says, ‘Thanks for the clothes and the tea.’

My eyes suddenly flash up to Sebastian, who is now looking at his phone. I sent for the clothes knowing she had nothing here, and I don’t plan on returning to San Jose until things are resolved, but I didn’t send the tea. Maybe he has a soul after all, sending tea to the woman he choked the night before. This act of decency is the most he’s ever shown her, and she doesn’t even know it was him.

Maybe we won’t be at the Serra Estate as long as I thought. Vivian rounds the island and pushes up on her tippy toes to meet my lips, and just as they connect, I see Sebastian begin to move from his booth.

Before he has a chance to get overly perturbed by our affection, I place my hands on her shoulders and rub gently, breaking away to say, ‘Sebastian, a word in the office, please.’ He pauses in his movement but doesn’t give me his eyes. When he continues walking without a word, turning right when he exits the kitchen, I know he’s meeting me.

‘Baby, I need to talk to Sebastian about business involving the Club.’

She nods before adding, ‘Yeah, he told me that someone on the staff has been stealing.’

Her remarks surprise me. I find it interesting that Seb shared any details with her when he refuses to share them with me, but the fact that he did speaks volumes to the progress I thought hadn’t been made in my absence over the past two weeks. ‘Yes; we need to discuss that and a few other things. There’s a gym in the west wing, and I had swimsuits delivered with your things this morning. Make yourself at home. I’ll try not to be too long.’

She nods in agreement, and I kiss her forehead before pursuing Sebastian. Walking down the corridor toward the office, I’m trying to think on my toes. Sebastian and I will have immediate business to discuss, but I need to find a reason to keep him here after our conversation. I don’t want him to drive back to San Jose.

When I open the door to the office, he is sitting on the brown leather couch flanked by bookshelves. Nico’s home is not overly flashy, but his home offices, both here and in Sicily, are meant to intimidate. A massive mahogany desk takes up a significant piece of real estate in the room. Behind it is an enormous stone fireplace with a stack that runs to the top of the twelve foot ceilings. The man who sits behind that desk is not one you would want to cross. Hell, he’s not even here, and I don’t want to sit in his chair. Instead, I perch my ass on the corner of his desk.

‘What’s going on at Covet? You came to San Jose four months ago to investigate discrepancies in drawer counts that you believed were targeted thefts; in that time, you’ve given me few details, and I haven’t pushed, but that ends now. I trust you, Sebastian; you are my brother. Why is it that you don’t trust me?’

He furrows his brow as he looks up from his phone. The look on his face would lead anyone to believe that my words have confused him, but I know that’s not the case. I know he’s hiding something. There is more to him being here than just the theft. There has to be.

‘Is it about the girl?’ I’ve caught a girl leaving my place with him twice now, and I know she also works at the club. While we might own the clubs, the rules still apply: no dating the staff.

His eyes narrow, and he says, ‘No. Unlike you, I don’t let pussy cloud my better judgment.’ I cross my arms and bite my tongue, waiting to see if he’ll give me more. When he sees that I’m not giving him the reaction he hoped for, he adds, ‘The blonde you’ve seen on camera is working at the club, but I’m sure you already know that. However, you might not know that she’s also the courier. It’s why I’ve been keeping her close. I had my suspicions, but I needed proof, and last night, I finally caught her in the act.’

‘There’s more you’re still not telling me. Why haven’t you made a move on her? If you know she’s stealing, why not turn this over to the authorities?’

He rises from his seated position on the couch and walks back to one of the windows that flanks the fireplace. ‘She’s not making the hits alone. Someone is helping her, and I want that name. We both know we can do more than the authorities. If it’s not her, whoever is behind the scenes could easily get another girl to do their bidding.’

I rub my chin in thought as I mull over his words. I don’t believe he is lying to me, but I’m also not naïve enough to think I am getting the entire truth. Nonetheless, I am getting more now than I have in months, and I, too, have my own agenda I want to push without setting off alarm bells. It’s then that I come up with a distraction that will keep him busy, and I could use help with it anyway.

I’ve been going over books, and besides the missing drops Sebastian found, there’s another moving piece, one I still need to identify a pattern with. Like Sebastian, I have this deep-seated determination to be the one to figure all things out on my own without help. It’s why I’ve given him such a long rope over the past four months. I understand the mentality, but right now, it’s something I’m willing to leverage.

‘Before you go, I was wondering if you might look at some spreadsheets for me. You found the errors related to drawer counts, which tipped us off on the theft, but I’m now wondering if the reason we haven’t been able to find a pattern is that these hits–“

He finishes my sentence for me. ‘Are a distraction for something else.’ Sebastian stalks over to Nico’s desk, rolls back the chair, and says, ‘Show me.’

And just like that, he took the bait.