She turned her attention back to Hunter, towatch him take off his shirt, followed by his pants and his boxerbriefs.

Harlow had several tattoos up her arms,but she’d not been able to add any to hercollection. She had beenwanting some up either side of her body, and even on her thighs andback. Money was tight. Actually, money was nonexistent.

After talking with Raven, she had beentrying to figure out howto confront her landlord. She had spoken to a couple of otherpeople living in the building, to discover she was paying twice, ifnot three times the amount everyone else paid, which pissed heroff. She knew it was her age and naivete he’d taken advantage of.Harlow didn’t know if she was going to get her money back. Therewas always the threat of her brother, but she didn’t want to dothat.

Pushing those problems to the back of hermind, she looked at Hunter. He had ink all over his arms,chest, and even down to histhighs. Some of it disappeared, and she knew it was on his back aswell. He looked amazing. Harlow had always loved ink. The designs,the art of it … it was why she’d been so determined to have somedone.

She knew if her parents could have affordedit, they would have tried to get hers removed. That had neverhappened. Until she left their home, she had no choice but to keepit covered as it always angered her mother.

“Come here,” Hunter said.

Harlowrebelled against everyone else who gave her an order. Whatwas it about Hunter that made it so easy to follow his command? Shewasn’t a doormat. She knew what she was getting herself into. Andshe went to him willingly.

He placed a hand on her waist, pulling herclose, so they were body to body. The hard length of his cockpressed against her stomach.

“Do you trust me?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, I’ve never been with a virgin,Harlow.” He pressed his face against her neck, and there his lipsgrazed across thesoftflesh that made her ache and whimper. “But I know it’s going to bepainful. At least, that’s what all the programs have you believe.Do you want me to go gentle? Do you want me to make love to you? Ordo you want to belong to me?”

“I don’t care. Just take it. I don’t wantit.”

She let out a scream as Hunter suddenlyhauled her over his shoulder and then lifted her off the ground.

“What are you doing? Put me down.” Sheslapped his ass, not too aggressive, but Hunter wasn’t having anyof it, as she suddenly let out a yelp because his hand came down on her ass and swatted atit. “Hey!”

“Slap me, I’ll slap you back.”

He had hit one cheek, but then he did theother. “Only I’ll be sure to make it sting.”

Harlow didn’t know what to do. They weretraveling upstairs and she had no choice but to close her eyes asshe feared him dropping her and she’d plunge to her death.

She heard a door kick and felt the tensionof his body, but then suddenly she was no longer balanced over hisshoulder as he placed her on something soft.

Opening her eyes, she saw they were in his bedroom. Hisface was close to hers. Hunter didn’t say a word as he pushed herback on the bed. So many questions were rushing through her mind,but she didn’t ask one, not as he moved her toward the center andthen spread her legs wide.

Hunter knelt between her thighs. “How farhave you gone with a guy?”

“Ugh…”

“Harlow!”

“Fine. Fine. I’ve not gone anywhere withthem, okay? Nowhere.”She nibbled her lip. “I’ve never even kissed a guy. You were thefirst guy I kissed.”

“Idon’t believe you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Why not? Seriously,you know me and you know my brothers.”

“I don’t know your other brothers.”

“But you know George,” she said. She oftenfound it hard to say Big Dick, especially when it came to herbrother. She would flit between George, my brother, or BigDick.

“Fucking cowards,” Hunter said.

“Or they are just preserving their abilityto breathe.” She had noidea why she was defending men who didn’t exist. “Besides, have youever thought that maybe I didn’t want to be withanyone?”

She’d been more focusedon dealing with her mother, surviving, andjust living. In the past few years, she’d focused on working withAva, dealing with being broke, and trying to make it work. Men,boys, sex, relationships hadn’t mattered to her.