Page 11 of Delicious

“It’s probably just maintenance, finally showing up for the leaking faucet I called in last week.”

As I approach the door, something tells me I’m wrong about it being maintenance. Something down in my soul seems to know who’s here before I close one eye and use the other to look through the peephole.

I count to three before turning the lock, and swing the door open.

Heat blooms on my cheeks as I stare wide-eyed, unblinking, until a sheen of tears turn the sight of the tall man in an expertly-tailored gray suit misty.

“Hey there, Tootsie.” His dark eyes don’t stray from mine, and the sound of my blood rushing in my ears sounds like Niagara Falls.

“You’re one of them, aren’t you? Get out of here!” Jess calls, wobbling to her feet from the couch, tossing the blanket on the floor. “You’re not welcome here!”

“Jess, it’s okay,” I say, making a calm down sort of motion with my hand.

Erik enters without being asked, walking through with so much calm confidence it makes our tiny apartment look tinier and sadder than it was before.

Jess fists her hips, setting her jaw, but I see the way the blood drains from her face. “What do you want? You want to take our food from the kitchen? Or how about the water in the toilet? That suits you.”

Erik shows no reaction and the coldness in his eyes reminds me that he’s associated with some of the most dangerous men in this city. Where there is danger, there is usually more danger.

Still, he’s wildly handsome, with his rich brown beard and the waves of hair slicked back behind his ears. The darkness of his eyes are rimmed with dark lashes and topped with a hard brow like he’s from another century, one where men were harder and unaffected by any of the softness of life.

There’s a wildness about him, but the contrast of that wildness with the perfect knot on his lavender and black striped tie and the shine on his shoes is more of a turn on than I could have imagined.

I thoughtlessly start to walk toward the mess of my bed with my clothes strewn everywhere, when I see his head turn, looking down at the stack of unpaid bills.

I rush the three steps it takes to get to the table, gathering up the papers, hoping he didn’t inspect them too closely, when his hand darts out and ratchets around my wrist.

“Give those to me,” he growls. His voice is thick with a primal power that assures me he’s the type of man that’s used to getting his way. He’s the type of man that just looks at a stack of bills, and they pay themselves.

“Let her go.” Jess starts my way, but again, I wave her off as Erik slowly swivels his head, looking toward Jess, then me.

His jaw flexes, his nose just crooked enough to give him that ruddy sexiness that seems to have embedded itself into my fantasies, because all I can think about with his hand on my wrist is him holding them above my head while he pushes inside of me.

“Jess, why don’t you go for a walk. This is between me and him.”

“I didn’t catch your name…” She tips her head toward the door for me to go, but Erik grabs the stack of papers from my hand, rolls them into a tube, flattening it, before shoving it into the inside pocket of his jacket.

“You don’t have to pay any more bills,” he says, running the tips of his fingers under my chin. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re why I’m here.”

Jess slumps back onto the couch with a shake of her head. “I told you not to do this,” she mutters, her fingers pressing into her eyes.

“Jess, it’s okay. This is Magnus’s brother, Erik. I didn’t want to tell you that the other day. Not until I figured out what to do.”

“And what did you figure out?” she says, her eyes now on Erik. “You want something from my niece in exchange for you helping me not lose my house? Is that it?” She shakes her head, “No, no, no. Andrea, that is not happening.”

“She’s made me an offer I can’t refuse. I’m just here to collect.”

I rest my hand on my belly, trying to settle the fluttering inside, ashamed that deep down I hoped this would happen. I wanted him to come, to save us, because we’ve exhausted all other options at this point. And although I’ve never been one to dream of a white knight riding in to save the day, I want what this man can offer.

Choices. Freedom.

Except, maybe that’s not what he’s offering. Maybe he’s controlling and selfish. Maybe he will take away all my choices and only give me the freedom he deems fit.

Even with that, somehow with him, it feels like what I want. To let him take control, take away the choices and the responsibilities and just make everything right again.

“You can tear down the house. Blow it back to God if you want. You’re not taking her. Not if I have any say.” Jess crosses her thin arms, her voice hard but tired. Erik answers with a sniff, turning back to me, his eyes dancing with mine for a moment before he speaks, ignoring Jess’s protests.

“Your house won’t be torn down. I’ll make sure of that.”

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