Page 81 of Cruel Hearts

She rocks her hips and rubs her clit. I love watching her pleasure herself and feeling her explore where we’re joined.

We’re two halves of a whole, and we always will be.

Despite all I’ve done to her, I will prove that we aren’t broken.

I’m buried inside her as deeply as I can be and she comes. I immediately follow, gripping her hips, my cock spurting, spasms wracking my entire body.

We’ve barely caught our breaths when I sit up, yank her against me, and kiss her so roughly our teeth smash together. “You are mine,” I snarl, twisting my fingers in her hair. “You are mine, and I am never letting you go again. If you disappear, I will search heaven and earth to find you.”

I clutch at her as she cries hot tears into my neck.

We dress in silence. I’m not so stupid as to think a hot round of sex will fix things, but Stella letting me touch her means a lot. Maybe she was just using me, but Denton wouldn’t turn her away. He would act self-righteous about it in the daylight, but under the cover of night, he’d accept Stella into his bed if she wanted to be there. Max, as well, I think, though he’d probably deny it, too.

She needed someone, someone to touch her, and she came to me. It humbles me, it really does.

I pack a small carry-on while Stella cleans up in my bathroom. I don’t need much. If he questions it, I can get away with telling Ash I’m trying out the hotel before it opens, but asmuch as it will put me on edge to be away from everyone, I’ll need to spend the majority of my nights here.

I have no idea how long we’ll need, what the fallout will be, or what’s going to happen once everything is done. When a building is blown up, there’s a moment of stillness, and then the floors cave in, one by one.

Stella steps out of the bathroom looking the same as she did before we made love. I didn’t expect her to radiate happiness, to suddenly act like she loved me again, but I’d be lying if I said her not meeting my eyes doesn’t hurt.

“Ready?” I ask.

“I don’t have anything. I have a bag in that woman’s truck, that private detective who picked me up, if you can ask her if I can have it back.”

“Mel’s meeting us at the hotel. She can give it to you when we get there.”

“Thank you.”

“Stella...” I want to remind her of the risk we’re taking, but no one understands that more than she does.

“I know. If it was just for me, I’d leave it alone, but it’s not. It’s for Zarah and the things Ash let those men do to her...It’s for the woman you have here. How long has she been trapped working for him? And it’s for your parents. How many other lives have Ash and Clayton destroyed? We need to do this. It doesn’t matter how dangerous it is.”

“Okay.” I pause. “When all this is over...”

She waits.

Empty promises will get me nowhere.

“When this is finished and you’re free, I’ll see to it you have everything you need to start over. Anywhere you want.”

Her expression betrays not a hint of emotion. “Without you?”

After we’re done and the dust settles, I can pray she’ll want me, but the truth is, I don’t know what we’re going to uncover.I don’t know how evil Clayton and Ash really are. Friendship connects us. I’m guilty by association.

I nod. “Without me.”

She doesn’t answer, simply walks out the door and down the stairs.

I drive a different car to the Crowne. I’ve used my SUV enough, but the precaution is too little, too late. Ash knows every vehicle I own. Max hinted that I should replace Denton’s car, but to pay him back for his help, I’ll owe him a lot more than that.

The city slides by, and Stella sits low in the seat.

She smells of sex, the air conditioner wafting the scent from between her legs, and I want to taste her, lick her until she comes under my mouth.

“Stop it.”

My lips twitch. “Stop what?”

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