Page 103 of Theirs to Ruin

“All the time. But even their croissants have nothing on my favorite pastry.”

“Will I get to taste it?”

A slow smile spread across his face. “I intend for you to taste everything I can give you.”

I wasn’t fazed by his innuendo. I’d been expecting it and was happy he hadn’t disappointed me, especially after that awkward moment we’d had about me referring to his women. “Good to know,” I said. I reached out and took his hand. “Thank you. Not just for this delicious breakfast, but for everything. For believing in me. Helping me. Ignoring me when I act ungrateful for that help. Last night’s orgasm was just the cherry on top.”

He cupped my jaw, pulling me closer for a kiss. “Since I’m planning ontakingyour cherry, brace yourself. I’m going to give you more orgasms than you ever thought possible.”

His lips captured mine with a hunger that mirrored my own, his kiss deep and consuming. The taste of coffee lingered on his tongue and mingled with the sweet flavor of the fresh fruit we’dbeen enjoying. His hand was warm against my skin, the calluses gently scraping against my cheek, offering a tantalizing contrast to the softness of his lips. I placed my hand on his chest, feeling the solid hardness beneath the fabric of his shirt.

My mind tumbled back to the night before—to his hot mouth on my skin, his fingers slipping into my wetness, the hard press of his tongue against my clit. The memory sent a surge of desire through me, a damp warmth blooming between my thighs. I recalled the glint of his Jacob’s Ladder piercings, the erotic feel and sight of metal marching along the hardness of his cock. I imagined how it would feel to have him inside me, those metal studs adding bite to every stroke of his hot, pulsing length, stroking me in all the right places as he thrust deep inside me.

“There goes my appetite.”

The sudden intrusion of Ty’s voice made us jerk apart. He grabbed a croissant and munched on it while he inspected the coffee in the coffee pot. Muttering under his breath, he ate the last of the croissant, wiped his hands, and headed into the kitchen. Within minutes, the air smelled of hazelnuts and vanilla. He came out juggling three small cups, set two in front of us, then leaned back against the dining room sideboard as he sipped his own.

Kage cocked a questioning brow at me, but gamely drank his coffee. I took a sip as well; Kage’s coffee had been good, but Ty’s espresso was in a whole other league. I grinned when Kage’s eyes almost rolled back in his head with delight. If we’d been alone, I would have teased that he almost looked like he had when he’d shot his load all over my hand.

“Your morning errand must have put you in a good mood,” I said to Ty after taking a generous swallow.

Ty leisurely finished his espresso before setting it down. His gaze flickered between Kage and me. “No. I just came back to settle things between us. Here’s the deal. I didn’t kill my family.I’m here to find the person who did, and the trail led me here. It’s theonlyreason I’m here,” he said, his gaze landing pointedly on me. “I don’t want anything to do with you, Camille. Either of you. Stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours. Any questions? Because we might as well get them out of the way so we can get to the point of ignoring each other.”

There was so much packed into those few sentences that I was left reeling. From his expression, even Kage was thrown. What had spurned Ty’s sudden revelations? Could it boil down to the fact he simply didn’t want to deal with me anymore? Appease my curiosity and I’d back off?

“Why do you act like you hate me?” I asked.

“Because I’ll reiterate,” he said in a voice like he was explaining things to a two-year-old, “I’m not here for you. I want nothing to do with you, and the last thing I need is to engage in long drawn-out conversations about why you couldn’t hold my interest after our summer in Italy. The simple truth is, out of sight, out of mind. If you can accept that and leave me the fuck alone, I won’t have to treat you any way at all, will I?”

Kage slammed his cup down so hard it cracked and pushed back his chair, the legs squeaking against the floor. He lunged for Ty. “You prick.” He threw a punch that barely missed Ty when Ty dodged the blow.

Before Kage could try to hit him again, I plastered myself between them. “Don’t, Kage!”

Over me, Kage glared at Ty. “You think I believe you about your family? I don’t. Because you’re fucking cold as ice, so cold it wouldn’t faze you to poison the sister that called yousaggio.”

Ty looked stunned. I didn’t know whatsaggiomeant, but it was obvious Kage had hit a nerve.

Ty started laughing, and there was so much spite in the laugh I winced.

“Quite an insult coming from a guy who couldn’t protect his own sister, not from kidnappers and sex traffickers, and not from the person who killed her right under your fucking nose. How does it feel, knowing you can research me well enough to know something like that, but on the other hand, Ava was gasping for air while you stood around at that fucking lake party drinking beer?”

Kage bellowed in rage. I pushed with all my might to keep him away from Ty. Kage could have flung me aside like a rag doll, but I knew he didn’t want to hurt me.

“You’re dead,” Kage snarled. “One more insult out of your mouth to Camille, one more time you utter my sister’s name, and you will die.”

“Then let it sink in. I don’t want to insult anyone or utter your sister’s name. I want you both to leave me the fuck alone,” Ty said, his voice thick with finality.

The weight of Ty’s words hung heavy on my chest, constricting my breathing and making me feel like I was suffocating. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I blinked them back, refusing to let him see just how deeply he had cut me.

“Fine,” I whispered, my voice steady. “I’ll leave you alone. I’ll forget I ever saw your face. I’ll treat you like a ghost when I see you, like you aren’t even there. You win, Mateo Serrello.”

The raw, cruel honesty of his words seemed to dig into my soul, leaving a hollow feeling inside. I felt both humiliated and defeated, discarded like a broken toy. Every hope, every fleeting emotion I’d felt around Ty now felt like a cruel joke, and the hollowness of his rejection settled deep within my heart.

Ty straightened his shirt, even though it was still perfectly pressed. Then he turned and left the kitchen without a backward glance.

I stared after him.

“Camille,” Kage began.

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