Page 42 of Felonies are Forever

“What the fuck?” He steps away, batting my arm down. “What’s wrong with you?”

He fixes his tie glaring at me while smoothing the lapels of his jacket.

“Right now, you’re what’s wrong with me.”

“Don’t be a prick. I’m not touching her, just admiring the scenery. I’m a man, you know. We do that. Not that you ever do.” He shakes his head.

I rein in the anger that grips my throat as I look around and see most of the other men in the room doing the same, and I wonder how I can drag her out of here without being arrested. The thought of them lusting after her is making me sick. I want to build walls around her because I know what they are thinking, and no one gets to think of her in that way but me.

They work their way through the crowd, and it’s the man I assume is her father who first catches my eye, tipping his head as if he can read my thoughts before smiling as he extends his hand.

“I’m Rudolf Ardelean. Thank you for attending. You are?”

The other woman comes to his side and takes his arm, giving me a soft smile. “I do believe this is our new neighbor, am I correct?” She raises her brows, and I note how oddly colored their eyes are. His are a deep burgundy, almost red and hers a mixture of green, red and both hinted with a gold rim. “I’m Amber Ardelean.”

Almost transfixed by her gaze, I manage my name. “Maxim Forsythe.”

I pull my eyes away only to find myself staring at their daughter, watching as she crouches down in her red ball gown talking to a group of children. When she stands and turns, her eyes wander upward until they are fixed on mine, and her lipsopen slightly as if some wonderful sensation has just taken her by surprise.

Distracted, I barely notice Rudolf taking my hand to shake until I turn back. Did I offer it to him, or did he just take it? His touch is ice-cold. “Brilliant,” he says. “I’ve wanted to meet you. I do apologize I haven’t come over to welcome you to the neighborhood. You are having a bit of work done on the old place, I notice. Lord knows it needs it.” He chuckles. “I’m afraid I never saw the last owner use it once.”

His manner and look remind me of Robert Redford in the Great Gatsy and for that matter, his wife a bit of a Daisy with her southern accent and propriety.

“I only ever dealt with the agent,” I say, at least aware enough to keep to the cover story as I’ve promised. “I think the owner might have died and the family was trying to offload some real estate. Cheap.”

“Ah, that would make sense. Still, it’s a good house. Solid foundations laid down in the forties.” Rudolf speaks like he saw it firsthand. “They knew what they were doing in those days.”

“I suppose they did.” I swallow hard as his daughter steps to his side, and he places his arm around her shoulders, drawing her close.

“This is my daughter, Seleme. Seleme, meet our new neighbor, Mr. Forsythe.”

She holds out her hand, and I take it in mine, the first touch of her warm skin sending me into a near convulsion as my cock takes no quarter, rising to press against the belt of my trousers. Luckily, I’m wearing a suit, so I’m praying the jacket covers most of the obvious, but there’s something in the glint of her eyes that tells me she knows.

For a split second, time stops.

“Hello,” she says, a little breathlessly, biting into her bottom lip in a way that has my heart about to leap from my chest.

“Hi!” Dimitri steps into our circle. “Quite the gig you’ve got going on here.”

“He’s my plus one,” I say, trying to apologize for the interruption, and when their eyes question, I clarify: “He’s a friend, I don’t have an actual plus one.” I look at Seleme and finish. “So to speak.”

I swear there is relief in her face as Dimitri introduces himself. “I believe my company has done some contract work for your firm before? I’m the owner of Parker-Scott Security, Dimitri Parker-Scott.”

Her father nods. “Yes. I know that name. You’ve done some investigating for us before, as well as client personal security. Very good work if I remember correctly.”

“Thank you, it’s always a pleasure to meet a satisfied client.” Dimitri clears his throat. “If you ever need any more security work done...”

“Well, the nature of our business means security is always—” Rudolf draws a sharp breath as his wife kicks his ankle pointedly. “But tonight is not for business. Eat, drink, enjoy yourself. Call me next week. We can discuss further business then.” He smiles and turns to plant a kiss on his wife’s cheek, and she turns to Dimitri and me with a satisfied yet disarming smile.

As my eyes latch onto Seleme’s, a zombie waiter steps forward and bows slightly, holding a tray of bubbling champagne flutes, a plastic eyeball floating in each. Dimitri exchanges his empty glass for another, and the waiter brings the tray to Seleme. Her eyelids dip as her delicate fingers slip around the base of a glass, but she watches me from beneath them, and I nearly lose my shit.

Next, he offers the tray to her mother and father, who both smile politely before waving him off without partaking.

My mind swims with thoughts of that red dress in tatters on the floor after I’ve ripped it from her body. Of her fingers wrapping around my shaft as I see them now around the glass. Of her pulling my cock toward her lips, ready to take her first lick...

I grit my teeth as I force my eyes back to her father, remembering all the times in the last two weeks I’ve calmed myself as best I could with my own hand. I know now, having touched her for the first time, that there will be no relief ever again without her.

“Well, then.” Rudolf nods toward Seleme, then back at Dimitri and me. “We'd best be moving on. The pumpkin carving contest will start in a few minutes. Will you both be carving tonight?”

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