Page 79 of Never Fall for an Angel

Standing at the window of my lighthouse office, I can see him, Mila, and Phantom in the front yard. Collin tosses a stick, and Phantom bounces after it. Mila laughs.

This morning floods back like a fucking tsunami, and just like that, my cock’s rock fucking hard in my jeans all over again.

I’ve jerked off twice in the three hours since then, and yet, it feels like I’ve done nothing but play some kind of painfully masochistic game of edging.

The way she ground against my cock, silently begging me to keep going. Her teeth in my neck. The fire in her eyes when she told me to shut up. The neediness in her voice when she growled my name.

Myfucking name. Not any other goddamn man on this planet. NotCollin’s.Mine.

She doesn’t smile at you, though.

I shake my head, grabbing a pack of cigarettes from the front pocket of my flannel and lighting one up. I’ve been trying to cut back—you know, health and all—but after this morning, health can suck a dick.

The only thing that stopped me from canceling Rudy and Paulina’s visit and dragging her up to the bed to make her come until she spilled every one of her secrets was the knowledge that she wasn’t ready. The fear in her eyes when I found her last night in the midst of her nightmare and the trust this morning when she ground on my cock.

Like she knew I wouldn’t push her past her limits. Like I was giving her back a piece of her soul that was stolen from her.

I raise the cigarette back to my lips, and I swear I can smell her honey and vanilla on my skin, clouding my judgment and spreading her fucking sunshine all over my island.

Collin tosses the ball, and Phantom takes off after it. Mila laughs, turning that megawatt smile on him.

Then she reaches out and touches his arm.

I may or may not be reaching for my gun when Paulina enters the room behind me.

Fuck the window. I’ll buy a new one.

“None of that.”

I drop my hand, clenching my fist in my pocket instead. “Why is she smiling at him like that?”

Paulina steps up to the window, looking past me to the scene below with a gentle smile.

“Seems she finds him funny.”

“He’s not fucking funny,” I murmur under my breath.

“You cannot shoot your employee for making her laugh, I’m afraid.”

On the contrary, Icould. I just have to be willing to pay the consequences, and weighing out my options right now, it doesn’t seem like it’s all that bad of an idea.

“A word of advice, if I may?”

“That’s never stopped you before.”

She ignores my comment and nods past me to the window.

“If you want her to smile atyou, I would suggest doing something with her besides kidnapping her and forcing food down her throat.”

Touché.

“I’m keeping her alive.”

“A life of fear is not a life worth living.”

“What’s she got to be afraid of?” I ask, even though I fucking know Paulina’s right to some regard. I may not have actively hurt her physically, but I know there’s a part of my girl that never forgave me for leaving, even if she doesn’t know why I did it.

There’s also the fact that she was running when I caught up to her. And then there’s the drugging and kidnapping her . . .

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