Page 15 of Burning Bridges

I swallow, my mouth suddenly dry and my heart pounding out of control in my chest. What is he doing? He pulls my face toward his, our lips meeting as he kisses me roughly, possessively, his tongue forcing my lips apart. Devouring me. The authority of his movement sends signals around my body to all my most sensitive parts. I dig my fingers into his scalp as I cling to him. He tastes of whiskey and cigarettes, and something about the combination is pure perfection. My nipples harden painfully, begging to be touched as roughly as he grips my chin.

As he claims my mouth, he moves his hand around the back of my head to grip my ponytail like he did earlier tonight, pulling me back from him. I’m panting and breathless. I feel like a woman possessed with the need to have his cock buried deep inside of me. Instead, I’m forced to stare down at him with the tight hold he has on me. “Leo, what was that?” I gasp, a tremble in my voice.

He smirks, knowing he has just taken back all the power between us. He has me right where he wants me, ready and willing to do just about anything he has in mind. It’s unnerving how easy it was for him. But right now, that’s how I feel. I want this man to bring me undone. He licks his lips like he's tasting me on them. “That's all you're getting tonight, Princess.” His expression goes cold.

His words stab at me, the rejection stinging more than it should. I glare back at him. Is he serious? He’s not going to leave me hanging after a kiss like that. I think I made it pretty damn obvious I was ready to give him everything, even if on my behalf it was part of my plan to manipulate him. He should have taken the bait. He’s a guy, and I can feel how fucking hard he is. He wants me.

He drops my face from his grip. Placing his hands around my waist, he picks me up like I weigh nothing and places me back on the floor, standing in front of him. I’m in shock, the sudden whiplash of his change in mood stunning me. But Leo is back in business mode. He stands and collects my skirt, handing it to me. “Thanks for stopping by. Don’t forget your bag full of cash,” he says, dismissing me.

I look between him and my bag. I can’t find words to spit back at him like I would like to. In disbelief, I pull on my skirt, zipping it up. I turn away from him, fixing my hair, then grab my bag, storming from the room like an out-of-control toddler who didn’t get her way.

How dare he! Men don’t turn me down. Normally they're the ones begging me for whatever scrap of attention I’m willing to throw their way before I tell them it’s never going to happen. But coming here tonight, I knew I was taking a risk. Leo isn’t like other men. Even so, I know he’s not completely immune. I will wear him down. There’s no point in looking back at him. He’s not worth another second of my time tonight. I’m fucking furious. I also know Tony is going to be pissed I failed to spend more than half an hour in this place and learned nothing more than Leo’s willpower is stronger than I originally thought. I do still have a bag full of money and a free pass going forward, so tonight wasn’t totally a waste of time. The salon space is now mine forever, and once I get the deeds from him, he can’t change his mind either. It’s not the street full of businesses my family originally owned outright, but it’s the only one that really mattered to me, and knowing I will be able to afford to keep it going now on my own gives me hope for the future.

I pass by his brother Jett’s office. His door is wide open, and I can see he’s unfortunately in.

“Hey, Piper, what are you doing here?” he calls to me, sounding unimpressed. I can hear his heavy footsteps now following me, but I don’t stop. I keep walking for the back door I came in through, needing to get out of this place. Dealing with one Rivera is enough; two might just tip me over the edge tonight.

Jett catches me by the shoulder before I make it out the door, spinning me so I’m forced to face him.

“What the hell are you doing back here?” He glares daggers at me. I’m sure he looks scary to most, all six-foot-three of him and rock-hard muscle, but I will always see him as Leo’s little brother. Even if he’s not so physically little anymore.

I push his hand off my shoulder, like I’m repulsed he dared to lay a hand on me. “Why don’t you ask your brother? He let me back here,” I respond smugly, making sure to meet his eyes directly so he knows I’m not intimidated in the slightest by him and the show he puts on.

He looks back at me like I might have just gone mad. He knows how his brother and I feel about each other. The whole town knows how we feel about each other, so maybe he's right to give me that look. Maybe I have lost my mind coming here tonight. I’m chasing after a man I have avoided for the longest time because I know what he really means to me. Past all the hate caused by my family, there was something between us once. Something real. He felt it and so did I. But that isn’t what this is for me, and I know I can do my job and get the information Tony needs without letting my feelings resurface. I locked them away long ago, knowing feelings never got anyone to the top. They make you weak, and I’m not weak. I’m stronger than anyone, even a Rivera.

“Guess he breaks the rules when he’s horny,” I add to make it look more believable. Leo might not have the reputation his two brothers do for chasing pussy, but I’m sure he still gets his fair share working in this place. I’m sure they all sample the elite girls chosen to please the rich men of this town. And if not, I’m pretty sure that me stirring shit for him with his brothers will piss him off enough to make him react, bringing him right back to me, so either way, I win.

Jett pushes on the door handle for me, letting the cool night air hit my face. “That I don’t believe. I think we both know Leo doesn’t think with his dick like the scum you're used to playing with. He’s too smart for that.”

I let myself out before he forces me. “Maybe you boys have a problem then, cause I’m pretty sure Leo isn’t immune to my charm. He let me in his office tonight, didn’t he?” I smirk at Jett, enjoying the glare it earns me. These boys are so easy to rile up, I don’t even have to try.

He makes a sound that comes out like a growl right before slamming the door in my face. Yeah, I might not be scared of Jett Rivera, but he's sure scared of me. They all are, because they know I hold something over Leo, even if tonight didn’t quite go according to my plans.

I hop in my car and tear out of the parking lot, loving the sound of my new car’s engine. Having nice toys makes me feel a little more powerful.

Chapter 10

LEO

Mydoorfliesopen,and Jett storms in, looking vicious. "What the fuck, Leo?" he shouts, loud enough for everyone on the floor to hear him over the pounding bass of the dance music downstairs.

I glare at him, unimpressed by the interruption. My head is filled with thoughts of Piper's strange behavior toward me tonight. Never in my wildest dreams did I think she would show up at my club and throw herself at me. I'm not ready to let those images disappear just yet, and after the way I dismissed her, I'm sure the chances of a repeat seduction are slim. I know Piper, and her pride will be wounded more than anything else by failing to get whatever it was she was after with me tonight.

"I don't have time for your dramatics right now," I say. I just booked my favorite girl, Olivia, for a little one-on-one therapy in one of our playrooms. I might not be able to have the real thing, but I can fool around with Piper's replica and get this fucking boner under control so I can think straight again. There are a lot of people who rely on me having a clear head, and maybe that was part of Piper's game, throwing me off mine. Either way, I need to sort myself out so I can get back to work.

"Why would you let Piper back here? She was probably scoping out the place to blow it up or something. You know what the Acevedos are like with their explosives," Jett says.

He's not wrong, but she's not her brother. I stare back at him with the same smug look he just gave me. "She wasn't. And besides, she designed this place. She wouldn't need to scope it out; she knows the blueprint. If she wanted to blow it up, she would have already done it."

"That doesn't fill me with a lot of confidence," he huffs, and I know he's getting irritated with me. Jett's patience is thin at the best of times, but with a fight coming up in a couple of weeks and the added pressure of knowing someone is trying to hack into one of our businesses, he looks like he's ready to tip over the edge into psycho mode at any time. He glares at me, looks me over, and I can see he's trying to work out my angle, trying to understand why I would be stupid enough to let Piper into this place. “So, you did just let her in because you wanted to get your dick wet?”

I stifle a laugh at the thought of what she might have told him. "No, I let her up here because we needed to talk about the rent on the salon. I let her off the hook," I tell him nonchalantly, even though I know it's a big deal. I knew my brothers would give me backlash for doing it, but as the one in charge, they need to fall in line and agree with me. That space was always supposed to be hers. Tony bought the shop space for her with their family money, and I only kept it when we took over to prove a point. That I own this town now, not the Acevedos. It was time to let her have it.

"Why?" he growls, frustration etched on his face. He's about to explode.

I finish my drink and stand up, fixing my shirt. "It's her brother's debt, not hers."

Something flashes in his eyes that I don't like. My brothers know me well, and Jett can tell when I'm hiding something from him. "Tell me you didn't fuck her," he groans.

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