Page 24 of Savage Truth

The noise didn’t faze Cole. He tugged hard on my hair, breaking the kiss and angling my head for access to my neck. I gasped when he nipped me with his teeth, and my thighs clenched tightly against the throbbing between them.

Movement barely registered in my peripheral vision, but it was enough for some sense to trickle into my lust-filled brain. Palms flat on Cole’s chest, I shoved. “Stop.”

He growled, the rumble vibrating from his chest and into me. I shivered, my need for him impossibly high.

“Cole!” Lucas’s deep voice cracked like a whip through the kitchen.

Cole’s grip on me loosened, and I wiggled free then dashed to the stairs on legs that trembled almost too much to take me there. I didn’t need to stay around for the fireworks. It was enough to know that he would answer to his dad. A pang of guilt pierced my hazy mind. I sank my teeth into my lower lip as I locked the bedroom door behind me and climbed into bed. He wouldn’t get into too much trouble. It had only been a kiss.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

COLE

Goddammit. Worst timing ever.

“Cole!” Dad’s voice was like nails on a chalkboard cutting through my need for Riley, who had fled. “Turn around. I’m talking to you.”

I braced myself on the island’s cool stone countertop, thinking of anything that would eliminate how my dick strained against my zipper, trying to break free and find her. Christ.

I planned to find that little minx once I got Dad off my back. We had unfinished business. If I’d stayed at my cousins’ place, not called a fight to dispel some pent-up aggression from the confrontation earlier, and waited until tomorrow morning to enact different plans for Riley, I wouldn’t have been in that mess… although that kiss, as brief as it was, said I’d made the right choice to come home, regardless of my present circumstances.

After another few seconds, I regained enough control to face my dad.

Fury radiated off him. “My office,” he snapped before whirling around, obviously expecting me to follow.

It was the only way to end whatever he wanted to rail at me about. Then I would be free to find Riley and get back to where we were.

“Close the door.”

I obeyed then leaned against it, crossing my arms over my chest. My psyche warred between knowing I needed to let him rant and going upstairs and dragging her to my bed.

Dad paced several feet in front of me, in front of his desk. Unusual behavior for him. He was known for his intensity and composure before he went for the kill, both in the courtroom and in life. And he always did. His case record was something like ninety-nine percent wins. And I think the one loss was because he fired the client midtrial because of something he’d uncovered. I wasn’t entirely sure of the details. They didn’t matter much to me.

My gaze skimmed over the wall of legal texts behind him to his large mahogany desk, where he must have been doing some late-night work, as his laptop was open and a legal pad was beside it. The blinds were closed over the floor-to-ceiling windows to my left. There was a bar off the corner of the room behind cabinet doors. I had to stop myself from opening it, pouring a whiskey, and sinking into one of the leather club seats nearby.

I’d always liked his study, but I swore long ago that I would never follow in his footsteps. And I still didn’t plan to, no matter how much he thought he could push me into getting a law degree and passing the bar exam.

I could see Damon doing it, though, maybe. He had the same cold focus as Dad and a knack for intimidating anyone into spilling their guts with one look. After I left, Damon would have another year of high school and plenty of time to figure out what he wanted.

Aside from football, I knew what I wanted, and nothing my dad did or said would sway me.

Dad stopped pacing and stood in front of his desk, glaring at me. “I thought I made myself clear about Riley being off-limits.” His deep voice reverberated off the walls, demanding obedience.

But I made my own rules. “It was just a kiss.”For now. More later.

“You’re not going to screw this up for me, Cole.”

The fuck?“Screw what up? This family? You’ve done a great job of doing that my entire life.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Enlighten me, then!” I forced myself to remain where I was so we didn’t end up punching each other again.

He ran a hand over his face. I hated how alike we looked. “Raelyn means a lot to me, and if you mess with her daughter…”

I grinned, and by the emotion that snapped to a glimmer in his eyes, I knew that all the darkness I felt inside was reflected in my expression. “Maybe you should tell Raelyn that I’ve defiled her precious daughter. Wonder if she’ll stick around or take off… again?”

He pressed his mouth into a tight line, and his body visibly tensed.Come on, old man. Make the first move.I wanted to keep goading him so he would come at me. I was more than ready to slam my fist into his face.

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