Page 22 of Luck of the Draw

He shrugged as he absently stroked his fingers over her shoulder. “I do what I want. Which is not at all what they want me to do. But that doesn’t bother me because I live on my own terms, and I will continue doing exactly what I want until the day I die.”

“Hmph,” Skye huffed before she could think the better of it. “Must be nice.”

Brennan glanced at her. “What do you mean?”

“I mean…” She turned her head away from his gaze and stared at the ground. “It’s easy to live on your own terms if you have endless resources.”

He went silent for several beats, and Skye immediately regretted saying anything like that. She ventured a glance at his face. He focused on the sidewalk in front of them, and the muscle in his jaw pulsed in a slow, steady rhythm.

“I’m sorry.” She looked back at the ground. “I didn’t mean to say that like…that. I’m just sort of…” She swallowed discreetly as she parsed through her words. Saying something like that was way too revealing. “I guess, feeling the pinch of finances while I…” She rolled her lips between her teeth. “Like during my uh…job change.”

“First of all, darlin’.” Brennan pulled her to stop in front of the three steps that led to the front door. “Please do not apologize for that. I’m fully aware of my gratuitous privilege.” He pivoted to face her and leaned forward to plant a kiss on her forehead, which made her smile again. “For better or for worse, that privilege isn’t going anywhere, so I like to use it to other people’s advantage. So, while you’re here, you’re not going to even think about money. Got it?”

Her smile persisted as she met his deep espresso gaze. “You’re too much, Brennan.”

“I know.” He encircled her waist and tugged her closer. “But being too much is part of doing exactly what I want. I like you, Skye. I want to have a good time with you while you’re in town.” He glanced at the front door before looking at her with just a hint of sheepishness in his eyes. “I hope you don’t think this is a too sleazy.”

Skye lifted her shoulders in a dismissive shrug. “We’re both adults.”

“I know.” He removed his hands from her waist and slipped them into his pockets. “But I can tell you have class, and this might be out of your comfort zone.”

She managed to not break into hysterical laughter.

Oh Lord Jesus, baby, you are so clueless.

She had fooled him even better than she’d hoped. A tiny rush of guilt snaked through her body, but she brushed it off. After all, Brennan was getting exactly what he wanted, and he’d made it clear he wasn’t the type to be manipulated into anything hedidn’twant.

Skye took a step closer, pressing her breasts hard against his solid chest and sliding her hand over his hip to grab his ass—which was rock fucking hard and absolutely mouth-watering—and pulled him closer. She arched an eyebrow at him. “Don’t underestimate me, Brennan.” She angled her chin upward and drew her bottom lip along the shell of his ear. “I fully intend toblowyour mind, and I fully intend to enjoy every second of it.”

That clearly got his attention. Despite the chilly air, heat suddenly rolled off him, particularly from the region where her hips were firmly planted against his. Skye was looking in the direction of his face, but her eyes glazed over as she marinated on the feel of his hot, hard erection pressing against her tummy.

It seemed his bank account wasn’t the only thing about Brennan Riley that was well-endowed.

He stroked his fingertips up her outer thigh to the small of her back and held her in place while he pressed his substantial cock that much harder against her. “Likewise.”

Her breath picked up just as her eyes flicked downward below his belt for a microsecond and then returned to his face.

This was either going to be utterly excruciating or the most fucking spectacular sex she would ever have in her whole entire life. And which one it would be solely depended upon suave Mr. Riley’s ability to wield his extraordinary male muscle.

Brennan broke their embrace to unlock and open the door, swinging it wide. Peering inside, Skye nearly gasped for reasons that had nothing to do with her worry that his huge dick might literally split her in half.

His house was fit for southern royalty. It had deceptively tall ceilings, a glittering crystal chandelier, thick, lush oriental rugs, looming furniture, and even a shiny black baby grand piano in one corner. The air smelled of cinnamon and clove, fresh floral arrangements in crystal vases adorned the various marble-topped side tables, and what looked like priceless art tastefully hung in gilded frames on the walls.

Skye could not believe the irony of her luck.

Brennan—with his charm, generosity, intoxicating sex appeal, and giant penis—was not only everything, he alsohadeverything. And apparently, he wanted her exclusively for this faux vacation he believed she was on, and he wanted to share all of thateverythingwith her for the duration. But she had a feeling the only reason he wanted all of that was because he knew she’d be gone after a brief period of time.

Skye was not stupid. She knew men better than they knew themselves, and she knew men like Brennan had no intention of being in it for the long haul with anyone. Just like the exotic flowers that littered almost every solid surface in the room, men wanted something beautiful to enjoy for an abbreviated period of time, only to swap it out before it became too familiar or began to wilt.

And that was just fine with Skye. She had no intention of being in it for the long haul with anyone either.

She’d done the long haul withhim. Jesse. Who she knew was back at the apartment by now, had found both her and the money missing, and was most assuredly blowing up her silenced phone. The long haul with him could not have gone more horrifically.

It was how Skye had become the person she was in the first place. The possessor of endless knowledge of men. The glorified property of one man in particular who was the spawn of Satan himself. A life-battered woman who was standing inside a house worth millions, preparing to take all she could get from its delicious and generous owner before she disappeared forever.

But there were no regrets. There were only possibilities. And with Brennan’s offering of generosity on her way out, she would reciprocate it in every way she knew how.

“So,” Brennan said, closing and locking the door behind her as he set her suitcase to one side. “What do you think?”

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