Page 4 of Phantom

“You asshole.”

“I’ve never pretended to be anything else, babe.”

That much was true. I laid my head against his shoulder, breathing hard, waiting for my heart rate to reach something approaching normal. Wishful thinking? Definitely. Just being near Hawk made my pulse race, and now he’d ruined me. Ruined me for all other men. How could I ever go back to a vibrator after this? No toy could compete with his dick. It was a steel rod straining at his fly, but he made no move to touch it.

“What about you?” I asked. “Don’t you want to…you know?”

“Next time.”

What? “Next time?”

“Next time you need an orgasm, call me.”

Did he really mean it? I considered for a moment. This was Hawk—he wouldn’t have said it if he didn’t. But more importantly, would I ever have the guts to take him up on the offer?

He dropped to his knees and tore off the sorry remains of my pantyhose, then pressed a kiss to my clit before he settled my dress back into place. Without thinking, I began fanning myself, only to stop in a hurry when he rose to his feet.

“Let’s get you back inside.”

“I… What?”

“Dan can give you a ride home.”

How could he still form actual sentences?

“A-all right.”

I let him lead me into the Brotherhood, one hand on the small of my back as he opened the door. He might have acted like a gentleman on occasion, but I knew now that he was anything but.

Dan, Mack, and Hallie all looked up as we approached, and Dan raised an eyebrow.

“I thought you were hooking up with BMW Guy?” she said.

Hawk answered for me. “He turned out to be a prick. Get her home safe, okay?”

Then he disappeared into the crowd, leaving me with still-wobbly legs, veins swimming with dopamine, and a whole lot of confusion.

Tonight, I felt the air change in my apartment. How long had I been standing under the water? Too long, it seemed. A minute later, Hawk materialised in the bathroom, already naked, already hard. He didn’t say a word as he strode into the shower, lifted me against the wall, and kissed me senseless.

The words I didn’t say?

I’ve missed you.

3

AGATHA

“What do you mean, the wedding’s next month?”

“I know it’s short notice, but the hotel on Steppen Island had a cancellation. For July! That’s peak wedding season. Another couple broke up and called their whole engagement off, and, well, their loss is our gain. If we don’t take this slot, the next available weekend is almost three years away, and I just can’t wait that long to be Mrs. Stu Boldt.”

Odette sounded far too happy about someone else’s misfortune. Or was it my own horror that had skewed my interpretation?

“But…but…can you really organise a wedding in a month?”

“Agatha, I’ve been planning my wedding for practically my entire life. I picked out my dress years ago. All we need to do is make the final alterations; decide on the menus for the wedding day, the rehearsal dinner, and the family meal; order the flowers—roses, peonies, and snapdragons; confirm the guest list and the seating plan; and start my pre-wedding diet. I only need to lose eight pounds, so that’s totally doable.”

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to get the time off work. We’re super busy at the moment, and—”

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