Page 12 of Kiss of Death
Ivy let her head fall back on a groan, and Otto kissed his way down her neck and back up before finding her lips again. He felt her claws in his shoulder, and she bit down on his lower lip, causing him to growl into her mouth, and his cock twitched behind his zipper. This kiss was nothing more than basic instinct and need—need to climb inside one another and leave scratch marks on each other’s souls.
Ivy pulled back first, and Otto rested his head on hers, trying to catch his breath. He heard her start to speak, and he shook his head. He couldn’t go down this road with her, no matter how hard he wanted too. “Don’t,” he started. “Don’t invite me in, Ivy. This is like a bomb, and it can only go one way when we’re behind those closed doors.”
He lifted his head up to look at her, and that was a mistake. He could see his own hunger reflecting in her eyes. It had been there the second they locked eyes at Tres. His younger sister would have said his instincts to claim her came from him and Ivy being lovers in a past life—that his need came from finding what he once cherished and lost.
When they were younger, his baby sister would tell him all about the fairy tales she believed in, such as twin flames and how he had someone out there special for him. As Otto held Ivy in his arms, he realized she fit, but he thought his ex fit too and he’d been burned by her.
Otto mentally shook himself. He was rushing at this thing with Ivy head first, and he didn’t know anything about her. Lust and attraction could only get you so far and it could cloud your judgment. He didn’t need to be blinded by a woman who wasn’t his.
Put her down and walk away.
Put her down and walk away.
He recited the words over and over again in his head, hoping his mind could get his body to drop his hold on her and back away. The signals must have gotten fucked up, because he held on tighter instead.
Ivy’s hand came around to play with his beard, and it was his turn to shutter at her touch. “What if I’m feeling this too? I want to invite you in,” she whispered, but he could see the hesitation in her eyes. She might be feeling whatever was being pumped into the air around them to make them hot and heavy for each other, but something was holding her back, whether she realized it or not.
Otto shook his head. “Trust, I want to fuck you, but we shouldn’t do this. I’m your boss for one and two….” He didn’t have a second reason other than the part of himself that was drowning in a sea of need telling him he needed to slow down and be cautious.
“And if I want you to fuck me?”
Her words hit him like lighting, making him harder than he’s ever been. “Ivy,” he warned.
“I know, I know. I just…this….” She stumbled over her words before shaking her head. “No, no you’re right. This...this was a mistake and can’t happen.”
Otto slowly dropped her to her feet, and she dropped her hands to her side. There was an awkward silence now between them and it made Otto chuckle. He scrubbed a hand down his face. “It’s okay, Ivy.” He cupped her cheek, loving how she nuzzled his hand. “This is wild,” he murmured, more to himself than her. “Go inside and get some sleep, and make sure you lock the doors.”
She gave a weak smile and nodded, stepping out of Otto’s hold. She turned around, unlocking the door. “Goodnight,” he heard her whisper before the door closed in his face. He didn’t leave till he heard the sound of two locks click into place.
He let out a breath, willing himself to leave. He was glad he put the brakes on them tonight. It was bad enough that he kissed her. It only made him want her more.
“My poison Ivy,” he whispered to her door. She had quickly embedded herself into his system, and kissing her only made it worse. He should be worried about the effects she would have on him—looking to get away from her—but he couldn’t think past the taste of her on his lips.
His fingertips touched her door. “You’re going to kill me, Ivy I know it, and I fear I might actually enjoy it when that death comes at your hands.”
Wolf was in his office, exhausted. His day was long, and it got longer when Sofia showed up with Dom and Otto in tow. She briefed him on the meeting with the families and told him to keep his eyes open. The war she was predicting to land on their doorsteps wasn’t going to be selective in who it took out. As much as Wolf wanted to steer clear of the Barbati organization, he was a part of the Council and her war would become his.
A part of him hated that he signed on to be in her crew. He liked being neutral and doing his own thing with no one to answer too. But with Boris breathing down his neck more so now that Sofia’s father had died, it was only a matter of time before someone came in and took what he worked his ass off for. He’d rather own a piece of his legacy than see it obliterated at the hands of someone else.
Wolf grabbed a remote and turned on his stereo system. The sounds of jazz filtered into his quiet office. He was ready to call it a night, but he still had to wait for Carter, the president of the Unhinged Brothers, to show up and schedule their next gun run. Carter’s buyers were in need of another shipment, and Wolf was all too eager to supply.
He yawned, cracking his jaw. He took a sip of his coffee even though he knew it wasn’t going to do shit to help his exhaustion. This type of tiredness ran deeper than a good night’s sleep could fix—regrets and demons could kill you faster than any drug or bullet.
His gaze bounced around the monitors in his office. He decided, even with the renovations, he was going to keep the smaller rooms open for business—just keep the hours shorter and the bodies in the room smaller. This way it didn’t completely stop business and his employers weren’t out of a job while they redid the main room.
Wolf’s gaze landed on one of the monitors that watched the blackjack tables. When he had first opened, people came in trying their hardest to count cards, but he’d known what to look for early on and was able to stop all of them before he had to pay out more than he was making. It had been a long time since someone got one over on him.
His eyes landed on a female sitting in the middle of the blackjack table, flanked by other customers. She somehow managed to stick out and blend in with her surroundings at the same time. He could see how easily she’d get lost in a crowd, but Wolf would have known her anywhere with her long dark hair she liked to wear in a slick ponytail over one shoulder. The way the light hit her lips made them appear plumper than what they were, and the scar under her right eye seemed to be the only imperfection against her flawless skin.
Her gaze shifted toward the camera. She winked, like she knew where the cameras were and that someone was watching her. Wolf’s lips instantly pulled back into an involuntary smirk.
She was back.
She’d been here a few nights before Sofia’s homecoming, shuffling in and out with the rest of the customers. He didn’t pay much attention to her, because he didn’t see anything amiss. It wasn’t until Cree, one of his business partners, pointed her out for counting cards. She was subtle about it, only doing it a handful of times when she played. It was easy to miss, and the more Wolf watched her, the more he understood her game.
The dealer handed out the cards, and Wolf watched as her eyes stayed on the camera, but he could tell she was scanning the cards on the table. She had a four of hearts turned up, and while Wolf wasn’t sure what her face down card was, he was almost certain she was going to hold and win the hand.
The two other customers sitting next to her busted, and the dealer only had a five of diamonds facing up. He threw down another card for him and it was a ten of spades. He flipped his bottom card—a two of spades—he busted. His little card shark smiled triumphantly when she flipped over her bottom card. It was a measly eight of spades.
