Page 7 of Claimed
He licks sloppily at my bottom lip. I allow him to open my mouth as my mind fades to the sweet glimmer of freedom.
Because it will be mine, and no one can stop me.
No one.
The first thing I notice about Miami is the heat. Despite it being September, the entire forsaken city is hot. Humid.
But it’s such a welcome change from Azz’s home that, for a moment, I stand on the pavement and tilt my head back, letting the sun bathe my skin.
It has been far too long since I could enjoy something so simple. Without worrying about Azz’s rules, anyway.
“Careful there, honey. The sun here can burn you faster than anywhere else.” The voice is southern and thick.
I turn to take in an older woman with several parcels on her arm. The bags are from expensive stores and I know old money when I see it.
My lips curve into my practiced smile. The one that says I’m young, new to town, and harmless. “But it’s a beautiful day.”
She laughs at that. “We got ourselves a storm brewing, to be sure,” she tells me. “But it won’t be here for several days.”
I glance back at the clear blue sky, past the tall skyscrapers and lush palms. “Hopefully not until I leave, then. I want to soak up as much sun as I can.”
Another smile. “Well, go ahead, honey.” She starts off.
“Wait,” I call. “I’m not in town for very long. Where is the best hotel in the city?”
She pauses and glances back at me. “The best? You want the Four Seasons.” Her eyes rake over me, taking in the jeans low on my hips and the white off-the-shoulder blouse I donned for comfort on the plane. “But they may be a bit out of your budget.”
The jab is delivered with the same sweetness as before.
I am careful not to let my smile slip. “My budget is fine, but thanks for your concern.”
Turning away before she can see the anger brimming in my eyes, I start up the street.
Many of the stores lining the sidewalk are ones I recognize from the deliveries to Azz’s residence. All of them are upscale and priced to match.
The woman’s words ring in my ears, irksome and rude.
Maybe she was trying to be nice. To only warn me.
But over half the money Azz has is because of me. Because of the risks I’ve taken. ThethingsI’ve taken.
Azz said he wants the cases. No matter what I have to do.
I start into the first boutique with a smile.
The door opens as I near, leaving me colliding with a solid male form.
I expect the coolness of Azz’s frame, but the hands that grip my arm are callused and hot. Nearly as hot as the surrounding city.
“Easy, pet,” the voice is a sultry glide over my senses. Silken and like sex made into a casual roll of syllables.
I shiver and my core clenches.
My eyes raise up over the open collar of a black silk shirt to find a pale throat. Unlike Azz’s almost pasty coloring, the man’s skin is a soft crème. Not pale, but not tan. My eyes track up to the narrow square line of a shadowed jaw, to full lips that seem ridiculously plump for a man. The sharp nose, chiseled cheekbones, and up to a pair of arresting crimson eyes behind a fall of midnight hair left jagged across his forehead.
I jolt back.
The male breathes sinister Sin and I know what he is immediately.
