Page 44 of Unhinged Cravings
“We stick to the plan. He gave us a deadline for a reason.” A deadline that was difficult to honor. Keeping Den from barging into Seagate wasn’t easy, but I knew my brother well enough to know he would be true to his word and kill her if we moved early. Although now I wasn’t so certain he would. Regardless, I would honor the deadline because I suspected that reason had more to do with the woman he currently held hostage than anything else.
Complication was an understatement. If my brother was in trouble, if his empire was being sabotaged and Ava got caught in the middle of it, then I didn’t want to think of the repercussions on all sides of the battlefield.
Chapter Sixteen
AVA
The words on the page continued to stare at me as my mind drifted again to Emerson. An entire day. He had spent the entire day with me. Not guarding me or torturing me, but playing in the sand and talking with me. I couldn’t think of a day that had been any better except the day my uncle had rescued me. And when we’d tired of the beach, we’d spent the rest of the day watching terrible movies and munching on popcorn he made Pack get from the closest movie theater. I would have felt bad, but Pack joined us for one of the movies before my clearly irritating habit of guessing the plot twists annoyed him too much.
Falling asleep on the couch had not been my intention, but the hours on the beach had left me drowsy and before I knew it, I was alone on the couch and night had fallen. After Breaker led me back to my room, I opted for a long hot shower where the constant warmth in my belly at the thought of Emerson had me pretending my hands were his and hoping the shower muted my resulting moan. There was no other place to touch myself for fear of someone walking in on me.
And now, book in hand, my thoughts were still on him. Theshower time had not helped in any way. If anything, it had me craving the real thing even more. Groaning, I rested my head back and put the book over my eyes. This was horrible. I had orgasmed to the image of the man who had kidnapped me, and now I couldn't stop thinking about him. As if that was something new. An obsession had developed from the moment I laid eyes on him. The sound of the men dying behind me that first night returned, and I corrected that obsession to the next morning. No infatuation had developed on that first night. Only fear…that had dissipated the moment his blue eyes softened, and he spoke to me.
I returned to reading, forcing myself to focus and angry at myself for falling asleep earlier. When I was two chapters from finishing my book, there was a quick rap on my door, and Emerson’s head peeked in.
“Knocking now? My status has improved if knocks have entered my world.”
He gave me a smirk that erased any pleasure I’d had earlier and left me longing for more.
“Still awake, huh?” he asked, stepping in and looking around like he was in a room he’d never seen before.
“Yes,” I said, hopping up from the bed. “And yes.”
His brow raised when he noticed I was in his T-shirt again. I couldn’t help it. The smell reminded me of him.
“What’s the second yes for?” he asked as I handed him my book. His brow arched higher.
“Yes, I’d love to come keep you company because I can’t sleep either.”
I dug through the stash of books Jill had sent me, realizing too late that my ass was hanging out when I bent down. Swiveling, I caught the lick of his lips, the flare of desire in his eyes. This was so bad. I had just assumed he’d come to take me back to his room. And I wanted him to because I didn’t like my empty bed now that he’d slept with me the last few nights. Ridiculous, I knew, but I had never been one to heed rational thoughts.
“Where did all those books come from?”
“Jill. Well, I guess you bought them for me, and she picked them up.” I dropped the second book into his hand. “Thanks, I really love them. The boring mystery Pack brought me was dull without the smut.”
“The smut?” he mouthed before he shook his head. “Why are you assuming I’m here to take you to my bed…to sleep…”
I reached up and closed his mouth, giving him a smile. “Because I just know.”
“Well, what if I’m not?” It was cute seeing a deadly mafia boss struggle for words like a nervous teenage boy.
I crossed my arms, daring him to tell me I was wrong. “Am I wrong?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fuck, no you’re not.” His eyes dropped to the floor, and I could see the fight there. It was the same that I continued to have, the same that told me this wasn’t right, but argued that it felt too right to ignore. “I can’t sleep and just in case your medicine doesn’t work, it makes sense to have you with me.”
An excuse but one I latched onto because it gave me a reason to ignore the voice in the back of my mind screaming that this man had taken me from my home, my friends, my family.
“Oh, yeah. That’s a good point,” I said, lying because I knew I’d be fine tonight. He rubbed the back of his neck and again I couldn’t equate this man to the ruthless killer I knew him to be. “Don’t want to take a chance.”
I walked to the door and opened it the rest of the way. “Should I lead?” I asked.
He snickered. “I thought you already were,” he said, as if the timid man he’d been moments before was no more. “Why am I carrying two books?” he asked as he followed me out.
Another of my regular guards was on duty and his eyes darted between us until Emerson barked, “Patrol the north side with Johnson.”
“Yes, boss.”
I kept walking, knowing the route and surprised that he let me continue to lead. His steps were heavy behind me, his presence like a blanket on a chilly night. It slipped over me in an embrace I couldn’t deny.
