He walked backward into the hallway, drawing me along with him. “Well, it’s time to come back inside. I have some of my own playing around to do. I was thinking we could pick up where we left off before Andy called. I still have a whole donut to burn off, remember?” He winked.
I forced a smile and let him tug me along playfully. It was almost overwhelming to try to think right then. This man’s hands had a way of wiping common sense from me.
But little could distract me from the macabre message now resting against my hip. The threat against my family. And yet, his grandmother’s ring still circled my finger…a band of trust. A trust I was about to break. The terms of my contract were quite clear from the outset. No criminal activities would be tolerated.
But I wasn’t the criminal here – that was all on Emilio’s head. Dammit! If only he hadn’t gotten caught up in this whole mess. What kind of idiot steals from a drug dealer? There was no way he could have known I would ever be in a position to bail him out of this mess. He simply assumed somehow I would fix it. Just as I always had.
If Prince hadn’t walked into my life when he did, Emilio would be dead. Or I’d have had to resort to turning tricks. Or praying to hit the lottery to find the million dollars Razortip wanted in exchange for my brother's life.
“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” Prince asked again, his brow furrowed in concern as he looked down at me. “You’re really not looking great.” He brushed his lips over my forehead.
I cleared my throat. “Just…just a bit of a headache.” I forced a smile. “Not much sleep lately.” That was the truth. Though I certainly wasn’t going to be the one to complain about it.
He brushed his knuckles against my cheek. “Poor baby. It’s all my fault.” He folded his arms around me and held my cheek to his chest. “Shall I run you a bath? Maybe a glass of wine? Or is this more of a Midol headache?” His hands were rubbing over my shoulders and down my back.
Oh lord, when did he become so wonderful? I half wished I was back with the intimidating stranger I’d met all those weeks ago. The one I could have left behind without ripping my heart out at the same time.
Surely, he’d understand if I told him? Surely, he’d know this wasn’t my fault? But then again, maybe he’d also want to know why I’d let things get this far without sharing this information. My family’s entanglement with a crime lord. The man demanding a million dollars for my brother’s safe return. More than a million now, it would seem – no doubt thanks to my good fortune. I couldn’t even imagine what he might want from me now.
Oh, God…what am I going to tell Prince?
Chapter 2
Prince Walker
Icupped her cheek and ran my thumb over her lips. She was pale. But still so beautiful. I could drown in those wide eyes. The blue of her irises had tiny dark flecks in them. It’s amazing what you notice when you take the time to look.
And as I looked now, I could see something was wrong. Perhaps just a headache, as she’d said. But I’d learned quickly that when something was bugging Sasha, it was more than just a headache.
Her smile was loving, though. She curled her fingers over my hand and pressed my palm against her face.
“What did I ever do to deserve you?” she said softly.
I chuckled. “Sweetness, I was just thinking the same thing myself.” I drew her deeper into the apartment, kicked the door shut behind us, and tugged her with me back toward the living room. “So, what’ll it be. Run you a bath? Or I could give you a backrub?”
She smiled. “You know that might lead to sex, right?”
I gave a mock pained expression. “What? My intentions are innocent. What do you take me for?”
“I take you for the most wonderful man in the world!” As if on impulse, she wrapped her arms around my waist, pulled me close, and buried her face in my neck.
“Well, I’m glad someone finally realized it,” I chuckled. And then stopped. She was shuddering against me. Something was definitely wrong. “Hey,” I said, gently pulling away. “Come on now. There’s something up. Tell me…”
She chewed on her lip, eyes lowered, and then back up to mine. “My life is so different from yours. You know that, right?”
“It was,” I replied, stroking stray hair from her face. “But we share a life now. Is that what’s bothering you? Leaving your old life behind?”
She shook her head vigorously. “Oh god, no!” she said. “It’s more than I ever dreamed of!” She paused for a second. “It’s just that I’m afraid…”
“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” I tried to reassure her.
“But what if I have more baggage than you bargained for?”
I smiled. “How bad could it be?” I kissed her forehead. “Stop worrying about it, okay? We’re in this together. We’ll figure it out.”
She drew in a breath, opening her mouth as if to say something, then stopped. “Yes… Yes, you’re right.” Her smile was tremulous but lovely. For a moment, it was hard not to feel a little twinge of guilt. I guess I came with a lot of baggage, too.The press, the constant high-profile exposure, the persistent old flames. My fucking father was certainly no angel, either. He’d really laid into her the last time we saw him. But she’d given back as good as she received.
“You’re tougher than you realize, Sasha,” I murmured, tilting her head up so I could look into her eyes. Her lips parted slightly, and the tip of her tongue flicked over them. Again, as if she was about to say something. I lowered my head and brushed my mouth against hers. It was always so easy to melt into this sweet woman.
