Bound For Me (15 page)

Not. Happening.
 

Last night’s game—the kiss? The ice? All to prove how easily she melted?
 

Had totally backfired on him.

But want w
ould never be his master. He wouldn’t be his father, a slave to sexual desire. He wasn’t succumbing to the stereotypical weakness of a wealthy man—the inability to keep his penis in his pants.
But despite that intention, just after eight in the morning, a totally respectable time, he sent her another text.

Sleeping Sugar, you awake?

Still no reply.

There was a knock on the door, a familiar double tap, pause, single tap.

“You’re not staying?” He took one look at Hunter and knew his friend was on the first flight he could grab.

“You’re checking up on her.” Hunter’s eyes were on the phone Connor still held.

“If she answered her texts, I would be.” Connor frowned. “Keep the enemy close, right?”
 

I think you need to talk to her.” Hunter replied.

Connor put his phone on his desk and tried not to stare at the screen like an obsessed gameboy. “You’re going home?”

“Detouring a couple places first.” The tall man sat down in the chair opposite Connor’s desk. “I saw Dani when I was in Manhattan.”

Connor grimaced at the mention of his wayward younger sister. “She having a nice vacation?”

She’d left the morning after Rex’s big retirement celebration the previous week. Left Connor fuming.

“She’s getting a job,” Hunter said.

Of course she was. Because she was quitting the course she’d been working so hard for so long on. “Logan’s letting her?” 

“She’s staying with Rocco.”

Connor heard the slight edge in Hunter’s words but was back watching his phone, wishing it would light up with a message. “With Roc? Because Logan’s busy with Min?” He glanced up when Hunter remained silent. “In Roc’s hotel, right?”

 
As impossible as it seemed, Hunter’s eyes seemed even more watchful.
 

“In his room.” Hunter finally answered. 

In his
bed
?

A stunned feeling washed through Connor… and then? A weird sense of recognition. He sat back in his chair and rubbed his hand over his face.
 

Dani and Rocco
?

Memories flashed—his sister all grown-up and glamorous at the Summerhill celebration a little over a week ago. His sister who’d tried to tell him so many times she hated what she was studying, that she wanted to make her own choices, not follow their father’s. And Connor had been too distracted to listen.

And then Rocco, who’d been abandoned by his family and embraced by Connor and Logan. Rocco who’d always stayed silent when Connor complained about his sister because she’d run away again. Rocco who’d never so much as looked at Dani. Or perhaps, not when anyone else was looking.
 

Rocco who’d been so alone for so long. And Dani, the sister who’d spent all her energy in recent years running away.

“Great.” Connor inhaled deeply, picked up his phone and checked to see no reply had landed from Savannah.

“Great?” Hunter echoed.

“Yep. Great.” Connor said. “They better know what they’re doing, that’s all.”
 

Hunter cracked a rare smile. “I think she does. She knows what she wants and now she has it she’s not going to give it up.”

So you might as well accept it
.

“Good for her.” Connor wasn’t jerk enough to think his kid sister wasn’t gonna grow up and have a sex life sooner or later. And he wasn’t gonna stand in her way. Rocco was a good guy and if Connor had had any damn idea it was on the cards he’d have given them his blessing the other night.

Not that either of them needed it.

“I’ll tell her you said hi,” Hunter said. “She’ll be stunned.”

Connor nodded, distractedly typing out another text.

“Savannah’s not answering?” 

Connor shook his head.

How the hell Hunter knew every goddamn thing, Connor would never know. But he trusted him. Knew he could keep secrets. All kinds of secrets. Ugly ones. And good ones too.

“You’re gonna go check on her.” It wasn’t a question.

Connor stood. “You’re on a case?”

“Personal. Yeah.”

“The barista from the pop-up pizza place?” Hunter wasn’t the only one who knew some things. Connor’s cousin Xander had told him about the way Hunter had been eyeing Xander’s girlfriend’s employee.

Hunter didn’t confirm or deny. Which was answer enough.

“It’s not like you to chase.” Connor frowned. For Hunter to
have
to chase. He had short flings. Almost Logan-pre-fiancée short. No swapping of anything intimate.

“I’ve managed to scare her off.” Hunter walked with him to the door.

“Can’t think how you’ve done that,” Connor said dryly.

“You take care,” Hunter warned.

“Because of Savannah?” Connor laughed grimly, staring down at his silent phone. “There’s nothing she can do to hurt me.”

Hunter said nothing. 

Connor rolled his eyes. “Seriously. I’ve got this.”

“I’m not worried about what she might do, but what
you
might do.”

“Meaning?”

“This isn’t like you. You’re usually more cautious.”

“Cautious?”

“Conservative. You never fool around. Never take risks like that.”

Like what—fucking the enemy in the back seat of his car? “Am I a coward then? Boring?”

Hunter looked wary. “Connor, if you want me to stick around a couple days—”

“Thanks but you finally got a lead on your coffee queen. And I got this. I have nothing to hide. I’ve never done anything outside the law. Nor has Rex.”

“Doesn’t mean he’s not a bastard.”

Connor closed the door after Hunter, hating that his buddy was always right.

He
was
going to check on her.
 

He took the SUV and slowly drove along the snowy roads to her apartment. He’d silenced her last night and that had surprised him. He was sure she wasn’t about to give up already, she’d come too far and was too strong for that.
 

But the way she’d answered his kiss, the way she’d lost herself in his touch made him burn.

That
was the one way he could get to her.
 

He remembered her whispered desire to forget it all when she’d not known who he was. That need for escape had lit an answering wish deep within him. That’s what he wanted again. To drown in the heat of her body, revel in the downright animal intensity of her drive—she’d fucked her way to forgetting
everything
. With him.

So even though she brought threat, she also offered respite. Because for just a few more moments he didn’t want to have to
think
. Didn’t want to be responsible. But he
was
responsible not just for his company, but the whole damn mountain. And he wasn’t going to let Savannah Nash damage any of it. Not even slightly.

But perhaps the
cause
of his problem could also offer the solution.

He’d keep this enemy very,
very
close.

He banged on her door, not stopping the pounding for a full five minutes. 

“Alright.” She shouted.

Finally. He glanced down at his fist, stretched out his fingers and grimaced.

“Go away Connor.” Her voice came muffled through the door.

She must have looked through the peephole.

“No,” he answered flatly.

“What?” She snapped as she opened the door. “It’s early and I was sleeping.”

Stunned he took in the brevity of her clothing. Tank top. Panties. Both black. Both tiny. Both clinging to her slim curves. She looked so sexy and tousled, he was hard in an instant. “Are you alone in there?”

Fury flashed in her eyes.

Good. That made two of them feeling it. Again.

“You didn’t answer my text,” he said.

“Because I was
asleep
.”

“I can see that.” He rubbed his head, thrown by all that glorious skin. He’d not seen this much of her the other night. His tongue gummed to the roof of his mouth. Adrenalin juiced through his muscles, priming him to the point of pain.

“What did you want—to warn me off some more? It won’t work.” She took the aggressive stance.

His anger bubbled. “Who’s going to listen to a word you say now? And you know what they’re going to say about
you
.”

“Ah, the old, double standard.” She nodded. “Because I was slutty enough to have a one night stand with you, nothing I can say can be believed?” She wrinkled her pretty nose. “What makes you think I give a damn about what anyone says about me?” She stepped into the open doorway, her almost naked body exposed to anyone walking by. “It can’t be anything worse than what’s been thrown at me before,” she sneered. “But here’s the thing, Connor. Mud sticks. Even if it’s me, your ‘once-only’ throwing the mud. Some of the mud will still stick. Some of what I can say will make people pause. Make people question. So there’ll be damage. Don’t doubt that.”

Goddamn she turned him
on
. Like some half-naked Valkyrie, she stood with her head held high, proud and unashamed of her actions. Relishing her threat. 

His hands curled into fists and he punched them into his jacket pocket to stop himself shoving her back through the doorway and taking her hard against the wall.
 

He wanted her. Now. Screw the consequences and stupid complications.

All that mattered was getting hold of her and working all that fantastic energy and passion.
 

And for all the other mess to just melt away for those moments when he was in her.

Rein. It. In.
 

He’d control this. He was
not
his father.

“The only things about to suffer damage right now, are your extremities.” He tried to play it cool. His gaze ran over her. “Maybe you better get some clothes on, you look… chilled.”

“Not at all,” she answered softly. “The cold can’t hurt me.” She smiled wickedly. “And I’m going straight back to bed.”

The vixen knew he was burning and had decided to stoke the flames. And that changed everything. That she wanted it as much as he?

“Best place for you,” he murmured huskily, ready to push her back through the doorway and kiss her all the way to
yes
.

But his phone buzzed.
 

Saved by the freaking bell
.
 

He pulled it out. Hunter’s name flashed at the top of the screen, but it was the text that stunned him.

Spotted three amateur pharmacists in Penworth. Thought you’d want to know.

Those assholes who’d hurt Savannah? Connor’s muscles snapped. Penworth was another resort only an hour or so’s drive away. Less than half an hour in the helicopter. He shoved his phone back in his pocket.

“I have to go.” He swivelled on his heel, not looking at her again else he wouldn’t leave at all. “I’ll check on you later.”

“Don’t bother.”

Oh god, she was going to kill him with her attitude. He was fucking it out of her. Soon.

“Of course I’ll bother.” He turned on the bottom step, still not letting himself look again. “We have unfinished business.”

But he had other unfinished business to see to first.

Chapter Ten

Savannah bristled and slammed the door. She didn’t want to be checked on later like some problem
child
. She’d wanted him to step inside and press her against the wall. Kiss her. Touch her.
Take her
.

And for a moment, he’d looked like he was about to. And he’d looked as pissed off as she felt. She’d wanted to vent her anger and frustration on him. Use him again to find those moments of mindlessness and release. That relief.

Stupid, stupid body
.

Snatches of the night’s dreams flashed in her mind. Connor had featured in every one. But he’d walked away without a second glance.
 

Unfinished business?

It wasn’t sex he was talking about. It was her threats. Empty threats.

What did she think she could really say about his father? She had no real dirt on him. Nothing other than the poor taste of dishing out share tips like he was tossing after dinner mints to beggars outside a banquet. But the arrogance of it galled her.

She’d spent the night wondering about Connor. The
icicle
? Was he really a workaholic?

It didn’t fit with the idea she had of him as being a spoilt playboy. Hadn’t he been born into an empire? He’d never had to go a day wondering where the next rent check was coming from because he owned the whole freaking town… he wasn’t that
driven
, was he?