Playing Dirty: Windy City Kink, Book 3 (24 page)

“I know.” Raff grimaced. “But let’s give this one a shot.”

Raff had insisted on driving her to work this morning, which was crazy because he didn’t even need to leave the building to get to his own office. Knowing how stubborn and determined he was, she’d given in. That was a small thing. There were some things she could let him have his way on. There were other things she was prepared to stand firm on. She just had to pick her battles.

Trenise arrived a few minutes after she did. Paige wasn’t sure if she was going to bother Trenise with her problems and tell her what had transpired last night. But when she saw Trenise’s face, all thoughts about telling her about Del showing up dissipated.

“What’s wrong, honey?” she asked, grabbing Trenise’s hand. Trenise’s eyes were red and swollen, and she couldn’t hide the fact that she was upset about something.

“It’s Calvin. I’m so pissed at him right now. Pissed and w-worried.” Her voice hitched and her eyes grew shiny.

“Why? What happened now? Come sit down.” Paige led her to the small table and chairs, and they sat. Trenise swiped at a tear.

“He’s gotten involved with some bad kids. Really bad. Last night…they came to the house. Looking for him. Because he owes them money.”

Paige’s eyes widened. “Oh God.”

“They threatened to…to hurt me… Calvin wasn’t there. I gave them some money. What I had. Apparently it’s not enough and they said he better get the money fast or they’d be back.”

“Where was your dad?”

“Passed out on the couch downstairs,” Trenise said, scorn edging her voice. “Big help to me, huh?” She pressed her hands to her eyes. “I don’t know what to do. I can give him some money; I have a little saved up. I don’t feel I should have to bail him out, especially if he’s doing…bad things. I think he’s selling drugs.” She stared at Paige, tears shimmering in her eyes. “I’m afraid it will keep happening.”

Paige took in a long breath then let it out. She had no clue what to do here. This was a world unknown to her. “I agree,” she said. “You shouldn’t have to bail him out. But you definitely shouldn’t have people coming to your home and threatening you. What kind of brother would let that happen to his family?”

“He’s not all bad.” Trenise’s voice wobbled. “He used to be the sweetest little boy. I don’t know how he got caught up in something like that.”

“It happens. It’s not your fault.”

“Yes it is! I tried to be a mother to him but he doesn’t want to listen to me. I’m just his sister. God, I miss my mom!” And Trenise broke down.

Paige handed her tissues and hugged her, letting her cry it out for a few minutes. It was definitely overwhelming, a problem she didn’t know how to solve. “I’m so sorry,” she murmured. “If you need money…”

“No.” Trenise shook her head and blew her nose. “I’m not getting you caught up in this. Calvin has to figure this out. Somehow. I’m gonna talk to him again tonight.”

“Okay. But anything…if there’s anything I can do…”

“Thank you.” Trenise reached out and squeezed her hand. “Thanks for being so understanding. I’m sorry to break down like this. It just all got to me.”

“I know. It’s okay. I’m here for you.”

Trenise drew in a shaky breath. “Okay. Let’s get to work. We only have another week before we move.”

Paige admired the young woman’s strength. But, damn, she wished she could help somehow.

Later that night, while she and Raff ate takeout Thai food at his place, she found herself telling him about Trenise’s brother.

“Fuck,” he muttered. “You told me about this kid before.”

“Yeah, I guess I mentioned it. She was so upset. Someone coming to her home and threatening her.” He gave her a look and she made a face. “Yeah, I know. What a pair she and I are, huh?”

“What am I gonna do with you both?” he muttered.

“It’s not your problem, Raff.”

He leaned over and kissed her. “Your problems are my problems.”

He really meant that. Again she had that warm, swelling feeling inside her, a hot softness that made her want to throw herself in his arms.

When he’d arrived last night she’d been so relieved and grateful to see him. He’d taken care of her, helped her with the police, taken her home with him, made sure she was safe. And she did feel safe with him.

Much as she didn’t want to be weak, much as she wasn’t going to let him take over her life, it did feel good to know he had her back and was there for her, that he would share her problems, the bad along with the good. And, once again, she recognized the feelings inside her as…love.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Two days later, Raff hung up the phone after talking to Mike Collins. Jesus fucking Christ.

Paige was still married.

To that asshole Delmer Capon.

What the fucking fuck. Why hadn’t she told him that? And why the hell wasn’t she divorced?

There couldn’t be any chance that she wanted to get back together with him. Could there?

He leaned back in his leather office chair and let his head drop back. He stared at the white acoustical tiles above him. Shit.

No. She was done with that jerk. He knew it. He just couldn’t figure out why they were still married.

He checked the time on his computer. It was still early, but he could go pick up Paige now. He’d been driving her to work and picking her up every day, and he had someone watching her all day when he wasn’t with her, staying discreetly in the background but making sure she was safe.

Apparently Capon was still in Chicago, which was good, because he needed to have a chat with that dickhead.

He drove to Paige’s warehouse, where Trenise let him in. She didn’t wear her usual big, white smile, although she did flash a halfhearted attempt at him. Shit, this crap with her brother was wearing her down. He’d heard from Dutch that he’d found the kid and had convinced him to come to the rec center. Raff was going to be there too.

“Hey, Trenise,” he said. “Looks like you guys are almost ready to move.”

“Yeah.” They both swept the space with their eyes. Again, Raff couldn’t wait to get Paige into a nicer neighborhood, although that alone wouldn’t protect her from Dickhead Delmer.

“You’re here early,” Paige said, approaching him for a kiss. He slid his hand over her short, silky hair and pulled her closer. Their mouths met.

“Yeah. We need to talk.” His voice came out hard, and she drew back and looked at him with questions in her big blue eyes.

“Those words are never good to hear,” she muttered.

One corner of his mouth lifted.

“I’ll get going,” Trenise said. “It’s after five.”

“Okay,” Paige agreed. “See you tomorrow.”

Moments later they were alone. Music was coming from Paige’s iPod over on her desk—David Guetta.

“What’s up?” she asked, moving away from him.

He took hold of her upper arm with a firm grip and held her back. “Paige. Why didn’t you tell me you’re still married?”

Her face froze and her head jerked back. “What?”

He stared down at her, his jaw rigid. “You’re still married.”

She blinked rapidly at him. “Well, technically, yes.”

“Technically?”

She shrugged, tipping her head to look up at him as he held her there. “Legally. Yeah.”

“What the fuck? Why?”

She gave another flutter of her eyelashes. “Delmer won’t sign the divorce papers.”

“You are shitting me.”

She gave her head a slow shake. “No. I want a divorce. I was talking to Mallory about it the other day and I contacted my lawyer again. I haven’t heard back from him yet.” Her expression pinched up. “I don’t actually care. I don’t want anything to do with him, and it’s just a piece of paper.”

“It’s not just a fucking piece of paper!” Pressure surged up inside him. “It’s a legally binding contract that ties you to that asshole forever!”

“I guess it would only matter if I ever wanted to get married again.”

“Fuck no!” He fought down the hot spike of emotion, taking a deep breath and relaxing his grip on her. He reached for her with his other hand, resting both palms on her shoulders. “It’s more than just that. You are tied to him financially if he ever files bankruptcy, if he ever gets in trouble with the IRS… Fuck, Paige. You need to get free of him.”

“Well, I’ve tried,” she snapped. “It’s not my fault he won’t sign the stupid papers.”

“I’m not saying it’s your fault. I’m just saying. You need to divorce his ass. Now.”

“I’ll call my lawyer again tomorrow. Whatever.”

“Yeah. You will.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Bossy much?”

He again sucked in air. “I’m pissed, Paige.”

“Because you’re sleeping with a married woman? Because we can put an end to that if it makes you feel better.”

“Don’t be like that. We’re not putting an end to anything.” He bent down and touched his forehead to hers. “I’m pissed because he’s an asshole, and I’m also pissed because you didn’t tell me. Why, Paige?”

She held his gaze, her pretty mouth pouty, and one shoulder hitched up. “It didn’t seem important.”

“Fuck.” He closed his eyes briefly. “You don’t think that’s important?”

“What difference would it have made? Are you telling me you wouldn’t have wanted me if you knew I was still married? I don’t consider myself married to him. As far as I’m concerned, we
are
divorced. Maybe it’s not all legal, but in my mind, we’re over. Done. Forever.”

“There’s no chance you want to try to save the marriage?” Christ. Did he actually say that?

Her eyes flew open wide. Her hands came up to grip his wrists, slender fingers curling around him tightly. “No! My God, Raff, how can you ask that? I’ve told you what happened between him and me. You know what happened the other day. I hate him. I don’t want anything to do with him. Ever again.”

He nodded stiffly, his insides clenching. “I know that. Just couldn’t figure out why you didn’t tell me.”

“I’m sorry. At first, we were on one date. It didn’t seem necessary. After that…well, it still didn’t seem to matter.”

“Like it didn’t matter that he’d come after you twice before, and assaulted you one of those times. You didn’t think that was important to share with me either.”

She stared at him. “Raff…”

“Want all of you, baby,” he muttered, holding her gaze. “Want you to let me in. I thought you were. You need to trust me.”

“I do…”

“With everything.” He curved his hands around the back of her neck. “You trust me with your body. You need to trust me with everything.”

Her bottom lip quivered. “It’s scary, Raff.”

“I know it is,” he whispered. “But you’re a strong, brave woman, Paige. You can do it.”

She closed her eyes and leaned into him. “I don’t think I’m strong. I keep letting you do stuff for me. Helping me. I should be doing things on my own, looking after myself.”

“Letting someone help you doesn’t mean you’re weak.”

She didn’t reply to that, and he released her neck to wrap his arms around her. Christ, she felt good there, up against him, her soft curves pressed into him, her intoxicating scent of coconut and sandalwood drifting to him and filling his head. He slid a hand up to the back of her head and held her there, her face shoved into his neck.

“It’s true, baby.”

She nodded, but he wasn’t sure he’d convinced her.

Friday night, Paige sat in the living room of the house she shared with Kevin, drinking beer, watching Kevin, Beamer, Joe and Jack play Mario on Kevin’s Xbox. She, Mallory, Emma and Sasha would have their turn. Paige had never been into video games, but Kevin had been initiating her and she had to admit it was cool.

She checked the time. Where was Raff? He was supposed to come over, although he’d said he’d be late because he was meeting up with Dutch at some boxing ring to punch each other. She smiled. Okay,
spar
.

She reached for a potato chip from the bowl on the coffee table. Kevin had tossed bags of chips onto the table and she’d sent him a mock reproving look as she fetched bowls from the kitchen and poured the chips into them. He was such a guy. Still moody, but he’d been better lately.

The fact that Emma was there was a good sign. Sasha had apparently had a heart-to-heart talk with him, and he’d agreed that he had to figure things out with Emma. But Emma still didn’t seem completely happy, so Paige wasn’t sure where things were at. Having all these people around wasn’t exactly conducive to a spill-your-guts talk.

Maybe Kevin had planned it that way.

The doorbell rang and she jumped up to answer it. It had to be Raff. She made sure to check through the peephole before throwing the door open. Seeing him there—all big, bulky and dark, the overhead light shining down on his hair and casting his face into sculpted shadows—sent warmth spreading through her. She couldn’t stop the smile that stretched her hips. “Hi,” she said, stepping aside to let him in.

He came in, grabbed her, wrapped his arms around her so tightly he lifted her feet off the floor and buried his face in her neck. She grabbed his shoulders. “Whoa,” she said. “Miss me?”

“Fuck yeah.” His voice was muffled.

He wore his black leather jacket over jeans and a long-sleeved T. And still he hugged her, squeezing hard.

“Raff!” She gave a breathless laugh, his embrace making it hard to breathe. “Let me go!”

His arms gave one more constriction then released her. He drew back and gazed down at her, studying her face. Something in his eyes was dark and disturbing, and his body felt almost like he was vibrating. She tipped her head to one side. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Need a beer.”

“Okay. Sure. Come on in.”

He took off his jacket as he walked into the living room lit by the flashes of the game on the big-screen television, the sound booming. Paige took it from him and tossed it with the others piled on a chair in the dining room, then headed to the kitchen to get him a beer. She walked over to him where he stood behind the sofa, watching the guys play.

As he took the beer, she noticed his knuckles. She grabbed his hand to examine the bloody scrapes. “What happened?”

He glanced at them and shrugged. “Sparring. It happens.”

“Don’t you wear gloves?”

“Yeah, but sometimes you still get banged up.”

“Oh.” Impulsively, she brought his hand to her mouth and kissed the small wounds.

He looked down at her with a burning intensity in his eyes. He turned his hand so that now he held hers, and his grip was strong.

With all her friends around, including Mallory giving her smiles and the guys all macho competitive in their game, shouting insults and bullshit at each other, everyone laughing, she felt Raff begin to relax. And she relaxed too. They shared the armchair she’d been sitting in, an oversized one, but still she was sitting mostly in his lap, his arm around her in a firm hold that she loved.

Eventually, Sasha and Jack took off, then Mallory and Joe, then Beamer. Paige murmured to Raff, “Want to stay here tonight?”

“Yeah.” He gave her hip a squeeze then lifted her off him.

She turned to Emma and Kevin, sitting side by side on the couch, yet not touching. Kevin’s face looked stiff and his posture was rigid. Emma was twisting her fingers together and Paige became aware of the thick tension in the air. Okay. It was good she and Raff were leaving them alone. Maybe Kevin was about to man up and deal with things between them.

“I’m really tired!” Paige said brightly, hustling toward the stairs. “Night, Kev. Night, Emma.”

They called “good night” and Paige led the way up to her bedroom, her senses ultra-aware of Raff right behind her, radiating waves of hot masculinity.

He closed the door behind them. She’d left the bedside lamp on earlier, and she turned to him. The blaze in his eyes gave her a little flip low in her belly.

“Fuck, I can’t wait,” he growled, reaching for her. “Gotta touch you.” He grabbed her hips and pulled her, spinning her and shoving her back against the door, which rattled. He pressed into her, dipping his head to seal his mouth over hers in a hot, demanding kiss. She grabbed his shoulders and hung on as her knees went weak.

One of his hands slid up her side, over her ribs, and then her breast, squeezing it, molding it to his palm. A groan climbed up her throat and she tilted her pelvis to rock into him, feeling his erection through his jeans. He made a rough noise and they strained together, mouths, bodies, grabbing hands. His body vibrated with pent-up sexual energy.

He lifted his mouth from hers long enough to pant, “Baby, I’m all wound up tonight.”

“I can tell.”

He leaned his forehead against hers. “You know I won’t hurt you, but I gotta tell you, not gonna be gentle tonight.”

Excitement shimmered through her body. She didn’t want gentle. She wanted fast, hard, rough and greedy. Her fingers went to the hem of his shirt and shoved it up. She needed skin, hot skin, wanted her hands to feel it, wanted his skin against hers.

They wrestled with each other to get their clothes off. Something ripped, neither of them cared. When they were both naked, he pushed her up against the door again, and she got what she wanted, skin to bare skin, from chest to thighs. God, it felt so good. He kissed her again, tongues sliding together, and when he gave a firm suck on hers, a flash of heat speared through her. She nipped at his bottom lip. Her head fell back against the door as he traced his tongue over her jaw and throat, then closed his teeth on her shoulder in a primal demonstration of ownership.

They were both making panty, impatient noises, hands wandering, bodies heating. Then he slid his hands under her ass and hauled her up. Her feet left the floor and she wrapped her arms and legs around him as he spun and headed to her bed. He fell with her onto the mattress and, tangled up, they kissed again and again, their bodies greedy for each other, seeking pleasure and beauty.

She pushed him and rolled him onto his back. He let her be on top, but not for long, rolling her beneath him to continue their rapacious kisses, his hands on her breasts, her waist, everywhere. She reached for his cock, closed her hand around it, and he grunted. He was enormous, hot, thick and pulsing in her hand.

“So hard,” she whispered, stroking him. She let her thumb rub over the wet tip. “Love it.”

“Yeah. Do that, baby. Harder.” She tightened her grip and pulled on him, making him groan in her ear. His big body trembled. “Fuck yeah. Love those pretty fingers on me.”

She released his shaft briefly to caress his balls with her fingertips, and they were big too, firm and tight. She traced over puckered skin, back up to the base of his cock, then fisted him again.

“Hang on.” He rolled off the bed, found his jeans and the condom in the pocket, rolled it on and returned to the bed. He lowered his mouth to her breast, drawing on one nipple, shooting sensation from there to her core, making her cry out and arch into him. He used his teeth, not gentle, making her crazy. He moved to the other breast and sucked hard there too. She twisted her fingers into his hair, mindless with wild arousal.