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I watch them for a moment, their easy camaraderie contrasting sharply with the tension inside me, the stress of DeLucci business eating away at me. Shaking my head, I refocus, trying to get my attention back on the matter at hand.
The situation dominates my mind as I navigate the streets into the city, a constant reminder of the precarious balance of power in our world.
Once I arrive, I head into the looming metal and glass façade of Steeler Tower and take the elevator up to Declan’s office. As I step inside, Declan is whispering something to Liam, and he stops when he sees me.
“Right on time,” Declan says, his weathered lines creasing deeper as he gives me a small smile. “The DeLuccis finally sent a message back. Their ambassador says that they waited a respectable amount of time after Marcus died to give us time to regroup, but they’re not waiting any longer. They’re planning to continue taking over Callahan territory.”
My fist comes down on the edge of Declan’s desk, anger surging inside me. “Dammit,” I curse. “Those bastards. I knew they were up to something.”
“We need to show them that they aren’t a threat,” Declan says, tone measured. “Let’s see how they like it when we fight fire with fire. I have a few contacts planning a raid on one of their businesses uptown.”
“What do you need us to do?” I ask, leaning forward, an eager gleam in my eye.
“Right now, I need you three to sit tight and wait for further instructions,” Declan says. “You’re too valuable to throw yourselves into a street war.”
“So you want us to just sit around with our thumbs up our asses?” I ask, irritated at the idea of being told to wait.
“No, I need you to do what you do best. Run the businesses, be seen about town… I want the DeLuccis running scared, thinking that we’re unbothered by their threats.”
Begrudgingly, I agree that this is probably the best course of action. After we finish discussing business, I head back home and go to unwind with a glass of bourbon in my study. But I still feel unsettled.
Needing some distraction, I wander the halls aimlessly until I hear noises coming from the closed wing of the house. Following the sound, I realize that there’s someone in the library.
Preparing to tell them off, I stop short when I realize it’s Evangeline. She’s inside, singing softly to herself as she peruses the books.
Oliver is nowhere to be seen. I wonder if he brought her here after their excursion. He must have, because I don’t think Eva would have come here by herself. Slipping quietly inside, I watch her for a few moments, intrigued by the crystal clear sound of her voice and the way she sways gently from side to side.
She turns a little and lets out a small yelp when she spots me watching her.
“Sorry,” I say, holding up my glass in a gesture of apology. “Didn’t mean to scare you. I was just wandering around when I heard noises from here.”
“Oliver brought me,” she says quickly, as though defending herself. “I didn’t come in without permission, I promise.”
“No worries,” I say. “You can come in here anytime. It’s not like it’s being regularly used.” I lean against the nearest shelf, looking down at my glass. “I should have come to see you sooner. I owe you an apology.”
Her blue eyes widen and she blinks a few times. “Oh?” she asks, trying and failing to sound casual.
“Yeah.” I step forward, tilting her chin up to look at me. “I was an ass. You were just trying to do your job, and we made it harder for you on purpose. Maybe some part of me wanted to chase you away. You’re a good girl, way too pure to be mixed up with people like us.”
Evangeline’s eyes hold mine for a long moment. This close, I can smell the sweet scent of her perfume, the same one that drives me wild.
“You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover,” she says finally, holding the book up in her hand as if to illustrate her point. “I have my own dirty secrets, Theo.”
Now it’s my turn to widen my eyes. I stare down at her, but she doesn’t look away. “Maybe sometimes, I liked it when you guys were rough with me. Maybe I liked being pushed around sometimes.”
A low groan escapes me, and I lean down, capturing her lips with mine. Maybe we were right about her in the first place. Maybe she’s much more of a slut than she seems. Either way, my body responds when she kisses me back, winding her arms around my neck.
I lift her up, her legs wrapping around my waist. Carrying her over to an undamaged couch, I drop her down and press my body into hers, hungry for more. Our mouths fuse together, my tongue licking past the seam of her lips, swirling around hers as I cup her face with my hands. I angle my face so I can dominate her with my tongue.
Eva’s body becomes pliant under mine, legs spreading to allow my body to slot between her thighs. She digs her heels into my back, urging me forward, but I pull back, giving her a stern look.
“I’m in charge here,” I say, my voice rumbling in my chest. Evangeline nods, pupils blown wide with lust. “Now you’re going to lie back and put your arms over your head while I touch you everywhere, and you’re not going to touch me back or I’ll stop.”
Eva nods, breathing hard as I start slowly moving my hands over her body. My fingers tease her nipples, then move up to stroke her neck, bending down so I can suck wet kisses into the soft skin there.
She lets out a squeak but obediently keeps her arms up over her head. My fingers move to pull the hoodie off her body, revealing the plain, fitted white shirt she’s got on underneath. Her belly is starting to curve outward, and it makes her look utterly gorgeous. Fuck. Why was I so determined to keep this woman at a distance?
She’s a goddess and I have to have her now. My hands move down to stroke over her belly, and she moves instinctively, hands coming down to stop me, but I grab them and yank them back over her head with one hand.
