Until Her - Ami Van Page 0,52
he mumbles.
He hadn’t noticed that Chase was even on the phone, working out this situation until his brother turns around and walks away from the window.
“Mitch, Brass, and Solo are gone. Two more of McCullen’s men. We need to make arrangements,” Chase gripes.
There is a mix of emotions but he’s mostly pissed at Chase for not seeing that he didn’t give a fuck about the men. Not right now. Maybe someday, he’d mourn the loss of good men. But right now, those lives are well worth Ariana’s safety.
“They died doing their job, proving their loyalty,” he says instead.
Chase exhales loudly. “Shit is getting really hot and fresh around here,” Chase says. “How long are we going to be playing offense? Not to rush you into marrying Maleficent but fucking hell, I feel like we’re sitting ducks!”
He couldn’t argue with Chase over that.
This shit needs to end.
One fucking hour. That’s how long it takes before he hears Stella rolling down the front driveway. He’d made sure to be waiting in the living room of the mansion just so he can hear their arrival.
Stella walks in with an extremely pale Ariana next to her. James and Tommy are right behind them and he waves the two men away.
“Adam,” Ariana whispers and beelines to him but stops short right in front of him.
He takes the steps to close the distance between them. It isn’t until he hears the sound of Stella leaving the room before he gathers her into his arms. He’d come too close to losing her not to be able to control not touching her.
She’s shaking and trembling from head to toe. He can’t be sure if it’s from fear or if this has somehow triggered her as Marcus warned him. Now, Marcus is dead and he can’t even ask for advice.
“You’re okay,” he whispers. It’s the first thing he can say and probably isn’t a comfort.
“They know I’m here,” she tells him.
“Are you sure?” he asks because he needs to be sure. The best way to keep her safe is knowledge.
She nods into his shoulder.
“I remember one of the men,” she answers. “He works for Isabella.”
“I’ll take care of it. We’ll take care of it,” he says, trying to reassure her. “Right now, they might still think McCullen was helping you, not us. It’ll be okay.” She has a whole family behind her now. She’s not alone.
Another promise. He didn’t make promises but here he is…doing just that. Without a second thought, he’s doing just that. And for winging things, it feels right.
“Marcus?” she asks.
“Shh…” he tells her because more bad news might not be the right thing to give her right now.
“I-I’m sorry. It’s all my fault,” she replies, her voice sounding far away.
Devastating news to her or not, it makes him smile like a psychopath. Not because someone is dead but because she understood what he was trying to do. He was trying to save her the guilt. He didn’t have to tell her and she knew what he’s thinking. Yet…she faces it.
“No. It’s not your fault. Marcus was a good man and he made sure to keep you safe. He did his job,” he says, cold-hearted as it may seem.
Chapter Twenty-Two
He’s never known how addicting it can be to nestle in the crook of a woman’s neck until Ariana. The act itself is a deep level of intimacy all on its own. It requires a certain level of trust to expose one’s pulsating jugular to another so unguarded. And the reward for that trust is a different kind of safety and rest. Rest your worries here, it speaks.
It’s fucking enchanting.
He’s feeding an endless craving. A craving that he didn’t know he had…until her. Her soft moans, her passionate responses, and her need for him only fuel the cravings.
“More,” she gasps when his tongue glides across her neck, and his hand trails down the flat of her stomach. She’s put on some weight since the first time his eyes settled on her body and his love of the peaks and valleys of her body only grows with each touch.
He can’t help but smirk at the hiss that escapes her when he dips two fingers into her slick pussy and curls. She’s already soaked and he beams at knowing that he brings this out of her.
“Beg, kitten,” he whispers into her ear before taking the lobe between his teeth. “From now on, you’ll only beg me. No one else touches you now. Just me.”
Many may have made Ariana submit.