“I don’t believe you. Just look who you’ve taken up with now. Another murderer.”
That accusation had her seeing red. “What are you talking about? Who…”
“I’ve been watching you for some time. That old lady almost caught me spray painting this building again, but I’ve still managed to see you with that gym owner. I did my research, and money opens a lot of concealed records. Your latest lover killed his own father, but I’ll bet you knew that and that’s probably what drew you to him,” Miles sneered.
Hope didn’t know what surprised her more, the fact that Christian was behind the recent vandalism or his revelation about Miles. Knowing this irrational kid had bought his way into Miles’ personal, painful past pissed her off. She recalled Sandie mentioning Miles had suffered possible abuse as a child, and her heart went out to him that it had been bad enough to drive him to such lengths.
“If he did, he had a good reason and did so in self-defense, just like I did when your brother came after me.” A noise from behind her drew Christian’s attention and his hand loosened on her arm. Taking advantage of his distraction, she stepped back and aimed a front kick right at his crotch, taking him to his knees with a sharp cry. “That’s for butting into something that’s none of your business and going after Martha.”
“It took you long enough,” Miles drawled from behind her. Whirling, she saw him leaning against her open door, arms crossed, the look of approval etched on his face marred by the anger swirling in his dark eyes. Her skin grew warm and chest tightened with emotion, compelling her to rush forward and throw herself into his arms. Instead, she forced herself to remain where she was, unsure of his mood, or what he had heard.
“How… how long have you been here?” She never heard the elevator, or even the door opening. She’d been too consumed with picturing Miles as a young boy, terrorized by someone who was supposed to love him. How could she ever have thought he would turn on her?
“Long enough.” He came forward, grabbed Christian by the collar and yanked him to his feet as sirens wailed to a stop out front. “I saw the ladder you left propped outside. You’re either very foolish or just plain stupid.” He nailed Hope with a black-eyed stare as the cops rushed in, Bobby right behind them.
It took Hope thirty minutes to give her statement and assure Bobby she was okay. After giving it some thought, and much to Miles’ annoyance, she refused to press charges against Christian. When Miles saw she was serious, he pulled the teary-eyed kid aside, and whatever he said must have worked because Christian agreed to the police driving him straight to the airport and promised not to return to Miami. From the look of first gratitude, then fear on his face, she believed him. She had already caused the Fallon family enough grief and didn’t have it in her to add to what they’d already been through. If Christian broke his promise and returned to harass her, she wouldn’t hesitate a second time.
Miles closed the door after everyone left, the soft click echoing in the now silent apartment. Turning, he leaned back against it and growled in that low tone she loved so much, “Did you honestly think I would condemn you for defending yourself? I ought to blister your hide for that alone.”
She couldn’t help it. Her lips parted in a wide smile and a warm, fuzzy sensation spread from her chest throughout her whole body. Admitting she was an idiot would come later, probably when she lay draped over those hard thighs and he was delivering on that threat. Goosebumps rose along her arms at the thought. Right now, she owed him, and planned to demonstrate how much she cared, regardless of his own past.
Crossing the space between them on trembling legs, she kept her eyes locked on his riveting gaze. “I’m sorry. The people who were closest to me turned on me after that night and I’ve had a problem with trust ever since.” Making sure he could see the love she felt for him reflected on her face, she stopped in front of him, looked up and said simply, “Miles,” before dropping to her knees.
“Tell me,” he demanded in a gruff tone as he wrapped one hand in her hair and tugged.
Loving the sharp pull against her scalp, Hope released his cock into her hands and took one, slow lick up his ridged length, lifting her eyes up. “I seem to be distracted.”
He tugged again, harder. “Tell me.”
That guttural growl curled her toes. Gripping the base of his erection, she placed her lips right above the smooth, bulbous cock head. “I love you.” Closing her eyes against the flare of heat in his obsidian gaze, she opened her mouth and took him deep, swirling her tongue over his pulsing veins and swiping at the fluid coating his crown.
“I love you too, baby. But I’m still putting you over my knees.” Miles leaned against the door and closed his eyes, enjoying Hope’s hot mouth engulfing his even hotter flesh, the strokes of her tongue, the nibbles of her teeth.
He couldn’t believe she’d been conversing with that idiot punk instead of taking him down when he’d approached the ajar door. Then, without knowing any of the facts, she’d come to his defense in the death of his father and for the first time in over twenty-three years, he experienced the prick of unshed tears. It had taken every ounce of his control to wait until he’d heard everything and she finally acted before he made his presence known, but from the little he could put together, defending herself against her fiancé’s brother’s accusations was something she’d needed to do.
Tightening her mouth around his cock, she pulled up with a deep suction that forced his eyes open again. Blue eyes drenched in need stared up at him, that look enough to sway his good intentions the moment he first saw it. Lust slammed into his gut and sent hot blood to pool in his groin. The sexual chemistry between them had struck with the searing heat of a lightning bolt the first time they’d met and continued to sizzle whenever they were in the same room together.
“That’s it, Hope, suck me harder, show me how much you want me, how much you love me.” Hearing her say those three words had set him free in a way he could never have imagined. Now it would be his turn to be teased by his friends for being a sap, but damned if he cared. As she curled her tongue under the rim of his cap and pressed against the sensitive area sure to tighten his balls, he thought nothing could be better than those eyes clinging to him with trust and that mouth showing him how much she cared.
The End