Chapter Nine
WHORE. The word jumped out at her in big red letters on a stark white
page stabbed into the seat of her leather office chair. Shit!
More words leapt off the page, swimming into her vision. Trembling,
she leaned in, careful not to touch anything, and read:
You’re fornicating with your chef. With this blade, I will ensure that
you never tempt a man again.
She shook. The sicko behind this meant business. No more pushing
that frightening fact aside. This person was also eerily well informed about
her relationship with Luc. A scorned woman didn‟t usually use these scare
tactics. So, if the culprit wasn‟t a jealous female . . . who would do this to
her? And why?
A moment later, Luc rushed in, took one look at her face, and grabbed
her shoulders. “What is it?”
She pointed down to the chair. His stare followed. A moment later, his
expletives filled the room, and she shuddered. Violence suffocated the air
in the small, windowless space. Someone had sneaked into her office this
evening to threaten her. For the third time in as many days. Luc looked
ready to kill.
“We‟ve got to get to the bottom of this. Whoever is responsible is
getting more sadistic and brazen.”
Agreed. “I‟ll call Remy.”
Luc scowled. “Is he doing anything to stop this creep? Making any
headway in the investigation?”
“They don‟t even have the results from their investigation of my car
yet, so . . .”
With another expletive, he looked back at the empty doorway. “What
about Tyler?”
“He doesn‟t have any theories, either.”
“No. I mean, have you thought that, maybe, he might be behind this?”
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What? She‟d hired Tyler to bounce people out of the club and protect
her while she was there. He‟d always gone above and beyond the call of
duty, hovering overprotectively, putting off a possessive boyfriend vibe. It
had worked, too. Since Tyler had come on board a few months ago, the
incidences of walking into her office or bedroom at the club and being
surprised by a naked man or a would-be rapist had decreased to almost nil.
“Tyler wouldn‟t do this.”
“Who else would be this jealous of our relationship?”
In Luc‟s mind, were they having a relationship or just fucking?
Let’s see . . . He’s a famous chef, and, tender care last night aside,
you’re basically a whore to him. What do you think?
“Any number of people could have done this,” she pointed out. “Like
Primpton. You‟ve seen what a head case he is. Or Peter. I heard he asked
about me at the club last night and was pissed when he learned I hadn‟t
come. Apparently he demanded that someone get me down there ASAP.”
“Did you see either of them here tonight?”
She shook her head. “But I didn‟t see everyone who came. Or it could
be someone I‟ve never dealt with, who‟s just blended in to the club and
made up some sick fantasy in his head that I belong to him. It hasn‟t
happened to me, but I‟ve talked to others in the business who say it
happens.”
“I think we should rule out the more obvious suspects first.” Luc
swallowed, a fierce, determined expression tightening his face. “I swear if I
get my hands on the asshole doing this to you, the police will be lucky if
there‟s enough left of him to identify by dental re cords.”
Alyssa stared. Luc was that outraged on her behalf? Granted, he
wouldn‟t like to see any woman threatened, but . . .
“This is crappy, but he hasn‟t actually done anything but threaten so
far. Hopefully, he never does.”
Luc‟s mouth pursed, and he sent her a grim stare. “I wouldn‟t bet on
that. He‟s coming for you. Soon. Call Remy. He needs to make this a
priority.”
Tyler skidded to a halt in the doorway. “Sorry. I was in the can.” His
gaze bounced back and forth between the two of them. “What the fuck is
going on?”
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Was it even possible Tyler had it in for her because she‟d refused to
sleep with him? Was he weirdly obsessed?
Alyssa dismissed the thought almost instantly. He‟d done nothing but
help her, see to her safety. He‟d had a million opportunities to be alone with
her and he‟d done nothing to hurt or endanger her.
But who else knows for certain that you’re having sex with Luc?
“See for yourself,” she finally said to her bouncer, then stepped away
from the chair. She‟d watch his expression, see if he looked surprised . . .
or menacing.
He rounded the desk, looking slightly uncomfortable and out of place
in a white dress shirt partially unbuttoned and a loose burgundy tie. He‟d
ditched his suit coat long ago in deference to the heat.
Tyler peered into the chair, stiffening when he saw the note. He
scooted closer to read it, then swore profusely. “I‟m going to kill this son of
a bitch if I get my hands on him.”
“You and Luc both. Great. You‟ll both go to prison for vigilante murder
and leave me alone to face the next scum bucket.”
Her chef and her bouncer looked at each other, clearly hard-pressed
to believe they‟d agreed on anything.
“Get Remy on the phone,” Tyler demanded. “I want to talk to that lazy
Cajun.”
“Does he always fail to do his job?” Luc asked.
Alyssa answered before Tyler could. “He‟s not used to this much
trouble from me. He‟s big into stopping drugs, gangs, and vandals. People
he can pound. He‟s not so great with investigating.”
“I‟m going to fix it,” Luc declared, reaching for the cell phone in his
pocket as he headed for the office door.
“Who are you calling?” she asked after him.
He didn‟t answer.
Muttering under her breath about difficult men, she followed.
“Where are you going?” Tyler demanded of her.
Apparently interested in the answer, Luc turned and stared, blocking
the doorway.
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The testosterone overload in the little room could seriously go to her
head. She could bottle it and women everywhere would pay oodles to feel
this ridiculously feminine.
Shaking off the thought, she peered around Luc, down the shadowed
hallway, frustrated at the lack of view. “I need to say good-bye to the last of
my guests, see them to the door, thank them for coming.”
“I‟ll do it.” Luc‟s offer was more like a demand. “Stay here and call
Remy.”
“They‟re my guests!”
“They ate my food. I‟m not playing at semantics when your safety is on
the line.” Then he turned to Tyler and threw a mean glare the bouncer‟s
way. “Keep her here and guard her. I swear to God if you ruffle a hair on
her head, I will split your skull in two and flambé your brain while your heart
is still beating.”
Tyler grunted. “Notice how none of this shit happened to Alyssa until
you showed up? Everything was fairly peaceful before you leapt into her life and fucked it all up.”
“You get too jealous? Can‟t stand to see me with her?” Luc
challenged.
Oh, dear God. “Can you two refrain from beating the crap out of each
other for the next ten minutes? Let‟s get the doors closed and locked.
When the parking lot is empty, you can go out there and have your pissing
match.”
Luc‟s gaze touched her; then he glared darkly at Tyler. “I‟ll be back.”
When he‟d gone, Tyler‟s disapproval reverberated through the
resulting tense silence. “I don‟t get it. If you push him out of the fucking
door, the threats go away.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
He shook his head. “Probably. But you let him stay. In your house. In
your fucking bed! I‟ve only worked for you a few months, but it‟s not like you
to start a fling or wear your heart on your sleeve. Do you . . . love him?”
The question blindsided her. When had Tyler ever really talked about
feelings? Almost never, at least before Luc came to town. Was he actually
jealous?
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Alyssa hesitated. She thought of lying. But if he wanted to hurt her,
punish her, why hadn‟t he done it already?
Finally, she forced herself to look him right in the eye and whisper,
“Yes.”
LUC plastered on his most winning smile as he helped the last of
Bonheur‟s patrons out the door. He nodded, smiled, signed autographs,
inching them ever closer to the exit. Finally, at just past eleven, he shut
them out and locked up, then palmed his phone.
Without hesitating, he dialed his cousin‟s number. Deke picked up on
the first ring.
“What‟s wrong?”
“How do you know something is?”
Deke snorted. “You‟d never call this late if everything was great.”
Good point. Nothing was great right now.
Luc sighed. “Whoever broke into Alyssa‟s club has threatened her—
more than once. Tonight, he broke into Bonheur and threatened her again.
The locals seem either incapable or unwilling to get to the bottom of this. I
need your help.”
“I‟m leaving on an assignment day after tomorrow. I‟ll stop in tomorrow
with Jack, since I have to confer with him now that he‟s back. I‟ll see if I can
bring Kimber‟s brother with me.”
“Which one?” Luc swore under his breath. Neither had approved of his
brief relationship with their sister and his cousin—and made no effort to
hide it.
“Hunter.”
Luc swore again. Logan, the younger, was a mean bastard with a
temper a mile wide, but he could be reasoned with . . . eventually. Hunter
was cold, calculating. Crafty. And as communicative as a brick wall. There
would be no talking him out of his dislike.
“Jack and I are trying to convince Hunter to leave the navy. We could
use someone like him on our team.”
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“What can he do here? I need someone able to investigate who‟s
behind these threats.”
“Hunter is one of the best. Trust me. You don‟t have to like each other,
just know he‟s going to solve the issue.”
From everything he‟d heard, when Hunter was on a mission, he was
relentless and cagey. “Whatever keeps Alyssa safe.”
“We‟ll be there before noon so you can brief us.”
Luc disconnected the call. Alyssa would not like this; Deke, Jack, and
Hunter would insist on controlling her surroundings and restricting her
movements, but Luc wanted her safe. Period.
When he returned to the little office, Tyler was reaming Remy a new
asshole on the phone. Luc almost liked him for it.
Alyssa looked up at his return. “Make him release me.”
She held up a wrist shackled to a desk drawer by handcuffs.
Luc turned to Tyler. “You carry those on you?”
The bouncer smiled. “She was going to ditch out and say good night to
her guests, then head to Sexy Sirens.”
“Like hell!” Luc exploded. Did she have no concept of the fact that if
this sick bastard got his hands on her, he‟d likely rape her at best, or
perhaps torture and kill her?
“I was going to take Tyler, at least until he turned traitor on me. But I
have to get to the club. Sadie called and one of the girls showed up stoned.
No one can fire her but me. Besides, it‟s Saturday night, our busiest night
of the week. The girls can handle things for one night, but not two in a row.”
Luc saw her point, but her business wasn‟t as urgent as her safety.
“The only place we know this freak hasn‟t invaded is your house. You need
to be there. Call the girl who‟s using and fire her over the phone. Tyler can
head over there, be your eyes and ears, but you‟re not putting yourself in
danger.”
“It‟s my club. I can‟t afford to shirk my responsibility because you don‟t
like it.”
His eyes narrowed. “You‟re not going.”
If Alyssa had had both hands free, Luc had no doubt she‟d tear his
head off. “You‟re not my husband or boyfriend. You said yourself that we‟re
just fucking, so you‟re not going to stop me.”
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“I‟m not arguing this. What did Remy say?”
Tyler filled him in on a conversation that was a whole bunch of blah,
blah, blah as far as Luc was concerned. Bottom line: Legally speaking,
other than some vandalism and a little B & E, the culprit hadn‟t done
anything arrest-worthy.
Luc couldn‟t contain his curse. He‟d deal with the lazy sheriff later. For
now, he had about twelve hours to keep Alyssa safe. Then Deke, Jack, and
Hunter would show up and nail this psycho, and he could concentrate on
proving to Alyssa they were more than fucking . . . even if he didn‟t yet
know what.
“Typical Remy.” Alyssa shrugged. “Since you pea-brained men are
going to sideline me from running my business tonight, will you at least let
me hit the bathroom before we leave? I need to change out of my dress.”
Luc looked at Tyler, who looked back at him. The silent communication
on both parts seemed to ask where she could possibly go without a car.
Certainly, she wasn‟t dumb enough to walk the six blocks to Sexy Sirens
near midnight with a stalker chasing her.
“Sure.” Tyler finally got to his feet, fished the cuff key out of his pocket,
and released her. “Nothing funny.”
Alyssa shook her wrist and glared at them both. “Wait here.”
FIVE silent minutes passed. Luc grew antsy, but women and changing
clothes . . . He knew from experience that wasn‟t always a short process.
Especially someone who wore stockings and garters and those fuck-me
shoes. It all took time. Besides, he and Tyler hovered near the restaurant‟s
front door with an eye on the bathroom hallway. Alyssa had nowhere to
else to go.
But Tyler started tapping his thumb on one of the chairs, looking as
jumpy as Luc felt.
“If you break her heart, I‟ll fucking kill you,” Tyler proclaimed suddenly
into the silence.
“What‟s between Alyssa and me is none of your business.”
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Tyler stood, rising to his full height, perhaps a half inch taller and thirty
pounds heavier. “Yeah? What‟s between Alyssa and me is none of your
fucking business, either.”
Luc gritted his teeth, loath to admit that the other man was right.
“And when you‟re gone,” Tyler went on, “I‟ll still be here. With her.
Every day. Every night. You may be the shiny new toy now, but she‟ll get
over you. I‟ll help her.”
Though he wasn‟t surprised by Tyler‟s words in the least, they were
like a stab in the heart. To hear his suspicions—fears—about the bouncer‟s
relationship with Alyssa all but spelled out hurt like hell.
He swallowed Tyler‟s assertion, digested it. In another few minutes,
Sunday would begin. Luc had to leave no later than Thursday morning so
he could be in L.A. on Friday to conclude final negotiations for his cable
cooking show. He also had a cookbook past due, and his editor was
probably wondering why the hell he wasn‟t answering his e-mails.
But even if he could stay, what would he say to Alyssa?
No matter what route he took to fatherhood, he couldn‟t achieve it
without a woman in the picture. Even if Alyssa supported his decision to
adopt or undergo surgery or visit a sperm bank, she‟d have to agree to go
through the process with him, perhaps carry a child. And they‟d have to find
a way to make their passionate, difficult relationship work.
What kind of mother would she be? Certainly not like his own. And that
presumed she even wanted to have children. After trying to warn him this
morning that she wasn‟t on birth control, Luc was fairly sure that
motherhood wasn‟t on her agenda anytime soon. That didn‟t change the
fact the felt something deep and new for her.
So fucking complicated.
Still, he couldn‟t just leave her to Tyler. “I‟ll be doing my best to make
sure she can‟t get over me.”
Tyler growled at him. “Are you that fucking selfish that you want her
heart broken after you‟re gone? Do you like the thought of seeing her
unhappy?”
No. But Luc didn‟t think Alyssa had many feelings for him that weren‟t
tied to orgasm. And he hated the thought that she likely had the same
feelings for Tyler.
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“Where the hell is she?” Luc changed the subject and paced, wishing
he could hold her now. He needed her, like, five minutes ago, couldn‟t wait
to get her back into her big bed, slide into her body, and forget about
everything that was so wrong between them.
Tyler shrugged.
Luc glanced at his watch, then the bathroom door. “Fifteen minutes to
change clothes?”
The bouncer glanced at his watch, too, his anger melting into a frown.
“It‟s been that long?”
Yes. And he knew precisely why. “Is there a window in the bathroom?”
Tyler hesitated, body still, mind racing. “Fuck!” He broke into the
bathroom with a shoulder to the door. “She bolted.”
Luc ran out Bonheur‟s door. Behind him, Tyler did the same, barely
taking the time to lock up.
“Goddamn her. I swear, she doesn‟t know the meaning of the word
„spanking,‟ but she will when I‟m done with her,” her bouncer snarled.
And when Luc was done? She‟d know better than to ever disobey him
again when he was feeling edgy and protective.
A few minutes later, Luc stormed into the club, Tyler right behind him.
Alyssa wasn‟t surprised they‟d found her quickly. She was surprised by
how incredibly pissed Luc looked.
“You‟ve got trouble,” Sadie pointed out, nodding in the men‟s direction.
Though it was hard to take someone seriously wearing a thong and
pasties, Alyssa couldn‟t discount the dancer‟s observation. Her heart raced
as if she‟d danced two hours straight.
“I‟ll be upstairs. If either asks, direct them to my office.”
“Tyler will know better, but okay.” Mouth curling up in a playful smile,
Sadie nodded. “You know they‟re only going to be more angry when they
find you.”
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Alyssa shrugged. “It‟s going to be a screaming match, no matter what.
Thanks again for picking me up at Bonheur so I could let acidhead Jessica
go before she made a mess of her act.”
“Causing mayhem among the male population is always my pleasure.”
Tonight, Alyssa couldn‟t deny she‟d done that, too. Sneaking up the
stairs, she eased herself into her bedroom, changed out of her dress, into a
short skirt, half shirt. She tugged into thigh-high stiletto boots in red,
wondering if they‟d be like waving a cape in front of a bull‟s face when Luc
found her, but she sensed she didn‟t have time for stockings and garters,
so this would have to do.
Before she could leave and make her rounds downstairs, Tyler kicked
in her door. She looked behind him for Luc. But he was alone. So, Sadie
had been right. Luc had believed the other dancer, while Tyler hadn‟t.
Trouble was coming in a one-two punch tonight.
“Goddamn you!” He stormed across the room, and she stood to meet
him.
At the fury boiling in his eyes, she backed up. Whatever this
expression was on his face, it was beyond normal concern and annoyance.
His entire body was taut, wired to explode. A quick dip of her gaze proved
he was hard everywhere.
“Tyler,” she tried to reason with him. “Stop there. You know you
can‟t—”
“You can‟t! Don‟t hire me to fucking keep you safe, then run off by
yourself when there‟s danger.”
“Sadie picked me up and drove me over here,” she placated.
Diffusing his anger was critical. And he was having none of it. He kept
coming forward. Prowling toward her. Alyssa stood her ground, refusing to
back up any more.
Suddenly, he was against her, panting in her face. He grabbed her by
the hair and tugged. Fury and desire were stamped all over his face, and
her heart stopped.
“Tyler, n—”
His lips crashed over hers, smothering her protest. She tried to turn
away, but he only tightened his grip on her hair and nudged her lips apart
with her own. His tongue slipped inside, and still she resisted.
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Air. And sanity. She needed both now. Damn it, she refused to be
mauled by someone she considered a friend. She had to find a way to
pierce his anger.
After examining her limited options, she bit his tongue.
He broke the kiss and backed away. “Fuck me!”
“Not today,” Luc growled and charged toward Tyler. “Get your fucking
hands off her! Are you the one threatening her?”
“That‟s it. I‟m pounding your pansy ass for asking such a stupid
question.”
Alyssa stepped between them. They would not fight in her bedroom.
“Stop it. Now.”
Tyler looked at her, then Luc, before settling his gaze on Alyssa. “We‟ll
talk about this later.”
“We will,” she vowed. He couldn‟t possibly think that behavior was
acceptable. He‟d never lashed out at her, never kissed her like that, against
her will. What the hell had gotten into him?
Jealousy. The same expression dominated Luc‟s face. Her gorgeous
chef barely spared Tyler a scowl as the bouncer left the room, slamming
the door behind him.
Shutting her alone with Luc in the room. He reached out and, with a
single click, locked the door. Then he took one look at her cleavage shoved together by the tight white top, barely held together by a little white button,
and cursed. His glance scraped over her short black skirt and sexy red
boots. Fresh fury crossed his face. Like Tyler, his body was hard—
everywhere. Unlike Tyler, if Luc touched her now, she‟d go up in flames.
And no way was he using sex to manipulate her or curb her independence.
“I was completely safe the whole time. I would never endanger myself.
I had a ride from Sadie. I know some self-defense and have pepper spray
in my purse.”
Luc snorted. “You‟d never be safe against a man who could do this.”
One minute he was standing three feet in front of her. The next he was
invading her personal space, picking her up, shoving her against the wall,
and slamming his mouth over hers.
Alyssa wanted to be strong. Really, she did. But Luc had the most
amazing effect on her. She couldn‟t stop herself from opening to him.
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The flavor of his kiss, the intensity . . . She didn‟t feel assaulted when
he ravaged her mouth; she felt desired. When he cupped her jaw and
groaned, she felt needed. When he ripped the top from her body and
wrenched away her bra, she felt shivery and out of control. And she felt his
possessiveness down to her marrow. None of that should have made her
eager or wet . . . but this was Luc. Everything he did made her want him.
As soon as her torso was bare, he bent to her breasts and sucked
them into his mouth, one after the other, hard. She arched toward him,
burying her fingers in his silky dark hair. Under his onslaught, her nipples
spiked as he feverishly worshipped them.
Blood hummed in her body, and she shifted her hips restlessly,
pressing against him, inviting him inside. With Luc, she had no shame;
never had. Whatever it took to entice him. Yes, she was furious. And she‟d
read him the riot act later and make it clear there was no way she‟d ever let
a man control her. But she couldn‟t stop him now. His need matched her
own, as if they both sensed events speeding out of control and their time
together ticking away.
“No more evading me,” he gasped as he tore his mouth away, his lips
harsh and open as he breathed roughly. “No more being alone with Tyler.”
“He wouldn‟t have hurt me.”
Something flared in Luc‟s eyes. “Maybe not, but he would have fucked
you. And goddamn it, I don‟t share anymore. As long as I‟m here with you,
you don‟t give that sweet body to anyone but me.”
The words rolled around her brain, both pleasing and disturbing.
Before she could process her feelings and respond, Luc felt his way under
her skirt and ripped her thong, tossing it to the hardwood floor, then rubbed
a finger along her cleft, right over her distended clit.
Sensations pounded her immediately, making her weak-kneed. God,
what this man did to her . . . Moments after touching her, she turned dizzy.
Her fists clawed uselessly at the wall. An uncomfortable, undeniable need
to submit rolled through her. As much as she resented his power over her,
she couldn‟t help it.
“That‟s it,” he crooned. “So wet. Always wet.”
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Luc plunged two fingers into her pussy. For him, she was always
ready. Despite being swollen from all the recent activity, she melted,
completely ready for whatever he demanded of her.
He couldn‟t possibly imagine she was this ready for anyone else.
“Tyler doesn‟t—”
“Not another word about him,” Luc roared, penetrating her deeply with
a third finger.
She gasped at the fullness, then again when he rubbed her G-spot
mercilessly.
“No more Tyler, period. I watched him kiss you . . .” He drew in a deep
breath, as if trying to get himself under control.
“Luc . . .”
“No! As long as I‟m fucking you, damn it, you don‟t fuck him.”
His words finally pierced her haze of pleasure.
“What are you saying? I can resume my torrid affair with him as soon
as my door hits your ass?”
More deep breaths. His chocolate eyes darkened to something nearly
black. Dangerous. His cheeks flushed and his expression tightened as he
grabbed her hips in a biting grip. Furious and aroused, he looked like a
warrior ready to fight, to stake his claim.
God, she wished he‟d stake his claim on her permanently, not simply
try to hoard her until he left in three days. Was she anything to him beyond
a great lay?
He didn‟t reply, just slanted his mouth over hers again and kissed her
with a ferocity that stole her breath. Alyssa tried not to lose herself, but he
pressed against her and her mind jetted away in a stream of relentless
desire. A moment later, he bent and scraped her nipple with his teeth. She
arched and cried out.
“Spread your legs.”
Alyssa hesitated. She knew where this was headed . . . but she also
knew their time together was limited. Her fantasies of making him fall for
her in a week had been wishful thinking. He was leaving soon, and she
couldn‟t stop him. The best she could hope for was to store up memories.
Closing her eyes against bittersweet desire, she complied. He nipped
at her other breast with his teeth, then scooped up her legs, one in each
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arm, and pinned her firmly to the wall. An instant later, his cock probed her
folds. She barely had time to wonder when he‟d unfastened his slacks
before he plunged deep inside her, past swollen tissues and resistance,
guided by her wet need and his seeming instinct to conquer.
He probed her for torturous moments, sliding in with toe-curling
friction. Panting, Luc finally worked himself balls deep inside her. Now that
her wet flesh surrounded him and he had control of their encounter, he
trapped her with a wrenching glare.
“God knows, I can‟t stop you from fucking Tyler again once I‟m gone, if
that‟s what you want, but now . . . You‟re all mine, and I‟ll make sure you
know exactly who‟s making you scream.”
“I don‟t fuck him,” she confessed in a gasp, done playing coy games. “I
never have. I hired him for protection. That‟s it.”
Luc sucked in a breath, looking torn. Then he shook his head. “It
doesn‟t matter.”
Because they were only fucking. Right . . . His refusal to care about
her wasn‟t really about Tyler; her bouncer was just a convenient excuse.
That fact crushed something inside of her.
At the same moment, he sent her body soaring.
Reaching under her thighs, he curled his hands around her hips and
pushed up, then plunged back down so fast and deep, her nails bit into his
shoulders.
“Luc!”
Electric need sizzled across her skin, bubbled in her blood. He set a
lightning-fast pace that had her gasping. His hips pressed against hers,
creating a friction on her clit that blew away thoughts, objections, regrets.
As soon as the feeling flooded her clit, the ram of his cock through her
sensitive channel sparked her desire again until she could no longer catch
her breath.
The explosion hit her bloodstream like dynamite—sudden and
devastating. She screamed his name, then bit into his shoulder, clamping
down on him like nothing she‟d ever felt.
“More,” he demanded, not missing a beat.
Then he pressed his mouth into hers again, sinking into an endless
kiss that hit her in the heart, a mating of mouths that overtook her
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completely. She didn‟t know where she ended and he began, and she
didn‟t care. She just knew that she‟d given some part of herself to him
irrevocably.
And he‟d be leaving in a handful of days and would never look back.
The thought skittered away when he jerked away from the wall,
holding her body against him, then turned toward the bed. He bent to ease
her onto the mattress and slammed deep inside her, all in one motion.
“Spread wider. Bend your knees. Take me deeper.”
His voice was almost an unrecognizable growl. He gave her no time to
comply before he wrapped his hands around her thighs and opened her to
him even more. She moaned as he sank deeper. God, perfect. Luc always
knew exactly how to steal her control.
Her limbs heavy, her thoughts scattered, delicious pleasure built in her
body again. Urgent pressure filled her clit again as he continued to
penetrate deep with every long, hard stroke. Soon she was gasping,
constricting around him, nearly bursting with feverish need.
He took her hips in his hands and pushed her down onto his cock as
he thrust up. Hard. Directly at the mouth of her cervix. His hips ground
against hers and, oh, dear God, the gathering storm swelled inside her,
growing beyond her ability to absorb it.
Before she could release, he withdrew, flipped her to her hands and
knees, then rammed home again, barely missing a beat. He smacked her
ass, leaving behind a hot sting that had her gasping. Then Luc draped his
damp chest over her and wrapped one arm around her body. Then he
began to torment her clit.
“Does Tyler do this for you?” he whispered against her ear as the
explosion brewing inside her gathered, lengthened, multiplied.
His fingers left her clit, and she cried out in protest. He nipped at her
neck, eased away, then sank his cock into her pussy at the same time he
plunged his wet fingers into her ass.
Sensations sparked as Luc swore and plunged into her again. Alyssa
pushed back against him, countering each pounding thrust with her own
demand.
A million tingles lit her up like a lightning storm. Orgasm shot from her
clit to her toes.
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“Oh, God.” Alyssa fisted her hands in the sheets and whimpered.
Luc moaned as his climax neared. The sound vibrated through her,
making her nipples tingle, her body shudder. His fingers twitched, his cock
pulsed, pushing her over the edge again. Rapture crashed and writhed,
ripping away her sanity, as the cataclysm coalesced inside her. She
screamed with a pleasure so brutal her mind emptied, her throat went
numb, and her world nearly went black. A moment later, his seed splashed
hotly inside her.
Damn, they‟d forgotten a condom again.
Alyssa closed her eyes. She couldn‟t think about it now. She couldn‟t
think about anything—except the fact Luc had ruined her for any other man
and he continued to allow her nonexistent relationship with Tyler to drive a
convenient wedge between them.
She had to be the one to stop it. Now. Alyssa couldn‟t keep “just
fucking” him. He‟d shatter her heart.
Without waiting for him to move, she wriggled away and, on wobbly
legs, stood. Without a word, she crossed the room and searched her
drawers for a fresh bra and new shirt, all the while feeling Luc‟s intent gaze
on her.
And the more she thought about this encounter, the angrier she got.
Getting out of this room now wasn‟t a choice but a necessity. She had
to think. Alone. Before he clouded her thoughts and made her yearn again.
Right now, she felt like a stupid, spineless bimbo. How could she let him
have such control over her body when she clearly meant so little to him?
What they shared was like a living flame, hot and destructive. She couldn‟t
stand in the middle of the fire and not expect to get burned.
Turning to him, she clutched her clean clothes over her chest, teeth
gnashed. “That‟s it, Luc. That‟s . . .” She broke off, refusing to cry in front of him. “No more.”
“Alyssa, I—I‟m sorry. I was angry and I . . .” he croaked into the
silence, standing anxiously with pants fastened and shirt buttoned. “Did I
hurt you?”
“You think?” she tossed back sarcastically. “This is just a contest to
you. Tyler doesn‟t do anything to or for me, and you refuse to believe that.
Not that it really matters. You don‟t want me for yourself, but you don‟t want
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him to have me, either. You‟ve chosen to make me the bone between two
snarly dogs, not because I‟m meaningful, but because you don‟t have to
deal with whatever you might feel for me if you can convince yourself that
I‟m a whore who‟s banging some other guy. I won‟t put up with this shit
anymore.”
“That‟s not true. You make me feel things for you that I . . .”
He raked his hands through his hair, looking for words. Excuses, she
thought. No more.
“Can it. I don‟t fucking care. I‟ll have Sadie bring me home around four.
You‟d better not be there. Since Bonheur and Sexy Sirens are both closed
on Sundays, don‟t make me lay eyes on you until Monday‟s dinner service.
Even then? Don‟t talk to me. And don‟t ever touch me again.”
Luc didn‟t say a word as she disappeared into the bathroom. His
silence broke her heart all over again. Tears stung her eyes like acid drops.
She knew what she‟d said, but a part of her wished he cared enough to
fight for her. Apparently not. Ridiculous, wishful thinking. She‟d learned
fairy tales were shit at fifteen. How had she forgotten that valuable lesson?
After cleaning up, she dragged on a new thong and brushed her hair,
marveling at the flushed, swollen-lipped woman in the mirror. She‟d finally
fallen in love for the first time in her life. What a miserable fucking
experience.
Turning away from the mirror, she breezed past Luc and headed for
her bedroom door. He stood in her way.
“I‟m sorry if I hurt you. Don‟t do this.” A battle raged on his face, and he
looked both uncertain and contrite.
“Do what? Be smart? Did you plan to ever see me again after
Thursday?”
Guilt tightened his face. He looked away. “No.”
Pain swelled inside her all over again. “I‟ve been through too much to
be your doormat. Since you‟re so eager to cast me in the role of slut . . .
forgetting me should be a snap.”
With that, she slid past him and stomped out the door. As soon as she
cleared the bedroom, the tears began to fall in earnest. Never again. After
he left, she could never again lay eyes on that man. Be alone with him.
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He‟d already crushed her, and she‟d crumble at his feet. Beg for his
affection.
Damn it, she refused to put herself in a position to be tempted to
grovel for anything, especially from someone who didn‟t value her.
She barreled down the hall, to the stairs, hiding behind the wall of
props as she made her way backstage.
“Alyssa?”
She heard Sadie call to her—and she couldn‟t respond now. She held
up a hand and ran to her office where she opened the door, slammed it,
locked it, then flipped on the lights.
Closing her eyes against tears, she felt her way to her chair and
collapsed in it. A moment and a sniffle later, she opened her eyes to reach
for a tissue.
Peter stood there—and he looked beyond pissed.
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