Fucking hell. I wanted to yank her onto my lap and kiss the hell out of her. But I swallowed the desire and kept my expression pleasant. “I enjoy seeing you too, Faith.” I noticed no one had called to her, and she hadn’t glanced around as though waiting for someone. “Meeting anyone today?”

  She shook her head. “No. My sister was supposed to meet me, but the twins are teething, so she wanted to be home with them. So I came for my fix alone.” Her eyes were glued to my face when she made her comment, and I wondered—and hoped—that she was referring to me rather than coffee.

  I knew I should end the conversation. Say a nice goodbye and kindly dismiss her. Keep my distance. We only had two months left.

  Instead, I pushed out the seat next to me and gestured for her to sit. “Lucky me. I could use your advice.”

  Faith’s mouth formed a little O, and her eyes went wide. “My advice?”

  I laughed at how cute she looked at that moment. “Didn’t you tell me once that you wanted to go into interior design?”

  Her nose scrunched up as she thought, and I prayed she wouldn’t realize I was completely bluffing. “Did I?”

  “I’m pretty sure…”

  Her shoulders bounced as her lips tilted up and she chuckled. “I must have, or how else would you know that?”

  Time to change the subject. “How about I grab us a couple of drinks, then I can pick your brain about something?”

  I stood but halted when she put a hand on my arm. “You don’t have to—”

  My free hand itched to lay on top of hers, but that kind of skin-on-skin contact was just begging for trouble. “I know. But I want to.” Before she could say anything else, I walked to the front counter and ordered us both a drink and a scone.

  When I returned with our food, she gave me an odd look as I set it in front of her. “Wow. Since you didn’t ask what I wanted, I figured you’d get me some kind of frou-frou coffee. I can’t believe you guessed my favorite drink.”

  “I’m observant,” I explained. Not untrue, but I’d actually learned about it from the dossier I had on her.

  Her cheeks turned pink, and she took a sip of her drink before murmuring, “I didn’t realize you noticed me.”

  “I notice everything about you,” I admitted.

  The pink darkened to crimson, but her eyes twinkled again.

  “Anyway, I’m buying a new house, and I thought it might be good to get a designer’s impression on it before making a final decision.” The portfolio on the house was in a folder I’d already set on the table, so I pushed it across to her.

  “I don’t have much experience,” she said softly, but her eyes lit up with excitement.

  “Thank fuck,” I muttered, too low for her to hear it. Then I raised my voice to a normal decibel. “You have just what I’m looking for.”

  That sweet blush covered her cheeks again, and I restrained the desire to brush a finger over the pretty color. Instead, I reached over and opened the folder.

  Faith’s expression said it all. But I was happy to hear her whisper, “Wow.”

  “Do you like it?”

  She shook her head, and I frowned. Had I read her wrong? No. Faith was like an open book.

  “Like isn’t a strong enough word,” she said as she flipped to the next page. She read something, then smiled. “Actually, it’s not far from my sister’s house.” Not a coincidence. Grace and Faith were extremely close.

  Relief trickled through me, along with a smug satisfaction. I’d known the minute I saw this house that it was meant for Faith. But I wanted to be sure, so I waited for the right opportunity and got lucky today.

  The mansion was a limestone chateau modeled after the Palace of Versailles, designed in the style of 17th-century French classicism. Giant iron gates and limestone pillars opened to a driveway lined with trees, creating a grand entrance that led to the two-story house. It was set on half a dozen acres with opulent gardens and open lawns, giving the feel of the French countryside.

  It was perfect for a big family, and not just because the grounds provided lots of room for the kids to run around. There were eight bedrooms, a dozen bathrooms, staff quarters, a ballroom, a theater room, and other spaces to enjoy together. After we christened every room in the house, I intended to fill all those bedrooms.

  The interior design had been done to match the architecture of the mansion, so it was quite ornate with multiple chandeliers, gold leafing, wrought-iron doors, and multiple other features that made it seem more like a museum.

  It needed Faith’s touch to make it a home.

  As she thumbed through the photos, her face went back and forth between delight and cringing, making me laugh.

  “It’s a bit much, isn’t it? That’s why I need help, to figure out how to keep the authenticity while making it a comfortable home for my family.”

  Faith stiffened, and after a beat, she briefly glanced at me before returning to the photos.

  Rather than demand an explanation, I waited silently for her to put her thoughts together and tell me what was bothering her.

  She cleared her throat and asked, “Are you, um, you never mentioned being married.” Her voice sounded so dejected that I was tempted to lay my cards all on the table. But there was still too much time before I could make her mine, too much time for her to be talked out of being with me. Not that she had a choice, but it would be easier to show her our incredible future together by immediately living it.

  And putting my kid in her would tie her to me in yet another way. I intended to work on that as soon as she had my ring on her finger. Lucky for me, her body would be ripe and ready for breeding a week after her birthday.

  I knew this because I’d had my team keeping track of her doctor visits to make sure she didn’t get a prescription for birth control. When she’d gone to see her gynecologist, I’d nearly blown all my plans by kidnapping her right then and there. However, it turned out to be her yearly checkup—luckily with a female doctor or I would have lost my shit—and after having the records hacked, I found they kept a chart of her cycles.

  Knowing I wouldn’t have to wait to knock her up had made me so fucking hot. I couldn’t wait to sink inside her young, virgin pussy and fill her with my seed. I’d fuck her like a man possessed until I knew it had taken root.

  I doubted that would change much after she was pregnant, though. My obsession with her knew no bounds. Most would probably consider it an unhealthy fixation, but I didn’t give a fuck what anyone thought except Faith.

  Which was why I was so pleased to see that she seemed disappointed by the idea that I might not be free.

  “I’m not married, blue eyes. And before you ask, I’m not engaged either.”

  “Oh.” She looked up, and her expression was adorably confused.

  I chuckled and folded my hands together on the tabletop to keep from touching her. “Future family, Faith.”

  She cleared her throat again and tried to sound nonchalant when she asked, “Sounds like you have someone in mind, though.”

  “I do,” I answered honestly. “She just doesn’t know how I feel about her yet. Although, if she really thought about it, she could probably figure it out.” My eyes drilled into her, willing her to understand my hint.

  Faith’s skin flushed, and she immediately dropped her head down and pretended to pore over the photos again. But I hadn’t missed her relieved smile, and I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. She was so damn cute, and I fucking loved that she was so open and honest.

  “That’s a big house,” she murmured.

  “For a big family,” I agreed. “I’m an only child, and I always knew I wanted my children to grow up with a lot of siblings. I don’t want a quiet and organized life. I want lots of laughter, messes, chaos, and love.”

  Faith’s deep blue orbs melted, and she sighed dreamily. “That’s how I grew up, and if I ever have kids, I want them to have the same experience.”

  “You will,” I stated. Sooner than you think, blue eyes.

  5

  Rush

  I smiled warmly at Faith as she pulled out a chair and sat at the table next to mine. “Good morning, blue eyes.”

  She blushed, like she always did when I called her by that nickname. “You realize that the fact that we bump into each other here so regularly probably means we have a caffeine problem, right?” she teased.

  Oh, I was there due to an addiction, but it wasn’t caffeine I craved. And I only had a month left before I would finally satisfy that craving. Or at least take the edge off. I would always hunger for Faith. I had no doubt of that.

  “Some obsessions are worth any price or repercussion,” I responded without a hint of amusement.

  She opened her mouth, then shut it, then sputtered, “I’m, um, meeting my sister, Grace, but thought I’d say a quick hello.”

  “I’m glad you did,” I responded happily.

  “How is the house coming along?”

  “Your suggestions have been invaluable. I think you’ll be very pleased with the way it’s shaping up.”

  Biting her lip, she glanced away for a second, and when her gaze returned to mine, there was hope in them. “I’d love to see it someday.”

  Before I could reply, we were interrupted.

  “Hey, Faith!”

  A boy, who looked to be a year or two younger than Faith, walked up to the table grinning. His eyes drank in the sight of my girl with appreciation. Rage bubbled to the surface, and I clenched my jaw while curling my fingers into a fist so tight it drew blood.

  “Hey, Sailor,” Faith greeted with a smile. He bent over to give her a hug, and she raised her arms to return the embrace.

  “Hands to yourself,” I growled, unable to sit back and do nothing.

  Both of them looked at me with surprise, the kid—Sailor? Seriously?—started to dismiss me, but something in my expression made him reconsider, and he looked a little nervous. That’s right, punk. Get the fuck away from my girl.

  Faith, however, didn’t look very happy with me. I mentally shrugged. She’d get used to my possessiveness and jealousy—I fully admitted I was envious of anything that touched her besides me—because it was unlikely to ever dim.

  “Well, um, it was nice to see you, Faith. I’ll be at the party next month. Maybe we can talk more then.” He tossed me an irritated glare but took two steps away. I smiled smugly. Keep moving, asshole.

  “Sure,” Faith answered with a nod.

  Faith’s sister, Grace, and her husband, Hudson—it had been their wedding where I’d first seen my girl—were hosting Faith’s eighteenth birthday party at their house. Since the chateau wasn’t far, I’d be spending that weekend there to be near her.

  “Cool. I’ll see you there.”

  I gritted my teeth as he walked away, irritated that he would be attending the event that signaled the most important day of my life when I couldn’t. Who the fuck was this kid invited to family functions, like my woman’s birthday? I was seriously tempted to threaten him with all sorts of pain if he went anywhere near my girl again.

  “That was rude,” Faith snapped, glaring at me.

  I considered apologizing, but it wouldn’t be sincere. “I didn’t like the way he was looking at you, blue eyes,” I admitted. “And a boy like that has no idea how to treat someone like you.” Or the ability to satisfy her. Even if I were closer to his age, I’d always been above average in size when it came to my cock. But I didn’t say all that out loud.

  “What do you mean, like me?” she asked, her nose wrinkling adorably.

  “You're special, Faith. Beautiful inside and out. But mostly, you’re already a woman, and he’s still a hormonal kid who would only be interested in getting his dick wet with you.”

  “Um…thank you…I think?” She ran a hand through her dark-red hair and pushed it back over her shoulder. From the way she was studying me, she seemed to be contemplating something. “I suppose you know how to treat a woman?” she inquired, her tone hesitant like she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer.

  “My mother raised me to be polite and respect all women.”

  Judging by her reaction, that obviously hadn’t been the answer she’d been looking for. I was aware of what she wanted, but I didn’t think I should open that particular can of desire just yet.

  “But if I met someone like you”—apparently, my mouth had a mind of its own—“I’d claim her and make her mine in every way. I’d worship the ground she walked on and do anything I could to make her happy.”

  Faith’s lips curved, and she practically melted back into her chair.

  I should have left it at that…but my mouth went running again. “And I’d make damn fucking sure that she knew exactly who she belonged to by marking her, inside and out.” My jaw hardened before I finished with, “I’d also make sure that every other motherfucker who looked at her knew she was mine. Because I don’t share.”

  She raised an eyebrow, but her blue pools were bright with heat and curiosity. I almost grinned when she shifted in her seat, uncrossing and recrossing her legs. Hmm, it seemed my possessiveness turned my girl on. That certainly boded well for us.

  “Well, um…”

  “Faith!” I almost banged a fist on the table in frustration when we were interrupted yet again.

  But my anger receded when I spotted Faith’s sister, Grace, waving to her as she made her way to our table. “Hudson practically kicked me out,” she said, rolling her eyes, but her smile gave away her true happiness. “He said I needed girl time. Sorry, I’m late.”

  “No problem,” Faith murmured as she stood to hug her sister. “I was just passing the time by visiting with—”

  “You’re the fireman!” Grace interrupted with a giant smile. “I didn’t really get a chance to thank you for your help at the wedding.”

  I waved off her gratitude. “It was my job. But I’m glad there wasn’t an actual fire.” More than she knew because it would have put Faith in danger.

  “I’m Grace, Faith’s sister,” she said, sticking her hand out.

  “Rush,” I replied, shaking her hand. “The fireman.”

  Faith giggled, and my lips immediately curled up into a smile.

  Grace’s gaze bounced back and forth between Faith and me a few times, then she grinned mischievously. “You know, Faith here is turning eighteen next month. On the fifth.”

  I gave her the appropriate raise of my brow as if to say, “Oh? I didn’t know.”

  Her eyes narrowed for a moment, and I had a feeling she was aware that I’d already known the date of Faith’s birthday. But she didn’t dig into it, and I had to wonder. Did I have an ally in my girl’s sister?

  Grace’s expression transformed into bright excitement. “You should come. You know, as a thank you.”

  Faith sucked in a breath too fast and choked on it, coughing and wheezing. “I’m s-sure Rush has…better…things t-to d-do.”

  “I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be that day,” I corrected.

  “Fantastic!” Grace chirped. “Give me your number, and I’ll text you the information.” Her tone was sly and confirmed what I suspected. Grace was giving me the opportunity I needed to claim Faith. And it seemed she assumed I already knew everything about the event, which was correct. When I thought about it, though, I wasn’t all that shocked. I’d heard about her husband and how possessive he was of her. And she was Jonah Carrington’s daughter. Grace was familiar with my kind because she’d grown up around them. Not just her father but her uncles and even some of her cousins.

  Having her in my corner would be extremely helpful. I rattled off my number, and she plugged it into her phone. My text alert went off, but then Faith’s cell dinged, and I smirked, knowing Grace had sent my information to Faith as well.

  “Thanks,” I said, thrilled with how this visit had turned out.

  “You bet! Well, we’ll see you later.”

  Faith waved, and I lifted my chin in farewell. As they turned, Grace leaned back and whispered, “You better not hurt my sister because there is nowhere you can hide that my dad won’t find you. And you can be sure that no one will ever find your body.” She didn’t wait for my reaction before trotting off to catch up with Faith.

  It would have been comical if it weren’t the truth.

  * * *

  I was a few feet down the sidewalk from the coffee house when my phone rang. A small part of me hoped that Faith was calling, but it wasn’t a realistic scenario, mostly because she was currently busy with her sister.

  However, the caller ID announced that it was Cano, the CEO of one of my foundations, Worlds Together. The charity’s vision was to boost economies by building up communities and providing jobs in the process, as well as continued training.

  “Please tell me you’re calling to say that Baros has finally backed off,” I grunted when I put in my ear phones and answered the call. Dekel Baros owned a big chunk of land that split right down the middle of an area we were developing in Greece. We’d been fighting the asshole for months to get him to sell. But he was a greedy son of a bitch and wanted us to pay at least four times what the land was worth. And the motherfucker was threatening to make people pay a fee to cross his land. These people were living in poverty. No one could afford to work on one side and live on the other, or to be forced to cross the land to grocery shop, etc. So we either had to build pretty much double what we were planning or get Baros to go away.

  “I wanted to call you and hopefully give you an update before you saw it on the news,” Cano responded, ignoring my question.

  “Have things with Baros escalated?”

  “Baros is dead.”

  I froze, right there in the middle of the sidewalk, forcing people to go around me, but I didn’t even notice.

  “Please tell me you had nothing to do with that,” I growled in a low voice.

  “Of course not. Though I can’t say it never crossed my mind.”

  I certainly had no cause to reprimand him for that since I’d had the same thought many times.

 

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