Taryn lets out a hollow laugh as I hiss that one word, but not me. I’m pissed off I don’t feel the satisfaction I thought I would. I actually feel sick. It’s a low dig. I’ve never called her that in my life. I used to fight kids who called her Shallow behind her back. I’d come home with ripped clothes and black eyes over that cruel nickname. I never fought over my own nickname, but I took punches forhers.
And now, I just punched her withit.
“That was priceless!” Taryn laughs, kissing myjaw.
“Go home, Taryn.” I pull away from her. This whole day has been one big mind fuck, and I’mdone.
“But we’re going to The Light Housetonight!”
Shit. I forgot we’d made plans a few days ago to go to the local dive bar for a few drinks. Right now, discussing the shit Taryn wants to talk about over a beer is the last thing I need. What I need is to be alone with a bottle of Jack Daniels and fuckingdecompress.
I brush my thumb over her cheek. “I have a few things to do with the boys tonight. Let’s do ittomorrow.”
I deserve a goddamn Academy Award for thisshit.
“But, Cary…” she whines, sticking her bottom lipout.
“Tomorrow, Taryn.” I don’t take orders from her, and I’m not going out tonight. End ofstory.
Giving up, Taryn turns to go, but not before grabbing my ass and shoving her tongue down my throat one last time. I’m not particularly in the mood for this, but I’m still a guy, and my dick doesn’t know thedifference.
“Bye, baby,” Taryn whispers. With one last kiss, she turns an icy gaze toward Shiloh and rolls her eyes. “Later,jailbird.”
The minute the door slams, I head toward my office. “Go home,Shiloh.”
“I still have to mop,” she says quietly, the injury from my earlier insult still bleeding through hertone.
“Do it in the morning. I’m done with you.” I don’t wait for a response. My head is a fucking mess, and she’s the cause ofit.
I assume she has her mother’s driver pick her up because eventually, headlights pause in front of my office window and then drive away. She never bothered to knock on my door before leaving. It’s just as well, I wouldn’t have opened itanyway.
After an hour of sitting in my chair, I finally open the middle drawer of my desk and pull out the magazine shoved in the back. It’s her firstMaximspread. I’ve had it forever, evident by the wrinkled pages and stains all overit.
The photo is in black and white, but it gives Shiloh a Marilyn Monroe quality that sends men over the edge. Her hair is curled and tumbles over her shoulders. She’s barely dressed in black thong and a tiny black and silver studded bra. Her tits are busting out of the top, and she’s leaning over the back of a leather couch with her fingers pressed against her lips. Her makeup heavy and dark, and she’s staring at the camera with her mouth open like she’s begging for someone to fillit.
When the darkness comes calling, I let myself believe it’sme.
The moment I bought this magazine, I knew Shiloh would be a star. It was also the moment I knew she’d never comehome.
The more I stare, the more the pressure is too much to take. I’m so fucking hard I’m about to punch through my pants. Keeping one hand on her face, I use the other to release the zipper on my jeans. The minute I wrap my hand around my cock, I groan. It’s not going to take much. Sparring with Shiloh all day has been like three-hour long foreplay. While I stare at her half-lidded eyes, I pump my fist, my grip tightening. Sweat beads on my forehead as my gaze drops to her bra. My tongue darts out to lick my lips, and heat builds inside me. I can’t think. I’m breathingfaster.
Tighter.
Faster.
I groan. The base of my spine sends electric shocks to my brain and my entire thought process halts as my mind goesnumb.
“Fuck,Shiloh!”
My free hand crumples her face as I pump out every last bit of one hell of an explosive orgasm. Of course, all orgasms are explosive when I think about Shiloh. They always havebeen.
Exhausted, I curse myself for my stupidity as I slump back in the old creaky chair. I now have less than twenty-four hours to compose myself before having to face her again. The one woman who can reach through the hate and still access the lust I’ve always had forher.
Isn’t it obvious which force is stronger? Here I sit with cum stains on my jeans because even seven years of loathing couldn’t hold up to seven minutes of being in herpresence.
In high school, I thought she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen, but seven years later, the woman is so much more than that girl ever thought of being.Even with her scars. Even with the fucked-up predicament that brought her here. Even with my deep-rooted hate for her, I’m still a man, and I still have a dick, which, regardless of what she did, still wants her—bad.
And this apparent fall from grace? Well, that just makes what I have planned so much easier. The mighty fall and the wounded rise. Now, they meet and what will happen is anyone’s guess. I always believed that somehow, Shiloh West and I would cross paths again someday. I dreamed of almost this exact scenario—me being the strong one with my shit together and her being broken and crawling back on her knees, begging for my forgiveness.I’ll get my revenge, but claiming her and throwing her away before taking it will make it that muchsweeter.
