“No! Don’t. He was drunk and…”

Under the impression that I had agreed to it. I know Lonnie has her thing with me about Gage, but this just proves she really hates me. She was pimping me out for some rent money. First thing in the morning, I’m calling Dad’s lawyer. I need to get some shit sorted out ASAP.

“Just leave him be. I’m sure he won’t be a problem anymore.”

He turns to me with an incredulous stare, brows furrowed. “Leave him be? It’s nothing for me to end him. I can do it and be back in thirty seconds.”

“Gage, please…don’t.”

“Fuck that shit.”

He reaches for the car door but I grab his arm. I can’t let him go back in there. I can’t handle another death on my conscience. “Please, don’t do this. Please. I’m sure he’s learned his lesson. Just leave it alone.”

“You think some fucker’s going to put his hands on my woman and live to talk about it?”

“Will you just do this for me?” I plead.

“Fine,” he says reluctantly. “But I’ll have Razor pay him a visit tomorrow. He needs to know to keep his mouth shut.”

“He won’t touch him, right?”

“No.”

“Good. I…wait a minute…did you say…?” Hold up…rewind. Did he just call me his woman? “I’m your woman?”

Like a deflating balloon, I watch the anger drain out of him.

“You will be. Once you hurry up and turn eighteen.”

“Your woman…like…your girlfriend?” I definitely need clarification here. This is the man who said he doesn’t do relationships.

“Woman, girlfriend…whatever you want to call it. You’re mine.”

“Oh, Gage…”

I want to kiss him so badly right now. I want to throw my arms around him, squeeze him tightly, and kiss his lips off his face. “Hurry up.”

“What?”

“Hurry…up. When we get to the house, I’m going to crawl all over you.”

“Shit.”

***Gage***

I make it to the house in record time. She can’t stay still. If I wasn’t driving, she probably would have jumped into my lap. We run up the stairs and I push her down onto the bed. When I throw off my cut, she wrinkles her nose at me.

“There’s blood on your shirt.”

I toss it in the hamper and head to the bathroom to clean my throbbing hand. I’m still trying to get the blood off when she walks in. She’s changed into one of my T-shirts and looks good enough to eat.

“Let me see.” She turns off the water and takes my hand. “Hmmm…you have a first-aid kit?”

“Under the sink.”

She fetches it and hops onto the counter. I watch her as she soaks cotton in peroxide and cleans my knuckles. I can’t believe her. She was almost raped, yet she’s concerned about my hand.

“You’ll live,” she states matter-of-factly.

“You’re amazing.”

“What did I do? Not that I don’t totally agree.”

I step between her legs and pick her up. She wraps her arms and legs around me, pressing her lips to mine as I carry her to the bed. She plants quick little kisses all over my face then starts to suck on my neck. A shiver runs up my spine. I can’t remember the last time a woman had that effect on me. I climb onto the bed and she moans as my hard dick presses against her pussy. She parts her lips the moment I touch them and slides her tongue into my mouth. I suck on it gently until she pulls it back and bites into my bottom lip. She throws her head back as I move down her neck, kissing and licking.

“Do it…mark me.”

Fuck. I suck at the base of her neck and she sinks her nails into my back.

“Yes! Everywhere…I want you to mark me everywhere.”

I move down, pushing her T-shirt up to expose her skin. I slide my tongue from the waistband of her panties and up her stomach. Her muscles jump beneath my tongue and she whimpers. I sink my teeth into her flesh and suck on her skin until it’s red, and then I move to the next side. She feels so fucking good, I can barely control myself. My dick feels like someone’s hammering it from the inside, and my balls feel like they’re about to burst. I grab her knee and bite into her thigh, leaving another mark there.

“Gage!”

The scent of her arousal hits me and I almost lose my mind. I place my forehead on her stomach, below her navel, and breathe her in.

“Please…don’t stop,” she begs.

I move back up her body but before I can say anything, she flips over and straddles me. I know I should stop her, but I let her remove my jeans. I suck in a breath as she runs her fingers over my dick. She curls her fingers into the waist of my boxers and that’s when I snap out of my haze. I grab her shoulders and pull her into my arms.

“No, babe. No more.”

“But why?” She whines.

“Because we can’t.”

“Yes, we can. It’s perfectly legal. If you’re worried about people finding out, I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”

“I’m trying to fight temptation here. Don’t make it harder.”

“What? Your dick?”

With a smile, she reaches down and grabs it, squeezing it in her tiny hand.

“Raven, stop.”

“Weren’t you the one who told me to submit, no, yield to temptation?”

“Babe, please. I’m really trying here.”

“I’ve got a quote for you. Tom Wilson, ‘about the only time losing is more fun than winning is when you’re fighting temptation’. Don’t you want to have fun?”

“No.” I answer, even though it’s a fucking lie.

“Ugh!”

She slides onto the bed but lays her head on my chest. I try to concentrate on getting ahold of myself.

“I hate to say this, but maybe we shouldn’t sleep in the same bed until…after,” I tell her.

“Whatever.”

“Don’t be petulant.”

“I’m not petulant. I’m mad.”

“Well, don’t be mad, either. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

“What. Ever.”

We lay in silence for a while before she sits up and looks around the room.

“Do you have any paper…a pencil?”

“Downstairs in the living room. There’s a desk with all kinds of shit in there.”

She hops off the bed and returns with a sheet of paper, a clipboard, and a pencil. She sits cross-legged at the foot of the bed and stares at me. “What?”

“Don’t move.”

I lace my fingers together under my head and stare up at the ceiling. She can’t stay mad all night. After a while, she moves closer. She looks from me to the clipboard and I realize she’s drawing me.

“Your face is perfect,” she says, more to herself than to me.

“Why, thank you.”

“I mean it…symmetrical…perfect for drawing.”

A few minutes later, she hands me the clipboard. I can’t believe my eyes. “Holy shit! If I didn’t just see you do it, I wouldn’t have believed it. You’re really talented, baby doll.”

“Thanks.”

“Damn, it looks just like me. Tattoos, hard dick and all.” She giggles and lies next to me once more. “Does this mean I’m forgiven?”

“For now.”

“I know how to get back in your good graces. What do you want for your birthday?”

“Oh, now you’re asking? For months, all I’ve been hearing about is what you’re getting out of the deal.”

“Seriously, anything you want.”

“I don’t know. Haven’t really thought about it.”

“You want a party?”

“You wanna throw me one?”

“Sure. Just let me know who you want there.”

She raises up on her elbow and looks down at me. “You’d do that for me?”

“I’d do anything for you, Raven.”

I say the words without thinking but the moment they leave my lips, I know they’re true. She swallows, takes a breath, and kisses me softly.

“I’d like that.”

“Good.”

She settles on my chest again and throws her arm and leg over me. “You know what we should do? A costume party for Halloween,” she says.

“If you want.”

“What would you be?”

“I don’t do costumes, baby doll.”

“Ugh! You don’t do anything.” She sits up and stares at me with a pleading look. “Come on. You can’t go to a costume party in your colors.”