Breaking His Rules Read online

  “I never asked what side of the bed you liked,” he said.

  I just blinked at him. No one had ever asked me that. Most of the time, men just took the side they wanted. In fact, until he said something, I hadn’t even noticed that fact. “Well, since you asked, I like the one closest to the bathroom. The left side,” I said.

  He looked at me as if perplexed for a moment, then rolled to the right side. “Hmmm…You’ve never slept over there since I’ve been here.”

  “Probably because you’re a guest.” I waved my hand and moved to the left side before climbing in and covering myself with the sheet and blanket.

  “Just because someone is a guest in your bed doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your own comfort, love,” he said. So matter-of-fact and straightforward.

  What he didn’t know was that was one of the sweetest things anyone had said to me. I’d been so starved for someone just to be concerned about me that I had long since given up on another soul caring about my comfort. “Yes, you’re right, Ash,” I whispered, and draped my arm over his chest as he settled in. My heart swelled a bit more.

  After another second, he leaned down and kissed the top of my head. “You okay? You seem a little different tonight,” he said.

  “I’m fine. It was just a busy day. And I played hooky from the Ivy again. I’ll have to give Brice a day off tomorrow.”

  “I’m sure he’ll appreciate the extra time off.”

  “Yeah, he has a little girl,” I said into Ash’s chest. “She’s only five.”

  “Really? He didn’t seem like the warm-and-fuzzy type of dude.”

  “Well…I guess you can’t judge a book by its cover after all. Just don’t get him started on Harry Potter trivia. You’ll never shut him up.”

  “Shut the front door,” he said, laughing.

  It must have been infectious, because I cracked up. “No, you shut the front door,” I parroted him, accent and all.

  “That’s it, Terra. I was going to take it easy on you tonight, but you’ve asked for it.” In a single movement, he was under the covers, his body sliding down mine and tickling along the way. I thrashed and squirmed but couldn’t get out of his clutches.

  At once, the laughter shifted to a moan as his hands found my sex beneath the delicate fabric of my nightgown. “Oh, Ash…” I vibrated from the pressure of his fingers on my clit as he sucked and licked along the inside of my thighs.

  With a firm grip on my legs, he pulled me down roughly until his lips met my mound. I melted, my core seeming to liquefy under his skillful tongue. I cried out, pleasure so intense and so immediate I was nearly dizzy.

  Ash rose as the waves finally released me and stared into my eyes. “You ready for me, love?” he groaned.

  “Forever,” I whispered as he lowered down on me and covered my mouth with his own.

  Chapter 17

  Ashton

  Terra was going to drive me insane. The more of her I got, the more, it would seem, I wanted. A terrifying prospect when you considered that just a couple of weeks before, I wouldn’t even sleep at a woman’s house. Now I had a whole fucking bag packed at the foot of this glorious woman’s bed.

  I’d always thought a woman would try to trap me into being with her, and now it appeared that the one who practically tossed me out on the sidewalk repeatedly was the one I wanted. And I did want her.

  I lay beside her, holding her and hoping that she was satisfied. That was a dazzling transition if I said so myself. One that Gary was not ever going to believe. But Gary was the last thing that should have been on my mind as I held this sleeping angel in my arms.

  I bent my head to kiss her, the light of the streetlamp coming through the window and shining on her cheek making her take on downright ethereal qualities. As I settled behind her again, she stirred in my arms.

  “You okay, Ash?” Her voice was husky and sexy from sleep.

  “Yup, I’m fine. I just haven’t fallen asleep yet. That’s all. Get some rest. I’ve kept you awake for a couple of nights in a row.”

  “I don’t mind. Trust me. Scout’s honor.”

  We both chuckled as she turned in my arms to face me. “Are you sure all this isn’t bothering you? I mean, I understand if you don’t want to sleep over. And you don’t have to worry about me. I told you, this is a safe community and I—”

  I ran a finger over her soft lips and then kissed her on the nose. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m not a man who does things I don’t want to do. In fact, what I want can sometimes overshadow everything else. I want to sleep here with you. I wanted to meet your aunt, who thinks my hair is too long. And I also wanted to sweep Gloria’s floor tonight. I don’t know why, but I did. And now I’m here. Holding you. Not because I have to. It’s because I want to.”

  Terra’s lips trembled and she looked as if she wanted to say something. But she remained quiet.

  “You don’t have to say anything. I didn’t say it to make you feel a certain way or to add any pressure. But our agreement stands. We will be together as long as we want. When you get tired of me, you can toss me into the cold night…again.” I laughed.

  Terra moved closer and wrapped her arms around my waist, pulling closer to me. She’d never done that before. She’d always held me as if I were going to push her away at any moment. But just then, she connected to me. It felt…utterly strange, I can’t lie, but it also felt good. It was good. Everything.

  While good ole Ollie woke up and pressed into her belly, I denied him. Because right then, I just wanted to hold her. All night long.

  * * *

  —

  “No, I won’t put it in my mouth,” Terra raised her chin in absolute defiance. It made me want to take her again, but if I had, I would have probably needed a transfusion.

  “Just try it. Just once. I promise you won’t regret it.” Giving her my most studious look of knowledge and authority on the matter, I watched.

  Slowly, she opened her mouth and I stuck a slice of heaven inside. She had been adamant that she would never, ever eat her perfect pancakes in any way other than the version she’d grown up with. I explained that her pancakes were the perfect texture and consistency for the British way—with lemon zest and sugar. Thankfully, she’d had both fresh lemons on hand and confectioners’ sugar in the pantry. When her eyes rolled into her head, I knew she was cured of the stodgy pancake American style.

  “What in the actual fuck? How did I not know about this?” she said, nabbing my fork, leaning over, and taking another healthy bite.

  “My mum used to make them this way. Pure heaven on a plate. But you can’t have all mine, so back up, lady,” I mocked, taking my fork back.

  Terra looked down at her pancake, drenched in sticky-sweet syrup, and pouted. “Maybe I can wash the syrup off.”

  “Just gross. Eat up. We’ll make it my way next time. Never waste your food. There were times when I grew up when I’d wished for pancakes, any old kind. Even American.”

  “Fine. Thanks for the dose of guilt. What time do you have to be at work?” she said, taking a bite of her own food and making a face.

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “I have a meeting at ten, so we have a couple of hours before I need to leave.”

  Terra was resplendent. Her curly hair was everywhere after a morning of sex, and even as she made the pancakes, I’d wanted to take her again but she put her foot down. Smart girl. “Okay. I’m going to change, then we can go for that run. I don’t want this anymore, and since you’re being selfish, I’ll have to start another batch after I drop you off. I can’t believe you. I gave you all of me last night and you can’t give me a pancake bite,” she said. I’d forgotten I promised to jog with her along the riverfront while I was still euphoric and my energy level low. We decided to eat a little first so they didn’t find our bodies on the RiverWalk. I wish I hadn’t packe
d those gym clothes, dammit. I probably needed it anyway after her aunt’s delicious carb-fest the night before.

  She picked up her plate with her back to me, and I couldn’t help but pull her down onto my lap and kiss her, something I was sure I would never grow tired of. “You are a full-on brat. Were you aware?”

  “No. No, I wasn’t. Thank you for sharing that little tidbit of info.”

  I cut a piece with my fork and held it out for her. When she went in for the bait, I pulled back the fork and kissed her again. She didn’t squirm at all, even if she really wanted that pancake. When I broke the kiss, she was wild looking, new passion lit in her eyes. Then I put the fork to her mouth and watched as she slowly wrapped her lips around it, took the food, and rolled her eyes back into her head. “You’re going to kill me, Terra.”

  “I would never. You still haven’t put on the Batman mask.”

  She was off my lap in another moment and I popped her on her round ass as she walked away.

  Tossing a “fresh ass” over her shoulder, she disappeared upstairs, then a moment later, the shower came on. I took the time to finish up my breakfast, wash our dishes, and put on my running clothes.

  By the time I was dressed and back downstairs, finishing another glass of her freshly squeezed orange juice, she was back dressed in tight running pants, a cropped top, and a black fitted jacket with the zipper open so I could get a good look at those abs.

  “Hmmm. I never look that good in my workout clothes,” I said, surveying her as she closed her jacket and pulled the zipper up.

  She strapped a fanny pack around her waist before she looked over at me. “What?”

  “Nothing. You’re just…remarkable, Terra.”

  “Thank you, but stop it before you have to call out of to work today. Ready?”

  “I am not, but I’ll go.”

  “Look at you being all awesome. C’mon. I’ll drive us over to the running path, otherwise we have to take the long way around and I don’t think we should go for over a mile today. Given the pancakes…”

  She turned around and I played grabby-grab with her as she moved in front of me and tried to get out of my clutches. No such luck. My hands were on her ass, and as far as I was concerned, I could play with my toys all I wanted. “And the sex. Don’t forget the fact that I have strength left,” I said into her hair.

  We stepped into the garage and she hit the button to open the door, successfully making it to the car before turning around and offering me her mouth. “You are insatiable, you know that?”

  “I am,” I said, capturing her mouth.

  The movement from the corner of my eye was first, then a shadow fell inside from the morning sun. I released Terra and found him standing there, gun in hand. He was shaking as he extended the thing in just the same way villains always held it on television shows. I lurched, pulling Terra behind, and e without thinking moved her down by the Jeep.

  “Marcus, what are you doing?” she screamed as her mind and eyes caught up with all the action.

  “Look, there are some people who want money from me. D-do you think I want to be here? I don’t h-have a choice, Terra,” he stammered, voice shaking just like that gun.

  I moved in front of her, taking a step toward him. “Put the gun down, man.”

  “Look, stay out of this. This is between me and my wife,” he said. Marcus moved his eyes back to Terra after giving me a warning glare. “They’re going to kill me this time. I don’t have a choice.”

  I started once to correct him about the wife thing. To remind him she was mine, not his, but I didn’t. “This is not the way to go about this. If you shoot me, I promise you, you won’t get a dime from her.”

  “If she gives me what I want, I’ll just leave. We can go down to the ATM and handle this. Once I’m back on track, I’ll stick to the normal payments. I swear,” he continued. Something about him had changed from the last two times he’d come around. He was nearly begging her. It was in his eyes, in his stance, and dripping from his voice. I almost felt sorry for the poor sod. Almost.

  I surveyed his stance, his body movements. He was dazed, probably still high from the night before. “I will not let you hurt her. So, you can either put the gun down or—”

  “I said shutthehell up,” he yelled, the words jammed together and his face contorted with a type of rage. The sound of gunfire reached my ears a millisecond after I saw him pull the trigger. Like the whole thing was in slow motion. Lunging forward, I landed on top of him. He wasn’t strong enough to push me off as we struggled. Bang. Another gunshot went off, and I grabbed the one Marcus held. I didn’t know if it was his or coming from somewhere else. The gun was hot against my palm, but it couldn’t have gone off twice. In the background, I heard Terra screaming, “Oh my god, oh my god!”

  The gun finally came free from his shaking fingers. I took it, and with the blunt end, I banged it once, twice against his skull.

  His eyes rolled and his head went off to the side, then the struggling stopped and a trickle of blood ran onto the concrete floor. I turned to look for Terra, keeping the gun in case the guy wasn’t really unconscious. “Terra,” I called out. “Terra, are you okay?” I yelled, not giving her a chance to answer the first question.

  “Ash…Oh my God, Ash. You’re shot.” She was holding a gun too…Terra had shot her gun, too. Her hands shook as she watched me with wide eyes.

  “No, I’m okay.”

  “You are shot. Sit down,” she screamed while simultaneously fussing around in her purse, still holding the gun. I did what she said as I heard words like, “My man has been shot…at 211 Whitmore…yes…yes…my ex-husband just showed up…I shot him…”

  That’s when I looked down. There was more blood, but this time it was mine. The red stain seeped into the fabric of my shirt. I didn’t register the pain, but in an instant I experienced tunnel vision, and all I could see was a glowing white light and in the middle, there was only Terra.

  Then she was at my side, holding my hand. “It’s going to be okay, Ashton. It’ll be okay. They’re on their way…” She was crying.

  “Listen. Listen, baby…I would…” I coughed, then the pain hit. Hard. But I needed to get the words out. “I would do that again for you. You are…”

  “Shhh,” she said. Her hands were on my face and my head against the coolness of her Wrangler. God, I loved her taste in cars.

  “I am falling in love with you…even with the syrup…”

  “Oh, Ashton, it’s too late for me because I’m afraid I’ve already fallen for you. You cannot leave me. Do you hear me? You better stay with me. Do you hear me…”

  I did. I heard her. But my mouth stopped cooperating. The tunnel vision grew more severe. I couldn’t see her anymore. I could only feel her. Her mouth was on mine and all I could taste was salty tears and lemon with sugar. I tried to smile, but my mouth…it would not work as darkness settled in.

  Chapter 18

  Terra

  “In other local news today, the owner of trendy Club Ivy located in downtown Detroit was attacked by her ex-husband, leaving an unnamed acquaintance in the hospital tonight battling for his life. Derrick Baylor is on scene at Detroit East Mercy Hospital with the full story. Derrick?”

  “That’s right, Elle. In a story that reads like a suspense novel, Terra Ellis was attacked while leaving her home early this morning. Thankfully, an acquaintance was with her. We don’t yet know what his relationship is with Ms. Ellis, but speculation is he might be armed security. He shielded her from the gunshots and was himself seriously injured. The alleged assailant is Marcus Dyland, Terra Ellis’s ex-husband. He’s in custody tonight being held on a million-dollar bond.”

  I woke up on an uncomfortable chair in the surgical suite waiting area with a surreal feeling as news reporters told my story. No one had come out and told me anything since I technical
ly wasn’t family. The police had been kind enough to give me a status update. Ashton was in surgery having a bullet removed from his chest that had lodged dangerously close to his aorta.

  I sat up from my slumped position and tried my hardest to work the kink in my neck free. It was too stubborn. Deciding to ignore it, I flicked the news off and changed the channel to find Chicago PD on. Great. Drama that didn’t involve me.

  The air in the room was impossibly hospital-like, sterile and cold. Wrapping my poncho tight around me, I pulled my hands inside it to warm up my fingers. I hadn’t grabbed a coat from the house before we left and then…

  A bright red blood stain was on the bottom of my sweater, reminding me of just how much blood had spilled out of Ashton. I wished I’d picked up the gun and killed Marcus after, but I’d been distracted. He was an awful human who would have been better off not on the planet at all. The police hadn’t taken him to the hospital because he came to when they grabbed him off the ground. Ashton had been holding the gun, so I had a bit of explaining to do when they arrived on the scene.

  They didn’t question me much since I was still in full-on screaming mode, demanding an ambulance. One of the police officers had leaned down and applied pressure to Ashton’s wound. He was worried about chest compressions since there was no exit wound. Said the bullet could move around in there. He was right, too, because the ambulance driver said the same thing.

  They let me ride along with them, at least. When we got to the hospital I couldn’t go back any further than the tiny box of a waiting room with a wall monitor that showed the names of people in surgery and their status:

  PATIENT: LYLE, ASHTON

  CONDITION: CRITICAL