reap the benefit. Dom drives us to a quiet country lane. And there, under a half-moon, he lays me across the back seat and buries himself all the way inside me in one hard slam, then works it until we ’ re both an exhausted, satisfied, beautiful, sweaty mess. He reaches below, finds his trousers, rummages in one of the pockets and produces a gold bracelet.
‘Here,’ he says and capturing my hand fixes it on my wrist.
I bite my lip.
‘What?’ he asks.
‘Did you steal it or something?’ I ask with a grin.
‘Why would you think that?’
‘I don’t know. Bracelets usually come in a box.’
‘I can get you a box if you want.’
I shake my head slightly and gently touch the jewels on the pretty bracelet.
‘Sapphires,’ he says.
It’s not big or flash and there is no great declaration that he bought them because they match my eyes or anything romantic like that, but I almost want to cry with happiness.
‘It’s beautiful. Thank you,’ I choke
‘You’re welcome. Wear it all the time,’ he says casually.
And my heart soars. ‘I will.’
For a long time, we lie naked and as precious as the stars shining brightly in the night sky.
THIRTEEN
‘Y ou wouldn’t have any sisters for me, would you?’ Shane teases Ella, a seductive smile spread across his face.
We ’ re at my ma’s for Sunday lunch. I don’t know what I expected when I sprang Ella, the tax collector, on my family, but they ’ ve surprised me with the genuine warmth of their welcome. Never once has she been made to feel that anything might be amiss. Of course, Shane has to make a bigger ass of himself than usual.
‘Afraid not,’ Ella says with a grin. ‘But I do have a brother if you’re interested.’
‘Ah, I’ll let you know if I start batting for the other side,’ Shane says with a laugh.
I know Shane’s banter means nothing, but what the fuck! I feel jealousy pour through me. I place my hand possessively on her curvaceous bottom and throw my younger brother a ‘back the hell off ’ glare.
With a brotherly pat on my shoulder and a mischievous glint in his eyes, he moves away.
Ella goes to join the women in the kitchen, and Jake comes over to me.
‘So, that’s Ella Savage,’ he says quietly, a strange look in his eyes.
‘Yeah,’ I reply, my tone neutral but forbidding any further intrusions.
‘She’s beautiful.’
‘I know.’
He raises his glass. ‘Here’s to you.’ And for a moment there ’ s a tinge of sadness in his face. Then Shane joins us.
‘Hoi,’ he says. ‘What are you guys drinking to?’
‘To Dom,’ Jake says simply.
Shane grins wolfishly. ‘And the very gorgeous Ella.’
I stare at him warningly, even though I know he ’ s only yanking my chain. We all raise our glasses and drink. And I wonder if it has been a mistake to bring Ella to meet my family. They ’ re ready for her, but I ’ m not.
I love Dom’s family. And I don’t say that facetiously. They ’ re so kind, and I can feel how genuine their welcome is in every word and gesture. I especially warm to Layla. A laughing woman-child, she ’ s the baby of the family. She throws her arms around me and kisses my cheeks as though we ’ re long-lost sisters. It ’ s immediately obvious that everyone loves her to death and is very protective of her.
Her husband, BJ, is another matter, though. He ’ s the largest man I ’ ve ever met, with a hugely muscled chest and bulging arms. His eyes are so black it ’ s impossible to know what he ’ s thinking. He doesn’t say much—his entire world seems to be made of his wife and their little boy. A highly energetic little thing who crawls around at frightening speed.
Jake, Dom’s oldest brother, is the most mysterious of them all. I wouldn’t want to mess with him. It seems as if he regards all the people gathered in that house as his personal responsibility. Almost as if he ’ s the alpha and this is his pack. His wife, Lily, is exotically beautiful and friendly, but
‘Here,’ he says and capturing my hand fixes it on my wrist.
I bite my lip.
‘What?’ he asks.
‘Did you steal it or something?’ I ask with a grin.
‘Why would you think that?’
‘I don’t know. Bracelets usually come in a box.’
‘I can get you a box if you want.’
I shake my head slightly and gently touch the jewels on the pretty bracelet.
‘Sapphires,’ he says.
It’s not big or flash and there is no great declaration that he bought them because they match my eyes or anything romantic like that, but I almost want to cry with happiness.
‘It’s beautiful. Thank you,’ I choke
‘You’re welcome. Wear it all the time,’ he says casually.
And my heart soars. ‘I will.’
For a long time, we lie naked and as precious as the stars shining brightly in the night sky.
THIRTEEN
‘Y ou wouldn’t have any sisters for me, would you?’ Shane teases Ella, a seductive smile spread across his face.
We ’ re at my ma’s for Sunday lunch. I don’t know what I expected when I sprang Ella, the tax collector, on my family, but they ’ ve surprised me with the genuine warmth of their welcome. Never once has she been made to feel that anything might be amiss. Of course, Shane has to make a bigger ass of himself than usual.
‘Afraid not,’ Ella says with a grin. ‘But I do have a brother if you’re interested.’
‘Ah, I’ll let you know if I start batting for the other side,’ Shane says with a laugh.
I know Shane’s banter means nothing, but what the fuck! I feel jealousy pour through me. I place my hand possessively on her curvaceous bottom and throw my younger brother a ‘back the hell off ’ glare.
With a brotherly pat on my shoulder and a mischievous glint in his eyes, he moves away.
Ella goes to join the women in the kitchen, and Jake comes over to me.
‘So, that’s Ella Savage,’ he says quietly, a strange look in his eyes.
‘Yeah,’ I reply, my tone neutral but forbidding any further intrusions.
‘She’s beautiful.’
‘I know.’
He raises his glass. ‘Here’s to you.’ And for a moment there ’ s a tinge of sadness in his face. Then Shane joins us.
‘Hoi,’ he says. ‘What are you guys drinking to?’
‘To Dom,’ Jake says simply.
Shane grins wolfishly. ‘And the very gorgeous Ella.’
I stare at him warningly, even though I know he ’ s only yanking my chain. We all raise our glasses and drink. And I wonder if it has been a mistake to bring Ella to meet my family. They ’ re ready for her, but I ’ m not.
I love Dom’s family. And I don’t say that facetiously. They ’ re so kind, and I can feel how genuine their welcome is in every word and gesture. I especially warm to Layla. A laughing woman-child, she ’ s the baby of the family. She throws her arms around me and kisses my cheeks as though we ’ re long-lost sisters. It ’ s immediately obvious that everyone loves her to death and is very protective of her.
Her husband, BJ, is another matter, though. He ’ s the largest man I ’ ve ever met, with a hugely muscled chest and bulging arms. His eyes are so black it ’ s impossible to know what he ’ s thinking. He doesn’t say much—his entire world seems to be made of his wife and their little boy. A highly energetic little thing who crawls around at frightening speed.
Jake, Dom’s oldest brother, is the most mysterious of them all. I wouldn’t want to mess with him. It seems as if he regards all the people gathered in that house as his personal responsibility. Almost as if he ’ s the alpha and this is his pack. His wife, Lily, is exotically beautiful and friendly, but
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