Buttons and Blame Page 5

  I set her on the bed and removed her clothes, tossing her jeans and shoes aside. I stripped her down until she was naked then did the same to myself. Sex wasn’t necessarily on my mind, but it was bound to happen.

  I got into bed with her and held her. With her body on my chest, her hair trailing down my forearm, she felt perfect against me. Her skin was soft like I remembered, and I loved the way her scent washed over me.

  She’d stopped crying, and now her eyes were puffy. Her makeup ran down her cheeks, the smoky coloring wiped away. She looked like a mess, but she was a beautiful mess to me. “I haven’t slept well in a long time…”

  “Me neither.”

  “I never want to sleep without you again.”

  I didn’t like it either. It was weird having a big bed all to myself. It was strange not listening to her breathe throughout the night. I was the one who kept the bed warm, but it felt oddly cold without her. “Okay.”

  “Let’s promise to always sleep together.”

  That was a promise I could make. “Okay.”

  She closed her eyes and tightened her arm around my waist.

  I ran my fingers through her hair and stared at her, watching her as she slipped away and drifted off to sleep. It only took her a few minutes to fall asleep. Even though I was exhausted, I couldn’t follow her.

  I preferred to watch her.

  She was on top of me before I was even awake.

  She straddled my hips, placed her feet flat against the bed, and slid down my length until I was completely inside her.

  That warm and wet pussy woke me up immediately. Even in sleep, I recognized it. It’d been so long since I’d had it that my body was ready for it at any moment. My eyes opened to her lithe body on top of mine, her beautiful tits in front of me. Her nails dug into my chest, and she placed her weight against me so she could move up and down.

  A moan escaped my raspy throat, and my hands automatically moved to her ass. I gripped her cheeks and helped her move up and down. I let her put most of her weight on me, using my strength to slide her along my throbbing cock.

  I circled her waist then shifted up until my back was to the headboard. When I was in a better position, still partially asleep, I guided her up and down my length again. Her chest was level with mine, her beautiful tits firm and perky. My hips angled up to help me move inside her as she lowered herself onto my length.

  Sleep had built up in the corners of my eyes, and I still felt the tendrils of slumber in my gaze, but that made the sex feel even better. It was heavenly, dreamlike. She started to breathe heavily, working her body to take me deep and slow.

  I’d missed this.

  Her hands moved to my shoulders, and she dug her nails into my muscles. “Crow…”

  “Button.”

  She pressed her face to mine and breathed into my mouth, her nipples hard and rubbing against me. She bent her knees to take my whole length, hitting my balls before she rose up again. I could feel her ass muscles tightening every time she lowered herself. She was strong—the way I liked her.

  She gave me a hot kiss, full of her breath and some of her tongue. “I love you…”

  I kissed the corner of her mouth and pulled her down so I was completely inside her. “I love you too.”

  “I couldn’t wait for you to wake up.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t.” I moved her up again, cupping her luscious ass.

  Her arms circled my neck, and she breathed with me as she kept moving up and down, her pace growing quicker and quicker. Her quiet moans became louder, her pussy got wetter. Her legs were shaking from the exertion, but that didn’t stop her.

  She was about to come all over me. I could feel it.

  She locked her eyes with mine, her blue eyes twinkling like Christmas lights. “Yes…”

  I felt her pussy tighten around me. So wet. So tight. I wanted to join her, but I’d rather give her a head start.

  She moaned into my mouth, making sexy noises that I knew by heart. Her moans always started off slow, flew high, and then simmered down to incoherent sounds. She did the same now, bringing herself to a climax accompanied by screams.

  I couldn’t hold back even if I wanted to. My cock didn’t have the kind of patience he usually did. I hadn’t been getting laid on a regular basis. I hadn’t even been beating off like usual. I had been too pissed off to feel any kind of desire.

  That made my orgasm strong.

  Unbelievable.

  So good.

  She clung to me when she was finished, panting against me as she caught her breath. She sat on my cock, my entire length deep inside her along with all my come. “I missed this.”

  “I missed it too.”

  “Don’t make me miss it ever again.”

  I couldn’t hide my smile at her demand, loving the sexy way she bossed me around. “Okay.”

  When she saw my smile, her eyes softened. “I missed that more than anything else.”

  My smile faded away, touched by the sincerity in her expression.

  She ran her fingers along my jawline, feeling the thick hair across my face. She leaned in and kissed me on the corner of my mouth, her breaths falling over my face.

  I squeezed her against me and held her in place. I was secured deep inside her, feeling my wife’s weight on my lap. Her tits were pressed against my chest, and she felt so good in my embrace. If something ever happened to her, I wouldn’t be able to go on. I’d put a gun to my head and pull the trigger.

  I’d rather blow my brains out than live without her.

  I sat across from her at the dining table and read the paper while I enjoyed breakfast. I was hungry from skipping dinner the night before. Button was ready for the day in a black dress with her hair pulled back. Her makeup was done, and this time it wasn’t runny.

  I liked these quiet moments we had together, when we would enjoy our routines without having to make conversation. Sometimes, I would look at her and catch her looking at me. And she would do the same to me.

  She sipped her coffee then returned the cup to the saucer. “Crow?”

  “Hmm?” I kept looking at the paper.

  “I want to talk to you.”

  I shut the newspaper, knowing she wanted my full attention. I crossed my leg over my knee and looked at her, waiting to see what she had to say.

  She was still a little upset from our conversation the night before. She was more timid, more quiet. “You asked me to make some promises because they’re important to you. Well, I have a request for you.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “When you slapped me…that wasn’t okay.”

  A sudden wave of guilt swept over me. Now that my anger was completely gone, I felt like shit for losing my temper. I’d never hit her like that in my life. I didn’t treat her so badly even when she was just my prisoner. She instilled so much rage inside me that I didn’t know what to do with it. I’d let my temper get the best of me, and I launched into an attack I should have controlled. I’d slapped her before, but she wasn’t my wife at the time—and I didn’t hit her as hard. Now that we were married, it felt innately wrong.

  “I never want you to touch me like that again.”

  I could justify my actions, but that wasn’t appropriate. She knew exactly why I’d hit her. I didn’t need to remind her. There was no excuse that I could give to pardon myself for the crime I committed. If she meant nothing to me, that would be one thing. But I gave this woman my name, decided to spend the rest of my life with her.

  My actions were wrong.

  And I knew it. “It won’t happen again, Button.”

  “You promise?”

  I looked her in the eye before I nodded. “I promise.”

  Maybe she thought that was going to be a longer conversation because she kept staring at me. Her mood didn’t change at all, so maybe my promise wasn’t enough.

  “I’m sorry, Button.”

  Her discomfort slowly disappeared, the old Button coming back. She straighten
ed in her chair as her unease died away.

  “I shouldn’t have done that. You’re my wife…and I shouldn’t treat my wife that way.” I was man enough to admit when I was wrong, to admit the error of my ways. I’d never loved a woman before, never proclaimed to be a gentle man. But if I was going to share my life with this woman, I had to place her on a pedestal where she belonged. It didn’t matter how much she hurt me. I would always respect her—because she deserved it. “I hope you can forgive me. I love you more than anything in this world.”

  She reached across the table and placed her hand on mine. “I know you do.”

  5

  Cane

  I used to enjoy work. I liked making money, making weapons, and being in charge. I handled most of our clients and their needs, and I was in charge of manufacturing. I’d hire the best engineers to come in and design the best weapons to put on the market. It wasn’t the most meaningful job in the world—but I liked it.

  But now I hated it.

  Every second I was at work, I was away from her.

  Adelina.

  Maybe it was just because she was beautiful or because she was good in the sack, but now I couldn’t stop thinking about her. It was becoming more difficult to focus on tasks because she was always in the back of my mind. I’d always been obsessed with pussy, but not like this. It didn’t run my life.

  But now there was only one pussy in particular that had my attention.

  Crow walked into the complex in all black. Black t-shirt with black jeans and a black leather jacket. He almost never wore his suits when he was on the premises, either because he didn’t want to get them dirty or because he didn’t want to look like a douche in front of the men. We were in the business of selling illegal weapons, not selling car insurance.

  A pistol was on his hip, and I knew he had two more under his jacket. He spoke to a few of the men, got a rundown on what was going on, and then joined me at the table. I had the schematics of a new knife I was working on.

  Crow pulled the paper toward him to get a better look. “I don’t get it.”

  I pulled up the digital demonstration on the tablet to show him how it would work. “It’s a seven-inch blade that retracts.” I showed him the drawing. “The blade is hidden, and once the safety is off, all you need to do is hit the button and the blade appears. And it’s strong as hell. It’s not gonna break.”

  Crow watched the demonstration a few times before he nodded. “I want one of these for Pearl.”

  “That woman needs a gun, if you ask me. She knows how to use one.”

  “I didn’t ask you.” He pushed the paper back toward me. “Bran just gave me the rundown. We have another buyer?”

  “In Budapest.”

  “Did you screen him?”

  I pushed the folder toward him. “He checks out.”

  Crow flipped through all the pages, reading every single word like he didn’t trust me to do my job right.

  I rolled my eyes. “I’ve been doing this for a long time. I know what I’m doing.”

  “I think your ten-million-dollar whore says otherwise.”

  The anger surged to my expression like it’d been sitting under the surface the whole time. “Don’t call her that. Insult me all you want, but leave her out of it.”

  Crow pulled his gaze away from the paper and turned it on me. It was the look I’d been getting since we were kids. It meant he was considering something, thinking something incriminating. “Pearl told me you took Adelina to see her parents in America.”

  Adelina told her? Women really did talk. That was such a personal experience for her that I assumed she wouldn’t mention it to anyone. Did she mention the cyanide pills too? “Yeah. So?”

  Crow cocked his head to the side, his eyes narrowing. “So?” His deep voice didn’t change, but his expression hardened. “Awfully nice thing to do for someone you don’t give a damn about.”

  I took the folder back from him and pretended to look through it. “Simon is clean. We don’t have anything to worry about. Shipment is already in progress.”

  “Cane?”

  I kept ignoring him.

  “Is she going to be a problem?”

  “What do you mean? When has she ever bothered you or Pearl?”

  “Don’t play stupid with me,” he snarled. “You aren’t keeping this woman.”

  “I never said I was.”

  “Then you’re returning her as promised?”

  “Yes.”

  Crow stared at me like he didn’t believe me. “I’m not going to war for this woman. I’m not crossing Tristan for this woman. If your heart is softening for her just the way your dick does every night, then you need to take a step back.”

  “That won’t be a problem.”

  “Why don’t I believe you?” He rested both hands against the table as he looked at me.

  “Yes, I’m fond of her. But I will give her back like I promised.”

  “You’d better because I’m not getting Pearl mixed up in this.”

  “You have nothing to worry about.”

  “Then why did you risk your neck taking her all the way to America? Security could have detained you, and everything would have gone to shit.”

  “But that didn’t happen, did it?” I asked like a smartass.

  His eyes narrowed further. “Why did you do it, Cane?”

  “She wanted to see her parents one last time…”

  “And why do you care?” he snapped.

  “Because I’m not an asshole, that’s why. I wish I could have talked to Vanessa one last time even though I knew she was going to die.”

  The second our sister was mentioned, Crow cooled his jets.

  “Jesus Christ, get off my case.” I threw the folder down and stormed off, sick of my brother’s shit.

  Crow followed behind. “And you’re taking her sight-seeing.”

  “So? Maybe you should take Pearl around. I’m sure she would enjoy it.”

  “I’m too busy working right now. And don’t worry about my wife being entertained. She’s plenty entertained.”

  “Didn’t seem like it when I talked to her.” I poured a glass of scotch at the bar.

  “Don’t stick your nose in my marriage.”

  “Don’t stick your nose in my relationship,” I countered.

  “Relationship?” he hissed. “This is a relationship now?”

  Very poor choice of words. “You know what I mean.”

  “Cane, I want your word that you’re returning this woman. She’s a nice girl and I feel bad for her, but she’s not our problem. Do you understand me?”

  I drank my scotch and ignored him.

  “Give me your word.”

  “Fine. You have my word, alright?”

  Crow still didn’t look like he believed me.

  “What do you want me to say?”

  He grabbed his own glass and poured the scotch.

  “I am fond of her.” I watched my brother down the liquor as quickly as I did. “I do like her. I don’t want her to go back. I admit all of those things. But there’s nothing I can do for her. She asked me to help her in another way…and I agreed.”

  Crow set his glass down, his eyes on me.

  “She asked me to get her cyanide pills…”

  Crow’s eyes darkened in pity.

  “So it’ll look natural, and they won’t hurt Lizzie.”

  “It’s sad, but…it’s the best thing for her.”

  “I agree.”

  “Did you get the pills?”

  I nodded.

  “Then I guess you are returning her.”

  I nodded again.

  He finished his liquor and turned the glass over on the counter. “This stays between us, alright? Pearl doesn’t need to know about it.”

  “I agree.”

  “It’ll just get her upset again.”

  “I know.”

  Crow looked to the other side of the room, seeing the men haul equipment from the storage unit.


  “You really should drop the fight. Pearl is pretty heartbroken about it.”

  “We worked it out last night.”

  “You did?” I asked. “Took long enough.”

  “She needed to apologize to me.”

  “Didn’t you slap her?”

  His face immediately fell like I’d punched him in the gut. “We worked it out. That’s all that matters.”

  “I’m either gonna get the details from you or her. So you may as well tell me.”

  “Fine. She said she wouldn’t be stupid anymore, running off whenever she feels like it. And I promised her I would never…do that again.” He bowed his head, looking ashamed for the first time since I’d known him.

  “Well, I’m glad that’s over. I was afraid the fight would never end.”

  “We’ll always work it out. I just… I was so fucking mad at her.”

  “I know, Crow. I was there.”

  “What did she say Tristan said anyway?”

  I definitely wasn’t telling him about the trade Tristan wanted to make. That would send Crow over the edge into the biggest rage I’d ever seen him have. “That he would never sell Adelina. She’s invaluable.”

  “Then you were right.”

  Of course I was right. I was fucking her, wasn’t I?

  “Did he say anything else?”

  “No. Just told her not to come back. Said she was trying to act like one of the men when she’s just a stupid woman…” I pulled that out of my ass, but I had to make it sound believable. No way in hell was I telling him the truth.

  Crow sighed in relief. “Thank god we’re valuable to Tristan. If any other woman walked in there…”

  “Doesn’t matter. Pearl is home.”

  “Yeah.” He eyed the bottle of scotch before he poured himself another glass. “Simon checks out. The shipment looks good to me.”

  “I didn’t need your input to know that.”

  He clapped me on the shoulder before he walked away. “I know you didn’t, brother.”

  I had a few things to wrap up at work, but I didn’t want to stick around.