BOUND TO A KILLER Read online

  Adriana reaches out to him, touching face, moved at his words. The air inside the limo gets heavy, as they draw closer together. “You never had to do anything, Gray. I’ve always been proud of you. Standing up to your dad like you did, fighting for the safety of your mom and your sister, that’s more than some people manage to do in their whole lives.” Adriana can feel the tears start to pool behind her eyes as she gives voice to her thoughts, thoughts she hasn’t shared with anyone. “You’re a good man, Grayson. I couldn’t be prouder of you.”

  Grayson looks at her with an innocence that’s so child-like and shakes his head sadly. “I’m not good, Adrie. I’ve done bad things. But I’ve been trying to make up for them. I feel like everything I’ve done, all the work that I’ve put in, all the hours of training, everything that it’s taken to get me where I am now, that was all for you. I wanted to be the man that you deserved. I’ve never been able to let you go. No one has ever even come close to you.”

  “We’ve all done bad things, Gray.” Adriana holds his head between her hands, like she’s willing him to understand. There were times in her life when she hadn’t been particularly proud of herself. She’d cursed at slow drivers, taken out a bad mood on someone who didn’t deserve it, and left her father to fend for himself when it had been so clear that he was sick. She wasn’t exactly an angel. “That’s all in the past. All that matters is now.”

  Grayson brushes his fingers over her lips, tracing the line, and she feels goose bumps break out all over her. Even the simplest touch from him has the power to electrify her. But there’s something that she has to say, something she has to make him understand before she lets her body take over.

  “Don’t break me, Grayson, not this time. I don’t think that I could put myself back together again.” Her voice is stronger than she feels. At that moment, she feels more like a twig that he could snap in his strong hands. In the back of her mind, her rational side is telling her that she is stupid to trust her heart to someone who had trampled over it not once but twice. But that side of her brain is losing the battle.

  “I couldn’t bear to hurt you, Adriana. I love you.” The simplicity with which he says the words takes her by surprise, and it takes a few moments for her to remember to breathe.

  “You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to hear those words.” She looks down, overcome with emotion, barely trusting herself to speak.

  “Not any longer than I’ve been wanting to say them.” Grayson leans closer into her, his mouth against her cheek. She shivers in spite of herself, his nearness making her tremble in anticipation, her entire body feels like it’s on alert. He hooks his finger under her chin and lifts it so that she’s forced to meet his eyes. “But how do you feel about me, Adrie?”

  The vulnerability in his eyes is enough to completely undo her. She feels a single tear fall down her cheeks, and Grayson kisses it away, making her smile. “I’ve loved you since I was sixteen, Grayson. I never stopped.” She bites her lip, feeling like she’s just given away a part of herself, a part that she’s kept hidden for so long it had almost become impossible to remember a time when she was without it.

  A second tear falls over her cheek, and Grayson’s mouth is there to kiss it away again, but this time he follows the path it was taking towards her mouth. He kisses the corner of her lips, and Adriana feels her breath quickening. Slowly, he follows the line of her jaw, feathering kisses up to her earlobe, making her shiver. Then, he dips down her neck, kissing her softly down to her neck, making her whole body hot as a furnace.

  “Grayson.” She sighs his name, and the need in her voice is palpable. He seems to sense exactly what it is that she needs and, instantly, his mouth is on hers. He flicks his tongue along the seam of her lips, and she parts them willingly, desperate for the contact, for the feel of his tongue against hers, for the taste of him.

  The kiss deepens, as if they’re both conveying everything that they’re feeling through their lips. Grayson nibbles on her bottom lip, making her moan against his mouth, and she reaches down to feel him. He’s rock hard underneath her hand, and the knowledge that he’s just as turned on as she is makes her pussy tingle.

  He pulls away, looking at her as if he had something to say, something that can’t wait. “There’s more.” He’s breathing hard; he looks as if it’s taking everything he has to stop. “There’s more that I wanted to say.”

  Adriana presses her fingers to his lips. “Later. Now…just this.” She leans into him again, hungry for him and unable to think about anything else other than how much she wants him and how much she needs him. She pushes his jacket off, impatiently, trying to get rid of all the layers of clothes between them.

  She’s breathing hard, adrenaline pumping through her body like a drug. He kisses her neck and unhooks the clasp of her dress. Then, he lets the silky material slide over her body, leaving her in nothing but her underwear, the same shade of green as her dress. Willow had said that it made her look like a mermaid and that she had to have the little ensemble, no matter what the cost. The way that Grayson is looking at her now makes her realize that she would have paid anything to see that expression on his face.

  “Adrie.” He breathes her name out, almost reverently, as he traces his fingers from her collarbone down towards the tops of her breasts, making her shiver and fill with heat at the same time.

  She gets to work on his shirt, her fingers all thumbs as she tries to unbutton him. But she loses patience because it’s taking too long; so, she snaps the last few buttons, exposing his beautifully ripped torso underneath. The sight of him there, looking so undeniably gorgeous, is enough to make her come in her panties right then, and she squirms a little at the thought.

  But it’s his turn first. She knows exactly what she wants to do. She lets her fingers trace delicately over his chest and the strong ridges of his abs, and then she meanders them down towards the top of his pants. She looks up at him, as if for permission. The hooded look of lust that he gives her is all the approval she needs. She unzips him, pulling his pants down to find that there’s nothing left for her to undress.

  Her breath catches in the back of her throat, as his shaft stands to attention, looking so strong and hard. “God bless, commando.” She whispers the words, and Grayson chuckles quietly. She licks her lips and moves to settle herself between his legs before Grayson’s hand on her arm stops her.

  She looks up at him in confusion, and he hurries to explain. “Adrie, I’m a little…um…big for most girls.” He looks at her apologetically, like he knows that it’s not the time to be talking about his sexual exploits with other women.

  The thought of him with other girls gets Adriana all fired up, but she manages to keep her cool, giving him an amused look. “I’m not most girls.” She kneels between his legs and bites her lip, looking up at him, knowing how much it turns him on when she does it. She takes hold of the base of his cock feeling how rigid he is and noting the answering wetness between her legs. She’d never been desperate to give a guy a blowjob before, but right now, with Grayson, there was nothing that would turn her on more. “I want your cock in my mouth.” She says the words slowly and deliberately, with no trace of the shyness that she usually feels about her desires.

  She doesn’t give Grayson a chance to respond before she takes his tip into her mouth, sucking on him delicately, tasting the saltiness of him. He groans, as she takes him a little deeper into her mouth, licking the bundle of nerve endings at the base of his tip. She flicks her eyes up to see that he’s staring down at her, his gaze intense, watching everything that she’s doing and the expression on his face tells her that he’s enjoying the show. She takes him in a little deeper and feels Grayson tremble underneath her, like he’s trying to hold himself together and stop himself from falling apart. The thought of that drives her on even further, making her want to take even more of him into her mouth. She sucks on him greedily, bobbing up and down on his shaft, giving her throat time to adjust around him, taking him in de
eper every time.

  His hands are in her hair, pulling out the clips that haven’t already come loose and letting it fall down over her back. He strokes his fingers through her hair, as she licks and pulls on his cock, until he moans hard, almost like he’s in pain.

  “Adrie, stop.” He sounds like he has to force the words out. “I want to come inside of you.” He looks like he’s struggling to keep himself in one piece, and she nods in understanding. She wants him inside of her too, filling her up.

  He guides her up, kissing her swollen lips as he settles her back down on the seat, and then his hands are everywhere. He pulls off her bra, so impatient it sounds like he’s broken the catch, and he kisses her hard, rubbing his fingers over her hardening nipples. She moans against his mouth, squirming in her wet panties. Suddenly, his hand is there, touching her over the silky material.

  “Baby, you’re so wet.” He breathes the words almost reverently against her ear and slips his hand inside her panties, making her lose all thought as he strokes her softly.

  She’s mewing against him, writhing on his hand as her pussy quivers under his touch. She can feel his fingers slipping and sliding over her lips, wet with her own arousal. He seems to know exactly where to touch her and which pressure points to linger on, and she feels all the heat of her body rush into her sex.

  “That’s it, ride my fingers, Adrie, ride them hard.” His words in her ear and his expert touch inside of her combine to push her over the edge, and her hips buck as she climaxes.

  She’s breathing hard, and her brain feels like it’s turned to mush, but she still wants more and from the expression on his face, so does Grayson. He pulls her sodden panties off and takes her by her narrow hips, virtually lifting her so that she’s straddling him.

  She locks eyes with Grayson as she settles down on his cock. She’s so wet and slick, as she guides him inside of her inch-by-inch. They’re both panting, so turned on they can’t think straight, only knowing what their bodies need and what they demand. Grayson takes hold of her hips and moves her up and down slowly, letting her tightness engulf him again and again. The feeling of Grayson inside of her, filling her up, is the best she’s ever experienced. She wants him to consume her and to take everything that she has. It’s a dangerous thought, but she wants him to own her completely, to take possession of her.

  “Fuck me, Grayson. Fuck me hard.” The words are out of her mouth before she’s even thought about what she’s saying; but, it’s exactly what she needs, and Grayson seems to see that in her eyes.

  He picks up the pace, slamming into her and tilting her hips so that he reaches her clit, stimulating her perfectly. She clenches her pussy, tightly holding onto him, and that’s what undoes him. She sees the moment in his eyes, and she revels in the power that she has over him. His body is hers, and hers is his, and it feels oh so right.

  “Grayson, I’m coming.” Her words come out in a moan, escaping from her lips as her whole body feels like it’s throbbing with heat and need. Grayson slides into her again and again, and in the final thrust, she cries out his name, her body quivering and shaking as her orgasm overtakes her. She feels Grayson release himself inside of her and the thought of that makes her come hard, all over again.

  They remain like that, her sitting on top of him, trembling with the after-shocks of the intensity of her orgasm and him cradling her to his chest. After some time, he lifts her head to look at her. The tenderness in his eyes makes her heart ache for him.

  “I want you so much, Adriana.” The musical way that he says her name just kills her. “But I want to take my time with you, explore every inch of you.” To highlight the point his fingers graze her nipple, making her breathe in sharply. “I want you in my bed. Come home with me.” It’s not a request; it’s an order. But, even if it had been a request, Adriana would have been powerless to say no. He has her heart, and now she wants to give him her body over and over again, all night long.

  CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

  GRAYSON

  Waking up with her in his arms was the best feeling in the world. It was like nothing else and, already he knew that nothing else would ever compare. Light is already streaming through the windows, but he doesn’t have any intention of moving. Being next to her warm, soft body is all he wants right now. But the world outside seems to have other ideas for him.

  His phone vibrates insistently on the nightstand, and Adriana stirs in her sleep at the sound. Grayson snatches it up, before the noise disturbs Adriana again. He hasn’t even had a chance to check the caller ID, something he’d been almost religious about since Morrison’s last unsolicited catch-up.

  “Hey. Kid, how you been?” Morrison’s voice is like poison in his ear.

  “I told you I don’t want to hear from you again, Morris. Goodbye.” Grayson’s voice is quiet, as he shuts the bedroom door softly behind him, heading into his personal gym.

  “Not so fast.” Morrison sounds eerily calm, something that makes Grayson stand a little straighter, listen harder. “You never replied to my little note.”

  “I ignored it. That was my reply.” Grayson paces around the gym, feeling like he needs to expend some of the energy that he can’t use to beat Morrison to a pulp.

  “I’d noticed that.” Morrison chuckles lightly, too many years of chain smoking making it sound like a creaky door. “I thought you might need a little reminder of why that wasn’t a good idea.”

  Grayson shakes his head, as if Morrison could see him. “No, Morris. It’s over. I win the fight, you walk away. That was the deal.”

  “Things change. You’ve gotta roll with the punches, if you’ll pardon the pun.” Morrison pauses for dramatic effect. “You didn’t really think I’d let you go so easily, did you?”

  That’s when Grayson explodes. “Easily?” He roars the word out. “Is that what you call it? I’ve been letting you call the shots for almost ten years, Morris. I’ve made you a very rich man, and now it’s my time. I’m walking away.”

  “You don’t walk away until I say you do. You got that? Or have you forgotten about that dirty little secret of yours that I could make public whenever I choose?” Morrison’s sense of entitlement is what pushes Grayson over the edge.

  “I haven’t forgotten, Morris, I just don’t care anymore.” Grayson’s voice is a roar. “If you want to go public with what you know, do it. I’m pretty sure the UFC would be more likely to come down on the side of their new star fighter whose making them millions rather than on the side of a bookie that’s been in and out of jail like a yo-yo. You don’t exactly have the best reputation in the business, you know?” He smiles to himself as he says the words, enjoying the novelty of the feeling of having one up on Morrison.

  “You ungrateful son-of-a-bitch.” For the first time, Morrison let’s his anger come through his smug exterior. “I made you; I can unmake you just as easily. If you don’t throw this next fight, then you’re going to regret it.” The threat in his voice is clear, but Grayson has had enough of threats from him.

  “I made myself, Morris.” The words are simple, but it’s the first time that Grayson has said them out loud. He’s been living in the shadow of what his father had told him he would amount to—which was nothing—and what Morrison had made him feel—which was worthless. But now he feels stronger, more confident than he ever has before. The Adriana Effect, he thinks to himself and can’t help but smile.

  “I’m warning you. You either agree to go down in the third and you let Dex take the win, or I’m going to have to find a way to incentivize you.” Grayson can almost hear Morrison smile like a Cheshire cat on the end of the line.

  “Maybe it’s time you find another puppet, Morris. I’m done with you pulling my strings. Don’t call me again.” Grayson ends the call and throws the cell against the wall in frustration.

  “Who was that?” Adriana’s voice from the doorway makes Grayson spin around in surprise.

  His mind whirrs as he tries to figure out how long she’s been standing there
for and how much she’s heard. “No one, just some whack job that won’t leave me alone.” He shrugs his shoulders, cringing inside at the fact that he’s lying to her.

  “You seemed to be pretty mad.” She nods towards the phone that may or may not be usable again after having been thrown at the wall.

  “It’s nothing, Adrie. Really.” He closes the distance between them, unable to keep away from her when she’s standing there looking so gorgeous and delectable. He takes her in his arms and kisses her gently, just because he can.

  When he looks down at her again, she still looks unconvinced; but, there’s something else in her eyes that makes his heart skip a beat. She smiles knowingly at him. “I’ve got to get to work.” But she doesn’t make any move towards the door.

  “If you keep looking at me like that, I’m not going to let you go anywhere.” He strokes her jet black hair away from her face, marveling at how she has the ability to make him forget everything else.