Chasing Wicked (The Mitchell Brothers - Wicked Series Book 1) Read online

  As soon as I entered my bedroom, I began ripping away the plastic wrapping from the box. The shoes were everything I’d wanted and more. I adored them, and they fit perfectly, just like the glass slipper slid onto Cinderella’s very foot.

  Unable to resist seeing how they were going to feel in action, I grabbed the post at the foot of the bed and rolled my body in an erotic sway. One of my favorite R&B tunes played in my imagination as I lost my self in the moves, and pounds of stress dissipated—dancing did that for me. It offered more than any prescription drug, and I loved the confidence it instilled in me, as if it sprinkled my life with happiness.

  With closed eyes, I continued moving my body in a sensual rippling wave down to the floor before moving back to a standing position. Arching my body, I fell backward while gripping the post and thrusting my breasts toward the ceiling. My hair cascaded wildly as I swayed back and forth.

  The makeshift pole owned me. I wrapped my leg around it, suspending myself upside down until my hands gripped the lowest part near the base of the floor. Like a pretzel, I cradled the wooden surface, opened my legs into splits, and finished off by lowering my feet to the floor in a backbend.

  That night couldn’t come fast enough. I had new freestyle moves, upside down spins, and twirls I wanted to try, all while wearing those slutty red heels.

  As I covered them with the glittery silver tissue paper they’d come in, I saw him. Maybe he moved, or maybe it was his breathy sigh that caught my attention. Peeking from the corner of my eyes, I saw Stone leaning against the dresser just inside my room.

  Wow.

  My breath caught and my heart slammed in my chest as I fumbled with the box top. His sharp penetrating eyes burned through the layers of my skin, and pure sin stared at me as he bit his lip, stunned speechless. He folded his masculine arms across his chest, leaning casually against the piece of furniture.

  Despite knowing what he did to me with just a look, like endless foreplay, I turned toward him anyway. He breathed hard as unmistakable desire brimmed in his delicious eyes. He looked better than he had a right to, sending tingles to all the right spots, making my legs tremble.

  Was he still considered the enemy? Would we end up in court, battling over Savannah? A little voice inside my head demanded I look away, but it fell on deaf ears. He looked as if he wanted to have me for dessert. I struggled with the urge to jump in his arms and kiss the hell out of him the way he’d kissed me at the beach house. I wanted that kiss again—hot, hungry, and fiery.

  Wild energy rolled across my skin as I allowed the turbulence of Stone to pull me deeper into the craving. He was so different now. He’d become a man—strong, tall, sinful—and his sky blue eyes were still capable of warming any winter day.

  I tried remaining nonchalant, like a melting sensation wasn’t searing through me. I tried to pretend I didn’t love his undeniable reaction, didn’t know he loved what he’d witnessed, but I couldn’t ignore the heat in the valley between my legs.

  “How long have you been standing there?” I whispered breathlessly.

  “Long enough.” He swallowed hard, licking his bottom lip.

  “Like what you saw?” I lowered my eyes, peeking beneath my lashes, flirting with disaster.

  “Are you a stripper?”

  I bit back a laugh. “No.”

  “What the hell was that then?”

  “What are you doing in here? My house is a two bedroom, one bath, so it’s not likely you got lost.”

  “Kaylee came over with chocolate chip cookies. They’re sitting at the table with glasses of milk.”

  “Linds and I installed a gate between our privacy fences and the girls play daily. Again, why are you in my bedroom?”

  He tipped his head toward the bedpost. “What was that about?”

  Ignoring his question, I disappeared inside my walk-in closet, placing the shoebox on the shelf next to at least fifty others.

  “Not a stripper? Then explain what you just did.” He was so close, his breath lighting my skin on fire as he brushed his hand across hangers holding skimpy dancewear, corsets, bustiers, Daisy Dukes, halter tops, and sexy costumes.

  “It’s just a little something I like to do.”

  His fingers left a skimpy piece of lace hanging on a zebra print hanger and landed on my hip. He leaned down, stopping his mouth at my ear. “Who do you dance for, Avery? Who do you wear this for?”

  The seductive heat from his mouth drew me in like a moth to flame as I leaned toward him. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

  “Yes I would, and you’re going to tell me.” His teeth pulled the lobe of my ear inside his mouth, and his hands held my hips with a vise-like grip.

  “If you’re lucky, one day I may give you a private show.”

  His teeth gently bit down on my ear and he let out a sultry moan. “Damn, Avery.”

  Chapter 8

  I sank against Stone’s chest, pressing my back against him as rushed breaths failed to pull enough air into my lungs. His lips against my skin proved I didn’t possess the willpower to say no. God, I still wanted him. More than oxygen, I wanted him.

  His hand cupped my chin, drawing my lips toward his. He planted his mouth on mine as my needy fingers reached the back of his head, intertwining with his sandy brown hair. His tongue teased the seam of my mouth, and I opened, inviting him inside.

  Our kiss was greedy, possessive, and magnificent.

  Electrical jolts fired through me as he wrapped his other arm around my abdomen, tightening the embrace. He moaned into my mouth and I answered with a whimper. It had been so long, six years since I’d been with a man, and my pink battery-operated boyfriend didn’t hold a candle to this.

  His erection pressed against my backside and I rolled my hips like I was doing the seductive moves I usually reserved for the pole at the studio. Swaying and toying, I moved as if I owned him. He let out a guttural moan from his throat, making my face flush.

  “The girls…” I didn’t know if I said it to remind him or myself.

  He groaned in protest but pulled away, and the distance separating us seemed like yards instead of mere inches. Hunger glazed his eyes and I knew if we were alone, neither of us would have pulled away.

  “You’re bewitching.”

  “She can’t come in here and find us like this.” My body shuddered from the crackling energy.

  He scanned the skimpy pieces of clothing, lifting a brow. “I want that private show.”

  “What are we doing, Stone?” I lowered my eyes, fidgeting as the sting of tears threatened to emerge.

  Faster than lightning strikes from the sky down to the ground, his hand fisted the back of my hair and his mouth crushed over mine.

  Ohmygod.

  It was the kind of kiss that quaked the earth, lit up the sky in bursts of color, making it impossible to walk away. Any sensible thought shattered into more pieces than the number of stars painting the sky. Stone Mitchell had once kissed like a boy, but now he kissed like a man. His tongue didn’t wait for an invitation, nor did I hesitate. I welcomed it while my whole body trembled in delight.

  His head slanted, deepening the claim on my mouth while his hands gently pulled my hair between his fingers. There was something powerful and erotic in his possessive hold as he kissed the hell out of me. When he broke away, I blushed at the whimper of protest that escaped my throat.

  “Does that clearly explain what we’re doing?”

  He rested his forehead against mine and I swallowed hard, shaking my head as my mind spun. He’d left me breathless.

  “Maybe we should head to the park, where it’s safe to talk.”

  He chuckled, running his thumb across my swollen lips. “Ave, if I want to kiss you, it won’t matter where we are. As long as I know you want it, I don’t give a fuck where we are, and when we fuck, I don’t want it to be quick. I want to make it last all night long. That was just a preview. Remember that.”

  Savannah and Kaylee played on the playground equipment
while Stone and I found a metal park bench in the shade under a tree. A summer breeze bristled through the leaves above our heads and puffy white clouds glided around in the bluest sky. I plopped down at the end, leaving enough room for two people to sit between us.

  “Are you afraid I’ll bite—and that you’ll like it?” He peered over his dark aviators and cocked an eyebrow, smug and arrogant.

  Yes. “You’re so full of yourself.”

  “You’re nervous. I make you nervous.”

  “Uh, no.” I rolled my eyes but placed my hands on the tops of my knees, trying to hide their small bounces.

  “I wouldn’t expect anything less. Smart woman, Avery. You should be nervous. You should be scared as hell.”

  “You don’t intimidate me,” I whispered.

  He let out a chuckle, so soft I barely heard it. “Whatever you say, Ave. I also know I make you wet, and that scares you, as it should. I want to make you come harder and more times than you can imagine, in ways you’ve never dreamed of.”

  Oh. Holy. Hell.

  Heat rushed through my veins, making me feel the splash of pink coloring my face.

  “We…um…we can’t do this, Stone. I don’t want you saying things like that. No more kissing. No more touching. This must stop. We can’t put out an old fire or rekindle a new one. We have a lot to work out. We’re both very different people who get the chance to raise a daughter, hopefully as friends.”

  He smirked. “She’s a great kid. I look at her and can’t believe we have a daughter, but as far as you and I go, you can’t pretend you don’t want it. Let’s just take it slow, and when we end up in bed together, I promise it will be good.”

  Reeling from his dirty words, I managed to find a bridge between the subjects. “She’s perfect.”

  “Did she enjoy the camp?” he asked with sincerity, as if nothing had happened, let alone just seconds before.

  “By the look on her face in all the pictures, I think so. Dr. Grimes said she interacted well and participated in all the activities designed to help her cope with the seizures.” It was so easy to talk about her.

  “I’m glad.” His gaze trailed from me back to Savannah, who was disappearing into a yellow slide covered by a tunnel.

  “She’s scheduled for a well-check appointment next week. I thought maybe you could go with us.”

  “I’d like that. When do you think we should tell her? You know, about me?”

  I shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t even know where to begin. I know you want her to meet your family as soon as possible, but I think she needs to adapt and get used to you being her father first.”

  “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that too. I swear, in everything, I’ll put her first. I’m used to getting my way, Avery. Nothing stands in the way of me getting what I want—until now. Savannah will always come first.”

  I nodded, looking at him sharply, wondering if he would whiplash back to being bitter and untrusting. Stone was a stranger in so many ways, no longer soft, but rather calloused and commanding, powerfully sinful. Gazing at the rustling leaves, I wondered about his life, what he did for pleasure, where he spent time, if he’d dated many women since us…

  Fits of giggles pulled my attention to the girls. They made another trip through the tunneled slide together, landing on the ground with a thump. Stone pulled his aviators off, laid them on the slats of the seat, and walked over to the playground.

  He climbed the ladder, chatting and laughing with the girls on the walkway dividing two different slides. He pointed to the tallest slide and the girls bobbed their heads up and down. Like an oversized kid, he finished climbing the ladder and dashed down the slide on his stomach, landing facedown in the sand. Savannah ate that up, her shrills of laughter filling the air.

  Tears filled my eyes watching the three of them going from the merry-go-round to the swings and the rock-climbing wall. Savannah deserved this. For the first time, I truly felt relieved Stone Mitchell was her father. She had been blessed. He would love and protect her, would always keep her safe, would always be there for her.

  Later in the afternoon, we made it back to the house. Lindsey offered a wave from her yard while Kaylee scooted toward her mom and I called out, “I’ll be ready to go at five-thirty!”

  “Okay! Hey, did your package come in?”

  “Yes! Girl, they are the bomb!”

  “Sweet! Wear them tonight! See ya in a bit!”

  Stone gave me a questioning look as we headed inside, but I chose to ignore him. “Savannah, instead of going to the playroom at the studio, would you like to stay here with Stone?”

  “Can Kaylee stay too?”

  I hadn’t anticipated that request, but should have. The girls were always together while we worked out in studio. Stone nodded. “Sure she can, if her mom doesn’t care.”

  Savannah ran along, leaving the two of us. “Are you sure about that? One child is one thing; two is a whole other level. They’re good, but sometimes they can be a handful.”

  “It’ll be fine.” He sounded like he had second thoughts.

  “You could just come back tomorrow for breakfast…”

  “I’ve got this.”

  “I’ll be gone for about three or four hours. It’s a forty-five-minute drive and the class is an hour.”

  “I’ve got this. I can handle them.”

  “At least they’re potty-trained.” It was meant to be a joke, but his expression dropped as if I’d scratched a sensitive spot. He’d missed all those years. He’d missed out on so much. “I’m…I’m sorry. That was thoughtless of me. I didn’t mean—”

  He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “Drop it, Ave.” His toned lacked anger but carried pain, and that ripped my heart into pieces.

  “Want a glass of sweet tea?” I asked, changing the subject.

  “Sure.”

  We made ourselves comfortable in the living room. He stretched out in the rocker while I sat on the sofa, propping my feet up, not bothering to kick off my blingy flip-flops.

  “Why the shoes?”

  I glanced at the beaded sandals, wiggling my toes. “It’s not like I won’t wipe down the coffee table.”

  He rolled his eyes. “No, tonight. When Lindsey asked about your package, you said you were wearing them tonight, those come-fuck-me heels.”

  “I love them.”

  He took a sip of tea. “None of that makes sense. You take Savannah to an exercise class and you wear shoes like that? Is that some sort of code shit for a gentlemen’s club?”

  “Really? You think I would take her somewhere like that?”

  He shrugged. “You tell me.”

  My nerves skittered in my stomach. Although he’d watched me earlier, I didn’t really want to talk about it—but I didn’t have a choice, not with Savannah at stake. There wasn’t anything wrong with it; I just never discussed it with anyone other than Lindsey. I couldn’t have him thinking I took our daughter somewhere inappropriate, so I explained, “The shoes, the clothes? It’s all for me. They’re costume only, for a pole-dancing exercise class.” My heart thrummed in my chest, waiting for him to say something condescending.

  In slow motion, Stone leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. “Make plans to give me that private show, Ave. I’m counting on it.”

  Chapter 9

  On the way home from class, I caught Lindsey up on the latest between me and Stone, then realized that hadn’t been the brightest idea. I’d counted on her reinforcing that it wasn’t smart to pursue things; she’d always backed me up on anything I set my mind to, but not this time.

  “You can’t turn out the lights on this party and call it over. There’s chemistry, friend, and it’s hot. It’s clear as day that he wants to sleep with you, and by the look on your face, it’s gonna happen.” She held the steering wheel with her left hand while gesturing with her right.

  “It can’t. Having sex with Stone Mitchell would be a mistake. No way, Linds. The decision I made to kee
p her from him put a dark cloud over us. Deep down, he’ll never forgive me.” Through the window, I took in the splashes of the orange and purple sunset painting the sky. “You were right though—I never really got over him, which is even more reason I can’t have random sex with him. It wouldn’t take much for me to be left broken all over again. This time, if he walked out, I fear I wouldn’t survive it.”

  “Maybe he’s a risk worth taking. I think you’d be crazy to not see where the road takes you.”

  “That’s just it, I’d let the road take me down a dead-end street.”

  She propped her knee against the steering while twisting the top off of a bottled water. “Better keep plenty of batteries on hand.”

  I raised my curious eyebrows.

  “For your battery-operated boyfriend.” Her smile quickly disappeared behind the rim of the bottle.

  I rolled my eyes and laughed. “Too bad it can’t kiss me like he can.”

  When we arrived home, Lindsey and I found the girls sacked out on a blanket in the living room, sharing a pillow. Stone lay on the sofa with a bowl of half-eaten popcorn and empty juice packets sitting on the floor beside him. One grape-flavored pouch perched between his thighs, and movie credits rolled up on the television screen.

  Lindsey tiptoed across the room, scooped Kaylee up, and made a peace sign with her fingers as she left after whispering, “Call me tomorrow.”

  I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Contrary to that morning, he looked like he’d never had an ounce of stress in his life. His breath was even, his expression soft and completely relaxed. His lips curled into a half smile, but it lasted only a second or two. I let out a soft chuckle remembering how Dad always said when Savannah smiled in her sleep, it was angels entertaining her.

  Retrieving Savannah from the blanket spread on the floor, I carried her limp body to her bedroom. Sound asleep, she never flinched as I tucked her in, leaving her door cracked open. She rarely woke during the night, but I always wanted to be able to hear her in case she did.