CHAPTER ONE

JOEY

“A bookstore?” I question Keir, my brother.

He shakes his head and gets out of the car,

and I follow. We both look inside—the lights

are on and the name Pages of Sweets glares

back at me.

“Sweets?” I shake my head. “Is that a subtle

reference for porn?” I ask.

Keir’s lip twitches, and he continues walking

until we get to the door.

“Remind me why we’re here?”

Again, he doesn’t reply, he simply opens the

door. At the same time the

bell rings above the door, our heads snap to

the back of the store when we

also hear a faint noise. My eyes scan the

space which isn’t much bigger

than a small living room, but there are books

everywhere.

“What the hell is that?” We both walk farther

in, the noise becoming

louder with each step.

Is that a… moan?

Maybe this is a front for an actual porn shop.

Not only porn books.

Maybe role play?

Okay, now that’s a bookshop I want to be a

part of—sign me up.

“Oh my God, do not stop.”

We both halt as we look up.

A woman with long brown hair flowing over her shoulders, her eyes

tightly closed, her hands in someone’s hair, her skirt up around her waist as

she screams for someone to not stop fucking her pussy with their mouth is

backed against the wall and one leg over her shoulder.

Just as I see an orgasm take over her body,

her eyes pop open. They

lock onto mine—

dark whiskey-colored eyes are sightly closed

but well aware we’re

standing here. I don’t even spare a glance at

the second person until the

woman who was getting fucked puts her leg

down and smirks. That’s when

the person who was kneeling between her

legs stands. She has short blonde

hair cut and styled in a masculine way. The

jeans she’s wearing hug her

tight, showcasing female curves, but her

loose shirt would have had me

mistaking her for a man from the back at a

quick glance.

“This how you treat all your customers?” I ask with a lift of my brow.

The blonde turns around and gasps, wiping at her face before she

reaches for a stack of books on the floor and

then runs straight past us until

we are left alone with the woman with

whiskey eyes.

“I feel like whatever you buy now, you should pay extra for the show,”

she replies, flicking her long hair over her shoulder and adjusting her skirt.

“Not my fault you gave it away for free,” I retort.

She pulls a soft smile. It’s wary as her eyes lock with mine, but it’s gone

as she bends down to pick up a pile of books.

“How can I help you? Lucas isn’t here,” she says, referring to our

cousin. How on earth she got involved with

him I can’t imagine,

considering Lucas likes no one.

“You know that’s not why I’m here,” Keir says,

and there’s a

threatening edge to his tone.

I glance at him, confused, and then back to

the woman with whiskey

eyes.

Her gaze hardens as she stares at him, lifting her lip in an almost snarl.

“I see no reason for you to be here other than for Lucas. So if you don’t

want to purchase books, it’s best you leave.”

“I think it’s time you closed for the day…

wouldn’t you say?” Keir is

persistent. Not many people argue with him other than his wife.

I watch as she licks her lips, then sucks air

between her teeth. “No, I

don’t think it is.” To get past us, she will have

to ask us to move or

physically shift us herself, as we’re blocking her way. She walks up until

she’s standing right in front of us, then

pushes herself between us.

Keir moves, but I stay still.

What the fuck is going on?

“Why are we here?” I ask Keir again.

“You should tell Joey why we’re here,” Keir presses to the brunette.

“Again, if you aren’t buying books, you should leave.”

“Okay, what the fuck is happening?” I ask Keir and point to the woman.

“And who the fuck is she?”

Keir heads to the door, but I stay put, still having no clue what is

happening.

He looks over his shoulder at me. “That is Adora, your soon-to-be

wife,” he states, then walks out without another word.

I glance back at Adora as she stands there with her eyes wide and her

mouth slightly open—the shock is written all over her face.

Her stance and expression match mine, I’m

sure.

What the fuck?

I’m supposed to marry her.

No way.

No fucking way.

Never!

“You fuck women. No way am I marrying a

woman who chooses pussy

over my cock.”

Adora throws her head back and laughs.

I’m dead serious.

She picks up on my incredulous stare, and her laughter dies down as her

eyes find mine. “Oh, you are serious?” She almost whispers the words, but I

still hear the amusement in her voice.

“Look…” she steps over and places a soft hand on my chest, and pats it,

“… I’m not going to be your wife. We both know this. Make your moody

boss see it’s never gonna happen, will you? Okay, champ?” Adora pats my

chest again, this time with more force, then goes to step away, but I reach

out and catch her wrist.

“Champ?” My eyebrows rise in another incredulous stare.

She just shrugs as I drop her hand like a hot tamale.

“The way I see it, this…” she waves between us, “… never happened.”

A slow and steady smirk touches her lips.

“Do you not like cock?” I ask, confused.

“Not yours. Now leave.”

“I will not under any circumstances marry a woman I will have to

convince to sleep with me.”

“See, it’s settled. Now, can you tell your brother, boss, or whatever you

call him?” Adora waves to Keir who’s waiting by his car, his face a picture

of everything I don’t want to see—the stony glare, the upright posture of

defiance, and above all, fuck me if there isn’t determination in his damn

eyes.

“You simply don’t tell Keir anything,” I mumble.

“I’m sure you’re a smart man. Think of something,” she responds with a

shrug while waving her hand around.

“You also don’t lie to him if you want to live,” I say, my eyes narrowing

into a glare. “Do you know nothing?”

This woman has to know.

Her father is well known. Dangerous. When we were kids, he took his

daughter and moved her to Italy when she was ten, and that’s the last time I

saw her. If I am being perfectly honest, I hardly remember her.

“Where is your father?”

Adora walks behind the counter and stacks a few books before she

glances back at me.

“Dead. I killed him,” she states.

Then she smiles.

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