STORY EXCERPT

Patty

"Why do you let him do that?"

I rolled my head to the side and glanced at the guy sitting next to me. We were supposed to be on a date, but that had been interrupted when Danny came running in, heading straight for me. He'd totally ignored Kurt and sat down on my lap, starting to talk as if we'd been in the middle of a conversation and he'd just gone to the bathroom.

I listened, of course, 'cause when didn't I listen to Danny? I'd been listening to him for years. I wasn't going to change that anytime soon.

"Patty!"

"What?"

Geez.

"Why do you let him do that?" There was a frigid tone in Kurt's voice.

"Why do I let him do what?"

What the hell was he talking about?

"Why do you let him hang all over you like that?"

I know I was frowning, but I couldn't help it. "It's Danny."

It's what he did. Danny James had been invading my personal bubble space almost from the moment we met. I stopped asking why or questioning it a long time ago. Years ago. It was just a given that if Danny was anywhere around me, he was touching me in some manner.

"Well, he needs to stop," Kurt insisted. "I'm dating you, not him."

I stilled for a moment before slowly panning to the right and giving my current boy toy my full attention. Kurt was just a passing fancy and we both knew it. He was a one-night stand who had turned into a couple of weeks. There were no promises between us. There never would be.

Not having Danny in my life was not an option. Not having Kurt in my life looked as if it was going to happen sooner rather than later.

I set Danny on his feet. "I think we're done."

Kurt smirked at Danny.

He obviously didn't understand I was talking about him. And we were done for more than the night. We were done period. I wasn't real fond of people questioning me. There were two people in the world who could get away with that. One had given birth to me and the other one was standing next to me.

"We're done, Kurt. Go home."

And don't bother coming back.

"What?" Sheer outrage made Kurt's voice a little louder than necessary. "Me?"

I pulled in a deep breath through my nose before sending Danny a nod toward the stairs. "Go wait in the office, Danny."

Once Danny hurried off, I narrowed my eyes at Kurt. It was better than wrapping my hands around his neck, which was what I really wanted to do. "It's time you found another place to roost, Kurt."

"Is it because I told you to get rid of that little slut?" Kurt snapped. "If I'd known—"

My hand shot out and wrapped around Kurt's neck as I gave into my true desire. I yanked him closer until we were practically nose to nose, which was quite the feat as I was six foot three and Kurt was five foot ten.

"It's over, Kurt. Go home and don't come back. You're not welcome here anymore." I snapped my fingers as I dropped Kurt to his feet. I knew Liam Hennessey, my second in command, would have my back. He was never more than a few steps from me, especially when the bar was open and full of patrons. "See to it that Kurt is escorted to his car. He's not allowed back in the bar."

Kurt's scream of outrage echoed in my ears as I turned away and headed out of my private booth. As I started up the stairs to my second-floor office, I caught sight of Liam escorting Kurt to the door out of the corner of my eye. Kurt was screeching the entire way.

Good riddance.

Sometimes, my dick got me into messes my head had to clean up. It was a sad fact, but one I was used to. In my line of work, having close relationships wasn't something I did easily. I never knew who might be planning to stab me in the back or working for law enforcement.

I trusted very few people.

Danny was sitting at my desk playing on my computer when I walked in. I smiled at the tongue peeking out of the corner of his mouth. He was concentrating so hard. I knew he had to be playing one of those driving games he loved so much. He was pretty much addicted to them. I figured it was because he wasn't allowed to drive in real life.

I shuddered just thinking about the trouble he could get into driving in Chicago traffic.

I walked over to the small bar and poured myself a drink then reached into the small fridge and grabbed Danny a coke. Decaffeinated. Danny didn't need the added caffeine. He was bouncy enough.

I set the can down on the desk next to the laptop and walked over to sit on the couch. I kicked my feet up on the coffee table and reached for the remote, flipping on the TV. I switched the channel to the news. It never hurt to know what was going on in the city.

"Did you eat, Danny?"

I worried about him, probably more than I should. I was supposed to be some sort of mentor or something, but over the last couple of years, I'd begun to take an interest in Danny for a whole other reason. I should be shot for the things that went through my mind when I was thinking about Danny.

"Yeah," he answered without looking away from the screen. "Liam got me a hamburger when I came in."

I rolled my head toward him. "Did you eat it?"

Danny's head popped up. "I ate."

"All of it?" I saw Danny's face flush before he ducked his head. I sighed. "Danny."

"I ate most of it."

I suppose that was the best I could expect.

ADULT EXCERPT

I wanted to warn Danny away, to tell him to run and find someplace to build the life he should have, the life I wanted for him, but I was weak.

I wanted him too damn much.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

"My eyes are wide open, Patty."

"God, I hope so, baby, because I'm not giving you up after this. No matter what happens, no matter what comes our way, I'm keeping you."

"Oh, please keep me."

I chuckled as I turned and carried Danny down the hallway to the bedroom with the secret entrance then through the closet to the bar. Instead of going to my office, I headed to the top floor, which housed my personal residence.

I knew Liam and Mickey would make sure no one bothered us.

I carried Danny straight into my bedroom. After dropping him down in the middle of the mattress, I came down on top of him, settling between his thighs. I fisted a handful of Danny's hair, glad he hadn't taken my words to heart and gotten it cut. It was just long enough on top for me to grab a good handful.

I captured Danny's mouth in another bruising kiss. I licked at the seam of his lips until he opened his mouth and then I delved inside. I licked and nipped and tried my best to devour him, to conquer him, to make him mine. I wanted to imprint on him to the point that he never looked at another man.

I lifted my head then grinned when I looked down and saw Danny's red, swollen lips. With his fair skin, it was a very good look on the man. I tugged at his shirt. "Time to take these off, baby."

I wanted skin.

Danny tugged at the hem of my shirt.

I grinned as I leaned back onto my knees and pulled my shirt over my head, tossing onto the bed. "Now you."

Danny scooted up and pulled his shirt off. For a moment, all I could do was kneel there and stare at what could quite possibly be the most perfect chest ever created. Danny had a swimmer's body. Thin, but well developed and muscular. There wasn't a hair in sight, just miles of fair skin for the licking.

I crawled my way backward until I reached the end of the bed and then I stood. I reached down and pulled Danny's shoes off. I dropped them on the floor before going to work on his pants. I pulled them slowly down his legs, watching intently as I revealed each inch of luscious skin.

"I'm not built like you," Danny said.

"I don't want you to be built like me." I was not attracted to men who looked like me. I was attracted to men who looked like Danny. I always had been. None of them had ever looked at perfect as Danny. He needed to know that. "You're perfect just the way you are."

Danny's happy smile was all I needed to continue my plans to claim the sweet man as my own. I quickly shucked my own pants then went over to my nightstand to grab some lube and a condom, which I tossed onto the bed next to Danny before climbing on the bed again.

"Hey, I wanted to see."

I chuckled as I settled over the top of Danny. "Next time."

I leaned in to kiss him again, but changed my mind at the last moment and went for the underside of his chin. Danny groaned and arched his head back.

The feelings Danny invoked me were foreign to me. I wanted to protect him as much as I wanted him to live his life with the freedom most normal people lived. Now that I'd tasted him, the life I wanted for him would never happen. I was sad for him, but elated that he was finally mine.   

"I'm never letting you go," I whispered as I kissed a line from his chin to his ear. "You're mine forever."

Danny shuddered against me.

"I've wanted you for so very long, Danny."

"Ho-how long?"

"The day you turned nineteen, you were so very happy. You danced across the bar right into my arms. I knew as soon as I hugged you that I wanted to be more to you than just your mentor. I felt like some sick old pervert, but the feeling never went away. It's only grown stronger."

"I started dreaming about you when I was sixteen." Danny grinned at me when I lifted my head in surprise. "I win."

I chuckled before pecking him on the lips. "I think we both win."

I licked a patch of skin on Danny's neck then kissed and nibbled my way down his chest to his nipples. I wrapped my lips around one taut little nub and lavished it with my tongue. When I gently tugged at the nipple, Danny cried out and arched against me, filling the space between us with his release.

My mouth was hanging open when I raised my head and stared down at him, but I couldn't help it. He'd just come from me playing with his nipple?

How cool was that?

Danny was panting softly, his eyes closed. I grinned as I leaned down and stroked my tongue across the other nipple. Danny groaned and shuddered. It was a heady thing to know I could create such a reaction in the man.

I wanted more.

I was pretty sure I knew how to get it.

When I reached Danny's groin, I licked a long line up from his perineum to the top of his balls. Danny cried out as his legs fell open. I took that as an invitation and sucked one of his balls into my mouth.

I grinned when I noticed that Danny's cock hadn't softened a bit despite his orgasm. I foresaw a lot of time in bed seeing just how strong his stamina was.

I released Danny's balls and replaced it with the man's hard cock, swallowing it down until my nose hit curly hairs. Danny's cries became moans. His fingers curled in my hair. His entire body trembled. I had to wonder if he'd ever had a blow job.

I was betting not.