Keegan POV:
“Hello,” Vianne said, not even bothering to look up at him.
“You’re not from around here,” he said, still ogling and smiling. “I would remember you.”
What an idiot. Could he sound more obvious? Vianne wouldn’t fall for that shit and she didn’t disappoint. She looked up, her face cold. Then she continued to unload the cart as if she hadn’t heard him.
I controlled the growl that threatened to escape. “My wife and I moved out here a while back,” I said, pulling her to my side since the man was still looking at her with unveiled lust.
“Oh.”
His eyes lingered on her chest and then swept up to her hand, stopping at her wedding ring. Finally, his gaze settled on her face, gaping like an idiot. What the hell is his problem?
I looked Vianne over. She had managed to cover up the bruising. I couldn’t tell that anything was there, but he wasn&
[Warning: This chapter contains racy content. Please read at your own risk.] Keegan POV: She was aching like I was. Her eyes widened as she realized she had said that out loud. “Vianne, I want you. I never said that I didn’t,” I admitted. “I have been aroused since you got her. Believe me.” “It’s not that,” she said, taking a deep breath and exhaling harshly. “I haven’t felt this way,” she gestured to each of us. “Towards anyone… in a long time.” The second part was the aftermath… almost forced. Her teeth clenched before she continued. “I am having a hard time ignoring it and I don’t exactly look good right now.” She presented her still bruised body. “Forget it.” She turned away again but I stopped her, pressing her back against my chest. “You are beautiful,” I said, my lips skimming her ear. It was time to show her that despite the bruises, she was still beautiful. She looked away from our reflection. The tough act crumbled around her when faced with what happened and how she
Keegan POV:She moaned softly before turning to look up at me and placing a small kiss on my lips. “That was…” Incredible. “… good,” she said. Did she just say good?Her eyes, heavily lidded, seemed to match the sweet but secret smile on her lips. Was she teasing me?“Good? That was good? You stood here in front of a wall of mirrors, watching our hands move inside your sweet body and all you can say is that it was good?”Her eyes opened more fully, confusion in them. “Yes?” She averted her eyes quickly from the mirrors and buttoned her shirt back up. Before I could talk myself out of it, I grabbed her and devoured her mouth. She moaned and tugged on my hair, and after a few minutes, she pulled away, panting. I smirked. ‘Just good, my ass.’“Did I say something wrong?” she asked and then her eyes widened. “Oh, the ‘good’ comment. S
Keegan POV:Vianne cursed behind me as I swam toward the other side of the pool, desperately needing to cool off. If we were going to figure out what we really wanted, we had to slow the hell down. Maybe, in the end, we could fight the attraction completely and both still come out of her stay relatively unscathed. Or go at it like bunnies until dawn every day with Clement never the wiser. Once at the end of the pool, I jumped up and sat on the edge. I grinned smugly because it did take her a while to reach me. Her eyes narrowed but rolled as she smiled. It was exactly what I hoped for. I had a method with training. With guys like Frankie, I was more like a drill sergeant and worked them to the bone every day we trained. Tess had to be approached differently. At first, cautiously considering everything she had been through and approaching her like Frankie would’ve put up her defenses. Edwin and I worked on earning her trust. We even became friends, enough
[WARNING: Mild sexual content up ahead. Read at your own risk!] Keegan POV: I chuckled and joined her by the machine. “Morning,” I Said before spinning her around, taking her face in my hands, and kissing her deeply. She hummed into my mouth, grabbing onto my biceps. She squeezed my arms and moaned deeper. I chuckled against her lips. She seemed to love my muscled body. Of course, I’d be smug about it. “You like that, don’t you?” She pulled away, rolling her eyes. “Machine,” she said firmly, pointing at the treadmill. I helped her on and showed her the preprogrammed routine I made earlier for her. We were well into the routine as I talked her through it. I loved watching her sweat. And I had to stop thinking like that. It wouldn’t help her training if all I could think about was how nice she looked. I had no idea how long I stared, but eventually, Vianne cleared her throat. I looked up, our eyes locked in the mirror. She looked smug. “You like that, don’t you?” she said, us
Keegan POV:“What the hell is he doing here?” she asked, running her hand over her hair and tugging at her ponytail, removing it. “My guess is, he’s hoping I got some answers from you or he has found something out.”“So, either way, he’s looking for information,” she said through her clenched teeth. There was more to her anger about her father, there had to be. It wasn’t Clement’s fault that he was absent from her life. So, why was she so angry?“You’s going to have to give him something,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “Or else he will never leave.”Without looking away from the monitor, she said, “We don’t want that.” She didn’t seem aware that she had said it out loud. Did she want to continue what she had started downstairs?I was sweating, still hard and my back stung with a few scratches from when Vianne had pulled o
Keegan POV:Clement’s grip on his fork intensified. “We need him to help your mother and half-sister.”She flushed angrily. “Damn you. I have been through hell and back. I am having a hard time coming to terms with trusting anyone, least of all, you and your army of thugs.”That stung. Since she considered me part of that army. Clement’s eyes narrowed and he looked at me. He wanted me to convince her. “Vianne, Clement is right. Dennis is the best at investigating and tracking people, and digging for information. If anyone can find your mother and sister, it’s him.”She sighed, closed her eyes for several tense moments. “Fine,” she growled, stabbing her omelet. Or trying, at least, because she missed. I chuckled, which caused her to slap my arm, laughing too. I heard the clatter of metal hitting the floor before I could register what was happening.Clement launched him
Keegan POV:We all listened with rapt attention as she continued weaving her story. She had remained with Brant, recording conversations with shady politicians and keeping records of his abuse, all the while starting to skim money from credit cards and bank accounts. Then she hit the jackpot. For someone who didn’t like crime, she had a knack for it. Maybe it ran in her blood. “I managed to record a conversation. He had a nice little nest egg of about ten million dollars, all from his father’s campaign funds through the years and some shady business dealings. I finally had what I needed to blackmail him. So, with little difficulty, I made arrangements. I knew that my mother and sister wouldn’t be safe. Brant would use them to get to me. I sent them away. Brant thought they were going backpacking around the country. Then I confronted him.”“I threw copies of my files and recordings at him and told him that Claire and I
Keegan POV:“I can ride right now?” Claire asked happily. Vianne set her on the floor and she ran out of the room after her mother nodded. Vianne turned to us. “She doesn’t need to be here for the rest of the conversation. But I have a few requests before I return. Mr. GI Joe here should go to the hardware store.”“What for?” I asked, closing the distance between us. “It’s not safe here. There are no locks to the gym, pool room, and the door that leads to the conservatory. Plus, all the outlets need to be child-proofed. She is pretty good about not plugging things on her own, but it is best to be cautious.”I nodded. She was right. It wouldn’t be safe if Claire decided to wander. The flight of steps was steep, too, and one misstep might lead to a fall. The conservatory on the top floor was mostly made of glass windows, and there was a balcony that ran the length of it. The railing