Okay. That was it. I was over this.

  I placed a hand on his chest and looked at her. “Whatever you did in the past with Saxon is just that. In the past. Don’t bring it up with me standing here in an attempt to intimidate me or make me think there is something going on between the two of you.”

  His hand tightened on my waist, and I wasn’t sure if that was a warning or not, but I didn’t care. He could get over it. I was sure she wasn’t going to quit because of me. And if so, well, there were other jockeys.

  “A bit aggressive. I’m sure Saxon can decide for himself if our fucking is in the past,” Allegra said, tilting her head and giving Saxon a suggestive grin.

  I stepped in front of him. My temper was now in full-blown force. “You’ve not seen aggressive. And, yes, you fucking him is in the past.”

  Saxon’s hands were on my hips, pulling me back against him. “All right, baby,” he said gently. “Allegra, we have a business arrangement, but I’m not going to let you upset my girlfriend. Clearly, she trusts me, but she shouldn’t be faced with a situation like this. You can apologize to her, and I will let this go. It’s time for me to take her inside and feed her and the baby,” he said, placing a hand on my stomach.

  I liked the way her eyes widened on Saxon’s hand on the small bump.

  “Oh, wow, pregnant. I hope it’s yours,” Allegra said to him before giving me a haughty look.

  Saxon moved me to his side and took a step closer to Allegra. The furious expression on his face surprised me. “You crossed a line. You can take your things and go. Don’t come back.”

  “You can’t fire me,” Allegra snapped back.

  “Yes, I fucking can. You disrespected Haisley. I won’t allow anyone to hurt her in any way. If you were a man, I’d have a gun at your head.” His voice was cold and low.

  Allegra tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Whatever. This is bullshit.”

  Saxon took my hand. “Let’s go, baby.”

  He passed the stables and stalked toward the house. I hurried to keep up with his pace. His long legs were eating up the ground. I knew he was angry, but I thought it was just at her, not me. When we reached the house, he slung open the door and crowded behind me as I walked inside.

  I turned to look at him, about to ask if he was okay.

  “Get your jeans off,” he ordered me.

  “What?” I asked as he started unbuckling his belt.

  “You getting jealous. I need to fuck you.” He threw his belt on the ground.

  “Because you’re mad?”

  He shook his head. “No. Because it was hot as hell. Now, get naked. I’m not going to make it to the bedroom.”

  Smiling, I began to take off my jeans as he watched me hungrily. I needed to remember that he liked me getting jealous. If it made him react like this, I’d do it all the time.

  I barely got my jeans and panties off when a completely naked Saxon went down on his knees in front of me.

  “Open your legs,” he told me, grabbing my thighs and pushing them open.

  Thirty-Four

  Saxon

  The moment my tongue slipped inside her dampness, her knees buckled. I reached up and grabbed her waist to hold her.

  “Saxon,” she whimpered.

  “Yes, baby,” I said, lapping at her needy little pussy. “You taste so fucking good.”

  She made soft sounds, grabbing at my head, which drove me crazy.

  “I want you to ride my face,” I told her, then moved to lie back on the floor.

  She looked down at me with her mouth slightly open as she panted.

  I held out my hand. “Come here. I need some more of it. I’m not done.”

  She dropped to her knees beside me, and I took her leg and pulled it over my chest.

  “Move up until your pussy is on my mouth, then ride my tongue,” I said, squeezing her ass as she moved closer.

  When she reached the right spot, I pulled her down on my face and began rubbing her hard, swollen clit with my tongue.

  “Oh God!” she cried out and rocked her hips as I ate her. “Saxon, AH!”

  I grabbed my throbbing dick and began stroking it. The pre-cum leaking from my slit gave me enough lubrication.

  “So good … oh God … Saxon … this is … I’m gonna come!” she shouted as her body shook with her orgasm.

  I pumped harder as I felt her gush of release. Fuck, she tasted amazing.

  “Saxon.” She panted my name as she slowed her hips.

  I grabbed her and pushed her down my body.

  “Fuck me,” I demanded.

  She lifted her leg and aligned her tight pussy with the head of my cock, then sank down on me with a loud moan.

  “FUCK!” I growled, lifting my hips to thrust deeper into her.

  Haisley placed her hands on my chest and began riding my dick like she had my face. The pleasure on her face as she looked at me made my cock jerk inside her.

  “Take the shirt off, baby. I want to watch your tits bounce.”

  She straightened and grabbed the hem of the shirt, then pulled it over her head, tossing it aside. Her bra went next. It was like my own fucking striptease. Her tits were so fucking big. I loved how large her nipples had gotten. Reaching up, I squeezed one.

  “God, I love these,” I groaned.

  Haisley started lifting her hips and slamming back down on my cock.

  “GAH! Fuck, that’s gonna make me come!” I said.

  “I want to feel it inside me. I love how it feels, shooting in me—”

  “GOD! FUCK!” I yelled as her words sent me spiraling off, and I pumped my cum into her tight cunt. “Take it! You feel that?!”

  “YES!” she cried out.

  She began to tremble just before her walls clamped down on me, and she screamed my name. Her orgasm prolonged mine as her pussy milked my dick.

  She fell on top of me, out of breath. Our bodies were sweaty as I held her against me.

  “That was amazing,” she said against my neck.

  “I love you,” I told her. “But I also love your pussy a whole fucking lot.”

  She giggled, and I smiled, burying my nose in her hair.

  “I’m going to get jealous more often,” she said, lifting her head to look down at me.

  “Baby, you don’t have to get jealous to ride my face. Just crawl on up anytime you need it.”

  She leaned down and pressed a kiss to my lips. “Thank you for defending me out there.”

  I grabbed her head with my hands. “I will always defend you.”

  We were going to be okay. We had a lot of shit still to work through, but we would be stronger because of it.

  Ultrasound

  Haisley

  Saxon’s hand tightened on mine as we watched our baby on the screen. The 4-D image took my breath away. I could see the baby’s face and body clearly. It was real. Not just a heartbeat and the reason my stomach was no longer fitting in my jeans.

  “Do you want to know the sex?” the nurse asked, looking at me, then at Saxon.

  “Yes,” I replied, then glanced at him to be sure.

  He nodded.

  The nurse grinned and took a picture on the screen, then pointed. “It’s a girl.”

  We hadn’t talked about what we wanted. I just wanted it to be healthy. I turned to look at Saxon, wanting to gauge his response, and his eyes were glassy. He looked down at me and gave me a sheepish smile and sniffled.

  “We’re having a girl,” he said and laughed softly. “Damn. That got to me. I wasn’t expecting that to hit so deep.”

  “Our baby is a she,” I replied.

  Loving him was so easy. But when he did things like this, I swore I managed to fall deeper in love.

  Saxon’s eyes went from the screen, then back to me. Then, he bent down and brushed a kiss on my forehead. “Thank you,” he whispered.

  I tilted my head until our lips met. My fairy tale was better than any book I’d ever read.

  Burn Teaser...

  (Coming October 15, 2023)

  from Prologue

  Kye—Twenty Years Old

  June 1

  Using my key to unlock the door, I walked inside my mom’s old house, which Genesis was renting during her summer break. My mom had remarried and moved to Key West three years ago, but she’d kept my childhood home for visits here. Genesis using it made me fucking happy.

  The vanilla-cinnamon scent hit me, and I smiled. I tossed my keys on the bar as I passed the kitchen and headed to the living room.

  “Honey, I’m home!” I called out teasingly.

  “You’re earlier than I expected. I just got out of the shower.” Genesis’s voice carried down the hallway. “Give me a few minutes.”

  My gaze swung over to the coffee table, covered in snacks. The usual was there—chocolate chip cookies, brownies, Rice Krispies Treats, which she didn’t bake, but bought from a bakery in town because Baby Doll didn’t bake or cook. There was a bowl of regular M&M’s—my favorite—a bowl of popcorn, and the mandatory bowl of fruit that neither of us ate but was there in case we might want something healthy.

  The cupcakes in the center of it all were new though. I could tell from here they were my favorite chocolate cake with vanilla icing. Again, those had come from a bakery—no way Genesis had made them. They looked fucking delicious, and when my girl tried to bake, it was rarely edible. The one in the center had an unlit candle. Grinning, I grabbed a cookie and flopped down on the sofa to wait on her.

  “I thought I’d have time for a shower before you got here. I figured the party with the Lords of the Underworld would keep you out later,” Genesis told me as she walked around the sofa and took a seat beside me.

  She’d been calling the family the Lords of the Underworld since I’d told her about them when I was sixteen.

  My dad had gotten me my first tattoo, and I’d been so fucking pumped. Genesis was shocked that my dad would let me get one at my age. Then, Bowie said something about a tattoo being the least of the things my dad would let me do. Genesis had always known how to make me talk. She wouldn’t let that go. Finally, I caved and explained the family to her.

  When I was done, she had stared at me and said, “So, you are telling me that instead of college, you’re going to just join the Lords of the Underworld in organized crime?”

  Bowie had spit his drink and doubled over, laughing. I’d been annoyed though. In her eyes, I was already the one who didn’t measure up. Bowie was the golden boy. He did all the right things, said all the right things, treated her like a fucking princess. I was the hell-raiser.

  I still was, but Bowie had been out of the picture for years.

  “So, tell me about the party. How many strippers did you bang? Did y’all slice open the veins of your enemies and drink their blood?” She popped an M&M in her mouth, grinning at me.

  Genesis was a complete smart-ass. An adorable smart-ass.

  I leaned back and wiggled my eyebrows at her. “You want to know my head count?” I asked.

  She sucked on the M&M in her mouth, which was the way she ate the damn things and one of the reasons I loved them so much. “It’s your birthday, Kye. I’m your best friend. You have to share all the details.”

  I held up two fingers.

  She placed her hand over her heart and gasped. “Just two? You’re slacking in your old age,” she taunted me.

  I smirked. “Baby Doll, I can assure you that nothing about me is slacking.”

  That got a laugh out of her as she stood back up, slinging her damp locks of hair behind her shoulder.

  Genesis might be my best friend, but she was a female, and I wasn’t fucking blind. I’d never been with her. I was just smart. Protected our friendship by ignoring her appearance. Bowie had been the one to fuck it up. He’d been the one to make her something more.

  My gaze traveled over her narrow waist and the small flash of flat, tanned stomach as her pink plaid pajama pants hung on her hips. Letting my eyes continue their path, I briefly allowed myself to quickly appreciate the outline of her perky, round tits in the pink tank top she was wearing as she walked over to grab a lighter from the mantel.

  Holding it up, she smiled at me. “Since your birthday was in the lair of the Lords of the Underworld and I missed your birthday cake, I thought we’d have some cupcakes here. Don’t worry. I didn’t make them. I bought them from the cute little bakery downtown.”

  That made me chuckle. As if I would ever think that the perfectly iced cupcakes had been made by her. Not in this lifetime.

  Genesis leaned forward, giving me a view right down the neckline of her tank top, and I jerked my gaze off her tits before I saw nipples. Getting hard over your best friend’s tits wasn’t cool. Although I’d always wondered about her nipples. What they looked like. I couldn’t help it. I had a thing for tits, and Genesis had some great ones.

  I heard the lighter flick, and I waited until I could see her standing back up out of the corner of my eye before turning my gaze back to her.

  She was holding the cupcake, the candle in the center of it lit, out to me. “Make a wish,” she said to me.

  I blew the candle out, then took the cupcake from her. “Thanks, Baby Doll.”

  “You’re welcome. Now, you need to pick the movie you want to start with, and I’ll go get the drinks. Corona, or are you ready for your birthday present?”

  “I can’t have a drink and my birthday present?” I asked her, trying to figure out the reason she looked almost giddy.

  Her aquamarine eyes sparkled when she was excited about something. I was intrigued. What had she done?

  “You can, but they could be one and the same,” she said in a singsong voice.

  “You got me whiskey for my birthday,” I guessed.

  She winked at me, then left me in the living room to go get whatever it was she was so fucking happy about. It felt like my birthday finally. All day had been just a regular day, except for the strippers and drinks I’d had at Huck’s shop with the guys.

  As nice as all that had been, it didn’t feel like my birthday until I was with Genesis. She’d been with me on my birthday every year since the summer I’d turned eight. Without her, it just didn’t feel right. There had been a time when I would have wanted Bowie here too. That ship had sailed. He was no longer a regret. I was fucking thrilled he’d left our friendship. I got Genesis all to myself.

  She came walking back into the room with two whiskey glasses in one hand and a gift bag in the other. It was times like this that I could see past those killer eyes of hers, that fucking beauty mark that sat just over the left corner of her heart-shaped mouth, and her perfect slightly upturned nose to the tomboy with dirty knees and stringy hair. The girl who had been down to any crazy-ass idea I came up with and did her damn best to do it better than Bowie and me.

  She held out the bag to me.

  “You look real damn pleased with yourself,” I told her.

  “Oh, I am,” she replied.

  I opened the bag and pulled out a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve—15 Year. This shit ran close to three grand. I jerked my gaze back up to look at her in shock. I knew exactly how much she made a week. She was working at the boutique in town that my mother owned.

  “You got me Pappy’s?” I asked.

  She held up the two glasses. “I might have designed a boho wedding dress for a girl at school, whose brother-in-law is a higher-up at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. I clearly didn’t pay what you’re thinking. Not that I don’t love you that much, but because I have to pay rent and all.”

  She placed the two glasses on the coffee table in front of me. “Let’s drink to twenty.”

  Then, she sank down onto the sofa beside me, curling her legs underneath her. “Now, pour us some Pappy’s.”

  I opened the bottle and gave Genesis her two-finger pour while I was more generous with myself. Turning back to her, I handed her the glass and then picked up mine. We tapped the glasses against each other, the clink of our glasses filling the room, because that made my girl smile.

  Genesis said, “To twenty. May it be the best year yet.”

  I watched her take a sip from the glass and wondered what it would take to convince her not to go back to Savannah in the fall. It was selfish of me, and I knew I’d never let her give up her dream, but, fuck, I missed her like crazy. This past year with her away at college had sucked. I hated it.

  Putting the glass to my lips, I tried to push aside thoughts of the future and enjoy tonight.

  “Which movie first, birthday boy?” she asked. “The Conjuring, Poltergeist, or Scream?”

  I rested my head on the back of the sofa and turned to look at her. “Those are my options?”

  She nodded. “Yes. I’ve seen those enough that they no longer scare me. And I live alone, so nothing new that can cause me to lose sleep. Going next door to my parents’ isn’t happening either.”

  I reached over and grabbed her chin. “But you have me. A Lord of the Underworld to keep you safe.”

  She tilted her head and gave me an amused smirk. “Yes, but you are only staying tonight. What happens tomorrow night when I need to pee and I’m too scared to go to the bathroom? Call Mom and ask her to come over and watch me?”

  I laughed because she wasn’t exaggerating. I knew this to be fact. “No, you call me, and I’ll come running.”

  “And if you’re in the process of getting busy at the time? I might pee my pants before you can get here.”

  I let go of her chin and rolled my eyes. “You know the moment you call, I’ll drop what I’m doing.”

  Genesis took a sip from her glass and studied me for a minute. “Okay, fine. What movie do you want to watch? I’ll be brave.”