Pick Your Poison (The Heart's Desire Series Book 1) Read online

  She slides a single finger up my forearm just before she leans forward to talk next to my ear. “Great fight.”

  “That wasn’t a fight.” Her smile lights up her beautiful face and I find peace she looks at me. “Now it’s time for me to follow through on that promise.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.” And that’s all it takes for me to start my way back to the showers, knowing she’ll be escorted to me as soon as I’m back there. The instructions were very clear that no one is to bother me once I go to the showers tonight. Any bullshit or rehashing of the single hit it took to blow that fucker over can be done tomorrow, after I get my fill of this gorgeous piece of ass that I plan to bury myself inside of all night long.

  Everyone obeyed my orders, which makes me feel at ease as I let the hot water glide over my shoulders and down my body. She doesn’t make an appearance into the showers like I hoped she would, but I guess I should respect her for that.

  I wrap the towel around my waist and walk into my locker room, ready to find her waiting, but instead find a piece of paper.

  Mavick,

  I couldn’t ditch my friend. I hope you understand. Maybe I’ll see you at our spot after you finish here. Take your time.

  Kinsley

  Fuck, I’m going to explode if I have to chase this girl all over the damn city tonight.

  I toss on some gym clothes and start my usual jog away from the coliseum… out a back door and down the alley to miss all the people, this time making an extra stop before I head back to my apartment. I need to tell him I’m still kicking, but something tells me he already knows.

  “Hey, old man. I’m back. One hit tonight, just like the old days. Fuck… I miss your ugly mug. I’m doing everything you taught me.” I toss back the nearly empty bottle of beer in my hand… the same kind of beer we would share after a fight. “I promise to make you proud and I’ll be taking over your gym soon to help with your legacy.” The silent night matches the inner peace I’m feeling as I talk to the concrete stone that symbolizes where he lays. “Maybe I’ll find a pain in the ass, punk kid and transform him into a man… just like you did.”

  ~~~~~

  I’ve been gone for a few hours, who knows if Kinsley will still be waiting for me on the roof top. Part of me wants to see her when I open the door, but the long jog did wonders for peace of mind and the pent-up aggression I was holding on to when I was making all those promises to fuck her senseless.

  To be honest, I would’ve hurt anyone that let me near them right after that fight. Her allowing me to have this time is the best thing she could’ve done.

  I open the metal door and spot her looking down at the street. Her sexy ass is on display since her dress hugs every curve of her body. Her dark hair covers her back in loose curls that blow slightly in the wind as I approach her.

  “I thought you stood me up.”

  “Sorry, I just needed a little time.”

  “Don’t apologize. You’ve had a busy day. Sorry I left the coliseum. I didn’t feel right ditching Mollie with so many people there.” She slides over next to me when I match her posture to look over the edge of the wall with her. The fact that she didn’t blow off her friend, when I know that’s what happened to her last night, says so much about this girl’s character. She didn’t go for the fame over the friend.

  “It’s all good. What did you think of tonight?”

  “It was crazy. You should be proud of how it turned out. I don’t usually watch that sort of thing, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.” She turns to face me, the moonlight hitting her face just as she does. The lights aren’t on up here tonight, I guess she probably doesn’t know how to turn them on since she’s just renting one of my places for the weekend.

  “Tonight wasn’t the usual, but I’ll take it.”

  “You’re famous Mavick Black.” She clasps her hands in front of her chest and shoots me her gorgeous smile once again.

  “Yeah. I could do without all of that. It’s just nice to have them on my side when I’m in the ring.” I tell her the truth. I’m not a people person. I don’t even like to do the interviews that come with all the publicity.

  “You were on top of the world after you won.”

  “Yeah, I needed to win that fight. I needed it to go down quick, just to prove a point.”

  “To show others not to mess with you?”

  “That. And to let everyone know I’m back.” I step away from the edge, walking slowly to the lounge chairs we sat in last night.

  “I want to ask you what happened, but I won’t. If it’s something you want to share, I’ll listen.” She doesn’t pry, which only makes it easier to talk to her. Why is everything so easy with this girl?

  “I had my first loss back in April. It was the same night my trainer died. I knew better than to fight with all of that going on, but he insisted. I wasn’t thinking clearly at that fight, so the chump got one in on me before I saw it coming.” We both sit with the backs leaning up on our chairs, her sexy legs on display with her heels still on her feet.

  “I’m sorry to hear all of that. Was that why you were at the cemetery earlier today?”

  “Yes.”

  “I left after you did. I didn’t go look at the tomb even though I wanted to know.”

  “He was like a father to me. Even when my mom died, he was there for me. He took me in and didn’t let me fall to the streets like I was headed. He fuckin’ saved my life.”

  “He sounds like an amazing man.” I look up at the stars and take in what she’s saying, before I let out a deep breath and respond.

  “He was.” We both sit quietly. The conversation going much deeper than I anticipate, but I’m still in a much better place than I have been for months. Being able to talk to someone is nice, since I never let anyone get this close to the real me, but sitting here doing nothing is getting to me.

  I enjoy her company. So much that it feels wrong to just start fucking her as if she’s any whore I’ve met in my past. She’s different and everything is telling me to treat her unlike all the others. “Do you want to go for a walk? I can show you around my favorite places in the city.”

  She sits up quickly, before she stands to her feet. “Sure, but let me get out of these fucking heels.” I watch her walk away, imagining what it’ll be like to have her under me, before I push down on my dick to calm the fuck down.

  This girl gets to me. In every fucking way. Now I just need to keep my shit together and not send her running in the other direction.

  Chapter Five

  Kinsley

  I slip in quietly, tiptoeing around the apartment while Mollie’s moans echo over the hard wood floors. Stripping out of this dress feels amazing and I’m looking forward to being in comfortable clothes again. Once I’ve got my t-shirt and shorts on, I grab a pair of socks and tuck them into my blue Converse tennis shoes and leave out the door.

  Mavick is still sitting in the lounge chair when I make my way back upstairs. I can’t stand how he can spin me in all directions with merely his presence, yet here I am begging for him to rip me apart with all the intensity he so obviously has. He’s deep. I can tell he’s been hurting for a while now, but it appears he’s coming alive again and that the possibilities are endless if he continues with the mentality he has now.

  He watches me put on my shoes. I can feel his mood shift, making it harder to breathe. I won’t make the first move… that’s not who I am, but I sure as hell won’t be turning down him if he tries to make something happen.

  “I’m ready.”

  “Jesus. Are those the shortest shorts you have?” I glance down at my legs and realize I’m wearing my tight sleep shorts instead of the other pair I meant to grab.

  “Shit. I grabbed the wrong pair trying to hurry.”

  “They look great from here, but I’m not sure we should go anywhere with you in those. We won’t make it very far.” He pushes down on his dick, not even trying to hide the fact that he’s hard.

  “I can
put on something else.” I stand and before I have a chance to step away from him, he’s holding my hand in his, keeping me from moving away from him.

  “Fuck, you’re making it impossible to be good.”

  “Who told you to be good?” He pulls me into his lap before I finish my sentence.

  “No one. Something told me to be careful with you. Tell me why I feel that way Kinsley.” His breath hits my face and I swallow hard trying to think of how to answer him.

  “I can handle anything you dish out… as long as you’re real with me. I don’t do liars or cheats. And don’t ghost me. If you’re done with whatever this is, just tell me straight up.”

  “That’s my policy too… and no fucking drama.” He starts to kiss my neck, giving into the pull we’ve both felt since last night.

  “God no. I hate drama.” I sound breathy and like I’d agree to anything he says… which I would with his fingers gripping my thighs like they are.

  “I’m going to take you to my apartment, but you need to understand I’m starving for this. I’ll take my time with you and we may still be fucking when the sun comes up.”

  “Oh… okay. I think I can handle that.” Fuck yes I can’t wait. I’ve never been with a man that lasted any longer than about thirty minutes… all of them falling over, out of breath the second the sperm squirts from their dicks.

  He bites my shoulder as he stands up, with me in his arms. He carries me to his apartment, even though I tell him to put me down multiple times. His firm grip on my ass stops my pleas, sending me into a halted state of anticipation. I’m practically begging for his fingers to slip under my shorts and find their way into my pussy.

  He talks about starving… he has no idea how hungry I am for sex. It’s been almost a year for me so I might just become a big pile of mush at the first entrance of any part of a man that enters me.

  Sitting me down on his bed, I get the full view of him ripping his shirt over his head and dropping his shorts all in the same move. I stand to follow his lead, only getting my shorts down before he’s standing against me, his dick bumping into my waist while I watch it grow.

  “Oh shit.” That’s all I have time to say before his hands are yanking my shirt up and in a flash my bra is falling to my feet. I kick off my shoes before he falls onto the bed, taking me with him. I straddle his hips allowing his cock to lay flat against his stomach under me.

  I find myself grinding against him, the pressure in my core building instantly. He lets me move freely, while he watches my tits bounce around. My girls are real… I pride myself on their size, most women as small as I am, have to pay for tits this nice.

  “Fuck. You’re so wet. You’re dripping all over my cock.” His voice does something to me, sending me into a fit of rotating and gyrating until I’m moaning through my first orgasm of the night. My fingers spread over his chest while I have my way with him and he barely moves a muscle.

  When I let my head fall forward after my release he quickly flips me onto my back. He reaches for a condom before sliding it on and thrusting into me, both of us closing our eyes at the instant feeling of pleasure.

  The pressure of his invasion sends me up the bed each time he pushes into me. He’s whispering in my ear each time he moves us, talking dirty and sending me to an entirely new set of highs while I wait for him to inch all the way into me.

  His muscles flex in his shoulders and arms each time he drives us further up the bed, making me want to observe each of them individually. I’ve never been with a man as fit as Mavick. He’s one of those rare guys that never come along, making me wonder how in the hell I’m the one here with him right now.

  He feels amazing, making me go insane with every move he makes all night long. We both come over and over and I don’t even have time to ask him how he can do that before we’re going at it again. Exhaustion takes over and it’s sometime after the sun comes up that he finally gets his fill. I don’t even consider moving from his bed, my body wouldn’t allow me to leave if I wanted to.

  I’m going to feel him for days, maybe if I’m lucky he’ll feel the effects of fucking me all night too. He kisses my forehead before he pulls me against his chest and guides my chin up so he can kiss me on the lips. A brief nibble forces me to do the same to him.

  “Stay with me.”

  “I’m supposed to leave the city in a few hours.”

  “I’ll fly you home in a few days.” He holds me tighter and I simply nod yes. There’s nothing I want to do more than stay a few days with him and see how it goes. I really like him and I think it’s worth seeing if there’s something there.

  After all, what can it hurt?

  DOUBLE TAKE

  By S.E. Hall

  ©2017, S.E. Hall

  All rights are reserved to the author. No part of this ebook may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, character, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Chapter One

  Emery

  “There she is. Our girl, home at last!” I hear him long before I see him—everyone on this so-slow-it-might-be-moving-backward escalator taller than me, blocking my view—but I’d recognize Cole Keller’s voice anywhere. I know it as well as I do my own.

  He bulldozes his way through the crowd effortlessly, ready and waiting to lift me right off my feet, short of them descending the final, moving step. His massive arms of steel wrap me up in the familiar comfort that I missed even more than I expected, and he spins us around like nobody’s watching.

  Not that I care if they are… I’d do anything, anyplace, with Cole.

  “Woman, you’ve got no idea how good it is to have you back.” He brings us to a stop, kissing my forehead as he sets me to the floor, gently gripping my shoulders. He gives me a once-over, twice, making sure for himself that I am, in fact, home—safe and sound. “Week was way too long, Em. Felt like forever.”

  Guilt jabs hard at my insides, but I paint a smile on the outside, running a calm, caring hand down his arm. “I missed you too, so much. Both of you…” my voice fades as I look around, coming up empty.

  “Couldn’t find a parking spot,” he laughs knowingly and takes my hand. “He’s out there driving around in circles, probably cussin’ up a blue streak by now. We best get your luggage, and our asses, out there, before he causes a scene.”

  I snicker, picturing just that, as he leads us toward baggage claim. Oh, Cabot… Not one to be told what to do or equipped with even a reasonable amount of patience, I can easily see him deciding he’s made the last circle he’s going to and slamming the truck into park—anywhere he wants—flipping off security as he comes storming in here, screaming our names.

  It’s a very real possibility; I’ve seen him do much worse… many times.

  Cole’s certainly not what anyone, who knows the definition, would call “mild mannered” himself. He did just part a large crowd as if non-existent, but his edges are a tiny bit smoother than his brother’s.

  Those are my guys, though… Cabot and Cole Keller. My very best friends since junior high, identical twins—both rough, rogue, and irresistible—yet different in several ways... easy to spot, if your eyes are trained… like mine. And I wouldn’t change a single thing about either one of them.

  Cole grabs my suitcase off the carousel, not needing told which it is, and again, finds my hand with his free one an
d weaves our fingers together. And as always, the gesture brings with it an ache of battle—one half of my heart beating faster while the other remains numb and neutral—a reminder that it’s for the best he doesn’t feel the same kindred, carnal, undeniable perfection that I do Every. Single. Time. he touches me. And though painful to accept, ignore, constantly shove to the very back of my repeatedly battered, split-down-the-middle heart, it is, in fact, an absolute must… because Cabot dazzles and cripples me in the exact same way.

  Identically.

  And there lies the problem.

  I could never choose between them, if it was an option afforded me; which it’s not. I’ve been madly in love with both Keller twins since… well, since the pivotal, life-changing epiphany of what being in love meant finally hit me. Like a Mack truck. Followed closely by the crushing realization that their love for me, while wonderful and boundless, is of a different kind. They think of me as a little sister, a best friend. And even when I’m alone with one of them, be it Cole or Cabot, they both, always, refer to me as “theirs”… just reinforcing the fact that only one of them isn’t a possibility.

  “Hey, you.” Cole jiggles my hand. “Awful quiet. Everything okay?”

  “Yeah,” I blow out a deep breath, and with it, my futile thoughts. “Just worn out from all the traveling, I guess.”

  “See? That’s why you shouldn’t go leaving us.” He grins, squeezing my hand as we walk outside.

  And sure as the sun will rise, there he waits… every bit as coolly confident as the day I left… Cabot James Keller, leaning against the side of his black Chevy pickup, parked in the clearly-marked yellow zone right in front of the main doors. With his ball cap pulled down low and arms crossed over his barrel of a chest, he’s a sight straight out of the best kind of dreams.