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  Just enjoy the moment.

  Just enjoy being the man who has Eva on his arm, and fuck the rest.

  Eva’s voice cut through my thoughts. “What’s so funny?” she asked.

  I hadn’t realized I was chuckling out loud. Christ, I was definitely losing the plot here.

  I pulled up at the valet parking before I answered. “I'm just imagining the look on the senator’s face when he sees you on my arm,” I said smugly.

  She drew in a sharp breath. “Nolan? Nolan’s going to be here?” Her eyes widened as her mouth hung slightly open. “Why didn’t you tell me before now?”

  “Fuck. I just assumed you would know he’d be here. This is an annual awards ceremony. Of course the dickhead’s going to attend.”

  Her back stiffened. “I wouldn’t have come if I’d known.”

  “Well, I don’t want to be here either. But since we’re here now . . .” I got out of the SUV and handed the keys to the valet driver as I made my way to her door.

  I held out my hand and helped her from the vehicle. “Stay close to me, baby. Nolan won’t bother you,” I said as I tucked her hand under my arm and steered her toward the entrance, my hand firmly on the exposed skin of her back.

  If the fucker knows what’s good for him, he’ll stay far, far, far away.

  The event was well attended and the room was buzzing with excitement and anticipation. In the far corner a string quartet was playing yet it was hardly audible over the chatter of voices. I grabbed two glasses of champagne from the smartly dressed waiter’s tray and handed one to Eva. The young man was grinning and making eyes at Eva, so I thanked him curtly and guided her further into the room with my hand possessively in the small of her back.

  Eva let out a long breath as we reached our table without bumping into anyone we knew. Frowning, I scanned the seats—each one of them was filled already. I motioned for a waitperson to come over and fix the problem as everyone at the table turned to us.

  A woman with far too much makeup, who was showing more cleavage than necessary, spoke up. “Oh, you’re the chosen couple tonight. Senator Parker requested that you sit at his table. Aren’t you lucky?”

  Eva’s smile slipped off her face as the news hit her. Her fingers dug into my arm. “Harrison,” she groaned. “I can’t.”

  My eyes burned into hers. The fucker knew already. He was expecting us.

  I pulled her closer to me, my arm snaking around her waist. I spoke into her ear. “It's going to be fine. Let’s show the senator what he’s missing, yeah? You can do this, Eva.”

  Her back straightened. “Okay. But please let’s not stay long—”

  “Baby, I have every intention of getting you out of here as soon as possible. Trust me, okay?”

  She stared into my eyes for a long moment before nodding. “Okay,” she said in a shaky voice. I knew she meant more than just here and now. My chest swelled with pride. My woman trusted me, and I was damn well going to be worthy of that honor.

  Chapter 15 — Eva

  Smiling weakly at Harrison, I nodded politely at the people already seated at the new table we’d been directed to before sitting down. From what I could tell, Nolan hadn’t shown up yet, and maybe he’d be too busy with speeches and kissing ass to bother me.

  Harrison pushed my chair in and rested a hand on my shoulder. It was warm and reassuring, yet I couldn’t prevent the icy shiver that ran up my spine. Once I said goodbye to someone, I hated coming into contact with them again. I wasn’t one of those women who never let go of an ex. I didn’t hoard baggage or ponder the reasons why things turned out the way they did. Once it ended, I moved on. Nolan was no different. I simply had nothing left to say to the asshole who thought he could cheat on me and get away with it.

  “Is Savage going to be here?” At least I’d have one friendly and familiar face around besides Harrison’s. I was going to need it.

  Harrison pushed his chest out and mustered a smile. “Yeah, of course. He’s part of the Dream Team. I wouldn’t be up for this award if it weren’t for my partner.”

  Running a quick scan over the room, I brought my gaze back to my date. “I haven’t seen him yet and he’s as hard to miss as the Hulk with that tall muscular body of his. Do you think he’s picking up his date and running late?”

  Harrison shook his head. “Nope, Savage doesn’t date. A girl broke his heart in college and he’s sworn off women forever.”

  “That’s such a waste,” I said, genuinely sorry for the loss to the female population. Lucas Savage would be a great catch. If I’d met him first instead of Harrison, I could seriously have been interested.

  “That’s exactly why we’re the Dream Team—we’re two of a kind.” Harrison wasn’t boasting, and I could tell that he thought the world of his partner.

  “Handsome. Charming. Sex on legs.” I said in a flirty voice. “Is that what you mean?”

  Harrison laughed. “You better be referring to me and not Savage.” The glint in his eyes disappeared after a few seconds. “No. More like fucked up crazy. Disconnected. Not really giving a fuck about anything that isn’t work related. That kind of thing.”

  “You or Savage?” I said on a quivering breath. Talk about being direct.

  “Me before I met you. Somehow you’ve weaved a spell on me my beautiful Eva, and lately I don’t want anything other than being with you.”

  A warm glow spread through my body. “Yeah?”

  He leaned over and whispered in my ear. “I’ve been hard for you since I saw you in that fucking dress. I’d rather be anywhere than here—with you, of course. Removing the dress with my fucking teeth—”

  Savage spoke behind us. “Hey, there you are. Why have you moved tables?” He’d managed to sneak up on us which I had to give him props for. He leaned over to kiss my cheek under the watchful eye of my date. I couldn’t help the small smile that twitched my lips at how possessive Harrison had become.

  “Hey, glad you made it,” Harrison said in a growly voice, his eyebrow still slightly raised as he shook Savage’s hand. They made some small talk and I allowed myself a few moments to take it all in.

  My gaze wandered around the ornate room with its crystal chandeliers and heavy oak-paneled walls. The tables were laid with the finest bone-china plates and polished silver flat-wear.

  But it was the guests who really added to the opulence of the event in their finery, with men and women dressed to impress. Admiring the gorgeous evening gowns the women wore, and thankful I’d scrubbed up okay, I kept looking around at the sea of beautiful people.

  “Oh shit,” I murmured under my breath. The arrogant asshole is here.

  Nolan stood a few feet away with his back to me, chatting to a group of people. From the way they were hanging on his every word, he’d clearly turned his superpower up a few notches. Senator Parker was busy charming the pants off his audience, especially the women.

  My gaze skimmed his body. His broad shoulders fit into his dark precision-cut suit exactly the way I remembered, except this time it didn’t make my heart go all pitter-patter like it used to.

  As if he sensed my presence, he turned and stared straight at me, a lopsided grin on his handsome face. A few months ago, it would have melted my heart. I would have felt special and privileged to be the one he chose to spend the rest of his life with. That was before I knew what a cheating, lying bastard he was.

  Isn’t it funny how it’s always the most charming guys who have skeletons in their closets? The men who worm their way into your heart with sweet whispers, avalanches of flowers and romantic moonlight serenades who then morph into an asshole before your eyes.

  I found out the hard way that fairytale romances didn’t exist.

  I’d worshipped my fiancé, given him everything I could, only to discover it wasn’t enough. He needed the adoration and pussies of other women to feel validated. It was a pattern I’d recognized in so many powerful men who had the world at their feet, yet couldn’t overcome their insecurities. They alwa
ys needed more. More than any one person could ever give.

  I counted myself as one of the lucky ones. It could have been a lot worse. I could have been married to the man. Our wedding date had come and gone months ago.

  “Are you okay?” My date leaned over, his warm breath skimming over my chilled skin.

  Harrison was everything Nolan wasn’t. Direct. Private. With nothing to hide. He didn’t pretend or feign emotions, and he never said words because he thought they were what I wanted to hear. Behind his gruff and impenetrable exterior was a damaged man who made no excuses for who he was. I could live with that, because in a way it was more honest than all the false masks worn by someone like Senator Nolan Parker.

  I hate fake.

  My back stiffened and I looked away toward the young waiter who offered me a refill of champagne, ignoring Nolan.

  “Eva?” Harrison’s voice snapped me back to the moment.

  I nodded. “Yeah, I guess I’m okay.” I placed my hand on Harrison’s thigh. I couldn’t hide the disgust and contempt from my voice. “Please don’t leave me alone with Nolan tonight.”

  The soft chuckle that rose from his chest was reassuring. “I’m not letting that asshole anywhere near you. So relax and enjoy the evening. Pretend he isn’t here.”

  It’s going to be a long fucking night.

  If only I could pretend. Nolan had other plans. Bearing down on us, he made a beeline for our table. He wasn’t going to let anyone ignore him, least of all his ex-fiancé.

  A heavy sigh escaped my lips. Here it comes. The sappy sweet shit that’s supposed to make me forgive him.

  “Ah, you’re late, my darling.” Hungry eyes undressed me, and his salacious grin made my stomach churn.

  I’m not your fucking darling.

  Harrison’s chair scraped back as he rose to face Nolan, eye to eye. His hand was back on my shoulder as he stood between my ex and me. I reached up and laced my fingers through Harrison’s, needing the reassurance that he’d ward off unwelcome advances and send a clear message to Nolan.

  I’m here with somebody else. What we had is over. You blew your chances a long time ago.

  Still eye-fucking me and seemingly oblivious to the signal I was sending, Nolan continued in his smooth-as-silk voice, the voice that had convinced thousands of Americans that he could be trusted and had their best interests at heart.

  “But I can forgive you, because I understand why. You look . . . spectacular.”

  Everyone at our table had stopped talking. They watched us with bemused expressions. Underneath a thin veneer of superiority, upper-class society loved a good scandal as much as anyone else.

  “Good evening, Senator,” I said stiffly, as if I hardly knew him. I didn’t want to remember that his dick had been inside me, that we had planned to have a family together. That once I’d believed I was the luckiest woman alive to be loved by what I believed to be a magnificent man.

  How things change.

  “Senator,” Harrison said, a clear warning in his voice. I couldn’t help the small smile that twitched at the corners of my mouth at how protective he’d become. Was Harrison even aware that he’d puffed out his chest, making his six-foot-plus frame even more imposing and intimidating?

  “Summers. Thanks for bringing my girl tonight. I owe you one.”

  Harrison growled. His fingers tightened around mine. “Are you fu—”

  His words were drowned in a sea of applause. The show had begun, and the MC for the night had taken the stage. The men glared at one another as they took their seats, both faces hard as granite.

  I was stuck between two powerful men. Both wanted to own me. For me there was no contest.

  The senator had to understand that our relationship was over. Done. Nothing he said or did would change my mind, since he’d lost my trust and respect.

  As for the cop? I’d given him my body and I couldn’t deny that he’d crawled under my skin, but he still had a way to go to fully earn my respect.

  It was as simple as that.

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  Chapter 16 — Harrison

  Sitting through the speeches and awards was pure fucking torture. I’d loosened my tie and undone the top button in an attempt to breathe easier, but it hadn’t helped. Eva had gone cold and distant, as if she’d taken a step backwards.

  Was she still in love with Parker? She’d told me she hated his guts, but maybe she was lying even to herself. I mean, she had been preparing to marry the prick when she’d caught him double dipping. That had to be any woman’s worst nightmare—to give up the fairytale wedding and discover the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with was a cheat and a fake.

  I tossed back the drink in front of me and grimaced as it hit my empty stomach. I’d been going slow on the booze for a while, staying sober and giving up on bad habits in order to win over the most complex woman I’d ever known.

  Glancing at Eva, I noticed the way her chin was set as she stared in front of her. She was a tough nut to crack. Maybe bringing her to the function as my date was a mistake after all. Senator Parker still rattled her, regardless of how much she denied it.

  Pissed off at the thought that I was maybe nothing more than a rebound to her, I summoned the waiter over and ordered another drink. I needed the fiery liquid to calm me the fuck down before I did something stupid like punch the senator in the fucking face for the way he couldn’t keep his eyes off Eva.

  Where had this green-eyed monster come from? I’d bet my fucking life on it that I didn’t have a jealous bone in my body, but there it was—lurking from the dark corners of my heart and soul, and challenging me to ignore it.

  The schmuck behind the microphone introduced the senator to great applause from the audience. Showtime. Parker pushed to his feet and winked at Eva before making his way to the stage. Fucker.

  I’d had enough. Before he even ascended the stairs, I’d grabbed Eva’s hand and pulled her up from her chair and in the opposite direction. People gaped at us, their eyes following us as we left the room.

  “Harrison, where are we going?” The nervous edge to Eva’s voice made alarm bells go off in my head. She was already falling under the spell of the slick senator or she wouldn’t mind that we were disrupting the proceedings with our exit.

  “As far away from that asshole as I can get you,” I said as calmly as I could muster. Every primal instinct had taken over my mind and my body. I needed to show Eva that I was her man. I needed to claim her, mark her as mine. There was only one way I knew how.

  I found an empty room and pulled Eva inside, closing the door on the outside world. The air was stale and musty. Muted light streamed in through the barred window and I could see a table and two chairs on the far side of the room.

  “Harrison? What’s wrong?” Eva’s breathless voice had a touch of panic in it. What was she worrying about? That her ex would find us together?

  Fuck that.

  Eva was my woman now and I was claiming her right there and then. Reminding her whose dick it was she craved. Mine.

  “While your ex amuses everyone with his charisma and wit, I’m going to fill you with my cock and make you scream my name. Would you like that, baby? Me fucking you while he tries to show off in there?”

  Eva’s head snapped up and her gaze met mine.

  “Use me, Eva. Use me and my cock to avenge yourself for everything he did to you. Let me fuck the shame and humiliation of how he treated you out of your system.” I undid my belt and zipper in one swift movement and unleashed my hard-as-stone cock.

  “God yes,” she cried out, her breath hitching. “How did you know?”

  “I just know what you need. Exorcise him once and for all. Go as wild on my cock as you need to, baby. I can take it, I promise.”

  Eva fell to her knees in front of me and fisted my erection, pumping forcefully a few times before swallowing the length of me down her throat with eager gargling noises. I groaned as my knees nearly buckled under me. Fuck, she was going to eat my coc
k alive, and I was loving every second of it.

  She pushed me backwards into a chair. I’d never seen her eyes glow the way they were, as if she were possessed by demons.

  Enduring a few more moments of sweet torture as she sucked and licked my cock with ferocious intent, I leaned back in the chair, taking the pleasure and pain she unleashed on me, her fingernails digging into my skin as she bit down hard on my shaft.

  “Fuck!” I groaned, kicking my leg up involuntarily in a knee-jerk reaction.

  Drawing her hand back, she struck out and slapped my cock.

  My fucking cock.

  Slapped it.

  Once.

  Twice.

  The pain. Fuck, I was about to pass out. I gritted my teeth even as my eyes watered.

  She struck again. Harder.

  “Take it, Harrison, take it all. For me.”

  The mix of raw anger and hurt in her voice turned my blood cold. I never had any idea that beneath her cool and collected exterior she harbored this much rage and pain. I needed to be the man to take it all away. Needed her to need me like I needed her.

  What happened next took my breath away. Pulling up her dress, Eva straddled me and inserted my aching cock into her warmth. The fact that she wasn’t wearing underwear turned me on even more.

  Both hands framed my face, and she stared into my eyes as she rode me, rising and falling hard and fast while her breath panted in short, sharp bursts. She leaned in and kissed me, tongue and teeth gnashing as she claimed my mouth and cock completely.

  I’d met my match in Eva.

  She could give as much as she could take.

  “Eva, you’re killing me,” I groaned, as her teeth sank into the soft skin at the base of my neck where she’d moved my shirt away. She’d draw fucking blood like a vampire if she could.

  This woman. She had me at her mercy because I fucking craved everything she was dishing out. Everything. The pain she inflicted on my body was pure bliss. Divine and cathartic.

  Yeah, I was a twisted fuck. Eva already knew that. The more she used me to get rid of her rage, the better it made me feel. On some deep level she knew that and by God, she didn’t hold back.