The Perfect Stroke (Lucas Brothers #1)(105)

“I know, but we kind of got distracted, and I know you just agreed to help me to—”

“To what?”

“Get in my pants.”

“And you figure now that I’ve achieved that, I won’t worry about your brother?”

“Something like that,” she admits. I let my thumb move back and forth over her cheek, studying her. With any other woman, she’d be right.

“You gave yourself to me, pet. I’ll take care of you, and that means helping you find your brother.”

Her eyes study me and I can see distrust in her eyes. She has good reason to feel like that. It doesn’t mean I like it, however.

“I’ll trust you.” Why does it feel like she’s telling much more than what her words are saying? What is this woman doing to me? “Where do we start?” she asks.

“Breakfast, pet. Then we’ll discuss business.”

For a second I think I see disappointment in her eyes, but she nods her agreement. I take a step away from her, which isn’t easy. I hold out my hand, and something shifts inside of me when she places her small hand in mine and squeezes it.





“Roman, people are staring,” Ana complains.

We’re sitting in the middle of a breakfast chain restaurant. A type of place I can’t say I’ve stepped foot in for years. I let Ana pick where we went and from the look in her eyes, I know she thought she would shake me with her choice. What she doesn’t realize is that things like this might be one of the reasons she appeals to me so deeply. According to the menu, our entire meal will probably be covered with twenty bucks. The women before her would have picked a place where twenty dollars wouldn’t have covered the tip.

“You’re imagining it, pet.”

“Not hardly, Anthes. Is there a reason you always insist I sit in your lap?”

“Anthes?”

She smirks, putting a forkful of pancakes in my mouth. The blueberry and sugary syrup combine in my mouth, and though it’s good, it’s not even a comparison to the taste of Ana. “If it bothers you, imagine I’m calling you Daddy. Or do you prefer Master?”

The little minx. She’s full of sass and I apparently love it because my dick is demanding its turn at training her. My lips find her ear and she giggles, pulling her head down to try and halfheartedly get away. My fingers dig into her thigh at the same time that my teeth bite into her earlobe. She gasps from the small dose of pain, and I feel a gentle shudder travel through her body.

“Roman,” she murmurs, and motherf*cker, if my dick isn’t leaking on my leg.

“You’re tempting me to show you who is in charge, right here in the middle of this restaurant. Keep it up, pet, because I would like nothing better than to f*ck you.”

“You wouldn’t,” she answers, but I can hear the doubt in her words as her entire body goes still.

“In a f*cking heartbeat,” I assure her and I’m completely serious.

“Maybe we should talk about something else,” she suggests, and the look on her face is so sweet that I kiss her on the lips. Her tongue pushes into my mouth, deepening the kiss, and I let her explore while I take another hit of her addictive flavor. I was right; she’s definitely more potent than any drug.

When I break the kiss, I pick up one of the sausage links, forgetting my fork. I bring it to her lips and she opens, deliberately taking the food inside and wrapping her tongue around it as she goes. Her ass wiggles around on my lap, torturing my cock. She plays for a few more minutes, purposefully teasing with the food, before eating it.

“You keep wiggling around like that and we’re going to have a repeat of what happened during your dance. While I did love it, the next time I come it will be inside of you.”

Her cheeks somehow blush again. I’m getting used to this, how her almost innocent side mixes with the wicked woman and constantly entertains me. I’m starting to think she might be the first woman I’ve ever met who will never bore me. A woman like that is someone you could … keep. That’s insane though. I’m not that man. It’s time I bring this conversation around to something which will keep her from working her spell on me. She’s different, but she’s just a woman.

“Tell me how you found out your brother was missing.”

She stiffens in my arms, and I hate that I took the playful look off her face. I’m even starting to hate the fact that I’m the f*cker who has her brother.

“Allen always disappears. I’ve grown used to it. He fell into the wrong crowd when we were younger and despite everything I tried, I wasn’t able to pull him back. I’ve been losing my brother for years.”

“And you still are trying to find him?”

“He’s my brother. The only family I have.”

“What if he gets you hurt in the meantime?”

“I can take care of myself. Been doing it for a long time now.”

I don’t like that reply. I don’t like it at all. There’s f*ck-all I can say, though.

“Where was the last place he was seen?” I ask, even as I’m kicking myself. What would she do if I took her to her brother now? He’s slowly healing. I didn’t want him looking as if he was a step away from death, in case I had to show him to Ana. I’m not desperate enough to use him to get Ana in my bed; I knew I could manage that on my own. But to keep her from getting the police into checking my club out and other things in hopes of finding him? That’s the reason—and the only reason—her brother is still drawing air.