A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime(47)

“Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.”

Her laughter dies. “I hope so. I-I’m probably stupid for admitting this, but I trust you, Crew. And I trust that you won’t tell anyone what I just shared with you.”

This is my little birdy’s problem—she trusts too easily. I show her a little bit of attention, and she’s confessing all of her dirty secrets. Why this girl decided to tell me she masturbated and got herself off last night, I don’t know.

But I’m thankful as fuck because now I know. I’m not about to let Larsen the asshole slip in and be the one who helps her explore her sexuality. Knowing how easy it was for me to gain her trust, I’m worried Larsen could have an even easier time of it. He’s known her longer. She seemed comfortable with him when I saw them talk at school.

I can’t let it happen. I need to distract her. Keep her from going to that dinner tonight.

The server shows up with the bill and I hand her my credit card. She takes care of it with her handheld machine, making idle conversation with me, but I’m too distracted. By the sight of Wren smiling at me shyly from across the table, mouthing the words thank you to me for paying for her lunch.

I’d buy her more than just a meal, though that had been exquisite torture. Watching her eat. Feeding her. The sounds she’d make, the low moans and murmured words full of appreciation.

It felt like fucking foreplay.

“Let’s get out of here,” I say once the server hands me my credit card and my receipt. I’m already rising to my feet, slipping on my coat and my beanie. I’m about to help Wren with hers, but she beats me to it, pulling her sleek coat on and grabbing her bag before she heads for the door.

I follow her outside, my phone in my hand as I tap away at the screen, sending Peter a quick message to come pick us up. He’s been with the family for a few years and he’s a loyal employee. Quiet.

Discreet.

Exactly what I need right now.

Peter pulls to the curb within minutes and I open the door for Wren, allowing her to crawl into the back seat before I follow her, slamming the door behind us.

“Where to?” Peter’s gaze meets mine in the rearview mirror.

“Drive around for an hour, would you?” I shoot Wren a quick look to find her already watching me, her brows lowered in confusion. “I don’t want the afternoon to end just yet.”

Her smile is slow. Beautiful. “I don’t either.”

“Will do,” Peter says with a nod, shifting the car into drive before he pulls back onto the street.

“Where are you taking me?” Wren asks, her voice soft.

I could come up with a long list of cheesy responses, every single one of them crude and sexual, but I don’t say any of that. This girl is sweet and kind and so fucking pure, it’s almost painful. I treated her like absolute garbage for so long. Chased after her only a few days ago, making her practically beg me not to do anything to her.

We’ve come a long way, my little birdy and me. I don’t want to spook her by coming on too strong. But fuck, I want every piece of her. Her lips. Her tits. Her pussy. Her ass. I want to own her body and soul, and when we’re finished, when I’ve fucked her over and over and made her come so hard, she nearly blacks out, I want her to look at me as if I’m a god. As if I’m her god and she’ll promise herself to me, not her father. I want to take that ring her father put on her finger and toss it. Make her forget all of her earlier promises.

More than anything, I want to own her.

“Where do you want to go?” I ask her, my gaze catching on her coat. How thick it is. Looks expensive.

What would she say if I laid it out on the back seat and then proceeded to go down on her? Give her a little bit of what she’s wanting from that porn she watched last night?

Peter probably wouldn’t look.

Yeah. No. I can’t do anything like that. Again, I don’t want to scare her. And he doesn’t deserve to see her naked. No one should see her like that.

Except for me.

“Wherever you want to go.” She rests her cheek against the soft black leather seat, smiling up at me with adoring eyes. All of her trust is shining in the green depths. I can’t help but see it and feel pain, because if I fuck this up—and I’m bound to, I’m not good at shit like this—I will hurt her beyond measure.

And that is the last thing I want to do.





EIGHTEEN





WREN





I press my cheek against the cool leather seat, blatantly staring at Crew Lancaster, not caring one bit that I might look foolish. He doesn’t seem to mind.

Drinking in all the male beauty sitting in front of me is almost overwhelming, he’s so attractive. I love how his cheeks turned slightly pink thanks to the cold air, making him look younger. Softer.

Though there’s not much about Crew’s face that anyone could consider soft. He’s all hard angles and sharp lines. High cheekbones, firm jaw and square chin. Dark brows that are currently lowered as he watches me, those cool blue eyes growing warmer the longer he stares, as if he likes what he sees.

I like what I see too.

The only thing I can consider soft on Crew’s handsome face is his mouth. His lips are pink, the lower lip much fuller than the top, and they’re currently parted, his gaze lingering on my mouth until it lifts to meet mine.