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AVAILABLE: Tuesday, October 14th
Shae Marino has wanted Peyton Bride for a long time. He has kept his distance, as he knows how desperate she is to make her parents' failing business work. But, when her sister mounts up a ridiculous amount of debt, he has no choice but to take payment, and he wants Peyton.
Peyton loved her parents. After taking over the bakery, she had no idea how they were able to keep on going. They had gone past the red, and with sister constantly needing money, she struggled to stay afloat. She somehow managed to get by—until her sister needed her.
To save her sister, she must give herself to Shae Marino. She never wants to see her sister again, so she will bargain with him. He can take her virginity, but he must keep her sister as far away from her as possible.
He agrees. She belongs to him, and he plans to keep her.
When trouble comes calling, she turns to Shae to help fix it. Now, there is no turning back. She knows what he is capable of, and it doesn’t scare her. She loves this man, and she will forever be by his side.
Peyton didn’t understand why he didn’t just come in and order himself. He also didn’t answer her question as to why. She figured maybe he got other people to do it because he saw it as demeaning. Maybe he was a snob. She knew he was the wealthiest man around. People admired him, envied him, and were also terrified of him. Rumors constantly run wild about this man. She did not know what to believe. Possibly none of it.
He had let her leave to change. One of his men had walked her upstairs, and Peyton expected to stay in a spare bedroom, only she had checked the closet and saw it full of Shae’s clothes.
Reality started to set in, and rather than have a full-blown panic attack, she walked into his bathroom, stripped down naked, and took a shower. It was nice and hot, and it felt really good.
She didn’t get a lot of sleep the previous night as she had been making plans for the fall baking. It was the season of cinnamon, pumpkin, apple, and there were so many ideas flowing through her head. Also, she loved to make Halloween treats the moment October hit. She enjoyed planning everything, then getting into the shop between five and five-thirty, she loved to just bake. Sometimes she played music, other times she didn’t and just worked in the silence, which was equally as enjoyable to her.
Tipping her head back, she closed her eyes and washed the day away.
At the end of this, she would still have her shop, but … she wouldn’t have her virginity. Her sister wouldn’t cause her any trouble. She had always dreamed of marrying a man she loved and being a virgin on her wedding night. It was outdated, she knew, but she didn’t like the idea of sleeping around with random men. It just wasn’t her.
Lily-May had always called her a prude, but she didn’t care. Love mattered. It was out there and it was real.
Only, that was not an option for her now. She had sold her body to keep her sister alive, and to also keep her sister as far away from her as possible. She had no choice.
Turning off the shower, as she didn’t want to waste all the hot water, she rung out her hair and grabbed a towel. Wrapping it around her body, she couldn’t help but notice how soft it felt. With another towel, she dried her hair as best she could. All of her hair products were at home. Towel drying was the best way to take care of it.
She didn’t look at her reflection. There was no reason to rub in the feelings that were running riot around her body. She felt a little sick to her stomach.
Stepping out of the bathroom, she came to a stop, as Shae was already in the bedroom. Like her, he was in a bath towel, and his hair was damp. He must have taken a shower elsewhere. She couldn’t help but look down at his body and see the many tattoos that covered his flesh. He had ink on his arms, most of them just designs of swirls or patterns. Not that she was an expert on artwork. They looked good.
His arms already appeared thick, and yet, with the ink, they looked … bigger. He was not a man to leave someone else to do his dirty work. He was hands-on. Shae was no coward.
Peyton looked at him and lost all words.
He took a step toward her, then another. She stayed rooted to the spot, and then he was right in front of her.
Her lips seemed to tingle as if they remembered he had kissed her. Those lips touching hers, no, more like ravishing her.
Peyton didn’t fight him as he slid his finger between her body and the towel, and he released the knot. The towel fell to the floor, and she was tempted to grab it, to try and cover herself, but she instead clenched her hands into fists, waiting.
He removed his own towel, and Peyton looked up, not daring to look at his … cock.
One of his hands touched her waist, and he pulled her in close. Body to body, she felt how hard he was as he pressed against her stomach.
“Put your hands on me,” he said.
