Seduced by the Assassin Read online

  “Did you miss me?”

  I frown. “You were gone?”

  “I left to take care of some business and grab a couple of things.” His grin widens. “But I guess you didn’t miss me at all.”

  Maybe not in my sleep, but being this close to Ransom now…

  “I did. Want me to prove how much?” I nip at his stubbled jaw and toss my thigh over his hip, entwining us.

  It’s no shock to feel his hard cock press against the pad of my pussy as he rolls me to my back and uses his strong thighs to spread my legs with a groan. Under him I lift my hips in invitation, gasping as his lips whisper up my throat before he settles his hot breath against my ear. “If you don’t stop tempting me, I’m going to say yes.”

  “Good.”

  “Flirty babygirls get fucked.”

  “Even better.”

  He takes my mouth, giving me one lingering press of his lips after another until I feel dazed and so slowly seduced it’s all I can do not to whine for more. But he pulls away. “After we talk. That has to come first.”

  The logical part of me knows he’s right. A lot of heavy stuff went down last night, and we threw caution to the wind. But to move forward, we have to communicate. I have lots of questions. He might, too. And we didn’t talk too much about what we both wanted with each other beyond sex. We simply lost our clothes and got busy.

  “Okay,” I sigh. “Give me five minutes in the bathroom.”

  He rolls aside. “I left you a clean toothbrush on the counter.”

  “Thanks. I’ll be right back.” With a shove of the covers, I put my feet on the floor, shivering against the chilly desert morning.

  “And while you go, I’ll enjoy the view. Damn, you have the prettiest ass I’ve ever seen.”

  It’s hard not to blush. Despite everything, I’m still not quite used to anyone seeing me naked, much less someone as gorgeous as Ransom.

  After a few minutes in the opulent bathroom, now filled with natural light, my teeth are clean. My finger-combed do still looks like I have major sex hair. My skin is flushed and rosy. And just like last night, my pussy is swollen and slick. Despite all that, I don’t look any different than yesterday morning when I woke up wondering if Ransom would come for me. But I feel different. I feel like I’m in love.

  Because you are.

  After opening the door, I’m disappointed to find Ransom standing in the middle of the room, wearing his jeans as he holds out his hand to me. But I guess if we tried to have this heart-to-heart naked, we wouldn’t get much talking done.

  “Come with me.”

  “Where are my clothes?”

  Another sly grin crosses his face. “You don’t need them.”

  “So you won’t find me distracting?” I tease him by dragging my fingers slowly across my thigh, barely stopping short of my pussy.

  His hot stare follows the motion. “Oh, I do. But this is too important to get sidetracked. If the conversation goes the way I hope, I’ll definitely be happy to let you distract me, because, damn… The view of your front is even better than the one from the back.”

  With a smile, I take his hand. He leads me down the shadowy hall and into the kitchen, then lifts me—bare-assed—onto the kitchen island. Across the room, Shadow lies cuddled on an upholstered chair at the breakfast table. She eyes us, seemingly decides we’re not a threat, then closes her eyes contentedly again.

  Ransom spreads my legs and steps between them. His expression turns solemn. He takes my face in his hands. “Havana, here’s the truth: I’m an assassin.”

  Since he delivers every word without a hint of humor, I don’t doubt him. And apparently, Ethan wasn’t BSing me. “I know.”

  Ransom raises a brow. “You do? And you’re not shocked?”

  “Maybe a little. Who do you work for, the mafia?”

  “That’s actually who we’re trying to shut down. The truth is, my youngest brother, Ridge, and I went into business together to take cases too dirty for the cops or the feds. Before that, we both served in different branches of the military. I was a SEAL. Ridge was Delta Force. Army. Rand and Rush were marines.”

  So he’s not one of the bad guys. My gut told me that all along. It was my head—trying to protect my heart—that filled me with doubt. “That’s badass.”

  He gives me a cynical shrug. “It also means we’ve all done things for God and country we never anticipated and we’re not particularly proud of. When an enemy combatant needed ending off the normal field of battle, I was usually chosen. They called me Glacier.”

  Ransom looks like he expects me to be horrified and walk away from him. I get the feeling he’s been judged before, so I blank my face and listen. “You were doing your job. And you got out.”

  He nods. “About five years ago. Ethan’s mom, Lydia, called to tell me she couldn’t handle him anymore and asked if I wanted full custody. I won’t diss her, because she did the hardest parts, birthing and getting him through the first fourteen years. But she was a child raising a child, and she didn’t always put Ethan first. My hitch was about up, and I’d been contemplating lucrative offers from the private sector. The timing worked out, so I left the navy and took Ethan. A few years ago, Ridge left Delta Force to tackle this bitch of a case. Personal reasons, he said. He wanted to end a mafia operation by infiltrating it from the inside.”

  “So that’s what you’ve been doing? That’s who shot you last night?”

  “Yeah. Marco Donzelli is a monster. He specializes in trafficking young women to rich buyers overseas who do unspeakable things to them before snuffing them out when they’ve lost their luster—or their fight. These are sick fucks, so when Ridge came to me with this case, we decided to go into business together. He’s insinuated himself in the organization and is feeding the feds information. I’ve been posing as a rival setting up shop. Donzelli’s right hand, Paul Carboni, was the one who tried to cap me last night. He won’t have that chance again. I made sure of it.”

  Meaning he killed the guy? Then again, what was Ransom supposed to do? The mobster wouldn’t have hesitated to off him. “When?”

  “This morning.”

  He looks really fucking collected for someone who ended another person’s life mere hours ago, but maybe he’s at peace knowing he put a stop to someone who only hurts others. “Wow.”

  “That means my part of this case is over. Ridge is almost ready to cash out and end Donzelli. Then it will be done.”

  “Won’t there be other capos or bosses or whatever they’re called who want revenge?”

  “Donzelli and the rest of the organization think I’m dead, so that solves my problem. Ridge’s situation is a little tougher, but the good news is, I think we have enough evidence to put the heavy hitters away for a long time. The rest are just underlings with no real power. They’re cockroaches who will scamper to the dark cracks of society and disappear. But if I’m wrong…I may be hired in the future to do a little exterminating.”

  It’s a lot to take in, and being in Ransom’s life will never be simple. On the other hand, he’s fighting for right, isn’t he? He cares about innocent people. Boys my age only give a damn about getting ass and getting wasted, which is why none of them ever interested me. Honestly, I can’t picture my life with anyone except Ransom. We’ll have challenges to work through, but doesn’t every couple?

  “Say something.” Ransom looks tense.

  “You ever off anyone besides criminals? I mean, you’re not the kind of guy someone would hire to blow away the cheating spouse they can’t afford to divorce, right?”

  He scowls. “Hell no. But the reality is, some criminals slip through the cracks of the justice system. They know the right people, have enough money to buy their freedom, or have lawyers who know how to subvert the adjudication process. They’ll never see the inside of a jail cell, and their crimes are too horrific to let them continue walking the streets. That’s where people like Ridge and me come in.”

  “Is this mafia thing the only o
ne you’re working on?”

  “It’s Ridge’s only case. For a while now. This has been my main focus for a few months, too, but I’ve got other cases back-burnered. It will be nice to pivot back to some that don’t require me to use my particular skill.”

  Ransom has a good heart. It isn’t his words alone that convince me. I see it in his eyes. I feel it in his touch. I know it in the way he’s finished raising Ethan. Ransom is solid. He’s honest. He’s everything I could ever want.

  “Thanks for telling me all that. But if you thought that would get rid of me, I’m sorry to disappoint you. I’m still stuck on you.”

  His smile as he pulls me closer is full of relief. “I’m not trying to get rid of you at all, babygirl. In fact…” He pulls something from his pocket, then opens his palm to reveal a sparkling diamond solitaire. “How about marrying me?”

  Oh, my god. That ring in his palm—hell, the earnest expression on his face—tells me he’s totally serious.

  My eyes widen. I clap a hand over my gaping mouth. But I know what I want. I know who my heart belongs to. “Yes!”

  I’ve never considered myself a super-emotional girl, but the joy on his face as he whoops and slides the ring on my finger has my eyes welling with tears. When the band fits perfectly, as if it was made just for me, the drops fall down my cheeks.

  Ransom cups my face in his hands. “I love you, Havana. I’m going to make you so happy.”

  “I love you, too. We’re going to make each other happy.” Then something occurs to me, and I bite my lip. “What about Ethan?”

  “We’ve talked. He knows how I feel. He’s happy for us. And he’ll be starting the next chapter of his life in a few months, after graduation. He just needs to decide whether he’s going to college first or heading straight for the military. Either way, the kid is solid and strong. He’s going to be fine.”

  “He is,” I assure him. “But he’s not a kid anymore. He’s a man now. The way he helped me, the way he was so cool under pressure… He’s amazing.”

  Ransom takes my hand and stares at his ring winking there. “If I didn’t know better, I’d worry you’re interested in him.”

  “Nope. Never really was.” I wrap my arms around Ransom’s neck. “I couldn’t get interested because his father is way hotter.”

  Suddenly, he presses his body tight against me and his lips capture mine. Just like our very first kiss in Ransom’s kitchen, he steals my breath—and my heart. I have a feeling the rest of my life will be filled with laughter, love, and the kind of toe-curling passion most of my friends have searched for endlessly in their hookups.

  “And Ethan already told me that if I married you, he’d have the hottest stepmom ever. But I’m way luckier. I’ll have the most amazing vet and wife.” He seizes my lips again, wrapping his fingers in my hair and unleashing all his raw passion into the kiss. When he finally pulls away, I’m panting hard, squirming on the granite, and praying he has plans to take me to bed again soon. “So…how fast can we get married?”

  “In a hurry?”

  “Yeah. I’m about two minutes away from picking you up off that counter and taking you back to bed. You’re still not on the pill. I didn’t stop for condoms, so…”

  If we keep this up, I’m going to get pregnant. “Unless we decide to stop having sex before the wedding—”

  “Is that what you want? If it is, I’ll wait, babygirl.”

  “What?” It’s sweet of him to offer, but… “Pfft, no. You said you’d take me back to bed in two minutes. The clock is ticking.”

  His wide grin matches my smile. “Yes, ma’am. I aim to please. How does a wedding next weekend sound? I’d say today, but I’d like to give my parents and my brothers the opportunity to be here.”

  Even a week leaves me virtually no time to find a dress or plan a wedding, but it’s Vegas. Someone can snap their fingers and make all that happen. Plus, I don’t care that much about the pomp. I just want to marry Ransom and start our amazing life together. “Perfect.”

  “We’ll let everyone know…soon. First, I have one more surprise for you.”

  Whatever he’s cooking up is keeping me from the orgasms he’s so great at giving, and every time I’m in the same room with Ransom, I just want to be close to him. On the other hand, I haven’t had anyone in my life care about me in so long. And his eager expression tells me this is important. “Surprise?”

  “Wait here.” He heads into the pantry. He’s gone a few minutes when I hear a faint click. An acrid scent fills my nose, like he’s lit something on fire. Then he turns, holding a fluffy round cake with pristine white frosting and eighteen lit candles flickering with every step he takes toward me.

  “Oh, my god!” What an incredibly sweet gesture. Ransom may be rough and dirty and badass, but he melts my heart.

  “Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you…” he sings, then sets the cake on the island beside me. “Blow out your candles, babygirl. Make a wish.”

  I turn to the cake and sit cross-legged, biting my lip. Then look up at him with my heart in my eyes. “I don’t need to. You already made it come true.”

  Thank you for reading Seduced by the Assassin! If you enjoyed it, please review and recommend it to your reader friends. That means the world to me!

  * * *

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  Want to see Ridge Garrison abduct the one-night stand who stole his heart—and get the surprise of his life?

  SEDUCED BY THE MAFIA BOSS

  Forbidden Confessions: Protectors, Book 4

  by Shayla Black

  Click to purchase!

  (will be available in eBook and print!)

  (audio coming soon)

  SEDUCED BY THE MAFIA BOSS

  Forbidden Confessions: Protectors, Book 4

  by Shayla Black

  Click to purchase!

  (will be available in eBook and print!)

  (audio coming soon)

  What will he risk to make his one-night stand last forever?

  * * *

  I’m Ridge.

  I’m living a lie—except the night I met Kristi.

  After hours of sweltering passion, I fell hard.

  And I vowed to end my enemies to claim her.

  Instead, she ran straight into danger.

  So I have to kidnap her.

  But she has a surprise for me, too…

  Now I’m even more determined to mete out justice so I can spend the next fifty years with her.

  Unfortunately, the mafia has a nasty habit of not letting go…

  * * *

  ***

  EXCERPT

  Ridge stiffens to something like unbendable steel when he whirls on me and grabs my hand. “Goddamn it. You just couldn’t fucking leave when I told you to. C’mon.”

  When he tugs, I shake my head. “What’s on the eighth floor?”

  “I can’t explain it to you here. We’re being watched. Fuck.” He grabs my shoulders. “Now you have to come with me. And it’s going to get ugly.”

  Before I can run, scream, tear off my clothes, or anything else that might attract attention, Ridge lifts me into his arms, against his chest, and carries me through the high rollers’ area.

  “What are you doing? Put me down!”

  He keeps walking like I didn’t speak, giving a flinty fuck-off stare to a blackjack dealer in the roped-off area, then nodding at a pair of suited hulks guarding a drape.

  As we reach it, they push the brocade back to reveal an open elevator. Ridge strides inside. The doors begin to close.

  I scream as if my life depends on it…because I’m starting to think it does.

  He drops me to my feet, plasters me against the wall of the elevator with his body, and covers my mouth with his hand. “It’s too late for that. You’re at my mercy now.”

 
Those dark eyes of his—the ones so full of warmth and desire nine short weeks ago—are like black ice now.

  “Don’t hurt me.” The plea slips out.

  If anything, his eyes turn colder. “Where’s your phone?”

  My last lifeline to 9-1-1 and the outside world? “I-I don’t have it.”

  Mouth pressing into a grim line, Ridge yanks the strap of my purse off my shoulders, rifles through my bag, finds the device, and powers it down before pocketing it. “I’m sorry.”

  Terror grips my throat. “What are you going to do to me?”

  He doesn’t answer, which only terrifies me more. Then the elevator dings.

  Eighth floor.

  The doors open to a shadowy, dank hallway. It’s outdated. It smells musty.

  I grab on to the safety rail in the elevator for dear life. I’m not letting go until Ridge gives me some answers. “Why are you bringing me here?”

  He lifts me again, bracing me against his chest and cutting me off from my last line of escape without remorse. “So we can…talk.”

  The way he says it? I don’t think that’s all we’ll be doing.

  WICKED AS LIES

  Zyron and Tessa, Part One

  Wicked & Devoted, Book 3

  by Shayla Black

  NOW AVAILABLE!

  (will be available in eBook, print, and audio)

  Click here to purchase!

  * * *

  He wants her…and he doesn’t care that she’s the enemy.

  * * *

  Chase “Zyron” Garrett left a bloody stint with Uncle Sam for the personal security business. His employment agreement forbids hookups with co-workers, which isn’t a problem—until Tessa Lawrence, the office secretary and single mom, is harassed by her vengeful ex-boyfriend. Zy is assigned to protect her, but the moment he meets the gorgeous blonde, those contractual restrictions tighten around him like a noose.