Fuck Rhett to hell for doing this to me. Even taking away the emotional stress he was putting me through hoping he would somehow be able to pull himself from the mess he was in with The Iron Colt Brotherhood, the man had sentenced me to complete and utter torture.

I didn’t think even the strongest of monks who had sworn complete celibacy would be able to resist Makayla Knox. To say the woman was beautiful really wasn’t a strong enough description. Her big innocent eyes had a power over me every single time I looked into them. I wasn’t a man to just kiss a female. In fact, I wasn’t much of a kisser. I preferred to fuck and be done. Kissing was just fluff that I would do to get in a girl’s pants if I absolutely had to. But with Makayla, it was all I could do to not kiss the girl—repeatedly.

And I blamed Rhett.

So, if the asshole somehow came out of this in one piece, I was going to kick his ass.

How could he blame me for wanting to fuck his daughter? He had sent a goddamn siren to me and then locked me away, with her being my only companion.

What the fuck did he expect?

Control. He expected control.

But fuck that. I had none. None at all.

Sitting on the porch drinking coffee, I stared out onto the shimmering lake and watched a single boat floating in the distance. I loved this place. I loved every single thing about it… except for my current situation with Makayla. I had brought girls to the house before. It was a romantic setting and a sure way to have a getaway full of sex. Rhett and Minka used to tease me about always bringing a new girl, but never repeating. They would play nice with the girl of choice, but they said it was hard to commit any amount of energy getting to know the visiting woman because it was definitely going to be the last time they ever saw her.

The sound of running water through unused pipes told me that Makayla was in the shower. Hopefully, a cold one. I didn’t need her to come out and try to resume what I had somehow managed to walk away from. I’d walked away from sex. What sane man did such a thing?

Though what sane man even got in that situation to begin with?

For Christ’s sake, she was a kid. A virgin. Rhett’s daughter. Off limits.

Realizing I had to keep Makayla—and her delicious nude body—off my mind, I decided work was the best thing. Pulling out my phone, and happy that I had at least a little signal, I decided to call Kenneth and check in with Spiked Roses. I had left in such a hurry, that I wanted to put everyone’s mind at ease.

Kenneth answered the phone almost immediately. “Hey man. We were just talking about you. We’ve been worried. Hey, hold on a sec. I’m going to put you on speakerphone. We are all sitting around the table now and meeting. You can talk to us all at once.” I waited for the second it took for Kenneth to switch over, and heard him say in a far off voice. “So what’s going on?”

“It’s a fucking mess,” I began. “I got a letter from my old business partner and best friend asking for a favor that made me have to leave right away.”

I recognized Roman’s voice ask, “Was that Makayla Knox’s father? Is that why you had to take her too?”

“Yeah. Sorry guys. I hope that didn’t leave you short staffed, but I really had no other choice. My friend felt his daughter’s life was in danger and asked for my help in getting her to a safe spot.”

“Are you in danger?” I heard Harley Crow ask. “Do you need our help? I’m here for you if you need me.”

“I wish it were that simple. But there’s nothing any of you can do to help. Trust me, if I could think of a way, I would,” I said, still trying to rack my brain on ways these men could help. They were some of the most fucking powerful and connected men I knew, and if anyone could help, it would be them. Taking a deep breath, I decided to tell them more. I trusted these men more than anything. “It involves a secret society that I’m sure you have all heard of. The Iron Colt Brotherhood. My friend Rhett and I are members. Our fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers all have been.”

“Yeah, I’m a member, though not active,” Roman said, though it made complete sense since he was a prince. Royal blood ran thick and heavy in the brotherhood. “Does this have something to do with the ritual coming up?”

“What ritual?” I heard Matthew ask. “I haven’t heard of this group.”

“I have,” Lennon added. “Some sick shit happens at these rituals.”

“I’ll let Roman fill you all in on the brotherhood and the ritual since I don’t have a lot of time,” I said, looking into the house to see if she had come into the main room or kitchen yet. “I don’t want Makayla overhearing me talking to you all about it. But yes, it has to do with the ritual. Makayla’s name was drawn, and now Rhett, as any father would do, is refusing to give her up. So now, his life is on the line. But until this all plays out, he has asked that I stay at a lake house with Makayla to keep her away from all that and safe. I’m not sure when I’ll be back, but I just wanted you all to know what is going on.”

“Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do?” asked Roman. “I have some connections there and maybe can cash in some favors.”

“No. Please don’t. I don’t want your name going on a rock. And if I could think of a way to stop the plans for the ritual, I would. But I also know that this group and their activities have gone on for so long, that if there was a way to make a change, it would have happened by now. You can’t change something so thick in tradition and backed by so much wealth and power.”

“Well, I’m here if you need me,” Roman added. “I’ll attend the ritual if you need me to. Anything.”

“I appreciate that, Roman,” I sighed, “but I don’t want anyone else messed up in this shit.”

“Well, we have everything taken care of here at Spiked Roses,” Kenneth said. “Watch your back and keep us posted.”

I hung up the phone, then I checked some emails and touched base with a few other business associates. I had been doing a pretty damn good job keeping my mind off Makayla until she walked through the screened door onto the porch with a cup of steaming coffee in her hands.

“Working?” she asked as she walked over and sat down next to me in her favorite rocker.

I nodded. “Not much, but checking in.”

“Have you heard from my father?”

I looked at her to try to read her expression, though her blank stare at the lake as she sipped on her coffee gave me nothing. “No. Not yet.”

“Do you think we will?”

“Yes. He said he would, so I know he will.”

“But he’s fucked right? You feel he is?”

I sighed. “I know your father is a resourceful man. If there is a way out of the mess, then he’ll find it. We just have to give him the chance to do so. Knowing you are safe will keep his mind focused on what needs to happen.”

“So what are we going to do today?” Makayla still hadn’t really looked at me and seemed to be putting up a wall around herself. There was a level of distance present now that hadn’t been there before. Even though she was being nice… she was far away.

Good.

I took a long sip of my coffee and watched the picturesque scene before me, grateful that we weren’t discussing the awkward situation of both seeing each other naked and the fact that we’d been moments from fucking.

“Grocery shop, for one. Unless we want to live off of wine in the cellar,” I said, trying not to remember getting drunk and kissing her last night.

“Doesn’t sound like a bad diet,” she said, turning to me and giving me a smile, though not as warm and endearing as last night. Was she feeling the same level of regret I was for our transactions?

“I think I want to go for a swim first. Shake off the wine haze I feel from last night,” she said, standing and stretching her body. “Care to join me?”

“That water is fucking cold. Plus it’s not exactly warm out right now. Are you insane?”

She giggled. “You always were a fuddy duddy. Mama and I would always have to go into the lake without the big strong men. I remember once when we were walking down to the dock, I overheard Mama calling you both pussies under her breath.” Makayla glanced over her shoulder and winked at me. “I guess some things never change.”

Acting offended, I asked, “Are you calling me a pussy?”

“Simply stating a fact is all.”

“Well, I’ll show you who is and isn’t a pussy,” I said as I swiped off my shirt and headed toward the dock. “I’ll be in that frigid water before you and be able to stay in it longer. Then we’ll see who the real pussy is.”

“Oh the challenge is on,” Makayla shouted, sprinting toward the dock giggling as she shed her shirt, revealing a white lace bra.

I didn’t have time to observe or appreciate the way her breasts looked in such little material because I was too busy undressing as I ran toward the pier. Maybe it was Makayla, and it was most definitely the lake house, but I became a changed man when I was here. I felt a sense of freedom and acted like someone I didn’t recognize, a whimsical free spirit. Or at least I acted like someone I hadn’t been in a long time. Not since Minka’s death and never returning the lake.

I was the first to make it to the end of the dock, and hopping out of my jeans as quickly as I could since I could hear the pitter patter of Makayla’s feet running down the dock my way, I dove in without thought. Dove in without thinking about how unbelievably cold the water would be.

Completely submerged and sinking to the bottom, it took me several moments for my body to recuperate from the shock of it all. As I came to the surface, I looked up to find Makayla in her jeans and white bra looking down at me, laughing to the point of tears.

“How’s the water?” she asked between her laughs.

“Come in and find out for yourself,” I said, treading water and hoping my limbs wouldn’t freeze off.

“Oh hell no,” she said with a laugh. “I’m not that stupid. It’s cold!”

“What? You were the one who wanted to jump in!” I said as I watched her continue to laugh so hard she had to bend at the waist and rest her palms on her legs to catch her breath.

“And it worked! I tricked you into jumping in!” She continued to laugh. “I never had any intention of getting into the freezing lake.”

I suddenly felt the fool, but couldn’t help but laugh myself. “Oh, I’m going to get you for this!”

She shook her head. “There is nothing you can do to top this. You should have seen your face when you came out of the water.” Her laughter continued, and it was hard not to want to laugh along with her—it was damn near contagious.

“Yeah, well thanks to you, I may have frozen my balls off.” I swam to the ladder so I could get the fuck out of the lake. “Could you at least get my clothes ready so I don’t have to suffer once I get out?”

Makayla gathered my scattered clothes as she continued to giggle. When I reached the top of the dock, she held out my pants with those big blue eyes of hers batting her eyelashes innocently.

“I’m going to get you for this,” I said as I bolted for her, grabbed her into my arms, and picked her up.

She squealed. “No! Put me down. The water’s too cold.” She wiggled and fought me, but I had her fully at my mercy as I dangled her body over the edge of the dock.

“Time for you to see how cold the water is for yourself.”

“No! Please,” she said as she giggled and clung her arms around my neck. “I’ll do anything! Just don’t drop me.”

I froze, but still kept her over the ledge. “Anything?” I asked with a smirk as she looked up at me wide-eyed.

“Anything!”

“Dinner? You’ll cook dinner?”

She nodded. “Yes! Dishes too. Just don’t drop me.”

I gently placed her back down on her feet, and bent over to pick up my jeans she’d dropped in her struggles. “Well, in that case…”

As I stood, my eyes were captivated by her bare tummy leading up to her white bra. Though now that I had held her against my soaked body, her bra was just as wet as I was. I could see her pink nipples clearly through the fabric. My cock hardened and I couldn’t make myself look away. It took all my strength to look up into Makayla’s eyes to see that she watched me as I gazed upon her perfect pert tits and mouthwatering nipples.

Her eyes cast down to my hardened dick. There was no hiding my arousal since I stood there in nothing but wet boxers.

I should have put my pants on and walked back up to the house and tried to pretend like nothing just occurred. I should have done something. Anything. But not what I did.

I shouldn’t have done what I did.

I shouldn’t have looked into her passion-filled eyes.

Her lips.

And back down to her exposed breasts just begging to be sucked.

I shouldn’t have done anything, and yet… I did.

Scooping her up into my arms, I kissed her hard on the lips as I carried her over the dock and across the yard. Over and over, I danced my tongue with hers as I walked back to the house in blind lust. She clung to me and returned my kiss with just as much passion and desire as I was feeling.

I was done fighting this. I was done denying what would ultimately happen no matter how hard I tried to resist.

Wrong or right.

Taboo and fucked up.

Makayla was going to be mine.