But instead of sticking my cock in her, I suck harder and fuck her more intensely with my fingers until she's quaking in my arms, on the verge of orgasm.

She's writhing against me. Moaning so loud I'm sure my windows are rattling and begging for it. "I need your cock," she pleads, digging her fingernails into my shoulder.

Done with foreplay and on the edge myself with the way she's squirming against my dick, I remove my fingers and quickly replace them with my hard, throbbing cock. As I slide it in, a jolt of pleasure flows throughout my body and I still. This girl has me ready to explode by the way she moans my name and squeezes the life out of my dick with her pussy.

But instead of letting me control the movement, she starts to rock against me. Slowly at first then she picks up speed. I keep my mouth against her breasts, moving between them as if my life depends on them for survival. I'm lost in her. Lost in the feeling of her pussy wrapped around my cock, stroking it with her velvety insides.

My arm tightens when her pussy clamps down, her back bows backward, and she stills. I feel her orgasm building like a riptide inside of her, and I use my hips to thrust upward, tipping us both over the edge. There isn't a single sound as we come with so much force it feels as if even the air is sucked out the room like a vacuum.

When we both blink away the early morning sex haze, we don't detangle from each other at first. She stares at me and I stare at her, both of us wondering how we got here. I can see it in her eyes. I know how I got here. My cock led me astray, making me want someone I probably shouldn't. I still didn't know enough about Kennedy to really fall into bed with her so easily, but sometimes thought goes right out the window.

"Will I see you at the club later?" she asks and crawls toward the end of the bed, where her clothes now lie.

With her ass high in the air, giving me a view of everything I just had, immediately, I want more. "I'll be there," I tell her because, fuck...I haven't had my fill of her.

She dresses with her back to me, suddenly shy in my presence. "I'll call you later," she says over her shoulder, hooking her bra behind her back and smiling at me when she catches me watching her.

I almost want to punch myself in the face. I can't let her control me in this way. Tits and ass are not the be-all end-all of life. They're pretty fucking important, but I refuse to be led around by my dick. "Maybe I'll answer." Even I shock myself, but Kennedy turns to me as she pulls her V-neck sweater over her head and scowls.

"Two can play that game, Nix."

"Shut up, Ken." I smirk and motion to her with my fingers. "Get your ass over here and kiss me good-bye."

She saunters to me and leans forward, resting her hands against my chest and her lips within an inch of mine. "Do you like my pussy, Nix?" she purrs against my lips, thinking she's pulling me around by the balls the same way she does Hassan.

My cock twitches with appreciation at her use of the dirty word, and the thirst that seems to be unquenchable when it comes to her returns tenfold. I wrap my hand around the back of her neck, locking her in place. "I like your pussy, Kennedy, but you like my cock more." I nip her lip as she narrows her eyes. "You like my fingers and my tongue too." I nip her bottom lip again, this time a little harder before I run my tongue over the spot. "Now go and be a good girl before I have to spank you again."

Her eyes flash with anger before darkening. "Maybe I want to be spanked," she says, trying to take back the power I just ripped away from her.

My fingers tighten, and her mouth falls open. "Next time it won't be as nice, little girl." When she doesn't reply right away, I take the opportunity to press my mouth to hers and taste her sweetness once more before she leaves.

Her tongue curls around, almost trying to overpower my tongue as we moan into each other's mouth. It's a dangerous game we're playing, and we both know it. Maybe that's part of the infatuation and need we feel for each other. It's fueled by anger, uncertainty, distrust, but definitely attraction. Needing more, I turn her head, pulling her forward and deepening the kiss. By the time I release her, we're both panting.

She runs her tongue along her bee-stung lips and pushes away from me, straightening herself. "Fuck," she hisses when she realizes how long we've been at it.

"I'm thirty minutes late. My sister is going to have my fucking head."

"Tell her you were getting banged like a porn star." I cock my head and smirk. "I'm sure she'll understand."

She rolls her eyes. "You're still an asshole, Nix."

"I know," I tell her and cross my arms over my chest, knowing she doesn't have the upper hand.

She walks out the door, yelling "Peace" on her way. I can't wipe the dumbass smile off my face as I slide down the headboard and curl back into my sheets. It's entirely too early to be awake and coherent. Everything else can wait now that my need for Kennedy has been satisfied.

Six hours later, I'm sitting in the kitchen, my favorite room in the house, making phone calls that I had put off. Paperwork is spread all over the island, and I'm knee-deep in deals and schemes when Coco strolls in.

"You're going to be so proud," she sings loudly with a beaming smile when she walks into the kitchen in yet another outfit inspired by Sharon Stone's character, but this one is less overtly 007-ish.

I resist the urge to groan and swipe my hands across my face. "Oh, yeah?" Somehow, I pull off an upbeat, excited tone that's completely bullshit. I lean forward, resting my chin against my palm with my elbow on the counter. "What happened?"

She tosses her bag on the counter, and it makes a sound, which I can only imagine is her laptop banging against the hard marble, and rubs her hands together. "Last night before I met up with Connor, I tried something new."

Oh, fuck. This isn't going to be good. "What did you do?" I ask with gritted teeth because if I don't mash them together, I'm liable to shout the words at her out of anger.

"Cool your jets, Daddio." She laughs, sliding onto the stool across from me, and tosses her hair over her shoulders. "I finally did a little work."

My head jerks backward. Coco doesn't even know what the hell that word really means. "Work?"

"Yep," she says quickly and claps three times in quick succession. "So, I was telling a friend..."

I already know whatever she's about to say is going to make me want to put my fist through a solid object or wrap my hands around someone's neck. But instead of flying off the handle, I sit back and listen to what she has to say before I fly off the handle.

"I told her that I've acquired new skills. She was impressed and interested in hiring me. So last night, we decided to get back at her ex-boyfriend, Edward-he's a tool by the way-and we cleaned out his bank account. I fuckin' did it, Nix. I used that fancy little laptop you bought me and actually hacked a bank account. Aren't you fucking proud?"

She's beaming with pride, completely oblivious to the rage that's now gripping me. Leaning forward, I clutch the edges of the island and hold myself back from launching my body across the surface at her and doing something I know I'll regret. "How could you be so careless?" My voice is deep and controlled at first. "I thought I taught you better than that, Coco. What the fuck possessed you to be so fucking stupid?" Now I'm about to blow. My voice is rough, and my tone is anything but nice.

My words shock her as her mouth falls open and her eyes widen. "But I-"

"Don't fucking speak. Sit there and listen for once, goddammit. I never use my abilities for revenge. Never have I done a favor for a friend to get back at someone. It's stupid and careless. Just because you know the basics doesn't mean you understand how things are done in my world. I always thought you were impulsive, but never did I think you were so fucking reckless." I rise from the chair, coming around the island so fast I make her jerk her body backward instinctively. Wrapping my hand around her arm, I yank her off the stool. "You're going to get us both arrested with your bullshit."

Tears have formed in her eyes as she peers up at me. "I never meant to do something bad, Nix. Never." She shakes her head back and forth, but my hand tightens, causing her to freeze.

I'm filled with so much rage I can feel the veins in my neck protruding with each sentence, my blood pressure rising every moment she's in front of me. "You know how I run my business. You've been around me long enough to know how shit is done. There's a system. There are rules that need to be followed. You've taken business and made it personal, Coco. I knew it was a fucking mistake to let you into my world." Never have I been so angry with Coco, and even with all her teenage bullshit, I never raised my voice at her. I can't trust myself in this moment, filled with so much animosity.

She pulls away, tears spilling down her cheeks, and I release her out of fear that I can't control my actions. Her arms wrap around her chest as she hugs herself protectively. "I won't get caught. I was careful like you showed me. I swear I wasn't careless."

I start to pace, running my hands through my hair and cursing myself. "Fuck. You don't know enough to be careful. I swear to God, Coco, if you get caught, I'm not going to be able to help you."

"I know," she says with a sniffle. "But I won't." Her voice wavers with uncertainty, and she drops her eyes to the floor. "I'll never do it again, Nix. I promise."

"Goddamn right, you won't." I turn toward her but keep my distance. "We're done. I can't even have you as my assistant anymore. You're marked and could bring the heat on me that I've tried so hard to avoid."

She chokes on a sob, the impact of my words cutting her like a knife as she glances up at me. "I'm sorry," she whispers. "So, so sorry." She grabs her purse and starts toward the door as I stand in the middle of the kitchen, ready to go off like a fucking cannon. Before she leaves, she turns back and smiles softly. She wipes away her tears with the backs of her fingers. "I wouldn't be alive without you. Please know I never meant to hurt you. I love you, Nix."

"I love you too, Coco," I say, not trusting myself to say anything more. When I give her a quick nod, my cue for her to hit the road, she takes it and closes the door quietly behind her.

I'm angry with her, but I'm more pissed off at myself. I knew she wasn't ready for this. She was too caught up in the Hollywood glitz and glamour of the criminal world to realize what a shitshow it can be. It was my job to make sure she understood and talk her out of entering this life, my life, but I failed. I figured she'd lose interest and eventually go to college, but I was fucking stupid, and hopefully she didn't do something that could alter our lives forever.

No longer able to concentrate on my work or trust myself around anyone else, I grab my tennis shoes and go to the only place I know where I can punch someone in the face repeatedly without getting arrested-the gym. I need a workout, a good ass-beating to relieve some of the pent-up energy and frustration I feel from her actions before I head to the club tonight and see Kennedy. The last thing I need is to go off all half-cocked on another woman in my life.

Remorse floods me when the vision of Coco's tears and the fear on her face flash before me. Once I calm down and things settle, I will make things right with her.

I had no right to put my hands on her. I've never done that before, but I've also never let anyone into my world so completely that their actions could impact my life so profoundly. Coco was like my little sister, or maybe my kid, and I love her with everything that I have.

My controlled life has now officially become a shitshow.

19.

Kennedy

I've been putting my father off for a while now, and I can tell from his tone on the most recent voice mail he left that I'm going to have to call him back.

"You've got twenty-four hours to return my call before I send someone looking for you," he says in a clipped tone. "Not a text. I want to hear your voice."

He's worried about me, I guess. That's more than a little ironic. When I was a kid, my mom often didn't have his help when she needed it since we were his secret family. And now that I'm an adult, he wants to keep track of me?

I was about to walk into Beans to an End because I have a meeting at the Greenlight office, but instead, I sit down on a bench outside the coffee shop and press the button on my phone screen to call him back.

"Kennedy," he says, answering after just one ring. The relief in his voice makes me soften.

"Hi, Dad."

"Why haven't you called me or your mom back? We've been worried about you."

"I was traveling for work."

After a pause, he asks, "Traveling where?"

"My boss doesn't like me to talk about our work."

"I don't like the sound of that."

I laugh lightly. "Don't worry, Dad. Everything's fine. I've just been busy."

"Your mom and I want to come see you."

"Oh, it's not a good time."

"It's never a good time," he says shortly. "We've never even met your roommate, Kennedy."

"Why is that such a big deal? I'm twenty-three years old."

He sighs heavily. "It wouldn't be a big deal if it wasn't just one of many efforts on your part to exclude us from your life."

"Exclude you?" I draw my brows together with surprise.

"You're full of secrets and evasions, and frankly, I've had it. Your mom and I want to know what's going on with you."

I laugh bitterly. "I learned secrets and evasions from the best, Dad."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

Another sigh. "Since when do you disrespect me this way?"

"Since I figured out that I don't have to accept whatever scraps you're willing to throw me."

"Scraps?" His offended tone makes me roll my eyes. "I've always done my best by you, Kennedy. You know that."

"No, actually, I don't. I know that I grew up feeling ashamed of who I was. Worried that someone would find out the truth and it would hurt you."

"It would have hurt a lot of people," he says wearily.

"Yes, it would have. But all because of your bad choices."

"What's the point of doing this now? I have four children, and I love all of you equally. I've been calling because I'm concerned about you. Why throw things in my face this way?"

A lump burns in my throat, and I swallow it. "I've never gotten to say anything to you that you wouldn't like. Do you get that? Do you get what that feels like? No angsty teenage drama or complaints about you not being there for holidays? I wasn't allowed to tell you how I really felt. I had to keep it all inside, smile and take what little time I could get from you. Oh, and I either had to either hide in my house with you or pretend you weren't really my dad if we were spending time together."

"I've never been ashamed of you."

"But you were," I say, my voice breaking. "You were ashamed of all of us. You never would have owned up to the truth if you hadn't gotten busted."

There's a long pause before he says, "I might not have. I don't know. I never claimed to be a perfect man, Kennedy."

"There is a huge difference between perfect and what you've done. You never truly loved Mom or Reagan and Abby's mom because if you did, you couldn't have done that to them. You would have done anything to protect someone you loved, not cheat and live a lie that lasted decades."

"I don't know what to say. I'm sorry you've been holding this in for so long."

My shoulders drop as I exhale and lean back against the bench. "I didn't mean to jump on you so hard, it's just...you accusing me of being secretive hit a nerve, I guess."

"I can understand that."

"I wouldn't lie to you about everything being fine, Dad. I'm a twenty-something living in New York City, and calling my parents isn't at the top of my mind."