For the Love of Chocolat

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  For the Love of Chocolat

  Copyright © 2012 by Sienna Mynx

  ISBN: 978-1-61333-195-8

  Cover art by LFD Designs

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC

  Look for us online at:

  www.decadentpublishing.com

  ~Also by Sienna Mynx~

  The Heist

  Lees Girls Series – Volume I

  For the Love of Chocolat

  Volume II

  Lee’s Girls Series

  By

  Sienna Mynx

  ~DEDICATION~

  For Lee’s Girls! You know who you are.

  Chapter One

  “I want to talk to you.”

  “Get out, Lee.”

  Michelle tied her robe. Her hair hung limp and off her shoulders from her recent shower. He watched her push wet strands from her brow before she again turned from him. She spurned his touch, evaded his questions, and refused his apology. He’d had enough. It would end today. He wouldn’t stand for it.

  Though she appeared tired, impatient, Lee found her exceptional in every way. Especially when she glared and he could see the determined defiance in those captivating eyes, with long lashes over liquid-brown irises. She bewitched him when she was just a girl, and her hold had never lessened.

  It had been almost a week since she’d learned the truth of his betrayal. A devious plot he devised with her sister to snare her in his web had given them both more than he ever bargained for. He’d given her space, time to get over her anger and disappointment. Lee wasn’t a patient man, but he tried. However, he wouldn’t be able to do so much longer. In fact, he refused to tolerate her punishment.

  Before entering her room, he’d rehearsed his speech. He’d paced outside of her door, unsure of himself. He had never felt such desperation. Lee gauged his words carefully. He wanted back into her heart and her bed. He’d been so close to having her, but now all the familiar walls were up. The fault lie with him. But the love they now shared couldn’t be laid at his feet. The past weeks they’d bonded and dealt a serious blow to the enemies who killed the man they both loved—her father. Michelle had made him love her. She couldn’t walk away from them emotionally, not now.

  “It’s been a week. You’ve been ignoring me,” Lee said.

  She crossed the floor, headed for her dresser. Inside small wooden drawers lay all her belongings, neatly folded and laundered. Thinking she’d like it, he’d even had dried lavender sprinkled at the bottom of the drawer. He wanted to make her as comfortable as possible. It’s the least he could do, considering he had her place emptied without her permission. That had surely pissed her off. Now she stayed in his fortress, in his bedroom, sharing his bed. But he’d have to start a bonfire in the room to ward off the chill he found under the covers beside her. What man could lie next to the woman he desired so deeply and not touch her? He knew not to even try, and it made him resentful. She should be happy. What he offered, the life he offered, was miles from where he’d found her. But she forced them to dwell in misery.

  Plucking out a black lace bra and panty, she slammed the drawer. “I haven’t been avoiding you. I just have no desire to see or speak to you,” she said coolly.

  “Sweetness.”

  Michelle whirled on him, her face tight and tense with fury. Her pretty features strained against the hard lines of disapproval twitching at the corners of her mouth. Lee tried to maintain his cool. He wasn’t the man to beg. He’d hate to have to remind her of his limits.

  “What did you expect, Lee? You lied to me. You used my sister to top it all off. Now thanks to you, we’ve got more people out there wanting us both dead. You’re lucky I haven’t rolled over in the middle of the night and slit your throat.”

  Lee shrugged off the threat. At least she was speaking to him again. “I did more than betray you. I got you your vengeance for Pops’ death. I saved Sasha’s life after she was foolish enough to risk it by coming into our world.”

  “Saved her? Is this what you call it? You’re the one who sent her into Rawhead’s freaky death club to risk it in the first place!”

  “She’s alive, damn it! I’m still protecting her, and you.”

  Michelle shook her head, dismissing him. Lee crossed the room. He stepped into her line of vision. He didn’t want to alienate her, or worse, incur her wrath. Michelle was his match in more ways than he could accept. She would not be bullied. “I expect you to stop denying your feelings for me, woman. You knew who I was and who I wasn’t the moment you said yes, sweetheart. You yourself said there was something about the first job, and what didn’t sit right with you. A lot has happened since then, a lot has happened between us.”

  “I can’t believe you are trying to justify things!” Her control over her emotions slipped.

  He knew he hurt her, but the pain in her eyes said the wound ran deep. Again it gave him hope. She had feelings for him. Good or bad, he’d take any emotion over the invading distance between them.

  “Justify? Hell no, I’m just trying to explain.”

  “Why?” She folded her arms. “Why explain anything to me? You got what you wanted, oh…wait, there is something more, isn’t it? Stealing the Jesus Stones for you from that museum wasn’t enough. Going to that island of thieves and murderers to bring down Pops’ killer with you wasn’t enough. No. You want more. You want the Chalice? That’s why you’re in here sniffing around? You want your golden goblet, don’t you?”

  Her father had died over the Chalice. Neither he nor Michelle had believed the thing existed but they knew differently now. Pops had uncovered an ancient artifact that governments were hunting for. He tried to start a war with The Order, an elite group of smugglers and thieves who controlled the black market. He’d failed and the Chalice had been lost to them all. Of course, she would think of the priceless artifact with scorn. The truth was, the Chalice could change both their lives. Forever. Hadn’t she considered what their alliance could bring? If he didn’t find the damn thing, their enemies would.

  “What I want, what I’ve wanted for the past week, is just you,” Lee said. A sense of urgency drove him, and he planned to keep the flaw concealed. He feared she really might not have any use for him, or his heart, after everything he’d put her through. A normal woman would run for her life. But his Chocolat, a nickname she’d earned early in the business from her father, feared little. Courage and stubbornness were characteristics they shared in common. They both valued loyalty beyond anything else. He wouldn’t be easy on the forgiveness if she had betrayed him the way he hurt her. Still, he remained powerless to keep from expecting her to try.

  “It’s love, Michelle. What can I say? I want your love,” he confessed.

  When she didn’t step away, the urge to touch her, feel her skin again, overwh
elmed him. He clenched one hand into a fist. He couldn’t push. She wasn’t a woman who would respond to threats, intimidation. She wasn’t a woman to respond to seduction or manipulation. He had to be raw with her, and vulnerability was risky in their business.

  Her eyelids fell shut. Lee cupped her chin. He moistened his lips when her arms dropped and the front of her fluffy white robe parted a fraction of an inch to reveal her cleavage. “I need you back in my bed, back in the life with me, you know what I mean. I want all of it—good and bad. Stop pushing me away. I won’t let you go.”

  Those long, dark lashes resting against her high cheekbones parted an inch. Her amber irises glistened under their shadow. Could she be shedding tears for him? Or was it simply because of him? He’d seen her weak only twice, and both times it had to do with her father. Then she spoke and he had no choice but to step away.

  “Sorry, Lee. Your sex pass has expired. I’m tired of you.”

  She walked around him. He extended his left arm to stop her. When she again tried to evade him, he reached out possessively and brought her back. Crossing her arms in front of her, she stalled his effort to embrace her. Lee held her against him. He’d fight all night for his reward.

  ***

  The strength of Lee’s hold stunted her breathing. His heart had become her weakness. Lee’s chin rested on her shoulder when he spoke. His voice sounded tired, almost as soul-weary as hers.

  “Talk to me,” he said in a broken whisper.

  Michelle lowered her arms, feeling the exposure at the front of her robe. She had grown tired of the argument. Not because of his pleas. It was simply pointless. Lee would not release her from their deal. If she wanted out of this tangled mess her life had become, she needed to be smart. She needed to take her emotions off the table. From this moment on, she needed to be focused.

  The pad of his finger traced along her collarbone, and then lightly lifted the trim to her robe. He pulled it over her shoulder, revealing her left breast. Her nipple stung from the exposure. It ached to be touched and so did she. Michelle’s eyelids fluttered for an instant as her body reminded her how delicious Lee’s mouth and tongue could be. All she had to do was say yes.

  “Let me go.” She breathed softly, turning her face to conceal how much she enjoyed their emotional tug-of-war.

  Lee brushed his lips across the outer curve of her ear, pushing her wet, frizzing hair aside. “I want to make love to you. It’s a good place to start.”

  The tie to her robe loosened. Before she could utter her protest, it was drawn open and his touch was instant. What was she to do when his strong, long-fingered hands roamed down her belly and continued south?

  “I haven’t been inside you in so long,” he groaned. “It’s killing me.”

  He cupped her sex and his middle finger rubbed her, gently but obscenely.

  “Just stop it, Lee.” She pushed back against his chest. Lee kissed her cheek, then rained softer kisses downward, gathering her tighter in his arms. She stiffened momentarily to the feel of his lips pressing against her neck, above her pulse. His tongue grazed the spot, and she exhaled her release. Squeezing her thighs together, she flattened her lips into a thin, determined line. There was a lapse of her conscious state. One minute she was aware of his hands caressing every inch of her inside her robe, the next his finger had returned. A single, thick digit pumping in and out of her channel forced her to rise on her toes.

  “I’m a bad man, aren’t I?” His voice was calm and seductive.

  “You’re playing games,” she answered, scarcely aware of how her body drew nearer to his. Her hips moved and her knees buckled.

  “No, no sweetness, this isn’t a game. This is me and you. The way we are. I love you. Not afraid to say it. Nothing will change it. No matter how much you wish it would.”

  Michelle bit down on her tongue. She held tight to his arms as he inserted another finger, and her stomach coiled tighter than a pretzel-knot.

  “Tonight, I’ve set up something nice for you. To make up for everything and put us back on track.”

  “I don’t think we…should,” she stammered.

  “It’s not a time to think. Feel this.” He thrust both fingers in and out until her head dropped on his shoulder, and she shuddered through a release. He removed his hand. He yanked the robe free from her skin, tugging the sleeves off her arms. “If you’re too mad to make love to me, let me fuck you instead.” He bit down hard on her earlobe, reminding her how she liked it rough.

  “Why can’t we stop this?” She shrugged him off. “If you love me, Lee, then prove it. Do something that doesn’t serve you and your needs.” She broke free just before he lowered her to the bed.

  “Why should I? My word is law here.”

  “Not over me! You aren’t the ruler of me. Get out!”

  He reached for her. Michelle grabbed his wrist and applied enough pressure to force her command. Lee winced and drew back. He narrowed his eyes on her. Michelle covered herself and shielded the last of her vulnerability. Lee wiped his mouth, watching her with hard, unforgiving eyes. She could tell he wanted to force her, but even he knew better than to try. Running his hand through his hair, he blew out a strained breath.

  “It’s hanging in your closet. I want you to wear it tonight.” He pointed a finger at her. “Wear the damn dress!”

  “Go to hell!”

  Lee’s jaw locked on the sharp reply she knew he was ready to fire off. Instead, he paced his frustration and lowered his tone. “How about this instead? If we can find the Chalice together then I’ll let Sasha go. Set her up somewhere. She can start over, away from Rawhead’s reach, and you can retire from the business. No more heists. No more of this life. You can go straight, but remain with me, of course.”

  Michelle laughed. “You lie so much, even you can’t believe the things coming out of your mouth. And nothing you promise now means anything to me, Lee.”

  “Is it really lying, Michelle, or just keeping you from certain truths?”

  “Same thing.”

  Lee winked. “See you at dinner. I can’t wait to see you in the dress.”

  She watched him go. Michelle had run it all over in her head these past weeks. Pops’ final hustle had been a bust. Her life left in shambles. All he’d accomplished was chaining her to the past. She thought revenge would give her peace. Instead, she’d been unable to let go her hatred of the co-conspirator in her father’s murder. It gave her nightmares. She could still hear Nancy’s whining pleas in her sleep.

  At every turn she came up empty. Lee was at war with men he once was loyal to. Sasha had a contract on her head. If she really thought on it, there was only one solution. She’d have to return to the one person who would know where she could find the Chalice. If her instinct proved right, the priceless artifact could give her all the leverage she needed to climb out of the dark spiral she felt herself slipping into. Even better, if she got her hands on it behind Lee’s back, she could use it to destroy him.

  Michelle touched her belly as a swirl of conflicting emotions churned painfully in her head. Every time she tried to deal with her feelings for Lee, something else surfaced to remind her he was the devil incarnate. Their obsession and dark passion would destroy them both if she didn’t find a way to get free.

  A soft knock rapped against the door. When she lifted her head, Sasha stepped inside. “Hey sis, can we talk?”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I had one of Lee’s men bring me. You haven’t accepted my phone calls or returned them.”

  “Go. I don’t want to see you.”

  “Michelle, I’m sorry. Hear me out, please? I don’t know why I did it. I wanted to finish what Pops started. I thought I could learn how to make our own fortune. I lied. I played Lee’s game and it cost you big. Having you steal those diamonds while thinking I was being kidnapped was low. I get that. It was unforgivable. But I love you. With all my heart, I love you. This is Pops’ legacy, what he wanted for us. To be the best jewe
l smugglers, right? It’s what he wanted.”

  “You have no idea what Pops wanted. He wasn’t just a jewel thief, Sasha. He was a lying drunk, who thought his redemption was saving his daughters. He stole from these men and gambled with our lives in the process. He cursed us both. Now you and I have his treachery for a legacy.”

  “It’s not true. He was our father. He saved us from foster care and junkie mothers. He gave us a home, Michelle, and taught us this business. I know you wanted to be a doctor and away from this, but it’s not you. I’m your sister. I know this is in your blood just like it’s in mine.”

  “I ought to wring your neck,” Michelle snapped. “You went to Lee and trapped us both? What does that say about sisterhood?”

  “I messed up, okay?”

  “No! It’s not okay. This isn’t stealing my favorite dress, or sneaking a joint from my purse. You have killers hunting for us both. You got us indebted to one of the most dangerous men in The Order.”

  “I never meant to.”

  “Too late. It doesn’t matter what you meant to do. You don’t get to apologize it away. To make it worse, Lee thinks he’s in love with me now. Do you understand what that means? That means I can never get my life back. He will always be there, and I will always be tied to him, thanks to those diamonds you tricked me into stealing for him.”

  “Is his love so bad?”

  Michelle glared.

  ***

  Sasha bit her lip in an attempt to stop the surge of tears welling in the corners of her eyes. Kumar told her to try. She believed him when he said her sister could forgive her transgressions. Why wouldn’t she? Michelle had taken care of her all her life. Pops made them part of his criminal lifestyle. Michelle protected her from the moment she was old enough to understand the reasons why. And when Sasha messed up, Michelle was there offering forgiveness. But this was going to cost her big. Bringing Leith Sullivan into their lives was the mistake she couldn’t undo. Now everything between them felt like a Greek tragedy, and still her manipulations and schemes weren’t the greatest offense. If Michelle ever learned of the secret Sasha shared with Lee, she’d lose her sister forever.