Sofia ran to help Daniel when he came through the door with his food load. “Oh my gosh, I’m starving. I’m the luckiest woman in the world to be marrying the greatest, sexiest cook on the planet.” She took the chip bags from his teeth.

  “Sorry, I slobbered all over it.”

  She laughed. “Ewwww, you did!”

  “I warned you,” he said, chuckling.

  They got all their goodies situated on the bed. “You made my plate?” Sofia smiled.

  “Well I couldn’t exactly bring the pots in here, so yeah.”

  “You’re so sweet.”

  “If you insist.”

  “Mmmmm, Daniel,” she sighed, shoveling food in her mouth. “Soooo good, why do I love food so much? I’m going to get fat and not fit in my dress.”

  “I won’t let that happen, don’t worry.”

  “Oh? Will you chain me to the bed?”

  “Yes, and force feed you vegetables.” He took a bite of his food and grinned. “At all orifices.”

  She snickered with wide eyes then grimaced. “That could be painful.”

  Daniel chewed, sexy even doing that, his eyes roaming her face. “Only if you wanted it to be.”

  Sofia gasped, feigning shock. “Sadist!” She stabbed a piece of tender beef. “Geeze we’re naughty.” She grinned up at him and found him smiling back as though he agreed and loved it.

  “You are a lot of fun, I have to admit.” He got the wine and a glass and poured her some.

  “Trying to get me drunk?”

  “I prefer you extremely coherent when you orgasm.”

  She sipped her wine, staring at his sexy mouth, curved with a sweet smile. “I like to orgasm.” She laughed at her stupid comment. “Kinda stating the obvious.”

  “No, I like when you tell me. Love to hear you talk.”

  “Well that I can do well.” Sofia dug through the goodies he brought and moaned on one of his bread rolls. Then moaned on a bite of his mac and cheese, like the cheesiest on the planet. And hell, the zucchini and yellow squash with bacon was orgasmic. When Sofia glanced up at Daniel, he was just watching her. She slowed her chewing. “I remember that look,” she mumbled around her food.

  “What look?”

  “You had it that night I ate at your dining table.”

  “Yes. I remember. The night you tried to seduce me.”

  She gasped a laugh, covering her mouth and shaking her head. “Me? Wait, tried?”

  He smiled. “Yes you. And yes you succeeded.” He took a drink of wine. “You’re irresistible when eating and making all those noises.” He licked his lips. “I found your g-spot that night.”

  Sofia’s womb clenched with the vivid memory. “Yes, you did.” Electrical currents skittered through her at meeting his intensely hot gaze. “Right after I almost broke your penis puzzle.”

  He laughed. “That’s right.” His face sobered a little. “You were so different. I’d never encountered a woman like you before. You made me do things I wasn’t supposed to. Feel things I wasn’t supposed to.” His gaze lowered to her chest. “I like your shirt, by the way.”

  She smiled. “Thank you. I got it from my fiancé.”

  “He’s a lucky man.”

  “And he’s very sexy.” She licked her lower lip, heat pulsing between her thighs now.

  “Is he.”

  She nodded.

  He took another drink of wine. “So where’s my present?”

  Sofia glanced around for the box and crawled to fetch it on the end of the bed.

  “Stay like that,” Daniel said.

  She paused on all fours and peeked over her shoulder at him. He downed the rest of his wine and angled his head, staring between her legs. “You are absolutely perfect.”

  Sofia smiled and turned with the box, handing it to him. “Thank you.”

  He took the gift and lifted the lid. He pulled out the t-shirt and held it up. “Sofia loves Daniel.” He stood and ripped his t-shirt off and put the new one on.

  “It’s silly, I didn’t expect you to wear it, I just always wanted…”

  He’d walked over and pulled her to her knees on the bed. And kissed her. Tender and sweet, his hands cradling her face. “You have no clue how much I love it,” he whispered, his voice thick.

  She stared at him, awestruck with his brutal beauty. “Show me.”

  He gazed down at her, his fingers slipping into the hair at her temples as he lowered. His hot breath hit her mouth just before his lips pushed hers open and his tongue slipped inside. Sofia forgot to breathe as he stroked with a reverence, taking his sweet time to explore her mouth like it were some new treasure that fascinated him. He turned his head this way and that until he had her whimpering and moaning.

  He suddenly gasped and held her entire jaw with one hand, his kiss turning ravenous. He was all raspy velvet and silk until she was dizzy. She clung to his neck, and Daniel slipped his hand in her panties and sank his finger deep inside her. His groan swallowed Sofia’s cry and without letting up on his kiss, he stroked her core until her bones felt like fire.

  He finally broke the kiss, his breath ragged. Still holding her jaw while fingering her, he rasped, “You mean the world to me Sofia.”

  “Oh God,” she half whimpered. Her eyes closed as his finger rammed her g-spot. “I want you in me.” She blindly caressed his cock. “Make love to me.”

  Daniel gave a painful groan and pulled his finger out of her before tearing his jeans off. Sofia worked the buttons on her shirt but wasn’t fast enough for him. He yanked the shirt open and kissed her as he peeled it off her arms then eased her back onto the bed, shoving dishes out of his way as he went.

  “On your stomach,” he commanded, “hands above your head.

  Sofia turned over and did as he said, grabbing a handful of comforter.

  Daniel spread her legs wide. “Lift your ass for me.” She didn’t need to be told but loved when he did. “Now play with your clit.”

  Sofia reached under her and began working her finger over the slippery bud, pumping her butt.

  Daniel’s thumb barely teased on the tight opening between her ass cheeks, fingers splayed over her butt, his cock pressing at her entrance. Sofia turned her head, trying to see.

  “Are you rubbing your clit good?”

  “Yes,” she gasped.

  “Wiggle it fast.” He pushed his cock into her a little, his thumb pressing at the same time. “I like when you wiggle it fast.” He held her waist with fingers and jerked her onto him in one move.

  Sofia cried out, holding the covers tight, rubbing her clit.

  “Faster,” he said, “I need you close. Then I’m going to fuck you hard. You want that?”

  “Oh God yes.”

  He brought his hand down on her ass with a painful smack. “Yes what?”

  Sofia gasped, her entire body shuddering with excitement. “Yes master.”

  He rubbed her ass where he’d spanked it then grabbed her hips in both hands and began slowly working her on and off his cock. “Fuck you are so beautiful,” he whispered. “Your pussy is insanely tight on me.”

  He continued his in and out and Sofia’s limbs shook with her approaching orgasm. “Daniel,” she gasped.

  “Yes,” he groaned, his fingers biting into her hips. “I feel it baby.” He rammed his cock deep and she cried out and clamped down on him, increasing the pressure and speed on her clit.

  “Oh God,” she cried, feeling it right there. So close, so… “Daniel,” she gasped. “I’m coming!”

  Sofia erupted in hard spasms and Daniel fell on her. He captured her hands in his and held them above her head as he pumped his cock hard and fast, just like he promised. Sofia screamed through the massive orgasm he had, feeling Daniel’s balls hitting against her hand. But when he ended with I love you, I love you in her ear, he hit that damn estrogen button again and Sofia had another emotional climax.

  Chapter Ten

  “Oh come on Daniel,” Sofia whined. “It means a lot to him.”

  “And he showed it to you?”

  “Yes, it was totally sweet.”

  “Stop saying that.”

  She smiled. “Well it was.”

  “I don’t give a shit, it makes me furious when you say anything nice about him.”

  “I know!” She seemed amazed and shocked and yet happy.

  He slid her cup of coffee to her. “I don’t care that you know I’m psycho in love with you, just so you quit saying shit like that.”

  She took the cup and sipped. “Mmm, you make my coffee perfectly every time.”

  “I know I do.”

  She smiled. “So will you?”

  Daniel smirked, irritated. “What, did he like ask you to ask me this? Ask Danny if he can look at my picture book?” He couldn’t help but whine the words in mock. He went around the island and wrapped his arms around Sofia and she reached up and lightly smacked his face.

  “That’s for being a meanie. So will you?” She angled her head up at him.

  Daniel rolled his eyes so far up in his head they ached. “God, fine. If it will make you shut up and quit saying his name I will.”

  Sofia turned in her stool and embraced him. “I cannot believe how mean you are to him. Why?”

  “Because he’s a fake, how can you not see that? All his talent and Good Samaritan is bullshit, that’s not who he really is, he’s a user, a conniver, and he’s a genuine con. He does what he’s doing for a reason. And not a good one.”

  “And how do you know this?”

  “I was raised around people like that, I can smell them.” He wanted so bad to tell her how much money her Saint Seth had asked for to be Mr. Perfecto.

  “You should give him the benefit of the doubt, he’s your brother. But Daniel, seriously, I thought you loved him? Remember our pillow talks and you wishing you had known him better and wondering where he was? Whatever happened to that?”

  Daniel put his chin on her head. “You really want to know?”

  “Uhh yes?”

  “I lied.”

  She pushed him away a little and he looked down into her confused gaze. “You lied? About what?”

  “Missing him, wanting him in my life.”

  Her mouth fell open. “But…why, why would you lie about that?”

  “Because…” Daniel’s throat suddenly closed up on him out of the blue.

  “What baby?”

  Sofia’s compassion added to the weird turmoil. He swallowed his pride and forced the words out. “I just…didn’t want to scare you away.” Stupid words came out strained and hoarse.

  “How would that scare me away?” she whispered, confused.

  Of course she was confused. Nothing scared her away it seemed. He laughed, hoping to bring his throat back into working order. “Cause I’m a freak? I mean who doesn’t miss their brother?”

  Sofia squeezed him tight then finally murmured, “Somebody who doesn’t know how to.”

  Daniel suddenly couldn’t breathe. He cleared his throat. “Where the fuck is this book?”

  Sofia smiled up at him and hopped off the stool. “I’ll get it.”

  “What, he left it here? Did he put it in the curio cabinet?” Daniel felt a hell of a lot better now that Sofia new his feelings about Seth from the beginning. He went and sat on the couch waiting.

  Sofia hurried in next to him. “Did you know that you’re in this too?”

  Daniel frowned. “What? No way.”

  “Yes, and you’re adorable.” Sofia opened the small journal.

  “Wow, no lace?”

  She shoved her leg into his. “This is the family tree.” She pointed to Daniel’s name. “You know, we need to do one like that for our family.”

  “Yes, definitely,” Daniel muttered, looking at the names. He only recognized his father and mother, his uncle and aunt’s names. The rest were a mystery. Like who was JoJo? And Faviona? And Lucy?

  She turned the page. “His baby pictures.”

  Daniel’s lip quirked at the nauseating sugar in her voice. “Can’t you just let me look? I’ll figure it out.”

  “Noooo, I want to show you!”

  He rolled his eyes. “Well just…talk normal and not all vomitty.

  “Vomitty?”

  “So sweet it makes me want to vomit,” he explained. “How’d you like me to talk about Rene that way?”

  Sofia’s face turned Exorcist. “Well, but I didn’t fuck your brother, Daniel.”

  He cringed in disgust. “Don’t even say those words together in the same sentence!”

  “Well don’t mention her again. Now shut up and look at these cute damn pictures.”

  Guilt snaked through him. “Okay, sorry.”

  “Look, this is you,” she cooed, completely over it.

  He looked.

  What? That wasn’t him. “Let me see that.” He took the book and stared. That was so not him. What was lil Sethy up to? Daniel turned through the pages of his brother’s shit-story, every page convincing him he was right. He was such a con! Aside from all the bullshit newspaper clippings of his supposed awards from sewing to badminton, the pictures that were supposedly him were clearly not. How in the hell did Sofia not see that?

  “What are you doing?”

  He paused. “I was thinking of blowing this one up for him. Make like a portrait? As a gift?”

  Daniel was shocked to see Sofia smile. “Really? See, now that’s the Daniel I know.”

  He fought not to laugh, wondering how she could ever see any good in him apart from her. She really needed to sharpen up, she was way too naïve about people. But he’d let her think that this time. He’d make his portrait for his sweet talented brother, after he ran a face scan on his dirty lying ass. “You’re turning me into a damn saint Sofia.” He leaned and kissed her cheek then got up.

  “Where are you going?”

  He paused, realizing it was irrational to go make the portrait that second. “We’re not done? I needed to run some errands.”

  “Oh. Well, okay. I need to go visit Gammy anyway, it’s been too long.”

  “Yes, a whole day.”

  “You know her memory is bad.”

  “Yes, which is why I insisted we have her come live with us?”

  She smiled. “I remember. I’m still considering.”

  “Good. Hurry up and say yes, I love that woman.” And he did. She was such a riot being prone to brutal honesty.

  ****

  Daniel hung up with his friend of a friend of a friend that had access to a face scanner. He’d drop it off then run a few other errands so he wasn’t a complete liar. What was Seth hiding? Why was he hiding it? God he better not turn out to be a fucking psychopath or some shit. Daniel would kill him.

  How else could he find out, instead of waiting? What if Seth wasn’t even his brother? What if he really was a psychopath waiting for the opportunity? To do what? And why would he? What would be his motive? Sofia said she’d hired a detective and he’d never questioned it beyond that.

  He dialed Sofia’s cell.

  “Mrs. Fletcher speaking.”

  Daniel had to grin at the unexpected greeting. “Damn that sounds wonderful.”

  “I knooowwww,” she brag sang.

  “Hey, you remember how you said you hired a private detective to find my brother?”

  “Yes?” Suspicion.

  “I have a friend that was looking for a family member and I thought they could use him too.”

  “Oh. Ummm, hold on, I still have a card. Shit I need to clean this purse, my God, Gammy would shit if she saw this mess.”

  Daniel smiled at her cute mumblings.

  “Found it, it’s a miracle. Detective Sanderson, like the fried chicken man.”

  “Just give me his number and I’ll give it to him.”

  She rattled it off and Daniel wrote it on his hand. “Got it.”

  “So where are you?” she asked.

  “Oh, I’m…on my way to the grocery store. What are you hungry for?”

  “Dara wants to cook, I forgot to tell you, crap.”

  “Uh-oh, I hate people in my kitchen.”

  “I know, I told her.”

  “And she didn’t care.”

  “Of course not. And you’re a sweet guy and you’ll be fine.”

  “That’s the lie you told her,” he mumbled.

  “Yep. And that’s the lie you will live for me, or else.”

  Daniel’s cock twitched at her tone. He smiled. “Yes master.”

  “Mmm, you read my mind Mr. Fletcher.”

  “Yes I did, Mrs. Fletcher.”

  She giggled, sounding thrilled then sighed. “When are you coming back?”

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m home. I think your right about Gammy too, I’d like her with us.”

  “Good baby.” Daniel pulled into the supermarket parking lot and found a spot. “That’s best. Are you still taking Dara shopping tomorrow?”

  “Oh yes, I am. She is soooo excited and so am I. Oh and I was thinking we could treat her out on the town? Seth could be her date?”

  Daniel grinned, enjoying the idea of making Seth work for his money. “Sounds fantastic.”

  “Yay! I’ll tell her, she is going to be so thrilled.”

  “I’ll see you in an hour. I love you.”

  She gave him a phone kiss. “I love you too.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Daniel paced in his bedroom trying to figure out how to break the news to everybody. That sweet little Seth was a con. An ex-con on top of that. In federal prison for guess what? Identity fucking theft. He forgot to put that bit in his big coloring con book of bullshit, didn’t he.

  Part of him couldn’t wait to tell Sofia. She’d realize how naïve she’d been and he wouldn’t have to do a thing, just let the facts be known. He just hated to upset her so close to the wedding. But no doubt Seth planned to steal Daniel blind. Little bastard. He had to do this now. He’d kick his ass after the truth came out because he needed it. Punishment was one thing Daniel was good at and as his big brother, he’d do it.

 

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