That one hour eventually turned into one month as time went by. The moment I found myself able to spare some time, I would go to Laura. Every time I told her the same thing—it would be the last time I'd see her. And every time I'd find show up again, either at her studio or that park. I might have felt like an idiot if she didn't light up with relief and excitement whenever I returned.

Typically I see her once or twice a week. Never more than an hour because that alone is more than I can spare. Most of the time we stay in her studio. It's small and quaint and hidden in this bustling city. A couple of times she was able to convince me to go out, whether to sit in a park somewhere or try disgusting street foot that she insists I need to be a true New Yorker. Sometimes we are simply in each other's company. She will paint if she's inspired and I will train—if I can keep my eyes off her long enough to. Though I've caught her eyeing my body on more than one occasion, thumb ever present in the space between her teeth, so my own ogling is not out of place.

I steal touches when I can. Kiss her senseless every time I have to leave. Never more or I'd lose all control. I refuse to get intimate with her based on lies. She doesn't deserve that. She deserves the truth but I am a coward and I haven't been able to give it to her. I'm sure on some level she suspects something, but she has no idea how deep my demons run. If I was a good man I would not let her get caught in them. But this past month I've learned I'm very selfish when it comes to her.

I'm also falling for her, hard. Her goodness is addicting. After being surrounded by nothing but blood and death and vengeance my entire life, she is like a breath of fresh air for my charred lungs. I can't stop coming back. What's worse is she lets me when she shouldn't.

I am not sure what she sees in me. I don't bring anything worthwhile to the proverbial table. I live a dangerous lifestyle, surrounded by dangerous men, son of the most dangerous man in New York. I am not worth all this trouble but she has never made me feel that way. She has this way of making me feel better than I truly am. Sometimes I wonder if I am capable of being the man she believes I can be. It's not a promising thought but I entertain it often. Too often, especially when it should not cross my mind at all. But I forget about all of that when it's just us.

"Stay still," She grumbles now. She's become less shy with me and I've learned she has a tendency to be bossy. I honestly enjoy it because I usually do the bossing. It's a nice change of pace.

"I am still," I counter even as I shift for the hundredth time. I can't help it. I've been sitting like this for nearly an hour. It also doesn't help that Laura is bent forward as she paints and I have a clear view of her cleavage. It is a miracle in itself that we haven't done anything except kiss. I always feel animalistic around her but manage to refrain myself.

She sighs and straightens up, shaking her head at me. A normal person would be annoyed but Laura has unbelievable patience. She's too gentle to ever get upset with me, which is why I walk on eggshells around her for fear that I'll hurt her somehow. If I did I would never forgive myself.

"I'll stop torturing you," She teases. "I can do the rest from memory."

I push up off the ground and get to my feet, walking to her. "Really? You must think about me often."

"Way too often," She agrees with a grin. She is also unapologetically honest which I appreciate more than she knows. I'm surrounded by liars, myself included.

I push my fingers through her hair and away from her face, raising a brow. "You're covered in paint again, darlin'."

She barely manages to suppress a smile at the term of endearment. Unsurprisingly she was right. I did get used to it and it doesn't sound so bad anymore.

"I'll go wash myself." She hops off the stool and brushes past me with a wink. I watch as her dress swishes around her. Today it's white with puffy short sleeves and the hem is higher than her other dresses. My eyes have been glued to her legs all day. I think she knows how infatuated I am with her legs and is trying to torture me. If so, mission fucking accomplished.

I feel my brows pull in when she opens the door to her studio and dashes outside. A crazy thunderstorm is happening which is why we're staying inside today. What the hell is she doing?

I jog to the front door, opening it but staying inside. I watch incredulously as she holds her arms out beside her and spins around in circles, her airy laugh travelling to me. She's already soaked to the bone.

"Laura!" I raise my voice above the thunder. "Get back inside!"

"Join me outside!" She calls back, waving a hand to gesture at me. "It's just rain, tough guy!"

Crazy woman. "You're going to get sick. Come here."

Her head shakes in defiance, teeth sinking into her bottom lip. She pushes her hands into her hair and lets her head fall back, eyes closed and face tipped to the sky as rain pours down on her.

My mouth runs dry at the sight of her. She looks ethereal. At some point she kicked off her shoes so her feet are bare and I can see the white polish on her toes that matches her dress. A dress that's currently drenched and completely see-through. My breath knocks out of me when I notice her white lacy underwear and bra and how they mold so perfectly to her soft curves. Fuck, what I wouldn't give to strip her bare and worship every inch of her. It's suddenly hard to breathe, to think.

She brings her head back down, lips parting when she catches the look on my face. Even from here I can see the way her chest is slightly heaving. Thick and wet locks stick to her face and her eyes burn bluer than I've ever seen them. They're full of want, for me.

Fuck the rain. I stalk up to her with quick and long strides, barely registering the ice cold water that pelts down on me. I welcome it and the way it cools down my body that's running hotter than it usually does. I feel like I'm on fire, my impatient steps closing the distance between us. I bend low and grab the back of her thighs, hoisting her up and earning her surprised gasp as she wraps her legs around me. A second later I take that sweet sound all for myself when I slam my mouth against hers.

I fucking devour her mouth, the kiss a messy clash of teeth and lips. Laura kisses me back just as hungrily and her fingers grip onto my hair to bring my face as close as possible to hers. Our lips slip and slide against each other, wet as they are from the rain. I briefly register the crash of thunder above us but I don't care. Not when I have her in my arms like this. Not when I feel her body pressing into mine, her softness nestling into my hard ridges like we were made for each other. I can't get enough and my tongue battles hers desperately. Her answering sigh is all I need to keep going.

I turn us around, pressing her body into the wall behind her to hold her up. My hand grips the back of her head to angle it better, tip her face further back so I can get deeper into her mouth. Her hands clutch the front of my soaked shirt and even through the cloth I can feel the heat of her touch. Another clap of thunder rings out but it's nothing compared to the storm inside of me. The electricity between our every touch fiercely rivals the strikes of lightning around us. I have never felt anything like this.

I only wrench my mouth away because the kiss is so intense, so full, that I feel like I have no air left. Laura and I both pull in harsh gasps when we separate, panting hard as we stare at each other. She is so beautiful, it hurts. I never want to stop looking at her.

But the rest of her body is just as tempting and I cannot resist. My head dips low to capture the skin of her neck between my lips and I suck feverishly, the taste of salty rain sitting heavy on my tongue. It's mixed with a twinge of vanilla, the taste of her, and I suck harder. Greedily. Like my life depends on it, and I think it does. Her moan is sweet and so responsive that I feel how much it hardens me. My hips rock forward slowly, just to test the waters, and Laura gasps. Her thighs grip my body in place like she never wants to let go. Neither do I.

"Greg," She sighs breathily. Her arms go around my neck and her cheek presses against mine. It's only then that I feel her body shaking slightly. Goosebumps dot her arms but she doesn't complain. Just holds me tighter.

"Time to go inside," I murmur. I pull back to look at her, my thumb playing with her bottom lip that is now swollen and reddened thanks to me. "You're soaked."

"More than you know," She whispers shyly, head ducking. I curse in misery and yank her head back up to kiss her again. She is so unbelievably sexy without even trying. There is so much I wish to do to her. Dirty, unspeakable things. I would ravish her so completely if given the chance.

I pull away at another round of thunder, this one the loudest yet. I push away my drenched hair from my forehead and meet her eyes. "You really will get sick. Is there anywhere I can take you for a change of clothes?"

"Home," She answers without hesitation. Her thumbs sweep across my cheekbones and she swallows hard. "Take me home."

***

Laura's apartment is very small. Just a simple one bedroom with an open kitchen. She's down the hall now and I can hear the shower running. I'm seated at the dining table, my leg bouncing with nerves as I look through my messages. I have been gone for two hours now and that does not bode well. I have lots of business I need to return to and everyone is looking for me. I only respond to Mitch, seeing as he is the only one who knows where I am.

Mitch: Next shipment arrives in an hour. You need to get back.

Me: Thirty minutes at most. I'll make it.

Mitch: You missed the meeting too. Told your father you were caught in a brawl so look banged up. He already doesn't believe me.

Fuck. The meeting. The one I was supposed to run. How in the hell did I forget? The lines are blurring too fast and I'm forgetting my responsibilities.

"Fuck." I let my phone clatter on the table, not bothering with a response. I scrub my hands over my face roughly. I don't know what to do anymore. If Father ever discovers my distractions are because of a girl, he would go as far as to kill her without hesitation. Nothing stands in the way of Abram Resnick. His son going soft will ruin the credibility of this family, the credibility of our reputation and the South Bloods, and he would never let that happen. He has far too many enemies and the only reason he is still alive is because he is feared. If that gets taken away, he shouldn't expect to live very long. He'd stop at nothing to prevent that.

"Is everything okay?"

I look up at the sound of Laura's voice. She walks over to me and I drink in the sight of her. She's in a simple t-shirt and pair of pyjama shorts, face fresh and without makeup, and the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on. Yes, I'm going soft for her. Yes, she makes me reckless. But any man would lose his mind for her so who can blame me?

"I have to go," I tell her when she stops in front of me. I reach up to slide my hands to the backs of her thighs, her skin like velvet under my touch. Laura's breath audibly catches.

"Really?" She asks with clear disappointment. She searches my face. "Is it your father?"

She does not know much aside from the fact that he controls my life and I don't want her anywhere near him. I think she understands on some level that he is a dangerous man.

"Among other things," I answer vaguely. "I have..."

"Business," She finishes for me. It's the response I always give her so she's familiar with it now.

"Yes. Business. You'll be okay?"

"Of course. Thank you for driving me."

I nod, looking around at her apartment again. It's so quiet. "I recognize it's unfair to ask this when I share nothing about myself but where's your family?"

She doesn't seem offended that I asked. Instead she sits sideways on my lap, leaning into me. I wrap an around her and absentmindedly play with the ends of her hair while I wait for her to answer.

"I was left on the steps of an orphanage when I was a few months old," She starts, surprising me. "Up until I was eighteen I went through a lot of foster families. The constant change and never sticking in one place really took a toll on my self-confidence so I acted out a lot. I used to be caught up in some messy crowds. I had a mean alcohol tolerance once upon a time. A record full of vandalizing and B&E's so no one wanted the troubled girl."

My brows are pushed as high as they can go. Laura notices and laughs. Again, not offended.

"I know. I was a far cry from who I am now. Even I can't believe it sometimes."

"What changed?"

She chews the edge of her thumb but I don't bother stopping her. "When I was old enough to leave the foster system, I was given information on who my birth parents were. My father was some hotshot businessman who accidentally knocked up my mother, who was a hooker mind you. He couldn't deal with the embarrassment so he paid her off to stay away. Signed a non-disclosure and everything. My mother tried raising me but I guess she just wasn't cut out for it so she gave me up. That was that."

Bastards. The unfairness of it angers me and my fists clench on their own accord. "Where are they now?"

"I was too scared to try and contact them initially. I mean, neither of them wanted me, you know? Plus I was a mess. So I kept my head down and got through college, hoping to graduate and maybe impress them. My father was easier to track down because he was a big name. He looked ready to drop dead when he found out who I was. An illegitimate child would have been the scandal to take him down so he did what he does best—threw some money at me to stay quiet. I remember that day so vividly, Greg. I felt like throwing up when I realized he would never want me."

"Shit." I pull her closer when her voice catches, pressing my lips to her temple. I hear a small sniffle and my chest fucking cracks opens. "I'm so sorry, baby."

"That's okay," She whispers and rubs my arm. Comforting me even when she's the one who's falling apart. How did she get to be so selfless after the life she's had? Her bravery is something I could never hope to achieve.

"I didn't want to take the money. It would be a reminder that it was my replacement for a father. I tried tracking down my mother next, hoping to soothe the pain of rejection but then I found out she had passed away already. Some kind of illness. I think breast cancer? So the money became the only thing I could get out of all of that and I took it. I couldn't deny needing it, especially since I had crazy student loans."

But she would have chosen having parents any day and we both know it. I stay quiet as she starts to draw circles on my chest. Her hands are pale and completely free of paint smudges. It looks wrong and so unlike her.

"After that I did a lot of soul searching," She admits. "I know I never knew my mother but her death shook me. All I could think was that she died without knowing me and how I turned out. I took whatever was left of my birth father's money and travelled. Cheap flights and a lot of backpacking became my only friends for the next couple years. I just...lived. I didn't want to end up like my mother—I didn't want to die while missing such big parts of me. I wanted to live a life I was proud of and be a person I was proud of. I straightened myself out with a lot of discipline and learned to appreciate the simplicity of life. I'm not who I was but...everybody has a past, Greg. And it doesn't make us bad people."

She sits up and looks at me, cupping my face. I struggle to meet her eyes because I know she's talking about me now. I feel like she can see right through me.

"I'd never judge you. You know that, right? I can't promise I won't see you differently but that's not a bad thing. It just means I'll know who you truly are and that's all I really want. I want to know the man I'm falling in love with."

Fuck me. My breath knocks out of me so suddenly that I almost can't catch it again. I stare at her, completely dumbfounded. "What?"

"I also don't want to live a life of regrets," She continues, ignoring the way she just knocked me on my ass. "So I say whatever's on my mind. I just want to be honest with you. I'm sorry if it seems like I'm coming on too strong."

I pride myself in being good with words. Knowing what to say and how to say it is a huge factor in being a leader. I need the ability to negotiate, make deals, talk people off, convince others. But right now it is as if my vocabulary doesn't exist. The words are tumbling around my head but I can't reach them. I can't speak.

"Go," Laura whispers. I think she realizes I'm not going to give a response anytime soon. But I think she also knows what I'm feeling right now because she searches my eyes with a small, amused smile. "I don't want you to get caught in more trouble."

I nod reluctantly and she stands, fingers threading through mine. It's a silent trip to the elevator and once we're in it, she does nothing but lean back against me. I feel like I should say something but she isn't demanding anything so that takes the pressure off. She walks me out the lobby and to the front where my car is parked. I hesitate but she gives me a little shove, laughing.

Once I'm in my car, she leans downs and rests her arms on the open window. "Is this the part where you say we can't see each other again?"

Though her tone is teasing, nothing about this is funny anymore. Nor is it a game. This is real and it has been a long time since I've had something real.

"No." My gruff response surprises her. "I won't kid myself anymore. I'll come back, Laura. Every time I leave."

She blinks a couple of times before her lips take on a shy smile. Her eyes drop and she nods. "Okay."

I start my car and she backs up, arms crossed and watching me. As I drive off I meet her eyes one more time and she blows me a kiss. My smile is immediate because even though I'm dreading going back to headquarters and facing my father, the thought of her will make it so much fucking easier.

_________________________

A/N

THIS. CHAPTER. That kiss in the rain? A fairy tale. I can literally feel their love building and I'm obsessed.

Please VOTE, comment and share if you liked this chapter!

Happy Reading :)