After Dark: Love for crime.

whiskey and a kiss

Pauls POV

I watch Edie as she quickly falls back asleep. She looks so peaceful when she sleeps. Her luscious full lips parted ever so slightly… I can't pull my eyes away from them… The desire to kiss them is overwhelming. I brush a strand of blonde hair from her face, taking in the softness of her delicate skin against my coarse finger tips.

Fuck.

What the hell is this girl doing to me?

“So…” I turned around to see her little sister staring at me, with eyes just like her sisters, but they lacked the same warmth as Edie...

Shit , I had forgotten she was still here. “Make yourself at home kid, she'll be out for a while.”

“Yaah, i’m not a kid…” She crossed her arms, making a pouting face.

Ha, she is wild if she thinks that s**t is going to work on me. She’s really a piece of work, the polar opposite from her sister.

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that.”

She rolls her eyes, grabbing her phone from her pocket.

“ So do I like, hangout in here or?”

Fuck, I don’t have time to babysit.

“Stay in here or there’s a cinema room on the main floor. Watch netflix or whatever.”

I glance at my phone, trying to get an ETA on Kane. Someone needs to look after this kid and sure as hell not me.

“Kane should be here in about 5. So. maybe just stay in here so he doesn’t have to hunt you down.”

“But-”

Before she could say another word I shut the door tight behind me.

What the hell have I gotten myself into? This just keeps getting worse…

….

I head back to the club to tie up any and all loose ends. My father is sitting against the bar, swirling a glass of single mount scotch in his hand.

“Come son, have a drink.”

My dad leans over the bar grabbing a glass and pouring a double, sliding it over to me in one swift motion. Reaching my hand out I grab the glass, taking a long gulp, letting the warm liquid coat my throat. We stand in silence a moment, before my father speaks.

“You took her home?”

He doesn’t look at me as he speaks, still focused on the golden brown liquid in his cup.

I simply nod, throwing back the rest of my drink.

“Mmmhmm.”

“Good.” My dad nods, I glint of something mischievous twinkling in his eye.

“Good?” I'm taken aback by my fathers response. Good? What the hell does that mean?

“I've had my eye on her since she started. She’ll be good for you Paul. She’s a good girl, and she can clearly handle herself well in a pinch.”

“Are you serious?”

“Am I ever not, Paul? To run an empire such as this you need a strong and fierce woman by your side. A faithful, loyal and devoted woman. She will keep you grounded.”

I shake my head at him. He’s wrong. “She’s not my type-”

“Your type is a slaggy bimbo hunny, fine for fun, but not suitable for long term.” My mother appears from beside me, tapping at my shoulder lightly.

“You need a genuine woman, and that woman is Edith.”

I look between my parents in disbelief. “So the two of you have been stalking her?”

My mother chuckles softly and shakes her head.

“ I wouldn’t call it stalking, more so, observing. When I interviewed her for the club, I had an inkling right away. She’s smart, not to mention beautiful, and she has a good head on her shoulders. I've watched how she handled herself these last couple of months, and despite her meek demeanor she is not a lady to be trifled with.”

“ Pfft.” I scoffed at her, pouring myself another drink and throwing it back in one swift swig.

“I can choose my own wife. “

“Listen Paul-” My father stands tall, he may be a few inches shorter than me, but he is still intimidating and powerful.

“You have piss poor taste in women.”

“None of the women you keep company with are worthy of the Eklund name. I promise you that.” My mother chimes in.

“So, you want me to woo Edie? To make her my wife? For christ sakes, she just had a panic attack that has left her nearly incapciatted all day, She's not cut out for this life!”

“She will be. With time and a bit of help she will be. She is a little firecracker, She dominated Bassu last night, shattered his knee cap Paul. She is powerful, just like your mother. My mother gives me a reassuring smile, as she gave my hand a tight squeeze.

“Your father taught me to be the best version of myself. And I have instilled that into you, to all my children, Edith, is ee so much of myself in her. She is nurturing but she will put you in your place. Just give her a chance Paul.”

I hate that they are making decisions for me. It’s annoying. I am a grown ass man for fuckssakes. I admit Edie is uncanningly beautiful and that I am completely and undoubtedly attracted to her, in more ways than I'd like to admit, but…

“ Paul, sweetie?” My mother looks at me with that 'I'm your mother you have to listen to what I say' look.

“Fine. Whatever."

“Just try it Paul. Give it a honest try. That is all we were asking, son.” My father pats my shoulder, giving me an encouraging smile.

“Yeah, I will." I sigh, defeated, this is one battle I know I will not win.

“Great! Now on to the business at hand. The b***h ass fangs.”

The feeling of my stomach clenching tightly was enough to startle me awake from a deep sleep. I groaned. I wanted nothing to do with waking up, sleep was still hanging heavy over me. My stomach lurches again, a bout of nausea following swiftly behind.

Alright stomach, I guess you win this one.

I groan again, upset that I have lost my battle with sleep, but I supposeI have slept long enough. Slowly, I open my eyes, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. Still not my room, not my bed…. I am still at Paul’s house.. Oy vey.

Edie POV

Ugh.

I stretch my aching body, I had slept far too long, my body isn’t used to such a long bout of inactivity. I try to stretch further but I’m stopped by the small figure sleeping soundly next to me, Grace. She snores softly, her long platinum blonde hair splayed over the pillow. I try not to wake her as I reach for my phone that is resting on the end table near me.

I hit the home button and the phone comes blazing to life, stinging my eyes.

03:12 A.M.

I had been sleeping for over 12 hours. My stomach rumbled with a deep fierceness, bile rising in my throat. I need to eat now. I roll out of bed, unbeknownst to the lack of strength in my legs as I try to stand. My legs feel like jell-o, and I wobble, but I am able to steady myself.

Oh thank god.

I try my best to navigate the dimly lit room, using my phone as my guide. I make it to the door, softly closing it behind me. The last thing I wanted to do was wake Grace, she is an absolute bear when she is woken before she is ready.

Outside the room, I'm struck with the realization i have no idea what I'm doing or where i am going, and the massive hallway is even darker than the room, and I am suddenly intimidated.

Great.. I wonder if there is a map for this museum of a home… I really just want some water and something to eat. Ugh.

I sigh heavily as I begin to wander aimlessly down the hallway. My phone beeps at me, the vibration making my hand shake.

Battery Low

Of course my battery would try to die on me during my adventure through a dark seemingly endless hallway.

“You look lost.” That deep velvety voice startles me, my heart nearly leaping from my chest.

“Jesus effing christ!”

“Sorry , I didn't mean to scare you.”

I try to even my breathing before speaking. I rest my hand over my chest.

“What are you doing out here?” Paul asks.. I can barely see his face through the darkness, but his eyes, they catch what little glints of light that peer through the heavy curtains.

“I was looking for food, I'm absolutely starving. I feel like my stomach is about to eat itself!”

Paul chuckle softly.” I’ll show you to the kitchen.” Not skipping a beat, he gently grasped my wrist, sending a shockwave of heat coursing through my body, guiding me down the hall to a flight of stairs. We walk in an awkward silence, there is a heaviness between us that I do not understand.

“Why are you up? It’s 3 in the morning.” I try to make small talk, anything to cut the tension.

“ I don’t sleep much.” He shrugged nonchalantly, letting go of my wrist as we entered the most ornate kitchen I have ever seen.

I grasp at my wrist, feeling a sudden chill of emptiness without his touch.. What the hell?

“Wow. Does anyone even eat here?”

“Occasionally.” He foldhis arms over his chest, leaning his tall muscular frame against the oversized island.

“Help yourself, The staff keeps the fridge and pantry well stocked.”

I nod. I waste no further time, opening the refrigerator as my stomach lurches following aloud gurgle at the sight of glorious food.

Oh man..

I sigh heavily, suddenly overwhelmed with the plethora of options before me. I quickly check the pantry that is nearly the size of my entire kitchen and dining room.

“ How in the hell.”

“ Are you good?”

“Yeah yeah, I am fine.”

After pondering a moment, I settled on a creamy tuscan chicken recipe I had tried a few months back. It’s quick and absolutely delicious. I hastily grab all the ingredients, placing them in orderly fashion on the counter as I preheat the skillet.

I look around the kitchen… I have no idea where any of the cookware is. “Pan’s?”

“In the cabinets on either side of the ovens.”

“ Thanks.”

The next 30 minutes seem to pass slower than usual, probably because I'm basically starving. I'd eaten tid bits along the way, but it was nothing in comparison to the finished product. I just wanted to eat already. I dish up to plates and conspicuously scooch one in Paul’s direction.

“Here, you look like you could use some comfort food.”

Paul hesitates for a moment staring between me and the plate of food before him. Probably thinks I can't cook or something. Ha. I don't wait for him, I dig into mine, letting out an unintentional moan at the taste of it. God I was starving. And this meal was f*****g delicious.

“Thanks.” Paul says, taking a bite of his food.

“Mmhmm.” was all I could manage with a mouth full of food.

15 minutes later, I threw my head back, rubbing my overly stuffed belly. Definitely ate too much, but it was totally worth it.

“ That was amazing.” nPaul leans back in his seat, pushing his plate forward. “Where did you learn to cook like that?”

“I don’t know-” I shrugged. “ I spent a lot of my childhood in the kitchen with my head in cooking books. After growing up without a mother I kind of just felt I had to learn. My father was a horrible cook, absolutely tragic. He used to tell me all the time that I got my cooking skills from my mother. “

I smiled faintly at the memory of my father that played through my mind. I really really missed him.

“Well, you're welcome over anytime to use the kitchen, as long as you share with me.”

Paul smiles softly, a smile that lights up those icy blue eyes. It makes my heart swoon. The feeling of butterflies in my stomach begin to spread, as a rush of warmth spreads to my cheeks. Dammit! Why was he so gorgeous?

“Thanks for the invitation. “ My voice was laced with an unnecessary amount of sarcasm.

“I’m serious Edie, whenever you want.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. But since I'm stuffed to the brim now, I think I'll head back to bed. A lot to get done tomorrow.”

As I get up from my seat at the island, Paul grabs my forearm.

“You weren’t serious about getting a new job, were you?

“Actually, I am. This line of work you’re into, it’s just a little too much for me. I mean-” I lower my voice to just above a whisper. “You killed people Paul. And didn’t seem to phase you at all.”

Paul is looking at me, his gaze never leaving mine.

“To be in a place of power, you have to be willing to do things… Whatever it takes."

“That’s cool and all, like that Bassu guy was a real creep but-”

"Edie… you shattered the guy's knee cap.”

“Yes, because I was defending myself from a predator.”

“And I was and am protecting my family from a predator.”

He does have a point, that psycho did come in guns blazing, literally. But where does one draw the line?

“I get that, but murder Paul?”

“Listen Edie-” he lets out a sigh, he seems to be a bit frustrated or irritated? It`s hard to tell with his cool demeanor. “I'll tell you this… this life, it isn't an easy one, but it does have its benefits, a lot of them actually..”

“I don’t know Paul. I could have died… Bassu he could have... “ I shake my head, a wave of disgust running through my veins, not wanting to think of what could have happened to me last night. “I am all my sister has left, Just her and I. No extended family.. Just me.”

He just stares at me at me for a moment, thinking before he speaks. “I'll double what you are being paid now.”

My mouth gaped open. What the hell? That came out of nowhere…

“You’ll double my pay? Are you serious? Why on earth would you do that?”

Without a degree, I doubt I'll ever find a job that makes that much… How could I possibly say no to an offer like that?

“I have my reasons, Edie. It;s safer for you to be with us. I mean, you did mamme a white fang member…” He paused for a moment, as if there was more he wanted to say, but was unsure if he wanted to. With a huff he runs his hand through his dirty blonde hair. “Alright, full disclosure.. For some reason, beyond my comprehension, I am drawn to you, and I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if i didn’t take the time to try and figure this out.”

He was close now, so close I could feel the heat radiating from him. His scent was intoxicating, sweet and spicy like sandalwood and clove.

My breath caught in my throat and he closed what little distance was left between us. Goosebumps spread over my skin like an untamed wild fire.

When his thumb grazed over my bottom lip I about lost myself in the Shockwave of heat that went straight to my core. No touch so simple as ever felt so intimate, so drawing. I needed his touch, I desperately craved it.

This hunger arising within me was nothing like I've ever felt before.

"Edie…" his mouth was so close to mine I could feel his hot breath against my lips. The way he looked at me, I know he felt what I felt, such intensity, such a burning desire.. His thumb moved from my lip, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

He cupped my cheek in his monstrous hand, and I couldn't help but to lean into him. His touch was overwhelming. His closeness made my brain go all foggy and I couldn't think straight. I needed to be closer.

Without a second thought, l leaned in, pressing his delectable lips to mine.