Prologue
Ashley stumbled out of the club, the colorful lights blurring together as she tried not to bump into the dancing crowd. Something felt off within her.
She tried to recall the drink she had earlier—a few sips of some fruity cocktail shouldn't have made her feel like this. But now, her head was spinning, and her body tingled in a way that felt strange and unfamiliar.
Heading home, she tried to keep her racing heart calm. A nagging feeling crept over her, whispering that her little rebellious act hadn't been the best idea.
With Ashley's 16th birthday approaching, she had wanted to feel a little wild, a little reckless. So she had snuck out of the house once Charlotte left for her brothel.
Two days ago, Ashley overheard a neighbor talking about the party, and she'd jumped at the opportunity after careful thought. The strip club being only a few blocks from her house, easy to slip in and out unnoticed, made the idea even more enticing.
She faked her age and ID, bursting from amusement as she lied her way past the bouncers. She also hadn't told Lorenzo because he could be a little too persistent sometimes, making her do just what he wanted. She didn't want to be talked out of her little party idea.
But now, with this strange sensation between her thighs and her skin feeling hot and sensitive, all she could think was that everything had been a mistake from the start.
The temptation to touch herself increased, but she couldn't do it. She'd never done such before, and...
She glanced back, unable to ignore the ominous feeling of being followed.
Ashley quickened her pace, almost jogging at some point, even though her limbs felt heavy. Glancing over her shoulder from time to time, she gulped in more air as if it would make her head feel less hazy. At least it helped keep her heart pumping.
"I have to get home before Charlotte returns or I'll be in serious trouble." She reminded herself. More than that, she needed to get home safely.
As her fear increased, and the footsteps of the strangers behind her grew louder, closer, a sudden thought struck her.
She pulled out her phone to call Lorenzo. Maybe hearing his voice as she walked would make her feel safer. What about hornier? She ignored that particular thought, knowing how true it was.
Ashley had barely dialed Lorenzo when she collided with something hard—a man's chest. The sudden hit sent her staggering back, and due to the 7-inch ankle boot heels she had on, she landed hard on the ground, phone flying out of her clutch.
Her gaze locked onto a pair of dangerous eyes staring down at her, making her gasp.
She scrambled backward, hands and knees scraping against the floor as she desperately tried to create distance.
"Who are you?" asked Ashley, with a shaky voice, and heart pounding loud against her ribcage. The bright orange-red color of the cigarette lit up the tip of the stranger's flat nose with every drag, giving Ashley a glimpse of his menancing, hard facial features.
"A beautiful girl like you, alone in the dark. That's brave." The man blew the smoke of the cigarette right into Ashley's face, and she choked on it, coughing.
The smoke again floated across his cheeks and forehead like snakes in water. A malicious smirk stretched across his lips as a fearful hunger filled his gaze.
He took another calculative step closer, eyes sizing the trembling little lady in front of him like a starving cat watching a mouse.
Ashley wanted to look away but couldn't. Fear rooted her to the spot. She forced herself to her feet, but as she did, she realized there were two other men behind her.
It was then it dawned on her–she was completely surrounded.
"Who are you guys? Please leave me alone. I don't want any trouble," she pleaded, trying to sound firm, but her voice betrayed her fear.
The big guy with the cigarette chuckled. "Not to worry, we're going to make it quick, sweetheart."
"And you'll enjoy every bit of it like the good girl you are." Another added from behind her.
Their words covered her entire body with goosebumps, down to her trembling legs.
She couldn't tell how, but her legs got into action, and she slipped past them, dashing off like a mad lady in pursuit of freedom. But again her heels didn't help matters. She barely made it anywhere before she was knocked down by a powerful slap.
She saw stars.
A heavy weight pressed against her, pinning her to the ground as she struggled frantically.
"Get off me! Get off me!" she screamed, kicking wildly. Two other guys grabbed her hands tightly as the one atop struggled to unbutton his pants.
She tried to scream, but a hand covered her mouth, sending her mind into mere panic.
Dread filled her stomach, twisting and churning her intestines at the thought of what was about to happen to her.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." An angry voice rumbled from a distance, and both men released Ashley's hands to face the intruder.
********
"You're safe now, Sunshine. Do not be afraid."
Lorenzo's voice was soft, a soothing reassurance as he carried Ashley into his room and placed her on the bed. Sitting beside her, he pulled her into a tight hug, whispering comforting words.
But despite his presence, she was far from okay. Her heart still raced, haunted by the terrifying thoughts of what could have happened if Lorenzo hadn't arrived in time.
She had been too caught up in fighting her attacker to see how Lorenzo had taken down the other two men, but she remembered the big guy crashing to the ground, unconscious after being hit on the head with a wooden plank.
Lorenzo's strength and build was nothing like that of an average eighteen-year-old. Heart drumming with dread, he had tracked Ashley down after he answered her unexpected call, and heard strange voices.
Finding her about to be...
He couldn't bring himself to speak the word. He was at least thankful that she listened to him and always left her location on. He left the idiots half dead, but that was only because he needed to take care of Ashley whose unending tears were like prickling needles to his poor heart.
Now he wished he could go back and end their lives. Slowly. Painfully.
As the adrenaline started to wear off, another sensation took over Ashley—the tingling between her legs intensified. The danger had momentarily distracted her, but now, this funny feeling consumed her thoughts.
She leaned in, pressing her lips to Lorenzo's neck, trailing kisses along his jawline.
Lorenzo's eyes instantly dilated in shock. "Are you okay, Sunshine?" His voice came out low and husky, surprising him.
His body tensed as he struggled to maintain control while Ashley pressed herself against him. No, his hardness.
Lorenzo had always been her rock, her best friend, but Ashley had longed for something more.
Yet, he had never seen her as anything other than a little sister...until now. Or perhaps he'd been lying to himself all this time.
"I want you, Enzo," she whispered, straddling him. That very statement tested the last shred of his sanity.
Ashley felt his hardness beneath her, like a suppressed volcano just waiting for the right push to explode. A thrill ran through her.
"I don't know what they put in my drink, but please I need you." She cupped Lorenzo's face, grinding herself against him.
"Ash… Ashley, wait," he spluttered, gripping her hips to keep her still. "I think your drink was spiked with an aphrodisiac."
The words barely registered as she stared at him, gulping at the hunger in those beautiful amber eyes. It was different from the kind she'd seen in the men earlier. This hunger made her heart race for an entirely different reason, but she was too distracted to ponder deeply about it.
Ashley lifted herself and bounced on him, and Lorenzo's eyes fluttered closed before he quickly forced them open again.
"We can try other ways," he suggested, his voice strained. "A cold bath, or I could use... my fingers."
But she didn't want that. She wanted him. All of him. Ashley had waited a long time for a moment like this one, a moment where Lorenzo would show a little weakness, a little crack of desire for her. She couldn't let it slip now.
"No, I don't want a bath. I want you to take all of me, Lorenzo." She whispered more slowly this time, nibbling on his earlobe, earning a shudder from him.
Lorenzo clenched his fist, knowing he badly wanted her as well, but it felt wrong. The last thing he wanted was to take advantage of her vulnerable state.
This wasn't Ashley. She'd never throw herself at a man no matter how much she wanted him.
Leaning in, Ashley captured Lorenzo's lips in a feisty kiss, feeling his restraint crumble into a pile of ashes as their lips locked.