Fraud

Gabriel

It’s amusing that Ivy thought she could run. It only took a few hours for me to pinpoint exactly where she and Emily had gone after she wrecked my house and shredded our tires, but rather than chasing after her immediately, I decided to let her rest.

Not because she deserved another mini vacation, but more because I wanted to take my time pla

Everything was timed perfectly.

For two days, I let her sit pretty with the belief she was out of reach. Meanwhile, I was formulating the web that would ensnare her as soon as all the threads were tied together.

It didn’t surprise me she called almost immediately after the article came out that we’d broken up. I knew as soon as it was out that social media would run with it, one or both of the women seeing it when they scrolled through.

She called and was led to believe I was still a distance away. What she didn’t know is that we were already on top of them.

I hear Sawyer blow the horn and know Ivy is ru

There’s only one trail we could find near the cabin where she and Emily are staying, and while the rest of the guys set up to cage them in near the house, I went into the woods to wait.

I know Ivy well enough to know she’ll take off. The woman can’t help herself when it comes to escaping and evading.

In truth, I’m just screwing with her, a love slap back for what she did to my house before stealing my car. This run will do nothing to pay the price she owes. It’s simply payment for fucking with me when she escaped my house.

And it’s only me out here. None of the other guys will run her down because when it comes to Ivy, she’s nobody else’s but mine.

Leaning against a tree along the path, I listen carefully for her quick footsteps.

Where I stand, the trail branches off in three directions. Straight, left and right, and I wonder which she’ll choose.

I’m the devil at the crossroads again, but I don’t wear a mask, and I’m not willing to bargain.

A minute or two pass before I finally hear her approaching, her steps pounding the dirt as her legs brush low lying branches. Pushing away from the tree, I step out into the path, my arms crossed over my chest and my feet planted shoulder width apart.

Ivy turns a bend and glances behind her to see who’s in pursuit, still not realizing the danger she should worry about is right in front of her.

When she turns her head to look forward, my smile stretches ear to ear, her feet skidding to a stop as a low cloud of dust erupts around her.

“Miss me?” I call out, enjoying this moment a little too much.

Her expression falls as her chest beats with breath. Eyes wide, she stares at me silently for a few seconds. Most likely, her thoughts are trying to catch up that I’ve been waiting for her all along.

“Oh, fuck,” she mumbles before choosing to turn left in a direction that will only lead her deeper into the forest.

I take off after her and have to admit, Ivy should join a track team for how fast she can run. She’s agile, too, easily dodging and jumping over obstacles in her race to escape me.

Knowing she’ll stick to the path, I cut a right to outrun her and come around from the side, my legs moving quickly as I break out from a thick stand of trees to sneak up and grab her before she sees me.

Our bodies collide as my arms wrap around her, my weight easily shoving her back until I have her pi

Wide blue eyes tip up to mine, fear dancing behind them, but also raw and naked want. The spark that always jumps between us is there again. My body tightens in response to it.

Only Ivy has the ability to do this to me.

She can barely talk with how hard she’s breathing, her chin tilting with adorable defiance as she struggles to speak.

“Took you long enough. I was wondering how long I’d have to camp out here before you found me.”

Bracing a forearm against the tree near her head, I smile down at her, soft laughter shaking my shoulders because it’s just like Ivy to refuse to admit defeat.

“You were waiting for me?” I ask, my mouth lowering to her ear. “Careful with that, I might start thinking you like having me around.”

Her expression shifts, something I can’t read there and then gone. Heat erupts behind her eyes as our chests brush together.

“I can’t stand you. But if you feel the need to lie to yourself so you can sleep better at night, feel free.”

My gaze drops to her mouth.

“Why do I get the feeling I’m not the one who’s lying?”

Our eyes lock, and I can’t help taking what I want. Gripping the back of her head, I drag her face to mine, our breath colliding as I brush my lips against hers before sliding my tongue into her mouth and tasting the sweet lies she tells me.

Ivy’s hands cup my face, her teeth bumping mine as she drags me closer, her tits pressed to my chest as she fights me with her tongue.

She’s tempting enough for me to drop the gauntlet and just take her right here and now, but the fun would be lost too quickly, the thrill I get in chasing her gone.

We always catch the people we’re after, but then let them go again with the belief they can get away.

Forcing myself to break the kiss, I press my forehead to hers.

“You might want to start ru

Blue eyes lock with mine. “Why?”

“Because I’m not done teaching you a lesson for destroying my stuff, and we’re about to get insanely fucking dirty.”

“What?”

Her question echoes through the forest as I grip the bottom of her shirt to tug it up her body. Her arms fly up with the force of it, her mouth dropping open when I step back and drop the shirt to the ground.

“Better get going, beautiful. I’d hate for the other guys to see you this way.”

“You wouldn’t,” she snaps.

“I am,” I lie.

There is no way in hell that anybody will see her like this but me. She doesn’t need to know that, though. It’s more fun letting her think we have an audience.

“Asshole,” she yells as she takes off down the path again.

Chuckling at that, I give her a short head start before starting my pursuit. It doesn’t take long for me to cut through the denser part of the woods to sneak up beside her, our bodies coming together again when I grab her from the other side.

“Damn it, Gabriel.”

We drop to the ground, my arm wrapped around her back to keep her from getting hurt.

My knee shoves between her legs to push them open, my mouth claiming her lips before she has a chance to catch her breath. I’m hard immediately, my cock a long line against her stomach as I slide my hand down her naked stomach, to rip at the button of her pants.

When our lips pull apart, she breathes heavily, my mouth dropping to bite the tip of her breast from over her bra.

“You can’t seriously be getting me naked for everybody to see.”

Interestingly, she isn’t stopping me. Either Ivy knows I’m the only man ru

I kneel and rip her pants down her legs, my eyes meeting hers when I tug them off her ankles.

“Do you surrender already? I didn’t think you’d be that quick to give up.”

My fingers run down her stomach, and she shivers, those rebellious eyes narrowing on mine.