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Crossfire Novel Chapters
List of most recent chapters published for the Crossfire novel. A total of 144 chapters have been translated and the release date of the last chapter is Apr 02, 2024
Latest Release: Chapter 1 :
Chapter 1
"We should head to a bar and celebrate."
I wasn't surprised by
Chapter 1
"We should head to a bar and celebrate."
I wasn't surprised by my roommate's emphatic p.r.o.nouncement. Cary Taylor found excuses to celebrate, no matter how small and inconsequential. I'd always considered it part of his charm. "I'm sur
- 149 I’d seen a dozen different ad concepts so far. Some of the messaging was clever, some was too clever, and some was just pedestrian. “Refinements to the last round,” he explained, setting one hand on the back of the chair and the other on the desk, surroun
- 148 Instead, I found Gideon standing at the window in the rustic nook he was using as an office, talking on the phone. For a moment, I just soaked up the sight of him. Disheveled and unshaven, he was so totally s.e.xy I could hardly stand it. The fact that Lu
- 147 But what I had to do was clear enough. I would see to her sister’s welfare. I would take care of her beloved daughter. In those ways, I would honor the woman Monica had been. And one day, if it seemed like the right thing to do, I’d introduce her to Eva.
- 146 Restless, I went to the bar, then realized a drink was the last thing I wanted. “Lauren went to the Tramells, confronted them about their son and what she suspected he’d done. He denied it and no one was able to prove a connection to him, owing to a lack
- 145 “Cross.” Turning my head, I found Benjamin Clancy. Like Detective Graves, Clancy’s eyes held the knowledge of what I’d done to eliminate Nathan Barker as a threat to my wife. Unlike Graves, Clancy had helped cover up my involvement, staging the scene of t
- 144 “Oh.” I licked my lips, tasting him. “I’m glad. There’s a fob that goes with it, in the box.” Placing the pocket watch carefully into its pouch, he tucked it into his pocket. “I have something for you, too.” “Keep it clean,” I teased him back. “We’ve got
- 143 The tears that were no longer very far away stung my eyes. “Thank you.” “I can’t even imagine,” she said. “And I don’t even like my mom right now.” Reaching out, I touched her arm. Regardless of how I felt about Elizabeth, I wouldn’t wish the regret I had
- 142 As my stepfather had loved her—inordinately. “I’ve tried calling Stanton,” I said, “but I just get his voice mail.” “Me, too.” Cary rubbed at his unshaven jaw. “I hope he’s okay, but I realize he’s probably not.” “I think it might be a while before any of
- 141 “Right?” I leaned my b.u.t.t against the railing, facing the house. Through the wall of sliding gla.s.s doors, I watched the Reyes family swarm like bees around the kitchen and great room, with Gideon held captive by my grandmother and both of my aunts. F
- 140 The feel of him … so hard … the relentless, leisurely thrusts … My fingers grasped at the sheets. My s.e.x rippled frantically around him, grasping at the wide head of his p.e.n.i.s with ravenous greed. Every withdrawal left me empty, every thick hot slid
- 139 “Eva.” I heard the question in the way he said my name. “Make me feel,” I whispered. His hand slid beneath my s.h.i.+rt, his fingers drifting feather-light across my belly until he palmed my breast. He squeezed, plumping the aching flesh before his clever
- 138 “Where are you going?” I asked, when he walked away. “Nowhere.” He stripped with brusque efficiency, leaving his boxer briefs on. Then he joined me in bed, helped Lucky scramble up, then turned off the light. Rolling toward me, he caught me around the wai
- 137 I took a seat in one of the reading chairs, refusing to think about what the headlines might be shouting right now. “I appreciate you thinking of me.” “I can’t believe what happened. If there’s anything I can do, please let me know.” I let my heavy head f
- 133 “You should take a nap,” I told him. “You look tired.” And that troubled me. I couldn’t recall when I’d ever seen him so wiped out. “Do you see me?” he asked hoa.r.s.ely. “Are you looking at me and seeing me?” My frown deepened. I looked him over from hea
- 131 15 Moving closer to the table, I set my hand on Gideon’s back and felt the tension there. His skin was so warm beneath the soft cotton of his T-s.h.i.+rt, the muscles stretched tight. Chris came in from the kitchen with a tray bearing four steaming mugs o
- 130 “You didn’t see the shooter?” Grave pressed. “No. I heard Raúl shout and I got Eva on the ground. It’s protocol for the security team to evacuate at the first sign of trouble. They escorted us away in the opposite direction and I didn’t look back. My focu
- 129 Remembering what I could of that time, I could see how easily Hugh’s brainwas.h.i.+ng might have taken root in the mind of a small boy whose older brother frequently had fits of rage and destruction. “Christopher wouldn’t believe that,” he a.s.serted. My
- 128 “No, don’t,” I said, hating that he’d pulled away. Hating that I’d put that look of hurt on his face. “Look, I’m glad you’re here. I didn’t expect it, but I’m glad ….” He pulled me into a firm embrace. “Then learn to expect it,” he said gruffly. “Because
- 127 “I need to talk to him. She was like a mother to Cary.” “Eva.” I slid to the end of my seat and gripped her shoulders. “You don’t need to worry about anyone else right now.” “Why didn’t you tell me?” She looked at me blankly. “Why lie to me?” I started to
- 126 Why? All these years I’d wondered about that. Christopher could have meant much more to me, a link to the new family my mother had created. Opening the drawer, I stared at the tiny flash drive that Angus had retrieved from the Lucases’ home. Did it hold t
- 125 “Regardless, it’s a decision she has a right to come to on her own.” I shook my head, even though he couldn’t see it. “Her safety is nonnegotiable. She worries about everyone else. It’s my job to worry about her.” “You could tell her your concerns,” Dr. P
- 124 My touch and focus aroused her, despite my best efforts. Squeezing my eyes shut, I straightened. “Off to bed with you, Mrs. Cross.” “Umm … yes, let’s go to bed.” Her hands went to my shoulders, her fingers running down the untied ends of my bow tie. “I li
- 123 Eva believed her father was still in love with her mother. If so, the news would level him. I could still taste the bile at the back of my throat and feel the icy panic that had blanked my mind in those first few moments after the shooting. There would be
- 122 “They’re waiting for the medical examiner.” I couldn’t imagine it. I went to my desk, sat heavily in the chair. My gaze went to the photos of Eva on the wall. “The detectives have been told that you and Mrs. Cross will be here at home when it’s time to g
- 121 If I could just get her to wind down and get in bed, she might drift off. It would buy me some time to figure out what had happened, what risk remained, talk to Dr. Petersen … f.u.c.k. And Victor. I had to call Eva’s dad. Get him on a flight to New York a
- 120 Relief hit me so hard I felt dizzy. I pulled her up tight against me, cradling her close. “Thank G.o.d.” Raúl barked orders into the mic at his wrist. The moment he shut up, I demanded, “What the f.u.c.k happened?” He dropped his arm. “One of the photogra
- 119 He met me at the bottom of the stairs, offering his arm to help me navigate the ascent in my dress and heels. “I am so hot for you right now,” I told him softly. He laughed. “Fiend.” We danced for an hour after the dinner was over. Why didn’t I dance with
- 118 Magdalene stepped into the ladies’ room and paused, a.s.sessing the situation. “Ireland. What’s wrong?” I kept my mouth shut, since it wasn’t my story to share. Ireland shook her head. “It’s nothing. I’m okay.” “All right.” Magdalene looked at me. “I won’
- 117 Gideon and Chris pushed back from the table and pulled out our chairs. Since I’d lost all my lip gloss while eating and drinking, I pressed a kiss to my husband’s jaw. “I can’t wait to hear you talk,” I told him, my smile wide with antic.i.p.ation. He sho
- 116 I sighed, then nodded. She reached for my hand. “Now, you and Gideon are handling your public image in your own way, but you have to be aware of what those horrible gossip blogs are saying about you and Cary being lovers.” Suddenly, the frenzy on the red
- 115 I followed his direction as he closed in on where my mom stood beside her husband, her smile bright and beautiful as they talked with another couple. Stanton was elegantly handsome in his tuxedo, while my mother gleamed like a pearl in an off-white silk
- 114 “Did you tell her about London?” “h.e.l.l, no.” Cary squeezed my hand. “Had to tell my best girl first. I’ll tell her tomorrow.” I debated bringing up the question, but I couldn’t help myself. “And Trey? Anything there?” “Not really. I send him a text or
- 113 Staring at him, I couldn’t find the words to say anything. My silence turned his smile into a wicked grin. “When we get home, I’m going to f.u.c.k you while you’re wearing diamonds and nothing else.” The erotic image that popped into my mind sent a s.h.i.
- 112 His hand slid through my hair to my nape. “Angel.” His forehead touched mine. I caressed his back, feeling the warm hard muscle beneath his s.h.i.+rt. “Grieve if you have to, but don’t close up and blame yourself. I won’t let you.” “No, you won’t.” He nud
- 110 “That’s a lie!” Fury burned through me, made me restless with the need to move. But I held my ground, my gaze moving to Eva. This time, she nodded at me. “What’s the lie, Mother? That I was raped? Or that you chose to ignore it?” “Stop saying that!” she s
- 109 More tears fell. “G.o.d. I’m a mess.” She kissed me again. “And you have to work. But you can’t stay late. I’m going to have fun helping you into your tux—and out of it.” I let her go when she slid away and stood, but I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She
- 108 “I was testing the waters,” she said. “I debated saying something to you, but I didn’t want you to feel awkward if he offered you a great job that you might seriously consider taking.” “So what do you do now?” Steven asked. “Now?” Eva shrugged. “Gideon an
- 107 “You’re the boss,” Eva said. “You can play hooky if you want to.” “You’re a bad influence, Mrs. Cross.” She linked her arm with mine and pulled me toward the door. “You love it.” I held back, glancing at Mark. “I know you’re busy,” he said. “But it would
- 106 “I could’ve made a fortune with that s.e.x tape!” she accused. “And they were going to pay me good money to write that book. Your wedding photos would’ve made me a mint. Now, what have I got? You’ve taken everything away from me. You f.u.c.king owe me.” I
- 105 Eva’s smile faded into a frown. “I don’t think it is.” “I’ll take a look.” Settling back in his chair, Chris held his gla.s.s close to his chest and sighed. “That was wonderful, Eva. Thank you.” She waved that off. “It was salad. But I’m glad you enjoyed
- 104 I didn’t move, my thoughts tumbling around themselves. For an instant, Chris had looked at me like Dr. Petersen did. Like Angus did. Like my father did, in my dreams. Unable to look at him, I took a second to set Lucky down and take a deep breath. When I
- 103 “You and Eva both say things are good. What does that mean?” I rolled my shoulders back to alleviate the tension there. “We’re … solid. There’s a stability now that wasn’t there before.” He set his tablet on the armrest and met my gaze. “Give me an exampl
- 102 I take a deep breath. I hadn’t realized how badly I’d needed to hear him say that. “Thank you.” He s.h.i.+fts, turning to face me. “And you’re married. Congratulations.” “You should come to the penthouse with me and meet my wife.” I’m anxious. I don’t wan
- 101 Stepping out of the closet in my boxer briefs, I went to the bed and sprawled. G.o.d, I was tired. Too tired to even make a pa.s.s at my beautiful wife, who looked adorable in a strapless short romper thing. That said, I was certainly able to rise to the
- 100 Taking a moment to close the door and make the gla.s.s opaque, I followed Angus to the seating area and dropped into a chair. “You’ve had a busy few days, lad,” he said, his lips twisted wryly. “Never a dull moment.” I exhaled roughly, fighting off fatigu
- 99 It was also a good choice to go with the talk show format of multiple female hosts exploring female-focused topics. They weren’t going to give him a free pa.s.s for alleged infidelity or even tiptoe around the subject. It was going to clear the air in a w
- 98 “Yes.” She nodded, looking relieved. “You’re right. They’ll want everything to be perfect.” “And it will be.” How could it not? Gideon and I were already married, but celebrating his birthday was something we hadn’t done together yet. I couldn’t wait. My
- 97 Setting me down in a chair, he went to rifle through my drawers. I watched him pulling out underwear, yoga pants, and a top. "Have you forgotten I sleep in the nude with you?" "We're not staying here." He faced me. "I don
- 96 "I hate her." That made his mouth curve slightly. "I'm not kidding, Gideon. I'm sick with jealousy right now." "It was just s.e.x with her, angel. As raw as you and I f**k, it's still making love. Every time, from t
- 95 I looked at him through the veil of my wet hair. He was pacing the length of my bathroom, his jacket shed somewhere and his s.h.i.+rt untucked. "Go home, Gideon." He halted and shot me an incredulous look. "I'm not f**king leaving you
- 94 "What are you doing?" he murmured. Looking over my shoulder, I saw him watching me. Then I watched his gaze lift as Dr. Lucas stood behind me. Gideon's gaze noticeably cooled. "She's going to alleviate the boredom of being ignored
- 93 Still he primed me, running his skilled fingers through my cleft, spreading the moisture over my cl*t and the lips of my s.e.x. He pushed two fingers into me, scissoring them, preparing me for the thrust of his long, thick c.o.c.k. "Do you want me, G
- 92 "What is there to say?" Magdalene tossed out. We all loved him. We were all available to him. In the end, he would make a choice between us. "You should know, Eva," Corinne began, looking at me with those clear aquamarine eyes, "
- 91 "I left a few messages on your voice mail at home," she said, in a voice that was cultured and smooth. "Ah, I haven't been there much lately." As if that reminded him I was next to him, he released her and drew me up to his side.
- 90 "We could have fun with this. I could play the role of a bubbleheaded blond bimbo who's after your c**k and your millions, and you can be yourself - the billionaire playboy with his latest toy. Just look bored and indulgent while I rub up agains
- 89 "Traitor!" Steven accused. "Hey." Shawna shrugged. "Us girls have to stick together." After work, Gideon and I went to his gym. Angus dropped us off at the curb and we headed inside. The place was hopping and the locker room
- 88 "Yes. Talks you back around and makes you come at it from a different angle that has you thinking, 'Now why didn't I see it like that?'" Gideon's fingers stroked up and down the stem of his gla.s.s. "He prescribed someth
- 87 "It was on my mind today." I pulled back to search his face, a knot forming in my throat at how tormented he looked. "Why?" "Because we've got a lot of baggage between us." "Are you thinking it's too much?"
- 86 "Oops," she said, with an unapologetic grin. "See ya." I couldn't hear the door shut behind her over Trey's shouting. "f.u.c.k you, Cary. We talked about this! You promised!" "You're blowing this out of pr
- 85 His chest heaved and glistened with sweat. His c**k lay heavily on his belly, brutal-looking with its broad purpled head and thick roping of veins. I dove for it with hands and mouth, ignoring his vicious curse. Pinning his torso with my forearm, I pumped
- 84 "Don't leave me," I whispered. "Stay." Gideon didn't answer, didn't make any promises, but he didn't let me go either. I woke sometime later, hearing Gideon's heart beating steadily beneath my ear. All the ligh
- 83 He backed up, as if he wanted to be as far away from me as he could get. "I can't stay." It worried me that I felt a surge of relief at the thought of being alone. "We agreed - no running." "That was before I attacked you!&qu
- 82 I brushed my hair and teeth; then washed my face. "So...did you have a s.e.x pad for the rare occasions some lucky b.i.t.c.h got you in bed?" His gaze caught my soapy reflection in the mirror. "I've always used the hotel." "T
- 81 Gideon opened his and read, "Prosperity will knock on your door soon." I snorted. Cary shot me a look. "I know, right? You s.n.a.t.c.hed someone else's cookie, Cross." "He better not be anywhere near someone else's cooki
- 80 "That good, huh?" he teased, catching my earlobe in his teeth. "Who knew rolling around for an hour with a hot guy could be so exhausting?" Cary had been right about Krav Maga causing bruises; I could see a few shadows blooming beneath
- 79 "Too much?" I asked hoa.r.s.ely. "Yes." He set the box down and rounded the desk. "Too d.a.m.n much. I can't sit still, I can't concentrate. I can't get you out of my head. I'm f**king restless, and I never am
- 78 I didn't recognize the Christopher on the screen. His face, his posture, his voice...it was like he was a different man. I was grateful when my smartphone battery died and the screen abruptly winked off. Gideon wrapped his arms around me. "Yuck,
- 77 Gideon lifted his head to look at me, choosing that moment to pinch my ni**les with just enough force to inflict a hint of pain. The tender muscles inside me clenched down so hard that his next thrust caused him to groan. "Please," I pled again,
- 76 "Do you like it, Eva?" A s.h.i.+ver moved through me at the sound of Gideon's voice, deeper and rougher than I'd ever heard it. He'd been awake, watching me. How long had he been conscious? Was he as attuned to me while sleeping a
- 75 I nodded. "Open it," he said. With cautious fingers, I pulled the box closer and thumbed open the lid. "Oh." Nestled inside the black leather and velvet was a ring like no other. Gold rope-like bands were intertwined and decorated with
- 74 "Eva." His fingers caressed the length of my silk-clad arm. "I can't stand you being unhappy. Talk to me." "I don't know what to say. I thought we were finally coming to a point where things would smooth out between us.&
- 73 I crossed my arms. "I guess I'm dumber than bricks. I thought our s.e.x life was rockin'." Setting his gla.s.s down, Gideon kept going as if I hadn't spoken. "You asked me to meet a need of yours today and I agreed. Now we ne
- 72 "Don't I get panties?" I asked, thinking about my drawer of s.e.xy underwear. "No. There's a phone hanging on the wall in the kitchen. Hit speed dial one and tell the man who answers that I want him to pick up double my usual dinn
- 71 He glanced at me as we entered the marquee. "I should've told you before. You look gorgeous, Eva. That dress is amazing on you and so are those f**k-me red heels." "Well, clearly they work." I b.u.mped my shoulder into him. "
- 70 With my back to the room's entrance, I pressed my flaming face into his s.h.i.+rt. The door opened. There was a pause then, "Is everything all right?" Christopher. I felt awkward being unable to turn around. "Of course," Gideon sa
- 69 That brought a touch of amus.e.m.e.nt to his otherwise severe face. "Thank G.o.d. I wouldn't survive you otherwise." And still that fingertip ma.s.saged me, spurring a dark yearning. Gideon could do that to me, make me forget everything tha
- 68 I ran my fingers through the sweat-damp roots of his hair. "I missed you, too." He nuzzled my br**sts. "When you're not with me, I feel - Don't run anymore, Eva. I can't take it." He pulled me up to stand in front of hi
- 67 His chest expanded on a deep breath. He didn't deny it. I bit back my anger. I could only imagine how terrible it must be for him to be so dependent on something - someone - he couldn't control. What mattered most at that moment were his willing
- 66 "Shut your d.a.m.ned mouth." He caught me by the elbows and shook me so hard my teeth snapped together. "Just shut up and let me talk." I slapped him hard enough to turn his head. "Don't touch me." With a growl, Gideon h
- 65 "Why not just give him the money?" I wondered. "Because he's a shrewd businessman?" With a sharp exhalation, I waved the question away and cleared my mind. I was attending the party for Cary, not Gideon, and I was going to keep th
- 64 He caught me looking at it. "What? You still don't like my tie? I think it works well with the emo jeans and my lounge lizard jacket." "Cary" - my lips quirked - "you can wear anything." It was true. Cary could pull any
- 63 "Got a job?" I asked after he'd hung up. "Yeah. A model showed up for a night shoot so trashed he's worthless." He studied me. "You wanna come?" I stretched my legs out on the couch. "Nope. I'm good right
- 62 My mother nodded. "When you have what will surely not be an exhaustive list but a strong start," he went on, "you can sit down with Eva and discuss strategies for addressing those concerns - strategies you can both live with comfortably. Fo
- 61 I waited for the town car at the curb, feeling separate and apart from the city teeming around me. When Clancy pulled up and hopped out to open the back door for me, I was startled to see my mom already inside. It was early yet. I'd expected to be dr
- 60 He reached into one of two large cargo pockets of his jeans and pulled out a formal invitation in a vellum envelope. "I came to invite you to a garden party we're having at my parents' estate on Sunday. A mix of business and pleasure. Many
- 59 "Hey, that's my line."Chapter 14 The next morning dawned with an odd surreality. I made it to work, and then through most of my prelunch day in a kind of chilly fog. I couldn't get warm enough, despite wearing a cardigan over my blouse
- 58 "One more time, Gideon: what were you dreaming about?" "I don't remember." He ran a hand through his hair and slid his legs off the edge of the bed. "I have some business on my mind and it's probably keeping me up. I
- 57 "And you never told your dad about what happened to you?" "No." I rolled the stem of my winegla.s.s between my fingers. "He knows I was an angry troublemaker with self-esteem issues, but he doesn't know about Nathan." &q
- 56 His joyful smile was my reward, as was the shower we took to clean up. I loved the intimacy of was.h.i.+ng his body as much as I loved the feel of his palms gliding over me. When I took his hand and put it between my legs, urging two of his fingers inside
- 55 My hands wrapped around his wrists. "Yes." "Now, show me that you still want me after that." His face was flushed and damp, his eyes dark and turbulent. "I need to know that losing control doesn't mean I've lost you.&quo
- 54 "Gideon - " "I would destroy the career of any reporter who wrote about this, and then I'd dismantle the publication that ran the piece." He was so cold with fury, he was icy. "I'm going to find the monster who hurt you,
- 53 "You please me." I crossed to him, the black robe swaying around my legs. I loved that he'd put on something that matched what he had given me. "I want to," he said soberly. "I'm working on it." Stopping in front of
- 52 I beat my fist against his chest, which was as effectual as. .h.i.tting a rock wall. "What's wrong with you? You can go out with a catty b.i.t.c.h who calls me a wh.o.r.e and thinks she's going to marry you, but I can't have lunch with
- 51 You have to trust me. I closed my inbox, my breathing too quick and my heartbeat too fast. Jealous confusion twisted my gut. I knew he couldn't possibly have been physically intimate with another woman and I knew he cared for me. But I hated Magdalen
- 50 Gideon's breath gusted hard and humid against my throat, his big frame trembling as he slid carefully inside me. "You're so soft and warm. Mine, Eva. You're mine." I wrapped my legs around his hips, welcoming him deeper, feeling h
- 49 "Gideon's coming over later," I explained, "but I'm feeling so hammered right now I may not stay up long. So I gave him my keys to let himself in. Did you order already?" "I did. And I tossed a few bottles of Cristal in
- 48 I gripped his straining thighs in both hands, frantically working my lips and tongue, desperate for his cl**ax. His b.a.l.l.s were heavy and big, an audacious display of his powerful virility. I cupped them, rolling them gently, feeling them tighten and d
- 47 I texted him just before I left, letting him know I was on my way. Considering the time constraints, we couldn't waste a minute. Gideon must have felt the same way, because I found Scott waiting for me at reception when I reached the Cross Industries
- 46 A sneaking suspicion niggled at me. "You planned it. You planted the story." "Not entirely true," he said smoothly. "The photographer happened to be there. I just gave him a picture worth printing, and told PR to make it clear who
- 45 It suddenly seemed conceited to give him what I'd brought. He frowned. "What's wrong?" "Nothing. It's just..." I exhaled in a rush. "Listen, I have something for you, but I just realized it's one of those gifts