by Suzanne Rock
“Bullshit.”
“Be careful, my dear. I offered my protection to him, not to you.” Deacon leaned in close and sneered. “And when my brother finally sees you for the self-centered socialite you are, he won’t protect you, either.”
Ari started to stand, but he tugged on her hair, making her wince and sit down once more.
“Don’t create a scene.” He let go of her hair and placed his finger on her chin, turning her gaze to meet his. “Jason used to always be so willing to do whatever I asked. Now he’s a wild card, and a dangerous one at that.” He tilted his head to the side and studied her face. “I want to know what it is you did to him so I can change him back.”
“If Jason has changed, it’s because he wanted to. It had nothing to do with me.”
He ignored her outburst. “Perhaps I should fuck you on a washing machine, too. Maybe then I won’t care so much about the debts I owe, or what will become of me if I don’t pay them.”
“Stay away—wait. What are you talking about? You owe someone money?” She jerked her chin out of his grasp.
His smile looked positively predatory. “No, not money, but I must pay it back all the same.”
Ari had no idea what he was talking about, nor did she care. All she knew was that she needed to get away from this guy, fast. Deacon gave her the creeps.
She inched her chair away from him. “You need to go. He’s going to be here any minute.”
Deacon leaned his elbow on the table and pointed at her. “When Jason suggests running away, you bring him back to the hotel where he belongs. You hear me?”
“He’ll get hurt. The loan shark—”
“Doesn’t rough people up for no good reason.”
“Do you need help, ma’am?” Jason’s driver materialized at her side. “You look distressed.”
“I’m fine.” Ari was furious, too furious to think.
Deacon grinned and tipped his baseball cap. “I will see you at the hotel, Ms. Perconti.”
“I wouldn’t hold my breath.” Ari scowled and watched Deacon retreat. As soon as he was out of sight, her underwear vibrated. She gasped and sat back down. Then, just as soon as it started, it stopped.
“Ma’am?” Ari looked up to find one of the baristas standing over her.
“Yes?”
“I was told to give this to the woman with the wide-brimmed hat.” She held out an envelope.
Ari took the piece of paper from her fingers. “Thank you.”
The barista’s features turned pensive. “Do I know you?”
“I don’t think so.” Ari stood and pulled out the handle on her rolling suitcase. “Excuse me, but I really have to get going.” She waited for the barista to go and opened the note.
Meet me at the Main Street parking garage. ~ J
Shoving thoughts of Deacon aside, she jammed the note into her pocket, grabbed the handle of her suitcase, and started moving toward the parking garage. Her driver-turned-bodyguard followed, quickly catching up to her.
“Allow me.” He moved to take the suitcase from her hand.
“No, thank you, I’ve got it.” Despite Jason’s sending him, she still didn’t trust the driver. He fell into step beside her as they made their way to the garage.
When they got to the entrance of the garage, Ari glanced around her and noticed a tall, sandy-haired man leaning up against a vintage-looking compact car.
“Jason.” She hurried over and wrapped her arms around his neck.
The driver put her suitcase into the trunk of the car. “If you don’t need anything else, sir, then I’ll return the limo to the hotel.”
“Thank you, Simon,” Jason said as he pulled out a long, slender remote.
“What’s that?” Ari asked.
He grinned and pushed a button.
Ari gasped as her underwear vibrated in response. Heat rose up through her center, and she grabbed the car door to steady herself.
“Oh my God.” She reached for the remote. “Give me that.”
He grinned as he pulled his arm away and pushed the button again, causing desire to ripple over her skin. “You love it.”
Damn the man. He was too astute. “It’s too bad I don’t have a control, too.”
He chuckled. “Now that’s something to think about.” He opened the passenger’s side door. “Let’s get out of here.”
She briefly thought about telling him about his brother, but decided against it. Jason seemed so happy and relaxed. She didn’t want to ruin the mood.
“Where’s the McLaren?”
He opened the car door and ushered her inside. “Back at the hotel. Sorry this isn’t anything fancy, but I didn’t want anyone to recognize us.”
“I totally understand.” Actually, it was a little fun. All of her life she had been riding in luxury cars and limos. Sitting in an old compact car felt … nice. Refreshing. She understood why her younger sister, Gianna, had renounced the family fortune. In this car, she felt as if she could do anything, be anybody. There were no restrictions, no expectations. It was just her and Jason against the world.
Ari nibbled her lower lip as he rounded the car and got inside. Her gaze slid past him, to a spot across the street. There, on the corner, she saw Deacon once more. Immediately, her sense of freedom vanished. He was watching them, she realized. He had probably seen them approach, probably watched them kiss. As she stared, Deacon nodded and tipped the rim of his baseball cap toward her. Whether it was a gesture of approval or a reminder of her promise, she wasn’t sure. She guessed it was probably a little of both. He never wavered from his position, holding her gaze as she sat in the car. Jason seemed oblivious to his brother’s presence as he pulled away from the curb and out into traffic.
Jason glanced over at Ari. “If you keep looking so distracted I’m going to get jealous.” When she snorted, Jason waved the remote in the air between them. “Don’t make me use this.”
“You wouldn’t dare. Not while we’re driving.”
“Just sit back and enjoy the ride.” He pressed a button on the remote, and Ari’s underwear vibrated. She raised her eyes as the sex toy rubbed against her sensitive flesh, sparking desire deep inside her core.
“That’s better.” He grinned at her reaction and hit the button again. Another blast of desire rolled through her body, making her squirm.
“You’re evil,” she said as she reached for the remote.
“I am.” He shifted the remote out of reach and hit the button again.
“God, Jason, you’re killing me.”
“Good.” He smiled. “You’re far too serious. I needed something to distract you.” He pushed the button again. Ari whimpered as desire rushed through her veins. “Trust me, princess. I’ve got everything under control.”
They drove for the next hour in relative silence, with the exception of the buzzing noise from the sex toy. Jason was relentless with the button, stimulating her body until Ari felt weak with need and then backing off before things got too intense.
The foul man enjoyed torturing her, and by the time they were over the Sagamore Bridge, Ari was shaking with need.
“Where are we?”
“A place on the Cape. It’s a small motel my last foster parents used to take Deacon and me when we were kids.” He cleared his throat. “It’s the one happy memory I have of my childhood.” He dropped his hands from the steering wheel and slipped the remote into his pocket. “It’s off season and secluded, so no one will bother us.”
“You spent your time here?” She looked out over the small rise overlooking the ocean. She was desperate to get out of the car and rub her body up and down his like a cat. Nibbling her lower lip, she looked at the scenery, trying to distract herself with the small, family-style hotel and expansive beach. A small family had put out their blankets there, and the kids were playing in the sand while the parents watched. It was peaceful here, serene. If Ari hadn’t been tortured for the past hour, she might have enjoyed it.
Jason rounded the car and opened her door.
As soon as Ari was on her feet, Jason pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard.
“The family,” she said, pulling back with a gasp.
They both looked toward the beach, where the family was picking up their things and heading back to the hotel. “They’ll be gone in a minute.”
He kissed her again, and it was several long seconds before she had the presence of mind to pull away.
“What if someone else comes?”
“I told you—it’s the off season. Don’t worry about it.”
“But—”
“I must be losing my touch if you’re worrying about what is going on around us.” He backed her up into the hood of the car and kissed her again.
Ari moaned as his body enveloped her. As his tongue entered her mouth, the world around them faded away and she concentrated on how good he felt pressed up next to her. She leaned back, taking him with her, until her back was flat against the top of the car. Lifting her legs, she hooked them around his hips as he ran his hands up and down her sides.
“Did you enjoy my little gift?” he asked as he shifted from her lips to her jaw.
“Like it? I love it.”
He stopped caressing her sides and fumbled for something in his pocket. Before she could ask what it was, her underwear vibrated, sending waves of pleasure through her core.
Ari gasped and arched her back, pressing her breasts into his chest. He set the underwear on continuous vibrate as he tore open her shirt and freed her breasts from her bra.
“This is torture. Jason—”
“I want to make sure you’re ready for me.” He placed his hand in between her legs, over her underwear. As he kissed her again, the vibration intensified, and Ari groaned as she spread her legs wider.
“Do you want more?” he asked.
“Of course.”
“Good, then you’ll love this.” He left it on the higher setting as he ran his tongue around her nipple. He flicked and sucked, stimulating her sensitive tip. Ari squirmed beneath him, causing him to hold her second breast to keep her steady.
“Tease.” She bucked and wiggled with pleasure as he used his teeth, tongue, and hands to torture first one breast, then the other.
“Jason…”
“Soon.” He reached once more between her legs and slipped his fingers underneath the elastic of the underwear. “While I loved our little game, I’m afraid it’s time to end it.”
“End it?”
“There’s another game I’d much rather play.” He hooked his fingers under the waistband and pulled them off. Within seconds he was back again, zipping down his pants and preparing himself.
“Let me help.” She sat up and slid off the hood as she reached for his cock. Jason braced his weight against the car as she crouched down until she was at eye level with his shaft. Freeing his erection, she ran her tongue around the tip and then pushed him deep inside her mouth.
“Yes.” He bowed his head and curled his fingers into the metal frame. “God, that feels good.”
Ari glanced at the beach and saw that it was deserted. For now. At any moment, another couple could enter, or a group of staff members could come and clean the beach. They were high up, people would have to really look to find them behind the bushes and dunes, but they could be seen. The thought of being caught made her even more brazen.
“Ah,” Jason said as she slid her tongue down his length and took one of his balls into her mouth. She gently sucked, focusing on first one, then the other. She heard him gasp.
“Are you okay?” she asked after she retreated.
“Okay? I’m more than okay, honey.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her into a standing position. “But if you do too much more than that, I won’t last very long.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“No,” he said. “I need to last for what I have planned.” He kissed her again, then turned her until she faced the car. When her naked breasts hit the cool metal, he stepped back and pulled his pants down to around his ankles. She heard the distinct tear of a condom wrapper and shivered with anticipation.
“You are so lovely.” He palmed her backside and squeezed it between his fingers. Ari whimpered and arched her back, pushing her hips up to his eager hands.
He slid his fingers around front and easily found her clit. He rubbed it in a circular motion, just the way she liked it, as he positioned himself against her slit.
“Open wider,” he whispered against her skin.
Ari hurried to follow his command. With a swift thrust, he was inside of her, filling her. He continued to push, spreading her folds open with his fingers as they came close to the car. Her clit pressed against the smooth metal hood, giving her a ripple of pleasure.
“That’s it, princess,” he soothed. “Just like that.” He removed his hand and grabbed her hips as he retreated and thrust deep inside her core.
He pushed hard, moving her body forward into the car. Her breasts rubbed up against the metal hood and her clit pressed against the side of the car as his hips came flush with hers. The extra jolts of stimulation pumped through her system, driving her desire higher.
“Yes,” she said as she adjusted her elbows so she sank more toward the car.
He retreated and thrust again, quickly finding a rhythm. Ari glanced ahead of her at the empty road, knowing that at any time someone could come around the bend and park in this secluded rest area and see them together. She widened her stance, loving how their bodies sounded as they came together.
“Work with me, princess,” he said.
Ari pushed back as he thrust forward, and their bodies crashed together as one. Again and again they pushed, and each time her need soared. Ari turned her head and glanced at the ocean as her nipples slid against the smooth metal of the car. Jason felt so good, so right. If he was going to make her live in the moment, then she didn’t ever want this moment to end.
Once, twice … their bodies came together like the crashing waves, breaking against the shore. The pressure on her clit was amazing, and Ari groaned as she felt her body strain toward release.
Higher and higher she raced, until she was hovering on the edge of something vast and amazing. Then Jason adjusted his stance and slid his hands up around her shoulders. The adjustment made him penetrate deeper, push harder. Ari gasped as he hit a sweet spot in her core.
Her orgasm hit her hard, bursting through her system like a summer storm. Ari cried out his name as bliss rained through her body, blanking her mind to everything but pleasure. Behind her she felt Jason stiffen and his movements become more intense. Within seconds he followed her over into oblivion, pouring every last ounce of his passion deep inside her body.
They silently hung onto the moment together, and as Jason curled his body around hers, Ari sighed her contentment. If only every moment could be this good.
* * *
Jason buried his face in Ari’s shoulder and inhaled her sweet scent. He didn’t want to think about his hotel, his brother, or anything else at the moment. Part of him wished that he could just run away with Ari, but he knew that could never be the case. On some level, Deacon was right. Jason would never be able to outrun his past. No matter where he went, he’d always be that kid that nobody wanted.
He carefully withdrew and helped Ari to dress.
“My shirt’s ruined,” she said.
“You didn’t seem to mind earlier.”
“No, I suppose I didn’t.” She chuckled and inched closer. “I’m surprised you keep coming back here. This hotel doesn’t seem very … you.”
He supposed she was right. “The hotel is part of my past. One of the families I had stayed with used to bring Deacon and me down here in the summer. The times I had spent here were the only happy memories from my childhood. Too bad it didn’t last.”
“What happened?”
“My foster parents were busted for dealing drugs. When they went to jail, Deacon and I went back into foster care.” He slid his arms around her and tugged
her close. “Later, when I was just starting out in the hotel business and found it difficult to mingle with the Boston elite, I came here because it reminded me of where I came from and where I wanted to go,” he said. “This hotel centered me and helped me to regain focus.”
Ari rested her head on his shoulder. “And where do you want to go?”
Good question. At one time, Jason would have had a ready answer—he wanted to be the richest, most influential person in the world. Someone no one would ever want to cast aside again. Unfortunately, the unwanted and unloved little boy in him wouldn’t go away quietly. The more power he got, the more he felt like an imposter. No longer was he sure that success would slay the memories of his childhood.
“I want to feel like I fit in somewhere.” His words surprised them both, but the more he thought about it, the more it felt right.
She lifted her head off his shoulder and squinted up at him. “Like you’re making a difference?”
“Yes.”
“Me, too. That’s why I have the charity. I just wish that the accounting wasn’t such a mess.”
“Deacon has always been good with numbers. When we ran the business together he kept track of all the finances.”
She frowned and eased away from him. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
“What do you mean?” Jason thought it was perfect. It would give Deacon a job and Ari someone she could trust. It would solve so many problems.
She crossed her arms over her middle, pulling her shirt together. “Promise you won’t get mad?”
Red flags went up in Jason’s mind. “What happened?”
“First you have to promise.”
“You know I can’t promise that when I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She swallowed and averted her gaze. “Deacon … your brother…”
“Yes?” he asked when she didn’t continue.
“We’ve had a couple of conversations now and each time I get the feeling he doesn’t like me very much.”
“It’s in your head, I’m sure. Let me talk to him—”
“He thinks that I’m changing you.” She took a step closer. “He said that you are ignoring family because of your concern for me.”
