Dangerous

by Audrey Alexander

  “It never came up,” Carrie said.

  “Huh,” Jace’s dad barked out as he frowned. “Well, that’s not important. What we need is to come up with a convincing story that will work for your defense. I don’t think it’s a good idea to include your step-sister in this. In fact, she should probably go home.”

  Rick obviously hadn’t filled Walter Holt in on Jace’s full story, and she wondered if Rick himself even knew about it. She certainly hadn’t told him, but she’d thought the police had handed over all their case information after Jace got released from Central Booking. Carrie shifted uncomfortably on her feet and glanced at Jace.

  “Carrie is my lawyer,” Jace said carefully. “Therefore, she certainly should be included in this.”

  “Was your lawyer,” Jace’s father replied. “She botched things up, and I won’t have her representing you anymore. Rick Allen has taken over, just as he should have in the first place.”

  Carrie saw Jace’s hands tense by his sides and waited for his reaction. Not only was someone trying to boss Jace Holt around but his father was insisting he be represented by a man who had attempted to blackmail him out of a million dollars. Jace’s father couldn’t know that though, so there wasn’t much for Jace to do other than bottle up the rage and back down. And she’d never seen Jace Holt back down from anything.

  Jace’s father was pushing his buttons, the way he’d done for as long as he could remember. Jace knew he was partly doing it to get a rise out of him and partly because he and his smug little face wanted to show Jace who was still in charge. No matter how powerful he’d become, his father had swooped in to puff out his chest and stomp all over his carefully constructed life.

  If he weren’t protecting Carrie, Jace would never have allowed his father to keep at his posturing for so long. This was Jace’s life, and he was the one in control now.

  “And what is the foundation of Rick Allen’s defense?” Jace asked calmly.

  “He believes you should own up to being on the security footage and explain exactly why you were with Anders Holland that night,” his father said with a nod, clearly satisfied that his son was finally going along with his plan. “He believes doing anything else will make it look like you’re hiding something, and juries don’t like that kind of thing.”

  By his side, he saw Carrie open and close her mouth, and he put a comforting hand on the small of her back. She stiffened under his touch, but she didn’t move away.

  “Despite what you might believe,” Jace said with a tight smile, “that man is not me.”

  “You’re sticking by that then, are you?” His father leaned against the couch and crossed his arms. “I don’t suppose you have an alibi to say otherwise?”

  Jace fell silent. He had two alibis in fact. The real one had been murdered in her apartment, and the fake one was standing right next to him.

  “I’m his alibi,” Carrie spoke up. “He was with me that night, and I already gave my statement to the police.”

  “Wait a minute.” Jace’s father shook his head. “You’re attempting to be both his alibi and his lawyer? That settles it then. Rick Allen is Jace’s lawyer, and that’s final. If you try to interfere anymore, I can have you disbarred.”

  “Walter!” Carrie’s mother cried out as she stood. “You will do no such thing.”

  “Don’t argue with me on this, Alice.” He pointed a finger at her. “My son’s future is on the line here, and so is my reputation. Carrie has done enough damage as it is. It’s time for her to leave.”

  “Carrie will not be leaving.” Jace stepped in front of Carrie to block her from view, and he tried to keep his breath steady as his heartbeat throbbed against his neck. He’d see his father angry before, but never directed at Carrie. In the past, he’d made it clear he wasn’t happy about her existence, but he’d never been quite like this.

  “Why the hell not?” Walter Holt’s face went red as he stared down his son.

  “Her apartment was broken into the other night. She was attacked days before that.” Jace’s hands squeezed tight by his sides. “Her life has been put in danger because of this, and I won’t have her staying somewhere else. She’s staying here at The Grand Rizzato until this is over. And that’s final.”

  Carrie’s mother widened her eyes, her hands clinging together as she glanced from one angry face to another. “Carrie, is this true?”

  “Yeah, I’m afraid it is,” Carrie said quietly.

  “Well, then she should stay here, Walter,” her mother said. “I know you’re not happy about how she’s handled this case, but this is my daughter’s safety we’re talking about.”

  “I’ve had enough of this.” Jace’s father pushed past them and strode toward the door. “Alice, we’re leaving now. We’ll let Jace come to his senses. I just hope when he comes to tomorrow’s meeting with Rick, he has his head on his shoulders. Otherwise, he’s on his own.”

  The door slammed shut behind them, and Jace stared hard at the floor for several moments, frozen and full of rage. This was why he never interacted with the man. This was why he’d worked so hard to build his own empire, so that he would never have to rely on his father for anything ever again. His life was finally his, and now his father was back, trying to barrel into it with all his brute force.

  But it wasn’t just his life this time. It was Carrie’s, too.

  He turned to see her shivering, and his eyes narrowed even more as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Resting his chin on the top of her head, he closed his eyes and breathed her in, vanilla and sweetness and a hint of sex. His father could do all the posturing he wanted, but Jace would not allow him to throw Carrie out of his life. She was his, and there was nothing that could change that, not all the yelling and stomping in the world.

  “He’s a dick,” Jace said. “Don’t let him get to you.”

  “He’s still right,” Carrie said, pulling back to look up at him. “A lot of this is my fault. I’ve lied. I’ve kept things hidden. If I’d done things differently, you might not be in this position.”

  He tucked his finger under her chin and smiled. “If you hadn’t lied, I’d have just gotten here sooner.”

  “What are we going to do, Jace?” she asked in a whisper, blinking away the tears in her eyes. “They won’t give up on that man in the footage. They seem dead set on you making up some story about how you were with Anders that night to explain why you show up there. Like there could be some innocent reason for it.”

  “Well, I refuse to do that,” he said in a low growl. “I won’t admit to something I didn’t do.”

  “And I don’t think you should.” Carrie frowned. “That could only make you look more guilty.”

  “At least you’re on my side. The only person in the world.”

  “Too bad your dad won’t let me touch your case with a ten foot pole from now on.” She shook her head and glanced away. “It’s like our hands are tied.”

  “My hands are never tied,” Jace said, pulling Carrie back in close to his chest. “If no one else is willing to believe us, then we’ll just have to take matters into our own hands.”

  “I’m not sure I want to know what you mean by that, Jace.”

  “I mean, we’re just going to have to find out who that man in the footage is ourselves.” Jace squeezed Carrie tighter. “Together. You and me.”

  Carrie wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him just as tight as he held her. “You and me against the world, huh?”

  “Exactly,” he said. “We’ll find whoever killed Anders Holland. It’s the only way.”

  Carrie felt as if she’d never loved anyone more than in that moment. Jace held her and she held him, and it was if their bodies had joined together to form a massive pillar that was stronger than either of them were alone. If she could feel like this now, just standing there with her arms wrapped around him, surely when they combined their strengths to take down the man who had framed Jace, they’d be unbeatable.

  Ja
ce pulled back and stared down at her. He had that look in his eyes he’d had earlier, before their parents had arrived and pulled a massive brake on the passion between them.

  “In the meantime, I believe there’s some unfinished business between us,” he said.

  Carrie’s body went hot from head to toe, and her grip tightened on Jace’s crisp shirt. Her heartbeat began to thrum in her neck again, this time from the adrenaline rushing through her veins rather than the fear pounding in her heart. Earlier, she’d expected Jace to bend her over and spank her hard. But instead, he’d gently caressed her skin and lovingly wrapped his arms around her. He’d only been inside of her for mere seconds, but he’d taken her in a way he never had before.

  And she desperately needed for him to finish what he’d started.

  Jace lifted Carrie from the floor, and her heart went up along with her body. Her mouth hungrily found his neck, and he groaned as his grip tightened around her ass. She opened her legs and wrapped them around his waist, squeezing tight as her need for him intensified.

  She felt his hardness through his pants, and the ache between her thighs spread through her whole body. Carrie needed Jace now. She wanted to feel every single part of him until all that existed was his body and his touch.

  He carried her over to the soft rug spread in front of his fireplace and carefully eased the two of them down until her back hit the floor. His lips found her ear, and she gasped, tingles of pleasure causing her back to arch. The fire beside them roared, filling up her head along with the lust rushing through her.

  Jace drew back, and the fire cast flickering shadows on his face. He looked so handsome staring down at her with that look in his eyes, and Carrie was certain he’d never been more perfect than in that moment. What had she done to deserve a man like him? He was everything she could have ever wanted and more.

  He carefully removed her clothes before getting naked himself. His entire body was slick with sweat, every ripple of his muscles enhanced by the light of the fire. He was gorgeous, and the way he gazed down at her made her feel as if she was the most beautiful woman in the world, at least in Jace’s eyes.

  “You are perfect, Carrie.” His voice was gruff and hoarse when he spoke, emotion running through his words. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. His lips brushed across her chin and down her chest before caressing her hard and swollen nipples. Her leg hooked around his back and pulled him closer, so close that his cock pushed inside her. She gasped at his hardness. It filled her up to the brink until the only thing she could think about was how good his body felt inside of hers.

  “Carrie,” Jace murmured into her ear, his voice thick with something she’d never heard from him before. “I love you.”

  Carrie gasped and tears formed in her eyes. Her heart grew so large, she wasn’t sure it could fit inside her chest anymore. Jace had never told her he loved her. She’d come to think he never would. But now he was gazing down at her with such adoration that she could barely believe this was the same man who had put up such an emotional wall between them so many times. Something inside him had changed this past week, and he was finally, after all these long and lonely years, opening himself up.

  “I love you, too,” she whispered back, the most honest words she’d ever uttered.

  Jace moved against her, gently thrusting his cock in and out of her sex. She opened her legs wider and pulled him close, the hardness of his length already building up the dam of pleasure in her body. She let her emotions wash over her, feeling closer to Jace in that moment than she’d ever felt to anyone ever before. Not only was she his, but he was hers. Together, they could take on the world and win.

  Jace began to pump faster, his lust taking over and making the tempo of his pace pick up speed. Carrie tried to hold back, to experience this feeling as long as she could, but before she could stop it, her orgasm broke through the spell. She cried out and arched her back, emotions and pleasure surrounding her like a whirlpool. The two of them came in tandem, Jace groaning as he emptied his seed inside her.

  When they were finished, Jace pulled away and stretched out on the rug beside her. The fire still roared, crackling and flickering dancing shadows on the walls. Jace opened his arms, and Carrie curled up on his chest. Her eyelids grew heavy, but she fought against sleep. She didn’t want to lose herself to consciousness now, not after what Jace had just told her. She was afraid if she went to sleep, it would all feel like just a dream when she awoke.

  Jace drew gentle circles on her back, his fingers gentle and soothing. “I want you to know that I meant what I said.”

  Her heart fluttered. “I meant it, too.”

  He shifted slightly underneath her so that he could gaze down at her and meet her eyes. “It isn’t easy for me, and I know it’s something I should have told you a long time ago.”

  “It’s okay. None of that matters anymore,” Carrie said with a smile. “I’m yours now, and I’m not going anywhere.”

  Jace and Carrie spent the rest of the night fully reacquainting themselves with each other’s bodies. They moved from the rug to the couch to the kitchen counter to the bed and to the closet for the chains once again. Jace was surprised to find he didn’t need any of his usual toys to enjoy pleasuring Carrie, but she was interested enough in his new tastes to want to try bondage with him again. And whatever Carrie wanted, Jace felt driven to provide.

  In the end, they found themselves in his bed where they finally fell asleep in each other’s arms, exhausted and euphoric from the pleasures of the night.

  The next morning, Jace woke up with a plan. Solidifying his relationship with Carrie had made him realize two very important things. One, he couldn’t let his case go to trial. The whole thing needed to be snuffed out before it got that far. If he was found guilty, not only would his life change dramatically for the worst, but so would Carrie’s. He didn’t have only himself to think about anymore.

  And two, a small nugget of truth had begun to tickle the back of his mind. He wasn’t sure he could trust it, but it was all he had to go on. The man from Madison’s scrapbook had looked familiar to Jace, which truly meant he could be anyone that Jace had a passing acquaintance with. There were a lot of places and events where they could have met, but one stood out in Jace’s mind. The club he used to frequent regularly. Bonds. Something in his gut kept bringing his thoughts back to that place.

  The pieces felt like they might fit. Someone who knew of Jace and of his tendency to go for one night stands. That would explain why he’d used Madison to draw him away from his penthouse that night. And it might explain Rick Allen’s role in the whole thing. Maybe it hadn’t been his idea to snap the photos of him and Carrie. Someone else could have put him up to it.

  It was at least a good enough idea to consider.

  After Jace had ordered up breakfast and espresso, he eased back into the bedroom to wake Carrie. She looked so peaceful and calm curled up on his bed, a slight smile on her lips. He hated to wake her and remind her of the obstacles they still faced, but they’d decided last night that they would tackle this thing together.

  “Carrie.” He smoothed the hair back from her face as her eyelids fluttered open. “Good morning.”

  “Morning.” She smiled.

  “I’d love to say let’s stay in bed all morning, but I have some breakfast on its way up and an idea in the works.”

  Carrie sat up, the sheets falling down to her stomach to reveal her perfect breasts. Her nipples were hard, and it took all of Jace’s self control not to put his mouth on her skin. He wanted to lick her and taste her, just as he had done a hundred times the night before. No matter how much of her Jace got, he wanted more.

  “An idea about your case?” she asked.

  “Somewhere to start looking,” he said. “It might lead to nothing, but it’s a good place to start.”

  She gave a nod, suddenly serious. Her professional lawyer face, he realized. “Okay, good. We’ll leave just after break
fast.”

  “Before we go, I should warn you,” he said. “We’ll be going back to Bonds.”

  An hour later, Carrie and Jace stood on the sidewalk outside of Bonds. It was early in the morning, so the door was shut to the public and all the lights looked dim inside. The few pedestrians on the streets were city professionals briskly walking by on their daily commute into work. Carrie glanced around, frowning. Jace knew what was on her mind. She was worried someone would jump out and snap their photo, even though there was nothing scandalous about what they were doing now.

  “Maybe we should come back tonight,” she said, shivering into her heavy coat. “We could scope the place out and see if that guy shows up.”

  “We could,” Jace said. “But Dominique knows all the regulars to his club. If this man is an customer of his, he’ll be able to tell us. He’ll most likely know his usual schedule and what night he’s likely to come back. If we’re lucky, he’ll know his address.”

  Carrie shivered and nodded. She didn’t like this, he could tell, but she wasn’t arguing against it either. The truth was, they didn’t have any other options at the moment. “Will he even be here this early?”

  “He’s always here,” Jace said. He stepped forward and pulled open the door. Like the day before, it was unlocked. The two of them stepped inside the dark club and glanced around. His eyes flashed to the corners, knowing that if Dominique was in the back, he’d be able to spot them on the security cameras. But the cameras were no longer there. Jace frowned.

  “Jace Holt,” Dominique said, stepping through the red curtain and striding toward Jace with an outstretched hand. “Glad to see you back so soon. And you brought your lovely companion, I see.”

  “Carrie, this is Dominique.” Jace turned to Carrie, whose face was flush with pink. “Dominique, this is Carrie Simmons. My…”

  “Your friend. Yes, of course.” Dominique smiled. “What can I do for you, Jace? I assumed the next time you two came to my lovely establishment, it would be during normal operating hours. If you’d like to make use of your private room, I hate to say that you’ll have to come back tonight when we’re open. We’re just cleaning up now, and I’m about to head home to catch up on some sleep.”