At least, that’s what she’s been used to for so long.
She didn’t count on me.
“I’ve assembled my entire team in a span of twenty minutes. I’ve contacted Ollie. And all you’ve done is given me a first name, which by the way, probably isn’t even real, but let’s forget that tiny detail for the time being.” She lowers herself next to me, her spearmint-tinged breath wafting under my nose. My fingers itch to trace a path down the smooth bronze skin of her arms, and my hands tingle with the urge to knead those full tits. Fuck, I’d love to push her onto her back and drive myself into her with no regard for who might be watching. I want to fuck the control freak out of her and save the freak part for later. Unfortunately for me, later is never coming. Things move fast, and pretty soon, she’ll be a name buried in my past. So, I play along because that’s what I do.
“Let’s get something straight, Jeff. I don’t respond well to threats. I’m only doing this for Scarlet and for my team. Now, why don’t you tell me what’s really going on here. Or…” Her hands graze the fabric straining against my full-blown hard on. “Do I need to fuck the information out of you? I don’t have a lasso of truth, but there are plenty of other tools in my arsenal.”
She slides her skirt to her waist and straddles me, one long, toned leg at a time. Her finger slides my belt buckle open, and then pops open the button on my pants. But those eyes never leave mine, not even for a second. She holds her hand up to her mouth and licks the palm. A smile lifts the corners of her glossy pink lips when her hand travels down my abdomen and into my boxer briefs, squeezing my cock with authority. “I think that would be a yes, am I right?”
I can come right now and die a happy man. Flipping her over and driving my dick into her until the sun rises is my new goal. Fuck Ollie and everyone else.
She slides against me and my cock thickens against her naked, wet pussy. Skin against slick skin. Fuck me, I want her. I grip her waist, pushing her down, ready to sink into her slit, and lose myself—
Snap! Her eyes narrow. “Did you hear what I said?”
“Yes.” Well, I know what I heard in my head…and what I felt with my other head…
“So? Are you going to tell me what the hell this is all about? I really don’t have time for games, and if there’s damage control to be done, I need to get on it asap.”
Get on it. Fuck, yes, you do.
“I already told you. I need you and Ollie to help get this under control. These photos will crush Scarlet’s career. I don’t think you want to see all your hard work blow like Old Faithful, right? Pun intended.”
She winces, and I know she’s recalling one of those graphic pictures in painstaking detail. “You still haven’t told me what you want.”
“Look, Ollie is a technology genius. He can comb the web for toxic information faster than most people can tie a shoe. He can make all of this disappear and clear Scarlet’s bullshit good girl reputation.”
“What do you get out of it? Because I sure as hell know you don’t care about her career.”
“It’s my job. I get a big fat paycheck.”
Ariana stands up and lets out a huff. “And you really think getting strangers involved with your underworld deals is smart business?”
“Who said anything about the underworld? Now you’re just being presumptuous.”
“Please. There are two reasons why you’re sitting here right now. One, because you know Ollie, and two, because I have an ex-Navy Seal bodyguard with an Uzi down the hall standing guard.”
“Sounds like you don’t trust me.”
“I don’t trust anyone, Jeff. Don’t take it personally.” She bends to grab a bottle of water from the small refrigerator in the corner of her office. “Lucky for you, Ollie vouched for you; otherwise, you’d have never made it as far as the elevator.”
“I admire your reconnaissance skills. I’ll admit, I didn’t give you enough credit.”
“I work very hard to earn that credit, Jeff.” She twists off the cap and takes a long sip. I was lost in a moment of lust before, but that mouth is just sending me back down the rabbit hole. The way it squeezes the bottle opening and sucks down the liquid…I bet she could suck other things like a champ. “Do you have a last name?”
“It’s best we keep things less formal.”
“Best for whom? We’re not exactly on a level playing field right now.”
“True, but then again, you came in at a disadvantage.”
She saunters toward me, crossing one leg in front of another, twisting her body left and right, making me forget why I’m standing in the center of this room. Jesus Christ, what the hell is happening to me? She can flash her pussy right now and I’d fall to my knees, mouth open, tongue ready to lap. And that’s goddamned unacceptable. I never lose my shit like this. “I think I deserve a chance to level the field. I’ve done everything you’ve asked. Even some things you haven’t asked.”
Yeah, I’d love to get to those other things little later.
Chapter Six
ARIANA
There’s something about this man that has my insides twisted like a lanyard. The fact that he’s sitting here right now is making me question my intellect. I told him I’m guarded by an ex-Seal, but what he doesn’t know is that Ray isn’t exactly an ex-Seal, he’s a retired Rent-A-Cop. And that Uzi? It’s actually a BB gun. Sure, he looks intimidating because he’s six foot four and looks like a white Dwayne Johnson, but…yeah, small fib. Oops.
For some reason, I’m not threatened. Maybe it’s because he knows Ollie, whom I trust implicitly. Ollie didn’t give me details over the phone, but the reassurance that ‘Jeff’ isn’t going to chop me up and dump me behind the building in a plastic bag was enough to get me to the office.
I suck in a breath as his gaze rakes over my body. It’s a brutal and blatant eye-raping of the most arousing kind. Strange. He doesn’t seem to be the type to let his emotions control him, but if I were a betting woman, I’d say he’d bend me over the couch and give me access to his bank account if I so much as spread my legs. And by the looks of him, I’m sure that happens more often than not. Maybe not the bank account thing, but definitely the spreading of the legs part.
He knows I’m analyzing him. That cocky ass smile is back, shadowing his apparent desire. What can I say? It’s a critical part of my job - reading people and understanding what buttons I need to press to get what I want. Those are my gifts, and I use them on a daily basis.
There is a smoldering heat between us, so powerful it can ignite an explosion. But the need - my need - for distance keeps us at opposite ends of the room, silent, almost daring the other to speak. My skin prickles under his penetrating gaze. Goosebumps shoot up my arms and down my legs, and my body craves the feel of his thick fingers dancing all over it, rubbing, flicking, plunging…
“Ariana, Ollie just walked in. I’m sending him back.”
I jump, startled by the sound of Layna’s perky voice over the intercom. I tuck a lock of hair behind my ear and clear my throat, effectively ending the moment. Not a second too late, either. The hunger in Jeff’s eyes is evident. He’s ready to devour me whole, and it’s a good thing I left my buzz at the club because I’m disturbingly close to allowing it.
Ollie pushes open the door and heads right over to Jeff. I can’t decide if I love him or hate him in that moment. A smile lights up Jeff’s dark, rugged features, making his whole face glow. The man is a certifiable Adonis. But there’s still something remotely demonic that intrigues me, something my innate investigative skills want to decode.
“Jeff!” Ollie claps him on the back and pulls him in for a man hug. “It’s been too long. Where’ve you been hiding?”
Jeff chuckles. “I’ve got a few places, in a few countries. Plenty of opportunities to lose myself.”
“Translation…plenty of pissed off people on your tail.”
“Everybody likes a little ass, Ollie.” Jeff cocks an eyebrow and clasps a hand on his shoulder. “But nobody like
s a smart ass.”
I bite down on my lower lip to keep the loud cackle in my throat. “Excuse me, while this little reunion is very sweet, I’d like to avert this disaster as quickly and neatly as possible. Ollie, Jeff specifically requested you, so thanks for coming.” I focus my attention on Jeff. “Let’s get this moving, shall we? What do you need from us?”
Jeff walks toward one of the windows lining the office. “Scarlet is involved in a situation bigger than her. We need to eliminate all evidence of her whereabouts. If we don’t act fast, there will be dire consequences to her career. And yours.”
My brain may still be a little fuzzy because of all the champagne I’d guzzled hours earlier, but the question still remains; the one which Jeff seems to expertly deflect each time it’s asked. “Let me ask one more time, Jeff. Why are you here?”
He pauses and exchanges a look with Ollie. “I need Ollie to hack into an encrypted security network.”
I furrow my brow. “Why? To delete the pictures?”
“No, the pictures are the least of your concern right now.”
“I don’t follow.” Shit, I’m really floundering now. My temples pound as I try desperately to make sense of this situation.
“This is a remote virtual network set up for sick bastards around the world who watch live sex. Scarlet was picked specifically for this porn network. Celebrities sucking cock for the cameras. People pay good money to watch that. Can’t fuck Scarlet yourself? Well, just live vicariously through some other jackass who has enough money to lure her into his sex den.”
“Wait, are you telling me that Scarlet’s boyfriend, Taylor Hayes, is messed up in this whole thing, too? She’s supposed to be with him tonight.” Of course, I’d known they were banging like cannons; however, with the same clean-cut image and a shitload to lose if anyone was to say otherwise, Taylor kept an airtight lid on their sexcapades.
“Our intel said they split up after the show and went their separate ways. Scarlet’s flying solo.”
“So, wait, you work for who, exactly?” Intel? Tailing Taylor and Scarlet? Hacking into porn networks? My body is twitching with the adrenaline coursing through it, but my brain is nearing shutdown. I’m exhausted, though desperate to understand how all of these pieces fit together.
Jeff’s hand slides into the pocket of his pants; the ones that hang on what I’m sure is a perfectly chiseled waist with that delicious “V” I’ve only seen in pictures, since I’m pretty much celibate these days. Well, most days. “I’m a private investigator hired by an underground governmental agency. My ‘business deal’ is making sure the assholes running this online porn haven are stupid enough to get caught before more people get hurt. And we were close tonight, ready to pull the plug, until Scarlet showed up on the scene. Now we need to get that footage before it goes live.”
My eyes narrow. “Which agency?”
“I can’t disclose that information.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me all of this from the beginning?”
“Some people aren’t as agreeable once they find out I’m working with the government.”
I fold my arms over my chest, trying to process everything I just heard. I still don’t trust him, but I know he’s safe because of Ollie. It would have been nice to know from the get-go that he wasn’t going to impale me with an ice pick when I was approached at the club. “I don’t understand. Why don’t you just get a warrant and force your way inside? Is she still there? How are you going to get her out?”
Ollie crosses the office and places a hand on my shoulder. “I’ve just taken a look at the security feed, and I don’t see her on any of the cameras.”
“The videos don’t go live right away.” Jeff runs a hand through his hair. “And this one is going to cost the most sick and twisted viewers plenty to watch. We still have time to intercept it, but we need to act fast. Scarlet is only one of the victims here. This is an extremely covert operation, Ariana, and it requires the utmost discretion if we’re going to stop them for good. That’s why nobody can know about our involvement.”
I nod and nibble at my cuticle, careful not to chip the nail polish, but my teeth are too close to the nail. A corner of my French manicure chips off. Motherfucker. “Okay, so what do you need from us?”
“I need Ollie and a computer. I’ll guide him through the network. We’ll erase all traces that Scarlet was involved and include surveillance so we can make sure she doesn’t end up there again.” No nonsense, no emotion, just business. He makes it sound so neat and clean, like the ties between us will be once he cuts them.
Because when he eliminates the trail, he’ll be gone forever.
Not that this should make me upset at all, since my star client will be back in action, pun intended.
Ollie nods. “I’ll grab my laptop.”
“Keep it quiet, Ollie. Let everyone out front think they’re still on the hunt for online gossip. I don’t want anyone to leak the fact this is part of an investigation. Not yet.”
“Got it.” Ollie sticks up his thumb and rushes out the door.
“I still don’t understand why you didn’t just tell me all this in the club, why you had to make this whole thing sound so ominous.” I make a concerted effort to pull my damned finger out of my mouth. It’s a nervous habit, one I’ve tried to break for years, but the need to chomp on my cuticles is amplified when I have serious reservations about a situation. Just like I do now. Because for as much as Jeff has told me, there are a lot of holes in his story. Big ass holes he probably doesn’t think I recognize, but I do, and I’m biting my tongue until I can get Ollie alone.
“I needed to make sure you understood the ramifications if you didn’t comply.” He turns away from the window and moves toward me with slow, deliberate movements that make me feel a little bit like an animal being stalked by a predator. His dark eyes pin me under their gaze, and my limbs just hang at their sides. My fingers twitch, and the urge to bite my nails is overwhelming, but I refuse to let him see my inner conflict. “I think you can appreciate what a delicate situation this is for everyone. I also want to make sure this sex ring isn’t alerted about my involvement. That will only make the cockroaches scatter, making them much harder to track, and we might lose access to the evidence we need to bring them down.”
Okay, he just said cock and harder. Is it sick that those are the only two words I took away from his last sentence? Shit, I need some coffee. Maybe a vibrator. I clear my throat, ready to turn away, but his hulking body prevents any movement. His fingertips are close enough to dance along my prickled skin, lips close enough to brush against mine…holy crap! I am in so much danger of losing everything I’ve worked toward, yet all I can think about is having this man plastered on top of me.
I swallow hard. No, that’s not exactly true.
He can be under me, against me, behind me…doing just about any damned thing he wants.
Oh, Christ. This is what happens when someone is both sleep and sex-deprived. That has to be the reason for these insane obsessions about a man who, within thirty minutes, has gone from ominous threat to potential extortionist to government agent. The stress of this night is unleashing a whole bunch of complicated emotions that I’d decided a long time ago needed to be buried. Permanently.
“Okay,” I rasp, grabbing my bottle of water. The cool liquid hits my empty stomach, sending a shiver through me. Yes, I’m sure it was the result of my large gulp of water, not his eyes peeling off my dress.
Argh! Get it the hell together, Ari!
“Your cooperation means a lot, Ariana.” He smiles, and my knees weaken. I’m a freaking tightly wound ball of pathetic.
I manage to return one of my own. “Just doing my civic duty.” Ironic. I’m not usually the one saying that.
A chuckle escapes his lips. “However you want to think about it.”
I furrow my brow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, to be frank, you’re not exactly doing this to be a good citizen. This i
s about keeping Carlson and Associates on the up and up.”
Up and up. This just gets better.
I package the lust into a tiny little locked up box in my mind and narrow my eyes at the intimidating, yet delicious specimen of a man in front of me. “My priority is obviously going to be my work. I have a duty to protect my client—“
“From offering her mouth and alleged virgin pussy to a bunch of people who can very easily make her into an even bigger star than she already is? Sounds to me like you’re just protecting her lies and that she’s just a fame chaser who’ll do anything - or anyone - to get what she wants.” He runs a hand through his thick, dark hair. “Much like your other clients, am I right?”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about!” I sputter. “My job isn’t to make them appear to be virtuous, it’s about…it’s about…” Fuck, why am I doing this again?
“What you do isn’t even remotely admirable. You protect these people from themselves for a shitload of coin. And even after all your efforts, look how easy it is to divert them off your carefully crafted path.”
My jaw drops. “You are such an asshole!”
“I’ve been called much worse, sweetheart, and to be honest, I’m a little shocked you couldn’t come up with something more original. Aren’t people like you all about the spin?”
“I’m still a lady, for chrissakes!”
Dirty, Dark, & Dangerous: A Contemporary Romance Boxset Page 33
