by L. A. Fiore
He didn’t like seeing the bruises marring her delicate skin. He’d seen the video; hell, he’d watched it a few times. It was her job, but he could admit he didn’t like it.
He was surprised he’d shared his past with her. He didn’t talk about his past, and yet, he had with her. It felt natural, another aspect of Molly Donahue that Kade needed to consider. As well as the fact that she was too sweet to muck around in the sewer where he once called home.
The intercom buzzed, right before the door opened on a man in a bad suit and a comb over of what remained of his dark hair. Harvey Daniels knew how to find dirt on anyone. The deeper it was buried, the more he enjoyed the hunt. Learning what he had last night, he was curious about Molly’s theory. Particularly since, he had personally sunk almost two hundred million dollars into CyberTech. If there was going to be blowback, he fucking wanted to know.
Kade gestured to the chair across from him before he settled behind his desk.
Harvey didn’t waste time. Another reason Kade liked him. “Samantha James wasn’t old enough to have any dirt. She was exactly what she seemed.”
Kade said nothing, just steepled his fingers and listened, as Harvey detailed her life, and he was right; she hadn’t lived long enough. Someone had taken that from her. He understood Molly standing for the dead because he felt the need to do the same for Samantha.
“Molly Elizabeth Donahue.” He glanced up and grinned. “Now there’s a looker.”
Kade stopped him. She put her trust in him. He wasn’t going to abuse that. “I don’t need the information on her. I called you here because I have something else I need you to look into.”
Harvey got that look he got when he had something else to hunt.
“Jason Benjamin, fiancé to Katrina Dent, the movie star. I’m not going to say more than that. I want everything you can find on him, and I want to know how hard it was to find.” Kade pulled out a slip of paper and pushed it across the table. “I want information on these individuals, too. I need this sooner than later. An additional hundred thousand has been deposited in your bank account.”
Harvey’s eyes went wide, before he stood. “I’ll get right on it.”
Kade got to his feet. “As always, a pleasure.”
Harvey was already out the door. Yeah, Kade liked him. His thoughts turned back to Molly. She was investigating a case that someone seemed hell-bent on keeping a secret. She wasn’t just in the line of fire, but a target. Made an even bigger target, if her theory was right, and she was seen mingling with him. But that was something he could fix.
Eleven
Molly
I was exhausted and grateful it was the weekend. Not that my job followed weekend schedules, but I’d really like a few days to catch up on sleep. I wanted something to eat, then I wanted to go face down for a solid eight hours. I glanced at my phone, no message from Kade. It had been two days since our dinner, and outside of him wishing me sweet dreams, I hadn’t heard from him. I hadn’t reached out either. I wanted to. I’d picked up my phone a few times, but I was a little insecure when it came to him. He and I didn’t move in the same circle and, well, I wasn’t sure if his dinner dates all ended the way ours did. Well, would have, if I hadn’t been called away.
I flipped on the television. Salem joined me, as I dug through the fridge for something to eat. I heard Kade’s name, smiled and looked back at the television. The smile slipped from my face, seeing him with Emerson DeWitt. It was like taking a punch to the gut, which was immediately followed with anger, at myself for getting swept up. I’d spent the last two days daydreaming about our night together, checking my phone more than I’d ever checked my phone, waiting for us to take up where we left off, and he was out with Hollywood’s sweetheart. I was a detective, I should have fucking seen that coming. The back of my eyes burned and that only pissed me off more.
I lost my appetite. I added some kibble in Salem’s bowl, flicked off the television and went for a shower. Turning the spray as hot as I could stand, I stripped, climbed in and let the heat roll over me. Even angry, it hurt because I thought he’d felt it, too. His words we weren’t finished, well, we were because I had never been one to share. I let the tears fall, gave in to the pain that I shouldn’t even feel, because I hardly knew the man, and then I shut that shit down. Buried it where I buried my other disappointments. I’d gotten sidetracked, but Samantha James needed me. That’s where my focus needed to be.
I got ready for bed, but I wasn’t tired, so I grabbed the remote to watch a movie. I saw I had a message waiting. My heart jumped seeing it was from Kade.
Tomorrow night. Seven. I’ll send the car.
I had gotten a thrill when he’d sent a similar text for our dinner date, but now, I wondered. Was he just used to getting what he wanted. He didn’t ask because he knew the answer. Had I read him that wrong?
I replied, I thought…it doesn’t matter. I misread the situation. I think we are, in fact, finished.
Not even a minute later, my phone rang. He didn’t let me answer, before he demanded, “What does that mean?”
“It means I saw you on the television with Emerson. I don’t…” I pulled a hand through my hair because I wasn’t prepared to talk about this. “Like I said, I misread the situation.”
“How?”
Seriously? I stood, paced and, as I did, I grew angrier. “After our day skydiving, and dinner I thought you felt it, too, so turning on the television and seeing you with Emerson, like I said. I misread the situation.”
“Felt what?” he pressed, in a low gravelly voice.
“It would seem something I shouldn’t have.”
Silence followed. Nothing, he gave me nothing. Temper rose up to meet hurt. “Goodbye, Kade,” I waited, still nothing, so I hung up, dropped my phone on the sofa, felt the fucking tears again, but refused to let them fall. I turned off the television and the lights and went to bed.
I didn’t know what woke me, but then I heard the knock. Glancing at the clock, it was after three in the morning. I climbed from bed, grabbed my gun and moved to the door. Peeking out, Kade was standing there.
I didn’t even think, unlocking and opening the door, because I was still working on why the hell Kade was at my door at three in the morning. Then I saw his face. He was pissed. He stepped into my apartment, closed and locked the door behind him. I stood in my tank and boy shorts, my gun forgotten in my hand, staring at Kade Wakefield in my little apartment.
“We didn’t finish our conversation.” His voice was deceivingly soft.
“It didn’t seem like we were having one.”
“What did you feel?”
“Why do you care?” I wasn’t trying to be flippant, but the man had to give me something.
There was that knot at his jaw. “I took Emerson to the ballet because if you’re right about your theory, I’m being watched, too.”
It took me a minute to process those words because I was still on the fact that he was in my apartment. Then the words settled and some of the lust faded. I hadn’t thought of that, but he was right. Anyone connected to the project was likely being watched.
“And it wouldn’t do for anyone to know that a certain homicide detective has gotten under my skin, that I can’t go a day…” He moved and not controlled, like usual, but restless, like a caged tiger. “Fuck, I can’t go an hour without thinking about your taste and how I want more of it.” He stopped pacing and looked me right in the eyes, his own looking like the calm before the storm. “I fucking want you, Molly Donahue, and I don’t want anyone knowing just how much.” He stepped right into my personal space. “Because that puts you at risk.”
Oh my God. My whole body felt those words. My mouth opened, without the command from my brain, and answered his original question. “I felt home.”
His fingers curled around my gun. He took it from my numb hand and put it on the table, and then
he was on me. My tank was off and his mouth was on my breast, his tongue playing with my nipple, before he sucked that hard peak into his mouth
“Yes,” I moaned, my hands working off his shirt.
My panties followed. He lifted me, dropped me on the sofa. His hands moved under me, cupping my ass, lifting me to his mouth. He sucked on my clit, before sinking his tongue deep into me.
“Oh my God.”
The roughness of his five o’clock shadow on my inner thigh combined with what his mouth was doing had me writhing under him. His head lifted, hot eyes stared at me, as he pushed two fingers into me, curled them and hit that sweet spot. He sucked on my clit, and it was too much, the orgasm crashed over me. He didn’t stop, tasting me with a thoroughness that had a second orgasm following the first. Then I was up, in his arms, as he carried me to my bedroom. He dropped me to my feet. I worked on his shirt, pulling it down his arms. My hands moved back up those arms, enjoying the hard muscle under the smooth skin, down his chest, over his abs, taking my time to explore each muscle in his six-pack. My fingers shook, as I worked the button on his trousers, his focus never leaving my face. I pushed his trousers and briefs down his legs, my focus shifting to his cock. My clit pulsed; a new wave of heat pooled between my thighs. His cock was thick and long, and god, I wanted him inside me. Fisting the base, I tongued the tip, before I drew him into my mouth. He moaned, as I sucked him deeper. I was just getting into a rhythm when he dragged me up his body, his mouth slamming down on mine, before he stepped me backwards to the bed. He curled an arm around my waist and brought me down on the bed. I spread my legs wider; he fisted his cock and centered it. Our gazes were locked when he pushed into me.
“Fuck, yes.” I moaned. Finally.
He sank in deep then stilled, lowering himself to take my mouth in a hard kiss, before he pulled out and sank back in, a low moan working up his throat.
“Again,” I groaned.
He pulled out, lifted my hips and sank even deeper. My legs tightened, wanting to hold him inside me. He picked up his pace, my breathing turning to pants, as he fucked me. Chills danced down my body, my moans growing louder, until I came on a scream. He moved even faster, he felt so fucking good, but then he was gone. Before I could object, his hands were at my waist, turning and lifting me to my knees. He ran his finger down my spine over my ass, down to my pussy, where he pushed it in. I dropped my head and moaned. He twisted my hair around his hand and pulled my head back, his mouth on my throat, his tongue running up my neck. His cock was pressing into my ass, my hips moving back to feel more of him. He growled, then moaned, before he took my mouth in a rough kiss, his hand moving to my breast, twisting and pulling on my nipple.
His thick cock slid into my tender pussy. “Ah fuck.” And still, I shifted back to take him deeper, stirring pain from his hold on my hair, which only made the sensation between my legs even more intense. His hand moved down my belly to my clit, as his cock pounded into me, going so deep. The sound of skin slapping against skin accompanied our moans, as he fucked me to my fourth orgasm. My arms and legs went weak, but he held me close, his thrusts turning almost violent, before he came, the sexiest sound ripping from his throat. He pressed a kiss between my shoulder blades and tightened his hold on my hair. Pulling my head back and still being inside me, I felt that ache again. His mouth was right at my ear when he whispered, “We’ve only just gotten started.”
I woke from the ache between my legs. It took only a second to remember the night. He hadn’t been kidding, two hours and six orgasms. The man should give instruction to all other men because he knew his way around the female body. I bit my lip because I shouldn’t want him again; we’d only just stopped a few hours ago, but already, I was aching for him. He’d given me four orgasms before he allowed himself one. I’d never been with someone like that. Hell, I’d never been with a man like Kade, though I doubted there were many men like Kade. It was more than lust that moved through me. I glanced over, but the bed was empty, and touching the sheets, they were cold. Had he left? I sat up, disappointment settling, until I smelled bacon. He fucked me unconscious and was now making me bacon. Where the hell had he been all of my life?
His shirt was on the floor; I pulled it on and fastened a few buttons, while I made my way to the kitchen. He’d pulled on his trousers: his bare back to me. I leaned against the doorjamb and took a minute to appreciate the sight because, damn, it was a sight.
“Coffee’s on,” he said, glancing over his shoulder, those gray eyes slowly moving down my body. “That shirt never looked so good.”
I crossed the room, came up behind him, wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades. Remembering our rounds of sex, my nipples went hard. He knew, when he said in a rough voice, “We need to eat.”
“Coffee?” I asked.
“Please.”
I moved to the cabinet for two mugs, my thoughts drifting to what he’d said last night. “Do you think it’s possible you’re being watched?”
He pulled the pan from the heat. “I think you make a good argument, and without something else to link Katrina Dent to the recent murders, the timing alone warrants further investigation.”
He plated up the eggs and bacon and brought the plates to the table. I took a minute to appreciate that he was feeding me, again, but this time, he was making the food. I could get used to it. He settled next to me. Touched my cheek with his thumb, a light brush, before he said, “Eat.”
I reached for my fork, my thoughts turning back to the case. “I’d really like to find Jason.”
“There’s a good chance he met the same fate as his girl,” Kade said.
“I know, but he’s the missing link.” I took a bite of the scrambled eggs that had onions and peppers. “This is delicious.”
“It’s just eggs,” he countered.
“Well, I usually have cold pizza,” I said, then grinned when he gave me a look. “How do you create human tissue?” I thought out loud.
“Stem cell research has been a hot topic. It was only a matter of time before science filled in the gaps.”
“Today, it’s prosthetics, and tomorrow, it’s cloning, or gene manipulation, to get the child with blonde hair and green eyes.” A shiver moved through me because the concept was so Sci-Fi. “I get progress, I even understand the impact CyberTech will make on so many lives, but people tend to keep pushing the frontier, always looking for bigger and better, but, sometimes, bigger isn’t better.”
“It’s a fine line, I agree.”
That got me thinking. Bigger and better…CyberTech was prepared to launch this amazing discovery, but just how much further past this discovery were they? I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
“Do you have vacation?” Kade asked.
Now, it was a chill, a very pleasant chill that moved down my body. There was a little voice in the back of my head, questioning the timing, hell, questioning him being here at all. I didn’t tell that voice to shut up, but I didn’t listen to it either. “I do.”
“Next weekend. We leave Thursday, return on Tuesday.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere I can keep you naked and in bed.”
I felt those words; they settled between my legs.
“Yes?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He stood, pulled me to my feet and tossed me over his shoulder. “Enough talking.”
My body was on fire, but I did like the man’s methods…fucking loved them.
“He doesn’t exist,” Zac shared, on Monday morning. I was having a hard time following him because my thoughts were on the weekend. Kade had followed me out earlier. He’d spent the whole weekend, most of which was spent in bed. I had wanted sleep. I hadn’t gotten any, but I was energized. I thought I knew good sex. I hadn’t known good sex…great sex…mind-blowing sex. I bit my lip because he wanted another weekend of the same
, longer this time. I wasn’t going to survive four days of mind-numbing sex. I couldn’t wait.
“Molly?”
My focus jerked to Zac. “What?”
“Are you here?”
Unfortunately. “Yes.” I pulled my shit together, focused on the case. “Jason Benjamin doesn’t exist.” Then it hit. “He doesn’t exist!”
“Yeah, welcome to the party,” he teased. “The first appearance of Jason Benjamin was right before he started dating Katrina Dent.”
“So there never was a Jason Benjamin.” I dropped down on the edge of my desk. “Why would he fabricate an identity?”
“Damn good question, and since we haven’t a clue who the person was who was pretending to be Jason Benjamin, and the fact that it’s been thirty-one years, we could walk right up to him and not know it’s him.”
“He didn’t have to change his name like Milton suggested, he just had to go back to his real identity. So maybe he wasn’t the target, but the mastermind, which makes me wonder if maybe Katrina really was murdered.”
“If she learned he wasn’t who he claimed to be, that would be motive,” Zac added.
“Do we have any pictures of him?” I asked. “We can get the forensic team to age him.”
“Already thought of that, but every picture of him is with Katrina, and his face is conspicuously blurred.”
“I wonder if Milton has pictures?” I pondered out loud.
“I’ll call him.”
“Jason Benjamin is looking more and more guilty, but of what?” I said.
“Katrina Dent was twenty-seven when she died.”
