by Lexi Blake
She sighed as though trying to find a way to say what she wanted to say. “I don’t have a lot of money but if you need some, I can give you a little.”
He crowded her, anger starting to take root in his gut. What exactly did she think he was? “You tell me what you’re talking about and you do it now, girl.”
Damn, but he’d almost lost it and gone into his Irish accent.
She trembled a little as he backed her up against the building. Her eyes flashed from right to left, looking for a little help, but everyone ignored her. Liam was counting on that. It was a big city. Unless she just flat wanted to scream for help, everyone would ignore their little scene. It was time to start showing the sub who topped whom.
“You have an idea about me, Avery, don’t you?” He was well aware his voice had gone deeper than she’d heard all day. It was the voice he used when training a sub. Hard. Unrelenting. Dominant. “Put it in plain English. I’d like to hear it.”
“You’re scaring me.” She put her hands up as though that could possibly stop him.
“And I think you’re insulting me.” He came up with two ideas she could possibly have about him. Both of them insulting. Neither of them right. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but do you think I’m indigent and need a handout?”
She huffed, her eyes on her hands. “No. Obviously not. You’re very well dressed. You obviously have money.”
So it was door number two. “And you think I get it by hustling women out of cash. You think if you invite me upstairs, you’re agreeing to have sex with me for money. Tell me something, little girl, just how much would I have charged?”
The sub thought he was a hustler, did she? The thought didn’t sit well. Somewhere in the back of his head he knew he should be laughing this off, but it just made him angry. She was so sweet and innocent, and he was just a nasty, disgusting brute. It hit way too close to home.
“Does it help if I thought you would be worth a lot, and I was worried I didn’t have the money?” Those big eyes looked up, wide and slightly afraid, but there was a hint of sass to her words.
He pressed his advantage, crowding her until their bodies came together. “Well now, Avery. If a man is going to get accused of being a prostitute, the very least you can do is accuse him of being an expensive one. And no. I wasn’t going to charge you, but I was damn straight going to get in your pants.”
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” she started.
But he was done talking to her. Talking to her all day had just made her think he was so dumb he couldn’t find work that didn’t involve his dick. The fact that she was his work and she definitely involved his dick didn’t matter. All that mattered now was making a damn good impression on the lady.
Before she could get another word in, he swooped in, lowering his head and pressing his lips to hers.
He’d already planned their first kiss. He’d viewed it like a coach planning a football play. He’d gone over every instant in his head, each move meant to gain maximum trust from Avery. Gentle. Soft.
All that careful planning was blown straight out of the water the minute his lips touched hers. He was overwhelmed with the need to dominate. His hands came up, tangling in that soft cloud of hair and forcing her head back so he could take her mouth. His lips pressed to hers, molding over that bee-stung bottom lip. He sucked it into his mouth, drawing his tongue across it. So plump and firm. He wanted to suck on it and give her a little nip. Yeah, she might like a little bite of pain. God knew he did.
“Open your mouth for me,” he demanded. He could force her to do it, but he wanted her submission. He wanted her willing. He fully intended to walk away, but he wanted her hot and desperate first. He wanted her thinking about him all fucking night long.
“I don’t think…” She sounded breathless. Her hands were still on his chest, but she wasn’t pushing at him. In fact, her hands were moving against his chest almost restlessly. “God, I need to stop thinking.”
She turned her head up, and it was all the invitation he needed. He took her mouth, those sexy lips opening for him. His tongue surged inside, and she was every bit as sweet and hot as he’d thought she would be. He slanted his mouth over hers, coaxing her tongue with his.
She was still for a long moment, utterly motionless in his arms, but then her tongue slid along his almost shyly as though she’d forgotten somewhere along the way how to play this particular game, but she was willing to try.
Her arms drifted up, and he could feel her lifting herself on her toes, throwing herself into the kiss. Pure lust pounded through Liam’s system as she opened herself to him.
This. This was what he’d wanted since the first moment he’d seen her. This sweet, perfect harmony that flowed between them. There was no wall up now, no wariness. It was like she’d been in the Tube station when she’d been afraid to get separated from him. She clung to him like he was her lifeline, like he was the only thing between her and being utterly swept away.
And he liked it. He’d never wanted a clingy woman. He didn’t have anything to offer them. It was why he chose women who knew the score, who knew that it was all just a fun game and the only thing that they could ever get out of him was momentary pleasure.
Avery didn’t even know what the game was called.
And it didn’t matter. In that moment, all that mattered was that she was submitting and he could get inside her. Once he was inside her, he would have her. He would make damn sure if she was involved in this mess that she picked the right fucking side to come down on. She would do it because he would wrap her in so much pleasure that her loyalty would belong to him and him alone.
He pressed his cock against her belly so there could be no doubt what was going to happen between them. He didn’t want her money. He wanted her body and her secrets. Yes, he would settle for those.
Her arms tightened, and he could feel her breasts thrusting up against his chest as her leg startled to tangle with his. Control. He was losing his, and it seemed she wasn’t far behind.
And then her leg buckled, her whole body sagging.
Liam tightened his hold and kept her upright, but the moment was broken.
And he’d damn near fucked her right on the street in front of Liverpool station for all to see. The bloody police station was not a block away, and he was nearly going at her in public. What the fuck had just happened?
He’d almost forgotten everything.
“I’m so sorry,” Avery mumbled.
The plan. He’d had a plan before he’d lost his damn mind. She’d insulted him. She’d tried to put walls up. He’d blown past them, but sometimes to get through a wall it was best to go under it instead of drilling straight through. He wanted Avery’s walls to crumble so badly she couldn’t put them back up again. “Are you sorry for falling or for calling me a whore?”
She gasped, the sound very nearly sending him into apology mode, but this was the plan and he was going to stick to it. He didn’t apologize.
“Is there a problem here, Avery?”
Fucking Adam. He stood by the door to the building, a grocery bag in his hand. He looked on with concern on his face.
Avery pushed away, sniffling a little as she did. A sheen of tears pooled in her blue eyes and that lower lip trembled slightly. Fuck, how had he ever thought she was plain? She was stinking gorgeous, and it hit him straight in the gut to watch her cry. “No. Not at all. I’m fine. I was just saying good-bye to my…friend…uhm, to this guy I met.”
But for a moment today, it had felt like they were friends. Just for a couple of minutes, he’d stopped being an agent and felt like the Liam he’d been before he’d lost Rory.
But he was an asshole agent, and he needed her to get close to a man who might or might not be a terrorist. No matter what happened, he couldn’t forget that. She was a job and nothing more. He’d put out his hook and baited it with sex, but a little guilt couldn’t hurt.
“Think about that when you go to sleep tonight, sweetheart,” h
He turned and forced himself to walk away. The next time he saw her, he would have the high moral ground, and he would use it to his advantage.
He got on the Tube, hoping and praying the next battle wasn’t far away.
Chapter Four
“Do you want to talk?” Adam asked as he swiped the key card to the door. “What just happened?”
What had happened? Avery wasn’t exactly sure except that she’d totally screwed up, and she’d do just about anything to apologize to the poor man. He’d been perfectly lovely, and she’d been horrible and suspicious. “I think I just accused that man of being a prostitute.”
That man. She was trying to distance herself. His name was Lee.
Adam nearly dropped the bag he was carrying. “Are you serious?”
Avery nodded.
“Holy shit balls. Why didn’t I get here sooner? All I saw was the two of you going at it in the middle of the street. Had you like settled on a price or something? Come on. Let’s get inside and go up to my place. You look like you can use a drink.”
She could use more than one. She turned to see if she could find Lee in the crowd, but he’d disappeared down the escalator into the cavernous Liverpool station. He wouldn’t have been held back by her bad leg this time. She’d been very impressed with how patient he’d been. London was a fast city. Unlike the States, almost no one viewed an escalator as something to ride. It was a tool to get a person to their destination that much more quickly. She’d nearly been trampled on escalators many times before since she couldn’t move fast.
Lee had simply moved her to the right and stood behind her, an arm around her waist to balance her against the rushing commuters. “Always stand on the right,” he’d whispered to her.
And she’d brutally insulted the man.
“He’s gone, Avery. Come up with me,” Adam offered. “You can tell me all about it while I cook some dinner.”
Or she could go and hide in her room and eat a nasty microwave dinner. No. If she’d proven anything to herself today, it was that she needed to be more sociable. Maybe then she would learn when it was proper and right to accuse someone of trying to seduce her for cash.
She followed Adam inside. The concierge looked up from his desk. The building was a mix of residences and condos purchased by large corporations for employees to stay in. The concierge was used to an ex-pat community.
“Nice day at the museum, Miss Charles?” He was dressed in a perfectly pressed suit.
She nodded. “Yes, thank you, though I fear it’s time for me to move on. Perhaps you can suggest some more excursions for me tomorrow?”
He nodded. “Absolutely. I’ll keep you right entertained, miss. Mr. Kelly, welcome back. Hope the market was good.”
“Absolutely,” Adam replied as he pushed the button to the elevator. He escorted her inside and soon they were on the seventh floor and he was opening the door to his and his partner’s flat.
Avery had only known Jake and Adam for a brief period of time, but she already felt completely comfortable with Adam. He had a way of putting a woman at ease. She didn’t have to worry about why he was interested in her, or if he was interested in her, because he flatly wasn’t. He was into his boyfriend, though they weren’t the most demonstrative couple. In fact, last night as she’d sat on their terrace, she could have sworn she’d glimpsed them punching each other, but it seemed friendly. Maybe guys were just guys whether they were gay or straight.
Jake was talking on the phone as she entered, his voice hushed. He was a hottie, too. Jacob was all beefy American male while Adam fit in with the well-dressed and mannered Europeans, though there was no doubting the man worked out.
Neither of them was quite as beautiful as Lee. Had she made a mistake? Should she have gone after him?
She’d never been kissed like that. Not in her entire life. It was like the whole world had melted away and nothing mattered or was even real except for him. She’d clung to him, wrapping herself around him, trusting him to hold her up. She’d made a baby with her husband, but nothing had prepared her for Lee’s kiss.
She was still shaking just thinking about it.
“Hey, babe,” Adam said, dropping the bag on the counter. “Guess what? Our little neighbor found a boyfriend and then accused him of whoredom, but not before she sampled the goods.”
Jake’s jaw dropped a little. “Are you serious? How did he handle that?”
A long look passed between them. Adam seemed to be holding in a smile. He started pulling out a bottle of wine. “Not well from the looks of it. He seemed a little out of control if you ask me.”
“Nice,” Jake shot back. He had his hand over his phone. “So you need to talk to Avery here and make sure she’s okay, right?”
Avery shook her head. “I’m fine.”
“She’s on the verge of tears,” Jake said, staring at her. “Oh, verge broken. Honey, you’re crying. You need a glass of wine and a shoulder to cry on. Why don’t you tell Adam what happened? He’s good at fixing bad situations. He gets himself into them so often.”
She didn’t miss the quiet finger Adam shot his partner’s way, but he was all smiles when he turned to her. “I can help.”
“So it’s settled,” Jake said. “You take care of Avery and I’ll take care of that other little project we have going on.”
Adam went red. “You son of a…yes, dear. I suppose you should handle that now. I need to get dinner on. Yours might be poisoned.”
But Jake was talking into his phone again, utterly ignoring Adam. “Yeah. I understand, boss. No problem. I can be there in twenty. No, he’s got some work to do. He won’t be coming with me. He won’t be coming at all.”
Adam closed his eyes briefly, but when he opened them, he smiled her way. “Come on, sweetheart. We can soldier on without Jake. Have a glass of wine. I’ve been assured this Chianti is perfect. Sit at the bar and keep me company while I cook.”
Jake was out the door with a little wave.
The truth was Jake made her a little nervous. But still, she had the feeling something had just happened between the two men, and she hoped she wasn’t the cause. “I can go back to my place.”
Adam was back to his perfectly polite self. “Not at all. The little task Jake is taking care of only really needs one of us. I would rather hear about what happened to you today.”
She took a sip of the wine. It was rich on her tongue. Her tongue. She’d felt out of control when his tongue had slid against hers. “I met this man today.”
Adam took a drink before he pulled out his cutting board and set himself to slicing veggies. “I could tell. What’s his name and why did you decide he was a member of the world’s oldest profession?”
“His name is Lee Donnelly, and he seemed to like me,” she tried to explain.
“And that makes him a hustler?”
“Guys don’t like me.” She was blushing again. “I haven’t had a date in ten years.”
“You’re kidding.” He stopped in mid-chop. “Why?”
She shrugged. “No one asked me.”
There was more to it, but she didn’t want Adam’s pity. Well, she didn’t want sympathy past the whole “she couldn’t get a date to save her life” thing. That was pathetic enough.
“I don’t understand that, Avery.” Adam went back to the celery. “What’s wrong with the men in New York?”
“I think they like prettier girls.” And girls who hadn’t spent most of their adult lives in hospitals. And girls who hadn’t been in deep mourning for years.
“We need to work on your self-esteem, sweetheart.” Adam looked at her thoughtfully. “You’re pretty. You just don’t know it. And you don’t dress for your body type.”
She glanced down at her somewhat shapeless sweater and jeans. “It’s comfortable.”
“Yeah, well, comfort doesn’t always equal sex appeal. And a V-neck sweater would be just as comfortable, but it wouldn’t cut your torso off the way that crew neck does. You’re a C-cup, right?”
He seemed to know a lot about boobs for a gay guy. She was a thirty-six C. “Yes. Why?”
“Because your boobs are too big for a crew neck or for those turtlenecks you wear. You need some skin to balance them out. And your skin, by the way, is quite lovely. You should show more of it. And I would buy some jeans with a little bling on the backside. You have a nice butt.”
“I do?” She hadn’t really taken much stock of her butt except for the fact that she’d been forced to sit on it for years. “I thought it was a little big.”
When he grinned like that, she almost wondered if there wasn’t some bisexual in there. It seemed an insult to women everywhere that he slept with men. “Not at all. Men like a little junk in the trunk, if you know what I mean. Well, straight guys do. I think it’s fair to say that your hustler was into you for something other than cash. Did he get you to pay for lunch?”
“No.” Lee had been very insistent on taking care of the bill. She’d reached for it, and he’d stared her down until she’d passed it to him and then he’d jovially taken care of it. “And he paid for coffee later, too.”
Adam looked thoughtful as he selected another tomato to dice. “Okay. So most hustlers want the female to pay for everything. They don’t tend to treat their customers. Their customers treat them. And besides, one would think that a hustler would be better dressed.”
“He was dressed just fine.” He’d looked very nice. Super nice. Hot. God, she’d pushed that guy away. What was wrong with her?
Adam snorted lightly and shook his head. “There was a stain on his jeans. I doubt he noticed. A hustler would have noticed. It looked like paint or something. He should have been wearing slacks. Slacks are slicker.”
“He said he worked in construction.” His hands had been callused and rough like he worked with them all the time. Like he did exactly what he said he did.
“Ah, then he probably knows and doesn’t care. He probably got it while he was working, and like lots of straight guys, doesn’t give a crap because they still fit. Again, a hustler would have been dressed to kill. He was like dressed to maim maybe. Actually, he’s not really all that hot. Are you sure you like him? He seems a little like a douchebag to me. You know the kind who goes around kissing women who don’t belong to him. Do you want me to punch him the next time we see him?”
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