The Rainmaker : Cole : A Von Larsen Crime Family Novel

by Piper Page

  With every slow easy drive, I relaxed even greater, and wanted even more of his depth in me. More! More! More!

  It was such an intense moment between us. The look in our eyes spoke a new language downloading its message in our hearts. Our souls decoded the deeper meaning. It was a new found level of connection as we held each other tighter. He wrapped my legs around him harder. He thrust deeper in me but with a gentle control and our kisses drank each other in.

  There was no other way to explain this passion; it was the connection of love.

  “Take me, Cole. I…I’m…” I didn’t want to say anything else and I let my lips do the talking as our hot kisses spoke such a language, a special language, that only our hearts and our sexes could do the decoding.

  We fit together like a glove. Like a perfect glove. And I didn’t want to let go.

  Our moans were as sexy they come. Hot. So sexy hot. Such sounds made my nipples so hard, the hair on my neck stood up, and chills flooded every single square inch of my body.

  He rolled around on his back and set me on top of him.

  “Oh my God…” I cried out as this new position opened a new flood of sensations I’d never experienced before.

  His hands knew what to do as they cupped my backside and took control of the thrusts.

  “You like that, baby?”

  All I could do was close my eyes and nod.

  With every thrust I slid back down, my sensitivity crashed into his hard lower abs. Every lift, I took him deeper as if that were even possible while we continued to get lost in a sea of kisses. I pulled away for air and looked into those eyes. Those eyes that had a special look I’d never seen before.

  A look that signified he was mine.

  A look that held a knowing.

  A look reserved for this special moment.

  I can’t think.

  I can’t reason.

  All I can do is feel.

  Feel pleasure beyond reason.

  Feel new dimensions of bliss.

  Cole von Larsen is magic.

  Magic to my body.

  It’s like a flood of glitter, inside my body and out, welcoming me to a magic wonderland where every single cell in my body responsible for pleasure, where every single inch of my physical body feels the best shooting waves of pleasure one could ever feel, measure, or explain.

  Our hearts pounded together, joining an anthem, running its own marathon together. We were connected, finally. Body. Mind. Soul.

  I cried out as my hands searched for something to grab, anything. His hair, his face.

  I fought for something to reach for as the intensity of the orgasm flooded through my body like a roaring volcano, ready to release as he rocked me beyond my control and I held on for the ride. My nails clenched into his strong muscles as I cried out in absolute pleasure. I finally found my release; Cole von Larsen was true to his promise.

  It was everything I could ever dream of, hope for, or imagine and more. I wanted to bottle the memory up to drink it every morning and night forever as long as I live.

  “Can we do that again?” I smiled at my lover.

  11

  Cole

  “Mr. von Larsen?” the intercom on my desk chimed with the familiar voice of my front desk girl.

  “Yes, Lisa?”

  “You have a personal delivery here at the front desk, shall I send it up?”

  I wasn’t expecting anything. “Who delivered it?” Unexpected packages addressed to me personally were a rarity. I used codes and pseudonyms for deliveries, never my actual name. It was a safety measure, and a good one to have in place when it came to my family’s business.

  “Standard FedEx guy.”

  Maybe Sunny was sending me something. She knew where my office was, and with her work schedule, I hadn’t been able to see her for any length of time since the yacht. I myself had sent flowers to her bungalow, fresh every morning to remind her how thankful I was for her presence in my life. Maybe she was trying to return that sentiment. It would be like her to do that. “Lisa, go ahead and send it through the scanners and have it brought up to my office.”

  “Yes sir, Mr. von Larsen, sir.”

  I liked her, she was a good employee. Never asked a question beyond her given job, and she followed orders to the letter. She was young, dark-haired, and beautiful, but she had potential and a brain, which is why I hired her. As an afterthought, I did consider at one point introducing her to my youngest brother, William. Until recently, that is, when I was informed she was newly engaged. I liked her, and she would have fit well, but I wouldn’t destroy her happiness or that of her future husbands. People deserved happiness in their lives. The sound of my cell phone vibrating in my suit jacket pocket brought me back to reality.

  “Hello, Sunny.”

  Her sweet voice came over the line like honey. “Good morning Cole.” I adored the way she spoke my name. “Thank you for the flowers, again. You really don’t need to do that every day. My house is starting to look like a wedding chapel.”

  We both gave a titter of nervous laughter.

  “How about chocolate?”

  I heard her sigh, even though I could tell she was smiling. “No Cole. Seeing you is all that I need.”

  * * *

  Ditto.

  * * *

  “Okay darling, I won’t send anymore flowers, but you can’t send me anything anymore either, deal?”

  The line was silent.

  “Sunny?”

  “Mhm, I’m here.” Her tone was subdued.

  “What just happened here, Sunny?” My blood pressure was rising.

  “I’m not quite sure what you mean.” I hated the sound of disappointed confusion in her voice.

  “Sorry, what? Did you send something to my office this morning, through FedEx?”

  “No.”

  * * *

  Okay, there’s an issue.

  “Sunny, doll, I’m going to need to call you back.”

  “Cole, is everything alright?” her disappointed tone went to panic. I disliked the sound of both.

  “It’s okay, sweetheart, I just have a bit of a situation I need to see to. I promise, everything’s fine. Nothing but a simple mix-up, I’m sure,” I consoled her. “I will see you soon.”

  It broke my heart to push her aside, but if the package was not from her, then I indeed may have had a problem in my building at that very moment. I pressed the intercom button on my desk phone. “Lisa?”

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Have you sent the package through?”

  My speaker sputtered and cracked. “Michaels is bringing it up to you now, sir. It looks like just some papers.”

  My heartbeat slowed down to a reasonable rate. My staff and my building were safe. I couldn’t wait for Michaels to get to my office. The door slammed behind me and I made my way to the elevators. I was going to meet him. The dual elevator doors slid open, and the tall man jumped back, seeing me standing there waiting. He didn’t say a word, just handed me the white, orange, and blue cardboard priority envelope. I had the package ripped open in my hands before I even made it back to my office doors.

  I shook the contents out onto my desk blotter, and I felt my hands go cold. Staring up at me were various glossy, colored photographs. Some were of Sunny, running. Others were of the two of us on my yacht. There were a few of her in church, and even one of her sipping champagne at the spa restaurant the afternoon of the gala. I was incensed.

  Where the fuck were my men? How the hell did someone get these photographs? Worse yet, someone was nosing around Sunny when I wasn’t there. This made my blood boil. She wasn’t to be subjected to my word in the city’s underbelly. She was untouched, innocent, pure. Sunny was never supposed to see this side of my life. Fucking heads were going to roll. I needed someone to be at Sunny’s place fucking yesterday and tell me she was okay. and then they needed to stay on her every minute I wasn’t able to be right there by her side. Next, I needed to find out who had detail last Sunday
and fire their asses. No one should have had the opportunity to get these pictures. Lastly, I needed to call my brothers and find out which of our enemies were in the area and what was on the table to have to contend with. This was my home, my business, my fucking town, my empire.

  For the remainder of the morning and into the early afternoon, I stayed on the phone. By two o’clock, reinforcements were in place. I had leads on our enemies from the top brass to the peons and all those in between. It wouldn’t take more than twenty-four hours for me to know who had arranged for these photographs, and who had taken them. In less than thirty-six hours, someone was going to be begging for mercy and possibly their lives before me. My men were at work and my brothers informed, now I needed to be with Sunny.

  My fingers tapped out Sunny’s cell number. I counted the rings.

  “Hi Cole. Is everything okay? I’ve been a nervous wreck all morning. I couldn’t even concentrate on my run. What happened? Did something come up at the office?” Her voice was high and anxious. I needed to calm her.

  “Hey hey, doll, listen to me,” I made my tone soft and soothing, taking deep breaths and keeping an even rhythm. “Everything is fine. Nothing’s happened. Work is good, I’m good, and we are all good.”

  “Okay,” she breathed, “But what happened? Why did you think I had sent you something?”

  Did I lie to her? Yes. I didn’t have choice. Sunny had to be protected. She had freely given herself to me, given me her purity. I couldn’t steal her innocent way of living too. Not so soon. No, I would keep her safe without letting her know everything that happened behind my closed doors. Not yet.

  “Cole?”

  I cleared my throat. “It was nothing. A new investor wasn’t using protocol for a delivery. We deal with some international companies, and well, you understand the safety measures we need to ensure the safety of the workers. Too many threats in the world these days.”

  She stayed quiet for a moment, then sighed. “I know. It’s sad, how much security we feel like we need. My father tells me all the time how it used to be, compared to how it is now. I’m glad everything is okay and you’re all safe.”

  I released a heavy-held sigh and smiled. “Thank you for understanding. I’m sorry if I scared you. Are you off from work today?” I knew she was, I’d already checked into her schedule. I didn’t want her out and about alone. The fact that she had gone running already troubled my sense of security.

  “I am.”

  “Come to Houston with me.” What I wanted to say was “quit your job and move here with me,” but I knew that would scare her off like a frightened rabbit.

  “Now? Today?”

  “Of course, I’ll send a helicopter for you. I need to see you, Sunny, please?” I did need to see her in person. I wanted to touch her warm body again and know that she was real. And I wanted her safe. I knew the only place she would truly be safe was with me, in my arms, in my sight. “Say you’ll come.”

  “Of course, I will, Cole.”

  Two hours later, I was in my limo, waiting at the front of the building. A whoosh of air wafted through the back of the limo when my driver opened the door and escorted a fresh and carefree-looking Sunny into the back seat. I leaned in and had my lips pressed to hers before the door latched shut. “Damn, I missed you, doll.” My whole body felt tension melt away at having her in my line of sight once again. “I don’t think I can have you away from me for that long anymore.”

  Her face filled with the familiar blush she got each time I gave her compliments. It was as if she never believed she was wanted as much as I wanted her. I wished I could prove that to her in a way that would make her open her eyes and realize that I was being truthful, that she was beautiful and worth more than gold to me. Her hand held mine as we drove down the avenue. “Where are you taking me?”

  “Not far. How was your flight?”

  “I like it more when you’re with me. It makes me feel safe.”

  * * *

  That’s how I like it.

  * * *

  The limo slowed down and parked outside the valet entrance to the Hotel Zaza. I watched as Sunny’s eyes followed the architecture of the building. She looked up at the red brick exterior and the semi-circled, wrought-iron fenced balconies. Her eyes soaked it all in for its impressive exterior, and then we walked through the revolving gold and glass front doors and I felt her hand squeeze my fingers tight. “Cole,” her voice was low with awe. “This is amazing. Oh my goodness,” she yelped, letting go of my fingers moving across the lobby. “Is that Sinatra? Why does he have a mug shot?”

  I tilted my head back and laughed. She was so sweet and excitable. It made my heart fall for her every time she was amused by simple things like a picture. “Yes, Sunny it sure is. That picture there was taken when he was charged with consorting with a married woman.”

  Her eyes looked to me like I was joking. “No, really?”

  I nodded and moved up behind her, wrapping my arm around her waist from behind and pulling her back to me so that I could whisper in her ear. “Don’t worry, we’re safe in that department. Married women aren’t my type.” I nibbled on her ear.”

  She placed her hand over the top of mine, and her hips swayed back against mine. “Really? What is your type?”

  “Good girls gone bad.” I pressed into her backside, reveling in the warmth between us.

  Sunny spun around in my arms and gave me a playful smile. “If I am bad, that’s your fault, mister.”

  I pecked at her lips and pulled her through the lobby toward our destination. Her feet dragged behind as her eyes took in all the photographs and artwork on walls. I made a mental note to walk through with her later so she could take the time she wanted to observe. Her mind was curious, and I found that fact divinely attractive.

  “What are we doing here, Cole?” She pulled back on my hand as we reached the elevators.

  “I thought that it being your day off, you’d want to relax with some more pampering, and seeing as I won’t be sending anymore flowers,” I shrugged, “I’d treat you to another day at the sap.”

  The doors glided open, and Sunny’s eyes twinkled with internal amusement. “You are aware that I’ve never been to the spa this much in my life?”

  I held both her hands in mine as we stood just outside the entry way to the ZaSpa. “You, my dear, deserve a spa day every day.”

  Her eyes rolled, and she gave me a tight, puckered smile of sarcasm and disbelief. “Okay, stop.”

  “What?”

  I yelped out and rubbed my bicep when she pinched me. “Are you real?”

  “Of course I am, what do you mean?”

  She giggled as I rubbed my upper arm. “Men like you only exist in movies. I feel like I’ve become Julie Roberts or Kate Bosworth.”

  “You’re not in a movie or a dream, Sunny, I promise. I want to take care of you and make you happy.”

  There was her famous blush.

  * * *

  If you only knew the truth. You would think you were in a dark seedy drama and not a romantic flick. My life is not all roses and sweet dreams, Sunny Banks.

  * * *

  I wondered once more if I should come clean with her. Maybe I should let her go, let her think this was all a dream and let her go back to her safe, normal, unencumbered life. Of course, with the photographs still tucked away in my vault, I knew there was no chance of that happening anytime soon.

  I left her in the capable hands of the Zaspa staff. They would treat her with a massage, another facial, and a manicure and keep her in the secure presence of a staff member so that I could give my attention to some other details and be free to be with her the rest of the evening. Hopefully, into the morning as well. I left word with the desk to have her meet me in the hotel’s Monarch Restaurant for dinner when she was through. From there, we would continue on in one another’s company. My doll and me.

  12

  Sunny

  My muscles retained the memory of the euphoria from my last
massage and from the afternoon on Cole’s yacht. This time, I had a lot to compare to. Massages were indeed enjoyable, but nothing could top the way my body felt when paired with Cole’s. All those years of waiting had been worth it. I gave myself to the right man, and I had no regrets.

  When I was through with the massage and facial, I had my nails returned to their usual dusty pink. I followed the instructions of the staff at the front desk. I was to meet up with Cole at the Monarch Restaurant, here in the hotel, for an early dinner. I took my time making my way to the posh restaurant. Each photo or painting I passed stole a bit of my time.

  “They pull you right in, don’t they?”

  I nodded, fully absorbed in the black and white photograph of a face with digitally enhanced colored elements chosen by the artist to entice the eye to travel over the full piece. “It’s stunning.”

  “As are you,” said the male’s voice.

  I felt the familiar warmth in my cheeks. I let my eyes dart to the side in the direction of the man who was speaking. I smiled as I viewed his cowboy boots and dark, denim pants. I didn’t dare to look any further, in fear he would see how glowing-hot my cheeks were.

  “Are you staying here at the hotel?”

  I moved on to the next framed photograph. “No. I’m here for dinner. I’m meeting someone.” Maybe the knowledge that I was with another person already would deter any further flirting from him.

  “Well, you enjoy yourself, darlin’. I hope he’s worth it.”

  My head went up in time to catch the back of the man’s head. He was tall and looked like the stereotypical Texan that folks from outside Texas imagined all Texans looked like. The words “He is” rested on my lips, unspoken. I should have stopped dawdling and get to the restaurant.