The Sinner's Bargain (Contracts & Deceptions #2)

by Claire Contreras

  “If I told you to stop doing business with him, would you?”

  He paused, mid-drink, and narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

  “I’m just asking. If I told you to stop doing business with him, would you?”

  “If you gave me a valid reason, I would definitely take it into consideration.”

  Amara looked down at her coffee when his heavy sigh drew her attention once more.

  “Your opinion matters to me, Mara, and I want to know whatever is on your mind, but I’m not going to drop major clients unless you give me a valid reasons.” He paused and waited until she met his serious gaze. “Trust me, I don’t like knowing you may have been physically involved with the man, and I’d rather not even think about it because I don’t want to think about obliterating his face every time I see him. But. Business is business, baby.”

  “I know. I get it. It was just a question,” she said with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. She took another gulp of coffee and stood to wash the empty mug. “Do you think you can get me Courtney’s file?” she asked over her shoulder.

  Colin rocked back, visibly shocked by her request. He put down the toast he was eating and stood beside her. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

  Amara sighed as she turned off the faucet and dried her hands with the paper towel Colin handed her. “I just need to know what it says. Maybe knowing what’s in her file will give me some sort of leverage over Philip. As it is I’m sitting here waiting, the same way I was last year, until he knocks on my door and takes me away again.”

  “He’s not taking you away, Amara. If you don’t want to do whatever it is he’s asking of you, you don’t do it.”

  “And risk people chasing me forever?”

  “So we move. We get our stuff and get the fuck out of here. Or we stay and we hire round-the-clock security. You know I don’t want you to go with Philip, but if it’s what you feel you need to do, I’ll stand by you. I’m not going to lose you again over it, but what do you want to do? What do you want me to do for you?”

  “I don’t know.” She really didn’t. On the one hand, she promised her mother she’d get those family heirlooms back. On the other hand, she didn’t care about any of that stuff. But what would she do otherwise? Depend on Colin for everything? Settle for sharing his money for the rest of her life? “What’s going on with Lotus?” she asked after a couple of beats of silence. Colin smiled and kissed the top of her head before taking a sip of coffee and heading to the sink.

  “It’s there. I think we can salvage it,” he said as Amara watched the play of muscles under his shirt as he washed the dishes. When he was finished, he faced her with a smile on his face. “It’s yours whenever you want it—just say the word.”

  Amara wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Her parents had started the company together, but her father was the one who really spent his time there. Her mom was more about teaching art and nurturing children than she was about business. Amara didn’t know what it would feel like to walk into Lotus every morning without having her father there. She’d never done it before. Obviously Amir had been disappointing in a multitude of ways and he’d flipped her world upside down…did she really owe him anything? But, her mother had also been involved…for better reasons.

  “You don’t have to decide now, but it’s yours. I just want you to know that you’ll have Lotus to fall back on if you decide that’s what you want to do,” Colin said, his comforting words coating her negative thoughts.

  “So I won’t have to be your assistant anymore… I can go my way and you go yours in the morning… no more afternoon sex in the office…” Amara started, a slow wicked smile spreading over her face as Colin strode toward her and settled between her legs. “No after work sex…” A throaty laugh escaped her at the sound of his growl on her neck.

  “I’m going to fire myself and go work for you,” he said, sucking her neck.

  “We’re both going to get fired if we get there late today. You have a board meeting.”

  “Fuck the board.”

  “We can fuck after the board leaves…”

  “Or we can fuck now and after they leave.” His mouth made its way to her chest, snuggling between her breasts.

  “You still need to finish your breakfast. Nobody likes you when you’re cranky. We don’t have time right now, Mr. Wolfe.”

  “We’ll make some, Miss Maloof.” His large hands inched over her legs, under the black pencil skirt she wore, up to her thong. “And pussy is the breakfast of champions. It also happens to be my favorite meal of the day.”

  “Colin, be serious,” she said, panting as his fingers began to move under her silk thong, finding her sensitive nub and rubbing methodically.

  “I’m always serious about my fucking, babe. Now spread your legs.”

  Colin drove his fingers inside of her to prove his point, and Amara spread her legs wider as she threw her head back with a moan, getting lost in the feel of his touch. The familiar tingling feeling started at the tips of her toes as Colin sucked her neck, the swells of her breasts, her throat, the lobes of her ears, all while finger fucking her until she could barely catch her breath. The surge of an orgasm overtook her body like rapid wild fire, leaving no spot within her unburned. She came hard, shouting his name as Colin pulled out his soaked fingers and rubbed them over her clit slowly, but insistently. She couldn’t catch her breath, but Colin wouldn’t let her come down from one orgasm before another rushed through her. Amara felt like she could pass out from her sensory overload. With a burst of energy, Amara darted a hand forward to unbuckle Colin’s belt and unzip his pants, pulling his boxer briefs down with them as she stood on shaky legs and switched places with him, pushing his chest until he sat on the barstool. Amara lifted her skirt, bunching it up to her waist and turned around to pull down her thong, bending over as she did, which earned a loud groan from Colin. Turning to face him once more, Amara watched as Colin stroked his hard cock slowly, his eyes hooded and hazy with lust. Amara braced herself with her hands on his shoulders and straddled his legs positioning herself over him. As Amara raised herself up, hooking her heels onto the bars of the stool beneath them, Colin aimed his cock between her folds and stroked her wetness. She took a moment to grind her clit against him, closing her eyes with a moan as her hips circled.

  “Are you going to fuck me or taunt me?” Colin asked, his voice a deep rumble that made her stomach lurch in anticipation.

  “Taunting feels so good right now,” Amara answered with a moan, her nails digging into his strong shoulders.

  “Taunting is going to make me end this game and throw you over the kitchen counter. So unless you want to get fucked from behind right now, I suggest you sit on my dick, Amara.”

  She bit back a smile as she covered his cock, slowly taking him in, inch by inch until she sat on him completely and they both froze with a relieved sigh. Then she began to move, slowly at first, pumping up and down, until Colin gripped her ass and helped her pick up the pace. Amara didn’t know who was fucking who anymore; she didn’t care that he’d taken charge. His hands left her ass and came up to her blouse as she continued to move over his cock, gasping every time he pushed in deeper as she rode him. He became impatient with the buttons of her blouse and ripped it open, lifting the cups of her bra to bury his face in her breasts, biting and sucking her nipples as his hands fell to her hips and moved her harder, making her fuck him faster.

  Amara felt her toes begin to curl in her heels and felt the tingling sensation of another orgasm build inside of her. Colin’s grip fell to her ass again as he stood from the chair, keeping her in position as he pushed her torso face-first over the counter.

  “What do you like better?” he asked, slowing down his thrusts just as she was reaching her orgasm. “When you’re in charge?” Thrust. “Or when I am?”

  She felt her eyes rolling to the back of her head. “God, I don’t care. I don’t care. Just fuck me!”

&n
bsp; “I am,” he said with a chuckle as he thrust again, pulling out all the way until only the wide tip of his cock was inside her and then impaling her with his length. Amara gripped the sides of the counter with each hand as she screamed his name, an orgasm ripping through her. Colin followed soon after, shouting out her name over and over.

  “Now I have to go change,” Amara said, looking down to examine her torn blouse.

  “Try not to wear a blouse with so many buttons.”

  She laughed. “Now you’re going to come up with rules for attire?”

  “Only for you though,” he said, pulling out of her and helping her stand.

  “And what would this list consist of?”

  “No panties, no bra, a short dress, and heels,” Colin said as he followed her to the room, picking up their clothes on the way.

  “So you won’t mind if I have to bend over in front of Brandon to pick something off the floor and I flash him my—”

  “Change of plan; you’ll dress like a nun,” he said, interrupting her with a growl as he picked her up from behind, making her squeal.

  LATER, AS THEY rode in the elevator at Wolfe, Colin looked at his watch and then at Amara, shaking his head and smirking. They were close to an hour late. It’s true about Colin that when he starts something, he’s thorough, and follows through with every promise he makes. When Amara got to her desk, she had notes from Brandon letting her know he was at the meeting and to please tell Colin to “hurry his ass up.” Amara smiled as she sat for a long moment, enjoying the silence. Looking around the empty office, she sighed contently and checked emails, finding one from Molly Parker. Her heart throbbed in her chest as she opened it. It was addressed to Colin, but Amara would be damned if she wasn’t read what the girl had to say to him. As it turned out, it wasn’t anything to worry about, and Amara went back to smiling and checking the rest of the emails, only writing back to the ones she could answer without his help.

  The elevator chimed at the same time that her stomach growled, both a reminder of how long she’d been sitting at her desk without a break. Swiveling in her seat, Amara turned to see Brandon and Colin walking out of the elevator, her eyes glued on Colin’s smiling face.

  “You two are sick. You need a break from each other,” Brandon said, rolling his eyes and laughing at Colin when his middle finger shot up in his direction.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Amara quipped.

  “Don’t even bother trying to fool me again. Does this mean we can’t do lunch together anymore?” Brandon asked with a smile.

  “You can, but I’m going with you,” Colin said, crossing his arms as he stood beside Amara’s desk, smiling at her.

  “Scared I’m gonna try to move in on your girl? I’m a married man, Wolfe.”

  “I’m not worried. I know you’re smarter than you look,” Colin said, winking at Amara as she laughed. “But I had a hell of a work out this morning, and I’m hungry as fuck.” Amara’s blushed deepened.

  “Okay, TMI,” Brandon said, covering his face, pretending to be grossed out. “Let’s go kids. I’ve been wanting to try this new wok joint in Hell’s Kitchen.”

  Colin offered Amara his hand and she took it, grabbing her purse with the other as she stood. They looked at each other for a moment, both smiling like love-struck fools. She knew they still had a lot to go through, but for the first time in her life, she felt… happy, at peace, complete. Home.

  AMARA WOKE UP inside the safe cocoon of Colin’s arms, to a blaring alarm clock and a ringing cell phone. Groaning, she peeled his arms and legs away and rubbed her face as she sat up. Colin mimicked her movements and dropped a kiss on her naked shoulder as he sat up beside her.

  “Who the hell is calling at this hour?” he grumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

  Amara yawned. “It’s seven o’clock. We need to start going to sleep earlier.”

  “But I like it when you keep me up late,” he said in a voice that promised trouble.

  “Don’t start,” she said, getting up before he could pull her back into bed.

  “I got an email from Molly yesterday,” Colin said to her back as she walked into the bathroom.

  “Yeah, I know. I read it.”

  He chuckled. “Good. I don’t want any crazy ideas in your head about me and her… or any other woman, for that matter.”

  Amara rolled her eyes as she brushed her teeth, even though he couldn’t see her from where he sat. When she walked out of the bathroom she took a moment to appraise his naked chest, wishing she could jump back into bed with him just for a moment. Not wanting to be late, she thought better of it and checked her phone for the missed call, instead. The email from Molly had been very business-like, telling Colin she wished things had turned out differently, but wishing him the best and thanking him for everything. Amara wasn’t the type of woman that would worry about Molly or anybody else—especially when it came to Colin.

  “I’m not worried about her.”

  “You know I wasn’t going to marry her, right?” His statement made Amara pause and tear her gaze from her phone screen to him. Colin was stretched out in the bed, using his hands as a pillow. Her eyes traced the definition on his curled biceps just for a moment before meeting his amused gaze.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I would’ve let it get to the day of the wedding if that was what it took to get you back.”

  “You were trying to pressure me into breaking up your wedding?”

  Colin chuckled at the dirty look she shot him. “What is it they say, ‘all is fair in love and war’?”

  Amara gasped and picked up a pillow, throwing it at his head. He caught it with a laugh. “That’s messed up, Colin.”

  He shrugged, still laughing.

  “You’re making me mad at you again.”

  “Don’t tempt me with a good time, Mara. You know how much I love getting out of that dog house,” Colin said in a low rumble that made her stomach flip.

  “You’re full of crap. Your mom would have killed you if you’d done that,” she said, taking a step back as he started to crawl toward her on the bed, looking like a predator waiting for his prey to make a wrong move.

  “Once I got you here, I cared very little about what my mom said,” he answered, standing up now and taking slow strides toward Amara as she continued walking backwards. She hit the door, and Colin grinned.

  “We don’t have time,” she warned, putting her hands up as a laugh bubbled up inside her. He licked his lips slowly, as if he could taste her on them. It turned her on and amused her at the same time. “You have an eight thirty meeting.”

  His gaze flickered to the clock on the nightstand for a second. “It’s only seven fifteen.”

  “Colin…”

  “Amara…”

  “You’re impossible,” she said, laughing as she shook her head.

  “And you love me,” he said, lifting her up as he reached her. Her arms went to his neck automatically.

  “I do.”

  “Hmm… those words coming from your lips…”

  “Colin.” It was a warning that made him smile harder. He was forever trying to convince her to marry him, and she was endlessly refuting his request. Maybe after the ordeal with Philip and the papers was over. Maybe once she felt completely at ease with everything.

  Maybe.

  Amara smiled as he dipped his face into her neck and breathed her in.

  The phone rang in her hand again, and she began untangling herself from him when she saw Philip’s name on the screen. Colin’s demeanor changed when he saw it, he closed off quickly, but stood beside her as she answered the call.

  “Amara, I’ve tried waiting as long as I could to call you,” Philip said on the line.

  “Okay,” she said, not knowing what else to say as she waited for him to continue.

  “You leave for Paris tomorrow morning. I’m already here. We’ll be going to Iran a couple of days after that. It should be a fast trip.”
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  “When will I be back?” she asked, watching Colin’s jaw work as he listened in.

  “If everything goes well, we won’t take longer than a week.”

  “Okay.”

  “Be ready at seven o’clock tomorrow morning.”

  “I will be.”

  Colin was still staring at nothing in particular, grinding his teeth when Amara hung up the phone.“It’ll be a quick trip,” Amara said in a reassuring tone.

  Colin nodded.

  “I’ll probably be back by Saturday,” she said, running her fingertips over the scruff on his face when she reached him. “Talk to me,” she whispered against his chest, wrapping her arms around him. Finally, he hugged her back, squeezing her to him.

  “I want to go with you,” he said, shocking Amara out of his arms.

  “No. You can’t. It’s dangerous,” she said, her eyes wide.

  “That’s why I want to go,” he said, his dark eyes narrowing on her.

  Amara shook her head and looked away. His request, the worried look in his eyes, the thought of leaving him, it all weighed down on her heart. “You can’t, Colin. Please don’t.”

  He crushed her back against his hard chest and held her, placing his chin on her head as he rocked slowly. “I should though,” he said, his voice barely audible.

  “I’ll come back. I promise.”

  “You better. And you need to call me every couple of hours if you don’t want me to hunt you down.” He pulled back so that she could feel the seriousness of his words. “I will hunt you down if you don’t call me,” he said, his voice stern so there was no room for doubt, and pulled her into his chest again.

  “I love you,” she said, smiling against him.

  “I love you more,” he answered.

  Amara knew love couldn’t be measured, but she was sure that if it was, his love for her would register out of the metric system.

  AMARA FLEW TO Paris on the first available flight. The way she saw it, either she stayed in New York with people chasing her, or she went to Paris and began the process of ending all this shit. Of course, Paris was only the first stop of the trip. The flight was long, and unlike the last time she flew to Paris, Amara got no sleep and couldn’t concentrate. At least Colin knows where I am and why, she thought. At least there was the possibility of him coming for her if she needed it. Eventually, sleep claimed her, and when Amara next opened her eyes, the Paris skyline greeted her. Taking a deep breath, she looked outside the airplane window. The lights were bright in the romantic city and she wished just for a moment that this was a trip of leisure, with Colin. It could be so beautiful here if she could share it with him.