by Ravenna Tate
“Come on. Let’s go sit on the sofa. You’ll be more comfortable.”
“But the floor—”
“It can wait. Come on.” He grabbed his laptop and sat next to her, placing the computer on the coffee table. “Better?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“All right. Now tell me why you’re so afraid of him.”
“What? You find out he’s not really dead and that’s your first question?”
“Yeah.” Jagger nodded. “The faking his own death thing I can understand. It’s a fucking brilliant idea, actually. But in all the years I knew him, he talked about you like you hung the fucking moon. You were the daughter he never had. What the fuck happened that he has you scared shitless and lying to the police? Does he know you’re on parole?”
“Yes.”
“Then he also knows you took one hell of a risk for him yesterday. Why would you do that?”
“I didn’t do it because I’m afraid of him.”
If she truly wasn’t afraid of him, why the hell did she look and sound like she was? Why else would she have lied to the police? Jagger wished he’d kept a better check on his hormones last night. He’d never intended to make her believe he’d forced her to come here just so he could fuck her, but continuing any physical involvement with her now would be detrimental to him.
“What the hell does that mean? Did you lie to the police so you could pin this on me?”
After averting her gaze, she nodded. Jagger grasped her chin and forced her to look at him. “Why? Why would you do that?”
“He told me it was you in the picture. Said he was one hundred percent certain. He said you ratted them all out eighteen years ago in exchange for an early release.”
“Is that why he told you to lie to them?”
“He didn’t tell me it was a lie, Jagger. He told me it was the truth.”
“Did he threaten you? Was that a lie, too?”
Once more, she averted her gaze, but he grasped her chin again. “I want to hear you say it, Carolyn. Did he threaten you or not?”
“No.” Her voice came out in a whisper. “You assumed that so I ran with it. I was trying to get away from you. Then you had me so damn confused once I found out you had an alibi, that I didn’t know what to think. That’s why I finally decided to come here with you. I need to know the truth, too, Jagger.”
If someone had punched him in the gut, Jagger wouldn’t have felt it. That’s now numb his entire body felt right now.
“So is that why you fucked me into next week?” Jagger released her face and moved away. He’d never hit a woman in his life, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to start with this one.
At least she had the grace to look guilty. “I don’t know why I did it. You’re so … so damn gorgeous and sexy. I was confused. I’m still confused. I don’t know what the hell I believe right now.”
If she was confused, that made him completely fucking clueless here. One part of him wanted her to believe that her uncle had lied, but what the fuck did it really matter what she believed? The damage couldn’t be undone.
“For the record, he’s been feeding you bullshit. You can choose to believe what you want. I can’t stop you. But I didn’t rat any of them out, and I didn’t make a deal for an early release. We all got the exact same sentence. Ten to fifteen years. I have no fucking clue why we all got out earlier than your uncle. It’s not like we were roommates in the can, Carolyn.”
“But you were released after only seven years. The others got out after ten, except for my uncle. Why did they let you out so early?”
“I just told I don’t fucking know.” She didn’t look convinced, but he hadn’t expected her to. “Guess it’s because I kept to myself, didn’t try to smuggle shit in, didn’t get into fights, and generally did what they told me to do, when they told me to do it.”
“Why do they think you ratted them out?”
“I don’t know the answer to that either. I never found out who told them that or why, but it sounds like your uncle believes it.”
“Didn’t he always?”
“I have no clue. Once the FBI rounded us all up, that’s when I found out from Tony that the others believed I had ratted them out.”
The confusion on her face intensified, but that was good. It meant she was thinking this through. He couldn’t get to the bottom of this without her, because obviously she’d been in touch with Tony these past three years. Despite the fact that during those years he was supposed to be dead!
For now, he had to keep her talking. In a moment, he’d deal with the bullshit. But even now, he still wished he’d refrained from fucking her last night. Not because he hadn’t enjoyed it. Far from it. But it was a complication that only made this worse.
“Did you say anything to him when you answered the call this morning?” She cut her gaze toward the phone.
“I told you I didn’t.”
“And he didn’t call back again?”
“No.”
“Maybe we should call him? We could all talk about this and—”
“Carolyn, the man lied to you. He told you I ratted them all out, and I did not. He told you that was me in the photo, and it’s not. You honestly think if I called him back, explained it was all a big misunderstanding, that we’d be best friends again and everything would be okay?”
Guilt washed over him as she flinched. He hadn’t meant to raise his voice quite so much, but seriously. Was she really that dense, or were these her protective instincts kicking in? “How long has he been telling you these things?”
“I’m not even sure. Years. Since before he got out and faked his death.”
Well, at least that explained why she wasn’t simply accepting his word, no questions asked. She’d been listening to Tony’s lies for a long time. But it also called into serious question just what the hell kind of game Tony had been playing all this time. He had used them both, and Jagger didn’t like being used. Not at all.
“He’s changed, Jagger.”
“What do you mean?”
“Since the conviction, and especially after he faked his death. He’s not the same man I remember from my childhood. He’s … he’s very paranoid now. Much rougher around the edges. I figured it was from being in prison.”
“Yeah. It does have a way of making you see things from a different perspective.”
The question now was what to do with this girl. He could make good on his threat if she didn’t help him, but clearly she had done this to protect Tony, and because she believed what he’d told her. Would it really accomplish anything to tell the cops or her PO that she’d lied? He needed her help to get to the bottom of this, even if she didn’t yet realize that.
“I’m very confused right now.”
Hearing her say that, in such a small voice, almost made him want to pull her close and keep her safe. Almost. But his need to find out what the hell was really going on was stronger. If he kept her here, he’d have access to Tony one day. They’d have a little chat. Right before Jagger broke his fucking jaw for lying all these years and trying to frame him for a job he didn’t pull.
“I’m sorry I lied to you in the park.”
“I appreciate that, but I understand why you did it.”
An expression akin to a trapped animal watching a hunter for its next move graced her pretty face. Not that he blamed her. He held the upper hand now, and she likely knew that. “What happens now?”
“You and I need to decide that together.” He exhaled loudly. “Do you want to find out why he lied to you?”
“I’m not convinced he did.”
“All right. Let me rephrase. Do you want to find out whether he did, and if so, why?”
“Yes. You have no idea how much I want that.”
Actually, he had a very good idea how much she wanted that. The conviction in her voice was evident. This was bothering her a lot, and that was good. It meant he had a chance of convincing her that dear Uncle Tony was a fucking bullshitter.
“And do you want to clear your own name?”
The fear was back on her face. “What? I’m not implicated in this.”
“Wanna bet? You gave them false information. Considering who you are, if they find out Tony is alive and you lied to protect him, either you’re in trouble for that, or they might think you lied to throw them off the track.”
Words in Italian escaped her throat as she rose from the sofa. She paced the room, muttering the entire time. Jagger had enough command of the language to know she could swear like a drunken sailor, at least in one tongue. He found it endearing. An image of her moaning in Italian while he fucked her rose up in his mind, but he had to push it back. Right now, he was on a different mission.
“Do you really think that might happen?”
“You tell me,” he said. “You’ve been around cops and criminals all your life, same as me.”
It was difficult not to pump his fist in the air as he watched the emotions cross her face. He knew the second she decided to join forces with him.
“All right. Fine. Yes, let’s figure out whether he lied to me and why. I’m not going back to prison for something I had nothing to do with. And it’s not right that you should go back either, if you weren’t in on this job.”
“Keep going with those thoughts, Carolyn. We each have more at stake here than being arrested for a crime we didn’t commit.”
Once she took her seat again, her gaze kept drifting to her phone, to him, and back again. He could almost see the thoughts racing across her face. When she finally fixed her gaze on him once more, he smiled at the determination and anger in her beautiful eyes. There it is. Now she gets this.
“It’s not right. None of this is right. We’ve both paid for our crimes. We’re not going down for this, and we’re not going to let the people lying about who really did the job get away with it. I want to help you get to the bottom of this. Tell me what to do.”
Jagger pulled her close and held her. He inhaled her scent, still ripe from last night, and his dick jumped to attention. His arousal didn’t surprise him, but the tenderness he suddenly felt toward her did.
Whoa there, dude. Keep a check on the feelings.
“I need a shower,” she said, pulling out of his embrace.
“Be careful. The water will burn those bruises on your ass.”
She laughed, but it sounded more self-conscious than anything. “I haven’t even looked at them yet.”
“I’m sure they’re impressive. You took a lot.”
The look she gave him was shy and lustful at the same time. Jagger let out a shaky breath. It was almost impossible not to kiss her right now. Hard. With his tongue rammed down her throat. What the fuck was it about this girl that drove him straight from royally pissed off to fucking wild with desire?
“You never asked me why I’ve been protecting him all these years.”
It was difficult to focus his thoughts on her question. “You mean there’s another reason besides he’s the only family you have left?”
“He’s not the only family I have left, but he is the person I used to trust more than any of them. The simple fact, Jagger, is that I believed him. I had no reason not to. I’ve thought of you as the bad guy of the bunch all these years because he set you up that way.”
The fact that Tony had been playing them both against each other wasn’t something Jagger would forget. “Which is why it was easy for you to lie to the police.”
“I didn’t know I was lying. I’m sorry.” She nodded. “I really am.”
“I appreciate the apology, although I also realize that you thought you were doing the right thing. Family is everything, after all.”
“Sometimes.”
“I’m sorry I kidnapped you.”
This time, her laugh sounded genuine. “More like coercion, I’d say. And let’s be honest. I’m here now because I want to be, not because you need information from me. You have what you wanted. You know Uncle Tony is alive, and you know he’s the one who told me to lie about you. There’s no reason now for me to stay.”
Damn it all to hell and back. He didn’t want to watch her walk out the door. “Other than making it easier for us both to get to the bottom of this.”
“Other than that, yes.”
The air in the room felt charged, as if a storm was brewing. Jagger wasn’t sure what to make of the emotions racing through him. She was right, after all. There really was no reason for her to stay now. They could accomplish this together even if she returned to her apartment.
But he didn’t want her to leave, and that shocked the hell out of him more than any revelation he’d had in the past twenty-four hours. “Do you want to go home?” Please say “no”!
“Not really.”
Those big green eyes held his gaze as his cock grew rock hard again. Why the fuck was he fighting his attraction to her? “What would you like to do instead?”
A smile spread across her mouth, and Jagger’s heart raced. “I really, really need a shower. Care to join me?”
What man in his right mind would say “no” to that?
Chapter Ten
It was cute the way she still gawked at everything in this apartment as he took her hand and led her up to his bathroom. Granted, his bathroom was pretty damn luxurious, but his mind wasn’t on the decorating right now. It was on getting her under the two sprays in his shower, and fucking her again. Slowly this time.
He kissed her, lingering because it was so damn fun to listen to her whimper and moan, and because she was a really good kisser. He tangled his fingers in her hair and gave it a good tug, which led to her pushing her boobs against him.
When he finally released the kiss, all traces of fear and worry were gone from her pretty face. Jagger grinned. “That’s better.”
“Much better.” She grabbed his ass, and Jagger laughed. God, he loved an assertive woman when it came to sex. “Did I tell you what a gorgeous body you have?”
“You did not.”
“Well, you do.” She took a step back and pulled off her tank top and shorts, before stepping into the shower to turn on the water. “Two jets?”
“Ever stand in one of these?”
“No.”
The bruises on her ass concerned him. “The water’s gonna burn, Carolyn. You sure you wouldn’t rather take a bath?”
“I’ll be okay.” She stepped in and winced as soon as she was under the spray. “Holy shit.”
After shedding his clothes, he stepped inside with her, pulling her out from under the direct sprays. “Do you have shampoo with you?”
“It’s in my bathroom. I mean your bathroom. In the guest room.”
“That’s okay.” He reached behind him and plucked his bottle off the shelf. “You’ll have to smell woodsy today.” She looked at him like she wasn’t sure what to make of this as he poured some into his palm and lathered her hair. “It’s so thick. You must go through a lot of this stuff.”
“I do.”
“I’ll bet the girls in school were always jealous of this hair.” Jagger had three sisters, all older, and he used to listen to them talk about their classmates. The conversations were filled with jealous talk, and wishing a whole host of girls dead for having better hair, bigger boobs, or hotter boyfriends.
“I was jealous of their hair,” she said. “I wanted mine straight when they wore theirs straight, and I wanted it to look sleek, which of course it never did.”
“It’s beautiful, Carolyn. I need to rinse it. Can you handle being under the spray for that?”
“Yes.”
He moved her under the water and got behind her so he could push up against her body as he rinsed the shampoo from her hair. She moaned softly when he brushed his dick over her ass. “How’s that?”
“Jagger, this feels so good.”
It felt good to him, too. Once her hair was free of shampoo, he plucked his soap off the holder and told her to lift her arms. After she did, he washed her pits, then lifted her boobs
one at a time and washed underneath them. The silkiness of her skin drove his desires to crazy heights, but he was determined to take his time.
A soft sigh escaped her throat. “No one ever did this for me.”
“Do you like it?”
“Very much.”
“Turn around and bend over a bit.”
After she did as he asked, he reached underneath to soap up her pussy first and her ass crack afterward. He was careful not to brush the soap over the bruises on her cheeks. His dick was rock hard now and painful. He’d really done a number on her skin, but he also thought it was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.
This was torture, but she seemed to be enjoying it as much as he was, if her soft moans were any indication. Jagger placed the soap back in the holder before pouring shower gel onto a bath sponge.
Working slowly, he washed her hands and arms, from her fingernails to her shoulders. She sighed softly the entire time, which only made his desire to fuck her into next week escalate. Jagger did her legs next. He kissed the wounds he’d made on her ass cheeks, and she let out shaky gasps that made him want to kiss her mouth until neither of them could breathe. Lastly, he worked the sponge over her back, reaching around to do the same to her abdomen and finally her tits.
After he replaced the sponge, he kneaded her boobs in his hands, brushing his cock against her ass while he rolled her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. “I do believe these are the finest tits I’ve ever seen.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“Let’s get out of here.” He kissed her neck. “I want to fuck you in every room of this apartment.”
The shiver that ran through her body was one he swore he could feel. “That sounds like heaven.”
****
No man had ever washed her in the shower. Carolyn was so ready to fuck him it was crazy. Jagger grabbed a towel and fluffed it through her hair for a few seconds before dragging it across her breasts. She moaned softly as he followed that with his tongue, teasing her nipples until her pussy was soaking wet. No way could she take anymore. She had to have him.
“Jagger, please. Please fuck me.”
“I will.” He chuckled softly. “Have patience.”
