by Roxy Sloane
Almost.
“This is my life on the line here,” I explain. “Besides, you need me. There’s a doorman and security. If you pose as a delivery guy with me or something, nobody will look twice.”
Jase looks frustrated, but he nods. “Fine. But I’m not leaving you alone with that guy. Or any of those psycho Mainwarings.”
“I have to play along for now,” I sigh. “At least until this is over.”
I take my phone and tap out a text to the wedding planner. “I’m saying I’m at the spa all day, getting prepped for the rehearsal dinner. That should keep them off my case.”
“What about Max? We need him out of his apartment.”
“Let me check. He said something about the country club.” I text him too.
Do you need me at the club today before dinner?
His reply comes:
No, I’m busy. And remember, best behavior tonight, or TMZ will have a new lead story.
“We’re all clear.” I smile. “Let’s go nail the bastard.”
*
We get dressed and head across town. I stop by my place to pick up a bunch of empty shopping bags and boxes. “For our cover story,” I explain to Jase. I even get in the backseat of his car so that when we pull up at Max’s building, it looks like he’s my driver.
The doorman comes to usher me inside. “Miss Archer, how are you?” he smarms.
“I’m great, thanks. Just picking out a few things for the honeymoon! Come along, Banner.”
I snap my fingers, and Jase follows me inside, laden down with all my bags. I manage to keep a straight face until the elevator doors shut behind us, then I laugh. “I could get used to being waited on hand and foot,” I tease.
Jase chuckles. “Oh, you’re going to pay for that, Miss Archer.”
“I’m counting on it.” I steal a kiss before we reach the penthouse. I unlock and check around. “Max?” I call. Silence. He’s gone. “Now, let’s do this as quickly as possible. This place creeps me out.”
“Which way to his office?”
I lead Jase down the hall. Max has a room kitted out with tons of tech, a security feed from the front door, and all the latest boy-toys. It looks pretty complicated to me, but Jase snorts as he settles in front of the main screen.
“Fucking idiot.” He clicks a few buttons, and the screen springs to life. “Ten thousand dollars worth of equipment, and the guy can’t even install decent password protections.”
“You’re in?” My hopes rise. “Can you find the video?”
“Give me a sec . . .” Jase’s fingers move like lightening on the keyboard. Folders and files appear and disappear on the screen.
I’m impressed. “How did you learn to do all of this?”
“You pick up a few things here and there.” Jase grins. “Not strictly legal, mind you, but Max isn’t about to go crying to the police over it.”
I look around the room as he works. Max has framed photos of him with Sienna on almost every surface. “I can’t believe I didn’t notice anything weird about them before.” I pick one up: they’re posing together with their tennis whites at the club. “How long do you think it’s been going on?”
“Who the fuck knows?” Jase replies.
I shudder. I know they’re not related by blood, just marriage, but still, the whole thing freaks me out. “She’s welcome to him.” I set the photo back down.
“I’m guessing Grandma wouldn’t approve,” Jase says, and I pause.
“You’re right. Sylvia would hate it! She might even write them out of the will.” My mind races. Maybe there’s a way to get payback, after all. But first, I need that video destroyed, and luckily, Jase knows what he’s doing. A few moments later, he exclaims,
“Got it!”
I rush over. “Are you sure?”
He brings up the file, then pauses. “You check,” he says, the perfect gentleman, and turns away.
I’m touched. I let it play for a few frames, long enough to confirm this is the right file, then stop. It still makes me sick, but I force myself to stay calm. If we’re lucky, this will be the last time anyone ever lays eyes on it. “It’s the one.”
Jase turns back, and clicks a few things. The file disappears. “Done.”
“Just like that?” I can’t believe it.
“I wiped it from the system, and his emails, texts, and cloud back-up, too,” Jase reassures me. “Trust me, I scrubbed the memory clean. That video no longer exists. It’s gone.”
It feels like a weight’s been lifted from my shoulders. I breathe a massive sigh of relief and throw my arms around him. “Thank you!” I cry, holding tight. I can’t believe that after everything, it’s finally over—for real this time.
Suddenly, there’s movement on one of the screens: the security camera from the front door. Max is stepping out of the elevator with Sienna. “Look!” I panic.
Jase leaps up. “Time to get some fucking payback.” He scowls.
“No, wait!” I gulp. “There’s a better way. Please, trust me,” I add, grabbing his hand. “We need to hide.”
Jase doesn’t argue as I drag him across the room, into the bedroom. I look around. “Here, the closet,” I whisper, as I hear the front door open. I shove aside rails of clothing and pull Jase after me, until we’re hidden out of sight at the back of the closet.
He slides his arms around me, holding me close, but my heart is still thumping wildly.
“I won’t be a minute,” Max’s voice comes.
“But we’re late,” Sienna whines.
“It’s your fault for getting lipstick all over my collar.”
Through the crack in the door, I see Max enter the room—and come straight for the closet. Shit!
“Relax,” Jase whispers softly in my ear. His body is hard against me, but I’m still shaking with nerves. I know the video is gone now, but I’m not ready to face Max yet—not like this.
Max opens the closet and grabs a shirt. We melt back further, then I get an idea. I pull my phone from my pocket, and hold it up to the gap in the door. I hit record, filming the scene in the bedroom outside.
“I don’t know why you have to go through with this.” Sienna appears in the doorway, pouting. “I can’t bear watching you with her. It’s not fair.”
Max grins. “Aww, jealous? You don’t need to be. That cheap whore has nothing on you.”
In the closet with me, I feel Jase tense, but I’m too busy holding my camera phone steady.
“I don’t see the rush to get married.” Sienna keeps bitching. “I know you need to qualify for your inheritance, but Sylvia is made of ice. She’ll outlive us all.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Max sounds smug. “Her heart’s not what it used to be. One dose of the wrong medication with her morning tea, and it might give out for good.”
Sienna gasps in delight. “You wouldn’t.”
Max laughs. “I’ve got it all planned. I already started dosing her, she’ll be dead in a couple of months.” He pulls her closer for a sloppy kiss, then slaps her ass. “Come on, the rehearsal dinner starts at eight. That means we have time to stop by the hotel. I want to fuck you out of that dress.”
They exit, and a moment later, I hear the door shut behind them.
I lower my camera and shut it off. “I can’t believe he’s really planning on killing her,” I exclaim. “I mean, I knew he was a scumbag, but murder?”
“He won’t get the chance.” Jase grins. “Good thinking with the video. Now you’ve not him nailed.”
I smile. “This is going to be a rehearsal dinner they’ll never forget.”
19.
CHLOE
I know what I need to do at the rehearsal dinner to take Max down, but it still takes all my acting abilities to smile and play along with him as we greet the Mainwarings.
“You must be so excited,” one of them gushes.
“Something like that.” I give a vague reply.
Max’s grip digs painfully into my arm.
“For fuck’s sake, try a little harder,” he whispers in my ear. “Just remember, that video is ready to go out. All I have to do is hit send.”
“Sorry,” I manage to apologize. “I’ll do better.”
We head into the ballroom, which is filled with white linen tables and twinkling chandeliers. There must be a hundred people here, easy. All of Max’s family and society friends, business acquaintances . . . I’ve been hating the lavish celebrations all week, but now I’m glad there are so many people here to watch Max burn.
“Hi Sylvia!” For the first time ever, I’m actually happy to see her. “How are you feeling? In good health, I hope?”
Sylvia looks at me suspiciously. “Fine, thank you, dear.”
“Good, good.” I smile. “Where are you sitting? Here, let me show you to your table.”
We all take our seats, and waiters start pouring the wine. I’m at the head table with Max, Sienna, and Sylvia, with everyone else arranged nearby. As the first course is served, I see Jase slip in the back.
He gives me the thumbs-up. I take a deep breath and get to my feet. I tap my fork against my water glass, and everyone turns to stare.
“Chloe?” Max forces a smile. “What are you doing?”
“Just giving you the speech you deserve.” I turn to everyone, and raise my voice. “Hi, I want to thank you all for coming, to share this special day with me and Max. This is such a big event, I know that the Mainwaring family has come from all over, and that’s why I’m so sorry it’s been a wasted journey.”
“Chloe!” Max grabs my arm. His face is turning a weird shade of red. “You don’t want to do this. I have the video, remember?”
I ignore him and turn back to the room. “See, it turns out, I won’t be marrying Max tomorrow. Or ever. I wouldn’t marry him if he were the last man on earth—and there were no women either!”
There are gasps of shock from all the fancy society guests. Sylvia looks like she’s about to explode, and I just have to hope Max hasn’t been dosing up her bad heart too much already. I want her to make it through my speech alive.
“See, I actually broke things off with Max weeks ago,” I continue loudly. I’m kind of enjoying myself now. “I found out he hired a man to sleep with me just to get out of the engagement. I should thank him, really,” I add, waving to Jase. “It turns out that man is the love of my life, and I never would have met him if Max wasn’t such a conniving underhand asshole.”
Max looks around helplessly. “Someone, stop her!” he barks at a waiter, but everyone’s frozen, watching me.
“Of course, the best part came after that,” I continue. “When Max blackmailed me into marrying him by threatening to release a sex tape of me and my ex. A real sweetheart, isn’t he, ladies?”
Max shoves his chair back. “You little slut!” he yells. “Well, fine. Have it your way. I hope this was worth it,” he says, pulling out his phone. He taps a few buttons, and then I hear the ding of notifications from half the guests in the room.
Max smirks at me. “Say goodbye to the rest of your life, whore.”
I grin. “Are you sure? Might want to check what you just sent them all,” I add. “It doesn’t sound like a sex tape to me.”
Max looks around. Everyone’s got their phones out, and I can hear clips of the video coming from all over.
“Her heart’s not what it used to be,” Max’s voice comes. “One dose of the wrong medication with her morning tea, and it might give out for good.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“I’ve got it all planned. I already started dosing her, she’ll be dead in a couple of months.”
Max’s eyes boggle out of his head. “What . . . ? How . . . ?”
“Busted.” I grin, triumphant. I had Jase switch in my cellphone video with the same title, so Max would never know the difference. “That’s you scheming to murder your grandmother . . . and you just sent it to every reporter on the east coast. Tough break.”
I walk away from him, just as the rest of the video plays.
“That means we have time to stop by the hotel. I want to fuck you out of that dress.”
The ballroom explodes in scandalized gossip. Sienna bursts into tears and flees the room, and Sylvia starts yelling for her lawyer.
Justice is sweet.
“Don’t walk away from me, whore!” Max comes lunging after me. I turn, surprised, just in time to see Jase’s fist connect with Max’s face.
Hard.
Max goes down, and Jase moves in for another blow, but I hold him back. “Let me.”
I kick Max in the stomach. “That’s for lying and cheating—” I kick him again. “That’s for the blackmail, and that’s for making me wear all those awful pink dresses!”
Max lets out a whimper, bleeding on the floor.
Jase grins. “Is it crazy you’re turning me on right now?”
I laugh. “Come on.” I take his hand and head out of the ballroom. “I don’t want to waste another minute on these people.”
Not when we have so many better things to do.
Like each other.
20.
CHLOE
It turns out, Max wasn’t lying. He sent that video to every friend, reporter, and family member in the world. It makes headlines everywhere. I mean, the only son and heir to one of the biggest fortunes in America gets caught plotting murder—and is having an affair with his stepsister, too?
Sex, murder, and almost-incest. The press has a field day. My phone is ringing around the clock, so Jase and I decide to take that tropical vacation down to Mexico to escape the drama. No phones, no internet: just a private cabana on the most beautiful beach I’ve ever seen.
“This is paradise,” I sigh, stretching in the sun. “I never want to go back.”
“So don’t.” Jase rests a hand on my bare stomach. “Stay here. Naked. All the time.”
I giggle, glancing over at his incredible body. Jase has refused to wear swim shorts since the day we arrived, and his cock is standing to attention. “Are you sure this is a nudist beach?”
He grins. “I don’t see anyone saying otherwise, do you?”
He’s got a point. The place is deserted, nothing but white sand and jungle for miles around. We’re all alone . . .
“OK, but you need to help me with the lotion,” I say, slipping off my bikini top. “I don’t want to burn.”
“We can’t have that,” Jase agrees. He sits up and pours cool lotion on my chest, smoothing it over my breasts in slow, seductive strokes that leave me panting. He tugs my bikini bottoms off too, and strokes lotion over my thighs.
I part them wider, and he chuckles. “I don’t want you to miss a spot,” I point out.
“I’ll be thorough, I promise.” Jase’s fingers delve between my legs, stroking my wetness and sending waves of pleasure rolling through me until I can’t take anymore.
“Come here.” I reach for him, needing him inside me already, but he shakes his head, teasing.
“I think you need to cool off.” He takes my hand and pulls me to my feet. “Last one in the water walks back to the hotel naked.”
He takes off towards the ocean, and I follow, laughing. I sprint hard, reaching the water at the same time he does. It splashes over us, perfectly cool and refreshing.
“I win!” Jase laughs, spinning me around.
“Liar!” I cry. “It was a tie!”
I push him back, and he goes under—pulling me with him. The water feels amazing on my naked skin, and I break for the surface, splashing around. Jase sits back in the shallow water and pulls me to him. “You look happy.”
“I am. Happier than I’ve ever been before.”
I straddle his lap, then sink down onto his cock. His eyes fall shut in ecstasy as I ride him slowly, loving the feel of him, every thick inch. I can’t get enough of this man, and I don’t think I ever will.
“Fuck, Chloe . . .” he groans as I pick up the pace. His hands grip my hips, urging me on. “Goddamn, I love you.”
I pause. Did he just say what I think he did?
Jase’s eyes open. “You heard me,” he growls, claiming my lips in a hot, hard kiss. “It’s you and me, baby. All the way.”
All the way.
I sink down again, riding his cock as the waves crash around us until I can’t take anymore. I come with a cry, loving the feel of the sunlight on my skin. The water splashing over us.
And Jase. With me. Inside me. Everything I could want in the world.
“I love you too,” I whisper.
And it feels like the beginning.
THE END
Want more dirty talk and alpha male hotness from Roxy Sloane? Keep reading for your bonus free copy of her sizzling INVITATION SERIES!
The Invitation
By Roxy Sloane
PROLOGUE
Most men don’t realize, it takes more than a big dick and a hard, deep fuck to make a woman come. She climaxes with her mind as much as her body.
Us guys, we’re easy. It doesn’t matter if it’s a gripped hand, or a wet, empty mouth, or the tight slide of a damp and eager pussy. Give us friction and speed and you’ll get us there, every time.
But a woman’s orgasm is an art. It takes finesse. And I’m the world-class master of making women come.
How many times have you been there, so close to the edge, unable to let go and surrender to the pleasure? How many nights did you wish you could shut your brain off and lose yourself in the slide of damp skin and the demands of his hard, thrusting cock?
The secret is, you shouldn’t have to shut it off. Your imagination is the most powerful erogenous zone of all. More sensitive than those tight, aching nipples. More pleasurable than those rhythmic strokes, slow against your throbbing clit.
Fantasy. Seduction. Your deepest, darkest desires.
It’s all locked away, waiting to be awoken. To be teased into life, made real with hard flesh and pounding blood and whispered, filthy words that make your thighs clench and your stomach twist and your slick, needy cunt ache to be filled.
