Control: Power Series #3

by Victoria Woods

  “She works with me at Sethi Tech,” Amelia elaborated. “She used to work for another company, but I persuaded her to join me when I stole Jai’s job.” She smirked, eyeing him mischievously.

  Instinctively, I turned to address him directly, catching him off guard. “You don’t work at Sethi Tech?”

  He paused to study me before answering. “I used to, but I left the company to pursue other…more personal interests.” His expression remained straight and unforthcoming, unwilling to go into detail.

  My eyebrow hitched up with interest. “Mysterious.”

  “Private,” he corrected.

  I pressed my lips together, biting back a smile. It was nice to see him irritated for a change.

  Amelia interrupted my fun. “We build software to help locate missing women and children.”

  “That’s fascinating. It must be such a rewarding experience,” I replied. I’d had no idea she was so brilliant.

  “It is. But it’s a lot of work, hence all the overtime I’m doing lately and the need for private lessons for Meena.”

  Shyam wrapped his arm around her. “She’s a hard worker and that’s the only reason the software is as successful as it is.” His eyes glowed with pride as he watched his wife. Amelia locked eyes with him, blocking out the rest of us at the table. It was as if they were in their own world. He pressed his lips to hers, marking her as his, indifferent to the audience around them.

  I felt Jai’s gaze on my lips. They tingled from his attention, parting wide enough to allow a rush of air to escape. I caught myself before I gave into my body any further, biting my lip to keep myself from panting.

  “That’s doing the opposite of repelling me,” he whispered so only I could hear.

  Glaring at him, I silently warned him to back off. Instead, he grinned, enjoying challenge.

  “How did you get into ballet, Claire?” Amelia interrupted our exchange.

  I cleared my throat, thankful for the intrusion. “It was always my mother’s dream for me to study ballet. She enrolled me in classes in Paris when I was a teenager.”

  “Wow! You studied ballet in Paris?! Très fancy!” Nat exclaimed. “So, you’re French?”

  “Of course, she is!” Amelia said. “Can’t you tell by her accent?!” She rolled her eyes at the seemingly obvious. I stayed silent.

  Jai’s eyes tracked me. It was like he could see through me. Read my thoughts.

  “Are your parents still in France?” Nat asked.

  My heart stilled whenever anyone asked that question. “No, they passed away years ago.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Amelia offered a sympathetic smile.

  This was the last conversation I wanted to have in the middle of a nightclub, let alone in front of the one person who was already making me feel so uncomfortable.

  “What brought you to New York?” she persisted.

  My thoughts raced to come up with an answer. I should have thought of an explanation to that question by now, since this wasn’t the first time it had been asked. But I was caught off guard by it tonight. I hadn’t thought anyone would bring up my dead parents at a supposed “girls’ night out.” Not even Lana knew the whole story. She just left the topic alone anytime she saw me grow emotional when it was brought up.

  Jai’s voice sliced through my thoughts. It was the first time I had ever been so happy to hear it. “Waitress,” he called out to the seductively dressed waitress walking by. “Can we get some drinks for the ladies?”

  “Oh my God. I’m so sorry.” Amelia clasped her hands at her chest. “I’m such a bad host. I didn’t even get you ladies settled with some drinks.” She set about ordering a round of shots in addition to asking us for our drink preferences.

  The breath I had been holding in rushed out of my nose in relief. I turned to Jai, feeling his eyes on my body. As if reading my thoughts, he furrowed his brow, wordlessly asking me if I was okay.

  I offered a weak smile. As he dragged his finger over his lips, I could tell his mind was full of questions, but he didn’t dare broach them with the audience in front of us. I was thankful that he was so cautious.

  Lana caught my attention, her face pinched with concern. “You good?” she mouthed across the table. I nodded; grateful she was here with me as the waitress left us all alone again.

  “I have an awesome idea. You should teach a class for adults!” Nat shouted across the table randomly.

  “Oh yeah, we could get a few friends together for a workout,” Amelia agreed.

  “Are we invited?” Jai asked, gesturing toward his brother.

  “I only care about my wife dancing in private for me,” Shyam growled, eliciting a shiver from her as if a chill had overtaken her body.

  “Whatever, man. Guess I’ll have a show all to myself.” Jai winked.

  Nat pointed at me. “If my ass will look as good as yours, then I’m totally down for this class!”

  “You haven’t even seen my ass,” I laughed.

  “Oh, please. Who could miss that thing? The whole lounge was staring when you walked in here. You could bounce a quarter off that thing,” she said, mimicking a smacking motion in the air with her hand.

  My face heated in embarrassment. I could see Jai’s cheeky smirk from the side. His eyes zoomed to my rear on the seat, his lids turning heavy with hunger.

  “Craig!” Lana cried out of nowhere. We all looked over to her to see her wiggling out of the booth and jumping to her feet. The giant of a man came over to our table and kissed her head, dwarfing her with his size. The gesture seemed too intimate for just a fling. Lana was the type who’d drone on and on about a guy, but it would never turn into anything serious, so I had stopped paying any mind to her numerous man-obsessions. But this time, I couldn’t ignore the way they looked at each other.

  “Everyone, this is Craig,” she said, introducing him to us. Her arms barely met around his waist as she hugged herself to his side. “What time do you finish work, honey?” She batted her lashes as she stared up at him, just waiting to hang on his every word.

  I had only ever seen him once at the hotel party, but based on their interaction, I’d probably see a lot more of him in the future.

  “Craig, you may take the rest of the night off,” Shyam said. It made sense that the Sethis knew who he was since he was a bouncer at their club.

  “Thanks, boss,” he replied, giving a slight nod to Shyam.

  Lana squealed by his side and carted him off toward the main floor. Thanks for ditching me again, Lana.

  “Fuck yeah! Drinks are here!” Nat shouted. The waitress had returned with a trayful of glassware. Nat grabbed a shot and tossed her head back, downing it like she was dehydrated. “Don’t just fucking sit there and gawk. Drink, bitch!” She slammed shot glasses in front of each of us.

  Not surprisingly, Shyam waved his away. “I’ll pass.” Brooding men like him didn’t seem like they were too fond of shots.

  Amelia rolled her eyes at her husband. “Boring!” She grabbed a glass and held it in the air in front of her. “Jai, let’s do it!”

  He followed suit, lifting his shot glass. “Your turn, Claire.” The way he said my name launched hundreds of butterflies into a frenzy in my belly. The vibrations of their wings fluttered, sending waves of sensation shooting below my waist. I crossed my legs to ease the pressure. Alcohol was needed to get through this night, so I tipped my shot up at them.

  “Yeah!” Nat cheered us on as Jai and Amelia downed their drinks. Amelia made a face and coughed from the heat of the liquor, prompting Shyam to rub her back. Jai slammed his down like an expert, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. I was the last to follow, holding the liquid in my mouth, bracing myself for the burn.

  “Swallow,” Jai commanded, his voice low so that only I could hear. My eyes locked onto his as my body involuntarily obeyed, the liquid scorching my
throat on the way down. His jaw clenched as his eyes followed the liquor’s path down my neck and chest, landing between my breasts.

  “Party time!” Nat snatched Amelia’s hand and pulled her out of the booth.

  “Claire, come dance with us,” Amelia coaxed as she shook her butt excitedly.

  Jai interjected, “You guys go. We’ll stay and get more acquainted.”

  I didn’t want to be left alone with him. More like, I shouldn’t be alone with him. My usually strong resolve was waning from being near him for too long.

  Amelia flashed a suspicious grin in our direction.

  Before I could move away from Jai, Amelia launched herself onto her knees with one hand, palm down, on the seat of the booth and yanked on Shyam’s arm with her free hand. “Come dance with me.”

  “I don’t dance,” he grunted. He was devastatingly handsome but in a moody kind of a way, in stark contrast to his brother, who was even more gorgeous and reeked of charisma. Jai had the entire package: good looks and a charming personality.

  Amelia fluttered her eyelashes to convince her husband. “Be a good boy and I’ll let you do whatever you want tonight?”

  Shyam’s eyebrow hitched. “Whatever I want?”

  She bit her lip and nodded.

  He turned to his brother, shrugging. “Guess I’ll be fucking dancing.”

  “Pussy whipped!” Jai called out after him as the three of them left us alone, tucked inside of the booth.

  Aware of a sole set of eyes on me, I felt my palms grow slick with sweat. After wiping them quickly on my pants, I grabbed my cocktail and took a sip to wet my parched mouth.

  “Where are you really from?” Jai’s question was blunt, catching me off guard, like most things he did.

  “France,” I answered automatically to quell suspicion, scratching my forearm to distract my nerves.

  He leaned in close to me, one elbow on the table in front of him. “We both know that’s not the truth.”

  My pulse sky-rocketed, and the sweat from my palms spread to my entire body. I steadied my voice. “Are you calling me a liar, Jai?”

  His body tensed hearing his name on my lips, visibly affected by my candor. Two could play at this game.

  “Well, are you one?” His eyebrow perked up in interest.

  “I don’t have to tell you shit.” I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the back of the booth.

  The corner of his lip twitched upward. “I guess you don’t.”

  I turned the interrogation back onto him. “Where are you from?”

  “Why? Do you find me interesting?” A full smile played at his lips before he answered. “India.”

  “Why do you and your brother have different accents?” I thought it odd his brother had a British one while his was more American.

  “Our teachers in India were British, so we both had the same accent growing up. I guess I was younger when I came over here for school. More impressionable at the time, I suppose. Or maybe an unconscious need to fit in better?”

  I knew firsthand the need to fit in when relocating to a new country. Sometimes, it was to make friends; other times, it was just to survive because the alternative was far worse. Standing out could get you killed.

  “My turn.” His eyes dragged over my lips. “Why did you move to New York?”

  This line of questioning injected unease into me. I hugged my arms tighter around my waist, closing myself off. “What is this? Twenty questions?”

  He reached for his phone in his pocket and tapped out a message, before turning it face down on the table. Suddenly, the drapes surrounding the booth were pulled shut from the outside.

  I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. Sliding closer to me, he dipped his mouth close to my ear, momentarily silencing the quick thumping inside my chest. “Yes. And I get to ask all of the questions.” The tip of his nose grazed my lobe, causing me to suck in air through my lips. “What I wouldn’t give to know what’s going on in that head of yours.”

  If he only knew the thoughts that were racing inside of my head. Instead of questions, I had twenty excuses ready on the tip of my tongue to put distance between us, but none of them of them slipped out. I just kept imagining his hands on my skin and the spicy way he’d taste in my mouth.

  I licked my lips that had gone dry from the heat of his proximity. Before I could think about what was coming out of my mouth, I whispered, “I dare you to find out.”

  He grabbed me, pulling me against him. I could feel the hardness of his torso pressed against the side of my body; his large hand flat on the flesh of my exposed belly.

  “You’d have more luck with another girl here,” I groaned, no longer able to keep my voice steady.

  “You’d love that, wouldn’t you? To watch me fuck another woman the way I should be fucking you?”

  I moaned at the visual that played in my mind. The satisfaction on his face reflected his delight in my reaction.

  “That’s what gets you off, doesn’t it? Voyeurism?” His lips pressed a gentle kiss on the sensitive patch of skin under my ear, leaving me breathless.

  I shook my head, unable to speak.

  His tongue slid along the side of my neck. “I bet you were soaking wet after running away from me.”

  My hands clenched into fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms. His teeth branded me at the base of my neck, shooting rays of pain that morphed into pleasure down my chest as he continued his malevolent interview.

  “Did you slide under your bed sheets and pull your panties down?” His hand moved lower, playing at the waistband of my pants.

  “…touching your pretty pink pussy, and imagining my fingers rubbing your nub?” Thick fingers slid inside my panties, tickling the patch of hair as he explored my depths.

  “Did you work yourself good, pumping your pelvis to match the speed of your fingers?” I tensed as he rubbed circles on my clit, not wanting my body to relent to his control. The sensations numbed all my logical thinking and my hips spontaneously matching his rhythm.

  “Did your slippery cunt make noises as your fingers plunged inside like my dick would?” He dipped a finger into me, and I couldn’t help the groan that escaped. I threw my head back, clenching my eyes shut, unable to believe how good it all felt.

  “Did you pinch your sweet nipples like my teeth would clamp down on them?” His teeth found my nipple through my shirt and bit down. I yelped from the pinch.

  “Tell me. Did you scream for me when you came so hard that it blinded you?”

  “Jai,” I panted as I grasped his forearm, which was hard at work. My pelvis ground hard against his hand, ready to explode.

  “And baby girl? Did you suck the cream off your fingers, tasting your honey, just like I would?”

  Ecstasy ripped through my core, reverberating though my body. I gasped, milking his finger with my pussy. His lips closed over mine to silence me as I rode out my climax. My eyes still closed, I allowed myself to feel. Feel the warmth of his mouth. The strength of his tongue plunging into my mouth. The soft bites his teeth made as they nipped my lips when I opened them to catch my breath.

  “Claire.” His voice was dripping with desire and want. I lay there spent next to him—unable to move.

  He pulled his hand out of my pants and held his fingers up to examine them, my cream visibly smeared all over them. He made good on his promise and sucked them off, tasting my honey—just like he said he would.

  My eyes tracked him as my body remained limp. Weaving his hand through my hair, he pulled me in to meet his mouth. Dipping his tongue into my mouth, he forced me to taste myself—like floral silk.

  “Sweeter than I imagined,” he breathed against my lips, his heady tone begging for more. “Come home with me tonight.”

  Reality came rushing back to me. I shouldn’t be alone with him. I had already
proved that I didn’t have clear judgment whenever I was near Jai. What was I doing getting close to anyone? It wasn’t safe for me.

  “I…I need to go.” I pushed his arm away from me and bolted out of the booth. Lana could find her way home. I needed to get out of here immediately. The streets of the city were certainly safer than that booth was right now.

  Chapter VIII

  Jai

  Everything was a goddamn mess at the factory. Supply was lagging. Shipments were late. And not one of my men could give me a legitimate reason for the shit show. It was like they were just begging for me to kick their asses to straighten them up.

  Zayn spent the morning with me translating my rage-filled commands into more discernible instructions for the crew. Around noon, the two of us relocated to the office in the back room to discuss logistics and settle accounts.

  “We still haven’t received payment from Leonid,” he said as I encrypted data, the keys on my laptop clicking away under my fingertips. The security of our shipments was important to me and I made sure to encase all data using the proper firewalls and encryption techniques to shield it from prying eyes—namely enemies.

  Specifically, Leonid. The source of all my contention. My fingers worked my keyboard faster, hitting each key so forcefully that they retracted upward nearly snapping off the board. Not bothering to look away from my screen, I gritted out, “Then I guess he will not be receiving his next shipment.” No money. No drugs. My decision was final.

  I could feel Zayn’s glare on me, judging my verdict. “Mikhail says something is brewing, but he doesn’t know details. Says Leonid’s been more secretive than usual.” This was particularly troublesome, since Mikhail was my only window into Bratva activity, and I relied on his knowledge.

  I slammed my laptop shut and shot up from my seat. “Let him come at me,” I barked, pounding my chest. “If he dares to fuck with the most powerful drug emperor in the world, then let him try. I guarantee you, he’ll be dead.” The vein in the side of my neck throbbed with the rage that coursed through my body.

  Zayn didn’t flinch at my outburst before putting me in my place. “So, now we’re referring to ourselves as ‘drug emperor’?” he jested, apathetic to my fury. The problem with brothers was that they didn’t hesitate to bust your balls, even at the most inopportune times.