by Anne Conley
“Where were you today?”
Her eyes flashed surprise, then a touch of sadness before going back to the haughtiness to which he was accustomed.
“Work.”
“Liar. I will ask you again. Where were you today?”
Deena Rae looked to the side of her, clearly trying to figure out the answer he was looking for. His test would be to see if she were lying or not. Since he actually knew where she had been, that wouldn’t be hard.
“Okay, I went to work. Then, at lunch, we all went to a co-worker’s father’s funeral. One of my co-workers drove, we left afterward and went back to work.”
Zack Ward was her co-worker? Last he’d heard, Zack had left the police force and had been living on disability.
“You work with him? What does he do?”
“I can’t tell you that.” Her chin jutted out with determination, and he decided to try a different tactic.
“Why were you at Ignite last Thursday?”
“I wanted to have some drinks and go dancing,” she answered, her eyes getting hard. “What the fuck, Slade? What’s wrong with you?”
Slade hardened his own countenance, intent on getting some answers. He was tired of her bullshit, as much potential for fun as it had. “I don’t really believe you, Ginger.” Slade sat on the edge of the bed and gripped her unrestrained ankle. He’d wanted her to have some semblance of freedom.
“Fuck you, fucker,” she seethed, suddenly irate. “You don’t get to come in here and call me a liar after you’re in your apartment fucking some little hussy.”
“Why? Because we’re exclusive or something? Because we’re not, sweetheart. No promises have been made. In fact, I believe I specifically told you the first time we encountered each other to stay the fuck away from me. But you didn’t, and now you’re balls deep in something that pertains to me, and I intend to figure out what it is. Are you a cop?” His grip on her slender ankle tightened in his fury.
Deena Rae rolled her eyes and sighed. So did he, more to antagonize her than anything else. This might be a long night.
Chapter Sixteen
Deena Rae was more turned on than she ought to be. But angry Slade was incredibly hot—all intensity and frustration, and judging by the bulge in his pants, a bit turned on himself.
His eyebrows slammed down over his eyes, and he gritted out, “Tell me, Deena Rae.”
She wasn’t sure what to tell him. She had the degree of a cop—she had to in order to be a bounty hunter—but that wasn’t what she was. She sure as shit couldn’t tell him what she was doing at Ignite. Simon would fire her if she compromised the assignment by telling Slade what she was doing. Right now, she liked her job more than the asshole who was fucking another woman thirty minutes ago and now had her cuffed to her own bed.
Of course, that had been her own idea, but whatever. It didn’t mean she liked him.
When she didn’t speak, Slade seemed to come to some conclusion, leaving her and going into the other room. When he returned with the filet knife she’d used on him, she licked her lips in trepidation. She wasn’t in a totally helpless situation. The cuffs had a button she could use to release them, but she hadn’t thought Slade would get this pissed.
Something was going on with him and she needed to find out what it was. He shouldn’t be this angry about her going to a fucking funeral. And he wouldn’t give a shit if she were a cop if he weren’t involved in something illegal.
She couldn’t take her eyes off the knife. Slade was a bad boy. He was intense. He was hyper-organized to the point of OCD, which was a trait of many serial killers. But he’d had a sense of humor about her messing with his stuff, and that wasn’t a serial killer trait. She had decided he was harmless.
But she’d been wrong before.
Slade straddled her body, and Deena Rae twisted her wrists so she could release her cuffs with a flick of her fingers when she needed to. But she was waiting for the element of surprise. She didn’t want to take down Slade until it was necessary.
His forearms flexed as he reached for her shirt. “Tell me. Are. You. A. Cop?”
When she continued her silence, mostly to see where he was going next, Slade very smoothly and firmly sliced open her shirt.
It was hot. As. Fuck.
Deena Rae was tempted to tell him about the job. He could help her, maybe. If she told him of her suspicions about Cecil, maybe he would get her in the back rooms so she could find the evidence to take back to Simon herself, without Andrew or Ryan’s help.
But she was more interested in his face right now as he stared at her tits with a mixture of awe and delight. Slade’s breaths came out in ragged gasps, and he sucked his top lip between his teeth as he contemplated them.
Then his eyes snapped to hers, the fog cleared. “You’re working for Cecil.” He stated it as if it were a revelation to him. His eyes squinted in suspicion, and his mouth turned down.
“What? Fuck no!”
“Then you know who my boss is.” His face eased, but the suspicion remained. Without another word, he lowered his body over hers and brought his mouth hovering over the surface of her breasts, but he didn’t taste them like she wanted him to. She arched her back, trying to get him to lick them. She hadn’t been fucked properly in so long, and something told her Slade could do it right.
She’d totally missed the fact she’d given herself away a little with her denial. Slade was staring at her tits like a man starved.
“You want me to suck these titties? Taste them? Is that what you want, Deena Rae?”
Oh God. She wanted him to suck them, fuck them, everything.
“Looks to me like you want to suck them.” Her voice was a breathless whisper. With a moan, she arched into him again, and he tossed the knife to the floor. Instead of doing what she wanted him to, though, he lowered himself so he was right in her face.
“I have been honest with you from the start, Deena Rae. I told you I was a fuck-up. No lies there, not from me.” He pushed his erection into the juncture of her thighs, and an involuntary gasp left her lips as the hard seam of denim stroked her clit, sending pulses of heat through her entire body. “I think were the words I used were ‘train wreck,’ and I fucking meant them. But you wouldn’t stop with me. I warned you and you proceeded, no caution.” He rolled his hips, and Deena Rae heard the moan, knowing it was hers. “I want to know why.” His head dropped to her neck and he inhaled hard. On his exhale, he whispered, “Tell me why you’ve been doing this. Who the fuck are you, Ginger? What do you have to do with Zack?”
The cold and warm air of his breathing on her neck was a contradictory sensation which added to the heat of his cock against her pussy, making her close her eyes so she could feel everything. The tension in his body was insane right now, as if she could say the word and he’d be all over her. But there were just enough of her inhibitions left to not tell him everything.
“You’ve been lying to me.”
Deena Rae managed to shake her head, even though her voice wasn’t working. As she did it, her hips pressed against his, and he used his powerful legs to climb down her body until he was eye-level with her breasts, nipples puckered in the air-conditioned room.
Slade swiped his tongue across one, leaving a glistening trail of moisture on the pink tip, puckering it more, the skin tightening painfully. Then he blew on it and a hiss of pleasure came from Deena Rae, who watched wide-eyed as Slade flashed her a mischievous grin.
“What do you want?”
Taking a deep breath, her lungs searching for oxygen in the room, she exhaled with, “I want you to fuck me.”
His grin fell, a serious expression flashing in his eyes. Then he dropped his head and pulled a nipple into his mouth.
His warm, wet mouth and tongue did insane things to Deena Rae’s insides. Each pull of his mouth sent a riot of sensations across her body, and his hands spanning her rib cage only promised more delights.
Deena Rae was writhing under his body, waiting for the next sens
ation to hit, completely mindless under Slade’s ministrations.
And he stopped.
“Talk to me,” he breathed. His pupils were totally dilated, making his dark eyes seem almost black, and his face had taken on a ruddy tone. His erection pressed into her leg; she could feel the heat of it through both layers of denim.
Without thought, she started spilling everything. “I’m investigating Cecil for a custody suit his ex-wife filed. I’m looking for something she can use against him to get her son back. I work for a security firm that does bodyguard work and investigations and stuff.”
She arched her back in an attempt to get his mouth back on her, but he only lowered his head and blew cool air on her wet nipples, hardening them into painfully erect peaks. Her arms pulled at the cuffs, but it didn’t hurt; it was more of an awareness that heightened everything else.
Slade’s fingers went to the button of her jeans, and she let out a relieved sigh. Finally. They were going to do something real, instead of the maddening teasing they’d been doing for what seemed like ever.
He peeled her pants off, then resumed his position between her legs, going back to her breasts. Blowing on them. Teasing them. Deena Rae ground her pelvis into his chest, needing him to do more before she combusted. But he was thinking hard. She could practically see the smoke coming out of his ears.
Slade watched her intently, his mouth pursed, hollowing his cheeks and making his lips look sinful. Then he blew across her nipples before sucking them into his mouth and giving a strong pull, then releasing them and blowing again. His eyes were focused on her every facial expression, and when she didn’t think she could take any more of it, he went further, sliding his long fingers along the edge of her panties.
“I like silk, Deena Rae.” Slade’s voice was low, almost a murmur, and as he slid his hand between her thighs, her pussy pulsed at the contact. She was sure she was soaking through her panties. Deena Rae didn’t move. She was frozen—no more writhing, no more arching. She was at his mercy, waiting to see what he would do next.
He sat up on his heels, still watching her intently, but not as focused on her face. His eyes lazily ran across her breasts, down her stomach, and toward her panties, where his hand was. Hooking his thumbs under the waistband, he lowered them slowly down her legs and off.
Deena Rae couldn’t imagine what he was thinking. All she knew was she had voluntarily handcuffed herself to be at his mercy. Of course, she had a way out. She always had a way out. But she wasn’t using it. Because he was eating her alive with his eyes.
This was so unlike her, to give up control, even if it was an illusion. Deena Rae was the user. It was safer that way. But here she was, allowing Slade to use her body as he saw fit.
She could only hope the process would bring her pleasure.
He ran his massive hands up her legs slowly, and she bent her knees to deepen the contact. As he sat there, running his rough hands across her skin, he watched her, electricity arcing from his fingertips and through her body. Slade licked his lips to speak, and she was ready for declarations of beauty, desire, fucking, but not what he said.
“Where do you see yourself in five years?”
She went limp. “What the fuck is this? A job interview? Jesus, Slade, just fuck me already.”
“Answer the question.” He’d crossed his arms, not touching her anymore. The electric touches were gone, and she’d do almost anything to have them back. Was this a test? If she answered wrong, would he leave her here? Horny and unfulfilled?
She sighed, a loud, put-upon sound of impatience.
“Fuck if I know. Hopefully not in jail for killing your ass.” He quirked an eyebrow, not taking that as an answer. “Hell, probably doing the same damn thing, or something related. It’s what I know.” She managed a shrug, but she didn’t have a clue, and damn him for making her think about her future when she was so into the present.
“Spying on neighbors?”
“You’re a one-time thing. I’ve never done that before.” She licked her lips, hoping to entice him to go back to touching her. “You’re my first.” She winked at him.
“You think you’re hot stuff, don’t you?” Slade smirked at her, and she wanted to do evil things to those lips. She couldn’t stop thinking about them.
“I’m just really horny, Slade. Can we do this?” Deena pushed her pelvis in the air, taunting him with her pussy, hoping to make the man snap. “What’s with the twenty questions?”
“You’re the one who handcuffed yourself to the bed so we could talk.”
“That was before you ripped my clothes off and got me all hot and bothered.”
“Sorry about that. It was sort of accidental.” Slade scooted back toward the foot of the bed.
“Accident? Like falling down and your cock landing inside some helpless woman?” She scoffed, getting ready to push the release button on the cuffs. She was ready to stop this madness. Deena Rae had thought fucking would happen, but Slade clearly had a different agenda.
“Like accidentally losing my mind and tasting this sweet, pink pussy.” As he spoke, Slade leaned over and gripped her thighs in his arms, pulling her toward his face and feasting.
And Deena promptly lost all train of thought.
Slade swiped his tongue across her slippery folds, like he was sampling a delicacy. He murmured something that sent a warm gust of vibrations across the sensitive area, and Deena Rae only moaned something incoherent at him. He reached up with one hand and grabbed her breast, encompassing it in his warm, electric grip. He swirled his tongue around the edges of her folds, suckling softly, teasing her mercilessly.
Deena Rae’s hips rotated and gyrated, trying desperately to get him where she needed him. His other hand gripped her, stilling her, his eyes wholly focused on her.
She couldn’t look away.
They were bonded, like a thread pulled taught between their faces would snap if she broke the searing connection. As far as she knew, this imaginary thread was tied to this awareness she had of Slade, and Deena Rae was afraid if she broke it, that would stop.
Slade sucked her into his mouth while his hand gripped her breast, kneading it softly. The sensations were exquisite, but not enough.
“More,” she gasped and moaned, taking gulps of air between sounds, hoping he understood her meaning.
She felt his teeth as he grinned at her, and he did what she asked. Slade’s tongue went rigid and slipped inside her opening, fucking her slowly. Twirling his finger around her erect nipple, he tweaked it softly. She was on a precipice and needed more. More sensation. More everything. He curled his tongue up, stroking a spot inside her, and she arched her back, needing more. If he would just lick her clit, she’d go flying.
“Please, Slade,” she breathed at him, reaching for the orgasm just beyond reach.
He chuckled, the chuffing of air adding another layer to the sensations.
As soon as he started in on her clit, his finger twisted her nipple, and Deena Rae began her climb in earnest.
“Yes, yes, yes …”
His tongue flicked over her clit while he sucked on it.
Then a key turned the lock in her door, and he stopped. Still looking at her, there was now humor in his eyes. Deena Rae burned, like everything was on fire. She’d been so close; the ache was real.
“Tuesday Night Special?” he asked as he stood and adjusted the bulge in his pants. Deena Rae was so close to her orgasm and now she was being cock-blocked by fucking Rick.
He was already coming to her bedroom. “Hey, babe. You ready for tonight?” He stopped at the door, only noticing Deena Rae, spread-eagle in her bed, on the verge of climax, red from head to toe, and breathing in gasping breaths. “This is different. We doing it this way?” His hands immediately went to his shirt, tugging it over his head.
“No. You’re not doing it this way,” Slade’s voice was even and controlled. “You’re done. Right, Deena Rae?” Deena Rae nodded, still beyond speech.
“Left you
a message earlier.” There. She’d gotten that much out. Now if he would just fucking leave so she could get hers, life would be awesome. Deena Rae looked weak right now, cuffed to the bed, but Slade exuded confidence and strength in the corner, and she anticipated what the next couple of hours had in store.
Rick still stood in the doorway, his shirt pulled up over his pot-belly. She knew what she could do with his tongue, but with Rick, all the work was on her. With Slade, things were proving to be different.
“You want to stay and watch?” Slade asked.
She looked on, horrified, while Rick actually contemplated it.
“I know she likes for people to watch her get off. I know I’ve seen it a time or two.” His voice was a husky wet dream, and her juices were still on his mouth and chin, glistening in the darkness. The ache throbbed in her groin. “I think that’s why she rode reverse last time, you know? So I could watch those magnificent tits bounce as she rode you.” His voice was low and slow, washing over her like a caress.
Deena Rae clenched her thighs together. The pulsing got more intense, and she rubbed them together, hoping to squelch some of her desire.
“Her face when she comes is fucking stunning, don’t you think?” Slade’s voice dropped a notch when he spoke that last part, and Deena Rae felt it, like a tangible thing, rasping across her sensitive skin. She couldn’t help it.
She came.
A low moan escaped her as she pressed her legs together, crossing her ankles, pulling at the handcuffs. Spasms coursed through her body as the sensations of Slade’s voice and his words worked some sort of voodoo on her.
When she opened her eyes, both men stared at her, jaws gaping. Rick’s eyes had a look of disbelief, but Slade’s held a promise. They were hot on her body, intensity and heat shining out of them, giving her goose bumps in the chilled room.
“Rick. Go home.” She’d managed to get the words out, barely.
Slade’s face took on a triumphant look and he followed Rick to the door, where she heard the lock click, the deadbolt slide, and the chain engage.
