“Ah, yes. Eenie, meenie, miney, mo.”
Cal pointed his Glock from one shoulder to the other. “Eenie, meenie, miney, mo.”
“Please, man. I said I was sorry.”
“Sorry for what? For planning a young woman’s murder?” He spat the words out. Stamos shook in the chair.
Nate clapped a hand on Cal’s shoulder.
“I’m going to take your shoulder out, Ian.” Cal spoke calmly, using Stamos’s first name. “You tell me who hired you, and I won’t take out the other one.”
Nate moaned. “That’s a bitch injury. You’re going to need surgery and physio after that.”
“Fuck, man.” Stamos sobbed.
“One.” Cal’s voice echoed through the room. “Two.”
“Will. His name is Will Anderson. That’s all I know, I swear.” Cal looked at Nate. He shrugged in response.
“Where does he live?”
Sweat dripped over his eyebrow and into the corner of his eye.
“Don’t make me repeat myself,” Cal ground out.
“I don’t know, honest.” He blinked the sweat away. “Please don’t do it.” Stamos’s voice broke.
Cal stood from his crouched position, keeping his Glock trained on Stamos’s right shoulder. Ice filled his veins, numbing him to Stamos’s pleas. This man would have killed Lana without blinking. For that, Cal couldn’t be forgiving. He moved his forefinger over the trigger.
“No!” Stamos lurched forward, but Cal’s finger was quicker. He turned his face away to avoid the blood splatter and pulled the trigger. A gush of blood landed at his feet, just missing his shoes.
Stamos screamed, his face contorted in pain. Sweat collected at the collar of his shirt as he heaved shuddering gasps through clenched teeth.
“Man, that’s gross.” Nate tugged on Cal’s elbow. Cal shook off his hold and tucked his Glock back in his pants. He wasn’t done yet. He grabbed the arms of Stamos’s chair, his knuckles turning white on the smooth plastic. He jerked it backward, balancing it on its back legs.
“If I catch you sniffing around her again, I’ll kill you in the most painful way you can imagine. Got it?”
Stamos kept his hold on his shoulder, blood oozing around his fingers.
Not a shred of guilt touched him. Stamos’s wild eyes met Cal’s, and a flash of rage dilated his pupils. He gave one sharp nod.
“I fucking mean it. The only reason you’re alive right now is because I haven’t found out yet who’s really behind this. Unless you want me to come back and finish what I started here tonight, stay the hell away.” He let go and the chair toppled over. Stamos spilled onto the floor in the pool of his own blood.
“C’mon, Cal. Let’s get out of here.”
It took both of them to drag Stamos to the vehicle. They dropped him off outside the strip club where they’d collected him.
“Think you can find everything we need on Will Anderson?”
Nate nodded. “Should be easy enough. I’ll let Ethan know, too. Won’t hurt to have us both working on it.”
“Good call,” Cal said. As he settled back in his seat, his mind returned to Stamos. He should have killed the bastard. It had taken every ounce of his control not to. But until this was over, Stamos needed to stay alive.
Will Anderson was next.
Chapter 12
Lana threw the covers back and inched on tiptoes to the closed bedroom door.
Cal was back. The men spoke softly. A laugh erupted from Ethan, then all went quiet. Little did they know that she’d been lying awake, watching the hours on the clock tick by, waiting for Cal to return.
It was after midnight. She had excused herself from the sitting room and Ethan’s company hours ago, with no intention of sleeping. How could she, when he was out hunting the streets? She’d been terrified that something would happen to him. She had no clue what they were getting into or what he would find out. Her mind kept circling around people she’d met, her father’s business associates… Still she came up blank. It was very likely her father had enemies, but would they set out to kill her over a business dealing? It felt like a stretch. Cal had said her disappearance had been on the news. It had taken every ounce of control not to pick up the phone and call her mom or dad. They would be devastated. Her throat tightened. It wasn’t fair—none of this was. But she couldn’t risk ruining all the hard work Cal was doing. She had promised to trust him, and she did. Maybe after tonight everything would be solved.
She tangled her hand in her hair and squeezed her eyes shut. Had he found Stamos? Did he know who was behind this? God, she wished this entire nightmare would be over with.
The hotel room door closed. The clink of metal on metal told her he’d chained the door. Ethan and Nate were gone for the night.
The en suite bathroom to the large bedroom also connected to the hall. After a minute or so, the bathroom light clicked on and the hall door shut.
Wearing only one of his T-shirts that reached mid-thigh and a pair of panties, she tapped lightly on the door with her knuckle. She held her breath. Her pulse raced.
The door opened. Cal stood in the doorway, wearing only the pair of dark jeans he’d had on when he’d left. A black T-shirt lay strewn on the bathroom floor. Blood trickled down his arm from a gash near his shoulder.
Her hand flew to her mouth. She gasped.
“You’re hurt,” she hissed and stepped onto her tiptoes to inspect the deep cut. His hand covered hers when she grabbed his arm.
“You should be sleeping,” he chastised. His eyes were dark and brooding, a crease settled deep into his forehead. She dropped down to flat feet. He wasn’t happy to see her.
Well, tough.
“I couldn’t.” She turned from him and wet a washcloth to clean the wound. He took the cloth from her and placed it against the cut before she could mop up the trickle of blood.
“I’m fine, babe. I got caught with a knife. That’s it.” A small smile touched his mouth.
She glared at him. How could he take this lightly? Anger made her lips thin. “A knife?” Her voice shook. This was all because of her. He could have been killed… Her stomach dropped at the thought.
His fingers brushed her hair behind her ear. His palm settled on the crook of her neck. The contact turned her feet to lead. His eyes locked with hers. Pure lust sparked from his eyes, electricity arced through the air. His lips parted, his breath came out in short puffs. Slowly his gaze dropped over her body. Her muscles firmed, her nipples turning to pebbles under his scrutiny. Her pulse thundered against her throat. She wet her lips, afraid to breathe.
He leaned in, pressed his lips to the sensitive spot on her neck above his fingers.
Her breath sucked in.
His tongue came out to lick and tease her skin. Her knees wobbled. She grabbed his shoulders for support. His mouth moved from her throat and over her jaw, and then hovered, a breath away from her lips.
“I missed you,” he whispered.
Her heart leapt into her throat. His eyes opened and found hers. Their green depths surrounded her, consuming her in their fire. She knotted her fingers together behind his neck and pulled his mouth down to hers.
He didn’t pull away.
His lips, soft and moist, sealed over hers. His hands glided down her back until they closed on her butt, grasping her. He lifted her against him and settled her onto the bathroom counter. She pulled him closer, wanting more. His tongue licked softly into her mouth, tasting her. She moaned when he settled himself between her legs, the stiff denim of his jeans rubbing against the delicate insides of her thighs.
His mouth pulled away to place soft kisses on her parted lips. He rested his forehead against hers.
“Christ, Lana. I can’t do this anymore.” His voice was heavy, pained.
No. He couldn’t do that. He couldn’t start this fire in her
and walk away. She wouldn’t let him. Her hands came to either side of his face, forcing him to look at her. Her brain searched for words…she came up with nothing. When he spoke, her heart stalled.
“I need you, baby. I can’t fight it anymore.”
Her chest expanded. Tears stung the backs of her eyes, but she wouldn’t shed them. Not now. “Cal, I need you too. I want you.”
His thumb smoothed over her cheek, then traced the line of her jaw. “I can’t promise forever, honey.”
She nodded. She didn’t care. Having Cal once was better than not at all. “It’s okay. I understand.”
His mouth firmed as if he didn’t like her easy agreement. Had he hoped she would refuse? Would it have made it easier for him? He kissed her again. His hands came down to settle on the outside of her thighs, beneath his T-shirt. A shiver rippled through her at the touch of his hands in such an intimate place.
Slowly, he inched the shirt to her waist. His hands tensed on her skin.
“Are you sure you’re ready?” His voice was low, gravelly.
She sank her teeth into her bottom lip. She was more than ready. There was no turning back. The pulsations that plagued her needed relief.
Her eyes locked on his, without wavering. “Yes.”
Fire lit his eyes. A deep hue stained his cheeks. He picked her up off the counter, her legs wrapped around his waist, one arm holding her across her backside. He stepped into the bedroom and kicked the bathroom door. It stayed ajar, sending a sliver of yellow light into the room. He set her on her feet.
In one motion, he lifted the shirt over her head. A low growl sounded in his throat. “Goddamn.”
Heat crept from her toes to her forehead, tingling under his gaze. Her hands twisted in front of her, fighting the urge to cover her chest. He grasped her wrists and opened her arms. “You’re gorgeous.” He dropped to his knees in front of her, his mouth closed on her belly. She rose on her tiptoes as he branded her with his lips. Resting a hand on his head, he kissed and sucked, down, down, down, until he found the waistband of her black lace panties. His fingertip trailed along the top.
Her nerve endings hummed. She needed to feel him, to touch him, to have him inside her. Her fingers dug into his scalp. He smiled, his mouth scant inches from her hip bone. He pressed his lips against the thin material. She gasped when he moved over her, dropping down to where her thighs met.
“Cal—” Her voice broke.
He laughed softly, pressed a kiss to her, and stood. “You need to lose these, babe.” His thumbs hooked into her panties, and he pulled them down for her to step out.
Her hands found the snap of his jeans. “Your turn.”
“You don’t have to tell me,” he said with a soft chuckle. “One minute.” He pressed a kiss to her mouth and went to his duffel bag. The metallic sound of foil tearing reached her ears. A condom.
Her heart beat like a caged wild animal. She stood there, in the center of the room, several feet from the bed. But she couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. She was afraid to shatter the moment, as if the wrong movement would bring him to a halt. He came back to her, shedding his jeans and boxers on the way.
Her eyes dropped to below his waist.
She gulped. His manhood jutted out, hard, huge, and ready. He rolled the condom on. She opened her arms for him. He lifted her again, her legs around his waist. She waited for him to settle her down on the mattress. Instead, he pressed her back against the wall, his weight supporting her, his hands splayed wide on her butt.
Her nipples tightened with excitement. Never had she had sex anywhere other than on a bed. His tongue urged her lips open, coaxing her. Her hands dug into his shoulders, loving the feel of the hard contours of his muscle. He shifted her so her knees spread wide; his mouth left hers and closed on her collarbone. He nibbled down to her nipple until he caught the small hard bud in his mouth.
“Oh God.” Her body shook as he sucked and licked. She felt her wetness, her body ready and open for him. His mouth came back to hers at the same moment that he sank deep into her. She cried out. Her teeth bit into his bottom lip.
He smiled, slow and sexy, against her mouth. “Damn, you feel so good, Lana,” he ground out. He lifted her higher. His rhythm was urgent, filling a need they’d both been suffering from. With every withdrawal, she grasped him frantically, begging for more, for him to come back.
He plunged in deep, long strokes, stretching her, completing her. Her climax was building, her head spinning. Everything fell away around them. She locked her ankles at the small of his back. His mouth came down on her throat; her head fell back against the wall. At the touch of his slick tongue against the column of her neck, she came. She cried out on every hard, jolting spasm. Her body tightened against his shaft. Her own throbbing ebbed away until she lay limp against his chest.
His hands caressed her backside, where he supported her weight. The tickle of his touch was rough on her sensitive flesh. A giggle caught in her throat and she squirmed.
She’d just had sex with Cal.
Mind-blowing, rough, against-the-wall sex. Her cheeks were on fire. She pressed her face into the safety of the crook of his neck, afraid to look at him.
He peeled her away from the wall, still joined with her. Cradling her body against his, he walked to the bed and laid her down on the sheets, the covers still thrown back from when she had gotten out.
“That was amazing.” His voice was mischievous, teasing. He came down on top of her, one hand on either side of her face, staring her down, not letting her hide. A gleam of light through the window bathed them in light, revealing his face. He was still inside her, his weight pressing him deeper and deeper. His thumbs brushed her temples, waiting for her response.
She nodded. A small, shy smile tightened her lips.
He laughed. “Shy all of a sudden? I never thought I’d see you speechless.”
She pinched him. “I’m not speechless—I’m stunned.” She chuckled. One hand lay lax against her chest, the other on Cal’s shoulder. Her heart beat steadily against her palm. She hadn’t done much, but then she hadn’t needed to.
Cal laughed. “I like stunning you. But I’m nowhere near done.”
“I thought you…”
“Came?” He finished easily. She bit her lip. He was so vocal and unashamed. “No way. I want this nice and slow. That against the wall was because you needed it like that. Now I want to enjoy every minute of watching you come.”
He rocked gently against her. She gasped. Her legs fell open, welcoming more of him. His mouth pressed softly to hers, not the insistent need that had been there only moments before, but patient, leisurely. Her tongue mingled with his, the feel of his wetness in her mouth and her own wetness as he moved steadily in and out intoxicating her. He left her mouth to trail kisses down her face, to her throat. Her insides coiled, the burning sensation surged through her body. She matched his thrusts, needing another release, but he slowed. She panted, her mouth dry.
“Not yet, honey. Slow down.” He took her nipple into his mouth, his teeth nipping at the sensitive flesh. Her hips convulsed, her insides tightening like a guitar string.
“Cal, I need you.” Her voice trembled. A curse fell from his lips, as if her begging had undone him. He slid into her, long, even strokes until she clutched him, suspended over the abyss of pleasure. She shook from the constant friction of him rocking into her, giving her what she so desperately needed. Her release didn’t come as fast and hard as the last. This time she spiraled higher and higher until her voice broke, until her body vibrated as she fell down to earth. His shoulders bunched beneath her hands, his body rigid as his orgasm grew. She clung to him, hanging on as he groaned her name against her ear, his body going lax in her arms.
His breath was warm and shallow against her ear. She inhaled deep, breathing in his musky scent. She could stay like this forever, her arms around h
im, his face pressed into her, their bodies joined as one. He stirred and pushed himself up to look down at her.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” The rough pad of his thumb spread over her bottom lip. She kissed the tip of it.
“God, no. That was…perfect.” His free hand toyed with the skin on her shoulder.
“Mmm…perfect, huh?” His smile revealed his even, white teeth. She nipped his thumb with her own teeth. Pulling it away, he replaced it with a soft kiss to her mouth. He pushed himself off her, separating them, and went to the bathroom to clean up. She met him on his way back into the bedroom. His hand squeezed her naked backside as she walked by.
“If you choose to walk around naked, I can’t promise to keep my hands to myself,” he cautioned.
She slipped into the bathroom, and behind the safety of the partially shut door, a giggle erupted. Keep his hands to himself? He could touch her anywhere, anyhow, in any way, and she would never refuse. She took a cloth from the counter and cleaned up from their lovemaking. It had been sex. Just sex. Casual sex was a part of Cal’s life. He had said he couldn’t promise forever. Did that mean he promised for now? She would take it. Would he be waiting in the bed, or had he collected his clothes so he could sleep on the couch as planned?
When she finished, she entered the dark bedroom and inched toward the bed. A big, solid lump rested smack-dab in the middle.
Cal.
Carefully, in case he was sleeping, she lifted the covers and slid under them, facing him on her side. He lay on his back, his broad, muscled chest just visible above the top of the blanket, his arm drawn over his head.
Fatigue settled into her bones, her eyes got heavy and her body tired. Cal shifted, and his arm slid under her shoulders and pulled her to his side. She settled her cheek on his chest, her leg thrown over his thighs, her hand rested over his heart. His hand came down to cover hers.
Satisfaction tugged at her lips. She hadn’t known this had been missing from her life, hadn’t realized the vast hole that had left her incomplete, until Cal had come along and filled it. It might not be forever, but for now, he was hers.
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