by Joni Hahn
“Belle.”
She turned, her smiling gaze going from him to Mitchell, before turning wary. She faced them full on, hands clenched at her sides.
The warrior prepared for battle.
Austin held out an arm to Mitchell. “This is Mitchell Jacobs, head of the D.I.R.E. Agency.”
Her bold gaze raked over his new boss before she crossed her arms over her chest. Her toned biceps peeked from beneath the sleeves of her gown. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Mitchell. None of it good.”
“Belle…” Austin said in a warning tone. If her boldness shocked him, Mitchell didn’t let on.
He gave her a small smile. “Then, I hope I can prove differently today.”
“Don’t hold your breath.” She snapped her fingers, her eyes round with feigned wonder. “Wait, on second thought, do hold your breath.”
Damn, she really had been brainwashed. Whoever controlled her must have it out for Mitchell. Which meant he, and the agency, were in serious danger. If he could get close to her, maybe he could get the inside track on any plans they have for D.I.R.E.
Taking her by the hand, Austin led her to the bed and helped her sit. Dropping down beside her, he laced her fingers through his. He wanted to show her a united front, that he was on her side.
“Belle, D.I.R.E. did some medical tests –“
She backed away from him on the bed before her gaze flew to Mitchell. “You had no right.”
Turning her to look at him, Austin took her hand in his again and laid it on his thigh. He felt a shiver rush through her before her shoulders relaxed.
He spoke in a soft voice. “Sweetpea, we have some news for you.”
Her body tightened, the grip on his hand tense. Her round, blue eyes searched his before she glanced back at Mitchell.
“Belle,” Mitchell said, his posture stiff as he held a folder at his side. “What do you remember about your childhood?”
She spat her reply. “I don’t have to answer your questions.”
Austin tugged on her hand before leaning over to whisper low. “I accept your offer.”
Her mouth dropped open before she clamped it shut to swallow hard. Her gaze bounced over his face, studying him. “You’re not conning me?”
Shaking his head, he said, “No. Do we have a deal?”
He could see the wheels turning in her head. She had to be second guessing herself, while at the same time, he hoped like hell she came through for him with the truth. If she was playing him now like she had at the airport, it would make him look like a fool in front of Mitchell, and question the intuition in his gut that told him she wanted an out.
Cupping his cheek in her palm, she leaned forward and kissed him. His body hardened, eager to start, as she ended the kiss and turned to Mitchell.
“My parents were killed in a car accident when I was four. I was sent to a girls’ home.”
Mitchell said, “What if I told you your parents were alive and well? Not only that, but you have two younger brothers?”
The blood drained from her face. Her skin turned cold in his palm, her hand shaking.
Good God, she’d been taken as a child, just like Keegan Meeks. She’d been lied to and stolen from her family. Donner’s presence yesterday made so much sense now.
Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he held her. Damn, these people had balls. The idea pissed him off so bad he wanted to rip Cyrus Matheson’s head off his body. He knew Matheson was tied to whoever Belle called boss. To bring down this bitch would even the score for both Belle and Jaydan.
Her voice came out in a low, ominous tone. “I’d say you were wrong.”
Mitchell pulled some papers from the folder and handed them to her. “Here are your DNA results, and those of your parents. Behind them is a photo of your family taken last year at the opening of your mother’s natatorium.”
With a flick of her wrist, the documents scattered to the floor. “Don’t waste my time with lies.”
Austin bent to retrieve the documents. He couldn’t blame her for denying the claim. He’d felt the same way when Booker first told him and Gunner that he was their biological father.
“Are you a part of these lies, too, Austin?”
Shaking his head, he sat up on the bed. “I’m hearing it for the first time.”
“Oh, really?” She stiffened her spine and crossed her arms over her chest again. “You had nothing to do with this farce?”
“It isn’t a farce, Belle,” he said in exasperation. “What would we have to gain by it?”
Her answer came quick. “To make me vulnerable.”
But, not as fast as his reply. “You’re already vulnerable.”
She jumped up from the bed. He grasped her hand and shoved the photo in front of her face.
Belle looked just like her brothers. They each had her mother’s blue eyes and her father’s blond, curly hair. They didn’t need the test results to see the truth.
He understood the denial. God, he’d been there, and he didn’t wish the lies upon anyone. Especially, her.
A tear fell on the photo. He looked up. She held her hand over her mouth, tears raining down her cheeks. He pulled her against him, rage burning in his gut. Whoever did this would pay, big time. He’d make sure of it.
It was obvious now that the hardened attitude she gave off had been forced on her, while her true nature peeked through the tears. She deserved a normal life. He’d give her back to her family, one way or another.
“Your real name is Monica Montgomery.” Mitchell spoke in a gentle voice. “Your mother named her natatorium after you. Your father’s boat is registered as Monica’s Maiden Voyage.”
She shook her head against his shirt, her body quaking in his arms.
He kissed the top of her head. “I think they’ve missed you.”
She smiled against his chest before tightening her hold on him.
“Monica, you’re free to leave with Austin,” Mitchell said.
“Free,” she said, turning her cheek to rest against his shirt. “Hardly.”
“The guards outside have been instructed to take the two of you back to the hotel as soon as you’re ready to leave. We’ll talk again tomorrow, once you’ve had time to take in all of this. Austin, you know where to find me if you need anything.” He walked out of the room.
As soon as the door swished shut, she pulled away and reached for a tissue on the beside table.
“Do you remember them, Belle?”
Nodding, she sniffed back tears. “As soon as I saw them, I remembered.” She looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed and bleary. “Why didn’t I remember before?”
He trailed his palm up and down her arm. “You were young, Sweetpea. I don’t remember much when I was four.”
Shaking her head, she went to the window and stared out. “I wonder if the same is true for my sisters.” She turned around to look at him. “If Grayson Donner really is Cindy’s brother.”
So, she did know his identity. Things were snowballing fast.
“D.I.R.E. could bring them in and take DNA samples.”
She gnawed on her bottom lip, deep in thought. “We have DNA samples at…home. If I got them, would you have them tested?”
She trusted him that much? Guilt washed over him, gnawing at his gut. Then again, this wasn’t just about working for D.I.R.E. anymore. It was about discovering the truth. Uncovering the lies.
He’d thought he’d gotten the shaft from his mother and Booker but, Belle had been taken from her family by someone who’d used her for their own purposes and thought it was okay. If he could get her to take him to her home, he could find out who was behind all of this.
“Of course, Sweetpea. Where’s home?”
Her face split into a sly grin. “I’m not giving you anything until you fulfill your side of the bargain.”
Chapter Five
Belle heard Austin shut the hotel room door behind her. Until that last hit, she’d never been frightened of anything, other than the Mada
m, in her adult life. Even now, the anticipation turning her stomach, the excitement nipping at her skin, invigorated her. Yet, all of that didn’t eclipse the absolute fear she felt deep inside.
Although he’d used her for D.I.R.E.’s gain, it didn’t lessen her intimidation. Austin Rose was the most beautiful, thrilling man she’d ever met. He’d brought her the truth of her existence, a possible way out for her sisters.
A forbidden indulgence in her last days.
This time with him would never happen again. How did she make it last? Make it all it could be and more?
She had no experience with men, no idea what to do. While it was a life-changing experience for her, she didn’t want it to be a duty for him. She wanted it to be just as important, just as meaningful.
Looking around her room, she realized D.I.R.E. had cleaned her out. All she had left were the clothes left lying on the dresser and a few toiletries furnished by the hotel. If they hadn’t already, they would soon hack into the Madam’s black internet server, alerting her to Belle’s failure.
She had hours before one of her sisters appeared. Her time with Austin grew short.
Stepping out of her hospital slippers, she set her empty purse on the end of the bed. “Just so we’re clear on this…”
He spun her around to face him. His chocolate eyes blazed with a hunger and ferocity she’d seen only in combat. The intent to devour before being devoured.
She let him pin her against the wall. Her instincts told her to shove him away, to fight her way out of such a vulnerable position. Yet, his leathery scent, his familiar touch belied those reflexes. Every hard, rocky muscle pressed against her every soft curve, eliciting a comfortable truth. They were meant to be here now, in this room. No matter what happened to them, between them, this was meant to be.
“Clear on what?” He nuzzled the side of her neck, causing goose bumps to pop up on her arms.
“This agreement.” Tilting her head, she encouraged his small kisses along her bare shoulder.
“What about it?” His breath felt warm, moist against her skin.
A shiver raced through her. “You’re going to have sex with me…”
His lips trailed down her décolleté, stopping just shy of her breasts.
Her growl of frustration escaped. “As often as I want.”
His tongue snaked out to lave her swollen mounds. The urge to rip off her dress and hold his head to her chest fought with her control. How did she tell him what she needed without coming out and saying it?
He stopped long enough to speak before teasing her more. “Nope.”
“What is this, then? I… I thought you agreed to my terms.” Shrugging out of her gown straps, she clutched the back of his head as he continued to torment her without mercy. Her breasts tingled with tiny bursts of heat, the bodice of her gown confining.
Stopping his attentions, he grasped her face in both hands. They were large, strong hands, the callouses rough against her cheeks. “Call this whatever you want, Sweetpea, but you and I both know this isn’t a business arrangement. We’re here because we started something last night in that parking garage that’s stronger than both of us. So, stop trying to control me and this situation. I’m not now, and never will be weaker than you, beneath you, or whatever the hell you’ve been taught to believe. We’re here as equals. Got it?”
He crushed his mouth to hers, the longing, the absolute hunger in his kiss a palpable thing. She felt it pull her under, swallowing her, taking her captive without pity.
The Madam’s voice shouted in her head, fighting to be heard. Don’t leave yourself vulnerable to a man. It means certain death, in one form or another.
Yet, in that moment, Austin’s arms felt like heaven, not hell, his arrogance expected and welcomed. She wanted him to think of her as his equal, to consider this a mutual satisfaction situation.
She broke away, needing her wits - and her breath. “So, you’re saying I can’t order you to kiss me?”
His crooked grin was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen – other than his rear in jeans. “This is about free will, Belle. We’re both here because we want to be.”
“Hmm…” she said, on a low moan. “So glad I thought of this.”
He smoothed his hand up her waist to cup her breast. Her gasp swallowed her groan. “Hate to disappoint you, but I thought of it when I saw you at the airport.”
His fingertip teased her hard nipple, making her delirious. She couldn’t think when he touched her that way. She’d had no idea a man could possess that kind of control. Her body already prepared itself for his invasion, her core moist and swollen.
The effects of the Madam’s serum became more clear by the minute.
“I don’t believe you,” she said.
He pulled away to stare at her, his dark eyes sparkling with auburn flecks. “You’re a gorgeous woman, Belle.”
Glancing away, she said, “I’m not… feminine.”
Her line of work didn’t afford her an ounce of weakness. She could never allow a man to think of her as anything other than a formidable opponent. Could she?
His palm kneaded her breast with languid, concentrated strokes, a riot of sensation exploding inside her. She couldn’t contain her moan.
“That’s the most feminine, sensuous thing I’ve ever heard, Belle.”
Her heart soared. It pleased her that she pleased him. With every minute that passed, he proved the Madam wrong.
“As a matter of fact, you’re too feminine.”
She stilled at the playful tone of his voice.
“In the hallway yesterday, there was no way you could’ve hurt me. Impossible.”
Oh, really?
Flipping around, she pinned him against the wall, a superior grin on her face. His wide smile took her aback.
“What’s so funny?”
He gave her a hard kiss on the mouth. “You’re so gullible, Sweetpea. But, if you want to know the truth, I was hoping you’d toss me on the bed and just take me.”
Mother butler.
Laughter bubbled up her throat, but she refused to give him the satisfaction. Unbuckling his belt, she unbuttoned his jeans, her eyes on the gradual flush up his cheeks.
His smug smile disappeared. “Don’t stop now.”
With his jeans gaping, she cupped him in her hand and caressed him with bold strokes, eliciting his own loud groan. “I’m sorry. Is this too feminine for you, Honey Dumpling?”
His manhood grew in her hand, long, hard…exciting.
All teasing left his voice, breathless arousal in its place. “Please don’t stop.”
Disbelief clouded her mind as she watched how her touch affected him. Was he really that turned on by her? That vulnerable to her? Hope and something else fluttered in her heart, filling it.
Smiling into his glazed eyes, she lowered his jeans and boxer briefs, kicking them off his feet. His jutting manhood felt like silk over stone, the head swollen and beaded with translucent liquid.
“Shit, Belle,” he said, squeezing his eyes shut. “This is supposed to be about you, not me.”
“I thought we were on equal terms.”
“We are, but your night of lovemaking will be over in seconds if you don’t stop touching me like that.”
She snatched away her hand. Had she done something wrong? Why was he mad at her?
Fear and bafflement must have shown on her face. Grabbing her hand, he brought it to his lips and kissed her palm.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, baby. You’ve just got me too hot, too soon. We need to slow down.”
“I do?” The words escaped before she could stop them.
His strained grin was fleeting. “Can we do this my way the first time?”
First time? There would be others?
Nodding, she allowed him to lift her into his arms and set her on the bed. He whipped his t-shirt over his head and tossed it on the ground.
Lean, roped muscle covered his torso and arms, his shoulders absurdly wide. Now
she knew why they created sculptures of men. Something so masculine, so awe-striking called to the elemental woman inside her. She wanted to capture the unbridled desire raging through her, to ride it to the end of the line. She wanted to savor the vision, etch it in her mind to keep with her forever.
Making love with Austin wasn’t something horrible and degrading, but wondrous and magical. If only her sisters could experience it.
With a light touch, he pulled her arms from her lowered straps, his fingers settling on the zipper at her side. Lowering it with lingering purpose, he stared at her, his dark, dilated eyes hypnotizing as his fingertips met the sensitive flesh of her breast. A tremor raced through her.
“Are you cold?” he whispered.
She shook her head, words lying dormant in her throat. His question seemed almost comical with the insane fire blazing through her veins. She surprised herself when she pulled him down to snuggle against her side. The need to just lay there a moment, to be off guard and relaxed for once in her adult life, seemed as necessary as his presence.
“You feel so good, Austin.”
He tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “So, do you.”
Pulling the dress out from under her, she shucked out of her panties and kicked both to the floor. Raising up on his elbow, he gave her a slow onceover, his nostrils flared, his dark eyes black and swirling.
“God, Belle…”
“What?”
His big hand brushed back the hair from her face. “You’re perfect.”
Tears built behind her eyes but she fought them back. Why his compliment, his words meant so much confused her as much as her feelings for him. Why did she need his approval?
Men are weak. Remember that, girls.
The Madam’s words played over in her brain like they had a thousand times before. The words were taught to her from early on, yet Austin lay with her, not weak, but strong. Not an enemy but…a lover.
Was she wrong to feel this? Did that mean she was weak? How could something that felt so good be so wrong?
His kiss held a sweet craving, a yearning that every fiber of her being said belonged to her alone. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she deepened the kiss, delving her tongue into his welcoming mouth, pouring all of her troubled thoughts, her angst, her forbidden desire into the kiss. He clutched her tight, his arms a silent band of defense, a champion of their time together, however sinful it may be.
