The Exposé 4

by Sloane, Roxy

  I sigh. “No, everything was ruined by the smoke and the water. Luckily most of it was cheap so it’ll be easy to replace,” I add. “And Tasha’s room was down the hall, so her stuff was untouched.”

  “What about your computer? All your work—”

  “My laptop is safe. Thank God Tasha was using it to look at shoes on the internet last night.” I’d never be able to make this up to her, but I sure as hell was going to try.

  “Have you called her yet?” Dax pulls the elevator grille shut, and we head up to his level.

  “No, it’s too late. I figured I’d wait until morning before breaking the bad news. And I need to call my parents too,” I remember. “Although I might not even tell them. The last thing they need is to worry about me.”

  I follow Dax into the loft and look around. It’s such a bachelor pad, all industrial metal and bare bricks. I wonder how he feels about suddenly having to share it with me. “I won’t need to stay long,” I say hurriedly. “I can probably find a new place in a couple of days.”

  “That’s not necessary.” Dax frowns. “You can stay as long as you need. I mean it. Besides,” he adds, moving closer. “I seem to recall you like this apartment. The elevator...the couch...the kitchen...” he says, naming all the places he’s made me lose my mind with pleasure.

  Dax slides his hands around my waist and pulls me into a hot, thigh-tingling kiss. Right away, I see some advantages to staying under the same roof -- and in the same bed.

  He breaks the kiss before it gets too hot. “You go get settled in upstairs,” he says, giving me a cheeky slap on the ass. “I’ll make us some coffee.”

  “Coffee!” I protest. “Are you kidding? It’s midnight!”

  “Irish coffee,” he corrects.

  “Wait, don’t you need to be at the club?” I realize. His schedule is a total night-owl deal: the club doesn’t even open until nine, and runs right until 3am most nights.

  Dax just smiles. “One of the perks of being the boss,” he points out. “Dominique has everything under control. Tonight, I’m exactly where I need to be.”

  *

  I go put my few toiletries and clothing away in the gorgeous walk-in closet on the mezzanine bedroom level. Then I walk over to the expanse of windows and stare out at the city lights. It’s soothing. Now that I’ve had some time to recover from my scare, I’m beginning to feel like myself again.

  Something about being here with Dax makes me feel completely safe.

  “Penny for them?”

  I turn. Dax is leaning in the doorway, looking damn hot. Or maybe it’s just the fact that he’s a man bringing me coffee.

  “I was just thinking about tonight,” I say. “You think it’s Nikolai behind all this, don’t you?”

  Dax’s smile drops. “Let’s not talk about it. You said it yourself, it’s been a long night.” He hands me a steaming mug and I sip it, savoring the way the alcohol immediately loosens some of the tightness in my chest. I watch Dax over the rim of the mug. His jaw is tense, his gaze unfocused, and I know he’s pondering the same questions I am.

  “But he’s the only suspect,” I press. “He wants to get you in a corner, and he already had his heavy pay Maria a visit. It has to be him.”

  He shakes his head. “You don’t need to worry. Whoever this is, I’ll take care of it,” Dax says shortly, like it’s the end of the discussion, but I won’t let him just brush me off.

  “But how? You already told him you won’t back down.” I pause, looking at him in horror. “Wait, you’re not going to do it, are you? You won’t sell Landsley out?”

  “No, of course not.” Dax looks pissed now.

  “Good. Because a guy like Nikolai won’t stop at that. Who knows what information he’ll want from you next?”

  My brain turns it over, looking at all the evidence and angles. “The only thing is...this doesn’t feel like Nikolai’s style. Didn’t you say, he used to knee-cap guys who stood in his way? Setting a fire at my place seems too distant, too roundabout a way to get to you...” I frown, thinking hard. “Something doesn’t add up here. I need more information.”

  “No.” Dax’s sharp tone makes me look up. “You’re not getting any deeper into this, Zoe. I forbid it.”

  “You what?” I laugh, but he doesn’t even crack a smile.

  “I mean it. I can’t have you out running around, asking questions.” Dax’s jaw is clenched. “This isn’t a game anymore. You could get seriously hurt.”

  “I already have!” I exclaim. I can’t believe after all this he just expects me to shut up and mind my own business. “I was the one up there in the fire. I’m not just going to sit around and wait for another one of his thugs to try something again.”

  “Dammit, Zoe I said no!” Dax explodes. “This is my problem, and I’m going to deal with it.”

  I fold my arms, my temper flaring. “How are you planning to stop me? I’m not one of your obedient employees. I have a right to find out what’s going on in my life.”

  Dax strides over and grabs me by the arms. “Don’t fight me on this.” His voice is steely, his eyes burning into mine. “You need to stay well away from this mess. From now on, you’re not leaving this apartment. Not until I find out who’s behind the threats.”

  “You’re keeping me prisoner?” I gape. “You can’t be serious.”

  “Oh, I am.” Dax takes another step, backing me into the wall. “In fact, you’re not leaving this bedroom until I say so. I don’t care if I have to lock you in myself.”

  His eyes are dark, and despite everything, I can’t help noticing how hot he is when he’s all dominant and bossy. The chemistry between us is insane, but I fight to keep my head. “What about if I need to eat?” I counter.

  “I’ll bring you up food and water.”

  The edge of his lips twitch. He knows how ridiculous he sounds, but he’s not the kind of guy to back down.

  And I’m not that kind of girl, either.

  “I’m going to need to use the bathroom,” I try not to laugh.

  “Then you’re lucky I have an ensuite.”

  “What about work?”

  “You have a very understanding boss,” Dax smirks. “You know, maybe it won’t be so bad. There could be some...fringe benefits to being confined to my bed.”

  “Oh yes?” I say. “Like what?”

  “Well.” Dax pushes me up against the wall. “It’s a very comfortable bed.”

  “Really…” My pulse picks up as he takes my hands and pins them up above my head. After everything I’ve been through tonight, this is exactly what I need.

  “Extra-soft,” he murmurs, grinding his hips against mine. God yes.

  “Doesn’t feel that way to me,” I say, as I arch into him. His cock is hard and thick through his pants, and I see his eyes flash as I press myself against it.

  “It will when you’re face down on the mattress and I’m fucking you.”

  Oh. My. God.

  I let out a whimper. Dax silences me with a kiss -- hard and fierce, demanding my submission.

  On this, I’m happy to surrender. I open my lips, letting his tongue plunge deep, plundering my mouth. Fuck, even just kissing him turns me on like nothing else, a dirty promise of what’s to come. He tugs my shirt over my head and trails his hot mouth down the center of my chest, sucking on each nipple through the thin fabric of my bra.

  “I’m just going to have to wear you out so hard you don’t have the energy to leave,” Dax growls in my ear. I pant against his neck, aching with need, and he rips off my bra and rolls my nipples between his fingers, squeezing the stiffened peaks until I moan.

  He unbuttons my pants with his free hand and shoves them down, then thrusts two fingers inside my slick pussy so fast I gasp from the thrill of it.

  Oh fuck.

  Standing in front of these windows, stripped almost bare, I feel like the entire city could be watching us right now. The thought turns me on even more.

  His fingers stroke up inside, thi
ck and demanding. They stretch me open, pumping hard. I hear my panties rip, but I don’t even care. His palm rocks against my clit, sending shockwaves of pressure through my body.

  “Dax,” I moan, rocking against him. He kisses me again, plunging his tongue deep in my mouth in time to the hypnotic thrust of his fingers. Deeper. Harder.

  There.

  His fingertips massage my G-spot from the inside as he continues to kiss my mouth, my cheek, the edge of my jaw. With his thumb, he massages my clit, keeping up the pressure as he works his fingers in and out of me.

  “More,” I demand, rolling my hips against his thrusts, helping him hit just the right spot, moaning as I feel the intensity deepen, coiling tight in my core. “Yes. Fuck, yes.”

  I’m about to lose control and Dax knows it—his fingers ease up inside me, now moving at an agonizing slow pace, teasing, but it only drives me even closer to the edge.

  “So,” he murmurs in my ear, “Are you going to behave?”

  Dax pulls his hand away and lifts it to his lips. “What do you think?” I reply, even as my legs feel weak and my whole body is buzzing.

  “I think I’m going to have to teach you that I know best. Especially in here.” Dax picks me up and carries me into the bathroom. I was so close to coming, and I’d do just about anything to get him to touch me again.

  But he sets me down on the edge of the sink and goes to turn the shower on.

  It’s a huge marble walk-in, with multiple jets embedded in the walls. He turns on the faucet, then returns to me, yanking my torn panties all the way off my legs and then helping me stand, totally naked before him.

  My skin is still sooty, my hair still reeks of smoke. I should feel shy right now, self-conscious at the state I’m in, but I can see the lust in Dax’s expression and I know that in his eyes, all he sees is me: raw, wild, begging to be fucked.

  “Your turn,” I demand, impatient to see him naked again.

  “I make the rules,” he says, but quickly strips and tosses his clothes to the floor.

  Mmmm.

  I devour the sight of his muscular, toned body and the jutting thickness of his cock. But before I have time to really admire him, Dax scoops me in his arms and carries me into the shower.

  “Dirty girl,” he murmurs, setting me down under the hot jets. He reaches for a bottle of shower gel. “We’ll have to get you clean.”

  I bite back a moan of pleasure as his strong hands glide over my body, soaping me up. He’s slow and methodical, covering every inch of me in slick suds. He washes under my arms, my ass, the bottom of my goddamn feet. I’m so turned on I can taste it, but he hasn’t touched my pussy again.

  I try to touch him, reaching for his cock, but he bats my hands away.

  “Not yet. I don’t want anything distracting me.”

  He continues his tortuous exploration, dipping his fingers between my thighs and then sliding them back up before I can sink against the touch.

  He moves behind me, his hands sliding over my breasts. I lean back against his chest as he soaps around my nipples, teasing them into stiff peaks. I can feel his cock nudging my ass, but he’s maintaining control. I wish he wasn’t.

  “I think you missed a spot,” I gasp, grinding against him, angling his shaft between my legs. But he pulls back and slaps my ass.

  “Don’t tease me,” Dax growls. “You’re gonna get what’s coming to you. When I say so.” He kisses along the curve of my neck, and I shudder at his touch. God, it feels so good.

  “Lower,” I plead, wriggling impatiently in his arms. “Please.” I know I shouldn’t push him, but my clit is throbbing, my nipples are aching, and I can tell he’s ready too. Dax’s grip tightens on me.

  “You mean here...” He suddenly pinches at one nipple, so hard my breath catches in my throat. Then he pinches the other, increasing the pressure slow and steady. I tilt my head back and moan.

  “God, yes,” I pant. “I want you. I want you to fuck me.”

  “Not yet,” Dax answers with a smirk in his voice.

  Placing my hands flat against the cool tile, he kisses down my neck, my back, his hands following his mouth. “Don’t move,” he murmurs, his breath hot against my ass, the order making my skin prickle with excitement. “I pride myself on being very, very thorough.”

  With another hard tweak of my nipples, he sinks to his knees behind me and spreads my legs wider. My breath hitches with excitement. What is he doing back—

  Oh.

  I feel a wet nudge of his fingers, and then Dax is parting my ass cheeks and licking up the seam. I moan, pressing my forehead against the cool tile. He finds the tight skin and laps, swirling his tongue around the sensitive spot.

  The sensation is incredible. The heat of his tongue, pushing against me, it’s so raw and forbidden, and dirty as fuck. I pant against the shower wall, my knees going weak as Dax yanks my hips back, spearing my ass with his tongue.

  I groan loudly.

  God, I’ve never felt anything like this before. A tight, delicious heat rises to my pussy with every darting lick, and I press back, eager for more.

  He stops long enough to ask, “You like that?” before he renews his hot, deep licking, and all I can do is hang on to the wall and moan out loud.

  “Dax! Oh God, right there. Right fucking there. Yes.”

  The ache in my pussy rises to fever pitch. I need more, right there, right now, so I reach down with one hand and rub at my clit, frantic strokes to keep pace with the tension building inside me, completely at Dax’s mercy. But it’s not enough, I need more, I need Dax inside me, and I’m so close, strung out on the sensation of his tongue delving into my most forbidden place, igniting nerves I never even knew I had.

  I can’t take it anymore.

  I break position and turn, dragging Dax up from the ground. We stumble back, until he’s sitting on the narrow ledge along the back of the shower.

  I straddle his lap and sink down on all nine meaty inches of his rock hard cock, shuddering against him with a deep moan of satisfaction.

  Yes.

  God, he feels so good, filling me up inside.

  “That’s it,” he growls. “That’s fucking it. Take what you need. Take it all.”

  I grind down, so deep he’s all the way in me.

  Then I clench around him.

  “Fuck,” Dax groans, biting down on my shoulder. It’s going to leave a mark, but I don’t care, not when he’s lifting me up, and slamming me back down on that magnificent cock. Over and over and over. “Ride me,” he says.

  I obey.

  I cry out in pleasure, grinding like crazy. I rock against him, loving the pressure on my clit and the way he’s fucking me so deep, deeper than I’ve ever felt before. Dax grips my hips and thrusts up inside me. I can feel him, rubbing against my walls, hitting everywhere just right. He uses one hand to spread out my lips, so my clit is flush against him as he pulls me to him.

  I look into his eyes. God, it’s so sexy seeing him this close to the edge. Wild, out of control. I clench around him again, and see his eyes flash with raw need before he dips his head to my breasts to tease at my nipples with his tongue and teeth, slamming into me faster and deeper as he sucks. I’m moaning and panting so hard I can barely breathe.

  “Zoe,” he moans, thrusting even harder, so hard, and as I throw my head back he explodes up inside me with a roar. Feeling him come sends me over the edge, and I feel my pussy clench around his cock, waves of ecstasy ripping through me as I ride out the incredible high of this pleasure.

  I finally collapse against his chest, spent and blissful.

  “Does this mean you’ll stay home and safe?” Dax asks, when he finally gets his breath back.

  I make a weak noise. “For the next few hours, at least.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  DAX

  I only sleep a couple of hours. When I wake, Zoe is still curled up, breathing evenly beside me in bed.

  For once, she’s silent; still. She looks so vulnerable lik
e this, stripped bare of all her usual attitude and sassy comebacks. It reminds me that she may be strong, but she’s still human underneath it all.

  She can get hurt.

  I brush hair off her forehead, and wonder who the hell could ever harm her. When she first walked into the club, I knew she was trouble. She’s damn near driven me crazy with her stubbornness and risky behavior, but I can’t help respecting her too. She might just be the smartest, most determined woman I’ve ever met. She won’t take ‘no’ for an answer, and she doesn’t know when to quit. Just like me.

  It’s only been a few weeks, but already I can’t imagine my life without her.

  I was serious last night: I’d be happier knowing she’s locked up here until I deal with whoever’s causing this chaos. But I know Zoe by now, and I know there’s no way in hell she’s dropping this -- not unless I spend every hour of every day exhausting her in the bedroom. And as tempting as that proposition is, I know it won’t work.

  I have to keep her safe.

  Silently, I slip out of bed and pull some clothes on. I’m careful not to wake her as I go downstairs and over to my safe. I dial the combination, and open it up. There’s cash, legal documents related to my businesses, and the club files.

  And my gun.

  I grab it and exit the building. It’s still early when I get in the car and start driving.

  I’m going to end this, once and for all.

  The early morning streets are empty as I cross the bridge and drive out to my old neighborhood. I cruise past the gym, still shuttered, and head instead for Nikolai’s home. The house sits like a castle on the end of an ordinary block. He could have bought a place in the ritziest neighborhood around, but instead, he tore down a couple of lots and built one massive house -- just so everyone could see what a big deal he is.

  I park the car and jam the gun in the waistband of my pants. My anger has hardened into a cool rage, and I walk slowly up the front steps and ring the bell.

  Nikolai’s wife, Judy, opens the door. She’s still dressed in her robe and slippers. “Dax?” she smiles in surprise. “Look at you! How long has it been? Come in, what brings you out here? Nikolai!” She turns and bellows up the stairs without pausing for breath.