Deadly Desire

by Audrey Alexander

  Pierce looked legitimately surprised before he painted over his shock with his trademark stone mask. Interesting. He so rarely showed emotion that whatever I’d seen just now must have been real. But why would he be so shocked? Something still wasn’t adding up, and I couldn’t land on an explanation that made much sense.

  “You took the photos Tuesday night and gave them to me Wednesday morning. You’re saying his death happened during that timeframe.”

  “Yeah, they estimate his time of death to be about ten minutes after I saw him.”

  Pierce narrowed his eyes, and he strode toward me with his hands clenched by his sides, his body radiating anger. I sucked in a sharp breath and tried to step back, but he gripped my arm to hold me there. I tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip, digging his fingers into my skin.

  “What are you doing?” I hissed. “Let go.”

  “Listen to me right now,” he said, dropping his voice low. “You need to pack a bag and come with me.”

  My mouth dropped opened. There was no way I could have heard that right.

  “Emma, listen.” He shook me, forcing me to look up into his intense dark eyes. “Something’s not right, and you need to come with me. Now.”

  A tear stung my eye as I tried to make sense of what was going on. “You’re scaring me, Pierce. Please let go. I don’t understand what’s happening.”

  “Think about it,” he said in a growl. “You were there out on the street following Astor and taking photos of him. Whoever killed him most likely saw you. They might wonder what’s on that camera of yours.”

  The realization of his words crashed over me, and my blood began to pound in my ears. Pierce was right. Anyone could have seen me, especially the killer. And he might think I’d gotten a shot of him just before he’d done the deed.

  “You’re going to come and stay with me until the police find the killer. Do you understand?”

  I blinked up at him, still unable to comprehend what he was saying. “Stay with you?”

  “This is all my fault. I was the one who got you involved.” He gave me a fierce nod. “The safest place you could be is with me.”

  As I stood there in Pierce’s fancy living room, I realized I had no idea what I was doing. He’d somehow talked me into packing a bag and coming with him back to his place. He’d been insistent, and his worry about my safety was almost endearing. Until we got there, and I remembered what staying in his apartment really meant.

  Besides, I couldn’t really be in danger, could I? Even if the murderer had seen me taking photos, that didn’t mean he’d think I saw anything. Because I hadn’t. I’d turned right around and gone home, totally unaware that anyone was about to get shot.

  I shivered as I stared out at the sparkling city lights through Pierce’s apartment windows. Somehow, in the matter of days, my new Manhattan life had got turned one hundred percent upside down. I’d come here to carve out a new life, but it was quickly becoming the life I’d never expected in a million years. And one I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted.

  “Are you cold?” Pierce asked, moving to my side and taking my beat-up college duffel bag from my shoulder. It was only half-full. I’d been in such a hurry to leave that I’d only managed to grab enough for two days.

  “No.” I hugged my arms to my chest and shook my head. “Just a little freaked out.”

  Pierce gave a serious nod. “Understandable. It’s a bit of a shock knowing you could be in danger. But trust me, Emma. You’re very much safe here. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  Frowning, I met his gaze. “I’m just not so sure I’m really in danger, Pierce. If the murderer had thought I’d seen him, wouldn’t he have tried to stop me then? And it’s been days since it happened.”

  “I’m not sure, Emma.” He twisted me to face him, and I couldn’t help myself as I looked up to meet his serious gaze. A part of me hoped he’d lean down and kiss me hard before carrying me off into his playroom, showing me things I’d never seen and taking my mind off murders and fear. “Better to be safe than sorry.”

  I felt like I couldn’t argue with that…

  Pierce reached out and placed a hand on my neck before sighing and shaking his head. He stepped away, and I ached to follow him, but the look in his eye gave me pause. “I think we should lay some ground rules for your stay here.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I frowned.

  “I meant it when I said I brought you here for your protection, Emma.” Pierce gave me the slightest of smiles. “I also meant it when I said I only do one night stands. I’ve already broken that rule for you once, but I think it’s best if we keep things between us strictly platonic while you’re staying here. I don’t want things to get complicated between us.”

  It almost felt like a slap on the face, and I had to twist away so he wouldn’t see the tears in my eyes. What had happened today in his office had been his idea, not mine. And now he was turning me away again, when he’d been the one to bring me to his apartment like he was some kind of white knight in shining armor. Only he wasn’t. He was something else.

  “Yeah, sure,” I said, still refusing to look at him. “I didn’t want anything else anyway.”

  “Emma…” I heard him sigh before he turned away. “Come with me. I’ll show you to your room.”

  Blinking the tears from my eyes, I turned to follow him out of the living room. The door to the playroom stared at me from the end of the hall, a glaring reminder of what we’d done the last time I’d been here. Only this time, nothing like that would happen. It’d probably never happen ever again. I wasn’t sure why it hurt as much as it did, but my heart felt raw from the thought of it.

  Pierce opened a door and flicked on a light. Inside, a double bed barely filled a massive room that looked clean and crisp and new. But there was the slight dank scent of something unused, like this room had never been slept in the entire time Pierce had lived here.

  From the sounds of his social life, it probably never had.

  “This is where you’ll be staying. There’s not much to it, but hopefully you’ll find everything you need.” He gestured to the bed. “Clean sheets. A closet, and a bedside table. Towels are in the bathroom.”

  I stared at the room, the numbness in my bones starting to ease now that I saw where I’d be staying. It seemed nice enough, almost too normal and too homey to be in a place like this. I’d almost expected satin red walls or something.

  Pierce handed me my bag. “I have some work I need to do, so I’m going to have to say goodnight. If there’s anything you need at all, I’ll be in the office down the hall.”

  Just as he turned away, I reached out and grabbed his arm. He stiffened and glanced down at where my fingers circled around his bicep. His muscles shifted as his entire body went rigid, and his face went hard. Quickly, I let go, my heart stuck in my throat. So, he didn’t like to be touched.

  “Are you sure you think all this is necessary?” I asked. “Staying here with you like this? It seems a little over the top.”

  “I know you don’t trust me, Emma,” Pierce said. “But I would never do something unless I was entirely certain it was necessary.”

  “Okay.” I turned to gaze at the bed. “But I could stay somewhere else, you know. Just to make things less…weird.”

  “I won’t allow that.” Pierce took my hand roughly in his and squeezed. “I protect my own. And you are mine in one sense of the word. I hired you to do the job, and I won’t allow anyone to hurt you because of my own actions. So, you’ll stay here. Until I’m sure you’re safe.”

  My heart throbbed in my chest, and my hand involuntarily squeezed his. His eyes briefly widened, almost as if he hadn’t realized he’d reached out to touch me. He pulled his fingers from mine and turned away, disappearing into another door down the hall. I stood there for a moment, staring after him. There’d been something there. Despite my limited knowledge of men like him, I still knew desire and attraction when I saw it. Even though he kept trying t
o push me away, he still felt something. And I did, too.

  Sighing, I went into the room and eased the door quietly shut behind me before leaning against it and sliding to the floor. This is not what I’d moved to the city for, and my parents would kill me if they knew what I’d gotten myself into. Not that they’d ever been particularly proud of me in the first place. My difficulties in finding a post-college job had quickly turned their pride into pure and utter disappointment, and when I’d signed on with Max, they’d given up the idea that I’d ever be a high-powered attorney waltzing along Fifth Avenue like I owned the place.

  And now, here I was, hiding away with some man I barely knew. A man famous for his penchant for BDSM and going through girls like popcorn. Groaning to myself, I pulled my tired body from the floor and changed into my pajamas before sliding under the crisp sheets. They were the softest material I’d ever felt, and in most circumstances, just being in a bed like this would send me right into the land of nod. But I had no idea how I was going to get any sleep with Pierce Donovan mere doors away. I knew he’d be sitting there at his desk, still in his suit, looking sexy as hell. He’d finally change into something more comfortable when he was done working…maybe he slept naked…

  Sighing, I rolled over and groaned into the pillow. This was going to be a long night.

  Emma Berry was in my bed. Well, not my actual bed, but she was still in one of my beds all the same. As I tried to concentrate on work, my mind kept drifting back to her body and wondering what kind of clothes she wore when she went to sleep. I doubted it was a silk nightie. She seemed more a flannel and t-shirt kind of girl.

  I frowned at my laptop. A part of me was still pretty pissed she’d looked into my brother, though it didn’t seem as if she’d made the complete connection. She couldn’t know the truth about Chase’s involvement. I’d meant every word I’d said when I told her I protected my own. And the one person who had always been my own was Chase.

  He mattered more than anyone else.

  There weren’t many people in the world who knew our connection, and it needed to stay that way. I hated that Rachel, his cheating wife, knew part of our past, but he’d married her against my every warning. Sometimes men are idiots when it comes to women.

  Emma. I didn’t want to think about how close she’d come to getting hurt, just because I’d hired to do my dirty work for me. I’d expected her to follow Michael and Rachel back to his apartment and take some even more compromising photos of them than she had. If she’d done what I wanted…

  I clenched my fists. Emma hadn’t seemed to make the same connection I had. She’d been following Michael and Rachel only ten minutes before the murder. The two of them had been on their way back to his place for a good fuck. So, Rachel was the last person to see Astor alive, and she’d just so happened to disappear moments before he got killed? I didn’t buy it. And I knew Rachel had it in her to kill a man, even if she happened to be sleeping with him.

  As soon as Rachel found out Emma had seen her with Astor moments before he was killed? I had a good idea what she’d tried to do about it. That’s why Emma would stay there with me.

  Completely platonically…

  I was having a hard time remembering why that was such a good idea, knowing Emma might be naked right now in my bed. It seemed ridiculous to waste such a good opportunity for sex. I’d noticed the way she’d looked at me earlier, the way she’d brushed her fingers against my bicep. She still wanted me. She was probably in my bed right now wishing I was in there with her.

  Maybe I could fuck Emma Berry while she stayed in my place. Sleeping with her a few more times wouldn’t make anyone get attached. My cock hardened just thinking about bending her over and whipping her in my playroom. She hadn’t had her real introduction to all my toys anyway.

  There was a lot I had left to show her.

  I couldn’t stop fidgeting. Rolling over, I stared at the wall with my back to the door. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness at least half an hour ago, and while I’d felt incredibly tired before, my whole body felt charged with energy now.

  Just another good reason why staying here was probably not a good idea: I’d never get any sleep.

  Behind me, the door creaked open. My breath froze in my throat as I listened hard. Had I been lying here awake for so long that I’d imagined the sound? No, there were soft footsteps now, and the unmistakable scent of Pierce’s cologne. I didn’t know what to do. Should I roll over and see what he wants or should I pretend I’m asleep? Maybe he just wants to check that I’m okay.

  “Emma.” His voice sounded hoarse as I felt something warm and heavy ease onto the bed beside me. “I can tell you’re awake by the way you’re tensing your shoulders.”

  I rolled over to look at him. He was spread out beside me, still in his suit. His eyes were dark and full of lust, and a hungry smile played across his lips. My heartbeat throbbed in my neck. I had no idea what had changed his mind, but I didn’t want to question it now.

  “You’re wearing too many clothes for bed.” I almost couldn’t believe I’d said the words aloud. It was so forward, so unlike me that it felt foreign on my tongue. But Pierce’s smile only grew, and he began to undress before me, slowly revealing his hard abs, his strong arms, and the bulge in his black boxer briefs. I tried to keep breathing, but it was hard, especially when he slid underneath the sheets and pressed his body against mine. He was warm and hard and emanating pure sex.

  “I thought I’d come wish you good night,” he said almost too low for me to hear.

  “I’m not sure if I can sleep quite like this,” I managed to say.

  “Oh, I didn’t come in here to sleep.” He grinned and wrapped his arms around me, twisting my hair around his fingers. He pulled at my strands, tipping back my head so that my neck was exposed to his lips. Pierce’s mouth began to trail down my skin, sending shivers of pleasure through me.

  His mouth found mine, and he parted my lips with his tongue. I arched my body toward him and hungrily kissed him back, my leg hooking behind his to pull him as close as I could. He laughed against my kiss and nibbled at my lip.

  “Eager, are we?” he asked before moving his mouth to my nipples. I moaned and arched even more, angling my body so that my breast could get more of his lips. I could have stayed there like that and let him kiss me for hours, and it was almost as if he knew how much pleasure he could give. He kept licking and teasing and kissing me. Every inch of my body he explored.

  I kept expecting him to push me against the wall or spank me hard on the ass, but he took his time, gently caressing and licking me until I was so turned on I could explode.

  He finally settled over me and pushed his length into my trembling body. Moaning, I dropped back my head and gripped the sheets. So much desire pounded through me that it wouldn’t take long until I lost control. Pierce moved against me, his cock slipping in and out as I rocked against his body. The dim light through the blinds cast shadows on the hardened planes of his stomach, making him look like the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen.

  My whole body began to swell. I cried out, digging my fingernails into his hands. He grunted against me, thrusting faster as we came as one. My whole body shuddered as white dots danced in my eyes. I’d come so fast. It felt too soon. And all I wanted was more.

  Pierce eased off and fell onto the pillows beside me, panting. I rolled over and stared at his profile. He was so handsome, and no matter how many times I thought I’d figured him out, he kept surprising me. Especially tonight.

  “I thought you were into BDSM,” I said, mind wandering to the playroom down the hall. When he’d come into the bedroom, I’d expected him to haul me there instead of having sex with me like this. I’d enjoyed every moment of it, but it had all just felt so…normal.

  “I certainly do, Emma,” he said. “That doesn’t mean it’s the only thing I like.”

  “I was just under the impression you weren’t into the whole normal sex thing,” I said.

  “There a
re a lot of things I want to teach you,” he said, shifting to face me. It was dark in the room, and his eyes were only shadows. “But if we’re going to do this, it’s important that we take it slow and at your own pace.”

  My heart battled against my ribcage. “I don’t need to take things slow.”

  He chuckled. “Trust me. You need to take it slower than you think you do.”

  “There you go again.” I frowned. “Talking like you know what I want better than I do.”

  “I have a feeling I do know what you want better than you do.” Pierce grinned and dropped his gaze to my hardened nipples. “For example, right now you want me to fuck you again.”

  “I told you I didn’t want to take it slow.” I slid closer to him, pressing my nipples against his hard chest. I was so close I could feel his cock harden against my thigh, and my whole body ached for him to be inside me again. I’d never wanted anyone like this before, and something told me I never would again. Whatever was going on between me and Pierce was far beyond what was normal.

  I knew he felt it, too, but he eased away from me just an inch, just enough for me to feel a void of cold air fill the space between us. “Ground rules. I’ll teach you about BDSM while you’re staying here with me, but I want to reiterate one fact. This is purely a casual sexual relationship. No strings attached.”

  My heart hurt from his words, but I found myself nodding my head in agreement. It was way more than what I’d ever thought I’d get from him, and I was so intrigued by his lifestyle that I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to find out more about what he liked. Pierce gave a nod and climbed out of bed. His naked body teased me, filling me up with lust.

  “Where are you going?” I sat up and watched him slide back into his boxer briefs. “I said I agreed to the ground rules.”

  “As much as I’d like to stay, I do have some work to do.” He gave me a wink. “Get some sleep. Save your energy for tomorrow.”