Deadly Desire

by Audrey Alexander

  Another creak. I whirled around to stare at my bedroom door. It was coming from inside my room. Heart pounding, I slowly stood from the couch, and Cynthia hissed my name. She reached out and grabbed my skirt in an attempt to keep me close. Maybe it was just Pierce. Or one of his bodyguards. He’d just had someone sneak in to keep an eye on me. That was all it was.

  I didn’t know why that thought was a comfort, but it was.

  His warnings filled my ears. He’d told me I wasn’t safe in my apartment. That whoever had killed Michael Astor could come after me, too.

  Before I could decide what to do, the door creaked open, revealing a silhouette on the shadowy floor. The silhouette of a woman. And she was holding a gun.

  “Run!” I grabbed Cynthia’s arm and dragged her from the couch just as a shot rang out behind us. The bullet lodged into the plaster on the wall beside our heads, a sharp sound that curdled the blood in my veins. Ears roaring, I threw open the front door, my nails still digging into Cynthia’s arm. We had to get the hell out of there. We had to get to safety.

  There was only one place that popped into my mind.

  We had to run to Pierce.

  Cynthia and I sat waiting in Pierce’s luxurious penthouse with two of his bodyguards standing watch just inside the front door. We’d arrived at his place, breathless and terrified, and I still hadn’t managed to calm my racing heart in the full hour that we’d been curled up on his couch. My soul had been crushed when his bodyguards had told me that he was out at Roxy Club for the evening. I tried to tell myself I didn’t care, but I knew it was only a lie.

  For some reason, I’d expected him to wait for me to come to my senses. I wanted him to be there when I came running into his arms. And I needed him to calm my fears. Cynthia and I had just been shot at. Someone had tried to take our lives. And Pierce wasn’t there to say everything would be okay.

  I knew he didn’t owe me a thing, especially after I’d shown him nothing but distrust and thrown away his repeated attempts to keep me safe.

  The door swung open, and Pierce strode into the room, his face all scowled over with irritation and disgust. When he saw me and Cynthia huddled up on his couch, he stopped short, his eyes widening.

  “Emma?” He shook his head and glanced at my roommate, his brows furrowing. “I’m pleased you’re here, but I have to admit I’m puzzled to see you after what you said to me this afternoon.” His gaze swept across my face. “Something’s wrong. Tell me what it is.”

  I opened my mouth to recall the night’s events, but everything inside me crumbled. Despite my will to stay strong, the dam holding back my emotions burst, and tears leaked out of my eyes. I started sobbing, my body shaking with fear and stress and pain. All I could do was replay the moment when the bullet had hurtled past me and slammed into the wall.

  That could have been me. It could have been Cynthia. Either one of us could be dead, and it was almost too much for me to take.

  Pierce’s eyes widened, and he strode over to me in two quick beats. He gathered me up in his arms, pressing my face gently against his chest and holding me steady as the sobs overtook my body. Even though he was trying to comfort me, something about his kindness only made the tears pour faster from my eyes. He’d done nothing but try to help me, and I’d just kept pushing him away, believing whatever anyone said about him.

  “Shh, it’s okay,” he said into the top of my head. “You’re here now. You’re fine.”

  After I cried out all my tears, Pierce held me for several more long moments before pulling away. A part of me wanted to grab his arms and press them around me again, to feel his warmth as he held me steady. I’d felt safe as he kept me close to his chest, and what I needed more than anything was to feel like the Earth was going to turn another day. Pierce was the only person in the world who could make me feel like that at the moment.

  “What happened?” He turned to Cynthia, whose mouth was pressed together hard, her usual rosy lips white and thin. Her own eyes were red and watery, but she’d held it together far better than I had.

  “Some lady broke into our apartment tonight and tried to kill us.” Cynthia’s voice was flat as she recalled the story. “She took a few shots at us, but we managed to escape before…anything bad could happen.”

  Pierce’s whole face went hard, and I saw his fists began to shake as he clenched them tightly by his sides. “A woman, you say.”

  Cynthia nodded. “Yeah, but we didn’t get a good look at her. We were kind of hauling ass to get out of there.”

  “I see.” Pierce gritted his teeth, rippling his jawline and making him look harsh and deadly and fierce. “Stay here with Emma. I’ll be back in a moment.”

  Pierce walked away from us, disappearing into the hallway after speaking quietly to the two bodyguards stationed at the doors. When he left, they stood even straighter, and their gazes watched our every move. It chilled me to see them standing there like that, but it also gave me a little comfort. Whoever that woman was, she couldn’t get to us in here.

  “Mr. Donovan said you two should make yourselves at home while he’s attending to some business,” one of the bodyguards said. “He may be awhile.”

  But I didn’t move from my spot. I wanted to wait on Pierce.

  ***

  At some point later that night, I was awoken by the feel of strong arms lifting me from where I’d fallen asleep in a heap on the couch. My eyelids fluttered open to see Pierce’s handsome face staring down at me, a softness in his expression I’d never seen before.

  “You’re okay,” he said in a whisper. “I’ve got you.”

  Sighing, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my cheek against his shoulder as he carried me from the living room and down the hall to the room I’d stayed the night before. But instead of stopping there, he kept moving past that door. He stopped at a room several doors down and eased me inside, lowering me gently onto a king-sized bed that was draped in steel-colored sheets. My eyes widened as I gazed around me. It was a stark room, though elegantly decorated, and it smelled of nothing but Pierce. His musky scent surrounded me, warming me from my toes up to the top of my head.

  He’d brought me into his own bedroom. My heart fluttered in my chest.

  “You’ll stay in here tonight with me,” he said in a low voice. “I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

  “What about Cynthia?” I asked, watching him as he slowly took off his shoes and socks. His suit jacket went next, and then his elegant button-up shirt, revealing his chiseled chest and bulging biceps. He was so handsome. Perfect, really. It was obvious he took care of his body, and my hands twitched with the need to reach out and press my palms against his smooth skin.

  “I showed her to a guest room before I woke you,” he said with a slight smile. “You were out like a light on the couch.”

  “And she’ll be safe here, too? You don’t mind if she stays?” I asked, pressing my hands together and gripping tight. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to my roommate because of me.

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said, the kindness in his eyes suddenly growing dark. “I know you’re having trouble believing me, Emma, but no more climbing out of windows and running off. I can’t keep you safe unless you agree to trust me.”

  I nodded, and he visibly relaxed. “I trust you.”

  Emma looked up at me with those gorgeous eyes, and every wall I’d constructed around my heart began to crumble. She’d been scared out of her mind when she’d come running to my apartment, and who could blame her? Someone had tried to kill her tonight. Rachel Donovan would sure as hell pay for this.

  When Emma had broken down into tears, I’d sworn to myself that I’d do whatever I could to protect her from any more harm. I couldn’t bear to see her cry. It made me feel like I’d failed her, and I guessed I had. When I’d gone to meet Rachel at Roxy Club, she’d been nowhere to be seen. I’d waited far too long for her to arrive.

  She’d stood me up, and now I saw why.
It had been a diversion. A way to distract me. She went after Emma when she knew I’d be otherwise engaged, and it had almost worked. I wouldn’t let it happen again. Emma wouldn’t leave my apartment until I tracked Rachel Donovan down.

  “Pierce,” Emma mumbled as she reached out and caressed her fingers across my arm. Inwardly, I groaned. I didn’t know how I was going to keep myself from fucking her again, especially now that she was staying in my bed. The slightest of touch from her had already made me hard.

  Keeping my distance from her wasn’t working. If I gave into what both of us needed right now, it would only draw her in closer, and that was bad news for both of us. I could already see what had happened to her life after being involved with me for less than a week. And letting her in would only give her the power to destroy me. As much as I scolded Emma for not trusting me, I couldn’t let myself trust her either.

  I couldn’t trust anyone. That was the only way my life could work. The only way I could be in control.

  Emma’s hand slid down my chest and rubbed against my cock. It strained against my pants, begging to be inside her tight little pussy. Fuck control, I thought with a groan. She looked so innocent and sweet, so eager to please me, her big brown eyes blinking as she gave me that timid smile of hers. She wanted me as much as I wanted her, and I couldn’t fight against it any longer. I was only a man. And I needed to take her the way only a man could.

  She was mine.

  I could tell Pierce was hesitating, but I needed him now more than ever. My mind was buzzing, and my body felt on edge. After what had happened tonight, I needed to feel alive, and I knew Pierce could make me forget everything that had happened like no one else could.

  I rubbed my hand against his length. He was already hard, and I ached for him to be inside me, thrusting roughly into my wet sex. He groaned and shifted sideways on the bed, and I knew by the way he looked at me that he was giving in to what I knew we both wanted.

  “Lay back, Emma.” He moved my hand away from his length and pressed his hand against my shoulder. I obeyed, my breath quick in my throat. I would do anything he wanted if that meant he would pleasure me the way I’d never been pleasured by anyone before.

  “Now spread your legs for me,” he said in a low growl.

  I opened my legs, my thighs wide on the bed. He slipped his hand in between them and slid his fingers underneath my thong. I gasped as he pushed inside me, and I grew wetter and tighter with every beat that passed. I groaned as he teased me. My need built up inside me, bringing me closer and closer to a climax I begged to reach. But just before I came, he pulled away. I arched my back and groaned in frustration. A sexy smile slid across his lips.

  “You’re so eager for me. Aren’t you, Emma?” he asked as he stood and slid his pants to the floor. His boxers went next, and all I could do was lie there and stare at his naked body. He was so hard and so big, my pussy squeezed from desire. I wanted him so bad. He could take me over and over again, and I would never want him to stop.

  He climbed on top of me and pinned my wrists over my head. Gasping, I squirmed under his touch, but he shook his head with a smile. “I’m the one in control here, Emma. You will do everything I say. Tell me you understand.”

  “I understand,” I whispered, my thighs tensing as he shifted his length inside me. He went slowly at first, sliding easily in and out of my wet sex. I arched my back and groaned. He felt so good. Better than anyone had ever felt before. Now that I had Pierce, no one else would ever do.

  “You feel so good, Emma.” His words were a whisper against my ear. “So tight. Your body is perfect for me.”

  His words sent thrills along my skin and into my heart. He was being so gentle, so kind, even as he was clear that he was in control. I’d never felt more wanted and needed in my life, and all I wanted was to fulfill his pleasure any way that I could. I lifted my hips in the air to meet his thrusts, my heart racing, my breath heavy, my body aching for more.

  He let out a light laugh and tried to slow my frantic pace. “Easy now. I want to take my time with you. I want to fuck you so long that you can no longer remember your own name.”

  “Please do,” I gasped as he thrusted deep inside me. Before I could stop it, an orgasm poured through me, leaving me panting and trembling underneath him.

  He smiled, pulling back and flipping me onto my stomach. “That’s just the beginning, Emma. The first of many times you’ll come tonight.”

  My breath quickened even more at the thought. Pierce lifted my hips in the air and slid his length back between my thighs. I moaned hard as my mouth pressed against the sheets. Already I was ready for more. His pace became quicker as he took me hard from behind, my butt smacking against him. Every thrust drove the need inside me higher and higher until I felt as if I might fall from a cliff. I came again, crying out his name as the tremors shook through me.

  He paused, kissing my shoulder and murmuring against my slick skin. Every part of me was hot and wet and trembling from a satisfaction I’d never felt before. Pierce slowly caressed my body with his strong and calloused hands. He flipped me over again, holding himself over my body with strong and bulging arms.

  “You are so beautiful,” he said in a rough voice that caught me off guard. That wasn’t the kind of thing Pierce Donovan said to women. Or maybe it was. Maybe I’d had him wrong this whole time, and there was more underneath his cool exterior than he liked to let on. Maybe he was starting to let me see some of it. Whatever was going on between us had turned into much more than a one night fling after all.

  “I love your body,” he murmured as he lowered his head and brushed his lips against my hard and swollen nipple. I gasped and shuddered against him. My thighs tensed, and I felt my need rise up inside me once again.

  I would never be satisfied. He could take me over and over and I still would want more.

  “I want you to come again, Emma.” His mouth trailed down my stomach, and he began to lick between my thighs. It only took moments for me to come again, like he had opened up some unknown box of pleasure inside my body, and all he needed to do was touch me for only a moment, give his command, and I would orgasm every time.

  I couldn’t catch my breath after the shuddering subsided, panting hard as he gazed down at me. His eyes were dark, and his smile gone, but I could still see something shining in his face. I told myself the look he held was only because we were in bed together. A man would look at a woman any sort of way when he wanted to fuck her. It didn’t mean anything.

  But all that was inside me wanted it to mean everything and more.

  He entered me again, slow and steady, filling me up with each sensual thrust. His hands found my face as he rocked against me. He caressed my cheek, and my whole heart felt as if it might burst as he stared deep into my eyes. I’d never felt closer to anyone in the world than I did in that moment. It was if I was not only his but he was also mine.

  Pierce kissed me hard as he began to pick up his pace. His hands stayed on my cheeks, and he moaned against my lips. I couldn’t hold back anymore, not with the way he made me feel, as if I were the most precious woman in the world. The only one who could make him feel quite like this.

  I came again around his hard length, and he followed close behind, emptying his seed into my shuddering body. He kept his arms tight around me as he panted into my hair. My own breath was ragged, and my entire body felt weak and spent and ready for sleep.

  A moment later, he stretched out on the bed beside me and pulled me close. I fell asleep on his chest, feeling more safe in his arms than I’d thought I ever could.

  In the morning, Pierce woke me with a kiss. He was pressed up against me, his cock hard against my thigh. Smiling, I looked up at him as he settled over me. He slipped inside me and began to rock against me, the morning light haloed around his head. Moments later, we both came, gasping and panting. I couldn’t help but smile so big my cheeks hurt.

  “Good morning,” he murmured as he gave me a lingering kiss. “That was
the perfect way to wake up.”

  “Morning,” I said, heart lifting at the lightness in his eyes. “Was that just a warm-up?”

  He gave me a lazy smile in return and opened his mouth to speak, but the ringing of his cell phone from the bedside table interrupted whatever he was about to say. He reached for the phone and glanced down at the display, his face immediately clouding over.

  “What is it?” His voice went hard and cold as he answered the phone, Pierce’s usual stony demeanor sliding easily back into place as he climbed off the bed, his phone tight to his ear. My heart sunk. Something about his sudden change was difficult to see, even though it wasn’t directed at me. He’d just been so soft and caring the night before, I wished he could stay like that always. But it was gone in the blink of an eye now that the outside world had invaded our time alone together.

  Maybe whatever we’d shared was fleeting, only for that moment in time. I wanted to believe it was more than that, but seeing how stiff and straight his back had become, I wondered if maybe I was just fooling myself into believing he might change for me. I was just Emma Berry after all. A girl who was only in his life because she needed his protection.

  “I asked you to do one simple thing.” His voice began to rise. “I don’t understand why you can’t manage to find her.”

  A moment later, he growled and threw his phone to the floor. I jumped and snatched the sheet to pull it around my shoulders. “What’s wrong, Pierce?”

  He must have heard the fear in my voice, because he sighed and turned to face me with a false calm plastered across his handsome face. “I’m sorry, Emma. You didn’t need to hear that. Everything is fine. I’m just going to have to leave this morning to go take care of something. It seems if I want it done right, I have to do it myself.”