“What is it?”
He hesitated and seemed to be choosing his words carefully. “The men I’m working for are slime. They are despicable people and are criminals of the worst order. I hate myself for getting involved with them in the first place and hate them for taking me down this road. I’ll help you nail them. It would be my privilege to do so. I can get you anything you want: locations, numbers, background information, where they hide the money, and where they dump the bodies. But there’s something I need to do first . . . and I need the time to do it. Can you honor my request, and I’ll honor you in turn?”
Susannah poured herself another glass of champagne and took a deep breath. She would say yes, and continue to tail him, because at this point, she didn’t know what to believe. She was quite conflicted about his actual feelings, and she didn’t want to be taken in by deception. Perhaps this was the best she could get out of him, a bunch of what were clearly half-truths. And what now? Now it was time to do what she had come here to do. Fuck his sincerity, his stories, and his goddamn family tree. Fuck her heart. Fuck his eyes. Fuck possibility. She would do what she was made for. She would take down her mark. She would pretend to give him space and take him for all he was worth. Besides which, if this was all there was ever going to be, she could enjoy the rest of the evening here, in this Parisian paradise, in his bed.
“Yes,” she said, looking deeply into his eyes and lying with every piece of her soul, “yes, I will honor you.”
‡‡‡
CHAS INHALED DEEPLY and looked into Susannah’s open and stormy eyes. He would have told her everything—was he crazy?—about his father, the men he hunted, Tyka’s information, Pierre’s role in the scheme. He was getting soft, he was falling too fast. It was the surest way to get her killed and compromise everything he’d ever worked for. Thankfully, he’d found his brain where he’d dropped it and had stopped himself before it was too late. He’d give her a taste, of course—a bit of truth, something to hold on to. And he’d meant what he’d said: as soon as he could kill the Italian he would, and Susannah and her company could take down the rest. He was happy to share in the winnings. All he’d wanted was revenge. But now he wanted something more: her safety.
“Well,” he said, “I’m happy you believe me. It was a difficult afternoon, and it seems that everyone had eyes on me. But now we have the evening, and it’s just you and I, and the world can’t touch us here. How would you like to enjoy the spa and let ourselves escape for a bit?”
He smiled as her eyes grew wide. “The spa?”
“The bathroom, I mean.” He chuckled. “There’s an overflow infinity bathtub with jets, and a chromotherapy system, and I’ve prepared it, all of it, for you.”
“A chromotherapy system? Pardon my French, but what the fuck is that?”
He smiled broadly. “Mood lighting, sweetheart.”
“Oh, my!” she breathed. “Well, I’d love to join you, on one condition.”
“Anything,” he replied.
“You wait here while I ready myself. I want to look perfect for you. May I?”
“Oh, yes,” he said, mouth watering at the thought, “take your time. I’ll wait out here and enjoy the scenery. Though I’d enjoy looking at you so much more.” And with that he pulled her into another kiss, one that made him swell with passion, hold her tighter, and enter every part of her mouth with his tongue.
She moaned gently and deftly pulled herself away, putting a finger on his lips. “Wait for me,” she said breathlessly. “It’ll only be a minute.”
And with that, she was off, and he was left gazing at the Paris skyline, so hard he could barely stand.
‡‡‡
SUSANNAH WENT INSIDE and grabbed her purse by the elevator, making her way to the master bedroom. The stakes were raised now that Chas knew they were all there; she didn’t think she’d have much time to get what she needed. She took out the brown silk babydoll she had shoved inside, the one that held her breasts up and revealed just the very bottom of her ass, and grabbed the box of bourbon-filled chocolates. The Boss had given her the chocolate narcotics from Doc Scrubs, who created them for evenings such as this: it was part of his “Romantic Revenge” line. They were dark chocolate salted caramels filled with bourbon, and the ones with an “x” on top also had a narcotic inside. It was the perfect thing for a romantic recon job: it took about two hours for the narcotic to work, so you could have a great screw before screwing over your partner. Susannah figured it was perfect timing. She could offer the chocolates, and then they could play. Then she’d take the remains of her dignity and run.
But first: the hot dog. As it turned out, the hot dog Doc Scrubs had sent was also an external hard drive that could be connected, wirelessly, to any computer within a five-foot range. The bun served as a charging station and translation device, and Jackson currently had that downstairs at the ready. Thankfully, Doc Scrubs had made it for a dual purpose, as it appeared, without the bun, to be a sleek and sassy vibrator. Romantic revenge, indeed! Reaching into her purse, she withdrew the hot dog, turned it on, and waited. It found a computer nearby and a phone. This time they were prepared. Chas was far too sharp to use the hotel’s network: instead, he used his own phone as a mobile hot spot. Jackson had managed, through one of the hidden cams, to get footage of Chas entering his phone password; from there Lisa Bee was able to access his mobile hot spot password and get on his network. And then they were in. Susannah programmed Scrubs’s device to download the contents of both the phone and computer, waited for it to do so, then changed into the babydoll with the matching panties. She brought her purse back out and left it by the elevator door. Then she sent a quick text to Jackson:
The dog is cooked. And he knows you’re all here. So make it fast and clean.
After a moment of thought, she programmed the hot dog to upload its contents to the company server as well, and sent a text to her friend AJ:
Fingers. Got more info on Rosebud. This time it’s the real thing. Call my cell if you have anything. Xoxo Legs
Closing her phone she prepared to rejoin Chas, the man she was falling for, to say a very fond farewell.
8
SUSANNAH WALKED INTO the stunning bathroom and gasped. It was like something out of a romantic movie or a honeymoon seduction scene. The room was entirely done in beige marble, with mirrors and a sliding glass door that led to the bedroom. Candles stood on every surface; rose petals lined the floors and trailed into the water of the stunning overflow bathtub, steaming and ready, water still pouring into it. Beneath the water were the chromotherapy lights. They captivated Susannah as she stared, mesmerized, at the interplay of colors reflecting off the marble, bronze fixtures, and mirrored panels. Candlelight cast flickering shadows throughout the small room, and the sound of rushing water was a seduction on its own. Susannah pressed a hand to her chest and breathed in, trying to stop her racing heart.
“Do you like what you see?” Chas asked from behind her as she whirled to look at him. “Because I sure do.” His gaze was burning as he trailed from her eyes down to her cleavage down to her smooth long legs. He wore a towel around his waist, and Susannah’s breath hitched as she looked at the sculpted male chest with just enough hair to make her heat from the inside out.
“Oh, Chas,” she breathed, “you do know how to treat a lady right. If only there were a lady here to enjoy it! This is absolutely gorgeous. Just stunning!”
“No,” he said, closing the distance between them. “You are. And you are the lady I’ve dreamed of my whole life long.” He ran a hand down her cheek and grabbed a handful of her hair, twisting it in his hands. Then he yanked her head back and hungrily took her mouth as she moaned and pulled him closer. He trailed kisses down her chin until his lips found her throat and then he turned gentle, licking and biting that tender part of her neck that made her gasp and reach for his arms, his body, his face. Yet abruptly, he pulled back.
“Sorry,” he said, “I lost myself for a minute. How about we take a bath to cool off?”
She barely had enough breath to speak. “Gee, Chas, somehow I don’t think that’s gonna work. But I’m up for trying.”
Holding eye contact with her, he slowly removed the towel, revealing what she had already felt: the full hard swollen length of him. Well, she was ready for him all right, but oh, how she loved to tease first. He moved toward the tub, and stepped inside, the only sounds that of the dripping of water, and of his sleek body settling deeper into the depths. Then he looked up at her. The candlelight was on both of them, and was reflected in the many mirrored surfaces. And the tub was sensual and inviting in its changing colors. He sank into the water and held out a hand. “Your turn.”
‡‡‡
JACKSON QUIETLY ENTERED the penthouse suite with a tray of champagne and hors d’oeuvres, compliments of the house. He wasn’t supposed to come into the suite without calling up, of course, but it was really just his cover in case he was caught. Besides which, he now had the whole of the Paris police force watching his every move, so he figured he had better move quick. While they knew some of FTP’s plan, they didn’t know everything, and the Boss wanted to keep it that way. He could hear the sounds of the bath running and figured Susannah was doing her job, occupying the mark, so he grabbed the hot dog from her purse. Noting the green light that indicated an upload, he shoved it into his pocket. Without leaving the tray of hors d’oeuvres, he let the doors close behind him, whispering into his headset, “Dog in the cage.”
‡‡‡
SUSANNAH WATCHED CHAS as he settled himself in the water and turned his eyes to her. Now it was her turn to tease, to tantalize, to make him so hot that he couldn’t control himself. She loved lingerie, and the seduction of beautiful things, and there was nothing sexier than the temptation of fine lace surrounded by water. She began by running her hands through her hair as he had done, and down her whole body, emphasizing her curves and all she had hidden underneath. He breathed with pleasure. Then she turned around and bent over, exposing a good bit of herself to him. He let out a low laugh as she said, “Oops. I dropped the soap.” Then, knowing he’d like it, she rubbed a hand on her ass and slapped it. In truth, she kind of liked it too. It made her feel powerful. She could hear him curse under his breath in response.
She turned to him, and she could feel the temperature began to rise. It was all fun and games at first, but then, when their eyes met, it suddenly felt serious. She felt more in control when she was joking, and she tried to make another jokey sexy move, acting like a Southern belle, batting her lashes. But she felt his reprimand before he spoke. “No, Susannah,” he said. “No playing. I want to see you, really you, and all of you.”
She swallowed. Revealing her self, her true self, to anyone was not in her wheelhouse. She preferred to hide her vulnerability with strength and humor, or to play a role that was strong or funny. But now he was asking to see her. Just her. And she could feel how anxious it was making her. This had been what she’d been wrestling with all her life: figuring out how to reveal herself, her true self, without the fear of what happened next. Her whole life had been leading up to the moment when she could allow herself to be free, truly free, with a man. Could it be now? She had been dovetailing around her boundaries with men for every single year of her adult life, and something had to give, or she’d never find what she was looking for. So she may as well start here. After all, they only had a couple of hours together. “All right, Chas. But before you get me, you get a treat.”
“Ooooh,” he breathed, “do tell.”
She reached over to the countertop and opened the chocolates. “Salted caramel, with a bourbon center?”
“Mmmm . . . sounds just like you, Legs. Salty on the outside, sweet and gooey on the inside.”
“And here I thought I was hard to read.” This earned her a deep bass laugh in return.
She extended her arm to him, chocolate in her fingers, and he pulled her arm closer. Then he slowly nibbled the candy, making sure to catch every drop of liquid. When he was done, still gazing into her eyes, he took her finger into his mouth and gently sucked on it. “All done. Now for you. Let’s see what you’ve got, sweetheart.”
He was looking at her with such passion that she felt guilty for a moment. She had just drugged him, and had downloaded the contents of his hard drive, and was about to have her way with him before she took off. But at least she was about to give him something in return. And judging by how turned on they both were, she was about to give him the best night of his life.
‡‡‡
CHAS LEANED BACK INTO the tub and watched Susannah move. She was so gorgeous, and her beauty was only heightened by her newfound vulnerability. The shyness that emerged when he asked to truly see her was amazing, and only turned him on more. He settled into the water to watch, and wait.
Susannah stood for a moment, staring at him, getting lost in his powerful and confident gaze. A silent communication passed between them, and Chas knew that something had moved deeper. She began to run her hands down her body, but he knew she was imagining his hands, his touch, his need to feel every millimeter of her skin. The lingerie she wore was made of filmy brown silk, with lace over the breasts so fine that he could see her nipples, hard and waiting; and the silky bodice revealed a nearly invisible thong beneath it. She played with the bottom of the babydoll, gently pulling it up, then down, running her fingers over her thighs, keeping her gaze locked on his. The only sounds were their breathing, and the move of silk on skin, and the crystalline splash of water.
There was a ceramic pitcher on the side of the tub. Susannah lifted it up, filled it with water, then poured it over her head Flashdance-style, recklessly letting the water pour all over her and the smooth marble floor. Chas let out a throaty chuckle, then sharply inhaled as he realized he could now see all of her . . . the shape of her breasts, line of her stomach, and the places where the wet fabric clung between her legs. There she stood, dripping wet, brown silk clinging to her every curve, and locked eyes with him again, as the drops of water made a musical pitter-patter on the floor, and the water ran in sensual rivulets down her wet skin. God, she was gorgeous! All women are not created equal, he thought, looking over every succulent inch of her, whetting his appetite with thoughts of tasting her again.
She entered the tub, pitcher still in hand, and scooped up more water only to pour it this time over him, slowly, as she stood in the tub above him, legs straddling his. He looked up as the water ran down and felt as if he were looking upon a goddess in one of the old Greek myths. Today, Paris. Tomorrow, Athens. Suddenly he could envision a whole life of looking at one woman, and he knew he had never felt anything even remotely like this before.
Susannah crouched down, the fabric of her lingerie gently skimming the surface of the full swollen length of him. He let out a breath, but didn’t move. He chose to stay put, loving the fact that she was taking charge. She was in control, and he was there to be taken in every way imaginable. She picked up a washcloth from the side of the tub and put it in the water; gently, she began to run it over every surface of Chas’s body. She began with his face, letting the water run down his head, over his stubbled cheeks, and kissing each one in turn. Then his neck, which she followed by nibbling and kissing the very areas he had targeted on her earlier. His breath hitched in response. She lifted each arm and smoothed the washcloth down, trailing her movements with kisses, sucking tenderly on each one of his fingers. Chas was so turned on he was afraid to move for fear of not being able to control himself. This was the most erotic experience he had ever had, and he was so hard he was almost in pain from wanting her so badly.
Susannah turned around so that she could work on Chas’s legs, and in so doing, lowered herself onto his lap, making him moan and shudder. She began to stroke and massage his legs, rubbing herself gently back and forth on top of him. Chas gathered a fistful
of her hair and twisted it in his hands, trying desperately to keep himself together. All that separated them was a thin piece of fabric, nearly invisible to the naked eye. Chas knew he could tear it with one hand, that in mere seconds he could have what he craved.
Just as he was reaching for it, Susannah lifted off him, making him suck in a harsh breath. She turned to him with a gleam in her eye. Then she lowered her body beneath the surface of the water and began rubbing her breasts against him, fanning kisses along the lines of his abs. Her cleavage grazed his cock as the material of the lingerie dragged along his thighs, and she surfaced to connect to his gaze. She was like a mermaid, or one of the Furies, her red hair fanned out in the water like silk, her hands touching every part of his being. She dove beneath the surface of the water, and this time her lips found the tip of him, her tongue teasing. He cursed and bucked, startled by the contact. She came up for air and dove down again, this time taking the full length of him in her mouth in one slick move. He moaned and held the sides of the tub, praying for control. She slid him in and out of her mouth ravenously, her hunger driving him to desperation.
After several moments of the greatest bliss he had ever known, she stopped abruptly, causing him to cry out in frustration. She emerged from beneath the water with a smile on her face and wriggled out of her panties, tossing them aside. Then she removed her soaking-wet lingerie and he had a second of startled rapture before she wrapped it around his eyes, using it as a makeshift blindfold. He laughed with pleasure. Now that his eyes were covered, he used his hands indiscriminately, touching every single piece of her warm wet flesh and pulling her down to sit on top of him again.
She guided him inside her in one rapid and unexpected thrust and they both gasped in pleasure and in relief. She was so wet, and it felt so natural for him to be inside her, that he forgot for several long moments that he was unprotected. Clearly so had she, as she was riding him and moaning like it was her job, her long wet hair slapping his face and shoulders. He could tell she was about to come, and he wanted her to, but he was barely holding on. So he did what he always did. Took his mind away. Not to baseball, not to nuns, those awful clichés . . . no, he thought about the Italian, and how good it would feel to stab a knife deep inside his archenemy, and be able to live a normal, happy life forever after.
Game On (The Bod Squad Series Book 1) Page 9
