Double Deception

by Desiree Holt

  The orgasm had barely subsided before he lifted her out of the hot tub then hauled himself up on the deck to join her. In seconds she was under him on the big double lounger, he’d rolled on a condom and, lifting her legs over his shoulders to open her wider, he drove into her with one hard, fast thrust.

  Liam had to close his eyes and hold his breath to keep from coming right then and there, but he wanted to feel her squeeze around his cock. Reaching for his control, he began that slow glide and thrust, in and out, now slower, now faster.

  He had to clench his teeth to hang on to his control. His cock was so swollen, his balls ached so much he was afraid they’d explode. Then he felt it, the first of the little spasms in her inner walls. Bracing himself on one arm, he slipped the other hand between them to find her clit, massaging it with quick yet gentle strokes. Her breath came in short, quick pants as her body responded to the friction, the thrust of his cock filling her completely.

  The orgasm hit them simultaneously, ripping their bodies and shaking them with the force of a hurricane. His cock throbbed and pulsed inside her as her inner walls grabbed and milked him. He had no idea how long it went on, only that they seemed to be caught up in a hurricane.

  Then it subsided, like the waves in a storm rolling back from the beach, leaving them limp and spent. Liam had no idea how much time had passed while their breathing returned to normal and their heartbeats settled into an even rhythm. Liam took her mouth in a slow, soft kiss, caressing it with his tongue, drinking from her with a kind of desperation. Then, still joined, he smiled at her.

  “So. When are we going to do this?”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “Do what? I thought we were already doing it.”

  “Get married.”

  “Wow.” Sydney just stared at him. “In a hurry, are you?”

  “Uh-huh.” He brushed a kiss over her lips. “I want everyone in the world to know how I feel about you. I want you to be my wife.”

  She was silent for so long, studying his face and his eyes, he wondered if she’d changed her mind in the last few minutes. Then she smiled, a little upturn of the lips.

  “As soon as you want to.”

  “As soon as I want to? I want all the words, Sydney Alfiore, soon to be Sydney Benedict. I hope.”

  Now the grin was wider, warmer. “Yes, I’ll marry you, Liam Benedict, just as fast as we can arrange it.”

  “The sooner the better?”

  “As soon as we get back, if you want.”

  He grinned. “I definitely want.” Then he sobered. “This whole episode nearly destroyed me, Syd, but it taught me one thing. When you have something good, hold on to it with both hands.”

  “We’ll hold on to each other.,”

  And for the first time since the alarm had gone off on his watch, Liam Benedict felt at peace.

  Coming Soon from Totally Bound Publishing:

  Corporate Heat: Masquerade

  Desiree Holt

  Released 23rd October 2018

  Excerpt

  Prologue

  The night was hot and muggy, typical of Florida any time of the year but especially in the summer. The force of it hit Craig Wainwright as he emerged from the air-conditioned office building into the sticky heat that surrounded him. He was glad that he’d learned years ago to dress for comfort, favoring lightweight slacks, and soft collar shirts with the Elite Marketing logo on as opposed to more formal ties and button-downs.

  He’d hoped that because he worked late, the oppressive heat of the day would have faded, but no such luck. Just something else to add to his itchy mood, one that had plagued him for more than a week. He had some decisions to make—very unpleasant ones that he wasn’t looking forward to. He definitely didn’t want to have the talk he planned with Lindsey, but it couldn’t be helped.

  Making Lindsey Califaro executive vice-president of Elite was one of the smartest things he’d ever done. It allowed him to pursue side projects without worrying about the agency’s operation. But he hadn’t been fair to her, and that day of reckoning was coming far too soon. The headache he’d been fighting all evening was a sign that he couldn’t put this off any longer. He had called her tonight and asked her to meet him early for coffee at the office. Maybe he’d stop and pick up some of those French breakfast rolls she loved so much. Something to put her in a good mood.

  How the hell had he gotten himself in this fix, anyway?

  He was glad his car had the ability to start remotely, letting the air-conditioning kick in and cool the air before he had to climb into the vehicle. Hitting his key fob, he unlocked his car, to slide in behind the steering wheel and press the button to engage the motor. Modern science was wonderful, providing every possible creature comfort imaginable. And Craig was all about comfort.

  As he pulled out of the parking garage and headed toward Las Olas Boulevard and home, his thoughts shifted in another direction. The pressure from the other Elite activities was getting to him. He wasn’t sure how much more he could take. It forced him into a crazy schedule and the pressure of dealing with it was affecting him physically. In the past few weeks he’d developed a tendency toward blinding headaches. A checkup with his doctor revealed exactly what he thought—they were cause by tension. Now he had a small bottle of little blue pills that could attack the pain the moment he took them. He’d popped one during his last half hour at work, just to take the edge off.

  Too bad they aren’t the other little blue pills.

  He smiled at the thought. Maybe he’d get a prescription for those, too. Not that he thought he really needed them. He was positive his problems in the bedroom had the same cause as his headaches. What he really needed was to take two weeks off and spend it with Natalia, his wife, straightening out their lives. He had never dreamed the situation would escalate the way it had. He wanted to go back to the way things had been before, even if it meant shrinking his income. He had certainly accumulated enough to spare.

  Yeah. Fat chance.

  He sighed and turned on the radio, searching for one of his programmed stations. Ah. There. Soft instrumental music. That would help him relax. He was wound up as tight as a drum and he wanted to ease up before he got home. Maybe he’d take a little detour. The major thoroughfares were fairly empty this time of night. Yes, that was it. He’d take a drive on I-95. Maybe he could put off the inevitable a little while longer.

  Changing direction, he entered the highway, turned up the radio a little and rolled down the windows. A soft breeze blew through the car. Maybe it would soothe him even more. The pill hadn’t done as much as usual. In fact, his headache seemed to be getting worse. The familiar band tightened around his skull, shooting pain into his eyes. And now a sharp stab in his chest had been added.

  Can’t breathe. Can’t breathe.

  Maybe he should pull over onto the verge. There wasn’t much traffic this time of night. He could sit there for a few minutes until the worst of the pain subsided. He turned on his signal and began to ease toward the right. As he did so, a car behind him was suddenly on his bumper, bright lights flooding his vehicle and exacerbating his pain.

  What the hell?

  “Hey, buddy. Back the fuck off.”

  As if he’d heard him, the driver did just that, but the moment Craig began to ease to the right again, there he was, practically kissing his rear bumper. Thank god there were so few cars about at the moment.about. He didn’t want to crash into any of them. Suddenly the driver behind him began flashing his lights from bright to regular to bright. On, off, on, off. It only exacerbated the pain in Craig’s head and chest, which were becoming intolerable. He’d have to pull off and figure out how to deal with the idiot behind him.

  Without signaling, he cut across two lanes and headed for the shoulder. At that moment, the pain spiked and he thought his body would explode. He tried to maintain control of his car, but the pain stole his breath and shut down his brain. He barely even felt the impact of the crash as he hit the barricade wall.

 
And then he felt nothing.

  * * * *

  The ringing of her cell phone woke Lindsey Califaro from a deep sleep. She looked at the clock. Midnight. Who on earth was calling her at this hour? The phone chimed again and she checked the readout, eyes widening. Wainwright. What the hell? Why would Craig call her from the landline at his house?

  “Lose your cell phone, boss?” she asked. “And by the way, did you check the time?”

  “Lindsey?” The words came out in a rush. “Oh, thank god. This is Natalia.”

  Natalia? Why would she be calling? Where’s Craig? Has he asked his wife to call because he’s busy? At midnight?

  “Yes, Natalia. What’s going on?” She pushed her hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ears.

  “Oh, Lindsey. I need your help. The most awful thing has happened. Craig’s dead.”

  Shocked reverberated through her body and for one second she thought her heat had stopped beating.

  “Craig’s dead?” Even repeating the words did not make sense. When she’d left him at the office he’d been fine. Distracted and tense, but no more so than usual.

  She tried to remember her last conversation with the man tonight. Had there been a problem she’d failed to catch?

  “Dead?” She must be hearing things. “Did you say he was dead? But when I left him earlier tonight he seemed fine. What happened?”

  Maybe those headaches he’d been complaining about were worse than she’d thought.

  “An accident on I-94.” Natalia’s voice was shaky. A one-car accident. What was he doing there? He was supposed to be on his way home. To me.”

  A good question. Something was very, very wrong here.

  “The police were just here.” Natalia’s voice sounded less than steady, unusual for her. “Lindsey, they wanted to take me to identify the body. I-I don’t think I can do that by myself, and they insisted I come down there now. Could you please go with me?”

  Her voice broke a little. Lindsey wasn’t used to hearing the woman in an emotional state.

  “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather call one of your friends?”

  “No. No, you’re the person I want.” Her voice dropped. “Please do this for me. If it is Craig, he’d want it to be you with me.”

  “Of course.” As she spoke she was pulling clothes out of drawers and her closet. “I’ll be on my way in just a few. Hang tough, Natalia. We’ll get through this.”

  Hang tough. What kind of advice is that to give to a brand-new widow?

  It was strange to hear Natalia Wainwright so unsettled. The woman could be the poster child for self-control. Smart, beautiful and rich, it was her money that had funded Elite Marketing and her connections that had brought them to the attention of the vast international conglomerate, Arroyo. Lindsey had joined the firm three years earlier and immediately been given specific accounts to handle that kept her more than busy

  All the lights were on in the Wainwrights’ huge home in Idylwyld, the very exclusive community where they lived. Natalia must have been watching for her, because the gate at the foot of the driveway swung open before Lindsey could touch the control box. She had barely pulled up to the front of the house when the door opened and Natalia hurried out, purse in hand.

  “Thank you for coming.” She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. “I think I’m still in a state of shock. Craig was such a careful driver. I cannot imagine how this happened.”

  Lindsey glanced at the woman as she settled herself in the passenger seat. Dressed impeccably in black slacks and a black silk blouse, she wore no makeup and her hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail. Not her usual look. A good indication of her state of mind that she hadn’t taken the time to primp and fuss.

  “We’ll find out everything,” Lindsey assured her. “Okay? Just take a deep breath.”

  “I keep hoping this is just a big mistake.” Natalia had a death grip on her purse. “That you’ll take a look at…whoever this is and we’ll see it’s the wrong man.”

  “Unfortunately,” Lindsey said, “they wouldn’t make the notification unless they were pretty sure. They could at least match his driver’s license photo.”

  “Of course, of course. You’re right.” Hands clasped tightly in her lap, she was silent for the rest of the ride.

  Lindsey had little in common with Natalia Wainwright and neither of them seemed to have much to say to each other. There wasn’t much talking at the morgue, either. She recognized Craig’s body right away. Beside her, Natalia just stared for a long time before giving a sharp nod of her head and turning away.

  “Can you tell me what happened?” Natalia asked the cop who’d met them at the morgue.door.

  “I wish I could. Someone saw the wreck and called it in. It looks like for whatever reason he ran full tilt into the retaining wall.”

  Natalia’s eyes widened. “Deliberately?”

  “I can’t say, ma’am. There are still a lot of details to sort out. Someone will be in touch with you.”

  “What about…the body?”

  “As soon as they finish the autopsy, they’ll release it to you.”

  “A-autopsy?”

  The cop nodded. “To determine if the accident was alcohol or drug-related.”

  Natalia’s face paled, but she just nodded. Lindsey waited as the woman signed whatever papers they needed then walked in tight-lipped silence to the car. The drive back to the house was as long and uncomfortable as the one on the way in.

  “Thank you again for this.” Natalia climbed out of the car, her face expressionless.

  “If you’d like some help with the funerals arrangements…” Lindsey began.

  “The funeral. Yes, yes, of course. Thank you. I’ll let you know when they tell me I can move forward with it.” She started to close the door, then turned back. “I suppose we’ll have to meet to discuss Elite, also. After I’ve figured out how to deal with this nightmare, of course.”

  “Elite. Of course. Just let me know. I’ll make myself available.”

  “Thank you. Right now, I’m still trying to make sense out of tonight.”

  Lindsey wasn’t sure if she should just drive off or not.

  “Would you like me to call someone to be with you? I’m not sure you should be alone right now.”

  Natalia shook her head. “No. Thank you, but…no. I think I need to be by myself right now and try to figure out how this happened. But again, thank you.”

  “Of course.”

  Lindsey watched the woman until she walked into the house and closed the front door. She sat for a moment, rubbing her forehead, wondering if she’d imagined the entire thing.

  Well, that was totally weird. I still don’t know why she called me instead of a friend. And what was that about Elite? Has she forgotten it’s not an independent corporation any longer?

  When she was far enough away from Idylwyld, she tapped the controls on her steering wheel. It was close to two o’clock in the morning, but she was sure Taylor Cantrell would not want her to wait until morning to call.

  “Siri, call Taylor Cantrell.”

  She had all the Arroyo numbers programmed into her cell, and that included Taylor’s personal phone, which she’d insisted Lindsey have access to. She wasn’t surprised when the woman herself picked up on the second ring.

  Does she ever sleep?

  “Hello, Lindsey. It must be pretty damn important for you to call me this late at night.”

  “I’d say it is.” She blew out a breath. “I have some very bad news. Craig Wainwright died in a one-car accident tonight.”

  There was silence for one second. Two.

  “Was he drunk?”

  “Absolutely not. He would never drink and drive. He was a maniac about it. In fact, he was working late at the office, still wrapped up in something when I went home.”

  Now she heard the murmur of voices, soft in the background.

  “I’ve had some questions about Elite lately,” Taylor said when she came back to the conve
rsation. “And about Craig himself. Who made the identification?”

  “His wife. She called me after the police notified her and asked me to go with her. It was definitely him, unfortunately.”

  “How is Natalia doing?”

  Lindsey thought for a moment. “Hard to say. She’s always been a very controlled person, and I could tell she was doing her best to hold on to her emotions.”

  “All right. Give me a minute.” More talking in the background. “We’ll be arriving at the Fort Lauderdale airport in the morning. We’ll have transportation so no need to pick us up, but I would like you to meet us at the office. The employees have to be notified and you and Noah and I need to have a closed-door meeting.”

  Lindsey made a turn, heading toward the area where she lived.

  “I have to ask. Am I in some kind of trouble?”

  “Far from it. In fact, you’re probably going to be our most important person in the days to come. Get some sleep. We’ll see you there at seven.”

  Lindsey disconnected and checked the time. It as already close to two a.m. She’d have to sleep fast at this rate. She wondered if the Cantrells ever slept. And what it was they wanted to discuss just with her.

  She had a feeling in the pit of her stomach the coming days were going to be anything but fun.

  Order your copy here

  About the Author

  A multi-published, award winning, Amazon and USA Today best-selling author, Desiree Holt has produced more than 200 titles and won many awards. She has received an EPIC E-Book Award, the Holt Medallion and many others including Author After Dark’s Author of the Year. She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The Village Voice, The Daily Beast, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The London Daily Mail. She lives in Florida with her cats who insist they help her write her books, and is addicted to football.