by Virna DePaul
She leaned her head back against the vinyl pillow that was built into the side of the tub and closed her eyes, “Mm,” she said with another smile. “It’s perfect.”
Branden sat on the side of the tub and picked up the soap. “May I?”
She opened her eyes and sat up. “Please.”
Branden picked up a big fluffy sponge and saturated it with the body wash. It smelled like lemon and sage, and the aroma of it alone relaxed her.
Branden lifted one of her arms and caressed the soapy sponge from her shoulder to her hand, massaging as he went along. He did the other arm next, and then started on her shoulders and neck, moving the slick sponge in slow circles. He ran it down her spine and she shivered with delight, and then he ran it back up to her shoulders and repeated the process until he’d washed her entire back.
Gently, he nudged her back and she leaned against the pillow again. She closed her eyes as he began to work on her chest. He washed and massaged near her neck, and then made his way down to her breasts. He circled them with the sponge, making her squirm as he cupped each one in his hand and lifted to wash underneath. He pinched her nipples, sending shivers down her spine.
He moved down to her abdomen then, and it was hard for her not to arch her back and beg for him to touch her between her legs. He washed down her sides and then across the top of her pubic mound, causing her to squirm and groan. He moved the sponge to her inner thigh and worked his way very slowly down her leg, across and behind her knee, over her calf and to her foot, which he lifted up out of the water and caressed as he washed it. Then he sat that leg down gently and began washing the other.
When he made it to the top of that thigh, he grazed her pussy with his fingers and she convulsed.
He leaned in and set down the sponge behind her, pressing his lips to hers as he did. He took her hand in his and stood up, urging her along with him. He turned on the massaging, handheld showerhead, made sure the water was warm, then began rinsing the fragrant bubbles from her body. He rinsed her neck and shoulders and then each arm and leg. Then he changed the setting on the showerhead and she suddenly felt jets of warm water pelting her breasts and nipples. The sensation was electric and Branden had to put his hand on the small of her back to keep her from falling into the wall.
When he finished tantalizing her breasts he moved down to her abdomen, and finally to the aching spot between her legs. He adjusted the spray once more so that it was a single, concentrated jet. Then he doubled her delight by using his fingers to hold open her lips and allowing the jet of water to land directly against her hard, swollen clit. She moved her hips and moaned and shivered.
He turned her around to face the wall and brought her arms up so that she was leaning forward against it. He began rinsing the top of her back, over her shoulders, the small of her back, and across the soft cheeks of her firm ass. He used one hand again to open her up, this time from behind. He let the water hit her pussy from that angle and then he concentrated between her ass cheeks.
He worked her there for a while, until she felt like she would come from the spray of the water alone. She’d never felt anything like it, and she almost laughed at herself as she thought, I gotta get me one of these.
He moved the spray to the backs of her legs, then washed down to her feet. He turned off the water and twisted to grab a towel behind him. He dried her off from head to toe, pausing only to kiss her lips, and then brush his tongue across each one of her hardened nipples. When she was completely dry he helped her into the fluffy robe and pulled her in for another deep kiss.
Then he said, “I’m going to take a quick shower.”
Shaking, she took a seat in front of the glass shower on the vanity stool. She watched him strip and took note of his beautiful erection as he did. He stepped in, and with his back facing her he put his head and shoulders underneath the spray. She watched as it cascaded down over his shoulders and back, rolling off of his hard ass and dripping down into the floor. He took the bar of soap off the shelf and turned around to face her, then grinned as he realized she was watching him. He finished soaping the rest of his body and rinsed.
He toweled off and put on his own robe. Then taking her hand he said, “I want to show you something.” He led her through a gigantic master bedroom to a set of glass doors. He opened them and they stepped out into the cool night air. The view from the balcony was magnificent. The ocean rolled across big, jagged rocks that jutted out from the hills surrounding the mansion, and Cara could actually taste the salty air on her tongue. Positioned so that no one could see them from above or below, it was a private alcove perfect for making love.
He reached down and undid her robe, opening the front of it and doing the same to his own.
“Are you sure we won’t be seen?” she whispered.
“I trust Alex with my life. There are no cameras or bugs on my place. Plus, we’re totally hidden from view from anywhere here.”
He pulled her up against his chest and covered her mouth with his. She pulled herself up on her toes and deepened the kiss, pushing the robe off him completely and running her hands across his strong back and shoulders. He steered her to a lounge chair by the door and then brushed her robe away, as well. Sitting in the chair, he pulled her into his lap, facing him. Her legs straddled him and his hard cock pressed up between her legs. She pressed her clit against his shaft, moving up and then back, using him for her own pleasure.
The cool night air caused new sensations as her body heated. She rubbed herself against him, coating him with her natural lubricant. She turned her face down toward his for another kiss, sliding her tongue in and out of his mouth seductively. They were both breathing heavily and he put his hands on her ass, pulling her in tight against him and then pushing her back. He broke their kiss to bend his head down and take one of her firm nipples in his mouth. He sucked it in hard and fast, causing her to gasp and then moan.
Branden suddenly stopped and stood them both up in one fluid motion. Then he stepped back and looked at her.
“You are so fucking beautiful,” he said. He reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a condom, which he swiftly put on. Then, reaching around her head, he wrapped his fingers up in her flowing mane of golden hair. He used that hand and her hair to pull her in for a kiss, and then pushed her back again, spun her around, and bent her over the side of the chair. With his hand still entwined in her hair, he pulled her head back and buried his entire length inside her.
Cara cried out in ecstasy as he began plunging in and out of her with such force that the chair wasn’t holding up.
“Hold on, baby,” he said as he stopped and pulled himself out of her. He picked up one of the robes from the ground and draped it over the side of the balcony railing before leaning her face-first against the rail and plunging inside her again. She let out a cry. He didn’t keep her pressed up against the railing long. After several long, hard thrusts, he spun her to face him. “You make me want, Cara. So damn much.”
With a trembling smile, she knelt in front of him, on the robe that was now at his feet. She touched the condom that glistened from being inside her. “Do you have another one of these?”
When he nodded, she slowly rolled off the condom, set it to the side, and opened her mouth. Groaning, he slipped his cock into her mouth. Reaching down, he squeezed her nipples as he thrust in and out of her mouth with almost the same force he’d used when he filled her pussy. Cara sucked in the entire length of him each time, loving the feel of the head of his cock at the back of her throat. She dug her nails into his hard ass with each thrust. Branden began to grunt in rhythm to his thrusts and very quickly was ready to explode. Cara braced herself, but he stopped and pulled her up to his mouth, locking her into another passionate kiss.
He reached down and pinched a nipple, then trailed his mouth down to bite and suck on the other. She moaned with pleasure as he switched and moved his mouth over to the other side. Then he reached down and ran a finger across her clit, making her shive
r violently. He kissed and licked his way down across her abdomen, then plunged his tongue inside. Her legs were shaking so hard she could barely stand. He nudged her back down into the chair, and she sat forward with her legs spread wide to allow him full access. Cara wrapped her fingers in his hair now and used her hands to guide his mouth and tongue to the places that gave her the most pleasure. Branden licked and sucked and nibbled on her clit until she was once again on the verge of an orgasm. Then he stopped.
“More,” she mewled.
He chuckled, then picked her up in his arms. “Oh, Cara, I promise you, sweet one…you’ll get more.”
He carried her inside to the huge bed. He lay her down on her back, produced the second condom, put it on, and climbed on top of her.
He leaned in and kissed her mouth as his cock slipped easily inside her. They moved together until at last settling into a steady rhythm, both of them lost in the sensations that coursed through their bodies, the sounds that each of them were making and the smells of their lovemaking. Soon, Branden’s body tensed and he cupped her butt, pulling her up and into him as he exploded with the orgasm he’d been holding back since she was in the tub.
Cara found her own release and then lay shaking and quivering in his arms until they both fell asleep.
Chapter Twenty
Sunday morning, after a quiet Saturday spent reading, watching movies, and making love to Cara, Branden left a sleeping Cara in bed to work in his office. He received another update from Alex, who was still in Punta Cana and was partying with Dreadlocks and Surfer to the point the other two had passed out, giving Alex the opportunity to search their house. He’d found bonds and texted Branden a picture. There were a lot of them. Branden immediately guessed that the bonds were stolen and that Davies had paid the men to move the bonds in order to cover the trail. According to Alex, the men were headed to Indonesia next, then to California to “catch some swells.”
Branden had read something about drugs being brought into the country inside of hollowed surfboards. Figuring it was worth checking into, he talked to a contact he had at Interpol. Ernest was an agent who’d helped with SEC investigations when money was being illegally traded into different countries. He told him what he thought Davies was up to, and then he texted him the picture of the bonds. Ernest told him that he’d start working on things from his end, trying to find out if a hefty number of bonds had been reported missing or stolen recently.
After Branden finished his call with Ernest, Deena called. “Hey, sorry to bother you on the Lord’s day, although I’m sure you’re only worshipping at the temple of Cara.”
“Did you call just to be sarcastic?”
“No, but that part is a bonus. I called to tell you that I’m brilliant, in case you didn’t know.”
“Of course I knew,” he said. “What are your bragging rights today?”
“The email that Cara supposedly forwarded to Mahoney was routed through her computer, but it originated from an entirely different ISP address. It was crazy hard to figure that out, and someone with lesser abilities might have missed it altogether,” she told him. “That address is the private domain of Larry Gills.”
“Private domain? That would mean it came from his home PC. That derails your theory about Rafe Sampson setting Larry up, doesn’t it?”
“Not necessarily. I still get the feeling Larry’s being duped. Sampson’s smart enough to make it look like that email originated from Larry’s computer. He’d also be smart enough to know Cara would deny sending the email in the first place and that we’d investigate it.”
“So he’s setting Larry up for the fall. What’s our next move?”
“We need Larry’s home computer. Because it’s not at the workplace, we need a warrant. I’ll call you when my department is ready to move. I’d like to be there.”
“Me, too,” Branden told her. “Is it going to happen today, you think?”
“We’ll probably go in next week. I’m going to have them include the office. Even though you can give the okay for us to search the office, he might have personal items like a cellphone, notebook, etc., that I want a look at, too.”
“And what about Sampson?”
“Lee’s been trailing him just like you asked. He got into the office today before 6 a.m. Not too uncommon for an ambitious up and comer but still…”
“Can we name him in the warrant, as well?”
“We have nothing on him. If we could charge him with being a workaholic, they could use that to hang us all.”
“Okay, just keep me posted,” Branden told her.
He hung up and called Lee. “You still on Sampson?”
“Yep. He just stepped into the Bull’s Den.”
“The Bull’s Den on the Green?”
“That’s the one,” Lee said.
“Okay, good. I’ll be there soon. Keep an eye on him, okay?”
“Will do, boss.”
“What about the Bull’s Den?”
Branden turned and found Cara standing in the doorway.
“I was just asking a friend about it. I was thinking of taking you out to lunch, if you’re interested.”
“Mm, yes I am interested,” she said. “And excited! My friend Iris just started working there this week. I think she’s working today.”
“Perfect then,” Branden told her. “Are you ready?”
—
The Bull’s Den really had nothing to do with bulls. It was a metaphor for the “aggressive force on the move” that is Wall Street. When Cara and Branden walked in, Cara saw Iris at the bar, picking up a drink order.
“I’m going to go say hello,” she said.
“Okay, I see someone I need to talk to, as well,” Branden told her. He watched her as she approached Iris, waited until she had a moment, then greeted her friend. Strangely, she reached into her bag and handed Iris what looked like a scarf. Iris laughed, took the scarf, and gave Cara a hug.
With a smile, Branden scanned the restaurant. He saw Rafe Sampson and another man sitting in a booth near the back. He headed over, passing Lee on the way.
Lee was a bigger, slightly more serious version of Alex. Short dark hair. Olive skin. Broad across the chest and shoulders, a little bigger than Alex. No visible tats, though he had several on his back.
Sampson looked up and saw Branden just before he made it to the table. He looked nervous for just a fraction of a second before he caught himself. Putting on a big smile, he stood up and said, “Mr. Duke, I thought that was you. I’ve never seen you in jeans before.”
“Rafe Sampson, right?” Branden asked, acting like he had to think about it.
“Yes,” Sampson said, putting out his hand. “I’m honored that you even know who I am. We only met briefly in a meeting.”
“I remember you,” Branden told him. He actually felt like there was somewhere else he should be remembering him from. He’d seen the guy in the office, but hadn’t paid much attention to him. All of a sudden he got a strong feeling that they’d met before…
Branden wanted to hear him talk again. There was something familiar about the way he moved his mouth. “You and Larry Gills have been teaming up on a lot of projects lately, right?”
“Larry’s been good to me, showing me the ropes.” Sampson glanced at the man sitting with him. “I’m sorry, Mr. Duke. This is Robert Stacks. He’s a good friend and also a mentor to me.”
Branden shook the other man’s hand. “You’re a broker?” Branden asked the other man.
“Retired,” he said. “I teach classes now over at NYU. Rafe here was one of my best and brightest students.”
“Well, I’m glad D&M hired him, then.”
“Can you join us for a drink, Mr. Duke?” Sampson asked.
“Maybe another time,” he told him. “I just wanted to say hello.”
Branden told the other man it was nice meeting him and shook Sampson’s hand again. He went over and found Cara, still talking to Iris. She introduced them and after pleasantries were excha
nged, they took their seats.
Cara glanced over at Sampson and his lunch companion. “Friends of yours?”
“Not at all.”
“Good. Because I have to say…Something about him reminds me a lot of Davies.”
Branden jerked with surprise. “I’ll be damned,” he said. Now that she’d said it, it made sense. Now he had to determine if it was in fact true. He leaned over and kissed Cara on top of her blond head before standing up. “You’re brilliant,” he said with a smile.
“Thanks,” she said, confused. “Where are you going?”
“I need to ask your friend a favor. I’ll be right back.”
He went over to the table that Iris was cleaning off and said, “Hey, Iris.”
“Oh, hey, Branden,” she said.
“I have a really odd favor to ask you.”
She laughed and said, “Odd is my specialty. What’s up?”
“Do you bus all your own tables?”
“Not usually, but the busboy called in sick and they haven’t found a replacement for him yet, so today, yes. Why?”
“Okay, don’t look because I don’t want this guy to know I’m talking about him, but there’s a younger guy in a fancy suit sitting over there in the far back corner with another man. When you pick up his glass, can you hold it by the stem and bring it to me?”
She looked at him curiously and then said, “It sounds so cloak-and-dagger. Sure, I can do that.”
He grinned and said, “There’ll be a nice tip in it for you.”
“That’s even better,” she said.
Branden thanked her and went back to Cara. When he sat down, Cara smiled and asked, “What was that about? Are you hitting on my best friend?”
“Are you kidding? She’s cute, but she’s got nothing on you. No one can compare.”
Cara’s smile widened but she dropped her gaze, as if…embarrassed? Pleased? When she peeked at him from behind her lashes, he figured his second guess was right. She’d not just felt flattered by his honest compliment, she’d taken it to heart.
And that was sweet. Really, really sweet. Her reaction stirred something inside of him, but before he could figure out what it was, Iris came over and they gave her their order. A few minutes after she went to put their order in, Branden saw Sampson and his friend get up. He looked over at Iris who saw them, too; she gave Branden a little nod.
