by Bethany-Kris
Jordyn waved the compliments off, smiling. Lucian could see it in her curious stare, though. She recognized Frank, but it wasn’t clicking straightaway. “Hello.”
“Sit, yeah?”
Frank nodded, pulling off his suit jacket before joining Lucian and Jordyn in their seats. The city pin on his tie glinted under the lighting, and Jordyn noticed it immediately. While the chef brought out the tray of drinks Lucian asked for earlier, Jordyn finally seemed to pick up on just who exactly this man standing across the table from them was. She squeaked low under her breath like a little mouse, her hand in Lucian’s tightening in her surprise.
“Jordyn, meet the Mayor of New York City.”
Jordyn took a moment to speak, glancing between the two men watching her inquiringly. “I think I missed something here.”
Frank chuckled. “No, I can assure you that you have not.”
Lucian did say the man was a high ranking city official.
You couldn’t much higher than the Mayor.
Lucian gestured towards his guest. “Frank has just about everyone in his pocket that he can. Judges, city officials, high-profile families, NYPD Captains all across the city. His family has a long legacy in New York, they’ve long been involved in the shipping district, and own a great portion of it. That helps in certain aspects of our business, needless to say. We’ve found while working together what works for us, often works to his benefit as well. We fund certain campaigns, help to keep the city out of debt, and in return, Frank keeps us … well, kept. It’s a good arrangement.”
“That it is,” Frank agreed, resting into his chair, vodka in his hand. “So, time for business, then?”
“Fun is over, unfortunately,” Lucian replied. “I know you’re running short on time, here.”
“I’ve got a half an hour or so. They watched me walk into a restaurant two blocks away, but they didn’t see me slip out the back and into a personal car. We’re good. Let’s get it done.”
Lucian mimicked Frank’s easygoing pose, but as he leaned back, he pulled Jordyn’s legs up into his lap, resting his hands on her crossed ankles. He stroked her calves while he spoke. She didn’t seemed to mind, and the new position kept her facing him while she sipped on red wine and listened to the conversation.
“The city is about to propose the new budget for their construction plans next year for the older government building renovations, yeah?”
Frank nodded. “Should be crossing the committee next week, actually.”
“What’s the cost estimate so far?”
“Ten million. It’s mostly roof work this time. Nothing excessive.”
“Ten million seems kind of excessive,” Jordyn said quietly. “That’s a big number.”
Frank offered her a shrug in explanation. “Once you factor in contracts and costs for a dozen buildings, it all adds up.”
“It does,” Lucian said. “But it’s always well overestimated, isn’t it?”
“It is,” Frank confirmed.
“Dante and Antony want in on the contractor side of it. At least ten percent of the final cost of the entire contract. Antony guaranteed a fifty percent return for you. When it comes time to draw up the list of contractors for the final job, their company needs to be on it.”
“Five-hundred-thousand isn’t bad,” Frank mused.
Lucian smirked. “Antony takes seventy of anything I, or anyone else makes, so no, it certainly isn’t.”
“A million is hard hide.”
“Then move it around. Ten smaller contracts divided between whatever. They have more than one company able to put their name on the docket. It’s easily hidden that way.”
Just by the distant stare Frank was sporting, Lucian knew he was considering the numbers and proposition of the deal. If it was worth it, if it could work, and how it all needed to be done to the very final end. Frank was particularly good with numbers and decisions. It wasn’t the first time they’d made one like this.
Staying silent to give the man his time to think, Lucian skimmed his hand up to Jordyn’s knee before rubbing back down to her ankle in the same, slow manner. That wine glass of hers tilted up to her lips once more to hide her growing grin.
Lucian had to admit he liked her there, listening and learning like she was. There were some aspects of their business better seen than talked about. This happened to be one of them.
“We can do that,” Frank finally said. “Gio and you aren’t looking to get in on this I take it?”
“No,” Lucian responded. “We like the shipping district, as we always have.”
“Ah, and that’s what I’m waiting for. Dates?”
“Next month. Three shipments will be coming in during the last week. Could be any day that week, depending on the weather,” Lucian explained. “Security needs to be loosened up in the west docks.”
“And me?” Frank asked outright.
“One-hundred per shipment, and I want them all in and out of the area before it’s paid.”
“That’s feasible. I’ll work the details out, and give you a call for confirmation. Anything else?”
Lucian shook his head, taking a quick drink of his Grey Goose. “No, but thank you for coming.”
“Always good to do business with you, Lucian. God knows the Marcellos are easier to work with than some of the more legitimate deals.”
“Well, that’s because we know what we want right from the start. Say hello to your wife for my mother, Frank.”
Frank smiled. “Will do.”
When Frank was gone out the back of the restaurant, and the chef had come out to refill their glasses, Jordyn shot Lucian with a sly smile. “Did I just watch you extort a piece of a construction contract for the city?”
“Something like that.”
Jordyn snorted. “It’s kind of like getting your name on a party invite list because you know someone up high, not because you were actually invited or anyone wants you there.”
“Except we’re not going to the party,” Lucian said indifferently.
“Oh?”
“Nope. On paper, it looks like we are. In actuality, we never show up.”
“So you’re saying …” Jordyn tilted her head to the side, considering. “Really?”
“Sì, amore. Antony and Dante just pulled in a five-hundred-thousand dollar payday and they won’t do a thing but have a cover company sign the paperwork. Brilliant, isn’t it?”
Jordyn laughed. “It’s so disgustingly corrupt.”
“Welcome to our New York, sweetheart.”
Lucian went back to the paperwork he still needed to finish before they could leave, keeping his eye on Jordyn all the while. There were ulterior motives behind him wanting her to sit in on his meeting with the Mayor, and that was mostly to gauge her reactions to some of his family’s more unethical dealings with people who were intended to be very ethical. After all, they weren’t just well-dressed drug dealers. There was a hell of a lot going on behind the scenes, too.
With her wine glass tipped up high to finish off the last bit of the red liquid, she was still sporting a sly, almost private, grin. Clearly she wasn’t any worse for wear over the meeting. She certainly wasn’t running for the hills, anyway. That said something.
Once again, Jordyn surprised him, but Lucian shouldn’t have been. She was proving to be more than capable of handling his lifestyle and profession.
Strangely, Lucian found he was turned on like nothing else because of that fact. It certainly helped that he had a great view of her shapely legs resting across his lap and he always did have a thing for women in heels. The pants he wore did little to hide the length of his cock already beginning to harden, though Jordyn’s attention was fully diverted from him for the moment.
Something was wrong with him, surely. It wasn’t like he cared.
Feeding into that hunger with her was as natural as breathing.
Lucian couldn’t stop himself from letting his hand roam back up her calf and over her knee before moving under her dress to the insi
de of her thigh. The smooth silkiness of her skin against his palm was divine. Instead of drawing his hand back down like before, Lucian left it on her thigh, squeezing firmly. Then, he roamed a little higher until the silk of her thong was just at the edges of his fingers.
Jordyn’s wine glass was set to the table as her thighs clenched around his hand, preventing him from continuing his exploration. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Lucian grinned down at his papers. “Feeling you.”
“Not here you’re not,” she half whispered, shooting a glance towards the kitchen area. “The chef—”
“Is well aware I don’t like to be bothered after meetings and is busy getting his stations prepped for his shift. He won’t even expect me to say goodbye when we leave.”
Jordyn whimpered a sexy sound when the tips of his fingers skimmed under her thong, feeling the soft, trimmed patch of hair that led to her sweetest spot. “Couldn’t we just … get out of here?”
Lucian chuckled, shaking his head. “Oh, bella mia. The reason we’re not already out of here is because I’ve been far too distracted staring at you and wishing I’d fucked you this morning to get my work done before my meeting. It’s really your fault if you think about it.”
Finally, her legs opened just enough to let his hand continue. Slowly, he slipped further between her thighs to cup her sex, stroking the silken, fleshy lips of her pussy and feeling her shudder at the action. Already he could feel her pussy was hot and wet under his touch, and it only made him that much harder at the thought.
“My fau—” Jordyn’s words were swallowed by a moan as Lucian’s fingertips brushed over the hood of her clit with barely any pressure at all. “Lucian!”
“Hmm?”
“God, you’re awful,” she groaned, cheeks turning the prettiest shade of pink.
“Sure, but it’ll be damn good for you, beautiful.”
The second time, the pad of his thumb circled her throbbing little nub before sweeping open the lips of her sex to slip down to the entrance of her sex. There, he let his thumb slide into her clenching channel, feeling her muscles hug the one digit and wet him with her juices.
“Your thong is drenched,” Lucian told her, letting only his thumb massage her inner walls. Every stroke of the digit was answered by her sex clamping around him, arousal soaking him more, and breathy pants. “You’re body responds so well to me, Jordyn. Feel that?”
Jordyn sighed, rolling her hips into his hand as the heel of her left pump bit into his thigh. She spread her legs open a bit more, a shake rocking her thighs. Being a lefty was sure coming in handy for Lucian. He pretended to flip through his papers with his left hand while his right worked her sex into a fever.
She was trying damn hard to keep her noises down given the way her teeth were cutting into her bottom lip. Lucian didn’t like that at all.
“You’re going to draw blood, sweetheart. Stop, or I will.”
Jordyn’s eyes flicked up to meet his, her teeth releasing her bottom lip. “Don’t stop.”
Satisfaction curled through Lucian like a drug. Still, he wanted to see more from her.
“Help me, Jordyn,” Lucian demanded, letting his thumb slide out of her wet sex only long enough to be replaced by two fingers. The way she sunk into the chair, her back arching and heels pressing into his leg said she liked that a lot. “Get your hand down here and show me what you like. Hurry before I change my mind.”
Jordyn mewled, air rushing from her lungs in a whoosh. “Jesus, I—”
“Ah, ah, ah.” Lucian’s fingers stopped their thrusts into her pussy, curling upwards sharply without warning, finding the spot inside her walls that made her gush every time he hit it. Jordyn’s entire body jerked at the rough stimulation to her G-spot. “Help me now, or I stop.”
She didn’t waste any time getting her own hand down under her dress after that. Jordyn lifted her hips off the chair high enough to bunch the lower half of the dress up to her hips. It allowed Lucian a view of her soaked thong and his hand beneath it. Using his thumb, he hooked the silk fabric of her underwear and moved it over, holding it there so he could watch his fingers plunge into her pussy over and over.
“There, that’s better,” Lucian said, leaning back into his chair as Jordyn’s hand skipped between her thighs. Her index finger pushed into her pussy alongside his fingers, gathering wetness to draw up to her clit. Repeatedly, she let her digit roll over her clit before sliding back down to thrust in with his two. The tremors rocking her legs only seemed to increase with every encouraging curl of his fingertips into her clenching walls. “Pink and swollen. Wet and throbbing. Perfect. How long do you think you’ll last, huh?”
“Not long,” Jordyn whined, her palm coming up to her mouth, muffling the throaty moan she released. “Faster, please.”
Lucian gave into her request, thoroughly enjoying the sounds of her pussy sucking in his fingers and the faintest smell of her arousal beginning to saturate the air. He loved fucking her with his fingers, because it only got her raging with desire for more of him later.
Goddamn it, his cock was so hard it hurt. Talk about being swollen.
“Hurry, then,” Lucian said, unable to keep the lustful gruffness from his tenor. “So I can get you in the backseat of my car in five minutes to fuck you properly.”
When the walls of her core began to flutter around his fingers and her teeth bit into her palm, Lucian knew he had her. It didn’t take him five minutes to get her into the car, either.
Chapter Fourteen
“Lucian, just listen to me for—”
“I said no, Jordyn!”
Like his tone, the words were just as sharp and might as well have cracked over Jordyn’s entire body like a slap. The last thing expected to hear from this man was him yelling at her, or being as angry with her as he seemed to be, for that matter.
Still, Jordyn wasn’t about to stand there and take it, either. Especially not about something this stupid.
“You don’t get to tell me what I can or can’t do, or where I can and can’t go. I’m not a child, Lucian.”
“Then stop acting like one,” Lucian growled.
Jordyn’s spine snapped ramrod straight at that statement. “Is that how you see this? Childish? Why, because I’m six years younger than you, so you must be more intelligent than I am when it comes to this? Newsflash, Lucian, I’ve spent just as much time on those streets as you have. The only difference is I’m not wearing two-thousand dollar suits while I do it!”
“Really? Because the clothes you’re wearing right now cost that much at least,” he bit back, eyes blazing into hers with his rage simmering bright. “And don’t think for one second if you waltz your pretty ass down to that side of Brooklyn someone isn’t going to fucking notice it, too. I’d bet every dime I have that cocksucker has eyes all over those streets and you wouldn’t last five minutes back there. What do you think he’d do to you, huh? Tell me, sweetheart. Kill me with it. Come on.”
A noise caught in Jordyn’s throat, harsh and painful. It wasn’t even the threat of Will Vetta and his people that she heard, but the blatant shot at money. Sure, her’s might have come first, but there was a huge difference between Lucian and Jordyn. He wasn’t living off her, and regardless of how vehemently she tried to refuse the things he called necessities, Lucian brushed her rebuttals off and might as well have ignored her when she said no more.
It was just barely a month and a half into their sometimes awkward, but mostly good arrangement. Lucian didn’t talk about The Sons of Hell, or whatever was going on in the regard. Repeatedly, he told her not to worry about it. Fact was, she couldn’t.
Being in his Manhattan condo gave Jordyn a great deal of insight into Lucian’s daily life. He was busy constantly, more so than she really knew before. The two cell phones in his pockets never stopped ringing for more than a few minutes. It was no wonder his office space was in the kind of disarray it was, because he would only start something in there and then have to lea
ve it twenty minutes later.
Twice earlier in the week, Jordyn awoke to find him gone with nothing but a note on the bedside table to say he’d be back soon. There was no other explanation. It was disconcerting and worrying.
Lucian didn’t owe her anything, and Jordyn knew that. Even still, Jordyn wanted to do something. Normal things. Have a job. Go outside for a walk. Be able to have a conversation with this man about her apartment in Brooklyn without it turning into World War Three. After his comment about her clothes, Jordyn’s irritation blew to a level she couldn’t handle.
“Go to hell,” Jordyn spat. “I won’t do this with you, Lucian. Not sleep in your bed, and be your paid whore. I don’t give a fuck who you are, I’d rather be dead.”
Lucian froze in his trek towards the elevator. It allowed him in and out of his condo without a hallway that connected to a floor with other apartments. He spun on his heel so fast Jordyn didn’t even have time to blink.
“What did you just say to me?” he asked, a choked echo following his words.
Then, she stepped back further from him, needing to move away. Maybe it was out of an old instinct, but using disrespect like that towards the men that surrounded her daily before would earn her nothing less than a hard slap.
“Is that what you think you are to me, my whore?”
Jordyn swallowed the lump forming so she could talk and moved another step back. “I—”
“Stop moving away from me like I’m going to attack you! I haven’t once touched you to hurt you!”
Beating down the urge to get away from his anger was easier said than done. Somehow, Jordyn did it. “I know, I’m so—”
“Save it,” Lucian cut in, sounding cruel. “If that’s how you feel about this, like you’re my live-in, paid and kept whore, then that can be fixed, sweetheart. Real fucking fast.”
Jordyn tipped her chin up, staring him straight on. “Threats don’t scare me, Lucian.”
“That’s not a threat. If you haven’t figured out how much I need you around me, you are never going to. Or maybe I took a wrong turn somewhere over the last month and a half and got your signals and mine mixed up somehow. What a goddamn shame. We were doing so well, too.”
