by Chris Taylor
Will stood and drew close. Bending low, he pressed a soft kiss on her lips. “Let’s not worry about it right now. Finish your drink so we can go inside. I think it’s well past time I ravished your body again.”
CHAPTER 23
Saturday morning
Vince Maranoa’s lip curled upwards in a feral snarl. Anger coursed through him. His fist clenched around the newspaper in his hand. It infuriated him when his orders were ignored. He snatched up his cell and punched in a number.
“What the fuck, Max? You told me you’d deal with the bitch. You’ve fuckin’ let her write another story. What the fuck is this shit? She’ll have every copper in Sydney on my tail if she keeps this up.”
“I’m sorry, Vince,” came the sniveling reply. “I couldn’t help it. She went against my express instructions to leave the Black Opal alone. When she told me she’d been back, I ripped her head off.”
“She’s on your fuckin’ payroll, Max. You’re the boss. She does what you say. She writes what you tell her to write and at the end of the day, if it doesn’t fuckin’ work like that, then what the fuck are you doin’ there?”
“I’m sorry, Vince. I truly am. But the girl’s right. It’s a hot story. I took a call from Reid Marchant late Thursday, after I’d spoken to you. Reid owns the paper. He called me personally to make sure I was going to do a follow-up. I sure as hell couldn’t argue with him. He would have asked too many questions if I hadn’t run it. You’ll have to keep your head down until it blows over.”
“Don’t fuckin’ tell me what to do, Max. There’s no way in the world this is goin’ to blow over. You’ve already told me this bitch has gone to the cops. We’ll be crawlin’ with pigs and it’ll be all your fault. We got lucky the last time they raided us. They didn’t find the cellar. But there’s no way I’m riskin’ it a second time. You can bet your ass they’re not gonna go away empty handed a second time. I’m gonna have to move the shit. Find somewhere safer to store it. This is gonna fuckin’ cost you, Max. You mark my word.”
“I have an idea,” Max exclaimed. “Take it to the warehouse in Surry Hills. The place is virtually empty. It’s been a dumping ground for dinosaur printing presses and other junk for years. You might have to clean it up a bit, but it’s yours if you want to use it. No one will guess you’re storing gear at a newspaper warehouse.”
Vince went silent. His brain ticked frantically in time with his pulse.
It could work. Fuck, yeah, it was brilliant. He curbed his enthusiasm before he spoke again. No sense having Max feel like all was forgiven.
“The Daily Mirror warehouse, you say? Who has access to it?”
“I do, of course and I assume Reid does. I’m not sure if there’s anyone else, but the place hasn’t been used for years. You’ll wade through a foot of dust just to get in there.”
Excitement leaped in Vince’s veins. He knew the warehouse Max referred to. It sounded perfect. Situated in an area surrounded by a lot of similar warehouses, the comings and goings of delivery trucks wouldn’t necessarily arouse suspicion. Max was fuckin’ brilliant. Not that he’d tell him that.
“It sounds like it might work out, at least in the short term. It has to be better than leavin’ it here. I expect I’ll be served with another fuckin’ search warrant any day.”
“I’m sorry, Vince, I really am. It won’t happen again. I promise.”
“That’s what you fuckin’ said last time,” Vince growled. “What’s the bitch’s name, anyway?”
“S-Savannah O’Neill. She’s only been here six months.”
“Six months too long from the sound of it. Leave her to me, Max. I’ll deal with her.”
“W-what are you going to do?” Max sounded fearful.
Vince grinned. “Don’t you worry your fuckin’ little head over it, Max. I’m all over it.”
Vince ended the call and swore long and loudly, excitement warring with relief. He’d found a solution to his problem. Who’d have thought Fat Max would come to his rescue? It had never been that way before.
Not wishing to waste another second, he spun on his heel and strode into the main room of the brothel. Georgie stood behind the bar, polishing glasses. He worked a cloth into the narrow openings, his thick biceps bulging from the effort.
“Where the fuck is the Kid?” Vince growled.
Georgie looked up and shrugged. “I don’t know, boss. Last I saw him, he was with the new girl. She might only be fifteen, but she has the sweetest ass—”
Vince swung around and headed through the staff door that led to the bedrooms. The first two rooms were empty. Most of the girls took time to shower and rest or launder their clothes prior to another night on the job. He opened the third door. Two girls were sprawled across the bed, asleep. Vince nodded his approval; they’d be ready to face another busy Saturday night.
The fourth door was locked. He tugged out a set of keys from his pocket and fitted the right key to the lock. The door knob opened easily under his hand.
The room was dimly lit by a pair of lamps that stood on nightstands either side of the king-sized bed. Billy’s bare ass moved up and down in rhythm with his cock as he plunged it in and out of the new girl. She stared at the ceiling, almost oblivious to the man between her legs.
Vince’s cock grew hard. He hadn’t had a fuck all week. He’d been too wound up about the fuckin’ journalist who’d had the balls to infiltrate his domain. The thought of the little bitch—Savannah O’Neill, Max had said—sent a rush of blood straight to his groin. His cock swelled even further and pressed against his jeans.
Billy groaned and collapsed on top of the girl beneath him. Vince popped open the button on his jeans and slid down his zipper.
“I hope she was fuckin’ worth it, Kid. You know you’re only allowed to fuck ’em on your own time.”
Billy leaped off the girl like he’d been shot. His eyes were wide with fear until he spied Vince with his cock in his hand.
“Sorry, boss. She has such a sweet pussy, I couldn’t resist.” His gaze rested on the engorged shaft in Vince’s hand. “I’m-I’m happy to share.”
A bark of laughter exploded from Vince’s chest. “Share? You’re a fuckin’ cheeky bastard. I fuckin’ own that pussy. Now fuck off out of here so I can have a go at her. Don’t go too far away. I’m not through with you, yet,” he growled.
Billy tugged up his pants and slipped through the doorway. Vince strode over to the bed and picked up a whip from the nightstand. His chat with Billy could wait. Right now, there was a more important matter to attend to.
* * *
Dylan tossed the raw scotch down his throat and grimaced. The fiery liquid burned all the way down to his stomach and still didn’t go far enough to ease the dread that had cemented itself in his gut.
“Take it easy, Kid,” Georgie muttered. “You’ll be passed out on the floor by the time Vince gets back. Then he will be pissed.”
Dylan glanced at the barman and shook his head. “Fuck, he scared the shit out of me when he barged into that room. I still had my cock in her. I thought I was a dead man. Do you know why he wants to see me?”
Georgie shook his head. “Nope, only that he tore in here yelling for you, looking fit to be tied. When I told him you were out the back, he stormed off. That was the last I seen of him.”
Dylan lowered his head and stared at the polished timber bar. Vince would be out any minute and he was still no closer to knowing what had fired the man up. The door swung inward. Vince stepped into the bar area, still adjusting his jeans. He spied Dylan at the bar and a feral gleam glinted in his eyes. Dylan’s belly took a nosedive.
“Kid, come over here.”
Refusing to show his fear, Dylan emptied the rest of his glass in a single swallow and stood. Pushing away from the barstool, he met Vince at the end of the bar.
“What’s up, boss?”
A meaty fist flew toward him. Pain exploded in his mouth. Blood poured from a gash on his lip where his teeth had cut through. His
hand pressed to the wound in an effort to stem the blood.
“Shit, Vince. What did you go and do that for?”
“That’s for bein’ caught fuckin’ on the job. You were told when you first started here it was against the rules.”
Dylan held his hands up in surrender. “Okay, I’m sorry. The little slut kept coming on to me, rubbing herself against me like a bitch in heat. In the end, I had to fuck her just to get her away from me. It won’t happen again, I promise.”
Vince gave him a hard look. “It better not. Now, I have another job for you. There’s a little bitch who works for the Daily Mirror—Savannah O’Neill’s her name. She’s causing trouble, big time.”
Shock immobilized him, even though he’d been expecting it. His heart thudded. His mouth fell open. He closed it in a hurry and his teeth clicked from the effort. Fresh pain surged through his jaw. He blinked back the sting of tears and did his best to concentrate on Vince’s words.
“Her stories are stirrin’ up a fuckin’ hornet’s nest. The coppers will be all over us. I want you to help me move the gear. Then you’re goin’ to find this bitch and get rid of her.” Vince’s gaze narrowed on his face. “Understand?”
Dylan nodded. He had to tell him. Blood pulsed in his ears. “Vince, the girl—Savannah—she’s—she’s my sister,” he blurted out.
Surprise flared in Vince’s eyes and then it was replaced with laughter. “Your sister, eh? That’s fuckin’ fantastic! I guess you’ll have no problem findin’ her then.”
Dylan dropped his gaze.
“Will you, Kid?” The threat in Vince’s voice was unmistakable.
Nausea churned in Dylan’s gut and dread weighed down his limbs, but he knew what he had to do. In the end, he had no choice. He’d known that all along. He raised his gaze to Vince.
“Oh yeah, I know where to find her.”
* * *
Savannah awoke to the sound of Will in the shower and the smell of percolated coffee wafting through the air. A glance at the clock told her it was almost nine. She stretched in the luxurious bed. It was the weekend and she was with the man of her dreams. Apart from her niggling doubt about Dylan, life couldn’t get any better.
The water stopped running. She scooted out of bed and wrapped the sheet around her. Will, naked and steaming, stepped out of the bathroom toweling himself dry. Her eyes drank him in.
“Good morning.”
“Morning, gorgeous.” He smiled and leaned over to give her a quick kiss. “How’d you sleep?”
“Great.” She couldn’t wipe the goofy grin off her face. She couldn’t help it. If it hadn’t been for her concerns about Dylan and the fact she still hadn’t heard from him, she’d be on top of the world.
He grinned back at her. “Glad to hear it. You ready for a shower?”
“Yes, that’d be great.”
“Help yourself to a clean towel. Unless of course, you’d rather use mine,” he teased.
“A clean one would be great.”
“And here I thought you couldn’t get enough of me.”
Sauntering closer, she planted a kiss on his mouth. “You’re right, of course. It’s true. I can’t get enough of you. But your towel is looking decidedly damp and you need to know this about me—I can’t stand soggy towels.”
Will laughed. “Use as many as you like. I have a lady who comes in and does the laundry.” His eyes glinted wickedly. “She’ll know right away I’ve had someone stay over.”
Savannah blushed and dropped her gaze. “I’ve never been that kind of girl.”
He grinned. “Then lucky for me you’re a fast learner.” He leaned in close and kissed her. “You’d better get into that shower before we get distracted.”
* * *
Having worn her work clothes on Will’s yacht the day before, they were now stiff with salt spray. Reluctant to drag them on again, Savannah opened a drawer in his bedroom and stared at the neat array of folded T-shirts and shorts that greeted her. She selected a pair of drawstring board shorts and a plain white T-shirt.
With no other choice, she put her bra on, but decided to go commando under the shorts. There was no way she was going to wear twice-used panties, despite the fact there was a very real chance that the oversized shorts would fall off.
She’d have to go back to her condo after breakfast and get a change of clothes, or three. No doubt there would be more sleepovers in the weeks to come. Excitement and happiness bubbled up inside her.
She padded barefoot into the kitchen where Will was pouring coffee. He turned and caught sight of her. Taking in her ensemble, he gave her an approving wink. “How does fresh coffee sound?”
“Mm it sounds heavenly.”
He picked up the pot of coffee and filled another mug. “Milk? Sugar?”
“Milk, one sugar, thanks.” She watched while he fixed the coffee. Noting that he added nothing to his, she smiled. “You take it black, I gather?”
He nodded, handing her one of the mugs. “What would you like to do for breakfast? We can go up to North Sydney, if you like, or there’s a nice little café in Kirribilli. It’s not far from here. They do a great eggs Benedict.”
“I love eggs benedict. I bet we can even walk from here.”
“Ah, so you know Bobbi’s then?”
“Of course.”
He laughed. “That’s right, you live nearby. You must show me your condo.”
“I was thinking the same thing a moment ago.” Looking down at her clothes, she grinned. “I think I need to get a change of clothes before I have a wardrobe malfunction.”
He gave her a slow once-over, lingering on her breasts which were clearly outlined beneath the T-shirt. His eyes darkened to cobalt.
“You look just fine to me and you definitely won’t hear any complaints if your shorts just happen to fall off.”
“Ah, but you don’t realize I’m not wearing any panties. It could be very embarrassing if the shorts were to come down while we were out at breakfast.”
“No panties?” His eyes sparkled with mischief. “Really?”
Coming up close beside her, he slipped his hand down the waistband which was still loose around her middle, despite the drawstring.
Inching his hand lower, his fingers tangled in the curls between her legs. He groaned with appreciation.
“Mm.” He stroked her soft folds. “How hungry did you say you were?”
She laughed, the sound of it low and husky. “I didn’t, actually. But now you mention it, I’m feeling rather famished.” She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down for a kiss. She pressed herself against him, making her meaning perfectly clear.
Removing his hand, Will pulled her into his hard embrace. He thrust his tongue inside her mouth, deepening the kiss. Savannah kissed him back, loving the feel of his lips on hers. She slipped her hands under his shirt and tugged him closer and then caressed the bare skin of his back.
He lifted her onto the countertop and spread her legs until he stood between them, his lips still fused to hers. When at last they broke apart, they fought to catch their breath.
“God, what are you doing to me, woman?” His words were growled low in his throat. He grabbed her T-shirt and pulled it over her head.
A few seconds later, his shirt joined hers on the floor. He unclasped her bra. Her breasts jiggled and bounced.
“I don’t think I’m ever going to get tired of looking at you.”
Savannah’s breath hitched. Her heart thumped at the need in his eyes. She reached out to him. He lowered his head and his lips captured hers in a searing kiss of possession. She returned it with fiery passion, moaning when his hand cupped her bare breast and tweaked her nipple.
“Lift your butt,” he urged and took hold of the board shorts and tugged them off. Working the button and zip on his denim shorts, he shucked them, along with his boxers, until he stood naked before her.
With a groan he spun on his heel and headed down the hall. “Stay right whe
re you are,” he threw over his shoulder.
Within moments, he returned brandishing a condom. His cock strained, thick and hard. After sheathing himself, he grabbed her hips and drew her forward until the tip of his erection touched her wetness. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she took hold of his arms and braced herself as he plunged into her.
Again and again, his cock stroked her, his rhythm alternating between short and hard to achingly long and deep. Staring into his eyes, her climax gathered momentum. She reached the summit and toppled over, crying out from the sheer relief of it.
Will’s thrusts came faster and harder. His eyes were almost black with desire. Savannah clung to him, reveling in the tension in his face. Passion finally overtook him and he collapsed against her.
A few moments later, he pulled back and grinned down at her where she lay sprawled over the countertop.
“You are so bad, Red. This is all your fault; I can’t keep my hands off you.”
“It’s not all my fault. You’re the one who keeps pulling my clothes off.”
His eyes widened innocently. “Only because you told me you weren’t wearing any panties.”
She grinned, drawing herself up until she sat with her legs dangling over the side of the countertop, unable to believe how comfortable she felt with him. “So…what was that about breakfast?”
CHAPTER 24
Will was pleased to discover Bobbi’s was almost empty when they finally made their way to the café. Most of the breakfast crowd had gone and only a few late risers filled the tables. Taking a seat at one of the outdoor tables, he handed Savannah a menu.
“What are you having?” he asked after a few minutes.
“I’m trying to decide between the bacon and eggs with sausages and hash browns or the pancakes with strawberries and cream.”
His eyebrows flew up in surprise. “Way to go. I like a girl with a healthy appetite.”
“You won’t get any argument from me.” She grinned. “Unfortunately, I’ve never been one of those lucky girls who could get by on the whiff of a lettuce leaf. I need to eat real food.”
