by Lora Ann
I bowed my head with self-loathing and murmured, “No. It wasn’t.”
“Ah, E,” she sighed with understanding. I couldn’t get more involved with Lacey outside of assisting her in the search for her sister. Men like me weren’t given precious jewels like her. Now steal them, absolutely. Though, I couldn’t bring myself to do that to her. She deserved the white picket fence, several healthy babies, stability and happiness—to be admired and treasured above all else. Not a prize, or more accurately, not a pirate’s booty. I was not the gentleman in this metaphor. No, I was the rogue, the scoundrel. What the hell am I doing?
Lacey’s voice pulled me from my reverie. “Hi,” she greeted us with a blush on her cheeks.
She stood there in yoga pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt. God, she was so adorable. Too sweet for the likes of me. But that didn’t stop me from reaching up and lacing my fingers with hers. “Please, have a seat.” She sat down next to me and, to my great pleasure, continued holding my hand.
Aimee’s gaze caught our joined hands before she started, “I’ve done a little investigating through some friends of friends.”
I knew she had contacted Renée, who was her best friend back in New York. She was also the one who had introduced Aimee into the life of an escort. As of now, she wasn’t practicing her trade. No, she was playing house with a very famous basketball player. Still, she had plenty of contacts. Together, she and Aimee had done a little recognizance of their own. Shit. If Nik found out, he’d kick my ass. Leveling a look at my sister I inquired, “Find out anything useful?”
She lifted her chin. “Yeah, I did. But if you’re going to get all caveman on me, I won’t share it.”
“Bitch,” I muttered without heat, which brought a little smile to her beautiful face. While Aimee knew I meant nothing by the terminology, Lacey didn’t.
“Even,” she hissed while releasing my hand. “That was uncalled for.”
Aimee jumped to my defense. “Lacey, he didn’t mean it disrespectfully.”
“Oh,” she responded with confusion knitting her brow.
Without forethought, I traced a finger along the deep crinkle between her eyes. She began to relax and turned towards me. “Sorry.”
“No need to apologize, smukka.”
Her head tilted to the side. “What does that mean?”
Aimee chimed in, “It’s Norwegian. Although terms of endearment are not used in Norway for adults, E and Nik tend to use them anyway.”
“What does Nik call you?” I could hear her genuine interest.
“Lille—which translates to little one.”
Lacey grinned, “It’s fitting.” Her intent gaze held mine. I waited for her to ask what I had just said to her, but she didn’t. Part of me was disappointed by that.
Aimee broke the silence with, “So there’s this club you all should check on.”
I shot her a look. She didn’t need me to voice my concern. “I have no intentions on joining you. So drop the whole protection crap.”
“Hell,” I chuckled, “Nik really does have his hands full when it comes to you.”
“Damn straight,” she fired back with a wink.
She proceeded to fill us in on what she and Renée had uncovered. It was good information, and I knew exactly who to call to get us in. Tomorrow night was our first night to play our roles. Unsure if I was excited, or nervous. One thing was certain, everything was about to change. For the good or bad? Well, that would reveal itself in due time.
Chapter Seventeen
Lacey
Even insisted on driving me to my hotel. I admit, the sweet silver Veyron was an incredible treat. The interior was rich black leather and I leaned my head back in the seat as he expertly navigated the winding streets of San Francisco. I must’ve dozed off because E was leaning over me and gently shaking my shoulder. “Hey, sweetness. We’re here.”
My eyes popped open as a valet approached the door. I looked at E and asked, “Where are we? This isn’t my hotel.”
His smug smile caught me off guard. “It is now.”
The door opened and E held up his hand in a just-a-minute gesture. The valet took the cue and took a step backwards, turning his head to give us a modicum of privacy. I snapped out, “What did you do?”
E tried to hold my hand, but I pulled it out of his grasp. “I arranged for your relocation to Aimee and Nik’s hotel,” he spoke matter-of-factly.
“I didn’t realize they owned one,” I pointed out.
“They own many world-wide.” There was a little glint in his eyes, which made me think a story was behind this. Hmm…another thing I had to ask Aimee about. While I was flattered, I was also irked that he had presumed to move my stuff and me without getting my permission. Ire won as I hissed, “And you couldn’t ask because…”
“Easier to apologize than ask for permission, Lacey.” Jerk actually chuckled. The desire to slap that smirk off his face was overwhelming. My hand flinched as he glanced down and captured it in his. “Would you really go through with it?”
How did he know? Grr! The man was infuriating. “When it comes to you, I just might,” I confessed, knowing he hadn’t missed that he brought out emotions in me I was unfamiliar with.
He leaned in and, against my ear, whispered, “Careful.”
That should not have aroused me! Yet it had—in more ways than one. “Next time you make a decision in regards to me, ask first,” I firmly declared as I pulled away from him to leave the car.
I thought he would try to yank me back. Instead he affirmed, “I’ll pick you up at six tomorrow night.”
I had made it outside the car and had to bend over to continue talking to him. “Why so early?”
“Dinner, of course.” He revved the engine as I slammed the door before he took off.
Damn man had some nerve assuming I would just jump whenever he said. I marched inside and retrieved the key to my new room. I shouldn’t have been surprised that I was in the penthouse suite.
As I took in the lavish room, I pulled out my cell and sent a text to Aimee.
Need to talk. Can you do lunch at the hotel?
The reply came back quickly.
Sure thing. How about one o’clock?
When I strolled into the massive bedroom, I saw the alarm clock on the bedside table. Wow, it was already four in the morning. I sent back my confirmation.
See u then.
Before I stepped into the shower, my phone vibrated with another text message. I quickly glanced at it and gasped when I saw the name: Even.
I’m sorry for ordering you around. I will work on asking.
Despite my anger, I smiled. He would try for me. Really? What more could I ask of him? I knew it wasn’t who he was. He was dominating, powerful, and demanded respect. While I could understand that, he needed to ease up on me and learn that patience was necessary. I replied:
I don’t want you to change who you are. Just please be more understanding.
Instantly my cell vibrated.
I will for you.
As if I wasn’t already struggling with my feelings regarding him, he had to go and show that kind side again. I sent back one more text.
Okay. G’night.
I slipped underneath the hot stream of water and cleared my thoughts, relaxing. There was plenty of time to worry about things later. Right now, I needed to wash off the smell of the club and get some much needed rest. One thing I’d learned already, I had to fire on all pistons when it came to Even Strand.
*****
The next day proved unending in more ways than one. First, there was the anxiety mixed with anticipation in regards to seeing Even later. Second, my nightmare I’d had wouldn’t release me from its sharp claws. An image of Keeley strapped down on a table of horrors was too much for my brain to compute. Things were dark and dank, not to mention the monster looming over her in a leather mask. That particular visual haunted me the most. What if these weren’t just dreams? Suppose they were events actually taking place? T
hose twin intuitions were the hardest for me to process. How could I possibly help her? The need to find her only ramped up my fears, along with my guilt. Yes, I felt guilty because of my expectations of spending more time with E. Selfish didn’t even begin to cover it. Again, the knowledge that I should not get involved with any man, let alone a man like him. Was I being judgmental of his lifestyle? Or was this self-preservation at its finest? Neither mattered in the big scheme of things, love interests just didn’t fit in at this point in time. No matter how much I wished they could. Besides, my more reasonable side knew E would be pure carnal pleasure, not love. He’d told me that himself, and I had no doubt he meant it.
After a pitiful attempt at trying to distract myself, I decided a swim might help clear my head, or, at the very least, relax me a little. Once I donned my swimsuit, I slipped on a cover-up and headed out. Anytime I grew agitated, some form of exercise always helped me regain perspective. By lap six, I was beginning to have a clearer outlook of the situation.
Dinner with E would be twofold: We would discuss our plan of action, and get the necessary information from Aimee on our contact. Still, I was blown away at her willingness to put herself on the line like this. It was a no-brainer that Nik would be pissed off at her involvement. And if I read him correctly, E would be in no little trouble himself for allowing Aimee to participate in any shape, form, or fashion. Let me just say this, Nik was a huge, formidable man. I did not want to be on the receiving end of his wrath. No doubt his anger would be epic. Not that I could really blame him. Aimee had a known stalker. You just shouldn’t mess around with someone watching your every move. Although, she seemed to think she wasn’t in any danger. I had to wonder if that was more wishful thinking on her part than fact.
I swam for a good hour before going back to my suite. When I began to change out of my swimsuit, I noticed a large box tied with a red ribbon sitting on the bed. Curiosity got the best of me, so I wrapped a towel around myself and opened it. A gasp of surprise escaped as I inspected the contents. A black, front-drape tube, designer dress greeted me. It was just this side of appropriate. Without forethought, I pulled the dress out and walked over to the full-length mirror in the corner of the room. Holding it up against my body, I could see how it would barely hit me mid-thigh. I peeked at the size, and sure enough, it was accurate. How would someone know that? I pivoted to go hunt for some kind of clue as to who had sent me such a sexy gift. Somehow, I had missed the gorgeous four-inch, one-strapped sandals tucked inside. But all of that didn’t matter when I saw the velvet box lying there. As I lifted the lid, an exquisite pearl choker greeted me. The magnificent, horizontally-set, oval-cut aquamarine drew my eye. Upon further inspection, I noticed the circular diamonds above and below, along with rubies on either side, all set in gold. The four strands of pearls each one spaced by a gold rondelle, giving it a look of elegance. My mouth actually gaped open. It took a couple of tries to close it again. Good heavens. Who would have done this?
I sat down heavily onto the bed and that was when I saw the business card. Even’s name was in a black bold—just like the man— font across gray background. His mesmerizing silver eyes instantly came to mind. I turned the card over and on the back was written in masculine script.
________________________________________
Make sure you’re wearing only the dress and heels when my driver picks you up at seven thirty sharp. Sorry about moving dinner to a later time. Something came up. Bring the choker, but do NOT put it on.
________________________________________
A smile spread across my face. Yes, he was demanding, but I liked that about him. He had no fear. He knew what he wanted, and he did not hesitate to take it. Now that was a quality I admired. No doubt that was how he had become such a successful business man. Whether you agreed with his occupation or not, you never questioned where the man stood on an issue. Thoughts of the amazing alpha male brought forth a slew of others, some of which were downright naughty.
For the first time in my life, I wondered what it would be like to touch myself intimately—especially while I imagined it was E’s hand on me. I did my best not to think about it as I took a shower. Yet when my fingers began to cleanse that special spot between my legs, I lost myself in the sensation. Wow, it felt wonderful, even though I would’ve preferred E’s kiss there instead. Naturally that particular memory flooded my mind’s eye. Until then, I hadn’t been properly introduced to my magic button. Always thinking anything sexual was taboo and dirty, thanks to my parents. Notwithstanding, it’d been drilled into my head since middle school that anything carnal was a sin, unless you were married. I was neither going to debate myself on the wrongs or rights of coupling, nor would I begin to question self-pleasure. Whether or not I should be doing it didn’t really matter to me, as I climbed the hill of ecstasy. And once I crested, the freefall was mind numbing. The little voice in my head reminded, you know you’re going to regret this later. Perhaps—but at the moment my feelings of bliss trumped culpability. Besides, I still hadn’t felt remorse over my time with E. Wonder if I ever would. Doubtful. Not when it felt so right to lose myself under his masterful fingers.
While those thoughts, along with more erotic ones, played in my head, I walked back towards the bed and fingered the dress. Instead of putting it on right away, I wrapped a hotel robe around my body and went to make myself presentable. I had my hair in chignon with artful tendrils framing my face. For my make-up, I put on mascara and lip gloss, wanting the dress to take center stage. I went to put everything on when there was a knock at the door. Glancing over at the clock to make sure I wasn’t late, it read 6:30 p.m. Nope, I still had plenty of time to get dressed and put together the finishing touches. So, who was knocking? To punctuate the point, there was another rap. “Just a moment please,” I called out as I made sure my robe was tightly cinched.
I opened the door to a delivery man. At least I assumed that was who was behind the gorgeous flowers. He greeted, “Are you Miss Kincaid?”
“Yes,” I answered.
“May I put these down for you? They’re a bit on the heavy side.”
“Sure,” I replied as I opened the door wider and stepped to the side to let him pass. I promptly grabbed some money from my purse, conveniently sitting there, and gave him a tip.
Well…I attempted. “That’s not necessary.” He shook his head while he declared, “Everything has been taken care of.”
“Oh, alright. Thank you,” I called as he left the suite.
Once I heard the door click, I went over to examine the spectacular and humongous bouquet. I found the card: Enjoy. E. One thing was certain: the man knew how to make a woman feel special. I leaned in to inhale the incredible fragrance. Visions of a mountain meadow danced behind my eyes. If only romance was an option for me, but sadly, it was not. Why did the man have to do things to woo me? Couldn’t he just take my body and do wicked things with it? Did he really need my heart? That was when the realization hit me—hard. He already had it. Somehow, he had penetrated my well-constructed walls. Now I had to figure out how to remove him, without losing myself in the process. Something told me, that wasn’t even a possibility any longer. Honestly, I didn’t need to contend with that on top of everything else. Maybe I shouldn’t go through with this plan. It’d probably be better to find someone else to help me find Keeley. Yet…the cold, hard fact was, I wanted E with me. I enjoyed his company, and his presence made me feel protected. Yes, it was selfish. But those were my feelings.
The good.
The bad.
And the ugly.
Chapter Eighteen
E
Damn good thing I was sitting behind the steering wheel in the Veyron when Lacey opened the passenger door. My driver had to pick her up and bring her to me due to the last minute business meeting I had to attend. There was some issue with me sending someone else in my stead to run the training in Boston. Tough shit. They were pissed off, but I’d smoothed things over. Now, I had to make an im
promptu trip tomorrow. Not something I particularly wanted to do, but it was a necessity. The good news was, I would only be doing a face to face with a prominent CEO. Nothing hands on. Thank God. Somehow I was going to have to reevaluate my delicate situation. Part of me wanted to end this side of my business. The other pointed out: Lacey and I were not official, and altering my career for a woman wasn’t the smartest decision. I was still torn on the subject. Well, I was, until I saw those mile long legs greeting me. Fuck. I had to have those wrapped around my waist while I pounded into her beautiful, pink heat. Speaking of that spectacular part of her still blew me away. Never had I expected to see an innocent with a shaved pussy. What a special treat. But when she explained how “hair down there” wasn’t conducive to her skimpy costumes, it’d made perfect sense.
I pulled myself from my musings as I hungrily watched her maneuver into the car without flashing her goods. She almost hadn’t managed. Almost. Which had disappointed me far more than it should have, I wasn’t some green boy who got off on seeing a woman’s panties. What the hell? She tentatively smiled while tugging on the hem of her oh-so-short dress. Yes, I definitely needed to thank my assistant for that little gem. It looked incredible on her long, toned body. Again, visions of peeling her out of it stuttered across my mind. I adjusted my uncomfortable erection as I greeted, “Hello, gorgeous.”
She blushed as she answered, “Hi.” She glanced towards me as her eyes drank in my body.
“Don’t,” I warned, “Look at me that way, Lacey.”
When she bit her lip, I damn near came. “How was I regarding you?”
Without preamble, I leaned over and wrapped my fingers around the back of her neck while pulling her to me. Our lips met like lightning. A storm was brewing, and I wasn’t completely sure either of us would survive. I couldn’t care less. My tongue invaded her mouth with force, and my whole world rocked on its axis. I fought for control, wrestling the beast within. As I eased back, we were both short of breath. Trouble. I was in more turmoil now than I’d ever been. While one side of me wanted to take her home and spend the night teaching her what her body was capable of, the other reminded me that we were on a mission. The latter had won thanks to some serious self-talking: She’s not for you. You promised to help her find her sister. “Do not take what you can’t give back.” Those last ones were what had done it. They had been my father’s words to Nik from so long ago, choosing that moment to haunt me. Shit. I forced my attention back to her and replied, “Like you want me.” My voice was husky with lust. With any luck, she hadn’t picked up on it.
