Still she moved against him. To encourage her, Paul slid one of his hands around her smooth upper thigh and rubbed her clit. It didn’t take long.
She was coming all over again. Her cry was one of pure ecstasy as she ground down against him, drawing the last drops of pleasure. Blackness crept into his vision, and his whole body tensed, then released.
Eventually, Christine dropped down onto his chest, panting hard. He was pretty drained himself, but managed to find the energy to push her hair off her sweat-slicked face. He ran his fingers through it in a calming motion, feeling the silk between his fingers.
“Are you all right?” he asked eventually.
“I think I just saw God,” she murmured laughingly in return.
Paul chuckled. “I’ve never been called God before, but I’ll take it.”
Christine laughed, playfully smacking his chest in a half-hearted gesture.
She waited a beat. “It was amazing, though.”
“It was, wasn’t it?”
Christine collapsed to the side, uncoupling them, and Paul saw that he’d softened. He took off the condom and snuck a glance at Christine, but her eyes had peacefully closed. So, he cleaned himself up with a tissue and threw the items in the nearby bin.
Then, he wriggled himself a little further down on the bed and drifted off into sleep with Christine in his arms.
Chapter 21
The clack of the keyboard beat a satisfying rhythm as Mandy typed away at her keyboard. The office was quieter than usual today, allowing her to finally concentrate on her endless piles of work. No doubt this reprieve was due to the fact that Duncan had hied off somewhere for the morning, leaving her in peace.
The phone rang, shattering the silence. Mandy glared at it, but the muted ring just kept calling.
She grabbed at it, impatient. “Yes?”
Gladys, the consummate secretary, politely cleared her throat in admonishment. “I have a Mr. Jimmy Disik here to see you.”
A frown tugged at Mandy’s brow. She knew who he was, of course. The son of Christine’s employer, the old man that had recently been held hostage. She didn’t know why he’d come to her offices.
“Send him in,” she told Gladys.
Gladys made a sound that could have meant anything, and the line went dead. A few seconds later a man of average height and build, wearing a fitted Tom Ford suit in a deep blue colour, appeared in the doorway. His dark hair was slicked back in a stylish wave. Had he been a few feet taller, she might have thought he’d stepped straight off a catwalk.
“Mr. Disik? How can I help you?” She stood to greet him.
“Mrs. Lennox?” His voice was smooth and cultured. He came forward to shake her hand. Mandy squeezed, just briefly, and he did the same. She immediately liked that he hadn’t held onto her hand for too long like many men did in professional situations.
“Ms. Lennox, yes.”
He settled into a chair across from her. “My apologies.” He sounded genuinely sincere, and Mandy decided that she liked him.
“What can I do for you?” She kept her voice crisp and professional.
“I believe I owe members of your company a debt of thanks for saving my father.” He kept his hands linked on his lap. Perfectly controlled, not a movement out of place.
Mandy waved him away. “No thanks necessary. From what I hear, our team were just doing their job.”
“Oh, no, I insist. You must tell me what I can do to thank you.”
“Well, good publicity never hurt anyone. Just put the word out about us, and I’ll call it even.”
He eyed her a moment, then inclined his head once in recognition. He was strangely regal for a modern man, she noticed. His mannerisms and way of speaking were stilted, like he was considering each word before he spoke.
“And I do hope that Christine is well? I can’t imagine how she got caught up in all this nonsense.”
“I believe she is safe, and will return home soon.”
“I’m glad to hear it. I would like to apologise to her personally for inadvertently getting her caught up in our family’s drama. I don’t think I’ll rest until I know she is safe and unharmed by this mess.”
Mandy may not have been in this business long, but she knew enough not to be giving out sensitive data to a stranger without both Duncan and Christine’s all-clear.
Instead, she put on her most professional smile. “I would be happy to pass on your message and details to her so that she can call you if she wants to. At the moment, I’m sure you can understand, she’s rather shaken.”
“Of course.” He didn’t seem at all perturbed by her answer, which made Mandy trust him more.
He slid a business card out of the chest pocket of his suit and placed it on the desk between them. He plucked a pen from her frog-shaped holder and wrote on the back.
“My personal number,” he explained. “In case she wishes to contact me out of office hours.” He looked up, locking his eyes with hers. “Or you do,” he added softly.
Mandy smiled. He may not make her heart thump, but he was well groomed and successful. That counted for a lot these days.
“Thank you,” she murmured noncommittally.
He nodded again, then stood to leave. “It’s been a pleasure, Ms. Lennox.”
She rose to accompany him to the door. He gripped her hand again before leaving, holding it for slightly longer than before, but still within the bounds of professionalism.
When he was gone, Mandy flopped back into her office chair and considered the card still sitting on her desk. From what she’d heard from Duncan during his brief pit stop in the office that morning, the case appeared to be over. Klim Vovk had apparently confessed.
Mandy couldn’t imagine Klim hiring a team of military-grade professionals to storm a house in the middle of the night or send goons after Christine. But, then, from what she knew of him, she never would have suspected that he would take an old man hostage, either.
The day-to-day operations were not her expertise. She knew this. It was why she deferred to Duncan in such matters.
So, she’d trust him that he was correct when he said that the crisis was over. She’d call Christine directly to give her the message. It was only fair to let her decide whether she wanted to talk to Jimmy or not.
The buzz of a phone’s ringtone dragged Christine from sleep. Warmth and comfort had seeped into her bones. A smile tugged the corner of her lips as she burrowed further into her pillow.
The ringing continued. She fought it, desperately, but it was too insistent.
Her pillow shifted. Christine groaned in annoyance.
“Hello?” Paul must have answered the phone, his voice still rough from sleep. “Yeah, she’s here…No, I wasn’t asleep.”
Christine certainly wasn’t anymore. Propping herself up on her elbow, she grinned at his flushed face.
“Anyway, here she is.” He thrust the phone in her direction.
Christine grabbed it, still focused on Paul.
“Hello?”
“Hi, this is Mandy from Soldiering On. I had a visit today, and I just want to pass on a message.”
The strange tone of the woman’s voice caused Christine to sit up. The bed covers fell from her bare chest, and Paul made a strangled sound. Christine sent him a sultry look over her shoulder and then focused on the conversation.
“What kind of message?”
“I’m sure you know Jimmy Disik?” Mandy replied.
“Sure,” Christine told her. “My boss’s son. Did he have a message about Mr. Disik? Is he all right?”
Christine bunched the bedspread in her fist as she waited for the answer.
Mandy cleared her throat. “We didn’t discuss his father much, but I get the impression that he is all right. Duncan told me that he is being evaluated in the hospital he was taken to yesterday after everything went down.”
Christine’s fist unclenched as relief settled over her. “That’s good to hear.”
“However, J
immy did mention that he has been trying to get a hold of you. He would like to personally apologise to you for inadvertently getting you caught up in his family’s drama.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary,” Christine said immediately.
“I got the impression it was more for his peace of mind than yours. I told him that I would pass on the message and let you make the decision. I’ll text his phone number to Paul’s phone.”
“I appreciate that, thank you.”
The two said goodbye, and Christine collapsed back next to Paul. He glanced at her questioningly.
“Apparently Jimmy wants to apologise to me in person,” she told him.
He considered that. “Huh. Do you want to go?”
She gave a one-shouldered shrug. “Not really. But Mandy said it would be more for his peace of mind than mine, you know?”
“Sure. I suppose him hiring you did start this whole situation. And perhaps there is more to the story, and he might be able to fill in some gaps.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it would be nice to know why Klim and the other Vovks thought that you had the information in the first place. I don’t necessarily buy this whole ‘it seemed like something Disik would do’ thing.”
Christine mulled that over. “That’s true.”
She studied his face. His gaze was steady, calm. He looked more relaxed than he had since she’d met him. This, she supposed, made sense. There was no danger anymore. Besides, he’d recently orgasmed.
She smiled at the direction of her thoughts. Her mind wandered back to their passionate encounter not long before. She’d never been so hot, so aroused, in her life. For the first time, she’d felt like she had allowed herself to let go. Be free and enjoy the moment without any other thoughts or judgements pressing down on her.
It had been empowering. She felt stronger, more confident and sure of herself. And most of all she felt comfortable with herself and what she wanted.
She knew that part of it was the personal journey that she had been on since these events had started. But part of it was Paul.
He was so open and communicative. She hadn’t had someone like that in her life in a long time, and she’d forgotten how relieving it could feel being around someone that had no compunction about showing her how they felt about her. No games, no toxic masculinity forcing men to be unemotional.
Just honesty.
“So, now that this is all over—” She stopped as a thought occurred to her, rolling over onto her side so that she could face him. “It is over, isn’t it?”
“I’ll put a call in to Duncan to see if there is any new information. But as far as I can tell, it’s over.”
“I guess that means that we’ll have to leave here soon, right? For good?”
A wariness entered his eyes. “Right.” He drew out the world slightly, almost turning it into a question.
“Well, I know that I, for one, am sick of eating sandwiches for every meal.” She paused, just for a moment, before ploughing on. “Do you think that we might go out and get something a bit more substantial? At a restaurant? Sometime?”
His grin lit his entire face. “I’d love that.” Then, he sobered. “That will be our first priority. After that, how you would feel about me installing a better security system at your house? I’d certainly feel better if we did.”
“I’d feel better, too, to be perfectly honest.”
His face relaxed into a smile. “I’m glad. So, what do you want to do about Jimmy?”
Christine sighed. “I think I should go. Give my formal resignation and everything while I’m there. I’m sure he’ll understand.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” he asked.
She breathed a sigh of relief. “I’d like that.”
Paul nodded. “And then we’ll get lunch?”
She laughed, a light, happy sound. “And then we’ll get lunch,” she confirmed.
Chapter 22
They arrived an hour later at the address that Jimmy had given them, apparently for one of the subsidiaries of Disik and Sons where he was working that day. It was just to the south of the central business district, on the west side of the large river that ran a jagged path through Portsboro.
They found a park not too far away, and strolled down by the docks towards the low office building by the water’s edge. The familiar smell—of garbage, oil, and God knew what—hung in the air, heavy and oppressive. A debris control barge was further down the river, oblivious to the world above the waterline.
The building at the address Jimmy had given them was squat and nondescript. It huddled back from the water, protected by the surrounding buildings. The door was propped open, but the bright sun above them meant that all they could see of the interior was darkness.
Christine stepped inside, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the light change. Cheap navy carpet graced the floor of the reception area. The walls were painted a dull white, and small prints of historic sketches of the area peppered the wall. The room was more like the waiting room at a veterinary office than a subsidiary of a large company.
A receptionist sat behind a large desk, squinting down at a file in front of her. She looked up as Christine moved towards her. There was a coldness in her eyes, a sense of hostility that made Christine hesitate.
“We’re here to see Mr. Jimmy Disik,” she told the woman.
“I’ll bring you through.” She eyed Paul as she passed, but Christine couldn’t tell what she was thinking. He, for his part, returned her stare, not backing down. The woman was unperturbed.
She led them down a short corridor, to an average office amongst five others just like it. She knocked. An eerie silence settled over the group as they waited for an answer, and Christine realised that there were no other sounds emanating from the building. It was a Thursday, and there was no reason for the office to be empty.
A tingle began at the back of her neck, spreading down until her palms itched. Dread pooled low in her gut.
The door swung open before she could say anything, revealing Jimmy. He was his usual civilised self in a pressed suit from what she could only assume was a very expensive designer. His hair was perfectly in place, and he smiled as he saw her.
Christine tried to remind herself that she had nothing to be afraid of. It almost worked.
“Come in, Christine,” he said, stepping back from the doorway. He caught sight of Paul and his eyes narrowed slightly. “You brought a friend.”
“Yes. This is Paul,” she told him. Some instinct told her to keep the fact that Paul was technically still her bodyguard and an employee of Soldiering On a secret. Perhaps Paul had the same idea, because he didn’t mention it as he offered his hand for Jimmy to shake.
Jimmy took it, briefly, then dismissed Paul as he turned back to Christine.
“Have a seat.”
She did so, and Paul pulled up beside her. He took her hand, stroking his thumb in a calming circle across the back of it. Her breath steadied slightly at his touch.
Jimmy sat opposite her, his carefully ordered desk between them. The rest of the room was equally sterile, with no personal touches at all.
The door clicked shut behind them. It may as well have been the toll of a death knell for the way it ratcheted up the tension in the room. There was something in the way Jimmy was eyeing her—something almost predatory in his gaze—that made her want to flee.
“So, Christine. I wanted to personally apologise for any part I may have played in your ordeal.”
“There’s no need,” Christine began.
“But I feel that there is,” Jimmy interrupted. “I believe that the man—Klim—was after information from my father. Information he believed you had.”
“That’s how I understand it, yes.”
“And do you have the information?” Jimmy’s tone was deceptively light. Christine gripped Paul’s hand. He was tense with readiness beside her.
“No,” she whispered. She cleared her throat until she
knew her voice would come out stronger. “I didn’t know such information existed until all this craziness began.”
“Pity. You were meant to be the best.”
“I’m…I’m sorry?” Her breath was coming faster now.
“I hired you because I was told that you were the best at understanding information. You were meant to find what I needed in that mountainous pile of junk.” Jimmy’s voice was getting louder as he pointed his finger aggressively in her direction. His civilised veneer was peeling away, revealing the monster underneath.
“If that’s what you wanted, you should have given me more time. Or told me that’s what you wanted.” The flame of anger licked at her, coaxing her into a fury.
“I don’t have time. I need to pay off my debts, the company’s debts. Our tax bill alone…” A sound of frustration escaped him. He ran a hand through his hair, mussing it wildly.
“That’s no excuse. You were going to kidnap me!”
“You needed to work faster!”
They stared each other down in silence across the desk.
Jimmy cleared his throat. “It was the reason I sent the men to your house. I’d run out of time. They were going to take you to my father’s house, to work until you found it.”
Christine shuddered.
“And Klim?” Paul asked.
Jimmy scoffed. “He’s been asking me for the money for years. He must have known that when I hired an information expert to look into my father’s files that I was looking for the money, too.”
“So the two of you weren’t working together?”
“No,” Jimmy said contemptuously. “And the idiot nearly ruined everything by getting involved. All this could have been avoided if he and his family hadn’t hired that company to watch you. That ruined all of my plans.”
The wild anger in his eyes was alarming. He no longer seemed completely in control.
“I think we should go,” Christine told him with all the dignity that she could muster. She was halfway out of the chair when Jimmy’s hand appeared to jerk, and suddenly there was a gun aimed in her direction. She slowly sank back down.
Station Alpha: (Soldiering On #1) Page 17
