by Sarah Cole
“Do you want this?” he asks and all I can do is moan my response since he has me so worked up. Without warning, he snaps it across my ass, and I clench around the plug inside of me. I’m so close, and he knows it as he gives me a warning look. He does it again, leaving my ass raw. Alternating between the flogging and pinching my clit, he creates a painfully delicious combination, and I’m stuck teetering on the edge of insanity, but I want more.
“You’re dripping, baby. Look at yourself. Look how hot that is.” I look down and see my arousal dripping out of me. I meet his fiery gaze with a smile and he snaps, grabbing me by the hips and sliding into me with ease.
His cock stretches me and that sensation along with the butt plug has me feeling like I might split in two with pleasure. His pace as he thrusts in and out of my tight channel is punishing, but only because it’s agonizingly slow.
“Do you feel me, Anika?” he breathes on a low growl into my ear that causes my body to hum.
“Yes. I feel all of you.”
“Get used to that feeling because I’m not letting you go.”
“I don’t want you to let me go,” I say truthfully, and he kisses me with so much feeling that it ignites the beginnings of an orgasm that I’m incapable of stopping. I give him an apologetic look.
“It’s ok, baby. Come for me,” he pants against my lips, and they’re the words I’ve been waiting to hear.
The pressure builds low in my belly, pulling until it snaps, sending wave after wave of pleasure through my body. All the while, Carter and I remain nose to nose as he chants his love for me repeatedly, finding his own pleasure. I feel him expand and explode deep inside of me as his body shutters, and at the same time he pulls the plug from me, sending me into another state of bliss. I hear the plug hit the floor, and he releases the straps from the harness, clutching my spent body in his capable arms.
He works quickly to untie all of the knots he created, massaging my tingling limbs as he goes. When he’s finished, he hugs me to his bare chest and lifts me up, carrying me to his bed where he lays me under the soft covers and slides in beside me. I drift off to sleep with him combing his fingers through my hair and singing my praises.
****
I feel a warm pair of arms encircle my waist, pulling me in tighter and my body stiffens.
“Relax, Ani. It’s just me,” Carter’s warm breath tickles my cheek and I soften, melting back into his chest. “That’s better.” He says, placing a warm kiss against my neck. I feel my stomach flip flop at his touch. I hate that I love it, and I hate that I’m falling desperately in love with him. It makes me sick to my stomach, but I suppose I should embrace the fact Carter makes me feel anything at all. Over the years I’ve become calloused and cold. I’ve managed to stand in a world of solitary confinement, never letting anyone close enough to do any more damage. Carter never cared that I wanted it that way-that I did this to myself intentionally. He did what he does best and took charge, forcing himself into my life, my head, and now into my irreparably broken soul.
“Are you hungry? You didn’t eat much last night.” He interrupts my thoughts, and I roll to face him so we’re chest to chest in the gray morning light.
“I think I need to go,” I say quietly.
“I think you’re running.”
“I think you’re right, but you’ll thank me later.”
“I wish you would tell me why you think that,” he replies.
“Because I’m not a good person, Carter.”
“You don’t see yourself very clearly, Anika.”
“No, Carter. You don’t. You only see what I want you to see. You don’t see the truth.”
“That’s because you won’t tell me.”
“For good reason,” I say, planting a quick peck to his lips and sliding out of bed. “I’ve already told you more than I’ve ever told anyone in my whole life.”
He grabs ahold of my hand, stopping me. “It’s Saturday. Can’t we just spend the day together?”
I sigh, looking up towards the ceiling thinking of all the things I need to do today to ensure his safety from this shit-storm, and then I think about all the reasons I’m going to hate myself even more tomorrow for agreeing to his request. “I have plans at seven, but I’ll give you today.” I hate that I’m meeting with Braxton, but there isn’t any way around it. I’m down to the wire, and I have to play by their rules even though that isn’t typically my style. There’s just too much at stake.
A radiant smile spreads across his handsome face, and he looks so happy. It kills me knowing that in only a few days’ time, I won’t see this smile again. I’ll cease to exist and he will move on. I’ve gotten everything I need to replicate his plans for the new Quantum Computing line. Lance and Braxton will never know what hit them when I’m finished. I’m ending this once and for all. For Carter, for myself, for my parents, and for this country before they’re saddled with a President that is not only a criminal, but something far more sinister. The man makes me look like a girl scout, but that’s about to change. Soon, the world will see Lance Jennings for who he really is. Vladislav Statnik. Russian warlord, criminal, drug and arms dealer, human trafficker, pedophile, murderer, terrorist…the list really is endless, and the world has no idea. One thing is for certain, I will end Lance Jennings, even if I have to take myself out with him.
“What do you want to do, baby?” he asks, pulling me back into bed with him.
“For now, I just want you to hold me so I can memorize how it feels,” I say, knowing it’s an odd request. I just know that in his arms is the only place I feel almost normal and happy.
****
The chair scrapes across the polished wood with an audible screech when the waiter pulls it out for me. Braxton remains seated, peering up at me over his four fingers of bourbon. What I wouldn’t give to relive the day Carter and I had over and over again. Hiking in the mountains and a picnic we put together side by side. For the first time in forever, I didn’t allow myself to worry about anything. I forced myself to soak up every single moment with Carter, because I know beyond any shred of a doubt that it was a miracle I managed to feel normal, and those are moments I won’t ever get again…
It was perfect, but now I’m here, staring down a man that may share his DNA, but is inferior in every way.
“Please, don’t get up or anything,” I scold sarcastically, reminding him of the manners I know had to be ingrained in him at some point, but are now lost.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Princess.” He stands abruptly, nearly knocking the chair over and bows like a fool, pulling the attention of the other patrons.
I roll my eyes like the lady I am. “You’re clearly drunk. This meeting can’t be too important if you’re drinking on the job, Braxton.”
I slide the drink away, but he grabs my wrist harshly. I narrow my eyes. “I would rethink that if I were you. You just got that cast removed.” With my warning, his grip loosens slightly. His other hand reaches over to cover mine, slipping a small hard object inside my palm.
“Sorry to interrupt,” the waiter says, looking back and forth between us and our clasped hands. “Ma’am, what can I get you to drink?”
I smile politely at him, “I’ll just have a sparkling water with lime, please.”
“Very well. Your appetizer should be out soon. Would you like to take a look at the dinner selection now?” he asks.
“That won’t be necessary,” I respond quickly.
Braxton contradicts me, “Oh, honey, you should eat more. It isn’t good for the baby. Yes, we’d love to see the dinner menu.” He smiles up at the waiter, and I feel my pulse tick. I’m seconds away from taking my fork and lodging it in his temple.
Once the waiter skirts off to grab the menu, I snatch my hand from his, dropping the item into my clutch before I explode. “What the fuck was that? Are you insane?”
He laughs like a drunken lunatic, “Now we’re name calling? Would you listen to the pot calling the kettle black? I’m just having a littl
e fun, Anika. Lighten up.”
“There is no fun to be had here, Braxton. I’m here because I need information that you were supposed to give me, nothing else. I also don’t want to give anyone the idea that you and I are even remotely connected.”
“Oh, but we are baby. Don’t you remember? Don’t you remember how good my cock felt buried inside that tight body of yours? What do you say? For old time’s sake?” he whispers loudly across the table, garnering shocked stares from the table next us.
“I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again. Go fuck yourself, Braxton.” I hiss, tossing my napkin on the table and walking towards the restroom to cool off. I hear him say, “Hormones.” to someone and it takes everything in me to not march back to the table and snap his neck in a restaurant full of witnesses.
Storming into the bathroom, I tug at my hair. The neat up do comes loose, causing me to look as unhinged as I feel, and I pace back and forth across the shiny marble tiles talking myself down from the verge of a very public homicide. I pull my phone out of the clutch I’m still holding and check my phone. I lasted less than fifteen minutes. I remotely log into my secure home servers and check the status of some of the things I have running and shoot a couple emails off to my team at Cultivate, checking in with them and reminding them to update the client lists on our website. I may not be in the office everyday anymore, but I still run a tight ship. Then I check my text messages. I respond to the picture message of my brother building a school in a third world country with his fiancé that I’ve never met. Part of me is jealous that he gets to have love and isn’t saddled with burden, but then I remember that he gets that because of the sacrifices I’ve made and it helps. Next, I click on Carter’s name reading the messages he left me with.
Carter: Thank you for spending the day with me. I want a million more.
Carter: I love you.
I find myself smiling at his words even though they only serve as a reminder of will never be mine to keep. Quickly, I tap out a message in response.
Me: You’re welcome. It was nice. A million more seems a bit ambitious. :)
Before I even have a chance to store my phone back in my clutch, I see the dots dancing on the screen as he works on a reply. My phone pings a second later with his response.
Carter: You already knew I’m ambitious. Don’t underestimate my ability to find a way to spend eternity with you.
Shaking my head with a soft smile, I store my phone back inside the leather clutch and twist my hair back into place and pin it before smoothing out my black sheath dress. I feel a little less rage filled as I stride back to the table where the waiter is taking Braxton’s order.
“There you are, sweetheart,” Braxton says loudly, and I take a deep breath reminding myself I can kill him in a few days if I still feel so inclined.
“Ma’am, what can I get you for your main course?”
Having been here several times before I answer quickly. “I’ll have the shrimp toast and a kale Caesar salad. Thank you.” I take a seat.
“Did you cool off, firecracker?” Braxton slurs.
“I did. I decided you can live…for now.”
“You think you’re so smart, Anika, but I’m saying this as a friend.” He looks me dead in the eye before continuing. If I was smarter I would actually take what he has to say to heart. “You don’t know what you’re up against. You’re in over your head here. Just do what you’re told, and be done with it. It isn’t the time to seek revenge. You will lose,” he says his last words slowly as if he is certain of this fact above all else.
“Just tell me what I need to know,” I demand, ignoring the warning bells in my head.
“Wednesday evening…” he starts, and my brain kicks into overdrive knowing I need to formulate the rest of my plan within the next twenty-four hours.
Chapter FOURTEEN
CARTER:
I scroll through my phone, smiling at the pictures of Anika I took on our hike on Saturday. I’d never seen her so open and carefree. She was beautiful, and I had to find some sort of way to capture the moment so I could remember it correctly and perfectly. Her eyes, her wide smile, the way the mountain breeze whipped through her dark hair, and the way she would laugh and race me up the trail, dancing as she got to the top ahead of me. She’s flawed, but she’s perfect to me. I know we’ve both got our own battles that we’re fighting, but I want to fight them together. I want to share it all with her, and take whatever I can from her and replace it with something good… if only she’d let me.
A knock on my office door startles me. It’s after hours, and Anika already left ahead of me having had errands to run.
“It’s open,” I call across the open space and the door opens slowly to reveal Veronica. She has a serious look on her face as she saunters towards me and seats herself in one of the chairs in front of my desk.
“Can I help you with something?” I ask, trying to mask my irritation. She’s always up my ass about something, but she really is good at what she does, so until I find someone better, she stays.
“I know you and Anika have something going on between you,” she states simply, and I wonder if it is just a statement or if she’s gearing up for something else.
“Yes,” I don’t deny it. There’s no need to. I don’t have a formal policy about it, and it wouldn’t matter if I did. I made the rules and I can change them again if I need to because I wasn’t lying when I said I’d do whatever it takes to get that woman.
“How serious is it?” she pries.
“I don’t really see how that is any of your business. Is there something else I can help you with?” I rub my hands down my face in frustration.
“How serious, Carter?” she prompts again insistently, using my first name.
“It’s serious.” I don’t mince my words. We are serious. I know it and Anika knows it even if she’s not admitting it to herself yet.
“She’s cheating on you with your brother,” she says matter of factly, like she didn’t just deliver me a brutal blow.
“You’re full of shit, Veronica,” I say the first words that come to mind and only semi regret the fact I just said them to one of my employees, even though the topic of our conversation and our past conversations is anything but professional.
“Listen to me. A week or so ago I saw them out front of the office and they were looking pretty cozy. I thought the guy looked familiar, and I found out it was your half-brother, Braxton.” She’s talking, and I’m barely hearing her words because the only thing I am hearing is that Anika knows Braxton.
“Carter!” Veronica snaps her pointy acrylic nails in front of my face. “Pay attention.” I nod my head at her, motioning for her to go on as I listen in a daze. “I was sure you two had something going on at that point, so I hired my friend, who is a private investigator to look into her…”
I cut her off, holding my hand up in the air. “Wait. Am I hearing this correctly? You hired a private investigator to follow Anika around?”
“Yes, Carter, but just look…” she hands me an envelope across my desk and I take it from her, pinching the metal tabs to open it up.
Before pulling out the contents, I level her with a serious stare. “You do realize you should be fired for that… for this,” I hold up the envelope. “But given the circumstances I’m choosing to ignore it for now. We’ll be talking about this later…” I unfold the top and reach inside, sliding out a stack of glossy photographs that are dated.
The one on top has me stopping. It’s dated Saturday. Anika had plans on Saturday evening, but she was vague. She said it was business and I assumed she meant it had to do with Cultivate, her web design firm. She looks absolutely beautiful in her black cocktail dress and couture heels with her hair swept up. I continue to flip through the pictures one after another of Braxton and Anika, Braxton laughing, Anika smiling, the two of them holding hands across the table and sharing a meal. Him holding her closely outside of the restaurant. To Veronica, these pictures just prove infid
elity, but to me they mean so much more. This is proof that Anika is not at all who she says she is, and her reasons for being at Lintech, for being with me are nothing but lies. All the times she warned me off, and I didn’t listen like a God damned fool. She’s working with Braxton. She’s Russian. And all of the lost pieces of the puzzle click into place.
“You can go now,” I snap at Veronica.
“But Carter there’s more,” she says and I get up to walk around my desk to physically remove her from her seat since she isn’t leaving on her own.
“What more could there possibly be?” I ask, taking her by the elbow and giving her a good pull as I start towards the door.
She stumbles after me on her sky-high pumps. “She’s pregnant!” she says loudly and I stop in my tracks.
“No. She’s not.”
“Yes, she is.” she pulls her arm from my grasp and squares her shoulders. “My investigator went in and spoke with their waiter after they left. He said that they seemed like a lovely couple, perfectly in love, and that Braxton kept talking about how she was pregnant.”
“She’s not pregnant, Veronica. She had her period last week. Give it up.”
“But how do you know?” she asks, wedging her body into the door frame so I can’t force her out.
“Because I had my dick inside of her! I think I’d fucking know!” I explode and she pales.
I feel bad for my outburst, but she asks, “You love her, don’t you?”
I bang my head against the doorframe, ignoring the hot feeling in my face. Embarrassment. Anger. Shame. Betrayal. I try desperately to cling to the last string of my control before it snaps.
“Yes. I love her,” my voice is rough with the emotions I’m trying to contain.
“I never stood a chance, did I?” she asks sadly.
“What? You thought you could show me a few pictures, ruin my relationship, and I’d come running to you? No, you never stood a chance because you weren’t even playing in the same league.” The guilty look on her face affirms my statement.
