by Skylar West
She was harmless and warmed up once she realized she wasn't in trouble. She was a woman who loved her family very deeply, and it touched my heart. She was grateful for her job, and in checking afterward with Henri, I found that she was a hard worker and liked by all. I checked her off my list.
Next, was a young man from the Netherlands, who was traveling Europe and stopped to work at the hotel for the summer. With no connection to Greece, I decided he didn't warrant any further research and sent his info to my cousin.
My third appointment was the grandson of one of the hotel's original employees. We ended up talking a great deal about the hotel business and the evolution this one had gone through. He told me stories that his grandfather shared with him as a boy. His grandfather was now dead, and he was here to carry on the legacy. I liked him and wanted to help him. I made a note to put young Vincent through the junior management program.
After he left, I had a moment to myself. No one had seen anyone yesterday with the name tag that read Joseph. The parents were taking precedence in my mind as the guilty parties. I was deep in my musings when there was a knock at my door.
"Enter," I responded.
The moment Yusuf walked in, the hackles went up on my neck. Yusuf… I was sure that was ancient Arabic for Joseph. There was no doubt in my mind that he was the man from yesterday, but why hadn't he run, then?
"Please sit down, Yusuf." He was tall, maybe six foot two inches, and well-muscled. Nothing about him spoke of being in the hotel business. He sat down and smiled as he shook my hand, but his smile did not reach his eyes. Those were stone cold, the eyes of a killer. He had to be working with someone else. How had a man like this gone unnoticed, unless he hadn't been the one wearing the nametag yesterday?
I suddenly wondered how Katarina was faring. I glanced at my watch. "Yusuf, one moment please, I have to make sure the aesthetician is running on time." He nodded, seeming none the wiser, and I quickly texted Henri. This is the guy. He is unaware that I know. Check on Kate. He's not working alone, caution, highly dangerous.
I got a ding back. When I checked it, Henri had replied, I'm on it.
"Wonderful, now, where were we? Oh, yes, Yusuf, how are you enjoying your job here at the hotel?"
"Fine, sir, thank you."
I could tell he wasn't going to be sharing much with me.
"Can you suggest any improvements, maybe security, perhaps?"
His eyes narrowed slightly, but other than that, he had a good game face.
"I don't feel I've been here long enough to comment, sir."
There was something about this guy; he was predatory, and our animals were circling each other carefully. He seemed ex-military. I looked for tattoos, anything that may give me a clue. On his right hand, he had ring tattoos. They looked Russian. He could be a Russian military gone rogue. They were often hired by the Russian mafia, good ones, or ghosts were sent to other countries.
"Your ring tattoos, prison?"
His smile grew and became carnivorous. "You have a good eye, sir. Yes, the Gulag, five years. Of course, I was innocent, like most people are who are locked away in that place."
There was nothing innocent about this guy. "Well, I'm glad you managed to get away and start a new life here. Are you planning on staying, or are you moving on after the season?"
"I don't have a definite plan yet, sir. I may go to the States; I have connections there."
A warning?
"Well, thank you, Yusuf, for your time. Yusuf, is that Arabic for Joseph?"
Again, with the predatory grin.
"That it is, sir; you are very observant."
"Thank you, Yusuf. I like to think I don't miss anything."
He laughed. "We all miss something, sir."
Was that a warning, or a threat? I had to get Katarina out of Greece. I called Henri into my office and shared my observations and orders about all four of the new employees and called off any further interviews.
"He is working with someone here, Henri, but at this stage, it doesn't even matter who. Yusuf probably found someone weak and used them without their knowledge. It doesn't serve a purpose. But I need to get Kate back to the States without anyone the wiser. We need a plan."
Chapter 12
Kingsley
The esthetician was packing up when I arrived. "Katarina, you look lovely, freshly painted, I see."
"Yes, thank you," she said as she rose on her pretty tiptoes to give me a kiss. I returned her kiss and grabbed her bottom lip between my teeth. The esthetician eyed us as she passed to the door. She was carrying a duffle bag over one shoulder.
I could see her hand clearly and the tattoo on her fingers. The second time I'd seen them, and with two sets of Russian mafia tattoos in my hotel, I knew it wasn't someone working alone. The mafia was after Kate.
I felt ice move up my spine and grab my heart. I shivered as the woman closed the door. I drew Katarina into our bathroom and turned on the shower. I beckoned her in once I'd removed my clothing and her towel.
She followed me in, her eyes large with unspoken questions. Once I knew our conversation was distorted by the sound of the running water, I spoke. "Listen, I will tell you more on the plane, but for right now, we need to get out of here, out of Greece. We're flying to New York now; I will explain everything once we are on board. What do you need to do to get ready?"
"Um, nothing, just get dressed."
"Okay, when we get out of the shower, I want us to continue talking. Keep it natural and mention how you're looking forward to our wine pairing lunch at two pm. That gives us plenty of time to sneak out of here and get on the plane. Do you understand enough to trust me to get us out of here?"
She nodded her head in affirmation, but her eyes told another story.
"Don't panic, Katarina. I'll tell you, once we're on the plane, what I found out about the employee who escorted you to that jump spot. But please, act and talk natural, until we're out of here, okay?"
She nodded again, but I could tell she was still spooked. I pulled her in tight and grabbed her luscious ass. She moaned in response. I wished we had time for sex, but we had to get out of here. Maybe just a quick fix for Kate, to help with her rising stress.
I turned her to face the wall and spanked her several times. She moaned and arched her back. I separated her knees and plunged my fingers inside her warm, wet folds. "I want you to come, Katarina." I fucked her hard with my fingers while I continued to slap her ass.
"Now?"
"Now," I said, and she came hard on my fingers, clenching and releasing for several seconds. I turned her around to face me. "Better?"
She nodded, and I shut off the shower. We toweled off, and I kept the conversation light in our bedroom as we dressed for 'lunch'. She mentioned how excited she was to try out my pairings and I said we should relax on the deck and have a nap in the sun, and she readily agreed.
I didn't know if my room was being bugged, but I assumed the hotel's esthetician would have planted at least one. We made our way out to the deck and made some noise getting comfortable, and I turned on the music. When I motioned her, we slipped back inside, and she grabbed her purse. We headed out of our room and down the back stairwell.
Outside the hotel, we disappeared into the crowds, setting off for the airport in a simple, non-descript vehicle, borrowed from a trusted staff member, and parked in front of a local eatery. When we arrived at the airport, I hustled us to the hangar. I had increased my security the day before, when Joseph, or any record of him, could not be found.
I still didn't know how the Russians and Katarina fit together, but I was determined to get to the bottom of it. I wished I felt more secure in the knowledge of us leaving Greece behind and heading back to the United States, but I didn't. The mob was the mob, no matter where you went. I just wanted a head start on getting her someplace safe.
"Katarina, now that we've taken off, I'll bring you up to speed. But first, here is your burner phone." I handed her a new phone.
> She frowned as she accepted it. "Are you in trouble, Kingsley? Is someone after you?"
I sighed; she really was clueless. Even more of a reason to ensure her safety. "No, Kate, I'm afraid not. It's you they are after."
Her face went pale. "What do you mean? I don't have anything; I live off an allowance. Why would anyone want to go after me?"
"I've been giving that a lot of thought. Do you know if your father has any connections with the Russian mafia?"
"The Russian mafia? Jesus, no! At least, I don't think so. But I don't know anything about his business. I've been paraded out at public occasions; you know, functions they have hosted in the past. But since I moved out three years ago, they have not kept me to that promise. I think they find being with me embarrassing. I don't act like a Silicon Valley heiress. My father prefers to keep me out of his limelight."
"Kate, think carefully. Have you ever seen anyone in your father's employee who has tattoos on their knuckles? Or anyone with a foreign accent, Eastern Europe?"
"Um, the only one I know of is my parents' housekeeper. She didn't speak much English when she first came. She is Eastern European, for sure, but I couldn't tell you what country. Bulgaria, I had thought at the time she started, but I could be wrong."
"Well, that's something to go on for now. Your phone, your condo, everything is paid for by your father, but how is it paid? Directly by him, or does your father top off your bank account and you control how you spend it and where?"
"I have a monthly allowance that goes electronically into my bank account. The bank account was set up by my dad, and he has direct access to it. He wants to see where my money gets spent."
"That helps; two good leads for me to get started with."
Kate was looking out the window, her face pale and uncertain.
"I think you need a distraction, little minx."
She glanced up at me. "What did you have in mind?" A smile lifted the corners of her luscious lips but did not reach her eyes. I was about to tell her to stand up and get naked, when my phone buzzed.
"Boss, it's Henri, just wanted to let you know that Yusuf didn't come in for his shift today. He either got wind of you leaving, or maybe he felt you were on to him."
"Thanks, Henri, I will be on alert for his presence." I hung up the phone and suddenly felt a wave of dark take over me, like drinking a potion that changed who I was. I gazed at Katarina. She returned the look, and I witnessed the moment she recognized who had taken charge. For, in that moment of recognition, her eyes dilated, the expression changing from mischievous to hesitant. She licked her lips as she waited for whatever was to come next.
"Little minx, stand up."
She did, immediately.
"Strip."
She began to remove her dress, quickly discarding it on the seat behind her. She was left only in her Grecian heels. I had not allowed her to wear any undergarments yet on this trip. She gazed at me, her eyes alive with anticipation.
I felt my own eyes deepen in color, a response to her willingness. I wanted to fuck her silly anyway I wanted, for as long as I wanted. "On your knees, sweet Katarina."
She lowered to her knees in front of me and then looked up at me, pure carnality reflected in her eyes. Her lips were moist and pouty, the urge to fuck her mouth urging my next command.
"Open my fly and take my cock out of my pants." She obliged, and when my cock was free from the confines of my pants, it sprang to attention. I didn't need to tell her what was next. She grabbed my cock and licked the tip, sending sparks through my swelling member. She took my engorged tip in her mouth. I reached down and wrapped her hair in my fist. She began to move her mouth over the first half of my cock, and while that felt amazing, I wanted to fuck her throat.
I held her head in such a way that she could not pull all the way back up to the tip of my cock as she sucked. I held her head in place and moved it lower over my cock. She hummed as she sucked, sending vibrations down to my balls.
I forced her lower, feeling her throat gag as my cock filled it. "Take it, Katarina. Relax your throat, and take my entire length."
I eased off enough to let her catch her breath, and when I felt her relax, I set the pace, my cock filling and pulling out of her throat with each thrust. She hummed and moaned, making this the fastest blow job, from beginning to the climax, that I'd ever experienced.
The best part was she was unaware that what she did was sending me quickly to the deep edge. The pace was faster than I could have imagined. I pulled her head back, drawing her to her feet. I pressed her over the nearest bar stool.
She was soaked. I saw her glistening dew when she bent over. I'd like to think my cock had her wet, but it was being controlled by giving me pleasure that had her soaking. I lined up my cock with her wet folds and filled her completely with one thrust.
As I pressed in deep, I felt her walls tightening and knew she was already close to her first climax. I pulled out of her quickly and spanked her swollen ass.
As I parted her legs further, I began to spank her vulva lightly. My first tap had her squealing, but as I continued my assault, her squeals quickly turned to moans. "King-sley, yesss," she hissed.
I stopped slapping and plunged back into her hot, tight folds, and she came instantly. Bad girl, coming with no permission. What to do with her? I pulled out, but before I could say a word, she was down on her knees, her hands in a position of supplication before me.
"I'm sorry, Sir, please give me another chance." She had learned since our last encounter that coming without permission was considered inappropriate behavior. I decided to reward her for her quick response, by grabbing her hair and fucking her mouth for a few minutes, before once again pulling out.
"There will be no rewards if you do it again, understand?"
"Yes, Sir."
I pushed her back over the stool and thrust into her once more.
"Ahh, yes, Sir. Oh. My. God. Please, may I come, please?"
"Yes," I said, and she did. Her orgasming seemed to have no end and no beginning, just one long climax. It was so intense, she was almost screaming through it. I'd never had sex with a woman who could orgasm so hard. It was intoxicating to know that I'd gotten her that hot. Her trust in me, to allow herself to let go like that, was humbling. I had a sudden moment of doubt. I hoped I never broke the trust and faith she had in me.
My own needs came rushing, and I filled her with my hot semen, my release almost painful in its intensity. When I was done, I pulled out of her, zipped my pants, and sent her back to her seat. Once again in her place, I positioned her legs over the arms of the chair. For the next hour, I stared at her sacred mound and watched my seed slowly drip out of her.
When I knew that she couldn't stay in that position a moment longer, I stood up and smacked her exposed clit several times. She cried and moaned and then thrust her hips forward to meet my hand.
I unzipped my pants again. When I reached down, I grabbed hold of Katarina's shaky thighs and lifted her up, making sure to keep her legs splayed wide apart as if they were still dangling over the chair arms.
I sat down and held her seeping mons over my cock. Then, using gravity, I dropped her quickly, my throbbing cock penetrating her so shockingly fast that it took a moment to register from her body to her brain, but when it did, she let out a primal cry.
I fisted her hips in my grasp and began to move her over my shaft. My God, fucking her was like entering paradise every time. Tight, slick, and warm, she squeezed me with each lift of her hips, literally massaging my cock with her vaginal walls.
I didn't want it to end, never wanted this to end. I hadn't felt for so long; everything for me had been mechanical. My approach to people, to business and, yes, even to sex. But Katarina was changing all of that, just by being herself. My darkest self found light in her embrace, in her body and company.
I knew I'd found my mate, and I gloried in it by taking her and owning every inch of her flesh. I seared her with my cock, just as she seared my s
oul. Her mewling gasps were quickly pushing me toward my orgasm.
"Katarina, when I say now, we will come together."
She didn't answer me with words but with a higher octave in her soft, passionate cries. I held her and stood up. She used her hands to brace herself on the seat in front as I pummelled her from behind.
In a few quick strokes, I yelled, "Now."
We came in a cacophony of grunts and moans. Kate's arms were quivering with the strain of holding up her torso and my legs, with her weight plus mine. I pulled her up into my arms and sat down with her cuddled on my lap. She sighed and snuggled in as deeply into my chest as she could.
Chapter 13
Kate
Oh my, I didn't know if I could survive a relationship with Kingsley. The man was the most voracious lover. The combination of frequency and what he drew out of me each time was causing me to feel like a boneless chicken. I was complete putty in his hands, both figuratively and literally, but I guess that's what he did to women.
It was liberating to know—and not have it bother me—that so many women had received varying degrees of pleasure at his hands. I'd done research that morning, on dominant alpha male archetype, after he'd left the hotel room. He fit the description of the possessive, controlling alpha that I'd read about, and I was okay with that. I snuggled deep against his chest, celebrating the warmth and safety I experienced curled on his lap. Kingsley, holding me in his arms had quickly become something I looked forward to.
Obscurely, I wondered if I looked as altered as I felt. I was a different person, and those changes must reflect on the outside somehow. Maybe Ethan would notice when we met. After all, he was my oldest friend, and if anyone saw a different Kate, he would be the one.
Then I pictured Pam. I wondered again if she, maybe like myself, was a submissive who wasn't aware of what she was. The two of us were the same age. and Pam and I even looked like each other with our blonde hair and blue eyes. But where mine were large and round with a slight lift at the corners, hers were almond-shaped, intense, and so light in color, they resembled ice chips.
