She moaned. “Yes, sir. Completely.”
With his ungloved hand, he stroked her long, lean thigh until his hand bumped against her ass. A soft hiss escaped her lips. Heat flushed his amped-up body and he smacked her ass. On a yelp, she lowered herself onto her elbows.
“If you don’t want me to check every cavity, tell me.”
“I want it. I need it. Please.”
Wild, naughty Electra. He stroked her anus, eliciting a series of shudders and moans. “Do. Not. Move.”
Though she obeyed his command, her body trembled with need, her shoulders rising and falling with each jagged breath.
He slipped a finger inside, drew it out. Again, he circled her opening. Small, gentle motions designed to tease, to torment, to excite. She ground out a dark, edgy groan, then bit out, “Fuck, I love how you do that.”
Using a tender touch, he slipped two fingers inside. He thrust gently, again and again, until her husky groans made his knees go weak. “No diamonds, there, either,” he said, removing his fingers. “You’re a sneaky one. But I’ll find them.” He pulled off the glove and dropped it in the trash. “Put your foot on the chair, Ms. Electra. I have one more search to complete.”
Without hesitation, she set her foot on the chair. Moving painstakingly slow, he caressed her thigh, moving higher on each upstroke. Up went his hand until he reached the apex between her legs.
“Oh, Detective.”
Her eyes fluttered closed. Her breath came hard and fast, her coos thundering in his ears. He caressed her pussy, slipped two fingers inside. She ground against his thrusts, groaning and mewling.
Her erotic sounds undid him.
He thrust with merciless strokes, but as soon as he rubbed her engorged clit, her insides tightened around his fingers, so he withdrew them. She was too close to orgasm. “No diamonds there. But I’m not done searching you.”
He snaked one hand around her waist and pulled her flush against him.
Her hardened nibs beckoned for his mouth, so he obliged. He suckled for his enjoyment, bit and pinched them for hers. Her knees buckled and she grabbed him to keep from falling.
He was done playing. No more talk of diamonds or jewelry heists. Time to fuck her. First, with his mouth. He hauled her into the jail cell. “Lie down and raise your arms over your head. You’re a flight risk and I’m going to make sure you stay put.”
After he cuffed her wrists to the bars at the head of the bed, he eyed her long and lean body. Hot, naked and all his. “I can’t wait to pleasure you. Spread your legs.”
The wicked glimmer in her eyes reminded him of a feral cat. “Is this how you’re going to get me to open up?”
“Whatever it takes.”
Planking over her, he laved her breasts.
“Bite me.”
A quick tug of her tender flesh and she responded by jerking on the restraints. As he trailed a path down her body, she responded to his every touch, every pinch, each bite with a shudder or a moan.
By the time his mouth had reached the apex between her legs, she’d lifted her masked face to watch. “You feel amazing.”
When he kissed her inner thigh, she murmured, “I shouldn’t need your mouth on me as much as I do.” Those last words came out in a whoosh of a whisper, as if she were sharing a fantastic secret.
“This is a critical part of the interrogation.”
As soon as he tucked a second pillow under her head, she bent her knees and spread her legs. With a tender flick of his tongue on her most sensitive area, he began. The build was slow and sensual, but when she’d lift her ass off the mattress, he’d slow back down or stop altogether. He’d take her right up to the edge, then deny her.
“Please, I’m begging you,” she whispered, her body shaking with desire.
As he slipped three fingers inside her, he stroked her clit with his tongue, hard.
“Yes, oh, so good.” Her erratic breathing and bed thrashing signaled her orgasm. He threw his arm across her hips to secure her, forcing the energy straight to her core.
“Oh, Huntah,” she cried, the orgasm rocking her.
In seconds, his mouth found hers and he kissed her. Pleasure spiraled through him. “Do you want me to uncuff you?” he asked between kisses.
“No,” she gasped out. “Hurry.”
He stripped off his clothes, fished a condom from his pocket and rolled it over himself. He was done role-playing. He planked over her and, with his shaft in hand, drove himself inside. More than the euphoria, he felt complete. Even at this sex club, he couldn’t deny how right they felt coupled together.
Her smoldering gaze met his. He smiled. Couldn’t help himself. She was too pretty, too sexy, too delicious. The smell of their arousal hung heavy in the air.
For several seconds he stared into her eyes, drowning in everything Alex. “Deeper,” she said and wrapped her beautiful legs around his back, anchoring him in place.
He couldn’t thrust slowly. Slow had left the building thirty minutes ago. Even patient Crockett had his limits. Wild Hunter, on the other hand, was filled with explosive energy. He gritted his teeth, his hands owning her supple body. “I’ve got to fuck you, baby.”
“Ah, yes.”
He claimed her with a rough, hard kiss while he wrapped her in his arms and thrust, hard and fast, again and again. “I can’t get enough of you.”
“Take me. I need you. I need this.”
The orgasm shot out of him, curling his toes and shorting his mind. The love in her eyes took his breath away. She might not be able to say the words, but she couldn’t hide her true feelings. Not from him. Even in a kink club they’d managed to eke out a tiny slice of heaven, if only for a fleeting moment.
“Without the evidence, I can’t hold you, Ms. Electra.” He kissed her and withdrew. “You’re free to leave, but know this: you’ve been the highlight of my law enforcement career.”
She laughed. “I have to hand it to you, Detective. You’re phenomenal at your job. I’m tempted to take up a life of crime just so that you’ll search me again.”
With a grin, he removed the handcuffs. “You don’t need to break the law to get me to do this to you again. All you have to do is ask and I’m all yours.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She kissed him.
He pushed off the cot. “I’m going to hang out for a few extra minutes. Catch a glimpse if I can.”
Her grateful smile turned him into putty. “Thank you for doing that for me.”
When they finished dressing, he handed her his phone. “I don’t like you being without one.”
With his phone in hand, she kissed him and left the suite.
Though they’d role-played, this connection felt different. Crockett wasn’t one to dwell, but he believed they were making progress. Slow and steady.
He left the suite and powered down the hallway, moving through the loitering couples. After ordering a whiskey at the bar, he walked across the hall and eased onto the red sofa. If Jase or Francois paraded past, he’d spot them. But almost twenty minutes into his stay, he hadn’t seen any suspicious activity and decided to call it.
As he approached the elevator, the doors slid open. Crockett stepped aside. Two masked men breezed by. Dracule had arrived at eleven forty-five on a weeknight. And this time he’d brought a buddy.
This should be interesting.
Dracule walked through the greeting room, stood in the hallway and glanced in both directions. The other man waited by the reception counter adjusting his mask and fidgeting. A first-timer.
A moment later, Jase hurried over and shook the other man’s hand. When Dracule’s guest offered Jase cash, Jase refused the money and whispered a reply. The guest shoved the money back into his pocket and the three men walked in the direction of the unmarked suite. As Alex had predicted, Jase tapped his card over the sensor, pushed open the door, and gestured for them to step inside. He followed and closed the door behind him.
Crockett wasn’t sure what was considered nor
mal behavior at an erotic club, but he had to agree with Alex. He couldn’t think of a legitimate reason for Jase to join them. If those two men were going to be intimate, they didn’t need the GM tucking them into bed.
Several moments later, Jase rounded the corner, coming from the opposite direction, and disappeared into his office. She’s right. He’s up to something.
Exhaustion settled on him. He needed sleep, preferably with a leggy brunette wrapped around him. He punched the elevator button, the doors slid open and he got in. As they closed, a thin, masked woman, with her arm in a sling, appeared. Assuming she wanted to get in, he stabbed the open button, but too late. “Sorry,” he said to no one.
As he drove out of the parking garage, he blurted, “Oh, Jesus, that was Sage.”
19
The Interview
Crockett could not get a damned break. Decker’s analysis of Maverick’s rogue Eagle concluded a non-specific one-time anomaly. AKA: Inconclusive findings. Crockett didn’t buy that load of crap. On a resounding grunt, he smacked his laptop shut.
Decker startled, but kept staring out the window of Crockett’s seventh floor corner office. “Pretty much everyone is staring at their phones. It’s a wonder they all don’t get hit by a bus.”
Crockett joined him at the window. Snarled traffic moved in tight bundles from light to light while throngs of bundled pedestrians skittered beneath a gray sky.
Things didn’t come easily for Crockett, but that never slowed him down. He’d dig deeper, concentrate harder, revisit and reexamine problems until he got to the root of the issue. He’d burn the midnight oil and work weekends. And he believed the pulse of his success came from collaboration. That was how Crockett Wilde rolled and nothing would change that; not even the recent equipment failures.
But now wasn’t the time to get into the details of the report with Decker. That conversation would result in a heated stalemate. Alexandra was interviewing members of his team for her tech story and he wanted to ensure his most valued employee had a good attitude. No need to piss Decker off, especially since he was against the interview in the first place.
“Alexandra Reed is due here any minute,” Crockett said.
“Yeah, I saw your email,” Decker replied. “Not loving your decision.”
“We won a contest. Time to put on our game faces and show the viewers a few gadgets they’ll think are cool. Ten minutes after the program airs, people will forget about it. If we refuse, the media will hound us because they’ll think we’re hiding something.”
“We are hiding things,” Decker said.
“Right, but we don’t want to draw attention to that, especially now. If a reporter—and that includes Alexandra Reed—finds out about our device failures, we’ve got a whole new set of problems. Maverick is loyal. Charlie Bowen from DHS is staying quiet for now. If word gets out, we aren’t the only ones the media will hound. Let’s do the feel-good interview and move on.”
“Got it,” Decker said, but his curt tone belied his answer. “What tables do you want covered?”
“All but the NVGs. Take out two of the original mini-drones and set those on the same table. Can you stay in the lab with them?”
“No problem.”
Crockett’s intercom buzzed. “Yes.”
“Are you in there?” Ellen asked. “Never mind. You answered. Sorry, I’m a little out of sorts.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m not comfortable in front of the camera. Ms. Reed is here. Do you want me to—”
“I’ll handle it.”
“Yes, sir.” The line went dead.
“I’ll cover the tables.” Decker trotted out.
While Ellen could have escorted Alexandra and her team into the lab, he needed to see her, even if just for a moment.
When he’d gotten home the previous evening, she’d already crashed on his sofa. This morning she’d left for work before he had a chance to tell her about Dracule and Sage. He needed her in his bed, his arms, and his life. Not on his damned sofa.
As Crockett powered down the hall, his heartbeat kicked up. As he entered reception, she turned to greet him. Her beauty and confidence sent energy pinging through him. Though she’d stepped onto his turf, she commanded the space. She might be his Goth Girl, but the journalist standing tall before him carried herself with confidence and grace. A class act.
She extended her hand, but the sparkle in her eyes defied the barrier she’d created with her stiff arm. He shook it. The familiar and welcomed current traveled up his arm. “Alexandra, good to see you.”
“You as well, Crockett.”
“Gavin, welcome to Wilde Innovations.” Crockett shook the cameraman’s hand.
“How’ve you been?” Gavin asked.
Crockett shot Alexandra a quick glance. “All things considered, pretty good. You?”
Gavin split his attention between him and Alex, the faintest smile curling his lips. “Doing great.”
Crockett then met Gavin’s assistant, Tom, and Millie, the makeup artist.
“We’ll conduct the interviews in the lab,” Crockett said. “Right this way.”
Alexandra fell in line as he escorted the news team down the hall. “You look beautiful, Ms. Reed,” he murmured.
A pinkish glow colored her cheeks. “Thank you.”
As they approached the double-etched glass, Decker emerged. No smile. In fact, he greeted everyone with a scowl.
“You’re in good hands with Decker.” Crockett regarded the group. When he eyed Alexandra, her lips curved. “I’ll be back.”
Her smile did it for him, every single time.
This interview was about something much more important than a ratings winner, so Alexandra would tread lightly where Decker was concerned.
Decker rubbed his palms on his worn jeans. “Crockett considers the lab sacred space. We all do, so if a table is covered, it stays covered. If you’re cool with that, in we go.”
Alexandra nodded. “Totally on board.”
“I’m a look-don’t-touch kinda guy myself,” Gavin said.
As soon as Decker received verbal agreement from the others, he heaved open the door and they entered.
“Great space. Good lighting,” said Gavin. “If it’s alright by you, I’ll set up by the window next to the uncovered table.” After a tight nod from Decker, Gavin and his assistant took off toward the corner.
Decker’s cool demeanor didn’t concern Alexandra. But she did need him to be in the right frame of mind. Savvy viewers picked up on the slightest nuances and any negativity could tarnish the segment. While this was a feel-good story about a local company with international reach, she wanted the audience to understand the true motivation behind everything the team created.
First up, Crockett’s Vice President of Operations, Natalie Floyd. She breezed through makeup and settled into the chair across from Alexandra. Poised, personable, and intelligent, Natalie’s no-nonsense but congenial answers set the stage. Alexandra liked her strong work ethic and quick wit.
Though Decker agreed to be interviewed, his guarded nature made him appear as if he was either trying to hide something or he didn’t like being in front of the camera. Alexandra continued to ask open-ended questions until she elicited Decker’s driving motivation. His loyalty to Crockett.
“I started working for Crockett as an intern while I was an undergrad at Maryland,” Decker said. “I have the freedom to be as creative as my imagination will allow. Crockett and I don’t always agree, but we find common ground and go from there.”
Interviewing Decker gave Alexandra insight into Crockett’s right-hand man and, while she didn’t appreciate his chilly demeanor, she understood it. Decker Daughtry was Crockett’s friend and greatest ally.
Next up was Crockett’s assistant, Ellen. She kept wringing her hands and pursing her lips while Millie applied her makeup. By the time Ellen settled into the hot seat, she’d turned a pasty green.
“I can’t do this,” Ellen whispered.
“I don’t even like having my picture taken.”
“Why don’t we chat for a few?” Alexandra asked. “No camera, no interview. Tell me about yourself.”
Ellen shot Gavin a furtive glance. “What about your cameraman?”
Gavin moseyed over. “I’ll watch the playback while you two ladies get acquainted.”
“Thanks, Gavin.” Though Alexandra hadn’t teamed with Gavin in years, she knew he was rolling tape. If the conversation didn’t go well, the footage would get scrapped. But Alexandra’s gut told her that once Ellen relaxed, she’d be great.
Crossing her legs, Ellen swept her hand over the leg of her pants suit. “Not much to say about me. I’m married with four children.”
“And you work here full-time?”
During their conversation, the color returned to Ellen’s face and she stopped fiddling with her bracelets. As she spoke about each of her children, she smiled, the softness in her eyes matching her sweet tone.
“What do you do for yourself?” Alexandra asked.
“I work at Wilde!” Ellen laughed. “Magic happens here. It’s an exciting environment and even though I’m not a creative type, I feel like a part of the team. I’ve been an executive assistant for over twenty years and Crockett is a dream to work for.”
“How would you describe your boss?”
Ellen’s sincere smile said it all. “Honest, driven and insanely smart. But success hasn’t gone to his head. He’s grounded and steady. I’ve worked for some real hotheads.” She shook her head. “Plus, if one of my children is sick—or all of them, like when they got the flu last winter—Crockett tells me to take care of my babies and not to worry about a thing.” She smiled. “He doesn’t even dock me vacation time. That man is a gem.”
Alexandra called over her shoulder, “Gavin, are we good?”
“Got it all,” Gavin said as he set the camera down.
With a smirk, Ellen pointed at them. “You two are sneaky.”
THE WILDE TOUCH: Book Two of The Touch Series Page 19
