After spreading her thighs gently, he positioned her the way he liked, then gazed at the treasure he’d uncovered. The spicy scent of her arousal made his cock twitch in response, and he couldn’t wait to taste her.
Wetting his lips, Mike bent to her and traced his tongue over her slick folds, once, twice, before delving deeper to find the swollen bud of her clitoris. She arched hard against his mouth, her fingers clutching his hair now, not hard enough to hurt, just hard enough to jam his pulse into overdrive. He drew her clitoris into the warm wetness of his mouth and slid first one then two fingers inside her, searching for that special spot. They’d been together before, but this time seemed special. Slower. More intimate.
She gasped, meeting each thrust of his fingers, rocking more fervently against him as he stared up the length of her body to meet her gaze. “Tell me,” he said, blowing softly on her sensitive flesh. “Tell me what you’re feeling.”
“Oh, God. Mike, I…” Her words trailed off as he resumed his ministrations. He could make her speechless. Good to know. “Mike, I… Oh, I… That feels incredible.”
He curved his fingers upward to press into the sensitive area about an inch inside her slick walls. Her whole body twitched with pleasure. “Like that, huh?”
“God, yes. Do it again.”
“Demanding, aren’t we, Princess.” He grinned, then did it again.
“Yes! Oh, I’m close.”
“Let go,” he coaxed, male pride surging that he could do this to her, bring her this close to the brink. “Come for me, Princess.”
“Oh, oh, Mike… Oh, God.”
Taking her swollen clitoris between his lips once more, he swirled his tongue around the sensitive flesh, and she arched hard beneath him, her inner walls clenching his fingers tight as she climaxed hard. He nursed her through wave after wave of pleasure before kissing his way back up to her lips. “Ready for me?”
“Please.”
He snagged a condom from the nightstand drawer and slicked it on before lowering his body down to hers and kissing her deeply. When he broke free, he took her hand and kissed her palm then guided her hand down to his cock. “Put me where you want me, Princess.”
With a coy smile, she ran his tip through her wet folds, once, twice, three times—teasing them both to the point of no return. “Like this?”
Mike pushed her hand away and poised himself at her entrance. “No, Princess.” He entered her in one long thrust, groaning as he buried himself hilt deep in her hot tightness. “Like this.”
They held still for a moment, staring into each other’s eyes. She swallowed hard, and he bent to kiss the muscles of her throat as they worked. In the silence, she whispered, “No more secrets between us, Mike.”
“No more secrets.” He kissed her gently, then withdrew to his tip before driving into her once more. “No more.”
“Yes.” The word emerged from her as more of a hiss, as she met him thrust for thrust.
He’d never had a lover who was more attuned to him, more responsive to his every touch, and he found it, found her, intoxicating. He’d never meant to bare his soul to her today, yet that’s exactly what he’d done. Now he couldn’t bring himself to regret it.
Laura closed her eyes and bit her lip as he drove them closer to the edge of oblivion. Pressure coiled tighter in his gut, signaling his impending release. He held off as long as he could, reaching between them to stroke her swollen clitoris again with his thumb and forefinger.
“Oh, Mike. I can’t… I can’t… I’m almost there… Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”
“Never, Princess. Never.” He nuzzled her breasts as she came hard around him again, her wetness milking him toward his own climax. He drove into her a few more times before his own body clenched tight. He stiffened against her, head back, eyes closed as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over him. At last, he collapsed on top of her, his head resting on her chest where he could hear the steady drumming of her heart. The air around him smelled of sex and warm, clean woman and he’d never felt more safe or satisfied in his life.
Drowsy and sated, Mike rolled off of Laura, then pulled her back against him. A glance at the bedside clock showed it wasn’t even noon yet, but he didn’t care. For once, the world could survive without him. Laura’s breath slowed, and he snuggled her closer. So, his princess had investigated him, and she’d returned to him anyway. His hopes for a future between them flared brighter. Hell, today he’d come right out and told her what a crappy human being he was, and yet she’d stayed. A pang of guilt shot through him. He’d promised no more secrets, but there was one thing he could never tell her—one secret he’d have to keep. He pushed the thought aside. That secret had no bearing on what was happening now.
For once, he had everything he needed right here.
Mike kissed the top of Laura’s head and closed his eyes.
For once, he held goodness in his arms and felt like maybe he actually deserved it.
Sixteen
The next afternoon, Mike was going over the latest game configurations with Ted at the penthouse when the security buzzer rang.
“Expecting someone?” Ted asked, his voice sounding more nasal than usual from the cold. Mike had wanted him to take more time off, but Ted had insisted on coming over today. Like Mike, Ted was a workaholic.
“No. Wasn’t expecting anyone, actually.” Mike got up and walked over to the security panel in the foyer. His other staff worked at the main office, and Laura was off doing another one of her human-interest pieces, a kid who collected asteroids or something, she’d said. He pressed the button and did his best to keep his irritation from his tone. He hated most interruptions, and they really needed to get these games ready for production by the end of the week. “Yes?”
“Hey, Big Bro.” Reba gave a little wave into the camera. “Got a minute?”
Mike glanced back at Ted then sighed. “Come on up, but make it fast. I’m behind schedule.”
“Whatever.”
The elevator doors slid open moments later. His little sister stepped out and grabbed him in a tight hug, the top of her head several inches below his chin. They shared the same dark coloring, the same cautious personalities, the same secrets.
“To what do I owe this honor?” he asked, pulling away.
“I heard there was another attempted murder with a scene like your game.”
“Yeah.” Mike wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her into the living room. “Ted, you remember my little sister Reba?”
The guy gave a slight nod, then focused his attention right back on his paperwork.
“C’mon.” Mike led Reba into the kitchen then took a seat beside her at the island. “I saw the story on the local news this morning. You want something to drink?”
“Nah, I’m fine.” She tapped her fingers on the granite countertop. “It’s creepy, right?”
“Yep, it’s disturbing. Not sure why anyone would do that.”
Reba pursed her lips. “I’m worried.”
“Why?” Mike took her hand, frowning as she trembled.
She leaned closer, her voice low. “What if the police start digging into what happened with Lyle again?”
“They won’t. Why would they? This is just some obsessed weirdo acting out. Besides, there’s nothing even connecting this last guy to me or the company. They won’t reopen Lyle’s case.”
His sister gave him an incredulous look. “Uh, the latest victim is Steven Price.”
“So?”
“So he’s the boyfriend of Gloria Reyes.” When Mike still had no idea who the guy was, Reba swatted him hard on the arm. “From your accounting department.”
“Oh.” The company had grown so fast over the last few years that he had a hard time keeping track of all the new faces, but yeah. Now that Reba mentioned accounting, he remembered the pretty Latina woman who balanced his books. “That’s her boyfriend, huh?”
Ted walked in and headed straight for the coffee pot. “You guys talkin
g about that new victim?”
“Yeah,” Mike said, glancing at Reba. “Guess he dates some gal in our accounting office.”
Ted gave him a disapproving look. “You don’t remember that? You used to remember everyone who worked for you.”
“Things used to be a lot smaller and less complicated than they are now, too.” Mike rubbed his face. “Guess I need to start paying attention again.”
“Guess maybe you do,” Ted said quietly before taking his coffee back into the other room.
Mike shook his head to clear the feelings of guilt. Had he become one of those CEO's that didn't care about his people? He'd have to remedy that. He looked at Reba and smiled. “You want to take a walk or something?”
“Can’t, sorry.” She hopped off her stool. “I’m meeting a friend in ten minutes for mani-pedis. I just wanted to make sure you knew about what was going on and to warn you to be careful. If they dig into that case, it might not be good for you. Promise me if you hear something about Lyle, you’ll let me know?”
“Of course.” He walked her back to the elevator. “You sure you’re okay?”
She rose on tiptoe and kissed his cheek then stepped into the elevator. “Yeah, I’m okay. See you around.”
“See ya.” Mike kept the smile on his face as he watched the elevator door close on his little sister, but it faded as he turned back to his apartment. What had happened with Lyle Kennedy shouldn’t worry him. It was done. Over with. Case closed. But Reba had a point about the police digging into Lyle’s death again in light of these new murders. One never knew how the police were going to twist evidence to suit their agenda.
* * *
Late that night, Laura pulled into a spot one street over and several blocks from her building and exited the Impala. Normally, she parked closer, but everything was taken. Must be some special concert or something going on tonight. Oh, well. The weather was warm, and she needed the exercise anyway after sitting on her butt all morning interviewing that kid. The article had then taken way longer to write and edit than she’d expected, but at least it was done. With any luck, she wouldn’t have too many more of those human-interest pieces in her future.
She waited at the light to cross the street, the area just as crowded at eleven thirty p.m. as it was at eleven thirty a.m. Tourists poured in and out of the casinos and nightclubs, and the neon signs cast a pretty rainbow glow on the pavement.
Green light flashing, Laura continued on down the sidewalk and stepped aside to dodge what appeared to be a group of intoxicated women at a bachelorette party. One of the gals went crazy over a life-sized cutout of a male stripper from one of the nearby bars’ revues, and Laura chuckled.
A block ahead, she turned the corner. One more block to her building. She’d thought about calling Mike to see if he wanted to come over, but she knew how busy he was with his new games getting ready for release. Besides, after the day she’d had, a night alone sounded pretty good right now. She stopped suddenly and rubbed the back of her neck. Her skin prickled, and she glanced behind her, the weight of a stare heavy on her shoulders, though she spotted no one other than the usual tourists.
To be on the safe side, she reached into the side pocket of her messenger bag and gripped the small can of mace she always kept there. The streets of Vegas were fairly safe at any hour, but it never hurt to be prepared.
As she got closer to her apartment, the crowds started to thin out. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her, following her. Laura pulled out her phone and clicked it on, then hesitated. Who would she call? Worse, what proof did she have? Just her gut instincts, which, accurate though they usually were, weren’t exactly hard evidence.
Moonlight cast long shadows all around her, broken here and there by the orange glow of the streetlights. She looked behind her again and thought she spotted someone in a hoodie dart into a doorway.
Mike always wears hoodies…
Stop it.
Mike wasn’t the killer. They’d shared everything the other night. She trusted him.
It wasn’t Mike.
She turned another corner, walked a few steps, and looked behind her.
No one.
Laura sighed. she was being ridiculous. Letting all the murders get to her. No one was behind her. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling of someone watching her. Not behind her now, though, up ahead toward her apartment.
The phone rested heavy in her palm. Maybe she could call Troy. There wasn’t anything the police could do without a credible threat of violence, but still. He’d probably at least do a friendly drive-by for her.
Her apartment building loomed in the distance, still half a block ahead.
No. She could handle this by herself. If someone approached, she’d bust out all the self-defense skills Liv had taught her. No big deal. Her thumb hovered over the keypad. Then again, there was always Mike. His penthouse was only a few blocks farther than her place. And he could be here sooner than Troy, if necessary.
Cursing, she shoved the phone back into her pocket and quickened her steps. This was stupid. She was a grown, capable woman. She didn’t need to run to a man to fix her problems, even one as cute and cuddly and delectable as her Mike.
Her Mike?
Distracted, she barged ahead and ran smack into a hard, muscled male chest.
Laura blinked up into the face of the man she’d damned near mowed down and frowned. “Troy? What are you doing here? Are you following me?”
“No.” He released her and stepped back, the bruise from his black eye looking dark in the streetlight. “I was coming from a crime scene.”
“Another game-related victim?” Laura did her best to ignore the rush of panic those words created in her system. If there’d been another body found, this one was close to her home. Far too close for her comfort. Never a good sign. And if someone was stalking her… The widow had feared she’d had a stalker, too…
“No.” Troy narrowed his gaze on her. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. You okay?”
“I’m fine.” She took a deep breath. “Just stressed and tired.”
“Bad day?”
“Bingo.”
He thrust his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “You want to grab a drink or something? I’m off duty now.”
“No.” He raised his brows at her snippy tone and she winced. “Sorry. Don’t think I’d be very good company tonight. I’ll just head home and go to bed.”
“Alone?”
“Excuse me?” She bristled under his nosiness. “That’s none of your business.”
Laura peered into the distance. She didn’t see any blinking lights or crime scene. Since when did cops walk to a crime scene? The thought briefly crossed her mind that Troy was the one watching her, then she dismissed it. Cops didn’t stalk people, did they?
She started walking toward her apartment building again and he kept pace beside her. “As long as it isn’t McQuade, we’re good. I’m telling you, Laura, that guy is bad news.”
“This from the guy who tried to blackmail me the other day.” She glared at him. “Sorry, but I think I’ll make my own decisions on who’s best for me.”
“Hey, look. I’m sorry. I never meant to threaten you, Laura. It’s just…” He raked a hand through his thick blond hair and swore under his breath. “I care about you, okay? I don’t want to see you get hurt, and I know you’ve been back to see him.”
“Are you spying on me now?” She gave him some serious side eye. “Because if you are, I’ll report you to your superiors, Atkins.”
“No. The security feeds, remember? Blake’s still sending them over every night. I saw you on there again a few days ago.”
“Where exactly are these cameras in Mike’s place?”
“Main lobby and penthouse foyer.” He held up his hands in surrender. “That’s it. I swear.”
“Better be.” They stopped in front of her apartment building. “Mike told me about what happened with the widow�
��s husband, Jim. He’s told me everything, and I’m okay with it, so just stop trying to interfere, all right?”
Troy gave her a pointed stare. “He told you he’s been accused of murder before?”
“The drowning at his penthouse was ruled an accident. I looked it up myself to confirm.”
“I’m not talking about the drowning.”
Dread congealed in the pit of her stomach. “What are you talking about?”
“Lyle Kennedy.”
“Never heard of him.”
“It was a while ago, but you should look that one up too, Laura. Lot of people think he got away with killing that guy, just like he’s getting away with killing these people now.” He stepped closer to her and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “And we found something else, too.”
She swallowed hard. “What?”
“At the first crime scene. A disposable phone. We think it connects back to Mike.”
“I need to go.” She rushed up the front stoop and opened the door. “Goodbye, Troy.”
“Look up Kennedy, Laura. Make your own decision.”
As she rode up to her apartment, Laura slumped against the wall of the elevator, more exhausted than she’d ever remembered. Mike had promised her no more secrets. Now this. Lyle Kennedy she could look up easily enough, but the cell phone? She’d seen Mike’s stash of phones firsthand and had made the connection herself that they were the same brand as the one in the picture on Troy’s desk right after the widow’s murder.
Dammit.
She was so sick of the men in her life running roughshod. Determined, she waited until the doors opened but didn’t exit. Instead, she pressed the button for the first floor again and rode back down to the lobby. Back outside, she turned and headed in the direction of the Turnberry.
Ten minutes later, she stood in front of the security camera in Mike’s lobby, jamming the Call button.
He answered on the fourth buzz. “What?”
“I have some more questions for you, mister.”
“Now?”
“Hell yes, now.”
Fatal Games (The Rockford Security Series Book 2) Page 14
