The Banker

by Penelope Sky

  That was more information than I needed to know, but since we weren’t that close, it wasn’t totally awkward. “We’re exclusive.”

  Landon’s furrowed brows softened into a look of surprise. “Did he ask for that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Really?” he said. “You’re monogamous?”

  “Until I’m finished decorating his house. That’s the plan, at least.”

  He rubbed his fingers across his jaw, feeling the thick beard he’d allowed to grow in since the last time I saw him. “Your plan is working. A guy like Cato doesn’t quit a lifestyle like his without reason.”

  “I’m just as surprised as you are.” I thought it would be a lot more difficult to lure Cato into a connection. This guy could have any woman he wanted—and as many women as he wanted. To put that aside just to enjoy me seemed illogical. “But I think he’s grown tired of the repetitiveness of life. I think he’s bored and unfulfilled. I’m the only woman in the world who’s ever told him no. I’ve played hard to get. I’ve dated other men in the meantime. That’s not something he’s used to, and I think he’s intrigued by it.”

  “Whatever you’re doing, it’s working.”

  “Yeah…”

  “You think you can get him somewhere alone? Your house would be the perfect spot. It’s quiet, and there are no neighbors. Damien and Micah could show up in the middle of the night while he’s asleep and ambush him then.”

  “Even when he’s at my place, his men establish a perimeter around the property.”

  “Tell him it makes you uncomfortable.”

  Even if I did, I would be too paranoid to see the plan through. “Landon, I don’t know if I can do it. He threatened me. Not directly, but he did. Maybe he was stupid enough to fall for my ploy this far, but I don’t think he’s dumb enough to fall for this. Bates is on to me too. Said he doesn’t like me or trust me.”

  Landon held my gaze as he listened, his hand returning to his glass.

  “I’m on the edge of a knife. Cato clearly feels a connection toward me. He tells me things, and when I see through his bullshit, he appreciates it. There’s clearly something between us, the beginning of something anyway. If I betray him and it doesn’t work…I know he’ll torture me and kill me. He said it straight to my face.”

  “That was exactly what I warned you about.”

  “So…I think I have a different idea.”

  “What?” Landon asked. “Kill him in his sleep and take his body to Damien? You’d never succeed. And I’m sure they want him alive.”

  “No.” My new idea was just as dangerous as my original plan, but it might have a better chance of success. “What if I tell Cato about my dilemma? What if I tell him my father has been kidnapped and the only way I can save him is by handing Cato over?”

  My brother gave me the same look he’d been giving me our whole lives—like I was the biggest idiot on the planet. “And you think Cato will happily hand himself over to make your life easier? Maybe you’re good in bed, but no woman is that good.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Then what did you mean? Tell me how this idea could possibly work.”

  “Cato Marino is the most powerful man in this country. You’ve told me that more than once, and I’ve seen it with my own eyes. He owns everything and everyone. What if I told him the truth and asked for his help? Who would be better to make that happen? Cato could snap his fingers and our father would be saved and Damien and Micah would be six feet under. They wouldn’t stand a chance against him.”

  When Landon didn’t argue right away, it meant he was considering my words. With narrowed eyes and focused thoughts, he mulled it over. “That sounds like a dream come true. But why would he want to help you after you admit this was all a ruse? You tricked him, and he fell for it. He’s gonna be so pissed, he’ll probably rip your head off.”

  “True…”

  “Like, actually snap your neck. I’ve heard that’s his favorite way to kill people.”

  At least it would be painless and wouldn’t make a mess. I’d look pretty in my casket.

  “Cato will never forgive you for tricking him. The guy could be madly in love with you, but the second he realizes everything was a lie, he’ll rip you apart. This guy rules with fear and torture. You’re not special. He treats all his enemies exactly the same way. He’s not gonna allow you to make a fool out of him.”

  I knew Cato was the killing machine Landon described him as, but I also knew there was a small layer of softness underneath his hard exterior. He did have some good in him, some understanding. “I still think I have a better chance telling him the truth than going through with this plan. It’s obvious I’m only doing it to save my father. I’m not after his money or his power. Any human being would understand that.”

  Landon shook his head. “I disagree.”

  I wouldn’t make my move right this second anyway, so it didn’t matter. I still had time to think about what I was going to do.

  “You’ll need to make a decision soon. You’re running out of time. Damien and Micah won’t be patient much longer.”

  “Well, it’s way too soon. There’s nothing I can do right now.”

  “If the guy is only sleeping with you, I’d say you have some leverage.”

  “But when my job ends, we’re over. I can’t stretch it out forever.”

  Landon took a drink. “Look at it this way. This is the first time in the guy’s life where he’s only wanted one woman. He went from threesomes to a twosome. Not only that, but he wants it just to be the two of you. That’s called ownership. That’s called possessiveness. That’s called a man marking his territory. When a man gets to that point, he doesn’t walk away. Maybe he doesn’t realize it now, but he will eventually. So if you keep this up, you’ll eventually break through his exterior. The question is, do you have enough time for that?”

  I sat in the living room with a glass of wine in hand. My laptop was on my thighs, and I was researching the artwork I wanted to put in the hallway on the second level. Cato’s house was so enormous that finding enough artwork to fill every space was difficult. After I was finished with it, it would practically be a museum itself. Anyone who had the honor of visiting his home would be in awe of the masterpieces he owned. Just the Monet painting alone cost him ten million dollars.

  The sound of the front door pulled my attention from the screen. It sounded like the knob was turning or the lock was being picked. Damien had no problem breaking in to my home, so I tossed my computer off my lap and grabbed the gun I kept hidden underneath the table. I clicked off the safety then faced the door, my gun aimed and held at the ready.

  The lock was opened, and Cato walked inside.

  Like he owned the place.

  He was wearing black jeans and a gray t-shirt, and his height gave my vaulted ceiling a run for its money. His eyes moved to mine as he shut the door behind him. Unaffected by the loaded gun pointed right between his eyes, he sauntered into the room.

  “What the hell are you doing?” My heart slowed down when I realized Damien wasn’t there to shoot me again, but I kept my gun pointed at the asshole who was trespassing on my property.

  He walked right up to me and let the barrel of the gun press against his chest. Fearless, he looked down at me, that distinct look of amusement on his face. He cupped my cheek then tilted my face so my lips were angled toward his. “A beautiful woman with a gun…that’s pretty sexy.” He pressed his mouth to mine as he pulled the gun out of my hand.

  My fingers turned lifeless as I let him pull the metal away from my grip. His kiss immobilized me, like I was the one being held at gunpoint. His warm mouth was as comforting as I remembered, soft and full. He gave me purposeful kisses that nearly made me forget he’d barged into my house without knocking.

  He pulled down the straps of my yellow sundress and pushed it over my chest so my tits were on display. His lips didn’t break from mine as he gripped both of my breasts in his large hands and
squeezed them. He moaned before he gave me his tongue. “I missed you, baby.”

  I loved how sexy his hands felt as they groped me. So large and warm. They were a man’s hands, big and callused. They knew how to handle a woman’s rack, how to squeeze and massage until I was running out of breath. His thumbs flicked over my nipples as he kept kissing me.

  “Say you missed me.”

  I didn’t have an urge for disobedience. I turned into mush in his hands, my hormones overriding my rage. This man had done something unforgivable, but I was letting him kiss me and feel me up. “I missed you.”

  He gripped my dress then pulled it over my head, revealing my choice of a white thong. He stared down at me in approval, his fingers moving to my slender tummy and my wide hips. He turned his hand over and trailed the backs of his fingers down my stomach and toward the apex of my thighs. When his fingers reached my clit, he rubbed it gently, using two fingers to supply the perfect amount of pleasure. He touched me better than I touched myself, as if he could feel my own pleasure. “Say it again.”

  I didn’t hesitate. My desperation came out without shame. “I missed you…”

  His mouth moved to mine as he kissed me again, his fingers still working my clit with precision. He sucked my bottom lip into his mouth then grazed his tongue past mine. His fingers rubbed me harder until my hips moved into his body.

  This man made me fall apart—and I hated it. “You can’t just barge into my house like that.” I pushed my hand into his hard chest, but he didn’t move. Instead, I was the one who moved back, his fingers falling from my clit. “There’s a doorbell.”

  “I don’t like doorbells.” His eyes stayed glued to my lips, like he was waiting for the next chance to kiss me.

  “Then knock.”

  “I don’t like that either.”

  “Well, that’s not how this is gonna work.” I crossed my arms over my chest, but that only pushed my tits higher up my body. “Knock, or I’ll shoot you next time.”

  A charming grin stretched across his face. It should annoy me, but anytime he wore a grin, it was innately arousing. “Fuck, you’re sexy.” He pulled my gun from his back pocket and set it on my coffee table. His shirt came next before he tossed it on the floor. His chiseled physique became my obsession as he removed his belt and dropped his jeans.

  It was impossible for me to stay focused with this guy.

  When his boxers were gone and his ridiculously beautiful dick was on display, hard and ready, I really did lose my train of thought.

  He moved to the couch and sat back, his proud dick lying against his stomach. He wrapped his fingers around his length and patted his left thigh with his other hand.

  I should still be mad at him, but that was impossible. I moved between his knees and lowered myself to the floor.

  Before I could get on my knees to suck him off, he grabbed my wrist and yanked me on top of him. “Baby, you’re wet enough for both of us.” He pulled me hard against his chest then directed his crown inside me.

  I lowered myself slowly, sheathing every inch of his dick until I sat on his balls. He was so long that I had to raise myself high to pull him out of me. Then it was a long fall back to his balls.

  He stared at my tits as he moaned, his masculine jaw tightening with his movements. He gripped both of my cheeks as he guided me up and down, making me move at a slow pace because he wanted to enjoy every bounce. “You really did miss me…” His hands moved to my tits, and he squeezed them as I kept moving up and down.

  It’d been a few days since the last time I saw him, and now that his dick was so thick inside me, I wanted it every night. The sex was good and life was short, so I should fuck him every single day. Even when he did nothing but sit there, he was still the best lay I’d ever had. He was perfectly created, one of God’s favorites. He would ruin me for all other men, because no man would ever be able to fill me like this.

  He locked his eyes on to mine, and I continued to bounce on his dick. He clenched his jaw and released another moan as he enjoyed me. He gripped my ass cheeks in his hands and guided me up and down harder, thrusting his hips up at the same time.

  My arms wrapped around his neck, and I rested my forehead against his. “Cato, I’m gonna come…”

  He pressed into me harder, his large feet pushing against the rug under the couch. “I know, baby. Your pussy gets so tight…so wet.” He pounded me into oblivion, sending me into another climax that made me forget how much of an asshole he was. It made me forget I was doing this for a reason. Now it seemed like I was fucking him because there was no other man I wanted to fuck.

  “Yes…” I closed my eyes and enjoyed it, feeling like a real woman with a real man inside me.

  He gave his final thrusts before he yanked me down onto his lap, balls deep, and then he came. He exploded his seed inside me, filling me with everything he had. He moved his face into my neck as he moaned, his cock thickening and twitching inside me. “Fuck.” He lifted me as he rose to his feet. “Now I want to stare at your asshole as I fuck you again.”

  I dozed off for a few hours, and when I opened my eyes, I realized it was nine in the evening.

  And I was starving.

  Dinner had been forgotten because Cato stopped by with no warning. We wound up in my bed upstairs, fucking like it’d been weeks since we’d last seen each other, not days. Now I had a gorgeous man beside me, the sheets bunched around his waist as his hand rested on his stomach.

  I slid out of the bed and made my way back downstairs. His shirt was on the floor where he’d left it, so I pulled it on and stepped into the kitchen. I’d already defrosted the chicken, so I added the spices then threw it in the pan. After a few more ingredients, I had chicken piccata.

  “You can shoot, and you can cook. Perfect woman.”

  I turned around to see Cato standing there in his black boxers. With lean muscle bulging everywhere, he looked even sexier naked than he did in a full suit. I turned off the pan then scooped the chicken, tomatoes, and pasta onto two plates. “You don’t know if I can shoot.”

  “But you handle a gun like you can.” He carried the plates to the kitchen table.

  I opened a bottle of wine and poured two glasses.

  “I thought you were a scotch kind of woman?” He sat down and took a drink of his wine.

  “I am. But if I drank like that all the time, my aim would be off.” I sat across from him then cut into my dinner.

  “A lot of people break in to your house?” he asked incredulously.

  “You never know.”

  He took a few bites while keeping his eyes on me. Just as he did when we were fucking, he watched me with that same hint of possessiveness. “You’re a great cook.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You can fuck. You can cook. You can shoot. Triple threat.”

  “Not if you’re the one who pissed me off. I might shoot you then cook you.”

  He grinned. “If you fucked me first, I probably wouldn’t mind.”

  The more I got to know Cato Marino, the more I liked him. He was cold and empty when I first met him, just a hollow shell with few desires. But now he was a real man, one with confidence and a sense of humor. He even smiled once in a while. It was a much better version than the one I’d originally met. “So, no more barging into my house, alright?”

  “Why?”

  “What do you mean, why? This is my home, my property, and my privacy.”

  “You watch a lot of porn or something?”

  “Some. Not a lot.” I pointed my fork at him. “And that’s not the point.”

  He was about to take a bite, but he lowered his fork and stared at me with a searing gaze. “Whoa, let’s back up.”

  “What? That I watch porn? Women like it too. A lot of women.”

  He set his utensils down like he needed all his bearings to continue the conversation. “Is that what you were doing before I walked in?”

  “No. But it would be none of your business if I were.”

/>   “How often do you watch it?”

  Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned it at all since that was all he could focus on because he was a pig. “Doesn’t matter.”

  “I just don’t see why a woman like you would need to watch it at all. You can get laid as much as you want, anytime you want.”

  I shrugged. “Sometimes you like to be by yourself.”

  He closed his eyes for a brief moment, as if he couldn’t handle the comment I’d just made. “Jesus, you’re killing me.” He grabbed his glass and took a long drink. “I just eye-fucked your asshole while I fucked you, and now I’m so hard up it’s like I didn’t fuck you twice in the first place.”

  I continued to eat. “All of this wouldn’t have happened if you’d just knocked.”

  “I learned my lesson—I’ll never knock again.” His eyes narrowed on me, full of unstoppable arousal.

  “Well, if you pull a stunt like that again, I’ll shoot you.”

  “That’ll only make me want you more.” It didn’t seem like an idle threat. It seemed like he’d never meant anything more in his life.

  I broke eye contact first because his intensity was too much. I’d never been with a man I couldn’t match. But my strength, intellect, and wit weren’t nearly as strong as his. This man had more power and confidence than I ever would. He fucked like he went to school for it, and he made me swoon like he was my soul mate. “It’s crazy to think you let me walk out of your apartment that one night.”

  “Yes. Biggest mistake I ever made.”

  “And here we are…eating dinner together.”

  “An excellent dinner.” He finished his entire plate then washed it down with his wine. “Baby.”

  My eyes moved up to meet his, instantly responding to the nickname he gave me at some point. I didn’t like possessive nicknames like that, unless it was from a man I was madly in love with. I would have told him to stop, but he never would.