by Cassia Leo
Do I?
No, I definitely don’t.
I shake my head at these crazy thoughts as I cross the street toward the cab, which is still running with its lights on. As I reach for the door handle, I notice a guy sitting in a car parked along the curb five houses away. The moment our eyes lock, he turns on his car and makes a U-turn out of the street. I try to get the license plate, but I’m only able to see the first four digits before he turns the corner: 7921.
Must be a reporter, I assure myself. Then I remember the attack on Kara’s house a few days ago and the fact that she can’t tell me why she agreed to the bet. Is it possible someone else is after Kara for money?
I don’t know the answer to that question, but I’m sure as hell going to find out.
12
Kara
When I arrive at the penthouse, the raw memory of Cash’s accusations the other night comes back to me. I consider turning around and going home, but I think I’m far beyond the point of no return now. The sharp soreness in my thigh is a constant reminder of what will happen if I don’t pay Benny soon.
I place my thumb on the fingerprint scanner and the soft click of the door unlocking is warm and welcoming. When I enter, I pass through the foyer and find Cash standing near the wall of windows, his back to me as he gazes at the dazzling lights of the Strip. He’s wearing slacks and the sleeves of his shirt are rolled up. Even from behind, he manages to look gorgeous. The man has an ass that even a girl could envy.
“You’re late,” he says, his gaze still focused out the window.
“I had a sit down with Mick after my shift,” I reply, making my way across the plush wool rug in the center of the living room. “He wanted to know if I was in some kind of trouble.”
He glances over his shoulder at me as I lay my purse on the coffee table and walk over to join him. “Are you… in trouble?”
“I don’t know, am I?”
He shakes his head. “Honesty, Kara. It’s all I require.”
“I seem to remember you saying something about doing with me as you please,” I reply with a smirk.
He doesn’t appear amused. “How’s your leg?”
I sigh. “It’s been better.”
He turns around and places his hand on the small of my back. “You should lie down. Come.”
I chuckle. “I’m fine. I’m supposed to stand up and walk around at least once every hour.”
Finally, he smiles. “Then, you can spend the next hour lying down.”
I roll my eyes, but I follow without protest. I don’t know why or how this is possible, but I trust Cash. I know he won’t push me beyond my limits. Maybe it’s because I know how deeply he regrets, even blames himself for, what happened to Vanessa. Or maybe I’m just blinded by lust and my need to be touched by him. Either way, something inside me is telling me to trust him, and this both scares me and thrills me.
His movements are fluid and commanding as he directs me to lie down on his bed where I woke up next to him eight days ago. So much has changed in little more than a week, yet I still feel the same heightened sense of anticipation. My stomach flutters as he casts a seductive glare at me over his shoulder as he reaches into the top drawer of his nightstand.
“Lie down on your belly,” he says, pulling a small bottle of something out of the drawer.
Holy shit. Is that a bottle of lube?
He smiles as he watches me tentatively get on the bed, continually glancing at the bottle in his hand. “Relax, Kara. It’s massage oil.”
I let out a sigh of relief as I lie down on my belly, laying the side of my face on the pillow so I’m facing him. “I knew that,” I reply.
He shakes his head as he unbuttons his shirt, peels it off, and tosses it onto a chair in the corner, then takes a seat on the edge of the bed. “I’m going to undress you gently. Let me know if you feel any discomfort.”
“I can do it,” I say, pushing up onto my elbows, but he shakes his head again and I lie back down.
“You will do nothing tonight,” he says, brushing my hair aside to expose the back of my neck. “Tonight is our second official ‘date’ as an engaged couple. And I’m going to spend it getting to know every inch of you.” He softly pinches my earlobe and rubs his thumb over it, a small gesture that instantly relaxes me. “Your ears are pierced. Why don’t you wear earrings?”
I close my eyes, savoring the feeling of his skin on mine as he traces his fingertips around the back of my ear. “I’m allergic to the kinds of earrings I can afford, so I don’t bother,” I reply, my voice barely louder than a whisper as my body sinks in a deep state of relaxation.
“I’ll buy you some earrings,” he says as his fingers slide through my hair, sending a chill over my skin.
I chuckle softly. “You haven’t even bought me an engagement ring.”
"Oh, I'll get to that later," he replies, as he pours a pool of oil in the center of my back.
He rubs the oil gently over my entire back, and I close my eyes as the stiffness in my muscles melts away. His touch is firm enough to relieve the tension, but soft enough to feel like he’s teasing me. As his hands glide over my shoulders, brushing my hair to the side, he leans over and places a lingering kiss on my nape. My breath quickens as his fingers slides down my spine, his hand coming to rest on the small of my back.
He trickles some more oil onto my cheeks and smoothes the silky liquid over my bottom. “You have the ass of a goddess,” he murmurs as his hand glides over my skin, his finger slipping into my crease and massaging me gently. “If you weren’t hurt, I’d ride this ass into the sunset.”
I issue a sharp intake of breath as his hand slides down to the back of my uninjured thigh. “I’m not that hurt,” I protest.
He chuckles and he gently kneads the tension in my good leg, then moves back to my ass. “Dirty girl,” he snarls, as he slips his hand between my thighs and massages my mound. “Do you want me to ride you, baby? I can fuck you gentle.”
“Oh, God,” I gasp as his finger slides between my folds and finds my clit. “Please fuck me.”
His hands glides upward, stopping at my the puckered opening to massage my entrance. “Look at you writhe,” he says as my fist closes around the pillow. “Do you like that?”
I nod adamantly, unable to speak as the pleasure seems to override all my bodily functions. He slides his finger farther inside and I gasp as my entire body spasms. The pain in the back of my thigh feels icy compared to the hot orgasm building between my legs.
He leans down and kisses my shoulder as he swirls his finger around to stroke my entrance. “Breathe, Kara,” he growls in my ear, and I can hear the sound of his zipper opening as he carefully mounts me. “Breathe, baby.”
I let out a high-pitched moan as he slides the tip of his cock along my crease. “Oh, fuck,” I breathe as he rubs the head over my clit, teasing me until he thinks I’m wet enough.
As he slides into my pussy, he lets out a hoarse grunt. “Holy fuck. You feel so fucking good.” He lays his body over mine, his hand grabbing onto my breast as he presses his lips to my ear and thrusts into me slowly. “Tell me if I’m hurting you.”
“You’re not hurting me,” I reply quickly. “Don’t stop.”
And as soon as these words come out of my mouth, I realize he’s not wearing a condom. I should say something.
I open my mouth to speak and he immediately stops moving.
“What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”
I shake my head. “No.”
“Are you sure?”
I take a long pause, and against everything I know is right and smart, I nod. “Can I turn onto my back? I want to see your face.”
“Of course,” he says, planting a kiss on my temple before he slides out of me so I can turn over underneath him.
I can’t help but smile at how gorgeous he is. “Thank you,” I say, reaching up to touch his face.
He grabs my hand and lays a kiss on my palm, but he doesn’t say anything. “Are you sure th
is is okay?” he asks, and I get a strange feeling he’s asking me if it’s okay that we’re having sex without a condom.
I swallow hard as I nod. “Yes. I’m sure.”
His nostrils flare as he seems overcome with emotion, then he leans over and kisses my forehead. I spread my legs a bit more, welcoming him inside. His mouth falls over mine, kissing me deeply as his cock slides into me. I whimper into his mouth as his hips grind into me, stretching me, filling me, prodding my core. My fingers curl around tufts of his dark hair, holding him in place, hoping I’ll never have to let go.
“Oh, God,” I moan as he pulls his head back, so he can look down at me.
His eyes watch me intently as he thrusts in and out, rolling his hips for maximum pleasure. “You’re so goddam beautiful,” he murmurs, holding my gaze as he takes my hand and puts it on my mound. “Touch yourself. I want you to come with me.”
I wrap my good leg around his hips as I swirl my finger around my swollen clit. “Oh, my God,” I whimper, my body trembling as he holds my jaw to keep me from looking away.
“Look at me when you come,” he commands me. “Don’t you dare look away from me.”
He slows his pace when he sees me holding my breath. Finally, I let out a loud moan as the orgasm crashes over me. Moving my hand away, he uses the tip of his cock to finish me. When my body stops twitching, he thrusts into me and lets go within seconds, his gaze locked on mine as he fills me with hot cum.
Out of breath and completely lost in the haze of what we just did, I shake my head as I realize I’m crying. “What… What the hell was that?”
He shakes his head as he brushes a tear from my temple. “I don’t know, but we probably shouldn’t do it again. We might break the universe.”
I chuckle as I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down on top of me. We lie like this for a long while, holding each other in silence. Occasionally, Cash will graze my neck with his lips or sniff my hair, but that’s all. No kissing. No fucking. No touching. Just holding each other.
And I know this is probably the most reckless thing I’ve done with Cash. Magnitudes more reckless than agreeing to his million-dollar bet. But I don’t care. I’ve never felt more safe in all my life.
13
Cash
Dex, Hector, and I arrive at Kara’s house to pick her up at a quarter to eleven a.m. Reaching for the doorbell, I remember her informing me — very brusquely — that it doesn’t work. I knock on the steel security screen, and I’m surprised when I hear the sound of a woman shouting at the door, “Coming!”
It’s not Kara’s voice, so it must be her father’s caregiver. Though this woman is not related to Kara, I can’t help but feel a bit nervous about meeting her. Kara obviously trusts her enough to leave her father with her for an entire weekend.
The front door swings inward and, through the mesh security screen, a robust woman smiles at me. She’s possibly in her early thirties, with golden-brown hair pulled into a messy bun atop her head and a warm smile that lights up her round face.
She unlocks the security screen, and I step back as she pushes it open. “You’re better looking in person,” she remarks as I step inside.
I chuckle. “Ah, hell. I think you actually made me blush.”
She shakes her head as she closes the door behind me. “Is that even possible?” she asks, holding out her hand for a shake. “I’m Jacie, Kurt’s caregiver. And this handsome man is Kurt, Kara’s father.”
The emaciated man lying in the hospital bed in the living room looks nothing like the images of Kurt Langley I saw when I Googled him. He looks like a crumpled piece of paper covered up by a thin blue blanket. The last time I saw him, he was asleep. This time, his tired eyes are locked on mine.
“If you hurt her, I’ll kill you.” The words come out of his mouth in hoarse whisper, but I hear them clear as day.
I have to fix what I’ve done. This man will not die because I didn’t fight hard enough against those layoffs.
“I won’t hurt her, sir. You have my word,” I reply, meeting his gaze straight on.
Kurt shakes his head and closes his eyes. “Your word means nothing to me, kid.”
His words hit me like a punch in the gut. It’s not that I don’t deserve his disdain, but it still catches me off-guard. So much so that I don’t see Kara until she’s standing right in front of me.
She’s wearing a silky black dress that falls gently over her curves. I’m fairly certain the pearl necklace around her graceful neck is meant to impress my parents and the board. Her long, dark hair cascades over her delicate shoulders in luscious waves.
“What?” she asks, glancing down at her outfit self-consciously as she secures a diamond stud earring on her earlobe. “Should I change? I can totally wear something more conservative. I have a cardigan and some chinos.”
I shake my head. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in all my life.”
She rolls her eyes. “Are you making fun of me?”
Jacie laughs out loud. “Honey, you look gorgeous. Take the compliment.”
Kara lets out a heavy sigh. “I’m going to screw this up. I don’t think you should take me.”
“You’re not going to screw anything up,” I assure her, gently grabbing both her arms to look her in the eye. “If the board still pushes me out after they meet you, then it’s because they never had any intention of giving me a chance. I already told you, you’re coming away from this with everything I promised you, no matter what happens. I’m going to make this right. Okay?”
She glances at her father, obviously aware that I’m talking about atoning for what I’ve done to her and him. “Okay.”
When Dex has loaded Kara’s weekender in the trunk of the Mercedes, I open the door for her to slide into the back seat. As the car sets off toward Henderson, Nevada, I can’t help but stare at her. This woman whom I’ve hurt so terribly is trusting that I will follow through on my promise to bail her out of the healthcare nightmare I got her into. As cynical and tough as she can be, her strength is what allows her to surrender to her vulnerability. And what a sight it is.
She stares at her hands in her lap, deeply lost in thought. Reaching toward her, I take her hand and bring it to my mouth to place a kiss on her knuckles.
Her shoulders drop as she seems to relax. “I want to do my best for you, but I’m so afraid I’m going to say or do something wrong.”
“Come here,” I say, beckoning her into my arms.
She smiles as she wraps her arms around my waist and rests her head on my shoulder. “Tell me your favorite childhood memory. I should know that if we’re engaged.”
I chuckle as I hold her close. “I don’t know how extensively you’ve Googled me, but I used to have a younger brother. Gage. He died of meningitis when he was four and I was seven. I was too young to really understand what happened, but I remember his funeral like it happened yesterday, because as we were leaving the graveside, my mother picked me up and carried me to the car. She hadn’t done that in years. I was pretty tall for my age, so I didn’t think anything of it. But when she carried me to the car, I just remember feeling like…everything would be okay.”
We’re both silent for a while before she responds. “Was it?”
“Was what?”
“Was everything okay?”
I grit my teeth against the surge of emotion as I realize she’s asking me to assure her that everything will be okay after her father is gone. “No. But it was nice to believe it would be okay, for a little while.”
She nuzzles her face into my neck and I tighten my hold on her. “Don’t leave my side when we’re there.”
“I won’t,” I assure her, grabbing her jaw to tilt her face up, so I can look her in the eye. “I won’t leave your side for anything. It’s me and you against the world now.”
She finally cracks a smile. “You do look better in person in broad daylight.”
“So you did hear Jacie talking to me. Did you hear your father?”
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Her smile fades. “He’s a good man…with an insidious addiction. I wish I didn’t have to deal blackjack to make ends meet. I feel like a drug dealer, knowing how my father’s gambling addiction destroyed us.”
“You won’t have to work at the Billionaire Club anymore after this weekend.”
She sighs and rests her head on my shoulder again. “Why do you always smell so good?”
I chuckle. “Are you complaining? Would you rather I roll around in shit before I take you out?”
“When have you ever taken me out?”
It’s a simple question, but it cuts me deep.
“When we get from the retreat, I’ll take you out, anywhere you want to go. You name it,” I say, my hand landing on her knee.
She lays her hand on top of mine. “Anywhere?”
I slide my hand under the skirt of her dress. “Anywhere.”
The inside of her thigh is soft and warm. The rise and fall of her chest quickens as my hand moves farther up. The sound of her breath comes louder each time she inhales.
My hand reaches the apex of her thighs and I’m pleased to feel no fabric between my fingers and her pillowy flesh. “No panties,” I whisper in her ear as I slide my middle finger along her slit. “And so wet. What am I going to do with you?”
Her body twitches and her hand curls around the lapel of my blazer as I slide my finger inside her. “Anything you want.”
“Anything?” I reply, massaging the ridged pad of flesh just inside her entrance. “I want to lick your pussy.”
“Right now? But what about Dex and Hector in the front?”
“That pane of glass separating us is one-way privacy glass,” I say, lifting her dress so I can see her in all her glory. “They can’t see or hear us. Scoot back, baby.”
“Oh, God,” she murmurs as she scoots into the opposite end of the back seat.