“Trevor,” she said against the flesh of his neck. “God, Trevor. I’ve missed you.” She ran her tongue down the tendon in his neck to his shoulder. She bit and sucked at the salty tissue.
Arousal built inside. Her hips pumped, pushing against his hand, his fingers. She pressed her head against the pillow as she neared the top. Then he put his mouth on her sex, sucked her through the soaked silk of her panties before shoving the material inside her with his tongue.
And then she peaked. Waves of electric jolts jumped from cell to cell as she climaxed. She called out his name, the name of the only man who’d ever made her feel like this.
As she floated back to earth, she released a contented sigh. “Wow.” She looked up at Trevor, his face so beautiful, yet so serious. “Wow,” she repeated.
He straightened her skirt over her thighs. “Tomorrow will be another long day. You should probably get some rest.” He stood and held out a hand, which she took. He pulled her to her feet. “Good night.” He released her hand and began walking away.
“Trevor.” Her heart clogged her throat making it hard to speak. What had she done? Why was he leaving?
He stopped but didn’t turn.
“Where are you going?”
“I have some calls to make, some work to do.” He still didn’t look at her.
“What…what did I do wrong?”
“Babe. You didn’t do anything wrong. You could never do anything wrong.” He looked over his shoulder, his gorgeous face sad. “That shouldn’t have happened. I lost control, and it won’t happen again. I’m sorry.” He strode quickly away, never looking back.
She spent a long night of tossing and turning. In the morning, it took more than the dab of concealer she usually used to hide the dark circles. No aroma of fresh coffee met her as she made her way to the kitchen.
“Good morning,” a chipper Sue greeted her. “Hope you got some good sleep.”
Risa frowned. “Where’s Trevor?”
“I’m your escort for today. Trevor had some business to take care of, and I got the lucky draw to spend the day with you. You look great, by the way. Super color on you.”
Risa glanced down at the hot pink suit she’d put on and then back at Sue, still a little confused. “Thanks. Will Trevor join us today at some point?”
Sue shrugged. “No clue. He called me at about four this morning, gave me this assignment, and took off when I got here.” She glanced around. “This is an awesome place. You are one lucky gal.”
“I suppose.” She went to the single serve coffee pot and put in a fresh pod. “You want some coffee?”
“Nope.” Sue gestured with a large to-go cup. “Extra-large Diet Coke. My caffeine delivery of choice.”
As unsettling as last night had been, finding Trevor gone and Sue in his place threw Risa’s world even more off-kilter. She was sure Sue could handle anything that might arise, and hadn’t she had the thought that maybe having someone with her all week was overkill?
“You know, Sue, I was just saying to Trevor last night that having a bodyguard seemed like an overreaction. I don’t have much today, and there’s no reason for you to tie up your day with me. I can do all my running around solo.”
“Sorry, but when Trevor tells me to stay with you, I stay with you.”
Risa drew in a deep breath. “I’ll call him. Really. This is a total waste of your time.”
“You can call, but I’ve known him a long time. Once bossman makes up his mind, it’s impossible to change.”
“Still…” Risa found Trevor’s number in her cell and dialed.
“EyeSpy, International. This is Becky. How can I help you?”
“This is Risa McCool. I’m trying to reach Trevor, Trevor Mason.”
“Good morning, Dr. McCool. I’m sorry, but Trevor isn’t available. Is this an emergency?”
Risa looked at Sue, who arched one perfectly waxed brow.
“No, no emergency. I just won’t need your services today. Tell Trevor that I’m sending Sue back to the office.”
“I’ll tell him.”
Risa clicked off. “There. You’re free to go.”
Sue shrugged. “Trevor isn’t going to be happy.”
“Yeah, well, you don’t always get what you want in life. Thanks for coming over. I’ll walk you to the front door.”
Sue retrieved a bag she’d left at the dining table. “Okay then. Call if you need anything.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
Risa locked the door behind Sue, her emotions in a whirl. She didn’t need a stupid bodyguard. Not Trevor, not Sue. She didn’t need anyone.
Her noon television interview came and went, and even if someone had put a gun to Risa’s head, she couldn’t have told them what the questions were or what she’d said. For all she remembered, she could have told the world her grandmother’s recipe for moonshine.
She had lunch in her office while sorting through messages and mail. Her heart dropped when she recognized the handwriting on one envelope. Norman Compton, Rhonda’s husband. He’d written her half-a-dozen times, each letter angrier than the last. Today’s was no exception. His wife was dead. He’d lost his job due to continued absences, and now, Rhonda’s parents were asking for custody of the children. Everything was Risa’s fault for letting his wife die.
For some reason, Mr. Compton had gotten it into his mind that because they hadn’t had insurance, Risa hadn’t done all she could for his wife, or that if they’d had money, there were treatments Risa could have used that would have saved Rhonda. Of course, that was false. In fact, one of the reasons Risa had gotten behind the gala for Saturday was that much of the funding would go to help pay for cancer treatments for uninsured women.
In Rhonda Compton’s case, no amount of money could have saved her life. The cancer had been wide-spread throughout her body. Risa had tried everything, but nothing had slowed the progression. Death had come swiftly, leaving a family in ruins.
She stashed the letter in her briefcase to put with the other letters she’d received. When the gala was behind her, she’d get some help for Mr. Compton. He wasn’t a threat to her, but she feared he was a threat to himself.
Chapter Six
Risa’s heart raced at the thought that she would finally see the finished Breast Cancer Diamond necklace. The plan was to place the finished necklace on display at the Dallas Museum of Art, and remove it annually for the Breast Cancer Diamond Gala. The gala had been around for a number of years, underwritten by the McCool Foundation. However, the addition of the Breast Cancer Diamond had shot publicity and interest in the event through the roof this year. At fifty-thousand dollars per ticket, the gala always sold out, but this year, the tickets were gone in record time. The planning committee had allocated an additional one-hundred tickets and those had sold within hours.
Risa parked outside Manfrey & Associates. Inside awaited the finished necklace. She could hardly wait to see what Greg Manfrey had done with the stone. At this time, only Greg, her family and she knew that Risa had bought the pink diamond and commissioned the necklace. The uncut stone had been a bargain at only two million dollars. After the pink stone was cut and polished and set in eighteen-karat gold with accompanying pink and white diamonds, the estimated value of the necklace was closer to fifteen to twenty million dollars. She’d insured the necklace for the full twenty million. Although Risa told herself the necklace was an investment, she also knew she’d never sell.
Entrance to the jeweler’s store was via a locked door. She rang the bell and waited. Momentarily, she was admitted to a foyer and waited for a second door to be unlocked. Once inside, the aroma of roses filled her nose.
“Risa,” Greg said, coming from behind a curtain. “Who is the gentleman following you?”
Risa frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. What man?”
Concern filled his expression. “The small man. Come. Take a look. He might still be out there.”
Risa followed the older
man to a back room where monitors sat lined up on a shelf.
“There. See?” Greg pointed to a still shot on a monitor. “He pulled up right behind you.”
Risa squinted at the tiny screen. She didn’t recognize the man. His body was short and stocky. His hair looked long and unkept. His clothes were dirty and wrinkled. Nothing about him was familiar.
“I have no idea who that is.”
Manfrey jumped from camera to camera but the man was no longer there. “He’s gone. He was probably headed to one of the other stores in the area. Sorry. Didn’t mean to frighten you.”
She smiled and touched the older man’s arm. “You didn’t. Probably nothing. Now, I’m dying to see the necklace.”
His smile was quick. “Of course. I’ll get it. Let’s go back to the showroom where the lighting is better.”
Risa took a final look at the monitors, focused in on the small, baby-blue Mini-Cooper and grinned. Did Sue really think she could hide in that tiny car of hers? Yes, she’d dismissed the woman, but knowing Trevor, he’d probably insisted Sue tail her all day anyway.
She went back to the lobby and took a seat. The idea that someone, other than Sue, was following her was ridiculous, right? The fact she was running around with bodyguards all week had been well publicized.
For just a second, she wished she had allowed Sue to ride around with her today. Making the poor woman play tag with her was silly, but before she spent much time on that thought, Greg came from the back with a large, blue velvet case.
“Here it is,” he said and opened the top.
She gasped.
When she left twenty minutes later, the store’s security guard escorted her to her car. Under her wiper, a small piece of paper flapped in the wind.
“Oh man, Dr. McCool. Looks like you have a ticket,” the guard said. “Give it to me, and the store will take care of it.”
Risa pulled the paper from the windshield and quickly determined it was a note, not a ticket. “It’s fine. Someone left me a note. No biggie. Thanks for walking me out.”
She slipped into her car and locked the door, still a little unnerved that Greg had thought she’d been followed by some guy. She glanced around. Her car was the only one sitting in the lot, and there were no other people in the area. Sue was probably parked out of sight and would try to slip in behind her in traffic.
The paper crinkled loudly in her tomb-quiet car as she straightened it to read the words scrawled in pencil.
Rich Bitches Get What They Deserve
Anger flared through her. This wasn’t the first time she’d been targeted because of her parents’ money. One of the reasons she hadn’t wanted to be the chairperson for the gala was that she knew she’d be front and center for the publicity. Obviously, someone had recognized her from all the television appearances or the advertising for the gala and thought they’d let her know just what they thought of her. There were some mean people in the world.
She wadded up the note and tossed it behind her seat with the rest of her trash. That’s where it belonged. She started her car and pointed it toward home.
Her condo felt empty when she arrived, which matched how hollow she felt inside. Trevor had only been there for a couple of days, and yet, she missed him. She wandered down to the bedroom where he’d stayed. The bed was made. The counter in the bathroom was clear. Clean, dry towels hung from the racks. If she hadn’t known differently, she’d have thought no one had occupied the room ever. But when she shut her eyes and drew in a breath, she could swear she could still smell him. Not a cologne scent. Not a soap scent. An aroma that was pure Trevor. Drawing in a deep breath, she walked out and shut the door.
She ate a salad for dinner and sat on the terrace for a couple of hours watching the lights of Dallas as they blinked on for the evening. What her parents had paid for the penthouse suites was obscene, but she loved the night view and the layers of security the building provided. She thought about the note from that afternoon and got angry again. Whoever had left that note didn’t know her, didn’t know how hard she worked, how much of herself she gave to her work. The person saw her going into an exclusive jeweler and made assumptions about her and her life. They looked at her and believed money solved everything, but it didn’t. Children still got sick. Patients still died. Love went unreturned. What they didn’t understand was that, sometimes, money itself could be the barrier between people, like it had been for Trevor and her.
A tear rolled down her cheek. Her chest hurt. Her stomach ached. Her heart… Well, it was simply shattered. Shit. She swiped at the dampness on her face. Damn him. Why couldn’t he accept her as she was? Mousy brown hair, green eyes, and a trust fund the size of a treasury for a small country.
The house phone in the kitchen rang. She hurried to it, hoping against hope it might be Trevor.
“Hello?”
“Dr. McCool. This is Jasper from downstairs. You have guest asking to come up. Sue Lee.”
Her shoulders sagged from the weight of her disappointment. She checked the time. Almost ten. She’d been sitting on the terrace for hours. “Send her up.”
She went to the front door and waited for Sue.
“Hi, Dr. McCool,” Sue said brightly. “Did you have a good day?”
“Hi, Sue. I’m surprised to see you.”
“Trevor sent me to check on you. He wanted to make sure everything’s okay.”
Risa leaned against the doorframe. “Everything is fine. Are you staying or just dropping by to report back?”
Sue smiled. “Trevor would like me to stay for a while.”
“Come on in.” Risa stepped back and allowed the bodyguard to enter. “Make yourself at home. I think I’m going to read in my bedroom.”
“Sure thing. Have a good night.”
Risa left Sue in the living room and headed for her bedroom. She didn’t need a perky, petite woman tonight. She needed a muscular, brooding Trevor. Since that didn’t seem to be an option, she took a shower and climbed between her sheets. Two pages into the latest cancer journal, her eyes slammed shut, and she drifted off.
Her eyes opened at the touch. Her room was pitch dark. She was on her stomach, her hands stretched over her head. His scent wrapped around her. He was here.
A large hand with thick fingers slid up the inside of her thigh. She spread her legs giving him access to her center. A heavy body lowered onto her. Lips pressed against her neck. The tip of a tongue circled the outer rim of her ear.
“Damn you, Risa,” Trevor’s deep voice rasped into her ear. “Damn you for sucking me back in. I can’t stay away.”
Her heart tripped. He felt as ensnared as she did. “I don’t want you to stay away. I want you here with me, over me, in me.”
His weight shifted as he moved to her side. His fingers stroked her inner thigh as he moved his hand toward her slit. He groaned when he discovered she wore nothing. He dipped his fingers into her creamy arousal and then inserted one finger into her steamy sex.
She moaned and arched her hips off the bed.
His finger was joined by a second thrusting deep inside her canal. She pushed against his fingers, needing more.
He shifted on the bed. The tip of his tongue touched the nape of her neck and then he slowly ran it down each vertebra. She pulled her knees under her, raising her ass into the air, giving him access to every inch of her body. He owned it, even if he didn’t realize that yet. She was his. Always was and always would be.
His mouth replaced his fingers, licking and biting her flesh, then sucking away the sting. He flicked his tongue inside her, driving it as deep as he could. She moaned, unable to stop her hips from pumping back and forth. Then his lips found her clit and latched on, sucking and drawing it between his teeth. When he bit softly, she screamed as her climax hit. She rode it up and over, falling and shaking with the force.
When her quivering slowed, she heard the tear of a foil pouch then felt the large head of his cock pressing at her entrance. Still on her knees, she arched
her back as he stretched her to take him deep. Once he was fully seated, he pulled back and thrust firmly, his balls slapping her flesh with each stroke.
His mouth was next to her ear as he groaned with each plunge. “Risa,” he whispered. “Risa. My God, Risa. You feel so good even though I know this is wrong for both of us.”
He drove roughly inside her, driving her breath from her lungs. His tongue ran around her ear. His heavy breaths sent chills down her spine.
“No matter what happens,” he said as he pumped into her. “Know that there will never be another woman like you. Never.”
He thrust a couple of times while applying finger pressure to her clit. Her second orgasm came faster and harder than the first. Tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
With the next thrust, he held tight inside her as he came with a force that rocked her and her bed.
When he was done, he slipped from the bed and did not return.
Friday morning, Sue met her with an annoyingly bright smile. “Good morning, Dr. McCool.”
Risa frowned. “Did you stay here last night?”
Sue nodded. “Yes. Trevor ordered me to stay, and I did, but it was quiet. I hope you don’t mind that I used the guest room. Trevor said it would be fine.”
Risa looked around the kitchen. “Is Trevor here?”
“No, ma’am. He checked in last night after you went to bed. Said he wanted to check all the locks and security, but then he left.”
“Oh.” If it weren’t for the ache in muscles that hadn’t been used in years, she would have thought last night had been a dream. Trevor had been there, with her, in her.
“So, what are we doing today?” Sue asked, her chipper voice making Risa wince.
“Picking up my dress, meeting with gala security one more time and getting highlights in my hair.”
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