by Aliyah Burke
Flutters in her belly grew more intense. He didn’t touch her physically. But his presence and voice were more than enough to put her close to an orgasm. She stared at her clipboard and jotted down something for this room.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“Yes.” Damn, her voice was so thready and faint it was embarrassing.
“Good, the next room is waiting.”
“Rude bastard,” she muttered under her breath as she followed him. Lord, her body was strung so tight all it would take for her to come would be a single touch. Moisture dampened her thighs and she prayed it wouldn’t get much worse. Slater would kill her if she messed this up.
They passed a small room, which was going to be a closet. There was no door and she barely looked at it, knowing already what it would have in it. Tuck wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her in there. Before she knew what was happening, he slid his thick cock deep inside her with one stroke.
“Ohhh,” she moaned. On the other side of the wall she could hear the skill saw running.
“Hands on the wall,” he ground out.
She complied as he thrust in and out of her pussy. Contracting her muscles around him, she whimpered as he moved faster.
Tuck held her so the dusty wall wouldn’t leave anything on her suit. It also meant she couldn’t brace well against his driving cock. He controlled it all and he was making her suffer. Fast then slow. Deep then shallow. She wanted to scream in frustration. Her limbs trembled with the force of her release but he was sending her right back up to the precipice without a break. Not that she wanted one.
“Are you ashamed now?” he asked in an angry tone.
Angry? She could barely think straight. Because of the hard hat she wore, she rested her head on the wall as well. The hand holding the clipboard trembled as she tried to keep it from sliding to the floor and making a mess.
“Fuck me, Tuck,” she begged.
“I am. Answer my question.”
In and out. Back and forth. Lord, she was going to scream at the top of her lungs in a moment.
“No.”
He pressed her tight to him, changing the angle of his strokes. “I can feel you around me, Ariel. So tight and about to come again. Your muscles are gripping me unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. I’m not giving this up. I’m not giving up on us.”
“Need…to…come.”
“Yes, yes you do.” He slowed then shoved once more deep inside her. She splintered around him as he growled in her ear before lifting her off him.
Legs shaky, she held onto him as she waited for her stability to come back. Bless the man, he had something to clean up with. Still floating in bliss, she didn’t care where he’d got the paper towels or why he had them.
They got back on their way and he tossed the used paper towels into the first receptacle they passed. Again, the man looked all kinds of put together. She, on the other hand, felt like everything was out of place. If it was, not a single person glanced at them oddly. The men were all nice and professional to her, treating her with respect.
After coming the third time, she could barely catch her breath. This time he’d taken her face to face, again holding her so she didn’t get dirty. And after they’d cleaned up, she stood by the window overlooking a swathe of green grass and tried to make sense of what was happening.
He was turning her inside out.
* * * *
Tuck threaded his fingers along the satin of her panties he still carried in his pocket. The material was cool to the touch—quite the opposite of its former wearer. Hot. That was the only way to explain her. Volcanic. Explosive.
Six times since they’d been left alone in the museum by the others and he wasn’t done with her. Not by a long shot. He’d meant those words he’d uttered. At least five times. At least. And he’d managed six. The urge to shoot his load inside her was overwhelming, but he’d refrained.
He refused to let her be ashamed by what they’d shared. Her words had pissed him off no end. Granted some of what she’d said was true, especially that part about Daisy, but he and Ariel were different. Friends. Neighbours.
Now as he stood there on the top of the steps to the museum, he watched her stride away to her Land Rover. It may have been his imagination but he would have sworn she looked a bit shaky on her legs there. He wiped away his masculine smirk when she glanced at him over her shoulder. He might be arrogant but he wasn’t stupid enough to provoke a Marine—technically an ex-Marine—who wasn’t all too pleased with him. Attracted to? Yes, definitely. Happy with? Nope.
She slammed her driver’s door harder than necessary and he gave her a little wave before she drove away. He would stop by and see her tonight. He grinned again. They could pick up where they’d left off today. With him buried deep inside her.
Tuck called Richard and filled him in on how things had gone with Ariel—thankfully he remembered to call her Ms Greene. Then he headed home, since Richard told him to go.
Steve wasn’t there when he entered and Tuck went straight to his room and took off the suit, showered then dressed in clothing he preferred to wear. Jeans and a tee. He kept busy until the time he knew Ariel would come back from work. Then he went to the door and opened it, resting in the frame and waiting for her to come around the corner.
“She’s not coming home,” Steve said as he stepped from the elevator.
“What?” He cleared his throat. “What are you talking about?”
“Ariel, she’s not coming back tonight.” He shifted the bags he held and Tuck stepped back, allowing him to pass unimpeded.
It took him a moment to formulate a response that wasn’t drenched in possessiveness. “How do you know this?”
“Ran into her at Mighties. She was picking up some lunch and told me she wouldn’t be joining us for dinner.”
A rumble of discontent rose within him. “Okay.”
“So, how’d it go today?” Steve began putting away the groceries he’d returned with.
“Good,” Tuck said. Excellent in some parts. “We’re working with Ariel’s company.”
Steve paused, holding a box of pasta in one hand. “Ariel’s company?”
Tuck shut the door behind him and went to help his roommate. “The one she works for. Prometheus Protections.”
“And how’d that work with the two of you having fucked loud enough to wake the dead?”
“We were professional. Got the job done and she’ll be getting back to me with the things she’ll need or any questions.” He flipped an apple up a few times before biting into it. “Didn’t think she’d be hiding out at her office, though.”
Steve glared at him and Tuck held up his hands. “I know, I know. You told me not to mess it up.” Tuck shoved a hand through his hair. “It’s not like I forced her, Steve,” he said, reiterating his defence from earlier.
“We’ve gone over that, Tuck. All I know is my own neighbour is embarrassed to look me in the eye now because my roommate has fucked her brains out. I liked her. A lot.” He folded the bag with a snap then walked away.
Tuck rolled his eyes and reached for his phone. Calling Ariel, he waited for her to pick up. She never did.
“Ariel. You need to call me back. We need to talk.”
Five minutes later, his phone rang. “Hello?”
“Is this business related, Mr Carter?” Ariel’s tone flowed like smooth melted chocolate from her mouth to his ear.
“You know it’s not and would you stop calling me that?”
“I’m sorry then. I have work to do.”
In the background he could hear a man’s voice and he frowned when she didn’t wait for another moment, just hung up. He scowled and with a careful, deliberate action, he set his phone away from him. He wouldn’t continue to call her, he wasn’t that bad off.
Right.
He went to work in his room on some plans of the house he was designing for himself. It was a labour of love and he worked on it whenever he had some time. What
better way for someone to see what he was capable of doing than to be able to say he’d not just built, but also designed his own home.
* * * *
The night was long and he woke to Steve shutting the door in the living room. Sitting up, he wiped a hand down his face then climbed off his bed and walked out to the main area. Steve was dressed and had a pastry in his hand.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Nothing, just saying good morning to Ariel.” Steve sat on the couch.
“She’s home?”
“Nope, just left. Came home for a shower and to change. I was on my way back from the bakery when I ran into her.”
Tuck went to the door and looked out. Of course she wouldn’t still be in sight. Ariel hated taking the elevator. He shut the door with more force than necessary and glared at his roommate who was not paying him any mind.
Showering didn’t do much to improve his disposition and as he strode for the door, Steve called to him.
“I’ll not be back tonight. Have to make a day trip to Dallas and will be there overnight.”
Shoving his own thoughts back, he turned to look at Steve. “Is this dealing with your wife?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes.”
“You going to be okay, man?”
Steve’s smile was tense and strained. “Maybe someday. Anyway, just wanted you to know.”
“Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
“Thanks.”
Tuck left the apartment and paused for a moment, glancing behind him at the door he’d just closed. Was there something more he could do for his friend? It obviously wasn’t a topic Steve wanted to discuss, since he’d only just told Tuck about it.
All he could do was be there if Steve needed something. Keys in hand, he waited for the elevator and caught a ride to the first floor, smiling at the others in the car with him.
He typed the address he wanted into his GPS and got on his way. When he arrived, he parked before the tall building and walked into the lobby. It was mostly empty except for the two men who sat at a desk in the middle of the lobby entrance.
“Can we help you, sir?”
“I’m here to speak to Ms Greene of Prometheus Protections.”
The man looked him over. “Fifth floor.”
“Thank you.”
He took his time walking along the spotless dark tiled floor. The set-up was nice and everything matched. According to the board beside the elevators, there was quite a variety of businesses filling up this building.
In the elevator, he pressed the button for the fifth floor and rested against the wall as they headed up. Prometheus Protections had half of the entire floor. Across from them was a dental practice.
Once out of the car, he looked both directions. The dentist’s door was very plain and had the name on it. To the right, Prometheus Protections had their logo on the door. He went to the door and opened it.
An Asian woman sat at a desk near the entrance and looked up when he entered. Behind her was another door that led down a hallway. The sitting area wasn’t that big but it was nice. It didn’t take a genius to see most of what happened at this place went on beyond that door he’d bet anything was locked.
“Good morning, sir, welcome to Prometheus Protections. May I assist you?”
She wore no nametag and her suit was black. Her hair, drawn back in a tight bun, highlighted her features.
“I’m Mr Carter. I worked with Ms Greene yesterday and wondered if I could have a word with her.”
“I’ll see if she’s available.” She gestured with her hand. “Please, have a seat.”
He did and waited. The woman spoke too low to be overheard and he wanted to shift beneath the heavy weight of her stare.
Barely a minute later, Ariel strode from the hallway behind the woman. The door clicked and she continued forwards. Her gaze narrowed slightly when she met his. He rose to his feet as she gave the woman at the desk a smile and stepped past.
Another suit. This one was a pants suit and was cream and navy. She stopped right in front of him. He had to work hard to keep his physical reaction in check. Professional as hell she may be, but he found her hot as fuck. The way she wore her suits did as much to him as the way she filled out shorts and T-shirt. And like then, he wanted her now.
“Mr Carter. Is there something I can help you with?”
Chapter Four
Ariel wanted to punch him. What the crap was he doing here? When Connie had called her and told her a Mr Carter was here to see her, she’d prayed it was another Carter. Her prayers had gone unanswered. She waited for an answer but he didn’t speak.
“Mr Carter?”
He blinked and refocused on her eyes. Good, because her nipples weren’t handling his attention well.
“Sorry to bother you, Ms Greene, but can we talk?”
Damn him, damn him, damn him. While she longed to stomp her foot and yell they couldn’t, she knew that wasn’t allowed. “Sure, let’s go to my office.” She gestured behind her. “Just sign in.”
She stared at his ass as he filled out the sheet and got a visitor’s badge from Connie. Be strong. Be strong. Yesterday had been a mix of heaven and hell. The sex had been incredible but the realisation of what she’d done had sent her spiralling back to hell. This addiction she had to him wasn’t healthy in the least.
When he was ready, she moved by him to the door. She gripped the handle and paused until the square hooked to the inside of her pocket vibrated. Then she pulled and waved him through.
They didn’t speak as she led him down the hall to her office. With another hand gesture, she had him enter first. She closed the door behind him and allowed herself one final stare at his ass.
In her chair, she leant back and drummed her fingers on the smooth wooden top. “What do you need, Tuck?”
He sat leisurely in a chair across from her. “Nice place you have here. What’s the lock on the door to get back here?”
“It’s one of the things we offer. Looking for a protection service?”
“Do you also do personal protection?”
“Yes we do.” She picked up her pencil and tapped it on the papers she’d been working on at the time she’d received the call. “I’m busy, Tuck. What?”
“Richard wanted me to check and see how things were coming.”
“And you couldn’t have asked that when I called you back yesterday?”
His shrug was shameless. “Didn’t know then.” He pushed to his feet and walked to the wall lined with pictures to the right of her desk. “Is this Roxi?”
She turned in her chair and saw the one he pointed at. “Yes. That’s Roxi. We’re in Uganda in that shot. Are you wanting to see all the pictures or can we get to work showing you what we’ve done so I can get back to it and finish it up?”
He turned quickly and her breath hitched. Damn him for being so hot.
“Ready to work,” he said. He began to draw the chair closer but she shook her head.
“We’ll go to one of the large rooms where this stuff can be spread out.”
The gleam in his eyes had her pussy creaming. It was the one he’d had while he’d taken her over and over at the construction site.
“I do like having room to work,” he said.
She cursed her traitorous body. Even now, she could feel it gravitating towards him. Her lust for him had been bad before but she’d not known what she’d been missing. Now she knew and every single cell inside her wanted to be in the know again.
Without responding, she led the way to the room she wanted to use. Slater met them in the hall.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Yes, sir. This is Mr Carter, I met with him yesterday and his boss has sent him to see where we are at. I was taking him to Room Three to do just that.”
“Okay.” He reached out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr Carter. I’m Mr McKenzie.”
Ariel waited with impatience as they finished their greetings. Slater
sent her a look she knew meant to visit him later. Finally they made it to Room Three.
“Take a seat,” she ordered as she walked to the computer keyboard by her chair. Typing in her code, she accessed the file and up it came. A three-dimensional image of the museum appeared in the middle of the table. She touched another button and the lights dimmed considerably in the room, allowing the image to be more easily viewed.
“Wow,” Tuck said, leaning forward. “Call me suitably impressed, Ariel. Truly. This is awesome.”
She ignored the warm feeling that accompanied his compliment. “This is what we’ve worked out.”
Ariel gave him the spiel that caught him up to where she was currently at. Different colours were highlighted at times to correspond to what she was explaining. Surprisingly, Tuck didn’t interrupt with comments about their time fucking, but he did ask questions that were logical and made good sense.
She leant back and thumped her pencil on the table. The lights remained low and the image continued to hover over the glossy surface.
“I’ll be finished with the rest tomorrow if you need to go over it all once it’s entirely completed.”
“I’m fucking impressed. Who’s going to be coming to install?”
“We’ll send a team of four. They won’t get in the way of you or your men, so don’t worry about that. They’re good and fast. It won’t take them long to put all this into effect.”
“Seems so complex,” he commented.
“It is on one hand. On the other, it’s not. Probably just seems that way since it’s not for a house but a museum, and we wanted to ensure that any of the artefacts they bring in and have either on display or in the back are well protected.”
“I’m at a loss for words, Ariel. Truly I am. Y’all have done an outstanding job. I know Richard will be pleased and if the museum isn’t then they’re stupid. What did they think of it, by the way?”
“I spoke to Gerald yesterday and he just said to get it done and make sure nothing was delayed with the opening. They have some big exhibit coming to be part of the opening day gala thing they’re holding.”
She relaxed as they spoke. This was the Tuck she remembered. The one who was easy to talk to, not the one who stole her panties and fucked her with raw abandon until it hurt to walk.