by Kim Karr
Alone in my room, I find myself staring into the dark once again, however this time I’m waiting for him to knock. To seek more answers. To tell more lies. To fuck me with the same carnal need he just did. But he never does.
I guess sometimes being alone is the only way to deal.
Chapter 29
Fall in Line
Caleb
I HAVE THREE simple rules when it comes to women.
I don’t chase them.
I won’t play games.
I stay away from complications.
The fact that I’m about to walk down the hallway at five in the morning and practically break all three of these rules at once isn’t something I’m willing to give too much thought to.
I stride toward the bedroom door, determined to get some answers. Without even knocking, I fling it open.
Gemma is awake, sitting on the bed with a sketchpad on her knees. “What the hell are you doing?” she hisses.
From the doorway, I blurt out, “Nothing good is going to come from this.”
“I know that.”
“Then tell me one thing.”
She closes the sketchpad and sets it down on the bedside table. “What?”
“Are you with Cruz because you love him or for some other reason?”
Her eyes grow stormy and her lips tighten. “What do you think?”
I lean against the jam. “I think it’s for some other reason. And if that’s the case, you need to pack your shit and get out of town right now. Take all that money you’ve made selling art to him and disappear.”
It isn’t what I intended on saying.
I intended to interrogate her.
Interrogate Cleo.
Give her the third-degree. Threaten her if I had to. But I don’t. I can’t. I know if I get her to talk, she’d be even more involved than she already is. And if she’s doing something illegal, I really don’t want to know.
Gemma laughs, but it isn’t real in the slightest. “I’ll leave when you leave.”
“I can’t, but you can.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
“Tell me why?”
“You tell me first. You’re either a cop or someone out to take over his empire.”
I raise a brow. “Who says I’m either?”
She shakes her head. “You should go. If any of Enrique’s men are watching and they see you in here, you’re right, it won’t end well for either of us.”
I tilt my head, trying to read her. Is she sad, mad, or indifferent? I just can’t tell. “Switch your lamp off. It’s still dark out and as long as there aren’t any lights on, seeing me way over here would require night vision goggles and a speedboat, neither of which I think Cruz has.”
Surprisingly, she does, and that means she wants me to stay.
Knowing we’re at impasse, I decide to change the subject. I need to win her trust if I want her to confide in me. The thing is, I want to know her motives so I can keep her safe, not because I want to use her to get Cruz. And yeah, nothing good can come from that, either.
Living in the moment, I stride toward the bed and sit on the mattress. “What were you drawing?”
Her quick intake of breath tells me she likes having me close. “Nothing really. I just couldn’t sleep.”
In the dark, everything seems easier than it really is. I should leave. I shouldn’t touch her. Yet, I can’t help myself. Before I know what I’m doing, I’m leaning forward, inching closer to her and she’s leaning forward, inching closer to me.
We’re two magnets pulled together in a world where this kind of attraction could turn deadly.
Even knowing this, I’m unable to stay away. In a swift movement, I snap her to me. She doesn’t fight me, but she places both hands flat on my chest to remain at a distance. My hand slips behind her neck to cup the base of her skull and my fingers tighten in her hair.
“Caleb.” Gemma murmurs my name and I know this is so on.
This time though, I’m taking it slow. Pulling her onto my lap, I cup her ass firmly to grind her against me. Finally, my lips brush hers. Soft, soft, barely a kiss at all. More like a murmur. A secret. Like the two of us.
She opens her mouth, giving me her tongue, and I groan into her sweetness, tightening my grip in her hair and on her ass.
When my cock rises between us, the heat and solid length of it on her belly sends a series of shivers through her and a moan slips out. She moans again when my fingers dig deeper into her flesh.
At the nip of my teeth on the corner of her mouth, she cries out, “Stop teasing me.”
Laughing, I pull back. “Don’t be so bossy.”
“Then kiss me like you mean it.”
“Fine. I will.” I kiss her until the taste of her fills my mouth and the smell of her covers my skin.
Her tongue strokes mine, and when I suck on it, then bite it gently, her answering gasp floods me with an arousal so sharp it almost hurts.
I’ve never wanted any woman the way I want her. Even if I wasn’t here right now, what we already did would never have been enough. I seriously doubt twice will be enough either. The truth is, a million times might never even be enough.
And that’s a dangerous thought to have.
“Harder,” Gemma says into my mouth on the edge of a moan.
I kiss her harder. Hold her tighter. She slides the flat of her hands up my chest to pull me closer to her and then she tilts her head so I can get at the smoothness of her throat with my teeth.
Oh, yes.
Taking control, I drag my mouth along her soft skin, tasting her. Soon, I find the curve of her collarbone and nip it as I rub her against me, belly to crotch.
Gemma is intoxicating.
I can’t get enough. I’m not a man who loses myself in a woman, and yet at the sound of her responsive moans, I find myself tumbling into that dark rabbit hole of desire I know better than to enter.
With a groan, I fist my fingers in her hair to pull her head back farther. Mouthing her jaw, I find the sweet spot just below it and suck it between my teeth as I slide a hand between us. Up her T-shirt to play with her breasts.
Soon, I can’t wait any longer and I slide my hand down her body.
Between her legs, I find her heat and slide my fingers along smooth, silky panties. “Oh, fuck, yes,” I murmur when I feel her wetness.
Pushing the material aside, my thumb circles the tight knot of her clit and her back arches in pleasure. “That feels incredible. Don’t stop.”
“I don’t plan to,” I answer.
Sliding one, then two fingers into her heat, I watch her squirm against me. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she throws her head back. I tease her at first, moving slowly in and out and around. In and out and around. And then I move faster, faster still, applying pressure to the spot that makes her moan. I don’t let up until her pussy clutches and she shudders into climax.
When her brown eyes open, she looks into mine. Her pupils have gone wide and dark, her gaze unfocused for a moment, until she blinks. Smiles. Melts me a little in a way I’ve never felt before.
My cock is so hard it aches.
When she stops quivering, I lift her from my lap and place her on the ground. Without a word, I slide her panties down and then lift her shirt over her head. My sudden intake of breath can’t be helped. She’s so fucking beautiful.
Without hesitation, she reaches for the button on my fly.
“I’ll do it,” I tell her.
Quickly, I toe my boots off, then remove my socks. Next, I pull my shirt over my head. It’s dark in her room, really dark, and still, I can see her intake of breath as I push my pants and boxers down my thighs.
Then we’re both standing before each other completely naked. For some reason, my heart is beating like a jackhammer. We just fucked hours ago, and yet, facing her like this, taking it slower, this seems more intimate, more real, and a hell of a lot more dangerous.
“This has to be the last time,” she whispers int
o the dark.
“I know,” I reply, already having thought the very same thing. I’m walking a thin line as it is and having sex with her only complicates things even more.
Stepping closer, I stare into her eyes and take some time to run my hands over her shoulders, down her stomach, around her hips, over her ass. She in turn, does the same. It’s like we’re tracing each other, memorizing what we know we can never have again.
When her hands reach my shaft, thick, hard, and ready for her, I lower her to the bed.
Grabbing for the last condom I have in my wallet, I sheath myself. Shifting closer, I part her legs so she’s open for me. Then I rub the head of my cock over her clit, coating myself in her warmth and making her moan at the contact.
“That feels so good, Caleb,” she whispers, tilting her hips and pushing herself closer.
“I want to make sure this time you’re ready for me.” I bury my face against her neck, breathing in her scent while I slowly push in.
She’s snug, and I want to thrust inside her and feel her tightness, but I take my time easing in.
Reaching up, she runs her fingertips over the stubble on my jaw. Her eyes never leave mine as I slowly pump in and out.
“Fuck me,” Gemma breathes. “Make me come.”
I give her a nod and then gripping her hips, I ease back to the edge of the bed until my feet are on the floor. Spreading her legs wide, I tell her, “Wrap your legs around me,” and then I push inside her—hard and fast.
Her pussy tightens around me, clutching, and I fuck in and out of her. Faster. Harder. Deeper.
She cries out.
“Is this what you want?” I ask her, voice strangled and choked with my own pleasure.
“Yes,” Gemma cries. “More, I want more.”
Seating myself balls-deep inside her, I don’t stop thrusting until I can feel her coming around my cock. When her pussy squeezes and flutters all over me, I finally allow myself to give in to the feeling driving me wild and come like I’ve never come before.
Once the aftershocks of my climax finish pulsing through me, I make my way to the bathroom for the second time tonight and dispose of the condom, wrapper and all.
When I return, I drop on the bed beside her and pull her into my arms.
“How long are you here for?” she asks.
I run my fingers over her shoulder, along the outline of her tattoo. “Cruz is alternating Smith and me on twenty-four-hour shifts.”
“Did he give you an agenda for tomorrow?”
I look down at her. “He didn’t tell you?”
Her head jerks up. “He hasn’t even called me since the day we got back.”
“Yeah, he did,” I mutter.
“What is it?”
“I’m to take you to the Serenity Center at noon.”
She groans. “To meet with Lamar Trentworth.”
It takes me a moment to catalog his name. “He’s Enrique’s life coach at The Powers of the Higher Mind, right?”
She nods but doesn’t question how I know this information. Either she thinks it’s something I’d know from working for him or just doesn’t care anymore that we both know more than we’re telling each other.
“Why do you have to meet with him?” I ask, determined to uncover her secrets, even if I have to chip away at them a little at a time.
With a sigh, she says, “He’s the one accessing my purity levels.”
My entire body goes taut and the noise that escapes my throat sounds like a growl. I can’t help it. In Cruz’s fucked-up world, he won’t have sex with his mistress until some guy clears her.
And in my new fucked-up world all I want to do is make sure she comes across filthy dirty because if Cruz puts his hands on her, I don’t know what I’ll do.
We both drop our gazes. Neither of us says another word. When I can feel Gemma’s breathing change, I know she’s fallen asleep.
The ceiling fan spins lazily over our heads and I watch the blades turn until the first rays of sunlight break the horizon.
Quietly getting out of bed, I gather my shit and swallow heavily, then I walk out into the hallway and close the door.
Feeling like I’m leaving a piece of myself behind, I vow to stay on track. Not to lose focus. To do my fucking job. No matter what.
And all the while, I can’t stop thinking of her and how good it felt to be inside her.
I’m so screwed.
Chapter 30
We Don’t Talk Anymore
Gemma
TRAFFIC IS TERRIBLE, but then again getting from Oceanside to downtown San Diego is never a picnic.
From the back seat, I try to keep my eyes off the rearview mirror, off Caleb’s, but then I look at my watch and start to panic. “We should have been there five minutes ago,” I inform him. “I can’t be late.”
Caleb finds my stare in the mirror I can’t seem to look away from and gives me a solemn nod. “You won’t be. Why do you live all the way up here anyway when you work at the museum?”
Fair question but I can’t tell him the real reason—that when Enrique told me he wanted me to move from my small apartment in Centre City into something more suitable, I picked the beach farthest from him but still close enough that he would allow it. “Because I love its palm-dotted beaches and the giant-sized marina.”
His eyes back on the road, he’s weaving in and out of traffic, moving faster. “San Diego has plenty of beaches and marinas,” he says. “Isn’t San Diego known as California’s Beach City?”
“Yes, sure it is, but none of the towns are as laid back as Oceanside,” I tell him.
He snickers. “Right, because Cruz is so laid back.”
Crossing my arms, I can’t suppress my scowl. “No, he’s not, but there was a time I was.”
His green eyes are back in the mirror. “What changed you?”
I’ve told him something about myself I shouldn’t have. “Life,” I offer. For some reason, lying to Caleb doesn’t seem right. I do enough of that with Enrique.
“Care to expand?"
I shake my head and close my eyes, trying to remember what my life was like before. With each passing day it gets harder and harder to remember there was ever a time in my life when things weren’t so convoluted and complicated. Then again, my entire family’s life changed because of me—because I wore that necklace to Enrique Cruz’s house and he wanted it—because Enrique always gets what he wants, one way or another.
It’s sixteen minutes before twelve when Caleb pulls onto Broadway and thirteen minutes before twelve when he pulls into my dedicated parking place at Emerald Plaza. Still, if we don’t hurry, I’m going to be late, and late is not permitted.
With Caleb doing his bodyguard duty, he quickly leads the way inside and to the private bank of elevators reserved for the Serenity Center. Clearly, Caleb has been informed.
Alone in the elevator, I have to ignore the sexual tension that fills the small space.
Acting professional, Caleb stands in front of me, and I can tell he’s doing his best not to look over his shoulder. I’m behind him, doing my best to ignore the illicit thoughts I’m having of him.
When he pushes the button for the thirtieth floor, I think about talking to him. Consider what to say. How to tell him to stay away. That my life is complicated enough and last night was a mistake. But that’s a lie, and I know I can’t lie to him. I’m so completely lost in my own thoughts that when the doors reopen before they’ve even fully closed, I barely notice someone else is stepping inside.
“There you are, my angel.”
The voice is gruffer than normal, but still, the sound is one I know all too well. I jerk my gaze in Enrique’s direction. However, as soon as I see his tailor-made suit and silk tie, a lump forms in my throat as hard as a pebble and I can’t manage a hello.
Having Caleb and him in the same small space is unexpected. It’s almost too much. I take a deep breath. I just don’t think I can pretend.
Enrique steps toward me and
moves a piece of hair from my eyes. “I’ve been calling you all morning. Why haven’t you answered?”
It dawns on me then that I never checked for his calls this morning like I always do. I push the lump out of my throat and answer. “I forgot to charge my phone last night and my battery died. I didn’t realize it until it was time to leave.”
That is the truth.
His hand slides down my cheek and he takes my chin firmly between his thumb and finger. “You seem to be very forgetful lately.”
“I’m sorry.”
Staring down at me with that dark gleam, he whispers, “Let’s do better.”
I nod. “I will.”
“Good,” he says and takes a step back to appraise me. After a few moments, he finally speaks. “You look lovely today.”
Somehow, I force myself to smile. “Thank you, Enrique. I hoped I might see you today.”
Lie.
Lie.
Lie.
Pretending to be happy to see him in this elevator with Smith and Caleb standing in front of us is worse than anything I’ve had to do with him alone.
“I’m surprised that you’re joining me for my session, though,” I allow myself to admit.
His knuckles caress my cheek. “I won’t be able to join you.”
I feign disappointment, forcing a frown on my face. “Oh, I just thought that was why you’re here.”
He shakes his head. “Smith, Holt, leave us,” he orders.
“Sir?” Smith questions.
“Stop the elevator and take another. Meet me at the top.”
I watch over Enrique’s shoulder as Caleb’s body goes taut and Smith quickly hits the next floor on the keypad. When the car comes to a smooth stop, both men exit. I don’t dare make eye contact with Caleb.
When the doors close again, I’m alone with Enrique.
“What’s going on?” I ask. “Are you still upset with me?”
He looks at me. Stares. His eyes moving up and down my body.
I can’t read him. It makes me uncomfortable. Makes me wonder if he’s come here to break things off.
I shift uneasily. I can’t allow that to happen. I have to remind him what attracted him to me no matter how much it sickens me.