by Carsen Taite
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Or so I’ve heard.” Royal leaned back against the rear wall of the elevator car. “I’m guessing you like heights very much.”
“I’m not a big fan either, but these buildings rarely put the nicest suites on the bottom floors, so I’ve learned to make do.”
Royal stepped closer. “And you like nice things.”
“I do.” Siobhan’s breath hitched. “Is there something wrong with that?”
“Not at all.” She lifted her hand and lightly stroked the hair behind Siobhan’s left ear. It was as soft and silky as she’d imagined, and the dark strands fanned out across her fingers like silken feathers.
Siobhan ran her hand down Royal’s arm until she reached her hand. She laced her fingers through Royal’s and lifted their connected hands to eye level. “See this? This is a nice thing.”
The doors opened just then, revealing several tourist types who looked like they were late for dinner. Royal gazed at them with dread, but Siobhan grabbed her hand and tugged. “Let’s get off here.”
Royal dutifully complied and followed Siobhan a few steps away to a different elevator bank. “How many elevators does this place have?”
“Not enough, apparently,” Siobhan replied, punching the elevator call button repeatedly. When the car finally came, they rode the one floor up in silence. When they reached her apartment door, Siobhan pulled out a key and turned it in the lock. She took a step inside and looked over her shoulder. “Are you coming in?”
Royal followed her through the door and clasped her hand deciding she may as well go big or go home. Siobhan didn’t clasp back, but she didn’t let go either, simply leading the way inside. Siobhan gently released her hand and strolled into the living room toward an enormous bar full of wood and glass and elegant bottles. She reached for the bottle of Jameson Bow Street. “I assume you’re good to keep drinking whiskey?”
“If you keep pouring me that, I’m going to be spoiled for life.”
Siobhan held it up. “It is a nice bottle.”
“It’s what’s in it that makes the difference. The whiskey is aged for eighteen years and it’s only bottled once a year.”
“I’m very familiar. And you’re right, it’s become very popular lately, but I’ve always liked it.” Siobhan poured three fingers in a chunky glass and handed it her way. “I’m glad you like it too.”
Royal wanted to wax poetic about how very much she liked the whiskey, but she remembered the person she was playing might sell fine booze, but that didn’t mean she had the means to stash much away for herself. “I like it very much, but it’s not exactly in my budget.”
“All the more reason to drink my stash.” Siobhan poured a glass for herself and tilted it her way. “Cheers to being able to afford good whiskey and cheers to near misses.”
It took Royal a minute to realize she was referring to the bomb threat at the museum. She clinked her glass against Siobhan’s and took a deep drink. “I wonder what happened.”
“I’m sure we’ll find out soon. Especially if it made it onto the news.” As if on cue, Siobhan’s purse started vibrating. She fished it from her bag and stared at the screen.
“Everything okay?” Royal asked, wishing she felt comfortable enough to check her own phone.
Siobhan held up the screen so Royal could see the cascade of messages. “Carlo might be a tad worried. I need to make a call. Make yourself at home. I’ll be right back.”
Royal watched her go, relieved to be left alone to explore but curious about what was up. Likely Carlo had seen the news about the bomb scare and was worried about his consigliere. She took advantage of Siobhan’s absence to check her own phone, but all she had was a vague text from Wharton that essentially said he’d fill her in later. She considered trying to listen at the door Siobhan had just shut behind her, but it would be hard to explain if she was caught. A better use of her time would be to see what else of interest she could find in Siobhan’s apartment, and she had a lot of ground to cover, starting with the tiny handbag Siobhan had left on the counter. Searching the bag took all of two seconds. The entire contents consisted of a tube of lipstick, a compact, and a thin wallet with her license and a black American Express card. The card might be helpful since cardholders had to spend an exorbitant amount a year to have one. Judging by the looks of this place, Siobhan certainly indulged in a lot of creature comforts, but she might also be running purchases for the family business through her personal account. Royal took a quick picture of the credit card and moved on to the desk on the other side of the room. She pulled out the drawer and carefully thumbed through the contents. Stamps, a random assortment of envelopes, and a few paperclips, but nothing of note. She pushed the drawer shut and looked around.
The oversized living room was exceptionally well decorated, but short on hiding places. Royal casually walked through the room to give the appearance she was merely killing time, but she studied every inch of the space just in case. When she reached the far corner where the fireplace was located, she noticed a basket, about the size of a footstool, tucked away in the corner. She stepped closer and stared at the outside. It looked old. An antique maybe? Antique or not, it stood out in stark contrast to the more modern feel of the rest of the room. She reached for the lid and carefully lifted the edge.
“It was my mother’s.”
Shit. Royal took a breath and slowly turned around. Siobhan was standing across the room, her dark eyes furrowed, her hands on her hips. “It’s like one my mother had,” Royal lied. She pointed at the basket. “She kept all her sewing notions in it.” She smiled. “We were never allowed to touch anything inside. Was your mom the same way?”
Siobhan stared a moment longer before her expression finally relaxed. “She was. But her basket was for stationery and pens. She wrote down all her new recipes by hand. And she used to send handwritten letters. I always thought she was very old-fashioned, but here I am, hanging on to her things many years later like they’re some kind of treasure.”
Royal walked to Siobhan’s side, praying she was reading Siobhan’s mood correctly. She reached for her hand. “Memories are a treasure. The very best kind. They’re priceless and no one can take them away from you.” She lobbed the comment out as bait, sensing if she knew more about Siobhan’s childhood, she might root out the reason for Siobhan’s loyalty to a family that wasn’t her own.
Siobhan turned toward her, her face only inches away. Royal stayed still under her penetrating gaze, waiting patiently, suddenly very aware she was no longer interested in conversation. She knew what she wanted to happen next, but Siobhan would need to make the first move.
She didn’t have to wait long. Siobhan leaned closer and pressed her lips against Royal’s. Softly at first. Gentle velvet kisses growing slowly in intensity. By the time Siobhan slid her tongue between her lips, Royal felt she would come undone. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this aroused and she wanted nothing more than to surrender to it. She groaned as Siobhan’s touch became more intense, and she placed a hand on either side of Siobhan’s waist and drew her closer.
Siobhan took the cue and she tugged at Royal’s shirt until it was hanging from her waistband. She ran her fingers up the length of Royal’s back, lightly dragging her nails along her flesh, leaving a trail of desire in the wake of her steamy touch. Royal placed a hand on the mantel of the fireplace to brace against the way her body was bowing to Siobhan’s touch, but the control was only temporary. She was a master when it came to playing a role, but in this moment, she wasn’t playing. If she didn’t get Siobhan naked, in bed, soon, she would lose her mind.
Chapter Twelve
Siobhan reluctantly released the kiss and took Royal’s hand. She was breaking all her rules—no women at her house, no sex with anyone on the family payroll—but after Carlo’s report that the police had indeed found a bomb at the museum tonight, she wasn’t in a rule-abiding mood. All she could think about was getting Royal out of her tux
and into her bed. Now.
She led the way to her bedroom, determined to assume control and wishing she could surrender all of it at the same time. When they crossed the threshold, she pointed to the bed. “I’ll be right back.”
When she was alone in the bathroom, she slipped out of her dress and into a scarlet silk negligee. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was mussed from Royal’s hands and her lips were swollen from their extended kissing session. Her reflection screamed vulnerability, and while her every instinct told her to hide any weakness, she shoved those feelings away and resolved to surrender to desire.
The room was dark when she reentered, except for the flicker of candlelight from her nightstand. Royal was propped against the pillows, and the shadows danced across her completely naked body. She looked confident, comfortable, and completely at ease. The combination was a heady intoxicant Siobhan couldn’t resist.
“I hope you don’t mind that I lit the candle,” Royal said, her voice low and husky.
Siobhan traced a finger along her leg. “Looks like you did a bit more than that. And no, I don’t mind at all.” She reached down and lightly kissed the inside of her thigh, enjoying the way Royal moaned at the slightest touch. “You’re very expressive for someone with such a tough exterior.”
Royal reached for her hand and kissed her palm, sending shock waves through her entire body. Her eyes fluttered shut and she didn’t even try to hold back a growl of pleasure.
“I could say the same about you,” Royal said, her lips curled in a self-satisfied smile.
Siobhan climbed into the bed and hovered above Royal’s body, dipping to run her tongue along Royal’s neck. “Perhaps you bring something out in me.”
“You mean you’re usually not a tigress in bed?”
Siobhan laughed. “I don’t know about that, but I’m usually not someone who invites women back to my own bed.” She waved a hand to indicate the room. “This is my sanctuary.”
“What’s different?”
Siobhan considered not answering since she’d already shared more than she’d planned, but something about Royal made her want to open up. Hell, Royal was naked in her bed and she’d just admitted inviting her here was out of character. She seemed to have no power to resist Royal’s curiosity. Or she didn’t want to. She ignored the voice inside telling her to be more circumspect and plunged ahead. “Maybe it’s because we had a brush with death. Maybe I simply feel comfortable with you.” She paused. “Or both.”
Royal reached up and placed a hand on her cheek. “Whatever the reason, I’m grateful to be here.”
Her voice was tender and sweet, and Siobhan wanted to respond in kind, but a lifetime of guarding her feelings held her back. Wasn’t it enough she’d invited Royal to stay? Did she have to lower her inhibitions entirely? She could have fun without sacrificing control. She rolled over on her side and pulled Royal with her until their positions were reversed. “No need to be grateful, but I do need you to fuck me. Are you interested?”
A brief flash of emotion flashed in Royal’s eyes—pain, regret? She couldn’t tell and she shouldn’t care, but she did, and she chose to hide it behind a casual posture while she waited an eternity for Royal to respond.
“Sure, I’m always down for a good fuck.”
Siobhan nearly flinched at the sting of the rough remark, but she was determined not to surrender to her feelings because if she did, she’d be consumed with Royal’s tender kisses, her protective nature, her easy smile. From the moment Royal had pushed her out of the path of the SUV to the moment she’d shown up at the Mancuso mansion, Siobhan had been taken with her confidence, her good looks, and her charm. The very fact Royal was here right now was a testament to the depth of the attraction and how very dangerous it might be. If she truly wanted to avoid this pitfall, she’d ask Royal to leave before this—whatever this was—went any further.
But Royal was naked and stretched out over the length of her, the proximity of their bodies nearly setting her skin on fire. When Royal ran a finger along the inside of her thigh, her body rose to meet the touch, unaware her mind was doing battle with her emotions and her mind was losing the fight. Pretend she’s the model from the dress shop or the bartender from the speakeasy you visited the week before. Imagine these hands, these glorious, gentle, skillful hands belong to a woman whose name you do not know and that you will never meet again. You can do this. All you have to do is pretend you’re somewhere other than here and Royal is a stranger who’ll be gone before dawn.
She closed her eyes and arched to meet Royal’s touch again. She vowed this would be the only time she’d give in to her craving for this woman, but right now, in this moment, she surrendered to the dancing flames of arousal and pretended she and Royal were more than they would ever be in real life.
❖
Royal slipped her hands underneath Siobhan’s body and pulled her closer, savoring the taste of her. With each pass of her tongue, Siobhan groaned and arched closer, sure signs she was enjoying herself, but her eyes remained closed and Royal realized Siobhan wasn’t truly present, and she could be anyone as long as she kept up the steady pressure on the path to Siobhan’s organism.
The question was why did she care? This was a job. Okay, being naked with Siobhan was a seriously good benefit of the job, but it meant nothing. She’d had sex with strangers while on the job before, all part of playing a role, doing whatever was necessary to gather intel, garner trust, get the job done. She’d even felt affection for her marks before, sometimes regretting her lack of feeling about the act, especially when it was clear the balance of feelings was weighted against her. But this was different because this time she was the one with feelings while Siobhan was merely going through the motions.
Or was she? Siobhan had made the first move. And the second. They wouldn’t be in her bed right now if it wasn’t what she wanted. Royal had been certain she’d detected more than chemistry between them. Had the deeper attraction been one-sided? She told herself she only cared because of the case. The more Siobhan liked her and trusted her, the more likely she’d be able to get close enough to wedge her way into the Mancuso inner circle.
She looked up at Siobhan’s still closed eyes, and Royal was suddenly determined to shake her back to the present. She flattened her tongue and slowly drew it along Siobhan’s clit as she slid first one then two fingers into the heat of her sex. Siobhan thrashed on the bed in response to the touch, but Royal didn’t relent. She murmured, “Do you want me to stop?”
“No. Please don’t.”
Pleased she’d been able to elicit a verbal response, Royal answered with a long, slow, swipe of her tongue down the side of Siobhan’s clit, burrowing into the heat, determined to bring her to climax. Everything else in the world fell away as Siobhan cried out and stiffened against her unrelenting touch. She had no idea how much time had passed when Siobhan thrashed with her building orgasm, but she kept her lips pressed against her sex, savoring the smell and taste of her.
When Siobhan finally stopped trembling, Royal eased out from between her legs and moved back up to the headboard to lie beside her. She wanted to curl up against Siobhan and spend the balance of the night in this cocoon, but she was careful not to slip into the familiarity of a lover. She lay on her back with her hands behind her head and breathed deep, in and out, to quell her own arousal while she wondered how long it would take for Siobhan to suggest it was time for her to go. A few minutes passed with them lying there in silence, and Royal decided it would be better to initiate her own exit. She leaned over and kissed Siobhan on the cheek. “You are amazing. Thanks for letting me burn off the adrenaline, but I should get going. At some point, they’re going to have to let people get their cars.”
Siobhan stared, her brow furrowed as if trying to decide what to say, but Royal didn’t give her a chance. She rolled out of bed and started collecting her clothes from the floor.
“Thanks for going with me tonight,” Siobhan said, finally breaking th
e silence. “I promise these events are usually very boring and very rarely involve bomb squads and secret Uber escapes.”
Royal forced a grin. “So you say. I suppose I’ll just have this one to judge.” She let the comment hang in the air, expecting Siobhan to say something along the lines of “no, there’ll be other times,” but Siobhan’s lack of a response left her wondering what tonight had been all about. Siobhan had a reputation for assignations, and she’d played on that, but now it seemed Siobhan was done playing. Royal had been confident she could get Siobhan to warm up to her, but maybe she’d moved too fast, too soon, and now she fell into the category of one-night stands never to be repeated. If this were real life, she wouldn’t care, having never bothered to develop a relationship with another woman since doing so was like crossing a field scattered with landmines made up of all the lies she’d had to tell about her work. But this wasn’t real life. She had a role to play and an investigation to pursue, and she wasn’t going to be successful if she couldn’t convince Siobhan she was different from all the other women who traipsed through her bedroom.
She fastened the buttons on her shirt and tossed her jacket over her arm. Siobhan was propped up in bed, her dark hair fanned out on the silk pillowcases. She strode over and ran the back of her hand along the dark tresses. “So soft.” She leaned down and captured Siobhan’s lips in a kiss, careful to keep it from deepening and pulling away when Siobhan pressed in. “Thank you for inviting me. It was the perfect first date.”
She straightened up and plastered on a broad smile. She could tell by Siobhan’s confused expression that she wasn’t sure whether she was kidding about the date remark, which was exactly the reaction she wanted. She blew a kiss. “I’ll see myself out. Sweet dreams.”
She strode to the bedroom door with mixed feelings about the fact Siobhan had snuggled down into the covers, apparently taking her up on her offer. Royal closed the bedroom door behind her and took the hallway back to the living room. Had it been the wrong move to leave so abruptly? Should she have stayed the night to solidify whatever this was that was going on between them?