Love & Corruption: A Love & Ruin Standalone Novel

by J. A. Owenby

  “You always were impatient,” I mumbled while my mouth made contact with her sensitive skin. My tongue danced across her center and I gave her clit a pinch. Sutton’s entire body bowed upward while I licked and sucked every amazing inch of her flesh.

  She propped up on her elbows and watched me eat her pussy. Jesus Christ. She was so damned hot when she did that.

  “That’s it, baby.” Sutton gasped with pleasure. “You know what I like. You always have.”

  I slipped her bud between my teeth and sucked hard. A small cry escaped her as her head fell back, and her toes curled.

  My name on her lips nearly made me lose my composure. I sucked harder and pumped a finger deep inside her walls, her core clenching around me.

  “That’s it,” I said. I’d never been shy with what I wanted in bed, and neither had she.

  “Oh. My. God.” Sutton trembled as her world exploded.

  “My baby.” The words rolled off my tongue and my heart burst with happiness. She belonged to me again. I wiped off my mouth with the back of my hand and positioned myself between her legs. Placing my throbbing cock at her entrance, our gazes locked.

  “Don’t you ever forget how much I love you.” I pushed at the edge of her and gritted my teeth. She was warm and wet. Her fingernails clawed at my back while I nudged her opening. “And now, Sutton Forrester, you’re mine,” I growled possessively as I buried myself in her.

  I slowly pulled out, then in one swift motion, slammed into her again. Breathless, Sutton moved against me, finding our new rhythm. I trailed kisses down her neck while capturing her right breast, teasing her nipple. Our hearts and bodies synchronized and melded together with every touch, kiss, and thrust.

  “Sutton,” I panted.

  “Come in me. I love you.”

  The moment my body tensed, Sutton picked up her pace and grabbed my back. Seconds later, her core tightened, and she came with me.

  I leaned my forehead on her collarbone while we caught our breath, but I didn’t want to pull out yet. I was finally home.

  “You’re amazing.” I gazed up at her and smoothed a stray hair away from her face.

  “I can’t even explain how much I love you.” She sighed contentedly and traced my lips with her thumb.

  “You don’t have to.” I kissed her, then pulled out. “I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”

  I felt her eyes glued to me while I strutted toward the bathroom like I’d won an Olympic gold medal.

  “Here.” I laid the warm washcloth against her core and carefully wiped Sutton off.

  “No one’s ever done that for me before,” she said, a little bit of awe in her voice.

  “I want to take care of you. It’s just a simple gesture, I guess.”

  I returned the washrag to the bathroom, then crawled under the covers next to her. She rolled over, propped up on her elbow, and threaded her fingers through the dusting of hair on my chest.

  “But we have to talk.” I placed a kiss on her forehead before I had to lay down the hammer.

  Chapter 23

  “Obviously things are different, and we’re past the client relationship, but Sutton. … I don’t care if we’re involved or not, if you ever pull that shit again, I’m done. I will terminate the contract. Don’t drug my men and sneak off or anything even close to it.”

  Heat traveled up her light complexion, and her cheeks flamed red.

  “I understand.” Guilt flashed in her eyes. “I’m sorry I did it that way. I knew Vaughn would be all right, but I … I guess I was desperate to do something. Sitting on the sidelines, you know it’s not me. Especially with Claire somewhere out there. I just ... I’ll apologize to Redd, too.”

  “I assume he thought I was going to fire him.” I wrapped a strand of her blonde hair around my finger. A part of me couldn’t believe Sutton was next to me in my bed again. For the first time in a while, I was happy. She’d been the piece of my heart I’d been missing for so long.

  Although I had to establish work boundaries, I wanted to be inside of her again. I gave her a quick kiss and jumped out of bed. “You’re distracting me. I’m saying I’ll terminate services with you as a client if you cross the line again, and I should still be super pissed. And, I am, but you're naked, and that’s all I can think about.”

  A lazy smile lit up her elegant features, and my dick gave her a full salute.

  “Dammit.” I gathered my clothes from the floor. “I’ll take a quick shower, then we can talk in the office with the door open. Maybe that way I can focus on work.”

  “You’re no fun. You could just spank me.” Sutton playfully batted her long eyelashes at me.

  “Oh. My. God. What am I going to do with you?” I crawled on the bed and pinned her wrists above her head. Her laugh filled the room. With one flip of the covers, her naked body was exposed, and I lowered myself on top of her.

  “This is crazy,” she whispered. “I can finally have you any time I want. In the bed, on your desk, on your plane.” She wiggled her brows at me. “In the bathroom at a restaurant.”

  “And right now.” I parted her legs and entered her again.

  An hour later, I whistled under my breath as I strolled out of my bedroom and into the office. It was nearly midnight, but my mind wouldn’t shut up, and I needed to talk to Redd.

  Following the sounds from the kitchen, I poked my head around the doorway.

  “Hey, man.”

  Redd spun around, his eyes widening. No matter how long I’d known him, his two different eye colors occasionally caught me off guard.

  “Is she all right?” Worry flitted across his face.

  “Yeah. Let’s talk, but how are you feeling after the sleeping pill she gave you?”

  “Well, I’m fucking wide awake now instead of spending time in dream land.” He blew out a sigh, then he popped a grape into his mouth. “What the hell happened, anyway? Why did she feel it necessary to knock me out? I’m pissed at her, but I’m guessing when I find out why I’ll love her even more. The girl has some balls, man. How can you not respect that?”

  My brow arched. “Love?”

  “Nah, boss, not like loooove. She’s one of my best friends and like my sister.”

  I chuckled. Sometimes it was fun to make Redd squirm. He was the one always jerking everyone else’s chain, so it was good for him.

  “Come on, I need your input on some business.” I motioned for him to follow me to the office.

  “Where is Sutton now?” Redd asked.

  “In my bed,” I responded casually while I sat down in my chair.

  “Dude! Are you patching things up?” He leaned forward in his chair and gave me a huge grin.

  “We’re working on it.” I flashed him a big smile, then I grew serious. “I almost let her go as a client.”

  “Hell, she deserved it!” Redd agreed, frowning. “I’m completely torn here. Like, she had moxie, but at the same time that was fucked up.”

  I chuckled a little. “She still deserves to be let go, and I need to see how you feel if we continue to keep her as a client. She drugged you. You two have stayed in touch over the years, and you're friends, so I need to understand where your thoughts are at.”

  Redd slumped in his chair and ran a hand over the light blonde stubble that shadowed his chin.

  “Full disclosure?” he asked, his expression growing somber.

  “Always,” I responded.

  “If you can tell me, I need to wrap my brain around why she did it. I suspect it had something to do with Claire. I mean, Sutton’s one of the most loyal people I’ve ever met, but if she had to mess with someone for her family, she wouldn’t think twice. That’s what I’m telling myself anyway. I need to check if I’m right.”

  My hands steepled together, then I took a deep breath and brought Redd up to date on Sutton’s motives and the missing pieces concerning Connor.

  “That’s fucked,” he whispered. “I wish you would have talked to me, man. I would have … I don’t know, but
I would have figured something out. Connor’s death screwed us all up. I guess I didn’t recognize there was so much more going on.”

  “It’s in the past, but I needed you to hear the entire story from me. I’ll also talk to ZW, but don’t say anything to him before I do.” Every time I shared the story, a little more of the pain of not protecting Connor lifted off my shoulders.

  “No, man, I’d never. What you told me tonight,” he pointed back and forth between us. “it stays right here.”

  “I appreciate it. So now that you have all the details, do you want to keep Sutton on as a client?”

  A low chuckle rumbled in Redd’s chest, and a wicked grin spread across his face. “Hell yeah, I just won’t ever drink her tea again. She’s all woman and badass wrapped up into a smart, sexy, amazing girl. You’d be stupid to let her get away. And I agree with her.”

  “On?” I asked, silently relieved he was comfortable with Sutton staying on as a client. It would be difficult getting rid of her and still spending personal time with her if Redd held a grudge.

  “You need to fire your security programmer … but you should hire Sutton. She doesn’t even have to be in the field.”

  A twinge of excitement nudged me with the idea. She’d be one hell of an addition to the team with her expertise. Plus, she’d be on a computer and not in the middle of the action.

  I stood, shoved my hands in my jean pockets, and wandered to the window. “The thought had occurred to me, but I wasn’t sure how you were going to react. Then, I’d be her boss as well as …”

  “I get it, but break it down. She’s a hacker. A fucking amazing one to hack into Westbrook Security. She can shoot, she can maim and destroy, and she’s also back in your life.”

  “And that’s exactly it. Would offering her a job while we’re in an intimate relationship … would it complicate things?” My eyes scanned the night sky as I considered the possibility of Sutton working for me. A variety of gold and white colored night lights twinkled, cutting through the overcast sky.

  “You in it for good?” Redd asked.

  I turned slowly and nodded. “We both are.”

  “It’s about damned time.” Redd whooped. It was almost as though he’d pieced us back together all by himself.

  “So, first thing’s first. I need to find someone to replace the current programmer before I replace him—possibly Sutton. I can’t be without one. Second, I have to fire him. Third, Sullivan will be in tomorrow, so I’ll update him on his new assignment and show him around.”

  Redd flashed a grin. “Well, now that you and Sutton will be inseparable, two bodyguards are in order. One for each of you plus Jeffrey.”

  “I know. It’s smart, I’m just not used to being guarded. But I need Sutton safe, and unfortunately, even being near me makes her a target.”

  “She chose it, though. She realizes exactly what she’s getting back into.”

  “At least this time I can offer her stability. If things get out of control, I have the means to relocate her and keep her safe.”

  “You think she’d let you?” Redd asked.

  “If it were to keep her family safe, yeah. Eventually … probably sooner than eventually … I’ll need to dig into the information Sutton was able to get from Jaci and see if it holds any merit.”

  Redd’s eyes narrowed. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

  He scooted on the edge of his seat, waiting for my reply while his leg bounced up and down briefly. We both knew how dangerous the next step might be.

  “It’s the only way I know how to find out what really happened with Claire. If I do, I might have a chance to bring her home.”

  The sun streamed in through my bedroom window the following morning, and I placed a kiss on Sutton’s forehead. A contented smile spread across her face as one brilliant blue eye peeked open at me, then the other.

  “Morning, beautiful. How did you sleep?”

  “The best I have in years.” She returned my kiss with a slow tenderness I’d missed. This was how I’d always dreamed of starting my mornings. With her, the love of my life.

  “Hopefully I had something to do with that?” I grinned at her. After all the bad shit I’d done, how in the hell had I gotten her back?

  “You’re smiling.” She traced my forehead with her fingertips. “What are you thinking about?”

  “I’m wondering how I ended up so lucky,” I whispered.

  “Me too. I feel so guilty, though. How could I be so happy while Claire is missing and in danger?”

  “And I just lost Dad, although I think he’d be pleased we’re back together.”

  Sutton sat up in bed, the blankets falling away from her full breasts, and took my hand in hers.

  “I think he’d be happy, too. Now we have to persuade my parents to get on board.” A soft laugh slipped from her naturally rosy lips. “Not that it stopped me from being with you last time.”

  Under the circumstances, it would be a challenge to gain their respect, but I was up for it. It would be a welcome change to have their blessing.

  “As much as I want to stay in bed with you all day, I need a large cup of coffee, then I’d like to talk to you about some business. I’ll want Redd and Jeffrey with us, too.”

  “Oh, okay. Is it something good?” I didn’t miss the hope in her voice. Hell, we were all hoping for good news soon.

  “It doesn’t have anything to do with your sister, but I think it has the potential to be very good.” I winked at her and hopped out of bed.

  Half an hour later, we all gathered in my office.

  “Thank you,” I said to Jeffrey as he handed me a cup of coffee. “Who is my programmer again?” I asked, indicating for him to have a seat.

  “Mr. Peckerwood,” Jeffrey said, trying not to smile.

  “Are you serious?” Redd asked.

  Jeffrey nodded, a smile pulling at the corner of his lips.

  I covered my mouth with my hand and chuckled. “Bet he got beat up a lot in school.”

  Redd cackled, and Sutton giggled loudly. So much for being professional at the moment, but it was good to hear everyone laugh again.

  “Well, I have to fire Mr. Peckerhead, or whatever pecker he is, so I’ll grab the contact information from his file. But …” My attention fell on Sutton. “I need a new programmer to replace him. One that understands the ins and outs of security, how important this is to my clients, and possibly an off-the-books assignment from time to time.”

  Sutton gave me a blank look, completely unaware of what I was implying. She was adorable when she was clueless. I resisted the urge to end the meeting and kiss her.

  “I’ve given it a lot of thought, and for the right person, I’d be willing to compensate more than average pay. It would require long hours and ingenuity. Plus, someone I trust. What do you think, Redd?” I kept my eyes trained on Sutton as she turned toward him.

  “Well, those are big shoes to fill, boss. But …” He scratched his head and pretended to be deep in thought for a minute. “I think I might know of the perfect fit.” His gaze cut over to Sutton.

  “Well, who?” She held her palms up toward the ceiling.

  I chuckled. “Sutton? What do you think about quitting your publishing job and working for Westbrook Security Corporation?”

  Her mouth gaped open. “Wh-what? Me?” She tapped her chest and stared at me.

  “You fit the criteria, and even though you drugged my guy, I trust you as long as you’re not around any iced tea. Plus, if you work for me, I can keep an eye on you, which is obviously necessary.”

  Her cheeks flamed red.

  “Is this even appropriate? I mean, I woke … I, uh...” She pointed in the direction of my bedroom as discreetly as she could.

  “Woke up in my bed this morning?” I asked, announcing the news to anyone who didn’t know yet. “We’re not hiding anything. Everyone recognizes that you didn’t sleep your way into the job, so let’s seriously talk about you coming on board.”
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br />   Her attention drifted toward Jeffrey and Redd. They both nodded their support.

  “All right, but I’ll need to think it through. I mean …” She chewed absentmindedly on her thumbnail.

  “Jeffrey, Redd, if you’d let us have a few minutes alone, please,” I suggested. What was holding her back? I thought she’d be thrilled about the offer.

  “Just say yes,” Redd whisper-yelled before he left.

  I appreciated his support. Sutton and Redd’s friendship went way back, and although her actions weren’t appreciated, Redd seemed to forgive her easily.

  The guys rose and exited the room. The minute the door closed, Sutton leaned forward and gave me a hard stare.

  “Are you serious? All bullshit aside. Is this what you want?” she asked incredulously. “You’re not worried we’ll spend too much time together and wreck our new relationship?” Worry lines creased her forehead.

  Ah. She was concerned about us. I was, too, because it was almost too good to be true, not because I was worried about working together. We’d have plenty of time apart.

  “Yes, I’m sure. I also spoke with Redd because I needed to see how he felt about it. As you probably noticed, he’s on board even after you sabotaged him.”

  Sutton groaned and covered her eyes with her hand. “I’m sorry.”

  “I know, and we all understand what your motives were. It’s over. Let’s just move on. Besides, I realize what an asset you can be to the team if you’ve hacked the NSA and FBI. Sutton, what I need to ask is, if I need you to do it again … would you?”

  Her blue eyes widened. “I’ve not considered it before,” she said. “I mean it’s not like I’d ever sat around and thought ‘huh, I’d like to break a federal law’. Once I hacked into their site, I backed right out and never entertained the thought again.”

  “If it meant bringing Claire home safely, would you?”

  A spark flared to life in her expression. The Sutton I remembered loved a challenge, and rarely backed down from one. Her face just confirmed that part of her was still there, even if it had been dormant for a while. Honestly, I found it sexy as hell.