Testing The Boss (Billionaires In The City, #5)

by Mallory Crowe

  “Not under me, personally. I’ve known Gail for a long time and this is...hard. But we’ll figure it out. But we can’t assume she’s the only one. Are you being careful out there? If anything happens to Luke, his brother will not take it lightly.”

  Screw Michael. If anything happened to Luke, she wouldn’t take it lightly. “An agent I used to work with in Texas set me up with an IP address. If anyone tries to track our locations based off of emails or Skype conversations, they’ll think we’re in the middle of nowhere Montana. You’re the only one I’ve called using a phone.”

  “And Luke hasn’t told anyone where he is?” asked Hotchins.

  Evelyn tried not to be offended. Sure, Hotchins hadn’t worked with her long, but she still wished he gave her a bit more credit. “I’ve been making sure he’s been discreet. Cali might know where we are, but she’s the only one, and we thoroughly vetted her back when we first started working with the Devereauxs. So we should be safe here for the time being. But this won’t last long. Michael and Luke need to be back in the city eventually. Do you think we can bring in Longineu any time soon? I feel like I should be doing something, but I’m limited out here.”

  There was a silence on the other end, and Evelyn didn’t take that as a good sign. “We’re working on it,” said Hotchins finally. “All we need to do is get him to talk, but we need to have something on him first. We have plenty of proof of affairs, but I have a feeling his wife already knows, so that’s not good enough. We know Joslyn Devereaux was able to convince him she had sensitive information that had him scared, but she refuses to talk to us without a lawyer, and even with the lawyer trying to convince her to cut a deal, she’s keeping quiet.”

  And considering how self-serving Joslyn Devereaux was, that probably meant she was scared. “Grayson was their banker and he had something that spooked them. The answer has to be in the financials. Just keep digging. Follow all the trails. If we run into something that looks like a dead end, keep digging. We’ll find it. No one can commit this type of financial fraud and not leave any digital footprint in this day and age. Get every CPA we can to dig through bank statements, tax returns, everything. We need to catch Longineu and we need to catch him yesterday.”

  “You do know I give the orders, right?” asked Hotchins, a bit of amusement in his voice.

  “You do know I’m alone in a cottage with an annoyed Luke Devereaux, right? He’s not happy.” Well, that was slightly an exaggeration. But if name-dropping would motivate Hotchins to throw all available money and resources into this, then she was going to name-drop.

  “Consider it done,” said Hotchins. “Are you two okay up there? I’d send more agents so you can get some relief, but...”

  “The fewer people who know our location, the better. Keep me updated on what you find. Let me know if I can help on my end. I’m limited, but not useless.”

  “Trust me. If I can use you, I will.”

  “Thanks for your help, Hotchins,” she said honestly. It was nice to know she wasn’t alone on the case.

  “Take care of yourself,” he said. “And, for the love of God, take care of Devereaux. I don’t want a lawsuit after this.”

  “I’m taking care of him the best I can,” she assured him. If only he knew exactly how well she was taking care of him.

  He said one more good-bye before he hung up. Evelyn wrapped her sweater more tightly around her as a gust of wind whipped through the porch, tangling her hair and chilling her more than the sunshine and beach suggested.

  Luke stepped out onto the porch next to her. “Are things progressing in New York?”

  “Eavesdropping is rude,” pointed out Evelyn.

  “It’s also very smart at times. Depends on the situation.”

  She tilted her head in agreement. He wasn’t wrong. She glanced out over the water, squinting at the bright sun reflected on the waves. After the rainy weekend, this was the first day that the sun had come out. It was a breath of fresh air, literally, after her months in the city. Texas didn’t have views like this. The cold air was refreshing and invigorating. Even in the winter, the Texas heat was enough to settle heavy in her lungs. Maybe New York wasn’t all bad. Just the city.

  But she supposed Luke didn’t have all the troubles she did. He never had to wait forty minutes for a seat, even at a less desirable restaurant, to open. He didn’t deal with the space limitations that she had to make work in her apartment. Except for traffic. Even the rich had to deal with the crappy traffic.

  “What are you thinking?” asked Luke.

  “Thinking about how spoiled you are.” She smiled.

  “Are you going to hate me again? I thought we were over that.”

  “I’m not going to hate you again.”

  Luke set his arm over her shoulders and pulled her in close as they looked out over the ocean together. “Good.” He pressed a kiss to her temple.

  “But I’m totally going to judge you,” she said with a wicked smile. “And maybe make fun of you.”

  “Classist.”

  “Got that right,” she said, unashamed.

  “I wasn’t always like this, you know.”

  “You always had money.”

  “Wasn’t raised that way. My father and uncle tried to keep us as grounded as possible.”

  “Back in Georgia?”

  “Yep. We were as normal as the South gets down there. Michael and I played football. Went hunting in the fall. Would sneak out back and shoot cans on the property when we were probably too young.”

  “Jock,” she muttered.

  “There’s really no making you happy, is there? Well, what about this. Michael, Rourke, and I would drag out the tent and walk for hours to find some secluded spot on the property to set up camp and we’d make our own fire and everything.”

  “Why don’t you talk to Rourke?” she asked.

  “I thought you knew why.”

  “I know what happened. But you and Michael are so close. Emma too. I don’t really have much family. It seems a shame to have a brother you used to do so much with who you don’t speak to.”

  He stiffened next to her. It was a touchy subject obviously, but she’d shared her secrets with him. It only seemed fair that she could pry a bit.

  “It’s not my choice.”

  “It’s your choice not to reach out.”

  “I did. I tried.”

  She tightened her lips but forced herself to stay quiet. Luke was one of the most stubborn, persistent men she’d ever met. If he really wanted, he’d push down the doors of wherever Rourke was staying and force him to reconcile.

  “The thing is,” said Luke finally, “if the roles were reversed, and Rourke had done to me what I did to him, I’d never talk to me again either.”

  “So your guilt is keeping you away.”

  Luke abruptly swooped down for a deep, hungry kiss. His lips moved against hers, his tongue just brushing the seam of her lips until she opened for him. Evelyn closed her eyes and let herself fall into the kiss for a brief moment before she pulled away. “You’re changing the subject.”

  “I’m changing it to a better subject.” His hands roamed down her back and rested at her hips. “Now it’s getting cold out here. I just had my last work call of the day. So why don’t you come inside and help warm me up?”

  “You going to start a fire?”

  “I was thinking shower.”

  “I always heard shower sex sounds better than it actually is.”

  Luke grinned down at her. “Well, that’s because you never had it with me. Now I’m going to go get the water warm. You meet me in the bathroom in ten minutes, completely naked, and I’ll show you exactly how good it can be.”

  “Challenge accepted.” Evelyn pushed him away. “I’ll see you in ten.”

  “Or less. Really, as soon as you want,” he said as he disappeared in the house.

  Even the chill of the setting sun couldn’t detract from the heat that rushed through her veins. She’d had so many orgasms t
his weekend, it was as though her body was hyper aware of Luke at this point. It took everything in her to keep from running straight into the shower with him, but she forced herself to wait.

  Let herself pretend that she still had some measure of control.

  She probably lasted five minutes. Then she was inside and stripping as she walked. Her sweater was left on the back of the couch. She left her shoes in the door to the bedroom. Her blouse and tank top came off together and landed on the bed. And she stripped off her leggings at the door to the bathroom.

  Luke was in his naked glory, adjusting the temperature, when he turned and saw her leaning against the doorjamb in her white bra and panties. Not technically a set, but in Evelyn’s book, same color counted as a set. And judging from the sudden heat in Luke’s eyes, he didn’t mind.

  “I was promised an erotic shower.”

  “Get over here,” he ordered and she followed. Who could say no to that command?

  She fell into his arms, and she moaned at the feel of his naked body against hers. The skin to skin. He felt warm and hard and secure. His fingers wrapped in her hair, and he tilted her head to access her neck. He started with her ear, nibbling and sucking, the sensations shooting through her body.

  Her breathing kicked up as he moved lower, along the cords of her neck, and delicately licked her collarbone. He bit the top of her bra strap and pulled it over her shoulder, lowering the other one with his hand.

  She let her eyes fall closed as she soaked in the erotic sensations: the feel of his body against hers, his hands on her back, his breath on her neck as he kissed her there again, then her collarbone, and then the valley between her breasts.

  “Luke,” she breathed as he lowered one of her bra cups enough to lightly bite at the taut peak before soothing it.

  But instead of giving her more like she wanted, he pulled away. “I think the water is warm enough now.”

  She forced her eyes open and saw him standing there in all his beauty, erection standing taut and proud. After the first night, they’d stopped using the condoms. She hadn’t been with a man in ages and knew she was clean and on birth control. Luke hadn’t been quite as saintly, but said he used protection for any affair that wasn’t serious. And pretty much all of his weren’t serious. Not to mention she’d seen his personal health files. One of the perks of being with the FBI was invading privacy.

  For a moment, she imagined what he would look like in the shower, with warm rivulets of water caressing over his shoulders, chest, abs, and lower...

  “Okay.” She nodded as she removed her bra and panties.

  Luke opened the glass door of the shower and stepped in, under the water. It was just like Evelyn’s fantasies come to life... When he held out a hand to her, she couldn’t imagine ever turning this man away. It was as if he had cast some sort of strange spell over her that turned her into a sex-crazed nymph, and for some reason she didn’t even care.

  She took his hand and he pulled her inside. Their heads were clear of the spray, but from the neck down, she was confronted with the heat of the water on her side and back, while Luke’s heat caressed her from the front.

  He caged her head between his big hands and gave her a devastating kiss. His tongue tangled with hers as he inserted a foot between her legs until his thigh was pressed up against her core.

  Instinctively, she rubbed against him. Needing some sort of friction. A small shudder raced through her as the sensations between her lips and clit battled within her. She let out a small moan and rubbed against him again, harder.

  He laughed softly into her mouth. “Going somewhere without me?”

  She tried to smile up at him, but she was too over-sensitized to work one up. But she still had enough sense to give a smart-ass remark. “A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.”

  “Oh really? Well, I’m the only one giving you orgasms for tonight.”

  “If it’s your leg, it still counts, right?”

  “That’s it.” He twisted her around until she was looking at the teal and white tiles. He guided her hands until they braced her against the wall at eye level. Then he skimmed his hands down the sides of her breasts, waist, and then her ass.

  She caught her breath at the sudden vulnerability. She couldn’t see him. All she could do was wait for his next movement. The next time he decided to touch her...

  “Spread your legs for me,” he whispered into her ear.

  Without hesitation, she widened her stance and was immediately rewarded as Luke’s body came flush with hers. “Good girl,” he murmured as he reached around her. His hand ran over her belly and through the curls at the juncture of her thighs. And then he found her clit.

  Evelyn jerked in his arms at the sudden sensation, pleasure shooting through her like a lightning bolt. But he didn’t stop. He pushed two fingers deep within her as he flicked her clit again. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the cool tile as the steam from the water seemed to encase them in their own little cocoon.

  He didn’t give her any leniency. He kept working at her, rubbing in just the right way until her entire being seemed to be one tight bundle of nerves waiting for release...

  Then the orgasm hit her. Her back arched and she pressed her ass against his cock as the moan escaped her lips. As the aftershocks quaked through her, Luke angled her hips and thrust inside in one long, sure motion.

  Her hands balled to fists, but she kept them against the tile. He wrapped one arm around her breasts for leverage as the other one went right back to her oversensitive clit. He wasn’t about to give her any break.

  He started to move within her, and she let her head fall back against him. Everything felt so good...the water, his body, his touch on her breasts....

  As his thrusts quickened, he gently bit her ear before he finally started to lose control. There was something so gratifying in seeing Luke reduced to a pleasure-driven beast. Just like he seemed to do to her. His breaths quickened against her ear as he pushed in her harder and faster. And with every thrust, the pressure on her clit increased and as Evelyn’s second orgasm crashed over her, Luke finally lost it.

  His hand on her breast tightened as he shattered in his own release. “Evelyn...” he breathed as the final quakes of his orgasm rocked him.

  For a few moments, neither of them moved. Instead, they both caught their breath as they tried to come back down to earth. Luke pressed a kiss to her shoulder and released her breast, running his hand over her front to rest at her waist.

  “Best shower ever.” She smiled.

  He let out a soft laugh and pulled out of her. She turned in his arms, but he didn’t seem nearly as happy and carefree as she felt at the moment. “What’s wrong?”

  He met her eyes with his intense gaze and he sighed. “I just can’t imagine never having another shower like this.”

  She shrugged. “We’re here for a few more days. Don’t worry. Besides, after that, I think I owe you.”

  “Not that. After this. After Longineu is arrested.”

  Evelyn stiffened, suddenly realizing what he was saying. Damn it, did he have to bring this up while they were naked? “I’m going back to Texas after this,” she reminded him.

  “But do you want to?”

  Evelyn glanced down. Of course she wanted to. She’d worked her entire career to get a chance to stop the rampant corruption along the border. To be one of the honest ones keeping people safe.

  But the idea of staying with Luke was enticing. Besides the physical aspect of their relationship, which was undeniably fantastic, she liked him. He pushed her. Challenged her in a way that no other man had. And he seemed to respect her and her job for the most part. None of the macho “I’m the man—I know what’s best” attitude that she’d been fighting against her entire life.

  She couldn’t lie...the idea of trying to make something work long term with Luke was appealing, but... “I hardly know you, Luke.”

  He nodded and stepped back. “I understand.”


  She opened her mouth to say more, but he immediately erased any trace of sadness with a big smile. “How about I go open a bottle of wine? You can finish your shower and then we can find something nice to watch on TV.”

  Damn. She wanted to say more, but if he wanted to act like the entire conversation never happened, who was she to rub salt in the wound? “Sure. That sounds nice.”

  “Great.” He leaned in, kissing her briefly before he got out of the shower and shut the glass doors.

  Evelyn fell back against the tile and rubbed at her temple. Even though the tile had finally warmed and the entire bathroom was filled with steam, she couldn’t help the cold that seemed to creep in now that Luke was gone.

  ~~~~~

  “Fuck.” What the hell was wrong with him? Asking Evelyn to stay? Of course she’d say no! She hardly knew him and they’d been “together” all of three days. And of those three days, she’d never once hinted that she’d wanted anything more than a quick, fun fling.

  Which should’ve made him ecstatic. Wasn’t that his one requirement in a woman? Willing to have a fun, no-strings-attached relationship with amazing sex. Now that he’d found one, he suddenly was going to become the clingy one. Fuck.

  He pulled a clean pair of boxer briefs out of his drawer and a pair of black pajama pants. Hopefully he hadn’t scared Evelyn completely away. They would be here for a bit longer, and he’d be damned if she was going to give him the cold shoulder the rest of the week because he didn’t know how to keep his damn mouth shut.

  What the hell had he been thinking? Sure, he liked Evelyn. If she was a native New Yorker and wasn’t planning to leave the state as soon as possible, then, yes, maybe he’d consider trying for something more than a fling. But if the tables were turned and she suddenly announced—after sex, no less—that she was going to stay in the state and completely alter the trajectory of her career for him, he would’ve freaked out.

  Well, overjoyed and then freaked out. So who the hell was he to ask her to change all of her plans just because he was having great sex?

  He shook his head as he pulled on his pants and padded into the kitchen. Maybe he could get her to drink enough that she’d forget he even mentioned anything to her. He pulled out a bottle of wine and eyed the three bottles remaining in the wine cooler. He had a feeling it would take hard liquor to wipe that memory from her mind. Fuck.