by Sarah Curtis
His announcement was met with a long silence before she finally sighed. “Funny thing is, I’m not that surprised, though I should be, I guess. But I don’t understand his motive. He wants me to do another movie. I’m no good to him dead.”
Nate shrugged. “Who knows, maybe he’s just trying to scare you for some reason. If you think about it, the accidents haven’t really been life-threatening, they’ve just been dangerous enough to…” he paused, his whole body chilling.
“Just dangerous enough to what?”
He swallowed, squeezing her tighter. “Just dangerous enough to hurt the baby. If you weren’t pregnant, he thinks you’d jump at another role and in all likelihood, he’d be right.”
“I guess now would be a good time to tell you I invited him over here tomorrow. He wanted to talk.”
Nate reared back, getting up on an elbow. “No fucking way. Call him now and tell him there’s been a change of plans.”
“I think I should keep the meeting.”
“No.” He was adamant. Byron wasn’t going to come within fifty feet of her. “We’ll let the police pick him up.”
“Just hear me out.” She sat up, sitting cross-legged. “The police aren’t taking the accident seriously because they think they already have the right person in custody. And even if they do listen and we give them Byron’s name, there’s no guaranteeing they can link him to the two other accidents.
“Byron’s getting desperate. He knows we’re leaving. When we’re gone, he’ll miss his opportunity to hurt me. I think he’s planning something for tomorrow and if we can catch him in the act, the cops will have all the proof they need.
“We can set up a sting,” she said excitedly. Too excitedly, Nate thought, feeling a lump of dread form in his stomach. “You can be close at all times. And I can put my phone on speaker so you can listen.” She did a little bounce on the bed. “We can have a safe word!”
Nate fell to his back, rubbing his hands over his face, yelling into his palms. He took one hand away, glaring an eye at her. “I don’t like this idea. Not one bit.”
She gave him a smirk. “But you’ll do it?”
He lowered his other hand, giving her a long look before finally giving in. “Let me call Carter.”
“I don’t know how I let you guys talk me into this. This has bad idea written all over it,” Nate said the following morning from the passenger seat of Carter’s POS nondescript Ford. They were parked out front of Byron’s house, waiting for him to leave.
“‘Cause you’re a sucker for a pretty face?” Carter raised a brow. “Or maybe something a little lower?”
Nate gave him a dirty look. “Tell me, again, why you thought this was a good idea.”
Carter grinned. “You know how much I love doling out assholes’ comeuppance.”
Nate rolled his eyes.
Carter tipped his head toward the windshield. “That our guy?”
Nate turned and looked. Sure enough, Byron was walking to his car parked in his driveway. “Yeah, that’s him.”
Carter started the car but waited until Byron got halfway down the street before following.
“Don’t lose him.”
Carter gave him a look. “Man, who’s the pro here?”
Nate held up his hands. “I’m just saying, don’t fucking lose him.”
“Leave it to me. I’ve got this.”
Carter stayed a ways back, but true to his word, he never lost Byron’s tail.
Nate pulled out his phone and texted Victoria.
Nate: Byron just left. We’re following.
Tori: Roger that.
Nate: Smartass.
Tori: ;)
“Why the hell is he pulling into a pharmacy?” Nate asked as he watched Byron get out of his car and walk into the store.
“Who the hell knows,” Carter answered his rhetorical question. “But we know this guy is off his rocker. Probably got some wacked-as-shit scheme planned.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”
Carter laughed. “Oh, I wasn’t trying to make you feel better.”
Nate snorted, keeping his eye on the door. Five minutes later, Byron came back out.
“There he is,” Nate said.
“I see him.” Carter put the car in gear, waiting.
They followed him to a coffee shop.
Carter leaned in front of Nate and pulled a high-tech looking piece of equipment out of the glove box.
Nate watched him fiddle with something on it. “What is that?”
“Video camera. How much you want to bet, whatever he bought at the pharmacy goes into that coffee?” Carter asked, training the camera on the windshield.
“I’ve got more money than you,” Nate said, eyeballing the door to the coffee shop.
Carter barked out a laugh. “Not if you take that bet.”
“Here he comes.”
Nate watched as Byron set two coffees down on the hood of his car. He opened the car door, reached in, and came back out with the pharmacy bag. He pulled something out and tossed the bag back into the car. Opening the lid on one of the coffees, he discreetly looked around before opening a packet and dropping something in it. Pulling a stir stick from his pocket, he mixed it then put the lid back on.
“Shame you didn’t take that bet. I’d be a millionaire right now.” Carter put the camera away then shifted into gear.
Nate ignored him, texting Victoria again.
Nate: Do not drink the coffee Byron gives you. Not even a little sip. He laced it with something.
Tori: Copy that.
Nate: Really? Sweetheart, you need to take this seriously.
Tori: Where’s your sense of adventure?
Nate: The only adventure I want you to have is with me in our bed.
Tori: Can I call you Cap’n? Will you raise your sail and plunder my booty?
Nate: You asking me to fuck you in the ass, again?
Tori: …
He hit speed dial, calling her. It rang once before she answered. “We’re about a block away. Put me on speaker and whatever you do, don’t hang up. I’m already not happy about this. Don’t make me regret I agreed to it.”
“I won’t, I promise. Contrary to our earlier conversation, I really am taking this seriously.”
“Good. And one more thing.”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“He’s pulling up to the front of the house.”
“Okay, I’m ready.”
From parked a few doors down, Nate watched Byron get out of the car and walk up to his front door. A few seconds later, he heard the doorbell ring through the phone.
“Punctual as always,” Victoria murmured before he heard the loud clack of her setting the phone down.
The front door was thrown open wide, and he got a brief glimpse of Victoria before the door shut.
“Showtime,” Carter said looking in his rearview mirror.
Nate turned in his seat to see Smith’s car pulling behind them.
They got out of the car—Nate muting his phone so he could hear Victoria, but no sound would come through on her end—and walked over to meet Smith and a uniform cop.
“Mr. Reed,” Smith said with a nod. “And you must be Mr. Carter.”
Carter nodded, holding out his hand.
They all listened closely, waiting for Nate’s cue to go in. Nate’s jaw hardened as he clenched his teeth when he heard Byron coaxing Victoria to drink her coffee.
“He laced it with something. We’re not sure what,” Nate said to Smith.
Smith nodded. “Let’s move closer. Seems as if things are wrapping up.”
Nate left Carter, Smith, and the uniform cop in the drive as he continued to the front door, listening to the conversation and waiting for the right time to go in.
He heard Victoria say, “I think something’s wrong,” and made his move, throwing open the front door and shouting, “Sweetheart, I’m home.”
> He entered the living room. Victoria sat on the couch, leaning forward, her arms cradling her stomach. His own stomach dropped. Even knowing she was acting, it was painful to witness. But he was part of the drama now, and they acted out their scene, Byron falling for it hook, line, and sinker.
Nate paced the living room. Pretending he was talking to a nine-one-one operator, he yelled at Smith through his phone and fired off questions at Byron until he heard Victoria moan and he turned to her.
She held out her hand, and when he grasped it, she groaned, “The baby. Something’s wrong with the baby. Nate, please tell them to hurry.”
And that was Smith’s cue to come through the door.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Gripping Nate’s hand, Victoria saw Smith come into the room followed by a uniform officer and a man she didn’t know but assumed it was the PI, Carter.
She jumped from the couch, smiling at Nate. “An Oscar-worthy performance, if I do say so myself.”
Nate gave her an enthusiastic kiss on the forehead, grinning, too. “Sweetheart, you were incredible.”
“You weren’t so bad yourself, stud,” she said with a wink.
“What the hell is going on?” Byron yelled, and all eyes turned his direction.
The officer walked over to Byron, pulling out his cuffs and took Byron by the arm when Smith said, “Byron West, you’re under arrest for the attempted murder of Victoria Lee.”
“Murder! That’s crazy.” Byron turned frantic eyes to Victoria. “Tell them that’s crazy,” he pleaded. “I never wanted to kill you. I need you! Don’t you understand? You were going to be a huge star. You were my ticket to the big leagues.”
His eyes turned hard, his tone accusing. “But no, you had to go fall in love and ruin everything by getting pregnant.” Spittle flew from his mouth, and his face was beet red. “Like mother, like daughter, thinking your career is over because of a stupid fucking baby. What was I supposed to do? Just let it happen?”
Victoria held on to Nate as she listened to the harsh words spewing from Byron’s mouth. Beyond words herself, the moment feeling so surreal, she watched, as if from afar, as the officer led Byron out of the room, reading him his rights. Byron, head down, shoulders slumped, and looking defeated, shuffled along without protest.
“This the tainted coffee?” Smith asked, indicating the cup on the coffee table.
“Yes,” Victoria said, dropping her head to Nate’s chest.
He nodded, picking the cup up. “I’ll take it to the lab. I’m sure whatever we find, will put Mr. West away for a very long time.”
Victoria shivered, the reality of everything finally hitting her, and Nate held on to her a little tighter.
Smith left, leaving only Carter behind. “So, I’ve got to say, even under the circumstances, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Lee.”
Victoria felt a reluctant smile tug at her lips. Even amongst everything that had just happened, she had to admit he was a good-looking guy. Jet-black hair, crazy blue eyes, strong features, and a killer smile that would rival any in Hollywood combined with a charm that poured off him made for a deadly combination most women would swoon over. “The pleasure is mine, Mr. Carter, for all your help.”
He flashed a cocky grin. “You can call me Jake.”
She felt Nate’s whole body stiffen, and she forced back a laugh. “You’ll be calling him Mr. Carter, and Carter, you’ll be leaving, right the fuck now.”
That did it. She burst out laughing and had to use Nate to support her weight.
“What the fuck is so funny?” Nate growled gruffly.
Gaining control and blinking back tears of mirth, she patted his chest. “You are, stud. You’re fucking hilarious.”
Nate frowned down at her, but Carter tipped his head back and laughed.
Carter clapped Nate on the shoulder. “I’ll leave you to figure that shit out.” With that he was gone, leaving Victoria and Nate alone.
Nate backed them up, plopping down on the couch and pulling her into his lap. “You feeling okay?”
“Yeah. Just a little shocked still. I’ve known Byron a long time and never imagined he’d be capable of such a thing.”
“The thought of money does strange things to people.” He brushed a lock of her bangs out of her eyes.
Seeing the troubled look on his face, she asked him the same thing. “And what about you? Are you feeling okay?”
He sighed, briefly closing his eyes before staring at her intensely. “I didn’t like seeing you like that—in distress. Even knowing it was fake, you scared at least five years off me.”
Her lips twisted into a cheeky grin. “I’m that good an actress, huh?”
“Yeah, baby, you are. But pretend or real, I don’t ever want to see you like that again.”
She nudged him with her elbow. “You know, having a baby doesn’t exactly tickle.”
“That’s what drugs are for.”
Her brow tugged down in a frown. “I’m not sure I like the idea of pumping myself full of drugs, and in turn, passing them on to the baby.”
Nate gave her a smirk. “The drugs would be for me.”
Victoria tipped her head back, laughing, and Nate took advantage, attacking her neck, turning her laughter to moans.
Nate licked a path up her calf to her inner thigh, and she sighed, spreading her legs wider in invitation. Nate seemed to like that if his responding groan was any indication.
The phone calls had started an hour after the police had left. Someone from the media must have seen and then leaked Byron’s arrest. After all these years, surrounded by tenacious journalists and paparazzi, she was still amazed by their quick and efficient actions.
An hour after that, after talking to Nate’s mom, sister, and manager and Victoria’s parents, they’d turned off their phones and decided to spend the rest of the day being adventurous in bed.
“Wider.” Nate’s voice, husky with need, floated up to her ears.
She wasn’t sure her legs could get any wider. Nate proved her wrong, pushing them back with his large hands gripping her thighs. His tongue teased her, skimming around everywhere but where she really wanted him.
“More,” she begged, wiggling in his hold.
“More what?”
She wiggled again. Even his warm breath was a tease. “You know what.”
He raised his head, one brow lifting while a smirk played on his lips. “I do know what, but I want to hear you say it.”
“Why?”
“Because I think it’s sexy as fuck hearing dirty words coming from your sweet mouth.”
She got up on her elbows, looking down at him and smiled seductively. “You mean words like mud, dust, grime, garbage, and muck?” she asked, drawing out the “CK” sound.
He grinned. “You want me to muck you?
She laughed. “Yes. With your big sock.”
“Want me to stick my big sock in your…”
She raised her brows, smirking. “Bone china?”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Not exactly the word I was trying to rhyme.”
“Well, I didn’t think you wanted to stick it in my footsie,” she laughed, poking his hip with her toes.
He made a grab for her foot, tickling her until she shrieked, and then he backed off the bed, standing at the foot. “I’ve got just the thing,” he said taking himself with a fist and giving it a few pumps, “to occupy that smart mouth of yours.”
She licked her lips. “Yeah?”
“That’s right. Now, get over here.”
She crawled to the end of the bed, coming face to—well—head with his mightily impressive sock. She licked the tip then looked up at Nate. “Admit it, you love my smart mouth.”
“I do, but right now, I’d love it even more if it was wrapped around my dick.”
“Aye, aye, Cap’n.” She got one last sassy comment in before sliding him into her mouth almost to the back of her throat.
Nate’s chuckle turned into a groan. “Ah, fuck.�
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She hummed, cupping his balls while working him with her mouth. He tangled a fist in her hair, taking control of her movements and she relaxed her throat. “Fuck, that feels good. Yeah, just like that.”
She was just getting into it when his body stilled, and he pulled her up to her knees.
≈≈≈
Victoria looked up at him, mouth slack and her lips shiny and swollen. Fuck he was one lucky bastard. He captured that mouth. The hand, still fisting her hair, tilting her head back so he could go deep.
He swallowed her moan as his other hand latched on to her hip. Her hands found his back, her nails digging in and scoring it.
“Turn around. Stay on your knees but spread them,” he said, breaking their kiss.
He pressed into her back, his hands cupping her breasts as his lips landed on her neck. He moved one hand lower, stopping to caress the slight swell of her stomach before moving down so his fingers could glide through her slickness and enter her.
One of her arms came up and back, wrapping around his neck, her fingers grabbing his hair while her other hand covered his that still held her tit. She gyrated her hips to the thrusts of his fingers, throwing her head back to lay it on his shoulder.
He had the perfect view down her body, and fuck, what a sight it was, making him so hard, he ached. She was so wet, he felt it dripping down his fingers and knew she was close.
“Fall forward to your hands, baby.” He slipped his fingers from her as she landed on all fours, but found her clit, keeping pressure on it. Grasping hold of her hip with his other hand, he glided smoothly into her to the hilt, filling her completely.
She cried out, her pussy already starting to spasm around him, and he was so close, that’s all it took—her sweet fucking moans a trigger for his release.
Lying in bed, a naked and spent Victoria draped across him, life didn’t get much better. His mind was finally resting easy, knowing they’d put a stop to Byron and Victoria was safe. What a mindfuck that had been. That he’d been behind it hadn’t even entered Nate’s mind, and he was kicking himself for that. Though why he was, he didn’t know.
Victoria stirred, and he brushed a lock of hair from her cheek. She opened her eyes, and he said, “I need to feed you.” They’d been in bed for hours and missed lunch, and it was now nearing dinner.