by Penelope Sky
The castle never felt so comfortable.
I wanted to stay behind these walls forever and enjoy the peace of being hidden away. Joseph couldn’t get me when I was surrounded by walls of solid stone. He certainly couldn’t get me while all of Crewe’s men watched the property constantly.
I could finally relax.
Crewe stepped into the garden in his black suit and tie. It’d become a pattern for us to spend lunch together. With every passing week, we fell into a deeper routine mixed with meals, sex, and working out.
He wore his aviator sunglasses, looking like a man on vacation more than one at work. When he reached my chair, his hands gripped each of the armrests, and he leaned down to kiss me. He didn’t give me much time to prepare, and that was clearly on purpose. He gave me a hard kiss on the mouth before he sat in the chair next to me. The maids had brought me a pot of tea and some milk. I didn’t care for tea before I came here, but it grew on me after a few months. “Enjoying your day?”
“Yeah.” I closed the book and set it on the table. “I went for a run then lifted some weights. Then I showered and headed down here. It’s nice to get some sun.” Since I didn’t get out in any other way.
“I thought you looked sexier than usual.” He wore a smug smile that was supposed to be arrogant, but of course, it was sexy on him. Everything he did was sexy, even though I would never admit it to his face.
“Nope. Flabby as usual.”
“You’re not flabby,” he said with a chuckle. “You’re perfect in every way possible.”
The warmth spread throughout my body when I heard the compliment. The fact that he was sincere made me feel special. He said the sweetest things when I least expected it. He was romantic and affectionate, completely opposite of when we first met. “Maybe you think being flabby is perfect.”
“I think being you is perfect.” He grabbed my cup of tea and took a drink.
“You should be a diplomat.”
“I always know the right things to say, huh?” He poured more hot tea into the cup and added a drop of honey before he leaned back and sipped it.
I hardly saw him drink scotch anymore, and his mood was noticeably lighter. I knew he didn’t quit cold turkey, but at least now he was drinking a reasonable amount. He seemed happier too, but maybe that was because of different reasons. “Get a lot of work done today?”
“There’s not enough hours in the day, even with Ariel working twice as many hours as I do.”
“I’d offer to help, but I doubt I could be useful.”
“Even if you were, I’d rather you sit back and relax.”
And I’d rather be finishing my education so I could do something productive with my life, not sit around and get fat. “How’s Crow?”
He stirred the tea before he set the spoon on the saucer. He was a grown man with enormous hands, so it was comical to see him drink out of a small teacup like a woman at breakfast. “He’s alright.” His mood darkened when I mentioned his client. “I wish Bones had brought Vanessa. It’s a shame he didn’t.”
“I feel so bad for Crow.”
“I’m sure he’ll find a way. When it comes to family, you never stop.”
I hoped for her sake Crow and Cane would figure out a way to save her. No woman should be subjected to that monster. I didn’t like it when he even looked at me. Being touched by him would be pure torture. “Yeah…”
He took another sip of the tea before he handed it back to me. “Have you ever tried it with honey?”
“I can’t say I have.”
“Give it a go.”
I took a sip and enjoyed the smooth sweetness as it moved across my tongue. “Not bad.”
“That’s how my mother used to drink it.”
“Oh…” I was surprised he remembered something like that.
He watched me from his seat, his eyes a mystery since they were hidden behind his sunglasses. I didn’t like it when anything was obstructing his face because it was difficult to figure out what he was thinking.
I leaned forward and slowly pulled the sunglasses off the bridge of his nose and set them on the table. “There. That’s better.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I moved over the table with my elbows resting on the surface and pressed a gentle kiss to his mouth. “I can see your eyes. And your eyes are my favorite.” I pulled away, seeing his heavy-lidded expression.
A slight smile moved across his mouth, and his eyes narrowed intently on my face. He stared at me with that focused expression, making me feel like the only thing that mattered in this world. It was a look that made me both hot and cold at the same time. “Why?”
“Because I can see your mood, your thoughts.”
“You can read my mind?” he whispered.
“Not your mind. Just your emotions.”
“Then what am I feeling now?”
That was easy. “That you want to keep kissing me. Just kiss me. You don’t want to take it to the bedroom where the clothes will come off. You want to feel our mouths move together, our tongues slide past one another. You want my hands to move up and down your chest while you fist my hair. And you want to keep doing that…until it’s time for you to leave.” I wasn’t sure if that was exactly what was on his mind, but it was on mine. I could tell when he was in a purely sexual mood, and that wasn’t now. But he was definitely affectionate, definitely warm.
His eyes narrowed even more, and the smile left his face. “Maybe you can read my mind.”
“Your eyes give you away.”
“Then maybe I should put those sunglasses back on.”
“No.” I pulled them farther away from his grasp so I could see all of his handsome face. “I want to look at you. It’s much nicer than the view.”
He leaned back into his chair and watched me, his eyes darkening in a way I’d never seen before. He didn’t say another word, and his playfulness disappeared. The silence stretched between us, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was heavy with unspoken words, scorching attraction, and everything else that existed between us.
I couldn’t read his mood like I usually could because his thoughts were different from what they ever were before. Something changed. I could feel it in the air as well as see it in his eyes. I just wasn’t sure what that change was.
I hoped I would find out.
I jogged around the castle because there were dirt pathways that maneuvered through the grass and the trees. His guards were around the property everywhere, so I never felt unsupervised. All of the men had obviously been told I had permission to go wherever I wanted because they never tried to stop me.
I pulled the earbuds out of my ears and slowed to a walk. I had a stitch in my side, and I struggled to relax the muscle around my waist. My hands moved to my hips, and I breathed through my nose and out my mouth. I knew Crewe took this path every single day, but he went at the crack of dawn when I was still asleep.
I couldn’t get up early even to eat, let alone work out.
I nearly jumped out of my skin when Dunbar emerged on the path, wearing black jeans and a black t-shirt. I was suddenly aware of how alone we were together. None of the other guards was anywhere nearby. Crewe would never hear my screams no matter how loud I yelled.
So I’d have to kill Dunbar.
I had an iPod in my hand, and I could crush it against his nose if I had to.
Dunbar looked like he wanted to strangle me, crack my neck like I was a chicken on the farm. He stopped in his tracks ten feet away and didn’t come any closer.
I watched him, my hand gripping the music device. “Yes?”
“I’m going to tell you something. But you didn’t hear it from me. Accuse me, and I’ll deny it.”
I raised an eyebrow, having no idea where this was going. “Okay…”
“The device that Crewe put inside your brother’s head…it’s not real.” His bushy eyebrows moved every time he spoke, his expression concentrated on the severity of the moment.
“What?”
>
“It’s not wired to an electric pulse. It just carries a signal so it’ll show up on an X-ray.”
My hands gripped my waist as I listened to every word. “Why would Crewe do that?”
“Because Crewe wouldn’t want to kill your brother. He just wants you to think he will.”
“Because…?”
“It keeps both of you in line.”
Come to think of it, I never saw Crewe with the transmitter on him. He never threatened me with the explosive either. “If that’s true, why would you tell me?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” he hissed. “Ever since you came around, you’ve been sabotaging my every move—”
“Have not.”
“Yes, you have. Crewe is so obsessed with you that he’s losing his focus. I know you’ve been manipulating him this entire time. Ariel agrees with me. You’re going to pull him down a path he can’t recover from. But now that you know the truth, you can leave. Find an escape route and go.”
Dunbar wasn’t trustworthy so I didn’t know if I could believe a word he said, but I did believe his motives. He’d wanted me out of here since the day I arrived. He had no problem strangling me and slapping me. Both he and Ariel wanted me out of Crewe’s life. And this was the perfect way to get rid of me. “How do I know you aren’t lying? That you’re just trying to get my brother and me dead?”
“I don’t care about either of you being dead. I just want you gone. You wanna know how I’m telling the truth? Think about Crewe. He’s a hard man, but he’s not cruel. He didn’t sell you to Bones because he went soft. He hasn’t hurt you because he’s kind. He defended you from me because he’s chivalrous. Do you really think he would hurt you, the woman his entire universe revolves around?”
When he said that, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind.
Dunbar was telling the truth.
There wasn’t a bomb inside my brother’s head.
There was nothing keeping me there.
All I had to do was plan my next move.
And I could be free.
15
Crewe
Ariel sat with her leather notepad on her lap. A glass of scotch was on the table beside her, and she was on her second drink. Pias sat in the other chair, our main distributor who took care of the shipments before they headed off to international places. He was essential in my scotch business, and he was someone Ariel approved of.
One of the butlers came to my side and lifted the decanter of scotch. “Another, sir?”
I eyed the empty glass and didn’t struggle to resist. “I’d prefer a glass of water. Thank you.”
“Very well, sir.” He grabbed the pitcher and filled my glass.
Ariel lifted her gaze from her notebook and looked at me. It was obvious what she was thinking. She didn’t need to say it.
Pias gave us a report about the recent shipment to the Middle East. He was one of the foot soldiers that was responsible for packaging our quality product and ensuring it reached our clients in the perfect condition. That wasn’t something a factory of robots could do.
Ariel scribbled her notes. “I’m glad everything is going smoothly. Sales have spiked since the opening.”
I rested my fingertips against my lips. “No surprise there.” All of the nobility got to sample my scotch firsthand. It was a nice respite from all the French wines they drank on a daily basis. Scotch wasn’t just a man’s drink—it was everyone’s drink.
Ariel stared at me with narrowed eyes, her passive-aggressive attitude leaking from her pores. She was waiting for me to ask what her problem was.
But I wasn’t gonna take the bait.
Dimitri opened the door to the drawing room then came to my side. He leaned down to my ear and whispered his message. “Lady London is asking for you. Should I tell her you’re in a meeting?”
The second she was on my mind, I didn’t want to think about anything else. I wanted to circle my arms around her waist and kiss her, even if it was only for a few minutes. Then I would return to this dry meeting so Ariel could continue to shoot me glares. “I’ll see her.” I rose from my chair. “Excuse me. Carry on without me.”
Ariel looked like she wanted to kill me. “You can’t expect us to carry on when you’re the owner of this fine business.” She gripped her black pen until her knuckles turned white. With those black glasses on the bridge of her nose, she looked even more terse.
I didn’t care for her attitude. “That’s a good point, Ariel.”
She relaxed, like she assumed her words got to me.
“You can wait until I’m ready to return.”
Now she really wanted to rip her claws into me.
I walked out without looking back, knowing her anger would have tripled by the time I returned. I closed the thick door behind me and saw London standing near the staircase in pastel blue dress and nude heels. Dimitri arranged for her clothing to be put into the closet, and everything looked spectacular on her. She had the perfect figure, so everything fit nicely. She hadn’t noticed me yet, so I took advantage of the next few seconds to appreciate the sight of her.
She really was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.
And she was mine.
I walked toward her with my hands in my pockets, playing it cool even though my heart was racing in my chest. She made my body tense and excited in a way no one else ever had. I was used to sharing my life with her, but now there was this indescribable electricity between us. I could feel it anytime I was near her.
When her eyes landed on me, they widened imperceptibly, but I paid enough attention to notice the small detail. She looked just as pleased to see me even though I’d only been gone for a few hours.
“Yes?” My arms circled her petite waistline, and I positioned her perfectly against my chest, my lips moving to hers in a sensual embrace. My mouth hesitated the second I touched hers, feeling that energy I’d become reliant on. I moved my hand into her hair, and I pulled her tighter against me as the kiss quickened on its own. I took several steps forward and guided her against the wall, getting her in a perfect spot she couldn’t slip away from—not that she would try.
Her hands started at my waistline where she fingered the loops on my pants. She gave a quick tug and pulled me tighter against her, wanting more of me even though I’d already given her everything. Her hands moved to my waist next then slowly slid up my chest until she felt my shoulders. I knew how much she loved my body because she touched me the exact same way every morning and every night.
The kiss went on for minutes, and while I was hard in my slacks, I didn’t think about taking her upstairs into our bedroom. I was content with this kiss, with this embrace that made my entire body come alive. I’d never kissed a woman like I did with her. Her mouth was enough for me. I was satisfied with so little even though I usually craved so much more. It didn’t make any sense.
I finally pulled away when ten minutes passed, knowing I couldn’t keep Ariel and Pias waiting forever. My hands remained on her tiny waistline, the perfect position to get a tight grip on her. My face pressed against hers, and I stared at her lips, not really thinking about anything. It was the only sense of Zen I ever received, the existence of absolute peace. She somehow bestowed it on me. “Did you need something?”
Her hands remained against my chest, and her words came out as a whisper. “Wanted to see if you wanted to have lunch together…”
“I’m having a meeting right now, but we’ll be finished soon.”
“Okay. I’ll see you then.” She kissed the corner of my mouth, her lips moving over the thick hair that had come in since I skipped the shave that morning. “Sorry that I interrupted you.”
“You never interrupt me.” My hands cupped her face, and I gave her another kiss, needing something to hold me over until I was finished speaking with Ariel and Pias. I forced myself to step away before I kissed her hard all over again. Then another ten minutes would pass, and Ariel would only be angrier.
I walked back inside and f
elt the tension the second I entered the room. I knew shit was about to hit the fan because Pias was nowhere in sight. Ariel had obviously excused him so she could speak to me in private.
I knew it was coming.
“Crewe, I’m very concerned about you and that woman.”
“I can tell.” I drank my water to mask my irritation. I didn’t tell Ariel off like I normally would with someone else. She was a great business partner and deserved more respect than that. I wasn’t ignorant of her capabilities. But if she pushed me too far, I would come undone.
“I’m serious. You said she didn’t mean anything to you, but I see the way you look at her.”
“And have you seen the way she looks at me?” London couldn’t get enough of me. Every morning when I left the sheets, she begged me to stay with her. During our meals together, her hands were usually on my body—her eyes glued to mine. When we fucked at night, she was all over me. She took my cock like she wanted it as much as I gave it to her, and when we slept, she was wrapped around me like a child with a teddy bear. I wasn’t stupid.
I knew she loved me.
I didn’t know when it happened, exactly. But at that opening, she was fiercely jealous of Josephine—not that there was anything to be jealous of. She didn’t want to leave my side—not even for a second. I was the center of her universe. She was pissed that she’d been taken from her home, but now she didn’t care anymore.
I was home.
The realization didn’t bother me. I loved her infatuation, her obsession. I loved it when she demanded that I be faithful to her. Her need only made me need her more. I’d never been turned on by clinginess or commitment, but I liked knowing London needed me.
That she wanted me.
Ariel shut her notebook, her lips pursed and her eyes angry. “Crewe, you gave me your word that this meant nothing. You told me you would marry a suitable partner.”