“Yeah.” He kissed her forehead. “Go back to sleep, Sugar.”
________
Autumn woke to a darkened room. The heavy curtains blocked out all light, but she estimated that it wasn’t far past dawn. David’s arms surrounded her, and his chest pressed against her back. She lifted his top arm gently, but he stirred anyway.
“Get dressed before you go out there. Dean is an early riser too.” He mumbled most of the words, but she understood him anyway.
Turning, she kissed his cheek. “What do you want for breakfast?”
His hands slid down her back and cupped her sore ass cheeks. “Pancakes. But before you go, my dick wants a hug.”
His cock stirred against her belly, but he didn’t make a move. She giggled. “You’re not even close to being awake.”
“Nope,” he agreed as he rolled onto his back. “You’re going to have to do all the work.”
She coaxed his dick fully awake with her hands before she straddled him. Not once did his eyes open, though he now wore a pleased grin. Since he wasn’t participating, she decided to play first. She ran the tip of his cock through her slit, stimulating her pink parts. She rolled and pinched her nipples as she rubbed his crown against her clit.
She hadn’t realized that her eyes were closed until a sharp crack rent the air, and fire seared the aching muscles of her left butt cheek. She looked down at David, a question in her gaze.
“I said a hug, not a floorshow.”
Not at all recalcitrant, she shrugged. “You’re the one who wants to sleep through sex.”
Wordlessly, he managed to flip her over and thrust his cock into her pussy in one smooth motion. He hooked her left leg behind the knee and hiked it as high as it would go. She gripped his shoulders as he set a frantic pace. Thanks to the foreplay in which she’d indulged, she climaxed less than a minute later, which was good because he came as well.
He collapsed and rolled away. “Pancakes.”
Autumn jumped in the shower before she headed to the common room. Wearing cargo shorts and a white button-down shirt that wasn’t buttoned, Dean lounged on the balcony. He smiled as she joined him. “Coffee?”
“Yeah, thanks.” Remembering David’s reaction to when she’d checked out Jesse, she refrained from taking a closer look at Dean.
He rose and went to the coffeemaker. “Cream or sugar?”
“Black is fine. I was going to order room service. Do you want anything?”
He chuckled. “I ordered for everyone when I heard that you and David were up.”
It took Autumn a second to realize that he’d heard them having sex. Heat traveled up her neck to stain her cheeks. “Um, thanks.”
He set down a steaming mug in front of her. “No problem. We should talk about our part of the operation.”
She thought so as well. Working with a new partner was always challenging. It helped that she trusted him, but if they were going to play a couple claiming their money, they had to appear natural together. Any mistakes would put the operation in jeopardy. The charges against her hadn’t been dropped yet. Though the case leading to her was circumstantial, it could still lead to a conviction. They needed hard evidence that Stephanie had set her up because right now, they only had Autumn’s word against Stephanie’s.
“We’re a wealthy couple.” She sipped a little bit of heaven to find it not all that good. “This is horrible coffee.” He’d already set cream and sugar on the table, so she helped herself.
“I’ve had worse.” He smacked his lips together. “Not much worse, though. Wealthy—that’s a given. When we go to the bank, let me do all the talking.”
Autumn shook her head. “I don’t think so. The account is mine. You’re the arm candy in this scenario.”
Dean’s brows drew sharply together, making him look almost dangerous. “You’ve never done anything like this before. We can’t take the chance that you’d panic and fuck it up.”
She scoffed at his assumption. “I kept my head just fine when you surprised me at the art gallery.”
His brows relaxed, but his posture remained tense. “Why don’t you give me a brief overview of your resume?”
This time, she snorted. “Not a chance. Let’s just say that I can remain calm in a variety of situations, and I’m great at thinking on my feet. One thing I know is that we can’t go in there with you and me vying for dominance.”
“Agreed. I’m the dominant.”
“No. We’re equals. We should flirt and appear to be in love. You’re wrapped around my finger, and you can’t deny me anything.”
He chuckled. “Or how about this: You worship the ground I walk on.”
She shook her head. “That’s clingy and pathetic. A handsome man in love can charm an entire room. That’ll take attention away from David sneaking into Marlene’s office.”
The balcony door slid open, and David joined them. He pressed a kiss to her lips before pouring a mug of coffee for himself. “Are we arguing over the op?”
“We’re negotiating,” she said. “Dean will eventually realize I’m right.”
Dean stared out over the horizon. “She thinks I should act like I’m you—pussy whipped.”
David sat down. His hair was wet from his shower. Drops glistened in the early morning light. “It’ll keep attention away from me. Women like seeing a man in love.”
“That’s what I said.” She was a little miffed that he didn’t dispute being pussy whipped. His dominant personality precluded anything that would reduce him to such a pathetic state. “And he’s not pussy whipped.” Okay, she wasn’t going to keep her mouth shut.
David chuckled. “That’s Dean’s way of saying I’m in love with you.”
“Oh.” It didn’t sound that way. She suspected that Dean had suffered his share of heartbreak. “So Jesse diverts the attention of Marlene, the banker whose login information you stole. David will sneak in to change the security questions on the account. Dean and I will stroll in, get a bankcard issued, and then we’ll go on a shopping spree to draw out Stephanie and her accomplice.”
“That’s the plan.” Dean said. “If anything goes sideways, follow my lead.”
She nodded. At least Dean had agreed to her plan. It helped that David was on board. The door to the suite slid open again, and Jesse joined them. He showed off his magnificent chest by wearing only loose cargo shorts. She smiled. “Good morning, Jesse. Did you sleep well?”
He shot David a dirty look as he poured coffee. “Sleep better when I don’t have to share a bed with a fucking cover hog.”
Autumn looked to Dean, who shrugged. Then she fixed Jesse with her most sympathetic look. “Maybe you should try snuggling? You could share body heat.”
David laughed. “I can picture it now, Dean spooning you from the back. That would be a very cozy picture.”
Jesse glared, but Dean shook his head. “It’d never happen. Jesse farts in his sleep.”
Before the conversation could degenerate further, Autumn cleared her throat. “What’s the plan for when we lure Stephanie here? How are we going to catch her?”
Jesse sat down across from Autumn. “I have a few ideas.”
A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. David rose. “I hope that’s breakfast. I like to plan on a full stomach.”
Not one to give up, Autumn turned back to Dean. “You should practice staring at me like a love-struck fool.”
________
The bank was sandwiched between a bakery and a travel agency. Dean held the door for her, and she walked in like she owned the place. Out of habit, she noted the locations of the guards, counted the tellers, and scanned for the location of security cameras. Jesse had convinced Marlene to take an early lunch while Dean had quizzed Autumn on the answers to the security questions that would let her access the account.
A woman greeted them. She wore a conservative dress suit, and the white lapels of her blouse were neatly folded over the black lapels of her jacket. She smiled brightly. “Welc
ome to First National Cayman. Is this your first visit?”
Autumn looked around, taking in the opulent fixtures and filigree all over the place. If they’d done this right, David had sneaked in behind them and evaded the greeter. “It’s our first visit to this island paradise. It seems that we’ve left our debit cards at home, though.”
“Oh.” Her smile dimmed with sympathy. “My name is Meaghan. Are you customers with First National?”
Dean parked his hand on her lower back. She’d worn the pale green dress with darker green accents that David said brought out her eyes. Dean’s outfit, the same one he’d been wearing that morning, matched the vacation vibe that hers had. He flashed a charming grin at Meaghan. “We have several accounts here.”
They did? Jesse hadn’t shown her numbers for multiple accounts. Autumn didn’t want to let Dean take them on a fishing expedition. “Honey, we only need cards for one account.”
“I want to check the balances in the other accounts.” Dean gritted his teeth like a long-suffering husband should, but he followed up by kissing her cheek. “My lovely bride doesn’t exactly keep track of her receipts.”
Autumn rolled her eyes. “I didn’t buy the yacht. That was you, dearest.”
“But you outfitted it like a palace. And then you surprised me by wearing that sexy little number with the Italian heels.” He pulled her close and nipped at her earlobe. She squealed, more out of surprise than anything else. They kept up the ruse for a few more minutes, buying David time to change the information that would let them claim the account. Finally David sneaked behind Meaghan, throwing a nasty look at Dean—whose arms were still around Autumn—before exiting the building.
“Right this way.” Meaghan motioned them to follow. “I’ll set you up with Olaf. He’ll help with anything you need.” Meaghan and Olaf exchanged a smile, and then Olaf gave his attention to the clients.
“Welcome, friends. How can I help you today?”
“We left our bank cards at home.” Autumn took a piece of scrap paper, wrote the account number, and slid it under the elegant bulletproof glass. “We’ll need temporary replacements.”
Olaf tapped in the numbers. “I’ll need to ask you several security questions.”
“That’s fine.” Dean leaned against the counter next to her, putting his back to the teller so that he could survey the bank.
“What was the first street you lived on?”
Autumn smiled as if remembering it fondly. “Mulberry.”
Olaf flashed a short smile. “Your mother’s maiden name?”
“Eastridge.” The information was David’s. These were his security questions.
“And the name of your first pet?”
“Ringo. He was an Irish setter.”
“Thank you. Now I just need to see your identification.”
Autumn exchanged a glance with Dean. This bank operated using account numbers, not names. He nodded slightly, and she handed over her passport.
Olaf studied it, and she smiled at him when he glanced up to compare the picture to her face. “Thank you, Ms. Applebaum. We do have to put your name on your debit card. Would you like one for Mr. Applebaum as well?”
“That would be lovely,” she said. Dean’s identification didn’t include an alias. “But he left his passport in the hotel safe. Just issue one for me, and we’ll come by tomorrow to pick up my husband’s card.”
Olaf smiled. “If you like, we can scan his fingerprint as a form of identification. It’s on file.”
This information wasn’t something Jesse had uncovered. “That’s okay.” She leaned closer, and so did Olaf. “I’m not with my husband.” She gave an exaggerated wink and pressed her finger to her lips. “Don’t tell.” Hopefully Olaf and Meaghan didn’t compare stories.
His lips thinned as he struggled not to react. “Very good, Ms. Applebaum. I’ll have your replacement card in a few minutes.”
Dean leaned down. “You’re good at this. And you’re glowing. I think you like it.”
“I love it.” She slid her arms around his neck. “Think of this as a job interview.” She followed up with the same wink she’d thrown at Olaf.
Dean chuckled and looked toward the sky as if an angel might swoop down and save him. “My dear Alisha, that is a committee decision.”
She pretended to pout. “That’s what David said.”
At least it wasn’t an outright rejection.
Thirty minutes later, David seated her at a sidewalk café across town. “They have excellent desserts here, Sugar. Are you in the mood for something sweet?”
“Absolutely, Sir.”
“I’ll be right back.”
She waited while he went inside to get their food. Most people liked to choose their food, but she liked when David did it for her. It made her feel protected and cherished. She felt a little sorry for Dean and Jesse, cooped up in the hotel staring at the wireless feeds from the airport security cameras that Jesse had managed to hack.
David returned with an ice cream sundae floating on a thick brownie. One dish and two spoons. He scooted his chair close enough to touch hers, and handed over a spoon. “I want to be in our hotel room, feeding this to you naked.”
She let the first decadent bite sink into her palate and slide down her throat. The hand-whipped ice cream was a frozen taste of heaven. “With you naked, me naked, or us both naked?”
“Both. If you’re going to make those faces when you eat, I may have to watch you feast on something else.”
“Little Sir?” She giggled.
“Damn it, Sugar. I told you not to call my dick little.”
She laughed harder. “I might need another spanking.”
He lifted her onto his lap. “I might be just the man to give it to you.”
Cupping his cheek, she lifted her eyebrows. “Might be?”
“Am.” He gave her ass a little whack under the table. “I was doing the flirting thing.” Before she could say more, he stuck a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. “Careful, Sugar. I’m adding everything up, and I will tie you up and cash in later.”
She pressed kisses from his ear to his collarbone. “Now you’re just saying things to turn me on.”
“Are you wet?” He used that gravelly Dom voice that she couldn’t resist, and he slid the hand that had been on her knee up her inner thigh.
“I might be.”
“Might be?” He slid his hand closer to her pussy.
She clamped her thighs together. This was a public place, not a fetish club where nobody would mind. “Am.”
“Relax. There aren’t many people around right now, and nobody can see where my hand is. I’ve been discreet.” A bit of silk joined the gravel, and he used the tone that could not be denied.
She relaxed and let him slide his hand up her thigh.
“You’re going to come, and you’re going to do it silently.”
“Sir, I suck at this game.”
He chuckled, the evil kind that proclaimed his power. “Look at this as a chance to redeem yourself.” He eased the crotch of her panties out of the way and drew a finger through her wetness. “Very wet. Feed me some ice cream, Sugar.”
She fed him, bite after bite, as he stimulated her clit and slid his fingers into her dripping vagina. Soon her hand shook, and she dropped the spoon. It clattered to the ground with a noise that could be heard above the roar of a monsoon. She leaned down to pick it up, his fingers still deep inside. He circled her clit with his thumb, and when she righted herself again, he pumped his fingers slowly. It was too much. She buried her face in his neck, bit his shoulder hard, and came on his fingers.
While she slumped against him and recovered, he scooped ice cream with fingers that were still wet with her juices and slurped the mixture with loud and obvious satisfaction. “Perfect,” he said. “I’ve never had better cream. Just the right amount of sweetness and sass.”
“I love you, Sir.”
“I love you too, Sugar.” He took her spoon—the one
that hadn’t dropped—and fed her a bite.
They spent the afternoon wandering around the island. David insisted Autumn try on expensive clothes, and he made her purchase the ones he liked. They shopped excessively, buying clothes and gadgets for Dean and Jesse. Autumn wanted to bring souvenirs back to her friends and family, but David reminded her that everything they bought would need to appear on the expense account. The next day, she bought a pair of jet skis, and they spent some time on the water. She would have bought two pair, but Dean and Jesse were once again stuck in the room watching surveillance feeds. By the time evening of the third day rolled around and they returned to the hotel, she hadn’t spent as much money as she’d expected.
Standing alone on the balcony, she frowned into the middle distance.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
She looked to find Jesse leaning on the railing next to her, watching the sun set on the ocean. “It’s beautiful.”
“I agree, but that’s not what you were thinking.” He opened a bottle of beer and handed it to her. Then he opened one for himself.
She took a sip. “I guess I was hoping that Stephanie was already here, and spending her money would draw her out faster. We had everything delivered to the hotel. That should be easy to track. And then linking Alisha Applebaum to me should be a piece of cake for an identity-thief-slash-embezzler like her.”
“Three days is plenty of time.” He gazed thoughtfully over the horizon as he sipped. “The hotel is too public.”
“And having three mercenary bodyguards is probably a deterrent as well.” She watched the sun dip lower. “David and I should rent a cabin somewhere remote.”
He chuckled. “I like the way you think. Have you said anything to David?”
“Not yet. He won’t be in favor of making the bait so easy to snag. I was trying to figure out all the counterarguments first.” She sipped, staring at the sunset in the silent moments as they both contemplated this conundrum.
“Dean and I should bring it up,” Jesse said at last. “We scoped out a location already that affords the tactical aspects we require. All that’s left is to set up security and move you two lovebirds out there.”
Re/Leased (Doms of the FBI Book 5) Page 32