Still Brazen

by M. Malone

  Priya’s mouth fell open. “I will kill that man myself. What the hell is wrong with him?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe the same thing that was wrong with me, my mother, and my father. He was trying to be understood and going about it in all the wrong ways.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with you.”

  “Are you sure about that? Because I feel like there is.”

  “There’s not. I promise. You’re just trying to find your way through. And I’m really sorry I haven’t been around for it. But anytime you need me, you just get on a plane, okay?’

  “You got it. Do you want me to drive you to the airport tomorrow morning?”

  Priya glanced down quickly. “Hush now, you need to act all heartbroken and sad that I’m leaving. As a matter of fact, you are too sad to drive me. And that way Tyce will have to take me.”

  I laughed. “What’s your big plan? To stalk him on the FDR and bang his brains out?”

  She grinned. “God girl, I love how you think. That idea makes me happy, but why haven’t I thought of that before? Oh my God, am I losing my edge?”

  I snorted a laugh. “Oh my God, I really am going to miss you.”

  “And I’m going to miss you. But the real question is what are you going to do about Evan?”

  “Well, I think Blake Security has pretty much cleared him. They still have some suspicions, but I think he’s okay. They’ll see. I don’t believe Evan would ever hurt me. As for my Dad, I’m not really speaking to him at the moment, so I’m giving him lots of space.”

  “Yeah, okay, that’s fair. But you know what? You’re going to have to talk to him eventually.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he’s your father. Because you work with him. And also because your love of what you do came from him. So, no matter what he’s done, he gave you some good things.”

  God, I hated it when she was right.

  Oskar

  I had taken over the kid’s suite. And so far, I didn’t think he minded too much. At that point, I was considering moving a cot in there. “How do you feel about a roommate?”

  Matthias glared at me from around the monitor on the desk at the opposite side of the room. “Oi, mate, you have your own room, and your wife is in there waiting for you. Do you mind?”

  “I’m not leaving until I know what the fuck is going on.”

  “Mate, we’re all working on it, round the clock. You don’t have to do this by yourself. As a matter of fact, let me take the burden.”

  I lifted a brow, ignored him, and went back to it. I was missing something, I could tell.

  “You know, I’m looking forward to getting my rooms back.”

  I pretended not to hear him. “I have been over these numbers again and again. Livingston Perfumes’ finances look good. The father’s personal finances look good. The mother has been to rehab, all paid for by the family accounts which are more than healthy.”

  “Mate, I get it. Your in-laws have loot.”

  I frowned. In-laws. Why hadn’t I really thought about that? Hailey was… Jesus Christ, some kind of an insane heiress.

  The thing was I liked money. I loved money. I loved what money could buy, what it could give you access to. Most of the money I had accumulated before I turned twenty was… not always above board. And to be honest, when I’d come to work for Noah I’d kept it, and it had grown. I had a Midas touch when it came to money. But even the funds I’d accumulated didn’t touch the kind of money Hailey’s family had. “I don’t care about their loot. She could walk away from all of it, and I’d be fine.”

  Matthias rolled his eyes. “That’s because you know how to make that shit grow on trees.”

  “Yeah, I do.” I grinned. “What I don’t know how to grow on trees are fucking answers.”

  Matthias sighed and leaned back, rocking in his chair. “Look, I get it, what it’s like going through hell, thinking you failed the woman you love. But shit, mate, if I can figure it out, you can figure it out.”

  “So you’re saying you’re the bigger disaster?”

  Matthias just shrugged. “Remember that whole I like to kill people thing? And no, I didn’t actually decide that, but someone put it in my head. And let’s not forget that my dad formed ORUS thing either.”

  In terms of fucked-up scenarios, Matthias had the worst. His father had been one of the original founders of a shady government organization known as ORUS. Of course, he hadn’t known that was his father until just recently. His own father had had him recruited from a really young age to be groomed and trained to kill people, and that wasn’t some fucked-up shit. I’d thought my dad was bad, but at least the old man hadn’t made me kill anyone.

  What was worse was that while he was going to training, he had been subjected to some serious mind-control shit. It was a wonder the guy wasn’t completely fucked in the head, but even he had managed to find someone to love him and to hold on to that person.

  So maybe there is hope for you yet.

  “How do you deal with it? Not knowing if she’s safe?”

  Matthias’s eyes went somber as he leaned forward, dropping the front of his chair back to the ground. “I’m not going to lie, it’s the worst. Knowing how often something could go wrong, I worry. Lots of worry. Sleepless nights. But then I remind myself that she’s ORUS. She’s just as well trained as I was. And considering she fought me hand to hand and lived to tell the tale, she’s pretty bad ass. I just have faith she’ll come back in one piece.”

  I shook my head. “Jesus Christ. I still can’t believe your fiancé is ORUS. When is she going to leave the dark side?”

  “She wants to fulfill her three-year contract. When she’s done, she’ll make her decisions. Noah, of course, already offered her a position here, but I don’t want to push her. I want the choice to be hers. At the end of the day, it’s her life. She’s letting me share it with her. I don’t get to dictate what she does.”

  I frowned. “Wouldn’t it be easier if you just dictate it?”

  Matthias laughed. “You’ve met Gemma, right? When was the last time anyone dictated anything to her?”

  “Yeah, you have a point there, but I’m still not sure how you deal with knowing she puts herself in danger.” Matthias’s woman was next-level badass. All of the women in the house were, actually, but Gemma was the only one who had the full chops to back it up. Rafe’s wife, Diana, was also a badass in her own right, but since getting pregnant, she’d had to slow down on her shenanigans. She’d hatched a whole revenge plot against Rafe only to discover that, well, like us, she’d been wrong about him. Then, of course, they had banged like rabbits. Much banging. Then they fell in love, he knocked her up, and now they were married. We were like some kind of insane, former-assassin dating agency.

  “I find a way to deal with it, and then make that shit never about her. Because she’s got a job to do, one she believes in, so I just have to deal.”

  The knot only tightened in my stomach. “It’s so fucking hard.”

  “Yeah, mate. If it was easy, any big German idiot could do it.” He winked at me.

  I rolled my eyes and mumbled. “I think I liked it better when you never smiled.”

  Then his face broke into a broad, wide grin and I knew. “Your woman is standing right behind me, isn’t she?”

  The kid’s eyes danced, and he clearly wasn’t looking at me. I quickly saved my information and then stood, turning around. “Hey, Gemma. Welcome back, beautiful.”

  As always, Gemma had a smile for me. “Hello, you beautiful man.” She gave me a big hug, and I wrapped my arms around her tight, holding on for just a second too long. Quick as a flash, that side of Matthias that he had a good firm handle on these days flashed in his eyes, and I knew it was time to let go. I stepped back. “Good to see you in one piece.”

  “Good to be back.” Her gaze darted to Matthias. “Hey, baby.”

  His eyes said it all. Come over here and fuck me senseless, and let’s fill the whole house with your s
creams.

  That was my cue. “And I’ll just leave you two crazy kids to it.”

  What the hell was I doing there anyway? Matthias was right. I’d found the woman of my dreams. I couldn’t let the fear of what might happen to her if I couldn’t protect her lock me up. I couldn’t let the fear of her waking up and realizing that I was the lucky one in our relationship stop me from being with her. I just prayed to God that I’d be able to hold on to her when this was all over.

  6

  Oskar

  “Hailey?” I called out for her when I opened the bedroom door.

  “I’m in here,” she called from the bathroom.

  I don't know why, but I was so relieved to find her in here. It wasn’t like she was going to run.

  She smiled up at me in the mirror with a soft expression as she slathered lotion on her arms. “Hey, you. Where have you been?”

  The hit of fear knotted my gut again. I loved her so much. What if I couldn’t keep her safe? What if I couldn’t hold on to her?

  You have her now. Hold her.

  “Just working. Here, let me help you with that.”

  She giggled. “That look in your eyes tells me you have no intention on helping.”

  “I’ve always said you were intuitive, butterfly.”

  With a frustrated growl, I bent down to pick her up, placing her on the counter so that we were aligned. Yes. The way I lined up right against her sweet center made my eyes cross.

  She rocked her hips into me, and I growled, giving her hair a little tug. Just the gentlest reminder that I wanted to control the pace. She made me feel like a damn caveman… or a Viking.

  I pulled back and muttered, "Fuck." She had no idea what she was doing to me. Too fast and she wouldn’t be ready, and I needed to make love to her. I needed this. I needed her. I didn't want to scare her off, and I didn't want to hurt her, but my control was thin at best. And fear was dissolving it quickly.

  Hailey tugged up my T-shirt and slid her hands over my skin, tracing her fingertips over each abdominal muscle. I squeezed my eyes shut tight, trying to think of something, anything, to not lose control. I wanted to show her how much I loved her.

  She dragged her hands up over my pecs and let them flutter down as she explored each ridge of muscle and bone. She placed her hand over my heart, and she sat there for a moment, letting our pulses synchronize.

  Somehow that small act was the hottest thing she could have done in the moment, as if she sensed that I was terrified. My cock fought against my sweatpants, begging for release. It wanted to get out, to get closer to her. Inside her.

  "Hailey, butterfly… need to slow down. If we don't—"

  She sighed, and the sound went straight to my dick, doing nothing to cool the damn thing off. “I missed you tonight, that’s all."

  I wasn't sure if I should laugh or kiss her again. But as she took her time exploring my muscles, my skin vibrated with need. Electricity skipped over my arms, making the hairs stand up and my skin buzz. I tightened my jaw in a desperate attempt to regain control.

  One of her fingers traced over the elastic of my waistband, and I held my breath. If she went down there, there was no telling what my dick would do. Instead, I quickly snapped my hand gently around both her wrists. "I'm warning you, Hailey. I’m too wound up. Too fast and you’ll be walking funny for a week." I muttered, my voice all gravel and stone.

  She met my gaze levelly, then her eyes traced over my chest again, down to my dick. She watched the action going on under my sweatpants for a long moment before tracing her gaze right back up again to meet my eyes. "Explain how that’s a problem? I think I might like that."

  What—? She wanted it fast? Raw? “Butterfly…”

  "Well." She rocked her hips into me again and wrapped her arms around me. "Why don't you tell me what the problem is? You seem so tense. Maybe I could do something to take away that tension."

  With every rock of her hips, my dick got a taste of the heat that was behind her yoga pants, and I wanted in.

  I wanted her so bad I couldn't see straight. How the hell could I explain this? I could hardly say, ‘You are being naughty.’

  Oh yeah, she had my number. I slid my hands into her hair, angled her head, and kissed her. Gone were the tender kisses of earlier, the slow, leisurely licks. Instead, now I plundered, took full control, owning the moment. All with that one kiss.

  She gasped. My thumb rested right at the juncture of her pulse, and I could feel her erratic heartbeat. Skipping ahead, running, running, running, racing. The problem was all my best intentions went to hell when she made that whimpering sound at the back of her throat. She wanted me as much as I wanted her.

  Fuck it. I had to touch her. I lifted the hem of the T-shirt that she'd been wearing all day, and I splayed my hand around her tiny waist. God, she was so petite. Be careful with her.

  She tore her lips away from mine and gasped on a breath. "Oskar."

  I took the opportunity to kiss along the column of her throat to the delicate skin of her ear and laved it with my tongue. She tasted even better here. I wanted to reexamine exactly how she tasted all over. I wanted to rediscover exactly how she felt coming around my cock.

  When I slid my hands up her torso, her breasts filled my palms, and I groaned. Jesus. I rolled her nipples between my thumbs and forefingers, and Hailey threw her head back. "I— Oh God."

  I growled and tugged her T-shirt up and over her head, tossing it to the floor. I had to see— Oh, shit. She was so fucking pretty. Full breasts that fit into my hand well. Pink, rosy nipples. All that smooth, tawny skin with the occasional freckle here or there. "You are so fucking perfect."

  "I—please."

  I leaned her back over the counter, shoving the products aside as I leaned over her, my mouth at the perfect height for her breasts. As I teased one nipple with my thumb and forefinger, gently rolling it back and forth, plucking the bud until it peaked, I wrapped my lips around the other one and sucked.

  Hailey’s back bowed, and she slid her hands into my hair and tugged. The motion made me want to bury myself deep inside her. Quick, swift, snug, and tight. Fuck. It hadn't been long enough. She couldn’t possibly be ready. I’d made love to her that morning. I should have had better control.

  More foreplay. More fucking foreplay. I switched to the other breast. Teasing the one I just made wet with my mouth. Her hips continued to rotate into my cock, making it hard enough to cut diamonds.

  She tried to tug my T-shirt over my head, and I paused my suckling only to give her what she wanted. She yanked the thing over my back, over my head, and then threw it to match the other T-shirt I’d tossed on the floor. Fuck.

  God, I wanted to feel her breasts pressed into my chest as I lifted her slowly over my dick, over and over and over again. Yeah, that's what I wanted.

  But first, I needed to taste her. Needed to see her melt apart on my tongue. I wanted her to see me now, not the man who left her all those years ago. Releasing her nipple with a loud popping sound, I kissed my way down her torso.

  Her breath was short and panting, and she gasped my name over and over again, occasionally punctuated with yes, more.

  When I reached her belly button, I dipped my tongue inside, teasing the sensitive spot until she giggled. Then I tugged down the elastic of her yoga pants, kissing the flesh that was exposed, inch by inch. When I yanked them off, I stared at the feast before me. Holy cow. She was so perfect. Sweet, wet, pink lips. And she was waxed. Not entirely, though, she’d left a thin strip like an arrow pointing the way. As if I could ever get lost. But God, I could already see her dewy wetness over her slick flesh.

  "Widen your legs for me."

  "What?" she whispered.

  "You heard me. Legs wider. I want to see you."

  She hesitated. "I, I don't—"

  "I said, open your legs."

  She gave me another shaky breath, but then she parted her thighs wider. I knelt in front of her and then pressed my lips on her skin, laving
her slick flesh from clit to dewy center.

  "Oh, shit." She flung an arm over her eyes as her other hand slid into my hair, helping guide me, showing me what she liked, when to stop, when to keep doing exactly what I was doing. Yeah, she liked that.

  Against her flesh, I muttered, "You want to know how you taste? Like the fucking sweetest silk I've ever tasted in my life. Buttery soft, and so good. So, so, good."

  For several moments, all that could be heard was the whisper of my name on her tongue and her murmurs of appreciation as I continued to lick, taste, and tease. She melted on my tongue, melted just for me. And then her fingers clutched tight into my hair.

  "Oh my God. I, I'm going to—"

  I worked my tongue deep inside her, holding her hips steady as she rocked them on my tongue. Over and over and over again, as the waves overtook her. Yes. That's what I wanted. Her coming on my tongue, my fingers, my cock.

  Another orgasm wracked her body, and this time, her hips lifted. And I held her tight to me as she melted. I continued to gently, slowly lick the sweet dew from her flesh. All the while, I took a thumb and teased that tight patch of skin just below her center. "Yeah, that's it. Open up for me."

  One of her legs locked around my head for a third time, and her scream echoed through the bathroom. I smiled against her lips, and gave her one more long, leisurely lick, before brushing my lips along the inside of her thighs and kissing my way back up her body.

  Her eyelids fluttered briefly, and the gaze she gave me was sleepy and half-lidded. "Oh my God."

  "You okay?" I asked as I held back a chuckle. I loved that look on her face, though. It was perfect.

  "Am I okay? I don't think I've ever, ever been more okay in my life."

  I grinned. "In that case, let me help you feel even more okay." I picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. The whole time, she giggled and told me to put her down, that she could walk under her own steam.

  "Not on your life."

  When we reached the bed, I held her by the hips and deposited her gently in the center. Then I shucked my sweatpants, before reaching over to the bedside table for a condom. Hailey's eyes immediately went to my dick. Instead of that slightly panicked look, she licked her lips.