by Ravenna Tate
Jagger was stunned. Was this all simply a huge coincidence, or did it mean something on a larger scale? “I tried to find you for weeks afterward. Guess that explains why I couldn’t.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“No, there’s no need to apologize. It was only one night. One scene.” One scene that had haunted him for longer than he cared to admit.
“But I couldn’t stop thinking about it for a long time.”
Neither could he, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. He still remembered that mask she’d worn. It had brought out her eyes. He remembered her scent, and the way she’d looked naked, tied up spread-eagled.
“I loved that mask,” she said. “The one you wore. Black and gold. It suited you.”
“I remember yours, too. The color brought out your eyes.” He felt as if he’d already said too much, and he didn’t want this to turn into something sentimental and emotional. He’d been avoiding that his entire adult life, and wasn’t about to stop now. “It was a long time ago.”
“Yes, it was. I had just turned twenty-one, and that was my first real scene in the club.”
This was becoming too tender of a reunion. He needed to do something … say something to stop it.
“Why did you stop going?” she asked, her voice all soft and mushy now.
And that was not a question he wanted to answer. “Lots of reasons.” He kissed her. Time to move out of the past and back to the reason they were here, in his bed. “But for now, I haven’t finished fucking you.”
After he changed condoms again and placed her back in position, he fucked her pussy. “That’s better. You feel so damn good!”
It had been too long since a woman had let him spank her and fuck her this way. The fact that it was this woman now unnerved him, but it was still his absolute favorite thing to do, at least in terms of sex. He’d have to remember to send Perry Talio a thank you card.
Within minutes, she writhed and moaned again. Jagger held off his orgasm with every ounce of willpower he had, letting her come once more before he withdrew again.
“Time for round two, Carolyn.” Her ass really was red and puffy, but Jagger was a man on a mission. He wouldn’t stop until he had her in tears.
This time as he lay across her, he also pinned her legs so she couldn’t kick them. She cried out and wiggled under his touch as soon as he began swatting her, but he didn’t intend on stopping. “I want to see tears. You’re a bad girl, and bad girls get spanked good and hard until they cry.”
If she enjoyed this, she might let him do it again, so he had to be sure he didn’t let it hurt her past the point of fun. Jagger was so ready to come in her mouth he wasn’t sure he could wait until she cried, but he was certainly going to try.
When she let out a sobbing gasp, he kept going with a few more really hard swats on each cheek. His fucking hand hurt like a bear. Even with the glove on, this stung him.
“Oh, shit,” she whispered. “Jagger, it really hurts now. I mean past the point of being fun.”
The glove came off as he stopped immediately. He gently sat her up. Tears ran down her beautiful face, and his dick throbbed now. He was so close. He wiped her tears away, more satisfied than he had words for. Jagger kissed her deep and slow. Her soft moans fueled his desire, and he was amazed that he could become even more aroused.
Tossing two pillows onto the floor, he pointed toward them. “On your knees, Carolyn.”
Definitely needed to send the Detective a thank you note. She didn’t even hesitate. He’d hit the fucking jackpot here. She also didn’t wait for him to grab her head. Instead, she took his dick into her hands and opened her mouth, wrapping her lips around his shaft.
Who the hell had taught her to do this? Jagger cried out and grasped her hair, pulling it hard, as she sucked and licked him unlike anything he’d ever experienced. Whoever he was, Jagger was glad he was history, or she wouldn’t be here right now. Because no man in his right mind would give up a woman who gave blowjobs like this.
It took mere seconds for him to come, and she swallowed every damn drop of his jizz. He was panting by the time he squeezed out the last bit. Without even thinking about it, he lifted her to her feet and kissed her, tongue and all.
“Damn,” he whispered, pulling her close. They were both damp with sweat. “Holy shit that was fucking incredible.” The idea of another shower called to him, but he could barely keep his eyes open. He crawled onto the bed and lay on his back, one arm thrown over his head.
For the first time in years, Jagger drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face.
****
A hollow feeling settled over Carolyn as she watched Jagger sleep. Sure, that had been incredible. Absolutely fucking mind-blowing amazing. No doubt about it. And that hot kiss at the end, after she’d just finished swallowing his cum, had been pretty damn unexpected.
But now he was snoring softly. She wondered if he’d even remember she had been there once he woke up.
Well, what did you expect? Love poems and flowers?
Even more disconcerting were the memories of that scene in the club. She stared at his body, unable to reconcile the man she’d just fucked into next week with the charismatic Dom she’d met nine years ago. There had been no sex that night, although he’d pushed the boundaries of the “no penetration” rule a bit at times. But she had loved it. Every hot second of it.
Why had he stopped going to the club? What had happened? He said he’d been afraid he’d hurt her and thought that’s why she hadn’t returned. He also said the mask had brought out the color of her eyes. He had looked for her afterward. He remembered that night the same as she did.
It doesn’t mean anything to him now. No, apparently not, if this was any indication. Talk about a letdown. Twice. Once when she realized who he was and that they had met before, and now this. This dismissive action of rolling over and going to sleep. He was just like any other man after all.
The hell with him and his rules, and the hell with his threats of going to the cops or to her PO. She didn’t know what she’d expected. She had no fucking clue why he’d made her come here. She should find her phone, pack her stuff, and leave. She’d find out what was going on with her uncle on her own.
Oh yeah? And where exactly are you going to start?
Should she stay and sleep in his bed? What would she do if this had happened under other circumstances? It’s not like Jagger was her first casual sexual fling. Even if she had met him before, what had happened tonight didn’t mean anything special to him.
Sometimes she spent the night after she had sex, but usually all she wanted was to be alone afterward. She didn’t want to be alone right now, but staying here now felt clingy. Carolyn sighed and crawled out of Jagger’s bed. Her pussy hurt, her ass cheeks burned, and she had no clue what to do now.
No man should be so damn good-looking. He really was gorgeous. And for the love of all the saints in heaven, the man could fuck like no one’s business. Her pussy contracted in tiny spasms as she let the erotic memories wash over her once more. The urge to wake him up and ask for more was very strong, but her pride won out. She’d already begged him to fuck her enough for one night.
In the morning, she’d insist they talk about what had happened tonight, and what had happened at Lia’s Domain. She wasn’t going to hang out here, be his plaything, and get the boot once he had whatever information he thought he could use. She picked up her shorts and tank top before returning to the guest room. She’d stay the night, only because she had no clue where her phone was.
Making a firm decision helped her feel better, and this time she fell asleep easily.
****
The smell of coffee, eggs, and bacon woke Carolyn up. She had no clue where it was coming from, and sat up with a start. Bright sunlight streamed in the windows, and she panicked for a moment, unable to recall where she was at first.
You’re in Jagger’s apartment. Calm down.
Judging by the smell, she’d also mi
ssed breakfast.
As she crawled out of bed, she also realized she hadn’t had the nightmare. Carolyn smiled, letting that sink in for a moment. How long had it been since she’d slept through a night without it? She couldn’t remember. Dare she imagine that was because of Jagger?
After she used the bathroom, she made her way downstairs, where Jagger sat at the kitchen counter. His laptop was open and his hair was damp, which meant he must have taken a shower.
A shower sounded great right now. She should have done that first because she reeked of sex. Her clit throbbed as she let the memories from last night was over her. Was he thinking about them at all? He certainly looked busy online. She stood there, waiting for him to realize she had come into the room.
Finally, he glanced up, barely acknowledging her presence. “Coffee is fresh. Help yourself to food.”
“Thanks for waking me.” A hurt she didn’t want to acknowledge filled her soul.
“I told you this wasn’t a vacation.” His tone of voice was as dark as the look in his eyes.
Resisting the urge to tell him to go fuck himself, she took a mug from the collection visible through a glassed-in cupboard and poured a cup. It smelled expensive and bold, the way she liked it. The cheaper brands never smelled this good or this strong.
Maybe if she took the high road, his indifference wouldn’t sting so much? She took a sip, closing her eyes briefly as she let it slide down her throat. “This is very good.”
When he didn’t answer, she shot him a sideways glance. He was certainly engrossed in his work. “What has you so interested?”
“A story about a presumed drowning.”
Thank God he wasn’t looking at her. Carolyn almost dropped her mug, not only from what he’d said, but from his tone of voice. She placed the mug on the counter and grabbed a plate. Her fingers shook so much as she spooned scrambled eggs onto it that she spilled some of them onto the floor. He still wasn’t watching her, so she scooped them up with a napkin and tossed them in the trash.
Eyeing the bacon, she took some of that as well. She started to sit down on a stool and winced, sucking in a sharp breath. “Yeah. Guess I’ll be standing today.”
Now he looked at her, giving her a stupid grin. “I wonder why?”
“Go fuck yourself, Jagger.”
The laugh she had enjoyed last night sounded cruel this morning. “I may never have to do that again with you around.”
Ouch. “I’m not a prostitute.”
“Never said you were. Why would you toss out a quip like that? Didn’t we have fun last night?”
“Yes. We had fun.” Carolyn chewed her eggs and bacon.
The grin was gone. He closed his laptop. “Do you regret it?”
“I don’t know.”
“I think you do know. You look like you’re about to cry. What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure I can explain it.” She could, but she didn’t want to. How could she tell him that last night had meant more to her than she cared to admit? He’d laugh at her again.
“Try.”
The words that had been so clear in her head last night no longer were. She tried to sit again, but it hurt too much.
“Hang on a second. I have something that will help with that.”
While he went upstairs, she continued eating. He returned with a dark green jar. “Put this on after your shower. You can keep it. Use it as often as you want.”
“Thank you. That’s kind of you.”
“Don’t tell anyone I was kind, okay?” He smiled at her, and his tone suggested he was teasing, but she was still just as confused as she’d been last night before deciding to leave his room.
Because she was really hungry, Carolyn finished her breakfast. When he opened his laptop and clicked around again, it became clear he wasn’t going to ask a second time what was on her mind. If she wanted to discuss this with him, she’d have to just say it.
“I wasn’t sure whether you wanted me to stay in your room last night.”
Confusion filled his face as he glanced up. “Of course I did. Like you said, you’re not a whore. I don’t normally kick women out of my bed after I fuck them. I was surprised when I woke up and realized you’d gone back to the guest room.”
“You didn’t say anything so I wasn’t sure what you wanted. You were asleep in like three seconds.”
“Carolyn, cut me some slack. I’m forty-two years old. I haven’t fucked like that in … well … never. I was knocked out.” He waved a hand toward the counter. “If you hadn’t come down in a few minutes I’d have come to get you.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“But you said this wasn’t a vacation.”
“It’s not, but I won’t let you starve, okay?”
“Okay. Thank you.” He returned to his laptop, and she took another sip of coffee. It really was fabulous. “Why didn’t you return to the club?”
“What?”
“Lia’s Domain. Why did you stop going?”
“I told you it’s a long story.”
“Does that mean the subject is closed?”
The dark look he gave her would have frightened her under other circumstances, but not this morning. She was on a mission today to find answers. “Okay. Fine. I won’t ask again. But I still think we should figure out what’s going to happen now.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean are we going to keep having sex?”
“As long as you want to, yes.”
“So you mean if I said no more, that would be it?”
“Yeah. That would be it. I’m not going to force you to fuck me. Did I force you into doing anything last night?”
“No, not exactly.”
“Explain, please.”
“I’d say it was more of a forceful seduction.”
That damn grin was back, and as a result her pussy was soaked in seconds. “Are you telling me you didn’t enjoy it?”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying.” Hellfire. What the fuck was she doing here?
“So what specifically are you saying or asking?”
“You don’t have to be so damn angry about it.”
“I’m not angry. I’m confused. Tell me what you want to know. I can’t read your mind.”
“Why am I here?”
“I told you yesterday.”
“You want the name of the man who told me to go to the police.”
“Bingo. Ready to tell me yet?”
“What do you intend to do?” She rolled her eyes. “Fuck it out of me?”
This time when he laughed, it didn’t sting as much. She’d walked right into that one. “That’s not a bad idea, although you may have to give me a few days before we have a repeat performance of last night. You totally wore me out.”
So she had something besides that comment to concentrate on, Carolyn returned to sipping her coffee. “Why are you looking for people who drowned?”
“Not people. Only one person.”
Her appetite was gone. She swallowed hard and pushed away her plate. “Why?”
The gleam in his eyes was more predatory than humorous. A nasty shiver ran down her spine. “Funny you should ask.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out her phone, sliding it across the counter toward her. “You can have this back. I don’t need it any longer.”
Fuck. Shit. “Why not?” Her voice didn’t sound casual to her own ears, so she doubted it did to his.
“Right. Like you can’t guess.” He returned to his laptop, and she realized he was going to make her tell him anyway. What if he was bluffing, hoping she’d slip up and say something? But that would mean he already suspected the truth. Goddamn it! Why wouldn’t he simply tell her?
“I’m not going to play games, Jagger. Just tell me.”
“Seriously?” He closed his laptop a second time and gave her an incredulous look. “You’re accusing me of playing games? All right. I wanted to give you the chance to tell me yourself, but
I can see you have no intention of doing so.”
With her heart hammering so loudly in her ears she was sure he could hear it, Carolyn watched Jagger walk around the counter and sit on the stool next to where she stood. He tapped her phone. “He called a second time last night and again this morning.”
No way did she have on a neutral face right now.
“This morning,” he continued. “I decided to answer it, but I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want him to hear a male voice and wonder who was picking up your phone calls.”
The urge to cry was strong. She swallowed hard, desperate to hold it back.
“So there I am, listening to dead air for a second or two, before he finally spoke.” She swore his eyes filled with humor. “Do you want to know what he said?”
No. Not really. She nodded, her voice gone.
“He said, ‘Carolyn? Are you there? What the hell is going on?’”
This was killing her. The look in his eyes was playful, but not fun playful. More like a serial killer who enjoyed torturing his victims before he finally put them out of their misery.
“Want to take a guess whose voice it was?”
Too late, she realized the reason she was struggling to catch her breath was because she was going to puke. She almost made it to the sink first. Almost, but not quite.
Chapter Nine
It had never bothered Jagger when someone else puked, but right now he felt like a giant shit as the poor girl hurled the breakfast she’d just eaten. Her big eyes had filled with fear when he’d told her about answering the phone call.
One question now had Jagger more confused than the fact that Tony was still alive. Why the fuck was Tony’s favorite niece so terrified of him, to the point she had lied to the police because he told her to?
“It’s all right.” He grabbed a washcloth and wet it, then wiped the chunks of egg and bacon off her chin. “Take some deep breaths.”
“I’m so sorry. I should have told you.”
“Hush. Get yourself under control first.” She was still taking hitching breaths, and he was afraid she’d puke again.