by Ellie Danes
* * * * *
“Well, that's that then,” Jace said two hours later as we walked out of the police station. “The case has been opened, and they're going to swoop on my aunt and Cory tomorrow. They won't even know what hit 'em.”
“I'm just glad we found out before you made a huge mistake,” I said.
“I am too. Thank you so much. You really saved my ass.”
“I don’t know how much thanks I deserve. I was just in the right place at the right time.”
“Why don't we go out for a drink to celebrate? I mean, you're already dressed up, and you look stunning, it would be a shame not to go out. I know a great little jazz bar we could go to, maybe have a drink to celebrate?”
“That sounds like a perfect way to wind down after all of this madness,” I replied with a cheery smile. “I’m in.”
* * * * *
It was midnight when we walked out of the jazz club, and both of us were definitely a little tipsy.
“You're not going to drive now, are you?” I asked, feeling a little worried.
“Are you kidding? No. Especially not after what happened with Matthew. Even though he did get set up, even without the drug being slipped into his drink, he shouldn't have gotten behind the wheel. I'll just leave my car here and get a cab to take us home.”
He blushed suddenly as he realized what he had just suggested.
“That is, uh, if you want to come back home with me,” he continued. “Otherwise, the cab can take us each to our own places.”
I took a step toward him, snaked my arm around his neck, and kissed him slowly and passionately.
“Does that answer your question?” I asked when I pulled my mouth from his.
He grinned. “Yes, ma’am, it does.” He hailed the next cab that approached and opened the back door for me. “Your chariot, m’lady.”
We climbed into the cab and acted like a couple of teenagers in the back seat. We couldn't keep our hands off each other, and we were soon making out with enough heat and intensity to steam up the windows of the cab.
We pulled up to the gates of Jace's penthouse, and the cab driver coughed loudly to let us know that we had arrived. We paused our make-out session long enough to pay the driver and get out.
The building in front of me was gorgeous—it had to be over eighty stories high. The front spelled out IRONWOOD in huge silver and black letters. It overlooked Central Park, and I knew without a doubt that Jace would have a room facing all that beautiful greenery.
“Hey, Javier,” Jace said to the doorman.
“Don’t let beautiful gems out of your sight,” the doorman responded with a wink.
I giggled.
As soon as Jace had pressed the button to go up in the elevator, we started kissing again, pawing at each other as the elevator made its way up to Jace’s penthouse.
I glanced over the expansive living room as he tugged me inside. Rich furniture and décor gave the room a wealthy, comfortable feel and the silver accents made it modern so it didn’t feel like an old man’s study.
Jace said some phrase that didn’t make sense and then turned to me.
“Come on, I want to show you something,” he said, leading me through the penthouse’s living room and into his bedroom. We kept walking until we reached an elevator at the back of his room.
“This goes up to the roof,” he said. “Nobody would expect an elevator here, but only a select few of the Ironwood’s master bedrooms have this feature. The views from the roof are amazing. But you'll see that for yourself soon enough.”
We stepped into the cozy elevator and as we went up, we kissed with even more fiery, intense hunger. Jace's strong, masculine hands roamed all over my body, gripping my ass, caressing my thighs, and squeezing my breasts with a fierce and primal hunger. Delightful heat flushed through my body as arousal took over, and a savage hunger overcame me.
The signal from the elevator saying we’d arrived forced his mouth from mine. He smiled as he pulled away and led me out onto the rooftop. I was awed by the sight that greeted me—the lights of the city stretching to the end of the horizon below us, and above, the clear, starry sky with a bright full moon.
There was an entire rooftop living space complete with a sofa that had a double sized chaise at one end that could easily serve as a bed for sleeping under the stars. He walked me over to it, kissing me eagerly on my neck, nibbling at my ears as he did, and sliding his hand down my front, over my belly, down toward the meeting of my thighs, where an intense, hot wetness was growing and spreading.
I reached back, slipping my hand around to feel the throbbing hardness swelling in his pants.
I wanted him, needed him, and I could feel that same desire mirrored in the way he kissed me, in the ferocity of his powerful hands exploring my body.
“Take it off,” I purred into his ear. “My dress needs to come off. Now.”
He unzipped the back and slid the straps slowly down over my shoulders then let it fall to the floor. I stepped out of the dress and stood before him in the moonlight in only my bra, panties, and high heels. He unbuttoned his shirt and discarded it before pulling his T-shirt over his head and throwing it aside as well. With swiftness, he unfastened his belt and pants so that they dropped around his ankles. I don’t know how he managed to get out of his socks and shoes, but they were gone in no time and his pants lay with them in a pile.
My gaze danced over the smooth skin covering his bulging muscles. He looked like a marble sculpture that had been chiseled to perfection under the glow of the moonlight. I traced a finger over his sharply defined abs and admired the thick, clearly defined muscle of his arms.
He slipped his hands behind my back and unfastened my bra. As it fell, he glided his hands up to cup my breasts, massaging and squeezing my stiffening nipples. I closed my eyes, reveling in the spikes of pleasure that coursed straight to my clit.
“Please,” I murmured.
He grinned against my mouth. “Please what?”
“I don’t know—more…”
He started kissing me, his mouth and tongue sliding down my body, tracing a slick trail down between my breasts, over my belly, and downward as his capable hands skated down my sides, catching the lace on the top of my panties and taking them down.
I stepped out of them, feeling the cool night air against my bare skin. I opened my legs to give his eager tongue access to my hot, wet center as he buried his face between my thighs. He gripped my ass tightly with one hand while in his other he held one of my breasts, continuing to work the nipple hard, twisting and squeezing it and sending ripples of delight charging through me.
His tongue, meanwhile, was doing the real magic. He probed gently into my center, the firm tip of that capable tongue pressing with delight against my engorged clit. Gently, he sucked on it while lapping at it with tender, persistent pressure. With each skilled motion, he sent pulse after pulse of pleasure through me. I slipped my fingers through his hair and gripped a handful of it tightly, pulling him into me as he continued to stimulate my most tender spot with a strong, steady rhythm that caused my knees to go weak.
It became impossible to think—the pleasure was so great. Instinctively, I began to drive my hips into his face, bucking and grinding against the unrelenting motion of his tongue, sensing the first stirrings of an orgasm rushing through my system. I moaned with pleasure as the force of the building orgasm grew in splendid magnitude, ready to be unleashed.
“That's—oh my god, yes. That feels so good, Jace, so amazingly good,” I gasped, grinding against him.
The orgasm tore through me with the force of floodwater breaking through a dam. Sheer bliss ripped through every inch of my being and I threw my head back and cried out. His arm wrapped around me, steadying me before I collapsed.
I pulled his head up so that his face was level with mine, and as I shivered with the still-coursing pleasure of the orgasm, I kissed him deeply. Steadied by his embrace, I slid my hands down and slipped his boxer briefs out
of the way and reached for his hard cock. My fingers encircled its generous girth, and as I gripped it, I felt him shudder under my touch.
“I want you. I need you inside of me, Jace,” I whispered into his ear.
He laid me down on the chaise and positioned himself over me, parting my legs as he did. I held onto his hard cock while he moved and guided his throbbing hardness to its target. A jolt of pleasure vibrated through me as he pushed into me and I gasped with pleasure as inch after inch of him filled me.
He started thrusting, slowly at first, kissing me feverishly as he did.
“Harder,” I purred against his lips. “Harder, faster.”
He complied, driving himself deeper into me, again and again, sending currents of pleasure tearing through me. I gripped his shoulders, holding him tighter, and wrapped my legs tightly around his waist. With every stroke, he hit my clit again. He gasped and grunted, and shudders rippled through his powerful muscles beneath my touch as he started to thrust with an almost animal-like ferocity.
The force of yet another orgasm brewed within me, and it was coming on fast. He pulled my hands from his shoulders and placed them above my head, gasping as he pushed himself zealously into me. Moments later, my second orgasm was unleashed. I cried out as it flooded through me. The sound of his voice joined mine. He thrusted forward, driving himself as deep as he could, and groaned with the force of his own orgasm.
He fell to rest on his elbows over me, breathing hard. He rolled over next to me, pulling me close, wrapping me in his arms as we stared up into the starry sky. It was beautiful, just beautiful.
Chapter 22
Jace
Marie and I went back down to my penthouse and the privacy of my own bedroom. There, we made love a few more times throughout the night, and even with these disturbances to my sleep, I woke up feeling refreshed. It was a wonderful feeling to open my eyes and have her next to me. Just watching her sleeping so contentedly, wearing a subtle smile on that beautiful face of hers, was heavenly.
I didn't want to wake her, so I crept out of bed and had a shower. I tiptoed back into the room, doing my best to let her sleep, but then my phone started ringing, which woke her.
“Morning, beautiful,” I said to her as she slowly opened her eyes and smiled at me.
“Mmm, good morning, handsome,” she replied.
“Sorry about the phone. I gotta answer that,” I said, and picked up my phone. It looked like it was the hospital calling. “Hello?” I answered.
“Hi, Mr. Cooper, this is Dr. Lee. Sorry to call so early, but you gave strict instructions to let you know when there was a change in Matthew’s condition.”
My heart lunged to my throat. “Yes, I did,” I confirmed.
“Well, I just wanted to inform you that Matthew awoke from his coma a couple of hours ago. My apologies for not calling then, but I wanted to run a few tests so I would have some answers for the questions I was certain you’d have—and I’m happy to say things are looking good. Brain function seems normal, and there doesn’t appear to be any signs of lasting damage.”
A surge of joy ripped through me at this news. “Thank you for calling, and thank you for everything you and your staff have done for him. I am heading that way to see him now.”
“I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you, Mr. Cooper.”
I jumped into bed and hugged Marie tightly. She laughed and smiled and hugged me back.
“Matthew's okay,” I said. “He woke up, and he's okay!”
“That's wonderful news,” she said, and I could see that she really was as happy as I was. “Wonderful, amazing news! Let me just get up and have a quick shower, and then we can go see him…if you want me to come along, that is.”
I stared at her. “Of course I want you to come along. I don’t want you to ever leave my side. I love you, Marie.”
Her eyes shone with what I hoped were happy tears, and she lunged forward, pressing her lips to mine. She pulled away and looked deep into my eyes. “I love you, too.”
* * * * *
I walked into the hospital room feeling nervous, even though the doctor had said that Matthew would be all right. I was still half-expecting there to be some sort of damage, some lasting effects. Maybe I was afraid to get my hopes up and be too optimistic and then be devastated if something were still wrong.
Matthew, however, was sitting up in his bed and looking good. His face was still swollen, and the bruising looked pretty bad—there were purple and yellow splotches all over his face—and of course, his arm was in a cast, but he was smiling.
“Jace! Hey buddy, you're looking good.”
I hurried over to him but didn't hug him—I didn't want to hurt him further.
“Man, it's so good to see you up. It really is,” I said.
“The doctor told me I was out for a few days,” he said, shaking his head. “I can't get my head around it. It seems like just a few moments ago I was outside the bar, getting into my car. And that's the last thing I remember. But it really feels as if it happened like, literally, a few seconds ago. Not days ago.”
Marie walked into the room behind me, and Matthew looked up at her.
“Matthew, this is Marie, my girlfriend. Marie, this is Matthew.”
He chuckled. “Wow, a lot happened in a few days, huh?” he remarked with a grin. “Marie, it's great to meet you. I would stand up like a gentleman and shake your hand, but . . .”
She smiled brightly and walked over to the bed and shook his hand. “You just stay right there,” she said. “I’ll forgive the not getting up . . . this time.”
“Oh, you have a sense of humor,” Matthew chuckled, giving her a lopsided, bruised grin. “I like it. Do you have a sister?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Way too young for you.”
I laughed. “Yeah, Matthew. The last thing you need to worry about is dating, anyway. You might be feeling better, but you still need to rest and recover.”
“I know, I know,” he said.
I looked at Marie, silently asking her whether she thought now was the time to tell Matthew the truth about what had happened. She nodded.
“Matthew, do you remember a guy at the bar who bought you a beer? Kinda short, very stocky, long black hair and a goatee?” I asked.
We’d learned what the Samuel guy looked like because he was an ex-con, and the cops had a file on him.
He nodded. “Yeah, I remember him. I think he said his name was Ricardo or something. He wanted to race me. He had a souped-up Mustang.”
“Ricardo wasn't his real name. His real name is Samuel Estevez, and he's a former gang member with a long list of prior offenses. He was hired by Cory Burton and my Aunt Barbara.”
“Cory Burton, that jerk from Burton, Inc. …and your aunt? I don’t understand. Why would they hire him to buy me drinks?” he asked just before the realization dawned over his face.
I sighed and shook my head. “To severely damage our company's reputation—a strategy that worked. Investor confidence plummeted after the press splashed stories about your drunk driving crash all over the internet. Then my aunt's plan was to swoop in, buy a third of the company, and slowly muscle me out and bring in Burton to take over. They hired Estevez to slip a drug into your drink and get you to race him. The idea was to force you into a wreck to make it seem like you were irresponsible, which he succeeded in doing. Nearly killed you at the same time, although I don’t think that was the ultimate plan. But we got them, Matthew. They’ve all been arrested. We're going to have a long court battle ahead, but we've got the evidence we need to put them behind bars where they should be. Justice will prevail.”
Matthew nodded, smiling sadly. “I was feeling so, so ashamed and guilty when the doctor told me how I ended up like this. It's just that, you know, with the news about my father's cancer, I just…I was falling apart, and I went out to have a drink to try forget about it, and—”
Marie took his hand and squeezed it gently. “You know, everyone makes mistakes sometimes, but this o
ne, it really wasn't your fault. You were set up and manipulated. And they are going to be brought to justice, thankfully.”
Tears welled up in Matthew's eyes and he squeezed her hand back. “Thank you, Marie,” he said. “And thank you too, Jace. Thank you for everything.”
* * * * *
“That was quite a long call,” I said to Marie as we walked out of the hospital just over an hour later. She had just been talking on the phone for around fifteen minutes.
“There was a lot I had to say,” she admitted, and then she suddenly smiled mysteriously. “But I'm glad I was able to make the call.”
“Well, that was a little enigmatic. Who were you talking to?”
“You'll find out soon enough. Can you drive me somewhere?”
“Uh yeah, sure. Where?”
“I'll give you directions as we go.”
“Sounds like an adventure. I’m in. Come on, let's go.”
We got into my Maserati and headed off, with Marie giving me directions as I drove and we chatted.
“You know, you've never really told me why you're Everett J. Cooper IV. I mean, seriously, the fourth? You sound like royalty or something.”
I chuckled. “Well, I come from old wealth and a proud family name.”
“But I thought you said that you and Matthew came out to New York with nothing?”
“We did—and I didn't grow up wealthy.”
“So, how does this old-wealth thing fit into the story?” she asked.
“Well, my great-grandfather, the first Everett Cooper, was an oil man in Texas in the first days of the oil boom. He made millions, and passed it on to my grandfather, Everett J. Cooper II. He too worked in oil, and expanded our family's wealth. My father, Everett J. Cooper III, inherited all of this. He didn't want to work in oil though, and he thought the future was in electric vehicles. Which we now know it is—except they won't really start becoming mainstream until maybe 2030. But he was trying to do this in the early ‘80s. He took all the wealth he’d inherited and invested it into an electric car company which he believed would revolutionize transportation. He thought he was going to be another Henry Ford. But America wasn't ready for electric cars in the ‘80s, and the company went bankrupt. And thus, all the wealth of my forebears was gone. So, I was left to start from scratch—and I did.”