by Sky Winters
But Damien wasn't done.
He rose from his squatting position, staring at Ingrid with that same burning intensity. His mouth glistened with Ingrid's arousal, and with a slow wipe of the back of his forearm, he cleaned his mouth. Ingrid couldn't believe how sexy it was.
Ingrid's hands, seemingly out of her own control, shot out and onto the buttons of Damien's shirt. She undid one after the other, exposing more and more of his sculpted, godlike physique. She couldn't help but gasp as she pulled his shirt off over his shoulders; his body was like something from a billboard. One difference, however – small scars crisscrossed his body here and there, reminders of fights he'd lived through during his years as a mercenary, Ingrid realized.
But she didn't have much more time to look.
"Turn around," he commanded. "Now."
"What…what are you going to do?" asked Ingrid.
She knew the answer. But she wanted to hear him say it.
"I'm going to fuck you," he growled. "Hard."
Ingrid nodded and did just that. Her eyes locked on Damien's as she turned around, and the anticipation began to build as soon as she leaned forward on the desk and stuck her ass out for him. He slapped his hands down hard on her ass, the sharp crack of his palms on her sending a thrill through her body. Ingrid loved to be manhandled, just a little, and that seemed to be just what Damien was in the mood for. Looking over her shoulder, Ingrid bit down on her lower lip as she prepared for him to enter her.
When he finally did with a slow, deep thrust, it was like nothing she'd ever felt before. The pleasure was overwhelming and immediate as Damien slid his long, thick cock into her, penetrating her deeply and filling her completely. Ingrid let out a long moan as he drove into her, her legs wobbling beneath her as she held onto the edges of the desk. Damien let out another growl-like sound as he held himself inside of her.
Soon, he was pounding her hard, bucking into her and filling Ingrid over and over again. Every now and then, he would raise his hand and bring it down on the ripe curves of her ass, sending a fresh wave of pleasure and pain through her body.
Ingrid's next orgasm was somehow even more intense than her first. The ecstasy rushed through her body as Damien pounded her, seizing her body up with unbearable delight. Soon after, Damien came, unloading himself deep into her pussy, the explosion of cum inside of her a feeling beyond compare.
As their orgasms faded, Damien's pace slowed. He took one last squeeze of Ingrid's ass before leaning forward, smelling her hair, and kissing her hard on the skin just behind her right ear. Then, he pulled his cock out of her, zipped himself up, and left the room.
Moments later, he was gone. And Ingrid was left by herself, wondering just what the hell had happened.
***
Ingrid awoke the next morning not knowing just what the hell to do with herself. As soon as her eyes opened, the memories of last night came rushing back into her mind.
Did that really happen? she thought. Did my boss really just ravage me late at night without hardly saying a word to me?
It took her a few moments to accept that it wasn't all some kind of strange dream. And as soon as she did, she began to worry about how awkward it was going to be to see her boss downstairs. Part of her wanted to stay in bed and not have to deal with any of the ramifications of what happened the previous night. But she knew this was silly, and after a little more time, got out of bed and into the shower.
As she washed herself, she couldn't help but think back on her little tryst with Damien. Sure, she realized, it was…innapropriate, to say that least, but it was about the most satisfying sex she'd had in a long time.
Well, the only sex I'd had in a long time, she thought, realizing she hadn't had sex since before she moved to New York.
Once she was showered and dressed, her stomach began to quake with anxiety as she thought about how her conversation with Damien was going to go.
No sense putting it off, she thought. And I do have a job to do, after all.
She headed downstairs and entered the kitchen. There, she spotted Damien, dressed to stylish perfection, as usual, leaning against the kitchen counter and sipping a cup of coffee as he read the paper. His eyes flicked up to Ingrid, and she saw they were back to his normal blue.
"Good…good morning," said Ingrid, feeling unsure of herself instantly.
"Morning," said Damien in a crisp, confident voice. "Adeline was up early, so I put her in the bath. She should be down in a few minutes. I'm going to be out for the day, so you two will have the run of the place. She's got plenty of homework to do, so make sure she has it all done before letting her look at any screens."
"Um, okay," said Ingrid, sitting down at the kitchen bar and wondering what the hell was going on.
Damien was speaking to her as though nothing had happened. He was his normal, brusque self.
Is this really how he's going to play it? Ingrid asked herself. Is he really going to just act like nothing happened?
Damien poured her a cup of coffee without saying a word or taking his eyes away from his paper.
Ingrid opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She was totally beside herself.
"Um, okay," she said.
"Adey said she had a good time last night," said Damien.
"Yeah," said Ingrid. "She's…she's a cool girl."
"She just needs a little time to open up. Like I said, we've had a few nannies come and go."
"I…see."
Looking Damien over as he read the paper, Ingrid couldn't help but notice how different he was. Sure, he was the same gorgeous man, but everything else was just…different than what she saw last night. Now, he was the composed, icy man she'd met yesterday during the day. But when they had their fun last night, he was more...primal. He had a hunger and energy to him that was totally at odds with the in-control man he was right now.
He does have that temper, though, thought Ingrid. Maybe he can only keep it in check for so long?
She shook her head as she sipped her coffee.
Either way, I've got a damn job to do, and if Damien wants to just pretend last night never happened, well, then I guess that might be best for the both of us.
After a little while, Adeline came down the stairs, dressed and ready for the weekend.
"Hey, kiddo!" said Ingrid, getting up from her seat and greeting the girl. "Sleep well?"
"Yeah, I guess," said Adeline, clearly still in her shell.
"You hungry?" asked Ingrid. "How about some pancakes?"
"Sure," said Adeline, her tone picking up just a bit.
"Awesome!"
Ingrid, still feeling weird about what was going on with Damien, headed to the kitchen and set to work.
"You want some too, Mr. Kennedy?"
"No," he said, still not looking up from his paper. "I'm more of a meat-eater."
I'll say you're a carnivore, thought Ingrid to herself, a playful little smile forming on her lips as she opened the fridge and searched for the necessary ingredients.
After a time, the food was ready and a plate of pancakes was on the table, with a side of bacon for Damien. Adeline put down her iPad and dug in. Damien strolled over, looked the food over, and gingerly picked up a strip of bacon. Ingrid watched as he bit into it, a bit of satisfaction warming her heart as he did.
God, she thought, realizing how happy it made her to please the boss. Always a teacher's pet.
"You want anything else, just let me know," said Ingrid.
"I'll keep that in mind."
With that, he left the room. Ingrid sat down with Adeline and placed a few pancakes on her plate as the little girl ate happily. Somehow, she was even more confused than she was before.
CHAPTER 4
DAMIEN
Damien Kennedy was more than a little surprised when he looked at his calendar and saw it had already been a week since he'd brought on Ingrid. So far, she'd been a wise hire, and seemed to be hitting it off with Adeline. Damien knew that the girl wasn't the
easiest to get to open up, but Ingrid was being patient with her, encouraging her to talk about herself and play without being too insistent about it.
However, there was still the manner of their tryst that first night. Standing in his office, he shook his head as he thought back to that evening. He couldn't believe he'd let it happen.
It was his animal, he knew it. His wolf nature had gotten the better of him, and when he laid eyes on Ingrid, the attraction he felt for her broke free and he lost control. Just like it usually was when his animal emerged, he hardly could help what he did, or what he wanted. Ingrid found him when he was weak, and the primal lust that was so common with his wolf shifter kind. He simply took what he wanted, and, judging by her reaction, it wasn't something Ingrid was unwilling to go along with.
He sipped his coffee and looked out the window at the long expanse of green that comprised his backyard.
It was that night, he thought. The operation.
That first evening with Ingrid, Damien and the rest of his mercenary clan had an operation that went…differently than he was expecting. It was supposed to be a standard job, an escort mission for a senator who'd purchased their services for the day. Such bodyguard operations were common for Damien and the Red Claws, and their skill and professionalism are what made them one of the most sought-after mercenary firms in the city.
And as the evening went on, Damien and the rest of the Red Claws working the perimeter of the stately mansion where the Senator was hosting a party for the evening, were sure this night was going to be a standard affair – an easy paycheck from a senator who was feeling little paranoid.
But a gunshot cracking from a distance, followed by the shriek of pain from Anders, one of the men in his crew, let him know things were going to be very, very different.
The Red Claws took cover from the gunfire that sounded from the trees around the house. The battle was fierce, but Damien managed to rally his men and fight off just whoever it was in the attack. But they weren't able to take down a single one of the attackers – whatever group involved was professional and well-trained. And judging from the scent in the air when Damien went into the woods to check for any clues, they were undoubtedly fellow wolf shifters.
When Damien spoke to the senator about what happened, the man seemed pleased that Damien was able to fight off the attack so effectively. But Damien wasn't happy with his performance; he was furious that anyone could get the drop on him and the Red Claws like that, and as soon as Anders was taken to their medical facility for treatment, he vowed to get to the bottom of what was going on.
The evening left Damien shaken. And when he arrived home, the animal within wanted nothing more than to break free and go on a wild rampage, tearing through the city to figure out just what the hell had happened. It took every bit of restraint he had not to lose control and fully shift, but when he laid eyes on Ingrid, he was pushed over the edge. He couldn't help himself from taking her hard and fast.
Some professional you are, he thought, taking another sip of his coffee.
Damien didn't care for just ignoring the issue, but drama with his hired help was the last thing he wanted to deal with. He had a situation to get to the bottom of, and he was going to figure out just who was behind the attack before they had a chance to strike again. His reputation depended on it.
So, as he stood in front of his computer, looking over the invitation he'd received for the ball tonight in downtown DC, he couldn't help but wonder if he had the luxury of letting his guard down, even for just one evening.
Anyone who's anyone is going to be there, he thought. I wouldn't even be surprised if the president dropped in. Security's going to be tight, so no chance of an attack, but if someone's looking to pick off a senator, I might be able to find something out.
He sighed and shook his head, his thoughts returning to Ingrid.
One damn thing or another, he thought. If I go, I'll need a date.
He closed the laptop in front of him and left his office, the weight of his current situation still heavy on his mind. Entering the kitchen, he saw Ingrid and Adeline playing together, and he couldn't help but let a small smile cross his lips as he watched from a distance.
She needs a woman in her life, he thought. Hopefully, Ingrid is the one to finally be up to the job. We'll see, I suppose.
"Ingrid," said Damien, the two girls snapping to attention at the sound of his voice. "I need to speak to you for a second."
"Be right back," said Ingrid, playfully mussing Adeline's hair as she stood up.
"What's up, Mr. Kennedy?" she asked.
Glad she still knows to call me that, thought Damien. Nothing more irritating than when the help gets too familiar too quickly.
"Something came up tonight," he said.
"Oh?" asked Ingrid. "Well, that's what I'm here for."
"No," said Damien. "It's a little different. There's a ball happening downtown, one charity event or another. And I'm actually not working it; I've been invited as a guest."
"Really?" asked Ingrid. "Sounds interesting."
"Glad to hear you say that," said Damien. "Because you're going to be my plus-one."
An expression of total shock and surprise came over Ingrid's face.
"Wait, are you serious?" she asked. "I don't know…I mean, this is going to be a high-society party, right? I mean, I'm just assuming."
"About as high-society as it gets. Congressmen, press – the works."
"Oh God," said Ingrid, her face turning red. "I mean, if you want me to go, I will, but I don't think I'll fit in at all."
"You'll be fine," Damien said. "But you'll need something to wear. Take Adeline into town and go pick out something nice. Price isn't a concern. And go get your hair done and anything else you need – you're going to have to look your best."
"Oh…okay," she said, nervously shifting her weight from foot to foot. "I just…I don't know."
"You'll be fine," Damien said, his voice sterner. "Just get done what you need to get done, and I'll make sure I have someone to watch Adeline tonight."
"Sure, Mr. Kennedy."
With that, Damien handed her his credit card and she was off.
Damien knew he could easily find some willing girl to go with him tonight; the city wasn't exactly short on young women who'd kill to attend a party like this. However, Damien wanted someone he knew to be at his side. And he'd be lying if he said he didn't think a beautiful girl like Ingrid would be a fine partner for the evening.
But she's going to need to know to stay out of my way if things get out of control, he thought. If I end up finding anything out, things might get hot, and fast. And hopefully, she knows how to handle herself at something like this.
The afternoon passed. Damien made all the arrangements for the evening, picking out a suit and finding a sitter for his daughter. By the time the early evening rolled around, Ingrid had returned, her auburn hair done up beautifully, a few shopping bags in her hands.
She may not be familiar with high-society, thought Damien, but she sure knows how to look the part.
"So far, so good," said Damien. "Now hurry and get ready; the limo will be here in an hour."
"Limo?" asked Ingrid.
Damien would be lying if he said it wasn't a little charming just how over her head she seemed.
"That's right," said Damien. "Pretty standard for an evening like tonight."
"Oh, man," she said.
Damien headed off to put on his tux, and when he was ready, he returned to the living room to await Ingrid.
When she entered, it was Damien's turn to be in over his head. Ingrid looked stunning. She wore a cream-colored gown that went perfectly with her fair skin and lovely hair. Her hands were enclosed in elegant gloves, and a beautiful necklace was around her neck. Damien had to take a moment to compose himself.
"This okay?" Ingrid asked.
"It's perfect," said Damien.
"I just picked something out in a hurry; I didn't know what to wear."
Keep your goddamn cool, thought Damien. We've got a whole night ahead of us. And who the hell knows how it's going to turn out?
The sitter arrived, and moments after Damien greeted her, the phone in his pocket buzzed, letting him know the limo was there.
"Shall we?" Damien asked Ingrid.
"Sure," she said, her voice still heavy with uncertainty.
She'll have to get a little spine if she's going to get through the evening, Damien thought. I hope she's not planning on being a wallflower.
The two of them went out to the limo, which was a sleek, silver vehicle. Damien normally didn't care for such gaudy displays, but he knew that, at events like this, looking successful was about as important as actually being successful – though he certainly was that. There were always new clients to be found. And besides, it's not as though money was an issue.
"This is…really nice," said Ingrid as the car drove through the streets of Washington.
"First time in a limo?" asked Damien, though the answer was obvious.
"Mhmm," said Ingrid.
Damien couldn't decide whether to be charmed by her small-town nature or mildly annoyed. The girl was constantly looking around at the packed city streets and bustling boulevards as if she hadn't been living in New York for the last few years.
I guess you can take the girl out of the small town…, he thought, preparing himself a drink and taking a small sip.
Eventually, the limo pulled up to a grand building in the old Neo-Roman style that was so common in Washington. The front was a hive of activity with men and women in tuxedos and elegant gowns walking up the magnificent staircase that led up to a towering set of doors guarded by a team of security agents.
That looks like the Lobo Pack, thought Damien, scanning the crew of mean-looking men who were performing security for the evening.