His breathing increased, as did hers, and Wyatt swore he saw her eyes dilate. Was she as affected by this as he was?
Impossible.
And yet her cheeks were flushed, something she couldn’t fake for the benefit of the cameras.
It was simply the scenario they’d placed themselves in that was affecting her, like a Pavlovian response. They were in a sexy situation, pretending to be sexy, and her body was reacting accordingly.
So was his. Wyatt turned his head away, unable to look at Kat any longer. Instead of thinking about Kat and the intimate position of their bodies, he thought about McCready, watching them through the camera at his back.
That went a long way towards dulling his lust. The more time he spent in McCready’s domain, the more he wanted to destroy him. Almost more than he needed to find out what happened to his brother.
Wyatt’s arms were shaking with the effort of holding himself up. He knew he’d probably get shit from McCready and his crew tomorrow if he finished this fake sex too soon, but he almost didn’t care. He wanted it to be over with.
Almost like she knew what he was thinking, Kat gave him a warning look. She wanted to maintain the charade a little longer. Well, then, she could take control.
Wyatt gripped Kat’s hips and rolled them until she was straddling him. He was careful to keep the quilt around their hips, to maintain the fiction of their nakedness.
Wyatt instantly regretted this new position. Kat’s core ground onto him and he winced in pleasure. She must have felt his erection, but thankfully didn’t seem shocked by it. She hesitated a moment, staring down at him. His cock was throbbing, and he desperately wanted to ease the ache. But not like this. Not while he and Kat were essentially unwilling porn stars for McCready’s power trip.
Kat eased herself up off Wyatt’s cock and began to move. Wyatt held himself still, determined not to thrust up with her, to build a rhythm. He hated his body was so out of his own control, but he forced his will upon it with an iron fist. He wasn’t willing to take advantage of this situation, no matter what.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Kat threw her head and gave a convincing impression of an orgasm. Her cries echoed through the room, and Wyatt squeezed his eyes shut as the sound made his cock harden to a painful degree.
He followed suit, weirdly self-conscious about his orgasms all of a sudden. Was that how everyone else did them?
He almost laughed, skin still hot from mingled lust and embarrassment. Instead, he helped Kat gracefully dismount and flop beside him on the bed.
He cupped her face and gently stroked her wet hair. His cock was still painfully hard, and Wyatt knew there was no chance of sleeping until he did something about that. But he wanted to bathe in the afterglow for a moment, even though he knew it was fake.
But the way Kat looked at him felt very real, deep with unexpressed emotions. Unfathomable eyes told him nothing about her reaction to what they’d just done. Any of a thousand emotions could be found in those depths, and he longed to ask her what she felt aloud. Would she one day be able to do that with him for real? Would she want him, after everything they’d been through? Or would he remind her of a time she’d rather forget? Wyatt was almost afraid to find out.
Wyatt rubbed his thumb across her cheek, then leaned over to press his lips against her forehead. She sighed in pleasure and his heart kicked in his chest. Wyatt wanted to do more, like kiss her for real. But this one small action was all he’d allow himself while they were on camera.
His cock was hard and insistent. It was like being a teenager again, with a boner he didn’t ask for and now had to deal with. But this situation was far more complicated and strange than those days.
Wyatt longed suddenly for some dry clothes, awkward in his sodden, uncomfortable underwear.
Kat must have seen him stiffen, because she stared at him with eyes holding questions he couldn’t answer.
She sighed and leaned over to pluck the towel from the floor. She wrapped it around herself, still careful to hide their underwear from the camera. She dug in a drawer and pulled out some silky fabric he couldn’t identify, then headed into the bathroom. He heard her move around, the toilet flush, the sink running, brushing her teeth. She walked out a few minutes later in a satin nightgown that barely covered her ass. Wyatt groaned.
She smiled a wicked smile, one that kicked his heartbeat up a notch. She had to know what she was doing to him. Then, she returned to her dresser and pulled out a pair of large tracksuit pants.
“These should fit,” she said, throwing them at him. He caught them, deliberately not asking who they’d belonged to. She rounded the bed and got under the covers, looking at him expectantly. Wyatt picked up the other towel and followed her lead of going into the bathroom.
Once the door was closed behind him, he finally freed his cock and gripped it hard. He groaned at the friction. He stroked himself hard, bracing himself with one palm against the mirror. His mind instantly went to Kat, wishing it was her hand—or better yet, her mouth—currently wrapped around his cock.
As he pumped himself, he couldn’t help but imagine the wet heat of her mouth surrounding him.
He squeezed tighter, almost coming then and there. Christ, he wanted Kat. And other than the kiss on the hood of the car, he had no idea how she felt about him. That had been more like a kiss of gratitude than true sexual magnetism. Did she not feel what he did, that pull between them?
Or if she did, maybe she couldn’t, or wouldn’t, act on it. Maybe sex was tainted for her now. He certainly wouldn’t blame her if that was the case, if she never wanted him.
But fuck, he wanted her.
His heart raced in his chest, pounding through him with intense, primal thoughts about Kat. About what might have happened if McCready hadn’t been watching them. About what it would be like to sink into her, hear her sounds of pleasure for real.
His breathing grew ragged.
He sped up his fist on his cock, thrusting into his hand. The base of his spine tightened, and Wyatt knew he was close. He kept the rhythm of his strokes going while he grabbed a tissue. Not a moment too soon as his cock spurted its release.
The mirror cooled his heated forehead as he leaned against it. He took a moment to catch his breath, clenching the tissue in his fist. He shouldn’t have done that. After all Kat had been through, she didn’t need some guy jacking off to thoughts of her in the bathroom. She’d been exploited enough.
But then he thought of that wicked smile she’d sent him. The one when she’d been facing away from the camera. It had been for him, and only him. She’d known the effect she’d had on him, and had worn that skimpy nightgown on purpose. At least, Wyatt was hoping he’d interpreted that correctly.
After a moment, he cleaned himself off, stripped fully out of his underwear, and then pulled on the tracksuit pants. He wished he could clean his teeth, but didn’t want to use her brush without asking, so just ran toothpaste over his teeth and gums and rinsed.
When he returned to the bedroom, Kat was lying on her back under the covers. The lights in the room were out, only the moonlight streaming through the window illuminated the room. She looked so mysterious there, her eyes dark pools as they stared at him. He slipped under the covers, shuffling closer to her but not daring to touch.
She’d been through so much. Now she was so close to escaping McCready’s clutches, she didn’t need a man like Wyatt lusting over her like so many of the others. She deserved her freedom from that, freedom to make her own choices. And Wyatt would accept whatever she chose, and keep himself under control.
There were so many things he wanted to say to her. Apologies, and questions, and conversations on the tip of his tongue. They all swirled between them, longing to be spoken. But he didn’t dare. Who knew if McCready was watching them now, even after their performance for his benefit? They’d have to find time tomorrow.
Presuming they’d passed McCready’s tests.
Chapter 12
&nb
sp; Kat woke early to the sun streaming through the sheer curtains on her window. She stretched and glanced over at Wyatt where he lay as far from her as he could get on the queen-sized mattress, facing away. His muscled, tattooed chest was on full display, the quilt having settled around his hips. He really was a beautifully-made man. Her heart dipped and tumbled again at the sight of him and Kat sighed softly.
Kat longed to reach out, to trace the ink on his skin and the dips and curves of his body. To wake him with a kiss. But she didn’t dare. She half-expected Wyatt would pull away from her now, after their strange encounter the night before. He’d barely touched her the whole time, and Kat was beginning to think she’d done something to cause it. Even now, with him lying as far from her as he could get, she thought perhaps his subconscious found her…unclean. Or something.
A lump formed in her throat and her stomach roiled. Last night had been odd and awkward and uncomfortable. But somehow she still craved the intimacy of a morning after, the kind she’d have if the two of them were in a normal relationship, instead of trapped in this awful world.
Instead, there was a gulf between her and Wyatt, and Kat was afraid she’d messed things up permanently. She hadn’t meant to, wasn’t even sure what she’d done. His hard erection had made it clear his body wanted her, but he’d definitely pulled away.
Perhaps the true extent of her life with McCready had finally become clear to him last night. Now, maybe, he couldn’t see past the things she’d done. He couldn’t forgive her. Not that it was his place to do that—she hadn’t done anything to him—but men were strange about ‘impure’ women. They prized virginal young girls instead. And though Kat had thought better of Wyatt, maybe he was as bad as the rest of them. Maybe he thought she was too tainted for his head to want, even though his body clearly desired her.
Sick with regret and a shame she knew she shouldn’t feel, Kat slid out of bed and away from Wyatt. She needed distance, to mend her crumbling heart and rebuild her walls. She was already in too deep with Wyatt, and she couldn’t risk getting her vulnerable heart broken.
She dressed as quietly as possible in jeans and a tank top, and headed downstairs. She found Ruthie in the kitchen, worrying her nails and staring off into the middle distance. She didn’t even seem to notice Kat walk in, she was so lost in her thoughts.
Kat started up the coffee machine and turned to the younger woman as she waited for it to brew.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Ruthie started as she finally saw she wasn’t alone. “Yes. No. I don’t know.”
Concerned, Kat stepped forward. “Is this about last night? Did Spider try something again? I thought it would send him down for the night, but—”
Ruthie shook her head. “No, it’s…” She trailed off and glanced towards the open kitchen door. “Can we go somewhere to talk?”
Kat studied her face for a moment, before eventually agreeing. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and her face was so pale.
“Let me grab my coffee.” They waited until it finished brewing, then Kat poured them both a mug. The day was bright as they stepped out into the garden, though the sun hadn’t warmed the air yet.
They walked away from the house until Kat deemed it safe to talk. It was too early for the gardeners to arrive, and no one else in the house was awake to interrupt them. No doubt they were sleeping off the excess of the night before.
“What’s wrong?” Kat asked immediately.
Ruthie swallowed, then took a sip of her coffee. “I don’t know. I think I might have seen something last night.”
“What?” Kat asked. “When?”
“After you left with that Wyatt guy.” Ruthie paused, eyeing Kat. “Are you okay?” she asked eventually.
“What do you mean?” Kat asked.
“About what you had to do last night. I heard people talking, saying they watched you and…” Ruthie looked away. “You saved me from doing it, and then you had to do it yourself.”
Kat’s heart melted. “Is that what has you so upset?” she asked. “Because I’m okay. Not only am I used to doing this kind of thing, but it wasn’t like that with Wyatt. Well, not really.”
Ruthie eyed her skeptically. “How can you defend him? He’s no better than Spider,” she said, bitterness lacing her tone.
Kat was torn between laughter and affection. She was touched Ruthie cared so much about her, but she had the wrong end of the stick when it came to Wyatt. No matter what he felt about her now, he’d respected her enough not to take the easy route and screw her for McCready’s benefit. But now Kat thought about it, maybe it hadn’t been about respecting her. Maybe it’d been about his own modesty, or perhaps he couldn’t bring himself to touch her because he thought her too tainted.
Her mind was so tangled about Wyatt, she couldn’t tell what was real and what she was projecting onto him. He hadn’t said anything other than he’d wanted to protect her, to give her the power to consent to anything that happened in that bed. But her instincts still told her there was something else, that he was pulling away and she didn’t know why.
She forced herself to only think about the good things, untainted by her speculations. One, Wyatt’s body wanted her, as evidenced by his delicious, rock-hard erection from last night. And two, he hadn’t taken advantage of her, even when she’d claimed she would have been okay with it.
If she kept her mind on those two things, Kat believed Wyatt was a good man and there was a chance for them. She couldn’t let her mind wander more anxious, speculative paths, no matter how much it might want to.
Kat didn’t know how to explain all that to Ruthie, though, so she forced a smile.
“I promise, I’m okay. And Wyatt is a better man than most.”
Ruthie reluctantly nodded in acceptance.
“Thank you for worrying about me, though. It’s very sweet.” In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time someone had worried about her, and what she had to do. A few weeks ago, no one would have. But now both Wyatt and Ruthie were looking out for her, concerned, and caring. It shifted and changed something within Kat. In a way, them caring about her had made her care about herself. But she wasn’t sure that was a good thing. Now that she cared about what happened to her—her own body—she wasn’t sure she could still do the things McCready required of her. She wasn’t sure she could survive the final few months of being beholden to him. And if McCready realised that, chances were she wouldn’t live to see her freedom.
Before, she could pretend all the things she had to do didn’t matter, didn’t affect her. But now, it did. And there was no escaping it. She was a changed woman, for better or worse, and Kat honestly feared it was for the worse.
But despite that, she felt better about herself, and her actions. Particularly about saving Ruthie from Spider. She was no longer numb and heartless. She was waking up, and connecting with people in a way she hadn’t in a long time.
She simply had to hope it wouldn’t get her punished or killed.
“So, is that everything?” she asked Ruthie kindly. “Just needed to reassure yourself I was okay?”
Ruthie hesitated, then shook her head. “No. I think I saw something last night. Something bad.”
Kat stiffened. “What kind of thing?”
Ruthie glanced around, clearly nervous. But no one was there to hear. “I think I saw a dead body,” she whispered.
Kat tensed. Any joy remaining in the morning was sucked out of the air until she could barely breathe. It wasn’t that she thought dead bodies were a rare occurrence in this world. In fact, she suspected McCready collected them like badges of merit. But he was also a clever man, and never let anyone have enough leverage on him to land him in serious trouble. That meant he tended to hide his worst offences—namely, the murders—behind closed doors, where women like Kat and Ruthie wouldn’t see them.
And if someone stumbled across something they shouldn’t see? Well, they weren’t alive to pose a threat to McCready for very long.
It was a long minute before Kat could form any words. “Did you recognise him?” Kat asked.
Ruthie shook her head. “I’d never seen him before.”
“And where did you see it?”
Ruthie’s eyes darted again. “In the garage.”
Kat cocked her head. “What were you doing in there?”
Ruthie shrugged with studied casualness. “After you left with…Wyatt, I went for a walk. I couldn’t be in that party any longer, I couldn’t. Without you there I didn’t know what would happen.”
Kat’s heart broke and guilt stabbed at her. She hadn’t given Ruthie much thought since she’d left the party last night, believing she would be fine since Spider was out of commission. But Ruthie wouldn’t have been comfortable with the pawing hands and leering attention of the other men, either. And McCready wouldn’t have hesitated to trade her off to anyone who asked.
“Did anyone try anything?” Kat asked urgently, gripping Ruthie’s upper arm, careful not to slosh her coffee.
Ruthie shook her head. “Well, a few got touchy-feely, but I dealt with those. I was worried about how they looked at me. What they might do if they got the chance, you know?”
Kat nodded. She knew better than most. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
Ruthie smiled. “Thanks to you. Anyway, I was looking for a place to hide out, and thought I’d do a little exploring. I found the garage. There were some gorgeous cars in there. They reminded me of my dad a bit. He’s always loved cars.” Her voice grew distant and wistful, and Kat knew she was remembering better times with her father. Her anger with him seemed to have disappeared, but Kat couldn’t tell if that was a good thing. She, personally, thought the man deserved the fury she’d seen in Ruthie when they’d first spoken of him. But anger could fester into something else, something that would poison Ruthie more than it would hurt him.
“And you saw the body there?” Kat prompted, getting Ruthie back on track.
Undercover Fighter Page 10