by Zoe Blake
After a few powerful thrusts, he pulled out, allowing her a gasping breath before plunging in deep again, crushing her nose against his abdomen.
“That’s it kitten, swallow my cock whole, take it all,” he ground out.
Changing the position of his hands, he held onto the sides of her head. “I’m going to come down your throat,” he warned before forcing her head up and down onto his cock with increasing speed.
Mirage was powerless as he ruthlessly used her mouth for his own needs.
Paine grabbed the base of his cock as he stilled with it lodged down her tortured throat. Throwing his head back, the muscles in his neck bulged as he let out a satisfied roar of completion.
Mirage fell back on her heels. The taste of him in her mouth.
“Your turn now.”
Paine grabbed her under her arms and lifted her up. Placing her body on the bed, he lifted up her arms and removed her t-shirt. The leather belt fell back down, lying heavy between her breasts. He gently pushed her shoulders till she fell back among the covers. He then swiped off her yoga pants. As usual, she wasn’t wearing any panties. Kicking off his jeans, he joined her on the bed. Lying on his back, he lifted her pliable body till her knees straddled his face.
“Oh, I…I’ve never—”
“Shhh…I want to taste you. I want to feel your thighs clench against my head as you come.”
Each time he spoke, the soft vibrations of his deep voice sent tremors over her cunt.
He parted her slick folds with the tip of his tongue and teased her clit.
“Oh, god!” she cried out as her fingers speared into his soft hair, pulling the wavy strands, crushing his head between her legs.
He continued to tease her with his tongue. Swirling and tasting, he used his hands to pinch and pull at her erect nipples before running them down her back to grasp her ass and push her harder against his mouth.
Mirage’s head fell back as her thighs pressed in. She could feel the pressure build. At that precise moment, Paine pulled on the belt still wrapped around her neck. The thick leather squeezed tight. She strained to breathe. Her fingers clawed at the strap, but he just pulled tighter. Her eyes fluttered shut as her cheeks suffused with color before going pale. She felt weightless. Her head swam. She was floating. Her whole body jerked as she came. Wave after wave of color and sound rushed over her as the last vestiges of air left her lungs.
Then everything went black.
Chapter Seven
Istanbul, Turkey…two years earlier
The summer night air was stagnant and hot, the sun’s setting offering little relief. There had been an atmosphere of suspended animation in the city all day. Mirage had just broken into the house of a high-ranking member of the Turkish Parliament who happened to be away on holiday. The Syndicate had instructed her to copy his hard drive and take photographs of anything she found in the hidden wall safe but not to steal its contents. They wanted no trace she had been there. She had already finished with the safe and was pulling the flash drive free from the computer when she heard the first round of gunfire.
Ducking low, she made her way out of the study and down the hallway to one of the front bedrooms. Leaning against the wall, she turned her head and hazarded a peek out the window which overlooked the main street below. The once quiet night had erupted into chaos. Throngs of people were pouring into the street, shouting and waving Turkish flags.
Fuck me!
The Syndicate had sworn to her any possible coup wouldn’t take place for at least another week. Mirage knew it was pointless to check her burner phone for information on any social media sites, the fastest option since it would take traditional media outlets at least a few hours to catch on. The Turkish government as well as the militants would both be disseminating their version of what was happening, neither completely true. She could be sure her main route out of the country, the Istanbul airport, was probably already or about to be shut down. These assholes always went straight for the airports.
Fuck me!
Just then she got a secure message from The Syndicate. They were sending one of their cleaners in. A man named Paine Darwin. Mirage was familiar with his work. He was a master thief like her but also branched out into the more violent jobs for The Syndicate. She must be in some serious danger if they were sending him to help. Still, she worked alone. She wasn’t about to wait around for some guy she didn’t know and, furthermore, didn’t trust for shit, to come to her rescue.
Mirage set to work searching the rest of the house for a weapon and a plan.
* * *
The gunfire was getting closer. The politician’s residence was near the Bosphorus Bridge which seemed to be a central focal point for the angry crowds judging by her view from the rooftop earlier. She should barricade the front door, thought Mirage. This house might become a target for the bitter mob. Just as she was pushing a heavy chair across the marble foyer, the front door burst open. A furious man dressed in camouflage started screaming at her in Turkish and gesturing wildly. Mirage raised her hands to prove she was no threat as she stepped before him. Before she could utter a word in her defense, a spray of blood hit her cheek as the man’s expression went blank. She leapt out of the way just as the dead man fell forward. Looking into the street behind, she saw a citizen with an M16. He raised his fist, yelled something in Turkish and ran down the street. Not knowing what else to do, she dragged the dead body inside away from the door and once more closed it, pushing the heavy chair on its side and in front as a barricade.
Then the bombing started.
Mirage dove under a round foyer entrance table. Curling her knees up to her chest, she covered her ears as clouds of dust and debris fell from the ceiling and the walls shook.
* * *
The shattering impact of the bombs was emphasized by the sudden pounding on the front door. Mirage picked up the only weapon she could find, a steak knife from the kitchen. Crouching low, she waited to see if they would break through the barricade. It was better she stood her ground and observed whoever it was, since hiding in the house would put her at a disadvantage. She wouldn’t have eyes on the situation. There was plenty of time to scatter once the door opened.
The door rattled from the impact. Once. Twice.
On the third strike, the chair shifted with a groan and the heavy wooden door was thrown open.
The street lamps from outside framed his large form as he took a cautious step forward. Surveying the room.
“Panama,” called out the man.
Mirage relaxed slightly. That was the code word The Syndicate said Paine would use so she would know it was him. Still, she stayed in her hiding place. Watching.
He closed the door behind him and replaced the chair. She could see the moment he saw the corpse on the floor.
Then his eyes connected with hers.
He had the most mesmerizing gaze. Cold and intense. His eyes were so crystal blue they almost shone like silver. A strong, angular jaw, deep set eyes and dark, wavy unkempt hair gave him an appearance of casual authority as if he was used to walking into a room and taking command. She marveled how such a large and imposing man could be a thief. High end thefts of jewels, information, even artwork, took agility. The ability to crawl through tight spaces, disappear into the sliver of a shadow, blend into the surroundings. She couldn’t imagine this man blending in anywhere. His height alone set him shoulders above the average man.
She watched fascinated as he moved towards her with a silent, masculine grace.
“It wasn’t me.”
She didn’t know why but she wanted him to know she hadn’t killed that man. Although it probably would have served her purpose to make him think she did. Criminals had reputations to protect and uphold after all, and a little embellishment never hurt anyone.
“I wouldn’t give a damn if it was, Mira.”
Shocked, Mira stared at him. He called her Mira, not Mirage. Mira was dangerously close to her real name. A closely guarded secret she wa
s certain even The Syndicate did not know. She searched his eyes for some form of recognition, perhaps from her past, but saw none.
“That’s not my name,” she said finally. “Everyone calls me Mirage.”
“I’m not everyone. And I’m here to help you. The Syndicate sent me. So you can put down that steak knife you’re clutching.”
She watched as his face broke out into an arrogant smile. There were slight laugh lines around the tanned skin of his eyes. She marveled at that. She would have thought someone with his reputation would be more fierce and humorless, but he had laugh lines.
Disturbed by his immediate effect on her, she squared her shoulders as she placed the steak knife within view. “Who says I need help?”
Paine laughed. It was a deep, almost affectionate laugh. The hint of intimacy in that laugh rattled her.
Pushing him aside, Mirage crawled out from beneath the table. Standing before him, she straightened her spine to make her small frame seem as tall and imposing as possible.
Again the man laughed as he seemed to give her an appreciative look.
Brushing the dust off her palms and pants, Mirage once against straightened, hands on hips. “So what’s the big plan to get us out of here?”
“We need to sit tight until tomorrow. I have a few contacts who say this will all blow over by then.”
“So you just want us to wait around doing nothing?’ she countered with an indignant tilt to her right eyebrow.
He gave her another one of his arrogant smiles and a seductive wink. “Well, I hadn’t planned on doing nothing.”
“In your dreams, pal,” she smirked as she turned her back on him. “The bar is in the library. Might as well get drunk.”
* * *
“Absolutely not!” she stated emphatically as a crystal glass of whiskey dangled loosely from her grip.
“Yes.”
“No!”
“No is not an option, kitten.”
She ignored his use of the endearment and the tiny flip in her stomach when he said it.
Placing her glass on the side table, she stood up, looking as regal as possible in her dusty clothes. “Fine. I choose dare.”
“I don’t know why we even decided to play this game. It’s not like either of us will choose truth,” he smirked. Motioning with his hand, he said, “Okay, you know the dare. Get to it.”
Mirage thought for a moment. The dare was an outlandish, challenging move she’d had to use on any previous heist. Remembering that time in LA at the house with the crazy laser security system, she nimbly stood on her hands. Placing her legs straight in the air, she balanced her body for a moment before taking two steps forward on her hands and then slowly opening her legs into a full split.
She heard the scrape of his chair. Just as she was about to right herself, she felt his strong hands on her hips. He flipped her upright, her legs now wrapped around his waist. Her body flush with his. Running his hand up her back, he fisted it in her long curls. Using his grip on her hair, he forced her head forward to meet his brutal kiss.
His lips slanted over her own. She could taste the smoked wood essence of the whiskey on both of their tongues. He moved to kiss her jawline, then nip at her neck before sucking her earlobe into his mouth, gently biting down.
He whispered gruffly into her ear, “Jesus Christ, kitten. Promise me you will never do that move in front of any other man but me.”
Still too taken aback by the violence of his kiss, she didn’t respond.
He yanked on her hair. The sting sent an unexpected flash of desire through her body. Her shocked eyes clashed with his.
“I mean it. Promise me,” he ground out, staring at her intently.
“I promise,” she responded, and strangely enough, she meant it.
Without saying another word, Paine carried her out of the library and up the stairs. Turning into the first bedroom he found, he stripped the bed bare, laying her upon it. He didn’t even allow a moment’s space between them before he covered her body with the heat and weight of his own.
The bombs had started again but neither cared. The world and all its chaos receded.
* * *
She pretended to be asleep when he left the next morning. He had left a note saying he was securing transportation out of the country and to be ready to go when he got back. She had already arranged her own way out.
She left before he returned.
She wasn’t dumb enough to think she was anything to a man like Paine. Best to spare them both the awkward, morning-after conversation.
He would probably forget all about her…after all, this was a one-time thing. It was not like they would ever cross paths again.
Chapter Eight
Present day
The rustic smell of wood burning and the feeling of being surrounded by soft warmth awoke Mirage from her dream.
She had been remembering her time in Istanbul, the moment she first met Paine, wondering if she could have known how much he would later change her life, that he would tap into a part of her she didn’t know existed. A dark and scary corner of her soul that liked to have her careful control taken away from her…by force. Mirage pushed those deep and troubling thoughts aside to take stock of her situation.
She knew better than to just spring open her eyes. Keeping her features calm, her breathing still, all her senses were brought into play. The smell of the fire and the heat on her cheek reminded her they’d moved back in the living room. Soft wool caressed the bare skin of her legs and arms.
Correction, naked in the living room.
The feel of strong thighs under her own told her she must be on Paine’s lap. There was a small, tingling flip in her chest at the thought. Mirage stopped breathing…to listen. Above the muted crackling of the fire, she could hear his soft, even breathing. Slowly, she opened her eyes to look at him through her thick, black lashes.
His features were smooth and even, lacking their usual angry animation. He was asleep.
Her dark eyes took in every detail. The slight scruff on his jaw. The lock of hair falling onto his forehead. The tiny tick in his left cheek as if he stirred in his dreams. She saw the thin silver chain around his neck. It hadn’t been there earlier. He must have put it on after she passed out from…from the most intense sexual experience of her fucking life. Jesus Christ, the way he manhandled her. Forced her. Even now, she had to fight clenching her inner thighs in response.
Focus.
The blanket he had her wrapped in covered the lower portion of his chest so she couldn’t see if there was the outline of the Raj Pink diamond. In addition to its thirty-million-dollar price tag, she had a strange, rather morbid, sentimental connection to the diamond. It was a talisman. A reminder to never let her emotions get the better of her. She wanted it back.
In one smooth motion, she pulled her right arm free of the blankets. Her left was pressed against the warmth of his body. With only the slightest whisper of a touch, she hooked the chain with her middle finger and gently pulled upwards.
“Like you…this diamond is mine now.”
Paine’s voice was thick and rough from sleep.
Her startled eyes connected with his amused ones as she dropped the chain.
“What makes you think I’m yours?”
One raven eyebrow quirked up over his left eye. “Do you want me to prove it again to you?”
Mirage lowered her gaze, unable to match his intense, knowing one.
She played with a loose yarn in the wool blanket. “Why?” she whispered.
Paine brushed a curl back behind her ear, caressing her cheek as he did it. “Why what, baby?”
“Why do you want me? Why are you doing this? Why haven’t you kil—”
Paine pressed a finger to her lips.
“I have told you. You fascinate me.”
Mirage’s eyes widened in disbelief. “I fascinate you? I fascinate you? Do you have any idea how insane that sounds? I…I…ruined your reputation with that very pink diam
ond you wear around your neck. I…I…tried to kill you! We are in the middle of….of…where the fuck are we?”
“Wales,” offered Paine helpfully.
That threw Mirage off her rant for a moment. “Seriously? Wales?”
Paine shrugged. “Pearly’s been to my London safe house for poker night.”
She raised her hands in frustration. “Yes! Yes! See? Exactly that. Pearly. I took out a contract to have you killed! And now we are hiding out in the middle of fucking Wales.”
“What is your point, Mira?”
“Why on earth would I fascinate you? Why would you want me?”
“Sweetheart, if you don’t know the answer to that, then any man who came before me should be shot.”
Mirage bit her lip at the bitter reminder. Paine had shot Dev. Dev, the man she’d thought she loved. The man she’d risked it all to avenge. She would love nothing better than to throw Paine’s words back in his face, but in her heart of hearts, she knew the truth. The truth which had always been there. Hiding in the dark, willfully ignored. Dev had never loved her. He’d just been using her, and worse, she had never truly loved him…just the idea of him.
It was a hard lesson to learn and one she was not going to forget.
Raising her chin, she said, “Listen. If all this is just some charade because you want something from me, some job you need done, I would rather you just come out and tell me what it is rather than pretend…pretend…that we’re in some kind of…fucked up relationship.”
Paine stood up with Mirage in his arms and tossed her back down onto the sofa. The blanket about her dislodged. She could feel the scrape of his jeans against her soft skin as he straddled her hips. Placing his hands on the armrest, he loomed over her. His crystal blue eyes lit with anger.
“I want you to listen now and listen closely. There is nothing I want from you but this beautiful body and that even more beautifully fucked up, amazingly intelligent mind of yours. This is not some kind of pretend anything, baby. This is the real thing. You think you’re the first person who has tried to kill me? Stephen, the closet thing I have to a friend has tried twice. So I got news for you…it’s not a deal breaker for me. Hell, that just makes me want you more. Let’s just say I like your kind of crazy.”