“I don’t know how long I can wait, and if this is some kind of scam then I’m going to need this information. I won’t confront her with what I know. There’s still the possibility of there being a logical explanation.” Eric looked at Kirk and knew from his expression this was not his personal belief.
“I’ve always been straightforward with you and that’s not going to stop now. This woman is bad news and I would cut ties with her as soon as possible. I’m trailing her to see where she goes. I have one of my associates in the field working this angle as we speak. I’m not doing this primarily for the money. I consider us friends.” The work he had done for him in the past was delicate and had to be handled with kid gloves.
“I appreciate everything you’re doing, but it doesn’t instill confidence within me. I started this and there’s no way that I can stop until I finish it. I’ve gotten personally involved with her and I don’t think I have to paint you a picture.” Eric wasn’t afraid to tell Kirk of his extracurricular activities. They had known each other for years and spent time on the squash court once a week.
“You don’t have to explain anything to me. I’ve been married three times and each one was more disastrous than the other. It’s as old as time when a man feels his heart skip a beat when the woman he claims to love walks into a room.” Kirk knew that Eric’s relationship with his wife was nothing more than smoke and mirrors.
“Of all the people in my life, you’re the only one that I have ever trusted with my deepest and darkest secrets. I can count on my fingers how many friends I have which would be there when my money ran dry. You are at the top of that list.” Eric handed him an envelope full of cash under the table.
“This retainer isn’t for me and I would do this pro bono, but I have employees depending on getting paid. I’m already working with you on this merger to make sure their dirty laundry doesn’t ruin what you’re trying to do. I have all of your employees hacked. I’m watching for any kind of discrepancy in their bank accounts to give you a heads up when somebody is living beyond their means.” Kirk had a few interesting bites, but nothing that couldn’t be explained away.
“I know I’m asking a lot, but this needs to take priority. It hits home when I realize I might be my own worst enemy.” Eric was standing and couldn’t bear to sit down when his life was summarily unraveling before his eyes.
“Don’t worry. I will get to the bottom of this in time. I’ll even go so far as to put a fire underneath my guy. This money will help to push him into action. I will personally watch this woman like a hawk. We don’t even know if Claire is her real first name. If I were to hazard a guess, I would say that the likelihood is pretty good. A scam artist worth their salt will want to use their first name for a sense of familiarity.” He had seen these cases before and very rarely did they refute what he already knew in his heart.
Kirk’s office was sparse with only one filing cabinet and a worn desk scattered with papers. There was a computer, but the monitor was old school with a bulky presence. He was still trying to get used to the Internet. It was a vast smorgasbord of information which he was inclined to utilize on behalf of his clients.
“With all the money I’ve given you over the years, you would think you would have enough to have heat in this place. I don’t mind telling you that I’m freezing my ass off. I have thought about investing, but I know you would never agree to take on a silent partner. It’s not in your vocabulary to give up control.” He could almost see his breath in front of his face.
“This office is located inside a meat shop in a back room. I don’t pay utilities and I rarely ever see the inside of the office unless absolutely necessary.” Kirk ran his finger along the desk trailing dust in his wake.
“There’s always a method to your madness and might I venture to ask the reason why you have decided on this venue.” He was asking a poignant question and one he was hard-pressed to understand.
“I have a large Sicilian family and they own these facilities. I don’t normally require them, but they are there for added muscle when things get too hot to handle. It’s a safety net. It doesn’t hurt to be surrounded by family.” Kirk had not shaved in a few days and could already feel the itch from his beard becoming more than he wanted to endure.
“I’ve taken up more than enough of your time and I know you have better things to do than hold my hand. You have my reluctant permission to dig deeper. I get the feeling you would have probably done it anyway without any encouragement from me.” Eric felt a little dirty slumming in this area of town, but the results of Kirk’s work spoke for itself.
“I know you’re not one to take advice, but be very careful with this woman. It’s been my experience those who scam can be the most dangerous of them all. They insinuate themselves into your life and then they leave you picking up the pieces after they are done ruining everything you’ve built.” Kirk got up on his feet as a sign of solidarity with his hand touching Eric’s shoulder to give him the necessary support to soldier on.
“Having you in my corner makes me feel that I’m not alone. I’ve always believed money solves everything, but maybe I have been deluding myself.” Eric could still see her face and the body that had become something of a guilty obsession. The one stumbling block was the reason why she hadn’t finalized the deal. It seemed out of character.
“We’ve been through a lot and you were there for two of my divorces. I don’t need to tell you what kind of shape I was in. Finding the answers at the bottom of a bottle was not a good idea. I don’t know where I would be without you. I owe you a debt of honor I’m not sure I can ever repay.” Kirk escorted him to the door which was a fire exit made of pure metal with the bar across the front of it to alert him to unwanted visitors.
The door swung open on an alley where there was this one tough kid standing in the shadows. He nodded his head and then whistled with his hands behind his back on his way out onto the street.
“I’m always surprised when I come out of here to see my car still intact. I know you always have my best interest at heart. Without your influence, my Jaguar would be chopped up into little pieces and shipped overseas.” He was still a little nervous to be on the wrong side of the tracks.
“I feel that you are my little brother and I have no choice but to look after you. I definitely couldn’t live in the circles of wealth and fame. These are my people. They respect me and they know that I’m usually fair but strict.” Derek had been stationed to keep those with eyes on his Jaguar from getting their hands on it. Kirk saw the potential and knew that Derek was on the rise in his employment.
The kid was like a chameleon and could blend into his surroundings no matter what the circumstance. Kirk depended on him to use his vast network of hackers to be his eyes and ears on the street.
“I always thought it was the other way around. It really doesn’t matter and we might be brothers from other mothers, but we’re still family.” Eric had this bad taste in his mouth and couldn’t shake the feeling that what he felt for Claire wasn’t the truth.
“Keep your chin up and your head on a swivel. Don’t get complacent and always change your routine from the normal. This too shall pass, but it might feel like a kidney stone after everything is said and done.” They may have lived vastly different lives, but Kirk understood their bond was deeper than blood.
“I didn’t save your life to have you indebted to me,” Eric said. “I did it because it was the right thing to do. I still wear the scar like a badge of honor. Nobody really knows what they are capable of until they are put into a position to find out.” Eric rubbed his forearm where the blade had left a permanent scar on his bicep.
“Don’t sell yourself short. It was a matter of life and death. You came through in the pinch. Taking on those five guys was like witnessing a wild animal. I don’t mind saying that I was impressed. You certainly live up to the saying never judge a book by its cover.” Kirk stood at the vigil watching his surroundings never pretending he didn’t have a bull’s
eye on his forehead.
There was always someone gunning for his position and would capitalize if the moment materialized.
The expensive foreign vehicle turned the corner with Derek tipping his hat to give him the all clear sign.
Derek looked down at his phone and saw a message from Kirk. It was time to get down to business and to further his education in what it took to be more than what people would see. He was educated and felt more at home with the dregs of society than he did with his own family.
Surveillance on Claire was 24 hours a day, seven days a week with everything recorded for further evaluation.
They didn’t know Nicholas had seen them at the hotel. He was on the roof peering through a pair of binoculars with his eyes squarely on Kirk. There was something about him that made Nicholas feel that they had overstayed their welcome. He wasn’t sure how he was going to inform Claire about this latest turn of events. The hunter had become the prey. Accidents happened all the time…he had to find the right way to make this problem disappear.
Chapter Twelve
“Mr. Jamison, you have a visitor and I have requested that she remain in the waiting area. I know you have your hands full with a conference call overseas. I can easily tell her to come back at a later date.” Eric heard the dulcet tones of his executive assistant.
“I’m just about finished up here and you can escort her in. Bring her a cup of herbal tea.” He didn’t have to ask who it was. He could see her clear as day on the monitor beside his desk.
She moved with liquid movements with no motion wasted. This girl was a force of nature. The feelings she brought forth weren’t even close to contempt. He hated himself for being blind to her ambition, but she had already found a way underneath his skin.
The door opened and he motioned for her to come forward to take a seat. He had to be very careful not to show all of the cards in his hand. Disinformation was a good way to ferret out a wolf in his hen house.
“I know what you’re saying and this merger needs to remain between the two of us. I would be ostracized if my dealings with you became public. Of course, I’m worried about blackmail and someone could take this information and profit from it. You look after your house and I will look after mine. This whole thing derails if we are caught with our pants down. I will be making an announcement to diminish the sting at 9 tomorrow morning.” Eric wasn’t talking to anyone. The only thing he could hear was a dial tone.
“It would appear I have caught you at a bad time. I wanted to surprise you by bringing you lunch. I hope you’re hungry.” Claire got up and dropped the pretense and her trench coat in that order.
Eric couldn’t stop staring at how the whipped cream adorned her naked nipples. There was chocolate sauce dripping down to pool at her navel. There was more whipped cream and what looked like a strawberry sauce covering her mound. This was a dessert he could definitely sink his teeth into.
“I’ve already had a quick bite to eat, but I have room for dessert.” He thought about keeping her at arm’s length, but it was counterproductive to make her see him as the enemy.
“I’m going to lock the door to make sure that you are not interrupted.” Claire had to be very careful to avoid making a mess of his wood floors. They were teak and quite expensive.
“I’ve always wanted to have an afternoon delight in my office. I honestly never thought it would happen in my lifetime. You do know how to get a man’s attention. This is a nice distraction.” The ground beneath his feet felt like it was going to open up and swallow him. He was frozen in his chair.
Claire walked into his line of sight and she was quite taken by the tent of his arousal. She leaned back with her hands on the desk and put her heel against his chest underneath one of the buttons on his shirt. With a flick of her stiletto, the button became disengaged and fell without a sound to the floor.
She continued on the same trajectory until the first four buttons on his shirt were gone. It left only three others to contend with. She sat on his desk and then grabbed the arms of his chair with her feet to pull him closer with the wheels squeaking along the floor.
“Claire, you are a sight for sore eyes and there hasn’t been a moment I haven’t thought of you. I must confess those thoughts are usually not PG-rated.” The door was closed and he was well aware of his staff separated by only a few inches of wood.
“I know you don’t have a lot of time. If I were you, I would not hesitate for even a second. Let me make it very clear. This isn’t going to clean itself. You have a lot of work to do and I’m not going to allow you a reprieve until you get every single morsel.” She had her feet hooked underneath the arms of his chair with his face no more than a few inches away from sampling the merchandise.
“I will make time for you.” Eric saw that time was of the essence and the dripping mixture was now congealing together.
Some of the whipped cream had begun to melt under the furnace of her sex. He followed with the tip of his tongue to catch whatever was trying to drip down the inside of her thighs.
“I had a few cocktails to give me the liquid courage to do this. I’m not drunk, but I’m not sober either. You have no idea how exposed I felt walking into this building. Waiting to see you had me nervous and shaking with the revelation that somebody might catch on to what I had in mind.” Claire wasn’t lying and this wasn’t part of the act. Something compelled her to come here dressed up to be consumed.
“I spend my time thinking about you and it almost drives me mad with desire. The frustration of not seeing you sends a message to a prominent region of my anatomy.” He felt her foot make contact and it was a telegraph to his libido.
“There’s a storm raging in my frozen heart, which I’m sure you can find a way to thaw. I don’t want to give you any ideas, but your hot mouth might be the ticket. Don’t you think that you have waited long enough to taste the fruits of your labor?” She was indulging in her favorite pastime of keeping a man on the edge of their seat.
“I know what I’m going to do to heat you up.” He leaned closer and had his first taste. It unveiled one of her lips and he traced it with his tongue through the concoction blocking his way.
“It has to be the possibility of getting caught. It’s the only explanation for how fucking hot I feel. I feel faint, but I don’t want to miss one damn moment of you looking up at me.” Claire wanted him to follow a certain path. She had no control over how fast this was going to be accomplished.
Eric knew that she was manipulating his decision and there was nothing holding him back. He was never more afraid in his life than he was of losing her. There was no hesitation and what was waiting for him in behind those lips had him second guessing himself.
He felt like he was stumbling in the dark and he wasn’t sure how far was too far. This was his way of taking her places where pleasure was a guarantee. The condiments were a perfect mixture of sweet and decadent.
He had her pinned up against the desk and his hand was priming the pump down below. He didn’t have to, but he knew the best way to be ready was by stimulating his flesh. It was unnecessary and eating her was becoming a pleasure in itself.
“I never think about the future when I’m with you, Eric. The way that you see me makes me feel like I can be better than what I’ve become. You are the owner of my heart and of my body which craves every part of you. The feeling of your tongue is like you’re in possession of a magical wand. I lose myself and I can’t decide if you have taken away my free will.” Claire felt a wave of euphoria insistently tingling all over her skin. The feeling made her gyrate in place, holding him by the back of his skull while moving her lips to give him the basic idea of what she was looking for.
His tongue never lost contact, the tip flicking against her clit in a maddening attempt to keep her from losing that moment. His cock was leaking all over his hand. The stickiness supplied him with a lubrication to give him more than enough incentive to climb into the saddle.
He released her with his fingerp
rints deeply embedded into her inner thighs. Kissing those marks, he felt her tremble and then he fingered the very spot he was going to fuck. It was quite tight and had him remembering all the other times they had given into their carnal desires.
“I think that I’ve made all the whipped cream disappear and it might be time to replace it with some of my own. I can assure you there is more than enough for your insatiable appetite.” He was standing at the ready. His stiffened condition was not lost on her eager and hungry eyes.
“Not yet… I still haven’t satisfied my sweet tooth. I brought this along just in case you were ready to be a little bit naughty in the office.” Claire produced the same bottle of whipped cream that she had used to give her body, something he would never be able to resist.
Jumping into the chair, she turned to swivel in front of him with his knob brushing past her lips. Sticking out her tongue, she was able to capture the syrup clinging to the tip.
Plans were inevitable to end in disaster, but this one seemed destined to take them away from everything that they feared. The reason why they were together was simple. They were missing a unique opportunity to expand their horizons. Learning what love was had them both climbing to new heights of pleasure unknown to the both of them.
“I’m still worried about somebody walking in on us, but I know the door is closed. Nobody would dare come into my inner sanctum without announcing their presence first. I’ve taught them well to avoid my unnecessary outburst of anger. You should take a lesson from them and it’s not nice when somebody is made a fool of.” He was making a generalization, but he was using what she was doing behind his back as a reference point.
“I can’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to hurt you like that. I find myself acting crazy and I lose my disguise when I look into your beautiful blue eyes. You have me spinning and I never know when I’m stopping or going.” She aimed the nozzle at his knob and covered the entire appendage from stem to stern.
Unwrapped by The Billionaire Page 70