Imina paced in front of the panel with half her skirt covering one ass cheek.
The other very fine cheek was still visible. He grinned and barely refrained from reaching out and pinching it. “Karen must have stepped away.” Aiden took a deep breath then ran his shoe through the cum on the floor. “Elevator will smell like sex for a while. Maybe I’ll buy it and put it in my apartment so we can revisit this moment again.”
Imina’s plumped lips twisted. “This whole thing is very odd.”
“Odd? That’s an interesting word choice. Though I can’t say I’m surprised.” Aiden tugged up his jeans but left the top unbuttoned. “You can’t just pop off and leave now that we’re done, right? Gotta stay and talk. Oh, my!” He placed both hands on the sides of his face and opened his mouth wide. “Horror of horrors.”
“Don’t be a smartass.” She tugged down her skirt and picked her panties off the floor.
“Come sit with me.” He took her hand and pulled her onto the floor.
“It’s dirty…and cummy down here, and I don’t cuddle.” She sniffed.
“No cuddling. Right. Gotcha.” He winked. “Fuck, I don’t know about you, but I could use a nap. You’ve slayed me so you need to take home your spoils.” He hadn’t given up in three years, and he sure as hell wouldn’t stop now. Not after he’d experienced the feel of her, and watched her explode in his arms. He’d always known they’d burn together, but fuck if he wasn’t a bit scorched.
“I told you.” Imina held up a hand then adjusted her shirt. “Just this moment. That’s all.”
“I disagree.” He nudged her hands from her shirt and helped her do up the buttons. “I know…have known for a very long time that this moment would happen, and now that it has, it’ll happen again.”
She dropped her head in her open palms and buried her face in her hands. “You drive me absolutely insane, Maxfield.”
“No, I make you feel.” Easing away her fingers, he clasped her hand in his and kissed her knuckles. “Why do you fight against this? We’ve always had a spark. I feel it every time I’m here. I know you do, as well. Will you please tell me why you always say no, when you obviously”—he waved a hand around the elevator—“want to say yes?”
“I can’t.”
Sad brown eyes met his. “You said your reticence has something to do with the company I keep.”
“I shouldn’t have said that.” She dropped her gaze and ran her fingers over her mouth. “I didn’t mean anything by it…just another way to get you to back off.”
“You’re lying. Why?”
“Can’t we just enjoy the post-sex glow? Maybe see how many more times we can make each other feel real nice before we’re rescued?”
“No.” Well, yes, he wanted to feel nice, sure, but even more, he wanted answers. “Why, Imina? Tell me.”
“I said I can’t, and that’s more than I should’ve said. I’m sorry.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Sometimes it’s better when you don’t know.”
“Don’t know what?”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Imina shot to her feet and paced in the elevator. “We’ve become friends of a sort, right? And now we’ve had sex. Let’s leave it at that. I won’t do this again. So stop it! I can’t get close to you.”
Passion and fire. Those emotions wouldn’t come from a woman who wasn’t interested. He had to believe that. “Can’t isn’t the same thing as not wanting to.” He bent his leg and rested his wrist on his knee.
“Bingo.” She jabbed a finger in his face. “Yeah, so, you broke me temporarily. I’ll admit to that, because, to be honest, I do like you. I do look forward to seeing you. But promises and secrets exist within Infidelity, and if I’m ever going to love someone, I’d have to spill certain parts of my past. And I can’t.”
His mysterious Imina. He’d admit that was part of her allure. But he’d been digging in the past for many years now and had become somewhat of an expert at unearthing truths. “I’ll figure it out on my own.”
“Yeah.” She chuckled and tried prying open the door again. “Good luck with that.”
“You know, when I put people in the lens, I see so much. Things they don’t want me to see. Maybe I’ll photograph you. Maybe then I’ll see your secrets.”
“This moment is all we’ve got.” Imina braced both hands on her hips and faced him.
“Says you.” He crossed his legs, settling in.
“Kind of takes two people to move forward.”
“Yes. It does.”
Imina dropped down, her knees on either side of his thighs. “Things are better when you’re not talking.” She cupped his face and kissed him.
Not rushed. Not panicked, just slow, long, and wet. She teased him with her tongue, played with his lips, nipping and licking. As far as distractions went, this worked. Aiden joined her in the play, running his fingers up and down her arms then her thighs, his body heating again.
Gasping, she kissed him harder then reached between his legs, pressing on his reinvigorated cock.
The elevator lights flashed.
He blinked as she pulled away, the haze of lust disappearing far too quickly from her eyes.
The elevator jerked, groaning as it roared to life and began its descent.
Imina sat back on her heels and grinned. “Thanks for a wild time, Maxfield.”
Each floor number on the panel lit up as they dropped to the ground level—and reality. Ten, nine, eight…the end of this life-changing moment coming too soon.
He glanced at her but her gaze remained on the lights, the glow reflecting in her brown eyes.
Just before the doors opened, he clasped Imina’s hand and pulled her against his body. “You’re welcome, Lesedi. I look forward to seeing you again.” He smirked, kissed her hard, and then helped her to her feet.
The elevator doors slid open.
Two firemen stood outside. The one with the handlebar mustache said, “Everything okay?”
Aiden squeezed Imina’s hand. “Everything’s perfect.”
Chapter 4
Aiden grimaced as his tennis shoes squeaked across the racquetball court. He grabbed a towel from inside his gym bag and wiped the sweat from his brow. Kellogg hadn’t beaten him. They’d played two matches, and Aiden had hit fifteen points easily during each game. Like always. And, like always, Kellogg cursed and carried on, but the words were all in good fun.
They’d been roommates at Columbia University. Great guy, although he worked a lot. Kellogg had set up Aiden’s job at Infidelity. Kellogg was like that, always offering to help a friend. Aiden hadn’t needed the job. But, Kellogg didn’t understand his financial status, which made sense, his friend couldn’t fathom making money from taking pictures.
Imina had been right about one thing, Aiden did come from old money and had inherited at twenty-one. Not that he rested on his laurels. Over the past five years, he’d focused on creating books that chronicled America’s history through pictures. His books had won many awards and had been featured in TIME magazine. He loved delving into the past, and the East Coast was loaded with stories just waiting for him and his camera to bring them to life.
He glanced at his friend. Mr. All-American, with his dirty blond hair and blue eyes. He’d always been a slick-looking dude. He’d tried to talk Aiden into a salon day once before. He liked the guy, but not enough to get his bits waxed or his nails filed. Hell no! The guy had always been fastidious. Designer clothes. Shoes. Hair products. Yet, he’d always been private about his personal life, generally choosing his job as a main topic of conversation.
Aiden took a long swig from his water bottle. “Great game. I needed that.” After his experience with Imina yesterday, he’d needed a distraction from thoughts of soft skin and lustful moans.
Now that he thought about it, had Kellogg ever mentioned his initial connection to Infidelity? Hell, Aiden’s introduction to the company was three years ago. He couldn’t remember.
Kellogg also came from money. They were
both privileged, but hard workers. Anytime his pal called with an open court, he rearranged his schedule since they rarely had time to catch up. “How are Sarah and the kids?” Aiden tugged his bag over his shoulder then dug inside for his phone to check the time.
“Everyone’s doing great.” Kellogg wiped his brow. “Thanks.”
“Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask, what’s that scratch on your arm? Did I do that?” Aiden frowned. “Looks pretty red.”
“What?” Kellogg narrowed his brow. “Oh, t-that…just a cat. Got pissed and nailed me. Stupid fucking pussy.” He chuckled and rubbed his arm before grabbing his racquet’s case.
Aiden blinked and scratched his chin. “You have pets?”
“What?” Kellogg finished zipping his racquet into its case. “No. Kids are allergic. Plus, they’re disgusting.” Tossing his racquet on top of his bag, he wiped both hands on his gym shorts. “The neighbor’s cat was in our yard. I took him home.” He shrugged. “Wasn’t happy.”
“I see.” Aiden studied the marks on the guy’s arm. They weren’t narrow and thin, but deep grooves, like from fingernails. A woman’s fingernails. Maybe Kellogg and his wife got up to some crazy shenanigans in the bedroom. Who knew?
Kellogg slid on his sweatshirt then smoothed it into place over his flat stomach. “So, you up for a protein drink from that place across the street?”
“Sure.”
Aiden checked his texts and followed Kellogg outside, making small talk the whole way.
On the busy street corner, they waited for the crosswalk light. A breeze whipped through his hair, giving him a chill. Fall weather was on the horizon. He’d head up north to photograph the colorful trees. Maybe he could talk Imina into staying at his parents’ place. A guy could dream, right? He inwardly chuckled, then a hard nudge against his shoulder had him tensing and gripping his bag tighter. “What the hell, man?”
The rude guy barreled right over to Kellogg and grabbed his arm. “Mr. Brown, we watch and we know. This is for Nadia.”
Aiden could only stand in shock as the guy hauled off and punched Kellogg twice in the gut.
“Whoa…wait!” Aiden lunged forward, but jolted to a stop when two burly men grabbed his arms and held him against the building behind them. “What the hell?”
“…not enough money for what you do to my girl, you pig. Take money elsewhere.” After delivering a final blow to Kellogg’s face, the dark-haired man in a crisp gray suit spat then turned and faced Aiden. “You should rethink your friends, cowboy.” He nodded at his men then stormed off in the opposite direction to a black sedan parked at the curb.
The men released Aiden and followed.
Aiden watched them drive away. This was the second time in a week someone had suggested he rethink his connections. Sound returned. The rush of cabs driving by. Honking horns. Sirens. And his friend’s long, low groan. “What was all that about?” He dropped to one knee at Kellogg’s side. “What the hell, man? Do you need an ambulance?”
“No. Those fuckers.” Kellogg sneered, his face a cold mask. “They’ll pay. He thinks he can come to my side of town and shove me around? Piece of shit. He knew.”
“He knew?” Aiden eased back. “Knew what? You know that guy?” He jerked his thumb in the direction of the retreating car.
“What?” Kellogg rubbed his jaw, a deep red print visible on his face. “What are you implying? Of course, I don’t know him.”
“But you said he knew—”
Kellogg waved him off. “Get me back to the gym. Ronez, the trainer, is also studying sports medicine. He can fix me up.”
Replaying the event in his mind, Aiden helped Kellogg to his feet then led him inside the gym. Had Kellogg roughed up a girl? Had she given him those marks on his arm? Were his actions so extreme that the pimps—or whatever they called themselves…handlers—tracked down his friend to exact retribution? Had he misjudged this man before him? Aiden swallowed back the bile at the thought of what his friend could do to a woman.
After Ronez wrapped up Kellogg’s ribs and loaded him with painkillers, the trainer left them alone in the private locker room.
“Want to tell me what that was about?”
“None of your business.” Kellogg sniffed and rubbed his side.
“Who’s Nadia?” Aiden stood before him, legs braced apart.
Kellogg shot off the bench. “Listen, we’ve been friends for a long time, right? Have you ever known me to do anything wrong? No. I don’t know who those guys were or what they wanted. Case of wrong identity. So leave it alone.”
“I’m sorry, Kellogg, but I don’t believe you.” Aiden folded both arms across his chest. “The guy knew your name.”
“You’re hearing things.” He shrugged a shoulder then dropped his gaze.
Hearing things? That was Kellogg’s defense? Anytime a person put the blame back on him, Aiden had to wonder. “I’m not hearing anything. I saw. And you’re lying.”
“I suggest you leave it.” Kellogg poked a finger against Aiden’s chest. “You think about where you are right now. Think about your comfy little world. You stay out of my business, and I’ll stay out of yours.”
“Are you threatening me?” Aiden narrowed his gaze, betrayal and anger rising like mercury to the top of his internal thermometer. Who was this man? A liar? A user of women? His college pal wouldn’t be so enraged if the answers to those questions weren’t yes and yes. Just what kind of man was Kellogg Brown and, even worse, why hadn’t he seen the evil beneath?
“Aiden, everyone knows you’re an artist. You hide behind your little lens and extrapolate things. Imagine stories where none exist, and then spew all that shit into magazines and your silly little books. My life isn’t up for investigation. So, keep your nose out of it.” Stepping into his space, Kellogg shoved his shoulder. “I don’t threaten, I deliver, so back off, or I’ll forget we were ever friends.”
Jaw clenched, Aiden met Kellogg’s gaze. “You hired a hooker and beat her? What kind of monster are you? That’s sick.”
Kellogg’s nostrils flared as he took a deep breath. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, he took a step back and brushed a hand down his sweatshirt. “If you breathe one word about what happened today, I will end you.”
“That wasn’t a denial.”
“All right. Fine. One time.” Kellogg paced before him in the small room. “I hired a couple of girls for a client who asked for a little entertainment. The guy got rough so I grabbed him, and we left. That is all.”
The story should have unclenched the sickness in Aiden’s gut, but it didn’t. Lies rolled too easily and too smoothly from this man’s tongue. The attack outside the gym had been personal. Maybe a long time in coming. The whole thing raised far too many questions. “How did you know who to hire?”
“Because I’ve done it before!” Kellogg practically shouted down the roof.
“For work?”
“Yes.” Kellogg heaved a sigh. “Now, leave it.”
Like hell he would. He fisted both hands at his sides. “Do you know how they get those girls? Where they come from? It’s horrific. It’s called trafficking, Kellogg. Why would you be involved in something like that?”
“They’re whores,” Kellogg scoffed, running a hand through his golden hair. “Who gives a shit?”
“Right.” Aiden drew out the word, disgust and revulsion ripping through him. “Find another racquetball partner.” Done with this conversation, he grabbed his bag off the floor and turned for the door.
Kellogg gripped his arm. “You’ll keep your mouth shut.”
Aiden glanced at Kellogg then at his arm. “Let go.”
A couple seconds ticked by before Kellogg released him.
Aiden stormed straight out of the locker room door, went outside, walked two blocks, and hailed a cab. “Central Park.” He needed fresh air. Trees. Life.
He should’ve clocked Kellogg. Should’ve held him down until he told the truth. But what more proof did he need? His friend had hired a ho
oker and hurt her. Whether Kellogg’s story of the other guy was true or not, it didn’t matter. Aiden’s world had tumbled outside of the square frame he normally lived within. But he couldn’t hide behind the lens anymore. Imina had rocked his world, and Kellogg had…wait…Kellogg had referred him to Infidelity. So that would mean he knew Imina and Karen, right? Aiden’s stomach churned at the thought. Imina had said she couldn’t be with Aiden due to the company he kept. As he stared out the window, he swallowed hard. Did Imina know the kind of man Kellogg really was? And if so, how?
Chapter 5
After an hour of sitting in the park—watching joggers pass by, women pushing strollers, and a flamboyant dog walker who’d stopped and left his number—Aiden finally shook off the fury over his friend’s disgusting behavior. He’d speak to his pal, Tony Antonacci, a beat cop who also worked security at fashion shows. Tony might have an idea of how the whole underground trafficking system worked.
Aiden wouldn’t leave things be. If Kellogg was hurting women, then he had to stop him. He’d hire someone to trail Kellogg. Maybe Tony could help with that, too. Or his cop friend could hook him up with a good private eye.
He sighed and leaned against the hard wood bench. Light flickered through the heavy canopy of trees. The leaves were just starting to turn from green to golds and reds. Two benches down, a homeless man stirred and shouted a few nonsensical words. This was New York City. The highest of the high and the lowest of the low, but what happened when someone like Kellogg took advantage of that divide?
Aiden rubbed his eyes. While sitting here stewing, he’d missed an appointment with his publicist. She’d sent him a few texts. Yet, he couldn’t talk business, sales, or promotion when his whole view on the world had imploded. Sure, he’d known evil people existed, but he’d never watched a person he’d thought he’d known change right before his eyes.
A cool breeze drifted across his skin. He shivered, still slightly damp in his workout clothes. He’d believed he was a good judge of character, but now wondered what else, and who else, he’d been wrong about. Yet, weren’t people like Kellogg sociopaths or psychopaths? He’d never truly understood the difference, only that they could hide who they were. They’d learned to adapt and change as necessary. Kellogg was two very different people. The hard-working family man, and also someone who hired a woman and hurt her enough that she left deep grooves in his arm and forced her handlers to find him outside their exclusive gym. “Unbelievable.” He huffed and scrubbed his temples.
Infidelity: Insider (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 3