Accounting for Lust

by Ylette Pearson

  Blood rushed to Jake’s penis at her words, but he had seen the dark circles under her eyes and the lines of fatigue crinkling her eyes. She needed sleep more than she needed him at the moment. They had the whole day ahead of them to fill.

  He followed her inside, stacked the dishes in the washer and wiped the surfaces in the kitchen before he picked her up and strode to the bedroom. Another cold shower will be required to ease his now painful erection, but Cassie needed her sleep. Even if she smelled of rose-soap and the subtle perfume of sex. Even if her soft breasts pressed into his chest as she hooked her arms around his neck and her nipples hardened under the friction.

  Cassie pressed her lips to his neck and nibbled softly. He tightened his hold on her to keep his arms from dropping her right there in the passage and taking her hard and fast from behind. She pushed all the right buttons. She massaged his scalp and he stifled a groan. Did she realize the havoc she caused in his body? Judging from her wriggling against his fully erect cock and the soft mewing, she knew perfectly well what she wanted and how to get it. He hardened his resolve. She needed sleep. Alone.

  As he turned to switch off the light in the passage, his eyes caught a white envelope on the matt in front of the door. He paused in mid-stride. It wasn’t there when they carried the dishes to the kitchen. A glance at his watch confirmed the time. Who delivered a letter at three o’ clock in the morning? He straightened and switched off the light. She had the right to know about the letter, but it could wait until she’d had some decent sleep.

  Once in the bedroom, he tangled his fingers in her hair and captured her lips in a tender kiss. When she moved to deepen it, he broke the kiss and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

  “I have some work to do. You need to rest. Tomorrow we go picnicking at the river.” Confusion darkened her eyes and he cursed inwardly as the lusty look slowly dissipated.

  She tilted her head to the side, suspicion lining her face. “What’s wrong? What happened that I don’t know about?”

  If he told her about the envelope she wouldn’t go to sleep. If he didn’t and she found out later, she might have his hide for hiding it from her. Tough shit, she needed the rest more than knowing whatever the envelope contained. He was a big boy. He could handle all the abuse she would probably throw at him if the envelope turned out to be serious.

  “Nothing’s wrong. You need rest and I need to get some work done if we were to move along with this case quickly.” He pulled the sheet over her, planted a kiss on her forehead and hurried from the room.

  His bare feet slapped on the tiles as he hurried towards the door. Taking a cloth from the kitchen, he picked up the envelope. Besides the hour in which it was delivered, he couldn’t see anything suspicious about the physical appearance of the object. Judging by the weight, it contained only a few sheets of paper, if that much.

  Sliding a knife through the top he made sure he didn’t disturb any possible DNA evidence they could gather from the glue. Dammit, he needed their evidence kit with gloves and tweezers and bags. For a second he considered fetching it, but discarded the idea quickly. He couldn’t leave Cassie unprotected. Not if someone took the time to deliver a message in the early hours of the morning when normal people slept.

  He shook the envelope and the contents drifted to the counter. A single photo wrapped in single sheet of paper. The photo depicted a young man in his early thirties embracing another man. Nothing unusual about that, except that both men were stark naked and the one whose was face visible, rested his hands on the other man’s buttocks. They were in an office, but books of fabric littered the desk, some of them open at similar patterns. The lighting inside the room was dim and gave the photo a grainy appearance. Although it didn’t degrade the quality of the facial expression of ecstasy on the man’s face. Clearly the two enjoyed each other’s company on a carnal level.

  Jake turned the photo over, but except for the make of paper faintly ingrained as watermark on the paper, it contained nothing further. He pressed the sheet of paper open.

  Like father like son? The letters sat askew, cut and pasted from newspapers and magazines.

  “Son of a bitch.”

  He left the items on the counter and rushed to his room to fetch his cellphone. One button connected him to Matt.

  “We need to get to Cassie’s brother. Now.”

  Explaining what he found, he heard Matt’s car start just before he severed the connection. Ten minutes later, a soft knock sounded on the door.

  Jake let the forensic expert inside and pressed his finger over his lips. While he waited for the expert to process the envelope and contents, Jake leaned against the doorframe and ran a hand over his hair. He didn’t expect to find any evidence on the envelope.

  Jake let the forensic expert out, locked the door and turned out the lights. Sinking down on the couch, Jake recalled everything they knew about the perpetrator.

  A thief or blackmailer never targeted a whole family. The security team found no unusual payments made from Graham Adams’ account and Cassie received no demands for money. Why would he attack Dorian, but not physically harm him?

  No, this had to be something personal. Against whom? Cassie? A former lover? A disgruntled employee? A client she’d reported to the IRS? Jake shook his head. No. Not strong enough motives for the elaborate scheme of terror wielded by the culprit.

  Her father? What had Graham Adams done in the past that could piss someone off enough to keep up the punishment even after his death? Were the theft of the money and these threats even related? Jake rose from the couch and paced the floor. He had to find answers soon. Cassie’s safety depended on the answers.

  Lost in thought he jumped when his phone rang.

  “I’m coming over. We need to talk.” Jake nodded although Matt couldn’t see him.

  “Just be quiet, Cassie needs her sleep.”

  “I bet she does.” Matt disconnected the call before Jake could reply and Jake resisted the urge to throw the phone at the wall. Instead, he shoved the phone in his pocket and continued pacing the floor.

  Cassie. In two days she’d become his world. A world skewed by danger and sex and nothing resembling normality. For the first time, protecting a client meant more than just solidifying the reputation of his business or the prosecution of a criminal intent on causing the government harm. He broke every rule in the book by sleeping with her, but he couldn’t find it in himself to feel any regret or censure. They were a combustible combination. Until the passion reached burn-out, he planned to enjoy the ride. Regardless of what Matt said.

  Jake opened the door to a panting Matt. They moved to the lounge and Matt slouched on the only single chair in the room.

  “So?”

  “The guy tied her brother up and took more demeaning pictures. The whole time he spoke only one sentence.” Matt shifted in his seat.

  Jake tilted his head to the side. “Come on Matt, get it over with. We don’t have time for games.”

  “Glad you finally realised it.”

  At Jake’s scowl he sighed. “All right, I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

  Jake nodded. “So, what did he say?”

  “You Adamses will pay.”

  Jake sagged in his chair. “So he’s targeting the whole family.”

  “Looks like it. And despite what Joshua thinks, this was not one of the board members.”

  “Why not?”

  “I met with the board yesterday after Cassie revoked their access to the accounts. None of them fit the description Dorian gave me.”

  “Dorian could describe the guy? I thought you said he wore a mask.”

  “He did. Dorian has an eye for detail. Must be due to his interior design business. According to him the man was six-five, lean, but with well developed shoulders, wore a Rolex on his right arm and shoes that cost thousands.”

  “So, why couldn’t it be a board member?”

  “Dorian said he wore cheap aftershave and had a Southern accent.”r />
  Jake shook his head incredulously. “So based on the cheap aftershave and accent you ruled out the board members?”

  Matt’s eyes twinkled. “Not exactly. He also said he played golf with the board regularly and he can assure me, none of them has a body toned enough to wear a bodysuit.”

  Jake frowned. “The guy wore a bodysuit?”

  “Yep, complete with bulges protruding at the most inappropriate places, according to Dorian that is.”

  Jake burst out laughing. “Dorian noticed this despite his fear of the man?”

  “He said it was hard to miss as the guy had a hard-on while tying him to the bed.”

  Shaking his head, Jake rose from the seat. “So we have a guy terrorising the whole family while stealing the company’s money. You still think it’s the same guy?”

  “I do. These acts appear to be unrelated, but all targets one family. We have to dig deeper into their history to find the connection. He appears to get his kicks out of watching them squirm.”

  They discussed the case for another hour or so until the sun peeked over the horizon. Jake let Matt out of the apartment and closed the door behind him. As he turned around, Cassie leaned against the wall of the passage.

  “So he targeted Dorian now?” She hung her head and wrapped her arms around her midriff. “This is never going to end, is it?”

  He reached her in a couple of strides and gathered her in his arms, lifting her face with his finger. “We’ll find him. He’ll make a mistake and we’ll take him down. I promise.”

  Fear blossomed in Cassie’s eyes as he told her of the envelope and the subsequent events. At Matt’s reasoning about the board members, Cassie shook her head.

  “It has to be one of them. No one else had access to the accounts. Just them and me and before me, my father.”

  “I don’t know honey, but we’ll find out.”

  Jakes stomach grumbled and Cassie scooted out of his embrace. He felt the loss like a physical pain.

  “Let me get you something to eat. There’s some leftovers from last night. Would that do?”

  “Yes that would be fine. Don’t bother heating it up, I’m more interested in another type of delicacy.”

  The fear subsided a little from her eyes and a small flame of desire kindled in the blue depths. He would make her forget about the menace stalking her. She would have to deal with that reality soon enough. Today, they’d had more than their share of it. It was time to play.

  Chapter Eight

  Jake gobbled the leftovers, before he turned to Cassie. “Why don’t you run us a bath. The one in your bedroom looked big enough to accommodate both of us.”

  Cassie walked to the bathroom in a daze. Never had she been so happy to see another person. And it scared her.

  While she knew him for only two days, the normally level-headed, no-nonsense accountant cared more for the rough and tumble bodyguard than she liked to admit. She didn’t believe in love, especially not the love at first sight rubbish. So why did she crave slamming doors and breaking plates at the thought of him leaving?

  Opening the taps, Cassie sat on the edge and watched the water swirl against the sides. Much like her thoughts, round and round with no beginning or end and definitely no solution. They were in an unusual situation and danger courted sex. Combine those facts with the fact that she’d been sex starved for more than ten months and it was a miracle she didn’t jump the first guy she’d laid her eyes on. Simple as that.

  Oh yeah, the voice in her head whispered. So why did your heart race and your palms dampen whenever he as much as breathed on you? Oh, shut up. It was only sex, nothing more.

  Jake peeked round the door as she closed the taps. “Where do you keep your stash of toys?” To her amazement, she felt her cheeks warm. It was one thing to devour the man, but quite another to admit she hadn’t gotten enough before he arrived on the scene. Dammit Cassie, you’re a big girl. It wasn’t something to broadcast from the rooftops, but there was no shame in admitting you liked sex, the voice in her head chastised.

  “Top drawer of the nightstand.” She pretended to test the heat of the water until he left. A soft whistle sounded from the bedroom. He’d found it.

  Minutes later Jake came through the door, arm laden with a variety of dildo’s. Cassie squared her shoulders. So she liked to try new things. Nothing wrong with that.

  “I think we’re going to shelve the idea of a picnic. You have way too many exciting things here I want to try.” He dumped his stash in the bath and cupped her face in his hands. Pressing a kiss on her lips, he slid his tongue over her bottom one and had her melting inside. She grabbed on to the edge of the tub to stabilize her upturned equilibrium, but Jake wanted nothing of that. He pulled her to her feet and backed her against the wall.

  Trapping her with his hands on either side of her head, Jake took her mouth in a kiss that curled her toes in her sandals. His tongue duelled with hers, intimately exploring the wet warmth of her mouth. She gasped for air when he lifted his head and stared into her eyes.

  No denying it anymore. She was in trouble. She loved him. Irrevocably. They couldn’t have a happy-ever-after relationship. Neither she nor he believed in it. And that’s why her heart would break in a million pieces when his job was done and he left.

  Tears stung behind her eyelids and she blinked them away. She will not let her overwrought emotions spoil the little time they had left. Jake caressed her cheek and the tenderness of the gesture constricted her throat. She returned the favour, sliding her palm over his cheek, memorizing the slight sting of his day-old beard, the feel of his lip under her thumb and the small cleft in his chin.

  He dropped his hands to her shoulders, kneading the tense muscles before flattening his palms against her chest and sliding them toward her breasts. His fingers fumbled with the buttons of her blouse while his eyes never left hers. Capturing her mouth in a tender kiss, his fingers grazed the soft flesh under the blouse as he slowly undid the buttons. Cassie’s knees turned to jelly and she clung to his shoulders.

  The blouse fell open and Jake slid his hands under the garment on her shoulders moving it off until she had to drop her hands to her sides to let it fall to the floor. With his forefinger, he followed the line of her bra from her shoulders to the rise of her breasts until he explored the valley between them. She took a shuddering breath as his touch woke every nerve ending to the point where her scalp tickled.

  Unbuttoning her pants, he undid the zipper and lowered it over her hips. Caressing every inch of her thighs, her knees, her calves, he lifted her feet and took off her sandals, rubbing the slight indentations made by the thin straps. Cassie forgot to breathe and sagged against the wall.

  Wearing only a lace bra and thong, her face heated as his eyes devoured her, stoking the fire kindling inside her womb. He kissed her again, a tender caress of his lips on hers, his hands working his own clothing.

  “God, you’re beautiful.”

  His husky declaration served to turn the fire in her veins into an inferno, threatening to consume her. She leaned into him as he unclipped her bra and let the straps drop. His musky, aroused scent mingled with the remnants of his aftershave. At last the garment dropped to the tiles and her breasts pressed against his naked chest, instantly tightening at the contact, the nipples budding.

  She wasn’t going to survive his lovemaking today, her muddled brain protested. He robbed her of breath on so many levels, she would surely starve of oxygen depravation before he finished. With every stroke of his hands, with every kiss her heart broke a little more. The ache for what could never be, intensifying.

  Jake hooked his fingers under the bands of the thong and slipped it to the floor. Following the garment’s path he gently lifted her leg over his shoulder and trailed kisses on her inner thigh. Moving upwards at an excruciating slow pace until finally his tongue lapped at the engorged nub at the apex of her thighs. Sucking, licking until she clawed at his hair.

  Slipping a finger inside her already
wet pussy, Jake increased the pace of his licking until her clit was ready to explode. She bucked against his hand and pressed her palms against the wall to support her. When a second finger followed the first, Cassie came apart. Warmth flooded her pussy, soaking his hand and she sagged against him as the contractions subsided.

  He waited patiently for the storm to pass before rising and covering her body with his. His heat contrasted with the chill from the tiles. Igniting the flame of desire once again. He kissed her eyes, her cheeks before his lips claimed hers again in a kiss that would melt the tallest iceberg.

  When he moved towards the tub, Cassie watched through heavy lids as he tested the temperature before adding some more hot water, causing steam to rise from the tub and fill the room.

  He held out his hand and she joined him in the large oval bath. Pulling her against him, she sat between his legs with his hard cock pushing against her backside. This couldn’t get any better.

  How wrong she’d been, she thought moments later when he lathered her breasts, pinching her nipples between his fingers, slightly turning them. She writhed against him, pressing her ass against his balls. He moved lower in the tub, pulling her partly on top of him so that his cock pressed against the tight ring of her anus. Cassie shuddered as he nibbled at her ear.

  Taking a bright neon pink dildo he gently rubbed against her clit. She wriggled and the slick pressure on her anus increased. When did he rub on silicone based lubricant? He dragged the dildo along her slit, hovering at the opening of her pussy before stroking her clit again. Then he took her hand and placed it over the dildo.

  “I need an extra hand here.”

  Cassie swallowed. She’d never pleasured herself in front of another and her ingrained sense of propriety protested against the idea. But then he increased the pressure on her anus and she forgot all about her preconceived ideas.

  She rubbed her clit while he stroked her breast until she panted with need. Tilting the angle of the dildo she slipped it inside her pussy and shuddered at the hardness inside her. Jake spread the cheeks of her ass further apart and pressed his cock into her anus.