“Give me a moment,” she sighed.
“No. You can rest later.”
Without removing the dildo or his finger, he licked her sensitive clit and Cassie bucked. With a few strokes, he had her on the brink of orgasm again, but this time he pulled back, removing his finger from her anus to pull her onto his lap. He hooked her legs around waist, while his hard cock pressed against the opening of her anus. Cassie wiggled her buttocks until he gently entered her. A sense of incredible fullness filled her. With the dildo still in place, Jake buried himself fully inside. Never had she felt so completely filled, so completely one with another person.
He cupped her buttocks with his hands and slowly moved her hips up, only to lower her onto him again. Cassie unhooked her legs from his waist and placed her feet on his shoulders. She increased the rhythm, causing him to pound into her with increasing speed. Sweat trickled in rivulets along the valley between her breasts and she watched through glazed eyes as a fine sheen of moisture coated Jake’s face. A groan escaped his lips and as her muscles contracted, Jake spilled his warmth into her. Cassie’s mind went blank as she rode the wave of ecstasy until she sagged against the pillows. Spent. Fulfilled. Satisfied.
Jake carefully withdrew from her and crawled up the mattress until he could gather her in his arms and claim her lips in a kiss that brought tears burning behind her eyes. She stroked his hair and hugged him tightly to her. This felt too much like goodbye. She wasn’t ready for goodbye. Damn, she might never be ready for goodbye.
Only when his breathing evened out, did she allow the tears to spill. No use crying girl, the voice inside her head chastised. You knew the score before you went and stupidly chose to fall in love with the man. Cassie slid out under Jake’s arm and padded on bare feet to the bathroom. Carefully shutting the door behind her, she ran water in the tub, allowing her tears to mingle with the steaming water.
Being in love didn’t mean she wanted a relationship. She didn’t do relationships. The guys inevitably found her boring and without imagination after a while. She shook her head. No, she won’t go that route again. After three failed attempts at normal relationships, she concluded that uncomplicated sex was safe. No one expected anything but a good time from the other and without feelings involved, nobody got hurt in the process when the sex lost its magic. And it always did with time.
No, she was better off alone and the sooner this mess at the company was sorted, the sooner she could return to her normal, eventless existence. She was an accountant. It was what she did. It defined her. And it satisfied her. She didn’t need Jake to love her. He’s expertise in bed proved more than enough. Besides, she’d survived without love for decades. No reason why that had to change now. Ignoring the emotion piercing her body and threatening to draw tears to her eyes again, Cassie finished bathing and crawled onto the bed. Jake gathered her to him and with her head resting on his shoulder, Cassie drifted to sleep.
Chapter Ten
Jake waited until he was sure Cassie was sound asleep before he carefully lifted her head of his shoulder and rose from the bed. He tiptoed to the lounge and stared out the window. Dark outside, only the light from the streetlamp illuminated the room. By tomorrow this place would be crawling with agents and he would be required to assist in the location of the camera and hopefully the culprit. Why the idea left him with a bitter taste in his mouth, he didn’t want to ponder. It was in everyone’s best interests to have this matter resolved as soon as possible. It was his job.
For once, Jake hated his job. Being good at it meant he had to say goodbye to Cassie and their time together. How had she come to mean so much to him in the space of three days? Could he call it love? He shook his head in denial. No, love was what he had felt for Susan and look how that had turned out. What he felt for her wasn’t love. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to make love to her for days on end. He wanted to share her life with her. But love? No. He didn’t believe in love. It only existed in romance novels and soppy movies.
Although he respected her for what she had achieved in such a short time in her father’s company, it didn’t compare to the tenderness welling up in him when dark circles tainted her eyes and fatigue lined her mouth. Friends. They could remain friends after they sorted out this mess.
Yeah, right. Friends don’t want to bang each others brains out, his inner voice protested. Sex wasn’t everything. He could live without it. He’d done so for months on end without any problems. If they kept the rest of their relationship strictly professional, it might be easier to let her go and forget he ever met her.
Jake laughed mirthlessly. What happened to the brain cells in his head? Minutes ago he contemplated remaining friends with her. Now he wanted to forget her. Showed you how amazing, mind-blowing sex could screw with your head. Determined not to ponder the problem of his relationship with Cassie any further, Jake showered and dressed before carrying his laptop to his room.
Cassie walked into the kitchen fully dressed and watched Jake butter a slice of toast. He looked so at home that her throat constricted. No, she didn’t want a repeat of last night’s thoughts. Keeping her face devoid of emotion, she moved in behind the kitchen counter and poured herself a cup of coffee from the percolator.
“Morning. Slept well?”
She nodded and sipped at the scalding liquid. “We have to get going if we want to get the plant shut down by tonight.”
Twenty minutes later, they drove in silence towards the Adams Towers. Cassie flipped open her schedule for the next two days and sighed inwardly. She had negotiations with two major weapons dealers as well as a meeting with the minister of defence from an African country. The weapons dealers might be able to re-schedule, but the dignitary was going to baulk at the delay. All the meetings were scheduled months in advance and to cancel now, would prove their attitude that women didn’t belong in business, correct.
They had to find alternative venues that suited all parties, but couldn’t cancel. Not even if it meant she had to put herself in danger. She’d worked too hard to get the meetings in the first place to let them go now. Adams Armoury needed the contracts. Desperately. It would be difficult to find a conference facility at such short notice, but she had faith in Megan. If anyone could pull it off, it would be her.
She entered her office without a trace of the past couple of day’s terror evident in her face. Jake left her side only when she reached Megan’s office and Cassie fought the vulnerability washing over her. Lifting her chin, she gave Megan the news about the infestation and requested she arrange a change of venue for the meetings. Cassie stepped into her office pretending confidence she didn’t feel. Knowing someone watched her every move, unnerved her.
She’d barely opened her mail client when the telephone started ringing. Re-assuring plant managers and the members of the board that the closure couldn’t be avoided took hours of her time. By the time she managed to replace the receiver her energy plummeted. The company could hardly afford a shutdown now, but it could afford more thefts even less. Losing several hundred thousand Rand in exchange for the security of the personnel and the finances of the company, seemed reasonable. At least on paper it did. She didn’t want to consider their actions not bearing fruit. They had to catch the thief. And soon.
The rest of the day she re-arranged deadlines for the plant and re-scheduled delivery dates of orders that should have been filled in the next two days. Jake and Matt had to finish their investigation in two days otherwise she’d be in a world of trouble. Megan managed to change the venue of the three meetings to a conference centre close by and Cassie arranged the documentation she’d prepared for the meetings on her desk.
By the time Joshua’s quiet knock sounded on the door, it was well past six. Fatigue lined the face of her long-time friend and Cassie swore under her breath. The bastard couldn’t win. They all depended on him or her being apprehended and this matter brought to an end. Despite her inner turmoil, she smiled at him when he sagged into the chair opposite her.
“You look tired.”
He nodded in ascent. “I am, but according to the biometrics everyone has left. Just us, some of the cleaning crew, Matt and Jake left.” He raked his hand through his grey hair, causing the ends to stand up. “This better work. With all the theft going on we can hardly afford shutting for two days.”
Joshua sighed heavily and Cassie pitied her friend. It must be hard on him not being able to find the culprit himself. He’d been at it for months and besides limiting it to the board members, he managed to find no further clues as to the identity of the culprit.”
“They’ll find him . . . or her.” Her voice held more confidence than she felt. “So what now? Do we stay or do we also have to evacuate?”
“Matt asked we remain for a little while. He wants to discuss something with us.” Joshua frowned. “He sounded angry, but wouldn’t say what it’s all about.”
As if on cue, a knock sounded on her door again and Cassie rose to open it. The sight of Jake in his formal pants and white shirt caused her breath to hitch, but he stared straight past her, avoiding her eyes. His body language sent a chill along her spine. She glanced at Matt, but found him staring out of the window, waiting for her to return to her desk. What was going on? Why were they so aggressive?
Apprehension knotted her stomach and Cassie sat slowly. “What can I do for you gentlemen?”
Matt turned to her and pressed a fat finger under her nose. “Just what are you playing at? Do you take us for fools? How did you think you’d get away with it or did you think we were too incompetent to find the truth?”
Joshua bolted from his chair and shoved Matt from Cassie, moving his body between them. “Are you out of your mind? What are you doing?”
Cassie’s hackles rose. What was he talking about? She’d flayed better men than him for speaking to her like that and she sure as hell wasn’t going to start allowing it now.
“It’s all right Joshua. Give the man a chance to explain.” She turned to Jake, but his eyes were glued to a spot behind her. “This. Better. Be. Good.”
Matt shrugged off Joshua’s hands and rounded the table so that he faced Cassie with the desk between them. Once again he pointed his finger at her. “IT found that your computer was the one accessing the funds. You moved the money. Why bring us in when you didn’t really want the culprit found? Oh, I forgot. You didn’t want protection. If Joshua hadn’t insisted, you’d still be happily stealing from the company and no one would be any the wiser.”
Cassie stopped listening after Matt mentioned her computer. It didn’t make sense. She never left her computer unattended without protecting it with a password. Her laptop needed her fingerprint to start and to perform any transactions on the network. So, how did someone manage to use her IP address?
Silence fell and her gaze met Matt’s. She clamped her jaw shut to keep it from dropping to the floor. Did he really just wink at her? What game was he playing now? Joshua obviously missed the wink because his eyes blazed pure hatred.
“You are not serious? Are you out of your mind? The money started to disappear long before Cassie took over the company.” Joshua started to crawl across the table to reach Matt and Cassie placed a restraining hand on his arm.
“Relax Joshua. If this is how the security team feels, I doubt we need their services anymore.” Her gaze met Matt’s and only she was privy to the almost imperceptible nod. So, she had read the situation correctly. All this drama was for the camera. She’d all but forgotten about the blasted thing in her office.
“I should think not. We don’t protect criminals.” Matt turned and dragged a clearly distressed Jake by the arm. “We’ll mail the bill,” he said over his shoulder as he headed towards the door.
Cassie rose from behind the desk to open the door and did her best to hide the smile threatening to split her face as Matt pressed a piece of paper in her jacket pocket. She was supposed to be outraged, not smiling. Once the two men left, Cassie turned to Joshua who was pacing the room.
“I don’t understand. How could they think you had anything to do with the theft? Good Lord, they probably think you sent all those threats to yourself to cover your tracks.”
Cassie hugged him and walked to her desk. “We’ll sort it out in the morning. Now, we need to get out of here so that the infestation specialists can do their jobs. The sooner they start the sooner we can return to normal.” She packed her computer and retrieved her handbag. Joshua stopped his pacing and understanding dawned in his eyes. He slumped his shoulders and shuffled towards the door.
“Oh, I guess you’re right. If they give up so quickly, they’re probably not worth employing in any case.” He held the door for her and waited until she was safely inside the private elevator before he rushed to his own office.
He admired the bitch for holding her own against the security team. Not many people would have acted as calmly as she did. He smiled. The security experts were no match for his superior intellect. She should have fired them long ago for not making progress, but she’d rather whore around with them and waste more money. She’ll realize her mistake soon enough when word spread about her theft from the company. No-one will touch her again. She’d be finished – professionally and personally.
With the team out of the way, he can implement the final faze of his plan. One last withdrawal from the company accounts and he’d have enough. A quick personal visit to his half sister and he would disappear. When the dust settled, he’ll send for his mother and show her what he’d done to avenge her. Nobody would ever laugh at him again.
The man stood, picked up an empty carton box from the floor and placed it over the computer. Anyone checking the room would think it’s a box of supplies on the small table. The exterminators sprayed over the box the previous time, but nobody tried to move it.
A smile broke over his face as he closed the door behind him, popped the earphones in his ears and swaggered down the hall. The security team were idiots who couldn’t investigate something that’s right under their noses. Maybe he should hire them to find his father. It should be interesting to see them squirm while he toyed with them. He whistled along with the music while he took the stairs at a leisurely pace.
The elevator took ages to reach the parking garage and when the doors opened, fear crawled with spidery legs over Cassie’s body, raising the hair at the back of her neck. She was all alone in a dimly lit underground garage while everyone else had gone home already. Matt’s note said she should use Jake’s car to get home and that he left the keys on Megan’s desk.
She toyed with the keys clutched in her hand. Who knew if the person after her didn’t lurk in the shadows? He could be waiting behind the pillar directly in front of the doors. Fear glued her feet to the floor. The light in the elevator hummed and her heartbeat roared like thunder.
Her glance darted from left to right, trying to pierce the shadows. She couldn’t stay in the elevator the whole night. She had to get out of here. Quickly. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the elevator and let loose an ear-piercing scream as someone stepped out from behind the pillar, his face shrouded in darkness. Dropping her briefcase, she bolted for Jake’s car. Heavy footsteps followed behind her and Cassie increased the pace.
From a distance, she could hear someone call her name. The person behind her increased his pace and Cassie drew on all her reserves to lengthen her stride. A quick glance over her shoulder had her stumbling to a stop. She gasped for breath and doubled over while her temper took a flying leap straight into the overload zone.
“Why didn’t you tell me it’s you? I was scared out of my wits.” If she thought she had any chance of success, she would have kicked his shins.
Jake’s breath didn’t chase and he looked at her with a mixture of amusement and pity. “You didn’t give me chance.” He took a step closer to her. “Why did you bolt? Didn’t you get Matt’s message that it was all for show up in your office?
Cassie’s face heated crimson with anger, but she tried to
keep her voice cold. “I did, but thought you guys would keep a low profile for the time being.”
“We are keeping a low profile, but our first priority is to keep you safe. It’s what you hired us to do, isn’t it?”
Damn, why did men have to sound so logical and calm all the time. Her heart still skipped a few beats while she tried to calm down and here he stood, cool as ice. Complaining about it wouldn’t do her any good, so she turned and walked towards the car.
Jake handed her briefcase to her. “You might need this.” Cassie’s eyes narrowed. If he dared laugh at her she would . . . she would what? What did you to a man whose only vice was to try and keep you safe and satisfied? Yep, the satisfied part he mastered. She prayed he was as competent in the keeping her safe department.
“You also need to drive. I’ll hide so it would look as if you’re alone.”
Cassie nodded and took the keys from him. Driving the large car didn’t scare her. Him hiding in the backseat did. It brought home the reality of the danger she might be in and her hand trembled lightly as she inserted the key into the ignition. Get a grip, she admonished herself. She’d lived on her own, far from the constant security her father insisted upon, for more than ten years. Succumbing to fear didn’t solve anything. They were in the middle of this nightmare, and she needed to see it through with as much dignity as she could muster.
Despite the stern talking-to she gave herself, Cassie sighed with relief when she parked the car at her apartment. Rubbing her neck, she alighted from the car and waited for Jake.
“You need to go in alone. We placed an agent inside this morning, so you’re perfectly safe. I’ll join you as soon as I can.”
Jake’s whisper weakened her knees with fear. She might be angry with him for scaring her out of her wits, but he’s the only one that made her feel safe. Without indicating she’d heard him, she slammed the door shut and started towards the apartment. A female agent opened the door before Cassie could reach for the handle and pulled her inside.
Accounting for Lust Page 10