“A couple of days old, Mr. Sloan. Forensics also found your semen still in her.” The detective laced his fingers and placed them behind his head.
“I don’t see how. I used a condom,” Arsen argued.
“I didn’t say it was in her vagina, did I?” Riddle smiled. “I’m sure I don’t have to spell it out for you.”
Arsen shook his head. “So are you telling me that she was murdered after I left her house?”
“You tell me. It seems you two were having sex pretty often.”
Arsen fidgeted in his chair.
“Three nights in a row. The first night is when the marks on her neck were made. The second night was different, and no marks were left and the third night there was no actual penetration but there was oral. But she’d made me remember why it is we didn’t work out in the first place and after she gave me oral sex, I left with no intention of seeing her again.”
Steele was reeling and had to lean against the wall. Her face had paled and the detective saw that. He stood up and excused himself then left the room, coming back with a chair. He placed it next to his then went to Steele and took her by the arm, placing her in the chair.
She hated it. She was able to see Arsen’s face then, and she found she could barely look at the man. He wasn’t happy with it either. His eyes bore into hers and she looked down at the notebook.
Arsen let out a sigh and said, “Look, there had to be someone who went to her house after I left it. That’s where you need to be focusing on. I’m not a killer, Detective Riddle.”
“But it does seem that your hands are the ones on the other two women as well. Do you mean to tell me they all liked to be choked?” The detective leaned over and looked at the notebook Steele was writing in. His shoulder touched hers and she turned her head, finding him much too close. “Do you know any women who like to be chocked, Miss Gannon?”
She looked up and shook her head. Then her eyes traveled to Arsen’s finding him frowning at her. She crossed her legs in the opposite direction and leaned more to the other side so the detective was no longer touching her.
Arsen spoke between clenched teeth, “I do believe Miss Gannon does not frequent the clubs those women did. If you had ever been in one, Riddle, you would find the majority of the women there beg for it. They want the marks left on them. Personally, I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as they did.”
“Hmm,” Riddle said then tapped his fingers on the desk. “I’ve been reading up on this whole dom/sub thing that you seem to be all about. You must have a lot of controlling issues that you should most likely be seeking therapy for, Mr. Sloan.”
Arsen stood up and Steele’s eyes flew to him.
“Now you listen to me, you sawed off piece of shit. I did not kill those women and you are wasting precious time finding out who did while you fuck with me. My sex life is not what’s illegal here and you damn well know it. Now if you have nothing better to do then I have business to tend to and really need to get the fuck out of here.”
Riddle smiled as if he’d gotten just what he wanted from Arsen.
“Temper issues too. Hmmm.”
Arsen slammed his fist on the desk and Steele stood up abruptly.
“Arsen! Stop!”
Every man in the room looked at her as if she was insane. But Arsen sat back down.
“I’m sorry, Riddle. Perhaps I should see someone about my quick temper.”
Steele sat back down and looked back at her notes. Riddle cleared his throat and said, “Okay then. I do need you to go ahead and give us your prints and we’ll be taking some whole hand prints for our forensic specialists to verify the marks on the women’s necks. You see, they all were strangled and if the prints match then you are our only suspect.”
Arsen’s tanned skin paled a bit and Steele knew it was because it was his hands that had made the marks and he would be taken in and most likely proven guilty. Her heart ached for him, but her mind was asking her how the hell she could trust he was telling the truth.
ARSEN
He wiped the black ink away from his hands with a towelette they had provided him after taking his prints. The things which would damn him. He took the stairs out of the police station as Steele walked by his side.
Arsen could hardly look at her after all he’d said. He wondered if she thought he was a murderer.
“Will you ride with me?”
“I think that’s a bad idea,” she mumbled as Tanner came up on the other side of Arsen.
Tanner said, “Look, I know it’s just a matter of time until they pick you up. The prints will come back as yours and we both know that. But the plan is that I’ll get you out as soon as they set bail and then we can begin an investigation into the murders on our own. I’ll need you to really think about all you did with the women so we can see if any of the places you went had surveillance cameras that might have caught someone of interest following you when you were with the women.”
Tanner’s car was parked in front of Arsen’s and they all stopped at it. His driver opened the door and Tanner gestured for Steele to get in first. Arsen grabbed her hand and pulled her back and whispered, “Steele, I really need you.”
She pulled back and looked at him. Then she looked at Tanner.
“I’m going with him.”
Rowan rolled his eyes and said, “Are you an idiot?”
Tanner gave Rowan a swift pat on the back.
“Get in the car, Rowan.”
He did as Tanner said but looked at Arsen.
“Nothing better happen to her.”
Fire flashed through Arsen.
“Little boy, you should watch what the fuck you say to me and her for that matter.”
Tanner tried to ease the tension.
“Watch your temper, Arsen.”
Steele took Arsen’s hand in hers and gently pulled him.
“He’ll be fine, Tanner. Come on Arsen.”
He allowed her to pull him away and as they walked he squeezed her hand. “Are you mad at me?”
She shook her head. “How can I be?”
“Are you disgusted with me?” He stopped and turned her to look at him.
The way her eyes darted back and forth answered him and he dropped his eyes and led her to the car where Paul waited for them with the door open.
Steel slid in and Arsen moved in next to her. After Paul had closed the door she turned to face him and took his face between her palms.
“Arsen, you can tell me anything. Even if you did do it, you can tell me.”
Fury filled him and he pushed her hands off his face.
“So you don’t trust me! Steele I have to have your trust or we have nothing!”
“Arsen! How the hell can I just blindly trust you?” she shouted back.
“Cursing, that will cost you,” he said in a low growl. “Or are we done?”
She looked away, and he could tell she wasn’t sure.
“I’m sorry. It’s just that I’m very confused and I know it all happened before me, but I’m jealous too.”
“Jealous? We both have pasts, Steele. Nothing can be done to change that.” Arsen grabbed a bottle of liquor from the little fridge and took a long drink. He sat back and held the bottle.
After another long drink, Steele placed her hands over his around the bottle. “Arsen, that’s not a wise decision.”
“I know that, Steele. Believe me, I know that I make poor, mother fucking decisions all the fucking time. You are a poor decision. I should leave you the fuck alone and I know that. I’m about to rot away in prison anyway. If I can’t get you to trust me and believe I didn’t kill those women, then I’m fucked for sure.” He took another long drink then let her have the bottle.
She put it away and got on her knees in front of him, placing her hands on his thighs.
“Arsen, don’t think like that. I’m sorry. I wish it was as easy as you telling me you didn’t do it and all the doubt could disappear, but I would be lying to you if I told you that.”
“I need you to believe me, Steele. Or this is over.”
He could see her thinking and pulled her up to sit on his lap. He had to convince her. She looked at him and he saw she desperately wanted to believe him, but her brain was battling her heart.
Arsen pressed his lips to hers and felt her body turn into liquid. He pushed his tongue through her lips and ran his hand up her skirt, finding her warming already. One finger he pressed against her clit and she moaned and ran her arms around his neck.
He stroked her clit until she was squirming with the need to release. He stopped moving his finger and took his hand away then pulled his mouth from hers. She was panting and looked at him with confusion.
“Steele, do you trust me?” Arsen looked hard into her eyes and he found the answer behind them.
“I do,” she whispered.
“You cursed and you have to be punished. Do you understand that?” He searched her eyes again.
They actually brightened.
“I do.”
He lifted her off his lap.
“Drop your panties and get on your hands and knees and lift the skirt up over your hips.”
She looked at him for a moment then did as he’d told her. She turned away from him as she went to her hands and knees then lifted her skirt.
He pulled his leather belt from his slacks. Arsen ran his hand over her smooth, white ass then placed a kiss on one ass cheek. He knew this would make them or break them, and he gritted his teeth as he swung the belt.
STEELE
The sting as the leather bit into her flesh had her making a small scream before she choked it back. Steele had no idea how many times he would hit her and she was trying hard not to let any tears get away from her.
Another hard whack and she flinched with the pain. Arsen’s voice was tight as he said, “Do you think you’ll curse again?”
She shook her head but didn’t answer out loud. Another smack across her ass, this one harder had the tears springing forth.
“Out loud, Steele.”
“No, sir. No, Arsen,” he words were laced with her tears and she felt his hands running over her ass.
Sobs began to come out of her and she knew it was from so much more than the pain. It was for everything. She was about to lose the man she was pretty positive she was beginning to love deeper than she imagined possible.
His arms were suddenly around her and he turned her to him. He pulled her into his wide chest and shushed her with soothing sounds and soft caresses.
“It’s okay, Steele. It’s all going to be okay.”
She took his lapels in her hands and pulled at them as she leaned back and looked up at him. Tears ran in rivers down her reddened cheeks.
“No it isn’t. None of this is going to be okay. They’re going to take you away from me. I just found you and they’re going to take you away.”
His hand ran over her hair and she found him smiling at her. He kissed her slow and soft.
“I just gave you your first punishment and you’re thinking about what might happen to me instead of being angry with me?”
She sniffled and said, “How can I be angry? You just did what you said you were going to. And it did hurt and it will definitely make me think about what comes out of my mouth.” Steele eased her cries. “The truth is I don’t think I would’ve even cried if I hadn’t been holding it back since Tanner came and told me they’d called you in.”
Arsen moaned as he pulled her hair back, exposing her throat.
“You’re so fucking perfect, Steele.” He pressed his lips to her neck then ran his tongue up until he reached her mouth.
He kissed her hard and laid her back on the floor. Her skirt was still hiked up, and he ran one of his hands to hers and moved it to his swelling cock.
“Take it out,” he told her then continued his kiss.
His mouth was hard on hers as she fumbled to unbutton his slacks and release him. She knew she should be mad at him for spanking her, but a part of her wanted to know what it was like.
The fact was it allowed her to release the tension she’d been holding and with that came a lot of freedom. Unbelievably, she found it had stimulated her as well and she was wetter than hell and aching for Arsen to be inside her.
She finally freed his erection and guided it to her. He pressed into her as soon as she lined him up and she moaned with how fantastic it felt as he filled her.
Hard, deep thrusts he made, as she wrapped her legs around him. She arched her body up to meet each thrust and ran her hands through his hair. He ran his hands back and took hers in them, holding them over her head.
She wondered if he hated being touched during sex. He seemed never to want her hands on him. He pulled his mouth from hers and looked at her as he pounded into her.
“Say it,” he said, and she found herself confused.
“Say what?” she asked.
He shook his head and took both her wrists and held them with one hand as he took the other and smacked her thigh.
“Say it.”
She searched his eyes as he continued to thrust into her. Something in them was making them shine, and she suddenly knew what he wanted to hear.
“I love you, Arsen.”
He smiled and kissed her hard, thrusting his tongue to the back of her mouth, claiming every last part of it as his. She found her heart pounding with what she’d said. But was aware he’d not said it back to her.
Somehow it didn’t really matter as she could tell he did have love for her. She arched up as her body was aching to release. And for the first time he pulled his mouth from hers and said, “You come when you want to. As many times as you want to.”
A knot formed in her throat and tears began to fall as he watched her. She let the orgasm overtake her and he watched her as it did. A smile moved over his face as he continued to thrust in and out of her.
“My God, you’re beautiful when you come, baby.” He kissed her long and deep and she felt more for him than she had before.
His body tensed and he spilled into her. She was shocked to find herself coming again with his release. They lay on the floor, flooding the car with their gasps. Arsen released her mouth as their bodies began to stop throbbing against the others.
The privacy window opened just a little and Paul said, “Boss, you might want to get yourself cleaned up. The police are waiting in front of the building.”
“Fuck!” Arsen said as he rolled off her.
Steele sat up and looked for her panties.
“Arsen, I’m so sorry. What should I do?” She found the panties and pulled them on quickly.
He buttoned his slacks and zipped them after tucking his shirt back in. He put the belt back on and grabbed his jacket. As he sat back on the seat, she ran her hands through his hair, taming it since she’d ran her hands through it, messing it up before.
Arsen took her wrists in his hands and said, “You are to stay at my penthouse. Promise me you won’t go anywhere. I’ll be out as soon as I can.”
She nodded and said, “I will. Don’t worry about me.”
“I can’t not worry about you, Steele. Just as long as I know you’ll do as I’ve said, it’ll help me not to go crazy until I can get back to you.” He kissed her again. “Tell me again, before they take me away.”
“I love you, Arsen. I’ll be there waiting for you. I promise.” She gave his hair one last smoothing and managed a smile.
He pulled a set of keys from a hidden compartment.
“Take these so you can get into the penthouse.”
The car pulled to a stop and Paul came around and opened the door. “She should probably stay in here,” he said.
Arsen nodded.
“Take her to my place, please.” He looked at Steele. “One more rule, Steele.”
“What is it?”
“That little dick, Rowan. I don’t want you around him without me present. Tell Tanner about my arrest
and do not go with him to do anything. I don’t want the little shit head to mess with your mind about me.”
“Okay, Arsen.” She found she couldn’t stop touching him as she ran her hand over his cheek.
His hands ran up her arms, and he kissed her one last time. Then got out of the car. The door closed behind him, shielding her from the officers’ view.
Steele watched as the police officers came straight up to Arsen and both took out their guns and pointed them at him. His hands went up, and he stopped moving.
Her breathing stopped and more tears found their way out. She pressed her hand to the dark glass as sobs racked her chest. One officer cuffed him and put him in back of the police car. They drove away with him and Paul started driving her away.
She watched out the back window as they went in opposite directions and cried hard as she lost sight of the police car. She’d never felt that much pain before and it hurt more than she knew she could actually live through.
It was as if she was in an alternate reality as Paul pulled up to the building where Arsen’s penthouse was. He opened the door and when he saw her state he opened his arms.
Steele same into them and cried on his shoulder.
“I’m so scared, Paul.”
“I know. So am I,” he said. “Somehow he’ll make it out of this. He didn’t do it you know.”
She nodded.
“I know. There has to be something we can do to help find the real killer, then this will be over and we can move on.”
“You’re a smart girl. Think on it,” he said and let her out of his tight hug. “Now go on up and have a nice, stiff drink and relax.”
She gave him a weak smile.
“Okay, thanks.”
Steele wiped her eyes and walked inside. The place felt odd without him there. She wandered to the bathroom and picked up his bottle of cologne. After dabbing a little on her wrist and taking a sniff of it, she made her way to the kitchen and made herself a small glass of cognac.
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