“That’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself.”
“It’s what I had to do. I had employees depending on me. Then there was Nan. She had a stroke. I thought I was going to lose her. Sydney and I had a big blow out after that. I shouldn’t have gotten on her case,” she said thinking about what Macy had told her. “She was just trying to find herself. And in the middle of it all, Jared cancelled our wedding. The one stability I counted on walked away.”
“I won’t walk away, Marklynn.”
She looked at him from across the table. Well, not really at him per say, the soya sauce stain on his shirt. She didn’t know how to respond except just to nod.
“Why can’t you have children?”
Markie knew that question would come up and wondered how she would handle it. Should she tell him? She told him more that she had wanted to tonight and felt almost vulnerable. At the moment, she didn’t want to hear how brave she’d been or talk about the money she’d received. And, she didn’t want to talk about why she couldn’t have children.
“You can tell me when you’re ready,” he said as if sensing her reluctance.
She met his eyes then and he smiled. The smile that she’d come to love, where the corner of his mouth lifted and laugh lines fanned out from the edge of his eyes. That smile told her he understood how she felt. Nothing more was needed.
“I hope you’re hungry.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“Bon appétit,” Beck said.
“This is fantastic,” she said after the first mouth full of fried rice. The Beck’s Special paled in comparison to this. She had never tasted anything so mouth watering. Maybe she did, but his lips didn’t count.
Again, she thought she could get used to being taken care of, get used to this man sitting across from her whose dark eyes told her the kind of relationship he wanted, yet she wasn’t sure if she wanted to take that risk.
They ate in silence. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, but an understanding silence. She didn’t want to talk anymore and he understood. When the meal was over she said, “Since you cooked I’ll wash up.”
“I’ll help.” He stood up taking his plate to the sink.
“No. Sit down and I’ll wash up.” She took her plate from him when he reached for it.
“At least let me dry.”
“Okay you’re on dry duty.”
Reaching for the box of almonds on the counter, she opened the package and popped one in her mouth savoring the chocolate. She didn’t realize she’d made a noise until she heard him chuckle.
“Shall I leave you two alone?” He nodded towards the box with a smile watching as she licked the chocolate from her fingers.
She laughed offering him the box. “Try one.”
“Not a fan of chocolate.”
“No?” She plucked a partially melted chocolate covered almond from the box. He reached for it, but she shook her head. “Open your mouth.”
Beck obeyed his eyes locked with hers. “Nice,” he said as he ate the chocolate. Then she outlined his lips with her fingers giving him a chance to lick the chocolate from them.
“What is nice? The chocolate or my fingers?”
He turned towards the sink and said, “I think we better get to the dishes.”
• • •
“I think we better get to the dishes?”
Where did that come from? A Casanova he was not at the moment. What he wanted to do was introduce her to the horizontal mamba and dance until morning.
He’d waited in silence while she’d confided in him, told him about her life and her relationship with Sydney. That couldn’t have been easy for her. All he’d wanted to do then was take her into his arms, but it wasn’t the right time.
She had asked for space and he had told her to set the pace. Tonight she was giving off all the right signals with the dress. And the chocolate, oh that was a nice touch. Her finger had skillfully outlined his lips and she’d waited for him to lick the melted chocolate from her finger and that had nearly done him in. That was the green light he was waiting for, right? Wrong.
What was he waiting for? He wanted her to say the words. None of that action speaks louder than words business. He wanted her to make the first move and ask him to stay, inviting him into her bed.
So, what if she doesn’t ask you to stay Casanova? What then? A lonely ride back to Boston and a very long cold shower.
• • •
Markie handed Beck the last of the plates and he put them away in the cupboard. After he dried the skillet, he put it away under the sink then he leaned over, his lips gently caressing hers. Her hands crept up locking behind his neck pulling him closer deepening the kiss. He tasted of chocolate and wine.
“I should go,” he said pulling away.
Markie didn’t want Beck to go and she knew he didn’t want to go. But if she wanted him to stay she would have to say something. Asking him to stay was inching further down that road again and at that moment she didn’t care. She didn’t want to be alone. It wasn’t because she was afraid of being alone. She wanted to be with him. To touch him with her hands and lips, and have him touch her.
“I believe the original dinner offer came with breakfast,” she said with a shy smile. “I want my Beck’s Special.”
She took his hand leading him to the bedroom. Tonight she would take what she wanted living only in the moment with this wonderful man who wanted to be with her. This wonderful man allowed her to talk. He listened and most of all didn’t push. She wanted him to know she appreciated his kindness.
The dim light from a lamp on the nightstand cast a shadow across the room. Closing the door, she moved into his arms running the palms of her hands up his chest. She unbuttoned his shirt pushing it off his shoulders and he made no objections. His jeans were discarded next along with her dress.
He laid her on the bed, covered her body with his and she scrambled from beneath him reversing their positions, surprising him.
“You like being in control in every aspect of your life, don’t you?” She asked teasing.
“I can be sub—” he groaned when she pressed her hips into him “—missive when the mood calls for it.”
“I don’t believe you,” she said, kissing him smiling against his chest.
He loosened the ribbon from her hair running his hand through it. “Try me,” he challenged, eyes burning into hers.
“Okay. Let’s play a game.”
“I love games. I’m very competitive, you know.” He ran his hand along her inner thigh and she shuddered.
“Ground rules…I can do what ever I want with your body and you can’t,” she removed his hand, “touch me.”
“Define touch. I mean, can I kiss you like this.” His lips touched hers, soft sensual then demanding. His tongue slid into her mouth, exploring, tasting, and feasting then pulled away, eyes laughing. “Or touch you like this.” His hand found her inner thigh again and she covered his hand with hers stilling its movement against her thigh trying to regain the control she started off with.
“You’re right. I should define touch. You can’t touch me like this with your lips.” She mimicked the kiss he’d given her and laughed when he groaned. “And you definitely can’t put your hand there, removing his hand dropping it on the bed. Is that clear?”
“Crystal,” he smiled, a smile stolen from the devil. “Any other rules I should know about?”
“You only get three strikes and you’re out.”
“What if I win? What do I get?”
“You’re assuming you’ll have the will power to control yourself. I like a man with confidence,” she laughed.
Clasping his hands behind his head, he closed his eyes and smiled with smug male confidence. “Piece of cake.”
She straddled his hips running her hands down his stomach, followed by wet kisses liking the feel of his skin against her lips. Sucking…kissing…biting playfully. Her tongue outlined each scar it encountered because she was sorry that he got hurt.
His eyes flew open and she felt the gentle caress of his hands on her bare shoulders.
“Strike one,” she said pushing his hands away. He didn’t put his hands back behind his head, but placed them next to his hips on the bed. His eyes never left hers. He flexed his hands as if fighting for control then grabbed the sheet in his grip.
“Strike two,” she giggled when he shivered and grabbed her shoulders stilling her movement when her tongue dipped into his navel. She looked up at him shaking her head wanting to taste him, wanting to continue the game as heat swirled like wild fire around them. Liking the power she had over him… Liking the way he groaned out her name as if he was in pain… Liking the way he was coming undone. She was going for the prize.
“Shall we go for strike three? Wait, I’m—”
He rolled her beneath him and she screamed with laughter. Pinning her to the mattress, his mouth covered hers in a kiss of pure dominance. He was in charge now and wanted her to know it. She pulled her lips away.
“What happened to ‘a piece of cake’?”
“I’m eating it,” he said with a wicked smile that told her he was nowhere near being submissive tonight.
“You’re supposed to…” and that was the last coherent thought she remembered before he took her breathe away. She was lost in him and when they came together it was fireworks and symphony all rolled into one.
“What other games can you play?” He asked when their breathing returned to normal. He held her while he stroked her back.
“Why?” She lifted her head up off his chest and his eyes were playful, teasing. “You want another shot at redeeming yourself.”
“Do I need to redeem myself?”
“Not in my book.” She rested her head on his chest feeling the cool breeze from the ceiling fan against her damp skin.
He brushed her hair from her face then ran his finger along her cheek. “I love you.”
Chapter Eleven
Phoenix slipped out of the bed when Malcolm rolled off her onto the bed towards the window thankful to get his dead weight off her body. He always fall asleep right after sex. The first time they had sex she thought she’d killed him, but she’d just worn him out.
Earlier she had pulled out all the toys and props she had because he loved them, not because she did. She didn’t like sex. You used sex to get what you want. She learned that early from a great teacher.
She watched him from the foot of the bed, the moonlight shining through the sheer curtain across his face. She felt something for him, but it wasn’t love. Love didn’t exist in her world. It didn’t take long before the snoring that could wake the dead started and she left the room. He would be out for the rest of the night and she could attend to business.
Phoenix turned on the computer. The blue glow from the laptop screen lit up the small den just off the bedroom she used as an office. She glanced towards the bedroom when she didn’t hear his snoring then back at the computer screen when the foghorn sound started up again.
She hadn’t expected Malcolm to come by her apartment tonight. He’d called and wanted to spend the night because her place was in town. He lived in Mansfield, Massachusetts in the south-southwest suburbs of Boston.
She took to the idea wanting to know more about what was going on at Beck Security Systems and more about Jamie Wright. Malcolm was in a talkative mood when he arrived a little after midnight, but wasn’t saying anything she wanted to hear. What was even more infuriating was he didn’t want to talk about his work at all.
Love and marriage were the only two things on his mind. What made her want to gag was when he said he could see them married. Phoenix had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. She’d played her role to such perfection that she deserved the Oscar for Best Actress and laughed at the thought.
Phoenix had gotten cocky earlier and was almost caught. She’d lost sight of the end goal and became over-confident. Hacking into Beck Security Systems was easy and she’d done it because she was bored. Not because it was a part of her plan.
Oh, she knew Jamie was tracking her movement and should have gotten out of Beck’s network before he locked onto her. But no, she wanted to see how good her opponent was. She had to admit he was better than she expected. She had never met anyone that had come so close to catching her. Too close for comfort.
Malcolm had mentioned that they’d hired Brooks Investigations and the Mohawk man was leading the project. He didn’t tell her anything else. After a quick search, she’d found the ex-cop a worthy adversary, but she was better than Jamie…smarter than him. She was smarter than all of them at Beck Security Systems and when she delivered her final blow she would have her revenge.
Phoenix heard the toilet flush and then the tap running. When she looked over her shoulder a few minutes later, Malcolm was at the door of her office dressed in slacks with his belt unbuckled and shirt in hand.
The plan was to get back to bed before he’d gotten up. She hadn’t expected him to be up so soon.
“What are you doing up?” Malcolm asked looking at her through sleepy eyes. A wide grin splashed across his face as he shrugged into his shirt. She had made him happy earlier. The way he was looking at her suggested he wanted a repeat performance with the honey and whipped cream.
“I couldn’t sleep.” Phoenix switched to another document that was open on the screen and got up to meet him at the door. She pushed him towards the bedroom. “Go back to bed. I thought I would get some work done while you were asleep. You don’t have to leave. Go back to bed and I’ll be in to join you in a minute. You can arrest me again,” she grinned.
“I would love to,” he said with regret in his voice. “But I can’t stay. I have to go back to the office. When I come back later you and I need to have a serious talk.”
She didn’t care about his serious talk. Beck Security Systems was the only thing she wanted to talk about. What was Jamie up to? She needed inside information and Malcolm was the only one that could supply that. His answers would determine how quickly her plan would unfold.
“It’s after four in the morning. What’s so important that you can’t take a break and let your favorite lady take you on one more ride?”
Malcolm shook his head. “As tempting as that sounds, I can’t stay, babe.”
Babe. Phoenix hated it when he called her that. That wasn’t important now. What she needed was information.
“What’s going on at Beck Security Systems?” She asked hoping he would be more forthcoming than earlier. “You’ve been so tight-lipped since Jamie what’s his name was hired. You always said that I don’t care about your work. Well, I do sweetheart,” she cooed.
“I can’t discuss it. Any way, I missed an urgent call from the office.”
“Come on tell me.” Phoenix ran her long red fingernail up his chest and down stopping at the belt buckle. She was begging. It made her sick, but she had to know about the phone call. It was probably from Jamie. It could have been because she’d logged into the system using Malcolm’s ID not ten minutes ago.
The plan was to log in a few more times as Malcolm and eventually throw suspicion onto him. They would waste valuable time pointing a finger at Malcolm.
It didn’t take long to figure out his password. Malcolm was a creature of habit. He ate at the same restaurant, took the same route home to and from work everyday and he liked sex. Strike that, loved sex.
When they first met, he loved talking about his work. Now he had decided to change his habits. Something she hadn’t counted on.
“I can’t talk about what’s going at work.”
“Tell me, please.”
“You know I can’t. We had this discussion already several times tonight,” he said sounding almost irritated. Why are you bringing it up again?”
“You can’t or you won’t,” she said frustrated, pushing him away hard when he tried to touch her. “You used to tell me everything. It’s as if you don’t trust me any more.”
“It has nothing to do with you.”
“Then tell me.”
“We’ll talk later. I have to go,” he said turning away from the door.
“It’s as if you think that I’m the one that uploaded the virus. You won’t even be able to find the damn thing anyway.”
He turned around slowly. “Why did you say that?”
Malcolm stared at Phoenix as if he was seeing her for the first time, eyes widened, lips pursed. His gaze fell on the computer. She knew she’d said too much. He flipped on the light and grabbed her arm dragging her into the room towards the desk. Hitting the enter key on the computer had brought up a blank word document. He closed the document and the secure page of Beck Security Systems filled the screen. Disappointment replaced rage.
He cursed under his breath. “Tell me you’re not responsible for what’s going on at Beck Security Systems.” He shook her. “Tell me.”
• • •
Phoenix didn’t respond. She stood there looking at him waiting. His fingers bit painfully in the flesh of her forearms where he grabbed her. The shaking stopped but he didn’t let her go. She waited for the blow to come and braced herself in silence. It never came, only anger.
“My God,” Malcolm said staring at the computer as if something occurred to him. He opened his mouth then closed it again. He turned his face away for a moment. “That day when you backed your car into mine, it wasn’t an accident. You planned it. You planned all of this.”
She could lie to him denying the truth, but he’d already seen through her. He wanted answers she wasn’t ready to give him, answers she didn’t want to give. He was a means to an end. That was his role. He wasn’t important anymore. The wounded puppy dog look on his face almost made her want to apologize.
“I guess this is you.” He showed her a picture he pulled from the pocket of his slacks.
Hide 'N Seek Page 17