by J. A. Coffey
"What took you so long?" she snapped at him by way of greeting. She stood there for a moment, apprehensive.
"Traffic," he said, shutting the door behind him.
Athena rolled her eyes. "Right."
She walked to the desk where she'd placed the hard drive and held it out to him. "Here."
Jay looked at the small, black device and cocked a thick brow. "What's that?"
"Luke's damn package."
He continued staring down at her with his crystal blue eyes. She began to fidget.
"It's an internal hard drive."
She almost cautioned him to be careful with it but stopped herself. Once it left her hands, she wouldn't care what he did with it. Though, secretly, she hoped he managed to crush it under his large hand. Then Luke would have no access to whatever it was he was looking for. With any luck the Acerras would ruin it themselves. Any wrong move and they could permanently damage the drive, rendering it useless.
That thought did little to ease her guilt.
Jay reached out and took the small device. "Where's the rest of it?"
"That's all of it."
"I mean, where's the computer that goes with it?"
"Where I left it," she snapped. He stared down at her in confusion, and she added with heavy exasperation, "In David Carrone's suite."
He walked away from her and began quickly searching the room, pulling open drawers and throwing back the bed sheets.
"What the hell are you looking for?" Athena snapped.
He didn't answer her. She folded her arms, her eyes following him as he opened the small closet and searched the safe inside.
Damn it. She wanted to get out of here. "Everything Luke needs is in that drive," she said, annoyed.
As soon as the words left her lips, a hard knock came to the door. Athena whirled around to face it. Jay went to it, not sparing her a glance. He opened the door and took a step back. To her dismay, Davie walked in.
"What the fu..." she choked out.
He strode across the room-tall, dark, and incredibly pissed. Actually, pissed didn't come close to describing the look on his face.
He continued directly toward her, and her heart lurched as his brilliant gray eyes held hers with ferocious intent. Yet, under the soft glow of the hotel room light, his dark features were mesmerizing.
Athena backed away until she came up firmly against the wall. She instinctively raised her hand in a weak attempt to ward him off.
He continued toward her until he had her trapped. She literally had no place to turn. Her senses were too aware of his nearness for her mind to form a coherent thought. But looking into his steely gray eyes, all she could think about was how dark they had turned when he'd been pumping into her.
Davie wrapped his hands around her wrists and pulled her close to him. He leaned down until his lips were nearly brushing her ear. At his nearness, her body grew warm beneath the tight black dress.
"Leaving a man tied-up and alone, with a raging hard-on, is not very polite," he drawled. His nonchalant tone did nothing to conceal the murky ice in his eyes. Still holding onto her wrists, he dragged her to the bed.
Athena began to panic.
"Sit," he barked, pushing her down.
She narrowed her eyes but didn't argue. She looked over at Jay, who was still standing by the door. Thankfully, he appeared oblivious to Davie's opening salvo.
"What's going on?" she asked cautiously.
Davie smiled down at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. He then turned back to Jay. "What did she get?"
"Hard drive," Jay said, nodding toward the small desk. "It's over there."
Athena couldn't believe what was happening. Jay must have sold her out.
Davie walked over to the desk and picked up the hard drive still protected in the black, anti-static bag. The disgusted glare he shot her almost stopped her heart. She looked away.
"What do you want me to tell Luke?" Jay asked.
"Nothing yet," Davie said, pocketing the small device.
Jay frown deepened. "He's expecting me to bring him something."
"Tell them whatever you need to. I plan to take care of this before you meet with him."
"Okay." Jay threw her a questioning glance. "Then you're cool?"
Davie turned to her. "Yeah," he said slowly. "Tena and I go way back. Right, sweets?" When she didn't bother to acknowledge him, he turned to Jay. "Don't worry. I can handle her."
Without another word, the other man slipped out of the room, and to Athena's surprise, she found she missed his bulky presence. Being alone in the room with Davie's hot glare left her feeling horribly exposed.
Without a word, Davie leaned against the edge of the small desk. He held her gaze, his expression now guarded.
She licked her suddenly dry lips. "Look," she began. "You got me. I'm caught. So you can stop trying to intimidate me."
He scoffed, still glaring down at her, his eyes stony and hard. "Don't underestimate how pissed I am," he began casually. "I don't think I've been screwed that good since...ever. I have to give it you, Tena. You've gotten really good."
Athena had a feeling he wasn't just talking about her little heist. "This wasn't personal, Davie," she murmured.
"Oh, I think fucking me is pretty damn personal." His eyes skimmed down her body, resting on her chest, which displayed an ample amount of cleavage. Her nipples hardened as she thought of the way he'd taken them into his warm mouth.
Okay, girl, stop it.
"So why don't you tell me why I shouldn't have the police here now to haul your pretty little ass away?" His attitude appeared laid back, but his eyes were shooting silver bullets.
Athena's heart pounded in her chest. "Calling the cops won't solve anything, and you know it. The Acerras will just find another way to get what they want."
"And what is it they're looking for?"
She shrugged, trying to mimic his cool demeanor, but wasn't sure she was succeeding. "All I know is that whatever it is, it's worth forgiving a hundred thousand dollars for."
His brow arched slightly, and he was silent for a moment. "Why don't you start from the beginning."
Athena began hesitantly at first, telling him about Anthony's debt to the Acerras and how Luke had approached her, promising to square off her brother's loan, plus the interest, if she got this job done for them.
"A hundred grand?"
Athena nodded.
He frowned. "Is Anthony still gambling?" His tone was full of disapproval.
"Coming from the man who runs a casino," she said defensively, "I don't think you have room to judge."
"I'm not judging," he snapped. "But if you needed the money, you could have come to me. Or I could have-"
"I'm not taking your money," she interrupted sharply.
He looked at her derisively. "No, you'd rather just steal from me instead."
Athena glanced away. Funny how pride made irrational thinking seem pretty damn...rational. He was right. All of this could have probably been avoided if she had asked him for help from the beginning. But she wasn't accustomed to asking anyone for help these days. And despite his generosity in the past, she couldn't see herself coming up to him, after fourteen years, and asking for money she would never be able to repay. Then again, maybe that would have been the better alternative.
"Look," she began, "I'm sorry. You're right. I should have come to you about this, especially after all you've done for me. For us. And I really feel terrible about this."
To her surprise and absolute annoyance, he laughed. There was little amusement in it, however.
"Oh no, sweetheart, you're not getting off that easy, so save your apology. Now why the hard drive?"
"I don't know. I'm simply here to pick up and deliver. Nothing else." At least there wasn't supposed to be anything else. But the way the soft material of her skirt pressed against her bare bottom reminded her that they had done so much more.
His eyes still held some suspicion, and she tried not to car
e or take offense. That was easier said than done.
"Whatever is in it, I think it has something to do with what happened to Rome," she offered. "Maybe they're trying to settle the score since he's in prison because of your company and that money-laundering scheme."
He tensed, the muscle in his jaw tightening. "I had nothing to do with that bullshit," he said tightly. "I'm not stupid enough to bring in that kind of trouble."
Frowning, she shook her head slightly. "I never thought you were, Davie. All I'm saying is that they could be trying to pick up where Rome left off or find some way to sabotage your business again."
He was silent for a moment, as if trying to gauge if she was being honest. Athena sighed, resigned.
"And had they gotten their hands on it and succeeded," he said, "you would have been okay with that?"
She glanced away and shook her head. "Of course not. I never wanted to hurt you." She took a steadying breath and looked at him again. "But I've heard how they've...changed, and I didn't want anything to happen to Anthony."
The Acerras had always been trouble, but as they've all gotten older, they had become a bit ruthless, and she didn't need that kind of trouble following her or her brother.
Again, Davie said nothing, but she managed to hold his piercing gaze. Whether he believed her or not, it was the truth.
"And what about the flash drive you left behind?" he finally asked.
Athena frowned. "What flash drive?"
"From last night. After you broke into my partner's office," he said, obviously annoyed at having to explain this to her.
Athena's heart raced. There was no way he could have known she'd been there last night, though it almost didn't matter now since he already had her. But she had been extremely careful so whoever had been sloppy and left their flash drive behind, it hadn't been her.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said strongly. "I didn't leave any flash drive."
He regarded her closely for a minute, his gray eyes still filled with mild suspicion. When he pushed away from the desk and started toward her, Athena jumped up from the bed. Alarms rang in her head as he advanced toward her.
"Look, I told you everything. I don't know anything about a flash drive." She couldn't keep the irritation from her voice. Though, after tonight, he had no reason to believe anything she said. "If you were gonna call the cops, you would have done it already."
His smile was mocking. "How do you know they're not waiting outside right now?"
Athena looked at him searchingly. He wouldn't... Would he?
He must have read the apprehension on her face because he blew out a loud sigh. "I'm not going to call the cops. But that doesn't mean you're just going to walk out of here."
"What more do you want? I didn't take anything else."
"First, I'm going to have a talk with Luke and put an end to this mess," he said. "That'll give me some time to decide what to do with you."
"Just let me leave, Davie," she said quietly. "And I promise I'll never step foot in here again."
He looked her over then said after a moment, "I'd rather you stay."
Frustration rose in her. She wanted to leave and put this night behind her. She glanced at the door. She wasn't obligated to stay, and he couldn't force her to. He had his property back, and he'd said he wouldn't call the cops. She decided to call his bluff.
She got in three steps toward the door before he grabbed her from behind and pulled her back against him.
"We're not done," he said close to her ear.
She shivered at the low gruffness in his voice, those words bringing her back to that dark suite where it had been just her and him and their relentless desire.
But that moment was over. He was angry, and she wasn't going to just wait to see what he planned to do. She pushed away from him, but his hold only tightened. Struggling in earnest, she fought desperately to escape his tight hold. Instead, he tossed her on the bed. Before she could orient herself, he came over her.
"Relax," he said roughly. "I'm not going to hurt you."
Deep down, she knew he wouldn't.
Athena looked up at him through the strands of hair that now covered her eyes. Adrenaline forced her breathing out in short, quivering pants. His body was pressed solidly over her, and her legs fell open slightly.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he repeated, his gaze moving down to her lips. He peered down at her with eyes that were now smoky gray.
Her breath hitched as he wedged himself deeper between her thighs, until he was pressed firmly against her. Awareness of their suggestive position was plain on his face. There was a different kind of tension in him as his gaze lingered on her lips.
"Tonight," he began slowly. "Was sleeping with me tonight part of the plan?"
She clutched at his arms, which were braced on either side of her, and the heat of him pressing into her brought the tremble from her body to her voice.
"N-no."
He brought his gaze back up to hers, his silver-bright eyes now a charcoal gray. "Then why did you?"
It would have been easier, less complicated, if she had just told him that it had been a mistake. That she had never meant for it to happen. But with him looking at her like that, she found she couldn't lie.
"Because I wanted to."
His eyes widened in surprise then darkened with rising lust. She held her breath as his gaze once again slid down to her lips.
"Please, Davie," she began quietly, her fingers tightening around his arms. "Let me leave."
He frowned slightly, his gaze still on her lips. "I can't do that."
He shifted between her cradled thighs, and his erection butted strongly against her. She didn't move a muscle, distinctly aware that she wore no panties.
"Why not?" she breathed.
He lowered his head until his forehead rested on hers. "Because I can't..."
With those vague words, he brushed his lips lightly across hers-once, then twice. She ran her fingers through his short, dark strands of hair then brought his mouth fully to hers, ending the teasing caress.
Ignoring everything that was wrong with this moment, she tightened her thighs around his hips, wanting to take in every hard inch of him. Again.
As if propelled by carnal instinct, he let out a deep moan then rolled his hips and pushed firmly against her. The dull pulsing between her legs began to throb harder, and she released an involuntary moan at the familiar sensation.
The thin sensual thread between them snapped.
In a whirlwind of frenzied movements, he reared up and undid his pants. Something sharp slid along her leg, but she ignored it, pulled in by the frantic need emanating in his smoky gray eyes. Within moments, he had her dress hiked up to her waist and his engorged shaft in hand. Spreading her legs wider, he drove into her with one hard thrust.
A ragged moan escaped her as he pumped deeply into her. No words passed between them, no light touches or kisses-just raw, body-jerking, heart-pounding pleasure.
She tried to meet him thrust for thrust, but he possessed her, controlling the depth and speed of their joining bodies. She was on fire, but all she could do was dig her nails into his rigid forearms and cling to him.
He surged deeply into her again and the pressure inside her exploded. With a sharp gasp, she melted around him, shattering into sharp, tiny pieces. He followed her into oblivion with a low growl.
In the aftermath, small, delicious shivers still racked her sensitive body. She was acutely aware of his weight and harsh breathing. He remained deep inside her, still stretching her.
After a while, he lifted himself up and stared down at her. There was no arrogance in his satisfied gaze, like before. No lazy or sly grin on his handsome face. No tactless comments that made her feel as if she was just one of many. There was just barely concealed bemusement in his smoky eyes, followed by a deep frown.
"What the hell are you doing to me?"
His reaction bruised what little pride she had left.
Similar to before, she pushed against his shoulders, and he rolled away from her. She jumped off the bed, and on unsteady legs, tugged down her skirt.
He began arranging himself, and she carefully averted her eyes. Was this normal for him? Wild romps whenever he wanted? They hadn't even taken off their clothes, she noticed vaguely. She rushed toward the bathroom as he made a move to grab her.
"Tena, wait."
She effortlessly slipped out of his grasp and dashed into the bathroom. She certainly didn't want to hear another comparison about how she was the best he'd ever had. Knowing he'd been with enough women to make such a claim did not exactly fill her with confidence.
Evidence of their wild joining began slowly running down her thighs and she clenched her legs together. Damn it. They hadn't used anything.
She had officially lost her common sense along with her mind and she was beginning to resent the increasingly devastating effect he was having on her.
"Sweetheart," he said through the door, "running away like that every time does little for my ego."
She scoffed. Too bad. She had her own battered female pride to deal with. Glancing up at the wide bathroom mirror, she shook her head at the grim, wide-eyed woman staring back at her.
Idiot.
Chapter Eight
He was really starting to hate her post-sex run-off routine.
But how could he blame her? His blurted comment had been thoughtless-blaming her for his lack of control. He didn't know what the hell was the matter with him, but coming into her was like nothing he'd ever felt. And the force of his release was like nothing he'd ever experienced. It traveled through every part of his body and shook him to the core.
David tried the knob of the bathroom door, but found it locked. He cursed. He didn't know why it bothered him, but it did. Her shutting him out bothered him a lot.
The rush of water from the sink came through the door and he backed away. Maybe time alone was best. He needed to sort himself out.
The rumpled bed drew his attention, and he shook his head, dazed. What the hell was he thinking, going at her like some rutting bull? For whatever reason, his self-control seemed to bolt when she was near. He didn't understand why or how, but the more he had her, the more he wanted.