Jason froze.
The Valenzi fell back, confused, and then one of them dropped his gun. That’s all it took. A bold or terrified—it didn’t really matter which—guest bolted through the exit behind him. The instant the door swung open, the security guards, FBI, SWAT or whatever they were—maybe all three—swarmed inside.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Nathan swiveled to disarm his captor with a cool kick that bespoke years of martial arts training—who knew? So, he was more than just a fluff piece of a billionaire. I grinned, wanting to jump his bones right there, but I couldn’t have Jason running off in the new round of pandemonium seizing the hall. I had to stay where I was.
It took a bit of time, with all the tumult and chaos, but finally, it happened. The cops arrived to cuff everyone. An overly eager FBI agent would’ve cuffed me as well, if Nathan hadn’t stepped forward to draw him aside. The agent nodded and left, and Nathan returned a moment later to slip his arm around my waist and guide me to a nearby table.
All in all, the aftermath of the event lasted much, much longer than the event itself, but it was worth it, simply just to watch the cops finally lead Jason away, all cuffed and furious. And as for myself, while I’d started the evening as a suspect, I’d emerged a hero—well, enough of a hero that the agents respected Nathan by not clapping cuffs on me in public, anyway. They politely asked for an interview, instead. As Nathan took a seat by my side at the table, they began to ply me with questions. Why did you come? What were you after? Yada, yada, yada.
I told them the truth. I didn’t come to the event for the opal, but personal reasons, instead.
That made Nathan stand up. “It’s over, Gia,” he said, abruptly.
I blinked, surprised—and not in a good way. “Over?” I repeated a little breathlessly. The kind of you’re-on-your-way-to-a-jail-cell-and-the-FBI-is-adding-you-to-their-caught-at-last kind of over?
Nathan’s eyes crinkled at the corners. He was a pretty perceptive guy and had obviously followed my thoughts this time. Lifting my chin with his finger, he assured in his sexy rumble, “You’re not a suspect, baby.” Turning to the agents, he dismissed them with a curt gesture. “We’re done here. Good night.”
He pulled me out of my chair then and straight out of the ballroom and down the steps outside to a waiting limousine.
Relief coursed through me, but I was still a tad on edge. I slid into the limo’s plush back seat and as Nathan joined me, murmured, “Let’s get out of here before they change their minds.”
It was only a half-joke. They might not want me for the opal, but I couldn’t afford them sniffing too deeply into my past—not with the things I’d filched in my career.
Nathan slipped his arm along the back of the seat, behind my head. I looked up into his face, admiring the silver of his eyes glittering in the passing lights as the limo began to move.
“I have to know, Gia,” he whispered in that sexy voice of his. “You were after the opal before. Why didn’t you take it when you had the chance tonight?”
My mouth dropped open. “Really?” I asked, shocked and a little insulted. I mean, what woman in her right mind would choose Jason after experiencing Nathan Carr?
His lip quirked up at the corner. Apparently, he found it incredibly easy to follow my thoughts yet again.
Running my hand up the front of his shirt, I grabbed his tie and gave it a solid yank. “If I never hear of that damn opal again, it won’t be soon enough,” I swore. “I’m done, Nathan. I’ve retired.”
He lifted an oh-so-elegant brow and dropping his lean jaw close to my ear, probed, “Retired? Tell me, just what does a premiere jewel thief do in her retirement?”
The rampant sensuality in his voice made me smile. Fluttering my lashes, I walked my fingers up his arm to pat his cheek. “Take me to your hotel room and you’ll find out.”
* * *
He did—take me to his hotel, that is. He carried me through the door, into a luxurious suite housing every kind of indulgence you could possibly imagine and then some, but the stress of the evening had finally caught up with us both. The moment our heads hit the pillows, we fell fast asleep.
He awoke me with a kiss. A gentle brush of the lips. I thought it was a dream. After all, Nathan Carr didn’t kiss. But I was wrong. He did and it wasn’t a dream at all. Cradling me in his arms, he began to really kiss me, starting with a slow, lingering trace of my lips with the tip of his tongue. I moaned. He liked that. He caught my upper lip between his teeth and nibbled it gently. I moaned again. This time, he slipped his tongue inside my mouth to play over mine. He was an incredible kisser. Of course, he would be. I hadn’t seen the gentle, tender side of him before. As a thrill-seeker, I hadn’t thought I’d like such things.
I was so, so wrong.
He took his time, brushing his soft lips on mine and taking my mouth with his own in a deep and slow, savoring exploration but one no less hungry because of it. I nearly melted under the heat of his tongue, teasing and tangling with mine. Drawing back, he licked the tip of my tongue before capturing it completely, sucking into his warm mouth as his lips crushed mine. His kiss turned me on, making me hotter and wetter than if he’d started out by impaling me with no warning—well, ahem, probably not, but it was close.
He made me move. I couldn’t help it. I began to arch up against him.
He lifted his lips from mine, and rubbing my nose with his own, pulled back to send me a sizzling smile.
“You’re a hot little pussy, aren’t you, Gia,” he rumbled.
I realized then that we were both naked under the sheets and I grinned. When had he undressed me? I thrust my hips forward. “Fuck me,” I moaned, feeling desperate.
“And so very impatient,” he teased, skimming a hand over my curves.
I rolled over onto my stomach and arched my ass against his crotch, giving him the hint. I wanted his cock inside me. I needed it. Any way that I could get it.
He nibbled my earlobe and then planted a few kisses on my neck before peppering more down the length of my spine. His hands ran over my ass, pinching the cheeks and then, to my surprise, he whispered gruffly, “Lay on your back, Gia. I think it’s high time I filled that tight, pink little pussy with my cum.”
I froze. What about being a man of his position and all that jazz? Curious, I lifted my head to meet his dazzling gray eyes. “I thought you couldn’t risk—” I began.
“Casual encounters, Gia,” he interrupted me, scooping me up and flipping me on my back to brace himself over me on his elbows. “I think it’s time we took this to the next level.”
“Level?” I repeated, my heart beginning to race.
He looked me straight in the eye. “I need you in my bed,” he said, and then his eyes crinkled with amusement. “And on my desk. In my chair. At the airport. At the dinner table…” He let his voice trail away.
I laughed. “Sounds like a real relationship, Nathan,” I breathed, sliding my arms around his neck and opening my legs wide.
He dropped his powerful body between them. I could feel his hot, heavy balls resting against my entrance, making me even wetter than before.
“A real relationship?” he teased. His smile faded. “Yes, a relationship. You’re gorgeous, Gia.”
I smiled, arching into him. His body felt so right against, on, and in mine. “You’re not so bad to look at yourself, Nathan.”
He buried his marble-hard erection right into my pussy then, penetrating me in one, desperate thrust. It felt intense. Incredible. Primal and raw. He stretched me wider than I’d ever been stretched before. I cried out in pure, unadulterated bliss.
“You’re so fucking tight,” he groaned into my hair, pumping me hard with his massive cock.
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. I couldn’t do anything but concentrate on his thickly-ridged shaft sliding up between my eager pussy lips. I closed my eyes and simply enjoyed being stretched to the max. My body slickened for him, easing his passage and then he really began to move. I shri
eked, unable to contain my delight as he pounded into me. My hips arched to meet his every move, savoring the thrill of his hard dick plowing into me and taking me to heights of desire I’d never reached before. I writhed and bucked, relishing the power thrusting between my legs. Never had my pussy been so stuffed or penetrated by such a hard cock.
Neither of us lasted long. Oh, we tried. He slowed his thrusting, allowing me to savor the entry of his veined shaft and the slow pull of its exit in my hot channel. But was so intense, it nearly brought me to the verge of climax at once. As my breath began to hitch, he picked up his rhythm to drive his massive member inside me once again.
The sound of his thrusting grunts and his balls slapping my flesh threw me over the edge.
As I screamed in the peak of my desire, he bent down and kissed me again, capturing my cries with his lips. It just made me tremble with pleasure again, tipping off another blissful wave that robbed me of all breath.
He moaned himself then, the muscles on his neck protruding like cords and his face turning harsh with ecstasy. With one last ragged breath and thrust, he shuddered, dumping his load deep inside me. I could feel the wet, slickness of his hot seed spraying my inner walls, filling my hungry pussy to the brim. He held himself there until his dick finished pumping its load. Finally, his cock softened and dropping his powerful body over me, he kissed me again, slowly, as he caressed every inch of my overly-sensitized skin.
We stayed that way for a time, just enjoying the closeness, but we’d just begun to work up to round two, when Nathan’s cell phone buzzed.
He heaved a sigh. “I have to take that,” he said with a rueful smile. “If only to let them know I’m not coming in today.”
I laughed. “Go for it,” I said, sitting up. The move caused some of his hot, thick cum to ooze out of my still overflowing pussy. I grinned and shook my head, watching Nathan move away to stand in front of the window and take his call. I could stare at his full, naked, stunning glory all day. Talk about ripped. The Greek gods had nothing on this dude.
Suddenly, my own phone buzzed on the bedside table. I glanced over at the number. Paul. I expelled a long breath. Poor guy. He probably thought I was rotting in a jail cell somewhere. Reaching over, I grabbed my phone and tapping the screen, greeted him with a, “Helllooooo there, Paul.”
“If half of what I hear is true, I’m stunned,” my cousin said. “Just plain stunned.”
I laughed. Yeah, he didn’t know even half of it. “Then be stunned, dear cousin,” I replied with a laugh.
Paul gave a long, low whistle. “Well, then I suppose you’re going to tell me you’re not interested in this new job? It’s a diamond. Historic. And in Italy. You’ve always loved Italy.”
The bed dipped and I glanced back to see Nathan sliding in behind me to kiss my naked shoulder.
“I’ve retired for good this time, Paul,” I said, leaning back against Nathan’s broad chest. “Send Dru. She’s up for the challenge. She’s as good as I am. It’s time you gave her a shot.”
Nathan nibbled my neck and I lost track of Paul’s reply. Something about my sister, Dru, being a bit on the unpredictable side with a passionate Italian temper of her own. And then Nathan’s fingers slipped down my arm to lift my phone right from my fingers, and tossing it over his shoulder, twisted me underneath him.
“Yes,” I moaned.
It was time for part two.
The End
Interesting in more Spice Pendleton?
We’ve included a few excerpts from other Pendleton novellas for your enjoyment.
Preview: MacLeod’s Rapture
Ever Heard of the Quench Incident?
It didn’t make the news much. Just a few dry articles—scientific stuff. CERN reported a faulty electrical connection between two magnets had damaged the Large Hadron Collider. Sectors 3 and 4. The result: they shut the collider down for a few months. Replaced magnets. That sort of thing.
They didn’t mention the warp bubbles—maybe because they didn’t detect the rings of varying sizes, emanating from the most complex, experimental facility ever built beneath Geneva, Switzerland.
Rings that floated through space, time, and matter.
Rings attracted to particular electrical signatures—certain reciprocal personality types with matching desires.
Rings big enough to swallow someone whole, carrying them to their perfect match, regardless of where and when—or in what dimension.
A Helluva Day
“Wake up, Charisse!” Mr. Richard’s harsh syllables of annoyance shattered my reverie.
I lifted my head from my desk and tiredly pinched the crick in my neck.
"Just because it's the last day doesn’t mean I'm paying for a nap,” his strident tones grated as he tossed a folder onto my desk. "Show that Ferguson house right now. Pronto.”
Pronto? I glanced at the "going-out-of-business" signage hanging in the window, a testament to the fact I'd soon join the ranks of the unemployed. Why did the guy even bother? It was our last day. In four hours, Mr. Richards would close the doors of his tacky, awful little realty office forever.
He slapped my desk with his palm. “Capiche?”
Chill, dude.
Grunting in acknowledgment, I shrugged into my faux-leather jacket and snagged the folder to step out into the biting winter air. It’d been so cold the past few weeks. Clumps of snow slipped into my boots as I picked my way across the parking lot to my red Toyota with its duct-taped, rearview mirror. So much for getting that fixed. Without a job, it’d be a stretch even buying a new roll of duct tape. I jammed my keys into the ignition and winced at the ice-caked windshield. I’d be here awhile. My ancient hairdryer could put a bigger dent in that ice than this car’s defroster ever thought of doing.
As an anemic poof of air dribbled through the vents, I yawned and glanced into the rearview mirror. My late night showed. I'd spent the entire evening waiting for Chad to come home and make love. But did he? Nope. He'd stayed at the bar with his buddies, shooting pool and drinking up a storm. Yeah, I didn’t mind him having his fun, but every blasted night for months? What the hell was wrong with him?
I surveyed my face. Big brown eyes, red hair, and plump lips. Fishing through my purse, I grabbed the lipstick and applied a fresh coat of "BerryLuscious". The things I'd planned on doing with those lips last night ... well, Chad had lost out—big time.
Growing tired of waiting for my defroster to melt its first snowflake, I fished the ice-scraper out of the glove compartment and braved the cold to scrape the ice off myself. A few minutes later, I was on my way.
Well, physically, anyway. My thoughts immediately returned to my dream dude. Hell, if Chad didn't want to take advantage of my assets, then it was high time I'd found a guy who would. A real guy. One with a nice set of rock-hard abs and a dimple on his chin. I had a thing for those strong, defined jawlines, too. I wanted a guy who’d spend his evenings nuzzling my ear instead of guzzling a cold beer. A guy who’d plant kisses all the way down my neck and along my collarbone before fucking me senseless. Instead of using his hands to push a pool stick, he’d rip my blouse open, unhook my bra and let those hands loose. Hell, he could even get creative with that pool—
The car behind me honked. Loud.
Damn, I’d stopped at a green light.
Startled out of my daydream, I hit the gas pedal. “Chill, bud,” I snapped to the driver behind me, my breath puffing in white clouds.
In a deteriorating mood, I skidded across the icy streets all the way to 42nd Street and its faded-pink Victorian monstrosity of house. It’d been on the market for several years and we’d only had two bites. It was a fixer-upper at best and most definitely not the premium-priced, historic, ‘Old World Charmer’—A.K.A. rattrap—the owners claimed it to be.
After gliding like an ice-skater down the driveway, I managed to stop my car just before it careened into the detached garage. Wouldn’t that be funny? End the day with a bang, Charisse! I grinned, imagining the shock on
Mr. Richard’s face when I told him I’d flattened the garage.
I turned the ignition off and eyed the cold house surrounded by snow drifts. Why were we showing this old, creaking ruin on the coldest day of the year? No doubt, they’d disconnected the electricity years ago. Grumbling, I trudged to the front door. It took a bit of jiggling to unlock the door, but finally, I stepped inside and flipped the light switch.
Surprise. Electricity!
Well…for one millisecond, anyway. The chandelier in the foyer briefly flickered before burning out with a hissing spit.
“Damn,” I groaned. After trying a few more lights, I added, “Double-fucking-quadruple damn!”
Grabbing a flashlight out of my car, I stalked to the garage and located the fuse box hiding under a mound of cobwebs. After brushing them away, I flipped it open and flicked the red switches.
The fourth switch erupted into a shower of sparks.
“Fuck!” I swore, leaping back.
I saw it then. Right behind me and coming fast. A ring, looking just like a hula hoop made of water. It descended on me so quickly I didn’t even have time to react, I just stood there like a deer caught in the headlights as it swallowed me whole.
A Hunk in a Kilt
The smell of damp earth. Warm sunlight. A cool breeze touched my cheek as it rustled through what sounded like leaves, high above my head. A horse whickered nearby…
A … horse?
Pain lanced through my head as strong hands lifted me up from the ground. I opened my eyes and winced in the bright light—the intense, midsummer sunlight that makes you kick yourself for forgetting sunglasses.
The horse—make that horses—hunkered over me from mere inches away.
“And who might ye be, lass?” a deep Scottish burr queried in my ear.
Confused, I dropped my gaze to the hands secured around my waist. Large hands. Strong. Young. Curious, I pivoted to find myself cradled in the arms of a tall, blond hunk of a man. And I mean real hunk. As I turned, his arms flexed and pulled me closer to his hard chest. I didn’t mind. Hell, no. Not in the slightest.
The Billionaire's Family Jewels: Flesh and Stone Page 7