“Issue one,” Tariq said. “How to get back our blueprints and prototype from the Quinlan boys so we could really destroy it. But then I got arrested, which was actually good in a way, because it kept me safe from the Saudis. But it also meant the whole Quinlan family was potentially in danger if the Saudis ever found out where we’d stashed everything.”
Dylan shook his head. “This is unbelievable.”
“It’s pretty intense, isn’t it?” Tariq folded his arms across his chest. “Luckily – after a couple of terrifying weeks in custody, I managed to convince my parole officer to bring me an FBI agent.”
Adam pulled Amy tight against himself, as if he was scared she might disappear. Or maybe he just wanted to ground himself in reality in the midst of this madness. “So you involved the FBI in this?” he asked.
Tariq shrugged. “Sure. We needed protection. Anyway, as soon as I got out of jail, we decided to get our blueprints back from you – just in case the Saudis approached you. They haven’t, have they?”
Dylan shook his head. “No…”
“Good,” Tariq said. “So we guessed you wouldn’t just hand everything over to me, because you were so sure I was responsible for Ivan’s death. But luckily, when I saw Ms Carter last week, I knew one of you scoundrels would go after her – and I was right.”
Adam smirked. “Well, I’m only flesh and blood, and she’s one hell of a woman.”
“She is.” Ivan took over the story. “So when Tariq came back saying he thought Ms Carter and Adam cared for each other we knew we should involve her in our plan. I’ve never known Adam to introduce a woman to our folks, so I guessed there was something deep going on.”
“So,” Tariq said. “We concocted the tallest tale we could think of to persuade Amy to work with us. Sorry about the lies, Ms Carter.”
“Well, it’s okay, I suppose.” She sunk against Adam’s body for support. “But what about your scar? It looks pretty real.”
“It is real. We needed to make it look convincing.”
Dylan grimaced. “You burned yourself?”
Tariq nodded sadly. “Had to.”
“Wait a minute,” Adam said. “The funeral. Who the hell did we bury?”
“A weighted coffin,” Ivan said. “The FBI helped us with that. We didn’t tell them the truth about the perpetual motion device, because we knew the government would want a piece of it, but we told them enough to convince them to help.”
Dylan gazed at Ivan. “Will you ever be able to see mom and dad again?”
“I hope so one day. But not for a while. I think I’ll go to Europe. Change my name. Maybe come back in a few years, and be like ‘surprise!’”
Tariq chuckled. Adam and Dylan stared at him aghast, trying to take it all in.
“So didn’t the Saudis think to come looking here, Tariq?” Amy asked.
“Yeah, they ransacked the place while I was in jail a few times. Ivan managed to get out the window and hide until they were gone, thank god. I guess once they left empty-handed those times, they stopped coming. But we know they’ll be back again. That’s why we need to destroy the blueprints and the prototype as soon as we can.”
“I’ll need to lie low,” Ivan said. “Just until the Saudis are totally out of the picture.”
“Yeah,” Tariq said. “And I’m planning to fake my suicide after we’ve destroyed our work. And then all traces of it and us will be gone. Our loved ones will be safe.”
Amy shook her head. “But surely humanity needs this machine. Think of the freedom it would give us from fossil fuels. Climate damage would stop and the planet could recover. Perhaps it could eliminate hunger and poverty.”
Ivan spoke in a calm voice. “Yes, Ms Carter, Tariq and I have discussed this many times. But what if it gets into the wrong hands – which it inevitably will? Think of all the damage it would do to our world. To our freedom.”
Dylan ran his fingers through his brown curls. “This is too fucked up. Why the hell didn’t you contact me? We’re brothers, aren’t we?”
“I could hardly walk into your office, could I? Not unless you wanted an entourage of AK47-weilding oil barons in there, too.”
Dylan nodded gently, unable to reply. The conversation petered out and they all stared at each other, unsure of what to say next.
Adam gasped, as if he’d realised something. He gazed affectionately at Amy. “So I guess we didn’t need to buy Grafton Techs after all, huh?”
Ivan shrugged. “To be honest it could be a nice little side-line. It’s a lucrative business. I’d still buy it if I were you.”
“The contracts have gone through now anyway,” Amy said. “So you can’t back out.”
Ivan stood up and stretched, then he drifted over towards Amy, smiling that charming smile of the Quinlan clan. “By the way, I don’t believe we’ve been officially introduced, Ms Carter.”
Amy chuckled. “Nice to meet you, Ivan. I’m glad you’re alive!”
Ivan laughed. “Me too.”
Adam kissed her on the forehead. “Ivan, this is the woman who’s stolen my heart. I’m a changed man. Totally.”
Ivan grinned. “Damn, I must’ve been hiding out in Tariq’s basement longer than I realised. Is this still the same Adam I know and love?”
Dylan rolled his eyes. “It’s the same Adam you know, in love,”
Ivan threw Adam a doting smile. “I’m happy for you, kiddo, seriously.”
“Thanks, me too!” Adam chuckled wearily. “I honestly can’t believe this is real. I’ve found an amazing woman and my deceased big brother all in the same week.”
Dylan shook his head wearily. “We should’ve realised something was up, you know. Ivan and Tariq were always cooking up schemes together as kids.”
Tariq and Ivan shared an affectionate smile. Amy could see they’d been through a lot together recently, which had cemented their childhood friendship even further.
Tariq fell serious. “We need to destroy the blueprints and prototype as soon as possible. Under the cover of night. Until then, would anyone like some tea?”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Amy was exhausted after today’s dramas, so Tariq invited her to lie down in the guest room while the brothers continued their reunion. She was delighted when Adam slipped out with her and they were soon kissing on the iron-framed bed – all trace of tiredness forgotten.
“You okay?” Adam asked, between kisses. “That was all pretty intense, huh?”
“I’m fine – I was terrified for a while! But I’m delighted you’ve got your brother back.”
“Me too. Though, right now, I’m happy to be here with my girl.”
Amy chuckled and kissed him hard. The décor of Tariq’s guest room was old fashioned and baroque – probably something his late Persian parents had been responsible for. It was cold and dusty in here, and it reminded Amy of a huge circus tent, with oak beams, heavy gilded furniture, and a massive full-length mirror at the opposite end of the huge double bed.
Adam shuffled up to recline against the iron-slatted headboard as they continued to kiss frantically, so Amy hitched up her skirt and crawled on top of him, feeling her body surge with lust. He gripped her thighs and eased her skirt up to her butt, exposing her panties to the mirror behind.
“Hmm, nice ass, Ms Carter,” he said, glancing at her reflection.
Amy turned to look, too, and she grinned. Seeing herself in the mirror like that shot molten lust between her thighs. It was empowering to see how sexy she was. She’d never realised it before. Adam had brought out her inner beauty and it was now shining through.
She turned back to face him and purred, half-closing her eyes and posing like a supermodel. He chuckled and reached out to unbutton her shirt, then he stripped it down from her shoulders, exposing her bra. Amy rubbed herself against him as she started to get excited. He unhooked her bra and pushed it out the way, then he leaned forward and sucked her nipple. Powerful lust struck her and she gasped. She ground herself over the glorious
erection in his trousers, desperate to get her panties off so she could feel him deep inside.
“Patience, naughty little thing,” he said, licking her tits hungrily.
He reached his fingers around and ran them over her ass, then he slid his fingers down inside her panties, easing them into her pussy, making her gasp. He looked away from her breasts and checked their reflection in the mirror behind her. He smiled satisfactorily. Amy felt proud and excited. They were their own porn stars.
Amy reached down to unzip Adam’s flies, then she tugged out his straining erection, which she massaged slowly. Adam’s eyes scrunched up and he exhaled.
“You’re so fucking hot, Amy.”
She leaned over and kissed him. “I want to watch us fucking each other in the mirror.”
Adam grinned and nodded in approval. Amy made a show of dismounting, then – after she’d peeled off her panties – she climbed back on his lap with her back facing him. She lifted her hips and arched her spine, offering him her ass and pussy, and swaying her hips in his face. Feeling like a sensual pussycat, she threw him a smouldering glance over her shoulder, then turned and lowered her face down to swirl her tongue around the head of his cock. It tasted salty, and she licked up the pre-cum, before plunging it into her mouth.
Adam’s strong hands fell around her hips and he pulled her ass towards his face, then ran his tongue inside the opening of her pussy, flicking her clit and darting his tongue into her wetness. She’d never sixty-nined with a guy before, but this erotic – slightly dirty – sensation was fabulous. It was a pleasure to suck Adam’s powerful cock, while he licked her into pleasurable delight from behind.
She glanced at him over her shoulder again. “Feels so good...”
He slapped her on the ass. “Perfect. Your wonderful tush is in my face, I can lick your tight little pussy, and I can watch your lips sucking my cock in the mirror.”
Amy got the hint and turned to take his cock in her mouth again, glancing into the reflection with a sultry gaze. He moved one hand away from her hip and eased his fingers deep inside her wet pussy. She gasped and enjoyed the thrill of seeing her own reactions in the mirror. This was the most sensuous thing she’d ever done, and her pussy strained with a yearning for him thrust her into ecstasy.
She glanced over her shoulder again and shot Adam a smutty smile. “I’m ready to ride you – fancy some reverse cowgirl?”
He slapped her ass firmly, making her gasp. “Such a naughty little cowgirl,” he said. “Ride me hard.”
He guided her hips down towards his waiting hard-on. She lowered herself over him, relishing the thrill of his glorious cock filling her deeply. Adam used his strong hands to grind her in the perfect rhythm, and she leaned her hands on his thighs, sitting up straight, to push herself back and forth. She caught a glimpse of her semi-clad body in the mirror – her breasts were plump with arousal and peeking out from under her undone bra and shirt. Her skirt was pushed up high over her hips, and Adam’s cock was filling her up. She felt trashy, sexy, and powerful. She rode him faster and harder, amazed at her own sexual confidence – this was the woman she’d always wanted to be. In control, having fun, and feeling great.
She continued to move her hips in the sensual rhythm as Adam reached down and gently eased open her butt cheeks to insert the tip of his finger into her rim. She gasped, suddenly feeling completely filled up. She groaned like an animal as the overwhelming pre-orgasm tension gripped her. She floated there for a moment of ecstasy, suspended in time, ready to freefall into oblivion, then Adam spanked her hard on the ass and the orgasm caught. She could sense him craning around to watch them fucking in the mirror, which enhanced her own arousal even further, but she couldn’t keep her own eyes open as the glory overwhelmed her.
The waves of pleasure swept over her and she lost all sense of her surroundings, coming loudly and experiencing the best orgasm she’d ever had. Her world contained nothing but sparkling bliss and filthy lust. She was a powerful lioness, lapping up all the treasures that nature had lovingly supplied. She skimmed along on the crest of the wave of delight for what seemed like an eternity, but the intensity gradually faded – as it always did – and she slowly drifted back to the room, to find Adam gazing at her in the mirror. He was grinning with adulation. Amy caught sight of her own rosy cheeks and peaceful expression in the reflection and laughed.
He chuckled, too. “You’re fucking hot, Amy Carter. And I fucking love you.”
Amy froze. Did he just say that? She didn’t dare ask, so she threw him a grin, then eased his cock out from inside of her, and wriggled around to snuggle into his waiting arms. They grinned into each other’s eyes and he squeezed her tight.
“That was amazing,” Amy said. “I’ve never experienced anything like it.”
Adam kissed her tenderly on the forehead. “The same could be said for you.”
Amy smiled and allowed herself to believe him. Contentment flowed inside her, as they lay there together in the fading light, feeling fuzzy and warm. They both drifted into a light sleep, snoozing in each other’s arms, until Ivan came and awoke them.
It was time to destroy the prototype.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Adam tried to act cool as he swiped his out-of-hours security pass over the door pad, and led Dylan, Tariq, Ivan, and Amy into the dimly-lit foyer of the Quinlan Brothers building. There was only ever one night-time security guard on duty, so it should be easy to gain access to their suite. Not that they were doing anything wrong – it was after all their office. So why was Adam feeling nervous?
But he knew his nerves weren’t really due to this shady undercover operation. The world had changed in a flash, and Adam had changed with it. Ivan was alive, and Adam was in love! A week ago, he never would’ve expected either of those scenarios to be true. But here he was, breaking into his own office in the dead of night, accompanied by his two older brothers, a man whom he’d recently fantasised about throttling, and the woman who’d captured his heart.
Adam swaggered over to the uniformed guard, who was sitting quite low down behind his huge desk. The others hung back and tried to hide Ivan, just in case anyone recognised him. It was risky for him to walk around in public like this – the Saudis could be lurking – but he’d been resolute that he needed to witness this. He and Tariq had argued boisterously about it just before they’d left, and Adam now understood just how much Tariq cared for Ivan. There was a deep love and respect between them, and their whole crazy plan had centred around keeping them both alive.
Adam rested his hands on the front of the guard’s desk. “Hi, Bob. These are a couple of people… clients that Dylan and I wanted to show around the office. Okay we if just go straight up?”
Bob glanced over. He lowered his voice. “Isn’t that Tariq Shard, Mr Quinlan? We’ve had strict instructions not to allow him access.”
“Yeah, that’s correct, Bob, and well recognised. But actually, Mr Shard will be doing business with us after all.”
Bob shrugged. “Well, I guess it’s up to you who you take up, sir.”
“Thanks, Bob.” Adam spun to face the others, who looked as if they were about to commit a heinous crime. “Okay, everyone, this way.”
They travelled up in the elevator in silence, then tramped through the dark suite towards Dylan’s office. Adam felt like a burglar – which was actually quite exciting. He held Amy’s hand and realised that she was trembling slightly; the adrenaline of this situation was obviously getting the better of her, too.
They all gathered around Dylan’s desk as Dylan opened his safe and pulled out the USB sticks and three DVDs that Ivan had brought here on the day he’d died.
Not that he had. Adam put his arm around Amy and pulled her close. He never wanted to feel loss like that again. He was struck with an overwhelming desire to protect her from the harms of this cruel world. And his brothers, too. He gazed at Ivan; he looked tired and desolate.
“You sure you wanna do this?” Adam asked. “After
everything you’ve worked on?”
“We must destroy everything,” Tariq said. “Think of the harm…”
He trailed off and shook his head, clearly feeling as devastated as Ivan about what they were about to do.
“What shall we do with them, then?” Adam asked. “Start a fire?”
Tariq shook off his sullen mood and grabbed the metal waste-paper bin from under Dylan’s desk. “Good idea. Throw everything in here.”
Adam reached down and slid the USB sticks and DVDs across the desk and into the waiting bin.
“What about the prototype?” Dylan asked.
“Oh yeah.” Adam glanced up at Amy. “Really sorry, babe, but I’m gonna need that pendant back.”
She frowned, then fingered it as it hung around her neck. “Why?”
“It’s the prototype.” Ivan said, with a gentle smile.
Amy’s beautiful mouth fell open. “What?”
Adam leaned over and kissed her, suddenly not caring about their audience. “I’m sorry. I knew you’d take good care of it for us.”
She stared at it in awe. “This is a perpetual motion engine?”
Adam shrugged. “Yeah. Or least, I think so. Right, Ivan?”
“It’s part of it. The bit we managed to build. Your company was poised to build the rest of it.”
Still in shock, Amy reached up and unhooked the clasp of the chain, then she handed the pendant to Adam. They shared a tender smile. Her eyes were so full of lightness and love now, so different to the hard woman he’d met a week ago. They’d been good for each other in their own way.
Adam kissed her on the forehead, then turned and dropped the pendant into the bin, which was now standing on the desk like a lamb for the slaughter. Dylan grabbed a few sheets of paper and a lighter, then he lit the paper and dropped it into the bin. Adam watched as the yellow and red flames consumed the flimsy plastic with crackles and screeches, releasing Ivan and Tariq’s hard work into the air in the form of thick grey smoke. Adam felt as if they were witnessing the death of what might’ve been. The perpetual motion engine had the potential to do so much good; yet so much harm. Adam bowed his head and tried to ignore the raw emotion that was emanating between Ivan and Tariq at the loss of their creation.
The Billionaire's Kisses: Billionaire Brothers Page 16