"Where we will sleep the night away?" she asked with a mischievous grin.
"After you bring one of my fantasies to life."
"You would have made an amazing vampire," she whimpered as he began to devour her neck.
The unexpected ring of his cell phone broke the moment, and letting out a frustrated sigh, he pulled his phone from his pocket. But his irritation turned to relief.
"It's Frank. Thank God," he muttered, accepting the call. "Hey, Frank, I've been waiting to hear from you all day. What's going on?"
"Sorry. It's been non-stop."
"Let me put you on speaker so Colleen can listen. Did you get my text?"
"That you're going to London? Yes. Are you on the plane?"
"We just got here. We'll be airborne soon. Bring us up to date."
"The bullet points. We already figured this out, but Tony, Chelsea confirmed she and Scott were at your house that night. Scott sent her out in the rain to get the license plate of the Lexus, and she tripped over a hose. She sprained her knee and her elbow has a hairline fracture. The doctor said if she'd fallen any harder she could have been in real trouble. She wasn't feeling great when I picked her up. Now she's in bed with the flu."
"Is she at Harriet's?"
"No. She's staying with me until she's better. She'd infect everyone there, and the poor girl needs some serious T.L.C. She's a mess. And there's more. She wants to speak to the police and give evidence against Scott. I knew he was a scammer, but it's so much worse. He's a drug dealer, and listen to this. She thinks he may have murdered his former girlfriends."
"You're kidding?" Colleen exclaimed. "How does she know?"
"Apparently he made some veiled threats, and when they moved into that house down the street from you, she found a trinket box. It had several pairs of earrings, and newspaper clippings of missing and murdered girls. She was convinced if she tried to get away he'd hunt her down and kill her. Whether he would do such a thing or not isn't the point. It's what she believed. It's what she still believes."
"That poor woman," Colleen murmured. "I can't even imagine what that must have been like."
"Besides all that, she knows where his fence lives. At the moment she's sound asleep, but she'll be talking with the police tomorrow."
"If she needs a lawyer you know who to call," Tony said. "If you need anything, email me or ask Emily."
"Thanks. When I have more news I'll email you. Have a safe trip. Give London a big hello from me."
"Sure will, bye."
"Bye."
"Now I feel guilty," Colleen mumbled as Tony ended the call. "To be honest, I wasn't sure we should be helping her."
"She was in a scary situation, that's for sure. She must have reached her breaking point to reach out to Frank, but right now I want to focus on one thing and one thing only. You! No more calls," he declared, powering off his phone and dropping it on the nightstand. "Let's have the flight attendant break open a bottle of champagne."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Though Scott had already sensed Chelsea would be gone, when he walked into the empty house it was still surprising. It was also concerning. Not wanting to leave anything to chance, he called Winston and told him to move all the stolen items immediately, then helping himself to anything valuable in the house, he packed up his van and drove across town. Parking in front of a rundown watering hole called Snail's Pace, he called a girl who'd been a regular customer at The Caramel Apple. She'd flirted with him outrageously, and given him her number several times.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Jody, this is Scott, the bartender."
"Oh, wow. Hi."
"How are you?"
"Fine. I'm happy to hear from you."
"I'm in a bind. I'm hoping you might be able to help me out."
"Sure, Scott. If I can I will."
"My girlfriend and I broke up. I hated to leave, but I couldn't take another minute. I know this is out of nowhere, but could a starving bartender crash on your couch for a couple of nights?"
"Of course. The place is a bit of a mess though."
"I don't care. I just don't want to go to a motel. They're so depressing."
"Hey, it's no problem. Come over. I'd love to have you. I'm at 84 Caldwell Avenue in Newton. Apartment 7."
"Great. You're a doll. Just one thing. Please don't tell anyone. Jennifer has a terrible temper. She'll try to hunt me down, and I don't want her finding out where I am for both our sakes. I can't even go back to my job. She'll go there for sure."
"I won't say a word."
"Thanks, Jody. You're a sweetheart."
"She's crazy. If I had a guy like you, I'd bend over backwards to keep him happy."
Scott grinned. Could Jody be the next in line?
"Any guy would be lucky to have you," he said softly. "I have an errand to run, then I'll be over."
"Take your time. I'm not going anywhere."
"Great. Bye."
"Bye."
Ending the call, he climbed from the van, walked into the seedy bar, plonked himself on a barstool and ordered a whiskey. He needed to think. When Chelsea had called for help she'd had very little time. Whoever had picked her up must have been close by. Tony McIntyre had passed him in the white Lexus right after she would have left.
"Damn," he muttered. "I'll bet she was crouched down in the back seat. Yeah, she fucking called him and he played the white knight. Big mistake McIntyre. A real big mistake."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As the luxury jet streaked across the sky, Tony and Colleen devoured a delicious dinner and polished off a bottle of Dom Perignon. They were both buzzed, and the energy between them was crackling. The flight attendant cleared the plates, and as she disappeared into the galley, Tony leaned across the table.
"Go into the bedroom, lay down some towels, and strip naked. In my black bag there's a blindfold and a pair of shackles. Put on the blindfold, but leave the cuffs on the bed. Wait for me on your stomach."
As he'd given her the instructions, Colleen had felt like a deer in headlights.
"Kiss me," she murmured. "Please, I need you to kiss me. I still can't believe this is real."
Moving his hand behind her head, he pulled her forward and sent his lips gliding over hers.
"It's real, cutie pie," he whispered as he broke away. "Everything about this is real. Now go and get ready for me."
Rising slowly to her feet, she moved carefully down the aisle and entered the cabin. It only took a few minutes to cover the bed with the towels and remove her clothes, then she unzipped his bag. The blindfold and the fur-lined leather cuffs were on top of his clothes as if waiting for her. Heart thumping, she placed the cuffs on the bed, slipped the black mask over her eyes, then filled with anticipation she stretched out on her stomach.
It was only a moment later she heard him come in, and barely breathing, she listened to the soft rustle of his clothes as he undressed. It was quiet for a minute, then his finger tickled the inside of her thigh. She gasped, then let out a yelp as he slapped where he'd just touched.
"That means spread your legs."
As she did as he ordered, he cuffed her wrists over her head, then an unexpected dollop of something fell between her shoulders. His hands began vigorously spreading the goo up towards her neck, and a warm tingling sensation permeated her skin. The smell of lavender filled the air, and a moment later he began kneading her muscles. His fingers traveled down her back, and to her great joy they slid into her pussy, but dallied only a short time before moving to her upper thighs. The sensuous massage continued, and she sank into his strong, determined hands. He covered every inch of her, then returning to touch between her legs, he thrust his fingers inside her, searching out the intensely pleasurable spot deep in her channel. She moaned, then cried out, then groaned her disappointment as he pulled his hand away.
"Do you want me?" he whispered, kissing her ear.
"I do, so much."
Climbing on top of her, he rested his weig
ht on her body. His chest hairs prickled her skin, his stiff rod rubbed her backside, and his legs between hers forced them further apart. She felt pinned and helpless, and utterly dominated.
"You're mine," he said gruffly. "Say it."
"I'm yours," she breathed, her heart hammering so hard she thought it would burst.
"I'm in charge. Say it."
"You're in charge."
"I'll fuck you when I want, how I want. I'll slap your ass and finger your pussy any time I please. From this moment on you're not to wear panties in my presence unless I give you permission."
"Yes, boss."
He shifted his body, allowing his cock to drop against her pussy, then reaching down, he placed it against her opening and slowly pushed forward. He began to thrust with slow, hard strokes, then pausing, he returned his lips to her ear.
"I'm going to fuck you slow and hard. You have permission to orgasm, but I'm not going to stop. Not until I come, and I intend to make this last a long, long time."
She thought she would explode from his words, and it was only a short time later that her first release shuddered through her body. The continuous hum of the jet engines seemed almost like ethereal music, and she lost all sense of time as his cock continued to consume her. Sweeping climaxes came and went, until he finally erupted, dropping his head on the pillow next to her to stifle his groans.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
When Colleen had visited London during her college years, she and her friends had stayed at a small hotel in the West End. When the limousine pulled up in front of Claridge's, she knew it would be a very different experience.
She was right. After taking a shower, he whisked her away into a whirlwind of activity. Their first stop was Harrods, and in the middle of the cosmetics department, he gripped her upper arms and kissed her.
"What was that for? Not that I'm complaining."
"You said kissing you in Harrods would be a dream come true."
"I think I said, Kiss Me in Harrods would be a dream come true."
"And I just did."
She burst out laughing, then continued their exploration of the store, leaving to enjoy a delicious lunch at the world-famous Ivy. Taking a taxi to Westminster, they joined the flocks of tourists enjoying the famous sights, but there was something else on Tony's mind besides sight-seeing. Taking her hand he led her through the streets, then turned down a narrow alley boasting eclectic shops and old-world bookstores.
"Where are you taking me? I know you're not just wandering."
"A very special store. I hope it's still here. Ah, yes. There it is. See the pink and black awning?"
"I do, and I also see the sign. Toys For Discerning Adults. Is this going to be embarrassing?"
"If I do it right," he replied with a wicked grin.
Entering the decadent store, she found herself surrounded by sexy clothing, a variety of paddles and floggers, and a vast array of other items devoted to the pleasures of the flesh. Though the shop wasn't crowded, she was still mortified when Tony ordered her to bend over and place her hands on the seat of a chair.
"You're not serious," she said in a whisper, staring up at him with wide eyes.
"You can refuse."
"I can?"
"Sure. Then I'll take you to that sofa and put you across my knee. When I'm done, we'll come back here and I'll ask again."
"No wonder they call you ruthless."
"It would be wise not to make me wait."
Taking a deep breath, she bent over and gripped the sides of the chair. Though she was wearing jeans, the leather strap carried a significant sting. She stamped her foot, and he chuckled as he added it to the other items in his shopping basket.
At the back of the store was an area dedicated to lingerie, most of it too revealing for her to model, but he ducked into the fitting room to approve the outfits. By the time they left the shop they were both titillated, but tired. He hailed a taxi, and they headed back to the hotel hoping for a nap before dinner, but when they reached their room, Tony found messages and emails waiting for him.
"I'm not even going to look at my inbox," she declared, wandering into the bathroom. "It's a long hot soak for me."
"I'll join you as soon as I can."
He could hear the faucets running as he responded to the emails, but when he came across some excellent news, he stopped working and closed the laptop. Ambling into the bathroom, he found her climbing into the tub, and the red stain left by the wide leather strap was plain to see.
"I thought you were working," she said, sliding into the water.
"I was," he replied as he began to remove his clothes, "but at the risk of Emily's wrath, I'm choosing to be completely irresponsible."
"That's brave," she quipped, then began to giggle. "I wonder what your Board of Directors would think if they knew the real Antony McIntyre."
"But there's four of me, and they're all real. There's the affectionate one who likes cuddling with you, there's the bastard who scared the crap out of Bob Harrison, and then there's the guy who drinks beer and eats pizza watching football with his buddies."
"And the fourth?"
"Ah, well, the fourth is the man who has the devil in him," he said, lowering his voice as he climbed in behind her. "The devil who does wicked things to the woman he—"
"The woman he what?" she pressed, leaning back against his chest.
As he wrapped his arms around her, she heard him let out a heavy sigh, then felt his lips softly kiss her ear.
"Loves."
She'd thought he'd say something else. Something evasive, or something that made sense but wasn't the truth. The word had been on the tip of his tongue, and though he'd caught himself, he'd summoned the courage to say it. Swallowing the sudden heat in the back of her throat, she turned around to face him.
"I'm in love with you too."
Their lips met, and with the water splashing over the side of the bath, he fervently kissed her, then sank back with his arms tight around her body.
"It's like a miracle," she murmured. "I never thought this would happen to me."
"I know what you mean. I've had a revolving door. Not because I'm a player, but because I've been looking for someone special. I didn't realize how much I wanted this until now."
"Can we forget the condom when we make love? I promise I have nothing contagious, and you're so nuts about wearing one I'm sure you don't either."
"You're right, but aren't you worried about getting pregnant?"
"Yes, but no. I need to feel you. I just do."
"When we get back you'll take care of the birth control thing," he said firmly. "I know once we do this, it will be like trying to eat just one potato chip. We'll be craving it again and again."
"That's funny," she said with a soft laugh. "Can we have dinner here?"
"Definitely. The hotel restaurant is superb."
"What's on tap for tomorrow? Did you hear back from Harrods?"
"Yes! That's why I came in here. I wanted to give you the good news. Our meeting is confirmed. It's at 10 a.m."
"Really? That's fantastic. I won't be able to sleep."
"I highly doubt that," he purred, tonguing her neck. "I'm going to soap your gorgeous body, then we're taking this into the bedroom."
Closing her eyes, she luxuriated in the feel of the foamy sponge as it moved across her skin. He continued to devour her neck, occasionally letting his fingers slip between her legs to tease her clit. Finally climbing from the tub and toweling off, they moved into the bedroom, pulled down the coverlet, and tumbled on to the bed. Tony nibbled her nipples as she moaned her pleasure, and sliding his naked cock into her hot wet depths, he closed his eyes, savoring the intense sensation. Slowly and sensuously he brought her to the brink, kissing her lips as he rode her forward, erupting with her as she rippled through her climax. Drifting through the lingering glow, exhausted from their day, they dozed into sleep. She was in the middle of a wonderful dream when Tony shook her awake.
"Wh
at?" she mumbled groggily. "I was on a yacht with you and we were on this gorgeous lake."
"We need to get up and have dinner."
"No, I can't. I'm sleeping."
"It's just gone seven. If you go to sleep now you'll wake up at 3 a.m. Believe me, you don't want to do that. You won't be able to get back to sleep and you'll be foggy at the meeting."
"You don't understand, I can't move."
"Sorry, but you must."
"I know you're the boss, but you're going to have to fire me for insubordination."
"You're getting up anyway," he said firmly, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to her feet. "You'll thank me, I promise. Go and splash your face with cold water."
"Tony McIntyre, you are a very mean man sometimes."
"So I've been told. Go on."
As she stumbled away he landed a quick slap, receiving a glare in return, but it helped to wake her up. Quickly dressing, he opened his computer to check his emails while he waited, and discovered an urgent note from Emily. She had forwarded a message from Senator Hansen.
Dear Tony:
I received your email regarding the development at Blue Snake Lake. To put it bluntly, this project needs you. It needs your youth and innovative thinking. I've heard nothing but reruns of tired ideas. Please come to the meeting on Wednesday and hear me out. This is a substantial project and could be a tremendous success, but it needs you.
Let me know as soon as you're able.
Best regards,
Peter Hansen
Tony rose to his feet and ambled across to the window. The bustling London streets were falling into darkness. He wanted to take Colleen to the theatre, drive out to the country and stay at an English pub. Visit Cambridge and walk along the riverbank. But Senator Hansen was right. The development was a big deal.
"I'm ready," Colleen declared, entering the room. "Is something wrong?"
"It's a work thing."
"Do you want to tell me about it?"
"There's a development, a big one, out at Blue Snake Lake."
BOSS_His Wealth. His Power. His Demands. Page 13