Reddest Black_In the Shadows

by P. T. Michelle

  “Fucking hell!” I shake my head. “No, I didn’t see her.”

  “If you never saw her, that’s not good.”

  I stare at the closed door my wife just exited, the weight on my chest rolling to my stomach. “Actually, I did see her for the briefest second just before she turned the corner in the hallway. I remember thinking the woman looked so much like Talia from behind. But I knew it wasn’t her, since she was wearing a dress, not slacks like Talia wore to the office today.”

  Den glances toward the office’s main door. “She went home and changed before she came to bring you lunch.”

  From the brief glimpse I saw of Talia in that fitted dress and high heels, she looked sexy as hell. Damn, I hate that I missed her. “She changed twice?”

  “Fix it,” Den says, giving me a pointed look.

  I stiffen, my first instinct to tell him to “fuck the hell off,” but I know that beyond his job, he’s protective of Talia as a friend. I narrow my gaze. “You weren’t hired to chew my ass.”

  Den folds his arms, his gaze unapologetic. “Honesty costs nothing.”

  Grunting, I walk off and call over my shoulder, “Lock up. We’ll see you here tomorrow morning.”

  “We’ll talk at home.”

  That’s the only thing Talia said to me once we were seated in my car. Beyond that, she doesn’t say anything the entire ride home. Instead, she looks out the window, lost in Sebastian-roasting thoughts most likely, her hand resting on the small curve of her belly. She looks tired and I feel like total shit for being the cause of it.

  I fucking hate the tension building between us in the elevator. I can feel it expanding with each floor we pass. Once the door slides open to our penthouse apartment, Talia walks out and I follow, waiting for the inevitable explosion.

  Setting her laptop bag down on the kitchen island, she shrugs out of her coat, then pulls a folder from her bag. “What do you know about magnets?”

  “Magnets?” I frown my confusion, stepping closer to her. “I thought you wanted to talk.”

  She flips open the folder and points to a print out with a list of metals. “Did you know magnets aren’t attracted to all metals? See here.”

  Worried that she’s acting as if the Regan thing never happened, when it obviously bothered her, I take the folder and set it down, then cup her face. “I’m so fucking sorry I missed you coming by with lunch today. You’ll never know how much.”

  She holds my gaze. “I know you love me, Sebastian. I trust you. I don’t trust Regan. I’ve said what I need to say on the subject.”

  I search her eyes for any hidden meanings in that statement, frustrated that my color blindness won’t let me see the green color currently staring back at me. Before I lost the ability to see all colors but the darker shades of red, I loved how her green eyes shifted based on her mood. Now, I’m fucking drowning in indistinguishable shades of gray. The instant my hold tightens on her jaw, I ease the pressure.

  “I adore every part of you, Talia. I would never do anything to hurt you. Regan showed up after my meeting with food. I was hungry and honestly didn’t think anything of it. In my mind, it’s no different than you having lunch with your editor.”

  “The difference is my lunch meetings with Jared are working ones, and I never had a relationship with him.”

  “Not for his lack of trying,” I grumble, still pissed that the asshole tried to block me so he could date her himself.

  “Um, hello?” she says, pointing to her belly. “Baking a Blake bun here.”

  When I give a cocky smile, she rolls her eyes. “Other than to hope you’ll take up whipping her ass with a crop once more, did Regan have a reason to be there? Does she work in the IT department?”

  “She asked why we were implementing the system…” I trail off, then shake my head and her gaze shifts away, tightening my chest. I touch her bottom lip, sliding my thumb across it until her gaze returns to me. “In hindsight, it wasn’t smart to have lunch with Regan. Your fortune cookie cut right to the bone, Little Red. Message received.” Tracing my thumb along her jawline, I fold my fingers under her hair, cupping the back of her neck. “You sure know how to deliver one hell of a punch. I have to admit this jealous, bloodthirsty side of you is hot as fuck.”

  “I delivered my message in a way you’d understand, Sebastian. Beyond the obvious, the fact that Isabel approved of her should give you pause. She has an agenda.” Smiling for the first time tonight, she pushes up on her toes until her mouth is close to mine. “When have your wife’s instincts been wrong?”

  “Not once,” I murmur, wishing that her rosy lips hadn’t disappeared from my sight. Holding her gaze, I nip at the sweet plumpness with savage intensity, then press my mouth to hers.

  Chapter Three

  Talia

  My heart thunders with the aggressive dance of Sebastian’s tongue seducing mine. I slide my fingers into his hair and fold them around the thick strands, pulling him closer. I’ve missed this intensity so much. His hands cup my ass and he draws me close, molding my body to his. My belly makes it hard to fit the way I want to against him, but I don’t care. I want him just as much, if not more. I’m enjoying how desired and sexy I feel.

  His hand traces from my jaw to my breast and then down the side of my belly. Just when his fingers connect with my pants’ zipper and my heart rate skyrockets in anticipation, he jerks his mouth from mine and clasps the back of my neck. Pulling me forward, he presses a kiss to my forehead and settles his hand on the base of my spine. “What kind of research are you doing for your book that requires learning about magnetic properties?”

  Throbbing to the core, it takes me a second to re-engage my brain. I realize he’s serious and I blink at him in frustrated surprise. “It’s related to the bombing case.”

  Sebastian lifts his head and scowls down at me. “Why did you lie to me and tell me you’re working on your book?”

  “I didn’t lie. You assumed what project I was working on.”

  He releases me and narrows his gaze. “We’re splitting hairs now?”

  “No, I’m just being honest, as I have always been. I told you that when I’m on a roll, I stay. End of story.”

  Folding his arms, he glances at the paperwork. “What do magnets have to do with the bomb that killed Isabel?”

  “They just might prove Paulo was telling the truth. That despite his plethora of offenses, he was innocent of planting the small igniter in a place on the limo that was meant to kill.”

  My husband’s jaw tenses and I gesture to the paperwork. “According to the original lab report from the bombing, there were magnet bits present on the second igniter that was used in the bombing on the limo. The original igniter that I found was adhered to my wheel well with a magnet. Every component that could be found and re-pieced back together from the limo igniter matched the igniter found on my car with the exception of an adhesive on the limo igniter. That wasn’t present on the igniter from my car.”

  “Maybe the adhesive wasn’t holding the magnet well enough on the second igniter and he had to improvise with something else to make the magnet stick.”

  “That’s a possible explanation. I’ve got a call into your new police contact to ask the lab for more details about the two types of adhesives used and a couple other particles. It was stated in the report that the igniter was on the gas flap when it went off. Magnets don’t stick to plastic, which is what the flap was made of.”

  “Paulo probably set the device just above the flap on the limo’s metal frame. Don’t you see that he’s trying to create doubt and introduce confusion to the solid case the prosecutors have built? Which means if we play right into this, he might get away with murder and my family won’t have justice served.”

  I take a deep breath to remain calm. Maybe it’s because he shredded my video evidence earlier, or the whole Regan thing got to me more than I realized, but most likely the tension vibrating through me is because he just cut off a very hot moment between us and I’
m not sure why. As I try not to attach too much meaning behind it, it occurs to me that I just spent my entire day trying to get his attention in one fashion or another, which isn’t like me. I know Sebastian loves me, yet I can’t help but feel like there are times when he’s not fully here with me, which makes my heart ache. For now, the only thing I can focus on is keeping our family safe. “Or, the other scenario is that the guilty party isn’t Paulo or his cop partner, Phil, and someone else was responsible for the bombing.”

  His expression hardens and he curls his hands into fists by his side. “I really hope you’re wrong, Talia. If someone else was responsible and we were the intended target, why haven’t they tried again?”

  “You’re right. That part doesn’t make sense. Maybe I’m just overtired.” I sigh and rub my temples. “Once I hear back from the lab to appease my curiosity, I’ll focus on finishing my book.”

  Nodding his agreement, he surprises me by quickly lifting me off my feet. Cradling me against his chest, he kisses my jaw. “Come on, Mrs. Blake. You look exhausted. It’s off to bed for you.”

  Yawning, I wrap my arms around his neck and smile as he carries me into our bedroom, but I tighten my hold when he lays me on the bed and starts to pull away. “You’re not staying?”

  Sebastian kisses my neck, then sits on the bed beside me. Resting his hand on my belly, he gently rubs the mound. His touch feels so comforting, my gaze drifts closed, but I quickly blink my eyes back open as he says, “I’m afraid not, Little Red. I have at least an hour’s worth of reports I need to read through. You and little Nugget need to get some sleep. You can barely stay awake.”

  I start to yawn again, but manage to stop it and frown instead. “I’m really starting to regret suggesting you take this on. If expanding BLACK Security into the commercial business sector means you’ll have no time to relax, or down time at all for that matter, what’s the point?” That’s as close as I’ll get to begging him to spend time with me. I miss him. I miss us. But I won’t whine. And since I feel like doing exactly that, I press my lips together.

  “Talia, it won’t be—” Of course, the baby chooses that moment to kick Sebastian’s hand so hard that it bounces off my belly. “Whoa! Did you feel that?”

  I put my hand over his. “The baby’s been doing that more often lately, but you haven’t been around when it’s happened.”

  With his gaze full of wonder, he slides both hands over the curve of my stomach and leans close to say in his deep baritone, “Come on, little soccer player. I feel you in there. Give your dad another kick.”

  The second distinct fluttering movement starts on the other side of my belly, I quickly move Sebastian’s hand to the spot. “Do you feel that? It’s like tiny fingers are rubbing along the inside of my belly wall. A little Blake high five.”

  “I can’t feel it.” His gaze snaps to mine, a hopeful smile tilting his lips. “Do you think if I lay down with you, Noodle will kick again?”

  “Maybe.” Quickly sliding over to give him space, I love that our baby is the one bringing us together for some much needed alone time. Sebastian steps out of his shoes and shrugs out of his suit jacket, then takes my shoes off before climbing under the covers with me.

  He folds me into his arms and pulls my back against his chest while we lay on our sides. I sigh in blissful contentment. “The bed feels that good, huh?” he says, chuckling in my ear as he slides his hand along the side of my stomach.

  “Not the bed, Sebastian. Having you in it with me. Snuggling close. Now that’s heaven.” To punctuate, I settle my ass fully into the cradle of his hips and press my back against his hard chest, resting my head on his muscular bicep.

  Sebastian lets out a low laugh and slides his thigh between mine, twining our legs together. “You’ve been moving around so much at night trying to get comfortable, I didn’t think you’d want to do this.”

  “Are you kidding me—Oh…” I pause and pull his hand all the way around my belly. “Feel here! The baby is jamming an elbow or something where my side’s touching the bed. Can you feel that?”

  Sebastian slips his fingers between the bed and my body. “I feel it.” Chuckling, he rests his chin on my shoulder. “The little tyke just kicked at my hand when I pressed inward. Guess he doesn’t like his space invaded.”

  “Sounds like her father already,” I say, snorting.

  Cupping my breast in a possessive hold, he pulls me fully against his chest. “Not if it’s you, Little Red. My space is yours,” he murmurs against my neck, his fingers sliding along the full curve of my breast. “I can’t believe how big they’ve gotten. Our baby will be well fed, that’s for sure.”

  “I’m willing to share,” I say in a husky tone, trying to redirect his thoughts. At the moment, I want his focus on the two of us. I will love our baby with all my heart, but I never want to lose what Sebastian and I have. Not ever.

  “Mmmm.” A primal growl vibrates against my back as his thumb grazes my nipple. My body zings to life and my toes curl into the mattress in anticipation.

  He rubs his nose along my neck, inhaling deeply. “Is it wrong to already be jealous of how much time our child will get to spend pressing his face against these bountiful breasts?”

  “Only if you don’t take advantage of them now while you have sole rights to them,” I reply, pressing my rear against his obvious erection.

  “Is that a challenge or an invitation, Little Red?” Sebastian rumbles in a low tone, tugging the covers back with a quick yank.

  God I love the way this man seduces! “In case it’s not crystal clear, Mister Black…” I slide my fingers into his hair. My fist tightens around the strands and I pull him closer until he’s a breath away. “I’m most definitely provoking you.”

  “So fucking bloodthirsty.” He flashes a grin, then closes the gap. Just as his lips claim mine in a dominant kiss, his cell phone starts ringing.

  “Damn it!” Pulling back, he cups my jaw. “I’m sorry, Talia. The guys are waiting on me to read and approve their plan to cut over to the new system tonight.”

  I wait for the phone to go silent. “A whole new system? I thought you were just improving what was there? And why at night?”

  He releases me to get out of bed. “The new system has better checks and balances, as well as more rigorous analysis and reporting capability across the company, but it’s a beast to implement, so they want me to sign off final approval. Then they can blame a Blake if the whole thing goes to hell.” The corner of his mouth hikes in a wry half-smile. “And yes, we’re doing it at night and toward the end of the week to minimize the down time for the company.”

  His phone starts ringing once more and I sigh, shooing him on. “Better get that.”

  “To be continued, Little Red.” His mouth crooks in a dark smile before he turns and walks out.

  The moment he leaves, the baby kicks and punches, hitting me from all sides at once. I wince at the pain in my ribcage and run my hands over my stomach to try to calm the little one. “If that was you throwing a tantrum, Noodle…” I sigh and pull the covers back over me. “I know exactly how you feel.”

  Chapter Four

  Talia

  “I need you to help me come up with a plan to seduce my husband.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Cass glances down from her perch on a chair next to the big window in my apartment after pinning the last bundle of pink, white, and blue balloons to the corner of the big “Baby Blake Coming Soon…” sign she’d already hung. Her gaze goes straight to my baby bump, her lips tilting in a sarcastic smirk.

  “I’m serious—” I hold my hand up as my cell phone rings. I’ve been waiting for the caterers to call so I can have the doorman use his keycard to send them up.

  “Hello?” All I hear is a click, then the phone disconnects. Frowning, I mutter, “I really need a new number now that I’m not with the Tribune anymore.” I glance up to see Cass is on her phone, clearly stressed.

  “My credit card is fine. Please get
this cleared up right away.” Pushing her long dark hair away from her face, she paces and waves her hand in frustration. “I’m hosting an event tonight and that’s the credit card I have on file to pay for it.” She sighs. “Yes, that’s right. Thank you.”

  When she hangs up, groaning her annoyance, I walk over and put my arm around her shoulder. “Cass, I’ll cover the bill if they can’t get it worked out. What’s the issue anyway?”

  Wrapping her arm around my waist, my best friend folds her hand over my belly. “One of these days this kid’s going to move for me.” She releases my stomach and smiles. “Don’t worry. It’ll be fine. I feel bad enough that sudden roof repairs at Calder’s family home caused this last minute change of venue—FYI, a thirty-year-old roof can spring leaks like a sieve. I know how much Sebastian covets his privacy in this penthouse apartment, but Mina’s place just isn’t big enough and Sebastian’s father’s estate is too big. Your place truly is the best set up for tonight’s shower.”

  “Sebastian will be fine with it.” I lead her over to the couch to sit down. “What happened with your card?”

  She expels an irritated huff and faces me on the couch. “The caterer texted to say the card had been declined and wanted to know if I had another card I wanted to use. Apparently, the assholes who hacked my card are smarter than the average thieves. They bought thousands in untraceable Visa gift cards with it. But not to worry, the credit card company approved the catering bill and is already issuing me a new card.”

  “I’m just glad it’s resolved.” Folding my hand over hers on the back of the leather couch, I squeeze. “You know I love you for hosting my shower, but I’ve been meaning to ask you why you aren’t focusing on you. As the person who planned my wedding down to every detail, you know better than anyone that the wedding date is kind of key to kicking everything off. So why haven’t you and Calder set one yet?”