by Meghan March
“You need more?”
“Yes. I want to come.”
“Then that’s exactly what you’re going to do.”
Kane drops to his knees in front of me and spreads my legs wide. “Heels on the desk. Lean back.”
If not for the tiny patch of lace covering me, I’d be completely exposed. And then Kane tugs that to the side and I am.
“So fucking pretty.” He leans forward to swipe with his tongue. “And so fucking delicious.”
“Please—”
“Oh, I will please you, princess. I swear it.”
His hands wrap around my inner thighs, holding me open, and then he moves in.
Tongue. Teeth. Lips. He uses everything at his disposal to make me scream his name and beg for him to push me over the edge. But every time I get close, he pulls back.
“Kane!”
“You dying to come?”
“Yes!”
“Then you’re almost ready.”
When I set tonight’s events in motion, I didn’t realize I was signing myself up for the most sensual torture imaginable, but apparently, I miscalculated.
Kane rises, and I want to shove his face back between my legs, but his blue gaze is intent on me.
“Where are the supplies?”
I jerk my head back. “Top drawer. Right side.”
“Fucking amazing woman.” He finds them and wastes no time setting the lube and plug beside me.
“Hurry.”
But instead of flipping me over and giving me what I’m begging for, he strokes two fingers down my cheek.
“I’m glad you asked for what you need, Temperance. I will always make sure you have it. Always.”
“And what about what you need?” I ask.
“You give it to me just by breathing.”
A wave of emotion washes over me, and I wrap a hand around his neck and crush my mouth to his. When I finally pull back, I tell him, “I love you, Kane.”
He bows his head, touching his forehead to mine. “Come what may, I will always love you.”
When he pulls back, he offers me a hand and I take it. Gently, he spins me around to face the desk and I bend over, reveling in the press of the cold wood against my nipples.
He caresses my ass, cupping a cheek. “Have you missed me playing with this sweet ass of yours?”
I swallow. “Yes.”
“I won’t neglect it again. I promise.”
He releases his grip on my cheek as he slides a finger under the outer strap of my panties and follows it down toward my center.
“So fucking wet.”
He’s so close to where I want his touch. He dips a finger into my wetness and circles my entrance.
“You want my cock here?” he asks.
“Yes.” My voice breaks on my plea, but he doesn’t comply. Kane drags his finger back to circle my rear entrance.
“What about here?”
God help me, but I feel like I’ve never wanted something more.
“Please, Kane. I need—”
“You’re gonna get everything you need. Don’t doubt that. But first, I need something from you.”
“What? Anything.”
“I want to hear you tell me you love me again.”
“I love you.” I whisper it, and then I yell. “I love you, Kane Savage! Until my last breath, I love you!”
He presses a kiss to my shoulder. “And I’ll love you through this life and the next.”
“Yes. Through this life and the next.”
That’s the moment he plunges a finger inside me at the same time he finds my clit, and my orgasm crashes over me. I arch on the desk, trying for more pressure, more contact, more everything.
Kane tugs my crotchless panties down over my ass, and I shimmy to shake them free before letting them drop to the floor. I’m primed and ready.
Anticipation heightens every sensation because I know what’s coming. When the drizzle of lube hits my ass, I tremble with excitement. I’m ready. I want this.
I need this.
“First, we’ll stretch you out.” He presses a well-lubed finger against my ass, and it breaches more smoothly than it did last time.
“Oh God.” My nerve endings tingle and feel like they’re practically cheering.
“So fucking tight. You’re going to strangle my cock, and I’m going to love every single second of it.”
He fucks my ass with his finger slowly, teasing me with every movement while my vision turns hazy, and I realize it’s because my eyes are closing. I let them slide shut and give myself over to the sensations.
Kane slides a second finger inside, and the burn increases deliciously. “Can you take me?”
“Yes.” No hesitation. No question.
“Temptress.”
He separates his fingers in a scissor-like motion, testing the muscle, and I squirm on the desk. When he pulls free, it’s to push a plug into my ass and notch his cock against my pussy.
“Fuck, you’re so wet.”
I love the desperation in his tone, just like I loved the struggle in his eyes while I sucked him off. I love knowing that I can do this to him. That he wants me as badly as I want him.
He pushes inside, and I’m beyond full. My ass flexes against the plug as Kane pounds inside me.
My cries spur him on and my orgasm builds. He reaches beneath me and finds my clit, and I shatter.
“Kane!” I scream his name as the pleasure takes me under and his thrusts keep coming, harder and faster until he pulls free.
“It’s time.”
“Please.”
He pulls the plug from my ass and tosses it aside before more lube coats my back entrance.
“Tell me if you can’t take it. I’m going to go slow.”
The head presses against the tight ring of muscle, and I relax into the sensation. It slips inside, and for a moment, I feel like I’m being split wide open.
“Holy shit. I don’t know if it’s going to fit. You might be too big.”
His fingers find my clit and once again set another orgasm building inside me. Against all odds, I press back against him, seeking more as he teases me into loving this new sensation.
“Good girl. Take it slow.”
An inch at a time, I take his cock. My nerve endings scream in a dizzying new kind of pleasure. It’s a dark, twisted sensation that plays on everything I never wanted to admit about myself.
“Your turn,” I whisper, taking a chance.
“You sure?”
“Yes. Just go slow.”
The line between pleasure and pain blurs as Kane takes over, keeping my clit buzzing at the same time he fills my ass and retreats, over and over.
My pussy soaks the desk, and my throat grows hoarse from screaming his name.
When I finally come, every inch of my skin seems to shimmer with the sensation. I feel like I’m floating off the desk, and then Kane roars as he pumps his climax into my ass.
After he cleans me up, he carries me to bed, and I know for certain that this is exactly what I needed.
41
Temperance
Sunday afternoon, after I hit a good stopping point on my commissioned piece for Yve, I get a text.
* * *
Ariel: You coming over? My skills are at your disposal.
* * *
Kane’s not going to like me having my hacker friend dig into Giles, but he’s not here for me to tell. He left a half hour ago in a Land Rover to “run a few errands,” which I assume means he’s out doing something more than just getting groceries. But I trust him, and I didn’t ask questions. Instead, I kissed him good-bye and told him I loved him.
Now I wish I’d asked more questions, so at least I would know how long he’s going to be gone.
I shoot Ariel a text saying I’ll be on my way in a half hour, and one to Kane telling him I’m going to Ariel’s for some girl time.
She responds with an address and a string of emojis, but Kane doesn’t respond at all.
/> You better be safe, I think, or I’ll kill you myself.
I take a quick shower and throw my hair up into a messy bun before pulling on cutoffs and a black tank top. To be safe, I take the Audi I know has bullet-resistant glass and armored doors. It’ll make Kane feel better about me not being here when he gets back, I tell myself.
When I pull up to the gate in front of the address Ariel sent me, I realize I truly had no idea what I was getting into with her. It’s not a house back there, it’s a mansion.
I give my name to the person on the other end of the speaker box, and the gate swings open.
I park at the end of the long driveway, on a cement pad off to the side, so as not to block the massive garage or the entrance to the house.
Ariel yanks the door open before I’m out of my car. “You made it!”
I make my way up to the entrance, trying to reconcile the monstrous house with the messy bun and Hangry Hangry Hippo T-shirt Ariel is wearing.
“You seriously are a baller, aren’t you?”
She smirks. “I’m a CEO, and my companies make cool shit. Ergo, I make a pile of cash. The house was a rental, but I fell in love with it. Wouldn’t you know that the mysterious Mr. Mount decided he was cool selling it to me?”
“Wait—” I glance at the beautiful entryway, modern and sleek, with a different eye. “This was Mount’s house?”
She nods. “Apparently one of them he didn’t use anymore. And even though I’ve dismantled his security system and installed my own, I still wonder if he can see everything that happens in here. That dude is freaking scary.”
She has no concept of just how scary he is. All I do is nod in agreement.
“And yet, your former boss married him and lived to tell about it.”
I think of the way Keira smiles and practically makes heart-eyes when she talks about him. “She didn’t just live to tell about it . . . she’s truly happy.”
“Bitch be crazy, that’s all I can say. Anyway, that’s not why you’re here. You’re here for me to work my magic.” Ariel leads me through a modern kitchen with gleaming stainless appliances to a long table that faces an incredible view of Lake Pontchartrain.
“Nice digs.”
“Mount had good taste. I didn’t change much,” Ariel says as she pulls out a chair in front of her laptop. She stretches her hands and fingers before sitting down and looking up at me. “Now, what information are we digging for this time?”
“How do you know I need more information?”
She tilts her head as I sit next to her. “Because knowledge is power. Why wouldn’t you want more? So . . . tell me and we can get to it. I won’t even charge you. But I do take payment in cookies if you know how to bake.”
I laugh. “I’ll buy you some cookies.”
“Fair enough. Now, go. I’m ready.”
I swallow, not sure how much I should say to her. “This is not a good situation. At all. Like . . . no one can know what we talk about or what you find.”
“Shit. That kind of stuff?”
I nod and Ariel stands, shutting her laptop.
I blink at her. “What are you—”
“We’re moving this to where I handle the super-secure shit. I live for this stuff. You have no idea. Come on.”
I follow Ariel through a massive master suite into a closet and look away as she punches in a code. A panel opens, and she waves a hand toward it.
“Welcome to my safe room.”
I step inside what looks like a luxurious dressing room with ornate cabinets lining two walls, and an island in the center. Two large leather sofas are situated into a conversation area.
At least until Ariel comes in, closes the door, and hits some kind of button.
The whole room changes. The cabinets disappear to reveal a high-tech security center that looks a lot like what Kane has on the second floor of the warehouse.
“You have a bat cave.”
Ariel grins at me. “I sure as hell do.” She pulls up chairs, and we settle in while she hooks up her laptop to what I assume is a secure hardline.
“You can cover your tracks?”
“Better than anyone else out there. I hacked the Pentagon seven times last year, and they never caught me. I’m the best.”
Then she’s exactly who I need. “Good, because these people are bad.”
One of Ariel’s red eyebrows goes up. “How bad?”
“Bad. The kind of people who don’t deserve to actually be alive because they sell other people.”
Ariel whips her head around to meet my gaze. “Whoa. Okay. So real super baddies. Shit. I got you. Now, give me a name or something and we’ll start digging.” She places her fingers on the keyboard and waits.
I’m almost afraid to say it out loud, because I definitely didn’t get permission from Kane to do this first.
“Can you keep a secret?”
Ariel’s expression turns solemn. “I’m keeping more secrets than I wish I was. I’m a vault. That’s how hackers stay alive.”
I suck in a breath. “Giles.”
“First name?” Ariel asks.
“Lewis. He’s a state senator and used to be a DA.”
Her eyes widen as she shifts in the desk chair and flexes her fingers. “The plot thickens . . . Let’s dig this motherfucker’s entire past up and nail him for whatever he’s doing.”
42
Temperance
Ariel isn’t all talk. No, she’s downright terrifying with how fast she digs into Giles’s life.
“Widower. One son. Three homes. He pays his taxes, although he probably should be audited because his deductions are exceptionally high for his income. His credit card number has been stolen six times this year, which is impressive. Probably karma. He’s got a prescription for Viagra from his doctor. He buys some kind of stamina supplement from China on a regular basis too.” She talks as her fingers fly, unearthing everything she can on Giles, and I wait for her to hit pay dirt.
“What about criminal activity?”
“Nothing yet. I’m still digging, and there’s no way he’s good enough to cover his tracks when I’m on the hunt.”
She continues spouting off random facts about Giles’s life, but nothing that relates to anything I’m looking to find. At least, not yet.
“He had a really high conviction rate as a DA. Like freakishly high for the number of cases that were prosecuted.” Ariel pauses. “Ah . . . because his brother was the judge. Like that’s not a major conflict of interest. Jesus. Who allowed that to happen?”
“Crooked parish, apparently.”
“Whoa, the judge brother was murdered. Unsolved. Police suspected it was a hit related to a man he sent to prison whose exonerating evidence was ‘lost’ during the trial by the chief of police, who also died shortly after.” She lowers her voice. “The guy on trial was someone related to the Mount organization.” Ariel looks over at me. “But you knew all that already, didn’t you?”
I say nothing but my mind is whirring.
“Interesting . . .” She turns back to the screen. “Strangely enough, the judge’s stepson died six weeks earlier. Body was only identified by the dog tags they found on it. Nothing else was salvageable. He was an army sniper.”
Her fingers stop moving.
“No one thought that was remotely coincidental? I mean, I know I’m into conspiracy theories, but it sounds to me like—”
“That’s enough.”
Ariel lifts her hands off the keyboard. “Because you’re afraid of Mount . . . or is there another reason?”
“I can’t tell you.”
Her gaze narrows on me. She looks like she has a million and one questions she wants to ask, but she holds them in.
“Fair enough. Normally I’d be gung ho for digging into this, but when the name Mount comes up, I check myself. So . . . is this all you wanted, or is there another direction we can go to find out what you need to know?”
“Is there anything out there about a company Giles just
bought a piece of?”
Ariel looks back to her computer. “He has a network of shell companies. It’s damn near untraceable . . . but I’m better than he is. There’s a bank account for one of them in the Caymans. It’s active.” She pauses. “Whoa.”
“What?”
“Do you know who Magnolia Maison is?”
Goose bumps rise on my skin. “Yes.”
“That company of his has been paying her on the regular.” Ariel leans back in her chair. “Is there a reason a guy you suspect of human trafficking would be paying a madam protected by Mount?”
“Fuck. Kane thought she was lying.”
Ariel’s gaze cuts to mine. “Kane, huh?”
Fuck. It’s the second time I’ve done it. First with Magnolia and now with Ariel.
“Please pretend you didn’t hear that.”
She crosses her arms. “I’m a hell of a lot more effective when I understand the big picture.”
“I can’t tell you.”
She studies me. “You don’t need to. I can read between the lines. But what does Magnolia have to do with it?”
I swallow. “I don’t know. But I need to know.”
“Isn’t she besties with Mount’s wife?”
“Yeah.”
“So . . . maybe we don’t touch her.”
“But if she’s human trafficking . . .”
Ariel releases a sigh. “You’re right. There’s a chance he might not kill us.”
“Wait, there’s one other name, or sort of a name we can look into.”
“I’m listening.”
“Lagarto. It means—”
“Lizard in Portuguese. Of course a human trafficker would have a slimy nickname.”
Then her fingers are off and moving again, and she’s digging in the dark web for the man Rafe and Kane are hunting.
Ariel is quiet for nearly twenty minutes. For a girl that I’m pretty sure wasn’t joking about disabling North Korean nukes, that seems like an awfully long time to have her digging for a piece of information.
“Anything?”
She shakes her head. “This guy’s a motherfucking ghost. Chameleon would’ve been a better choice than Lizard. His name comes up plenty of places where other people are talking about him, but I need a real name before I can find him.”