by K. L. Kreig
Kate was in awe; each room was more splendid than the next. The entire manor was decorated in traditional home decor, but with an old-world feel. It had warm neutral colors and felt cozy and inviting, despite its expansiveness. The color scheme was earth-toned and while it had masculine undertones, she noted plenty of throw pillows, decorative lamps and colorful matching throw rugs to give it a pleasant, homey feel. Oddly enough, it felt like Dev.
They walked through a great room, media room, a formal ballroom and a game room with an enormous bar, where she met two other very attractive men that worked for Dev playing pool. Ren was also there, lounging in an oversized black leather chair, but it fit his large frame perfectly.
“Kate, this is Manny Juarez and Thane Jensen. Manny, Thane, this is Kate Martin. Manny and Thane work for me.”
She shook each of their hands. “Pleased to meet you.”
“Pleased to meet you too, ma’am,” Manny quipped. Thane just nodded. He seemed like a man who could get his point across without even talking. “Please, call me Kate. Ma’am is reserved for my mother.”
Manny graced her with a gorgeous smile in return. Wow, she was the ugly duckling in this group.
She turned her attention to Ren. “Hi, Ren. Too bad you couldn’t join us for breakfast. Leo’s a fantastic cook.”
Ren patted his stomach, smiling. “Don’t I know it. Didn’t Dev keep you entertained enough, doll? If you’re bored with him already, I’d be happy to keep you company.”
Thane snipped, “Come on, ladies. Stop flirting with Dev’s woman and get back to the game. I need to finish whooping your ass, man.”
Dev’s woman? What the hell?
Manny laughed. “Dream on, asshole. You just wanna wind this up so you can tap that sugar you found last night.”
“Fuck you.”
“No thanks. You’re not my type, dickhead.”
Kate suddenly felt a weird pressure in the room, like the other day at the police station. Dev glared hard at Thane and Manny.
“No one leaves tonight.” Both men straightened, all playfulness gone. They both spoke at the same time. “Yes, my…sir.”
Manny whispered to Thane, “Looks like you’ll be doing the ol’ five knuckle Olympics tonight, dude.” That earned him the bird.
Dev directed his next comment to Ren. “And you…fuck off. My company is perfectly entertaining.” Ren shook his head, smirking.
Ooookay…time to lighten the mood. “Hey, I’m not too bad at pool. Maybe one of you would like to take me on later?”
Manny’s shit-eating grin returned. “Just say the word, babe.” His eyes flicked to Dev’s and the grin quickly faded.
Tension immediately crackled in the air and something significant seemed to pass between the two. Dev might as well have pissed in a circle around her. Asshole. She was unreasonably attracted to him, yes, but he didn’t have any ownership over her and she certainly wasn’t his “woman,” as Thane indicated. If she wanted to play pool with them, she would. Hell, if she wanted to do anything with any one of them, she would…if she were attracted to any of them. Sadly, she wasn’t.
“You’re on, Manny. See you tomorrow. Anyone else have the gonads to take me on?”
Ren laughed hard. Manny joined in and Thane just gaped at her.
“Come on, love. We aren’t through with the tour yet.” Dev placed his hand on the small of her back, gently ushering her out of the room. Before exiting, she stopped, turning back to the guys.
“Oh, and I expect you to bring your A game. Don’t go easy on me just because I’m a girl.” Dev stiffened beside her. Guess he didn’t want her playing with his employees. Well, tough shit. She would do whatever the hell she wanted.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Manny replied, his smile widening once again. Oh…this was gonna be fun!
They resumed their tour. The whole house boasted tall ceilings and large, expansive windows that spilt in a vast amount of sunlight. While they didn’t go in them all, Dev also told her he had seven bedrooms and eleven bathrooms. There were two dining rooms, one larger than where they ate, and a massive kitchen with granite countertops, all stainless steel Electrolux appliances, a subzero refrigerator and a twenty-foot island. A suspended hanging rack full of copper pots and pans completed the look. She loved to cook. Maybe she’d get an opportunity to do it tomorrow in a kitchen that would make even Giada jealous.
She loved the entire house, but her favorite room was an office with three walls full of books from floor to ceiling. There was an eclectic mixture of genres both fiction and non-fiction, from poetry to fantasy. She noticed even a couple vampire romance novels, which she thought was rather funny. There were the classics, like Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, A Tale of Two Cities, and Dracula and many books she’d never heard of before. She could spend days on end in there. Dev allowed her ample time to wander around each magnificent room, never making her feel rushed.
They ended in a gym that was nicer than most public ones and she was dying to try out the state of the art treadmill. Since she’d been spending so much time with Dev this week, she’d been very remiss in keeping up with her workouts.
“Like what you see?” Dev asked as she gawked around.
Yep, in more ways than one. “Yes. Would you mind if I worked out for a bit?”
“Not at all. I have some work I’m behind on anyway.”
They made their way silently through the maze to her bedroom where they stood scrutinizing each other. Her heart beat faster when he leaned over and placed his soft lips on hers.
“I’ll send Ren to help you find your way back to the gym,” he whispered.
“I think I can find my way just fine,” she replied softly.
“All the same, wait for him.” At her furrowed brow, he added, “Please.”
“Sure. Fine.”
His eyes turned positively molten as he backed her up against the wall and threaded his fingers through her hair. This time his kiss was anything but soft and gentle. It was rough, passionate and ripe with unfulfilled promises. Her legs went weak and her hands came to his taut biceps to steady herself. This…this is what she’d been waiting on for four days and by god, he did not disappoint. But all too soon he pulled away, leaning his forehead to hers, her head still bracketed in his strong hands. His penetrating dark eyes, which seemed brighter than usual, bore directly into her soul.
“Fuck, I want you, Kate.”
Her already erratic breathing hitched and she couldn’t speak through the constriction of her throat.
“You will be mine, love. Very soon.” His lips crashed to hers and before she knew what happened he was striding quickly down the long hallway, leaving her to watch his fine ass walk away.
She let her head fall against the wall and thought about his cryptic words this morning. ‘I think I’m falling for you harder every minute I’m in your presence, love.’ And ‘You will be mine, love. Very soon.’
This was not how a fling was supposed to go. She didn’t normally do casual, but she knew that’s all this could ever be and she’d accepted it. So why was he saying things that made it sound so much more permanent?
And what the hell was she supposed to make of it?
Chapter 19
Kate
A workout would do her good. Get rid of some of the sexual tension Dev had built in her all morning. She didn’t understand her insane attraction to him at all. She felt inexplicably drawn to him. Like she’d known him her entire life. Was it those erotic dreams of him—or of a man that looked just like him?
She planned on running, lifting, and practicing her martial arts until she was ready to drop. That ought to chase away the urge to jump Dev’s bones every time she was around him. Maybe for today. Rinse and repeat tomorrow if necessary. She would be too tired to think about kissing him, about running her fingers through his dark locks, holding his head to her breast as he licked and sucked her nipple. God, Kate, stop it already!!
She’d changed into her gym clothes
and was just pulling her hair into a ponytail when a soft knock came at her door.
“Hey, gorgeous, getting settled okay?” Ren’s hundred-watt smile had to draw women like moths to an open flame. He was unreasonably good-looking and she really liked him, but in a brotherly sort of way. She smiled in return.
“Yes, thanks.”
“Is there anything I can get you? Anything at all you need?”
“No, I think I’m all set, but thanks. I appreciate it.”
She hesitated a minute, not sure if she wanted to know the answer, then casually asked, “So…what’s the deal with Giselle and Dev? Are they an…item? She looked like she wanted to scratch my eyes out yesterday.”
Ren let a smirk curl the corners of his lips. “Jealous, eh?”
“No, of course not. Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I be jealous? I was just curious, is all. She looked like she’d sooner scorch my face off with a blowtorch then let me in the house. I just assumed it was maybe because they were a couple or something and she didn’t want another woman anywhere near her man.”
God she hoped that wasn’t the case, but wouldn’t it be just like a guy to try to have his cake and eat it too. At least the men she’d dated did. And if Dev fell into that adulterous category, it would shatter any last shred of hope she knew lie buried deep within her that there was a decent man waiting out there…she just hadn’t found him yet.
He studied her for a moment before answering. “No, they are not a couple. They have never been a couple. Giselle is his employee. I’m quite sure jealousy wasn’t the issue.”
She let out a breathe she didn’t realize she’d been holding, her relief tangible. “Oh, so she’s just a bitch, then.”
Ren laughed, loud and deep. “I like you Kate.” He wiped the tears leaking from the corner his eyes as he caught his breath. Kate couldn’t help laughing along with him.
“So, you ready to hit the gym?”
“Ready. Just let me get my music.”
She grabbed her iPhone and headphones and headed down to the gym with Ren, making comfortable small talk the entire way.
___________
She’d been working hard for over an hour and a half now. She’d run five miles, deciding to forgo weight lifting in lieu of spending more time practicing her Jeet Kune Do. She hadn’t practiced much lately, and with the possibility of being in danger, she thought it’d be a good idea to practice.
She’d secretly been hoping Dev would make an appearance, but so far he was a no show. She missed him, and how stupid was that? It had only been a couple hours since she last saw him.
Thinking back to the other men she’d dated since high school, she could resolutely say that none of them affected her mind, body and soul the way Dev did. When they were in the same vicinity, desire fired like sparks through her body and all rational thought fled. Yes, he was the most handsome man she’d ever met, but she couldn’t understand her unreasonable attraction to him. It was completely out of her control and she was never out of control of anything in her life. Well…except her dreams.
She’d finished her workout and, true to goal, she was exhausted. She was looking forward to a shower and maybe a bite to eat before settling down for a bit to do some research, then hitting the hay. She wasn’t quite sure she knew how to get back to her room, but thought she’d muddle through. Eventually she’d find it. This place needed a map upon check-in. She was trying to remember how they got down here so she could retrace her steps when the door opened and in walked Dev.
Oh, wow. He was mouthwatering. Dressed in cream-colored slacks and a soft, black button-down shirt, he looked freshly showered.
“Hi.” Curse her for sounding breathless.
“Hi yourself. Did you have a good workout?” He walked across the gym toward her.
“I did.” She held her hand, palm facing him. “You probably don’t want to get too close, though. I’m sure I smell pretty rank at the moment.” Her face was probably red as a beet, too. Lovely.
“Oh, I doubt that. You always seem to smell good to me.” At his compliment, she felt herself blush. He ushered her out of the gym, starting their way back to her room. “Join me for dinner.”
“I don’t know, Dev. I have a lot of research to do.” Dinner together had become their ‘thing’, but was it smart to spend any more time than necessary with him? That would be a big fat N-O.
“Come on. You have to eat. We can’t break tradition now,” he winked.
“I don’t know—”
“Please, Kate. You can catch up your research tomorrow.”
Unable to say no, she agreed. “Okay…twist my arm.”
His winning smile zinged directly to her sex. Good god…she was in so much trouble.
Chapter 20
Kate
Kate tossed and turned, unable to let sleep take her. After dinner, they’d talked and even played a game of pool, which she’d won fair and square. He’d given her another soul-sucking kiss before telling her goodnight and once again, she’d been disappointed. She wanted his hands all over her. She wanted his cock pushing into her body. She wanted his mouth on her. She wanted him to take her completely. She wanted that in real life, not just in her dreams, and it was right in front of her for the taking. All she had to do was let herself have it.
She felt like one of those wishy-washy females she always made fun of. Kate was not flighty. She knew what she wanted—at least up until a few days ago. Now she felt like she’d been playing a very bad game of Atari, watching that tiny blip ping back and forth between two sides, the paddles too small to keep the stupid thing from slipping by.
Sleep with him, not sleep with him. Sleep with him. No. Ahhhh!!! If she slept with him, a broken heart was inevitable. She got emotionally attached. As much as she tried to convince herself otherwise, she just didn’t know if she could do casual. But other women did it, so why couldn’t she? She hoped to god they caught this kidnapper soon so she could just be on her way and then she’d be fine. She could then get Devon Fallinsworth back into her dreams where he belonged.
Exhaustion finally took her. She fell sleep hoping for another dreamless night, but it wasn’t meant to be. Instead, she dreamed of Sarah Hill. Sarah was tied down spread eagle to a steel table in what appeared to be a surgical room of some sort. Her feet and hands were bound. She was naked and appeared to be sleeping, but Kate knew better. She had an IV in her arm, with tubing that led to a bag filled with clear liquid. There were several naked vampires in the room with her. Oh my God. She was going to be sick. Who would do such a horrible thing to such a young, beautiful girl?
She bolted up in bed, screaming and crying. Before she knew what was happening, Dev was there, pulling her into his arms. “Kate, love, what’s the matter? Are you hurt?” She couldn’t speak, sobs racking her body.
“Talk to me, love. What happened?” She continued to weep on his shoulder, soaking his shirt. “Kate, please. Talk to me. You’re scaring me.”
“Th-They h-have her tied d-down. L-like, l-like an animal. I think she might have b-been, been—”
“Who? What are you talking about, love? Did you have another dream?” He held her trembling body tightly.
“I think she might have been r-raped.”
“Ah, Jesus. Sarah?”
“Yes. I don’t know if she’s even alive!” She sobbed even harder.
“It’s okay, Kate. It’s going to be okay.”
Dev held her until she started to calm. A short time later, a soft knock came at the door. Dev answered. “Come in.”
“Your tea, sir.”
He nodded toward the nightstand. Leo set down the tea and quietly left the room. Dev continued to stroke her back, whispering reassuring words in her ear. “Here, love, have some tea.”
She sat back and took the cup he handed her. How did Leo know a cup of tea was just the thing she needed? He must have heard her scream.
“Thanks.”
“Tell me what you saw, Kate. Try to remember all of the det
ails, okay?”
She shook her head. “I can’t. I can’t think about it.”
Dev put his finger under her chin and gently lifted it so their eyes met. “Kate, I know this is hard and I’m so sorry. I wish you didn’t have to go through this. I would do anything to take it away. Anything. But you have a very special gift. One that I think will help us find Sarah. And the others. And the son-of-a-bitch that took them.” He placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Please, tell me what you saw.”
She took a deep breath. “O-okay.” The horrible words tumbled out and she told him everything she could remember.
“Were there any other people in the room? Could you see a window or anything that would tell us where she’s being held?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t remember seeing anyone else in the room. I couldn’t take my eyes off her to see anything else. I’m sorry. I’m not much help.”
“It’s okay, love.” He took the tea and set it back down on the nightstand. He lay down on the bed and pulled her to him, settling her into his side. Her head lay in the crook of his shoulder. “Go back to sleep, love. I’ll be right here.” He kissed her temple and gently stroked her back.
As much as she didn’t want to accept his comfort, his kindness, she simply couldn’t turn it away. It felt too good. He felt too good.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“For what?”
“For staying with me.”
“No thanks necessary, love. Honestly, there’s nowhere I’d rather be.”
Chapter 21
Kate
Kate woke up with a hard body spooning behind her and a steel arm around her waist. What the…? It took her a minute to clear the morning fog from her brain and remember where she was. And who shared her bed. When she did, a plethora of feelings ran through her. The fear and sadness she felt for Sarah. The comfort and safety she felt in Dev’s arms. Lust and desire for the man who held her tightly against his chest burned through every cell. She could feel the evidence of his desire for her pressing against her backside as well.