Damaged Goods

by Dane, Cynthia

  “Well you haven’t ran off yet, so that’s a good sign.”

  Joseph gave her a dry look. “I’m not bailing until I really have to go.”

  “Good.” Sylvia kissed his cheek, hand rubbing the full length of his chest. “Though you don’t seem like much of a cuddler.”

  You’d be surprised. That was usually Joseph’s second favorite part. Wrapping his arms around his beloved, that was.

  But Sylvia wasn’t exactly his beloved, now was she?

  “Do you want me to cuddle you?”

  She snorted. “Not if you have to ask like that.”

  Joseph wrapped his arm around her anyway. Within a few seconds she was in his embrace, cheek resting against his chest and eyelashes fluttering against skin. Her hair was luscious between his fingers.

  “So what happens now?”

  “What do you mean?” Why was she asking questions? She really liked to hear herself talk, didn’t she?

  “I mean what’s going to happen between us. This is the second day in a row we’ve had sex. We only met each other again a couple of weeks ago. Clearly we’ve got urges to sort out.”

  “We can’t have a serious relationship,” Joseph was almost too quick to say. “Not while we’re working together like we are. Besides, there’s…”

  “There’s what?” Sylvia tugged his nipple with her teeth. It barely fazed him. “You mean my work.”

  He turned his head away.

  “I’ll have you know that I have two completely legal jobs. You saw my file. I waitress, for fuck’s sake. And strip at some seedy club down by Tigard, but a girl’s gotta make ends meet. Also, I’m good at it. You saw me up there.”

  Yeah, he had. And yeah, she was good. I’d kill for a private show. “I won’t tell you what to do with your life, Sylv, but I’m not sure I could be in a relationship with a woman who…”

  “Strips?”

  He sighed. “I was thinking more of the other line of work you’re in. The illegal one.”

  “Well, yeah. It’s illegal. You’re a cop. Wouldn’t be a good look.” She laughed. “Kidding! It’s cause I fuck dudes for money. Can’t do that when I’m in a serious relationship. Or at least I haven’t yet found a boyfriend who’s down with me doing that. And doesn’t think he’s my pimp.”

  “Like I said, I won’t tell you what to do with your life.”

  “That’s right. I get to make those decisions.” She kissed his cheek again, “But it’s not my dream career. I only got into it because I foolishly thought it sounded like fun back then. Whatever. It’s not worth the risks. As soon as I have enough money, I’m hanging up my pearls. Might still strip on the side for the tips, but I’m not married to that either.”

  “So you’re saying that if you had a boyfriend you wouldn’t do it anymore?”

  “It would depend on a lot of things. Like whether or not he’s got some money.”

  “Subtle.”

  “Hey, I ain’t saying you should be my boyfriend.” Sylvia buried her face between his neck and the pillow beneath them. “I wanted to know what page we’re on. Does this stop tonight? Are we friends with benefits? We dating?”

  “I don’t know.” He honestly didn’t. But… there was one thing he definitely did know. “All I can say is that the thought of you and Sheen makes me want to punch his fucking face in.” Knowing what trade he was probably in made Joseph want to punch his face in too, but the images of him and Sylvia really made that blood flow to some fists. I know it makes no sense. I know I have no relationship claim on her. That doesn’t mean I still don’t feel this way. Joseph didn’t want this to end. Regardless of the dark thoughts lurking in the back of his mind, he wanted to feel Sylvia close to him like this every single night, not only during the investigation.

  Beyond.

  “I can’t blow my cover,” Sylvia said. “I mean, I could break it off with him by making up some bullshit excuse, but there goes my chance to get information out of him. If he wants to fuck me, I kinda gotta do it unless it gets too dangerous.”

  “I know.” His hold on her tightened. “Which is why I won’t make any verbal commitments until this is over.”

  “Hmm.” Sylvia smoothed his hair away from his forehead. “You’ve got feelings for me. Manly feelings.”

  “Like I said. No commitments. Work first. Pleasure later.”

  “As long as there’s some pleasure in there. I’ve missed having sex for the sake of it.”

  He leaned against her, bringing her down for the kind of sex that could get a guy hard again. I don’t want this to end. Why couldn’t it be a normal work night? Why couldn’t he stay the night? Why couldn’t he stumble into the office the next morning to the gentle chidings of his coworkers and the stink-eye of his mother trying not to think about his personal life? “Me too,” he said. “Would be good for me.”

  “So this isn’t the last time?”

  “Let’s take it one day at a time.”

  “You’re so guarded.” Sylvia lightly sucked his shoulder. “That’s okay, though. I am too. I’m just not good at sticking to my guns yet.”

  Joseph looked into her youthful visage with a sudden, annoying thought. “How old are you again?”

  “Legal, jeez. Like, drinking legal…” Sylvia smacked his abdomen. “You know how old I am.”

  “Remind me.”

  “I turned twenty-four a couple of months ago.”

  “Jesus.” Joseph pulled his arm away from her. “You’re eight years younger than me.”

  “Yeah, jeez, you’re old.”

  Joseph swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Where was his shirt? “Your sarcasm has been duly noted.”

  “Don’t feel like you’re cradle robbing. We’ve probably got about the same amount of life experience.” There was a thought. “You leaving already?”

  He found his T-shirt on the floor. It was only then that he noticed the jazz music had long stopped playing. “I need to get home and sleep. Another big day tomorrow. You should rest too.”

  “Trust me, stud. I’m gonna rest good after getting laid like that.”

  Should she assume he was running out on her, Joseph tipped her chin up as soon as his shirt was back on. “Maybe you’ll rest that good tomorrow night too.”

  Two beats later, she grinned. Such an infectious grin. How could he help but smile back at her? “Maybe I’ll suck your cock again.”

  “And maybe I’ll lick your clit again.”

  “There you go.” Sylvia spread herself across her bed, nudity on full display. Was she trying to entice him to stay longer? “Then we’ll fuck. Carry some condoms, stud.”

  She said that flippantly, yet something colored her demeanor. She should look happy. Maybe not happy that I’m leaving, but… “I don’t regret tonight, Sylv. I feel no guilt.”

  Sylvia sat up, legs folding over the end of the bed. “Prove it by kissing me goodbye.”

  That was a trap. Because Joseph knew as soon as he touched his lips to hers, he wouldn’t be able to stop. He would need her. Again. Again. He’d force himself to have sex with her all night until his body completely gave up, and it still wouldn’t be enough. It had been ages since he felt this way about a woman. He’d even garner a guess that Angelica hadn’t driven him to perform like that, and that was during their happiest years.

  Stella made him feel that way sometimes, but it was physical. She was hot. I was hurting and horny and on the fuckin’ rebound. Of course I wanted to endlessly fuck her. Sometimes I treated her terribly because of it. Under a convenient guise of going undercover, no less.

  So even though he kissed her – fully, too – he was careful to not fall too far over the edge of fuck this woman until she knows she’s mine.

  “Goodnight, Sylv.” His hand lingered on the back of her neck, jacket dangling from the other hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  She watched after him. Her door was halfway closed, Joseph standing in a dark hallway, when she said, “Night, stud. Lock the front door on your w
ay out, would you? My roommate is picky about the homeless wandering in here at three in the morning.”

  ***

  The midnight hour was quickly approaching by the time Joseph arrived home. Sleep begged him to go to bed. “Like, come on, man, you had two orgasms and kinda-sorta got a casual girlfriend. Can we sleep? Please?” But he needed a shower and some food. Real food. Not that he had much of that in his fridge.

  He was scrounging for something – anything – when his doorbell rang.

  Joseph slammed his fridge door shut. Who the fuck? Security let someone up at this hour? There were about five people on that list, and they were all women. His mother? Reina? Angelica?

  Oh.

  Stella.

  “I knew you’d be up.” She draped herself across his doorway, wearing a strappy black blouse that pushed her tits up and a skirt so short it was almost scandalous. But this was Stella. Nothing she did was scandalous, because Joseph had seen her do it all – and genuinely enjoy it.

  Still didn’t explain what she was doing at his place.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” he grumbled. “Couldn’t get anything out of Angelica, so you came here?”

  “I love how you say her name.” Stella bit her lip, as if she were aroused. Spare me. “So accented. Anhellicka.”

  “Because that’s her name.”

  “Of course it is, Josef.”

  Stella had the worst Spanish accent. To think Joseph found it cute once, and even went out of his way to try to teach her Spanish. Lost cause. “What do you want again? I’m about to go to bed. I’m in the middle of some serious work.”

  “Oh, right. That big undercover operation you’re running. Who you checking out again?” Her smile was so sharp it almost cut him. “Alexander Sheen?”

  Joseph’s heart stopped in his chest. Before he could check his thoughts, he asked, “How the hell do you know that?”

  “So it’s true? Babe, I’ve got people on the inside. You could almost say that I know everything about it.”

  “What the fuck do you want, Stella?”

  Her long fingers climbed up his doorframe. Lazy hazel eyes stared him down. “You.”

  “Get out of here.”

  “I miss you, baby.” Every word coming from her was a lie. Yet something about that phrase made his mouth go dry. Sylvia called me baby tonight. Those memories flooded him like a hot dream. “Look me in the eyes, baby.” Right before he blew his fucking load.

  “I’ve moved on from you.”

  “Sorry, I felt compelled to say that after seeing you in those tight jeans and T-shirt. Sizzling. Have you put on more muscle since we were together?”

  And you’ve put on more weight too. The other kind of weight. She was still hot. Not that Joseph wanted to think about that.

  “I’ve got some info on Alexander Sheen that I think could be useful to you.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “Why would I lie about that? I’ve retired from the law, baby, but I haven’t stopped hearing whispers and seeing things that aren’t supposed to be seen.” She glanced at his crotch. “Like you spending enough time in a hooker’s room to fuck her.”

  Joseph moved with a start. “Are you following me?”

  Stella took a step forward, crossing the border into his apartment. “I’m everywhere you don’t want me to be, Joseph. Now, do you want my info or not?”

  “Are you giving me a choice?”

  “Since when do you get choices around me?”

  Sighing, Joseph wandered away from the door, leaving it open. Stella would find a way in whether he wanted her there or not. Might as well do it on his own terms.

  Even so, he dreaded hearing the front door close behind her. He should’ve stayed at Sylvia’s.

  Chapter 15

  Sylvia

  “So good to see you again.” Sylvia stepped out of the backseat of the sedan Alexander Sheen had sent to pick her up from her house. He waited for her on the sidewalk outside of a popular, upscale brunch spot in Northeast Portland. “I was afraid I had done something to offend you last night.”

  He took her hand and gave it the lightest kiss, dark, stormy eyes lingering on her face. “I don’t know what you could have possibly done to offend me, Sylvia.” Shortly after he dropped her hand he wrapped his arm around her midsection, a protective, possessive gesture that kept the other men in suits far away from them. “Mine,” it echoed to every man in the vicinity. Even Joseph, in his van around the corner, must have felt it. “My only regret is that I didn’t get to explore this lovely body of yours.”

  “I want to explore your body.” Sylvia shuddered. Speaking of Joseph…

  “You know your safe word,” he said in her earpiece.

  Safe word. As if Sylvia hadn’t used a million safe words with clients before. It was a requirement for any date, even for plain vanilla sex. When Joseph suggested she have one before sending her off to meet with Alexander, Sylvia didn’t know whether to laugh or ask why he hadn’t suggested it sooner. ‘Cause now he has sex with me on the brain. Oh, the man played it cool enough when they met up for their briefing, Jim and Cindy in attendance as well. But there were glances in her direction. A graze of the hand against her hip, which lit a fire similar to the one that burned between them only twelve hours ago. We better be boning tonight. Sylvia wasn’t merely attracted to Joseph. When he wasn’t being a broody mess, he was damn good in bed. Possibly even great, if he opened up to her more. And if Sylvia had to do anything with Alexander Sheen to keep her cover? I’m gonna need a huge palate cleanser. Joseph’s dick was good enough for her.

  “Of course,” she said, in response to both Joseph and Alexander. The agent said nothing. The billionaire blowhard smirked in acknowledgment. Yeah. This man wanted her too. For very different reasons.

  If Joseph’s need for her wasn’t on the table, then Sylvia wouldn’t have thought much of how Alexander acted toward her. Having that balance, however, put many things into perspective. Like how nice it was to have a man who was interested in her for a change…

  “I hope your business was not too much of a bother last night.” She walked with Alexander into the dining area. “You seemed a bit flustered. You know, there are many things in my arsenal to help a flustered businessman. Sometimes getting it all out helps. I like to think of myself as a small-time therapist.”

  “I’m sure you do.” His grip on her tightened. “That won’t be necessary, though. I prefer to express myself physically as opposed to verbally.”

  Can’t blame a girl for trying. Someone distracted Sheen with a greeting. Sylvia continued to walk, appreciating the ambiance of one of the nicest brunch spots in Portland.

  This was not the usual ham and eggs with a pancake on the side (gluten free or not) fair that men with beards and women in flannel lined up for. This was the brunch of the wealthy. East coast brunch. Brunch that cost a hundred dollars a plate. The kind of brunch that women with extreme means bonded over and businessmen brokered multimillion dollar deals over. Sylvia knew that Alexander was here for a business meeting, and couldn’t wait to see who with. She didn’t doubt that it would be a good lead for the boys in blue.

  She did not expect to see a pair of familiar faces at their table.

  It was a joke. It had to be. If not put on by the cosmic forces playing with her head, then put on by Joseph or some other fuckhead who wanted to watch Sylvia squirm like a kid stuck in the dentist’s waiting room.

  “Greetings.” Alexander reached across the four-person table and shook a man’s hand. He stood, tall and broad in an Armani suit, no tie. Although he greeted Alexander Sheen, it was Sylvia he stared at as if he had seen an unpleasant ghost. “So nice of you to join us.”

  “Allow me to introduce you to my beautiful date.” Alexander was jumping right into it, wasn’t he? That’s his game. He wants to know if I’ve slept with Vincent Lane. “This is Sylvia. Do you… know each other?”

  Both Vincent Lane and his girlfriend, the petite and feisty N
ala Nazarov, looked away, refusing to turn their heads anywhere in Sylvia’s direction. The feeling was mutual, although Sylvia had more tact (or training in these matters, anyway.) She graciously accepted a pulled out chair from Alexander and sat next to Nala, who was torn between disbelief and disdain.

  They went back. All the way back to Xavier Crow. They’re the ones who led the FBI to Crow. Like Joseph and those FBI agents, Vincent and Nala had been undercover in Crow’s club. But unlike Joseph and those FBI agents, they were rogue civilians, hellbent on taking down Crow out of revenge for their dead loved ones. I think he had a girlfriend and she had a sister? Who Crow had killed for whatever dumb reasons? Sylvia had been detached enough to barely catch the details when they came out. All she cared about? These people were why Sebastian was sent to prison and Sylvia was thrown out on the expensive streets of Portland, forced to fend for herself in ways she hadn’t attempted in years.

  So while she was sure they were decent enough as people, she wasn’t going to feel bad about nursing a boiling grudge against them. A part of her hoped that they were dirty with Sheen. The poetic irony would be too good to pass up.

  “We have met before,” Vincent said before sitting down. He never took his eyes off Sylvia, that rancid glare making every attempt possible to tear down her shields. “It’s been a while, though.”

  Alexander ate this discomfort up. After all, everyone involved knew what Sylvia did for a living. The difference? Alexander probably assumed that Vincent once paid for Sylvia’s services (he hadn’t,) and Vincent assumed this was another job for Sylvia. (It sort of was.)

  “Indeed.” She would be cordial. Not to mention she would play right into Alexander’s hand, with the hope that he would admire her for it. “The three of us go back.”

  “Pleasant times, I hope.”

  Next to Sylvia, Nala Nazarov stewed in a pot of her own displeasure. That’s what Sylvia wanted. It would make Alexander think she was jealous of Sylvia for having once slept with Vincent. If anyone’s ego was going to get out of control in there, it had better be Alexander’s.