Reaper's Reward

by Marie Harte

  She had no apparent reason to want money. Elise had a hefty bank account, no outstanding debts, and no family issues demanding a sum of money worth anything the cup might offer.

  Which left Jaz Henderson and Gus Ludrell. Everyone loved Jaz. He was the most popular of the waitstaff and a favorite to watch when it came to “games” in the resort. Jaz loved working at Satyr’s Myst and was one of Rick’s highest paid staff. He had a few gambling debts that he’d recently paid, debts that far outweighed anything his salary at Satyr’s Myst could cover. But Jaz had managed to wipe them out, so he shouldn’t have had any pressing need for a windfall of money.

  Gus Ludrell, another of Rick’s security, like Jaz, did his job and did it well. But Gus had been present when Meyers had been killed, making him a prime suspect. Not to mention the fact that Gus had slept with Meyer’s wife and reportedly had a thing for collecting what others owned. From jewelry to property to people. Gus loved sex and the idea of living in a fantasy, and he had for three years. But he seemed to truly respect Rick, and he’d never had so much as a speeding ticket, much less a felony conviction.

  Ethan shook his head. These four needed further study. The guests had been surprisingly easy to check off. None of them wanted their privacy shattered and preferred keeping a low profile while here. Murder and burglary would attract more attention than any of the guests wanted, including Rick’s friends now on the island.

  Last night, two of his Bacchus Club buddies had shown up. Evan Wood, a hotshot Hollywood attorney, and Jeremy Jones, a celebrity client and major art collector. Both men had motive to steal the cup, but none to murder their friend. Money was a powerful motivator, of course, but both men were extremely wealthy, as well as famous. They had no need for the type of money the cup would bring.

  Ethan shook his head. No, it had to be one of the four staff he’d recently investigated. But which one? His head throbbed. Hell, he needed a break. Maybe now would be a good time to search Denton’s room. According to the schedule, Denton would be occupied massaging the Taylor couple in the private cabana overlooking the ocean. Perfect time for a little personal investigation. But as he left the room, Ethan’s thoughts turned to Jewel again, and he groaned, realizing he’d been well and truly snared.

  Jewel smiled and batted her eyes, pleased when Denton approached her right away. She’d been working him for the last two days and had finally managed to get his attention. The damned female guests were all over him, especially Tanya, who seemed to wake every morning with a margarita glass in her hand.

  “Jewel.” Denton strutted to her side and made no effort to hide his interest as his gaze lingered over her breasts.

  His orange and green tiger-striped trunks were the male version of her green suit, which consisted of three small triangles to cover the essentials and butt floss to bare her ass. Thank God for the Stairmaster at home.

  “Josh.” Jewel bit her lower lip, knowing how much that turned Ethan on. Denton was no different, and he stared at her mouth. “I’ve been looking for you. Tyrone gave me a break, and I was hoping you and I could, well, go somewhere and…talk.”

  “Talk, hmm?” Denton grinned, his eyes smoky with desire.

  You’d think screwing anything that moved would have put Denton off sex for recreation, but apparently her lure was too strong to resist. Jewel wanted to grimace when he took her hand and kissed her open palm. Instead of feeling seduced, she felt slobbered on. But she smiled and tried her best to appear demure.

  “I’m supposed to have an appointment in a few minutes.” He looked over his shoulder at the cabana being readied by a few naked Myst girls, then shook his head. “Hold on a sec.”

  He left her only to return moments later. “The Taylors don’t mind Sheila taking over. Come on.”

  They walked quickly to the third floor, what Jewel knew to be the bi floor. The staff and guests preferring adventurous, gender-friendly sexual partners resided here.

  Denton punched in his code, which she committed to memory, and they entered. Much less plush than Ethan’s room, Denton’s room still looked comfortable. Decorated in an exotic jungle theme, animal prints and stripes covered the fabrics in the large bedroom.

  The room held a king-sized bed, a standard in the staff rooms, as well as a brand-spankin’ new laptop dazzling the small personal desk across the room. Jewel salivated. Now, how to get Josh out of the way so she could access his terminal…

  “So what do you want to do first, honey? Oral, anal? Or maybe you just want a hard fuck, something more along the lines of what Rick likes?”

  She blinked. Rick? Oh, right, she had supposedly been trained by Rick. But what the hell did he like? “Um, I thought we could talk.” He frowned, and Jewel hurried to correct herself. “I mean, you could show me what you like. Tell me what you like. I’m supposed to please the guests, and everyone has a different turn-on, you know? What do you like, Josh?”

  Denton’s frown faded under a grin, and he sat on the edge of his desk. “Me? I’m a sucker for a good blowjob. Soft lips, a hint of teeth.” He rubbed his fingers over the bulge growing between his legs. In the boxer trunks he wore, he looked very attractive, American-pie handsome, so she could understand the contrast of sexpot to boy-next-door as more than appealing to some. Yet she couldn’t help comparing him to Ethan and finding him lacking.

  Jewel realized he was waiting and wondered how best to go about this. She needed Denton out of commission. But she sure as hell wasn’t sleeping with him. She didn’t want him, and for all she knew, he had his camera up and running as they spoke.

  She bit her lip again and stared around her, avoiding eye contact. “Can I tell you a secret?”

  “Anything, Jewel.” His voice rasped, his excitement clearly growing as he watched her.

  “I want to see you touch yourself. In front of me. I, um, I really like that.”

  “Whatever you want. You want me to jack off? No problem.” Denton untied the front of his trousers and released his straining erection. “So, tell me what you thought about Rick. He’s big, isn’t he? And what about that monster, Ethan Reaper? He’s got to be huge. That whole don’t-touch-me growl along with his massive size…he’s got to have a huge cock.” Denton grew as he spoke, his arousal telling.

  A huge cock? You have no idea. “Wow, Josh. You’re not so bad yourself. So big.” As if.

  “And getting bigger.” He fisted himself while he watched her, his lids lowering while his breathing increased. “Rick took my virgin ass. Hell, I wasn’t even into men, and he made me want it so bad. I did everything you could do to the man. I sucked him off, I took it in the ass, and it hurt so good.” His hand grew into a frenzy of motion. “Oh, yeah, that’s it. Watch me, Jewel. Your eyes, your mouth. I can just see you going down on me, sucking my cum.”

  “Yeah, sure. That’s right.” Ick, when would this end? After her time spent with Ethan, the sight of so much sex around the resort only made her think of doing it with him. But standing around with Denton made her feel dirty, and she decided to leave before the situation grew out of hand…so to speak. “Oh, no.”

  “Yeah, it’s gonna blow. Why don’t you get on your knees and swallow it down?” Denton moaned, his balls tight, and his cock flushed with arousal. “You’ve got me really hard, honey. And I’ll bet your pussy’s wet from watching me, huh?”

  Not surprisingly, it wasn’t. “Uh, I don’t think so. I just remembered Rick wanted me in his office this morning by eleven. And it’s almost eleven fifteen. He’s not going to be happy.” She took a step back.

  “Not yet.” Denton startled her by grabbing her before she could leave. He jerked one of her hands from her side and put it around his hard shaft.

  She flinched, and he smiled. “That shyness is so sexy. I want you to take me in your mouth. Let me blow into you, sweet.”

  “I don’t think so.” She grimaced, and Denton’s smile turned sly.

  “What’s wrong? You a dick-tease, Jewel? Trying to sucker me with that shy smile and th
ose thick lips?” His lips quirked as his eyes brightened. “Or is this what Rick taught you? Start reluctant, draw them in. Make the guest take you hard, overpowering you?”

  Crap. His cock leaked under her hand, and she quickly took it away.

  His eyes turned flat, and his smile soured. “Oh, I get it. If it’s not Richie Rich, Rick Hastings and his millions, you don’t want it. On your knees, bitch.”

  Okay. This was now officially out of control. Jewel had no problem using force. “Bitch” was one word that really pressed her buttons. And Denton’s attitude left a lot to be desired.

  “I hope you’re getting this on camera,” she whispered.

  He looked startled. “What?”

  “On camera. You know, the way you filmed the others?”

  His face darkened and flushed, the once-handsome boy-next-door now a blackmailing thug with a point to prove. “You little bitch. Which one of them hired you? Who are you working for?”

  Them, he said. Just great. Ethan had been right. Denton was after more than Sophie Ayers. Now to work this from another angle. “I’m supposed to be working for the senator.” It was just a guess that Denton would have set up the most vulnerable client in attendance. And by the look in his eyes, she’d hit pay-dirt. “But you have such a nice setup in here. Give me a share, and I’ll make sure you get your money.”

  In his anger, Denton began stroking himself faster. “You’re going to suck this down, and then we’ll talk about a deal. I’m doing the fucking here. Now, on your knees, or do you want me to rape you, after all?”

  The hard excitement on his face had her taking another step back. Just as he lunged for her, the door behind them opened.

  Chapter Eight

  “What the fuck?” Ethan growled, staring in obvious shock as Denton knocked her to the floor. She felt Denton nudging against her and scowled, really disgusted.

  “A little help here,” she grunted before her assailant was lifted off of her and thrown into the nearest wall, which was unfortunately near his desk.

  “Watch the computer.”

  Denton cursed as he regained his feet and managed to tuck himself back into his shorts, glaring at Ethan and Jewel. “You’re in on it together?” He flew at Ethan this time, but Ethan sidestepped him easily and spun, shoving the smaller man to the floor. He punched Denton in the back and flipped him over, pressing into Denton’s neck. Denton gave a hiss of protest before his eyes rolled back in his head, and he passed out.

  When Ethan stood, he quickly shut the door to the room and locked it. His eyes were two dark pits of rage as he stepped over Denton’s unconscious body. Jewel swallowed loudly, aware she was in deep ‑‑

  “Shit. What the hell is going on in here? Please don’t tell me you were meeting Denton for a quick fuck.” His anger turned to full-out rage, and for the first time Jewel felt a stirring of fear.

  “No, no. Nothing like that. Denton had it in mind for a…for some fun. I just wanted his computer.”

  Ethan’s anger simmered, his fists clenching and unclenching.

  “Honest. Ethan, this is the guy I’m here to investigate. He’s been blackmailing some guests, and in particular, my client.”

  “Why should I believe you?”

  “Because loverboy turns me off. For the first time since being on this island, I’m not in perpetual heat.”

  Ethan glanced down her body, relaxing a fraction. So she was stunned when he yanked her to him and thrust a hand between her legs.

  “Ethan, really,” she huffed.

  “Damn. You weren’t kidding.” He removed his fingers, and she glared. Kissing the scowl off her face, he surprised her by smiling. “So Denton doesn’t do it for you, hmm? Good to know.”

  “Glad you’re so pleased. Now can I have a go at his computer before he wakes up?”

  Ethan shook his head. “Don’t worry about dickless, here. You take your time.”

  While she set about cracking Denton’s computer, Ethan tied up the jerk. After a few minutes, she entered the hidden files on the computer and began searching for a backdoor around his password. She easily breached his firewall and scanned for any file containing Sophie’s name on it.

  “Wow. You’re pretty good at that.” Ethan stood over her shoulder. “Took you no time flat to infiltrate his security. Not bad.”

  “I’ve had a lot of practice.” She tried not to be distracted by the larger-than-life male at her back. “Damn, but Denton has more than a dozen folders in here. And look at this. He’s been making money off of these people for years.” Searching by date, she found Sophie’s file and glanced over her shoulder. “I need you to turn around.”

  “For Christ’s sake, Jewel.”

  She frowned. “We promise confidentiality to our clients. Turn around.”

  He swore but did so, and Jewel watched the video unfold. Holy cripes, but Sophie Ayers had quite an imagination, and a real knack for leather. Jewel took a deep breath and deleted the evidence.

  “Dreemer’s, Inc., right?”

  Damn, he was good. “Maybe.”

  “Please. Give me some credit.”

  “Fine. I work for Dreemer’s. Happy now?”

  “Not as much as I plan to be when we get the hell out of here,” he muttered.

  She took a few more minutes to thoroughly search Denton’s files for any more mention of Sophie Ayers. At least the computer was clean. Now if she could only be as sure that he hadn’t made any backup videos.

  “Can I turn around now?”

  She ignored the exasperation in Ethan’s voice. “Yeah, but I’d like to look through the rest of these files with Rick’s help.” Ethan swore and scowled at mention of Rick’s name. “Oh, Ethan, get a grip. I’m not getting my kicks from this. I want Rick to ID the other victims on these videos, so he can contact them and set them at ease. And there’s no telling what backup discs Denton’s already made.”

  “Okay,” Ethan said after a moment. “But you and I are going to talk about this. I don’t understand why you didn’t tell me you suspected Denton in the first place. I could have given you access to his place without a problem.”

  “But it’s my job to help my client. Not yours. And we did promise her ‑‑”

  “Discretion, I know. Hell, Jewel. I run a securities firm. I know all about big words like ‘discretion.’”

  She flushed, and he glowered.

  “We’re going to talk about this, at length, later tonight. And don’t let me catch you straying from Tyrone’s sight again. He’s one of the only people I trust that’s completely innocent of any wrongdoing around here.”

  “So Rick talked to him about what Denton said the other night?”

  Denton groaned, but they ignored him.

  “Yeah. Tyrone heard from Jaz, who heard from someone else, that Rick wanted Denton. We can’t trace the original source of the order, and I’m still not sure how that door was unlocked when I personally set the lock myself. But since Denton’s story checks out, someone else must have unlocked the door.”

  “That is odd. Jaz, huh?” She couldn’t see him as the guilty party. She genuinely liked him.

  “Yeah.” Ethan glanced at Denton’s still body and lowered his voice. “He’s someone I’m looking into. Look, Jewel, I’m having a hard enough time tracking down a master thief and suspected killer. I don’t need to be worrying about you getting raped while I’m at it.”

  She stared. “He wouldn’t have raped me, Ethan. Relax.”

  “Relax?”

  Uh-oh. His voice had gone decidedly gentle. Never a good sign.

  “He had his dick out, ready to shove it into you. And the asshole was almost on top of you when I arrived. Tell me why I should calm down. Unless you wanted Denton to give it to you. Did you, Jewel? Did you want another man? Tired of me already?”

  “Get a grip, Ethan.” She snorted, perturbed that she found his jealousy arousing. “You touched me. I was bone-dry. What does that tell you? I’m here to do my job, nothing more.”

>   “No, baby. You’re here to do whatever I tell you to do. Now I’m telling you to head back to my room and climb onto my bed, where I sleep. And where I’m going to fuck you senseless. Don’t stop on your way. I’ll be right behind you.”

  “Ethan ‑‑”

  “Go, now. I’m calling Rick in to deal with this.”

  She glared but turned. “Don’t forget the laptop,” she reminded.

  “Get the hell out of here.”

  * * * * *

  Ethan thought he heard her mumble “asshole” but couldn’t be sure. The alternating spouts of rage, jealousy, and pure arousal made it hard to be clear about anything. The little fool could have been hurt by Denton, a man larger and stronger than her. Hell, the bastard had been hard and ready to fuck her, yet Jewel told him she’d had everything under control.

  Sure she did.

  He should have felt bad for testing her, for measuring her arousal. But he couldn’t help the relief filtering through him. She really hadn’t wanted Denton, and why he should feel so damned reassured by that fact only added to his worry that he’d fallen head over heels for the stubborn little witch.

  “What the hell?” Denton slurred, groaning as he shook his head.

  “Can it, asshole. The boss will want to talk to you.” Ethan dialed Rick’s line and explained the situation. Rick and three guards would be arriving posthaste.

  Ethan stared down at Denton in disgust. “Got greedy, hmm?”

  “Shit. Let me go, and there’s a cool half mil in it for you.”

  “Forget it. But you know what?” Ethan leaned down and punched Denton hard in the gut, earning a wrenching groan from the man. “You go near Jewel again and I’ll rip your balls out and feed them to you, one at a time. You hear me?”

  Denton was still trying to catch his breath, but he nodded vigorously.

  “Good.” A knock at the door interrupted them. “Rick’s here, and he has some questions, which you’ll be happy to answer in complete detail, isn’t that right?” Ethan put his foot between Denton’s legs, and Denton babbled, eager to please.