Bared to the Billionaire: The Complete Series

by Sylvia Pierce

  Jared clenched his jaw. Just like the Baseline security investigators he and Evan had entertained in the office last week, these reporters were obviously phony. The Times and Journal would never contact his parents overseas before getting in touch with his office right here in New York.

  Arianne. His instincts told him all of it could be traced back to her. He just didn’t know how.

  Chapter Four

  Inside the gleaming white lobby of the JHS, Jared headed for the information booth to announce his arrival. He’d just caught the attendant’s attention when he felt a firm grip on his forearm.

  Even without looking, Jared knew exactly who he’d find on the other end of that warm, familiar touch. He could smell her, lilacs and summer and heat, a heady combination that made him instantly hard. For one brief moment, he considered sweeping her into his arms, dragging her into the alcove, and kissing her until they both forgot about everything that had transpired over the last few days—the background check, the arguments, the robbery plans. All of it.

  Fortunately, common sense won out.

  Jared jerked free of Arianne’s grasp and turned to her with a warning look in his eyes.

  “Five minutes,” she said quickly. “Please.”

  Arianne was wobbly on her feet. She seemed at once determined and vulnerable, her eyes big and soft, her hair a mess. Even falling apart, she looked beautiful. Jared didn’t know how she always managed to get right under his skin.

  “Five minutes,” she said again, a little more desperately. “That’s all I’m asking.”

  Jared looked her up and down. It was obvious she hadn’t slept; probably hadn’t eaten, either.

  Good.

  He nodded firmly, not giving anything away. “Noted. And all I’m asking is for you to leave. Now.”

  “Jared, I’m begging you. It’s important.”

  “So is my meeting. If you’ll kindly excuse—”

  “I’m your meeting,” she said.

  Jared narrowed his eyes at her, waiting for an explanation. Anger simmered beneath his skin. After everything, she was still playing games.

  “I had my sister set it up with Paulina,” she said. “I knew you wouldn’t see me otherwise.”

  “I cancelled a beta review for this.” He seethed, heart hammering in his ears. How could he let this woman ensnare him again? When had his legendary judge of character become so unreliable?

  The moment you fucked her, you daft bastard.

  Jared ran a hand through his hair, closing his eyes in an effort to regain his composure. When he opened them, she was still watching him, her own eyes desperate.

  She’s scared.

  “Arianne,” he said, determined not to give in to his ridiculous need to comfort her, “I have a company to run.”

  “And I’ve got lives at stake.” Her eyes filled with tears, but Jared was unmoved.

  She deserves to suffer over what she did. What she’s probably still planning to do.

  “Perhaps you should’ve considered that before getting into your present line of work,” he said.

  “That’s not fair.”

  “No? For those of us who operate within the confines of the law, risking lives is not generally in the job description, and I don’t wish to change that.”

  “Okay, you’re pissed. I get it. Can we just…?” Arianne nodded toward the alcove where they’d so passionately reunited weeks ago, the last time they’d crossed paths at the JHS. He’d always suspected that last month’s JHS run-in wasn’t a coincidence, either. Now he knew it for certain.

  She’d been following him. Tracking him like a wild animal, a thing to be hunted and caged.

  He needed to find out what she wanted. And then he needed to walk away.

  “Let’s go,” he said, grabbing her arm and not-so-gently leading her to the alcove. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t drag you by the hair into the nearest police precinct.”

  Her lip quivered, but she held her chin high, eyes blazing with the familiar fire that Jared had always loved.

  Used to love, asshole. Nothing she says can change that.

  “I was going to tell you,” she said. “All of it. That’s why I had all that stuff out on my desk. I was working on it last night, trying to figure out a way to throw a wrench into the plans.”

  “Whose plans?” he asked. “Who else is involved in this?”

  “I… it doesn’t matter. They’re not good people, that’s all you need to know.”

  Jared was unmoved, exhausted by the secrets and games. He pulled out his phone and held it between them. “One good reason, Arianne, or I make the phone call that ends you.”

  Fear shot through her eyes, but then it was gone, replaced by a steely determination that would’ve impressed him if he hadn’t been so disgusted.

  “You want a reason?” she said. “Okay. How about five? One, this robbery is going to happen, with or without my involvement, whether or not you go to the police. Two, you’ve got nothing on anyone but me, and the stuff you found is questionable at best. No crime has been committed. But three, it will be. And four, right now, I’m the only one who can help you do something about it.”

  Arianne pinned him with her gaze, heat rising between them like it always had. She was ready for a fight, shoulders squared, eyes blazing, her perfect breasts rising and falling with every breath. It didn’t take much imagination for Jared to picture her on top of him again, eagerly riding his cock, drenching him in her sweet juices as he tongued those soft, round globes…

  Wake up, you tosser.

  Still gripping the cell, Jared considered following through on his threat. Despite her certainty that the police couldn’t file any charges before the robbery was committed, Jared knew otherwise. Money made things happen, and money he had. But turning her in meant walking away. It meant never seeing her again, never holding her in his arms, never falling asleep with her lilac scent filling his senses, never hearing her scream his name in the throes of ecstasy…

  Evan’s voice echoed in his head. You’re a bloody fool, mate.

  Evan was right. Jared was a fool. He’d seen evidence linking her to a planned heist of his entire art collection at Annandale. He’d gotten confirmation that she was a criminal and a liar. But seeing her like this, so full of fire and contradictions—scared and flustered, soft and determined, angry and needy—Jared wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

  He took a step closer, the space between them shrinking. Their bodies had always been attuned to each other, reacting instantly to a touch, a breath, a caress, even a look. Standing before him in a billowy long-sleeved blouse that seemed much too bulky for the humid day, Arianne tried to cover her chest with her arms, but Jared had already noticed her nipples, firm and erect beneath the pale green fabric.

  His cock stiffened as he tried desperately to rid his mind of the memories, the taste of her soft skin as he’d sucked those rose-colored peaks into his mouth, teasing and biting, moaning her name as he drove himself into her hot, willing flesh…

  “That’s only four,” he whispered, his eyes on her soft, wet mouth.

  Arianne leaned closer. “What?”

  “You said you’d give me five reasons. That’s only four.”

  “Oh. I…” She swallowed hard, her satiny lips just millimeters from his own. A shimmery strand of auburn hair had come loose from her ponytail, and now it stuck to her lips, fluttering in the shallow breeze of her breath. Jared couldn’t take his eyes off it. Off her, the woman who’d turned him on and gotten him so worked up inside he could barely think straight.

  The woman who’s probably still planning to knock you off.

  Jared sobered up at the thought, leaning backward to put some much-needed distance between them.

  Arianne sighed. “I guess I don’t have another one.”

  “So you want to help me, is that it? Out of the kindness of your heart?” Jared shook his head. Turned on, yes. Wounded, yes. But stupid? Not one of his primary modes. “I don’t think so
, love. What’s in it for you?”

  He crossed his arms over his chest and stared her down, waiting for the denials, for the false promises, for the soothing words that would turn sour the moment they reached his ears.

  But Arianne only nodded. When she finally spoke, Jared had to lean close to understand her.

  “I need your help, too,” she whispered. “It’s truly a matter of life and death.”

  Against every warning in his heart, Jared nodded. “I’m listening.”

  “My sister and I are in danger. I know I deserve it—I made this bed, and now I have to lie in it. But she doesn’t. If it was just me, I wouldn’t even be here. But I can’t just… I can’t let them hurt her. I’m begging you, Jared.”

  Tears gathered in her eyes again, the coppery hazel color bright against the bloodshot whites, and Jared’s breath caught. Since his discovery of her plans last night, he’d imagined all sorts of ways to kill her… but that didn’t mean he wanted her dead. And Natasha had nothing to do with this. Who would want to hurt that sweet, charming girl?

  Arianne was losing her carefully controlled facade, breaking down before his eyes in a way that couldn’t—despite all evidence to the contrary—be an act. She was clearly withholding information—as usual—but she wasn’t lying about her sister being in danger. That much was obvious.

  Jared couldn’t help himself. He needed to touch her again, to feel her skin, if only for the briefest moment. He reached for her face, but stopped just short of her soft cheek, settling on her shoulder instead.

  Arianne gasped at his touch, her whole body jerking away. The blouse slid from her shoulder, and Jared’s eyes immediately darted to her creamy, newly bared flesh.

  That’s when he noticed the bruises.

  Chapter Five

  Jared nearly gasped. Arianne’s neck and shoulders were red, with a row of deep purple bruises blooming across her collarbone like rotten grapes.

  His vision swam with red, blood pounding in his ears. He thought he’d been angry last night, finding the robbery plans in Arianne’s bedroom. He thought he’d been angry when he saw her here today, when she admitted to tricking him with this fake meeting.

  But this… seeing the woman he loved so bruised and battered… Jared couldn’t even think straight.

  I will kill him.

  “Who did this to you?” he said, fighting to keep his voice even.

  Arianne lowered her eyes, fixating on his shoes. She tried to adjust her blouse, but now that he’d seen the marks, she couldn’t hide them. Couldn’t just pretend they weren’t there, glowing like beacons against her pale, soft flesh.

  “Arianne, answer me.” Jared wanted to scream, to shake her for being so foolish. Why hadn’t she come to him sooner? Had this happened before? Was it the man who’d been paying her bills, the one named in her background file—Davidson? Or was it the creep who’d let himself into Jared’s house the night of the party, professing to be Arianne’s driver when he was clearly much more than that?

  His mind reeled, his rage desperate to lock in on a target. If Arianne pointed out a stranger on the street and named him as the one, Jared would’ve ripped the man’s throat out with his bare hands.

  “Arianne? Tell me his name.”

  Finally, she met his eyes, looking up at him through dark, feathery lashes wet with tears. She seemed to be mulling something over, but then nodded, as if she’d just convinced herself.

  She was driving him mad.

  “Okay,” she said. “I’ll tell you as much as I can. I promise. But I need to know something first.” She sniffled, crossing her hands over her chest once again. This time, it wasn’t to intentionally hide her arousal. It was automatic, an innate gesture of comfort and self-protection.

  Despite his anger, despite his suspicion, despite every horrible thing he’d felt since last night, Jared’s heart bloody ached. It was all he could do not to take her into his arms, to promise he’d keep her safe forever.

  Everything was so fucking complicated. He couldn’t trust her, barely believed a word out of her ripe little mouth. He still hadn’t decided what to do about the planned heist, but one thing was certain: he needed to walk away from Arianne right now. He had no business getting involved in her dangerous games—games that had already put his well-being at risk, breaking his heart in the process.

  He’d been a damn fool, and she’d played him from the start.

  But he still had feelings for her—even the worst kind of betrayal couldn’t make that go away overnight. And no matter how many lies she’d told him, her body had been completely honest. She’d wanted him as much as he’d wanted her.

  And now, watching her hug herself in the alcove of the JHS, looking like she had nowhere else to turn, nowhere to run, Jared simply could not turn his back.

  Brilliant.

  “What is it?” he said. “What do you need to know?”

  “Are you going to call the cops on me?”

  “No. Not today.” Not any day, really. Who was he kidding? He never would’ve made good on that particular threat. And he certainly couldn’t send her back into the hands of the monster who’d done this to her.

  There was only one choice. One way to figure out how to protect Arianne and Natasha, and to keep his own assets—including his life—out of harm’s way. After they sorted it out, he could send Arianne away and get back to work on the long, hard process of forgetting they’d ever laid eyes—and lips—on each other.

  But right now, he needed to get her out of there.

  “Come with me,” he said, taking her hand and leading her out through the front doors. The sky was as blue as a jewel behind the concrete-and-steel skyline of lower Manhattan, but Jared only saw red.

  He quickly flagged down a cab.

  “Where are we going?” she asked as they climbed into the backseat.

  Jared pulled the door closed and gave the driver an address. He reached across Arianne’s lap and fastened her seatbelt, but the car had made it halfway up Greenwich before Jared finally answered her question.

  “I’m taking you home with me, Arianne.”

  Chapter Six

  Ari was burning up inside.

  The cab ride to Jared’s Tribeca penthouse had been excruciatingly silent, the elevator ride no different. No, he hadn’t turned her away—even after she’d admitted to tricking him again with the fake JHS meeting—but Ari wasn’t out of the woods yet. Not by a long shot.

  She’d wanted so badly to keep her secrets, to keep the names of the men who controlled her out of the discussion—if only for Jared’s own safety. But he’d given her this one last chance to make her case; she couldn’t refuse his questions.

  Ari had to tell all. To bare her soul, not just about the planned robbery and her involvement in it, but about her entire life. About all the past heists, the high-end auctions, the snooping. About the hundreds of little things that had led her to this moment, standing in the gorgeous fifty-ninth floor penthouse of the man she loved, a million miles between them that she’d never again be permitted to cross.

  “Jared, I’m—”

  “Have a seat, Arianne.” With a clinical wave of his hand, Jared directed her to the living room. “Try not to steal anything while I’m fixing our drinks.”

  She took the hit, sucking it up without a response. He’d certainly earned the right to a few below-the-belt comments, but she hoped it wouldn’t continue all night. She’d already hit pretty close to rock-bottom on her own; she didn’t need any extra help.

  Ari closed her eyes and settled into the deep leather sofa, the sounds from the kitchen close and comfortable. The soft snick of the refrigerator opening and closing, the tinkling of ice cubes dropped into glasses, the clanging of silverware as Jared searched the drawer for a knife to slice her limes… the familiar sounds reminded her of the first time she’d been here, when they’d teamed up to make snacks and drinks to fuel their Brawler all-nighter, a game that had turned as passionate as it was playful.

&nbs
p; So much had happened in the two weeks since. So much had changed. Was still changing, moment by agonizing moment.

  She missed him. Missed his exquisite touch, his kiss, his laughter.

  What have I done?

  Ari ached with regret, her heart mourning for all the things she’d destroyed. Things she’d never deserved to feel in the first place.

  “So you’re a professional art thief. Cheers, then.” Jared was back, his voice startling her.

  When she opened her eyes, Jared handed her a gin and tonic, clinking their glasses hard. Icy liquid splashed on Ari’s hand. Absently, she wiped her fingers on her jeans and took a deep drink. The alcohol was cold and strong, exactly what she needed to settle her nerves.

  Jared settled onto the other end of the couch, not meeting her eyes. Everything in her longed for him, ached to be close to him. She wanted to set down her glass and climb into his lap, to slide her fingers into his thick, silky hair. She wanted to whisper every reassurance, to kiss away the lines of doubt and worry she’d put on his face, to wrap her legs around his hips and show him how sorry she really was.

  She took another drink.

  So did Jared.

  Both of them sighed.

  Neither spoke.

  Ice cubes clinked together and shifted, melting into their drinks one drop at a time.

  The air conditioner clicked on.

  And Ari was about to explode.

  “So,” she blurted out, “it’s not like you wake up one day going, ‘I think I’d like to steal priceless works of art for a living. Let’s get to it!’ I didn’t choose this career path, Jared. It was chosen for me.”

  Jared grunted, the sound echoing in his glass. “Where I come from, love, you work your arse off building a career, following your dreams—not nicking someone else’s.”

  “It wasn’t like that for me. My life took a different path.”

  “So I’ve gathered.”

  She stared at him hard, willing him to face her, to finally meet her eyes, but he wouldn’t budge.