He took the phone and put it hesitantly to his ear. “Hello?” His voice came out unfamiliar and unsure, but he could say the same for the voice on the other side of the phone.
“Hello Mr. Cross.” He recognized the voice right away though he’d heard it only a few times, but it still made his blood boil. This was the man that was ruining his life, and he was pretty sure he knew why.
Chapter 23
Cynthia stormed into the office, ready to spill her guts to Dante and saw that he still wasn’t back from the meeting. What in the world could take so long to discuss? She set all her stuff down and turned on her laptop, getting ready for the work day. Maybe if she threw herself into work she would forget about that awful encounter with Winslow.
Everything about their encounter had made her skin crawl. He knew way too much about her job, her personal life, Dante, everything. And he could easily ruin their future together if he wanted. He was a sick and powerful man with a lot of money. That was about the worst combination in history. The only reason good thing that had come from her encounter with him was that it had inadvertently led her back into her stepbrother's life. And who could have predicted how that had turned out.
She went into her email to see that there was one there to the whole company from the CEO. The subject was "Regarding Dante Cross". She tilted her head to the side and felt a strange hum run through her body. She had a bad feeling about whatever it was she was about to read. The morning had started out bad, and there was nothing to keep the day from getting even worse.
She clicked on the email and began to read, her jaw involuntarily dropping open. The email was a memo to the top executives as well as herself, revealing Dante’s double life. It listed Devil’s Pirates MC specifically, citing him as the president of this “nefarious organization known for illegal activity”. That must have been what the meeting was about.
Cynthia had no idea where Dante was or how he must be feeling, but she knew he would need her when he got out. Her job either way was to be there for him, which didn’t necessarily mean being in that building. She doubted he was going to stay after he was ousted anyway.
She packed up her stuff and walked right back out the door, deciding to head home until she heard from her boss.
* * *
Dante burst into The Blue Pig still in his button down and slacks. It no longer mattered who saw him playing out his double life as his worst nightmare was already playing out at his own office. He had taken off shortly after the phone call from hell, literally. He was sure that if he walked into Vosh Industries he’d be on fire and that Winslow would be sporting a pair of red horns.
“Hey Diesel, I almost didn’t recognize you. What the fuck is going on, man? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.” Jaz slapped him on the back in a friendly manner, but Dante was not in the mood. He just glared at Jaz with his bloodshot eyes until he backed off.
Dante looked around for a friendly face and didn’t see a single one. Looking at the clock, he knew that Billy would be at the shop doing a shift, but where was everyone else? He started searching for Ax and Barbie. Even Bryant would have been welcome at that point. He was about to lose it. Finally, he caught the eye of Liz who was back in the corner knocking back cocktails. She paused and stood up, revealing that she had been sitting on some poor sap’s lap. Sadly, it wasn’t even the last guy he knew she was with.
He gritted his teeth as she approached, not sure whether she was a welcome friend at the moment or not. She had always annoyed him with her drunkenness and unwanted advances, but he could not be left to his own devices either.
“Hey, Diesel,” she slurred, trying to sound seductive, but coming off more whiny than anything else. It reminded him of nails against a chalkboard. He let her lead him to the bar so they could both sit. “I guess you’ve come out of hiding. Are you finally ready to admit defeat?”
Dante tensed up at the mention of the subject. He had always seen her as harmless, just following the masses for the next high, but she sounded more nefarious with her eyes narrowed at him and her fingernails scratching at the back of his neck. “If you are, I’d be happy to comfort you once someone else takes over. Maybe if you were my boyfriend, they’d even let you stay in the club.” Her fingers suddenly felt like worms crawling all over him, and her voice like a snake.
“I have no idea what you’re going on about Liz. Shit; what did you take? Whatever it is, it’s strong enough to make you hallucinate.” He stood his ground as her face transformed from something of beauty to a feral animal. She let her hands drop to her sides, and she stood up in front of him.
“Fuck off, Diesel. Your secrets out, and you know you’ve lost. I don’t know what that newbie bitch sees in you since you seem to be a total fucking prude, but I’m done trying to help you. Don’t come crying to me when you get thrown out on your pale ass.” It came out in a hiss before she turned on her heels and wobbled away, back to take up residence in another man’s lap. He had made a mistake coming to The Blue Pig. No one was there to help him, and Liz had just made him even more furious.
As if knowing he needed saving, his phone buzzed, and he picked it up to see he had a text message. It was from Cynthia, and his heart soared. She had left Vosh safely. She must know what was going on at Essential Steel.
Cynthia: Where are you? I’m worried. Heard about the meeting.
Dante texted back instantly.
Dante: I’m at The Blue Pig, but no one’s here. I’m glad you’re okay, especially since your ex is responsible for this shit.
Cynthia: What!?
Dante straightened in his seat. Apparently his assumption that Winslow had told her anything was wrong. She was probably thinking it was her fault now. Before he could respond she sent another text back.
Cynthia: I’m at my house. Get over here. I think we need to talk.
Dante nodded to himself in agreement. Clearly, they had a lot to discuss. If Winslow hadn’t shoved what he was doing to Essential Steel in her face, then what had he said to her? His blood boiled at the thought that it might have involved some kind of emotional warfare. The guy probably got on his knees and begged for her back. And as much as he wanted to see the ass on his knees, begging, the fact that Winslow might be doing that for Dante’s girlfriend was not a pleasant one.
He practically ran out the door and headed straight for her apartment, a million things running through his head as he drove. Most thoughts centered around how his life’s work was being ruined, but for some reason he was able to remain calm knowing he was headed back to Cynthia. Something told him she would make it all better for him somehow, which was an odd thought for an alpha male like him.
He was the president of a notorious motorcycle gang, at least that’s what the headlines would read, but he was relying on a woman for comfort. What could she possibly do for him? It was a new feeling, but his gut told him not to over think it or let it go. It was probably the most important thing he would ever feel.
As he pulled into her apartment complex and parked, he stared at her door for a moment before getting out of the car. The window to the side was open, giving him a view into her kitchen where she was washing her hands. His stomach growled, and he hoped she was cooking something. He hadn’t realized until that moment that he was hungry.
Suddenly, she saw him outside and waved with a smile on her face. It seemed genuine and melted away all the tension he wasn’t aware he had been holding in his back. He waved back as he climbed out of his car and made his way up the stairs to her, wondering how he had gotten so lucky as to stumble back into the life of such an amazing and beautiful woman after the life he'd led.
Chapter 24
Cynthia tried to keep herself calm as Dante walked into her apartment. It had been a whirlwind of a day already, and she knew it was about to get worse. She had spent some time thinking about his text, and she was pretty sure it was no longer a coincidence that she’d received those flowers from Winslow on the same day his name came up in an ousting of
Dante’s double life. She was beginning to feel riddled with guilt, like the whole thing was her fault.
He was barely through the door before she'd wrapped her arms around him tightly in a big hug, fearing it was the only true comfort she had to offer.
“Now, tell me what’s going on.” She said it softly as they both sat down at the dining room table. She had set out some finger sandwiches and salad in case he was hungry. Stress always made her eat, so she wouldn’t blame him.
“I got called into an emergency meeting with all the executives and these two guys I didn’t recognize. They said they were there on their client’s behalf who wanted to remain anonymous. My CEO had already told everyone in that room about my extracurricular activities, and he thanked me for the company. It was ridiculous, really. Then, he gave the two strangers the floor. I’m being blackmailed to turn over the company, to step down or whatever. Otherwise, my secret will be leaked, and the company will probably be investigated and we’ll lose most of our clients.”
Cynthia watched as he ran his fingers through his hair nervously. To try and calm him, she reached under the table to pat his knee, but her feeling of helplessness remained. There was very little she could do for him. A tear began to drip from her right eye, followed by many others.
“So, what does Winslow have to do with this?” she asked, although she had no doubt of his involvement. It sounded exactly like something he would do.
He sighed before he looked her in the eye and began to answer. “At the end of the meeting, one of the guys got a phone call from the client who wished to speak with me. They said he or she no longer wanted to remain anonymous. As soon as I picked up the phone and heard his voice, I knew it was Winslow. It’s him and Vosh that want to buy us out, Cynthia. But for some reason he gave me time and said we’ll meet later in the week. What did he say when you went there this morning? I figured he would have mentioned it.”
Cynthia was trying to keep herself from full on sobbing. The whole thing was definitely her fault. She should have accepted defeat and left town after Winslow started ruining her chances at a job. Then, Dante’s secret and business would be safe.
“It didn’t go very well, Dante. He’s been watching me or keeping track of me somehow. He seemed to know where I worked and who I worked for. He mentioned you directly, and it even sounded like he might know or at least suspect that we’re together. I told him I was done and to leave me alone, but he wasn’t fazed. I just walked out because I couldn’t take anymore. I was thinking you or your club might be able to do something about him, but with everything going on now that's probably a bad idea anyway, not that I would ever ask it.”
She paused and curled her fingers in and out of fists to stay calm. She couldn’t believe what a mess everything had become. “I am so sorry for all of this, Dante. It’s all my fault. I should’ve known he was bad news from the start. I can’t believe I’ve put you into this position…” She trailed off as Dante reached his hand across the table and placed his finger against her lips to quiet her.
“Cynthia, I don’t blame you for any of this. He’s not a good man, plain and simple. There was no way you could have known or controlled his actions once you walked out of his life. Both of us became collateral damage to his injured ego.”
Cynthia let out a breath and relaxed. It had been so stressful thinking he might blame her, that she might lose him over Winslow and his games. But the fact that he wasn’t even angry at all made her feel warm inside. Maybe she had finally chosen the right guy for her and he would be the one to end her string of bad choices. Maybe he was the one who would stick around.
“So, what are you going to do?” she asked, wondering what the next step might possibly be.
“Right now, I just want to forget all of this and be with my girlfriend.” He smiled at her, his eyes shining under the sorry idea for a chandelier that hung over her dining room table.
“Well, if you’re hungry we should dig in,” she offered, pointing to the food at the table.
Dante shook his head and kept on smiling. “I’m hungry, Cynthia, but not for this.” She felt his hand cover hers under the table and force it to travel up his thigh almost up to his sweet spot and back down. She raised an eyebrow at him and gave a sly smile of her own. He always knew just how to get her going.
She stood up and walked around the table, prompting Dante to pull out his chair. They were both in need of stress relief, and she knew just how to start. She reached up and pulled her hair out of the tight bun she kept it in for work and shook it out with her hands. She looked to Dante, trying to keep a straight face as she continued to strip for him one piece of clothing at a time.
Once she was down to her black lace bra and panties she straddled his lap and began to unbutton his shirt, being careful not to let her skin touch his. She could see the lust coating his eyes as she went about the tedious job of removing the rest of his clothing down to his boxers.
She left the room for a moment, switching on her radio alarm clock to a hip hop station, giving her a perfect beat.
Returning to his lap and facing away, Cynthia began to grind to the beat of the music. She could feel him getting hard in response as her ass pumped up and down in perfect rhythm, sliding back and forth his cloth covered cock.
Then she turned around to face him and licked his lips ever so gently. Without touching him anywhere else, she straddled him again, popping and locking to the rest of the song. Her panties were quickly becoming soaked so that she even left a small wet spot on the front of his boxers. It was time to take things to the next level.
She danced her way to her knees in front of him and grabbed his boxers with her teeth shimming them down to his ankles while keeping eye contact as much as possible. She could feel him shiver in response as his shaft rose to attention. She loved to see it do that just for her.
Cynthia kissed up Dante’s muscular legs and thighs, teasing him, before standing back up and losing her undergarments in a matter of seconds. She couldn’t wait any longer either. She lowered her body over his, letting his hard cock impale her as he grabbed onto her hips firmly. Her eyes closed and her head bent back in ecstasy, she let him fill her up while his mouth devoured her chest, sucking on her collar bone down to her nipples. She gasped as he took turns flicking them with his tongue and biting them with his teeth.
She began to rock herself back and forth, moaning as he moved inside of her aching center. It was exactly what they needed to forget about their hard day. Their speed increased as she popped her hips back and forth quickly, both of them becoming lost in pure pleasure. Dante used his hold on her to move her back and forth firmly and powerfully, grunting into her body so that the sounds came out muffled. All too soon the moment came to an end as they clung to each other, quivering in each other’s arms as her pussy pulsated against his smooth, sensitive skin.
Cynthia’s muscles felt weak but relaxed, and she let him continue to lick up and down her body and use her like a rag doll. His attention didn't waver and within minutes he was already growing inside of her again, ready for round two.
Chapter 25
It was Sunday afternoon, and Cynthia had spent the night at Dante’s house. All weekend he wanted to keep her by his side knowing full well what waited for him on Monday morning; his meeting at Vosh with Winslow. She was insisting on coming with him for support, but Dante didn’t like that idea at all. He hoped to convince her on their date today that she should be holding down the fort at Essential Steel and not dealing with her ex from hell, but something told him she was determined to be there for him no matter how it might affect her.
“Good morning handsome,” Cynthia greeted him with a big smile on her face as she waltzed into the kitchen with nothing on. Dante felt his eyes trying to pop out of his head, among other things, as she patted his ass before heading to the pantry. “So, what’s for breakfast?”
Dante smiled at her sheepishly. “Actually, I haven’t gone shopping this weekend. I’ve kind of been preocc
upied.” He looked her up and down with lust-filled eyes before pulling down three boxes from the shelf for her. His hard shaft was snug up against her bare ass as he stood behind her. “So, our choices are Fruit Loops, Count Chocula, or Corn Flakes. I figure we’ll go out in a bit anyway, enjoy the day. The sooner we eat, the sooner we get going.”
She spun around and gave him a curious look before ducking under his arm with one of the boxes in her hand. “I’ll take the Count Chocula, thanks.” He watched her as she poured the cereal into a bowl and then milk on top of it. The act had never seemed so sensual before, but with Cynthia’s dark skin hugging her curves right in front of him, it was impossible not to see it that way. She had become an excellent distraction from the disaster that was threatening to take over his life.
He poured his own bowl of cereal and followed her to the couch where she was flipping through channels while eating. “So, what is it we’re doing today?” she asked him with a mouthful of milk and cereal. He tried not to laugh as he replied.
Billionaire Stepbrother - Secret Lives Page 13