Carson couldn’t remember the last time he had wanted a woman this much. She was smart, dangerous, and vulnerable all at once. The combination was captivating.
He pulled back and brushed his thumb over her cheek. “I don’t want you to regret this.” He felt his cock throb as he said the words, wishing he could continue down the road that led to release. But he had hurt this family enough; he couldn’t stand the thought of hurting them more.
Delilah’s breath was coming in short pants as she watched him. She reached for her hair and Carson’s eyes widened as she pulled off the red wig to reveal dark brown hair underneath. With her eyes on him, she released the braid and her brown hair fell in chocolate waves over her shoulder. Brown had always been ordinary to Carson, until this moment. The rich color complemented her skin.
With her hair tumbling over her shoulders, she looked down and reached for her eyes. This time, when she met his gaze, her eyes were a piercing green. The color of an ocean before a storm.
She was exquisitely beautiful. Carson’s breath caught as he watched her.
“This is me. Delilah Blake,” she said with a broken voice.
“You’re breathtaking,” Carson whispered back, letting his fingers thread through her hair.
14
“I’ve hated you … all my life and now …” Delilah couldn’t finish the sentence. The desire in Carson’s eyes made her forget what she wanted to say.
“I feel it too,” Carson admitted quietly. “I never had before.”
Delilah found that hard to believe with his reputation as a bad-boy player, but she couldn’t deny what she felt. She had never wanted a man this much; never wanted a man to make her forget about everything. Maybe it was the threat of danger, or finally finding out that she had blamed the wrong person all these years, but she was hopeless to the need pulsing between her thighs.
She wanted to get up and walk away, but she found herself moving closer. “Take me …” she whispered against his mouth.
Carson glanced at the gun in her lap and smiled awkwardly. “Mind if you put that away first?”
Delilah laughed and unclipped the magazine before dropping it to the floor.
They came together in a blaze of passion. This time there wasn’t anything holding Delilah back. She wanted Carson Royal, and not to end his life. She wanted to explore the need, the passion, the desire throbbing in her veins. She tugged off his jacket before reaching for the buttons on his shirt even as he started to hitch up her dress.
For a moment, she couldn’t believe they were about to make love amidst a crisis that could cost them their lives, but maybe it was that threat that made them so eager to lose themselves in each other.
A last chance to prove they were alive, to pursue something other than the need to stay alive.
Once his jacket and shirt were gone, Carson removed the bulletproof vest. She let her hand slide over the ridges of his chest, feeling the muscles tense beneath her touch as her hands trailed south.
She blocked out the sounds of gunfire and sirens and focused on the man in front of her. She couldn’t ever remember being so consumed by passion. They got up together, their mouths not leaving each other for a moment as Delilah dealt with his belt and the catch on his pants. He kicked off his shoes even as she kicked hers off. Carson stepped back, his eyes darkened with arousal, lips swollen from kissing her as he shrugged off his pants. Through his underwear, Delilah could see the thick shaft of his arousal. She felt the answering throb between her thighs.
She tugged the golden dress over her head and let it whisper to the floor, standing in front of Carson in nothing but her thin lace underwear.
He groaned and reached for her. This time she could feel the need in his touch. His mouth moved over her body until he captured a nipple in his mouth. He sucked hard, before grazing his teeth over the tip. She felt her womb contract and pulse at the sensation.
Her hand reached for him, shoving down his underpants and taking him in her hand. He was rock- hard, velvet-covered steel as she glided her hand towards the tip. She could already feel the first drop of moisture pooling there.
Carson’s hand skimmed over her hip before tugging her underwear down. His hand slipped between her thighs, finding her heat. He parted the folds before sliding down to her entrance. As he slid a finger inside her, Delilah felt her body weaken with need.
“Carson,” she said breathlessly. Unsure if she was urging him on or begging him to stop, as his finger moved, she forgot what she was about to say.
He met her gaze then, and her heart swelled. This wasn’t the man she had planned on killing tonight. This was a man with regrets. A man that wanted her as much as she wanted him, even after admitting why she was here.
She knew it was only the circumstances, the grief of Molly’s death, and probably the champagne she had earlier, but she didn’t want it to stop.
Carson slipped his arm behind her knees and in a swift move, picked her up and carried her towards the bed. He laid her down gently, and for the first time in years, Delilah didn’t think of revenge; she didn’t think of what Molly’s death had done to her family; she thought of the man moving over her.
He nudged her knees apart, even as his hand cupped her breast. As he slipped into her, Delilah felt everything fall away. The sadness, the anger, the need for revenge.
She cried out when his mouth closed over her nipple again. He sucked and teased it as he moved inside her. She felt the wave start to build as he moved over the most sensitive place in her body.
Her head fell back, vulnerable as never before as Carson increased the pace. She reached for his rear, cupping the perfect mounds to urge him on. She lifted her knees, giving him deeper access as he thrust again and again.
Together, they felt their bodies tauten with anticipation as release winked closer. Delilah held on for dear life as she was swept up into the funnel of passion, her body clenching around his cock as she cried out her release.
Carson kept riding her, faster and faster, until she felt his cock still before pulsing inside of her.
She lay breathless, unable to move or utter a single word as Carson collapsed beside her. Instead of getting up as she assumed he would, he pulled her close and held her against him as he stroked her hair. “I wasn’t expecting you, or what just happened,” he whispered into her soft waves.
Delilah sighed. “Me either.”
A few moments later, he heard her breathing start to slow; she was fast asleep. He was grateful for the moment to gather his thoughts. She needed to rest after what had just been a very intense and emotional thirty minutes. It was due to be a long night ahead, and he needed her clear-minded for what he had in mind.
But before he could formulate a plan, he needed to confirm what she had said. He found her laptop on a side table and quickly switched it on. After barely five minutes, he knew she had been telling the truth. Everything was there.
The accident, her sister’s death, the press on the accident portraying him as the ruthless rich kid eager to make a name for himself. He shut the laptop and glanced at the bed. She was the most intriguing woman he had ever met.
And she had come to kill him.
Guilt over Molly’s death made his stomach twist into a hollow pit as he watched her sleep. He had been searching for someone to love ever since his father passed away and now wondered if he had perhaps found it in the arms of Molly’s sister.
The thought was unsettling, but Carson was helpless to stay away from her. He moved towards the bed and slid in behind her. He pulled her close and closed his eyes. He knew he wouldn’t sleep, but he could cherish what little time he would have with her. When all this was over, he would figure out a way to make her stay, a way to make her forgive him for what he had done.
15
Delilah woke from her nap an hour later. Carson was dressed and standing by the window. “What’s going on?” she asked sleepily. She still couldn’t believe that she had just made love to the man that was indirectly r
esponsible for her sister’s death.
The victim she had come to murder.
She would allow herself time later to investigate how she felt about that. The only thing she was sure of was that Carson was not who she had expected him to be. When he had spoken of Molly, it had been with true remorse. When he had told her about the document his lawyers had sent him to sign, to hand over twenty-five percent of his business to her, she had been shocked. She had never expected him to even remember Molly.
She hadn’t expected him to touch her soul as they made love. No other man had ever managed to make her mind go blank, to make every breath she took about the passion they shared. He had taken her breath away and made her realize that everything she had believed since Molly’s death wasn’t true.
He wasn’t even responsible for the test drive that had cost her sister’s life.
Jeanine Gibson.
She would remember that name, and she would make sure Jeanine Gibson paid for Molly’s life.
Dearly.
Carson turned to her, a charming smile on his mouth even though she could read the worry in his eyes. How was it that they’d only known each other a few hours and yet it felt like she had known him a lifetime? Like he understood her mind, her body?
“I’m not sure. It looks like a standoff. The police are outside. The street’s been blocked off, but they haven’t let anyone go yet. I’ve been watching for at least thirty minutes and no one has come through the doors.”
“Shit, that’s bad,” Delilah said, getting up. She didn’t even try to hide her nudity; she wasn’t ashamed by what they had just done. Strangely enough, she was exhilarated by it. She dressed quickly before joining him by the window.
“You put the wig back on?” Carson said with a raised brow.
Delilah shrugged. “There are cameras. If they see me changing my hair in the middle of the evening, they might suspect me.”
“You were coming to kill me,” Carson teased.
Delilah smiled. Strangely, it felt nice. “Careful, I might reconsider.”
His hand reached for her. He pulled her closer in a possessive move. “I’ll just have to change your mind.”
They both moved towards the window, watching as the police kept behind the barricade they had constructed. “It doesn’t look like they are coming in,” Delilah observed.
They heard the adjacent door open and Mac stepped in looking a little disheveled. “You see what’s going on down there?”
“Yeah, it doesn’t look good. Looks like they’re not coming in. I don’t know what’s going on exactly, but I have a feeling they’re threatening to kill hostages if the police try to come in,” Carson said with sigh.
“So they’re going to get what they want. They’re going to negotiate with these pricks?” Delilah asked, shaking her head.
“There are lives at stake. What other choice do they have?” Mac asked without stuttering. Delilah wondered if his stutter was a nervous twitch since it seemed to become less and less the more time he spent with them.
“Looks like it.” Carson turned around and started pacing the width of the room. “I don’t know about you, but I feel like a prick for sitting up here. We should go back, see if we can save some hostages.”
“What? Carson, are you crazy? They’ll kill you if they find you.” Delilah was surprised how much the thought scared her.
“They will, Mr. Royal. They’ll kill you,” Mac agreed.
“That might be so, but I’ve ruined enough lives over the years. I want to help. I’m not sitting up here tucked away safely while those people fear for their lives. It’s clear they’ve got the police by the balls. They’re not coming in, not without knowing they won’t pose a danger to the hostages … I can’t do nothing.” Carson shook his head as he worried his lower lip.
Delilah sighed, noticing he had put on his bulletproof vest again. She glanced around the room, noticing the skull mask and the gun they had taken off the man she had killed. They still had the radio and Mac’s master keys. Her own keycard had also been cloned into a master when she’d arrived, for in case she needed to enter Carson’s room. A plan started to form in her mind as she looked at the two men in front of her.
“We should hide; that’s what any sane person would do,” Mac said, shaking his head again. “I’m no hero.”
“What? Of course you are, Mac,” Delilah argued. “You saved us.”
“That was different,” Mac said shyly.
“We need to save those people,” Carson added desperately. “I’ll go on my own. You can stay here.”
Delilah’s heart clenched at the thought of Carson going into that ballroom on his own. She glanced at the mask again and took a deep breath.
“We can do this. If we do it together. I have a plan,” Delilah announced firmly.
“What plan?” Carson asked, intrigued.
She picked up the mask and the big gun they had taken off the dead gang member. “If you wear this mask, Carson, no one will know it is you. You’re definitely a target if this is about hostages and demanding ransoms, so we can’t reveal your identity.” She handed them to Carson before picking up the other gun and walking towards Mac.
“You take this, aim, and pull the trigger. It’s not that hard. You can be backup.”
“What are you?” Mac asked, confused
“I’m the bait. Carson can pretend to be one of them and say he found me wandering the halls.”
“I don’t like this idea, Delilah. What if they hurt you?” Carson’s voice held the same tenderness as his touch had earlier.
“It’s either that or hide out, Carson. You choose.”
He cursed and shook his head. “Mac, you have the master keycard and the real keys.”
“Yes.”
“I have a master keycard as well,” Delilah announced, earning a confused gaze from Carson and Mac. “I’ll explain later.”
“A few other things as well,” Carson said with a wry smile.
“So how are we going to do this?” Mac asked, not sounding excited at all.
“We go back the way we escaped,” Delilah started, the wheels in her mind spinning a mile a minute. She’d planned enough assassinations in her life to quickly assess a plan that could work. “You and me, Mac. We take our guns and wait by the door until Carson does his bit.”
“What’s my bit?” Carson asked, confused.
“You’re going to dress like them and go in through the front doors of the ballroom. You don’t talk to anyone. Got that? Before you do that, I need you to create a distraction. You can try and intercept them on the radio. That will confuse them enough to give me and Mac a few minutes to help a few hostages escape.”
Carson nodded, clearly impressed by her plan. “If I taunt him enough, he might start to lose control.”
“We want him upset enough to create a distraction, not pissed off enough to start killing hostages. Are we clear?” Her voice held an authoritative tone, and at the wicked smile on Carson’s mouth, she could tell it was turning him on.
“What do we do with the hostages?” Mac asked.
“We take them to a safe place. Where is there a bulletproof hiding place, Mac?”
“I don’t know.” Mac shook head.
“Think, Mac. We’re talking steel; anything a bullet can’t penetrate through.”
“The kitchen?”
“Perfect. Can we get them to the kitchen from the ballroom?”
“Yeah. We’ll use the service elevator. No one has access to it except for me and a few of the staff.”
“Good, then we’ll do that. If anything happens, don’t be a hero, get the fuck down and out.” Delilah shook her head. “It’s going to be dangerous, and I need to know if you’re on board.”
“I’m in,” Carson said with a firm nod. Delilah didn’t know why, but she hadn’t expected him to be chivalrous. She hadn’t exactly expected him to shrivel up and hide, but she also hadn’t expected him to be willing to put his own life on the line for others.
Clearly, he wasn’t the man she’d thought he was. He was someone completely different. Someone she couldn’t help but want after just having him a few hours ago. Their gazes met and she could see the same need reflected in his eyes. “Be careful,” Carson said. Delilah nodded, hoping they would both be alive when this was over to explore what the hell was between them.
“How does this thing work?” Mac asked, waving the large automatic weapon around.
“Careful!” Delilah shouted and grabbed it from him. She sighed heavily, knowing their plan would need to wait for a few minutes more. Mac first needed a lesson on handling an automatic weapon.
16
“It’s been three fucking hours, Razorback, we need to start moving,” Ace said nervously, his gun hand slightly unsteady.
Razorback felt the sweat trickle down his back but refused to believe it was because of nerves. He was still in charge. The police knew they could do nothing to him.
The Rabble were restless and tired of waiting, and Razorback could sense the underlying tension in the room. Everyone was afraid of capture, afraid of the cages that would be waiting for them if they were captured.
“Anyone pay yet?” Razorback called to Devilbunny, who was sitting with her legs folded beneath her as she played on her laptop.
“Not a single prick. Apparently these people aren’t as important to their loved ones as they thought they were.” Her shrill laughter sounded evil.
“This is fucking crazy, Razorback. We were supposed to be in and out under two hours. The goddamn cops have us surrounded. There’s no way out of this.” Clown was shuffling nervously. Razorback had never seen his second-in-command nervous and refused to let it affect him.
“You fucking keep your head on straight. We’re getting out of here, but not if we start bending for them to fuck us from behind. You keep the Rabble in line; I’ll handle the negotiations.”
“You better be right, Razorback. Otherwise, I’ll be the first to fuck you from behind,” Clown ground out through clenched teeth.
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