“She looks fiiine, doesn’t she?” Jai asked, cutting through the tension that surrounded us.
Shyam didn’t utter a word. Instead, he took my coat from Jai’s hands and moved to the closet near the entrance to hang it up.
“Awkward,” Jai sang in a low voice.
“Tell me about it,” I replied. If this were any indication of how the rest of the night would go, our meeting wouldn’t be very productive.
“So,” Jai started. “I kind of told him that you knew about the strip club. He got all weird when I told him.”
Shyam had never directly addressed the strip club the night he’d charged into my apartment, so I hadn’t known that Jai had already told him. But I was starting to piece everything together. Shyam was probably pissed at Jai for saying anything to me. And from the way I had reacted, he had probably realized I had developed feelings for him.
“You!” I exclaimed while still trying to keep my voice no louder than a whisper. The last thing I needed was for Mr. Noncommittal to overhear us. “That’s why he’s being so cold with me!”
“Yeah, probably not the best move on my part. Sorry ’bout that.” Jai grinned apologetically.
Before I could shout-whisper at Jai some more, Shyam returned to us.
“What can I get you to drink, Amelia?” he asked in his deep voice.
The way he’d said my name ignited something in my core. I raised my gaze to see his face fixed in an intense expression, like he was studying me. His words had been polite, but his eyes were expectant. My mouth suddenly felt parched.
“Uh. Water is fine. Thank you.” I gave a quick and awkward smile.
He nodded and walked to the bar to get my drink. I needed my head clear around him, so alcohol wouldn’t have been a good choice.
After he was out of earshot, Jai showed me to the dining table, where I assumed we would be holding our meeting. “I don’t know what he said to you, but I do know that he cares about you.”
I rolled my eyes. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”
“He doesn’t realize it yet. In case you haven’t noticed, he’s a stubborn asshole,” he said as he pulled out my chair. I sat down and put my bag on the floor next to me.
I tried to suppress my urge to laugh, but it just came out as a snort.
He walked to the opposite side and seated himself across from me. His laptop was already on the table, so I took mine out from my bag to set it up. Our laptops came with VPN access that was impenetrable to hackers, so it was very secure to access any data we had gathered at the lab.
“It’s true. He thinks he’s the most self-aware person on the planet, but he’s in denial,” Jai said.
“He was pretty convincing when he said that he just wanted to keep things casual.” I didn’t want to go into details about his brother forcing me into submission and making me suck him off in my apartment.
“I’m sure he wants that, but I’m not so sure that’s how he truly feels. But he told me to mind my own business, so I’m staying out of this,” he said teasingly, throwing his hands in the air in surrender.
“You have a funny way of staying out of things.” I smirked. He winked back at me.
Shyam appeared at the table and placed my water in front of me.
“Thanks,” I said nervously.
“You’re welcome,” he replied, his eyes lingering on mine for an extra moment.
He pulled out the seat to my right, at the head of the table. Sitting so close to him made me even more nervous than I had already been. Deep breath. I could do this. I was dressed to kill, and I wouldn’t let his proximity unnerve me.
Two more buff men joined us at the table, one sitting next to me on my left and the other sitting next to Jai.
“Saran, have the new security measures been implemented successfully?” Shyam asked, starting the meeting.
The man next to me was larger than the chair that he sat in. His biceps were barely contained by his shirt and were covered in tattoos. He directed his focus toward Shyam when he spoke. “Our most recent shipments to France and Brazil have arrived without event. We’ve had two men dressed as armed security guards on each shipment.”
“Javed, how much are we producing per day?” Shyam focused on the man sitting next to Jai. He was just as big as Saran, but his face was fixed into a permanent scowl, making him look more menacing. I was glad there was a table separating us.
“About twenty kilos. We needed to scale back on production since sales decreased,” Javed offered, his voice rough like gravel.
“How’s our progress with the search?” The question was directed toward Jai and me.
Jai took the lead. “We have complete profiles on all of his men, with current photos, but no matches have come up with the facial-recognition software. They seem to be in hiding too. We’ve seen activity move into nearby states, as well as into Delhi. Tarun’s men have set up factories in the east of Delhi.” He typed busily on his keyboard as he spoke.
“That’s dangerously close to our base,” Shyam replied, his voice lacking any hint of surprise. The information seemed to be redundant to him. Jai had probably shared everything with him before the meeting.
I had picked up on some of India’s geography since I’d started working on this project. I knew that Bengal, where Tarun was from, was on the eastern-most border of India. Delhi was in the north and held the capital of the country, New Delhi. But I wasn’t sure where Shyam and Jai’s Indian base was located.
I cleared my throat involuntarily as I pondered my question. Everyone turned to look at me. My cheeks flamed from the direct attention of four sets of eyes trained on me. I felt so awkward, like a kid in school getting ready to give a presentation in front of the whole class when I wasn’t prepared.
I swallowed the lump in my throat before speaking. “Where is your base?” My voice sounded so small and shaky compared to the ones that came from the men who sat before me.
“Our base is in Punjab. It’s on the western border,” Shyam replied in his most professor-like voice. His intense gaze scorched me on contact.
“Oh.” Answer received. I averted my eyes back to my laptop screen.
Shyam resumed speaking. I sank back into my seat as I typed out notes. Just then, a low-battery warning popped up on my screen. I had forgotten to charge my device.
I looked around for an outlet to plug my power cord into. I saw that Jai had an extension cord set up on his side of the table with his laptop connected to it. There was an extra outlet available for me. Luckily, I had packed my power cord in my bag.
Jai was responding to another one of Shyam’s questions as I quietly leaned over in my chair to fish my power cord out of my bag without disturbing everyone else. I felt goosebumps spread over my thighs, starting just above my knees and radiating higher up.
I looked up and found a pair familiar hazel eyes focused on my lap before they met my gaze. Shyam’s expression was ravenous, like he was ready to sink his teeth into my skin to satisfy his hunger. I followed his line of view to see what had held his attention. The hem of my dress had shifted higher in my quest to find my cord. My thighs were exposed, showcasing the straps from the garter belt attached to the lace tops of my stockings. I swore I heard him growl. The sound had been low and inaudible to the others at the table, but potent enough to emit vibrations that hummed through my most private parts. My body instantly responded to his call. My pussy tingled in excitement, like it was just waiting to hear the beast before me summon it.
“What do you think, boss?” Javed’s rough voice broke through the lust-filled haze surrounding us. Shyam quickly composed himself. His wall of armor went up, leaving no hint of the savage animal from seconds ago exposed. I squeezed my thighs together to ease my want, then adjusted the hem of my dress to cover my underwear and grabbed the power cord out of my bag before hastily sitting up.
“Do you need that plugged in?” Jai asked.
“Huh?” I was still shaken up from the moment I had shared with the w
ild man next to me. My cheeks felt flushed and my palms were sweaty.
He nodded to the cord in my hands. I looked down. “Oh. Yes, please.”
I handed it over to Jai, who connected it to the extension cord and then to my laptop. I chanced a peek over at Shyam from the side and saw his face fixed into a smug expression at how flustered I was.
I needed to keep myself together. I am the one in control. He thought he could call all the shots between us, but I was taking back my power. Why else would I be wearing this sexy-ass lingerie, if not to bring him to his knees?
I managed my best poker face and sat up taller in my chair. Shyam continued the meeting as if nothing unusual had happened.
For the next two hours, we refined the details of our approach to the search. I would be using the photos of Vik, Tarun’s brother, to find hits on any of the new photos Shyam’s men captured around India. It was the only way we could locate him—by linking him to Vik’s facial features.
My butt was numb from sitting with perfect posture for so long. After Shyam concluded the meeting, I packed up my laptop and cord into my bag, then excused myself to use the restroom. I needed stretch my legs and pee. The men stood up out of courtesy and continued talking amongst themselves as I walked away.
After I was finished in the bathroom, I returned to find a vacated dining room. I looked around for signs of someone in any of the other rooms, assuming the men had relocated, but came up empty.
I moved to the staircase and made my way up. Something compelled me to wander up the steps. Images of the last time I was here took over my head.
The echo of my heels clicking on the steps broke the silence around me. I found myself in front of Shyam’s room. The door was closed. Should I knock first? My knuckles gently rapped on the wood. No answer. I waited a beat before I knocked again. Still no answer.
I cautiously pushed the door open. The room appeared to be empty, so I wandered further inside. It looked and smelled just like it had the last time I was here, when—
Shyam emerged from the closet, startling me and relieving me all at the same time. He had changed from his dress clothes to just a pair of sweatpants. The muscles on his arms and torso were tight with tension and I could see the cords protruding under his skin, like he had just been working out. He stalked closer to me, approaching slowly like an animal preparing to move in for the kill. I was his prey, frozen in my spot. His eyes were wild with dominance.
“Where did everyone go?” I managed to ask.
“I sent them away,” he said as he reached me. I had barely been in the bathroom for five minutes, so it was surprising everyone had left already.
“Oh. I guess I should go, too.” I said. I was about to turn on my heel to leave when he stopped me.
“Why leave so soon? Didn’t you come here to tempt me? Isn’t that why you came here tonight with your pretty pussy wrapped in lace, like a present waiting for me to unwrap?” The fire in his eyes burned my skin and I suddenly felt claustrophobic in my clothes. If he kept staring at me like that, I would have to rip them off to avoid suffocation. No—I couldn’t give in. I had to strengthen my resolve.
Ignoring the ache between my legs, I lifted my chin higher and stared him straight in the eye. “Who says it’s for you? I have plans later.” I didn’t, but he didn’t need to know that. If we were keeping things casual, then it was none of his business. He didn’t control what, or who, I did in my spare time.
His eyes widened with ferocity. I knew I had affected him with how his jaw clenched at my words. I turned and walked away, leaving him to simmer in his anger.
He pounced on me from behind, pulling my arm to spin me around into his. Strong hands gripped my body hard as his mouth crashed onto mine. I had missed the taste of his mouth, and from the way he kissed me, he had missed the taste of mine too. Lust and need consumed us both. His tongue was relentless, attempting to force me into submission. Nice try.
I pushed away from him. “No.” I knew this game. He liked control and watching others concede to him.
“Yes.” His fingertips dug into me. His lips skimmed the sensitive spot on my neck, making my belly flutter with delight. “Take off your dress so I can see what you’re hiding underneath.”
Strong backbone, Becker. It was difficult to resist his magnetic pull, but my heart was still wounded from his rejection. I would let him have my body, but I was keeping my heart. “You take it off.”
He pulled his head back, his eyebrow raised in surprise at my command. I imagined that he wasn’t used to hearing anyone tell him what to do, especially a sexual partner. He exerted pure dominance in bed, so I was certain this beast always got his way in that arena.
His lips fixed into a devious smile. His fingers traced a line from the base of my neck and down the valley between my breasts. They moved lower over my dress, until he stopped at my waist. He untied the sash that held my dress together and smoothly slid it out of the loops at the sides. My dress fell open, exposing my satin-and-lace-clad body to him.
His eyes feasted hungrily on me, and he licked his lips as he raked his gaze over my breasts. He draped the freed sash around the back of his neck, letting the tails hang loose over his chest.
His fingers skimmed over the exposed skin above the rim of my bra. My nipples hardened from his attention. He slipped his fingers under the sheer material and pinched both nipples hard. I hissed at the stinging sensation. The pain felt good. Until Shyam, I had never thought I would find pleasure in pain. But now, just the thought of it made my pussy drip with arousal.
I pulled his hands from my tits and placed them on my thighs. “Unzip my boots.”
“You want control, jaan?” My heart melted when I heard his nickname for me. I wanted more when I heard it escape his lips. But I had to stay strong and not cave in to his charm.
He fell to his knees before unzipping each boot, painfully slow. He was teasing me. Giving up power wasn’t easy for him, and he wasn’t going to give it up without a fight.
I lifted my feet one at a time to let him slide my shoes off. He sat back on his heels and looked up to me. “What does my jaan want now?”
I was new to this too. I was used to letting the man take the lead in bed. I was so nervous, and I just prayed it wasn’t showing through. I clenched my hands into fists at my sides to hold myself together.
I took a page from his book and commanded him just like he had with me when he’d stormed my apartment. “Kiss me.”
He paused for a moment, probably assuming I meant something innocent, like on my mouth. I tilted my pelvis toward him to show him what I really meant. He smiled when he realized what I wanted—needed.
Fingers curled around my hips, holding me in place, he pressed his nose to the apex of my thighs, inhaling my essence as he closed his eyes. I was sure he could feel the dampness in my panties on his nose. It was as if he were savoring me. He kissed me through the fabric, and I ached for bare contact with his tongue.
He unclipped the garter straps from my stockings and pulled the belt down. Hooking his thumbs through the sides of my panties, he pulled the lacy scrap of fabric down my legs, all the way to the floor. I stepped out of the lingerie. He swiped the panties up from the floor and rubbed a finger over my arousal that had accumulated on the inside. I watched with unquenchable desire as he sucked my excitement off his finger.
“Like honey,” he said without lifting his heated gaze from mine as pocketed my panties in his sweatpants. I bit my lip to suppress the moan that threatened to escape from witnessing the scene before me.
He returned his attention to my pussy, holding my hips with powerful hands. He swiped his tongue over my clit, causing my hips to buck from the contact. He gripped me harder as he continued stroking my nub with his tongue. My back arched in pleasure, giving him more access. One of his hands roamed to the small of my back, angling me onto his mouth. His tongue moved lower, to my slit. He drank from my pussy, consuming everything I gave him.
He pushed a finger
between my ass cheeks. I tensed up because I knew where he was trying to go, and I had never had anyone in that area before. His tongue worked my pussy harder, making me forget about my shyness. I relaxed my muscles and let him in. The tip of his finger slid into my hole, causing my nerve endings there to explode with sensations I had never felt before. My whole body tightened. I was at the edge. I could feel myself being pulled further into the cyclone of passion I was already lost in.
I gripped his hair with my hands so tightly that I had to have been causing him pain. He groaned at my roughness, letting me know he liked it. My whole body vibrated from the sounds he made as his lips sealed around my slit. I shattered into a million pieces, exploding as I came into his mouth. I screamed his name as waves of satisfaction overtook my body.
I held his forehead to my pelvis as I came down from my high. He leaned back when I finally relaxed my hold. Glistening with my arousal, his lips were fixed into a sexy grin. I could see his dick was ready to break free from the way it tented the front of his sweatpants, but I had found my fucking power and wasn’t ready to let it go just yet.
Power: Power Series #1 Page 12