Inferno Anthology (148 page)

“You know this is my first time actually spooning. And I’m rather enjoying myself, although it’s likely related to the beautiful company I’m keeping.”

“Go to sleep, charmer.” I feel her ass wiggle wickedly against me, and I retaliate with a little pinch on her backside through the covers.

“Hey. What was that for?”

“You know very well what it was for, you little minx.” She responds with that darling little giggle I’m beginning to love.

I feel my eyes getting heavy and sleep approaching me, but there’s something I want to know from her before we drift off.

“Why are you being so good to me? I’m not sure I deserve it.”

“Remember earlier when I said you were a scared and scarred man. Well I left an important description off the list. Good. You are a good man, Kingsley. Beneath the cocky exterior and finesse, you’re a good man.”

“No longer a boy then?” I ask with the biggest smile on my face.

“Yes, I believe you’ve graduated to manhood, too.” She giggles again and snuggles closer into me. I fall asleep breathing in the lovely scent of her hair.

My eyes open as I wake to absolutely nothing. Not a single damn nightmare or even a welcomed dream visited me in my sleep. For two nights in a row, the tormenting dreams I’ve endured for the past ten years have vanished.

Looking over at the beauty sleeping next to me, I’m convinced she’s the reason for my restful sleep. She makes me feel safe and secure. The Tantra experience we shared last night still blows my mind. Going back to those memories, fully reliving them and the peace I felt when I finally did.

Kathryn is some type of sexy sorceress, and I have no desire to let her go anytime soon. Hopefully, she’s okay with my plans, but the thought of what she feels or doesn’t feel for me is unsettling.

Me, the consummate player of Manhattan, worried about a woman’s affections? How the fuck did this woman bring me to my knees in such a short time? With one quick perusal of Kathryn’s sleeping body, the answer is obvious.

Even though she’s facing away from me, I have one breathtaking view. The downy soft sheets have become tangled between her legs, while her silk pink negligée gathers above her hips, giving me a perfect view of her sweet ass in her sheer panties. My needy fingers are itching to reach out and touch her, but I don’t want to wake her just yet.

Impure thoughts of last night are producing some issues for my dick. I discreetly adjust myself beneath the sheets, hoping not to move the bed too much. I glance over her shoulder to the see the clock on her nightstand. It’s not quite seven thirty, but for me it might as well be high noon since I’m usually up well before six.

I need to call Mrs. Carter and let her know I’ll be arriving especially late this morning. She should already be sitting at her desk by now, likely staring at my empty office, wondering where the hell I am and worrying about the news of Simon from last night.

Plus, I’ll likely have scores of emails and texts to catch up on. Rubbing my temple, I think hard about where I left my phone. With everything that happened last night, I can’t seem to think straight. Then it quickly comes back to me: the guest room.

I’ll need to leave the bed quietly and retrieve it. With one last look at Kathryn, I inch to the edge of the mattress and swing my legs around to meet the floor and gingerly stand. Looking over my shoulder as I tiptoe toward the door, Kathryn is sleeping away, undisturbed by my movements.

My phone is located on the dresser where I placed it, but the battery wasn’t charged overnight, which is something I would never let happen. Ever. Instead of it bothering me, I shrug it off with a smile.

Using the remaining battery I have left, I read my many missed texts, calls, and emails. I scroll through the list and start reading an email from Peters, marked urgent.

Your car is impounded until tomorrow at eight a.m. I’ve advised Eddie to use the spare company car for today.

Your bodyguard, Jordan Hayes, met Eddie this morning and will escort you EVERYWHERE starting today. He’s licensed to carry and conceal a firearm and will be packing a gun until Simon is detained. No complaints or protests on this issue, it’s non-negotiable.

Detective Harold Baker, the NYPD lead investigator on Simon’s case, will come to your office at two for an informal interview. MacDonald hired a personal attorney familiar with high profile cases like yours. He will be there to counsel you before, during, and after the detective’s questioning. MacDonald will arrive with him at a quarter to two for an introduction.

The latest Intel on Simon has his credit card being used in Canada. I saw the video of him from last night when he was allegedly getting gas outside of the city. It appeared to be a man fitting his description. Height, weight, and hair color match, but I didn’t directly see his face. However, the police suspect Simon’s fled the area. Per Mrs. Carter, you have an event this evening, and I believe you can still attend; however, I need to discuss this further with you in person.

Since several texts, calls, and emails have gone unanswered, I’m assuming you’re still at Kathryn Delcour’s apartment. Please advise on your whereabouts ASAP. I’d like to confirm you’re still alive.

I fire off a quick email to Peters, hopefully satisfying his knowledge I’m among the living while asking him to meet me in my office at ten thirty. Next up is Eddie.

“Hello, Mr. Kingsley.” As usual he picks up after the first ring. Always dependable Eddie.

“Hey, Eddie. Man, I’m glad you’re answering my calls this morning.” I say teasingly, trying to lighten the tone of our call. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am about last night. You all right?”

“Yes, sir. I’m okay now, but I was rather upset last night. Mr. Edwards shooting off a gun, screaming and yelling crazy nonsense… Thank God Mrs. Duffy and everyone else was okay. Simon seemed possessed. By what, I don’t know?”

There was no disguising the fear in Eddie’s voice. Witnessing the entire scene has left him shaken up. I’ll need to compensate him and his wife for all his troubles. Perhaps a nice vacation abroad when this all blows over. Maybe Paris, since Eddie has mentioned wanting to take his wife there.

“I’m not sure either, Eddie, but I’m glad no one was hurt. Police believe he fled the area. Let’s hope they’re right.” Something in the back of my mind nags at me. Simon’s too smart to be so blatantly obvious, but I’ll have to trust Peters and the NYPD on this situation for now.

“I understand you have the company car and my bodyguard is with you, too. I need you to pick me up at nine thirty where you dropped me off yesterday. You know, the apartment building we camped out in front of for a few hours.”

“I remember it very well. Beautiful lady, sir.” Eddie breaks the stanch professionalism he usually upholds with me. He knows very well Kathryn isn’t the typical woman I’ve pursued in the past. He’s never witnessed me pursue anyone, really. Sure he’s heard me fucking plenty of women in the backseat, likely seen an eyeful or two over the last couple of years, but my actions with Kathryn are so out of character for me, even normally silent Eddie can’t seem to keep his comments to himself.

“Her name is Kathryn, and beautiful doesn’t even come close to describing her.” I grin thinking about her last night in the shower. As long as I live, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget the sight of her at that moment. It’s seared into my brain.

“Well, sir. I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but I’m happy for you. When I met my wife, no other woman existed for me after that day.”

“So you knew when you met her that something was different?” I need to hear more details from Eddie, because I want to compare notes with him. I have no real frame of reference for what’s happening between Kathryn and me.

“Pretty much. There was just something about her. I couldn’t really put my finger on it at the time. But I’m convinced now, looking back, it was love at first sight.” I hear a definite smile in Eddie’s voice.

“Thanks, Eddie. Will see how things go.” I don’t want to get my hopes up as I’m charting new waters with Kathryn, but I haven’t been the same since I first met her. “See you at nine thirty sharp. Have the bodyguard meet me in the lobby.”

“Yes, sir.” Eddie replies quickly before I end the call.

I decide to email Mrs. Carter and let her know I will be late to the office and instruct her to clear my calendar for the day. I need some time to wrap my head around the events of the last forty-eight hours. Maneuvering and conquering my day-to-day meetings will have to wait until Monday. I’ll just stick to catching up and answering emails.

After reading through a few emails from my public relations department and head attorney, I see they have everything under control. I have a good group of people around me: smart, talented, and fully capable of handling a crisis like this. My employees are treated with the utmost respect and enjoy the above-average pay scale I provide them.

I turn off my phone in hopes the battery will last until I make it to the office, then return it to rest on the dresser. A hunger to be with Kathryn again hits me, and I believe it may be time for a little breakfast in bed. I smile to myself, appreciating my little double entendre. A sweet little bite of Kathryn sounds quite delicious to me. The thought of tasting her against my tongue makes my cock twitch.

Walking the short distance back to her bedroom, I reenter her suite to see the bed empty. My hopes of rejoining her under the covers are dashed. As I stand there pouting, she exits the bathroom suite and comes to a stop when I catch her eye. The mere sight of her increases my heart rate.

Her hair is a disarray of raven curls. Her pink nighty becomes almost translucent as faint rays of sunlight escape from cracks in the drawn curtains, illuminating her curves.

She’s looking at me shyly with her head tilted to the side. I detect a slight uneasiness in her mood as she eyes me. I grin reassuringly at her and watch her face light up in a smile, too. The confident Kathryn has returned.

I move toward her without even a thought and take her into my arms. I grab her face in my hands and kiss her deeply, wanting to possess her completely.

I kiss the corner of her mouth, and my lips make a trail to her neck. She tilts to the side, allowing me better access as I lightly nibble on her skin. Kathryn relaxes in my arms when her back sways, and I know she’s mine for the taking. And dammit, I want to take her back to bed; there’s still time before I have to leave her apartment and face reality.

“Did you think I’d left you?” I whisper into her ear, kissing and sucking on the small lobe. “And didn’t even leave behind a note of thanks. Would that have upset you?”

“Not particularly,” she answers me with her lips against my ear now. However, the answer isn’t what I was expecting.

“What do you mean? ‘Not particularly’?” Her words send a blow to my pride, even if I did egg her on for an answer.

“Something told me I wasn’t just a one-night stand with you.” She emphasizes her point by poking a finger in my rib. I’m certain there was a mischievous glint in her eyes, too.

“Touché, once again.” She knows exactly what effect she has on me. “You’re the first woman I’ve awakened to see the sun with.”

“For some reason, I find this fact rather sad versus flattering.” Her gaze is now one of tenderness as she rubs my jaw soothingly with her fingers.

Truthfully,” she continues, “I heard you in the guest room talking to someone on the phone. I figured you were tending to your empire and couldn’t be bothered.” She raises her head looking up at me, since I’m now standing tall, towering over her.

“The empire is still afloat. No sinking ships at the moment.” I twirl a strand of her hair around my finger. “If you hadn’t heard my voice, you still wouldn’t have been a little bit concerned?”

“Nah.” Kathryn scrunches her nose. “I figured you’d show up at my doorstep again. I believe I have something you want,” she replies in a sassy, singsong way, but goddammit, she’s right. I want her like I’ve never wanted anything else in my life, and it may be turning into more of a need for me. Ironic, since I’ve never wanted or needed a woman before meeting her.

“What if I said I want that little something right now?” I try a vague and sneaky approach, but I want in her panties desperately. I soften my question with a smile and nearly shout for joy when she returns it.

She gazes up at me through her long dark lashes, fully challenging me to take what I want. I reach for her hand and guide her across the floor. After a couple steps, we arrive at the edge of the bed.

“Sit down, Kathryn.” She willingly complies and sits, her large blue eyes gazing up at me expectantly. I gently make a path down the front of her body with my fingers, making sure they run directly over her erect nipples as they push against the silk fabric. I place my fingers on the bottom of her pink negligee, gathering up the hem and lifting the silky garment over her head.

Kathryn’s biting her lip innocently as I look down at her perfect breasts. Her rosy peaks are pebbled, appearing eager for my touch. I graze my fingers slowly across her breasts, touching her hardened nipples as I lazily explore. My fingers trail underneath the fullness of her breasts, then I bring them back up again, grasping her nipples between my fingers in a slight pinch. Kathryn flinches and moans, letting me know she likes how I’m playing with her.

Working my hands upward, I cup them over her shoulders, lightly rubbing my thumbs over the delicate skin on her throat. I hold her in my grip and ease her backward so her upper body is lying flat on the bed. She wiggles and moves up the bed, resting her head on a pillow. Her black hair flows angelically around her, a dark contrast to the white sheets. A sexy smile forms on Kathryn’s red full lips, one worthy of a devilish angel who plays a tease but delivers in the end.

She grabs hold of my pants and tries to pull them down as I stand next to her. Not one to keep a lady waiting, I loosen the tie to my pants, push them down my legs, and step out of them. While Kathryn’s eyeing my full-fledged and eager erection, I focus on the tip of her tongue as it appears, licking her decadent lips. The sight makes me want to pounce. I restrain myself and edge onto the bed, kneeling beside her bent legs. Needing her fully bare before me, I bring my hands to the band of her panties.