Saved by a Dangerous Man (13 page)

“Not a problem.”

“You’ll apologize?”

“Of course not,” I said breezily. It was easy to be cavalier about things when I was a city away from my rathole, being driven around by pleasant super-secret people named Jennifer. “I don’t intend to return.”

“Come on, Audrey. You’re not going to turn your back on everything after all this time.”

“No,” I said, deciding on the spot what I would do. “I’ll wait until the contract is over, then I’m opening my own agency.”
 

A long pause, then Rob said, very sincerely, “I’ll join you, of course.”

“You don’t have to,” I squeezed out moments before tears scalded my cheeks.

“Yeah, I do. Even though Henry promised performance bonuses and company cars. Because I don’t want you as a competitor.”
 

I’d expected him to say something about twins sticking together. The unexpected vote of confidence demolished me. Despite everything that sucked in my life, there were pockets of love so deep that it humbled me.
 

I mumbled out my thanks, and Rob, probably sensing I was having a moment, launched into a litany of complaints about Henry that soon had me laughing so hard that I gasped for breath.

“And that stupid beeping watch,” Rob said. “You should have seen this thing.”

“Oh, I have,” I gasped out. I exhaled. Catharsis. “Thanks, Rob. You’re the best twin I ever had.”

“And the best brother, too,” he pointed out. “You’ll destroy the photos?”

Oh, right.
I’d forgotten that there was a very practical reason, other than gossip, that I’d called him.
 

“I will,” I promised. “But there must be more than what Dad printed out. Do you know who took them?”

“I’ll find out tomorrow.” He was silent. “It sucks not having you here.
 

We said our goodbyes and hung up—reluctantly on my part. I indulged in a few minutes of uninspired pity… imagined Henry and Butch walking through the office. Imagined Henry sitting at my desk.

My new office was going to be much nicer. Maybe I’d move someplace sweet, work from home. Plenty of ways to turn these lemons into lemonade.

I nuked more pizza, popped another root beer and then spread the photos on the coffee table.

There were eight total—five of me and three of Rob. That was classic Dad. Both his children were sinners, but the girl more so.

Putting Rob’s aside (because I really didn’t want them in my memory), I studied the others. They had been taken outside the storage facility. It had been dusk, turning into darkness, and the photographer must have been quite some distance away. The combination made the photos grainy enough that it would be difficult to identify Corbin unless one already knew who he was.

At least, that was my impression.

There was that fifth photo, though. One I hadn’t noticed at lunch. It was just me. I was walking out of the abandoned warehouse across from where Hoboken Syre had been hiding out. Even though a tree blocked some of the glow of the overhead streetlight, the photo was crisp, clear.

Corbin had walked out that door a few minutes before me. If the photographer had an equally clear photo of him…
 

I reached for Corbin’s phone, then stopped myself when I remembered that Corbin had put on a disguise before walking out. No point in bothering him with this.

As crappy as my afternoon had been, apparently it could have been far worse. Like if the pictures of me and Corbin were clear. And if Henry had seen them. I’d been… lucky.
 

The next day Jennifer took me to the gym. She suited up alongside me, and as I angrily lifted weights, I got to watch her perfectly toned legs churn through a graceful, twenty-minute sprint. She didn’t sweat, and her workout gear didn’t give her uni-boob.
 

 
“You’re like something out of a spy movie,” I said as we collected our things from the lockers.
 

She laughed. “Thanks, I think. Want an energy booster-blaster smoothie? My treat.”

“Sure.” I liked Jennifer. She was smart, capable, and easygoing. And even though she was gorgeous, it didn’t seem to have gone to her head.

Afterward, I had her drive by the office. Dad’s car was in the lot, so I didn’t ask her to stop.

Then it was back to my cage for the rest of the day.

The third day, I was sitting on the couch, in the middle of a Charlie Chaplin marathon. I heard the door opening. Jennifer was nothing if not predictable. “Hey,” I said without turning around. “I need to run some errands.”

“Ok.”

I jumped up when I heard Corbin’s deep voice, tripped on the blanket I’d dragged from the bedroom, then threw myself into his arms.
 

He smelled like the outdoors, fresh and clean. I jammed my face into his neck and inhaled him, not caring that he’d brought the cold in on his clothes.

“Don’t get too excited. I don’t have much time,” he murmured. “I’m on a layover, and I have to get back to the airport in an hour.”

I was going to tell him about the photos, but I decided not to. He was leaving again. I did, however, tell him all about the company and Henry. When I got to how I’d quit, I downplayed it. A lot.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Before you ask, yes, I knew.”

“
What
?” It hadn’t crossed my mind.

“Henry’s only been of interest for a few days, but we’re thorough. I couldn’t tell you because there was concern that your father was part of his network. There still is. When everyone knows everyone, it’s hard to tell who’s friends and who’s playing dirty.” He looked worried. “Say something.”

“My father doesn’t play dirty. He’s a stickler for the rules.” I folded my arms. “A hint about Henry would have been nice.”

“I am sorry. If I’d known it would happen so soon, I would have found a way to warn you.”

“So soon? How long has Dad been planning this?”

He shook his head. “I really shouldn’t be telling you this.”

“You’re sticking your neck out, I’m sworn to secrecy. Got it.”

“Originally it was going to be a gradual process, more of a merger. Not soon after you and Henry became friends, Henry started pushing your dad to sell to him.”

“So Dad isn’t scheming and mean, he’s just scheming and weak.” I cracked a smile, but inside, I felt sick. “Now I’m really glad I quit. You’re sure you can’t hire me? I could be a secretary or something.”
 

Corbin frowned. “I’ll help you figure something out. Do you need money?”

“No. I’m fine.” For the time being. After a long look at my bank account and expenses, I decided that if I scrimped, I was good for two months. But after that, I’d be moving in with Mom or Rob. Depressing.
 

Corbin set me down. He took my hands in his and pulled me onto the couch, on top of him. “Good news. Henry now believes I’ve been out of the country all this time. He no longer suspects you.”

“You mean I can go?”
 

He nodded. I looked around. “Think I’ll miss it.” Warm, comfortable, and plenty of food. Other than the locked door, it was perfect.
 

Corbin pulled me closer. “If you want,” he said between sensual kisses, “you can stay another night.”

I pulled away so that I could look at him. “I have news, too,” I said as he carefully arranged my hair so that it wasn’t tickling his face. “Went to a clinic for testing and birth control. But you probably hacked into my medical records and knew that already.”

He grinned, but I could tell that I’d surprised him. “Would have if I’d known you’d gone. I’ll have to fire the tail who’s been following you.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You are joking, right?”

“Yes,” he said.

“Well, I got my results yesterday. I’m clean, other than a case of spank-itis from too much punishment.”

Corbin dragged his teeth over my neck. “That so?” he mumbled into my skin. “Did you tell them how naughty you’d been to earn it?”

I sat up, felt the mound of his erection between my legs. “Too bad you’re in such a hurry,” I said, channeling my best innocent, ingenue look. “I’d sure love to be spread wide and given a fill-up, Mr. Lagos.” I pushed his coat off his shoulders. With a slinky movement, he flung it onto the floor.

The blue flannel shirt he wore was next to go. Light filtering through the windows played over the hard ridges of his sculpted torso. I traced the curve of his shoulders, scratched my fingers lightly around his swollen biceps, pressed my hand flat on the expanse of his chest.
 

“Audrey.”

I looked into blue-green eyes the color of pristine ocean.
 

“I’m going to fuck you like—”

“Don’t say it!” I giggled.

He smiled, but it was all dominant and hungry. “I’m going to fuck you like the horny, wet, sexy bitch you are.”

“Slut is better,” I said. “More concise.”

“Slut,” he said. “Get in my bed.”

That word, coming from Corbin, was worth a thousand “sugars” and “babies” and “sweeties.”

Corbin yanked back the sheets, and I scrambled onto the bed.

“You gonna tie me?”

“Not this time,” he said. He stripped off his jeans and black silk boxers.
 

 
My pajamas ended up discarded in a careless heap.
 

“This is going to be so good,” Corbin murmured as he came down over me. The engorged, purplish head of his cock nudged at my slit.
 

I was so wet that he could have slid into me. But he didn’t. He dragged his cock slowly up and down in my wetness. It left me gasping. I could feel the ridge where the smooth head curved. He teased it over my clit, and my heated ache became a frantic burn.

He rocked his hips, filling my entrance before retreating.

“Can’t find it?” I asked, frustrated that he kept provoking me.

Any other time, that question would have earned me a spanking. Corbin’s rich laugh made me smile and tingle. He shoved two fingers into my mouth, his eyes staring into mine. After a moment, I swallowed, then I sucked him obediently, never looking away.

“The way you suck…” He sawed his fingers into me, rough. “Makes my cock ache.” Then he reached under my rounded buttock and tapped the wet fingers over my puckered hole.

I tightened, resisting him.

He nipped at my throat. “Let me in,” he ordered.
 

“You didn’t say the magic word,” I gasped as his fingers breached my tight hole. All my muscles clenched, then loosened, and he slid in an inch.

“All mine,” he said. With that, he shoved his fingers deep into my ass at the same time that his enormous cock rocked into my slick, trembling pussy.

I arched, thrusting my peaks toward his lips. He softly drew his tongue over one nub. When I gasped, silently pleading for more, he rasped his teeth over it.

Nothing I’d ever experienced had prepared me for this moment. Corbin, possessing me, nothing between us. It was a thousand times better than before, which shouldn’t have been possible.
 

He was a battering ram covered in silk, so hard yet so soft. I was glad that he wasn’t adding too much of the dominating stuff. I wanted to savor this: Corbin stretching every inch of my channel, Corbin claiming my ass for himself, Corbin’s lips roaming from my mouth, between my breasts, and then back to my mouth again as if he couldn’t get enough.

“My slut,” he breathed into my mouth before treating me to another of his biting kisses. He slammed in deep and held himself there, filling me, our bodies pressed to form one writhing, insatiable being.

He licked me—my mouth, my lips, my chin, down my throat. Once I’d barely tolerated his wet kisses; now I loved them.

I felt with amazing clarity that his cock was throbbing and pulsing inside of me.

“Come inside me,” I heard myself mumbling in a hypnotized pleading voice. It wasn’t my fantasy… except he’d made it that. Whatever turned him on drove me wild with excitement. I wanted to
be
his fantasy. I wanted to know that when he jerked off, he thought of me. I wanted to be the standard by which all other women were found wanting.

He growled. His fingers twisted in my ass as he took up a slow, rhythmic fucking, his hips coming away from mine and then slamming back down again. It sounded like someone was getting spanked, an association that turned me on more than it should have.

He shifted his weight, and then his cock was rubbing over my clit with each thrust. My toes curled so hard that I knew my insteps would cramp later. I grasped at the sheets.

“Yeah, yes, yes, yes…” I murmured, forcing myself to stick to one, simple syllable so that I wouldn’t blurt out the forbidden but true words.

The moment my pussy tightened around his distended girth, his cock responded with a jerking hot spasm. Corbin’s low groan turned into a guttural growl, growing in intensity. My hands slid over his bulging shoulders as I blindly tried to find something to anchor myself. But I was already ascending to another plane.

As his cock rippled inside me, my pussy squeezed back. I felt… everything. And when the pumping finally slowed, Corbin rocked the other way, still buried inside of me. He pulled my knees up.

“Stay like this a minute,” he said, slipping out of me and sitting back. His gaze was trained on my pussy, and I could see how dilated his pupils had become. He pressed a hand flat on my mound and circled his thumb over my clit.

My pussy tightened, then tightened again with a jerk, and I felt warmth drip out of me. Corbin’s thumb dipped lower, gathering wetness, and then he was stroking my clit again, using his own hot juice as a slippery lubricant.

I came so hard that everything went white in a blinding bliss. My hips shook, but Corbin held me down, forcing all the energy to concentrate between my legs.

He stilled, yet he continued to look at me. His eyes had closed to slits rimmed by his dark lashes. I felt the heat dripping out, running down my buttocks.
 

“That was better than I’d dreamed,” he said. He slowly raised his gaze, taking me in inch by inch. The attention made my pussy shudder again, and Corbin pressed the length of his thumb along my slit. “I wish I had more time.”