Taken by the Pirate Billionaire (2 page)

She must be out of her mind to think that an antique brooch was reason enough to go through that door.

“This isn’t authentic.”

Renee’s stomach dropped. Okay, so getting what she wished for was overrated. She
had
to get into the house, failure wasn’t an option. Finding that brooch was her last hope.

“You must be mistaken.” She lifted her chin and gave the bouncer her most haughty look. Hopefully it didn’t look as ridiculous as it felt. “I insist you let me pass. Mr. Murray is expecting me.”

The man’s expression didn’t change, nor did he move aside. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave, ma’am, or I’ll have you arrested for trespassing.”

“Is there a problem, Kurt?”

Both Renee and the bouncer looked up as another man appeared in the doorway. Like Kurt, this man also wore a tux. But somehow this man—with his dark hair and eyes—seemed more imposing. He wasn’t as tall as the first bouncer, but just as broad in the shoulders and with a more solid build.

“Nothing I can’t handle.” Kurt glanced at the other man. “This woman is trying to gain entrance with a counterfeit rose.”

“It isn’t counterfeit.” The lie sounded feeble on her lips. “As I said before, Mr. Murray is expecting me and he’ll be furious if you don’t let me pass.”

“I believe you are due for a break, Kurt.” The man turned to face the bouncer with a brief smile. “I will relieve you.”

The other man looked taken aback. “But—” 

“Thank you, Kurt.” Their gazes locked and something passed silently between the two men.

“Of course.” Kurt gave a slow nod, handed him Renee’s rose, and then retreated inside the house.

Renee turned to face the replacement bouncer and swallowed hard.
 

The man stared down at her in the way a cat might watch a cornered mouse. The look in his eyes was blatantly sexual as his gaze moved over her body. Finally his mouth curved into a smile, but he didn’t look amused. He glanced down at the rose in his hand and spun it in a slow circle.

“It might be a little bent,” she said cautiously.
“It was in my car.”

“The rose is fine.” He took a step toward her. “Kurt misjudged. I think he’s been on shift for too long today.”

The sudden proximity of his body to hers made her knees threaten to give out.

“Please, come inside for your preparation.”

His hand settled low on her back as he guided her under the archway and through the massive door. She trembled at the slight contact. He wasn’t a conventionally handsome man. A scar marred his left cheek and his nose looked like it had probably been broken at some time during his life. Still, her body reacted to him as if he were some kind of sex God.

The foyer of the house was dark, with only a few candles burning in the entryway. She glanced down the hall, noting they were completely alone in the cold silence.

“Please stand against the wall, facing away from me.” His command resonated in the foyer, deep and abrasive, sending chills of forewarning down her spine.

You can do this. You have to do this.
Renee finally convinced her feet to move forward and take the few steps to the stone wall.

She sensed his hard body before he touched her. His breath fell warm and intimate on the back of her neck. Then his hands settled firmly on her waist. Her pulse jumped to double time, and she could barely draw in a breath.

“What is your name?”

Her eyes fluttered shut.

 
“Renee.” She should have lied, but her mind was all fuzzy and she could only focus on the strong hands sliding inward over her stomach.

“Renee,” he said, so close to her neck she felt his lips brush against her sensitized skin. She shivered. “Have you attended one of Devon Murray’s parties before?”

Even through the fabric of the corset, Renee responded to the fingers inching their way up towards her breasts.
 

Fake it
. She bit her lip before giving a surprisingly calm reply. “I’ve been to a few. You must have been off those nights.”

His laugh, low and seductive, echoed throughout the foyer. What had she said that was so amusing?

Suddenly he pushed her closer to the wall and she turned her face to the side to avoid the hard and rough surface.

“So you know what to expect then.” With no more preliminaries, his hand had reached her breast and closed over it through the corset.

“Y-yes.” Well, if getting groped was the answer.

“Wonderful.”

He delved one hand into the bodice of her corset and cupped her breast, his thumb stroking firmly over her nipple.

Oh, God!
Her knees buckled, but his body pressing against hers kept her from falling.
 

A second later he pulled her breast up and over the edge of the fabric. Cool air rushed over her exposed skin and her nipples grew tight.

“You have amazing breasts, Renee.” His breath tickled her ear as he pulled her other breast free from its restraints.

He plucked both of her nipples in quick, rhythmic strokes, shocking her with almost frightening pleasure. His touch was so knowing. Almost clinical. It was embarrassing how easily she responded to it. How liquid heat gathered low in her belly now.

“Do you like this?” His question was calm. Just as detached as his touch.

Renee exhaled a long, shuddering breath, intensely aware of the bulge of his sex pressing hard against her waist.
 

He tugged on her hair, pulling her head back, forcing her breast more firmly into his hand and making her more vulnerable to him.

“Tell me you like it, Renee.” 

“I...I like it,” she whispered, hating herself a little because it was true.

This wasn’t her. She wasn’t like this shameless hussy. What the hell was happening here?

“Good, girl. Your preparation is almost complete,” he said. “Now for verification.” 

She whimpered as one of his hands abandoned her breast and slid back down her stomach. A moment passed as he worked his fingers beneath the waistband of her skirt.

“Spread your legs.” 

Renee blinked, hesitating.
 

“Spread your legs,” he repeated, pulling her hair again and tilting her head back further.

Renee didn’t hesitate this time and moved her right foot a few inches away from her left. The man’s fingers immediately slid into her panties.

“Christ, you’re wet,” he muttered against her neck, not sounding as unaffected as before. For some reason that pleased her.

She couldn’t even breathe as he tugged on her curls and then moved downward to play within the folds of her sex. When he thrust a long, thick finger inside her she couldn’t stop a ragged gasp from escaping.

“Very nice.” His lips covered the skin between her neck and shoulder, and his mouth closed over the skin, sucking hard enough to leave a mark.

She groaned as he slid his finger out of her and up and over her clitoris, making her body hum. “You’re ready.”

He released her so suddenly that she fell fully against the wall.

“I will arrange an escort to see you inside.” 

Renee jerked away from the wall, pushing her breasts back into the corset and smoothing her skirt with unsteady hands.

“What’s your name?”
 

Oh crap, had she
seriously
just asked that? She had to be crazy for officially lusting after a bouncer who was only doing his job. A very bizarre and erotic job, but a job nonetheless.

“My name is irrelevant.” His gaze was hooded as he slid another glance over her. He turned to another man who’d entered the foyer. “Victor, please escort Renee into the party. She is prepared.”

As another bulky blond man grasped her arm and steered her from the entrance, she glanced one last time at the man who had brought her so close to the edge so fast.
 

She couldn’t read anything in his expression as he continued to watch her. And because of what she’d just felt with him, it unnerved her to no end.
 

Renee turned away.

The hard part was done. She’d gotten inside the house. And surely nothing could possibly be as shocking and titillating as what she’d just experienced.

When she’d left the foyer, Devon Murray brought his finger to his mouth and slowly sucked. The sensual taste of her made him close his eyes to recall every second of his encounter with the mystery woman.

His resolve hardened. It was a damn shame that she’d lied to him. He didn’t appreciate being fucked with, and he’d make sure she regretted it.
 

He suspected that Renee—if that was truly her name, and he
would
find out—was a reporter. Though no reporter had ever gained access to his parties. Very few tried out of common sense alone.

Who the hell did she think she was? Only someone without fear and ration would even attempt to do so.

And this woman’s attempts were almost comically bad. The rose was a poor counterfeit likely picked up at a craft store. If Devon hadn’t interfered, Kurt would have sent her away just as he’d threatened.

Though she’d intrigued him, he shouldn’t have allowed her inside. He shook his head, a bit dismayed at his own lack of reason. Clearly, it was the wrong head that had been making that call.
 

By now Renee would be in the other room and no doubt in full panic mode. She’d certainly been on the brink of freaking out when he’d had her pinned against the wall. It was obvious that this type of thing was a first for her.

He’d been surprised she hadn’t stopped him. Even more surprised by her body’s quick response. She had a sensual side, whether she realized it or not. And lucky for him, he’d been the one to discover it tonight.

Kurt returned to the foyer, interrupting his thoughts.

“Is everything in order, sir?”

“You can cut the sir shit, whether it’s a party night or not. You’ve known me long enough.” He turned his analytical gaze on Kurt. “Do you recall the vehicle she arrived in?”

“Of course.”

“Have the plates run and find out who she is,” he ordered. “Her first name might be Renee. Also, pull up her image on the facial recognition software and see what kind of matches we find. I want her surname, age, address, where she took gymnastics as a kid. I want to know every fucking thing about her.”

“Of course.” Kurt nodded without changing his expression.

That’s what Devon appreciated in an employee, someone who didn’t ask questions.

“In the meantime, I’m going to keep an eye on our uninvited guest,” he murmured. “Bring me the details as soon as you have them.”

Chapter Three

She was in over her head. Way, way, way over her head. If the scene in the entryway hadn’t given her a clue, things she was witnessing now did.

As they passed through the door into a large room, Renee noticed a naked woman reclining on a chaise lounge just to one side. On the other side a naked man was in a similar position.
 

Eye candy?
Kind of an erotic version of live art? It barely fazed her. Not after what had just happened.
 

The only light inside the room shone from hundreds of candles that burned throughout. The air smelled spicy and exotic from incense, adding to the dark and sexy ambience around her. They moved further inside and Renee stumbled, her eyes going wide.
 

And things were officially dirtier.
 

There were maybe only thirty people here, dressed in all sorts of seductive outfits—some not dressed at all—but all were involved in various sexual acts.

Renee’s gaze drifted to her right and she bit her lip to hold back a shocked expletive.
 

On the couch were two women with a man. The man was lying down and one of the women was straddling his head. His hands grasped her hips as his face was buried between her legs. The other woman lay half reclining on him while she gave him head.

The crappy porn her friends had made her watch in college couldn’t hold a candle to this erotic sight.
 

Her body, still aroused from her experience in the foyer, tingled and ached with excitement.

“How may I assist you, ma’am?”

Renee started at the sound of Victor’s voice, had forgotten entirely about the escort by her side.

“Assist me?” She looked away from the threesome on the couch, uncertain of what Victor had just offered.
 

He nodded, not elaborating.

“I...” She licked her suddenly dry lips. “I think I’d just like to look around for now.”

She turned her attention back to the shadowy figures in the room. The further they went into the room, the more sensual the activity she noticed between the guests.

Before long she noticed a woman who sat giggling on a man’s lap. They seemed to be in conversation. They were probably the only two people in the room that didn’t seem to be having sex.