The Family Jewels (14 page)

“
S
o he just left you
there?" she asked, laying a slice of pickled ginger on another Alaskan roll.

If she kept eating, he was going to have to roll her out of the place, but she couldn’t muster even a morsel of guilt over it. She was having the time of her life with Jake, eating, drinking and laughing over stories of his childhood.

“He sure did, the fucker. With that packet of firecrackers still smoldering, no less. He knew Sister Helen was going to whoop us for that one, and he figured there was no reason for the both of us to take the licking.” Jake threw his head back and laughed at the memory, his obvious affection for his brother warming her to her toes. “Believe me, though, I held my own with him and there was many a day where he took the fall for us both.”

"So are you close now?"

A shadow fell over his face, but he nodded, albeit hesitantly. "We are. Not like when we were lads. There’s a bit of a wedge between us, you might say.”

“Because of your…activities?”

His gaze locked with hers, the smile sliding from his face, and she wished she could take it back. Why had she pressed? Sure, when she’d opened up to him about her own struggles, he’d seemed to not only understand but also to empathize. And something told her there was a story in there somewhere, but that didn’t mean he trusted her enough to share it.

“You could say that. It’s been a strain on our relationship for sure.” He picked up his mug of oolong tea and took a long sip of the steaming liquid. “He doesn’t agree with my way of handling the Hannigan situation, him being a cop and all,” he said finally, setting down his cup before meeting her gaze again.

She tried to keep her voice even, in spite of the instant shot of anxiety the c-word sent rippling through her. “That must make things sticky for you.” She popped the roll into her mouth and chewed, waiting to see if he continued.

He went quiet for a long moment and then sat back in his chair and blew out a sigh. "My father was a cop as well. Worked for Scotland Yard. For twenty years, he put his heart and soul into fighting crime. One of his biggest, longest-lasting cases was one he was building against Alistair Hannigan.”

She swallowed hard, forcing the fish past the sudden ache in her throat. Something told her this tale was going to end in tragedy, and part of her wished she hadn’t pressed him to tell it.

“He’d found out that, in addition to stolen artifacts, Hannigan was also dealing in human trafficking as a sort of middle man and facilitator. He had coordinated the transportation of more than a dozen women from Bangkok to other countries to be sold into sexual slavery.”

Sadie’s stomach went sour and she clasped her suddenly chilled hands together. “That’s a terrible crime,” she whispered.

“It is. And Pop refused to let him get away with it. It became an obsession, and every time he thought he had him dead to rights, something went terribly wrong. The key witness went missing, an integral piece of evidence would be misplaced, or there would be an error in processing. And every time he got off, a little part of Pop died when he thought of the young women he’d failed.”

He shifted in his chair, his gray eyes blazing with silver fire.

“About ten years ago, he had him for real. He'd spent ten months building an airtight case. He had fingerprints, half a dozen witnesses lined up and ready to testify and more. Kept all the evidence in a lockbox and he was the only one with the key. He'd trusted no one, and played it close to the vest. The week before he was about to present his findings to his superior, he went to work and when he walked in, his desk was cleared. They shoved him onto the floor and read him his rights. He'd been set up to look like a cop on the take. And now, he had an airtight case against Alistair Hannigan that no one would ever believe. He wound up in prison and they put him in with the local population, half of whom he’d put there himself. He lasted three days before someone shanked him and he bled out on the floor of his cell block."

The words cut her to the quick and her heart gave a squeeze. She leaned in, instinctively taking his hand. "Jesus, Jake. I'm so sorry." She’d lost both her parents and knew how devastating that could be, but having his name smeared on top of that must have been unbearable for them.

"Me too. Part of me thinks he welcomed death by that point, though. Like he willed it to happen.” His jaw clenched and he shook his head slowly, lost in a memory only he could see. “Those women haunted his dreams and he didn't want to live anymore. Police work was his whole identity. Once that was taken from him, he was done for.”

He went quiet and she squeezed his hand tightly. “So you’re after Hannigan to finish the job he never could?”

“And to avenge his death,” he said, a grim, humorless smile stretching his lips. “My mother gave me the key to the lockbox. Once I began to poke around, it wasn’t long before I realized who was behind the frame up. Hannigan knew Pop was close and wanted to take him down.”

“So you’re going to what? Ruin him financially?”

“That,” he nodded, “and hopefully get Hannigan blacklisted so that no one will ever want to do business with him again. And, some day, clear my father’s name.”

“What does Mike want?”

“He wants to do it by the book. He and his squad are building a case against Hannigan now for the fraudulent artifacts he’s been selling. He feels like he’s close to being able to make something stick, but it won’t be enough. It never is.”

“Does he know what you’re doing?”

“Not everything, but he knows enough. Lately, he’s been warning me off but I can’t let it go. Not so that bastard can go to some cushy prison and get out a few months later, just to start that same shit all over again.”

He gave her hand one last squeeze before pulling away.

“Anyway, that’s my whole story. And that’s why the money isn’t important to me. I’ve got him ready to invest half his net worth in a venture that doesn’t exist, I’ve got his computer wired so I can gather intel on the people he does shady business with so I can paint him as a snitch and maybe, if I’m lucky, I’ll also find something that I can pass off to Mike as an anonymous tip and he’ll do some real time to boot. Then my brother and I can move past this all and things will get back to the way they were."

She could tell by his tone that he wasn't so sure of that, and her heart ached for him. During hard times, all she'd ever had was her family. Now that it was only her and Clarissa, distance between them like that would've killed her.

"And if they don't, then you work at it until they do, you know?” she said. “But the longer you spend apart, the wider the rift becomes and the harder it will be to find your way back to each other. You should start today." Her eyes burned with unshed tears and she blinked them back. "It’s becoming clearer to me every day, tomorrow might never come. Call him up. Tell him you miss him, work through your issues, because you might never have another chance."

He met her gaze and inclined his head, but she could tell by his shuttered expression that she was losing him. Jake Callahan was obsessed with revenge and he was willing to go down with the ship to get it.

She couldn’t help but give it one more try. “If today was your last day on earth, would you rather spend it striving to get revenge on Alistair or sitting at a pub with your brother laughing about old times?”

He was mulishly silent and she opened her mouth to say more but then let it snap shut. Today, right now, he was still convinced that he was doing the right thing despite the rift it was causing between him and his brother, and nothing she was going to say to him would change his mind. He had to come to it on his own.

Or not.

"I'll give him a call on Saturday morning, after the poker game. See if he wants to have breakfast."

It was a start. She gave him an approving smile and held up her tea.

"To family."

He held his up in return and inclined his head. "To family." He took a sip of his drink and set the mug down, a challenging glint lighting his eyes. "So tell me, Sadie. You've got a lot to say, but do you practice what you preach?"

"Meaning?”

He flashed his dimple at her, and the dark cloud that had fallen over them parted and a ray of light shined down, warming her through. "Meaning, if you weren't promised tomorrow, would you want to spend the rest of your night alone?"

His intense gaze burrowed into her own and she barely suppressed a shiver. There was no dancing around it. He was flat out asking her if she wanted him in her bed tonight, and he expected an answer.

"No."

He cocked his head and locked his gaze on her. “No?”

"No, I mean,” she bit her lip and swallowed hard, “I wouldn't want to spend the night alone.”

She lifted her little cup of tea to her lips, desperate to quench her sudden thirst. Dear lord, the man hadn't even touched her yet and she was already breaking out in cold sweats. Still, after a second to gather her wits, she managed a shaky smile. She could have one more night with Jake. It was more than she'd ever hoped for and probably more than she deserved. Whatever happened after that, she could deal with it then. For now, she was going to take her own advice and keep living for the now.

Jake waved to the waiter, motioning for their check even as he stood, tossing his napkin on the table.

"We can take the rest of the food to go?" His voice was gritty and low, his expression so tense he didn't even look like the same person who had been grinning at her a few seconds before.

Which, by Sadie Leighton's standards, meant she should have a contingent plan B, and a Hail Mary plan C, just in case. Because the odds of her getting out of this with her heart intact? Were slim to none.

"My place or yours?"

T
he second they
stepped through his front door, she was on him, like it really was her last night on earth. The pull of her need was almost too strong for him to resist, but as her busy fingers worked at his shirt buttons, he yanked them away.

"Not this time, love. We're going to be in a bed proper."

He pulled back, thinking he might have to carry her again, but he needn't have worried. She was all but running down the hall, leaving a trail of clothes behind her.

"Don't be a slowpoke about it, then, or I might start without you," she called over her shoulder with a laugh.

Her words sent a graphic image straight to his brain and he briefly considered stalling in hopes of getting a glimpse of her doing just that.

Lord, she was gorgeous. The sexiest, most uninhibited woman he'd ever been with. Why couldn't he have met her once all this ugly business with Alistair was in the past?

He shoved the thought aside and strode down the hallway.

Surely they both knew the score going in. Until he'd avenged his father, he would be half a man with half a life. She understood what it was to feel responsible...like she had a calling. She'd answered hers and, hopefully, with his help, she'd be able to free herself of it and start a new life. He could only hope she would still be free to love when he was able to do the same.

For tonight, though? She was his and he was hers.

He bent low and hooked a finger around the tiny lace panties that lay in the doorway.

"Please tell me you've started already," he murmured as he stepped into the room.

She hadn't, but the vision in front of him was just as spectacular. She was flat on her back, in his bed. In her hand were several of his neckties and they were the only pieces of clothing in sight.

He swallowed past the grit in his throat, his cock thrumming in carnal response.

"So what's it going to be, big boy? You want to be the mark or the cat-burglar who just got caught?"

His lips curved into a slow grin as he padded toward her.

"I think I'll be the mark. That way only one of us will need to do any acting."

He reached the side of the bed and trailed a finger down the sleek line of her jaw, down to her collarbones.

“I had a feeling you’d say that,” she murmured with a sly grin.

"You've been a bad girl, haven't you Sadie?" he murmured, his eyes locking on the ties and his blood running hot. He picked up one and laced it through the slats in the center of the headboard before taking one of her trim wrists and fastening it.

"Wait, aren't you going to take your clothes off too?" she asked, her voice going reedy as he reached for her free hand and gave it the same treatment.

"Eventually," he said, pulling back to admire his handiwork with a nod. "When I'm good and ready. But let me let you in on a little secret." Her eyes went wide as he leaned in to press his lips to the shell of her ear. "It's going to be awhile."

When he straightened and moved to the bottom of the bed, her gaze followed him. That expressive face was at it again and he knew exactly what she was feeling. Excitement. Anticipation. Maybe a little fear, but the kind that made it all the better. She knew she was going to suffer some, but it was going to be the best kind of torture.

His cock grew thicker, straining against his pants as he reached the bottom of the bed.

He kept his eyes locked on her as he tied one ankle to the bottom bedpost. Her chest heaved, her breath coming in short pants as he moved to the other leg.

"Jake, uh, maybe three limbs is good, you know?"

"It's Officer," he corrected as he curled his fingers around her trim ankle and spread her legs wide. He barely heard her gasp as the move bared her to him. Her soft folds, her already swollen clit, the gleaming evidence of her desire.

His gut clenched as he resisted the urge to drop to the bed and bury his face between her legs.

He'd promised it was going to be slow...drawn out. Something to remember.

In case it was the last time.

He shut the thought down ruthlessly and looped the necktie around the bedpost, securing her.

"We know you stole something, Ms. Leighton. And I need to know what it was."

She chewed on her lip and stared at a spot over his shoulder. He could tell she was right on the edge. She wanted this. He could see it deep in her eyes, but it went against her nature to be this vulnerable. He waited to see how she would play it.

"Yeah, well, I'm not telling you. And remember what happened last time you accused me of stealing," she said finally, wriggling a little to test her restraints.

The memory of that knee to the balls was well played, but even the recalled ache of it didn't sway him.

"This time, you're not really in a position to argue." He trailed a finger over her abdomen and lower, just above her pubic bone, before stilling. “So I'll ask you one more time. What did you take?"

She wriggled a little harder this time and he watched as her nipples peaked into tight buds.

"I didn't take anything. I already told you," she said, her voice slightly breathless.

"Wrong answer, ma'am," he murmured.

He sat on the edge of the bed beside her and, without touching her with his hands, bent his head to her breast. He heard the sharp intake of air as he flicked his tongue out to bat at her nipple.

"Jake-" she murmured, arching her back.

But he pulled away and waited until she lay flat again. "Stay still, or we're going to have to tighten those restraints."

She froze, her muscles tensing, as he bent to her again and rubbed his tongue against her nipple over and over. To her credit, she didn't move, but he could hear the pounding of her heart like a bass drum in his ear. Just when he thought she couldn't stand it any longer, he caught the tight bud between his teeth and bit down gently.

"Ah!"

He drew her in, sucking hard and deep and this time, when her back arched, he didn't release her.

"Oh, God, mmm," she moaned, and for a moment he willed the next words from her mouth to be his name. He wanted to hear it break on her lips as she arched into him again, wanted to dip lower and trace her slick folds with his tongue while her cries echoed through the room.

But there was time for that later.

With a little "pop" he released her nipple and scooted lower on the bed, traveling down until he had one ankle in hand and he was tracing the soft skin with his thumb.

"The next words from your lips had better be a confession," he said, and then he kissed the inside of her ankle, tracing the spot with his tongue before working his way just the slightest bit higher.

"I..." she said, and her leg trembled in its restraint, pulling it tighter around her as she squirmed.

"Yes?" he asked, and kissed again, holding eye contact with her all the while as he trailed his kisses to the inside of her knee.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Her voice was thin and aching, and so he kissed the underside of her knee gently, teasing the delicate skin there before working his way to her inner thigh.

“Are you sure?” Suddenly, he wanted to be done with the charade, wanted to lap her up and down until she bucked and called and cried out for him to shove himself deep, deep inside her. "I want the truth."

"That is the truth." Her voice cracked on the word and he lowered his lips to her thigh, nibbling gently along the inside until he reached the juncture of her thighs. When he was there at last, he paused, willed himself not to look as he blew one cool breath against her and she shivered in his arms.

"You're going to break," he whispered, and when he met her gaze, he saw not only hunger and need, but also a determination so fierce that he wondered if only for a second whether she'd really give herself up, even in play.

Which only made him all the more determined.

Before the night was over, Sadie Leighton would confess. And he couldn’t wait.

* * *

H
er whole body ached
, whether it was from the strain of not moving, or simply from her all-consuming need, or both, she didn't know.

If only he'd take off one piece of clothing, his shirt, his pants, something so she could see the hard planes of his muscle as he teased her to the point of insanity.

The searing heat of his lips against her ankle subsided, and then the restraint tightened.

Dammit, she knew she'd pushed him too far, had--

"Let's try a new game," his deep voice rumbled from behind her, and she turned to follow him as he moved in front of her. His hands were on his belt buckle, and as he undid the fastener, she slid her tongue across her lips.

Yes, this was what she wanted. All he had to do was take his clothes off. Then she could goad him into touching her…sliding inside of her. Then--

"You're going to give me clues. And for every clue you give me, I'll take off a piece of clothing. By the time I'm naked, I'm going to guess what you took."

"And how can you trust me to tell you the truth?"

"Because if you don't, I'll leave you tied up there all night, waiting and begging for my cock." He pulled off his belt and dropped it onto the floor. "Now, what do you say? Ready to play by my rules?"

Reluctantly, she nodded. "It's...smaller than a bread box."

He took off a sock.

"A sock?" she howled with outrage, nearly making him crack a smile.

"Give me something good, I'll take off something good. Now where did you hide it?"

"Someplace you'll never find."

"I'm not afraid to put the sock back on."

"It's shiny. And I hid it on my person."

"I see." He shrugged his shirt off, but as it hit the floor, Sadie started to tsk.

"Two clues, two items of clothing." She did her best to gesture with her restrained hand.

"Right you are." He stepped out of his pants and finally she could see the outline of his thick need straining against his boxer shorts.

A hot blast of lust coursed through her at the knowledge that he was suffering as much as she was.

One more clue. One more clue and she could finally see him. Maybe if it was good enough he'd walk toward her and let her take him in her mouth, let her suck his rigid shaft until they forgot all about their little cat and mouse game and get swept up entirely in each other.

She swallowed hard, then licked her lips again as she considered.

"It's something you should never leave home without."

In one quick move, he stepped from his boxers and his cock sprang forward. She barely had a moment to enjoy the full view of him, though, before he was stalking toward her, his hands sliding over every inch of her. Each little touch scorched her skin and she did her best not to arch her back as his palms slid over her stomach, behind her neck and then between her thighs. Her nipples strained toward him and she barely resisted the urge to groan as his thumb swept against her aching clit.

"On your person, huh?" he asked.

"You'll never find it.” Her own voice sounded far away now as desire sent blood rushing in her ears.

He kissed her collarbone, and then whispered, "Wanna bet?"

Then, in one motion, he yanked her ponytail free and his credit card tumbled to the floor.

"Looks like I'm a better detective than you give me credit for." He dropped a kiss on her lips, then nipped her bottom lip gently before pulling away.

"You caught me. Does that mean you get to untie me?" she breathed.

"Oh no, we’re just getting started." He grinned, and then moved to one of the posts at the bottom of the bed. He took her ankle in hand and gently, slowly, pulled the tie away until she was free. Blissfully, sinfully free.

She waited, her breath caught in her throat, for him to untie the other, but instead he climbed between her legs, bent low and kissed the place she’d been longing for him to touch. It was slow at first, a whisper of a kiss, really, but then he bent lower and dipped his tongue inside and she let out a long, slow moan of pleasure.

“Jake,” she hissed, and his response was to kiss her deeper before moving up and down her over and over again, almost reaching her aching bud before leaving her squirming and needing and wanting more.

“Haven’t you tortured me enough?” she asked, pulling on her restraints despite herself. She’d had enough of her stupid game. She wanted to run her hands through his black hair, to dig her fingernails into his sculpted backside as he pounded into her over and over again.

“Don’t whine, or I’ll blindfold you,” he warned.

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Wouldn’t I?” He pulled back and grabbed the errant tie from the place where he’d discarded it and she pursed her lips.

He didn’t play fair.

“Ah, quiet for once. For that, you get a reward.”

He bent low to press a kiss to each of her aching nipples before lowering himself back down again and finally sliding his tongue against the slick bundle of nerves so primed for his touch.

“Yes,” she whispered as the tip of his tongue looped around and around her, forcing her to arch into him deeper, wanting it harder…faster.