My
mouth dropped open. “I'm not even going to respond to that.” I swallowed hard, sticking my hands under the table to hide the trembling. He was right. Back then, I was a coward and too scared to live with the ramifications of falling in love.
He
looked at me coolly. “And just so we're clear, you know damn well that what you saw between Kaydee and me was orchestrated by her to get rid of you.”
It
was like a stab to the heart hearing what I always suspected. But frankly, I was tired of living that night over and over in my head. There was just no point in crying over spilled milk.
“Why
are we talking about this?” I asked with a husky voice.
“Because
it needs to be said. Not glossed over like it never happened. We're both sitting here because we have unfinished business.”
“Not
that I'm not happy to know you fired her, but she wasn't the only one that had a hand in this. What about Liam?”
Knox
slammed his glass onto the table. “Liam's paid for fucking around in my life. He's learned his lesson, believe me.”
I
doubted that very much, but that wasn’t any of my business anymore. “Well, at least you have Harper.”
“She
gets me. That's what makes our relationship work.”
I
couldn't stop the creep of jealously that snuck up on me at the way the word
relationship
rolled off his tongue.
He
looked at me pointedly. “I don't mix business with pleasure. So don't start weaving some crazy story about Harper and me having sex.”
I
snorted. “Like I haven't heard that before.”
“I
don't shroud myself in mystery and I don't fucking lie. If there's something that I don't want to talk about—I'll tell you.”
“Oh,
I know that too well, Knox. Back then, not once did you share anything personal with me besides a tiny bit of information about your mother that I practically had to beg you for.”
Raw
pain flickered in his eyes before disappearing. “Did you really need to know that the woman I called mother abused me until the day she died? That she hated me so much she actually lied and said my father didn't want me when he was frantically searching for me?” His tone held no emotion at all. “I lived a very hard life. I fucked every woman I met. Got involved with a very rough street crowd. But that was before the music saved my life.”
I
knew, buried deep down inside, it had to hurt knowing his mother hated him so much. I knew exactly how much something like that hurt. My father's hateful taunts were a reminder of the pain that ran deep.
He
continued. “Things were getting complicated when we met. I went from no father in my life to having one I was so proud of. But the fact remains… I never lied to you—ever.” He arched a brow “Now you, on the other hand…”
My
breath was ragged as I tried to calm the turbulence of emotions churning deep in my gut. “If you're talking about Credence O., then that was not a lie. I told you my mother ran a company in Manhattan. I just didn't elaborate on what kind. It wasn't your business. And frankly, it didn't matter.”
His
eyes hardened. “The truth matters, Storm. Always has and always will.”
Yes,
but the truth was not something that I could tell. A fact I'd learned to live with. I almost breathed a sigh of relief when the waiter mysteriously appeared, handing over a menu to Knox. I sat fuming as Knox ordered, adding a bottle of wine to the order.
Not
one for a classless scene, I waited until the waiter slid away before venting. “I can order for myself.”
“I'm
sure you can,” he responded in a low, sexy voice.
Now
I was rearing for a fight. “Why are we here?”
“To
eat. I thought that was evident. It's a restaurant after all.”
He
was toying with me like a cat with a mouse.
I
gestured to the dim lighting that gave patrons additional privacy while they watched the notorious sexual fantasies performed nightly on a rotating, custom-built stage. “You know what I mean. Why this restaurant? I'm not a voyeur and I don't get off on watching people perform sexual acts on each other.” I wasn't a prude, far from it, but come the hell on. This was just not my thing.
“How
do you know if you've never tried it?”
The
waiter returned before I could give him a snappy response. He laid out all the delectable dishes in the middle of the table before giving Knox a taste of wine for his approval. Knox nodded his consent for the waiter to pour wine carefully into each glass. Then the waiter left to cater to the next table to our right. The aroma of the delicious creamy risotto with black truffles made my stomach grumble as Knox pulled the plate toward him, digging in. He held out a forkful of risotto. “Here. Open up.”
“You
do know I’m not a two-year-old?”
His
eyes hardened. “Open your mouth, Storm.” His voice was low, seductive.
Shamefully,
something about him feeding me aroused my senses. I reluctantly parted my lips, allowing him to slide the fork inside. Damn, it was good.
“See
? You can be a good girl.”
He
dug in and ate a forkful while looking at me. The stage brightened. Wide projector screens dropped from the ceiling, displaying a tall, curvy platinum blonde draped over a padded bench, naked except for sexy red stilettos. Her arms were secured with ropes as her round ass stuck up in the air. Her toned legs were spread so far apart that I could see her vulva. What the hell? This was not something that I wanted to see. “Are we almost done here?”
His
eyes were cool when he responded, “'Nope. Sit back and relax.”
“But
—”
“You
need to see this,” he said flatly.
My
belly fluttered when I realized Harper was the woman and Ryker, wearing a crisp, white shirt unbuttoned at the neck and sleeves rolled up to reveal his tanned, muscled forearms, was wielding the paddle. I held my breath as Ryker ran a hand over her body from shoulders to butt. He leaned in and said something to her. I moved forward, wanting to know what he said, but whatever it was soothed her. I jumped back when he cracked the paddle on her ass. Harper cried out as her body twitched. He rained two more blows on each cheek causing her to jerk against the restraints. The stage rotated, stopping at each booth for a full view of the action.
Shamefully,
I was mesmerized by the action like some freak voyeur. The harder Harper fought, the harder he spanked her. My heart stuttered when she begged him to stop. I looked on with wide eyes when the stage stopped before our booth. I could tell she was in pain. My fingernails bit into my palms, fighting the urge to leap onto the stage to save her. Knox flattened his palm onto my abdomen, holding me in place.
His
lips brushed my ear as he said, “This is what she wants. Pain.”
“She
likes pain?” I looked at him incredulously.
He
held another forkful of risotto out for me to eat before responding. “See her face? She trusts him to take her to the point her body desires.” He licked the shell of my ear, sending a delicious shiver down my spine. “Would you like that too, Storm? Your lovely ass bared for me to admire? To stroke before spanking it?”
I
chewed, trying to rationalize my reaction when his fingers squeezed my thigh, sending a hot, tingling sensation up to my sex, causing me to press my thighs together.
He
gripped my thighs, gently pulling them apart. “First lesson, always sit with your legs open. I want access to you at all times.”
My
mouth dropped open. “Excuse me?”
He
looked at me impatiently. “You heard me.” His voice was laced with steel as he tapped them. “Spread them.”
I
looked around the restaurant nervously before spreading them slightly. He arched a brow. So I shakily spread them wider. They were wet from the moisture leaking from my clenching sex. This was ridiculous. I was sitting in a restaurant with my legs wide open.
My
throat was parched. Picking up my glass, I drank thirstily. “I’m no good at this.” I shifted, ready to close my legs when he leaned in closer.
“Storm!
Keep them spread—wide.”
“Knox
, really…”
He
caressed my thigh. “Quiet,” he barked. “Continue drinking.” His voice became low and seductive. “Does it make you uncomfortable that you're wet?”
I
bit my lip, remaining silent. This was freaking embarrassing.
“What’s
your answer?”
I
looked straight at him. “You know the answer. Yes.” I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t like this feeling.”
He
kept his voice low. “You don’t like feeling vulnerable. Despite what you think, Storm, I would never hurt you. Yes, I have particular taste when it comes to sex. But I’m not into pain.” He ran his fingers over my thigh before stroking the damp area between my legs. “I’m glad that you’re completely bare. I don’t want anything to hide what belongs to me.”
I
groaned as my stomach clenched, stifling the need to trap his hand between my thighs while I rubbed them together, grinding on it until I came.
“Let
me show you how it will be between us.” I wasn’t prepared when he thrust a middle finger deep into me. My ass shot clear off the seat. “Hold still.”
I
couldn’t help the pant that escaped before responding. “Knox—I can’t do this. Not here.”
“You
can and will do this—right here. Right now,” he said against my cheek. “Do you want me to stop?” His hand froze.
A
whimper escaped from my mouth. This couldn’t be right. My body was begging and throbbing for him to continue. “No—please…” I swallowed hard as my hands slid to his muscular thigh. “Continue.”
He
growled. “Very nice, Storm.” He arched a brow. “But did I tell you to move your fucking hands from the top of the table?”
He
waited until I slid my hands back to the table. He leaned in, brushing his lips across mine, completely covering them and forcing them apart, sliding his tongue inside with a caress. His finger thrust into me. I spread my legs wider. I didn’t care about the people around me. I needed this too much. There would be no denying him. To hell with the ramifications. With a groan, I tilted my face like a willing sacrifice, sliding my tongue against his, drawing him deeper.
He
nipped my bottom lip, and with one last twist of his finger, a jolt went through my feminine mound. I parted my lips to cry out softly, but his lips covered mine quickly, swallowing my cries. I trembled as his arms pulled me close, caressing my back until I settled. He pulled back with a slow, sexy smile as he licked his finger. “Delicious.”
That’s
when the reality of this situation came crashing back and I realized what I had allowed Knox to do. I struggled to move away, but his arm tightened around me.
“It’s
too late for regrets, sweetheart,” he said.
I
was literally speechless and looked away.
“Eyes
on me, please.”
My
eyes snapped back to him. He nipped my bottom lip. “Never be ashamed of how your body reacts to me. I'm in tune with your body. The result is you coming by my hand on command.”
That's
what I was afraid of, losing all my control to him. The last man on earth that I should. I was speechless when Knox fisted my hair with one hand, kissing me roughly. My legs fell wide open as he worked his fingers in and out of my wet sex with his other hand. I was so lost in his touch that I didn't realize the stage had turned until I heard the thump.
Embarrassed
, I pushed at Knox. “Stop. I can't.”
He
growled. “I'll allow you to run this time. But after tonight, there’s nothing to stop me but one word. Do we understand each other?”
I
nodded because I did. We didn't talk about my safe word, but that's exactly what he was referring to. The only word that would stop him from going full-throttle on my ass.
I
quickly grabbed my cell, not recognizing the number. “Yes?” I asked impatiently, pacing back and forth across the bamboo floors of my apartment.
“Hello
, Stormy.”
Immediately,
I recognized the husky voice. “Hello, Harper. How are you?”
She
laughed. “Frankly, very irritated by having to make this damn call.” She sighed heavily. “But such is the life of a well-paid personal manager to a pain-in-the-ass rock star.”
My
back straightened. What the hell? He didn't even have the respect to call me himself. “Okay, Harper, no offense to you, but I'm not doing this, all right? Tell him to pick up the damn cell and call me himself.” Ugh, I wanted to smack him in face for the balls on him… Stick a finger in me at dinner and I wasn't even worth a call the next day?
“Please
, no drama. It's too early.” She sighed. “Believe me, he would’ve called, but he's doing a live interview as we speak. Hence the call from his blond and simply gorgeous minion.”
I
tapped my bare foot. “Okay, so what does he want now? A pint of blood? The promise of my firstborn?”
“Not
today, love. Maybe tomorrow. He's sending over a dress he wants you to wear to Ryker's charity foundation gala. The rock god said, and I quote, 'your sweet ass is his and prepare to spend the weekend on your knees,' end quote.” She growled huskily. “If you ask me, it sounds like a damn hot weekend.” She purred dramatically. “Can I join?”
I
banged my head against the window.
Damn, I hate him.
“How about you take my place? I don't relish being on my knees for hours. Not that I object to doling out a good blow job, but I don't think I have the knee or jaw stamina to handle it.”
Harper
giggled. “You're too funny. God, I hope he has the smarts to keep you.”
I
rolled my eyes. “Yeah, that's me, a regular comedian.”
“Knox
mentioned that you're a dancer.”
I
interrupted her. “Former, amateur dancer.”
“Same
thing. All I'm saying is that you better do some leg and mouth stretches because it's going to be a long but enjoyable weekend.”
I
whirled my finger in the air. “Yippee. I'm really feeling the excitement.”
“I
would gladly join you on the journey if you were remotely interested in women. Truth be told, that would be the only way I could stomach being around a bare-ass Knox.” She shivered loudly.
I
laughed. I liked her and hoped that after the Knox fling, she and I could remain friends. Goodness knows that having Harper as a friend would make life entertaining. “Well, I think that you’re the only woman on the face of the earth who would say that. Thanks for your willingness to sacrifice yourself for the cause, but again, as gorgeous as you are, I'm still not interested in women.”
“Damn,
that's a shame.” She paused, jostling her cell. “Okay, I have to hurry before Knox finishes his interview. He can be an ass if I'm not standing around at his beck and call. One more thing before I go, you do know about what goes on at Ryker's charity galas?”
I
swallowed hard. Everyone knew about what went on. That's why getting an invite was like winning the lottery… impossible. It was one of the hottest invites in the human and Other social circles. He only invited his wealthy associates who were more than willing to give very generously to his charitable foundation. All for the privilege of taking part in an event notoriously known as an indulgence in freaky, sensual escapades. Each year, the event was bigger than the year before. He was also such an arrogant ass that he notoriously was good for leaving guests wondering if he would even show up to his own event. Nine times out of ten… he didn't.
“Unfortunately,
I do. I'll be there with one caveat. Accommodations must be provided for my cousin and business partner, Light Credence.” If I had to suffer through this, she was going to watch. Well, not literally.
“Done,”
Harper responded. “I've got to run. I hear Knox bellowing like some sort of caveman. See you tonight, Stormy.”
I
needed coffee to process this disaster. Walking into the serving pantry off the reception area, I quickly prepared an espresso before roaming back into the luminous office that overlooked the atrium and gardens beyond. I didn't move when I heard the elevator door open. There was no point. She was coming in and there was no stopping the tornado of chaos. I continued to sip my coffee, staring through the wall-to-wall windows.
“That
bad, huh?” Light asked.
I
turned around to see her tapping her foot impatiently. I sighed heavily before responding. “I just got off the phone with Harper.” Light arched a brow in question. “Knox's manager. And I've been summoned by King Knox to play mistress for an entire weekend at Ryker's charity event.”
Light
clapped her hands with delight. “That's super hot. I wish I was going.” She sat down on the couch, pulling her knees up to her chest as she balanced her coffee mug on her knees.
I
plopped down beside her. “You are. Pack for the weekend, sweet cheeks.” I pinched her cheek, earning a sharp smack on the hand.
She
rolled her eyes. “What's the big deal? I get to enjoy a weekend filled with my three favorite things. Alcohol, sex, and men.” She rubbed her hands together excitedly. “Now tell me what happened last night.”
“Put
it this way. Last night, I witnessed an act so hot that I was practically climbing Knox like a tree.”
“Sounds
about right. Redemption is the hottest sex-capade in town.” She scooted down and rested her head against the fluffy pillow. “Go on, and don't leave out a thing.”
“Picture
it. I'm not going into details.”
“And
why the hell not? When I was Light the sexy witch on the prowl, I gave you blow-by-blow details on my yummy sex adventures.”
I
made gagging sounds. “Uh yeah, but I begged you not to. I still can't get the image of you spread eagle on my desk having sex out of my mind. I was sanitizing it for weeks.”
Light
stared into space with a smile on her face. “Oh yeah, those were good times. Lots of sex everywhere. Oh how I miss sex, glorious sex.”
“You
can still have sex, Light. You didn't make a vow of chastity.”
She
pursed her lips. “Believe me, I would if I could. But just like Demi predicted, the blackout spells only got worse. Sadly, I'm on a no-sex lockdown.”
Sensing
her mounting anxiety, I lifted her legs on my lap. “You do know that her premonition that your empath gift will balance with a ‘Bringer of Death’ is total bullshit, right?” Even though I loved Demi, the daughter of Mom's best friend and Coven High Priestess, I was not a hundred percent believer in all of her visions, which were sketchy at best.
“That's
what I said before my empath issues started getting worse. She specifically said I was destined to beat this empath crap if I just kept my legs closed while waiting for the ‘Bringer of Death.’” She scoffed. “And what did I do? I thumbed my nose at the ridiculousness of her prediction. And guess what happened?” Her fingers trembled. “The more men I slept with, the worse my empath issues got. Look at me. I'm a damn emotional mess. And the alcohol? You can forget that shit. It's not buffering the onslaught of human emotions like it used to. There's nothing worse than being drunk and assaulted by whiny humans and their emotional angst.” She snorted. “As much as it pains me to do it… my legs will remain shut until I figure this crap out.”
I
gave her a skeptical look. “Uh-huh. So in the meantime, my sex life is your porno fix?”
“Hell
yeah! Do you know how depressing it is to live my sex life vicariously through you?”
“Excuse
me?” I shoved her legs off my lap. “I've had plenty of hot sex before Knox.”
“Jeezus,
how many times do I have to say that toys don't count?” She waved at me impatiently. “Can you please move on with the details from last night?”
I
shrugged. “Ryker was on stage, wielding a paddle.”
Light
perked up. “Holy shit! With his submissive?”
“Nope.
Harper. But the scene was the prelude.” I looked at her from the side of my eye. “The finale was Knox getting me off so hard that I swore I saw stars.”
She
clapped. “Good for you, girl. You needed it.”
“Did
you even hear what I said? At the table—finger in me—followed by his tongue down my throat with some heavy tongue action.” I puckered my lips. “The strange thing was he abruptly called his driver to escort me out of the restaurant without even an
it was great fingering you
wave farewell.”
Light
frowned. “And what would be the point of that? By the time he was done getting you off, he knew you’d be so riddled with buyer’s remorse that you were ready to fuck up a good thing by belittling the whole beautiful experience. No, he did the right thing by hustling your tight little ass out of there—priming you for round two.” She wagged her eyebrows suggestively.
My
mouth flopped open because she was right. “Why do I constantly underestimate your cunning wisdom when it comes to all things pertaining to men?”
She
shrugged. “Don't know. I'm brilliant when it comes to three things—shopping, sex, and hot men.”
I
curled my legs under me. “Talking about men… How did the Liam escapade go?”
“Gawd
… boring. I caught myself nodding off twice. All he talked about was his music and money. If that wasn't bad enough, he started coming on real strong like I was going to pull off my thong right there at the table and let him have at it. As if—he was aiming way too high.” She snorted. “No avoidance, back to more interesting stuff. Like how long do you think it will be before you give it up to Knox?”
My
shoulders slumped with defeat. “I’ll be on my knees by the end of the night.”
“He's
that good? One night and you've been converted?”
“Nope,
I'm just realistic about my sticky predicament.” My cell buzzed. Lifting a finger, I said, “Hold on a sec. Let me take this.” I clicked answer. “Stormy Credence.”
“Hello
, Ms. Credence. I'm Detective Burrows,” a man responded curtly. “I'm calling because unfortunately we have some bad news. Your employee Celina Rouse was found dead last night.”
The
room whirled around me. “What? I mean how?” I croaked.
“We
know there was foul play, but the case is still under investigation.”
My
heart raced as I scrambled to pull myself together. “Has her family been notified? Because we—”
“We
called them.” He snorted. “Pardon my language, ma'am, but I don't think they give a shit. But strangely, they were eerily silent when I asked about her employment. Thank goodness Jeff Hunter came forward with her employment information.”
“Jeff
Hunter?”
Light
perked up, motioning to me frantically.
“He's
a reporter. He said that he was doing some expose on Ms. Rouse.”
There
was a long pause so I pressed forward. “Expose?”
“Let
me be blunt. Mr. Hunter claims that you're running some sort of escort business, Ms. Credence. Is there any truth to that accusation?”
“None,”
I responded curtly. “I'm not sure who this Jeff Hunter is, but I can assure you that Credence O. is not involved in anything of the sort. And if Mr. Hunter goes down this road, I will be forced to get my lawyer involved.” I calmed my racing heart. “Now, I think there are bigger issues here, like finding out what happened to Celina. Is there anything else, detective?”
“No
, Ms. Credence. That will be all… for now,” he responded curtly before hanging up.
Light
was looking at me nervously. “Celina's dead?”
“Yes!
And the reporter is talking to the police.”
“Why
didn't her family call us?” Light asked bitterly.
I
looked at her tiredly. “They didn't give a shit about her when she was alive. Why the hell do you think they’d give a shit about her death?” My eyes filled with tears from anger. “Bastards are probably dividing up her assets as we speak.” That was the problem with most of our escorts. They had no family. Or if they did, they were estranged from them.
“Do
you want to call our moms?” Light asked.
“What
would be the point? They’re not going to answer their cells. I'll call Reason and ask her to do some poking around.” I sighed. “The best thing we can do right now is act normal and not raise any red flags. As far as we know, we could be under some investigation. Something that we just don't need.”