Concealment (The Cassano Series Book 1) (11 page)

Adrian

Sweet comments and that damn smile are forging my reservations and desires into a ball of confusion.

The doorbell rings, breaking my gaze at Victoria’s carefree smile and vivid, green eyes.

Opening the door, Kruse hands me a clear bag that cinches with a white string.

“Here are Ms. Stuart’s things.”

“Thank you. I shouldn’t need anything else tonight.” Victoria’s phone begins vibrating the second I shut the door. Holding the bag up, I turn it until I find the screen lit up with a name.

Reggie. What the fuck?

Lowering her belongings, I carry them through the house to the dining room.

“Here are the things from your locker. Uh, your phone was ringing.”

She looks up with the juice box in hand, and her high cheek bones turn pink.

“Thank you, and thanks for the food. It’s delicious. I’m really running up a tab. Please deduct this meal from my check and whatever you paid the guy for his window.”

“No, I will not do that.”

She glares at me. “Yes, you will. I owe it.”

“Are you always this difficult?”

She turns back to her food and taps her nails on the side of her plate. “I must be, considering I’ve been told that since I was a child.”

“Victoria, I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to insult you. I don’t need the money, so I’d rather you let me cover it.”

“The meal but not the window. I threw the rock, so I should pay for it. How much did you give him?”

Looking away, I scratch my head.

“I believe a few grand.”

Her head swings back toward me.

“A few grand?! For a window?”

“It was for more than a window. It was to smooth over the mess you made.” She’s being a real pain in the ass.

Pushing back from the table, she stands.

“I won’t cause you any more messes. I’m calling a cab.”

She reaches for her bag on the table, but I swipe it before she can. “Don’t leave.”

“I shouldn’t be here in the first place.” Victoria is coming toward me, closing the few feet between us. “Give me my things.”

“I told you that you’re not staying alone tonight.” I drop the bag into a chair at the table and yank her into my arms.

Lowering my head to meet her mouth, I force it open with my tongue. I find hers eager to comply, and I soak up the flavor of apple as she whimpers, her tongue drifting along mine.

The way she challenged me with her will has me lit ablaze, desiring her even more. I want to crack open her shell until I find that pearl encased in vulnerability.

I imagine she hasn’t let any man that close, but I’m not any man. I don’t give up. She’ll spill her guts, wanting me to know the truth, so she can feel free to give her body over to me.

I’ll explore every centimeter of its beauty with my greedy mouth and urgent fingertips.

Fuck, as much as I want to sink my raging hard cock into her, I won’t until she’s revealed the truth.

Not letting her lips go, I walk her to the other end of the table. Picking her up, I lay her body on it, and plant her feet on the shiny surface.

She pants and gazes up at me with trepidation. My sweatshirt is at her waist, and I spot the black panties peeking out between her thighs.

“Fuck. Me.
Christ
, Victoria, you’re sexy as hell.”

“Adrian,” she says in a desperate tone, her eyelids weighted with lust. Pulling her thighs apart, I move between them and push the sweatshirt upward until her smooth stomach is visible.

Starting at the top of her panties, my tongue twirls along her velvety skin, moving upward to her chest. She’s not close enough, so I grip her hips and yank her to me.

Her lips part and eyes close as I lean over to take one of her tits into my mouth. Small bumps form around her nipple, and the tip of my tongue skims along them as the peak stiffens.

I can’t resist nipping at it with my teeth before dragging it between them. She moans, and my engorged dick is aching, wanting to be warm inside her.

I sail my wet lips over to her other tit and pay it equal attention. Rising up, I relish in watching her response. Her eyes are squeezed shut, and she pants as her body yearns for a release.

My fingertips glide from the inside of her knee down her inner thigh. She flinches as they skim the front of her panties. The damp satin has me groaning simultaneously with her moans of pleasure.

Fuck
, I’ve got to have more of her.

Victoria

I’m sprawled out on Adrian Cassano’s dining room table. It’s now questionable if I’m worthy of my career in law enforcement.

His fingers stroke my wet panties, causing me to gasp. My eyes open, and he’s piercing me with a lascivious gaze.

Hooking his fingers over the top of the satin fabric, he inches them along my legs and up over my knees until he’s lifting each foot to remove them.

Even though I’m headed straight toward a brick wall, I can’t bring myself to hit the brakes. Adrian will believe this was an act.

I was truly engaged during our many in-depth conversations. He’s intelligent, interesting and caring.

I genuinely find humor in his witty remarks and miss his presence when he’s not near, yet he won’t believe any of it. He’ll think it was all pretend.

There is only a collision ahead, but I can’t stop it. I’m selfish, wanting the attention he gives me.

Adrian’s touch is addictive, the anticipation alone igniting a high … an exhilarating rush to ride on.

“Tell me to touch you, Victoria. Aside from your soaked pussy giving it away, convince me you want it.” His voice is controlled yet commanding.

“I want you to touch me.
Fuck
, please, touch me now …” I’m breathless, my words uttered with desperation.

Two fingers slip into me as his other hand slides up the outside of my leg. It snakes around my knee, and his lips tenderly kiss the inside of it.

Fingers move in time with his thumb that is rubbing circles of pleasure, provoking shameless moans to leave my dry mouth.

An animalistic sound rattles Adrian’s chest, his earnest stare still anchored to mine. His hand moves from my knee and massages my breast.

“Mmmm,” I hum. The pleasure heightens as he twists my nipple and tugs on it. All at once, an orgasm takes hold. “Adrian.”

“Come, Victoria. Come on my fingers. God, I’m dying to fuck you.”

His hot words only add intensity to the sensations already owning me. Feeling slight pain, I notice my nails are curled into my hands, digging into my skin.

Prying them open, I palm the table. Having heaved so much for air, my lungs feel as if they’re breathing in fire.

Lips skim across the inside of my knee again before his mouth settles there, his gaze boring into me as if he’s in deep thought.

“You need to feel better before we have sex, but I still want you in my bed tonight. Wrap your legs around me.”

I do as Adrian says and circle my legs around his hips. Pulling me against him, I feel his erection and the thundering of his heart.

I’m tired and close my eyes as he carries me. I don’t need a bed. This spot right here feels perfect.

Hearing a door open, it’s not long before I’m being lowered to the floor. He turns on a lamp next to the bed, and I take in my surroundings. This must be the master bedroom.

The space is taken up by massive, dark wood furniture, and wide stripes of brown, green and white cover the duvet.

It’s piled with decorative pillows that he’s launching one by one. I lazily giggle. There is a fireplace opposite the wall of the bed and a filled bookcase on the far side of the room.

His penthouse is decorated like a home, not a bachelor’s pad, which is not what I expected. His east coast upbringing is evident in his style, too.

All at once, I recall that he’s about to have me in his bed. “Adrian, I can sleep in one of the other bedrooms.”

He points to the sheets after pulling back the blankets. “I want you sleeping next to me. Now–get in.”

“Bossy much?”

“Yes, so get used to it.”

He’s frustrated. I can sense his sexual tension. Going to a dresser, he pulls out a t-shirt and brings it back to me.

“Here, you might get hot in that.”

I take it from him and lay it on the bed before peeling off the sweatshirt. I’m already sweating from what he’s done to me, so the air hitting my skin is refreshing.

I hear a light grumble before he’s turning somewhat away from me. He unbuttons his white shirt and strips it off.

Next, his loose hanging jeans are removed, and I admire him in black boxer briefs.

“In,” he says after shifting toward me. I wet my lips and find it hard to look away from his chiseled body. He’s all muscle, and they’re sculpted to perfection.

After close to a minute of ogling him, I feel my cheeks warm, so I climb into his king-size bed. “Scoot.” I smile over his bossiness and drag my butt sideways until I’m on the other side.

Hearing our arduous breaths in unison, I consider what I should say after he climbs in and switches off the light. “Um, can I ask you something?”

“Yes, Victoria, anytime.”

“Have you dated a lot of employees?”

“Never.”

“Never?”

“Never. It’s been a rule, and I’m enjoying breaking it with you.”

I chuckle. “Then we have something else in common. I live to break rules.”

“That might be grounds for firing. Then we won’t have to be concerned over rules being broken.”

“No, no, no. I will abide by the rules here at Hotel Submission. I told you I need this job.” An awkward silence takes over as I conjure up the nerve to talk about what he did to me.

“Thank you for tonight. For everything, really.”

“It’s my pleasure.” He lets out a laborious breath. He’s going crazy. The knob is still cranked up on his desire, and I can turn it down.

My fingers find his hard cock. He lets out a hiss from my unexpected touch. I stroke it once through his briefs before I’m trying to remove them. “Victoria, you passed out barely an hour ago. You should sleep.”

“No, take these off.”

“Bossy much?”

“Yes, so get used to it.”

I can’t see him, but I bet he’s grinning. He pulls off his briefs, and I’m soon wrapping my lips around his pulsing cock.

“
Holy fuck
.” Hands shove into my hair and take hold. His instinct to bring me closer has my mouth sliding down his dick, taking it as far back as I can. It’s to my throat before I’m dragging my lips back up.

It’s been forever since I’ve done this, but from his groans, I don’t believe I’ve lost the skill.

He tangles his fingers deeper in my wavy locks, and we get a rhythm going of my wet mouth sliding down to the base as he lightly pushes my head each time.

“Fuck, Victoria, I’m going to come in your mouth.”

I circle the tip with my tongue before taking him as far back into my throat as I can, signaling that I’m not stopping. He stiffens and growls as an orgasm seizes him.

As I swallow the warm, salty liquid, he fists my hair. Harsh breaths and groans take turns leaving his lungs. We both still, and he pulls me up his body until my head is resting on his chest.

I want to remove this t-shirt, so our scorching bodies can be completely pressed against one another, but this still feels remarkable.

Besides my drunken night with Reggie, which I barely remember, it was a few years before that since I was this close to a man.

His arms are around me, fingers lazily playing with my hair. He kisses the top of my head, and I sigh from how relaxed I feel.

I’m normally on edge, anxiety seldom easing, but I feel only contentment as I settle farther into him, fusing to his body.

Victoria

Feeling the drool running from the corner of my mouth, I open my eyes. I’m still plastered to Adrian’s firm body. Carefully and gently, I wipe up the drool I’ve left on his chest.

Shit! What time is it?

I raise my head and look toward the nightstand. Seven in the morning. Dammit, I have to get out of here and fast. Reggie will be at my apartment at eight.

“Adrian, wake up.” He doesn’t move, so I say his name again. “I’m sorry, but I have an important appointment this morning.”

He grumbles and tightens his hold on me.

“No, stay here and rest.”

“I need to go.”

His fingers begin raking through my hair, and I want to stay. Oh, god, I’m in deep shit with this man. I never want to miss work.

His eyes finally open and fix on me.

“Cancel whatever it is and stay here. Hell, I can’t remember the last time I took a day off through the week. I’ll stay in, too.”

I eye him and bite the inside of my cheek. His fingers move hair from my face. “Stay, Victoria.” His tone is soft, not demanding like usual, and his words are dangerously sweet. Yeah, I’m in deep shit.

“OK, I could use a break from the real world, but I have to make a phone call.”

Adrian smiles and removes his arms from around me, so I can climb off the bed. “Um, I’ll be right back.”

He eyes me from head and toe, and I feel self-conscious again. I imagine my hair is a mess, and I’m sure I have makeup under my eyes.

I stroll to the door and walk down the hallway toward the living room. Cutting across it, I reach the dining room, and as soon as I see the table, my heart rate increases.

The image of Adrian at my feet, his fingers bringing me to an orgasm, excites me all over again.

I find my underwear and put them on before digging my phone out of the bag. I see I missed three calls from Reggie last night and another two this morning.

There are also a couple of texts, demanding to hear back before he sends out a unit to search for me. Shit, what am I going to tell him? I can’t call. He’ll figure out that I’m up to something.

I type a text, telling him I’m taking a personal day due to exhaustion. That part is true, and he might believe it since I’m working two jobs. He still won’t like it.

While I’m calling in to the station, I hear a text coming through. After reporting my absence, I read it.

Luckily, Reggie seems relieved more than anything and tells me to rest up. Putting the phone back into the bag, I stroll to the hallway bathroom to freshen up.

Dear lord, why did I even look? After running my fingers through my messy strands, I use a wet tissue to wipe away some of the mascara from under my eyes. That will have to do.

Adrian stares at me as I return to his bed, and I watch as desire reappears in his soulful eyes. Gazing at me for a moment, he drapes his arm over my waist and closes his eyelids.

I’m amazed that he’s not trying to have sex with me, and the selfish part of me is a little disappointed. Knowing we both need more sleep, I rest my eyes, too.