Cyber Seduction: Across A Crowded Room (IATO Series Book 3) (3 page)

Her body responded, turning into his. Her warm breath flicked over his lips, her hands glided down his chest and abs until she stroked him in one hand and cupped him with her other. Her lips brushed his chest as she rolled him to his back and traced the path her hands had taken moments earlier with her tongue. When her lips surrounded the crown of his cock, Jason did everything he could to keep from thrusting the way he wanted. Instead, he forced himself to lie back and allow her to torture him in the most delicious ways imaginable. He didn’t want to know where she’d learned her techniques, but she was one of the best, damn her. So innocent, so curious, so ravenous, so fucking determined.

He gripped her head in his hands and lifted her face. “Come up here and kiss me.”

“If you insist.” She glided up his body one slow inch at a time, kissing along the way, and dragging her breasts against his skin as she went, until at last, she straddled his waist. He could feel her hot, wet core pressed against his lower abdomen. The tension building inside him was pure agony. She was a natural at this type of seduction, too good for his own good. He needed to be inside her, and he needed it now.

“Mount me. Ride me. Take control, Em.”

She rose up, scraping her nails lightly over his nipples and then down his sides as she did. He shivered as the sensation sent ripples to the base of his spine.

She scooted behind his cock and played with him, ringing the tip and stroking him lightly. He gripped his self-control tight as she rose up on her knees, and then sank down over his erect shaft, slowly encompassing him in agonizingly exquisite heat. When he was entirely seated inside her, he arched up, thrusting his full length deep, his balls pressed against her bottom, and his cockhead touching her womb. Damn, she was wet, tight, and hot. This angle gave her the control to pump, and he liked how she felt clenching him and taking him deeper with her rhythm. Her movements started slow as he gripped her hips in his hands, guiding her until she built up the momentum herself with the passion growing within him. Her tempo kicked up, and she increased the pace. But he needed more. He flipped her to her back with one swift movement and held her wrists above her head. He paused at her entrance, then pressed himself into her, hard and deep, with one swift thrust, and then he started the quick, firm strokes that they would need to bring them both to orgasm. He struggled, holding off the rising pressure behind his balls begging him to release, until he felt her internal spasms signaling her climax. As the flood of pleasure hit him full force, her hot channel clenched around him, her wet heat drowning him in ecstasy.

She was never going to forgive him for tomorrow. Once she found out what he really had to do with Jacqueline to convince everyone he was still the same old
love ’em and leave ’em
Jason, she’d hate him. When he thought about what he had to do to save his cover, how was he going to send her off with Mosel so the other man could pick up the pieces of her broken heart?

* * * *

Kate and Jorge waited at the train station for Emily. She seemed anxious to start their day. Everyone had been briefed on the plan accordingly.

It was drizzling. The rain came down in a steady fine mist all morning. “Good,” Jason thought. It would slow down traffic and give them more time before they arrived at the station. The overcast day was as gray and dreary as his mood. God, how he hated sending her off now.

When he reached for her during the night, she responded as enthusiastically as she had earlier. He was thankful for their physical relationship, because he needed her more emotionally than he ever imagined possible. At least the physical covered up his emotional need. They’d slept wrapped naked in each other’s arms, and he made love to Emily several more times. Desperate to mark her, he suckled her breast and neck, leaving behind an enthusiastic love bite, as if putting his stamp on her claimed her. He hated the idea of being separated from her. And when she stirred again right before daybreak, he pushed into her soft responsive warmth—quietly and gently—making love to her. Did she know his secret? That somehow being inside her pushed aside his fears, the ugly past.

His anxiety wasn’t just about the separation or making up for lost time. Jason was sending her off to be with another man, one he didn’t trust at all, one she admitted she found attractive. He knew Mosel’s innate sexuality enticed her, and he might be the one man who could threaten his relationship with her.

Anything could happen when he put her at Mosel’s mercy. Their imminent separation could be permanent if the attraction she felt to Mosel was real, stronger than Jason believed. How many times could she deny him? What if he was playing with fire?

Neither of them seemed to want to talk about the future. Instead, they chose to ignore the potential consequences and concentrated voraciously on their lovemaking. It was too difficult to face the possible danger each of them would be risking in the coming weeks.

Even though Jason had revealed some of his emotions to Emily, they both knew they’d never be free to explore love and a future until they acknowledged their demons. This was their best chance to settle up.

“There they are.” Emily wouldn’t look at Jason as she waved to the couple waiting. She was using every ounce of her energy to prevent from sobbing and begging him to stay with her.

“I’ll just get out here.” She still didn’t turn to him, but she couldn’t resist the question haunting her. “What time are you meeting Jacqueline?”

“Em?” Jason put his hand on her leg.

“When do we catch the two of you going into the hotel?” The unasked question hung in the air like a fog.
How far will you go to convince her I was just an easy conquest?

“Please, don’t.” Jason felt her pain. He knew he was feeling the same way, worrying about what she would have to do to regain Mosel’s interest. “I’m not going there over this. We’re
both
going to do what we have to do.” He clenched his jaw and his voice cracked. “And, we’re not going to discuss it
ever
again.”

“No.” Emily glared sharply at him, realizing he was thinking about her and Mosel. “I’ll see you in two weeks. We’re going to finish this so you and I can go on from here. Right?” Tears brimmed but didn’t spill. She blinked them back.

“Right! This time we’re all working together. All of us will have closure. We won’t feel like victims anymore. But Emily, be careful. Mosel’s dangerous now on more than one level. Don’t take any chances. You know I couldn’t survive if—”

“I won’t.”

He gave her that lopsided grin.
That damn dimple of his
, Emily thought. It undid her. Tears poured from her eyes as she turned and ran from the car without a backward glance. By the time she reached Kate and Jorge, her face was wet with tears and rain, but she had her practiced smile on.

“Okay, you two, let’s get this act going.” Emily grabbed and hugged them both—partly for effect if anyone was watching, and partly because she needed the physical contact of friends she loved.

After wandering the shops and stopping for coffee and baguettes mid-morning, Emily checked her watch and knew it was time to meet Mosel. The group positioned themselves near the hotel lobby where the two were staying, just in time to see Jason enter with Jacqueline on his arm. The sight made her visibly sick, wondering what lengths he was willing to go. But the ache in her gut confirmed she knew how seriously he took his job. Emily didn’t have to do much acting to seem devastated, not knowing he’d be naked in bed with Jacqueline in moments. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to maintain his cover, now more than ever.

God help him, where did he get the energy after this morning and all last night?
She was torn between screaming and crying, and tearing the bimbo’s hair out. Being jealous was insane under the circumstances, since she’d be facing the same situation with Mosel soon.

It didn’t matter that Jason had agreed never to return to this moment when it was over, because the jealousy almost knocked her on her ass when Jacqueline looked at her like she’d won the lottery. Emily only hoped when the time came, she’d have the willpower to let it go.

Thank God, Jason never looked up to acknowledge her. Kate and Jorge edged Emily to the bar where Mosel had agreed to meet them. Kate patted Emily, whispering in her ear. “Emily, it’s all right. Isn’t this exactly how it’s supposed to go? So why are you so pale?” she asked.

“I’m worried about him.”

“That empty look in your eyes looks all too real. What’s wrong, did something else happen? Did he—?”

Emily shook her head. How could she admit to spending the night making love to a man she was sending off to be with another woman? This was so screwed up.

Mosel sat at a table in the back waiting for them. He stood as they approached, reached up to shake Jorge’s hand, and kissed first Kate on both cheeks, then Emily. He paused. “
Meine liebling
, what is the matter? Are you ill?” He looked to Kate for an answer as Emily just stared straight ahead. Kate only shook her head in warning to him.

Emily gazed down at her hands in her lap. “I’m fine. Only I’ve made a terrible mistake.” She choked naturally on his name, imagining his mouth doing things to Jacqueline he’d just finished doing to her. “Jason, Jason DesJardin is here in this hotel, with someone else.” There was no pretending her pain when she thought of Jason touching Jacqueline’s lush breasts, of her kissing his broad chest, or envisioning her hand.... She stopped her rampant thoughts. They were upstairs in the hotel suite doing what Jason had to do to prove he was what he’d always been.

A frown crossed Mosel’s face. He lifted a brow, but he didn’t seem surprised. Instead, he reacted sympathetically, and she’d be damned if he didn’t seem to mean it. “I am sorry he hurt you. You know, I suspected this might happen when I saw you together.” He patted her shoulder. “I didn’t feel comfortable letting you leave with him last night, but what was I to do? Wouldn’t I just have appeared jealous?”

She kept her gaze lowered and nodded. He lifted her chin gently and looked into her eyes. “DesJardin’s reputation is quite infamous.”

If she weren’t so upset, Emily might have laughed at the irony. Both of these players were warning her off the other. She shook her head. “No, there’s nothing you could have done. It was chemistry, and I was a fool.”

She paused. “I don’t know what got into me. I’m usually so grounded. This behavior is so out of character. The palace, the atmosphere, and he appeared to be Prince Charming.” As she thought about what Jason was doing, she had no problem bursting into tears.

Kate and Jorge sat quietly, absorbed in the drama. The theatrics seemed real enough that Kate looked suspicious. She acted too sympathetic and furious not to see something else was going on besides what had been their original strategy.

Emily got up and excused herself, claiming a need to get herself under control. This was Kate’s cue to follow her. She stood to go with her, mouthing over her shoulder to the men that she’d watch over her.

But then Kate leaned on the table as Jorge looked on, concern written all over his face. She kept to the script. “I–I’m really not feeling well myself.” She expressed her regrets to the men as she stumbled away from the table, following Emily into the ladies’ room.

The plan was moving along well. Now all Jorge had to do was wait until the women were out of range and confide to Mosel that Kate had been in poor health lately.

Shortly after Kate arrived in the bathroom lounge, she collapsed on an elaborately carved wooden chaise upholstered in gold-threaded brocade. “He really hurt you, didn't he?”

“I did it to myself, again.” After waiting several heartbeats, Emily took a deep breath. “I can’t think about that now. If you want to help me, focus on the plan. I don’t want to fall apart.”

She pinched Kate’s cheeks until she looked feverish. “Here it goes. Wish us luck.”

Emily ran back to the table, hysterically breathless. “Come quickly!” she yelled. “Something is wrong with Kate!”

“Kate didn’t want you to know that she hasn’t been well lately.” Following behind Emily, Jorge reconfirmed his story loudly enough for Mosel to hear. “She keeps having these dizzy spells and becomes extremely feverish. I wanted her to see someone before we came, but she said she’s being treated and it’s not serious. I did make her check in with a physician here when we arrived. I’ll call ahead.” He stopped at the bank of phones outside the restrooms and placed a quick call.

Before Mosel stepped through the door to the lounge area, he heard Jorge identify himself, ask for Dr. Rincon and give a brief explanation of the situation. He listened as Jorge received directions.

Mosel watched Emily use the elaborately embroidered hotel hand towels from the pink marble counter, turning the cold-water tap to full and quickly wetting them. Without a word, she handed the cold wet cloths to Jorge, who had already loosened Kate’s blouse so he could begin wiping down her face and chest.

“Where is the doctor, Jorge?” Mosel asked.

“She’s at Princess Grace Hospital. Can we arrange for a car to take Kate there immediately? This is apparently more serious than she wanted to let on.”

“Of course, I’ll have mine brought around.” Mosel agreed. “Do you want to carry her, and the valet can have the car out front for you? I’ll only be a minute. Are you going to be all right, Emily?”