SASSY IN STILETTOS ARe version (26 page)

Sprinting into the maze, he caught up to Jax and
Micha. Jax stood too close to her for Caleb’s comfort. The cameraman was also
there, but that didn’t stop a streak of jealousy from taking over. In three
long strides, he was on them. He snagged Micha by the wrist and tugged her along.

She tugged back. “Caleb. What the hell are you
doing?”

Jax tried to step into his path, but Caleb shot
him a glare. “You want to start explaining who the fuck is trying to access the
private garage bays without authorization?”

Jax paled. “Who’s here?”

“Dark haired. Young. Has keys. Tats. He’s not on
the list today.”

Jax ran his hand through his hair. “Shit. He’s my
nephew. He wasn’t supposed to be home today.”

Micha struggled in Caleb’s grip, but she didn’t
say anything. Just glowered.

Tom came charging into the maze. “Kid’s clean. I
repeat kid is clean. Was looking for tools.”

Jax smirked. “Yeah, he’s working on an old Mustang.
I didn’t think to put him on the list.”

Caleb turned to Jax. “Can you go with Tom to
identify your nephew? My men are under strict orders to detain anyone who’s not
supposed to be here.”

Jax looked like he was going to argue for a
moment, but then he complied.

Micha stared up at him. Caleb stared back. He wasn’t
backing down.  Not when it came to her safety. She might as well get used to
it.

“How could you?” Micha scolded under her breath as
they left the main house.

Caleb ground his teeth. “Look, Micha—” He reached
for her arm.

She snatched it away. “Don’t. This is my career. This
interview was important, and you acted like an overgrown oaf. A jealous,
overgrown oaf. I mean, you can’t do that. I needed this interview to go well. You
think that wasn’t hard for me? It was excruciating. But I was doing my job. I
didn’t need you to make that any harder.”

Shit.
“Micha, I’m
sorry. I didn’t—”

“Stop, Caleb. My life has been turned upside down
in the last two weeks. And then you act like a moron.” She sighed. “Damn it,
Caleb, just take me home, I knew this was a mistake.”

“Oh no, you don’t get to do that. I—” He clamped
his mouth shut as the rest of the security team walked by to their cars. He
waited until they were all headed toward the main gate before he spoke again. “I’m
sorry. You’re right. I acted like an idiot, but I couldn’t sit there and watch
him with his hands all over you. And then that bit where he pretty much told
you he still loved you.”

Micha’s big grey eyes closed for three seconds as
she dragged in a deep breath. “Do you think I’m an idiot?”

What?
“I don’t
understand.”

Micha crossed her arms over her ample endowments. “An
idiot. Do you think I am one?”

“No, of course not.”

“Yet still you think I’m dumb enough to fall for
his line of bullshit? I mean, he’s a fucking actor, for the love of God. He
gets paid to make people believe that he’s in love. He’s full of it.”

“I know men, Micha. And he means it. The way he
looked at you when he came in. Shit, the way he looked at you when he came to
the office last week. That’s a man who wants a woman. And I know how he feels.”

“So you think that cleared you to act like a
moron.”

“I wasn’t acting like a moron. I had your best
interests in mind. He was changing security protocols on the fly. And putting
his hands all over you and acting like he owned you.”

“So you act like an idiot.” Micha threw her hands
up.

Blood boiled through his veins. “You are the most
infuriating woman I’ve ever met.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Good thing you’re not saddled
with me permanently then.” She whirled around and jabbed him in the chest. “I’ve
had enough, Caleb. Of you acting like you own me. Telling me that you love me. Being
crazy in front of a client. I’ve had it. I’m not interested in playing this
merry-go-round with you.” She sniffed. “You know what? I might as well go back
in there and give Jax what he claims to want. His brand of bullshit I know how
to deal with.”

Caleb’s control snapped. “Micha, I love you,” he
ground out.

Her responding slap was enough to sting, leaving a
tingle on his left cheek.

“Stop it. You can’t go around saying things like
that. Like ‘I know you.’ and ‘I love you.’ You can’t do that. You don’t love
me.”

He leaned in, unable to help himself. He was tired
of fighting with her. He was tired of waiting for her to get it. Tired of
waiting for her to see. “Furthermore, you love me too. That’s why you’re so
busy running. You know Sabine isn’t my wife. You know I wasn’t being an asshole
just to be an asshole in there. When the fuck are you going to wake up?” He
kept his voice low. But he knew she heard him. Both her eyes and nostrils
flared. And she telegraphed with her left hand before it made an attempt at
another slap. He caught it in mid-air.

“You hit me again, and I will take you over my
knee.”

He knew her too well, so when she stepped into his
space, he knew what she was up to. Micha was a fighter. Even when she was down
and beaten, she would still claw. She would prefer to go out fighting than to
ever concede. It was one of the reasons why he loved her. But in this case, it
was pissing him off.

Catching her fist before she could do the damage
to his balls that she likely intended, he bound her wrists together in one of
his hands and dragged her around the front of the car. From this angle, they
were completely in the shadows. This was one of the blind spots he’d posted one
of his men in today. Just in case anyone on the expansive grounds wanted to
tamper with their car.

Micha struggled in his hold. “What the fuck are
you doing?”

“If you don’t stop struggling, you’ll hurt
yourself.”

She only pulled harder on her wrists and dragged
her feet. “If you think I’m going to let you spank me, you have another think
com—”

He spun her around to face the hood and landed a
hand firmly on her backside. His palm tingled from the contact, and it made him
hard. God, this woman drove him insane. All he wanted was to love her. How
fucking hard was that? She made it goddamned impossible, but he wasn’t giving
up. Not that he could anyway. He’d invested two years of his life wrapped up in
her. The sooner she realized how he felt and that he meant business, the sooner
they could get on with their lives.

In front of him, Micha squealed and bucked and
tried to kick him. He landed another firm swat on her other cheek. This time
his palm closed over her soft flesh reflexively. God, she was so soft. And such
a fighter. He’d never been into leather and whips, but holding Micha like this
as they struggled for dominance…

Yeah
. He could see the
appeal.

He leaned in to whisper in her ear. “The sooner
you stop fighting me, the sooner I stop smacking you, and we can go home. But
make no mistake. I’m done playing nice with you.”

Micha struggled in his firm grip. He wouldn’t dare
spank her again—would he?  She was strong, but he was far stronger. He
definitely wasn’t hurting her, but he made it difficult to move.

When she finally wiggled an elbow free. She drew
it back into his ribs. He didn’t even have the good sense to grunt.  Instead,
his whisper in her ear was cold and smooth.

“I warned you what would happen.”

The immediate stinging slap on her ass only
infuriated her. “What the fuck?”

“I told you to stop trying to hurt me.”

“I swear to God, you’re a dead man. As soon as I
get free, I’m going to kill you.”

“Micha, I want you to stop fighting me.”

“The hell I will, so you can start spanking me in
public like some perverted freak?” She managed to release one of her legs from
its stance and tried to bring her heel down on his instep. He deftly avoided
what should have been a crippling blow, and instead, wedged his leg between her
thighs. Another stinging smack made her ache. And more humiliating than the
actual spanking was the chaser of arousal. She was not into some guy putting
his hands all over her, nor was she into any kind of submissive shit. Not in
her nature. But still, Caleb spanking her made her insides melt and fire chase
the arousal under her skin.

“Micha, stop it. I’m not going to hurt you. I
would never hurt you. If you keep this up, you’ll only hurt yourself. And that
would turn this shitty day even shittier.”

Her body shook. She didn’t want to keep fighting
him either. Hell, she was exhausted. He was exhausting. Staying away from him
was exhausting. She eventually sagged into his hold, which immediately turned
into embrace the moment she relaxed her body. “I’m exhausted. I don’t want to
fight with you anymore.”

“Then stop fighting. For once. Don’t fight what
you want to do and let me love you.”

There it was again. That word. The tiny voice
inside wished she could believe him. Wished she could hold onto that thread and
believe in it. But she had no idea how to do so. The last time she’d tried, her
whole world had shattered. And given the way she already felt about Caleb, if
she gave in that last little bit, he would have the ability to destroy her. “I-I
don’t know how.”

Caleb kissed her temple softly. “Don’t worry. I
can show you. It starts with me saying I’m sorry. You’re right. I was a total
ass in there. And I deliberately fucked with your interview. I know better, and
I’m a professional. I just couldn’t stand to see his hands all over you. I
honesty considered killing him a half dozen ways.”

Micha chuffed. “Yeah, well, you weren’t the only
one. He was pouring it on a little thick in there. Deliberately trying to
remind me of who I used to be. Trying to make me conjure up images of the two
of us together. All it did was make me mad.”

“I still shouldn’t have interfered. We both know
you can take care of yourself. Hell, I think you might have bruised a rib.”

Shame washed over her, and she immediately turned
in his arms to face him. With her fingertips she traced over each of his ribs.
“Shit. I’m sorry. As you can see, I’m not particularly a fan of being
vulnerable. I reacted instinctively. I’m sorry.”

He winced and placed a hand over hers. “Well, as a
guy who cares about you and your safety, I’m glad your Krav Maga training is
working out. You’re strong.” She touched his ribs again, and he groaned. “Surprisingly
strong.”

She immediately eased up on the pressure, but didn’t
remove her hand.

Caleb’s voice was husky. “I don’t think I need a
doctor for this particular condition.”

Picking up on the unmistakable lust in his voice,
she brought her gaze up to his. His eyes were hooded, his lips slightly parted.
Her heart hitched, and lust thickened her blood. Her response to him was
dangerous. He was dangerous. The two of them were combustible. But she didn’t
care. He insisted he loved her but she didn’t care. She locked away the part of
her that dared to hope, to examine later, but in this moment she wanted him. And
she cared about him. That was the best she could do right now. It would have to
be enough.

***

With a tremor in her hands, Micha reached for
Caleb’s belt buckle.

“Micha, what the hell are you doing?” His voice
was thick and gravelly as he released her hands.

“I’m showing you how sorry I am. I know you wouldn’t
hurt me. I shouldn’t have gone for blood.” She released the belt from the
buckle. When her fingers went to the button of his slacks, he stayed her hands
with his.

“Whatever you’re thinking of doing, don’t. We’re
in a very public place.”

“You said yourself—we’re completely hidden from
all the cameras. Simon gave us this garage bay because it was secure and
private. I want to take advantage of that.”

A deep growl rumbled in his throat when she drew
his zipper down. “Micha, I—”

She reached into his pants and his boxers and
wrapped her fingers around his already stiff erection. She watched him closely
as his jaw tightened and his eyes fluttered closed. His cock jerked in her
hand. She pumped the thick length of him once, reveling in the fact that she
could make him lose control like he did to her. “What was that you were saying,
Caleb?”

“I-I don’t remember.”

She released him from the confines of his clothes
and sucked in a shuddering breath. He was so big. So virile. Her hand looked
small fitted around his thick cock.  Lust flowed in her veins. She wanted him,
craved him inside her, pumping until she lost herself to lust and abandon. But
this was for him, not for her.

Micha sank to her knees, and his soft, muttered
curse echoed on the walls of the garage bay. With her tongue, she laved at the
tip, and he immediately fisted his hands in her hair.

“Micha—You are so fucking good at that.”

As she worked the length of him with her hands,
she teased the tip with her tongue, licking and working her way around the
ridge. She settled her hands at the base of his cock before opening her lips
wide and wrapping them around him.

“Micha, fuck—I—Jesus.” His hands tightened in her
curls to near painful point, then released and massaged.

In a choreographed dance with his hips she drew
him into her mouth, hollowing out her cheeks until the tip of his cock hit the
back of her throat. Forcing her throat to relax, she managed to draw him in
half an inch further. Drawing back, she lifted her eyelids to look up at him. His
gaze burned into hers. She could feel the intensity of his desire, his need,
his love. Slowly she released him to the tip before drawing him fully into her
mouth again. With one hand, she cupped his balls and tested the weight of them,
caressed, then squeezed just enough to get his attention.

“Shit, Micha. I can’t hold on if you do that. You
feel, so—aah, fuck.”