Unexpected Destiny (Assassins and Sweethearts Book 3) (10 page)

He bent and looked directly at her. “I believe you.” Then he pulled her against his chest and kissed her forehead. “I do.”

She melted against his hard body. “You’re the assassin in this room, remember?”

“That’s right. I am.” He pushed her back to the wall. His tone turned low and deep. “It probably disgusts you. You probably want to run from me.” His hard body held hers in place and his thick cock pushed against her hip.

“No.” She focused on him. “I want you.” She blew out a breath. “Don’t push me away.”

He brushed her collar bone with a feather light touch. “Why aren’t you frightened of me?”

“Don’t you see? This Aidan doesn’t scare me.” She dragged her teeth across her bottom lip. “This Aidan makes me come undone.” Warmth flooded her core. All she wanted now was for Aidan to command her body, bring them together in a way that erased all the ugliness bombarding their lives.

He brushed her hair behind her shoulders and then dragged his touch down the side of her neck and to her breast. “Do you know what else we use this room for?”

“Tea and biscuits?” A bubble of tension tingled along her fingers and toes.

“Cute.” He tugged on a lock of her hair. “Gavin originally commandeered it for interrogations but the room’s purpose changed once Ethan brought in the furniture.”

“The bench.” She pointed to the one with different levels. “It’s not just a bench.”

“Nope. You trust me?”

“I do. I’m not scared of you either, Aidan. I’m scared of losing you, losing your trust. You’re all I’m hanging on to.” She pressed her palms to his firm chest. “Please tell me you believe me.”

“I do, baby. I’m sorry I had to ask you those questions. I couldn’t get through it unless I questioned you like I did. But now that it’s done and we’re in this room I can’t ignore what we need. Tell me again you trust me.”

“I trust you, Sir.” She held still.

“Submit to me. Here, in this room, will you submit to me?” His gaze darkened.

“It would be my honor, Sir.” She took a deep breath.

“All you have to say is read and I’ll stop. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir. I understand.” She waited for his command. With each second, her heart eased into an even rhythm.

“I want you to strip and then climb on the bench.” He pulled his own shirt over his head. “Will you do it for me?”

“Yes, Sir.” She’d do it because she belonged to him. Her heart belonged to him. This was her forever, no matter how long it lasted. She yanked her t-shirt off. In a matter of seconds, she’d removed everything and straddled the bench. Her fingers wrapped around the front grip and she waited for his next demand. Cool air drifted across her pussy. “Aidan?”

“I’m here.” His fingertips danced over the sides of her ass. “You’re beautiful. Do you know that?”

“I feel beautiful when I’m submitting to you.” She licked her lips.

“I have countless ideas for how I plan explore you.” He dragged his fingers down her breast, plucked her nipple and repeated the action on the other side. His touch lingered everywhere.

The bench spread her legs apart, leaving her pussy and ass exposed and waiting. “This is a spanking bench, right?”

“It is.”

“Are you going to punish me?”

“Is it what you deserve?” He took an unyielding grip on her hips. “And don’t forget to address me properly when we’re at play.”

“Shit, I forgot. Sorry, Sir.”

“Very good.” He rubbed in big circles around her hips and down to the backs of her thighs. “Maybe I should punish you.”

“I trust you, Sir.” This was why they worked. She needed all of him. Not just the Aidan who could save her life, but she also needed the Aidan who understood her.

“I’d like to spank your ass until your beautiful skin turns a nice rosy red. I won’t bruise your flesh, but I can assure you that you’ll feel it tomorrow.” He kneaded her ass. “I’d love to secure your ankles and wrists. In the restraints, you’d display your complete surrender.” His grip on her was firm as he pressed his hard cock to her seam. “Would you like that?”

“Oh gosh, yes. I want to experience it all with you, Sir.” With each idea, her pussy got warmer and warmer. She arched her back and pressed her pussy to his dick.

He smacked her right cheek. “Stop moving.”

“Sorry, Sir.” There was so much she didn’t know about submission but she yearned to absorb it all. Her body was ready for anything.

“I don’t think we’re ready for restraints and we don’t have time for me to spank your ass properly. Those will have to wait.” He spread her cheeks apart. “Tell me, have you ever been taken back here?” He blew over her ass making her even more aware of how open she was to him.

“Never, Sir.” It had taken her by surprise in her reading. Never had it occurred to her as something she’d want to experience until she’d read those scenes. The idea of submitting to someone in that way awoke a brand new desire deep inside. Just the thought had her breathing faster. It took everything in her to hold her position.

His touch pushed on the top of her cleft and then drifted down to circle her rosette. “You would like it though, I think.”

“Yes, Sir.” She moaned. The idea of Aidan pushing his finger inside or pushing in a toy while his cock filled her pussy had her dripping in want. “Please, Sir.”

He squirted something cool down her cleft.

“Oh, Sir.” The gel or whatever it was eased its way down the crack of her ass.

He pushed a finger into her pussy and then continued his circles around her back entrance. “That’s my dirty girl. You’re already wet. This kind of play turns you on, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, Sir. Your touch does this to me. I love feeling you everywhere.” Her eyes drifted close. “I am yours.”

“I need to get inside you.” He dragged his thick cock head through her slit. “I can’t wait any longer.” He thrust his dick into her pussy. At the same time, he eased his fingertip into her ass.

She cried out. Sensations blossomed around her. Bright and dark vibrations shook her core.

“Yes, let me hear you.” He pulled out and then he surged back in, until he filled her completely, but his finger remained just inside her back entrance. “You like getting fucked like this, having both of your entrances used, don’t you?”

“I love that it’s you using them, Sir. I love it when you use my body.” Each time they came together, more of the pretense drifted away revealing their true desires. She pushed against his invading finger and he slid farther inside.

“You are my dirty girl.” He pushed against her back entrance with another finger and her body accepted him. “It turns you on when I take you like this, doesn’t it?”

She moaned, unable to form words.

He slapped her ass with his free hand. “Answer me.”

“Yes, Sir.” Holding still and taking what he gave lit a fire within her. He took what he wanted from her. She was intoxicated by the staggering weight of pleasure pushing through her. He was everywhere.

“Fuck, your pussy is tight.” He slammed into her over and over. The smacking of their bodies filled the room. “Someday soon, I will claim this sweet ass.”

“Please, Sir.” Sparks of bliss consumed her.

He fully seated himself within her and then rocked the fingers in her ass back and forth. “No part of your body is out of my reach.”

“I am yours.”

He returned to fucking her pussy while he pushed his fingers all the way inside her back entrance.

She screamed. Her release forced its way through. The blast of pleasure captured her and locked her in the moment. She never wanted it to end.

He pounded into her several more times before he roared in release.

The echoes of their cries drifted away to reveal their heavy breathing. He surrounded her with his heat. Comforting warmth came from every direction. Eventually, he pulled from her and helped her to stand. “Come with me. There should be blankets in the lockers.” He took her hand and pulled her with him.

She found a blanket while he washed his hands. Then they sat on the bench and she curled into his arms.

“You did beautifully.” He pulled her close to his side.

“That was better than I ever imagined it could be.” She breathed him in, wanting to remember everything about what they’d shared.

“Thank you for opening yourself to me.” He caressed her hair. “Especially after I had to ask you about some difficult things.”

“Is that what the meeting was about?”

“My friends don’t know you like I do and, as they unraveled the situation, it left a lot of questions.”

“I’d say so.”

“You’re a strong woman, Elizabeth.”

Chapter
Ten

Aidan kept Liz close to him on their cab ride to her place. Gavin and Clair may have set him on a fool’s errand with Liz, but it had revealed more to him than he could ever have hoped to learn. He squeezed Liz’s hand and she rested her head on his shoulder.

They hadn’t talked since they left the restaurant. He didn’t want to think how close he’d come to losing her just now. Pushing her for information could have been too much for her. Hell, taking her in the way he had might have pushed her away as well. In return, he caught a glimmer of her strength. One of the reasons he never let his lovers get too close had to do with that very thing. His heart felt lighter than it had in years.

They were in the middle of a terrible mess. At least two men were searching the city to kill her. He actually held a contract for her life and, since he had no intention of hurting her, the contract would soon turn on him. It was quite possibly the worst time to fall for a woman. But he couldn’t help it.

At least, she’d never met Viktor. That one fact may keep her alive in the long run. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head.

“We’re going to be okay, right?” She looked up at him like he held all the answers. If only it were true.

“Sam’s keeping an eye on the two men we saw in your apartment earlier. His tracker tech is working. He’ll let us know if they head our way.” Aidan pulled out his phone and texted Sam with Viktor’s name and a request to research how the man fit into the mix.

“I’m not looking forward to going back to my apartment.” She rubbed the locket on her grandmother’s necklace between her fingers.

“This will be the last time you have to go in there. I need to have a look around and you should too. It will give you one more chance to pack a few things.”

“Good idea. I might have missed something I want to keep. It’s hard to think when I’m pissed off.” She nudged him.

“Oh, right. That was the first time you were jealous today.”

“Hey, it’s not something you should brag about. And it wasn’t just jealousy, if you remember.” She nudged her elbow to his ribs.

“No, but I like seeing proof you like me.”

“I more than like you.”

“I know.”

She picked at a loose thread in the seam of her jeans. “It will be good to take one last look around and then walk away.”

“I’ll be with you the whole time.”

“Thank you.”

They got out of the cab several blocks away from her building and kept to the alleys on their way to the back door. Neither of them said a thing until they were in her apartment. The door was closed but it was still unlocked. They walked in and stopped.

“They really did a number on this place.” She kicked at the glass covering the floor. “Good grief.”

“It’s strange. I see no pattern. It doesn’t look like they were looking for anything.”

“They just trashed my place for fun?” She shook her head.

“Maybe. The only thing untouched is the television.”

“I think one of them plans on taking it once they kill me.” She picked up the bottom of a broken vase and threw it at the television. A defining crash of thick glass sprayed the floor with more debris and the vase hung from what remained.

“Did that feel good?” He tugged on a section of her hair.

“It did.” She tossed her hair behind her shoulder. Damn, she was cute. He admired her soft round ass as she strolled through the wreckage.

He followed her to the bedroom. To some it may seem strange to destroy something of your own but Aidan understood the need to take back some control. “Their goal was probably simply to scare you into doing something stupid.”

“Like hiding in an unlockable room.” She shook her head. “I could be crazy, but I think they knew about the safe room. They knew it wasn’t finished. Could that be possible?” Her voice shook.

He took hold of her hand and squeezed. “Well, according to what we’ve heard, it’s possible Reese is alive.”

“So, what, the bastard fakes his death, then comes back for shits and giggles to hire someone to kill me?”

“If he is alive, this could be the next phase in his plans.” He squeezed her hand again. “And it seems his partner in all this was the one who hired the two men who were here earlier.”

“Do you know who it is?” She turned to him.

“Let’s talk about this when we get back to my place. Go have a look around.”

“Aidan, if you know something about this man, you need to tell me.”

“Elizabeth.”

“Don’t Elizabeth me. Just tell me. Is it someone I know? One of my friends?”

“If I tell you, will you get back to our purpose for being here?”

“Sure.” She tugged on his hand.

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

“Fine, you can take me back to your dungeon and give me a proper spanking if I don’t.”

“Well, now I kind of don’t want you to get back on track.” Distraction had never been so sweet.

She swatted at him. “Take me back there anyway, okay?”

“All right.” He caressed her cheek and watched her for a second. Damn, she was beautiful. He hated having to break her world apart. The light still shone in her eyes and he didn’t want to be the one to take it from her. He widened his stance. “Viktor bought the other contract.”

She pulled out of his embrace and walked backwards a few steps.

“That son of a bitch.”

He followed her. “It’s all we know. We don’t know the arrangements between Viktor and Reese. We’re just assuming at this point that both of them are trying to have you taken out. It all very well could be a smoke screen for what’s really going on.”

“They already conned me out of my grandma’s money, why kill me now?”

“I’m not certain, but wanting you dead must have something to do with their business. With these guys, it’s all about money and power.”

“Their business is gambling?”

“Maybe.” He shrugged.

“Just tell me everything, please.” She rubbed her forehead. “Does it have something to do with the villa?”

“Viktor has a long history in human trafficking. A shipment of women was stopped not long ago and they were headed to your villa.”

She stepped back like he’d stung her. “I think I’m going to be sick.” She stumbled and fell on the bed. “Are those women okay?” She looked at him like he had all the answers.

“Yes, they never left Chicago. They’ll be fine.” Eventually they’ll be okay. He hoped.

“They’d planned this from the beginning.” She hung her head. “I was just a means to an end. Happily ever after was never in the plan.”

“We really don’t know how Reese was involved.” He sat next to her.

“It was all a sham. Don’t you see?” She got up and walked to the window. “He swept me off my feet and I believed him. He took me to Italy and I bought that piece of paradise for us. I believed his lies.” She looked at him, tears filling her eyes. He wished he could wipe it all away, make all her pain disappear.

“You had no reason not to believe him. You’re a beautiful woman worth loving. It should have been true.” He wanted to pick her up and cradle her in his arms, but he knew it wasn’t what she needed. Her strength, even now with her world crumbling around her, was on full display.

“My dream wasn’t for me.” She crossed her arms. “Viktor probably approached Reese about his plans before he even met me. I was just a target who paved the way with the perfect cover for them to take those women.” Her shoulders rolled in and she hung her head.

“Now hold on.” He eliminated the space between them and knelt in front of her. “Did you make Viktor take those women?”

“No.”

He grabbed her hands. “Did you drag the women into the house and force them to stay? Did you arrange for their sale?” He stood and tapped her chin until she looked at him. “If anything is true, you have to see their biggest mistake was targeting you, Elizabeth.” He took hold of her shoulders. “You will be their undoing.”

“What can I do?” She closed her eyes.

“Don’t you see?” He wrapped his arms around her. “You’re doing it already.”

“I’m not doing anything.”

“That’s not true. Something you did forced them out of hiding. They’re taking great risk coming at you this way and they won’t win. We’ll take them down. We’ll take them all down.” He pulled back and tapped her under the chin again. “And it’s because of you.”

“I don’t know. What if we don’t make it through this? I don’t know if I can handle much more.”

“I know the feeling.”

“You do?” She watched him. Her eyes were big and overflowing with unshed tears. “I’d never guess it.”

“Not as much as I used to but it’s still there and it’s what keeps me alive.”

“How?” She tilted her head and wiped at the corner of her eye.

“Fear keeps me in check. It’s what keeps me focused.”

“Do you have it right now?” She rubbed the backs of his hands.

“Of course I do. Fear is always a constant hum in the background of my mind.” Even more so now since he was worried about her. It was one of the reasons he preferred to work alone.

“I guess we should do what we came to do and then get out of here.” She tucked her hair behind her ears and walked back to her dresser. The woman had more strength than she realized. More strength than he realized.

“You’re right.” He went in search of Reese’s office space. Hopefully he left something behind to confirm their suspicions.

“Aidan.”

“Yes?” He stopped just outside the doorway.

“Thank you.” She turned back to her dresser and placed her jewelry box inside her purse.

A deep smile spread through him. He needed to get her out of this mess. They deserved several long days with nothing between them. He damn well sure needed to taste her again. He licked his lips and then quickened his pace. Each additional minute they spent there added to the danger.

The office was located just off the other side of the kitchen. It was neat, like never-been-used neat. He examined the few pictures on the wall. No signs of a safe. The burrow behind the desk was the next best option. He opened the cabinets. Nothing.

If they were going to get close enough to take these men down, they were going to need something, anything to confirm their suspicions. He pounded his fist on the desk. A popping sound came from the other side. He walked around and found a secret compartment.

“Hot damn, maybe it is my lucky day.” He pulled what looked like a small warn accounting journal from the skinny vertical drawer. A piece of paper fell to the floor as he slid the little book into the inside pocket of his coat. He bent and picked it up.

A deed. The address listed was in Castiglioncello, Italy, and the place was in Liz’s name. If Liz was killed and Reese came back from the dead, the place would be his. The pieces were finally coming together. He folded the deed and shoved it in next to the journal, tucking them both inside his pocket.

He looked back inside the drawer. Nothing else appeared to be inside but he pulled it all the way out to be sure.

Elizabeth’s scream cut through the air. He dropped the drawer and ran. A thick damp fog spread through him, shortening his stride. It took him way too long to cut through the kitchen.

A man was in the bedroom with Liz. Air rushed in and out of him. The fucker pointed a gun straight at her. If anything, he wanted the gun pointed at himself. “Hey!”

They both turned to him.

Reese Martin. The not-so-dead husband waved his gun back and forth between them. “You have interesting taste in men, sweetheart.”

“Don’t fucking sweetheart me.” With her wide stance and scrunched expression, Aidan wondered if she even noticed the gun pointed her way.

“Oh come on, Bethy. I missed you so much,” Reese said.

Aidan pressed the record button on his watch. With any luck they’d get Reese’s confession.

“Save it. How could you do this?” Liz’s voice cracked. She cleared her throat. “Do you know I had you declared dead?”

“A lot quicker than I thought you would too. I told them you were the perfect mark.” He shook his head. “You were supposed to move out and move on with your life. You know, start over after your devastating loss.” He rubbed his chest with his free hand. “If you had, our arrangement could have gone on indefinitely. I had it all setup. I didn’t want you getting hurt, baby.”

“Oh, give the man a medal. You stole my money for despicable purposes.” Her body shook. “Made me think we had the fairy tale.”

“I know. You’ll never know how sorry I am.”

“Bullshit.”

“I left you all my money.” Reese shrugged. “Don’t say I never did anything for you.”

“It’s nothing compared to what I put into the villa.” She clenched her fingers. “How could you use that beautiful place for the sick things you do?”

“It was all Viktor’s idea. I wasn’t on board until I saw the numbers. You should see the money to be made. It will blow your mind.”

“Don’t you dare talk about the money you’re making. You’re stealing lives!” She shook her hands.