Cravings (18 page)

Chapter 41

“N
o trace of this character, Snake,” Josh said. “We've shut down several of his operations, and have talked with several of his managers. Many of them say they've never met him. But we still haven't talked with his right-hand guy, Andre. They are hot on his trail.”

Sanj was frustrated. Josh was one of the best in the business. If he couldn't find this animal of a man, who could? He'd not heard from Jackson, who was beyond frustrated, and was worried about him. A bit unconventional, Jackson grew up rough, learning how to handle street fights and guns. Somehow he became one of the most artistic photographers Sanj had ever known. And he was Sanj's best friend. The past few times they had scheduled a Skype session, Jackson cancelled, which was worrying.

“What about this Mozingo and his gambling debt?” Sanj asked. “What do we know?”

“He owed the casino about two million. Everidge was coming down hard on him. My sources say Snake was willing to forgive some of the debt if he helped out a bit. The fact Maeve knew Sasha was an extra bonus.”

“So that's why he helped kidnap Maeve?”

Josh nodded. “Not public knowledge, yet. Mozingo's wife? She started questioning some of his accounting practices, was digging into some of the bank records and set off the hackles of someone who must have a connection to Mozingo and Everidge. Maybe another investor in the African farm.”

He closed his laptop.

“Bankers,” Sanj said with disdain. “They are so easily manipulated.”

“So, while we know a lot more than we did, we still have no idea where Everidge is, where he's holding Maeve. Nothing,” Josh said, exasperation in his voice. “I have someone working on a few things. France seemed to be his official place of residence.”

“It's odd we've not heard from him,” Sanj said after a few minutes.

“Well, he may have considered Emma's death was communication enough.”

A pulse of fear ripped through Sanj's body. “I wonder how Sasha is today.”

“She's had breakfast and is at the spa with Yvette doing whatever women do there,” Josh said.

“That's perfect,” Sanj said. “Exactly what she needs. I want to see her for dinner.”

“Boss, I—”

Sanj held up his hand. “Enough, Josh. I want to see her and that's final. You can post as many guards as you like, watch over us like a mother hen. But I'd like to talk with her to make sure she's okay. That was a horrible thing she saw yesterday.”

“Point taken. But her friend Yvette seems to be stepping right in. Good thing they showed up. She insisted on Sasha visiting the spa. Her husband is a shrink. Perfect, huh?” Josh said.

“I'm sure they can take care of her,” Sanj said. “But I guess I'd like to reassure myself . . .”

After a few minutes, Sanj told him, “I can't think.”

“I hear ya,” Josh replied.

“I'm going to run down to the resort's store to see if they have more jump drives,” Sanj said and then left the room. His security officer followed.

Delighted to find Sasha and Yvette there, looking at cell phones, Sanj noticed something odd about Sasha's posture, the way she looked at him.

“Can I talk to you?” Sanj said.

Sasha looked up from the diamond-studded phone Yvette held.

“What's up, Sanj?”

Yvette forced herself to put the phone down. She smiled at the clerk. “Not today,” she said.

“Can I get you something to drink?” she asked Sasha, eyeing the security guards.

“I'm fine,” Sasha said.

“Me, too,” Sanj said, turning to Sasha. “How are you? Are you okay?”

“I slept well,” Sasha said. “The good doctor gave me a pill.”

“I'd like to see you tonight. Dinner?” Sanj said. “I've arranged it with the security detail.”

“I don't know, Sanj,” she said after a few moments. She was calm, almost too calm. Had they given her something? Some drug?

“What's that, Sasha?”

“This thing between you and me? I don't think it's going to work out,” she said, not looking at him. She started to walk away, but he reached for her and grabbed her by the arm.

“Not so fast,” he said, standing. What was wrong with her? Why was she being so cold? “I know you've been through a lot the past few days, but where's this coming from? What the hell?”

Her eyes searched his for a moment then looked away. “It's better to break it off now before either one of us gets in too deep. We're not suited.”

He pulled her toward him, lifted her chin, and kissed her. His response was immediate. The length of him pressed against the inside of his shorts, in a most uncomfortable manner. “Really?” he said. “It seemed to me as if we were quite suited.”

She bit her lip. “Well. The sex . . . yes . . . of course,” she purred. Her resolve weakened. “Still, it's not a good idea.” She untangled herself from him.

“Can we see where this leads? Can we just have a bit of fun?” he said, reaching out and pulling her to him again. “No promises. Just fun. Right?”

She quieted for a moment. “What are you saying? Do you want to be fuck friends?”

“Is that what they call it? I prefer lovers. But yes, let's figure it out as we go,” he said.

“With the focus on the sex? Not on relationship. No ties?”

He nodded, thinking she'd never go for it. A relationship is what women wanted. What was he thinking? Had he just blown it?

“Oh Sanj,” she said and slid herself into him, and with tears in her eyes, gazed at him. “That's exactly what I need right now.”

Did he hear her right? Did she really give him carte blanche to sleep with her and not worry about a future together? Was this woman for real?

Oh yes, she was, and she was filling his arms. In a most delicious way.

Chapter 42

S
asha grinned, sitting across the table from Sanj. Candlelight, soft music, and good food. He was so sweet and traditional she found it amusing—but endearing.

Yvette did not find him charming in the least and they had had words before this evening began. Sasha knew Yvette was simply trying to help—but, as always, Sasha's appetites took over. At least this one was a healthy appetite. Or at least so she thought.

He had gone to a great deal of trouble with the security detail. Doubled security forces outside the front door and doubled outside around the corner from the patio, which sat on the beach. The rushing sound of the water lulled her—as did the chocolate wine.

“The wine is interesting, yes?” Sanj said and smiled.

Oh, that dimple. Those lips. That dark skin.

Intriguing. A man Sanj's age who seemed so vanilla and traditional in his tastes. And yet intrigued by her enough to be here in the middle of all this turmoil. Had they only known each other two weeks?

She nodded. “Where did you get it?”

“Jennifer brought some here yesterday, and I liked it so I sent for more,” he said.

“Where is Jennifer?” Sasha asked. “Usually she's underfoot.”

“The last I heard she was not feeling well. She had too much wine or something,” he told her. “She could never hold her liquor.”

Sasha laughed. She picked up a huge shrimp and bit into it. It was so fresh she swore she tasted its last breath.

“How was the spa?”

“Fantastic. I had the whole chocolate spa treatment. You know, chocolate has a lot of antioxidants, which are very good for your skin,” she said.

“Hmmm, taste this.” Sanj held a spoon up to her mouth. “Cacao gazpacho.”

Sasha wrapped her lips around the spoon and slurped it. The flavors mingled in her mouth, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, peppers, set off by the earthy, slightly bitter cacao. She was in heaven.

The next course brought Sasha's curried coconut and cacao chicken, curry spices in creamed coconut, with cacao nibs scattered throughout. A nib for each bite.

She set her fork down, noticing Sanj's eyes on her.

“I like to watch you eat, I confess,” Sanj said, smiling. “I love a woman with a healthy appetite.”

“That I have,” she said, lifting her glass. “Cheers! But you know some of my appetites are rather . . . unhealthy.”

“Cocaine? We're in a stressful situation . . . what happened yesterday . . . are you okay? I mean I guess I worried you'd want to use,” Sanj said.

“Always,” she said after a moment. “It's like right under my skin, all the time. But I think the best thing is to keep busy, keep my mind occupied on other things.”

“I'm happy to keep you busy on a few other things,” Sanj said and grinned, then reached for her hand and brought it to his lips.

“Mmmm,” Sasha replied. “I'm happy about that, too.”

“How is your chicken?”

“Take a bite,” she said. “It's divine. How about your duck?”

“It's good,” he said, offering her a fork full.

“Oh my God, the sauce,” she said. Bittersweet orange cocoa sauce.

“The white chocolate mashed potatoes are so good, too,” Sanj started to say, but her fork was already on his plate scooping them up.

Food. It was such a good distraction from other things. Maeve. Emma. And Yvette. But like her addiction, she found all three of those women lingering beneath the surface of their evening.

By the time dessert came, Sasha had faded into a chilled-out mood. Nothing else was on her mind but the food and getting into Sanj's bed. Preferably with him tied to the bed. Hmmm. Yes, she liked the image and played around with it in her mind. His dark skin against the white sheets. His long muscled arms spread from post to post and him deep inside her. Then after a whopping multiple orgasm, she'd quite like to sleep for four days. At least. Maybe when she woke up, all would be well. Maeve would be back, Snake would be in prison, and Sasha would be free to get on with her life. Whatever that meant.

The caffeine and sugar in their dark-chocolate dessert would keep her awake, though, at least for several more hours. The dessert was so dark it was almost black—espresso and dark-chocolate mousse served with shortbread and bitter dark-chocolate ice cream.

It was simply the most delicious mousse she had ever eaten.

“It's like my mouth is having an orgasm,” she said to Sanj.

His face drew back, eyes were lit with hunger. “Say that again, please.”

“What?”

“Orgasm,” he said.

She laughed. “Orgasm.”

“Ah, yes. I'm already hard, Sasha. What you do to me . . .” he said, sliding his chair closer to her.

Sasha surprised him—and herself—by sliding to the floor. She unzipped his pants and sure enough—“You're right. You are as hard as marble.”

She scooped her finger into the mousse and swirled it around on the tip of him as he drew in several breaths. Her tongue found the chocolate on the head of his glistening self.

Sasha liked to have a man in her mouth—well, men she liked. Add a little chocolate and she was one happy woman. She rarely took a client like this. But Sam had taught her well. And she enjoyed knowing the way a man felt on her tongue, her teeth, and even on the back of her throat. When she took a man in her mouth, she held his very essence. The sense of power thrilled her. When people thought this act was submissive, they had it all wrong.

Her tongue slid along the tip of Sanj. He was so brown, thick, and long. She swirled her tongue around on him, her hands cupped him, brought him closer to her. Scent of man mingled with chocolate.

He drew in a breath. “Sasha,” he whispered. “You don't have to do this.”

She stopped and looked up at him. “I want to.”

“But—”

“Shhh,” she said, meeting his eyes, watching his resolve melt as she opened her mouth.

He leaned into her with a sigh, as she took all of him inside her mouth. She circled her tongue along his throbbing veins, grazed her teeth along the tip—and she herself began to thrum with passion. She loved his salty, manly taste mingled with the bittersweet chocolate. And from the feel of it—and from his groans, louder now—it would only be a few minutes. His hips thrust forward as she struggled to take it all in and he came in violent bursts. She allowed herself to drown in him.
The man had really needed this.

After, he leaned back. “Whoa,” he said, breathless.

Chapter 43

S
anj had agreed. He allowed her to tie him to the bed. She'd taken the belts from their robes and tied him to the bedpost. He expected to be a little unsettled—given that Josh kept telling him not to trust her. But he thought that meant with his heart. Now he wondered about his body as images of her as a dominatrix flashed in his mind. What if she walked away? Would he be able to untie himself? Why did he find this so exciting?

“It's all about trust, Sanj,” she told him. “If at any time you are uncomfortable, just let me know.”

He relaxed into the feeling of her knowing hands traveling up and down his naked body, carefully not touching the center of him.

“Part of me . . . is very uncomfortable,” he said, glancing at his naked self.

She laughed. “Oh, now it's likely to get even more so.”

Her warm hands circled his nipples—hard nubs growing more sensitive with her touch. She circled them excruciatingly slowly and lightly. He eased into the pleasure of her touch—then a sudden pain rippled through him as she pinched him hard.

“Ow,” he said. It was an involuntary word. A word that made her smile.

“You say ‘ow,' ” she breathed. “But your cock is throbbing.”

Did she just say ‘cock'? Something about the way she said it, her lips sliding over her teeth, the glint in her eyes, the way the word formed in her mouth, made him want to come. It reached something deep inside his gonads.

He groaned, trying to think of something else. Something unpleasant. Spiders. Yes, he'd think of the tarantulas they'd found.

“One of these days, I'm going to introduce your balls to some pain,” she said. “It prevents you from coming and pleasures you at the same time.”

“Hard to imagine,” he managed to say, as he tried to control himself and sort of strained against the ties. He wanted to hold her. Instead he had to give up a certain measure of control and allow her complete access to his body. There were worse things than allowing a beautiful naked woman access to your body.

She straddled his chest, giving him a full view of herself, then leaned her breasts into his face. “C'mon, Sanj, take my nipples in your mouth.”

He opened his mouth. It was difficult to manage her breasts, her nipples, without the use of his hands. She leaned farther into him as he sucked her, swirling his tongue on there at the same time.

His face surrounded by her breasts, he gasped for air. The words “death by breast suffocation” briefly flashed his mind. Well, if you had to go . . .

The soft flesh of her breasts on his face, his tongue on her nipple—he was lost. He would give her anything, do anything for her right now in this moment—a release in his body, mind, and heart.

She slid down his body, taking her breasts back to herself, leaving his face wanting for her flesh. He struggled against the ties again—he wanted to slide his fingers into her. But she maintained control.

The tangle of emotions and lust pulled at him, and despite himself, it turned him on. He wanted her on his face. Dare he ask?

She lay on him, flesh on flesh, breathing softly. An interlude. He wanted to run his hands along her soft white skin, slide them along her ass, and lift it onto him. But she kept the control.

“Stop struggling against the ties, let me have you,” she whispered.

“It's difficult . . . ,” Sanj managed to say. “I want to touch you.”

“I know,” she said. “But we are touching. Touch me without your hands.”

His skin lit with energy. Stomach on stomach, breast on chest, cheek on cheek.

“I want to taste you,” he said.

She pulled away from him. “Are you sure you are ready?”

“I want you on my face,” he said.

“Well, then . . .” she said, sitting up, walking on her knees alongside him. Not a clumsy movement. She was well practiced.

He could feel her heat and moisture as she slid up his body. She began by rubbing herself on his chin. A sharp intake of her breath.

A low murmur escaped from her, then soft mewling sighs. He stuck his tongue on her as she ground into his chin and breathed in the musky scent of her.

She was in his mouth, next, all of her, and she circled into him, ground down on him. He could barely breathe and yet, yet . . . a feeling from deep within him emerged. What was it?

His hips gyrated along with hers. A lightheadedness overtook him. The scent. The sticky, slippery juice. The feeling of her sliding around in his mouth as he licked and sucked her.

Suddenly, she ground down on him harder, jerked and moaned. She shivered everywhere and he almost passed out from lack of air. But he swore he felt every part of her pussy twitch in his mouth, on his tongue.

Now she straddled him lower down—he gasped for air. She orgasmed. So slippery and hot, she took him in. The air felt good in his lungs as he heard himself moaning like he'd never done before. Was it really him in this bed, feeling her move around on him, as every part of his body wallowed in her? He could feel the end of her as she came down hard on him. He twisted, without the use of his arms, and rose to meet each of her thrusts. He dug his heels into the mattress and lifted her with his thrusts. He watched her as she seemed to swallow him whole as he moved in and out of her. She was swallowing him with her sex—and he wanted her to.

He pounded back at her. Pain rippled through his armpits, his wrists, and yet a wet, hot bliss pulled at the center of him. She was uncontrollable now—her head flinging back, as she hitched, moaned, and gasped, coming again—and as he felt her spasm around him, grasping at him, he finally let loose in sweet relief over and over again.