Deceived (23 page)

Luke pressed kisses to her forehead, her cheek, before finally claiming her lips. And that moment was all that mattered.

Stone excused himself from dinner when he saw the text come through, offering apologetic smiles to the dignitaries and their spouses. “Please forgive me,” he said, rising to his feet. “I'm afraid I have an urgent call to make.”

He gestured toward Allison, who was even more stunning than usual in the designer dress and diamonds he'd insisted on buying for her for the occasion. They'd had the desired effect, charming his guests precisely as he'd intended.

“I will leave you in the care of my lovely companion.” He cast an adoring look her way. “Ms. Holt is far more enchanting than I could ever hope to be.” She flushed prettily, lowering her lashes to try to hide her pleasure at his praise.

As he turned away from the dinner party, he caught the knowing smiles that passed between his guests.
Excellent
. He couldn't have asked for a better result after introducing his former assistant to some of the world's most powerful leaders. The evolution of his image to prepare the way for his ascent to power couldn't be proceeding more perfectly.

And now, it seemed, there was even more good news. As soon as he was in his study, he dialed Evans's number. The phone rang only once before the man answered.

“Sorry to interrupt your dinner,” Evans drawled. “Getting the prime minister is quite a coup.”

Stone wasn't taking the bait and demanding to know how the son of a bitch knew anything about the private party. He wasn't naïve enough to think Evans didn't have eyes on him at every moment, reporting back on his smallest move to ensure he could be trusted. Just as he suspected Evans was aware that Stone had done the same to him and had several of his faithful already camped out in the small Wyoming town where Evans was currently staying.

“When do you start?” Stone demanded. “We're rapidly running out of time.”

“I don't need to actually
start,
Stone,” Evans assured him. “I just needed them to invite the job candidates in so I can get what I need.”

Stone bit back his angry retort at the bastard's condescending tone. Instead, he kept his own tone mild when he asked, “Very well then. When do you plan on
taking
your little tour?”

“Tomorrow,” Evans said. “I should have eyes on the property, including the perimeter security system during the final interview process.”

“When will you extract the boy and his mother?” Stone pressed.

“As soon as the opportunity presents itself,” Evans replied. “And if it doesn't . . . well, then, I will
create
an opportunity.”

Stone disconnected and pocketed his phone, not bothering to suppress his grin as he returned to his guests and resumed his seat. “I hope no one missed me too much.”

The prime minister, seated across from him, sent a lecherous smile Allison's way. “I believe your absence was missed most by the delightful Ms. Holt.”

Stone lifted Allison's fingertips to his lips. “Is that true, my darling?”

“Of course,” she replied softly, her eyes worshiping him. “Every moment without you is an eternity.”

Stone's smile grew. Oh, she was good . . . perfect, in fact. And he'd see to it she was rewarded quite well later that evening, as soon as all of these freeloading assholes finally left his home....

* * *

Sarah finished drying off from her shower, then slipped into nothing but a bathrobe before leaving her room to go in search of Luke. It didn't take long for her to find him sitting at the piano. He was lost in his music, playing a few notes before pausing to make a notation on the sheet music.

But, as she approached, he straightened as if sensing her presence. As she came in and closed the door behind her, he turned and offered her a smile in greeting.

“I thought you were going to bed,” he said, his eyes sparking with desire as she approached.

“Not without you,” she said, undoing the belt of the bathrobe with sensual motions, letting the material slide between her fingers. As she walked, the robe fell open, revealing her nakedness beneath.

She saw Luke swallow hard as she wedged herself between him and the piano, straddling his hips. When she pressed a kiss to the side of his neck, his breath left him on a harsh sigh. His hands slipped inside the folds of the robe, bringing goose bumps to her flesh as he slowly explored her skin.

“This room is soundproof, right?” she murmured.

He made a sound deep in the back of his throat in response—something between a groan and a growl—before claiming her mouth in a harsh kiss. His hands drifted up to her shoulders and under the edge of the robe, sliding it from her shoulders until it pooled at her elbows.

Then he was rising to his feet, lifting her with him. A few steps later, he was pressing her back against the wall, one arm supporting her as the other hand cupped her breast, teasing, pinching, kneading until she gasped, breaking their kiss.

Then she was sliding down his body until her feet reached the floor. With a sultry grin, she put him at arm's length and let the robe slip off to pool at her feet.

She leaned her head back, arching her neck as she smoothed her hands down her throat. Then she lifted her head, meeting his gaze as she slid her hands over her breasts, pausing to knead them and pinch her nipples, moaning as she rolled them as he had done. She heard him groan and opened her eyes, grinning at him as she caressed her stomach, teasing him with anticipation.

“Jesus Christ,” he muttered. “You're killin' me here.”

She moaned, leaning back against the wall as his reaction increased her own pleasure. His hand slid between her legs to join hers, their fingers working separately and together. He slid a finger inside her and then another, hitting a spot she'd never encountered before. She bit her lip to stifle the scream that rose in her throat, but, remembering where they were, she allowed the scream to come as her body jerked and light exploded in her head.

In the next instant, he was dragging her back into his embrace, easing her to the ground, accepting her help to rid himself of his clothing.

“Pocket,” she gasped, fingers grasping blindly at the bathrobe. He must've understood because he snatched one of the condoms she'd stashed there before heading downstairs and donned it in hurried motions, then thrust so deep she cried out.

There was no need for silence this time, no need for discretion, which seemed to increase the pleasure for both of them as they made love with a desperation that left them breathless when at last they collapsed together in a blissful tangle.

Sarah smoothed Luke's hair from his brow and pressed kisses to his forehead and temple, murmuring her love.

When he finally rolled away, she felt chilled to the bone. It was only as he stretched out on the floor beside her and draped her robe over them as much as it would cover and propped himself up on his arm to peer down at her that she felt warm again.

“Sorry to interrupt your music,” she said, bringing a grin to his full lips.

“Feel free to interrupt me anytime,” he assured her. “As often as you like.” His fingertips trailed along the curve of her face until he reached her chin and tipped it up so that her gaze could not avoid his. “But what brought this on? After what you said earlier . . .”

Sarah let her lids drift closed for a moment before finally answering, “I just want to savor every moment we have together—whether that's two days or two lifetimes.”

Luke leaned in and brushed his lips over hers. “Then I guess we need to make the most of it. . . .”

* * *

Luke was whistling—fucking
whistling . . .
what the hell?—as he finished arranging the breakfast he'd made for Sarah.

“Is that for Mom?” Eli asked, hopping up onto the bar stool at the kitchen island. He was already dressed and ready to go. Chief sat happily at his feet, his belly full.

“Yeah, I thought it'd be nice to give her breakfast in bed,” Luke replied. “What do you think?”

Eli grinned. “It looks awesome.”

“Good,” Luke said. “'Cause yours is on that plate right there. Dig in. I want to make sure you eat before I head out.”

“Where are you going?” Eli said, his brows coming together. “You're leaving us?”

Luke shook his head. “I have to go help Mel assess the final candidates for ranch manager. I'll be back before you know it.”

“Can I go?” Eli piped up.

Luke hesitated. “I'm riding for part of the time. You've only had a couple of lessons, buddy. Plus, being on a horse for a few hours can be a pain in the ass—literally.”

“That's okay,” Eli assured him. “I need to learn all this stuff so I can help you.”

The thought of Eli growing up on the ranch, learning all that went into it, eventually taking over for him as Mel had taken over for Jim brought Luke up short. Sarah's warning about how Eli's feelings factored into their relationship hit home in a very real way.

Luke took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Eli, you know, you and your mom staying here . . . that's temporary. I don't know how long you'll be here, regardless of how much I'd like you guys to stay.”

Eli's face fell. “I know. But maybe if Mom sees how much I can help she'll
want
to stay.”

“It's a little more complicated than that, buddy.” When Eli's shoulders slumped, it was more than Luke could take. “But I'll ask your mom about you helping me today. Okay?”

Eli nodded enthusiastically and hopped down to grab his plate.

Luke left the kid in the kitchen and crept upstairs. When he eased open Sarah's door, she smiled sleepily and stretched, revealing her bare breasts in that way she had that had proven effective in luring him back to bed on more than one occasion.

After the night they'd had, he would've thought that he'd be completely satiated, but his dick was already going hard again. With an appreciative shake of his head, he sat down on the edge of the bed and set the tray on her lap.

“God, you're beautiful,” he murmured.

She flushed, heat creeping across her chest and up her neck until it reached her cheeks. “Careful, we tend to get in trouble when you look at me like that.”

“Oh, trust me, I'd love to stay and ogle you some more and see where it goes,” he said, grinning, “but I need to go meet the final candidates for ranch manager and show them around the property. Eli wants to go with me. Is that okay with you?”

Sarah hesitated for a moment. “Luke . . . I don't know if that's such a good idea.”

Luke nodded. “No problem. I'll just tell him you'd rather he stay here.”

She cocked her head to one side. “But you
want
him to go with you, don't you?”

“I promise I'll make sure he wears his hat and gloves, and he can ride with me,” he said. “If it gets too cold, I'll just bug out and bring him home.”

Finally, she nodded. “Only for a couple of hours, though, okay?”

He dipped his chin. “I'll have him back by lunch, then I'll head back out. I probably won't be back until this evening. Stay here in the house, okay? If Eli goes out with Chief later today, make sure he comes in right after. And pay attention to your phone. Do you remember everything I showed you with the alarm system? And the weapons room? If you have any trouble, call me. If you can't reach me, call Davis.”

“Luke, we'll be fine.” She kissed him, then motioned him away. “Thank you for the breakfast. Now go do your thing.”

He hesitated at the doorway, uneasy about leaving her alone for so long but needing to fulfil his obligations to Melanie and the ranch. He shut the door behind him and made his way downstairs before he had second thoughts.

Half an hour later, Luke and Eli arrived at the main house, surprised to find three men standing on the porch, shoulders hunched against the cold, their expressions guarded and uncomfortable.

“Where's Melanie?” Eli asked as Luke slowed the SUV to a stop.

“Good question,” Luke mumbled. “Stay here for a minute, Eli. Might as well keep warm until we head out.”

At that moment, Davis came out the front door and hurried down the porch steps to meet Luke as he was getting out of the SUV. “Glad you're here, man.”

“What's going on?” Luke demanded, dread creeping along his spine. “Why are these guys standing out here freezing their nuts off? Where's Mel?”

“Inside,” Davis said, jerking his head toward the house. “Jim's had another episode, Luke. Fell down the stairs. I've got him stabilized, but the paramedics are on their way.”

Davis was still talking, but Luke didn't hear what he said. He was already racing toward the house, vaulting up the steps and charged inside. “Mel!”

“In here!”

Luke jogged over to the base of the stairs, where Jim still lay.

“Davis didn't want to move him,” Melanie said, tears in her eyes as she looked up at Luke.

He squatted down next to Jim and took his wrist, checking his pulse. “How ya doin', Jim?”

Jim's mouth curved into a lopsided smile. “Oh, been better. Damned knee gave out on me coming down the stairs.”

“You hear me okay?” Luke asked, pulling up Jim's eyelids to check his pupils. “See me okay? Any blurry vision?”

“I told you that Davis or I would help you,” Mel chastised, wiping her cheek against her shoulder to clear away her tears.

“And I told you I'm not helpless,” Jim retorted.

“No, but you've always been stubborn as hell,” Luke drawled. “Any pain?”