Determined: To Win (Determined Trilogy Book 3) (10 page)

“I put in some applications like you had suggested. Curtis called me this morning and told me that some of the owners were asking about me. I guess they had heard the rumors.”

David’s brow furrowed as he rejoined me on the bed.

“Interesting. I suppose I should have expected that.”

I leaned into him. “You mean because he’s a megalomaniac? Yeah, I guess so. I mean I guess it was too much to expect him to go quietly into the night after what happened in Miami. I’m such an idiot. I should have figured out how to deal with him without making him so angry.”

“Well…” David took a deep breath, “I’m afraid it may not be entirely your fault, Samantha.”

I knew that tone of voice. It made me pull back from him and sit up. I looked him in his tired, worn out eyes.

“David, is there something you need to tell me?”

David glanced up at the ceiling, finding his words. And then carefully, he started to explain.

“You have to understand, Samantha. Something had to happen because of what he did to you.”

I glared at him and tried to keep my composure. “What did you do, David?” I asked through my teeth, my anger at Evan starting to mix with dread. I couldn’t believe that David would be responsible for doing something that triggered this mess.

He paused and it seemed like he was choosing his words carefully.

“I didn’t do anything to
Evan
,
per se.”

“David…”

“I bought the building his gallery was in and raised their rent.”

“Wait, what? What do you mean the building his gallery
was
in?”

He took another deep breath and held my stare. “I didn’t want to shut him down, just hurt him financially. But he couldn’t make rent. He had to move out. Earlier this month.”

The pieces of the puzzle all came crashing together. No wonder Evan was trashing me all over the city. He had resented David from the very beginning. David had literally come between Evan and I when we’d met at gallery opening, and now he’d basically shut down his business. I’d feel sorry for the guy if I didn’t completely hate him.

“No wonder he’s so pissed off. Why didn’t you tell me you did that? How am I supposed to clean this up?” I knew I was starting to get worked up, but it was late, and I’m not the most methodical thinker late at night.

“Sam, honestly, I didn’t think it would come to this. I just wanted to scare him a little. Keep him on edge. I guess the finances at the gallery were more precarious than I’d realized.”

“Guess so,” I muttered.

“Look, Samantha, I’m not sure why you are mad at me. Evan is scum. He had this coming to him. But in regards to you, I am going to make this right. Like I said, I will call the lawyers in the morning. Even if I evicted him, that doesn’t give him the right to ruin your reputation. I will fix this. I promise. Please, baby. Let me fix it.”

He pulled me into him and rubbed my back, calming me.

“Okay,” I said softly. “But what am I supposed to do in the meantime? I have all these applications out…”

“Let me call my PR person in the morning. I’m sure she’ll have an idea.” I nodded my agreement, and he pulled me down in bed next to him.

“Thanks,” I whispered as I slid into a spooning position with him. I started to ask him how his day was, but halfway through my sentence, his breath evened. I glanced over my shoulder. He was out.

16

I was surprised to find David still spooning me in bed the next morning.

“Hey,” I whispered to him as I stretched out in the king-sized bed. “Hey, do you need to get up?”

David brought his hand up to his face and rubbed his eyes. “Mmm. Hey, baby.” He pulled me in closer to him, and I could feel his morning erection greeting me. I ground my ass against it, relishing its strength. I knew I’d been missing our twice daily pleasure sessions since David had been so involved at work, but his physical touch right now reminded me of exactly how much I’d been missing. I grabbed my phone off the side table and glanced at the time.

“Hey, it’s after eight. Do you need to get to work?” I asked, turning around to face him.

“It’s just a weekly investors meeting. They can meet without me,” he said, as he pulled me into him. “Besides, I need to take care of what we were discussing last night.” He started to kiss me on my neck, and I felt little pulses of pleasure start to ripple through me. It might have been a few days, but my body remembered exactly what to do when he touched me.

“And you can do that from bed?” I asked. Not that I wanted him to stop.

“First things first, Ms. Sharp.” He moved a hand up my side and found my breasts under my camisole. “I haven’t been able to have you for days, and it’s made me an absolute wreck.” He pushed the cami up and moved his lips over my nipples, teasing them gently. “Going more than twenty-four hours without you is torture. Pure torture. And not the kinky fun kind, either.”

He ran his strong hands back down my hips and thighs, the anticipation sending an electrical current pulsing through my sex. I felt myself grow wet with need, and I looked up at him, marveling at how this man could have such an effect on me.

“Kinky fun kind, eh?” I teased him.

“For another day, Ms. Sharp.” His raspy morning voice was rough, rugged and confident. “For now, I’m craving something else.” He flipped me over, so that I was on all fours, and reached a hand around to my sex. He skimmed my clit with a rough flick of his thumb, causing my sex to throb with longing. I arched my pelvis, thrusting my backside against him, desperate for more and desperate to please him.

“God, Samantha, do you know how hard you make me?” he sighed with longing, as he circled my ass with his hands.

I spread my legs so that he could get in close. He dipped two fingers into me, checking my readiness. It was enough to send shivers of desire through me. It had been too long. I pushed back against him, wetting the head of his steel cock with my hungry cunt. Feeling his length in my folds, it was all I could do to not plunge myself onto him. But I wanted to savor this time together. So I stayed on my hands and knees as he returned to my clit, rubbing it to life, warming my wet cunt.

“I need to be inside of you, Samantha,” his voice rasped in my ear as he engulfed me. And I knew I needed the same. I knew he could fuck away every bit of stress and concern, and I was desperate for it. I moaned an agreement, and he grabbed my hips, angling me so that he could enter me from behind. And in one quick movement I felt the tip of his cock, and then his full, thick length, take me. He slid in easily, my wetness providing a slick welcome. My breath hitched at his girth, as I felt it push my limits.

He started to pump me slowly and steadily, pulling my hips to his in a gentle, firm motion. I started to feel drunk with pleasure as he took me over and over again, my only thought being the impending orgasm I knew I was guaranteed.

His hands on my hips dictated when that orgasm would come, though, and I was at his mercy. It wasn’t too long until I started to feel my sex tense around him in a way that meant my orgasm was imminent.

“I’m going to come,” I panted.

David grunted a response. I warned him again. “I’m going to come.” I was on the precipice for a moment longer, barely holding on. David moved his hand to my clit, pressing it firmly and in rhythm with his cock. I started to peak. The orgasm started as a spark deep within me and then split right up the middle and splintered me into a thousand pieces. As my cunt pulsed with pleasure, I moaned, and David erupted into a full deep orgasm. I felt his hot liquid erupt into me, the cum lubricating our fit as we coaxed the last bit of pleasure from our joining.

“Fuck,” I said as I collapsed onto the bed below me. “I fucking needed that. I didn’t even know how much I needed it. But I did.”

“Me too,” David said as he caught his breath. “God, you’re so fucking hot when you come, Samantha. I need to see that every day.”

I glanced over, his cock still hard as he looked at me. How does he do that? I looked up at him, expectantly.

“At your service, Ms. Sharp,” he said, the edges of his mouth twitching up.

I dove onto him and helped myself to two more orgasms before breakfast.

After we showered and dressed, I met David in the kitchen for breakfast. Thankfully, there was no green juice in sight, and instead a frittata and fruit were on the table. I helped myself to a cup of coffee from the counter and then settled in to chow down. I was wearing a low cut, sleeveless top and some slacks. David eyed me carefully as I took a seat.

“You look nice,” he said, pretending not to stare.

I looked down at my outfit. I knew he was talking about my shirt, and I knew he probably thought it was too low cut, and I didn’t care.

“Thanks. We’re going out for drinks tonight since it’s my last day.”

“And where is this?” David said coolly, pretending to be lost in the newspaper.

“Forbidden Island. It’s a tiki bar in Alameda. Have you been there?”

David furrowed his eyebrows. I knew very well that he hadn’t been there. Bars weren’t really his scene. I suppose I should be thankful; I shuddered to think what would happen if he was let loose in a room full of drunken, horny women.

“Maybe I should join you.”

I stared at him as he flipped the pages of his newspaper. I was pretty sure most people would be surprised to hear him make the offer, but I knew what was at the root of it. It was about keeping an eye on me … not celebrating with my co-workers.

“I mean, you could, but it’s just going to be me and the crew from work. I mean, you might not have fun.”

A flash of something passed over his face. Was it hurt?
Whatever.
Certainly David Keith could survive without me for an evening.

“It won’t be a late night. One or two drinks, and I’ll be back and we can have dinner together.”

This seemed to appease him. “Sounds great. Maybe we can meet somewhere downtown.”

“Now you’re talking.”

Elliot came by the kitchen just as we were finishing up. David and I kissed each other goodbye, and he retreated to his office to call his lawyer and PR person about Evan. Elliot and I headed to the garage, and we were on the Bay Bridge in less than ten minutes.

“You know Elliot, this is one of the last times you’ll be driving me over this bridge.”

He glanced back at me in the rearview mirror. “I suppose it is, Sam. How are you feeling about that? Does it feel strange?”

I paused. I’d been so busy lately that I hadn’t really had a chance to reflect on everything.

“I guess it’s sad, in a way. It’s the end of an era. I’ve been with Kinsler Gallery since before I graduated.”

“Curtis seems like a good guy. Granted, I’ve only observed him from a distance, but everyone there, they seem like good people.”

I felt something vibrate in my purse. I took out my phone. It was Eve calling. “Speak of the devil,” I said as I answered it. “Hey Eve, what’s up? I’m not late am I? I’m still on the bridge.”

“Sam,” Eve’s voice cracked. Something was up. I sat up, the seatbelt tugging against my shoulder.

“Eve, what’s the matter? Is everything okay?”

“Sam, it’s Curtis. He’s dead.”

17

I felt the entire car fall away from me. What was she talking about? “What do you mean, dead?”

Elliot’s eyes shot back at me in the rearview mirror.

Eve started sobbing into the phone. “Just that. He’s dead. I went in to the gallery early this morning because there’s just so much to get done for the show, and I found him in the back—laying on the floor.”

I started blinking. This had to be a joke. Curtis couldn’t be dead. “What do you mean? What happened? I don’t understand.”

“I don’t know Sam, there was blood everywhere. I called 911, and an ambulance came, and now there are a bunch of cops, and I’m not sure what to do.” She was desperate and scared.

“Stay right there, Eve. I’m almost there. Don’t talk to anyone. I am going to call David.”

“Okay. Please hurry, Sam.”

“I will.” I pressed end on my phone, and pulled out the burner to call David. I shook my head. I still hated that we needed to have these pieces of junk.

“Uh, Sam?” I looked up. Elliot was still looking at me in the rearview. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. Eve just called and said Curtis is dead. She’s at the gallery. Can you hurry? She’s alone and scared out of her mind.”

Elliot just nodded, and I felt the car pick up speed. I pressed send on the phone.

David answered after the first ring.

“This morning not enough, baby?” he said leisurely as he answered the phone.

“David, I need you to come to the gallery. Something happened to Curtis.”

He recognized the urgency in my voice and quickly matched it. I pictured him standing up from his desk chair. “What happened, Samantha? Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. But I need you.”

“Samantha, I will be right there. But tell me what happened.”

“I’m not sure. All Eve said is that Curtis is dead.” My voice quivered.

“I’m on my way. Do not talk to anyone until I get there, Samantha, understand? Keep Elliot with you.”

“Okay. Please hurry.” I hung up the phone and started to shake. What was going on? My ears started to buzz and everything felt unreal I stared out the window of the car—it seemed like forever until we turned onto the street of the gallery. Once there, I immediately spied three police cars and an ambulance crowded at the curb outside the gallery. Elliot double parked as close as he could, and we both jumped out of the car. I spotted Eve standing alone near the curb, and ran up to her.

“Eve.”

“Oh, Sam,” she exclaimed, and we quickly embraced each other. Her eyes were red, and she kept wiping her nose with a tissue. “Thank you for coming so quickly.”

“Of course.” I glanced over at the gallery. A bunch of officers were milling about, and the entire sidewalk in front of the gallery had been taped off with yellow ‘Do Not Cross’ tape. “Are you okay? What happened?”

Eve sniffled and took a deep breath. “Like I said, I came in early to work on the show, and I thought it was kind of strange that the gallery was already unlocked. So I walked in back, and Curtis was there on the ground…” she clasped her hands in front of her face and started to shake, unable to continue. The look of horror in her eyes gave me chills. I reached out and put my arms around her.