Fatal Exposure (13 page)

“He’s going to kill me.”

“I won’t let him touch you. I already told you that.”

“Why would I believe a word you say? You brought me here so you could hand me over to him. So you could make a few bucks. Why the hell do you think he wants me?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?” Kade could only guess. Maybe she’d angered him by snooping in his dirty laundry. Maybe she witnessed something she shouldn’t have. Or maybe she had info on Zack that he didn’t want shared with the public. Zack Moreno’s boss was rising quickly on the political ladder and any dirt on him was sure to be swept under the rug.

Whatever the problem was, it could easily be talked out or bargained. Kade was sure of it. Just as long as Ava’s sassy mouth didn’t get in the way.

“You don’t even know? Are you just some bozo Zack hired off the street?”

Kade took offense and threw the bloodied paper towel in the trash. “I don’t usually get involved with my client’s and target’s quarrels. I pinpoint, abduct, deliver and collect. Cut and dried.”

“Oh really? You forgot fuck over. Is that before or after pinpoint?”

“I didn’t know you were the target until—” He raked his hand through his hair. “I thought Poppy was you. She had green eyes. You have blue. Zack gave me the wrong description.”

Ava laughed. “Of course he did. He’s colorblind. How much is he paying you to know absolutely nothing?”

Colorblind? Kade scowled, furious with himself for not knowing this bit of information, and he wondered if it were true or if Ava was feeding him bullshit. “Why does he think they’re green?”

“None of your concern.”

“Did you lie to him?”

“Believe whatever you want.”

“Why did you tell him they were green?”

She shrugged and walked away. “I’m going to find my shoes and get the hell out of here.”

****

Six drunken, slurring, stumbling men walked into the club, and took a table by the stage. One of them had a G-string around his neck so Poppy assumed he was the bachelor about to lose his freedom.

Magnolia was on stage and already going in for the kill, hitting up the least drunk man who was most likely the best man. And the one responsible for sending his buddy off with a thrill. Bachelor parties usually paid big bucks, but Poppy had her eye on someone else.

Tall, slicked back brown hair, brown eyes, a nice suit and jewelry that sparkled from across the room. This guy was loaded, she could tell.

He seemed to be scanning the room for someone or something, and Poppy decided that someone

should be her. She walked over before one of the other girls could get their claws in him.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

His dark gaze swept over her. “Probably not.”

He smirked. “You know a girl named Ava?”

Of course. Ava was stealing the show even when she was gone. What was it with that chick? “She doesn’t work here anymore.”

“Oh?” His eyes widened. “When did she leave?”

Poppy made a note of the black leather case he held in his hands. A businessman of some sort. “Just come from work?”

“Work?”

Poppy pointed to the case.

“Yeah. Sure. Work. So, when did she leave?”

“Yesterday, I think.”

“Fuck,” he mumbled. “Was she with anyone?”

“Why do you want to know?” The suspense was killing her. What was going on? Who was the real Ava and how deep of trouble was the girl in?

“Listen, I haven’t got the time to stand around and chat. The view’s nice and all.” He scoped out her body again, stopping at her bare chest. “But could you just answer my question?”

“You seem tense. Want a lap dance?” She needed to get more information out of him and maybe some cash. He looked like he had a lot of both. “Come on. Ask me anything you want while I’m getting you off.”

Feeling confident he’d follow, Poppy turned and walked toward the backroom. And just as she guessed, he did. She felt his presence close behind her. The strong scent of expensive cologne gave him away.

She pushed the door open and let him walk in first.

Usually the client had to pay a bouncer for this type of special treatment, but Jarred hadn’t come to work yet and none of the other bouncers really gave a damn what she did.

“What’s your name, sweetheart?” He sat back on the leather sofa and set his briefcase beside him.

“Poppy. What’s yours?” She straddled his lap, and an instant erection poked up against her.

“Just call me Zack.”

Chapter Seven

Kade sat down at his desk and lifted the rollaway panel to reveal two flat screen computer monitors, all the while listening to Ava tear apart his bedroom. She wasn’t going to find her shoes in there so he didn’t bother trying to stop her. Besides, it kept her occupied. And he had work to do. On one screen, he was able to oversee the views from the surveillance cameras he had set up over the only road coming up the mountain. There were three in all. One five miles down the road, the second a quarter mile and the third was positioned at his front door. Unless a fool wanted to hike up a steep mountain or be dropped down by a helicopter onto his roof, no one was getting past those cameras. He was ready for Zack or anyone else who attempted to trespass onto his property. The other computer was used for finding data or email contacts with his buddies and his competition. Most were one in the same. With what he did for a living, being paranoid was the only way to survive. He pulled up his email account. Twelve unread messages. Nine from Lucy.
Shit
.

“What is all that?” Ava asked from behind him. Kade swiveled his chair around to face her. Her cheeks were flushed and rosy. A loose strand of auburn hair fell into her face. She blew it away, and Kade held back a smile. She was adorable even when she was angry.

He just hoped she wouldn’t stay mad. Visions of electric makeup sex with Ava came to mind, making him uncomfortable in his jeans. Hell, a man could hope.

“Stop looking at me like that.” She frowned at him and placed her hands on her slender hips.

“Like what?” Curiosity made him ask.

“Never mind.” She pointed toward the desk. “Is that your
spy
equipment?” She asked as if the costly setup were a flimsy, plastic toy a five year old would play with.

Kade gave her a grin. “Surveillance. So I know when your boyfriend’s getting close.”

“He’s not my boyfriend, and I don’t plan to be here when he arrives.” She scrunched up her forehead as obvious concern took over her face. Her dark blue eyes plunged to new depths. “Please tell me where my shoes are.” She kneeled down before him and ran her trembling hands up his thighs.

“Please. I’ll do whatever you want.”

Kade conjured every bit of self-control he had in him as she braced her palm against his cock, knowing full well what she was attempting to do—

seduce him into letting her go. He cleared his throat but couldn’t gather the willpower to push her away.

“Tell me why you lied to Zack about your eye color?”

“Then you’ll give me my shoes?” She looked up at him with pouty lips and sensual eyes. He shrugged, but his cock hardened from her touch. “You give me info. I’ll give you info.” He wanted to offer her so much more than that. An embrace to calm her nerves. A kiss to tell her he loved her. An orgasm to please them both. Something. But not a way for her rush out of here with the false hope that she would be saving herself.

If Kade let her go, he was sure Moreno would have ten other guys to take his place.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted movement on the screen. His attention went back to the cameras as he watched a red SUV drive past the five-mile mark, sending a series of light dings out through the computer speaker. Damn it.

****

Poppy ground her body into Zack’s erection held back only by a pair of thin black slacks, getting herself off in the process. This was her favorite part of the job, but she would never admit it to anyone. Her mama, bless her heart, would have called Poppy a depraved trollop and sent her to the preacher for a good talking to. But Poppy couldn’t help it. She always loved everything about sex and didn’t see what the problem was.

The stranger underneath her grunted and groaned as she slid back and forth, rubbing hard against him. “Take off your panties,” he ordered.

“This is as far as I go, mister.”

“Five hundred bucks says you’ll do whatever the fuck I say.” He grabbed her waist and held her still. She rolled her eyes. Did the man think she was born in a barn? “You got that on you?” she asked, just in case. Five hundred would get her one step closer to her dream house, that was for sure. His large hand plopped down on the briefcase sitting next to them, as if it were its own person. He pulled the case between them and carefully opened it enough for her to see the stacks of dough inside. With a glint in his eye, he reached in and pulled out a single one hundred dollar bill. “I have five more of these just waiting for you.”

“You got a hell of a lot more than that in there,”

she said, excited. “How much is it?”

“Enough to get me laid. Now, take off those panties.”

Without another thought, she stood and slid her thong down her legs. She’d do just about anything to get her hands on that case. Even screw this guy. At least he was cute. She’d had worse, much worse. And it wasn’t like Jarred was in a hurry to turn her into an honest woman.

****

Ava felt Kade harden from her touch. She might be angry with the man for all he’d done, but she couldn’t help but still be attracted to him. And if seducing him was the answer to her survival, then so be it.

“I didn’t lie to Zack about my eye color,” she said, maneuvering her body in between his muscular thighs. “He guessed and I didn’t argue. It was almost as if he wanted them to be green. As if it meant something to him. So...I let him have that.”

“Do you always give pieces of yourself to unworthy men?”

She bit her tongue so she wouldn’t curse at the man. His words had hit her somewhere deep, but she didn’t want to face the ugly truth. Just focus on the objective.
Get your shoes and get out
. She peered up at Kade, who seemed distracted by something on the computer screen and the odd noise coming from the speakers. This was going to take more work than she thought.

Determined, she took a breath and ran her tongue over his jean-covered erection.

“Baby.” He shifted in his seat and looked down at her. “Don’t do this. Not now, and not for the reasons you have in your mind.”

Ignoring him, Ava fumbled with his fly, unbuttoning one, then two, then three.

“Shit.
Ava
...” He ran his fingers through her hair and rested them on her chin, nudging her to look at him. His expression was intense, concerned, caring. But he didn’t say a word.

She knocked his hand away and went back to work. He wasn’t allowed to look at her that way—

like she meant something more to him other than just a paycheck or an easy fuck. This was about sex, seduction, and survival. That was it.

The rest of the buttons came undone easily, and she peeled his underwear over the bulge burgeoning beneath. His beautiful cock sprang free and her mouth watered.

A pang of desire pulsed between her thighs as she licked his full length from base to head.

“Jesus, Ava. I can’t say no to you.”

“Then don’t,” she murmured and ran her tongue over him again. He was thick, hard and silky, and she let her mind wander to the times it had been inside of her, commanding her to come.

After tightly gripping his base, she sank his head deep into her mouth, devouring him. “Mmm,”

she rumbled against it, sucking and tasting him. Her tongue wound around, back and forth, over the ridge of his head and then up and down, feeling every inch of his shaft with her taste buds. His cock pulsed in her mouth, and his hand braced the back of her neck. He massaged her roughly as he leaned down and cradled her head.

“Oh, God, Ava,” he said huskily.

She palmed his balls and they tightened in her embrace. Her pussy ached for more, and she rocked against the seam of her jeans.

The taste of his arousal filled her senses, dizzying her mind.

An anguishing need throbbed between her legs so she pressed her fingers there, rubbing her clit. She sucked his hard length into her mouth with a vengeance, letting him skim the back of her throat. Her tongue stroked and massaged his silky skin, and he groaned by her ear.

“Ava, look what you’re doing to me.” His deep voice vibrated through her body, straight to her blazing core.

His grip tightened in her hair. He filled her mouth with his sultry cock, so thick and powerful. She scored her tongue down his pulsating vein, his velvety taut skin. Over the clipped ridge of his rounded head.

She eagerly sucked more of him in, tasting his salty flavor. Her pussy wept against the denim of her jeans, crying for release.

She was so close, but before she could reach the pinnacle of orgasm, he thrust forward and let out primal growl.