Red Hourglass (16 page)

“Yes. I don’t share my holes with anyone.”

Did he just say that
?
What a prick
.

“My
holes
, as you so eloquently call them, are mine!”

“I believe your body’s telling me something else.” He stroked my cheek with his long fingers before resting them on my lips. “You’re blushing and your pupils are dilated.” He looked into my eyes with a wild stare. “You’re mine and you can’t deny it. You’re gagging for it. You need me inside you and that’s what you’re going to get.”

“You’re a beast.” I stood up and walked to the door.
Why doesn’t the White Queen want me to kill him
?

I reached for the doorknob and he yanked me back by the arm, turning me around to face him. He squeezed my shoulders, sending a rush of paralyzing currents down to my toes. All thoughts of leaving were extinguished in that instant.

“Say yes,” he commanded, the smell of whiskey wafting off his breath.

“Yes.”
What’s wrong with me
?

He pressed his lips to mine and rammed his tongue inside my mouth. I was ravenous for him, for his touch. I needed him.

“Follow me,” he said.

I followed Conan into his bedroom. He turned around and kissed me with force, pushing me down onto his king-sized four-poster bed. He kneaded my breasts with one hand as the other hungrily reached beneath my dress and caressed my thighs.

“No!” I shrieked.

“Stop denying yourself.” He pulled his hand out from under my dress. “Tell me you want me.”

“Aargh. Yes! I want you!” I pulled him toward me, clutching at his broad shoulders.

He unzipped my dress and pulled it off in one swift motion, tossing it on the floor. I was completely vulnerable, lying underneath him in nothing but my red lingerie.

“You came prepared for this. You want me.” He snickered and looked deep into my eyes.

“Shut up.” I slapped his face and he turned away.

“You bring out the beast in me.” He turned back to face me and smiled.

He began unbuttoning his white shirt and I unbuttoned the cuffs. He pulled off his sleeves and flung his shirt on the nightstand.

I touched his bare skin for the first time. He had a six-pack and well-defined muscles. The feel of his taught body sent thrills racing through every part of me as I breathed in his natural musky scent.

We groped and kissed and nibbled each other as we fought for control, our bodies burning like a scorching fire. I pushed against him, biting his neck as I climbed on top of him and straddled his manly frame.

“You don’t realize how much you’re turning me on,” said Conan, looking up at me with a big grin. “Stop struggling you little thing.”

He flipped me over and got on top of me. He pushed me into the soft bed, pinning me underneath him. He gave my lips a deep, pulsating kiss as his racing heart beat against my chest. He slid his fingers down my stomach, stopping between my legs.

“No … don’t.” I desperately wanted it, wanted him. What he was doing felt good, amazing, but I didn’t want to show him.

“You’re just a horny slut waiting for me to own you,” he whispered in my ear as he pushed his fingers into my panties.

“No! I’m not,” I whispered as my back arched.

“I’ll prove it,” he said, circling his fingers between my legs in places unknown to me.

I gave a soft moan as I squirmed on the bed. I was helpless. I couldn’t resist this man. I was supposed to be the one in control, but he was controlling me.

“How long has it been since you were with a man?” he whispered as he cupped my little girl with his strong hands and bit my earlobe.

“I don’t know.” My head was spinning. I could hardly think. “Many years.”

“Do you want me now?”

“No … yes … no …”

“You want me to enter you,” he said, spreading my legs. “You don’t have to say anything. You’re dripping wet and I know what you need.”

He inserted a finger and I moaned in acceptance. My body was burning with desire as he moved his fingers in heavenly ways.

“What a wet, horny girl you are,” he said as he bit my lip.

He pulled my bra straps off my shoulders and started sucking my nipples. As his tongue circled my erogenous zones, my ugly memories of the murders turned into a spinning white lantern.

“Oh God … oh my God … stop,” I groaned as I turned from side to side, melting into divine pleasure under his experienced hands.

“Be still,” he said as his second finger entered me.

He pushed his fingers in deeper and deeper, sending electric shocks through every nerve in my body. He was inside me and I’d lost control of the situation.

“Here it is,” he cooed. He hooked his fingers at the right angle and pressed at my sweet spot deep inside.

“God … save me,” I moaned softly, grasping at the soft sheets as my pelvis lifted off the bed.

He jabbed his fingers in and out of me—fast, slow, fast, and slow again. Every muscle in my body tensed as I clawed the sheets and pulled them off the side of the bed.

“Don’t hold back. Let yourself go,” he said in an authoritative whisper.

I held my breath and he went faster and deeper until my body jerked uncontrollably and I came. I let go of the sheets as all my muscles relaxed. I sank into the soft bed, whimpering in reverie as his fingers rested inside me.

“That’s what you needed.” Conan smiled as he looked down at me. “You needed to let go.” He removed his fingers and caressed my legs as if they were instruments. “I want you Scarlet.”

“Why?” I was in ecstasy and I couldn’t think clearly.

“I can’t help but want you. You’re my Scarlet Queen.” He looked adoringly at my body. “You’re my goddess, my queen. You’re perfect.” He kissed me as his long fingers stroked a spot on my neck.

I groaned in pleasure again.
God, he found my weak spot
.

“Ah, you’re sensitive here too.” He circled the spot with the tips of his fingers as he gently kissed my neck.

I moaned beneath his touch as I drifted into a world of fairytales and happy endings—the world where we would be king and queen and no one could tell us what to do. The world where we’d be in control, living happily ever after instead of being rats in the game of life.

“Conan … you have to take me with you,” I said, knowing it could never happen.

“I’ll take you anywhere, everywhere, you want to go,” he whispered, pulling my head toward him.

I put my hand around his neck and kissed him passionately. I wanted to consume him, reach into him, take him into my paradise … the Scarlet Queen’s universe of pleasure and pain. But we lived in the Red Hourglass’s world, defiled by the blood of evil men. There was no redemption, no relief from the pain. The Red Hourglass lived in a world devoid of love and hope, full of sin, guilt, and despair.

“What a tease,” I mumbled under my breath.

I cuddled up to his warm body, feeling safe and secure. I fell soundly asleep in seconds.

* * *

The morning sun shone through the translucent white curtains, gloriously filling the bedroom with soft light. There was a slight taste of whiskey in my mouth and I looked around the room. It was minimalist with blond wood furniture.

Conan was still wearing his pants. He propped himself up on his elbow and slowly caressed my hourglass waist. I admired his body. He reminded me of a beautiful Roman statue carved from white marble. He gently rolled me over and began rubbing my back.

“A red hourglass. How interesting. What does it symbolize?”

“An hourglass reminds me that our time on earth is finite,” I said. “Like the grains of sand falling to the bottom of an hourglass, our lives are always slipping away. Every moment is lost to time, never to return.”

“That’s very serious.”

“Did you really believe me?” I giggled.

“It makes perfect sense, and you do take things very seriously.”

“Here’s another interpretation. Black widow spiders have red hourglass markings. Their bites can be fatal to humans, and the females have been known to kill their mates.”

“So what does it really mean to you?”

“It’s up to you to decide which version you believe.”

“I think the truth is that it represents something very personal, something you’re trying to hide. It doesn’t matter what you tell me. I’ll learn the truth in time. Anyway, I have a secret of my own.”

“What secret?”

“I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough.” He laughed.

He sat up and put on his shirt and tie. I grabbed the tie and pulled him back down.

“Be careful. You may not want to find out what I do with my ties.”

“You wear ties to work. That’s what they’re for.” I slid my fingers along his torso and began playing with his morning erection.

“Ties are for tying things.”

“Tying what?”

“Depends on the version you believe,” he teased.

“Show me what you do with your ties.” I undid his tie and handed it to him.

“You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into little girl,” he said as he ran the silk tie through his fingers.

I wanted to say the same thing to him, but I kept quiet.

“Show me,” I begged.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Are you sure you want to know?”

“You know about my tattoo, so I don’t see why I shouldn’t know what you do with ties.”

“It can be dangerous.”

I looked down and laughed to myself.
I doubt you’re more dangerous to me than I am to you
.

“I’m the sort of girl who likes dangerous things.”

“My dear secretary, you certainly don’t look like a girl who flirts with danger … or kink. But I know you’re a wild little thing that needs to be controlled.”

“Really? Try me … or tie me then. What’s your pleasure?”

“Hmm.” He smiled and kissed me gently on the mouth. “Once I do, there’s no going back.”

“I think we’ve already crossed the point of no return. Show me.”

“Next time.” He stood up and put on his shoes. “I have to go to work for a little while. You can stay here and make yourself breakfast. I’ll be home later.”

“It’s Saturday,” I whined.

“I have a meeting. See you later.” He kissed my forehead and left.

I got out of bed and put on my dress. I walked into the living room and perused his large book collection. There were business books, a Steve Jobs biography, classic novels, and a lot of works by David Eddings. A black leather book called
The Black Rose
caught my eye and I pulled it off the shelf. It was a historical romance novel written in 1945.
He certainly has diverse tastes
.

Conan’s desk was covered by neat stacks of files. Being his secretary, I knew the contents of the files. I even knew how much tax he paid.
I shouldn’t be poking around.

I went into the kitchen and looked for coffee. I found an electric kettle, a French press, and ground coffee under the island.

Zhong Yuan

“Roses for my Scarlet Queen,” said Conan as he greeted me with a bouquet of flowers on Monday morning.

He was wearing a shiny gray suit. The sharp cut of the jacket highlighted his well-defined features.

“Thank you … Conan.” I was surprised, to say the least. Everyone was looking over their cubicles at us and I was embarrassed. I smiled shyly in their general direction.

“My pleasure.” He winked at me and walked back into his office.

I breathed in deeply and let the aroma of the flowers fill my senses. He was everything I liked in a man—strong, solid, secure, smart, and suave.
He’s so dashing
.
Life is beautiful
. I shook my head and put the dozen red roses underneath my desk. The last thing I needed was to get caught up in fantasies about running off with Conan and living happily ever after.

He came out of his office with a MacBook Air tucked under his arm. It matched his suit.

“Did the roses delight you?” Conan looked around to see if anyone was watching us. He leaned down and kissed my forehead.

“Oooo … I love the roses. They bring out the Scarlet Queen in me,” I squealed. I was caught off guard by his public display of affection and I couldn’t control my response. My mind began racing with fantasies.

“I’m glad,” he whispered. “I’m off to meet the new security trainees. We’re meeting downstairs if you need me.”

Conan was so charming and disarming. I had to talk some sense into myself and I gave myself a quiet little speech under my breath: “You aren’t supposed to fall in love. Don’t compromise your mission. Remember Max. He used you, abused you, and tore out your heart. Remember what your stepfather did to you. Conan is the same—a dirty, filthy, liar. These lowly men aren’t even worthy of your attention. They’re only worthy of being your minions.”

I clenched my fists and felt my confidence go up. I caressed my tattoo through my blouse.
I’m the Red Hourglass, not a secretary falling in love with her boss
.
I have to continue working here, but there’s something for me at the end of it. I’m an agent and I should’ve been on the hunt by now, but I have to do this if I want to find my mother
.
I am in control
. I used an NLP technique to reinforce my positive thoughts and I felt much better.

I picked up a stack of papers and started my filing. I came across an important-looking press release.

Zhong Yuan Holdings buys stakes in Wilmar Enterprises

Zhong Yuan Holdings has acquired a 30% stake in Wilmar Enterprises. This move will secure Zhong Yuan’s continuous overseas land acquisitions.

“We are very impressed with Wilmar’s growth,” said Yuan, the CEO of Zhong Yuan. “We will continue to work closely with Wilmar.”

Yuan and his team will travel to New York City later this year for a meeting with Wilmar’s board of directors.

I googled Zhong Yuan Holdings. It was a state-owned enterprise of the Chinese government. They’d recently acquired a whole town in Los Angeles County and were planning to redevelop the land as an upscale retirement community.

Most of the town’s residents had purchased their homes at the peak of the latest property boom, and many of them ended up defaulting on their mortgages. Property prices plummeted, and the remaining homeowners wanted to sell up. Zhong Yuan bought them all out. Then the government sold all the public land at cut-rate prices to Zhong Yuan—with huge tax breaks—bailed out the mortgage companies, and gave the rest of the land to Zhong Yuan.