Authors: Lisa Ladew
Tags: #General Fiction
Mica looked around at the other cameras on the wall, then her eyes fell on the simple trunk at the side of the bed.
What was in the trunk?
Sex toys? Whips? Those little riding crop things? Mica shuddered at the thought, but instantly felt her core flood with heat as blood rushed to all of her most sensitive areas, making them throb. Mica crossed one leg over the other and stared at the floor, her eyes wide. Was she turned on? At the thought of Knox's imagined kinkiness?
Oh God
. Mica felt a blush creep to her face.
This
was a complication she hadn't imagined.
She had wondered for years if any kind of long term relationship could have ever developed between her and Knox if she hadn't first lied, and then fled. She still wondered that. She'd never been lucky in love, and long thought that maybe she would end up like Ruth, alone, but not unhappy about it. Ruth enjoyed boyfriends when the mood hit her. Usually much younger boyfriends. Mica couldn't ever imagine herself doing
that
, but she
had
imagined herself living her life without a man's companionship. It had seemed somehow ... easier that way. The few boyfriends she had been with over the years had always thrown obstacles into her life that just never seemed worth it to her. They'd been needy, or obsessive, and the good parts had never seemed good enough to make up for it.
But Knox. Sexy, strong, in-control Knox. She bet he wasn't needy. Or obsessive. Maybe a little controlling? Definitely with a reputation for kink. But just getting to look at his hard body and handsome face almost seemed like enough to put up with controlling. Add toe-curling sex to that and Mica thought she might see the attraction in what he did in this room ... whatever it was.
A noise sounded behind her and Mica whirled around. Knox walked up the hallway towards her, his stride long and strong. He pressed his lips together and joined her at the open door. His jaw was set and his features hard, and Mica felt like he didn't want her here, didn't want her seeing this room.
She spoke without thinking, gesturing into the room. "This room would look really nice if you painted the walls green."
An expression of surprise so comical crossed Knox's face that she felt like laughing. She didn't though, she stared at him, waiting for his next move. She'd been snooping, and she felt bad about it, but she didn't want new secrets between them to replace the old ones.
The surprise left Knox's face and a hungry, carnal look replaced it. His eyes swept the room, then dismissed it, and turned back to Mica. She felt as if she were being consumed by the heat radiating off of him.
"You've heard things about this room?"
Mica swallowed hard and nodded.
"Do they bother you?"
Mica shook her head no, staring into his eyes. "Yes," she said softly even while her head was still contradicting the word.
"I'm going to have the bed removed. I don't need it anymore."
"Why?" Mica whispered, her heart beating hard in her chest like she were running a marathon.
Knox brought a hand up to her cheek, gently pushing an unruly lock of hair behind her ear. His hand continued around to the back of her neck, soft as could be, until he took a handful of her tresses and pulled her head back, then dropped his mouth to hers, kissing her like the first time. Mica's greedy mouth opened willingly, accepting his tongue, accepting his unspoken promises, and his body's obvious desires.
He broke the kiss. "Because you're the only woman I'm ever going to fuck again," he rasped into her mouth, then sealed his lips on hers again.
Mica felt pure need and lust shoot through her core at his sweet, filthy words. He backed her up against the wall and pressed his body against hers, his mouth selfishly plundering her. She felt his cock, hard and long against her belly, straining to be free. She wanted it free, God help her she wanted everything about this. She even wanted to be tossed onto the bed, restrained, and taken the way he'd taken the other women he'd had there. She wouldn't be the only, but he'd said she would be the last!
Something about his words stuck in her brain and she pulled back from him, panting, her hands roaming over his body even as she tried to make some sense of what he'd said.
"How could you possibly know that?" she whispered, her desperate eyes on him.
"I just do," he growled, taking her mouth again.
Mica's body reacted of its own accord as her mind tried to function. Her hands traced hard muscle, then dropped down to grope harder cock. Her lips parted allowing him all the access he wanted. Her sex throbbed and screamed for more, more, more!
Her mind regained control for just a moment and she tore her lips from his again. "What if-what if I don't want you?"
Knox grunted and took her mouth again, his hands dropping from her hair down to her waist. In one harsh movement he thrust his fingers under the waistband of her pants and dropped them down to her sex, driving her panties aside. Mica gasped into his mouth as his rough, seeking fingers parted her folds and thrust inside her.
He curled his fingers and pulled them out, then released her mouth. He brought his dripping fingers to his mouth and licked them. Mica watched, eyes wide, her brain rebelling at his wickedness, her body delighting in it.
"Tell me you don't want me," he said, his eyes holding her prisoner. "And I'll leave you alone. Even if I don't believe you for a second, I'll let you be."
Mica trembled, her body ablaze. "Wanting you sexually is different than wanting more than that," she said in a small voice. "I don't want to be hurt."
"Nobody does," Knox told her, his voice softer. "I can't promise I'll never accidentally hurt you, but I can promise I'll never hurt you on purpose. Give us a chance, Mica. I'm not who you think I am."
Mica shuddered, then nodded, dropping her head back. "Take me," she whispered, forgetting completely about Bailey, about her house, about her company, about anything but the fire that seared her from the inside out, melding her with Knox.
Knox bent and grabbed her under her knees and her back, picking her up like she weighed nothing. "Not here," he said, walking swiftly down the hallway.
Mica curled her arms around his neck and strained towards him. She wanted his mouth on hers, now.
A buzz sounded from overhead and a tinny voice spoke, as if from an intercom. Mica looked up and saw a speaker on the ceiling where the noise was coming from.
"Mr. Rosesson, there's a police officer here to see you. Officer Robinson. He says they have Bailey in custody and you are urgently needed."
Knox pressed his lips together and returned Mica lightly to the floor. "To be continued," he told her as her face crumpled in disappointment.
Mica nodded and tried to quiet her passions.
Bailey was in custody!
Surely that was good enough news that she couldn't be too disappointed. But somehow, she was.
Knox pressed a button on the far wall. "Let him in, Adam."
He held his hand out to Mica. She took it and they walked through the large house together. "See, I knew this would be over quickly," Knox said as he reached the massive front door. The doorbell sounded and Mica could see the outline of a man in blue standing on the other side of the door through the tiny, opaque window.
Knox unlocked the door and swung it open, a smile of greeting on his face.
It withered and was replaced by a look of confusion. Mica gasped as she saw the cop was pointing a gun at Knox.
Mica's eyes flew to the cop's face. Too late, she recognized him as Dick Bailey, dressed in a sharp police uniform, his hair and eyebrows neatly and newly trimmed and died brown, his face clean-shaven, a stolen or fake badge shining on his chest.
Slowly, Knox pulled his hand out of Mica's, his muscles tensing.
"Don't try it Rosesson, or I'll put a hole in your stomach big enough to watch TV through," Bailey barked. "Put your hands on your head, now!"
Mica cringed in fear as Knox slowly did what he'd been told.
<<<< >>>>
By Lisa Ladew
All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons or organizations, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
Copyright © 2015 Lisa Ladew All Rights Reserved
Book cover by:
http://www.stunningbookcovers.com/
Mica
Panic built in Mica's chest, making her feel faint. She clasped her hands together and pinched the sensitive web between her thumb and index finger hard. The world swam back to her. Yes, Dick Bailey still stood in front of her, his gun pointed at Knox's chest.
If Knox was hurt because of her she thought she might die.
"Move back," Bailey ordered, his voice rough and grating.
Knox pushed her behind him, shielding her with his body, and they backed up together. Bailey stepped inside the entryway and swung the door shut, his eyes on Knox the entire time.
Mica realized Bailey couldn't see her and looked around for a weapon, something she could use or give to Knox. She saw nothing close by. Mica's hands snuck under Knox's sport jacket from behind, feeling for the gun she'd seen there earlier, but it was gone. He must have taken it off. Mica's stomach felt like a small, heavy stone in her mid-section. She knew Bailey had deeper plans than just extortion. She didn't see herself or Knox getting out of the situation alive.
Bailey stepped to the side of the door and nodded at Knox. "Lock it pretty boy, use the special locks. We don't need company."
Knox stepped forward and did as Bailey asked, leaving Mica desperately alone for a moment.
Bailey nodded as Knox slid the bolt home. "Now do that bar there but don't touch those call buttons. Don't even think about it."
Slowly, tension building in all his muscles, Knox turned the bar that ran from the floor to the doorknob and fitted it into the hole in the floor, effectively rendering the door unopenable, even to someone with a key.
Knox glared at Bailey and stepped back, his hands reaching behind him to find Mica. Mica caught his arm and clung to him, her gut rolling.
Bailey's gaze bored holes into Knox. He gestured with the gun. "Move, pretty boy. To the couch."
Knox squeezed Mica's hand, then stepped that way, pulling her with him but keeping her on the opposite side of him from Bailey. Mica could feel Knox's coiled strength and wished she knew what he was thinking.
Knox settled them both on the couch, his eyes never leaving Bailey's. The two men stared at each other like alley cats fighting over territory. The air in the room seemed to thicken till Mica had a hard time even taking a breath.
Bailey moved directly in front of them. Mica shrank next to Knox, her thoughts swirling crazily. She couldn't believe this was happening. Couldn't believe Bailey had taken it this far. Couldn't believe Knox was about to suffer because of what she'd done. She would never forgive herself. If she lived.
"So," Bailey said, eyeing them like a tyrant, his attention shifting to Mica. "The whore and the pretty boy. It's going to kill your father when I tell him his little girl was just a whore all along, and that he paid me all that money for nothing."
"Call her a whore again and I'll make you regret it," Knox said between clenched teeth.
Bailey laughed, but it seemed forced to Mica. "The pretty boy thinks he's a gentleman and a tough guy. Can't be both, pretty boy. You'll learn. When you're my age, you'll know that well."
Mica clutched at Knox, scared suddenly of what he might do. She just wanted to be quiet and hope Bailey went away. Even though she knew he wouldn't.
Bailey looked back at her. "So,
Mica
," he sneered. "All I want to know is how you got your boyfriend here on the train that night. How did you know to tell him we were going on the train? Huh? How?"
Mica blinked at him and shook her head in confusion.
What was he talking about?
Bailey swung his deadly-looking gun in her direction and Knox almost lunged off the couch. Bailey twitched back to him. "Plant your fucking ass before I blow another hole in it."
Knox pulled his hand out of Mica's, slowly, even as he sat back down, appearing to do as Bailey wanted. Mica felt her heavy stomach lurch and roll as fear flowed through her like a river.
The gun swung slowly back to Mica, even as Bailey's eyes stayed planted on Knox. "Answer me, Marjorie, or I can think of worse things to do than shooting you."
Mica felt a bolt of emotional pain shoot through her as Bailey used her given name. The name no one had called her in ten years. The name of the scared and lonely girl she'd tried to forget, to cover up, to leave behind. Underneath her pain, confusion at what exactly Bailey was talking about loomed. He thought she and Knox had known each other back then?