The Opium Room (12 page)

“And when she says my name as I please her, I can hear in her sweet voice how good I’m making her feel. Lights on or off—doesn’t matter. The connection between us is so remarkable you can reach out and touch it.”

Lea’s cheeks turned two thousand gigabytes of crimson as Fox kissed down her neck. In the video, she remembered now, she had cried out his name. She’d never in her life done that. During her marital sexual relationship, the world had gone mute.

Fox’s hands traced down her belly so softly it was barely detectable, which made her burn for him even more. Every cell beneath his fingertips felt electric, like two magnets in close proximity, pulling together.

He bent his legs, lowering himself to kiss a trail from collar to navel. She stiffened.

“Relax, baby,” Fox whispered.

Lea put her hands behind her on the marble top, pressing against them to stop the trembling. She breathed in deeply through her nose, closed her eyes, and allowed herself to think of nothing else except his touch. Soon the world began to drift away.

Fox’s knees were bent now as far as they could go. He swung her legs over his shoulder, kissed her inner thighs. Lea was so relieved that she’d gone ahead and used the Coochy cream that Karrigan had said she’d need. She wasn’t sure how Fox liked his women groomed, but imagined they were all bare as a baby. She couldn’t go that far. It would look ridiculous on her as curvy as her hips were. She went with a more womanly style, she thought, and left a narrow strip of closely trimmed hair up top. Around the lips, though, she took it all off.

The sensation of his tongue gliding over and inside her lips was enough to make her come off the bar. She gasped as he circled and sucked her clit. Her hands went in his hair, clutching handfuls.

“Mmm,” he moaned against her.

He slipped a finger inside, then two, alternating the intensity of his tongue circling her clit. When he found her favorite spot at the two o’clock position, she cried, “Yes, right there. Don’t stop.”

And he didn’t. God, he was an obedient man. Twenty seconds later, she came, quivering against him.

Fox rose. “Was that good for you baby?”

“What do you think?” Lea reached behind his neck, mashed his mouth against hers. Reached inside his mouth with her tongue, exploring deeply, and he reciprocated by exploring the depths and curves of her mouth.

“I want you so bad, Lea,” he said, and kissed her again.

“Then stop waiting. Take me to bed now.”

Her legs were already wrapped around him, so he swiped her up and walked her to the bed. He hovered over her, his gaze lingering on her chest. “You have the most beautiful breasts I’ve ever seen,” he said. “So soft, so pink, straight woman.” He kissed her softly, looked in her eyes. “I can barely contain myself with you. I have never been so incredibly attracted to anyone.”

Lea smiled, turned her head away.

With one finger, Fox turned her face back to him. “Believe it.” He said it with the same serious expression she’d seen before. The truth radiated in his eyes.

One day, she could so easily love him. It frightened her to think the future could be right now.

His mouth came down on hers again, his tongue swirling, teasing. Lea reached down between his legs and softly stroked him. Now it was her turn to bring the pleasure. She pressed her palms against his smooth, defined pecks and pushed him onto his back. Slowly, she crawled on her knees, tracing kisses down his hard abdomen.

He was God’s prototype for all men. Real. Alive. In the flesh. Underneath her cat crawl. For her very taking. How did she get so lucky?

She took him in her hand, teased him with a flick of the tongue over his head. A nearly inaudible
ah
groan escaped his lips, but she recognized it. And she was just getting started. She took him fully into her mouth, gliding down in attempt to fully accommodate him. He was thick, wide, and it was a challenge, but she pushed the thought out of her mind. She could—would—unselfishly please this man, as he had done for her now more than once. She wanted to make him feel as toe–curlingly good as he’d made her feel, and though she wasn’t a sex master like him, she would give it her best shot.

She found a rhythm that he responded to with a good round of moans and kept it steady. She loved the way he encouraged her. Made her feel like she was never out of the game, restoring her self–confidence along the way. It was her pleasure to pleasure him. He was beautiful—straight as an arrow and hard as granite.

“I can’t wait anymore, baby,” Fox said, and tugged on her arm. “I need to feel you.”

Lea crawled up, laid back on the pillow as Fox pulled a condom out of the nightstand beside the bed. She took a long, deep breath as he tore open the wrapper and rolled it on. A year without sex made this a little unnerving. Not to mention, Fox’s cock size was otherworldly.

“I promise I won’t hurt you,” Fox said. His mouth came over hers, softly. Lost in his sweet, tender kisses, he pushed inside her. Their bodies molded together as if they were made for one another. He slowly increased his rhythm, going in a little deeper with every roll of his hips.

“You feel so good,” Lea said, barely recognizing her own voice. Her lips seemingly had a mind of their own whenever Fox was around.

“You too, baby.”

Lea blinked hard, pursed her lips together, thinking,
Don’t break my heart. I love you.

As if Fox read her mind, he lifted his head from her neck, looked in her eyes. Time slowed to a crawl. Fox positioned both of his palms near her temples and softly caressed her head. “I’m so glad I found you.”

“Me too.”

Lea could feel the racing of her put–back–together heart. It pounded faster and he took her farther and farther away from her worries, her insecurities. Every cell in her body on fire for Fox. As their hips pressed together harder, faster, the heat in her belly reached its peak. Their climax synchronized with the breathing of each other’s name.

***

The next morning, Lea awoke before Fox and as he’d promised, she’d had a great night’s sleep at his place. For a long while, she just laid there staring at him, with her arm draped across his back trying to believe that this was real. For the last year, she’d mused that she was doomed to be a spinster, forever untouched by the hands of a man. Not good enough for anyone. But she was good enough for Fox. Last night, he’d worshipped her body like she was some sort of goddess.

As she admired Fox’s face, she felt inspired to love again. Leave behind the pangs of self–doubt. She’d found a kind, good–hearted man who’d made her feel more special in a day than Brandon did in ten years of marriage. She wanted him beside her, in her heart, forever.

Later that morning, Fox and Lea strolled arm in arm past the front desk where, from out of nowhere, a tall, slender, blonde tugged on his arm.

“Hey, Fox,” the woman said. She offered no greeting, no sign of acknowledgement at all, to Lea. She might as well have been invisible. “I can see you’re not dressed for work, and I hope this isn’t a bad time for you…”

Hello? Does she even see me here?
Lea already wanted to reach out, curl her fingers around the blonde’s neck, and squeeze until her knuckles turned white.

“…but you always help me carry my bags up to my room,” the blonde continued. “I’m getting ready to check in for a few days, and I could really use a hand in a minute.”

“Trish, that’s what the concierge is for. I would, but as you can see…” he moved his eyes in Lea’s direction.

“Fine, I’ll get help from the concierge.”

Fox started to walk off.

“But,” the blonde said, “can you make sure I get the best possible rate for my stay? I
am
a regular customer.”

“Sure, I’ll talk to Karrigan after I walk out my girlfriend.” He looked at Lea and smiled.

For Fox to call her his girlfriend for the first time to this bimbo really said something about his genuine feelings for her. Lea felt better.

“Thanks,” the blonde said, put her hand on his shoulder and rose up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

She did not just kiss my man’s cheek! How dare she!

Lea was at a loss. But what could she do? It’s not like the woman put her tongue down his throat, and in some foreign countries it’s a respectful gesture to kiss on
both
cheeks.

Fox said nothing. Just took off with Lea still on his arm.

Outside, Lea said, “Why did she kiss you, Fox? Is she one of your… girls?”

“I won’t lie, Lea. We used to sleep together when she came to town. It was never personal. We didn’t talk before or afterward. I haven’t seen her for six months.” He rubbed the outside of both her arms. “You have nothing to worry about. If she comes on to me while she’s here, I’ll get the point across that it’s never happening again.” He kissed Lea on the forehead. “Okay?”

“Okay.” Lea smiled, but couldn’t shake the image of the blonde with her strappy black heels on, short mini skirt and ample cleavage, out of her mind. She didn’t fully believe that Fox had changed his preferences overnight. Still didn’t visualize herself in the mold of what he was looking for. But he fit the mold of what she wanted. Would she ever regain her sense of self? Feel secure again? And would Fox be patient while she searched her soul? Time would tell.

As Lea drove out of the parking lot, she couldn’t help but wonder if Fox was going back inside to see the blonde up to her room. And what could happen if he did.

CHAPTER TWELVE

—Fox

At ten a.m, right on time, Jill pranced through the door of Fox’s office looking like a hot mess as usual.

She slid a flash drive across the desk. “Here, look at that, and you’ll see how my totals come up different from yours.”

“Good,” Fox said, putting it in the hard drive of his desk top. His desk was catty cornered, so the monitor was facing Jill. The contents of the flash drive came up on the screen.

Jill leaned across the desk, pointed. “Click the file that says HPN. That’s the report for Hypnotic.”

Fox did as she said. As the Excel spreadsheet loaded, Fox opened up the wide lower desk drawers and pulled out a hanging folder. He took his own spreadsheet out and handed it to Jill. “Here’s mine so you can compare.” Jill flipped through Fox’s document with a look of confusion. “Yeah, you’re definitely off.”

Fox didn’t even argue with her. Just looked at her and shook his head. Under all that makeup, he thought, was a girl probably about the same age as the twins. Either that or she’d had a face lift that actually took.

Fox turned back to his computer, clicked on book one of the Excel file. He scanned the information. January through June of Fiscal Year 2012. The figures closely resembled the ones he’d calculated fifteen times by now. “The problem’s not here,” he said. “Is the remainder of the 2012 FY on book two?”

Jill nodded, still examining Fox’s paper records.

It didn’t take Fox long to realize July to December of 2012 matched his figures to the very penny.

He turned in his chair, tapped the desk to get Lea’s attention. “Hey,” he said, “did that plastic surgeon nick your brain when he lifted your face?”

“Ex
cuse
me?” Jill asked, presumably trying to raise a brow on her feature–frozen face.

“Book one and two together balance. Accounts paid, accounts received, vendor commissions, everything equates to the figures I came up with.”

“I’m going to look past the rude comment you made a moment ago. You’ve got three strikes with me, Fox. One more outburst like that and you’re out.”

“Whatever, pea brain. Come out with it. Where’d you get your finance degree? The George Institute for the clouded and clueless on the corner of stymied and stupid?”

“Maybe you’re the one with half a brain. You didn’t click on book three.”

Fox turned. There was a sheet three, as all Excel Spreadsheets had, but he hadn’t expected it to hold information; he had all he needed. He clicked on it out of curiosity, ready to blast her again for her remedial math skills.

Fox’s lips parted as he read the screen. It was bank information from the Georgia Federal Credit Union. The monthly deposit amounts were ridiculous. One hundred thousand one month, two hundred thousand the next. The figures were on an upward climb for the entire year. His business checking account was with the same bank, but he knew he wasn’t looking at that account. In 2012, Hypnotic’s account had a level keel of outgoing and incoming funds.

“The amount of deposits made versus the funds going out are way too far off,” Fox said pointing to the screen. “This can’t be Hypnotic’s account I’m looking at.”

A wash of panic struck Jill’s features. Her mouth dropped and she blinked several times. After a moment, she pushed Fox’s paper file away and stood. “I’ve made a terrible mistake. I don’t how I linked my own account with Hypnotic’s. We use the same bank, and I must’ve uploaded the wrong file. I’m truly sorry for the trouble I’ve caused.” She held out her hand. “May I have my flash drive back?”

Fox pulled it out of the computer and handed it to her, too dumbstruck to form words.

Jill turned on her heel and walked out before Fox could motivate his jaw to close.

How in the hell does she have that kind of money?

The instant that thought crossed his mind, Roman’s name rolled off his lips.

Fox started to storm into Roman’s office and demand him to, once and for all, tell him the connection he shared with Jill. But he would be doing more damage than good. It was time for Fox to do some detective work. And if Roman knew he was on to him, he would have a head start in covering up his tracks. As it was, Roman had no reason to suspect that Fox was checking up on him.

Sure, Fox had heard rumors throughout the years: his father had allegedly manipulated the stock market to financially benefit his tile company; lied on tax returns; siphoned money from a network of investors, some personal friends, and transferred it to company funds. But Fox had never let himself believe any of it. Roman had faced a jury and each claim had been found unsubstantiated. If a man had money, Fox thought, someone was always looking to blackmail him to get their share. That’s what Roman had said since Fox was old enough to remember.