The Prize (23 page)

I moaned, squirming my ass to get closer to his mouth. I didn’t care what he touched
me with as long as he did so and fast.

“Do you think about me when you masturbate?”

His question shocked me. “Yes…”

He chuckled. “If you were mine, permanently I mean, I wouldn’t permit you to masturbate
except in front of me.”

My face heated at the idea of him controlling when and how I masturbated. Was that
really possible? How would he know? God, how I would love for him to try…

“I love the way you wiggle when you’re horny. I love the way your legs shake just
before you come.”

He was right. My legs were agitating on their own accord. I couldn’t stop them. All
my blood had rushed to my pussy.

“Keep your eyes closed. Picture my lips wrapped around your nipple. Sucking. Flicking
over the tip. Biting down gently. Twisting…”

I arched higher, my breasts straining forward.

“My mouth moving lower… Nibbling a path to your navel… And then lower until I suck
your sweet clit between my lips. I’m flicking my tongue over the swollen nub. It’s
growing…”

I held my breath. So fucking close…

He continued to hold my lips apart and my hood away from my clit. “I thrust three
fingers into your pussy and drag them across your G-spot…”

My mouth fell open wider. My head tipped back. I could feel him doing all those things
even though he was barely touching me and not where it counted most.

Oh.

My.

God.

My pussy clenched.

“Come for me, Meagan. Come. I want to watch.”

A deep orgasm ripped through me from the stem of my clit toward my pussy. It made
the walls of my channel convulse. Even my ass pulsed around the plug. And my clit
throbbed in the same rhythm. And the noise that came from my mouth was inhuman.

“Jesus, that’s hot.”

What the hell just happened? Did I just come on command with no contact?

And then Parker was over me, shoving me several feet across the bed and thrusting
into me seemingly at the same time. Before the first orgasm subsided, a second one
built. I still had my eyes closed. Or maybe they were open. I couldn’t see in any
case. My vision swam with flashes of light. From behind my eyelids?

“Fuck. Meagan. Oh, God.” His voice was deep, choppy. “Honey…”

I released my legs and wrapped them around his waist, drawing him in deeper. I grabbed
his biceps with my fingers, digging into his muscles. Not caring if I left nail marks.
Not able to control my actions.

He didn’t seem to care. And then he jerked his cock out of me as fast as he’d entered.

My eyes flew open. I was so close to a second orgasm. The last thing I wanted was
for him to stop.

As I was about to protest, he stopped me with a hand motion. “Flip back over.” He
reached for a foil wrap beside him and held it up. “Condom. I was in such a rush I
didn’t put it on.” He ripped it open with his teeth, tugged it out, and rolled it
down his length. “Meagan, I said turn over, hon. Now.”

I licked my lips. Right. I forgot. I got caught up in the show of his sexy body. I
had a hard time getting my body to cooperate, but I managed to return to all fours,
spreading my legs.
Please. Jesus. Back inside me
…

Instead of thrusting into my pussy from behind like I expected, he set a hand on my
lower back and twisted the plug around in slow circles.

I moaned at the sensations that erupted deep within me. Who knew my ass could be so
sensitive?

Suddenly, he pulled the plug out.

A protest flooded my mind, but before I could speak, he nudged my tight hole again.
With his cock. I let my belly drop low, raising my ass into the air. I wanted him
inside me there. I’d never wanted anything so badly. He’d prepared me for this moment.
Teasing me mercilessly until I would beg him to fuck my ass.

As he eased into me, I inhaled sharply. “Don’t fight it. Relax your muscles. Let me
slide in. I promise it will feel fantastic.”

It already felt wonderful. Even the idea of doing something so taboo, so naughty,
made my arousal shoot through the roof.

As he inched in a little more with each pass, I let myself surrender to the feeling.
So full. So tight.

At last, he thrust in the last bit, holding himself steadily as deep as he could go.
When he thrust two fingers into my pussy, I jerked forward. It didn’t hurt. On the
contrary, it felt better than anything had yet. Too good. It shocked me. I would lose
all control of my sanity with that much sensation at once.

He grabbed my hip with his free hand to steady me, fucking his fingers in and out
of my pussy fast and hard.

“Park—” I couldn’t finish muttering his name. Words fled my brain. All I knew were
his fingers and the intense pressure against his cock in my tighter hole.

Too much. I needed to come, and it would be unbelievable.

My legs shook again with their predicted indication of my orgasm.

“That’s it, hon. Come for me. Come hard on my hand.” He pressed his thumb against
my clit and reached as deep as he could.

My orgasm was all-consuming. It threatened to make my heart stop beating. I knew nothing
but the pressure all over. My clit. My pussy. My ass. All three worked in tandem to
drive me to the highest peak I’d ever been.

And as I continued to pulse around him everywhere, he pulled his cock almost out and
thrust back into me. He held my pussy and clit tight with his other hand while he
fucked me, grunting around every thrust.

A second before he came, I knew he was there. His body stiffened, and he made one
final push forward, seating himself fully and moaning loudly as his orgasm joined
mine.

I might have died. I didn’t care. If this was heaven, I was in favor of staying.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

When I opened my eyes, the room was darker. I was curled on my side. A faint glow
from the bathroom was all I saw. My eye also hurt like hell. And my cheek.

Something weighed me down.

I moaned, lifting my hand to touch my face and finding my fingers trapped between
my breasts.

Parker.

He released his grip on my hands and reached for my face to brush my hair away. “You
okay, hon? You were moaning.”

“Hurts.” I gently touched my cheek. It was swollen and painful to the touch.

“Let me get you some more ibuprofen.” He slipped from behind me, making the bed dip
as he got up.

I watched his gorgeous, naked frame as he stepped into my line of sight and into the
bathroom. A minute later, he returned with a glass of water and two pills. I sat up,
wincing, and took the items from him.

“You want some ice? Might help with the swelling. It looks painful.”

“That would be fantastic.” I glanced at the door. “I can get it. You don’t have to.”

He tipped his head to one side and frowned. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll get it. Lie
back down.”

I eased under the covers on my back, pulling them over my nudity while he shrugged
into his jeans and stepped into the hallway without bothering to button them. Two
minutes later he was back, holding a thin towel and a bag of peas. “This will be perfect.”

He wrapped the cloth around the bag and set it gently next to my swollen eye. “A few
minutes on one side and you can flip it over and hit the other cheek.” He smiled as
though it were slightly comical that I was so beat up.

It was. In a twisted way. “Thanks.” I glanced around, wincing again as the cool peas
touched my skin. He was being so nice to me.

He stepped out of his jeans and eased back under the covers to lean on one elbow and
press his leg between mine. “Better?”

“Yeah.” I couldn’t bring myself to meet his gaze. Was I embarrassed? Or maybe I felt
bad knowing I would leave him after the incredibly intimate scene we’d shared. “How
long was I asleep?”

He chuckled. “You kind of passed out. I cleaned you up and tucked you in a few hours
ago.”

“I think you might have killed me.”

“I hope not. I would hate to think we couldn’t do that again.” He traced the edge
of my jaw with a finger. “Seemed like you were…entertained.” He chuckled again.

“Maybe…” I forced out in a teasing voice to match his banter.

“Look at me, Meagan.”

I inhaled and lifted my gaze to his.

His brow was scrunched. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing.”

“Uh-huh. You won’t look at me, and you’re mumbling. Did I push you too far?”

“No.”

He held my chin steady, forcing me to continue looking at him. “Did I hurt you? I
tried to be gentle and ease you open.”

He was referring to my ass. My face flamed, though I doubted he would notice with
the injuries I sported. “No…” I swallowed. “Sir.”

“We aren’t in the role right now, Meagan. What’s bothering you?”

I shrugged, gripping the bag of peas tighter. “I’m fine.”

He opened his mouth but then closed it again. Tight. As he lowered his head onto his
arm against the pillow, I shifted the bag to my other cheek. Already the pain was
receding. Before I finished, I drifted back to sleep.

****

The next time I woke up, I was alone in the bed. I cringed as I hauled myself up higher
on the pillows, holding the blanket over my chest. There was a glass of orange juice
and a note on the bedside table. The curtains were separated enough to give me light.

I reached for the juice first, moaning around the tangy citrus flavor as I downed
the entire glass. I was thirsty and hungry. Next, I reached for the note.

I had to go into the office at Alexander Technologies for a while with Riley. I’ll
be back in a few hours. Cheyenne is home. Parker
.

I smiled, at first because he was so thoughtful, and then because he made it easy
for me to escape. I needed to go to my apartment and grab some things. And then I
needed to head back to Charlotte to meet with Branch and make a plan. I shuddered
when I remembered Branch hitting on me. Had I imagined that?

Hopefully.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and made my way to the bathroom to flip on
the shower and assess the damage. Shockingly, I looked better than I expected. My
cheek was still red and swollen and my eye socket was turning blue, but I could see
out of the eye fine.

As soon as I ducked under the water, I exhaled in relief. I was human. Or I would
be again in about ten minutes.

After quickly washing and drying, I headed to the bedroom to find a pile of clothes
Cheyenne had left me on the dresser. I hadn’t noticed them the night before, but I
had been rather busy and distracted.

The leggings were perfect and the oversized sweatshirt warmed me up and gave me a
cozy, lying-on-the-couch-kind-of-day feel.

The moment I opened the bedroom door, I smelled coffee and followed the scent to the
kitchen. Cheyenne lifted her face to smile at me. She looked much better. Except for
red patches from the tape on her cheeks, no one would notice. Makeup would cover it.

I couldn’t see her wrists under the long sleeves she wore, probably by design.

“Did you sleep okay?”

“Fine. You?” I inched toward her, remembering the reason she was injured was my fault.
I didn’t give her a chance to answer. “I’m so sorry.”

“Meagan, this wasn’t your fault. Stop it.”

“I should have told you.”

“We’ve been through that. It wouldn’t have changed anything. In fact, it probably
would have been worse if I’d known that asshole intended to kill you.” She shuddered.
“I would have freaked a lot more if I’d had more information.”

“You aren’t going to be able to make me feel better, but nice try.” I took the offered
coffee cup from her hand and leaned over it to breathe in the scent.

“How’s your eye? Do you need anything for it?”

“No. Parker took care of me with peas and pills in the night.”

She smiled. “How thoughtful. It sounded like he took care of you in lots of ways.”

I blushed deeply and ducked my face. “God. Sorry about that…”

“Don’t be. You’re human. It happens.” She shrugged.

“Who does that, though?” I lifted my face, seriously curious about her answer.

“Has sex?”

I shook my head. “Lets a man control them and fuck them senseless after being held
hostage at gunpoint. I must have a screw loose.”

“Sweetie, no. Good Lord. You needed the means to escape. He provided it. It’s simple
and totally normal.”

Nothing about my life seemed normal in any way, shape, or form.

“Sit. I have breakfast.”

“Please tell me you didn’t cook.”

“Hell no. Justine cooked. She just left to run to the store, but not without fussing
over me. I don’t think she wanted to leave me here. I’m sure Riley told her not to.
But I insisted, telling her I needed a few things and giving her a list.”

I smiled and lifted myself onto one of the bar stools at the kitchen island as Cheyenne
pushed a plate of food in front of me. “She put it in the warmer for you.”

“What time is it?”

“Eight thirty.”

“Wow. I slept hard. I didn’t hear Parker leave.”

“Yeah, he and Riley left about seven. Some emergency at the office. Said they would
be back as soon as possible.”

I stiffened. “What emergency?” I glanced around the room, half expecting to find Swarth’s
cousin or his parents hiding in a corner, waiting to jump out and kill me. Did they
have the power to lure two men out of the house?

She shrugged. “They didn’t say, but there are two patrol cars out front, and the alarm
system in this house is better than the White House, so don’t worry.”

Two police officers out front?

I twisted around and hopped down from the stool to make my way to the front door.
When I pulled back the blinds to see outside, I was shocked to find she wasn’t kidding.
Two cars indeed sat there. Both officers were out of their vehicles and leaning against
the sides. One glanced around constantly while the other spoke. Did they take turns
being that diligent?

Cheyenne came up behind me. “Do you really think you’re still in danger?”

“No idea. Depends on how pissed Swarth’s family is. Branch said he would interview
them this morning first thing.”

Cheyenne took my arm and led me back to the table. “Come on. Eat. They aren’t going
anywhere.”

I sipped my coffee first and then dug into the omelet and fried potatoes.

Cheyenne leaned a hip against the island. “What did Branch say when we left you in
your bedroom yesterday?”

I scrunched up my face. “He was worried about me.”

“Of course. Rightfully so. Wait, what do you mean?”

“Honestly? I think he was hitting on me.”

“Seriously?” She nearly shouted. “Two seconds after you were rescued from a madman?”

“Well, he was concerned about me leaving with Parker. And that’s my fault because
I stayed with Parker the first two nights when I got to Charlotte. And then I asked
Branch to move me to a safe house.”

“Why did you do that?”

My turn to shrug. “It didn’t seem fair. I was leading Parker on. And making him unsafe
in the process.”

“What are you talking about? Leading him on?”

I blew out a breath long and slow and met her gaze. “I can’t stay with him, Cheyenne.”

“Why not?”

“The list is long. But I need to be alone right now. I’ve lived a lie for fifteen
years. I need to find myself before I can ever share my life with another.”

“You’re a horrible liar.” She giggled. “Tell me the real reason.”

“Can we just leave it at that?”

“No. How long have you been seeing him, anyway? Were you two together before that
night at the restaurant when you faked like you didn’t feel well?” She tipped her
head and gave me a sly grin.

“You caught that?” My face flushed with heat.

“We all did, sweetie.” She touched my hand. “Don’t worry. No one judges you. I just
don’t know why you didn’t tell us. Why the secrecy?”

I shrugged. “I was embarrassed. And I always knew it couldn’t be permanent.”

“Because some guy was after you? I don’t see the correlation.”

“It’s more than that. But in a nutshell, yes. I have a lot of issues.”

“Maybe he’ll work through them with you.” She smiled.

After I rolled my neck to get the kinks out, I spoke again. “Look, he deserves better,
okay?”

“Nope. That’s just as ludicrous. You’re great together. Why fool with that when it
works so well?”

“I can’t stay with him. And I can’t move to Charlotte.” That was true. Just not thorough.

“Parker’s a reasonable man. I’m sure he would understand that. It’s not a deal breaker.”

“Of course it is. His job is there. His company.”

She shrugged. “He can work anywhere. Hell, the guys have been talking about opening
another location, anyway. It’s certainly Parker’s turn to switch cities if he chooses.”

“Seriously?” It was the first I’d heard of a new business.

“Yeah. I don’t think they’re ready to make any announcements, but Riley has been talking
about it for a month. I suspect that’s what they’re dealing with in the office on
a Saturday morning. They’ve been interviewing a few guys to join their partnership.”

A month
… How long had I known Parker?

“Any talk of Parker coming here and you two moving by any chance?”

“The idea has been tossed around. Why?”

“Just curious.” Had Parker been scheming to move to Atlanta ever since we met? I wasn’t
sure if that made me want to grin at the thoughtfulness or throw something at his
overhanded ways. When did he plan to tell me?

“You’re pissed.”

“Nah. Just confused. It doesn’t matter.” I finished the last few bites of my breakfast
and took my plate to the sink. “I need to call Branch and see what he’s found out.
I’ll probably have to head back to Charlotte today.” I cringed at the idea.

“Today? Why?”

“Safety.”

She followed me down the hall as I went in search of my cell phone. I found it on
the bedside table and saw there were already two missed calls from Branch.

“I’m worried about you,” Cheyenne said from the door. “But I’ll give you your privacy.
Come find me after you speak to the detective.”

“Okay.”

She shut the door softly, and I dialed the police station.

“Branch speaking.”

“It’s Meagan Hollister.”

“Hey. How are you?”