“Just a matter of looking up recent sales.”
“Well, I’ll be damned.” A smirk crossed Hawk’s face as he said, “I think we’ve got him, boys.”
“It’s certainly looking that way, but I’ll run the facial recognition just to be sure,” Menace replied. “I want to cover all our bases.”
“Agreed.”
“Let’s give him some breathing room.” Hawk stood as he looked over to me and said, “’Bout time for us to head over to Stilettos for our shift.”
I glanced up at the clock on the wall and was surprised to see it was already after three. I told Marlowe I would be coming by her place this morning, but time had gotten away from me. As I followed Hawk out to the parking lot, I got it set in my mind I was going to make it up to her, and I knew exactly how.
When I walked into Stilettos, I found Marlowe busy behind the bar making drinks. Damn. She looked so beautiful she took my breath away, and I couldn’t wait to have a few minutes alone with her. I walked up and just watched her go through the motions of making one of her fancy drinks. She was a great bartender. She took pride in her work and never failed to impress. When she finally realized I was standing there, a soft smile danced across her perfect, full lips.
“Hey there, beautiful.”
“Hey.” A shroud of concern washed over her as she muttered, “Where’ve you been? I was expecting you to come by my place.”
"I was planning to, but I got held up at the clubhouse.” I stepped behind the counter as I asked, “You got a minute to talk?”
She glanced over at the waitresses hovering at the bar, waiting for their drinks, then said, "We’re pretty swamped.”
"Hey, Lisa.” When she turned to face me, I asked, “Can I borrow Marlowe for a minute?"
“Sure thing. Take all the time you need.”
I gave her a nod, then I grabbed Marlowe's hand and led her down the hall. I knew there were no cameras in the VIP room, so we wouldn’t be seen by anyone, including Stark. As I reached for the door handle to open it, Marlowe asked, "What are you doing?"
Without answering, I pulled her into the room, and as I turned to close the door, I put my finger over my lips, hoping she would understand. Once the door was closed, I stepped over to her and started unbuttoning her blouse. “Remember last night when I said my patience was running thin?”
“Um-hmm.”
“Well, it’s finally run out.” I slowly slipped it down her shoulder, then leaned in and kissed her soft skin and did the same to the other one. “I need you to know something.”
“Okay.”
Marlowe stood there with wide, hungry eyes as I slid her shirt down her arms. When I moved to the button on her jeans, I whispered, “You’re mine, Marlowe Davenport.”
A soft whimper escaped her as I eased the denim over her hips and continued down her thighs. I kneeled down to help her step out of them, then leaned in and kissed her through her panties. “Every fucking inch of you.”
As I stood, I let my hand trail between her thigh, the tips of my fingers raking her warmth, and when our eyes met, I had no doubt she knew exactly what I meant. A spark of need flashed through her eyes as she reached for my shirt, unbuttoning each button painstakingly slow. She knew what she was doing. She knew she was turning me on with every twist of her fingers. Fuck. My cock was so hard I thought it was going to explode right then and there. By the time she got to my jeans I couldn’t take it anymore.
I reached in my back pocket, pulled out a condom from my wallet, and stripped off my jeans. Without saying a word, she placed the palms of her hands on my chest and started pushing me back to the couch. As much as I didn’t like giving up control, I could see the self-assurance in her eyes, and I wanted to keep it there—to have her feel strong and confident with me. She stood in front of me assessing me like a hungry predator, and I couldn’t have desired her more. I reached for her hips and lifted her as she straddled herself over my cock. Dragging her center across my throbbing erection, she leaned forward and kissed me passionately.
I thought I’d lose my mind if I had to wait another minute to be inside her. Feeling the same need burning inside of her, she centered herself on top of me. The heat of our breaths mingled between us until the anticipation became too much. My hand snaked up her spine.
I’d never wanted anyone more. My breath became strained as she lowered her hand between us and started stroking me. A fevered hiss slipped through her lips as she slowly inched down, taking me deep inside. She was so fucking tight, warm, and wet, I had to fight the temptation to take over. I found myself wondering if she knew the effect she had on me—if she had any clue how wrapped up in her I really was.
I couldn’t believe how good she felt riding my cock. It was like heaven, absolute heaven; I wanted to savor every second, feel every sensation. A deep growl resonated through my chest as she quickened her pace, and even though it felt incredible, I needed more. Unable to control myself, I brought my hands up to her hips and guided her up and down. Her nails dug into my chest as she bucked against me, meeting every thrust with more force, more intensity.
Each drive became frantic as she took me deeper and deeper. My body was wound tight as I struggled to hold back my climax, and I could feel the pressure building as her walls constricted around me. Teetering close to the edge, I dug my fingertips into her hips and held on as her orgasm approached. Her hips rocked against mine in a feverish rhythm until she let out a muffled groan. With one last deep thrust, Marlowe's body tensed, and her breath stilled as her head fell back. Her orgasm exploded and she clamped down around me, making it impossible to hold back as she continued to buck against me. The fire that raged within me reached its breaking point as I came deep inside her. My voice was low and strained as I growled, “Fuck.”
I held on to her hips, holding her in place as I caught my breath. Still trembling, she collapsed on top of me, her heart beating wildly next to mine; neither of us moved as the aftershocks from our pleasure rolled over us. After several moments passed, our eyes met, and once again, I placed my finger to her lips. She pointed to the necklace, and I nodded, acknowledging I knew exactly what was going on. As I ran my fingers through her hair, I whispered, “Whenever you have doubts about anything, anything whatsoever, remember this moment ... what we have between us. It’s enough to get us through anything.”
“I will.”
“I better get you back out there before Lisa sends out a search party.”
We both got dressed, and after one last kiss, I led her out of the VIP room and back to the bar. While there was little said between us, I could tell by the look on her face she knew exactly why I’d taken her to that room, and if she happened to need more explanation later, I’d be more than happy to give it to her—again and again.
Chapter 18
Marlowe
When I walked out of that VIP room with Rafe, I felt lighter than I had in days. While he hadn’t actually said the words, he’d made it clear in his own way that he’d seen the messages I’d left for him, and I was feeling like things were going to be okay—at least temporarily. I’d barely made it back to the bar before I felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket. I rarely ever got messages from anyone, so I knew before looking it was Eric. I didn’t want to see what he’d sent but knew I didn’t have a choice. I took out my phone and anger washed over me as I read: