Time.
How long will it take for the snake to leave its hole? The police announced they haven’t found the body of billionaire Tobias Kosta, so that doesn’t mean he’s dead. As of right now, it’s still a search for his body. Eventually, it will either become a recovery or a manhunt.
Tobias has enough political sway that the latter wouldn’t happen, but we can’t act yet because Felix hasn’t left his penthouse. However, I will reach out to him.
One of the things I have figured out from his file is that I can’t find a loophole for him to obtain the land. Everything is perfect; everything is legal and meets the criteria needed to be protected. There is no way to legally fix this mess, but that doesn’t mean I have to tell Felix.
I plan to tell him I found a mistake when I pulled the paperwork, and I figured out that the land was not filed correctly. That I have found a loophole, and because of this, the land is not, in fact, protected.
This is how I will lure him out.
When we meet, I will suggest celebrating our success. This will be the tricky part, convincing him to come to me. If I can’t, I’ll have to figure out a way to get Tobias and company into his penthouse. I don’t want to think about that, though, because something tells me that’s the riskier undertaking.
The hardest part about this week is seeing Tobias. Despite the danger, he insists on seeing me every day and sleeping over. It’s risky as all hell.
But ever since words of love were spoken, neither one of us was willing to be without the other for too long.
At night, I find him touching me, almost like he’s afraid I’ll disappear. I find myself doing the same thing, almost pinching myself every time I’m with him to make sure it isn’t some dream.
Tonight, he doesn’t try to sneak in while I sleep, nor does he wait to wake me from a dream. No, tonight, he’s barging through my door. Then his lips are on mine. The way he kisses me is like he’s in a frenzy.
It’s desperate and passionate.
Something tells me he’s scared of what the future will bring. Of what tomorrow will bring.
Now, with the plan in action, anything could happen.
He kisses me like it’s the last time.
His fear tastes like possession.
A primal need to never let me go.
My arms wrap around his neck as his soft tongue delves inside my mouth.
The kiss doesn’t end. Instead, I tug at his disheveled hair and pull him closer, desperate not to let him go.
He laughs against my lips. “I love you.”
“I love you,” I repeat through heavy pants. “It’s always been you.”
Tobias is my air. My breath. My soul.
And I’m his sky.
My fingers trail across his shirt, and one by one, I unfasten each small button.
“You kiss me like it’s our last kiss,” I mutter against his mouth.
“I will never let anyone hurt you.” A promise. “I will die for you.”
I slide my hand down to the belt of his pants. He steps out of them, and the material hits the floor.
Then he’s moving toward me. His hands lift the hem of my dress above my head.
Once I’m standing in front of him in only a bra and panties, he removes those, too.
Standing naked before him, he reaches out his hand and works his way down the hollow of my neck, over my breasts and down my stomach until his finger swipes against my core. Teasing.
“I need you.” He lifts me, carrying me toward my bedroom. “I couldn’t stay away now if I tried. I need to be inside you.”
He throws me on the bed.
Crawling back up my body, he aligns himself with my core and then slowly sinks inside me. Once he’s all the way seated, his hips begin to circle, and then he rocks in and out.
It feels amazing.
He thrusts in and out of my body. He slams in over and over again, moving his hips at a faster clip. My nails scratch at his back.
Our movements become frantic. I brace for each thrust of his hips. He fucks me like a dying man, a desperate man, a starved man. Like I’m what will save him. Like I’m his salvation.
I’m what keeps him alive.
My body shivers and quakes as he pulls out and then enters me again. He thrusts, going deeper and deeper.
My body pulses around him, and his own climax follows quickly after. “Fuck!” he shouts out his release. “You belong to me. You’re mine. And I will protect you to my dying breath.”
47
Skye
The time to put the plan in motion has finally come. I grab my phone from the table, pressing the call button when I find Felix Bernard’s name. My pulse thumps in my neck as I wait for him to answer.
“Bernard speaking.” Hearing his voice makes my back go ramrod straight. My words dry up in my brain as I try to remember the plan.
“I have good news, sir,” I finally spit out, trying desperately to keep my voice calm. Hopefully, it’s convincing. Everything rides on there being no doubt or reason to question me.
“Ms. Matthews?” he asks.
“Oh, sorry. Yes, it’s me. I have been working all night and forgot to introduce myself.” I give a little embarrassed laugh, laying it on thick.
Really, Skye? Is that the best you can come up with?
“Is that so?” he leads as if I will say more. I don’t. Instead, I lift my free hand and bang it against my head. How in the world am I supposed to do this? I hate this plan. The worst part . . . it’s my plan.
“Yes. Sorry,” I mutter back.
The line goes silent, and I look down to see if the call was dropped. It hasn’t been. Holding my breath, I wait for him to speak.
“Ms. Matthews, what can I do for you?”
He sounds unamused by my call, and I wonder if maybe this isn’t a good plan. Maybe he’s on to me? It’s a risk I’m not sure I should be taking. Inhaling, I push down my doubts.
“I found the loophole you were looking for.” I hope to lure him in by not saying too much.
“Really?” He sounds unconvinced, and I wonder if this has all been a farce. Did he send me on a wild goose chase, and now he’s stumped about how I solved the problem?
“Yep. Took me a while, but I cracked it,” I say lightly, hoping he buys it.
“Extraordinary.”
Here it goes. “Can you meet me at my office—”
“No.” His blatant dismissal doesn’t bode well for me.
Now what?
“Would you like me to come to you?” I offer up, knowing this isn’t the plan. Tobias will never go for it. It will be awful when I have to tell him. Inside Felix’s fortress would be the last thing Tobias wants. But what Tobias doesn’t know won’t hurt him.
“That would be perfect.” After Felix tells me when and where to go, I hang up the phone, and then I dial again, this time to call Jaxson Price.
“Skye,” Jax answers.
“Jax. I need you to help me with a few things . . .” I trail off before biting my lower lip and waiting for him to answer.
“Why does this sound like a bad idea?”
“It’s the only idea. The only one that will work.”
And then I tell him my plan.