“Right back, I swear.” I bent over and placed a kiss on her cheek before turning around and making my way to the spiral staircase that led up to a large master bath. I knew it was odd to have the bath so separated, but I wanted a view of the ocean when I stepped into the shower, so I designed the best damn bathroom anyone had ever seen. I padded my way up the cold marble steps, white, black, and gold swirling through the stone.
I came to the loft and took a left and then flipped on the light. The floors were black, and the oversized soaking tub sat in cattycorner where two glass walls met, looking out onto the beautiful ocean, black sky, and stars. A walk-in shower was to the left with a built-in sauna, and the toilet sat to the right in another room by the double vanity. There would be plenty of space for Quinn and all her girly shit that women used. I made sure of that. She had her own makeup spot to do her hair and whatever else.
I didn’t care what she did with the space. I just wanted her there. The floor was warm beneath my feet since I spent the extra thousand dollars to get the floors heated. The gold handles of the tub shined as I turned the knobs equally so the water wouldn’t be too hot. Next, I poured lavender oil and bubble bath because I didn’t give a shit about what anyone said, bubble baths were fucking great. Any guy that said otherwise was a liar.
I lit a few candles and sat them on the edge. I could be romantic, but only for the woman I loved. Other than that, I was a cold-blooded killer, for the most part. “Candles lit, bubbles bubbling, lavender— smelling great, and now all I need is champagne.” I clapped my hands together and walked over to the wine chiller I had. I liked to drink and soak in a bath. It was relaxing.
I grabbed a bottle of champagne, took of the gold aluminum foil, and popped the cork until chilled smoke danced out of the bottle. We didn’t need champagne flutes. We could drink out of the bottle. We kissed and fucked without a condom, so it didn’t get much closer than that. Germs were the last thing on my mind. I wanted to get as close to her as possible. Being inside her bare wasn’t enough; I needed more. I wanted to be closer. I just didn’t know how.
I had to make mine.
“What are you doing, Jaxon Steel?”
I chanced a glance over my shoulder to see her standing naked in the doorway. She looked absolutely ravished. Quinn had sex hair, red marks over her tits, and finger-shaped bruises along her thighs. I didn’t remember getting that rough with her, but damn it, seeing her debauched made me want to fuck her all over again.
I held out my hand, hoping she’s put hers in mine and her hips sashayed back and forth as she came toward me, hand outstretched as she reached for mine. A flame ignited when our palms touched; my heart pumped faster and harder just from the quick, simple touch. “I don’t want to fall asleep yet, and I thought a nice hot bath with champagne would be good. Interested?”
“My, my, I didn’t know you had a sweet side.”
“When it comes to you, Quinn, I’m starting to think it’s my only side.” I tugged her to me, and her palms landed on each pec. “Don’t tell anyone I said that. I have a brutal image to maintain.”
“Your secret is safe with me,” she smiled, tracing the tattoo on my chest.
I placed a quick kiss on her lips. “Well, it’s never been a secret how I feel about you, and it never will be. The guys know. I’d go to the ends of the earth for you over anyone else any day of the damn week.” I stepped in the tub, the how water wrapped around my legs, instantly relaxing. Quinn followed, and as I sat down, her ass filled my vision, and I couldn’t help but kiss each cheek.
They were too beautiful to pass up.
She sat between my legs, her flawless back against my chest, and the tub continued to fill. It had a long way to go since it was so large.
“Wow, I could get used to this,” she said, staring out the window to the see dark blue ocean standing so still, it looked like a sheet of glass. No ripples, no waves, just a silky surface. “It’s gorgeous. What made you build your house in a cliff?”
“I wanted something different, something safe, a place that was pretty off-grid. I wanted to be able to disappear after a job, surrounded by beauty, so I bought this plot of land, the guys all chipped in to build it, and here we are.” I sat my chin on her shoulder and looked out onto the sea like she was. The stars glimmered and twinkled so bright and clear that I could count them if I wanted to.
I didn’t. I’d lose count. I was just saying how remarkable they were.
“Well, it’s a beautiful place. I’m assuming you designed it?”
“I did. You know how I love to create things,” I told her, cupping water and bringing it up to her shoulders, bathing her in bubbles and lavender. Then, I started kneading her shoulders, massaging the small knots stressing her.
She groaned and tilted her chin down to give me better access. “That feels amazing.”
“Good, you deserve it,” I said and dug my thumbs in on either side of her spine, careful not to press too hard. We stayed silent for a few minutes, enjoying her massage. My cock was pressed against her back, and every time she wiggled, I started to come to life.
Two orgasms and I was still ready to have her.
“So you and Brian? Are you going to tell me why you never had sex with that two-timing, murdering, asshole?” That was probably too harsh, but I couldn’t help how I despised the guy. “Sorry, I could have left the last part out.”
She sighed and then leaned her head against my shoulder. I never heard a breath sound so heavy before. It was filled with regret, sadness, and exhaustion. “I’m so sorry,” she hiccupped, and I knew she was on the edge of tears. “I don’t know. Maybe we shouldn’t talk about him. He is in your basement, chained up—”
“Handcuffed. Hardly chained,” I corrected, hoping it made her feel better.
“Like I’d care. I hate him. I don’t know if he killed Tracy, I’m not there yet, but I believe you didn’t do it,” she said, reassuring a worry that twisted my stomach when she spoke those words.
That was fine. I just needed her to believe it wasn’t mean. If she thought a fucking ghost killed her, I wouldn’t care, but I’d bring Tracy justice, I’d get my truth, and Brian would fucking rot in prison. If I didn’t kill him first.
“Believe me; I tried to have sex with him.”
Now, I wanted to kill him. “Mhmm,” I said simply and did my best not to take my anger out on her shoulders as I rubbed. I took my hands off her and flexed my fingers. I reached for the champagne and gulped it. I didn’t stop. My throat froze, and my stomach bubbled, but the thought of Brian touching her made me see red. He could have killed her, would have in time.
“But he said he wanted to wait until marriage.”
The champagne flew from my mouth before I could stop it. It spewed all over the back of her head, and she sat up, shivering when the champagne ran down her back. I started laughing, “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry. It took me by surprise since he got Tracy pregnant.” No matter how many times I said it, the pain of never seeing her again never went away, it never dulled. I never would know my niece or nephew, and it was just another item to add to the list of reasons why Brian was a worthless human being.
I should kill him now. I had Quinn’s belief, what else did I need?