The Private Serials Box Set(61)

"Looks like hiring you to seduce my wife might have been the biggest  mistake of my life. Or, rather, tangling myself with Edgar was." He  sighed and took a gulp of his refreshed drink, then ran his hand through  his hair, obviously nervous and frustrated.

"Let me ask you a question. Why didn't you just pay Edgar off? You got  more than enough money when you ran, why didn't you just give him his  money?"

He sighed heavily. "I don't expect you to understand my decisions, uh, Preston, was it?"

I caught the small smirk pull up the corner of his mouth as he took  another sip and refrained from putting my fist directly into that same  spot with so much force he'd fly from his stool.

"You know my name, asshole. You also know that I could make one phone  call and you'd be dead by morning. Probably dead right next to your  woman and your children. So, from here on out, choose your words  wisely." I moved close, closer than I wanted to be to him, but I needed  to make my point. "I'm not a murderer; even if Edgar ordered me to kill  you, I don't have it in me. Lena doesn't want you dead either, which  both confuses me and makes me damn proud of her. You gave up the best  woman you'd ever have, but lucky for me, I was there and made her mine."  I looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, but moved even  closer still, my mouth just a hair's breadth from his ear. "I might not  want you dead, but I've got no problem telling Edgar where to find you.  But, if you'd shut your goddamned mouth for just one minute, I'd tell  you how we can all get out of this situation with our lives and the  people we love."





Chapter Seven

When I woke, it was to the feeling of Lena's hands running softly along  my chest. Starting right above my navel and moving up, trailing all the  way to my shoulder, then down to start the journey over again. Her cheek  rested on my other shoulder and my arm was wrapped around her waist. I  pulled her closer and buried my nose in her hair. I loved the smell of  Lena's hair in the morning. That scent could wake me up for the rest of  my life and I'd be a happy man.         

     



 

Then her hand moved lower still and I was happy for another reason entirely.

"Good morning, sweetheart," I whispered, pressing the words into her hair as her hand moved lazily over me.

"I've decided," she said teasingly, smiling up at me, "just because  we're in Greece for unpleasant reasons doesn't mean we can't have a  pleasant morning."

"I like the way you think," I said, smiling, lifting my hips and pressing my now solid cock right into the warmth of her hand.

"I like the way you feel," she answered, just before she sat up and  hiked a leg over my waist, straddling me, and effortlessly sliding me  into her. I watched, unable to look away, as Lena rode me, slowly  rocking back and forth. Her raven hair tumbled down her back, her head  tilted to face the ceiling, eyes closed in obvious ecstasy. She  unhurriedly used my body to bring herself to orgasm, and just listening  to her cry out my name nearly had me following. I managed to grab hold  of her hips and pump up into her, over and over, forcefully and at a  punishing pace, quickly finding my release just before she crumpled on  top of me.

I turned my face back into her hair, my hands running up and down her  spine, feeling her breathing slow. Eventually, I rolled her onto her  back and slipped out of her, watching her mouth open slightly at the  feeling of losing me. I trailed the backs of my fingers down her cheek,  trying to soothe her before I had to tell her what had transpired the  night before.

"I met with Derrek last night." The words slipped past my lips and I  watched as her expression moved from relaxed and happy to confused and  angry.

"What are you talking about?"

"After you fell asleep, I went downstairs to the bar and he was there. So I spoke with him."

The anger drained from her face, her features softened, and she moved closer to me by just a bit.

"So, he's here? And he knows I'm here? What did he say?"

"He didn't have much to say, love. I made it pretty clear that he wasn't  to speak your name, and I just explained the situation. He knows Edgar  is after him and pretty upset he took off with his money. He also knows  we have a solution for him."

"Did he agree to your plan?"

"I didn't tell him yet. I told him we'd meet this morning." I paused,  watching her face give away all the emotions she was feeling as she took  in the new information. "I wanted to give you the opportunity to talk  to him, to tell him what needed to happen." I searched her eyes, hoping  she would give me a clue as to what she was thinking. I knew Lena didn't  love Derrek anymore, hadn't for a while even before I came into the  picture, but he was her husband. She'd spent many years with him and I'd  be a fool to think there wasn't at least one small part of her that  cared what happened to him. "I know I spoke with him last night without  you, but I wasn't even sure he was here." My hand found her face again,  trying to offer her something soothing, something warm and gentle when I  knew there must have been so many thoughts racing through her mind. "I  needed him to know that I wouldn't allow him to hurt you, see you, or  even think about you without my permission." She leaned her cheek into  my touch, which only intensified the possessive feelings that were  growing inside of me.

"He needed to know you're mine now: my life, my responsibility, my  property. I own you. Just as much as you own me, Lena. I just needed to  make that clear to him before I let him see you again. I'm sorry if that  upsets you."

She shook her head just slightly, bringing her entire body to lie right  next to mine. "That doesn't upset me. I am yours. I never belonged to  Derrek the way I belong to you."

I knew it was true, even before she'd admitted it, but no words had ever  been more beautiful coming from her mouth. I leaned forward and kissed  her, my hand moving from her cheek to the back of her neck, holding her  firmly to me, giving her everything in that kiss. I pulled away just far  enough to speak.

"So, you'll come with me then?"

"Of course. He needs to understand this is his best option. I can reason with him, I think."

"All right, then."

I watched her roll away from me and walk naked to the bathroom, then I  heard the water start to fall from the shower. I closed my eyes and  prayed I wasn't making a mistake, hoped I wasn't walking the most  precious possession I had into a trap.



Two hours later, we'd walked through the iconic and somewhat ancient  streets of Athens. The streets wound through the village, slowly  descending toward the water, where boats lined the marina. Some small  boats, some enormous boats, and most falling somewhere in between. Lena  and I, hand in hand, came upon Derrek standing exactly where I'd told  him to meet us. His back was to us as he looked out over the water. The  sounds of our footsteps alerted him to our arrival, and he turned just  as we approached him. When his face came into view, I felt Lena's hand  grip mine more tightly.

"I see you made the smart choice to meet me here," I said, coming to a  stop just feet from him. The blue water behind him, glittering and  beautiful, was a stark contrast to the dark circles and bags underneath  his eyes.

"Yes, well, I didn't really see another option." He glanced at Lena and  my gut clenched, watching as his eyes roamed over her body from head to  toe. Luckily for him, he didn't look longingly at her, just seemed to be  taking inventory. "Lena," he said to her in greeting, coldly, and I  felt her stiffen beside me.

She nodded in response, but said nothing. I pulled her a little closer.

"You look well," he said. Again, not in a way that made me think he was  admiring her, but just making an observation. Before I could cut in and  redirect the conversation, she responded.

"Two months in paradise will do that to a person." Her words were short  and powerful. I got the feeling she wanted him to know that life without  him was better for her, that she'd been able to move on and find  happiness even after he'd tried to ruin her.

"Yes, well, isn't that what we're all after? A little piece of heaven?"  His arm swung out to motion around him, to show us that we'd invaded his  paradise and that he wanted us out. "Now, tell me what you want from me  so we can get this show on the road. Jessica doesn't know where I am,  or that you've come to force my hand. I'd like to get back to her and  the girls before she gets suspicious."

"Already lying to her?" Lena's voice rang clear and sharp amidst the  sounds of the marina-water slapping against the sides of boats, birds  calling out overhead, sails being filled with wind.

"I'm here because your boyfriend basically threatened me last night and  that's the only reason. The instant either one of you insinuates that my  relationship with Jessica is anything in comparison to the sham of a  marriage I had with you, this conversation will be over. The way you  feel about Lena," Derrek said to me now, pointing a finger in my  direction, "is the same way I feel about my family. Threaten them and  you'll never see me again."