The Seduction 2(6)

“You’re mine.”





5

VAUGHN

She stumbles back against the wall, looking like she just saw God.

Not yet, baby, but soon.

I withdraw my fingers and suck them in my mouth. “Sweet as sugar,” I drawl, licking her juices clean.

Fuck, I need to be balls-deep in that pussy right now.

Keely pulls herself upright. “You need to go.”

What. The. Fuck?

She gulps, looking away from me. “I can’t... I can’t do this right now. It’s all too much. This day... This week...”

I’m seconds away from bending her over the couch and showing her what a real cock feels, but something makes me stop.

I see the shadows under her eyes for the first time. She’s pale, shaking. And it’s not just because I gave her a damn good finger-fuck.

Something’s wrong.

“What’s going on?” I ask, fighting to control the raging hard-on in my pants.

She hugs her arms around herself. “It’s just... Stuff with work, that’s all.”

“That Ashcroft guy?” I demand, alert.

Her eyes widen. “How did you know?”

It is him, the bastard. “What did he do to you?” I demand.

“It’s not like that.” She stops. “He’s dead.”

The world crashes in on me.

“What?” I struggle to stay cool, so she doesn’t know the emotions storming in my chest -- emotions I’ve spent the last twenty fucking years fighting to keep under lock and key. “When?”

“Three days ago.” Keely swallows. “It’s… complicated. I’m under a lot of stress right now. I’m sorry,” she adds in a small voice. “I can’t do this right now.”

She lifts her eyes to me, plaintive.

I step back. For once, claiming her body is the last thing on my mind.

“I understand,” I say curtly. “I’ll go.”

Keely frowns, like she’s sorry I’m leaving. She looks so lost and confused standing there, I feel a surge of something unfamiliar.

Concern.

“You should get some sleep,” I tell her, softer. “When was the last time you ate?”

“I don’t know,” she replies slowly. “Yesterday, maybe...”

I pull out my cellphone and speed-dial my regular Thai takeout place. “Yeah, I need your combo platter. Extra rice and wontons.”

“Vaughn--” she protests.

I ignore her, giving the directions to her place and telling them to put in on my tab. I hang up.

“Eat. Sleep,” I order her. “I’ll call you in the morning.”

I head for the door.

“Thank you.” Her voice comes, soft behind me, but I don’t turn around. I get the fuck out of there before she can see what her Ashcroft bombshell has done to me.

Before she can see the truth.

* * *

Ashcroft is dead.

The words echo in my mind as I speed up through the Hollywood Hills to my place. I park and let myself in, heading straight for the bar to pour myself a drink.

I gulp down the whiskey straight from the bottle, ignoring the burn in my throat. The city lights are spread down in the valley, a million-dollar view, but I don’t see a thing but darkness and bitter fucking regret.

All these years, I swore I’d have my revenge. That I’d make the bastard pay for what he did to my family. One day, I promised myself.

One day.

But I’m too late. That day has passed, and Ashcroft is gone. He never suffered the way I did. He never had everything he loved ripped away from him.

I waited too long. I failed.

And now there’s no going back.





6

KEELY

After Vaughn leaves, I feel a strange stab of regret.

It’s crazy, I know: I ordered him to leave, but a part of me wishes he had stayed. To keep doing those incredible things to my body, blocking out the chaos that is my life right now, making it so I could stop thinking and worrying, and just let him take control.

I crumple to the floor, lost in thought. Too much has happened for me to process, and right now, my body is betraying me: wet and aching for him despite all my doubts.

I still don’t trust him.

Whatever mystery he’s hiding, I know he’s dangerous. The devastating effect he has on me. The dark power he wields over my body, his way of making me submit. I’ve never been this way with any other man, but just one steely look from Vaughn’s blue eyes makes my knees weak and sends all logic flying from my mind.

His filthy words. His commanding voice.

I want to surrender.

I catch my breath, still feeling the rough grip of his hands on me. Hard and dominant; precise and controlled. God, that man is a miracle. He knows just what buttons to push, the way to touch me, the dirty, shocking words that make me so utterly hot. He can drive me to the edge of intense pleasure in moments -- and keep me there until I think I’ll lose my mind.