"I did decently." Even as he spoke, his gaze scanned the area. "Alexei is a brutal taskmaster but he knows his stuff. I may not be as good as Sergei but I'll be good enough to get to the final match."
"And then what? You hope to win enough from the earlier matches to settle the debts?" The Connolly brothers' plan didn't sit well with me. There were too many unknown variables and too much riding on Kelly winning to save them. Yuri's suggestion rattled around in my head. Was he right? Was it better to act now and simply ask forgiveness later?
"That's the general idea," Kelly muttered, his gaze fixed on a corner of the lot. Something must have put him on alert because he went rigid. I gasped when he unexpectedly grabbed the front of my shirt and flung me behind him. He backed me up against his truck and put his body between mine and whatever danger he had noticed.
Fully aware he needed to be able to move freely, I fought the panicked urge to grip his arms. "What's wrong?"
Before he could answer, the sounds of a scuffle met my ears. Winn's harsh voice echoed in the still night. "On the ground! Now!"
Holding my breath, I desperately prayed nothing bad would happen to my guard. Kelly pushed back against me, not quite crushing me, but making sure his wider, bigger body shielded me totally. Running footsteps pounded the paved lot. Soon, Finn and Jack's voices joined the fray.
"All clear!" Winn called out. "He's unarmed."
"Who is it?" Kelly still hadn't moved.
"ID says Richard Hawkins."
"Richard?" I pushed at Kelly's back but he didn't budge an inch. "Kelly, please, let me see him."
Reluctantly, my hulk of a boyfriend eased over just a few inches. I peered around his bulging bicep to find Richard accepting Winn's help to stand again. Jack and Finn stood nearby, arms crossed and glaring at the man who had once been a major component of my fledgling tech firm.
Stepping around Kelly, I hiked my backpack higher on my shoulder and headed toward Richard. Kelly clasped my wrist to stop me but I shrugged it off. Richard might be a corporate weasel but he wasn't a killer.
Striding toward Richard, I held out my hands in a what-the-fuck gesture. "Richard, what are you doing? Skulking around in the dark?"
"I had to see you." The middle-aged businessman ran a hand through his greying hair.
"You're supposed to talk to my lawyer. Because you're suing me, remember?"
He exhaled roughly. "Forget about the lawsuit."
"Forget about the lawsuit?" I repeated incredulously. "Do you have any idea how much that frivolous piece of crap has cost me?"
"It's just business, Bee. Our lawyers will hammer out a settlement and we'll make nice in the press and life goes on—but I'm not here about that. I came here because of Trevor."
My heart stuttered. "What about Trevor?"
"We let him go four weeks ago but he was in our building last night. He broke in and used his stolen credentials to launch his attack against LookIt from inside our offices." Stressed to the max, Richard massaged his temple. "I didn't have anything to do with this but I know how it looks. We have some bad blood between us but I'm not this petty—or criminal."
My eyebrows lifted at his continued insistence that he wasn't petty. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I know those sharks you've hired to work PR are going to slay us in the papers tomorrow," Richard said shrilly. "You have to call them off, Bee. They'll ruin us."
How in the hell had Lena and Ty already discovered Trevor's subterfuge? Their network of informers apparently knew no bounds. The bill I would soon receive would no doubt reflect their proficiency.
My lips parted and I started to assure Richard that I wouldn't drag him through the mud—but then I slammed them shut. What was Yuri always telling me about business? Hadn't he been counseling me to toughen up? Actually, he'd rather indelicately phrased it another way but his meaning was the same. My mentor had urged me to stop being so nice. Could I be a ballbreaker when it counted?
Pushing back my shoulders, I made myself as tall and stiff as possible. Looking Richard right in the eyes, I threw down my offer. "You drop the lawsuit and I'll keep my PR team from running to the tech press with this."
Richard's mouth gaped, a puffing sound escaping his lips. "You can't do that."
Though my insides wobbled like JELL-O, I faked a calm shrug and presented my best poker face. "I can do whatever the hell I want. I'm not the one about to be linked to a vicious, blackmailing stalker, Richard."
Aghast, he sputtered, "Stalker? Blackmail?" He wiped a hand down his face. "Sweet Jesus. Look—I don't have anything to do with that. Whatever Trevor does on his own time has nothing to do with me or my company."
"By the time Ty is finished peddling his juicy tidbits to the tech blogs and press, no one is going to believe that."
Richard's panic quickly morphed to anger. His nostrils flared as he gritted his teeth. I watched his hands clench at his sides and wondered what he was thinking. Surely, he wasn't dumb enough to charge me, not with Kelly on my right and Winn on my left.
Exhaling noisily, he snapped, "Fine. We'll kill the lawsuit but you have to bury this story." Swallowing hard, he admitted, "We need the Series B funding from the new venture capitalists or else we'll go bust. A whiff of this bullshit will kill us."
"Richard," I softly spoke his name. "I don't want you to go out of business. I don't want the people who work at your firm to lose their jobs either. You have to remember that I'm not the one who started this fight. You sued me." Dashing a bit more salt on that wound, I added, "I warned you against hiring Trevor. I called you and emailed you and I tried to tell you that he was a liability."
The older man glanced away from me. His eyes shone with such hardness but I sensed his regret at the way things went down between us. Once, he'd thought he could push me over. He seemed to realize I'd finally grown a backbone.
Digging my phone out of my backpack, I scrolled through my contacts and found Ty's private number. He answered on the third ring. "Oh, sugar, wait until I tell you what I found out today!"
Hating to rain on his parade, I said, "I already know, Ty. I'm talking to Richard Hawkins right now."
He dramatically hissed. "Ooh, the enemy. Should we slay him now?"
"No, we're not going to slay him. We're going to bury the Trevor connection and Richard is going to withdraw his lawsuit against me."
"My, my, my, sweet Bee, did we finally locate our spine?"
"It seems so."
"That big, sexy Russian of Lena's is going to be so proud of you." Sighing loudly, he said, "All right. I'll call off the hounds—but you better make sure Mr. Hawkins knows I won't hesitate to jerk off their leashes at the first hint of reneging on this deal."
Holding Richard's grateful gaze, I murmured, "He knows."
After ending the call and pocketing my phone, I stared at Richard. He finally nodded and reached for his cell. I waited while he contacted his lawyer and got the ball rolling. When he was finished, he asked, "Satisfied?"
"I will be when my lawyer confirms the suit has been pulled." Before Richard could escape, I asked, "Where is Trevor?"
"I don't know. That's the truth," he added, eying Kelly warily. "If I knew, I would have had him arrested already for that stunt he pulled."
"I believe you."
With a stiff nod, Richard extricated himself from the tense situation. Kelly's strong hand settled against my nape. He gave the back of my neck a reassuring squeeze and drew my gaze. One corner of his mouth lifted with a smile. "Well played, Bee."
Indulging myself with a pleased grin, I admitted, "I bluffed my way through that. I kept thinking of everything Yuri taught me about business, about being strong and taking risks."
"We're taking a risk out here now," Winn interjected, his demeanor uneasy. "I suggest we get moving."
We quickly bid farewell to Jack and Finn. While Winn slipped behind the wheel of the SUV that belonged to LSG's fleet, Kelly helped me into the front seat of his truck and shut the door.
After climbing in on his side, he leaned over and brushed his lips against my temple. "That was pretty amazing, Bee. You should be proud of yourself."
"For basically blackmailing Richard?" I wasn't so sure that what I'd just done was right.
"You used leverage to save your company. You protected the jobs of everyone who works for you. You're taking care of your people and everything you've built. That's what a good businesswoman does." He examined me more carefully. "What did you think owning a multi-billion dollar corporation would entail?"
Heaving a sigh, I admitted, "None of this. I suppose I was naïve to think it would be easier and cleaner. I just—I wanted to design cool things that other people find useful. The business stuff? It's not easy for me."
"Is that why you're thinking of selling LookIt to Insight?"
"Yes. I would retain some control over the LookIt and that would give me time and money to develop new products."
Kelly mulled it over. "Would it make you happier? Less stressed?"
"Yes."
"You're getting a good deal? I mean, they're not trying to cheat you or take money away from you?"
"I've had the tentative offer vetted by my legal team and I ran it by Yuri. I counter-offered with my lines drawn in the sand. Once they're done crunching the numbers, they'll either make another offer or withdraw." I gripped his hand. "What do you think I should do?"
"I think you should do what's best for you, Bee. You're a brilliant woman. Deep down inside, you know what's right for you and your company." He kissed me so tenderly. "I believe in you."
Still reeling from his sweet encouragement, I held tightly to his hand while he drove us back to the penthouse. It felt so good to be able to talk to someone who didn’t have a vested interest in my business decisions. Kelly truly only wanted me to be happy. He didn't have his hand in my pocket or a paycheck coming out of my coffers or even an investment waiting to reap profits. The advice he gave came from a place of wanting to support me.
Once safely inside the penthouse, we separated. Kelly took my two guards into the kitchen to discuss the run-in with Richard and finding Trevor while I made my way to the master suite for a shower.
Like everything else in Yuri's penthouse, the master bathroom offered a sumptuous experience with the strikingly beautiful glass tiles mosaics on the walls. I stripped down and stepped into the walk-in shower. The showerheads mounted flush with the ceiling provided a rainfall of warm water that spilled down my shoulders.
My ears perked to the whine of the door opening. Tensing, I glanced over my shoulder but instantly relaxed at the sight of Kelly. He leaned back against the door and watched me through the glass partition that separated the shower from the rest of the bathroom. "Mind if I join you?"
"Not at all." My cool answer in no way reflected the quake of anticipation rocking my belly. While the warm water pelted my skin, I watched Kelly shed his clothing. His sculpted, muscular body adorned with tattoos stole my breath. The memories of our unconventional tryst last night sent shivering rivers of white-hot delight through me. I still couldn't quite believe I'd done that with him—but it seemed there was nothing I could deny this man.
When Kelly entered the walk-in shower, I backed up until my back hit the wall. His wolfish grin warned me that this was going to be a shower—and a night—I would never forget.
Chapter Ten
Without saying a word, Kelly reached for my body wash and squirted a dollop into his hand. He worked the cream into a foamy lather before placing his big hands on my naked body. Taking a page out of his playbook, I reached for the bar of soap he preferred and slicked up my hands.
Using our foamy fingers, we explored each other's bodies. Kelly lowered his head and captured my lips in a sensual kiss. My toes curled against the tile as his tongue delved into my mouth and tangled with mine. He backed me up against the wall and cupped my bottom before sucking gently on the tip of my tongue.
Shivering with pure, erotic delight, I surrendered to the gentle coaxing pressure of his seeking hand between my thighs. A freaking master of seduction, Kelly knew exactly how I wanted to be touched. His feather-light strokes primed me for the slow, easy swirl of his fingertips around my inflamed clit.
Wanting to make him feel just as good, I grasped his rock-hard cock with my soapy hands and stroked up and down his shaft. Kelly groaned against my mouth, the vibrations rattling down my throat and into my chest. As our tongues danced, we filled the shower with our soft sighs and low groans.
Just as I started to get close, Kelly stopped strumming my clit and cupped my pussy in his big hand. "Let's move this into the bedroom." His eyebrows arched in question. "If you're ready for that, I mean."
"Are you serious? If I wasn't afraid one of us would slip and end up in the emergency room, I would make you take me right here in the shower."
Kelly chuckled at my enthusiasm and nipped at my lower lip before giving my bottom a playful but stinging swat. "There are ways to make love here without slipping—but not for your first time." His expression turned more serious. "I'll make it special for you, Bee. I promise."
Hating that he had this added pressure on his performance, I caressed his face and lifted up on tiptoes to kiss him. "My expectations aren't that high. Please don't feel like you have to meet some crazy romance novel expectation of mine, okay?"
Narrowing his eyes, Kelly said, "Well, you've done it now, Bee."
"Done what?"
"Dared me to blow every romance novel sex scene right out of the damn water," he said matter-of-factly.
Thinking of some of the really smutty books I'd read, I playfully replied, "Well, maybe not every romance novel sex scene. Hot wax and anal beads might be a bit too much for this girl's first time."
"Jesus, Bee!" Kelly shot me a comical look. "What the hell kinds of books are you reading?" Leaning down to kiss me, he asked, "And where can I get my hands on copies of them?"
Giggling, I let him tug me under the closest water spray. He used his big mitts to rinse the suds from my body and then his. Out of the shower, we hastily toweled off and hurried into the bedroom. Kelly swept me up and deposited me on the bed.
Crawling over me, he kissed and nibbled his way from the very tips of my toes to my mouth. Stabbing his tongue against mine, Kelly caressed my bare breasts and petted my belly. On a similarly slow trek, he worked his way back down my body until he was flat on his stomach between my thighs.
Picking up my ankles, he draped my legs over his shoulders and nuzzled his face against my pussy. Remembering how amazing he made me feel last night, I clutched the sheet beneath me in both hands and held on for dear life as Kelly's tongue probed my pussy.
He made the naughtiest groaning noise as he traced my labia and dipped his tongue just inside my slick entrance. Already I was soaking wet for him and vibrating with desire. His traveled right back to my clit and started swiping it with long, easy flicks.
One of his thick fingers carefully breeched my virgin passage. The sensation of his thrusting finger and his fluttering tongue drove me higher and higher. That coil of bliss in my belly was already so damn tight. When Kelly gingerly worked a second finger into me and suckled my clit with slow tugs, I nearly passed out.
Digging my toes into his back, I squeezed my thighs and reveled in the dueling sensations of his stimulating tongue and probing fingers. Hovering right there on the edge of climax, I rose up on my elbows for a better view. The sight of Kelly between my thighs unleashed a torrid orgasm.
"Kelly!" I dropped back to the bed as wave after powerful wave of bliss burst inside me like fireworks. He didn't let up one bit. Flicking and fluttering that wicked tongue of his, Kelly forced one climax into another. I cried out his name again and again as my body was wracked by the most intense spasms of ecstasy.
Letting me down easy, Kelly carefully removed his fingers and noisily kissed my clit. He dotted loud smooches along the curve of my hip and around my navel before concentrating on my breasts. He licked the buzzing peaks
of my nipples and tweaked them between his fingertips until my hips were bucking off the bed.
Nipping at my neck, Kelly reached for the condom he had left on the bed before joining me in the shower. His heavy erection draped across my thigh, leaving a wet trail of pre-cum. The evidence of his excitement filled me with the most amazing sense of power. I'd never felt more desirable than in that moment.
When Kelly rolled onto his back, I though he wanted me to go down on him. I started to move into position but he grasped my hips and hauled me into a sitting position. "Not tonight, Bee."
"But—"
"If you put your mouth on me, I'm going to come. That was amazing last night but right now I want to come inside you." Tangling his fingers in my hair, he dragged me down for a kiss, sharing the erotic musk of my own arousal with me. "I want to feel this tight cunt of yours milking me."
Gulping at the dirty word he had used to describe my pussy, I nevertheless found it incredibly exciting. Kelly pushed the condom into my hand. "Get me ready."
With trembling fingers, I ripped open the condom wrapper and carefully rolled the latex barrier down his steely shaft. I didn't miss that the brand was one designed for bigger men. I couldn’t imagine the smaller condoms I'd used in my sex ed course fitting on Kelly's big cock.
Straddling his thighs, I stared at his erection with some concern. Last night, his penis had stretched my lips to their limit. I hadn't been able to take very much of his length into my mouth either. How the hell was I supposed to get his massive tool inside me?
As if reading my mind, Kelly said, "You'll be in charge tonight. I'm afraid that I'll lose control if I'm on top and go too hard or too deep. I don't want to hurt you."
"You would never hurt me."
"Not on purpose, Bee," he agreed. "But you're so small."
Worried he was about to change his mind, I hurriedly assured him, "I can take you."