Bound (The Billionaire's Muse Book 2)

  “Everything is a specimen, in a way.” She reached out, one hand extended.

  I took hers, and she squeezed my fingers. “Go on, now, Piety.” She smiled at me and let go. “Mingle and make sure you kiss that sexy Aussie of yours a time or two. Shock the hell out of that stodgy old nephew of mine.”

  I blushed at the thought of kissing Kaleb – or anybody else – in front of my father.

  “Enjoy the rest of your day, Aunt Agatha,” I said.

  “You too, darling.”

  As we lost ourselves in the crowd, I hooked my arm through his. “What did you think of her?”

  “She doesn’t seem to fit.” He glanced down at me. “A lot like you.”

  I laughed, delighted. “That’s the best compliment I’ve ever received. Thank you.”

  “That’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?” We’d reached the stone balustrade that separated the wide terrace from the landscape. There, we stopped, leaned against it, and looked back over the crowd. Some of them weren’t paying us any attention. Others were good at pretending not to.

  But some didn’t even try. I ran out of fingers counting the ones who weren’t being subtle about their interest in us.

  “Look at everybody here. I didn’t have too many role models growing up.” I shrugged, swirling my straw through my drink. “It’s not that any of them are…well, bad people. But they have a certain view of the world that doesn’t fit with mine. Is it any wonder that I clicked with Aunt Agatha?”

  “No.” He dipped his head.

  He was going to kiss my cheek.

  Whether it was because so many were still making little effort to hide their interest, or because so many were making little effort to hide their disdain, I don’t know. But I turned my head just slightly so that his lips brushed my mouth instead of my cheek.

  He paused, hesitated.

  Against his lips, I whispered, “Kiss me.”

  And he did.

  It wasn’t a deep, I’m gonna make you naked, kiss. But it was far from chaste.

  And when he looked back at me, my heart was pounding, my throat was dry…and I was ready to make him naked.

  Night wrapped around us in a cool, dark embrace by the time we finally reached my room. It wasn’t that it had taken forever to get home. It had just taken forever to get from the elevator to the door, then across the living room and finally to here.

  There was a breadcrumb trail of clothing marking our progress and later, much later, I’d be a little embarrassed because no doubt Astra would see it and tease me.

  But for now, all I could think was that he wasn’t completely naked yet, and he wasn’t inside me.

  Fumbling with his belt, I leaned against the wall as he reached under my skirt and yanked at my panties.

  “Open your mouth, Piety,” he said against my lips. “Open…damn it, can’t get enough.”

  I laughed shakily, thinking the same thing.

  He caught my lower lip and bit down. At the same time, he caught my hips and lifted up. I wrapped my legs around him and arched, pulling him against me.

  I was already wet, slick and ready for him.

  He was hard, and the head of his cock passed over me, once, twice…

  I gasped, shivering in sensation as he teased me. “Stop it,” I demanded. This time, I was the one doing the biting.

  “What…stop this?” He slowed his movements and eased back until we barely touched.

  “No!” I buried my hands in his hair and pulled, arching closer. If I could have urged him inside me by sheer force of will, I would have. Whimpering and wiggling, I moved closer.

  “So…you want this?” He moved back to me and began to pass back and forth over my clitoris, taunting, teasing.

  “I want you in me. I want…you.”

  His eyes met mine.

  There was something utterly raw about it as he sank into me. Something too intimate, more than sex. I wanted to look away, but I didn’t dare.

  “Have me then. And I’ll have you.”

  We kissed each other as he began to rock against me, slow, subtle moves that barely counted as thrusts, but I felt every nuance of him, every stroke.

  And when I came, it was so, so sweet…

  16

  Kaleb

  The world looked terribly small from thousands of feet up in the air.

  I guess it only made sense.

  The weird thing was how small I felt, how isolated.

  For the first time in a week, I was alone with nothing more than my own thoughts in my head, and I didn’t like it.

  I’d spent most of my life alone, so this shouldn’t be anything new. It shouldn’t be anything different. And yet…

  And yet…

  The checks Piety had given me burned a hole in my pocket. There was no way this plane could land soon enough. I’d done what I had to help Camry, but part of me wished Camry had never been in the picture – and I hated that part of myself.

  Hated it, and hated that it was growing bigger and bigger.

  For a few days, I hadn’t had to worry about taking care of my sister or anybody else.

  Oh, the worry had been inside me, rubbing around like an annoying bug, but I wasn’t constantly forced to watch my back, or wonder when she’d show up or if I’d hear from her – or the cops.

  Now it was all rushing back and what I wanted to do was board the first flight back to Philadelphia so I could see Piety again.

  But I had responsibilities – a sister to take care of.

  I didn’t have time to dream about something that never would have worked out anyway.

  But I couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like when she came back to annul the marriage. I had to handle Camry first, but then I’d see her again. See her and…

  Let her go.

  The words made something ugly and hot fester inside me, and I admitted to myself that at some time during the past week, a part of me had begun to wish this whole thing was real. At least a part of me wanted the chance to make it real.

  So, yeah, we didn’t know each other all that well – we hadn’t had that chance. But everything I knew about her, I liked. I wanted the chance to know more, and I wanted…everything. A little more of everything when it came to Piety.

  And that wasn’t going to happen.

  Closing my eyes, I dropped my head back onto the padded headrest just as one of the airline attendants came by and offered a cocktail. Piety had done everything first class – including booking my trip back to Las Vegas. I had a wide, comfortable seat, and I’d already been given a snack and offered wine or a premium beverage. I’d declined both.

  When she asked again, I requested scotch, and when she started to name the offerings, I just shook my head and asked for the best.

  A few minutes later, something smooth and powerful was gliding down my throat, and I silently toasted the woman who was my wife for a few more days.

  Once the scotch was gone, I closed my eyes and put her out of my mind.

  I had to move on.

  All that mattered was Camry.

  “Have you got the money?”

  The man on the other end of the line made me want to do something brutal, ugly, and violent.

  I managed to keep that desire out of my voice as I responded. “That’s why I’m calling. When can we meet?”

  “Well…” Stefano drew the word out.

  I already knew he would try to make it seem like he was doing me a favor. Bastard. If I could put my fist all the way through his face when I saw him, I would.

  But I already knew that would just cause more problems for Camry.

  She’d gotten herself hooked up with a crook like Stefano, and she’d outdone herself. He wasn’t the first asshole she’d hooked up with, but he was, by far, the worst. He sold drugs and flesh, and while he might not be the one to get his hands dirty, he didn’t like being double-crossed either. I’d been doing my research on him, the best I could. Law enforcement had tried to arrest him mor
e than once, but the piece of shit kept slipping free.

  No, the best chance was to just get Camry away.

  “I think we can make something happen tonight. You bring that money, pretty boy, you hear me?” Stefano said.

  “I hear you.”

  He named a place and hung up. I shoved my phone into my pocket and stood there, staring at nothing. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and my gut was raw. I didn’t like this, didn’t like any of it.

  But what the hell could I do otherwise?

  There was an air of desperation to the place. Even the dancers strutting up and down the stage looked just this shade of panicked, like a mouse caught in a trap or cornered by a cat, a particularly cruel one that wanted nothing more than to play with its food.

  When Stefano glanced at one of the girls on the stage, she put a little more heart into her act. I could have sworn I saw her hands start to shake.

  I wanted to grab her off the stage and give her my shirt – and a damn sandwich. She was so skinny, her ribs showed, and her hipbones jutted out against her skin. She looked like she hadn’t had a good meal in weeks, or longer.

  “Like that one, do you?” Stefano gave me a leering smile.

  The asshole was almost as tall as me and muscular, the kind of guy who liked to stare at his muscles as he worked out and flexed, if I had to make a guess.

  He looked about the way I thought he would, dark eyes, dark hair, and a sleazy smile that made me think he’d been born straight out of a grease trap.

  Everything about him was slimy.

  “Tell you what,” he continued. “You can have her for the night. A freebie. Once we wrap up business.”

  Just the suggestion made me feel dirty.

  “I don’t think so.” I met his dark brown eyes. “I don’t need to pay a woman to have sex with me.”

  A muscle pulsed in his cheek.

  Should have kept my mouth shut.

  But he just smiled. “Sometimes we all like it a little wild, you know. Just thought I’d give you the offer. My girls will do anything.”

  I looked past his shoulder, staring at the woman on the stage. “Yeah. I see that.” Then I met his gaze and put the envelope down on the table. “Here. The money you say Camry owes. Now, take me to her so I can get her out of this stinky place.”

  He laughed. “So you want to save your sister. What makes you so sure she wants to be saved?” He took the envelope and started to count. I shifted restlessly in the chair, thinking about the other two grand I kept on the side. It would be enough, I hoped, to put the two of us up in a hotel for a little while so I could find a decent job, see about getting her help–

  “You’re short.”

  I shot him a narrow look. “No. I’m not. I counted it twice. You said she owed you ten grand. That’s ten grand.”

  “Ten grand is just for the drug debt.” Stefano lifted a shoulder. “But if she goes with you, I’ll lose another ten grand easy – just within the first few weeks. She’s a favorite. Won’t be easy to replace her.”

  “You arrogant–” Coming out of the chair, I slammed my hands down on the table, glaring down at him.

  He smirked, his eyes flicking left then right.

  I knew without looking that some of his goons had come up and surrounded us. Arse. The fucking arse. I was tempted to beat him shitless just for existing.

  But Camry needed me.

  “You got this easy enough,” Stefano said, smacking the envelope against his hand.

  “I don’t have another ten grand.” Now I understood the desperation some of these women must feel. Or at least a shade of it. I needed to get Camry away from this scum.

  “Then you better get it.” Stefano leaned in, still smirking at me. “Until you do…she’s mine. But I’ll give you some time. A few weeks…interest-free. Hurry it up though. You wanted to do business with me, so we’re doing business.”

  17

  Piety

  I’d put entirely too much time into my appearance, and I knew it.

  I’d even gone shopping.

  Not that I minded shopping, but how many women went shopping just to buy an annulment dress?

  A wedding dress, sure.

  A dress for a date? Or even when you knew you’d see your ex and you wanted to knock him dead, just so he’d know what he was missing out on.

  But this wasn’t any of those.

  I was going to see my yet-to-be-ex and sign annulment papers, and I wanted to look good. Not because I wanted him to know what he was missing out on – but because I wanted to look my best.

  I’d chosen a sheath that was almost the same color as my eyes and paired it with shoes the same shade. Keeping the makeup light, I’d done my best to look good without making it obvious I’d spent nearly an hour getting ready.

  I hardly slept the night before. I was too anxious about seeing Kaleb again, and I didn’t want the effects of a sleepless night showing on my face.

  “Is this the place, Ms. Van Allan?”

  The driver of the car I’d hired met my gaze in the rearview mirror, and I looked out the window, already going to check my phone. But I didn’t have to.

  I saw Kaleb.

  He was sitting on a bench outside the towering spiral of glass and just the sight of him made my heart race.

  “Yes. This is the place.”

  He parked, and I climbed out.

  He passed me a business card. “I won’t be any more than ten minutes away, so call me when you’re done,” he said, smiling.

  “Of course.” I slid out of the car and started toward Kaleb, hoping none of my nervousness showed on my face.

  My heart was racing. Just seeing him again had my belly twisting inside. It hadn’t been long – just a couple of days – but it felt like it had been forever. I wanted to go to him and kiss him and stroke my hands over him…

  He looked up, and my racing heart tripped a beat or ten.

  Forgetting my mental decision not to let him see my nervousness, I rushed closer and caught his hand just as he stood up. I placed my other one on his cheek. “What is it?” I asked, studying his eyes.

  “Nothing.” He gave me a tired smile and nodded toward the skyscraper at his back. “You ready to get inside and get this done? Get you out of the heat. You aren’t used to it.”

  The heat of the Las Vegas sun beat down on us but instead of saying yes, I cupped his face. “What’s wrong?”

  “I…” He sighed, and it was like the energy drained out of him with that expulsion of air.

  Sweat beaded on my neck and began to trickle down my spine. “Come on. There’s a coffee shop.” I nodded toward it and took his hand. “Let’s go in there. The meeting isn’t for another half hour.”

  “I thought you said…” Kaleb frowned, checking his watch.

  “I asked you to meet me here at two. I didn’t tell you when the meeting was.” I flashed him a smile. “I wanted to see you.”

  A ghost of his old grin came and went. “Come on.”

  Inside the coffee shop, I got both of us iced tea.

  Sitting at a table in the back, the booth over a guise of privacy, I took his hand. “Talk to me,” I said. “Please.”

  “I met with Camry’s dealer.” He looked away, jaw clenched tight. Everything about him seemed tight, like he might shatter. Or explode.

  I wanted to go around the table and sit next to him, but it wasn’t the time. I knew that, somehow.

  “I guess things didn’t go as planned.”

  “No.” He laughed, and it was a terrible, broken noise, like broken glass and rusty nails. “Son of a bitch. Scum-sucking, bottom-feeding son of a bitch.”

  “Tell me how you really feel.”

  He stared at me, then a faint smile curled his lips. “I’m being polite, actually. Piety, this man…shit, I’m not even sure if he qualifies for the title. I’m not even sure he qualifies as human. He’s cold-blooded…a snake.”

  “He’s stringing you along, isn’t he?”

>   Kaleb closed his eyes.

  Reaching out, I covered his hand with mine. He turned his hand up and linked our fingers.

  The connection hit me hard, straight down to my soul, and I tightened my grip.

  “How did you know?”

  Lifting a shoulder, I said, “As angry as you are, as frustrated as you sound. Wasn’t hard to guess. I…ah…” I licked my lips, debating on how to answer. “I know girls who’ve gotten caught up with men like him – or at least men who seem to have things in common with him. He sounds like a predator.”

  “He is.” Kaleb clenched his jaw. “We met at a strip joint he owns. There was this girl.” He shook his head. “Piety, I swear, she didn’t look like she’d had a decent meal in weeks. I wanted to put some clothes on her and feed her.” He laughed sourly and dragged a hand down his face. “That sounds awful, I guess. I was taking my clothes off for a living just a week ago, and here I am, wanting to help some girl who, for all I know, could have willingly chosen to do what she’s doing.”

  “I think you know she’s not.” Rubbing my thumb across the back of his hand, I willed him to look at me. “And there’s a difference between somebody who wants to strip for a living and someone who is either coerced or forced into it.”

  “He offered her to me.”

  My jaw dropped.

  Now he did look at me. “She looked so sad and scared standing up there. There was nothing sexy about it at all, but there were men cat-calling at her, and I was thinking about how pathetic the whole thing was. He saw me looking at her and said I could have her for the night. Free.”

  Somehow I managed to close my mouth.

  “I wanted to beat the shit out of him.”

  “Now I do too,” I said. I wasn’t…surprised. Not exactly. I hadn’t been lying when I said I’d worked with girls who’d been forced into lives they weren’t happy with. The shelter I worked at took in a lot of girls who were trying to get out of prostitution, and we had to deal with pissed-off johns quite a bit. Some treated women like they were nothing more than just commodities, a product to be sold or traded.