The most annoying aspect was his ability to turn off his emotions, including in his eyes. Just like he was doing now. There was no reflection in them, no knowing whether he believed me or if I’d end up in round three of his savage discipline. Just shifting on the bed brought back the soreness and it was all because of him.
And his determination to control me.
When those gorgeous, cold eyes of his drifted to my breasts, I groaned and realized I’d allowed the sheet to fall. Jerking it up,I sloshed the coffee, drips of the scalding liquid splashing two fingers.
My reaction was typical when being burned and I almost dropped the cup in my lap. His actions were quick enough he grabbed the mug, keeping me from further burning myself. He placed both cups on the nightstand, taking my other hand into his. Immediately, he pulled my fingers to his lips, first blowing on them.
A series of tingling sensations mixed with the harsh sting. I held my breath, mesmerized by the moment he pulled them into his mouth. He sucked on both, licking my skin and remnants of the coffee away, but he didn’t stop there. He made the moment sensual, provocative, and by the time he finally pulled them free, I was short of breath.
“Be careful, sweet falcon. As an artist, your fingers are valuable.”
“Thank you,” I said awkwardly and curled my fingers while pulling my hand away. The sensations remained, the live wire of current constantly dicking with my resolve.
“Of course. I don’t want you hurt in any way. You are very… special.”
Special. I wasn’t certain how to take that.
The way he made the statement was as if only he was allowed to hurt me. My pussy began to throb. He was by far the most intimidating man I’d ever met and I’d met some doozies over the years, assholes who could give a class in raging pompous dickishness.
His attitude came natural to such a powerful man, but there was more of an edge to him than anything else. The death of hisfamily had stripped him of a safe haven, somewhere to go when the chips fell.
That was easy to read.
He didn’t bother reaching for his coffee a second time, merely leaning forward as he’d done before. “What’s the code on your phone, Fallon?”
“The code? You were being nice to me, so I’d provide the code. How asshole-ish of you.”
“The code, please. I have hackers on my staff that can and will break the random number of digits if you’d prefer.”
“Jesus Christ. I have nothing to hide. All sixes. Double the devil.”
He chuckled. “Why does that not surprise me?” He took my phone into his hand, pressing his finger against the screen and unlocking my cell phone. My guess was the battery was ready to go. Watching him happily scrolling through my photographs put me on edge. There was nothing incriminating other than the picture of him that I’d taken off the internet.
Last picture on, first picture to look at. After he did, he lifted his gaze briefly before returning to his task of destroying my privacy. What I found interesting was how many times he’d lingered on the photographs of my paintings.
“These are yours?” he asked.
“Yes. Maybe they don’t appeal to someone like you, but they are my babies. I learned a long time ago to carry proof of my work. You never know when you’ll run into a gallery owner or someone searching for the perfect painting for their living room.” Why was I suddenly babbling at the mouth again?
Maybe because I was completely naked while he at least had sweatpants on. The thought of how the material hung low on his hips just about did me in. The deep V appeared even more chiseled than before after our workout from the night before.
“They are incredible, Fallon. You are very talented. You should be very wealthy at this point in your career.”
“Are you suggesting I lied to you about that? Trust me, I enjoy ramen noodles a couple times a week. I’m determined to make it on my own.”
“I’m not suggesting anything, Fallon. I’m simply trying to ascertain how much danger you’re in.”
“You mean how much danger you’re in. Right? If you didn’t kidnap my sister and were framed, then we’re both involved. Why?” I had an advantage since I knew who he was, but he’d yet to ascertain my identity. Even so, I sensed goading him wasn’t going to do any good.
He lifted his head, studying me for a few seconds. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out.” Very slowly he lowered his head, returning to surfing through my photos. When he found one with Brooke and me together, he held the phone up as if I couldn’t tell what he was looking at. “Is this your sister?”
“Yes.”
His exhale was exaggerated and he navigated to my email, typing in an address and hitting send. “I’ve sent this to myself so that there will be no doubt who she is.”
A moment of excitement surged through me. “Did you find her?”
“Not yet. I’ve asked the soldiers to determine if an American girl was recently brought here by the Alcarez Cartel or anyone else.Now I’ll know for certain if anyone has seen her.” He handed me my phone, at least satisfied for now what I’d told him was the truth. “Tell me about Renfield Industries.”
