Now AJ had left home and Tyson no longer had that assurance. Which was why, regrettably, his beautiful Orianthi would have to die.
He stepped into the shower, cranking the hot water on. As he stood under the spray, he imagined the leverage that a tragic death in the family would give him. All sins would be forgiven as the courageous, devastated congressman bravely vowed to find out who murdered his beautiful stepdaughter. And now that she had a boyfriend, he suddenly realized, he had someone to pin it on, to frame when they found Ori’s broken, brutalized body.
Tyson grinned to himself as he shampooed his hair.Perfect,he thought.Perfect.Now he just had to pick the perfect time to kill her. Harrison was willing, if not eager to do it, but Janek had turned him down. “As much as I admire your bloodlust, Harrison, I will be the one to end Orianthi’s life”
He couldn’t wait.
When Ori wokein the morning, the bed beside her was empty. For a long moment, she fought with both disappointment and acceptance.It’s for the best,she told herself. Maybe Maceo understood that this could not be a thing if they were to work with each other. She pushed the sheet back and swung her legs over the side of the bed just as she heard the door to the apartment open and his voice calling, “Good morning, beautiful”
Ori flushed, her heart leaping with joy. She padded barefoot into the living area to see him dumping fresh breakfast rolls onto a plate, a jug of orange juice already on her table. Maceo switched her coffee pot on and grinned at her. She laughed softly.
“Domesticated”
Maceo laughed. “No, just a hungry man. I need some energy after last night. Come here to me” He held out his arms but Ori backed off, grinning.
“Two seconds to brush my teeth, I have morning breath”
He held up his hands. “I don’t care, but okay, go do what you have to”
Ori scooted into the bathroom and brushed her teeth, trying to get a handle on what she was feeling.Thoroughly and professionally fucked, for one,she grinned to herself now, as she rinsed her mouth. Her thighs ached and her vagina throbbed from the pounding Maceo’s huge and ramrod hard cock had given it. Jeez … even thinking about it made her wet again.
Her smile faded when she noticed the bruises on her neck and the clearly defined fingerprints. Jeez, what a whirlwind.One minute I was being murdered, the next fucked to within an inch of my life.Who the hell had broken into her apartment and why had he tried to kill her?
An image of her stepfather flashed into her mind.No. He had no idea where she was … did he? Surely now that he was in disgrace, a lot of the contacts he could have used to find her had vanished—mostly because he’d fucked their wives. A wave of nausea hit her, and she gripped the side of the washbasin to steady herself.
“Are you okay,bella?”
Ori looked up to see Maceo watching her with concerned eyes. She smiled weakly at him. “I think the break-in just hit me”
He came to her then, his fingers brushing her bruised neck. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Ori. I promise” God, she could get lost in his green eyes…
Maceo brushed his lips against hers. He tasted of fresh air. Ori closed her eyes and reveled in his kiss, his tongue gently massaging hers, his hands dropping to her waist and pulling her close to him. She could feel his erection through his clothes, hot and long against her belly.What this man does to me …
She gave a little moan, which seemed to spur him into action. Pulling her T-shirt over her head in one swift motion, he lifted her up so her buttocks rested on the sink. Ori kept her mouth on his as he eased her shorts off and tugged her legs around his waist. And then he was inside her again, impaling her on his long shaft. Ori cried out as he fucked her hard, his thickly muscled arms lifting her small frame easily, his mouth rough on hers.
He took her again in the shower they shared, pressing her against the cool tile as he thrust into her from behind, murmuring her name again and again until she was almost crying with pleasure.
They devoured the breakfast rolls hungrily afterward, and Maceo told her some more about her new job. “I think we will be working together very closely,” he said with a wicked grin. “I need someone to travel the world with me, to go and scout the cities while I deal with the red tape and business side. It is regretful that I cannot make the time to see all the galleries—that is my first love—but it’s not what made me a billionaire”
Ori was curious. “Do you come from a rich family?”
Maceo shook his head. “My mother looked after me on her own and gave me a good upbringing, but we did not lead a wealthy life. It made me determined to give her everything. I am glad I got to spoil her before she passed”
Ori felt a wash of sympathy. “I’m sorry she’s gone, Maceo”
He nodded, comfortable with his emotions. “What about you?”
Ori shifted in her chair. “My mom died a few years ago. I have a younger brother— well, half-brother, AJ He’s the love of my life, really” She was grinning now, thinking of him, and Maceo smiled at her.
“I can see that. Lucia tells me your stepfather is a politician”
Ori’s smiled faded and unconsciously, she touched the bruises at her neck. “My mother is dead. He’s no longer my stepfather”
Maceo covered her hand with his. “I understand,bella”He leaned over to kiss her. “Now, by your own logic, I’m not your boss until Monday morning, and it just so happens that I have the weekend free. Would you spend it with me, Ori? I would like to show you myVenezia”
Ori smiled at him, grateful for the change of subject. “Yes, Maceo, I would like that very much”
Alittle while later, when Ori had excused herself to use the bathroom, Maceo pulled out his cell phone. In a low voice, he instructed his private detective to find out everything he could on Tyson Janek. “I want to know where he is, what he wants … and what the hell he’s been doing to his stepdaughter”
