Page 13 of Empire of Lust
Did he see me? Did he know I was watching him?
I try to tell myself he didn’t actually see me watching him on the patio with that woman. That it was all fantasy. That he does not know what I saw, so in his eyes, I’m still his daughter’s best friend. A kid. Nothing more.But what if he did see me? Wouldn’t he have confronted me about it by now?
That’s not my only problem. The other is living so close to the man I’ve crushed on for years. It might be sort of exciting. The possibility of crossing paths would add a little thrill to my day. I mean, outside of that, there isn’t much left for me, and I don’t want to spend all my time over-analyzing my breakup with Lucas.
“It’s better than moving back in with my father,” I admit by way of agreement. I love my dad, and he’s done the best he could, but he’s been different since my mother’s death. And not in a grief-changing-you kind of way. He’s angry, hate-filled. They never discovered who killed her, and I know that haunts him to this day.
As a police officer, he has an uncanny need to solve every crime, so I can’t imagine the craziness he feels. I’m at peace with that part of things. I’m sad my mother isn’t here. I wish she could see me now, see how far I’ve come and what I’ve accomplished. I think she’d be proud. I realized a long time ago I can’t do anything to bring her back. That the only thing I have is the future. My father is still stuck, refusing to move forward.
Yeah, staying with Tatum is becoming more appealing by the second.
“We would have to make sure your dad’s okay with it.”
“Please.” She snorts on her way to the bathroom, satisfied with the belief that she’s solved the problem. “I doubt he’ll even know you’re there.”
My throat tightens, and I’m reminded of the intense look in his eyes as he came. The lust and feral need. This is a bad idea. A very bad idea.
Because that’s the thing.
I want him to know I’m there.
I want him to experience the same frenzied need I do. I want him to see me as more than Bianca, his daughter’s best friend.
CALLUM
“That’s right, baby. Spread your legs wide. Let me see how wet you are. Show me what’s mine.”
Fuck me. A soft growl rumbles in my throat as the fantasy plays out in my mind. It doesn’t matter where I am or what I’m doing. At the moment, I’m seated at my desk, preparing for a meeting that will take place in thirty minutes. Not that I care, even if the subject has to do with the status of a half-dozen new cargo planes recently purchased to prepare for expanding my shipping network.
This plan has been in the works for months and has required countless hours of research, vetting, and inspection. We’re close to finalizing the deal with the current owner of the small air fleet, and somehow, all I can do is sit here and do everything in my willpower to resist the ache in my cock.
She’s sitting in front of me, her thighs spread wide to reveal the pink, shining slice of heaven between them. Fuck, business is the furthest thing from my mind, my tongue craving each drop of sweet nectar that will inevitably leak from her perfect pussy by the time I’m done with her.
Bianca. You have no idea how much more difficult you’ve made my life.
A sharp knock at the closed door is the equivalent to pouring a bucket of cold water over my head.
I clear my throat, sitting up straighter before calling out, “Come in.”
The door opens, and Romero walks in, his steps heavy. His face is masked, cold. A mask worn as armor, I suppose. He has a habit of letting no one see too deep inside, even if parts of his mask are cracked and chipped.
“I assume everything is in place for the meeting?” I ask, chastising myself for letting my thoughts roam yet again. I cannot afford to fuck this up. There’s far too much time and money invested in this. My head needs to be clear. I need to be conscious and alert, not dreaming about fucking someone completely out of my reach.
“I sent the link to the parties involved, and everyone has copies of the contract.”
“Excellent,” I praise, though I’m hardly surprised. If there’s one person I can count on, it’s my most trusted second-in-command. I’ve known Romero since he was a little boy. His mother begged me to take him under my wing, and he’s been by my side ever since. There are few men I trust with my shit and even fewer with my daughter. He’s proven himself to be a valuable asset.
Which, of course, reminds me. He’s had a special assignment as of late. “Do you have any information to share?”
If he finds anything strange about me ordering him to keep tabs on Bianca, he shows no sign of it. I’m sure after working together for so many years, he’s learned to expect the unexpected.
He presses down into the leather chair across from my desk and unbuttons his suit jacket, settling in. “She’s moving. I’m not sure where, but she spent the day taking boxes up to her apartment and then loading them into her car.”
“She’s moving?” I tap my jaw with my finger.
“Yes. She broke up with her boyfriend the other night at the club. They were talking about it when I took them back to her place, and when I say talking, I use the term loosely. It was more Tatum telling her she deserved better, that the guy was a twat for cheating on her, and that it wasn’t her fault. Bianca started crying, and it got worse from there.”
A sudden flash of white-hot rage threatens to consume me before I get a hold of it. What a stupid bastard. Someone that dismissive of the perfection he was so fortunate to partake in doesn’t deserve her. He tossed a diamond in the garbage for a piece of trash. I want to beat the hell out of the fucker, but there’s no point. His punishment is losing her and watching her find happiness elsewhere.With me.