Kiss Me Book 1 Page 8

  Amy’s stomach fell, and in that moment she knew for a fact that Christian hadn’t been the one to steal her art. Guilt plagued her. It was because of her that he was back on the police’s radar.

  “Oh Christian. I’m so sorry.”

  “You didn’t know, and had I been in your shoes I probably would have thought the same thing. Listen, Amy,” he said and moved closer and put his hands on her knees. “How I acted last night was wrong. I was a complete dick, and I knew it. I didn’t want you to see that side of me because, well . . . I didn’t want you to think the worst of me. But I could see the distrust in your eyes, and it stung more than I wanted to admit. Amar talked some sense into me and told me to come clean.”

  She smiled. Good old Amar.

  “And you have no idea who sold the stuff to you?”

  Christian slid from the bed and began to pace the room. “I have no clue.” He looked out the window and continued to pace. Something crunched under his foot, and he bent down to retrieve it. He frowned when he picked up the picture frame.

  “Who is this?” he asked.

  Amy looked at him, shocked by the sudden chilly tone in his voice. She looked at the picture and realized it was a picture of her and Robert on the beach. She must have forgotten to put that one up.

  She pulled the sheet around her body and scooted from the bed. “That’s my ex-husband.”

  “This guy is your ex-husband?” The cutting edge in his voice caused her to become alarmed.

  “Yes. Why?”

  Christian clenched his teeth together, causing the muscles in his jaws to flex. His eyes narrowed into cold blue slits as he stared at the picture.

  “Because this is the fucker that sold me your art!”

  Kiss Me Book 4

  Amy sat on the bed, holding the broken picture between her hands. She felt as if the wind had been knocked from her lungs. Robert? Robert had been the one who had robbed her. Looking back, it all made sense.

  “I guess that’s why the alarm didn’t go off,” she said.

  “You didn’t change the locks?” Christian asked, sitting beside her on the bed. They were both still naked, and, even though she could feel the heat radiating from his body, she couldn’t think about how her body was already starting to react to his nearness.

  “No, I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. He moved his stuff out months ago, before he even had the papers served.” She sniffed, and tears began to roll down her cheeks. She wasn’t sure why she was crying. It had been forever since she’d cried over Robert. Then a thought struck her. She wasn’t crying over Robert but because of him. He’d deliberately struck out to hurt her. This was personal.

  “How much did you pay him for my things?” she asked as she traced a thumb over the picture. Their two faces smiling back at her were like strangers’. The picture was from a time long ago when she was young and thought herself in love. Neither of them were the same. Robert had turned cold and mean, and Amy had allowed the spark inside of her die. It was only recently that a new spark had begun to grow—in fact so much so that she’d begun to have a desire to paint again. However, she couldn’t think about any of those things then. There were more pressing matters at stake.

  “I paid him a hundred thousand,” Christian said.

  “Wow,” she said, feeling a little more than flattered. She knew her pieces were worth a lot of money, but she didn’t expect someone to actually buy them.

  “Robert must have been desperate for money,” she said.

  “Did he not get much in the divorce?”

  She shook her head. “No. We signed a prenup, and if infidelity was involved then the other would only get ten percent. As you can see, I got the house and just about the entire bank account.”

  “What does he do for a living?”

  She laughed sardonically. “He’s an art broker,” she said dryly.

  “Which means he knew how to cover his tracks.”

  Amy nodded.

  “But what he didn’t count on was the fact that we would meet. He assumed that he could sell them and be done with it.”

  “He never was particularly bright,” she said, chuckling.

  Christian snorted. “Apparently.”

  “Why did you pay so much for my work?” she asked.

  He lifted a shoulder, a small smile playing across his lips. “I thought they were beautiful. I would have given him more, but the rest of my money is tied up in other investments.”

  She frowned. “I’ll pay you back for them.”

  “Why would you?”

  “Because you were ripped off. If you want them in your gallery, I’ll let you keep them, plus I’ll pay you back.”

  “No, you won’t,” he said as he stood.

  “But . . .”

  “But nothing, Amy,” he said, whirling around to face her. His nostrils flared and his jaw flexed.

  “What the hell is your problem?” she asked.

  Christian ran his fingers through his hair and began to pace.

  “Please be careful; you’re going to cut yourself,” she said.

  “I’ll be fine. I’ll be right back, I’ve got to make a phone call.”

  He didn’t give her a chance to respond as he left the room, his toned ass flexing as he walked. Damn, he’s got a nice ass, she thought as he left. The next time they made love, she was going to grip it tight and hang on.

  Grabbing her robe from the peg in the bathroom, she secured it around her waist and began to clean up the mess they’d made. Even though they still had to deal with Robert and, more than likely, the police, she was relieved to know who the real bad guy was. While she hadn’t thought it was Christian, the doubts had still been there.

  She went to the kitchen and grabbed the broom and dustpan. On her way back through she heard Christian talking on the patio.

  “It’s him, Amar. It’s Robert. He’s the son of a bitch that set me up, and I have a feeling he’s the one that did this to me the first time.”

  There was a silence.

  “Because last time he used a different name and his looks were different. He’s aged too.”

  Another pause.

  “I’m almost sure of it. He made a mint back then; I’m not his only target, either. I’ve talked to A’tair and Leonis, and they’ve all told me the same thing.”

  Christian sighed heavily. “I’m not sure where he is, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be hard to track him down.”

  She heard the gentle lapping of water.

  “I’m at her place now.” There was a soft chuckle. “You’re a dick,” he said playfully. “I don’t know, man. She just got divorced. I shouldn’t have gotten involved in the first place.”

  Amy’s heart sank just a little bit, and tears began to gather in her eyes. She’d known it would last long, but to hear the words actually said out loud, well, that sure didn’t make things any easier. She was about to go back upstairs when she heard his voice again.

  “I think I do. No, I know it’s kind of new to me too. Well, how in the hell was I supposed to know I was going to fall in love with her? Yeah, I’m sure. I was sure the night you freaking barged in on us in the shower.”

  Amy blushed.

  “Hey, you need to just forget about what you saw. Those are two things you’ll never see again,” he said gruffly.

  Amy’s cheeks flamed. She could only imagine what they were talking about. Feeling guilty about eavesdropping, she made her way out to the pool, acting like she hadn’t heard a thing. The second she stepped out in the late afternoon sun, Christian’s eyes followed her. He was sitting on the steps of the pool, back resting on the concrete, one hand pressing the phone to his ear while the other was stretched out on the edge of the pool.

  She untied her robe and allowed it to fall at her feet in a pool of silk. A wicked smile curved her lips as she walked across the patio, palming her breast and pinching a nipple between her fingers. His blue eyes watched her hungrily as he uh-huh’d and yeah’d. She was pretty sur
e he’d quit listening to Amar the minute she took her robe off.

  Gently and quietly she stepped down into the pool beside him. She pressed a finger to her lips as she lowered herself onto his lap, positioning his hardened cock at her entrance. Inch by inch she pushed herself down. Her eyes rolled, and she stifled a groan. She began to roll her hips and grind her pussy on his dick. His free hand slid beneath the water and clutched her hip.

  She tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth, trying to bite back the moans of pleasure that were bubbling up her throat.

  “I mean yeah. . . we’ll call, fuck,” he said as she clamped her pussy walls tightly around him. “Huh? Yeah, I’m fine I . . . I just realized I forgot . . . I mean I need . . . I’ll just call you back.”

  He didn’t wait for an answer as he hung up his phone and placed it behind himself. “You’re an evil little bitch,” he said as he clasped both hands on her hips and rammed up into her. She threw back her head and cried out as pleasure began to sing its way through her body.

  In one swift move he lifted her and spun their positions. She was kneeling on the steps, clutching the rough cement wall as he drove his dick into her slick pussy.

  “This has got to be quick,” he said into her ear.

  “Fuck me. Oh Christian, harder, please,” she rasped. “Right there, baby. Oh right there. Yes, oh . . .”

  She didn’t try to be quiet. She didn’t care who heard her fucking in her back yard. Some of her neighbors had frequent orgies—this wouldn’t cause any alarm.

  Her release was growing closer and closer. It was going to be quick, but she didn’t really care. She needed to feel him inside her again.

  “Your pussy feels so good around my dick. Fuck, Amy you drive me mad,” he said in her ear as he pushed her hair to the side and nibbled on the back of her neck.

  That was all it took to push her over the edge. Her body spasmed and released. He quickly followed behind her, grunting and thrusting as his back met hers. She felt his hot seed spill deep in her stomach, and she smiled. It felt amazing.

  He cupped the back of her neck and pulled her in for a deep kiss. There was something different about it. It wasn’t punishing, demanding, or controlling. Instead it was sweet, tender, and filled with so much passion it caused the muscles surrounding his dick to clench again.

  He chuckled and gave her a quick peck. “Good to know how my kisses affect you,” he rasped huskily.

  “Mmm, you’d be surprised at how much you affect me.”

  “Is it bad that I want to stay just like this, all day long, buried in your tight little slit?”

  She could feel her body heating up again, and she knew that if she didn’t move soon they were never going to get anything accomplished. Reluctantly, she slid from his lap and disappeared beneath the water’s surface. She reappeared at the other end of the pool.

  “Wow, you can hold your breath a long time,” Christian said as he took long leisurely strokes on top of the water.

  She pushed the wet strands of water off her face and grinned. “I swam in high school. I just find it . . . relaxing,” she said as she let her hand skim over the water’s surface.

  “We need to talk about what’s happening,” he finally said as he pulled her back and against his chest. Leaning her head back, she rested her head on his shoulder.

  “Do we have to?” she said softly.

  “As much as I would love to stay here with you, we’ve got to figure out a way to catch Robert. He’s pinned this on me, and it is only a matter of time before the cops get enough evidence to nail me.”

  “Have you spoken to him since?”

  “No, Amar and I think we might have a plan. We’re going to have to call a few favors in at the SFPD, but we think it’s going to work.”

  “You’re so sure?”

  “I am. If Robert is who I think he is, he’s been involved in this art smuggling ring for a very long time.”

  “While we were married?”

  “It’s likely to have went on beforehand and during your marriage, too.”

  Amy went back over her memories and certain things began to click into place. She turned and looked at him. “Robert was always on the phone late at night. I looked at all our phone bills but found nothing weird or out of the ordinary.”

  “He might have been using a burner phone.”

  “Maybe,” she said thoughtfully.

  He pulled her against his chest. “I need to get dressed and take care of some things. I’ve got another showing tonight!”

  “You do?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. It’s been scheduled for a while. That’s what I’ve been doing the past couple of days, getting ready. I’m going to be showing primarily my pieces, but I wanted to ask if I could show your pieces too.”

  “Really?”

  He nodded. “There are supposed to be some pretty big buyers there tonight.”

  “I’m not really interested in selling them,” she said.

  “Well, we won’t sell them. However, if you happen to end up in the spotlight because of some major newspaper people are going to be there, that will not be my fault,” he teased.

  “Christian, I don’t know.”

  “Don’t worry, princess,” he said, kissing her nose. “We can keep you nameless, if that is what you want.”

  “I’ll see.”

  He gave her one more deep kiss before swimming to the stairs and climbing out. She unabashedly watched as he emerged from the water. She licked her lips and tried to calm the butterflies that were taking flight in her stomach. The sun reflected off his tanned skin, highlighting his beautiful muscles. It was those muscles she’d run her hands over. She could still see her scratch marks on his back, and she smiled smugly. It was as if she’d branded him as hers.

  “You keep looking at me like that and I’m not going to get shit done,” he said as he lifted a towel from the shelf and began to dry off.

  “Can’t help it,” she said with a simple shrug.

  She waited until he was completely dressed before climbing from the pool. Her nipples tightened when his gaze landed on her. A seductive smile played on her lips.

  “Turnabout is fair play,” she teased as she grabbed her robe and pulled it back around her.

  Feeling it was safe to be within arm’s length once more, Christian pulled Amy roughly against his chest. His mouth slanted over hers for a deep kiss that made her toes curl. Her hands sifted through his wet hair as she leaned into him. She moaned into his mouth as he licked at her lips and slipped his tongue further into the recesses of her mouth.

  Finally, when he pulled away, she was breathless, and her lips were swollen. “I’ll see you tonight?” he asked.

  She smiled and nodded. “Of course you will!”

  “Good, oh, and the theme of tonight is motorcycles.”

  “Motorcycles?” She arched a brow at him.

  He nodded. “Yeah, my manager wanted to do something a little different, edgy, since a lot of the art that is going to be showcased tonight is edgy, bordering on erotic.”

  “Got it, no ball gowns and tiaras.”

  “You can come in whatever you like, just as long as you remember it will be coming off at the end of the night and you will be coming.”

  Shivers raced down her spine.

  “What time is the show?”

  He took his cell phone out of his pocket and looked. “Starts at eight, which is in three hours.”

  “Wow, that’s soon.”

  He nodded, his blond hair falling over his shoulder. “Which is why I need to get my ass in gear.” He tucked her against him in a tight hug and then kissed the top of her head. “I’ll see you in a little while?”

  “Of course,” she said, smiling back up at him.

  He planted a steamy kiss before reluctantly letting her go. She watched as he left. Feeling a bit giddy, she rushed into the house and called her sister.

  “Hey,” she said when Carrie answered the phone.

  “Look who craw
led out of her bitch mood,” Carrie said sourly.

  “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. Forgive me?”

  Carrie huffed dramatically into the phone. “I suppose.”

  “Good, because I need to go on a quick shopping spree. You down?”

  “Be there in ten.”

  Carrie hung up, and Amy raced upstairs to get dressed. Tonight was going to be amazing. She didn’t know what Christian and Amar had planned for Robert, nor did she really care. Her only focus was on Christian. She wasn’t going to let Robert bring her down anymore.

  ***

  By the time the girls made it back to Amy’s house it was nearly seven. Amy quickly took a shower and shaved every inch of her body from the shoulders down. She wanted to make sure she had Christian’s undivided attention.

  After Amy climbed out of the shower, Carrie dried and began working on Amy’s hair while she worked on her makeup. Her sister was a pro with the curling iron, so it only took twenty minutes to make her hair look immaculate. Her shimmering golden locks fell in waves around her shoulders. Deciding to go with the bad girl theme, Amy had lined her eyes with black and applied black and silver to her eyelids to give her a dramatic, smoky look.

  She tugged the black leather skirt over her hips. Both sides of the skirt were held together with laces from hem to hip, giving it the feel of corset laces. Because of how the skirt was exposing her sides, she wasn’t been able to wear any panties. It was a notion that excited her immensely. She could imagine Christian’s excitement when he found out. She pulled on a black leather vest that had silver angel wings on the back. The front was only fastened by three buttons and revealed more cleavage than she thought possible. The last piece of her outfit was a pair of knee-high black biker boots that hugged her shapely legs nicely.

  “Damn, sis,” Carrie said when Amy finally emerged from the bathroom. She gave a little twirl and was rewarded by a low whistle.

  “Are you sure I look okay?” she asked as she fidgeted with the laces and buttons. While Christian had made her step outside of her comfort zone lately, she almost felt as if it was too much.