Crewe

Dimitri placed my second mug of coffee on the desk and silently dismissed himself.

I usually drank a cup in the morning, but today, I probably needed at least three cups. I didn’t get any sleep last night, so I was exhausted.

Not that I was complaining.

I couldn’t focus on any of my tasks because I kept thinking about that unbelievable woman upstairs in my bedroom. She was probably still asleep because she didn’t have any reason to get up early. But by lunchtime, she’d better be ready for me.

I was gonna fuck her even harder than I did last night.

I was in a pissed mood last night after Josephine called, begging me to show her compassion when she didn’t deserve it. It stirred up feelings of rage that I couldn’t control. I went out into town and drank at a bar alone, but that didn’t make me feel any better.

Just made me feel worse.

The last thing I wanted was to screw my slave, but once she started touching herself, I was out of my mind. I couldn’t get my cock inside her fast enough. And when he was there, he never wanted to leave.

He wanted to stay buried inside her forever.

I wiped the sleep from the corner of my eye for the third time and took a drink of my second coffee. I hadn’t had any scotch today because I was too tired for that. At this rate, I really could quit cold turkey.

The office door opened again, and I looked up, expecting to see Dimitri.

But it was London.

Looking fucking beautiful in a strapless blue dress with straight hair. Her makeup was done like she had someplace to be. My cock immediately began to harden the second she entered the room, his thoughts on the ferocious way she needed me last night. She was horny as hell, and she needed me to fix it.

I was more than happy to oblige.

She walked up to my desk, strutting her hips like she was on a mission. She came around the glorious piece of furniture that had been there for hundreds of years and slid into my lap like she owned me and the entire room.

Dimitri hustled inside, out of breath. “I’m sorry, sir. I tried to stop her—”

I held up my hand and focused my gaze on her. “She’s fine. Leave.”

Dimitri darted out just as quickly as he came inside.

My hands moved to her thighs, my eyes focused on her green ones.

Her eyes were narrowed, and her shoulders were stiff like she had something to say to me. This wasn’t just a visit about pleasure, even though she sat right on my hard-on. Her arms circled my neck, and she stared at me head on. “I don’t want to share you with anyone.”

I raised an eyebrow, not entirely sure what she meant.

“I want you to fuck me and only me.” She spoke with a stern voice that matched her features, but it was adorable that this small woman was making demands. “I want it to be just the two of us. You give me what I need. I can give you whatever you need. No more late nights when you’re out and about. I want you in that bed with me every night. End of story.”

She didn’t leave any room for negotiation, not that I had different terms in mind. She obviously thought I’d been fooling around with other women this entire time, when in reality, she was the only woman I’d even looked at. If this had been a few weeks ago, I would have pushed her off me and said her demands were ridiculous, that I would fuck whoever I wanted whenever I wanted.

But I didn’t do that now.

I didn’t hate the idea of monogamy. I didn’t despise making any promise of fidelity to her. The fact that she wanted me all to herself caused a stirring in my pants. She made me feel needed, feel manly. She was my prisoner, but now we felt like partners, like she wanted to be there with me.

That was the sexiest thing of all.

This woman wanted me—badly.

I undid my belt and the top of my slacks as I kept my eyes on her. My hands reached for her dress next, and I yanked it up and pulled her panties to the side.

She reached behind her and grabbed the base of my cock and directed my length inside her. She slid all the way down to my balls, releasing a quiet moan as she moved.

I gripped her thighs and pressed my forehead against hers. “Just you and me.”

“I made all the arrangements for the opening.” Ariel sat in the armchair with her legs crossed, wearing a tight pencil skirt and a white blouse. She had a petite frame because she worked all day long and never ate anything. Sometimes, she drank scotch with me, but she usually preferred wine. “Caterers have been taken care of, everyone you invited RSVP’d, and we have the special wine you requested.”

Did that mean Bones was coming? I’d have to give him a call to verify. “Josephine responded?”

“Yeah.” She looked up from her folder with her black frames sitting on the bridge of her nose. She examined my expression, trying to read me. “Will that be a problem?”

I hadn’t mentioned my current drama with my ex. “Yeah, it’ll be fine. She stopped by last week, but I refused to see her. Then she called and told me her father had a heart attack.” I told Ariel everything, so the words flowed. “She asked me to come over, but I told her not to call me again and hung up.”

Ariel nodded with approval. “She can’t have it both ways. She can’t leave you and expect you to be there for her.”

“I know.” Ariel was just as cold as I was. That was probably why we got along so well.

“She has a lot of nerve, honestly.”

“I agree.”

When Ariel took a deep breath, I knew whatever she was going to say was tense. “So, are you bringing London, or did you have someone else in mind?” She made her feelings about my bedmate perfectly clear, so I knew what answer she was hoping for.

“London.”

Ariel hardly hid her annoyance and scribbled in her notebook. “I’ll arrange for her hair and makeup to be complete. I strongly encourage a short etiquette course. Her shoulders slouch, and she doesn’t understand how to carry on a conversation with her superiors.”

I smiled when I pictured how that conversation would go. That fire would leap in her eyes and burn indefinitely. “I’ll run it by her.”

“Good.” She closed the folder. “That’s all I have for now. If you need anything else, you know where to find me.”

“I know. You never sleep.” I gave her a smile and watched her rise out of the chair.

She still wore that stern expression, but she was fighting the smile that wanted to spread across her face. “Work comes first.”

“Are you bringing someone to the opening?”

“Crewe, you know I never mix business with pleasure.”

She didn’t seem like someone who had a lot of pleasure in her life. “Well, you’re always welcome to. You’ve met my women. I’d like to meet your men sometime—make sure they’re good enough for you.”

She finally smiled. “There’s no man good enough for me.” She walked out and left me alone in the office.

As usual, my thoughts returned to London. Whenever I was alone, she came into my thoughts. If Ariel knew I decided to share my bed with London exclusively, she wouldn’t be too happy about it. Her fire would burn the entire castle.

I rubbed the scruff along my jaw and felt the urge to throw back a glass of scotch. I missed the burn all the way down my throat and into my stomach. But I was trying to cut back the way London asked me to, going from nine glasses a day to four. I’d already had one, so I needed to take a break before I moved on to the second glass. It was only noon.

I picked up the phone and called Bones, knowing that psychopath would stop me from thinking about the two drugs in my life.

“Crewe, how’s the scotch business going?” He spoke with a deep voice that was just as rough as sandpaper. His tone made it sound like he was up to no good, a naturally sinister voice that was heavy with evil. I wondered if I sounded that way to other people.

“No complaints. How’s the weapon business?”

“No complaints,” he said with a chuckle. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

I only bought weapons from Bones once before, and that was because the Barsetti brothers were unavailable. The craftsmanship was good and the quality was passable, but it was nothing compared to the product Crow and Cane offered. “I’m opening a second distillery in Edinburgh on Saturday night. Wanted to know if you’re coming.”

“I got your invitation. I might stop by. I’ll be in the area anyway.”

I chewed on the inside of my lip as I contemplated what to say next. Every move I made was just as strategic as a general moving warships out in the Atlantic Ocean. I wanted to know if he was bringing Vanessa, but I couldn’t come out and ask. I shouldn’t even know about Vanessa. “Hope to see you there.”

“Will your pet be on your arm for the evening?”

All the muscles in my shoulders immediately tensed at the question. I didn’t appreciate his tone, the way his breathing changed the second London was mentioned. Anger that I couldn’t explain hovered at the surface under my skin, about to explode in a fiery combustion. “Yes. She’s always on my arm.”

He chuckled into the phone. “Looks like I missed out on an incredible woman. At least I found someone else to take her place.”

I knew exactly who he was talking about. I swallowed my anger over London because that wasn’t as important as my next question. “Will she be accompanying you on Saturday?”

“Possibly. We’ll see how her bruises heal up.”

I swallowed the bile that rose up my throat. I’d have to leave that comment out when I spoke to Crow. It would break him in half. “I look forward to meeting her.”

“And I look forward to seeing your pet.”

Before I could say anything to ruin things for Crow and Cane, I ended the conversation and got off the phone with him. I wasn’t particularly close to the Barsetti brothers, but I understood what it was like to lose a family member. My offer to help them came from my own loss. If I at least had Alec, I might not feel so alone. I would have someone to share the burden of my name. I could have disappeared into the sunset and lived out my life in solitude along the coast of Greece. But I couldn’t disgrace my parents’ legacy by abandoning my duties.

I called Crow a few moments later. “Hey, it’s Crewe.”

“How’s our product treating you?”

My men were happy to be armed with new equipment. The fortifications surrounding me reached a new peak. I kept a few guns for myself, stashing them in places that London wouldn’t come across. “Well. Pristine, as usual.”

“You get what you pay for. So, have you heard anything from him?” Crow rarely mentioned his name, always referring to him vaguely. He did a good job controlling his anger, but I thought I could feel his rage through the phone.

Maybe I was just imagining it. “I just got off the phone with him. He didn’t give me a concrete answer, but he said he might stop by. And he said he might bring Vanessa.”

Crow didn’t say anything.

I gave him a moment to digest what I said. His mind was probably working a million miles an hour. If someone had been stolen from me, all I would ever think about was getting them back—along with my revenge. “You have a game plan in mind?”

“Cane and I will be there. We won’t show our faces, and we’ll remain out of sight. If we see an opportunity to grab her, we will.”

“I’m sure he’ll bring a few guards as well.”

“We’ll figure it out. Ideally, we’d like to make it seem like Vanessa ran for it. He won’t suspect you that way.”

“No gunshots, okay? There’s gonna be a lot of important people there. My criminal activities are unknown to them, and it needs to stay that way.”

“Understood. You’re doing us a favor, and we wouldn’t stab you in the back.”

I took his word for it. “Thank you.”

“I’ll talk to you later.”

I got off the phone then got back to work, resisting the glass of scotch I desperately wanted to drink.

I walked into the bedroom with my tie already loosened, anxious to see London since she hadn’t made an appearance all day. Sometimes she came to my office for a visit, sitting on my lap and distracting me from the pile of work I needed to get through.

I wasn’t ready for the sight I came upon. Standing in black lingerie, London looked like every man’s fantasy. The lacy top had two openings where her tits hung freely, firm and perky with hard nipples. Her crotchless thong barely covered anything, leaving her long and beautiful legs visible for my eyes to cherish.

I’d never seen her in lingerie before. I’d never asked her to dress up for me, and now I was glad I never did. It was much more exciting when it was a surprise. I pulled my tie off my neck and slowly walked toward her as I dropped my jacket.

I took my time undressing in front of her, my eyes on her beautiful face the entire time. My throat went dry, and my heart raced in my chest. My cock was already hard from thinking about her all day, and now he was so thick he might burst.

I got my slacks and shoes off then dropped my boxers to the floor. My rock-hard dick greeted her with a distinct twitch. The fact that this woman wanted me so much when she used to despise me was such a turn-on. Now she needed me home every night, needed me inside her several times a day.

She circled my neck with her arms and kissed me hard on the mouth, her tongue diving past my lips with desperation. Her nails dug into me, razor-sharp and powerful. Her hands trailed down my body as she slowly lowered herself to her knees.

I took a deep breath when I knew what was coming next.

She grabbed the base of my cock and shoved my entire length inside her throat, her mouth gaping open and saliva pooling at the corners.

I already felt like a king in my own world. I owned everyone and everything. But nothing made me feel more kingly than having this woman on her knees with my cock in her mouth. Nothing made me feel more powerful than watching the desire burn in her eyes. My hand moved to the back of her neck, and I guided her up and down my length. Tears pooled in her eyes, and she struggled to breathe as my cock took up most of her throat. But she kept going because she knew I loved it—and she loved it too.

We had dinner on the balcony of the bedroom because London didn’t want to go downstairs. She said she wanted to eat in my t-shirt and boxers, looking casual but sexy at the same time.

I preferred her in my clothes over a gown any day.

She cut into her fish and looked over the balcony, enjoying the lights from the rest of the castle and the cloudless sky. All the stars could be seen, twinkling high above us.

While she paid attention to the beauty surrounding us, I paid attention to her. Her mascara was slightly smeared because of the tears that had fallen from her eyes. Her hair was disheveled from the way I’d savagely gripped it. But all those imperfections made her flawless. She was more beautiful than any famous work of art that hung on my walls.

Our relationship was nothing compared how it used to be. It was a lot of bickering back and forth, my constant need to overpower her and restrain her every time she resisted. I had to conquer her more than once to get her to submit. But now there was a quiet companionship between us, a relationship full of silent conversations. I didn’t have to put on a front with her anymore. She didn’t need to put one on with me.

We could coexist—happily.

And the longer I had her in my life, the more beautiful I found her to be. Her features didn’t change and her weight didn’t fluctuate, but I found myself appreciating the curve of her cheekbones, the plumpness of her lips. I cared more about the beauty of her eyes than the shape of her figure. Her words had new meaning to them because I found everything she said insightful.

I didn’t know what was happening, but I liked it.

She continued to eat quietly, her eyes downcast. There was a slight breeze in the air, and it blew a few strands away from her face.

I drank water with my meal, hating its blandness.

She looked across the table and noticed my nearly empty glass. “You’ve been doing well. I’m impressed.”

“It hasn’t been easy, but not impossible.” It would be impossible for me to stop drinking altogether. That was something I wasn’t willing to compromise on. But three to four glasses a day was doable.

“Feel any different?”

I could think more clearly and had a little more energy, but I was definitely moody. “I’m a little angry all the time.”

She chuckled. “So nothing has changed.”

I could resist the smile that formed on my face. “What did you do today?”

“I did Pilates in the living room. Then I hung up your clothes and cleaned everything.”

“You know, I have maids for that.”

“Well, I was bored. Running out of things to do.”

I wanted to tell her she could always come visit me, but that would just slow down my workday. “You want a dog?”

“I can get a dog?” she asked in surprise.

“Why not?”

“Well, they’re messy, and we travel a lot.”

I shrugged. “Someone can take care of him.”

“If I had a dog, I’d like to take care of him.”

“Then maybe having a kid would be easier.” The words flew out of my mouth without me thinking twice about it. I’d never considered having children with her. I’d never considered having her as anything more than just my bedmate.

She stared at me from across the table, her face unreadable. She wore a solid mask that hid her thoughts from view. She didn’t seem repulsed by the idea, but she didn’t seem happy about it either.

“I want to ask you something.” I left my half-eaten plate on the table and kept my gaze focused on her.

“I’m listening.”

“Am I the best you’ve ever had?” I suspected I already knew the answer based on the savage way she needed me all the time. But I wanted to hear her say it anyway, you know, because I was a sick egomaniac like that.

She swirled her wine before she took a drink, stalling as she thought of her answer.

I watched her intently the entire time, not blinking and sitting on the edge of my seat. If I asked her a personal question in the past, she usually dodged it. But now our relationship was a lot more relaxed. Conversations didn’t feel like interrogations anymore.

She finally set down her glass. “You already know the answer.”

“I want to hear it anyway.”

Her eyes didn’t flash with annoyance, not like they usually would. “Yes, you’re the best I’ve ever had. Maybe that wasn’t apparent after all the times you made me come, or all the times I asked you to fuck me in the middle of the night. You make the rest of the men I’ve been with look like boys. They didn’t always make me come, probably because they didn’t know what they were doing. I’ve never been kissed hard like that or ever felt more beautiful in my life. But with you, I’ve never felt more desirable.” She grabbed her glass again and drank it like she hadn’t just made the most erotic speech ever.

There was an invisible crown on my head, and I was staring at my queen. I gripped the armrests of my chair and wished there weren’t dinner spread across the table. The maids would come and clean it at any moment. “You’re the best I’ve ever had too.”

This time when she looked at me, her expression was easy to read. She was surprised by my confession. “Really?”

“Yeah.” She was different from any of the other women I’d been with. She was natural, real. She had a backbone of steel and a scowl that made grown men quiver. She was hard like a rock. “But you already knew that.”

I sat up against the wooden headboard with my hands resting on her hips. My fingertips dug into her soft skin as I guided her up and down my length. She was rocking her hips slowly, taking my long length with restrained fluidness. She sheathed me to the balls then slowly rose up again, moving until only my thick head was inside her.

Her gorgeous tits were in my face, firm with hard nipples. Her petite shoulders led to a slender neck that had already been lavished with kisses. A quiet moan escaped her lips every time she took my entire length. Sometimes I would rock her back and forth, getting her clit stimulated against my muscular frame.

When she fucked me like this, I was in heaven.

When she rocked forward, her tits would move in my face. I would grace them with a kiss before I leaned back and watched her fuck me slowly. Her hands would glide up my chest to my shoulders, and she would use my body as an anchor so she could grind against me harder.

Goddamn.

My hands moved up her thighs, and I gripped her cheeks, squeezing the tight muscle in my palms. I was tempted to finger her asshole, but I suspected that would make me come sooner than I wanted.

Her breathing came out in short spurts, her moans cutting her off from the air that she needed. Her nails dug into me, and her eyes became lidded with intoxication. Our writhing bodies filled the room with the stench of sex.

I wanted to stay like this forever.

She rolled her head back then gripped her tits, squeezing them hard enough to make her wince.

Fuck.

She was slowly slipping away, diving headfirst into an orgasm that would make her toes curl. I’d fucked her enough times to pick up on her shallow breathing, the redness of her chest, and the way she swallowed every few seconds.

My hand moved between her legs, and I pressed my thumb to her throbbing clit. I rubbed it vigorously, making her hips buck automatically. I wanted a woman to enjoy me as much as I enjoyed her, but my primary focus with London was making her feel good. That felt better than having an orgasm. Sex had completely changed her perspective about being stuck with me. Now she needed me, relied on me. If the best way to keep her happy was satisfying her, I was more than happy to oblige.

Instantly, she ground herself against me and lost her breath altogether. Her hand clenched my wrist, and she moaned as the climax hit her. Her cunt tightened around my cock with a gripping force, and she came all over me, her delicious juice drenching my length. “Goddamn, Lovely…” I watched every expression she made, memorizing every detail because she was so stunning. Watching a woman come was always fun, but watching London come was a gorgeous sight. It was hard for me not to blow my load.

She gradually drifted back down to earth, her hips moving slowly over my length. Her breathing eventually returned to normal, and the redness on her chest faded away. She ran her hand through her hair, getting it off her sweaty neck. She had such a curvy figure, perky tits, an hourglass frame, and nice hips. She was so gorgeous it hurt.

Her grip slowly loosened on my wrist. “More.”

My hands returned to her hips, and I clutched her hard. “As many times as you want, Lovely.” It was my pleasure to satisfy this woman. There was nowhere else I’d rather be that night. I didn’t want to call up Sasha or find a woman in a bar. The only woman I wanted to fuck was sitting on my lap at that very moment.

And that didn’t scare me.

My hand moved up the center of her back until I reached the area just below her shoulder blades. I pulled her closer toward me so I could kiss her. My other hand still guided her up and down my length, needing to feel that wet pussy at the exact same time. My tongue circled hers, and the feel of her small mouth made my cock ache to explode. But I kept myself in line, taking my job as her lover very seriously.

I wanted to do this all night.

Losing sleep affected my workday and slowed my productivity. It was difficult for me to pay attention, and I had less energy to work out in the morning. But I wouldn’t change anything because these were the nights I lived for. I was a king in my castle, and this gorgeous woman was my queen.

My scotch queen.

I washed off in the bathroom because I was so sweaty. I didn’t mind the heat during sex, but once we were finished, I needed to feel cool. I pulled on a new pair of boxers and felt the sleep creep behind my eyelids. I had just had a powerful orgasm, pouring my come deep inside my woman, and now I was ready for bed.

I returned to the bed and saw her lying on her side of the bed, facing the window with her back to me. That was how she always slept, never crossing the invisible line in the center of the bed. She didn’t snore, but I could tell when she was sleep. Her breathing was different, deep and gentle.

I got under the sheets and felt my eyes close immediately. With a bed this big, there was plenty of space for both of us. We never crossed paths in the middle of the night. Her legs didn’t graze mine, and my hand never came into contact with hers.

It was nice.

But now I itched for something different. I loved feeling her soft skin against mine during sex, but I wanted to feel it more often than that. I wanted to my cock against her ass, her chest against my arm. I wanted to feel her body rise and fall with the breaths she took.

I crossed the invisible line and came to her side of the bed. My arm circled her waist, and I adjusted her against me, getting my cock in the crack of her cheeks and my chest right against her back. I could feel her breath, feel her pulse.

She stirred at the touch and looked at me over her shoulder, her eyes foggy like she was still asleep. Her arm circled mine, and she laid her head down again, going back to sleep without saying anything.

Being beside her was far more comfortable than sleeping alone. Every breath she took felt like a gentle lullaby. Her smell enveloped me and made my subconscious think of a field of flowers. I began to slip away immediately, dreaming of sunny skies with this beautiful woman beside me.

I didn’t think of the people who betrayed me, my dead family, or the other bullshit going on in my life. When I was with her, all of that grief ceased to exist. It was just the two of us. It was the first sense of joy I’d had in a long time.

Maybe ever.