Lauren was busy preparing for the sale, but she was also busy hiding something from me.

And I had a very good idea what it was.

So later that night, while she was wrapped up reviewing documents with Bethany, I stole her phone. This constituted a breach of trust, and I knew it. It was also a douche move.

But whatever she was hiding could potentially harm her. I had to know what it was in order to protect her. That was my job, douche move or not.

I scrolled through her messages, finding the one from Li Na almost immediately. Lauren hadn’t bothered to delete it. She was a genius, but I swear that sometimes because of that, she didn’t pay attention to the normal details of everyday life. I’d lost count of how many times she’d forgotten to eat because she was so wrapped up in her work. She was the CEO of a multibillion-dollar company, yet she couldn’t remember to delete an incriminating text message.

I imagined her train of thought: I should really delete this, but—wait! Shiny new algorithm! This one might cure cancer! Let me see if I can work the convoluted algebraic equation through my perfect, genius brain!

I would’ve laughed at the image, but I was too pissed.

I read the text again. Once you’ve finished the materials list and have an update on the IP transfer docs, I am open to arranging her release in exchange for you.

She was preparing to sacrifice herself without even discussing it with me. My blood boiling, I stalked down the hall and found her in my office, hunched over documents with Bethany.

“Lauren.”

She looked up, her eyes bleary from staring at her screen. “Huh? What’s up?”

I held up her phone. “I need to talk to you. Now.”

She opened her mouth to argue but then closed it. “I’ll be back soon,” she told Bethany.

You hope.

I hustled her into the bedroom and tossed her phone to the bed, pointing at it. “What. The. Fuck.”

“I’m guessing you read the text from Li Na.” She started pacing. “I got it earlier today. I was going to tell you. I’d already made up my mind to—”

“But you didn’t!” I ran my hands through my hair. “You hid it from me! What were you going to do? Tell me when you were on your way to fucking China?”

She whirled on me. “Stop! This is Hannah we’re talking about! What are my options? Tell Li Na: ‘Sorry, I changed my mind—go ahead and execute my sister?’”

“No! But you can’t sacrifice yourself, and you can’t lie to me, goddamn it!”

Lauren suddenly sat down on the bed, as if all the fight had left her. “I was going to tell you tonight. I swear.” She raised her eyes to meet mine—she looked hollowed out.

“How can I trust you when you kept this from me?”

“How can I trust you when you snooped through my messages?”

The muscle in my jaw popped. “You should’ve told me.”

“I didn’t want to tell you because then it would be real. And I don’t want it to be real. I don’t want any of this to be real. You think I want to lose everything?” She looked near tears. “You think I want to leave you?”

I melted a little, but I stayed on the other side of the room. “Then you have to let me help. Between the two of us and my brothers, we’ll figure out how to make this work. You’re so much safer if you let us in. If you go off on your own, you’re dead.”

I waited until she looked at me. “It’s fucking crazy, Lauren. No one wants you dead. Especially not Hannah. If you want to save her, you have to give her a reason to live!”

Lauren jumped up and started pacing again, possessed by another round of anxious energy. “I don’t know what to do. I’ve gone over it and over it, and I don’t know how I can circumvent Li Na. How I can get out of this with Hannah alive, without me having to go in her place.”

“Stop pacing.” I reached for her, dragging her to a halt. “You’re exhausted. Go wrap things up with Bethany and then tell her you’re going to bed.”

She shook her head. “I can’t stop working—”

I lowered my face to hers. “You are going to bed. With me. You need to sleep and get your head on straight. No wonder you can’t figure out what to do with Li Na—she’s got you exhausted and running in circles. Bethany can finish the paperwork.”

I ushered her out. “If you’re not back in five minutes, I’m coming for you.”

I would pick her up and throw her over my shoulder if I had to. Lauren and I needed to work a few things out. Between her and my brothers and everything spiraling out of control, I was about to lose it.

But amid all the craziness, it was still her and me. If we didn’t make sense, nothing made sense.

I’d calmed down and was ready for her when she came back, ten minutes later.

“You’re late.” I handed her another glass of wine. “And you look like you need that.”

She took a sip, sighing. “You’re right about that last part, at least.”

“I’m going to show you exactly how right I am.” I could feel myself getting hard. “I’m going to take a shower. Once you’ve relaxed a little with your wine, take off your clothes. When I get back, I want you ready for me. Naked. On the bed, with your legs open and your mouth closed.”

“Seriously? Right now?”

I glared at her. “I don’t think there’s a better time for us to work this shit out. Time is of the essence. You’re going to start listening to me—once and for all. Now, do what I say. Clothes off. On the bed. Legs open and most importantly—mouth closed.”

“You can’t always boss me around.” She sounded defiant, but her eyes glittered.

“The hell I can’t!”

She crossed her arms. “If I do it, it’s only because I’m trying to forget what’s happening for a little while—not because you’re my boss or because I approve of you going through my messages. You’re not, and I don’t. Are we clear?”

“Duly noted, Your Highness.” I stalked off to take a shower. Now I was rock hard, my body yearning to get inside Lauren and leave a deep mark. She made me crazy. I knew how upset she was, but she had to understand—she couldn’t hide things from me, and she sure as hell couldn’t run off to Shenzhen to sacrifice herself.

Did she really think I’d let her hop on a plane so Li Na could keep her prisoner—or worse?

“You can’t always boss me around.”

My cock throbbed. It couldn’t wait to show her who the boss was.

In a rare act of obedience, she was waiting for me when I got out of the shower. Lying on the bed, naked and spread-eagle. All I could see was smooth, ivory skin, long blonde hair spread out on the pillow, luscious breasts, erect dusky pink nipples, and her sex open, pure and perfect pink, glistening with moisture.

“At least you finally listened to me.”

She gave me a dirty look, but then her gaze drifted down to my dick, as if she couldn’t help herself. I started fisting myself, watching her watch me. She arched her back a little, a sure sign that she wanted me.

Well. She was going to have to wait.

Her fingers trailed down her skin, caressing her breasts, pinching her nipples, until they drifted down to her sex. She started stroking herself, moaning.

“Lauren. Stop.”

She shot me a filthy look. “You’re touching yourself. I figured it’s fair game.”

“Take your hand away,” I ordered. “You’re being punished. You’re going to do exactly what I say if you want to even get close to having an orgasm tonight.”

Lauren looked fired up—she opened her mouth to say something, but then she snapped it shut, taking her hand off her clit. She looked like she was muttering and cursing silently, but she didn’t make a sound. She must have felt guilty, and she must’ve wanted that orgasm. I intended to press my advantage as hard as I could, until I was satisfied that she’d learned her lesson. Which, admittedly, was going to take more than one night.

Good thing I was in this for the long haul. Knowing her, this could take a lifetime.

I went to the bed and spread her legs apart a little farther. “I’m going to enjoy this.”

She gave me a haughty look, but as soon as I put my face between her legs, kissing and nipping her inner thighs before licking her slit from bottom to top, she shuddered beneath me. I put two fingers inside her, and she clenched around them as I stroked her inside. Then I flicked her clit with my tongue, slowly, languidly, lapping at her delicious body as I fucked her with my fingers.

She didn’t say a word. But I could hear her breathing turn ragged. She was getting close, her body coiled and tense. I clamped my mouth over her clit and sucked hard until she grabbed the top of my head and unselfconsciously ground herself against my face.

But I pulled back before she could come.

“What? No!” she wailed, grabbing my face and trying to lure me back. “So close…baby…please…”

“You like that?”

“I think you can tell I liked it.” She was still breathing in shuddery gasps. “I want more.”

“So let me be in charge. Do as I say. For once.” I leaned back and started fisting myself again. I was so turned on, my erection huge and throbbing.

Lauren licked her lips. “Can I do that for you?”

I watched her get onto all fours and come toward me. She tentatively took the head of my cock into her mouth and sighed with pleasure, as if she couldn’t wait to suck me.

My body vibrated with desire. “You like the way I taste?”

She answered by opening her throat and taking me all the way in. Fuck. She wrapped her fingers around my shaft and stroked me, her mouth chasing her fingers. The combination of sensations, and the way she kept running her tongue over my sensitive tip, almost made me lose it right there. But I opened my eyes long enough to see that she was grinding herself against the sheets, probably close to having a forbidden orgasm as she went down on me.

“Oh, fuck. Stop.”

After a long pull, she reluctantly released my cock and looked at me. Her face was flushed and her lips were pouty, swollen. She looked at me expectantly.

I wanted nothing more than to bury myself in her and take her six ways from Sunday, but then I would come right away, and I had plans. “Do you want to try something different?”

“Tonight?”

“I have something I’ve been saving to try with you…to increase your pleasure. And mine.” I stroked her cheek gently. “It might help take your mind off what’s happening.” I rolled over to my nightstand and pulled something out, handing it to her. It was textured glass, smooth and conical, with a knob at the end.

She looked confused. “I don’t know what this is.”

“I know you don’t.” I’d been her first, a fact that still made a hot pride bloom inside my chest. I wanted to open the world up for her, show her every pleasure her body was capable of—and tonight, I wanted to try to take her mind off the nightmare unfolding around us, even if only for a few minutes.

After that text from Li Na, I also wanted to show her that I owned her ass—literally. “But I think you’ll like it…and I’d like to show you, if you’d let me.”

She nodded, running her fingers tentatively over the plug. “Okay.”

“Only if you want to, babe. If tonight’s not the right time, I understand.”

“No, I want—I want to feel something. I want you to make me feel something besides…” She let her voice trail off, but her eyes met mine. They burned with sadness, but also with need.

I grabbed a tube, and I watched Lauren’s cheeks flame as she guessed it was lubricant.

I moved to the edge of the bed and sat down. “Lie across my knees and relax,” I commanded.

She looked at me, unsure, but then she crawled across my lap. I cupped her ass and squeezed. She wriggled against me, and I spread her open a little, my fingers lightly circling her anus.

Her breath hitched. “What are you doing?”

“Getting you ready.”

“For what?”

“Relax, babe.” I stopped stroking her for a moment. “Have I ever hurt you?”

“No,” she said hoarsely.

“Have I ever let you down?”

“Never.”

“Do you trust me with your body?”

She finally relaxed against me. “Of course I do.”

“I’m going to make you forget about everything else, at least for a little while. I just want you to be with me. Let me take care of you.” I traced the glass plug against her skin, trailing it down her backside.

She shivered. “Is that the…thing?”

“It’s an anal plug.” I teased her open with my fingers and then gently slid the lubricated tip inside her. Her whole body tensed against the cool texture. “I want you to relax—that’s important. I’m going to slide this inside you, and you’re going to slowly get used to the feel of it.”

Her breath hitched. “Okay.”

I stroked her ass. “Once it’s in and you adjust, I’m going to fuck you very, very hard. I’m going to make you come—but not until I tell you to. I want you to feel me.”

I slipped the plug a little farther inside her, and she shivered. “I want you to know that I own you. All of you.”

I took my time, stroking her back, whispering to her, as I worked the plug all the way in. She moaned again.

“Are you okay?”

“It’s not uncomfortable, just…different.”

I reached down and slowly pinched her clit, rolling it between my fingers. She cried out when I stuck my fingers inside her again, stroking her. Her breath was coming in short, hot spurts. I liked having her across my lap like this. I liked having my way with her, with unadulterated, VIP access to some of my favorite places.

“So wet for me. My little virgin, all grown up.” I thrust my fingers in and out, and she arched against me, raising her ass in the air. She was ready—and I was about to lose it.

“On the bed. All fours.”

She crawled up the bed, and my cock bobbed after her as I watched the plug glitter between her ass cheeks. I wondered what she was feeling right now.

But when she got on all fours and opened her glistening, wet sex for me, I had a pretty good idea.

I knelt behind her, running my hands down her hot skin and cupping her breasts from behind. She rocked back against me, wet and wild. I ran my erection down her slit, making myself slick.

Lauren ground herself against me with urgency.

I couldn’t hold back anymore. I fingered the plug while inch by thick inch, I slowly entered her pussy. The pressure from the plug accentuated the snug fit of Lauren’s body around mine. I sucked in a deep breath. I wasn’t going to last long.

“Are you still okay?” My voice came out thick.

She moved against me, hot and urgent. “Yes—I want you to fuck me. Deep. Hard. I want to feel you all the way in.”

Grunting, I flexed my hips and entered her fully. Holy fucking tightness. She cried out as I filled her, my cock sliding in and out. “You’re so wet.”

“Please,” she whimpered. She started to finger herself and to buck against me, but I took both of her hands and held them behind her back, pulling her up onto her knees. At this angle, I could thrust into her very hard and very deep. She was at my mercy, just where I wanted her, finally. She cried out as I pumped into her. I felt my balls tightening as they slapped against her.

I was so close. I let go of her hands and pushed her back onto all fours. I thrust into her deeply, savagely, one hand putting slight pressure against the plug, one hand finding her clit. Her whole body tensed, and she whimpered.

“You can come now.”

“Oh my God—Gabe!” She unraveled against me, completely giving herself over, her whole body trembling with the impact of the orgasm.

Just how I wanted her.

I came then, hard and hot. Her pussy clamped me like a vise. I kept thrusting, out of my mind, emptying myself into her. “Fuck, Lauren. So, so good.”

After a few hazy minutes, I removed the plug, and we cleaned ourselves up. Lauren climbed back into bed and snuggled against me. “You were right about taking my mind off things. I almost passed out—in a good way.”

I arched an eyebrow. “You want to do it again?”

“Hell no,” she laughed. “I can’t even keep my eyes open.”

I leaned down, pulling her into my arms, kissing her tenderly. I was entirely spent from loving her like that, so hard and fierce.

“I love you,” she said. “And I’m sorry.”

“I know. I’m sorry I went through your messages. And I love you too. So let me. Let me love you.” I couldn’t hide the raw quality of my voice. I sounded vulnerable to my own ears.

She looked up at me and stroked my face. “I want to. But I have to save—”

“I know. But let it go for tonight. Sleep, and we’ll figure it out in the morning. Together.”

“Together,” she agreed, and then fell asleep safe in my arms.

Now I just had to figure out how to keep her there.