I maneuver Remo’s piece of shit Accord into a parking space in front of Ariana’s office building the next morning. This is fucking stupid. I shouldn’t be here. It’s daytime, and anyone can spot me walking inside.

I pull the baseball cap down over my sunglass-disguised eyes and step out of the car. It’s not exactly like I can bundle up in eighty-degree weather, so if they’re looking for me, I’ll be hard to miss.

But anger bubbles in my veins, and part of me doesn’t give a flying fuck anymore. I have to know why Ariana was with Conlon…why she went straight to his place after spending the night with me, and why she had a meeting with him when I specifically told her not to go.

Maybe she is all about her career and that meeting really was about getting her clients’ cushy roles in his upcoming movies, but her sudden involvement sends up too many red flags.

I need to know why.

And not just because she may be fucking him.

I pull open the heavy glass door, nice and slow, not rushing. No need to draw unnecessary attention to myself, and if I blend, I’m less likely to be noticed. Although there are a lot of women giving me the once-over. Well, mainly women. I caught a few guys checking me out, too.

I punch the Up button by the elevator bank, keeping my head down and the beak of my cap low. I clench and unclench my fists as the elevator creaks up to the floor occupied by Carlson and Associates. I stop by the reception desk, ready to browbeat the girl sitting behind the desk. I’m pretty sure she’s the one who’s been giving me the runaround every time I call. Nobody will tell me where Ariana is and that’s concerning. Actually, it pisses me off. And if I don’t get answers, I’m going to fucking erupt right here in the office.

The girl gives me a blatant fuck-me smile. “Can I help you?”

“I hope you can help me more in person that you can over the phone.”

The smile all but shrivels, and she narrows her eyes. “If you’re looking for Ms. Carlson, I told you, she is unavailable.”

My lips stretch into a tight smile. “When will she be available?” I seethe.

“Oh, hey, Jeff. What’s going on, man?”

I turn in the direction of the voice, my spine stiff. Ollie. Well, fuck. If anyone knows where she is, it’s him.

And he looks nervous. Not good.

“Come into my office.” He waves me toward a hallway leading out of reception. “Kim, let me know when Ariana is on her way up.”

“Of course.” Kim’s eyes linger on me a second longer than needed. I give her a quick nod of acknowledgement and follow Ollie into the inner workings of the company.

“I’m actually glad you stopped by.” Ollie ushers me into an office and closes the door. “I was going to give you a call.”

“Well, isn’t that nice,” I sneer. “What the fuck is going on, Ollie? We were supposed to have open lines of communication, and I haven’t heard from you in days. You knew this was time-sensitive.”

“I’m sorry. I had some issues with the network connection, and then we dealt with some fire drills here.” He snickers. “I think the paparazzi can incinerate someone’s reputation faster than a can of gasoline and a Zippo.”

I continue to glare at him, pleased when he shifts under my stare. “Yeah, so, um, I think I figured out the problem, and the feed should be fixed within the next day or so.”

My eyes narrow. Is this guy kidding me? “Oh, great. That’s good to hear.” Ollie doesn’t need to know that Rand is working on getting access to Conlon’s cell phone, and that if it works, we won’t need him anymore. I’m sure as hell not going to volunteer that information, not until I figure out what the fuck is up and who’s side Ollie is actually on.

His eyes brighten behind his thick horn-rimmed glasses and he nearly trips over his feet to pull open the door to the office. “So, I’ll just go through the feed and try to figure out what we missed and then get you a report?”

I cock an eyebrow. “I think I need to have a talk with your boss.”

His face pales. “She’s, uh, indisposed right now. Maybe I can have her give you a call later.”

“I think I’ll wait. In her office.”

“I can’t do that, Jeff. Nobody goes in there when she’s offsite.”

“So she’s not here.”

“I’m not able to give you her whereabouts.” His eyes narrow, and I swear I can see the tiniest glimmer of jealousy lurking behind those lenses. “You understand.”

“Sure, I do. That’s why I’ll wait here. It’ll be easier. Then, you won’t have to relay a message.” I smile wide and sink into a chair. “You think Kim can get me a cup of coffee? I didn’t get a chance to grab one yet.”

Ollie folds his arms over his chest. “Jeff, you can’t just—“

“Oh, but I can. And guess what? I am.” I stroke my chin. “That coffee would be really nice right about now.”

Kim’s voice crackles over the intercom on Ollie’s desk. “Ollie! She’s coming.”

“What are you doing here?” Ariana saunters into the office, hands on her hips, her dark hair slicked back into a ponytail. It looks like she’s fresh out of the shower, and I’m damn pissed I wasn’t with her.

Here we go again. This is the reason I’m so fucked to begin with. I need to stop thinking with my dick where this woman is concerned.

I rise from the chair. “I need to talk to you. It’s urgent.”

“Really.”

“Yes, let’s go to your office.” I turn back to Ollie. “Thanks for the information.” I walk out of his office and turn down the hallway toward Ariana’s corner space. She follows me inside, and I can hear her seething under her breath. Like she’s got any reason to be pissed.

I face her once we’re both inside. “Shut the door.”

She flings the heavy door closed and the walls shake. With a heavy glare, she lifts an eyebrow. “I don’t appreciate being ordered around in my office. What exactly is so urgent?”

“Are you fucking Conlon?”

She blinks. “Who I fuck is none of your business.”

“Yes, it is.” I step closer, and my anger slowly dissipates as it’s choked by the scent of citrus rising off of her smooth skin. Everything I’d planned to say in this moment evades me – knowing she went straight to Conlon after leaving my bed, calling her out on Ollie’s lame ass explanation about problems with the surveillance feed, confronting her for her whole role in this clusterfuck. It disappeared like a fart in the wind. I snake an arm around her waist and pull her close, reaching under her skirt with my free hand to cup her pussy. “This is mine. Nobody else gets to fuck this, do you understand?” My lips graze hers, and I can feel the vibration of her heart pounding in time with mine.

The rage in her gaze is replaced by pure lust and her lips part, beckoning me, urging me closer. I back her against the desk, shoving her skirt up around her waist. I grab a condom from my pocket and tear it open with my teeth. Her fingers fumble with my belt buckle and zipper, pushing my jeans and boxers down, gripping my hard cock. She takes the condom and rolls it on as I fist her hair, crushing my lips against hers. With my other hand, I position the head of my dick at her entrance and push inside, stretching her as I thrust deep and hard. She’s so fucking wet, and I’m already about to blow my load. I don’t give a flying fuck if anyone comes in. If people in the parking lot can see, good for them. Live porn fucking rocks.

I drive into her, making her body quiver and tremble against me. She tightens her legs, as soft moans escape her lips. I devour her mouth, her soft tongue coiling with mine. I can’t drink her in fast enough. There is no such thing as getting my fill of this woman.

I fuck her frenzied body with long and hard strokes, making her body writhe. She gasps, her fingernails digging into my hips, pulling me farther into her center. “Oh my God,” she whispers. “Harder.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, plunging deeper until she seizes, unable to move because the pleasure is so immense. Only then do I allow the explosion to erupt. I fill her, giving her everything, not even knowing it had been there for the taking.

“This pussy is mine, Ariana,” I murmur.

She nods, unable to speak. Conlon would never be able to fuck her that well.

“Meet me later. At the hotel. Same room.”

“Okay,” she whispers. “I’ll be there.”

I pull away and tuck myself back into my jeans; not because I want to, but because the sooner I leave, the sooner I’ll have her all to myself again.

And in the meantime, I need to figure out how the hell to convince my team that nothing will challenge my ability to carry out this job.

That is, after I’m able to convince myself.

* * *

I am very happy with the choices I’ve made in my life. I don’t do the whole regret thing – it’s a waste of time and energy. Things don’t always work out exactly as I plan, but at the end of the day, I am always that much closer to reaching my goals.

I repeat this mantra to myself a few times, as I jump into my car a couple of hours later. I’m already late for my meeting with Nate, but after getting steamrolled by Jeff this morning - again - I needed a few minutes to get my head screwed on straight. I also have one other stop to make along the way. My stomach rolls at the mere thought.

Do whatever it takes to get the details. Without them, we have nothing on Conlon.

The incoming text from Nate tells me everything. He is expecting information, and for the first time in as long as I can remember, I’m falling short of my goal. I know we can’t pin anything on Conlon unless he tells me what to look for. If money embezzled from another company just suddenly appears in my account, and we can’t trace it back to the source or to the person who sent it, we have nothing. I need to do something today, and even though I’m going to hate myself for it later, it’s better than going down in flames for a botched job. I swallow hard as I pull onto the freeway heading south. My window is down, and the ocean breeze whips through my hair. For a second, I allow myself to reminisce about Jeff’s body pressed against mine, shivering at the tingling sensation that returns every time I think about that perfect pink cock spreading me open and filling me, hard and fast, like he owns me and can take me whenever he wants. Wherever he desires.

Fuck. Thank God I’d remembered to yank off my Apple watch and fling it into a corner before letting Jeff mount me.

I am very happy with the choices I’ve made in my life. I don’t do the whole regret thing – it’s a waste of time and energy. Things don’t always work out exactly as I plan, but at the end of the day, I am always that much closer to reaching my goals.

My mind is completely scrambled. I’ve never had issues with compartmentalizing my life. Living a double life makes it necessary. And that’s been just fine with me. My objective is simple – advance to the head of the Bureau. I’d been recruited right out of law school, and shoved so deep undercover, at times, I almost forgot who I was. And even when my cover raised eyebrows with my family, I still held on tight to my goals. It didn’t matter what they thought, I knew where I was headed. And I worked my ass off to take down plenty of scumbags over the past few years.

But Conlon is the big fish. He’s also a lewd and unstable sociopath, a couple of little things that make my job a tad more challenging. But despite the obstacles, I always come out on top. This had better not be the exception.

Do you hear that, heart? Time is precious and it’s ticking by fast. I can’t afford to waste a second, mooning over a man who can compromise everything with a flash of his eyes and the heat of his mouth.

“Meet me later. At the hotel. Same room.”

I pull off the freeway, heading toward Calabasas Hills and its palm tree lined streets, bright blue skies, and vibrant greenery. The internal battle in my head wages on as I drive.

I can’t sleep with Jeff again. It’s crazy. We have nowhere to go from here. If my family finds out…I shudder. Ugh, I can’t even imagine. My father would probably kick the shit out of him. It would totally be a Richard/Monica situation from Friends, You know, older guy/young girl, screwing like maniacs until Mom and Dad found out their best friend was doing their daughter.

All that aside, being with him is risky. He could easily crush my whole operation. The guy is like a loose cannon, and I still don’t know what he’s after and why. Ollie has been trying to gather intel from the surveillance feeds he put in place at Conlon’s, but so far, we’ve come up empty. I need Nate to work his magic on some of his colleagues. I’m buried so deep into my cover that getting information from the other divisions is always a challenge. Everyone is so damn protective of their sources, and when you’re positioned for a prominent promotion, it’s rare to find a peer who’s willing to help you advance over them in ranking. We haven’t been able to uncover any links to Jeff and his plot, and I can’t very well ask. But I do know one thing for sure - if I come face to face with him, I’ll take him out if I have to. This is business. It’s always just business.

I make a left turn down a heavily wooded road and pull up to the tall iron gates, giving my name to the security guard. Once I pull into the massive driveway, I kill the engine of my car and take a deep breath as I gaze up to the sprawling estate in my view. It’s now or never. I’ve always known this might become a reality, and I choke down the bile rising in my throat.

I push open the car door and get out of the car. Each step I take toward the massive front door makes my heart feel more and more like a cement block sitting in my chest. Things weren’t supposed to happen this way. Business shouldn’t make me feel this conflicted, but it does.

“This pussy is mine, Ariana. Mine, and nobody else’s.”

But this is the only way to get what I need. I can’t waste my time feeling guilty. My job is to take down the criminals at all costs, even if the highest cost is to me.

I bring my fist to the door and knock before I lose my nerve and go running back to my car.

The door creaks open and Conlon looks at me, a surprised expression etched onto his face. Every time I look at him, my stomach churns, knowing how much devastation he’s caused in the lives of so many people. He’s just that evil and calculating. He’s gotten everything by taking it from those who’ve worked hard for it. No, wait, scratch that. He started with his father’s money, and then he used it to take from others. He disgusts me, and his ass deserves to be thrown into a cement cell the size of a shoebox for all the wrongs he’s committed.

It’s my job to make that happen. I can’t think about Jeff. He doesn’t have a place here, where I work.

I force a smile when the door opens wider. “Miss me?”

His deep blue eyes twinkle. “You know it. Dare I hope you’ve considered my offer?”

“That’s why I’m here.” I trail a finger down the front of my shirt, tugging it down a bit, where it hits the top of my breasts, giving him a little glimpse to tide him over until the real work begins.

I can see him salivating, and it makes my stomach roll.

This is the job. I am the job.

He takes my hand and leads me down the hallway of his massive home, paid for by others, who probably have little to nothing of their own at this point. Tightness in my chest makes me grit my teeth. Make him pay, Ari. Do it now, and don’t think about it.

He pushes open another door to reveal a room I’d never seen before. I swallow hard as I take in the décor. Restraints, a spreader bar, a bondage bed, an anal hook. Oh, fuck no. Jesus Christ, is he serious? I am not going to be tied up by this fucking lunatic! Or bound to a cross. Or…I furrow my brow, taking in the sights…I don’t even know what the fuck the rest of this stuff is! And this shit turns people on?

He closes the door behind me, locking it. “Just in case. We don’t want any unexpected visitors to interrupt us in here.”

I clear my throat, trying my hardest to keep calm. I’m failing miserably. “Um, I wanted to talk to you, Trey.”

“I figured.” He smirks, a mischievous glimmer in his eye. “You see all this?”

I nod, but words refuse to come out. Probably better that way. God only knows what would happen if I said what I was thinking right now.

“I’m financing a new movie, so I had this room built. You know, Scarlet is interested in the lead role. Now that she’s a big time Grammy winner, I was thinking she could be our first joint investment. What do you think?”

My brain is officially fried. Is he planning to hang me on a hook somewhere, or does he want to talk about Scarlet? Does he want to try some of this shit out on me or her? I shudder. Oh, Christ. What if he’s already fucked her all over this room? “I think it could be huge for her.”

“And for us.” He reaches behind my head and strokes the back of my neck. His hand travels down to the small of my back, grazing the top of my ass. “Now, tell me why you’re here. You know I’m always thrilled to see you standing on my doorstep, but I didn’t think I’d see you again so quickly. Unless…” He narrows his eyes. “Something’s changed.”

It’s now or never. Do it! I back away from him. “Actually, something has changed. We’re supposed to be partners now, and I can’t help but feel a little in the dark here. I want to become your protégé, but I can’t learn unless you teach me, Trey.” I lower my lids and gaze at him under my eyelashes, playing the seductive card I know he falls prey to every time. “You’ve been training me for this. I think it’s time you tell me how things are done.”

“So, you’re saying you want a bigger role?” The corners of his lips curl into a smirk.

“Yes. Show me.” I try to make my voice sound as sexy as possible, but under the circumstances of me playing the role of embezzler-in-training-slash-whore, it’s a little hard.

“I knew I picked the right person for the job.” His fingers lightly graze my collarbone and it takes every ounce of restraint not to grab his disgusting hand and bite it. “And I’m going to tell you everything you need to know.” His finger catches in the neckline of my shirt, pulling it down and exposing my lacy black bra. He licks his lips.

I love my job, I love my job, I love my job…

I swallow hard and slide my hands down the front of his chest, stopping at his belt buckle. He’s never going to divulge anything unless I show him I mean business. Unfortunately for me, the business he’s most passionate about is getting fucked. I know Ollie is listening through a device in my watch, so I need to keep my arms close.

“Wrap your lips around my hard cock, Ari. Show me how much this partnership really means to you.”

My fingers tremble, loosening his belt and popping open the button on his pants. I fall to my knees and slide his boxers to the floor along with his pants. This is his rock hard dick? Really? I furrow my brow the slightest bit and bite back a smile. I have a massive gag reflex, but this is going to be a walk in the park. Little man, teeny peeny. I guess that’s my only saving grace right now.

I stroke it, which is kind of laughable since that word indicates there’s substantial surface area to be touched. I brush my tongue against the swollen tip, fighting the urge to puke all over the place. I don’t want this guy’s dick in my mouth. I don’t want it anywhere near me. Images of Jeff keep popping into my mind and my pussy quivers from the memory of being fucked against my desk earlier. I squeeze my eyes shut and open my mouth, taking him all in, maybe half a mouthful. I can easily fit two more in here. Small wins.

A chill assaults me. Holy shit, does he expect me to swallow? Oh God…

He fucks my mouth, fast and hard. Jesus, I can take in the whole package if I want, balls and all. I keep my hands on his hips. No need to put them anywhere else. He better fucking give me what I want when this is all over.

It feels like the seconds are stretching into hours. He pumps into my mouth, panting and moaning, and there’s no hint of him being close to an orgasm. Seriously? My knees are killing me right now. How much longer?

I tighten my lips around him, hoping maybe that’ll speed things up. Minutes later, I’m ready to scream. How fucking long can he go, for chrissakes? Do all of his business meetings with women turn into this? When does the work get done if all they end up doing it sucking off a man who is clearly impervious to an orgasm?

He puts his hands on the sides of my head and holds it in place. “Stop.”

I comply, his cock still hard in my mouth. What the fuck kind of a game is this?

“Stand up, Ari.”

I let his cock slip from my lips, swipe at them with my hand, and rise to meet his heated gaze. “Wasn’t it good?”

He chuckles. “Oh, fuck yeah, it was. But I took a Viagra about twenty minutes before you showed up. Sucking my dick won’t get me off, sweetie. I just wanted to see how far you’d go to get what you want.” He reaches out and squeezes my boob. “I liked seeing you in action, and next time, the Viagra will be for you.”

I throw up a little in my mouth, but still manage a smile. Please let that day never come.

“I have another meeting in a few minutes, but here’s how it’s going to happen.” He runs a hand through my hair. “You’re going to come back here with Scarlet. There are some things I’d like to try out for my new movie, and you two would be the perfect guinea pigs.”

I recoil. I know I’m being paid to do this, but enough is enough. I just had my mouth stuffed with his dick, and now he wants a fucking three-way? “Trey,” I manage with as much sweetness as I possibly can without making myself sick in the process. “I’m trying to run a business, not a brothel. I understand that people don’t typically tell you no when it comes to certain things, but unless you start trusting me as an equal and not a fuck toy, I don’t see how this arrangement is going to work.”

“So does that mean we can’t have our meeting?”

I walk over to some contraption nailed to a wall and toy with some leather strap hanging from it. I don’t even want to think about how many people he’s had in here. For all I know, Scarlet could have already auditioned. “It means I’m not that easy. If this is how our partnership is going to work, maybe I need to look elsewhere for my funding. I’m giving you a share of my company so you can have access to what’s mine. In return, I expect the same courtesy.” I gaze at him from under lowered lashes.

He saunters toward me. “In five days, there will be a wire transfer into your business account. That money needs to be transferred to an account that I’ll provide when the time comes. I’ll give you more specifics in a few days.” With a cocked eyebrow, he smirks. “Happy? Do you feel like part of the team now?”

“What’s the reason for the transfer? I thought this was supposed to be an investment for my company.”

“It is, gorgeous. It’s an investment in your new film division.”

“Film? What are you talking about? We never talked about that.”

“Ariana, I am full of ideas. As my partner, you’re going to have to appreciate my creativity. This one is a winner. We’re going to build a whole new division for your company, and it’s going to make us a shitload of money.”

“So you’re funneling money into my company to use for funding movies?” I hate to sound like a freaking parrot, but I need to make sure Ollie is getting everything.

“Yes, as an investor, I am always looking for new money-making opportunities. This will be huge.”

“And since when does financing movies have anything to do with casting?” This last part slips from my lips before I can pull it back. This guy is as full of shit as a porta potty at a construction site.

“I like to take on different roles. Let the juices flow. Gives me ideas.” He winks. “So. You, me, Scarlet?”

“Let’s make that part of our next steps.”

He grins and flicks the lock on the door, pushing it open. “Oh, and I’d like you to meet a colleague of mine who’s going to help us get things off the ground.”

“Another investor? I’m not really a fan of taking a backseat to decisions involving my company and its personnel.” This asshat thinks he can just steamroll me while he lines my pockets with stolen money. Jesus Christ, there’s not enough Percocet or vodka in this town to make this situation more tolerable. And now, I have to deal with another douchebag? I’m sure as hell not sucking his dick.

“In a manner of speaking. This person has gone to great lengths to make this next business opportunity possible. Monday morning. My office.”

I can’t wait to meet the newest tool in the shed. Nate is going to have a shit fit. I sucked Conlon’s cock and got next to nothing out of it except another ego to stroke? And the wedding is tomorrow! I have a trunkful of favors that need to get to the Casa Del Mar, where I’ll be playing the role of dutiful maid of honor. Timing couldn’t be worse.

It’s times like these when dealing with half-witted bleached blonde starlets who can barely pronounce words in the scripts they’re expected to memorize is enjoyable in comparison.