Pure, unadulterated exhilaration.

That’s what I feel when I’m lying on top of Rayne Alexander.

The feel of her tight little body all fueled up and ready to go beneath mine offers me a tiny window to the pleasure she’s going to bring me.

Her thigh is firm and supple beneath my hand. Squeezing it sends a jolt of need straight to my dick, and the erection that was previously interested, is now raging and painful. Her face, contorted in anger and fear, calls to me. She’s like a perfect doll, gorgeous and flawless and ready to be molded to my very own design.

Just like a software program, I can create her to my exact specifications.

Her chest heaves beneath me, pushing her plush breasts against my chest in a way that nearly makes me lose my mind. If I were a lesser man, a weaker man, I’d take her right now.

But I can’t let the fire her body and her fear creates inside me lure me away from the true goal. My company is on the verge of greatness. I’ve signed on the dotted line. But there’s another piece of the bargain that I have yet to deliver on. And after I do, I can take my new little project far away from here and get started making my life perfect, with the perfect woman by my side.

She tastes like silk and sugar, with a hint of darkness. That darkness is what I’m going to cultivate, stretch, intensify. By the time I’m through with Rayne, she’ll be a writhing mass of wanton need, there to serve me.

I use a finger to trace the heart-shaped outline of her lips. “I can feel the way your body responds to me. The same way you just agreed to my terms, your body will merge with my plan.”

Her delicious shudder stokes my fire.

Turning her head to one side, she plays coy. “I want to check on my son.”

Ah. Getting rid of the brat is the first step. His presence here couldn’t be helped, but he’s too much of a distraction. I want nothing to do with him. I’m more than happy to shift him into the hands that have requested him. More than happy.

With a pained sigh, I push off the bed and straighten my sweater. My raging hard-on is going to be impossible to calm, especially if I continue to stare at her while she scoots off the bed and fixes her clothes. Licking my lips, I turn away from the sight of her and grasp myself, squeezing until the pain overwhelms the needy ache.

When I’m finally limp, I clear my throat and turn back toward Rayne. Offering her what I hope is a friendly smile, I proffer my hand. “Shall we?”

Ignoring my hand, she heads for the bedroom door. A smile twists my lips.

Oh, yes. I’ll enjoy beating that sass right out of her.

She runs to the boy when she sees him, sitting on the couch with a dramatically wounded expression on his face. Rolling my eyes, I stride to my phone and remove it from the charger. Pulling up the contact information I’m searching for, I wait for an answer.

“Yes?” The voice on the other end of the line has become so familiar over the past few months.

Turning away from Rayne, I lower my voice. “Our deal is about to be complete.”

“Is that right? I’ve been waiting. I’ll send a driver to retrieve him. Better yet, I’ll come. I’m nearby. Make sure he’s outside in an hour.”

With a smile, I turn back to face the room and lift my voice higher. “Yes, I will pay you very handsomely if you will return the boy, completely unharmed, to his father.”

There’s a chuckle on the other end of the line just before it goes dead.

“Yes, exactly. We’ll walk him outside in one hour and you will take it from there.”

Rayne’s face is a mask of worry, and I give her a reassuring smile. “Young Decker here will be leaving us shortly.”

Rayne’s face contorts with pain. “How can you expect me to let him go without making sure he gets to Jeremy?”

Oh, the dramatics! If it’s a child she wants, I’ll make sure we create another one. One that can be raised under my own thumb and molded accordingly. One that’s the perfect combination of Rayne and myself.

Striding over to her, I grasp her chin in my hands. Her eyes go wide but she doesn’t pull away. Beside her, the boy shifts away from me. “Trust me. I have your best interests at heart.”

Her eyes full of mistrust, she doesn’t answer. It’s no matter. Everything is working out exactly the way I want it to.

Rayne clutches her son to her. “How do I know he’ll really make it to Jeremy? I need to talk to Jeremy…tell him to expect Decker and to let me go.”

My first instinct is to refuse. To deny her access to her former love every again. I don’t know the background of their union, how they got together all those years ago and made a child. I don’t know the full extent of what they’ve been doing together since she ran from me, but I know that I don’t like the thought of them together. Rayne belongs to me, not to him.

But a deep breath and a calm and peaceful mind help me to see that allowing her to sever ties with this man, allowing her the closure that one last conversation might bring, will only serve me better in the long run. If I allow her to make a clean break from him now, maybe he’ll be smart enough to stop sniffing around. Maybe having his son will be enough for him and he will let Rayne go once and for all.

I imagine her pussy is a hard one to forget, but if he wants to live, he’ll do it.

My mouth waters at the thought, and I shake myself to stay focused.

The thought of driving into this woman’s body until I’m limp with exhaustion threatens to overpower me. It’s a high similar to making billions of dollars. I must remain in control.

I snap my fingers at O’Shea. “Bring me a burner.”

Straightening up from where he’s been leaning against the wall beside the fireplace, he frowns. “Fine. This job has gone on longer than I planned for. I need to get back to Wilmington and to my business, which means I need to get paid and be done here.”

Silence blankets the room. My guards shift with unease, and Rayne stares between the idiot private detective and me.

Crossing the room with purposeful steps, I draw near him until my face is merely an inch away from his. Reaching down, I grab hold of his peanut-size balls through his slacks and squeeze. His eyes bulge and his mouth goes slack. Gathering them tighter, I give a slight twist and he gasps. His breath comes fast and hard, and the fear and pain in his eyes is almost enough to rile me up again.

Almost.

My voice is filled with frosty calm. “You want to get paid? Do what I tell you. This will be over for all of us soon enough. But until then, you work for me.” Squeezing him just a little bit tighter pulls a yelp from his throat. Then I release him and pat his face with an open palm. “Understood?”

When I glance at Rayne this time, her face is green. That’s good. Showing her that I’m not to be fucked with can only help her.

“Now. How about that phone?”

With a trembling hand, he reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a small black cell phone. With a smirk, I take it and hold it out to Rayne. When I don’t move from my spot, she’s forced to let go of her son and walk over to me to retrieve it.

When she attempts to pull it from my fingers, I grip her wrist and pull her against me. Leaning down to her ear, I run my tongue along the outer shell, tasting her.

“What do you say?” I whisper.

I hear her teeth snap together, but I don’t release her until I hear her reply.

“Thank you.”

Releasing her, I watch her carefully as she walks back to her son’s place on the couch and sits. Powering up the phone, she waits. When the screen lights up, she stabs a finger against the keys, inputting Teague’s phone number.

With a smile, I wander over to the large window overlooking the front clearing and wait.

This is a good-bye I want to relish.