Into The Night

Chapter Thirteen

After such an enjoyable day at Caleb’s, Nathan was in no hurry to return to the quiet apartment with Nicole. With only a crescent moon in the clear night sky, he turned the Ferrari onto a deserted back road and steered away from the city toward a long stretch of isolated highway he’d found years ago while driving aimlessly to escape the haunting memory of the case that had gone so horribly wrong.

Tonight, the only thing on his mind was Nicole and how silent she’d become at the end of the evening, while they’d been saying their good-byes to everyone. Up until that point, he knew for certain she’d been having a good time, and he had no idea what had happened to change her mood.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked, wondering if someone back at the house had said something to make her feel uncomfortable. Hard to imagine after how well she’d connected with the group, but it was a possibility nonetheless.

“I’m good,” she said, giving him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I had a great time today. Thanks for bringing me along.”

“I wanted you there,” he said, meaning it.

There was something more going on in that head of hers, and it didn’t escape his notice that he was able to read her so well after only a few days together-as though they had an intimate connection that went deeper than physical attraction.

“What are you thinking about that has you so preoccupied?” he asked.

“How lucky you are to have such wonderful friends.”

“They’re good people. When we get together, things just click among us.”

“I noticed.” She rested her head against the back of the seat and sighed softly. “I have to confess that I envy you that close-knit bond you all share. It makes me realize what I don’t have.”

The wistful note in her voice confused him. “You’re close to your family, aren’t you?”

“Sure.” She stared out the windshield, not questioning where he was taking her, even though they were headed in the opposite direction of the Las Vegas Strip on an isolated road. “I keep in touch with my parents, but I haven’t seen them in over a year. With my brother in the military, it’s been even longer than that since I’ve spent time with him.”

“But you have friends here in Las Vegas.”

“I do, but it’s not the same as what you have with your co-workers.” She absently smoothed her hands down the skirt of her sundress, then glanced at him, her features softened by the shadows in the car. “There’s just something special and unique about your relationship with them. It’s hard for me to explain, but it’s obvious that you all care for one another very much.”

He understood what she was referring to. There was an unconditional acceptance among the members of The Reliance Group, an unspoken trust that went beyond a superficial affiliation or working environment. They all had their own personal issues, some more tragic or scandalous than others, yet there was no judgment because of their imperfect pasts. Within this group, they were equals, and they treated one another as such.

It was difficult to explain.

Instead, he reached across the console and gave her thigh a squeeze. “Well, I know for a fact that they liked you a lot.” She’d fit in without effort, as though she’d always been a part of the group.

The smile that appeared this time was genuine. “The feeling is mutual.”

“Sean liked you a little too much,” he said, still slightly annoyed at the other man’s attempts to charm Nicole, even if it was all in fun and meant to bring out Nathan’s possessive side.

Which it had.

His comment about Sean made her chuckle. “He’s definitely a character.”

“Yeah, well, he’s damn lucky I trust him so much, or else I would have had to kick his ass for coming on to you throughout the day,” he grumbled good-naturedly.

“You’re such a tough, macho man,” she teased.

He gave her a comical, caveman-type grunt in response, before remembering that there was something he needed to tell her.

“By the way, Caleb found out that Sloane is going to be at a ribbon-cutting ceremony this week. Sloane donated a substantial amount of money to help build and furnish a new women’s shelter,” Nathan said, sharing the information Caleb had given him. “I’m going to show up for the ceremony by myself, and make sure he sees me there. We’ve got to find a legitimate way to get into his estate.”

“So, by day the man is an upstanding citizen who comes to the aid of abused women, and by night he’s a pedophile. How pleasant,” she said, her tone dripping with disgust.

Nathan was equally repulsed by the man’s conflicting personalities. But he knew it was Sloane’s public image as a humanitarian that served to give the community of Vegas the false perception that he was a charitable man who cared about women’s rights.

“You know, I still have that personal invitation from Sloane to see his private art collection,” she said, presenting them with another alternative. “It’s a guaranteed way of getting me into his estate.”

“No.” His resolute tone didn’t leave any room for an argument. Knowing exactly what Sloane wanted from Nicole, there was no way in hell he was letting her anywhere near the man without him being nearby. “You’re not going to Sloane’s place alone and unprotected. That’s nonnegotiable, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember,” she said with a sigh. “Just thought I’d toss it out there for you to consider.”

Putting Nicole’s life in danger, in any capacity, wasn’t an option. “Let’s just see what happens at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and go from there.”

Nicole nodded in agreement as she glanced out the side window, then met his gaze in the dim interior of the vehicle, her expression suddenly soft and sultry. The atmosphere in the car shifted, and his body hummed in acute awareness of that provocative look in Nicole’s eyes.

All day long there had been an underlying sexual tension simmering between them. In an instant the desire ignited into a full-fledged fire in his belly.

The inside of the Ferrari was small and confined, enabling her to lean across the low console and move intimately closer. She splayed a hand on his upper thigh and skimmed her lips along the side of his neck and up to the shell of his ear.

“Here we are on a pitch-dark, deserted road in a super-fast, hot car,” she murmured as her fingers grazed the hard outline of his cock pressing against the front of his jeans. “I’m thinking we ought to take advantage of the moment, don’t you?”

He swallowed to ease the dryness in his throat, and dared to ask, “What did you have in mind?” Not that it mattered. When it came to her, he was game for anything.

“How good are you at multitasking?” she asked as she nipped at his lobe, her breath warm and damp in his ear.

Anticipation curled through him as he forced his concentration onto navigating the vast expanse of road in front of them. “Depends on the tasks.”

She unbuttoned the top of his jeans, then slowly eased the zipper over the thick bulge of his erection and released his aching shaft, leaving no doubt as to what she intended. “Keep your hands on the steering wheel and your eyes on the road, and I’ll do the rest.”

He couldn’t believe how brazen she was acting, and how badly he wanted what she was about to do.

She unfastened her seat belt, and he curled his fingers tight around the steering wheel as he waited for the pleasure to begin. He inhaled a sharp breath at the first teasing swipe of her tongue across the broad tip, then groaned like a dying man when she took every single hard inch of him deep into her mouth, enveloping him in velvet softness and liquid heat.

His hips instinctively thrust upward, which pressed his cock against the back of her throat. Instead of pulling back, she swallowed around the sensitive head and sucked. The erotic sensation nearly unraveled him, and his foot pressed harder on the accelerator.

Sex and speed mixed together made a heady aphrodisiac, and it was all he could do to hang on for the wild, exhilarating ride.

She continued to take him over and over again, her mouth slick and hot and greedy. Tormenting him with the suctioning swirl of her tongue, she used her hands to stroke his shaft, and his eyes nearly rolled back into his head as she pushed him closer and closer to an explosive climax.

Not certain he could handle such a powerful orgasm while driving, he slowed the Ferrari to a stop in the middle of the dark, abandoned road and killed the engine. She lifted her head, her eyes luminous as she looked up at him, her lips damp and pink, and his cock wet and hard from her talented mouth.

Unable to resist, he tangled his fingers through her hair and brought her mouth to his. The kiss was steamy and passionate. As much as he loved the uninhibited way she’d gone down on him, he wanted to be inside her even more. Judging by the way she was attempting to crawl across the console to get closer, she wanted the same thing.

Taking her inside the Ferrari would have been a wet dream come to life, but it was too cramped, awkward, and impractical to give them both the pleasure they deserved. The seats were narrow, the top of the car low, and her elbows and knees were already jabbing him in uncomfortable places.

He grunted in pain as her hand connected with his rib cage, and he pushed her back to the passenger seat, ignoring the sounds of protest she made.

“Get out of the car,” he ordered, and slid out of the driver’s side himself. He rounded the front of the vehicle, not bothering to refasten his jeans when he planned to be buried inside her within minutes.

She was standing beside the open door, her hair tousled around her face, watching him approach with a touch of uncertainty. “What are you doing?”

“Improvising.” Grabbing her hand, he quickly tugged her toward the back of the car.

Without a soul around for miles, and the only illumination coming from the moon overhead and the interior of the car, the setting was as romantic as he could manage under the circumstances. Not that Nicole ever needed hearts and flowers, but what he was about to deliver was going to be a raw, carnal explosion of unrefined lust.

He couldn’t imagine anything hotter than fucking her on the back of a Ferrari. It was every guy’s fantasy, and about to become his reality.

Gripping his hands around her waist, he lifted her so that she was sitting on the trunk, her hands propped behind her to keep her upright. He pulled off her sandals so they didn’t scratch the paint, then shoved the hem of her dress to her hips and yanked her panties down her legs. Once they were removed, he tucked the scrap of material into the back pocket of his jeans, then braced her heels on the fender and pushed her thighs wide apart, exposing the swollen, weeping folds of her sex to his gaze.

He was so hungry for her, so impatient to feel her clasped tight around his shaft, that spending another second on finesse or foreplay wasn’t an option. Wrapping his fingers around his stiff, throbbing cock, he dragged the taut crown though her slick heat, then impaled her with a long, hard thrust that planted him balls-deep inside her.

She tossed her head back with a loud, breathless moan, and he shuddered as her inner muscles pulsed around his shaft. Bending her knees, she locked her legs around his waist and jerked her hips hard against his, seeking a more intense friction and deeper penetration.

His response was instinctive and immediate. He dropped his head to the curve of Nicole’s neck and pounded into her, giving her body exactly what it craved, and taking what he needed, too. She trembled with the driving impact of each frenzied stroke, while her hands slid around to the base of his spine and her fingernails dug into his backside in her own show of control and aggression.

He laved her throat with his tongue, then sank his teeth into a tender piece of flesh just below her ear that triggered her orgasm. She bucked wildly against him, her back arching, her hips straining as her mouth fell open on a long, low cry of extreme pleasure.

He watched her face as she came, savoring every moment of her surrender until his own climax slammed into him, forcing the air from his lungs as he ground himself into her, coming so hard it felt as though he’d given her a piece of his soul.

Nicole disconnected the call she’d just received on her cell phone, knowing for a fact that Nathan wasn’t going to be happy about her change of plans for the day. While he planned to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the women’s shelter in the hope of meeting up with Sloane, she’d agreed to stay at the apartment and wait for him to return. Then they’d discuss their next step in rescuing Angela.

The unexpected call from her editor at The Las Vegas Commentary put a major crimp in their agenda.

Releasing a deep breath, she headed toward the master suite and into the adjoining bathroom, where Nathan had just finished taking his shower.

He stood in front of the large mirror above the dual sinks as he shaved, his hair damp and tousled around his head and wearing nothing more than the towel he’d wrapped low on his hips. Water droplets still clung to the smooth slope of his back, and she wondered how he’d react if she licked them off with her tongue.

Despite indulging in lazy morning sex with him only an hour ago, the sight of his half-naked body made her forget the real reason why she’d sought him out. She chewed on her bottom lip, and had to seriously resist the urge to untuck that small knot, let the towel drop to the floor, and have her way with him.

His gaze met hers in the reflection, his smile warm and intimate as he rinsed shaving cream off the razor before lifting it to the left side of his face and ridding himself of the stubble there.

“Don’t give me that look,” he said, even though his gruff voice was tinged with renewed desire, too. “I don’t have time to fool around again.”

“I know. I don’t have the time, either,” she said with a sigh, and leaned against the doorjamb. “It looks like I’m going to be joining you today at the women’s shelter.”

A frown creased his brows as he swiped the razor beneath the flow of water in the sink. “We agreed that you’d stay here while I go. I want to get Sloane alone so the two of us can talk. He was pretty open about wanting to swap you for one of his girls. I need to work that to our advantage.”

She heard the frustration in his tone, but this situation was out of her hands, and his. “I’m really sorry, but I don’t have a choice. My editor, Sharon, just called. The person originally scheduled to cover the ceremony came down with food poisoning. It’s so last-minute that everyone else has assignments or firm commitments, except me. I need quotes so I can write the article, and a photographer from the magazine will be with me, too, to get some pictures of Sloane while he’s cutting the ribbon.”

“Shit.” Done shaving, he wiped the excess foam from his jaw and neck with a small hand towel, then turned to face her. “Sloane can’t see you there as a reporter or our whole cover will be blown.”

It was difficult to argue with his logic, but her job was on the line, and she couldn’t afford to lose her only source of income. “I’ve given it some thought, and I think we can make it work.”

He looked skeptical as he passed by her into the bedroom, but she followed and explained. “Sloane has only seen me dressed and made up as a young teenage girl. I can go to the opposite extreme and make myself look completely different and older.”

“You look young no matter what you do,” he said as he dropped the towel, giving her a glimpse of his tight, muscular butt before he pulled on a pair of boxer briefs. “I don’t think it will work.”

She believed differently. It was a matter of hairstyle, makeup, and what she chose to wear. “I’ll stay at the back of the crowd and I won’t make eye contact,” she said, still trying to convince him as he finished stepping into a pair of dark brown slacks and shrugged into a long-sleeved shirt. “I know what’s at stake here. You’re just going to have to trust me on this.”

He looped a silk tie around his neck, the grim press of his lips clearly expressing his displeasure over the situation. “Like you said, I don’t have a choice. So make damn sure that Sloane won’t recognize you.”

“I will.” By the time she was done with her latest transformation, she was willing to bet Nathan wouldn’t be able to easily pick her out of the crowd, either.

Where in the hell was she?

Feeling tense, Nathan scanned the crowd gathered out in front of the beautiful modern building housing the new women’s shelter, anxious to find Nicole in the sea of faces so he could keep an eye on her until her job was done. He’d dropped her off at her apartment about an hour ago so she could change and drive her own car, and he hadn’t seen her since.

There were many people in attendance, from a multitude of news media, to various politicians who’d helped back the endeavor, to the board of trustees and other supporters of the project. A booklet listed the dignitaries by name and included the mayor, who was currently standing up at the podium commending Preston Sloane for his selfless contribution to the venture, which had made the shelter a possibility.

The mayor’s praise was nauseating, considering who and what Sloane really was. But today it was all about Preston and his generous altruism, a perception he worked very hard to cultivate and promote whenever the opportunity arose. And as Sloane sat behind the podium and waited for his turn to speak, on the surface he appeared to be a charitable businessman who cared about today’s cause and helping women escape abusive relationships.

A contradiction in every way imaginable, and one that caused Nathan to grind his teeth in revulsion.

Nathan had deliberately declined taking a seat so he could blend in with the overflow of people standing around the stage and move wherever he needed to go. As the guests burst into applause when Sloane took to the microphone to give his speech, Nathan continued his visual search for Nicole, his gaze shifting back to the area in front that had been designated for media.

While Sloane thanked key people for their support and went on to talk about how close this project was to his heart, Nathan scrutinized each female reporter. He overlooked a brunette and a busty redhead, and even a blonde whose face was much too round to be Nicole’s. He skimmed past another blonde, his mind automatically discounting the severe upswept hairstyle, dark-rimmed glasses, and navy-blue business suit… until she lifted her hand ever so slightly to let him know it was her before returning her attention to the podium.

He did a quick double take, shocked by Nicole’s latest metamorphosis that disguised the fresh, youthful appearance he’d grown used to seeing on a daily basis. As his surprise abated and he took in her sophisticated image, recognition set in, enabling him to make out the familiar shape of her face, her expressive eyes, and the confident way she carried herself.

She wasn’t in the back as she’d promised, but at least she’d executed a decent job of changing her overall look. She blended in with the rest of the reporters, and that would hopefully be enough to deflect any interest when Sloane passed by.

Sloane went on to enthrall the crowd with his noble pledge to provide a safe haven to homeless and abused women and children, and to promote dignity and self-respect to those who came through the doors of the shelter. Listening to the other man’s rehearsed speech with half an ear, Nathan eased over to the media pen. This way he could be close to Nicole and also be in Sloane’s path once he exited the stage.

Next up was the ribbon cutting, followed by a closing speech from the mayor to wrap up the ceremony. Nathan waited patiently as Sloane shook hands with important people, then made his way down to where the media were anxious to ask questions and take photos of the businessman who’d made the shelter possible.

That’s when Nathan noticed the woman following a few steps behind Sloane, and recognized her from the nightclub. According to Nicole, her name was Gwen and she was Sloane’s assistant.

Wearing a pale blue silk blouse tucked into a slim black skirt and modest heels, she appeared professional, polished, and in control, but it was the subtle longing in her eyes when she glanced at her boss that told Nathan she harbored unrequited feelings toward Sloane. She also seemed very protective of him.

As Sloane neared, the reporters crowded up to the waist-high barrier separating them from the man of the day, shoving Nicole right up front in the process. Nathan caught her startled expression as Sloane looked directly at her, but his gaze didn’t linger, nor was there any hint of recognition on his face.

Relief poured through Nathan, and he didn’t miss the irony in the older man’s reactions, or lack of them. When she was dressed as a real woman and looking more her age, Sloane wasn’t interested in Nicole.

She quickly looked away and jotted down notes on her pad as Sloane fielded questions from the media, but it was Gwen who studied Nicole much too intently for Nathan’s liking.

Finished with the reporters, Sloane moved on, but Gwen did not. Instead, the assistant stepped up to where Nicole was still standing, prompting Nathan to head in that same direction to distract Gwen if necessary.

Nicole turned away from Gwen to leave, but before she could escape, the other woman grabbed her arm and halted her attempt, forcing her to pivot back around. Nicole remained calm and collected, and even stared at Gwen as though she’d never met the other woman before. A convincing performance, but the whole situation still had Nathan on edge.

He swore beneath his breath and came up behind Gwen just in time to hear her ask Nicole, “Do I know you from somewhere?”

Realizing if he interrupted now he’d likely raise more suspicion, Nathan decided to trust Nicole to handle the confrontation without his help. He knew she’d seen him, but she made no outward reaction that might give his presence away.

Nicole smiled at Gwen, her gaze steady behind the dark frames of her glasses and her facial features convincingly blank. “I don’t think so,” she said, her voice different than Nathan had ever heard before. Her tone was cool and direct, and a bit raspier, too. “But I’m a reporter, so you might have seen me at other events Mr. Sloane has attended. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get to my next appointment.”

Nicole’s explanation made perfect sense, but as the older woman watched Nicole walk away, her uncertain frown warned Nathan that Gwen was still skeptical.

Disaster averted for now, Nathan lengthened his stride to catch up to Sloane, who was heading toward a black Town Car parked on the curb with a uniformed man holding the back door open for him.

“Preston!” Nathan called out before Sloane could slip inside the vehicle.

The other man turned around, his brows rising in surprise. “Alex. Nice to see you here.”

Nathan forced a smile. “I just wanted to stop by and offer my support.”

“I appreciate that. I’ve been meaning to get in touch with you after our chat on Saturday.” Sloane checked the gold Rolex watch strapped to his wrist before glancing back at Nathan. “I’ve got a meeting across town, but if you’d like to join me, we can talk on the way over and then my driver can bring you back for your car.”

Nathan wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity for more face time with Sloane. “That would be great.”

They both settled into the back of the Town Car. Once the driver pulled away from the curb, Sloane pressed a button on the console and a mini wet bar appeared in front of them. He reached for a bottle of Chivas Regal and poured a few inches of the expensive liquor into a short crystal glass.

“Care for a drink?” he asked Nathan.

He shook his head. “No, I’m good. Thanks.”

Sloane took a sip of the Scotch, savoring the smooth, rich flavor for a moment before redirecting his attention to Nathan. “Have you thought any more about the discussion we had at Bliss on Saturday night?”

Nathan knew exactly what Sloane was getting at, and he appreciated the man’s direct approach since Nathan had no desire to engage in idle chitchat with the man. For Nathan, this was all about business-getting into Sloane’s estate and getting Angela out, as quickly and safely as possible.

“Actually, I have given your proposition some thought,” Nathan said. He watched as a spark of excitement ignited in Sloane’s gaze, and knew it was because of Nicole. With effort, he tamped down the slow burn of anger rising in the back of his throat. “I’m thinking we might be able to come to some kind of agreement, as long as I can find a girl who meets my criteria. I prefer blondes, and none of the girls at the nightclub grabbed my interest.”

Sloane finished the rest of the Scotch in one long drink, set the empty glass on the wet bar, then met Nathan’s gaze once again. “Tell you what. I’m having a small, intimate get-together at my estate this weekend. Why don’t you come and bring Nikki and we’ll see what we can find for you. I’m sure there will be someone there to your liking.”

Nathan didn’t want to seem overeager and remained quiet long enough to let Sloane believe he was considering the offer. The Town Car slowed, and Nathan had to make a commitment.

“All right,” he finally said. “Nikki and I will be there.”

“Excellent.” Sloane gave him a satisfied smile. “How does Nikki feel about a trade?”

Refusing to think about Sloane touching Nicole, Nathan kept up the pretense of a man who had his woman under his control. “Don’t worry about Nikki. She’ll do whatever I ask her to.”

“That’s my kind of girl,” Sloane murmured, just as his driver opened the door for him to exit. “I’ll have my assistant, Gwen, contact you by cell phone with the address of the estate, and I’ll see you and Nikki Friday afternoon.”

Sloane stepped from the vehicle, and Nathan waited until the door slammed shut after him before exhaling a deep, tension-filled breath of air.

There were in again, and this time they had to make it count.