Secrets and Satin: A MacKenzie Novel (Romantic Suspense) (MacKenzie Family) Read online

  The woman’s dark brown eyes flashed once and then she ignored Jade, turning back to Max while he read the note she’d delivered to him.

  “What do you say?” the woman asked, rubbing her breast against his arm. “I’ve been watching the two of you since you came in. You can’t tell me you’re together.” Her eyes cut to Jade and she smiled cruelly. “Why would you want her when you could have someone like me?”

  The question so mirrored Jade’s own thoughts she could only stop and wait to see what happened. The woman’s fingers walked up Max’s chest, and it was Max who grabbed her wandering hand this time.

  “She asked you not to touch,” he said, his voice dark and dangerous.

  Jade saw the arousal in the woman’s eyes and the way she shuddered when he squeezed her hand.

  “But I promise it’ll be worth it,” she purred. “Lose the baggage and I’ll show you just how much.”

  Max folded the note and put it in his jacket pocket, and then pulled Jade close so she was snuggled against him. His arm was warm and tight around her, and she let out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. She’d missed his touch, and it was only then she realized how distant he’d been.

  “Tell Mr. Vassin I’ll agree to meet him tomorrow, but if he tries to fuck me over again things aren’t going to end well.” His scowl darkened and the girl took a step back. “Now if you’ll excuse us, my companion and I have better things to do. It looks like we were given the cheap seats from where I’m standing.”

  The girl gasped in outrage at the insult, and Jade couldn’t help the twitch of her lips and the small laugh that escaped. Max led her back down the aisle and out of the arena and the crowd. The feeling that someone was still watching them didn’t dissipate, and she found herself looking at every face in the crowd as they made their way to the private entrance that led to the penthouse. As soon as they were in the elevator, Max had her pressed against the wall, his mouth ravaging hers as her stomach flipped from the speedy rise to the top.

  His tongue invaded, stroked, and she moaned as the taste of him exploded on her tongue. The heels she wore made them the same height, and she felt the hard length of his cock pressing against her mound. She widened her legs, the dress rising up to her hips, as she pushed against him. The zipper of his slacks bit into her pubic bone, but she welcomed the pain.

  “God, Jade. I can’t stay away from you.” His lips trailed down to her neck, sucking and biting as his hands skimmed up her legs. “You’re like a drug. No matter how much I know I need to keep my distance just to preserve my own sanity, you tempt me back.”

  Jade tore away from him with a cry, shocked at the pain she heard just beneath the arousal. She pulled her skirt down and pressed her hand against the elevator wall to get her balance.

  “What?” he asked. “Isn’t this what you wanted? You’ve gotten your way. I don’t seem to be able to go longer than hours without being inside you.”

  “You’re angry with me.” Her chest was tight, her breathing labored as she tried not to flinch at the coldness in his eyes. “That’s not what I wanted. Not how I want things to be between us. You’re not thinking about this clearly. Once the haze of sex clears you’ll see things differently.”

  “Do you really think so little of me? That I don’t know my own mind and heart well enough to understand what I feel for you?”

  “If you do,” she said quietly, “then it’s the biggest mistake you’ll ever make.”

  “Only because you’re hiding something from me.” His anger washed over her and she looked away, willing the elevator to get to the top. “Once you trust me enough to tell me what the hell is going on in your mind, we’ll be able to move forward instead of dancing around the real issue. Whatever it is.”

  The elevator doors opened silently and Max put his hand on her lower back, leading them to the room. He was clouding her mind, making her question her judgment at keeping such a secret from him, and she knew once she told him, the love he spoke of now would cease to exist.

  Max held the keycard to the door and waited for the green light to come on before they went inside and did another scan. They found two more bugs, neither of which were hidden very well, and Max destroyed them just like he had the first ones. She pulled out the white noise device and set it on the bar while Max pulled out his phone and made a call.

  “Vassin wants to meet at noon tomorrow,” he said as soon as Dec answered the phone. “I need maps for the coordinates he gave me and any possibilities for traps in the surrounding area. Just send them through email.” He listed off the coordinates and waited as silence filled the line.

  “That’s the middle of the fucking desert,” Dec said. “There’s nothing around for miles.”

  “Perfect,” Max said, his smile grim. “I’ve got a plan. Send over whatever you’ve got on the location. How’s the search for the girl?”

  “It’s like she doesn’t exist,” the frustration in Dec’s voice obvious. “Elena was able to trace back the locations of the last emails sent to the senator. We have it narrowed down to a tri-state area, though my gut is going with Vassin’s property in northern California. It’s a remote area on the cliffs overlooking the water and it’s heavily guarded. I’ve gone ahead and activated Shane’s team. They should be en route by this time tomorrow.”

  “And where are you?” Max asked.

  “In the room directly below yours,” he said, making Max smile. “We’ll have your back tomorrow.”

  “Vassin’s instructions are for me to go in alone.” He caught Jade’s eye as he related the information to Declan, and he saw the worry there. “Vassin will be there, but he won’t be alone. He’ll try to double cross me.”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “Let’s meet at 0800. We’ll slip down to your room since ours is being monitored so closely. And if things go right no one will die tomorrow.”

  “Always a good plan,” Dec said and hung up.

  Silence and tension filled the room as soon as he put the phone away, and he sighed as exhaustion seeped into his bones.

  “Let’s go to bed.” He held out his hand and waited as she stared at it like it was a trick of some sort. “Just to sleep, Jade. We can table our discussion for another time.”

  She licked her lips once, the indecision clear on her face, and he dropped his hand. “I actually thought I’d go ahead and look at the maps Declan is sending through email. I think I know what you have in mind, and it’ll help to get as much information as possible. The good thing about this place is that the weather is consistent.”

  “Goodnight then,” he said, turning toward the bedroom. He stopped when he reached the door and looked back at her. “You know, Jade, I never thought you for a coward.”

  He didn’t wait to see how his words sliced at her. He just stripped out of his tuxedo and hung it in the closet before crawling between the cool sheets of the bed and willing himself to go to sleep. For the first time since his accident he wondered why God had allowed him to survive. He’d thought when he’d first woken in the hospital it was because she’d given him a reason to live. Now he wasn’t so sure.

  ***

  Max never slept deep. He’d spent too much time in the dark abyss of it during his stay at the hospital to ever want to go there again. But when he felt Jade’s body flow over him and her mouth surround him like liquid silk, his mind snapped to full alert, right along with his cock.

  “Jade—”

  “Ssh. Just let me touch you. Just this once. This is all that matters.”

  “This won’t fix the problems.”

  “Just because there are problems doesn’t mean the want will stop. At least not yet.”

  “Not ever,” he insisted.

  “Let me make love to you. You always try to take control. It’s my turn.”

  The bed was a lake, plenty of room so they could have slept on their separate sides without touching, but he’d felt her the moment she’d slid beneath the cool sheets. Shadow an
d light danced across the bed from the neon signs and flashing lights of The Strip, and he watched out of half-closed eyes as she slid down his body and drove him crazy with hands and mouth.

  His muscles bunched from the strain to hold back, to not take control as she’d accused him of doing. Instead he raised his hands and took hold of the headboard, vowing to keep them there if it killed him. If she wanted his body then he’d give it to her, but damned if he’d give her anything else until she started giving something back. He wouldn’t touch or taste in return. He’d just lie there and try to hold onto his sanity.

  Her sharp nails briefly dug into his thighs before her hand smoothed up and grabbed the base of his cock. He sucked in a breath as he felt her hot little tongue on his balls, drawing each one into her mouth and rolling it around on her tongue. He could have come from that alone.

  “Jesus—” he panted.

  Her laugh was seduction itself, and her tongue licked up his shaft in one long stroke until she got to the flared head. He’d never been so hard, and he watched down his body as his dick disappeared between her lips.

  “Yeah, baby. That feels so good. Take more of me. How far can you swallow me down?”

  Her eyes met his just as her tongue flicked the sensitive skin on the underside of his head, and then she rose up on hands and knees and her mouth opened wider before she began the slow descent on his cock, taking in every bit of the straining flesh until he felt the back of her throat.

  “Fuck!” he yelled. “I’m going to come. I’m going to shoot everything I have into that sweet mouth.”

  She moaned around him, sending vibrations up his spine and frying what was left of his brain. His hands fisted into the headboard and he heard the crack as it snapped under the pressure. His head fell back and his hips moved with short, controlled thrusts as the pressure of her lips tightened and her tongue swirled.

  His balls drew tight and he felt the imminent explosion gathering at the base of his spine and then shooting up his cock. She moaned as semen hit the back of her throat and the added vibrations only made the sensation that much wilder. Spurt after spurt shot from his cock until his body lay limp, his breathing ragged, and he raised his brows in surprise as she crawled up his body and straddled his waist.

  “Touch me, Max. I want your hands on me.”

  God, she didn’t ask for much, he thought.

  “This is your show, sugar. Or maybe you just don’t know what to do with me? I can see how wet you are from here. Your pussy is slick with cream for me.”

  Her thighs tightened around his hips, but she held herself above him, watching him out of dark eyes filled with curiosity and trepidation. He couldn’t get a hold on his anger, and he knew she felt it rising inside of him like a tempest.

  “My cock is still hard for you,” he whispered. “I can’t seem to control it where you’re concerned, so do what you want with me. My body is yours.”

  “You’re trying to punish me for not being capable of giving you what you want.” Her words were soft and soothing despite the tension in the air.

  “Who says you’re not capable, Jade? Or have you made up your mind that only one man could ever have your love? Is there just nothing left inside of you?”

  “There’s more inside of me than you could ever understand.”

  Something in her expression had him almost giving in and taking her in his arms. Whatever her demons were, she didn’t want to share them with him, and he watched as determination flashed into her eyes before she set out to drive him crazy.

  Her hands cupped her breasts, tweaking at her nipples before trailing down her stomach and into the creamy folds below. Her eyes fluttered closed as her fingers played with the swollen flesh, and he swore he’d never seen anything so erotic in his entire life. His cock jumped between her thighs, but she held herself still, lost in the pleasure she was giving herself.

  She parted her folds and dipped her finger into her pussy and then she pulled it back so he could see the glistening juices. She leaned forward and touched his bottom lip, painting it with her desire. The scent of her went to his head, and his tongue flicked out to taste before drawing it into his mouth.

  Her lips came down on his and she moaned as she tasted herself, and then she was gone again just as he was about to break his promise to himself and touch her how she wanted to be touched.

  “Max,” she moaned as she leaned back and sat poised over the head of his cock.

  Her hand wrapped around it and sweat broke out on his brow at the torture from anticipation. Already he could feel the need to come again. She sat down slowly, so he was able to watch with rapt fascination as the flared head parted her slick folds. The snug, wet heat of her had him gritting his teeth, and every pulse of her inner walls sent electric shocks straight to his balls.

  “I need you so much.” The sob caught them both by surprise, and he looked up to see the tortured expression on her face. “Don’t punish me for being something I can’t. For not being able to give you what you deserve.” She lifted up again, slicking his shaft with her syrup before lowering herself again. “Now is all that matters.”

  He groaned as she finally seated herself to the hilt, and his hands released from the headboard and grasped onto her hips, keeping her impaled before she started to move. A war raged within him as he saw the dreams he’d had of them together fade away and reality take its place. He’d been selfish in his own wants, thinking that because she’d finally come to him that she was ready to move on in all ways. To him it felt like he’d been waiting for her forever, but this was still new to her, and maybe—just maybe—he could convince her that she deserved to be loved as much as he did.

  “It’s okay, baby,” he said. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.” She shuddered around him as the words seemed to release something inside of her and she collapsed onto his chest. He rolled with her across the large expanse of bed without separating their bodies, and then he began to move.

  He didn’t try to hold back his feelings. He couldn’t have if he tried. They’d be there whether she felt the same way or not, and he wanted her to feel them all in every kiss and touch and thrust. He hooked her legs over his arms and she cried out as he went deeper, deeper, until he felt like more than their bodies were joined.

  It didn’t take long for either of them to find their pleasure, and his release exploded inside of her. He groaned and jerked over her body as her muscles clamped around him and her orgasm rippled along his sensitive cock.

  And when their breaths slowed and their bodies cooled, he pulled out of her slowly and lay behind her, gathering her in his arms. “It’s all right,” he said again. “I’ve got you.” He felt her body relax as she fell into a peaceful sleep.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “I think you’re out of your damned mind,” Cade said the next morning. “You can’t think to actually meet Vassin without any backup.”

  “Tell me how you really feel, MacKenzie. I don’t think the rest of the people on this floor heard you.”

  Elena had manipulated the security feed in the hallway and elevator so he and Jade could sneak down to Dec’s room. The team was already gathered around the breakfast table downing gallons of coffee and looking at the maps he and Jade had already studied until he felt like his eyes would start bleeding. And it seemed like Cade was in a pisser of a mood.

  “Call me crazy, but it just seems like a bad idea to go waltzing into enemy territory alone and expect to walk away again.”

  “There’s no other way,” Max said patiently. “We’re between a rock and hard place until the senator’s daughter is located. We have to play out this farce and hope Vassin stays on the hook. As long as he thinks I’ve got a product to sell, he’ll be willing to bite. If we scare him away, he’ll probably kill the girl and leave the country. At least for a while. This is the only way we have a chance of getting them both.”

  Cade paced back and forth in front of the window, his scowl black as irritation came off him in waves.


  “What’s with him?” Max asked Brant. “He’s usually an asshole, but he seems to be in fine form this morning.” Max’s brows raised in surprise as Cade growled at him.

  “He talked to Bayleigh this morning,” Brant answered. “She said she’s been getting pains every once in a while, but she thinks it’ll be a few days yet until the baby comes.”

  “Damned woman said she was going into work,” Cade said, turning to face them. “Can you believe that? I told her no one would want to buy lingerie if she was giving birth in the middle of the floor.”

  “It’d be a hell of a statement for birth control,” Brant said, smiling.

  Cade shot him a scowl and continued his pacing.

  “I told you to take the next flight out,” Dec said patiently.

  It was obvious to Max they’d been having this discussion long before he and Jade showed up.

  “She told me not to come home.” Cade was so clearly insulted by this Max had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. “She said I had to stay because the family needed me and that the baby would be ready by the time I got back. Apparently, she can see into the future now. Doesn’t she know babies come when they want to?”

  Max felt some unknown emotion swell inside of him. Cade might bitch and moan and worry, but he would stay and do this mission because they needed him. When Bayleigh called to tell him the time was near, he’d be out the door and on the next plane in a hurry, but he’d stay as long as he could. Max knew the MacKenzies considered him part of the family and that any one of them would be there to back him up if needed.

  “I swear this is the last time we’re doing this,” Cade went on. “Pregnancy takes a perfectly sane and intelligent woman and turns her into something not even I would want to face in the dark.”

  “You said you weren’t going to do this again the last time she was pregnant too,” Declan said. “Clearly her vow to make you sleep outside for the rest of your life didn’t take.”

  Cade stopped his pacing and grinned. “It turns out she changed her mind. I’m hard to resist.”