Black as Night_Black Star Security Read online

  Nox didn’t give a flying fuck.

  Impulse control, at least when it came to sex, wasn’t his strong suit. He liked things wild and uninhibited.

  “And what can I do for you, Maeve?”

  Her nostrils flared. “You can find my sister. She’s missing.”

  “Missing? Have you tried the police?” Black Star Security handled problems which couldn’t be resolved by the authorities. A missing person’s case seemed to be well within the local cop’s jurisdiction.

  And then I can sleep with her without dealing with a bunch of bull shit. No conflict.

  “No, because I’m an idiot.” Her eyes flashed. “Of course, I tried the police. Amy’s…” she trailed off. “Well, she has a history.”

  “Let’s put a pin in that for now. How did you find out about us?”

  “I saw your company’s name in the paper. You protected Savannah Summers.”

  A few weeks back, they’d taken the country music singer’s case. Initially, they thought a crazed fan was after her. Instead, they’d found out her manager’s girlfriend had tried to kill Savvy. Catching the killer had given them a lot of publicity, and they’d had a steady stream of clients ever since.

  “Yeah, we did. What kind of a history does your sister have?”

  “The private kind. I’m hiring you to locate her, not write Amy’s biography.”

  He shook his head. “I’m sorry, but it doesn’t work that way. If you want us to find her, we’ve got to know the lay of the land.”

  Going into a situation blind, was a recipe for disaster. Crappy intelligence had cost a lot of American lives in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Nox didn’t think this situation was as dire, but he wouldn’t wade into the unknown without the facts.

  “Fine,” she snapped. “Amy’s a party girl. Two years ago, she left school and went to Paris for two weeks. In high school, Amy ditched a class trip to take a road trip out West. My father made a police report both times.”

  “So, the cops didn’t think it was serious.”

  “No, they told me she’d eventually come home, and I shouldn’t worry. Besides, it hasn’t been 24 hours yet.”

  The police wouldn’t let anyone file a missing person report unless he or she had been gone for longer than a day.

  Something else was bothering him. “How does a college student afford a trip to Paris?”

  “We come from a wealthy family. Are you familiar with Kent Bourbon?”

  He blinked. “You’re that Kent?”

  “Yes.”

  He whistled. “You make damn fine bourbon.” It reminded him of caramel with its hints of vanilla and brown sugar.

  “Thanks. My dad purchased the company from a local distiller, tweaked the formula, renamed it, re-branded the bourbon, and turned it into a top-shelf brand. We’ve been number two in sales ever since.”

  Something told him Maeve wasn’t satisfied with being second best. She had all the hallmarks of a go-getter. He bet she wouldn’t quit until her company whipped their competitors.

  Back to the matter at hand.

  “So, she has the financial means to go anywhere?”

  “Amy has a platinum MasterCard and knows how to use it, yes.”

  “And you don’t think this is another of her spontaneous trips?”

  While Maeve was imperious and forceful, he could detect the puffiness around her eyes, even beneath her carefully applied makeup. She’d been crying.

  She wrapped her arms around her body. “I’m not sure. If she were on vacation, there would be pictures on her Instagram and Twitter accounts.”

  “So, she’s gone dark? No posts?”

  “None.” She bit her lower lip. “Amy posts about the coffee she drinks, the meals she eats. It’s like she’s her own stalker.”

  According to Storm, a lot of people surveilled themselves, posting updates on their locations and activities. In the wrong hands, it could be dangerous. What if someone saw Amy’s social media accounts and abducted her?

  “Have you received any ransom demands?”

  “No, it was my first thought too.”

  “Then you don’t need to be as concerned.” Nox laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Since you caught her before, do you think Amy’s laying low?”

  Maeve mulled it over. “It’s a possibility. After we found her last time, she talked about being more discreet.” She stared at his hand, but said nothing, until he finally removed it.

  His lips twitched. Nox knew he was making her uncomfortable. Excellent. She’s aware of me, disconcerted. He wanted to throw Maeve off her game, get under her skin.

  With any luck, this case would be a breeze. He’d find the missing co-ed, and then take big sister to bed.

  See? Everybody wins. She gets the sister back, I get a hot new sexual playmate. And West gets paid.

  Nox pulled back and gave her some space. They were playing a game of cat and mouse, and he dearly loved the chase.

  If her sister was in real trouble he’d knock it off and take this more seriously. Given her history, Amy was probably off having a wonderful time. Meanwhile, Nox would take excellent care of big sis.

  From what he could tell, Maeve could use a break.

  Everything about her was controlled, leashed. He wondered what would happen if she let go. Or even better, let him drive.

  This one’s gonna be a challenge. Maeve was all business and would rebuff any opportunity he could use to get past her icy exterior.

  “Let’s have a seat and talk a bit more.” He pulled out a chair for her, and she primly sat in it. Nox caught a whiff of her perfume. Jasmine.

  The glasses perched precariously on her little snub nose. The high collar on her starched white blouse was crisp and perfect. Her golden hair was flawless, not even one tress out of place.

  And those bee-stung lips. Goddamn.

  They were just begging to be kissed fiercely, made a little swollen. He imagined biting them. Nox lost himself for a minute or two considering how they’d look around a little rubber ball gag.

  She raised a brow, waiting for him to start.

  He cleared his throat. “Give me the particulars.”

  While Maeve spoke, Nox took some notes on Amy’s age, birthday, what school she went to, what kind of car she drove, her cell number, etc. Nox also asked for her credit card number, so they could find out if there’d been any activity on it.

  “What are you going to do with all of this?” she asked after they were finished.

  “I’m going to hand it off to Storm, our resident technology expert. If she used her card in the past week, we’ll be able to track it. And if her phone is still on, he can use it to pinpoint the location.”

  Nox bet this case would be concluded in less than twenty-four hours. He just hoped it gave him enough time to charm Maeve into his bed.

  She breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you. When I realized she was missing, I checked everywhere for Amy. Last night, I went to the college, but I couldn’t get past campus security. And I’ve talked to all her friends. No one has seen her, and according to them, she hasn’t gone to class this past week.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m sorry to say, that isn’t unusual either.”

  “Who have you spoken with?”

  “I can give you their names.” Maeve reached into her purse and handed him a list. Sure enough, Maeve had drawn a line through each place she’d looked and each person she’d spoken with.

  He added her note to a manila folder, which would serve as Amy’s file. “If you don’t mind, we’ll take another look at those, and see if anything shakes loose.”

  “Fine.” She bit her succulent lower lip.

  “Tell me more.”

  “About what?”

  “You. The business. Anything. I want to know more.” He could practically hear the gears in her mind whirring, trying to figure him out.

  “Why?”

  He side-stepped the question. “You don’t have an accent.”

  She blinked.
“What?”

  Admittedly, the comment had come out of nowhere.

  “You don’t have a southern accent.”

  “No, my family is from DC. We didn’t move here until I was in grade school.”

  “I see.”

  “Does it matter?”

  “No. I’m just curious.” In fact, Nox wanted to know everything about her.

  “What do you want with me?” The edge in her tone, made his cock jerk.

  “If I told you, I’d scare you off.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Do you need anything else to get started?”

  Smart. She was bringing them back to business.

  “Yes.” He cocked his head to the side, studying her intently. “What else aren’t you telling me?”

  Maeve lifted her chin. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Yes, you do.” Nox could tell she was hiding something, he could just sense it. There was something guilty about her demeanor. “And I’m not movin’ on, until you tell me.”

  “Fine,” she snapped. “Amy and I had a fight, right before she went missing.”

  “About what?”

  She swallowed. “It’s personal.”

  “If you want me to find Amy, we’re gonna have to get real personal. For the record, I don’t judge.”

  Actually, the statement wasn’t quite right. Nox didn’t give a flying fuck about anything or anyone else. He’d learned to keep a distance between himself and others the hard way. And if he didn’t care, there was no reason to judge somebody.

  Maeve hesitated, watching him a moment.

  “Give me the gist of it,” he said softly.

  “We fought about her behavior. Last year my father died, and a lot of responsibility fell on my shoulders. Reggie left the company to both of us, and I needed a partner. I wanted her to step up and help me out.”

  “She refused?”

  “No, Amy agreed initially but didn’t follow through. She isn’t the most responsible person in the world. Obviously, she needs to finish school, but I thought she could take some of the smaller things off my plate.” Maeve pushed a hand through her hair. “One day, she’ll be running the company with me. I wanted her used to it as soon as possible.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  His granddad had died unexpectedly. Nox had told the old man off before he’d gone to school. It hurt him to think their last words were spoken in anger, but he couldn’t do a damn thing to change it now.

  No point in dwellin’ on the past. What’s done is done.

  “Me too.” Maeve sighed. “Will you be able to find her?”

  “I don’t see why not. There are no signs of foul play. As they say, past is prologue. I’m sure we’ll find her on a beach in Florida or livin’ it up in LA. I’m not worried.”

  She closed her eyes briefly. “At least one of us isn’t.”

  And then he noticed how tired she looked. There were dark circles underneath her eyes. He didn’t think all of this stress was from her little sister’s disappearance either.

  “Taking over the company has been a lot of work, hasn’t it?”

  Her brows drew together. “How did you know?”

  “In my previous job, I did a lot of people watchin’. You develop a sixth sense about this sort of thing.”

  “What did you do before this? Were you a cop?”

  “Nope, I was in the military.”

  “Army? Marine?”

  “Army Ranger. I was a sniper.” He waited for the inevitable question.

  She frowned. “So, when you were watching people…”

  “I was gettin’ ready to kill them.” He said it matter-of-factly. Nox saw no reason to be ashamed of his behavior. He was a big, swinging hero, going around the world to take out terrorists, assholes who deserved to be shot in the head. And worse.

  “Oh.”

  Most people didn’t know what to say when he told them. And if Nox were honest about it, he enjoyed shocking folks. Not this time, though. For some damn reason, he wanted to impress Maeve.

  “Tell me more about you.” Since it made her uncomfortable, he changed the subject.

  “Like what?”

  “Anything.”

  She shrugged. “I’m the CEO of an international company. I graduated with a B.A. in business, and that’s about it.”

  “What do you do for entertainment?”

  She chuckled. “These days, I get up, I go to the office, and then I come home and go to bed. Rinse and repeat.”

  “So, you’re a workaholic.”

  “Lately I am, anyway. It’s hard to believe, but back in the day, I was a party girl.”

  He didn’t find it so hard to believe. She was gorgeous, wealthy, and guys had probably been throwing themselves at her for years.

  Nox bet men were intimidated by her cool beauty. He imagined they bypassed her fully-clothed willowy figure in favor of easier targets. Nox could picture all that alabaster skin splayed upon his sheets. She’d be worth the extra effort. The seduction would be glorious.

  He could train her to please him. Nox couldn't help but think she'd be a perfect submissive. The bossiest ones had a deep inner longing to serve.

  “Are you single? Do you have any kids?” Nox steeled himself. He didn’t do women with children. Literally. Their expectations were too high, and they had too much baggage, for his purposes anyway. He was only in this for the conquest and pleasure.

  “Why do you want to know?”

  “Guess.” He smirked.

  “And why are you so…?” She trailed off.

  “Pushy?”

  People had probably pandered to her, Maeve’s entire life. She didn’t know what to make of him, and his demeanor.

  “Once again, you should guess.”

  She huffed an impatient breath. “Look, I don’t have time for a guy in my life. You could say I’m in a serious relationship with my job.”

  “Excellent. I don’t want to date you.”

  Her lips pursed. “Why not?”

  “Because I want to fuck you.” So much for professionalism. West would have his ass for this if he ever found out.

  Her eyes went impossibly wide. There was a long, awkward, stunned silence.

  “What?”

  “You heard me. I want to fuck you.”

  She flushed. “I don’t think this is—”

  “Appropriate? God, I hope not. Who wants to be appropriate all the damn time?” He winked. “I’m layin’ it all out on the table. If you don’t want me, then I’ll be strictly professional. If you’d rather work with somebody else, say the word, and I’ll make it happen. But if you’re attracted to me, and I think you are, then we could have fun together.”

  He waited impatiently for Maeve’s reaction. Would she tell him off? Agree? But she didn’t say anything. Hmm. He’d say she was waging a silent battle with herself.

  “You want to have sex with me?” Maeve asked, as though she had trouble believing it.

  “Yes, in case you missed it.”

  “This is a business relationship.”

  “Not for long. We’ll find your sister in a day or two, and then you can be on your merry way. The way I figure, this won’t get messy at all.”

  Maeve swallowed. “What kind of fun are you talking about?” Her voice had dipped an octave. There was a slight flush on her pale skin.

  He grinned. I knew it. Once again, his instincts had been right.

  “The strings-free kind. No commitment. No expectations. And all the orgasms you can handle. Before we get started, I need to tell you a thing or two first.”

  “Please do.” Her face was smooth, utterly indifferent, but he saw the way her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, the sharp inhalation of breath, and the way her chin quivered.

  “I love women.”

  “Oh?”

  “Absolutely. Love to fuck them, make them come. There’s nothin’ better than teasin’ a woman, bringing her to climax under my hands.”

  And he wa
s getting worked up just talking to her. Lord help him if he ever got his hands on her.

  Her eyelids fluttered. “Anything else?”

  “I’m kinky.”

  “Excuse me?”

  He shrugged. “Don’t worry. I’m a fun sort of kinkster. I’m not a sadist, and I don’t get off on punishment.”

  “What do you like?”

  “Bondage, sexual control.”

  Another silence ensued. Maeve kept her gaze firmly fixed on the wall behind him.

  “Well, say somethin’.”

  “I feel like my head is going to explode.” Maeve took her glasses off and rubbed the little space between her brows.

  “It is a lot to take in, isn’t it? But this is an opportunity for both of us. It sounds like you’ve been buried in work, and I haven’t found an interesting woman in weeks.”

  Before he could think better of it, Nox stood and let her see the erection he’d been sporting since he walked into the meeting room and saw her standing there, like the woman of his sexual fantasies.

  Her gaze fastened on his cock and Nox groaned. He wanted nothing more than to push his dick deep into her pretty bow-shaped mouth.

  “For the record, I think you’re beautiful. I’ve been fantasizin’ about you since I clapped eyes on you.” Nox cupped her cheek and traced her lower lip with his thumb. “I just want you to think about it. I promise you’ll have a good time.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “I always satisfy a woman. And I can’t wait to tie you up and fuck you.”

  Maeve gasped, blinking owlishly from behind her glasses.

  He supposed shocked was better than pissed.

  She backed off warily, as though pursued by a hungry predator and that’s exactly what he felt like. But Nox had always gotten his prey, whether it be terrorist or woman.

  And soon Maeve would be his.

  Chapter 3

  Maeve’s head was spinning.

  She’d never had someone proposition her so bluntly. She should’ve slapped his face and walked out the door. Or called his supervisor and complained. Instead, she found herself considering his proposal.

  She was turned on. Nox was raw, sexual. Irresistible.

  Maybe it was his arrogant attitude. He was so damn cocky, it was hot. Somehow, she got the sense he could back up all his claims. And she couldn’t help but imagine going to bed with him.