Page 80 of Pressure

"Lance, what's going on?" Elijah Barrett said a few seconds later.

"Has Holly been to visit her dad yet?"

Elijah groaned. "Not yet. Why?"

"Sebastian Forcythe got out of prison early. I'm struggling to understand why and the only thing I can think of is that someone with some clout pulled some strings. Despite his conviction, I think it's safe to say Nicholas Sutton has that clout."

Elijah was quiet for a moment. "You're right," he finally agreed. "I'll talk to her tonight and we'll arrange something for this week. How are you doing? Does Solitaire have anything to worry about?"

Lance tossed a rubber stress ball back and forth in his hands.

"I think we need to be cautious. Marissa is keeping an eye on things while I keep an eye on Moss Tech. It definitely feels like this is not over though."

Eli agreed. "I'll call you as soon as Holly visits her dad. When are you going back to Colorado?"

"Riss and I will leave around lunch on Thursday unless something happens."

"I saw the tail end of your scene on Friday night. Looks like you two are really patching things up."

Lance smiled at his friend's nosiness. "For now. We're still working through some things, but I definitely have a positive feeling about our relationship."

They made small talk for a few more minutes until Eli said Holly was on the other line. "I'll keep you posted, OK?"

Lance agreed and they said goodbye. He stood and went in search of his girl. He found her in the library, laying on the sofa with a hand between her thighs.

"Am I not satisfying you, love?" he murmured as he stood in the door and watched her fingers flutter over her silky pussy.

Her eyes flew open and she pulled her hand away.

"Sorry," she whispered, staring up at him.

He strolled into the room, keeping his hands in his pockets. "Don't stop on my account," he said, dropping onto the ottoman that sat in front of the couch.

"In fact, I insist that you continue."

He watched with amusement as her face turned red with embarrassment. But she pleased him when her thighs spread wider and her fingers splayed over her sensitive cunt once more.

He wanted to reach out and help her, but watching her play with herself was mesmerizing, so he resisted and kept his hands pressed to the ottoman.

When her occasional whimper turned into a full blown, never ending moan, he reached out and trailed a hand up her bare thigh.

"Keep going, love," he crooned gently.

God, he'd missed having her in his house this way. During their four-year relationship he'd fucked her on a number of surfaces throughout the place and the memories haunted him often. He looked forward to creating new ones with her. He especially wanted to erase the memory of her last night here before they broke up. The night he'd called the fucking cops like a moron. He shook his head and tried to focus on the beauty before him. Going down that path wouldn't be doing either of them any favors. Though in the back of his mind, even as his fingers traced silk smooth skin and urged her on, he knew they would have to face that night sometime or they were doomed to fail again.

When she drew one knee up and her toes curled in, he knew she was getting close. He nudged the ottoman nearer to the sofa and bent to kiss her deeply, swallowing the loud cry of pleasure as the orgasm careened through her. Her body bucked against the couch and she lifted one arm, snaking it around his neck, deepening their kiss.

"Take me to your bed," she pleaded.

He stood and pulled her up with him, dragging her to the bedroom where he ravaged her body once more, not caring that he'd bruised and marked her all weekend long. Claiming her as his wasn't enough. He needed to fucking devour her.

♦♦♦♦

The next morning, Marissa sat in her temporary office at Moss Tech, reviewing his client list. They were going to attempt to come up with the most likely target for another attack—and there would be another attack—so they could put teams on constant monitoring and shoring up the security. Lance had grown his company to enough clients that it was impossible to give that kind of treatment to every one of them. There had been a blanket raising of security, but they knew they had to figure out where the attack would come from and put their biggest efforts there.

She was working with the two women who'd worked with her the previous week along with two other department heads, both male, who seemed to have questions about her presence at Moss Tech.

She, in turn, questioned theirs. Feeling irritated by their attitude toward her, she pulled out her phone and sent Lance a text.

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