Page 14 of A Light in the Darkness
“You put acamerain my room?” I glare at him.
Dimitri had warned me about the possibility of being spied upon, but I didn’t expect it to be by my fucking bodyguard or his puppet master. I also didn’t expect to nothatethe idea that they could have seen any of what I do when I’m alone.
Moose shrugs, like he didn’t just admit to a violation of privacy. My cheeks are so red, I decide to lose the jeans that are only making me warmer. I turn and strut back to my room, not bothering to close the door behind me as Moose follows.
“You’ll never find it!” He calls out, taunting me.
But it’s not the camera I’m looking for. That can wait for another time. I strip the jeans down my legs without even the slightest hesitation, not bothering to turn back and see Moose slowly approaching my doorframe. I don’t bother trying to hide my ass from view as I bend over to the bottom drawer and dig out a pair of the shortest white shorts I own. I may not know where the camera is, but I can feel Moose’s eyes on my ass, left visible by the thin straps of the G string I put on to help me channel my inner sex appeal. I’d say it’s working, based on the way Moose groans.
My eyes make it to his just before he turns away and they’re heavy with something I can’t place.
“Hey Moose,” I call, waiting for him to turn back around. He doesn’t, but he tips his head a little, like he’s afraid to face me fully. It makes me laugh, but I tamp it down.
“Monroe?”
“I need you.” I say innocently enough that it prompts him to turn back toward me. He doesn’t dare step a toe over the threshold of my door, as though he’s scared. But I’ve spent months with this man, and I don’t think anything scares him. More likely, he’s following orders.
“What?” He demands, his eyes scanning me in as I secure the button on my shorts.
“Come here,” I beckon him into the room, and he hesitates just a minute before granting my request, coming to stand right in front of me.
“What do you want, Monroe? Want me to tell you what a pretty little slut you look like?” He’s close enough that I can feel the heat radiating off of him, and part of me wants to throw caution to the wind and throw myself at him. But I can’t bear the thought of him rejecting me, as he most certainly would. And I really can’t bear the idea of Remy witnessing it on a camera somewhere. The thickening of his voice tells me that he doesn’t actually think I’m a slut—or if he does, he likes sluts.
“No.” I laugh, pushing away from him so that I can present him with my ass, stretching the fabric of my shorts. “Can you see my thong through this?”
“Nope.” Moose says quickly, and I’m sure he’s telling the truth considering that it’s a pale blue, light enough to disappear when it’s not the only thing against my fair skin. Since I didn’t need a bra in this top, I chose those over a lingerie set, and now something about knowing how little clothing stands between me and whoever I decide to let unwrap me is exhilarating.
“Thanks.” I flash him a grin, but I don’t miss the swelling of his cock as it nudges into me when I pass him. God, he’s so warm… and so big. Something deep inside of me stirs, and I guess it’s the lust that’s driving me more than anything, because I swear, I feel myself going wet under his gaze.
“You are playing a dangerous game, Monroe.” He warns, just before moving aside to let me pass.
So what? I’m being a tease, big fucking deal. I wasn’t a fucking tease when Eric Giante crawled into my bed to peel my sweatpants off of my shaking legs, and I wasn’t being a tease in the backseat of the car when Jovich sold me out to a couple of filthy pimps. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that I can dress like a preacher’s daughter or like the whores he fucks when his wife isn’t around. Neither of them will stop a man who’s already set his mind on possessing the flesh beneath them. At least this way, I get to have a little fun with it.
“I like danger.” I tell him, tilting my head back to be able to see all of him. “I actually find it quite addictive.”
“Mmm.” He agrees. “Danger is so intoxicating, isn’t it, princess?” He grazes a knuckle down my throat, stilling my breath, my whole fucking world. “But careful you don’t lose yourself to the high.”
I want to laugh, but this time, I keep it in. “I’m not scared of losing myself, Moose. It’s been twenty-one years and I’m just now learning who I am.” He doesn’t try to say anything more to stop me, but I pause when I reach the hall and look back at him anyway. “Have fun tonight. I know I will.”
Chapter nine
Remy
Elaine stares at me with her mouth open in shock, anger in her eyes. She looks absolutely scandalized as I hang up on Claire and slide the phone out of the way so that I can ignore the impulse to open the camera app and see her. I can imagine her, though, tearing through her room and looking for the hidden camera, her cheeks red with the heat of her anger and embarrassment. It’s so damn delicious that I want to kick my housekeeper out and fist myself to the reminder of Claire’s warm body and hot mouth. But Elaine wants to tell me why she’s been so weird lately, and I know somehow it has to do with Davos’ castle—the place we’re raiding tomorrow. As much as I don’t want to push my thoughts of her aside, Claire can wait.
“What is it, Elaine?” I demand. “No more distractions. We’re alone.” I remind her of that by gesturing around the study, showing her that our only company is in the form of words on a page. Words are great company when you need them, but they’re not a threat to whatever secret she wants to relay to me. Elaine must agree, because after she glances around, she lets go of a small breath.
“When I was young, I didn’t have many prospects for the future. College wasn’t for me, and I didn’t like the idea of finding a man to settle down with totake care of me,” she wrinkles her nose in a show of disgust that matches her words. “So, I started cleaning houses. I worked on references, taking the biggest houses I could because more work meant more money. Eventually, I started to have people reach out to me… doctor’s wives who were too busywith Pilates and Yoga to keep their house running, or some investors’ wife that didn’t have the energy to clean up after her two point five kids all day.”
I nod, hopefully encouraging her to get to the damn point. As much as I care about her and would be happy to listen to her life story, this isn’t the time that I want to do that. I have business to attend to, and my mind is already running back to thoughts of Claire.
I’m not worried, given that her bodyguards have been thoroughly briefed on what will happen to them if anyone touches her, but my blood is boiling at thoughts of her unfurled beneath another.
Elaine must sense she’s losing my interest, because the next words rush out of her mouth quickly. “I took on a job for a Senator one day. His wife had just passed away and his son was away with the military, but he had a daughter that still lived at home. He needed help with little things—meals, general housekeeping.”
“What you do for me.” I confirm that I’m following her so far, even though I have no fucking clue how this is relevant.
“Yes. Except, I was still early in my career, and I was so easily intimidated. I was young.” She bites her lip. “But I always had a bad feeling about that guy. I never knew what it was until after his son—who had taken a leave to attend his mother’s funeral—went back out of the country. He’d been gone for a few weeks when the senator hosted a party. One that he told me he didn’t want me around during. But his daughter—Ally—she was sick with the flu, and I felt so bad for her. She was crying that she just wanted her mother, and I mean, she was sixteen, not like this was a child. I mean, shewasa child.” Elaine stammers. “But she was really not well, and I didn’t know what to do. She had a friend over with her, a friend who practically lived with them, and the friend—Lauren—she was trying to make everything better, but nothing was helping. So, I brought her soup.”
