He increased his speed, his hand pumping faster up and down his turgid length. So good, but not nearly enough. It wouldn’t be enough until he was buried balls-deep inside her sweet pussy again.
He gritted his teeth and pictured her orgasm, the sweet cry she’d made, the way she’d abandoned herself totally to it, to him. His cock exploded and he came all over his hand and belly. He kept stroking, kept milking his dick until there was nothing left.
Lungs working hard, he slapped one hand on the tiled wall and let his head fall forward. The water poured over him, like little stinging needles now. He raised his head and embraced the cold, letting it cool the pounding need that still had a stranglehold on his cock. He grabbed the soap and cleaned himself up, not lingering any longer than he had to.
The silence seemed deeper than before when he turned off the water and stepped out. He grabbed a towel and quickly dried off, tossing the wet towel over the bar to dry before padding naked into the bedroom.
The bed beckoned but Jake knew he wouldn’t sleep, not yet. He had too many other things on his mind. He tugged on a pair of faded gray track pants, but didn’t bother with a shirt or socks. Leaving his bed behind, he walked silently down the hallway and into his office. Usually, he found the masculine space relaxing with its dark-green walls, wooden bookshelves and comfortable leather desk chair, but it would take more than that tonight to make him relax.
He was wide awake and figured he would be for hours yet. But that didn’t bother him. He didn’t need a lot of sleep and had long ago learned the art of taking combat naps. He thought about making coffee, but decided it would take too long. He wanted a shot of caffeine and he wanted it now.
Jake sat at his desk, flicked on the lamp and turned on his computer. While he was waiting for it to boot up, he reached into the mini fridge that sat next to his desk and pulled out a can of cola. He popped the top and took a long swallow, enjoying the cold beverage as it flowed down his throat.
Sapphire was still foremost in his thoughts and he glanced at the picture propped up on one corner of his solid oak desk. It was one he’d taken last year, the first time he’d been her bodyguard. She was standing in the park on a beautiful sunny day, wearing a flowing dress with small printed flowers all over it, her long, curly hair blowing in the breeze. But it was the smile on her face that always captured his attention. It was intimate and mischievous, as if she knew a secret that the rest of the world wasn’t privy to. He gently touched his finger to her cheek and then settled in to work.
There was a lot he had to learn about Ivan Gregor. He didn’t trust the bastard, not one bit. He’d seen the way the guy had looked at Sapphire before he’d left. He was angry, but more than that, he’d felt deprived, as though he was entitled to have her simply because he wanted her.
Jake had run across his kind before and knew Gregor wouldn’t stop until he felt he’d gotten what he deserved. Wasn’t going to happen. Sapphire belonged to him and Jake knew how to protect what was his.
He had friends in high and low places too, probably more trustworthy ones than Gregor had, and would call in whatever favors were owed him to keep Sapphire safe. But there was a lot he could do on his own. The authorities might be constrained by the law, but he wasn’t. “Let’s see what you’ve been up to, Ivan.” Jake hunched over his keyboard and went to work.
The sun was rising when he leaned back and studied the screen in front of him. He had pages of research that his printer had spit out in a neat pile. Gregor was definitely working the shady side. There had been questions about some of his land acquisitions and developments from concerned citizens groups, accusations of bribery, complaints from other developers, but no charges had ever been laid.
He’d have to dig into Gregor’s finances to find out more. It was illegal as hell, but Jake didn’t care. His only concern was keeping the bastard away from Sapphire. If Gregor stayed away from her, he wouldn’t have any problems. If he approached her again, Jake wanted the ammunition ready to turn Gregor’s life into a shit storm. Neither the politicians nor the mafia would take kindly to having their laundry aired in public. If Gregor wasn’t careful, he could end up in jail or worse. Some of the boys Gregor was alleged to have done business with didn’t exactly play nice.
He reached into his desk drawer, pulled out a disposable phone and dialed a number he knew by heart. It was to another disposable phone that would be tossed once this job was done. Then his friend would send him his new number.
“Yeah.” The voice on the other end was gruff, but alert.
“I’ve got a job if you’re interested.” He’d known the other man for years and trusted him to do the job right. Neither of them used names, and wouldn’t. They were both careful as hell. Some would say paranoid, but those folks didn’t know what they did—the government or someone else was always listening.
“Go.”
“Ivan Gregor. Stockbroker. Dirty, but there’s no concrete proof I can find, not yet.”
“You want him taken out?”
Jake almost smiled. His buddy had a very simple view of the world. If you had a problem, you got rid of it, permanently.
“No. I want you to follow him. I want to know where he goes and who he sees.” Jake paused before adding, “This is personal.” He rattled off Ivan’s home and work address. “I’m sending you a picture of him and one of a woman. If Gregor gets anywhere near her let me know right away. Her safety is top priority.”
“I’m on it.” There was a click and then the line went dead. Jake hung up, knowing that end was being handled. His job was to keep Sapphire safe.
He pushed out of his desk chair and stretched his arms over his head. A bone snapped and his muscles protested. He rubbed his hand over his jaw and figured it was time to have a shave and get dressed. He could catch a nap later if he needed one.
But first, he needed coffee and fuel. He ambled out to the kitchen, which was large by New York standards. The granite countertops and the stainless steel appliances gleamed. The coffeepot was new and fast. He might not cook much, but he needed his coffee.
When he had a pot brewing, he wandered over to the dining room window and peered out over the city. He wondered if Sapphire had slept at all last night. On impulse, he went into his bedroom, grabbed his phone and punched in her number. It was just past six, but she’d always been an early riser.
“Hello.” Her sleepy, sultry voice had his cock rising to full attention in a heartbeat.
“Hey.” He wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to say, he only knew that he needed to hear her voice.
“Are you okay?” He could hear rustling in the background and knew she was still in bed. He swallowed hard. She would be tousled and warm, surrounded by her soft sheets and comforter, still wearing that sexy-as-sin nightie she’d worn last night. His cock stirred and he wished he were there with her.
“I’m okay. Just called to make sure you were.”
“I’m good.”
The conversation was stilted, which wasn’t like them at all. They’d never lacked for something to talk about before. “I probably shouldn’t have called this early.” He should say goodbye and hang up.
He went back out to the kitchen, took down a large black mug and filled it almost to the brim with the fragrant brew.
“No, that’s okay. I was awake anyway. Just trying to convince myself to get up.” More fabric rustled in the background. He could easily picture her silky nightgown falling over her legs as she climbed out of bed. He could hear her walking now.
“What are you doing?”
She gave a little laugh. “Going to the kitchen to put on coffee. I can’t think before I’ve had coffee.”
“I’ve got some at my place.” He took a sip and made a sound of satisfaction.