Night After Night (18 page)

Closing his eyes, he began stroking his shaft in his fist and went with the first fantasy that tumbled into his mind—where he finished what he’d started with Zoe in his bed less than ten minutes ago. He imagined crawling over her soft, curvy body and groaned when he thought about how wet and tight she’d be when he sank into her and how she’d wrap her slender legs around his  waist and encourage his heavy, driving, pounding thrusts….

Oh yeah…he was so close, so damn close…

The soft click of the shower’s glass door opening, then closing, yanked him back from the orgasm gathering force. He clenched his jaw in frustration, knowing Zoe was standing behind him. Despite being caught in the act, he didn’t turn around, and he refused to release his nearly bursting, aching cock from his tight grip. Nor was he about to apologize for jerking off, either, because it was her own fault for coming into the bathroom unannounced and catching an eyeful.

“What are you doing in here?” he asked gruffly as the shower spray battered his chest and water sluiced down to his groin. He knew she was probably getting wet, too, but didn’t care about that, either. He just wanted her gone.

He tensed when he felt her hand on his back and bit back a groan as she oh, so slowly slid her fingers down the slope of his spine in a wet, sensual caress. “Why did you leave me?”

He didn’t have to ask what she meant. Even though he’d given her a shattering orgasm, he knew he’d left her wanting. He never should have touched her in the first place, but she obviously didn’t know the meaning of
don’t,
and he’d been weak and unable to resist her. “I left you because it was the right thing to do.”

“Says who?” she asked softly while the tip of one finger traced the crease in his buttocks, all the way down to the crux of his thighs.

Jesus.
With his legs braced apart, her fingers dipped lower, brushing over the lightly furred skin of his taut balls. In his palm, his cock surged. Reflexively his fingers squeezed, and his heart thundered in his chest as he desperately held on to his sanity.

“Says me,” he rasped. “Trust me, you’ll thank me later.” When she discovered everything about him. Things that would shock and disappoint her.

She closed the distance between them, aligning the front of her body against his back. Her bare chest seared his skin, as did the pointed tips of her breasts. Against his ass, he could feel the soft, feminine tuft of hair that covered her mound, and it was all he could do not to turn around and take her up against the tiled shower wall.

Her flattened palms slid around his torso and over his abs, adding to the lust brewing within him. One hand glided up to his chest, where her fingers plucked at his nipple, while the other skimmed down his belly to his groin. She nudged his hand out of the way and replaced it with her own snug grasp around his shaft.

“I’d rather thank you
now,
by reciprocating the pleasure you gave me,” she said.

A deep, primitive groan rumbled in his chest. “Zoe…”

“Shhh. I’ll give you what you need,” she persisted, repeating the words he’d said to her earlier, just before he’d seduced her with his mouth. “Just put your hands on the wall and let me take care of you.”

He knew he ought to object and stop her, but his control was hanging by a thin thread and he was quickly learning that he had absolutely no willpower when it came to her. And when she dragged the pad of her thumb over the crown of his cock, teasing him with the promise of ecstasy, he decided that he’d rather come in her hand than his own.

He splayed his palms on the wet tiles and let her have her way with him. Whatever kind of sensual madness she wanted to inflict, he was game. And it was a good thing, too, since she seemed to want to take her time and make him suffer. Slowly, rhythmically, her wicked hand swept up and down his shaft, pulling and stroking his dick. At times, her fist crept up over the tip and the water and last remnants of soap created a suction over the sensitive head. The pleasure was so intense, so erotic, his eyes rolled back in his head.

If that wasn’t enough to short-circuit his brain, she grabbed a handful of his hair and gently pulled his head back so she could whisper in his ear how good he felt. She kissed his shoulder, licked the moisture from his skin, then gently bit the side of his neck, all the while her hips moved sinuously against his ass.

It was sensory overload. Desire coiled through him, his cock stretching and pulsing with a rush of blood. As if sensing how close he was to coming, she accelerated her pace, faster, tighter, each slick slide of her palm creating a heated friction that sent him over the razor-sharp edge of need and straight into oblivion. He groaned and shuddered violently as his climax roared through him, so powerful, so fierce, it drained him not only physically but emotionally, too.

It was the most amazing orgasm he’d ever had in his entire life, but it changed absolutely nothing between them.

Zoe was beginning to hate the conference room at the Reliance Group offices. Nothing good happened in this room, and she had a feeling that today’s meeting would be no different.

At the moment, she was sitting alone, waiting for Caleb and Sean to arrive, which gave her too much time to think about what the two men wanted to discuss with her, and to also replay in her head this morning’s sexy trysts with Sean.

Of course, the most prominent memory that was indelibly etched in her mind was the way he’d made her come undone with the deepest, most intimate kisses she’d ever had the pleasure of experiencing. His mouth had been ravenous, unrelenting, and earth-shattering. Even now, thinking about the scandalous things he’d done with his tongue had her shifting restlessly in her chair and her cheeks warming from the erotic recollection.

If that provocative encounter with Sean hadn’t been enough to leave her aching for more, then walking in on him in the shower had been like adding fuel to her desire for him. Instead of being shocked by catching him in a blatantly sexual situation, she’d been turned on—and unable to turn away. He’d looked so masculine, so virile, so overwhelmingly male as his muscular body bunched and flexed as he stroked himself toward gratification.

She’d wanted to be the one to take him over the edge, just as he’d pleasured her. And while it had taken a bit of convincing on her part, when he’d finally relented she’d felt an undeniable streak of excitement bolt through her. She’d loved pressing her wet body up against his, enjoyed every moment of touching him and feeling him pulse and swell in her hand, and reveled in the heady sense of feminine power in being the one to make him lose control.

And that, in itself, had been magnificent to watch.

Even now, remembering every detail of his frantic, frenzied orgasm, along with the searing heat of his release against her palm, she bit back an inappropriate groan, even as an equally inappropriate rush of damp heat settled between her thighs.

Unfortunately, after their steamy encounter in the shower there was no mistaking the emotional walls Sean had erected, and she’d instinctively known it wasn’t a good time to talk about what had happened between them or where it could possibly lead. Figuring he needed time to process everything, she’d let him have his space.

They’d each gotten dressed and ready for the day, then stopped for a quick breakfast quiche and a vanilla latte for her from a nearby French bakery before heading to her apartment so she could change from yesterday’s clothes. She’d also packed an overnight bag to stay at Sean’s place until they caught the guy stalking her.

Seeing her car in the parking garage right where she’d left it, the tires still brutally slashed, had caused her to shiver with a new dose of fear. Sean must have seen her reaction, because he’d quickly assured her that no one was going to hurt her, not while he was around. He’d promised to make the arrangements to get her car fixed, but for now he’d be her chauffeur and drive her wherever she needed to go.

And the first place on
his
agenda had been the Onyx, because according to Sean there were some things about her father he and Caleb needed to talk to her about. What those
things
entailed she didn’t have a clue, but after what she’d learned from George at her father’s office yesterday, she was preparing herself for the worst.

Growing increasingly anxious the longer she sat, she nearly jumped out of her seat when the door behind her abruptly opened and Sean and Caleb walked in.

“Sorry to leave you in here for so long,” Sean said as he shut the door behind them for privacy, his demeanor as cool and professional as Caleb’s. “We were talking to Lucas about your father’s hard drive, and I gave him the one you recovered from Sheila’s computer yesterday, which he’ll start analyzing right away.”

“Has he found anything on my father’s hard drive yet?” Zoe asked hopefully.

“Nothing significant,” Sean said with a shake of his head as he sat diagonally from her, and Caleb took the chair across the table, so they were all facing one another. “Your father’s home computer is pretty clean.”

Sean looked as disappointed as she felt.

Caleb set a file folder on the table in front of him but didn’t open it. “Now that Lucas has Sheila’s hard drive, he’ll be sure to do a cross-check reference with any names he’s already pulled from your father’s computer, to see if there are any connections between the two.”

She frowned, not quite following what he meant. “What do names have to do with anything?”

Caleb and Sean exchanged a glance, a silent look of understanding passing between the two men before Sean replied to her question.

“Because chances are your father has taken on a false identity.”

“Oh.” She didn’t know what else to say, because
that
thought hadn’t crossed her mind. The possibility that her father had gone so far as to assume a false identity made Zoe’s mind reel, because it would mean that he was deliberately trying to hide something.

“Have you ever heard of the name Elliott Cooke?” Caleb asked.

She thought for a moment, but no recognition surfaced in her mind. “No. Why? Who is he?”

“Your father,” Caleb stated in that blunt way of his. “Elliott Cooke is an alias he’s used in the past.”

Her stomach started a slow twist of dread. She looked at Sean, who, for now, was sitting quietly and letting Caleb carry the conversation—even though she was certain Sean had knowledge of all these details about her father, too.

“What would he use an alias for?” she asked, needing the answer, even though she instinctively knew she wasn’t going to like what she heard.

Caleb paused for a moment, and a hint of compassion flashed in his gaze, as if he was well aware of how much his next words were going to hurt. “He used the name to help orchestrate a Ponzi scheme years ago.”

Oh, God.
She could hardly process the implications of Caleb’s claim, but as much as she wanted to deny what he’d just told her, she’d come to learn that there was no reason for Caleb to lie.

Ignoring the pressure in her chest, she shored her fortitude for what she knew was going to be a very difficult conversation. “When did this Ponzi scheme take place?”

“Twelve years ago this summer,” Caleb replied. “Do you remember your father being on trial during that time?”

Zoe mentally thought back and realized she’d been fifteen at the time and had just finished her sophomore year in high school. She also recalled how that particular summer had been a tumultuous one between her parents, filled with loud, hostile arguments that had ultimately led to their divorce. Then again, most of their marriage had been strained and antagonistic, but there had definitely been an added element of stress that summer that Zoe had been very aware of.

“I do remember that year,” she said, and as those old memories emerged she tried to make sense of them now that Caleb had provided a solid reason why her parents’ relationship had completely deteriorated. “I heard arguments between my parents, and I knew something was going on with my father, but not specifics.”

She hesitated for a moment, then decided there was no reason for her to keep anything from Caleb, or Sean, either. “There was one time when I overheard them fighting about him being at the police station, and how humiliating it had been for my mother. When I asked her what was going on, she was vague with her answer and told me that my father’s being at the police station was a big misunderstanding. A few days after that, my mother took me to Europe for the summer, and I only talked to my father a handful of times while we were gone. By the time we came back to the States, it seemed like nothing had ever happened.”

“That’s because your father cut a plea deal to cooperate with the prosecutor, which included testifying against the other man arrested in the same case,” Caleb said as his fingers absently tapped the file folder still lying on the table in front of him. “The attorney who represented your father maintained that he had no role in the management of the investment deals and had just been a securities broker who marketed the investments to his clients.”

She was feeling desperate enough to believe in her father’s innocence that she latched onto the positive aspects of what Caleb had just told her. “He didn’t go to jail, so that must be true.”

Sean, who’d sat silently across from her while Caleb gave her the details of her father’s past arrest, finally spoke up. “Your father knew
exactly
what was going on,” he said, the terse tone of his voice catching Zoe off guard. “He was just very careful about his involvement so there was no direct evidence to trace him, or the name he was using at the time, to the crime.”

She stiffened, a little wary of the sudden animosity radiating off Sean, and she couldn’t help but wonder where his negative energy stemmed from. “How do you know that?”

A muscle in his jaw clenched. “Because Grant Russo’s partner was
my
father, Casey O’Brien.”

She stared at Sean in confusion and disbelief, certain she’d misheard him. And if what he’d said
was
true, why had he kept such a huge, shocking revelation from her when they’d already shared so much? Before she could find the words to respond, Caleb stood up, and she shifted her gaze to the other man, taking the much-needed moment to process the implications of Sean’s statement.

“I think the two of you can handle the discussion from here and could use some privacy,” Caleb said, obviously feeling the sudden strain in the room and knowing when to make a graceful exit.

But before he turned to go, he pushed the file folder across the table toward Zoe. “Here’s an investigative report on your father, along with information on his past arrest for you to read. But I think Sean will be able to give you a more accurate account of your father’s relationship with Casey O’Brien and what really happened between them.”

Caleb left the conference room, and an uncomfortable silence settled between her and Sean. Not sure what to say or do, she reached for the file folder, opened it, and scanned the reports and articles inside.

She felt Sean’s gaze on her the entire time, watching her, no doubt waiting for some kind of reaction. But as she perused the contents of the file and evidence of her father’s association to the case, she realized that most of the reports and newspaper articles provided only superficial information and lacked the depth and knowledge of what really had transpired between Grant Russo and Casey O’Brien.

Knowing that Sean was three years older than her, that put him at eighteen when his own father had been arrested. She suspected that Sean hadn’t been as sheltered as she’d been before his father’s arrest or during the actual trial. Which meant Sean most likely had a better understanding of the case, a deeper knowledge of the facts, and had been exposed to details and truths that the media wouldn’t have known.

Zoe was torn between being pissed with Sean, wondering why he’d withheld such crucial information about both of their fathers from her, and wanting to know all the details about the dad she’d adored but hadn’t known at all. Understanding what happened in the past had to come first, then she’d deal with Sean’s second deception.

The realization that she was deeply hurt by this latest turn of events told her just how far she’d fallen for Sean, in such a short amount of time. But at least now she had a better idea of why he’d put up a wall between them and tried to reject her advances this morning. Apparently, he had some scruples about lying and sleeping with her. Just not enough to make him come clean earlier with the very fundamental fact that their fathers had shared a criminal past.

Exhaling a taut breath, she met Sean’s gaze. He was still watching her with eyes that were dark and shadowed, and his expression was more stoic than she’d ever seen it before. Every line in his body was tense, as if he was waiting for some kind of argument from her.

“I want you to tell me what you know about your father’s relationship with mine, and what really happened between them,” she said, closing the file Caleb had given her and pushing it aside. “Not the watered-down version I just read in the newspaper articles in that folder, but what
you
know. Then we’ll talk about why you kept the truth from me.”

A skeptical look passed over Sean’s features. “Are you sure you’re prepared to face the truth?”

She heard the doubt in his voice, along with the slight warning, and didn’t let either sway her decision. “I already know I’m not going to like what I hear, but I need to find out what really happened.
All
of it this time.”

Sean had known today’s conversation with Zoe was going to be difficult, and he was amazed at how well and easily she’d accepted that her father had led the life of a con man so many years ago. Even before she’d seen the documents, she hadn’t argued with Caleb’s version of the past and had listened with a surprising calm.

But as soon as Caleb left the two of them alone, it became very clear just how upset she was with Sean for keeping their fathers’ past association a secret from her. Honestly, Sean couldn’t blame her for being angry, and while he questioned the wisdom in holding back this particular information until now, it was too late to change the decision he’d made. He’d only meant to spare her more heartache and protect her from the unpleasant reality of what and who her father really was.

Unfortunately, Sean’s good intentions had backfired on him, and now the only thing he could do to try to repair the damage he’d done was divulge the truth about what had transpired between Grant Russo and Casey O’Brien all those years ago.

Needing a moment to gather his thoughts, he stood up and walked to the far side of the conference room and retrieved two bottles of water from the mini-refrigerator before returning to his seat next to Zoe. He gave her one of the chilled bottles, then twisted the cap open on his and chugged half of the liquid, wishing it were something much stronger than water. She took a sip of hers, and waited for him to speak.