The NSC Boxset: Heart of Stone (173 page)

I turned my back on him, bent at the waist and gripped my ankles. I heard his breath leave his lungs in a short sharp gust as he took a step closer and his palm immediately landed with a slap on my right buttock.

My teeth sank into my bottom lip and I held back the groan as his hand connected with my other cheek.

“Count” he demanded sternly and I yielded to his order and stated each spank as it hit.

“You disobeyed me, Red. Don’t do it again” he roared on the twelfth strike.

“Yes, Sir. I’m sorry” I said calmly.

To be honest Lucas’s spanks were like a feather tickle compared to Diablo’s and I knew he was fighting with the urge to paddle me harder, but his feelings for me overtook that and decreased the intensity of how he disciplined me. But, it was still a huge turn on and by the last hit I was practically drooling for him but I remained as impassive as possible, knowing that was how I was required to behave.

His hand suddenly gripped my hair from behind and he yanked my head back and me upright, before he impaled me in one thrust. “You will fucking do as your told” he roared as he began to pound into me vigorously.

“Be vocal” he demanded as I fought my climax, waiting for his permission but it was building rapidly and I clenched tight around him.

“You wanna come, Red?” he snarled at me as he continued to pummel me hard and rough.

I nodded frantically and locked my knees in a bid to remain upright against his powerful strokes and a long drawn groan left my mouth when he circled his hips and ground his pelvis against me, burying his cock deeper and harder.

“Please, Sir . . .” I whimpered.

His free hand cupped my breast and then his fingers were torturing my nipples, pulling and rolling them harshly and I bit into my lip to demand my orgasm back.

“You will obey me, Red?”

“Yes, Sir” I practically screamed at him.

He let out a guttural grunt, animalistic and primal as he shouted his command for me to come and he didn’t have to tell me twice. I erupted forcefully around his hardness and my legs buckled but Lucas wrapped his arms around my waist to hold me up and pull me deeper onto his cock to milk him dry.

“Holy Shit!!!” he grated through clenched teeth as he continued to pump into me to an extraordinary degree.

I had never known anyone to come as long as Lucas was, it just seemed to keep spilling into me and his groans and grunts lasted just as long as he held on tight.

We both collapsed in a heap onto the floor, both panting and trying to pull ourselves together as our bodies shook and jerked.

“Withdraw” he said softly as he planted a delicious kiss on my lips and then nuzzled his nose into my neck.

“Please don’t disappear again. I literally came to pieces when you weren’t home” He breathed softly into me and I frowned when I realised how worried he had been.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think, I just fancied a drink and . . .”

He nodded and sighed as he pulled me up into a foetus position with him, both of us curled around each other on his plush carpet.

“Next time just text me or something so I know where you are” he asked as we both dozed, sated and lethargic after our amazing fuck.

I just nodded a reply and yawned hearing his declaration of love before my eyes closed and I drifted.

* * *

“Red, baby.”

“Mmmm.”

“Baby . . .”

“Mmmm.”

“You have to wake up, Red.”

“But you love me . . .”

“That I do, but you still need to wake up.”

“You’re just mean” I relented as I prised my eyes open.

His handsome face was smiling softly at me. “We have to get ready for work. I daren’t leave you any longer, even though you looked so pretty whilst you drooled and snored like a pig on heat.”

I narrowed my eyes on him and slapped his arm, “I do not snore.”

He shook his head deliberately slowly and gave me a coy smile “No, Red.”

He handed me a cup of tea with a grin and I struggled to pull myself from my slumber “God, I don’t think I’ve ever slept that well.”

I noticed Lucas’s brows pull in slightly and I flinched. “Did I have another one?” I asked quietly.

He shrugged but nodded faintly and I groaned. “Did I hurt you?”

He didn’t answer my question but settled beside me on the bed. “You think you ought to see someone, Red? They can give you pills and stuff that would help.”

“No” I refused immediately and he sighed.

“But . . .”

“No buts, Lucas, No.”

He sucked on his lips but conceded and nodded “Drink your tea, I’m gonna take a shower.”

I nodded, aware that he was mad with me but I let it ride as I watched his magnificent arse retreat towards the bathroom.

“You know, you have a fucking epic bum.”

He turned to me over his shoulder and smiled. “Just thought I’d tell you” I shrugged nonchalantly and sipped my tea as I lowered my eyes again.

He pulled his shorts down and gave me a delicious eyeful of that magnificent backside and I inhaled deeply and shook myself.

“You better take that shower before I demand you fuck me, and then I’ll be late for work and my boss might sack me” I told him as I bit my lip provocatively.

He spun his whole body round and now gave me a full frontal view which was even more spectacular than the back view and stalked towards me slowly, taking my cup from my hands when he reached me.

“I’m sure your boss is a very understanding man, baby. In fact I think he would insist that you have a workout before work” he grinned lazily as his mouth rested on my lips and his hands rested on my breasts.

“Well, he does need me to make coffee, so maybe he might be lenient” I whispered as his mouth tracked its way towards my breasts and I palmed his head.

“Yes he does, so you just lie back and think how pleased your boss will be that you’re taking care of your man . . . loyalty and all that is important in the workplace.”

I sighed and lay back, knowing exactly how pleased my boss was that I was being a very loyal employee.

Chapter 24

Lucas

I WATCHED HER move across my office and my dick sprung to life, Hell, my dick was always alive when Red was near.

I was like a rampant fucking wolf where she was concerned.

A small smile lifted her lips as she caught me watching her and she lifted an eyebrow at me. “Anything I can help you with, Mr Hunt?”

“Just thinking about what I might have for lunch, Miss Summers.”

She nodded slowly as she replaced some files back in the cabinet, “Have you decided?”

“Well, there’s a choice on offer,” I told her as she regarded me with a small nod and gestured for me to go on. “We’ll there’s Red, or there’s Willow, or there’s Layla or there’s Kayla” I shrugged playfully but her expression darkened before she completely shut down.

Shit!

“Kayla isn’t available” she snapped before she stormed from my office and I saw her scurry down the corridor.

Shit again!

I ran my hands through my hair and sighed. “You fucked that one up, Hunt!”

The internal phone rang and I answered it myself, cursing Red for doing a runner and leaving me to answer the bloody phones.

Words and discipline sprang to mind.

“What?” I barked, now in a bad mood at Red’s runner.

“Oh Lucas, Hi” Ava greeted, “I was expecting Layla, is she available?”

“No.”

“Okayyy, uhh, could you ask her to give me a bell when she returns?”

“Yep.”

“Right, thanks . . .”

I rolled my eyes and disconnected before I noticed Erica sauntering about in reception and as quick as I tried to slump down the chair and hide under the table, it was too late and she gave me that sly grin of hers through the glass window.

“Lucas, Darling” she purred as she walked through the door and I groaned inwardly but gave her a smile.

“Erica” I returned as she rounded my desk and settled her arse on the edge in front of me.

“I haven’t heard from you for a while, I was just thinking of you and was in the area and wondered if you fancied grabbing some lunch?”

Her finger danced over my bottom lip as her sultry eyes ate me alive and I gently took hold of her hand “Erica, I. . . .”

Why does it always happen when things look really wrong?

I glanced Red watching from the doorway just as my fingers curled around Erica’s to remove them but I’m sure to Red it looked like I was reciprocating Erica’s tender moment.

“Sorry, Mr Hunt. I just wanted to let you know I’m taking an early lunch” she said flatly, her eyes trained on the window behind me and I swallowed as Erica glared at Red.

“Miss Summers, I’d like a word please. Erica was just leaving.”

Erica stood and smiled. “Yes, we were just off for lunch, I’ll meet you in the lobby, Lucas” she declared and breezed out of my office before I could challenge her words.

I opened my mouth to speak but she had gone and I shifted my gaze to Red. “That wasn’t what it looked . . .”

“It’s fine Lucas, you go for lunch with Erica. I was just about to tell you I’m going for lunch with Ava and Mason.”

With that she turned on her pretty pink heels and disappeared down the corridor again. “Fuck, Red . . .” I shouted to her but groaned as I heard the elevator doors ping and knew it was too late.

* * *

I watched Red retreat through the main foyer doors with Ava beside her, both of them giggling at something the huge security guy, Bert I think his name was, had said. Red smiled at him and her eyes twinkled mischievously before, as though she felt me watching her, she turned and regarded me through the faintly tinted glass doors.

I jolted when a hand settled on my shoulder and I knew it was Erica before I even turned. Her over powering perfume choked itself up my nostrils and persecuted my brain.

“Lucas Darling, you ready?”

I didn’t turn to her immediately. I watched the hurt settle over Red’s features before she turned back to Ava and nodded before Mason pulled up and they both climbed into his car.

“Erica, I’m not here to take you to lunch” I told her as I turned to her. I hated to do this and I genuinely liked Erica. She was always fun in the bedroom and she usually wasn’t pushy, just accepted what I gave her and never pressed until the next time I needed her.

Her brow furrowed and she glanced at the main doors before her lips turned into a soft smile. “The redhead?” she asked. Her perception floored me and I tilted my head at her.

She chuckled softly. “Lucas, it’s not that hard. Last week, when you couldn’t . . . and the way you just watched her like you wanted to devour her, but then there was something else in your eyes. Adoration?”

I pursed my lips and sighed but nodded “Yeah. We have a thing going. It’s complicated at the moment but . . .”

She placed her hand on my shoulder and shook her head, “Lucas, honestly its fine. I’m not going to down pills and get drunk. We had fun but that’s all it was, fun.”

I smiled widely at her. Why couldn’t all women be like her? “Thanks Erica” I said as I planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

She smiled softly and palmed my cheek before she teetered across the marble floor. I was silently in awe of how she remained upright in those heels against the sheer polished surface of the flooring.

Sighing deeply, I made my way out of the building and across to the deli across the road. I purchased some sliced ham, cheese and olives and made my back to my lonely office.

“Lunch alone again, Lucas.”

I rolled my eyes when the phone rang and I eyed my lunch with a pang of hunger but did Red’s job and answered the phone.

“Can I speak with Kayla Winters, please?”

My brain kicked into high alert at the name request. There were only a few people who knew her real name and the fact that someone was ringing here made me shiver in apprehension.

“I’m afraid she’s on her lunch at the moment. Can I take a message?”

“Yes. Could you ask her to contact Bellmarsh Prison immediately please and ask for Governor Thames?”

“Uhh, yes. Is everything okay with her husband?”

There was a slight silence on the other end and I waited patiently. “Well . . . not really, but I can’t divulge any information other than to Mrs Winters I’m afraid. If you could just get her to contact me as soon as possible.”

“Sure.”

My gut bubbled in uneasiness. Something was wrong, I could tell by the way the governor had spoken and I placed my lunch in the bin, my appetite diminished as I went in search of Red.

* * *

I didn’t know what to do to help her, apart from sit beside her on the torn and frayed sofa, in the torn and frayed waiting room, her torn and frayed heart weeping whilst I held her hand as tight as she’d let me.

Ryan had been admitted with multiple stab wounds, one of those had skimmed his heart and they were operating on him as we sat in silence and waited, just waited. Just bloody waited, hour after torturous hour.

Red suddenly stood and approached the large bay window and sat on its sill. The chipped flaky paint had me regarding it with trepidation so I let her remain there alone.

In her head she was alone anyway, well; I say alone, I knew she was in that operating room with her husband.

“It was Diablo” She stated quietly and I swallowed heavily but remained silent at her words.

Yes, they were my thoughts as well but up until now I hadn’t been brave enough to say them to her.

The pain on her face was raw and cruel and right at this very moment I would give my life to stop the torment she was going through. I was hurting right along there with her, her suffering was now my suffering and my heart was tearing in two at her sorrow.

We had been sat in this damn filthy room for three hours now and my mind was frizzing at the lack of air and the same four walls.

“I’m gonna go find us a coffee” I told her. She nodded but didn’t look at me and I sighed as I quietly closed the door behind me and went in search of sustenance.

I found a machine down the corridor and purchased us both a thick brown substance that I wasn’t even sure was coffee, but it was wet and hot and it would feed us for a while.

As I walked back up the corridor the primitive gut-wrenching scream that cut through the air and sucked the oxygen out of it, saw the cups slip from my hands and my heart paused and stuttered when the scream turned to a long drawn out cry.