Page 59 of Guardian
Not with his own hands.
Asshole.
Chapter Twenty-One
Liam
By the timeI burst through the doors of Masters and Loft at a little after six, I’m running on rage and fumes.
“Okay, tell me who we need to kill.”
Zed is sitting at the receptionist desk out front with his feet propped on the desktop.We haven’t had an actual receptionist in, well, ever.Not that it’s seemed to hurt business.Bev goes through the voicemails every morning with only a minimal amount of annoyance.
Really, though, we should hire a new receptionist.
“Okay, first things first.”He slides a cup of coffee my way.“You look like shit.”
“I don’t need coffee,” I insist before taking a gulp that burns my throat.It does nothing to cauterize the guilt leaking from every pore.I’m pulled tight as a competition crossbow after what happened with Ravi last night.
All night.All.Fucking.Night.
What in the hell was I thinking?
Seeing him tied up and begging for hours punished me at least as much as it punished him.Nearly drove me out of my damn skull.I could have buried myself in that sweet body while he was immobile and helpless.
If I had, there’d have been no turning back.As it is, I’m barely rational.
“How did the auction go?”My friend is regarding me with concern but also a clear certainty.
“You already know, don’t you?”
“Bev managed to convince Daniel Corvus that it would be in everyone’s best interest to share the client list from the auction last night—who got in, and more importantly, who didn’t.She figured whoever’s after Ravi might be unhinged enough to have been a red flag for Daniel as well, and they wouldn’t have gotten in.Of course, this is under the agreement that the information would be kept in-house.And yes, we also got the list of who did get in, which included who won.So.”His eyebrows bounce up and down.“How did it go?”
Dropping into a chair, I thrust one hand into my hair and pull slightly, hoping the pain will help wake me up.“I’m not sure how to answer.”
“Did you fuck him?”
No, I gave him pleasure until it became pain and then left him.“Not…exactly.”
Zed knows damn well there are plenty of ways to play that don’t involve penetrative sex.Still, he looks at me as if he can’t fathom what I mean.“What did you do?”
“Dragged him to my bedroom, tied him up, and edged him for…” I check my watch.“Four and a half…maybe closer to five hours.I don’t remember exactly what time we started.”
“No wonder you look like shit.Did you at least talk after?Get things out in the open?”
When I don’t answer, the curiosity on his face morphs into judgment.Judgment I’m not used to seeing from my best friend.
“Liam, you didn’t.”
“I untied him before I left.”
“So you gave him what was most likely his first real sexual experience ever and then left him there by himself?Who are you right now?”
I’m not sure I know.Couldn’t even look at my own face in the rearview on the way here.“You sent a text.You said you had important information.”The squeeze of my hand on the to-go cup causes scalding coffee to slosh over my hand.“Fuck!”
“Okay, so”—Zed rubs his hand over his forehead—“are you honestly telling me right now that if I hadn’t sent a message saying we had information, you would have stuck around and had an honest conversation with him?The guy you knocked my fucking teeth out over?Got to the dentist in time, by the way, thanks for asking.”
Again, I don’t answer.I don’t have anything good to say.
