Claimed By Him (Dark Short Reads #1)

Prologue

Damian

“Report.”

“We ran into some trouble, Boss,” Marc said, his voice clipped.

Of course, they did. After four failed pick-ups, I wasn’t surprised. Sighing, I leaned back in my chair, the leather groaning under me. His words buzzed in my ear, but I wasn’t listening, my eyes fixed on the penthouse security feed.

Jade Calloway.

She was in the kitchen, scrubbing one of the pans I’d accidentally burned this morning, her movements slow and deliberate.

My gaze followed the sway of her tits, the way her ass shifted as she stood on her tiptoes to lean over the basement.

Fuck me . My cock stirred, already hard and forming a tent in my trousers. I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

Her face, though, held a different story. The defiance I saw earlier had shifted into something that made my dick thicken and weep. If a stare could kill, that pot would’ve combusted ages ago—and likely me along with it.

My smirk deepened as I watched her, enjoying the fire in her doe-brown eyes, and that slight tension in her jaw as she scrubbed harder. I could easily picture her with her pursed lips around my dick and that angry glare on me as she sucked me off.

Marc’s voice cut through my thoughts again. “Cops got the product. And four of our guys.”

“Who?” I asked, my voice sharper now.

“Jimmy, Louie, Echo, and Francis.”

Four of my best men. My jaw tightened further. “Handle it. Tell Riley to call me.”

“Boss,” he hesitated, dragging out the question. “We’ve looked already, but this is the third hit this week. Are we sure someone isn’t feeding the feds information? Someone new, easy to overlook.”

Like my fucking housekeeper?

Fuck.

Fuck.

“Just call the fucking lawyer,” I said, my voice low and measured. Betrayal was a bitter taste in my mouth, and I pinched my eyes shut. She wouldn’t. Would she? “We can discuss it when you get back.”

I turned back to the screen to watch Jade again.

She was meticulous, fucking smart as hell too.

Her lips moved, and though I couldn’t hear her, I didn’t need to.

The way she looked at me earlier—full of venom and spite.

I’d ignored it, thinking she’d just mess with my shirts again, but what if it was more than that?

My phone buzzed again. Riley.

“Marc filled me in,” he said. “What’s the move?”

“Dig into Jade Calloway. Again,” I growled, hanging up.

I grabbed my coffee, trying to get rid of the taste in my mouth, watching her carefully. She’d signed a contract to remain silent about everything she saw here, but that didn’t guarantee her loyalty. And after the latest hits, I couldn’t take any more chances.

In a controlled movement, I placed the cup on the table, then flicked it, watching as it tipped and shattered on the floor.

The sound reached her in the kitchen, and on the screen, I saw her head jerk up, her gaze snapping in my direction.

Always so fucking aware. It was so fucking obvious, I felt like an idiot for not seeing it before.

Pressing the button for the intercom, I let my irritation seep into my voice. “Miss Calloway,” I said, watching her face for any sign of guilt. Nothing. “My coffee’s spilled, please come to my office and clean it.”

Her teeth nibbled her lip as she found the nearest intercom and responded. “I’m on my way.”

A minute later, she arrived, rag in hand. My computer screens were blank, and I was already standing by the mess, undoing my tie as she entered.

“Having a good morning, Miss Calloway?” I purred, leaning against the desk with the tie in hand.

Her hazel eyes watched me between thick lashes. Curious, heated, annoyed. “Yes, sir.”

“Even after scrubbing that pot?” I asked, my tone slow and deliberate.

“Did you burn that on purpose,” she accused sharply, her chin lifting in defiance. Her flush deepened, and I couldn’t help but smirk.

“It was an accident,” I murmured lazily. Her pointed stare called me out the way I knew she wouldn’t. Tipping my head toward the coffee, I raised my eyebrow, reminding her why she’d been called.

Then I watched her swallow as she kneeled in front of me, avoiding the glass. Her breath hitched, and I had to hide how mine did the same. She looked fucking amazing on her knees. I gripped the desk behind me, white-knuckling it. Control. I needed some fucking control.

“You know, I make a point to get to know my staff, Miss Calloway, but you’re awfully hard to get a good read on,” I murmured, lowering my voice, watching the tremor in her hands as she worked to mop up the spill first.

Her breath hitched, and her gaze flickered to mine. “I’m nothing special, sir.”

“Somehow, I doubt that,” I said, speaking lazily.

“Why don’t you tell me more about yourself?

” I gestured vaguely, watching her carefully.

“You’re meticulous, I’ll give you that. But what else are you good at, Ms. Calloway?

” Spying? Seducing me? “Your resume wasn’t very detailed. Have you been in New York long?”

“I’m just here to do my job, sir. I don’t think the rest matters.” She rose from the floor, her movements stiff, her eyes sharp and cautious. “I’ll bring the vacuum to get the glass. Do you need anything else?”

No, but I wanted her back on her knees as much as I wanted answers.

My body was fucking humming as I closed the distance between us, toying with a strand of her curly brown hair. “Do you?” I purred, meeting her heated gaze.

God, the way she looked at me. Was I really such a clueless bastard that I couldn’t see it?

She’d probably been hired to fuck with me.

To fuck me . Anger simmered, warring with my control.

This wasn’t the first time I felt this heat between us, but I’d always ignored it—not this time.

No, now I wanted to use it. To use her. Make up for the fucking betrayal stabbing me in the chest.

“I don’t know what you mean,” she murmured breathlessly.

“No?” I asked, tilting her chin up gently. “Tell me, Ms. Calloway, why are you really here?”

“I told you,” she said, her voice wavering. “I’m just here to work.”

I leaned in and bit her lip and she inhaled sharply, her stare hot enough to melt. Sucking it into my mouth, I soothed my tongue over the sting and then pulled away, drawing her closer as I did.

“Liar,” I whispered when her hands settled on my chest.

Her lips parted, but no sound came out. That silence—the flash of vulnerability in her honey-brown eyes—only made my need burn hotter.

Before she could react, I kissed her properly.

Her lips parted with a gasp, and I sank my fingers into her hair as I slid my tongue against hers.

The feeling left me with fucking chills, and I couldn’t stop the groan that rumbled out of me.

Soft whimpers spilled into my mouth, and for a moment, she gave in, letting me taste the warmth between her lips. The wetness. I couldn’t resist pressing harder against her, and fuck me, I probably would’ve done a whole hell of lot more if she didn’t pull away.

“This is unprofessional,” she whispered, breathless.

“Are you stopping me, Jade?” I chided, brushing a thumb over her swollen lips. “I want these around my cock.”

She gaped, dropping the rag. Her chest rose and fell quickly, and her gaze avoided mine. The way her hands trembled told me everything I needed to know—this wasn’t just about shame. There was more beneath the surface, something deeper. Fucking hell, I was right. She was hiding something.

“I-I should go,” she stammered, backing away. I followed her step-by-fucking-step, smirking as she shook her head. “W-we shouldn’t do this.”

“Come here,” I commanded softly, but with a firmness that left no room for refusal.

Her eyes flicked to mine, her breaths uneven. “I really should—”

“Now, Jade,” I said more forcefully this time, and I stopped to watch her with narrowed eyes. “Walk, or I’ll make you crawl for me.”

A laugh sputtered from her lips, fueling the need in my veins as she stepped toward me, her movements tentative, unsure.

Impatient, I grabbed her wrist and spun her around, leaving her hanging over the back of the couch.

“Mr. Blackwood!” she gasped, lifting onto the tips of her toes as I ran my fingers under her black skirt, sliding my palms up her thighs. “This isn’t professional,” she repeated weakly.

“We’ve already covered that, sweetheart,” I murmured, fingers reaching up to remove her panties. My finger scraped her pussy, coming back wet and my eyes nearly rolled into the back of my head. “Why don’t we change the topic?”

Her breath hitched as I pressed her against the back of the couch, my hands gripping her inner thighs possessively, spreading them. The tension between us was electric, and I could feel her hesitation, her desire battling with her stubborn will.

“Mr. Blackwood, ” she murmured weakly, her voice trembling with defiance. “We shouldn’t.”

“No more games, Jade,” I growled, leaning in close to her, my breath hot against her skin. “Tell me who you’re working for.”

“What?” she muttered, her voice cutting off as she shuddered. “I work for you.”

Rolling my eyes, I ripped the buttons off her skirt and shoved it down, revealing her peach-shaped ass. “Only me?” I asked, my tone silky as I lowered myself to my knees. She gasped, her breath hitching as I kissed her soft skin—only to scream when I bit her.

“Tell me what you’re hiding, Jade,” I commanded, smirking at the marks I left behind, “I won’t be angry.”

“I—nothing, I’m not hiding anything,” she stammered, her hands clenched into fists against the cushions. But her body trembled beneath my touch, and the resistance in her voice faltered with every stroke of my tongue.

I moved forward slowly, teasing her as I licked the wetness between her thighs, circling her cunt and her anus.

“Fuck,” I heard her whisper, and I savored the way she squirmed beneath my touch, the taste of her desire lingering on my tongue.