Chapter 15
Heathen
Her breath on my skin, the way I can feel her lips curl up into a smile against my neck when I tremble in anticipation of what she has planned for me next confuses me and makes my body wild for her.
The woman has every bit of power, and the craziest part of it all is that I readily handed it over to her. I don't have to dig very deep to know I'd do the same thing over and over, and she wouldn't even have to ask me for it.
"You're killing me here, baby," I whisper when her body brushes against mine, the heat of her bare skin only brushing against my swollen cock. "Please."
"I love it when you beg, Ellis," she whispers in my ear, her teeth grabbing and pulling the lobe before she backs away.
"Where are you going?" I ask, my brows dipping low and pulling together as I reach for her, only I can't seem to make my arms work.
Her eyes are bright with mischief, and she leaves the room, throwing a quick glance over her shoulder before disappearing completely.
I reach for her a second time, only it makes me fall.
"Fuck," I grumble, rubbing both hands over my face as pain radiates through my body from making contact with the hard hotel room floor.
I can't recall a time when a dream was so damn real to me. Hell, more often than not, I don't even dream.
As much as I want to stay here, sprawled out on the floor with my eyes closed, trying to bring back that sexy dream, I know I can't.
I reach for my phone on the small coffee table by the sofa I've been sleeping on, and the sight of the time makes my heart pound.
It's ten minutes until the time for the meeting I'm supposed to be at across town.
"What the fuck?" I snap as I come awake fully, adrenaline and my own hatred for being late making my heart pound in my chest.
In the next second, I'm on my feet, scrambling to grab my jeans and pull them up my legs, something that feels like a nearly impossible task considering the state that dream left me in.
A soft chuckle draws my attention, and I glance over at the small dinette table to see Kaylee sitting there with a steaming cup of coffee, as if she's been sitting there for hours waiting for me to wake up. I refuse to acknowledge the heat in my cheeks from wondering if I talked in my sleep or made any sort of embarrassing noises.
"Did you do that?" I snap, pointing to my phone.
She shrugs. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I told you I had an important meeting today," I growl, feeling like a complete asshole for raising my voice at her.
I swallow down the annoyance and pull in a deep fortifying breath.
"Now that I think about it, you did mention a meeting."
I can read the challenge in her eyes. She wanted to know what the meeting was about, but I told her nothing last night even when she asked. I don't know what I'm allowed to tell her, so I didn't say a word. I knew it upset her, but an explanation as to why I couldn't might've been more information than Kincaid and Cerberus would be happy with. There's nothing in this world that would make me jeopardize my position with Cerberus.
At least that's what I've spent the last two days trying to convince myself of because I did end up marrying a woman I didn't know and getting involved with an illegal marriage ring without having a conversation about it first.
"You should really put a passcode on your phone," she says, her eyes wandering over my bare chest.
I swear my cock has a mind of its own when it jolts behind the denim of my jeans, trying to convince me to stay there rather than rush out and go to the meeting.
"I have face recognition on it," I growl.
"And you were asleep, making it too easy to gain access."
I narrow my eyes at her as I reach for the shirt I threw over the back of the sofa. I really wish I had time for a quick shower, but I'm already going to be late as it is.
"Is there a reason you're being so petty and hateful or did I misread you, and this is just how you are?"
I see it in her face when she begins to internalize what I said, and I instantly regret the words. The way her eyes dart to the side, refusing to look at me, makes me realize she may actually have some trauma there. Someone in her life has said some very hurtful things to her, and I hate whatever reminder my words may have conjured.
"Kaylee, listen—" I say, stepping forward as I pull my shirt over my head. "I—"
"You said you were going to find out what happened to Alena," she snaps, her internalized, self-reflection making her words sound less angry and sadder than I think she has intended them to sound.
"That's what my meeting is about," I return. "That's if I don't get fired first."
A wave of regret washes over her features, making it easy to read that she had allowed herself to believe that I lied to her about helping, and turning off the alarm on my phone for this meeting was her form of retaliation for not keeping my word to her.
"I need my car," she says as her eyes dart away.
"Dima and his people have it."
"We need to go get it."
My jaw clenches at the realization that this woman may not realize just how much potential danger she's in, having gotten tangled up with these people.
"I'm supposed to be a rich man, Kaylee. The type of man that would never allow my wife to drive an old clunker."
"Then how am I supposed to get to work?"
I get lost for a second in the way she crosses her arms over her chest and the way it enhances her breasts.
"Work?"
"You know, a job, a way to make money so bills can be paid?"
"You can't go to work," I say, knowing she can't be for real right now. "You're on their radar. They have your car and all your information. The type of man they think I am would never allow his wife to return to work at a shitty grocery store."
"It's sounding an awful lot like you're actually that type of man," she mutters, her eyes dropping to the carpet.
"Can we argue about this when I get back?" I ask, trying to keep my aggravation out of my tone, but I can hear it edging in with each word I speak. "I have that meeting I'm already late for."
She doesn't say another word as I pull on my boots and leave the room, but from the look on her face, I don't know that she'll be here when I return.
This has all gotten much more complicated than I ever thought it would be, but I guess that's the problem. I didn't really think when I went to that warehouse. I just acted and figured I'd deal with the cards where they landed. I never imagined they would land with a marriage license and a connection to the sexiest woman I've ever spent time with in my life.
Things would be a lot better if she didn't hate me, and this is something I mull over for the entire drive to the hotel that Ace is staying at.
By the time I lift my hand to knock on the suite door, I still haven't figured my way out of this situation, and just as the door opens, I'm left wondering if it's even something I want to escape.
"You must be Heathen," Ace says with a note of irritation in his tone.
"Sorry I'm late," I mutter, knowing now isn't the time to explain how usually I'm never late, and I despise tardiness more than almost anything else. "My wife didn't set the alarm."
The explanation sounds a lot better than the fact that she hacked my damn phone and turned the alarm off.
"Wife?" Ace asks, a reasonable look of confusion on his face. "Your dossier says you aren't married."
I can't help the smile on my face for some reason, but I don't have time to consider what that means when I lift my hand and show the simple gold band. Kaylee and I swapped these gold bands, something provided by Dima, and, of course, added it to the expense I owed to them. Kaylee took hers off the second I put her in my SUV and drove away from the warehouse. She left it in the center console of the vehicle and never looked at it a second time. I didn't feel right taking mine off.
"When in Vegas," I say.
"Jesus fuck," Rooster mutters from inside the hotel suite.
I look around Ace to see the other three guys and a woman sitting on the sofas.
"Sorry, ma'am," Rooster apologizes.
The man knew I got married, but I guess showing up and broadcasting that information to everyone isn't how he expected me to go about sharing the news. But it's not like I can keep Kaylee a secret forever. I need help with her situation.
"He married someone he just met?" the woman whispers, but it's loud enough for me to hear.
Twisted leans toward her a little before speaking, as if they're best friends gossiping about a mutual acquaintance. "We just got to town a week ago. A lot has happened since then."
Clearly, my secret isn't much of a secret, but I don't have time to worry about what those guys might've been saying behind my back or the fact that Rooster shared my shit with others in the group.
"Seems we have a lot to go over," Ace says as he takes a step to the side so I can enter the room.
At least he isn't telling me to get the hell out of here.
I step past him into the room, picking a seat at the bar near the small kitchen of the suite as Ace settles in beside the woman.
"I'm Cora," she says with an easy smile.
"Ellis Burke, ma'am," I say with a gentle dip of my head.
She gives me a sweet smile, and I can't help but notice the way Ace looks at her smile, watching as a matching one crosses his face. The man is absolutely smitten with her, and it's as clear as day.
"I've been given a short list of assignments," Ace says as he hands folders to the other guys before looking at me. "I think there are some other issues to settle before your first job."
My lips form a flat line, but, honestly, I don't think I'd be able to focus on work before taking care of Dima and his crew.
The meeting doesn't last long, and in less than half an hour, I'm left alone in the massive suite with Ace and Cora.
Without a word after walking the other guys to the door, Ace pulls out his phone, dials a number, and places it on speakerphone before setting it in the center of the coffee table.
"Ace?" I recognize Kincaid's voice. It immediately takes me back to being a child and my father finding out that I'd been breaking my toys and shoving them into a hole I created in my closet wall out of spite. He always gave gifts rather than spending time with me as a boy.
"Heathen thought it would be a good idea to get his first Vegas marriage out of the way before he took his first job with Cerberus."
Kincaid's laughter shocks me, but I don't know the man well enough to know for a fact if his laughter may only be a precursor before he rains hell down on me.
"Is that right?" the man asks.
"Yes, sir," I answer as I stand and make my way to the sofa.
"Love at first sight?" Kincaid asks, his voice booming through the phone.
"Not exactly, sir."
"Unplanned pregnancy? Drunken decision?"
"None of those, sir."
Cora's smile spreads her entire face, and I can see that she's highly amused by what's going on.
"Care to explain rather than letting me continue to guess?" Kincaid asks, a little less humor in his tone.
I pull in a deep breath and lay it all out, from the time I met her at the grocery store to the minute I woke up late, leaving out that dream of course.
"You didn't have to marry her to get us to look into this sort of thing," Kincaid responds. "We would've helped either way."
"I didn't see another way," I offer. "She's... stubborn, sir. I didn't know if her mouth would get her into trouble before I could get her out of there."
"I see," Kincaid says. "I'll get Max to work on an annulment, and then we—"
"No," I snap out before I can stop myself. "I mean, I think I need to discuss that with her first."
"Already sounding married," Ace mutters, smiling when Cora smacks at his chest with the back of her hand.