13. CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 13
Cassidy
"What's the small development you mentioned?" I inquire as soon as the door closes. Even from this distance, I can feel the tension coming off him in waves. His black hair is slightly tousled, and his dark eyes have an unmistakable flare in them.
Something must've happened for him to call for me one hour before our agreed time.
"Do you want a drink?" Graham asks, going straight for the liquor cabinet.
I want to remind him that I have a job, and I can't get drunk in the middle of the day, but then again, something about his body language alerts me not to say the wrong thing.
He looks like he's about to throw something at the wall. Instead of pissing him off, I decide to give him time to unwind.
"Vodka," I say. "But very, very watered down."
Graham raises a brow and smirks. He sets a bottle on the table in front of him. "Very watered down? How do you expect to get tipsy on such water, my dear Cassidy?"
"By drinking one sip every minute," I respond. "That way, it can't affect my head."
Graham lets out a rare laugh. "Interesting logic."
I smile. "In a normal situation, I would say that it isn't good to develop a bad habit of drinking during office hours, but for now, this stuff has a certain clarity that helps take the edge off.”
"I think my wolf craves an entirely different activity to clear my head," he mutters under his breath, looking directly into my eyes.
Shit. I know exactly where this is going.
With a single glass and a large bottle of vodka, Graham makes his way to his sitting area and places them both on the table before motioning for me to take a seat.
I move a little closer to the couch but stay a solid distance from him. There's a powerful energy radiating off him. It's so strong that even my human senses can tell something's different.
He pours a shot and passes it over to me. "Drink it in one gulp."
I raise a brow at his command, but the wolf-shifter gives me an unwavering look.
"For every drink I do, you give me one truth," I challenge.
His eyes light up.
For a second, I can see a deep hunger ignite within him. He doesn't utter a word, doesn't move, but that fire burns with a steady smolder behind his hooded gaze.
With a gulp, I swallow my shot, hoping it will extinguish the flame that has started to flicker inside me.
He pours a second drink.
"What do you want to know?" he asks, sounding almost cautious. I can't tell if it's the upcoming question that put him on edge or if it's something else entirely.
"Why are you trying to seduce me again?" I ask before I can stop myself. The drink has clearly gone straight into my head.
Graham smirks. "Because I need a release. Our night together gave me exactly that. This job is making me crazy, and if I don't blow off some steam soon, I'm going to do something stupid myself."
With that, he hands me a second drink. I comply with a few cheers before I place my glass on the table, satisfied that my curiosity has been at least partly sated. I make a mental note to not speak without thinking carefully about my next question. I know that he'll use everything against me, and I can't let that happen.
The air between us feels charged. With this, we aren't just playing a fun game of sex and flirting, but it's deepened by the seriousness of everything that surrounds us. Every second, I'm running into walls of mystery about his real motives and inner powers.
"This time," he continues, "it's my turn to ask the question."
"That's not fair, considering I was the one who drank," I argue.
"I would gladly join you if alcohol had any effect on me," he replies and sighs. "It would be the easiest way to cool down."
"That's why you didn't bother to drink more than one glass the other night," I comment, my eyes widening in realization.
Graham chuckles. "There's no point in wasting good alcohol on me when it has such a lovely effect on you."
"Alright," I say and hold my hand out, refusing another shot. "Whatever you want to know, I'll try to answer. But since you're not playing the game, I reserve the right to refuse answering you."
His eyes light up. He leans back against his seat.
"Do you regret our night together?" he asks, his gaze on me.
God. Even his penetrating stare makes me uncomfortable. It makes me hot, bothered, and even turned on. There's a very thin line between attraction and hatred, and I feel like this entire affair is crossing it.
I hate how vulnerable he makes me feel. How weak I am to resist his touch. I hate that, despite not knowing him, he's the object of my most desired desires. And of my deepest nightmares.
"It depends on your definition of regret," I start, choosing my words carefully. I'm grateful that I'm only on my second glass because otherwise, I would've already let it slip my tongue that I liked what he's done to me. But was I enough to fully satisfy him?
My heart clenches in my chest at the thought. "I regret that you went through my computer in private. I regret the way you talked to me. I regret the way you made me feel cheap afterward."
A flicker of hurt flashes in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he says, his voice so low that I can barely hear it.
"Thank you," I say, accepting his apology. For some reason, it was exactly what I needed. I clear my throat. "Okay, my turn again." He hands me another glass but I shake my head. "I've already drank two, but you only answered one question."
"Alright," he agrees. "Hit me."
"Would you really kill me?" I ask. The second those words are out of my mouth, I want to catch them and stuff them all the way back in.
I don't want to hear the truth, but at the same time, I want to.
"I like to test your loyalty," he tells me. "What do you want me to say, Cassidy? Would I do anything to protect my species? Yes. Would I regret hurting you? Now that I know you, I would absolutely hate it. Satisfied?"
Now it's my turn to be ashamed of my behavior. I don't know him all that well, and I've yet to see him in action to help him with this current catastrophe, but he truly is unlike other powerful men I've encountered.
There's something bigger than just money and status weighing on his shoulders. Something dangerous. And I suspect that I'll learn far more about it very soon.
"I didn't ask to be a part of this," I murmur. "I just wanted to live a normal life. That's all."
"You became a part of it the moment you took the elevator up to my office," Graham reminds me, but his tone is gentle. "I wish I could shield you from my world, but I can't. I can't because I need your help."
There's something about his unexpected vulnerability that makes me lose all my senses. Instead of taking another sip of a drink, I get off the sofa and walk around the table, taking a seat on the chair next to his.
We look at each other, and I try to decipher the unspoken words behind his dark eyes.
"Tell me what you need," I say as I turn on the computers, he had set up for me. "I think it's time we really get to work. No more stalling."
Graham fills up my glass again and puts it down next to my keyboard. I take another small sip of vodka. Enough to take the edge off.
"Did you find anything in your department's files?" he asks.
"None so far," I reply. "At this rate, it'll take me a year to get through everyone's records. Not to mention the fact that after every new person I put on the list of cleared suspects, a few more always seem to pop up."
"I might have something that will help us narrow the search," he says, starting to work on his own computer. A few moments later, he turns the screen toward me and points to it. There's a picture of an older guy on it with sandy blond hair and brown eyes. "Run him through F-Rec and try to find out everything you can about him."
"Who is he?" I ask as I open the email where he sent me the picture.
"I'm hoping you'll be able to tell me that," he replies. "If we're right, he's one of the radical leaders. I'm going to take a deep dive into his mother, Jasmine White. She was a powerful witch with a coven of her own."
"Was? What happened to her?" I ask.
"Died in the war," Graham replies with a tone of finality.
Not wanting to test his patience, I turn my attention to the computer and run the guy's picture through the F-Rec's database. To make the search faster, I filter it to New York. It's still a massive area, but at least it won't take days to go through the pictures from all over the world.
I use the other computer to continue my work by checking the employee files one by one. I'm determined to not skip anyone from the suspect list. If I'm going to dedicate all my time to this, I'll make sure to be as thorough as possible.
Every now and then, I glance at the new computer, trying to spot any hit on the facial recognition. But so far, nothing.
I try to hold back my yawn and fail.
"We should get something to eat," Graham suggests, and as if on cue, my belly makes a sound. He gets up and stretches his powerful muscles. "The building should be mostly empty by now. I'll have something delivered and ask the security to bring it up."
With an appreciation of his gorgeous physique, I watch him walk to the phone and place an order with a Chinese restaurant. While he still has his back turned, I sneak a glance at my phone. It's half past eight already. Almost two hours have passed by since our arrival to the office.
"Is there anything in particular that you want?" Graham asks, tearing me away from my thoughts. "It will take an hour for them to deliver, but it's good quality food."
"I'll have whatever you're having just not raw," I reply.
Graham chuckles and returns his attention to the phone. As he makes the order, I catch a glimpse of tenderness on his face. Something soft that even his usually rough appearance doesn't mask.
It reminds me just how much I'm out of my depths when I'm with him. When I'm down in my own office, I can pretend to be perfectly calm and have it under control, but the fact is, I'm always walking on eggshells around him.
"That's done," he says when he hangs up the phone. "What should we do in the meantime? It's clear that we could both use a break."
My mind immediately comes up with an idea. Considering that I've been through several more shots of vodka since we started, I allow my body to take the lead.
It takes me straight to Graham. My arms go around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss.
His surprise isn't long-lived. His strong arms wrap around my waist, holding me tightly against his chest.
The kiss is hot and possessive. Everything he's been doing, including the interrogation, the intimidation, the flirting, and everything in between, is mirrored in the way his lips move, his teeth tug, and his tongue swipes at my lower lip.
He lifts me up and carries me to the wall and sets me down on my feet. The motion catches my breath in my throat. With one hand, he pins my wrists above my head. Our fingers intertwine.
"Graham," I mutter his name, trying to read his expression. His dark eyes smolder. "Will you fuck me against the wall with the entire city spread below us?"
"I want more than that," he growls. Before I can say anything, his mouth is on mine again, his tongue thrusting into my mouth, driving me wild. "I want you tied up. I want to keep you to myself, but then I want to share you with the entire world."
The alarm bells in my head should be ringing, but my arousal silences them before they even make a sound. When giving in to lust, Graham is just as consumed as I am.
"You don't have to be the only powerful person in this room," I say. "I thought that's what you enjoy. You once called it the thrill of dominance. I don't know if I can do it, but I'm willing to try if it will sate your animal lust but as long as you promise to fulfill all my needs as well."
"If you continue to talk like that, you'll be so much more than just a notch on my bedpost, Cassie," he whispers, planting kisses on my forehead, down my cheeks and jawline. "I swear, no matter how I treat you during our sexual encounters, I'll never make you feel cheap."
“You already did,” I counter, my eyes narrowing.
He raises his brows, surprise evident on his face. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, the sound barely audible. “That wasn’t my intention. You have to believe me.”
"I don’t know why, but I do trust you," I breathe. I shouldn't, and if I'm honest, I'm terrified. But in the few hours we've shared, and despite everything, I do trust him with my body. He showed me his vulnerable side, let me in, and if I have to end up putting faith in something here, I'll go for it.
Graham cups my butt cheeks and squeezes as he brings his lips to my ear. "I'll show you exactly how much that means to me, baby."
I rest my forehead on his shoulder, wanting to catch my breath. Every single one of his words sends a wave of desire deep down between my thighs. When his thumbs hook onto the hem of my skirt, I let out a soft moan.
I know it's a warning, my last chance to tell him no. I still want him to release his dominant side on me. I still want to feel his rough hands mark me in ways I want him to.
Slowly, I draw back to see the spark of something wicked in his gaze. It's almost like he knows that when this is over, there'll be no going back.
Our chemistry will have ignited, and the outcome will be explosive. Whether we'll survive it, I'm not certain, but I'm determined to at least have fun.
I run my hands down his chest, feeling his rock-hard abs. I take off his tie, and then unbutton his shirt one button at a time, opening it fully to revel at the sight of his body. It's as I remember it. Taut, muscled, beautiful.
A memory surfaces, and before I realize what I'm doing, I let my desire speak louder. Without preamble, I lick and suck at the flesh between his pecs, eliciting a groan from him.
"If you continue like this, I'm going to lose control sooner than you'd like," he warns.
He doesn't want to give up his Alpha status, and that suits me just fine. I nibble at his other pec, grazing the nipple. His grip tightens.
"You taste amazing," I murmur against his skin.
With a growl, he tears me away, carrying me to the table. He sits on the leather office chair. I climb into his lap. One arm around my waist and the other at the back of my neck, he pulls me in for a kiss.
I'm losing the ability to breathe. I grind against his pants-covered cock. Hardness presses to my panty-covered pussy. Electricity sparks between us.
I wiggle my wrists free and start trailing kisses from his jawline to his neck, and finally all the way down to his chest. By the time my tongue licks his lower stomach, I can feel a sharp gust of air escape his lips. I glance at him from my now-kneeling position and look up to see his wild stare. I blow hot air on his skin, smiling.
I love the way I can undo him.
"Stand up," he says, his voice husky.
Once we're both on our feet, Graham studies me up and down. He guides me to the wall of windows and commands, "Take everything off."
Slowly, I obey. Button by button, I undo my clothes. As I step out of the skirt, the panties come down with it. I love the rush and the power that having him watch me is giving me.
I catch a glance of his black eyes, but he quickly averts his gaze.
"It's been a while since I've felt the need to turn to my true nature, but your incredible body is making me lose it already," he admits.
"Maybe it's better this way," I reply, trying not to flush under his admiring gaze. "I want you to fuck me harder. You were going too slow before. I'm still in need of more fucking."
Graham growls. "I told you, once I start, I won't stop. Are you sure you want that?"
"Don't treat me like a kid," I say through my teeth, annoyed at his unwavering gaze. "Shouldn't a boss be more decisive? Can't you channel more of your inner alpha?"
The wolf-shifter smirks.
"Only if that's what you want," he muses and steps behind me. "All you have to do is ask."
I can hear him inhale my scent and with one swift motion, he wraps me in his arms from behind, pressing his muscled body to mine.
"I asked," I breathe. "It's you who keeps on finding excuses not to let go."
"It could be dangerous," he whispers back. "It's definitely reckless."
"I don't care," I reply. "I know what I got into when I first let you in. I'm aware of the possible consequences. Are you?"
He doesn't move. I feel his muscles tense, and I worry for a split second that he's going to use his shifter strength to subdue me in an unknown way. Instead, I feel his palm slide between my thighs. His finger traces along my folds. There's so much hunger in his every motion.
"Say you want me, and I'll be yours," he mutters. He pushes his finger in a little deeper and the smooth glide makes my toes curl with want. "Tell me again why you want me like this."
"Fuck, Graham," I cry out as he adds another finger, and the sensation burns through my sensitive sex. "I-I want you. I-I want all of it. I want you to own me. To possess me. To fuck me so hard I forget what's real and what isn't. Please...all the bullshit and the threats be damned. Show me that this is the real deal."
With that, the rest of his self-control falls away, and Graham releases his inner beast.
His hands cup my breasts as he trails gentle nips on my neck. I'm unable to escape from him, and I'm not exactly trying to. His erection rubs against my ass, growing in size.
"You've made me want you the way I've never wanted anyone," he says between nibbles. "This is far deeper than I expected to be with you. I've been searching for my partner in all this, and this is my first lead. Do you want to be mine? It might be only physical at the moment, but I'll take and give whatever we can offer each other right now."
I know that I'm in danger, but what's more dangerous would be turning him away now. What he promises me now is more than enough, and I would have to be an absolute idiot not to accept.
My nipples stiffen against the bra he has yet to remove. I rub my bare ass against him, eliciting more throaty growls and making his breathing grow heavier.
I draw back from him. Before he protests, I lower his pants along with his underwear and get on my knees, my palms splaying out on his thighs. I kiss the slit on the head of his cock, enjoying the first hot slickness. I dart out my tongue and lick.
The sound that comes out of him is utterly unrestrained. As my tongue playfully teases and then swirls around him, his hand tightens in my hair, fingers digging into my scalp.
"I want you in my mouth," I manage to say before I gasp as he pushes against me, already craving deeper contact.
"Anything you want, Cassie," he replies.
I explore the shape of his cock, sliding my lips further along. My heart beats faster when his own hands come to my face, fingers brushing away wisps of hair. He shifts his position, bringing himself closer to the edge.
I give a hard suck, toying with the edges of his sanity. He loves it just as much as I do. So, I do it again, tasting more of him.
"Do that again," he mutters, closing his eyes.
Once more, my lips slip down along his shaft. I taste his precum on my tongue.
There's an urgent sense in the way he goes deeper and harder.
I let his hands guide my head as he thrusts to the back of my throat. My eyelids close as Graham fucks me in the mouth.
I grip him, sliding my hands down and giving his balls a slow squeeze.
"I can't take it anymore," he mutters.
His powerful hands lift me up and spin me around, my naked breasts against the cold surface of the window. The friction against my pebbled nipples makes my pussy drip with more wetness.
I briefly worry about all the ant-sized people outside, but Graham doesn't bat an eye. Instead, with one arm under my thigh, Graham starts stroking my pussy, swiping the folds aside, and sliding two fingers deep inside me.
I'm not expecting it, so I let out a lustful moan, rocking my hips back and forth, his hands alternating between pleasuring me and gripping my hips for support.
He chuckles at my responses.
I must be the reddest I've ever been, as I enjoy the complete waves of arousal. His hands aren't done exploring as he grips and squeezes my buttocks while still using his fingers to send me spinning out of control.
I barely notice as Graham's other palm trails up my lower back.
"Do it already," I moan, my body shaking with need.
With one quick movement, his fingers slide up and tear off my bra. He tosses it on the floor, his hand tracing up my spine and wrapping around my hair.
"Stay still and close your eyes," he commands.
With one hand wrapped around my hair, I hear the sound of him pulling off the last shreds of his clothing. The sound is followed by a tear of plastic, which I assume is the condom's packaging. Then I feel his warm, hard dick pressed against my butt cheek.
His breath fans the column of my neck as his hand circles around my waist, and moves down between my thighs.
His fingers push into my heated core, and I think I'm going to go crazy. I bite back another moan, feeling my clit pulsing with hot electricity.
The tip of his cock presses against the entrance of my pussy and I can't hide the needy whimper this time. I step up onto my toes and back up into him, wanting to drive myself wild.
"Be patient, baby. I don't want to hurt you," he says.
His touches slow down, removing his fingers from me. Then I feel the soft caress of his cock again. My lower lips part themselves to welcome Graham's erection.
The tip slips in slowly and gently.
There's not an ounce of pain at this. Only pleasure.
I'm about to burst. I've never been as ready as I am now.
I don't want his tenderness any longer. I want him to fuck me in the wild way he's promised to. To own me the way I've dared him to. To keep going until I'm shaking with exhaustion.
He doesn't seem to mind the urgency. One tug on my hair and another pull on my hips, and he's deep in the center of my arousal. I want to cry out, begging for him to go faster. To give me his strongest thrusts.
"This feels fucking incredible," he whispers. "You feel so good, Cassie."
"I want more," I breathe. "Faster. Harder. Don't stop."
I whimper, biting my lips.
His hand that's on my thigh stills, his fingers digging into my skin, his passion-filled pace becoming frenzied, animalistic even. And this makes me love it even more.
Graham plunges in deep with long, fierce strokes. My pussy clenches around his steel-hard shaft, not letting him go anywhere. There are no words between us, but my body only understands his hands on my ass and breasts.
Each time he thrusts deeper inside me, the harder the orgasm becomes that builds inside me. When I can no longer fight it, I drown in pure pleasure. The orgasm hits me without much fanfare, only euphoric sparkles in my body. As the first one subsides, I sigh deeply, my breathing still uneven as he doesn't stop his wild strokes.
Instead, he is just getting started, so his hands travel to the back of my thighs and press them together. It amplifies the friction, making it hit my G-spot every time.
"Cum with me, baby," he says, picking up speed again.
The orgasm that hits me is more powerful than the first. A throaty cry explodes from my mouth as our bodies ride the unridden force of mutual ecstasy.
I'm no longer in charge of my body, nor is he, as we lose our minds to each other.
When he has spent every ounce of cum inside the condom, he releases his hold on me, and my knees buckle.
I close my eyes, still catching my breath, the soft edges of my mind drifting in and out of consciousness. If I wasn't completely mad for the man before, now I know I'll never be able to control myself when I'm around him.
Every breath I take when he's close is an intoxicating mixture of his scent and mine. Our chemistry can't be ignored or denied. It's consuming, and there will be no turning back from it, so when he whispers in my ear how much he enjoyed this moment, I echo the sentiment wholeheartedly.
I barely notice when he's cleaned up himself and put his clothes back on.
"Here," he says, and a new pair of panties drop in front of me. His grin is wolfish.
"Where did you even get these?" I ask, putting them on.
"I prepared some new clothes for you in case you have to stay here late at night," Graham explains, he pauses and tilts his head to the side as if listening to something. "You should get dressed. The food will be here any minute."
"Gotcha," I reply and look around for the bra Graham ripped off. Once I find it, I put it back on and start combing through my hair with my fingers. I'm all sweaty and flushed.
Luckily, Graham wasn't exactly messy. The skirt is halfway under the sofa, so it makes for an easy rescue mission. I let down my hair and wave my hand at it in a futile attempt to air-dry it a bit, enjoying the chance to relax after the most overwhelming sex I've ever had.
I take a seat on the sofa and glance at Graham who's waiting at the door. He catches my eye and smiles. There's no arrogance in his behavior nor is there any sign of cruelty. He enjoyed this as much as I did, and he's done pretending that we're not attracted to each other.
At the moment, we might be only fuck buddies, but neither one of us is discarding a chance of this developing into something more.