Adrian arched his head back, the muscles in his neck cording, his face contorting as his cock jerke
d in her hands. She buckled when she felt his hot semen on her skin, her body tightening, her spine rigid, before she melted into relinquishment. As she did, Seth thrust hard and fast, and she heard his grunt of release close behind her, his mouth resting against her ear as he soaked her thighs and pulled free.
Panting, she moved her hands to her belly then up to her breasts, massaging them there, the slick essence of Adrian’s semen like a signature on her, a brand she wanted to wear, proudly. Her thighs were stained with Seth, her breasts and hands with Adrian.
“Bloody hell.” Adrian stared at her.
“I don’t want to forget,” she whispered, trying to explain her strange, instinctive ritual.
“I don’t think any of us will forget this.” Seth’s lips brushed over her neck and her skin was so sensitive she moaned aloud.
“No. Let’s just enjoy it, life’s short.” It was Adrian.
Looking into his eyes, she saw all the things that he had tried to hide from her. The deep concerns; the need to know that he was doing the right thing. She saw and felt it all, and she knew what else he was thinking—that she wouldn’t have slept with him if it hadn’t been for Seth. That was wrong, so wrong. Reaching out, she found his hand and meshed her fingers with his
Deep inside her she wanted to hold the moment forever, to hold both of them and chase away the world. Instead, a face flashed in her mind—the face of the man who had been in the elevator with her in London. Doubts crowded in, like unwelcome shadows, shadows that Lily resented. Mustering all her inner strength, she pushed them away. Pure pleasure was at their fingertips, and who knew what lay beyond—tomorrow, or the day after that. Her friend Andrea was always telling her to live for the moment. For the first time ever, Lily totally understood the sentiment. “We’re here together, let’s enjoy every minute. It would be wrong not to grab the chance for happiness when it happens like this.”
“You’re not wrong there,” Seth said, and Adrian nodded, gratefully, putting the seal on it for her.
Chapter Ten
Emery Lavonne stood in the entrance of the East End grill bar Keane had designated as a meeting venue and grimaced. The place was noisy and reeked of fast food and high cholesterol. A waitress was on her way over, but he spied Jason Keane sitting in a booth nearby and headed over. He recognised him from his photos on police records, always a sign of criminal pedigree. Keane was tucking into a burger, and he didn’t stop eating when Lavonne joined him.
Sliding into the seat opposite, Lavonne noticed a lone man sitting on the other side of the restaurant, watching. A bodyguard? Jason Keane would have at least two minders, much like Carlisle. Between them they were responsible for a large percentage of London’s drug trafficking, and they always travelled in packs.
“Coffee, black,” Lavonne said, when the waitress appeared. “That’s all.”
Keane wiped his mouth with his paper napkin and eyed Lavonne across the table, then he took an envelope out of his pocket and put it on the table between them. “How long will this take? Mr Carlisle is understandably eager to have his errant accountant taken care of as quickly as possible.”
“There’s been a change of location.” He shrugged. “High profile witness, it happens.”
“And?” Keane narrowed his eyes.
“And the sooner I’m done here,” he said, pointedly, “the sooner I can find out where that is.”
Keane picked at his teeth for a moment, annoyance flickering in his eyes. “So why did you offer to do this, don’t the police pay you enough?”
“Think what you like.” He’d got a taste for the killing. That wasn’t something you admitted to, especially when you were a policeman. Eighteen months before he’d killed for the first time, whilst protecting a witness. The buzz was unlike anything else he’d ever experienced, and he’d craved more of it. He’d fought it, for a while. Then he didn’t fight anymore. Now he had to deal with Seth Jones and the job promised to be doubly rewarding. He’d never liked Jones. He’d have his man soon enough.
The waitress arrived with his coffee. He took a mouthful and then pushed the cup away. “Was there something else?”
Keane looked across the table with undisguised animosity. “I don’t have any faith in you. I want you to know that I’m only going along with this because Eric does, and I have to respect that. I have, however, told him I have my doubts. If you mess up, you’ll make my day.”
Lavonne faked a smile. “If you’re trying to motivate me, it’s really not necessary.”
“We’ll see.”
He stood up, pocketed the envelope of money, and left. Glancing back over his shoulder, he noticed Keane nod at his henchman. They were going to try to follow him. Lavonne smiled to himself. If they thought they were going to use him to find Walsh they had another thing coming.
Not going to happen, buddy. This is my kill.
* * * *
Adrian and Seth were in the kitchen hunting for food, when Adrian spotted the clock on the cooker and noticed it was near one in the afternoon. He was starting to lose all sense of time, as well as all sense of the outside world. Was that a good thing, or a bad thing, he wondered?
“We’re almost out of milk.” Seth grabbed a box of cereal and dipped into it, eating it directly from the box. “I’ll have a cup of tea and then go get some fresh supplies.”
Adrian plugged the kettle in and then leaned against the work surface. “Is it far?”