“Thank you,” she said, pointing toward the waist high crate next to the door. “There should be a small ladder tucked behind that.”
A few minutes later, he said, “I think I found it back here, love.”
“Oh good! I wonder why it's up there.”
Magnus picked up the fallen tube and corrected, “I found the container. No bottle.”
“Crap. Let me see the container,” she asked.
He held up the tube and climbed down from the step stool.
“Shit, that's the one. No bottle back there, though?”
He shook his head and asked, “Are you going to be in trouble?”
“God, no. I didn't take it. I bet know who did though. There are only three of us who have keys to this room. Lilly, myself, and Joey, the lead bartender.”
“My money's on Joey then. Can you prove it though?”
“Maybe. There aren't any cameras in here, but they're pointed at the door on the outside. I'll talk to Lilly and see if she can pull the feeds that correspond with his key swipes last week. I hate to think he stole it but the facts kind of point to it.”
“Smart thinking about the key card. That wouldn't have even occurred to me. Christ, I'm glad I don't have to worry about these kind of high dollar items in the back of the house. I did once catch a line cook trying to shove a brick of foie gras in his backpack. Caught another pocketing truffles. I let the guy who shoved a steak in his pants keep it. Fired him, though, clearly. High dollar items for a kitchen, but definitely not this high dollar,” he finished, waving his hand around the room.
“Gross. Was he going to rinse it off when he got it home or something?”
“I don't bloody know,” he said, shaking his head. “I like foie and truffles as much as the next person but not enough to lose my job over them, ya know?”
“I do. That just doesn't make any sense,” she confirmed, her eyes meeting his. When they locked on, he saw her pupils dilate.
Magnus could feel it the moment the mood shifted, but he deliberately ignored it. There was something about the way that Caroline got all flushed when she asked for sex that drove him wild. “Are we ready to go then?”
“Magnus, I think you're really missing the important part of what I just told you.”
He blinked, feigning confusion. “What's that?”
“This room has no camera and it's been roughly twenty four hours since you've been inside me,” she gently reminded him, her fingers toying with the top button of her blouse.
His cock immediately sprang to life as he stalked toward her. “I love that under that under that prim little exterior of yours, there's a dirty girl just dying to be fucked.”
Her eyes were already heavy lidded when she nodded in agreement.
“Can't even wait until we get upstairs to have my cock buried in your tight little pussy, can you?” he asked, his voice gravelly.
Her hand reached down to stroke him through his pants. When his cock jumped against her palm, she said, “Apparently neither can you.”
He let out a shuddering breath, then scanned the room, trying to figure out the easiest way to get inside her without hurting them both. Ah-ha. “I know exactly what you've got on under that skirt after that little show you put on this morning. Now bend over that crate so I can take a closer look.”
Her eyes widened slightly but she complied. Going one step further, she flipped up the back of her skirt. She turned her head to the side and gave him the most effective come-hither stare of all time.
“Caroline,” he groaned, closing the space between them. Grabbing twin handfuls of her ass, he squeezed until she moaned, then released her. “I hope you're not attached to these panties.”
“Why—”
Rather than responding to her question verbally, he simply gripped the strings that rested on her hips and snapped them. Then he pulled the panties away from her body and tucked them in his pocket.
“Magnus,” she gasped, her hips pressing back, seeking him.
“Hold still, love. I believe we discussed the fact there would be some punishment. Don't think I've forgotten about that.”