Black Light: Suspicion Read online

  And play he would.

  .

  Chapter 20

  “Okay, we’ll go over this one more time and then no work talk. Got it?” Scott pointed a finger at her while he maneuvered his car through the evening D.C. traffic.

  They’d worked later than either of them wanted, and she was tired. Feet-aching, mind-burnt tired.

  “Deal.”

  “Good. So, neither witness showed for their interview.”

  “Right. They took a flight to Mexico early this morning. I spent most of the day checking into them. Michael Carmichael’s wife did have a baby several weeks ago, but healthy as can be. No heart defects. Mrs. Singleton’s husband, although is sickly, was more than happy to explain his wife had left him for another man.”

  “Michael Carmichael?” Scott guessed.

  “Yep. Apparently, he has a thing for older women. Susan James found out about the affair and was blackmailing them both. Mostly to get accounts, it seemed, but I have a feeling they came in with their stupid confession because she had them do it. Once they did their part, they weren’t needed. But to keep them from fucking her over and giving us real information, she made sure they hightailed it out of the country.”

  “No longer caring their spouses would find out?”

  “Mr. Singleton didn’t seem to mind. I think he had his own thing going, if you know what I mean.” Sophie waggled her eyebrows. “Mrs. Carmichael had less-than-kind things to say about her husband, but I think she’ll land on her feet.”

  “The next case we get better be a straightforward robbery gone bad,” Scott mused.

  “What did you find on the video?” Sophie changed the topic.

  “I saw her go into her apartment then, two hours later, I saw her go into her apartment again.”

  “Twins.” Sophie nodded. “That makes sense, if they were sisters.”

  “Yeah, but the records that I pulled showed they grew up in separate states. They were both adopted out to separate families.” Scott glanced over his shoulder and merged into the left lane.

  “Yeah, I was researching what Dr. Greene was telling us about the DNA sample. Sometimes an identical twin can have a mutation in one of the strands due to environmental influences. So, growing up apart would account for the variation he found.” She leaned back against the headrest. Science had been a big enough pain in school; she found no joy in relearning it.

  “Okay, so they weren’t reared together. Maybe they just recently met, and that’s why she’s around. No one knows about the twin because Susan James wasn’t exactly friendly. But what about Sabrina? Have we gotten hold of any of her relatives? Adoptive parents, siblings, friends?”

  “No. But Susan’s adopted sister did know about the twin. She’s the one who gave me her phone number and said she was the next of kin to contact. I finally got her on the phone today, and she told me she hadn’t seen or heard from Susan in two years. I guess when their parents died, Susan, tried to take the full inheritance from Elizabeth. It ended up in court, a real mess. No love lost there. But Susan told her about Sabrina, so she at least knew of her twin sister two years ago.”

  “Such a tangled fucking mess.” Scott sighed.

  Sophie sat straighter in her seat. “And remember what Steve told us? He said he ran into her a few weeks before the murder, but she acted like she never knew him. Put up a real fight when he tried to kiss her.”

  “He probably ran into Sabrina, not Susan.”

  Scott turned onto his street. “Okay, so the twins have met, and both were in her apartment that day. The security footage didn’t show anyone leaving the apartment once she entered until the next morning when the maid showed up. So, what happened?”

  “No one left? The patio doors were locked from the inside, so they couldn’t have left that way.”

  “Maybe we should check out the apartment again tomorrow,” Scott said, parking the car.

  “I guess it wouldn’t hurt at this point,” Sophie agreed. The overhead lighting of the garage filtered through the windshield and cast a light shadow over Scott’s features, still wearing the tension from the day. “If you’d rather just chill out tonight, I can grab a cab home. I don’t mind. It’s been a hard day.”

  His eyes snapped to hers, and he reached across the car, wrapped his hand around her neck, and pulled her to meet him. “All I need right now is you.” He pressed his lips against hers hard, like he’d been waiting all day to get his lips on her.

  She had been.

  “Upstairs, then?” she muttered against his lips when he eased up.

  Not moving from her, he smiled. “Fuck yeah.”

  The elevator worked against them. Three other people crammed in on the way to his condo, and, of course, each lived on a separate floor. If the damn thing stopped once more, she was going to throw an all-out tantrum.

  Scott took it all in stride, holding her hand and running his thumb up and down her palm. The action was probably meant to soothe her, but the only thing that would accomplish that feat was him naked in bed.

  “Dinner?” Scott teased once he had the door opened and they were inside.

  “I had a really big lunch,” she said. “Do you still have my list?” She dropped her purse and coat on the living-room couch.

  “Your list is somewhere in my room, and I’m not getting it. I have it memorized and categorized, and I don’t want to hear another word about that fucking thing. Got it?” He picked up her coat and purse and moved them to the loveseat.

  “Okay. Got it.” She leaned against the couch and stared at him. “If you really want to eat, we can.”

  “I think you’re turning into a bit of a brat. Maybe you should have taken a nap today?” He moved closer to her, taking away the space that usually comforted her. Except him being near her was better.

  “I don’t believe I’ve ever played a brat before,” she mocked with a tapping finger to her chin.

  “You’ve never played anything before.” He captured her hips in his hands and pulled her against his body. She leaned into him, inhaling him, wanting to devour him.

  “True enough.”

  “But, if you want to be a brat, I’m happy to play along. In my experience, a nice long spanking usually quells the urge to mouth off, especially when coupled with some ball-gag and corner time.”

  He wouldn’t.

  “That sounds horrible…well, unless there’s a happy ending?” She looked up at him with some hope.

  He screwed up his face and shook his head. “Unless you consider being used like a fuck toy and put to bed hornier than hell, no.”

  “You did that last night. You didn’t let me touch myself.” She pushed against his chest. Playing. She was flirting and playing with this massive man who could tan her ass with three swats of his hands. And enjoying it.

  “That’s right because you’d been a very naughty girl, and naughty girls don’t get to have their pussies played with, and they sure as fuck don’t get to have orgasms.” He tapped her nose. “I think some corner time would do you good, actually.”

  She pulled back.

  “Not as a punishment. Just a little way to get your head in your submissive space. We’ve had a really fucked-up day, and we’re both run down mentally. I think this will help. Both of us.” He laced his fingers through hers and started to bring her toward the bedrooms.

  At the familiar cramp in her chest, she pulled back on his hand. But he didn’t give in, didn’t take her down to the next room.

  The fight in her softened. It was just a room, right? It didn’t necessarily mean anything. Just a room.

  With his bed and his clothes, and his intimate desires housed in it.

  Just a fucking room.

  He brought her to a corner of the room next to the nightstand. Turning her to face him, he began to unbutton her blouse. The style she wore to work every day, making her fashion choices easy and predictable. Comforting, even. And now, his big fingers slid the small pearl-colored buttons through the holes.


  She watched him finish the row, enjoying the feel of his hands as he ran them under the shirt, over her shoulders, and pushed the fabric away from her body. He discarded the blouse onto the bed and reached behind her, pulling her into his chest to unhook her bra. She inhaled hard, taking in his scent, memorizing it, bathing in it.

  Her bra slid down her arms, the cups freed from her breasts, making them jiggle a little.

  “Fuck these are so beautiful.” He cupped her breasts and lifted them to his mouth, taking one between his teeth while he rolled the nipple of the free one between his fingers.

  She inhaled a sharp breath and whimpered when he released them.

  His eyes moved from her chest to meet her gaze, and he kept her locked, almost entranced while he worked the button and zipper of her slacks and pushed them down until they pooled at her ankles.

  “No panties?” He tsked, releasing her from his tractor-beam stare, and ran his hand over her bare hips.

  “My ass was a little tender this morning, I thought it would be better without them,” she answered. It hadn’t been bad, not like she couldn’t sit, but one of the marks from his belt lay along her panty line. Having the extra pressure on it all day would have left her more uncomfortable.

  “Ahh, well, maybe a spanking tonight isn’t a good idea, then. Let me see.” He grabbed her upper arm and turned her around. His fingers found the mark and ran along it. “Just this one?” he asked sounding disappointed in his handiwork.

  “It’s just in a bad spot.” She looked over her shoulder down at him while he continued his inspection.

  “We need to get you in the corner before I forget my plans again. You have a way of derailing me.” He gave a soft smack to her ass and moved out of her way. “Just face the corner and fold your arms behind your back. If your shoulders start to ache, you can drop your arms to your sides.”

  She moved nose to corner. A shudder ran through her. She felt him watching from behind. Folding her arms behind her like he commanded, she widened her stance to get comfortable.

  “Just let your mind sort of empty. Think about what you get out of your submissive side. How peaceful do you feel? That sort of thing.” He spoke softly, as though he didn’t want to interrupt her thinking.

  “And what do you do while I’m going on this mental voyage?” she asked.

  He delivered a sharp smack to her bare ass, completely avoiding the bad spot. “Remember what brats get and what they don’t get, Sophie.” Warning delivered loud and clear.

  “Yes, sir.” Going to bed without an orgasm for a second night was not on her agenda.

  “Good girl.” He kissed the middle of her back. No one had ever kissed her there before.

  A little peck, nothing really, but it reached into her. Intimate. He’d brought her into his room, undressed her, placed her in his corner, and now he gave her tender kisses.

  Her stomach twisted, and her throat constricted.

  “Relax, Sophie. I’m here, and it’s fine.” He ran his fingers down her spine. “Don’t dwell. Just let the thoughts go.”

  Curling her fingers, she dug her nails into her forearm. The little bite was enough to center her. Intimate, he was being intimate, and she would have to cope with it. She would have to handle it. Because for the first time in, well, ever, the idea sent warmth rippling through her instead of dark terror.

  His touch left her, and she heard the bedsprings creak. If she dared to check, she was sure he’d be watching her.

  As the moments ticked by, she let her mind wander into what she wanted. How she imagined serving him meals, or fetching him coffee, how she would sit at his feet while they watched a movie. She let the images fly by, settling her nerves, soothing her to the core, until all she had left was warm haze.

  “Come here, Sophie and kneel.” His silken voice broke through the internal noise.

  With a revived calm, she obeyed, finding the act simple. She moved to her knees before him, placed her hands on her thighs, and looked up at him.

  “Give me your arm.” He pointed to her left arm. The one she’d been pinching.

  Reluctant to make him angry, she hesitated, but he snapped his fingers, and she quickly obeyed. He touched the marks her nails had left, lifted her arm and kissed each one of them. “I told you to tell me if you felt like you needed to do this while you were with me. Did the corner set you off so much, then?” he asked, still holding her arm.

  “No, I just… Well, at first, but after a few minutes, I think it was just habit. I didn’t want to disappoint you,” she confessed and lowered her gaze. In not telling him, she had done the same thing.

  “You don’t disappointment me. You have coping mechanisms for stressful situations. This isn’t a terrible one, and not even one I would refuse you, but I would like the opportunity to help.” He dropped her arm. “How do you feel now?”

  “Relaxed.” She chanced a look through her lashes. His jaw wasn’t set. Maybe she’d managed to avoid ruining the evening.

  “Good.” He leaned over to kiss her. “I want to fuck you, Sophie. And I don’t want to be gentle. Are you good with that?” A kiss on her cheek.

  “Yes, sir,” she whispered, turning her face to capture his lips when he tried to kiss the side of her neck.

  He laughed. “You don’t control this, remember?” He tapped her nose. “Do that again, and I’ll have to find a way to make you sorry.”

  “I won’t,” she promised herself and him.

  He placed a softer kiss on her chin. Something clicked, and his hand fisted in her hair.

  “Up on the bed,” he ordered in a hard tone. Not waiting for her to move, he dragged her from her knees and shoved her onto the bed. “Open your legs, Sophie. I want to see that pussy.” He unbuckled his belt and tore off his shirt, like he was a starved man being served an entire feast who didn’t know where to begin.

  Unsure of where to put her arms, she slid them under her ass. Better to rid herself of the temptation to grab for him. And with the way his muscles were flexing and moving while he disrobed, plucking him up and tossing him down to have her wicked way with him seemed like a really good idea.

  Except she didn’t want the control. He was right. She just needed to give over and let him have it. Ease into his dominance. He’d already shown her he wouldn’t let her get by without being satisfied and would give her exactly what she needed. It was knowing the difference between what she needed and what she wanted she had to focus on.

  Right now, she needed his cock. And if she made the wrong move, he’d deny her.

  He climbed onto the bed, his hand wrapped around his shaft.

  “Keep your hands where they are,” he growled and pushed her left leg farther out, exposing her pussy to his stare. His touch.

  Two fingers traced the outside of her sex, light touches. She mewled when he continued to explore her without sating her need for the rough touch.

  “You sound like you’re in heat. Are you, Sophie? Does my little sub want my cock?”

  “Yes!” She bit down on her lip to keep the demand buried inside. Let him control the moment.

  He chuckled and plunged two fingers into her pussy. She sucked in hot air and arched her back. After pulling his fingers out, he thrust them forward again. Not enough! She spread her legs wider and pushed her ass up at him.

  “More? Does my little slut want more?” He leaned over, swiping her clit with his tongue while his fingers fucked her harder. The zap of electricity running from her cunt to her core burst through her. “Like this?” He bit down on her clit.

  She moaned. Fisting the blanket beneath her couldn’t anchor her well enough, not while he sucked and bit and thrust. Her hips gyrated with his movements. She was fucking his damn face.

  And loving it.

  “That’s my girl.” He smiled up at her between nips. He kissed her thigh then bit down hard, making her scream. “One more time.” He turned to her other thigh and did the same, this time sucking while he bit.

  “Scott!” It
wasn’t a plea for him to stop. He couldn’t stop. She would kill him if he stopped.

  His fingers moved faster his tongue dancing over her clit.

  “I’m going—fuck I—” Where the hell had the words gone?

  “No, no, not yet.” He withdrew his fingers and the pressure in her belly building, ready to explode, slowly rolled back.

  She whimpered. How could he?

  Pulling her hand out from beneath her, she found her clit and gently rolled her fingers over the sensitive bud. It lasted a moment, a breath before he swatted her hand away.

  “No touching, remember? You don’t get to come until I give it to you, until I say you can come.” He held her hand and brought her fingers to his mouth. Taking two of them inside his mouth, licking at the tips before biting down hard. “Do you understand?”

  “Yes!” She tried to yank her fingers out, but he held her firm.

  “Now, put your hands over your head and grip the headboard.” He released her.

  “This is where you tie me down?” she asked, unable to keep the grin from her lips.

  He gave her a serious look. “No. This is where you obey. Hold the bars of the headboard, and if you let go, you’ll be punished. Maybe you won’t get to come. Maybe I’ll spank this pussy until you’re begging me to stop.” He slapped her sex to make his point, and she jumped.

  Point taken.

  “Then, please hurry.” She reached over her head, gripping the wooden posts.

  “Since you said please.” His grin tilted. She couldn’t read it, though. Did that mean he was pleased with her using her manners, or was he taunting and torturing her by going even slower because she’d shown him her cards.

  “Scott,” she whispered as he moved his body between her open thighs. His gaze traveled from her face to her breasts, farther still until he stared at her sex. She closed her eyes and turned her face.

  She didn’t get obsessed with her body image. She knew what she was, how she looked, and she wouldn’t apologize for it. Except when lying completely nude beneath a man who had all the power in the world to crush her with a simple look. Her breasts weren’t perky when she lay on her back, and with her hips flattened out, she resembled more of an overstuffed pancake than anything he might think of as sexy.