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“Six,” I sigh, oddly sated.

He rubs my cheeks again and I can feel his heavy breaths on the back of my neck. As his soothing palms run over my sensitive flesh, his little finger swipes over my soaking wet underwear.

“Puta que pariu,” he mutters before flipping me over once more and crashing his mouth to mine.

My wrists are still cuffed as my arms encircle his neck and I kiss him back with as much need as he’s giving me.What is going on with me?Javier Campos is the last man I should be kissing. I shouldn’t be putting myself in this position at all, let alone with a cop.Ex-cop. But my brain has been shoved aside and my body is making the decisions. Harvey tastes and feels like nothing I’ve ever experienced. His hands roaming my body feel like passion, something I’ve lived without my whole life. Our tongues entwine as my hips roll, rubbing my wetness all over his stiff cock. This needs to stop, I can’t let it go any further. But his fingers are toying with the waistband of my thong, teasing the boundary they set and my lower belly clenches with anticipation for his touch.

“Do you trust me,rainha?” His whispered words against my lips bring me hurtling back to reality. I can’t do this, not with him, not with anyone. I won’t let another man take my power ever again, whether it be willingly given or not. So, I give him the answer I know will stop this.

“No.” My teeth are clenched, and I’m concentrating too hard on keeping my body still, not letting him see how much it’s paining me to end this.

His jaw twitches and his nostrils flare as he searches my eyes for something before dropping his head to mine and letting out a frustrated sigh. Tugging on my skirt firmly and covering me back up, he pushes back from me and looks at me with a cold stare. “Don’t keep putting yourself in danger unnecessarily,” he commands in a flat tone, tugging a key from around his neck andremoving the cuffs. “I’ll be ready to take you home whenever you need, Miss Wolfe.”

With that, he leaves. I take a moment to calm my racing heart before straightening my clothes, applying a fresh coat of lipstick, and sitting back at my desk to resume work at my laptop, pretending that nothing happened.

21

HARVEY

I’ve been working with Lee all day, he has a contact with a military grade drone and we’ve been monitoring The Talon’s territory for any suspicious activity that might give us new leads on the girls’ case. There are hours of footage that we have been going through and I’m fucking exhausted from it. Lee is just as frustrated as I am, wanting to help the girls who have become a permanent fixture in the mansion. One that everyone seems to love. Annika is clearly trying so hard to be gentle with them, bending over backwards to accommodate their every need. When Lee suggested silk bedding as it would be better for their hair, sets in almost every colour arrived the very next day. When Guinevere suggested floating aids to help Keeley in the pool as she can’t yet swim, a variety of pool noodles, inflatables, armbands, and life vests were delivered. She’s been spending as much time with them as possible, spending less and less time at the club. Honestly, it’s surprised me. I’ve caught her watching the girls with an indulgent smile when they are relaxed and enjoying themselves. She has even taken it upon herself to teach Keeley to swim and she shows a patience I didn’t think possible.

Speaking of things I didn’t think possible, it’s been two days since I spanked Annika Wolfe’s bare arse. I can barely think ofanything else. I’ve jerked off more in the last two days than I have in the last two years. Her pale, creamy skin is beautiful and even, her fleshy cheeks pinking up for me, I get hard every time I think about it. She was wet for me, so fucking wet, she wants me, I know she does, but she refuses to trust me. I won’t fuck someone who doesn’t trust me, trust is too important for the type of sex I enjoy. Not that I should be thinking of sex with Annika. I should be grateful she stopped it when she did, but I feel like I have the sweetest delicacy in my hand and I’m unable to take a bite. Annika has barely spoken to me since I left her office, and I haven’t tried engaging in conversation either. It’s all messed up.

I feel like I’m teetering on the fence between knuckling down and focussing on the original goal of getting as much information as possible and passing it to the captain, or embracing the place I’ve found amongst Annika’s employees. I technically lived with Den for one night, yet he’s been messaging me as though we are old friends. Candy and I chat at the club, and she never fails to make me laugh. Lee and I are working so well together, and I feel an almost brotherly affection for Guinevere. Meanwhile, I haven’t heard from any of my old colleagues at the precinct. Not a single one of those arseholes even reached out to say goodbye when I was fired. Something is shifting in me, and I’m not entirely comfortable with it.

I’m heading to my room, or at least the room I’ve been using, when the sound of singing catches me off guard. I walk down the hall further to the girl’s room where the sweet sound is coming from. The door is closed but I can tell it’s Mabel singing. She has a lovely voice and I find myself listening for a while as an Olivia Rodrigo song is attempted with hesitation. She bums a note and curses softly before trying it again and I smile to myself. We’re both as shocked as each other when the door flies open and we find ourselves face to face. Mabel has on her new, top of the lineheadphones and a bathing suit, one of those that comes down to her knees and has short sleeves, covering as much as possible.

“Oh hey,” she says, pulling her headphones off. “Um…did you need me?”

I shake my head with a smile. “I was just enjoying the concert.”

Her cheeks, which are far fuller and healthier than when I first met her, flush. “Oh shit, you heard that?”

“I did, and don’t say shit.”

She rolls her eyes with the attitude only a teenager can muster and starts heading down the hall.

“You like singing?”

She shrugs. “Never really sung before, not like it was a festive atmosphere in my cell. And when we were with mum, the quieter we were the better.”

I wince. Stupid question, I’m talking to the girl who’d got to fifteen before having her first hamburger, hobbies probably weren’t in abundance. “You’ve got a good voice,” I say, following her.

She shrugs it off, but I see the small smile pulling at her mouth from the corner of my eye. “I was just trying to get the princess songs out of my head as Keeley has insisted on going through the entire Disney back catalogue. Did you know they’ve made, like, hundreds of movies?”

I chuckle. “Yeah, I hear they’re pretty successful. You going for a swim?”

“Yeah, Keeley’s already in the pool with Annika.”

I follow her down and into the huge pool room. Keeley is kicking wildly on the surface of the water while Annika, makeup free and wet hair slicked back, holds her stomach to keep her afloat.

“Good,” Annika says quietly. “Now do your arms like I showed you.” Keeley starts a doggy paddle and Annika slowlyeases her hands away. She moves a couple of feet on her own before the sound of the door closing behind us catches both of their attention and she loses her concentration. Annika catches her waist and helps her to her feet before her head goes under.

“Did you see me, Maybe?” Keeley screeches. “I swam.”

“Great job, Kee.” Mabel sits on the side of the pool and gently lowers herself in.

Annika stares at me stoically, a single eyebrow rising in a silentcan I help you?gesture. I kind of want to glare back but I’m an adult, so I nod once and head back out, probably to take a shower and have a wank… again.