Page 28 of Filthy Little Regrets (Princes of NYC #2)

eighteen

CASSIA

It’s impossible to seduce Mace when he’s hardly home. I expected to see him more. All the times I’ve walked around in a simple oversized T-shirt were wasted on an empty house or Chef, who seemed less than impressed with my attire.

All that to say, the week has been a complete waste. I’ve spent most of my nights alone at the pool, hoping he’d come in and see me nearly naked and the rest would be easy, but he gets home after I fall asleep.

I fuel all my frustration into dealing with Larry, Mei’s douchebag husband.

With the help of Orion’s forensic accountant and my new mentor, we were able to flag some suspicious transactions.

I’ve spent the last few days tracking where they went, how much he’s been stealing, and compiling the data.

There are a few fiscal years of questionable transactions.

What an asshole.

Larry is the type of guy who does whatever he can to benefit himself, no matter the cost. He doesn’t care about his wife or his clients.

Outside of Mei, several people have contracted Orion, and the work is beginning to pile up.

Orion escorts another new client out, closing the door, nodding at Tony, who is in his usual spot, and turning to me. His eyes move over the piles of paperwork.

I tug off the headphones Mace gifted me. They’re really nice. Like really, really nice, but I won’t be telling him that. “Hey, boss.”

“How’s Mei’s case?”

“I’m almost done. Larry is a naughty boy. Three hundred thousand and counting.”

“Let me know when it’s ready to review. I’m going to head out to meet a friend for lunch.”

“Sounds good.”

Orion leaves, and my attention shifts to the monitors. I slip my headphones on and immerse myself in finding ways to destroy Larry as angsty lyrics serenade me.

Right as I’m getting into the groove, the door opens, and I withhold an irritated huff and slide the headphones down. That was the best part of the song. I paste on a smile, glancing around the monitor to greet the customer, then let it fall.

Paige, in all her pantsuit glory, meanders through the office. “Hello, Cassia.”

Tony shifts in his seat.

Time to put on a show. “Paige, I wasn’t expecting you. How can I help?”

“Just checking in. Do you have any information for me?”

“I have some updates. We can go over everything in the conference room.” I grab a random file and grin at Tony. “ Don’t get into trouble.”

He rolls his eyes. Better he think I’m dumb than wonder about Paige. As soon as we’re in the conference room, we take our seats.

Paige drums her fingers on the table. “Well?”

“It’s been a week.”

“Surely you’ve found something. Read some text messages or emails.”

“Mace hasn’t been home.”

Her nails click on the wood. My eye twitches at the tap-tap-tap. “Trouble in paradise?”

“Screw you.”

Paige sighs. “I’m not the enemy, Cassia.”

I scoff. “You’re literally extorting me.” She’s delusional if she thinks she’s the good guy.

“You have it all wrong. I’m offering you a chance at freedom.”

“I’m already free,” I remind her.

“For now.”

Frowning, I look at the folder between us. “Do you know where Ian is?”

“Somewhere safe.”

Why do I have a feeling that means he’s dead? “I want to talk to him.”

Sighing, she shakes her head. “You know I can’t do that. Ian is in protective custody. You want to compromise his safety?”

I press my lips together. Would he really run and hide and leave me to clean up his mess? Doubt swirls inside of me. It’s been years since we were in college together. Maybe he really would turn me in if it meant saving his own ass.

But something still feels off.

She stands and heads for the door. “Find me something. ”

“And if I can’t?”

Pausing with her hand on the knob, she tosses me a glance. “See you soon.”

Frustration is a giant knot in my chest by the time Friday rolls around. Orion gave me the day off. I managed to loop the security footage and get into Mace’s home computer, but outside of what happened with NYC Socialite, it’s pretty useless until I have his passwords.

With no progress made, I’ve managed to wear a hole in the rug covering my bedroom floor. The looming deadline has my anxiety at an all-time high. Good thing my prescription is full.

My ears perk when I hear footsteps on the stairs. I storm out of the room, my gaze clashing with Mace’s, and drop my hands to my hips. “Are you avoiding me?”

He reaches the landing, approaching me with guarded eyes. “Did you miss me?”

“Don’t flatter yourself. Where have you been?”

“Working.” Mace stops a few feet away from me, slowly tracking down my body with his eyes.

For dinner with his family tonight, I’ve put on a modest but flattering green empire-waist dress that I know for a fact looks great with my hair and tits.

The little gleam of appreciation in his eyes tells me he agrees.

Seduce. Enjoy. Destroy.

“Work requires you to stay until almost midnight?” In truth, I’m only a little irritated that he’s come home so late every other night this week. It’s not like I want his company, but how am I supposed to get useful information out of him if he’s always gone ?

Exhaling, he rubs a hand over his face. “It’s been a long week. Darius is intent on a merger for one of our subsidiaries and a competitor, and we’ve been working on negotiations.”

Their conglomerate is already huge. Do they really need more businesses? I study the dark circles under his eyes and the slight slump of his shoulders. He’s exhausted. Maybe that’s why he hasn’t pushed for me to sleep in the same bed. He’s too tired to fight.

I uncross my arms. “Well, next time, send me a text or something.”

“Or something?” he parrots with a little grin.

“I don’t know how this marriage shit works, okay? But how would you feel if I just ghosted you for a week straight?”

His smile falls, and the darkness that haunts his gaze rises to the surface. If this situation were reversed, he’d probably rip the city apart to find me and drag me home. Double standards are bullshit.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought, so have a little respect for the sanctity of our vows, dude.”

“I didn’t realize you took them so seriously, dude .

” He closes the distance between us. The ravenous look on his face has my stomach fluttering.

There’s something about a powerful man being so openly hungry and full of lust that’s undeniably alluring.

Knowing that I’m the reason his eyelids lower slightly fills me with confidence, and part of me wants to see the look in his eyes if I were to ride him.

Okay, ya thirsty bitch, settle down.

As he looms over me, I tip my head back to maintain eye contact, cursing the height difference. He catches my chin with a firm grasp, the pads of his fingers pressing into my skin hard enough to keep me in place but never hard enough to hurt.

He places his other hand on one of my hips. “Two things.”

I narrow my eyes. “Is this a lecture?”

He nods. “Pay attention because there will be a pop quiz.”

“I hated my college professors who gave pop quizzes.”

“I’ve noticed your disregard for authority,” he murmurs, brushing his thumb along my bottom lip. The caress tingles along my spine. “As I was saying, two things for you to remember. Call me dude again, and I’ll spank that ass. You can call me Mace, husband, or sir.”

He’s joking, right?

“What about asshole?” I cut in with a devious smirk.

“Punishable by orgasm,” he murmurs.

My breath catches. “I’m confused by your grading system, sir .”

His gaze darkens, the fingers on my hip flexing. “You’ll learn.”

“What’s the second thing?”

Drifting the hand from my chin to the back of my neck, he adjusts his hold on me.

His intention shimmers clear in his eyes.

He gives me a chance to stop him as he slowly closes in.

My tongue dashes out to wet my lips, and he’s suddenly there, capturing my mouth.

Plush lips tease over mine. I’m so touch starved that I eagerly willingly let Mace kiss me.

When his tongue traces the seam of my mouth, I open for him and he slips in like a thief in the night, stealing my breath and the thoughts in my head.

He draws our bodies together and slots one of his legs between mine, letting me feel every hard inch of him. He’s so strong. I remember how he took Crue down, but fear is the furthest thing from my mind.

Mace’s kiss is like the beginnings of a fire, slowly kindling, getting hotter with each passing second, and with every demanding sweep of his tongue, I burn.

I should hate the way he manhandles me. The way he pins me in place and takes what he wants.

The absolute control he has over me. But he’s never rough, and if I told him to stop, I know he would.

In a matter of seconds, his cock hardens and the thick length presses into my stomach. My core clenches.

I tug his bottom lip between my teeth and gently bite down, fighting for some footing, and he groans, breaking away with a heavy pant.

“So mean,” he whispers.

Catching my breath, I pull back and search his face, memorizing the undeniable desire to possess and fuck. “We’re going to be late for dinner.”

He kneads my neck. “We can reschedule,” he says, voice rough and raspy.

“How would your mom feel about that?”

Something flashes across his face, and he exhales, stepping back and straightening.

The loss of his warmth is harsh. My skin pebbles at the sudden cold.

Regret lines his face as he takes me in once again.

My lips are swollen from his kiss, my cheeks are warm, but that only has a smug grin appearing. “You’re fucking beautiful.”

The intensity of his gaze is too much. I look away. The kissing and lust are one thing, but the praise and compliments do funny things to my insides. No one has ever spoken to me like this.

His fingers lace around my neck. My eyes jump to meet his, my heart thudding in my chest and sending a flurry of adrenaline through my system.

“Did you hear me, wife? I said, you’re fucking beautiful.”

“I heard you,” I murmur.

He squints at me. “Say it.”

“I’m not a puppet.”

“No, but you either say it, or I might see how you like it when I bend you over this banister and fuck you.”

The wanton part of me wants to see if that’s a promise. “You have a strange way of getting what you want.”

“Both things would make me happy,” he admits. One of his hands falls to his belt buckle and he undoes it with a swift yank, the leather slipping through the loops with a thwp . “What’s your choice?” he asks as the belt thuds against the floor.

My thighs press together, but I want to be more in control the first time we fuck, so I say, “I’m beautiful.”

His dimples make an appearance, teasing the edges of his smile. “That’s a good girl.” He releases me and walks away, closing himself in his room.

My gaze stays trained on that door longer than I care to admit.

That was fucking hot.