Page 88 of Ruthless Beasts

I couldn’t focus. I didn’t care about the fucking mayor. I only cared about the nerves that were sparking to life and dancing with sensations. “I’m focused.”

“You aren’t.” His whisper was so damn gentle, even when I suspected a storm brewed within him. “What’s he talking about, Bellamy?”

Fuck. He got me. “About…” I was panting. “Land development.”

It was a wild guess, and I knew it. I wasn’t listening. I couldn’t. That he expected me to recite what was being said was outrageous. His hand pulled away. “Wrong.”

A whimper escaped me. “Please.”

“Are you begging Bellamy? So early in the evening?”

“You’re not funny, Ace.” I turned my head to look at him.

He smirked. “I wasn’t trying to be. I’ve got orders, and I take orders seriously. Don’t you know that?”

“What were the orders?” My hand was on his leg, my nails gripping him tightly as I tried to settle myself.

“I can’t tell you that.” He had the nerve to fucking wink at me. “Confidential.”

I was beginning to think all these men hated me. This was torture, and I hated every second, even when I craved it. I turned my focus from the scrumptious man next to me and listened to the mayor speak, his nasal voice repulsing all my senses. Finally, I whispered, “City expansion.”

“Excuse me?” Ace leaned forward, placing an elbow on the table, pretending to be interested.

“He’s talking about city expansion,” I gritted out, “and what this new wave of tourism will do to benefit the city.”

“Ah, so our girlcanlisten.” He continued to face forward, looking interested in the mayor, but his hand sneaked between my thighs again, and I sighed in blissful relief. I sank into his touch, leaned into his body, and he nudged my shoulder. “Sitstraight. Eyes on the stage, baby. I’d hate for anyone to notice that you’re weeping for us right here at this table.”

“No one will see,” I promised, but even I knew it was a lie. Anyone and everyone could see, and maybe that was the allure. I glanced around, seeing more than one curious glance in our direction, and I knew the glances had everything to do with me being the popular businessman’s wife, but I couldn’t help but wonder if they suspected what Ace was doing with his hands under the table, right under their noses.

“I’d hate to be on the front pages of the paper tomorrow.” Ace’s voice was low, the seduction like little fingers reaching into me and stroking from the inside out. “I’d rather be lathering attention on you in the early hours, not dodging the press. You know how rumors are when you're rich, don’t you?”

How could he talk like he’s having a serious conversation when I was literally melting? I tensed. My limbs shook from not crumbling under the feel of my nerves catching fire with his single touch.

I tried hard to keep my composure. I really did. But it was damn near impossible when I was moments away from exploding in this crowded room. My hand clenched at the tablecloth, my nails pulling the material into my fist as lightning zipped up my spine. I was so fucking close, seconds away from losing all my senses, and he pulled back, putting his palm on the table over my own.

“What are you doing?” I hissed, and I didn’t care how deranged I sounded, or that everyone else at the table looked at me like I’d gone crazy. All I cared about was relieving the ache that was welling up inside of me, begging to be sated.

“The mayor is done speaking.” His eyes watched the stage right as the room’s lights were turned back on, nearly blinding me with their brightness. “You’d know if you were paying attention like I asked you to do.”

How was I supposed to pay attention when his fingers were so damn skilled? He had an unfair advantage. I leaned over so our faces were inches apart. “This is Mercer behavior, Ace. Not what I’d expect from you.”

His eyes burned and a brow rose. “Oh? Is that so?”

“Yes.” I straightened in my chair, trying to relieve some pressure.

“Then you don’t know me at all, do you, sweetheart?” He laughed. “You think I could run an empire with those two and not be ruthless? They call us the beasts for a reason, or had you forgotten? You don’t get nicknames like that by behaving.”

Chairs scraped as people rose, and Ace did the same, pulling out my chair and taking my arm, linking it with his. “I believe I was instructed to give you a tour, if you want it?”

Did I want a tour? No. At least not today, when all I could think about was relief. But this was my men’s new resort, their pride and joy. They had this in the works long before I came into their lives, and although they did groundbreaking three months ago, it wasn’t for the full area it encompassed, only the smaller portion still under construction.

“Will the tour take long?” I looked around, then at my feet that were getting painfully swollen.

"It depends on you." His gaze fell to my feet. “Your flats were dropped off with the guard at the door. They didn’t want to disrupt the speeches by entering.”

“Okay,” I agreed because even if I was suffering and didn’t want to do the tour right now, it was better than suffering with my unquenchable need right here in front of these watchful eyes.

With Mercer and Adam watching us longingly as they talked to guests, Ace slipped us through a door, grabbing my extra shoes as he passed. I switched them out, wiggling my toes in sweet relief, before he took my heels from my hand and guidedme away from the bustling noise of people chatting to a quiet hallway.

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