Page 45 of Capturing Victory

He chuckled and said, his voice muffled, “It’s a good thing I know someone who’s great with computers.”

“Excuse me?” she said disdainfully. “First of all, I am not a computer repair person, I am an elite hacker. There is a big difference! That’s like asking Scarlet Johansen to star in Sharknado. Just no. And second of all, since when did you decide to trust me near a computer?”

He pushed himself up, his hands splayed on either side of her head. She couldn’t help herself, she just had to tilt her head to the side and watch the play of muscles through his dress shirt as he moved. Despite the impressive orgasm he’d just treated her to she could feel the tingles begin to spark back to life in her tummy and lower in her pussy. Especially when he pulled out of her. She gasped and pressed her knees together as he moved back. She wanted to put her hand between her legs and continue what they’d just started and finished but she didn’t think that was fair to him. Not that he would mind the show.

“I have to start trusting you sometime, and I choose to believe you when you say you want to be with me. Now, tell me, what’s with your obsession with the American actress?” he asked with a chuckle, straightening his clothes and then reaching to help her sit up on the edge of the desk.

She stared at him in astonishment for a moment before saying in a rush, “Are you serious? How can you not have a thing for her? You’re a guy for god’s sake, you have no excuse! She’s the freaking Black Widow, plus she’s amazing in virtually everything she’s ever been in.Andshe was married to Ryan Reynolds. Yes, it was for like a minute. But it must have been the best minute of her life. Can you imagine being married to the guy that played Deadpool? Epic!”

He simply watched her while she spoke, his expression softer than usual, more indulgent. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I must admit, I enjoy watching you when you speak this way. Yet another facet of your character for me to fall in love with.”

She grinned at him and pushed herself off his desk allowing her skirt to fall the rest of the way down to cover her legs. She wiggled until her panties were back in place. “Good, because we’re going to be spending a lot of time on your nerd education in the near future mister Vogel if you intend to hang out with a Master hacker.”

“I will do as you command, watch whatever you think I must,” he opened the door and, ignoring the man guarding the hall, pulled her against him for another kiss. “But let’s be clear, sweetheart. There is only one Master around here.”

She grinned up at him and whispered, “Master Vogel.” She swore she felt his cock twitch against her right before she pulled away and left him standing in the door of his office.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“Ithink my kitten has decided to move in with you,” Jaya said accusingly, settling herself next to Ndari on the bed where she was curled on her side playing with a string toy that had feathers on the end. Haty was doing her best to murder the feathers, scattering the pink, red and yellow fluff everywhere. “What did you do, promise her a lifetime supply of chin scratches and those treats that she’s addicted to?”

Ndari shrugged a shoulder and glanced up. “Just the blood of our enemies, starting with the Irishman. He stepped on her tail yesterday and she now wants his heart in a box.”

“Sounds like her,” Jaya agreed with a laugh. They both watched the adorable, chubby kitten with her too-big paws continue to roll around on her back and bat the toy while Ndari bobbed it in and out of reach. When Jaya looked back up it was to find the other woman’s eyes intent on her face as though studying her.

“You’re happy here now, truly happy?” she asked suddenly, her tone serious.

Jaya thought about it, wanting to give Ndari an honest answer. After what the two women had been through, she deserved that. “Maybe it’s the pain meds, but I think so. And I don’t know about happy exactly… not yet anyway. But I think it’ll come eventually. Once we work out the kinks.” She smirked, thinking about what she’d just said, specifically remembering the time Ivan’d zapped her while they were having sex. She tilted her head to the side. “Well, maybe not all the kinks.”

Ndari sighed heavily and reached behind her, into her back pocket. “Then this belongs to you.” She handed a phone to Jaya. Specifically the phone Jaya had lifted from the guy at the mall right before hotwiring the Maserati. She gaped at it for a second before looking up at Ndari. “I thought I’d dropped it while I was running!”

Ndari shook her head. “You shoved it down the front of your shirt. Ivan put you on my lap while we were waiting for his men to arrive in the garage. He was pacing back and forth like a madman, not paying any attention to me, just watching for them. I felt the phone while I was checking your pulse and put it in my purse when he wasn’t looking.”

“And you’ve had it ever since and haven’t said a word.” She tried to keep the accusation from her voice, but she had trouble imagining someone as open as Ndari keeping such a big secret.

“I’m sorry,” Ndari said, her own voice anguished. “I needed it close, like a security blanket. It was going to be our out if you decided you wanted to leave or if he did anything else horrible, like putting a gun to my head again.”

Jaya felt like a terrible friend at the reminder. “Of course you wanted it,” Jaya replied, softening her tone. “And so you should have a phone. I’ll talk to Ivan about getting you a legitimate one of your own now that he’s decided we’re going to try the trust thing. It shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Really?” Ndari said, excitement shining through. “Because I’ve been dying to call the palace. I can’t even tell you how boring that place is when I’m not around to shake things up. I need to make sure my half-sister, Alissa, stays out of my closet. That skank has terrible taste in clothing, yet she still borrows my shit.”

“Wow, I’ve missed you,” Jaya laughed and reached out to hug her friend, ignoring Haty’s outraged protest when she ended their game and sent the kitten scampering. “We’ve been much too serious this week.”

“Agreed,” Ndari said, squeezing Jaya back.

Once they settled back onto their opposing sides of the bed, Ndari studied Jaya with a calculating twinkle in her eye. “What?” Jaya demanded, becoming quickly acquainted with her friend’s penchant toward mischief.

“Well… you know how our last shopping trip got interrupted?” Ndari said. To her credit she didn’t say it in an accusing tone, as if she didn’t blame Jaya for reigning chaos down upon Ivan and therefore everyone in his vicinity. Jaya rolled her eyes, nodded and twirled her finger, as if to say get on with it. “Anyway, I was thinking we should try the shopping thing again! Your man still has the big bucks that need spending and, honey, not that you don’t look adorably quaint in that never-ending parade of saris you keep wearing, but it’s time to update your style.”

Jaya giggled and defended herself. “Okay, the saris aren’t my choice. Ivan saw me in one once at a ball and was smitten! Can I help it that I’m gorgeous in traditional gear? I’m usually a T-shirts and leggings kind of girl. In fact, I’m a hacker, I’m usually a pyjamas-unless-I’m-absolutely-forced-to go-out-in-public kind of girl.”

Ndari made a face and shook her head. “No girl, we definitely need to work on your style then. You’re about to become the wife of one of the world’s most notorious businessmen. Legit or not, Ivan Vogel is known internationally. You need to look the part.”

“This conversation is pointless anyway. He might trust me a little more now, but I doubt his trust is going to extend to another shopping trip the moment he stops threatening to murder everything I love.”

Ndari gave her a pointed look. “You’re pretty thick for a genius. Did he not just give you access to an entire world of online shopping and a princess who has spent her entire life as a professional shopper?”

Jaya’s mouth fell open.

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