Page 54 of Emma's Element

“Do you have a location?”

“Yes, but . . .”

“But what?”

“We don’t need the location.”

“What? Why not?”

“Because.” She paused, the uncertainty evident in every aspect of her body. “Because I know who it is.” She whispered so softly he barely heard it.

“Who?” By her reaction, he knew he was going to have to brace himself.

She met his gaze with agonized eyes. “Colleen Pike.”

He froze, trying to absorb the blow. Then he rocketed to his feet with a roar. “Son of a bitch!” He stumbled to the space in front of the fireplace and stomped back and forth, shoving his hands into his hair, wanting to tear it out at the roots. He should have known. Because of the stunt she’d pulled sending that photographer to Lake Haven, he fired her. Once word got out about her underhanded practices?which he may have had a hand in helping to spread?she’d been blackballed. Essentially, her career was over. She would never be able to get another job in the industry. She’d been livid and threatened all manner of legal action which his highly paid lawyers handled with ease. She didn’t have a leg to stand on.

He should have known she wouldn’t just roll over and play dead. She was a shark. That quality had been attractive to him to have in his publicist?until it wasn’t. She’d been obsessed with always keeping him at the top . . . of everything. Every tabloid, every red-carpet event, every social media trending list; she forced more and more of it on him. He’d long ago had enough and should have fired her then, but his lawyers advised it would be difficult to end the contract. But then her greed opened a door. He cut her loose and was finally able to breathe.

But now, his breath lodged in his throat. Another betrayal. And this time, it didn’t just hurt him. He stopped his pacing, his eyes shooting to Emma still sitting on the couch. Her head was bowed, her hand rubbing the spot on her wrist where she usually wore her father’s watch. He knew of her habit of twisting the watch around her wrist while deep in thought, and he felt a pang of guilt remembering the timepiece had been damaged in the destruction of her apartment. As he watched, a tear slipped past her lashes to slide down her cheek and his chest tightened.

“I’m sorry, Marcus,” she whispered, wrapping her fingers around her wrist. “Maybe I shouldn’t have kept digging. I can’t help feeling responsible.”

“Responsible? You’re not at fault here. If anything, you may have just saved me a long-drawn-out legal battle. She’d been fighting her termination. You’ve just handed me a gift. Something to hold over her head if she keeps giving me a hard time.” She sniffed but still wouldn’t look at him.

Sitting on the coffee table in front of her, he slid the computer off her lap to place it on the table and laid one hand over hers. With the tips of his fingers he lifted her chin until he could see her beautiful, warm eyes. A guilty anguish cut deep inside. “My brave, wonderful warrior. None of this is your fault. Okay?” She nodded, but her eyes still held guilt. When she tried to lower her head, he cupped her face with both hands, forcing her eyes to stay on his. “Not. Your. Fault. Do you understand how grateful I am for you? You bring peace to my life. It’s hard to explain; I feel like I can finally breathe when I look at you. All the stresses and worries dissolve.”

Emma didn’t let him say any more since she hooked a hand around the back of his neck and pulled him towards her, fastening her mouth to his in an emotionally heated kiss. Without breaking the kiss, he moved to the couch beside her and maneuvered her to straddle his lap. His hands delved into her hair, fisting in the short strands. He tugged her head back, exposing the long column of her neck. The gasp that escaped her as his lips slid down her throat to the exposed cleavage had his dick twitching against her. She thrust her hips, grinding herself on his erection, and it was his turn to groan.

She sat back on his thighs, her gaze meeting his before she crossed her arms in front of her, grasped the bottom of her cami, and pulled it up over her head. They stared at each other, eyes saying what words couldn’t before she leaned forward to place a kiss on his collarbone. The taut buds of her breasts were crushed to his chest as her mouth trailed up his throat, skimming wet kisses on his skin. His hands went to her hips, his fingers digging in, working hard to keep himself under control.

Her soft lips crashed to his, her honeyed taste swirling into his mouth as he fell deeper into the kiss. Savoring her sweetness, he could dwell for eons in the moment and never be completely satisfied. He would forever crave more of her.

While the kiss deepened, she wiggled in his lap, sending the blood straight to his cock. Each of her movements dragging her heat against him. He became acutely aware that the thin scrap of material she called shorts was the only item that covered her. His fingers teased from one hip across to her navel before dipping under the waistband of her shorts. Finding she was not wearing panties, he groaned. Breaking the kiss, he sat back to see her face more clearly as he slid his fingers through her moist folds. Slipping two fingers inside her, he studied her reaction. Her eyelids grew hooded, her mouth opened in a silent gasp, and a heated flush rose in her cheeks. Her hands clenched on his shoulders, nails digging in to leave crescent-shaped grooves in his skin.

As he pumped in and out of her, he leaned forward and flicked a nipple with his tongue before sucking it into his mouth. She clenched around his fingers, her wetness allowing him to slide easily. Moving his thumb, he pressed on her clit and felt her quicken around him. She rocked against his hand until her entire body tensed. She threw her head back and unleashed the sexiest roar he’d ever had the pleasure of hearing.

When she came back to herself, their eyes met. He brought his fingers to his mouth, sucking her juices. Her eyes flared. His smirk died the instant her hands reached to lower the zipper of his jeans and lifted him out. Her hand encircled him, the smirk now on her face as he moaned. Seeing that confident grin broke him; he needed to be inside her right this moment.

She wiggled around on his lap until she had removed her shorts. With a growl, he pulled her to him, capturing her lips with his.

Her hands were on him again, guiding him through her slick folds. He broke the kiss to watch as he slid inside her slowly, inch by inch. He groaned, her tight walls slowly sinking over him was pure torture. Unable to take it anymore, he grabbed her hips and slammed her down. Her mouth dropped open, her eyes fluttered closed, and she hummed her pleasure before she started moving. The sensations flowing through him were incredible as he watched Emma’s beautiful body rise and fall. Her hot, wet tightness gripped him, stroked him. Over and over again. Faster and deeper with each move. Her breasts bounced in front of him, the tips hard and pink. He covered one with his mouth, applying suction until she was gasping.

Her movements faltered as her muscles tired. Holding her hips in place, he took control, thrusting up into her while laving her other breast with attention. Their ragged breaths loud and hurried, her frantic gasps reached his ears, echoing around them.

Marcus thrust into her, his movements growing more uneven as he gritted his teeth to stave off the inevitable, wanting her to come again. Her body bowed as he penetrated her, quick and deep. Her thighs tightened against his as her inner walls pulsed around him. She fell apart, detonating to pieces. Tremors shook her as her orgasm tore through her, her pussy strangling his cock. She squeezed him so tight that she dragged his orgasm right out of him.

She collapsed into him, and he wrapped his arms around her, breathing hard. He felt completely wrecked, yet a sense of peace settled deep inside him.

Chapter nineteen

EmmawatchedMarcuspaceas he made one phone call after another the following day. Colleen Pike was in the wind. Emma had finally managed to follow the bouncing IP address to her office building, but somehow her track must have tipped Colleen off that she was being hunted. Marcus had contacted an LA detective friend who was eager to take the case, and with the proof that Emma had collected, they easily obtained an arrest warrant. But when they went to execute it, they discovered she’d skipped town. Now all they could do was wait and hope she’d be spotted, and someone reported it. Marcus had trouble accepting there was nothing anyone could do, hence the phone calls to various people. His lawyers were doing all they could to make sure the fall-out didn’t affect Marcus while ensuring she paid, legally, for her betrayal.

At midday, Emma shoved a sandwich in his hand, receiving a grateful smile as he talked to a private investigator. From the sounds of the conversation, Marcus had worked with the PI before, probably when he’d caught his friend stealing from his charities. Remembering the way Marcus had reacted when she’d taken down his ex-friend at the gala, she smiled, happy she could give him that little bit of joy in an unpleasant situation.

And now they had been thrust into another atrocious position. Emma concluded from Marcus’ side of the conversation that they were discussing Colleen’s motives. Greed and revenge were at the forefront. They figured that maybe she thought Emma had distracted Marcus, and if his attention was diverted, he wasn’t working. And when he wasn’t working, she wasn’t making money off him. She feared her golden meal ticket was going to dry up.

While Marcus had been on the phone, Emma had sat with her laptop, digging deeper into Colleen’s life. She’d found dozens of deposits into one of her bank accounts, which she’d been able to trace to some of the more lecherous paparazzi magazines and websites. It was clear she’d been raking in the dough, snitching on Marcus.

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