Page 27 of Burned
Halting Kenzi, I placed my hand on her leg beneath the white linen tablecloth and squeezed lightly. “What Ms. Horton is trying to say is that the solar batteries are trademarked and unless you want to buy the trademark, the Triage name will remain on them.”
“How much?” Turner asked arrogantly. “I’m sure we can come to some agreement. After all, as you know, I am well aware of how Triage came to be.”
It was a threat, and it was the main reason I despised this man. He had me and it pained me to even think about putting Turner International on something that I worked so hard to achieve. But if I wanted to keep how I obtained Triage a secret, I had to give in. “How about this? I will add Turner International to the trademark for $200 million. I’ll even allow TI to be listed first.”
It was Kenzi’s turn to place her hand on my leg and squeeze. I gazed her way and took in her expression. I couldn’t tell of she was shocked or concerned. Either way, it was my decision and one I would have to live with should Turner agree.
The waiter came to the table just in time to take our order. It gave Turner the chance to mull over my offer.Would he take it?I really didn’t care one way or the other, as long as he didn’t bring up my past.
“You’re really pushing your luck, Stevenson. Who’s to say I won’t take Triage from you and leave you with nothing?” Turner spat.
“Everyone has secrets, Turner. Even you.” Two could play this game. Jed Turner had more secrets than the one I knew about. If he was going to threaten me, I could do the same. “Take the deal, Turner, because after tonight, it’s off the table.
Turner downed his Glenlivet and slammed his glass on the table. “You’re a ruthless son-of-a-bitch. We are more alike than you think. I’ll have the funds wired to your account before my plane takes off.”
~21~
Kenzi
There was nothing about Jed Turner that I liked. Just like River said, he was a snake and couldn’t be trusted. For whatever reason, Jed Turner held the truth about Triage over River’s head. I knew River enough to know that he wouldn’t come right out and tell me himself. The perks of working at a prestigious law firm were that I could get information that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to.
Even though things between me and Axe were over, something about what he said I couldn’t get out of my head. Maybe the threat Turner made was what Axe meant. I was no saint either, but I didn’t have secrets. Not anymore, at least.Who was I fooling?I had a secret; one River didn’t know. My meeting with Axe was still out there and something I couldn’t bring myself to confess to River. The way he was asking me about where I was this morning made me wonder if he already knew. His hammering me was bad enough in the bar at the Salamanto’s, but he was driving me insane as we drove home.
“Kenzi, why do I have the feeling you’re hiding something from me? I thought we promised each other that we wouldn’t lie to one another or keep secrets,” River voiced, mocking the thoughts that ran though my head. “I would hate to think that has changed.”
“It hasn’t changed,” I said, contemplating my next words. “I will tell you where I was, if you tell me what Jed Turner meant by knowing how you got Triage.”
The inside of the car went silent. River hadn’t got his answer from me, nor had I gotten mine from him. It was only after we got to the penthouse that the questions began to fly.
“I think we both know what this is about, Kenzi. I will not be tested in this way. Now tell me where the hell you were when Mark tried contacting you?” he demanded before I stepped off the elevator.
He was angry, but so was I. “Not until you tell me about Triage and how it came to be.”
River walked to the sectional with me close behind. My hands were balled up in fists—a sign of my anger. We were standing face to face with only inches between us. Without warning. River placed his lips on mine and forced my lips to part with his tongue. As angry as I was, I loved him and his kiss made me forget the last few minutes.
Locked together in a heated kiss, he lifted me from the floor and carried me bear-style to the bedroom. River’s rich, spicy cologne filled my senses. With every step he took, I longed for where this bout of emotional turmoil would lead. I wanted him, but mostly I wanted to forget about Axe and Turner.
Our clothes came off—mine before his—and I became powerless before his desire to have me as he pushed me onto the bed. My pulse hammered beneath my skin when his hands took hold of my wrists and he held them in place with one hand while using the other to open the nightstand drawer. I hadn’t noticed it before, but he pulled out a long rope made of silk.
My breath hitched for a moment until his eyes met mine. “You are mine, Kenzi, but damn if you don’t bring out the worst in me.”
I couldn’t speak. My thoughts hung on his every word as he took the soft rope and tied it around my wrists, and secured the rope to the spindle on the headboard. River’s hand swept across my cheek and then to the strand of hair that had escaped my low bun. “I need answers and instead of fighting, I will pleasure you into a confession.”
River’s touch was gentle as he kissed me on the lips before he moved down my body. Goose bumps covered my exposed skin and my core twisted. My hands were bound above my head and, more than ever, I wanted to touch him. “Please. River. Untie me. I need to touch you.”
“My rules, my way,” he blurted between kisses.
My head fell to the pillow. I was completely at his mercy. I closed my eyes and let my body feel his touch. He peppered my stomach with kisses as he tweaked one nipple between his fingers and then the other. My body was covered with goose bumps on top of goose bumps. Unconsciously, my back arched and small whimpers left my lips before moans echoed through the bedroom.
“Just feel my touch, beautiful.”
I was one step ahead of him—my senses were in overdrive.
Unrelentingly teasing my skin, his kisses brought my body to new heights. I began squirming beneath him as his finger moved between my folds. “Please, River, I need more,” I pleaded in a voice unknown to me.
“Tell me what I want to know and I will give you the most pleasure you will ever experience.”
How would I ever be able to deny him the truth?He had control of every nerve in my body. I was completely his. I would lose this battle if I didn’t pull it together.
