“Yes, sir?” she said when Michael lay safely out of earshot.
“How are you, little one?” came Søren’s voice over the line.
“Lonely for a certain six-foot-four blond Scandinavian guy I know.”
Griffin started to go back into Michael’s room and Nora barred the closed door with her body.
“Anyone I know?” Søren asked.
“Alexander Skarsgård.” Griffin feinted to the right before attempting to duck under her arm. She raised her leg and braced it on the door frame to block him.
“I’m afraid I’m not familiar with the gentleman.”
“He’s a Swedish vampire. Anyway, how are you, sir?”
She heard Søren’s quiet laugh on the other end of the line.
“Intrigued.”
Nora’s blood momentarily turned to ice at the utterance of that word. Intrigued. Søren intrigued? This could not even begin to be a good thing.
“Intrigued by what? Or by whom, should I ask?”
“By a certain reporter who appeared at Mass this evening. Suzanne Kanter.”
Nora groaned and not just with worry but reluctant pleasure. Griffin had taken a different tack and now kissed the sensitive tendon where her neck met shoulder. As he kissed her, he unbuttoned his shirt to reveal the expanse of his muscled chest and stomach.
“Oh, God, she’s pretty, isn’t she?” she asked, not feeling the slightest shard of jealousy, but only fear. An intrigued Søren was a distracted Søren. She needed him cold, calculating and detached so he could deal with the mess swirling around him in Wakefield. Not intrigued.
“Yes, she’s lovely. Dark red hair, dark eyes, quite tall,” he said and she heard the slightest amorous tinge in his voice. Griffin unhooked her bra and started sliding it down her arms. “She would look exquisite on my St. Andrew’s Cross.”
Suddenly visions of newspaper headlines danced through her head.
Respected Catholic Priest Exposed as S&M Lord
Catholic Priest’s Erotic Dungeon Found
Accused S&M Priest Defrocked and Excommunicated
Bestselling Erotica Writer Linked to Excommunicated Priest
Bestselling Erotica Writer Found Guilty of Statutory Rape
“We’re all going to jail,” she sighed.
“Eleanor, calm down,” Søren said, his voice now stern and commanding, just the way she liked it. “All will be well. I will handle Ms. Kanter. She came out of suspicion, not simple curiosity, and that is what intrigues me more than anything. For all of her smiles and polite posturing, she appeared to be absolutely terrified of me.”
“Terrified?” Nora repeated as Griffin nibbled at her hips while attempting to remove her underwear. Søren, unlike her, never exaggerated. She knew most people found Søren intimidating at first, what with his height, extraordinary handsomeness, his priest’s collar and his remote demeanor. And he could certainly scare the shit out of people when in the right mood. Zach Easton could testify to that. But terrified seemed uncalled-for unless this reporter had some sort of priest-phobia. She knew a few traumatized Catholic school graduates who nearly wet themselves around nuns and sisters.
“She must be Catholic,” Nora concluded.
“Lapsed,” Søren said. “Also, she’s a fan of yours. Or claims to be. Somehow she learned you attend Sacred Heart.”
“If she’s a fan then I have to like her,” Nora said, hating this reporter who’d come sniffing around Søren. Bad sign that the reporter already linked her with Søren. Things were getting sticky already.
Nora glanced down and discovered Griffin had succeeded in getting her completely naked and himself half-naked in the hallway. He brought his hand between her legs and lightly toyed with the tiny silver hoop that pierced her clitoral hood. She attempted to slap his hand away but he carried on, impervious to her defenses.
“What are you going to do?” she asked as Griffin slipped a finger into her while his other hand expertly teased her nipple. Michael being denied to him, Griffin had clearly decided to take his frustrated lust out on her. Against her will, her body started to respond to his gentle assault. At least a couple hours of kinky f**king would distract her from Søren worries.
“Anything I have to,” he said simply, the threat of Søren’s deep darkness in his words. “Take care of Michael. Keep Griffin away from him. You will be home with me where you belong soon enough.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, her stomach tightening both with both nervousness and arousal. “I love you.” Tears pricked at her eyes as she said the words. Not good. Just a few days apart and she already missed him enough to get weepy.
“I love you too, little one. Nothing and no one will keep us apart. Know that and believe it.”
“Trying,” she said and took a ragged breath.
Griffin took her bra and panties and his shirt and started heading down the hall toward the east wing. He turned back around and beckoned her with the condom package between his index and middle fingers. Which reminded her…
“Søren?” Nora asked sweetly. “Beloved priest of my heart? Can I ask a little favor?”
* * *
Dinner with Patrick always started out with dinner but never ended with dinner. Suzanne lay underneath him as he pulled her panties down her legs. Bad idea, sleeping with an ex-boyfriend, even if he was helping her with her investigation. But she couldn’t deny she wanted this, wanted his warm mouth on her br**sts and his fingers on her clitoris and…
“How are you, little one?” came Søren’s voice over the line.
“Lonely for a certain six-foot-four blond Scandinavian guy I know.”
Griffin started to go back into Michael’s room and Nora barred the closed door with her body.
“Anyone I know?” Søren asked.
“Alexander Skarsgård.” Griffin feinted to the right before attempting to duck under her arm. She raised her leg and braced it on the door frame to block him.
“I’m afraid I’m not familiar with the gentleman.”
“He’s a Swedish vampire. Anyway, how are you, sir?”
She heard Søren’s quiet laugh on the other end of the line.
“Intrigued.”
Nora’s blood momentarily turned to ice at the utterance of that word. Intrigued. Søren intrigued? This could not even begin to be a good thing.
“Intrigued by what? Or by whom, should I ask?”
“By a certain reporter who appeared at Mass this evening. Suzanne Kanter.”
Nora groaned and not just with worry but reluctant pleasure. Griffin had taken a different tack and now kissed the sensitive tendon where her neck met shoulder. As he kissed her, he unbuttoned his shirt to reveal the expanse of his muscled chest and stomach.
“Oh, God, she’s pretty, isn’t she?” she asked, not feeling the slightest shard of jealousy, but only fear. An intrigued Søren was a distracted Søren. She needed him cold, calculating and detached so he could deal with the mess swirling around him in Wakefield. Not intrigued.
“Yes, she’s lovely. Dark red hair, dark eyes, quite tall,” he said and she heard the slightest amorous tinge in his voice. Griffin unhooked her bra and started sliding it down her arms. “She would look exquisite on my St. Andrew’s Cross.”
Suddenly visions of newspaper headlines danced through her head.
Respected Catholic Priest Exposed as S&M Lord
Catholic Priest’s Erotic Dungeon Found
Accused S&M Priest Defrocked and Excommunicated
Bestselling Erotica Writer Linked to Excommunicated Priest
Bestselling Erotica Writer Found Guilty of Statutory Rape
“We’re all going to jail,” she sighed.
“Eleanor, calm down,” Søren said, his voice now stern and commanding, just the way she liked it. “All will be well. I will handle Ms. Kanter. She came out of suspicion, not simple curiosity, and that is what intrigues me more than anything. For all of her smiles and polite posturing, she appeared to be absolutely terrified of me.”
“Terrified?” Nora repeated as Griffin nibbled at her hips while attempting to remove her underwear. Søren, unlike her, never exaggerated. She knew most people found Søren intimidating at first, what with his height, extraordinary handsomeness, his priest’s collar and his remote demeanor. And he could certainly scare the shit out of people when in the right mood. Zach Easton could testify to that. But terrified seemed uncalled-for unless this reporter had some sort of priest-phobia. She knew a few traumatized Catholic school graduates who nearly wet themselves around nuns and sisters.
“She must be Catholic,” Nora concluded.
“Lapsed,” Søren said. “Also, she’s a fan of yours. Or claims to be. Somehow she learned you attend Sacred Heart.”
“If she’s a fan then I have to like her,” Nora said, hating this reporter who’d come sniffing around Søren. Bad sign that the reporter already linked her with Søren. Things were getting sticky already.
Nora glanced down and discovered Griffin had succeeded in getting her completely naked and himself half-naked in the hallway. He brought his hand between her legs and lightly toyed with the tiny silver hoop that pierced her clitoral hood. She attempted to slap his hand away but he carried on, impervious to her defenses.
“What are you going to do?” she asked as Griffin slipped a finger into her while his other hand expertly teased her nipple. Michael being denied to him, Griffin had clearly decided to take his frustrated lust out on her. Against her will, her body started to respond to his gentle assault. At least a couple hours of kinky f**king would distract her from Søren worries.
“Anything I have to,” he said simply, the threat of Søren’s deep darkness in his words. “Take care of Michael. Keep Griffin away from him. You will be home with me where you belong soon enough.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, her stomach tightening both with both nervousness and arousal. “I love you.” Tears pricked at her eyes as she said the words. Not good. Just a few days apart and she already missed him enough to get weepy.
“I love you too, little one. Nothing and no one will keep us apart. Know that and believe it.”
“Trying,” she said and took a ragged breath.
Griffin took her bra and panties and his shirt and started heading down the hall toward the east wing. He turned back around and beckoned her with the condom package between his index and middle fingers. Which reminded her…
“Søren?” Nora asked sweetly. “Beloved priest of my heart? Can I ask a little favor?”
* * *
Dinner with Patrick always started out with dinner but never ended with dinner. Suzanne lay underneath him as he pulled her panties down her legs. Bad idea, sleeping with an ex-boyfriend, even if he was helping her with her investigation. But she couldn’t deny she wanted this, wanted his warm mouth on her br**sts and his fingers on her clitoris and…
