Olivia was quiet on the drive over to my place, but I didn’t press the issue, even though I was dying to know what was going on in that beautiful brain of hers. Consider it growth. I led her into the kitchen, hoping some proper food might solve whatever the problem was. The last time Olivia was in my kitchen we ended up arguing. I was determined for this visit to go smoother, if only to keep her here in my home, at my side, in my bed.
“Okay, Chef Moore, let’s see what you’ve got,” Olivia quipped, perching on the edge of a stool, placing her bag of pseudo-food on the counter in front of her. “And make it snappy, or I’m going to chow down on what I brought.”
Perish the thought. “I don’t respond well to threats, Liv,” I said with a playful glower.
She giggled in response. “My apologies. Hunger has ruined my manners. Please, Marcus, I’m so looking forward to whatever you prepare for us to share.”
I hid a grin by opening one door of the massive refrigerator, scanning the shelves for an idea.
Olivia piped up with, “Nothing to eat in there either?”
“Plenty. I see where you might be confused, though. It takes time to plan a menu when there’s more than bottled water and fruit to choose from.” I shot back, shifting so she could see inside the packed fridge. “A proper kitchen should contain the finest ingredients. Look at this selection, all fresh and waiting to be transformed into something delicious.” My tone was teasing, and I could see the laughter dancing in her eyes as she took it all in.
“That’s great, but when do we actually eat?” Olivia relaxed and happy was the greatest thing in the world.
“Patience,” I said, grabbing a thick ribeye steak from the refrigerator and placing it on the cutting board. “First things first, you need a good cut of meat.” My fingers traced marbled flesh, feeling the coolness beneath my touch. “This is prime beef, aged to perfection.”
I could almost taste the anticipation in the air as Olivia watched me work.
“Next, we’ll need some seasoning,” I continued, reaching for a small glass jar filled with a coarse blend of salt, pepper, and garlic. “A simple yet effective way to enhance, rather than cover, the flavor of the beef.” With practiced precision, I massaged the seasoning into the meat, ensuring every inch was coated.
I set a cast-iron skillet on the stove to preheat while I gathered more items from the fridge. Once the pan was nice and hot, I added a generous amount of butter – another secret to a perfect sear. When the butter had melted into a golden pool, I carefully laid the steak down, the sound of crackling filling the kitchen.
“Smells amazing already,” Olivia said, leaning forward as if that would make the cooking go faster.
“Meanwhile,” I said, turning my attention to the kale, “let’s prepare the salad.” I washed and dried the dark green leaves before tearing them into bite-sized pieces. “Kale can be a bit tough, so it’s important to massage it with a bit of oil to soften it up.”
“Who knew cooking involved so much foreplay?” Olivia joked.
I chuckled, drizzling olive oil over the kale and working it in with my hands. I then added thinly sliced red onion, cherry tomatoes, and crumbled goat cheese. A quick mix of lemon juice, honey, and more olive oil created a tangy dressing that I poured over the salad, tossing everything together.
“Looks delicious,” Olivia said, her voice filled with genuine admiration.
“Wait until you taste it.” I winked, flipping the steak to ensure an even sear. The mouthwatering aroma of charred meat and spices filled the air, making my stomach growl in anticipation. Once the steak reached the perfect medium-rare, I removed it from the pan and allowed it to rest for a few minutes before slicing it into tender strips. I plated our meals, the sizzling steak nestled alongside the vibrant kale salad, and carried them to the counter, settling down on the stool next to Olivia.
“Enjoy. And I dare you to tell me that styrofoam cheese snack is better,” I said, offering her a fork as she dug into the meal I’d prepared.
“Where did you learn to cook like this?” Olivia asked between bites, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“Actually, from cooking shows,” I admitted, scratching the back of my neck. “Growing up, I’d watch those fancy chefs and imagine what their dishes tasted like.”
“Really?” she said, her eyebrows raised in surprise.
“Yeah.” I nodded, taking a bite and chewing for a moment. “When there wasn’t anything to eat, watching them create beautiful plates filled with mouthwatering food was like heaven and hell at the same time.” Memories of an empty stomach and my determination to succeed flooded my thoughts, fueling the passion that still drove me today. “I swore that once I made something of myself, I’d never take good food or the ability to prepare it for granted.”
Olivia smiled. “I really admire that about you, Marcus. You’ve worked hard for everything you have.” She gestured at the room with the fork in her hand. “I may not really understand some parts of your life, but I do appreciate how hard you worked to get here.”
We chatted casually through the rest of the meal and I thought I could get used to this. Now I just had to convince Olivia that she this is where she belonged.
Soon, the clatter of silverware against our empty plates signaled the end of our meal. I stood up, offering Olivia my hand. “Come on, there’s something else I want to show you.”
I led her down the hallway and through my home office out onto the sun deck. The warm afternoon sunlight washed over us. The view was breathtaking, as always: the city stretching out in all directions.
“Wow,” Olivia murmured, her eyes wide with wonder as she took in the panorama. “It feels like we’re all alone in the world up here.”
“I know. This privacy in the middle of the city? It’s why I built Desire here, and chose it for my home.”
“It’s breathtaking.”
“Speaking of breathtaking, I believe we discussed earlier that clothing is not necessary here,” I said.
Olivia giggled nervously. “We did. I’m not quite ready for outdoor nudity. Baby steps.” With a playful smile, she shed her t-shirt and shimmied out of her jeans, dropping both onto a chaise.
My breath caught in my throat as I watched her, standing there in nothing but her lacy black bra and panties. She looked like a goddess, her dark skin glowing in the sunlight. My fingers itched to touch her, to trace the curves of her body and pull her close.
“Your turn,” she challenged, raising an eyebrow at me.
“Fair enough.” I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it aside. Better?”
“Much.” Olivia sauntering over to me, pressing her body against mine.
My cock was rock hard at the first touch and I tugged Olivia down onto the chaise with me, kissing her deeply, thoroughly.
She whispered my name against my mouth as my hands roamed over her body, tracing the curve of her hips and cupping her breasts through the delicate lace of her bra. Her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me closer as her tongue danced with mine.
“Fuck, Olivia,” I growled, my voice rough with desire. I felt her shudder as I lightly tweaked one of her nipples, her nails digging into my back as she arched up against me. The swell of her breasts under my hands, the warm soft skin of her thighs parting for me – all driving me mad with need.
I’d never been so consumed with desire for a girl before. No matter how many times I kissed or touched or fucked Olivia, it was never enough. Every second I spent not buried deep inside her was a wasted moment of my life.
Olivia moaned and arched her back, pressing her hips against me. Sliding a finger underneath the thin fabric of her panties, the damp heat of her greeted me.
I was lowering my face to her neck, breathing her scent in deeply when the jarring ring of my cell phone shattered the moment. I cursed under my breath, feeling Olivia’s body tense beneath me.
“Go ahead,” she said, eyes still heavy with lust. “Answer it.”
Reluctantly, I reached for the phone, my fingers nearly shaking with the effort it took to tear myself away from her. “What?” I barked into the phone, not bothering to hide my irritation.
“Marcus, I got some info about Enzo’s team,” Ash, my surveillance guy, said urgently.
I shoved down the retort that wanted to burst out of me. This was important. “Get the inner circle on a call. I’ll join you in five.” I ended the call and tossed the phone aside, turning my attention back to Olivia.
“I have to get on this call. Some of my guys went missing, and this is the first lead we’re gotten.”
“Of course,” Olivia said. “I get it. But…” she paused, her fingers tracing nonsense shapes on my bare chest. “Would it be too weird if I listen in? I want to understand this part of you better. And I want to stop being so afraid of your world. Maybe this will help.”
I almost refused reflexively. But it wasn’t a bad idea. Sitting in on a call with my top people was safe enough. “Okay. You can join me, but you’ll have to stay quiet. No one needs to know you’re there.”
“Deal,” she agreed, a small, determined smile playing on her lips.
We walked back into my office, the cool air inside contrasting sharply with the warm sun we left behind. As I settled behind my desk, I motioned for Olivia to take a seat beside me.
I dialed into the call and pressed the speakerphone button. “Everyone here?”
“Yes,” Ash replied.
“Good. Ash, what do you have for me?”
“We’ve been scouring the city for signs of Enzo and his team. No one’s been home, admitted to a hospital or ended up in the morgue. I had Azalea get into all the cameras in the area. Today we managed to find some footage of a convenience store cam down the street from the squat.”
“Squat?” I was pretty sure what he was referring to, but wanted to make sure Olivia could keep up.
“Yeah.” Ash paused and I could hear typing. “Those kids who attacked the club were hiding out in some squat down by the port. We got a clear view of Enzo’s van driving into the area and then leaving just under an hour later.“
“Then what?”
“Nothing. That’s what’s so weird. It’s like they vanished into thin air.”
“How is that possible?”
Benjamin jumped in. “It’s not. But that’s what happened. We even took a peek at a few traffic cams. Nothing.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Enzo is a solid guy. If anyone got to him, there’d at least be a mess left behind.” My head was starting to hurt. None of this made sense. “We got anything else to go on?”
“One possible route,” came a reply from Magnus, the toughest sonofabitch I’d ever worked with.
“No way,” Benjamin said vehemently.
My hand curled into a fist. “What? What does everyone know that I don’t know?”
“I got one of the kids,” Magnus said. His voice was calm and even.
“You mean you snatched one of them the night of the attack on Desire,” Benjamin said, voice raised. “And have been holding him for days without telling anyone.”
“Yes,” was the enforcer’s reply. “And given the lack of other leads, it’s a good thing I did. He’s chilling, Marcus. Just give me the word and I’ll find out what he knows.”
I weighed my options, consciously avoiding even a glance in Olivia’s direction. “We need something to go on. Have a friendly chat with the kid.”
“Understood. Give me a few hours for an update.”
“Great. I’ll be down at the club tonight, trying to pretend like everything is normal. Keep me posted.”
As soon as I ended the call, Olivia asked, “What did you mean about a friendly conversation?”
I sighed. “Magnus is an enforcer. That means he does what it takes, gets his hands dirty if that’s what needs to happen.”
She nodded. “He hurts people.”
“If necessary.”
Olivia frowned. “I see.”
“No, you don’t,” I said. I leaned over to look her in the eye. “Enzo and his team work for me. I sent them out on a mission they never came back from. That’s on me, ultimately. When something is mine, I protect it. If there’s a problem, I solve it. If there’s a question, I answer it. I never give up, and I never back down. I do whatever it takes.”
My words hung for a long, silent moment between us. I gave her time to understand my meaning, about the current situation, and more.