Hunting Truth (Orion the Hunter Part Four) Read online

  The next morning I awoke, safely ensconced in Lucas’ arms, my head still on his chest. In fact, it didn’t look as though either of us had moved a muscle all night long.

  “Good morning, darling,” he murmured.

  I moved my head backwards onto his shoulder. “Morning, handsome.”

  “Much as I’d like to stay here all day with you, it’s already after 9 a.m. and—”

  “It’s what?” I said, sitting up and looking at the alarm clock. “Oh my word. Neither of us ever sleep in this late. Are you late for an appointment?”

  He kissed my forehead. “No. Daniel has been taking care of everything while my world fell apart without you at its center.”

  I turned my head and pressed a kiss against his collar bone. “Well, I’m back where I belong and I’m going nowhere, so you can go play with your empire again.”

  He chuckled. “It has lost its appeal somewhat lately. And I can have much more fun with you.”

  I squealed as he moved suddenly to sit astride me, pinning my hands. “Hey,” I protested. “This is your bed. You don’t get to be bossy here.”

  “I do believe that I said you get what you want in here. Trust me, you’re going to want this.”

  And he wasn’t wrong. Three incredible orgasms proved that. By the time we’d showered and I’d been back to my apartment to change, it was midday before we got to mini-Dakota and we were starving. My stomach protested loudly and made us laugh. I left Lucas with Bob Dawes, the site foreman, and headed back up to the largest apartment of the development, the one that I’d completed the week before.

  I loved that place. I’d fallen in love with the whole building. But that apartment wasn’t just the largest, it had the best natural light and the best views over the courtyard, which also meant it was in a quieter position than the others. I wandered around, marveling again at just how much of myself—my tastes and preferences—I’d put into this place. I began to visualize the furniture that I’d put in each room and all the decorative finishing touches I’d make if it was mine.

  “Earth to Issy. Come in Issy!”

  I turned on my heel and found Lucas standing with his arms full. I could smell coffee and food.

  We went into the kitchen and hopped up onto the countertop. Lucas had sent one of the laborers out to get us breakfast bagels and coffee from a café just down the street.

  As we ate, he said, “You were miles away in there. What were you thinking? Any changes you wish to make?”

  “God no!” I exclaimed. “Everything’s perfect.”

  “So what was on your mind?”

  I could feel my cheeks coloring. “I . . . Um . . . I was actually picturing the furniture.”

  He looked confused. “But I’m not furnishing the apartments. You know that.”

  I bit my bottom lip. “I was picturing it with my furniture.”

  “Your furniture? Why . . . oh, I see.”

  We finished the rest of our meal and drank our coffees. Then we went into the next apartment. Work had begun a couple of days previously, using the designs that I’d begun but not finalized. I quickly got into deep discussions with Jenson, Lucas’ architect, and Bob Dawes, working out what they could do and what was a priority for me to sort out.

  Before I knew it, the light was fading and it was late afternoon. We got back into the car and my head was buzzing. I told Lucas that I’d need to work that evening—I’d be holding the project up otherwise. He wouldn’t hear of it and, well, you can’t argue with the boss. Instead of going toward the Orion Building, he turned the other way and began to head out of Manhattan. He wouldn’t say where we were going.

  He pulled up at my idea of heaven. Several large name furniture stores and major retailers of soft furnishings in one location. How did I not know about this place? Lucas led me to one which specialized in quality solid oak furniture. I felt like a child in a sweet shop. Oak was my favorite wood; I preferred the lighter shades but I adored all oak.

  We wandered around and I began to wonder why we were there. I assumed that maybe Lucas wanted some more furniture for his apartment. I knew that he shared my preference for solid oak.

  “Seen anything you like yet?” he asked suddenly.

  I grinned. “Most of it!”

  He frowned slightly. “Seen anything that you’d put in the main apartment at mini-Dakota?”

  I blew out my cheeks and shrugged. “I’d not thought about it. And anyway, it doesn’t matter. Whoever buys it will furnish it.”

  He nodded and we continued walking around, but I sensed Lucas was brooding about something. I let him be and was soon distracted by the merchandise.

  We went into a soft furnishing store next and I wandered around, enraptured. Then suddenly, Lucas pushed me onto a display sofa and sat next to me.

  “Lucas!” I hissed. “These aren’t for sitting on.”

  “I don’t care. Just listen. Issy, I’d like you to move in to the apartment at mini-Dakota.”

  “What? Me?” I cried, then looked around to check nobody had witnessed my outburst.

  “Yes, you. I’ve seen the way you look when you’re in there. You designed it for you and, well, it is you. Completely you.” He paused and looked at me, I mean, really looked into my eyes before continuing in a small voice, “Who knows, perhaps one day we could live there together.”

  My jaw dropped to the floor and my eyebrows took flight. Did I just hear him right?

  “You. Want. Me. To. Live. In. Mini. Dakota?” I managed.

  He nodded; his face the picture of sincerity. “So choose away. Whatever you want. It’s yours.”

  “But . . . but even if I took you up on your generous offer and I could afford the rent, I’d be responsible for the furniture or were you thinking of renting it to me as a furnished apartment?”

  “Oh, Issy! I’m not talking about a rental. I want you to live there for as long as you wish. Forever hopefully. With me, one day . . . possibly. No rent payable. You are my love—my life.”

  I didn’t know what to say. This is big. No, this is massive! What would Angel say? Oh . . . Angel! “But what about Angel?”

  He laughed. “What about her? Don’t take this the wrong way but I really didn’t picture Angel living there too.” His eyes were twinkling and I knew he was joking. “Issy, she’s a big girl and she and Chad are certain to want to move in together soon. What will you do then? You won’t be far away from her. You can see her every day if you wish. It’s totally up to you. Your call.”

  What he said was true. But the apartment was massive. Lucas’ apartment was also massive. It seemed silly the two of us rattling around huge apartments that were only a short distance apart. I made my decision.

  I took his hand in mine and smiled. “Well, in that case I accept. But on one condition and it’s non-negotiable.”

  He looked concerned, his brow furrowing slightly. “Oh, and what’s that?”

  “That you move in too.”

  It was his turn for his jaw to hit the floor. He recovered quickly and threw his arms around me. “Really? You’re sure? Oh, Issy, I’m so happy. You have no idea.”

  I pulled my head back so I could look into his eyes. “No Lucas, we are so happy. Together. And we will be for a very long time.”

  He kissed my nose. “Forever?”

  “Well, they do say that forever is a very long time.” And then he kissed me.

  It seemed silly to buy new things when Lucas had some gorgeous furniture in his apartment. He said he’d probably have his apartment converted into office space. I was particularly fond of both of his beds. They held vivid memories and I planned on adding many more to the list. We agreed to see what would fit where and then buy whatever else we needed. I was walking on air by the time we got back to his car. We detoured to my apartment for me to collect my overnight things and some of my work stuff that was still boxed up from my office move. Lucas had said I could either work from his apartment or his office the next day.

  Angel wasn
’t home so I couldn’t share my news. As I rushed around collecting things, Lucas called his favorite restaurant to have our dinner delivered later in the evening. James helped us to the car with my bags and boxes. To his credit, he didn’t bat an eyelid at me being with Lucas again. Such old-world gentlemanly charm and professionalism were rare. I doubted that mini-Dakota needed a doorman, but if it did, I would ask Lucas to steal James in a heartbeat.

  Dinner was heavenly, then I managed to persuade Lucas to let me work on the designs for mini-Dakota. I had another perspective now. I was going to be the immediate neighbor to whoever bought the second apartment. As I worked, I kept hugging myself. I constantly caught Lucas grinning like an idiot for no apparent reason too. I ended up with samples and plans spread all over the floor in the living room. When I was struggling to keep my eyes open, I began to sort them into piles and then box them up. I needed desk space, I realized.

  Lucas said he was going to take a quick shower and I couldn’t resist wandering into the bathroom to sneak a quick peek. I took my toiletries in so that I had a reason for being in there. As usual he turned as I was ogling him. I continued walking and began to arrange my toiletries, ignoring him completely. I screamed when a strong arm grabbed me around my middle and pulled me backwards.

  “Either take your clothes off or be prepared to get them very wet,” he growled.

  The threat of danger in that growl made me press my thighs together. I quickly stripped off my clothes and placed my jewelry on the top. I had barely stood up straight when that arm snaked around my torso and picked me up. He carried me into the shower and kissed me hungrily under the hot spray. His hands roamed all over my back and my ass before coming to rest on the back of my head. His mouth devoured me so that I was breathless and a little lightheaded when he released me. I was glad that my arms were around him, because my knees were a little weak too. Damn that man!

  He kissed my neck as one hand slid between my legs, gently cupping and rubbing. I slid my feet a little further apart to grant his hand better access and rolled my head onto my other shoulder to give his mouth better access. My breaths were coming in short pants and I felt incredibly hot in the steamy shower. Suddenly, without any warning, Lucas spun me around and pressed my front against the wall. It was cold against my skin, which was a nice contrast to the heat, if a little shocking. I turned my head so that my cheek was pressed against the wall. My nipples reacted predictably to the cold—they’d already been hard but they turned to stone.

  I felt his leg in between mine and he nudged my feet further apart. Then his fingers spread my ass cheeks as he sought access. I thought for a second that he was thinking of introducing me to the scary delights of anal sex. But I felt my folds being parted before his cock slid inside me. One arm went around my waist and the other hand pinned both my hands high above my head, against the wall. He leaned forward, put his mouth against my ear and growled quietly, “You. Are. Mine. I’m going to fuck you fast and hard. Don’t come ’til I tell you.”

  I gasped but, true to his word, he pounded into me. It was exquisite and I found myself pushing my ass out, into him. He was relentless, slamming into me over and over until I found myself building quickly. There was no way that I’d be able to stop it. “Lucas, I’m sorry but I’m going to come soon. I can’t help it.”

  His hand left my midriff and gripped my throat. He tightened his grip slightly so I could feel the pressure. It didn’t hurt but it was uncomfortable and a little unnerving.

  “Don’t come,” he growled.

  I was so shocked that I found my impending orgasm was held at bay very effectively. I knew from his movements and his curses that he was getting close. His hand left my throat and wound itself in my hair. Just as I felt him climaxing inside me, he pulled my hair back roughly and whispered in my ear, “Come now, Issy. Come with me.” And I did. Oh my God, I did. If I hadn’t been sandwiched between Lucas and the wall, I would have fallen over.

  Massive shocks like firecrackers flew around my body, making it shudder and jerk. My orgasm was incredibly intense. I heard the sound of my voice making guttural, animal noises that I couldn’t control as Lucas cursed and cried out my name. I could feel his cock pulsing, emptying into me for what seemed like an eternity, pushing me onward until I was mentally and physically spent.

  I felt Lucas pull out of me and then catch me as I sagged. He turned me and pulled me to him in one smooth movement. Tears were coursing down my cheeks and I had no idea why. I wasn’t upset or angry. Just overcome with emotion I supposed. Lucas kissed them and held me tighter.

  “Oh, Issy, did I hurt you? Or frighten you?” He sounded distraught.

  I managed to shake my head and say the word ‘intense’, trying to convey the reason for my tears and my inability to speak.

  “Oh baby, was that a little too intense for you?”

  I nodded and melted into his embrace. Once I’d recovered my wits, we washed and dried each other and got ready for bed. As I dried my hair, Lucas made us both a hot chocolate and we sat in bed, talking about moving into the apartment at mini-Dakota until sleep threatened to overtake us both.

  We awoke to the sound of the alarm the next morning. I was shocked to find that it was 7:30 a.m. I stretched and asked Lucas why he wasn’t using him gym anymore. He grinned a devilish grin and said he didn’t need the exercise or to get rid of his frustration now. I nudged him playfully, then shot out of bed when he threatened to spank me.

  We emerged out of his elevator and walked into his office together. He helped me to carry my designs and samples. I carried my laptop. We spread them out over his huge conference table and I happily got to work whilst Lucas checked his emails. It wasn’t long before I felt my hair being pushed aside and his lips on the back of my neck.

  “Mr. Hunter, some of us have work to do. I’m sure you do too,” I said, trying not to grin.

  “Oh, but I don’t. I pay Daniel a small fortune but he’s good at what he does. I run a tight ship with rigid systems so after a while most things practically run themselves.”

  “Well, I have a creative role which cannot be run by someone else or a system. And I need to get on.”

  Sulking, he returned to his desk and set about organizing our moving in to mini-Dakota. I listened to him making enquiries and penciling in dates. I’m sure that if we weren’t going to Seattle with the band at the weekend, he’d probably have had us moved in then. Then I heard him finalizing arrangements for the rock festival, including our private jet booking. Life was certainly looking up.

  A short time later there was a sharp knock on the door and Daniel came bustling into the office with a handful of papers. He almost fell over his own feet when he saw me sat at the conference table. He recovered himself and continued to Lucas with utter poise and calm but, after a brief discussion and as Lucas was reading one of the papers, I felt eyes on me so I looked over. Daniel had stepped back behind Lucas and was gesticulating none too subtly. I just smiled and gave him the thumbs up. He looked very relieved until we realized that Lucas was eyeing us intently. I grinned and Daniel studied the ceiling. Lucas’ lips twitched, then he winked at me before continuing reading.

  At lunchtime, we went out on foot to eat lunch at my favorite deli. Clark managed to hide any thoughts he might have had about Lucas and I being together. He’d have known about my office being emptied because he kept the ledger of anyone coming in or out of the building. I had a folder of finalized plans and orders to take to mini-Dakota. It felt weird to be on my way to visit it again, but this time knowing that I’d soon be living there. With Lucas! Over lunch we chatted about how we’d utilize the different rooms. Lucas thought it would be a fabulous idea for me to work from the apartment and have a home office. He was still adamant that he had enough work for me to last a lifetime, but he also said that if prospective clients met with me in such a beautiful building that I’d worked on, they’d be blown away. I could see the merit in it but couldn’t help but wonder whether his protective side wanted
me near him and not in a separate office somewhere.

  Lucas also needed an office so we agreed to look at options and identify whether any changes would need to be made before we moved in. He also raised the point that converting his old apartment into offices would be another project for me. I asked him about his gym. He shrugged and said he might leave it. If he wanted to use it, he could make it accessible for himself only. I asked how it would work having offices up there when the public elevator didn’t reach that floor. He said that’s what he paid people to do—to find solutions to his problems.

  It really was different wandering around the apartment now that I knew it was going to be my home. Before we’d crossed the threshold, Lucas insisted upon picking me up and carrying me inside. He ran, with me in his arms, into the master bedroom and then demanded to know where the bed was. I laughed at his silliness until he threatened to slam me against the wall and fuck me there and then. There were contractors everywhere in the building. No way was I going to do that. I stopped laughing. Fast.

  We managed to find simple solutions to our home office needs and also mentally placed the furniture that Lucas owned. The second bedroom was definitely going to be the playroom. I mentally placed the brass-framed bed in the room but my mind got carried away and I soon pictured myself naked, cuffed to the frame with Lucas between my legs. I suddenly felt all hot and flustered, then blushed when Lucas asked me what the matter was. He laughed when I told him and he pulled me into his arms, telling me how happy we were going to be there.

  Later, we walked back to my apartment to collect more of my things. Lucas said I should just move into his apartment but I couldn’t see the point in moving my things twice. I said I’d wait until we could move into mini-Dakota. I shook my head when he looked crestfallen and reassured him that I’d stay over with him most nights.

  James greeted us warmly as he opened the door for us. In the elevator, I asked Lucas whether mini-Dakota should have a doorman. There were few apartments but they were to be the height of luxury. Lucas said it would be a good idea and that he’d consider the option fully. I suggested that James would be ideal and Lucas wholeheartedly agreed.