“I…” She turned around to face him, breathing hard. “I can’t feel my tongue.”
“God, you’re so sexy all uninhibited like this, give it to me.” Sweeping down, he closed his mouth over hers and gently suckled her tongue into his warm mouth. She felt that, goodness, she did. He tasted of champagne and her dizzied senses swam like frantic fishes in all kinds of directions as she let herself get even more drunk on her husband’s intoxicating flavor.
She twisted her tongue around him and trailed her fingers over his chest before she remembered why this couldn’t be. “Oh, no, we shouldn’t—Landon, don’t.” Bolting upright and pushing him away, she smoothed her T-shirt with awkward, trembling hands. “I’m sorry. I can’t. Not after the papers I signed.”
He looked at her for a moment, then gave a long exhale. “I’m not losing another child. If you get pregnant, I want it.”
Regret thickened her voice as she attempted to recover the sheets, needing something to clutch instead of the gorgeous man before her. “I’m not giving away a baby of mine, not even to you—I won’t risk it. Excuse me but you’re sitting on the sheets.”
He cursed and drew her so close, embraced her so tight her breasts were crushed against his chest and her hands had to release the sheets she’d been trying to hang on to for sanity.
“Stop thinking so much and just feel for a minute,” he growled, then smoothed his hands along her hair, and murmured, “It’s all right, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m going to pleasure you, Bethany, I’m going to make you forget every man in your life but me.”
Her insides disintegrated at that passionate vow. The need to kiss him, be with him, became so acute, she wanted to weep and scream in frustration. She wanted to say, to hell with it! and give her husband a wedding present no husband in his right mind ever forgets.
But he wasn’t truly her husband, and she couldn’t bear to repeat her mistakes, set herself up for heartache again. She’d been an innocent when she’d married Hector, but now she knew better.
She wiggled free of his hold and succeeded in pulling a part of the covers back over herself, as though they were the Berlin Wall itself—probably barely enough to keep a man like him away. Her voice, though she tried to keep it steady, broke in the end. “The black book is in the top nightstand drawer. I’m sure that’s what you want to read tonight, being that you married me for it.”
For a long, wretched minute, he didn’t speak or breathe or move. Then her heart wept when he grabbed the book from the nightstand, carried it outside and shut the door behind him.
Nine
He’d gone through the headache thing with his first wife. Landon knew a willing woman when he saw one, and unfortunately, Bethany wasn’t it.
Grim-faced behind his massive office desk, he waved the black book he was showing to his brothers. “The key to my success.”
He handed it over, every single word he’d read in it seared into his mind.
Leaning back in his chair, he watched them sift through the pages, first Garrett with a thoughtful frown, then Julian John with raised eyebrows.
“One would think your disposition would change after last night,” Garrett mulled out loud.
“I spent my wedding night reading that little gem there, not with my wife.”
There was a bleak silence as Garrett digested this.
“Now why on earth would you do something so stupid?”
“She doesn’t want me, Garrett.”
“You’re joking, right?”
“This is not something to joke about.”
“She doesn’t…desire you?” The words hung in the air, and they were so painful to hear, Landon found himself gritting his teeth. “I don’t believe it.”
“Believe it.”
Julian glanced up from the book, raising both eyebrows. “Every woman wants you. You had girlfriends before you even had your first bike.”
“Why wouldn’t Beth want you?” Garrett demanded.
That was the worst question of them all. Landon remembered last night. How her nipples had pricked under his fingers. How her body had molded against his. He’d planned to give her no choice, make her beg for it.
He couldn’t.
He didn’t want her like this.
He wanted Beth willing—he wanted her to give him everything.
“Two names.” He stuck out two fingers, pushing Beth from his thoughts. “Macy Jennings and Joseph Kennar. They’re bought.”
“No way.”
“Yes way.” He glared. “Apparently, Halifax sends them ten thousand dollar deposits every couple of months to ensure good press coverage on his ‘miracle’ treatments. We need to find a way to monitor their calls and hopefully get some solid evidence of their involvement. Plus it will help us determine what Hector is up to.”
Garrett rolled up his shirt and made a note on the inside of his arm. “All right. Done. Can’t wait to can those suckers when we’re done with them.”
“Right. And there’s another interesting name near the last pages. You see it?” Landon pointed to the book Julian kept sifting through.
Julian’s brown brow raised. “Miguel Gomez?”
Landon nodded affirmatively. “That same one. Miguel Gomez a.k.a. el Milagro. He’s known for smuggling pharmaceuticals out of Mexico and to the States.”
“Ahh, so the plot thickens…” Garrett said juicily, steepling his fingers. “The black book hath spoken.”
“It has, indeed.” Landon pulled out a sheaf of papers from the top folder of his stack and passed them to Garrett. “The insurance company’s already halted some of Halifax’s payments. There have been allegations of him duplicating claims, and they’re thinking of suing.”
Garrett skimmed. “Health care fraud. How fun. That shouldn’t be too hard to prove.”
“It shouldn’t be.” Landon’s gaze shifted from one brother to the other while they both surveyed the info. “Now, if one of you gentlemen could arrange an interview with one of his assistants? The head nurse, maybe? We need her to talk, and we need her to talk dirty.”
“I’m sure Jules will have them crying mercy in a minute.”
With a cocksure smile, Julian dropped the book back on the desktop and folded his arms. “Of course.”