“Nope. No sign of anyone. Which is scary. I know the family she’s targeting, and they are not one to play with,” he said.
“Then maybe you can answer me this,” the question was on the tip of my tongue, but I didn’t want to know how far the mystery went. “Who is her benefactor?”
Silence. I didn’t know if he didn’t want to answer, or that he couldn’t. But would’ve been telling. I had an inkling it was a competitor, and I always tried to dig beyond the file I was given. It was in my nature. I needed to know, just like I needed to know what Artemis thought the end goal of him being here would achieve.
“I’m not sure, it’s a pretty complicated weave of people,” he answered. “I think if I were to guess, it’s just a some billionaire wanting to protect her from the Ashford family. But I can tell you that the call came in from Kael.”
I almost choked. “No, Kael went rogue two years ago. He’s not been in contact with any agency. I thought he went off the grid completely.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, Kael made the connect. He called Mercy direct it seems. But let’s keep that between us. I don’t want her to know I’m blabbing.”
“You’re all good,” I told him. “So, today was different to any over detail I’ve done before. I think it’s going to be an easy breezy gig. You have any TV recommendations for me? I’ve got a couple streamers on my phone.”
He went off in an excited ramble about all the tv shows he was watching, a lot of them were legal shows or cop ones. I found them entertaining too, but that wasn’t what I was in the mood for right now—I as in the mood for something to take my mind offhim.
“Artemis,” he said, springing my attention back as I was beginning to slope on the sofa into a dangerous comfort. “How are things between you?”
“Is that a personal question or a Mercy question?”
“Both. I think. It’s ok, you don’t have to say anything. I just want to make sure you’re both good. I know you didn’t get a lot of time to decompress after the almost robbery.” That event was the talk of the agency, me, Donovan, almost getting hijacked by a gang. It had been so long since I’d been on a delivery, I think people assumed I was there as humiliation ritual from Mercy. And they probably weren’t too wrong about it either.
“Things are fine,” I told him. “He’s doing really well with the client. I think maybe too well, but if I say that, I might think it’s from a place of jealousy.” It slipped right out, what was supposed to be a thought.
“He is your trainee, Don, you’ve got to make sure you’re the only person he’s really listening to. I’d say you were the leadon the job,” he said. And I knew he was just twisting my arm as if it would fuel a certain passionate anger within me.
And fucking hell, it did. “I’m gonna leave you now, keep your eye in the sky—I—I need to take a shower.”
I didn’t hear what he had to say, but I heard laughter—and he was right. It was quite an unbelievable lie.
Stripping out of my suit, I walked to the bedroom and stood at the bottom of the bed. There was a singular orange globe lamp by the dresser. It cast a shadow from where I stood across the bed—across Artemis.
“It’s not time already,” he groaned. “I feel like I only just closed my eyes.” He grabbed a pillow and covered his face with it. “Please, let me sleep for a bit longer.”
“I’m not sleeping,” I told him, slipping out of my slacks, butt naked. I turned a touch, my cock now casting its shadow across the wall, across Artemis’s face. “I’m here to clear up a couple things from earlier.”
He threw the pillow at me. “Good or bad?” he asked, bundling up with the duvet against his chest.
“Are you naked?” I asked before yanking with a single hand and whipping the duvet out from him. Finding out he was completely naked, and oh so soft. It was a surprise to see it soft, with the little trim of pubic hair above it like a mistletoe, asking—no, begging someone to let him play with it. “Have you been playing with yourself?”
“No,” he shook his head. “I’ve been a good boy, I promise.”
“Yeah?” I asked, throwing the duvet to the floor. I finished undressing in front of him and watched as his cock chubbed. He hid it with a hand, but I classed that as playing with himself. I shook my head and tutted. “I’ll be judge of that.”
“Yes, Sir,” he said. “How can I prove it?”
“Grab your knees,” I said. “Ass up, as far as it’ll go.” He was obedient now, not a single fault to it. “Good. Now spread ‘em.”
Artemis struggled slightly, managing to keep his knees to his chest and move his hands down his thighs to his ass. He pulled both cheeks to reveal his little puckered hole, so fresh and clean. For someone who hadn’t been playing with himself, he sure was ready to play. “Is this good enough?” He was putting on a show—squeezing and releasing. He was desperate for my dick, and my dick wouldn’t let me keep any mystery as it throbbed with playful bounces like it could sense his hole was there. “There’s lube in the drawer.”
As I was about to step onto the bed, I leaned away. “You already looked for lube?”
“It was safety protocol, I had to check everything, right?”
Using my own protocol against me. It was—annoyingly hot. “Good job,” I said. “Don’t you dare move from that position. I want to memorize it, so I can jack off to it. I might not even fuck you yet. I’m still undecided.”
His forehead went through all the motions, frowning, straightening out, and returning to a pinched brow expression staring at me. “Ok,” he said.
“You don’t want to fight me on it?”
