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  “Witch!” The voice was laced with despair and amusement. In retaliation, he made her bow when he pressed his palm against her sex and slid one finger inside her. The sensation and the lack of pain emboldened her moves, and her confidence surged. As retaliation, her fingers started stroking the sensitive underside of his cock, lightly stroking his slit. Archer bit her shoulder and added another finger into her quivering sheath. Her hips started getting in sync with the pace of his hand.

  “Archer! Please.” At first, Zoe thought he would roll on top of her, but instead, he made her face away from him and spooned her. He hitched her leg over his and kissed the crook of her neck.

  “I remember this position. I think that you liked it.”

  “Feisty, are you?”

  “I think the word is horny.”

  “Well, I’m here to please, love.”

  Maddeningly slow, Archer pushed inside her, inch by inch. Zoe tried to push back, but when she tried, he pulled back.

  “Slow, my love.”

  Archer circled her waist, caressed her thigh and made lazy circles on her breasts.

  “I read that while you’re breastfeeding, your breasts can be overly sensitive. I like how they feel in my hand right now, how your body responds to me.”

  “Deeper, Archer. Harder.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you. It says in the book...”

  Zoe loved him to bits, but if he referred to that book once more, she would get mad. Instead of responding, she rolled forward and straddled him. “You’re a brilliant man, I love you, but I need to be fucked.”

  Archer was about to shake his head and sit when she guided his cock and sat down on him. The sensation was sudden, but not painful. Archer was as tense as a bow, not even breathing she believed, waiting for her reaction. At her own rhythm, she started swaying her hips, finding the glides up and down more and more pleasurable. Shivering, she let herself lean back, her hands on his knees, head falling back, pleasure coursing through her body. Archer started relaxing and following her body. The palm of his hands roamed over her feverish skin.

  “You are a goddess in this position, your hair all over your face. I could watch you all night. All my life. I’m so hard, but I want to see you come, Zoe.”

  His begging voice, the delicious friction inside her fired her blood, and her body took control, knowing exactly what it needed. Her movement became rougher when she moved up and down. Skin slapped against skin and one look at him under her revealed that he was in agony trying not to come. That power she had over him was dizzying. Her body was on fire for him and when she leaned forward to kiss him, the friction became so intense, it drove her crazy. Maintaining the position, she rode him like a mad woman until white-hot pleasure overcame her. Reaching blindly forward, losing balance, Archer kept her upright, his hands clenched in hers.

  Her orgasm started to decrease when she realized Archer hadn’t come yet. He was hard and pulsing inside her and covered with sweat as he looked at her. Her hand in his, Zoe straightened, undulating over him, squeezing him as hard as she could.

  He was so attuned to her, so scared of hurting her, so desperate for her pleasure that he denied his own. Zoe couldn’t be more in love with him than she was right now. He was it.

  Emotions bubbled inside her, as she finally saw Archer moving, meeting her thrusts, but still very in control of his movements. When his hips started to jerk a little, losing the pace, she knew he was close.

  “Marry me, Archer.”

  His eyes widened before frowning deeply. He probably doubted his own hearing.

  “What?” As he was slowing down, Zoe started to speed up. His silvery eyes were fiery with desire, his jaw clenched. He was fighting her, and he wouldn’t win.

  “I love you, please marry me, Archer Blackwood. Make an honest woman out of me. By day, at least. Love me, make other babies with me. Be my husband.”

  Bombarded by sensations, it was clear he was trying to use his brain, but his body was overwhelmed. He hissed when she twisted her hips sharply.

  “Zoe, is that really what you want?”

  “Don’t you want me?”

  Archer cursed through clenched teeth, his body bowing, fighting the sensations. And still she increased her pace.

  “You’re killing me!”

  “Yes, I want you, until my dying breath. It sounds corny, but it’s the truth. I want to sleep, fight, love and be by your side until the end. If you want me.”

  “I love you, Zoe.”

  “I need an answer.”

  “Yes.” The shout he made was her answer as he exploded inside her, lost in his pleasure, his strong body shivering under her. Caressing his chest, Zoe lowered herself until her nose was buried in his neck and his heart thundering in his chest. A few minutes later, his hands were back on her skin, stroking her.

  “You will be the death of me. And that’s the sneakiest way to ask a man to get married.”

  Zoe’s heart faltered. “You’re not bound to what you said, Archer. We don’t have to...”

  “I’ll whip your ass, woman if you go back on your word.” And to demonstrate it, he swatted her bottom.

  “I’m not into kinky stuff, so you better not do it again.”

  A laugh rumbled out of him. “I don’t know, with you tying me up on that chair, maybe we have to do it again.”

  His arms circled her as if he’d never let her go. And she had no intention of going anywhere. She could hang on for them both.

  With him, Zoe felt the strongest she had ever been. That strength would be useful, as much danger was still in the air. Finch was determined to retaliate, but she was ready for him as she knew that the good guys would win at the end. For the time being, she would cherish her own happy ending and care for the man in her arms. For her family. Forever.

  Epilogue

  Isabel Osborne couldn’t have a more booked day. It was as if every single minute of it had been planned up front and each meeting overflowed over the other. And that didn’t include a very special call from an old friend. Making it fit with everything had been an exercise in upper management scheduling.

  As she walked to meet Gabrielle Thorne, her best friend for years, Isabel tried not to remember the reasons why they had met. There was nothing good in that chapter of her life, except meeting the mighty blond warrior who allowed her to change the course of her life and build a small empire of her own.

  It was Gabrielle who’d inspired her new career. Information. Not the dark, shady one used to get her out of trouble, but the one available to the world that could be twisted and colored to destroy people. Now the head of her own PR and crisis management firm, Isabel was a respected member of the Chicago business community, and her reputation and talent had expanded both on the East and West Coasts. An accomplishment she’d never thought possible. Not with her past.

  A past that was never far away, and that could come and haunt her in a matter of seconds, but part of her was tired of always thinking about that. If ever it became the case, she would deal. After all she was a specialist in this kind of situation. Not that she wanted to test what she was capable of, but it would be the ultimate proof of her talent and resilience.

  Pushing those thoughts aside, she spotted the bar where Gabrielle was supposed to meet her. She was starving, not remembering when was the last time she ate? Maybe it was when her assistant pushed a muffin into her hand, but she had no recollection of actually putting it in her mouth.

  And besides her many duties, Isabel had worked hard on her research on what Gabrielle had requested. It was known that Isabel had a way of getting information, especially from the closed-off business community. Once you were in, it was like being part of a very exclusive club, one she intended to make the most of.

  The small pub was bustling with the Friday night crowd, and as it was so close to the Loop, most of its customers still sported suits and ties. Trying to make her way inside, someone pinched her butt and Isabel snarled, turning and punching the asshole in the g
ut. It was a young professional already inebriated, but no way would she let that go. By the look of surprise and pain on his face, she was certain her point had been made.

  “Izzy!” The familiar voice made her turn and over the crowd, she saw a blond head so similar to hers bouncing. Gabrielle!

  With a big smile on her face, Isabel extricated herself from the mass of bodies before being engulfed in a big hug. The simple contact, that true friendship, the sincere sisterly love was exactly what she needed. When they both looked at each other, they started laughing.

  “You look good, Gab. Married life agrees with you!”

  Gabrielle swatted her playfully on the shoulder. “You say that because we look alike, and you want me to say that you’re beautiful.”

  Isabel rolled her eyes. It was true that with their light blond hair and tall build, they looked alike, but it stopped there in her opinion. Where Gabrielle had an Amazonian beauty in her, more athletic with pale blue eyes, Isabel looked more like a baby-doll, all curves and softness with a pouty mouth and dark blue irises making them look almost black. But both women had a definite strength in them, and a wicked sense of humor, which made them fast friends from the moment they had met years ago.

  “I’ve had people tell me I’m beautiful day in and day out for years, and it got me in heaps of shit… And I was being sincere. Sully is a lucky man. How is he? And Arthur?”

  At the mention of her adopted son, Gabrielle brightened even more. “They’re both good. Sully just came back from a mission and has taken Arthur on a fishing trip. The house will smell like fish for weeks to come.”

  Isabel laughed, but was bumped quite rudely by a man with two beer pitchers.

  “Gab, you couldn’t have chosen another place? This pub is packed and noisy as hell.”

  “Hiding in plain sight, and all that. Come to our booth, the guys are already there and you all need an update on what’s going on.”

  It was true that Isabel wasn’t exactly sure why Gabrielle had requested her services and what her research entailed. But with the underlying tension in her friend, she suspected it was something serious.

  Taking her hand, Gabrielle pulled her toward the back of the bar, where the noise dimmed a bit and the large circular booths offered better privacy. As they approached, a tall, bearded man got to his feet.

  “Izzy, may I introduce you to Lazarus King, he’s the one needing your services.”

  At the weird choice of words, Isabel shot a look at her friend who appeared as if she was enjoying their private joke too much. Lazarus King didn’t seem to understand the double entendre and offered his hand.

  “Pleased to meet you, Miss Osborne.” The British accent rolled over her like honey, and that smile could send the entire female population of Chicago mad. However, there was something on his face that nagged her. As if she had seen him before.

  “Do I know you? You look familiar.” Isabel was sifting through her memory and something told her that it was quite recent, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

  Smiling, Lazarus grinned. “Yeah, lately I had the same trouble. You’re probably referring to my brother, Archer Blackwood of Blackwood Energies.”

  And it clicked in her mind. “Yes! The Adler Planetarium party. A little more than a year ago. I was there and met Blackwood. He’s a version of you, but without the beard.”

  Gabrielle touched her arm. “And that is private information, Izzy. Don’t discuss it with anyone, please.” Another strange request, but she could wait and twist Gabrielle’s arm in private for more details.

  “Before we start, I want to introduce you to two of his other brothers. Aleksei Voronov.” The man near the outside of the booth was handsome in his own right, but with his shaggy dark hair and greatly tattooed skin, it imposed an air of danger. What intrigued her was the suit he was sporting. Smiling, she offered her hand. His touch was warm, but his palm rugged.

  “Mr. Voronov.”

  “Miss Osborne. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  As always, the phrase twisted something fearful in her. “And where would that be?”

  “I’m a senior accountant at Magnus, Christani, and Zayne.”

  The name brought a devilish smile to her lips. “Ah! Of course, I’ve had some dealings with them.”

  Instead of appearing resentful, Voronov smiled in agreement. “Yes, and it was fun to see those big bosses squirm.”

  Isabel smirked as Gabrielle steered her to the last man.

  “And this is Kai Jones.”

  Everything in Isabel froze to a stop, her offered hand stopped in mid-air. Her eyes locked with the man sitting opposite her in the booth and wondered if it was a bad joke from the universe. Kai seemed as surprised as she was, which confirmed that it wasn’t premeditated. And the fact that he didn’t offer his hand, was a tell-tale sign that he remembered her quite well also.

  As they all took their places in the booth and Gabrielle ordered a round of beers, it gave Isabel the minute she needed to steady herself and focus back on the reason she was here.

  It was difficult not looking at him; Kai had changed since she last saw him years ago. His hair was much longer and his body even larger. Only his usual blinding Hawaiian shirts remained. They were awful but suited him too. Isabel believed he was the only man able to pull that look off in the middle of Chicago without being completely ridiculous. Even worse, look sexy doing so.

  When the waitress came with the pitchers and glasses, Isabel welcomed the drink. Her system needed the alcohol, and it would give her something to do with her hands. In their current arrangement, Lazarus and Gabrielle were sitting in front of her, with Aleksei to her left and Kai in the middle.

  Gabrielle looked around and started. “We called upon your expertise, Izzy, because we have a serious problem.”

  Lazarus nodded and continued. “For a couple of years now, we’ve been in the middle of a guerrilla war with our father. To put it mildly, he hates all his sons and is ready to go to extremes to have the upper hand over us, even see us dead if it suits his needs. Not only is he attacking us directly, but he’s also threatening our families and friends. He’s got to be stopped. So far, we’ve been on the receiving line, but we need to find a crack in his armor, a way of attacking him and bringing him down.”

  Kai snorted. “Bringing him down is way too soft for him. Not enough in my opinion.”

  Isabel turned to him and blinked. She didn’t know he had other brothers. Another thing that surprised her was his anger, so unlike him she remembered. It gave her an additional detail on how dangerous his father was. When they had met all those years ago, they never discussed their past in detail.

  Lazarus nodded at his brother. “I agree. But it would have been way too easy to put a bullet in his head. We need another way. It seems that he’s set on staying in Chicago for the time being and making our lives hell. He already attacked two of my brothers, and there’s no way to know who he’ll target next. With Archer, he forced his girlfriend to steal data from two of his buyers. One is a contact list, the other a flash drive with unknown data on it. We believe it’s Russian government contact names.”

  Isabel leaned back, her fingers tracing idle patterns on her damp glass. “Normally, if someone is stealing data, it’s often related to impending blackmail.”

  The men looked at each other without saying a word. Gabrielle nodded. “And those two men are the only ones we know about. We need to find something on him to have leverage. Purgatory had tried anything and everything so far without success. Lazarus even reached out to his old contacts at MI6 and it’s another dead end.”

  “How can I help?” Isabel was at a bit of loss.

  “You’re one of the most active members of Chicago’s most influential businesses. And as he decided to stay in Chicago, he will certainly be part of it more and more. You are bound to hear or see something.”

  “He’s someone I know? Already in the circle?”

  All the men looked at each other again, ap
art from Kai, whose eyes were only on her.

  Aleksei sighed. “He’s a dangerous man, Isabel. By getting involved, there’s always a risk. Personally, I’m against getting another civilian into the mix. It almost cost Zoe her life.”

  “If there’s any risk, are you sure Izzy is strong enough?”

  Isabel clenched her hands on her lap. Not sure if the others knew of their connection, she preferred to ignore his insult.

  It was Gabrielle who saved her. “Isabel is one of the strongest people I know.” Her friend’s confidence made her smile. It was true that Gabrielle was the only one who knew how much she had to grow and fight to get where she was.

  “I owe Gabrielle and Beatrice a lot. And it’s clear that what happens to you and your brothers matters to my friend.”

  Kai shifted on his seat, but she decided to ignore him.

  “So, who do I have to keep an eye on?”

  Lazarus’s gaze darkened. “Jamieson Finch.”

  Isabel blinked. “You’re kidding me, right? The powerful mogul?”

  At their silence, it was obviously the same man. Isabel sighed, sensing impending trouble. So better announce it now. “Well, that won’t be that difficult to get close. He contacted me this morning for an appointment. I see him tomorrow.”

  The End

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  Don’t miss Kai and Izzy’s story in the next installment of the Dark Sparrows Series.

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  About the Author

  Writing for me is like being caught in the eye of a storm and loving every single minute of it.

  Dear courageous readers, who dared to thread inside my wild imagination, filled with adventures of amazing women and courageous men, welcome to my world. When all seems to be lost, strength, intelligence, and love will help my heroes fight back darkness, and find their way to each other. And you know what? That’s my favorite kind of story!