Struck By Lightning: Slow Satisfaction Part 26

"Let me check my list."

"List?"

"I made a list of questions I wanted to ask you. Back when we were separated and I was in London. Let me get it and you can pick one." I climbed carefully off him, then made a detour to the bathroom before I got my laptop.

James made a trip to the bathroom as well. "Let's get in your bed now. No wet spot."

"True."

He slid under the covers and patted the s.p.a.ce next to him. I sat cross-legged on top of the covers and looked up the file. "Here it is." I got under the blanket next to him and showed him the list.

Why did you abandon me at the party?

Why didn't you tell me not only your name, but who you were, sooner?

When had you planned to tell me, if not then?

Is there some reason you're so hung up on secrecy?

What's the story with Lucinda?

What was art school like?

How did you meet Paulina and Michel?

Were you rivals with Damon Georgiades?

Why don't you ever talk about your father? Did you know him?

When can I meet your mother?

How did you become Lord Lightning?

Why did you keep your artist ident.i.ty a secret, too?

What drew you to gla.s.s art?

How did you get into the society?

How did you know you were into BDSM in the first place?

Why do you love s.e.x in public places so much?

Are you proud of me for turning in Renault?

Why didn't you shut off my phone?

Have you had your heart broken (before)?

"Karina," he said. "I've answered nearly all of these now. The only one we haven't touched on is... well... what drew me to gla.s.s art."

I scanned the list. "Well, nearly all is not the same as all."

He gave me a quick kiss. "Yes, I'm proud of you for turning in Renault. I didn't shut off your phone because I couldn't actually bring myself to cut you off when I knew I'd made a huge mistake."

"And the heartbreak question?"

"Oh, there was puppy love and disappointment but... I never let myself love someone enough to get my heart broken, Karina." He kissed me again. "Until now, that is."

"Let's talk about gla.s.s later," I said. "I'd rather make out than get a question answered."

His answer was another kiss that went straight to my soul.

Fifteen.

Nothing Seems to Make a Dent Ferrara waited twenty-four hours before she made her next move. By then Chandra had located the marriage license and it looked, unfortunately, legit, right down to James's signature.

We were gathered around the table in the suite, James, me, Stefan, Chandra, and Ty, who I had been seeing around but hadn't really gotten to talk to, looking at the copy of the license.

Chandra gave James a stern look. "You're absolutely sure she didn't slip you a roofie and take you off to get married at one of those drive-through places?"

"If I had any blackouts I think I'd at least remember that," James snapped. "More likely this is a forgery. My signature isn't that difficult to fake, and she has it on my recording contract. She could have copied it from there."

"Or got you to sign this when you didn't know what it was?" I asked.

"What, like signing my room service bill? I have a different signature for that."

Of course you do, I thought.

"What about the witnesses on the certificate?" Stefan asked. "Who are these other two?"

"Probably employees of the wedding chapel," Ty pointed out.

James shook his head. "And of course they don't know what I look like. So they had no way to know she was marrying an impostor. Presumably someone she taught to forge my signature. For f.u.c.k's sake."

Chandra shook her head, too. "I knew there had to be a drawback to total secrecy."

My phone chimed with a text then at the same time James's rang. He picked his up as I checked my message.

It was from Becky: OMG Karina have you seen the video? What is going on please call me ASAP!!!!!

James was saying into the phone, "What video?"

I called Becky immediately. "Becks, what's up?"

"Karina! Oh my G.o.d, I don't know what to do. You know how I'm the webmaster of the NYC Lord's Ladies website?"

"No, but go on."

"Well, I am. Geri couldn't do it anymore. But anyway, the reason I'm calling. Someone just sent us an anonymous video, and it's freaky and scary."

"Let me guess. It's of what looks like a woman being raped and whoever sent it is claiming it's Lord Lightning."

"Yes! Have you seen it, too?"

"Maybe. Can you send it to me?" I could hear her keyboard tapping in the background.

"Done. So it's fake, right?"

"Becks, I haven't seen it yet."

"Then how did you know?"

"One thing at a time, okay? Let me look at it. I'll call you back."

"Okay."

I hung up on her and then brought the video up on my phone.

James was just hanging up the phone himself. "That was Paulina. Someone, presumably Ferrara, has sent her a video that sounds like the one you saw, Karina."

I put my phone down in the middle of the table. "Becky got it, too. Here it is." I hit play.

What played was a highly edited version of the ravishment scene with James and Vanette. It wasn't until a minute or two in that a clear shot of his face appeared, and then it was pixelated over. Still, you could hear his voice quite clearly.

"It's fake, right?" Ty asked.

"For at least some definitions of fake, yes," James said. "That's me, and the whole scene is consensual, but no one who sees this is going to believe that."

"Which is exactly why Ferrara is using it as blackmail," Chandra said. "Did Paulina say if anyone else received it?"

"It hasn't appeared on any of the fan websites yet," James said. "But Ferrara only just sent the thing out. Once they get over their shock, I'm sure some of them will post it."

"This was a warning shot, though," I said. "She made it so that your face doesn't clearly appear, but the implication is she could release the unedited version anytime. She's trying to get you to cave."

He closed his eyes as he thought. "I can't. I can't do what she asks."

"There must be some way to stall her," Ty said. "Until we can come up with a better plan."

"Let me talk to her," I said.

"No. I don't want you anywhere near that poisonous snake," James replied automatically. "Besides, what would you say to her?"

"I don't know. I'll think of something."

James shook his head again. "No. Chandra, let's get ready for spin control. The video is out there and we need-" He looked up suddenly, looking right at me. "I have an idea."

"Let's hear it," Chandra said.

"It's something I'd rather discuss with Karina first, alone," James said, standing up.

"You're sure it's that you just can't wait to get into Karina's pants again?" Chandra chided as she stood, too. "You've really got it bad if you can't make it through a whole meeting."

Stefan and Ty were clearly trying to hide their smiles and were failing. They hurried out while Chandra sauntered, giving James a raised-eyebrow look.

I stayed seated. Once the door closed behind them I copied the raised eyebrow. "Something to ask me in private?"

He leaned on his knuckles on the table. "Yes. Though now that we're alone, I'm tempted to tell you to get on my c.o.c.k before we discuss any more."

"Yes, James," I said, standing up and undoing the b.u.t.ton on my jeans.

"Now, now, I said I was tempted to. That's different from telling you to."

I gave him a disappointed look. "All right. What's the idea?"

He narrowed his eyes. "You're being very impatient tonight."

"Hey, I wasn't the one who couldn't make it through a whole meeting."

He grinned. "And impertinent. So mouthy. I think you had best come here and put that mouth to some better use."

I grinned back. So that was how it was going to be tonight. "Yes, James."

He settled himself in his chair again, a few feet back from the table. I stripped off my s.h.i.+rt and jeans but kept my undies on for now as I crawled over to him. I made a show of putting my hands behind my back and went to work on freeing James's c.o.c.k using only my mouth. His scent was intense and I drank it in like the heady perfume of an exotic flower.

He was large enough that my jaw grew tired of sucking him quickly, but he didn't let me go on too long. He lifted my chin with his fingers until I was looking in his eyes.

"The idea is we pretend the video is part of a publicity campaign for the new show." His grin was little more than the suggestion of a smirk, but the glint in his eye was predatory. "By tomorrow, everyone on the entire Internet will have seen that video and be talking about it. Then we make it seem as if we released it intentionally to get everyone buzzing. We could even follow it up with a video of our own."

"Aha. That's a brilliant idea... and I take it the video of our own would include me?" I licked my lips. From where I knelt between his legs, I could see the spot under the point of his chin where he had trouble shaving as closely as the rest of his face.

"Yes. Which was why I wanted to ask you about it in private, so you wouldn't feel put on the spot by the others." He hefted his c.o.c.k with one hand, keeping his grip on my chin with the other. "Though this is a nice side benefit."

"Chandra knew the second they left we were going to do something."

"Chandra is very observant." James licked his own lips. "Reach into your panties and touch yourself."

I did as he asked while he still held my face tilted upward. He kissed me, my arousal deepening.

"I'm not sure exactly what we'll put in the video," he said. "But you have an inkling, I imagine?"