His to Punish (The Cleaners Book 2) (3 page)

“I don’t recall her name now, but she was all over the papers a while back.” The lie came surprisingly easily, and Jeanette forced herself to hold Huntly’s searching gaze.

“Let me refresh your memory then. Her name was Myrtle, and she was indeed my top dancer…” A shadow crossed his features. The act was so brief that Jeanette wasn’t entirely sure she hadn’t imagined that flash of emotion. “Until she decided to leave my employ, and thus, my protection. I’m glad you brought her up, actually, as Myrtle’s unfortunate
end…
”

A grim smile played across his features when he said that, and it took all of Jeanette’s willpower to not scream at him,
unfortunate, my ass. She was murdered!

She didn’t do anything of the sort, of course, mindful of the fact that her own life was at stake here, so she gritted her teeth instead, and forced a smile, of sorts, on her face.

“Like I said, as unfortunate as that was, it demonstrates my point quite clearly. Myrtle brought her demise on by herself. Had she stayed loyal and thus under my protection none of that would have happened.” He paused, and this time his smile was pure evil. It made Jeanette step back and seek the solid warmth of Ty’s protection, which should have been an oxymoron, but right now it made sense to her. She certainly would not get any help from Ren or Huntly, who studied her again as though she was an interesting species of microbe under the microscope.

“I see.”

Ty’s sigh behind her raised the fine hair on her neck, and belatedly she realized that he was resting his head on her shoulder.

“Titch, do you have a death wish?” The murmured words made her turn her head slightly, so that she could see his expression, and she shook her head.

“Could have fooled me,” Ty said, and straightened up again. He also released his hold on her, and Jeanette felt strangely bereft without his body surrounding her. She wrapped her arms around herself instead, and kept her gaze on Owen Huntly’ shiny black Italian loafers instead, as she murmured her apology.

“Sorry, I’m just trying to get this straight in my head, that’s all. You say you protect your girls, but what happens when they’ve had enough and want to leave?”

“Nothing, they leave.” Ren replied instead of Huntly, and when she risked a glance up at the club owner, she saw him give a sharp nod.

“Just like that?” she asked.

“You heard Ren. I see no reason to repeat myself here. Now, like I said, give me your answer or leave—”

“Yes.”

Ty sighed again, Ren shook his head, and Huntly smiled. It didn’t reach his eyes, and he addressed the man behind her instead of her.

“You’ll have your hands full with this one. I expect a report on her
abilities
when you’re done with her. Depending on what that says, I’ll have a contract drawn up for her to sign.”

Owen dismissed her with a wave of his hand and gesturing for Ren to follow him, left the club floor. It placed her on her own with Ty Mason, and her heart turned into a jackhammer, when he stepped around her and held out his hand.

“Let’s go, titch.”

She grimaced at that word he insisted on calling her, and amusement twinkled in his dark gaze.

“Get used to it, girl. Now, how did you get here? Public transport or…”

Jeanette shook her head.

“My car is parked in the multi-story round the corner. Why?”

Instead of answering her Ty looked toward his hand. Taking the hint, Jeanette took it and immediately wished she hadn’t. The jolt of connection that shot up her arm at the innocent enough contact was hard to take, made ten times worse by Ty’s sharp intake of breath, as though, he, too, had felt that. He tightened his hold on her hand and drew lazy and far too arousing circles over the back of it with his thumb.

“That wasn’t so hard now, was it, girl? As to why I asked after your car, I would have thought that was obvious. I jogged here today, and we’ll need transport to get the Cleaners’ house. I’d have had to have nicked one of the boy’s cars to take us there, but we can take yours, so it’s all just fine and dandy.”

“He wasn’t kidding about that then? I’m expected to live with you?”

Ty surprised her by pulling her hand up to his mouth and dropping a kiss on back of it.

“
Au contraire,
my fair lady. You will be living with me, Ren and Susie, and the boys.” Having clearly judged her incredulous expression correctly, he winked at her.

“Ordinarily speaking, I’d be expected to share you with the boys, but I’m gonna pull rank and keep you to myself.”

“That … that is …
what
?”

Jeanette could hardly hear over the blood rushing in her ears, and when Ty pulled her close she gratefully leaned on him. It was that or fall down. What in the hell had she let herself in for?

“You do that?” she finally asked, when she managed to project her voice with some semblance of its usual cadence.

“Usually speaking, but, if it makes you feel any better, Ren set a precedent with his Susie, one I aim to shamelessly exploit, so relax.”

“Precedent?”  Jeanette was painfully aware that she was giving her best parrot impression here, and she wasn’t usually lost for words, but really, what was she supposed to make of this?

Ty flicked her nose with his index finger and laughed.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure the boys know you’re mine.”

Something twisted inside her at those possessive words, especially as he’d dropped his voice on the last one. It made the imp in her rebel, and she stalked back to where she’d left her bag and car keys.

“I’m not
yours
,” she said, once she’d retrieved her bag and turned to glare across the stage at him. Not that it had any effect on the infuriating man. Arms crossed over his impressive chest, he was leaning against the pole with an insolent smile on his lips. He made no move to disguise the fact that he had clearly been checking out her ass, bent over as she had been in the process of gathering her belongings. Judging by that sudden flare of heat in his dark gaze, he’d liked what he’d seen. “I’m not.” She reiterated her earlier statement, and Ty laughed and ran a hand through his mop of black hair. It made it all stand up in disarray, and gave him that just out of bed look, which made him even more edible.

Like it or not, her body wanted this guy, as much as he wanted her if the long, hard outline of his cock, clearly visible in his joggers was any indication. Ty had pulled his vest top out of his waistband, but the action did little to hide the evidence of how well hung he appeared to be.

Jeanette fought another blush at her wayward thought processes. They were most unlike her, after all. According to her last few unfortunate encounters with men—she refused to call them boyfriends—she was a frigid, unresponsive bitch.

More like they hadn’t come even close to revving her motor like this guy did with just one heated look.

He moved toward her now, all stealth and intent, and for the life of her Jeanette couldn’t move a muscle, or look away from the glittering intensity in his dark eyes. They weren’t completely black, as she’d first thought, because flecks of amber showed in them now, as he grasped her chin with one hand, and pulled her right into his hard frame by grabbing her ass.

She had a second’s warning before his mouth crashed down on hers with a growl.

“Mine.”

Chapter Three

Ty expected her to fight the kiss. Instead, Jeanette melted against him. With a small sigh she opened to the insistent strokes of his tongue along her full lips. It meant her sweet breath mingled with his, and Ty brought his hand around to fist it in her hair. A whimper escaped the woman in his arms, and when she brought her arms around to lock them around his neck, he threw all caution to the wind.

Just like he’d suspected she would, Jeanette gave no quarter in the kissing department. She kissed him back with ever bolder flicks of her tongue against his, while she pressed her tits into his chest, and he ground his rock hard dick into her pussy. Even through the layers of clothing separating them, her wet heat called him. The sweet musk of aroused woman filled his nostrils. When he massaged her ass cheek on the way down, she moaned into his kiss again, and spread her legs of her own accord to give him better access.

It was Ty’s turn to groan into the kiss, as he encountered the sodden wet fabric of her thong covering her slit.

Wrenching his lips off hers, he pulled her head back by her hair, and the fabric under his fingertips grew even wetter. What an interesting development that was.

“Like I said, you’re mine. And this,” he pushed his fingers into her pussy as far as he could with the fabric still covering her hole, and smirked at her sharp intake of breath. “This sweet cunt knows the truth.”

Jeanette tried to shake her head, but he tightened his hold on her hair further. Her eyes widened and filled with tears at the pain he knew he was inflicting on her sensitive scalp, and the dark bastard he hid inside reveled at the tiny yelp she clearly didn’t want to make.

“That’s just a physiological response.” She went a little cross-eyed while saying that. When he flicked the hard nub at the top of her slit with his thumb, her hips bucked at the lazy circles he drew around her clit, and her breathing sped up further.

“Doesn’t mean anything. You’ll never own my soul.” The gasped words pissed him off, because he could read the sincerity in her eyes. She truly believed that, and while that shouldn’t bother him, it damn well fucking did.

“Is that so, titch? We’ll see about that, shall we? You’ll be begging me for my cock before the day is out, girl.”

To prove his point, he nudged the elastic of her underwear out of the way, and sank two fingers knuckle deep into her cunt, while keeping up the gentle pressure on her clit. Jeanette was so wet that he encountered no resistance, and when he curled those digits, exerting pressure against the fleshy mound he was looking for, her whole body jerked in need. Perspiration broke out on her skin, her fingernails dug into his shoulders, and she rocked herself against his hand in tiny, jerky moves, she didn’t seem aware of making.

Incomprehensible sounds spilled from her lips, as he pushed her toward an orgasm he had no intention of letting her have.

She was breathtaking as her arousal amped up. Eyes screwed shut, mouth open, skin flushed, she looked like a woman on the edge, as confirmed by the wetness coating his fingers and hand, and the way her internal muscles clenched and released around his digits.

It made Ty wish it was his cock her cunt muscles were squeezing to death, but he’d meant his earlier words. She would damn well beg him for his cock, and he would only fuck her once she’d lost the fucking attitude and admitted she was his.

“God, I’m … fuck … don’t stop, please … I’m…”

Ty didn’t need to hear the words to know how close she was, and without warning withdrew his fingers. They left her body with a squelch, and giving her a shove away, he licked his fingers clean, while Jeanette stumbled and moaned her denial.

It was utterly delightful to see her so on edge, and when she tried to pull her skirt up, seemingly determined to finish herself off, he grasped her by the shoulders and slammed her body against the wall.

“Ow, damn you.” Bringing his hand around, he clamped it over her mouth so hard he would leave bruises, and her sudden fear was an almost palpable force in the room. It made him even harder, and he ground his erection into her ass.

“That’s Sir to you, titch, and you’ll only come when I give you permission to. You haven’t earned that right. Try and get yourself off again, and so help me, you won’t be able to use that hand for a while. Broken fingers are not that easy to dance with, are they?”

“No, please…”

He smirked at her strangled reply and stepped away from her.

“Now that we’ve established some ground rules, tidy yourself up. You look a mess, girl.”

He had to give it to her, she had spunk, because her eyes flashed fire at him, as she turned around and did her best to straighten her disheveled clothing.

“And whose fault is that …
Sir
?”

The intonation she put on that title made it sound like an insult, as was no doubt her intention.

“Yours clearly, girl, for not obeying the rules. Now, be a good girl for five minutes, and let’s get to your car. The sooner we have your stuff, the sooner we can get started on your training.”

She snorted at that, and Ty crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at her.

“For your information, I’m keeping a tally on all these infractions of yours, and once I’ve got you in our cellar, your ass will be lovely shade of glowing red, I reckon.”

Jeanette swallowed hard.

“Cellar?” she asked, and he had to wonder at the wobble in her voice. “I’m not … I can’t … please, Sir, I’ll behave, no cellars.”

She wrapped her arms around herself, and he frowned at the way she tried to hide her trembling.

What the fuck?

“It’s not really a cellar, at last not if you’re thinking dark, wet, and creepy.”

“Oh, thank God. I have never liked cellars. They give me the creeps.”

Her heartfelt sigh of relief made his chest feel tight with a surge of emotion and the need to protect the shivering woman in front of him. Giving into the instinct to soothe her, he put his hands on her shoulder and stroked the delicate skin of her neck with his thumbs.

“We have those too, of course, but you’ll only end up there if you’ve pissed off Huntly.”

A tear rolled down her cheek, and he frowned at the silent misery she seemed to be caught up in.

“Tell me,” she finally asked. “Is that where Myrtle ended up? Did she piss him off that much?”

That warning itch returned tenfold, and Ty took his time answering her.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re implying, and talk like that will not be good for your health. I’d have thought you’d learnt this by now.” He took his hand off her and picked up her bag off the floor.

“Why the interest in Myrtle, girl? And don’t even think about lying to me. I can spot a lie a mile off.”

She flicked him a glance and instead of answering him, fiddled with her car keys. The resulting jangle ground on his last nerve, and she jumped when he put his hands over her fingers to stop that frantic, nervous movement.

“I’m replacing her as far as I can tell. Surely, it’s reasonable of me to want to find out what happened to her. After all, I don’t want to end up like her … Sir.”

She yanked her hand out of his grasp, and Ty frowned.

“That’s simple enough. Don’t lie, cheat, or steal, and you’ll find Huntly to be a very accommodating employer.”

Another one of those silent tears rolled down Jeanette’s cheek, and she swiped it away with a rather angry hand move.

“Are you saying that’s what she did?” she asked.

Ty shook his head.

“I’m saying this subject is closed, until you’re ready to tell me the truth.” Ty grasped her elbow and started walking, giving her no choice but to follow him. Ace smirked at them when they walked past him, and the way he ran his gaze all over Jeanette made Ty want to swipe that grin off the other man’s face with his fists.

“Ah, fresh cunt for us all. How utterly delightful,” Ace said.

“Find your own whore, man. This one is mine.” Ty’s reply meant the woman at his side tensed.

“I’m no one’s whore,” she said, and Ace laughed.

“Not yet, sweet thing, but you soon will be, and then, my dear, you and I will have some fun.”

“Fuck off, Ace. She might decide she wants out before that.” Ty’s reply just seemed to make Ace laugh more. He did step out of the way, however, and Ty breathed a silent sigh of relief when they left the club behind. A quick scan of his surrounding showed there to be nothing suspect, and Ty nodded at Jeanette.

“Which one, left or right?” he asked.

“Left.”

Ty flashed her a quick smile and resumed walking, and in no time at all, they were standing next to her little car. The ancient mini had seen better days, and Ty grimaced to himself as he folded himself into a pretzel trying to get into the passenger seat, and that was with the seat sat as far back as it was.

Jeanette smiled at him, when he hit his head on the roof for the third time.

“Sorry, I know it’s not very big, but I love it. Mustang was my first car, and I’m loath to let him go.”

“Mustang?” Ty shook his head when Jeanette grinned at him. The first genuine smile he’d seen from her today, and one that made his insides itch with foreboding. Because that smile, fuck, yeah, he wanted to see more of that, and that should probably worry him a great deal.

“Yeah, as in my trusty steed. I know he doesn’t look like much anymore, but he hasn’t let me down yet.” Sure enough, the rust bucket started on the first turn, and the engine positively purred along.

Ty whistled through his teeth.

“Someone’s looked after the engine, all right,” he said, and, again Jeanette shot him one of those open smiles. She really did look beautiful when she did that, and Ty found himself hard pushed not to grin back at her. “You’ll have to give me his number. We’re always on the look-out for a good mechanic.”

Jeanette’s smile slipped to be replaced by a frown, and she hit the steering wheel, while muttering something under her breath.

“Don’t mumble, girl. If you have something to say, then say it to my face, at least.”

When she shook her head, seemingly intent on ignoring her, he swatted her thigh hard. The action made her jump, and the car jerked to a stop at the red traffic light they were approaching.

“Damn it, what was that for?” She glared at him while she turned the key to restart the engine. “Look what you made me do. Sorry, Mustang.” Ty’s amusement increased when she stroked the dashboard.

“A man could get jealous at the attention you bestow on this rust heap.”

Her head swung round, and he was at the receiving end of another one of those cock hardening glares. Ty’s hand itched to put her over his knee, and to teach her some respect. To have this woman freely submitting to his will would be a heady aphrodisiac, and he realized with sudden clarity, that that was exactly what he wanted.

It was a sobering thought indeed. Ty would never take a woman against her will, not that there had been ever a need to even chase one. Most women in his acquaintance were only too eager to spread their legs—for anyone. Maybe that’s what was niggling at him.

He wanted something more, had done for a while, but finding anyone untouched by the darkness the Cleaners surrounded themselves with on a daily basis, proved nigh on impossible.

Ty shook his head to clear it of his maudlin thoughts. He was thirty-eight next week, for fuck’s sake, not fifty-eight, and there was plenty of time to settle down, as he’d told his dear mama only the other week. A smile played on his lips as he thought of her.

His earnings kept her well looked after in a top notch nursing home, and she had no idea what he really did for a living. The worry would kill her faster than her failing heart.

“For the last time, Mustang is not a rust heap.” Jeanette’s answer made him look at her, and he was surprised to see her studying him. As was typical for this time of day, traffic was diabolical, and they were in a long slow moving queue of cars. “I would have thought you’d never be short of female attention,” she said.

At his laugh, her flawless mocha skin darkened in a blush, and his gut churned at the ugliness she was signing up for.

It really shouldn’t bother him, and besides, he got to taste the goods first. All in a day’s job and move on, that was the Cleaners’ motto after all, but the mere thought of using this young woman like that left a sour taste in Ty’s mouth.

Subsequently his reply came out much harsher than he intended it to be.

“No, usually your sort fall at my feet.”

The instant hurt that flashed up in her expressive eyes made him want to take the words back. The fact that it did, made him angrier, and he swore softly under his breath.

“Anyway, like I said, I want your mechanic’s number. Huntly will be able to use him.”

“Huntly will do no such thing. Besides, I’m employed for servicing other parts, I believe.”

Jeanette pulled her shoulders back and stuck her chin out in a defiant gesture, while they crawled forward a few more car lengths.

“Jeez, this traffic is doing my head in. I should have taken the tube, and walked the rest.”