Marrow

JACK

“Jack, do you have a minute?”

Dr. Cannon stands in the open doorway of my office. The creased skin around his dark eyes lends to his worried expression. I nod and stand, buttoning my suit jacket as he enters. He closes the door behind him to seal us in privacy.

“Is there anything wrong?” I ask, prompting him.

He swipes a hand down the lower half of his face. “I don’t mean to alarm you. Especially with all that’s happened lately. It’s been…stressful, to say the least. With the investigation and Mason and—” he drops his head “—Dr. Thompson. Christ.” He mutters a curse beneath his breath. “I still don’t understand what happened with Brad.”

I should offer some measure of commiseration. I am responsible for Brad, after all. And mostly everything else. Well, Kyrie’s to blame for Mason. With two killers hunting in the same territory, staking their claim with a rivalry, things were bound to get a little out of hand.

The main reason it’s time to leave.

“But that’s why I need to speak with you,” Hugh says, his voice lowering to a serious timbre.

My hackles raise. I already don’t like where this is going. Crossing my arms, I say, “Sure.”

“I’m looking to replace Dr. Roth.” Hugh glances through the door toward Kyrie’s office.

Confusion furrows my brow. “I don’t understand. You said she was doing well here.”

“She is,” he says, then expels a breath. “She’s the best wildlife biologist this university has ever had.”

I chuckle. “Then I’m really confused. What’s the problem?”

A puzzled expression creases his weathered features. “Jack, you’re the one who has demanded for Dr. Roth to be removed ever since she started. I’m offering you what you want.”

I eye him suspiciously. “What is it that you need from me, Hugh?”

His gaze holds mine in firm resolve. “I need you to be the chair of the West Paine Future of STEM Initiative.”

“No,” I say with strict authority. “I’m not interested in wrangling a whole initiative program for your donors.”

“Your donors, too.” His mouth thins. “Look, Jack. You’ve got one foot out the door anyway with your transfer.” He moves farther into my office. “The university is taking a hit with this investigation. Donations are drying up. Students and professors alike are wary, scared. West Paine needs to be shown in a good light, and a university-wide initiative to attract new talent from all over can make that happen.”

I straighten my back, drawing to my full height. “That’s a commitment that could take months.”

“Months where you don’t have to worry about another CRYO freezer incident,” he says.

I clear my throat. “That was actually Madeleine’s fault.”

He squares his shoulders. “This is my best attempt at a compromise, Jack. You’re leaving me with a mess of a department when you go. So…” He turns and braces a hand on the doorknob before he looks me directly in the eyes. “Do this, and I won’t renew Dr. Roth’s contract. You can have your pick of who takes her position.”

Hugh is desperate. I’ve been so focused on Kyrie and Hayes that I haven’t noticed the impact on the university. A year ago—hell, a week ago—none of this would affect me. It would simply be one more reason to disappear. The sooner, the better.

The talk about my impending transfer sets my jaw, a thought burrowing in deep. I’ve treated Kyrie unfairly these past few years, and I doubt there is anything that can be done to make up for that now, but I’m willing to try.

“When is Dr. Roth’s contract up?” I ask, shuffling my stance.

“Three months.”

Three months. It’s taken three years for me to see her—to truly see her; the darkness hidden in the shadows cast by her light, the pain she’s honed into a weapon, the pain I’m partly responsible for—and in just three short months, I could lose her.

That won’t happen.

I slip my hand down my necktie. “So then you’ll still need Dr. Roth to participate in the STEM initiative.”

His sigh is weary. “Yes, that will be an uncomfortable conversation. I don’t relish having to ask that of Dr. Roth when I know I’ll be letting her go shortly thereafter.”

I nod slowly. “I’ll talk to Dr. Roth about her participation in the program.”

His head notches back, shock evident in the widening of his eyes. “Thanks, Jack. That would be appreciated.”

Once Hugh exits my office, I look over at Kyrie. She’s on a video call. Probably with a donor by the full display of her brightly lit, sunshine smile.

With predatory focus, I watch how she smoothes her palms down her thighs, ironing out creases along her tight pencil skirt, then crosses her legs. How she throws her head back with a laugh.

And suddenly I’m marching out of my office and crossing the hallway.

I enter without knocking, earning a concerned glance from her as her pale-blue eyes seek mine.

“Absolutely,” she says to the person, not removing her gaze from me. She hits Mute on the keyboard. “What’s wrong?”

I say nothing as I walk to the corner and switch the film setting on the glass walls to opaque. The hazy-white partition instantly conceals her office, leaving us in a private cocoon.

A woman’s voice sounds through the speakers to snag her attention, and she looks at the monitor and unmutes the line. “Oh, sorry, Mrs. Vanden. My mail was just delivered. Where were we?”

Stealthily, I approach Kyrie’s desk and slip off my blazer. I drape the garment on the back of the leather chair, kicking the legs to move it out of the way. Then I proceed to roll up my shirt sleeves.

Kyrie does her best to give her undivided attention to Mrs. Vanden, but her gaze slides up to me before tracking back to the woman on the screen. I can’t help the devilish smile that curls my lips as I kneel in front of her desk and crawl beneath.

“Jack—” she hisses.

“Do your job, Kyrie.” I circle a hand around her ankle and deftly uncross her legs.

“That’s right,” she says, a perceived tremble to her voice. “We’ve accomplished so much while I’ve been at West Paine.”

As I hover over her lap, I snake my fingers underneath the tight hem of her skirt and inch the fabric up to the flare of her beautiful hips, my breath hot over her skin as I breathe in the scent of her expensive jasmine body lotion.

Her knees remain locked as she answers one of Mrs. Vanden’s needless questions, and I nip the tender skin above one knee. She gifts me a breathy flinch, and I take full advantage of having Kyrie preoccupied.

With another light bite to the side of her thigh, I wedge a hand between her knees. She fights me for a useless second until the struggle gains the concern of the woman on the screen.

“Dr. Roth, is everything all right?”

“Of course. These web calls—”

I force her thighs apart.

“—have spotty reception. So very sorry.” Kyrie clears her throat, covertly covering my groan of approval as I push in between her soft thighs. “As I was saying before, our Bass fields is the third largest research body farm in the country.”

Hunger sears my fading restraint at the sight of her perfect pussy sheathed by the flimsy material of her thong. I’m a man possessed as I bury my face between the apex of her inner thighs and pinch the fabric between my teeth, then lick the coarse seam, tracing the outline of her sweet clit.

I’m rewarded with the feel of her soaked panties, the warmth stirring insatiable desire as her thighs clamp against my temples, which has me ravenously lavishing her clit through those fucking wet panties like a starved beast.

I’m unconcerned with the primal groans tearing free as I make it my mission to hear her throaty little moans. Kyrie relinquishes her braced hold on my head to drive the heel of her pump into my thigh.

I grunt against her soft lips, the pain a delicious tease. In response, I bracket a hand around her ass. My other secures the elastic edge of her panties and, using my teeth, I tear through the fabric.

“Jack—” Her hands dig into my hair, fingers curling and nails scraping my scalp.

“Jack?” the woman questions. “Oh, Dr. Sorensen. I’ve heard murmurings among the committee that he’ll be a seat for a STEM initiative at West Paine. That would be such a great treat.”

A tinkling laugh falls from Kyrie’s parted mouth. “Unfortunately, I can almost assure you that Dr. Sorensen won’t be heading up any initiatives.”

“Well, that’s too bad. His presence would mean a great deal to the committee.”

Her slick pussy exposed to me, I suck her clit into my mouth.

Kyrie does her best to disguise her moan. “Mmm-hmm. Yes, well, Dr. Sorensen is a very solitary creature. Brilliant, absolutely. But not big on socializing.”

“That’s a true shame,” the woman replies. “He’s so charming when you’re able to catch him for a chat.”

“Mmm,” Kyrie intones, chest rising as she reaches for a stable breath.

Dipping into her wet pussy, I taste her, fucking her cunt with my tongue. My cock strains against the teeth of my zipper, and I have never wanted her more.

She expels a lengthy breath, fingers raking my scalp as she strives to control the tremor racing through her body. In an effort to slow my greedy tongue, she again stabs her heel into my leg.

I back off only long enough to slip her heels off and toss them under the desk. Then I clamp my hands around her ankles and yank her ass closer to me on the chair.

Her yelp startles Mrs. Vanden, and I bury my laugh against Kyrie’s pussy, lapping the sweet juices with greedy, hedonistic pleasure.

“Oh my…” She arches her back, raising one arm in an awkward stretch that makes me smile against her. “I mean. Of course, you’re right. What a great idea, Mrs. Vanden. I’ll make sure to pass along your suggestion to Dr. Cannon.” She yanks on my hair. “However, I really do apologize, but I’m going to have to follow up with you later on this. I’m apparently having connection issues.”

“Oh… All right. Please say hello to Dr. Cannon—”

Kyrie ends the video call. “Jesus, Jack. Are you still trying to get me fired?”

I halt abruptly at her accusation, feeling the smallest twinge of uncertainty. It passes just as quickly, and I take her ass in both hands and haul her forward to the edge of the chair.

“Get your goddamn sweet ass down here and ride my fucking face, lille mejer.” I band my forearm around her waist and pull her off the chair, bringing her down to the floor with me.

I muffle her squeal with my hand, then shift her so that her thighs straddle either side of my head. “Grind that perfect pussy on my tongue.”

She anchors her hands to the edge of the desk for leverage as I bring her down on my mouth. “What does that mean?” she asks, breathless.

I smile against her. “I think you’re clever enough to deduce what grinding your pussy means, Dr. Roth—”

“Jack…” She pulls my hair.

I release a groan, my gaze latching on to hers as she looks down at me. “Little reaper,” I say, then thrust her hips forward, burying my tongue deep inside her.

Her hips rock in sexy little undulations that sets my blood aflame, and I nip at her clit before swirling my tongue and then sucking the nub into my mouth, loving her breathy moans she can’t hold back.

Her thighs tremble as I reach up and cup her breast, finding the peaked bud of her nipple beneath her silky blouse. Then I fasten my other hand to her hip and force her down on my mouth harder, sneaking my fingers into the tight pocket of her skirt as she quakes with her silent, impending release.

Riding me harder, her orgasm taking hold, she belts out my name, and I let her bite into the web of my hand as she shatters against me. I push my tongue inside deep, greedily exploring the pulsing, swollen flesh of her channel as she grinds through the climax.

As she comes down, her chest rising and falling in seductive inhalations, her thighs quivering to hold her lax body, I grasp her waist and rise up, catching her back against my thighs.

She yelps, then situates herself on my torso. “Thanks for the warning.”

With a dark smirk, I reach over and collect her shoes. I slip the pumps back onto her feet.

“Can I have my panties, too?” she asks, grabbing hold of the edge of the desk to pull herself up to stand. She drags her skirt down around her knees. “Or am I just supposed to walk around panty-less all day, Dr. Sorensen?”

I rise to my feet to stand over her, clasping the nape of her neck and tilting her face up to mine. “Yes. I want you aware of your naked pussy all day, thinking about me tasting you, and how I’m going to fuck you senseless later tonight.”

I kiss her then, long and sensual, already starved at the taste of her mouth mingling with the taste of her pussy, so delectable.

When I break away, I hold her gaze and whisper, “I’m keeping these.” I hold up her torn panties before I sink them back into my pocket.

“How very stalker of you,” she snarks.

I wipe my hand down my mouth to conceal my smile, then shrug on my jacket before I head to the door.

“Tonight?” she questions, a hint of hesitancy detected beneath her bright tone.

I pause at the door. “You know where I live.”

She cocks her head in a mocking manner. “Of course.”

“How very stalker of you, Dr. Roth.” I wink. “Be at my place at five.”

A flash of something unsure registers on her face before she masks it with a pretty smile, then she nods. I watch while she runs her palms over her skirt to smooth it further, her hand stopping at her empty pocket.

I flick the lighter lid open and then shut. Snap. Flick. Snap. Flick. “Oh and, Dr. Roth, you’ll be participating in the STEM initiative. The one I am in fact a chair on. You’re my spotlight professor.”

One of her eyebrows wings up. “This is all very out of character for the great Dr. Jack Sorensen. Should I be concerned?”

I snap my Zippo closed, pocket the lighter. With Sebastian’s body taken care of, Agent Hayes soon to be far away from her, and my decision finalized where this relentless woman fits into my life—perhaps I do feel a measure of relief.

Licking my lips to taste her once more, I say, “Maybe your annoying positivity is rubbing off on me. Make sure to come tonight prepared to hand over Thunderdome. Emphasis on come.”

Then I remove my phone from my pocket and pull up the audio file of Kyrie. Turning the phone where she can see the screen, I delete the file.

Her gaze traps mine, a question banked in the glistening pale-blue. This very moment, with Kyrie too stunned to speak, I resolve to dispose of Mason’s femur. I know my nature, what I’m capable of—and I don’t want anything in my possession that can ever be held over her.

I leave her standing in the center of the room, satisfied and flushed, maybe even flustered, as I exit her office.

On my way back to mine, Hugh walks past me in the hall. “Get it all settled with Dr. Roth?” he asks.

I nod curtly in confirmation. “I took care of her.”

“Excellent work, Jack.”

A smirk twists my mouth.

With the taste of Kyrie still lingering enticingly on my tongue, I unbutton my blazer and seat myself at my desk to wake the laptop screen. A few days ago, I hired a private investigator to do some digging into Agent Hayes. Unsure of what she’d find, I couldn’t stop the obsessive thought that something about the fed seemed off. Especially when it came to his interest in Kyrie.

The email at the top of my inbox confirms that suspicion and more, dousing my short-lived relief in the light. Creatures designed like us were not meant to bask in it for long. Where we lurk, the darkness always finds us.