“Who guesses Dawn? Wouldn’t Diana be more likely or Debbie?”
Montano scrunched his nose and laughed. “Debbie?”
“I shouldn’t be surprised you knew my mother’s maiden name. I’m sure Sofia told you.”
“She didn’t. I read it in a brief I was given a few days ago.”
“A brief? About me?”
“That’s right. It’s also the real reason I knew your middle name.” He cleared his throat. “What I’m about to tell you may or may not come as a surprise.”
I pulled out a kitchen chair and sat. “You could’ve waited until I had at least one glass of wine.”
“I figured the beer counted.”
“Not as high a level of alcohol by volume. Enough about booze. What may or may not surprise me?”
“Until you showed up at my family’s home for Thanksgiving, I was unaware you existed.”
That didn’t come as a surprise at all. My cheeks still burned in embarrassment, though. I could feel them. “I didn’t show up for Thanksgiving. I didn’t even remember the holiday.”
Montano held out his hand and, when I took it, pulled me up from the chair, sat in my place, and positioned me on his lap. “There is a possibility your sister intentionally hid your existence to protect you.”
“Right.” I tried to get up, but he put his arm around my waist.
“I want you to think about what I just said.”
“Okay.”
“You asked if you were in danger, and I’m going to tell you straight that you are. There was video surveillance of the man who came to Los Caballeros looking for you.”
“Someone you recognized?”
Montano nodded. “You would recognize him too.”
His hold on me tightened as I processed what he’d just said. “Oh my God, it was the man from the boat.”
“It was.”
“Do you think he followed us here?” I felt sick to my stomach and regretted ordering all that food.
“I know he didn’t.”
“You have someone following him, don’t you?”
“Yes. Someone has been following us as well.”
“Good guy or bad guy?”
“Good ones, definitely. Bad ones, I hope not, but if any did, you’re protected.”
Everything that had happened since Montano approached me on the tour boat raced through my mind. “The driver in New York City. He works for you, doesn’t he?”
“Yes. His name is Buster Franks.”
“Who else?”
“The guy from the electric company.”
I stared him down. “Seriously? You pretended I lost power? I could’ve frozen to death.”
He ran a finger down my cheek. “How long after your power went out did I knock on your door?”
“I don’t know. A few minutes.”
“Not even two minutes. I told you I’d protect you, angel, and I meant it.”
“Angel? Is that one of those things you do? You’re calling me that instead of sis?”
Montano shook his head. “I’m calling you that because it’s the way I see you.”
“You’re just saying that so I stop being mad about the electricity.” There was a knock at the door, and I almost screamed.
“It’s our dinner,” Montano said as if he could see through the door, and he wasn’t facing it.
“How can you be sure?”
“I got a text that Cowboy would be delivering it at six on the dot.” He scooted me off his lap and stood.
“He can eat mine. I’m not hungry anymore.”
“I don’t believe that for a minute.” He put his hand on the doorknob but didn’t open it. “I’m going to invite him in so you know what he looks like. There’s one other person who came with us on this trip. His name is Wasp. You can meet him in the morning.”
Montano waved his hand at the man carrying the basket of food. “Come in, Cowboy. I want you to meet Blanca.”
“There’s more food to bring in.”
“Is Wasp out there?”
The man he’d called Cowboy nodded.
“Good. Tell him to come in.”
“Ma’am,” he said, tipping his hat at me before he went out the door he’d come in.
“Is he for real?” I whispered.
“One hundred percent.”
He came back inside, followed by another man; both were carrying baskets.
“I may have overdone the food order a little.”
The man I hadn’t met yet set his basket down and held out his hand. “I’m Jasper Theron, but most everyone calls me Wasp.”
The cowboy was right behind him. “Garrison Cassidy. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Blanca is aware of the danger we believe she may be in. She’s also aware of Diesel’s and Buster’s involvement.”
“Is there anyone else? Other than Ranger, I would assume.”
“Two more. A woman who goes by Swan and one other man, Trap.”
“The woman I saw at the restaurant. Was that her?”
“It was,” answered Montano. “She was having dinner with Trap.”
“She’s very beautiful,” I muttered under my breath.
I felt Montano behind me before I heard him. “She doesn’t hold a candle to you, angel,” he whispered in my ear before taking a step away. “Okay, gentlemen, if you have nothing to report, you can clear out so we can eat.”
“Nice to meet you both,” I said as they left.
“Where should we start?” he asked.
“Oysters?”
“I like the way you think.”
“I’ll open the wine.”
“I like that even more.”
17
Onyx
Blanca was as observant as she was smart. As soon as I told her everything I had, I decided she needed to know about the team on her detail and what they looked like—at least the two here with us. After we ate, I’d put their contact information into her phone as well.
“This is a ridiculous amount of food. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? Are you kidding? I’ll eat whatever you don’t and order dessert on top of it.”
She laughed. “Consider this an official challenge. We have to set a time limit, though.”
“I’m up for it. What are you thinking?”
“It’s six fifteen now. Two hours?”
“No problem.”
She smirked. “You’re on.”
“Is there some kind of wager involved?”
“Do you think there should be?”
Oh yeah, I did, but everything I could come up with involved Blanca being in various stages of undress.
“Your face is expressive.”
I looked up from the oysters. “Is it?”
“Very.”
“Are you saying you know what I’m thinking?”
“I’m saying that if you’re thinking what I think you are, you shouldn’t eat any more of those oysters.”
I sat back in the chair. “This is just a trick to keep them all for yourself, isn’t it?”
Blanca slowly shook her head. “Since I’m thinking the same thing you are, I shouldn’t have any more either.”
I laughed out loud, and so did she, and then we polished off the remaining so-called aphrodisiacs.
If we’d wagered, I would’ve lost because she was right; there was no way I could finish everything she’d ordered, even with Blanca eating her share of it.
“You bested me, woman.”
She rubbed her belly. “I’m so full I have to go to sleep.”
“Go ahead, I’ll clean up.”
“I can help.”
“Nah, you ordered.”
She smiled and shook her head. “Thanks for today,” she said, leaning down and kissing my cheek. “Thank you for respecting me enough to tell me what’s going on.”
“You deserved to know. It’s your life.”
“Sleep well.” Blanca waved behind her as she walked out of the kitchen.
I thanked her even though I had no intention of sleeping. Truth be told, I couldn’t wait to get started on her book.
I put as much of the food away as I could, double-checked the doors and windows were secured everywhere but the room Blanca was in, and then remembered I hadn’t put Wasp’s or Cowboy’s cell numbers in her phone like I meant to do.
“Knock, knock,” I said, tapping lightly and hoping she wasn’t asleep yet.
“Just a sec.” It took her a minute to open the door, and then it was only a crack. “What’s up?”
“There’s something I need to do.”
“Oh, uh, give me another minute, okay?”
I rested against the wall and tried my hardest not to allow my mind to imagine everything she might have been doing before I knocked. Instead, it raced with it. Had she gone into her bedroom intending to take care of any desires brought on by our conversation about the oysters? I knew as soon I was alone, that’s what I’d be doing.
I groaned when all I could picture was Blanca under her bedsheets, one hand between her legs, the other playing with her nipples. I reached into my jeans to adjust myself at the same moment she reopened her door. My hand froze where it was, and time seemed to stand still as she looked from my eyes to my groin.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” The idea that she was teasing me was almost enough to make my problem go away, until my eyes met hers and I saw the heat in them. I slowly moved my hand.
“I, um, wanted to check and make sure your bedroom window was secured.”
She took one step closer. “You could’ve asked me to do that myself.”
“I also meant to give you contact info for Cowboy and Wasp.”
“Why?”
“Just in case you needed to reach them for anything.”
She took one more step. “Anything?”
I grabbed her shoulders and spun her around so her back was against the wall. “No. Not anything,” I said, my lips close enough to hers to touch. “What were you doing in there?”
She raised her chin. “Book research.”
“Jesus,” I groaned before my mouth came crashing down on hers. I put my hands on her ass, digging my fingertips into her flesh, and lifted her. “Put your legs around me,” I demanded, instinctively grinding myself against her heat. “I’ll take care of anything you need, Blanca. Do you understand me?”
“Will you?” Her arms tightened around my neck, and I kissed her hard. My tongue delved in to slide against hers; my body pressed her against the wall. Lust warred against my conscience when she slid one hand under my shirt while the fingers of the other wove into my hair.
When she rolled her hips, I came as close as I had in over a year to having an orgasm brought on by another person. Unable to resist another second, I slid my hand inside the back of the sweatpants she must’ve pulled on in order to come out of the room to talk to me.
I moaned in frustration, knowing I had to stop, when my fingers brushed up against the soft lace of the panties that clung to the curves of her perfect ass. I broke our kiss with a nip at her bottom lip and lowered her legs to the ground.
Blanca’s chest heaved, her eyes glazed over, and her lips were damp and swollen.
Before I changed my mind, I walked into her bedroom and checked the lock on the window. “I’ll give you those numbers tomorrow, angel,” I said when she met me at the door.
“Are you seriously about to say good night to me?”
Knowing that if I touched her again, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from fucking her senseless, I put my hands in my pockets. “Consider what just happened more book research.”
Yeah, it was an asshole move, but it would have been far worse had I followed through and had sex with her.
An hour later, I woke to the sound of someone screaming. In horror, I grabbed my gun and tore out of the bedroom in the direction of the sound.
“Blanca? What happened?” I raced to put her behind me when I saw her pointing at the door.
“B-b-bear,” she stammered.
I shut off the kitchen lights and stepped forward to look out one of the windows. Blanca had a firm grasp on my boxer briefs. “Put your arms around my waist instead, angel.”
“Where are you going?”
“I want to see if he or she is still close by.”
“What if it’s still on the deck?”
“You’re right. I should call for backup.”
“Who are you going to call?”
“Wasp.”
She nodded but didn’t let go of my waist as I turned to go back into the bedroom.
“Where are you?” I asked when he answered.
“Watching a couple of rangers trying to get a mama bear safely away from your cabin.”
“Any sign of cubs?”
“Negative, and before you ask, I figured you were both asleep when I didn’t see any lights on, so I didn’t alert you. I saw the bear heading onto the deck, but I didn’t think it would be wise to take it on myself, so Cowboy called the local sheriff. The rangers arrived shortly after.”
“Copy that. Send me an update when you have one.” I hung up and turned in Blanca’s arms. “I’m sure you heard all of that.”
She nodded.
“What do you say we try to get some sleep?”
“There is no way I’ll be able to sleep now.”
“You know there are probably all kinds of critters roaming around outside at night, and you’re never the wiser.”
Her eyes were wide. “Was that supposed to make me feel better?”
I inched the two of us closer to the bed. “You can sleep in here tonight.”
“Where will you be?”
“I don’t think it would do much to alleviate your fears if I wasn’t beside you, would it?”
“No.”
I pulled back the sheets, waved her in, and she scooted over.
“Be right back.” I pulled on a pair of sweats, went out to the kitchen, and checked the deck and what else I could see, but there was no sign of activity. Fine by me. I made a pit stop in the bathroom and hoped by the time I came out, Blanca would be asleep.
Wishful and foolish thinking since she was sitting up in bed, staring at the wall, when I lay beside her. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Just not sure I’ll be able to sleep.”
“What do you usually do when you can’t?”
“Write.”
“Go ahead. It won’t bother me.”
“You’ll be able to sleep through me tapping away on my keyboard?”
“It’ll probably soothe me.”
“You’re weird.”
I opened one eye, and she winked.
“You could always read me a bedtime story first.” I wiggled my eyebrows.
“And a dork.”
I reached out, pinched her waist, and she giggled.
“I’ll go get my laptop if you’re sure I won’t keep you awake.”
“I’ll get it. Just tell me where it is.”
“On my bed. I’ll probably need the charger that is connected to it too.”
The laptop was open when I went into the room, but rather than look at the screen, I closed it. I’d probably never sleep if I read it and she was in the middle of writing a sex scene.
Just the thought that she might be brought my cock from half asleep to wide awake.
I handed her the computer, got on the bed with my back to her, and willed my mind to think about anything other than sex. I closed my eyes and thought about Blanca on the day we met.
It seemed that since I got over the initial shock of seeing her, every memory was a good one. She was beautiful, quick-witted, earnest, and even when she got mad at me, got over it quickly. Another trait her sister hadn’t developed.
I opened one eye when I felt her leaning against my shoulder. Correction: all I could really feel were her breasts. “Yes?”
“You can’t be asleep yet.”
“I wasn’t.”
“Are you sure about this? I
mean, I could go into the other room now. I’m over seeing the bear.”
“I’m not. Me offering to let you sleep here was more for me than you.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“First a weirdo, then a dork, and now a liar. You don’t have a very high opinion of me, do you?”
“Actually, I can’t think of anyone I have a higher opinion of than you.”
“Ditto.”
18
Blanca
Instead of going back to what I’d been writing, I opened a new document. I couldn’t concentrate on anything other than the man beside me, so I decided to let him be my muse.
The thing I understood least about him was his reaction to happily-ever-after endings the day we ran through Central Park. From everything I’d seen, Montano was every woman’s fantasy of the perfect man. He was extraordinarily good-looking, with a ripped body, and had a great sense of humor. He was smart, charming, flirtatious, and had not only promised to protect me, but he’d followed through when I went into the kitchen for a glass of water, saw a bear staring at me through the glass door, and screamed.
He’d gallantly offered to let me sleep with him, and while I would love to feel his naked body next to mine, the chivalrous way he put on sweatpants and lay on top of the covers made me swoon.
While all of that should be enough to make any woman throw herself at him, that he’d pushed me up against the wall, kissed me breathless, and in a growly voice, told me he’d be the one to take care of whatever I needed, made my panties melt.
So what was the deal with him not believing in the fairy-tale ending? It would be one thing if he was skeptical or questioning, but his reaction had been more than that. He could see the beginning and middle of the love story, but couldn’t fathom the ending.
Was it my sister’s doing that Montano no longer believed loved could last? Something told me there had been a time in his life when he had.
My hands gripped the steering wheel hard when I turned onto the road I hoped would lead me to the person who could give me answers about my sister—my dead twin sister.
Was it my best opening line ever? Definitely not. But like I’d told Montano earlier, the book I was writing presently wasn’t the kind I normally wrote. This was a different book than the one I’d been talking about at the time, but as my fingers flew on the keyboard, I knew this was the one I had to write.
Onyx (K19 Security Solutions Book 10) Page 10