by India Kells
She could tell Luke was smiling when he answered without turning his head. “I doubt it, but don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you if that’s the case.”
He definitely would, but she had to agree with his assessment. The place they were in looked deserted. In the last few months, after things had calmed down and Luke didn’t have lectures, they’d escape and explore one of his urbex spots outside Chicago, just for fun. The strangest thing was that Sloane very much enjoyed their little escapades. Exploring with him, underground or in abandoned places, forced her out of her head and into the moment.
As they advanced deeper, and emerged into a vast space, there was no room in her mind but that. The site was spectacular, even only lit by their headlamps and flashlights. The ceiling had crumbled to the ground, making the vault look like a post-apocalyptic cathedral with its steel beams still up. If they weren’t so deep, Sloane would’ve sworn she could see starlight between each chunk of darkness.
“There’s no graffiti on the walls. I’ve seen it so often, now that there isn’t any, it’s strange.”
Luke nodded. “This place was discovered by a friend of mine who hasn’t shared it with many people yet, only the experts among us. I wanted us to be one of the first to see it.”
Everything softened in her, and she came closer, taking his hand. “I love it. This was a great idea. That means your dear Quincy won’t suddenly appear before us?”
She was teasing, but since their first encounter with the grumpy homeless man, and his discovery that he’d been a war veteran, Luke had made it his personal mission to help him. Up until now, Quincy had refused any direct offers of help, but Sloane knew the man she loved was as caring as he was stubborn and he wouldn’t let it go until he got what he wanted.
Luke chuckled, squeezing her hand quickly before removing his headlamp and setting it down, aiming it at the ceiling. Taking off his backpack, he crouched and retrieved a camping light and turned it on before putting it near a side wall where a few blocks had fallen. Luke then retrieved a blanket, setting containers of food on it. “Don’t worry. I’m pretty certain we’re the only ones here.”
“I knew I loved you for a reason. Only you could pull off a romantic picnic in such a creepy place.”
A grin split his bearded face and he gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “An unconventional date night for an unconventional lady.”
Sloane removed her backpack, putting it against the wall as she watched him set everything up. Luke had bulked up over the last few weeks, partly due to the fact he’d been training more and more with the team. Not that he had any intention of being one of them, but they need to be ready for anything and the sense of camaraderie made him come around often, and Sloane loved to spar with her man. The Marine warrior he’d been quickly returned, and her friends began to take him more seriously when he came to train. She felt stupid, but it made her proud to see Luke kick the annoying Devin on his ass or giving Joshua a run for his money.
The image of him all sweaty and out of breath on the mat heated her lightening quick, so fast that before she realized it, Sloane reached for him.
Surprised, Luke turned his back on the food to indulge her in a deep kiss, only to come up for air once. “Wait, babe. I had it all planned out...”
Her hands were already unzipping his coat and sliding under his sweater. “I want you more than food, more than wine, more than dessert.”
She swallowed his chuckle at her words. Her sweet tooth wasn’t to be messed with, and she’d combined her two favorite treats one night, him naked and enough chocolate, whipped cream, and strawberries to fall into a sugar coma, but licking every delicious inch of him had been worth it.
“Wow, I’m flattered, Ms. Friday. But I was serious here...”
Not having it, and with lust flooding to her veins, she quickly changed his mind and got him to focus on more urgent needs. Soon, his hands pulled at her clothes too, and the kiss turned ravenous. It was satisfying to have the logical and organized professor undone with the same desire she felt for him.
By the time she kicked off her boots, Sloane was dripping wet and impatient to have his hands on her, despite the cold.
Completely bared and shivering, she waited while Luke unfastened his cargo pants, but he didn’t push the zipper down before he lunged at her, his mouth crushing hers. Sloane nipped at his bottom lip.
“You’re lucky you’re already naked, woman. Because I would’ve torn your fucking clothes off for biting my lip like that.”
Without allowing her to answer, his mouth descended upon hers again, rough and demanding as he lifted her and pressed her against the wall. Between the heat of his naked torso in front and the frigid wall against her back, something snapped inside her. Her mouth was hungry for his taste, her hands, unable to reach every part of his body finally settled for his hair, grabbing hard as he pushed her sex against the harsh metallic tab of his pants. She had to have him. It was a matter of life and death and her sanity.
“Sloane, easy, baby.”
Sometimes, she knew she was too rough, but it happened when her emotions overcame her and she lost control. Only his firm voice settled her back into herself, and she loosened her grip, her hands softer now, but trembling. “Luke...”
“I know, baby. I know.” His voice had a way of reaching inaccessible spaces inside her, bringing her back into reality with him. She didn’t want to return to who she was. Never again. So when she strayed, she naturally reached for him.
“Luke, make me forget who I was. Help me again. Help me remember who I truly am.”
He kissed her jawline. “My love. I can only help you remember who you are when you’re with me.”
Sloane relaxed and sighed. “Then, please, help me remember. Again.”
While serious, Luke relaxed a little and reached between their bodies and cupped her. Sloane knew it would be torturous when her body craved an immediate explosion, but that torture was a tenuous thread always taking her back to her true self.
Her head against the wall, she softened her touch, and ran her fingers against his cheekbone, scratching his thick beard lightly. She locked her ankles behind his lower back as his hand continued to move and explore, although restrained.
“Sexy, wet, and impatient. A triple treat. And all mine.” His fingers slid inside with his last words, and his possessiveness made her shiver. There wasn’t a lot of room for him to move, so she undulated her hips. Again, it was far from enough.
In the awkward position, Sloane leaned forward, kissing his stern face, rubbing her lips against his furry cheek, tracing his handsome features with her tongue until she detoured to his lips. He was breathing hard, pleasuring her while denying them both. Even as he strained to keep her upright, Luke removed his arm from between them and instead grabbed a handful of her ass so he could lean in and ravish her mouth once more. How he could kiss! She’d once heard a man’s kiss was his signature. If it was the case, his was one of curiosity, dominance, tenderness, and possession. She’d never been willing to be possessed before, and she knew in the very fabric of her soul that she never gave that power to anybody else. Luke was the only one.
It was her turn to snake a hand between them, as slowly as she could muster. “I need you inside me and I don’t care if you don’t move. I just want to feel you.”
The corner of his mouth quirked up as he loosened his hold, allowing her to free his cock. Hard, pulsing, but silky soft, Sloane teased him a little, rubbing the underside below the glans. The very spot that made him catch his breath when she sucked him and from his hiss, it was clear it worked again.
In a manner that made them both moan, Luke pushed himself inside her, the friction dragging out to the point where she was no longer too proud to beg. Even though Luke controlled the motion he must have felt the same way as he snapped, turning feral on her. Sloane could only hold on as he pounded into her, his hands braced against the wall and his face buried in the crook of her neck. Slammed into the wall with every thru
st, everything else vanished but the feel of him inside her, the pleasure inevitably cresting, and the fact that at this very moment, Sloane never wanted to experience this with anyone else.
The heat, the cold. The connection and the pain. The addiction and the loss. Everything coalesced into the sole important thing: love. Learning to love herself again, the love of this city, her teammates and friends, and more incredibly, her love for Luke. The start and end of her own redemption.
Lost beyond words, beyond herself, there was no resisting the wave of mind-blowing pleasure that swept her away, the cry that came from her lips, amplified by the underground room, and soon drowned by a male growl of release.
With the smell of sex, man, and decay filling her nose, her head heavy on his shoulder, they held each other tight. It felt so right that what was in her heart flowed out of her mouth. “I want you to marry me, Luke.”
Silence followed her grand statement. From the sensation hovering over her body in bliss, Sloane felt a ball of ice squeeze her heart, roughly bringing her back to reality.
Luke’s entire body shook, and as she lifted her head, she realized he was laughing.
“Damn, babe. You have a way of disrupting my plans. I shouldn’t be surprised by now.”
When he finally lifted his head, his eyes twinkling with mirth, everything about this expedition made sense to Sloane: his constant smile, the picnic, the unique location, and how he wanted everything to be perfect, more than usual.
She felt so bad now. “I’m so sorry...”
Still he laughed, leaning closer to give her a kiss. “I’ve never been asked before.”
Wincing, Sloane bit her lip. “I’m sorry. I know I’m weird. I mess everything up.”
Before she could continue, Luke kissed her again, his laughter gone, replaced with a profound passion. “Yes, you are weird, babe, but I wouldn’t want to change a single thing about you. I’ll keep you sane if you keep me wild. I think it’s a perfect arrangement for both of us.”
Peace returned, bringing a smile to her lips. “Should I let you propose, or are you going to answer my question?”
Luke chuckled and gave her a wink. “As I’m freezing my ass off, and my arms are about to give out, how about kissing me to seal the deal, Vigilante? Romance is overrated anyway.”
Cupping his face, Sloane gave him everything she had in that kiss and silently disagreed. Luke was a romantic, and she found herself craving it too and reminded herself to bring her own wickedly weird romance, flooding Luke with it. After all, they were starting an eternity together. Life had offered her the greatest gift of all, a new lease on life that she’d never let go.
THE END
Sneak Peek: Night Justice
Book one of the Chicago Vigilantes Series
Read about Orla and Sam
books2read.com/u/bWdAGY
There was no time for hesitation as Sam jumped from the club’s roof and landed on the sidekick of the man pointing a gun at Orla’s head. He’d been tempted to break that fucker in two first, but the risk of him accidentally pulling the trigger had him switching targets.
There was a sickening crunch when Sam fell on him with his full weight, but he didn’t care. Scumbags like him weren’t much better than bugs. Leaving his victim to suffer, he twisted and landed a kick on the bigger man’s arm, snapping it in two and forcing him to drop his weapon with a yell of pain. Moving fast, he snapped his neck. As the inert body dropped to the ground, Sam turned back to the first man and made sure he’d never draw another breath.
The noise increased in the area, and it was only a question of time before what was happening up front would join them out back. He turned to Orla then.
The woman was on her feet, breathing hard and clearly shaken, but holding onto her determination like a buoy at sea. “I knew you existed and weren’t a figment of everyone’s imagination.”
In full gear, with a high-tech mask hiding his face and head, Sam knew she wouldn’t recognize him anywhere else. The suit was mostly a mix between futuristic soldier and a cat-burglar. Even his voice was protected with a modulator. “Go! It’s not safe to be here.”
But he should have known the reporter in her would be stronger than her self-preservation. Instead of fleeing, she took a step in his direction. “What are you doing here?”
Sam, go now. There are at least ten guys about to reach the corner.
Joshua’s voice in his ear was the signal that shit was about to hit the fan. Instead of answering the woman, he grabbed her elbow and ran in the opposite direction. The only problem with the plan was they’d be in the open once they rounded the building and reached his motorcycle hidden nearby.
“Wait! What are you doing?”
She’d been following him without question until then, but before he could answer, gunfire came from behind them. Acting on instinct, Sam pulled Orla to the ground and covered her with his body as he took out his gun and fired back. Gang wars were rarely predictable. The mob had arrived, and they weren’t happy, but Sam’s accuracy downed three of them, which slowed them and made them reconsider long enough for Sam to find better cover. Sam rolled and pulled Orla behind several garbage cans. Not much cover, but it would do.
“Hey, buddy, I’m gonna cause a distraction. That should give you time to escape. Get ready to run.”
Sam looked around and positioned himself for a better angle as he waited for Joshua to get back to him with further instructions. Whatever Joshua had in mind, some of them could still get past. Orla remained silent and ready to bolt, which was more than he’d expected. In extreme situations, people tended to fall apart, but not this lady.
Twice more he fired, holding the bad guys around the corner. He didn’t want to stay there longer than necessary because one of them may have the idea of doubling back to trap them from the other direction.
“Get ready to run.”
Orla jumped at his voice and nodded.
Sam couldn’t wait any longer, and rose to his feet, ready to make a run for it. A detonation sounded from the other side of the building, the earth vibrated, and noise rang in his ears, knocking him backwards. Joshua had set off a grenade. Gunfire sounded again, but the direction had changed. Joshua had drawn the mob away.
“Now!” Sam sprinted toward the side street, Orla on his heels until he saw the bushes where he’d hidden his ride. When he got on his nondescript but improved where it counted Harley-Davidson, it roared to life.
He turned to Orla and gestured for her to get on the bike behind him.
“I think I’m safer on my own.”
Sam knew full well a white woman alone at night in Auburn Gresham wouldn’t go undetected for long, and he was about to drag her onto the bike, kicking and screaming if necessary, when a man shouted from the parking lot. “I can see them! They’re here!”
Without a word, Orla jumped behind him and hooked her arms around his waist as he took off. The situation went south fast when he saw two cars speed out from the bar and close in on them. “Hang on tight; I need to lose our tails.”
Sam didn’t wait for bullets to fly to take a sharp turn to the right. Orla didn’t have a helmet or protection of any kind. His priority was to escape with minimum risk to his passenger, and as he’d hoped, his guardian angel’s voice echoed in his ears.
“Hey, Sam, it’s Devin. Hang on tight, and I’ll find you a way out.”
Sam slowed down at an intersection, before he twisted the handle, hit the gas, and flew past a few vehicles, barely acknowledging the strangled yelp of surprise from Orla. He would have preferred to drop her somewhere safe, but if his pursuers didn’t see a second person on the bike, there was a risk they’d try to find Orla, and on foot, she didn’t stand a chance.
The woman was holding onto him hard, and if he hadn’t been wearing body armor, Sam was certain he’d be sporting bruises in the morning. He wished he could reassure her, but nothing was certain.
Devin came back in his ear. “Okay, stay on your current course and h
ead straight for the 94.”
The two men thought alike, but heading straight, there was too much of a risk. They would be sitting ducks.
“Sam? Do you acknowledge? You’ve turned again.”
“Secondary option. Lead me to the 94, but not in a straight line. She’s behind me, and they’ve already fired on us. I need to keep buildings between us.”
“Who are you talking to?”
There was no way he was going to answer her questions now. The less she knew, the better. Two additional cars joined the chase, and he knew he’d made the right decision.
He made another turn and lost them for a few seconds before they appeared in his mirror again. He needed another way to add distance between them.
“Joshua is on his way. I can send the others too if you need back-up.”
Devin’s voice was a matter of fact, but Sam had already made a decision. His priority was to protect Orla and to do that, he needed to take the men down. “No, better not. I’m gonna blow them up.”
He felt Orla stiffen, but didn’t give her time to say anything. He slowed and fished a small ball from his breast pocket and after a quick look to make sure there were no civilians about, threw it over his shoulder. Only then did he hit the gas.
Less than a second later, he took a hard left and heard the explosion, but they were away. The entrance to the 94 was just ahead, and once there, they’d be safe.
He didn’t slow, ignoring the risk of being pulled over by the cops. With his modified bike, there was no way they’d be able to get them.
Reassured they were finally alone, Sam took the next exit. The neighborhood was a tad safer than Gresham, and when he reached a back alley between two buildings, he stopped and turned his engine off.
Orla was still holding onto him, and despite his gear, he could feel her shake. It was cold, and at the speed he’d been going and the danger they’d gone through, he wasn’t surprised she was in that state.