by Nikki Rose
“I think the steaks are done.” Chris announced suddenly breaking the silence. He plated one for each of us and pulled out my chair when I went to sit at the patio table.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. It really is beautiful out here.”
Chris rounded the table and took his seat across from me. I took a sip of my wine and began serving the salad but Chris sat still, watching me.
“This might sound strange but...” He stopped and my curiosity took over.
“But?”
“I missed you today.” His voice sounded uncertain but the look he gave me was sure.
“I missed you too. It’s just not the same not having you around.”
“But, O'Neill was okay, right?”
“Oh yeah. Finn is great —.”
“Finn? No one calls him that.”
“Amanda and I do.” I shrugged and took a bite of my salad.
“I see.”
“Are you jealous?”
Chris scoffed. “Of Finn? No.”
He cut into his steak and took a big bite.
“Yes you are. You’re jealous because another guy was with me all day?”
“Maybe a little, but not because it's him or because you call him Finn. I’m jealous that he got your time and I was stuck working. If it were up to me, we’d spend more of our time together like this.”
“We practically spend every waking moment together.” I chuckled and took another bite.
“Yeah, around your dad or Mrs. James, pretending there’s nothing between us. You don’t know how hard it is to be around you and not be able to really be with you. It's a constant struggle not to touch you, kiss you, to brush that one strand of hair away that always falls in your face.” He leaned over the table and brushed the hair from my cheek, tucking it behind me ear before pulling me closer over the table and gently pressing his lips to mine.
The kiss only strengthened that magnetic pull I always felt when I was near Chris. It was never enough and more than I could handle all at one time when I was with him.
He pried his lips from mine and gazed into my eyes. “Dance with me.” His voice was nothing more than a raspy whisper.
“But, there’s no music.” I smiled up at him and he guided me around the table, pulling me to him.
Chris removed his hand from my waist and pulled his phone from his pocket. Within moments, smooth, sensual music surrounded us and he laid the phone on the table. “Better?”
“Much.”
He slipped his hand around my waist, resting it on the small of my back while holding up my right hand and guiding me into a spin before pulling me closer against his chest as I returned to him.
Chris could dance — really dance. Another piece to the Chris puzzle fit into place, adding more to the picture of who he really was.
He swayed me slowly to the music, our bodies close, brushing up against one another and the feeling shifted the longer I was near him. He spun me again, pulling me back to him with my back to his front. His strong arms wrapped around me and I closed my eyes as a feeling of complete security surrounded me. I’d never felt so safe as I did in his arms. It was like I could handle anything — take on the whole world as long as I had his arms around me.
As I swayed my hips, brushing my ass against him, he ran his hands along the curves of my hips, down my thighs and back up again studying each curve of my body and burning a trail of desire in his path.
His lips found my neck and slowly kissed down the entire column to the crook of my shoulder letting his teeth nip and his tongue tease little circles on my skin. He kissed all the way to my shoulder and back up again. He found that sensitive little spot behind my ear. I shivered and giggled.
I needed to taste his lips again. I turned in his arms and he pulled me against his chiseled chest. I tilted my face up to him and he lowered his lips onto mine. Excitement and desire crashed over me and our kiss intensified. Our tongues danced a sensual, needy dance together. My breath was ragged, my hands clutching to him like my life depended on it.
I wasn’t sure how we managed to make it over to one of the padded lounge chairs without parting our lips or tripping over a planter but before I knew it Chris lowered me slowly onto the soft cushions, bringing his body over mine so that our lips never parted.
He kissed me so deeply I could feel it in my chest, in my belly, and in my core. He let his hands roam over each curve of my body, our lips parting only long enough for him to slip my shirt over my head. The times before had been fast, rough, and desperate — which I loved — but this time he was taking his time.
Chris kissed down my neck and to the crook where my neck met my shoulder which made me shiver. He slowly stripped me of every scrap of clothing and I helped him get undressed too.
When he finally slipped inside me, my back arched and I cried out. It was the most delicious feeling of satisfaction I’d ever felt. With him inside me I felt complete. I felt whole, like a piece was missing without him there.
Ever kiss and every touch were deliberate. We weren’t fucking. We weren’t having sex. We were worshiping each other.
Chapter 15
I lounged on the couch watching television to pass the time while Chris was working in the study with my father. They’d been in there since before breakfast talking about some case that they assured me had nothing to do with the threat to me or my dad. I didn’t watch T.V. often and like usual there was nothing good on.
I really flipped through the channels until Chris’s playful whisper drew my attention to the doorway. “Psst. Caroline.”
I laughed as he peeked in. “What is it?”
“Your dad just left for the office.”
“Oh, He did?” I feigned surprise and gave him a coy smile.
“Yeah” Chris flashed me that sexy smile that made me melt and I couldn’t help but grin. “Feel like hitting the gym for some training?”
My smile dropped into a pout. “That's not exactly what I thought you had in mind.”
Chris and I had decided to continue the way we had, stealing moments together when my dad wasn’t around which was often, thank goodness, since neither of us could keep our hands off of each other. We’d come to the conclusion that there was no reason to fight it. We might as well enjoy each other while we could and figure the rest out later. Until then, we just had to keep it a secret.
Chris smirked and swaggered into the den. “Maybe we can squeeze that in too if you do really well with your training.” He’d been pushing my training more ever since the incident in the park, insisting that I needed to know how to protect myself in case he couldn’t but I didn’t mind. It gave him a better sense of security and I enjoyed learning how to take care of myself. Not to mention the chance to get close to him any way I could.
“Bribing me with sex now?”
“I like to look at it as incentivising.”
“Oh, is that what we are calling it now?”
“Come on. What do you say?” He stood over me, holding out his hand and when he grinned there was no way I could say no.
“Okay. But, only because you’re so good at incentivising.” I put my hand in his and that familiar warmth washed over me.
Chris gripped my hand and tugged me up from the couch with enough force that I stumbled right into his chest. The air seemed thicker when I was close to him and my breath caught. He leaned in. His lips only a breath away from mine and my heart raced at the close proximity.
Chris lowered his voice to a husky whisper that sounded somewhere between a threat and a delicious promise I prayed he’d keep. “Oh, I’ll show you just how good I can be at incentivising once we’re done. Lets go.”
He kept hold of my hand and drug me from the room, down the hall toward the home gym.
“In such a hurry for me to beat you up again?” We rounded the corner in the hall at a determined pace.
“In your dreams, princess.”
We peeked into the gym to make sure the coast was clea
r then closed ourselves inside. My dad was gone but there were still others who could find out about our training and tell him.
I glanced back at Chris while walking toward the middle of the sparring mat. “Trust me, when I dream about you, it is not about our spars in the gym.”
Chris grabbed hold of my hand again and tugged me back to him. “Oh? Then tell me what kind of dreams you’re having of me.”
“No way.” I laughed and turned away from him to start my stretches.
“Tell me.”
“A girl has to have some secrets, you know.”
“No, she doesn’t. Now tell me, or I’ll make you tell me.”
I turned back to him with an incredulous look. “Like you could.” And those words were my mistake.
Chris pounced. He pinned me against the gym wall by my throat and held me there. He didn’t apply enough pressure to cut off my airway, just enough to let me know he had me. But, he’d trained me too well. I lifted my right arm up, gripping my fist with my left hand. I twisted my body, bringing my elbow down on his arm, forcing his hand from my throat. I elbowed him in the stomach and turned around, lifting my knee as if I was going to knee him in the groin like he’d taught me to do.
“Very good.” He let me go just like an attacker would if I had actually kicked him in the balls.
I turned to run away from him but he grabbed me by the hair to pull me back. I covered his hands with mine, pinching my elbows together to protect my face and ducked, twisting behind him so that his arm was awkwardly twisted at his back. Once his hand released my hair, I pushed his arm up slightly just enough to let him know I had him and could have dislocated his shoulder just like he’d taught me. I released his arm and he turned to face me.
“You’re getting pretty good at that.”
“Thanks. I’ve had a good teacher.” I beamed at him.
“But what happens if you are overpowered?”
“I won’t be.”
“You can’t be sure of that. There are always unforeseen factors that can come up. A distraction, a minor slip up. You always have to account for human error.”
He pounced on me again, this time using moves I wasn’t ready for. He moved so fast and before I knew what was happening, he had me pinned against the wall, one hand around my throat and the other holding one wrist up over my head.
His body pressed hard against mine and I had no room to move my legs to kick. I was stuck and had no idea how to get away. My heart raced in my chest pumping adrenaline through my body.
“Now what? What do you do, Caroline?” His voice was urgent and demanding.
“I don’t know.” He hadn’t prepared me for this and I was frustrated at not only him but myself as well for being so weak.
His voice calmed, turning gentle. “You surrender.”
“What?” I couldn’t believe he’d tell me to just surrender. “You want me to just give up?”
“I didn’t say that. You surrender. You make yourself appear compliant. Relax your body.”
I tried to relax but it was a struggle not to resist.
“Always my little fighter.” He smiled at me with such affection that I relaxed instantly.
“There you go. Just like that. Steady your breathing and just take a moment to relax. If you let him think he’s won, and you are giving up, he will relax and eventually let his guard down. Then, you can make your move when you get the opportunity. The most important lesson I can give you is to keep your cool, relax and think things through.”
I relaxed like he said, waited for him to relax too, then tried to make my move but it failed. I almost got away but Chris countered, slamming me into the padded gym wall. He held me there, and our eyes locked on one another, both panting from our sparring. I let out a heavy breath, feeling the air in the room change.
The next thing I knew, Chris pounced again, his lips crashed into mine with bruising force. His tongue forced my lips apart and plunged into my mouth, battling, dancing and teasing my tongue with his. His hand slipped down my extended arm, down to my breast. He kneaded the tender flesh but it wasn’t enough. He roughly pulled my shirt up over my head and tossed it to the floor before returning his hand to me. He teased my nipple into a hard peek and I moaned into his mouth.
My back arched, pushing my breast farther into his hand. I pushed my hips forward toward him, grinding against the bulge in his shorts. I needed the beautiful friction that brought me such pleasure but he was playing hard to get, pulling his hips away from me. He couldn’t keep up the teasing for too long though, he needed me as much as I needed him.
He ripped my gym shorts and panties down passed my knees in one rough motion. He didn’t even bother removing them completely, he just turned me around to face the wall and pushed me against the firm padding. I barely registered the sound of a condom packet ripping before he was at my entrance.
This is how it was between us. We spent so much time having to repress our attraction when my dad or his people were around that once we were together there was no time for slow and easy. We were desperate for one another. We needed the connection like a drowning man needed water.
One hard, sudden thrust and he filled me completely. His throbbing shaft stretched my insides to their limits and I cried out at the exquisite fullness. His hand reached around, cupping my throat while his other hand steadied my hips for each violent thrust.
He pumped his hips hard and fast at a relentless pace. Sex with Chris was animalistic, need-filled sex. That ‘I have to have you now’ kind of sex that was filled with desperation and urgency as if he might die if he couldn’t be inside me and I felt the same way.
My nails drug down the wall as the ecstacy built. The orgasm that built up inside me was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. It wasn’t a slow build, it was fast, hot, and so intense I wasn’t sure if I could handle what was coming.
Chris swelled up inside me and I knew he was close. That only added to my pleasure, pushing me closer to the edge.
“Yes, yes, Chris, Oh G—.”
My insides tightened and violently shook, squeezing and milking him until he came with a loud animalistic roar. He bit down hard on my shoulder to muffle himself but with enough restraint that he didn’t break the skin and his fingertips dug into my hips with bruising force.
He thrusted a few more times, dragging out my release until my knees buckled. He wrapped me in the strength of his muscled arms to keep me from falling. His body still pressed me into the padded wall, stabilizing me and he trailed soft kisses down my shoulder and spine. Once my legs had gained some of their strength back, Chris pulled back cautiously, testing my strength. He helped me pull my panties and shorts back up before scooping up my shirt and tossing it to me.
“I think it’s time to hit the showers after that workout.” He smiled at me with that cocky, satisfied smile that I’d grown to love and leaned against the wall with one arm. He pressed his lips softly to mine and lightly trailed his nose up mine. All urgency was gone, both of us sated — for the moment.
“Join me?” I pleaded.
Chris’s brows narrowed. It was the first time I’d ever suggested taking a shower together. “For a shower?”
“Mhm.” I leaned against the wall to help my legs hold me up while he disposed of the condom.
“That sounds great —.”
“Caroline? Chris? Are you guys down here?” My dad’s voice echoed down the long hall, heading toward the gym.
“Shit, my dad’s home.”
“Quick, get on the treadmill.”
“What? Why?”
“You’re all sweaty. Do you really want to explain to your dad how you really got that way?”
“Shit, your right.” I listened to Chris, hopping on the treadmill and cranking it up to a fast jog and he rushed over to the weight bench.
“Chris? Caroline?” My dad opened the door to the gym and called out our names again.
I hit the off button and the treadmill slowly came to a stop. “Oh, hey dad.
Finally home?”
“Yeah. I was searching everywhere for you two and was starting to wonder where everyone disappeared to.”
“Sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
“That’s okay. I didn’t mean to interrupt your workout.”
“Oh, I was just finishing up anyway.”
“Okay, well why don’t you two hit the showers then we can have some lunch together?”
“Sure thing, dad. Meet you in about twenty?”
“I’ll tell Ms. James.”
Chapter 16
I finished my shower and made it downstairs to find Director Applegate sitting alone at the kitchen table sipping on a glass of water while Ms. James prepared something for lunch that smelled fantastic. I assumed Caroline was still in the shower since women always seemed to take so much longer than us men.
“Chris. Come. Sit. Lunch is almost ready.” The Director seemed cheerful and smiled as he motioned me over.
I strolled into the kitchen and ran my hand through my still damp hair before taking a seat with him. “So Director, any news on the hacker front?”
“Unfortunately no. It seems all chatter has been silenced or they found our way in and have been taking countermeasures to keep us in the dark. Either way, there’s nothing.”
“Damn. I know this has to be frustrating.”
“We’ve tried compiling a suspect pool but it's not like we are short on enemies. Any one of them could have hired a hacker to do what they needed done which means we can’t limit the suspects to only those who have the hacking capabilities.”
Ms. James brought me a glass of lemonade and I thanked her quickly before continuing with the conversation. “Eventually they will have to poke their heads up and when they do, we will get them.”
“I just hate that you are stuck doing protective detail indefinitely while we sit on our hands and wait for them to make a move. I realize you weren’t thrilled with this assignment to begin with and on most days I’m sure it’s slower than what you are used to but I wouldn’t trust my daughter’s safety to just anyone. I hope you can see that the fact that I chose you for the assignment says alot about my opinion of you as a man and as an operative.”