Jade (The Kings of Guardian Book 9)

by Kris Michaels

  "Hey, get your ass out here, DeMarco! I'm going to wipe the mat with you!" Jade called from the gymnasium area.

  Yeah, one in a million. Fuck. She'd run scared if she had a clue how much he cared for her. He threw on a Guardian t-shirt and hurried to finish changing. It wasn't as if he could act on this emotion. That was a worry for another day.

  Chapter Twenty

  Jade hurt in every muscle, joint, and bone in her body. Breathing took all her energy and standing was fucking hard. They'd taken turns letting out their frustration on the heavy bag. Holding it steady for Nic while he pounded out the rage he had bottled up inside him was a workout in and of itself. But, they both needed to work themselves to exhaustion, so she'd challenged him in the ring. Lord above, the man was fucking amazing. His stance was perfect and everything she threw at him, he countered and defended with a precision she'd not seen since her sensei had retired. She peered at the clock on the wall. Fuck, they'd been at it for almost an hour now.

  Jade lifted a finger toward him, the universal sign for him to give her a moment. She bent over in the middle of the ring. Her hair dripped sweat onto the blue mat making it darker. The light gray of her Guardian issued t-shirt and shorts had long since turned a dark sweat-soaked gray and clung to her like a second skin. She could feel rivulets of sweat dripping down the backs of her legs. To say she was through would be an understatement, but she wasn't going to quit until Nic was finished. Nope, it wasn't going to fucking happen. She lifted her head and looked at him. He was leaning against the top rope, staring at her.

  "Going to call it?" His question sent a red cape flapping in front of her eyes.

  "Hell no." She stood straight and dropped into her fighting stance bouncing on the balls of her feet. She was sucking wind right now because she didn't have the proper cardio conditioning after her year undercover, but she'd find the reserves… somewhere.

  "Are you sure?" He lifted off the rope and took two steps toward her. "You're tired. You're going to make a mistake."

  "Fuck you, DeMarco. Bring it." Jade knew he was right, but she'd never admit it.

  "Such sweet words from my woman." Nic bounced on his toes and shuffled side to side far easier than she could. Jade sneered at him. The asshole was showing off.

  "Just as a point of clarification, this woman is going to kick your ass." She lunged forward and to the right, only to pivot, drop and sweep with her dominate leg. A move she had never shown Nic. She felt her calf connect with his legs and felt the mat bounce when his weight slammed down. The loud push of air from his lungs reminded her of an old bellows her mom and dad had for the fireplace when she was younger. A low-pitched tone overrode the fast rush of air.

  Jade pushed off on her anchor leg and vaulted over Nic landing with all her weight on his stomach. He curled up and groaned at the impact. "Whoops. I'm sorry, Nic. Am I too heavy for you?" She sat up and straddled him. She threw back her head and laughed with abandonment at her success.

  Jade felt the world rotate before she recognized the pin move that Nic employed. Her hair splatted against the mat and she wheezed a long "heee" as the air in her lungs fled upon contact with the mat. Nic appeared over her. "No. You're not too heavy. But we are done here for today. Neither one of us will be able to drive if we keep going." Nic dropped his weight on top of her covering her like a blanket.

  "Get… off… not… driving… uggg… move!" Jade panted the responses and pushed ineffectively at him. Nic lifted far enough that he could flip onto his back. Their legs tangled together as they looked up at the fluorescent lighting and black painted air ducts that crisscrossed the twenty-foot high ceiling.

  "Asshole." Jade made a vain attempt at sending a backhand his way. It failed miserably.

  "Fuck. Maybe we can get one of Ross's people to drive us. I'm not going to be able to lift my arms."

  A little satisfaction settled in when she noted Nic was panting as much as she was. The asshole must have been putting on a front. Cocky bastard. They lay there for several long seconds, both panting and trying to recover.

  Jade could finally spare some air for something other than staying alive. "I talked to Stapleton. We can use the apartment they keep for protective custody residents."

  Nic rolled his head toward her, so she followed suit and looked at him. She chuckled at the physical exhaustion she witnessed. Nic was a solid mess, and Jade didn't doubt that she was a wreck, too. He licked his lips before he spoke. Her eyes followed the action because, damn, his lips were fucking sexy.

  "Sweet. Where is it?"

  "Where's what?" What were they talking about again? Her mind had launched into all the things those lips could do to her; she had no clue what the conversation was about.

  "The apartment. The one we can use." Nic flopped his hand off his stomach, and it landed on top of hers. Their fingers threaded together in a natural movement.

  "Oh. The tenth floor." She pointed toward the ceiling with the hand that wasn't linked with his.

  "Fuck."

  "Yeah, I didn't think about the walk back up." Jade tipped her head toward him again. "Wanna sleep here tonight?"

  "We could, but I need a fucking shower." Nic wrinkled his nose and sniffed. "So do you."

  "Bullshit, I smell like roses." Jade lifted her hand and waved it over her body motioning it toward Nic. "See, roses."

  "Roses dipped in shit." He rolled up to a sitting position and pulled on their joined hands. "Come on. We'll support each other on the way up and share the shower. We might remain standing that way."

  Jade sat up and leaned into him with her shoulder. "If you got any energy left after that work out big boy, I'll do something to make sure we both have sweet dreams." She lifted her lips to his for a kiss but backed away almost immediately. "Damn, you do need a shower!" She popped to her feet as Nic lunged after her. The uncharacteristic squeal that emanated from her echoed through the empty gym. She laughed as he surged up and tried to grab her. "No way! Shower. First one to the apartment picks how the orgasms are going to happen."

  She slid through the ropes and grabbed her cell, weapons and credential holder off the edge of the mat before she sprinted to the door. Although if the truth was told, it was more like a fast walk. Nic grabbed his cell, wallet, and weapon, and caught her before she hit the exit bar on the door. He pushed it down and opened it for her. "I don't suppose you thought about our clothes?" They both started the long haul up the ten flights of stairs to the apartment.

  "Yep. They'll gather our clothes and any other belongings from the gym when I tell them we've cleared out. I asked Ross to send a runner to the house to get a new suit for you and a change of clothes for me."

  "Is there anything you haven't thought about?" Nic's eyes shot to her.

  She shrugged. "Jewell or one of her people is going to call the hospital every half hour. If there is any change, both of us will get a call. I asked that they stock the apartment with food and water."

  Hell, Jason knew what she was trying to do to take care of Nic, and unless they recovered the detonation device, discovered something useful, or they got a massive break in the case, they wouldn't be bothered until morning.

  "I have it covered." She glared at the painted numeral "1" on the door and groaned internally. "You can check in with Mario before we shower, but like I said, Guardian has the nurse's station on speed dial, and we will know if anything changes in your mom's condition. The same goes for the case."

  Nic stopped on a landing between the second and third floor, pausing her progression with a hand to her forearm. "You did all of that on the drive from the hospital?"

  She shook her head and motioned up the stairs. They plodded up as she answered. "I arranged the monitoring for your mom at the hospital when you were in ICU with her. I started lining up the apartment and things on the way here."

  He stopped her again. She was two steps above
him and looked down at him slightly. "Thank you." His eyes locked with hers and Jade pulled a sharp breath. The emotion that swirled in those eyes ran deep. Jade got what he was saying. She'd be hard pressed to acknowledge the acts of others if she was in his position. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. She wanted him in a position all right, but on the concrete stairs wasn't the one she was thinking about. Although….

  Nic laughed. The warm, rich sound filled the stairwell. "I saw the exact moment you started thinking about sex." He pulled her in, kissing her hard and fast. He released her suddenly and grabbed her hand. "Let's see if we can do something about those thoughts." He yanked her arm as he took off up the stairs. Score! The man recovers quickly and has stamina!

  Jade stepped out of the miniscule bathroom wrapped in one towel while drying her hair with another. Nic had decided to check in with his brother when they realized two people in the tiny bathroom was an invitation for an injury. He glanced over at her and did a double take. He winked and looked back down at the flooring as he spoke. From the sounds of his conversation, he was still talking to Mario. Jade dropped the towel she was using to dry her hair and retrieved a comb from the small vanity before she sat cross-legged on the bed working the teeth through the tangles. Nic finished his call, and the bed dipped next to her. "Ewww… no! Go shower!" Jade pushed him away from her laughing.

  He pulled her towel off her and stood up. "I needed a towel." He stood staring at her, now naked on the bed.

  "Shower." Jade pointed to the bathroom. He nodded, not moving other than the north south movement of his head.

  "Nic, the sooner you shower, the sooner I promise you a mind-altering orgasm." She stretched out on the bed and flipped her wet hair behind her. The man's eyes traveled from her feet upwards. When his visual perusal reached her face, she lifted her fingertips to her mouth and licked them. His eyebrow lifted, and Jade lowered her fingers to her nipple. She circled the tip with her fingers and then pinched it slightly allowing a gasp to float from her throat. Nic swallowed and shook himself out of his trance.

  "Fuck, shower. Yeah… I'll be right back." He stripped his shirt off and dropped it on the floor. His shorts were off before he hit the bathroom door. Jade craned her neck to see that fantastic ass as he turned on the shower and jumped in without testing the water temperature. Brave man. She sat up and ran the comb through her hair quickly and efficiently. Just as she finished braiding her hair, the shower stopped. Nic emerged into the bedroom, dripping wet and heading her way.

  Jade had never seen such a predatory look in his eyes before. It sent a thrill through her. She leaned back and attempted to push up toward the headboard. Nic pounced and grabbed her ankle pulling her down the bed and underneath him. He grabbed the other ankle and lifted it to his mouth, kissing the inside and slowly worked his way up to her knee. His fingers and tongue assaulted her skin in a delicate dance that awakened every nerve in her body. He repeated the cascade of sensation on her other leg. Jade's fists clenched at the bedspread under her. What he was doing wasn't typical for them. Jade knew that was her fault. Most of the time she'd demanded hard, fast sex. Sex where she didn't have time to think about the emotions that the intimacy produced. Now, things were different. Nic had deliberately slowed the pace, and Jade felt the swell of emotions flowing from him to her. The slow, deliberate possessiveness and tenderness that punctuated his caresses and kisses lifted the sexual act to a different level. Jade grasped his hand and pulled him down between her legs. The small drops of cold water that still clung to him did little to temper the fire that he'd ignited within her body. His hands worshiped her, his mouth explored her body and his eyes… his eyes expressed the depth of emotion he was feeling. Jade clung transfixed to the wellspring of validation in his gaze. She knew without saying the words that he cared for her on a level that neither of them had dared expose. The stone façade that she'd built around her heart crumbled silently with each emotion-laden kiss. Her well-crafted, honed defenses disintegrated with each look of need, longing, and perhaps even love. Jade couldn't put a label on what they were feeling. They were both too exposed, raw and vulnerable now to do anything other than experience the sensations and hold each other.

  Their lovemaking became a gentler version of their past encounters-a shadow of the energy, but a blinding ray of hope and promise. When Nic entered her, she clung to his shoulders keeping them pressed together. Not because of the need to feel him so completely, although that was there, but because she didn't want him to see her cry. Big, full crocodile tears washed down her cheeks taking with them the space and distance that she'd put between Nic and herself.

  "Shhh… I've got you, babe. We're safe, together." Nic's words pierced through her own thoughts. His thumbs wiped away her tears and his lips sealed his promise. Jade's orgasm shattered through her. The electric current lit her core on fire in a thunderous clap of sensation. She arched against him, involuntarily tightening every muscle in her body as she climaxed. She felt him thrust deep inside her and release. He groaned against her neck, holding himself off her. Jade shivered. An involuntary reaction to the orgasm that was still sending jolts of electricity through her nerves. She collapsed, completely sated and emotionally drained. She turned her head and kissed his throat before reality smashed her bliss into a billion pieces. "Fuck! Did you use a condom?" Jade slapped Nic's shoulder. She'd never had unprotected sex before and she sure as hell wasn't on the pill. Her mind spiraled down a massive dark hole in less than a second.

  Nic lifted his head. "Of course I did. Do you think I would have taken that decision away from you?"

  Jade dropped her head and patted the shoulder she'd just assaulted. "I don't remember you putting one on."

  "Thank you." Nic dropped and kissed her softly.

  "Ummm… you're welcome?" She literally had no idea why he was thanking her. Unless it was the fucking amazing sex, and he did not have to thank her for that. Like ever.

  "I'll take it as a compliment. You didn't notice me suiting up because I wrecked you with my awesome foreplay. I'll take it." Nic laughed and pulled out of her rolling onto his back and taking care of the condom.

  "Hell, yeah. That was like a fifteen on a scale of one to ten." She tucked into his side when he lifted his arm for her.

  "Thank you, for being there for me today." Nic's chest rumbled under her ear.

  Jade yawned as her body relaxed against his warmth. "I don't think you have to thank me. I'm pretty sure that's what people in relationships are supposed to do, but since I've never been in one before, I may be wrong."

  Nic's fingertips traveled in a lazy pattern over her arm. The small rhythmic action was hypnotic. Jade's eyes closed against her will to keep them open. She lifted her arm and draped it over his muscled stomach.

  "I've never been in a relationship either. You matter to me. I've never felt this way before." His voice was low and soft.

  Jade couldn't open her eyes. There wasn't enough energy left in her body. She managed to whisper, "I care about you too, Nic. It scares me how much I care." She slipped into that state of almost falling asleep, the perfect comfort before the restorative darkness enveloped her. Her last conscious thought was that maybe, just maybe what she felt was love.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Nic woke to the sound of a cell phone vibrating. He flopped to his back and swatted his nightstand to grab it. Pain shot through his wrist. What the fuck?

  "What?" Jade sprung up in the bed, her automatic in her hand, pointing it at the door. She was naked except for the sheet that pooled around her hips. Nic rubbed his wrist and tried to focus his eyes. "Nothing, I hit my wrist on the light." His phone vibrated again. He grabbed it and swiped the face.

  "DeMarco." He blinked his attention back to Jade. She released her grip on her weapon engaging the safety before she scratched her cheek with the gun barrel. The woman was a hot mess.


  "Nic, it's Jared. We got a call from the ICU. It's your mom."

  Nic jumped from the bed. "What? Is she alright?"

  "No, my brother. A pulmonary embolism took her about ten minutes ago. It was sudden and unexpected. I'm sorry. I didn't want you to find out from a stranger."

  Nic fell back, sitting down hard on the mattress. She was gone. He'd lost one of the biggest presences in his life. He cleared his throat. "Alright. I'll call Mario and Carmine." He pushed end on the call.

  "Nic?" Jade's soft voice behind him jarred him.

  He sent her a quick look. "Mom's gone. Pulmonary embolism."

  "I'm so sorry…"

  Nic held up his hand and shook his head. "I know. I get it, I do, but don't. Please don't. I can't handle sympathy right now. I need to make some phone calls, and I need to find the fuckers who did this. Just help me find those… Please, just… I need a fucking minute." All the helpless rage he felt blasted out at her with his explosion of words. He knew it wasn't fair, but God help him, he couldn't have stopped the onslaught if he'd tried. He pulled long hard breaths and stared at the floor in front of him. He heard her moving around the bedroom and then heard the bathroom door close. He swiped the face of his phone and dialed Mario. The phone rang twice before his little brother answered, "Hello?"

  "Mario. She's gone. Ma died of a pulmonary embolism. I just got the call." Nic's voice cracked as he spoke.

  "No," Mario whispered the word that kept repeating over and over in Nic's brain.

  "When?"

  "I got the call a minute ago."

  "Carmine?"

  "I'm calling him next."

  "What do we do now?" Mario sounded as lost as he felt.