"There's one… in my nightstand," she squeezed out between breaths.
He lifted her, loving the feel of her in his arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist. He stepped out of his clothes and strode to the bedroom, where he lowered her to her feet and kissed her. His fingers reached for the nightstand, found the knob, and opened it while she tortured him all over again. If she kept it up, this would be faster than the first time he ever had sex. This time he could see in the drawer and felt a certain amount of relief that there wasn't a large boxful of condoms.
Terri whisked the condom from his hands and sent him up the wall when she sheathed him.
She raised the tawny-green eyes of a tigress to his and licked her lips. Blood roared like hot lava through his veins, damming in his erection.
He was going to explode, but not until she did.
She pushed him back until he was against the wall and ran her hands down along his hips, closer to his cock. He grabbed her wrists in one hand and raised them above her head, then swung her around to the wall.
He kissed her again. Man, she was hot and spicy all mixed together.
Slowly, he knelt, teasing his tongue along the smooth skin. He paused to lounge at her breasts, feasting until her cries threatened to destroy him. Nathan peeled her pants down until they circled her thighs and stopped.
He kissed the slip of silk panty shielding his target, then slipped a finger between her legs and gently rubbed across the taut material.
She quivered and gripped his shoulders. "Nathan!"
He ran a finger under each side of the dainty underwear and slowly worked them down along with her pants to the floor until she was free of them. He kissed the shapely, sculpted legs on the way. Smoothing a hand along the inside of one leg, he returned to the juncture and delved inside her heat, gently teasing the folds.
Her high keen rocked the room, threatening to disintegrate his waning discipline.
She spread her legs wider, allowing him access to paradise.
He lathed the delicate region. Her raspy breaths and strained cries drove him harder to please her. She tensed for what seemed a long, long minute, straining to reach that plateau, then buckled with a hard shudder. Her soft cry of victory echoed through the dark room.
Nathan supported her as he rose back to his feet, then cupped under her arms and lifted her into the air.
Passion burned in her heavy lidded gaze. Her legs went around his waist and he had to bite down against the need to drive into her at that moment. He lifted her higher, kissing her nipples, then circling his tongued around and over. She writhed, rubbing harder against him.
"Now… want to feel you. Now."
Nathan ran his tongue over the sensual path between her breasts, then up to her chin and ear and lowered her slowly, pressing the head of his erection inside her. Every muscle in his body quivered with the strain of waiting, held taut in anticipation of the moment her heat would surround him.
Terri's nails dug into his shoulders. Her body arched rigid, breasts pressed against his chest.
When Nathan pushed all the way in, she gasped. He groaned and held still a moment, trying to keep enough blood in his head to stay upright. Nothing in his past endeavors matched the honest response of the woman in his arms.
Kissing her had driven his fantasies to new levels.
Watching over her had been a pleasure filled torture.
Making love to her was beyond his imagination. And he considered himself a pretty creative thinker.
Terri moved up and down, insistent for more.
Nathan sure as hell wasn't telling her "no" at this point, but more like "not yet."
He leaned in, pushing her back so the wall supported her. His fingers brushed over the pebbled tips of her nipples and her nails dug in for dear life. Rocking his hips forward, he drove deep and backed away, a slave to her whimpers. He toyed a thumb over one nipple, gently worrying the anxious tip, then reached between them with his other hand.
The pressure in his groin threatened to go at any minute, but he fought the urge ruthlessly. The ride would be longer this time. He shoved deeper, deeper, then faster.
"Come on, baby," he coaxed her, loving her response.
The need, for his own release twisted his insides, dangerously close to overtaking him. He fingered her curls and toyed with the wet heat he found.
Her legs clenched his back and she bowed up, snatching another ride on ecstasy When she tumbled back to him, Nathan cupped her bottom with both hands and pushed one hard time to the hilt.
His control snapped, ricocheting spasms through his center. Muscles gave into the wild rush. He didn't know when the shudders ended, only that one minute he lost touch with reality and the next he was holding her close to him, kissing the top of her head, both of them catching their breath.
A foreign thought swept through him, freed from the dungeon of his soul before his conscience could block it.
He wanted this woman, today, tomorrow… forever.
Terri kissed his chest, Nathan tasted salty and masculine. Their lovemaking hazed the air.
She clung to him when he carried her across the room and lowered her to the bed, then watched him walk away, headed toward the bathroom. Not an ounce of fat on that ripped body.
The first time she'd felt him in the dark she'd figured he was a gym rat. Just hadn't guessed it was Club Fed.
He returned with a damp cloth and she let him clean her, then he climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her close, wrapping his body around her protectively.
Nathan had rescued her more than once, but this time from the jaws of despair. It wasn't that she didn't know what she wanted. Or that she wasn't the marrying type.
Terri finally saw the truth. She'd never wanted to risk caring about one person the way she cared for Nathan and had never met a man she was afraid of losing. But she didn't want to think about losing him now, not when she'd just found him. An unexpected contentment settled over her heart, warming her soul.
What about Nathan? Would he be willing to fight for his freedom and stay? He believed he had no chance at life. She'd gained his trust, but could she gain his heart?
The afterglow began to cool.
Insecurity butted her contentment aside. She'd told him she wasn't looking for a commitment, to keep things simple. But something changed and now she didn't want to give him up, no matter what.
He kissed her hair. "You're only quiet when you're thinking. What's up?"
She drew a deep breath, squeezing contentment back inside to wrestle with her doubts. "You, I hope." He tweaked her butt and she grinned.
If she only had now with him, she'd make the most of it and accept his decision when the time came, if he really was determined to leave. But that didn't mean she couldn't try to change his mind. Nathan had given his life for his family, made every sacrifice asked of him. She cared too much about him to be one more person for whom he had to sacrifice himself.
She would not expect more from him than he could give.
If she got her heart broken now, she couldn't blame it on Nathan.
He rolled her over onto her back and kissed her. Took control of this round. He kissed with serious intent and tenderness, the way a man should kiss a woman. She ran her hands over the cut of his chest, touching a scar not long healed. Had to be from prison. Terri lifted up and kissed it. If only she could reach his other wounds so easily.
His fingers slid up her leg softly, then stopped at the ugly scar inside her right leg. "Does it hurt?"
"Not right now."
"This time will be much slower," he said, then nipped her skin.
"Like my heart can take slower."
"Your heart can take anything."
She certainly hoped so. Either way, she intended to push it, and him, to the limit.
* * *
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
"I have to show up at the office." Terri swiped a brush through her hair just enough times to feel like she'd given her
locks a chance to act right.
"You're a consultant." Nathan's reflection loomed in the mirror behind her. Nice pecs, she mused.
"Terri?"
"What?" Her gaze shot up to his face. "We have a cop missing, contents missing, and a possible" She halted before "terrorist attack" came out.
He angled his head and raised an eyebrow in question.
Crap. She turned around and leaned back against the sink. "I'm responsible for this investigation."
"There's more you aren't telling me." He crossed his arms.
"Yes, but I can't."
Something passed through his gaze that could be disappointment. "I'm going to help you first, then finish what I came here for, so if you decide to trust me I can be an asset."
That gouged her conscience. She'd obviously trusted him with her body and wanted him to share what he knew, so how could she hold out? Nathan was her best informant.
Only informant.
"I guess you aren't going to tell anyone," she muttered, making her decision.
He shook his head and gave her a wry smile.
She tossed the brush onto the counter and turned around. "Let me get dressed and we'll talk."
"Good idea, or this will be a short discussion." He hooked a hand on each side of her waist, just above her panties, and slid them up, piling her tank top over his wrists until his thumbs brushed across the cups of her bra, hardening her nipples.
She grabbed his upper arms. "Stop, I'm going to be late." That didn't come out too convincingly.
He kissed her, teasing with his tongue to the same rhythm as his thumbs, and her knees threatened to fold. She shuddered, trying to hear that small voice reminding her that she had to get to the office.
Nathan ended the kiss and stopped toying with her breasts, but he continued to hold her. Good thing, since she'd lost track of any muscle strength below her groin.
She blinked her eyes open. "I hate you."
The evil dog smiled at her. "No, you don't."
"Yes, I do. I want to continue. I have to leave soon. So now I'm going to be miserable all day."
"Just giving you something to look forward to later." He released her and she sagged back to her feet. "Thought you had to get dressed."
Terri huffed and rolled her eyes. "Men." She changed to brown corduroy pants and a crème-colored turtleneck so she could wear her short boots, to be prepared for anything today;
When she walked into the kitchen, Nathan handed her a mug of coffee. Her kind of man. "I'll tell you what I know so far," she started.
"My former partner, Conroy, had gone undercover to worm his way inside a renegade bunch of drug mules trying to get on Marseaux's payroll. While trying to build inroads with Marseaux, the men got wind of an offer to sell them information from an unknown woman. They didn't want any part of it, but Conroy convinced the leader he could check out the woman and get information without spending a penny, even though he planned to pay the woman if she really did have significant intel. He finally met her after some convoluted instructions the CIA would have admired. She claimed to have been an unwilling member of a powerful organization that is manipulating everyone from Marseaux to our government."
"A conspiracy?" Nathan sounded as skeptical as she had once been.
"I know what you're thinkingwacko. My first reaction, too. Even Conroy admitted his initial impression was 'mental case.' She said she was twenty-three. He said you could tell she'd been a gorgeous blonde at one timewhich meant petite with perky boobsbut looked rough for her age." Terri scoffed under her breath. "Men."
"What?"
"I get so tired of being judged in between 'not tall' and 'too full-figured to be petite'.
"How big a guy was Conroy?"
Terri cocked her head. "He was five-ten and lean. Why?"
"Because he'd want a woman who made him feel big. I like a woman who's more than a… handful." Nathan gave her a wolfish grin.
She shook her head. "Yeah, well, I was never petite. I filled out early and with not much less than I have now. My first year in the DEA, I felt like every man in the department couldn't see past my cup size."
Nathan ran a finger down her cheek. "You're intelligent, sexy, gorgeous, and passionate. Any man who'd only notice your breastsbeautiful as they areis missing the whole package and the real woman inside."
For a man of few words who was rough around the edges, Nathan could charm the pants off any woman. Terri had to find a way to keep him near until they could clear his name. She leaned in to hug him and kissed his chest, then pulled away, hoping what was in her heart didn't show in her eyes.
He studied her with a curious expression, then blinked and stepped away, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the wall. "What else did this woman tell Conroy?"
Yes, he saw that look on her face. Terri sighed and continued. "Conroy said the woman babbled, turning her head constantly to watch, as if she expected a threat. He was ready to give her a few bucks and blow it off when she told him she knew what had happened to a DEA agent in California who had been missing for two months. She gave the missing agent's undercover name and his real name… and how he was killed."
"Was the body found?"
"No."
"So why did Conroy believe her?"
"Because she had a photograph of the dead agent with a newspaper headline showing the date, which matched the day our West Coast office lost contact with him. The photo had been proof of the contract completed. She snuck the photo out, thinking it would be worth enough money to get her out of the country, but wouldn't tell Conroy where she'd been living. She'd been raised in a wealthy Swedish family that had told her from day one she was special and being groomed for a great honor. At nineteen, she was sent here to a fra."
"A 'fra' ? What the hell is that?" His eyebrows drew together in a tight frown.
"It's Italian for brother. Conroy offered to put her in touch with a friendmeso I could get her to a safe house since he couldn't blow his cover, but he said he wanted the name of the organization first. She got agitated and said she couldn't even speak the name for fear of putting her family in jeopardy if anyone found out she was the one who had told."
"Did she have any significant intel?"
"She knew about Marseaux, which confirmed some things we knew and she knew, about a drug shipment coming in this week."
"Did she say who the buyer was?"
"No, she rambled about hidden dangers in the shipment and attacking innocents. The cocaine has been tested. Premium product, nothing added." Terri had pieced together everything she could recall after the attack, but she'd missed something.
"Why did she come forward now?"
"She told Conroy she hated being forced to service this old fra, but had been afraid to try to escape after hearing what had happened to other women who had tried. The women in this bonded slavery were all blonde like her, except for a black-haired female assistant, who gave this blonde a break from old man's bed on occasion. After she overheard some men talking with the fra about how they needed people to test a virus on, she panicked. She was terrified she'd end up as a guinea pig, because the fra had just called her useless for being sick and crying all the time. She was pregnant and hadn't told him. While he was in bed one night with his assistant, she snuck into his office and found photos of hideous deaths the men had brought with them. That cinched the decision to escape."
"Did she have any of those photos?"
That would have been too easy. Terri shook her head. "No, she was afraid to take something he'd just gotten in since he might notice current photos missing. She dug around until she found the DEA agent's photo with his name and alias on the back."
"How does this tie together with Marseaux's shipment?"
"I don't know. I've been through that container over and over again. I can't find anything missing except the teak carpenter tools. I wish I'd unpacked that whole box now. If Monday is a terrorist attack, we only have a couple days."
"
Have you contacted anyone in national defense?"
"Be serious. I don't have enough proof I found out all this the night I met with Conroy. He finally convinced her to meet me. I got a text message to meet Conroy about a big break in the Marseaux case, which is what I told our SAC the day I went to meet Conroy. But when I got to Conroy, he shared everything, including that this organization of fratelli had their people working covertly inside every government agency… even the DEA. That's why he was careful about what he told me via text message. We were ambushed before he could lead me to the woman."
"That's how you were injured?"
"Yes."
Nathan's fierce gaze chilled her. "Who else knew about the meeting?"
"Everyone working on the Marseaux case. We had over twenty agents and NOPD detectives. I had a tracking chip in my phone. All I had to do was hit a stored three-digit number, then hit send, which I could do without looking at the phone, to call in backup. I never got a chance. Someone hit me over the head first."
"Any idea what happened to the woman?"
"No, but I doubt she made it." Terri had worried over her many nights, wishing she'd been able to help her. "There's been a rash of missing blonde females. Five in the past eight months fit her description. By the time I was out of recovery, I was under investigation for Conroy's death and suspected, of playing for Marseaux's side. Incriminating evidence appeared. I haven't contacted any agency about this intel, because I don't know who I can trust. If I could find hard evidence to prove there was going to be an attack, I'd at least send it in anonymously; I've researched everything around that date and there is no major event: the president isn't traveling, the date doesn't have a meaning like 9/11 did, no dignitaries are coming here. I have nowhere to point to as a location or person to protect." She took in a deep breath and let it rush from her lungs, as if that would flush out her frustration of being no closer at this point.
"Who would go to that much effort to frame you?"
That was something Terri wished she knew. "My first thought would be Josie since she hates me, but I can't make that fit in my mind. She's been a roaring pain in my side since our first meeting, but I have to give the witch credit. She's made her share of busts and is a stickler for playing by the book. I've never trusted Brady's partner, Donnie Sinclair. But it may be more personal than anything. He gets on my nerves with crude jokes."
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