by Lara Adrian
He slowly rolled the condom over his hard-on. “What would you call it then?”
Michelle gave his cock a pointed look. “Maybe I’m the one who’s getting lucky.”
Nick threw his head back and laughed. “A woman after my own heart.” Then he lowered one knee onto the sofa. “So, tell me, what would you like? I’m open to suggestions, because frankly, as long as I get to be inside you, I don’t care which way.”
“Stop talking.” She dropped back into the cushions and crooked her finger, inviting him to come closer. “Just let me feel you.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
With a grin that was surely going to become permanent, Nick lowered himself between her legs, bringing his cock to her center. Guiding himself along her moist sex, he allowed her warm juices to coat the condom.
When she moaned and arched her back off the sofa, he slid his cock over her clit, teasing the tiny organ. If he had any self control left, he’d finish her off by licking her clit until she came, but that was something that would have to wait for another time, because right now he couldn’t wait another second to be inside her.
“Tell me you want my cock,” he demanded.
Her hand came up and wrapped around his nape, pulling him down to her. “I want to feel your cock inside me. And if you don’t do it right now, I’m going to scream!”
“Michelle, let’s get one thing straight: you’re going to scream either way,” Nick promised and plunged inside her, seating himself until his balls slapped against her flesh.
He watched with male satisfaction how her eyes closed and all the air rushed from her lungs, how she pulled her lower lip between her teeth and how her hand tightened around his nape, her fingernails clawing into him. Even the little bit of pain it caused him he welcomed.
When he withdrew to thrust again, he felt his injured side, felt the pain in his arm and ribs, noticed how the icepack was sliding down his arm and tossed it aside. There was time later to ice his wounds. Right now, he needed to make love to the gorgeous woman beneath him. That was his only focus.
Shifting most of his weight to his uninjured side, and bracing himself on his knees and one elbow, he began to move inside her. God, she felt good. Smooth, warm, welcoming. She enveloped him like a glove, like a tight bandage that caressed and soothed at the same time. Her interior muscles were tight and strong, holding him like a vise.
Nick brushed a strand of her dark blond hair from her face and gazed into her eyes. “So beautiful.” And yet she was his enemy, though she didn’t know it, had no inkling of who he was or why he was here. In a way, it made her an innocent. He was the predator. A predator who wanted nothing more than to please the beautiful creature in his arms. Who wanted nothing more than to make her feel pleasure and satisfaction. Who wanted nothing more than to feel her submit and give herself to him if only for a few moments.
He threw his head back. Goddamn it, he didn’t want her to be the enemy. He didn’t want to have to use her. And, at that moment, he wished for nothing more than to be wrong about his suspicion that Michelle was the person who’d been chasing him online. But all evidence pointed to her. The Guy Fawkes pendant that even now dangled around her neck mocked him, even though its bearer knew nothing of the turmoil she was causing him.
“Oh God, Michelle!” he cried out and took her harder. Almost as if to punish her, when in reality he wanted to punish himself.
“Nick! Oh yes!” She rocked against him, her tempo increasing, her breathing erratic.
He tore his eyes from the pendant, trying not to think about it, and looked at Michelle’s glowing face instead. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, giving her skin an enticing sheen. Her lips were parted, tempting him to capture them for another kiss.
“I haven’t had my second kiss yet,” he murmured.
A soft laugh burst from her lips then. “But you did.” She lowered her gaze, and he immediately realized what she was referring to.
“Oh that.” He winked. “That was just a quick taste. Maybe later I’ll get a longer one?”
Her hand came up, and she stroked her index finger over his lower lip. “Are you for real?”
“As real as it gets.”
Before his conscience could intervene, he took her lips for a hard kiss, trying to prove to himself that he was making love to Michelle because he was attracted to her, not because he needed to find out what she knew. And why shouldn’t he be attracted to her? She was beautiful, sexy, and full of life. And she felt good in his arms. It had been a while since he’d felt like this, since he’d felt he could let himself go and indulge in this very physical pleasure without having to look over his shoulder to see who was after him.
The way Michelle responded to him made everything male in him come to life. In her arms he was only a man, not the ex-CIA agent who could see future events, not the man who would kill to protect his life and that of his fellow agents, the ones who’d gone underground to survive. No, in Michelle’s arms, he was only a man who wanted to feel the love of a woman, even if it was only physical and fleeting. But he needed this, needed to feel the connection of his body to hers. To feel alive again and not like the ghost he’d become.
Michelle was giving him this, was showing him what life could be like again if only he defeated his enemies. With her tantalizing body, Michelle gave him what he craved most: a place where he was safe and welcome.
Harder and harder he took her, his quest for release more urgent now. He shifted his angle, watching for signs from Michelle to make sure she would climax with him.
Severing the kiss, he lifted his head and gazed into her eyes. Heavy-lidded she looked back at him.
“Baby, you feel so good. So amazing.” He clenched his jaw, realizing how imminent his orgasm was. “I’m close. Tell me what you need.”
She bucked toward him. “Harder.”
He complied with her wish, pulling back his hips and slamming into her. His neck muscles strained as he tried to hold on to his control while repeating the action again and again.
“Yes!” she cried out and arched off the cushions, offering her breasts to him.
He took the offering and dipped his face and sucked one hard nipple into his mouth, closing his lips around it. Beneath him, Michelle trembled, and her interior muscles clamped down on him, imprisoning his cock in her warm channel.
A shudder raced through his entire body, and a bolt of energy shot into his balls, sending hot semen through his cock. He exploded, joining her in her climax, rocking with her as they both came down from their high. Floating blissfully, without thought, without worries…
Breathing hard, he sank down onto her, his knees shaking from the intensity of his orgasm, his heart racing like a bullet train, his side and arm aching now.
Michelle blew out a breath. “Wow.”
“Yeah, wow,” Nick replied.
8
Nick pressed a kiss into Michelle’s hair. He’d pulled her on top of him on the couch, not wanting to crush her with his weight. He liked the feel of her warm body as she lay there, relaxed and breathing evenly.
“Are you falling asleep?” he asked, chuckling.
“Mmm.”
“Guess I must have bored you.”
She lifted her head and smiled at him. “You’ve worn me out, that’s what you did, and you know it.” She pressed her cheek back onto his chest.
He liked how easy she was to talk to. If he weren’t on the run, he wouldn’t mind having a girlfriend like Michelle, maybe even a serious relationship.
“I think you’ve got it the wrong way ’round. You wore me out.”
She laughed softly, and her breath ghosted over his nipple, to his own surprise hardening it in an instant. Fuck, he still wanted more. Taking her just once hadn’t been quite enough.
“Are you complaining?” she asked.
He gave her a good-natured slap on her ass. “No complaints. Just an observation.”
She wiggled on top of him, and he palmed her ass with both
hands, stopping her from rubbing herself against his cock.
“Go ahead, keep doing that, and I’m gonna have to bend you over that armchair and teach you some manners,” he warned and pressed another kiss on the top of her head.
She lifted her head and laughed. “Who says I have no manners? Didn’t I take care of your injuries like a good little nurse?”
Nick lifted one side of his mouth into a smirk. “More like a naughty little vixen luring me into her lair so she can devour me. Remember, I’m just an innocent boy from Indiana. I have no defenses against experienced women from the city.”
“Not even you believe that. You don’t strike me as innocent. And I wasn’t the one doing the seducing. I remember distinctly that you were the one asking for a kiss.”
“True, but I had no idea you’d rub your hot little body all over me, making me lose all control. And there I’d planned on taking you out for a coffee, trying to get to know you better.” He looked at his watch. “Guess it’s too late for that now. It’s more like dinner time.”
“So you really wanted to ask me out on a date?”
“Sure did.” He lifted his hand, making an all encompassing sweeping motion. “Guess I’ve got it backwards. Normally, sex comes after dinner.” He combed a hand through her hair, enjoying the silky feel of it. “Though, if you don’t object, I’d like to take you out for dinner now.”
Her eyes widened. “You mean, even though you’ve already gotten what you wanted?”
“Who says I have?” He winked.
“Normally, guys make themselves scarce once they’ve gotten a girl into bed.”
“Way I see it, we’re not in bed.” He patted the sofa cushion. “I believe this is a couch. And who says all I want is sex? I think you’d be selling yourself short if you thought that.”
He looked deep into her blue eyes and felt how his heart started beating out of control. He wasn’t lying to her. She did have a lot to offer—to the right guy. Unfortunately, he wasn’t that guy, although if circumstances were different, he wondered if he could be.
“You really know how to turn on the charm,” Michelle said.
“I do my best.” Then he gave her another slap on her backside. “Now, how about that dinner date, or were you just gonna use me for sex and then toss me out on my ass?”
For far too long she looked at him, contemplating her answer. He shifted, his pulse kicking up. What was going through that pretty little mind right now? Best to grab the bull by the horns and turn things around.
“Oh my God, you actually have to think about that!? Way to boost a guy’s self-confidence.” He pulled himself up to sit, laughing, when Michelle started snickering.
“Sorry, couldn’t help myself. I love it when a guy gets all flustered and insecure.”
Nick planted a kiss on her nose. “You’re a strange woman, Michelle.”
She opened her mouth for a protest, but he put his finger over her lips, stopping her.
“Just as well that I have very peculiar tastes.”
When her eyes softened and her lips curved up, he knew he’d won.
“Do I have time for a shower before dinner?” she asked.
“Take all the time you need.”
She lifted herself up and stood. He couldn’t help running his eyes over her body, admiring her firm breasts, her slim waist and soft hips, her long legs, and everything in between. When she turned to give him a view of her shapely ass, he groaned, wishing he could shower with her, but he had something more important to do.
“Do you mind if I switch on the TV while you shower?” he asked.
Michelle looked over her shoulder and pointed to the coffee table. “If you can figure out the remote, help yourself.”
Nick reached for the black device and gave her a mock-chiding look. “I’m a guy. We invented remotes.”
Shaking her head, Michelle disappeared down the hallway. Moments later, he heard the water running in the shower.
Nick jumped up, pressed the TV power button and turned up the volume, not even looking what channel was on. He gathered his clothes and dressed in fifteen seconds. Now he was ready.
He quickly scanned the living room, knowing instinctively he’d find nothing of importance here. Nevertheless he did a cursory search of the few drawers and surfaces anyway. It turned up nothing. His next stop was Michelle’s bedroom. The door was opposite the bathroom door, which thankfully Michelle had shut. Nick now eased the door to the bedroom open and entered.
There wasn’t much: a queen-sized bed, a dresser, night tables, a few boxes along one wall. The built-in closet was small and jam-packed with clothes, no files, no electronic equipment. Continuously listening to the sounds from the bathroom, Nick continued his search, opening the drawer of one nightstand. It was full of underwear. He rummaged through it, but only lingerie turned up.
He rounded the bed and searched the other nightstand. Several loose condom packages greeted him, together with tissues and lubricant. Nick grinned involuntarily. Good to know that Michelle had some extra supplies, just in case they burned through the few condoms he’d brought.
A quick perusal of the boxes turned up nothing but books and old photos. He checked his watch: Michelle had entered the bathroom three minutes earlier. He should have plenty of time to go through the rest of the apartment. He left the bedroom and stepped into the hallway. There, below the side table, lay her computer bag. He crouched down and opened it, tossing a quick glance to the bathroom door, listening intently. The water was still running.
The bag held a laptop, several cables, as well as notepads, pens, and the product tag for the bag itself. He pulled the laptop from its compartment and opened it. Though he was almost certain that Michelle wouldn’t leave her computer unprotected, he had to find out if she’d, by some lucky chance, not password-protected it.
He booted up the machine, drumming his fingers on his thigh while he waited impatiently for the wheel to stop spinning. When the screen filled with color and presented him with the request to enter a password, he wasn’t surprised. It would have been too easy. He quickly initiated the shut down and set the computer aside, looking through the bag once more. There had to be something.
He flipped through the notepad, but apart from some scribbles that looked like a shopping list, he didn’t find anything. The moment the computer powered down, he slid it back into the bag. It didn’t want to go in all the way, so he pulled it out again and checked. He found a piece of paper on the bottom of the compartment and looked at it. It was a manufacturer’s warranty for a flash drive.
But where was it?
Shoving the computer back into the bag and closing it, Nick stood up. His eyes fell on the side table, where Michelle had tossed her keys when they’d entered her apartment. He picked the key ring up. Not only did it hold several keys, but a USB flash drive dangled from it.
“Gotcha,” he murmured.
The sudden echo of his voice startled him. That’s when he realized that the water wasn’t running anymore. Michelle was done with her shower. He’d never met a woman who was that quick.
Shit!
9
Michelle wrapped the large bath towel around her still damp body and tucked in one end to hold it in place. Her hair was still wet, but she’d combed it. Considering the heat in D.C., it would dry in no time. With a last glance in the mirror, she turned the doorknob and opened the door.
She found Nick sitting on the couch—fully dressed now—staring into the TV. He turned his head.
“Hey,” he greeted her with an easy smile.
“I’ll be just a minute more,” she told him. Her gaze fell on the TV and she had to do a double-take. “You’re watching the Hallmark Channel?” What guy did that? Was Nick a true romantic at heart with whom she could actually watch sappy romances on TV? This was too good to be true.
Nick hastily reached for the remote. “Uh, no, ah, actually, I was just channel-surfing, trying to find ESPN.” He pressed a button, and the channel changed.
Then he moved to the next one in the lineup as if to prove that he told the truth.
Michelle chuckled. “Sure you were.” She turned toward the bedroom.
“I was!” he called after her. “I was looking for a sportscast.”
She didn’t reply and walked into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. As she dropped her towel onto the bed and rummaged through her closet to find something appropriate to wear, she smiled to herself. Nick was unusual, she had to give him that. When they’d made love, he’d been intense and demanding, while simultaneously proving to be a very considerate lover, one who not only took care of her needs, but seemed to actually have a need to satisfy her. And he had. Satisfied her. Immensely.
But outside of bed, Nick was different: gentler, sweeter, almost shy. And he seemed embarrassed, almost flushed, when she’d caught him watching a made-for-TV romance, as if he didn’t want to reveal that softer side of himself. A side she really liked.
Michelle slipped into a thin summer dress and took a matching cardigan from the hanger. She opted for high heels, wanting to feel sexy tonight. She inspected herself in the full-length mirror inside the closet door and twirled in front of it. She definitely looked presentable.
Taking a deep breath, she left the bedroom and walked back into the living room. The TV was off, and Nick wasn’t sitting on the couch anymore. She turned on her own axis. Had he left without her?
“Nick?”
Footsteps coming from the kitchen made her turn. He came walking back into the living room, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.
“Hope you don’t mind. I helped myself to some water.”
Relieved, she exhaled. “Of course not. I’m sorry, I should have offered you something to drink earlier. I’m such a bad hostess.”
He walked up to her, his eyes fairly drinking her in. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that. You were very welcoming.” He graced her with a smoldering look, one that made her knees tremble.
She wiped her suddenly damp hands on her dress, fidgeting.
“You look very nice,” Nick murmured, taking another step closer that brought them chest-to-chest. With his index finger, he tipped her face up. “Absolutely stunning, in fact.” He brushed his lips over hers in a feather-light kiss. “Now you’re making me really hungry.”