“Will you lay with me at least?”
“This bed is for you, not me,” I say trying to sound firm.
The truth is— I’d like nothing more than to lie down with him. Nurse Nora will have a shitfit though.
“Please, Lily,” he begs.
Something in his voice makes my stomach hurt. I sigh and stand, pulling the covers against his waist tighter. He stares at me as I climb on the bed and lay my head on his chest. His skin is warm and inviting, causing desire to explode throughout my sex. I run my hand up the middle of his chest, across his good shoulder and back down. He shudders, pressing his lips against my hair.
“We have a lot to talk about,” he whispers, pain that has nothing to do with his gunshot wound evident in his voice.
“I know, but you need to rest and so do I. We’ll have plenty of time to talk once we get you out of the hospital.”
I tilt my head up and kiss his neck. He moans, low in his throat, as my tongue lashes out, caressing his skin.
His good hand massages my neck and I move my lips, kissing down his chest. I slip my hand under the sheet, letting my nails skim across his thigh. He sucks in a ragged breath, moving his hand to clasp my shoulder.
I grip his erection, moving my hand up and down slowly.
“Lily, please,” he whispers, husky and breathless.
I chuckle to myself. “I’m still not having sex with you, Blake.”
“Then, what—”
I move quickly, throwing the sheet back and leaning down to take him in my mouth, down to his base, slowly, swirling my tongue around as I move my mouth back to the tip.
“Jesus Christ,” he hisses, his body shuddering.
I repeat the movement, pausing to suck hard on his tip. His hips rise, the need and desire radiating off him. It’s empowering to know after a year apart I still have this effect on him. He tastes like heaven, and passion explodes in my veins, forcing me to move faster. Blake lifts his hips again, driving his erection deeper into my mouth, and I moan.
His body shakes with relief and I push down on his hips as he comes, salty and wet, in my mouth.
“Fuck, Lily,” he says, taking deep breaths.
I stand up, licking my lips as I smooth my hair back. A wicked smile spreads across his face, his hand darting out to grab one of my belt loops and jerking me to him. I bring my lips down to his, and as our tongues caress each other, he slips his hand down the front of my pants.
My body bows and ignites at his touch. I break the kiss, gasping as he slides two fingers inside me, instantly pushing me to the edge of a chasm I haven’t been close to in a year. I hang my head, gripping the sheet, barely able to stay standing as he swirls his fingers inside me, palm pushing against my clit.
“Come on, Lily,” he growls, and I fall, coming hard.
He slips his hand from my pants and grabs my hips pulling me onto the bed just as my knees buckle.
Fuck, I needed that.
“I love you,” he whispers against my hair.
“I love you, too,” I mumble, exhaustion encompassing me like a veil.
As I drift, he chuckles, squeezing me tighter to his side. All the pain of the last year disappears in his arms. My humanity floods back into my sleep-deprived mind, and a grin spreads across my face as I plunge into the darkness.
3
~Blake~
Sammi stands next to Vlad at the end of my hospital bed. Both have their arms crossed over their chests, their faces red after the thirty-minute argument it took to get Lily to go eat. Maria sits in a chair in the corner of the room, her face scrunched together as if she smells something sour, and Jameson and Rhett are posted near the door just in case Lily comes back too quickly.
“You two better figure this shit out,” Sammi snaps.
“Fuck her,” Maria says, moving to the side of my bed.
She runs her fingers through my hair, and I jerk away from her. The hurt on her face should make me feel bad, but it doesn’t. She’s nothing but a walking, talking regret.
How could I be so stupid?
A drunken evening last month landed me in bed with her, and she’s been up my ass ever since. Lily deserves to know, but the thought of losing her over this is unbearable. God’s given me a second chance, and the last thing I want is this mistake to take it from me.
“Agent Johanson, I’m not sure if you’re blind or just stupid, but you better get a reality check quick. Lily finds out you fucked him . . . they’ll be sending you home in a body bag.” Vlad runs his hand over his head, shaking it back and forth.
“Whatever. If she didn’t want him moving on, maybe she shouldn’t have disappeared and fake her death.”
“She did what she had to. She and Dresden bought us the one thing we needed. Time. Not many people would make that kind of sacrifice,” Jameson says with an undertone of pride in his voice as he takes a step further into the room.
He hasn’t taken Lily’s pseudo-death well the last year. I don’t think anyone realized how close he, Rhett, and Lily were until we thought she was dead. The first month in Australia, he and Rhett would sit with Sorina and tell her all about Lily. Like the one time they had leave and she stayed with them on a mini-vacation.
They both respect her in a way I know I’ll never understand. Losing her was more than just losing a coworker for them, it was losing a sister. They really do view her as their family, and I’m not sure if she has ever realized just how much those two care for her.
“I haven’t moved on,” I say, meeting Maria’s gaze. “You and I were a drunken night that never should’ve happened. Lily is the love of my life, and I’ll never move on.”
Maria gasps, her eyes shining with disbelief. “You don’t mean that.”
“Yes, I do.”
She stalks from the room. She won’t tell Lily, not after the way Lily damn near choked her out yesterday. Maria isn’t a good agent. Her partner isn’t bad, just young, but she’s a real piece of work, plucked right from the top of the crazy tree. How the hell she became an Interpol agent, I’ll never understand.
“Blake,” Sammi says softly, sitting next to me and placing her hand over mine. “We’re all going to have to deal with the fall out of this. But the truth should come from you, not us. You need to tell her.”
Tears sting my eyes. “I will. I’d rather wait until we get to the safe house though. Not here.”
Vlad huffs. “At least there are doctors here.”
“Enough, Vlad,” Sammi snaps.
“No, this is far from enough. Lily’s going to flip her shit and we’ll all be lucky if she doesn’t kill us in our sleep. You two haven’t seen what she can do in a rage. If you think what happened at your apartment last year was bad, you ain’t seen shit yet. Ask Dresden.”
“He’s going to flip too, more than likely,” Sammi whispers, shaking her head.
“Which is why we’re all just sitting here lying to them,” Rhett says rolling his eyes. “Yeah, wait longer and let’s see which of us they don’t kill in our fucking sleep. Brilliant idea there, guys.”
“Ain’t that the fucking truth,” Jameson mutters in agreement.
“There’s no easy way out of this,” I say gently squeezing Sammi’s hand.
“You’re right.” Vlad’s tone borders on condescending. “Here you are, making her feel like shit because you’re hurting over what she did. In truth, you’ve got no right to be angry. She lied to you to save your life. You’re lying to save your own ass. You’ve got one week after we get to the safe house. If you don’t tell her by then, I will.”
A knock echoes throughout the room, silencing all of us.
“Come in,” I call.
Vlad tenses as someone moves into the room. Slowly, a grin spreads across his face, but it’s tight and doesn’t reach his eyes. Lily steps from behind the privacy curtain and my chest tightens. She’s finally changed her clothes, and it’s the first time she’s worn casual clothes around me.
The black jeans are tight, hugging he
r curves in all the right places. The black sports bra and oversized white tank top show a good amount of her tattoos, and she’s breathtaking. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.
And I was stupid enough to sleep with someone else.
“Who pissed stupid off?” Lily asks. My eyebrows shoot up. If a pin drops, it’s going to echo through the room. Lily’s brows knit together, confusion and concern creeping onto her face. “Everything okay?”
Vlad puts his arm around her shoulders, grinning. “Yeah. Everything’s fine. Relax, Lily. You and Dresden need a break.”
“We’ll get a break when we get to the new house. I don’t like how accessible this hospital is.”
She and Sammi switch places, my ability to talk vanishing. I squeeze her hand in mine, emotional pain turning physical in my chest. She’s going to be so pissed at me. We’ve overcome so much though . . . surely; we can get past my screw up?
“We are going to eat now that you’re back, Lily,” Sammi says, giving me a slight nod.
“Okay. Dresden and the others went back to the temporary house. Jameson, do you mind running Sammi and Vlad over there as well?”
“Of course not, Lil. I’ll drop them off and come back in case you need anything,” he says walking over to squeeze her shoulder briefly.
“Welcome back again,” Sammi says before turning and ushering everyone else out of my room.
Lily smiles until the door clicks shut. “What’s going on, Blake?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re all acting really strange. Don’t think I didn’t notice. Now, tell me what the hell is up?
I swallow the lump in my throat. I should tell her, it’s not right to lie to her when she’s sacrificed so much for me, my family, and for Sorina. Lying to her is no better than what James did to my mother . . . but I don’t want to lose her again.
†††
~Lily~
My stomach clenches as pain streaks through Blake’s eyes, his gaze dropping from my face to his hand resting on his lap. Something is going on or I’m just being paranoid. I knew coming back to him would be difficult, but the enormity of it eluded me until this morning.
I cup the side of his face and he leans into my touch, his lids closing. “Blake, please. What’s wrong?”
Placing his hand over mine, he gently shakes his head. “Nothing, Lily. The last two days have been stressful on all of us. It’s hard, realizing you and Dresden have been alive all this time when we thought . . .”
“I know. I’m sorry.” Fixing this might be the hardest thing I’ll ever do. Even more so than all the other things we’ve dealt with for the last year and a half. “Tell me how to make this right.”
He leans forward, pressing his lips to mine. My hand slides from under his into his hair, tugging gently. Our tongues meet and elicit a deep desire in my belly. Even with everything we went through before I left, there’s no way this perfect, amazing, compassionate man is meant for me.
“I love you,” I whisper against his lips.
He groans as if in pain, cupping the back of my head, forcefully pressing his lips to mine again. We consume and possess each other, my hands trailing over every inch of his face and chest, steering clear of his injured shoulder.
Ah, this is home.
Blake runs his fingers through my hair, pulling me closer and tilting my head, his lips skimming my jaw, and moving down my neck. I moan softly, my heart pounding, wanting to be entangled with him— all sheets and skin and kisses.
“That’s inappropriate,” a venomous voice says behind me.
Blake glares over my shoulder but keeps my head in place. “You’re free to get the fuck out.” His voice is dark and menacing; his lips going right back to my neck.
Gently, I pull away from him, rubbing my knuckles across his cheek. He sighs as I set his hand back in his lap, standing. Maria Johanson stands with her arms crossed, her hip pushed out, and face furious-looking with narrowed eyes.
“I don’t know what your problem is,” I say, stopping less than a foot from her. “I don’t really care, either, but this is your last warning. Fall in line with the rest of the team or pack your bags, because I’m done dealing with your stupidity.”
My head snaps to the side as her hand connects with the side of my face.
“Maria!” Sammi barrels into the room, stepping between us, her back to me.
I straighten myself, cracking my neck. Lunging forward, reaching around Sammi, Vlad grabs my waist, yanking me toward the opposite side of the room before I can grab the stupid bitch.
“Calm down, Lily,” Vlad hisses in my ear, his arms tightening as I struggle against him.
“Fuck that. She wants to break bad, let’s see how bad she really is.”
“What the hell is going on?” Hyde Monroe’s voice commands the space.
What the hell is he doing here?
I stop struggling and compose myself. Hyde’s eyes are wide, the edges tight with anger.
“Sorry, sir,” I mutter.
“Agent Johanson decided to assault Agent Williams. You need to tell Bates this shit isn’t going to fly,” Sammi says, pinning Maria with a stare that could kill. “Lily and Dresden are back. This team has never cared for Johanson. Find a way, Monroe, and get her the hell out of here.”
“Agent Johanson, what’s the meaning of this?”
She at least has the grace to look down at the floor, her cheeks reddening. “Sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”
“You’re damn right it won’t. Now, go back to the safe house. Agents Krezner and Arcos can stay here with Agent Williams and Mr. Mason.”
She shuffles from the room, her gaze lingering on Blake long enough to piss me off. He, Sammi, and Vlad exchange glances. Vlad shakes his head ever so slightly.
Something is definitely up. “Excuse me a second,” I say moving to the hallway.
Quickly, I dial Dresden’s cell number.
“Viper, what’s wrong?”
“Is anyone there acting strange?”
“What do you mean?”
“I dunno. Johanson just slapped me. Lucky for her, Vlad was here to keep me from killing her. Him, Sammi . . . and Blake, they’re acting strange, like they’re hiding something.”
“We’ll talk when I get there tomorrow. I’ve noticed too. No one here will look me in the face, not even Shannon.”
What. The. Fuck.
“Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Back in the hospital room, Blake is alone, staring at his cell phone. A tear slides down his face. He wipes it away and slides his thumb across the screen, more tears falling down his face.
“What’re you looking at, babe?”
He takes a deep, sighing breath as I sit on the side of his bed. I take the phone from his hands, my chest tightening at the picture on the screen of me sleeping. Sliding through, they’re all pictures of me. Sleeping, standing on the balcony at his apartment, sparing with Rhett the day we started this assignment . . .
“I didn’t know you took all these,” I whisper.
“I spent the first eight months of witness protection drinking and staring at those pictures.”
My heart all but stops. I hand him his phone back and gently rub my fingers against the five o’clock shadow on his cheek.
“I really am sorry, Blake.”
He groans and pulls me into the bed, running his fingertips across my shoulder as I nuzzle against his side.
This has to get easier . . . right?
4
~Lily~
The next five days pass as quickly as molasses in January. Blake’s doctor is releasing him today, and we’re going to the new safe house. Elation doesn’t begin to describe the overwhelming feelings bubbling in my chest. Thankfully, Blake’s stronger than we thought, refusing a wheelchair and walking to the car. It’s a three-hour drive to northwest Maryland, and I’m anxious to get going.
Jameson grabs my bicep as I start to climb in the backseat of the SUV,
crushing me to his chest. Hesitantly, I wrap my arms around him. Everyone’s been very distant since mine and Dresden’s return, even Sorina. She shadows Agent Morris more closely than I’m comfortable with. He’s riding in our vehicle, which I’m none too pleased about.
“Jameson,” I say in a strained voice.
“It’s good to have you back, Viper,” he whispers into my hair, unshed tears clouding his words.
“Hey.” I disentangle myself, meeting his gaze. “I’m here now.”
He swallows thickly, nodding. “Yes, you are.”
“Jameson . . . I’m sorry. You know I never would have done that if we’d had another choice.”
Tears still shine in his eyes, and in my gut, I’m hit with guilt like I’ve never felt before. “I know, Lily. Just . . . don’t do that shit to us ever again. Rhett and I . . . just, don’t do it again.”
I reach out and squeeze his arm. “I won’t.”
Walking around to the driver’s side, he gives me one last glance before sliding behind the wheel.
Damn, I missed him.
I climb into the backseat, sliding next to Blake. He takes my hand in his and kisses my knuckles. My stomach clenches with desire. He’s handsome as ever, wearing dark blue jeans, tennis shoes, and a tight black muscle shirt. Left arm in a sling, he leans the other against me, gently kissing my temple.
“What was that all about?” His tone is clipped.
I don’t understand his attitude. He’s been very agitated this week anytime someone else hugs me or touches me in any way. I don’t remember him being like this before. He used to smile when people touched me, knowing how much it meant that I could tolerate it.
“What’s your deal, Blake?”
The SUV falls silent, every eye on us.
He chuckles, leaning over, his lips brushing my ear. “I’m tired of everyone else touching you when I can’t.”
My body stills, burning with need. “Well, you can stop with the attitude. It’s starting to piss me off.”
He cups my neck and kisses me hard.
The Gallows at Midnight Page 3