“Why don’t you shut your mouth about her right now,” Zak said in a quiet, matter-of-fact tone, fiddling with the remote again, giving up on hopes of seeing a game and trying to find a station with a rundown of the day’s sports scores.
“You don’t get to keep her. You know that right?”
“Whatever. I can’t ditch her until this thing is resolved with Demarco. He thinks we’re a couple. We’re playing it that way.”
“Oh, are you? Quite the sacrifice you’re making, Zak. I’ll have to put you in for an award or something.”
“Fuck you. Why are you even here?”
“We got the early ballistics report back from Julio’s crime scene, which was a fuckin’ mess, by the way. After they killed him with a shot to the heart, they fired a shotgun blast into his face. Fuckers really like to make a point, don’t they?”
“Yes. They do.” Zak’s stomach sank. A messy scene like that implied fury or possible betrayal if Demarco had been responsible. What might Julio have told them before he was gunned down? Zak hadn’t exactly been forthcoming with Julio about his past after meeting Demarco that first time.
Julio had been approached because of his familial ties to Demarco’s group. Zak had been placed in the garage for an introduction, which he’d procured through Julio. If Julio knew he wasn’t a criminal, Zak hadn’t been the one to tell him. He wondered who’d ratted Julio out.
“However, the 9mm fatal bullet to the chest was traced to a surprising place.”
“Do tell.”
“Funny coincidence. Registration came back on a stolen gun.”
“Not so shocking.”
“Yeah. But it was pinched from someone identified as a known associate of Ernesto Montego. And another reason I stepped in tonight.”
Zak turned his head and looked at his handler-turned-business partner. “That’s worrisome.”
“I agree. What are the chances of that?”
“Zero percent of zilch.”
“Exactly.”
“What the fuck is going on here? How are Julio’s murder and Ernesto Montego’s sudden appearance here in town connected?”
“Only way I can think of is our mutual psycho dealer, Demarco, but this came up fast. Until last night, no one had Demarco tied to Montego.”
“Which is even more worrisome.”
“Right-o. This is a dangerous setup, Zak, and getting more dangerous by the minute.”
“So what’s the plan?”
“The money in the blonde’s backyard shed is clean. There’s no way to trace it back to The Organization or to where it will go when spent by criminals, meaning our initial plan is completely out the window.”
“Are you going to take Demarco and Montego down at the same time?”
“Yes, if possible. But we need clear intent. And we need them to say criminal stuff out loud.”
“Which will take a fuckin’ miracle.”
“It’s all we have. So, we’ll all be wired at the meeting tomorrow, but it’s a remote system. The techies’ll turn it off at first for the scans, then we signal them and they turn the tapes on.”
“Dangerous.”
“You weren’t promised unicorns shooting sunshine and rainbows out of their asses with this job, were you?”
Zak stifled a smile. “Whatever. I’ll let you see yourself out, but keep in mind that Demarco is probably still having me followed.”
“I know.”
“Of course you do. I’ll secure the money and meet you tomorrow at the warehouse. I’m hoping you will send me a more detailed plan for what the fuck we’re doing before then.”
“Yeah, I hope that happens, too.”
He left the television on and waved at Miles without looking, assuming he’d exit in the same sneaky way he’d come in.
Zak went out the side door that led directly to Kaitlin’s backyard, which was also hidden from the street. He wanted to ensure the money was truly in her shed. The small, squat corrugated-metal building was up against the fence. An untrimmed tree from a neighbor’s yard hid half the structure with low-hanging branches. That came in very handy for his purposes.
This late at night, it was likely no one could see him, not even Kaitlin. He used his picks on the shed’s lock. Inside, the money wasn’t even hidden. Shit. What if Kaitlin had come in here? A double-sided leather motorcycle saddlebag was in the wheelbarrow perched against the left side of the shed, as if it had been thrown in haphazardly. He unbuckled one of the pouches and pulled back the flap. Fat stacks of cash were stuffed inside.
Quietly and carefully, Zak hid the bags in a cardboard box behind the wheelbarrow, well out of sight if anyone poked their head inside. Not exactly under lock and key, but hopefully it would work in the short term. He closed up the shed and headed for Kaitlin’s back door. It occurred to him that he should have counted it, but he didn’t want to take the chance of being seen rifling around in there until he had to. He’d move the money in the morning.
He knocked sharply, not caring if anyone could see him. He was impatient to get inside and explain things to her. He didn’t even know what he’d say, but hoped inspiration would strike when he needed it. Zak pounded on Kaitlin’s back door again, not wanting to traipse to the front door.
There was a long pause before the curtain opened slightly. She peered out at him, frowning, but unlocked the door.
He let himself inside her darkened kitchen and closed and locked the door, only to turn and see she’d obviously been crying. A lot. Fuck.
Chapter Fifteen
“I didn’t expect you,” Kaitlin said, hiccupping only once. The minute she’d come home, she’d waited for one of two things. For Zak to call or her sister to return to the house and realize she wasn’t spending the night with Zak, but sitting alone waiting foolishly by the phone for him to call.
“Why not? I swore to you I’d be here.”
She shrugged, sucking in a deep breath to hold back more tears.
His brows furrowed. “You should know that I take that shit seriously. Why the tears, baby?” At least he looked upset that she’d been crying. He took a step closer. She folded her arms across her middle as some idiotic barrier to keep him at bay.
In retrospect, it was foolish for her to be weeping like a little girl or a virgin over his quick dismissal earlier. Of course he had a life beyond their fake relationship. She hadn’t seen the other man very well. Likely that had been on purpose. All the secrecy made her nervous. She was a straight arrow. She hadn’t ever gotten so much as a parking ticket.
Plus, she didn’t know what Zak did besides work at the garage, which was also a problem. Did he have shady connections with disreputable people? Mr. Demarco certainly looked the part, but she was back to stereotyping again. Perhaps they were selling dental equipment to each other. The thought lightened her mood slightly.
If Zak was a criminal—as her sister had implied more than once—she didn’t know that she should remain in any kind of liaison with him, erotic or not.
Too bad she’d already fallen in love with the bad boy next door with too many sketchy friends. She knew herself. She’d do almost anything to win him over and keep him in her life on a permanent basis, regardless of his extra-curricular activities.
Honestly, the tears had been because she’d been more worried about her stepsister showing up after cavalierly saying, “You can have the house to yourself,” only to discover that maybe that wasn’t going to be true after all. That maybe Zak would never call her again or show up in her life, which had made her cry harder.
Insecurity was a vile, insidious affliction.
Kaitlin backed up a step, widening the gap between them. “I was afraid Brooke was going to beat you here.”
“Oh?” He took a long step forward. He was only an arm’s length away now. “What difference does that make?”
“I believe I told you how mean she can be.”
He huffed. “She was certainly nasty at dinner.”
“Yes. She was.” K
aitlin had been studying his chest, but looked up when he acknowledged her stepsister as being a shit.
Softening, she said, “I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Usually she hides it better when we’re with our parents.”
“No doubt. But I’m not that important. And she was trying to play off her new boyfriend, Mr. Pompous. I’ll bet she’s a real piece of work any time of the day or night.” He took another step closer. She wouldn’t have to move far to touch him.
“I figured she’d make fun of me for being unable to keep a bad boy like you interested for very long.”
“Well, she’d be completely wrong, wouldn’t she? Here I am. Very interested.”
Unfolding her arms, she put a hand on his chest and asked, “Why did you come to the back door?”
He grinned. “Is that why it took you so long to answer? Were you watching out the front window for me instead?” Another half step put him toe to toe with her bare feet. The heat radiating from his body warmed her, and he smelled so good.
“No comment.” But she smiled.
He put his hand over hers, squeezing her fingers gently. “In answer to your question, I did it for our limited privacy.”
“Is that the truth?”
“Yes. Maybe I didn’t want any of our nosey neighbors seeing me come to your front door this late at night, or worse, see you coming back to my place. You know how small-town folks can talk.”
“And that’s really why?”
He moved closer, crowding her against the counter by the stove. He leaned in, bending down until his lips were a whisper away from hers. “Yes,” he said quietly. “What else could it be?”
That you were too ashamed of me, she thought.
Kaitlin expected him to kiss her. He didn’t. He waited, holding himself just shy of touching.
After several breathless seconds on her part, Kaitlin pushed her mouth against his, licking her way inside, wanting him to respond. And in a millisecond—boy howdy—he did. It must have been exactly what he was waiting for.
The moment she instigated the kiss, he overwhelmed her as he always did, plundering her lips, ratcheting her lust to higher levels with each stroke of his tongue within her mouth.
He lifted her up. Her ass cheeks hit the edge of her counter, right before he guided her legs apart. Before she realized what had happened, he’d stepped between her thighs to press his thickening cock against her moistening center quite intimately.
She wrapped her legs around him, but he unfolded them, breaking the kiss. She was about to ask why, but figured it out when he started kissing her throat and then her chest and then her belly.
The slinky dress she still wore was bunched around her thighs, courtesy of Zak’s clever hands. He was also able to pull her panties off without much effort. When he buried his face between her thighs, her body arched. She banged the back of her head on the cabinet holding all her cooking spices. How appropriate. This was about to be a very spicy scene.
But he stopped, stood up and scooped her into his arms. He carried her easily as he mounted the stairs. “Which one is your room?” She pointed and he moved quickly into her bedroom.
Once inside, and without much fanfare, he dropped her in the center of her bed with her legs dangling off the side, fell to his knees and resumed what he’d started in the kitchen.
Before dinner, on her dining room table no less, he’d brought her to the height of ecstasy until she screamed his name to the rafters. Now he seemed intent on a repeat, only using his tongue instead of his fingers. Hadn’t he also promised that? She couldn’t remember.
It didn’t take long for him to bring her off with his tongue. He was like a master playing a crafted instrument when it came to her body. Kaitlin started to scream his name in orgasmic release.
After several minutes of breathing hard, Zak asked, “Am I forgiven for earlier?”
“Yes,” she managed to gasp. “And if you let your beard grow out for a few days and do that again, I’ll be even more forgiving.”
He nipped her inner thigh. “Noted.”
Zak stood up. He paused between her open legs, gazing up and down her body.
“What are you thinking?”
He grinned. “Honestly? I’m thinking about several different sexual positions and the next one I’d like to try out with you.”
Kaitlin leaned up on her elbows. “You know what I want to try?”
“Tell me.”
“Let me show you.” Feeling like the baddest bad girl of them all, Kaitlin flipped over onto her stomach, rose up on all fours, whipped her hair over her shoulder and followed that action with a saucy look. “Can you guess yet?”
Zak moved forward, grabbed her hips, and pulled her into his body. They didn’t quite line up, but that could be fixed if he’d just climb onto the bed behind her.
“Are you certain this is what you want to try?” Zak bent and kissed the bare skin at the edge of her low-backed dress. The tone of his voice had gone lower.
“Yes. This is what I want.”
“I’ll be able to penetrate you even deeper. Are you ready for that?”
“Yes. Perfect,” she fairly purred.
He pulled her from the bed until she was on her feet, turned her around and helped her remove the sexy, slinky dress. Then she undressed him. She pulled open the night stand to show him the condoms she had available. He took one and put it in place. She helped.
He cupped her face in his palms and kissed her like she was the rarest creature on earth. Like maybe he was honored to be part of her life. Like he was falling in love with her, just like she’d already fallen in love with him. It was a nice dream and Kaitlin clung to it.
Before she knew it, they were writhing on top of the bed, kissing and touching and moaning. Kaitlin was fired up after only a few minutes. She was the one who broke the endless kiss to get into position on all fours to experience the next new position.
She grabbed the top of her padded headboard and thrust her butt against his groin. His sheathed cock felt enormous against her, but she was so ready to join with him.
True to his word, the moment he entered her, she was filled to the very brink of capacity. As wet as she already was from kissing him as they rolled around on the bed and her earlier climax, there was absolutely no pain, only pleasure and lots of it.
Zak held her hips, his fingers digging into her flesh with purpose as he thrust in and out of her body wildly. He was right. It did feel deeper. He kept up the rhythm until she felt him push his hand between her legs and stroke her, ensuring her climax. It only took four rubs until she came apart screaming. Zak lasted quite a bit longer, which also felt amazing in the aftermath of her recent orgasm.
His arms wrapped around her torso, hands palming her breasts for his final few thrusts until he grunted and slammed deeply inside one last time.
With his face buried in the back of her neck as he climaxed, she heard Zak clearly whisper, “I love you, Kaitlin.”
~ ~ ~
Zak’s eyes practically rolled back in his head the moment his epic release consumed him. Thrusting inside her very tight body from behind was hands-down his favorite position, and never more so than with his sweet Kaitlin suggesting it first. She was perfect. The best woman he could have ever asked for.
He clutched her to him, thinking about how foolish it was to have fallen in love with her. But he had. No denying it now. The words, I love you, Kaitlin, danced in his head, banging around until he wanted to scream them to the heavens.
Kaitlin disengaged from him, turned in his arms and kissed him hard on the mouth. “I love you, too,” she said and kissed him again. Whoa. Had she just read his mind?
“What?”
“You said you loved me. Well, you whispered it, but I heard you. I wanted you to know that I love you, too.” She laughed, kissed him on the mouth again, and bounced out of bed.
Had he said that very dangerous phrase out loud? Obviously.
His feelings aside, Zak found it dif
ficult to be sorry about expressing how he felt about her. It was the truth. He only worried about how complicated a future with her would be. In fact, he wasn’t even certain one was possible. You don’t get to keep her, Miles had reminded him earlier.
Zak followed her to the bathroom to clean up, not denying that he’d expressed his love. Once he left for good, she might not be as happy about his declaration or forgiving if he could manage to return to her one day.
He coaxed her back to bed with amazing kisses, made love to her a second time, front to front because he wanted to watch her face as he moved inside her body. She didn’t disappoint him, being very expressive as he loved her, never once holding back.
She clung to him, her nails digging deliciously into the muscles along his spine as they both recovered. Once his breathing slowed to a normal level, he moved to go for the bathroom to clean up. She held fast. “Don’t leave me yet.”
“I’m just going to the bathroom, baby.” She released him, and he disappeared into her en suite. When he climbed back beneath the sheets, she fastened herself to him solidly, tangling her legs with his as if to make it difficult for him to get away.
“Every time you move from my side I have to force myself not to ask when I’ll see you again,” she said against his throat.
“I was only gone for a minute.” He tried to make light.
“You know what I mean.” He remained silent, contemplating the future. When he left in the morning, it was very likely he wouldn’t see her again. Should he break it off now, and warn her not to expect him ever again? Or should he remain silent, making a clean getaway tomorrow without discussion? Disavow his love for her even as the words were still fresh in his mind and heart and the very air around them?
A dilemma, for certain, but his assignment for The Organization was clear. Get in, get the job done and get out safely. Dragging a civilian, whether or not he loved her, into this fiasco was not a good idea. Once they arrested Demarco and Montego, his mission would be complete and he’d be on his way.
“I don’t know what you want me to say, Kaitlin.” He didn’t mean to sound brusque, but he felt her stiffen the moment he said her name.
Biker (Bad Boys in Big Trouble Book 1) Page 14