Better Run

by Shel Stone

  Taking her by the hips, he turned her over and beneath him until her legs cradled him. Then kissed her and she eagerly welcomed him, her tongue sparring with his. There was not even a whisper of caution in her, or in showing the desire she felt.

  Breaking the kiss, he traced his mouth down her neck and she arched beneath him as his hand reached down and slipped underneath the lace of her underwear. Wetness met him and he slowly circled around her clit, his fingers pressing on the sensitized nub. She gasped and then whined, her hips meeting him as his fingers slipped inside her heat.

  His cock was painfully hard, pressing against its confines as it sought her. He wasn’t going to last more than a minute like this. Together they burned. His palm pressed on her mound as his fingers played inside, and he could feel her insides contracting against him. “Palmer,” she cried. She wasn’t going to last more than a minute either.

  Sitting back, he gripped the side of her lacy underwear and pulled them down her legs, slowly to give himself a minute to calm. Unfortunately, the sight of her utterly naked wasn’t helping. Her smooth skin, her gorgeous thighs.

  Hell, if he was going to pay for this later, it was worth it. She’d be gone and he’d remember this, would burn with desire for her long after she’d left. Just like this, she would be etched into his mind. Her hands reached for him and her body refused to keep still, seeking him.

  Undoing his belt, he released himself and shifted back toward her, shifting until his tip was at her entrance. With held breath, he pushed in, her body yielding. The warm of her undid him, the softness enveloping him, until he sank down fully. Her hands grabbed his hips, wanting more.

  Placing his weight on her, he kissed her, drawing her attention back to him. He wanted to see her eyes. Her gaze wavered when he pulled out and pushed back in again. They were both utterly caught in this captured by the wild pleasure surging through their bodies. He wanted to be here forever.

  Again and again, he pushed into her, the sensation a renewed assault each time. Underneath him, her moans grew wilder, her hips grinding to his as her release took her. Seeing her undid whatever control he had and his release surged through him in a fierce rush. Everything he was he was giving to her, wave after wave of exquisite pleasure that contorted him.

  Now spent, he had nothing left as he sank down on her warm, soft body. Her arms enveloped him as he tried to breathe. Everything he had, he’d just given to her, and this was not something that could be undone. They stayed like that until he grew soft inside her. Neither seemed willing to admit it was over, and it would be on again in a minute.

  Chapter 27

  THE PLAN OF HAVING a quick sleep and then driving through the night was canned, and Nook thought it was a better idea to stay where they were.

  Palmer was asleep next to her and she tried not to move so he woke, because they’d be hitting the road as soon as he did. Brightness peeked through the split in the curtains. It was approaching dawn. They had definitely overslept according to his schedule.

  Carefully, she shifted so she could watch him sleep. His lips were slightly parted and his breath steadily drew in and then out. Utterly naked, as was she. Even now, she wanted him. The angry welt of the bullet wounds marred his beautiful chest and she wished she could make them go away. Even though she hadn’t shot him, and had never been part of a plan to, she felt guilty that she’d been there.

  There was no handcuff between them now. Technically she could just get up, quietly dress and slip out, but she didn’t want to. He probably wouldn’t even chase her if she did. The car keys were even in view.

  It would hurt him if she did. Apparently he needed to be seen to deal with her, but he had said he would work something out, and she believed him. There was something here between them—something important. But the reason he needed to deal with her was the same reason they ultimately couldn’t be together. Which was a good thing—obviously, him being what he was. Not exactly the kind of guy she wanted to be with.

  Yet somehow, her defenses had softened. What he said could all be a lie, that he simply lied with his mouth, his body and his kisses, and would kill her the moment they got back to Miami. It wasn’t something she believed, and she would pay with her life if her faith in him proved false. But those angry marks on his chest made her feel as if she needed to make it up to him—by helping him restore whatever they had lost him.

  That cold exterior had been a cloak he’d worn to protect himself, to get what he wanted in this world, but underneath that was the guy she’d seen last night, a guy who missed his mother and kept every single person at arm’s length. Who calculated and plotted to keep what he’d built, and who sacrificed everything else. And then was undone by a kiss.

  Letting her live went against the person he had built himself into, it went against his rules for self-preservation. He was taking on huge risk to help her, so she’d feel shitty if she refused to do the same for him. No one had ever done something like this for her before and it confused her.

  It was only for a few days, wasn’t it? And truly, they got by spectacularly together when they let some of their defenses drop. She’d never been as turned on as she had the previous night, and maybe because he wasn’t someone who let others close to him, but he’d been there, fully present.

  A thrill of desire shot through her remembering how he’d looked her in the eyes as he’d made her come. It had been insanely hot. And intimate, almost in an uncomfortable way. It had pushed her boundaries. It had to have pushed his.

  If she wanted him to stay safe, she had to help him with this thing that had forced him to come after her, then she could quietly slip away. Wanting more wasn’t an option, so it made it easy to be generous.

  The piercing noise of his phone broke into the silence of the room and Palmer stirred. It was loud enough that it would wake anyone.

  Rolling away from her, he reached for the phone. “Yeah,” he said, his voice craggy with sleep. “When?” The person on the other end seemed to go on at some length. “I’m still a day away.” He listened again. “Alright. Call with any developments.”

  Hanging up, he put the phone down on the table. “We have to go,” he said as he got up. “Now.”

  Cuddling and sweet nothings were clearly not his style. There was a seriousness in his voice, which she hadn’t heard for a few days. This was Palmer the businessman.

  “Alright,” she said. “Mr. Bossy.”

  Turning to her, he gave her a chiding look. “We’ve overslept. Quick shower.”

  Getting up, Nook gave him a salute before walking into the bathroom and turning on the water. In the cold air of the room, she missed having him beside her as she waited for the water to warm. Finally she stepped in and shampooed her hair. As she washed it out, she felt the shower curtain tug as he stepped in.

  Nook smiled. “Missed me already?” she asked, letting her hands seek his warm, firm body. He kissed her and she forgot about the water pelting them. Those kisses just made her lose her mind. That was perhaps something she needed to watch, because she turned to putty when his hands were on her.

  “You have a habit of distracting me,” he said, his voice a deep rumble. His hand slipping around the back of her neck, he kissed her deeper. Heat pooled deep inside her again. Clearly last night hadn’t been enough to assuage the desire she felt for him, and the feeling was mutual and he brought her thighs up around him, bringing them closer.

  The wall behind her, he held her as he shifted her up and then slowly brought her down on him. Pure pleasure surged inside her. His hands guided her hips and she already felt the tightening of her orgasm coming on. His skin was glistening in the water and his eyes filled with desire. The feel of him inside her, the warm water—she couldn’t keep up with the tension tightening in her.

  The world didn’t exist outside him and her, and right now, they were the same being. Each smooth stroke brought her higher, closer and deeper, and her insides convulsed around him, sending waves of pleasure through every part of he
r, making deep groans escape his throat as she drew his release from him. Firmly ground to him, her body arched as strong contractions cascaded through, glorious pleasure flowing from them.

  So last night had clearly not been a one-off. He so much as looked at her and she was ready, and he made her come hard. There might perhaps be a secondary reason she was so willing to help him out. Him inside her was simply insane.

  Unfortunately, there were hours and hours of driving ahead and she would have to restrain herself. At least for a while, but at some point, perhaps they could take a break somewhere secluded, revisit this consuming desire somehow in the cramped car. There were so many things she hadn’t done with him yet, and she didn’t know how long she had to do them.

  *

  She’d slept for a few hours, being lulled by the droning sound of the car engine. Endless miles of highway passed, but at least they were traveling during daylight so there was something to watch—otherwise, they might not be getting all that far.

  Waking properly, she reached for her bottle of water and took a sip. The air-conditioning was on, but she could still feel the heaviness of the humidity. Yep, they were definitely closer now.

  The phone rang again and Palmer answered. They spoke, but she couldn’t follow the conversation. Then someone else called right after he’d hung up.

  Finally, he put the phone away. His jaw worked as he absorbed whatever this new information was.

  “Is something wrong?” she asked.

  “No,” he said. “Well, there is an issue cropping up.”

  But there was a heaviness in him, a concern.

  “Is this something I’ve caused?” she asked.

  He didn’t answer.

  Her mind tried to think through it, but she didn’t have the information to go on. She didn’t know his world and the things that happened there.

  Finally, he cleared his throat. “There is a bit of a coup. A faction is trying to move into my territory.”

  Nook frowned. “Because I made you look weak.”

  “Your friends made me look weak.”

  “But you dealing with me will set that straight?”

  “We might be beyond that now. A challenge has been set, and in the short term whatever happens to you now is not going to influence it.”

  So the thing he’d gone to great lengths to avoid was happening anyway. “So now what?”

  “Now I have to respond.”

  “Have you done this before?”

  “Not like this, but I am still stronger than him.”

  So it was a single person. Was it that guy she’d seen at his party that first night? He’d certainly given her the heebie-jeebies. Carlos his name had been.

  Palmer looked over at her and smiled. “Nothing for you to be worried about. In fact, it probably even benefits you.”

  “But not you.”

  She tried to read his expression when he looked over at her, but he was hard to read.

  “It is merely an issue of controlling the damage they do.”

  Did this mean she was in the clear? It suggested so. “Does this mean I’m not in play anymore?”

  “It means I can pursue some more creative ways of punishing you.”

  There was promise in those words and she felt them stir deep inside her. Creative ways of punishment, huh? Biting her lip, she stared at the road so her thoughts wouldn’t run away with her. “I might just look forward to it.”

  Clearly, he still had plans for her, but they sounded more related to what they’d explored with each other. He wasn’t walking away from that and Nook didn’t know how she felt about it—tickling tension up her spine not included.

  Her caring for someone like him had never been a part of the plan. He lived a very different lifestyle, with risks and danger. She’d categorically avoided both of those things in her life as much as possible, but then she’d never expected to feel the way she did when he touched her. That had never been part of her plan, but he came with these drawbacks. She wasn’t someone who wanted the money or the clout that came with what he did. It was something she could do without, but turning away from him wasn’t something she was rushing to do either. Things had changed between them back in New Orleans. Man that city had a lot of answer for.

  Chapter 28

  IT WAS DARK BY the time he pulled into his neighborhood. His guys were discreetly stationed along the block around his apartment, guarding against any intrusion. The aim of a coup would be to kill him, but he was too well protected. It really would take the betrayal of someone in his inner circle, and no doubt Conners would be making his move in that regard.

  Conners wasn’t the guy to take over from him. Palmer already knew that. The guy simply didn’t have any brains, and he didn’t have the level of loyalty that Palmer’s hierarchy would appreciate. Shit Conners had done in the past would be held against him, but the guy did have important contacts, which was the reason he was still around. A person Palmer had to deal with rather than chose to.

  So Conners was planning to supplant him and take over the business, by leveraging the contacts he had, and now he was presenting himself as a better new king. His offer would have money, but Conners didn’t understand that stability was more important than money to most people in this game. No one wanted a hothead like Conners steering the ship. But then there was a risk that someone let their greed get the better of their judgment. There was a chance someone in his organization would turn on him, hoping for a big payday for it.

  It wasn’t strictly true that she had ceased to be a threat, but the immediate threat she presented was minimized. There were bigger fish to fry, and when it was over, any weakness she exposed in him would be eclipsed. She was weakness, but one he wasn’t ready to give up. There was something very exciting about her, like a deep vibration in his bones.

  “Come,” he said as he pulled into his parking space and got out. The warm, humid weather of Miami met him, and it felt good to be home.

  Nook stepped out of the car and followed him. On the whole ride here, he’d wanted her, even the moment he’d seen her in Las Vegas, if he were to admit it, and each mile they’d driven, he’d wanted her more. Now he wasn’t prepared to let her go just yet. He’d promised her some punishment and he intended to fulfill it, because her body shivered when he touched her.

  Closing his eyes, he tried to veer away from the direction his mind was going. There would be plenty of time to exorcise this attraction, this deep, incessant want. A small part of him wondered if he’d known this would happen when he’d set out to find her. There was no denying he’d wanted her the minute she’d turned up in his apartment, and maybe it had never really stopped.

  The elevator doors shut them in and he leaned against the side with crossed arms, watching her. She was nervous; he could see it in her eyes. “Even as I said you’re not in play, you could easily be put in play if you place yourself within their reach.”

  When she looked at him, her eyes had a way of drawing him in.

  The elevator opened up to the small foyer of his apartment. His space was cool as he walked in and Carlos was there waiting. Nook tensed beside him.

  “This is Carlos,” he said to her. “Carlos, Alicia.”

  Carlos greeted her with a nod. She smiled warily. “I might go freshen up if you don’t mind.”

  “Go ahead. In there,” he said, pointing to the master bedroom. With a small smile, she disappeared into it.

  If Carlos was surprised he’d just directed her to his bedroom, he didn’t show it.

  Carlos moved over to the sofa and sat down. “Conners is out trying to win over clients,” he said. “He’s going all over town.”

  “I don’t think he’ll get the reception he expects.”

  “The kid is deluded,” Carlos agreed, “but I’ve placed some guards around the block in case Conners decides to do something stupid.”

  “Fine,” Palmer agreed. It could be that Conners would try to attack him personally. His apartment was well protected an
d chosen to make it hard for snipers—except on the balcony. Unfortunately, until this was sorted, the balcony was off limits. Nook had to be informed. “I’ve been thinking of the options on the drive. However we deal with him, we need to do it quietly. We make too much noise, feathers will ruffle.”

  Carlos seemed to consider the words. “We can neither ignore him, nor compromise with him. We have to act.”

  “I will talk to his uncle about options. Whatever we do, it has to be quiet. The last thing I want is gunslingers at noon.”

  In his need to be brutal, Carlos didn’t always understand the finesse of not acting. But he was right in that not acting decisively with Conners would encourage all and sundry to think they could have a run at the throne. “I want us to shut him out and then have him quietly disappear,” Palmer finally said.

  “Intel says he has a bunch of low-lives with him, running around town with his posse, shaking up clients.”

  Palmer growled. This fucking kid was messing with the stability of the system. “Find out where he is and by the time we do, I should know how I want to deal with him.”

  With a nod, Carlos rose. He moved to the door and left, leaving Palmer in his quiet apartment. All he wanted to do was go outside on his balcony, but it was off limits. Conners could realistically have brought in a shooter in the hopes of making a clean coup.

  This wasn’t the first challenge, but Conners was the most deluded one. Conners had been foisted on him, because he had family connections up the supply chain. And now the kid had decided he wanted to run things.

  Earlier in the day, he’d spoken to his suppliers and they’d apologized for the actions of the kid and assured him that they understood he had to sort it out, which meant that Conners had probably made agreements and promises with competing suppliers. The kid was burning all sorts of bridges.