John looked up from the map on the dining room table. We had only been home from the hospital for an hour, and John was back to work, trying to help my ex-best friend find safety. I wanted Nate to go to the police, but he was convinced they were one of the reasons he was running. And what made me mad was that he wouldn’t tell us who he was running from or why people were after him.
“Why are you mad, Annabella?” John asked. “I thought you would want to help your friend.”
“He’s the reason you got hurt. A bomb was put in my car. And now you’re helping him run when the media and police think I killed him. Why aren’t we demanding that he turn himself in? The man I spoke to on the phone earlier is not the friend I used to know. He’s a selfish ass.” I reached up and wiped the tears from my eyes.
John walked over and pulled me into his arms. My hands pressed against his hard chest. He ran his hand down the side of my face, and the gentle touch made me fall for him even more. “I’m not helping him for his own good. We’re getting him to a safe location so he’ll tell us what’s going on. Tomorrow, we will go and see him. I will make him give proof of life, or I will haul him in. But Annabella, whoever is after him is also after you. I’m not doing this to clear his name. Really, I don’t care what happens to him, but we need to figure out who is behind this so you’re no longer in danger.”
When he put it like that, it made sense. “Oh.”
He leaned in closer, and I ran my tongue across my lips. “Oh? Is that all you have to say?” The corner of his mouth turned up. He rested one hand on my hip, and I couldn’t hold back any longer. I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. John ran his hand through my hair, bringing me in closer as he deepened the kiss. My body felt like it was going to melt.
John pulled back and rested his forehead against mine. “What are you doing to me, Annabella?”
Before I could answer, Neal came through the kitchen door. I tried to pull back, but John kept a tight grip around my waist. Neal set his computer on the table. “John, do you have a sec?”
John grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the table. When I went to sit in the chair next to him, he pulled me onto his lap. Things felt right with John. When I was around him, I felt safe and protected, unlike the men I’d tried to date in Hollywood over the years. Jake Gilinger was the last man I’d dated before I decided to marry Nate. The more I thought back to the time I had agreed to marry Nate, I realized it might’ve been to get back at Jake more than to help out my friend.
Jake and I had dated for six months. We’d met on a dating app when he’d been working as a bank manager. I didn’t know he was trying to become an actor until it was too late. I took him to my movie premiere and introduced him to some producers and other friends in the business. Four months into our relationship, he told me he got a movie deal. I didn’t think much about it. I was happy for him. But once the ink dried on the contract, he stopped calling. Then I’d seen his picture in the tabloids saying he and his longtime girlfriend were getting married.
My gut clenched at the thought of being used. Will John do that?
When he looked at me, it was with concern. “Do you not like the plan?”
“What plan?” I hadn’t heard a word he or Neal had said.
“We’re leaving first thing in the morning and meeting Nate and Pedro at the base of Kagel Canyon.” He ran his hand down my arm. “If you don’t want to see Nate, you don’t have to go.”
“I want to go. I have so much more to say.”
John tilted his head. “Are you sure? I need to know if something is bothering you.”
I placed a fake smile on my face. “Everything is fine.”
He looked like he wanted to say more but turned back to Neal. They were looking at a map of the area where we planned to meet Nate. I glanced up at the clock and saw that it was close to midnight. I couldn’t hold back a yawn.
“Let’s get you to bed.” John’s demanding tone did something to my body. I wasn’t used to demands, but when he did it, I wanted to melt at his feet.
John and Neal finished up their plans, and we walked upstairs. The doctor had said John would need to be woken up every few hours. Our rooms were across from each other at Daisy’s house. John leaned down and gave me a kiss on the lips before he turned and walked through his door. I hurried into my room. I threw the lid to my suitcase open and searched for something cute to wear to bed. John wouldn’t know what hit him.
A soft knock sounded on the door. “Come in.” I didn’t need to look up from the suitcase to know it was Daisy.
She padded across the room and sat cross-legged on the bed while I continued to throw the clothes from my suitcase onto the bed. “Whatcha looking for?”
I glanced up from the suitcase. “Something to wear for bed.”
“It takes this much work to find something to change into? You already threw like five possible pj’s to the side.”
My suitcase was now empty with no options. I sat on the bed next to Daisy. “I need to stay in John’s room tonight and check on him.”
She grinned. “You know you could set the alarm and walk in every couple hours. You don’t need to stay in the same room.”
What she said was correct, but I was afraid he might need something in the night and I wouldn’t be there to help him when he did. “I’m going to sleep in the chair in his room.”
“Really? The chair?” Daisy held up her hand. “You like him, don’t you?”
“Yes. But what happens if he uses me?”
“For what?”
I grabbed a white tank top and a pair of boy shorts from the pile of clothes. “It seems every man I date uses me to get into the industry.”
Daisy burst out laughing. “You really think John would use you to become a Hollywood star? He thinks no one wants to truly be with him because of the scar. He thinks women take pity on him. Half of the women at the club would do anything to be his sub.”
Jealous rage came over me for a second. “The whole sub thing scares me. I don’t want to give up control.”
Daisy laid her hand on my leg. “Annabella, I love you to death, but I’m protective of John. He was one of the men who rescued me, and I stayed with him over a year. If you truly see yourself with him, go for it. But if this is a fling, be up front. Don’t hurt him.”
“I like him, but where could this really go? I live in California, and he lives in Florida. It’s not like we can go on dates. When he came to the jail to pick me up, Daisy, I just knew he was something special. What can I do?”
“If it’s meant to be and you really like him, see where it goes these next few days. When you aren’t filming, you can go to Florida. And when he isn’t off in another country on a secret mission, he can come to visit you.”
My stomach dropped as I thought about how he put himself in danger for his job. How would I handle not getting to talk to him for days and not knowing if he was okay? I knew one thing—I couldn’t say unless we talked and tried. I wasn’t even sure how he felt or if he thought something was between us.
I grabbed my clothes and headed for the bathroom. Then I quickly changed into my pj’s, brushed my teeth, and scrubbed the makeup off my face. When I looked in the mirror, I contemplated putting it back on. I didn’t like going to bed with makeup on, and I supposed it would be dark anyway. I pulled my blond hair up into a ponytail and headed back to the bedroom.
Daisy looked up from her phone and whistled. “You’re going to knock him out, girl.”
I could feel my face blush. “Should I change?”
“Hell no, girl.”
I grabbed the blanket off the bed and headed across the hall to John’s room. The door was ajar. I lightly knocked, and he said to come in. I didn’t know what I expected to see, but it wasn’t John sitting up in bed with no shirt on. The bedside light was on, giving a light glow to the room. I stopped short, and my tongue ran over my lips. John raised a brow.
“Um, the doctor said someone needs to watch you at night. I plan
ned to sleep in the chair. Or I can come back every few hours. I just thought it would be easier if I slept in your room. Is that okay? I’m trying not to impose.”
“You’re fine. Come in. But you don’t have to sleep in the chair. You can sleep in the bed if you want. I promise to keep my hands to myself.”
My palms started to sweat at the idea of sleeping next to him. My feet seemed to be rooted in place. “Okay,” my voice squeaked. I placed the blanket next to the bed, and when I padded over to the side of the king-sized bed, John pulled back the covers. All he wore were black boxer briefs. I climbed into the bed next to him and scooted to the edge. I worried my hand might jet out and feel his abs. He didn’t just have a six-pack. No, they went down below the covers.
John had his hair pulled up into a bun. His book lay in his lap. I wanted to run my fingers down the scar on his face. I didn’t understand why he thought it made him unattractive. It turned me on and made me want to crawl on top of him and lick his chest.
When my eyes traveled down his face to that broad chest, I noticed that little scars lined his body. I didn’t even realize I’d reached out until I was dragging my finger along the scar on his right pec. He jumped when my finger touched his skin.
“Can I ask you something?” I whispered.
John pinched the bridge of his nose. “If I say no, are you going to ask anyway.”
My lips twitched. “Yes.” I kept tracing the scars on his chest. “I know you don’t know me very well or what is going on with us. But can you tell me how you got these?”
John grabbed my wrist as I went to trace another scar. “It’s not a good story.” He let out a sigh. “I’m not the hero in the story.”
“I want to hear it anyway. For some reason, I highly doubt you’re the villain either.”
John didn’t say a word for a good two minutes. I didn’t think he would tell me what happened. But finally, he started speaking. “Three years ago, I was sent on a rescue mission to Galkayo. Did you see the story about Caleb Anderson’s family?”
I remembered a story about Mr. Anderson’s wife and daughters being kidnapped by Somali pirates. I leaned my head against John’s chest. I wanted to be close to him as he told the story. “His wife died, right?”
“Yes,” John huffed. “The mission went like any other. This wasn’t our first time rescuing people kidnapped by Somali pirates. We parachuted in two miles outside of Gadaado. The team and I trekked two miles through the sandy terrain until we made it to the small village. It was full of pirates. The intel we received let us know the Andersons were being housed in one of the outer houses. They had already requested ransom from Caleb.”
I’d heard about the ransom request on the news. “They wanted ten million dollars.”
“Yes, and Caleb had no problem paying it. The people who took his wife and daughters wouldn’t release them once he paid. So we went to rescue them.” John pinched the bridge of his nose. “We were a mile from our extraction point when one of our teammates turned on us. He put a gun to the little girl’s head and tried to take her away. The mom screamed and ran towards her daughter. The area we were walking through was full of land mines. We were walking in front so they wouldn’t step on one. We had a device to tell us where to walk. When she ran for her daughter, the mine blew sharp metal. That is where my scars came from. Caleb’s wife died, and the man who betrayed our team took off with the little girl and left the team. I told my team to go after them. I lay on the ground, bleeding out next to Caleb’s wife. One of the soldiers stayed back and helped keep pressure on my wounds.”
“None of that is your fault.”
“Don’t you see? I was the team leader. I should’ve known my team.” John closed his eyes. “I should’ve seen he was having troubles. That’s on me.”
“Did you get the girls back?”
“Yes. But we lost the mom because of me. Now that girl will have to grow up knowing what it’s like to watch your mom die in front of your eyes.”
“John, none of this is your fault.” When he started to protest, I placed my lips on his, catching his next words in my mouth.
12
John
Her kiss ignited the fire burning inside me. I slid my hand down her perfect body until it rested on her hip, then I rolled her to the side so she was facing me. I pulled her body closer to me and spread my hand across her tight ass. When I tugged her closer, she draped her leg over my hip.
Her hands running over my body made it hard to think straight. When she grabbed my ass, my intense need to take control and possess her came to the forefront. Our tongues tangled. I could taste her cherry ChapStick. I deepened the kiss, and she moaned against my lips.
Annabella pulled back, and her green eyes sparkled in the night. She leaned forward and nipped my lip. I slowly dragged my fingers along the bottom of her tank top and lifted it up over her perky breasts. She sat up and finished taking her shirt off.
“Beautiful.” I pulled her back into my arms and pressed my lips to hers. My need to take control was overpowering. I wanted to tie her to the bed and love her body for hours. I took a couple of deep breaths and tamped down my need. We had all night, and I planned to spend it worshipping her body.
When Annabella bit her lower lip, my focus went to her luscious lips. I couldn’t wait for her to wrap them around my cock. As if reading my mind, her pink tongue shot out, and she licked her lips. I lifted Annabella over me so she straddled my legs. She rubbed herself along my member.
She lowered her pink lips until I felt them against my mouth. I tangled my hands through her hair and pulled her close. I put my other hand on her waist to keep her in place. She moved her hips against me. My control was thinning with each thrust she made against me.
“Stop,” I whispered against her mouth. Her hips stilled. “I don’t want to come yet. You’re so beautiful. It’s taking everything in me to hold back.”
She smiled and slowly kissed her way down my body, stopping right above my briefs and tracing her tongue along the top of my waistband. Annabella worked her fingers under the waistband of my briefs and slowly pulled them down my legs until she had them off. She slowly crawled back up the bed, kissing my thigh. She wrapped her hands around my member.
I threw my head back, letting out a groan. Her silky hands felt good. I opened my eyes to see her watching my every move. She licked her lips before she lowered her head and wrapped her soft pink lips around me. The pleasure was pure bliss. I reached down and wrapped my fingers in her hair. A slight moan escaped her lips, sending a vibration through her throat as she took me deeper in her mouth.
“Beautiful, look at me.”
Annabella’s green eyes snapped open. I wasn’t the only one lost in the arousal and lust. She picked up the pace as she kept her eyes trained on me. I pulled her head up for a second, needing to get myself under control. I was close to needing release. Annabella must’ve known she had me on edge. She lowered her lips back to my cock and took me even deeper into her mouth. She worked her tongue along the edge. Everything she did was better than I had ever experienced.
“God, Beautiful, I don’t know if I can last much longer. Your lips feel so good.”
Instead of slowing her down, my words seemed to spark a fire inside of her. She dug her nails into my butt and pulled me closer. Her velvet mouth was too much. I was about to lose control.
I reached down and dragged her up my body. She straddled my waist. I pulled her mouth to mine, and our tongues danced. I reached up and caressed her nipples. She moaned into my mouth.
“I need you undressed.” My voice sounded strained, even to my own ears.
She still had her boy shorts on. She stood and turned so her ass was facing me then slowly bent over and dragged her shorts down her shapely legs, giving me a perfect view of her tight ass. I couldn’t hold back. I brought my hand down on her creamy white flesh. She let out a yelp at first and then didn’t move.
“Did you like that, Beautiful?”
“
Yes,” she whispered shyly.
I brought my hand down a couple more times, and her skin started to turn a lovely shade of pink. I could hear her panting.
“Turn around and come here.”
I sat up before she could straddle me again and slowly licked her clit. Her legs shook as she tried to stand still. She reached for the bed post so she could continue to stand. I lightly blew on her clit, and her body shuddered with each breath. I slowly took her nub into my mouth and sucked. Annabella moaned. Her legs were quivering.
“You’re so wet for me.” I sucked on her pearl for a few more seconds. “Why don’t you lie down on the bed?”
Annabella lay next to me. I leaned down and took her nipple into my mouth. Her hips arched off the bed. When I ran my finger through her folds, she moaned my name. I loved the sound of my name coming off her lips.
I let go of her nipple and worked my way down her body. With each kiss, she let out a frustrated sigh. When I looked up, her pretty green eyes were shut tight.
“Open your eyes, Annabella. I want you to watch me devour your body.”
I could feel goose bumps form on her skin as I ran my hands down her body. When I kneeled between her legs, I put one of her knees over each of my shoulders then leaned down and licked her folds. She tried to arch for more contact, but I moved back and swatted her thigh.
“Stop trying to take more.”
“I’m so close John. Please, I need to come.”
I took her nub in my mouth and nipped it. Her breathing picked up. It seemed my temptress liked a little pain with her pleasure. After the spankings, she was dripping with need and desire. My dick was so hard as I thought about sliding into her.
“I don’t want you to come yet.”
She propped herself up on her elbows and watched as I slid my index finger into her. Her velvety folds sucked my fingers in, wanting more. Annabella flopped back on the bed and let out a frustrated sigh. I would bring her almost to the brink of an orgasm and pull back.
Hacker Salvation: White Hat Security, Book 7 Page 9