As though she’d read his thoughts, Julia took his hand, bringing it to the center of her thighs. With her other palm, she found his hardened length. Slipping her fingers around it, she stroked him gently up and down, causing him to quiver with a vengeance.
“Dear God, Julia,” he said on a breath. He struggled to keep it together still as she glided her hand skillfully along his length. Her fingertips brushed over the tip, and he knew for sure he would come in her hand if he didn’t stop her.
He urged her back. Slipping his fingers beneath her panties, he found the damp entrance to Julia’s body. He stroked the little nub, watching her with delighted anticipation as she arched back.
“Yes,” she whispered, her soft voice shaking as he moved his fingertips deep within her. “God, Colin, yes. Oh, please.”
Her fingertips dug into his backside. She was ready for him. With a flick of his wrist, he took what they needed from the pocket of his jeans.
He had been carrying the damn thing around for weeks. He’d just been praying for the moment when Julia would be ready, when she would let down her defenses. Somehow, he’d broken past them tonight. That was something he was immeasurably grateful for.
Wasting no time, he removed Julia’s panties. He put on the condom then slid himself deep within her.
Encased in her warmth of her body, Colin groaned in immense satisfaction. God, she felt like heaven. Though he considered himself a well-practiced lovemaker, it was rather like he was experiencing things for the first time, as though he had never been inside a woman before.
What a ridiculous thought, he scolded himself, coming more deeply inside of her. As if he had never been inside of a woman before.
Gliding gently back and forth, he watched Julia’s expression, seeing how she liked him to move. Her smile widened as he penetrated deep within her, and he did it again, bringing himself closer to the edge than her for sure.
Clutching his shoulders, Julia arched, urging him to come deeper within her body. He did as she encouraged, quickening his pace. She began to quiver, and the realization that she was about to climax brought him over the edge. Unable to contain himself, he exploded as she came around him, the simultaneous eruption of their bodies feeling much like a quake of thunder.
Colin collapsed on top of her, plopping his sweaty forehead against the pillow that rested between them.
“My God, Julia,” he said, lifting his head a moment later so he could plant a kiss against her cheek.
She grinned. “You’re not too bad yourself.”
“Not bad, huh? I think we’re going to have to do something about that.”
He made love to her a second time, and when they were both thoroughly exhausted, he took Julia in his arms and held her against his body.
Ordinarily, this would have been about the time he slipped from the room. If he was very lucky, his partner wouldn’t even remember his name. But for some reason, even if they weren’t in this jam with Tucker, he could never do that to Julia. He didn’t want to.
Holding her close, he did all he could to reassure himself that things were going to work out. For Julia. For Tucker. That everything was going to be all right.
Determining for the first time that maybe he really could deliver on that promise, Colin fell asleep.
Chapter 18
“You haven’t seen him since Tuesday?” Alec clasped his phone. Turning in his desk chair, he stared out the window, hardly noticing the mountainous acre of green that surrounded his home.
Colin had never been gone this long. At least, not without checking in he hadn’t. Much as Alec appreciated a break from his pseudo-father figure, the no-phone-call-for-a-week thing was really starting to wear on his nerves.
“What about the woman he was traveling with?” he asked. “Have you been able to locate her?”
“Not since she and Dr. Westwood left the apartment,” Detective Sperling said on the other end of the phone.
Alec took several short breaths. He wanted to believe things weren’t as bad as they seemed. But he knew from experience that the chances of that being the case were slim.
He shook his aching head. Colin had done some crazy things before, but gallivanting off on a suicide mission had quite possibly topped them all.
“You do realize what this means, don’t you? Colin has been missing for over seventy-two hours. Meaning there’s a very good chance he’s—” Alec stopped himself, refusing to complete that thought.
Colin was fine. Undoubtedly, there was some danger involved with rescuing Tucker Dyson, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t something his brother couldn’t handle. Colin had been doing dangerous things for years.
Flexing his tense fingers, he said, “I appreciate the update, Detective Sperling. If anything changes, I’d appreciate it if you would notify me immediately.”
“Of course, Dr. Westwood.”
Alec hung up. Standing in front of the mirror that hung above the bar, he glanced at the circles beneath his eyes. Between making excuses for Colin’s lack of presence and the sleepless nights he was spending worrying that his brother was lying dead in a gutter, he was utterly and completely exhausted. As chief of staff of Memorial Hospital, Colin had been able to give himself the time off, but Alec was seriously questioning whether Colin had actually done himself a favor.
He poured himself a drink. Swallowing the burning liquid, he closed his eyes, letting it soothe him as much as it could.
Three years ago, when he had discovered that his overbearing older brother was spending his time between medical shifts smuggling diamonds into the country, Alec had considered severing all ties with him. Colin had always been driven by his ambition—rather, his greed—and this venture he’d taken a partnership in hadn’t meant he’d crossed the line, but had far exceeded it.
But no matter how much grief his relationship with Colin caused him, Alec could never cut his sibling out of his life. Their father had barely spoken to Colin in years. That was bad enough. And though Colin had assured Leighton Westwood that he made his own decisions, a part of Alec knew his brother never would have gotten involved in such a lowlife venture if he hadn’t been trying so hard to top him.
Accepting a job as an assassin was something that he regretted doing every day. Though he hadn’t gone through with it, his nearly fatal mistake had led Colin straight in the direction of the cause that had become his felonious livelihood. It had also led Alec to meet the woman who would become his wife, during an odd, coincidental, and extraordinary chance meeting years later. But that was beside the point.
He’d certainly gotten the better end of the stick, he decided, finding Lena in her favorite chair in the study. Thankfully, she’d made it through the morning-sickness stage of her pregnancy, and she was well into the throes of writing her second novel. No doubt that accounted for the piles of notes around her lap.
“How are my girls today?” he asked, sitting on the ottoman where his wife’s feet were propped. Leaning forward, he patted her belly where his child lay inside of her. One day soon he was going to feel that little whippersnapper kicking—he was sure of it.
Lena looked up from her laptop, meeting his gaze with her pretty hazel eyes. She was so beautiful with her long brunette mane tied back, a few loose tendrils framing her face. She shot him a sly smile. “This girl’s doing just fine. But I think your son is developing quite an insecurity complex with you constantly referring to him as a girl.”
“Care to place a wager on that, dear? ’Cause I guarantee this is one bet you’re going to lose.”
“All right.” Lena tapped a finger to her cheek. “If the baby’s a boy, you can take the first month of diaper duty, including middle of the night surprises.”
“Done,” Alec said, imagining it wouldn’t be especially difficult to convince the child’s nanny that this fell under her line of responsibilities, on the odd chance that he was wrong. “And if I’m right, and the baby is a girl, we’ll get Colin to sit for us one night every other weekend, and
I get to have you all to myself, to do whatever I want with you. Deal?”
A smile formed on Lena’s lips. But it faded as quickly as it had appeared.
Had he said something wrong? Alec knew he was a bit out of practice in the seduction department, but he didn’t think there was anything so wrong about wanting to spend a little alone time with his wife, at least nothing so wrong as her troubled expression was implying.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” He clasped her hand. “You know I was only joking, right? I would never ask you to leave our child alone with someone you didn’t trust, Colin especially.”
“It isn’t that,” she said, moisture accumulating at the base of her eyes. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of Julia since the night of the party. She isn’t returning my calls. I’m sure it was her I saw on the pavilion that night, and I think she may have been the person who broke the vase as well. Maybe she needs money, or worse. Maybe she’s in some sort of trouble.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing like that,” Alec said, trying his best to think up a logical explanation. “You and I both know what Julia’s like. She’s always getting herself into some sort of a jam. But she also always manages to get herself out.”
A suspicious look formed on Lena’s face. She set her computer down and leaned slightly forward. “You know something. Don’t you?”
Alec swallowed. He knew that look. He wasn’t getting out of this, not without at least giving away a small bit of information. He took a breath. “Julia’s not in any danger,” he said carefully. “But her father, Tucker, is. Tucker works for Colin. Apparently he’s been doing so for a number of years.”
“Why do I get this feeling Tucker’s not an orderly.”
“Try a messenger for Project Gemstone.”
“Dear God, Alec! When exactly were you planning on telling me this? Those men are ruthless, conniving monsters! If Tucker’s in their crosshairs, there’s no telling what sort of danger he could be in.” Catching her breath, Lena said, “What sort of danger is he in exactly?”
Alec hung his head. There was little he could do at this point to avoid telling her everything. Continuing to keep secrets would only make her that much more upset, and that was last thing she needed during what had already been a difficult pregnancy.
“I’m not sure,” he said. “But Colin’s pretty sure he’s been abducted.”
“And you’re just telling me this now? Alec, you know what Julia’s going to do. She’s going to go after him and probably get herself killed in the process. We have to warn her—she has no idea what Lucas’s men are capable of.”
“Last time I checked, their emperor was dead,” Alec said, clamping down on his wife’s shoulders. “Julia will be fine. She’s a strong woman, and she has a will of steel. Besides, she’s not alone. Colin is with her.”
“Oh, that makes me feel so much better!”
He had to admit his hormonal wife had a point. Clever as Colin was, he seemed to have a knack for getting himself into situations that would be difficult for Houdini to get himself out of. He didn’t always come through them unscathed.
“Colin’s done a lot of crazy things,” he said. “But I can’t imagine he’d let anything happen to Julia. From what I’m told, your former roommate did make an impromptu appearance the night of the party. And based on Colin’s reaction to it, I think it’s safe to say she made an impression.”
Lena inched back, a worried look on her face that he wished he could kiss away. “Julia always makes an impression. That doesn’t make me feel any better. In case you’ve forgotten, Lucas Ramone dragged me to the edge of a cliff then tried to shoot you in cold blood. I can’t imagine he expected to fall from that ledge, but I’m willing to bet his minions are just as sadistic as he was.”
Her theory made sense, and Alec was growing more concerned for his brother by the minute. Colin might be a big fish, but these men were sharks, and they’d rip him to shreds if they got the chance. If Colin had rubbed someone the wrong way, there was no telling how they might attempt to retaliate.
He kissed Lena’s hand. Doing so, he was unsure as to whether it was her he was trying to reassure, or himself. “I’m sure everything is under control. But just so you can rest easy, I’m going to give Colin a call. Check up on him and Julia, make sure they’re all right.”
He kissed his wife’s cheek. Then he took his cell phone from his pocket, letting her see that he had every intention of making the call.
He would, however, take it in the library. He had no idea how the conversation was going to go, and he imagined it could get quite loud. He had no desire to upset Lena any more than he already had.
Stepping into the large room which was lined with bookshelves on all sides, Alec dialed the number for his brother’s phone. Receiving no answer, he dialed it again, tapping his foot to the sound of the beeps.
But as his call went to voicemail for the second time, a gnawing feeling in his gut told him that a downward spiral had been set into motion, and Colin was in a lot more trouble than he realized.
* * * *
A streak of light warmed Julia’s forehead. The feeling of it comforted her as she stirred.
Realizing that it was morning, she smiled in her half sleep. She pulled the covers over her shoulder, snuggling more closely against Colin chest.
His scent—soap and water with a hint of pine—assured her that he was still beside her, that she was safe, and that everything was going to be all right. Everything was going to be all right. So long as Colin was with her, everything was going to be all right.
She dreamed a few minutes longer, enjoying the feel of Colin’s arms, recalling the way he had been with her last night. How he’d caressed her skin and made love to her so tenderly. The way he’d looked at her as he’d lain beside her had made her feel more special, more beautiful than she ever had.
Turning on her cheek, Julia thought back on the moment they’d arrived at the hotel room. Colin had said something about those men at the party, and the jealousy had emanated from his deep-blue eyes. When he’d suggested what they’d wanted to do to her in her cocktail dress, it was as though he hadn’t been speaking about a room of perverted leeches, but himself.
She’d never thought of him as the jealous type. She’d never really believed he was even attracted to her, and had thought that he was saying the things he had simply to be a smart-ass. But the way he’d acted last night, it was as though he’d discovered buried treasure. Being with Colin had been a dream come true. And it was a dream she never wanted to return from.
With these sweet thoughts in her mind, Julia lay still a few moments longer. As she came awake, she sat up slowly. Fluttering her eyelashes, it took her several seconds to get her bearings.
As she looked down, her eyes came wide open. She sprang back, stifling a gasp.
She had spent the entire night in Colin’s arms—in his bed! Right there in the groove of his arm, as though she were his wife or girlfriend at the very least. Inching back, she snatched the bedsheet, drawing it to her chin.
How could she have let this happen, spent the whole night with Colin, slept against his side? They’d shared a bed at the Murdocks’, yes, and there had been that night when she was upset. But letting him hold her after they’d had sex was different. It made a statement. And it was a statement she hadn’t intended to make.
Colin groaned, making a humming sound with his lips. Rolling to his side, he slept on.
Julia emitted a sigh of relief. Maybe she really was going to get out of this thing unscathed. The last thing she needed was Colin realizing she’d spent the night pressed against his body like some needy teenage girl. She’d broken down. But she was back in the saddle, and she didn’t need him or anyone else holding her hand.
A buzz rang out, and she realized that Colin’s cell phone was vibrating against the nightstand. She lifted her head, straining to see the identity of the caller. Colin jolted beside her. With a grin he leaned in, cupping her breasts.
; Moving his hands skillfully, he made her nipples grow pebble hard. He massaged her tender skin, rousing her body.
“Mmm,” Julia said, head falling back against her pillow. Her eyelids fell closed as Colin stroked her, sending a jolt of heat through her body.
“Mmm, indeed.” He brought his mouth against her skin.
Dear God, she thought, fighting to control the pleasant shivers. However was she going to resist him if he intended to touch her like this all the time, perhaps every morning and night during the duration of their time together? Now that he knew how far back her crush on him went, it was only a matter of time before he realized she had feelings for him, too.
Clearing her throat, she took his hands in hers. Mustering every ounce of resistance she could, she pushed them back. She looked into his sapphire eyes, even more dangerously sexy with a trace of five o’clock shadow on his cheeks, and said, “I think you have a phone call.”
“So I do.” Keeping hold of her right hand, Colin reached for his phone. He looked at the caller ID and rolled his eyes, setting the phone back down.
“Aren’t you going to call them back?” she asked.
He hesitated, seeming distracted. “Yeah. I should probably go take care of that.”
He kissed her lips, leaving behind a trace of warmth that spread rapidly through her body. She watched him as he took his pants from the floor, wondering who his mysterious caller might be. But the thought slipped from her mind as Colin walked to the bathroom and shut the door, giving her an extraordinary viewing of his rear and his bare, muscled backside.
She could certainly get used to this, waking up in Colin’s arms, reveling in the feel of his kisses. But she was just going to have to forget about it because whatever it was she was thinking about wasn’t even close to being in the realm of possibilities. Last night had been a fantasy. Nothing more.
People like Colin Westwood didn’t stick around for long. They did, perhaps for a little while, when things were new and interesting. But not forever, not when there was an entire world out there waiting to be devoured. Julia only wished she could have understood this sooner in life. If she had, she might have saved herself a lot of grief.
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