“It makes me the only guy.”
Before she could get panicky about what that might mean, he gave her something else to focus on. Like his mouth on her nipple, sucking and licking until she curled her fingers on his shoulders. He kissed across her stomach and then did a raspberry that had her writhing and bursting out in laughter.
“I love that sound,” he said, and sent her into another fit just to hear more of it.
When she could catch her breath, she narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re a menace, Risk Yarbrough.”
“Yes. Yes, I am.”
She had no idea. Or maybe she did.
He gentled his kisses as he traveled lower on her stomach, and he trailed his fingers down her leg. Moving it aside, stroking her soft skin, and then sliding his finger into her wet vagina. She gasped and hitched her breath when his mouth came down over her. She was so ready, he wasn’t even able to tease her. Her body shuddered after three strokes of his tongue. So he made her come three more times.
“Oh my God, I’m exhausted,” she said on a rush of breath.
He slid up beside her. “No rest for the wicked, babe.”
She brushed her fingers over his face. “I liked when we were pretending to be boyfriend/girlfriend.”
He kissed her fingertips as they moved across his mouth. “I like this better.”
“Mmm,” she said, being totally noncommittal.
He gave her a tug as he rolled onto his back so that she was straddling him again. “My pretend girlfriend likes being on top.”
She wiggled, and because she was sitting on his cock, the action sent a spasm of pleasure through him. “She does, huh?”
“And she knows I like the view, watching her hips thrust in and out and those exquisite breasts bouncing with her movements. And the look on her face when the orgasm hits.”
“You think she can take control well?” Tiny creases of tension had formed at the corners of her mouth.
“Very well. I have a lot of faith in my girlfriend.” He reached up and drew his hand from her collarbone down to her stomach. “I also like that she’s not terribly experienced.”
The lines eased as she smiled. “I do read a lot of sexy novels.”
“There you go. No worries.” He laid his arms above his head. “I’m at your mercy.”
She sighed as she took him in. “You’re a sex god. You know that, don’t you?”
“Sex god?” He considered that. “I like the sound of it.”
She smacked his chest. “Don’t let it go to your head.”
“How am I not supposed to let it go to my head? I mean, a guy only gets called a sex god maybe once in his life.”
She shook her head, but she was smiling as she reached for the condom package he’d thrown on the nightstand when they’d stripped off their clothes. “I’m getting slaphappy from lack of good sleep and an abundance of stress. I shouldn’t have said it. I didn’t mean to say it, actually. I was thinking it, and then it sort of rolled out of my mouth.”
She took his erection in one hand and worked the condom over him with the other. It took several agonizing seconds before she was kissing across his chest and flicking her tongue at his nipples as she eased onto his shaft.
Heaven. Frickin’ heaven, as she sheathed him with her heat. Heaven with a cherry on top as she moved, at first tentatively, then with more confidence. He anchored his hands at her hips and caught her rhythm. She braced her hands on his waist and arched so that he took in the creamy column of her throat. Just the sight of her, completely caught up in the pleasure they were creating, was enough to put him over the edge. He held on, reining back the orgasm.
She met his gaze, her eyes glassy with heat. Her smile was oddly angelic. His control paid off when, after a few more minutes, she rocked her head back and shuddered around his cock. And that was all it needed to send him over. She dug her nails into his pecs as the waves of her orgasm rolled over her.
“Oh my God, I think I’m so—”
“You’re what?” he prodded when she let it drop.
“A sex fiend. You’ve turned me into a sex fiend.”
That wasn’t what she’d been about to say, though he wouldn’t call her on it. He wanted to think it would have been I’m so in love with you, but it might have been totally exhausted now.
She collapsed on top of him, her hands resting against the sides of his rib cage. He rubbed the back of her neck, where her hair was damp.
“Another first,” she murmured.
“What’s that?”
“Having sex twice in one day. Amazing sex. I mean, I’ve never had any kind of sex twice in a day, but amazing sex …” She shook her head. “I’m babbling. I think all my brain cells just exploded with that last orgasm.”
He chuckled. “But what a way to go.”
She’d given him several firsts, too. Including falling in love. No way was he going to drift out of her life. For now, though, he wouldn’t push her. He’d learned that you didn’t barge into a compound. You slipped behind the walls before the enemy even knew you were around. You used stealth, cunning, and patience to achieve your goal. Addie was a prize worth the wait.
Their bodies were sealed together from thigh to chest, and he could feel her heartbeat as it leveled off.
“I like it here,” she whispered sleepily, her finger trailing lazy circles around his nipple.
His chest tightened at the declaration. “You can stay there all night.”
He drew swirls across her back, tracing the line of her spine all the way to the curve of her lovely ass. Her breathing settled into a soft, deep pattern. He liked the feel of her on top, pressing him into the soft mattress. “Want to know something else about my girlfriend?” When she didn’t answer, he said, “She’s madly in love with me. Now all she has to do is realize it.”
Chapter 16
Adeline Wunder. Her face permeated his mind. Her name echoed in his head, like the drip of water from a leaky faucet. He sank down onto the cracked and worn leather chair he’d been meaning to replace for years, and woke up his computer. Her pixie face was the first thing he saw, grinning from the Facebook page he’d been monitoring. She’d posted nothing more than a thank-you to all her busybodies for participating in the zoo protest, but nothing that gave away her current activities.
She was either lying low or, more likely, investigating. No way would Miss Wunder let the tiger go. She was another bitch out to cut off his balls. Wagging her finger and making him out to be a bad guy when she was the one trespassing and violating the laws.
His snarl turned into a smile. Didn’t people preach nowadays to focus on the positive? Yeah, he was going to do just that. He had a way of dealing with nosy bitches, and Miss Wunder was at the top of his list.
He trolled around online for a bit, and then an idea hit him. After a few minutes, he sat back in his chair. “Well, well, well, maybe all that positive-thinking shit actually works. ’Cause I got exactly what I needed to move things along. Miss Wunder, we’re going to tussle. And this time you’re not going to get away. You’ll be apologizing all over yourself.” He smiled. “Begging me for mercy. And finding not one speck of it.”
* * *
A ding roused Addie from the best sleep she’d had in ages. Dimly, she realized it was a Facebook notification. Not so dimly, she realized she was completely tucked into Risk’s embrace. Sometime during the night, she’d awakened from a dream in which she was sleeping on a large rock. Except it was Risk. As yummy as his body was, it wasn’t comfortable to sleep on.
As she’d resettled, it was the most natural thing to slide up against him spoon-style and sink back into sleep. That was when the incredible sleep had started. After the incredible sex. With the incredible guy. The pieces came together, all those little things he’d said that had stepped up her heartbeat even more than his hands had. She could feel his erection pressed against her back. She assumed he was asleep by the steady breathing that blew across her shoulder.
Had she
called him a sex god? Really? Of course, that was nothing compared to ordering him to have sex with her in the first place. She’d fallen into a hole, just like Alice. Oh my God, she’d almost told him she was in love with him.
Because … she was.
It was supposed to be about being selfish and taking pleasure for herself only one more time. Breathe. He’s not looking for anything permanent. He even said he wasn’t going to ask you to marry him. He’s just playing in your yard for a bit. Then he’ll move in, like he talked about. Move on. He’ll move on!
And so would she. She calmed her heartbeat enough to remember the notification. She was definitely brain-addled. She turned inside the confines of his arms. Risk slowly opened his eyes. He looked like a sleepy little boy, if she didn’t take his bristly chin into account.
“Morning, sunshine,” he murmured, his voice husky. “Did I hear a ding?” That smile turned her heart upside down. Yeah, a ding in my heart. “It might be Ursula. I’d better check.”
He gathered her closer. “Just one more minute.”
He was so tempting. She could lie there all morning, all day. And that was the problem. She wrestled her way out, when every cell of her body screamed to stay put, and opened her laptop. “Yes, she answered,” she said.
He came up behind her and wrapped his arm across her collarbone as he read the e-mail with her:
One of his associates doesn’t like what he’s doing. I checked with him, and he sent me this link to a new hunt he’s advertising. Not specifically about a tiger but could be. I hope you can bring him down. He’s a bad man.
Addie clicked on the link, and it opened a webpage that read:
To our clients:
We have a unique “blind” opportunity for you. If you’ve hunted with us before, you know our surprise hunts never disappoint. Only one person allowed, and the hunt must be done tomorrow. This one goes to the highest bidder. Click here to bid.
She clicked and saw that the bidding was up to $1,240. The auction ended in two hours. “Some of his more exotic hunts go for up to thirty thousand.”
“He’s not getting much of a response yet. I say we bid.”
“We have to put in a phone number.”
“Chase gave me an untraceable cell phone. We’ll use Saxby’s name. No doubt they’ll do a search on it, and I don’t want them to find my picture in case those thugs recognize me. I’ll have to change up my looks to match him.” He scratched his chin, his nails brushing against the bristle. “I’ll let this grow for camouflage.”
He recited the number, and she entered a bid. “I guess we wait to hear if we’ve won.”
Their gazes met on the word wait. Somehow her body wanted more of him. The heated way he was looking at her indicated he felt the same.
“No.” She shook her head to emphasize it. “Just because we’re naked, alone, and … well, naked and alone, we can’t keep having sex. It’s crazy. And I only had one wild card to play.”
He ducked his chin and gave her a seductive smile. “Seems a shame to waste naked and alone, don’t you think?”
“Risk!” She could feel herself crumbling. Damned sex god. He’d corrupted her.
A knock on the door tore her out of her agony. But it wasn’t her door.
“Hey, Risk. It’s Julian. I’m heading out, just wanted to say goodbye.”
Risk groaned as he threw on his pants and shirt, brushed his fingers through his hair, and stepped out into the hallway. Addie could hear the murmur of voices floating through the wall. She was sure there would be some good-natured ribbing, maybe Risk denying that anything had happened. Then a third voice, Sax’s probably. She would stay in the bathroom for a while. Might as well get a shower and wash away that glorious scent of the kind of lovemaking she could not partake in again.
When she emerged, Risk was sitting at her computer. He looked freshly washed himself, hair glistening with water and smelling like shampoo and toothpaste.
“Did the guys give you a hard time when you came out of my room?” she asked, grabbing up her clothing.
“Of course.” He let his gaze linger on her, wearing nothing but a towel. “I denied everything to protect your honor. But the walls aren’t that insulated, and apparently we were making noise.”
She covered her face.
“Don’t sweat it, doll. We’re consenting adults. Anyway, Julian says goodbye.” He turned back to the computer, pecked at the keys in an amazingly fast way, and then shut it down. “No response yet on the bid, but we’re still winning. Don’t worry, we’ll keep it that way. I sent the link to Chase and spoke with him. He wasn’t real happy about us—”
“Oh, geez, he knows we spent the night together, too, doesn’t he? And he’s going to fire you for banging your client.”
He gave her a droll smile. “Will you stop interrupting me? He wasn’t happy that we put in the bid without letting him know. I had warned him there’s a reason I’m called Risk when we first spoke about working together. I took the blame.”
“You didn’t have to do that. I’m just as impetuous as you are. And I’m the client. He can’t fire me.”
He gave her a soft smile. “Thanks for your concern, but he’s not going to fire me over that. Or spending the night with you. I’ll leave you to get dressed, then we’ll grab breakfast. We’re meeting him in thirty minutes.”
She felt both relief and disappointment at not having time to indulge in any more mind-bending activities.
They had a quick breakfast, with Risk forgoing bacon in favor of the faster-cooking eggs. Right on time, they were all seated at the conference table.
Chase had the webpage pulled up on his laptop. “My computer guy, who goes by the name of hackerX, is working on the website. It’s the secure kind of members-only site that porn operations use. We’ve got ten minutes until the auction ends. Let’s take a look at satellite surveillance of Elrod’s property while we wait. He has four hundred acres deeded in his name in southern Georgia. It abuts another two hundred acres registered to a company I’m having trouble finding information on. That’s a lot of acreage to cover.”
Risk leaned forward to study the screen. “There’s a cluster of buildings that should help narrow it down. They’re nowhere near the roads flanking the property. If I can’t infil as a client, I’ll hoof it through the woods and check out those buildings. If they’ve got a tiger, that’s where it’ll be.”
“You mean we’ll hoof it,” Addie added. “It’s my fault that poor cub is in this predicament. If I hadn’t been trying to steal him, those jerks wouldn’t have had the opportunity to take him.”
Risk’s stare brooked no argument. “You are not going back into those woods. All I need to do is find the cub, take pictures, and get the hell out of there. You don’t need to be there for that.”
“Yes, I do. I need to be on hand to check the cub and make sure he’s all right. He may need food or medical care.”
Chase raised his hand. “Addie, Risk is right. We don’t need both of you in danger. And you’re right; the cub may need immediate assistance. That’s why you’ll be nearby, ready to provide it as soon as we can liberate the cat. But I cannot let you accompany Risk onto the property.”
“You said that getting a search warrant through official channels might take time, especially since we’re obtaining the proof in slightly illegal ways.”
“Let’s deal with that as we get there. We still have to ascertain that the cub is there. You’ve already chased two geese. This may be a third one.”
Risk’s phone rang. The incoming number was blocked. He answered it on the speakerphone. “Saxby,” he answered.
“Yeah, this is Bill. You’re the winning bid on our blind hunt. How’d you find out about us? Your name isn’t in our system.”
“A friend of mine knows a guy who goes hunting with you from time to time. I’m afraid I don’t know that guy’s name, but my friend explained the confidentiality of the situation. He said you offered different kinds of hunting opportuniti
es. I’m bored of hunting deer. I’m out for more of a challenge, something a little more exotic. I understand your blind hunts can be pretty interesting.”
Bill chuckled. “They sure can. Seeing as you’re new, you’ll have to play by our rules. I imagine your friend explained all that to you. We got those left-wing Commies and animal activists crawling all over our asses. We don’t take any chances.”
Addie cringed, knowing exactly whom he was talking about. She mouthed, I think that’s Elrod.
Risk gave her a nod of agreement. “Just tell me what I need to do.”
“Good. We need some new blood. As you know, the hunt needs to be completed by the end of tomorrow. The merchandise is what you’d call hot.”
Risk met Addie’s wide-eyed gaze. “I have the next couple of days off, so that works for me.”
“Get yourself down to Buck, Georgia. From the Atlanta airport you’ll head north. Check in to the Buck Lodge on Route 62. The innkeeper will let me know when you’ve arrived. I’ll be in touch then. Bring cash. You’re lucky we didn’t have a lot of takers. You got a deal.” He rattled off the inn’s phone number and closed the call.
Addie pushed to her feet. “Hot merchandise. It must be the tiger. They’re going to let someone hunt a baby tiger? Even if he’s not tiny, that’s heinous. And how much of a challenge will a young, malnourished cub be for a hunter?”
“I think they’re going for the uniqueness of the hunt, not the challenge,” Risk said.
Chase gave a nod. “Sounds like we have a viable lead. Addie, can you arrange to get your van down to Buck?”
She nodded, anxious to get the cub into her custody. “I’ll ask Shirley to drive it down.”
Chase clicked on the map site. “Should take her about eight hours. You, Sax, and Risk will fly up and rent a couple of vehicles. Addie, you and Sax will lay low while Risk checks in and gets the process started.”
“I’ll be Babbette,” she told Risk with a smile.
“Babbette,” he repeated with fondness. “Good idea.”
Wild on You Page 21