“What. Are. You. Doing?”
“I’m getting naked,” he told her, losing the boxer shorts, too. “And you don’t have to do anything but lie back down and pretend like you’re putting up a real fight.”
“Pretend, hell! I want you out of here.”
“I’m not leaving, Paige,” he stated flatly. “And before you decide to run off somewhere, you might as well understand something. I’m not letting you get away tonight. For once in your life, you’re going to do something that’s uncomfortable. It’s time to face your fears.”
“I’m not afraid of you.”
“The hell you aren’t. You’re scared to death of me, and guess what? You frighten me, too. But I’m still here. I didn’t run away. You couldn’t push me away. I tried leaving. You don’t want me to stay. Too damn bad. Paige, you said you were taught to fight. The truth is, because of what you’ve been through, you’ve been taught to run. You can’t keep running, baby.”
“I resent the hell out of you.”
“You love the hell out of me is what you do, and you’ll spend the night showing me how much. You’re not running. You’re not hiding. You’re staying right here. End of story.”
Desperation hung in the balance, but he ignored it, flipping the light switch up and taking the opportunity to admire the woman staring back at him. “I love you, and you love me, too.” He held the bed sheet away from the bed and slid under the covers, claiming a spot next to her. Unfortunately, she took that precise moment and made it into an opportunity, leaping from the bed and snatching her robe at the same time.
“Fuck my life!” Jeff cursed, grabbing his pants and tripping into them while pursuing her. “Wait!”
By the time he made it to the beach, she was long gone. “She took off, Jeff. Go left!” Connor yelled from the upper deck with too much amusement in his voice. Jeff would like to see him try and catch her.
He took off at a full sprint, following the rich smell of vanilla bean, a fragrance he always noticed in her bedroom thanks to a large bottle of hand lotion she kept next to her bed. “Paige! I’m not in the mood!”
“Leave me alone!” she called out.
Thanks to her little outburst, he could tell he was gaining ground even though it was impossible to see. A dense fog encircled them.
“Paige! It’s still not safe out here!”
“I don’t—” His body slammed against hers about the time she screamed, “care!”
“Yes, you do!” he exclaimed, kissing her. “You do care!” His mouth held hers captive, and they fell to the sand. He framed her face and made love to her mouth while pushing her robe away from her shoulders. “God, yes, you care.”
His mouth imprisoned hers, and he pinned her down, making her his hostage and not caring at all if she put up a fight. This was exactly what she wanted. He could taste it when she kissed him, and heaven help him, he sipped at her lips, loving the way her tongue swirled around his. He craved so much more, and he would depend on her to help him make it through the night.
“Jeff,” she muttered. “Oh, God, Jeff, what are you doing?”
“Loving you. It’s the only thing I’m good at. The only thing I want to do.”
Without a doubt, his confession drove her. She clawed at him like a freed wild animal pouncing on her prey for the very first time. He gave her the lead, certain there would be far more to enjoy if he let her take control of him rather than the other way around.
Her guard was down. Her inhibitions disintegrated.
Jeff pulled her over him, and she sat across his middle. He wished he could see her more clearly as she pressed her moist, hot center against his flesh, grinding against him as her breathing changed into labored signs of lost control.
Paige yanked his pants down with both hands and relieved him of all barriers. Hungry cries of a woman’s arousal escaped her lips, and she caught his cock with a teasing tongue, swiping up and down, sucking him between her cheeks and blowing him for all he was worth—which wasn’t much unless she was in his arms.
Her hot little mouth consumed his penis. She sucked him to her throat, humming against his shaft while devouring him, whispering sweet nothings against his cock while giving new meaning to deep throat.
Jeff pushed her head closer to his groin. He would come if she didn’t stop, but she wasn’t naïve. She wanted him. She wanted to taste him. Didn’t she?
God help her if she didn’t!
“Don’t stop,” he ground out, sitting in a jack-knife position and grabbing a handful of hair so he could help her little head bob. “So fucking sweet, aren’t you, baby?” He said, watching her head bounce.
She slurped at him, drawing him closer to release. “Paige!” he exclaimed. “God, yeah!”
Her tongue whipped around his size, and she swallowed him, rising to the tip and licking his slit over and over again until she’d gotten her fill. He grabbed her and kissed her again, indulging in the lips he’d salted with his pleasure. She tasted like him, and he was pleased, elated.
“I love you,” he said, whispering those words in her ear.
She didn’t return the sentiment. Instead, she forced his back against the sand and slid her body over his. Her warm pussy drenched his dick, and he fucked her, grabbing hold of her hips as he ground his cock higher and higher into her channel.
When he was balls deep inside her, she tossed her hair behind her shoulders and rode that high tide, climaxing with him in a way that he’d never experienced. Her palms were against his cheeks and her lips parted over his, closing her legs against his hips while she reached that place where blinding bliss existed.
She pleasured him, drained him, and more than ever before, Jeff was certain of one primary point. Paige Lambert belonged to him. She could give herself to the rest of the team, but Paige was his woman. And soon he would ask her to become his wife.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Adam took control. It was his job to be in charge, but Connor resented the fact that he used his authority in the field and let that carry over to the way he wanted them handling their relationships with Paige.
“You’re assuming Jeff was able to get back in Paige’s good graces,” Connor told Adam, handing off a stack of light blue plates to a very eager Callan. “And you…” he shot Callan a sideways glance, “are going to have to wipe that silly little grin off your face.”
Miles snickered behind them. “That’s not going to happen until he gets a nice firm hold on one hot little momma.”
Connor grunted. “She’d love that nickname, I’m sure.”
“What’s wrong with you this morning?” Callan asked. “You’ve been pacing the floor like a lion trapped in a den without his lionesses.”
“I need to go look for Jeff and Paige.”
Adam put his hand up. “We’re waiting for them here.” And he used an authoritative tone that really pissed Connor off.
“Do you mind telling me why I can’t go down there and check on them?”
“God, you’ve got it bad,” Miles said, chuckling. “Seems Jeff isn’t the only one leaving his heart in JekyllIsland.”
“And you don’t care anything about her, of course,” Connor snapped.
“Not like you, my friend. Not like you.”
“Connor, beat the eggs. Start the omelets. Callan, set the picnic table outside. There’s a vinyl tablecloth in the hall closet. Miles, get the meat out.”
Miles copped a smile. “If you say so.” He dropped his hands to his belt and made a show out of loosening the leather strap.
“Smart-ass,” Adam grumbled. “Toss the bacon in the microwave. Ham goes in the skillet.”
“And what are you doing, exactly?” Connor asked, arching a brow.
“That’s classified,” Adam said, hurrying upstairs. When he reached the landing he yelled out, “But one thing about it, everyone here will reap the rewards. Now step on it, I want everything perfect by the time Paige returns.”
* * * *
The sun was up. Pa
ige felt the heat on her cheeks and sighed when Jeff’s heavy arm landed across her chest.
She didn’t want to move. She could stay there all day sunbathing in his arms.
“Tell me about the farm,” she said lazily.
“What would you like to know?” he whispered, kissing her nape and swiping the hair out of her face.
“Where is it?”
“Middle Tennessee.”
“Do you spend much time there?”
“Not as much as I would like.”
“Are there horses? Cattle?”
He chuckled. “Actually, Miles is a true farmer at heart. Thanks to him, we have more of a zoo than a ranch.”
“How about housing? Do you live there?”
“Oh, yeah,” he said, releasing the reply in a singsong manner. “It’s required.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Operatives can’t live off base.”
“Oh, so it’s like a military base?”
“In a sense. I think there’s about two thousand acres there. It’s not the prettiest place in the world, but it’s not half bad, either. The entire ranch is secluded, hidden by trees, shrubs, gates, and housing.”
“So you live in trailers or campers?”
“Nope, our handler takes real good care of us. After an operative signs a contract, they get to choose their housing. Prefab homes are built on-site according to the individual’s taste.”
She smiled. “Tell me about your place.”
“Well,” he began. “I’m not sure you’d like my pad, if you want to know the truth.”
“Why not?”
“Unless you like exhibitionism, and I’m beginning to think you might,” he teased, rubbing her exposed hip. “Mine is an eco-friendly house. A lot of glass. The best way to describe it is a large box with about three thousand square feet. Glass on two sides. The ends are metal. One end is the garage. The other is my bedroom.”
“Do you have any pets?”
“No Rovers here,” he said. “We have enough to take care of when we’re not on missions.”
“Like?”
“Why all the questions this morning?”
She shivered. “I don’t want to leave yet.”
He kissed her cheek. “Tell me about you. I don’t like talking about me.”
She shrugged him away and cleared her voice. “No, I’m not through with you yet.”
“I hope not,” he said, pinching her nipple.
“I’m serious, Jeff.”
“Do you think I’m kidding?” he asked, sliding several fingers between her soft folds.
“Stop,” she whimpered. “I…oh, my…”
His fingers locked inside her channel and he gently rocked her body back and forth. “Isn’t this better than talking?”
“So much better,” she agreed, realizing he was trying to distract her to keep her from asking the difficult questions. And that understanding fueled her strength.
Paige slapped his hand away. “Later, Jeff.”
“Later?” he asked, rubbing his hand over her back. “What’s wrong with now?”
“What made you kill for money?” she asked, going straight for the punch.
His hands stilled and his body went rigid behind her. “It’s a job, Paige. That’s all.”
“I don’t think so,” she said. “And if it is, you need to consider a new career. I don’t think you like what you do.”
“Are you an expert on paid assassins, or what?”
“Is that what you are?”
“For the lack of a more complicated term.”
“Do you enjoy your job, Jeff? It’s a simple question.”
The silence consoled her. Thank goodness. He wasn’t this hard killer his fellow operatives thought of him as. He was a man with a conscience.
“I’ve lived to accept what I do. If I were you, I’d work on that, too.”
She clutched his forearms and held him close to her chest. “See, that’s just it, Jeff. I don’t think you’ve learned to accept the fact you’ve killed other people.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he blurted out. “I exterminate rodents. That’s what I do. The women I’ve killed? I’ve never killed a woman who hasn’t been on the Most Wanted list for one horrific crime or another. One woman killed her children and the five different men who’d fathered them. She was a drug carrier for a Mexican cartel.
“Another woman, she was a real gem—she killed cartel members, which I didn’t have a problem with, necessarily, but it was the way she did it. She’d stroll right in to public places, aim her high-powered rifle, and just shoot like hell, hoping to get lucky. Her death toll was over a hundred and she only took out fifteen cartel members.”
“But the way you’ve taken out these targets…it’s so…”
“It’s not as bad as you think. I didn’t snap all of their necks or fuck them and kill them as they were getting off. It’s not like I waited for them to come and said, ‘adios, this was your last ride’ or anything like that.”
“Well, that’s good to know,” she said quietly.
“And just so you know, I never wanted the first woman target. Unfortunately, I just have—”
“A way with women,” she interrupted. “I know. I’ve been told a few times.”
“Honey.” Jeff nipped at her earlobe. “We might want to think about getting our clothes back on. Tourists may not approve of our exposed bodies.”
She pressed his hand against her breast and sighed. “You can keep me covered.”
A guttural sound fell from his lips and he moved around her. He swung his leg over her hip and ground his erection against her ass. “You better watch what you invite. I might have to conceal my weapon if we stay here much longer.”
His cock slipped between her globes and she flinched.
“No?” he asked, licking her nape.
“No,” she stated flatly.
“Damn,” he complained, realizing anal sex was out of the question. “And here I thought you’d let me try just about anything.”
“Not now,” she said, raising her head off the sand and pointing toward a family of four.
“Oh, shit,” he said, scrambling into his pants. He scurried around the sand and retrieved her damp gown and robe. “Here.”
She dressed quickly. “Next time, we’ll be more prepared.”
Jeff’s lips slid over hers and he kissed her. “Good morning.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Too bad we weren’t up before sunrise. I might have tapped that pretty little ass of yours.”
She felt her skin heat and buried her head in his chest when their beach company passed them. When their voices faded she looked into the most beautiful eyes she’d ever seen.
“What? You don’t believe me?”
“I’m sure that’s on your mind.”
“You have no fucking idea.”
“Jeff, really.”
“It’s true.”
“I believe you, but your language leaves a lot to be desired.”
“I’ve heard plenty of choice words fall from your lips. Want me to remind you of one or two?”
“No,” she said softly. “I want you to kiss me.”
His thighs bunched and he picked her up, immediately carrying her cradle-style. “Tell you what. I’ll kiss you all the way home if you’ll make me a promise.”
“What?” she asked, admiring his rugged and handsome features.
“I get to fuck you all day long. And I get that pretty little ass first.”
“Stop!” she said, slapping him playfully on the shoulder.
“Never,” he said, strolling down the beach with her fastened in his arms.
They were about a mile from her place, and he didn’t seem like he was in any particular hurry to get there. She rested her head on his shoulder and enjoyed the massive feel of a man taking care of her. How long had it been since she’d felt safe and loved? Had she ever felt this guarded or any more secure?
&n
bsp; “I love you,” she whispered.
He kissed the top of her head. “I know you do.”
“You didn’t know until I told you.”
“Oh, baby girl, that’s where you’re wrong. I knew you were going to love me from the moment you first saw me.”
“Let me remind you of first introductions,” she said sternly.
“Now, don’t go and ruin a bad thing,” he teased. “Admit the truth. You loved me at first sight.”
They started up the stairs, and he gently released her, immediately placing his hand in the small of her back. “Jeff, this may come as a big surprise to you, but what I felt for you after that first introduction was anything but love.”
He covered his heart with his palm. “Don’t hold back. Give me your best shot.”
“I hated you.”
“I thought you did.” He winked. “But there’s a fine line between love and hate. You know that, right?”
She walked three steps ahead of him and turned. “You thought you had me right where you wanted me after you chased me into the ocean.”
“No, what I thought was more along the lines of ‘I’m going to kill her when I catch her.’”
“Then why didn’t you?” she asked, understanding she was one mark Adam’s team wouldn’t take out, regardless of any order demanding compliance.
“Adam wouldn’t let me,” he admitted.
“Is that the only reason?”
“No,” he said. “I told you…love at first sight.”
“You did not.”
“I did,” he admitted, tilting his head toward the top of the stairs. “And I’m not the only one.”
“Good morning,” Connor said. “Did you have enough time to make up?”
Jeff snickered. “Damn straight.”
Callan was setting the table. Miles carried a plate piled high with bacon and ham.
“What’s all this?” she asked, arching a brow.
“Looks like breakfast to me,” Miles replied, winking.
“That looks like breakfast to me,” Callan said boldly, which was also unexpected coming from Callan.
Paige blushed.
Jeff couldn’t let his friends wonder. They were already looking anxious, like they couldn’t wait to probe for information. “This looks scrumptious, but Paige and I had breakfast by the sea a few hours ago.”
Blaine, Destiny - Breakfast by the Sea (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 22