“Gabe.” She groaned his name, notes of frustration lacing her voice.
He pushed her shirt higher and cupped her breasts. Nikki sat up and tossed the training days T-shirt on the floor. For a second, all thought stopped.
This really was an all-new Nikki.
And she really wasn’t wearing a bra.
Whatever kind of support she wore on a daily basis had to be illegal. At a glance, no one would imagine her breasts were this full or lush.
He plucked her dusky-colored nipples, tugging on them ever so gently.
She moaned and he kissed her neck.
“I want to fuck you so bad right now,” he said.
Instead of giving him the shocked, blinking routine that normally happened when he said something so forward, she nodded.
“Yes.”
Oh hell.
She sat up and crawled off him. Or at least enough that he could take back his legs and stand up. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. His gaze went lower, to the curve of her hip.
That ass. He hadn’t touched it, but in these goddamned shorts she’d paraded around in, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it.
Nikki wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He grasped the tab on her shorts and yanked. The button pinged off the coffee table. They were seriously destroying their wardrobes, and he couldn’t care less. She pulled his shirt up and over his head. He tossed it off just in time to see Nikki shimmy out of her shorts and panties.
He took a step, barreling into her, and grasped her by the ass with both hands, carrying her backward. Their mouths met, lips parted, hungry for each other. It was more passion than he’d ever painted her with in his dreams. And this was real. He squeezed her ass, lifting her onto her toes just to be sure.
Her nipples stabbed his chest and her nails raked his skin.
Hell yes. This was real.
He thrust his tongue into her mouth and walked her in the direction of the room he assumed she was staying in. She sucked and his knees threatened to buckle from the surge of lust.
She wedged her hands between them, clawing at the front of his jeans. His shin hit something and he pitched forward, driving her back into the wall. The pain didn’t even register.
He slid his hands lower and lifted, hoisting her up, pinning her against the wall. She arched her back and her fingers threaded through the hairs on the back of his neck.
There was no way he was making it to the bedroom. He squeezed her ass. It felt even better than before.
This was what he wanted things to be like between them. Full of passion to the point they tore each other’s clothes off.
His jeans sagged around his thighs and his erection strained at the front of his boxers. She reached between them, fumbling with the band of his underwear.
“Do it,” he said against her lips. Nikki slipped her hand past the elastic. He shifted her, allowing her more space. Her hand closed around his cock and—damn. He sealed his mouth over hers, pushing her higher on the wall. Her thumb swiped over the sensitive head, but there was no room between them for more.
They weren’t making it to the bed. He could feel her wetness on his stomach. Nikki might keep a tight rein on herself, but her body didn’t lie. She was turned on. She wanted him, even after all this time, after all he’d put her through.
Gabriel grasped his cock and she shifted her hips. He found her entrance with his fingers, wetter than he’d expected. Had she been like this the whole time? Hot for him?
She kissed his neck, bringing his focus back to the present.
“Shit,” he groaned.
“Gabe . . .”
He placed his erection against her vagina and eased his hold. She slid down onto his hardness. Her eyes widened and she gasped. He could feel her internal muscles stretching. He caught her and kissed her lips, holding her steady.
He pulled out and rocked back in. The memory of doing just this a dozen times over was nothing like this moment. He hooked his arm under her knee, opening her farther for him and easing the penetration. She clung to him, her eyes squeezed tightly shut.
“Nikki,” he whispered.
She whimpered in reply.
He withdrew and thrust with too much force. The pictures hanging on the wall shook with the impact. She hissed and pulled him closer for a kiss. He rocked into her until he was fully seated inside her.
For a moment, neither moved. The only sound was their heavy breathing and rain hitting the windows. He kissed her neck, her jaw, careful to not apply any pressure to the swollen area. She was too precious to be bruised like that.
Gabriel had to move. His dick was throbbing with arousal, and before he lost it, he had to make it good for her. There was no screwing this up.
He thrust, in and out. The smooth glide of his skin against hers, the way she hugged his cock, was bliss. Again and again he pounded into her. She tossed her head back and forth, making helpless noises of pleasure. Her breasts bounced and at times rubbed his chest.
Nikki opened her eyes, without him asking, and stared at him. Her mouth worked soundlessly, but her hands dug in, holding him tight as her thighs constricted around him, her heels driving into his ass and thigh.
She was beautiful. She was his mi cielo.
Her spine arched and she nearly screamed, a primal, soul-deep sound he’d never heard from her. He continued to thrust, keeping an even, steady rhythm. Something fell off the wall with a heavy clatter and crunch of glass, but he didn’t stop. She tightened her grip around him, pulling herself up his body. This time, she nipped his lower lip, driving him even crazier.
He planted a hand against the wall for better leverage. The remaining pictures thumped with each pass of his skin against hers. Nikki groaned, arching her back even more.
His balls drew up and before he could shift, he came. The sensation rolled up from his toes. He thrust into her in a few short, jerky motions, burying his face in the crook of her neck, and leaned against the wall, pinning her there.
Her fingers stroked over his face and hair while she kept her limbs entwined around him.
That was the best damn thing. Better than a memory.
They could do this. They could be together again. Couldn’t they?
He leaned back, all the warm, fuzzy feelings dying at the look of abject horror on Nikki’s face.
“What? What is it?” he asked. If she said it was a mistake . . .
“You didn’t use a condom,” she whispered.
“No.” They never had before.
She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. Her hands still clenched his shoulders, so at least she wasn’t punching him in the face.
“I’m not on the pill anymore,” she said calmly.
Shit. Oh, shit.
“I—I’m sorry. I didn’t even . . .” Think. He hadn’t thought about how things might be different. He’d just gone for what he knew.
He eased one foot, then the other to the ground. Nikki covered her face with her hands, rubbing her eyes.
“Nikki, I—”
“You didn’t know. It’s not your fault. I just . . . I just need to clean up.”
She side-stepped him and made the right turn down the hall, leaving him with his pants and boxers around his ankles.
What had he done?
Chapter Eleven
Nikki shut the bathroom door and wrapped her arms around herself. She’d left her clothes and the towel outside and stood on the cold, tile floor completely naked.
How could she be so stupid? But Gabriel did that to her. He drove her crazy, until she lost all reason and ability to think. She’d wanted him so badly she’d ached inside. They were both at fault here, though what they were guilty of besides a moment of irresponsible lust was lost on her. How could something that felt so right be wrong?
If she got pregnant . . . The thought didn’t fill her with terror. Having his baby wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Once, they’d discussed it. Children just weren’t what she’d pla
nned on yet.
“Oh, God.”
She wiped away the moisture leaking from her eyes. Was she crying? After sex?
That was unlike her. Except . . . The kicker was that—he was it for her. And being with him again, it was showing her just now much no man would ever measure up to him.
She’d dated a handful of men since him, and no one could inspire this kind of all-consuming desire. Only Gabriel. After that display there was no going back. She couldn’t pretend like this was some booty call, a little revisiting the past. The way she’d acted, he had to know. Hell, he’d seen her wearing his shirt. If there was a more pathetic banner advertising her everlasting devotion, she didn’t know what it was.
“Nikki?” Gabriel tapped on the door.
“I’ll be out in a minute.” Her voice managed to stay somewhat steady.
There was no way she could hide in the bathroom forever.
She turned on the tap and splashed some water on her face to get her thinking. As her mind switched into gear, she grabbed a washcloth and proceeded to clean herself up.
The most responsible thing to do was to find the closest drugstore. There were morning-after pills. A few days of being uncomfortable while the drugs did their thing was prudent. And yet . . . she didn’t want to.
What if she was pregnant? It wouldn’t exactly fit into her life plan, but she could make it work. The biggest concern was how much of a target a baby of theirs could be. Gabriel would never consent to not be part of a child’s life, so then there would be trips to visit his family. He would always be there, and if they couldn’t make things work it would be a slow, painful kind of death to have him around and not be able to love him.
But what if they could make it work?
There was a slight chance her pet project could get the green light. It was unlikely. But Gabriel would be perfect for it. That was a pipe dream, though. She wasn’t one to depend on fantasies. Which was why she needed to be reasonable. Which normally she excelled at, unless Gabriel was around.
Her phone sat on the vanity where she’d left it after smearing ointment on her bruises. She pulled up the app store and downloaded one of the highest-rated ovulation calendars. A few clicks later, a little personal information and it generated a graph that showed her squarely in the least fertile part of her cycle.
Good to know.
It wasn’t scientific proof, but she drew an easier breath.
Intellectually she knew it was unlikely she could be knocked up, and yet there were hundreds, if not thousands, of one-night stand babies born every year.
If she was pregnant, if they decided not to go the route of a contraceptive pill, she’d love the child. If not, well, maybe it was time to start thinking about her future—with or without Gabriel. She might only be able to love him as the leading man in her life, but there were other ways of having children these days. And she wanted them. Now wasn’t the right time, but—what ever happened according to schedule these days?
She glanced around the bathroom, but there were no towels. It wasn’t like Gabriel hadn’t seen her naked before. The difference was her. He was the only man she’d ever been with so intimately, which was one more clear sign. Pushing her shoulders back, she opened the bathroom door.
A small stack of clothing sat on the tile floor.
Damn him for being so thoughtful.
She smiled and scooped them up. Gabriel was a really great guy. And he was probably freaking out right now just as much as she was. At least she’d picked a good one to fall madly in love with.
Dressed and ready to have a calmer discussion, she poked her head into the bedroom Roni had lent her. Gabriel sat on the bed, elbows on his knees and hands clasped in front of him. He was shirtless, clothed in just his jeans and boots. He was paler than usual, but she didn’t take that personally. In their line of work, they couldn’t make accidents.
He glanced up at her, lips parted as if he wanted to say something.
What did you say in a moment like this?
She sat on the bed next to him and reached for his hand.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t even think,” he said in a rush.
“Neither of us did. It’s not like we ever had to use condoms before.” She squeezed his hand. “It’s unlikely that I’m pregnant.”
Gabriel’s expression didn’t change. If anything, she felt the slice of sadness to her bones. Gabriel would make beautiful babies.
“I haven’t been with anyone since my last physical,” he volunteered.
“Me, too.” It was two physicals ago for her, but she’d keep that tidbit to herself.
“I would never knowingly put you at risk like that.”
“I know. That was my fault.”
“I should have stopped and asked. I’ve never done that before.” He wrapped both his hands around hers. “But . . . what if you are pregnant? Should we do something? How early can you tell?”
“No clue. I’ve never run that risk before. I’d imagine it’ll be a few days, maybe a couple of weeks.” She took a deep breath. Just because she’d accepted the consequences of what they’d done didn’t mean the choice was entirely up to her. “I could take a morning-after pill.”
Gabriel’s face twisted up. He didn’t tell her no, but his old-fashioned inclinations showed through despite his good intentions.
“I thought that’s what you’d say.” She smiled weakly.
“If that’s what you want to do, I mean . . .”
“I don’t.”
“Then—”
“If you’re going to start with the overprotective bullshit—stop.”
Gabriel grinned. She rarely cursed, and it seemed half the time it was because of him. He brought her hand to his lips and buzzed her knuckle with a kiss.
“I was going to say that we needed to do that together,” he said.
“Oh.”
Both of their phones began to vibrate. Hers in the bathroom and his in his pocket. Before either could move, Gabriel’s phone chimed with an incoming call.
“It’s Julian.” He frowned and answered it.
Nikki snagged her phone from the bathroom to get ahead of whatever was going on. The text was gibberish to her, but she had Gabriel to translate it for her.
She scurried back into the bedroom and pulled out another pair of shorts from the pile of castoffs Roni had given her. They weren’t ideal for the field, but she couldn’t argue that the majority of people she’d seen wore stuff even more revealing than this.
Gabriel stood and wiggled the phone at her. “Julian. Says they identified a lot of people from the pictures. Detective Smith put together a whole file for us to go over. You need a few more minutes?” His gaze traveled down her body.
“Just need socks, boots, and my bag.” She grabbed the first two from the bedroom and led the way out of the house, snagging her bag from the table next to the entry.
“If Roni asks about the picture, tell her I did it.”
Nikki glanced at the now-conspicuous hole on the wall of beach pictures. Several were askew.
That was going to be fun to explain.
Later.
Now, they had a job to do.
Gabriel pulled the door shut and took the new set of keys Roni had gifted her with earlier.
She was glad they had work to focus on. If not, who knew what they might end up discussing? It was too soon to admit how she felt about him. Besides, having feelings for her didn’t mean he was in love with her. It was a hard reality to remember.
* * *
Gabriel stood at Nikki’s back. His hands itched to reach for her. Hold her hand. But he kept his distance. Now wasn’t the time to get their emotions mixed up in the job.
The crew was gathered in the bunk room at the Shop, all attention focused on the digital whiteboard Emery was commanding at the far end of the room. He’d zoomed in and cropped each face in Nikki’s pictures from earlier in the day, highlighting those he’d been able to name. What that man could do in a couple of hours
was scary—and amazing, since he was on their side.
“They’re almost all veterans.” Aiden scowled at the screen.
“Correct.” Emery gestured at the screen where an American flag was displayed predominantly on both barns. “Wilson’s rhetoric is very pro-America, protect America, et cetera. It resonates with a lot of the veteran crowd. He doesn’t take in everyone, which was one of your questions, Agent Gage. I found a forum where Wilson did some recruiting. The account is disabled, but not deleted. I’ve also officially requested documentation on all his activity there. It appears he was banned for a blowup with some people he turned down to join his militia. Seems they didn’t take too kindly to being told they weren’t the right kind of patriot.”
“What’s the right kind?” Tori asked, her gaze still on Emery.
“I’m guessing the blow-myself-up kind.” Roni glanced toward Nikki and rolled her eyes. Yup. The two least likely people to get along were somehow buddies now. But that was Nikki. Always turning expectations on their head.
“What’s our next move?” Aiden pivoted toward Nikki.
Gabriel fought the urge to step in front of her. Aiden’s aggressive stance and frustration telegraphed plainly to the rest of the room. And why wouldn’t it? Aiden was a veteran and took Wilson’s actions personally.
Nikki didn’t miss a beat. “They have to have a target picked out. Where’s the list Detective Smith made up? We narrow that down, we get ahead of them.”
Emery’s gaze flicked to Gabriel so fast, if he hadn’t been watching he might not have noticed it. Since Gabriel and Roni had arrived at the same time, no one had appeared to notice that Nikki had been in his car, not Roni’s. Julian had told Gabriel about that list, and Gabriel was willing to bet Julian had learned about it from Emery, which meant Nikki had just subtly outed them to the perceptive members of the crew.
“Yes.” Emery brought a calendar up on the screen with at least a dozen different events filled in. “Here are the public and private events for the next two weeks for the greater Miami area, including a fifty-mile radius around us.”
“Shit. That’s a lot of ground to cover.” Aiden crossed his arms.
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