by Claire Adams
His lips spread into wicked grin. “Not for long.”
The reminder hit hard. I hated to think that one day soon I’d go up to bed and she wouldn’t be there. The annulment would bring me back to the lonely life of a bachelor. I’d only see her at work, and would that be enough? A strong need to declare otherwise overcame me. “She’s not going anywhere soon, so you should get used to her.”
“At least until you’re no longer wanted for murder, right? You wouldn’t want to tarnish our precious name.” He got to his feet and started up the stairs.
“All I’m saying is, don’t confront her again.”
He continued up the stairs without another word, and before I could slip back into my office, Joe entered the hallway with Kim. The two had locked arms and strolled side by side like two lovers in the park. She stared up at him with stars in her eyes, like he was an angel fallen from the heavens; if she only knew how lethal the man could be. His early military training had prepped him for more than stunt work, and I’d put the man to use because of the talents he’d acquired long before his time behind the camera.
“Everyone else has gone up to bed. I was about to go up, too,” I said, as if I needed an excuse to be standing around in my own house.
“Thank you for a lovely chat, Joe. I guess I better head up to bed.” Kim could hardly speak from smiling, and I wondered what kind of love spell my bodyguard had put on her. He had a way with the ladies when he wanted, but he’d always kept that part of his life private. I saw more than most being so close to him and I wondered what he had going in life that I didn’t know about.
Joe unlocked his arm and stepped back. “Would you like some help? I could walk you to your door. We wouldn’t want you to fall over anyone else.” Their laughter filled the hallway.
“I think I can manage. But thanks.” She walked to the end of the hall where she’d fallen before and called back to my friend. “Will you be around tomorrow?”
“I’ll make a point of it.” He turned and entered my office as she took to the stairs.
“What’s that all about?” I hadn’t seen Joe work his magic so quickly in quite a while and was shocked he was interested in Kim – not that she wasn’t gorgeous, but he usually liked them a little older.
“She’s a nice girl and a lot of fun. I haven’t laughed so hard in ages.” His face had even turned red as he put his hands in his pocket and rattled his change.
I liked seeing the man happy; it was long overdue. His wife had left him years ago when his daughter was just a baby. Even though he barely got to see the girl, she was the one true joy in his life.
“Did you see anything while you were out there?”
Joe and I had been out back when the commotion happened, looking for an intruder. The gate had called him after Harbor had entered to say that there was a man on foot running away from my fence line when the cops pulled in. I wasn’t sure if it was anything to be concerned about, since we did have neighbors and it wasn’t unlikely that one of their workmen had been wandering around.
“Not a soul. I’ll keep an eye on things for a bit longer, but I wouldn’t worry. I think it was a local.”
“I hope, but we can’t be too careful.” I yawned and stretched my arms in front of me.
“You should get up to bed. If I see anything of importance, I’ll be sure to call.”
“Make sure it’s damned important, will you?” We shared a laugh before I headed out of the office and down the hall. By the time I rounded the stairs, he was headed back outside, and I could sleep easier because Joe was on the job.
When I got upstairs and entered my room, I found Luna in my bed surrounded by pillows, like a child in a fort. I didn’t know the secret password, but I imagined I could infiltrate her boundaries without a problem. I undressed to my shorts and pulled the covers back to crawl in with her. Despite the pillow perimeter, her body heat radiated near. I pulled the pillow away from her back and slid myself closer.
Luna didn’t move. I pulled myself closer still and pressed my face against her hair. I loved her scent and the way her ass felt when I pressed against her. I wanted to wake her and make love to her. I wanted to be inside her and feel her around me. As I nestled in, wrapping my legs with hers, she stirred.
“Stop it.” She wiggled away and put a few inches between us.
“Sorry I woke you.” My erection called me a liar as it punched forward in my shorts.
“I think it’s time we discuss other arrangements. I can’t stay here like this. I’ll be as safe at my father’s house, or maybe Kim’s. Maybe I can leave when she does.”
My back stiffened and panic shot through me. “I’m sorry it’s been a bad day, but you know it’s not like that all the time. I thought you’d be happy here. I thought we were getting closer, too.”
“You ignored Harbor’s accusations. One minute you defend me, and the next you sit there like an ass and let him get away with it. I’m growing tired of being called a gold-digger.”
I had wondered if she’d been upset when she headed to bed, but I thought she knew I didn’t think those things about her. “You should know better. I don’t think those things. That’s their opinion, which means nothing to me.”
“But it means something to me. You defending me means something to me.” She rolled over on her back and pulled the covers up around her neck. “I get that they see me as a threat. I’m competition to them both, and they’ll never see me as anything else, especially if you don’t defend it.”
I felt horrible that she felt that way, but angered because she should know better. “I didn’t want a rise from him again, and with him talking about Cindy and the trip, I felt it best to let him keep talking. You should trust me.”
“I do, and I appreciate you going ahead and having Mason draw up the papers. We can sign them whenever you’re ready.”
“I didn’t have him draw up the papers. He did that on his own. I’ve told you you’re not going anywhere until I can assure your safety. This is not a negotiation.”
“Excuse me?” She rolled over and kicked my shin under the covers. “You can’t keep me here. I’m not your prisoner.”
“For Christ’s sake, Luna. I’m not saying any of that, but I don’t understand why you want to back out on our agreement. We have a plan, and I want us to stick to it. Nothing has changed with the investigation and there is still a killer out there targeting women I’ve been with.” She yawned and I realized that she was too tired to be arguing. “I’ll talk to you about this in the morning when you’re awake.”
She rolled over and tucked another pillow between us. “I’m wide awake.”
Minutes later, her breathing leveled off and she was asleep, but I lay on my back staring at the ceiling. There was no way I was going to let her leave.
I should have told her that there had been someone seen lurking around the property, but I didn’t think scaring her to death was a good idea. I’d talk to her about it later when her stubborn anger would give way to reason.
Chapter Thirty-One
Luna
Despite how angry I was with Gabriel, I had gravitated toward him in the night. The pillow I’d put between us had worked its way down to our feet and my back was pressed up against his side.
I stretched my legs and turned to glance over my shoulder, hoping he was sleeping sound. Instead, I found him staring at the ceiling with sleepy eyes. Had he even slept at all? He caught me peeking and his jaw clenched so tight the muscle feathered beneath his skin.
“Morning.” His voice was rough, and I hoped it was from sleep.
“Good morning,” I said, sitting up.
“I asked Harbor to stay away from you.” I wondered if he’d been up talking to him all night, but I felt he hadn’t left the bed.
“When did you do that?”
“After you went up to bed last night and about the same time I told him how you’re not like he thinks and told him how you refused my support.” He met my eyes as I sank down into the c
overs.
“You see, I didn’t think me making a show out of defending you was important as long as I did it.”
“I’m sorry, but why didn’t you tell me that last night?” I felt horrible for the way I’d treated him and kicked the stupid pillow I’d put between us off the bed.
His shoulder lifted beside me and he shook his head. “I had other things on my mind and you were angry.”
I cuddled close. “I’m sorry I doubted you. I have all these feelings and it’s a tad overwhelming, especially with all the drama in the house. I’m not used to people lashing out at me.”
“It doesn’t happen every day to me, either.” He let out a half-hearted chuckle and turned to hold me, his arm resting on my hip.
I leaned forward and kissed him, and he laid me back against my pillow to angle over me. His knee parted my legs as he moved closer, spreading me wider as he stretched over the top of me.
His mouth worked me and our tongues mingled as fire blossomed in my core with a craving that had me rolling my hips against his erection. I wanted him inside me, to feel his length buried deep, stretching me with a delicious pleasure that I’d longed for since my first time with him.
He kissed down my neck and tugged at the hem of my camisole. “I want to see you,” he whispered. He pulled the fabric up over my breasts and slipped it over my head, capturing my nipple gently with his teeth and tongue.
He worked against it, sending a pinch of pleasure through my core where it wept for his attention. As if hearing my request, he rose up and pushed his hips forward, pressing his length against me. He was still in his shorts, but not for long.
I trailed my fingers down his back and slipped my thumbs into his waistband, tugging downward. Once his ass was exposed, he rose up to take over and shrugged out of them, tossing them to the floor. Standing on his knee, he gripped his length, giving it a nice long stroke. I bit my bottom lip, remembering the taste, and he smiled and shook his head.
As he tugged down my panties, his eyes burned with desire. “I want to taste you first.” He winked and lowered himself between my legs, his mouth wasting no time finding my tender bud.
His fingers pressed against me, parting my folds. Two of them slipped deep inside of me and stroked my need, his fingers slick with arousal. He worked me, curling them upward which ripped a moan from my throat. He growled against me in response and parted me with his tongue, darting it in and out of me.
He’d awakened urges and needs in me that I never expected until he’d fed them the first time. I’d craved his touch since, and no amount of cuddling or kissing could replace the feel of him with me. I needed more, and my greed fed my urge to take it. I wrapped my legs around his shoulders to urge him upward.
The moment his mouth left me, I regretted it, my sex left wanting as pulsing waves of need ached.
He crawled up to my breasts and cupped them as the head of his cock teased against my mound. Then he kissed my rosy nipple as his hand attended its twin. I bucked my hips against his shaft and stroked it up and down as he ground against me. He rose up, the playful smile on his face making it clear how much he enjoyed the tease.
I flashed him a sly smile and sat up, gripping his arms for support. With my hand to his chest, I pushed him back. He eyed me up and down as he eased against the pillows.
As he watched, I straddled his hips, sandwiching his cock between my folds. I leaned over and kissed each contour of his abs, trailing my way up to his mouth and kissed him deeply. As I worked my way down toward his ear, he murmured my name and then pushed his hips up against me.
I rose up and smiled, proud of the reaction. His eyes smoldered, melting me. “You have me, so what are you going to do with me?” His hands closed around my hips as I ground against him.
I sucked my bottom lip sensually before lowering myself toward his proud cock. I took him into my mouth and went deep immediately, with no attention to his head. His breath hitched as he bucked forward, and I gripped his sac with my palm to hold him where I wanted him. The other hand rested against his hip. My lips tightened on his base, and I pulled hard against the length, stopping once I reached his rim. I gave special attention to it then nuzzled and nursed him as I cupped his sac, kneading it gently.
I worked him that way while he caressed my hair, and minutes later, he nudged me up. One second my mouth was on him and the next, he’d lifted me up so I straddled him, my knees digging into the mattress as I sat up. He leaned over and reached into his nightstand, looking for protection for us. I waited patiently, though I wanted to grumble my need.
He gripped my hips as I lowered myself, inching slowly downward, onto his thick erection. He let me take my time; his lips parted as he hissed in a breath as I reached the base, his entire length fully inside me. I rode him gently, allowing myself time to stretch around him. It was easier than the last time, but the sensation was still almost too much. The pleasure rocked through me, and I felt my release roll over me in delicious waves of ecstasy.
He bounced me, rocking me through it. Before I could catch my breath, he gripped my waist, keeping himself sheathed, and then flipped me over onto my back at the edge of the bed. He stood and my hips tilted to accommodate as he rocked inside of me. As I locked my legs around his hips, he thrusted in and out, fucking me so deep, so good.
His eyes stayed locked on mine the entire time and the expression made me wonder where his mind was. Was it like mine, thinking of what could be if we stayed together? Or was he simply riding out the motions to get the release he desired?
He bucked and ground against me, his hand flattened against my tummy as his thumb worked my clit. I felt my release teetering on the edge as he beckoned it and once it hit, another moan slipped from my lips, this time so loud it echoed throughout the room. A satisfactory smile spread his lips as he laughed, and he hitched my legs up over his shoulder and pounded me harder.
I didn’t want this to ever end. I knew I could stay on my back with him inside me for the rest of my life and never want for anything else. I pulled his arms, urging him to my mouth. I needed to kiss him. I needed more than his cock: I needed his heart.
I contemplated telling him, as if it were the perfect time with him buried deep inside of me, pumping and retreating. But before I could, he finally captured my mouth and lifted me up.
I gripped around his neck as he held me, his hands against my bottom working me against him. I needed traction, my legs fighting to stay up and around him. Suddenly, my back found the bed, and he ground himself down against my hips.
“Luna.” My name was but a breath on his lips as he found his release, and I felt the tingle inside as his cock jerked and twitched. I stifled his moan, kissing him hard and deep.
I wanted my name forever on his lips.
He stilled inside of me, but he didn’t pull out. Instead, he collapsed to my chest and kissed my neck.
I didn’t want it to end. It seemed to have only started – just like our marriage. I’d mentioned leaving only in hopes that he’d fight me to stay. Was this his way of asking me to, or was it his goodbye? We’d never finished the conversation, and no sooner than I thought we wouldn’t, Gabriel met my eyes.
“Have I convinced you that being here with me is best?” He brushed my hair back and kissed my shoulder. Is that what this was all about? Not wanting me, but hoping to manipulate me into staying?
“I didn’t realize that was all it meant.” I nudged against his chest and he pulled out, allowing me to scoot myself away from him.
“I only mean to point out how amazing we are together. I’m not trying to start a fight.” He went to the bathroom and returned, cleaning himself with a towel. “I want you to stay with me.”
“Why?” I searched his eyes, which narrowed at my challenging tone.
“I would think it’s obvious.” He sat down beside me and stroked my hair, but that wasn’t going to do. I needed a solid response.
I shifted to face him. “Not good enough. I want to know why. Why should
I stay here?”
“I guess if you have to ask, then perhaps you shouldn’t – but I hoped you’d want to and I still think it’s the safest bet.”
It wasn’t what I wanted to hear. Even though I agreed that it was best and I didn’t really want to leave him, I wanted him to tell me his feelings were strengthening as much as mine were. I wanted him to feel something for me. Something that would solidify our relationship so it would last.
After a quiet moment, he met my eyes. “What are you going to do?”
I wished I had it in me to hurt him and tell him that I was leaving. He could take my job and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want to hurt him enough to actually do it.
I only wished that it had all meant more, but that wasn’t his fault. He couldn’t make himself feel, and we were two adults feeding each other’s needs the best way we could under the circumstances.
I leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “I’m not going anywhere.” With that vow, I stood and crossed the room on my way to the shower.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Gabriel
Hours after Luna’s promise to stay, I found myself regretting all the sleep I’d missed as I sat in my office going over the reports from my supervisors. The morning romp with Luna was a nice boost of energy, but as I sat signing papers, it faded. Mason calling had been another drain, but at least it wasn’t terrible news.
Joe entered my office and closed the door behind him. “Got something interesting to report, but I’m not sure if it’s anything to be alarmed about.”
He had spent his morning joining us for breakfast. He, Kim, and Luna monopolized the chatter while I loaded up on coffee to assist me in managing my day. I wasn’t sure if it was love, but he sure had a big smile for the woman. Maybe it was her purple hair? I wondered.
“Must be good since you shut the door,” I leaned back in my chair, stretching my arms wide. I needed a break, but not for what could be bad news.
“The security cameras suffered a glitch last night. It only lasted a couple of minutes, but it was total failure. The boys didn’t think it was necessary to wake us at that hour, but with all the commotion, they thought it best to mention it.”