Prime Target

by Marquita Valentine

  It wasn’t a no. “Perhaps we could combine the two and do it our own way.”

  “I have no idea why I’m saying yes,” she mutters.

  I take her hand in mine and lift it to my lips, kissing the soft skin. “Because you can’t help yourself.”

  A sharp intake of breath is her reply, before she says, “You can’t either.”

  The truth, so simply spoken, nearly breaks me. She’s right. I can’t keep playing this game with her, but I have to keep her safe. To watch the light fade from Everly’s eyes, either by my hand or another, would slay me. For her to learn the truth of me is equally as reprehensible. But…I was basically ordered to be with her. Surely, that affords some sort of protection.

  After our date tonight, I will contact Viktor and ask him point blank. He has always been honest with me, even when the truth was unbearable. After all, I’ll have to leave in a month, and perhaps I won’t return. I’ve lived here long enough that people are getting used to seeing me.

  Though I hate to admit as much, it’s time to move on. Perhaps to the west coast. Would Everly miss me? Would she think of me? Or would she hate me?

  None of that matters, because breaking Everly’s heart is one thing, but to be the one responsible for that heart never beating again…

  I give her the one vulnerable truth I can allow. “No, love. I can’t help myself when it comes to you. We’re inevitable.”

  Chapter Six

  The walk back to her place is uneventful, nothing but light traffic and spots of rain. A large truck passes us as we reach her front porch, tires splashing through dirty water. I grab Everly and whisk her out of the way, only to get soaked in the process.

  “Thank you, but your poor suit!” She swipes at the water on my shoulders.

  With water dripping from my head and onto my face, I let go of her and smile, running my hand through my hair. I can feel the grime on my scalp. “Good thing I brought a change of clothes.”

  “You did? Oh, the class.”

  “If you’ll allow me inside to change?”

  She nods. “I’ll wait here for you while you grab your clothes.”

  Dashing to my car, I press a button on my key fob. The trunk opens. I grab a black duffle bag and close the trunk, then jog back to her.

  Everly digs her keys out of her purse. “Why don’t you take a shower while I wash your clothes?”

  “My suit is dry clean only.”

  She shakes her head. “Then I’ll have it cleaned. It’s the least I can do for you being such a gentleman and taking one for the team.” She fingers my shirt, and I tense up. “Shower and change, then we can drink vodka and you’ll finally relax around me.”

  “I am relaxed,” I say, following her to the front door.

  Everly snorts as she unlocks and opens it. There’s a light on inside. Automatically, I take a cursory glance around to inspect the place. Hardwood flooring with neutral-colored furniture offset by brightly colored rugs and pillows. It’s inviting and non-threatening. The exact opposite of my flat.

  Then again, Everly is the exact opposite of me.

  “Sure would hate to see you tense.” She pauses in the middle of her tiny foyer and glances over her shoulder. “Aren’t you coming in?”

  Feeling a bit foolish, I walk inside and shut the door behind me, then secure it before checking the street. My car is still there, parked in the same spot.

  “It’s a nice neighborhood, Roman. No one will take your car. Drool on it a little, sure, but other than that…” She touches my shoulder and I spin around, pinning her to the wall. One hand on her throat and the other behind me, on my Glock.

  Panting in obvious fear, her eyes are wide. “Sorry,” she rasps. “I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”

  Easing up on the pressure of her throat while letting go of my gun, I lower my forehead to hers. “Damn it. I’m the one who’s sorry.”

  Her chest rises and falls rapidly, like she’s been out for a run, but I know what’s sending her heart into overdrive. Me. More precisely, terror that she’s invited a madman into her home. “You already took self-defense classes, didn’t you?”

  A perfectly reasonable conclusion to justify and excuse my behavior. “Love, you… I… Yes.”

  “And you didn’t want to hurt my feelings by telling me the other day.”

  “Hurting you is the last thing I want to do. I might as well cut off my hand or cut out my heart… You are undeserving of such pain.” My façade is fading. The rhythm of my speech falling into a more familiar cadence.

  Everly’s hand wraps around my wrist, gently tugging. I allow her to pull my hand away. I close my eyes and lift away from her slightly. She lets go of me, but doesn’t move from her spot.

  Cool air brushes my chest and I open my eyes, glancing down to see her small hands working on the buttons of my shirt.

  “What are you doing?” I ask, though I know the answer. Or at least, I think I know the answer.

  “Getting you out of these wet clothes.”

  “My jacket is in the way.”

  “Then take it off.” She leans forward, pressing a kiss to my chest, and I cup the back of her head.

  “Don’t—”

  “Stop pushing me away.” She grazes her teeth over a nipple, and I bite back a curse.

  “You didn’t let me finish,” I say, hooking a finger under her chin and forcing her gaze to mine. “Don’t. Stop.”

  “My sweater’s still wet, too.” Then she goes back to pressing tiny kisses on my chest. I dig my fingers into her dark hair, taking out the pins holding it in place. Silky curls fall down and around her, like a curtain. I can’t see what she’s doing but bloody fucking hell, I can feel it.

  I can feel her.

  The hairpins fall to the floor, nearly silent plinks. I shrug out of my jacket, carefully concealing my gun in it as I ball the material up and toss it beside me. My fingers find the hem of her sweater and slowly edge it up. I’ve been waiting for this moment and want to take my time.

  I slip my hands under the fabric, touching soft, silky skin. My hands glide up, learning the curves of her body as I go. Her stomach contracts and she gasps against me. The edge of her bra tempts me, and I give in, cupping her perfect breasts. With a moan, she arches her back, pressing her breasts more fully into the palms of my hands. Her nipples harden into delicate points I want to taste.

  Passing my thumbs across them, I tease her there until her moans echo around me.

  “Roman, Roman, Roman,” she cries.

  “What do you need?” I bury my face into the crook of her neck, sucking. Exploring. “Tell me.”

  “I don’t know,” she gasps.

  Sliding one hand down her body, away from her perfect breasts, I find the button of her trousers and undo them. “Is this what you need?” Slipping my hand inside, I groan at the feel. “You’re wet.” I slide a finger inside of her, where she’s hotter and tighter than any woman I’ve felt before. “Perfect.”

  “Yes, yes, yes,” she gasps, clenching my arms. Her nails dig into my shirt.

  I stroke her with one finger, then add another, curling them and finding her sweet spot. She bucks against me.

  “Oh God,” she whimpers.

  I take her whimpers and moans into my mouth as I capture hers. Our kisses grow frantic, greedy, as if we’ll never have this moment again. It occurs to me that we, in fact, might not ever have this chance again.

  “Take off your sweater,” I order, my voice barely human sounding.

  Her sweater goes up and over her head, revealing a lacy, black bra. I grip a cup and tug it down, then swoop in to take her dark pink nipple into my mouth. I suck and nibble and bite.

  She tosses her head back and forth, lush mouth opening and closing. Her beautiful eyes open, and they’re glazed with lust and desire…and an emotion I don’t recognize.

  I stop everything I’m doing. “Turn around and put your hands above your head, palms flat on the wall.”

  “I’m so close,”
she pouts, and I kiss her again. Hard and quick.

  “Turn around, love.”

  Ignoring me, she takes my hand and slips two fingers, the same two fingers that were inside of her, into her mouth, sucking off the honey that coats them. “Did you want a taste?”

  “Sexy little thing, aren’t you?” I lean into her, watching as a blush steals up her neck and onto her face. “Are you normally so—”

  “Never.” Uncertainty enters the picture. “If you don’t like it, I can stop.”

  I brush my mouth gently against hers, watching as her eyes flutter closed. “I like it very much.”

  “Oh.”

  “Now, if you don’t mind…” I spin her around, taking her arms and placing them right where I want them. I tug her trousers over her curvy hips and down her shapely legs. The lacy thong is next to go.

  Her thighs tense. “Roman?”

  “Gorgeous,” I murmur, running my hand down the length of her back. She relaxes at my touch. “That ass, love. Very nice.” I kneel on the floor behind her, sinking my teeth into her plump ass. She squeals, head turning to watch me. I smack the other cheek and grin. “Turn around and bend over a little. I want to see you.”

  Licking her lips, she does exactly as I ask, baring the most intimate part of her to the room. I lick her exposed pussy, making her jump and then moan. Plunging two fingers back inside of her, I begin to pump them in and out. Then I go right back to that sweetness and suck on her swollen clit, until she screams my name and comes all over my face.

  I stay with her until the end, until her screams turn to moans, and then finally whimpers. I straighten, wiping my sleeve against my face. I’m hard and aching, not allowing myself to acknowledge how much I’ve wanted to fuck her since I walked through the door.

  I unzip my pants and pull out my dick, stroking it a couple of times to ease the buildup. It does no good. A couple drops of pre-cum have already beaded up.

  She turns, slightly stumbling as she kicks away her clothes. Her lips are swollen, her eyes are glazed, and her nipples are hard little points. Dark hair spills over her shoulders in waves. She rubs her thighs together, staring at my cock.

  “Do you want more?” I run my hand over my dick, showing her how long and thick it is for her.

  “I need you inside of me.”

  Unable to resist her, I lift her in my arms, murmuring into her ear, “Wrap your legs around my waist.”

  “Wait. Do you have protection?” she asks as my dick touches her pussy. I slide her against the hard length, watching as she coats me with her come. “Oh God. Roman…answer me before I do something stupid.”

  “In just a minute, love.” I work the head of my cock in, and her inner muscles grab at me. The urge to plunge all the way inside rides me hard, so hard that I’m ready to throw all caution to the wind and take her with nothing between us. Something I’ve never done. “How long has it been?”

  Her eyes open wide. “A few years.”

  Gritting my teeth against the hot contact, I ask, “Why?”

  “Bad experience.”

  Red clouds my vision. “Did someone hurt you?”

  I lock my muscles, holding her suspended between the wall and my body as I await her answer.

  “It was my first time, so of course it hurt. After a few times, he found someone else. He said I was too inhibited for him.” Her eyes become focused. “That hurt worse.”

  I press a kiss to her forehead. “Sounds like he didn’t know how to encourage his woman to be uninhibited. Good riddance.” Though who am I to say this, when I know without a doubt I will be leaving her soon.

  To keep her safe.

  That doesn’t make me any better.

  Her lips tremble, and I let her legs slide to the ground, sliding free from her.

  “I’m sorry if I gave you the impression that I’m this wild woman who takes guys home on the first date.”

  I trace the curve of her jaw, ignoring my need to thrust inside of her again. “We don’t have to take this any further tonight.”

  Delicate hands wrap around my erection, and I let out a hiss. “But you haven’t been satisfied yet.”

  I pump my hips, letting her stroke me. “This is good.”

  She wets her thumb and rubs it over the tip. I groan, taking her face between my hands and plunging my tongue into her mouth. She sucks on it, still stroking me. Reluctantly letting go of her face, I wrap my hand around hers and guide her movements, all the while kissing her.

  I don’t stop until my orgasm barrels down on me. I shout her name, and then a curse as I come. As I collapse against her, she falls against the wall, unable to support my weight. I lean up slightly, bracing my arm against the wall instead of continuing to use her slight body as an anchor.

  “So very messy for such a starchy bookseller,” she murmurs against my throat. I feel her kiss me, sweetly and gently.

  Whoever the bastard is that hurt her, I will learn his name and hurt him back. “Shall we take this to the shower?” I ask.

  She nods. “Can I wash you? I still haven’t gotten you all the way nude, and that’s a crying shame.”

  I grunt. “My body is nothing like yours.”

  “Praise the Lord and pass the sculpted abs for that.”

  Somehow, I manage to get my shirt off and us mostly cleaned up. Every so often, Everly treats me to a kiss on my neck, my chest, my jaw, or my lips. I allow her this, even as I grow uneasy. Even as I feel like I’ve just made the biggest mistake of my life.

  My phone rings shrilly. I glance over at my coat. The screen of my phone lights up, and I can see the name.

  Victoria. In actuality, it’s Viktor, but games must be played at all times in my line of work.

  He would never call me, not unless I had to completely abandon my fake life. Something must have shown on my face, because Everly stops mid-kiss and says, “You can answer that if you need to.”

  I glance back at the woman standing in front of me. Her face is pale as she looks at my coat. She can see the name.

  “I do have to take this call.” I lean over and scoop up my phone.

  “Please tell me you’re not married,” she says, misery in her voice.

  “I’m not married. I’m single.” But not free. Never free. Then I answer the phone. “Victoria. It’s so nice to hear from you, but I’m on a date. So, unless you’ve found that edition of da Vinci’s Treatise on Muscular Development in the Modern Man, I’ll need to talk to you another time.” Jesus. I’m pulling everything out of my ass tonight.

  “Roman,” the digitally altered voice purrs. “You know I wouldn’t call you unless what I had for you couldn’t wait. Time is of the essence.”

  “But I have a former engagement.”

  “That’s been cancelled.”

  I frown.

  Everly begins to walk away, but I reach out and capture a wrist, pulling her back to me. I wrap one arm around her, walking with her to the sofa in the living room and guiding her to sit on my lap. She curls against me, pulling the soft blanket hanging over the back over her luscious body.

  “I’m all ears.”

  A throaty laugh sets my teeth on edge. “You’ll have to be all eyes. I’m sending you a text right now.”

  Victor hangs up, and I grip the phone so tightly that I hear a little crack.

  “Wow. She’s pushy,” Everly mutters.

  Absently, I kiss the top of her head. “Love, run a bath for us.”

  She gazes up at me, her brow wrinkling. “Instead of a shower?”

  I give her my most wicked grin, slipping my free hand under the blanket and touching a bare thigh. “Trust me, love. I can be just as imaginative in the bath.”

  Rising to her feet, she wraps the blanket tightly around her, as if she’s shy. “Don’t be too long.”

  “Everly?”

  She pauses in her walk. “Yes?”

  “You have a beautiful body.”

  She bites her lip. “Thank you.”

  “No. Thank you for
sharing it with me.”

  With one of her dreamy sighs, she shakes her head. “You are too much.”

  My phone vibrates as she walks away. Tipping up the phone, I stare into the eyes of my next target.

  Sebastian Romanov.

  My half-brother.

  Chapter Seven

  V: You’ve been invited to attend a charity function on the 14th.

  For the first time in my life, I balk. I refuse to take this contract, because the one thing I know about Sebastian is that his hands are clean. He’s innocent.

  Our father has made sure of it, even going as far as trying to ruin his youngest son’s career by spreading rumors and making unfortunate videos of youthful indiscretions go viral, in order to show just how bloody special Sebastian is.

  Not that I begrudge Sebastian the attention; I truly don’t. I know what a monster Vladimir is, even compared to me. But at least I have direction, a purpose—I rid the world of scum while he is self-serving.

  Behind me, at the back of the house, I can hear the water running and Everly bustling around. My one night of normalcy, of pure desire and lust, of want and need, is completely ruined.

  Me: I’m afraid I’ll have to pass.

  My mind races. The execution doesn’t have to be performed for three weeks, plenty of time to go to Grandfather’s and enlist his help. There’s no way he would allow this if he knew. Family is everything to him.

  V: And I’m afraid you have no other choice.

  Me: My schedule doesn’t permit a trip at this time.

  V: Such a shame. Enjoy your evening with Everly. I’m sorry to say that the nights grow short as winter approaches.

  I suck in a breath, and my heart slams against my chest. Someone is threatening my woman and Viktor is warning me, which is far more than is required. He’s putting his life on the line by doing this.

  Petrov. That piece of shit is behind this, I know it. A brother for a brother. He has the means and the influence.

  Me: On second thought, Everly and I would be honored to attend the charity function.

  V: Excellent news. More information to follow.

  Tossing my phone to one side, I consider my options. What in the hell can I say to Everly to get her to leave the country with me? Especially last minute? Despite everything, she barely knows me as Roman Smith.