by Sherrilyn Kenyon; Dianna Love; Cindy Gerard; Laura Griffin
CeCe hung up her wall phone. “They’re on the way.”
Jeremy walked over to her but kept his body where he could watch the intruder for movement. “Have any idea what he wants?”
She shook her head. “He asked me if I was a statue at the park Sunday.”
That damn photo in the newspaper. “Someone in your office must have given out your address.”
“They’re not supposed to and why would he go to that trouble? I mean, I don’t drive a fancy car or live in an expensive home and—” She paused in the middle of arguing. Her thought process ended with the realization of why a stalker would track down her home address. What color she’d regained flushed from her face again. “Do you think he came here to… attack me.”
“I don’t know.” The guy didn’t hit Jeremy as a stalker or petty thief. He was too professional feeling.
Jeremy ignored the disconcerting sensation that something was odd here and pulled CeCe into his arms before her knees folded. “It’s okay. He’s going to jail as soon as the police get here.”
She hooked her arms around his neck and held on as if he was her only lifeline.
Jeremy hugged her and rubbed her back to calm her, but he had to do something with his weapon before the police arrived. He eased her over to sit at the kitchen table then crossed to the cabinets where he slipped his weapon onto a high shelf inside. During missions for BAD, he carried every conceivable weapon known to man, but when in civilian mode Jeremy was subject to the laws of this country that stated a prior convicted felon could not carry a weapon. Since BAD technically did not exist, he couldn’t claim his felonies were part of his job and committed while in the service of his country.
He turned back to CeCe to find her gazing intently between him and the cabinet. “What are you doing?”
Jeremy considered what he could tell her on the way back to where she sat. He dropped down in front of her. “The gun belongs to a friend of mine who asked me to keep it for him while he was out of the country. I grabbed it when I saw the guy climb into your yard. I don’t have a permit to carry. No point in complicating things.”
She was still too pale and the skin on her arm beneath his fingers had chilled. Part of the problem was the skimpy outfit she had on.
“Sit tight.” He got a lap blanket out of the living room, checked their prisoner, who hadn’t made a sound, and came back to the kitchen. Wrapping the soft blanket around her shoulders, he leaned down and kissed her forehead.
“I’ll get you some water.” On the way to the sink, Jeremy glanced at the perp again. The more he studied her unwanted visitor, the more he thought he knew him. Not an encouraging sign considering what Jeremy did for BAD.
He’d like to go through the intruder’s pockets to look for anything that would explain why he had broken into CeCe’s house, but CeCe might wonder why he’d do that.
Plus, if this guy was some sort of professional he wouldn’t be carrying identification.
Jeremy had just handed the water to CeCe when flashing lights pierced the sheer drapes covering her living room windows. Uniformed officers showed up at the front door by the time Jeremy reached it to let them in. He handed the Glock to the police, gave both officers a quick rundown of what happened, and told them he had defense training and got the jump on the guy.
The police replaced the duct tape with handcuffs and carried their perp out to the cruiser.
This guy’s lack of ability to speak saved Jeremy from finding out if CeCe would have backed up his lie about having a weapon. He hated to put her in that position, but the only other option would have been to explain why he had a criminal record.
Couldn’t do that unless he wanted BAD to come looking for his head.
The police took CeCe’s statement. She hesitated once when they mentioned her having to testify in court. That was easy to understand. She was afraid to see the thug again, but Jeremy would pull strings to be with her when that day came.
An hour later, Jeremy closed the door after the last officer left. The intruder was on his way to the Marietta City lockup and bail wouldn’t be set before tomorrow morning.
Jeremy walked to the kitchen where CeCe sat at the table, silent as a trapped mouse.
He didn’t think the company she contracted from would just willingly hand over her address to anyone, but he couldn’t find out more until tomorrow when Double Take was open. Right now, CeCe needed comfort more than questions.
Jeremy asked, “Do you want to call your brother?”
“No.” She glanced up, eyes widening with fear, then must have realized how that sounded—like she was afraid of her brother. “He would pack me up and have me moved before daylight.”
Jeremy couldn’t fault her brother for that since the idea of bundling her off somewhere safe had crossed his mind more than once tonight.
“I-I don’t want to stay here tonight,” she whispered.
As if he’d let her stay alone tonight. “You can stay with me.”
“What about dinner?” She gave him a shaky smile that teetered close to tears. “I’m never going to pay all my debts to you at the rate I’m going.”
“You don’t owe me a thing.” He walked over to pull her up out of the chair. “But I won’t turn down dinner together.” He kissed her gently. “We’ll order in at my house.”
She wrapped her arms around his back, hugging fiercely. He hated that she was still so shaken by the encounter.
When she pulled away to look up at him, he saw hope warming her eyes. Hope that he’d go along with the idea of an affair behind locked doors?
If she asked him right now, he would deny her nothing. Seeing her in danger had vanished any thoughts of his earlier decision to break things off now before it was too late.
In fact, when he’d heard her life being threatened Jeremy realized it was too late to walk away clean. He’d have died a thousand deaths tonight if anything had happened to her.
Letting her go would be the final death of his soul.
She chewed on her lip, indecision warring again in her gaze. “I’m really glad you were here tonight and I don’t want you to take this wrong, but I have to ask you something.” Her voice shook nervously.
“Ask.” He had an idea what she was going to say. She hadn’t liked it one bit when he’d told her they’d have dinner as friends. He considered jumping in first to let her know she meant much more than anyone he’d ever considered a friend, but she didn’t give him a chance.
“Is there a legal reason you can’t get a gun permit, Jeremy?”
“WHAT DO YOU mean you couldn’t get Dorvan sprung?” Starface adjusted the listening volume on his Bluetooth headset, not believing his ears. “It’s nine in the fucking morning! They’ve had him twelve hours.” He stomped around his apartment in midtown Atlanta. He’d been up all night trying to find out what had happened to Dorvan.
Now he wanted to know why one of the best defense attorneys in the Southeast couldn’t get bail set.
“Marietta hasn’t set bail”—his asthmatic legal counsel spoke in short phrases and a voice too soft to belong to the barracuda this man could be in a courtroom—“because the FBI showed up… early this morning.” He wheezed softly. “They took Dorvan before the courts opened.”
“When are they going to let him see his attorney?” Starface growled.
“Soon as he’s processed. No telling how long… that will take.” The attorney took a long pause then asked, “Why does the FBI want him?”
Starface wasn’t sharing that information with anyone. “I don’t know. Just get him out of there.”
Dorvan was of no use and Starface needed that photo card now before Ziggy sent someone for his ass. He hung up and dialed another resource. When the connection was made, he picked up the notes he’d given Dorvan yesterday and told his new tracker, “Easy contract to locate a woman. She works for a group called Double Take. Find her today and I’ll double your standard fee.”
And pay him a bonus to take care of a
nother loose end if Dorvan spilled his guts.
JEREMY WALKED FROM the bathroom into his bedroom wearing his jeans and toweling his hair dry. Early morning daylight bled through cracks in the blinds, adding to the soft glow from a lamp on the nightstand.
He stopped dead in his tracks.
CeCe lay sprawled across his bed on her stomach facing away from him, propped up on her elbows and engrossed in a magazine. That sweet bottom of hers peeked out from under the tail of one of his shirts. No underwear.
Have mercy.
Once he’d gotten her relaxed at his house last night, he’d joked with her about having dessert in bed only to take her mind off what had happened at her house. The last thing he’d wanted to do was make an overt move toward making love that might scare her worse after a man had threatened her at gunpoint.
But she’d wanted to make love with an almost desperate need he understood. To know she wasn’t vulnerable. He’d let her take the lead, giving her what she needed to feel in control.
None of that would have happened if he hadn’t figured his way out of her question about the gun permit. He told her he’d gone to jail as a teenager for boosting cars, had done his time and paid the price for his crimes, which he had.
Then he’d waited for her judgment and hoped she didn’t ask more since the crimes he’d committed were the least damning entry on his current rap sheet.
She’d accepted his explanation and come over to his house, where they’d ordered pizza and watched movies until late.
Like a normal couple.
And now she should be fully dressed since she’d showered first, but no, she was stretched out on her stomach on his bed facing away from him. She casually kicked one foot up and down, preoccupied with the magazine she was reading.
He had to get her off that bed and completely covered up for any hope of leaving here without using another condom. “What time does your brother land today?”
“Vinny gets in late this morning,” she answered over her shoulder.
That hadn’t gotten her attention like it had last night when he’d pressed her about calling her brother.
She’d finally explained how her three older brothers would all show up on Jeremy’s doorstep looking for blood if they knew she was here. Vinny had been designated to oversee her adjustment to living away from home for the first six months, but they would all take turns checking on her.
Now Jeremy understood why she’d run him out of her house so early yesterday. Not simply because she thought it would be awkward for him and Vinny. She thought if her brother had caught Jeremy in her bed Vinny might have harmed him.
He smiled to himself. He could deal with a couple of posturing brothers any day. “Aren’t you worried about Vinny showing up unexpectedly?”
“No. He wouldn’t give me the wrong flight information just to catch me off guard.” CeCe rolled over on her back and that view almost sent him to his knees.
“You need to get dressed.”
“I’m as dressed as you are, just that my top half is covered where you’ve got jeans on.” She smiled, enjoying her defiance.
“It’s not the same when your bottom half is uncovered. I’ve got a meeting in an hour.” In total conflict with his words, his feet started moving toward the bed. He tossed the towel to the floor and dropped down over her, his knees on each side of her legs. He used one arm to brace his weight.
She reached up and hooked her fingers around his neck to tug him closer, then smoothed his damp hair from his face. Warmth curled through his chest at the impish smile she gave him.
“What are you smiling about?”
“How nice it is to be here with you.” Her eyes glittered with so much happiness the room should be sparkling. “But if you’re really in a rush to get me out of your bed…” Her words drifted off in a whisper. She shrugged.
Jeremy leaned down and kissed her. As if on autopilot, his free hand slid beneath the shirt—his shirt—covering her. He needed to feel her to know she was still here and real. That this woman wasn’t dashing out the door with no plans of coming back.
That she wanted him as much as he wanted her.
When his fingers closed around her breast, she moaned. He caressed the suddenly hard nipple, drawing his thumb slowly across the tip. She arched each time as though all the nerves in her body were attached to that tight little bud.
Taking the kiss deeper, lost in her taste, he lowered his body until they were hip to hip. She rubbed up against the rigid cock inside his pants and he clenched his teeth.
No, he sure as hell didn’t want to push her out of his bed, but he was worried about last night.
He didn’t really have a meeting in an hour. But he had to wait for CeCe to leave so he could contact BAD to ask for a couple more days off, then have someone in BAD’s tech department research criminals with a scar like the intruder’s and crosscheck hits with Jeremy’s incarceration history.
He had a sneaking feeling about where he’d met that guy before.
CeCe nipped at his lip, tempting him to forget about threats and research. Testing his control against spending every free minute exploring her body until her brother returned. But her safety was too important, so as much as Jeremy would love to use up another condom right now there was no time. He’d have to move this moment along quicker.
But not until he had her satisfied.
Like that would take long? He grinned against her soft lips, looking forward to watching her hit that high again.
Unbuttoning her shirt, he kissed her neck and along her shoulders. She sighed and smiled, running her fingers through his hair playfully. Her hips twisted slowly from side to side driving him crazy with each stroke over his erection.
When he moved his hand down her abdomen to slip his fingers between her thighs she made a desperate sound and opened for him. He kissed the creamy skin surrounding two pert nipples then suckled one plump breast.
CeCe arched up, a guttural groan vibrating her chest.
Jeremy plunged a finger inside her and she tightened around him. Her thighs clenched. When he pistoned his finger in and out, in and out, her breaths came faster. Teething her nipple lightly, he pulled his finger completely out and stroked across the one spot that would send her reeling.
Three strokes and… liftoff.
She cried out and gripped his head, clutching him to her taut body.
Sweat broke out across his skin. He’d never get over how fast this woman climaxed.
When the last shudder passed through her she flopped back down on the bed, spent and panting. He ached, seriously ached, to continue, but after the past two nights he knew continuing could go on for a long time with her.
His mouth sought hers. Kissing her had become as natural as breathing, and just as essential to his survival. He wrapped her in his arms and rolled until she lay on top of him. She broke the kiss, lowering her head to his chest. Soft waves of brunette hair blanketed his chest.
“We’ll get to you… as soon as I catch my breath,” she mumbled.
“That’ll have to wait until later.” He rubbed her bare bottom with his hand, then thought better of that and moved his fingers up her back before he instigated another round.
She huffed out a deep breath, reached up to place her hand on his chest, and shoved up. Her eyes tilted with a curious look. “Will I see you later?”
He pushed a handful of hair off her face and cupped her cheek. “Depends.”
“On what?”
“Your brother, from what you said. If I had a sister that looked like you, I’d keep her away from someone like me too,” he teased.
She leaned down and kissed his chest, raising her gaze to his. “But I don’t want to be kept away from you. I’ve been letting my family coddle me for too long. I came here to build a new life on my terms, but I’ve let them control what I do or don’t do. I need to make them understand that I’m capable of making my own decisions and that they’ll have to live with my choices.”
H
e feathered her hair between his fingers. “What sort of decisions… and choices?”
“Like choosing what kind of man I want to be with, regardless of my family’s opinion.”
“What kind of man do you want?” He doubted he fit her criteria and definitely not her family’s, but he had to know just what he was up against if he wanted to keep her close.
“Someone honest and considerate. A man who looks at me like I’m his world.” She cupped his face. “Someone like you.”
He’d never had a woman look at him the way CeCe was gazing at him with adoration right now. Like he was her world.
“A man who could make me feel safe even after facing a gun pointed at my face,” she whispered right before her lips settled on his. Her kiss was sweet and endearing.
Different than any he’d shared before. The warmth and caring in this kiss rocked him to the soles of his feet.
His chest tightened with a feral need to keep her in his arms and safe. He’d never spent so much time getting to know one woman. CeCe had become his friend first since moving in next door. That was new all in itself.
Yes, she’d become his friend first and lover next.
He didn’t want another in his bed. Ever.
CeCe lifted her head, staring at him with her heart in her eyes. Everything about this woman was right up front and honest. No games or lies.
Jeremy didn’t care how many brothers he had to face.
He was not letting this one go.
First, he’d have to explain what he really did for a living, which would be tough since he couldn’t actually tell her about BAD. She thought he owned a gym.
The front doorbell rang.
She tensed, eyes rounded. “What if Vinny caught an earlier flight and that’s him?”
“I’ll deal with it. You get dressed.” Jeremy kissed her on the forehead, lifted her to her feet, and sent her to the bathroom before he walked to the front door.
The person outside had abandoned the doorbell and was now knocking. Pounding.
Jeremy opened the door to what had to be two feds. He could spot them a mile away. “Can I help you?”
One guy with a thin line for a mouth and receding hairline reminded Jeremy of the Joe Friday character from old Dragnet reruns he watched on television as a kid. His sidekick was a little taller at six feet with his black curly hair buzz cut, his skin the color of charred wood. One lazy eye gave him a half-interested look.