The coward in me demands I sleep on the couch, but that’s not happening. I’ll sleep in the same room with her, in case more cocksuckers decide to attack. Having reached that decision, I prop the two weapons next to the bed. Should someone attempt another raid, they’d be within easy reach.
I ditch the shorts, and making as little noise as possible, I crawl into bed. When her scent hits me, I grit my teeth.
“Jake?”
Fuck. “Expecting someone else?” My voice gravels with hunger. The need to have her once more bites hard.
Mumbling something, she rolls in my direction, and her breasts rub against me. As if that were not torture enough, she slides one leg over mine. Fuck.
Her hand brushes against my chest, travels past my abs down to . . .
I clamp down on her wrist. “Stop that.”
She climbs on top of me, presses her body to mine and nibbles my jaw. “I want to fuck.”
For a split second, I entertain the notion. We’ve already done the deed. What harm would another ride on the Brianna merry-go-round cause? None, my conscience warns, unless you don’t mind being another notch on her bedpost. I grasp her arms and push her off me.
Her eyes grow wide as if she can’t quite believe what I’ve done. “What the hell are you doing?”
I remove my watch, toss it on the night table. “Better get some shut eye. Tomorrow will come soon enough.”
“You’re turning me down? Why? You’re hard.” She’s pissed. Rightly so.
But I can’t give in to her. “Yeah. I am. But my dick doesn’t control me. I serviced you once already. That should have been enough to scratch your itch.” I keep my voice matter of fact. Like her invitation hasn’t burned right through me.
“Serviced me?” She punches my gut. “You bastard. Get out of my bed.”
“Can’t. I need to stay here in case there’s another raid.”
Screeching, she turns her back to me.
I rub my stomach. Damn if she doesn’t pack a punch. But it had to be said. Anything not to have her crawling over me. If she’d actually grasped my cock, I would have been hard put not to take her up on her offer.
For the next hour, I stare at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to take her. Only when her breathing becomes regular do I drift off as well.
In the morning, I wake to find her wrapped around me, an arm draped across my chest, a leg entangled with mine. Morning wood’s a bitch so I head for the bathroom and take care of business. Unfortunately, it’s not enough. Not when my dick knows a more satisfying solution lies only a feet away. I’ll need a hard swim and a long run to take the edge off.
Too bad that’s not happening any time soon. This morning I need to get the place cleaned up and her doors replaced. Plus I need to question the bastards who assaulted her last night. Before I head out, I make sure she’s guarded. On her veranda, two men stand guard, one of which is Todd. Knowing he’s on the job makes me easier.
After I order new reinforced doors for her bungalow from the project carpenters and send somebody to clear out the debris from last night’s battle, I jump in the jeep and head for the hospital where the attackers were taken last night. I get there to find one’s still a patient under police watch and the other three were taken to the local hoosegow. The one she stabbed with the knife’s sedated so I snap a picture of him with my camera phone before heading to the local jail to question his compadres. But the son of bitches refuse to talk. I take their photos as well and head for the cantina where I show their images to the local clientele. Every last one of the patrons shakes his head. Nobody knows them, not even the bartender, which tells me Brianna’s attackers are from out of town. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine the equipment thefts and the attack on Brianna are connected.
After checking in on Brianna’s whereabouts and a quick stop for lunch, I head toward the warehouse where the equipment’s stored. Although security personnel guard the perimeter, no one’s stationed inside. No wonder. The ambient temperature is somewhere between purgatory and hell. Whoever broke in last time took out the AC. I remain inside only long enough to check out the cameras, which have been torn off their moors and note the extent of the damage to the rest of the equipment. Just as I expected, they’ve hacked, hammered, and pummeled the bigger pieces. Hard to steal those, so they inflicted serious damage instead. After a half hour, I reach my limit and head out of the inferno.
While gulping down a half gallon of water, I text Terrence and ask him to meet at the same place we met before, a remote spot on the coast where we can see anyone coming from miles away. If someone were to follow, he would be easy to spy and Terrence could divert his route before reaching me.
“So what do you think?” he asks when I climb aboard his 4 x 4 at the meeting place. By now he’s gone through the jeep with a fine-toothed comb and found no additional bugs. So we can speak openly without the worry of being overheard.
I take my time before answering him. And when I do, I carefully choose my words. “They seemed to have hammered away at anything and everything with no conscious plan of attack.”
He nods in agreement. “It seemed that way to me too.”
“Which tells me they hired goons to do the actual damage and not anyone who knows the significance of the equipment.”
He shrugs. “Thugs can be hired for a song around these parts. What I don’t get is their purpose for doing this.”
I don’t know if he’s involved in the thefts or merely incompetent, but the reason behind the destruction of the equipment should have occurred to him. “Obviously to sabotage the project.”
His bushy brows twitch as if they can’t comprehend what’s going on. “Doesn’t make any sense. The wind turbines will bring low-cost electricity to this part of the world. Who would want to stop such progress?”
I tick likely culprits on my fingers. “One, someone who does not want the population to have access to electrical power. Two, a rival company outbid in the past. Three, the environmentalists trying to protect that endangered specifies of bird. Who the hell knows?” But whoever it is, I will find out.
“Do you think the equipment sabotage and the attack on Brianna Storm are connected?”
Well, there might be hope for him after all, if he read the signs and reached this logical conclusion. “More than likely. But they’re not local. No one recognized their pictures at the boteco.”
“I’m going down to the jailhouse to question the ones in custody. I’ll take Marina along to translate for me.”
He should have done that first thing, not waited until the afternoon. “I stopped by there earlier. They won’t talk.”
His glare cuts to me. “As the head of security, I have to try.”
The reminder he’s in charge and I’m not sets my teeth on edge. If I were still the head of security, none of this would be happening. I would have found a way to catch the culprits before any major damage could be done. But how I would have handled things is not important at the moment. We need to deal with the here and now which means he needs to perform his due diligence. “You’re right.”
“Well, I better go interview the scumbags.”
“If you find out anything, text me and we can meet again.”
He nods. “All right.”
I glance at my watch. It’s four o’clock, which means it’s seven o’clock in London. “I’ve been here two days. By now, Storm’s expecting me to check in.”
“Planning to tell him about the attack on Ms. Storm?” His hand clenches around the steering wheel, probably nervous about what happened on his watch. But he’s got nothing to worry about. I intend to take the blame. After all I’m the one supposedly watching over Brianna, and I screwed the pooch last night.
“Yes. That’s my job.”
“Yeah.” A sympathetic smile peels across his lips. “Better you than me.”
Can’t blame him for the sentiment. I’d be relieved not to have to make that phone call. I royally fucked up. Storm will be furious wh
en he finds out I left her alone. And for what? A midnight swim to cool down my lust. Fuck’s sake. A grown man should be able to command his dick.
After Terrence leaves, I dial Storm’s number. As expected, he’s in his London office. After shipping off Elizabeth back to the states so she could finish her studies, he’s miserable. So he’s bound to be in a lousy mood. And my phone call’s not going to improve it.
As expected, he’s furious. “Your job is to watch over her, not go out for a bloody swim in the middle of the night.”
“I fucked up. I know. Won’t happen again.”
“They didn’t hurt her, did they?”
“No. She fought them off; sliced the arm of one of her attackers down to the bone.”
“Good for her.” A smidgen of pride seeps through his voice. “So how’s she doing?”
“Fine. She was still sleeping when I headed out this morning. Before you ask, I assigned two guards to watch over her while I conducted the investigation today.”
“What did you find?”
“Not much. The one in the hospital’s under sedation and the ones in jail refuse to talk. No one at the local boteco recognized them which tells me they’re not local.”
“What about the equipment thefts?”
I fill him in on what I found out. Whatever’s going on with the pilfering and the equipment destruction is tied to Brianna. So even though Brianna’s my main concern, I need to investigate both the thefts and the attack on her to determine the ones responsible. Regarding the equipment, I’ve devised a plan of action for which I’ll need Storm’s cooperation. I spend the next half hour detailing my scheme. In the end, he agrees it’s the best way to handle the problems. Some things he’ll take care of from his end, and the rest I’ll handle from mine. We finish the phone call just as the sun’s setting. I hang up and head for the dining hall. With any luck, I’ll run into Brianna there.
Chapter 10
______________
Jake
BEFORE I MAKE IT TO THE DINING HALL, the chief carpenter rings to tell me they’ve finished installing new front and back doors. They have keys for me at their workroom so I stop and retrieve them before heading to dinner.
A quick glance around the cafeteria tells me Brianna’s not there so I text Hamish to determine her whereabouts. I breathe easy when he tells me she ate earlier and is home. After I fill my plate, I spot Todd who waves me over and introduces me to the two new operatives who came on board after my stint as head of security. As ex-special forces, they’ve been trained to shoot first and ask questions later, exactly what I need to guard Brianna.
They invite me to a friendly game of poker, and I accept. Not only will it be a great opportunity to get to know them, but I can get their take on things. But before I do, I stop by the bungalow and check on things. Two new operatives are on duty. They seem competent enough. But after last night, I’d feel better if they had help. I call Terrence and ask him to assign two more guards. While I’m on the phone, I request him to reassign the two ex-special forces to Brianna’s security detail as of 0800 the next day.
With my mind on Brianna’s safety and the equipment theft, I’m not at my best at the poker game. Still I manage to make a decent showing at Texas ‘Hold Em. Todd’s the big winner for the night. Just as well. He’ll need the money for his soon-to-be-born baby girl.
I don’t make it back to Brianna’s bungalow until after midnight. Everything’s quiet, her guards report. Thank fuck. Last thing I want is a repeat of last night.
I slip into the cottage, a little worse for the wear after downing half a bottle of scotch. Her bedroom’s door closed, but there’s a light shining under it which tells me she’s awake. I need a shower and a change of clothes. No help for it. I grit my teeth and knock on the newly-installed entryway. The solid sound of the wood reassures me.
“Come in.”
She’s lying on her bed reading. Not a girlie magazine, but a technical journal of some kind going by the cover. She’s bathed and changed into another delectable baby doll, a black one this time, which shows more skin than the one from the night before. So, of course, my cock rises to the occasion. Damn.
“Need to get some clothes.” I point to the drawer where she stored my clothes.
She shrugs without looking in my direction. “Fine by me.”
Before I do, I head for the weapons locker and trade the pistol I carried today for a lighter model, check to make sure the magazine’s full, and slide on the safety catch. Only by focusing on these tasks, do I manage to ignore that maddening peach scent of hers, the one that makes my dick hard.
Unfortunately, the alcohol coursing through my veins is not making things easy. All the resolve in the world is no match against her allure. I snatch what I need from the drawer and head for the bathroom where I give my hard on a quick hand job, all the time recalling the taste of her pussy. The release takes the edge off. It’s not nearly enough, but it will have to do. No longer smelling like week-old road kill, I open up the sofa, slide into it, and pray for oblivion. Unfortunately, my mind insists on replaying that last image of her.
As if my thoughts dreamed her up, the door to her room opens and she strolls into the kitchen. In the ambient light, she glows like a goddess. That damn thing she’s wearing floats around her enticing me with peeks of the curve of her breast, the small of her back, her firm ass. Sweet mother of God. I scrub my face and bite back a curse.
She steps to the kitchen sink to wash something. Something that looks like a ... What the hell? She’s washing a dildo! Her hand runs up the plastic cock, stroking it, caressing it. The damn thing even has balls. She pats it dry, walks away. Five minutes later the hum of the sex toy reaches me. Fuck’s sake, couldn’t she at least close the door? I roll over on the lumpy excuse of a mattress and jam the pillow over my head. Doesn’t matter. I can still hear the buzz of the damn thing. I take it as long as I can but when her moans ring out in the night, something inside me snaps.
I march to her bedroom. Door’s open. An invitation if I’ve ever seen one. She’s buck naked. Skin blooming with sweat, panting, moaning, she’s the perfect image of eroticism as she strokes the dildo against her clit. There’s only one thing wrong. It’s not me.
I stride up to her, ease the dildo from her hand, toss it somewhere in the room. Fuck if I care where it lands.
“What are you doing?” she asks breathless.
“If you wanted a cock between your legs, all you had to do was ask.”
Her eyes slit, and she glares at me. “If you think I’m going to ask you to fuck me, you’ve got another think coming.”
“We both know you want this.”
“I don’t need you ‘servicing’ me, Jake, only to patrol the perimeter when you’re done.”
My ‘servicing’ remark rankled her. Not one of my better moments I have to admit.
She rolls over and opens a drawer in her night table. Fucking A. The drawer’s filled with the little beauties. She starts to rise, no doubt to wash the next one, but I clamp a hand across her chest. “You’re not using that thing.”
“You and what army are going to stop me.”
“Not an army. Just me.”
I toss the sex toy somewhere in the room.
“I like that one.” She screeches.
I grab her legs and flip her so she’s lying on her stomach. Check her status. She’s soaking wet, ready for exactly what I have in mind. I ditch my shorts, roll the condom I brought with me over my cock and slide over her back. When she bucks, I batten her down and nip her ear. “Settle down.”
“What are you going to do? Fuck me in the arse?”
“Not my style, bright eyes.” I grasp her face and kiss her open mouth.
She stops struggling. She likes my tongue in her mouth, she likes our oral play. She gives as good as she gets. Nibbling, suckling my lips. Love biting my tongue. My fingers in her pussy are soaked with her juices. While my fingers thrust in and out of her sheath, my thumb goes to work on he
r button. She sways back and forth in rhythm with my motion. Little moans escape her each time my fingers go deep. We go at it for a couple of minutes. That spiced peach scent’s driving me crazy, so I reach down and lick the sweat off her back.
She pushes back with her ass. “Get inside me, Jake.”
I thrust inside her, hard and true. Damn. She’s hot as a pistol and ready to fly.
With one hand on her breast, and the other on her clit, I pound into her, taking my pleasure, giving it back in return. Our moans, grunts, groans fill the night as I work inside her. Her muscles clench around my cock. I pull out and slam into her again.
She screams. “Oh, God, Jake. Do that again.”
I do. Again and again and again. Knowing she likes it rough, I love bite her shoulder, clamp down on her wrists while I ride her to hell and back. Going by her moans, she loves everything I’m doing to her. I’ve never had a woman like her. She’s strong and can take everything I dish out. Our bodies slap against each other, our sweat mingles permeating the air with our passion. When her sheath quivers, I know her climax is near. So I redouble my efforts. Before long, we both reach our crisis. Having given her all, I collapse on the bed next to her, breath sawing in and out. She lies next to me, breathing heavy, eyes closed.
A minute later, her baby blues drift open, the expression in them loving, caring. It’s more than I can stand.
I jump out of bed and head for the door.
“You’re leaving?”
I nod. “Yep. Back to the couch.”
“Bastard.” She sits up, grabs something off her night table and hurls it at me. Dodging it, I make a beeline for the exit. A second one comes flying. But it’s too late. I slam the door shut an instant before the object meets its doom against the newly-installed wood.
Chapter 11
______________
Brianna
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, a bad dream awakens me. Images of the child. Beaten and hurt. Bleeding, broken. I never witnessed Gabe’s torture by the Countess, but I heard enough stories to know what he went through. I can’t stand to think that beautiful child would suffer the same pain as my older brother. So I must do whatever it takes to make sure he’s safe.
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