“How do I know you’re telling me the truth?”
Harold laughed. “Your mother told me you would ask that question.”
“My mother knows about this?”
“Your mother loves me. She would do whatever I ask.”
Malika was reeling in astonishment again. She felt as though she was in an alternate universe and nothing made sense anymore. “Regardless of what my mother told you, I need proof of what you’re saying.” Malika held the distress and anger from her voice and spoke as calmly as she could, not offering Sean’s parents any further ammunition to use against her.
“We don’t have time for this,” Sophia muttered impatiently. “The video has been emailed to you, and you will see clearly what a little weasel your twin is. I have two copies of two different press releases for tomorrow.” Sophia handed her two sheets of paper. “It’s up to you which story gets printed.”
Malika took only seconds to read both articles. “I don’t understand how this is supposed to work. Are you asking me to drive my car off the highway, through the guardrails, so that I plunge over the cliff and die in the inferno as this press release says? And this is all supposed to happen in Trinidad!”
“No one is asking you to kill yourself!” Sophia muttered impatiently. “I simply want you gone and to never contact us or Sean again. Change your name if you have to. Harold will provide you the funds to do so.”
“I want nothing from either of you. If you think that Sean can be manipulated into doing your bidding, you’re going to be sorely disappointed.” Malika stood and, this time, didn’t turn around as she left.
Later that evening after watching the video of Malcolm’s theft in her hotel room in Melbourne, and having a telephone conversation with her mother and brother, Malika did the only thing she could. Malcolm had indeed stolen the jewelry, pawned it, and had already used some of the money to purchase a one-year lease on a flat in New York. Her mother confessed to having an affair that spanned years with Harold. To hear her mother tell it, the two older people loved each other and were content with their arrangement. Mavis was terrified that her children would destroy her relationship with Harold. It was clear what choice her mother wanted her to make.
“That boy will never love you the way you need to be loved, baby. Do you think he will ever introduce you to his friends, ask you to be his wife, or allow you to become his true duchess? Those things are only fairytales, Malika. Don’t throw away your life on this man.”
“Mother, that speech seems to more accurately relate to you than it does to me. Sean and I are friends only. I don’t understand why everyone thinks that it’s more.”
“His parents had a fundraiser a few weeks ago and invited some of the most beautiful women in the city. Sean ignored all of them! The next day, when his parents pressed him on it, he reminded them of what he was looking for in a wife and said you’d already set that bar. What do you think that’s coming from? It’s only a matter of time before he gives in and takes what you offer every time you turn those big brown eyes on him.”
Malika didn’t dare tell her mother that Sean had already taken. It was a secret she intended to take out and examine in the lonely years ahead, to replay in her head every exquisite touch and feel, but it was also a secret she intended to carry to her grave. “Bye, Mother,” she whispered before disconnecting from the call. Hours later she left Melbourne for what she thought was forever.
Chapter Nine
(London, England)
A month after the fake accident…
Sean was again hurt on a mission. He had been reckless about his life after her “death” and was not taking it well. If his mother thought that her death would bring him to heel, she had badly miscalculated. Malika couldn’t stop herself from wanting desperately to see him and ensure that he was okay. Worried that his way of mourning was bordering on suicidal, she followed his every move and activity. This time he had been injured badly.
It was the early hours of the morning when she crept into his flat. He was stretched out on his back. His entire chest was bandaged from the bullet wounds he’d sustained, and from the number of empty beer bottles on the nightstand, he had had some help falling asleep. He’d come so close to being killed this time. The shock of how close he’d come made her tremble with emotion, with fear. With his last reckless behavior still dominant in her mind, Malika was terrified for him.
Wanting to take away his hurt, she moved closer cautiously, knowing that she was taking an even bigger risk of being discovered. When she was about a foot away from his bed, he suddenly came awake.
She froze where she stood.
“I’ve dreamed of you so many times.” His voice was husky with sleep. “Stay with me longer this time,” he whispered.
She remained frozen, breathing slowly as fear of discovery paralyzed her.
“I knew if I got hurt bad enough, you’d come,” he continued.
Malika had no idea who he thought she was. With her heart still pounding with fear, she quickly turned and tried to run. Sean caught her mid-stride as she ran across his living room. She tried to fight him off but didn’t put much effort in it for fear of hurting him. They wrestled around on the carpet for a few seconds, both for them breathing hard and panting as they engaged in intense hand-to-hand combat. They both pulled their punches, trying their best not to deliver any punishing blows. Eventually, his strength and more extensive martial arts skill wore her down. She was good, but he had always been better.
He held her to the carpet on her stomach with her hands trapped behind her back.
“Why are you running from me?” He sounded hurt and puzzled. “Why are you fighting me?”
She bucked violently against him, and he tried his best to maintain his hold without hurting her.
“Stop! I don’t understand. Why are you fighting me?”
Again she didn’t answer but whimpered pitifully, silently begging him to let her go.
Sean flipped her over and straddled her hips. “Sweetheart, please don’t.” He tried to look down at her with the little light coming from the moonlight through the window, but it was impossible for either of them to see each other. “Why did you come if you were going to leave me? Please don’t leave me.”
She found it impossible to focus on his words. His hardness against her soft skin made her reel with awareness. He only had on pajama bottoms, and Malika easily felt the weighty length of his cock against her belly. She tried to sit up, horrified that already her folds were sleek with desire.
Sean shifted slightly as his shaft pulsed. Obviously he was just as affected by her as she was by him. He bent his head and lightly brushed her lips with his.
She gasped at the initial taste of him.
He tenderly kissed her again. “Don’t leave.”
She moaned helplessly. This time she opened her lips and pulled his bottom lip between her teeth, nipping and licking away the sting.
He groaned and gave into the irrepressible chemistry between them.
She wound her arms around his neck and pulled him to cover her more fully.
He eagerly fell on top of her and deepened the kiss, hungrily devouring her lips as though he couldn’t get enough, slanting his lips over hers again and again and growling with pleasure as she returned his kiss.
He meticulously stripped her clothes from her.
She didn’t protest but was terrified he might recognize something about her. This was the first time he was fully alert while they made love. Her curvy figure wasn’t something she could hide. What if he realized that it was her and that she was alive? Her body was all lean muscle, but her breasts and ass were generously round and firm. When he palmed her breasts, they easily overflowed his large hands.
Sean buried his head between the bountiful globes and greedily rooted from one plump nipple to the next. “I want to see you,” he said softly.
She vigorously shook her head no, causing her hair to spill from her ponytail.
He rose up and k
issed her again.
She returned his kiss, wanting to never let him go.
Sean gripped her ass, his fingers digging into the taut flesh to pull her tight against his straining dick. He latched onto her nipple, sucking it deep into his mouth. Each tug of his lips and tongue caused her to writhe vigorously against him. He made her pulse hard with need low in her pelvis.
She cried out in pleasure.
Unrelenting in his loving, he slowly trailed kisses down her flat stomach. It was as if he was paying homage to her, handling her with such gentleness he was overcome with emotion. His movements were deliberate, tender, and sensual.
Moisture gathered in her eyes.
“I miss you so much,” he whispered, aching.
She moaned through every kiss he peppered on her belly, her thighs, and her mons.
He parted her folds and licked up her essence, wringing lusty cries from her lips. Turning her to her knees, he slid his cock between her legs and teased her swollen flesh. He held her hips steady as he slowly glided his hard length up, down, and drawing pleading whimpers from her lips.
She pushed her bottom higher, insistently against him, trying to coax his cock to her weeping center. He spread her, dipping the broad head into her heat, and teased her with shallow thrusts in and out of her entrance.
Malika whimpered harder, wanting desperately to feel his hard length deep inside of her.
“Do you want this?” he asked huskily.
She hissed as he slipped into her but pulled back out again.
“Do you? Do you want me?”
She pressed back against him, silently showing him what she wanted.
He drove his cock slow and deep into her tight sheath. And then pulled out of her again.
“Por favor!” she begged.
“Ah, baby, lucky for you, I speak Spanish.” He slid into her heat again.
She cried out, and he growled at the intoxicating feel of their melded flesh.
He angled his hips and gently rocked into her.
That was not enough for her. She wanted him deeper. She clenched the muscles of her pussy around his thick length and slammed her ass back and forth, trying to take his cock deeper. She purred sensually at the feel of him abrading her inner walls deliciously, hitting the cluster of nerves deep within her again and again.
Sean held her by her waist and rode her hard, wringing loud cries from her. He parted her wet folds and scraped her swollen clit with the rough pad of his fingertip as he continued to saw into her.
His cock lengthened and expanded, reaching almost to her belly with each dominating stroke deep into her core, making every nerve ending in her body electrify and ignite with pure unadulterated lust. As her limbs started trembling uncontrollably, Sean pulled out of her.
“No!” Malika cried out and weakly reached for him. The abrupt separation from him sent a sharp ache to her stomach. However, she didn’t have to wait long. He eased her to her back, fitted himself between her thighs, and pulled her legs high around his waist as he slid his cock back into her tight sheath.
She hissed in satisfaction.
He palmed her breasts and drove gently up into her, thrusting in and out of her endlessly. Turning her head, he captured her lips in a probing kiss while stroking into her heat.
Undulating her hips, she sucked on his tongue, and her pussy sucked on his cock.
“So fucking good,” he growled, his arms tightening around her as he stroked his cock into her, filling her snug walls as he convulsed and exploded, triggering her own orgasm.
He buried his face in her hair, clutched her against his chest, and wrapped his long legs over hers.
Malika’s heart pounded against her chest in fear. She was terrified he would hold her and not let her leave.
“I don’t care if I’m going mad. I just want you to stay with me, baby.” He voice grew hoarse with tears. “Don’t fucking leave me again.”
Tears slid down her cheek as she squeezed his hand in acknowledgment but otherwise didn’t say anything. She knew he was hurting, not only from mourning her death but he was obviously in a lot of physical pain. Their scrimmage earlier in his living room and their vigorous lovemaking couldn’t have been good for his chest wounds.
“I can’t take losing you again.” His soft pleas in the dark of the night made her want nothing more than to take away his sadness, but of course she couldn’t. She had made a promise that she wouldn’t break so easily.
“Please, stay with me,” he whispered.
She curled and pressed closer to him.
“Talk to me, sweetheart.” Sean sighed after she remained silent. He disentangled himself, stood, and lifted her in his arms.
She wanted to scream at him to put her down. He was crazy to put so much strain on his injuries. Not wanting to hurt him further, Malika buried her face in the warm cavity of his neck, doing her best to remain still.
He took her into his bedroom and deposited her onto his bed. “I should be a gentleman and take care of you, but I don’t want to leave you alone for a moment.” He bent his head to capture her lips with his. He gave her a soft probing kiss, and when he was about to lift his head, Malika wound her arms around his neck and pulled him back down to receive her kiss. She kissed him passionately, trying to convey how much she loved him.
He growled in appreciation, covered her with his massive body, and slipped into her molten core. This time their loving was sensually slow and sweet. He kissed her with infinite tenderness as they rocked together endlessly.
“I don’t want this dream to end.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she spasmed and climaxed in ecstasy. Sean clutched her tight as he, too, lost all control and shook violently into his own release.
He held her close with his arms and legs thrown over her, trapping her under him throughout the night as if terrified she might leave. Every time she tried to ease out from under his body, he woke, protested, tucked her back under him, and then promptly went back to sleep. However, with the alcohol and pain medication he had taken previously and pure physical exhaustion, Sean fell into a deep sleep hours later.
Malika hugged him to her one last time before she edged her body from the bed. Moving with expert stealth, she dressed quickly and then removed any trace of her ever being there. She straightened the furniture from their tussle earlier before disappearing through the window where her gear was lying in wait.
A month later, Malika was called in for an urgent field mission. The assignment required a black woman with a particular build to act as a double in a hostage exchange. Richard Carvine, the British Earl of Ashford, had requested assistance from the agency after one of his men had been kidnapped by his half-brother. Richard’s head of security and friend, Ivan, had been badly injured in protecting Richard’s lover and mother of his children, Kiya. To get to Richard, his brother had kidnapped Ivan in an attempt to leer Kiya to him, as she felt responsible for Ivan’s injuries and capture. There was no way Richard would have ever put the mother of his children in such danger, but neither could he let Ivan die because of it. Richard had called in a few favors from his powerful friends in the British government for help.
Unfortunately for her, Malika was the only agent in MI6 to fit the description required. This was only the third time she had been out in the field for the agency. Her handler had been trying for months to get her to take on more active missions after seeing her use her martial arts and weapons skills, which she had unexpectedly shown on a previous mission that had gone very wrong. The agents she had been guiding electronically had gotten into a deadly situation, and if not for her quick action, they would have lost their lives. The agency had taken note of her surprising skills and wanted to take advantage of their good fortune.
However, Malika had made it clear that she wasn’t interested in that part of her job. If the danger now hadn’t been so imminent, with a man’s life in jeopardy, she never would have agreed.
Malika had been called in to take the place of K
iya. After adding a short-hair wig on her head and putting on stiletto heels, she was a dead ringer for the other woman. The short notice given by her boss didn’t allow her to do her usual due diligence. Otherwise she would have known that Sean’s SEAL team was a part of the mission. They were there at the request of Richard, who was doing everything in his power to protect Ivan without endangering Kiya.
As soon as she was in place as the decoy of the homeowner on Springhurst Close, Sean had stormed the house. He came through the door, guns blazing with incredible accuracy and efficiency, taking out the gunmen inside the house. She had had no time to get out without him seeing her. She had been wearing a short-haired wig in impersonation of Kiya Carvine, so he didn’t recognize her immediately.
As everyone started to clear out, Sean approached her. “Thank you. We owe you guys one,” he said, but his voice trailed away in shock as she turned fully to look at him.
Malika knew he would recognize her now. Her trademark light hazel eyes were unmistakable.
“No problem, Sean.” She had tried to brazen it out by pulling off the wig and letting her long tresses fall about her shoulders to distract him.
Sean was stunned. “What the hell? I thought you were dead.” He glared at her.
Okay, so he’s not distracted. Ah hell, how do I get out of here?
“To you, I am dead,” she muttered before walking away and stubbornly refusing to look back.
Chapter Ten
Present…
Malika: I need your help.
Sean: Sure you do.
Malika: Someone’s life depends on it.
Sean: You wouldn’t contact me if it wasn’t life or death.
Malika: There’s a young man in his mid-twenties, black hair, Asian American about five-feet-eight.
Waiting For You (The Guardians: Book 3) Page 9