by M. Malone
“Ugh, I’m starving! As usual,” Lucia declared before snatching three pieces of pizza onto her own plate. “Everyone talks about pregnancy cravings, but I never realized that you’re just as hungry when you’re nursing. I’m probably never going to fit into my old clothes again.”
JJ rolled her eyes. “Says the tiny girl who still wears a size that I couldn’t fit one leg into.”
“You look amazing and you know it.” Lucia smirked at her friend. “I’m sure Jonas lets you know exactly how much he loves your curves.”
Diana was struck with longing as she watched the two friends banter back and forth. With no mother or sisters, she’d always been on her own to figure things out growing up. Now that she was pregnant, it would be nice to have someone to talk to. She wished she could confide in Lucia and ask all the questions that were banging around in her head, but this was Rafe’s sister. Would she be happy that her brother was going to be a father? Or upset that he’d knocked up some random chick with a psycho family?
She took a tiny bite of her pizza.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Lucia put an arm around her. “I’ve been meaning to check on you. It can’t be easy being holed up with no one but Rafe for company. You know you’re always welcome to hang with us if you get bored.”
JJ rolled her eyes. “Um, I know this is weird since it’s your brother, Lu, but no straight woman would be bored with Rafe. I’m sure he’s keeping her… busy.”
JJ made an obscene gesture, and Diana choked slightly. Lucia burst into giggles.
“JJ, stop. Don’t mind her, Diana. We still haven’t gotten her completely house trained.”
“No, it’s fine!” Diana wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Everything is fine. I’ve just been tired. But Rafe has been taking good care of me.”
Ignoring JJ’s raised eyebrows, Lucia nodded. “He’s good at that. Taking care of people. Even though he seems all gruff and scary, my brother has always been the caretaker type. I mean, he practically raised me, along with Nonna, of course.”
“He loves you so much. I can tell how proud he is of you when he talks about you.” Diana glanced behind her to where Rafe was standing with the other men. As if he could sense her eyes, he turned. The air between them crackled with electricity, and she blushed and turned around.
Lucia regarded her with a kind smile. “I’m proud of him too. He’s had a hard life, but he’s never given up. Now all I can do is pray that he learns to relax and enjoy life before it’s too late. But I can see I don’t have to worry about that anymore.”
“Oh?” Diana asked.
“With the way he looks at you, my brother is clearly thinking about a lot more than work lately. You’re the first girl he’s ever introduced to us.”
Although everything inside her thrilled at the thought, Diana cautioned herself not to get too excited. Rafe was an extremely private man, and his life was a dangerous one. Of course he’d probably never introduced anyone to his family. But that didn’t mean he’d been a monk over the years.
Don’t think about that.
Her stomach churned slightly at the thought of Rafe with other women. But he wasn’t with those women now. He was with her. He loved her. No matter what was going on around them, the two of them together was a good thing. And as much as he was determined to protect her, she felt just as strongly about him. She glanced over at Lucia and JJ, playfully bickering over the last slice of pizza.
All of them. They were his family, and they would be her baby’s family. The very thing she’d always wanted was so close she could taste it.
She wouldn’t let anything get in the way.
"Meet in the office in five."
Rafe looked up at Noah's softly muttered words. He glanced over where the girls were chatting and laughing, the pizza long gone.
He didn't want to leave Diana. It was stupid but he worried about her whenever she was out of his sight. But when Noah called a meeting, it was always about something important. He couldn't take chances with her safety. So he followed his best friend down the hall to his office. Matthias, Ryan, Dylan and Oskar were already there waiting.
Noah sat behind his desk, his face grave. "We need to strategize. The Vandergraffs will make a move eventually. We have to be ready."
It should have given him comfort to see that the others were taking this as seriously as he was. But all that registered was a pervasive sense of fear.
It was an unfamiliar feeling, this helplessness. He would do anything to protect her, but for the first time he worried that his best wouldn’t be good enough. There were simply too many variables at play between her brothers, the FBI and Interpol up their asses, and any others who might think she knew where the damn diamond was. Threats were everywhere, and he was fighting his instinct to take Diana away somewhere and disappear.
But she deserved better than that. A life on the run was no life at all. He thought back to how she'd looked earlier, laughing with his sister and JJ. This was what she needed. Family. Friends. Security.
Things he could give her if he played his cards right.
“Rafe?”
He glanced up at the sound of his name.
Noah was watching him with knowing eyes. “I know what you’re thinking. Running won’t fix this.” He stood and came from behind the desk.
“What else can I do? She’s in danger here, and being with me is likely only going to bring more heat down on her.”
“That’s not true.” Noah clapped a hand on his shoulder, as if he could keep Rafe there through sheer force of will. “You are probably the best thing for her right now. Who the hell else could protect her the way you can?”
Rafe sighed. “That’s all I want. To protect her. But how do I do that when we have heat coming from all sides? She’s too good to live like this.”
Oskar leaned back against the far wall. “Am I the only one who’s going to say it?” He looked around, and they all stopped what they were doing to glare at him.
Rafe growled out. “Say what you want to say, Oskar. No one has time for your bullshit tonight.”
“I’m glad to see someone here is PMSing. Would you like a Midol?”
Rafe flipped him off. “Fuck you.”
“I’m sure you would enjoy it very much.”
Normally, Rafe would let him mouth off and let his annoyance slide. But tonight Rafe was too raw. He kept thinking about what could have happened if he hadn’t been there when her brothers grabbed her. What if he’d lost her before they’d even had any time together? Before he’d known she carried his child? He was far too raw, too emotional.
Noah put a hand on his chest. “You, chill out.” He turned his attention to Oskar. “And what the fuck are you thinking?”
“Her brothers aren’t just going to give up.”
Rafe was a hair away from shoving Noah’s hand off his chest and going after the German to work out some of his angry frustration, but Noah’s hand stayed steady. So Rafe had to dial it back a notch.
Rafe growled through clenched teeth. “You got an idea, or you just enjoy stating the obvious?”
Oskar grinned. “I’m so glad you asked about an idea. Because I do happen to have one.”
Noah rolled his eyes. “Cut the shit, Oskar. Spill it.”
“They want her. So we allow them to get back what they want.”
For a long moment Rafe was certain he hadn’t heard correctly. Then the words started to filter in, and it took Noah, Matthias and Dylan to stop him from vaulting across the room.
“You want to use her as bait? That’s my fucking girl. She’s pregnant, asshole.”
Noah’s jaw unhinged. Ryan and Dylan exchanged glances. He couldn’t read Matthias’s expression, but that was par for the course.
Oskar, ever dry, just said, “Well, congrats. So how long before you teach the kid to kill someone in their sleep?”
Noah growled at Oskar. “Can it, Viking.” He shoved Rafe back. “Rafe, we get it. No one is going to use anyone as bait.�
� He nailed Oskar with a hard look that clearly stated he’d better not be suggesting that.
Matthias was actually surprisingly strong, and he was taking the brunt of holding back Rafe from annihilating the German’s face. “If she were your woman, would you be so eager to put her in the line of fire?”
Oskar shrugged. “If it would get the job done, I’d do what I needed to do. I wouldn’t make it personal.”
“We don’t put family in the line of fire,” Noah reminded him.
“He’s not my damn family,” Oskar muttered but not so quietly that Rafe didn’t hear him.
“She’s my family, dumbass!” Rafe raged.
Noah looked like he was ready to let him go and take Oskar out for that comment.
Oskar held up his hands. “Sorry. I’m just saying, we would all be there protecting her. We’d set a trap. We have to do something. Right now we’re sitting ducks.”
Rafe shoved everybody off him, grappling for a moment with Matthias before the kid finally let him go and shoved him toward the door.
Noah glared at him. “Go cool off. No one’s using anyone as bait. We’re going to find another solution.” He turned his attention back to Oskar. “You come up with another brilliant idea. One that doesn’t involve getting one of the family killed.”
Rafe wrenched open the office door. He had to find Diana. He wasn’t letting her get hurt. He wasn’t letting his child get hurt.
Over his dead body.
Chapter Fourteen
Diana heard the door slam from the living room. She left Lucia with JJ and went to see what was wrong. She immediately knew something was up when she saw Noah and a few of the other guys watching her from the hallway with blank expressions. She eventually found Rafe in their bedroom, pacing.
She watched him for a long moment before speaking. “You want to talk about what’s going on?”
“No.”
Diana folded her arms and leaned against the doorframe. “Hey, I’m just trying to help you. Obviously something is going on.” She swallowed. “Is it my brothers? Have you found them?”
He turned and met her gaze, shaking his head slowly. “No, we haven’t. I’m just frustrated with the whole thing, that’s all.”
She nodded as she rocked back and forth on her heels. “I just wish I could help in some way. I wish that none of you were in danger because of me.”
Rafe stalked toward her, then wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in his warmth. “None of this is your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
She wasn’t willing to dismiss what she was feeling that easily. “But this is my family. In so many ways my ignorance makes me complicit. I saw what I wanted. So maybe I need to help stop it. I need to do something.”
He searched her face. “Did Oskar say something to you?”
Diana frowned. “Why would Oskar say something to me?”
Rafe shook his head. “Never mind.”
“Rafe, we can’t keep doing this. This is no way to live, looking over our shoulders and keeping us under lock and key. It’s time to go on the offensive, or it’s time to put some distance between me and the rest of you. I’m the one they want. The smart choice is to have me leave.”
He scowled at her. “There’s nothing smart about it. This penthouse is a fortress. You’re safest here. Even clients are only ever shown the conference room. There is no way I’m letting you out of my sight, so you’re just going to have to deal with it.”
She narrowed her gaze. “Do I have to remind you that I researched you for over a year and none of you were any the wiser? I am a fighter. I know how to take care of myself. You can take your damsel-in-distress-protection shit and shove it. I am your partner. Stop trying to protect me.”
His chuckle was harsh. “Things are different now, Diana. You’re pregnant. They can hurt you.”
She hated that he was right, but she didn’t want to concede that point. “They got the jump on me last time. I admit that.”
“I know, baby. That’s why staying here is for the best. Noah and the others can help me protect you. Leaving doesn’t make them any safer. Your brothers already know you’re connected to me, so everyone here is still in danger even if you leave.”
She buried her face in his chest. “I feel terrible. Even if I’m not directly responsible, I feel like I need to do something.”
“You’re doing everything you can. We’ve already talked to the FBI. You’ve given them all the information you have. It’s up to them to take action.”
“Yeah, but still. My brothers are after me. Maybe you guys could use me.”
He grabbed her shoulders. “I am not using you as bait. No more talking to Oskar. He was the one who came up with this stupid bait idea.”
“So that's why you look so pissed. Oskar didn't say anything to me but it’s not the worst idea in the world. If you won’t let me draw them away from everyone, then let me do this. They want me. And they’ll take me any way they can get me. If you know they are going to keep coming, it’s much better if it’s on our terms, don’t you think?”
His thumb slid over her bare skin. “You truly have no idea how much you mean to me, do you? I can’t lose you.”
Diana stepped into his space and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m just saying we need to try to do something.”
“And we will. We’ll brainstorm some ideas. Right now I just need to be close to you. The idea of losing you terrifies me.”
“You’re not going to lose me. We’re going to find a way to end this.”
Rafe kissed her. As always, his lips were expert over hers. His hands gently held and caressed her face as they kissed, and the tender action made her melt from the inside out. Diana tugged his head back down and fused her lips with his, raising her hips to meet the hard length of him.
A growl bubbled up from deep in his throat. He tugged at the hem of her tank top, untucking it from her jeans and exposing her belly. The moment his hands met with skin, her breath caught.
Every time he touched her, it sent a zing of pleasure to her core. She wondered if that would ever end. His roving hands traveled up her rib cage. He muttered something that was part epithet, part homage as his thumb came into contact with the bare flesh of her breast.
When he didn’t continue, she squirmed under him, and he chuckled. When his thumb traced a circle over her nipple, Diana arched her back in an attempt to get closer. The peak stiffened in response as her core pulsed. When she groaned, he repeated the action.
Desperate to get closer, Diana pressed into him. With a low growl, he picked her up and kicked the door shut behind them. He wasted no time once he deposited her on the bed, going right back to driving her crazy by teasing her nipples.
She gasped out his name. On his third pass, he tugged the nub between his thumb and forefinger, and she moaned his name as her hips rode his thigh.
With a curse, he yanked her tank over her head. When her heavy breasts spilled free, Rafe’s muttered “fuck” made her blush.
“You are so beautiful,” he muttered and kissed her belly button. As he traced kisses from her stomach up her rib cage, Diana arched her back as each kiss drifted closer to her breasts. When his hot mouth closed over a nipple, her core contracted and released. Moist heat dampened her panties, and she rolled her hips into his as he suckled one breast, his palm closed over the other.
Diana pulled at his T-shirt and dragged the material over his head, exposing an expanse of bare torso.
Her hands tentatively roamed over the nape of his neck and his back, exploring the muscles of his deltoids. With each stroke she could feel him shiver.
Wrapping his arms around her, Rafe rolled them both over so that she sat on top. God, he was big. Broad shoulders and a wingspan like a swimmer. Thick muscles corded his neck and his broad chest. They rippled with every intake of breath as her fingertips glided over his skin. When her hands shifted down to his abs, he sucked in a breath and held it. Would she ever get u
sed to the fact that he was hers?
Rafe stared up at the beautiful creature on top of him with breasts worth paying homage to. Her skin glowed in the dim light of the room. With every glance from under her lashes and every tentative touch of her fingertips, his whole body felt like it was being stroked to full blaze. Vaguely he wondered if spontaneous combustion was a myth. Add in the euphoric feeling that surged through his blood every time she touched him, and he was likely to come in his jeans.
But was he going to stop her? Hell no. Her breasts swayed as she shifted her straddle farther down his legs. Her hands came into contact with the button on his jeans, and his cock throbbed and strained against the zipper. Involuntarily his hips rose, and he tried to school his breathing.
Since the hotel, he’d been terrified of the possibility of never seeing her again. He’d suddenly understood why they pulled agents off active duty if they got married. All he’d been able to think about was her.
The zzzpt sound of his zipper going down made Rafe wish he practiced some kind of Zen Buddhist religion. If he could find his center, he might have a chance of lasting long enough to make love to her. But it seemed Diana was in the mood to torture him.
Slim-fingered, delicate hands grabbed on to the top of his pants and boxers and tugged them down. Scooting back, she pulled them down past his ankles, and he lay before her, naked as the day he was born. Diana’s eyes traveled from his toes up his shins, to his thighs, and fixated on his dick.
His cock jerked as if to say hello. She shimmied back up his body, straddling him again at the knees. She supported her hands on either side of him.
“You’re very big.”
He grinned. “I love a woman who appreciates what she sees.”