by Gina Watson
“Do you think there’s any chance those men will find us here?” Her voice quivered as a shiver racked her body.
“There’s always a chance, but if anyone tries to touch you, I’ll kill them.”
“I’ve been thinking about Evie a lot and what she must have endured.”
He pulled her back so he could look into her eyes. She in turn searched his face.
“Hey, all of that’s in the past now. Evie is doing well. She’ll forever be safe; no one will ever hurt her again.”
Her hitched brow said she doubted him. “I don’t think he intends to stop looking for her. You said he’s a very bad man.” She rubbed the bruised skin on her neck.
He pulled her wrists to his mouth and kissed the inside of each one. “I don’t know what his game is. I don’t intend to walk away from him unless I’m sure of your and your sister’s safety.”
Large lilac eyes stared into his. He filed their color into his memory—lilac, the color of her eyes when she was sated.
“How can you be certain?”
“Certain?”
“Of our safety.”
His eyes narrowed. He knew exactly how, already had a plan B. Sure, he’d feel the guy out, but he knew what he had to do. Dawning spread across her face and her mouth formed an O.
“Augie.” Her voice was a whisper.
Gripping her upper arm, he inhaled sharply. “I wanted to keep you far removed from the details, but I can’t because you’re here with me. Don’t ask any questions. Don’t even let your mind wander down that path. If anything happens, if questions come up later, you must remain unknowing, uninvolved, or else all of this”—he circled his finger in the air—“will have been a fool’s mission.”
Her lips tightened and she lowered her chin. When he lifted it again, he saw the pain in her eyes. “Tell me you understand what I’m saying.”
Her hand went to the fingers he had clasped around her upper arm.
“I understand.”
Her eyes turned to liquid and, wincing, she grasped his fingers. He hadn’t realized he’d been squeezing her so tightly. He released her instantly.
“I’m sorry.”
She rubbed her face across his warm chest, sticky skin to sticky skin. He’d never been this close to a woman before, except when engaged in sex. But never after. He couldn’t deny it felt luxurious, but more than that, he wouldn’t let himself deny how good she felt rubbing against him. He was aroused, but feelings he didn’t know the words for welled up in him and when she pulled away, taking the blanket with her, he felt as if someone had taken away his favorite toy.
*
They dressed. Mia needed to talk to him about killing another man, even one as evil as Nicolas, but he’d made her promise to leave it alone.
“See if there’s anything that could be made into dinner,” he said. “I’m gonna look around.” He held up two fingers. “Two rules: no technology and don’t go outside. There will be consequences this time for breaking the rules. “
She nodded, distracted by the domineering personality he was displaying. Maybe this was his true nature. She rather liked it because she hated surprises and his expectations were clearly defined.
In the basement she found a deep freezer that contained what looked to be homemade ice cream. Tags read: rocky road, chocolate, and cherry vanilla. There were dozens of bags with frozen vegetables. No protein.
In one corner she found fishing rods and a tackle box. She carried them upstairs. The bait was spinners and minnows. Luck had always come to her when she’d used simple minnows on a jig, but the minnows she used were real, not artificial. She shrugged and pulled the rubbery bait from the box, attaching it to the line.
She headed outside to the pier behind the cabin.
She cast the line. The water was slightly choppy, which was actually not a bad thing for walleye fishing. As she waited for a pull in the line, she thought about how Evie hated fishing, said it shouldn’t be considered a sport, but Mia was glad it was because fishing with her father had been some of the few occasions her father had beamed with pride on her behalf. She had a knack for casting and reeling. With a smile on her face, she inhaled deeply and tried to relax. It had been an unrelenting twenty-four hours.
When the line clicked, Mia bore down on the rod and slowly reeled it in. The tension was tight, but she steadily reeled. Eventually gold scales shimmered just under the water near the pier’s edge.
Walleye status confirmed, she reached for the net by her feet and struggled to lift the fish. Fighting, the fish thrashed and jumped, but she fought back and turned the net into his struggles. Damn thing was heavier than anything she’d ever caught before.
She leaned the rod and net against the back door and went into the house. Rounding the corner to the foyer, she found Augie locked in an embrace. Eyes closed, a woman she assumed was Gloria had her arms around Augie’s neck and her hands snaked into his hair. She was petite, and her feet weren’t actually reaching the ground. No, Augie supported all her weight. Mia’s gut clenched. Gloria was bronzed all over, both hair and skin. Her lips were thick and her lashes and brows were dark as coal. She was an exotic beauty and even her curves had curves. Denim hugged the swell of her thighs and ass. Mia imagined that men thought she was pretty spectacular.
They separated.
“Thank you for coming,” Augie said.
“Augustine, you know you don’t have to thank me for that.”
Her chocolate gaze landed on Mia.
“Hi there, I’m Gloria. You must be Michaela.”
“M-Mia.”
Gloria’s palm rested on Augie’s chest. “I hope Augie has been treating you well.”
She was even more beautiful when she spoke directly to you. All Mia could do was nod.
“Good. You let me know if he gets out of hand.”
Grinning, Gloria grabbed Augie’s hand and pulled him into the living room. Mia followed since she was on her way to the kitchen. Squatting to sit on the couch, Gloria said, “So brief me.”
“Just one second.” Augie turned to Mia, his face contorted into a menacing frown. He pointed to the fish and asked, “What is that?”
“Dinner.”
“Where’d you get it?”
“I caught it out back.”
“It’s mighty impressive.”
“I think it’ll be tasty. It’s walleye.” Her voice was soft—she felt uncomfortable speaking with Gloria watching them.
“I have no doubt it will be. My issue is in how you caught it.”
Was he being deliberately obtuse?
“I found a rod and tackle in the basement.” She pointed toward the lake. “Then I caught it in the lake.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “You went outside.”
She nodded. What was he getting at?
“So you broke one of the two rules and jeopardized the mission yet again.”
Her jaw dropped, and she felt her eyes blinking rapidly. Had she broken one of the rules? Her head was foggy on the rules. “Did I?” She swallowed.
“Yeah, you did, a big one. Tell me the rules, Mia.”
“I don’t remember.” Her body felt hot and she had a headache.
He looked to the floor and used his thumb to scratch his eyebrow. She didn’t appreciate being reprimanded in front of a stranger, especially one who looked like Gloria, and the fish in her hand was getting heavy, so she walked to the kitchen.
She plopped the fish into the sink and pulled some newspaper from a recycle bin and spread it across the counter. She pulled a fillet knife from the butcher block.
“The rules, Mia, what are they?”
She turned with the knife in her hand. “I don’t remember, okay? I’m really tired. I was just trying to do something to help. I didn’t mean to break your stupid rules.”
He leaned against the counter next to her. “The rules exist to protect you. You could have been kidnapped or killed. How would I even know? You were supposed to be inside.”
/>
“Are you going to stay mad at me all night?”
“I’m at about an eleven.”
“An eleven.”
“On a scale of one to ten, one being the least mad, I’m at an eleven.”
“That’s pretty bad.”
“You frustrate me. Every time you deviate from the rules, you risk all our lives. Mine, yours, now Gloria’s. Maybe it would do you some good to think of someone other than yourself before you make a move.”
He walked away, leaving her remorseful. Tears fell from her eyes and splashed on the newspaper, absorbed on impact.
“Say I love walleye.”
“What?”
She turned, and Augie snapped a picture with his phone.
He grimaced. “How ’bout a mulligan?”
“What?” His mood swings disoriented her.
“You’re not smiling in that picture. Do you want to retake it?”
“No.” She picked up the knife and sliced through the belly of the fish.
“Looks like you know what you’re doing.”
“I do.”
“Like I said, impressive.”
“I take it girls in the States don’t fish?”
He snorted. “No way. They do spa days, salon days, marathon shopping.” He shook his head. “Their outdoor activities consist of lying out with piña coladas and those movie star magazines.”
“Well, that’s why you like them, right?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t know.” If he couldn’t figure it out, she wasn’t going to tell him.
“I made you cry again.”
“And I made you mad again.”
Cooking relaxed her, and she wished he would just let her be with her thoughts. He clouded her ability to problem solve.
“I can’t believe you caught and gutted this mammoth beast.”
That made her laugh. He squeezed her shoulders and walked off. Probably going to talk to Gloria. Mia watched him go, then turned her attention back to dinner. Digging around in the basement, she found everything she’d need to make walnut-crusted walleye. She also found a bag of potatoes and a loaf of French bread in the freezer and grabbed a can of tomatoes from the shelf.
Augie was leaning against the counter in the kitchen when she returned. He was sipping a beer. “What’s that?”
She placed the food on the center island. “How about mashed potatoes and tomato gravy?”
“Damn, woman. Nothing I love more than tomato gravy.” He squatted and began pulling wine bottles from beneath the island. “A nice wine is in order. They’ve got some decent ones here too. This pinot looks good. How about I pour us each a glass?”
“Where’s Gloria?”
“Shower.”
He slid her glass across the counter and sipped from his, tasting it like he was some wine connoisseur. “Mmm, it’s oak-ey.”
She laughed. After his playful drama, that was his grand conclusion? “Oak-ey.”
“Yeah, I’m shit at wine tasting. Expensive, inexpensive all taste the same to me.” He took another sip. “Don’t get me wrong, I really do like wine, I’m just not good at being pretentious.”
She held the bottle up and looked at the vintage. “Hmm, 2009. Hope this wasn’t an expensive bottle.”
“Trust me, no one leaves the good shit at their vacation home.” He sipped the wine. “So what do you make of it?”
“Of the wine?”
“Yes, what’s your expert analysis of this here vintage?”
His relaxed banter put her at ease. Playful Augie was once again in the house.
“Well, let me see…” Sipping and swirling the wine on her tongue, she analyzed the taste and then swallowed. “Oh!” She sputtered a little. “Wow.” She held the glass in front of her face and eyed the contents. “With the way people put this stuff away you’d think it would at least taste good.”
Augie smiled, looking like a much younger man. “Have you never had a drink then?”
“Na.” She shook her head. “Strongest I’ve had is sparkling cider.”
He took her glass to the sink. “Starting with wine was a mistake. You need to start with something like sex on the beach.”
Spoon in hand, she turned away from her gravy making, her eyes wide. “Yes! I want that. How can I get it?”
Squatting to dig around beneath the counter, he said, “Relax, it’s the name of a drink. Hmm, let me see. Basically any fruit juice will do.” He set a can of pineapple juice on the counter. “And then you just need some fruity alcohol.” When he stood, he had four bottles cradled in his arms.
“Oh my God. We’re gonna drink all that?”
He looked down at his arms. “It’s nothing. I’ll make it very small.”
“Do you drink it?”
“Well, see, I’m old so these sugary drinks give me a headache.”
“How old are you?”
Looking up from his mixing, he offered a cocky grin. “Older by far than you, my dear.”
He set about opening and measuring, pouring and tasting, before he nodded as if to say, That’ll do. After plopping ice into the glass, he stirred the concoction with a spoon.
“Here you go, one sex on the beach.”
As she took the glass, he winked. “Bottoms up.”
She sipped, worried it’d be tart like the wine, but the taste was sweet. “Mmm.” She rubbed her lips together, and then took a big gulp. “It’s really good. Tastes like a Sweet Tart or fruit punch.” She took another gulp. “I like it.”
“I used a half ounce for each liquor, so there’s two ounces of alcohol in there. That’s a lot for a lightweight, so take it easy.”
She sidled up next to him. “You want a sip?” She waggled her eyebrows.
He frowned. “Give me that.” He took the drink from her hands and dumped what was left in the sink.
Gloria strolled in fresh from a shower, saying, “Hey, anything I can do to help in here?”
Mia coveted her thick shiny hair that was so long it almost touched her butt. “No thanks, I got it.”
“I’m going to set up the laptop then.”
“Sounds great,” Augie said. “Thanks again for coming all this way.” He smiled at her and she side-hugged him. “There’s some of that beer you like in the fridge.”
“Awesome.”
She helped herself as Mia watched. Augie knew what she liked to drink and they had an ease around one another, far from what Mia had with him. He was always glaring at her for some breach in the rules she hadn’t known she’d committed.
Augie held the plates so she could fill them. As she plated up the dinner, she was reminded of his hands catapulting her body into another dimension. Now that she’d had a taste of Augustine Roy, she wanted more. Hell, she wanted to devour him. It was all she could do to keep her mind off his erection. God, it had been heavy and hot in her hand. Whenever he was around, her eyes were drawn to his crotch. He was large, huge even, and she wondered how her body would accommodate him. But to spend all day trying would be bliss. He’d be sweet and worried about her comfort and safety like he always was. She’d be short of breath with an elevated pulse and desire strong enough to part the Amazon River.
Damn, what was in that drink?
“Michaela?”
She blinked. She’d gotten herself so worked up she hadn’t known she’d stopped scooping the food.
“What—Are—You—Thinking—About?” He enunciated every word clearer than the last.
“Um, nothing.” She cleared her throat. Steely hands grasped her arms and turned her to face him. His mouth whispered in her ear.
“You’re flushed. Pulse is elevated, and I can guarantee you’re wetter than an April day in Southwest Louisiana.”
Her mouth opened on a gasp.
“Do you deny it?”
When she didn’t answer, his hand snaked into her jeans, bypassed her underwear, and played along her seam. Coffee-bean eyes turned almost black at what he found.
> “Fuck, you’re the sweetest thing I’ve ever met.” His hands trailed up her abdomen and his shimmering-wet fingers went straight into his mouth. Licking them like they were coated in melted chocolate, he never turned his eyes from hers.
Sparks ran through her core and belly, and she could no longer think of food; other hungers much too strong. “You have something I want,” she said. Of its own will, her hand grabbed his crotch and fisted there.
He gasped and palmed her head, pulling her back by her hair to expose her neck. Laying a trail of kisses, his lips ran the length of her neck, to her jaw, and finally landed at her lips. Softly at first, he tasted her. Then his efforts turned frantic. His whiskers burned her sensitive skin as his lips and tongue explored her mouth. When his hand squeezed her breast and nipple, she broke away to cry out.
He backed away from her. “I’m sorry, Mia. When I saw you standing there all flushed and looking like a dominant’s sex kitten, I lost it.”
Her palm went to his cheek. “I like when you lose it.”
And she did. But she’d clearly shocked him with her admission. He turned away and mumbled something about washing up.
Mia washed her own hands and then picked up the plates again. “Bon Appetite,” she said, setting the plates on the table.
“It looks delicious.” Gloria said.
“Well, don’t eyeball it. Eat before it gets cold.”
“Mmm, wow, Mia, this is truly amazing,” Augie said.
Sounds of pleasure escaped from deep in his throat. “It’s hands down the second best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth.”
His eyes simmered at her, and she dropped her fork. It clattered to her plate with a crash. Christ, she’d lost her appetite for food. She needed him. Now.
Gloria cleared her throat. “So, Mia, you’re a fisherman? Or should I say woman?”
She’d forgotten Gloria was in the room with them. “Oh, I uh, I used to go out with my dad when I was young.”
“What’s this we’re eating?”
“Walnut-crusted walleye.”
“It’s a really solid meal.”
Mia smiled, not sure if she’d been complimented or not.
“Gloria hates fish.” Augie smirked.
“Augustine, that’s not true.” She threw her napkin at him.
“Whatever. And stop calling me that, you know I hate it.”