by Amy Jarecki
“With the finances?” She covered her mouth, looking confused as well as terrified. “I told you everything.”
“Your information has been invaluable—to the entire world.”
“You lied to me.”
He nodded, watching her pace with her hand covering her mouth. No matter what El Padrino had done to her, she had to make the right decisions now. And to do that, she needed to find a way to trust Luke.
“What about the prison?” she asked. “Weren’t you arrested?”
“I was planted. I even flew an op for Zambada and got myself thrown in jail.”
She threw her head back and laughed out loud. “And I told El Padrino not to hire you.”
“You did? Why?”
“You…you.” Shuttering those haunted blues with long eyelashes, Mia’s face turned bright red. “I knew you were going to be too distracting—but I had no idea you were a spy. I just thought you were too different. And…”
“And?”
“You affected me—the way you looked at me—the way you weren’t afraid of El Padrino. It made me nervous.”
“Were you afraid of me?”
“Not really. I felt uncomfortable. Exposed—as if you could see through me. As if you could see my soul.”
He inhaled sharply, staring. His fingers itched to reach out and touch her—to run his rough pads over her silky skin, to tell her he would be her protector. He would move heaven and hell to free her from El Padrino’s talons. But he couldn’t do that. He was a spy, a paid secret agent representing all the parents who worried about their addicted children. Most of all, he represented those fallen, lost kids. Mia was one soul compared to thousands.
“Do you want to go home, Mia?” he asked against the reason pounding in his skull.
A tear slipped from her eye as she nodded. “Even if I can’t, death would be better than living in this hell for the rest of my life.”
“Don’t talk about death. God damn, you have far too much life to live.” He pulled her into his arms and held her, protecting her from her haunting past. Yes, his job must come first, but could he find a way to save her, too? She needed to get away from El Padrino as much as the world needed his empire to crumble. In his arms, she felt so small. The delicate woman had no one to protect her, no one to stand between her and a monster.
No one except me. Yeah, it’s up to me to save the world, but why can’t I save her, too?
Pressing his lips to her temple, Luke closed his eyes and vowed he would do whatever must be done to get her out. When this was over—if it was ever over, he would not walk away and leave her. Even if he had to cross through the fires of hell.
Her fingers slid from his waist and around his back while she kneaded them is slow swirls. As she moved a fraction closer, soft breasts caressed his chest, her hips rocked forward and connected with his, the friction making him hard, making his body betray what he desired. She moved her hips erotically but still rested her head against his chest. “I didn’t want The Godfather to hire you because I am attracted to you.”
Swallowing against his thickening throat, Luke threaded his fingers through her hair. “No man in his right mind wouldn’t be attracted to you, sweetheart.”
“But now I want you because you’ve come to mean more to me.”
“Because I can get you out?”
“Maybe a little of that. But I want you because you are virtuous. I knew something was special about you and now that I know what it is, I respect you more.”
He raised her chin with the crook of his finger and lowered his lips gradually, savoring the minty freshness of her breath, the nearing warmth of her skin, smooth and unblemished. He studied her eyes, fringed with dark lashes, making them vivid and luminous. And finally, his gaze slipped to her lips—moist, petite, too pretty to ignore. Closing his eyes, he kissed her, showing her how much she’d come to mean to him. Soft and sweet, Mia returned his kisses with a warmth that sent a current of passion surging from his heart, across his chest and straight through the tip of his cock. God save him, he hadn’t had a woman in months and this gorgeous, lost brunette turned to molten honey in his arms. Her lithe body rubbed against him, showing him she wanted. Her hands went on the offensive and moved up his chest, finding his hard nipples.
Luke arched his back and held himself against her. “God, you’re a tiger.”
She yanked up his shirt and he quickly pulled it over his head.
But she didn’t dive back in. No. Her eyes grew hungry as she swirled her hands around his pecs and down his abs. “You’re perfect.”
“Not even close.” He chuckled. “But you are a ten.”
She shook her head. Luke ignored her denial while he worked loose the buttons of her denim shirt. Pushing the sleeves from her shoulders, he could have drooled. “My God…” There were no words. Yeah, he’d seen her in a bikini, but that was ages ago and he’d spent every night trying to erase the image from his memory. Looking at her wearing a lacy pink bra rekindled his primal instincts and sent them into hyperdrive. Delicious breasts stood proudly presented with a lace ribbon, begging him to discover more.
It was his turn to tap the brakes and savor the goddess standing before him. He traced his finger along the line of her bra while Mia threw back her head and drew in a sharp breath. Goosebumps rose and pebbled her tanned skin. Her reaction ignited a primitive jolt of energy shooting through the tip of his cock. It turned him on to watch her sensual response but he craved more. It only took a flick of his fingers to remove the pink lace.
His breath caught.
Pert, perfectly round and milky-white breasts made him weak at the knees. Cupping them with his palms, his erection throbbed. As he took her nipple in his mouth, she sighed like a woman hungry for love.
A bead of cum leaked into his jocks.
Jesus, if he didn’t slow down, he’d explode before he got naked. A low growl rumbled in his throat as he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed. After laying her against the pillows, he stepped back for a moment allowing his gaze to meander from the thick waves of silky hair spread out in a wild tangle.
She ran her thumbs under the waistband of her yoga pants. Luke’s teeth grazed his bottom lip as he did the same to his shorts, though he didn’t pull them off. “I ah…do you?”
“What?”
A fresh wave of urgency pounded through his blood, but he needed to do one more thing. “I have a condom in my—”
“El Padrino made me have my tubes tied.”
“Sorry.”
“I’m not.” She tugged off her pants.
His shorts dropped.
Sighing, she pulled him over her naked body. “But I don’t want to talk about that.”
In a fever of wild passion, hands groped, kisses grew frenzied, their bodies rubbed and brushed as if they were lovers reunited after years apart.
Mia took in a stuttered breath. “I’ve never felt like this before.”
“I’m honored to be the man you chose to be the first—at least the first by your choice.”
“I’m tingling in places I’ve never believed possible.”
“Just wait. I’m only getting started.”
He slid downward, tugging off her yoga pants as he did. The scent of woman washed over him and made his mind go numb. Breathing her in, he slid his finger through the middle of the dark triangle of curls until he found her, slick, wet and hot.
She gasped as he teased her first with his finger and then with his tongue. She moved like a seductress as he took her higher and higher.
“I want you now,” she begged, arching her back off the mattress.
Grinning, Luke rose to his knees, giving her a good look at his body. He took himself in his hand and stroked. “Is this what you want?”
“Yes.” She arched up high enough to touch him. “Now.”
Aroused beyond rational thought, he lowered himself and slipped inside. The wildcat, grabbed his ass and dictated the tempo. Luke clenched his teeth and buri
ed himself deep inside, his body quivering with strain. But only when her gasps became ragged and high-pitched did he completely let loose and pump, wildly thrusting until the world exploded around them.
Chapter Eighteen
Mia curled into the warmth of Lucas’ arms while the imprint of their love making lingered on her skin. If only she could freeze this moment in time. She didn’t want to think about the future or all the things that could go wrong. She wanted to live in the now. To inhale this man’s spicy scent, to touch him, to enjoy his attention.
She’d read in romance novels that women could enjoy sex, but she never had until now. Before, her experiences were nothing short of a nightmare—one to which she never wanted to return. She shuddered.
“Lucas?” she asked, hoping her question wouldn’t destroy the peacefulness.
“Call me Luke.”
“Luke? I like that.” She rose on her elbow and swirled her fingers through the soft hair on his chest. “I want you to stay.”
He smiled—warm, sincere, yet a little devilish. “I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart.”
“I mean, when he comes back, I—”
“Sh.” He touched his finger to her lips. “I’ll die before I ever let that monster lay his hands on you again.”
She tensed. God, she’d seen so much death over the years. “I don’t want you to die.”
“I don’t intend to.” He kissed her forehead. “But I haven’t seen anyone around here stand up for you and I reckon it’s time for that to change.”
“How are you going to stop him?”
“If the file I uploaded contains enough intel, my hope is we’ll nail him and his entire operation before he comes home from hospital.”
“That fast?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Sitting up against the headboard, he pulled her into his arms and coaxed her head against his chest. “We need to play it smart. Who here is spying on us?”
“You mean watching us?”
“Mm hmm.”
“We can’t trust anyone. Security is the worst. And they have cameras everywhere.”
“Do you think they saw you come in here?”
She shook her head. “There are cameras outside my bedroom door, but the hallway bends before your door and there isn’t another one until you reach the stairs. I’m super careful about avoiding the cameras—I duck under the one on the stairs most of the time.”
“Good girl. We don’t want anyone suspecting you in here, which means you sleep in your room and I sleep in mine. What about housekeeping?”
“Theresa cleans this wing. She thinks you’re a god since you saved her son.”
Luke chuckled. “Who knows, maybe one day my good deed will pay in dividends.”
“Andrea cleans the east wing.” Mia grimaced. “And she thinks El Padrino is a god.”
“Beauty.” He twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. “Who else has Dr. Labastida’s phone number?”
“Security might. I don’t know.”
“Then we’ll assume they do. When you’re working undercover, there’s one rule you must never forget.”
“What’s that?”
“Expect the worst.”
“Really?” That didn’t make her feel gooey. In fact, she wanted to crawl under the bed and hide. “I’ve seen some horrible things.”
“And I’m afraid this might be the calm before the storm.” He took Mia’s hand and threaded his fingers through hers. “I know I asked for your help, but maybe I should fly you out of here—”
“No.” She shook her head. “I said I would do it. And if I ran now he might…” She covered her mouth as unwanted tremors of terror ran cold all the way to her toes.
“You’re afraid he’ll find you?”
“He will always find me. He threatens me about it enough.”
Luke’s eyes grew dark. “He’ll have to go through me first.”
***
Mia couldn’t believe Luke turned on the phone’s speaker and let her listen to the calls. The majority of them were about shipments or employee issues. He handled most everything himself, but occasionally needed to refer to her. What she enjoyed most about working with him was the way he was so relaxed. He sat back in El Padrino’s chair with his feet up on the gilded desk and made eyes at her.
This is how a romance should be.
“How many kilos are on the sub?” he asked.
“Five hundred,” replied the man’s voice over the speaker.
Luke’s eyes popped wide as he mouthed, “five hundred?” Then he pointed to her tablet, indicating she should write it down. She’d asked if she could use his laptop, but he said no because they needed to do everything El Padrino’s way to avoid suspicion. The only place he allowed the computer was in his room with the door locked. “And where is it being delivered?”
“The sub will surface in the gulf. Fifty nautical miles from Houston. The Tornado will be waiting—it’s a yacht owned by Lulu Togs.”
“Brilliant.” Luke leaned forward and frowned at the phone. “Just make sure nothing goes wrong.”
“Yes, boss.”
Clicking off, he grinned. “Did you get that down?”
“I did.” Mia ran her finger down the list while Luke came around the desk. “So far, there are five shipments tomorrow and seven on Sunday.”
He put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze. “Bad guys don’t observe the Sabbath, I guess.”
Behind them, the door creaked open. Just as Luke released his arm, Andrea cleared her throat. “El Padrino usually likes me to clean while he’s eating lunch.”
“Lunch? I’m starved.” Luke wiped the desk with his finger and looked at it. “But I think the office is clean enough.”
Mia held the tablet against her chest, not that Andrea would understand anything she’d written because it was all in English. “Do you want to work through lunch, sir?” she asked, trying to sound officious. “I could go down to the kitchen and bring back some tamales.”
“And guacamole?”
“Mm hmm.”
Looking piqued, Andrea held the door while Mia strode through, but the maid didn’t move on to the next room, she followed. “El Padrino will be furious when he finds out you’re spending so much time with the Australian.”
“What are you talking about? He instructed me to help Mr. Lewis in any way I can.”
“Make sure that’s all you’re doing. People are starting to talk.”
“Oh really?” Mia glanced over her shoulder. “Maybe I should tell Mr. Lewis people don’t have enough to do around here.”
Shaking, Mia didn’t look at anyone else while she loaded two plates with food and headed straight back to the office. People were starting to talk? When didn’t they talk? She’d been punished more times on the grounds of hearsay that she could count.
She hated it there. She’d always hated it there. But for the first time in seven years, she actually harbored a thread of hope she might get out. What if the authorities did bring down the Morales Cartel? What if Luke helped her gain her freedom? What would she do?
The mere thought made her both excited and terrified. But fear took hold of her glimmer of hope and strangled it. No matter how much she wanted to discount Andrea’s warning, the maid was right. If El Padrino returned to discover that Mia had been with Luke, the punishment she’d endured in the past would be a trifle compared to the torture he would force upon the pilot. The Godfather was a murderer who liked to see people suffer. The longer he drew out the suffering before he killed someone, the more powerful it made him feel.
When she returned to the office, she nearly dropped the tray. Luke stepped out from behind the Japanese screen.
Simply looking in that direction made her muscles freeze. “What are you doing?”
“Made an adjustment.”
“What sort of adjustment?”
“I shorted the circuit.”
“Can it be fixed?”
“Not without
parts.”
“But he’ll think I did it.”
“Nah.” Luke batted his hand through the air. “The equipment is old. Things break. That’s why repairmen earn a living.”
Mia set the tray down. El Padrino probably already knew she and Luke were spending a lot of time in his office. “He’ll know it was me.”
“No worries. She’ll be right, love.” Luke crossed the floor. “The food smells delicious.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t tamper with things.”
“Are you afraid?”
She nodded.
“Don’t be. The only way to fight tyranny is to face it head on. Doing nothing only serves to feed the beast.”
Mia picked up a fork and pushed the food around her plate, praying Luke was right.
“Do you know how to use a gun?” he asked with his mouth full of food.
She shook her head. “I hate them.”
“I don’t blame you. But this is war and, when in the enemy’s camp, you must understand their weapons.” He took another bite as if they were discussing the weather. “I think your next self-defense lesson ought to be at the firing range.”
“Then everyone will know. And mark me, that will get back to El Padrino before we’re done.”
“You’re right.” Luke pulled an ugly, black pistol from his holster and ejected a cartridge from the bottom of the handle. “We can take care of the first lesson in here without ammo.” He set the gun on its side. “The first thing you need to know is how to switch the safety on and off. Do you know what a safety is used for?”
“To prevent the gun from firing when you don’t want it to?”
He grinned. “See? I’ll bet you know more about guns than you think.”
Chapter Nineteen
Luke sat on the couch with his feet up on the ottoman staring at the face of his CO. Also on the couch, Mia sat a respectable distance away, watching his every move. Yes, she wanted to get her hands on the laptop and didn’t need to say a word about her interest. She was like a puppy waiting intently while its master eats a juicy hamburger.
“The deliveries checked out,” said Garth, though he was to only be referred to as “boss” when Mia was present. There was absolutely no indication on the monitor where Garth was or which organization he worked for. “We took down every last one of them.”