by Taylor Lee
Jax held her next to him as she came down from the tumultuous climax. Murmuring in her ear, he teased her. “Is that what you thought you could do to yourself, Viviana? Separate your swollen labia and torment your clit into submission?” His voice thickened with lust. “Tell me, darlin’, after you did that, were you going to look for other sensitive places to provoke?” Slipping one hand over her bottom, he separated her ass cheeks and unerringly found her anus. With one finger, he rimmed the nerve-rich hole, then inserted another digit, stretching her most private place. Viviana tried frantically to pull away, but unable to squelch the unwanted sensations rising in her groin, she pressed against his searching fingers and gave in to the passion flooding her.
Holding her tightly in his arms, Jax drove his probing fingers into the sensitive hole, seeking to exacerbate the flood of sensations shaking her body. Separating her labia with his other hand, his talented fingers found her throbbing clitoris and stroked it unrelentingly. He crooned encouragingly, insisting that she go higher, that she not hold back her fearsome climax. When her shrieking imprecations rose in a frantic crescendo, he ratcheted up his intimate strokes and was rewarded by the torrential waves storming her body. When her wild quaking began to settle and her cries became sobs of pleasure, Jax murmured stunned words of praise. “Holy Christ, Viviana? Turned on much, my sweet, amazingly sensuous woman?”
Holding her still-shaking body next to his, Jax turned off the shower and reached for a towel from the rack by the door. Wrapping it around her dripping body, he sat her on the counter and grabbed another towel. With a few hard swipes at his chest and legs he dried himself as much as he could, then reached for Viviana. She’d thrown her head back and was moaning softy. The rosy tint on her chest matched her flushed cheeks. Her full, pouty lips were red and swollen from her biting them. At the sight of the stunningly aroused woman in front of him and reliving her lust-driven climaxes in his mind, he reached for her. Picking her up in his arms, he conceded how unlikely it was that he could hold off his threatening-to-explode climax before he got her to a bed.
Always one to push the boundaries of their lovemaking, Jax strode from the bathroom to their rooftop haven. Knowing he was challenging his ability to contain his fearsome arousal, he needed to get her onto the roof. As close to the starry night as possible. The shower of fiery celestial sparks and the elusive crescent moon stoked his libido further. Consumed with love and passion, he was grateful that the heavens understood the arena he required to make the kind of love he intended to the woman he held in his arms and his heart.
Laying her on the chaise lounge, he stretched out beside her and murmured in her ear, “I wanted to take you here, Viviana. In this place that is as close to heaven as we can get.” He added with a rueful snort, “As if anywhere you are isn’t enough to turn me into a raging beast, determined to take you. That’s what you do to me, sweetheart, and I love you and bless you for it. But, darlin’, enough words. I need you, honey. I need you bad.”
Hours later, when he had taken her on the lounge, the patio floor, and finally, against the railing from behind, he carried her back to the chaise lounge where they often spent the night. Wrapping her in his arms, Jax was grateful to hear her soft, whispery breaths confirming that his exhausted lover had slipped into slumber. He wasn’t surprised that sleep evaded him. Christ, looking back on the last couple of days it was a wonder that he considered sleep, much less give in to it. He was just glad that Viviana had succumbed to her exhaustion.
Holding her close, Jax remembered her hideous nightmare two short nights before. It had killed him watching her fight against a long-ago terror. Reminding himself how he’d rocked her to sleep in his arms, he recounted the litany of challenging experiences they’d faced since that harrowing night. Serge’s breakthrough information had given him the tools to make it clear to his challenged lover that they could no longer avoid dealing with her abuse. Moreover, that they would deal with it together. Knowing that they were at the beginning of what was sure to be a difficult task for them both, Jax admitted that hadn’t been the only way he’d intentionally struck her at her core. The groundbreaking beatdown he gave her when she defied his warnings and went into her Lone Ranger mode had to have challenged her at soul level. He’d purposefully chastised her in front of the team, knowing it was necessary to make his point. But there was no question that she’d been publically humiliated—a deeply bitter pill for his proud warrior to swallow. And then, of course, there was the abbreviated dinner with his parents. He groaned, thinking about it. God, what more did his shattered lover need to drive home the hideousness of her childhood than to compare it to his charmed existence?
Musing over the assaults his beloved woman had endured these last days, most of them precipitated by him, Jax confessed there was another upset that neither of them could ignore, especially him. It came in the form of Enrique Vega. Jax knew he was a possessive son of a bitch, but Vega challenged him in a way he couldn’t remember being tested. He was used to men lusting after Viviana. Christ, how could they not? But Vega was different. In addition to being a charming, consummate opponent, the guy had entered their lives at a time when Viviana was most vulnerable. It didn’t help that Jax was the one who’d insisted that she face her daunting issues, making her more susceptible to a charming interloper than she might have been. He reluctantly admitted that the last thing they needed was one more flashpoint in their volatile relationship. Determined to deal with his incipient jealousy by smashing it before it could do more damage, Jax had the opportunity to test his resolve the next morning.
Accepting the mug of steaming coffee he handed her, Viviana threw him a troubled glance. He smiled at her, assuming she was going to contest his insistence that they were going to ride together to the precinct.
She surprised him when she said, “Jax, I hope you won’t be angry, but I told Enrique I would have lunch with him today.” She quickly added, “I invited Francis to join us. Francis will be a great resource for Enrique. He knows almost as much about abuse as I do. And he can introduce Enrique and his staff to Sister Eloise and the other nuns at the shelter.”
Forcing himself to remember his pledge from the night before that he would back off, Jax reached for Viviana and lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Listen, Viviana, I know that this has been a challenging couple of days for you and, frankly, for me. And yeah, Enrique Vega was one more thing I didn’t need. But, sweetheart, I promise to lighten up. Of course the guy wants to tap your knowledge and your sources. Why wouldn’t he? You are the declared authority in the hideous world of abuse.” He hesitated, then added with a grin, “I just wish you wouldn’t refer to him by his first name.” When she frowned, he said with a forced grin, “Maybe if you called him the ‘guy who’s going to get his ass kicked if he even thinks about making a play for you’ would be better.”
Jax was glad when Viviana’s frown morphed into a smile. She gave him a saucy wink, then said, “I’m kind of glad you’re jealous, Jax.”
Assuming a mock scowl, Jax asked, “Why might that be, my naughty, provocative little minx?”
Viviana shrugged. “Why? Maybe because I can hardly stand it when I see all those other women lusting after you.”
Jax pulled her closer to him and shook his head. “Honey, there’s not a woman in the world who doesn’t know it’s a lost cause when she finds out the Enchantress is my woman, and I am her man.” Not bothering to couch the threat in his voice, he added, “I just hope for his sake the upstart Vega is as wise.”
Chapter 12
Thanks for meeting with me, Raphael. You’re a hard guy to hook up with. Don’t tell me you’re intimidated by uppity women?” Viviana was glad to see Carlos Mendes and the three other hard-eyed gang members’ surprise that she’d addressed their leader by his first name and appeared to be taunting him. She sniffed, hoping that the five law enforcement hotshots listening to their conversation—not the least of whom was the infamous SJPD police chief—were as surprised.
Viviana gave Raphael credit when he replied coolly, “How could I not be intimidated, Sergeant Moreau? To be in the presence of the Enchantress is a frightening prospect.” With a knowing smile, he added, “Although, I’ve been told that I can be somewhat intimidating. I trust you will not find me so.”
Viviana shrugged and said with an impudent grin, “Frankly, Raphael, I stopped being intimidated by men when I was fifteen years old and understood what suckers they were for a decent pair of boobs and a nice ass.”
Raphael raked his eyes over her body, then smiled salaciously. “Please, Sergeant, don’t minimize those attributes, which I must say are even more enticing in person than they are on television.” When Viviana merely raised her hands in a bored gesture, the drug kingpin pressed, “May I assume that having that arrogant police chief as your wingman adds to your ability to intimidate?”
Viviana laughed. “Let me put it this way, Raphael, it doesn’t hurt for me to let him think that.”
His lips pressed together, apparently to keep from smiling, the diminutive badass nodded. “Now that I’m thoroughly intimidated, what can I do for you, Sergeant Moreau?”
“For me, Raphael?” Viviana gave a dismissive shrug. “Nothing. It’s what can I do for you.” She added flippantly, “Not to put too fine a point on it, Raphael, I came here to warn you.”
At his surprised start and the gasps of his minions, Viviana continued. “I don’t much care about the ‘whose dick is bigger’ contests you and the Padrones seem to get off on. However, I get a bug up my butt when gangbangers think they can torpedo a rival by dosing their China White with fentanyl.” She tossed him a saucy smile. “Competition is to be expected, but killing off your rival’s clients goes a bridge too far in my worldview.”
Raphael’s smile was distinctly absent when he replied carefully, “Tell me, Sergeant Moreau, what happens when the Enchantress gets a ‘bug up her butt’?”
Viviana laughed, then tossed her head. “Let’s just say, Raphael, the result ain’t pretty. You might ask Santiago Torres for more details. That may be difficult, given that the former pimp and my one-time ‘friend’ is now in solitary confinement at Loganwood Penitentiary. My understanding is that Santiago’s visiting hours are extremely limited.”
****
Knowing that after Viviana’s coup with the menacing gang leader she was heading for a meeting with Enrique Vega, Jax swallowed the bile rising in his throat. Waiting until she was safely out of the Diablos headquarters, he sent her a text. “On behalf of your impressed team, congratulations. You were sensational. On a personal note, I’m glad to know that you don’t require a wingman to be as intimidating as you are. I’ll content myself knowing I’m the only guy intimately familiar with your butt and what you like put up in it.” Allowing his pique to surface, he added, “In fact, when you get home tonight, how about I demonstrate just how familiar I am not only with your butt but every damned inch of you? Understand I’m not trying to intimidate you. I just believe that forewarned is forearmed. And, my provocative wench, whether you admit it to the gang badasses or to your luncheon companion, we both know I am more than armed and prepared to deal with you.”
****
Viviana was still smiling at Jax’s text when she heard someone call her name. She quickly forgot her pleasure from knowing that she’d gotten a rise out of her arrogant lover when she looked up to see the impressive man crossing the restaurant toward her table. From the heads turning as he passed, it was clear she wasn’t the only one impressed with the gubernatorial candidate approaching her. Making an effort to quiet her unease, she was glad to see Francis Fleming close behind Enrique. She really didn’t want her luncheon meeting with Enrique Vega to be any more of a scintillating piece of gossip than it was certain to be. Thinking of how she’d arrogantly dismissed Raphael’s assertion that Jax was her wingman, she was glad that for the upcoming lunch meeting Francis was not only her wingman, but a much-needed buffer.
Reaching for her hand, Enrique intoned in a reverent voice, “Tell me, Viviana, what does it feel like knowing that every man in this bar will go home happy tonight knowing that he spent his lunch hour in the presence of the most beautiful woman this town—hell, this state—has to offer?”
She hoped that she wasn’t blushing, although the heat on her cheeks and Francis’s wide-eyed surprise at Vega’s over-the-top praise confirmed that he’d undone her. Attempting to put the meeting in perspective, Viviana blew off Vega’s praise. Glancing at her watch, she said, “Oh good, Enrique, I’m glad that you and Francis arrived together. I’m afraid I only have a few minutes to talk and won’t be able to join you for lunch. However, our host, Francis Fleming, the owner of this establishment, is one of the most knowledgeable people I know regarding the hideous arena of child abuse. Francis can be a significant advisor to you and your campaign.”
Vega didn’t hide his disappointment. “I’m sorry to hear that you won’t have lunch with us, Viviana. I was hoping that I could pick your brain. Flesh out some of the things we discussed last night. While I’m confident that Mr. Fleming is a resource—”
Horrified that he mentioned their meeting last night and that he called her by her name, Viviana interrupted him. Because of the surprise on Francis’s face and knowing that he was sure to tell Jax every damn thing he heard, Viviana was curt. “No, Mr. Vega. Francis is as close, if not closer, to the scene than I am. He can introduce you to all the important players working to thwart the scourge of abuse.”
Seeing Enrique’s frown at her use of his formal name, she rose to her feet and quickly added, “Besides, as Francis can tell you, I abhor luncheon meetings. I’d much rather run Telegraph Pass than eat on my lunch hour.”
Viviana was nonplussed when Vega’s eyes lit up. “My goodness, Sergeant, it seems we share another passion. I’m also an avid runner. Even on this crazy campaign, I’m not fit for polite company until I’ve run my ten miles at daybreak. Perhaps one day we can run together.” Letting his eyes roam suggestively over her body, he added with a slight grin, “Although seeing how in shape you are, you’d likely leave me puffing in your wake.”
Fighting the urge to run from the compromising conversation, Viviana forced herself to plant a pleasant smile on her face. Ignoring Francis’s raised eyebrow, she focused on Enrique. “Forgive me for dashing off. I have another appointment, but I’m sure that you will find Francis to be a font of knowledge.”
Before she could leave, the persistent man reached for her hand. “Thank you, Sergeant Moreau, for arranging this meeting. I appreciate your help.” To Viviana’s dismay, he squeezed her hand. “I hope we can find time to meet when you aren’t in a rush. I am a huge fan of yours, Sergeant.”
Viviana merely nodded and sped across the room after making it a point not to say good-bye to Francis, her one-time confidant and now Jax’s spy. She breathed a mammoth sigh of relief when she walked out into the bright summer sunshine and headed for her car. Struggling to decide what she should make of Vega’s obvious interest in her, she decided that a fast run up the mountain was exactly what she needed to clear her head. The “team” was scheduled to meet at 2:00 p.m. to discuss her meeting with Torres and decide how and when she should meet with his archrival Manuel Ortiz, head of the Padrones.
Not looking forward to the collaborative exercise, she allowed herself to focus on Vega. Damn, the guy really was something. He was handsome as sin and didn’t he know it? Rather than being put off by his arrogance, Viviana admitted she found it attractive. With a dismissive sniff, she chided herself. Apparently she liked men who thought they were God’s gift to women. Plus, the fact that Enrique was genuinely interested in the same issues that consumed her made him even more compelling. God, what if the guy did become governor and could actually do something about the scourge of abuse? Not wanting to remember Francis’s clear dismay at Enrique’s obvious interest in her, she dismissed his troubled frown. A wave of unwanted sadness washed over her. Francis had been one of the few people in
her life she’d ever trusted. That he’d now become Jax’s spy hurt as much as it angered her.
****
“Damn, sweet cheeks. Talk about a home run! I don’t know who was more shocked at your impudence, Raphael or his goons. Hell, Raphael Torres looked like someone had shoved his nuts in a blender and turned it on puree.” Glancing at the three national agents on the monitors who were participating via Skype, Mick was ecstatic. “I guaran-damn-tee you, fellows, that no one, especially a woman, ever taunted the Diablos hotshots and lived to tell about it. I’m telling you boys, those assholes are still lookin’ in their pants, wonderin’ what the hell happened to their balls.”
Jax broke in but didn’t try to hide his amusement at Mick’s over-the top recital. “Under ordinary circumstances, I might try to dampen Detective O’Reilly’s assessment. However, colorful language and all, I think we all concur that Sergeant Moreau was the consummate star we all know her to be.” He allowed a slight frown to darken his expression when he focused on Viviana. “Not that I particularly appreciated your taking on three hardened killers and their boss quite so dramatically, but no one, including me, can be anything but impressed at your audacity.” He smiled at her and added, “Mick is right, Viviana, you truly did hit a home run. I imagine that all of the Diablos, including their feared leader, are surreptitiously sneaking a peek in their trousers, wondering what happened to those supposedly clanking cojones of theirs.”
Jax let the conversation play out, pleased that each of the other agents and Greg Bannon added to his and Mick’s praise—though not as colorfully as the indomitable O’Reilly had. When they’d all commended Viviana, he turned the conversation to the next issue. “Okay, team, let’s move on to the Padrones.” He focused on Viviana, not hiding his amusement at her colleague’s fulsome praise, and pressed the point. “As we’ve all made clear, you are the expert here, Sergeant. How do you plan to connect with Manuel Ortiz—who I’m sure by now has heard that you met with their arch rivals.”