by Dana Volney
“Proof’s in the pudding, darling.”
“Not good enough.”
“I brought Eddie, and he’s setting up the team now for tonight.”
“Yeah right,” she scoffed, the betrayal in her eyes still heavy. “I’m supposed to believe you’re not taking the opportunity to sell me out and be free of Darek once and for all?”
That was fucking it. Felix been on the defensive before. Not anymore.
“How the fuck is that the conclusion you’ve come to?” He tightened the grip on his hips, stopping himself from running to her and shaking sense back into her.
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe you had a perfectly capable partner sleeping right next to you, and instead you chose to leave her and called for someone else to back you up on an insane, last-minute meeting.” She pointed at him. “It better have been a last-minute meeting.”
“I—”
“He could’ve killed you right on the spot.” She was yelling now, using both hands for emphasis. “No questions asked. And still come after me. I don’t think I’m the one not thinking straight here.”
There was nothing between them to stop her from lunging, and the heat in her eyes told him she was on the verge.
“How the hell you continually fail to understand that I don’t wish you harm is fucking beyond me. I’m not actually going to give you up, but I needed to buy time. You have some major trust issues, you know that?”
“Buy time by going in, when you were clearly outmatched, with no real plan? You’re better than that.”
“And you’re better than this.” Shitballs. He rubbed his forehead before he remembered he shouldn’t take his eyes off of her. She was breathing hard and had started to pace the length of the kitchen.
“Am I? Because it feels right.”
“Kicking my ass was on your to-do list today?” He moved his bottom jaw and felt the sting of her knuckles all over again.
“After you didn’t go into the grocery store. And Darek showed up.”
Her gaze, which had not backed down since the first punch, was now elusive. There was something more at play here. His phone rang. Winter. Great. The quicker they could focus on something else, the better.
Chapter Nine
Arabella turned her back while Felix answered his phone. She was barely keeping it together. When she’d seen Darek’s minions sneaking up behind Felix in that parking lot, she’d wanted to charge out of the car and draw their attention. She didn’t have a gun on her. They would’ve been outmatched. She hadn’t breathed until she’d seen Darek drive away and she’d made sure they didn’t pull around to follow him. Then she’d gotten the hell out of there.
It wasn’t great that her life was in danger, but now she had directly put Felix in the line of fire, and that was hard to handle. Showing up at his door when bullets were flying wasn’t new to either of them. But seeing Felix with Darek, a man who most certainly wanted Felix dead, made her shake.
She’d punched him for his reckless actions. She’d punched him for his betrayal. And she’d punched him because his death would be on her. She was responsible. She was too vulnerable when it came to Felix. Why did she care so much about a man who had the potential to ruin her? Her life was tethered to his, and nothing seemed to be strong enough to break that tie.
Her hands started to go numb, and she intertwined her fingers and held tightly.
Felix’s answers were curt, and from the extended silence, she could tell his call was done. She took a slow breath to steady herself; she had to focus on learning the plan so this personal and professional hell she was in could end.
Before she could turn around, she felt Felix’s warmth on her back, then his hands wrapped around both of her upper arms. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking in his closeness, his spice, before she shook him off and whirled around to face him. She would not give into whatever the hell soothing technique that was.
He was the first to speak. “We’re going to meet the team in ninety minutes.”
The line of his jaw and the peaks of his cheeks, coupled with his clear, blue stare, softened her attitude—his features were familiar, and it was easy to take comfort in the familiar right now, because nothing she was feeling was usual. God, she was all over the place. This whole thing was testing her limits—and she was pretty sure she was over the line. She couldn’t take any more.
“Don’t run off on your own like that again.” Her voice was quiet, but the order was firm.
A smile tugged at his lips. “You’re worried about me.”
Duh, ya big oaf. But there was more to her command. She didn’t know the extent of his duplicity and didn’t want to find out the hard way.
She had no words to voice; her throat burned with everything she wanted to tell him but never would. Instead, she rolled her eyes and scoffed, trying to back away from him, but he grabbed her by the upper arms again.
“Just a minute.” He squared with her, pulling her closer to him. So close. “I need you focused. I need you thinking clearly today.”
“I am.”
“You’re not, and we both know it. I’m here if you need to talk.”
He was here. Today. Not tomorrow. He wouldn’t be here when all this was over.
His humorless chuckle brought her back to the present, standing in the air of his woodsy scent, inches away from his lips and nearly in his arms.
“You basically just kicked my ass, my jaw is still sore, and all I can think is how amazing you are.” His stare didn’t leave hers, and she felt the heat between her legs.
Her eyebrows rose. Felix wasn’t the overly sharing, complimentary type. She had no idea what to make of his sudden topic change.
“It’s sexy when you get all riled up about my safety.” He winked.
“Oh, God. You’re actually turned on by the fighting, aren’t you?”
“After I realized why you were so pissed, of course. You’re smokin’ hot, babe.”
“You’re unbelievable.” Her own smile started to raise the ends of her lips, and she didn’t stop it.
“And alive. And safe.” His gaze turned serious and her heart rate kicked up. “You don’t need to worry.”
Yet she did. Her gaze flicked to his lips, his soft, thick, very kissable lips. One more time she could let herself indulge in the pleasure that was Felix Ibarra.
After this morning, and no breakfast, a little fun wouldn’t hurt.
“I’m alive because I worry.”
She looked up into his eyes, and he moved his luscious lips closer. He paused when they were nose to nose, and tingles flared deep in her gut in anticipation of his tongue in her mouth. His lips connected to hers with passion—hard, immediate zeal. She grabbed for his hips and pulled them closer, rubbing her body against his. She wanted to be as close to him as humanly possible, to dispel all her fears. And what the future most certainly would bring.
His hands were down on her ass, hauling her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his thick neck. His lips trailed hot, tongue-swirling kisses down her neck, causing her to dig her fingernails into his back at the sensation on her tender, bare skin. Yes, this was definitely the best way to handle a stressful morning.
Felix walked forward until her ass hit the countertop. He pressed in between her legs, and she could feel his erection through the fabric that separated them. Her lips captured his, let go, then nipped again. He leaned back, undoing her top pants button then his. He stepped back farther as she carefully balanced on the countertop.
He had a devilish grin as he kissed her again and then slid her pants and thong off her hips and down until they stopped at her boots. She expected him to do the same to his pants, but instead he bent down, ducked between her legs, and his hair brushed her thighs, causing her to get even wetter.
He ran his palms up her bare thighs, spreading them wider with gentle force. He licked into her folds, and her eyes rolled back into her head. The pleasure was instant and created an ache for him inside. He l
icked and swirled his tongue, sucking on the right spots. He grasped her hips and pulled her closer to him. His stubble rubbed on the tender skin on her inside thigh and made everything sexier. He wasn’t being gentle or slow. Pleasure shot up and out, and the sensation was so stunning and captivating, she couldn’t even swallow. She clutched the edge of the counter, on the edge literally and figuratively. Felix licked then pushed a kiss into her clit and stood.
He reached for the waistband of his pants and pushed them down. His large erection was free, and she needed it desperately. Adrenaline coursed through her body—maybe not the drug, but some type of hot feeling that made her feel invincible. When he looked at her like this—like she was the best thing in the entire world—she had a peace she found nowhere else.
He stepped back into the apex of her thighs, pushing himself into her folds and kissing her deeply. She could taste herself on his lips, and fuck if that didn’t turn her on even more. His palm grazed her breast as he moved his arm down, took himself in his hand, and with his other pulled her until she was about to lose her perch on the counter. He filled her in one expert motion. Her head fell back, and a moan from the back of her throat flowed through her half open lips.
He held her ass and she pulled his shoulders and body closer to her. She wanted to be closer, she wanted to be naked, she wanted to come over and over in his arms while her breasts rubbed against his bare chest.
She clung to him and grabbed his ass. Their pace quickened; she felt her need for him boil over as he crashed into her over and over and over. He didn’t relent and she didn’t want him to.
He picked her up off the counter, one hand on her ass, the other across her back, and they didn’t miss a beat. His head fell into the crook of her neck. He set them down and pumped hard; her orgasm came fast and hard, and she cried out.
He groaned into her neck as his own shuddering took over.
She ran her hands up his neck, onto his cheeks, as he studied her. She kissed him, sweet, satisfied, sad.
He pulled out of her, and she didn’t know what to say. They weren’t cultivating a relationship here; it was actually the opposite. She swallowed down the word “goodbye” and slid off the counter to deal with her own pants.
His cell phone rang, and he hiked up his pants quickly to retrieve his phone out of his pocket. He turned away from her to answer. She ducked into the bathroom to adjust her pants and put herself back together, and when she exited, Felix was standing in the living room with their bags.
“We need to go now. I don’t think we’ll be coming back.”
She nodded and walked straight for the door. This chapter between them, the intimate one, was now closed. And in a couple of more hours, the last thing that connected them, a marriage certificate, would be worthless, too. Hell, tomorrow she was starting a whole new book.
• • •
Felix pointed the borrowed truck toward Wyn Security and constantly checked to make sure they weren’t being followed. Even though Darek obviously knew about the Wyn Security office, it had been decided that he wouldn’t risk the type of exposure attacking the location would bring—attacking a port would be considered an act of terrorism and bring down an entire slew of agencies on his operation.
He pulled up to a burger drive-thru—they’d missed breakfast, and they needed food. They ordered and got back on their way.
“I noticed your Walther yesterday.” Felix palmed his bacon cheeseburger while keeping one hand on the wheel.
“You did?” She nodded and bit into a fry.
“I didn’t think you’d still have it.”
Along with the Walther PPQ M2 firearm, he’d also given her a silver band encrusted with diamonds at their wedding. Did she still have that, too? It was the only symbol they’d actually been married. He’d never worn any ring, and she’d worn hers on her right hand and usually with other flashy jewelry—they’d decided no one could know about their nuptials so as to not cause extra problems in the field. The last time she’d had it on was when she’d been kidnapped—he hadn’t seen it on her since. Flashes of her innocent face and the memory of her screams took his appetite away.
“It’s my favorite. Fits my hand perfectly.”
He’d bet the ring still fit perfectly, too.
Last night, he’d had his wife back, and he’d felt like a husband. Now she was looking at him, but not how he wanted. Or expected. There was a shift in her face, a hardness put there on purpose. She’d squashed the passion he’d witnessed an hour ago. Now she gazed at him with a firm resistance to any emotions. Indifference. Nox was back. But for how long?
She cared enough to kick the shit out of him for doing something that, possibly, wasn’t the brightest. Had Darek attacked, he and Eddie would’ve been fucked. Felix had been so willing to put himself out there to get control of the situation, he hadn’t stopped to think it could have been a trap. Great. Now he was making the same novice mistakes as Arabella.
“You’re going to have to be there.” He side-eyed her. “Darek is going to have to see you.”
“I know.”
“You’re going to have to produce it.” He’d never asked her where the files were or what she’d done with them. “Do you have it with you?”
“It’s nearby. I’ll get it before tonight.”
“And I’ll come with you.” As he approached where they’d been ambushed yesterday, his body tensed. If those bastards attacked them again, he was going to shoot each and every one of the fucking assholes. Personally.
She scoffed as she reached for her gun—clearly also preparing for another attack. “I don’t think so.”
“Why not?” This was absurd—they couldn’t even get on the same page about safety. Hadn’t she just battled with him over the same exact thing but in reverse?
“Because a good hiding spot is hard to find, and I don’t need you knowing where mine is here.”
“Get over it, because I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Yeah, they sure as shit would.
He waved to the gate guard at the Prince Industries shipping yard and continued to the building by the water. “And how many times have you needed a good hiding spot in Seattle?”
The passenger side window had suddenly caught her attention, and she didn’t reply. She’d shut down. First emotionally, and now she wasn’t going to cooperate with the operation, or him.
They made their way into the second floor office in silence. The conference room was in the middle and encased halfway down in windows. Winter, Alex, and Eddie were already sitting around the big oval table. Blueprints lay on the dark wood surface.
He nodded to Winter and grabbed a seat. Arabella sat beside him.
“I’ve coordinated with the CIA, who are more than happy to help, especially after Mr. Bahman sang like a bird.” Alex smiled at Arabella, and Felix wanted to knock it off his face. “Thanks for that, by the way. I’m up for a promotion, and that collar makes me a shoe-in for sure.”
Arabella shined her bright, amber eyes his way, the apples of her cheeks plump, and in her demure, alluring fashion slightly nodded a “happy to help because I find you attractive” fakery. Only Alex probably didn’t know it was one of many fake looks in her arsenal designed to make men feel better about themselves.
What the fuck? She was just going to fake flirt with Alex right in front of him? Dammit, this woman is infuriating.
Roe and Noor entered the conference room, both in all black, and took seats by Arabella.
“Amelia Roe and Mieko Noor.” Winter introduced Arabella, and the ladies shook hands. Arabella didn’t bat her eyes at them. In fact . . . no, could it be? He detected a little hostility.
“There is a bit of a snag though.” Alex sat forward in his seat between Winter and Eddie. “There’s a convention of foreign dignitaries in town, started yesterday, and all hands are on deck for that. There is a SWAT team available, but it would be great if you guys could lend your services
and exceptional talents to the mission and take the lead.” Heads bobbed, but no one said a word. Alex leaned back in his chair and extended his arms in a conductor motion to the crew. “That way we know it will go smoothly.”
While the team Winter had put together had individual training and all were well versed at what they did, they hadn’t acted as an ops team together, and that wasn’t what any of them had signed up for when they’d agreed to work as personal security. This was too important to leave to anyone else, though. He felt a hell of a lot better knowing it was his people backing them up rather than strangers who had no dog in the fight.
“That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?” Roe rocked in her chair, nodding her head.
Noor put her hair in a ponytail. “Let’s do it.”
Eddie’s elbow rested on the arm of the chair, and his fingers splayed in the air. “I’m always in.”
“Good. We don’t want to go in too early,” Winter filled them all in on what she and Alex had obviously already decided. “Darek might already have it under surveillance. So, we’ll start filtering in from a street over to get set up in the building across from the café.” She pointed to an aerial map of an old building. “We’ll have other plainclothes in place around the market. You two,” she waggled her finger between him and Arabella, “will go in like you haven’t a care in the world. Once we have confirmation, we’ll deploy and surround.” Winter set her gaze on Arabella. “Let’s try to make this as uneventful as possible.”
“I have comms.” Eddie set a gray metal container on the table, pushed side locks to open it, and handed out earbuds. “We can all stay in contact and hear each other. These babies are sensitive, so no need to yell.”
Eddie, the corn-fed quarterback type, pulled his laptop out of his backpack. The man never went anywhere without the damn thing. “I’ve also added GPS trackers, so no need to be coy about giving out locations.” He directed that statement to Arabella. Did he really think Darek was going to succeed in taking her with all of them around? “Darek’s phone signals went dead not long after the parking lot meeting this morning, so I don’t have a location on him or his men.”