Her large, blue eyes held his, and she asked, “Mace? What are we doing?”
“You were right,” he said. “I tried to fight the attraction, feeling as though I was pushing you at a time when you were vulnerable. But, I know what I want and as long as you want the same thing, then I’m ready to take this further. I want to see where we can go.”
She closed the slight space between them, her lips meeting his, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Angling his mouth, his arms around her waist, he pulled her body over onto his lap.
Tonight, Sylvie wanted more, demanded more. Her fingers dug into Mace’s shoulders, the thick muscles taut underneath her hands. It had been a long time since she had given in to a sexual urge and the tinder quickly caught fire.
Mace thrust his tongue into Sylvie’s warm, silky mouth, exploring every texture and taste, a shock of lust spearing straight through him. He was torn between wanting the kiss to last for hours and wanting to get her naked and under him as quickly as possible.
His hand slid to the front of her robe, parting the lapels and slipping inside, cupping her full breast. His thumb scraped over her nipple, already peaked. She moaned and the sound nearly undid him as he continued to work his tongue and fingers at the same time.
Sylvie arched her back, pressing her breast into Mace’s palm further. Her nipples ached with want as she slid her hands forward, cupping his square jaw. “Bed,” she mumbled, her lips never leaving his.
He lifted his head to peer into her eyes and asked, “David?”
She inhaled, her breath shuddering in her chest, as she held him tightly. “He’s upstairs…asleep.” She watched as uncertainty moved across his eyes and she squeezed his face, bringing it inches from hers. “I want this. I want you. Please…don’t make me beg, although I will if that makes a difference.” She watched in fascination as his hard face melted into a smile.
“Oh, babe, I want this…and you.” He stood, effortlessly lifting her into his arms, stalking down the hall to the bedroom.
Lowering her feet to the floor, he gently shut the door, pushing in the doorknob lock, just in case David awoke. Turning back, he watched as she unbelted her robe and allowed it to slip from her shoulders.
Her nightgown was simple…a light pink, sleeveless cotton gown with lace around the bodice. She swallowed hard, realizing that her thirty-year-old, mom’s body was not nearly as tight as when she was younger and the male specimen in front of her was at his physical prime.
Refusing to give in to self-doubt, she slipped the gown over her head and dropped it to the floor. Now, clad in only her white, lacy panties, she faced him.
Mace stared at the woman in front of him, her curves enticing, her skin glowing, her hair flowing about her shoulders, and her eyes shining up at him. Unable to believe this amazing woman was offering herself to him, he was humbled.
Closing the distance between them, he wrapped his arms around her again, pulled her close and dropped his head to kiss her. No longer hesitant, he plundered her mouth, licking, nipping, sucking, thrusting. She clung to his arms as though, without that anchor, her legs would give out.
He moved forward, backing her until she was at the bed and with a gentle push she lay, spread out like a feast to be savored. He bent to take off his boots, then grabbed the back of his shirt, jerking it over his head, before shucking off his pants and boxers.
Sylvie leaned up on her elbows, staring at the male perfection in front of her. Huge, thick muscles covered his chest, arms, torso, thighs. His skin was tanned and, with his dark, black hair and thick scruff, she felt power exuding from his body. He had thick hair on his chest and it tapered to his groin, where his cock jutted out, firm and eager. No artifice…just pure, raw masculinity.
He leaned forward and snagged her panties, dragging them down her legs. Kneeling, he spread her thighs with his shoulders and before she could breathe, he latched onto her clit with his mouth. Throwing her head back in shock, she writhed as he worked magic with his tongue and teeth.
“Oh, my God,” she moaned, her fingers moving through his hair. The soft, thick hair against her fingers was in stark contrast to the abrasion of his beard against her inner thighs, but she was unable to decide which felt better. Her body wound tighter as he licked her folds, nibbling on her clit once again.
Mace loved the taste of her, the feel of her. He loved watching how her body opened for him, yielding to his ministrations. Reaching up, he tweaked her taut nipple, rolling the bud between his fingers. Her back arched and she pressed her hot core against his face. Blowing his breath over her sex, he felt her clench against his tongue.
Sylvie clapped one hand over her mouth to stifle her groan, just as her orgasm sent shock waves throughout her body. Sparks lit behind her closed eyelids and as she slowly returned to earth, she was barely aware of him crawling up her body, planting kisses along her skin as he moved from her legs, to her belly, to her breasts.
Latching onto a nipple, Mace sucked the hard peak deeply, grunting with pleasure as she writhed again underneath him. Aware of his heavy body, he settled his weight on his forearms, planted on either side of her. Lavishing attention on each breast, he sucked and nipped, until her fingers dug into his scalp and she moaned her demands. Moving higher, he kissed her again, silencing her, determined to take his time.
“Please, Mace, I need you now.”
He lifted his head and stared at the beauty beneath him. Grinning, he said, “Tell me exactly what you want.” He watched the adorable blush move from her chest to her cheeks. Nuzzling her nose, he said, “Tell me.”
Embarrassed, Sylvie hated that it had been so long that she was desperate, and that she lacked the light sex-talk he was probably used to with his partners. She dropped her eyes, staring at his chin.
He sensed the change in her and shifted down to capture her eyes with his. “Hey…what happened? If you don’t want this, we’ll stop—”
“No,” she rushed, her gaze imploring. “I don’t want us to stop…it’s just…um…it’s been awhile…you need to know that I haven’t been with a man since I left Ed—”
“Shh,” he hushed softly, not wanting her ex-husband’s name or memory encroaching on her thoughts. He cupped her face, his thumbs caressing her cheeks. “I only want to do what you’re comfortable with. There’s no one else in this bed but you and me. I want this…I want you. And, please babe, understand…this is no fuck. This is the start of you and me…if you’ll have me.”
The weight on Sylvie’s heart lifted as she dragged air into her lungs, letting it out slowly. A smile curved her lips and she nodded. “Yes…I want us.”
He kissed her gently, teasing her lips open before plunging his tongue inside once more. Lost in the swirls of emotion, she barely noticed as he rolled to the side to grab the condom he had taken from his pants and tossed to the bed. Before she knew it, he was back on top, his hips settled between her thighs and his thick cock nudging her sex.
“Yes,” she breathed, her voice barely recognizable to her ears.
With a swift plunge, Mace seated himself fully in her warm, tight channel, the sensation rocking him to his core. Though he rarely trolled for one-night stands, sex had always been casual to him, having never found anyone he wanted to spend time with. This…now…he could not remember ever feeling the sense of completeness he felt now at their joining.
Wanting her comfortable, he searched her face to assure himself that she was ready. The smile on her lips nearly undid him.
Her eyes, pinned on him, shined as she nodded. More than willing to accommodate, he began to move, slowly at first and then with more vigor. The friction built and he wondered if he would be able to last long enough to bring her to orgasm again.
Sylvie clutched Mace’s shoulders before gliding her hands up and down his back. The play of muscles, bunching and cording underneath her fingertips, gave proof to the power in his body. And yet, he moved in her so gently, as though handling delicate china. As his body rocked into hers,
she gave herself completely to him.
He felt the second she yielded and knew that the strong woman in his arms was giving all she had to him. Not just her body, but her trust. Trust to care for her…trust to care for her son. Knowing the gift was precious, he held her gaze as their bodies moved as one.
Waves of ecstasy overtook her once more and she cried out her release. Seeing the pleasure on her face unraveled the final thread of his resolve and he followed her as his own orgasm pulsed from his cock. Thrusting over and over, until every drop was gone, he drew in a ragged breath, managing to fall to the side to keep from crushing her.
The understanding that this was different, she was different, they were different, caused his arms to jerk as his heart pounded an uneven beat. Grinning, he pulled her body close, tucking her tight against his warmth. Kissing her gently, they lay, arms and legs tangled, until he finally slipped out to take care of the condom.
Sylvie watched him walk out of the bedroom, admiring his ass and muscular back. Her gaze drifted to the tattoo on his shoulder, a detailed drawing of a lighthouse in black and grey with perfect shading to give it a photographic quality. The golden beams of light coming from the top were the only color to the tattoo. Beautiful…just like the man.
After finishing in the bathroom, Mace stopped in the doorway, suddenly filled with uncertainty, not knowing if Sylvie wanted him to stay or leave, considering David was upstairs.
The slight ache between Sylvie’s legs only added to the sated feeling she was experiencing. Smiling as she relaxed deeper into the pillow, she caught the expression of rare uncertainty on Mace’s face as he walked back from the bathroom.
Assuming the cause of the concern, she sat up in the bed, her arms held out, beckoning. His face gentled into a grin as he stalked over, sliding under the covers and tucking her against him again.
“Are you sure?” he asked, holding her close. “With David upstairs, I can leave and there’s no—”
She shushed him with a kiss, soft and gentle. Whispering against his lips, she replied, “You’re right where I’d like you to be. I’m sure you’ll have to get to work before he wakes anyway, so we can have our night.”
She snuggled closer and said, “I love your tattoo.”
He shifted and held her gaze, drawing his finger over her cheek. “I wanted to ask you if you’d let David get one—a temporary tattoo, but like this one?”
Her brow knit and, even in the dark, he could feel her concern. Explaining, he said, “There’s a miniature tracer embedded into the light of this tattoo. All the Keepers have it in case one of us is on a mission that goes awry and we need to locate them.”
Her mouth formed an O, but no words followed as confusion still flooded her eyes.
“I’d only have David get a temporary tattoo but, with your permission, we could add a tracer to him as well.”
Gasping, her fingers tightened on his arms. “You think he’s still in danger—”
“Whoa, baby. Don’t get ahead of me. I think that I want to do everything I can to make sure he’s safe. Planning upfront is the best way to ensure that.”
Letting his words penetrate, she nodded slowly. “He’d like to have a tattoo like yours,” she admitted, “but, is it safe? Will it hurt?”
“I’m only talking about a temporary one. It’ll be drawn on, not tattooed into his skin. And the tracer will be minuscule. He won’t feel it, I promise.”
Her eyes held his, gaining strength from him. “Okay,” she agreed. “I trust you to take care of my son.”
He nodded against her lips, ease filling his chest. Lying in bed with his arms around her, taking her weight as sleep claimed her, the sound of her breath soothed him. His lips curved in a slow smile as the feeling of peace descended. Whatever this was…wherever it was going…he did not want to be anywhere else but in this bed, with this woman, for as long as she would have him.
“What have we got?” Mace stepped off the elevator and into the compound, already seeing several of his men at work. He knew he was not late, but even with the extra minutes lying in bed with Sylvie, he hated to leave her side.
Josh grinned, saying, “I found their servers. Looks like we hit the payload last night. Members, donors. I’m going to finish analyzing what we’ve got before you decide what you want to do with the information.”
“Cross reference it with anyone who might have had a connection to Charles Jefferson or the Crossover Building Company.”
“You got it, boss.”
“Any idea who Jonathan Adams is?” he asked.
Clay responded, “Been looking at the security feeds that we tapped into. Atkins didn’t have anyone come in at that time, but he did go to lunch. Looks like he had reservations at Bella’s—”
“Oooh, swanky,” Babs called out, her fingers flying over her keyboard, her head barely visible over her laptop and piles of papers on her desk.
“Found it,” Josh called out. Spinning around in his chair, he grinned. “Jonathan Adams is a real estate agent. He owns Adams Realty.”
“What’s the connection?” Drew asked.
“Don’t know, but I found a social media site that had Jonathan, Doug, and Richard playing golf at a tournament.”
Nodding, he said, “Good work.”
Calling it into Roberto, he looked over at his group and smiled. “I’ll let the State Police do the official questioning. Anyone up for another nighttime reconnaissance?”
Cheers resounded and he laughed. Desiring to leave the official investigation, with all its constraints, to the State Police or FBI, he knew his band of rescuers preferred the subterfuge of slipping in during the night.
Babs called him over to sign invoices and as he leaned over her desk, he caught her staring at him. Her face broke into a grin and she said, “Looks like you and the pretty Sylvie finally got over dancing around each other and decided to do some dancing under the sheets.”
Blinking in surprise, he opened and closed his mouth a couple of times. She laughed, winked, and took the papers from him. “Good for you. Both of you.”
He watched her walk away, her step light, arms full of envelopes to mail. Hands on his hips, he dropped his chin to his chest, warmth gliding through him at the thought of Sylvie. Turning, he was shocked to see his men all grinning back at him. “Get to work,” he groused, but could not keep the smile from his face.
18
“Are there really pirate caves around here?”
Horace smiled at the wonder on David’s face. “Yes, indeed. Some of them had great names like Black Sam Bellamy and Dixie Bull. I’m sure you’ve heard of Blackbeard.”
His eyes widened and his gaze shot out toward the water. Holding on to the side, he watched as Horace moved the boat through the water, keeping them well away from the rocks while not too far out either.
“Can you teach me sometime?”
Horace looked back at him, his body hidden behind the bright orange life jacket, but his face earnest with desire.
“How to steer the boat?” Horace clarified.
Nodding, he grinned. “I like how you make us go where you want to by turning the handle on the motor.”
“No time like the present,” Horace proclaimed, indicating for him to slide next to him.
On shore, Sylvie stood in the backyard, the breeze blowing her hair about her face and her arms wrapping closer to her body. She stared intently at the boat bobbing in the waves and her heart was torn between joy that her son was getting to experience something new and exciting, and fear for his life if the boat suddenly toppled over.
Arms came from behind and she yelped in surprise before recognizing the massive, tanned muscles that wrapped around her.
“Hey, babe,” Mace whispered in her ear. “You were so lost in thought you didn’t even hear me come out.”
His warm breath tickled her neck and she leaned her head back against his chest. “I’m keeping an eye on David.”
Mace lifted his gaze, seeing Horace and David out in
the motorboat. “Worried?”
“Always.”
“He’ll be fine. Horace is an old sea dog…a former Navy SEAL.”
Nodding, she remained silent, but breathed a sigh of relief.
“Was everything okay this morning?” For several nights, he had slipped into her bed once his work was completed. And every morning he had slipped out just as quietly, so that David would not see him.
Nodding again, she smiled. “Everything except you being gone when I woke.”
Groaning, he agreed. “I’d give anything to wake in your arms.” Nuzzling her neck again, he grinned as his lips felt her shiver. “Wake…and other things in the early morning.”
She laughed as she turned in his arms, lifting her hands to his face. Rubbing her thumbs over his dark stubble she sucked in a deep breath. “You are so gorgeous.” After the words left her mouth she quickly blushed.
He watched her lower her eyes and ordered, “Oh, no. You can’t say that to me and then look away.”
She rolled her eyes, then admitted, “I’m sure it sounds stupid, but sometimes when I look at you, I can’t believe you’re real.” Seeing his surprised face, she added, “You’re larger-than-life, Mace. Gorgeous, strong, everything I would think a hero would be.”
He dipped his head so that he could stare into her eyes. “I’m no hero, Sylvie. I’m just a man.”
“Not to me. To me, you’re a hero. You’re my hero.”
His face gentled as he observed her staring so intently into his eyes. Closing the slight space between them, he kissed her lips, reveling in the soft, satin feel and her delectable taste. Reluctantly pulling away, he said, “If anyone here is gorgeous, it’s you.”
Just then, a shout from the water caught their attention. “Hey, Mom! Mr. Hanover!”
They turned in unison and observed a jubilant David waving in their direction. They laughed and waved back, but Sylvie said, “Oh, Lord, I hope he doesn’t try to stand up.” She felt Mace’s chest rumble as he chuckled.
Vote Then Read: Volume III Page 303