Blake (Lighthouse Security Investigations Book 5)

by Maryann Jordan

  Giving her control for several minutes, he finally took over, his hands clasped around her waist, and he held her in position as he pistoned his hips up and down, thrusting his cock deep inside. Pulling her forward slightly, his mouth latched around her nipple again, nipping it with his teeth before soothing it with his tongue.

  Keeping his eyes open, he wanted to watch every nuance of every expression that crossed her face. He was not disappointed. Sara did not have a coy bone in her body. She took what she wanted, gave with her whole being, and smiled widely, letting him know he was hitting the spot that elicited the moans of delight from her. As a lover, she gave freely of her body, taking everything he had to offer.

  “I’m close,” she moaned, and her gaze held his as he continued to thrust deeply.

  “Let go, babe.” He watched as her eyes squeezed tightly shut, her top teeth biting her bottom lip and another cry ripping from deep inside as her inner channel squeezed around his aching cock. With a few more thrusts, he felt his balls tighten, and his own orgasm blasted, filling her. He continued to thrust slowly until every drop was wrung from him, and she fell onto his chest, her head resting on his shoulder.

  His arms wrapped around her tightly, and they lay in the slowly-cooling water, sharing their ragged breaths.

  Unable to keep the words back, he said, “I don’t want you to go back to New York tomorrow.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt her body stiffen for a few seconds before relaxing against him again.

  “I don’t want to go back, either. In the past couple of days, this place feels more like home to me than any place I’ve ever been to.”

  He felt his arms give an involuntary jerk at her words, and she immediately stiffened again and lifted her head, peering down at him.

  “I’m sorry.” Her eyes were full of worry. “I didn’t mean to rush anything or imply that I should be—”

  “I want you here. With me. Don’t start backpedaling on me now because if there’s one thing I always want from you, Sara, it’s your honesty.”

  She nodded slowly, her eyes pinned on him. “Okay. Here it is. I’m falling for you, William Blake. I think I started falling for you the first time I looked down from the balcony when the translators were working and saw you leaning against the wall, your eyes constantly moving as you looked over the gathering and your arms crossed over your chest. I thought you were the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen in my life.” She swallowed deeply, licking her lips. “I never thought a girl like me could have a chance with a man like you. But everything happened...and my world turned upside down, and I was a living, walking nightmare. And you came for me. I thought at first my feelings were just hero worship. But they’re so much more. So much deeper.” She continued to hold his gaze. “You wanted honesty. There it is.”

  Her words scored straight through him, but he saw the worry move through her eyes and he wanted to erase it. “What you just gave me was a precious gift.” His gaze dropped from her eyes to the way she nibbled on her bottom lip, and he lifted his hand, soothing the soft skin with his thumb. “You’re everything I always wanted and some things I never knew I needed. Smart, strong, independent, capable, and so fucking beautiful, it takes my breath away.”

  Her lips curved slightly, and a blush pinked her cheeks. “I know it seems fast. I know we seem new. But my mother always told me that when it’s right, you know it’s right.”

  He stood and carefully lifted her out of the tub, setting her feet on the plush mat. Letting the water drain, he climbed out and wrapped a thick towel around her, quickly toweling off himself.

  They finished in the bathroom, brushing their teeth side-by-side, and he leaned his hip against the counter as she moisturized, grinning as her eyes darted furtively toward him.

  “You’re making me nervous,” she finally said, huffing.

  “Don’t be.” He stepped closer. Placing his hands on her hips, he pulled her toward him, kissing her gently. “I just love having you here. Even if for doing nothing more than just getting ready for bed.”

  She held his gaze as she smiled and stood on her tiptoes. “Well, now that we’re ready for bed, how about you take me to bed.”

  With a whoop, he picked her up in a fireman’s hold, palmed her ass, and did exactly that.

  25

  Back in New York City, Sara walked into her apartment, and her eyes immediately took in the small, crowded space. Glancing into the minuscule kitchen, she could see that her roommates had done little more than rinse off their dishes.

  She pulled off her raincoat, staring down at the wet puddle at her feet. Flying to New York City in the rain had only made the city appear drearier and her mood more somber. She hung her coat on the coat rack near the door and walked to her bedroom. It had always been her calm place, but now, looking around, she could see that her entire bedroom could fit into Blake’s bathroom. Perhaps with room to spare.

  Last night had been wonderful as they lay in his king-sized bed, making love and then making plans. He was not trying to put pressure on her to move or to fit her career and life into his, but a compromise was going to have to be made for them to become a couple, and her career was more flexible.

  This morning, he had driven her to the airport, where she cried in his arms as she said goodbye. And when he promised that they would be together, she believed him. She valued his honesty as much as he did hers.

  She glanced at the clock, hating that her flight had been so early but now pleased that it was just after lunchtime. She rushed back into the living room, grabbed her coat, and headed out the front door, waving for a taxi.

  Within half an hour, she was sitting in her supervisor’s office, explaining everything to her. She had always gotten along very well with Anna, a multilingual translator who now worked in administration. She was married with three children, had traveled the world, and was one of the most relatable employers Sara had ever known.

  Anna already knew about the trauma Sara had endured in French Guiana, making sure to be proactive in alerting the staff to heightened security awareness when they traveled. But now, Sara explained her feelings for Blake.

  “Right now, the only thing I need from you, Anna, is what career possibilities do I have if I choose to not live in New York City?”

  “You’re in luck with your career, Sara, because it’s somewhat portable. Both with flexible hours and days and where you can work. You know that we have some employees who always travel. We have others who work from home, translating remotely. If you choose to move out of New York City you’ll give up the work you do for the United Nations, which, of course, is only part-time anyway. You may decide that you like translating from home more than interpreting when you travel, but we have plenty of work for both.”

  “So, I can keep my job with the company, just take more remote work, and still travel? It’s important that I make sure I understand my health insurance and retirement benefits.”

  Smiling, Anna nodded. “That’s very smart of you. But yes, you can still be a full-time employee with us but not have to live here in New York City. Your health insurance and retirement will stay the same.”

  The breath she had not realized she had been holding left her lungs in a rush, and she slumped in the seat in relief.

  Anna tilted her head and held her gaze, a thoughtful expression moving over her face. “I suppose the mom in me feels like I should warn you to be very sure of your feelings for this man before you uproot your life and move to Maine. The professional woman in me wants to applaud you for not making a career change without checking your options. The romantic in me wants to tell you how sweet this sounds.”

  She laughed and nodded. “I know! I’ve been going back and forth, wanting to make the right decision. But the bottom line is that he holds my heart, and I want to give us every chance I possibly can for our future.”

  “So, when do you think you’ll make a change?”

  “I’d like to make it soon, but he and I will need to decide on the righ
t time.”

  Nodding, Anna said, “Good. I actually have an assignment for you that I was going to ask you about tomorrow. But since you’ve come in today, I can do that now. The French Guiana office in the UN has a translator assigned to them that is having minor day surgery tomorrow, and they have a meeting. I know your time in the country was harrowing, so I don’t know how you feel about this. The work would just be for the day, and you’d be in a private office doing the translating.”

  Sara thought for a moment, then nodded. “You know, I’ll take it. The French Guiana staff at the UN have nothing to do with what happened to me. In fact, as I found out, the French Guianan police helped to rescue me, so I harbor no ill feelings toward them at all.”

  “Then you can report there tomorrow morning.”

  The two women stood, and Sara reached her hand out to shake Anna’s. “Thank you. Thank you for everything.”

  Walking out of the building, she felt an ease in her chest that she had not felt in weeks. With a bounce in her step and the sun peeking through the rain clouds, she hurried back to her apartment to call Blake.

  Sitting in the small office by herself, Sara could not say that she was unhappy but realized that giving up this part of her job would not be a hardship. Her job today was simply to listen to a meeting between several members of the French Guiana UN staff on some of their visiting countrymen as well as other UN staff members. Interpreting for the others who did not speak French, she was glad when the meeting was over.

  Normally, she would leave the office she was in but had also been asked to provide some translation, so she opened her laptop to begin writing. The small office was quiet and gave her a place to work without interruption.

  Thirty minutes later, deep into her translations, she jumped when she heard two men’s voices and realized that they had not turned off the audio when the room where the meeting had been held had emptied. She also had the ability to stop the audio from her end and reached across the desk to press the button that would halt the connection when she heard the word ‘Boutillier’.

  Her hand hovered over the button as her stomach plummeted at the sound of the name she hoped to never hear again. One of the men spoke in French but with a heavy Creole accent.

  “He is concerned his product is not moving as before.”

  “I do not know what he expects us to do about it,” came the reply.

  “Boutillier expects results. You should be using your leverage to make things easier with your Paris connections.”

  “If he expects the drugs to move through so easily, then he should come and do this job himself.”

  A chuckle came forth, the sound chilling Sara to her very core.

  “With Boutillier here, you should find that makes things easier.”

  “What I find is that the interference and veiled threats do not make anything easier,” came the retort.

  She heard movement and then the word, “Merde!” just before the sound went dead. They must have realized the audio was on! She glanced at the clock and knew that she had worked way beyond her contracted hours. Maybe they’ll assume no one is here!

  Not wanting to be discovered, she shoved her papers into her slim briefcase, scanned the room to make sure she was not leaving anything behind, and flipped off the light switch. Cracking the door, she peeked out into the hall and did not see anyone. Slipping out, she closed the door behind her. Leaning her hand against the wall, she lifted one foot, removing her heeled shoe, then repeated the process with the other foot. Not wanting to make any sounds on the tile floor, she darted toward the end of the hall, peeked around the corner, and ran to the other end.

  Once there, standing at the elevator doors, she slipped her shoes back on and worked to steady her breathing. Sucking in a deep breath through her nose, she let it out slowly, praying for the elevator doors to open. Finally, the door slid open, and she was grateful to see other people in the elevator. Stepping in, she smiled politely, breathing easier as they descended to the first floor.

  Making her way through the throngs of people to the outside of the building, she quickly walked down the sidewalk until she was far enough away she felt she could slow down. Stopping to look into a shop window, she casually glanced behind her, seeing nothing unusual. If she had not been kidnapped in French Guiana she would have scoffed at her flights of fancy in thinking that someone might follow her. But the memory was too close, too fresh, and too real for her. Caution was utmost in her mind.

  She hailed a taxi, and once dropped off at her apartment building hurried inside. She was surprised to see both of her roommates gone, but there was a note stuck to the refrigerator. Tanika was spending the night with a new man she had met, and Marcia had left for Italy, hoping to meet up with her latest boyfriend.

  Part of her was glad to have the apartment to herself, enjoying the quiet as opposed to its typical chaos. But now, she felt very alone, her fear still snaking throughout her.

  Her phone vibrated with an incoming call, and she glanced at the screen, relief filling her as she spied Blake’s name. “Hey, Blake, I’m so glad it’s you.”

  “I wasn’t sure if you’d be available to talk, but I found that you’re all I can think about.”

  She walked into the kitchen, pulled out a bottle of wine, and poured a glass. “Well, I’ve been miserable ever since I left you, so I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one.”

  He sighed heavily and replied, “No, babe, you’re not alone in this. I’m just as miserable.”

  She had called him the previous evening to discuss what her supervisor told her. She was excited and more so when she could hear the excitement in his voice. They had talked for hours, both agreeing that she would move to Maine and discussing when was the best time for that to take place.

  Her current lease had two more months on it, and she knew her roommates would have no problem finding someone else to share the apartment. Two months still seemed very long to live apart, but they both agreed that it would give them more time to make sure what they were doing was right.

  Sipping her wine, she headed to her bedroom, where she flopped on the bed. “I need to tell you what happened today at work, but I don’t want you to freak out—”

  “The quickest way to get me to freak out, Sara, is to start off your statement by telling me you don’t want me to freak out. What’s happening, babe?”

  She could hear the instant change in his voice, now knowing him well enough to understand that he had slid from happy boyfriend to badass alpha security. She explained what she was doing that day and the meeting that she had been interpreting. He listened patiently, but the second that the name ‘Boutillier’ passed her lips, he immediately interrupted.

  “What the fuck?” he growled. “Sara, tell me everything that was said. Do not leave one word out!”

  His obvious heightened concern had her sitting up straight in her bed, her nerves returning. She repeated what she heard, word for word, adding, “I was able to leave without anyone seeing me. I’m sure they don’t know that I was there.”

  “You can’t know that. Babe, I don’t want you going back there.”

  “I don’t have another job right now at the UN so that’s not a problem. And I can tell Anna that I don’t want to take anymore. Since I’m going to be giving up that part of my job when I move to Maine, I might as well drop it now.”

  “Are you locked in?”

  She assured him she was, and then listened as he said he was getting LSI to take a look at what was happening. “Honey, we're talking about the United Nations. You’re not going to be able to find out the comings and goings.”

  “Don’t worry about what you think I can and can’t find out. You just worry about you staying safe. I want you in your apartment, locked in, and I’ll call you back as soon as I know something. And baby? Don’t open your door to anyone, even if you know them.”

  She promised, and they disconnected. Sighing heavily, she longed for a time when her life could become simple
once again. Walking into the living room to double-check the locks on the door, she rinsed out her wine glass and nuked leftover pizza.

  Her phone rang, and she glanced at the number. “Hey, Bette. What’s up?”

  “Are you okay, Sara?”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “Philippe saw you hurrying out of the building today, and when he tried to call out for you, you kept rushing down the street. He called me, knowing we were friends. He wanted to check and make sure you’re alright.”

  “Yes, yes, I’m fine. I didn’t feel very well at the end of the day and wanted to hurry home. I had a headache and wanted to take some medication,” she lied.

  “Oh, I’m sorry you don’t feel well. Well, I’ll let you go, and I’ll see you soon. I’ll let Philippe know that I talked to you so he won’t worry either.”

  Disconnecting, she smiled when she thought of the good friends that she had met in New York. She knew she would miss them when she moved but would have no problem keeping up with them. And, now that she had met the other Keepers and their women, she was excited about a whole new group of friends.

  26

  Blake hovered over Josh’s shoulder until finally, Josh erupted. “Blake, move the fuck back. You panting down my neck is not making this any easier.”

  He stood, hands on his hips, no longer bent over Josh’s shoulder but also not moving.

  “Blake, come over here,” Mace ordered, calling him to the main conference table. “You can see what Josh is doing on the screen just as well as hovering.”

  Knowing his boss was right, he turned and stalked to the table, sitting down in one of the chairs. Within fifteen seconds, he was back up pacing. “I’m sorry.” Anger burned through him. “I can’t sit still. I’m pissed as fuck and can’t believe that the fucking Boutilliers are still fucking in Sara’s life.”

  Walker and Rank shared a look, and he caught the expression on their faces. Both men knew what it was like to have danger following the women they loved. Dropping his head back, he scrubbed his hand over his face and tried to slow his breathing.