by Amie Gibbons
I gasped as I tightened again.
Carvi pushed his hips up and slipped off the side of me.
“I never could figure out how to have sex in this position,” I said. “I don’t think I’m built for it.”
“Not real, remember.” He grabbed my hair, pulling my head to the side and grabbed himself, putting the tip against me and pushing in.
I gasped again as he slid into me and my hands scrambled for something to grab onto.
Ropes appeared, tying my hands to the wall.
Carvi thrust hard and I cried out with the jar just this side of painful.
“It feels almost real,” I said.
“It should.”
He kissed me, moving faster, the thickness of him stretching me.
I moved my hands and the ropes disappeared. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him with my whole body as he had me.
If this was what it was like in a vision, what would it be like in the real world?
I nipped his neck and he cried out, moving faster than a horny rabbit, his whole body a human vibrator.
I tightened around him and pressed against him to get the sensitive parts against the vibration.
And bit his neck as hard as I could as it tipped me over the edge and I came again.
Carvi screamed, bucking into me in one last hard thrust as he came.
We fell to the floor and into our real bodies.
I opened my eyes in the real world.
Carvi rolled off me, my blood staining his thick lips, as hard as he was when we started.
My groin ached like we hadn’t just had each other in the vision and I strained up as he looked at me.
“Now,” he said, undoing his pants and sliding them off.
He lay on top of me, nuzzlin’ my cleavage and nipping the top of my breast.
He pressed against my opening just as he had in the vision.
Only this was real life.
But I didn’t want to say no.
I’d already said yes to so much. Oral was sex as much as intercourse, so why did that feel like the line?
“Carvi,” I said, voice strained, “I can’t.”
“You already have.”
He put himself against my clit, rubbing it with his tip.
“That’s okay, lea, we can take it slow, but I’m emptying myself into you one way or another.”
He moved, vibrating against me.
I came so fast I almost didn’t grab onto it to ride it out.
Carvi crawled up my body, putting his legs on either side of my head and bracing himself against the wall.
I took him in my mouth and he sighed, shoving down until I gagged.
“Can’t deep throat?” he asked. “We’ll have to work on that.”
I grabbed his balls, ticklin’ them and stroking as he pumped into my mouth. It got sore, tryin’ to stay wrapped around something so big, but something told me he wouldn’t last long.
I kept fondling him with one hand and grabbed his base with the other.
“Harder,” he grunted, sliding back so I only had the tip of him in my mouth and pumping faster.
I squeezed his base as hard as my little hand could, finger and thumb barely able to touch around him.
He moaned, head tossing back as he spilled into my mouth, a saltiness with the tinge of bitter following.
“Fuck yeah,” he groaned, pumping into my mouth as shudders of aftershock road through him.
He slid out and flopped off me.
“Come here,” he grunted.
He pulled me against him one armed and I rested my head on his chest as he sighed.
“Now that was fun,” he said, hugging me tightly.
What had I just done?
Chapter six
Carvi didn’t strike me as a cuddler, but we lay in the hall, breathing each other in as he stroked my back.
“We should get back,” he finally said.
“Yeah, I ugh.” I pushed up to my feet, looking around for my clothes.
What the hell did we do?
“Lea.” Carvi grabbed my hand, pulling me down into his lap. “You… hey, look at me.”
I met his eyes, makin’ a face.
“Do not do the girl thing where you start acting weird and awkward. We’re still us. I’m still going to tease you. You’re still going to try to be a professional and do your job. Sex doesn’t change anything.”
“And that is why this is a problem. Because you honestly believe that. Sex matters. Sex changes everything, Carvi.”
I stood up and he didn’t try to stop me.
I pulled on my dress, only now realizing my gun was nowhere to be seen.
“Carvi, where’s my gun?”
“I think you dropped it in the kitchen when the zombie attacked.”
My God, was that what, only an hour ago?
“I… If there is one thing you can point to and say you’re distracted, it’s this!” I yelled.
Carvi just blinked at me as he grabbed his pants and stood.
“This!” I waved at the floor. “You don’t just forget your gun when you’re an agent. Hell, anyone who has a gun and is actually responsible with it doesn’t just forget it somewhere. Do you get it, Carvi! I can’t be professional around you when you act like this.”
“You work with Quil all the time. Why can you work with him when you two do I’d love to know what off on your own, but you can’t work with me?”
My mouth worked.
“Maybe.” He grabbed my chin before I could react. “Maybe it’s because you were putting so much energy into fighting me, you weren’t putting it where it was needed. On the case.”
“Fuck you!”
He actually looked surprised as he let me go. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that. It’s a night for surprises.”
“You say me wasting energy resisting you like that’s my fault!” I jabbed my finger in his face. “That’s on you! You are the one distracting me. It’s on you to behave and not make me waste energy fighting you off. It’s on you!”
I looked down and around to avoid his damn smirk.
“And where the blazes are my panties?” I said.
Carvi walked up behind me and wrapped me in a hug. “Stop panicking. Please. I need you to be able to focus and work and be you.”
“Then you shouldn’t have done this. I don’t know how to go back.”
“Nothing’s changed.”
“Stop saying that.” But I relaxed into him. “You obviously don’t see this as, well, anything, but I do.”
He sighed and let me go.
###
We met back at the doors to the ballroom after I grabbed my gun and after we cleaned up in the bathroom. I never did find my underwear.
Carvi probably took them. The perv.
“Lea?” Carvi asked.
“I don’t know how to be normal now.”
“Suck it up.”
My jaw dropped and I looked at him. “What?”
“You’re the one who keeps saying this is an op, and we need to be professional. Fine. Do professionals let their covers be blown because of something in their personal life?”
I crossed my arms. “No.”
“Okay then. You’re not okay with what just happened. You feel awkward. Fine. Pretend. Act like we just had a wonderful romp and are coming back and you could go again and are happy about it.”
He smiled and I followed suit.
“Something tells me you’re going for the fake it till ya make it outcome,” I said.
He took my hand and winked as he tucked my arm in his. “Maybe.”
We walked back in the ballroom and the forced smile didn’t feel quite so forced anymore.
Maybe I could do this.
Maybe I wanted to feel awkward and bad because I didn’t want to admit everything could be the same after such an intimate act.
Maybe I wanted to feel awkward because I didn’t feel guilty and I thought I should.
Too many ma
ybes.
Carvi led me around the party, chatting and introducing me to people.
I shook hand after hand, getting flashes of their most important moments, Carvi probably along for the ride on the visions, though we didn’t do the vision walk thing again.
“Hey,” I said to the bartender, collapsing on the high seat after about half an hour of this.
“What’s your poison?”
“I usually like vodka drinks, or bourbon.”
“I got just the thing. It’s a Penthouse Iced Tea.”
“I’m afraid to ask.”
“Long Island Iced Tea, but instead of Coke, it’s got juices. More vitamins, little better for you. You look like you need a serious pick me up.”
“You have no idea.”
“Honey, I’m a vampire,” he said, squirting different guns into the mixing cup. “I can smell our illustrious leader all over you. I’m surprised he left you standing.”
I blushed so hard I could’ve set the bar on fire.
“I ugh, that’s… it’s really rude to go around smellin’ people.”
He grinned, flashing fang. “I’m not going to argue that, but either way, I can smell it. How much blood did he take?”
“I have no clue, but I definitely feel woozy now.”
“Yeah.” He put the lid on and shook the ingredients, then poured them out. “You seem pretty weak to me. You need something to eat?”
I nodded. “Probably.”
“Yeah. Protein and sugars. We’ve got a smoked salmon, cheese and fruit platter that’ll make you platz.”
I grinned. “Sold.”
He held up a finger. “I’ll get it together. Drink up.”
“Don’t I need to pay? Or is it open bar?”
I swear I’d seen other people paying him up here.
“You’re the boss’s girl, you don’t pay.”
I made a face. I am not the boss’s girl.
He disappeared through the double doors behind the bar, probably a shortcut to the kitchen.
I stared at the doors.
How much of a shortcut?
I took a long sip. “Okay, that’s good.” And walked around the bar, going through the doors.
Sure enough, it was the same hall we’d gone through, but much further up than where we entered so the kitchen was just a moment away.
“So, what?” I whispered. “No one needed to be in there to get to us.”
Still, it was good to know there was a shortcut.
Just in case.
I turned to go back. If anyone saw me here…
“Holy crap on a cracker.”
I nearly slapped my head, drink in hand and all.
How could I be so dense!
Actually, how could Grant have not thought about this?
Maybe I wasn’t the only one having some focus problems on this trip.
I found Carvi in the ballroom and tapped his arm.
He smiled and excused himself from his group, following me into the back hall we’d been… er, playin’ in.
“Another round already, lea?” He grinned as I blushed.
“No. And stop that. Anyway, I can’t believe I didn’t think of this earlier, but the man was killed somewhere. And he was sayin’ the person couldn’t be back there, and he was one of the caterers, right?”
He nodded, sipping his drink with a little grin playing at the corner of his lips.
“Okay, so he was probably killed in the hotel, in one of the employee only areas, and then teleported.”
I circled my hands and he grinned. “We really are all distracted, aren’t we?”
“Oh yeah. And stupid.”
“See, this is why we needed our little romp. Cleared our heads.”
“I’m not going to dignify that with an answer. Anyway, we are stupid.”
“Yes. All we need to do is check the tapes for the employee only areas in the hotel.” He held up his glass and I clinked mine against it.
“You know what shocks me?” I said.
“Oh, pretty please let me make a list.”
I sighed, narrowing me eyes.
“Oh, stern face,” he said with a wink. “Yes, lea, what?”
“That Grant didn’t think of this. He’s off his game.”
“He is indeed. I’d like to believe it’s me.”
I shook my head.
###
After I grabbed my food, we hit the security center and Carvi had the guys pull up the tapes for all the areas for us. I ate while they worked and it didn’t take too long to get the different video snippets for the correct time lined up for us.
“Sir?” I asked as Grant shifted next to me.
He shook his head, jaw clenched so hard I could practically see the teeth through his skin.
“Grant?” I reach to rub his arm and he stepped away.
I pressed my lips together and tried to keep that from hurting.
“Sir? What’s wrong?”
“I should have thought of this, Ryder.” He shook his head.
“We all should have. We’re all distracted.”
“Exactly. After this, I’m flying back. Kowalski will be your backup.”
“No!” I turned on him and Carvi smirked at me.
“Not up for discussion, Ryder.”
“Sir, we need you here. I need you. You can’t leave me alone with him.” I pointed at Carvi.
“I won’t be. Kowalski will be here to babysit.”
“Ouch! No. Okay. You don’t get to be a jerk. We’re not working a case right now, we’re freelancing and I’m done being all… you know! Professional… respectful… I can’t think, but no!”
“Ryder.” He met my eyes. “Cool it.”
“No! You can’t leave me here. Who knows what I’ll do. And you made a deal with Carvi too. Who knows what he’ll do.”
“You done?”
I took a deep breath. “No. Well, for now.”
“Ryder, I am leaving because I did not think of this, and I should have.”
“That’s all of us, sir.”
“Yes, but I’m the boss. It’s on me. Carvi isn’t an investigator, we are.”
I blew out, the vinegar leaving me in a huff. “And you’re the boss.”
“When you’re the boss, it all comes back to you. Every mistake. I am compromised. I can’t be working a case when I’m compromised.”
“I don’t know how to be down here without you.”
“Yes, you do.”
I bit my tongue and took another long sip of my drink.
“Grant,” I said, alcohol buzzing through my blood.
“No.”
“But you don’t even-”
“Yes, I do. You get that tone when you’ve had alcohol and it always leads to the same place, Ryder. I need to leave because that bastard is affecting me too.”
I stared at him. “What the crap does that mean!”
“It means, lea,” Carvi jumped in, “you’re being dense here too. He’s leaving because my powers affect the libido and right now, he wants to give in.”
I snorted. “Please. Carvi, I know you’re hot, but he’s not into guys, at all.”
Grant turned to the tapes and I looked between them.
Was he?
“He doesn’t want to give into me, lea,” Carvi said in my head.
I jerked, sloshing my drink, and looked at him.
“Yeah, you’re slow tonight,” Carvi said.
I nodded, thinking as hard as I could at him. “Could I get him to stay?”
“You’re the psychic, you tell me.”
“You heard that!”
He smirked.
“Asshole.”
The security guard brought up the tape and I took another gulp.
“Sir, I just click here when you want to jump to the next camera,” he said.
Took me a second to realize he was talkin’ to Carvi, not Grant.
Carvi as a sir?
Nope, didn’t work.
He ran through the
first tape on fast forward and nothing.
Ran through about ten, okay fine, I lost count, before we saw something.
“That’s him,” Grant said, pointing at the screen.
I blinked, trying to focus my eyes on it.
What the?
I glanced at my drink. About a fourth left. Yep, that’d explain it.
I glanced over at Carvi and for once he wasn’t lookin’ at me at the exact right moment.
He stared at the screen as intently as anything he wanted to have sex with and I shrugged, following suit.
The caterer walked down the hall and disappeared.
“What camera goes on that hallway?” Carvi asked.
The security guard hit a few buttons and jumped to the next camera and fast forwarded to about the spot we left off.
The caterer appeared again and grabbed something out of a closet.
A man appeared, his back to the camera.
“Did he just pop in there or did he walk on?” I asked as the caterer’s mouth moved.
“Teleportation,” Carvi said.
“Yes, sir,” the guard said.
Hmmmm, really should’ve gotten his name. Kind of rude just to call someone guard.
“How can you tell?” I asked.
“No shadow coming onto the screen first,” the guard said as the man waved his hands in the air.
“He knew where the cameras were and came on right at the edge,” Grant said.
“And kept his back to them,” Carvi said as the man raised his hand again and the caterer fell.
They both disappeared.
“Carvi, anyway to figure out who that was?”
“He had his back to us, brown hair, average size, wearing a tux. It could be anyone.”
“Grant,” I said, “you have to stay.”
“Ryder.”
“No, sir, hear me out. We have a murderer and we can trace some of the magic, but this is going to be some serious tracking. No one’s better than you, and right now, we need that.”
“Ryder, you’re psychic. You’re better than me.”
My jaw dropped.
“Am I drunk or did he really just say that?” I asked.
“I think he did,” Carvi said.
“Ryder, cut it out,” Grant said. “I’m not staying. And that’s final.”
I crossed my arms.
“Don’t. Say. It,” Grant said.
“How did you know I was going to say something, sir?” I asked.
“I know you. And you were about to say something that would make me want to fire you. Don’t. I’m not in the mood.”