Paradise Point

by Dana Volney

  She moved sensually over his body, kissing his neck and collarbone. Her hair swept across her face and onto his chest. The light sensation drove him crazy. He wanted more. He suppressed the urge to flip her on her back and ravage her.

  All of his senses were on high alert. Every movement and touch caused euphoria all the way to his toes. She found his mouth and their tongues glided on, around, and into each other. Adam barely held on.

  She sat up, her legs on either side of him, and removed her tank top, her perfect breasts highlighted in the soft light of the night. He reached for her waist, slowly sliding his hands up. His thumbs caressed the bottom curve of her breasts. She leaned her head back and a low throaty “mmm” hardened him to the brink of discomfort. She swayed her head upright and stared straight into his eyes. A fire from down within radiated through her green stare. She reached down and rubbed him into the apex of her legs. He sucked in a quick breath of air and sighed in pleasure, his own groan nearly foreign to his ears. She stroked him and pushed him harder against her, sliding her body along his long shaft. She pressed on his chest when he wanted to rise to her, and he hesitantly laid back.

  Her hands explored his abs, then his chest; her touch teased him more than she’d ever know. Allowing their bare bodies to touch, she met his mouth with a teasing kiss.

  He wrapped his arms around her back and his tongue found her right breast. He teased her nipple with his tongue, moving lightly in a circle before capturing it with his mouth. He taunted her thirst for him by skimming her nipple with his teeth and felt her breath catch. He smiled and resumed his light touch, savoring every bit of Liv’s skin on his and her breast in his mouth.

  He started to protest when she drew away until he felt her hand. She sat up and, grasping him, she lifted her body, then guided him inside her—slowly, so slowly he grit his teeth and groaned. She felt impossibly good around him, wet and tight and his.

  She moaned and moved up and down, so deliberately his mind went blank from pleasure. More. I need more of her. He watched Liv’s sensual motions and reached for her. Their bodies smashed together, making their movements personal. Pure carnal need had subsided to intimacy, in every single sense of the word.

  They moved in rhythm, faster with every second. She pulled at his ear with her teeth, prompting a guttural groan from him. Dear God, how’d she know my hot button? His ears and neck burned as she toyed with them. This round was hers, the next was his and he planned to make good use of it.

  She kissed her way down his neck as they collided fiercely. Each sensation was better than the last, and Adam felt Liv’s body tightening around him. Let go, baby. He wasn’t going to be able to hold on for much longer. She felt too good. She bit and kissed at his neck, and he held her closer to him.

  “Adam,” she called out in a breathy whisper. “Adam.”

  His name on her lips sounded heavenly. “Come for me, Liv,” he said into her ear as he kissed her neck.

  He heard her cries and his own as they climaxed. She collapsed on top of him and he ran his fingertips lightly down her shoulders, back, and ass, then slowly up again. He kissed her cheek and closed his eyes. I’m in trouble with this one. He’d never experienced anything so perfect. And, he couldn’t wait to have her again.

  • • •

  Adam leaned to kiss the top of Liv’s head before silently sliding out of the bed. She lay peacefully in his bed, her blond hair disheveled, the covers allowing him to admire her round plump breasts and the serene line of her face. So damn sexy. Even when the woman sleeps she’s seductive. Adam grabbed his boxers from the floor, put them on, and faced Liv. He’d never given a sleeping woman a second look before. I should’ve stayed in bed. He started toward the bed for round four or five, he’d lost track, but his caffeine addiction called. He’d start the coffee and then go back to bed. He smiled, wide—he would gladly go back to bed, but not for sleep.

  He glanced at the readout on the stove. They had enough time to enjoy a relaxing, sex-filled morning before they had to be into work. He opened his door to let the morning breeze flow and breathed in the salty scent of the calm, blue water silently waiting for the heat of the day. He’d forgotten about life at the marina. The beautiful outdoors and the people. He’d spent a lot of time with Eddie and the gang in his later teen years. It felt weird to be back—like he was sixteen again and finding his way after his life had been turned upside down by the death of his parents. Only he wasn’t. He wasn’t that pathetic kid who was trying to get through each day. He’d made a life for himself—which had led him to Liv.

  Reality sunk in. His muscles tensed at the memory of the hours they’d spent entwined. His good mood turned into anxiety. What am I doing? The exciting and terrifying idea of getting caught up with Liv sat on his chest. He just couldn’t stop himself. She’d come to him, their chemistry electric, and his body had overrun his logic. Even now, he wanted her again. He couldn’t find the proper amount of remorse for his actions. He had none. How was he going to deal with this? His life was the job and it didn’t involve a woman—a wife. Adam had made his decision long ago, freeing him to be the best he could be at his job. After all, he had no one to worry about at home. How would Liv fit into his life? And what if they had kids? I can’t even right now.

  He frowned. There went his morning sex plans. He tried to bury his questions deep down, but he already knew the answers. Liv knew his profession and accepted it, entirely, and all of him. He’d do anything to be with Liv. He wanted a great life with her—whatever that life may look like. He calmed himself by focusing his attention on the problem at hand, the one he knew how to deal with. He’d check out Neil and see what turned up. Then he’d work on the new turn his relationship with Liv had taken.

  “Hey, you,” Liv said, her soft voice in his ears.

  She wrapped her arms around his torso and leaned into his back. The spot where her cheek lay radiated desire deep in his gut. In an instant Adam’s mood changed. He closed his eyes and breathed in the flawless moment. Waking up to Liv at the bay was living. Peace filled his soul. I want this every day.

  He willed away all these new, sneaky emotions. He rested his arms over hers and held them tightly to his stomach. Liv kissed the back of his shoulder.

  He turned to face her. His gaze dropped to her naked body wrapped in a thin, white robe. Have mercy. He placed his arms around her hips, clasping them on her back. Without saying a word, they stood in a tight embrace. Comfortable silence passed between them. Intimate silence. I love her. What does that mean?

  • • •

  Liv smelled Adam’s spicy scent and cozied into his arms. She loved that he held her with purpose, giving the hug an added closeness that sent a chill up her spine.

  Something was different. The wispy hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She had everything she’d ever wanted: an exciting business, a beautiful place to live, and now a man who made her comfortable in her own skin. Please don’t let this go sour.

  They didn’t know all of each other’s secrets, but in time they would. Their undeniable connection elicited electricity she didn’t know her body and mind were capable of handling. He pulled away and held her at the shoulders. His thumb caressed her collarbone while his strong fingers wrapped around over her shoulder. She peered into his golden brown eyes and felt a shift. He leaned in to kiss her and she moved her head back, partly to study him a moment longer and partly to tease him. He smiled, pulled her into him harder, and captured her mouth. She sank into his demanding kisses and didn’t deny her desire. She didn’t know where this would end up, but she knew what she wanted in the here and now.

  She walked backward slowly, keeping their lips tangled, until they stood in front of the couch. She pushed Adam down and straddled him. She cupped his face and kissed him with a need she’d never felt before. He slid his hands around her ass and pulled her closer. His body was hard under hers and she melted into him. Liv ran her finger through his thick, brown hair and moved them over his shoulders and dow
n to his stomach. She took her time, feeling every single muscle he had—and holy hell, did Adam have a lot of them. Every single one of them called out to her.

  Her robe fell open and she didn’t try to stop it. In Adam’s arms she felt sexier than she ever had before. Watching him stare with hungry eyes washed her insecurities away.

  Their kisses became deep and urgent. She needed him now. She didn’t want foreplay; she wanted to feel him inside of her again, to feel his strength and power between her legs and to see the pure lust in his eyes.

  She felt Adam shuffle and hold her close to his body. Then her back lay on the couch and Adam stood posed above her, taking off his boxers. With one knee on the couch and one foot on the ground, he spread her thighs. She watched him with pure joy and he returned her zeal. Even with only his hands on her hips, her entire body burned, ached for him. Thank goodness I’m on birth control. Just like the previous night, Liv couldn’t wait.

  As if reading her mind, Adam leaned down and in one expert motion thrust into her. She would’ve moaned or, hell, screamed, but she couldn’t process the pleasure and react all at once. He filled her completely, hitting all the right spots, nearly sending her over the edge.

  The pretense for control had flitted away their first night. Their lovemaking barely allowed restraint. Liv’s passion for Adam, her body’s reaction, and the way he moved left her no choice but to give in, fully.

  With each movement the pressure grew, fighting to be released. How does he know exactly what I need? She didn’t care about the answer—she wanted his genius to invade her life forever.

  Her eyes met Adam’s and their fervor brought her orgasm quick and hard. Her body shuddered as he pushed inside her again and again. His strong hands held her hips, unrelenting under the arch of her body. Her attraction to him was so powerful she felt tingles and the pressure built again, more and more until she couldn’t remember a life without him. Her climax was timed to perfection with his. His body dropped down to hers as they caught their breath. She wrapped her arms around him, resting one on the back of his neck. She kissed his cheek and closed her eyes. Her life couldn’t get any better.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Neil exited his office for lunch, just as Adam knew he would. Adam started his truck to follow the Escalade. His plan: corner Neil and get the truth, through force if necessary. He was done with whatever bullshit game was being played. He wanted Liv out of it.

  She’d been unbelievably sexy in her robe and the way she’d pushed him down on the couch that morning. Only this time, she didn’t get to tease him as she had over and over the previous night. This time, he’d done the teasing. He’d explored her body until she’d begged to be taken. Remembering her calling his name out made him hard as he sat in his truck wearing his black laced boots, cargo pants, and shirt.

  Neil didn’t drive toward any of the dozens of restaurants that peppered downtown San Diego. He moved away from the hustle and bustle into an industrial area. Adam had picked the right time to follow. He stayed back as Neil pulled up next to a warehouse, got o ut, and started a conversation with a man standing outside. Neither party seemed pleased.

  Adam reached for his binoculars to try to catch any clue on the tone of the discussion. Suddenly, all of the air was sucked out of the cab and his lungs. Fucking Neil was having a conversation with Victor Gamble—a.k.a. the kingpin in the Haros cartel that Adam and his team had been trying to take down before Vam died. Shit. How is Neil mixed up with Victor?

  The Haros cartel dealt in more than drugs. They had a small hand in other illegal endeavors, but the new venture of hiring military trained people to do their enforcing took their organization to a new level. Unlike other vicious criminals, the Haros cartel was highly organized and smart. Members were compartmentalized—kept in the dark about the overall plan, only instructed to carry out their assignment.

  Liv can’t walk away. The chances of their taking back their black bag of goodies and not killing her were slim to none. Tying up loose ends is what this orderly crime syndicate did well—that was how they’d evaded being completely shut down. Only the truly committed remained in their circle.

  The sweat emanating from Neil was enough for a small child to swim in, and Victor’s finger looked to be leaving multiple bruises on Neil’s chest. Why was Neil still alive? They needed something from him if he’d presumably screwed up badly but remained breathing.

  Neil left the meeting with all of his digits intact. Adam turned down a side street, opting not to follow the little man back to the pity party he would no doubt be having.

  Instead, he pointed his truck toward the WIG office. He checked the cameras on his phone. The marina was full and Eddie and Liv bounced around helping customers. Good. She’ll be there for a while yet.

  “What did you find out?” Adam leaned on the side of Willamina’s desk.

  “Your new case directly corresponds with the op we just did, or are still doing, for the DEA.”

  He nodded. Victor didn’t dabble in anything outside of the Haros cartel. What he didn’t know was how Victor and Neil intertwined or how deep the shit that meant Liv was in.

  “Who are the guys in the photos I sent you?” he asked, already suspecting the answer wouldn’t be fun to hear.

  “The one who cut the ties, actually all of them, either have direct connections to the Haros cartel,” Willamina paused and looked almost apologetic, “or are active military.”

  “Mother…” Adam grunted. Liv had happened right into the thick of it.

  The facts were all coming together in a very bad way.

  “That boat was the drop site, wasn’t it?” His question was rhetorical, but Willamina nodded anyway.

  “This is the missing piece,” she confirmed what they both already knew. “If the keys have been missing, which I assume is to the money and the way they paid the shooters, then that is why they haven’t contacted you for payment. Their system has been compromised.”

  “So they shut down until they could figure it out,” he finished the thought. Adam and his team had been called in to go farther than anyone undercover had attempted before with the Haros cartel. The crux was the drop site. The keys and the rifle had to do with the hits they were ordering using military personnel. They used the sniper rifle to kill the target, then put it back into hiding for the next guy, and the keys were for, what? A locker? A mail box? A bank box? Somewhere, no doubt, that contained the payment for the deed.

  Neil had been a part of the operation. Responsible for the site and the money, and maybe even so far as laundering it through his successful company.

  “Are we going to tell the commander?” Willamina’s wide-eyed expression told him she used “we” in the loosest sense of the term.

  “Shit.” Adam tried to come up with a way not to. Liv should’ve gone to her father in the first place with her little find. “Do I have a choice?” He was open to suggestions.

  • • •

  Liv’s step had an extra spring as she headed on the wood-planked path toward the gas dock to deliver a much-deserved snack to her summer help. Then she’d go meet the girls. She couldn’t wait to tell Sadie and Hannah about Adam over drinks at Sugio’s. She’d been toying with the phrasing all day. Should she say they were dating or just hooked up? She didn’t want to sound trampy or like it was a one-time thing. Last night was more than casual.

  She put a foot onto dirt only feet away from the gas dock shack when she was pulled from behind so swiftly, she lost her breath. Large arms wrapped around her waist and hoisted her off the ground. Her mind raced to put together a logical explanation, but found none. Adrenaline shot through each limb and her pounding heart thudded against her ribs. A loud rumble of a sliding door sounded behind her. She screamed and flailed her arms and legs. No! No! Hot metal stung her skin as she reached for the outside of the van to heave herself out. In one motion she was forced back in and she saw black.

  • • •

  Dammit, Liv. Getting mixed up with the Har
os cartel wasn’t her fault, directly, Adam reminded himself. He was going to take the brunt for this, though. The commander would surely not be happy his only child was messed up with drug runners. Adam hated being the bearer of bad news. Contrary to the popular saying, the messenger always got shot.

  He made his way down the hall toward the commander’s assistant.

  “I don’t suppose he’s in a meeting and left strict orders not to be disturbed, did he?” He could dream.

  “He just took an urgent call from the police chief on Coronado, but I’m sure it’ll be okay if you go in.” She smiled politely and resumed typing.

  “Terrific,” he muttered and straightened himself up as he opened the door.

  Police Chief Henry and the commander went way back. Adam knew they had lunches together and their families celebrated events on a regular basis. What could be so urgent?

  He’d just put his hand on the back of a big leather chair when the commander held out his palm to stop him with a glare that could freeze stone.

  His heart slowed and his ears shut off for a moment. The telephone slammed down and rung Adam back to reality. His brows furrowed in question.

  “Liv’s been taken,” the commander said between clenched teeth.

  The confirmation of his worst fear sucker-punched Adam in the gut. “When? What do they know? What can you tell me?” He needed answers as fast as he asked the questions. Every second counted.

  “A worker, Eddie, saw a van pull up by the gas dock and one guy picked her up and forced her inside. He couldn’t get there in time but called it in and Henry called me immediately.”