Wicked Shadows (Steele Security Book 5)

by A. D. Justice

  “This is my official resignation. I don’t know where the confusion is. I quit.”

  “Your leave is approved. No one quits the CIA. We’ll be in touch when we need you. Keep the phone. Don’t make us have to find you.”

  The line went dead, and he chuckled a humorless laugh. “Well, that went better than I expected.”

  After finding there were no flights available until the following afternoon, he lay on his back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The pictures in magazines and on television of Elle with other men over the prior three years had been bad enough, even though he knew she was his. But seeing her earlier was different. It wasn’t a movie promotion or a platonic date to a premiere. She’d moved on without him, and as much as he wanted to wait at her apartment for her, he knew himself too well.

  His personal cell woke him from a restless sleep. At first, he thought he’d let it roll to voice mail, but a glance at the name on the screen made him scramble to answer it instead.

  “Hello.”

  “Devon? I swore I wouldn’t do this when you didn’t show up, but I can’t move on without having this talk with you. Tell me it’s over. Tell me you don’t want me. Tell me I don’t mean anything to you,” Elle demanded through slightly slurred words.

  His mind yelled at him to tell her what she wanted so she’d finally be happy without him. But his heart was selfish and couldn’t lie to her. Wouldn’t lie to her. “I can’t tell you any of those things, Elle.”

  Her watery reply drove a searing hot knife through his heart. “You don’t want me, but you don’t want anyone else to have me either. Is that it?”

  “No, that’s not it at all. In fact, if you’re finished with your date for the night, why don’t you come on over to my hotel room and I’ll show you how much I don’t want you.”

  “How did you know about my date?”

  “Because I’m fucking here and watched you walk into the restaurant on the arm of another man.” His teeth were clenched together as he spoke, and the muscles in his jaw jumped in anger. “And I have called you, repeatedly, but you haven’t answered any of them.”

  “Why were you late?”

  “Because my friend’s fiancée was in the hospital, fighting for her life, and I couldn’t just leave them. Wrapping up the job took a little longer than I thought it would, but then I told you that was a possibility when I was here last time.”

  “My phone was mysteriously misplaced when I woke up on day fifteen. My assistant ordered a new phone, with a new number, and none of my existing contacts would download to my new phone for some odd reason. I tore Beth’s room apart tonight until I found my old phone. Where are you?”

  “Already on my way to you.”

  10

  CHAPTER TEN

  Three Years Earlier

  One button at a time, he moved down the front of her blouse. His eyes stayed locked on hers, establishing his dominance and enjoying every second of it. Her arms hung loosely at her sides as he’d instructed, submissive regardless of how badly she wanted to speed things along. They’d been apart for too long and she was dying to touch him, but he loved how making her wait only increased her eagerness for him.

  “I can almost hear your thoughts, Elle,” Devon chided gently. “Are you trying to will me to go faster with your mind?”

  “I would never, Devon. That would rob you of your favorite part—building the anticipation of what you’re planning to do to me.”

  One eyebrow lifted in amusement, along with one side of his lips. She’d repeated his words from another time together back to him almost verbatim. “To be honest, that’s not my favorite part. But it does rank fairly high on the list.”

  “You do have more self-control than anyone I’ve ever met. You’ll have to share some of that with me one day.”

  “What I want to share with you has nothing to do with my self-control. You can have all you want.”

  He pushed her shirt off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Her bra quickly followed, leaving her standing completely bare to him. Exactly the way he wanted her. He bent his head and sucked her nipple into his mouth. The warmth of his tongue laved it, tasting and teasing with each pass. Her peak hardened and his teeth grazed over it, eliciting a moan of pleasure from deep inside her chest.

  “Touch me,” he instructed, and she readily complied. Her fingers wrapped around his girth and stroked back and forth along his length. “That’s my girl. You don’t know how many times I’ve had to do this myself, while thinking of you.”

  Her knees suddenly buckled when his fingers found her wet center. When he plunged them inside her without warning, the intensity of the welcome intrusion stole her breath. As he pumped his fingers deep inside her, his mouth continued to work magic on her breasts, giving ample and equal attention to both. One of her hands kept stroking him while the other gripped his shoulder tightly as his ministrations brought her closer to the edge of her climax.

  “Oh my God, Devon!”

  Before her body had recovered, he was on his knees in front of her, pushing her legs farther apart. “That was one. You’ll give me several more tonight.”

  Before she could reply, his mouth covered her core. His warm tongue circled her clit, deliberately avoiding making direct contract with the most sensitive spot on her body. He leisurely trailed his finger along her slit with just enough pressure to let her know he was there. Waiting for him to take his attentions to the next level was sweet torture, but she knew he’d make her wait longer if she asked for it.

  Patience, my girl. Have I ever left you anything but completely satisfied? He’d asked that the first few times she’d tried to rush him, before she learned her lesson and let him have his way with her in the bedroom. Or the living room. Or outside, depending on where they were when they’d reunited.

  She watched with rapt attention as he pulled her leg over his shoulder. He smirked up at her, his smile smug and knowing, and she couldn’t contain her smile.

  “You’re trying to rush me again. For the record, I’m not making you wait because of how badly I want to taste you. But you’ll have to be punished for that later.”

  “I didn’t say a word,” she replied through a giggle. “I’ve been a good girl.”

  “It’s the thought that counts,” he countered, his smug smile still in place.

  She knew better than to argue any further, so she let him believe he’d won that round. While he enjoyed being the dominant one, the aggressor, he certainly didn’t mind when she took charge to please him. She’d easily learned how to distract him, and in doing so, she’d enjoyed even more pleasure at his hand…and mouth…and enormous cock. While her mind momentarily wandered to their other escapades, he effectively brought her back to the present with a swift move.

  Simultaneously, he sucked hard on her clit and thrust two fingers deep into her channel. Her inner muscles clamped around his fingers while her essence soaked his hand. His tongue licked and lapped her, and he pulled her closer to him until she straddled his face. She grasped his hair, tugging with abandon as each wave rolled through her. Her hips moved of their own accord, riding out the force of her orgasm, and she threw her head back when she screamed in pleasure.

  “Mmm,” he hummed against her. “That’s number two.”

  One strong arm circled her, lifted her, and carried her to the bedroom. He lay on his back, his erection standing tall and proud, and he waggled his eyebrows at her. “Ready to go for a wild and wet ride?”

  While taking in the perfect male form stretched out on her bed, she licked her lips instinctively. “I’m more than ready.”

  “Do that again.”

  She met his gaze with confusion. “Do what again, love?”

  “Lick your lips like you’re dying to take every inch of my cock down your throat.”

  “Now that you mention it,” she purred seductively and crawled up his body. Poised over his thick cock, she repeated licking her lips in an exaggerated manner and watched his eyes darken
with desire. With his recent torture of her in mind, she took her time exploring him. She ran her tongue lightly around the rim of his head, reveling in the way all his muscles tightened with her slightest touch.

  When his eyes were squeezed shut, she opened her mouth widely and took him in fully, the tip hitting the back of her throat. Each time he drew in a harsh breath, the air barely passing over his gritted teeth, she increased her pressure and tempo. His hips bucked, rising to meet her movements, and his hands gripped her hair. “Fuck, darlin’. This kills me to say, but you have to stop.”

  “Oh? And why would I do that?”

  “Because as much as I love the feel of your soft, warm mouth wrapped around me, it’s been too damn long since I’ve been inside that sweet little pussy of yours. I plan on wearing it out tonight. And tomorrow night. Hell, every night I’m here with you. So, what are you waiting for? Climb on board.”

  With her sly smile in place, she straddled his lap and hovered over him. Her hand wrapped around his cock firmly and guided him to her waiting entrance. The slight burn of her body stretching to accept his size only increased her yearning for him. She slid down his length and stilled for a second when he was fully seated inside her. Her hips began rocking back and forth, then side to side. His fingers gripped her hips just before he began thrusting upward. She leaned back slightly, throwing her head back and focusing on the pleasure, when his thumb found her clit.

  The mixture of erotic stimulation caused stars to ignite into fireworks behind her closed eyes. As she pushed down, he plunged upward. The erotic connection in the middle hit the spot every time, with each pulse building into an overpowering culmination before they reached the summit and tumbled over together. Elle fell forward, lying on his chest, as they fought to catch their breath and slow their speeding hearts.

  “That was amazing,” she said groggily, her energy spent. “I don’t have the strength to move now, so I’m sleeping right here all night.”

  “Sounds like a wonderful idea to me. When I wake up in the middle of the night, you’ll be in the perfect position to start all over again.”

  “Devon, I could sleep cocooned inside a mummy sleeping bag, and you’d say I was in the perfect position.”

  “Well, you are very fuckable no matter what position you’re in. I’ll give you that one.”

  Wrapped in his arms, warmed by the natural heat of his body, she fell into a deep sleep with her cheek resting on his chest. Hours later, she was pulled from a beautiful dream by a noise that seemed far away at first. When she gained her bearings, she realized the noises were coming from Devon.

  He was talking in his sleep. Unintelligible words at first. Nothing she could make out to understand what he dreamed about. Then the next words, spoken with a more forceful tone, caught her full attention.

  “Ava? Ava, no! Don’t leave me. Stay with me, Ava. Stay with me.”

  “Are you ready, superstar?” Devon asked playfully. “Have you penciled me in for the weekend on your appointment calendar?”

  “No, I most certainly have not penciled you in,” Elle replied, mock offense rife in her tone. “That’s my assistant’s job. Those menial tasks are beneath me.”

  “My knee is the only thing that’ll be beneath you. When I turn you over it and spank that ass for being so sassy with me.”

  “You love it when I’m sassy, and you know it.”

  “I can’t deny it. I do love that sassy mouth of yours.”

  A flash of disappointment passed over her eyes for a split second before she tamped it down. “Okay, I’m packed and ready to go. I can’t believe you’re actually taking a whole weekend off from your six different cell phones.”

  “It’s kind of hard not to take the weekend off when we’re going to your parents and they live in the middle of nowhere. One of the last places on Earth that doesn’t have cell reception.” He shook his head in disgust and picked up their suitcases. “Move that fine ass. We have a three-hour drive ahead of us. Six if I have to pull over on the side of the road and have my wicked way with you.”

  “We are not stopping on the side of the road to have sex before we go spend the weekend with my parents and brothers.” She put her hands on her hips and dared him to argue with her stern expression.

  “Spoilsport,” he muttered on his way out the door.

  In the car on their way north to the vineyard country, they chatted mindlessly about anything and everything. When she could no longer take not knowing, she prepared herself to ask him about Ava. They’d never verbally agreed to an exclusive relationship, but that had always been Elle’s expectation. From Devon’s reaction to her going on a meaningless date with another man, she believed he’d felt the same.

  “What’s on your mind? Let’s have it.” Devon cut his eyes over to her.

  “How do you always know?”

  “It’s my job to know, darlin’. What’s bothering you?”

  “Something you said in your sleep last night,” she admitted.

  He turned his head toward her, waiting to see the laughter in her eyes. But she was dead serious. “I talked in my sleep? What did I say?”

  “You asked Ava not to leave you,” she replied quietly. “Who is Ava?”

  “Not who you think she is, darlin’. I know it bothers you, but I need you to trust me. I want to tell you about her, but not right now—not in the car. She’s not an old flame by any stretch of the imagination, if that helps calm your mind.”

  From the way his naturally bronzed skin paled at the mention of Ava’s name, Elle believed he spoke the truth. The innate happiness that was usually clear in his eyes had dimmed, leaving a sadness she’d never seen in them before that moment. Whoever Ava was, and whatever made her leave him, left a profound impact on him. Elle was confident he’d tell her everything when the time was right. As far as she was concerned, he’d always been true to his word.

  “Okay, Devon. You can tell me later, when you’re ready. I’ll be here.”

  He gripped her hand in his, pulled it to his mouth, and pressed his lips to the back of it tenderly. “You have no idea how much that means to me, Elle. Knowing you’re here for me. Some days, it’s all I have.”

  “When are you going to tell me what your work involves? What you do. Where you go. Why you only show up for a few weeks or days at a time, then leave again. Even after all this time, there’s still so much I don’t know about you. But you know everything there is to know about me.”

  “It’s not fair, I know, and I’m truly sorry it has to be this way. My occupation is dangerous, to say the least, and has always demanded unquestionable loyalty. My path hasn’t been as well-lit as yours. When you step outside, hundreds of bright lights from cameras flash from every direction to capture a glimpse of you. My world has been in the shadows, where I’m invisible.”

  “That’s why you refuse to be photographed with me? Because of your job?”

  A mixture of pain and relief permeated her tone, instinctively prompting him to jerk his gaze to hers. “I’m such a fucking idiot. Darlin’, I never realized I’d hurt you over that. My…activities…mandate I stay out of the public eye. I’ve gone to great lengths to keep my fugly mug out of the papers. If I could, I’d be in every picture with you. The world would know without a doubt you’re mine.”

  “Does your world know you’re mine?” She dared to ask, taking a gamble with her heart in a new way.

  “To protect you, my world doesn’t know you’re associated with me in any way. But I think what you’re really asking me is if the other ladies of the world know I’m yours. The answer is no, they don’t know anything about you. Or me, for that matter.” He paused and looked at her again. “But I know who has my heart, Elle. That’s all that matters.”

  Devon turned onto a long, winding driveway lined with sycamore trees and followed it through the rolling hills covered with rows upon rows of grapevines. Danny and Tanya Moore had bought the one-hundred-thirty-acre property soon after they’d migrated west and transform
ed it into a family business. Their son Mark had successfully managed and built the winery operations, establishing a lucrative vintner’s private reserve with a long waiting list.

  “Look who beat us here,” Elle remarked, inclining her head toward the car parked outside the garage.

  Devon’s disbelief over what sat directly before his eyes prevented his keen eyes from identifying it first.

  “What are my parents doing here?”

  Elle laughed out loud, leaned forward in her seat, and fixed her eyes on his shocked expression. “I can’t believe I actually pulled it off. You’ve always known when I’ve tried to hide anything from you. Not this time, though. My acting skills are definitely improving.”

  “You’re an incredibly bad distraction, because there’s no way I’m losing my touch. I’ll just have to watch you closer and use different tactics in the future. Now, seriously, what are they doing here?”

  “They’re vacationing at my parents’ house for a couple of weeks. They don’t get to see each other as often as they’d like. Or you, from what they’ve told me.” Elle pierced him with her perceptive stare.

  “Sometimes I have to choose between going to visit them in Georgia or you in California. The odds of me picking anyone over you are slim to none, darlin’.”

  “You’re going to blame me when we get inside, aren’t you?”

  “Abso-fucking-lutely.” He grinned, and the mischief sparkled in his eyes.

  Ready to face both families and get the questions out of the way, they exited the car and walked to the front door hand in hand. Elle glanced over her shoulder at Devon when she crossed the threshold into the sprawling home. “Are you ready for this?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  A concurrence of laughter and voices engaged in multiple conversations at once echoed off the walls, emanating from the kitchen. Elle was greeted by a moment of silence when the families realized she’d arrived. Then the entire group jumped to their feet and rushed to Elle and Devon upon seeing them together. Hugs, handshakes, and squeals of delight filled the home—along with love.