by A. V. Asher
She did, writhing and crying out as each wave struck her. Alec kissed her until the last pulse tightened around his fingers. Her chest heaved as she came down. She looked at him, the fog of her orgasm soft in her eyes.
“That was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen.”
“It was the most incredible thing I’ve ever felt,” Mercedes responded. “So far. I’m not done with you yet.”
Alec laughed, letting her push him back against the bed. “Oh, aye?”
Mercedes wet the palm of her hand with her tongue and took hold of his shaft, stroking him in slick, tight movements. “Aye,” she whispered. “Tonight, you’re mine, Alec.”
A rush of heat ran through his body. Mercedes smiled and took control, caressing him in a tight cadence. “Holy shit, you’re amazing,” he gasped.
Alec’s release built, his mind lost in the electricity of her hands. He clutched the bed, trying to hold himself together.
She stilled, just as he was reaching the fevered edge. “I need to feel you inside me,” Mercedes murmured, her lips brushing his.
Blood raced through his veins. Sitting up, he reached for his wallet, a sudden realization crashing over him.
Fuck.
He closed his eyes, not believing his shitty luck. “We can’t.”
Mercedes sat up. “What? Why?” Her voice was filled with apprehension. She was clearly thinking he’d changed his mind.
“God, Sadie, I want you so much. But I don’t have a condom.” Alec cursed at his shortsightedness. He’d kept one handy since he was a lad, and the one time he wanted someone more than air, he was unprepared.
“Oh,” she said, relief in her tone. “I think we’re okay then.”
“No, I won’t risk it,” Alec said. “You’re going through enough. I won’t be the reason you have another thing to worry about.”
Mercedes’s face softened. “Always protecting me,” she said, tracing her fingers over his cheek.
Alec would rip the world apart to keep her safe, even from himself.
“You don’t have to this time,” she said. “I have something for birth control, and I was tested recently. So, unless there’s something you need to share with me, I’m comfortable going without.”
Alec’s breath caught in his throat. “No, I’m good. Are you sure?”
Mercedes nodded. “I’ve never been more sure. I trust you.”
An ache shot straight through his heart. There had never been anyone who could make him feel the way Mercedes did. He could search for a hundred years and never find it again.
Kissing her, he took his time. She lay back on the pillow, drawing her knees up to each side of his hips.
Alec groaned as he eased inside her, taking her in small tastes. He pulled each gentle thrust back, only to sink into her on the return. Her soft moans filled his senses, heightening his arousal. She was tight and perfect. When she’d taken his entire length, he took a shuddering breath.
“God, you’re incredible,” he said.
They moved together, slowly at first. Alec’s heart thundered in his chest. Mercedes met each thrust with an increasing urgency. She wanted more. Alec pumped into her harder, plunging deeper, holding her hips. As his need grew, he quickened his pace. His thrusts became fiercer. She held steady with him, her breathing erratic.
Alec couldn’t believe this moment was actually happening. His wildest imagination couldn’t have matched reality.
“Oh my god, Alec,” Mercedes whimpered, tightening around him. “Please, don’t stop.”
He grunted, fighting his own release, wanting to feel her lose herself on his cock.
“Oh, god. I’m so close,” she cried. “Alec, please make me come.”
Her walls clenched around him, gripping him as she came. The sound of his name on her lips, mixed with the tightening of her climax, made his own release inescapable.
Alec cried out as his orgasm struck him, the intensity blinding him. He spilled himself into her convulsing body, shuddering deep inside her.
The room came into focus, the sound of the fire crackling and their trembling breaths calling him to reality. He gathered Mercedes in closer, and her arms wrapped tight around his back as she sighed into his chest.
“You’re perfection,” he murmured.
One night.
He’d agreed. Now he was going to have to feel the consequences. Not of the night they’d shared, but of letting her go. He didn’t want to fucking do it.
Reluctantly, he pulled out of her and lay to her side. Her chest rose and fell with a little tremor as she exhaled. Mercedes shot a look at him, a hint of uncertainty in her expression.
Alec opened his arm out to her. “Come here?” It was more of a question than a command. Thankfully, she didn’t make him wait, scooting herself closer to him.
“Oh.” Her gaze landed on his knife wound. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
Alec tucked his chin down to look at the wound and the smattering of bruises. “Nah. I completely forgot they were there. What about you? I wasn’t too rough?” He ran his hand down her cheek.
“Not at all,” Mercedes sighed and snuggled against his chest. He pulled the blanket over them, and they settled in together.
A thread of nerves unraveled. Kissing the top of her head, he braced himself for what he had to ask.
“Regrets?”
Mercedes lifted her head to look at him. “God, no. You?”
Relief washed over him, and he shook his head. “Never.”
She smiled and laid her head against him.
A wave of drowsiness hit. Not a surprise after a session of mind-blowing sex, but Alec hated missing any part of this. He wanted to stay awake all night and not waste a second of his time with her. The dawn was approaching faster than he wanted.
A delicate tickle on his chest caught his attention. Her light fingers were strumming against him. He smiled.
Capturing her hand in his, he brought it to his lips, brushing a kiss over her knuckles. “What are you playing tonight? Something amazing, I hope.”
“It was,” she said after a pause. Lifting her head, she gave him a shy grin. “It was your heartbeat.”
The smile dropped from his face. The ache returned, only this time, it slammed so hard into him, he lost his breath. Mercedes curled up against him, unaware of the chaos she’d ignited.
He was in love with her. He always had been.
One night.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Mercedes awoke entangled, not only in blankets but with a delightfully naked man. Powerful arms held her tight, her cheek pressed against his chest as he slept. Memories of the night before flooded her mind and made her pulse sing.
Alec.
After all these years, they’d finally gotten a taste of what distance had denied them for far too long. Moving back, she studied his face, a smile pulling on her lips.
Good lord, he’s gorgeous.
What might it have been like if they’d stuck it out? Maybe if they’d experienced this mind-blowing intimacy, he’d have fought to keep her.
Last night might complicate things between them, but it didn’t matter. She wouldn’t regret any of it. For once, she wasn’t stranded in survival mode. She’d made a choice, and it felt damn good to make it.
Alec shifted in his sleep. He’d be awake soon. Apprehension shot through her.
He’d said he didn’t have regrets, but he might feel differently now morning had come.
When his eyes fluttered open, his brow furrowed. Mercedes smiled tentatively, steeling herself against the possibility he might make a run for it.
Instead, his blue eyes softened, his lips curling into a gentle smile. “Good morning, my darling.”
Mercedes let out a soft exhale, her heart leaping at his tender tone. “Morning. Sleep well?”
“Aye,” he said with a yawn.
She nestled against him, the warmth of his hand moving up and down her back, lacing a current of electricity through her.
“Alec,”
she said. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
His hand froze. Mercedes pulled back to look into his eyes, biting back a smile. “You are, and I mean this literally, the biggest bed hog I’ve ever seen.”
Alec snorted, a grin forming on his lips. “Am I now?”
“You are. It’s worse than sharing a bed with Charlotte when she was six.” She snickered at his injured expression, the spark of humor playing in his eyes. “It’s a real problem. You should seek help.”
“Maybe I like to snuggle.”
“Is that what you call it?” she teased. “I’m hanging off the bed.”
Without warning, Alec tipped Mercedes back as if he might dump her off the edge. Mercedes squealed and clutched at him, laughing as he drew her back to him.
“Oh, my god! You’re an ass,” she giggled, dabbing at a tear in her eye. His chest shook with laughter.
Alec’s fingers slid under her chin, turning her face up. His crooked grin faded as his eyes searched hers.
“I love hearing you laugh.” He tilted his head and kissed her, soft at first, every gentle lash of his tongue sending warmth straight to her aching core. She deepened the kiss, running her hands through his thick hair. Alec groaned into her mouth, and the ache turned to a throb.
There were so many reasons to stop, but none of them seemed important.
Just once more.
Pushing him back against the pillow, she moved on top of him, her knees on either side of him. She rubbed the source of her ache against his hard length.
Alec gasped, clutching her hips.
“What are you doing, Sadie?” His husky tone told her he knew precisely what she was doing.
“Amending our verbal contract,” she murmured. Mercedes buried her head against his neck, trailing kisses along his throat. Alec groaned, grinding his arousal against her, sparking the most delicious sensation. She was slick with need.
“Oh, aye? And what are the new terms, counselor?”
Forever. Can forever be on the table?
Fear of ruining this moment kept her from saying it. Instead, Mercedes glanced at the clock. “Half an hour. Then I’ll be a good girl and keep my hands to myself.”
Alec’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Half an hour?”
There was something he wasn’t saying. Mercedes’s breath stuck in her throat.
“I’ll take it,” he whispered.
Alec pulled her into a kiss, the play of his tongue searing her. Mercedes slid onto him, her breath shuddering as she took him inside her. Alec moaned as she sat back on her knees and arched her back. Mercedes thrust her hips, riding him, waves of pleasure licking through her with each stroke.
Alec’s eyes roved her body, panting as she moved on him. “Christ, Sadie. You’re incredible.”
He grasped her hips, thrusting deeper and faster, his cadence hitting just the right spot.
“Oh my god, Alec. I’m so close,” she whimpered.
Alec moved his hand, his thumb finding the slick nub of her clit. Mercedes threw her head back and cried out, the heated touch shattering her. She came hard, convulsing around him until the last spasm of pleasure waned.
In a flash, she found herself on her back, Alec plunging hard into her. She arched against him, matching his thrusts.
Alec’s moans became fevered. He was getting closer.
“Come, Alec,” she coaxed. “I want to hear you come. Please.”
“Jesus, Sadie,” he rasped.
Alec clutched her hips and roared, pulsing inside her. The muscles of his body jerked with every wave of his orgasm. Mercedes trembled under him, wanting him to stay with her.
When he drew back, there was a reluctance on his face.
This was it. Their last moment. They both knew it.
Alec settled in next to her and tugged her into his arms. She didn’t resist. Resting her head on his chest, she listened for the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
A sadness fell over Mercedes. There was an invisible thread that always pulled her heart toward Alec. She’d resisted it as long as she could, knowing it would end with the ache of grief. It tugged on her now, telling her she’d made a mistake.
But she hadn’t. This would never be a moment she’d hate herself for. Even though it would hurt to let him go, it had been worth it.
“What time are we meeting the Kennisons?” she asked, wondering how long she might put off leaving the bed.
“Nine o’clock,” Alec said. Mercedes didn’t miss his shoulders tightening.
Damn. She hadn’t meant to break the moment with a reminder of how it started.
“About last night . . . and David. I just . . .”
“No, you don’t need to tell me anything, I shouldn’t have . . .”
“He’s just a friend,” Mercedes cut him off. Alec’s lips pursed. He didn’t believe her. “It’s true. I made it clear to him last night. We mainly talked about his daughter and her mother.”
And you. But she left that part out.
“I’m sure you did.” His mouth turned up in a smirk. “But it’s obvious he wants more than that.”
“I doubt it.” Mercedes shook her head. “But I’ve been upfront with him. I’m not exactly the kind of woman who would lead on one man and sleep with another.”
Something crossed behind Alec’s eyes, and he looked away.
Mercedes’s spirits sank. Was that how he saw her?
“Alec?” She propped her head on her elbow. “Did I say something wrong?”
“Nah, everything is fine.” He shot her a tight smile and sat up. “We should get going. We’ll grab breakfast before we go.”
Mercedes watched him leave the bed and gather his clothes. A few moments later, the shower broke through the silence.
She’d already lost him.
It hit her like bricks falling onto her chest. She’d known it was coming, but she’d hoped she’d be more prepared.
Mercedes picked up Alec’s button-up shirt from the floor and slipped it on. She set to work packing her clothes into her bag. Self-pity niggled at her. Last night was a reprieve from the emptiness she’d been living in. But like so many other moments with Alec, it was a mirage. An illusion that she’d found the security of home in his arms.
The door to the bathroom opened, and Alec stepped out. He was shirtless, a pair of khakis riding low on his hips. He stopped and stared at her, his eyes roving her body.
“Sorry, I borrowed your shirt. Do you need it back?”
“No.” His voice was tight. “I was going to wash it, anyway.” He crossed to the chair where his bag lay and started filling it.
Great. We’ve moved into the awkward post-sex phase.
After taking her own shower, Mercedes packed the rest of her meager belongings. She zipped her bag and slung it over her shoulder.
“Ready?” Alec asked.
“Yeah, I think that’s everything.” She followed him to the door.
Instead of reaching for the knob, Alec dropped his bag on the ground. “There’s one more thing.”
Without warning, he pulled her body to him, crushing his mouth against hers. She let out a gasp of surprise, then sank into him. The bag slipped off her shoulder with a thump, but they ignored it. Alec turned her, pressing her against the wall, his tongue stroking the fire of need in her. Mercedes dragged her nails on his scalp, tugging on his hair to bring him in deeper.
When he broke away, he laid his forehead against hers, his breath unsteady. “Sorry, I got greedy,” he rasped.
Mercedes’s voice stuck in her throat. So she nodded at him.
Alec shot her a smile and picked up both their bags. He opened the door and stepped into the hall.
Mercedes leaned against the wall, her heart pounding. Taking a deep breath, she peeled herself away.
Oh god.
If he kissed her like that again, she’d be lost.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Jason ran through the system one more time, needing to catch a god damn br
eak. Something, anything that could give them what they needed. The urge to slam the computer into the wall was growing.
Where the hell was she?
This was a stupid waste of time.
Jason had combed Cap and Vin’s hard drive a hundred damned times. Nothing else belonged to Mercedes. It was filled with the shop’s financial software and employee schedules, but little that looked unusual for a small business. Jason studied every number, making sure there weren’t any hidden meanings.
Nothing.
The only thing that held any promise was a single email address. He’d figured out how to get into it, but it looked to be a throwaway account. The one she gave when she wanted someone to get off her ass.
Home decor. Holiday crafts. Summer table arrangements. Stupid shit.
The whole damn inbox was filled with advertisements from places Mercedes had nothing to do with. Fucking Williams Sonoma? She wouldn’t know what to do with an air fryer if she was hit upside the head with it. There was no way she had signed up for some of these lists.
There was a newsletter from the San Francisco Orchestra. She’d been a big donor to some Bay Area Youth Symphony programs. Of course, that was before he’d gotten his hands on her money. Convincing her to invest her cash in a business he’d chosen had been efficient. It was a legit company, and he’d made her a lot of money, but she was quite short on cash in the meantime.
On page six of the inbox, a little arrow showing a reply to an email caught his eye. It was one of the few replies she had given, so he clicked on it.
Jason’s pulse soared. This was different. Mercedes had been here.
Reading through the site, Jason recognized it was more than a commercial site looking to entice clicks from the email recipients. Doing a quick search, he found other emails from the same address, each with a reply from Mercedes. No message, just an attached flyer for the coffee shop.
Fucking hell. There it was, hidden in plain sight.
Picking up his phone and dialing, he studied the image on his screen.
“Yeah,” Adam answered.
“I think I found the target.”
“Where?”
“Out in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere. A small town up north. I’m almost sure it’s her.”