by Anthology
“To hell with this,” Lars mumbled. “You have five minutes to get your shit. We’re leaving.” He turned and made a move for a chair in her room
“I didn’t ask you to come get me, so you can go fuck yourself. I’ll leave when that bitch is dead!”
She couldn’t believe the voice hysterically screaming at him was hers. By the alarmed look on his face, he couldn’t believe it either. With a couple of long strides, he grabbed her before she collapsed into a hysterical mass. The logical side of her brain fought for control but the grief she’d suppressed for so long completely overwhelmed her. Lars wrapped himself around her, carried her to the bed, and cradled her as she cried tears that she should have cried at Luc’s funeral and the days that followed. Instead she’d swallowed them and had chosen the path of vengeance. In her agonizing misery she’d finally realized vengeance would leave her emptier and lonelier than ever.
* * *
A heart Lars didn’t realize he had anymore, broke with each painful sob Marianna released. He questioned every move he’d made up until now and wondered how the hell he’d ended up here with her in is arms. His questions and probing had cut her deep. Other than to gently stroke her in an effort to comfort her, he didn’t make a move as she gripped his shirt and pressed her face into his chest. He sat there, allowing her emotional outburst to run its course. It was a helpless feeling much like when someone was dying and all one could do was hold their hand to make it as easy as possible. He moved again when he heard the gut wrenching sobs turn into quieter, jagged breaths.
“Please make me understand what just happened,” he said as he kissed her forehead
She inhaled sharply and started to speak. He had to strain to hear her.
“I don’t want to talk about it right now. Please…” She pushed against his chest.
Holding her fast, he nestled her head under his chin. “Sweetheart, please talk to me. What’s this about? I came here to help you.”
She shifted in his lap. “My husband was a cop, and he was investigating a string of murders associated with a gang in South Austin. He was close to finding out who was calling the shots, in fact, he knew, he needed to get a name and a face. Before he could, he was killed. Someone came up to him when he was coming home one night and shot him in the police department parking lot. All they could figure out from the video was that it was probably a woman. But the case he was working didn't involve any women, or at least, that's what they believed. After his funeral, I dug out his notes and kept going with it. I found a couple of suspects, but none of them were women. I finally got a break with an informant and found a name and a face. I’ve found her, she's here in Miami.”
Even though his heart went out to her, he felt a stab of disappointment. This was one hell of a messy situation. He wanted Marianna; he’d wanted her the second she took that seat at the bar. With so much happening at once and all the feelings she’d pulled from him, he wondered how in the hell he’d ended up here. There was no way he could do what he’d come here to do. Even without the complications, there was no way he could compete with a ghost. He knew how this would play out, every man who died before his time, was perfect and a saint and there was no way he could ever approach the reverence she had for a departed saintly husband.
“Sounds like you still need time to get over your husband.”
She lifted her head and narrowed her eyes as pure hatred crept into her expression and voice. “You don’t understand. It's so much more than that. That woman took everything from me. I will find her. If the cops don’t do anything, I will.”
Listening to her express what she’d lost cut him. Since meeting her, he felt an undeniable connection. For some reason, he’d felt as if she was the one he’d waited and held out for all this time. Now he understood why, ever since he could remember, he had a bad habit of trying to rescue women who took advantage of his generosity and never changed. She would pine for her dead husband for the rest of her life and nothing he could ever do would come close to pleasing her. With the husband’s ghost lingering between them and all the other complications in his life, Lars didn't stand a chance in hell at winning her love. There would always be that wedge between them, and he’d end up broken and lonely.
Everything inside him was screaming at him to run as far away as possible from Marianna. She was engaged in a dangerous game that would land him in a shitload of trouble and could even get him killed in the end. He knew the type she chased; he’d been dealing with them for years. Greed and blood were all they understood, and anyone who got in the way had to be eliminated. The determination and near success she had alarmed him. A dead Marianna was a lot worse than one who’d broken his heart.
“What happens when she doesn’t get what you think she deserves? Where does it stop?”
“If I don’t get what I want, I won't stop. I’ll kill that bitch myself, and I’ll have no problem going to prison over it.”
Lars paused for a moment. Now he knew she truly didn’t understand what she was dealing with, and right now, Marianna wasn’t about to listen to logic. He had to make her understand she would be on the losing end of the war she was waging. Before he spoke, he considered his words carefully.
“I don't think it’ll be that easy. And I’d hate for you to be the one ending up dead.”
“I don't care.”
“I do. You’re screwing with something you don’t understand. These people are like cockroaches; you kill one and there are five more to take their place. You need to be careful that you’re not the one dead at the end of this.”
“You really don't understand…”
“You don’t know a damn thing about me. I understand, more than you’ll ever know.” She took a deep, jagged breath and blinked. He took her hands into his and rubbed the tops of her knuckles. A tear fell on one of his fingers. “Marianna, you need to stop. If she finds out what you’re doing, she’ll kill you just like she did your husband. Let the cops do their job and let me take you home.”
7
The vibration in his back pocket jolted him awake. As hypersensitive as he still was to sounds and sensations, it was as if he’d been touched with a live wire. Lars moved and instantly knew something was out of place. He moved his hand over hips and the indentation of a waist. The curves and the size of torso were unmistakably female. In his exhaustion, he recalled Marianna saying she needed to get her notes together and pack. He’d gone out and grabbed his go bag so he could take a shower. Instead, while she worked and prepared to leave, he lay down and grabbed some much needed shuteye. He didn’t remember her crawling in next to him. Faint streaks of light brushed across the room and onto the bed where he was lying. He lifted his hand and looked at his watch, 1857, almost seven in the evening. His phone vibrated again. Closing his eyes, he relaxed and dug it out of his pocket as he rolled over and glanced at the screen.
“Yeah, Mac,” he said in a sleep roughed voice.
“What the fuck, man? Did you find her?”
“Oh shit… I’m sorry. I forgot to call you. Yes, I found her, and she’s fine. She said something about working on a story here in Miami.”
“Jesus Christ, Val! I’ve been worried as hell. Couldn’t you call me and tell me?”
“It got a little complicated, Mac, but everyone’s fine. We’ll be back tomorrow.”
“What the fuck got complicated?”
Marianna grabbed the phone, “Didn’t you hear the man? He’ll tell you tomorrow!” Lars smiled and stared up at the celling while Marianna bitched in Mac’s ear for a minute. He rolled back onto his side and studied her shadowy profile as she ended the call with Mac. “Oh my God! He’s worse than my mother!” She handed him his phone, and through the diminishing light, he watched her expression soften, “Did you get enough sleep?”
“I did.” He watched her glance away from him and her brow knit as if she was trying to work a problem. “I wasn’t expecting to wake up with you next to me.”
“It’s my bed, and I haven’t had
much sleep, either.”
Before she could get away, he gently grabbed her arm. “It was nice.” Her hard swallow was audible, and the slight quiver of her arm under his touch concerned him, “Are you okay, Marianna?”
“I’m fine,” she responded curtly.
In an instant, Lars watched her walls go up, and her expression grew hard again. He understood what had captivated him so much about her. She’d been hiding something and having seen the deep grief that tortured her, he realized he’d caught her in a rare unguarded moment earlier. She moved and he tightened his grip. She stilled and stared at him. It was then he saw the wounded vulnerability returning to her big brown eyes. He let go of her arm and cupped her face.
“Are you?”
She closed her eyes and let out a deep exhausted breath. She wrapped her fingers around his wrist. “I know he’s gone. No one knows better than I do,”
“Then let him rest. Move on, sweetheart.”
“I know, Lars. You’re not telling me anything I don’t already know. Why do you think I moved to Tampa? I couldn’t live in our house anymore and my work is almost done. I’ve almost delivered his murderer.”
He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently pulled her on to her side to face him. “Marianna, please, please, drop this. It’s going to end badly if you don’t.”
“I’m done. It’ll all be over soon.”
Something about the way she’d said, it’ll all be over soon didn’t set right with him, but before he could ask, she leaned forward and silenced him with a kiss. The sudden sensation on his lips sent a wave of excitement throughout his entire body. His mind shut down and his dick came alive.
“Mari—“
“Shush, just hold me,” she whispered against his lips.
Without another word, Lars seized her in a hungry kiss. Liquid heat coursed through every inch of his being and set every nerve on fire when they connected. He slid his tongue along her upper lip, and she opened to him. He growled in response, sliding his hand up to her nape where he tangled his fingers through a handful of her hair. He kissed her deeper, exploring and savoring the taste of her. He’d hold her; he could spend a lifetime holding her. No other woman had ever had such a sudden impact on him as Marianna. Even though every rational thought told him to run the other direction, he defied it—just like a moth toward the flame that would eventually destroy it. One hand mapped her body while the other held her secure against him. He squeezed tighter, and her low, sensual moan let him know he was doing it right.
Wicked thoughts of fucking her once then leaving her crept into his mind. She would be his undoing in so many ways. He broke their kiss. He had to stop before this situation went completely sideways for him. He cupped her face hoping she would be the voice of reason.
“Do you think this is a good idea?” he asked.
“No, I get the feeling we’re both pretty fucked up.”
Who the hell was he kidding? He gripped her shoulder in an attempt to push her away. Once would never be enough. He had to muster his control and focus. He still had a job to do. Marianna dug her nails into his back and gently bit his lower lip.
It was as if she’d thrown gasoline on a dying fire.
Something small and dangerous ignited the soul he thought he’d lost long ago. The simple act of creating pain and pleasure made him react in a way he never thought possible. Pushing logic away, he gave himself over to greedy lust. Resistance to her erotic call would be an exercise in futility and the slight pain of her nails with the bite whispered temptations he’d fought since seeing her casually sipping a glass of wine. She was the woman of his dreams, resilient and so taboo, a mystery to unravel and peel back layer by sweet layer. She was a woman who embodied sin and delight to a degree he hadn’t allowed himself to imagine was possible.
The call to his dark side was irresistible. He’d disregarded the appeal of what he’d seen at the club because he didn’t want to understand it. The honesty of it painfully pointed out the flaws in his relationships with women. In an instant, Marianna brought it all into crystal clarity. Submission and Domination were a beautiful dance of trust and surrender by both sides. Lars had been courting the wrong sort of woman. He needed a strong, determined woman who could take care of herself not a weak, co-dependent, manipulative bitch who used him to get what she wanted. He’d find a way to make this work and with a capable, intelligent partner he’d finally find the peace and happiness that had eluded him for so long. He’d give his queen the security she needed, and he hoped she’d give him acceptance he’d never had.
* * *
For the first time in recent memory, Marianna gave herself completely over to someone without any reservations. Lars had broken her down earlier, forcing her to face her grief and the hatred fueling her relentless search for the Black Widow. Afterward, just like a good dominant, he’d held her tenderly and coaxed a much needed release out of her. Her Luc would have listened and held her.
Luc was no Lars.
Luc would’ve listened; he would’ve given her sage advice and would’ve held her, but he’d never have pushed her to the brink the way Lars had. Luc needed her to be the stronger more dominant partner, so breaking her down had never been his objective. There were times when he’d wanted a small exchange, but it had never lasted. In Lars, she sensed no capitulation; once he took over there would be no turning back. But for some reason, the games she was used to playing seemed tiresome and didn’t matter. Even though she sensed the tables being uncomfortably turned on her, there was something about Lars that made her feel safe and gave her a release she’d never thought possible…for now.
What about later?
What the hell was she thinking? He’d told her how he felt and how he didn’t partake. He didn’t have a clue about being dominant or submissive. This was just him, and that was the scariest thought of all. He did it without even thinking about it. Maybe this one night could be what she needed, but he wouldn’t be the man she’d go the distance with.
Lars nibbled at her throat, and Marianna melted in complete surrender. He rolled her onto her back and slid his hands under her t-shirt. Fuck power for now, no one said I had to marry the guy.
“Your skin is so soft and warm,” he murmured against her lips. “Get naked for me.”
As if she’d done it a million times in front of him, she pulled off her t-shirt and unbuttoned her jeans without a second thought. Lars sat back on his knees and pulled her jeans down her legs. Then inch by tortuous inch, he kissed and licked his way up her legs. The feel of his beard brushing against her thighs made her shiver and sent a gush of heated arousal through her. He tugged at her panties and growled, “All of it. I want you naked.”
The rumble in his voice took her arousal to a new height. Marianna lifted her hips and let him take her panties, and she quickly removed her bra. His touch left a trail of heat after each pass. As he moved his hands up her legs, she opened her thighs in an unmistakable invitation. This was the way it always started for her, Luc eating her pussy and bringing her to a climax before she’d allow him any pleasure. Lars didn’t take the hint; instead, he chuckled seductively and ran his finger from the bottom of her navel to the edge of her slit then softly slid two fingers down her pussy lips.
“Are you in a hurry, sweetheart?”
The shock of his touch to her swollen pussy made her ball her fists and grab the sheets. She fought for words but couldn’t manage the voice to speak; all she heard were foreign sounds of pleading sighs and whimpers. It was new territory to be left hanging precariously by her fingernails. Lars kept her teetering on the edge of a much needed end and all with a simple brush of his fingers. As he rubbed everywhere but the place that would bring her to a crashing apex, her pussy walls clenched, and she fought to maintain some control over her body. The trail of heat turned into a trail of fire as he passed his hand up her belly and grabbed her breast. He massaged her breasts and lightly pinched her nipples, making her wriggle and writhe underneath him. He’d take
n her out of her mind at lightning speed.
“La—” Before she could utter another syllable, he sucked her clit into his mouth. She lifted her hips to feed him, but he eased her down and began a maddening rhythm of lick, suck, flick. He slipped two thick fingers inside and her pussy walls instantly clamped down. The familiar bloom of an orgasm started down in her belly but before it could reach its peak he withdrew his fingers and stopped his oral stroking. “No…” she breathed helplessly.
He leaned back and started undressing. Sensing an opportunity to return to some level of normalcy, she sat up and helped him. The interruption of her orgasm irritated her. This evil bastard clearly didn’t know who he was dealing with. She unbuttoned his jeans, skillfully unzipped them and pulled them down his thighs as she roughly pushed him onto his back. Her petite size was deceptive and hid a physical strength few knew about. His surprise was evident as she pulled his underwear down, straddled him, and brushed her wet pussy over his cock. The feel of his dick against her clit was almost enough to drive her over the edge and make her lose what few shreds of reason she still possessed.