Savage Rising

by Katie Reus

  She’d never had anyone look at her like this. As if she was a safe full of precious gems. She swore her heart skipped a beat. It was as if he wanted to devour her whole.

  What a way to go too.

  “Shirt off,” he growled and it took her a moment to realize that he wanted her shirt off.

  Okay, how sexy was it that he was talking in incomplete sentences? With trembling hands, she tugged the T-shirt off and went to remove her bra but he took over.

  “Oh no, that’s my job,” he murmured, brushing his lips over hers again as he reached behind her back and unfastened the strap. When she was completely bared to him a shiver racked her body.

  She kept in shape and was comfortable with her body for the most part. But she hadn’t been naked in front of a man for ages, and Savage wasn’t just any man. It was as if he’d been carved from stone. And she hadn’t even seen him without his clothes on. She was just going by the outline of all those hard lines and muscles from the way his T-shirt stretched against his broad shoulders and wide chest.

  “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” His words sounded savage and hard as his gaze swept over her from head to toe. “Perfection.” Taking her completely by surprise, he cupped her mound in the most possessive act. He didn’t slide a finger inside her, just held her as he watched her intently. “Tell me if you want to stop.”

  She shook her head, not trusting her voice. Stop? Um, hell no.

  The slow smile he gave her was just a little bit wicked, a lot sexy, and it made her inner walls clench with unfulfilled need. She wished he had slipped a finger or two inside her because she felt empty.

  He kissed her again, covering her body with his, all while keeping his hand on her mound. As if claiming her. Whatever he was doing, it made her insides all melty.

  She wrapped around him, digging her fingers into his back even as she dug her heels into his very sculpted backside. She felt as if she could crawl right out of her skin, especially when he cupped one of her breasts and so very gently rubbed his thumb over her already hard nipple.

  Needing to feel more of him too, she grasped the hem of his T-shirt and tugged it over his head. He pulled back and finished the job for her, tossing it away.

  Then his mouth was on hers again, teasing and taking as she arched her back. She wanted to get a better view of his bare chest, but touch would have to do for now.

  Her inner walls tightened again when her hard nipples brushed against his chest. It was like sensory overload having all this deliciousness against her. Running her fingertips down the hard planes of his chest and abdomen, she kept going until she reached his covered, hard erection.

  She wanted to strip him fully too, but it seemed he had other plans when he started kissing a path down her body, stopping to tease her breasts and feather kisses along her stomach. He’d said he could offer her nothing but this didn’t feel like nothing.

  She moaned, knowing exactly what he had planned. Lifting her hips, she was pretty close to begging by the time he was crouched between her spread thighs.

  Instead of jumping right into business, he teased a finger down her folds. “You’re so wet. Is this for me?”

  She nodded.

  “Say it.” A soft demand.

  Oh, he really was bossy. “It’s for you.”

  “I’m going to make you come now.” A dark-edged promise.

  She nodded again as pleasure spread through her. Yes, please.

  “I want to hear my name when you come.”

  “Yes.”

  “Say it now.”

  “Savage.”

  “My name.”

  “Zac.”

  Something that looked a lot like possessiveness glinted in his eyes before he dipped his head, nipping at one inner thigh, then the other. Her legs trembled with each nip. This was too much and not enough.

  She needed so much more from him and was restraining herself from reaching down and rubbing her clit. It wasn’t going to take much to get her off. Her inner walls were clenching and her clit was pulsing and aroused. She couldn’t ever remember being so worked up. Sex had always been nice, pleasant.

  This was something else entirely.

  There was nothing nice about it. She felt raw and vulnerable in front of him and she didn’t care. Because she knew he would make this good.

  Sliding her fingers through his dark hair, she gripped his head. “My clit,” she rasped out. She really, really wanted him to tease her there. And she wasn’t above demanding it.

  The soft chuckle against her thigh made her moan again. And when he teased a finger against her folds, she froze, waiting for him to push inside her. She’d never wanted anything more than she wanted this.

  Finally, he pushed one finger inside her, his thick digit spreading her and filling her. God, if just his finger felt this good… She arched off the bed when he added another. The intrusion was more than welcome.

  Then his mouth was on her clit and she couldn’t think, could barely breathe as she writhed against his face. Pleasure punched through her, the sweet sensation of his kisses and his strokes inside her making everything short-circuit in her brain.

  “Oh, God.”

  He growled against her pussy and she had a vague understanding of what he wanted her to say.

  “Zac.” His name, on her lips. Oh yeah, she could definitely give that to him. “Zac,” she moaned again. As long as he gave her the orgasm that was rushing to the surface, and didn’t pull back, she’d say his name all night long. And she couldn’t wait until he was shouting her name. Because she wanted to bring him just as much pleasure.

  He added another finger and the climax that had been steadily building slammed through her. Her toes curled as wave after wave of pleasure punched through her, making her lightheaded as she arched up against the bedcover.

  “Fuck,” he growled against her, not letting up with his teases even when it became too much to handle.

  The pleasure-pain ratio was off-balance as he continued stroking his tongue against her clit.

  “Too much,” she rasped out, her fingers tightening against his head.

  He stopped then, looked up at her from between her legs. The sight was so sexy and a little dirty, his mouth inches from her pussy, glistening slightly from her slickness.

  Her mouth fell open as she stared at him, unable to look away. She didn’t want to either. “That was—”

  He curled his fingers still inside her and she yelped, arching off the bed at the unexpected move. Oh so slowly he withdrew his fingers—and then licked them one by one, keeping his gaze locked on hers.

  She swallowed hard. He totally just did that. And she realized she was way out of her depth. She’d never been with anyone like him before, was pretty sure there wasn’t anyone like him anyway. He just seemed so primal and raw and she really wanted to give him as much pleasure as he’d given her.

  “Take your pants off,” she whispered.

  His eyebrows shot up but he did as she said, getting off the bed and quickly shucking his jeans. For some reason she wasn’t surprised to find he went commando.

  She was surprised, however, at the sight of his cock. Long and thick, it curved up from the perfection of his body, begging for her attention. She might feel out of her depth right now but she wasn’t going to let that stop her.

  Getting onto her knees, she moved over as he crawled onto the bed. “On your back.” She tried to make the words sound like a command, but instead she did that whole breathy thing again. Because around him, finding her voice was proving to be difficult.

  He paused, his knees depressing into the bed as he watched her. Then he reached out, cupped her face. “I like to be in control in the bedroom.”

  She wasn’t sure how to respond but didn’t have to because he lay on his back. He was…letting her take control. Which made her feel all the more powerful. A man like Savage—Zac—would never give up control lightly. And okay, he wasn’t exactly doing so now. Not truly. But he was at least
giving her the illusion of it. Which was pretty amazing in itself.

  Shimmying up his body, she straddled his legs as she wrapped her fingers around his hard length.

  His jaw tightened as he rolled his hips up into her hold. When he groaned out her name, she really felt powerful.

  She stroked him again and again, unable to stop watching as his huge body writhed under her touches, her stroking.

  Granted, her experience was limited. But this was definitely the sexiest thing she’d ever experienced. A man this powerful and strong giving up control as she worked his cock had her growing even wetter when she should be sated.

  With her free hand she cupped one of her breasts, teasing her already hard nipple.

  “Oh yeah.” He groaned again, his gaze pinned to what her hands were doing.

  “Come for me, Zac.” She’d never been a talker during sex but she desperately wanted to give him the pleasure he’d given her.

  It was as if her words set something off inside him. Maybe it was the order or the fact that she’d said his name. His hips jerked and he started climaxing in long harsh jerks, his come shooting all over his stomach and her hand.

  And the sounds he made had all the muscles in her body pulling taut. There was nothing polite or nice about the way he came.

  As he fell back against the bed he reached for her, pulling her down to him—and rubbing his come on her stomach with one hand.

  She wasn’t sure if there was a response for that, but somehow wasn’t surprised by Savage’s raw action.

  He nuzzled his mouth against her neck and behind her ear as he curled his body around hers. Shivers danced down her spine at the contact. She threw a leg over him even as she slid an arm around his back. She couldn’t get enough of this man, and no matter what tomorrow brought she hoped this wasn’t something casual for him.

  Yeah, she’d said she wasn’t asking him for anything, and she wasn’t. But he’d awakened feelings inside her she hadn’t known existed. She didn’t want to walk away from whatever might blossom between them. She hoped he didn’t want to either.

  Chapter 12

  —Just another asshole.—

  Olivia opened her eyes at the sound of her cell phone alarm going off. She’d set it a couple hours before they had to head out because she wanted to leave nothing to chance. She still had to shower and go over all her gear since Neely had told her to bring it. She’d be bringing extra gear for Zac too, just in case they needed it. It was definitely better to be overprepared when it came to a job like this.

  But first, coffee.

  She was disappointed that Zac wasn’t in bed with her, but she vaguely remembered him waking up and telling her he was going to snag a quick shower not too long ago.

  Now in the light of day she had no regrets. Last night—or technically early this morning—had been amazing. They’d dozed for a little while after that first round and then he’d shown her once again how talented he was with his mouth and hands. They hadn’t had full-on sex even though she’d been ready. He’d been hesitant and she wasn’t going to push.

  She eased open the bedroom door and stepped out onto the Persian runner lining the long hallway. She wasn’t sure where they’d found this “safe house,” as Zac called it, but it was comfortable and lush. Coastal-style art could be found all around the place, mostly by local artists, Brooks had said. And there was a whole lot of natural light streaming in from skylights in the living room, kitchen and in a couple of the bedrooms.

  Her feet were silent on the stairs. The scent of rich coffee brewing made her smile as she reached the bottom step. When she heard Zac’s voice rumbling she smiled even more as her body flared to life. Just his voice sent little tingles of awareness out to all her nerve endings. Today she had to face an enemy but at least she had him by her side.

  Turning at the end of the stairs she moved down the hallway toward the kitchen, passing the brightly colored images depicting South Beach—and froze as she heard her name.

  “Olivia’s a sweet woman. You can’t do what you always do with women.” Brooks’s voice. She didn’t know him well but his subtle drawl was unmistakable.

  “I’m not doing anything,” Zac said.

  “Bullshit. I heard you two last night.”

  Olivia winced, only feeling a touch of embarrassment. She shrugged it off, however. She was a grown-ass woman. And she and Zac were consenting adults. She had nothing to be embarrassed about. But the tone of Zac’s voice was off and it made something heavy settle in her stomach.

  “Last night is none of your business.”

  “Yeah, it is. Because she’s a big part of Skye and Colt’s life. And so is her daughter. How awkward is it going to be after this job when you—”

  “When I what? We’re none of your business. She’s a grown woman and last night was just fun. For both of us. She’s not looking for anything serious. And I’m not looking to get saddled with a ready-made family. So back off and mind your own business.”

  His words were a slap of ice-cold water in her face. A chill snaked down her spine as she took a step back. She’d told him she wasn’t asking him for anything and he hadn’t made any promises. But she’d thought that maybe… Well, who the hell cared what she’d thought? It clearly didn’t matter.

  Coffee forgotten, she backtracked the way she’d come, and once she reached the bedroom she locked the door. It wouldn’t stop him if he really wanted in, but he’d respect her privacy. It wasn’t as if he was looking for anything anyway.

  Apparently she’d needed that reminder. They were meeting Kyle today but she was on her own. Last night had been exactly what it was. Fun.

  Now it was over.

  As she tried to shake off the chill that invaded her veins she started the shower, cranking it all the way to the hottest setting. It was time to get ready. Then they were finishing whatever the hell they needed to with Kyle—and she just prayed they’d be able to retrieve the blackmail he had on her. If they couldn’t… She shoved that thought back into a tight mental box. One step at a time.

  She just needed to be ready for today. Unfortunately, she couldn’t stop thinking about last night. Which, in hindsight, had been stupid. She had no business being with a man like Savage. He was helping her because she was a job to him. Nothing more. She wasn’t going to hang on to any regrets because that served no purpose.

  But she’d do well to remember that she was just a job to Savage. That they’d just had “fun,” nothing more.

  * * *

  “Is everything okay?” Zac asked Olivia as they strode down the sidewalk toward the hotel’s front entrance.

  She’d been distant to him all morning and he hadn’t wanted to ask why in front of the others. Technically Gage was listening because both he and Olivia had decided to wear earpieces today. Just in case they needed backup or Neely ordered them to go dark again they wanted to be in contact with their team. If they were scanned again, well, it was a risk they were going to have to take.

  “Just ready to meet with Kyle.” Cool, clipped words. With her oversized sunglasses on it was impossible to read her.

  Despite the cooler weather, two women wearing bikinis and roller skates—with knee-high socks—glided past them on the oversized sidewalk. Damn it, they were almost to the entrance of the hotel and then it was game face on. “I mean about us.”

  “Why wouldn’t I be? Last night was fun. Took the edge off. But…I think it should be a one-time thing. We’ll do what we have to in front of Kyle but when we’re alone…” She lifted a shoulder, but the movement was awkward, stiff.

  What. The. Hell.

  Where had the sensual woman from last night gone? The woman who’d opened up to him? The woman who’d moaned his name as he buried his face between her legs. The woman who had him all twisted up inside so much that he’d lied to his best friend.

  This morning he’d told Brooks that she meant nothing to him. Because if he admitted the truth, it meant admitting that she’d more than gotten to him. Th
at he wanted to see where this thing between them went after this op. That if she was willing, he wanted the chance to get to know her daughter too. To be…in a relationship with Olivia. The thought of that didn’t terrify him either.

  But this cold shoulder from her? Yeah, that did. He didn’t like her pulling away from him, and all of his possessive instincts were flaring to life.

  He tightened his jaw as he reached the rotating door and stepped through with Olivia. He’d just have to deal with whatever the hell was going on later. They’d arrived.

  In the lobby he slid an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. She wasn’t exactly stiff but she didn’t melt into him either.

  “You’re gonna have to sell it more,” he murmured. “Make Neely believe we’re still an item.”

  She leaned into him, wrapping her arm around his waist, but didn’t remove her sunglasses as they headed for the elevators. Wearing sunglasses inside wasn’t strange in Miami but he hated that he couldn’t see her eyes. Especially since he’d seen every inch of her naked last night, had tasted all of her—was now addicted to her.

  This was why he didn’t do relationships or any of that shit. When you let people in, they just let you down.

  He rolled his shoulders as the elevator doors shut, closing them inside alone. “If you need help remembering why we’re so good together I can remind you of the way you moaned my name last night. ‘Harder, Zac. Faster, Zac,’” he murmured. Okay, maybe he wasn’t able to lock all this shit back up in a box.

  She jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. “Shut up, Savage.”

  Oh, so they were back to Savage now?

  He tightened his jaw again. Hell no. Maybe in front of everyone else he was Savage—especially for this job—but when they were alone, it was going to be Zac from this point forward. He refused to go back to the way they were before. Before he’d gotten to know her. Before she’d gotten under his skin.

  “You know what I’m picturing right now?” he continued before she could respond. “You, stretched out naked on the bed, your beautiful breasts bared to me, all wet from my mouth.”