by Marie Wathen
“I need to speak with you and it’s rather urgent,” Ethan says crossing his large arms over his chest and I gulp hard remembering how it feels to be enveloped in that tight embrace. He smirks like a real bastard seeing my discomfort, and seeing it, I pull myself out of my Blues induced haze quickly.
“It’s nearly midnight,” I counter almost unable to stop the growl and hoping not to tip Marcus off to who the unwelcome guy really is. “I think you need to leave.”
“No, Doll,” he smiles brilliantly now, “We need to talk.” Turning to my brother he says, “Give us a minute?” Motherfucker!
“Yep,” Marcus hops up and grins at me before leaving us alone. Ugh! Traitor!
After the front door closes I snap through gritting teeth, “What in the hell do you think you are doing coming to my house, Mr. Sloane?” Intentionally, I use this name because I know he has daddy issues.
“I’ve already told you not to call me that.” His eyes sparkle brightly and I roll mine. He would probably prefer it over what I really want to call him right this minute. He uncrosses his arms and stands up his full height. The bastard is totally intimidating, but I know that I could kill him easily. Sure he works out, but there’s more assassin in my right thumb than his whole body.
“What do you want?” I beg trying not to let the whiney voice out. Crossing my arms, I ignore the whisper of my heart and pleas of my body. Ugh! I’m still so damn drawn to him and it disgusts me.
“I need to ask you one question,” he says striding toward me. He captures my left hand, pulling it away from my body and running his thumb over the surgical scar on the inside of my forearm. His eyes flick down to the six inch reminder of the damage his lifestyle did to me. Even repulsed by the memories, I can’t stop the tremor surging through me from his touch. I pull my arm away and step back removing myself from the kitchen. He smirks wickedly. The bastard knows what he’s doing alright!
“One question? That’s it and then you’ll leave?” I ask narrowing my eyes on him in disbelief.
“Well…” He shrugs noncommittally.
“Uh, huh, that’s what I thought.” I turn around marching down the hallway in search of my phone or gun, whichever one I can get my hands on first.
“Wait, Angel,” he demands catching up with me and spinning me around to face him. His right hand on my left shoulder drops to my hip and the other one wraps around me completely, drawing me against him tightly catching me off guard. I take in a deep breath and my heart soars at the remembrance of his heavenly smoke and whiskey scent mixing with our sex the last time we made love. He moves his arm from my back to tangle his hand deep in my hair and grasps it tightly so that he can tilt my head back.
“No,” I whisper locking my eyes with his.
“Do you love me?” He whispers leaning his face in close to mine. My heart slams hard against my ribcage. I swallow, but with him tilting my head back so far to make me look up at him I struggle. I can’t even take in air now because my lungs feel like they’ve taken a siesta. Tears sting my eyes and I place both hands on his chest to push away, but he tightens his grip on me. “Do you love me, Doll?” he growls narrowing his eyes on me and I shake my head. With the weak movement, a single tear slips down my cheek, betraying my strength. “Tell me,” he demands squeezing me against him.
I suck in a deep breath and whisper disappointedly, “Yes.”
His mouth crashes against mine and his left hand moves to cup my ass. He forces his erection against my stomach, and I gasp allowing him to slip his tongue between my lips. My whole world flips up on its ass end when he pushes me backwards against the wall. Both of his hands move up to the sides of my face before he pulls away from me.
“I know,” he says sweetly, touching his forehead to mine. The silent tears slip down easier now. Reaching up, I grasp both of his wrists and pull moving away from him.
“Why?” I whisper turning my back, forcing away the wetness on my cheeks. “No! It doesn’t matter,” I correct. “I don’t need to know anything. You can’t be here and this can’t happen.” I glance over my shoulder. “I want you to leave.”
“I can’t leave, Doll,” he counters walking up behind me and sliding his arms around my waist. “I’m in love with you, too.” I feel defeated. My body slouches and my head tilts forward into my hand. I shake my head, but don’t move away from him, because I can’t. “Let me love you, Doll.”
That did it. Now I pull away.
“Stop!” I snarl. Angrily, I force his hands off of me and spin around. “What the hell is wrong with you? I am not Angel. I AM A COP!” I punch each word harshly, “A cop who threw your ass in jail. How you got out is beyond me, but I’m sure it had to do with all of your filthy money.” Smirking, he reaches a hand up to me, but I swat it away. “Don’t you dare touch me and get the hell out of my house!”
He shakes his head and reaches for me again. “No. You love me.” He says with a cute lopsided smile. “I’ll never leave you and…” He playfully points a finger, “You will never leave me again either,” he says dominantly. I laugh sarcastically at him trying to dictate my life. “I’m going to marry you, Doll.”
My pulse stops. Literally, my heart isn’t beating. My mouth drops open. My eyes bug out. The room’s spinning, or is it tilting? Who the hell can tell when you’re having a coronary? I am either dying or I’m in shock. Breathe, in through the nose, out through the mouth, I force the life-giving air. I can’t form a sentence. “Wha…” Hell, I can’t form a word. Inhaling slowly, I blink rapidly and move my hands to cover my mouth wishing I had a brown paper bag handy.
“You are going to be my wife, Love,” he says it again, like I didn’t understand what he meant the first time.
Coming out of my Blues induced haze again, I snap crossly, “I understood you jackass.” Then I mumble, “I just don’t understand you. I’m confused.”
He smirks, “Clearly.”
“Shut up,” I screech, moving further away from him. “I won’t marry you. I don’t even want you here.”
“Oh, you will and yes, you do,” he says smugly. He steps closer and draws me into his embrace, pushing away my flailing arms. I spin around and he takes advantage by pulling me against his hard chest.
“Let me go,” I shout.
“No, listen to me first.”
“No!” I stomp on his foot and he tightens his arms around me. “Fucking let me go!”
“Sam, if you will calm down I will, but until you hear me out I’m not going any damn where. Do you understand that?” he growls against my neck. My skin prickles and the vibrations make my body become a traitor too. I dissolve instantly.
Frustrated beyond anything I’ve ever experienced, I shout back, “Fine!”
“Fine?” He whispers kisses against my neck, and I feel his smile move across my sensitive skin.
“God,” I huff, conceding. “Yes, fine.” He hums completely pleased with my irritation and places several warm kisses against my ear before releasing me.
“Good, now sit. I believe I’m running out of time.” He glances at the clock and smirks, pleased with me conceding. Curious, I peek over and see that it’s nearly midnight.
“I’m up to 84000 seconds already,” he says reaching for my hand and escorting me to the sofa. I sit down on the far end. He sits right beside me and scoops me up, placing me on his lap, and I sigh.
Chapter Seventy-Three
Lacing our fingers together, Blues draws my hand up to his warm lips and kisses the back reverently. “Sam, I love you and I have been in love with you for a while.” He looks me in the eyes, communicating genuineness beyond the depths of blue shades. “There are some things you need to know and I’m sorry I couldn’t explain it all to you before. But I’m here now and I’m not leaving. That’s all that matters.” His eyes lower to my lips and he leans in placing a tender kiss to them before looking back into my eyes again. “I’m sorry about your friend.” I blink rapidly praying that I can hold onto my composure at the mention of K
ris. I don’t want to cry again. “I would have done anything to save her for you. I didn’t even know she was there, Doll.”
I shake my head. “Not now, please,” I beg.
“Ok, Love,” he says sweetly and then he smiles proudly. “I didn’t get fired from the police department after getting caught stealing from a shipment. It was all a cover to get me inside the X’kapz and closer to Nelson.” Tilting my head, I watch his eyes begin to sparkle. “Sam, just like you, at the time, I was working undercover to disband them, but for a different reason.”
“What?” I ask hopefulness taking over my voice. A part of me prays that he is telling me the truth.
“I was working with Jude,” his voice is thick with emotion, but he pushes through. “We were assigned to infiltrate the cartel and find out what we could about the plane crash that killed my parents and the other former members so that we could convict Nelson of their murders. I wanted to get here sooner, to tell you everything, but I couldn’t break cover until last week.” He sighs, “And you refused to listen to RD when he tried explaining what was going on. You’re stubborn as hell, love.” Shit, I shouldn’t have ignored Russ’ and Granddad’s attempts to talk with me about Blues.
“This is the truth?” My voice is barely a whisper and I nod my head hoping that he will mimic me to confirm it.
“Yes,” he says smiling and nodding. “I’m still a cop.”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper wrapping my arms around his neck tightly.
“Why are you apologizing?” he asks pulling my chin up to look at him.
Shaking my head, I whisper, “For so much. I couldn’t tell you the truth about me and I wanted to so badly. The night on the beach nearly ripped my heart out when you were sharing about your family. I’m sorry that I ran away from you after…after you told me that you loved me. For letting you think I was with Decks and Russ. I..I..” I inhale and exhale trying to calm myself, but it isn’t doing a damn bit of good. Tears streak down my face and he wipes them away with his thumb. His hands come up to frame my face. My mind is reeling. Blues is good. He’s a cop, a good guy and he is mine! “I love you, Blues!” I grab him and kiss him hard. Grasping the back of his head snuggly, I put everything into this kiss. This man! This man is my everything. He loves me. Oh god he wants to marry me? I pull away from him and stare into my favorite set of dark blue eyes.
“You want to marry me?” I ask sniffling back the tears.
“Oh god, yes,” he growls. “I’ve been dreaming about you every night since you left me at the beach house. I can’t be without you, Doll. I will go fucking mad if I have to spend one more day away from you.” He kisses me violently. Our mouths move together like assailants struggling to beat the hell out of each other. I gasp when his hand drops to my breast and he squeezes hard. “Let me love you,” he moans against my mouth like he is petitioning to the creator for approval.
“Yes!” I groan, needing and wanting the love of my life to love me like no one ever has before him.
Blues assists me with standing and then lifts me into his arms. “Which way?” he demands impatiently. I point toward my bedroom down the hallway. He carries me and places me down onto my feet at the side of the bed. “Before we do this promise me one thing.” I’m so on fire for him that I’ll do anything he asks. Staring into his heated eyes filled with seriousness I nod while biting down hard on my bottom lip. “Keep your eyes open. And please for the love of God face me when we make love this time. I need to see you.” I smile shyly feeling the redness stain my cheeks from my embarrassment. He knew what I was up to the whole time, but he let me get away with it. Oh God I love this man.
Self-consciously, I mumble, “I hate being in control in the bedroom.”
His hands skim under my shirt, lifting it up and over my head. Warm fingers tickle around my back to unclasp my bra strap, slipping it off of my body. He smirks wickedly, “Oh, but you’re so good at it.” Thick, powerful hands belonging to the man I love with all of my heart cups my breast and he hisses from the contact. “Fuck, I missed you.” I throw my head back and close my eyes at the sensations and he sweeps me into his arms. “You belong in my bed.” Placing me in the center of the bed, he stands and peels off his clothes hastily before reaching over and removing the remainder of mine. “I wanted to tear them off of you again,” he admits with a sly grin, twirling my lacy thong around his finger. “But I like peeling them off of you too.” Crawling onto the bed, he spreads my thighs wide and settles between them. “Mmm, my sexy little strip,” he growls looking down at my hot entrance, before placing a kiss onto the top of my slit. So begins my ascension into my sex induced Blues’ haze once again. “I’m out of my mind in euphoria every time I taste you, baby.” I glance down at him devouring me and pant like a mad woman when his eyes flutter open to look back at me. “Those gorgeous gray eyes have held me captive from the first moment you looked at me.” He’s so fucking erotic and sexy.
“Fuck, Blues, that feels so good,” I moan wildly while staring straight into his eyes and he smiles against my heat. My build up comes quickly, and as much as I want to explode, I stop him. “Come here,” I beg. He licks me more before lifting his body and edging his way up the bed. “Make love to me, Blues.” He lifts his hand to my face, tucking a feathery strand behind my ears.
“I will for the rest of my life, Sam,” he promises before kissing me devotedly.
Automatically, my eyes drift closed from the amazing feelings and just from getting lost in the moment, but his deep growl brings me out of it quickly. I flick my eyes open to find him staring adoringly at me. The twitch of his hard erection nudges against the inside of my thigh.
“I’m taking you deliciously hard the first time and then I’ll take you decadently softer each time after that until we are both utterly spent,” he groans against the dip at the base of my neck and then trails kisses down to my tight nipple. He bites it hard while grinding his cock savagely against my center.
“Blues, oh God yes,” I beg needing him to take me now.
Rising up on his knees, he grabs my left leg and wraps it around his hip. He snatches the pillow from under my head before arching my ass up off the bed and tucking it beneath me.
“No condom tonight,” I whisper stroking my hand tenderly along his jaw line. His eyes, previously looking down at my heat, flash up to mine and a small, yet proud grin spreads across his lips.
“That is my fucking dream come true, Doll.”
A ferocious roar rips from his throat as he slams hard into me. My insides clench with satisfaction devouring him greedily. Piece by piece my heart soars into a boundless utopia. His caress sizzles making me breathless. He slides out slowly before growling and thrusting deeper. Both hands cup my ass lifting me up higher as his rhythm become frenzied. Pushing, diving, and swirling his hips against my core sends my cravings into a wild vortex of rapture. His breathing is ragged while he holds me prisoner with his demanding stare. His longing for me during our year apart is revealed through his carnal consumption of me.
“Fucking come for me, Sam,” he demands with raw heat and need. I implode with my eyes boring into his and his next sound is completely and utterly barbaric. He viciously cries out, “Oh fuck, baby, fuck yes!” His mouth crushes down onto my lips with a force that could shatter diamonds. The rawness of his desire mixes with his wild moans as he thrusts through the last of his orgasm brings me over the edge once again. I scream out for him as my body clings to his. “Sam,” he breathes my name into the crook of my neck in the most angelic voice. “Sam, I love you.”
Epilogue
After two fierce days of sexual decadence, Blues and I find that all we can do now is talk. The strength for moving anything except for our mouths is being reserved for later sensual playfulness.
“God, these sexy gray eyes,” he whispers, kissing my eyelids, “They claimed me the first night you were at Holidays.”
“Mmm,” I moan softly. “I love your eyes too. I think about them all the time.”
“Tell me, the night in the hot tub, what exactly caused the bruise on your side and the swelling on this luscious pout?” he asks touching his kiss tenderly to my lips.
“Lt. Stark at the training center handed me my ass that day. I couldn’t tell you, and I hated that you thought Russ did it.” I snort, “Because of your reaction, I thought that you were so mesmerized by me that you were the one who alerted the police about the transport and had him busted.”
“I wanted to kill that little bastard for hurting you.” he chuckles, “Actually, I wanted to kill all the bastards that constantly swarmed around you like honey. But, that last day when I saw you with Decks, caring for him in his bedroom after you walked away from me in Seaside, totally shredded my heart.”
“What?” I ask feeling my own heart crush remembering how his body slumped when he left me with nursing Decks back to health.
“Yeah,” he chuckles softly. “Attacus arrived in town just after I left you there and dragged my ass out for a drink. I stopped counting after six.”
“I’m so thankful for what you both did that night, but don’t ever show up on a hot scene, hostage or otherwise shitfaced again.”
“Don’t let me find you in the bed with Decks again and we’re good,” he says seriously studying me with narrowed eyes.
I laugh. “What are you talking about? I’ll never see the bastard again.”
“I wanted to tell you later, but now is better. Decks is under my protection,” he states calmly and the pulse in my neck thumps hard.
“What? You’re lying,” I shout pulling away from him, but he stops me by wrapping his leg over my hip.
“So Decks is in witness protection, yeah?” he says nuzzling against my shoulder, trapping me underneath his heavy frame. “A wrench was thrown into the whole damn scenario of moving his ass into a safe place,” He glances up at me after placing a kiss to my shoulder and adds, “The agent that got tapped as the babysitter...” he points at himself with a frown bending on his lips, “He’s now my kid brother and he moved here with me.”