He wanted to leave me back where we were stranded and walk by himself and return with a car, but like hell I was staying there all alone. Hamish—if that’s even his name, was probably waiting for Adam to abandon me, so he could sweep in and abduct me.
I wince, pain driving through my heel again like it has done since we started walking. It’s my choice of shoes that’s the cause. If I had known I’d be walking for miles, I would have worn my hiking books.
“You totally owe me a foot massage, by the way.”
“Gladly,” he says. “I’ll rub your feet while you’re lying back on our big, comfy bed. I warn you, though.” He grins at me. “I’ve been told my foot massages are orgasmic.”
Now it’s my turn to scowl at him.
He chuckles and points at the gas station.
“Look behind it.”
I gasp. A motel.
“Thank fucking God.” I groan.
I throw my arms around him before I realize what I’m doing, then I stare at him awkwardly. When his hand slides over the curve of my ass, I stiffen—and so does something else when I inadvertently press myself against him. His eyes twinkle. He smirks at me, making no attempt to cover his erection.
“Remember that twenty-minute conversation you had with a guy as he jerked himself off in the back of your friend’s car?”
“You play harsh.” His eyes burn through me, but he steps back. “Thanks for telling me, by the way. You obviously knew what he was doing,” he grumbles.
“You’re welcome.” I giggle.
We walk past the gas station and into the motel. Adam checks us in while I try and call Mom. It goes to voicemail, so I try Darcy, but that also goes to voicemail. I frown. I’m dying to tell her about Hamish.
“Everything okay?”
“Sure.” I smile at Adam. “I was just trying to call Darcy.”
“No luck?”
I shake my head. “What about you? Did you get us a room?”
He nods and holds up a key.
“I assume it’s a twin,” I add, narrowing my eyes.
He smirks. “Funny story,” he says. I raise my eyebrows. I can’t wait to hear this. “There’s a big convention in town and this is the last room.”
I study him suspiciously, not buying it for a second.
“A big convention here, in the middle of nowhere?” I roll my eyes.
“Hey, it’s true.” He nods at the office. “Go in and find out for yourself. It’s a farming convention. Something about goats?”
I frown, because that’s too random not to be true.
We walk into the room and my eyes fall on the bed. The only bed. There is literally nothing else in the room, either, other than a tiny amount of space of floor.
“Well. This looks cozy.”
“The floor does too. Which is where you’ll be sleeping.” I ignore his laughter. “Do we have a plan?”
“We’ll stay here tonight, then I’ll figure out a way to get us to Vegas first thing tomorrow,” he says.
“There isn’t someone you can call?” I frown at him. “Surely there’s a guy in your … network of criminals on standby just for situations like this?”
“Yeah.” He grins. “You’re looking at him.”
“Oh.” I think harder. “Well, what about Julian? Would he help us out?”
“Probably, but I’m not going to ask.”
“Why not? Lily will be—”
“Katie, just leave it. I’m not asking him.”
His voice comes out harsher than I think he intends. He sighs and gives me a forced smile, as though he’s trying to ease the tension.
“I’ll sort it out. I’m gonna go have a look around.”
I make a face at him behind his back.
“I might have a shower.”
I step into the bathroom and look around, feeling underwhelmed as I shut the door. It’s clean, but the yellowing paint that’s peeling off the walls and the cracked, dirty tiles are making me question how badly I need a shower. Turning on the water, I let it heat before I step under the stream. Holy shit. I sigh, a blissful smile on my face, because the water pressure is amazing. If I close my eyes, I can almost imagine myself back in Vegas.
I stay in there until the water starts to run cold. I step out, and wrap a towel around me, gathering my clothes in my other hand. I open the door and peer out to make sure he’s not back yet. When I’m confident the coast is clear, I run over to the bed. I pick up my shirt and nearly gag.
I can’t wear this. But it’s all I have, because my bag is still in the trunk of Adam—Julian’s car. I tighten the towel around me and carry my clothes into the bathroom, quickly hand-washing them in the sink, then I hang them up over the shower.
Tightening the towel around me again. I smile when I see Adam’s phone poking out of his jacket, which lies on the bed.
I glance at the door, my heart racing, then I pick it up. It takes me about a minute to crack his passcode, mostly because my hands are shaking so much. But once I’m in, I’ve done what I wanted to do in seconds. I chuckle and put it back exactly where he left it.
Now we’ll see who’s laughing.
The door opens. I look up to see Adam. He stares at me, a smile slowly forming on his lips.
“Oh … sorry.”
“I can wait out there until you’re dressed if you want?” he suggests.
“You’ll be waiting a while.” I grin. “I just washed them.”
“So … this is all you have to wear?” His grin widens.
“Yes. But don’t get any ideas.” I give him a stern look.
“I would never.”
He looks offended, but the glint in his eye gives him away.
“I’d offer to sleep in the car, but we don’t have one.”
I smirk at that. If it were his car, I don’t think he’d be making jokes about it.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find the floor very comfortable,” I tease.
“And where on the floor do I sleep?” he asks.
I look around and shrug. “I’m sure the floor in the bathroom won’t be that cold …”
“How about we play for the bed?”
“Play?” I repeat. He laughs.
“For once I’m not being dirty.”
“What are you suggesting, then?” My curiosity getting the better of me as I sit down on the bed.
“I was going to suggest strip poker, but that would give me an unfair advantage.”
I roll my eyes and watch him as he walks over to the minibar. He grabs two little bottles of alcohol and two spoons, then walks back over to me.
“Don’t you remember? Never trust alcohol in minibars,” I tease.
“I remember, but there’s an exception to every rule.” He sits down on the bed and hands me one of the bottles. “They’re perfect for this game.”
I hesitate. “I don’t know … drinking and I—”
“It’s a shot and a teaspoon, Katie. How drunk are you going to get?”
He has a point.
“Fine. What’s the game?” I ask, still suspicious.
“I ask a question, then you ask one. If you’re answer yes, then you take a shot. Or in this case, a teaspoon.”
“So never have I ever?”
“Right.” He grins at me. “The loser is the first person to get through the bottle.”
“Fine.” I narrow my eyes at him. “Let’s play.”
Four questions in and I’m in danger of losing before we’ve really even started. He’s totally rigging the game by asking me questions he knows the answer will be yes to, but I can’t do much about it, other than suck it up.
“Your turn,” he says.
“I’ve never watched a guy masturbate,” I say, smiling at him.
He shrugs and carefully measures out a teaspoon of rum and drinks it down. Then he raises his eyebrows at me.
“Are you forgetting you were in that car with me?”
Fuck.
I reluctantly drink, wincing as t
he whiskey burns my throat.
“I should’ve suggested basketball,” he grins. “Just to see if you’d shoot the ball through my hoop. My turn again, right?”
I wish I could wipe that smirk off his face.
“I’ve never … kissed Adam Jenkins.”
I glare at him, but he shrugs.
“Hey, I’m just following the rules. Blame the game, not me.”
“Oh, you’re playing the game all right,” I grumble.
“Have you ever wanted to kiss me?”
Yes.
But I can’t admit that to him, even though I realize he knows.
I look him in the eyes, only wavering when he shifts closer to me. My heart races when he takes my hand, entwining his fingers in mine. He reaches up, his fingers caressing my chin as his eyes burn through me.
“Then maybe we should do something about that?”
Fuck.
I swallow, my heart racing as he leans closer, until his lips are almost touching mine. I jump as his lips find mine, his fingers tilting my face up as the kiss intensifies. I lose sight of everything other than him, his touch and the way his kiss leaves my lips tingling. He pulls back and gently strokes my cheek, that cheeky look still hiding in his eyes. He glances down at my bottle and laughs.
“I’d say about a teaspoon left? I guess that means you’re sleeping on the floor,” he teases, his eyes sparkling.
“What?” My mouth drops open. “No way! You kissed me after asking that question.”
“Did you answer?”
Well fuck.
I narrow my eyes at him. I can’t believe he just played me.
“You kissed me just to win that,” I accuse him.
He raises his eyebrows.
“Or maybe that whole game was just an excuse to kiss you.”
I stare at him. Does he mean that? He leans closer again, sweeping his hand beneath my hair, his fingers touching my neck. I tense as he presses his mouth onto mine, his warm breath against my lips making me shiver. I look into his eyes and try to figure out what he’s thinking. Am I the only one noticing the spark, or does he feel it too? His hand creeps underneath the bottom of the towel. When his fingers touch my thigh, I gasp, placing my hand on his, riding it higher up my thigh, until—
I freeze, chuckling when his phone pings.
He sighs, resting his head against mine as he gazes into my eyes.
“You better check it,” I say.
He nods and glances at it, then he sighs.
“I’d better take this.”
Maybe I can seduce him into letting me—
“Don’t even think about it.”
“What?” I ask innocently.
“Don’t play games with me,” he says. “You were going to sneak your way into my bed.”
“You don’t want me in your bed?”
He narrows his eyes at me and steps closer, kissing me roughly on the lips. Then he stands up and stalks over to the door. Before he walks out, he looks back at me, his eyes burning into mine.
“If you’re in that bed when I get back, you won’t be sleeping for very long.”
Is he saying he’ll kick me out, or …
I shiver. I guess I’m about to find out.
Chapter Twelve
Adam
It’s not just any phone call that I need to return.
It’s my contact, Max, which means it must be important. In three years, he’s contacted me once, because it’s not worth the risk, unless what needs to be shared is potentially lifesaving.
“They’re pulling you out.”
“What?” I laugh. Just the idea of that is ridiculous. “When?”
“Next week.”
“Do you know why?” I ask. My jaw twitches.
They can’t do this, can they? Only I know they can, because they’ve done it before.
“No. You know how it is. Cut backs. Change of focus.”
I snort. Change of focus? I shake my head.
“This is not a reflection on your ability. You’ll get a new assignment—”
“I know that,” I snap.
I take a deep breath, because this isn’t Max’s fault, so he doesn’t deserve me taking it out on him. I just hate that I can’t do anything about. If they say I’m done, then I’m done.
“I have to go.”
I end the call and walk back over to the motel room, but I don’t go in. Instead, I sit down, my back pressed against the freezing cold bricks.
The feds had been watching Alberto for a long time. They knew of his involvements and that he was the key player in a major drug trafficking ring, but they didn’t have enough on him to land him a jail sentence. Going after him without enough evidence to put him away for life was not a good idea. That’s where I came in.
How do I turn that off and walk away? And what about Alberto?
He just gets to go on doing whatever the fuck he wants, knowing that nobody can touch him. I’ve been playing a role for so long that I’ve forgotten who I am. I’m not the same guy I was three years ago. I’ve changed and I’m not sure if it’s for the better or worse. I thought becoming a cop was a magical solution to everything, but it didn’t change how I felt about myself.
I walk around the parking lot until I’ve calmed myself down enough that she won’t know something is up. I take a deep breath and walk back inside. My tension eases when I see the lights are off, because it makes it easier. Through the darkness, I can make out the bed and the Katie shaped lump in the middle of it. I push the phone call from my mind as I walk over there, a smirk on my lips.
If she thinks I’m just going to accept this, then she’s in for a shock.
She stiffens when I slide into the bed next to her. I smile. Yes, she definitely wasn’t expecting this. I put my hand on her thigh, my throat tightening at the feel of her warm skin against my fingers. The towel is gone, which means she’s naked. I force my hand upward, sliding it over the curve of her body. She reacts when I drag my fingernails over her back, pressing her ass against me. I groan, my cock hardening as I kiss along her neck.
“Really, Katie Harris?” I suck her earlobe, then place my mouth against her ear. “Pretending to be asleep so I don’t kick you out of bed? You play so dirty.”
She rolls over, her smirk visible in the soft glow of the streetlight that seeps through the curtain. I stare at her, the need to be inside her growing stronger by the second. She’s so fucking irresistible. Her mouth lifts into a seductive smile.
“Is it working?”
I grab ahold of her wrists and pin her against the bed, kissing her roughly, while I grind my body against hers. Even though I’m still dressed, I’m hard. Hell, I was hard before this, because just thinking about her in my bed was enough to make my cock stiffen. She stares up at me as I tighten my grip on her wrists, then kiss along her neck.
“What do you think?” I murmur, barely coming up for air.
She doesn’t answer, she keeps her eyes on me, watching as I let go of one wrist and roll my fingers over her stomach. I smirk and place my mouth onto her skin, running my tongue up over her breasts. She shivers, her back arching when I take her nipple in my mouth and roll it around on my tongue. I bite down, just enough to make her jump, because I love this control I have over her. I lick my way up to her lips and kiss her, rolling my tongue around her mouth.
“It’s not just ice-cream I get hot and sticky licking,” I murmur.
She laughs and wraps her arms around me when I let go of her hands. I brush the hair away from her eyes and then kiss her again, because it’s the one thing I can’t get enough of. I flick my tongue around hers, our mouths fitting together like two pieces of a puzzle, like we were made for each other.
“Now that’s a kiss.” I smirk at her.
“Hey.” She laughs when I lift her onto my lap, one leg on either side so she’s straddling me. My fingers grasp hold of her hips and I rock her forward, into my erection, the sight of her making me so hard my pants feel like they could bur
st open.
“God, you’re hard.” She tilts her head back and rides me, her breath catching in her throat.
“You’re riding me, naked,” I point out. “How could I be anything but?”
She giggles, then cries out when I roll her nipples between my fingers. I pinch it until it’s harder than I am, then I prep the other one. She gasps, rocking gently against my cock, riding me, her eyes not leaving mine. She shuffles back, just enough to unbuckle my jeans. I grunt as she lowers the zipper, then slides her hand inside, wrapping her fingers around my shaft.
“What are you doing?”
I mutter, groaning when it bounces free. She grins, slowly sliding her fist along my shaft. She’s slow to start with, but then she works up speed, until I’m almost ready to come in her hand.
“I’m showing you how well I handle a stick shift.”
“Holy fuck.”
I grunt, letting out a strangled moan.
“Tell me how wrong you were.” She bites down on her lip to hide her smile.
“What?” I laugh, then I gasp when her grip tightens. “I was wrong. I should’ve let you drive, because it’s clear you can handle a stick better than I can.”
Yep. She can definitely handle it.
I tilt my head back against the pillow while she strokes my cock. Cupping her ass, I pull her so she’s sitting on my waist, with me almost inside her.
“If you feel inside that pocket, you’ll find a condom,” I murmur.
She digs around until her fingers brush past the small foil packet, then she brings it to her mouth and tears it open. She stands up on her knees and carefully rolls the rubber down over my length, teasing me as much as she can in the process.
I grab her hips and bring her down hard on my length, rocking her back and forth. She groans, one hand clasping mine. I rock her hard, back-and-forth groaning as my length drives into her.
“God, you’re amazing.”
She smiles down at me, her beautifully rounded breasts bouncing with every movement. I run my hand up over her stomach, the sudden urge to squeeze them. She laughs, a tiny dimple appearing in her left cheek.
“God,” she gasps when I roll her nipples between my fingers.
Don't Go There (Awkward Love Book 5) Page 10