Weather the Storm (Security Specialists International #3)

by Monette Michaels

  “I can’t wait—and I don’t want you handling it yourself.” She wiggled her fingers. “Bring your cock over here.”

  Vanko stared at her hand for a few seconds, and she was afraid he’d refuse once more. But then he moved close enough for her to touch him without straining her side. She sighed happily as she stroked the silky length. Erect, his cock had to be at least eight inches, longer than she’d ever had inside her. Her inner muscles clenched and her sex throbbed at the mere thought of taking him to the hilt. “The skin’s so soft and hot. You’re so hard. I can’t wait until the day you put all this inside me and make me yours.”

  “The things you say. Don’t tempt me, milaka. I’m only human.” Vanko stabilized her with one hand on each side of her hips. “God, your hand feels so good, dushka. You can hold me tighter if you wish.”

  Elana was thrilled he was telling her what he liked. She’d been afraid she was hurting him. “Like this?” She squeezed him harder, stroked up his length, then rubbed her thumb lightly over the top of his glans before she slid her hand back down his cock.

  Vanko groaned and muttered love words and praise in a crazy mixture of Russian, French, and English. His body was taut; every muscle on his face and neck were delineated. His smoky green gaze never left her as she stroked him again and again with her good left hand.

  “Am I doing it okay?” Her other lovers had complained about her technique, and usually ended up pulling her away and finishing in her body. She just now realized how badly her feelings had been hurt that the other men hadn’t taken the time to tell or show her what they’d needed. She wouldn’t make that mistake with Vanko; she’d be bolder and ask. He was too important. “Am I hurting you?”

  “No, it feels so good…too good.”

  A warm pride filled her. She was making her man feel good. And he was hers, just as she was his. They loved one another. She didn’t care that they’d known each other for less than forty-eight hours. It felt right.

  Vanko leaned his forehead against hers. They both watched as she stroked and squeezed his cock. “Use some lotion, dushka.” He reached past her to the counter top and picked up a bottle of hand lotion the hotel provided. “Give me your hand.”

  She released his cock and presented her hand, palm up. He poured a small amount on it. Then he kissed her lips as he placed her hand back on his cock. “Now…use the same firm stroke…same rhythm until I say otherwise. Understood?”

  She kissed him back, a smile on her face and joy in her heart, and resumed stroking his cock with a strong, firm twisting motion of her hand. “Is this better, masik?” The endearment was one a Russian woman only used with a very special man.

  His sexy “fuck yeah” made her pussy clench.

  Deciding to be even bolder, she leaned forward and took one brown nipple between her lips and suckled it.

  “That fucking does it.” Vanko inhaled sharply, and his eyes glowed like heated jewels. He tipped up her face and brushed kisses over it and her neck and shoulders. “I was going to go slowly. Gain your trust. Teach you about what happens between a woman and a man like me…but this fucking settles it.” He covered her hand with his as she continued to stroke his sex.

  “What?” she whispered against the skin of his chest where she rested her face. She watched their joined hands move and stroke his cock. “Um, what settles what?” She couldn’t look away as his cock pulsed and jerked under their joint manipulations. She imagined again what his cock would feel like inside her thrusting and making her aches go away.

  “When we get to Idaho,” he nipped her ear lobe, “you’ll stay. Make your home with me, and then, sooner or later, your call, you’ll marry me, have my babies, and be my love forever.”

  Elana’s hand stilled under his, and she had to remember to breathe. He wanted to marry her, not merely live together. She didn’t know what she’d done to deserve such a strong, loving man, but she’d accept his love, and thank God every day for the rest of her life.

  “Elana?” Vanko nipped her shoulder. He released her hand and massaged her back with both hands in long, slow, soothing strokes. “Do you want that also?”

  “Yes.” She resumed stroking his cock, moving her weaker hand to cuddle his heavy balls. “I love you, Vanko. I want to live with you, be your wife, have your children. And I want it sooner rather than later.”

  “I love you, Elana Chernov Fabrizzio.” Vanko cupped her face and looked into her eyes. “Be mine forever. Be my wife.”

  “Yes…yes, yes!” She stared at him, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. “God, please, yes.”

  He leaned in and took her lips in a sweet nibbling kiss. “So sweet. So brave. And all mine.” He growled as he swept the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. “Stop crying, lyubimaya.”

  “How could you love me so quickly? You knew nothing about me before Saturday.” Elana rubbed her cheek against his and relinquished her hold on his penis. She twined her good arm around his neck and rested her right hand on his lean waist.

  “I wanted you from the moment you made jokes in the Hummer. You were wounded, but still you treated the incident with valor and humor. Love came quickly after that. You were meant to be mine. The one woman I’d searched for all my life.” Vanko kissed her again. “Let’s take our shower. I want to get you clean and bandaged, fed and back in bed so you can rest.”

  “What about this?” She swept a finger down his cock. It bobbed at her touch.

  “It’s fine.”

  “No, it’s not.” Elana looked at the shower. “I can stroke you, then finish you off in my mouth. There’s a bench just the right height.” She licked her lips and hummed. “I like your taste…and I will swallow,” she murmured in a low, throaty voice she’d never used before in her life.

  Vanko muttered under his breath, “I’m a fucking lucky bastard.”

  Elana laughed. “Yes, you are.”

  Vanko swept his thumb over her lips. “I love to hear you laugh. I promise our life will be filled with both love and laughter.”

  “I know, masik.” She sucked his thumb into her mouth and loved his answering groan. “Now how about that shower blow job so we can get through the list of other things you wish to accomplish this morning?” She winked.

  Before she knew it, she was in the shower and seated gently on the bench. “Comfortable, lyubimaya?”

  Elana smiled. “Yes, sladkie.” She stroked a finger over his thigh and then over his cock.

  “Tease.” Vanko growled and turned on the shower, aiming the showerhead away until the water got hot before switching it back to wet their bodies. Her man had it all under control, and all she had to do was go along for the ride.

  Chapter 20

  “That’s so good, lyubimaya.” Vanko watched through slitted eyes as Elana jerked him off in the shower. The look of fierce concentration on her face was almost as arousing as the feel of her small hand around his slippery cock. “Squeeze a little harder as you stroke. I’m close.”

  Elana looked at him from under her long lashes and grinned. “Will this help?”

  Before he could stop her, she leaned forward slightly from where she sat on the shower bench and covered his cockhead with her mouth. Sweet fucking God! Her mouth was so hot and soft and lush, he clenched his jaw and tried to keep from coming too soon. He wanted the feeling of her mouth on him to last forever. When she flicked her agile tongue over the top while still stroking him with her left hand and moved her right hand to massage his balls, he saw stars, and his cock erupted.

  “Bozhe moy, ya umirayu!” But he wasn’t dying; nothing that felt this good could lead to death.

  Vanko cupped Elana’s face and held her so she wouldn’t be thrown back by the force of his thrusts into the sweetly hot cavern of her mouth. She hummed as she swallowed his seed and continued to squeeze and massage his cock and balls as if she wanted to get every last drop.

  When she’d sucked him dry, he pulled away from her mouth and hands and then knelt before her. He framed her fa
ce with his hands. “Elana, you beautiful woman, you didn’t need to take me in your mouth. Your hands had me ready to explode.”

  “Didn’t you like it?” She looked into his eyes, a slight frown on her lips. “I’ll get better with practice. Yours is only the second cock I’ve ever sucked.”

  She was worried she hadn’t given him pleasure? God, could she be any sweeter?

  “Did you hear me shout to God and say I was dying?” He leaned in and kissed her lips, tasting his salty musk mixed with her honeyed sweetness. His depleted cock jerked with one last spurt of cum as he recalled the moment she’d swallowed his seed. “You’re wonderful. Now, please tell me we didn’t hurt your wound.”

  “I’m fine.” When he frowned, she added, “Not even a twinge. Really.” She smiled shyly. “I’m glad you liked what we did. I liked it.”

  He stroked a finger down her dainty nose. “You’ll like it even better when I take your pussy after you use your mouth to get me ready.”

  Elana inhaled and looked down; her cheeks flushed red. His angel was in turns a temptress and then a shy little rabbit. He loved both sides of her, especially knowing only he had ever seen her sexy siren side.

  “I’ll look forward to that.” She shivered and her jaw clenched.

  The water had cooled off considerably. “Damn me for a selfish idiot. You’re cold.” He stood and shut off the shower, then turned back and lifted her into his arms.

  She snuggled into him with a happy sigh. “You’re so hot all the time.” She raised her eyes to his. “You need to put me down. I’m heavy. I can walk.”

  “You are not heavy, zaychik moy.” He nuzzled her damp neck. “I don’t want you to slip on the wet tiles.”

  Vanko carried her out of the shower and set her on the bath mat. After he made sure she was steady on her feet, he took one towel and wrapped it around her and then took another towel to wrap her hair. She stood quietly, her gaze fixed on his every move as he dried her carefully.

  He peeled off the old bandage and grunted when he found the wound to be mostly dry. “This is good. He patted her curvy ass. “Now, dushka, go sit on the bed and cover up. Get warm. I’ll be in to put on a new bandage once I’m dry and have some clothes on.”

  “No.” Elana stroked his jaw line with one finger. “Come closer.”

  He frowned. “Elana, you need…”

  “Enh, come closer, sladkie, I have something for you.”

  Vanko grinned and leaned down. Elana placed her lips lightly against his and traced the seam of his mouth with her tongue. He opened to her gentle, seeking touch and let her control the kiss. She thrust her tongue into his mouth and played tag with his. The kiss escalated from innocent to hot in less than a few seconds and threatened to revive his recently satisfied cock. Elana was dangerous to his vow to keep his libido under control.

  When she broke off the kiss, her face was pink with arousal. Vanko rubbed his nose over hers, and even that light touch had his cock twitching. “Do that when you’re no longer injured, and you’ll find yourself flat on your back and my cock in your pussy before you can say da.”

  “Da.” Elana brushed another kiss over his lips.

  He pulled away from her too eager lips. “No, milaka. Later…” much later, “…we’ll play all you want, but not now.”

  “Okay, if you say so.” Then she turned and walked with her cute naked rump swaying with each step into the bedroom.

  Vanko shook his head and chuckled. His angel was a tiny bit of a tease. “God, I’m so lucky,” he muttered as he dried himself off and slipped on the clean boxers and T-shirt he’d brought into the bathroom.

  He’d planned for them to sleep naked again in order for her to get used to him. But after their earlier foreplay and then with what had happened in the shower and afterward, it would be better if he kept a layer or two of clothing between them. He wasn’t sure he was strong enough to keep from taking her if they slept in the nude—especially since she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He’d slip her into one of his T-shirts after he changed her dressing, and he’d keep his boxers on in bed.

  * * * *

  Monday, December 5th, 8:30 A.M. (EST)

  Changing the bandage had eroded what was left of Elana’s reserves. Vanko had managed to get her to take a pain pill along with a couple of sips of orange juice. He’d hand fed her two bites of a breakfast bar before she began to slump in the chair at the small dining table. By the time he’d carried and tucked her into bed, she’d been sound asleep. She now lay on her good side; her lush body covered in only one of his T-shirts and curved around several pillows with even more pillows supporting her back.

  Later, Vanko planned to crawl into bed and spoon her and catch a quick battle nap. He’d been running on too little sleep since he left New York on Saturday; he needed to catch up so he’d be at his best to protect his Elana.

  He kept checking in with his gut and his more immediate early warning system, his neck. His neck wasn’t itching, so danger wasn’t imminent. But his gut told him, the enemy would find them eventually. He hoped to have the Chernovs as backup before either set of bad asses got close.

  Vanko left the bedroom and went into the outer room. With the door ajar, he would hear Elana if she needed him. He had a call to make before he joined her.

  Picking up one of the burner phones, he dialed Sanctuary to get a sit rep and to give them his. After the call was answered and he entered his code, he waited for the call to be relayed and scrambled on the other end. It was two hours earlier in Idaho, but someone would be up this early, even the day after Risto and Callie’s Sunday evening wedding. The security business was 24/7; someone was always on call to answer the phone.

  “Vanko?” It was Tweeter’s voice.

  “Yeah. You got stuck on-call while everyone else is sleeping off the wedding celebrations?”

  “We have a six-month-old baby now. No one sleeps in anymore.” Tweeter laughed. “Ren is walking the floor in the Lodge great room since he and Keely let Callie and Risto have their house for more privacy. Do you need Ren?”

  “Yeah…and you and Keely, if she’s available. I need to know how much of a cyber-trail I’ve left and who might be zeroing in on us.”

  “You got it. Hold, I’ll get them.”

  Vanko listened to a minor buzzing sound on the connection; it was a result of the security relay through the NSA satellite link. While he waited, he finished off his bagel and his yogurt.

  “Vanko?” Ren’s voice came over the line and sounded tinny. “We’re on the speaker phone. Keely, me, and Tweeter are here. Tweeter said you were concerned you might’ve left a trail.”

  “Not for a normal hacker I haven’t, but the men pursuing us aren’t your run-of-the-mill thugs.” Vanko sighed. “At the Virginia hotel…I fucked up. Cameras could’ve caught the Russian ambassador’s limo as we were picked up.”

  “Yes, a minor concern if MacLean is still using NSA to try to trace you,” said Ren. “Keely and Tweeter are on it now. It will be erased momentarily.”

  “I should’ve…”

  Ren cut him off. “No, we all should’ve thought of it. It’s not your fault. You were reacting to a fast, fluid, and dangerous situation with little resources or prep time.”

  “That’s no excuse. I’m trained to react to such situations. If my fuckup brings MacLean down on us, I’ll be very pissed,” Vanko growled. “Not much I can do about Demidas. He already knows we entered and left the Russian ambassador’s residence.”

  Ren grunted. “I hear ya. How’s Elana?”

  “She’s in pain, but denying it. She’s tired. I gave her enough pain meds to help her sleep. The surgical glue is holding the wound closed, and there are no signs of infection.”

  “That’s good,” Ren said. “I spoke to Elana’s uncle, Alek Chernov, on Sunday evening after she spoke with him. He and his brothers are on a flight this morning, direct to Chicago Midway. Weather permitting, they should be at Callie’s condo by noon, Chicago time.”


  “We won’t be there until later in the week. We could try to make it sooner, but I pushed really hard to get us this far. Both Elana and I need rest. Her uncles might have to come to meet us in Indiana somewhere. My gut wants the backup. What’s your ETA?”

  “I trust your gut. They want her safe, so they’ll meet you wherever you tell them. As for our arrival,” Ren snorted, “we’re still looking at a late Wednesday or early Thursday departure. Even polar bears would go to ground for the storm heading our way. Plus, we haven’t completely dug out from the last storm.”

  Vanko knew those storms. The neck of Idaho was a wild and wooly place at times. “Don’t take any risks. With the Chernovs backing me, we should be good.” After a slight pause, he asked, “Where’s the fucker…MacLean? CNN didn’t have many details.”

  “The guy’s a ghost. We’re fairly certain he’s out of the country by now. The Feds are digging through intel provided by his former girlfriend.” Ren then grumbled, “Former patsy is more like it. He left her high and dry and holding a bag full of treasonous acts. She was his source in the NSA. Homeland has her in custody. They’ve given her immunity from the death sentence, and she’s telling them all she knows about MacLean. General Cowan is sending us updates and has officially asked SSI to find MacLean and to continue to protect Elana as a material witness.”

  “Good.” Now SSI could officially assist in protecting her from Demidas since she was important to an SSI client. “When we find MacLean, I want on the team that goes after his ass.” But only after he had Elana safely ensconced in his home.

  Vanko took a sip of his coffee. “Can’t figure MacLean gave much away to his lover. He was successful at living a double life for a very long time.”

  Ren snorted. “She told her interrogators she’d thought MacLean used the intel she provided for legitimate DIA purposes. But she wasn’t all that naive, since she is providing information that tells me she wanted a handle on her lover if he turned on her.”