by Vella Day
Sam grinned, and her heart swelled. “Then I’m all yours.”
She wished. “How about rinsing those cuts first?”
It didn’t appear as if any fragments had been embedded in the skin, but she wanted to be safe. She just hoped everyone else was as lucky.
Sam washed his cuts then ran his fingers over one rather deep one. “This is the only one that might be a problem.”
She leaned over and studied its depth. “You should go to an Urgent Care and get it checked out.”
“How about wrapping it first, and if it’s not improved by tomorrow, I’ll go in.”
From the casual way he said it, he had no intention of doing any such thing. “Fine.”
The microwave dinged. The bacon was ready, but taking care of his wounds had to come first.
“I see the eggs are done. Let me take them off the burner,” he said. “Then you can play doctor.”
Whoops. She’d forgotten about them. The bacon could sit in the microwave. Sam returned, and after drying his arm and placing a bandage on it, she wrapped his forearm in gauze. “That should do it.”
He smiled and lifted his arm as if to inspect it. “Thank you, Doctor Laramie. Now, shall we eat?”
He slipped on his new T-shirt. While disappointed to see his chest covered, the material hugged his body well.
“Absolutely.” As she readied the bacon, he emptied the scrambled eggs onto a platter. Together they took the food over to the table.
No sooner had they sat down than his cell rang. “I should take this. It’s Connor.” He swiped a finger across the screen. “What did you learn? Was anyone hurt? Did you find a name?” He tapped his fingers on the table while he listened. “Okay, thanks. We’ll return to the office after we eat.”
“What did he say?” Lexi’s stomach cramped.
“Two people were hospitalized, but they should be fine. One injury came from the blast and the other from being trampled.”
She couldn’t believe what a nightmare it had become. “Did he find out who told the waiter you had a call?”
“Our waiter, Jacob, only remembers a woman—a very beautiful one—came up to him and said the hostess told her to find me and tell me I had a phone call.”
“Why would he deliver a message to a customer from someone he didn’t know? Or better yet, why would the hostess ask a stranger to deliver a message?”
“I wish I knew. Connor said the guy had just started working there a few days ago.”
Her mind spun. “Justin has a lot of minions. Could he have been one of his men?”
His brows rose. “I hadn’t thought of that. Devon saw several men with Kapok that night in the bar. Let me call him. Maybe he can head on over to the restaurant and identify who the man was.”
“Good thinking.”
Sam dialed his number.
Even though it was evening, these men didn’t seem to rest. Their job was twenty-four-seven. “If he is Justin’s man, this Jacob guy will disappear,” she said before Devon answered.
He smiled. “You’d make a good investigator.” He looked away. “Yeah, Dev. I want to pass something by you.”
His compliment made her insides tingle. In the last few years, she hadn’t received much in the way of positive reinforcement. While Ronan had always been supportive, her dad had not been—unless her actions benefitted him.
“I assume you heard about the explosion? Good. Lexi has an idea.” He explained how the man who’d just been hired remembered that a woman told him about the phone call. “Can you check him out to see if he might be one of Kapok’s men? Great. Let me know. Oh, and talk to the hostess. Supposedly, she spoke to the woman too.” He disconnected. “He promised to call if he learned anything.”
“Which means more waiting.”
“Yes, but hopefully, you won’t be too bored being in my company,” he said.
Never!
Chapter Eleven
‡
Lexi didn’t want to think anymore about this whole terrible situation. Without saying a word, she tried to force down her meal, and while it tasted good, her mind couldn’t stop wandering back to all that had happened. She hoped Justin wouldn’t try to get to her through Sam. The last thing she wanted was anyone else in danger because of her.
If Justin was hanging around town, it might mean he had learned that she and Sam were working together, and had even gone snowmobiling. Justin would want to make sure the two of them didn’t mate.
She pushed back her chair. “Let me help with the cleanup.”
Sam stood and grasped her arm. “Are you okay? You seem jumpy. No one is going to hurt you.”
“I know, but I can’t stop thinking about everything that has happened.” Wanting to halt those swirling thoughts, she stepped into his embrace and pressed her face against his chest. Even through the new shirt, his skin smelled of smoke. To her surprise, she kind of liked the outdoorsy smell.
Mate, her wolf growled.
Whether it was the stress, or just plain lust, she had to taste him. Lexi wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Sam’s lips were soft yet possessive. When his tongue traced the crease of her mouth, she let him in. The moment their tongues made contact, her wolf cheered. Sam Pompley was all man, and for the moment, all hers. Sparks flew, and she was pretty sure they didn’t all come from her. Lexi couldn’t be happier.
After several seconds, Sam pulled back and looked into her eyes. He ran his thumb across her bottom lip then slid his fingers up the edge of her jaw to tuck her hair behind her ear. “I want you so badly, Lexi, but I don’t want to rush you. Are you sure you want to take this further right now?” he asked.
Joy burst inside her. “More than sure. I want to be with you in every way. I need you Sam, please.”
He pulled her closer. “I need you too, baby.”
Lexi tilted her lips up and connected with his again. It was what every girl dreamed of—passionate, strong, and needy.
As his hands roamed down the sides of her breasts to her waist and then around to the small of her back, his touch set her body on fire. Her scalp itched as her hair thickened, and her teeth turned sharper.
He slid his fingers downward until he was cupping her ass. Lexi pushed her crotch against his very impressive erection and ran her palms down his pecs and over his abs, loving the way his muscles moved the tighter he held her. Wrapping her arms around his neck again, she scraped her nails up the back of his head. The pressure and speed of the kiss increased, as did their moans and groans.
Strip him naked, her wolf demanded. Mate with him now!
As much as she’d like to make things permanent, there were too many reasons to wait. That didn’t mean she couldn’t rip off his clothes and enjoy him though. She stepped back. “I need you naked.”
Sam raised an eyebrow and grinned at her. “Oh I will definitely be doing that, but sweetheart, yours are coming off first, and that is not a request.”
His authoritative tone stopped her. Then again, he was used to being in charge. That was fine by her as long as the result ended in them getting naked and sweaty.
“As you wish.” As slowly as she could, Lexi undid the top button of her shirt. When he edged forward, his eyebrows rose in a silent order of I’m waiting. She undid the rest of the buttons and then slipped her shirt over her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. As his gaze followed the material, Lexi reached around her back and unhooked her pink lace bra, and Sam’s gaze zeroed in on her chest. Slower than glaciers could move, she lowered one strap and then the next. Sam licked his lips, and she swore the area covering his cock glowed blue. After letting the bra join her shirt, she undid the zipper on her jeans and leisurely wiggled out of them. When she bent over to step out of her pants, Sam made a grab for her and scooped her up in his arms.
“I can’t take it any longer.” He placed her on the sofa, dragged off her jeans along with her panties, and flung them back, clearing the end of the couch. “Goddess in heaven, but you are a beautiful sight
.”
Sam stood and was out of his jeans and briefs in record time. He lost the shirt a second later.
Her gaze shot straight between his legs, and her eyes practically popped out of her head. “Whoa, do you have a special license to carry that? Talk about a concealed weapon.” Lexi grinned at him.
Sam winked back. “Maybe you should make sure it’s locked and loaded.”
She loved his humor. “Bring it here and I’ll check it out.” Thankfully, she was on the pill. Because he was her mate, she saw no reason to ask him to put on protection.
Sam sat on the leather sofa then lifted her by the waist. As he set her down on his lap, she straddled him. Lexi stared at his cock pressed between them then dragged her gaze up his body, locking her eyes with his hooded gaze.
“I need to taste you,” Sam said.
She thought he was asking for a kiss, but instead he placed his hand on her back and dipped her. He then licked and sucked on one nipple, sending her into oblivion. She closed her eyes and inhaled his woodsy scent, loving how her body thrilled to his touch. After he tugged on the tip with his teeth, he pulled away and blew a cool breath across it. Not only did her sparks fly, bolts of electricity shot down her body and ignited her core. For a moment, she thought she might shift, but then her wolf stood down.
Lexi slid forward and then wiggled her butt on his cock. The urge to take him right then overwhelmed her. Because much of the anticipation for making love was the foreplay, she had planned to delay for as long as possible, but Lexi wasn’t sure she could last much longer. If she could, the final coupling would be a monumental event.
As he continued to suck on her tits, twisting and then pulling each tip taut, she ran her hands over his head, holding him close. Sam reached down and adjusted her hips so that his cock nestled right between her folds. As her need grew, moisture pooled. With her climax brimming, Lexi could barely hold on.
Bite his neck, her wolf urged. Mate with him.
Later. She didn’t need to be arguing with her wolf.
Lexi glided back and forth over his cock, and they both groaned. Sam gripped her hips as he closed his eyes and laid his head back against the couch seemingly lost to the sensation.
Suddenly, Lexi slipped off his lap then knelt on the floor between his legs. She bent over, close to his cock. When she looked up, Sam’s gaze connected with hers and she grinned. “My turn to taste you.”
She wrapped her hand around his erection, and then ran her tongue up his length and around the pulsing dark red head of his cock.
Sam’s body shot off navy blue sparks, morphing into a blue halo around his body. “Holy shit,” he gasped.
As a soldier, he should be able to withstand all kinds of torture, though she hoped this would be a wonderful kind of anguish.
Sam clasped her shoulder. “That feels so fucking good.”
Wait until she sucked on him hard. With one hand, she held his rigid length upright and with the other, she cupped his balls. Heat seeped through her as she lightly circled the top of his cock again. Squeezing his hard shaft, she pumped her hand up then down. With each stroke, he moaned louder and louder. Finally, Sam grabbed her hair and tugged. When his hot cum tinged her tongue, it was her signal to take him.
Keeping her gaze on his lust-filled face, she crawled onto his lap again. “Ready?” she asked.
“More than you can know.”
Widening her legs, she lifted up and took hold of his cock. Taking aim, she slowly sank down on him. Each delicious inch stretched her wide, and the slight pain only added to the exciting experience.
Leaning over, Lexi kissed him, but this time she kept her lips soft, protecting him from her sharpened teeth. She moved her tongue slowly, exploring what he had to offer. Sam moaned then grabbed her hips and thrust upward, sending her spiraling. She increased her rhythm, both with her hips and with her tongue.
Staying inside her, Sam wrapped his arms around her and stood. He moved to the end of the couch and then slipped out of her, forcing her to lower her feet to the floor. “Turn around and put your hands on the sofa arm.”
Willing to do anything he asked, Lexi spread her legs wide. As soon as she bent over, he drove his big cock deep into her. Her spine tingled with erotic lust, and her heart pounded against her ribs.
With him now in control, he plunged deeper and harder. This time her wolf refused to be silent. Hair grew and nails sharpened. When he reached underneath her to twist and tug on her nipples, her world spun, and more bones cracked. Her arms glowed blue and her breaths turned rapid. Lexi lowered her head to draw in more air just as Sam’s lips found her neck and sucked hard. That did her in.
“Lexi, I’m so close.”
So was she. His cock expanded and stretched her even wider. Heat filled her from the inside, causing her own traitorous body to nearly explode.
Please don’t shift! she warned her wolf.
His hands slipped to her waist and he plowed into her over and over again until she could no longer keep from coming. On the last thrust, a giant orgasm swooped in, and a second after her climax claimed her, his cock detonated.
She closed her eyes, but not before she caught sight of his body’s glow growing larger. His dick continued to pulse as her orgasm slowly waned. Weak beyond belief, she dropped to her elbows and placed her head on her hands.
Sam put his forehead against her back, his heavy breathing cascading across her skin. Once they caught their breath, he placed a kiss between her shoulder blades. Sam pulled away and ran his hand down her spine. “I’ll get something to clean us up with. Stay here.”
It was all Lexi could do to get around the arm of the leather couch and flop down onto her back. She draped her arm up over her eyes as she let her body enjoy the satiated feeling. Drawers opened and water ran.
Sam returned. He chuckled. “Have you passed out on me?”
She lifted her arm and grinned. “Not yet, but I am getting close. I don’t think I can move anything.”
Sam gently cleaned her up and took care of himself as well. Tossing the cloth next to her jeans on the floor, he crawled onto the couch then lifted her, placing her on top of him as if she weighed nothing at all. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest. This was where she needed to be.
*
Vinea was pissed. Royally pissed. She paced in front of Justin and his men in their cramped, dingy hotel room. “You knew the deal,” she said. “I find that little twerp for you, and you bring me Sam Pompley. What the hell happened?”
Justin glared at Don Diego, who straightened up. “You saw what happened,” Diego said with way too much attitude. “We tried to grab Pompley, but he managed to shake us off.”
She furrowed her brows and wished she could take them out with a swipe of her hand, but she’d been stripped of most of her powers when she’d been tossed out the light realm all those years ago. Damn. “The blast wasn’t anything more than smoke.”
Diego shook his head. “The podium blew up, but he never came close enough for it to do much damage. He’d turned around and was heading back to the chick, so I had to detonate it then or not at all.”
She supposed that was true. Vinea faced Justin. “And the girl; you didn’t even get her, did you?”
“No, but that wasn’t the plan. Once you do your thing with Sam, I’ll waltz in and offer my sympathies for her loss. Lexi will come crawling back to Vermont where she belongs,” Justin said.
He was on crack, but let him think whatever he wanted. “I don’t care about the girl. I need you and your men to bring Pompley down.” So she could do her thing. Vinea needed some of her powers restored, and stealing Sam’s would be a great start. If she didn’t, her days in the dark realm would be numbered.
“Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it; I have a plan,” Justin said.
She so wanted to shove a fist into his smug mouth, but she had to restrain herself. If anyone found out she was a goddess on a mission, heads would roll—namel
y hers. “See that you do. And don’t take long.”
“We won’t.”
Not able to stand being in the same room as these men, Vinea left. If they failed, she’d have to go to plan B, which involved using Devon McKinnon. But first, she wanted to try something on her own.
*
Sam was worried about Lexi. After they drove back to the office, she didn’t want to leave his side. She kept insisting that it was possible that Justin was targeting him. It didn’t matter that it was to get to her. He told her he could take care of himself, but for some reason she didn’t seem to be convinced. Sam could handle a punk like Kapok. Mind control was easy on the uninitiated.
Even after their intense and wonderful lovemaking, she was out of sorts, though it might be because she was afraid. “Would you like some company in your bed?” he asked.
Her eyes turned a pretty shade of amber. “Are you kidding? Of course, I want you to stay. My bed is huge.”
Together, they headed down the secret passageway. As soon as they stepped into her suite, her step turned lighter. She spun around. “I need to shower,” she said.
“Can I join you?”
“You sure? I’m warning you now that I can’t be trusted to keep my hands to myself if we’re naked.”
Sam grinned. “I’m game. You wash my back, and I’ll wash yours.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
Lexi laughed. “Deal.” As if they’d been together for years, she undressed quickly. “I’ll warm up the water.”
He hadn’t seen her this animated since their wonderful snowmobile adventure. Thinking of the outdoors, he vowed to take her into the wilderness again.
Sam rushed to undress. Washing with the bandage would be tricky, but he’d redo her handiwork if need be. Lexi was beautiful with her luscious curves and smooth skin. Sam couldn’t help but soak in the sight of her as she stepped under the stream of the water. He followed right behind her, thinking being dirty in the shower could take on a whole new meaning.
He needed to reel those thoughts back. They’d already had some pretty intense sex, and he didn’t want her to be sore tomorrow, but damn, it would take all of his control not to take her again.