“Merely speculation,” Nate cut in. “Just do your job. We’ll do ours.”
Cade sighed, looking past the imposing assembly of BSI security guys, and locking eyes with her. “Can I talk to Sylvie?”
“No,” Nate snapped.
“Nate, it’s okay,” she interjected.
“Sylvie—”
“Nate.” She glared at her man. Obviously, Cade needed closure, and so did she. He had been a great part of her team, even if he had deceived her.
“Five minutes,” Nate growled and she could feel the tension rolling off him as she remembered the admiral’s words.
“I’ll wait outside, Bowen,” Lassiter nodded to Nate and walked outside.
“Hey,” Cade said, as he approached her. “Nana, Pru.” Cade had met her grandma and mom a few times. Judging from the non-response from their side, they still had not forgiven him.
“Are you okay?” Cade asked quietly.
“I’m fine. What do you want?” Her voice came out a bit harsher than she intended, but she was at wits’ end. After everything that had happened, she wanted to lash out at someone.
“It was a job, Sylvie,” Cade said, “but I really did enjoy working with you. You were a great boss. I saw all the hard work you put into the restaurant, and I couldn’t understand why you would throw that away.” He looked at her grandma and then back to her. “Now I know why, and I can’t say I blame you. I really regret my part in all this.”
Could she really hold a grudge against someone who was doing a job on the right side of the law? No.
“I had a lot of fun with you on my team, Cade,” Sylvie said. “It’s really sad how it ended. But it is what it is.”
He seemed to see the sincerity in her words for his face lightened up. “Hey, if you need any help fixing the place up or carpentry work, I’m game.”
“I think Taylor has that covered,” Sylvie smiled. “The insurance money also came in, so I can hire a contractor. You can stop by and say hi as long as you’re not on official business sneaking photos to your boss.”
“I deserved that.” Cade winced. “I do miss you guys,” he added wistfully.
“Maybe you should change profession,” Sylvie teased. “You did make a great ramen chef, although I’m sure you make a lot more money being a DEA agent.”
A strange look passed across Cade’s face, but it disappeared even before it registered fully. He grinned his old Rick grin. “Well, I’m glad you gave me a chance to apologize, and you can be sure I’ll be turning up to see how the restaurant is coming along.”
Nate made his presence known beside them. “Time’s up, Bowen.”
“Damn, Reece. I guess you were serious about the five minutes, although—” Cade checked his watch. “—I don’t think—”
“You’re done,” Nate repeated firmly. “Get out of here.
Sylvie didn’t say anything this time as she watched Cade leave the house.
*****
After pizza, mostly everyone retired to their rooms. Travis sent Sam home, giving him two days to re-charge. The BSI agent protested at first, but Nate backed Travis up. Sam could choose to go to the office if he wanted, but he needed to clear his head. Two security personnel were coming off rotation temporarily and were watching the perimeter.
Porter was in the guesthouse with Nana and her mother. After saying goodnight to them, Sylvie made her way back to the main house, waving at the BSI security guy who was partly hidden in the shadows near the pool. She didn’t mind Nate’s tall fencing before, but now it felt like she was ensconced in a fortress. She felt safe as well as a bit suffocated, but she shook the latter feeling away. Nate told her to arm the security system when she came in. If she were honest with herself, she was thankful to be alone with Nate. Their relationship was tested today, and she needed to see where his head was. He’d been protective yet impersonal ever since Nana and her mother whisked her away to get cleaned up. She sure hoped it was temporary. She missed lighthearted Nate who always seemed to take every setback in stride and cheer her up. She cringed at the selfish thought. Did it always have to be her who needed comfort? She hadn’t been in real danger from her father.
She entered the room just in time to hear the shower turn off. She grabbed her sleeping shorts and camisole and changed into them, then moved to the vanity table to grab a brush. Her skin was still tingly from the heavy scrubbing Nana gave her. After a few minutes, the bathroom door opened and steam billowed out with Nate in its wake, a towel slung low on his hips. He stopped short when he saw her, then his eyes flew to the security panel in the bedroom.
“I’ve armed it,” Sylvie assured him.
He nodded stiffly, looking everywhere but at her, his jaw twitching crazily.
Sylvie approached him cautiously. And as a handler would touch a wounded lion, she touched him gently on his arm.
“Nate, I won’t even begin to ask you what’s wrong. The mere fact you can’t look at me, tells me you’re feeling guilty about what happened today. But I want you to know, nowhere in my heart do I blame you.”
“You should. I’m responsible for your safety.” He still wouldn’t look at her, his tone derisive and full of self-loathing.
“But you got me back. Besides, my father wouldn’t hurt me.”
“But Hiroshi did. Again.” He lifted his gaze to her face then. She had forgotten about Hiroshi hitting her. It must have started bruising. “I wasn’t around to stop him.” The back of his fingers grazed her cheek. “I let my cockiness get the better of me. I’ve flown through life without fearing anything or anyone until you. I’ve felt sickening fear twice. First when there was an explosion at your restaurant, and second when Taylor told me Hiroshi had you all at gun point.”
Sylvie wasn’t sure what to make of his statement, but she went with her first reaction, which was anger. “Don’t you dare say I’m bad for you, Nathan Reece, or I’m going to kick your ass.” A gleam entered Nate’s bleak eyes, so she soldiered on. “I didn’t let you drag me into this relationship only for you to turn chickenshit when the going gets tough. I thought you were a badass CIA agent.”
“I never admitted I was in the CIA.”
“Bull-fucking-shit.”
His lips twitched at this and was about to say something, but she held up her hand and continued, “I’m not done. You told me to give you a fair chance to prove you’re capable of making a commitment. Was that all smoke and no fire?”
“Babe, I think you just butchered the use of an idiom—”
“Are we talking about linguistics now?” Sylvie shrieked. This man could not be believed!
Nate’s face turned ruddy with amusement and what suspiciously sounded like a suppressed chuckle escaped as a puffed breath. He cupped her cheeks fondly. “I don’t know how you do it, firecracker, but you always make me feel better.”
“Good,” Sylvie mumbled. “That’s certainly more favorable than causing you fear.”
“Ah, Sylvs,” Nate said, one hand dragging through her hair. “I wasn’t going to bail on us. I was just processing, you know, and you facilitated it, so you see, you’re good for me, woman.”
“Damn straight.”
“You better wash that mouth before your Nana hears you and blames it on me,” Nate muttered. “First there was ‘ass,’ then there was ‘chickenshit.’ I believe you said ‘fuck’ as well.” His hands lowered to her ass and lifted her against him, sliding her erotically up his body until she was eye-level with him. His towel had fallen to the floor and she could feel the press of his erection against her bare thighs. “By the way, I very much want to fuck that dirty mouth.”
Wetness pooled between her legs, and she started to squirm against him, but he held her tight. Heat burned her cheeks as the smolder in his eyes seared into her and breathing became difficult. What started as a struggle to pull Nate from his funk triggered a kindling spark of rapidly consuming lust. She emitted a needy gasp when he carefully lowered her, but Sylvie fought against the ache between her legs,
wanting to make sure this was not a Band-Aid for whatever was the issue between them. “Are you okay, Nate?”
His eyes lowered to her mouth. “Absolutely.”
Sylvie tilted her head suspiciously. “Nate?”
“Jesus, fuck, woman,” Nate growled. He grabbed her nape as he landed a harsh punishing kiss on her lips. Then she was unceremoniously shoved to her knees, his huge veined cock teasing the edges of her mouth. “Suck me, Sylvie. Take me in your mouth,” he said hoarsely. His fingers dug into her scalp, but he made no move to pull her further in. If it was possible, she got more turned on. Even if she was the one on her knees, the power was hers to make him lose control.
Her lips wrapped around the crown of his shaft. Nate cursed and fell back against the wall, his hips bucking forward. “Oh, fuck, sweet fuck.” He groaned in agony as she pumped his cock and bobbed her head while taking slow deliberate pulls with her mouth. She couldn’t take all his length, but she’d learned to be creative with her hands and mouth. Swirling her tongue on the sensitive skin and grasping his balls, she gave him more suction and his answering groan sent the throbbing between her thighs into overdrive. She thought she heard a snarl before she was yanked to her feet.
She caught a blur of a hand swiping her things clean off the vanity table before her butt hit the flat surface and her shorts quickly joined the towel on the floor. Nate leaned forward, a feral look in his eyes as he wrapped her legs around him. “Need inside you.” His hand was between them as he worked the bulbous head past her swollen entrance. She was slick, but she could still feel the delicious stretch of every inch he fed into her. “God, Sylvs, you feel so fucking good.” He shoved her camisole over her breasts, sucking her nipple as he began to pump. Nate growled harshly against her breast as his movements grew faster. “Fuck, babe, I’m finally bare inside you.” He straightened partially and gripped her hips to pump harder. Sylvie balanced on her elbows, finding purchase to meet his thrusts. His gaze was fixed at the point where they were joined and his grunts grew steadily louder. They were both panting heavily and the pulsing between her thighs grew unbearable, but she couldn’t find release because the table was scraping across the floor and distracting her.
“Nate, please,” Sylvie begged. Suddenly, her back was against the wall and she was being pounded harder. Rivulets of moisture hit her from Nate’s damp hair and sweat. His face was a mass of tension as he rutted into her. “Almost there, Nate. Oh, God. Oh, God . . . I’m . . .” Her fingers gripped him tighter as her orgasm swept through her. Strong, shaking, almost painful in its intensity; Sylvie buried her face on his shoulder and bit down to control her scream. This wildness in her turned Nate more feral as each thrust was punctuated with a harsh grunt.
“Can’t get enough, can’t get enough,” his guttural voice chanted as he continued his punishing pace. He was fucking her raw, and she loved it. She would be feeling very well fucked by tomorrow. She lifted her head and saw the hunger in his face, the possessiveness as he watched her as he moved inside her. “You’re mine,” he growled before he shoved his face into her neck, clamped her tighter to him and groaned deep. Hot jets of cum shot into her channel as he shuddered spasmodically against her. Damp bodies, heavy breathing, monkey sex, Sylvie couldn’t ask for a better ending to their day considering how it began. Nate staggered backward, still carrying her with her limbs wrapped around him, and fell back on the bed. She ended up straddling him, but leaned forward anyway, resting an ear on his chest to listen to the rapid beats of his heart.
“Sylvie?”
“Hmmm?”
“I love you.”
*****
Nate felt her stiffen.
She raised her head, pushed back from his chest, her eyes narrowing into slits.
Not the reaction he was expecting. What happened to ‘I love you too’?
She smacked him on his shoulder.
Definitely not the reaction he was expecting. What the fuck?
“You are such a guy!” Sylvie muttered as she tried to scramble off him, but of course he wasn’t having any of that.
“What the fuck, Sylvs?” Nate said, unfamiliar feelings of hurt and rejection resonated in his tone. “I tell you I love you and that’s your fucking answer?”
“You’ve never said that to me,” she shot back. “And now, the first time you say it’s after we have mind-blowing sex?”
“The sex was mind-blowing?” He grinned. He couldn’t help feeling ten-feet tall.
“Arggggh! See? Such a guy!” Sylvie screeched as she squirmed in his arms.
Realization dawned on him. His earlier negative sentiments vanished only to be replaced by fond amusement. Women.
He flipped them, pinning an irate Sylvie under him. Settling between her legs and pressing his still hard erection against her pussy, he clamped her wrists on either side of her head.
“We’ll have to change the bedsheets now,” Sylvie grumbled.
“Woman, I just told you I love you and you’re worried about the bedsheets?”
She was silent, or rather, silently glaring up at him.
“I know what you’re going to say, but you won’t say it because that’s what a woman would say.”
“And what is this I want to say that I won’t say anyway?”
“That it’s just the sex talking and not how I really feel about you.”
Silence, but at least she stopped glaring. Instead her eyes communicated, “Go on.”
“See, the truth is, babe, I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time, but I was scared shitless,” Nate admitted. “I’ve never ever said those words to anyone before, not even to my father. It was kinda understood between us, no need for verbal declarations. No one who matters to me, had said it to me. You say it, but it’s more like a friendship kind of love, but platonic love is far from what I’m feeling for you.”
“I certainly hope so,” Sylvie whispered.
Okay. She needed more convincing.
“Do you know what was messing with my head earlier? It’s not because your father had taken you because I will come after you and I will find you. Never doubt that. Regret was fucking me up. Fear that I might not be able to get to you immediately and we’d be separated for weeks or months, and you’d never know that I fucking love you. It was killing me. So, now the first opportunity I got, I told you. And Sylvie, it feels great to say the words finally.” He ducked his head and nuzzled her nose. “Except the part where you smacked me.”
“Sorry.” Her smile was sheepish. Cute.
“You’re forgiven,” he murmured, brushing his lips against hers as he involuntarily pressed his growing erection against her lush heat.
“I can never stay mad at you.” His last words ended in a groan as he slipped inside her once more. “Holy fuck, woman.” He released her hands and cradled her head, rocking into her gently, his eyes locking on her beautiful green ones. “After feeling you bare, we’re never going to use a rubber again.”
“Well, we’re safe and covered,” Sylvie assured him. She had taken the birth control shot a few days ago.
Somehow those words didn’t bring him relief the way it used to. She was his. He never thought he’d want to get his kid inside her, but he did, especially after today. He wanted a permanent link between them. A crazy question sprung to his head, but he shook it away. It was too soon, his dick was inside her, and he might get a slap to the face this time. Instead, he plunged deeper inside her, relishing the way she gasped and her tiny nails scraped down his back.
When she came, she was exquisite. She was so fucking beautiful, and just as Nate followed her into climax, he yelled out the words of love he could never say before. Sylvie owned his heart and his words. And he was pretty sure she owned his soul.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“What’s with you this week?”
It had been a few days since Nate told Sylvie he loved her, but as of today, she had not said the words back. It was unsettling. He told her plenty of times since then, but she would just
smile and kiss him.
It was starting to piss him off.
Knowing his sour mood was obvious in the office only unsettled him more. Travis knew better than to ask him about it, but Beatrice was the opposite. She was perched on his desk at the moment, eyeing him curiously.
“Trouble in paradise?”
Interestingly enough, Beatrice might just be the person to ask. She was his best female friend, and that meant platonic in the real sense of the word.
Still, it was nerve-racking. He’d been coasting through his bachelorhood without much emotional entanglement, and this time he didn’t know fuck all what to do about it.
“Last Saturday, I told Sylvie I loved her.”
Beatrice’s eyes brightened and her smile almost blinded him. “That’s great . . .” Seeing his face, her mouth turned down. “Not great?”
“She hasn’t said it back.”
“That bitch.”
Nate’s eyes narrowed. “Hey . . . watch it. We’re talking about Sylvie.”
Beatrice pouted. “Well, you’re my friend. My loyalty is to you.”
He grinned at that. “Oh, well. Thanks. But seriously, don’t call Sylvie that word again. I’m not standing for that.”
His red-haired friend sighed. “Okay. She was really nice when I spoke to her.” A look of realization crossed Beatrice face. “Wait. Saturday was the day she got taken.”
“Yes,” Nate said warily. “Your point?”
“My point, dickhead, despite how dramatic it may seem, declarations of love after an extreme event are largely suspect.”
Nate wasn’t about to volunteer that he said it after mind-blowing sex. “And you’re an expert on this because—?”
“Well, I did the same to Gabe. Remember when he almost died?”
“Who could forget?” Nate muttered. “The man almost lost all his blood defending your stubborn ass.”
Beatrice glared at him. “Not funny. Anyway, that’s when I told him I loved him.”
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