The Defender

by Donna Grant

  She turned then and wrapped her arms around his neck. “That’s the first time I’ve had sex with a man before he kissed me.”

  Lev looked down at her lips. How had he forgotten to kiss her? Then he glanced at her breasts. That’s how. But he would make up for it now.

  “I can fix that,” he told her.

  He bent his head and captured her lips. He moved his mouth over hers slowly. Then he slid his tongue along the seam. The moment she parted for him, he slipped his tongue inside to find hers.

  Reyna sighed as she pressed her body against his, her arms tightening around his neck. Once he’d tasted her, he couldn’t stop. The kiss continued, burning hotter and more fiery with every heartbeat.

  Until he was hard for her again.

  She was the one who tore her lips from his. Her brown eyes had a dreamy cast to them as she touched his mouth with her finger. “That was... Kiss me like that again.”

  “Then come here,” he ordered.

  She shook her head. “If you kiss me again, I’m going to want you.”

  He grinned. “And what’s wrong with that?”

  “Because I want to scrub my body and yours so I can have my way with you later.”

  Lev wasn’t going to argue with that. He grabbed a bar of soap. “Get to washing.”

  She laughed and took the soap.

  17

  All Reyna had wanted was a shower.

  Until she’d seen Lev naked. Then, all she wanted was him. And he hadn’t disappointed. Her body was still quivering from the toe-curling orgasm he’d given her.

  Now, she and Lev were quickly washing their hair and bodies, alternating using the water all while doing their best not to touch each other. Which, of course, meant they each kept bumping into the other.

  Though, half of her times were on purpose. She just couldn’t stop touching him. And once she felt him, she couldn’t seem to let go. He was like a magnet, drawing her to him.

  Somehow, they managed to get clean and the soap rinsed off in a relatively short amount of time. The moment the water had been turned off, she reached for one of the towels. Reyna barely started to dry off before she was lifted off her feet and carried to the bed.

  She wound her arms around Lev and gazed into his blue eyes. Water dripped from his hair onto her face, but she didn’t care. The instant their lips met, the worry plaguing her, the Saints, and the entire outside world fell away.

  It had been far too long since she’d felt the warmth and weight of a man’s body. She likened it to being woken from sleepwalking. Everywhere Lev touched, the nerve endings came alive.

  Her eyes rolled back in her head as he skimmed his hands up her legs, starting at her ankles and moving all the way to her hips. She felt the bed give as he placed his hands on either side of her head. She opened her eyes and smiled up at him.

  She placed her hands on his trim waist and moved her palms down over the firm cheeks of his butt, then moved upward to his back, feeling the dampness of his skin. She slowly slid a finger along his spine up to his shoulder blades. Unable to resist, she caressed over his broad shoulders and firm biceps then back to his impeccable chest. He didn’t move a muscle as she let her fingers trail down his washboard stomach to his thick cock that strained between them. She pumped her hand on him slowly a few times.

  His arousal had already been inside her. She knew how it felt to have him sliding in and out of her, bringing her unimaginable pleasure. His fingers had known just where and how to touch both her sex and her breasts to bring her to the brink of climax in quick order.

  She wanted him to feel that same kind of pleasure. She wanted him to squirm for release the way she had. Her fingers wrapped around his rod.

  And she knew just how to do it.

  Reyna pushed at his shoulder with her free hand. Lev rolled onto his back, his gaze never leaving her face. She rose up on her elbow and bent to kiss his chest. She flicked her tongue over his nipples and felt his quick intake of breath.

  She continued kissing down his stomach until she reached his cock. There, she parted her lips and took his length into her mouth. She had only just settled in when she felt his hands on her, pulling her. Reyna lifted her head, and in the next breath, Lev had her turned around and straddling his face.

  A sigh escaped when he licked her clit. There was a smile on her lips when she returned her attention to his rod. It was difficult to keep her focus on him when he made her feel so good.

  She wanted to make him come with her mouth, but when he flipped her onto her back and entered her with one thrust, it no longer mattered. Their gazes met as his hips pistoned, him moving in and out of her, filling her again and again.

  Suddenly, he leaned down and kissed her. A kiss that scorched her all the way to her bones. She’d never felt another so sizzling, so...passionate. It felt as if she had finally found something she hadn’t even known she was looking for. Lev ended the kiss by sucking on her bottom lip.

  The climax came out of nowhere. It slammed into Reyna and swept her away. The cry of pleasure locked inside while her body convulsed, the orgasm prolonged with every thrust of Lev’s cock.

  Finally, she began to come down from the intensity of it. She looked to see their bodies meeting before she raised her gaze to his face. There was something in his eyes, something she hadn’t seen before. It was almost like a...silent promise.

  Once more, Lev pulled out of her as he climaxed. This time, he spilled on her stomach. Seeing the ecstasy on his face, hearing his shout of pleasure made her smile in contentment.

  “Fuck. That was amazing,” he said as he looked at her with a crooked grin.

  “It really was,” she replied.

  She tried to get up to grab a towel, but Lev held her in place with one hand. Then, without a word, he rose and walked into the bathroom only to return a moment later with their towels. He handed one to her while he used the other to wipe himself.

  Reyna cleaned off her stomach and then dropped the towel onto the floor as she looked at the ceiling. Lev climbed into bed beside her. She immediately rolled toward him to lay her cheek on his chest.

  He put one arm around her and the other behind his head. “What are you thinking about?”

  “That this is the first time I’ve felt this good in many, many years.”

  “I’ll be happy to repeat that anytime.”

  She lifted her face to his and smiled widely. “Then I’ll want to book you every night.”

  “Consider it done.”

  But thinking about the future made her thoughts turn to their current predicament and the Saints.

  “Don’t,” Lev said, his face serious. “Don’t let the world intrude.”

  “It already has.”

  He shifted onto his side to face her and shook his head. “You have the power to control that. Give yourself tonight. Give us tonight.”

  “You’re right.”

  “I’m always right,” he retorted with a wink.

  She chuckled. “Well, none of this would’ve happened if I hadn’t taken off my clothes or stopped on the stairs.”

  “Oh, I beg to differ. It’s all I’ve been thinking about for some time.”

  “Is it?” She was intrigued now. “So, you would’ve done something tonight?”

  “Without a doubt.”

  “Hmmmm. Good.”

  He kissed the tip of her nose. “As much as I want to lay here, I think we should get some food.”

  “Agreed.” Though she intended for them to return to bed immediately after.

  Lev was the first to get up. Reyna picked up the towel only to find Lev holding out a pink-and-white-striped robe. She gladly put it on while he pulled on a pair of plaid lounge pants.

  Reyna combed out her hair while Lev went downstairs. Then she gathered their towels and brought them down with her. She found him in the kitchen with various ingredients laid out.

  “I’d offer to help, but I’ll mess things up. It’s better if I stay out of the way,” she said.r />
  He laughed and looked at her over his shoulder. “We’ll see about that.”

  “I have many skills, but cooking isn’t one of them.”

  “My mother wanted to make sure I knew how to cook, so she always had me in the kitchen with her. I liked it, actually.”

  Reyna walked to the island and took one of the bar chairs. “When did you first learn?”

  “I was seven when she first had me in the kitchen with her. At least, that’s when she was asking me to help her. I got her ingredients, measuring cups, and the like. She had a chair pulled up to the counter that I stood on so I could see.” He paused in the chopping to rummage in the cupboards to look for a pan. When he had it, he put it on the stove. “Everything just developed from there.”

  “My mom had me in the kitchen as well, but I hated it.”

  “There were certainly times I fought being in there with her. I would have rather been with my friends or doing anything else, but eventually, I realized that I had to do it, so I might as well make it fun.”

  Reyna leaned her forearms on the island and smiled as she pictured a young Lev in the kitchen. “Were you any good at it?”

  “My mom said I was a natural. She actually pushed me to go to culinary school. It was something I considered. I was always coming up with different dishes to try.”

  She looked around at what little he’d pulled from the pantry and fridge. “Let me guess, you would see what your mother had, and then just come up with something based on what was there.”

  He paused and turned to look at her. “Yeah.”

  “Exactly what you’re doing now.”

  His lips turned up in a grin. “Yeah.”

  “Then don’t let me stop you. I’m famished.”

  His laugh filled the kitchen as he returned to whatever it was he was doing. And for just a moment in time, Reyna could pretend that this was their home, that it was just a regular night with him cooking and her sitting there as they shared details about their day.

  Yet it was all a fantasy. This wasn’t their home, and this wasn’t a normal night. They were running for their lives, staying away from anyone for fear that they might be a Saint.

  And just like that, the world intruded.

  Reyna squeezed her eyes closed and took a deep breath. As she let it out, she also released thoughts of the Saints. Lev was right. This was their night, and she had power over what she let into her mind.

  When she opened her eyes, he was standing on the opposite side of the island, looking at her. She smiled. “I’m good.”

  “We’re going to be okay.”

  “I know.” She’d said it because it was almost expected, but when the words came out, she realized that they were the truth.

  Reyna spotted a bottle of wine and rose to get it. It took a few tries before she found the opener, but she got the cork out and the alcohol poured into two glasses.

  “Perfect,” Lev said as he accepted the wine and gave her a quick kiss.

  She stood beside him as he put noodles into a pot to boil. In another pan, he had onions and garlic sautéing in olive oil. Her stomach rumbled at the delicious smell. But her mouth began to water when he added crushed tomatoes and some of the red wine she’d just opened to make his own red sauce.

  In short order, the pasta was ready. To make sure no one was alerted to their presence, they turned off the lights and lit a few candles. They sat at the bar, eating right out of the pan after he’d combined the pasta and sauce with the bottle of wine between them.

  Reyna told him about her first days at the CIA and going through the selection process. He shared stories of medical school and some of the classes he had taken.

  It was the most romantic, incredible night of Reyna’s life.

  They laughed, they joked. They spoke from the heart. Because each knew that it could be their last few hours. Neither knew what tomorrow would bring.

  Reyna was reminded of something she’d once read that said to live each day as if it were your last. Many said they did that, but she knew it was a lie. Only people in her and Lev’s shoes truly understood how fleeting life was.

  She went to take another bite and realized she had eaten the entire thing. The pasta was finished, and the wine was gone. It saddened her somehow.

  Lev was staring at her again. He reached over and took her hand. It was as if he could read her thoughts.

  “I’ll get the dishes,” she said.

  He took the pan. “We’ll do it together.”

  There was no more talk as they cleaned every dish, wiping it dry and returning it to its place. Then they wiped down the stove and counter and put the empty wine bottle into the garbage. Then Lev blew out the candles.

  Reyna transferred their clothes to the dryer and put in the towels. She walked through the house to find Lev. She found him in the master bedroom near the windows, looking out at the sea.

  “If you could live anywhere, where would you go?” he asked.

  Reyna came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist as she rested her cheek against his back. “I’ve lived in so many places, but it’s been a really long while since I’ve had a place that I considered home. I don’t think it’s the place, though. I think it’s being with someone who makes it feel like a home. Why?”

  “Because I’ve been thinking about it for a few days now.”

  “And?” she pushed.

  He turned and wrapped his arms around her. “I want one.”

  “Me, too.”

  18

  “What do you mean, you haven’t found them?”

  Lorraine glared at a member of her team. She didn’t even bother hiding the fact that she was furious. None of them realized—or cared—that her life hung in the balance.

  None of the elders accepted failure to any degree. The fact that she was still alive despite losing Reyna and Lev was only because she had been successful up until that point. But everything hinged on her finding them now.

  And if she didn’t...there wasn’t a person in the organization that could save her.

  “We’ve stopped and searched every boat going through the strait over the last ten hours,” the young woman explained. “They’re not here.”

  Lorraine wanted to rail at the woman, but she turned on her heel and walked away instead. That’s when she spotted Anatoli. It galled her that after refusing to allow him to come, the elders had ordered Anatoli to do just that.

  Did that mean they didn’t trust her? Or was Anatoli there to watch her? Fine. Let him stay. It was better to keep enemies closer anyway. He moved out of the way as she neared and then followed her back to her vehicle without saying a word.

  She got behind the wheel and grabbed hold of it to squeeze. If only it were Reyna’s neck her hands were around. Lorraine closed her eyes and tried to shake off the feeling that a blade was headed straight for her heart.

  “There’s still a chance that they’ll come through the strait,” Anatoli said.

  She’d been so lost in thought that she hadn’t heard him get into the car. There was nothing to say, so she didn’t respond to him.

  “Lori, it’s going to be all right.”

  Her eyes snapped open as she turned her head to give him her nastiest scowl. “All right? It’s not going to be anything close to that if I don’t find at least one of them.”

  He smiled, unfazed by her fury as he leaned an elbow on the passenger door and braced his hand against the side of his head. “It’s quicker for them to travel by boat. I believe they’ll come through the strait, but they also know you’ll be watching it. If I was them, I’d wait a few days before striking out.”

  “And if I was in their place, I’d set out as quickly as I could.”

  Anatoli shrugged one shoulder. “What will it hurt to keep a contingent of your team here to continue searching the vessels?”

  It was the smart thing to do, and she’d decided on that earlier. But her mind was already thinking ahead. She pulled out her tablet from her purse and op
ened it to the map of the surrounding countries.

  Anatoli leaned over to look at it and made a line from Kiev to the Baltic Sea through Poland with his finger. “The quickest route is by water.”

  “But it isn’t their only way,” Lorraine stated while her gaze moved to Germany. “If they could reach the North Sea via Germany, then they could bypass the strait altogether.”

  “That’s a lot of land to cover. Not to mention the borders.”

  She fought not to roll her eyes. “We’ve both seen how easily they cross borders. Even ones we’re patrolling.”

  “Then send a team to Germany. They can reach it by air in a few hours.”

  She lifted her phone and punched in a number. “I don’t have to send a team. I have one there already. They’ll spread out and search the marinas.”

  “Have them stop any boat that looks suspicious,” he added.

  Lorraine finished sending the directive via text, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t anywhere near to catching Lev and Reyna.

  “I know that look,” Anatoli said. “You’re still not happy.”

  “Because they could get away.”

  He sat back and twisted his lips. “Then put all your teams on alert across Europe. I’ll do the same with mine. With that many searching for them, Reyna and Lev will be found.”

  Lorraine didn’t want to accept help. She wanted to tell Anatoli to kiss off, but she wasn’t that stupid. “Thanks for the offer.”

  Both of them began sending alerts to their teams. Lorraine finished and went back to looking at the map on her tablet. The only other direction for the couple to go was north, and that was the exact opposite way they needed to go.

  “What?” Anatoli urged when he saw her staring.

  “What is the one direction we wouldn’t look for them?”

  Anatoli frowned and pointed north. “Why?”

  “What if they went that way?”

  “Why would they? It would take them away from where they want to go.”

  Lorraine sighed loudly. “Because we wouldn’t look there.”