She felt Kris scoop her up into his arms and she turned and buried her head in his chest and wept. “It’s okay sweetheart, you can stay with me while this is getting fixed. I’ll call and have a crime scene clean-up crew here in the morning and we’ll get a contractor here as soon as they’re done.” The whole time he was talking he was moving from her place to his door. He unlocked the door and carried her down the hall to his room. He sat her on the bed and stepped into his bathroom. Raisa heard the sound of water running and saw steam soon drifting out the open door. Kris came back in and sat beside her. “I’ve run you a bath love, go soak and I’ll bring you a cup of tea. I have an herbal blend to help you relax and get some rest. We can talk about all this tomorrow but for tonight let me take care of you.”
Raisa didn’t say anything, just sat there. She could hear him but she was sliding into a dark place and couldn’t respond. She felt his arms catch her as she toppled off the bed and then she was surrounded by darkness. A darkness in which Gregori was laughing as he chased her telling her that he always got what he wanted, and he wanted her as his personal pet.
She heard Kris calling to her but she couldn’t seem to find him. He would save her, she knew if she could just find him in the darkness he’d make everything better just like he’d been doing for the last two days. But she couldn’t seem to get any closer to his voice calling out to her in the darkness and it was getting harder to hear him as Gregori’s voice and laughter got louder and harsher in her ears.
Chapter Ten
K ris caught Raisa as she slipped into a dead faint. It was shock he knew, the weight of everything over the last few days had caught up with her. He debated calling for EMT’s, but he couldn’t keep her safe in the hospital especially since he wasn’t family and her only family was Stephan who was working for Gregori. Instead he checked her pulse and seeing that it was strong and steady he opted to put her to bed. He quickly unbuttoned the four buttons on the front of her dress and slipped it off of her. He stopped for a moment unable to look away from the red lacy undergarments she wore under the little black dress that had driven him crazy all night. She’d obviously had a different ending to this night in mind when she dressed for their date. He had too and once again Gregori Volkov was intruding on his plans and his dating Raisa. He knew that after what was done to her apartment and what the police officers had said that, once again, she’d be thinking about giving in and just doing what Volkov wanted. However, he wasn’t going to allow that to happen. He needed help and he needed it now. He quickly put one of his long-sleeved T-shirts on her and then carefully unhooked her bra and slipped it off making sure she remained covered. Then he pulled the covers down and laid her on the bed before covering her up. Then he went into the bathroom and drained the tub. He’d let her sleep while he made arrangements for her safety and started working on making Gregori Volkov a bad memory only.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a number he’d called more in the last two days than he had in the whole last year. When the voice answered he knew Mac had been up waiting to hear back from him. “Thorn, what do you know?”
“It was Gregori or at least some of his goons. They completely destroyed her place and left a note telling her it would just get worse until he got what he wanted.”
“So exactly what you expected it to be?”
“Yeah, local law enforcement all but told her to give herself to the lowlife. They’ll file a report but that’s all that’s going to happen. I need Sparky. I’ll pay, but I want her full-time around the clock until this is done.”
Mac grunted. “She has twenty-eight days until her principal contract goes on tour in Europe. I can’t pull her off that detail. I can let her work for you until then but only as protection, Thorne. She isn’t trained to operate like you do.”
“That’s fine. I just want someone I can trust to keep Raisa safe while I deal with the Syndicate. I’m pretty sure they have someone watching the apartment building and I don’t want them to have access to her while I’m on assignment.”
Mac laughed, “You mean while you poke the bear.”
“He’s not a bear; more like a rabid wild pig who needs to be put down.”
“You know what the alphabet agencies said: no wet work, only kill order is to protect yourself or others.”
“I know the rules of engagement, Mac. They don’t bother me because he’ll cross that line, he can’t help it.”
“I’ll have Sparky there by eight in the morning. What are you going to do about tonight?”
“I have Friday initiating security protocol Echo. Complete apartment lockdown.”
“All right that should work unless they have a cutting torch.”
“Yep and if they do try to breach I’ll know it and I’ll be ready.”
“When are you going to start fulfilling the contract?”
“After Sparky gets here. I’ll do recon during the day and implement phase one after Raisa goes to bed tomorrow night. Also, can you send a clean-up crew to her apartment? Everything needs to be hauled out.”
“Will do.”
Kris ended the call and quickly changed into his sleep pants before climbing into bed beside Raisa. She turned and snuggled into him and he actually felt her relax as his arm went around her holding her close. He just lay there for several minutes looking at her in the darkened room, listening to her breathe. She was completely buried under his skin now. In fact she’d wormed her way so deep into his heart he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to extract her, not that he wanted to anyway. He placed a kiss on her forehead and she moved even closer up against him, fitting like the missing piece to his life puzzle. As he lay there thinking about how much his life had changed since he found her curled up in a ball sobbing on her deck, he drifted off into a deep sleep.
Raisa woke to darkness and a weight across her waist, a warm hard delicious smelling surface pushed up against her face. She started to panic and then she realized she was in Kris Lawson’s bed and snuggled up tight against his muscular chest with his arm around her holding her tight. It was becoming a habit to wake up in his arms. Three days in a row. Three days since he’d jumped onto her balcony and her life changed. Three days since Gregori started pursuing her making her life hell. Yet here in Kris’s arms she felt happy, safe, dare she even think it? Loved; yes she felt loved and cherished with him. She knew she was falling and falling hard and that made knowing that Gregori would ultimately win hurt that much more. She knew that Kris thought he could win. He was convinced he could keep her safe and get Volkov to leave her alone. He was probably a great operative for the government but he’d never come up against someone like Gregori before. He was absolutely insane and wouldn’t back down ever. She knew sooner or later he would win and she’d end up in his clutches and in his bed, then like all the others who had been his mistress, she’d disappear. Rumor had it when he moved to a new mistress the old ones were given to his men until they were done with her, then she was buried somewhere in the woods behind the Syndicate Compound outside of town.
What she wished was that she could be Kris’s. He was so kind and so good. He’d shown her such care in three days and yet not once had he taken advantage of her or the situation she found herself in. He’d gone out of his way to protect her, care for her and now he was talking about providing for her while her apartment was being fixed and her diner was in the hands of Gregori. She breathed deep trying to build memories to help her once this was over. She took in the scent that was all Kris, sandalwood, musk and something that was all him. She nuzzled up to his neck and began to kiss him. Letting her tongue slip out and just taste the skin of his neck with each kiss. He was so delicious on top of smelling heavenly. She wanted so much more from him and with him. She continued to place little sucking kisses down his neck to his collarbone and then she scooted down a little and started on the muscles of his chest. She knew he was awake when his arm tightened around her waist. “Raisa, love you’ve got to stop that if you want to sleep.”
She scooted up and kissed him right along his jaw line moving slowly to his lips. Smiling as he groaned and wrapped his other arm around her pulling her on top of him. “You keep teasing me, Raisa, and I’m not sure I can resist pinning you to this bed and having my way with you.”
She looked up into his eyes in the dim lights of the city filtering in through the shades. “Then don’t.”
He stopped and really looked at her. “You have to be sure, Raisa. This isn’t something we can undo.”
She sat up and wiggled on top of him, letting him feel how much she wanted more. “I’m sure, Kris. I don’t want my first time to be with that pig. I want it to be you.”
He reached out and put his hands on her hips, holding her very still. “I told you. I won’t let him have you. I won’t make love to you so that he isn’t your first, Raisa. When I make love to you it will be because you know you love me as much as I love you.”
She leaned down and kissed him, pouring her passion into her lips and tongue as she thrust it inside his mouth. For the longest time they were lost in the sensations of each other’s mouth. When she finally broke the kiss to suck in oxygen she lay her head alongside his. “I know what I want, Kris. I may have never done this before but I know I want to and I want to do so with you. Tonight, right now.”
She then leaned closer to his face and took his earlobe in her mouth, sucking and nibbling before working her way down this side of his jaw and neck. She knew when he gave in as his hands left her waist and started to travel up her sides under his shirt she was wearing. This was going to be the night she became his. All his even if for just a short time. She’d let go of her worries and fear and let herself soak in every kiss, every touch, every second of their lovemaking. Giving herself memories to hold on to when she was ripped away from his loving embrace and forced to give Gregori what he wanted. His shirt was pulled over her head and his mouth moved lower over her neck to her breasts and from there she quit thinking and just let herself feel and enjoy.
Chapter Eleven
K ris woke to a heavy warmth crushing down on top of him. He struggled for a moment before he remembered that Raisa had awakened him with some of the most sensual kisses he’d ever experienced and that they’d ended up making love several times before she fell asleep cuddling on top of him after their last bout of pleasure. He knew she had used him and he should be upset but he wasn’t. He was in love with her already and even though she hadn’t said she was too he still didn’t regret last night. He knew she’d used him to keep Gregori from taking her virginity and to give her good memories because she was convinced that he would win in the end. Still if the sounds she’d made and the way her body had reacted to him was any indication she had enjoyed last night. For now that was all he could ask for. He’d keep loving her and showering her with affection until she realized they belonged together forever.
To help that along he needed to put an end to the Syndicate and especially Gregori Volkov. That operation started today. Just as soon as he’d had a shower and breakfast. He slowly tightened his hold on Raisa and rolled so that she was laying on her side beside him. Then he extracted his arm from under her sliding out of the bed before settling the covers over her still sleeping form. The purring little snores she made struck him right in the heart. He so wanted this to be his life, waking up to her warmth, her smell, those adorable snores until he was old and unable to see or hear anymore. He’d convince her it was what she wanted too but first, Gregori.
Softly so as not to disturb Raisa, Kris slipped over to his dresser and grabbed clean underwear and an Armor undershirt. Then just as quietly he slipped into the bathroom before shutting the door and turning on the light. Speaking softly to the microphone he knew was in the room he gave instructions to Friday. “Set security protocol to condition alpha and use facial recognition at the entrance. If Sparky gets here before I’m done with my shower let her in.”
“Affirmative, security protocol alpha is in effect. I started the coffee maker as well. Would you like me to awaken Miss Felfan?”
“No, let her sleep. She needs the rest after everything she’s been through in the last few days.”
“Is there anything else, Thorn?”
He turned the water on in the shower adjusting it to the temperature he preferred while waiting for the water to reach that temperature. “Did you receive a list of locations from Spidey yet?”
“Yes, there are twenty-seven within the city limits and six outside them, including a large compound extremely close to safe house delta.”
“Can you start running surveillance on the three locations closest to the Syndicate office building I visited this week? I’d like drone fly overs and sonar imaging as well as tap into any and all security feeds you can around each building. Let’s start building a detailed packet on each place; number of personnel, possible uses of the facility, any patterns of movement. I want to hit those three tonight.”
“What should I do with this information?”
“Just compile it for now and send the three locations to my phone’s GPS.”
Raisa woke slowly feeling the most rested she’d felt since before her parents died and strangely sore in some very intimate places and then she remembered. Gregori’s men had trashed her apartment and she had made love to Kris more than once last night. Her cheeks burned with the memories that were coming to her. She’d been right, he was such a thoughtful and talented lover. Definitely not what she would have gotten from Gregori. Now when the inevitable happened she would always have the memory of her first time and how great it was to hide in. She reached over for Kris and felt only cold empty sheets beside her. She sat up, grabbing for the sheet when she realized that she had no clothes on. She could see through the blinds that the sun was up and as her eyes focused on the alarm clock on the nightstand she realized it was almost noon. She’d never slept that late. She guessed Kris had really worn her out and allowed her to relax but now she needed to get up. Nature was calling and not in an easy way either. She hurried into the restroom and relieved herself then realized she had a problem. All the clothes she owned were in the other bedroom except for the dress she’d worn last night and her temptation lingerie.
She rushed back into the bedroom and pulled on her red silk boy short panties and when she couldn’t find the matching bra she grabbed the oversized T-shirt she’d let Kris pull off her in the middle of the night. At least that would get her to the other bedroom where she could shower and dress. If she was quiet enough she might be able to get decent looking before Kris knew she was up. She knew he’d seen all of her last night, but it had been in low light and she’d never wiped off the makeup from their date. She’d caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror behind his door. She looked like some female version of the joker with her lipstick smeared and her mascara and eye shadow making dark rings around her eyes.
She wanted to look pretty for him not like some killer clown who just woke up in his bed. So she slowly opened the door and started across the hall to the spare room and almost ran into Nova coming out of the room. “Oh hey, Raisa. I was just putting my bags in the room. Kris said you’d be moving your things into the master bedroom today and I was to crash in the guest room.”
Raisa swallowed. “Nova, you scared me. What are you doing here?”
The redhead smiled at her. “Kris hired me for the next month to help keep you safe. I guess if you’re moving into the master bedroom your date went very well, huh? We told you the combination of that dress and lingerie would knock his socks off.”
Raisa blushed. “Well it didn’t hurt. Climbing on top of him and telling him I wasn’t letting go until I got what I wanted might have helped too.”
Nova laughed. “Yeah, that would do it too.”
“I need to get a shower and find clothes to wear. I’m sure Kris told you what happened yesterday? All the clothes I own are in those drawers here.”
“Yeah he told me. Get cleaned up and then we are supposed to go shopping.
Kris left his credit card and said to get what you needed. He also said that it was a loan until you got your insurance settlement.”
Raisa sighed. “Which we both know he’ll never let me pay back.”
“Hey, he has the money and he wants to spoil you. Let him, I say. There are other ways to pay him back. More fun ways if you know what I mean, and if you don’t I’ll be glad to tell you what they are later.” She winked at Raisa whose blush deepened so much she could feel the heat all the way to the top of her bosom. “I have a pretty good idea. I might be a while, I’m a bit sore and think I’ll soak a little before getting out of the tub.”
Nova winked again. “Take your time, I’ve got nowhere to be for another twenty-eight days. We are best buddies for all that time. Want some coffee? Kris made it before he left to do some work for Mac.”
Raisa looked at Nova and nodded. “Yes please, two sugars and a splash of creamer. By doing some work for Mac I’m going to guess he’s messing around with Gregori again?”
Nova shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know. One thing I’ve learned about Kris is he can’t really talk a lot about most of the jobs he works at Blackguard. He has a whole team that works for him and none of them talk about their assignments. But if I had to guess then I’d say yeah it probably has something to do with the Syndicate and your problem with Volkov, but I don’t know that for sure.”
“I’ll get clean and soak, then we can go shopping. I’m just going to get what I have to have: clothes and some personal health care items. Just the essentials.”
Nova laughed “Girl, get what you want. Kris is rolling in money. We both know if you don’t get what he thinks you need he’ll just make us go again. He’s so like a man sometimes.”
Her Hero: Next Door Page 8