Fight For Me

by Claudia Burgoa

  “I have a place here, and it’s also my home,” he comments, playing with the laces of the sweatshirt I’m wearing. “I like how you look with this. If you want, I have a T-shirt you can wear to bed.”

  “Bed?” I sigh.

  He wraps his arms around my waist and rests his forehead on mine. I can feel his soft breath caressing my face, and every cell in my body finally settles. “I’m going to kiss you when we get home,” he says, quietly. “I want to lose myself on your lips and erase the anguish I lived through while I waited to have you in my arms again. I need to feel the beat of your heart close to mine. There’s no name for what’s happening inside me, it’s beyond love. And I swear, Luna, I don’t want it to stop.”

  Yes, I want those strong arms wrapped around me, his breath caressing the side of my neck. Don’t stop it, never stop it. Let it blossom and spread through the entire universe.

  “I know what you’re doing,” Harrison says when we enter his apartment. His lips are red and swollen from all the kissing we did while his driver drove us from the airport. “You’re stalling the inevitable.”

  “We have to talk,” I sigh, touching my tingling lips.

  “Does it matter to you what I say? Or how I feel?”

  “I—” I bite my lip as he comes closer to me.

  His blue eyes blaze. He slips a hand behind my neck, leans in, and kisses me.

  It’s slow.

  Tender.

  Delicate as the petals of the flowers I hold.

  His lips fit perfectly with mine.

  This kiss is different from the first one. I see as the elusive threads from his heart weave a strong bond with mine. A spark ignites the small flame as our tongues continue dancing. It grows, burning my body. My soul jolts as the blazing heat awakens my dormant soul filling it with passion. An unknown tune plays inside my head. It matches the rhythm of beats as our kiss intensifies. It’s a song I never want to end, a melody I want to continue for eternity as I’m consumed by him.

  And then all at once, everything stops.

  He sighs, moving his gaze to blink up at the ceiling for a few beats. “I want this to happen between us.” He runs a hand through his hair, closing his eyes and shutting me out of the desire I saw within them. “I want us to be together. But once it happens, you have to know that I’ll never let you go.”

  My brain fizzles. “I want to stay.” I find my voice, even when my legs are shaking, and all I want to do is kiss him.

  I’m desperate for his touch.

  I want to feel the fire in me burn slowly as he caresses every inch of my body.

  And I’m willing to give him whatever he needs in exchange.

  “Please,” I whisper.

  “Not here,” he says against my lips. “I want this to be special. To be perfect. To be ours.”

  He leads me through the hallway toward a bright room. The walls are just big windows. Harrison takes the remote on top of the nightstand and uses it to lower the drapes to what’s classified as the walls. In only a few seconds, the place has darkened. With just another click, a softer light illuminates the room. Tossing the remote back where it belongs, he lifts his shirt over his head and tosses it to the floor.

  I stare at him, searching for the right words to say. Do I even need to say anything?

  “You’re thinking too much, Luna. I can hear your thoughts.”

  He takes me into his arms, crushing his mouth against mine.

  This kiss is demanding, impatient, hungry. His hands slide down my sides gently, grabbing the edges of my clothes to pull them over my head. I feel exposed in just my bra and panties, like my heart is open, and my soul is visible. There’s nothing I can use to cover myself. Seeing as he’s almost in the same position as I am, I let myself flow within this moment. It’s been so long since I’ve been with a man. It’s been forever since I’ve cared for my partner and I’ve shown vulnerability the way I do with Harrison. He’s shown me the same openness, it’s only fair to trust him with this too.

  “Fuck, you’re gorgeous,” he mumbles against my lips, sliding his hands over my naked back toward my buttocks. He places me in the center of the bed. He squeezes my ass before pushing my panties down. “I’ve wanted to squeeze your tight, beautiful ass since the morning you did that to me.”

  He kisses my skin as he lowers himself down my body. “It feels like it happened eons ago. We’ve been through so much that I feel like I’ve known you forever.”

  His warm hands spread and caress my legs as he disposes of the small article of clothing slowly, tempting me, scattering pleasure along the way.

  “But I still have so much to discover.” He rises, staring at my almost naked body. He snaps my bra open from the front clasp. “Next time, I promise I’ll take my time undressing you. But today… I need to feel that you’re alive. To see you come alive when you scream my name.”

  I press my legs together, feeling the dampness between them. Each word he professes sends a tremor through my body.

  “This moment is all I’ve thought about for the past twelve hours,” he confesses, taking me into his arms, setting me down in the middle of the bed.

  He plants kisses along my bare skin. Each one flutters through me. “I am dying to taste you, to feast on you. To burn from the inside out as I bury myself deep inside you.”

  Harrison undoes his jeans, pushing them down. I take my time staring at his gorgeous body: the ripped abs, lean torso, and broad shoulders I’ve seen before, but never had a chance to appreciate. I lift my hand, wanting to touch him, to trace every ripple, learn each dent, and kiss every corner.

  He positions himself over my body. “Are you okay with this happening between us?”

  Goosebumps clothe my bare skin as his hands stroke my arms.

  “Isn’t it a little late to be asking?”

  “It’s never too late.” He traces a line close to my breasts, but he doesn’t touch them. “Fuck, I imagined them being two beauties. They are perfect, like you.” He runs his finger along my jaw. “I would never go through with it if you decided this isn’t what you want, never.”

  “I want it.” I draw a breath in a stuttered gasp as his lips brush against the base of my neck. “I need you to fill me, to fire me up like a star.”

  I float with elation as his lips touch mine. If I could ask for an unlimited supply of something, it’d be his kisses. My heart skips several beats when his long fingers trace my body. My hands slide up and down his torso, learning every sharp line of those perfectly cut muscles. His hard erection presses against my stomach. The spark is back, this time igniting the center of my core.

  He nibbles my skin, caressing every inch his lips have touched. I shiver as his tongue runs down my belly, and he separates my thighs. I cover my face with my hands as I scream when the tip of his tongue touches my core.

  “Your sweetness is addictive.” He murmurs, dipping his face against my pussy, his tongue flicking my swollen clit.

  I grip the covers of the bed as he inserts a finger inside me and his mouth continues making love to me. A force like none I’ve ever felt builds inside my body, concentrating right where Harrison’s mouth is. I push myself harder against him, seeking release. The warmth he creates flows effortlessly in an endless stream of pleasure. He licks me, kisses me, and thrusts his fingers faster. My head is about to explode. I’m becoming stardust in his universe as I moan his name over and over.

  He moves up, looking me in the eyes. “Watching you fall apart is one of the best miracles I’ve ever witnessed, Luna. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life.”

  The tip of his cock is right at my entrance. I hold my breath as the magnitude of what’s about to happen is bigger than I anticipated. The lines are gone. We don’t have rules, only a demand for one another that’s greater than our fears. He slides inside me leisurely, pushing his length so deep we merge into one.

  He thrusts in and out, filling me.

  Filling us.

  Every second t
hat passes, the bond between us strengthens. It happens with every slow, loving, and tender thrust. This buildup is different from anything I’ve ever experienced in my entire life. It feels as if this is the first time I’ve ever been with anyone. His tender hands caress my body and mirror his movements. During this life-changing moment, no words are spoken, yet everything is said between us as we build a fire as pure and blue as his eyes. The raging flames flicker between us, blazing our bodies, igniting our souls.

  And when I feel like I can’t take anymore, he changes the rhythm. It’s faster, frantic. Slow and easy is off the table, the pressure inside me begins to build up again as he pumps into me deeper. I arch as I reach my climax, my walls milking his throbbing cock. It feels like the entire universe is crumbling as we both moan aloud. He buries himself deeper, shuddering a couple of times before he stills. I cling onto him screaming his name as we both come together.

  “Luna,” he whispers, and my name sounds like a prayer.

  He remains silent, then kisses my neck. “You just brought me back to life,” he says gruffly.

  I caress his face. My arms and legs feel heavy, just like my eyes. The orgasms have taken away the last strand of energy that I had left. All those hours of work come crashing down on me, and I finally fall asleep.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Luna

  I file my first report with The Organization. They give me a badge and credentials to sign in to the computer system which “has more security protocols than the Pentagon,” Mason’s words. I received a laptop and a big payment. As of today, my checking account balance is at its highest ever, and that was only for this week’s job. I have money now. Not that I didn’t have any before, but my salary with the FBI is nothing compared to what The Organization offers to pay if I accepted the job.

  Mason and Harrison give me a tour of the corporate offices, the gun range, the training installation, and the cafeteria. We have a meeting, and they update me on Esteban’s condition. He’s out of the hospital and at home with his parents. He doesn’t remember much of the events, and I can’t help but think that he’s a lucky boy indeed. The job offer came after the good news.

  I promise to think about it. After that, I go to therapy.

  My counselor, Thea Decker, isn’t like the psychologists in the Bureau. She’s tall. Her hair is all the colors of the rainbow, she has butterfly tattoos on her arms and wears the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen. And she wants to talk about my case instead of chatting about the heart-shaped crystal pendant she wears.

  Can we be best friends?

  “We’ll discuss your last assignment.” She looks at her tablet and then at me. “You’re new to the team.”

  “No. This was a consulting job,” I answer. “I work for the FBI.”

  She frowns. “Oh, then you have to report to them, don’t you?”

  I shake my head. “They don’t know I’m here. Actually, I don’t think they know where I am. They think I’m working undercover in New York.”

  “But you’re not?”

  “No. The Organization had a case in Mexico and it involved the case I was working on. In theory, my brother, Luc, solved it. In practice, I was part of the team that helped the FBI resolve it. Now that it’s over, I might quit The Bureau.”

  She scratches the tip of her nose lightly. “Why is that?”

  I give her a brief history of what’s been happening with my job: the rocky relationship I have with my boss, the reasons I left Alexandria, and how I went from missing my family to finding a home.

  “It’s not only Harrison but his brothers, and the Beesley girls who are like his sisters,” I continue. “Then, there’s this mission. And the job offer. They took my ideas and actually let me be the one leading. Mason was supportive and helped, but he let me do most of the work.”

  She gives me a knowing smile. Her look encourages me to continue.

  “Though, I feel that by leaving the FBI I’m letting them win.”

  “What are they winning?”

  I sigh, thinking about what they’ll win if I go.

  She re-words her question, “What are you losing with this new job?”

  I toy with my bracelets, missing the four that I had to use on Wilson. The pay is better, the opportunities to do what I love are right in the palm of my hand, and I will be working with Tiago. Maybe even both of my brothers, since Lucas is thinking about the offer too. “Actually, I win a lot. Is it bad that I don’t feel any remorse after killing a guy?”

  “Did you have to?” Her question is simple, but weighing the answer isn’t just that simple.

  “To save my brother,” I respond, nodding, then pulling out my chopstick and showing it to her. She tries to hide the smile. “I’m not saying it felt good, but I was relieved that he’s okay and that this guy wouldn’t kidnap another kid.”

  She nods.

  “If you have to do it again?”

  “I would do it, but I hope I don’t have to.” I heave a sigh. “I just don’t know how my father is going to feel about me leaving the FBI and moving out of the house. Though I guess I shouldn’t care. He lied to me for years.”

  The timer goes off while I’m telling her about my mother and everything that happened to her.

  “As parents, we make mistakes,” she says, turning off the alarm. “But it’s because we love our children. With time, you can work things out with him. Even if you are away from home.”

  She clears her throat.

  “I feel like you can go out in the field today if you wanted to. But, if you want to talk more, here is my number. My Skype information and my email address—they aren’t the same.” She hands me a card. “We can also discuss your father and how you adjust to all the changes you’re experiencing. Seems like you’re doing all right but it’s always good to have an outsider listen to you.”

  “Thank you.” I’ve never liked going to counseling while working for the Bureau. It felt like I was being judged and if I said the wrong thing I might lose my job. Here, well I have nothing to lose.

  “I hope this helped.”

  I put the card inside my wallet. “It did, and I might call you soon.”

  Epilogue

  Luna

  A year later…

  “Are you alone tonight, sweetheart?” Joe, the bartender asks.

  I shrug, winking at him. He’s an old friend of mine. I grab the glass, looking around the dim, crowded bar for a place to sit. In the corner, I find an empty table. It’s busier than I expected for a Thursday night. I hear multiple patrons grunt in frustration and look up at the screen; I guess I missed that the Rangers are playing the Vancouver Orcas tonight. I consider myself lucky that I grabbed the last table. Lifting my glass, I swallow my cold, cherry-lime flavored drink. I don’t enjoy the taste, but the Shirley Temple will have to do it for now. If I had a choice, I’d be drinking whiskey. I glance down at my clothes, reminding myself to stay in character.

  “Is this seat taken?” My gaze drifts to the man who’s speaking in a low voice and has clear blue, captivating eyes. He wears a fitted black shirt and a pair of jeans.

  Straightening my back, I flash a wide smile at him. “I’m waiting for a friend.”

  “A friend?” He arches a brow, lifting his hand and snapping his fingers. “What are you drinking?”

  “I’m good, thank you,” I say with the sweetest voice I can manage. Would a librarian sound like that? No, maybe she should be somber. Hmm, I didn’t do much research for tonight. I smooth my plaid mini skirt.

  He glances at the table, taking my drink. Smoothly, he places it in his firm, sexy lips, sips it, and spits it out.

  “Fuck, Luna, what are you drinking?”

  I bat my eyelashes at him. “Shirley Temple. I didn’t think you’d drink it.” I give him my best upset librarian look—I think. “You don’t just go and take food from other people’s tables.”

  “You’re not a stranger,” he defends himself.

  Gah!

  This i
s going downhill.

  “What happened to lonely librarian meets dangerous outlaw?” I glare at the man who just ruined our fantasy night.

  One corner of his mouth lifts. “He saw his girlfriend wearing a tiny skirt that barely covers her tanned legs and gorgeous ass.” He serves me with a smirk and a gaze filled with naughty thoughts. “What if tonight we forget about my birthday present voucher and focus on you?”

  “I’m counting tonight as one of your fantasies, Everhart.” I rise from my seat, placing my arms behind his neck. His arms wrap my body, one hand resting on my butt. “Five all-time sexual fantasies, this is number three. I don’t care what you think.”

  He takes off my fake glasses with a lopsided grin, placing them on the table before pulling the pens holding my hair up, letting my wavy dark hair fall on my shoulders. “Having you is my all-time favorite fantasy, Luna,” he says, his smooth bedroom voice causing desire to roil in my belly. He leans closer, brushing his lips against my ear. “There are a few surfaces that we haven’t explored yet in our new place. Do you want to…come?”

  I lean closer, rising on my tiptoes. His woodsy, amber scent welcomes me as I place a kiss on his jaw. My hands slide down his strong chest, traveling to his stomach, and stopping right on the waistband of his jeans.

  “You’re hard,” I say, my fingers gliding to his crotch and palming his semi-hard length.

  “Luna,” he growls, taking my hands and kissing them. “I don’t plan on walking three blocks with a hard-on.”

  “Oh, but you will.” I tilt my head, smiling at him, and sauntering away in the direction of the door.

  “I’ll make you pay for this,” he mumbles into my ear once he catches up with me. And I hope he follows through with that threat.

  We walk the short distance from the bar to our place. Stepping in the elevator, he puts me in front of him and I wiggle my ass at the feel of his erection. Resting my head on his chest, I look up and find his gaze.