Inside a massively huge empty hangar at the Everglade Springs Airport, Liv stood next to Anna, in awe of the surroundings. Carley was a genius when it came to event planning, but she had completely outdone herself this time.
Donated by the airport, the hangar proved to be an awesome place to host the Heroes and Villains Extravaganza to benefit Camp Hero. Not only was the size compatible, but the shaded interior assured that the hot Florida sun wouldn’t roast anyone wearing a costume. And, like an artist with a paintbrush, it was clearly evident that Carley designed the area to perfection.
Liv moved her gaze over the volunteers who represented villains dressed in black and white convict costumes and buzzed around the area to stock one of the food booths with tortilla chips and cheese sauce. Another group dressed in gray shirts and jeans, cowboy boots and a black eye mask tended to the hamburgers and hot dogs. The Lone Ranger, she guessed.
Next to the food vendors, a maze zigzagged across the floor while four stations complete with bows and arrows sat positioned in front of four bulls eye targets. Bright red, blue and green balloons decorated the neighboring booth where patrons would throw darts to pop them. On the opposite side of the building, an inflatable ball pit and bouncy house rested against the wall.
Four Shetland ponies stood gallantly while bare-chested men she recognized as local policemen dressed in tan pants with matching loincloths tied around their waists and feathered headdresses on their heads placed saddles on their backs. She grinned. She didn’t remember Tonto riding a Shetland pony, but the costumes were perfect for the party’s theme.
Several other areas were roped off for basketball games and go-kart races. What was most impressive though, was the zip line strung right down the middle of the structure.
Anna giggled beside her. “This is so great! I saw several Jokers, a few Penguins and a handful of storm troopers on my way in.”
“Did you see the photographer? Zorro snapped pictures as soon as the door opened.”
“Carley really did think of everything. Here comes Kat.”
“Well, well, well, look what we have here.” Kat stopped next to them and gave her a hug. “You look great, Xena.”
Liv smoothed her hands down the sides of her black leather skirt and matching top. She felt like the warrior princess herself, complete with high black leather boots and a sword attached to her back. Of course, Kat represented the ultimate Cat Woman with her shiny, black leather bodysuit with black thigh high boots and a mask with kitty ears. And personally, Liv thought the whip attached to her hip was pretty hot.
“You look so bad!”
“Thanks.”
“This is Thunder’s sister, Anna.”
Kat moved to hug Anna. “Nice to meet you, you look royal.”
Anna rolled her eyes. “I found out about this shindig at the last minute and Thunder vetoed everything else I suggested. We finally compromised on Princess Leia.”
“Did you do your hair?” Kat giggled and reached to squeeze one of the braided rolls next to the side of Anna’s head.
“Nope. I made Thunder do it.”
Kat’s eyes widened to the size of quarters. “Seriously?”
“Yes. Served him right for insisting I cover up.”
“I’m impressed. Not only did you manipulate your brother, he did a good job on those braids.”
Anna giggled. “Believe it or not, Thunder has quite a bit of experience with my hair.”
“Really?”
“There’s nineteen years between us. He spent a lot of time babysitting and that included all the duties that came with it.”
“Go figure. Mr. Big is a ponytail expert.” Kat tilted her head to one side. “Where is Superman, anyway?”
“Last time I saw him he was checking the zip line.”
Liv moved her gaze to the tall platform where the man of steel stood while he tugged on the supports attached to the structure. Beneath the bright blue costume with the trademark red and yellow S on his chest, his bulging muscles moved in tandem as he worked to assure the safety of the party guests. She stood mesmerized as he tossed his red cape over one shoulder and then squatted to speak to the technician on the ground.
“Gotta love that cape,” Kat mumbled.
Liv totally agreed. The satin coated his denim backside like a curtain of pure masculine sin.
“Um, that’s my brother,” Anna drawled.
Liv grinned. “Then cover your virgin ears.”
“Who’s got virgin ears?”
At the sound of Sophie’s voice, Liv turned. Dressed in a tight black leather jumpsuit with a gold belt around her tiny waist, her friend gave the Black Widow a sexy makeover. Her long brown hair had been tucked beneath a shoulder length red wig so eloquently, the tresses looked darn near natural.
“Anna does,” she answered as she gave her friend a hug. “You look marvelous! This is Anna, Thunder’s sister.”
Sophie quickly enveloped Anna in a hug. “I had no idea Thunder had a sister.”
“Yes.” Anna grinned as she returned Sophie’s gesture. “And much to my brother’s dismay, my ears aren’t virgin.”
“If Alpha Four had their way, we’d all have them.” Carley joined the group, her costume just as spectacular. Dressed in a blue mini skirt, red tank top, and knee-high red boots, she truly represented Wonder Woman.
“Carley, meet Anna, Thunder’s sister.”
Carley didn’t hesitate to offer Anna a hug and Liv giggled. “I didn’t realize we were such a huggy group.”
“We are,” her friend agreed.
Kat adjusted her kitty ears with one hand. “This is another amazing party, Carley. What did you do with Ace?”
“Spiderman is tuning up the go karts.” Carley gestured at the maze. “Chaos makes a great Batman. I’ve seen him rescue several lost kids in the maze.”
“We can’t stand here drooling all afternoon,” Kat pointed out bluntly. “How can we help, Carley?”
Carley immediately took charge. “You take the ball pit. Liv, you supervise the darts and balloons and Anna can manage the bouncy house. Sophie, if you’ll help with the ponies I think we’ll have everything under control.”
***
Thunder moved his gaze over the crowd inside the hangar, relieved everything had come together as expected. Carley had promised a helluva party and she delivered.
He continued to scan the areas roped off for activities and then abruptly stopped when his gaze landed on the dart-throwing booth and specifically, the ravishing beauty with her ruby red lips wrapped around the end of an equally red balloon. He swallowed hard, thankful he opted for jeans instead of tights.
Xena the Warrior Princess. Damn.
He moved his attention to her thigh-high black boots, at least two inches in height and hugging a set of toned, slender legs that made his mouth water like a drippy faucet. He continued upward while every one of his dirty-girl fantasies flickered across his brain in vivid Technicolor.
There was just a teeny tiny glimpse of bare skin from mid-thigh to the bottom of her short, leather skirt but oh, man his imagination filled in the blanks about everything underneath.
Very carefully, he swept his tongue across his bottom lip and moved his gaze to her midsection, covered in black leather to match the pesky skirt. Although tasteful and modest, the short top touched the waistband of her skirt. Except, when she bent – and she picked that exact moment to do so – the skin of her torso peeked from beneath and when she straightened, he was sure he caught a sparkle in the sunlight. A piercing. He released a long, slow breath. Liv had a belly button ring. His cock stretched and he knew it was in his best interest to look away.
Impossible.
Instead, he moved his gaze upward where the leather continued to hug her perfectly rounded breasts just enough to wet his whistle for a taste. He moved his hand across his chin, his five o’clock shadow already rough under his touch. What he wouldn’t give to rub it across the creamy tops of those breasts while she tossed her head back and arched into his gentle assault.
Although her hair was presently long and black, he knew what she tucked beneath the wig; her own long, blond, silky locks taunted him daily. The picture was plain as day in his mind: those do-me boots wrapped around his hips, those magnificent breasts under his lips, and those soft curls tangled in his fingers while he took her to his own version of Heaven.
A low growl slid over his lips while he forced his attention off of Liv and onto his watch. Two more hours until he could blow this shindig.
“You taking medicine?”
He looked beside him to find Rebel propped on one hip against a metal pole supporting the zipline. “No.”
“You’ve checked your watch three times in the last half hour.”
He reached to run his fingers under the collar of the cape fastened around his neck. “Just keeping track of time.”
“Uh-huh.” His teammate pushed himself off the pole.
“Aren’t you supposed to be chasing wild arrows, Captain America?”
“On my way.”
“By the way, where are your tights?”
“Where are yours?” his friend countered.
“Far away. Any suspicious activity?”
“Negative. Even if our guy is in costume, I haven’t noticed anything out of place.”
“I have doubts he’ll surface.” He moved his gaze to the ball pit. “Where’s Chaos?”
“Plucking kids out of the maze. Why?”
“I thought I might make another bet.”
“Yeah? Fill me in, I might be interested.”
“I’m willing to bet Kat uses her Cat Woman whip to keep Batman in line.”
The other man grinned. “I’m definitely in, Captain. Like Chaos said – easy money.”
***
Liv leaned across the pegboard, pinned another balloon in place and then handed three darts to the young man on the other side of the booth.
“The red balloons are worth double,” she told him. “Good luck.”
She stood back, away from the pegboard, and watched as all three arrows pierced red balloons.
“Congratulations!” She handed him a ticket. “Claim your prize at the booth near the ponies.”
She grabbed another red balloon and poked it between her lips, her action stopped when her phone vibrated from the depths of her skirt pocket. She fisted the balloon in one hand while she dug out the phone with the other.
As soon as her gaze met the screen, another wave of panic rolled over her. Divine Imagery. Since she had no other interest in art, there was only one reason Aaron Chapman, the gallery’s owner, would call.
Very cautiously, she answered. “Hi, Aaron.”
“Hi, Liv. How are you, dear?”
“I’m well, how are you?”
“Curious.”
“Okay, can I help?”
“Maybe. I just received an email from you. It simply says Your secrets are safe with me.”
She swallowed a string of curse words. “I’m so sorry, Aaron. I’m not even in the office; I didn’t send that email.” She quickly explained the hack, now for the third time. “You have nothing to worry about.”
“I’m not worried in the least.” Much to her relief he released a hearty laugh. “You know I can’t keep a secret, especially one about myself.”
Again, the hacker hadn’t spent too much time on research. Aaron Chapman was an open book.
“I have an investigator looking into it. Could I give him your number?”
“Of course. Anything I can do to help.”
“Thank you. In the meantime, you may want to close that email account and open another.”
“I’ll put Nancy on it. I’ll have her forward the information to you.”
Liv disconnected the call and closed her eyes while she tapped the phone against her chin. How many more of her clients would suffer before Alpha Four got to the bottom of the situation? She released a heavy sigh, determined not to panic. Really, other than inconvenience, no harm had been done. She knew for a fact that as long as Harris Beachwood, Chandler Rhoades, and Aaron Chapman followed instructions about concealing their identities, no one could obtain information about their business with her.
Still, she couldn’t help but feel violated.
Severely aggravated, she shoved the phone back into her skirt pocket, grabbed three darts from underneath the counter, and nearly stomped to the outside of the booth. Thankful no one else waited to throw, she clenched her teeth and let all three missiles fly. Three balloons popped under the force of her throw.
“Nice shot.”
She turned to see Thunder standing immediately behind her. Without a word he placed a hand to the small of her back and urged her off to one side.
“Who called?”
She released a hard breath, not bothering to question his knowledge. She’d felt his gaze on her the whole afternoon. “Aaron Chapman. Another client, same email message.”
“Anything else?”
“I didn’t ask. He mentioned the email and I told him you’d be in touch.”
“I take it Chapman’s information is concealed like all the others.”
“Yes, except Aaron is quite vocal about his involvement with Forever Yours. He doesn’t care who knows.”
He nodded while he pulled his phone from his pocket and pressed buttons. “Brighton will be here at four o’clock for the five of you. He’ll deliver you to my house. Text me when you’re there and I’ll let you in remotely.”
“Doesn’t Anna have the code?”
“Yes, but she has other plans. We’ll go to the office to see what we can find. Text me Chapman’s information.” He paused only to press his lips to hers. “Hopefully our guy left something behind this time.”
“What about the party?”
“There are plenty of reinforcements here.” He chuckled around the tense moment. “Besides, Kat has a pretty good aim with that whip.”
***
Approximately thirty minutes later, Alpha Four sat around the conference table at headquarters, out of costume and reviewing information that bordered on redundant.
Thunder ran a hand across his chin. “Our guy reached out again.” He glanced at Rebel who had his fingers poised over a keyboard. “Aaron Chapman.”
A few keystrokes later, his teammate spoke. “Owner of Divine Imagery, an art gallery on Seventh and Trenton. Sixty-eight years old, widowed, four grown children. Well-known in the Everglade Springs community.”
“The common denominator in all this is success, and that’s not new information to us.” Chaos steepled his fingers. “That, and he appears to choose addresses at random.”
He nodded in agreement. “He used the same cryptic message but he doesn’t have much Intel on his victims, if any. Chapman couldn’t care less about the hack or the message. He’s open about his business with Liv.”
Ace leaned forward with his elbows on the table. “Since he hasn’t attempted to re-enter Liv’s system, these addresses have to be ones he obtained on the initial mission.”
“No skeletons in Chapman’s closet?”
“Not as far as I can tell. He’s pretty much an open book.” Rebel sat back and folded his hands behind his head. “Liv’s email was sent from Mario’s network, Beachwood’s originated at The Dusty Cover, and Rhoades’ email came from the network at The Perfect Brew. I see another pattern here – our perp uses public networks as his method of delivery.”
“Why doesn’t he use a VPN?” Ace braided his fingers.
Thunder wondered the same thing. A Virtual Public Network would allow him to make the emails appear to be sent from anywhere in the world. Even more strange was that a professional would know that.
“Could be that he’s too cocky to think he’ll get caught.” Rebel shrugged. “And, we haven’t seen anyone suspicious on any of the cameras yet.”
“Nothing?”
“Not a thing. The crowds at Mario’s are constant; even reviewing the action frame by frame didn’t show anything. As Ms. Short suggested, the clientele at The Dusty Cover are repeat customers.”
Ace continued the review. “We’ve run backgrounds on the employees at all three places. Everyone checks out.”
“Nothing indicates this is an inside job,” Chaos added.
“Agreed.” Although he suspected the answer, Thunder asked another question anyway. “Does Chapman have anything to do with the port?”
“He’s an investor to the tune of a couple hundred thousand dollars.”
“There’s another similarity,” Ace pointed out. “Beachwood and Rhoades both invested in the port. If Montez is behind this, he has reason to expose those men.”
Thunder agreed with his teammate’s conclusion. No doubt, Montez was one pissed off individual when he lost control of the project. But, he figured there was a little more to it.
“Or, he’s attempting to use them to destroy Liv’s reputation with the intent of drawing me out.”
Chaos was quick to speak. “There’s one more possibility - all of the above.”
Thunder scrubbed a hand over his jaw. Typically, he was a patient man. Hell, he’d squatted in foxholes for hours, his finger glued to the trigger of his gun and his eyeball attached to his scope, watching, waiting for the exact moment of opportunity. But this mission made him edgy and impatient; he didn’t want to wait for the snake to strike, he wanted to slice off the creature’s head before he had the chance.
He pushed frustration from his mind as his phone vibrated inside his pocket and alleviated some of his tension. He palmed the device, read the screen, pressed the necessary keys to disarm his alarm system, and then glanced around the table at each member of his team.
“Brighton made the deliveries. Make absolutely sure you lock everything down for the night. I’ll call Chapman and text you the particulars.” He pushed back from the table and stood. “In the meantime, call me if there’s any activity.”
Once he sat inside his truck and drove home, he pushed all thoughts of electronic sabotage to the side for the time being. Helpless was a feeling he loathed and he refused to let it intrude. As far as he was concerned, he was still in charge of this mission and he refused to allow this perp make it look otherwise.
With his foot heavy on the accelerator, he finally pulled into his driveway, parked, and then moved a trained eye around the perimeter. Palm trees floated on a slight evening breeze. One by one, stars appeared in the gradually-darkening sky. Things were quiet for now. A quiet, peaceful evening – a welcomed break from the week’s events.
He pressed the necessary buttons on his phone as he walked toward the house and then opened the front door. The soft beep of the alarm introduced him.
“Liv?”
He turned to silence the alarm and then headed to the living room where he found her. He swallowed around the softball in his throat as he took in her appearance. Although he’d only left her a few hours ago, the sight of her in that sexy warrior princess get-up threatened to undo him. That, and the distinct twinkle in her eye as she stood with one hip braced against the back of the couch.
“Hi,” he managed.
“Hi. How was the jam session?”
“Inconclusive.”
“I see. Well then, is there any particular reason you asked Don to bring me here?”
“You’re safe here.”
“I’m safe at home,” she countered.
He stepped near her, grasped a hand, and pulled her close. So much for that quiet evening.
“You’re safer here.”
Liv squared her shoulders, prepared to challenge Thunder’s decision to lock her in his lair for the night. Except, when his hands touched the sensitive points of her hipbones, all rational thought left her mind.
He tilted his head to one side. “What do I have to do to convince you there’s not always a solid reason for everything I do?”
“Believe me,” she murmured as she brushed her fingertips along his muscled biceps, “you are definitely solid.”
He released a low chuckle and her already-over-stimulated hormones went haywire. Good grief, the man was lethal to her self-control.
“Answer the question, Liv.”
“There’s always a reason for human behavior.”
“That wasn’t the question.”
His hands continued to cause havoc from their position on her hips. His firm touch made her hyperaware of several new pleasure points.
“I’m sorry, what was the question?”
“What will it take to convince you that I don’t always have a clear-cut motive in mind?”
“Are you attempting to convince me you’re spontaneous?”
“Again, that’s not an answer.”
“Do you really need one?”
She waited in the electrically-charged silence for his answer. Although it was his nature to demand information, she also knew from experience he could work around a lack of it.
“No,” he said as he pulled her body flush against hers. “I’m tired of waiting.”
Before she barely had a chance to take a breath, his lips captured hers. Her knees weakened from the pure ecstasy of the touch and for a half a second she was sure she would melt into a puddle of desire at his feet. His lips danced over hers, firm and possessive, heavy and hot. Her nipples tightened beneath her top, screaming for the barrier to be removed.
“Where’s Anna?” she asked breathlessly.
“Not here.”
“Thunder,” she groaned as his fingers played, “I can’t do this if there’s any chance she might walk in on the action.”
“Sure about that?”
“No, I mean, yes.”
“No, you can’t? Or yes, you can?”
“Stop!” She swatted his hands. “Just stop!”
He released his python-like squeeze and then stepped back and folded his arms across his chest. Damn his sexy arrogance.
She cleared her throat. “Now, are you expecting Anna to come home any time soon?”
“Are you a screamer?” He lifted an eyebrow.
Despite her annoyance, a giggle slipped from her lips. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Yes.”
“Well, then.” She stepped near to him and walked her fingers upward from his firm midsection to his neck. “I suggest you answer the question.”
“No.”
“Then you’ll never know.”
“No.” He captured her wrist, locked his fingers around it and pulled her flush against him. “Much to my relief and against my better judgment, Anna is staying with Kat and Chaos.”
“Any particular reason why?”
“Something about female influence,” he mumbled.
“How will she react when she returns in the morning?”
“Liv.” He pushed her hair back from her neck. “My sister could probably make you blush with some of her antics. Believe me, she won’t think twice about us being in bed together.”
He lowered his head and she nearly fainted when his lips nipped the sensitive skin at the nape.
Frantic to touch him, she moved her hands to his hips and moved one palm over the zipper of his denim. The bulge there pulsed beneath her touch and wanton desire made her close her grasp around him. A wave of hardcore need rolled over her when he released a grunt and thrust into her hold. She wasted no time in popping the button, lowering the zipper, and sliding her fingers inside to play.
Once she held the sheer bulk of him in hand, she knew she had discovered the root of all pleasure. He was strong and hard, velvet over steel, and obviously very, very aroused.
His lips and tongue continued to travel the length of her neck, licking and nipping until she thought she’d faint from pure ecstasy. Without conscious thought, she tightened her grip around him and began to stroke in a slow, easy cadence. Up the smooth, hard muscle, over the weeping tip, and then down to begin the process all over again.
“That’s it, baby,” he breathed against the outer shell of her ear. “Nice and easy.”
She gave a mental giggle. Nice and easy wasn’t exactly what she had in mind at the moment. With great self-discipline she released him, and then moved her fingertips to the buttons of his shirt.
He lifted his head and pinned her with a fiery gaze. One by one, each pesky button loosened the shirt until it hung free, showcasing the chiseled, tan muscles of his torso beneath. Mesmerized by the carved playground, she moved her palms over the flesh, basking in the overwhelming strength he emulated.
“You’re so hard,” she murmured.
“Painfully.”
Desperate for more of the decadence, she moved her hands to his shoulders and shoved off the meddlesome cotton. He released her hips long enough to shrug the shirt completely from his body.
For several seconds she stood in silent agony and took in the sheer beauty of him, the power that seeped from his muscles. Deep-rooted need pushed her to grasp his left shoulder while she stepped behind him and then fought to pull oxygen across her lungs at the sight before her. Michelangelo couldn’t have sculpted a more beautiful creature.
Long and lean, his tight back muscles rippled with his every breath. His shoulders, broad and carved, beckoned her touch. Yet, the treasure she found on the back of his right shoulder demanded her attention. There, inked in red and black, a royal crown covered the surface of his skin.
Suddenly, the image made perfect sense. She remembered Sophie’s admission that Rebel was inked with a knight and Kat’s revelation that Chaos sported a dragon. And since Carley admitted that Ace wore a wizard, Thunder’s tattoo completed the whole medieval circle.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
Very lightly, she traced a fingernail over the black outlines of the five arches that protruded straight and tall from the deep red circular band. On each side of the base, alternating blue, green and purple jewels sat atop each arch, literally radiating from his skin. Etched on the band, Alpha Four flowed freely in bold, black ink so thick it could’ve been blood. Her heart pounded with the knowledge of his loyalty. Not only was this man strong and virile, he possessed unyielding dedication and honesty. She raised herself to her tiptoes and touched her lips to the center of his back.
“Liv.” His voice, low, soft, and raspy, seeped into her silent admiration.
“Hmmm?”
“Upstairs, last room on the left.”
“What if I’m not finished here?”
He turned and buckled his fingers around her wrist. “You are.”
Before she could argue, he tugged her toward the stairs and then lifted her up and over one shoulder in a fireman’s hold. While he took the stairs two at a time, she took the amazing opportunity to press her lips against his shoulder.
Thunder fought to keep his heart from pounding a hole through his chest as he entered his bedroom, kicked the door shut with one boot, and then lowered Liv to sit on the bed. As badly as he wanted this experience to be perfect, memorable may have to do.
He knelt on one knee in front of her and gestured at her left leg. “Foot.”
She extended her leg and he quickly peeled back the zipper and disposed of the sexy skin-hugging boot, tossed it over one shoulder, and then repeated the process with the other. He eased himself between her now bare, smooth, tanned legs and grasped her hips.
He gave her skirt a tug. “Does this thing have a zipper?”
His cock jumped as she shook her head from side to side in a negative response. Severely motivated, he grasped the tight leather.
“Lift up, sweetheart.”
She raised her hips and he eased the skirt down and off her body until it lay piled with the boots behind him.
His gaze then fell to the apex of her legs and the hidden treasure there, nearly bare, covered only with a scrap of black lace. His pulse throbbed at the base of his neck and he swallowed hard to lubricate his overly dry throat. Very slowly, he lifted his gaze to hers as he urged her legs further apart and then lowered his head to fill the space.
With his index finger he moved the lace to one side and then blew a soft breath across her glistening flesh.
“Touch me.” He felt pressure on his shoulders as her hips lifted.
“Gladly.”
Without further hesitation, he wrapped his lips around her beckoning clit and moved his tongue over the hard, wet nub. Small, desperate, female groans filled the bedroom as she wrapped her fingers around the short length of his hair and squeezed. A wave of heat rolled over him while his cock hardened to the point of no return and screamed with the need to take her and brand her as his own.
He tightened his lips and sucked hard while she braced her heels on his shoulders and continued to arch into his mouth. Motivated by her action, he lifted a hand and inserted a finger into her opening. Her quick intake of breath as her body clamped down hard told him she was more than ready and he was more than willing to oblige.
He lifted his lips and moved his fingers in and out in a steady rhythm. “You’re so wet, baby.”
“More,” she breathed.
When another finger joined the first in the same tempo, her hips bucked against him and she responded with a soft whimper. He took the cue to lower his head again and take her back between his lips, his tongue working the wet flesh furiously from side to side while his fingers massaged.
Her hips continued to thrust into his assault while her heels dug into his shoulders until finally she pressed herself fully against his face and moaned.
Moisture coated his tongue. Her inner muscles pulsed around his fingers. His cock screamed in utter agony.
In one full swoop he lowered her feet from his shoulders, stood, toed off his boots, and yanked his pants down and off. Immediately, his right hand wrapped his cock in an effort to appease the savage beast.
“Lose the top,” he told her while he took several long strokes.
He released a long slow breath when she bared her full, plump, tight breasts and her nipples pebbled beneath his gaze. Mesmerized, he moved his gaze lower to her belly. There, just as he’d witnessed, a small gold stud twinkled in the bedroom light. He fought the carnal urge to stroke faster and harder.
Very slowly he dragged his gaze back to hers. “Now the wig.”
As soon as her natural long blonde hair hung around her shoulders, he stepped between her legs and gently pushed her back against the sheets.
He took one more long stroke. “Are you protected?”
She nodded while those beautiful blue eyes never left his cock. His grip tightened and he stroked again.
“You like to watch.”
She nodded again and this time her tongue left her mouth to sweep her bottom lip in a very evident hint. Unsure exactly how long he could tolerate her lips squeezed around him, he questioned his decision to find out. Yet, desperation to feel those sweet lips taste him pushed him to comply.
“You want this?”
She raised her gaze to his and gave him a sultry smile. “You know I do.”
He lifted the muscled flesh to her lips in invitation.
As soon as her lips circled the head of his cock, he locked his knees and squeezed the base of his shaft, determined not to faint or cry like a baby.
Damn. The woman had the act of sucking cock down to an art. Her soft, full lips caressed his flesh while her tongue swirled over the head and then just under the tip. Sweat droplets gathered on his forehead as she continued to suck while she moved her hand to cup and massage his balls. Desperate to gain some sort of control, he released his cock and fisted his fingers in her hair, squeezing tightly.
“Just like that,” he growled while his hips moved the tortured muscle in and out of her mouth.
He set an easy, manageable tempo for the next few seconds, content he could hang on until she moved her hand from his sac and tightened it around the base of his cock.
Sonuvabitch. Why did someone always have to screw the plan?
He gave her hair a yank and stopped in mid-stroke to give her an implied warning that she was in dangerous territory and then released a breath of relief when she loosened her lips. Thank God she’d taken the hint. Except, she didn’t. Rather than release him completely, the little imp latched back on and swallowed him whole.
Holy Mary, Mother of God.
His hips bucked. His spine tingled. His balls crowded the base of his dick.
He quickly cupped her chin in one hand and squeezed to release the suction. “Geezus Liv, stop.”
He managed to free himself from her mouth while his pissed-off cock released a string of curse words. He blocked out the protest long enough to move her further back on the bed until she lay flat, position himself between her legs, and enter her body.
“Thunder,” she moaned.
He began another slow, easy rhythm that massaged her swollen muscles while his cock wept with gratitude. He lowered his head, wrapped his lips around one pebbled nipple, teased it with his tongue, and then very gently bit down on the sensitive nub.
“Oh!” She arched against him, forcing both his cock and her breast further into the depths of ecstasy.
Pressure at his waist told him she buckled her ankles around him and suddenly control became impossible. Almost of their own accord, his hips pistoned faster against hers and when she released a soft scream and her muscles clamped down on his cock like a vise, his control went straight to hell. Firecrackers blinded him as he released a satisfied grunt while his cock finally pulsed his release and then throbbed in contentment.
For at least thirty seconds, he was sure he was paralyzed. He lay atop her, braced on his elbows while her breasts rose and fell beneath him in a rapid tempo, giving his chest one last erogenous massage in the silence. Her inner muscles finally relaxed and his greedy cock protested. Yet, he couldn’t stop from releasing a smirk when her eyelashes lifted to expose her sated blue gaze.
“You are a screamer.”
“You’re such an overachiever.”
He placed a kiss against her forehead and then rolled to his back next to her. “I made you a promise.”
“You did and you are truly a man of your word.”
He rolled onto one side to face her, tracing one now-softened nipple with his index finger. “Do you want to shower?”
“I can’t walk.” She grinned, turned on her side with her back to him, and pressed her magnificent ass against his limp – but interested – cock. “My legs are like jelly.”
He opened his mouth to offer to carry her to the bathroom when her hand on his cock stopped him.
“Besides,” she said around a breathy sigh, “in a couple hours I’m sure you’ll make good on another promise.”
***
He drummed his thumbs against the steering wheel with his gaze focused on the cell phone resting beside him. This guy really needed a lesson in common courtesy. Not only did he have to dig the phone out of another trashcan, once again he waited longer than necessary for a phone call that most likely wouldn’t last more than two minutes at the most.
He quieted his fingers and squeezed the wheel as he reigned in his frustration. He wouldn’t even be in this position if he would’ve followed his original plan and told the source he wasn’t interested. Now he was stuck and he had the feeling it was too late to back out.
One thing he knew for certain: he would not repeat this mistake. From now on, the jobs he accepted were completely open. No more burner phones or cryptic messages.
He released a hard sigh when the phone finally rang. Reluctantly, he pressed the button to connect the call.
“I thought you might have changed your mind,” he said, not bothering to disguise his irritation.
“Good evening. We have another task for you.”
“Okay, another message?”
“Yes, but there’s more. We would like you to enter the system again.”
He took a quick pause to consider the directive. Whoever his source targeted obviously had information of value, enough that risk wasn’t an issue.
“Re-entering the database could cause suspicion.”
“We are aware.”
He still hesitated. “I can’t give you a guarantee that I can even get in. That system was nearly impenetrable the first time.”
“If you are as skilled as you claim, we do not see a problem.
“I’ll do my best.” He glanced at his watch again as he quietly caved. “I’ll call you with the result.”
“If you need assistance, call immediately.”
A soft beep told him the call had been disconnected. He slipped the phone into his jacket pocket, started the engine and then drove away from the curb. Maybe it was time to find a new hobby.