Story Time poked her head out of her stall as Selena approached. Horses and barn, strong from the summer heat, greeted her. She raised her hand slowly so the Appaloosa wouldn’t shy away. Her fingers brushed the glossy coat, loving its softness. Story Time was green broke and gentle as a kitten. The barn, used as a boarding front, had six other stalls of various breeds and all of them were raring to go out. She’d only been here for a few days and for the length of time she spent out in the barn, it was easy to recognize which were touchable.
But then, what else did she have to do? Being held prisoner against her will had left her with too much time on her hands. And her mind. Story Time jerked her head to one side and snorted.
Liquid lightning shot straight down to the heart of her libido.
“I hear him, too.” She knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. Being in each other’s company day and night was becoming harder and harder. Especially during the nights when sleep eluded her, knowing he slept next to her. Life had a way of mocking her self-imposed celibacy.
She heard the sound of his boots on the sawdust covered flooring. But then, he wasn’t trying to be silent. He had been waiting for the right time.
He should’ve forgotten her.
Knowing he was near and intended to fulfill that promise he’d made stirred up long forgotten sensations, threatening to rack her body.
It stole her breath away.
Behind her, his breathing came out in short clips. The tension in the air tight, his emotions held by a tight rein.
She fought the urge to buck, wanting to run. To fight the inevitable. Her heart refused to comment, scared by the emotions running high through her. The adrenaline between her legs had paralyzed her instinct to flee. It wasn’t that any man would do. Against everything she was fighting, she still wanted him. There were so many questions to be answered, so many plays to be played out before either of them could take the time it deserved to see where this would lead.
He didn’t trust her.
And she certainly didn’t trust him.
He wanted answers.
Answers that she couldn’t give him, because she doubted he’d believe them.
But there was one thing she did know. This afternoon he wasn’t thinking about the mission. He was being led by his desire to have what he wanted. What should’ve been his that night after the ceremony.
Their wedding night.
Even though it meant one of them might not make it out of this mission, he would make his claim on her.
He stopped a few feet behind her. There was no doubt he was at his limit in waiting for to acknowledge what she’d cheated them from having.
• • •
Drake watched the smooth, steady strokes of her fingers. Each movement controlled. Too controlled. Which was a sure sign she was going to fight the inevitable. That night he’d brought her here, he’d been caught up in his own fury, fighting the urge to strangle the first person he came in contact with who was connected with the Donovan family. The woman he knew was hot blooded and loved to push his buttons. Despite the heat coiled within him for months, he’d been willing to wait until after the ceremony.
And now, she was mixed up with the Donovans.
Living with them either meant the woman he had first met had hidden the arctic ice from him or the fire had been suppressed.
Because he sure as hell never got a chance to stoke that fire.
Until now.
He didn’t know what kind of hold Donovan had over her and part of him didn’t care. He only knew the day she stopped being one of them was the day they’d place the last mark of deception.
The day she’d draw her last breath.
He wanted her out of the organization. He shook pictures of the future from his mind. The possibility of seeing her dumped somewhere like his brother was too much. The demons of hate clawed at his soul, urging him to walk away, screaming to be released.
Yet, the only thing clawing to the surface was need.
The need to lick every part of her.
He took a step back and forced himself to stay. They were both trying too hard to fight the attraction.
“Turn around,” he told her quietly. She continued to stroke the horse’s neck.
“Why not accept the inevitable?”
Her hand stopped, quivering, in mid-stroke.
“Two reasons. One,” she said, with quiet determination. “Why should I? I didn’t ask to become your exclusive play toy. And two, you don’t want me to.”
“You still feel it. I know I certainly do,” his voice thick with wanting her. “If you’d turn around — ”
He didn’t have to continue, the insinuation was enough. “You’re crass,” she told him, her tone biting and full of contempt.
He hated talking to her backside. If they were going to stay like this, he preferred communicating in other ways. “But at least I’m honest. It’s more than you can say.”
She was too reserved, too quiet. What was she planning? Escape was impossible. She had no way of knowing their location. He had a man posted every mile from the roadway to the property line and ten armed guards milled around the property inside and outside twenty-four-seven. No one could slip in or out unnoticed.
“If you want to play this out, the ending will be the same whether we do it your way or mine. Realize that it’ll be my name screaming out of those gorgeous lungs. Not his,” he rasped.
She did turn around then, her body straight, rigid with pride, her eyes flashed angrily at him. “It can’t happen.”
“As we speak, he’s a dead man.”
Anguish replaced the fire in her eyes. “For your sake, I hope you fail.”
She spoke so low, he barely heard that. From past reports, Andrew’s women and the unspeakable crimes were many. So, why would she choose Andrew over him?
His body pulsed with high energy at the thought of pushing her to the point of no return.
He wanted her hot and willing.
• • •
Selena stared at the hardness in his eyes. She couldn’t tell him that he was everything Andrew wasn’t. That he was more a human being. More of a man.
That would create more problems. She hated to be a part of this, being on the wrong side.
You can’t change the direction of life once it’s in progress, she told herself. If only life hadn’t stolen her sister. She would’ve tried to find other ways of protecting Theresa. Called in favors. Anything to get her sister to safety. How she hated herself at this moment. She hated her reasons for what she’d done and for what she planned to do. There was too much at stake.
Something more precious than her own life.
Drake’s love and Eric’s life.
Drake hadn’t moved. Despite the heaviness of the past, present, and future between them, the love she’d buried was as deep as it always was. He was in great form. Tall, harsh looking in a good way. The only tell-tale of his age was the recent silver sprinkled through the black hair. She could bet it was from her.
How she wished she take it all back. Take away his heartache and be buried in the safety of his arms.
She should finish this once and for all. She needed him out of her system so she could leave without looking back.
For his safety and Eric’s.
Out of the corner of her eye, she surveyed the possibilities. She reflected back to where the men were patrolling at this time and if they were patrolling close by, she didn’t have a chance. If he’d given orders for them to stay clear of the barn, she was safe.
Executing her plan, she turned and walked away.
“I’m glad you chose that route. It’s going to make this so much easier.”
So … am … I. God help me. So am I.
At least the men wouldn’t hear her call out his name, begging for more. And that was what she knew what would happen. He definitely had a killer touch. His hands. His mouth. His whole body lethal in every way to her soul.
Without looking back, she knew he was behind her. He would hate himself for giving in, for wanting a woman who went willingly into the arms of the family he wanted executed.
Drake’s steps were slow and determined.
She knew what he had wanted and he had no problems waiting for the right time in capturing it. This cat and mouse game they played back and forth would soon end. After this she had no doubt he planned to keep her in his bed for the remainder of their time. There was no way out.
For either of them.
Selena continued, unhurried in her movements. She neared the last stall. Fresh straw piled high and thick, several horse blankets draped the bottom half of the split door. She stopped. Bending over she unzipped the first ankle boot and flung it over her shoulder, then proceeded to do the same with the other one. Taking the plunge forward, she unbuttoned the first button to her jeans, then the second. Drawing the worn blue jean material over her hips, she hesitated long enough to drop them and walk away, leaving only a long cotton shirt that came to her thighs and left little to the imagination.
She slipped her hand under the shirt and pulled at the ribbon, untying one side of the scanty material. Her hand held the ribbons while the other hand caressed the inside of her leg, moving to the outer thigh. She slowly pulled the last of the ribbon, holding it.
She latched onto his gaze and let go. The silk fell between her legs.
He let out a low whistle.
She reached for a blanket to shield her body from him. He pulled her into his arms, crushing her close so she could feel what she had done to him. Her body not only knew, it rubbed against him in answer.
Her hand slipped between their bodies and found the spot she desired. Cradling. Stroking. His arms tightened. His breath coming out in short rasps against her neck. The tips of her fingers stroked him harder. Her heart beat wildly. She wanted him now more than ever, but knew she had to stop or she might forget what she had to do.
“One more taste,” she whispered. She stood on her tiptoes. Her lips instinctively found his, exploring them with such hunger. She regretted the impulse, because she knew she was in danger of succumbing to their desires which would jeopardize everything she’d been planning.
She stopped the kiss cold and pushed him away. Her breath came out in small gasps. “I can’t do this,” she whispered, her voice jagged with emotion.
He stalled her. “You want me.”
“Don’t you see,” she begged, placing her hand on his chest. “One of us will come out of this with scars.”
Or dead, the unspoken words hung between them.
He answered her.
He held the back of her head, crushing her mouth with a kiss that rocked her to her toes. The kiss coaxed, demanded she give in to him. He devoured her lips over and over. She gasped for air, giving him the opportunity to slide in. To conquer. Large waves of desire swept through her, her legs lost all willpower, buckling from beneath her.
He caught her around the waist, refusing to let her up for air. Over and over again he tasted. Her nipples tightened at the impact. Using his legs and upper body strength, he held onto her. His labored breathing matched hers. His hand followed the hem of her shirt, slipped under to lift it over her head. The material refused to cooperate.
He tossed the shirt aside. He paused. She moaned, whispering for him to continue. He slipped his fingers in and out with slow, methodical planning. Soft mewing cries escaped her lips. He caught her when her legs buckled, threatening to let her fall.
His fingers changed the urgency in its seeking, thrusting harder and longer, deeper inside, pulling it out swiftly over and over until the wanting created an ache that was uncontrollable. The sounds were no longer soft. She wanted him to stop the aching. Her body thrashed from side to side as the aching took control, her cries grew louder. His hand silenced her cries.
“Shh …” he warned softly in her ear, his hand still caressing and exploring without the slightest bit of let up.
“I can’t,” she panted when he released her mouth. “Please, I want you,” she begged, trying to pull his hand away and draw him near. Her hands fumbled at his T-shirt, needing to feel him close.
He grabbed her hands and held them. “Not yet.” He kissed her swiftly on the mouth.
“Then let me go,” she whispered into his mouth.
“I can’t do that either, sweetheart. You’re like a drug with a permanent addiction. Seeing you like a wildcat makes me want to go on forever.” He cupped her bottom close to him.
She wriggled closer to feel him. She could still feel the heat through his clothing. And the hardness waiting for her.
She twisted frantically back and forth. “I’ll do anything for you to end this,” she promised him recklessly.
A sad smile appeared for a brief moment. “Don’t make promises we both know you won’t be able to keep, Selena.”
“I — ”
He cut her off, covering her body and her mouth with his as he lowered her to the hay. Wrapping her into his arms, he ground his hips into hers, kissing her into silence.
She breathed the words into his mouth as his tongue slid into her mouth, his body tensing at the impact of her words. It had been a long time since she’d ever breathed those words. She placed her hands on the back of his head and deepened the kiss, forcing him to slow down, to savor every living, breathing moment they had together with the ugliness shut outside.
A few unsavory words echoed in her mind, reminding her that if they went through with this beautiful moment, both might very well end up dead, because if she was any good at reading this man, his mind would no longer be alert and focused on his mission. She couldn’t bear the thought of stopping him any more than she could stop her plans. It would better to leave him furious, fighting for what he wanted in order to keep him alive.
Her tongue caressed his once more and drifted away.
She lifted his head with her hands and took in every nuance, every last bit of love she could get. He needed fulfillment, especially when she’d teased him all those months before the ceremony. Two days of growth and dark locks of black raven hair with hints of silver in his crew style made it difficult to stop touching this sexy, dangerous man.
He wanted her in the worst way. Knowing instinctively she wanted him on the bottom, he allowed her to maneuver him. She straddled him, soaking in the feel of his hardness, wanting him inside.
She whispered in his ear.
He raised his arms above his head and closed his eyes. She lifted his shirt over his head. Next came his jeans. Still he kept his eyes closed, knowing she wouldn’t leave him. She was too far gone herself.
Moving up and away from him, she stood staring down at him, a mixture of hope and despair written on her face. If he’d opened his eyes, he would realize her plan, making it too late for either of them. She couldn’t resist sitting down one more time. With extreme care, she stretched her body over his and hugged him.
He made her ache for his touch.
Her arms moved over his, entwining her fingers with his. She gently kissed his mouth, trailing her way to his neck, nibbling on his ear. “Give me a few seconds. I want to give you something that we both will desperately need to have in order to carry on afterwards.”
“Now,” he ordered impatiently, opening his eyes.
“You must keep your eyes closed to feel the full impact of what I’m about to do. A few seconds won’t matter, will it?”
“A few seconds. No more,” his answer came out clipped and hungry, closing his eyes.
“I hope …” she started to whisper, but shook her head and knew she had to do this.
With great care, she picked up his clothes in one swoop, placed them in front her, and ran like hell out the door.