“You like me?” he probed further, pushing in another finger.
“A lot,” she said in between hot breaths.
“What do you like about me?” he asked her in a deep growl, increasing the speed of his fingers plunging into her, feeling the nectar dampening her core. “Tell me.”
“Everything,” she blurted out. “Just everything.”
With one hand, he managed to pull her up and onto his solid, thick cock. He popped himself right inside her but kept her breasts flush against the countertop. His pumping started slow as she adjusted to his length inside her. Once he hit the end of her channel, she let out a cry of pleasure, and he rocked against her, grinding deeper and harder and faster.
If she tried to pull up, he pushed her back down.
“Don’t stop,” she begged through a pained voice.
“I’m not planning on it.” His voice was low and confident, and he allowed his movements to grow harder and rougher.
If there was one thing he’d learned, she was strong enough to take it, to take all of him. He looked down at his long, hard cock as it became fully enveloped in her sweet, wet pussy—all the sweeter because it belonged to Aisha.
Aisha: bent over on his kitchen counter, exposing her beautiful curvy, golden ass to him as he slammed into her from behind. He took a moment between pumps to sear the image into his memory. If there was one flashback he wouldn’t complain about, it was this one.
“Don’t stop,” she begged again.
He picked up rhythm again and searched for that perfect spot inside her. Once her cries grew most intense, he stayed in that spot until he started feeling the waves of her release.
Until her orgasm trickled down his shaft.
He pulled her off his still-hard cock as she tried to catch her breath. He needed release, but he needed to make it last. Flipping her over, he lifted her up with one arm, grabbing his pants on the ground, and carried her into the connecting basement bedroom. It was a shared house, but it was the best they had, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to squander the opportunity.
Their mouths met as he planted her down on his bed. His hard cock bounced against his abdomen when he hit the bed, following her. Tracing her hands over the wound on his ribcage where he’d been shot, Aisha knelt in front of him and looked up with those sexy, sleepy, dark eyes. He almost lost it then and there. She looked as mischievous as he’d ever seen her.
“How did I get so lucky?” he groaned.
Timidly, she reached out and grasped the length of his member. She slowly began pumping up and down the shaft, keeping her eyes on him to gauge his reaction. He felt she was unsure, but he appreciated her effort all the same. He groaned out again and again, never feeling so aroused in his life.
“I’m the lucky one.” She gave him a coy smile, and moved her head from his mouth down to the edge of his chin, teasing with her tongue.
As her mouth opened and closed, tasting his skin, she drew her teeth down his neck, biting his throat gently where overgrown facial hair grew. Her mouth ventured further and further south, kissing and admiring every square inch until she took his hard cock in her mouth. Tasting it. Loving it. Bringing it in fully to meet her throat. She started moving her mouth up and down the length, and he helped her with the pace by bringing his hand to the back of her head.
“Fuck. Is this okay?” he asked as he threaded his fingers through her wet hair and firmly grabbed on.
He fucking loved grabbing her long gorgeous hair. He loved pulling it a little bit too. He loved guiding her. Showing her what to do. And he hoped to god she was into it.
“Yes.” She choked through the sound of his shaft deep in her throat.
He pushed it further in. She pressed down further on it, bringing it back into her throat. He introduced the rhythm again and, using her hair, he moved her faster and faster over his length.
When the sensation in his shaft was almost at its peak, he moved her head off and fumbled to the side, pulling his long leather belt off his pants. He loved the idea of coming in her mouth—loved it—but he had to get it all in. Their moment together was almost over, and there were so many things he wanted to do to her.
“Do you know what I’m going to do to you?” he said, tracing a line down her body, holding the belt in his hands.
“No…” Her eyes were wide, her cheeks flushed.
He pulled her arms above her head and tied them to the headboard. “Good.”
His hard cock bobbed up and down. After he stole one long kiss from her, he grabbed her legs and raised them up, positioning himself underneath. Holding her legs up against his right shoulder, he slowly inserted himself inside her again.
Her sated core was already swelling from the friction, and now was the moment to draw more and more from her—it was a game to see how much pleasure he could bring her before he was forced to relent to his own orgasm.
“Baby,” he groaned as he felt his pleasure mounting.
He decided he very much liked the sight of her below him, tied up with his belt. He worked faster, pumping into her, and she moaned in pleasure, allowing wave after wave of sensation to release in her core. He felt every one of those too.
Finally, he couldn’t hold it back anymore, and with a loud groan, he exploded inside her. They held that position for a minute or two until he caught his breath. Then he pulled out of her and untied her with a simple flick of the wrist.
She was beaming as she sat up on the bed and buried her face into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight as they enjoyed a few minutes of comfortable, satisfied silence.
“That was perfect,” she whispered, but her words grew heavy. “I don’t want to leave you.”
He held her close, feeling the same and wondering how the hell he could make that happen. He hadn’t forgotten about her precarious future. Or his, for that matter. He continued holding her tight, not sure if either of them was willing to face reality.
In his head, Jake started working through all his contacts and wondering if anyone would be able to help her. Help him. Jake could protect Aisha, but he couldn’t fix her problems.
“There’s nothing I want more than to be with you,” he said.
“What are we going to do?”
And suddenly, he had his answer.
“I’m going to marry you.”
She laughed and rested her head on his shoulder as his member throbbed. His tattooed and muscular arms held her tight.
“I’m serious.” He caressed her damp hair, which always smelled so sweet. He was falling in love with her. “I’m so beyond serious.”
“Sure,” she replied, and Jake had no idea if she was serious or not.
Kissing the top of her head a dozen times, his movements began to slow as his eyelids fell. There was nothing like mind-blowing sex and successive orgasms to put a man to sleep. The duo quickly fell asleep again, their bodies intertwined like a pretzel.
At some point in the middle of the night, Jake woke up to Aisha stirring. He reached out to still her. If he could find a way to keep her in his life, he’d never let her go.
31
Aisha woke the next morning to the smell of coffee brewing in the kitchen. The sun had risen, but it was still only seven thirty.
The winter was finally turning into spring as warm rays of sunshine poured into the basement bedroom. She was tempted to jump up and follow the smell of coffee, but she felt paralyzed under the warm covers. She was totally naked and had no idea where to find more clothing. Her daring adventures had left her feeling bashful to say the least. And sore.
Something about Jake really filled her up. Physically. Emotionally.
She noticed a chair in the corner of the room with day-old clothing draped over it. Things he had worn but not put away. Aisha could hear someone—probably Jake—puttering around upstairs in the kitchen so she slid out from under the covers and found a long-looking shirt and some loose lounge pants to steal.
She took a deep breath and
turned to the bedroom door. It was odd that she felt both incredibly excited and anxious to see him. Part of her wanted to bury her head back under the covers and avoid making eye contact. The other part of her wanted to run out, wrap her arms around him, and kiss him senseless.
Hoping she’d have the courage to do the latter, and because she knew she couldn’t spend all day in the bedroom, she emerged from the bedroom and into the open-concept living/dining/kitchen space, where a small TV played the news in the background.
He looked up from what he was doing at the counter and beamed at her.
“Morning,” he said, unable to hide the raspy edge to his deep baritone morning voice. “Coffee?”
She nodded awkwardly, and instead of jumping on him to plant a good morning kiss, she glided toward one of the barstools and planted herself down in the sunshine that poured in through the window. A flush rose in her cheeks as she observed his strong arms at work. Only hours ago, those arms had been lifting her up while he thrust inside her. Holding her tight all night. She shuddered, unable to contain the remembered sensations.
He turned his back and poured her a coffee. “I like your shirt.”
She stifled a smile, and kicked herself for her giddiness. “Thanks,” she replied. “I’m borrowing, not stealing.”
“Ah, keep it,” he said. “Looks better on you. But you might want to get something else on before Ryder shows up.” Jake eyed her up and down with her exposed bare legs. Aisha didn’t miss the protective look in his eyes.
The possessive look.
“Ryder is here?” She shyly tugged at the grey shirt billowing over her soft breasts, ready to make a break for the basement again. “What do you mean?”
He placed a mug of steaming hot brew in front of her. “This is where they are keeping Ryder safe. He’s been living here since rotating back last month.”
Aisha’s eyebrows piqued as she smoothed the shirt over her legs. Maybe she had enough time to run downstairs and change?
Jake continued trying to feed her, and grabbed a bowl of fruit and a plate of assorted cheeses and nuts. “You’ll have to tell me what you like to eat.”
“Oh, I’m easy,” she said.
A wide grin crossed his lips. “I’m not touching that one.”
He grabbed a seat on the barstool across from her, cup of coffee in hand. He was starting to show her a new, more relaxed side of himself.
“Nice granite,” Aisha said, appreciating the countertop where she set her mug.
“You lived in a palace.” He grinned and plucked a melon from the plate. “Don’t act impressed.” Then his grin broadened into something slyer. “I exchanged some messages with King this morning.”
“Okay?” Aisha poured milk into her coffee.
“He’s seeing what he can do for us.”
“What does that mean?” Aisha asked, feeling anxious all over again.
He shrugged, grabbing a piece of fruit on his plate. “You never know with that guy.”
But his face grew mischievous, and Aisha’s anxiety multiplied as she took in the implications of his statement.
“Do we have time for this?” she breathed out. He’d mentioned it the day before, but she’d had trouble taking him seriously. Now, it dawned on her that she’d be a fool not to take him seriously.
Jake shifted uncomfortably. “We don’t have time for anything, but we don’t have a lot of options except for driving back to Canada and hiding out in the snowy forest for the rest of our lives.”
Aisha’s lips parted as she read between the lines—our lives. Hiding out together. It could only mean one thing, and it was a source of comfort in an otherwise chaotic time. Whatever would happen, she knew he would always be there for her.
But before the conversation could continue, something all too familiar splashed across the morning news.
“Last night, we received reports that a suspected terrorist escaped custody of federal agents outside Washington, DC,” the female newscaster stated. “At this time, very little information has been provided, but these surveillance images depict the fugitive at large.”
Blurry security images faintly resembling Aisha flashed across the screen. She buried her face in her hands and felt her lungs constrict. She just couldn’t seem to catch a break.
“The public is asked to be on the lookout, and to report to police immediately if the fugitive is seen. Officials warn that she is armed and dangerous, and should not be approached or assisted in any manner.”
Two massive hands began massaging her shoulders as the newscaster ran out of information on Aisha and moved on to a panel on Islamist extremism in the US.
“It’s okay,” Jake said from behind her. He started working his way up into her hair, massaging her head and temples.
“I don’t think it is.” Aisha was growing more worried by the minute. “I’m an escaped fugitive.”
“I’ve been in worse messes, and I’ve come out all right,” Jake said.
She took her face out of her hands and turned around on the barstool to face him.
“I met him,” she said absently, realizing in the heat of the moment that she’d forgotten to tell Jake.
“Who?”
”Blackshot. He approached me on the beach outside of the safe house.”
“What?” he said, his hands dropping. “He came up to you?”
“Yes. I think he was looking for you,” she replied. “And Ryder?”
“Fuck.”
Immediately, he grabbed his cell phone off the counter and started tapping away at the screen.
“What are you doing? What’s wrong?”
“I’m texting Mason.”
For several minutes, he wrote furiously into his phone and received little pings and peeps in response. When he finally looked up, it was because a man wearing a loose gym shirt had appeared in the doorframe, bearing those same hollow eyes that she’d seen in Jake. The man stepped into the suburban kitchen, looking like he needed a lot more sleep than he got. He crossed his arms over his broad chest, eyeing Aisha.
“I’m Ryder. And you are?”
“Aisha.” She sat up tall, offering him a confident smile.
“She’s a princess,” Jake boasted, leaning back and puffing out his chest. “No big deal.”
Jake and Ryder exchanged glances while Aisha shushed him. “I’m not anymore,” she corrected, giving Jake a look of disbelief.
“Royalty. Cool,” Ryder said, studying her. “Olivia will like you.”
Jake laughed, finding humor in a difficult situation. “How are you doing, big guy?”
“Healing,” Ryder said as he leaned against the countertop. “Trying to. I probably wouldn’t be if it weren’t for Olivia. She’s keeping me in check.”
“Blackshot, man.” Jake shook his head. “He’s trying to track you down.”
“And finish the job,” Ryder growled, his brow growing dark.
Aisha noticed the healing wounds trailing up Ryder’s arms, and the scars on his neck. What had happened to him?
“I was attacked.” Ryder clenched his jaw. “By my own men.”
Her mouth dropped, and so did her mug—onto the counter with a big clank.
“Fucking Fuller. He’ll stop at nothing to bury his secrets,” Jake said in disgust.
“Even if it means burying me.” Ryder’s eyes narrowed on his friend. “And you.”
The threat lingered in the air, and Aisha realized she wasn’t the only one dealing with serious threats to her life. These men had a lot of skeletons and a lot of history—and there was someone out there trying to deal with them.
Jake’s cell lit up, and he took the call. “King,” he answered. “Talk to me.”
Aisha could heard the muffled voice on the other end, and Jake’s furrowed brow grew deeper.
After a series of grunts, Jake said, “Thirty minutes. Good.”
Ending the call, Jake shot a glance at Ryder. “I’d never thought I’d be married before you.” He grinned at his wounded
friend.
“No.” Ryder’s mouth dropped, but a smirk crossed his face as he looked back and forth between Jake and Aisha. “How are you going to pull this off?”
“King just told me to be outside in ten.” Jake shook his head in disbelief. He looked down at her. “Ready?”
She nodded her head fervently, pushing back from the counter. She was wearing men’s clothes, her hair was everywhere, and she barely had any calories in her—but Jake was determined. Nothing was going to stop him. She just hoped to god whatever he was planning would work out.
They clambered out of the suburban home, and it didn’t take long before a roaring muscle car pulled up at the edge of the driveway. It was Jake’s old black Shelby Mustang.
Aidan King got out and threw the keys at Jake.
Jake caught them, looking down at the keychain in his hands. “Dude… what…”
“Quid pro quo.” Aidan nodded at Jake as he walked up the driveway toward them. “Because I need your help with something else.”
“What would that be?” Jake demanded.
“Getting Sophie on board so we can reopen this NCIS case.”
Jake groaned. “Was there ever a threat against my life?”
Aidan laughed. “For sure, that was real.”
“What was the threat?” Jake demanded.
Aidan laughed again. “Too many to count, Jake. What the hell have you been up to?”
Aisha grinned up at Jake, raising an eyebrow.
“How about I do you a different favor?” Jake said. “I’ll tell you who the fucking leak was: Charles. He’s got some corrupt tentacles in international waters. You might want to deal with that.”
Groaning, Aidan ran his fingers through his hair. “All I do is internal corruption. When did my life get so exciting?” He reached out, passing an envelope to Jake. “Here.”
Jake grabbed it, and Aisha didn’t miss how his mouth dropped to the floor once he looked inside.
“How?” Jake asked.
Aidan stifled a laugh, and looked at the two of them in disbelief.
“What are you waiting for? Go get married!”
Guarding Aisha Page 21
