He padded out to his living room and much to his surprise, Luke was still there. “I thought you’d left,” he said.
“Can’t leave you when you’re like this.”
“Like what?” he asked.
Luke didn’t answer, but instead, handed him his phone.
“What’s this?”
“Only I know how to get in touch with Matthew,” he said. Thanks to yesterday’s events, Matthew and Catherine had cancelled their honeymoon in Paris, and instead, decided to go on a secret trip. No one knew where they were going for safety reasons.
“Matthew’s going to kill me,” he said.
“He’ll understand.” Luke shoved the phone at him. “Go.”
He took a deep breath and accepted the phone with a grateful nod. He pressed the green button and put the receiver to his ear.
“This better be good,” Matthew answered in an annoyed voice.
“It’s me.”
“Jason? What the—You left the reception without saying goodbye and no one could find you! If Luke hadn’t called Dad … Where the hell have you been?”
“Getting my head outta my ass,” he said wryly.
“Explain.”
Jason let out a sigh. “Christina. You were right. She’s the one. My mate. And now she’s gone.” He briefly explained what happened to Matthew. “It’s my fault for driving her away. And I want her back.”
Matthew sighed. “What can I do?”
“Let me talk to Catherine, please. I need some way to contact Christina. Before it’s too late.” Before she hates me even more than she does now.
“Of course.”
There was a pause then he heard soft voices before Catherine came on the line. “Jason?”
“Catherine, please,” he said. “You have to tell me how to get to Lykos. I need to see Christina.”
“I’m sorry, Jason,” Catherine said. “I can’t tell you where Lykos is. I’ve been sworn to secrecy and I’ll be putting hundreds of people in danger if I tell you.”
“I’m not going to hurt anyone.”
“Even if I did tell you, you’ll never get there. There are no flights or public ferries to the island.”
“I’m a dragon, remember?” He would fly for thousands of miles, if it meant seeing her again.
“Jason, Lykos has defenses you’ve never even heard of. They’ll shoot you down before you even get a glimpse of the island.”
Jason let out a frustrated sigh. “Then how can I contact her? Where is she based? Where’s her office?”
“Er … it’s not like that. She’s not strictly based in one place…”
“Please, Catherine. I’m begging you.”
There was a pause. “Jason, I swear to God, if you hurt her again—”
“I won’t. I love her.” The words just came out with no warning. And he realized it was true.
Mine. Mate.
Catherine’s breath hitched. “Really?”
“Yes, I really do. She’s mine.”
“Good,” she said. “Look, Christina’s … job with Stavros involves a lot of travel. I spoke to her before they left, and she still wasn’t sure where they were sending her next. All I know is that when she’s done, she’ll probably stop by our London townhouse. I can’t tell you which day she’ll arrive. It could be days or even weeks.”
“Not a problem,” Jason said. “Tell me where it is.”
She rattled off the address, which he committed to memory. “Thanks Catherine, I owe you.”
“You just go get your mate,” she said wryly. “You know she’s not going to come to you without a fight.”
He smiled to himself. “That’s why I love her.” He thanked Catherine one last time before hanging up.
“Well?” Luke asked.
“I need to be on the first flight out to London.”
Chapter 14
Jason put the two cups of coffee beside him as he sat down on the cold, concrete stoop. The bag of goodies was still warm on his lap. He planted his elbows on his knees and waited, watching the traffic on the now-familiar street in London’s trendy Chelsea area.
“Excuse me, young man.”
Jason looked up. An old woman wearing a thick, gray wool coat and matching hat was peering down at him. “What are you doing?”
“Waiting,” he said. “I’m waiting.”
“For what?” she asked, her wrinkled face tilting upward. “You were yesterday, too. Waiting on these steps for hours. I know because I’ve been watching you from my living room.” She pointed to the house across the street.
“I’m waiting for someone.”
“Oh?” Curious eyes stared at him. “Who?”
“A woman.”
“Why?”
He let out a sigh. “I messed up. She’s the best thing that every happened to me, and I screwed it up.”
“And now?”
“And now I’m going to do what it takes to win her back.”
Her face lit up. “Whatever it takes?”
He nodded. “I’m going to beg for her forgiveness as soon as she comes home. Get down on my knees. Give her whatever she wants.”
The woman sighed. “I was going to call the police,” she said. “But now … I wish you luck, young man.” She turned around and toddled back to her house.
Sitting there in the cold for the second day in row, Jason wondered if he should have thought this through first. He had been high on emotions when he booked the first ticket he could to Heathrow. He’d barely slept on the flight.
It was a good thing his parents were still in Blackstone. His mother had agreed to interrupt their around the world trip so she could step in and manage the day-to-day operations at Lennox Corp. while Matthew was on his honeymoon. Jason explained to them where he was going and his father hadn’t even hesitated when he asked him to take over Lennox Foundation again, as well as his duties at the mines. His parents were elated that he had found his mate. He only hoped that he wouldn’t disappoint them if he failed to bring Christina back to Blackstone. No—failure was not an option.
What was his plan, exactly? What would she say to him? What would he say to her? He tried to run the scenarios in his head, but he came up blank.
He stayed on her stoop until it was dark, late into the night. By the time it was midnight, it was time to go back to his hotel and get some sleep, then start the wait all over again.
The next day, he sat on the stoop again. By afternoon, the lady from across the street, Mrs. Watson, came up to him again, this time, bringing a thermos of hot tea. The day after that, she invited him to her home, but he declined. He didn’t want to miss Christina if she arrived that day.
By the fifth day, he was beginning to wonder if she’d even show up at all. It had also started to rain by lunch time, and he once again declined Mrs. Watson’s invitation. He remained in his spot, letting the cold raindrops pelt him as he waited.
Chapter 15
Christina winced as she touched her side. That’s going to bruise. She shifted in her seat, hoping no one would notice. The cabin of their plane was crowded with other agents and she had chosen the seat in the farthest corner. At least the mission had been successful, and they were now on their way back to Lykos for their debrief.
“That guy got you good,” Kostas said as he sat down on the empty seat next to her. “You’re going to have a nasty bruise.”
“Thanks for letting me know, Sherlock,” she said sarcastically.
Kostas’ face turned serious. “Christina, what’s wrong with you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your head’s not here. If you’re not staring into space, you’re moody and snappish,” he said. “And that guy clocking you? Rookie mistake. You were wide open and that’s not what we taught you.”
“I’m fine,” she insisted. “I’m just worried.”
“I know,” Kostas said. “We still have no lead on the bomb. Intelligence will be ready to break into Blackstone P.D.’s servers once they have their
final report. We’ll find out whoever planted it. But, we’ve still got other cases.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” she snapped. Kostas shot her a look. Okay, so she was proving his point.
“It’s been a hard few days,” he said. “You’ve had almost no downtime since the wedding. I told you we didn’t need you here. It’s a standard infiltration op.”
“I wasn’t tired,” she said. “And I needed to get back to work.” She needed the distraction or else her emotions would have eaten her right up.
“Well, now you’re going to get some downtime until you get your head on straight.” She tried to protest but he held his hand up. “Don’t make me tell Papa or Xander. You know they can order you to get rest or even put you on desk duty.”
She huffed. Her father was just waiting for an excuse to get her out of the field. “Fine,” she relented. “I’ll head to London for a few days.” She hated London—the throngs of tourists, the noise, the pollution—but it would mean that she’d be close to Cordy. She could wait until the weekend then take her sister out of school. They could have a girls’ day in SoHo. “I’ll take the first flight I can after the debrief.”
“Good.”
Christina reclined her seat and struggled to find a comfortable position as she put her blanket over her head. Even though the cabin was quiet and she had her eye mask on, sleep eluded her, as it had for days.
Each time she closed her eyes, the memories of that night came flooding back. I’m sorry. I can’t. She thought that saying it over and over again would make it hurt less each time, but it was the opposite. The more she thought about it … well, she didn’t want to think about it anymore. She didn’t want to think about Jason. That’s why she’d left Blackstone as soon as she could, so she could forget. But her traitorous mind wouldn’t let her, and it kept playing the events in her head. Jason’s kisses. His hands. Making love. The most intense orgasm of her life. And then his words.
I’m sorry. I can’t.
No. She refused to cry over him. That bastard. He wanted one thing, and when he got it, he dropped her.
Never again. She was never going to open herself up to that kind of hurt again. She had forgotten her purpose while she was in Blackstone. From now on, she would only focus on fighting the cruelty and evil in the world. She tugged the blanket closer around her, willing her tired mind to sleep.
* * *
The flight to London was short and went by in a blur. She had left only a few hours after the debrief. Though she wanted to stay a bit longer, she couldn’t stand the suspicious looks her brothers had been giving her. They knew something was up, and trying to hide anything from them would be like trying to take a bone away from a hungry dog. And so she thought a few days away from them would help her recalibrate.
As the black cab drove through the streets of London, she stared blankly outside the window, watching the scenery pass by and the rain fall from the sky. This was the land of her birth, of her mother’s family, but she felt no connection here. It seemed strange and the memories of growing up in this city were faded in her mind. Lykos was her home and being in this dank, gloomy city only solidified that.
The cab stopped in front of the townhouse and she thanked the driver as she handed him a few bills. She stepped out, overnight bag in one hand, and made her way to the front steps. It hadn’t stopped raining since she landed, and she didn’t have an umbrella, but it was only a few feet to the front door. She fished for her keys in her purse, her mind so preoccupied that she didn’t notice the figure sitting on the steps until she was nearly on top of him. She blinked.
“Jason?”
The dark head looked up. His face was blank, almost like he couldn’t believe he was looking at her. Then, the silvery-gray eyes flashed and his expression turned to relief. He shot to his feet.
She should have slapped him. Railed at him. Told him to go to hell. But no. She stood there, doing and saying nothing as shock made its way through her system.
They stood there for a minute, looking at each other in the rain and cold. How long had he been waiting here? His hair was damp and his shirt was so soaked through that the fabric clung to his chest. Her mouth went dry, thinking of his hot, naked body.
“Christina,” he said, his voice raspy. “I’m sor—”
She cut him off. “Don’t you dare say those words to me.”
“I’ll never apologize for anything again, if it’ll make you happy.”
His words boggled her and she didn’t know what to say, so she sputtered out the first thought in her head. “How long have you been waiting here?”
“How long today?”
“Today?”
“I left Blackstone the day after you did, as soon as Catherine gave me the address,” he confessed. “I didn’t know when you’d get here, so I’ve been waiting every day. Christina, I just want to talk.”
“Right.” Talk. That was all he wanted to do. He came across the pond, waiting here for days, just to talk to her. “It’s raining out here.” She walked past him, jogged up the steps and slipped her key into the door. “We should go inside. To talk.”
Chapter 16
Jason followed Christina into the townhouse, still stunned. She stepped aside to let him in then closed the door behind them.
Frankly, he was surprised that she had let him in. Or that she was talking to him. The moment he heard his name on her lips, the hope he thought had died bloomed again. Now, he had to convince her to be with him. To be his mate forever. That morning, he finally found the words he wanted to say to her and he was ready.
“Christina,” he began. Her back was still turned to him and he heard the lock click in place. “I wanted to talk so—”
She whipped around. “I don’t want to talk, Jason.”
“Oh.” What now? Should he beg on his knees for her forgiveness? Leave her alone and never see her again?
Christina took a step forward and placed her hands on his chest. “I said, I don’t want to talk.” She got on her tiptoes then pulled him down for a kiss.
The soft touch of her lips was a delicious sensation and for a moment, he thought he was hallucinating, that this was all a dream and he was going to wake up alone. But no, she was definitely real. The hands tugging at his shirt was real. Her lips were warm and real. And when he realized just how real she was, he grabbed her waist and pulled her to him.
The touch of their bodies made her sigh against his mouth and he realized he couldn’t wait anymore. He picked her up in her arms. “Bedroom?” he asked.
“Upstairs, first door on the right.”
He took the steps two at a time, carrying her up all the way. Unable to wait, he kicked the door down, causing her to giggle. He approached the bed and lay her down on top of the soft covers.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” she said, touching his face.
He turned his head and kissed her palm. “I didn’t want you to leave. I—”
“Make love to me again,” she said.
Her words brought a surge of desire through him and he wanted nothing more than to do exactly as she said. He removed her top reverently, taking his time, exposing her sweet, creamy flesh to his gaze. The last time had been quick and urgent, and he didn’t have time to admire her beautiful body. Now, he was going to savor every inch of her.
“What the hell?” he frowned at a burgeoning a bruise on her side. “What the fuck happened? Who hurt you?”
“It’s nothing,” she said, reaching for him. “Kickboxing class. My partner got sloppy and hit me.” She grabbed his hands and pulled him to her. “Don’t stop now…”
He nodded then moved between her legs, pulling her pants down and tossed them over his shoulder. The white cotton panties she was wearing had a wet spot in front, and he leaned down to lick it, tasting and smelling her desire.
“Jason,” she cried out.
Pulling her panties down, his eyes devoured her wet, pink pussy. She was incredible. He couldn’t help himself and
he dove right in.
Her thighs pressing on his ears muffled her cries, but based on the way she was thrusting her hips up, she was definitely enjoying herself. He was too, licking up the delicious wetness of her cunt, sliding into her tight passage, and feeling her clench around his tongue.
He slid a finger into her, while he moved his mouth up to her clit. His lips clamped onto the sensitive bud, and she really enjoyed that. Her hips bucked up, wanting more and he gladly gave it to her. He sucked on her clit and fucked her with his fingers until she was shaking with her orgasm.
“Please, no more,” she begged, her breath labored.
“I’m not done,” he said. “I’ll never be done.” He pressed his mouth to her and coaxed another orgasm, making her back arch off the bed and her hands twist the sheets into knots.
When she recovered, she sat up and dragged him over her body, her eyes blazing with lust. “Get inside me. Now.”
He couldn’t deny her what she wanted. “Yes, ma’am,” he said with a cheeky grin. “But you might regret it.”
She raised her brow at him. “Why?”
“Because I won’t stop until you come for me over and over again,” he said, pulling her ankles around his waist. He was already hard and ready, and he guided his cock to her entrance. God, he loved the feel of her raw against him. He was glad she was on birth control, but he’d have to insist she stop taking it from now on. The thought of accidentally fathering children had always brought him into a cold sweat, but with Christina, he relished it.
He moved into her, slowly. She was still slick, but he was big and the last time she needed more time to adjust. Christina eagerly moved her hips up to meet him, and he sank into her with a satisfied groan.
He waited for her muscles to relax around him, and when she pulled him down for a kiss, he began to move his hips. Slow, lazy thrusts at first, just to enjoy the feel of her clenching around him. When she began to hum with need, he moved faster, deeper, and reached down to stroke her clit with his fingers. Her first orgasm was quick, and she clawed her nails down his back, making him nearly come from the sensation. But, he gritted his teeth and held onto his control.
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