“Sleep well. I’ll see you soon.”
“Thanks, Cal.”
Smiling, Blair unlocked her door. Tomorrow, she’d talk to Luke. Shit. She felt her mouth go dry. Woman up, Mason.
She stepped into her apartment. It felt like she’d been away for days and, for the first time ever, she didn’t feel that familiar calm when she was in her own space.
She hadn’t even turned the light on when she was viciously struck from behind.
Pain rocked her skull, and she went down on her knees.
Her hands curled, her muscles automatically locking to fight back. But she sensed a body move and a hand gripped the back of her neck, dragging her up. She was slammed into the wall, hard.
Fuck. Agony exploded in her face and she tasted blood on her lips. In the faint light, she saw her blood smeared on the wall.
Fight, Blair. Move.
But her head was foggy, her body slow to respond.
Her arms were wrenched behind her back, and she rallied enough to elbow her attacker in the gut. She heard a rough curse.
Then she felt cool metal around her wrists and the click of handcuffs closing. Dammit. Blair bit down on her lip, the small move and pain under her control. It was enough to clear some of the fog.
So, she couldn’t use her hands. That didn’t mean she was defenseless.
Her muscles coiled, and she readied for her attack. There was more than one person in the room.
But then she felt the sting of a needle in her neck. No. She twisted, but she could already feel the drug taking effect.
“We don’t want you misbehaving, now do we?” a smooth voice drawled.
The lights went on and she blinked.
Standing in front of her was Salvador Morgan and two big, muscle-bound goons.
“I want the sword,” Morgan said.
“Me too.” Blair turned her head and spat blood on the floor.
“Tell me everything you know.”
“Fuck you,” she said.
The goon beside her shifted and a fist slammed into her jaw. Ow. Fuck. More pain tore through her.
Blair felt the sedative moving through her veins, and knew she didn’t have much time. She launched herself upward, kneeing the goon between his legs. He made a strangled sound and stumbled back.
She spun and saw the guard rushing at her with a knife. She dodged and he came at her again. Jerking left, she knew she hadn’t been quite fast enough. She felt a sting on her side.
Fuck, she hoped that didn’t need any stitches. Blair grunted, spinning around. Morgan had moved well out of reach, staying out of the line of fire. Coward.
“I don’t want her cut up,” Morgan said.
The other guard scowled, but slipped his knife away. He raised his fists and rushed her.
Blair waited, letting him come. She landed a hard front kick to his gut.
He growled and came again. She jerked to the side, but his foot shot out, tripping her. The punch to her stomach made her bend over. She gasped to suck in air.
The first guard she’d kneed was up, face flushed red with anger.
“Come on then, Thing One and Thing Two. Not scared of one woman who’s tied up, are you?”
They rushed her. Blair fought. But with every kick and sidestep, she felt herself getting slower. The energy was draining out of her as the drug took over.
She kicked one of the men and he doubled over. She jumped, wrapped her legs around his neck, and twisted. She heard his neck snap.
“Fuck,” the other man shouted. “She killed Richards.”
Blair landed on her side, but quickly scrambled up. Dammit all to hell. Fury exploded in her chest. Morgan was the cause of all of this. She broke past the remaining guard and managed to headbutt the rich prick in the face.
He shouted, throwing his hands up.
She rammed her shoulder into him and heard him grunt in pain. “You are an asshole of massive proportions.”
Hard hands jerked her off him and she fell to the floor. Hits and kicks pummeled her body.
Morgan shoved past his goon and wrapped his hands around her neck. He looked half crazed.
“No one hurts me,” he shouted. “No one puts hands on me!”
He squeezed and squeezed until black spots danced in front of her eyes.
He was going to kill her. She saw it in his eyes.
As Blair collapsed, her last thought was Luke’s handsome face. She wished she hadn’t been afraid. She wished…
Her mind drifted. She had no idea of how much time passed, but when Blair came around, she groaned. She was lying in the middle of her living room floor, pain a massive throb in her body.
She moved her hand and realized the handcuffs were gone. She reached for her pocket and nearly moaned at the pain it set off. She managed to get her phone out.
One of her eyes was swollen shut, and she couldn’t see what she was doing. She punched in some numbers.
Don’t pass out. Don’t pass out. She tried to breathe deeply but her ribs hurt.
“9-1-1. What’s your emergency?”
Blair tried to talk, but her voice came out croaky.
“Speak up, please. Do you need help?”
“Yes…need help.”
* * *
Luke had gone out to the Flamingo and bought a pack of cupcakes he knew Blair liked.
It was an apology.
Maybe the way to Blair Mason’s heart was through her stomach. He sighed. He’d gone off half-cocked. He knew Blair could take care of herself. He didn’t want his need to protect her to make her feel like he doubted her or her abilities.
He also knew he couldn’t rush getting her to trust and accept him. He might want all of her, but he couldn’t force her to feel the same way. It needed time and patience.
He blew out a breath. He could be patient.
Luke knew the first thing he had to do was to stop stepping between her and danger, and learn to stand beside her. He wanted to get beneath that hard shell. He wanted to get deep inside her, to uncover all of her. He wanted her unconditional trust.
Lucky he was a man who enjoyed a challenge.
He drove onto her street. He started formulating a plan to get her to let him in her front door. Hopefully, the cupcakes would grease the wheels.
Then he saw the flashing lights in the darkness.
There were several police cruisers in front of Blair’s apartment. His blood turned to ice.
Luke jerked his car to a stop, flung open the door, and raced toward the front door. He’d forgotten his jacket but didn’t feel the cool nip in the air.
A knot of officers stood together, faces grim.
He expected to see Blair come charging out, furious. Instead, he saw the front door of her apartment building open. Paramedics were wheeling out a body bag.
No.
His legs wavered, like his muscles had been cut. He stood there, staring, sound roaring in his ears.
“MacKade.” He turned and saw Rivera coming toward him.
“Let me in.” He charged toward the door.
“Hey, cool it,” Rivera said.
“Blair—” Luke’s voice broke. Fuck. He just stared at the body bag.
“She’s in the stairwell, giving her statement to Clements.”
Everything inside Luke went still. She was alive. She was okay.
Rivera frowned. “Luke, you okay—?”
“Blair!” he roared her name. The only thing he felt was the driving need to see her. To get her in his arms.
She came charging out the door. She was battered, one eye swollen closed, and there were bruises around her neck.
She flew across the path and he scooped her up, holding on tight.
Warm. Alive.
“It was fucking Salvador Morgan and a couple of his goons,” she said.
“I’ll kill him.” And Luke meant every word.
She lifted her head, her uninjured eye widening. “Ah, you’re a police detective, remember? One of the good guys. You are
n’t allowed to go around murdering people.”
“I don’t care.” His hands clenched on her. “You’re alive.” His voice cracked.
Her face softened and she nodded. She pressed her cheek against his neck.
“She hasn’t let the paramedics check her out yet,” Clements said from beside them.
“They will check her.”
Blair lifted her head and opened her mouth.
“Blair.”
She stared at him a beat. “Fine. Okay. But no stitches.”
“And then, you’re staying at my place.”
She studied him for a beat, then nodded. “Okay, MacKade.”
Chapter Thirteen
“I’m fine, Lachlan. The paramedics checked me over. Jeez, we both know I’ve had worse.”
Lachlan made an unhappy sound over the phone. “I’m going to rip Morgan’s head off.”
“Well, you’ll have to get in line behind MacKade. He already has warrants out for the guy and his remaining goon.”
“But you took one down.”
“Sure did.”
Lachlan let out a breath. “Fine. We’ll meet up soon. I don’t like this, Blair. Not at all.”
“I know.” Damn, her voice still sounded raspy. Fucking Salvador Morgan. “Don’t worry, MacKade is hovering around like a mother hen. I’ll be fine.”
Lachlan blew out a breath. “Ty’s coming into Vegas. He’s going to treat your bruises with his laser.”
Good. Ty’s fancy treatment increased healing rates and made bruises fade in hours instead of days.
“I worry about you sometimes, Blair. You aren’t made of steel.”
Warmth filled her. Lachlan knew her better than most people. “Shh, don’t let that secret get out.”
Her friend barked out a laugh. “Get some rest.”
Blair slid the phone back in her pocket. They were back at MacKade’s place, and she was sitting at his kitchen counter. She fingered her swollen eye. She’d held an ice pack on it for what felt like an eternity. She hadn’t lied to Lachlan, she’d had way worse. Hell, she’d lost her damn eye. And the paramedics had given her some kick-ass painkillers, so she wasn’t feeling any pain.
She glanced out the window and saw Luke outside by the pool. It had to be chilly out there in the night air and she saw steam rising off the heated pool. He was sitting on a chair, cradling a glass of bourbon. He looked tense as hell.
She slid open the door and his head shot up.
“Lachlan okay?” he asked.
“I held him back from killing anybody.”
Blair moved closer, and Luke shoved something across the outdoor table. She saw the pack of cupcakes and her insides went gooey. Damn, she never went gooey.
She opened the packet. Chocolate. Her favorite. She bit into one. “Yum.”
“I bought them for you earlier. I was on my way to your place to apologize for being a possessive asshole.”
“Forgiven.”
They stared at each other and the tension didn’t lessen.
Blair glanced at the pool. “I think I’ll go for a swim.”
“It’s cold out here and you have stitches.”
“Pfft, it’ll be fine.” Her shoulder had been rebandaged. Hell, she’d taken stitches through mud, sweat, and substances she couldn’t identify in the past.
Luke lifted his glass and drank the rest of the bourbon in one smooth move. He slammed the glass on the table. “I think I’ll—”
She started undoing the buttons on her shirt.
He froze. “Blair—”
Ignoring his warning tone, she slipped her shirt off. His gaze was on her—hot enough to strip skin.
“I don’t have a swimsuit,” she murmured, dropping her bra on the ground. The cold night air made her shiver and goosebumps broke out on her skin.
He groaned and she made short work of unfastening her jeans. The denim and her panties slid down her legs.
Naked, she sauntered to the pool steps. She glanced at him over her shoulder and saw his hands clamped on the arms of his chair. She waded in. The warm water was the perfect temperature, and she felt a few stings as the water hit cuts and scrapes, but ignored it. Then she pushed off, swimming a few laps.
When she rose, pushing her wet hair back, he was still watching her. The intensity of his gaze made her chest tighten, and a thrill of excitement arrowed through her. Again, she felt that need to soothe him. To watch his tension and worry seep away.
She bobbed in the water and he never looked away. Not once. He was a strong man, a protector, a man who dedicated his life to taking care of others. She suspected that drive had started when he’d lost his mother.
And now he wanted to shield Blair from all the terrible things in the world.
She didn’t need shielding, but it didn’t mean she didn’t appreciate that he wanted to do it for her. She understood now that it was in his DNA. Luke could no more turn off the need to protect than she could.
Moving toward the steps, she rose out of the water. The cool night air brushed over her sensitive skin. Water droplets rolled down her collarbones and dripped off her swollen breasts. She stepped out of the pool and walked toward him. She slid into his lap, straddling him.
His hands clamped on her hips.
Blair ran her finger down his stubbled jaw. “I’m getting you wet.”
“And you’ll get cold.”
“I don’t feel the cold too much.”
He pulled in a breath, one hand rising to touch her bruised face. “You’re hurt.”
“And I’ve had my fair share of painkillers. I’m not feeling any pain.”
His body was big, hot, and tense beneath her. “Blair…”
She lowered her head, nipping at his jaw. She let her lips wander up and she pulled his earlobe between her teeth.
“I do have an ache,” she murmured. “One only you can help me with.”
“Oh?” His voice was raspy.
“It’s a throb between my legs. An emptiness that only you can fill.”
With a growl he surged up, carrying her into the house. He strode across the living area and made it as far as the couch. He laid her back on it, kneeling between her legs. His hands slid up her damp calves, then he shoved her legs open.
He lowered his head and bit her inner thigh.
“Oh.” She arched up.
He took his damn time, kissing her skin, licking the water off it, nibbling one thigh, then the other.
Blair sucked in some breaths. No one took their time with her. Sex was usually fast, furious, then over. This…this savoring was something else.
He moved higher, then his mouth was on her.
Oh, God.
She slid her hands into his hair. His mouth worked her, licking and sucking. A rumble of pleasure went through him and she felt the echo of it in her body.
“You taste so fucking good, Blair.” His palms slid under her ass, lifting her to his hungry mouth.
He ate her like he was desperate for her, like he couldn’t get enough of the taste of her. Pleasure cascaded and Blair gave herself up to it. Here, it was just the two of them. There were no bad guys, no injuries, no worry about having to protect people, no fear of being too late.
Luke slid a finger inside her, working it deep. He pulled back and thrust two back in, pumping them inside her as he kept sucking. He closed his mouth on her clit and she cried out.
“MacKade—”
“Say my fucking name, Blair. My mouth is on your clit, my fingers deep inside your tight, hot body. Say my name.”
“Luke.” Her orgasm crashed over her like a detonation and she reared up.
He kept thrusting and sucking, driving her up a second time. By the time she was finished, her throat was hoarse from her cries.
When he lifted his head, her body was still shaking. The orgasms hadn’t satisfied, they’d made her hungrier. She was desperate for him.
He smiled. The smug bastard looked very satisfied.
Blair sat up and cra
wled into his lap. She hoped to hell this couch was strong enough for what she had in mind. She tore at his jeans.
A hand slid into her wet hair. “Baby—”
“Need you inside me.”
With a groan, he helped her, shoving his jeans down. He fished something out of his pocket and held up a small, foil square.
“I like a man who’s prepared for a mission,” she said.
“I’ve been carrying it around for days. Just in case.”
With a smile, Blair tore it open. She smoothed the condom down over his swollen cock and he groaned. Then she rose up, moving her hips so the thick head of his cock brushed between her thighs.
They both groaned.
“You going to fill me up, Detective?”
“Yeah. I’ll be so deep I’ll wreck you for anyone else.” His hands clamped on her hips, hard enough to bruise. “You’ll feel me here between these toned thighs for a long time.”
“Promises, promises.”
His mouth took hers. She groaned, tangling her tongue with his. That taste…she’d never get enough of it.
Blair pressed her hands to his broad shoulders, their mouths moving just the barest whisper apart. She felt his hot breath on her lips. Her fingers dug into him as she lifted her hips. God, his skin was so sleek and hot. One of his hands sank into her ass, gripping hard. Using his shoulders for leverage, she sank down on his cock. As her body stretched around his thick length, she moaned.
A groan was torn out of him and soon she was filled with all the thick inches of Luke’s cock.
Then she started to move, riding him. Driving them both higher.
* * *
Luke kept his eyes locked on Blair’s face as she came undone.
He could watch her come forever. Her face was flushed, her mouth open, pleasure etched on her features.
He gripped her hips harder, slamming her down. He kept pumping his cock inside her.
When her head fell back, he moved one hand, sinking it into her golden hair. He tilted her head until those bi-colored eyes met his.
“I’m the only one who touches you now, Blair.”
She moaned.
“I’m the only one who’s going to feel how tight and hot you are.”
“Oh, God, Luke. Move. Faster.”
He did, rocking his hips up. With each thrust, he grunted. She felt so damn good. Seconds later, he felt his balls draw up, and then he groaned. He thrust her down as he pumped his hips up. His release hit him like a shotgun blast.
Mission: Her Defense: Team 52 #4 Page 12
