“I didn’t know.”
“Well, now you do, and you know that wherever you go or whatever you do, you have famiglia that loves you, and if you need us, call. All of us will be there.”
Smiling, Lisset said, “That’s allot of famiglia.”
“Is there anything better?”
Chapter Four
There were times in every man’s life when he’d rather be launched into the stratosphere by a Trojan catapult than even think about sex. Standing in the shower, Devlin was having one of those moments. Oh, they were rare, he would admit. But there’s no explanation for the naked woman standing in front of him in the shower with a massive grin on her face. She might as well have been one of those porcelain statues at the museum. That’s how much he cared.
He’d woken up a few minutes earlier, right around 6:30 in the morning, with what could be mildly described as One-Of-The-Worst-Fucking-Hangovers-Known-To-Man. His head was hosting its own private Monsters of Metal concert, and his temples had a front-row seat, right next to the speakers. His legs felt like he’d run a couple marathons, his stomach was tied into a series of knots that would make an Eagle Scout blanche, and his back felt like he’d been sleeping on a rock.
Hell, even his arm hurt. At least he had an explanation for that one. It was something simple, well, he thought it was. They had just passed the Pennsylvania-Ohio state line when the back tire blew. He knew it was old and should have had it changed before they left New Jersey, but did he do that, nope. He was too busy arguing with the woman who instantly fell asleep as soon as he put the vehicle in drive. So, there they were on the side of the interstate with a flat tire. Figuring it wouldn’t take him long to change it and get back on the road, Devlin headed for the trunk, only to remember that Lisset insisted that Damien use the spare for his mother’s car.
Yep, he was S.O. L. So, without anything else to do, he called for help. It was a testament to his manhood that he kept it together when the tow service arrived, because if he weren’t secure, the knowledge that a woman showing up to save the day would have decimated his psyche. Of course, Lisset loved it and the female tow truck driver. But that wasn’t why his arm was sore. Nope that happened when the female tow truck driver had problems hooking up his vehicle. That’s where he over worked his arm, and why it was sore. As for the rest of his body, now that was a blur.
He remembered getting the tire fixed, buying a new spare and finding a hotel to stay in for the night. Yet, that’s when everything got foggy. He remembered going to a restaurant and then…no! He didn’t. He couldn’t have.
“Lisset,” he whispered, and she screeched, loudly covering herself instantly as she shouted, rather loudly, “What are you doing in here?”
Moaning, he covered his ears to protect what brain cells he had left. It wasn’t that he had any to begin with. It was if he did, he wanted to keep it. Besides, hearing Lisset screech like a banshee before he had coffee wasn’t pleasant, by anyone’s standards. “I don’t know,” Devlin honestly answered, though his head was still fuzzy. “What happened last night?”
“You got drunk, that’s what happened!” she shouted, throwing her pink luffa-sponge at him. “Then you got into an argument with a nice man who only wanted to talk to me. If you asked me, the police officer should have arrested you. There was no reason for you to peel out of that parking lot like some hot-rod. We just bought that tire. Then, because you drank so much, you tripped going up the stairs our room, you threw up on my new boots and you slept on my side of the bed. That’s what happened.”
“What did he look like?”
“You’re asking me that!” Lisset laughed. “That’s classic. You go and throw one on and then lose what brains you have left and expect me to remember what the police officer looked like. I’m blind you ass, or have you forgotten that too?”
“Sorry,” Devlin moaned. “Sometimes I forget that important fact and I wasn’t asking about the cop. I wanted to know about the man who was hitting on you.”
Lisset stomped her foot, slashing the water around him, “He wasn’t hitting on me. He was just lonely and wanted to talk!”
“Said every man in a bar,” Devlin muttered mainly to himself, but truer words were never spoken. “If you’re done, I’d like to shower now.”
“I was here first!”
“We could shower together,” he said before his filter was in place. Normally, this would be an opportunity he couldn’t pass up, but as much as he wasn’t in the mood for sex the night before, he was definitely not in the mood now. Especially since he could now add a throbbing face to the mix of aches and pains. What Lisset lacked in eyesight, she sorely made up for it in hand to face coordination. It was like the palm of her hand was magnetically attracted to his face. Regardless, she left him alone to his own misery, but not before, turning the hot shower to cold, before leaving. The woman may be blind as a bat, but she had a mean streak a mile wide.
After fixing the hot water, Devlin closed his eyes and tried to let everything go. The shower felt amazing but also made him want to puke, if that’s possible. The hot water was soothing, but he stood up straight and attempting to manipulate a washrag at the same time was a bad idea. He was about to finish, when he heard the bathroom door open. A few seconds later, cold air rushed into the shower as Lisset pushed the shower curtain open and joined him under the hot spray.
“Move,” she ordered.
“What are you doing?”
“What I do best, taking care of everyone. I could hear your complaining from outside. You’re not going to be able to get yourself clean if you can’t move a muscle, so hand me the damn wash cloth and turn around.”
“Lisset,” Devlin whispered. “You don’t have to do this.”
“I know that, but the quicker you get cleaned up, the quicker we can get back on the road. I miss Skylar.”
Devlin handed her the washcloth and turned around. “I miss her too.”
“How soon before we get back on the road?”
“After I shower and get some coffee we can go,” he replied. God her hands on him felt good. It had been a long time since any woman touched him but the fact that it was Lisset made everything seem more. He had dreamt about her for months now, only to wake in a cold sweat and in desperate need of a cold shower. Now, it seemed as if his dreams were coming true. The only problem was that she didn’t know he existed. He was just the one who argued with her at every chance and the one who constantly broke her heart.
As her hand moved up his back, Devlin tried to compartmentalize the feelings that were washing over him. Her tiny fingers were driving him crazy and though he wasn’t in the mood for sex, she was making it real hard for him to stick to his guns.
“The last time I was in a shower with a man, I learned a lot about him by washing him.”
“Is that so,” Devlin said dryly.
“Did you know that the human body can betray the mind? Though most people believe they have a handle on their emotions, the human body is incapable of following orders. In a stressful situation a person could be mentally telling themselves to calm themselves, to control their breathing, and to make no sudden movements. However, their body will do what it wants. You see, no matter how hard they try to control everything, their body gives them away, with tightening muscles, a furiously beating heart, a slight tremble of the back, or a quickened breath. So, to mentally tell yourself not to react is like telling a small child, don’t touch the button.”
“I didn’t know that,” Devlin replied then added, “But then again most people don’t deal with high stress situations every day.”
“No, they don’t. Instead they go about their days oblivious to everything around them.”
“What do you mean,” Devlin asked curiously. He was with her up until that last comment. Now he was confused.
“Take you for instance. We’ve been together for almost two years. You’ve protected me, helped me raise Skylar, and still you ignore what is before you. It’s not your fault. I
t’s just your brain telling you to ignore the obvious. However, your body isn’t so lucky. Did you think that since I can’t see, I am blind to everything else around me? I know you watch me sleep. I know you lurk by the door and watch me brush my hair, and I know that whenever I get to close to you, your body betrays you and like Damien, you’re forced to take cold showers. So, my question to you is, why are you holding back? Is it me? Is it because I am blind?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Devlin stated firmly, turning and taking the washcloth from her hands. For a blind woman, she saw too much and now she was making him uncomfortable.
“There’s no reason to get angry. We are just talking about the obvious. Like for instance, I know that right now, your heartbeat has picked up and even though we’re standing naked in a shower, your pheromones are running amok. I would also wager that if I were to touch you right now, you’d flinch.” And just to prove her point, she did touch him, and he did flinch. No amount of mental control would be able to stop him from reacting to her. She was right, his body was drawn to hers, even though his mind fought against it, but it wasn’t out of lust, it was because he was in love with her. He didn’t believe that sleeping with a woman he was sworn to protect was the right thing to do. Besides, he was taking her home to her brother. Afterward, he was hoping to get the chance to see her on a personal level, one where his gun wasn’t needed. Until then, he promised himself to stay professional. Only Lisset was making it damn hard when she was standing before him naked in the shower.
“I’m not angry,” he replied.
“Oh, I think you are. I think your morals are prohibiting your body from doing what it was designed to do. I think you are allowing your mind to overrule your heart.”
“Really?” Devlin questioned. “And what does my heart want?” Now theoretically, Devlin knew asking that question with a naked woman before him probably wasn’t the wisest decision, but he couldn’t stand there and listen to her talk about shit she knew nothing about. Okay, maybe she did, but she didn’t know him. He could control his emotions, he’d been doing that for two years now.
“That’s easy,” she smiled. “It wants what it’s been denied.” Lisset stepped closer to him, her breast touching his chest, and Devlin tried to control his breathing. When she reached up with her left hand and gently touched his face, he controlled his movements. However, when her right hand moved between them and she reached for his rock-hard cock, his body was left with no choice. As much as he wanted to deny what his body wanted, he was unable to. He chalked that up to being a man. There was only so much a man could take before his body took over.
“Don’t start something you’re not willing to finish, Lisset.”
“That sounded like a threat.”
“Just fact.”
“Maybe I want the same as you?” She asked, her hand slowly moving up and down his shaft. She was taunting him. Teasing him into submission and he would have enjoyed that fact if it weren’t for two little problems. The first, him denying his urges since the day he laid eyes on her and the second, he was no submissive.
“Wanna bet?”
Denver, Colorado that same day,
Damien was exhausted and ready to pull his hair out. It was bad enough flying with a two-year-old, but coach? When he got his hands on his brother, he was going to kick his ass, and then take a long-needed vacation. In all reality, it wasn’t that bad, until Skylar decided she didn’t want to sit in her seat anymore. Nope, his daughter wanted to run up and down the aisle saying hi to everyone. Then when he finally did wrangle her back into her seat that was when she decided to go all thermo-nuclear on him. Yep, her terrible twos were in full blown tantrum mode. By the end of the flight, the passengers and flight attendants wanted to strangle him, and he had a massive headache. Of course, it was at that poignant moment when the plane landed that Skylar decided it was time for her nap. Yep, flying with a toddler was seriously not fun.
Bogged down with Skylar’s diaper bag, play bag, his travel case, and Skylar herself, Damien trudged off the plane looking like a limp noodle. His only concern was finding his ride so he could get the hell away from the Denver Airport and never look back.
“Well, you look like shit, man,” Grayson Prescott chuckled, taking the bags from Damien as he shifted Skylar in his arms. Ever so grateful, Damien smiled and replied, “And I feel like shit too. I’d like to see you travel with a toddler. Let’s see how you hold up.”
“Not gonna happen,” Grayson replied. “Ever. So, who is the cutie?”
“Her name is Skylar, but I am thinking of changing it to the Spawn of Evil.”
Grayson laughed, “Come on man, she’s a baby. It couldn’t have been that bad.”
“Well it was,” Damien sighed. “Let’s just get the rest of the stuff and get the hell out of here before she wakes up. She sees all this shit and she will think she’s at Disneyland.”
“The boys are waiting at the luggage terminal,” Grayson said, leading the way. Damien followed silently, trying everything in his power to make sure he didn’t jostle Skylar too much. He wasn’t joking earlier, if Skylar woke in this damn airport, she would have a field day. She’d want to run around and play, and an airport wasn’t the safest places to play, but that wouldn’t stop his daughter.
“Has Devlin checked in?” Damien asked, stepping onto the escalator that was going down towards another level.
“Yeah, he and Lisset made it to Akron, Ohio as scheduled. He said he would check in with you later tonight. The boys and I have requisitioned you a house just outside Treasure Cove. There’s been a lot of construction going on since the mine collapse. The town has really grown in the last two years. You’re in a real pretty subdivision, with picket fences, flowers and a yard for the little one to play around in. The house is completely secured. Emery hooked you up with all the latest surveillance, so no one is coming within a hundred yards of the house without you knowing. Dew and Bram are stocking the pantry as we speak, and Cami was nice enough to decorate it. Don’t worry, she doesn’t know anything, we just told her that someone bought the place and wanted it completely furnished with a nursery for a two-year-old. I got my mom to volunteer to be your housekeeper and to help Lisset out with the baby, so you’re all set.”
“So where is Sonja now?” Damien asked.
“On another assignment.”
“You know where?”
“Nope,” Grayson replied quietly. Damien knew that Grayson liked Sonja. He liked her a lot as a matter of fact and knowing that Sonja was out there somewhere without him backing her up, was killing Grayson. Of course, he wouldn’t admit to shit, but it was written all over his face. So, changing the subject, Damien asked, “What about Sasha?”
“As of right now, he thinks you guys won’t arrive until sometime next week and he has no clue about her,” Grayson said pointing to Skylar then smiled before he added. “Do me a favor and let me know when you decide to tell him. I want to be there.”
“Asshole.”
Laughing, Grayson slapped him on the back, “That may be so, but I ain’t gonna pass up the chance to see the bossman kick your ass.”
“Does Sasha know what you really are? Because if he doesn’t, I could always spill the beans.”
“Oh, he knows. Sonja’s cover was blown two years ago, and so was ours. The good thing is only a handful of people really know what we are, but the question is, does Merrick know about you and your brother?”
“Are you trying to get me killed?” Damien groaned. “It’s bad enough we married his sister and have a kid together, there’s no need to make her a widow and Skylar fatherless. Have some compassion dude.”
“Well, he’s gonna find out eventually and so is Lisset.”
“Well, I ain’t sayin’ shit, and I suggest you keep your mouth closed too.”
“Mums the word,” Grayson smiled. “There’s my brothers now. Looks like Zander and Emery have all the bags.” Damien followed Grayson towards two men who were standin
g amongst a pile of toys and luggage scratching their heads. The bigger of the two, Zander was a bull of a man. All muscles and tattoos. He looked more like a biker than a special agent for the CIA. As for the other one, Emery, there was something about the man that had Damien backing up and wanting to shield Skylar. It wasn’t that the man was a danger, well he was it was just that he looked…off.
“Emery start grabbing the bags, Zander help,” Grayson ordered, picking up two himself.
“Where in the hell are, we going to put all of this?” Emery asked. “We’re going to need a U-Haul to get it all home.”
“Just stuff it where it will fit,” Grayson replied.
“Seriously, this is allot of shit for one kid,” Zander added, following.
“You think this is a lot, wait until you see Lisset’s stuff,” Damien smiled. “That woman packs for anything and everything. And if she needs more, she will buy it along the way.”
“I am so happy we’re not married,” Emery said, stopping in front of a Ford Bronco. “Cause if this is what it’s like to go on vacation with a wife and kids, I want no part of it. When it’s time to go, I just go. I don’t need anything but my emergency backpack.”
“I hear ya brother,” Zander replied as he started throwing bags and toys into the back of the Bronco. “When the shit hits the fans, who cares about stuffed animals and a magic glow worm. Just grab your ass and get.”
“Hey, that magic glow worm is a life saver. You better be thanking your lucky stars Skylar has it with her. She freaks out, if she can’t play with it at least once a day,” Damien informed the brothers, who all stopped and looked at him if he had lost his mind. “I’m serious. Skylar is two years old and energetic. She needs things to stimulate her. Her mind is like a sponge right now and the more she has around her that she can learn from the better she’ll be when she starts school. My little girl is going to be the smartest one in kindergarten.”
“She doesn’t need to know that crap. Crayons are not going to help her when she gets older,” Emery stated. “Now, if you really want her to learn something valuable, she needs to start training on the obstacle course we have set up in our back yard. Zander can start her on weapons training and Dew is really good with interrogation techniques.”
Lisset: The Men of Treasure Cove Page 6
