At Any Cost

by Mandy Baxter

  Nick reached out and took her hand. They’d been out in the cold for a good fifteen minutes but his skin was warm as it covered hers. A comfort that caused her heart to race and butterflies to take flight in her stomach.

  Maybe it was the wine or the euphoria of their dinner date that caused her brain to buzz and her body to hum. Or maybe it was simply Nick. His overwhelming presence was more effective at getting her drunk than an entire bottle of too expensive wine.

  “You’re shivering.” His voice was a warm caress. It wasn’t the cold that made her tremble. “Let’s get you inside.”

  Livy couldn’t form the words to respond so she merely nodded.

  He didn’t let go of her hand after he helped her out of the truck. Instead, Nick held on tighter as though afraid she’d pull away. Not a chance. She wanted his warmth, the sense of security he lent her without even trying. The reassurance of his presence. They walked up the snowy steps in silence and Livy reached into her pocket to retrieve her keys. For the first time in four years, she unlocked the deadbolt without checking first to make sure it was still locked.

  Livy opened the door and glanced up at Nick from beneath lowered lashes. She worried the inside of her cheek as she battled the indecision that caused her stomach to churn. It’s not like he’d never been in her house before. But this was different. She was different. In just over a week, Nick had managed to change her. He’d made her want more than what she’d settled for. What did it matter if she reached out and took it just this once? Nick would be headed back to Bellevue in a few weeks and Livy would be moving soon. What would it hurt this once to give in and allow herself some small comfort?

  “You’re not a bad guy, Nick,” Livy said, low. “You’re one of the good ones.”

  He reached up with his free hand and brushed his fingertips along her temple. Livy broke out into delicious chills that hardened her nipples and heated her blood. Her breath quickened as he closed the distance between them. His chest brushed hers and she had to angle her head upward to look at him. Nick’s brows drew down sharply over his dark eyes and his jaw squared. “You think I’m a good guy, Livy?”

  “I know you are.”

  His expression grew even darker. “Don’t be so sure.”

  Nick’s mouth descended on hers in a crushing kiss. Livy’s world spun out of control and if not for the arm he wrapped around her waist, her legs might have slipped out from under her. His intensity stole her breath as he pulled her hard against his body and slanted his mouth over hers to deepen the kiss. His tongue thrust past her lips, a command that she part for him, one that Livy couldn’t resist. She wanted him with a desperation that caused her to tremble in his embrace.

  Livy’s free arm wound around Nick’s neck. He urged her backward and she took one slow step after another. The sound of the door closing behind them barely registered as he guided her into the living room. He tugged at her coat and Livy let go of him to set her left over cheesecake down and shrug out of her coat. It fell to the floor and a moment later, his landed beside it. When he took her in his arms once again, the heat of his body met hers and Livy sighed. It had been so long since she’d had this kind of contact and it brought tears to her eyes. If she let this go any further, it might break her.

  And yet, she did nothing to stop it.

  Nick cupped the back of her neck with one large palm. His fingers threaded through her hair as he claimed her mouth once again. He kissed her with all of the desperation and hunger that Livy felt and then some. She’d never realized this sort of searing heat existed. Livy knew it would consume her but she didn’t care. She welcomed the lick of flames that Nick ignited within her. She wanted more, wanted to burn.

  Alone is better than dead. For once, she didn’t buy into her own lies.

  * * *

  A good man wouldn’t be doing what Nick was right now. If Livy thought he was anything other than a sorry bastard, she was kidding herself. He was on the job, for shit’s sake. Whether officially or not, he was a marshal investigating a lead. Investigating Livy. And rather than keep a respectable—professional—distance, he’d given in to his own damned selfish wants.

  He wanted Livy. Had wanted her since the first time he’d laid eyes on her.

  Her hair slipped through his fingers like strands of silk. A hint of wine lingered on her lips and Nick deepened their kiss so he could taste the sweetness of her mouth. Her tongue wound with his in a warm, wet glide that hardened his cock to stone behind his fly. Livy was soft, sweet, and at the same time strong and full of fire. Beautiful. He wanted to be inside of her so badly that he hurt.

  Nick urged her toward the couch and eased her down to the cushions. Never breaking their kiss, he followed her down and settled between her thighs. He brushed against her core and the not-so-innocent contact set him on fire. His cock throbbed hot and hard and his gut knotted up. As though he had no control over his own body, his hips gave a gentle thrust. Livy’s answering moan only served to encourage him and he thrust again, harder.

  She nipped at his bottom lip before drawing it into her mouth and sucking. A tingle of sensation raced down his spine and settled in his sac. He wanted the heat of her mouth and those petal-soft lips wrapped around the head of his cock. The last remaining shred of Nick’s common sense tugged at the back of his mind, urging him to take a minute to think about what the fuck he was doing. Career suicide wasn’t on his to-do list, but he’d already disobeyed a direct order by using his mandatory time off to hunt Joel Meecum. He was already damned, what would one more sin matter?

  Nick abandoned Livy’s mouth and let his lips wander the path along her jawline to her ear. His tongue flicked out at the lobe and she arched into him. The press of her breasts against his chest was torture. There were far too many clothes between them, a problem Nick planned to remedy ASAP.

  “Livy.” His voice rasped in his throat. “Are you sure about this?”

  He hoped that she’d tell him to stop. That she’d change her mind and ask for a little space. Anything to keep him from taking what he wanted and at the same time violating every code of conduct he’d ever laid out for himself. Livy made him want to douse all of his stubborn convictions with gasoline and light a match. He was counting on her to be the voice of reason because his had gone silent the moment his lips met hers.

  “No.” Her voice quavered on the word. “But that’s what makes it so perfect.”

  He felt the same way. It was the impetuousness of the moment, the sudden bright fire of passion that made it so great. Not knowing what would happen next and not caring was what Nick lived for. It quickened his blood, just like the woman in his arms. He was addicted to the thrill of the chase, of the capture. Being with Livy was no different. He wouldn’t be satisfied until she was his.

  Nick kissed her temple, down her jawline, the pulse point below her ear. He scraped his teeth over the delicate skin at her throat and flicked out at her fragrant skin with his tongue. He wanted to take his time, savor Livy. Enjoy every moment with her in case he came to his senses and tonight was all they’d have together. He could be Nick, a guy on vacation, and she could be Livy, a small-town ski instructor. Tonight, he’d let himself believe the lie because tomorrow, he’d have to face the harsh reality of their truths once again.

  Hungry for bare flesh, Nick let his hand wander down Livy’s torso. He dragged the hem of her shirt up before his hand ducked beneath the fabric. Livy let out a slow sigh that ended on a whimper as his palm met her heated skin. He kissed her collarbone and the swell of one breast that rose above the low cut of her shirt. Little pants of breath escaped from between Livy’s parted lips as Nick dragged his palm slowly up her torso. She was so warm, so soft, and everywhere their skin met little sparks of electricity ignited.

  “That feels so good, Nick.” The husky words sent a rush of adrenaline through his body. “It’s been so long—” She bit the word off and he paused as a seed of common sense took root in his brain. She was a fugitive for all he knew, an associate o
f one of the most violent criminals Nick had ever investigated. Livy changed course, the words so quiet he had to strain to hear them. “I feel safe with you. I haven’t felt safe in a long time.”

  His resolve crumbled under the onslaught of emotion that rose in his chest. He put his mouth to hers. A slow, gentle kiss that was nothing more than a glance of his lips against hers. Livy arched up to meet him. The muscles in her abdomen twitched and flexed as his palm continued its unhurried path up her torso. He cupped her breast through the fabric of her bra, brushing the pad of his thumb over her nipple. It hardened to a tight bead beneath the fabric and Nick brushed it again.

  Livy drew in a sharp breath that was half pleasure and half shock. How long had it been since a man touched her? The entire four years she’d been in hiding? Nick’s cock throbbed harder at the prospect of being the one to reawaken her body after so long.

  Her hips rolled up to meet his and he answered the motion with a gentle thrust. Through the fabric of her bra, Nick continued to circle the tight bead of her nipple until her quick breaths transformed into low, desperate moans. He continued to kiss her, his mouth parted just enough to taste her. Her tongue flicked out at his lips and he pulled away. Nick didn’t usually get off on teasing a woman in this way. He was more of a down and dirty, get to business sort of guy. But Livy was different. Drawing out her pleasure and driving her to the point of mindless abandon became more important than simply satisfying his own lusts.

  He wanted to make her beg.

  Her long-sleeved shirt covered far too much of her body. Nick eased away and Livy came up from the couch, following his mouth as though she couldn’t bear for him to stop kissing her. Nick smiled against her lips before he pushed himself upright and grabbed the hem of her shirt. He paused for the barest moment and took in the sight of her.

  Livy’s hazel eyes burned with a heat that seared every inch of his skin. Her chest rose and fell with quick little breaths and her cheeks were flushed. Her lips, full and dark pink, formed into an almost-pout that made him want to nip at the tender flesh with his teeth. Nick pushed her shirt up her torso and Livy raised her arms so he could remove it the rest of the way.

  Seeing her fully clothed was enough to cause Nick’s libido to take notice. But the more of her naked skin he revealed, the harder his cock became. By the time he got her pants off, it wouldn’t be Livy who was begging, that was for damned sure.

  She wore a sexy little red lace bra, the cups barely concealing her nipples from his view. The dusky half-moon of her areolas peeked out from the fabric and Nick swallowed down a groan. He was the one being teased, and it was goddamned cruel at that.

  “Holy shit, Livy.”

  Nick scrubbed a hand over his mouth. A slow smile curved her decadent lips and it was all he could do not to take her down in a tackle. He shed his own shirt, desperate for the skin-on-skin contact, and lowered himself over her. She stretched her arms high above her head and her nipples sprang free from the low-cut cups of her bra. Nick groaned and he enjoyed the erotic sight for a moment before he brought his mouth to one stiff peak.

  Livy’s back arched off the couch and the barest whimper left her lips. He swirled his tongue over her nipple before sucking deeply. Livy’s hips rolled up to meet his and she reached up to take his forearm in her grasp, the blunt tips of her short nails digging into the skin. Nick groaned as he grazed his teeth over the delicate flesh. Livy’s muscles twitched and she let out an almost surprised gasp that filled Nick with smug satisfaction.

  As though she’d been shocked at the pleasure she felt.

  Had no one ever made Livy feel so good with such a seemingly innocent touch? Taking her breast in his mouth was virginal compared to what he wanted to do to her. Nick continued to tongue her nipple while he reached out to roll her other nipple gently between his thumb and forefinger. Livy squirmed beneath him, her hips thrusting up to his. Her gasps of pleasure became low moans that made his cock throb.

  He’d make her feel so damned good she’d never think of another man again. Especially that bastard Meecum.

  Chapter Nine

  Livy couldn’t be bothered to feel embarrassed by her reaction to Nick’s touch. She hadn’t so much as flirted with a man in four years and before that she’d only had a couple of not-so-serious boyfriends before she’d focused her attention on taking care of her mom. The whole of her sexual experiences could be summed up in a word: uneventful. That is, until now.

  Holy effing crap!

  Nick had barely touched her and Livy’s body came alive. Every nerve ending on her body sparked with sensation. Her skin heated and her blood pumped hard and fast through her veins. The moment his mouth sealed over her nipple, Livy’s world spiraled out of control. And when his teeth teased the aching peak, her pussy clenched as a renewed rush of wetness spread between her thighs.

  You’d think a man had never touched her like that before. Of course, no man she’d ever known could compare to Nick Brady.

  He jerked down the cup of her bra and captured her other nipple between his fingers. Livy’s nerve endings fired, her muscles twitched, and a contented moan rose up in her throat as she writhed beneath him. The hard length of Nick’s erection brushed between her legs and even through the barrier of their clothes, Livy thought she might come if the delicious friction continued for only a little longer.

  “Nick. Oh my God, Nick.” She was lust-addled, drunk on pleasure, and want, and the man tucked between her thighs. She was past the point of coherent thought, unable to make a rational decision. The years of self-imposed isolation and loneliness melted away with every touch. Emotion swelled in her chest and tears stung at Livy’s eyes. She didn’t know how Nick felt about this moment but for her it was everything.

  Nick switched to her other breast. He kissed, licked, sucked, nibbled at the pearled peak until Livy’s breath came in desperate pants. He lavished her with passionate attention for what felt like hours. And still, he didn’t show any signs of stopping.

  “I love your nipples.” Nick’s heated murmur brushed the swell of her breast and Livy shuddered. He grazed the pad of his thumb over one and Livy’s back came up off the couch and her eyes drifted shut. The sound of Nick’s deep voice was a full-body caress. It touched every part of her and stoked the flames of her passion to a near inferno.

  “You do?” Livy had always been a little self-conscious about her athletic build. She was lean and hard without the lush curves and full breasts that she thought made a woman attractive. Nick’s words, the heat in his tone, made her feel desirable and it banished any niggling doubts left in her mind.

  “Oh yeah.”

  He latched his mouth over the other nipple to emphasize his point and sucked. A jolt of sensation rushed through Livy’s center that caused her clit to throb. She kept herself from crying out but even so, a whimper escaped from between her lips.

  Nick stilled above her and silence stretched between them. Livy peeked through one eye and then opened the other to find him looking at her, his dark eyes blazing with intensity. He held her gaze as he covered the tip of her nipple with the pad of his forefinger. “These are perfect.” He brought his fingertip to the sensitive skin of her areola and traced a circular pattern that spiraled outward. “I love the color, the shape. You’re so soft here.” His touch became lighter and Livy shivered. “You fit perfectly in my mouth and when I suck”—he lowered his mouth and sucked her nipple briefly into his mouth—“your nipple gets hard against my tongue. Do you like when I do that, Livy?”

  She nodded. Words refused to form on her tongue. It was as though she’d forgotten how to speak, how to think in Nick’s presence. All she could do was feel.

  He took her into his mouth and sucked again, this time nibbling the tight peak before pulling away. “How about that?”

  She was like an eager puppy, nodding her head in anticipation of another scratch.

  His voice went lower. Dark and demanding. “Tell me. I want to hear you say it.”

  Dear
God. Livy thought she might burst into flames at any second. “I like it,” she said on a breath.

  He repeated the action on her other breast. “How much?”

  “So much that I’m pretty sure I’ve forgotten my own name.”

  His brows came down over his eyes and something that Livy couldn’t identify passed over his expression.

  He swirled his tongue over one nipple. Livy sucked in a breath, her own curiosity over Nick’s furrowed brow forgotten under the onslaught of pleasure.

  Nick kissed the tip of her nipple, around it, over the shallow swell of her breast, across her collarbone, and up her throat. He dragged his teeth up her neck before placing a hot, openmouthed kiss just below her ear.

  “I want my mouth on your pussy,” he murmured. Livy sucked in a breath. No one had ever spoken to her the way he did and it set her on fire. “I can’t wait to taste you, Livy.”

  She wanted him there too. So much so that she reached between them to unbutton her pants and work the zipper down. Nick didn’t move, though. He kept his mouth by her ear while he continued to fondle her breast with his left hand. He stroked her thoroughly, lewdly, covering her entire breast with his large palm before bringing his fingers together to pluck at the pearled nipple.

  “I’m going to lick you until you come on my tongue. I want my fingers inside of you, your clit in my mouth. I’m going to lap up every drop of you. Would you like that? Would you like to come against my tongue?”

  “Yes,” she said on an anxious breath.

  It was a miracle Livy’s own tongue wasn’t lolling out of her mouth. If he kept up with the dirty talk, his mouth wouldn’t need to be anywhere near her clit to bring her to orgasm. Nick gave a gentle thrust of his hips and Livy let out a whimper. If he didn’t get her—and himself—naked soon, she was pretty sure she’d burst into flames.