Jesus. His dick twitched against her ass as he began to move his finger in and out of her. With each move, his finger dampened more. Her moans grew in volume. As he felt her muscles clench, preparing for her orgasm, he pulled his hand away. The string of obscenities that came out of her mouth made him smile.
“Who would have guessed that you had the mouth of a merc?”
Before she could respond, he flipped her onto her stomach and kneeled between her legs. Even in the pale moonlight, he could appreciate the beauty of her skin. She looked over her shoulder at him. Mesmerized, he watched strands of her hair slip over her shoulder and onto the bed.
“Getting an eyeful of my ass there, Hunter?”
“And a bloody fantastic view it is.”
Bloody perfect, he thought as he caressed her heart-shaped bottom. He cupped the fullest part of each cheek, reveling in the silky feel of her skin. Then, as he felt her relax, he lifted it and slapped her. She squealed, then moaned as he leaned down and brushed his lips against the spot. He placed open-mouthed kisses on her stomach as he moved up her body, scraping his teeth against her skin -- then licking the spot. By the time he reached her shoulders, both of them were quivering. Grabbing a pillow, he lifted her, then shoved it beneath her hips.
He took his cock in one hand and slipped the other between her and the pillows. Positioning himself behind her, he slowly moved into her. When he was in her to the hilt, he took hold of her hips and began to thrust. She tried to pull herself to her knees. He pressed a hand on the center of her back and held her still. When she stopped struggling against him, he moved his hand back to her hip. With every measured stroke, he thrust higher, deeper, but kept that same steady rhythm.
Slipping one hand around her abdomen, then down to her mound, he pressed one finger against her clit. Her muscles clenched, pulling his cock deeper with each stroke.
“Oh, Mila, yeah, baby.”
He pounded into her, and in the next moment, everything exploded as he thrust one final time. Every muscle locked, as he poured his seed into her.
Moments later, he was pulling the covers back over them as Mila snuggled next to him. Other than the bone-deep satisfaction of making love, Hunter had accomplished nothing. They had not talked about her duplicity, or just why she was doing this work. It was dangerous.
And at some point, he knew he was going to have to confront just why the hell he couldn’t seem to get her out of his system.
* * * * *
Nikiraki bit back his irritation as he listened to the report his assistant was conveying.
“Where is she?”
“There is no sign of her at the weigh station. She was seen there, that’s where our two men captured her. But she was never seen leaving there. She didn’t rent any kind of vehicle. And there’s a report she was seen with John Hunter.”
A shiver of fear slashed through his aggravation. “Hunter?”
“Yes. Our local agents took the description of the man she was with. I’m pretty sure it’s him.”
Nikiraki curled his fingers into his hands, trying to calm his nerves. Dammit, John Hunter. He should have suspected it, since Hunter’s biological father was marrying Mila’s mother. And fuck, the man had been relentless the last few years. He had a small hope that Hunter was there just to get Mila back to Earth for her mother. Maybe he didn’t know the treasure of information she carried. If he did know, Hunter wouldn’t hesitate to use the woman to get that information.
He shook himself out of his thoughts. “Is there anything else?”
“We thought you should know that Sterling Wainwright left the planet about thirty minutes before we showed up.”
Damn. “Was there a record of where he was going?”
“Yes, sir. He apparently signed off he was heading back to Earth. The guards said he made a big production about returning for the birth of a grandchild.”
“Thank you, Deleyn.”
Nikiraki shut down his earpiece before his assistant could respond. The burning in his stomach started again. He rubbed his hand over it, trying to ignore the ulcer his doctors claimed he had. Too much stress, they said.
He snorted. Yeah, stress. He fed on stress, and it had always made him stronger, sharper. But since he found out about the existing evidence, life had been shit. The only way out of this would be to take out Mila Simmons, and if Hunter got in the way, Nikiraki would figure out a way to take care of him, too.
John Hunter.
The added stress in his life definitely had a name, and that bastard would deserve what he got.
Chapter Seven
Mila stirred, stretching her arms above her head. She wiggled her bottom when a warm hand held her still.
“Woman, I need some rest. Quit moving.”
His warm breath feathered against the sensitive skin just behind her ear. She shivered.
“What are we going to do now?” she asked. Her body was already responding to the way his fingers kept stroking against her skin. Nipples tightened, and heat curled in her stomach.
“I thought maybe a hot shower. You could wash my back.”
She grinned. “No. What I mean is what are we going to do now?”
He didn’t respond right away, his hand paused against her breast. Then he said, “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know?”
“Masters and I didn’t exactly talk about it.”
She mulled that over as his fingers brushed her nipple. Just a few strokes and her nipple was hard, her body stirring.
“What did you and Robbie do?”
“Talked.” He nibbled on her ear. “Fought.”
“Fought? What would the two of you have to fight about?”
He didn’t answer her. Instead he nipped at her neck. Her mind began to drift, her body started to warm, soften to his touch.
“You know, you can seduce me all you want, I’m still going to expect you to answer those questions.”
He chuckled. “Fine, but I need a shower first.”
After jumping out of bed, Hunter pulled her up, swinging her into his arms.
“Oh, my, Hunter. This is almost romantic.” She fluttered her eyes at him, and he laughed.
After dumping her on the counter, he switched on the bath water, then turned back to her. “Romantic or not, it is the only bloody way to get you in the tub.”
As the steam quickly filled the bathroom, she looked up at him. He no longer looked like the cynical smart-ass. Well, not much. He was smiling at her, not sneering. His eyes were warm, and the way he was looking at her made her heart turn over and drop to her stomach.
“Mila? Are you alright?”
Oh, Christ, she was falling for the jackass. She didn’t get attached. It was a rule. Panic clogged her throat and she tried to swallow. Good God, she barely knew him. Sure, she knew he was strong and honest. She could count on his fast mind and quick hands. And she knew she would trust him with her life.
That didn’t mean she was in love with him.
Oh, bloody hell, it did.
She didn’t trust men, because, well, they were men. But she trusted Hunter. She was in trouble.
His fingers brushed against her cheek, bringing her out of her thoughts. “Love, are you all right?”
She shook her head, trying to push away the thoughts and the terror they brought with them. Summoning up her will, she smiled at him. Concern darkened his eyes. A frown marred his sensual lips.
“I’m fine, Hunter. Just a little tired.”
He slid his hands over her shoulders, massaging, comforting. It had been so long since someone had done something for her comfort that didn’t have some kind of reward attached for them. But as sure as she knew that the Firenzia 500 was the best small handgun in the universe, she knew that comfort was what Hunter was offering. He was aroused -- there was no doubting the evidence -- but she knew that at that moment, his concern centered on her comfort.
Tears welled up, her breathing hitched. She looked up at him
. His frown deepened.
“You’ve been running on empty for a few days, love. You just need to let me take care of you.”
Cupping her face, he brushed his mouth against hers. Not a demanding kiss as before, but just as potent. The tender touch had her heart beating faster, her nipples tightening. A lump of emotion clogged her throat.
His hands traveled down her body, gliding against her skin, barely touching her. Still, the feel of his fingers, his hands, against her at the moment was more powerful than any other time he’d touched her.
Panic welled in her chest. This was different. This scared the hell out of her.
She tried to pull away, needing to get back on the playing field where they were before.
“Hunter.” Even Mila heard the fear in her whispered voice.
Still gentle, loving, Hunter eased her against him. His sex throbbed against her as heat wound through her.
“Let me take care of you, Mila.”
She blinked, trying to focus, trying to come up with a reason to run away that didn’t make her a coward.
Sliding his hand beneath her rear end, Hunter lifted her off the counter and stood her on the floor. The understanding in his eyes twisted through her, curling into her heart, warming her from the inside out. Pulling her closer, he kept his hands on her rear, massaging, kneading, his cock heavy against her stomach. His lips touched her temple and then he was pulling away, too soon for her tastes.
He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her away from him. She looked at him in the wide mirror, their gazes locking as his hands roamed down her body.
“When I saw your hologram, the first thing I thought was that you were a beautiful, spoiled, rich, party girl.” His lips curved. “I’m not usually that far off with first impressions, but it really wasn’t my fault.”
His fingers caressed the underside of her breasts, then the tips of her nipples. Even in the moist heat filling the bathroom, Mila shivered. She watched, mesmerized by the sight of his hands against her skin.
“Never would have thought we were so much alike.” He continued teasing her, his fingers barely touching, but still sending heat spiraling through her. “But we do have some things in common.”
The humor she heard made her smile. She continued watching their reflection, watching his hands as they moved over her body. Even with the steam rapidly filling the room and fogging the mirror, she could see his hands as they roamed. His dark brown skin contrasted with her ivory-toned complexion, making it easier for her to watch.
She sighed as one hand drifted over her belly to her pussy. Already damp, she felt another gush of heated cream as his fingers teased her slit. She reached behind him to put her hands on his ass.
“No, keep those lovely hands at your sides, Mila. I just want to touch you, not lose my mind and attack you.”
She frowned, but complied, because it was hard to argue with someone who wanted to pleasure you.
“You think we have something in common?”
He chuckled, the sound darkly delicious. “Yes. We have brilliant tempers, use four-letter words extremely well, and have hard-ons for excellent weaponry.”
She smiled, then gasped as he slid the tip of one finger just inside, then back out again. Her muscles tensed, waiting for another teasing touch.
“And there is one other thing we have in common.”
His voice thickened. He shifted his hips, and she could feel his erection against her back. Need crawled through her. She wanted him any way she could get him. His mouth on her skin, hers on his. She’d love to take that nice, fat cock into her mouth and suck him dry. He moved again, and her gaze met his in the mirror. The smile curving his lips told her he knew what he was doing. Without breaking eye contact, he slipped his finger in, then out again. She closed her eyes as her pussy muscles clenched, begging for another teasing touch.
“What else do we have in common?”
She could barely get the words from between her lips as her body throbbed. As Hunter continued teasing her cunt, his other hand pinched her nipple. With each squeeze, heat shot straight to her pussy.
“We can’t keep our hands off of each other.”
Chuckling, she sighed as he slipped a bit more of his finger between her pussy lips. He leaned down, placing his mouth against her shoulder. His hair draped over her, tickling her skin as he kissed his way up to her neck.
He pinched her nipple again, and she moaned.
“You like that, love?” His breath feathered over her ear. “You know, I never knew a woman who could get so hot, so quickly.”
His teeth scraped over her earlobe before he licked it. He added another finger as he slipped inside her pussy again.
“From the moment I saw that picture, I wanted you. After meeting you, it was hard not to tear your clothes off and show you exactly what to do with that smart mouth.”
Each time he entered, her body readied, drawing closer, but just as she was sure she would come, he would slip back out. Tension built, her body clamoring for release.
“So wet, love. You know what it feels like to slip inside you? Feel your muscles clamp on my cock?”
He took her hand and lifted it to his mouth. Taking one finger in his mouth, he gently sucked, drawing harder with each thrust of his fingers. Soon, he dropped her hand, returning his to her breast.
“See, all dark, moist. Nothing like it in the world, Mila. Nothing feels like slipping into you.”
“Hunter.” Her moan was half demand, half plea. Arousal throbbed, her body heated, her mind blank of everything but reaching the pinnacle and jumping over for a freefall.
“What, love? Do you need to come?” Again his mouth was on her skin. One of his dreadlocks slipped over her shoulder and teased her nipple.
“Yes.”
“Hmmm. Open your eyes.”
She obeyed, meeting his gaze in the fogged mirror. He flicked his thumb over her clit, then pressed hard. As she shot over, her body convulsing, he pushed both fingers into her and cupped her breast. Even as her orgasm faded, he touched her clit again, and she shot up and over again. Closing her eyes, Mila let the heated pleasure wash over her, through her.
As she came down he moved his hand away, then lifted her up and over the edge of the tub. Her muscles were so relaxed from her orgasm, she could barely stand up. She just wanted to lie in the tub and drift off to sleep. There was no way she would feel this satisfied ever again. Mila knew there was no way she would be able to handle another explosion like that. She just didn’t have it in her.
Hunter joined her, lifting her up against the wall. He slipped his hands beneath her bottom and entered her in one swift, deep thrust. Without hesitating, he began to stroke. He moved his mouth to her breast, sucking on her nipple, scraping it with his teeth. And, just like that, her body quickened, responded. The arousal she thought she wouldn’t be able to handle built. The heat of it twisted through her, throbbed in her pussy.
He took her lips in a hard kiss, his tongue slipping between her lips. Pulling back, he watched her as he shoved higher, pushing further. Water sluiced over them, dripping unnoticed as he slipped his hand between their bodies. She closed her eyes as she came again.
With a moan, he thrust into her, then stilled, as he followed her.
* * * * *
Hunter’s heart still hammered as he leaned his forehead against the shower wall. Water continued to beat down on them. He felt Mila’s lips glide over his shoulder and smiled.
Slowly, because he was much too relaxed to move fast, he pulled away, then set her on her feet. Hunter smiled down at the picture she made. She leaned against the stainless steel wall, her eyes closed, a secret smile curving her lips. Water, or possibly Hunter, had tangled her hair, but now it was plastered against her head. She was a mess.
When he lifted his hand to brush the wet strands out of her face, he noticed his hand still shook. Closing his eyes, he drew in a deep breath and willed away the unfamiliar feelings coursing through him. The panic
that had chilled him to his bones at the sight of her tears had left him uneasy and unsure. He couldn’t handle a woman’s tears any better than any other man. But it had gone beyond that. Mila’s tears had curdled the contents of his stomach.
Tears from a strong woman like Mila were scary. He didn’t know what had moved him, but something deep inside, something he still wasn’t comfortable with, urged him to comfort her. It was almost primal.
He didn’t know what the hell had upset her, but whatever it was, he’d wanted to smash it, destroy it. And that just wasn’t like him.
“Hunter, the water’s getting cool.” Her voice held the sleepy, contented tone of a satisfied woman. Well, at least that was something.
He turned off the water and, grabbing a towel, dried her, then himself. Lifting her into his arms, he stepped out of the tub and walked out into the bedroom. After placing her on the bed, he slipped between the sheets beside her and pulled her into his arms. Her easy, steady breathing told him she’d passed out and with good reason. He looked down and saw her hand on his chest, just over his heart.
Don’t borrow trouble, Hunter.
Easier said than done, he thought, as he drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
* * * * *
Hunter strapped the MJ 4000 on his thigh and tried to ignore Mila’s irritation. It was hard, because she wouldn’t shut up. Nothing new in that.
“I want to know why I have to take the hand gun.”
“Mila, you can’t hold onto the laser rifle. It’s too big for your tiny hands.”
She looked at them and frowned. “They are not.”
“Don’t think of arguing with her on that one, Hunter,” Masters said as he walked into their bedroom. “Mila would argue with a dead man about the state of his health.”
She rounded on Masters, and Hunter decided to step in before she lashed him with her temper.
“Really, Masters, all you have to know is how to handle her.”
“Handle her?” she asked, her voice rising an octave. “And you know all about it, do you? I don’t know how you handle her when you won’t shut up half the time.”
Hunting Mila Page 7
