by Maya Banks
“If that’s what you prefer. I’ll put my staff on vacation for as long as necessary.
Micah put his hand on Damon’s shoulder. “Thank you. I appreciate this.”
“We both do,” Angelina said.
Damon smiled at her, his brown eyes warm with affection.
“I consider Micah a very dear friend, even if he doesn’t allow me to make that claim very readily. I consider you a friend as well, Angelina. If there is anything either of you need, you have only to call.”
“Come on, Angel,” Micah said gently when she wobbled on her feet. “Let’s go get whatever we’ll need for tonight, and then we’ll see about losing any potential followers on our way to The House.”
“Do you really think he’s watching?” she asked in a troubled voice.
“I won’t lie. It’s a possibility. He was certainly watching the apartment complex. He knew just when you were alone, and he knew enough about Nathan’s association with you, and where Nathan lived, to warn him off.”
She shuddered and burrowed closer to his body. He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.
“We’ll get him, Angel. You have a lot of people working this case.
She looked up at him. “I know you will. I trust you, Micah.”
“Let me tell the others what we’re doing and then we’ll get out of here.”
She nodded, and he left her briefly to go talk to the others.
“Are you going to be all right?” Damon asked.
“I don’t know,” she said truthfully. “I’m scared. More now than I was in Miami. There it was just me. Here there are more people involved. I don’t want anyone hurt.”
“You just worry about staying safe. Let us worry about ourselves.”
“Where are Serena and the others?” she asked.
Damon smiled, his teeth flashing white. “They’re unhappy with me at present, but I have them sequestered at my home with a very surly bodyguard who poses as a chauffeur.”
She had to suppress the urge to giggle. “I’m glad they’re safe.”
“As I said, don’t worry about them or us. We take care of our own. We’ll find this guy.” He gestured over his shoulder. “They have the manpower. I have unlimited capital. It’s a good combination. He won’t be able to hide forever.”
Angelina winced. “I feel like I already owe you all so much.”
Damon shrugged. “There is no debt. There is no price I wouldn’t pay to keep the ones I love safe. Serena is everything to me. Micah is one of my closest friends. And you are someone who needs the shelter of friendship most of all.”
She shook her head. “Unbelievable. I never dreamed people like you existed. All of you.” She waved her hand in a helpless circle. It honestly baffled her that all these people were willing to go to the wall for her.
“You ready?” Micah asked as he slipped up next to her again.
She nodded.
He brought her palm up to his lips and kissed it lightly. “Then let’s go.”
CHAPTER 21
W hen they pulled into the parking lot at The House, it was already empty. Lights glowed from the interior, a fact she was grateful for. She didn’t think she’d be comfortable going into any dark place at the moment.
Micah got out and she followed suit. His hand went to her back, and her skin danced in reaction as he hurried her toward the door.
She was riding high on stress-induced adrenaline coupled with intense arousal. She was exhausted and revved up all at the same time, and she knew she would never rest until she found release. And yet she couldn’t ask. Couldn’t demand. She was his to command, not the other way around.
They walked inside, and Micah hesitated in the hallway.
“Want something to eat or drink?”
She nodded and he turned her toward the kitchen at the far end of the facility. It was warm and inviting, like the rest of The House. Rich browns, soothing yellows. It amused her that a place devoted to such decadence had all the comforts of an inviting home.
She caught Micah’s gaze and shivered under the blatant awareness that flashed in his eyes. His nostrils flared slightly, and the tension rolling through his body was a tangible, breathing entity.
She met his stare levelly, allowing every ounce of her need to reach across the distance. He set the glass of juice he’d poured for her on the counter and stepped forward, his eyes glittering.
“Turn around,” he ordered.
Her nipples hardened. Her clit pulsed and swelled, and her breath caught painfully in her throat. She forced herself to breathe out as she slowly turned, presenting her back to him.
His hands closed over her shoulders. One hand worked up, tangling in her hair then sliding the heavy veil over her left shoulder, baring the curve of her neck.
Warm breath blew sensuously over her bare skin and then his teeth nipped and grazed at the slim column. Her knees threatened to buckle when he laved his tongue up the side to her earlobe and over the frantic pulse point, but he caught her firmly and pushed her forward toward the table.
Urgency invaded his movements. He bumped her into the table, bending her over when her stomach met the edge. His fingers caught clumsily at her pants, pulling, reaching around to release her fly.
As he yanked her jeans down over the curve of her behind, his other hand pressed firmly in the center of her back, holding her down.
Cool air blew over her ass, raising chill bumps. He left the jeans at the bend of her knees. One hand still held her down, but the other left her, and she heard the rustle of his own pants.
His legs bumped into the backs of hers, and his body pressed into hers, hard and fast. The back of his hand brushed urgently against her buttocks as he positioned his cock.
Before she could take a breath, he was on her, in her, so deep she cried out in shock.
He leaned in, his body covering hers, his hips slamming against her ass, the resounding smack echoing sharply through the kitchen.
After the initial frenzy, he slowed, withdrawing then pumping forward with methodical, forceful thrusts. Each time he withdrew, he paused until she let out a small whimper and then he powered forward, driving deep.
“Hands up,” he said harshly.
She placed her hands above her head, palms down on the flat surface of the table. Her entire body shook with the force of his next thrust. She closed her eyes. She was close. So close to bursting and he hadn’t even touched her intimately.
He was only intent on his pleasure. His taking was selfish and primitive, and she knew in a flash of understanding why. He was reinforcing his earlier statement.
All I can offer you is fucking.
She relaxed, giving herself over to him. Surrender. Acceptance. No way would he find any resistance. Pleasure washed over her in waves. He reached deep, his cock stretching her, filling her.
His body pressed dominantly over hers, his hips arching into her ass. His hand tangled in her hair, pulling as he strained to go even deeper.
No, he wasn’t concerned with her pleasure at the moment. She could feel the torment radiating from him. He acted. Did the only thing he knew to do to try and rid himself of the same vicious need that riddled her. Only she knew it would never go away. Never die.
Her fingers flexed and then curled into tight balls. Her head came up as he pulled relentlessly at her hair. She gasped as her orgasm built. The pressure was achingly fierce. His balls slapped against her mound with every lunge.
“Micah!”
“Mine,” he hissed.
She let out a small whisper of pain as he pulled harder at her hair, but it was forgotten as the storm gathered. Lightning surged, gathering in her pussy, exploding outward and surging into her belly.
As soon as she cried out again, he ripped himself from her spasming pussy. He yanked at her hair, pulling her from the table.
“On your knees,” he ordered.
Clumsily, she slid down his body, her muscles weak from her orgasm. She caught herself by grasping his knees. E
ven as she settled herself, he strengthened his grip at the back of her neck and tilted her head up.
He grasped his turgid erection with his free hand and forced his way past her lips. She barely had time to gasp a breath before he filled her. Her cheeks puffed outward, and she forced herself to relax so she could accommodate him fully.
He tilted her back so that she was at an angle. He went with her so his angle of entry was cleaner. The position enabled him to have complete control.
He withdrew, paused, then sank deep again.
As he held himself there, he stared down, his jaw twitching. “Most normal men would take care with you right now,” he said harshly. “Treat you with kid gloves, like a fragile piece of glass. But you don’t want that, do you, Angel? Even now you’re wanting more. You’re daring me to push you.”
She stared calmly at him, refusing to flinch or pull away. She needed air, but she also trusted him never to take it too far.
He eased back, his cock sliding over her tongue. A small surge of fluid spilled into her mouth. He was close. His entire body trembled. His knees shook against her hands, and she gripped him harder.
“Put your hands on my hips.”
She rose up further on her knees and pushed his jeans farther down until her hands met bare flesh. His cock jutted from the fly, hard and thick.
“Keep your hands there while I fuck your mouth. Don’t move. Just hang on.”
Again his hand tightened in the tangle of her hair, and he gave one sharp yank to position her the way he wanted her.
“Open,” he ordered.
She let her lips fall open and he was already there, pushing insistently. He pulled her forward to meet his thrust, until the coarse hair at his groin tickled her nose. It took every ounce of restraint she had not to fight, to struggle. In a way it was what he wanted her to do. She knew it.
He wanted to prove it was too much. He wanted her to say stop and to walk away. He had no idea just how strong her conviction was.
A sound of impatience escaped in a snarl. Her eyes flew open to stare up at him. There was a savagery that should have frightened her, but she knew he wasn’t angry with her. No, it was self-directed. He hated that he wanted her every bit as much as she wanted him. He hated that she wasn’t going to tell him no. He hated that she would take whatever he dished out and beg for more.
“Damn you,” he hissed.
He threw back his head, closing his eyes. His thrusts became desperate, almost brutal. His groin slapped against her mouth as she swallowed him whole.
The hand holding the back of her neck became gentle, almost coaxing. Her cheeks bulged with exertion as he tunneled deeper into her throat. Then he gripped her neck harder, forcing her onto his cock.
Fluid filled her mouth, warm and sticky. She swallowed around his cock, and he moaned and jerked erratically. More came and she swallowed reflexively, her throat working around the head of his cock.
He retreated momentarily, grasped the base of his cock and tilted her open mouth higher. He worked his hand back and forth over the thick shaft as more semen dripped from the tip and into her mouth.
He continued to stroke. “Keep your mouth open. That’s it, Angel girl.”
Two, three more gentle splatters fell onto her tongue and then his grasp loosened. Slowly he eased away from her, and he pulled at his jeans, working them back over his hips.
She knelt there, heaving for breath as she swallowed the last of his release. Her hands fell to the tops of her legs and she glanced down at her jeans that were trapped mid-thigh.
She glanced back up at Micah, seeking permission to rise, to reclothe herself.
After he’d straightened himself, he reached down, holding his hands out to her. She slid her fingers into his grasp and allowed him to pull her to her feet.
Gently, he pulled her jeans up until they were around her waist again. He refastened the fly, his gaze wandering lazily over her face. When he was done, he raised his thumb to her mouth and rubbed the pad over her bottom lip, capturing a drop of his cum.
“Lick it,” he said huskily.
She sucked slowly at the tip, running her tongue over the slip of moisture.
“You make me crazy, Angel girl.”
She laughed, surprised at the cracked way it came out. “What do you think you do to me?”
“Go pick out our room,” he said. “Strip. I want you naked and in bed when I get there. I’ll bring up a tray so you can eat before we go to sleep.”
CHAPTER 22
“T hate this,” Julie grumbled.
“I don’t like it any more than you do,” Faith said from her perch on the couch.
Serena turned from her position by the window. “How long are they going to be? Damon didn’t answer his cell phone and we haven’t heard from them in hours.”
“They’re probably figuring out a plan to keep us under lock and key for the next year,” Julie said glumly.
“You should move away from the window, Mrs. Roche,” Sam said from the doorway.
Serena sighed and walked over to the couch to sit by Faith.
Julie scowled. Damon’s hulking chauffeur had been tasked with babysitting the three of them for the day. What the hell kind of chauffeur was built like a tank?
The sound of the front door opening had all three women on their feet. Damon strode into the living room, Nathan and Gray on his heels.
“How is Angelina?” Julie asked anxiously. The men’s expressions were so grim that fear scuttled around her stomach.
“She’s safe,” Damon answered. Even as he spoke, he reached for Serena, and she went to him, melting into his embrace. “She’s with Micah.”
“You ready to go home?” Gray said to Faith.
She nodded readily and took the hand he extended to her.
“We’ll stay in touch. You all do the same,” Gray said as they headed for the door.
Julie glanced at Nathan, who stood silently to the side. The intensity in his gaze caused her to shiver. He looked positively ... scary.
“You have a choice,” Nathan said as he stalked into her space. “My place or yours.”
Too unsettled to think straight, she merely stared up at him, her brows furrowed.
“We can stay at your place or my place, but you don’t stay alone, so make your choice.”
She reached out to touch his chest, seeking reassurance. “Should I be worried?”
He caught her wrist, and surprisingly, his fingers trembled against her skin. He brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed her closed fist.
“I don’t want you to worry, honey, because I’m going to take care of you. Which means you aren’t staying alone. He saw us, Julie. He had to have seen us that night. He got to me. He can get to you.”
She swallowed nervously. “We can stay wherever you feel is best.”
He relaxed. Had he expected her to argue? Was she that confrontational? Sure, she liked her independence, but that didn’t make her a moron. She wasn’t going to sacrifice her safety or his over pride.
“I think we should stay at your place. He may not know where you live, but he sure as hell knows where I do.”
“Okay,” she said softly.
“Come on.”
He tugged lightly, pulling her into his embrace. For a moment he held her, and only the erratic rise and fall of his chest against hers signaled his unease. He kissed the top of her head and smoothed his hand over her hair.
“Let’s go home.”
She nodded and followed him toward the door.
All the way to her apartment she watched him intently. He held her hand between them and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles in a deceptively calm manner. He was wound tighter than a rubber band, and she wasn’t sure if it was the danger he thought she was in or if it was something else entirely.
Paranoia crept into her mind despite her best effort to keep it at bay
He’s not going to dump you, dumbass. Men don’t move in with you temporarily if they’re ready t
o move on.
Unless of course it was a man with an overdeveloped sense of responsibility. No doubt Nathan and all his buddies were extremely protective when it came to women. So was he protecting her because she was a woman or because she was his woman?
Shut up, Julie. Don’t ruin this.
When they got to her apartment, Nathan made her stay behind him until he made sure no boogeymen were prepared to jump out of her closets. She might have found it endearing and amusing if she weren’t so edgy.
He moved around her apartment like he was comfortable and at home. Lord knew he’d spent enough time there even if they’d never made the leap to official cohabitation. She frowned. Maybe she should have asked?
Screw this. She was a mess. She was tired and she wasn’t going to analyze stupid girly feelings when she was feeling particularly hormonal. Someone ought to market stupid pills. They’d make a damn fortune.
Nathan followed her into her bedroom, and before she could head to the bathroom to do her thing, he pulled her back and hauled her into his arms.
His mouth crashed down on hers. He stole her breath and devoured her lips in a greedy, passionate kiss. His hands fumbled carelessly at her clothes, ripping without care.
“Lose the pants,” he rasped between kisses.
Even as she hopped on one foot to get rid of her pants, he pulled frantically at her shirt. He forced her hands away from her jeans long enough to raise her arms over her head so he could get her shirt off. Then when she resumed shucking, he tore at her bra, ripping the lacy cups.
Even then the material didn’t come completely away, but her breasts spilled free and he cupped them roughly in his palms.
With one foot, she kicked the pants several feet away just as his mouth closed over a nipple.
Her breath escaped in a hiss as pleasure exploded through her mind.
“God I love your breasts.”
“I love that you love my breasts,” she gasped out.
She clutched his head, holding him tighter.
“You’ve got too many damn clothes on,” she complained.
“Easily fixed.”
