Secret Eyes (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Marie Jermy

  “Mmm, I do so love strawberries and cream for breakfast,” he said, moving up Leia’s body and giving her a wet kiss. “What do you like?”

  “Toast and marmalade,” she deadpanned.

  He grimaced. “Sorry, but there’s no way you covering any of my body parts with sticky orange goop. Toast crumbs in the bed is also a no-no.”

  “Spoilsport.”

  Her hand found and snuck inside the opening to his boxers. He looked down as she withdrew his cock. The fit of her warm palm around his hot shaft was perfect. She began to stroke him, her thumb circling the sensitive tip, and he groaned. Her legs widened invitingly. “I want you, honey, but we’re out of condoms.”

  Her legs spread further. “Don’t care. Come and take me. I’m all yours.”

  On another groan, Scott lowered himself and entered her welcoming pussy with one sure stroke. Home. That’s what it felt like. He’d come home.

  “How long have you been up?” she sighed as he nibbled down the side of her neck.

  “All of two seconds.”

  She gave his ass a hard pinch. “I meant how long have you been awake, you schmuck!”

  He laughed. “Almost an hour.” He wanted to take it slow, to move in a steady rhythm, give her another orgasm, but apparently, Leia had other ideas. She drew her legs up and wrapped them around his waist, locking him deep inside and triggering an orgasm he had no control over. His hands fisted the pillows both sides of her head as the tidal wave of never-ending joy consumed him, and he spilled everything and more into her.

  “Gee, I know it’s called break ‘fast,’ but that’s ridiculous.”

  His breathing settling, Scott laughed and, taking hold of the sheet, tucked it around Leia’s body as he shifted to lay beside her, his elbow propped up, and his head resting in his hand. He expected a protest, but she snuggled farther into him. Even when with Laura, he’d never felt this contented.

  We’re being watched, aren’t we?

  He closed his eyes and traced the fingers of his free hand over her face. The softness of her skin, the lushness of her thick lashes, the delicate upturn of her nose, and the creases bracketing her smiling bee-stung lips he could see. More than likely.

  I need a wee.

  He reopened his eyes and smirked as he recalled going into the bathroom for a shave when he first woke. The camera conveniently located near the basin, he’d pretended to be careless and squirted shaving cream right into the lens. Then, with the faucet still running, he’d done his daily dump. Go for it. I’ve disabled the camera by the toilet. Just run the water in the basin.

  How?

  Shaving accident. Problem with my pump dispenser. He leaned over and stifled her laughter with a kiss. After a long moment, he pulled away, took hold of Leia’s hand, and led her into the bathroom, the sheet still tucked firmly in place. “Shall I wait, or do you want Archie?”

  “Archie, please.”

  “On his way.”

  After harnessing Archie and sending him to Leia, Scott took a seat at the dining table and poured himself a milky coffee and a black tea for Leia. He ignored the distinct impression that he was being watched and was just drizzling an ample serving of maple syrup over a stack of pancakes when Leia joined him, her body now wrapped in one of the hotel’s complimentary white fluffy bath robes. Archie sat between them, his head turning from one to the other as though watching a tennis match.

  “Is that tea I smell?”

  “Sure is.” Lights! Camera! Action! He pushed the cup and saucer so it touched her fingers. “Black. No sugar. I didn’t know what you wanted to eat so I ordered everything on the menu.”

  “Like I said, toast and marmalade.”

  Scott made no attempt to help Leia with breakfast as he knew she was quite capable of doing it herself. “So what do you want to do today?” he asked, chewing around a mouthful of food.

  “I know you’re supposed to be in Philadelphia, but can we go shopping?”

  A frown formed. Philadelphia?

  Yeah, my parents are at a Star Wars convention for the weekend. And sharing their same interest, you should also be there. Be a good cover story should the “wife” call. And in front of Mr. McNulty yesterday, you did say the flight was okay.

  So he had. Acting along, he said, “Sure, why not. We’d better be careful, though. We don’t want to run into Jessica.”

  “And what are the chances of that happening?”

  Scott expelled an Oscar-worthy snort. “You don’t know my wife. She has this amazing ability to pop up where you least expect it.”

  “Then perhaps we should have gone to Philadelphia!” Leia huffed, slamming her cup down on the saucer so hard it nearly broke in two.

  He choked on his pancakes to cover his laughter at Leia’s equally Oscar-worthy performance of pretending to be annoyed with his fictitious wife. His cell phone then jingled in his leather jacket which hung over the back of the chair. He took the phone from the inside pocket and flipped it open. His eyes widened at the caller displayed on the screen.

  Not Anderson as expected, but Jessica.

  “And speaking of the wife,” he said, his finger hovering over the answer button. It really is Jessica calling.

  You’re joking?

  Wish I was.

  “I’ve suddenly lost my appetite. I’m going for a shower.”

  Scott caught and kissed Leia’s free hand as she rose to leave with Archie. “Keep the water hot, honey,” then answering the phone, said, “Jessica, darling, I was just about to call you. How’s Sam? Missing me? I’m sure missing him. And you, too, darling.”

  “Darling? Sam? Missing you? Are you tripping on something, Scott?”

  He was. On love. “I know I promised to call last night, but you know what I’m like with these Star Wars conventions.” C’mon, Jessica, listen to what I’m telling you. “And I didn’t think you’d appreciate a call at four in the morning.”

  There was a pause. “Oh, I get it. You’re on a case and can’t talk.” There was another pause, then, “Star Wars convention? Is Leia with you? No, stupid question. Of course she is. What do you want me to do?”

  He drew in a breath and told her. “Jesus, not again! So what’s the emergency this time that requires you to drop everything and go to Rosalind’s for a whole week? I mean, can’t your sister sort out her problems herself?”

  “You want me to tell Ross to butt out.”

  Scott blew out the breath, pleased Jessica had quickly understood that was precisely what he wanted. He would be approaching Anderson soon enough. “Yeah, right, sounds like I don’t have a choice! Well, drive carefully, darling. Love you and Sam.”

  “Be careful, Scott. And take care of Leia.”

  I will, he silently vowed as he flipped the phone shut and put it back in his jacket pocket. With the impression he was still under surveillance, he remained seated, finishing his coffee and pancakes and pretending to look angry. But then the sound of loud singing filtering through from the bathroom made him laugh.

  Leia was right. He did have a life. And she was it.

  * * * *

  The air thick with steam from the cascading hot water, Leia rinsed the shampoo from her hair. Then, squeezing a good dollop of her vanilla-fragranced soap onto a sponge, she washed her body, trying to make sense of the dream she’d had before Scott woke her with his strawberry.

  Scott stood beside her while she sat at a desk. It could have been in his office at Magnum Investigations. And with reflections of people and objects in the inky black windows from the overhead lights, it could have been night.

  A group of five men sat opposite, each with an open file of papers in their lap. It could have been some sort of recruitment meeting. It was the man stood in one corner, however, who held her eye. Tousled dark-blond hair topped a rugged face set with piercing amber-flecked blue eyes. His fangs gleamed as he watched with a sense of detached amusement, as if he’d seen the procedure a thousand times before. He could have been a vampire.

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nbsp; Had Scott explained what was happening, or had she seen it for herself? She wasn’t sure. One thing she was certain of, though, was that she’d fallen unequivocally and unconditionally head over heels in love with Scott.

  Leia frowned as she searched for and put the sponge back onto the shelf. Yes, she loved Scott, but did he feel the same way? She felt sure he did. Further questions popped forward. Would he tell her about his scars? More importantly, would he finally tell her about this “Federation?” Dare she come out and actually ask him, or should she find a more subtle way?

  She decided to try the subtle way and started singing. A few minutes passed, then she heard the glide of the shower door behind her. A pair of cold hands molded to her hips and a hard, solid, and very hot length pressed against her ass.

  “I’ve got no, I got life, honey,” Scott murmured in her ear, his teeth gently nipping on the lobe.

  Okay, so his “honey” endearment wasn’t an affirmation of his love, but Leia’s heart leapt all the same. She turned her head, and his hot mouth enclosed over hers in a hungry and demanding kiss. He groaned deep and long as she sucked his plundering tongue into her mouth. Even as the heat flared between her legs, he was lifting her to stand on tiptoes, and she sank down onto his cock until the tip touched her soul.

  “So tight but so ready,” he rasped, licking a hot path across her nape.

  “Now, Scott. Now.” She braced her hands on the shower wall while Scott’s held her hips as he thrust. The slow yet sure drag of his cock pushing in and out had her coming faster than her racing heart could beat. The sweet, sizzling tremors still shaking her, he suddenly pulled out and spun her around, her back making a splat on the tiles as it contacted.

  Was Scott shielding Leia from the cameras again like he’d done earlier? Where’s the camera?

  His telepathic tone was smug. Steamed. By The Force.

  She couldn’t help herself. She laughed out loud.

  “Charming,” he sniffed with mock wounded pride, “I give you an orgasm, and you think it’s funny. Am I that lousy in the sack? Or rather, the shower?”

  “Far from it. Let me show you my appreciation.” Scott groaned as Leia sank south to kneel before him. The plump head of his rigid cock brushed her lips. She could smell herself on him and the regret that she couldn’t see resurfaced, but she pushed it back. It had never bothered her before, so why now? Probably because she loved the man inside out.

  Scott must have been right over the showerhead, his broad shoulders taking the brunt because though droplets fell on her head and spray hit her sides, the majority of the water sounded as if it splashed behind his feet. A good thing indeed because she wanted to taste him, and only him.

  Her hands on his muscular thighs, Leia inched her fingers up until her thumbs brushed curls of moist hair and the sides of his heavy balls. She cupped them in one hand, gently caressing and squeezing, loving the way his cock bobbed against her lips and the sound of his breath hissing out of his mouth.

  He emitted a low feral groan when she extended her tongue and licked the tip of him. He emitted another as she circled the base with her other hand and licked up and down his length with the flat of her tongue. Then, wrapping her lips around him, she relaxed and sucked him to the very back of her throat, mimicking the way she sucked on his tongue, again making him groan with pleasure.

  He tasted of man and heat and danger. And of her, like she’d branded him. That thought was extremely gratifying, and a deep moan welled up and vibrated along his cock as she moved her mouth back and forth. She heard the wet slap as Scott hit the tiles with one hand, the other cradling the back of her head.

  Leia began to blow him in earnest, his groans of pleasure echoing around the tiled enclosure almost in sync with the sucking actions of her mouth and the squeezing and rolling of his heavy balls in her hand.

  “Leia, I…” Scott panted, then a wild growl erupted when Leia hummed. “Sweet Jesus! I’m coming. Stop, ahhhhh…”

  Come on, Scott, come in my mouth.

  “Wench!” he managed to choke out as his own words from the night before slid into his ears before his eyes crossed over, and he exploded, sending him beyond the stars.

  She greedily swallowed every last hot drop, then, rather unsteadily, rose to her feet. Her knees hurt like hell. His arms looped around her waist while she traced her fingers over his face. “You’re frowning!” she exclaimed at the familiar groove in his brow.

  “I’m thinking.”

  “About?”

  “Of more ways for you to show your appreciation.”

  She slapped a hand against his chest effectively halting his laughter and inducing a sharp intake of air. Leia realized the reason straightaway. She lightly traced the jagged grooves with her fingers. Ten inches, she guessed they measured, and deep enough to have drawn a lot of blood. A frown formed. What? How?

  Not here. Not now.

  A bubble of fury emerged in Leia, and she fled, relying on her four senses to get her the hell out of the bathroom and away from Scott as quickly as possible. She had been so, so wrong. Again. He didn’t love her. His “honey” endearments and tender lovemaking all meant fuck-all. They had just been an act, an act for those watching.

  Chapter 8

  His eyes almost bugging out, Scott watched as Leia stomped from the shower, amazed at how the glass door remained intact when she shoved it shut. Her body had been charged with that much fury, he was also amazed she hadn’t decked him one.

  And he knew why. He inwardly swore as he flicked the faucets off. He really was going to tell her about his scars, he just didn’t want to do it telepathically. He wanted to explain everything out loud and away from the hotel and all its spying eyes.

  Scott again inwardly swore, stepped from the shower, and grabbed a towel from the heated rail to dry himself. Slipping into his T-shirt and boxers, he entered the bedroom and was amazed to see Leia already dressed and sitting on the bed.

  Disregarding the rush of heat to his cock at those killer-heeled boots and the jet-black jeans teamed with the cute red cardigan under a tan waist-length suede jacket, he immediately sensed Leia was spoiling for an argument. Her knuckles were white around Archie’s harness, who sat beside her, his head on her knee and gazing almost adoringly up at her.

  The quicker they left the hotel, the better. With the distinct impression they were under constant surveillance, now would not be a good time to have an argument. It would only take one slip of the tongue for those watching to know they were being set up. It was also better to keep quiet, so he pulled on jeans, a shirt, boots, and his leather jacket in silence.

  Scott remained silent until they were a block away from the hotel. Then, prizing Archie’s harness from her still-tight grip, he grabbed Leia by the arms and pushed her against a shop window, ignoring Archie’s menacing growl and the curious stares of passers-by.

  “Let me go, Scott. You’re hurting me.”

  He did what she asked him to do, but then placed his hands on the glass either side of her shoulders, effectively stopping any thoughts of escape she might have had. “Now ask me about my scars.”

  He knew he’d surprised her because her mouth fell open.

  “I, um… They feel…” She cleared her throat. “They feel like you were attacked by a wild animal. Is that right?”

  “Yes,” he answered without hesitation. “Leia, I know you’re a believer, so what I’m about to tell you shouldn’t shock—” Scott broke off as an image of a man being reflected in the glass of the window behind Leia caught his attention. He leaned closer and squinted. Standing on the opposite side of the street, doing a lousy job of being inconspicuous, was none other than Dale Lavengro. “I don’t fucking believe it!”

  “Scott, what’s wrong?” Leia asked.

  “We’re being followed.”

  “We’re being followed,” she repeated, suddenly scared. “By whom?”

  “That pervert Lavengro. Professor Rogers said he felt sure he was being followed, too.”
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  Leia would have collapsed to the sidewalk if Scott hadn’t caught her and held her shaking body against his solid one. He looked down into a face drained of color. Even her bee-stung lips were pale and trembling. He tightened his hold and firmly pressed his lips to hers until he felt her relax, then pulled back. “Don’t be scared, Leia. I’m not gonna let anything happen to you. Or Archie,” he added.

  She clutched the front of his jacket, her hands shaking. “But you haven’t got your gun on you!”

  “I don’t need my gun to protect you,” he said with conviction. “Now calm down. I know you’re stronger than this.” She nodded, and a small smile appeared. “Before you said you wanted to go shopping. Well, since I don’t want that pervert getting off on all the racy lingerie I want to buy for you, I’ve a better idea. We’ll go sightseeing. You know, even though I’ve spent the best part of twelve years in this city, I’ve yet to go to the top of the Empire State Building. I haven’t even visited the Statue of Liberty,” he added, waggling his brows and winking at Archie.

  Archie woofed.

  Leia’s smile widened then. “He said you only want to go to the Statue of Liberty because you want to see if she wears boots under her skirt!”

  * * * *

  Despite being blind, Leia showed Scott she was a good tourist guide, amazing him with her knowledge of the many attractions they visited. He’d joked she’d swallowed a Braille New York guidebook, but she explained it stemmed from her love of the city she grew up and lived in and her childhood dream of a career in tourism. Of course her dreams had been dashed when she contracted meningitis and she’d lost her sight, but she still liked to keep up to date. In fact, one of the books on her shelf was a Braille New York guidebook.

  She and Archie had also run Scott ragged, explaining they were covering a three-day sightseeing tour in just one day because she wanted to lose their “revolting little sewer rat” tail. Unfortunately, Scott said that Lavengro stuck to them like glue. At least as the day wore on she became less fearful and more like her independent, cheerful self.