by T. K. Leigh
He leaned down, wrapping his teeth around my skin. I began thrusting against him, somewhat shocked I would be able to come twice. Tyler must have sensed my disbelief, as well.
“Come on, mi cariño. Let go. You know you want to.” He leaned back and placed my legs on his shoulders, rubbing my clit as he drove into me.
A surge of electricity began to flow through me and I screamed out once more, my orgasm powerful, every sensation heightened as I struggled to come down. I wasn’t sure I wanted to, though.
“Told you there was a first time for everything,” he commented, his breathing labored. Pumping into me as he kept his hands firmly gripped around my calves, a look of complete bliss settled on his face and he moaned out my name, his body jerking several times before he fell on top of me. He placed a soft kiss on my nose before he withdrew from me, removing the condom and tossing it into a garbage bin.
Wrapping his muscular arms around my small body, he pulled me into him, his scent a mix of musk, hardwood, and sex.
“Holy shit,” I said, kicking my heels off, every inch of me still tingling.
“Ditto.” Tyler grabbed the duvet and threw it over our bodies.
“I’ve made up my mind,” I confessed, still woozy from the experience. And that’s what sex with Tyler was… An experience.
He rolled me onto my back and searched my eyes, a playful expression on his face. “I know. I told you, I’m a damn good poker player. You, Mackenzie, are not.”
“Don’t be so sure, Tyler. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.”
“Oh really? And all the sweet talk…how you’ve already fallen, how you can’t stay away…?”
“I could be bluffing. A good card player always keeps her opponents on their toes.”
“Well then,” he said, nuzzling my neck. “What’s the verdict?”
“You said sunrise. I’ll tell you then.”
An adorable pout covered his face. “That’s not fair.”
“I’m sorry. The judge has set a time to announce the verdict and she simply cannot leak that information prior to that point. I’m sure you understand.” I winked.
“Well, I’ll be on pins and needles all night awaiting the judge’s decision.” He lowered his body back to the comfort of the bed and pulled me to him, my back to his front again. “Sleep well, mi amor.”
And sleep well I did, surrounded by Tyler’s light, his world, his everything.
Tyler
RUN. I TRACED THE word over and over again on Mackenzie’s back as she slept so peacefully, so calmly, not realizing she was sharing a bed with the man who would shatter her. I didn’t know what my motives were when I warned her I would ruin her. Maybe I hoped for a clear conscience. Maybe my betrayal would be forgiven if I warned her, albeit rather evasively.
Over the past week, I had done everything to entice her into my deceptive arms. Now, after being with her, after feeling her, after experiencing her, I wanted her to run from me. At the same time, I wanted to brand her as mine, possess her, consume her.
I had broken the first rule of working an asset. Never let them in. I tried to convince myself it wasn’t real. That I acted the way I did because of my assignment. That my feelings were merely the product of persuading her I could be trusted with her deepest secrets. That the way my body responded to even the most innocent of her touches was simply to play the part I had agreed to play. But it didn’t work. The words I had spoken throughout the week rang true. I was all in, even though it was a losing hand.
A low vibration brought me out of my remorse-filled thoughts, and I looked at my cell on the nightstand. My brother’s photo flashed on the screen and I knew it had to be an emergency if he was calling at such an early hour. Carefully extracting myself from Mackenzie’s body, I grabbed the phone, doing my best not to wake her, and slid on my boxer briefs.
“Hey, Alex,” I said in hushed tones, my voice raspy from sleep.
“Sorry. Did I wake you?”
“I was up. Is everything okay?” I climbed the stairs to the upper deck of the yacht and leaned on the rail, my eyes focused on the sun beginning to break through the horizon.
I heard a sigh on the other end and grew tense. Every phone call I had gotten lately seemed to bring bad news, or add another level of what the fuck is going on to the case.
“So, the tech team has been working on cleaning up the camera feeds we got from Mackenzie’s building. They were able to isolate a frame of this guy’s face and they’ve been running it through every database imaginable, looking to see if they could get a hit on who he is.”
“And let me guess. They did.”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“His name is Justin Whitman. There’s absolutely nothing we could find to connect him to Mackenzie. Ty, this guy is a professional hitman, although there’s no evidence to link him to any of the crimes he’s accused of having committed.”
“So…what?” I asked, my voice shaking. “You think he’s working for someone?”
“I do. It’s the only thing that makes sense,” Alexander said, obviously ruffled. “But who? I’ve been pulling my hair out trying to figure out what the hell is going on, but I’m coming up empty. From this Charlie ex of hers to the break-ins, and now these new developments… My mind is reeling.”
Rubbing the back of my neck, I tried to remain calm. A chill spread over me and I ran my hand over my face, feeling more lost than I had in a while. “I can send Eli to track down Whitman,” I offered. “Maybe see if he’ll answer some questions about what he wants with Mackenzie and who he’s working for.”
“I don’t exactly like the idea, but I need some answers here. I’m worried the phone calls and break-ins may have a connection to the girl’s father and, if that’s the case, this mission could be compromised. That can’t happen. So do everything you can to keep an eye on her, but don’t forget that the objective is to find out where her father is and finally bring him to justice.”
Watching the sun turn the ocean a slight pinkish hue, I hesitated before asking the question I needed to. “And what if her father isn’t involved?”
“What makes you think that?” I could hear the surprise in his voice.
“Because of everything else. Based on what we’ve learned about Charlie and the discrepancies that accompanied his institutionalization, I can’t help but think that perhaps Mackenzie’s father is simply being played, too. Like Charlie was.”
“You’re letting your feelings for this girl cloud your judgment,” he barked at me.
“No, I’m not!”
“Rule number one, Tyler! Rule number fucking one! You better not be having second thoughts, and you damn sure better not even think about telling her!”
He exhaled loudly and I could picture him trying to calm himself. Alexander always had a bit of a temper, especially when he felt he was losing control over things. And things were, most definitely, spinning out of control.
“I’m sorry, Ty,” he said, his voice softening. “Listen, I’ve been where you are. I know how it feels. But we have no reason to believe anyone other than Galloway is the mastermind behind all of this.”
“Do you have any reason to believe he is behind it all?”
“It’s not my job. Or yours. The CIA came to us with the sole directive to find his location. It’s not our responsibility to prove his guilt or innocence. Our only mission is to find him, and Mackenzie is the closest connection to Galloway they could find. I’ll call Eli and give him the details on Whitman. I’ll touch base with you later.” The line went dead before I could even respond.
Placing my hands on the railing to support myself, I closed my eyes, letting out a breath, trying to figure out when I lost control. I wanted to scream at the unfairness of everything, how the one woman I wasn’t supposed to fall for was the only woman who knew how to work her way into my cold heart.
The sound of quiet footsteps startled me and I spun around, my forlorn expression changing to one of longing when my ey
es fell on Mackenzie sauntering toward me, a thin sheet wrapped around her.
“Morning.”
A brilliant smile crossed her face. “Morning,” she replied. Approaching me, she stood on her tiptoes and I leaned toward her, our lips meeting.
“Mmmm,” I moaned, pulling her body into my arms. “I like this look on you.”
She glimpsed down at my boxer briefs and gave me a sly grin. “I can tell.”
Tilting her head back, I poised my lips above hers.
She pressed her hand to my chest, pushing me away. “It’s after sunrise.” She gave me a knowing look.
“Ummm, yes…,” I said. “So?”
“So.” She spun on her heels and headed toward the other side of the deck, sitting down on the chaise lounge that abutted the opposite railing. Securing the sheet around her, she focused her eyes on the cell phone she clutched in her hand.
I joined her on the chair, spreading her thighs and settling on top of her.
“So,” I murmured, nuzzling her neck and inhaling her delicious scent. I would never be able to smell cinnamon again and not be immediately transported back to every moment I spent with her.
She threw her head back and I continued nibbling on her skin. “And the verdict is?” I pulled back and gazed into her eyes.
Raising her hand, her phone still clutched firmly in it, her face fell momentarily before the largest, most genuine smile I had ever seen spread across it. Unexpectedly, she leaned her arm over the side of the boat and tossed her phone into the ocean. “I’m jumping, Tyler.”
She brought her hand to my cheek, cupping it. I folded my hand around hers, closing my eyes and losing myself in the contact.
“Jump with me.”
I opened my eyes, my gaze falling on a vision of complete beauty and serenity sprawled out beneath me.
“Please,” she whispered.
Lowering my lips to hers, I murmured, “Yes. Always, yes.”
She wrapped her arms around my neck and the sheet she had covering her body loosened. We kissed, and I momentarily lost myself in her. I drank her in. I savored her. I experienced her.
“You do understand you just threw your phone into the water, right?”
A slight whimper escaped her lips. “Yeah. I know,” she uttered between kisses. “I just need to prove to you that I’m all in, that I’m willing to throw caution to the wind and take a risk with you. That I’m pretty sure you’re worth it. That you’re worth all of it.”
I grabbed her hips and, in a swift movement, flipped onto my back, pulling her on top of me. “Even though I may ruin you?” I asked.
Nodding, she said, “I’d rather you break my heart than to never have felt it beat to begin with.”
Leaning back, she allowed the sheet to fall to the ground. The sun was rising behind her, casting her silhouette in a breathtaking glow. The sound of daybreak on the ocean filled the air, seagulls and the gentle lapping of waves echoing around us. She grabbed my hand and held it over her breast.
“Before you, this didn’t happen,” she said, referring to her racing heart. “I’ve stopped thinking, Tyler. I feel again. I feel you.” She kept her eyes glued to mine, her fingers grazing the waist of my boxer briefs before sliding them down my legs. Straddling me, she took me inside her, and I let out a long breath.
I clutched onto her hips, our movements slow and deliberate as our lips met. This moment was perfection.
“But please,” she begged. “Don’t make me a ghost again.”
Her words were like a knife to my chest. The Mackenzie slowly and sensually moving on top of me was completely different from the Mackenzie I had surveyed and analyzed over the past half-year. She seemed so vulnerable and exposed, which was at odds with the strong and closed-off woman she had given the impression she was.
Swallowing hard, I nodded, running my hands up and down her back. “Okay. I promise. I’ll never hurt you, mi amor.”
Mackenzie closed her eyes, almost as if basking in my vacant assurance. She leaned back once more, the sensation deeper and fuller than I had expected. I bit my bottom lip, my breathing growing labored as I fought against my impending orgasm.
“I don’t know how much longer I can hold on, baby. You feel incredible.”
A satisfied smile crossed her face and she increased her speed. “Don’t hold back, Tyler. I’m almost there, too.”
“Good.” I continued thrusting against her, meeting her motion in perfect synchronicity.
“Rub my clit,” she exhaled, closing her eyes.
“Yes, ma’am.” I followed her demand, feeling her body tense in just a few seconds.
“Holy shit!” she exclaimed, convulsing as she bit on my neck, muffling her screams and moans.
I maintained my rhythm, wanting her to ride her orgasm as long as possible. Feeling that clenching in my stomach, I knew I was about to lose control.
“I’m going to come.”
“Okay.”
“I’m not wearing a condom, Mackenzie. What do you want me to do?”
“I want to feel you. All of you.”
“Fuck,” I grunted, pushing into her with a frenzied drive, and released inside her. We were dancing with the devil, throwing caution to the wind. My heart raced, my breathing uneven as electricity continued flowing through every inch of me. I had never experienced any act of intimacy as emotionally fulfilling as that had been for me…even with Melanie. Mackenzie was my lightning strike.
But lightning burns.
Mackenzie
A HEAVY SILENCE PERMEATED Tyler’s car as he drove me the short distance back to my building. He had a firm grip on the steering wheel, his jaw tense. It was awkward and uncomfortable.
I fidgeted with the hem of my skirt and tugged on my lower lip, trying to ease my worries. Staring out the window, I saw storm clouds gathering off the Gulf, but that didn’t stop spring breakers from catching a few more rays before having to return to the monotony of their college lives.
The car came to a stop in the parking lot and, without a word, Tyler got out and walked around to my side, opening the door for me. He held his hand out and I raised myself from the passenger seat of his Jaguar, looking into his avoiding eyes. He was distant, cold, unreadable. Unsettling thoughts swam in my head as he escorted me into the lobby. Maybe he finally got what he wanted and was ready to move onto the next woman, the next challenge. His frigid and stony demeanor was in stark contrast to the passionate lover pleading with me to let him in, to meet his family, to share his life. The dichotomy of his personality had attracted me to him, but it confused me now.
Approaching the door to my condo, I couldn’t bite my tongue anymore. I wasn’t going to allow him to leave and wonder what was going through his head. I spun around and a look of surprise crossed his face before settling back into the same emotionless gaze.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, guarded.
He looked at me, his eyes fierce before he softened his expression. “Of course. What wouldn’t−”
“You seem distant,” I interrupted.
“I just have a lot on my mind. That’s all.”
I nodded, hating the sinking feeling forming in the pit of my stomach. Reaching into my purse, I grabbed my keys and turned to unlock the door. A warmth approached from behind and his hand splayed on my stomach, pulling me against him. I felt temporarily sated, even though the contact gave me no reassurance. I looked down and saw his thumb brushing against my dress, reminding me of the patterns he traced on my back last night. I studied the motion, wishing I could figure out what he was writing or drawing.
“What time do you get off work tonight?” he murmured against my hair, pushing slightly against me as we stood in the hallway.
“I’m closing,” I said, my fingers resting on the doorknob, refusing to turn it and open the door. I didn’t want to lose the connection we had at that moment, no matter how weak it was. “I’ll be home at three.”
“Can I come over after?” he asked. His hand traveled f
rom my stomach and up to my neck, tilting my chin, my head resting against his chest. My breathing was heavy and I was confused, anxious, becoming unglued. His grasp on my neck tightened, holding me taut against him so I couldn’t escape. “I need more of you.”
His free hand roamed down to the hem of my sundress and slowly lifted it. He grazed my thigh, traveling to my inner leg and my stomach tensed. I burned for him to touch me. All it took was one touch from him and I was ready to crumble and give him everything. My mind, my body, my soul…my heart.
“Feel me,” Tyler murmured, his finger torturously hovering on my thigh.
“I do feel you.”
“What do you feel?”
“Your body,” I exhaled.
“No. That’s what your brain feels. Your skin feels me on you and is sending little signals to your brain. Don’t think, Mackenzie. Tell me what you feel.”
“I feel like I’m losing control…” I trailed off.
“Yes? Don’t stop.” He dragged his tongue against my neck.
“And I like how it feels.” A grin crossed my mouth.
“And how does it feel?”
“Liberating. Like I’ve been freed from the chains of my past. And I want more. I want to feel more.”
He spun me around so I was facing him. “Not satisfied yet?”
“No. I want you to take me to the brink. I want to lose all control with you, Tyler. I don’t want it anymore. It’s too big of a burden to carry.” Standing on my toes, I pressed my mouth against his.
He reached past me and turned the knob, opening the door to my condo. He kissed me softly, his hands worshipping my body. Pushing me into the foyer and disarming the system, he kicked the door closed behind him, folding his arm around my waist, drawing my body into his. I was too lost in the moment to care how he knew my access code. I gripped his hair in my hands, my fingers running through his slightly messy locks. I whimpered, trying to pull him closer to me, but no matter how near he was, nothing could satisfy my uncontrollable appetite for this man.
