And I didn’t want real.
Not anymore.
Tension built between us. She jerked my lower lip between her teeth then kissed me deeper, harder, faster.
I didn’t ask if she was ready. I didn’t need to.
I just… knew.
As if we’d been long lost lovers… as if we’d been made to be together.
One thrust, and I was inside of her, moving with her, living with her. Sharp nails dragged across my back, and then her hands found my hair again. With each movement of my hips, she tugged harder.
Heat surged between our bodies.
Every muscle tensed in her body. I only cared about her — not myself — and that’s when I knew I was already gone. Screwed the minute I’d said yes to her.
I softened my kiss as her body slowly tensed and then released. Her big brown eyes blinked at me slowly. I was completely transfixed as my world tilted on its axis and became solely about something other than myself — someone.
Winking, she hooked her ankles tighter around my body. It was uncontrollable, the way I let go, the way she allowed me to.
It was silent except for the sound of the water slamming against the riverrockk and our own labored breathing
“Fourteen.” She slid down my body, her teeth tugging my ear as she whispered the number against my skin. “You gonna keep a tally of this on your other side?”
I barked out a laugh. “Epic moments deserve to be remembered.”
“Promise me something?”
“Anything.” I reached for her hand. Who was this man? This person talking? I didn’t recognize myself, wasn’t sure I wanted to.
“Remember us.”
It took me a while to register what she was referring to. My tattoos, remembering us. I tried to lighten the mood. “I’m not putting Stoli vodka in ink on my body, Andi. I don’t care how much you like the stuff.”
She burst out laughing then launched herself into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist for the second time in the past half hour. Our foreheads touched. I brought her underneath the middle of the shower and kissed her mouth.
“Our symbol would be something cooler… like… something from our honeymoon trip.”
“Oh, so like the number fifteen?”
“Exactly!” She giggled. “I knew I chose well when I chose you, Italy.”
I rolled my eyes and set her on her feet. One minute she was standing; the next she was collapsing into my arms.
“Andi?” I caught her before she hit her head. “Andi, can you hear me?”
“Of course!” She laughed. “You’re yelling in a shower.”
I rolled my eyes. “Not funny. Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” She shrugged. “But shower time probably dehydrated me. Got any Gatorade?”
I sighed, forcing a smile I didn’t feel, considering my heart had damn near stopped a few minutes ago. “Yeah, let’s Gatorade you up before bed.”
“The words… you’re so good with them. It’s a wonder I swooned.”
“Your swoon needs work,” I pointed out. “You went in the wrong direction.”
“Drat.”
“Drat?” I repeated.
“Read historical romance, Sergio. It will seriously change your outlook on so many words!”
“I like my vocabulary.”
“Hmmm…” She patted my chest and yawned. “I’m sorry. I’m just really tired.”
“Sure.” With a heavy heart I lifted her into my arms and walked out of the shower. I set her on the teak bench, grabbed one of the monogrammed towels, and wrapped her in it before wrapping one around myself.
“Can I lick chocolate off your abs?” she asked in a tired voice.
“I, uh…”
“I promise I’ll go slow.”
“Is that on the list?”
She crossed her arms.
“Andi…”
“It should be!” She pouted. “I completely underestimated your workout routine!”
“So you thought I’d be a fat Italian?”
“To be fair, you guys eat a lot of pasta.”
“When have you ever seen me actually eat pasta?”
She chewed her lower lip. “Good point.”
“Look…” I kneeled down in front of her. “…I’ll let you lick chocolate off me…”
She clapped her hands.
I held mine up for her to stop. “If you go to sleep. After all, we have honeymoon activities to do, don’t we?”
She wrapped her arms around my neck and placed a soft kiss against my cheek. “Yes, Italy. We do.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Andi
I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG THE MINUTE I tried to open my eyes. My mouth tasted like cotton, and every single bone in my body hurt like I’d been beaten up and left for dead.
With a groan, I tried to turn on my side so I could fall very ungracefully out of bed. My legs felt so weak. I needed more water and to eat, even though I’d been feeling more and more full, just another fun side effect.
I took a few deep breaths holding the air in my cheeks then slowly released a breath as I finally managed to roll onto my side and place my feet on the hardwood floor.
The room was spinning, but I was used to being dizzy. I walked slowly to the door and opened it then shuffled down the hall.
I wasn’t paying attention to anything other than getting to the bathroom so I could grab a drink of water and maybe take a shower.
“Andi?” Sergio’s voice sounded at the end of the hall.
Crap. I needed to act chipper or he was going to know something was up. I licked my lips, forced a big smile, and gave him a saucy wave.
I must have looked worse than I thought because his expression went from morning bedroom eyes to horrific, all within athe span of a few seconds.
In two strides he was in front of me, gripping my face with both hands. “What the hell happened to you?”
“Huh?”
He turned my face to the side as if he was examining it. Then the weird part happened. He tried to pry my mouth open with his hands.
I jerked away, but he was too strong.
With a curse, he shook his head and lifted me into his arms. He strode into the bathroom and set me on the counter.
“I can walk,” I pointed out, though it was nice not having to.
“I know.” He swallowed slowly. Face pale, he filled a cup of water and handed it to me. “Swish it around a bit.”
“Huh? Why can’t I just drink it?”
“Your gums.” He reached up and placed his finger in my mouth and pulled it back. Blood mixed with spit slid off his skin.
I covered my mouth in horror then turned to look in the mirror. My gums weren’t just bleeding; it looked like I’d suddenly gone vampire during the night and taken out an entire town. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t that bad, but my teeth weren’t so white, considering the bleeding wouldn’t stop.
“Here.” Sergio shoved the cup into my hand. “Swish around the water so that you can clean your teeth. Then we’ll use some mouthwash. I wouldn’t suggest brushing until the bleeding stops, which it should once the day moves on, and you start yakking my ear off again.”
He was being sweet.
Which naturally made my eyes well up with tears. “Where’d you learn all this, huh, Italy?”
“Prepare to be awestruck.” He smirked, his one eyebrow arching playfully. “I read a book.”
“No way!” I punched his shoulder. “You little nerd!”
“I’ll probably buy a pocket protector at the end of the week and start ironing my jeans too.”
“Don’t!” I pointed my finger at him. “Those jeans are designer.” I swished the water around and spit it out into the sink. I filled it up again and drank deeply then handed it back to Sergio, only to have him put a bottle of mouthwash in my hand.
“Gargle.”
I rolled my eyes but did as he said. When I spit into the porcelain sink, I had to fight the tears welling. Everything was
still tinged with blood. Slowly, I turned and smiled weakly in the mirror.
My gums were still bleeding.
I hung my head. “I’m gross.”
“Not true,” Sergio argued.
I nodded, not trusting my words. Then when I found my voice, I pointed at my mouth and shuddered. “Gross.”
Sergio’s eyes took on that dark hue that told me he was either really aroused by my vampire mouth or just pissed off. One minute he was staring at me; the next he was kissing me.
I tried to pull back, but he wouldn’t let me.
His was invasive, hard; nothing soft about it.
When he pulled back, he still didn’t release my head; instead, he looked at me directly in the eyes and said, “I don’t want to ever hear you say that about yourself again.”
“But—”
His kiss interrupted my words. When he pulled back, I had to admit I was a bit dizzy.
“Never again,” he whispered.
I nodded. “Okay.”
“Now…” He helped me off the counter. “…let’s shower.”
“Um…” I raised my hand. “…I can shower on my own.”
“I know you can.” He lifted his shirt over his head.
Why was I arguing again?
“But do you want to?”
“Have I ever told you how smart you are?”
“No.” He smirked. “And don’t start now, or it will freak the shit out of me and possibly earn you a trip to the ER. Strip.”
I tilted my head. “Can’t I just stare? That has to be somewhere on the list — wife watches husband take clothes off and takes mental pictures.”
Ignoring me, Sergio gripped my T-shirt and whispered against my mouth, “Strip or I pull out the knife again.”
“Ooo, I vote yes on the knife.”
His head touched mine. “You’re impossible, you know that?”
“Grab the big machete. We can use it as a prop!” I yelled after his retreating form.
I didn’t expect him to come back with the knife.
He did.
And the machete, which he placed very far away from me, making it so I’d have to learn how to fly over the counter to actually reach it. “You don’t play fair.”
“You’re dizzy. I’m going to be naked. You don’t get sharp objects.”
“He has a point.” I lifted my arms into the air. “Okay, cut it off me.”
“You are so weird.” He laughed. It was rich and deep.
I was half-tempted to just stare at his face, but I didn’t have time. Soon the knife poked into my shirt. But he put it down.
I pouted.
Then Sergio gripped the shirt and ripped it in half. With. His. Bare. Hands.
My grin was so huge I was officially all vampire, poor guy. Though he didn’t seem to mind as he moved his hands to my shorts and did the exact same thing. At that rate, I didn’t need to even move.
“Have I told you how hot you are with a knife?” I leaned back, my nakedness fully exposed.
Sergio placed the knife next to me on the counter and kissed my cheek. “Have I told you how hot you are naked?”
“Only naked?”
“If we’re taking a vote, I’d say no clothes.”
“But you love clothes!”
“So you can see how much I love you being naked…” His eyes flashed with something that appeared to be excitement. “I have an idea.”
“Okay.”
“Shower, then idea. Well actually, first we have to send the hand.”
“Send the hand.” I said it in a low voice and raised my hands in the air like I was a ghost. Why? No idea.
“You done now?”
I nodded.
“Great.” He picked me up and set me in the shower, then stripped and followed me in.
We washed each other. I would be a liar if I said I wasn’t disappointed when he didn’t make a move to try anything. I was really hoping for more, especially since my morning had had such a crappy start.
I was just getting ready to turn the water off when he flipped me around and pinned my hands against the shower wall. His teeth nipped my ear as he whispered hoarsely, “Fourteen.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Sergio
YOU KNOW THINGS ARE ROUGH WHEN you’re thankful you have a disembodied hand lying around the house to take your mind off things.
Specifically, to take your mind off the girl who’s dying and most likely taking your heart with her to the grave. I still hadn’t heard back from Tex, but my appointment was in a week. Either way, at least I could say I’d tried, right?
I put the Rolex back together and made sure to secure it to the hand without making it seem like it had been taken off.
The chip was small enough not to be discovered — that is, unless they took the watch apart. Because it was so small, it would be impossible to hear conversations more than twenty feet away. But it was honestly all we had, so it was worth a shot.
I’d spent the early part of my morning actually tracking down Petrov himself — not an easy task considering he had several houses all over the country, not to mention business in what seemed like every southern state in the US. I didn’t want to bank on the fact that he’d be in his home in Chicago, but all trails led to that exact spot.
The man wasn’t hiding.
He wasn’t even trying to, the cocky son of a bitch.
In a way it was comforting — to know he wasn’t underground. The man was known by the feds, but he’d never faced prison time — ever. He had a few judges on his side, not to mention at least two unsavory politicians in Washington state; it was no wonder he kept most of his business in Seattle.
Then again, he had millions tied into a few of the harbors up there.
With a sigh, I started the recording on the computer and was just about to make sure everything worked when Andi walked in.
Sadly, she wasn’t naked, but she was wearing skinny jeans and a sweatshirt that hung so loose on her I was afraid it was going to fall off one of her shoulders and hang onto her hips. She was losing more weight. Funny how girls typically love to hear that. But with Andi? I knew it would just take that smile away. Hell, she’d probably leap into the air if I told her she was getting fat.
“Oooo.” Andi approached the table. The hand was in the FedEx box, ready to go. “So we flat-rate this stuff, huh?”
I smirked. “Is there any other way?”
“Not sure. Never sent a body part to a person before.” She tapped the hand. “Testing one, two, three.”
My computer went wild. “Well, it works.”
“I can officially mark that off my bucket list. Talked to a hand, hand recorded conversation, and mailed it off to a biological parent.”
“Something tells me your bucket list contains a lot more violence than the typical human being.”
She shrugged; the sweatshirt fell even farther off her shoulder.
“Will you be cold?” I asked gently. She had half her arm exposed already.
“No.” She smiled. I could tell it was forced. “Besides, most my clothes are getting a bit baggy… probably all that sex.”
“All that sex?” I repeated, crossing my arms. “You mean all of two times?”
“In my head, it’s been triple that.” She nodded emphatically. “Care to make that dream come true?”
“Car.” I pointed to the door. “Weren’t you just complaining a few days ago about me not participating in our epic honeymoon? You know, the one where I apparently take you on an African safari only to come home and whisk you away to China?”
She chewed her lower lip. “Yes, but doesn’t lying in bed sound awesome too?”
I ignored the dark circles under her eyes, just like I ignored the clenching in my stomach that she was starting to bruise more around her hands.
“Of course it does.” I grabbed her by the shoulders and pointed her toward the door. “But so does a cinnamon roll and the best mimosa of your life.”
Andi let ou
t a slight whimper. “Talk dirty to me, Italy.”
“Cinnamon,” I said in a deep voice, pulling her back against me.
“Ooo.”
“Sugar.” I licked the side of her neck.
Andi shivered in my arms. “Don’t stop!”
“Hot… buttery…”
“Just a little bit more…” She closed her eyes and clenched my hands within hers.
“Dough,” I finished, kissing her head. “You’re strange, you know that?”
“Whatever. You’re the one making dough a dirty word.”
“The woman has a point.” I grabbed my keys and swatted her hand when she reached for her purse.
“What?” Her wide eyes blinked up at me.
“You said you wanted one of those fun credit cards. Well, as much as I’m sure you think I can snap my fingers and make them appear, I can’t control American Express. Therefore, I put your name on mine.”
Her eyes widened even more. “Shut up!”
“No limit.” I grabbed her hand and dragged her through the large garage. “Pick a car for your shopping day.”
“Shopping day!” She twirled once then winked at me and twirled again, making her way toward the most conspicuous car I owned. “I pick this one.”
I cursed. “Of course you’d pick the red Lambo.” It wasn’t just any red Lambo either. It was a red Lamborghini Veneno Roadster. The thing looked like a happier version of the Batmobile, minus all the toys.
“It’s pretty.” She ran her hands along the hood then leaned up against it. “Think she’ll purr for me?”
I rolled my eyes. I hung up the keys to the Mercedes and quickly grabbed the ones to the Lamborghini. “What can I say? Italians make sexy cars. What’s the last thing you did, Russia?”
“You.” She blew me a kiss and opened the door. It slowly rose up above her head. With a squeal, she basically flew into the car. So much for trying to keep a low profile. Then again, if Petrov wanted her, he could be my guest; it would be so much easier shooting him in broad daylight.
I got in the car and started the engine.
“Holy…” Andi gripped the seat with her hands. “It sounds like a freaking plane!”
Elude (Eagle Elite #6) Page 15
