Code Name_Redemption

by Natasza Waters

  No one said a word.

  Captain Wallner looked toward Austen. “You’re an admiral in the United States Navy and the man responsible behind bringing down the Blood Shark in San Diego.” He turned his attention to Greg. “You’re a decorated Lieutenant Commander in the Canadian JTF, and you,” he said, like she was a plume of gaseous poison floating across from him, “are an investigative journalist for the New Times Colonist. Have I got that correct?”

  “Yes, sir,” Mattie answered. “My father is Gilen Bidault.”

  He stared at her. “Sergeant McCambridge, I want to talk to you privately for a moment.”

  They rose and headed outside.

  “What do you think he’s saying?” she asked.

  Austen leaned against the fireplace mantle, watching the men. “The Captain’s telling Brandon we have to be roped in and the RCMP need to take the lead in the investigation. He has his doubts, but what you told him,” Austen paused, “sounds authentic enough to try to validate the information.”

  “How?” Mattie’s gaped.

  “He reads lips,” Greg answered.

  “Handy.”

  Austen turned his attention to them. “Been in his boots before, and I would think he’s wishing he hadn’t woken up this morning.”

  The two RCMP officers stepped back inside.

  “I suppose I cannot convince you to stand down from reporting on this story?” Wallner stated, firing an imposing look at Mattie. “I know who your father is. In fact, he was one of my mentors when I first joined the force. He’s well respected.”

  “And so am I, as a journalist. I want all the facts before I publish the full story. Right now, only the information supplied by Vic PD is being reported to me. There’s a few articles I’ve done on the public’s perception, but I won’t be going forward with a full story until I know more.”

  “From what you’ve explained, it sounds to me like whoever is responsible for this is concerned about what you’ve uncovered so far. If we’re to find the truth, you cannot expose the fact that the RCMP will be investigating this.”

  “I won’t. I want the Ripper caught.”

  He nodded. “Corporal McCambridge is going to investigate further. I’m not turning this into a profile operation until we have more definitive proof.” The captain stepped toward Austen. “How did you catch the Shark?”

  Austen’s warrior face hardened with sharp edges. His jaw cut like a marble edge, his eyes firing shards of blue ice. “We had little to go on until he’d unraveled to the point where his fascination pushed him into making a fatal mistake.”

  “Which was?”

  “He abducted my wife.”

  The captain’s brow rose. “The papers said he died during his arrest at the Navy SEAL base in Coronado.”

  Austen nodded.

  “So justice was swift.”

  Austen brow lifted. “Dangerous waters in the bay.”

  The captain’s taut expression released into a barely perceptible smile, but there was a warning in his eyes as well. Everyone in the room could see it. “Admiral, in Canada the courts decide the penalty.”

  Austen didn’t flinch.

  Greg knew he’d been up against the toughest men on the planet, and Austen was one of them. The admiral didn’t acknowledge Captain Wallner, but the cops point was clear.

  Captain Wallner placed his hat on his head. “Thank you for bringing this forward, Ms. Bidault. Good afternoon.”

  After a quick look at each of them, Brandon followed his captain out the front door.

  Mattie fisted her fingers. “They’re going to know we’ve called in the RCMP. Sergeant Tall, Dark and Scary watched two units pull up to your townhouse.”

  “Which means we’ve either sent them scurrying in every direction or just upped the ante,” Greg said.

  Before he knew what she was doing, Mattie dialed someone on her cell. “Hi, Stuart. I just wanted to say I’m sorry about cutting our date short last night.”

  What the fuck was she doing? If Stuart didn’t kill her, he would.

  She wandered into the kitchen. “Yeah, we spent an hour reminiscing. Roger lives in Nova Scotia with his family.”

  Austen listened to the conversation and shook his head.

  “So, I was wondering if you had any further info for me on Bethany? My editor wants me to get a fresh piece out on the victims. Please tell me you have something?”

  “What the fuck is she doing?” he said quietly beside Austen.

  “Suicide.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Austen turned chilly polar eyes his way. “It’s your turn. Figure it out.”

  “My turn?”

  “Meet for lunch?” Mattie said, and gave them a thumbs-up.

  “Non,” Greg barked, and vaulted across the room. He shook his head fiercely.

  “I…I can’t today, but let me see about tomorrow and I’ll text you.” Hanging up, she did a quick turn on her heel and left the room without giving them a second look.

  Greg followed her upstairs and stood in the doorway as she made the bed then zipped up her suitcase.

  “Stop staring at me. I have two older brothers. Intimidation doesn’t work with me,” she said.

  “Does murder?”

  After stuffing her high heels in the front pocket of her bag, she gripped the handle and put herself in front of him. “I have to go.”

  He blocked her path and considered holding her prisoner if he had to. “You can’t go out there unprotected,” he said, looking into her pretty eyes. They had hints of green and gold, reminding him of the sun spearing through a forest and lighting the mossy ground.

  “You never answered my question about the dating site. My guess is you had a lot of responses. Although you’re a decorated sailor, you are a sailor. Any girl in any port. You might not be guilty of murder, but you’re guilty of shredding numerous hearts, I’m sure of that.” With her straight forward approach to everything else, she bowed her head and said, “I don’t want to be your fuck buddy, so stop looking at me like that.”

  He extended his arm across the doorway. “Mattie.” He waited until she tipped her head to look up at him. “There’s nothing buddy about the way I want to fuck you.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Before Mattie could lash out with that quick tongue of hers, Greg responded with his and traced her pillowy upper lip. Kissing her, his desire hungered for more. His hand explored the curve of her waist, her warm skin and a slow path up her flat stomach to brush the very tip of her stiff nipple beckoning his palm, but all he tempted her with was his mouth.

  She released a little sigh. One little escape of air, and his hands gripped her hips. Her fingers crept up his chest and twined behind his neck. She needed more than a kiss, and that eradicated his rational thought. His restraint bowed down to his desire like an athlete about to start a race.

  It happened so damn fast, even he was shocked. Greg kicked the door closed and Mattie pulled him backwards toward the bed. He should have expected her passion to be like everything else about this intriguing woman.

  She had his shirt off within in a few heartbeats as he laid her on the white sheets. His pulse thrummed seeing more skin, quickly undressing each other. Mattie’s long, tempting legs wrapped around his hips and his hand cupped her breast, sending shots of hungry lust to his cock. She writhed under him, pressing her palms against his ass, kissing him as feverishly as he kissed her. He’d left her shimmering blue thong on, wanting to tease his way to what he so wanted to taste beneath it.

  He slowed their pace, gently palming her cheeks and waited until her gaze focused on him. “Are you afraid to open your eyes and see my passion, mademoiselle?”

  He wanted to see the fire grow in her eyes as he nudged her closer to the flame. He had no intention of fucking her. A delicious crawl toward release is where he would take them.

  Her eyes flashed open and her beautiful breasts rose and fell with deep breaths. “I’m not afraid.”

  “M
attie, I want to watch you come unhinged. Come apart when I’m inside you.”

  Her brow creased.

  He slid his hand down her stomach, and brushed the pad of his thumb lightly against the very tip of her clit. “Your desire makes me hard.” Warm lubrication flowed under his touch. His gaze wandered down her sleek form, and he bent his head to gently suck her nipple. A low moan escaped her and she pressed her beautiful body against his. “I’m very hungry, mademoiselle.”

  * * * *

  Blinded by some kind of crazy need, her heart raced. Mattie literally wanted to eat this man hovering above her.

  He forced her to look into his eyes, and she unraveled a little more. Why would he want her to look in his eyes? Any other time she’d been with a man, she kept her eyes closed and they didn’t care.

  “Can we go slow next time?” she whispered. The words choked in her throat. A beautiful smile crossed his features and landed in his eyes, making her entire body melt. “Live for the moment, but—”

  “Non, live for the future.” He held the slip of fabric from her thong aside and slowly swept his finger up and down over her clit.

  Her body tingled with each teasing stroke.

  Every single part of him roared with strength. Rock solid. Ripped abs. Shoulders that rolled into thick arms, and rough hands that felt so good on her skin.

  “Please, don’t go slow.” She groaned and her head fell back on the pillow.

  Greg hovered above her and her fingers followed the strong ‘V’ from his hips, then along the sides of his shaft, to the bulb of sweet warmth on the tip. The crown of his head was thick and hard in her palm.

  “I want to taste you.”

  His words, gravelly, yet sensual, wrapped her in silk. Greg gently bit the peak of her nipple and the sensation sent her spiralling upward. She gripped his cock tighter and stroked. Maybe too hard, but the accepting growl from his chest said otherwise. With a roll of his hips, he rubbed his shaft along her crease, and she cocooned it with her hand, coating him with her lubrication. A louder growl of acceptance and his mouth moved to her other breast.

  “So warm.” His thick accent worked her into a frenzy.

  He manipulated her body with little strength and rolled Mattie over onto her stomach.

  His breath stirred the storm inside her when he said in a low, sexy timbre next to her ear, “First, I promised you a massage.”

  His hands roamed across her shoulders and back as he brushed every inch of skin on his way down her body. Kneading her muscles, and making her groan with desire. His fingers drew circles across her ass.

  Gently spreading her thighs, he shifted himself between her legs. Her heart strummed harder as his thumb came closer and closer to her—

  “Oh, gawd.” She cried into the pillow. With feather light passes, he barely touched her slit with rhythmic strokes that lit the very tip of her clit on fire. Heat shot straight down her legs to her toes.

  “So good.” He breathed the words at the pulse of her neck.

  The pad of his thumb drew more circles around her clit and her wetness drenched his fingers. She couldn’t resist. Her hips pushed against his touch. Then the tip of one finger entered her core. With a slow and languid rhythm, he kissed the sway of her back...her neck. His hands wrapped her waist and drew her hips into the air. With every sizzling touch, her back arched even more.

  “Mon, Dieu.” His warm mouth sucked her clit lightly.

  Greg’s tongue slid across her bundle of nerves. Oh. My. God, it was magic. Uncontrollable sounds fell from her mouth. He wasn’t just tasting her core, he was enjoying every last drop of her.

  With a last little kiss against her over-sensitized skin, he backed away, and she heard the rustle of him digging in his jean pocket. Then his chest pressed down on her back, his hand came around and brushed her breast, plucking her peaked nipple. He kissed her shoulder, then her shoulder blade, his large hand sweeping past her rib cage. Splaying his palm across her stomach, he rolled onto his side and brought her against the hard muscles of his chest. With a slow churn of his hips, he barely penetrated her core and her head whipped back. His fingers continued to stroke fire into her blood.

  “Please, oh God, Greg.”

  “Do you want more of me?” he teased against her ear.

  “All of you.”

  Mattie tried to impale herself, but he had complete control of her body and his. She bit her lip, trying not to come, wanting it to last. Wanting him all the way inside her.

  He flowed into a full sentence of French that she didn’t understand. She didn’t have to. With a deep moan of male pleasure, he filled her to the hilt and drew all the way out.

  “More?” he whispered, kissing her neck, then ending with a small suck on the hollow of her shoulder.

  With slow, tortuous plunges, he stroked her with his thick shaft and drove her insane. She wiggled and turned around, then pressed his shoulders into the bed and mounted him.

  He chuckled and smiled. “You lasted far longer than I thought you would.”

  Angling her hips, she took him inside and fell forward onto her hands and knees. A perfect triangle, his hips rose faster and faster. His mouth closed over her breast and he suckled as he filled her core.

  He gripped her neck and brought her down to a breath from his firm lips. “Next time, I’ll tease until you beg. Just this once, we’ll let our passion control us.” His mouth crashed against hers and he pinched her bundle of nerves, thrusting faster and harder.

  “Greg!”

  “Mattie, oh mon belle.”

  They cried out at the same time, falling over an erotic edge together.

  As her senses returned, so did a warm wave of all-encompassing relaxation. Greg pulled her down on top of him, still buried in her warm sheath. With a gentle swipe, his hand removed the strands of hair from her face. Her cheek rested against his molded chest, hard with toned muscle.

  “Relaxed,” she said. Only able to voice one word to describe her satisfaction.

  “Close your eyes, Mattie. In my arms you are safe.” She tried to roll off him, but he wouldn’t allow it. “Stay. It gives me more pleasure than you can imagine to feel your skin against mine.”

  His thick arms wrapped around her, and he kissed the top of her head.

  “Just for a minute,” she murmured, already feeling sleep pulling her under.

  * * * *

  With Mattie sleeping deeply, Greg drew the covers over her and cleaned up in the bathroom. When he returned, he stood next to the bed, watching her. She looked so much younger like this. The taut lines on her forehead relaxed. The lovely blush on her cheeks a sweet image.

  He considered leaving her and going downstairs to speak with Austen, but he knew if he did she’d awaken soon, so he slid in beside her and collected her into his arms again. She nuzzled his chest and then there was no more movement. Lying here with her curled to his side, his mind wandered, but not far from the image of her.

  That image remained until he fell into a deep, fitful sleep.

  When he blinked awake, Greg looked at his watch and saw only an hour had passed, but it felt like he’d slept an entire night. Mattie had turned in his arms and her luscious bum was pressed against him. Other parts of him woke up again, greedy and growing.

  He gently pulled her right leg over his upper thigh, opening her to his touch and brushed her clit with light circles. Pretty and perfect, he was hungry for more of her.

  The more he thought about it, the more he desired her, and he slipped between her thighs and kissed his way to the delicious crease. Small teasing sucks made her moan. Her hands twined in his hair as his desire grew. He palmed her ass and lifted her to his mouth, circling the opening to her channel.

  Her hips rolled with the rhythmic lap of his tongue. She became wetter and wetter as she woke up. Her first words were. “Turn around,” and it went straight to his dick.

  As her mouth wrapped around his cock and she tongued his head, his hunger hit a new high. He took it out
on Mattie’s clit. She gripped his shaft and sucked with every stroke. His eyes nearly stuck in the back of his head.

  He needed his wallet, but she stopped his hand.

  “No plastic.”

  He turned around and hovered over her. “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure, I’m healthy.”

  “I am too.” He kissed her mouth. The feel of his cock inside her sweet warmth was something he couldn’t refuse.

  Rocking forward, the tip of his shaft slid through her wetness, and he moaned with the sensual heat building inside.

  He lifted her thighs across his and watched as he entered her channel. A slow swing of his hips, and his eyes did roll back. “So hot.”

  “So full,” she breathed.

  Greg leaned forward and sunk to the root so that his balls brushed her ass, heightening the closeness and completeness of their joining. The intensity of his lust for her took him way off course. Way, way off course. The utter depth of Mattie, as her inner muscles milked him with each plunge, consumed him.

  His chest tightened. The coil in the back of his spine told him he wouldn’t last long. “Cheri, it’s too much. Fuck, it’s too much.”

  “Faster,” she cried out. “Yes, like that.”

  She had him completely in her power. Her inner muscles fluttered around his cock, squeezing him as her orgasm rippled through her body. He let go and filled her. Grinding deeper. His release rolled through him and kept coming, shaking him to fulfillment.

  Too good. Mon Dieu, too good.

  “More?” she asked.

  One look in her lustful eyes, he knew he could. He just needed a few minutes and she would have him ready again.