by Anya Nowlan
Sienna caught him doing so one time, her heart rate elevating as she did. He could feel the slight treble of her heart, his keen senses picking up on it. It only went to show how focused he was on her. But he couldn’t tell if it was because his attention scared her, or because it excited her.
Not that it matters, he reminded himself once again.
It took the delivery guy only about a half an hour to arrive. Arlen paid him by leaving money in an envelope outside the door, with a note instructing him to leave the boxes there as well. He waited until the delivery guy left, standing next to the door with a gun drawn, though he kept it discreet to not freak out Sienna.
After he was sure the delivery guy was gone, he opened the door and then took the boxes into the kitchen, setting them down on the table. He couldn’t take any chances. The fewer people who knew he was there, the better.
Changing safehouses could be a real bitch.
“That smells amazing,” Sienna commented, joining him.
He could feel her eyes follow him as he got out the plates and silverware. She kept her gaze on him even when he turned around with the silverware and sat down, facing her.
Her pulse quickened once again as he stared back, unable to tear his attention away from her. She was a curious thing and Arlen couldn’t help but think that there was a lot more under that moxie and spirit he’d already seen. He wanted to unravel her, in more ways than one.
Sienna broke the tense silence between them.
“I’m starving, let’s dig in,” she said cheerily.
Arlen was pretty sure there was a slight flush to her cheeks. He took no small joy in it.
They both plated a huge stack of food and ate in silence, looking everywhere but at each other.
“That was the best meal I’ve had in a while,” Sienna commented, putting her cutlery down on an empty plate when they were both done. “Now all that’s missing is a nice, stiff drink to round it all out.”
That was unexpected, but welcome.
A girl after my own heart.
“I’ve got just the thing,” Arlen grinned, pushing back his chair and walking to one of the cabinets.
It wouldn’t hurt to take off the edge a little. It might even make keeping his distance more tolerable. He pulled out a bottle of Jose Cuervo, holding it up for Sienna to see. She gave him a genuine smile, making his blood rush and his tiger purr. Not that the damn beast had stopped doing so since he first got close to her.
“Now how did you know I love tequila?” she asked with a tilt of her head.
“Just lucky, I guess. I think I have some limes here somewhere…” he muttered, rummaging around in the fridge.
Sienna had already poured salt into a saucer and was looking for shot glasses in the cabinets, skipping around the kitchen like some sort of tequila-fairy, when he finally shut the fridge doors, limes in hand. His freezer was always sparse, but he knew his alcohol and kept the necessities around. He quickly sliced the limes up and settled down on the couch with Sienna.
Arlen poured out two shots, setting them onto the coffee table in front of them.
This is probably a horrible idea, he thought, looking at the glasses for a moment.
“I have to warn you, you wouldn’t be the first man I drink under the table,” Sienna remarked, picking up some salt with her fingers.
Arlen watched, hypnotized, as her tongue snaked out and slowly dragged across the space between her thumb and index finger.
I am in way over my head.
But he wasn’t going to back out. No way in hell.
Ten
Sienna
This is a horrible idea.
Sienna knocked back her first shot, reveling in the way it burned through her. Next, she bit down on the slice of lime, sucking the juice out. She knew alcohol was only a temporary way to make herself care less about the mess she as in, but she didn’t care. For now, she just wanted to feel good and let all the bullshit drift away.
Arlen's glass still sat on the table before them. She turned to face him and he looked away. Sienna wondered if he was secretly watching her, like before, when they were waiting for the food to arrive.
She had to admit she found the idea pleasing. He was probably the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on, and he kept looking at her like he wanted to devour her whole. Even if he was a scary super-secret agent on a mission to wreak havoc.
Does wonders for a girl’s self-esteem.
“Come on, you’re not going to make me drink alone, are you?” she teased, pretending she hadn’t caught him staring.
Arlen grabbed his shot a little too quickly and gave her a sheepish smile. He looked younger when he smiled, some of the tenseness he seemed to always carry leaving his face.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he replied, licking the back of his hand before sprinkling it with salt.
The gesture made something inside Sienna tremble. Arlen knocked back his shot and bit down on a lime wedge, sighing when he was done. He spread out on the couch, his large frame taking over almost half of it. She was careful to stay on her own side, afraid of what touching him might do to her, considering what had happened the last time she came into brief contact with him.
“So, how is it that you just happen to have a bottle of tequila lying around? Most people have some wine or beer in the fridge, maybe a bottle of scotch…” she trailed off, sinking in to her seat.
“What kind of a Texan would I be if I didn’t?” he shrugged, already refilling their glasses. “And don’t worry, I’ve got beer too.”
“So that’s where the accent is from.”
“Born and raised. How about you, are you a lifelong Chicagoan?”
“Not exactly, but I consider it my home.”
Sienna twitched in her seat uncomfortably, not keen on getting any follow-up questions.
“Your hometown could do with a little more sun,” he remarked, sprinkling salt onto his hand. “And a little more heat.”
“I can’t argue with that,” she answered with a small laugh.
“Here’s to a warmer future,” Arlen toasted, raising his shot in the air.
Sienna was giggling uncontrollably, a sure sign she was getting tipsy. Arlen’s story about how he almost got expelled from high school wasn’t helping, either.
“An honest to god pig costume? How did you even get it on him?” she asked in between laughs.
“Let’s just say my buddies and I were very convincing that day,” he replied with a smirk.
“I’m guessing his career as a serial butt-grabber came to a swift end?”
“The halls were safe once more,” Arlen said with exaggerated flourish.
He had regaled her with story after story, obviously picking up on Sienna’s reluctance to talk about her past. It sounded like he had been quite the troublemaker in his youth. He didn’t look like the wild and uncontrolled type, though she kept catching glimpses of it being a possibility.
“What did you do after high school? Did you get hired by whatever company you mentioned earlier right away?”
“No, I joined the Navy. Went through SEAL training and got deployed overseas a couple of times. After serving out my contract, I decided it was time for a change. That’s when I was recruited into The Firm.”
“You left out what it was called before,” Sienna pointed out.
Was it just the alcohol loosening his tongue or something else?
“I did. But it doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve already told my supervisors about you.”
That sounded distinctly dangerous for some reason.
Sienna mulled it over, absentmindedly reaching for her glass at the same time Arlen was reaching for it. Their fingers brushed up against each other’s, and the mood in the room changed immediately.
Arlen quickly pulled away, but she could hear a soft rumble echo forth from his chest. Sienna’s hand tingled where their skin had touched. Pausing for a moment, she considered the swirl of tequila and keen interest that was welling inside
of her. Being around Arlen was the first time in lord knows how long where she’d actually found herself laughing and having a good time.
What the hell?
She pulled her legs onto the couch and scooted closer to him, giving in to the magnetism between them.
He looked at her with something predatory in his eyes, muscles tensing as if he was holding himself back. She didn’t mind it. The way his lingering gaze swept over her body confirmed what she’d known all along.
“So it’s not just me,” she whispered softly. “You feel it, too.”
“Feel what?” he asked, his voice a lot huskier than before.
Why was he bothering to deny it? Sienna reached out, covering his hand with hers. The familiar electricity was back in an instant, made even more intense by the way Arlen was clearly undressing her with his eyes.
She knew she wasn’t supposed to be doing this, but what was there to lose? Her life had gone to hell in a handbasket anyway, she might as well enjoy it as she was going down.
“I can’t be what you deserve,” Arlen uttered, still holding back.
“Just be what I need tonight,” Sienna replied, her reckless side making her say the words she never would have with someone else.
Neither of them knew what tomorrow might bring. They could be dead by the end of the week. So why not take full advantage of this fire between them? It wasn’t like Sienna was looking for a relationship with the man.
Just a night of fun. That was it.
And she had a feeling Arlen could definitely deliver. He slowly edged closer, muscles rippling and moving under his shirt as he moved. The couch creaked under his massive frame as he closed the distance between them, inch by torturous inch.
Her breath hitched, suddenly acutely aware of his commanding, strong presence. Every fiber of her being wanted to melt against him, to find out what those hands could do to her. What his mouth tasted like…
If Sienna had ever thought she knew what anticipation was, she had been a fool. Every cell in her body was yanked towards Arlen. Her lips parted slightly when he got close enough for his warm breath to fall on her face.
She balanced herself on her knees as his mouth was all but brushing against hers and ran her hands up his forearms and shoulders, enjoying the feel of his hard flesh. Desire pooled in the pit of her stomach as he mirrored the gesture. It was electric, the way he made her feel.
Sienna interlocked her fingers behind his neck as his hands stilled on her shoulders. Arlen’s gaze roamed over her face one last time before his mouth came down on hers, soft yet demanding.
What am I getting myself into? the last shred of rationality questioned from within, but got buried under the wave of I don’t care.
Eleven
Sienna
Sienna pushed her lips against Arlen’s in blind need to be closer to him. His fingers on her shoulders tightened as his tongue slipped into her mouth, claiming it with sensual thoroughness. He tasted of citrus and salt, as probably did she.
But it wasn’t the alcohol they’d consumed that made her head spin.
Her whole body seemed to sigh as she molded herself against him. Arlen released her shoulders and brought his hands down, grabbing her thighs and pulling her onto his lap, so her legs splayed out on either side of him.
A choked groan escaped his throat when their hips pressed together. Sienna’s hands roamed to the carved ridges of his stomach, dipping beneath the hem of his shirt and pulling it upwards. His taut skin was cool under her touch and she wanted to feel it everywhere around her, on her.
Arlen’s hard cock was pushed against her slit and she gasped when she first realized it.
Holy hell!
He wasn’t just packing heat, he was really packing heat. Between the perfection of his body and the size of his cock, Sienna thought she might have just passed out and had the best dream of her life. But he was very much real. She began to rock herself against him, growing wetter by the second, whimpering with need.
He broke the kiss only to pull off his shirt. Their tongues continued to tangle, wild and unrelenting. Arlen’s hands slid up her thighs and under her shirt, leaving tingles in their wake. When his rough palms covered her breasts, she moaned into his mouth, her nipples puckering.
The hunger with which he kissed her drove her insane. And the more urgently she responded to him, the more ravenous he became. It was like they fed off of each other, in an unending loop of lust that Sienna wished would last forever.
Arlen pulled down her bra roughly and started rolling her nipples between his fingers, sending waves of heat rippling through her core. The throb between her thighs was growing unbearable.
She wanted him, needed him, had to have all of him.
“I want you,” she whispered against his mouth.
“Not as much as I want you,” he growled, pushing her onto her back with the weight of his body.
It wasn’t like she was about to argue with that kind of conviction.
She lay on the couch, all but flattened under his body and enjoying every second of it. His erection rubbed against her swollen clit, making her squirm against him. He pushed off of her, ripping off her clothes until she was completely naked in front of him.
Arlen smiled as he mapped every inch of her with his eyes. She loved the way he looked at her, like her every curve, dip and ripple was utter perfection.
“Please…” Sienna said breathlessly, running her fingers down her chest, right between her breasts.
He hurriedly peeled off his jeans before kissing his way up her thighs and to her pussy. Her back arched when that first, slow lick spread her open, setting every nerve ending on fire. Arlen went to work, lapping and sucking at her center until she felt like every bone in her body had melted.
Her fingers curled in his dirty-blond hair and the strands felt just as silky under her touch as she’d imagined them.
He expertly built up the pressure inside her, circling his tongue over her clit while his hands roamed all over her. Sienna let the sensations carry her away. The whole building could have collapsed around them, and she wouldn’t have noticed.
It didn’t take long until a trembling release shook all over her body as she climaxed with a silent scream. She’d been so wound up that just touching Arlen could have sent her off like a powder keg – the fact that she’d lasted so long as a miracle in itself.
Arlen pulled himself up to wrap her in his arms and nibble on her neck. His thick cock throbbed against her thigh, reminding her there was still more to come.
She kissed him, tasting herself on his tongue and running her hands through his hair. His body flexed and tensed against them, nothing separating his skin from hers. She still wanted more from him.
Sienna pressed her hands against his chiseled chest, gently pushing until he raised himself off of her. She got up from the couch to stand on shaky legs, running her eyes over his impressive body.
“What’s…” Arlen started with a flustered frown, beginning to stand, but Sienna pushed him back down.
He sat back, catching her drift. She stepped close to the edge of the couch, enjoying the way he drank in the sight of her nakedness. His impressive cock stood at attention and she climbed on top of him, lowering herself onto him with deliberate slowness.
Arlen let out a hissing breath as his hands grabbed onto her hips and dug into her skin. She savored the way he stretched her thin, filling her up until she felt like she belonged to him and not to herself. She gritted her teeth slightly, the delicious combination of pleasure and pain oh so good.
“Spirits above,” Arlen mumbled as his head fell back.
Sienna grabbed hold of his shoulders and began to move, lost in the way he felt inside her, getting pulled deeper and deeper each time she twisted her hips. The pain subsided, leaving nothing but pure heat and lust behind.
He lifted his head, eyes burning as he stared at her face. Finding their rhythm, their bodies moving in sync as their eyes locked on to each other.
&n
bsp; It went just beyond the physical. In that moment, Sienna felt that they were perfectly in tune. It was like they were sating a longing for closeness that had connected them from the second they met. It was new and exciting, yet familiar and comforting.
Perfect in its imperfection.
Sienna picked up the pace, grinding on top of him, her hair sticking to her back. Arlen moaned before grabbing her head and pulling her into a bruising kiss. His hips bucked against hers as he slammed into her, keeping her against him with a hand on her hip, making her gasp for air.
His hands pushed and pulled at her waist as she bounced on top of him, unable to do anything more than moan and whimper and thoroughly enjoy the ride. Each thrust sent her further down a path of no return. Her nails raked across Arlen’s chest as she barreled towards another orgasm, even more powerful than the last.
“Fuck,” he groaned as she came, muscles tightening around him.
In one swift move, Arlen had her on her back as he pumped into her, losing whatever control he had left. Suddenly, he jerked away, a roar ripping through him. His hot seed spilled onto her thigh as he collapsed on top of her, their bodies slippery with sweat.
For a moment, she wondered if he’d been fast enough with pulling out, but when he laid sweet kisses on her chest and then nibbled on her nipple, those thoughts floated into the background.
Sienna brushed hair out of her face with a sated sigh. Arlen pushed himself up on his elbows, probably not wanting to crush her under his weight. She felt slick and sticky, covered in all sorts of bodily fluids, but he didn’t seem to care at all, peppering her sensitive skin with kisses.
She laughed and swatted at him as his lips tickled her. He smiled against her skin, amused at her reaction.
“Is that how they do it in Texas?” she teased.
“Oh, trust me, it gets a lot hotter in Texas. Want me to show you?” he asked, waggling his brows.
