The Naughty Nine: Where Danger and Passion Collide

by Nina Bruhns

  “Please, Carter, I can't…”

  He stood in one quick motion, carrying her to the bed, and he gently moved over her as he laid her down. “No, this is one place I get to be in control.” He smiled down at her. She didn't know what he meant by that. Then he was kissing her again and she forgot everything as his hands and mouth traveled over her body. He trailed down over her ribs as he licked his way to the spot she'd been burning for him to touch. Finally, when his fingers skimmed over the heated flesh, she almost jumped off the bed.

  “Easy,” he smiled up at her. “So sensitive?”

  She nodded her head and grabbed his hand with hers. Pulling it back to the spot she wanted, he chuckled.

  “I'm in charge, remember?” He moved her hand away and continued to trail his hand where he pleased. It took a while, but finally, he moved back to the spot she wanted and his fingers found her wet. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the rhythm he'd found as he moved over her, giving her everything she'd wanted.

  He was building her up so fast that when his head dipped and his mouth touched her skin, she exploded with a scream. Lights flashed behind her eyes and a sharp pain exploded behind her left ear. Together the mixture was almost intoxicating, the pain with the pleasure. Was it always like this?

  “More.” Carter was leaning over her now. When she looked into his eyes, she saw desire, raw and pure, in them. “I want it all,” he growled as he pushed her legs aside, settling between them as he kissed her neck and face. Then he pulled back with a jerk.

  “Hang on.” He leaned over and yanked open the nightstand drawer, searching. He smiled when he pulled out a small box and shook it. “Whew.” They must have been left over from when Mitch and Sandi had stayed there last year.

  She frowned as she looked at it, trying to figure out what it was. Then she realized and she couldn't help but blush. She was happy when she realized he was too busy to notice her heated face. Then he was kissing her again and all embarrassment fled, replaced with want.

  When he slid slowly into her, she couldn't stop the moan as he filled her completely. Her legs wrapped around his hips as she held on to his shoulders and hips. Their bodies became slick and the cool sheets on her back clung to her as she moaned with each thrust.

  She felt herself building again and wanted more than anything to take him with her this time. When she looked up at him, she noticed his dark eyes on her. He watched her and when she slowly licked her lips and looked at his mouth, his eyes closed and he swooped down to kiss her as they went together.

  It must have been some time before she finally regained her thoughts. Their bodies had cooled and Carter's body was the only thing keeping her warm from the chill in the house. His breathing had steadied along with hers. She didn't know if he was asleep, but his hot breath on her neck felt nice.

  Had she ever felt this way with another man before? He'd said they'd been engaged. How many times had they done this together? Years? Months? Somehow, she didn't think it had been like this before. She wished she could just come out and ask him. But somehow, she thought he'd avoid answering her, like he had several times about other subjects she’d brought up.

  “Carter?” She rubbed her hands over his backside, enjoying the muscles she found there.

  “Mmm?” He buried his face in her hair.

  “Where's my engagement ring?” He was causing goose bumps on her skin and she really wished he'd pull the blanket over them or light a fire in the room.

  He laughed. “Leave it to you to ask that question at a time like this.” He pulled back, resting on his elbows, looking down at her.

  She shivered and frowned. “A time like what?”

  He shook his head and stood up. “Eve.” He walked over and started building a fire. She didn't know how she knew it, but he was struggling with wanting to tell her something.

  “What is it, Carter?” He was kneeling down, about to light the fire, but looked over his shoulder at her. “What?” She couldn't see his face in the dark, couldn't see his eyes. “What is it you're not telling me?” She sat up and pulled the blanket over her, trying to warm up.

  He turned back to his task. “Nothing. I've told you everything.” She looked at his back and knew that his moment of weakness had passed. Would she ever find out what it was he was hiding from her?

  Secret Identity: Chapter Nine

  Carter watched the flames take hold of the wood. He could feel her eyes bore into his back and knew he'd almost blurted out the truth. How could he have tried to lie to her about them being engaged? It was a moment of weakness. There was no way he was going to spoil the perfect moment that had just happened. In all the years of imagining being with her, nothing had ever compared to the reality of being with her.

  Looking over his shoulder, he smiled when he noticed her checking him out. Slowly, he stood and turned. Her eyes traveled over him and he felt himself growing hard again.

  Eve's eyes slowly raised to meet his. He smiled and started walking towards her. “The ring is in the downstairs’ safe. It was my grandmother's. I haven't had time to come up here and get it for you, yet.” He stopped at the side of the bed and pulled the covers away from her. Then he looked down at her and marveled at how beautiful she was. Her knees were up, pushing against her chest and her arms were crossed in front of her. “Shy all of a sudden?” he smiled at her.

  She shook her head. “Cold.”

  “I can fix that.” He sat beside her and touched her with his fingertips. Her head fell back and her eyes slid closed. He could see her relaxing as he ran his fingers over every inch of her. Finally, she was panting when he motioned for her to lie down. She shook her head.

  “You got to explore me the first time. I want to see what I've agreed to marry. You lie down. I'll explore and see if something doesn't jog my memory in the process.” He almost lost his nerve, but then she smiled at him and he became so turned on, he would have done anything she'd asked of him.

  “Lie down.” She pointed to the bed and scooted over to make room. He did what she asked, putting his arms behind his head as he leaned back on the pillows.

  She sat next to him and ran her eyes over his naked body. “Hmmm.” She tilted her head as if she was deep in thought.

  He laughed. “What?”

  “Nothing pulls at my memory yet.” She smiled.

  “Maybe if you use one of your other senses,” he hinted.

  Her eyebrows shot up in question.

  “You know… sound, sight, touch, taste…”

  “Yes, maybe.” She leaned over and started running her fingers over his chest. It was pure torture to sit still as her cool hands ran up and down his heated skin.

  “Do you know how badly I want you right now?” His voice sounded strained. His hips came off the bed as she ran her hands down them, then lower, over his legs, as she avoiding the one place he wanted her to touch the most.

  “Yes, I think I can see how much you want me.” She chuckled.

  “Eve, you're killing me here.” He moaned as she circled again.

  “Hmmm, nothing is bringing up memories.” His eyes flew open and he watched as she dipped her head to taste his skin. His hips did jump from the mattress then as her tongue licked him, circling and sucking until he thought his eyes would bulge out of their sockets. Somehow, his hands had ended up in her hair, and when his fingers ran over her scar, he pulled them away quickly, not wanting to hurt her, not wanting to remember what had brought them here.

  “Eve?” He watched as she sat up, a smile on her lips, then she reached over and took another condom from the box. When he reached to take it from her, she pushed his hands away, playfully.

  “I'm in charge this time, remember?” He watched as she opened the package and slowly rolled it on him. Did she know that the simple act of protection was almost taking him to the edge?

  When she was done, he moved to grab her, but she pulled back and shook her head. “No, I'm still in control. All you can do”—she leaned over, her hair resting on h
is chest as she whispered—“is lie there and take what I give you.”

  Closing his eyes, he tried to count or think of something that would steady his heartbeat and the desire that was raging in him. Her hands ran over his body, and soon his mind was focused on one thing only. Her.

  He felt the bed dip and looked up as she straddled his hips. Now, it would be now. But instead, she sat on his thighs and rubbed her hands over him, gripping him and using her fingers to pleasure him.

  “I wonder how long you can go before you lose control.” She smiled.

  “You little vixen.” He smiled up at her. Her skin was shining in the light of the fire. Her eyes sparkled with mischief and desire. That was when he knew he'd lost his heart. His hands came up and gripped her hips, raising her until she hovered above him. “Take all of me.” He groaned as she slid down on him fully. Her head fell back and she gasped. Her hands went to his chest as she held on. “Ride, just move.” He moaned as she began to move slowly on him.

  He tried to let her set the pace, but his hands on her hips started pushing and pulling until their paces matched. He could see her building and knew that he couldn't last much longer. Leaning up, he took her nipple into his mouth and as he sucked, he joined her in the victory.

  The next morning she joined him on the beach for a jog. He made sure to cut his normal run in half, just in case. He didn't want her to push herself too much, yet. The weather was supposed to take a turn later that afternoon so he spent a good deal of his morning chopping wood and bringing it up to the house. It almost seemed like they had a normal life there in the old house on the bluff. He could almost forget the lies and the reason they were there. The truth and the thought of it surfaced and hung over him like an anvil waiting to fall.

  * * *

  Eve was sitting on the bar stool in the kitchen watching Carter make breakfast when he turned to her, still holding the spatula.

  “How about a trip into town today?” He asked.

  “Town?” She enjoyed the look of him as he cooked. There was just something sexy about a man in the kitchen.

  “Yes.” He turned back to expertly flip the spinach and tomato omelet he was making. “There are several antique shops in town and some more along the highway. I thought we'd look for some furniture.”

  She couldn't explain it, but her heart rate tripled just then. “I must like shopping.” She smiled. “My heart is racing and I think I actually feel dizzy.”

  He turned and smiled. “Shopping is one of your favorite past times. Mitch and I always hate it when you drag us along.”

  She laughed.

  Four hours later, she was still just as energetic as when they had started shopping five stores earlier. Carter did little complaining, but she knew he was wanting to call it a day. They had picked out several great items for the house including a file cabinet and a bookcase that matched his grandfather's desk in the office.

  They were currently at a flea market a few towns away. The large green barn was filled with antique and second-hand items, and she'd lost sight of Carter again. There was quite the crowd in the building that smelled of straw and dust. She chatted with a few people she came across and enjoyed just being out in public. She was looking for some curtains that would go in the living room windows when someone brushed against her side. She felt a wave of dizziness and tried to grip the table in front of her before she hit the floor.

  When she opened her eyes again, she was looking into Carter's eyes and knew he was both worried and mad. There were several other people standing around her and she immediately felt embarrassed.

  “You have to know your limits. This is all my fault. I should have stopped you an hour ago,” Carter said quietly as he pulled her into a sitting position and held up three fingers in front of her.

  “Three.” She answered his unasked question. “My eyesight is fine.” She tried to smile and show him there was nothing to worry about. She wasn't feeling dizzy now. She even felt like her energy levels were still strong. Frowning, she started to get up. “What brought that on? I'm not tired,” she asked herself.

  “No, don't get up yet.” Carter tried to hold her down. “Just wait awhile. Someone is running to get you a bottle of water.”

  She shook her head. “Carter, I'm fine. I don't feel dizzy. My eyesight is fine, no blurriness. Honestly, besides being a little hungry, I feel fine.” She pushed him away until she could stand up. When she did stand, she mentally checked everything as she looked around the barn. Yes, everything was normal. Well, as normal as it could be with a concussion and memory loss.

  A short, older woman rushed up to her with a bottle of water. “Here now, drink this down, honey. You'll feel better.” She looked towards Carter. “I have an office over there.” She pointed towards the side of the barn. “If you want to take her and let her sit for a while. There's a nice sofa for her to lie down for a spell.”

  Eve shook her head. “No, I'm fine. Really.” She drank some of the water and realized she was more than a little hungry. “I suppose I'm just a bit hungry.” She smiled. The crowd of people started walking away, leaving her alone with Carter and the older woman.

  “There's a wonderful deli just this side of town. You can't miss it. You just let me know if there is anything I can do. I hope you feel better.”

  “Thank you, I think that's just want she needs.” Carter said. The woman walked away, leaving them alone. Carter started pulling her towards the exit.

  “Really, Carter. I feel fine. Maybe just some lunch and we can come back. There were these lovely lace valances.” She looked over her shoulder as Carter tugged her towards the door.

  “Later. Right now, we're going to get you some food and you're going to spend the rest of the day in bed.

  An hour later, after stopping by the quaint deli and eating a full turkey sandwich on a toasted wheat roll, she found out he wasn't joking. Every time she tried to get out of bed, he'd said something about calling a doctor. She'd ended up sleeping the rest of the day away. By sunset, she was wide-awake and bored out of her mind. Carter had spent the rest of the day working on his laptop while sitting at the small desk in the room. No doubt he was trying to remain near her so he could watch over her.

  That evening after he'd cooked her a large pot of spaghetti, they sat in front of the fireplace and watched an old movie from one of the bookshelves, which was full of old VHS movies. Her feet were tucked underneath her, covered in large wool socks. She looked out the window and noticed snow falling outside.

  “Oh! It's snowing.” She jumped up and ran to the window to look out. In the porch light, she could see that the large white flakes were sticking to the grass. Carter walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, standing behind her as he pulled her close.

  “We've had plenty of snowball fights in that yard,” he said as he kissed the top of her hair.

  “Really?” For just a moment, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of being held. Had she always felt this way about him? It was hard to explain, but he felt like home, he sounded like home, and he even smelled like home.

  “Hmmm, of course, you've never won a battle.” He chuckled. “Mitch holds the title of snowball king. There's just something about that guy. You put a ball of snow in his hands and he turns into a maniac.”

  She smiled as an image of a thirteen-year-old Mitch popped into her head. He was wearing a dark gray jacket that was two sizes too big for his skinny teenage body. His gloves were too small and he had a dark red knit hat on. He was laughing like a villain from a movie as he threw ball after ball in her direction. Even when she was down on the ground, he stood over her and dumped a handful of snow on her face. Cold seeped into her shirt as snow breached the layers of her protective clothing. Even her feet were wet and cold as the snow penetrated her boots and socks. Mitch stood over her and laughed. “Serves you right. Next time you plan a sneak attack on the King of Snow, you'd better make sure you pack a parka.” Mitch stood above her, his hands on his hips as he th
rew his head back and laughed.

  “Eve! Eve?” Someone was screaming at her. The sound penetrated the memory. She blinked a few times and realized she was lying on the couch, looking up at Carter.

  “What?” She tried to sit up. Carter placed his hands on her shoulders, keeping her still. “What happened?”

  “You tell me. We were having a nice moment, watching the snow and next thing I know you're taking a face plant, almost through the window.”

  She looked at his face and realized how pale it was. His hands shook as he held her still and there was pure fear in his eyes. Reaching up, she took his face in her hands.

  “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.” Then she remembered what had happened and smiled. “I had a memory.” She saw even more fear creep into his eyes and wondered why.

  “What?” He pulled back and looked at her. “What memory?”

  “A particularly bad snowball fight with the King of Snow.” She laughed and then described the scene to Carter as he sat beside her looking troubled. When she was done telling him the memory, he was frowning. “Okay, why are you frowning? From my point of view, it was a great memory. Did something happen?”

  “No, it was a fun day. I wasn't there to help you defend yourself because the King had already taken me out and I was stuck under three feet of snow.” He chuckled then sobered. “I'm just worried that you're going to pass out every time you remember something. I think we need to go into town tomorrow and have you checked out at the clinic. Maybe even drive into the city and see a specialist.” He started to get up, but she grabbed his hand.

  “Carter, I'm fine. I don't know why I passed out twice today. Maybe it's my brain’s way of trying to heal itself. I feel fine. I don't even have a headache. I'm not dizzy and my vision is fine. Can't we just wait awhile?”

  He stood and shook his head. “They told me you might have other symptoms, none of which were passing out every time you remembered something. I think it's best if we have it checked out. Just in case.”