by Jen Talty
Nick nodded. “This is a win-win and could be the beginning of a long and prosperous relationship.”
“Perhaps, but we don’t have time for an auction.” Ramos rubbed the back of his neck. “If what you say is true.”
“It’s true and we don’t need an auction,” Nick said, leaning back, looping his arm over Leandra. “We’ve got two buyers who are looking for slave labor and they will take the entire lot.”
“You don’t even know what I have.” Ramos sucked on his cigar, the tip turning red.
“We’ve been watching your operation for months now,” Leandra said.
She’d gathered a fair amount of information on Ramos’s operation, but what she hadn’t found out, Nick’s resources with the Omega Team had uncovered in less than five hours. Even he was impressed by what they’d been able to uncover and put into place. Of course, some of Nick’s old buddies had come through, making this a well put together op with the best of the best.
The plan still had a few holes and any number of things could go wrong, but Nick wasn’t going to focus on that.
“I want 1.5 million,” Ramos said before he blew out his smoke, his lips forming a circular motion as he snapped his jaw, creating rings.
“Right now, we’ve got the buyers at a million. Best we’re gonna get for this deal on short notice. But we can guarantee we’ll be able to increase your fair market value by twenty-percent in six months.” All Nick needed to do was to get Ramos to agree to this sale. That way he could make sure all the current victims were moved to a safe location before slapping handcuffs on Ramos. But in the process, he needed to find out who Skyler had been sold to and help Leandra bring her home to her family.
Ramos put the cigar between his teeth and held out his hand. “If this deal goes off without a hitch, then we can discuss doing further business. If not?” He shrugged. “I’m going to fuck your beautiful wife while you watch and then I’m going to kill you.”
Nick knew Ramos believed his own words, but no way in hell, no matter what went down tonight, would Ramos ever be laying a finger on Leandra.
She belonged to Nick.
What the fuck? Where did that come from? Screw her once and she’d be out of his system. She was just another chick that reminded him he was a man with needs, not a man with desires.
Big difference.
At least that is what he told himself.
Chapter 4
LEANDRA KICKED OFF HER shoes on the back porch of the house Nick had taken her to last night. In typical Florida fashion, the outside wasn’t much to talk about with its chipped paint and overgrown landscaping. But the new hardwood floors in the kitchen and family room, and brand-new stainless-steel appliances, gave the house a modern, upscale feeling. The inside had been freshly painted with warm, neutral colors that brightened up the space when the sun filtered through the windows.
“Sorry about the married thing.” She flopped herself down on the soft, leather sofa. It felt cool against her legs, which had a thick layer of humidity covering her skin. “Not sure why I thought that would get him to stop hitting on me.”
“I think it works to our advantage.” Nick sat down on the far end of the coach, his legs stretching out over the coffee table. All morning long, his hands had been on her skin. The attention he showed her in front of Ramos had been above and beyond. However, once on the boat and out of sight of his men, Nick continued to caress her shoulders, or even hold her hand. He explained as he helped her from the boat to the dock that he was sure they were being followed, watched.
Maybe they were, but his affection felt more like desire than a show put on for the sake of a killer.
“Besides, I don’t like the way he looks at you, much less how he pulled your hair.”
“I can’t say I like it much either. He’s a disgusting man.”
Nick turned his head. His soft blue eyes cast a concerned look as the sunlight beamed through the window. “Who wouldn’t think twice about raping and killing you.”
She shivered. Ever since Kent passed, she started taking risks she normally wouldn’t. It wasn’t a death wish, but more like sticking her middle finger up at life. “I was definitely in over my head, so thanks.” She bit down on her lower lip. The only thing worse than knowing she’d taken on more than she could cope with was having to admit it.
“You’re welcome.” The corners of his mouth tipped upward. “But, I think you’d manage to land on your feet…like Cat Woman.” He winked.
Without thinking, she kicked his thigh with her foot, letting her toes feel the hard muscles inside his jeans.
He grabbed her ankle, fanning his thumb over her sensitive skin, resting her foot on his leg.
She should pull away and shut down these insane attraction that had come out of nowhere.
“How long were you married?” he asked, his face turned serious and his eyes filled with an understanding that made her heart beat faster.
“Just over two years.”
“Had you known him long?”
“A year before we married,” she said, letting out a long breath. Normally, she couldn’t bring herself to talk about Kent with anyone, especially strangers, but Nick did something to her brain, making her want to share her sob story with him.
Perhaps, misery loves company.
“Kent, my husband, was originally from the Bronx and we meet in a bakery when he managed to dump his jelly doughnut all over my white shirt.” Her lungs burned at the memory. She’d been admiring his physique since he’d opened the door for her. She couldn’t decide what she wanted, which was often the case, so she let him go first. When the clerk handed him his order, she suspected he’d go to the left, but instead he turned right and she walked into him and his doughnut. “It was love at first stain.”
Nick laughed. “First time I saw my wife, I thought my heart would stop beating. When she smiled at me, I was toast.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, how old were you when she died?”
He continued to caress her ankle and foot, as if it were a normal thing to do while talking about their dead spouses.
“We were both twenty. Only been married for a few months.”
“That’s young.”
He nodded, dropping his head to the sofa. “Most people think we got married because she was pregnant, but we’d planned our elopement two weeks before we found out. I lost her and our baby.”
Leandra gasped, covering her mouth with both hands. She and Kent had decided to start trying to have children as soon as he returned home from his last deployment, only he never came home.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
“Thank you.” He rolled his head and stared at her with a mixture of commiseration and intent, a contrast of emotions that only another survivor could comprehend. “A couple of months after she died, I enlisted. I couldn’t stand to be near anything that reminded me of her.”
“I can understand that.”
“For a couple of years, I couldn’t even look at another woman. Everyone told me I needed to move on. That Joanne would want me to.”
“I’m getting that left and right and it makes me nuts.” But deep down, she knew there was a truth to the statements. “I’ll be ready when I’m ready.”
“If you think like that, you’ll end up like me and sometimes it’s a very lonely head space.”
“Being a widow is a lonely place to be in general,” she said, lifting her other foot to the sofa and leaning back, resting her head on the side of the sofa.
Nick’s fingers dug into her heels, massaging her aching feet. “My older brother, who you’ll meet this afternoon, thinks I wear my pain as if it were burned onto my chest like a scarlet letter.”
“My mother thinks I hold onto my grief out of fear.” Talking about her late husband never seemed natural, much less comfortable, but Nick had a way of making her feel as though he understood why moving on was something that wasn’t in her wheelhouse.
“Your mother could be right.”
&nbs
p; “Have you ever tried peeling the scarlet letter off?”
“No,” he said, still rubbing her feet with strong fingers. “But I’ve learned to accept things as they are. I’ll never love another woman, nor be in a lasting relationship, and I’m okay with that.”
She moaned as he worked from her heels across her arches. “I want to be oaky with that.” Tossing her arm over her eyes, she tried to ignore the heat pulsing through her body. “I know I’ll never find love again because I don’t want it, but I’m tired of closing myself off to being a woman.”
The sofa shifted, as he pushed her one foot to the side. She jerked her head up as he settled between her legs.
Her body betrayed her as she let her knees fall outward, giving him plenty of room to nestle himself in her womanhood.
She sucked in a breath as his hands framed her face. Her arms wrapped around his broad shoulders.
“You’re a beautiful woman.” His lips brushed the tip of her nose. “Only way to be okay with having sex with someone else is to do it with someone who doesn’t want or expect anything else from you.”
“Is that what you did?” she asked.
He nodded. “I’ve wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you.”
“I was kind of turned on when you jumped me in the bathroom.”
“That was really hot.” He winked. “We have a few hours to kill while we wait around for everything and everyone to get into place.”
“Here? Now?” Her panties moistened as he pressed against her. All her nerve endings went up in flames. “Aren’t there people watching us?”
“Not inside the house.” He frowned, pressing his hands on the sofa, he lifted his chest up. “I’m sorry, this wasn’t appropriate.”
“Fuck appropriate,” she muttered, wrapping her legs around his muscular ass. “This is a one-time thing.”
“That’s all I’ve got to give you.”
“That’s all I want,” she said, her nipples tightened. “I should warn you that I haven’t had sex with anything other than my own fingers or vibrator—”
He covered her mouth with his, sucking her tongue inside, swirling his everywhere. Her nipples puckered against her bra, the fabric making them so hard it felt like they were on fire.
Kneeling, he kept the lustful kiss going as he scooped her up in his arms.
“Whoa…what are you doing?”
“I can’t fuck you properly on that sofa, so I’m taking you to the bedroom.”
She found his bluntness endearing. “I can walk.” Being a little bit on the heavy side, men didn’t carry her often, but Nick seemed to manage her as if she were a stack of feathers.
“When I’m done with you, walking might be a problem.”
“I hope that’s a promise.” She pressed her lips on his ear, sucking his ear lobe into her mouth.
He hissed as he kicked open the door to one of the bedrooms. Setting her feet down on the floor, he held her hips, staring into her eyes.
Her chest heaved up and down with each sharp breath. A combination of masculine musk and fresh soap smacked her nostrils, sending a tingle through her body. Until Kent, she hadn’t been comfortable being naked in front of a man. Every lover she’d had before him, somehow managed to make her feel as though her body imperfections made her less of a sensual woman. Most of the men hadn’t meant to cause her feelings of insecurity, but their poor choice of words and actions left her feeling anything but sexy.
Kent made her feel as though she were the most perfect woman in the world, and not just physically.
The way Nick looked her over with his lust-filled eyes, licking his lips, spread a hot sizzle across her skin, igniting a passion so deep it rocked her soul. She swallowed as his palms cupped her breasts before his fingers magically unbuttoned her blouse.
With both his palms holding her breasts, he leaned over and kissed her neck. Her hands rested on his shoulders, fingers dancing across his firm muscles. She tipped her head to the side, letting out a soft moan as he unfastened the front clasp of her bra.
His soft, moist lips kissed her nipple gently before he swirled his tongue over it, rolling and twisting the sensitive nub.
She clutched his head, running her fingers through his light brown hair, watching him toy with her body. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt this alive. Her heart beat so fast, she couldn’t catch her breath.
He kissed his way down to the top of her skirt, his hands kneading her ass under the fabric. All she could think about was shoving his face between her legs, throwing one leg over his shoulder.
She shuddered.
The tearing of her zipper sent a warm tingle over her nerves. As he rolled her skirt down over her hips, a combination of fear and passion filled her mind. She stood there, naked, in front of a man. A man who wasn’t her husband. A man she should feel guilty about being with, but didn’t. Not one bit.
The way Nick kissed her inner thigh overwhelmed her. The thought she could actually like the man behind the lips sent her heart pounding erratically.
When he looked up at her, locking gazes, she gasped. His intense stare filled her with hot desire.
And maybe something akin to caring. No, just strong mutual appreciation. They shared a common pain. They had bonded on that level.
And they were hot for each other.
But that was it.
“Oh...my…God,” she whispered as his tongue slid between her legs.
Gently, he pushed her onto the bed. His fingers and mouth caressing her with gentle strokes. His touch sweet and sensitive, but demanding at the same time. His movements were slow and meticulous. Everything he did had purpose.
She moaned, running her fingers through his buzzed, soft hair, tossing her head from side to side, and digging her heels into the mattress. Her body tensed, floating on the edge of oblivion. A long, intense quiver, starting in the pit of her stomach, flowed toward where Nick’s mouth connected to her as if he were sucking all her passion out of her.
A pang of guilt tickled the back of her mind. The guilt, however, wasn’t what she’d expected. She thought this would feel more like cheating.
Not like letting go of the pain.
It wasn’t that she was about to forget all about the love of her life, but being with Nick seemed to give her the will to do what she knew Kent would want her to do.
Live.
And she’d been merely existing.
Nick looked up at her, his eyes conveying the kind of hunger that would devour her with delicious torture. She watched as he kissed her intimately, his fingers gliding inside her, stroking her with the precision and passion a violinist used when striking the bow across the strings on his instrument.
His gaze never wavered and she couldn’t stop staring. Her lungs burned with each short breath she took. Everything about Nick made her want to give life… and love… a second chance.
He sucked harder on her swollen nub.
“Oh…my…God.” She dropped her hands to her side, fisting the sheets, her body rocking against his mouth, toes curling as a guttural groan bellowed from her throat. Her orgasm hovered on the verge of breaking free. She wanted to slow it down. Take the time to let it build to a boil.
“Nick,” she ground out behind gritted teeth. Clutching her thighs against the side of his head, she let out a husky groan.
Her body convulsed over and over. Moans came out of her mouth that she’d never heard before. It was the never-ending orgasm, quivering like the aftershocks of an earthquake. She blinked, staring at the fan swirling above her head, trying to take deep calming breaths. Her pulse raced out of control as he gently kissed her, gliding his lips to her inner thigh, then stomach.
Orgasms generally came easy to her, but never had they come on so fast and furious that she couldn’t manage to hold them off for long moments. Then again, for the last two years, she’d been giving them to herself.
“You taste like sunshine and whiskey.” He got to his knees and raised her leg, kissing her an
kle as his hand glided down her calf. “It’s addicting.”
“We need to get you out of your clothes,” she whispered. “It’s only fair.”
“Well, since your twisting my arm.” He lifted his shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor.
Biting on her lower lip, she scooted to a sitting position and ran her fingers across his firm chest. His muscles twitched at her touch. When she kissed his neck, running her fingers over his nipples, he made a hissing noise that rolled across her skin like a blanket of warm lotion. Wanting to touch him in the most intimate way, she fiddled with the buckle and eased the belt through the loops, tossing it to the floor.
She hadn’t wanted to feel good, or make someone else feel good, in so long. It created a hunger that burned through her veins.
He batted her hands away and stood at the end of the bed, lowering his pants over his hips. He paused, reaching in his back pocket and pulling out his wallet. He unfolded the leather case, taking something out. When he tossed the condom on the bed, warm goosebumps floated to the top of her skin.
Holding her breath, she felt the corners of her mouth tip into a small smile as he revealed himself. She swallowed. She’d seen a few naked men in her day, but Nick’s body was like a temple meant to be worshiped with his broad frame and long lean legs. His tight stomach narrowed at the hips.
And the rest of him?
Wow.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, she splayed her fingers across his stomach, feeling the muscles contract under her touch. She rubbed her hands up to his hard nipples, enjoying how he groaned when she let her fingernails graze them. She leaned in and kissed him just above the belly-button. His hardness pressed inside her cleavage. Resisting the urge to squeeze her breasts together, she leaned back a little, taking him into her hands.
The way he gently brushed her hair out of the way, holding it back with his hands, sent a warm rush of blood to every erogenous zone she had.
Sucking the tip into her mouth, she stroked him, enjoying his groans and the way he fingered her hair. She felt admired, something she hadn’t felt from a man in a long time. She took more of him in her mouth, swirling her tongue over the tip.
