Identity Crisis

by Rochelle Paige

  I grabbed a bottle from the fridge, twisted the cap off the top, and brought it over to her. “Here you go.” Then I dug in the fridge for some cheese and grabbed crackers out of the pantry.

  “Thanks.” She smiled at me before popping a pill into her mouth and chasing it with a gulp of the water.

  My eyes lingered on her legs for a moment, appreciating the view—one I didn’t plan to share with my best friend. “You need to pull on some pants. Brody will be here soon.”

  “That was fast.” She tilted her head, looking confused. “At least, I think it was. How long was I asleep?”

  “It’s only been a few hours.”

  “Doesn’t Brody live in Vegas like you?” she asked as she snagged a piece of cheese.

  “Yeah,” I confirmed. “But I sent him a text asking him to come before we left the clinic and he has access to a private jet.”

  “Then I guess I better get some pants on, but I’m taking this with me,” she said as she swept up the cheese and crackers before walking out of the kitchen.

  It was a good thing she hadn’t argued because by the time she came back out of the bedroom, Brody was knocking on the door.

  “The cavalry has arrived!” His greeting was said with a laugh, but his eyes didn’t hold any humor—not until he caught sight of Delia. “Aren’t you going to introduce us, Saint?”

  “Saint?” Delia repeated.

  “Blaine didn’t share his nickname with you, darling?” Brody looked between us, his eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face.

  “He didn’t.” Delia flashed a little smile at my best friend, making the dimple in her right cheek appear. Her eyes didn’t linger on the visible scars on his face and I was proud of her for not reacting the same way I’d seen other women do, by flinching. Brody’s eyes did a quick scan of Delia, lingering briefly on her chest, his expression clearly showing appreciation for her body. A twinge of jealousy flared to life inside me, something I wasn’t accustomed to feeling for any woman—let alone over the man I trusted more than anyone else in this world. “But I’m sure there’s an interesting story behind it.”

  “That there is,” Brody confirmed. “Maybe I’ll even share it with you one day.”

  “Not today?” Delia asked.

  “Unfortunately, I’ve got other news to share today.” Just like that, my playful best friend switched back to the serious operator I’d seen on all our missions, meaning he didn’t have anything good to tell me. “And I think you’ll want to be sitting down for this, brother.”

  “Shit,” I muttered as we moved toward the living room. Delia and I sat together on the couch and she reached out to grab my hand. “Was it the boyfriend?”

  “Considering his dead body turned up this morning, I’d say it’s a damn good possibility he was involved somehow,” Brody answered.

  “Fuck,” I hissed. “A dead body can’t answer questions and I could really use some right about now.”

  “You’re not going to like one of the answers I have for you,” Brody warned.

  “Serena?”

  He nodded. “Still nothing on her credit cards or cell phone and the body in the morgue fits her description perfectly. I spent the flight going over the security tapes I pulled from the hotel’s system and ran her photo through facial recognition. It was a match to the woman who checked in under Delia’s name.”

  “No sign of her leaving?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking even though I already knew the answer. He would never have told me this if there was even a remote chance she’d left that hotel in anything other than a body bag.

  “I’m sorry, man.”

  Delia’s hand tightened around mine, offering comfort. “There’s no chance at all?” she asked in a soft voice.

  “No.” Memories of Serena played through my mind: our shared childhood, the time we spent together as a couple, the meal we shared when I saw her before I left for my first mission.

  Delia’s hand squeezed again before she let go. “I’m feeling tired again from the pain pill. I think I’m going to lay down for a little bit, give you guys some time.”

  My eyes followed her as she walked to the bedroom, her gaze locking with mine when she turned. Time seemed to stand still until she stepped to the side and closed the door.

  “I wish I had better news.” Brody’s voice brought me out of my head and back to reality.

  “And your man? The one who helped her?”

  “Still haven’t been able to reach him. It’s possible they connected her to him and he’s on the run or they took him out, too.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll keep working that angle, but even if we find him, he won’t be able to give us much other than confirming what I’ve already discovered about Serena using Delia’s identity. He’s just a papers guy. He wouldn’t have wanted to get involved beyond that. Too much trouble and outside his area of expertise.”

  “Then how the fuck are we supposed to figure out who the hell they are?”

  “I’ll work on gaining access to the boyfriend’s computer remotely so I can see what he was into. Maybe I’ll find a lead on him.”

  We spent the next hour combing through the background report on Jonathan again, looking for anything that might point us in the right direction. “We need to follow the money trail. Something isn’t right about it.”

  “I think you’re right,” Brody agreed. “I’ll add that to my list of things to do tonight while you check on your girl.”

  “My girl?”

  “Don’t pretend you don’t know exactly what I’m talking about. Unless you aren’t going to do anything about that?” Brody asked, nodding toward the bedroom.

  “You just confirmed Serena’s dead, her boyfriend was murdered, Delia was shot this morning, and we still don’t have any idea what the hell is going on. Now isn’t the time for me to start something with Delia.”

  “I wouldn’t wait too long if I were you,” Brody warned. “A woman like that? Some man is bound to come along and sweep her off her feet if you don’t pull your head out of your ass and do it first.”

  Mine. I was startled by the thought as it rolled through my head. I’d been attracted to her since the first moment I’d laid eyes on her, even though I was swamped by grief at the knowledge that finding Delia alive meant Serena was most likely dead. Maybe if I’d been thinking more clearly, I would have sent Delia away for her own safety. One phone call to Damian was all it would have taken, but the idea of sending her to my boss made me feel a possessiveness I’d never felt before. Working for him over the past year meant I had plenty of opportunities to see how women responded to him. There wasn’t a chance in hell I ever wanted to see desire in Delia’s eyes when she looked at him. I wanted it for myself, even though I felt like an asshole for feeling like this.

  “Any asshole who thinks he’s going to take her away from me is bound to get his head ripped off,” I growled.

  “Then what the fuck are you doing out here with me when you could be in there with her? We both know I’ve got this covered. You’re just going to hold me back if you try to help me. You’re slow as shit and talkative as hell when you’re behind a keyboard. Didn’t we already learn this lesson?”

  “I guess we did,” I agreed reluctantly, thinking about the mission where we almost didn’t evade capture because I distracted Brody while he was trying to do his hacker thing.

  “Let me put it this way, Saint. There’s three of us, one king bed big enough for two in that bedroom, and a couch out here that will only fit one. Someone’s gotta join her in there. You want it to be me or you?”

  “It damn well won’t be you,” I hissed as I jumped to my feet and stormed toward the bedroom. “Stay away from Delia.”

  The moment I saw her on the bed, my anger at Brody faded. I knew he was playing me—pushing me toward her because he thought it was best for me. And when she opened her arms to me, I gave up trying to resist this thing between us. The logical side of me knew this wasn’t the time for seduction, but I was past the poi
nt of caring. We were safe for now, but you never knew what was coming around the corner. I wasn’t going to wait any longer.

  No time like the present, I thought as I strode toward the bed and climbed in beside her. My shirt was riding up her thighs and I tugged the sheet lower so I could trace my finger over her panties. When she moaned and let her head fall back onto the pillow, I took that as permission to keep going.

  “You’re so fucking sexy. I need a taste. Just let me taste you.” Pulling her panties down her legs, I followed their path and nibbled her creamy skin along the way. Once they were out of my way, I parted her thighs and slowly sank a finger into her pussy. As I stroked inside, she soaked my hand with her desire. Unable to resist any longer, I leaned forward to suck lightly on her clit and hummed in pleasure when her hips bucked underneath me.

  “Ouch,” she hissed.

  I tore my mouth away from her pussy and found her cradling her arm. “What happened, baby?”

  “I forgot.”

  I hated knowing she was in pain, but I felt like thumping my chest in triumph at the knowledge that I’d given her so much pleasure she’d somehow forgotten she was shot earlier today. “On your knees.”

  Her lips curved slightly at my command. “My knees?”

  “You heard me,” I rasped, rolling onto my back and patting my chest. “You’ll be more comfortable up here while I lick and suck and tease you until you’re coming on my tongue.”

  “Up there?” she questioned, and I took great satisfaction in the fact that her voice wasn’t steady. “What exactly do you have in mind?”

  “I want you on your knees, straddling my face.” My voice held a bark of command as I started getting impatient for another taste of her. I licked my lips, savoring her flavor—anticipating what it would feel like when she was hovering over me and I was able to hold her ass in my hands, pulling her pussy down to my mouth. “And I want it now.”

  My cock was already straining against my boxers, but when she raised to her knees, it twitched and I felt a drop of pre-come seep from the tip. “What about what I want?” she asked.

  “Trust me, baby. I’m about to give you exactly what you want.”

  “And if I want more?” she asked huskily, her eyes raking down my body and lingering on my hard-on.

  “Delia,” I groaned. She was hell on my principles. I was already going further than I should while she was taking pain pills. “If you still want me to fuck you tomorrow, I’ll be more than happy to give us both what we want. But not tonight. Not when you don’t know what you’re asking for.”

  She cocked her head at me like she was trying to figure me out before a small, secret smile tilted her lips. “Fine, my bossy sailor. No sex for me tonight, but you’re not the only one who gets to lick, suck, and tease.”

  Before my brain caught up with the meaning of her words, she had moved so her knees were planted on either side of my head. Her thighs were open and her pussy was mere inches from my lips. But she was facing opposite of what I’d intended. Leaning down, she braced herself on her good arm and ran her cheek along the length of my cock. My plan to give without taking flew out the window when I felt her hot breath on my hardened length.

  “Any sign of pain from you and I’ll have to flip you onto your back and tie your arm down so you don’t hurt yourself,” I growled.

  “Is that supposed to be a threat?” she murmured, her eyes heated as she looked at me through the space between our bodies. “Because it doesn’t scare me. Quite the opposite, in fact. It kind of makes me want to cry out just so you have an excuse to tie me up.”

  Outside of bed, Delia was one of the nicest women I’d ever met. Sexy as hell, but so damn sweet. I would never have guessed her gentle exterior hid an adventurous seductress. “Maybe another time.”

  “Promises, promises.” She lowered her hips slightly and shivered above me as I traced my finger along the seam of her inner thigh.

  Turning my head, I kissed her soft skin and tightened my hold on her thighs as she jerked in surprise. “Easy, baby. I don’t want you to hurt yourself. Lay your arm over my leg.”

  When I felt the weight of her arm on my thigh, I slowly widened my legs, shifting until her arm was outstretched and away from my hips. I didn’t want to jostle her if my hips jerked.

  “There you go, baby. You can play all you want as long as it doesn’t bother your arm.” I lightly trailed my tongue along her pussy lips, deliberately letting my breath fan over her damp flesh.

  “Blaine,” she moaned.

  I teased her until she widened her legs further and groaned when my lips made it to her clit, nipping at it. “I’m gonna make you come so hard, your juices are going to run down my face.”

  Her only response was a jerk of her hips before she pushed my boxers down my hips, freeing my cock, and then laying her arm over my thigh again. Her movements were clumsy since she was bracing all of her weight on her good arm. “Are you sure your arm is okay for this?”

  Her fingers wrapped around me, cutting off my line of thought. Then her warm breath teased the tip of my cock, her tongue flicking out to taste the drop of pre-come there. I clenched my jaw in an effort to gain control over the urge to drive myself past her lips and deep into her throat. It was easy to picture how her lips would look locked around my cock as I thrust between them. My balls tightened and I needed to focus on getting her off before I blew my load and embarrassed myself.

  Knowing the best defense was a good offense, I tightened my hands around her hips and held her in place while I parted her with my tongue. I swatted an ass cheek before sliding my hand lower and circling her opening with a finger. Her back arched as she cried out, gasping my name.

  I hadn’t counted on her determination to give while she received. She sucked my cock deep, her fingernails digging into my thigh as she slid her mouth up and down my hardened length. My thighs tightened, my breath caught in my lungs, and my body shuddered in response to her ministrations.

  “Fuck, Delia,” I hissed out in warning.

  I eased a finger into her wet heat, eliciting a moan that vibrated against my cock. Timing my motions, I thrust my finger in and out of her in sync with the slide of her mouth on my shaft. I gave her clit one last lick before sucking it into my mouth, adding a second finger on the next thrust. Her hips jerked back and forth as she rode my tongue while her mouth kept working me. When I thrust upwards, she moaned hungrily against my cock. The sound snapped what little control I had left.

  I searched out the soft, spongy spot inside her and rubbed it relentlessly. There was no way I was going over the edge without dragging her with me. My vision greyed and my body shuddered as my balls drew up against my body. Her scream of release echoed through the room as my orgasm tore through me. My head slammed down against the mattress, my hips thrusting into her mouth as I rode out the waves.

  Nothing had prepared me for the satisfaction I felt when she swallowed my come, licking her lips as she changed position and cuddled against my chest.

  Chapter 10

  Delia

  I couldn’t stop grinning like a fool as I traced my finger lightly over Blaine’s chest. I’d more than likely pay for our activity later when the pain pill wore off, but the orgasm he’d given me was definitely worth the discomfort. It had been too long since I had climaxed with the help of someone other than my vibrator. I’d probably pushed myself too hard with the decision to give Blaine the blowjob, but I couldn’t help myself. The second I saw the outline of his dick straining against his boxers when I got up on my knees, I wanted a taste of him for myself. And I wasn’t willing to wait.

  Sleeping with a guy this soon after meeting him wasn’t normal for me. Then again, my life hadn’t been the same old, same old from the moment I walked into my home and found Blaine there. I really wanted to blame everything that had happened for the recklessness of my decision to hop into bed with him, but I knew it was more than that. I just hoped Blaine didn’t get the wrong idea about me.

  “I�
��m not a slut,” I muttered.

  “Come again?”

  Blaine’s voice was huskier than usual and so damn sexy I almost forgot what I’d said. It was too easy to fall into a daze around him. “Nothing,” I mumbled.

  His hand gripped my chin and tilted my head up until I met his gaze. “You think I couldn’t tell it had been a while for you? With how snug your pussy was around my finger and how hard you came for me?”

  “Blaine!” I gasped.

  “All I’m saying is you’re not just an easy lay to me.”

  He probably meant it as reassurance, but his delivery could use a heck of a lot of work. “Just?” I repeated. “Let me get this straight, see if I understand. You’re saying I’m an easy lay but I’m also more?”

  “It figures, you being an author, you’d focus on the one word in the sentence that could piss you off.”

  “Well, then, maybe you shouldn’t have worded it that way.” I levered off his chest and tried to get off the bed before he pulled me back onto the bed by his side, not gently, but carefully enough to make sure I landed on my good side.

  “Fuck, baby. You’re hot when you’re angry with me. You just made me come hard and you’re still able to get my cock hard just by throwing attitude my way. I’m starting to think it’s a good thing you like to argue.”

  “Why in the world would that be good?” I’d never been one to argue. I wasn’t comfortable with confrontation. I was more the ‘suffer in silence’ type—except, apparently, with Blaine. This was yet another new thing for me since meeting him.

  “We just proved the chemistry between us is off the charts.” He looked at me like he was waiting for me to agree. I certainly couldn’t argue against his point so I nodded my head. “And I’m willing to bet the make-up sex will be un-fucking-believable.”

  Damn if that didn’t make me wet again.

  “Blaine.” His name was a breathy sigh, the anger draining from me as suddenly as it came.