The Vargas Cartel Trilogy: Books 1 - 3

by Lisa Cardiff

  He closed the door behind him. “You should be sleeping. Your flight leaves early in the morning.” He leaned against the door with a wicked smile on his face. “But I can’t say I’m sad you’re awake.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because now I can kiss you goodnight.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Did you find anything we can use?”

  He tapped a large yellow envelope against his leg, and his lips pinched together until they almost disappeared entirely. “I found more than enough.” He held up the envelope. “Everything you need is in here. Don’t look at it until you get back to the States with Noah.”

  I frowned. “I can’t read it on the plane?”

  “No.” He unzipped my suitcase and emptied out my clothes.

  I tossed the sheets to the side, and I jumped out of the bed. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m hiding this,” he answered without looking at me.

  I looked at him askance. “I can put it in my purse.”

  “This is better.” He pulled a switchblade from his pocket and sliced open the silky black lining in the suitcase. He slipped the envelope inside and squirted a few dots of glue on the lining, temporarily sealing the cut.

  I nodded. “What am I supposed to do with the information?”

  He tapped me on the tip of my nose. “Noah knows what to do. He’ll talk to you about it on the plane.”

  “When did you talk to him?”

  His eyes turned serious, but a faint smile remained on his face. “Just now.”

  “Oh.” I sat on the edge of the bed. “Why do I need to go with him? If he’s taking the lead, I can stay with you. I want to be here to support you.”

  He sighed as he settled onto the bed next to me, his hand weaving around my waist. His soft touch seared my side, his thigh leaning into mine, and his long fingers flexing into my skin.

  “It’s better that way,” he said, his voice heavy with emotion. “I don’t know what will happen here. There are so many moving pieces and things I can’t control. If you leave, it’s one less thing I need to worry about.”

  “Yeah. You’re probably right,” I said softly, even as a dull ache burrowed under my breastbone. As much as I wanted to glue myself to Ryker’s side, I sure as hell didn’t want to end up chained to a wall again because he couldn’t protect me.

  My nerves were shot from straining to catch every sound over the last two hours, and my exhaustion made me jittery. Ryker slid his arm up my back to my shoulders and I buried my head into his chest, seeking strength in his embrace. I promised myself I would stay strong and not cry until I was safe at home, but I fell apart. Tears burned behind my eyes, and a strangled sob fled my mouth as I exhaled.

  “Shh, it’s okay,” he whispered next to my ear.

  I tried to stand up, but he pulled me back down next to him.

  “How long do you think?” I asked. My words were muffled from pressing my face into his chest, trying to capture every last molecule of his scent and sear it into my memory.

  He kissed the top of my head. “Not long. A couple of weeks. Maybe a month if things get really complicated.”

  I lifted my head even though I felt empty with defeat. My heart felt like it was made of glass, ready to shatter at the slightest touch. “Not a month. You can’t leave me for that long. I’ll be showing by then, and everybody will know. What will I say? What will I do?”

  What everyone thought of me should’ve been the least of my concerns, but it wasn’t. My mom would lose her mind. My dad would say nothing as usual, but he wouldn’t have to. He communicated his disapproval with silence rather than words. My mom and dad made a good team in that respect. She said everything he wouldn’t and he sealed the deal by pretending I didn’t exist. His arm slid from my shoulder and I shivered.

  “I didn’t want to do this yet.” He kneeled in front of me and tilted his head to the side. “Well, that’s not true. I planned to do it right when we got to Mexico, but everything was strained and then it fell apart.”

  I nodded, unable to mutter a single word. He slipped his hand into his pocket, pulled out a black velvet box, and cracked it open. There was a large diamond solitaire framed by so many tiny diamonds it looked like a starburst. I cupped my hand over my mouth, unsure whether I wanted to laugh or cry. Maybe both.

  “This isn’t how I planned to ask you to marry me. I wanted this moment to be perfect and filled with promises of a beautiful future. I wanted you to be happy. I wanted to surprise you—”

  “Mission accomplished. You did surprise me,” I whispered, the words barely audible over the swish of the ceiling fan and the leaping of my heart in my chest. “I wasn’t expecting this. I never thought that far ahead. There was always so much going on. There was so much to figure out…” Realizing I was rambling, my voice faded to nothing.

  His knuckles brushed along my face, and I felt his touch all the way down to my toes. “I know and just to be clear I don’t want you to say yes right now.” He pinned me with his gray eyes, an endearing, almost boyish, smile on his face. “It’s still not the right time, but I want to give you this ring so you’ll know where my heart is even if things get ugly and complicated.”

  My lips trembled, and endless tears poured down my face, but I didn’t care. I wanted him to see how much this moment meant to me even if I couldn’t find the perfect words. “Things have been that way between us since the beginning, but that didn’t stop us before. It won’t stop us now.”

  He nodded as he fingered the diamond ring inside the box. It sparkled in the dim room as the light hit the delicate angles of the stone. “Yeah.” He smiled faintly, his eyes glowing with an intensity that made my heart sputter. “You’re right, and I have a feeling things are going to get a lot worse before they get better, but you’re worth it.” He swallowed hard. “I’d do anything for you. You know that, right?”

  “I do.”

  He nodded. “This is going to be hard. You need to be strong. So many things could go—”

  I held up my hand, interrupting him. I didn’t want him to explain. If I understood all the hazards, I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed tomorrow much less put the pieces in motion to destroy Senator Deveron and Evan. I needed to stay firmly focused on the end goal, not all the crap in between.

  “I know, but I don’t want to spend our last night together talking about all the bad stuff that could happen. I want to pretend like it doesn’t exist.” I licked my lips. “Just for tonight.”

  “Okay. I can do that.” He slipped the ring out of the box and held it up between us like a peace offering. “When you look at this, I want you to remember that we’re both working for the same goal.”

  “And what’s that?” I asked, wanting to make absolutely sure we were on the same page. There wasn’t any room for misunderstandings. We had to be in sync to make our plans work.

  He laughed softly. “A lifetime together. I want to marry you and wake up every morning next to you. I want to celebrate every holiday, triumph, and birthday with you. I want to hold your hand through every hurt, tragedy, or moment of uncertainty.” He squeezed my hand and pressed it against the center of his chest. “You are my heart. You are my soul. You are the best thing that ever happened to me.”

  His deep voice wrapped around my body like the softest blanket, and a cry of happiness escaped my mouth. He lifted my left hand and twirled the ring in front of me. His dark hair shone in the lamplight. His gray eyes glowed, drinking in every detail of my reaction.

  “Can I put it on you?” he asked.

  My breath snagged in my throat. “Yes. Oh my God. Yes.” He guided the ring up my finger and I held it up, wiggling my fingers. “It fits,” I whispered, feeling like Cinderella with the glass slipper.

  “I love you, Hattie,” he answered simply as he pressed a kiss to my parted lips. “Somehow we’re going to make a life together. I don’t know what it’ll look like when everything unravels, but I do know it will be you, me, and our baby.” He rested his
hand on my lower belly, and his eyes reminded me of a lake at twilight—deep and endless, just like our love. “Every time you look at this ring remember that no matter how bad things get, we have each other.”

  My heart swelled. He promised to make all my dreams come true. I ached to kiss him and touch him. I didn’t have to wait long. Strong arms circled around me, his fiery heat engulfing me. I swayed into him, molding our bodies together. He smelled like soap and him. Perfection.

  He brushed his lips across mine with a quiet but steady hunger. When my tongue slipped between his lips, he released a strangled moan and my mind blanked. Lust surged through my veins, hot and languid. Desire crackled in the air. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his.

  “I love you too,” I whispered against his mouth, my voice thick and husky.

  He leaned back, his eyes simmering with heat as his gaze trailed down my body and back up again.

  “I’m so lucky you’re mine,” he said, his voice low and gruff. He gripped the back of my neck, crushing his lips against mine. Within seconds, the kiss exploded. His mouth was urgent, hot and persistent against mine. He tasted like earthy tequila, salt, and raw need. We only kissed for a brief moment, but it felt like forever as my worries slipped away and impatience to have him again squeezed around my chest. Breaking off the kiss, Ryker yanked my t-shirt over my head. His heavy-lidded eyes and slightly crooked smile set me on fire.

  “Ryker,” I whispered, my voice feather soft.

  His fingers traced a line from my collarbone down the middle of my chest, painting my skin with tiny goosebumps. He paused when he reached the top edge of my panties, and I blew out a shuddering breath. His thumb slid beneath my panties, teasing me with every swipe. One perfectly timed movement would set me off. He brushed a kiss below my belly button. Aching with need, a moan spilled from my mouth.

  “I need you,” I said, latching onto his belt. I unbuckled it and shoved his pants down his hips as he pulled his shirt over his head. I wanted to touch every inch of him, mark him so he wouldn’t forget what we meant to each other. “You really think it’ll take a month?” I asked, thinking out loud as I nipped, bit, and licked his salty skin.

  “God, I hope not,” he hummed into my neck as he pushed me back on the bed. He licked the column of my throat, twisting his hands into my hair. I arched my head, giving him better access. My chest heaved, heavy breaths flowing like water from my mouth.

  “Wait,” I said, pushing him off me and sitting up again.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Shh,” I said, sliding down onto my knees in front of him. I wrapped my hand around his thick erection. “I’ve never done this for you before and I want to. I need to taste you.” I didn’t know why I felt that way. I never felt that way before. Certainly not with Evan, but Ryker made me feel all kinds of new things. Things I didn’t understand. Things I hadn’t known. Things I hadn’t even suspected.

  He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t stop me.

  “Fuck,” he groaned as I licked the tip, drinking his salty taste. An answering heat rippled between my legs. “You don’t have to do this.”

  I licked from the base to the tip. It was like warm velvet over steel on my tongue. “You don’t like it?” I asked, looking at him through the fringe of my lashes. He looked down at me, and a lock of pitch-black hair fell in front of one of his eyes. I leaned forward and guided him inside of my mouth one inch at a time, my gaze never wavering from his face.

  His nostrils flared, and his eyes fluttered closed. Harsh pants streamed from his mouth. The pulsing tension in his neck and the faint smile on his lips made my heart swell. I liked that I could bring him to the edge with my mouth.

  “You know I do,” he gritted out.

  “So I shouldn’t stop?”

  His hands tangled in my hair, and he shook his head. “God, no,” he said, his voice lowering an octave.

  My hands skated up his thighs as I bobbed his length in and out of my mouth, gradually increasing my suction with every pass.

  He tipped his head to the ceiling and groaned. His eyes were dark. “So close, Hattie. I’m so close.”

  “Mm,” I hummed around his shaft, encouraging him to let go. I wanted to taste him. I moved faster.

  In.

  Out.

  In.

  “Stop,” he growled. “This is so damn tempting, and don’t get me wrong, I love your mouth on me, but I don’t want to come like that tonight. Not if it’s our last night.”

  He grabbed my arms, guided me onto the bed. Before I could utter a single word of protest, he spread my thighs and plunged deep inside of me. He was weighty, thick and hard. The air whooshed out of my lungs in one giant, involuntarily exhalation, almost as if my body wanted to exorcise everything from inside of me except him.

  Then, he began to move in earnest and pleasure vibrated through my body with every thrust, drag, and circle. My nails dug into the ropes of muscle lining his shoulders. One of his hands tangled in my hair, and the other cupped my breast, pinning me to the mattress as though I’d leave if he didn’t keep me tethered to the bed. Both primal and tender, his eyes devoured me. My insides contorted with love, and right then, I handed my heart to him and tossed the key in a bottomless abyss.

  I countered every visceral flex of his hips with one of my own. Heated kisses showered my mouth and neck, turning me into ash. His sweaty chest licked mine in a choreographed erotic dance, and I never wanted it to end. If I could press the pause button and live in that moment forever, I would be tempted to do it.

  My entire body shook as indescribable sensations spread through me multiplying with alarming speed, leaving no corner untouched or unmoved. My release turned and twisted, every muscle, ligament, and cell in my body tightening right down to my toes until I exploded. My vision blurred like I was drifting through a cloud and time fell away. A cry tore from my lips, and I arched into him, momentarily disrupting his rhythm.

  His lips curled upward, and a chuckle mixed with a groan slipped from his parted lips. I dug my heels into the back of his thighs, pleading without words for him to keep going. Keep milking every ounce of pleasure from my body. Keep riding our connection until we’re both boneless and satiated.

  Ryker’s shoulders tensed, and I whispered that I loved him, that I trusted him to keep me safe, and that I’d never stop fighting for us.

  “I won’t stop either,” he promised, his voice guttural, his facial features fierce, resembling an ancient warrior. His hips jerked up, down, in and out with brutal force, possessing me, claiming me. Each jarring thrust of his pelvis against mine echoed through the room, sealing our promises. I loved it. I loved him. I would do whatever, fight whomever to keep him.

  Moments later, a deep shudder ran through his body and then he collapsed on top of me. My limbs felt like liquid. Our chests pounded against each other almost as if our bodies were whispering silent promises to each other.

  He started to roll off me, but I curled my hands around his upper arms. “No. Not yet,” I muttered next to his ear. “I want to feel you next to me and inside of me as long as possible.” I chuckled, recognizing the silliness in my words, but that didn’t make them any less true. “Maybe we could sleep like this.”

  He nodded. “That sounds perfect to me,” he admitted, his voice a soft rumble next to my ear. I let the words flow through my body like a rich glass of wine, savoring them, loving them.

  Then, he bent his head, capturing my lips in a kiss that made me want to start all over again and celebrate our last hours together until neither of us could move. Without asking, he understood what I wanted. His hands roamed my body, grazing every inch as his tongue curled around mine. The twin rhythms of our breaths echoed in the room. Within a few minutes, his cock stirred to life inside of me, and we were right back where I wanted to be…forever.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Ryker

  I pushed Hattie’s hair away from her face and pressed a kiss to her trembling lips. “Are you ready
to do this?”

  She licked her lips. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  I lifted her hand, slid the ring I gave her last night from her finger and placed it in her open palm. “Put this somewhere safe until you’re on the airplane.”

  She slipped it in her pocket and closed her eyes. Her lashes cast shadows on her cheekbones. “Are you sure we have to do this?” A quiet desperation colored her words, turning my stomach inside out.

  “Look at me,” I whispered as I curled my hand around the side of her face. “It’s just for show. Everything I say once we walk out this door doesn’t mean anything.”

  Last night, we agreed to stage a fight so everyone believed we were no longer together. I didn’t like the idea of the last words we’d share for weeks or longer being filled with hatred, but I needed to do everything possible to keep her safe. That meant explicitly showing everyone I didn’t want her any longer.

  “I know, but that doesn’t mean it won’t hurt,” she said, her voice cracking.

  “They’re just words. Don’t give them the power to hurt you. You know how I feel about you. What I say out there won’t change anything.”

  I leaned in and kissed her one more time—maybe the last time if things exploded in my face. Her lips were soft and inviting. She tasted like mint and Hattie, the elixir of love and life. My tongue teased as it slid inside of her mouth, stoking my flame of never-ending desire for her. I tunneled my hands into her hair, deepening our kiss. A low moan slipped from her lips, and I swallowed it, burying it inside of me for later. I wanted to pull her into me. I wanted more time, but it wasn’t possible. At least not today.

  “Better?”

  “Yes,” she said quietly.

  “I love you.”

  She smiled. “I love you, too.”

  I nodded and flung the door open.

  “Get the fuck out of this house,” I yelled as I stalked down the hall.

  “Why are you doing this?” Hattie said, her voice small.

  “Because we’re over. You need to leave.”