I sure didn’t know how to save him from himself.
It didn’t take twenty minutes for Henry to arrive in his pickup, two more cars tailing him. Neither of them Butch, I noticed. “Henry brought backup,” I said. My mouth had gone completely dry. Even though Corbin felt weird, felt off, I still cared about him and didn’t want to see him playing will-they-bail-me-out-or-won’t-they with his top-secret organization. He was supposed to stay under the radar.
“Go out the back. I do it all the time—”
“Stay here,” Corbin said. “I don’t think there’s going to be a problem, but I don’t want you getting hurt.” He went down the steps.
What was I supposed to do with that? If I went down there, I’d get to see the triumph in Henry’s eyes as he took away the only man I’d ever loved—even if that man was a stranger to me at the moment.
I wasn’t sure I could bear that.
At the same time, I didn’t want to be elsewhere if it turned out Corbin needed me. Though what could I do against Henry and his… I counted… six buddies?
I decided to split the difference. I would sneak closer, and if Corbin needed me, I’d be there.
Corbin opened the door before Henry had time to knock. Henry stood there wearing his smug asshole sunglasses and a matching smile. “Corbin Lagos,” he drawled. “I would say it’s nice to see you… hell, it is nice to see you.”
Corbin said nothing.
Henry reached behind himself and produced a pair of shining silver handcuffs. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment. Hold out your wrists.”
“Under what authority?” Corbin said. The question sounded particularly loaded.
“I’m a recovery agent, licensed here and in thirty other states. You’re on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. That’s my authority.” If Henry’s grin had gotten any wider, it would have crowded his glasses off his face.
“Show me,” Corbin said.
Henry’s mouth dropped slightly open. He snapped it shut. “I don’t need to show you anything.”
“I’m in a private residence and I’m not wanted for any crimes so far as I know,” Corbin said. “You haven’t been given permission to come on these premises. If you cross this threshold, anything that happens to you as a result will be on you.”
Henry bristled. He shoved his sunglasses on top of his sandy brown hair, revealing angry, red-rimmed eyes. “You wanna play dumb? There’s only one way this is going to end, Lagos, but I’ll humor you.” His jaw clenched as he tugged his cell phone out of his back pocket and tapped the screen.
“While Heigh is doing that, why don’t you other fine gentlemen give me your names?” Corbin said.
The men standing behind Henry looked at each other nervously. No doubt Corbin’s confidence was making them a little uncomfortable. I had no idea what Corbin was up to, either, but it was a heck of a bluff. I almost believe he wouldn’t be on that list, though of course I knew he was.
“Kevin Mackey,” a short man with a crewcut said. I recognized him. He’d followed me every night for two weeks, the only one other than Henry who ever bothered to watch closely. I’d been glad when Butch had taken his place.
Two more of the men backed away from the group, no doubt sensing there might be bigger trouble afoot.
Henry was staring at his phone in disbelief.
“There a problem?” Corbin asked.
Henry jabbed at the screen. My heart skipped a whole bunch of beats, and I leaned closer, hoping with every fiber of my being that my impossible wish had been granted.
“Asked you a question,” Corbin repeated, louder. The men who had peeled away from the group were heading back to their cars at a determined clip, and the others were stepping back, too.
“What bullshit!” Henry raised a furious gaze toward Corbin. “You disappeared before. You’ll be back on here, you piece of scum. This isn’t over.”
“I think it is,” Corbin said. “You stay away from me and from my girlfriend. And since you like threats so much, let me say this: if she has any more problems, I will end you.”
Henry retreated two steps. I didn’t think he even realized he was doing it. “Watch your back, Lagos.”
Corbin said nothing until Henry had started to walk away. “Heigh,” he said, his voice low, quiet. Henry half turned. “You know anyone who lives at 52 Pyle Lane? In Tallahassee. You should call. Ask if the new neighbor drives a white van. Ask your mother if she offered the nice man some lemonade.”
Henry took a step back toward us. “What the fuck are you saying?” For all his bluster, his face had gone whiter than his teeth. Not an easy feat.
“I’m saying my back is covered in ways you can’t imagine. Keep away from Audrey.”
Henry’s eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched, but he didn’t say another word. That surprised me most of all. Who would have thought Henry cared so much about anyone but himself?
Corbin waited in the doorway until Henry got in his pickup and drove away.
Then he took a step outside and picked up a soggy newspaper. “You never follow orders, do you?” he said without looking at me as he closed the door.
“Orders? No, I don’t.” I straightened. “You have a lot of nerve calling me your girlfriend.”
He smiled, looking almost like the man I’d fallen in love with. “Last I checked, we were a couple. I don’t remember us breaking up, and I seem to recall you yelling my name while I fucked you not so long ago. We still have a condom left.” The smile faded, and he started up the stairs toward me. I cursed the tight shirt that showed his muscles in such detail.
“I’m happy to prove it wasn’t a fluke, Audrey. Make you scream even louder. Or you want me to leave?”
“Did you mean it?” I asked, moving out of his way. I couldn’t afford to let him get too close. Not when I was feeling vulnerable and he was so… different.
He nodded as if he knew exactly what I was referring to. “Yes,” he said. “I have for some time.”
Because he was being so casual, I started to wonder if we were talking about the same thing. “What you said during—”
“Yes.”
My cheeks warmed. “There’s no one else.”
One of Corbin’s eyebrows lifted slightly, and I saw the barest flash of amusement cross his features. “I suspected,” he said. “It’s my deepest regret that I couldn’t be here, but I had Jennifer keeping an eye on things.”
Jennifer had been my babysitter months earlier, when Corbin had checked me into a safe house. I liked her a lot, and I was a little hurt she hadn’t bothered to contact me directly.
My face flushed with embarrassment. “If you knew, why did you ask what I was doing?”
“I didn’t know for certain, and I didn’t think you were going to lie, to try to make me jealous,” he countered. Though there was something in his eyes… like he was flattered even though he knew he shouldn’t be. “Audrey, I expected you to give me a reason you didn’t show up. You know, like an adult.”
“Says the guy who broke into the house.”
“Rob let me in, but, in the spirit of honesty, I’ll admit that I would have helped myself if he hadn’t been here.”
I felt myself blushing deeper. “Anyway, I told you I didn’t see your note!”
He held up his hands. “I understand that now. Let’s not go in circles over this.”
I pushed my finger in his face. He stared down at me. All his anger from before was gone. “You’re unbelievable,” I said. It was clear I didn’t mean it as a compliment. Corbin got me off a few times, he got rid of Butch and Henry… I was grateful as hell, but Corbin seemed too confident about us. It was… mildly irritating.
Despite that, I felt my anxiety about him lessening. It had been awkward at first, even after the sex, but the way he acted… referring to us as a couple, telling me he loved me… he wanted this.
But as much as I wanted to forgive him for the lack of communication so that we could move on, the pain was still too raw.
> “If you had someone watching me, why didn’t you send word? You’re the one always going on about honesty.”
He opened his mouth, then sighed. “You’re right. We need to talk.”
“So let’s talk.”
He shook his head. “Not here. Upstairs. This is serious, and I don’t want it to blow up in our faces.”
Nothing ominous about that. I let him go up without me while I poured two glasses of water. Whatever was coming, I was pretty sure I could handle it. Unless he was going to tell me he had another woman stashed somewhere. Anything short of that, I could deal with. I hoped.
I went upstairs and into the bedroom. Corbin sat on the edge of the bed. My heart stuttered at the sight.
“Close the door,” he said.
Even though I suspected Rob wouldn’t be home for hours, I nudged the door shut with my heel, then sat next to Corbin. I handed him a glass, and he took a polite sip, then put it on the table.
He leaned in, his eyes searching mine. I felt naked under his probing gaze, and I shivered. He took my water away, then pulled off my shirt.
So we were going to do it like this. Fine. I stood, pulled down my pants, kicked them away. Corbin undressed as well, then he pulled me into his arms. He lay down and arranged the sheets over us. “Look at me,” he said quietly.
I turned so I could see his face. We were both silent. I thought I would start us with an easy question. “Who are the people in your house?”
“Trusted friends. You shouldn’t have gone there.”
“I wanted answers,” I said.
“You don’t trust me. If you did, you would never have gone looking for me there. The lack of trust… it’s a problem. Still.” Sadness flickered across his face. “But I did some thinking and I realize I’ve been asking a lot. I told you that you never have to protect yourself from me,” Corbin said gravely, impressing upon me the seriousness of his promise. “That should never have been in doubt. Even if you didn’t always have all the details, you should have trusted me. Things haven’t always been perfect, but Audrey, I think I proved myself trustworthy. If I had never returned, it would have been because I couldn’t. Not because I didn’t want to. Not because I would have changed my mind about us and didn’t tell you.”
What the hell could I say to that? He was right, of course, but day after day of not hearing anything… of course I doubted him. I frowned. No, he wasn’t the one I distrusted. “I thought maybe I’d misunderstood,” I said, miserable. “You were my first real relationship, and let’s face it… you’re not an easy guy to date sometimes.”
“I’m not,” he conceded with a gentle smile that made me tingle. “Though I do try to make up for it. What bothers me most is how you handled things today. The lying.”
The tingles fizzed. “I didn’t lie,” I said. “I was with a hot guy last night, but he’s my friend’s boyfriend, not mine.”
Corbin didn’t smile.
I sighed. “I was exhausted—am exhausted—and you showing up like that… it threw me.” Worst apology ever. I could do better. I forced myself to meet his stare, and while he hid it, I saw how much I’d hurt him. “I am truly sorry, Corbin,” I said. “Guess I know what I need to work on.”
He seemed to accept this. “You were upset and scared, and I do take responsibility for my part.”
“But it’s not an excuse,” I supplied.
“No. So we’re going to have to work on that. I’m still willing to try.” He traced a finger down my cheek, and his eyes searched mine again. “My turn to apologize. I didn’t tell you how I felt because I wasn’t sure I’d be coming back. Wasn’t sure I would survive.”
I choked in a shuddering gasp. “What?”
“I thought if you didn’t know how I felt, it would be easier for you to move on if… if it became necessary.”
My trembling seemed to come out of nowhere. His job was dangerous, but he was so skilled at everything, so confident. I’d always thought of him as bulletproof. Invulnerable. If I had realized he was in serious danger all this time, I would have gone insane.
He moved me even closer to him. The sensual slide of skin on skin warmed me, reminded me that he was safe. He was here with me, right now.
“I thought I had made the right decision. That it was an act of mercy. Now that I’m back… I don’t know. It undermined your trust in me.”
“I’m not weak,” I said, feeling myself getting angry. “I don’t need you to protect me.”
“You’re strong, but I want to protect you from the ugliness in the world. It’s in my nature. Anyway, all that is over,” he whispered. He kissed my ear. “Do you hear me, baby? I did what I had to, and I’ve got my freedom. I might help with things now and then, but there won’t be more blood on my hands.”
What had he done? I wondered. But I didn’t ask. “What about revenge for your wife?”
He slid a hand between my knees, up my thighs. “This is what I want. Lying in bed with you, talking to you. Our week together showed me how much I’d be giving up if I didn’t get out. This is where I want to be. Assuming you still want it, too.”
It occurred to me that I could make a big deal about him hiding his feelings. He hadn’t lied, no, but he’d withheld information. It went against that honesty policy. But he’d done it to spare me. Much as I disliked admitting it, his intentions were pure. And… he was right. Thinking he didn’t care about me had made it easier.
Still, the unhealthy part of me wanted to make an issue of it. That’s what my dad would have done. Driven every mistake and flaw home. He’d never left his wives anywhere to retreat to. He’d never allowed for shades of gray.
Being right was overrated. I understood why Corbin had made his choice. He hadn’t taken it lightly, and he admitted he was wrong. Being happy was better than winning points in an argument.
“No more secrets between us,” I said, looking earnestly up at him. “What you did for work is the past, but going forward… I need to know you’re being open with me, no matter what.”
“I promise, baby. And let me be crystal clear.” He stared into my eyes, to the depths of my soul. “I love you.” He followed this with a probing, possessive kiss.
“Thank you,” I said, and started giggling.
“I know how to make you say it,” he warned.
I wrapped my arms around him, dug my fingers into the hard, flexed muscle of his back and shoulders.
His hand pushed my knee up, and he hunkered over me, sliding my leg to his shoulder. His body was so warm under my calf and everywhere he touched me.
My other leg he kept flat on the bed. I felt his cock nudge against my inner thigh, then it was kissing my wet slit. And I was very wet. Who knew that declarations of love from an assassin—an ex-assassin—could be such a turn-on?
He stroked into me. For the first time, there was nothing between us at all. I felt every inch of his cock, every corner of his soul, including the parts that would always be shut to me. I trusted him.
I ran my fingers through his hair, then squeezed as he pushed deep inside. He slid my other leg over his shoulder and propped himself like that, his thrusts throwing my ankles back toward my head.
Each stroke dragged his shaft across my clit at a rhythm that had me arching, open-mouthed, my fingers scratching at him, trying to hold onto him as he rode me hard.
He didn’t tell me to say his name when I came, but I screamed it anyway at the peak of my orgasm.
Wasn’t his name always on my lips? Wasn’t he the only thing on my mind?
We collapsed onto the pillows in a gasping heap, both sweaty. Corbin rolled us over together, his cock buried inside me. I was still horny—would always be for him—but now I was exhausted. My eyes closed as his arms came around me, and for the first time in an eternity, I fell into a peaceful sleep.
~~~
We woke at sunset. Corbin made me french toast. I watched him from the living room, not wanting to let him out of my sight. After our unconventional dinner, we watch
ed an animated movie about horses, then went back to bed but not to sleep.
The next morning, Corbin convinced me to call in sick to work. He didn’t need to pull out all the stops trying to persuade me, but he did anyway, which I appreciated… several times, a pillow over my mouth so my gasping screams wouldn’t disturb anyone.
After that we fell asleep for a few more hours, tangled together. I woke before he did and peeked at him through my lashes. Sexy man, even asleep. Mine.
While Corbin showered, I straightened up Rob’s place again. I even fluffed the pillows on his couch. I was going to miss living with him, but now that Corbin was back, I definitely needed my own place.
Corbin came downstairs, his hair damp. He wore the same jeans as before and another of Rob’s shirts. “Think I need to do some shopping,” he said. “Want to come with me?”
I would have preferred to see him naked, but shopping sounded like fun.
It was weird to walk outside and not see the outline of a man sitting in a car across the street, but I managed to adjust to the change just fine.
Corbin had parked at the top of the block. I had driven right by the SUV the day before and hadn’t even noticed. If I wanted to jump right back into bounty hunting, I needed to get back into shape. That probably meant spending a few days memorizing random details and long strings of numbers.
It meant, basically, torturing myself the way Dad had tortured me and Rob as kids. We’d grumbled that it was child abuse, but here I was, thinking it was a pretty good idea. I laughed aloud.
“Do I want to know?” Corbin asked. He had headed toward the highway, and he took it going south. The opposite direction of his luxury mountain house. Too bad. I was hoping he’d do the shopping online… while naked.
“I just realized there was a method to some of my father’s madness,” I said.
“You should tell him that.”
The suggestion surprised me, but after a moment, I decided Corbin was right. I was quick to tell my dad when he’d screwed up. I should also be lavish with my praise.
Forty minutes later, we were at an upscale shopping center. The department stores were the type that had three pieces of clothing per department, and a pair of jeans went for almost a grand. That wasn’t speculation—I checked the tag on a mannequin’s outfit.
Seduced by a Dangerous Man Page 12
