Freedom Code

by Elaine Levine

  A couple of his men were coming up behind him. She couldn’t escape. She didn’t want to rush into the apartment for fear of bringing trouble to Levi. She stepped back, pressing herself against Hidaya’s door.

  “Finally. I found you,” Jamal said.

  “Leave me alone, Jamal,” Zaida hissed.

  “I can’t. You have to come with me. I need you to trust me. Zaida. Please. You know me.”

  Zaida shook her head. “I don’t know you at all.”

  “I’ll explain everything to you. I promise.”

  “Explain it to me now.”

  He looked around the breezeway of the second floor apartments. Curious onlookers had come out to see what the commotion was. “This isn’t the time or place. I need to get you to safety. I have Abdul and Hidaya.”

  Zaida gasped. “Levi! Levi. Hurry.”

  “No!” Jamal growled. “Obey me!” He grabbed Zaida’s arm and started dragging her toward the stairs.

  Zaida screamed for Levi again, then kicked Jamal’s shin, briefly freeing herself. She ran to Hidaya’s door just as it was yanked open and Levi came out. By then, Jamal had gathered his guys and was hurrying down the stairs.

  Levi wrapped an arm around Zaida and led her into her friends’ apartment. As soon as the door was closed, Zaida leaned against Levi, taking strength from him. And then she remembered what Jamal had told her. She fisted Levi’s shirt.

  “He has Hidaya and Abdul,” she said staring up at Levi’s worried face.

  “Okay.” Levi nodded. “We need to get out of here.”

  Zaida looked around and saw the trashed living room for the first time. Gasping, she asked, “Did you do this, Levi?”

  “No. It was this way when I got here.”

  Zaida knew she looked unconvinced.

  “I haven’t even been here five minutes.” Levi shook his head, dropping it. “I couldn’t find any computers. We have to go. No doubt the neighbors will be calling the cops. When we get outside, move calmly and with confidence. Don’t look anxious. This is your friends’ apartment—you had every right to be here.”

  There were only a couple of neighbors still in the breezeway when they left. The woman from across the hall was not one of them. They went down the stairs and got into Levi’s Jeep without any issues. In fact, they were halfway down the block before they passed two cop cars heading toward the apartment buildings. Apparently, no one had reported their Jeep to the cops, so they weren’t stopped.

  11

  Zaida looked stricken as they made their way to her apartment. Levi considered taking her back up to Wyoming so she could stay with his friends while he worked the case. He reached over and took her hand.

  “Hey. It’s going to be all right. All of this will be a distant memory in a few days.”

  She looked over at him. “I don’t think it will ever be over.”

  “We’re just dealing with a lot of unknowns at the moment. Once we have answers, we’ll understand how all of this came to be.”

  “My friends are innocent. Jamal said he was keeping them safe. Safe from what? How can he think he can keep them or me or anyone safe?”

  “He also said for you to obey him.”

  Her eyes widened as she watched him. “So you do speak Arabic.”

  “Some. I’m nowhere near as fluent as you are. I’ve learned the words a sailor needed, little more. Enough to do some light interrogations, find my way around somewhere, ask for help. That’s it.” Levi faced the road as he asked, “What did he mean by demanding you obey him?”

  Zaida sighed. “His parents and mine have been friends all my life. He was like an older cousin I was pretty much raised with. I told you they all believed we would eventually marry. Jamal’s nearly forty now. He’s been angry with me for a while that I would not settle down. But he’s like a brother to me. And like an older sibling, he thinks he knows what’s best for me.”

  “That the real reason you aren’t in to him?” They’d talked a little about that, but there had to be more to it than Jamal simply not being her type.

  “Yes. He honestly thinks I should obey him. For real, for fuckssake. That’s been his attitude toward me my entire life.”

  Levi grinned. He’d never heard her cuss before. It was actually kind of cute.

  “Where are we going?” she asked as she focused on the road they were on.

  “Back to your apartment. Thought you might want to rest or recoup a bit while we wait to go to your group meeting tonight.”

  “We’re still doing that?”

  “Yes.”

  At her apartment complex, they pulled into the residents’ parking area and selected a visitor spot. Zaida still looked awfully lost. Levi took her hand and led her to the elevator. They went straight up to her floor without encountering any threats. Once in her apartment, Levi did a quick check. The space was clear. Zaida had taken off her ankle boots. Without her heels, she was super short, probably 5’3”. He was 6’4”, taller in his steel-toed boots that he was still wearing…boots he had no intention of taking off, just in case they needed to make a fast exit.

  Zaida was sitting on one of the stools by the big counter in her kitchen, leaning against the counter, watching him. “Why did you kiss me? At Hidaya’s.”

  “I wanted to.” He tilted his head. “And I wanted to distract you from being afraid.”

  “I’m terrified.”

  “I know.” Levi shoved his hands in his pockets. “Want me to rustle up some food for us? You hungry?”

  “I don’t have much here. Help yourself. I think there are some cans of soup. Or we could order something from downstairs.”

  “You really don’t cook, do you?”

  She shook her head, looking even more dejected. He went over and scooped her off her stool and carried her over to the sofa. “What are you doing?”

  “Thought we’d have a cuddle.”

  “You can’t carry me around like a doll.”

  “Why not?” He set her on her sofa just off to his side with her legs across his lap, then began rubbing her feet.

  She moaned as he worked her feet. “Do you cuddle all your enemies?”

  “Are we still enemies?”

  “You make it sound like we are.” Zaida leaned back against the cushions. “Do you really think this will be over soon?”

  “Yeah.” He looked at her and grinned. “Either everything will go back to normal very soon, or half the town will be gone.”

  “Levi! That’s horrible.”

  “But true.”

  She pulled her legs free and sat up, right next to him. “Then we can’t stop, can’t rest until we resolve this.”

  “No. We can…and we have to. Why not go to your room, now? Rest. Take a shower. Whatever you want. We have a little time before your group meeting. I need to check in with a few people.”

  She got up, but he caught her hand before she moved away. When she looked down at him, her brown eyes darkened. She straddled his hips, her slight weight so perfect right there. She caught his face in her hands and leaned forward to kiss him, then tilted her head to one side to get an even better connection to him. He kept his hands on her waist, even though he desperately wanted to press her body against his, bury his face in her breasts. He feared this…and wanted it with everything that he was.

  Some part of him believed if they didn’t do this, if they resisted the pull that was drawing them together, if they never gained carnal knowledge of each other, then when this was done in a few days, they could go their separate ways and forget each other.

  But if they did do this, he wasn’t sure he could let her go. She needed him. And he needed her. They were opposites, yes, but opposite in ways that were wholly complementary. Female - male. Short - tall. Urbane - country. Weak - strong.

  It was selfish, his reasons for fighting this. He was a coward. He didn’t want to get hurt. But Zaida needed this. His woman needed him. When he realized that, he was all in, giving what she needed, losing himself in her. H
e pulled her fancy purple shirt off, then leaned forward so she could help him remove his. He always wore two shirts—a T-shirt and a loose summer shirt—because of his concealed carry. He leaned back, scooting a little lower on the cushion. She moved with him, resting her chest on his. He felt the weight and heat of her breasts through the soft-scratchy texture of her black lace bra.

  He was holding her face when their kiss broke. Their gazes met and locked. He had the crazy thought that he had one shot at her heart, and that was through their bodies. Like an audition. How many men had failed her, failed to satisfy her needs?

  “Zaida…do you have any condoms?”

  “I have two. Just a half-night’s worth.” She smiled as she said that. So fucking sexy. He rocked his hips under hers.

  “We’ll have to make do.” He couldn’t hold back the cocky grin that slipped out.

  “I’ll be right back.” She climbed off his lap. Cold air replaced the heat of her body. She pushed her jeans off. “Take your boots off.”

  “On it.” He caught her arm. “Take your bra off.”

  “Levi—”

  “Do it.”

  Her chest and neck flushed a warm rose color as she reached behind her and unfastened the clasp. The large lace cups went slack as the straps slipped off her shoulders. Her breasts were gorgeous. The stuff of dreams. Heavy, they bumped against each other. Her nipples were large and dusky. He lifted his gaze from her tits to her eyes, but his eyes snagged on her amazing lips.

  “Zaida…you’re killing me. How fast can you get back here?”

  She pivoted and rushed down the hall. He removed his boots and jeans, leaving his black boxer briefs on. He was not a small man, and Zaida was a petite woman…he didn’t want to scare her.

  He sat on the sofa as she came back into the room. She handed him a packet.

  “Only one?” he asked.

  She winced. “The other had expired.”

  He grinned. “No worries. I’ll make it up to you tonight.” He set it on the coffee table, then pulled her between his spread legs. Her breasts were right at face level. He did what he had wanted to do since the first time he saw her saunter through the atrium down below; he buried his face in her warm skin. Cupping either side of her breasts, he pressed her against his cheeks, groaning at her sweet, spicy scent.

  “Zaida, God, your body is amazing. How are you not spending every hour of every day fucking?”

  She set her hands on his shoulders and smiled. “Because some of us have serious things to do, like manage a writing career and help other women.”

  “Okay. But you need to take time for yourself, no?” He caught one of her breasts and brought its tip into his mouth. He rolled it around his tongue, then flicked the tip. She gasped a sharp breath as he sucked on her nipple. Her nails dug into his shoulders just slightly, stinging him in a way that set his whole body tingling. He repeated his attentions on her other breast, nuzzling, nipping.

  Oh yeah. It was going to take a whole lot more than one encounter for him to satisfy all of his curiosity about her body and her pleasure. He leaned forward and kissed the bottom of her ribs. Her skin was deliciously soft and sweet. He eased her panties down her hips. She was naked now. Beautiful. Her feminine curls were trimmed to a neat column. He liked that she was still standing. He wanted to give her her first orgasm while she was in front of him.

  He kissed her belly button. Her long nails raked through his hair as he ran his hands over her rounded hips, reaching around to cup her taut ass. He pushed his hands between her thighs, spreading them a little apart. He gripped her hips with one hand as the fingers of his other hand slipped between her sweet folds. She was wet. He wanted to taste her, but not this time. He rubbed her clit with his thumb. She gasped and her body jerked reflexively.

  “I can’t do this standing, Levi.”

  “No?”

  “No.”

  “I’ll catch you.” He stroked her intimate folds, teasing ever closer to penetrating her with his fingers. He knew she was enjoying what he was doing because her eyes went a little unfocused, her nipples tightened, and she was wet and hot where he touched. His thumb massaged her clit, rhythmically, slow then fast.

  “Levi…please…I can’t…”

  Levi wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her against him, his mouth sucking a tit as two of his fingers entered her. Her legs did give out as her orgasm broke free. He held her and worked her sensitive flesh as long as her tremors lasted. When they began to ease off, he steadied her as her legs took her weight once again, then stood and pushed off his boxer briefs. His cock was rod-hard, heavy and throbbing to be in her body. He sat back down and ripped the condom pack open, hurrying to cover himself.

  Zaida knelt over him. Her body was hot and soft, and he could tell she still hungered for him the way her eyes stayed dilated. Her hips settled against his, pressing his cock between their bodies. He let her lead them, giving her a chance to feel the hard length of him, knowing she would tell him when she was ready for him to enter her.

  Her breathing was as ragged as his. Her hips rocked back and forth. She kept her hands on his shoulders. Her movements were fevered. Levi wished he could feel her body without the condom between them, but that wasn’t going to happen.

  At last she lifted up, rising to her knees, and guided him to her opening. He caught her hips, slowing her. “Go easy, Zaida. You haven’t been with anyone for a while. And I’m big for you. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  The terrible result of that warning was that she slipped herself down over him in painfully small increments. He wanted to slam into her and thrust hard, but her body needed to slowly open to him. He groaned at the torture. She smiled then licked her lips.

  He reached up and caught her face in one of his hands, bringing her forward to kiss him. His tongue thrust between her teeth, sliding against hers, back and forth. He released her face to hold both breasts in his hands as she continued kissing him. She was almost all the way down on him. Each little bounce of her hips let him in deeper. He smiled against her mouth, loving everything about her.

  He reached between their bodies to massage her clit. She climaxed instantly, with him not all the way in her. He pressed his head back against the cushions of her sofa, fighting his own release. They only had one fucking condom—he had to make it last. Not an easy feat as he felt her small muscles tightening around him, grabbing and releasing as her hips jerked.

  And then without warning, she slipped all the way down on him, burying him deep inside her. Another orgasm took her. Jesus. His whole body went hard. He wanted to feel her in a hundred different positions…but that wasn’t going to happen this time, not with her orgasms freely rolling and his so close to the surface.

  Before her third orgasm had fully passed, he lifted her and moved her to her back on the sofa. He slipped his arms under her shoulders as he thrust inside her with hard, long strokes, extending her orgasm until she screamed and pushed up against him, banging into him, thrusting as hard as he did.

  His release exploded from him. He gave himself over to pure sensation. Too soon it was over for him, though her body continued to have little ripples. Her legs were around his hips, holding him to her. He stayed buried in her until the very last tremor passed. Her arms tightened around his neck as she pressed her face against his skin.

  After a long moment, he leaned up to look at her, worried he might have hurt her. Her face looked stricken. What did that mean? He gazed into her eyes, frowning, and gently stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. “You okay?”

  She nodded. “Levi—what did you do to me?”

  “What do you mean? Did I hurt you?”

  “No. No. It’s never been like that. Ever.”

  “In a good way or a bad way?”

  “Good. I lost my mind. I only knew I needed more and more of you.”

  Levi smiled. “Your pleasure is what drives both of us to ecstasy.”

  “But no one else seems to know that.” She brushed her hand ove
r his cheek and smoothed her fingers across his lips. Even now, he could see she wanted him again. And they only had the one damned condom. “It isn’t that I’ve been with a lot of guys. It’s just that none of them knew what you do.”

  Levi grinned. He kissed her jaw. “So you’re saying I’m your best lover ever?”

  “Ever.”

  “Fucking A.” He raked his teeth over her chin. “Now you see why I need so many condoms.”

  “Let’s go get a box.”

  Levi laughed. “Tonight. I’ll take you home to my place and fuck you until you’re spent.” He pulled out of her, then eased the condom off. “Don’t go anywhere.”

  12

  Zaida watched Levi disappear down the hall on his way to the bathroom, then she heard water running. She had the strangest feeling in her gut, almost a panic. What was she going to do when this was over and they went their separate ways, which she knew they would. They were from different worlds. They had different life plans.

  The lingering warmth she’d felt before he left was rapidly disappearing. She got up, worried he’d see right through her, then laugh at her for being so needy. She gathered up her clothes and hurried to her room. He came out of the bathroom just as she reached that door.

  “Hey,” he stepped in front of her, blocking her with his beautiful naked body. “Where are you going?”

  “It’s getting late.” She stared at his chest. “I need to shower before we go.”

  “Okay.” He brushed a lock of hair from her face. He lifted her chin. Her eyes met his. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing.”

  Had he really hoped they’d have more time together, just the two of them, before the world intruded? He looked disappointed as he dropped his hand and stepped out of her way. “All right. Want me to warm up a soup for you? Or get something from downstairs?”

  “No. I’m not hungry.”

  “Okay. Well, come out when you’re ready. I guess we’ll head out, then.”