by Vivien Vale
Did we look like a couple already? And not just a couple but a married couple?
“Ehm sorry to interrupt,” Ford says, and I look at him. “But it’s not Mr. and Mrs. It’s Mr. Armstrong and Ms. Johansen.”
“Sorry, Sir,” the girl mumbles and keeps her eye on the computer screen in front of her.
His words are like a slap in the face.
Why did he go to the trouble of correcting the girl? Did it really matter how we checked into the hotel? Was it a security measure?
I decide it’s not worth my time to dwell on such a menial thing. If it’s important to him we’re not seen as married, so be it. His loss, not mine.
I thought it had been a nice touch to be called Mrs. Armstrong.
Of course, we never actually talked about our future.
Come to think of it, we talked of no future at all. Ford never wanted to talk about us, or where we’d be in say six months time. All he ever wants to talk about is security measures; perimeter checks and ways to keep me safe.
Was the reason he didn’t want to talk about us simply because he didn’t think there was an us?
All the thinking makes my head hurt.
With a sigh, I take the room key and let Ford lead the way.
The fairy tale seems to be drawing to a close already. It certainly didn’t last very long. And I wish he’d stop with the scanning and the looking on his waistband. He’s attracting more attention this way than pretending to be my partner.
“You shouldn’t have paid with your credit card,” he hisses in my ear as we leave the reception area.
It takes me seconds to realize what he just said.
“Why?” the doors of the elevator close, and I face him.
“Because it’s got your name on it.”
He sounds as if he’s talking to a three-year-old child.
His manner since arriving here is getting on my nerves. I regret the decision to let him come. Okay, he still would have come no matter what I would have said, but that doesn’t mean I don’t regret it.
“Dah,” I groan, and I’m pleased the door is open for us.
Once inside the room, I do my best to ignore him. That wouldn’t be difficult, with the huge ever so inviting, king sized bed. Not to mention the white leather lounge in the living room area.
But I go over the white bench top first, picking up the folder with the necessary hotel information. I flick through it, and I know what I’m going to do then.
“We can’t get the supplies till the morning,” I half turn to Ford as I’m speaking. “So I think I’ll go and treat myself to a spa.”
I shut the folder with a soft thud and walk toward the door.
“I’ll go with you.”
Ford is suddenly by my side.
I’m not quite sure how he does this—materializing next to me, seemingly without moving from one spot to the other. It freaks me out.
I can’t help but think, if he has these skills, surely any potential kidnappers or con artists will know the same tricks. And then, what?
“No.”
I put as much emphasis into the word as I can.
He rolls his eyes. He’s about to start with the lengthy explanation, but I hold up my hand to stop him.
“There’s a spa right here in the hotel. I’ll be fine. I promise I won’t go with anyone else to look at their pet poodle or monkey.”
Ford didn’t laugh.
I leave the room without another word. The massive space suddenly seems small and less attractive than when I first entered it.
I definitely like the Ford I’ve got to know in our village better than the one I’m seeing in Nairobi, I thought.
As I take the lift, I wonder why Ford is the way he is.
Sure, he takes his job seriously. But there must be more to it. I take my job seriously too, but I don’t go overboard the way he does.
He seems to sense danger everywhere we go.
Even in our little village, he saw shadows where no one else did.
Okay, so no one was actually looking for any danger.
Was that the main difference? We didn’t go looking for danger so it won’t find us?
But why does Ford believe I’m at such a risk?
I shake my head. None of this makes any sense to me.
The nice young woman at the spa directs me to a changing room.
“Nice robe in there for you,” she says with a big smile.
I thank and follow her direction.
In the small cubicle, I get undressed. Once I’m in the thick, soft robe, I exit.
Another young woman greets me.
How many people did this place employ?
She leads me through a long corridor into a room. I notice my step slows as I watch her disappear. My body feels tense, only easing up after I tell myself I’m being silly.
There’s no danger here. I mean, no one knows who I am or that I’m here.
Ford’s anxiety has rubbed off on me.
That’s not a good thing.
As I lower myself into the black leather chair to have my nails done, a facial applied and my feet rubbed, I vow to enjoy my stay here in Nairobi without believing the worst is going to happen.
And then it hits me. Maybe danger follows Ford because he envisages it.
Didn’t I read somewhere about the power of the mind—If you imagine something it’s likely to happen?
As soon as I return to my room, our room, I’m going to share this tidbit of information with Ford and see what he’s got to say.
Chapter 28
Ford
The hot water massages the tense muscles of my neck and shoulders before slipping down my spine like a rushing river.
As soothing as it is against my body, it does nothing to relax my fucking mind. My thoughts race just as swiftly as the water from the showerhead—and it’s all in regard to Adelaide.
Having her back in my life—and the nights we’ve been sharing—is tossing me about like a ship in rough tides.
It’s a ride I’m more than willing to weather, but I’m not sure if it’s one I deserve to.
My fingers slide along the wall as they curl into a fist. I lean forward enough to lean my forehead against the cool tile.
I’m so focused on thinking about Adelaide that I don’t hear the slide of the glass.
Her hands slide up along my back, and my body clenches at her gentle touch. Slowly, they move under my arms and over my chest as she presses her bare tits against me.
“You looked lonely, so I figured I’d join you,” she says playfully.
The sound of her voice. The feeling of her body. It’s more than I deserve.
I stand and turn to face her.
The smile she wears quickly fades. In its place is a look of concern.
Adelaide’s hands move up through the hairs of my bushy beard and rest against my cheeks.
“Ford, what is it?” she pleads.
Her thumbs gently caress my skin with tender affection.
“It’s nothing, really,” I lie.
“Don’t do this, Ford. Don’t shut me out.”
My hands reach up and take hers in them. I bring them to my lips and kiss them.
Her smile slowly creeps back to her lips, but she still looks at me with that same overwhelming concern.
“I don’t mean to shut you out, Addie. I just have things I need to sort before I share them.”
She nods, understanding my request, and leans up to kiss me.
At first, it’s as tender as the moment we’re having.
It’s sweet.
But the fire inside takes over, and the kiss deepens.
Our lips part enough for our tongues to reach out and meet.
I feel her hands slip from my grasp and slide down the ridges of my abs until they wrap around the base of my cock. Her touch has me throbbing in her hand—it makes her smile into our kiss.
Adelaide strokes along the length of my cock and pulls a hungry growl from my lips.
> We turn, and I push her up against the side wall of the bath. With one hand, I pull and rub her hard nipples. The other slides down in between her supple thighs.
She’s dripping wet—and it’s not from the shower.
My fingers effortlessly slide in between her wet pussy lips and up to her swollen clit. A flick against it entices a sharp gasp of pleasure from her. I slip her clit between my two fingers and massage it against the length of them.
Adelaide moans just as I hoped.
She strokes my cock faster and grips it tighter.
My fingers slide down from her clit and delve inside her.
Our lips part suddenly as her breath catches in her throat.
Her azure eyes meet my own.
The intense desire I see, which mirrors my own, is palpable.
I feel a fresh surge of warmth and wetness around my fingers. It arouses a new hunger within me.
I drop to my knees before her and look up. She nods in approval.
I lift her leg up over my shoulder, and I’m rewarded with the view of her wet pussy spreading for me.
I growl with a hunger that comes from deep within without meaning to.
Adelaide’s fingers move through my wet locks, and she guides my swollen lips to her waiting pussy.
My hot tongue reaches out for her clit. The tip slides just under the base of it before swirling around it.
She pulls against my hair with a firm tug. My lips wrap around her clit at her behest, and I suck on it vivaciously.
Again, my fingers find themselves sliding in between the folds of her wet pussy and thrusting deep into her. With every thrust, her hips move to meet them.
Her moans become louder. She calls out my name in throaty whispers.
Against my shoulder, I feel the muscles in her thigh trembling.
My rough hand slides along her toned stomach, and I can feel her breathing hitch as her stomach clenches.
She moves closer and closer to the precipice of release.
Then, suddenly, she explodes in a shaking climax all over my lips and tongue. I feel her wet juices slip past my lips and weave itself into the strands of my beard.
Had it not been for her death grip on my scalp—or her leg over my shoulder—I’ve no doubt she’d fall over from weakened knees.
I kiss the inside of her thighs—letting her come down from her high—and feel a tug of her fingers.
I stand, and she grabs me by the face and pulls me into a demanding kiss.
“I need to feel you,” she says frantically. “I need to feel you inside me. Now.”
Swallowing hard, I give her a nod.
I don’t have the ability to articulate my mutual need into anything that would make sense. And words would feel inadequate regardless.
My rough hands lift Adelaide off the bath, and her soft legs wrap around my waist.
I pin her firmly against my body and the tile wall behind her. With a move of my hips, my cock effortlessly finds its way inside her.
Adelaide throws her head back against the wall and moans loudly with parted lips as I fill her.
I myself groan with unspeakable pleasure that rushes through my body.
The feeling of her tight, wet pussy around my cock is so overwhelming that I could almost come right here and now.
Adelaide’s body makes me feel things I didn’t know were possible to feel. The lust—the love—that rages inside me only escalates to new levels.
My hips rise to thrust into her.
Each thrust is met with a gasping moan that spurs me further.
She slides a hand up over my shoulder and runs her fingers through the hair on the back of my head. Her other hand presses firmly onto my chest as the water from the shower cascades over it.
Our eyes are locked into this heated embrace. It’s as if we’re afraid to look away from each other—as if doing so would tear us apart.
I feel her hips bare down against mine with greater force. In turn, it elicits harder thrusts from my body.
Being with Addie like this almost feels like an out-of-body experience. As if I’m no longer in control of my body. And even that doesn’t feel like an adequate description of this sublime feeling.
This time around, it all feels more intense.
No words are spoken. None need to be.
Instead, all desire and words are spoken through our locked eyes.
My chest begins to heave as my breath quickens.
The muscles in my body begin to clench and flex as I approach my own coming climax.
Her fingers curl and pull at my hair. Addie’s own chest begins to rise and fall with greater speed.
There’s a familiar tremble in her thighs against my waist.
“Come for me, Ford.”
Her voice may be a hushed whisper, but the tone’s demanding.
And her demands are mine to fulfill.
A loud, predatory growl—like that of the leopard I fought not long ago—fills the gap between us as it spills out from my lips.
“Yes!” she yells as her body bucks against mine.
I feel her clench down around my throbbing cock, and it pulls my own climax out.
I explode inside her as I feel a jolt of electricity spread out through my body from the base of my spine.
Our bodies collapse into one another. And—if not for the shower wall—I’m certain we’d both collapse against the shower floor.
Addie pulls me in for a heated kiss.
Slowly, she unwraps her legs from my body and lowers herself down.
“You, mister, need to finish getting cleaned up.”
There’s a playful twinkle—and a heavy dose of mischief—in her eyes as she looks up at me.
“And why’s that?”
“Because I’m going to want round two after I get myself a drink. And the bed’s far more comfortable than a shower wall.”
She gives me a wink and slaps my bare ass as she climbs out of the shower.
I turn and watch her leave from over my shoulder with a smirk.
Now—more than ever—I’m certain I don’t deserve such a goddess.
Chapter 29
Ford
As I watch Adelaide slip the satiny sheath dress over her head, it slithers down her body like a delicious shiver. After weeks of living in dirty khakis and T-shirts, it’s fucking amazing to see her dressed like this.
Fucking is all right, but I promised her a night in town. As she reaches down to fasten her stiletto heels, I can’t take my eyes off her.
A night in town with her. A small enough thing to ask before we can come back to the hotel, and I can fuck her with those same heels digging into my back.
“Almost ready to go?” Addie asks, fluffing her hair.
She’s watching me in the mirror.
I pull on dress pants and find a nice-enough shirt in my bag. Even after steamy shower sex and round two in bed, I can feel her eyes on me appreciatively as I slip the shirt over my shoulders, my muscles bunching and releasing.
I can still feel her hands on me, and I wonder if she can still taste me in the back of her throat. I shake my head a little and take a deep breath.
Better not keep thinking that way if we’re after we get out the door.
I button my shirt, and she grins at me. “You look great.”
“You, too,” I say, rewarding her with a fleeting grin, but then I turn and grab my shoulder holster, slipping it on and adjusting the gun under my arm before putting on a jacket.
I see her frown as I grab another holster and strap it to my leg, under the pantleg. The finishing touch is a small knife, which I slip up under my sleeve.
Just another night in the town doesn’t mean I’m not going to be prepared.
“Jesus,” Addie comments. “We’re going to dinner, not raiding a secret enemy stronghold.”
“You never know,” I tell her, adjusting my clothing so there are no telltale bulges. “Can’t be too safe.”
I step closer to her, brushing my fingertip
s down the satin stretched over her breasts.
Her nipples strain against the fabric.
Even though I can tell she’s irritated at all the weapons, she can’t help but shiver at my touch. Dammit, she’s so hot, and I’ll bet that knowing I’m carrying so much weaponry’s actually turning her on, in a twisted kind of way she’d never admit to.
I lean in and brush my lips against her temple, saying, “Can’t have anything happening to you.”
“I’m not some precious commodity that has to be guarded,” Addie says, her voice still tinged with irritation, but I let it pass.
Stepping out into the Nairobi night, we’re suddenly awash in noise and traffic, with colorful crowds of people swirling around us.
“We’d better get a cab,” I say, taking her arm protectively.
The air is cool now that the sun’s gone down, and the warmth of her skin above her elbow feels good as my fingers cover it.
“Traffic’s brutal here.”
I walk us over to the curb where a taxi’s idling, and I help her in.
The lights flash by as we travel into the CBD, where most of the largest companies are headquartered and the best restaurants are found. By unspoken agreement, we head for an expensive restaurant with European food.
I need a change from African food. Give me red meat, a nice juicy steak, and French fries.
After stuffing ourselves, I lean back with a sigh.
“I needed that,” I say, scraping the last bit of cheesecake off my plate. “Ready to go back to the hotel?” I swirl the dregs of my drink before draining it.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” Adelaide says, playfully shaking her finger in my face.
Do women attend some sort of class to learn all those corny little flirtatious moves?
“One of the other doctors recommended a great nightclub. I want to dance.”
I groan. “You didn’t say anything about dancing,” I mutter.
“And just what do you think it means to go out in the town?” she says, putting down her credit card for the waiter. “It’s barely ten p.m. The night is young.”
“I can think of other ways to dance,” I say, wiggling my eyebrows suggestively, which only makes her giggle.
“Plenty of time for that,” she replies lightly, running one finger down the exposed square of chest at my neck until I inhale sharply.
