Head tossed back, eyes closed, her hands braced on his chest, she looked like a pagan priestess gyrating in an ancient mating ritual. He speared her wet folds, teasing her clit, seeing a pink flush climb her chest. The sight of her riding him, the soft sounds of her mewling, the slap of her flesh against him pushed his control to the limit.
He flipped them over in a swift move that landed her flat on her back. Her eyes flashed open, the blue sparking in surprise. Mick sheathed himself in the condom before burying himself inside her, the smooth glide more than he’d imagined. She groaned his name as her body drew him deep, so he leaned over to bring them chest to chest. She wrapped her arms around his back. Arms braced beside her head held his weight as he settled into a slow rhythm.
She lifted her knees and levered up with each stroke to rub her clit against him. The move ramped the need higher with each slap of flesh. Mick groaned into her neck, clamping down on the tendon. She grabbed his ass, pressing and arching simultaneously, the move sparking her orgasm. She fluttered around him, gripping him with internal muscles as she came. Her head shifted back into the mattress, and the sweetest shattering moan escaped her lips. The sound of it, the feel of her going soft and silky around his cock, sent him over the edge.
He moaned into her neck, more animal than human. Holy fuck. They had to have broken a record. If there was a scale, they’d blown the lid off. Groundbreaking, earth shattering, soul stealing. When he regained his strength, he rolled to the side, taking her with him. “If I’d known it would be like this, I would have taken you sooner.”
“Pent-up attraction,” she said, taking a heavy breath. Her chest heaved like she’d run a marathon. “The power of delayed gratification.”
“I’ve waited before, Destiny. That’s not it. Not only it.” The chemistry between them had always been there, unacknowledged, but now that they’d acted on it, things promised to get interesting. Mick was a fan of interesting. He got up, took care of the condom before yanking back the blankets and pulling her with him under the covers.
She faced him, meeting his gaze with steady blue eyes. “I figured you for fast and furious.”
“We’ll get there next time,” he said, reaching over to turn out the lamp. His plans for her tight little body had his dick stirring. “We’ll get there.” The second time he said it, it was a promise.
…
Mick woke when Dez tried to ease out from under him. He’d wrapped his big body around her, legs twisted up and his arm over her midsection. They’d passed out that way after the second round of truly spectacular sex. Dez danced in the sheets the same way she went after life. Full bore until he’d been out of his mind with need. The memory of it had his body stirring awake. He pulled her back against his chest, but she pushed away gently. “I need to get Nate some breakfast.”
And there went any hope of morning sex. He rubbed a hand over his face to shake off the sleep. They hadn’t gotten much rest—too much to discover about each other—and it had been worth it. He could smell her on his skin, so deep he’d never be able to wash her off. He waited for the bite of regret, knowing their time was limited, but it didn’t come and that should worry him.
From the day Tommy died, Mick had had a single focus. Women were distractions and relationships impossible. He and Dez had smoking chemistry, but he’d had crazy attraction before. He hadn’t wanted to risk their friendship—their mission—for a night of sex. Because, for him, that’s all it could be, and she had that soft underside that might get hurt. The real risk was her pulling away from the team if things got complicated.
Mick shrugged off his thoughts. He was a simple man. Simple needs. He’d take what they had without the worry. They got ready, bumping and gliding their way into a new morning routine that didn’t require a closed door between them. He cupped one sweet breast, teasing the nipple with his thumb before she covered it with a bra and long sleeve T-shirt. They made it downstairs to start breakfast, but Peg and Jerry were already taking care of it.
Jerry was leaning against the counter drinking a cup of coffee like it was his regular routine. Relaxed, he wore a uniform shirt, jeans, and thick winter boots.
“You kids stay out of trouble last night?” Mick asked.
From her perch at the stove, Peg looked up at him and winked. “Why would we want to do that?”
Why indeed? Mick thought, remembering his night with Dez. Because the coffee was there, he poured a cup.
“You’re gonna want that in a to-go cup,” Jerry said.
“Am I now?”
“Sure. I have a couple errands that are right up your alley.”
The man didn’t know him well enough to know Mick’s streets and alleys. Errands were an excuse for a private conversation—one Mick would rather skip. “You want to take me out back and beat the tar out of me for messing with Justice, I’d say you’re a decade late.”
“Jesus, Mick,” Dez muttered. “Could you be any less subtle?”
Mick didn’t take his eyes off the sheriff. “Anything you have to say, you can say in front of her. I’ll tell her anyway. Same as you’ll tell Peg.”
“Might be some truth to that, but we’ll talk alone just the same. Added to it, I could use some help from someone outside of town. Someone not worried about blowback from Derek and his crew.”
That piqued Mick’s interest. He glanced to Dez, but she gave him a screw you look. She hadn’t liked him standing up for her one bit, but he didn’t plan to let anyone mistreat her in the same way Derek had tried last night. The people in this town had done enough damage the first time around. It was his fault they were back here and she was facing this. So he went along with it when Peg handed him an insulated cup of fresh coffee. Dez took the coffee mug from his hands, started doctoring it for herself. Heavy sugar, no cream. A placid mask settled on her face, but her back straightened and shoulders went rigid. Tension and uncertainty rode her skin.
For his part, Mick figured Peg wouldn’t throw him under the bus, so whatever was coming—he figured some sort of lecture—best to get it over with. Peg handed Jerry a paper lunch bag and leaned up to give the man a generous kiss.
Dez shook her head and narrowed her eyes at Mick as if to say she’d kick his ass if he tried the morning kiss and good-bye routine, a challenge he accepted with a grin. He moved on her, had her wrapped against his chest before she could push away, tasted the sugar and coffee on her lips. “Have a good day, dear,” he teased after he released her sweet mouth.
“Bite me,” she answered with a sarcastic smile.
“You use that smartass grin again, I will.”
Peg coughed to cover a startled laugh. Mick reached for the leather vest he’d placed on the back of a chair last night, but Peg put her warm hand over his. “It’s cold enough to freeze the snot in your nose.” She led him to the coat closet and handed him a thick ski jacket. “Bare skin gets frostbite fast on a day like today.”
He knew when to argue and when to give. He didn’t question when the borrowed coat fit him. He’d already bled all over the sheriff’s shirt; why not see what damage he could do to the coat? “Yes, ma’am.”
“Why do I get the feeling your charm covers a mess of sins?”
“Because it does,” Dez said from across the room. Coffee in hand, she leaned against the doorframe wearing tight jeans and an oversize sweatshirt. The sight of her, casual and smiling, hit him in the chest. Her now blond hair was smooth to her shoulders, but he remembered it sex-messy, and he couldn’t wait to get her there again. They’d been friends a long time, so they moved into friends with benefits easily, but the claw in his chest wasn’t friendship. It wasn’t lust. Lust he could handle. Anything more didn’t belong in his life. He gave her a quick nod and hit the cold mountain air to clear his head.
The sheriff’s vehicle was a big-ass four-wheel drive parked behind Mick’s in the driveway. Jerry pointed at Mick’s truck as they walked past. “Notice anything new?”
Both driver side tires were slashed. “Son
of a bitch.” Multiple footprints flattened the snow and circled the truck. He followed and found the other tires flat as well. “The little prick didn’t waste any time,” he said, assuming it was Derek and his buddies.
“They were released an hour and a half ago.”
“Awful damn early,” he complained. It was an old truck, but the only one they had to get the hell out of Dodge if things went south.
“The men were sober and no charges were pending.”
“Yeah, yeah, I knew we shouldn’t have let the fucker walk.”
“He’d have found someone to do it for him. It’s his way.” Jerry stepped toward his SUV. “I took pictures. We can file a report for your insurance, but there’s nothing linking him to this.”
“Motive and opportunity.” Mick climbed into the passenger seat.
“Circumstantial. There’s nothing actionable as far as the law is concerned, and I know that’s a hard pill to swallow.” Jerry started the engine and backed onto the street. “Thing is, he’s going to be trouble for you.”
“Already is. Pain in the ass juvenile shit serves no purpose. Finding tires will take half the day and once I do—” Mick took a sip of coffee. “It’s colder than a witch’s tit out. Not the kind of day to change the damn tires.” Anger vibrated in his voice. There were more pressing matters than an overgrown juvenile delinquent. The little prick was an idiot to take him on.
“I have a spare set of winter tires and you can use my garage to change them out.” Jerry dug into the bag and pulled out something wrapped in foil. “Breakfast burritos. Peg’s specialty.” He offered one to Mick. “Best when they’re hot.”
Mick took one, still warm, and unwrapped the foil. “I’ll take you up on the tires and the garage. It solves one problem.” They wouldn’t have to figure how to pay for tires without using credit. He didn’t know about Dez, but he hadn’t planned to leave the city as fast as they’d run. His cash was limited, and he’d rather save it for emergencies.
“Solves both problems: the tires and where to change them.”
“The tires are one problem.” Mick sunk his teeth into the tortilla, eggs, sausage, and melted cheese with a hint of spicy picante sauce. “You’re right, it’s good.” They drove through town and then onto a county highway, eating burritos in silence.
“We can deal with the inconvenience.” Jerry squashed the foil and tossed it into the empty paper bag. “I don’t need World War III in my county.”
“Derek meant it to be damned inconvenient, but this is more than some dumb kid tagging a wall with spray paint. The inconvenience is a symptom of him bullying the people in this town and getting away with it. The little prick thinks he’s invincible. That’s the problem.”
“And you’d like to let him know he’s not invincible?”
“Damn straight.” He wasn’t laying blame on the sheriff. The mountain town wasn’t his turf, but Dez was. The kid was, at least for now, and Mick knew how easy it was to lose people. The wild son of a single mom, Mick had grown up a street rat. At sixteen years old, he’d seen worse than Derek, and it almost always started with petty shit. He’d thought it was funny until it got bigger and out of control, until Craig started selling drugs to kids, to his own mother. There was only one way to deal with thugs. “I’m not going to break any of your laws, and I’m not interested in starting a war, but Derek needs to understand he can’t get close to her like he did last night without feeling the heat.”
Jerry took a sip of coffee, a delay tactic Mick recognized. The man was working out some thoughts in his head. “When Justice ran off, Peg came to me. I was a deputy at the time when Peg asked me to find her niece. Asking as more than law enforcement, asking as a friend.”
“You ended up as more than friends.”
“That was the start of it,” Jerry admitted. “Peg was devastated. I turned the world upside down, but Justice was good at hiding.”
She still was, Mick realized. She’d hidden everything about herself, her history, who she was to her core. And he hadn’t been a good enough friend to ferret out the truth.
“What I’m saying is I wouldn’t let Derek hurt that girl.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, but that’s all it is. Derek was all over her last night, and not a damn person in this town lifted a finger to help. That doesn’t fall on you because you weren’t there when it started, but it speaks for the people that were set to watch a man beat a woman in public. Where I come from, we protect our women.”
“The last sheriff was old. Let things slide until we have the situation we have here. I’m working on it, but it takes time. Half the department I inherited used to go to school with Derek. The rest of them are half-afraid of Derek’s crew. I need someone without those connections.”
The sheriff was subtle, where Mick was to the point, but he could see where this conversation was headed. “So we’re not out here to talk about Peg’s niece?”
“She’s a grown woman now, and like Peg, she knows her own mind.”
“What’s on your mind, then, Sheriff?”
“You ever do any skip trace work?”
“Sure.” Mick balled up the empty wrapper and tossed it in the paper bag. He’d done a little bit of everything while working to take down those responsible for Tommy’s death. Working earned him the cash to finance his private war. He still had his bounty hunter license, although he hadn’t used it since Blake had gone undercover. For obvious reasons. They had a criminal cover to maintain. Trying to go undercover in a drug ring didn’t happen if you worked for the man.
If the sheriff knew about the bounty hunter job, he’d done his homework. “You been checking up on me?” Anger gave his tone some bite.
“Simmer down, son. Peg might have commitment issues, but I don’t. If my woman’s in danger, I’m going to do something about it. You show up out of nowhere, running from trouble and looking like you’d be right at home in a biker gang. It’s my job to know—”
“They prefer the term club.”
“That’s not the point. Are you—”
“I owe allegiance to no organization. Good or bad, once you take an oath, you’re fucked.”
The sheriff laughed, the rich sound filling the vehicle. “Are you always such a hard-ass?”
Mick shrugged. “You’d have to ask—” He’d nearly screwed up and used the wrong name. They had a cover to maintain. If the sheriff was a dirty cop—and this town definitely wasn’t Mayberry—then they were in a world of hurt. Mick had gotten too involved in the conversation. Dez was personal. The sheriff should give lessons on friendly interrogation. “You’d have to ask Justice,” he answered. “Since you’re not hauling my ass to jail, I assume you’ve decided I’m not a risk to Peg?”
“Not directly.”
“Fair enough.” Indirectly, bringing the kid into hiding could rain some shit down on Peg. If anyone knew they were staying at her house. “So are you taking me snipe hunting or what?”
“You don’t strike me as the kind of man who’d fall for a fake hunt in the middle of winter.” Jerry pulled a thick envelope from his pocket and handed it to Mick. “Jake, one of Derek’s crew, violated the terms of his probation by getting into a bar fight last night. I’m going out to the airfield where he works to serve him the papers.”
“Fast work,” Mick said. The wheels of justice rarely worked that quickly.
“I want those boys in jail or out of my county, so I work fast. Pulled in a few favors. You’re my backup.”
“You don’t know me from a bump in the road.”
“I know you stood up to the entire crew last night. As you said, no one else in the building even considered that option.”
“Probation violations aren’t my line of work.”
“Bounty hunter is close enough if anyone asks why you’re there. Fact is, Doug and most of my deputies went to school with Derek. They’re good men for the most part, family men, so I thought I’d use you as my backup to avoid the conflict.”
“And y
ou wanted time to assess me.”
“Seemed a wise course of action.”
Mick stretched his legs and took another sip of coffee. It was still hot enough to burn the taste buds off his tongue. The sheriff was a smart man. Mick would bet Jerry had a backup to his backup. He seemed like a peacemaker more than a peacekeeper, although he was built strong enough for both. “I bet you’re a scary chess player.”
“I bet we’re evenly matched,” Jerry answered.
The assessment surprised Mick. Few people took him for anything other than he appeared. He raised an eyebrow.
“Most people probably look at you and think big, dumb jock. Right?”
Mick had stopped being annoyed at people’s ignorance. Blake and Dez treated him as an equal, and they were all that mattered. The rest of the world could think him an oversize piece of mindless meat. He used people’s prejudices in his investigations. People told you more if they thought you were dumber than dirt. They tried to pull you into their crazy, illegal schemes; thought you’d buy their stupid lies.
“Dumb jocks tend to run their mouths, which tends to prove the point. You, on the other hand, are quiet. Quiet people, in my experience, have a lot going on upstairs.”
“Let’s hope you’re right. How far to the airfield?”
“Almost there.”
They’d driven through some hills and valleys before descending into a long, narrow meadow. The airfield shimmered in the distance. It had been plowed so the tarmac glimmered in the winter sun. “What do you want from me while you’re giving Jake the papers?”
“Make sure no one stabs me in the back. Or shoots me. Or punches me while I’m otherwise occupied.”
Unstoppable (The Untouchable Series) Page 10
