He rained kisses along the side of her face and down her throat. He nuzzled her ear, licked at the throbbing pulse in her neck, and kissed his way to the edge of the teddy. As he explored her throat with his mouth, his hand moved over her body slowly, softly, imprinting the texture of every inch of her in his memory. He’d fantasized being with her this way, but not even his wildest dream came close to the wonder of reality.
Her skin was damp and hot, silky smooth, flawed only by the minor scars left from the surgeries. His senses reveled in the moment. Her body seemed to flare hotter as his hand caressed her. She smelled of vanilla and lavender.
Her breathing was heavy as her arousal increased, and the sound excited him. He shifted his position and removed her scraps of lace and his pajama bottoms, wanting to touch all of her with all of him. He lay on his side, admiring the faint glow of her alabaster skin in the dim light from the bathroom. He’d never seen a more magnificent woman in his life.
She was small and delicate, but everything about her was proportioned. She might be an artist, but she was a work of art herself. Had Botticelli seen her, he would’ve known he’d found his Venus.
He cupped first one and then the other of her flawless breasts, teasing the nipples erect. His mouth closed over the tender buds, and he laved them. He felt her shudder at his ministrations, and soft moans of pleasure escaped her. He moved his mouth lower, and her breath came in shallow pants. He kissed the tender flesh of her tight abdomen. He moved his hand to the apex of her thighs, felt the moisture there, and knew she was ready for him. As much as he wanted to pleasure her and drive her to climax, he couldn’t wait a second longer.
He rose on his knees above her, careful to keep his weight off her delicate body, and eased himself into her, joining their bodies together. For the first time in his life, he felt complete. With each thrust, he felt the primal rhythm of life flowing through him. He drove them higher, and when he felt her climax grip her, he cried out her name and joined her.
Exhausted, he rolled off her, and pulled her close to him. His heart pounded out a staccato in rhythm with hers. With his hand, he pulled the blankets up over them, and together they fell into a deep sleep. He knew he’d never be able to let her go. He only hoped she felt the same way.
* * *
Nikki awoke, stretched, as contented as a cat, and reached out for Jason, only to find she was alone in the bed. Disappointment filled her. Making love had been the most incredible experience. She knew, regardless of her incomplete memories, she’d never felt that way before. She sighed. This was what it felt like to be well-loved. She looked at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was barely after six, and yet despite the night’s activity, she felt energized.
She got up, went into the bathroom, and turned on the shower, allowing the water to invigorate her. When the shower door opened and Jason entered, she smiled. Last night, she’d barely glimpsed the magnificent body she’d explored with her hands and mouth.
She blushed, thinking of the liberties they’d taken with one another. He had a dusting of golden hair across his chest, and the only marks on him were two scars—one on his left shoulder, the other under his right arm. His was the body of an athlete with rock-hard abs and muscles that rippled down his arms and legs. He was overwhelmingly sexy with a narrow waist, lean hips, and long, muscular thighs.
Her eyes were drawn to his magnificent erection, and she wanted him again just as much as she’d wanted him last night.
“I was going to surprise you with breakfast in bed.” He pulled her slick, wet body next to his and kissed her. “But I see it’ll have to wait. I have more pressing things to do.”
She laughed at the teasing in his voice. “Oh yeah? And what might that be?”
He smiled wickedly and raised his eyebrows. “Why, Ms. Longtain, you need your back washed, and I’m just the man to do it.”
Hearing him call her by her rightful name thrilled her. The paperwork would arrive in the next week or two. She’d changed Mandy’s name, too. She wanted no reminders of either Thomas Lincoln or Sam Hart.
“Why, Agent Spark, I’d be honored to have you wash my back and anything else you think might need cleaning.”
“That’s an invitation I’m not going to turn down.”
The feel of his soap-covered hands on her body was the most erotic sensation she’d ever imagined. He stood behind her, his erection smooth against her back, and rubbed circles on her breasts. The nipples hardened to the point of discomfort, begging for his touch.
When he slipped into her molten core, within minutes, she convulsed around him again and rode the wild and wonderful waves of heat that surrounded her. She felt him explode within her, crying out her name in his release as he’d done last night. If he hadn’t been holding her, she’d have fallen, weak from the wonder and beauty of his love-making. She leaned back against his chest and panted.
They stood slumped together against the wall, letting the water massage their sated bodies. Recovering first, Jason turned off the water and opened the door. He dried off quickly, turned, and wrapped her in her robe.
He picked her up and carried her back to bed where a carafe of coffee sat on a tray beside two cups. He stood her up and poured coffee into her cup, added cream and sugar, and handed it to her.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Nikki,” he said. “This year I really have something to be grateful for.”
She put down the coffee cup and reached for him. “As bad as things wee, now so do I.”
By the time they got back to the coffee, it was cold.
Chapter Twenty
“I’m so stuffed,” Nikki said, “I won’t be able to eat for a week. Pam’s a fantastic cook, and she made me feel so welcomed.”
“I know what you mean,” Jason answered, checking in the rearview mirror to see if Mandy was still awake. She had her headphones on watching a movie. The drive out to Rick’s ranch was a half-hour long, an eternity in Mandy’s eyes. “My sister-in-law’s a great woman. Rick’s lucky she waited around for him to make up his mind. I think she finally convinced him to propose by suggesting she’d move away and take her baking with her. I had two pieces of sweet potato pie.”
“Mandy did too, but I think she ate the marshmallow topping and fed the rest to Danny. Let’s hope he doesn’t get sick.”
“That goes double for me. There are a lot of things I can handle, but sick puppies aren’t among them.”
She laughed. “A big, tough FBI man like you, taken down by a little doggy spit-up? This I’ve got to see.”
“It’s not a pretty sight.”
For the first time in his life, he should be content. He’d heard from Ivan, and they’d tracked The Butcher’s last contract payment to a bank in the Cayman Islands—the same bank that handled all of Scarletti’s money, including those assets in his daughter’s name. There was no question Carlotta was the employer. It was just a matter of time before they’d find her. Nikki and Mandy were safe, he had the family he’d wanted and the woman he loved. What more could a man ask? Getting rid of a guilty conscience, perhaps?
He changed the topic. “Have you given any thought to Christmas? It’s just around the corner.”
“Actually, I have.” She sighed. “It’s funny, but somehow I pictured us in Colorado for the holidays. I imagined this big pine tree and snow.”
“I didn’t think you’d ever want to go back there. I was considering putting it back on the market. I’d planned to retire there, but...”
“I love that house. Please don’t sell it, unless you sell it to me. I want to go back, maybe learn to ski. I’d like to paint Flagstaff Mountain.” She spoke softly. “There are no bad memories there for me. I’ll remember seeing Cassie give birth to Nick, and you saving my life again. Mandy wants to go back, too.”
Nikki looked over her shoulder, no doubt checking to see what Mandy was doing, then leaned closer to him. “I’m thinking of getting Mandy a pony for Christmas,” she whispered. “She certainly enjoyed being around hor
ses at the ranch today.”
“She’s got a good seat, too. I’ll talk to Rick. I’m sure he’ll know where we can get her a horse. He’ll probably offer to board it for you for cost. Pam’s planning to open a riding school in the spring. Nikki could be one of her first pupils. Pam won lots of riding awards in her younger days.”
“That sounds great. If she’s going to learn to ride, she should have lessons. I think I ride, but I won’t know until I get on a horse. I know I like them.”
He chuckled. “Then, the next weekend we get mild weather, I’ll take you back and we’ll see. Now, if you’re serious about Colorado, let’s do it. The repairs are finished. The only catch is Mandy gets to pick a new room for herself—upstairs. We can go out and cut our own tree. Make our first Christmas together special.”
“You’re on, but I’m going to have to work off some of this food tomorrow or none of my winter clothes will fit.”
“I can think of a few ways we can burn off the calories when we get home.”
“You want to have another paddle boat race? I’ll beat the pants off you,” Nikki teased.
“Well, having my pants off was part of my thinking, but not the paddle boats. By the way, remind me to call Junior down at the lumberyard and see if he knows someone who can fix the boathouse door. I can’t imagine why your husband, as persnickety as he was, didn’t get it fixed.”
“You make him sound like a fussy, old lady when I’m discovering he was a cruel and spiteful man.”
“Well, whatever he was, he was an idiot if he hung that door.”
Jason slowed the car as the light turned red. Nikki looked around.
“Damn, I meant to get milk. Can we stop at Ed’s Convenience store? It’s still open.”
“Not a problem.” Jason answered as calmly as he could. His heart was in overdrive. He hadn’t been in the store since that night.
The light turned green and he signaled before pulling into the parking lot. When he turned off the engine, Mandy looked up.
“Can I get a candy bar?”
“As long as you promise to save it for tomorrow and share it with Lily,” Nikki said.
“I will.” Mandy unbuckled herself and waited for Jason to help her out of her car seat.
“Danny has to stay in the car, honey. The sign says no dogs allowed.”
“Okay, Mommy.” Mandy spoke to the sleepy dog, who didn’t seem to mind being left behind this time and ran ahead to the door.
“You do realize she’s going to pick out the largest candy bar in the store, don’t you? It’s what I would do.”
Nikki laughed. “Let’s hope she’s not as devious as you are.”
The bell attached to the door tinkled. The television above the counter was tuned into the football game.
The lanky youth behind the desk looked up and smiled.
“Well, hello. Long time no see, Mr. FBI man. You haven’t been in since you stopped in for beer the night of the big massacre. I thought you’d gone back east. You must have got that call just as you left. You turned on the siren. It took you what, five minutes to get there? You saved the kid’s life. Hey, that’s her isn’t it,” he pointed to Mandy. “Glad you’re back. I feel safer with you in town although I did read they got the guy in Colorado.”
“Good news travels fast.” Jason prayed Nikki hadn’t heard what the clerk had said. Mandy put the candy bar she’d chosen on the counter.
He turned and Nikki stood behind him, her complexion as white as the milk in the jug she carried. Her hand trembled as she placed the jug on the counter. His heart plummeted. She’d heard. She’d heard every last word.
He paid for the items and hurried after her to the car.
“Nikki, I can explain—”
She lowered her voice. “Not now. You will explain everything as soon as she’s asleep. Take me home.” It wasn’t a request.
* * *
Jason sat on the recliner in the sunroom waiting for Nikki to come downstairs. He cursed fate for sending him into that store tonight. Why hadn’t he waited in the car with the dog? The kid wouldn’t have recognized Mandy or Nikki. Now, because he’d gone inside, the secret he’d kept hidden all these weeks was exposed, and he was seeing his future go up in flames.
He heard her footsteps on the stairs. She went into the kitchen. The sound of the cork popping was loud in the silence. She entered the sun room carrying two glasses of red wine and handed him one before sitting on the new sofa.
“I want the truth, Jason. When did you get the nine-one-one call? I may not remember that night, but I’ve pieced together enough to know I made the call well before I was beaten. If you were at Ed’s when you got it, five minutes away—I timed you—what took you so long to get here?” Her words were slow and measured, and she held onto her emotions by the thinnest thread.
He stood, took a mouthful of the wine that tasted like vinegar to him, and set the glass on the table. He paced, clenching and unclenching his fists. Finally, he stopped moving and knelt down in front of her.
“You’re going to hate me after you hear this. It’s the reason I didn’t tell you in the first place. Truth is, I was at Rick’s old place on the other side of town watching the football game when Molly called me about your 9 1 1 call.”
She gasped. “And you stopped for beer on the way?”
He reached out to touch her but pulled back at the last second. The last thing she would want was his touch now.
“Nikki, it wasn’t like that. I thought it was a butt dial. Rick had answered several of them since I’d been here. Bad things never happened in Larosa. I thought maybe your son was playing video games or something. I got the information from Molly, went and cleaned up a bit, and got my gun. I left the house and stopped at the red light—the same damn red light we got tonight. I saw the store and knew I’d finished off most of Rick’s beer, so I got a six-pack and some gum. When I got back in the car, I realized it had been almost twenty minutes since Molly had called.”
“So that’s why you turned on the siren?” Her voice was deadly calm, and she took a sip of wine.
He swallowed uncomfortably. If he was going to come clean, he had to do it all. “Yes. I was afraid I was going to miss the second half kick-off. I’m sorry.”
She sat there, staring into the wine as if she could see the events unfolding there. He felt the need to fill the silence between them.
“Once I got here, I realized my mistake and believe me I’ve regretted it ever since. Every time I listened to that 9 1 1 tape, I knew how badly I’d screwed up. If I’d booted it, I could have been here in half the time. I couldn’t have saved your husband or your son, but I might have spared you the beating. You almost died because of my stupidity and neglect. I’ll never forgive myself, and I can’t expect you to forgive me either. I swore no one would hurt you or Mandy again, and it’s a promise I’ve kept.”
Nikki stared at him, and let the tears fall. Did she understand her baby had died because he’d taken his time answering her call for help?
“Ten or fifteen minutes would have made a big difference, but at least you did come. You saved me and Mandy then, and you saved us in Colorado. I have to thank you for that, but you’re right. I don’t think I can ever forgive you for what you did.”
“I’ll do everything I can to make it up to you.”
She drained her wine glass, set it on the table next to the bottle and stood.
“Make it up to me?” Her voice was cold. “You’re joking, right?” Her hands fisted at her sides and she stood ramrod straight. “A dead child isn’t like a case of beer you can replace. Mandy must never realize what happened that night, but you have to understand that whatever there was between us is as dead as that baby. We’ll tell Mandy you’ll be leaving in a few days to go back to work and help someone else. She’ll miss you, but I won’t tarnish her hero in her eyes. I will play my part to make sure she doesn’t feel the tension between us. Make sure you do the same. The sooner you can leave, the better. I’m going
to bed. Stay the hell out of my room.”
* * *
Jason closed the last of the folders on his desk. All the paperwork concerning Nikki and The Butcher was complete—the case closed. He’d been cleared of any possible wrongdoing and the shooting had been declared justified. He had an appointment in San Francisco with the FBI shrink next week, and assuming he passed his physical, he’d be back in Langley for New Year’s.
Rick had asked him to stay at least until after the holidays, but he’d declined. A clean break was better for all of them. His brother had offered him a spot in the Larosa sheriff’s department, but how could he possibly live and work here, knowing he could see Mandy or Nikki at any moment? His heart ached as much today as it had two weeks ago when his life had ended.
Ivan had called last week to say Interpol had found Carlotta Scarletti. Her body had been discovered in the woods just outside of Palermo. It looked like she’d been beaten and robbed, but they’d left her passport behind, and when the local police had run it, they’d contacted Interpol. Two agents had been sent to interview the locals and learn what they could, but apparently getting anyone to talk about any member of the Scarletti family was as hard as pulling hen’s teeth.
Staying in the house that last week had been hard on both of them, but Nikki was adamant that, considering everything he’d done, they let Mandy get used to the idea he was leaving before he did. They’d been pleasant, polite strangers. The nights she’d cried herself to sleep had been the hardest. Once he knew for certain they were out of danger, he moved back into the motel.
Memories of their farewell ate at him as surely as the acid of his guilt had. The child he’d come to love kissed him and reminded him that, when he was finished saving other people, he could come back and visit them again. Nikki had shaken his hand, thanking him for saving her daughter’s life and for saving her from The Butcher. No more, no less. What had he expected? Walking down those steps had been the hardest thing he’d ever done.
His heart filled with regret. If he thought he’d been in love before, he was sadly mistaken. He’d cared for Denise and Erika, mourned their senseless deaths, but the pain of loss was nothing like the gut-wrenching agony he suffered now—and would probably feel to the end of his days.
On His Watch (Vengeance Is Mine Book 1) Page 26
