by Leslie North
Considering he was face level with her leather-covered thighs, hell yes. He saw heaven on earth right there between her legs. He started to reach for the zipper of her cat suit, then halted. “May I, Mistress?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
That was all Hunter needed to hear. First, he removed her boots, taking his time and keeping his gaze locked with hers. Then, he drew the zipper down slowly, revealing more and more of her creamy flesh. He licked his lips once it reached the bottom, inhaling the scent of her warm body and the hint of female arousal mixed in. God, it had been so long since he’d wanted a woman this badly. Maybe he never had before. Moving control of the leash from one hand to the other, Alex shrugged out of the cat suit, pushing it down her legs as he watched until she stepped out of it completely and kicked it aside. Her standing over him in nothing but a red lace bra and skimpy lace thong was about the most erotic thing Hunter had ever seen.
In blatant invitation, she leaned her shoulders back against the wall and thrust her hips forward, feet and thighs apart. “Lick me, slave.”
Hunter didn’t need to be asked twice. He leaned forward and placed a hand on each of her legs to steady her as he traced his tongue over her slick folds through the lace of her panties. Alex moaned low then scolded him. “No hands. Not yet.”
“Yes, Mistress,” he said, the flavor of her wetness filling his mouth and igniting his senses. Spicy and sweet and complex, just like the woman herself. Unable to stop himself, he licked her again, and again, until she was writhing beneath him, her fingers twining through his hair and holding him closer as she directed his movements. “That’s good, slave. Right there. Yes. Oh, God. More. Harder.”
Her thighs were shaking around his head and her breath was panting. Hunter hazarded a glance up at Alex and saw her head thrown back against the wall, her eyes closed as she lost herself in his lovemaking. His eager cock pressed harder against the confines of his jeans, demanding release.
“Take them off,” Alex demanded.
At first, Hunter was confused, given where his thoughts had been moments before. “Mistress?”
“My panties,” she said, breathless. “Take them off.”
He did so, sliding the soaked red lace down her legs before tossing it aside to join her cat suit. Soon, she unhooked her bra as well and threw it over onto the pile, leaving her completely naked. “Make me cum, slave.”
“Yes, Mistress.” Hunter redoubled his efforts, using his lips and tongue to caress her swollen clit, wishing he could touch her as well as taste her. Alex toyed with her breasts with one hand while continuing to guide him with the other. No blushing virgin here, Hunter thought, but then again neither was he. He liked a woman with experience, a woman unafraid to ask for what she wanted. Seemed he and Alex were more than compatible in bed.
Alex gasped and her thighs shook as she came hard, crying out his name over and over. He nuzzled her through wave after wave of ecstasy until she finally slid down the wall to sit on the floor in front of him, her expression dreamy and sated.
The leash had long since slipped from her hand to dangle loose around his neck, but neither one of them needed commands anymore at this point. Alex used his T-shirt to clean up, then hoisted it over his head and tossed it onto their ever-growing pile of clothes. “Mistress, I—”
“No.” Alex reached out a shaky hand to trace her fingers over his lips. “Please. Let’s not pretend anymore. Not now, unless you really want to.”
“I’m good. As long as I have you.” He kissed her then, hot and deep, before leaning back and grinning. She slid a hand down his bare chest, making him shudder. Her fingers grazed the waistband of his jeans before dipping inside to tease the head of his cock. “Hmm, that feels amazing.”
“Know what would feel more amazing?” Alex slid her arm around him and laid back, drawing him down atop her on the living room floor. “You inside me. If you want me.”
Hunter damned near choked on his tongue. “If I want you? You’re kidding, right?”
“No.” She looked away as if suddenly shy. “I mean, I know you get off on all that submission stuff, but honestly I’ve never really tried it with anyone but you.”
“And I’m not usually submissive. I guess I’m only a slave for you, Alexandra Valentine.” He punctuated each word with a kiss to her cheek, ear, or neck, until his head was resting in the valley between her breasts. He reached up to gently tease her taut nipple and she arched beneath him. “I don’t bow to many people, baby. The fact you can order me around like a five-star general is unique. Just ask the guys.” He frowned. “On second thought, don’t. Let’s keep this stuff between you and me, okay?”
“Okay.” Alex met his gaze again and grinned. “I do have one request.”
“Anything.” He couldn’t resist taking her nipple into his mouth and swirling his tongue around it before letting it pop free. “What?”
“Can we take this to the bedroom instead?” She glanced around. “Rug burns.”
Hunter was on his feet the next second and had her in his arms. “Your wish is my command, Mistress.”
In the bedroom, conversation gave way to groans and sighs as Hunter kicked off his jeans and grabbed a condom from his back pocket, putting it on before joining Alex on the mattress where he’d placed her. Every inch of her was exquisite—toned, taut, soft and incredibly inviting. He kissed or licked or otherwise worshipped every spot he could find on her before positioning himself at her wet entrance. “Are you ready for me?”
“Always,” she said, pulling him down for another kiss as he slid balls-deep into her. The tight heat of her nearly had him coming on the spot. Sheer willpower alone held him back. After giving her body time to adjust to the size and length of him, Hunter began moving inside her, withdrawing almost completely before thrusting back inside her again. Soon, they’d found a natural rhythm, with her meeting his movements and driving them both higher and closer to orgasm. He’d wanted this to last all night, but he wanted her too badly.
Hunter clenched his teeth, reaching between them to tease Alex’s clit again. “Are you close, baby?”
“Hmm, yes.” Alex bit her lip, her eyes closed again, lost in sensation. “So close.”
“Good.” He changed his angle of penetration slightly and that was all it took. She cried out, her back arching as she rubbed against him and came hard. Hunter pounded into her, seeking his own blissful release. Once, twice, then the world exploded in a million iridescent shards of pleasure. His muscles shook with the intensity, and he collapsed atop her, his head resting on her chest between her breasts, his eyes heavy and his breath ragged.
“That was…” he started, then realized Alex was already asleep, her breath evening out into the familiar patterns of slumber.
“Amazing,” he whispered into the darkness, rolling to his side and pulling Alex with him, then covering them with the sheets before drifting off himself.
12
The next morning, Alex woke to a cold, empty bed and enough steamy memories of the night before to make a crow blush. Man, she was hardly a timid virgin, but she’d never had her world rocked so thoroughly before. Seemed Hunter Odenson was quite possibly a god after all—a sex god, that was.
Smiling wide, she rolled over onto her back and listened for sounds of him moving around the safe house. Considering the fact that tonight was the big showdown, the one and only chance she might have to get Bea back safe and sound, Alex had not expected to sleep soundly or to wake feeling so refreshed and energized. Kudos to Hunter for making both those things possible. Kudos to him too for just being an all-around great guy and friend during this mission, in general. Things sure hadn’t started out smoothly that first day—with him blasting onto her film set like a Chuck Norris reject—but over the last several days she’d grown to respect him as a person and a professional.
Warmth and happiness bubbled inside her bloodstream as she gave a full-body stretch. The thing that surprised her the most about Hunter, though, was
his kind and gentle heart. Most people didn’t see it, hidden away behind all that towering muscle, but it was there. Knowing he’d let her glimpse his real self, the side of him that he guarded from everyone else, made her feel special. Special and cared for and…
Alex stopped herself from going any farther. Yes, she liked Hunter. A lot. Way more than she should, probably, considering he’d be on the first plane back to the east coast when all this was over. But there it was. She liked him. More than liked him after last night. What’s more, she trusted him. And in her line of work, she’d learned not to trust many people. In the entertainment industry, everyone seemed to be searching for something or looking for their next big break. All Hunter was interested in was keeping her safe and finding Bea.
Sure, he also wanted to complete his mission and get his promotion, but he’d never once made her feel stupid or cheap or like a piece of meat as so many other guys in her business did. Hunter made her feel smart and cherished and worthy. Hunter made her feel like she could take on any challenge and win. Like she could be the successful woman she’d always wanted to be, as long as she had him by her side.
The sound of his deep voice drifting in from the living room put a quick kibosh on those dreams. From what she could hear, he was on the phone again with his office back in Virginia. With a sigh, Alex got up and padded quickly across the room to the master bath, the hardwood floor cold on her bare feet. Once inside she shut the door then leaned back against it, eyes closed. She could not let herself fall for Hunter Odenson. That would be the height of dumb.
He was not staying. He was not her usual type. He’d never expressed an interest in anything more than one night of incredibly hot sex with her. To blow it all out of proportion and want more was beyond idiotic.
Resolved to put those crazy thoughts out of her head, Alex jammed on the shower to let it heat up while she took care of business, then brushed her teeth. By the time she stood beneath the steamy spray she felt nearly like her old jaded self again. Hunter was a nice guy, a good guy, a smart, decent, generous, fiercely loyal and brave guy. No reason to go all gaga over the dude, right?
Damn, she really wished Bea was there to talk to about all this. Bea was her sounding board, her go-to gal for all matters of the heart. Bea would know exactly what to do to get Alex out of this situation. But first, Alex needed to rescue her best friend from her predicament. She just prayed Bea was alive and well and hadn’t been beaten or raped or otherwise mistreated by the sex boss and his thugs.
After rinsing off and toweling dry, Alex made her way out of the master bedroom to the guest room she’d claimed as hers the day before. There she found a clean set of sweatpants, a T-shirt, and socks from the safe room set neatly on the bed and her heart squeezed. Another show of Hunter’s sweet, thoughtful side. She changed fast, swapping out her damp towel for the clothes, then headed out to find Hunter in the kitchen now, sans phone, his back to her as he cooked something wonderful-smelling on the stove. Her stomach growled loud enough for him to hear and he glanced back over his shoulder at her.
“Hey,” Hunter said, a glint of appreciation in his gaze as he looked her over. “Sleep well?”
“Like a baby.” She grinned and leaned against the counter, admiring his perfect firm ass in those tight faded jeans. “You?”
“Same.” He was naked from the waist up and his feet were bare too. She thought about all the wicked things she’d like to do to him to make his toes curl, things they hadn’t had time for the night before. “Hope you like omelets. I got up early and walked to the mini-mart down the street. The selection of groceries there wasn’t great, but I at least got us some milk, bread, cheese, eggs. All the staples.”
“Cool.” Alex took a seat at the small table and watched him fry up their breakfast. “And I love omelets.”
“Good. Me too.” He winked at her then pointed at the toaster. “Make yourself useful.”
“Yes, sir.” She got up and stuck a couple of slices of bread in.
“That’s my line.” Hunter grinned. “Coffee’s fresh too.”
“Awesome.” While she fixed herself a mug, Alex did her best to steer their conversation out of dangerous flirting territory and back to the task at hand. Otherwise, she was liable to jump him right there on the kitchen floor and nobody would eat—or do anything else—for a long time. “So, what’s the plan for today? We need to be ready when the boss shows up with his team tonight. You do think he’s going to show, right?”
“Yeah, he’ll show.” Hunter’s smile faltered slightly.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” He tried to shake off her question, but the tiny lines of tension around his eyes gave him away. “I don’t know,” he finally said. “I got a weird feeling from the boss last night. Like things went a bit too smoothly, you know?”
“Hmm.” She sipped her coffee, watching him over the rim. “You think he might try to double cross us with the slaves?”
“Maybe.” Hunter shrugged, muscles rippling beneath the smooth tanned skin of his back. Alex bit her lip to hold back a moan of appreciation. “I ran it by the guys earlier, just in case. Loki says we need to be prepared for every contingency. I agree with him. So, my plan is to spend today running through scenarios with you in case things go south. That way we’ll both be prepared and know what to expect in a worst-case scenario. Sound good?”
Alex nodded. “Sounds great. We do something similar in the movies. During our read-throughs of the script we’ll try different ways of saying things, different types of blocking for the scenes. It helps make sure we have the best set-up possible. Also helps make sure all the actors feel comfortable with each other and what we’ll be doing when the time comes.”
“Yep.” Hunter grabbed two plates from the cupboard while Alex buttered up two pieces of toast and shoved two more fresh slices of bread in the toaster. While he dished up their food, she finished the toast, then put silverware and napkins on the table. By the time they sat down to eat, it was like they were an old married couple. It felt way nicer and more perfect than Alex expected.
She swallowed her yearning along with a bite of eggs. He’d added cheese and small chunks of sausage to them, making them gooey and salty and damned near the best eggs she’d ever had. “Wow, this is terrific!”
“Thanks.” He looked away, though a tiny smile formed on his full, soft lips. “It’s nice to cook for more than just me.”
“You cook too?” She chuckled. “And just when I thought you couldn’t get more perfect.”
“You think I’m perfect?” He did meet her gaze then—astonishment, mixed with admiration, lit his handsome face. “Well, I think you’re kind of perfect too.”
“Really?” All she wanted to do at that moment was crawl into his lap and kiss him senseless. Alex would have too, except a knock on the front door interrupted her. Her gaze darted from the front door to Hunter then back again, her heart skipping in her chest. “Expecting someone?”
He scowled, whispering. “No.”
Holding up a finger for silence, he got up and walked into the living room, sticking close to the walls as he made his way over to the windows beside the door. When he lifted the curtains and peeked out, his frown only increased. He looked back at Alex and shook his head.
“What?” she mouthed. “No one’s there?”
Hunter shook his head, giving her a look that screamed stay-where-you-are. He quickly skirted his way back toward the kitchen then on toward the hallway, whispering as he passed her, “I need to get my gun. It’s in the master bedroom. Stay put and don’t let anyone in until I get back. Understand?”
Alex nodded fast. She grabbed her table knife like a weapon, her gaze locked on the front door. If the sex boss or his thugs tried to break in, she’d jab them in the eye with her knife, dammit. The thing wasn’t sharp, but it could do some damage to soft tissue if landed the right way. She wasn’t exactly an expert in self-defense, but she’d had training in martial arts for some of her roles and s
he’d paid attention. She could take care of herself, if she needed to. At least she hoped she could. Those skills had never been put to the test in reality.
She could hear Hunter chamber a round in his gun in the bedroom and relaxed slightly. At least until she heard the knob on the back door in the kitchen jiggle. Oh shit! Whoever had knocked was trying to get in a different way. Definitely not a salesman then, or anyone else reputable.
Heart thudding loud in her ears, Alex slid from her seat and inched toward the living room, doing her best not to panic, yet unable to stop shaking. “Hunter?” she called, hoping he heard her weak voice. “Hunter, get out here. Someone’s trying to get in the back.”
“What?” he said, moving back toward her down the hall, gun in hand just as all hell broke loose. The front door shattered as it was kicked in. At the same time, the back door crashed open and one of the huge thug bodyguards from Club Excite stepped into the kitchen.
Hunter fired at the thug in the living room, but his shot went wide, pinging off the wall. The guard lunged at him and they slammed to the floor in a flurry of punches and curses. Meanwhile, Alex had swiveled to face the new arrival in the kitchen, table knife in her shaky hand as she backed slowly away. “Don’t even think about touching me, you asshole. I swear to God I’ll shove this fucking thing through your temple and straight into your sorry excuse for brains.”
Yeah, it was a line from one of her old movies, but it seemed appropriate.
The thug stared at her then shook his head. “Ain’t nobody touching you but the boss. We got orders.”
“The boss?” Alex turned fast as a hand closed painfully on her shoulder. “Don’t touch me!”
“Alex?” Hunter yelled. “Get away from her, you filthy piece of shit!”
He landed a nasty right hook into the thug’s left kidney and the sickening sound of cracking bone filled the air. Alex swallowed hard against the rising bile in her throat and fixed the sex boss with her best fearsome glare.
