by Mandy Baxter
He was in love with Charlotte Cahill. He’d never loved anyone more.
The elevator door slid open to the sixth floor and silently closed once again. He barely took notice when the car lurched and started its descent, and he didn’t stop kissing Charlie when the doors opened once again on the third floor and three passengers stepped in. The minutes melted away as they kissed, and when the elevator reached the ground floor and they were finally alone again, Mason pulled away to look at her. Beautiful.
“I love you, Charlie.” The words tumbled from his mouth in a rush. “I should have told you before I left.”
Because of Carrera’s involvement, Mason’s relationship to Kieran, and the fact that Kieran had managed to flee with thirty million of the government’s money, there had been an internal investigation into the task force. He’d been ordered not to have any contact with Charlie, and once Mason was cleared of any wrongdoing, the interim chief deputy had sent him on to Glynco. There’d been no time to say the things he wanted to say to her, and he’d worried that when he came back, everything would be different. But one look from her told Mason everything he needed to know. She loved him too.
“I think those are the best words anyone has ever said to me.” Charlie’s beautiful blue eyes shone with emotion.
“I mean it, Charlie.” He needed her to know, without a doubt, how he felt about her.
“I know you do.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “I love you too.”
“God, I missed this face.” Mason cupped her cheeks and put his lips to hers.
“Just my face?” she teased.
He kept his lips over hers and said, “As soon as I get you alone, I’m going to show you—in detail—how much I missed every sexy inch of you.”
The sound of a throat clearing drew their attention. An elderly woman stood with her hand bracing the elevator doors wide as she waited for Mason and Charlie to get out of the car. He flashed her a wide smile and showed her his badge. “U.S. marshal, ma’am. Official investigation. I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to wait for another car.”
Charlie tucked her body against his and laughed as the woman released her grip. Mason reached over and hit the button to close the doors once again, shutting them out from the world.
“I can’t believe you just did that,” she said, laughing.
He kissed her again. “I promise it’s the only time I’ll abuse my power.”
“Please,” Charlie scoffed. “You’re the last person on the planet who’s in jeopardy of abusing their power.”
“I’m not as squeaky clean as you think,” he said. “I don’t know if you know this or not, but I come from a pretty infamous family.”
“I’ve heard the rumors.” She nuzzled Mason’s neck and his cock stirred behind his fly, more than ready to take this reunion somewhere a hell of a lot more private. “But I trust you.”
“What do you need from your office?” Mason’s voice rasped as he put his lips to Charlie’s throat.
“It can wait until Monday,” Charlie said.
“Good. Because we’re going back to my place, where I can get you good and naked.”
“That sounds like an excellent plan.” Her hand ventured beneath his shirt and he shivered from the contact. “Besides, I thought small spaces made you uncomfortable.”
He could suffer through it. For her. Anything for her. “One more trip up,” he said as his mouth found hers once again. “I’m not ready to let go of you quite yet.” The kiss deepened, intensified, until they were both breathless and panting.
Her hand slithered past his waistband to cup his erection through his jeans. “Maybe in the meantime, I’ll make a trip down?”
Holy shit. “Are you trying to rattle me, Charlie?”
“Depends,” she murmured. “Is it working?”
“Hell yeah.”
She smiled as she stroked him through his jeans. “Good.”
*
“Have I mentioned how much I missed you?”
Charlie snuggled in closer to Mason. Her head came down on his shoulder and her palm rested over his heart. They’d made love for hours. Questing hands, slow kisses, and tentative caresses became frenzied touches, hungry mouths, and low moans that filled the silence. The weeks apart from Charlie melted away by slow degrees, and the desperation that had eaten away at him was replaced with a contented glow that warmed his muscles and exhausted him. He was far from sated, though.
“You might have mentioned it once or twice,” Charlie said sleepily. “Have I told you how much I missed you?”
Mason smiled. “You might have mentioned it.”
Her mouth found his shoulder. She came up on her elbow and kissed across his collarbone over his pecs, as she rolled her body on top of his. Charlie straddled his waist. She bent over him and the fragrant waves of her hair teased his shoulder. Mason let his hands wander the supple curves of Charlie’s body. A tremor shook her when he cupped the weight of her full breasts in his palms, and she let out a quiet whimper as his thumbs brushed the tight points of her nipples.
A month and a half apart had felt like years. But during those weeks of physical and mental exhaustion, Mason had found his priorities. He’d thought about the importance of family and shared history, and he’d come to realize that there was room in his life to let in a little bit of that gray area he’d shunned for so long. Life was too damned short to be uncompromising. Uncompromising men were admirable, sure. But they were unhappy as hell.
Mason planned to spend every day of the rest of his life blissed out and happy. With Charlie.
The wet heat of Charlie’s pussy slid along Mason’s shaft, redirecting his thoughts. She reached over to the bedside table and grabbed a condom from the drawer. “I hope you don’t have anywhere to be this weekend,” she said in a husky murmur. “Because I don’t plan on leaving this bed until Monday morning.”
“Monday?” Mason came up on his elbows. His mouth touched down right above Charlie’s sternum and blazed a path over the swell of her breast. “I thought maybe you could take the week off.”
Charlie’s low laughter ignited Mason’s lust. He kissed the tip of her breast before he drew her nipple into his mouth and sucked. Her hips bucked and the action caused her clit to slide against his shaft. God damn, she drove him crazy. Mindless. He’d never want anyone as much as he wanted Charlie. She was it for him.
“A week, huh?” He sat up fully and wrapped his arms around her, caressing down her spine. “Everyone at the office has been trying to get me to take it easy. Maybe I could stand to have a few extra days away …”
The salt tang of her skin and her floral scent took over Mason’s senses. He committed the way she smelled, tasted, to memory, unwilling to let this moment fade. Mason knew that every time with Charlie would be like this, because every second spent with her was precious.
“A week off and then back to the grind,” she said with a sigh. “I think we can handle it, don’t you?”
Mason chuckled. “Definitely.” He pulled back to look at her and brushed the hair away from her face. “I was thinking … that maybe we’d take a vacation. After everything settles down. Maybe toward the end of the year.”
A curious smile graced Charlie’s lips. “Could be fun. What did you have in mind?”
“How does Morocco sound?”
Charlie studied him for a silent moment. “Morocco?” Her eyes sparked with realization and she laughed. “They don’t extradite to the U.S.”
“Huh,” Mason said. “I didn’t know that.”
Charlie’s bright, knowing smile filled Mason with so much emotion, he thought his chest might burst. They’d both come so far since that day in the elevator, and Mason wouldn’t have it any other way. Maybe together, they could have it all. The careers, the happiness, and maybe even the sense of family.
“Sounds like it could be an adventure.” Charlie beamed, her expression so full of love.
“I’m up for an adventure.” He held her tight and kissed
her. “How ’bout you?”
She smiled. “Definitely.”
Loved LOCKED AND LOADED?
Be sure to check out the rest of
Mandy Baxter’s
U.S. Marshals series
ONE NIGHT MORE
ONE KISS MORE
ONE TOUCH MORE
AT ANY COST
Available now from
Zebra Books!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mandy Baxter lives in rural Idaho. She’s a part-time pet wrangler, a full-time sun worshipper, and only goes out into the cold when coerced. She loves black clothes, pink appliances, and thinks junk food should be a recognized food group. In the summer, she can be found sitting by the lake, enjoying the view from her dock. She also writes urban fantasy under the name Amanda Bonilla. For more about Mandy, visit www.mandy-baxter.com.
ONE NIGHT MORE
Savvy, hard-riding, rule-breaking—they’ll go anywhere and do anything it takes to protect and serve. But this U. S. Marshal has just met his match—and playing for keeps is one sizzling game …
Getting saved from disaster by a handsome stranger—Harper Allen has no problem with that. But when he leaves without a word or a clue to his real identity, the newbie reporter writes it off as the best one-night stand she’ll ever have. Until a year later, when Harper comes face-to-face with the man assigned to hide her from a senator’s killer …
Galen Kelly hasn’t forgotten a single sensual minute of his night with Harper … or that she betrayed him. With the FBI also on their trail, he’s got to pretend he’s never met her or risk both their lives.
But as danger closes in, Galen may not be able to protect himself from taking the biggest risk of all …
ONE KISS MORE
Rough, tough, and by the book, he’s most criminals’ worst nightmare. Until the girl of his dreams is caught on the other side …
Emma Ruiz knows her father is innocent. But that doesn’t help her convince the law—not even smoking hot U.S. Marshal Landon McCabe. When McCabe bangs on her door demanding information about how her cancer-stricken father escaped from federal prison, she’ll have to distract him somehow—it may as well be with a stolen kiss.
Landon gets why Emma isn’t saying all she knows. What he doesn’t understand is why he’s putting his reputation, his case, and his badge on the line for a gorgeous person of interest. Much as he’d love to, he can’t let Emma play him. The stakes are higher than either of them can guess. The only way to survive is to trust their instincts. But their instincts want more than one kiss …
ONE TOUCH MORE
Strong, relentless, and lethal, he plays every angle to trap the worst criminals. But for the one woman he can’t resist, he’ll break all the rules …
For hotel manager Tabitha Martin, bad boys usually spell disaster. And her new guest promises just that, with his formidable build, tattooed biceps, and quiet take-no-mess attitude. Tabitha is already putting everything on the line to escape her vicious drug-dealing ex’s control for good—but a single sizzling moment in “Damien Evans’” arms has her wanting all the trouble he can give …
He’s been undercover too long and likes living dangerously too much. U. S. Marshal Parker Evans figures maybe that’s why he doesn’t immediately put Tabitha in custody. Sure, she’s his one chance to finally take down a major drug ring. But every minute he protects this mostly innocent blonde leaves his heart all too vulnerable. And the cost of desire could be a deadly endgame …
AT ANY COST
Fast, cunning, and driven,
he’ll do whatever it takes to nail
the most violent federal perps.
But she is the one danger he’ll never see coming …
She can’t remember when she wasn’t afraid.
She can’t go to the police. And “Olivia Gallagher”
is only a day away from fleeing her Idaho wilderness
life before biker gang leader Joel Meecum finally
catches up with her. So keeping her rugged new
neighbor at arm’s length is the only safe play. Until
Livy can’t resist one last hungry chance to feel alive …
For U.S. Marshal Nick Brady, taking his vacation next
door to Meecum’s ex-girlfriend seemed the smartest
way to find him. But suddenly, nothing is making
sense. How could this feisty, straight-talking brunette
ever get mixed up with Meecum’s brutal crew?
And why is he breaking his oath and getting so close
that all he wants is to keep her safe?
Now as the clock ticks, Nick and Livy’s only chance
at escape may be the one they can’t sur vive …
