by Susan Stoker
Mickie looked surprised at his change of subject. “No. We just ate.”
“Thirsty?”
Motioning to her drink on the table next to the couch, Mickie shook her head.
“Comfortable? Need anything?”
“Cruz? I’m fine. What’s up with you?”
“I just want to make sure you’re comfortable and all’s good.”
“I’m fine.”
“How into this movie are you?”
“Uh, it’s good, but if you need to do something else, it’s okay, I can go.”
“I don’t want you to go. I can’t hold back anymore. The more I learn about you, the more I have to have you. You’re loyal to your sister. You work hard, you’re not selfish or spoiled. You’re sexy as hell and I can’t get you out of my head. I’m done waiting. I want to taste you. I want to feel your curvy body under mine. I need it. If you don’t want that, please, tell me. Otherwise, this is happening. Right now.”
Mickie swallowed hard. Cruz was dead serious. He wasn’t smiling, he wasn’t teasing her. She could feel her nipples harden under her cotton bra. Dear Lord. This handsome man wanted her. She didn’t have to think about it. She’d decided earlier that she hoped Cruz wanted to move their physical relationship forward. “I want it.”
“Thank fuck. Come here.” Cruz hooked his arm around her back and tugged her into him as he fell sideways onto the couch.
Mickie tried to prop herself up so she didn’t squish him as she looked down into his eyes.
“Relax, Mickie. I need to feel you against me.”
“I’ll squash you.”
“Hardly. Mickie, you weigh nothing compared to me. Put your legs on either side of my hips. Straddle me. I like feeling you against me. That’s it…” Cruz put his hands on her hips and held her to him. She was astride his stomach, which was probably good; he didn’t want to scare her with how hard he was.
He ran his hands up from her hips to her sides, then back down. Then he did it again, going higher this time, until they were just under her breasts. Cruz kept his hands on her, soothing her, gentling her. “Relax into me. You won’t hurt me.”
Cruz felt when Mickie put her full weight on him. Her legs relaxed and he could feel the warmth of her core against his stomach. Her hands were braced on his chest and she was looking down at him as if she was starving and he was her last meal. It was a good look on her.
Wanting to move their lovemaking along, Cruz said, “You want to see my tattoo now?”
“God, yes. Please.”
Cruz took his hands off her and put them up by his head. “Take off my shirt.”
Mickie looked down at the exquisite man underneath her. She’d been nervous about sitting on him, but as he’d run his hands over her body, she relaxed more and more. Now she lifted her hips and reached under her to grasp his T-shirt and ease it up his chest. She teased them both by removing it slowly.
As she revealed his abs, Mickie gasped. “Wow, Cruz. You’re built.” She scooted backwards until she rested on top of his erection. She leaned down and kissed his stomach as she continued to ease his shirt upward. She kissed his belly button and then each of the defined muscles she revealed as she raised his shirt. Mickie felt him inhale at the first brush of her lips against his stomach. She usually wasn’t this forward or fast with men, but there was something about Cruz that made her lose her inhibitions.
“That’s not where my tattoo is,” Cruz teased, breathing deeply to try to control himself. The feel of Mickie rubbing against his erection and her lips so close to his waistband was playing hell with his good intentions.
Mickie raised her head and watched as Cruz lifted his arms straight up so she could push his shirt completely off. Her eyes were glued to his left biceps and shoulder as he brought his arms back down, hauling her hips back up so she was straddling his stomach again.
She pouted at him. “I was comfortable where I was.”
“Yeah, but if you want this to last for more than two minutes, I need you here right now.”
Mickie smirked. “Two minutes?”
Cruz chuckled at himself. “Yeah, you’ve got me so hard if you’d ground yourself against me any longer, that’s how long I would’ve lasted.”
Mickie blushed and covered her cheeks with her hands when he laughed at her. “I don’t think anyone’s wanted me like that before.”
“Well, rest assured, I do. You wanna take a look at this now or later?” Cruz asked seriously, gesturing to his shoulder with his head.
Mickie brought her hands down from her face and leaned into Cruz. “Now. Definitely now.” She smoothed her right hand up his arm and over his tattoo to his shoulder. His tattoo was of a large bird with its wings spread. She wasn’t sure what kind, maybe an eagle, maybe a hawk, but whatever it was, it was big, spanning the width of his muscular biceps. It was done in shades of black, which made the intricate artwork all the more beautiful. The initials AR were under the tattoo in curly feminine writing, a direct contrast to the hard, masculine lines of the tattoo. Mickie ran her fingertip over the letters, guessing their meaning. “Avery’s initials?”
Cruz looked up into Mickie’s eyes as she examined his ink. “Yeah.” She leaned down and kissed his biceps, right in the middle of the tattoo. He’d been nervous to show her, as the eagle on his arm was the exact same eagle that was depicted on his FBI badge. He wasn’t sure she’d understand why he’d felt the need to put Avery’s initials on his arm, but he shouldn’t have been surprised.
“She’d be honored.”
“That’s not why I got her inked on me.”
“Why then?” Mickie sat up and braced one forearm on Cruz’s chest, looking him in the eyes as she did, running her fingertips over his arm. She obviously approved and that made his stomach clench in relief. Not everyone understood tattoos, and while he wasn’t covered in them, this one meant everything. It was who he was, what he stood for. She might not understand that right now, but it still touched him that she seemed to understand the tattoo had a deep significance for him.
Cruz realized she’d asked a question. He smoothed her hair behind her ear as he answered.
“To remind myself that behind every victim, there’s a family. There are people who love and miss their loved ones. I saw what Avery’s family went through. Her brother Sam spent years trying to find whoever killed her. There wasn’t anything the police could do for Avery, but they owed it to her family to investigate and find the person who’d killed her, not make her brother spend a lot of his life doing it. That’s why I have her initials there. To remember. I might only be in security, but I try to remember that what I do can make a difference in people’s lives.” Cruz tacked the last part on…feeling it was lame, but trying to link it to what Mickie thought he did for a living.
“I have something to say, but it’s inappropriate as hell.”
Cruz blinked at Mickie’s seemingly abrupt change in topic. “Okay. Go for it.”
“Even knowing why it’s there and what it represents…I gotta say, all it makes me want to do is rip the rest of your clothes off and fuck you right here, right now.”
Cruz felt himself grow even harder, if that was possible, at Mickie’s words. “Yeah?”
“Uh huh. I typically don’t like tattoos. But yours? Combined with your body? Oh yeah. It works for you, Cruz. It most definitely works.”
Cruz smiled and tightened his hold on her hips. “I’ve showed you mine. Gonna show me yours?”
Misinterpreting him on purpose, Mickie said, “I don’t have any tattoos.”
“You’ve got other things I wanna see. Better things.”
Thinking about what he would see when her shirt and pants came off, Mickie bit her lip nervously.
“Don’t even, Mickie.” It was as if Cruz could read her mind. He brought one hand up and tugged her lip out of her teeth. Then he ran his fingers down her chest, not lingering at the hard nipple he could feel as he went, until he reached her hip again. He ground her against his stomach and sat up, b
ringing her with him.
Mickie slipped down so she was straddling his lap again. Cruz held her hard against him, making sure she felt how much he needed her.
“Hang on, I’m moving this to my bed.”
Mickie squealed as Cruz stood and she grabbed his shoulders, tightening her legs around his waist so she wouldn’t fall.
Cruz stalked down the hall, groaning as he felt Mickie’s heat against his erection. She squirmed against him as he walked. He kicked open his bedroom door and made a beeline for his bed. He dropped Mickie on her back and immediately caged her in as he came down over her.
“Scoot up.”
Mickie did as he asked and he continued, “Don’t be nervous, Mickie. You have no idea how much I’ve wanted this, wanted you. Ever since I sat across from you in that restaurant that first day, I’ve dreamed of seeing you naked and getting my hands on you. I admit, I’ve thought about your nipples…I can already see they’re extremely sensitive.”
Mickie glanced down and clearly saw the outline of her nipples against her shirt, even through her bra. She’d always cursed her big nipples and how they were continuously embarrassing her, but now, seeing Cruz look down at her as if he couldn’t wait to lick her all over, she wasn’t embarrassed at all. She arched her back, urging Cruz on.
Cruz swallowed hard and ran the tip of his finger lightly over her nipple, feeling it bead even more at his touch. “Your curves are sexy as hell. I can’t wait to dig my fingers into your hips as you take me. I’m hard everywhere. I want a woman who’s soft and can take what I have to give. Can you take it, Mickie? Can you take me as I am?”
“I can take you, Cruz. God, can I take you.”
“Thank God. I’ve jerked off to the thought of you more than I did when I was a teenager. Don’t make me wait. Please. Show me what you’ve got under there, Mickie.”
Chapter Twelve
Mickie had no idea what had come over her, but she wanted nothing more than to rip off her clothes and be naked for Cruz. The thought of him masturbating when he imagined what she looked like was overwhelming. She reached down to her pants and undid the button of her jeans.
Cruz caught her hands in his, stopping her.
“I thought—”
“Oh, I want you naked, have no doubt, but I want to do it my way.”
“Then hurry up, Cruz!”
“Slow. My way is slow.”
“I hate slow,” Mickie complained with a pout.
Cruz chuckled, somehow knowing she’d say something like that. “You’ll love it by the time I get done with you.”
Mickie groaned and put both hands above her head and sighed dramatically. “Let me know when you’re done down there.”
Cruz laughed again, not remembering the last time he’d had this much fun while making love to a woman. “Much obliged, ma’am. Just close your eyes and forget I’m here then.” Not looking up to see if she’d done what he asked, Cruz leaned in and put his nose against her belly, nudging her shirt up until he was nuzzling against her skin. He inhaled deeply.
“What are you doing?” Mickie asked nervously, shifting under him.
Cruz held her hips tightly with his hands, silently asking her to be still. “You smell amazing. You’re so wet for me. I can smell your arousal. That, along with whatever soap or lotion you’ve used, is a fucking aphrodisiac.”
“Cruz—”
Whatever Mickie was going to say was cut off when Cruz moved quickly and unzipped her jeans. He shifted his head down until his nose was right over her mound. His hand pressed against her panties once, then his nose was there again.
“Cruz!” Mickie exclaimed, trying to push his head away.
“Easy, Mickie,” Cruz murmured. “It’s okay. I’m going to spend quite a bit of time here, you might as well get used to it.”
Mickie giggled nervously and lay back again. “I still say fast is better.”
Cruz did pick up his head at that. “You’ll change your tune, sweetness, just give me some time.”
Mickie just shook her head at him.
Cruz lowered himself and inhaled her unique scent once more. He hadn’t been lying to her earlier. He’d jacked off to the thought of her body, of having her under him, of her scent, more often than even Cruz was comfortable admitting. It wasn’t just lust, although there was a healthy dose of that; it was more. He admired her, and he knew, just knew she wouldn’t want to be anywhere near him once she learned everything about his assignment. She was too loyal to her family, to Angel, to be able to forgive him. He might only get one shot at this, at having her, and he wasn’t unselfish enough to do the right thing, to let her go.
He’d debated over and over whether he should pursue anything with her, even after his pep-talk to himself in the car. But sitting next to her on the couch, listening to her giggle and quote Beverly Hills Cop, had tipped the scales for good. He couldn’t stay away from her. Cruz needed her.
He moved his hands until they were under her and lifted her pelvis into the air. “Push your pants down, Mickie. My hands are busy.”
Obviously thinking he was getting on with it, Mickie hurried to do as he asked. She pushed her jeans down as far as she could reach. After she toed off her sneakers, Cruz lowered her hips back to the bed and finished taking her jeans off. She lay under him now in her panties, still covered from the waist up.
Cruz looked down at her. She was wearing a pair of gray cotton undies.
Seeing Cruz eyeing her underwear, Mickie apologized. “I’m sorry they aren’t sexy, I didn’t—”
“Not sexy?” Cruz interrupted, looking up at Mickie incredulously. “Are you kidding me? I’ve never seen anything sexier.”
“Cruz, I’m a sure thing here. You don’t have to lie.”
“I’m not fucking lying, Mickie. Jesus, you have no idea.” Cruz shifted and ran the index finger of his right hand down from her belly button to her anus, over her panties, and then back up. With the other hand, he pulled the cotton tight until it outlined her crease.
Mickie could feel herself grow even wetter at his actions. She clenched her inner muscles, wanting and needing more.
“No, you aren’t wearing silk, and it’s not a thong, but what I’ve got in front of me is a hell of a lot sexier than anything I’ve ever seen before.” Cruz leaned down as if inspecting her, and he inhaled deeply. “Your panties are light gray. That means as they get wet, they turn dark gray.” He ran his fingertip over her folds once more. “And right here, right now, they are so dark gray, they’re almost black. You’re soaked, Mickie. And getting wetter right in front of my eyes. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, sexier than that. Knowing you want me? That you’re enjoying my touch and my words? Nothing. Fucking. Sexier.”
Mickie whimpered. “Oh my God, Cruz. Seriously. Please, I need you.”
“And you’ll get me, Mickie. You think I’m not taking you after seeing how wet you are for me? Smelling how excited you are? No fucking way. But you’ll get me on my time, not yours.”
“I had no idea you were this sadistic.”
“Oh, this isn’t sadistic, Mickie. This is worship.”
“I wish you’d worship faster then.”
Cruz couldn’t help it, he laughed. “After this, you’ll get fast. Guarantee it. But I want to savor you. I want to unwrap you slowly, learn exactly what you like and how you like it. There’ll never be another first time for us. I want to savor it. Now, lay back and enjoy.”
Mickie lay back with a huff and Cruz smiled up at her. “You won’t regret this, Mickie. Whatever happens in the future, I hope to Christ you don’t regret this.”
“I won’t.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
With that, Cruz bent his head and got to work. He nipped and licked and stroked until Mickie was begging mindlessly. Finally Cruz moved her soaked panties to the side and ran his finger up her folds, with nothing between them.
“Oh my God.”
“You have no idea how good you feel.
” Cruz didn’t know if Mickie was really hearing him. She had a light sheen of sweat covering her from his teasing and her panties were literally soaked with her excitement.
“Let’s get your shirt off, yeah?”
Mickie sat up so fast and had her shirt off before Cruz could even help. He laughed as she reached behind her to undo her bra clasp.
Mickie looked into Cruz’s laughing eyes and smiled sheepishly. No longer embarrassed about what she might look like because she was so turned on, she told him, “I figured if I didn’t get this off before you took over, you’d take another year to get to it.”
Cruz didn’t bother to respond, his eyes were locked on her chest. “Jesus, Mickie. Your tits are more beautiful than I could have imagined.”
Mickie blushed at his crude words, loving them all the same. Having had enough of his slow pace, she brought her hands up to her breasts and lifted them, as if offering them to Cruz. “Large areolas, hard nipples.”
Cruz ran his index finger around her right areola, and when she began to drop her hands, he ordered, “Keep them there. I like you offering yourself to me.” Cruz looked up at her face when she moved her hands back under her breasts. “And I like that blush too.”
Mickie knew she was breathing fast, but she’d never had a sexual encounter like this. With Troy, he’d just climbed on, did his thing, and rolled over. He’d never taken the time to really look at her before. None of the other men she’d been with had ever been this…intense, either. Mickie wasn’t sure she liked it, but she certainly didn’t hate it.
“Cruz…”
“And I like that pleading tone of your voice too. Hold them there.” Not giving her time to say anything else, Cruz leaned over and put one hand under hers on her breast and lifted it higher. He put his mouth over it and sucked. When he heard Mickie’s swift intake of breath, he took her nipple between his teeth and nipped. Loving how it got even harder under his teeth, he worked it with his tongue as he sucked harder. It wasn’t until Mickie squirmed that he gave in and released her.
He brought his hand up and rubbed her breast soothingly. “You are amazing. I’ve never seen such big nipples before. It’s as if they’re begging for me to lick and suck them.”
