Joseph

by Kris Michaels

  She cautioned herself, “Tonight. Just make it through this evening.”

  The sea breeze swirled around her. A small whiff of a familiar scent popped her eyes open. She tensed immediately and then crumpled. It was his bedroom. Of course, it would smell like him. If she didn’t turn around she wouldn’t have to admit he wasn’t really here. She could pretend, just for tonight.

  “Oh, Joey. I miss you so damn much.” Ember’s words could barely carry the weight of her loss.

  “I missed you too, Baby Girl.”

  Ember twisted violently at the shock of the spoken words. He stood at the edge of the bedroom. Grasping the balcony’s top rail to keep on her feet, Ember couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think. “How? What?”

  Joey walked out of the room and dropped to his knee. Holding a ring in his hand, he looked up at her and smiled. “Baby Girl, we’re free. Will you marry me?”

  Her non-stop emotional roller coaster sent her on a final loop she couldn’t keep up with. Black swirled before her eyes and the world shifted radically.

  *

  Joseph lurched forward and caught Ember as she fainted. He lifted her into his arms and carried her to their bed. Great fucking work, King, save her life, then shock her to death. Her freckles stood in sharp relief due to the pallor of her skin. The dark circles under her eyes tore at his gut. He wanted to go to her, to contact her, but they had to be sure neither he, nor she, was followed or targeted. Guardian had provided surveillance from the second she left the ranch. Fury’s demise had shocked the international community and several deep probes had attempted to disprove his death. None had succeeded. He was free to be Joseph King. Whoever the hell that was.

  He laid her down carefully and checked her pulse. It beat strong and true. Color slowly crept back into her features. He bolted into the bathroom and dampened a washcloth. Returning to the bed, he sat down beside her and gently stroked her face with the cool rag.

  Ember woke in stages. The fluttering of her eyes under her eyelids and a quickening in her breathing signaled her return. A slight roll of her head and a deep breath preceded what he knew to be her mind finally engaging. He moved aside quickly when she bolted upright, almost colliding with him. He grabbed her arms and pulled her to him. “It’s all right little one. I’m here. I have you. We’re safe.”

  Her body shook violently in his arms. Her hands lifted and she cautiously touched his shoulders. A muffled sob against his chest preceded her vicelike grip around his neck. Pulling her long legs across his lap, he stroked her hair and rocked her while she cried.

  Ember pulled away from him. She knelt on the bed and touched his face. “You’re alive? You’re really alive?”

  Joseph nodded right before a punch caught his chin and twisted his head violently.

  “You Prick! You’re alive! You sadistic son of a bitch! You’re alive and you didn’t tell me! I thought you were dead! How dare you? Of all the vile, demented….bullshit things to do! The whole world thinks you’re dead!” She pushed away from him as she spit the accusations.

  Okay, you deserved that one King. Joseph slowly brought his face back around to the front of his body. He moved his chin carefully. Damn, she packs a punch.

  She doubled up again and reared back. “How could you!”

  He blocked her next attempt at smacking him into next week. Joseph grabbed both her hands pulling them together, holding her immobile. He put his face directly in front of hers and forced her to look at him. “Em, think about what you just said. The entire world thinks Fury is dead. Fury. Is. Dead.”

  “No, you’re not! You’re right here! You’re alive and I’m so damn mad at you!” Her struggle to free herself from his grasp continued.

  He grabbed her chin with his free hand and held it in what had to be a painful grip. “Ember Lyn Harris, damn it, shut up for two seconds and listen to me! The assassin, Fury, is dead. I’m not him any longer.” His shouted words shocked her into stillness.

  He watched as the realization of what he said sunk in. Ember shrieked and launched from her knees forward pinning him beneath her body reigning kisses down on his face. Laughing at her, he pulled her down to him and rolled over trapping her against the bed.

  “So how about it, Baby Girl?”

  Ember stroked the chin she had punched moments before. Her eyes locked with his and the depth of her emotion hit him harder than her doubled up fist ever could.

  “How about what?” Her cheeks were flushed. When she licked her lips and pulled the bottom one in between her teeth, his hips punched forward automatically.

  “Will you marry me tonight?”

  “Tonight?” He loved it when her voice squeaked with surprise like that.

  “Tonight. The whole family is here. You actually flew in with Jasmine and Jade. They said you didn’t seem to notice them.”

  “I did? They’re here? All of them?”

  “Not here. They are staying at a resort in Orjanstad. I thought we might need our privacy.” Joseph dropped his eyes to her mouth. He slowly pressed his lips against hers and licked his way inside her delicious mouth. The fresh, clean taste and scent of his woman combined to wreck his carefully prepared agenda. With the last of his resolve, he lifted away.

  “It was a test of sorts. If their travel incited any chatter in the community, I wouldn’t have been able to reveal myself to you. There was zero interest. We are free, baby girl. Now are you going to make me ask you again?”

  Her eyebrow arched ever so slightly. “Maybe. I’m still mad at you.”

  He lowered again and pressed into his kiss driving his tongue into her forcing her surrender. When she mewled, he ran his hand down her side tucking it under her ass squeezing the soft globe. “You can be mad at me. Mad sex with you would be awesome, but you still have to marry me.”

  Her swift intake of breath and hips grinding against his cock notched his need up into the stratosphere. “You want me, Ember?”

  He watched the flush of red overtake her chest, neck, and face. His grip tightened and he pulled her closer grinding into her. Her breathless “Yes” drifted to him.

  “Tell me you’ll marry me, baby and I’ll make love to you.” He nipped the creamy white skin exposed at her neckline.

  “That’s blackmail!” Her accusation lost all credibility when she ground against his cock and groaned.

  “True.” Joseph rolled her on top of him. He grabbed both cheeks bringing her legs as far as her tight skirt would allow on either side of him and pumped up against her core. “Give me my ransom, wench.”

  Ember threw her head back and laughed. The happiness in her expression and the sound of joy in her laughter made all the sacrifices of the last six months’ worth the price.

  “Alright, I’ll pay your ransom. Tonight. I’ll marry you.”

  Joseph pitched to the right and dumped her onto the bed lurching towards the balcony. “Joey! What the...? Where are you going?”

  He stopped and bent down picking up her engagement ring where it had dropped when he caught her. The three-and-a-half carat, marquise-cut diamond winked at him in last rays of the setting sun. He smiled at the woman sprawled across the bed. “Don’t worry, little one, I’m never leaving you again. But I will require you to display my ownership.” He held her gaze with his as he stalked back ready to brand her as his possession. “Since I’m technically out of the assassination business, I had to figure out how to ensure every male on the planet knew you were mine.” Slipping the ring on her finger, he kissed it before he slid his arm around her waist and lifted her from the bed.

  Joseph walked to the center of the room and let her feet touch the floor. Stepping away from her, he held up a hand when she made a move to follow. “No.” He backed away until his legs touched a big, wing-backed chair. He sat down and made a motion with his hand indicating she should turn around in a circle. Ember’s blush spread instant and deep, but she complied. Her white button down was tucked into one of those skirts that fit her like a se
cond skin all the way down to where it flared at her knees. Her stiletto heels had that little strap around the ankle. Fuck me now…oh hell yeah, the shoes are staying.

  “Take off your clothes, Em. Slowly.”

  “But Joey…”

  He cut her off before she could finish. “No. Do exactly as I say, little one. Take it off. Slowly. The shoes stay on.” Damn he loved those spiky heels. Fucking sexy.

  Ember looked down at her feet and back at him. He saw the minute understanding hit her. And damn it all if she didn’t turn the tables on him. Her hand caressed the line of buttons on her shirt traveling up and down between her breasts before she pulled it out of the waistband of her tight black skirt. She slid her gaze to him when she licked her lips and unbuttoned the small pearl buttons one at a time, deliberately prolonging the process.

  Ember let the material of her shirt float off her shoulders while still keeping her arms in the sleeves. Her hands moved around her waistline and then back up to her white lace bra. She ran her hands over her breasts and gasped when she pinched the nipples of both. Joseph’s cock raged against the material of his slacks. Fuuuck. When did he lose control? Her skirt whispered to the floor and lay draped over her shoes. Those fuck-me-now shoes added just a little something to her already perfect ass. Damned if he’d ever let her out of the house wearing them.

  She stepped out of the material and dropped her arms allowing the shirt to flutter to the floor. Ember’s fingers traced the top of her white lace panties. Joseph shifted uncomfortably in the chair.

  “Stop. I want you to put your hands behind your back.” She didn’t hesitate to pull her arms behind her. Her breasts pushed forward and her breathing sped up.

  “That’s it. Now spread your legs.” She sidestepped a couple inches.

  “Uh huh, baby girl. Expose yourself to me. Give me access.” Joseph lifted from the chair and nearly groaned at the pain of his erection.

  Several small steps split her legs, openly displaying her lace-covered sex. Her pupils were blown wide. “Did you enjoy your tease? Just remember little girls who play with fire usually get burned.” Joseph lowered his lips to her neck and was rewarded with a shiver.

  He licked her skin and growled his appreciation, “Fuck, I missed you.”

  “Joey, please let me touch you. It’s been so long.” Her breath fanned his hot skin.

  “Soon, little one. Right now, I’m marking you. Staking my claim. Collecting my ransom. Make me proud of you, little girl. Hold still.” In between each statement he licked, kissed and nipped down her chest to the top of her bra. Lifting her breasts out of the cups, he held one in each hand and used his thumbs to tease those rose colored nubs. Joseph lost himself feasting on her luscious soft skin. She pulled away from him when the sensations became too much. His growl and bite on her nipple froze her backward retreat. He knew how much to push her before the pain overtook the pleasure and he’d be damned if anything was going to stop him from placing her right on that razor sharp edge.

  Her small plea and moan followed him further down her body until he ended on his knees in front of her sex. He hooked a finger around the tiny wisp of lace and yanked. The fabric rent and fell from one leg exposing her weeping sex. The heady smell of her arousal drove into his brain compelling him to delve into her sweetness. His arms snaked through her legs allowing him to capture her ass in his hands. Her body sandwiched between his mouth and hands he dove into her folds forgoing any pretense of gentleness.

  Her cry echoed in his ears as his lips and tongue pulled her clit into mouth. His tongue lapped at her center, alternating between suckling her clit and tongue-fucking her sex. Her body tensed and her hands dropped to his shoulders as she convulsed around his ferocious mating of his mouth to her sex. He inhaled her essence when she shattered around him and in his aggression, Joseph bit down on the swollen bud of her sex sending another wave of cream onto his waiting tongue.

  He allowed her body to fold down against his and took her mouth still crazed in his need. In the work of a second, he had her back on the bed and his clothes on the floor. Her beautiful porcelain skin held his vivid red love bites from her nipples to her sex. Oh, fuck yeah she belonged to him!

  Lifting her leg, he placed her heeled foot on his hip and pushed forward spreading her open. He locked his stare on her as he centered at her core. “Mine.” The word snapped from him a split second before he struck forward impaling himself deep within her. His mouth covered hers, trapping her cries. Oh, fuck those sounds. The small gasps and cries he controlled added layers of euphoric lust to his need. He had to move. The white-hot magma pooling at the base of his spine screamed for release and he was damn well going to take it. The pull of her body when he retreated, coupled with the resistance when he slammed forward, catapulted him towards his finish. He lost any rational thought. His only need—to make his woman his, drove him relentlessly. Her body tightened under him and her nails raked his scarred back sending a delicious stream of pain through him. His orgasm ripped down his spine and burst from him. He shattered, driving his cock as deep inside of her as he physically could go. He released a guttural roar when a second wave crashed through him.

  Joseph’s arms shook with the effort it took to keep from falling on top of her. Both of them panted desperately for air. He lowered his head to her shoulder and kissed her soft skin just under the collarbone. “I love you.”

  Her soft chuckle under him brought his head up. Her satisfied smile, flushed relaxed face and closed eyes, defined sexual contentment. Absolutely beautiful and mine.

  She slid her hand down his back. His muscles reacted to her caress trembling in the wake of her light touch.

  “I love you too, Joey. Promise me you’ll keep us safe and together. Forever.”

  He pushed the mass of red curls off her face and kissed her freckled nose. “I have every intention of doing just that, little girl.”

  Epilogue

  Adam sat beside the pool and watched the family celebrate Joseph and Ember’s wedding. Leave it to the assassin to A: be alive when everyone thought he had bought it and B: to have a surprise wedding and not a funeral. On the beach. At midnight. In Aruba. Seemed the family knew he was alive, but all being in the business, no one had leaked a damn thing. If the community didn’t think Fury was dead, Joseph wouldn’t be able to resume his life. The body that charred in the flames of the explosion in Mexico had fooled everyone. Thanks to a couple donated teeth from Joseph, some really impressive dental work and planted x-rays, the local coroner and at least three independent examiners for various governmental agencies had confirmed the assassin Fury was dead.

  He smiled at Ember’s joyful laugh. Keelee would’ve loved to have been here for this. If he’d known, he would have used a pry bar to get her off that damn ranch. His mind wandered back to South Dakota. He wondered what Keelee was doing right now. Looking at his watch, he laughed quietly. It’s two in the morning. She’s sleeping you fool.

  A motion to his left brought his head around so he could see with his good eye. Jacob hit his shoulder and smiled handing him a fresh glass of whiskey. “How the hell you been, Doc?”

  “Getting better, Skipper. Got the speech problem fixed. Working on the memory.”

  “Chief tells me you been working out with the teams we’re running through the training facility.”

  “Yeah, feeling better than I have in a long time.”

  “Glad to hear it. Have you remembered anything?” Jacob stretched his legs out on the pool chair.

  “I have nightmares of the mission. Everything else? Impressions really. Kind of like a ghost of a memory but not enough to say, ‘Yeah I remember that’.”

  Adam cast a look toward Jacob’s wife. Tori and Keelee could be mistaken as twins, not just sisters. Except Tori almost always looked like she had just walked off a fashion runway. Adam preferred the simple beauty Keelee possessed.

  As if aware of eyes on her, Tori turned and looked at both men, her baby bump very prominent. Adam chuckled,
“Oh and, by the way, congratulations on baby number two, dad. When is she due?”

  Jacob’s eyes devoured his wife as he spoke. “Not for four more months. Twins this time. Two more boys.”

  Adam laughed. “Serves you right Skipper. Three boys? Damn.”

  “Yeah, I’m one virile son of a bitch ain’t I?” Pride dripped from his boasting statement.

  “That you are, skipper. That you are. What are you naming them?”

  “Keeping the T’s going. Talon will be a big brother for Trace and Tanner.”

  “Damn solid names, Skip.” Adam chuckled and sipped his drink. The King tradition of naming all the children starting with a particular letter of the alphabet amused him.

  Across the pool, Joseph pulled Ember from the laughing crowd of family and into his arms. Music filled the air as he spun the woman away from the crowd and pulled his wife into him looking at her as if she were the only other person in the world.

  “I never thought I would see the day.” Jacob’s voice filled with emotion.

  “They both deserve some happiness. What is he going to do now?”

  Jacob lifted a finger and motioned toward his brothers, Justin and Jason, who sat on the other side of the pool visiting. “He’s funding two new businesses for Justin. After that? Who knows with him? He has enough money to live this way for the rest of his life.”

  Adam nodded. “Yeah, thanks to Gabriel, money has never been a worry for any of us.”

  “Really? Are you telling me I need to adjust my pay scale?” Gabriel’s voice came from behind the two men.

  Doc twisted looking back before he lifted off his chair and shook Gabriel’s hand. Jacob stood too and offered his hand.

  “No, sir. I’m pretty sure nobody here would be happy with me if I suggested that.”