by Lori Sjoberg
For a lingering moment, he simply stood by the mattress, reluctant to set Nina down. He liked the feel of her against him, liked her scent. And most of all, he liked the fact that he made her feel safe enough to sleep.
At last, he gently laid her on the bed and draped a blanket over her. She made another one of those soft, breathy noises, and it sent a hot blast of desire right through him. But there was also something else, something tender and warm, and it took every last ounce of his willpower to contain the unexpected swell of emotion.
Unable to tear his gaze from Nina, he backed up a step, and then another and another, until he stood in the open doorway. He stayed there for the longest time, watching her sleep and fighting the urge to kick off his shoes, stretch out on the bed, and wrap his body around her. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, repeating the process again and again until he got himself under control. At last, he closed the door and walked down the long hallway to the kitchen.
No way was he sleeping now. His body buzzed like a live wire. After tossing the pizza box in the trash, he grabbed another beer, settled down on the couch, and started flipping channels.
TEMPER BUILDING, IVAN strained for patience while he listened to his men explain the clusterfuck that just went down with Nina.
“Four men couldn’t handle one small woman?” He bit out each word with chilling precision as he glared at the men who’d been given the simple task of retrieving his wayward sister. Granted, she was a Petrov, which meant she was intelligent and resourceful, but she shouldn’t have been a match for men specially trained for this type of task.
Victor stood a few feet away, his expression grimmer than usual. He’d ordered his underlings to move on Nina, so ultimately the responsibility for tonight’s disaster rested on his shoulders.
“She had help,” said one of the men—Enzo, if he remembered correctly. He was tall and wiry, with a full head of short blond hair and pock marks all over his face. When Ivan focused on him, he stood a bit taller and tipped his chin up. “A guy. Big fucker. He’s the one who killed Makar.”
Oh, yes, he hadn’t forgotten that part. Not only were they too incompetent to handle a simple extraction, but one of them managed to get dead in the process. Lucky for them, it happened in a convenience store in the middle of nowhere, which made cleanup a much simpler process.
Eyes narrowed, Ivan stepped closer to Enzo. Normally, he didn’t deal directly with the help, but this was a special occasion. “This big fucker, what did he look like?”
Enzo’s prominent Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed. “He was solid, tall. At least six two. Caucasian male, short dark hair. I didn’t get a look at his face, though. He and Antonina left in a black Ford pickup, but we were taking on fire and I couldn’t read the tag.”
It wasn’t much, but it was more than he had five minutes ago, so he decided to let the guy live.
“How about you?” Ivan’s gaze swung to Pavel. “Can you describe the man who knocked you out, killed your partner, and took off with my sister?”
Pavel shook his head, his round face deathly pale. “No, sir. He hit me from behind. When I came around, he was already gone.”
“Ah, so you’re totally worthless.” Patience exhausted, Ivan nodded to Victor, who pulled out his pistol and shot Pavel in the head. Blood splattered all over the two guys beside him, but they didn’t so much as flinch. That earned them points in Ivan’s book, enough for him to spare them. For now.
“Next time, use a silencer.” Ignoring the ringing in his ears, Ivan gestured to the rumpled mass on the floor, suddenly thankful that he’d never replaced the dark wood with carpeting. “Take care of this mess, and then find my sister. I want to know where she is, what she’s doing, and who’s helping her. But don’t lay a finger on her until I give the word. I won’t be so forgiving of the next fuck-up.”
Chapter Eight
NINA WOKE THE next morning to the sound of her stomach growling. With a yawn, she rolled onto her back, stretched, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. A jolt went through her when she realized she wasn’t in her own bed, but then she remembered where she was and why she was there.
One by one, the memories clicked into place and settled like lead in her stomach.
The fact her brother had ordered her abduction sent shivers down her spine and tainted the childhood memories that she used to look back upon fondly. How could he do something so low and underhanded to his own freaking sister? She didn’t even want to think about what would have happened if Austin hadn’t come to her rescue.
After one final stretch, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and grimaced as pain shot through her knee. And when she stood, she sucked in a breath at the harsh reminder of the cuts on her bandaged feet. They didn’t hurt as much as they had last night, but the dull, persistent throb was much too strong for her to simply ignore. As she started for the door, she noticed a small stack of clothes on the dresser. A note with her name in big, bold letters was on top of it. Curious, she picked up the scrap of paper.
The clothes are in case you want to change. If you want to shower, there are fresh towels in the bathroom. I’ll re-wrap your feet when you’re finished. ~ Austin
She glanced down, and just looking at the dress made her think about everything that happened last night. Maybe changing clothes was a good idea. A shower sounded even better. Scooping up the clothes, she crossed to the bathroom and turned on the shower.
The hot water stung her cuts, but she closed her eyes, stepped back into the spray, and let out a heavy sigh. She simply stood there for a very long time, the tension in her muscles relaxing as she basked in the feel of hot water on her body. Then it dawned on her that Austin used the same shower, and the thought of him naked and wet nearly fried every synapse in her brain.
Forcing the thought from her mind, she lathered up, rinsed off, and washed her hair. With a flick of her wrist, the water turned off, and she toweled herself dry before she put on the clothes that Austin had left for her: gray sweatpants, a T-shirt with the Marines logo on the front, and crew socks. The pants were too long, and the shirt hung halfway to her knees. She didn’t look glamorous by any standards, yet there was something about wearing Austin’s clothes that gave her a feeling of contentment.
After brushing her hair, she went back to the bedroom and made the king-size bed. How many women had he brought here? She couldn’t help but wonder. None of your business, Nina told herself as she folded the navy blanket and set it at the foot of the mattress.
Curious, she glanced around, noting the framed picture on the dresser of the entire Flint clan, taken on the day of Larissa’s wedding. A paperback thriller was on the nightstand. Another picture hung on the opposite wall, this one of a much younger Austin and a group of men she didn’t recognize. They wore desert camo and plain brown shirts, with sunglasses shielding their eyes.
Stomach rumbling, she left the room and followed the enticing scent of bacon.
She found Austin in the kitchen, standing in front of the stove, his jaw covered with a day’s worth of stubble. Dressed in tailored black pants and a midnight-blue shirt, he looked so damn sexy her ovaries clenched. And when he glanced in her direction to give her a smile, she could have sworn one of them exploded.
“Good morning,” he said as he flipped the bacon in the pan. “I didn’t know when you usually got up, and after the night you had, I figured it was best to let you sleep.”
The deep resonance of his voice sent a buzzy little tingle through her. Ignoring the sensation, she checked the time on the electronic clock above the stove. Eight thirty-eight, about an hour and a half later than when she normally dragged her butt out of bed. Typically, she arrived at the office around nine, but considering she still needed to go to her house and change, she wouldn’t get there until ten at the earliest. On the bright side, being late wouldn’t be a big deal because she was coming in on her day off to help Larissa with a software update. Covering her mouth to stifle a yawn, she crossed to the
coffee pot by the stove.
“Mugs are in the cabinet right above,” Austin said, still busy with the bacon.
Sure enough, she opened the cabinet to find it packed with glasses and mugs. She picked out a black one with the Six Points logo, filled it about halfway, and then topped it off with the milk she got from the fridge.
“Where do you keep your sugar?” she asked, not seeing it anywhere.
He chuckled. “I’d forgotten how much crap you put in your coffee. There’s a bag in the pantry. I’d tell you to use the packets, but you’d probably go through them all.”
She wanted to make a smartass comment, but it was kind of hard to when what he said was true. So instead, she got the sugar from the pantry and dumped a good amount into her mug. She sipped, wrinkled her nose at the taste, and dumped in a little more.
There, much better. Mug in hand, she leaned against the counter by the stove and peered at the cast-iron pan. She couldn’t remember the last time she ate bacon, and her stomach gurgled at the delicious aroma.
The corners of his mouth twitched. “Hungry?”
She shot him a wry look. “Your deductive powers are astounding.”
With a laugh, he took the bacon from the pan and set it on a few paper towels. Once he drained the grease into what looked like an old pickle jar, he got a carton of eggs from the refrigerator.
“How do you like your eggs, and how many do you want?”
“Uh…scrambled…and one, I guess.” After everything he’d done for her, she didn’t want to be rude and turn her nose up at his offer. Normally, she had a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Maybe a piece of fruit. Anything more and she’d have to spend an hour on the treadmill to work it off. As it was, she probably gained half a pound just looking at all that bacon.
Austin froze where he stood, two eggs in his hand, and stared at her as though she’d lost her mind. “One? That’s not enough for someone your size.”
“It’s enough for someone who wants to stay this size.”
He made a sound that said exactly what he thought of her statement. “Make it two, and I won’t give you a hard time about the bacon.”
“And here I thought that was all yours.”
“Any other day it would be, but for you, I’m making an exception.”
She let out a huff of amusement. “How can you eat that much and look like—” She waved her hand in a vague gesture toward him. “That?”
A grin curled his lips as he set the eggs back in the carton. “Like what?”
Embarrassed, a blush heated her cheeks. “You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t.” His grin broadened to a smile as he moved closer. “How about you enlighten me?”
He was so close she had to tip her head up to look at him. God, he smelled good, all clean and crisp, like he’d just gotten out of the shower. It was then that she realized his hair was still damp, and she couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t shaved like he usually did each morning.
When her gaze met his, all traces of humor left his eyes, replaced with a look of such longing she felt it all the way to her toes. Reaching out, he cupped the side of her face.
“How are you feeling this morning?” His voice sounded deep and husky.
“Better. My feet and knee still hurt, but not nearly as much as they did last night.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” His thumb brushed her cheekbone, his touch the gentlest she’d ever known.
Before she even realized what she was doing, she leaned into his touch, savoring the simple connection. But along with safety and reassurance, she also felt the strong, undeniable punch of attraction that made her heart pound against her ribcage.
His gaze lowered to her lips. She knew damn well what he was about to do, could see the hunger burning bright in his eyes, but she was powerless to stop him. Because the truth was, she wanted his mouth on hers, even more than she wanted her next breath.
Time seemed to drag while he stared down at her, as though he were silently waging some kind of internal battle. At last, he muttered something under his breath. Then his fingers slid into her hair and his mouth came down over hers.
Oh, yes. His kiss was soft yet somehow demanding, and her body came alive in a way she’d never experienced before. Her lips parted on a sigh, and he took full advantage, the stroke of his tongue sending a blast of molten heat to her center. He tasted like coffee with just a hint of cream, and good Lord, she couldn’t get enough of him. She gripped his shoulders and held on tight, reveling in the feel of all that strength and power beneath her fingertips.
One arm wrapped around her, pulling her close, and the feel of him, hot and hard against her, made her pulse pound with anticipation. She rolled her hips against him and he let out a growl, and it gave her a thrill to know she affected him as much as he affected her. The rational part of her brain said this was a bad idea, but at the moment she just didn’t care. She wanted him—all of him—right then and there, consequences be damned.
But then he stepped back, breaking the connection, and she immediately felt a sense of loss. Through the thick haze of lust, she heard him mutter a curse, and seconds later, Ryan strode into the room, wearing black pants and a white polo shirt with the Six Points logo stitched on the front. He held a cup of coffee from one of those overpriced chains. He stopped short at the sight of Nina and Austin, clearly surprised to see her there—and wearing Austin’s clothes.
“Sorry for intruding.” Ryan’s gaze flicked from Austin to Nina and then back to Austin. “I didn’t realize you had company.”
“It’s not…she’s…” For once, Austin seemed at a loss for words.
“I got into trouble last night. Austin helped me,” she offered. “My dress got trashed, so he lent me some clothes to wear until I get home.”
A combination of surprise and concern wiped the smirk from Ryan’s face. “Shit, what happened?”
While Austin finished making breakfast, Nina gave Ryan a condensed account of her kidnapping, escape, and Austin’s role in her rescue. When she finished, he blew out a low whistle.
“You’re lucky to be alive. Who knows what would have happened to you if you hadn’t gotten out of that trunk.” He paused to sip his coffee. “According to one of my friends on the force, there’s been an uptick in cases involving teenagers and young women disappearing without a trace in the Orlando area. Five this year, if I remember correctly. For all we know, the people who grabbed you could be involved in some sort of human trafficking ring.”
On some sick level, she’d actually feel better if it was human traffickers who’d kidnapped her instead of her own flesh and blood. Then she wouldn’t have to admit to herself what kind of monster her brother had become. Why were his men driving her toward Port Canaveral, and what plans did her brother have in store for her?
Austin set plates filled with bacon and eggs in front of her and Ryan, and then brought a third plate to the table for himself. Grateful for the distraction, she picked up a piece of bacon and groaned out loud when she took a big bite.
“Damn, girl,” Ryan said, and she blushed.
“Sorry. It’s been awhile since I’ve had bacon.”
Austin let out a low laugh. “She doesn’t want to lose her girlish figure.”
She shot him a side-eye, and he grinned in return.
“After what you went through, you deserve to splurge a little,” Ryan said right before he dug into his eggs like a starving hyena.
“I splurged last night with pizza.”
Austin snorted. “Two slices. Big deal. Besides, it was cold, so it doesn’t count.”
She paused, a forkful of eggs halfway to her mouth. “That doesn’t even make sense.”
“That’s guy logic, sweetheart.” He winked. “It allows us to eat things like bacon and pizza, while the womenfolk graze on salads.”
Oh, screw it. He was right: she’d had a rough night. It wasn’t every day a girl got kidnapped by her own stinking brother. So for once, she wasn’t going to
worry about calories or the tightness of her jeans. She’d indulge with the bacon and eggs, and tomorrow morning, she’d drag her butt to the gym and camp out on the treadmill.
She salted her eggs—might as well jack up her blood pressure while she was at it—and tore into her breakfast as though she hadn’t eaten in a week. When she finished, there wasn’t a speck of food left on her plate, and damn if she still felt hungry.
Austin scooped some eggs off his plate and placed them onto hers. When she tried to tell him no, he picked up a few pieces of bacon and set them on her plate as well.
“So what’s on tap for today?” Ryan cut her off before she had the chance to protest.
“Harcourt accepted the quote for their warehouse. I’m going over this afternoon with the contract. Oh, and Vicky Hale called. She said her stalker is back. Can you go over and see what’s going on?”
Nina’s ears perked at the woman’s name. “Vicky Hale? As in the movie star?”
“Former movie star,” Ryan corrected. A worried look creased his brow. “She quit acting about five years ago after a stalker broke into her home and murdered her father. That guy’s still in jail, but it looks like a copycat has picked up where he left off.”
“Jeez, how awful. Are the police involved?” She remembered hearing about the murder on the news but hadn’t realized the celebrity was one of their clients. Most of the time, Nina worked behind the scenes, and it was rare for her to actually meet the people they were protecting.
“Yeah, but they don’t have any leads,” Ryan replied. “We’ll have to ramp up her security detail until we catch the creep.”
Ryan stood and crossed to the dishwasher, where he loaded his empty plate. “Thanks for breakfast, bro. I’ll give Vicky a call and set up a time to see what’s going on. Shoot me a text if you need anything.”
