by Roxy Sloane
"Do you know who it is?" Eli asks.
Xavier shakes his head. "We're supposed to meet tomorrow, but all the information was on that drive. It's why I always had it with me."
"So everything—"
"All our communication, protocols for exchanging information, the address and time of the meet… everything."
Eli jumps up from the couch and paces. "We've got to warn the guy. Barton will take him out."
"No." My voice is quiet but firm. "You can't warn him without Barton knowing. He'll have eyes all over this guy."
Eli sighs and plops back down on the couch. "You're right, unfortunately."
"We'll trap him. Stake out the meeting place, get evidence against Barton, and protect the mole." I look between them. "This is our chance."
"Take him down for good. Together." Eli grabs me and hugs me tight. "You in, Xavier?"
He looks at me. "I'm damn sure not letting this one go."
#
Eli pulls out the emergency radio and we listen to the weather report. The worst of the storm will be over by morning. We agree to see out the night at the villa and head to the meet tomorrow.
Eli pulls me aside and asks about sleeping arrangements. My heart feels like it drops into my stomach. There's no way Xavier will want me to sleep with him.
I tell Eli to take the couch. I'll sleep on the chaise.
All the adrenaline has left my system, leaving me emotional and drained. Despite my fatigue, I won't be able to fall asleep until I clean off. Who knows what was in that water in the bay.
A bath sounds heavenly, but I know I won't stay awake for it, so I start the shower instead. The water comes out like rain, and I can't wait to stand under it.
I'm just about to get in when I hear a knock at the door. I wrap a robe around me and pad across the tile.
Xavier enters and I close the door behind him. I'm not sure why he's here, so I wait for him to break the silence. Instead, he approaches me slowly and takes my hand, examining my bruised wrist. With his other hand, he brushes his fingertip over the knot on the side of my forehead.
"I'm so sorry,” I whisper as my eyes well with tears.
"Shhhh. I understand, Nicole." He brushes my hair back.
"I never wanted to lie to you," I whisper. "You mean too much to me."
He puts his hands on both sides of my face. "I forgive you."
His kiss is gentle, tender, and he leads me into the shower, slipping my robe off.
We stand under the water and kiss. Long, slow kisses that curl my toes and make me want to freeze the moment in time to return to when life gets too overwhelming. His hands travel along my body, unhurried. With the storm outside and nowhere to go, it's easy to get lost in him and the moment.
Xavier takes a bottle of liquid soap scented with cinnamon and orange and pours some into his palm. He lets his hands travel my body, sudsing up my skin. His palms glide over me then return for another pass where they knead and massage me.
While he explores my body, I take some of the soap and do the same to him, running my hands over his muscles and feeling them tense at my touch. His strong arms, his thick shoulders. I touch every inch of him, and suddenly I'm not so tired anymore.
We stand under the showerhead again to rinse off, our bodies pressed against each other, letting all the stress of today wash off. My head fits perfectly in the space between his neck and shoulder. Like we fit together: two pieces of the same puzzle.
As we cling to each other, I feel the lust rise through my body. It doesn't hurt that something of his is rising also.
He backs up but doesn't let go, moving over to the bench in the shower. He sits, and I straddle his lap, resting on his thighs while we kiss. I'm up high enough over him that he doesn't have to bend down much to have access to my breasts. His mouth moves slowly over them, swirling his tongue across the nipples and lightly biting in various spots.
My hands travel down his firm pecs and hard abs, running over each bump in his six-pack.
His thick cock is already throbbing with anticipation.
He puts his hand under me and gently lifts me up, then slowly enters me. I groan as he fills me inch by inch, my wet pussy making it easy for him. We lock eyes, and I see tenderness and forgiveness mixed with the need.
At first he doesn't move. We're connected so intimately in that moment, that it heightens everything. In the stillness, I feel his cock pulsing and throbbing inside me, as I know he feels my pussy doing the same. The sensation sends shivers down my spine and tingling between my legs.
The longer we stay connected like this, the faster my breathing becomes. Xavier's matches mine. The anticipation is a like a wave rolling in. I'm waiting for it to crash into me and send me into orgasmic bliss. Somehow I know that as soon as he moves, even slightly, his cock will unlock my pussy like a key in a door, sending me into wave and wave of orgasm.
And then he tenses slightly, pressing up with his hips, and my world explodes in sensation as he hits the exact right spot. I gasp as my nerves light up like the night sky.
He lifts me up again and slowly lets me down. Up and down. Up and down. Each time he almost comes out of me, my body aches for him to ease me back down again.
Somehow on the next movement, I know to move my legs and he knows to keep holding me there. It feels like words would destroy the moment.
I place my feet on the bench and he leans me back slightly so he can drive into me. Even though we move slowly, the heat between us doesn’t lessen. I move my hips to match his rhythm, and each thrust brushes my clit and hits my G-spot, electrifying my body. I'm like a live wire, all charged up.
I'm drowning in lust, and I want to watch him come. I want to see his face as he explodes in pleasure.
I lean forward, and he pulls me into him. I grind my body against his in circles. He communicates his pleasure in groans and grunts. My slow grinding speeds up, and I begin rocking against him. I ride him at a slow but steady pace as he works on my breasts.
When he moans long and low, dragging out the sound, I know he's ready for release. I speed up slightly, bouncing up and down, hitting all my buttons as I do so. Small fireworks go off in me with each movement, so I know it won't be long for me either.
We cling to each other as we come, letting the noise of the water mask our moans of pleasure. It takes a while before my legs stop shaking long enough for me to stand.
Chapter Twelve
When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. The sun shines brightly into the room, letting me know the storm has passed.
I roll over, squinting against the light. The clock says noon. I slept through the whole storm, apparently.
The bedroom door is cracked open, and low voices murmur outside. I pull my hair into a loose ponytail, and pad out into the living room to see what's going on. Eli and Xavier sit at the dining room table, poring over paperwork and whispering.
When they see me watching, they stop talking and start shuffle papers around.
"So, what's the plan?"
"What plan?" Eli shoves papers in a file and hands it to Xavier.
"The one with Barton. I'm part of this too, you know."
I head into the kitchen and am pleased to find a pot of coffee. I'm not pleased to realize this must be a second pot since it's full but their mugs sit on the counter, obviously used. They've been up for a long time, plotting without me.
Eli walks into the kitchen and reaches for me, but I shrug him off. My frown must be epic, because he backs away a step. "We just want you to be safe, Niks. If you're not there, nothing can happen to you."
Xavier stands in the dining room framed by the pass-through bar. He shifts his weight and avoids eye contact. Great. Now they're ganging up on me.
"This is crap. No way I'm sitting around waiting for you to come back. We're a freaking team, you know."
They don't respond and keep their eyes on their feet.
"Dammit! This is my fight, too! Barton played me and tried to kill me. I
thought he killed you," I gesture at Eli. "And he made me betray Xavier. I want to take his ass down."
Xavier and Eli keep their eyes on each other, seeming to have a silent conversation. After a minute, Xavier relents and nods at Eli.
"You're right, Nicole. We are a team." Xavier gestures to me to come into the dining room. "This is all the proof we have so far. Everything Eli and I have collected."
I arch an eyebrow. They were busy while I slept. "So this is a ton of stuff. Let's take it to someone at the DEA who's not corrupt."
"Niks, there's no way for us to know that." Eli's voice is quiet. "If we trust the wrong person, we're all dead." He glances at Xavier. "Plus, neither one of us has something that directly connects him to the drug ring."
I throw my hands up. "So what the hell do we do? He can't get away with this."
"We need direct evidence. We need to get him on tape. It's the only way."
"Please tell me you and Xavier came up with a way to do that."
Xavier nods. "I'm going to go through with the meet. Take the money, do the payoff, and get whatever information I can."
"Where's the meet?"
"There's an invite-only party outside one of the hotels in North Beach. A launch party for a rapper who's played at the club a couple times. I made sure there was an invite for Bud Fox. He'll have to check in."
"Bud Fox? As in Charlie Sheen's character in Wall Street?"
Xavier grins like a little boy, and I shake my head. I can't help but laugh at him.
"You're a super spy, you know that?"
"What can I say? It was my favorite movie growing up."
I turn to Eli. "And what is your contribution to the plan, Gordon Gecko?"
He huffs at the name. "I'll be there as backup. I'll grab Barton and confront him. Get him to incriminate himself. It's not like he'll be expecting me." Eli grins.
I smack him on the shoulder, and he flinches. "What about the mole, geniuses? He's walking into a trap. What's to stop Barton from taking him out before you get any information? Before you even meet up with him?"
They look back and forth between each other. It's a good point, and they know it.
Finally Xavier speaks. "Okay, Nikki. You're going to have to intercept the mole before he gets to the meet."
I plop down on the couch, suddenly exhausted by the whole thing. We're not spies. How the hell are we supposed to pull this off without getting each other or someone else killed? Barton's a pro with unlimited resources from two worlds, the drug ring and the DEA. He can ruin our lives in about two seconds if he wants to. In many ways, he already as.
"And how am I supposed to know who he is? I can't exactly hang out at the entrance waiting for Bud Fox to show up. That would be pretty freaking suspicious."
"It'll be someone you've seen before. At the club or the yacht party."
"And he'll look nervous as hell," Eli adds.
"We have," Xavier checks his watch, "lots of time to kill."
"No offense, but can we kill it somewhere else?"
They both give me confused looks.
"I want off this freaking island."
#
Xavier had already booked a room at the hotel where the party will be. We check in early, and I'm not surprised to see he's booked the penthouse suite.
Champagne, fresh fruit, and a cheese plate wait for us in the room, obviously placed there seconds before we got upstairs.
I could get used to this.
Xavier excuses himself to make some business calls and check on the negotiations in the Caymans. I watch him walk into the office area and close the door behind him. After all this cloak-and-dagger stuff is over, he's still going to have to fly down there. Does he still want me to go? My instincts tell me yes after last night, but I betrayed him. Drugged him. Thought him capable of the worst crimes. I'm not sure he's really going to be able to forgive me.
Eli has started in on the food by the time I turn around. He grins at me with a mouth full of mashed up strawberries that make him look like a bloodthirsty vampire. Eli always did make jokes to cover up uncomfortable situations.
I grab an orange slice and smile at him with the rind covering my teeth. A trick he showed me when I was about six.
"This doesn't mean I'm not mad at you, you big jerk." My voice is tender despite my words.
"I know, Niks. I'm so sorry I hurt you."
I nudge him with my elbow. "It's damn good to have you back, though. Even if you are a jerk." I pull him into a hug and squeeze him tightly. "I'd have done anything to get you back, and here you are." I let go and hold him at arms-length. "Guess I have to start believing in miracles, huh?"
"It wouldn't be the only thing that's changed since I saw you last. You're different. In a good way though."
"Yeah. I've had to do a lot of growing up since we lost you. Thought we lost you." I smile. "I finally feel like I know who I am and what I want."
"And Xavier's at the top of the list, huh?"
"Maybe," I say in a sincere voice. "For now, at least."
He huffs. "Whatever, sis. He's clearly crazy about you, and I can tell the feeling is mutual."
My cheeks warm from his words. "It's complicated, Eli."
"It's pretty simple if you want it to be." He shrugs. "You've been through a lot together in a short time. Let him forgive you and accept it. I can tell he's good for you."
He pulls me into another hug and kisses the top of my head. "Now I'm going to let you enjoy some alone time with your man." He pops a grape in his mouth and grabs a few extra off the tray.
"Where are you going?"
"I've got to get some supplies for tonight. I'll be back by sundown." He puts his hand on the doorknob but pauses before he opens it. "Tell him how you feel, Niks. He needs to know, and so do you."
#
Once Eli leaves and I'm left alone, my nerves get the better of me. Flipping television channels doesn't help. My favorite writer can't distract me. Even the gorgeous view of North Beach and the Atlantic Ocean doesn't calm me down. Instead, I pace back and forth in front of the windows. My mind races with everything that could go wrong.
"Trying to get in a workout before tonight?" Xavier teases as he comes up behind me.
I stop pacing, and he puts his hands on my waist, leaning in to rest his chin on my shoulder.
"You're stressing,” he says.
"I just want to get this over with. What if something goes wrong, Xavier? I can't stop thinking about Barton and what he's done."
"I know one way to distract you." He presses his lips to my earlobe then gently nips at the edge.
"You play dirty. You know how much I like that."
"Mmmm hmmm," he mumbles between kissing and licking my neck. "It's why I like standing behind you so much. Easy access."
I lean into him, and his hands travel under the waistband of my shorts, pushing them down and off of my hips until they fall to the floor. He slips a hand into my panties and traces the outside of my lips, teasing the opening. His other hand pulls me back, and I feel his erection against me.
My pussy grows impatient as he torments me by coming so close to putting a finger inside me, only to deny me my pleasure.
I groan at him, and he laughs, but his voice is husky with lust.
"You're torturing me."
"But just think how good it will feel when I'm not."
He makes one more slow circuit around and then cups my pussy with his hand. I lean back a little more hoping to get him in a better position. The edge of his hand puts pressure on my clit, and I gasp in pleasure. He rubs his palm against me, and I grind my hips against his erection in response.
Now it's his turn to moan. With his other hand, he reaches up and unbuttons my shirt and unhooks my bra. Letting both hang open, he runs his fingers slowly over my breasts. It feels like feathers caressing my skin.
Since I’ve come clean with him, there’s a closeness between us I’ve never felt before with anyone.
His other hand co
ntinues its exploration between my legs by pushing my lips open and letting them close. But still no penetration. I need to be penetrated and good.
As he runs his hands over my body and kisses my neck, I rock my hips back and forth and grind in circles. He hands leave my body and pull my shirt and bra off. He gently pushes on my back, and I lean forward, putting my hands and forearms against the window.
I think he's going to enter me, so when he slips my panties off, I arch my back, pressing my tits against the glass. Instead though, he reaches under me with one hand and over my hip with the other, putting fingers inside me and rubbing my clit at the same time. He trails kisses across my lower back and hips.
His fingers drive into me slowly, and he makes circles with my clit, gently flicking it back and forth. My pussy is dripping wet now, and he slides another finger in. His body presses against mine, pushing me a little more into the glass. The sensation of sun-warmed glass against my skin, cool in the air-conditioned room, enhances the sensations. We’re on the top floor with no buildings anywhere close and the ocean stretched out in front of us, so there’s no real risk that someone will see us. But looking out at the water and the feeling of being outside, exposed, has me so turned on that I can't hold off on my orgasm. I gasp loudly as I come, moaning and writhing against Xavier's fingers.
Before I can recover, he picks me up and carries me into the bedroom, setting me down gently on the bed.
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes," I whisper.
He goes into the closet and returns with a silk robe. I'm not sure what he's doing until he pulls the belt out of the loops and holds it up with a gleam in his eyes.
I put my wrists together, and he ties them to the headboard. I can’t get away now, but I wouldn’t want to anyway. I’m completely under his spell. I’ve never felt this intensity with anyone, and I’m not going to run away from it anymore.
He hovers over me for a moment, kissing me deeply and running his hands over every inch of my body. I feel the thrill of being completely powerless to stop him, but trusting him at the same time.
"I want you, Nicole. All of you."
