by Dawn Ryder
“Our bodies trust each other, Zoe. Maybe we both need to listen.”
Trust him?
Hell.
That opened a huge can of possibilities.
“Do you trust me?” she asked.
He pulled his attention back to her face.
“I can see the uncertainty in your eyes, Mercer.”
It sent a sharp blade of regret through her.
“Same thing is in your eyes, Zoe. I could toss it in your face that I have to crowd you against the wall before you’ll surrender to me or I could…”
She was suddenly free. Mercer was ripping his shirt off and tugging his gun off his waistband.
“Could … what?” she asked, feeling like part of her had been torn away.
He tossed the gun on the bedside table and popped the buttons on his fly. His jeans ended up on the floor, leaving her biting her lower lip as she took in the magnificent sight of him in nothing but skin.
“Or I could invite you…” He backed up and sat on the bed. “To join me.”
It was a hell of an invitation.
He was pure brawn. Temptation on a level she’d never encountered before. It was more than the sight of his chiseled body. Something pulled at her. The glitter in his eyes challenged her to step up and take what she wanted.
“You want to,” he said bluntly.
“I do.”
His lips curved. It was arrogant but there was also something else there. Something that hinted at him being on edge as he waited to hear her answer.
Being what he craved … now, that was something she was interested in.
She’d taken only a single step when he came at her, lunging like the animal she’d always thought he was. He tugged at her remaining clothing, pulling her jeans down her legs to bare her.
“I want you … naked.” His tone was strained. He ended up dumping her on the bed as he pulled her underwear off. She bounced in a tangle of limbs and hair before rolling over and onto her knees.
Naked.
But not exposed.
No, what she felt was … freed.
And desired.
Mercer made a low sound in his throat. It was male and hard, just like him. His cock jutted out as he contemplated her.
“You look like a plate at a fancy restaurant, baby. Served up perfectly.”
“There’s plenty of life left in this dish,” she informed him. “So don’t expect me to let you devour me.”
She placed one hand on the surface of the bed, starting to crawl toward him. She reached out, slipping her fingers around his cock. His face tightened, his neck cording.
“I might be interested in letting you have your way…”
“You’re interested, all right.” And strangely enough, so was she. Oral sex had always been more of a horse-trade sort of thing. Something she gave in order to receive.
With Mercer, it was different. She drew her fingers down his length, marveling at the smoothness of his skin. She’d never really liked a guy’s cock before. But Mercer’s, well, she wanted to play with it.
She scooted closer and gripped it at the base, teasing his balls with her fingertips for a moment before leaning over to lick the slit on its head.
“Shit,” he hissed between clenched teeth. “That’s hot, baby … scorching hot.”
She was in complete agreement. Her clit was pulsing as she opened her mouth and sucked the head of his cock. They were connected in some strange way, the sounds coming from him whipping up the storm of anticipation brewing inside her. She sucked and hollowed her cheeks, working her hand up and down the portion of his length that she couldn’t take inside her mouth. He was thrusting toward her, his hands in her hair, but he didn’t take control. Didn’t hold her in place and make her take more of him.
He was letting her drive him wherever she wanted.
The idea filled her with confidence. It was a new sort of intoxication, one that made her open her jaw and take more of him. His balls were tightening, his breathing rough. But it wasn’t enough. She wanted him to lose it. Wanted to be the one who shoved him into mindless oblivion. His hips jerked, pumping into her mouth as she felt him start to lose control. Felt it in the way his body snapped, his fingers gripping her hair to hold her in place as his cum started hitting her tongue. She swallowed it and sucked harder, pulling more from his spasming cock.
“Holy Christ.”
He swore softly, breathlessly. The bed rocked as he landed on it, falling backward and ending up on his back. She soaked up the moment. watching the way his chest heaved and his eyes remained closed while he was still caught in the grip of the climax.
He’d never let her see him so vulnerable. Never allowed himself to savor the moment while with her.
That was trust.
A deep sort. A kind she couldn’t ignore.
He lifted his eyelids, opening them just a crack. “Enjoying your victory?”
“Yes.” It was a soft admission, but not an prideful one.
His expression changed. The enjoyment shifting to something more … calculated.
“Good. Because now it’s time for the flip side of this trust exercise.”
There was a promise in his tone. She stiffened, feeling the power shift between them. He chuckled at her as he sat up. He reached out and stroked her cheek. It was so simple a touch, but she felt like flinching because it struck her as so intense.
“My turn to drive you insane.”
She scoffed at him, shrugging and shifting back. “You’ve done that plenty of times.”
He slipped his hand onto her nape and captured her. One moment his touch was teasing and light, the next, completely dominating. His dark eyes were lit with anticipation.
“No, baby. We collided before. Both of us spinning out of control from the impact.” He teased her cheek with a kiss as she felt his body heat radiating out to stroke her bare torso. “Now you’re going to let me take command.”
It was the let me part that made her breath catch.
Submission.
Unmasking.
Things he’d done to her but he was right, she’d always struggled against allowing the tide to sweep her off her feet.
He knew what he was asking. She saw it glittering in his eyes. For a moment, she felt like she had to recoil, had to fall back to a protected position.
He teased one nipple in response. She jerked, sucking in a harsh breath of air as sensation spiked through her, taunting her with what highs were possible with him.
Extreme highs require extreme risks …
His words rose up from her memory.
“It isn’t easy…” He swept his fingers along her nipple again.
Slowly.
So incredibly, insanely slowly.
She felt each fingertip. Anticipated every single one, too. He stopped with his thumb on top of the puckered point, tapping it while he watched her.
“I want to watch you give yourself over to me, Zoe.”
She was biting her lower lip. He leaned forward and kissed her, using his lips to free hers. It had to be unjust, the way he kissed, because it sent her senses reeling. Soft motions increased in pressure and speed until he was kissing her with a demand that curled her toes.
He set her back, laying her out on the bed as he stretched her arms above her head, holding on to her wrists as he kissed her again.
But he left her there, sitting up to loom over her.
“Stay.”
It was a command but one edged with promise. Her breath caught as she contemplated the look in his eyes. There was a flicker of enjoyment there. One she didn’t want to rob him of.
“I want to see you…” He tapped her lips before trailing his fingers over her chin and down her neck. She arched beneath the touch, her eyes slipping closed so that there was only the sensation of his touch filling her thoughts.
“I want to watch you…”
He cupped her breasts, kneading them with expert motions.
“I think … I might act
ually need it, Zoe.”
His voice had become raspy, hinting at a level of emotional involvement they’d never shared. She started to twist away, too uncertain to remain still.
Mercer caught her, hooking his arm beneath her knee and raising her leg so that he could press her back onto the bed with her thighs parted. Her breath caught, her insides twisting with excitement.
Oh yeah, she knew what it was. Couldn’t ignore it.
He settled back down, trapping her leg beneath him as he faced her on his side with one elbow pressing into the bed next to her ear.
“How do you pin me so fast?”
He offered her a smirk before pressing a hard kiss against her mouth. It was intoxicating, dulling her wits, making it easy to forget how exposed she was.
But he wasn’t planning on forgetting what he’d started out to do. He raised his head, his gaze locked with hers as he slid his hand down her body. Her muscles were tightening. Goose bumps rose on the surface of her skin as he skimmed his way toward her spread sex.
She was caught up on the crest of a wave of anticipation, completely devoted to the path his fingers were taking. All the while he watched her, keeping her gaze locked with his, until that first touch hit her clit.
She moaned, arching beneath him.
“You’re so honest with your reactions.”
Zoe opened her eyes, his words shocking her, but it was damn hard to think with his fingers slipping through her slit.
He knew it, too. The moment their gaze connected, she witnessed the need in his eyes. It was a different sort of craving than she’d seen before. This was about building his confidence.
“When I’m inside you, I lose the ability to watch my effect on you.”
He rimmed the opening to her body with his index fingertip. Her breath got stuck, her body straining toward him, but all he did was draw his finger up the center of her slit to where her clit was throbbing incessantly.
“I need to see.”
She struggled against the tide of emotions urging her to surrender. Trying to maintain her grip on her dignity.
“Let go, Zoe. Trust me.”
She wouldn’t have done it for an order. But the request pushed her over the edge. She let her eyes flutter shut as he teased her clit, rubbing across its sensitive surface and driving her insane with the need to climax. She withered, arching up, seeking that last bit of pressure.
Mercer didn’t give it to her. He teased her slit, rubbing the folds, trailing through the fluid that was flowing from her body. Leaning over her, the scent of his skin filled her senses. Taking his pleasure wasn’t enough. He wanted to prove himself.
Part of her craved it as well.
Deep down inside her, where pride didn’t matter, part of her was an animal that wanted to be pleased.
“Make me come.” It was a demand, edged with the hunger he’d built with his fingers. “Now, damn you.”
“Don’t close your eyes,” he countered, pushing his fingers into her sheath. She groaned, so close she felt like she was going to snap.
“Keep your eyes open, Zoe, and let me watch it happen…”
His voice was hypnotic, offering her satisfaction. She stared at him, yielding to his demand. His expression tightened, determination drawing his features into a setting that was primal. She was mesmerized by it, drawn in by the savage nature and the promise of satisfaction. His nostrils flared, his lips curling back as he leaned down and kissed her.
This time he claimed her mouth, taking her lips in a hard kiss of ownership as he shifted his fingers to her clit and rubbed it hard. She went spiraling out of control, the pleasure tearing through her as he lifted his lips off hers and hovered over her face, watching her fly into a million pieces.
He controlled her completely in that moment, mastering her body. It was wrenching and more intimate than anything she’d ever experienced. She looked away when it was over, feeling overly exposed.
He cupped her chin and brought her face back to his. There was a flicker of satisfaction but one born in accomplishment. It stirred something in her. She shifted, rolling over and coming up on top of him.
“Don’t be too smug, Mercer…” She suddenly realized she didn’t know his last name.
“It’s St. Clair.”
He cupped her hips, guiding her down onto his length. “Mercer Peter St. Clair.”
It was more than a name. At least it felt far more significant. She lifted off him and lowered herself as he guided her. A soft hum of enjoyment passed her lips as she adjusted to being stretched by his cock. It was a deeper sort of pleasure, one that awakened a craving at the center of her core. She rode him, slowly building up to another eruption. He guided her hips, his fingers tightening as his cock hardened. He started to roll her beneath him.
“No,” she insisted, clamping her thighs around him. “Not this time.”
He bared his teeth at her, his breathing rough. She could see the desire to take command brightening his dark eyes. It was a fascinating view, the savage impulse mixing with the man who had decided to trust her.
Their gazes remained locked as she started to climax. It was gripping, pounding through her deepest core. Mercer had been waiting for it. He surged upward, flipping her onto her back as he pistoned her through the waves of delight. His cock felt larger, harder. He arched back as he started coming. Hot spurts of cum hit her insides, setting off another ripple of enjoyment, deep inside her.
No condom.
She should have been able to dwell on that thought but she had no strength left. Mercer ground himself into her, his cock jerking a final time before the bed rocked violently when he collapsed beside her. She was too spent to move. But she didn’t have to. He scooped her up, rolling her onto his chest as she surrendered to oblivion.
For just a moment, everything was perfect. She soaked it up, willingly ignoring everything else but the man holding her.
His heart rate had slowed down by the time she came back to her senses, but he was still stroking her back. She must have drifted off to sleep, lulled by the sound of his heart. A faint rapping on the wall woke her.
“Hummm?”
Zoe blinked as she tried to clear her head. Her brain was moving slowly, her thoughts fuzzy.
“Got to get back to work.” Mercer rolled over and off the bed. He rubbed a hand over his face before beginning to dress.
Her thoughts crystalized with shocking clarity. She felt her cheeks catch fire as she realized that the other team members likely knew what was going on behind the closed door of the bedroom.
She witnessed a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes. “Maybe I’m being a little bit of a dick, baby, but I want them to know that you’re mine.”
“Wait a second—”
He ducked out of the room while she was still formulating her argument, leaving her to struggle against the surge of enjoyment that washed through her in response. Really, she should be more … well … more something. More modern. More sophisticated than enjoying knowing a man was making a public declaration concerning her.
But she wasn’t. In fact, she ended up hugging a pillow and hiding her smile against it.
* * *
“Been a long time,” Kagan said.
Vitus only offered him a bland look in response.
Kagan slowly grinned. “Always did like the way you get straight to the point.”
“Part of my charm.”
Kagan sipped at his coffee, looking around the java joint. There were college kids in flip-flops and torn jeans and preppy moms sporting manicures. A few adults intent on being thrifty and using the free Internet offered by the café were dug in at various tables with their laptops. Vitus scrunched low in his seat, just a momentary flicker of annoyance with the poor posture making it into his eyes. Kagan propped an elbow on the bistro table in an effort to blend into their civilian setting.
“Don’t you mean, part of your retaliation plan?” Kagan asked bluntly.
Vitus bared his teeth. “Tyler has i
t coming.”
“You’ve been watching him for the last three years and there still isn’t more than suspicion to support your opinion.” Kagan was tapping his fingertips against the table.
“He was going to show his true colors at some point. Today is that day.” Vitus flipped his tablet onto the table. The call record from Tim to Tyler was highlighted. Kagan stared at it for a moment.
“Bugging that party rental office was child’s play,” Vitus explained. “They used a burner phone but I’ve got both sides of the conversation. Tyler’s gone soft, tossing in with someone like Tim.”
Kagan nodded in agreement. “Tyler is just going to play the game. Tell us he was setting up the buyer.”
“Fine.” Vitus said. “Let’s move forward. Let’s see what Tyler does when that money hits his hand. I’m betting it’s going to land somewhere with Saxon’s name attached to it.”
Kagan lifted his coffee cup and drew off a sip. “That’s a stretch.”
“Not when you and I both know Tyler has ties to Jeb Ryland. And Jeb Ryland is still screaming for vengeance. The man isn’t even wise enough to do it quietly. He forgets that I have friends in Washington, too. Friends watching his ass, so they’re stuck to it and hear a whole lot.”
Kagan was sipping his coffee again. “You know I disagreed with Tyler taking your shield. But you stepped over a line, son. The kind of line you need to think twice about stepping over again.”
“I didn’t step over it alone. I completed my mission by bringing that girl back in one piece. The rest of it is none of your fucking business.”
Kagan raised an eyebrow at the profanity but Vitus didn’t give a damn. His superior ended up chuckling. It was darn near silent and his lips barely curved but on the face of his boss, it was like a crack in bulletproof glass. “Another thing I like about you, no shame.” Kagan looked at the tablet again. “Your plan?”
“Put the pressure on,” Vitus answered.
Kagan raised an eyebrow.
“Tim wants that hard drive,” Vitus said. “Tell Tyler it’s coming in.”
