“You want me? Say you want me, Gideon. Say please.”
“Ahh, so it’s my turn to beg?” The smile was evident in his voice and she imagined the quirk of his lips, the look in his eyes.
“Maybe later...on your knees.”
She rose up on her knees and tore off the t-shirt. She held herself above him for a moment. His hands came up, resting briefly on her waist before reaching for her breasts. She gasped as his thumbs brushed across her nipples, shivering as they pulled up hard and tight at his touch.
Her body hummed with excitement, hot and wet, ready for him again. Gideon was breathing fast beneath her, her own breath coming short and shallow. Her hips rocked back and forth, the motion bringing her in contact with the tip of his cock. As it brushed against her sensitive clit she cried out, her body jerking. That brief touch was all it took.
Using her hand, she guided him into her, settling her weight on him, relishing the feel of him as he slid inside her again. Gideon’s hips rose up and they came together with a rush of sighs and low moans.
“Come here...” Gideon tugged her down and this time she went willingly. His lips replaced the hand on her breast, kissing her skin until he found her nipple, pulling it into his mouth and sucking hard. Sharp jolts of pleasure ran through her body, running from her breasts to somewhere deep inside her body
Lainey arched her back, sliding Gideon out, rocking her body and manipulating him. Every move she made had him sucking harder, and every movement of his lips and tongue sent a fresh wave of heat through her body.
Her body was still riding the high he’d created in her earlier, beneath the waterfall and here in the cave. And now, as he sucked her breast, her body rocked toward another climax. The faster she moved, the harder he pulled at her breast, sucking greedily.
Bringing her hips down hard, she ground herself against him, rubbing back and forth. The heat in her body built, consuming her, and then she exploded, crying out over and over as she came.
There was a moment where he held her as the world stopped spinning around her. The heat between their body was intense, the air around them thick with humidity. Lainey felt as if she’d melted into Gideon, her body supple and limber, no longer able to tell where she ended and he began.
Slowly, Gideon started moving beneath her, thrusting gently. Even that slight movement had her gasping, every nerve still singing. But Gideon apparently had no intention of making gentle love to her. He’d been patient, and now he was ready to take his pleasure with her. And she was ready to let him spend himself inside her.
Gideon began thrusting hard, meeting her as she brought her body down. It wasn’t long before his movements became erratic, his hands clutching her hips. Each thrust was accompanied by a deep grunt and Lainey longed to see his face, to know if his eyes were open or closed, to see his lips parted, to watch the fire they’d lit together play across his face.
It wasn’t long before she sensed Gideon was on the edge. With a gasp, he pulled her hard against his chest, one hand clutching her ass, fingers digging into her skin.
Crushed against him, she lost the ability to move, but Gideon’s thrusts were so fierce, his body so powerful beneath her that she was carried along by his momentum.
Suddenly he bucked up hard, both hands on her hips, driving himself over and over into her as he reached his climax. Lainey struggled briefly, trying to push herself up on her hands, but his grip was like steel. All she could do was hold on for the ride.
When his movements beneath her finally slowed, he relaxed his grip on her body. Lainey moved off of him, eliciting a moan as he slid from her. The t-shirt was beneath her and she sat up, pulling it over her head.
Her body felt sticky from the heat and sweat, sand clinging to her legs. Feeling for the duffel, she moved up, resting her head against the canvas. Gideon shifted next to her and she heard the sound of his zipper before the canvas settled beneath his weight.
“You feel better?” His voice was very close, his breath brushing across her forehead. Even though he wasn’t touching her, the space between them was filled with heat.
“Yeah. I do.” Her body felt languid and she hoped her mind would follow suit so she could drift off. She had no idea what time it was, but knowing Gideon, he’d be up at dawn, anxious to get going.
“We should try to get some sleep.” Gideon moved next to her, the duffel sinking to one side beneath her head as he settled down to sleep.
Lainey shifted, trying to find a comfortable position in the sand, sleep elusive. Finally, she turned in the dark, facing Gideon. He took a deep breath and she knew he was awake.
“Who’s Isobelle?”
The silence spun out before he answered.
“The woman who tore out my heart.”
“Oh.” There wasn’t much Lainey could say to that. Gideon drew a breath and let out a long sigh.
“She was my wife.” His voice was flat.
“Was?”
“Yeah, we’ve been apart for almost seven years now.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean...”
He shifted next to her. “It’s fine. You didn’t know. It’s a part of my past I don’t talk about. Hell, I don’t even like to think about it.”
“She really did a number on you?”
She thought his answer would be just another deep sigh, but he went on. “Yeah. She slept with my best friend while I was on a job.”
“Oh, God. I’m so sorry.” Even in the worst of times with Scott, neither had strayed.
That was met with a rueful laugh. “Yeah, it was a dark time for me. My best friend claimed that she seduced him, and she said it was all his idea.”
“And which do you believe?”
“Neither. Both betrayed me. So it really doesn’t matter.”
“You don’t give second chances, do you?”
He shifted again. “Never. In my line of work, second chances get me killed. With her...Isobelle...no.”
“You really loved her, didn’t you?”
The sigh this time was tinged with something rough and raw. “That’s the part I don’t think about.”
“Gideon...”
“Lainey. Enough. Go to sleep. Or at least let me go to sleep.” He sounded suddenly weary. Lainey shifted again, turning her back to Gideon.
After a long time, he sighed. “I’m sorry, Lainey. Like I said, I don’t think about it. It happened...it’s done.”
She felt the brief pressure of his hand on her hip, fingers tensing against her skin. “Go to sleep. We get Aiden tomorrow.”
* * *
Gideon’s movement woke Lainey. He was sitting up, forearms resting on his knees, his broad back to her. There was a raised scar on the upper left side resembling a starburst. She thought it was a match to the scar on his chest.
“Hey.” She sat up next to him, suddenly conscious she was wearing only his t-shirt. Tugging it down, she pulled her knees to her chest.
Gideon looked down at her, his lips held in a firm line. “Morning.” He turned back, looking out over the strip of jungle visible from their ledge.
While she didn’t expect a lavish display of affection, she thought he’d be a little more...something. Friendly, maybe talkative. She sighed; Gideon was a total mystery to her.
“What’s the plan?” Lainey sat up, searching for her pants. They were on the other side of Gideon and she poked him, pointing. He grabbed her clothes, handing them to her before turning away.
“They’re over the next hill on the other side of this stream. There’s smoke in the air; the wind’s from that direction.”
Lainey struggled into her jeans. Everything was still damp, and even though the clothes were cleaner than they had been, she was sticky and sand-covered. She changed Gideon’s shirt for her own, handing his back. He took it, pulling it over his head.
“This is where it gets dangerous and this is where you being here makes it worse. You’re a liability now, another body I need to watch and watch out for.” He finally turn
ed and looked at her. “If you weren’t here, my life would be a hell of a lot easier.”
His voice was just as cold as his eyes. The Gideon she’d first met was back. If she thought anything had changed between them, it was clear to her that it hadn’t.
A pang of regret pierced her heart. Maybe seeking comfort in the arms of the man who’d rather not have her here was a bad idea. Obviously it meant nothing. Scott must have known that, must have known Gideon would use her if he had the chance. And she’d played right into his game.
“Listen. You’re going to have to come along. I can’t leave you here. It’s too dangerous.”
Gideon stood, moving to the front of the cave where he could stand. Lainey tied her sneakers and followed.
“You’re going to do what I say when I say it, nothing else, nothing less. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” She hated the weak sound of her voice, but this wasn’t the time or place to try to make Gideon believe she could take care of herself.
“Here.” He held out the large knife she’d seen him extract from the duffel. “I’m giving you this against my better judgment, but I’d rather that you have something just in case. There’s no way in hell I’m giving you a gun.”
“I’ve shot a gun before. I can handle...”
He held up his hand, his brows drawing together, eyes darkening ominously. “Don’t give me the ‘I can handle myself’ line. This isn’t the target range. These are real people, and there’s a good chance they’re going to be shooting back.” He still held the knife and she took it, surprised by the weight. She stuck it in the waistband of her jeans.
Lainey’s heart took off, anxiety flooding her. She knew he was right, but there was no way she’d let him see that his words had any effect on her. Thrusting out her chin, she jammed her hands on her hips.
“This is my brother and he’s my responsibility. I go where you go because of that, not because you’re letting me come along.”
“I’m bringing you along because I have no choice. I’m not letting you do anything.” He held up both hands.
“Look, Lainey. We don’t have time for this. We need to go. Now.” He bent down, grabbing the pistols from the ground, tucking them into the waistband of his pants.
“You follow me, you don’t speak unless I talk to you. You do not run to your brother, no matter what you see or how he appears, until I tell you to.”
He brushed past her, walking out of the cave. “If, for some God-awful reason, we get separated, come back here. Wait for me back by the duffel bag. Stay hidden. I’ll whistle.” He pursed his lips, mimicking the song of a bird. “Twice, and it’s me.”
She nodded.
“Then let’s do this.” He turned toward the stream and Lainey followed, sneakers sliding on the mossy rocks. But she’d be damned if she’d fall today. She was pretty sure Gideon wouldn’t bother picking her up.
Gideon took them through dense jungle, occasionally following what looked like a trail, sometimes moving through dense foliage. Lainey was totally disoriented. The anxiety she’d felt in the cave increased. She was practically walking on Gideon’s heels for fear of losing him. There’d be no way she’d ever find her way out of this jungle if she lost sight of Gideon.
Suddenly he crouched down and she almost tripped over him. The startled noise she made was silenced by his glare. He pulled her down beside him, his finger to her lips.
“Right there.” His lips were against her ear, his voice barely audible. She followed where he pointed.
Down below was a tiny dilapidated hut sitting in the center of a small clearing, a thin stream of smoke coming from a hole in the roof. There was no movement and the only sounds around them were the noises of the jungle.
“Here’s the plan. We go down there.” Gideon pointed to a dense section of jungle, indicating the route they were going to take. Lainey looked across the small clearing where the building stood. On the other side of the clearing was a footpath, fading off into the jungle.
“Where does that go?”
“There’s a village about two miles over that hill and down in the valley.”
“Any chance someone might come along the path and surprise us?”
Gideon glanced at her, one eyebrow raised. “Maybe. Something to think about.”
“I can watch the path, let you know.”
Now both eyebrows shot up. Gideon slowly shook his head. “No way. I can’t leave you out here by yourself.”
“But if we’re both in there...we’re sitting ducks.”
“I’m not going to be in there that long.”
“Yeah, but you said I’d be in the way. If I’m outside...”
“Fine. Okay. You can be outside. I’d rather have you do that than keep arguing with you. We’re wasting time, God dammit.” Gideon blew out a deep sigh. “Follow me. At the corner of the building, stay along the side. If there’s a window on the far side, stay below it. If there’s a door, stay away from it.”
He turned, his eyes boring into hers. “Take this.” He reached into the waistband of his pants, pulling out one of his pistols. “You see anyone, anywhere, fire into the air. No heroics, don’t try to take on anyone. Into the air.” He pointed to the sky.
She nodded, taking the gun. It was a Glock, the same type of pistol Scott had shown her how to shoot. It was heavy, but having it in her hand gave her a sense of comfort.
“Can you handle this?”
“Yeah. I’ve shot with these before.”
“Another thing. There may be women or children down there, families. Do not underestimate anyone you come across. Do you understand?”
She nodded again. “I got it. Stay low, stay hidden, don’t make assumptions.” Her heart tripped along in her chest and she realized her hands were shaking.
“Then let’s go.” Gideon moved forward, body low to the ground. Lainey followed as best she could.
Gideon was totally silent as he drew closer to the building. Lainey felt awkward and slow, each step she took sounding like an elephant crashing through the jungle. But Gideon kept moving forward and she had no choice but to follow him.
Finally he crouched behind a larger tree just on the edge of the clearing. The building was only a few feet in front of them. From here, Lainey heard low voices coming through an open window. She caught Gideon’s eye, pointing, shrugging.
He held up two, then three fingers, also shrugging. He pointed to his chest then to the building. She looked through the open window and saw a door and another window set into the opposite wall.
Gideon pointed to Lainey then to the right side of the building. She understood; if she waited there and someone came along the path, she’d be hidden, but she’d hear them.
Gideon tapped her on the shoulder, pointed to himself, then to the other side of the building. He was going that way.
She nodded and he tipped his head toward the building. He moved forward in a crouch and Lainey followed for a few steps, then split off and moved to the other side of the building. She looked up, checking for a window, but there wasn’t any. Trying to steady her breathing, she knelt beside the building.
Her hands were shaking and she held the gun the way she remembered Scott had taught her, her finger alongside the trigger guard, not on the trigger. The safety was off and she knew it was ready to fire.
The jungle seemed eerily silent, the birds gone quiet, the wind dying down. Nothing moved and she strained to hear Gideon. But no sounds came to her. She could have been the only person in the world at the moment.
The shriek of splintering wood, the crash of the door being kicked inward sent her heart skittering into overdrive. She crept to the edge of the wall, peering around the corner. Gideon was already inside. Shouts and curses, both in Spanish and English, filled the air, Gideon’s voice the loudest. But nowhere did she hear Aiden’s voice.
Gideon was yelling now in Spanish. She winced at the sound of a fist hitting flesh, loud grunts, and then a body hitting the floor. Gideon’s voice d
isappeared from the cacophony. If Gideon was down, then Aiden was at risk. Hell, Gideon was at risk and so was she. She hesitated then made up her mind.
Drawing a deep breath, she closed her eyes for a moment. It would have to be quick. She’d have to be able to take in everything inside the small room instantly, not panic, and be ready to shoot if she needed to. And not shoot either Aiden or Gideon.
She took two steps, peering around the corner of the building. The path was empty. Back to the wall, she moved next to the open door, the pistol held in both hands, pointed into the air.
Lainey turned her body, placing herself in the open doorway. She brought the gun down, holding it in the shooter’s stance she’d been taught. Her eyes scanned the room, trying to take in everything at once.
Gideon was on his back on the floor, fighting off a monstrous man in dirty green pants who was yielding a large hunters knife, the blade closing in on Gideon’s throat. On the other side of the room was another man, taller and thinner, making a move toward the pair. And in the dark corner furthest from the door was her brother, tied to a chair. He was dirty and his face was bloody, a rag tied around his eyes.
For a moment, all Lainey could see was Aiden. The gun wavered in her hands. But from the floor she heard Gideon.
Bracing her feet, she swung the gun toward the large man, a deep inarticulate noise coming from her mouth. The man turned, a look of shock on his face, the jagged blade of his knife held above Gideon’s face.
Gideon swung a punch at the man, catching him on the side of his head, knocking him to the side. The man rolled and came up on his feet, crouching in front of her brother. In horror, Lainey watched him move back, sliding to the side of Aiden’s chair. She knew he was going to kill him.
She held the gun steady, sighted down the barrel, let out a breath, then squeezed the trigger. The sound was deafening in the small space. Lainey staggered back, the recoil of the gun taking her by surprise.
The man screamed, a deep red stain blossoming on his pant leg just above his knee. He fell to the floor, dropping his knife, clutching his knee. Lainey turned, the gun pointed at the other man as Gideon rose, ducking behind her.
Crazy About Curves: 10 Luscious Reads Page 7
