by Rachel Grant
He climbed from the bed as she scooted to the side and reached for him. She wrapped her hand around his erection and stroked him from base to tip, then licked him the same way.
She took the tip in her mouth and sucked. He groaned. Hazel going down on him was about ten thousand fantasies coming true.
Her wet, hot mouth stoked his erection to new heights, and she moaned with pleasure as she sucked on him. He revised his take from a few minutes before, deciding that the sound she made while taking him deep into the back of her throat might be the sexiest thing he’d ever heard from her.
She sucked and stroked, and he forgot everything but the feel of her hot mouth. This was his Hazel. His beautiful, brilliant Hazelnut. He watched his penis slide between her pink lips as her thick auburn hair fell over her pale cheekbones. He wrapped his fingers in her hair as he slowly thrust his hips, taking her mouth and losing himself in the pleasure of this moment.
On the verge of coming, he pulled back. Like her, he wanted to come while inside her. Later, she’d come against his tongue, and he’d do the same in her mouth. But this time, he wanted to kiss her as he came, to feel her inner muscles tighten around him as she climaxed.
She scooted back on the bed as he climbed on again, crawling until his hips were settled between her spread thighs, the tip of his cock pressed to her opening.
He met her gaze as he held himself on the brink of entering her. Her eyes were hooded with pleasure and burning with sultry need he was pretty sure his own eyes mirrored. “I love you, Hazel.”
He slid his tongue into her mouth at the same time he thrust into her body. One smooth stroke and he was in deep, her tight heat wrapped around him. Joined in the most intimate way possible, and the pleasure of it was even more intense than last night’s joining had been.
He went as slow as he could, drawing out the pleasure as long as possible, but this was too insanely powerful to hold back for long. She tightened around him, and pleasure pulsed. She let out soft gasps and moans as she kissed his neck and gripped his back. She was coming hard and fast, and she took him with her.
He kissed her as she let out a cry of release, taking the sound into his mouth as his own orgasm overtook him, his body pulsing with pleasure so intense, he let out a guttural growl.
Replete, he rolled to his side, pulling Hazel with him, still inside her body. He tucked his head into her neck and breathed her in as his heartbeat gradually slowed.
This was better than his fantasies. Sex with her was a deep, powerful, soulful connection. Beautiful, brilliant Hazel. She made him laugh. Made him feel. Made him think. Now she was safe, and she was his. This wasn’t a charade. This was the real deal, and he wouldn’t ever let her go again.
25
Alec paced Keith’s suite in Raptor’s Virginia compound. Keith never used the CEO suite—he and Trina preferred their condo in DC—so it wasn’t a problem for Alec and Isabel to take over the large suite until they had a grasp of what was going on. The security here was even tighter than at the estate, and here he had a mercenary army to protect her.
Isabel sat in the corner of a plush couch, her arms wrapped around her knees. “I think I need to watch the videos, Alec,” she said. “I need to see if that unlocks my memories, like going into the cave unlocked yours. The key to all this could be in my own brain.”
He knew she was right, but the idea of her watching them scared the hell out of him. He’d spent the last three years feeling grateful she couldn’t remember how she’d suffered. Her screams still haunted him.
He’d saved one copy of the videos on a thumb drive that was stored in a safe in his office at the estate. The FBI, CIA, and DIA all had copies as well, but this was his copy, which he’d held on to in case Isabel’s nightmares became unbearable and she needed to watch so she could face what happened head-on. Once his memories had returned, his nightmares had ceased. It might be the same for Isabel.
But she hadn’t wanted to see the videos in the aftermath, and her nightmares had faded over time. There’d been no reason to revisit the agony she’d suffered. No reason to rip open that wound.
And he’d contorted himself and everyone around him to keep her from learning the truth about this latest threat. The last thing in the world he wanted was for her to rip away the barrier in her memory. He knew from experience she’d feel the pain anew, as fresh as the moment the infrasound waves cut through her body like a laser.
“Maybe there’s another way,” he said.
“Stop it, Alec. You know there isn’t. That’s why you lied about the threatening letter.”
“I didn’t lie. It was redacted.”
“You redacted parts that weren’t related to national security because you knew I’d choose to watch the videos.” Her voice was hard and angry, and he deserved it.
“I can’t stand the idea of you going through that again,” he said softly. Memories of that day and night as he and his team searched for her still haunted him. Three years later, he was even more in love with her than he’d been then. They’d had three years to learn every facet of each other, their lives so completely knit together that she made him whole.
“You can’t hide the truth from me either. Give me some credit. I survived it once. I’ll survive it again.”
He paused before her and pulled her to her feet, taking her into his arms. “I’m the weak one here. I’m afraid I won’t survive it. I will lose my shit watching you suffer—both on the video and now.”
“Do you want children?” she asked.
“You know I do.”
“You’ll have to watch me in pain then.”
“Yes, but that’s pain with purpose. We’ll have a child to raise and love together. This pain serves no purpose. All it will do is hurt you.”
“But what if watching the video opens up my memories? What if we learn something we can use?”
“I’ve seen the videos, Iz. It’s you screaming until you’re hoarse.” He didn’t share the part that haunted him, when she sobbed and begged for death. “Please, let’s exhaust all other avenues first. I’ve got a team of investigators. We’ve got a private army for protection. Hazel is safe with Sean. Let’s not do this unless we have to.”
She leaned her forehead on his chest, and he tightened his arms around her. Eventually, he’d give in and show her the videos, but he intended to put it off as long as possible, because he couldn’t voice his biggest fear: what if watching the video activated something planted in her brain? When Isabel first began therapy, he’d had lengthy discussions with Dr. Parks about the techniques Westover had used. Parks had been assigned Isabel’s case because she’d analyzed the effects of infrasound for the CIA. Dr. Parks had agreed it was possible—however unlikely—Westover had planted a time bomb in her mind.
The choice Matt dreaded but had always known he’d someday have to face was here: stay with his wife and soon-to-be legally adopted son—both of whom were his reason for breathing—or walk away from his family forever to keep them safe.
He could hear Ivy preparing an early dinner in the kitchen of the small Airbnb they’d rented under a false name. Knowing it could come to this, he’d acquired a few fake identities even the CIA didn’t know about, and had Bitcoin and other electronic currency he could access to fund a new life, if necessary.
Ivy and Julian would keep all of Matthew Clark’s assets, which were quite extensive thanks to years of being sent on dirty ops in the service of Russian oligarchs and the government. He’d been well paid as the Hammer and had never touched a dime of that income until it was time to claim a new life. He could ensure his wife and son never had to worry about money.
But before he made his decision, he needed answers. Was it time to flee to protect everyone, or stay and fight?
If he left, there would be no coming back. But if he stayed, not only were Ivy and Julian in danger, but also Ivy’s family: her sister, her cousin, and her cousin’s wife.
Right now, Julian was safe with Mara and Curt. But it wou
ld devastate the boy to lose another parent without notice. It would devastate Ivy. They’d finally gotten to sail off into the sunset after months of not knowing if they’d ever see each other again.
It would devastate Matt to be without the two people who gave his heart a reason to keep beating. But he’d do it if it meant keeping them safe.
The trick was reading the landscape. He needed to time the action so it wasn’t too late to do any good.
He needed to dig deeper into the GRU’s infiltration of the US intelligence community. He’d seen the explosion, knew exactly who was behind it. Then he’d heard Hazel’s story of threats and lies.
The question was why?
Why had Isabel and Hazel been targeted now?
He had five pieces of a hundred-piece puzzle. To protect everything that mattered, he needed to figure out what the other ninety-five pieces were.
The GRU had infiltrated and compromised the DIA years ago, and he’d spent ten months sharing intel with the CIA to ferret out all the traitors. Now he searched his memory for missing pieces.
Isabel and her brother, Vincent, had both been victims of infrasound experimentation. Now he suspected Chase Johnston was another victim. But as far as anyone knew, the human testing had been confined to Alaska and ended three years ago.
Was everyone wrong about the end date? Had the experimentation that had started in Alaska continued unchecked in Virginia?
He opened his laptop and clicked on the portal that would take him into the dark web. He’d been trained by the most corrupt and elusive operators in the world and could navigate the dark web like a cipher. Matt had one question, the answer to which could change everything: why hadn’t Chase Johnston been killed three years ago?
26
Hazel pressed her face into Sean’s neck, hardly able to believe this was real. But it was. Every wonderful moment. The feel of him between her thighs. The look on his face as he said he loved her.
Sean Logan was hers. No limits. No boundaries.
The joy of it made her light enough to float. “You know what would make this moment perfect?” she asked.
“How could this possibly be more perfect?” He nibbled on her neck as he gripped her ass.
“This moment needs meatballs. Lots of meatballs.”
He laughed. “Hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Well then, let me get you some meat.”
She snorted but refrained from making the obvious joke. “And don’t forget the dipping sauces.”
“My woman likes her meat with sauce. Good to know.”
She groaned even as her heart floated higher at his possessive words. She ran a hand down his side and cupped his ass as her lips followed a line up his neck and to his ear, where she whispered, “And I want bread. And fruit. And maybe some couscous with lentils.”
He chuckled. “No more sex until I feed you?”
“A girl needs to keep her strength up.”
“All right, then.”
He rose from the bed, and she enjoyed watching his perfect ass as he left the room. While he gathered food, she grabbed her bag and cleaned up in the bathroom. She returned to the small bedroom wearing satin panties and a camisole she’d packed for the weekend in a moment of hope. The scarlet ensemble was tiny and pulled her breasts together, giving her a respectable amount of cleavage, thanks to the wonders of padding.
She planted herself in the center of the bed, with one knee bent and both legs just slightly spread. Sean returned with a large tray laden with food. He took one look at her and halted midstep. The food on the tray slid to the edge, threatening to tumble off before he righted it. He set the tray on the dresser and turned to her. “I think you’ve made a miscalculation,” he said.
“How so?”
“You look so fucking sexy. Now I want to go down on you. In fact, I want to break out the bondage kit, strap you down, and fuck you with my tongue.”
Her body flooded with heat—something that shouldn’t be possible considering how hot he’d already made her. “I don’t see how that’s a problem.”
“I thought you were hungry?”
She cocked her head. “I suppose it would be hard to eat tied up.”
“You’d have to take whatever I put in your mouth,” he said with a wicked grin.
She jumped from the bed and grabbed the bondage kit from where it had fallen to the floor. “How does this thing work?”
He walked up behind her and cupped a breast while his other hand slid between her legs. His mouth found her neck. “Tell you what. We’ll play with that later. I promise. Right now, I’ll go down on you while you eat your meatballs and sauce.” His fingers found the edge of her panties and slipped beneath, separating her folds. He dipped a finger inside her while his thumb played with her clit. He stroked, and she leaned back against him as intense pleasure rendered her incapable of anything except breathing. And even that involved a lot of gasping.
He steered her toward the bed, then released her. “Sit with your back to the headboard, legs spread. I’ll get you a plate.”
She obeyed, loving the command in his tone. But then, she had zero objections to his orders.
He handed her a plate covered with meatballs and dipping sauces. They smelled so good, she groaned again, and this time, Sean wasn’t even touching her. “Eat,” he said as he settled between her thighs.
He waited until she took a bite, then he dipped his head down and stroked her clit with his tongue. The flavorful food in her mouth combined with the pleasure of his hot tongue had her groaning.
His mouth was slow and sensuous as she ate, making her feel good, but not taking her to the edge. After she’d managed to eat three meatballs, she set the plate aside. He grinned, then sucked her clit, causing her whole body to jolt.
She’d known he’d be this kind of lover. Playful. Fun. Attentive. Caring. He was the full package.
And with his thick biceps and prominent pecs, oh, what a package.
He skillfully licked and stroked. She didn’t come easily with oral sex, especially a second time, but Sean took his time and listened to the cues of what worked for her, and she found herself tipping over the edge, coming slow but hard.
He held her there, his tongue pressed to her clit, his fingers inside her. As she came, she demanded, “Get inside me.”
He laughed and slid up on the bed, and then he was in her again, before she’d finished plateauing. Pleasure coursed through her as he slid inside, and she let out a low purr at the feeling of completion.
“I think that’s the sexiest sound I’ve ever heard,” he said. His ongoing thrusts continued her post-orgasm pleasure. He came again, growling with release. A sound that was low and sexy and fulfilling all by itself.
He stilled, braced above her, his back arched, as deep inside her as he could get. His eyes opened, and the deep brown orbs held a warm, satisfied light. His chest rose with the ragged breath of exertion as he lowered himself to rest his weight on his forearm. He cupped her cheek with one broad hand. “I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you, but this is a good start.”
He kissed her, a slow, lingering, tongue-filled kiss as he rocked into her, no longer fully erect, but still joined in a satisfying way.
He ended the kiss and rolled to his side, pulling her with him so he remained in her body. She pressed her forehead into his neck. “This is really happening, isn’t it? I’m not having the most amazing dream of my life?” she asked.
“Oh, sweetheart, this is real. I’ve finally stopped being a dumbass and am going after what I’ve wanted for a long, long time.”
When she would have protested the name he’d called himself, he pressed a finger to her lips. “I’ve been a fool when it came to you. I couldn’t take you up on your offer in Grand Cayman, but nothing but my own messed-up head was stopping me before or after. I feared getting involved with Rav’s cousin could bite me in the ass, and for a lot of years, my job was all that mattered to me.”
“What
do you mean?” She understood superficially, but he clearly had family he cared about, friends that meant the world to him.
He ran his fingers over her cheekbones, traced her jawline and lips with a thumb. “I want to tell you this, but it’s a long story. I’m going to clean up and grab coffee. You want some?”
She smiled and kissed him. “Yes, please.” After he was done in the bathroom, she took her own turn. This was different, being lovers with a man she’d known for years. They weren’t getting to know each other through sex, as she’d done with past lovers. They were deepening their existing connection with sex.
She’d already told him that she’d never tried bondage because she’d never trusted a partner enough, but with Sean, the trust was already there, and she couldn’t wait to explore her kinky side, which she’d always kept locked down tight except in fantasies.
She returned to the bedroom and settled onto the bed, this time with the platter of food. Sean ate a few meatballs and had naan and hummus before answering her question about his job with Raptor.
“Being a SEAL was all-encompassing,” he said. “I left the Navy and the Team because my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The initial prognosis gave him four months. He managed to stretch it to eight. I was able to get out at the three-month mark, so I had five months to help out my mom and spend time with my dad. To say good-bye. My parents lived in DC then—Mom moved away after Dad died—so I rented an apartment in the city to be nearby and help out. But Dad didn’t want me to see him in his weakened state, and my mom is stronger than any woman I know. It was pretty clear I was intruding on their long good-bye, and they didn’t want any kind of role reversal in which I was taking care of them.
“I understood, but it didn’t give me a way to process losing my dad. I was shut out, unable to do anything but be a son, and after years of being a SEAL, where we swooped in to save the day, it was hard to deal with. I’d given up my military career to be with my parents, and they didn’t want me present twenty-four seven. They needed to face Dad’s passing in their own way. And it was his death—I wasn’t going to make it about me.”
