by Katie Reus
“We’re going to stop this guy, I swear.” He kissed the top of her head as he gently rubbed her back. His stomach was tight, the tension building inside him that things had turned ugly so quickly.
She didn’t respond, just squeezed him tighter before she stepped back to look at him. She didn’t drop her hands from holding onto him. “It’s so…disgusting. It finally set in that a total freakshow was in my house, touching my stuff, and now it’s like, I don’t know, I just feel violated. I know it’s just a material thing but it was mine and he…” She let out a shudder, her fingers digging into his sides. “Should we send this to Detective Duarte?”
Ivan’s jaw tightened and he struggled to find his voice. He wanted to beat the shit out of this guy. Hell, he wanted to do a lot worse, but he cut off the dark thought. “Yeah, I’ll take care of it right now. I’ll let him and Lizzy know. I don’t want to leave you alone, but would you mind waiting here for a few minutes?”
“Of course not. I’m fine, that picture just freaked me out.” Her voice cracked, but she seemed to gather herself together.
“I’m going to forward this to my email, then send it to them. I don’t know, but maybe Lizzy can pull something from the picture.” He doubted it, but anything was possible. “Do you want me to make you tea or coffee or something?” He didn’t even know if he had tea, but he was sure he could dig something up.
Julieta shook her head. “I’m okay, but thanks. For everything, not just this.”
He just grunted, not wanting her thanks. After she settled on one of the couches and turned the TV on low, he hurried from the room, texting Lizzy from his phone. You awake?
Lizzy: Yeah, Maddox is starting to teethe so both Porter and I are up. We just got him down though. Everything okay?
Ivan: No, that bastard just sent her a picture. I’m sending everything to your email. Can you pinpoint where all the phones have been dumped on a map?
Lizzy: I’ll be up for a while so send whenever. And yes. I’ll let you know what I find.
Ivan: Thanks and apologize to Porter for taking up so much of your time.
Lizzy. No prob. And don’t worry about that.
In his home office, Ivan saved the picture in a folder in his email account and forwarded the message and picture to Lizzy and Duarte. He didn’t think he’d need it for anything, but he wanted to keep it as backup evidence.
Ivan hated feeling helpless. The foreign sensation pumping through him made him feel just that. In the Army he’d always had a clear target. Now that he protected Mina, the targets weren’t always clear, but his objective was. Protect her from danger. Period.
It should be just as simple as that with Julieta. But nothing was simple where she was concerned. Someone wasn’t after her for monetary gain; a psycho had her in his crosshairs and they had no fucking leads. It was like he was driving blind.
As another thought entered his mind, he texted Lizzy again. If you ping the location of the last phone used, can you find the closest neighborhoods to where it was dumped?
Unless of course they got lucky and she pinged it to an actual residential location, not a Dumpster. He wasn’t banking on that though. The guy had been too careful so far.
Lizzy: Yep
He loved her succinct answer. Smiling, he turned his computer off and headed back to the living room where he found Julieta curled up on his couch with one of the hand-stitched blankets he’d bought in Afghanistan wrapped around her shoulders. He liked seeing her in his place, using his things, even if the circumstances sucked.
Thoughts of her stalker and the threat surrounding her faded into the background as their eyes met. Here under his roof, she was safe with him. And he was going to make sure she stayed that way.
“You doing okay?” he asked, sitting on the arm of the loveseat closest to the couch. He wanted to sit next to her and pull her into his arms, but he couldn’t get a read on her.
“Yeah.” She stood and let the blanket slide onto the couch behind her. Picking up the remote control she clicked off the TV. Wrapping her arms around herself, she turned to face him. Only a couple feet separated them. The silence in the room was deafening as she met his gaze again and he hated the fear in her eyes. “Did Lizzy have anything good to say?”
“Not yet. I just emailed Duarte but hopefully we’ll hear from him tomorrow.” Because unfortunately Julieta’s case wasn’t a top priority. Though after the picture she’d just received it might move up.
“Tomorrow I’m telling my family everything and I’ll probably skip out on work too. I don’t want to be even more of an imposition, but—”
“I would have been surprised if you’d wanted to go to work.” He’d been prepared to convince her otherwise anyway. “And you’re not an imposition so just forget that, okay?” It scraped against his senses that she could even think that.
Nodding, she blinked quickly and looked down. He realized she was fighting tears and his gut twisted. He pushed off the arm and going against all his self-preservation instincts, pulled her into his arms again. Her grip around him was tight, as if she was afraid he’d let go. No way in hell.
She fit so damn perfectly too, as if this was exactly where she was supposed to be. The more time he spent with her, the harder he fell. Especially seeing her so upset like this. She was so strong and independent and even though she was holding up well, this was still clearly hard on her and he just wanted to take care of her.
Holding her tight, he rubbed his hand along her spine, the material of her top soft against his palm. He wished there were no barriers between them and they were skin to skin but it was probably for the best they weren’t. She was too vulnerable right now and he didn’t want to take advantage.
When she slid her hands under the back hem of his shirt and moved her fingers underneath, his entire body pulled taut. “Julieta?” he rasped out.
“Take off your shirt.” Her words were whispered but he’d heard her correctly.
He leaned back to look at her and she finally met his gaze, her nervousness clear. Yeah, she was way too vulnerable right now. That didn’t mean he couldn’t give her pleasure, help her take the edge off. He might be relationship-challenged, but he had no doubt he could do that for her. “I have a better idea,” he murmured, reaching between their bodies.
Her pajama top was short sleeved and button-down with a little logo on a small pocket over one of her breasts. He slid the top button free, watching her expression as he did.
Her breath hitched but she didn’t make a move to stop him. It was dim in the living room, but with the lights from the city below and a nearly full moon hanging in the sky behind them, he had no problem seeing her cheeks flush.
When he slid the second button free, she shifted a little under his scrutiny, as if she was trying to ease an ache. Oh, he’d be easing it for her very soon. By the time he reached the bottom button the anticipation building inside him was too much. The flash of her bronzed skin wasn’t enough. His erection pushed insistently against his pants, the hunger to see her bare making his body taut with anticipation.
Before he could slide the top off, she did it for him, letting her shoulders and arms dip back as the top slipped soundlessly to the ground.
His gaze landed on her pale brown nipples and the sharpest sense of hunger slammed into him. She might be petite but the woman was curvy with full, lush breasts. Without pause he grabbed onto her hips and pulled her close. The need to possess her was damn near overwhelming.
Wordlessly he lifted her up so that she had to wrap her legs around his waist. Just like in the parking lot, he hadn’t had to ask. She was as into him as he was into her. At least physically. He planned to show her that he wanted a hell of a lot more than just sex.
Keeping his gaze pinned to hers, he walked them to the glass window that overlooked his patio and pressed her up against it. “The windows are tinted, no one can see in,” he growled, needing her to know that he’d never let anyone see her naked. Would never let anyone see what was h
is. He knew she was feeling vulnerable now and wanted to make sure she was comfortable with this.
She shivered, her back arching, brushing her hard nipples against his chest. Her breathing had turned erratic as she brought her hands to his shoulders, her fingers digging into his skin.
Normally he liked a little dirty talk, but he couldn’t even find his voice right now. He wanted to tell her all sorts of things. Instead, he shifted slightly and dipped his head, feeling obsessed with the need to taste her everywhere.
He probably should have kissed her first or teased her but he captured her right nipple with his mouth, sucking on it hard.
She let out a surprised groan and arched into him again, this time practically pushing her breast into his mouth.
He laughed lightly against her and she moaned again, her fingers digging even harder into his shoulders. God, those sounds she let out were nearly enough to make him come right then. He flicked his tongue against the hard tip, amazed by how reactive she was.
With every flick and tease she writhed against him, her head falling back against the glass as he held her in place. His cock pulsed between his legs, heavy and insistent, but right now wasn’t about him. He kissed a slow path to her other breast, just as eager to tease her other nipple.
For so long sex had always been strictly about release. He always made sure his partners came first, usually more than once, before he did, but sex was just that, sex. He’d never had anything deeper with his partners because he hadn’t wanted to. Getting involved with anyone past fucking hadn’t been worth any risk.
When he’d first met Julieta yeah, it had been purely physical. He’d have to be dead not to notice how sexually vibrant she was. But the longer he’d been around her, the more he’d realized she was a woman worth risking anything for. He wanted to be in her life, to be the first person she turned to whenever she had a problem or just wanted to talk.
Now that he finally had her under his roof, even with less than stellar circumstances, he wasn’t letting her go.
Loosening his grip on her hips, he lifted his head back and stared down at her for a long moment. Her full breasts rose and fell, both wet from the teasing of his tongue and mouth. Her light brown nipples were rock hard. It was difficult to tear his gaze away from them as he slowly let her down to the floor.
“Are you stopping?” Her voice was a strangled whisper.
He looked up at her as he went down on his knees. Stopping? No way in hell. Her eyebrows drew together in confusion for all of a second until he grasped the edges of her cotton shorts. As he slid them down her legs, she bit her bottom lip and his entire body reacted. He wondered if she understood exactly how hot it got him when she bit her lip like that.
Soon, he wanted those lips wrapped around his hard length. But not yet. Now… If he hadn’t already been on his knees, he might have fallen to them as his gaze landed on the juncture between her beautiful thighs.
A soft triangle of hair covered her mound and just like that, his mouth watered. “Spread your legs,” he demanded, his voice harsh and unsteady. She stepped out of the shorts, leaving them where they were and did just that.
Julieta had never felt so exposed in her life. Or maybe she’d just never wanted anyone as much as she wanted Ivan. Her body trembled with pent up hunger, aching for him to fill her. Seeing him on his knees in front of her was too much.
The man was seriously built like a god, something his plain T-shirt and lounge pants couldn’t hide. And the way he was looking at her, as if she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, made her feel more powerful than she’d ever imagined.
He leaned closer to her spread legs and inhaled. Actually inhaled, like he couldn’t get enough of her. She might be comfortable with her body but oral sex was so intimate and this was Ivan, a man she’d been fantasizing about for months, kneeling in front of her as if he wanted to devour her.
Something she was more than on board with. This wasn’t about wanting to forget everything either, though she did want to get that last text out of her mind. This was just about Ivan. As they’d sat and talked tonight, before company had arrived and after, she realized she’d fallen a lot harder for him than she’d thought possible. And maybe she wasn’t as okay with casual as she’d tried to convince herself that she was. She wanted more with him and wasn’t afraid to fight for it.
He’d stepped up and protected her when he’d had no reason in the world to other than he was an honorable man. Even his profession was all about protecting people.
“Put your leg over my shoulder.” His voice was a soft growl she felt all the way to her core. And his order was one she had no problem following.
As she lifted her leg and slid it over his shoulder, he looked up at her. With him clothed and her naked she could only imagine the display they created and it made her even hotter, heat flooding between her legs in a rush.
“Next time I do this, you’re wearing those red fuck-me heels. I want to feel them digging into my back as I taste you.” His words barely registered before his mouth was on her.
He moved so fast, the intimate action taking her off guard even though she’d known what he planned to do. She’d just assumed he’d tease her, work up to it. Nope, Ivan went straight for her clit, licking his tongue over the throbbing bud in one long sweep. His hands pressed against her inner thighs, keeping them spread and open.
Crying out, she jerked against the chilly window and he shifted lower, opening her wider to him as he slid his tongue along her wet slit. Her nipples pebbled tighter at the erotic sensation. She clutched his shoulder with one hand and slid her fingers through his hair with the other. When she dug into his skin and slightly tugged his hair he moaned against her and increased the pressure.
Over and over he flicked and teased her, dipping his tongue between her lips before moving back to her clit. She completely lost all semblance of time as he knelt there, learning what she liked by the sounds she made.
Taking her by surprise, he slid a finger against her opening, testing her wetness before letting out what sounded a lot like a triumphant growl. Just like with his teasing mouth, he gave no warning before sliding a finger inside her.
She released a shuddering breath at the welcome intrusion. Her inner walls clenched around him, gripping him tight, not wanting to let go.
He increased his pressure against her clit, his tongue positively magic as he slowly began sliding his thick finger in and out of her. Her foot dug into his back, her body incredibly open to the pleasure he was giving her. The orgasm started to build inside her, her abdomen clenching the closer she raced toward release.
He growled something against her spread lips that sounded a lot like “Come for me”. She lost it, her orgasm ripping free in a rush of sensation.
Closing her eyes, her head fell back against the window as it built and built, her entire body tingling with the freefall of her climax. It was as if all her nerve endings lit up at once, the shock to her system almost too much pleasure. Almost.
As her orgasm started to ebb in slow, pleasurable waves, Ivan slowly withdrew his finger. Immediately she wanted to tell him to push back inside her, but she didn’t have the energy. It took effort but she forced her eyes open and looked down at him.
Her body was boneless and if it wasn’t for the window supporting her she might have collapsed. A small part of her expected him to look smug that he’d wrenched such an intense orgasm from her the first time they’d been intimate together, but the only thing in his blue eyes was heat.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
His lips quirked up and he lazily slid a hand up over her thigh and down to her knee where her leg was still slung over his shoulder. He squeezed lightly. “I could keep you like this all night.” A soft, hungry promise filled those words as his gaze dipped to her mound again.
She should be sated, but another rush of heat slid through her and she hoped they were just getting started. Slowly, he slid her leg off his shoulder. She wobbled once as
her foot touched the ground, but Ivan grasped on to her hips.
His hands were warm and steady. He only dropped them for a moment so he could stand. In that moment, with her naked, she realized just how big he was. She already knew, but their differences seemed somehow over pronounced now, especially since she was basking in her post-orgasm glow and completely bare to him.
On instinct she looked down at his erection, her eyes slightly widening at the sight of the impressive bulge covered by his pants. She reached for him, wanting to stroke him, to taste him, but he caught her wrist with his hand.
Her gaze snapped up to him. “What’s wrong?” she whispered, unable to make her voice carry any higher. She didn’t want to ruin the atmosphere between them.
He cupped her cheek with his free hand, rubbing a calloused thumb over her skin. “Not a damn thing. But tonight is about you.”
“I want it to be about both of us.” Because she wanted to make him lose control too. She wanted a deeper physical connection with him.
He was silent for a long moment, watching her, his expression unreadable. She resisted the urge to squirm. Finally he spoke. “Outside your brothers’ restaurant, what you said about me only wanting casual…you’re wrong. I want something real with you, Julieta. I’ve never had a real relationship before so some of this is guessing for me, but I know enough that just telling you something isn’t going to cut it. I want to show you I’m serious.”
She inwardly winced at her assumptions. “I shouldn’t have said that. And you don’t need to prove or show anything to me, especially not like this. I’m not a selfish lover and—”
“It’s not that.” His fingers squeezed lightly around her wrist. “And I never imagined you would be selfish. It’s… I want tonight to be about you. You’ve been through a lot and I just want it to be about you.”
There was something in his tone, as if he was unsure of himself that made her pause. Because Ivan never stumbled over his words. Part of her wanted to push because she was pretty sure if she rubbed a palm over his erection, he’d cave, but…If she was honest, it was insanely hot that he wanted tonight to be just about her. Even if she was dying to finally strip all the barriers between them. “Okay. But next time is going to be about you too.”
