Beautiful Criminal (5 page)

Mima’s eyes widened and a stunning smile lit her face. “I love your laugh. It makes you so…nice.”

Gabe arched a brow. “Nice?” He pushed up on his elbows, his face mere inches from hers. “Handsome, daring, charismatic would be better. Nice seems so cheap.”

Her smile disappeared and she stared at his lips. Without warning, she shoved him back in the snow and straddled him. Gabe barely sucked in a startled breath before her lips descended on his. Instant excitement coursed through his veins, right down to his cock as her lips slid over his, lightly exploring him. Instinct made him reach around her and pull her closer, harder against him. He was buying his time, thinking she’d never let a man like him into her world, but she didn’t give him the option.

Mima’s languid whimper sparked a dangerous hunger inside him. She parted her lips, and he slid his tongue home while his hips surged lightly beneath hers. Damn, she felt so good, so right. He trailed his hands down her ribs and gripped her hips, before he pressed up, feeling the heat between her legs, even through her snow suit, showing her how much she turned him on.

Immediately, she pulled away, her cheeks bright with a blush.

“I—I’m sorry.” She pushed up on her feet and walked away, leaving him there, lying in the snow with a raging hard-on.

Damn women.

They put the dogs away and fed them in silence. Gabe was more confused than ever. He knew Mima felt their connection as he had. Perhaps she was afraid of him and what he could do to her. That thought made him feel lousy, like he’d never deserve a good woman like her.

A few hours later, a half-empty bottle of Jack Daniels sat between them on the kitchen table. Gabe felt conveniently numb while Mima slightly swayed in her chair.

Her glassy onyx eyes seemed to stare right through him, and it put him on edge after their kiss earlier. Now he wanted much more than that.

“How’s your back?”

He stared down at his cup. “Fine.”

A fire snapped in the barrel stove with the top partially open, casting the room in a dim orange glow. A kerosene lantern burned on the kitchen counter. If it wasn’t for the awkwardness between them at this moment, and the sting of scratches all over his back, the atmosphere might be considered romantic.

She looked lost in thought, while he strained to keep his roaring arousal at bay.

“What you said earlier about secrets….” Mima glanced at the picture by the couch before looking back at him. “I lost my family in an avalanche.”

His gaze snapped up to her face, and he suddenly recalled how lost he felt after his father died. Gabe nodded, unfamiliar at how to deal with emotional issues such as this. “I never knew my mother and my father died in a plane crash when I was fifteen.”

He recalled that day so long ago, as a young buck, full of piss and vinegar, with the whole world at his grip. So much had changed since that fateful day, and now he was just a shell of a man. Destined to live a life of crime because that’s all he knew.

Mima stared at him, her heart in her eyes. “My father insisted that I stay home that day because I wasn’t feeling well. He and my mother and brother went to quarter a moose he’d shot the previous day.” Her chin quivered and she looked away. “They had no time to get away before the snow barreled down on them. Their bodies were found in the spring, all three of them within a hundred yards of each other. That was eight years ago when I was sixteen.”

Gabe couldn’t help picturing the lifeless faces of three people he didn’t know, lying together on the thawing ground. The look of despair on her face reflected how he’d felt when he’d learned about his father’s death. She was alone in this world—like he was. Another reason to feel more connected to her.

“And you’ve been alone out here all this time?”

She nodded quickly and wiped her tears away. “Mary and I have known each other since we were in diapers. If not for her, I’d probably be some wacko, wandering the woods with unwashed hair and no teeth.”

Gabe chuckled, needing that small bit of humor to ease the conversation. His nurse was a special woman. He knew this as certainly as he knew the days of his life were numbered.

“What about boyfriends and civilization?” He couldn’t believe she’d stay here, away from town life, rather than enjoy some kind of company aside from the one friend she talked about.

“I go to town when I feel restless, but I don’t belong anywhere else.”

He nodded and smiled. “Fair enough.”

“I take it your father was a pilot, too?”

“Yeah. One of the best,” he said thoughtfully. “He flew supplies to the bush camps throughout Alberta, BC, and the Yukon. Hunters hired him to get into tricky areas in the bush. He could fly anything anywhere.”

That broad smile of hers returned, and he stared at her intently as she poured them another drink.

Mima held out her cup. “To our families. May they rest in peace. And may we both find our own happiness, whatever that may be.”

Gabe held his cup out and clinked it against hers, nodding his agreement. He sipped deeply, unable to tear his gaze from hers. Maybe it was the booze, or maybe it was their shared loss of family that made him want to comfort her. The kiss they’d shared earlier only heightened those thoughts, and even though the situation didn’t call for it, the thought of her crying out in pleasure while he spread her thighs instigated the hungry animal inside him. He wanted to take her to bed this second, but he didn’t want to scare her either. She seemed to need a man in her life, and he needed an escape from his. Maybe he finally wanted a good woman. Maybe he needed a peaceful life for a change.

She looked at him with an odd expression. “I couldn’t help but notice you’re missing a baby toe, and you have many scars on your body. What happened to you?”

He swallowed, a sudden ball of nerves cinching his throat, forcing the immediate flashbacks of screaming and bloody faces to the far recesses of his mind. Although he enjoyed his profession at times, death and destruction didn’t make for pleasant thoughts, especially decent conversation with a woman. It sure as hell didn’t make life easy. But he didn’t think she’d want to hear of his getting caught by a rival dealer several years back, and being tortured until Colton’s men rescued him. That was his life. No pain, no gain. No real pleasure.

Sometimes it felt as though his life held no purpose. He did as he was told and got paid well for it. Still, it would be nice to breathe easy for a change.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up—”

Gabe’s head snapped up and he stared at her, suddenly realizing she was talking to him. “Sorry, what was that again?”

She smiled. “I asked how you got all those scars.”

“They’re just old war injuries.”

“Are you in the military?”

He gave a half-assed chuckle. “Not really, but it’s a long story.”

“I have all the time in the world.”

Her pretty eyes locked on his, and they made him nervous. She was so innocent, probably clueless to what went on outside of her world. Did she know that when a man or a woman buys a gram of coke, that money contributes directly to the death of another? And that in some small way, Gabe was a part of it? He stared down at his hands, flipping them over. These hands had taken lives, whether by pulling a trigger or snapping a neck. He’d handled everything from coke to heroin, pot, and meth—and everything else illegal under the sun.

Trepidation formed a ball in his gut, and he looked away. He shouldn’t be here. She was too innocent to be unknowingly thrust into his dark life. “I’m tired. Maybe we can chat in the morning.”

After a moment of strained silence, he was surprised to see the challenge in her eyes. “Do I make you nervous, Gabe? If it’s about the kiss…”

His pride bristled. “Of course not. Like I said, I’m just tired.”

Mima laughed, and once again the sweet sound spiked through him like a drug. He wanted to touch her, kiss her, and rake his teeth across her tender flesh. Instead, he pushed up from his chair and looked over at the sofa. It was going to be a long, uncomfortable night.

“I’ll get you more blankets,” she said, not pressing for more information, much to Gabe’s relief.

“Nah. I think you have enough piled on there already. I’ll be fine.”

When she tried to walk past him, Gabe reached out and grabbed her arm. She looked up at him, her eyes wide.

“Thanks…for everything. You’re a good woman.”

“I don’t know about that.”

He didn’t realize he’d leaned down until his lips brushed over hers. Surprised by his own actions, he moved to pull away, but she reached up and grabbed the back of his neck, holding him in place. She was strong for such a little thing. Her sweet lips moved over his, making the hair on his arms bristle and his cock hard. She tasted like something sweet… Something he didn’t deserve.

When Mima pulled away and smiled, he had to force himself not to toss her over his shoulder and carry her to her room. Her temptation struck every torrid nerve in his body.

“Good night,” she murmured, still standing there, staring up at him like she didn’t want to leave. When he moved to step forward, she spun around and disappeared into her room.

Gabe clenched his fists and shook his head. Right there, right then and there he could’ve made his move. Since when did he act like an awkward teenager?
Wow.
He shook his head then walked over to the living room window and peered outside. A quarter moon glinted like silver dust over the snow-covered mountains in the distance. Such a vast and untouched place to live in. He felt like a speck of nothing compared to the grandeur out there, lost amidst the wilderness. But, damn, was it ever beautiful. He could get used to this. No looking over his shoulder. No tight schedules. No mayhem. Just easy living.

He lowered his head and blew out a shaky breath. Tomorrow he needed to get a hold of Colton before shit hit the fan. His mind fraught with decisions, he sprawled out over the lush pelts and blankets on the hard sofa.

Staring up at the ceiling, he eventually fell into a restless sleep.

* * * *

Mima shot up abruptly in bed from a loud, strangled groan. She glanced around the darkened room, momentarily disoriented.
One of the dogs must be howling at an animal
. She lay back and closed her eyes until the shout of a male voice came from the living room. Her back stiffened.

Worried Gabe might have taken a turn for the worse and developed a fever, she rushed out of bed. Within seconds she reached the sofa to find him tossing and turning. She touched his forehead with the palm of her hand.

He moved like a striking snake and caught her wrist, his deadly eyes wide, as if he’d had a nightmare. His expression was nothing short of murderous.

“Are you okay?” she cried, half-afraid of his strong grip, but also of the stirring heat his touch evoked. Her heartbeat accelerated and she sucked in a sharp breath of awareness.

Gabe panted. Sweat glistened on his face, reflecting the moonlight. He closed his eyes and opened them again, seemingly shocked to see her there. Mima knelt on the floor, unable to control herself, and cradled his body.

His heart pounded in her ears as she hugged him, and then his arms suddenly came around her, holding her tight. Something strange passed between them in that moment, before he cupped her face in his hands and pulled her closer, kissing her with a hunger only a lost and lonely man could do.

“I’m sorry,” Gabe murmured, dragging her off the floor and onto his body.

The kiss started as a gentle teaser and morphed into desperate, demanding passion. Mima clung to him, squirming over his big body, wantonly grinding herself over his erection. She’d never reacted like this before. Never allowed a man to make her feel weak with need. But her patient had forced Mima out of her comfort zone, awakening the hungry woman lying dormant for so long.

She didn’t know him, but she didn’t care. Her mind told her to trust him, even though her heart warned against it.

The intoxicating pulse between her thighs bloomed into a full-body burn. Her skin tingled, and every hair on her body seemed to be charged with electricity. Over a year had passed since she’d lain with a man, and right now, all she could think about was seeking her own pleasure. She felt greedy with lust, and he was clearly like-minded.

She didn’t care if they were strangers, didn’t care if he wasn’t what he seemed. All that mattered was giving in to pleasure and dealing with the consequences later. She needed this. And, if he was taken aback by her sudden and downright eagerness, he didn’t show it. Gabe grabbed her ass and squeezed, drawing her harder against his rigid cock. She moaned against his parted lips, and he reacted by thrusting his hips up harder.

The sofa squeaked in protest as they grinded against each other like a couple of desperate animals. She trailed kisses down his throat, flicked her tongue over his Adam’s apple. While she crawled down the length of his body, he fondled her breasts through her nightshirt. His big hands cupped and squeezed, making her whimper in pain and pleasure. Little spasms of ecstasy slithered through her core with each tug on her nipples.

Wet and aching to be filled, she yanked the sweater up his torso and kissed and nipped his hard flesh, paying special attention to his scars. A groan rumbled from his chest, and he seemed surprised over her attention to his scars. But they were a part of him, and if she were honest with herself, his mystery fascinated her.

“It’s been so long,” she said against his skin, not giving a damn if she sounded desperate. She flicked her tongue out to circle his navel. He threaded the fingers of one hand through her hair as the other twisted and pulled her aching nipple, twisting it until harder quivers slithered between her legs, and spiraled her to the peak of her control.

Fueled with raw hunger, Mima quickly pulled his pants and boxers down all at once. Her gaze widened and a blaring heat blazed between her legs as she stared at the length and thickness of his cock.

No words were exchanged as she gripped his shaft and pumped him. She briefly gazed up at his face, and what she saw in his eyes made her hunger more vivid. He looked as needy as she felt.