Bullet to the Heart (23 page)

Her heart.

“I’ll tell you what I dare, but not here. I need time, Mr. Beckett.”

He cupped her cheek, thumb feathering over her cheekbone, and then tracing her lips. His face hardened, and he nodded.

It took them another twenty minutes to get to his estate. She immediately got out of the car and set off to check the perimeter. He had security out the ass, but nothing was impermeable anymore. She had to check for herself, or she wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.

Not that she ever really slept anyway.

It took her an hour, and then she was back in her room, stripping out of her clothes, and putting on the vile swimsuit. She need a workout, and what better way than to punish herself with the water?

The water always mocked her, its caress over her skin creepy and taunting. Remi had to grit her teeth through showers, suffering beatings as a young one for not being clean. No matter that water brought life, to her it was a jeering reminder . . . pain and loss. That’s what water brought.

She swam the laps though, arms slicing and retreating through the warm liquid, avoiding thoughts of the past. How long she stayed at it, she didn’t know, but her neck prickled and awareness had her stopping at the far end of the pool.

Rand.

He had on swim trunks, upper body gloriously naked. She sucked in air and found her throat locked as she gazed at him. He had such broad shoulders that flowed into a heavily sculpted chest and tapered to a trim waist. His chest was devoid of hair, but a tiny path of silky darkness began at his bellybutton and trailed down beneath the trunks.

She tried to swallow. He was a magnificent man in all ways. His face was hard but planed perfectly, the small cleft in his chin a delight to stroke her tongue over. His nose flared at her perusal, and his cheeks went ruddy. He took a single step, body coiling, and then he dove into the pool, swam underneath the water the entire length, and then he surfaced inches in front of her. He stood, and the water came to his mid-chest. It was five feet at this end; it would nearly cover her head.

He pushed his black hair back, and her hands itched. “I knew you’d be in here.” The man didn’t even sound winded.

Remi remained silent. She really wanted to lick at the drops of water that fell down the strong column of his neck.

He smirked. She splashed him with water and took off down the pool.

Rand followed, grabbing at her ankle and halting her progress. She almost panicked, recognized the feel of his calloused palm, and managed to settle her heart before she sucked in great gulping gasps of water.

She twisted and pulled her foot free, and then swam deeper, blood pumping furiously as she moved farther from the surface, from air and life. He followed her, and when she could go no farther, she turned and looked up.

His gaze burned her. Then he smiled and reached for her. She didn’t question herself when she took his hand, and he pulled their bodies flush. His head descended and she raised hers, mouths met and tongues danced. Hearts raced, and Remi felt something in the caress of the water she’d never felt before. Desire.

He kicked up and off the bottom, taking her to the surface with him. He allowed her one great breath before he dove into her mouth again and pushed her against her wall of the pool. He aligned their pelvises and pushed against her, his flesh hard and promising ecstasy.

She grabbed his shoulders, reveling in the muscles that bunched and flexed beneath her palms. She locked her legs around his waist and used the leverage to push forward, riding his cock, needing that release.

“Slow down,” he whispered.

“Now,” she demanded.

He pulled at her suit, and she pushed at his trunks with her feet, finally getting them down and feeling the heat of his cock so close to her entrance.

“Move it aside,” she demanded in a keening whimper.

His big hand pulled the bottom of her suit over and out of the way even as he pushed the top of the suit down, mouth latching onto a breast and suckling, pulling her deep into the heated recesses of his mouth.

She reached for his cock and positioned him at her entrance. “Now,” she commanded him.

He pushed once and filled her completely. Her heart stuttered and her head fell back.

“So fucking tight,” he whispered at her breast. “
Mine
.”

His word was guttural, and Remi almost didn’t understand it, but once her foggy brain recognized the word it acceded to his statement, going softer, more pliant as he fucked her against the side of the pool.

Over and over, it seemed never to end, the thrust of his cock inside her and her mewling pleas for release. She kept her eyes closed, despairing at her soul’s need to do so.

“Open your eyes. Look at me.” Persistent. The water lapped between them, almost as if it were desperate to relieve the ache inside her.

“Ne me faites pas faire cette chose.”

“English!”

“Do not make me do this thing.” She whimpered as he pushed in deep and stayed there.

“Look at me, goddamn it. Look at me as I take your body. Give me Gretchen.”

She rolled her hips, helpless to her body’s demand for release. He wanted too much. She was Bullet.

His hips flexed and so did his cock, striking tiny bundles of nerves, sending lightning to her extremities, crossing her eyes behind her lids. “Look at me!”

She opened her eyes, her body locked on his, and orgasm rippled through her. His eyes widened and warmth bathed her cervix, his hips moving even as he groaned harshly, but he refused to relinquish his hold on her gaze.

“You are Gretchen.” He breathed out harshly when her eyes would have closed. “Right now, with me inside your body, you are Gretchen.”

He pulled himself from her, and she moaned as his movement caused aftershocks. The loss of his heat brought the panic. The water was too close. She was too tired.

He lifted her into his arms and walked to the steps, bringing them both out of the water. Rand stopped for a moment to grab a towel and pull her suit back up, but then he walked out of the swim room, past the workout equipment, and up the stairs to her room.

Butt-assed naked, he’d not cared who saw them.

Her heart cracked open and slid into her stomach.
No, no, no, no, no!

Rand placed her on the bed, pulled her suit completely off, and settled his body on top of hers. With hot strokes of his tongue, he started at her temples and kissed his way down her body to her toes, then worked his way back again. Every touch of his fingers over her skin stole more and more pieces of Remi, until she didn’t think there would be anything left.

Why would he want those pieces? She was nothing. No one.

His mouth sipped at her nipples and played at her navel. His hands caressed her legs, buttocks, her arms, and neck. There was no spot of her body left unattended. He slid deep and stroked her then with his cock. Created a magic in her body and soul that knew no boundaries.

Over and over he pushed and pulled, attacked and retreated until she was left without breath, gasping his name.

“Come, Gretchen.” It was a seductive decree.

Her body responded instantly, arching up and squeezing his until he was the one groaning, without breath.

She knew she should get up and check the perimeter, even moved to do so.

He pushed her back, laid his head on her chest, and said, “We’re okay.”

She gave in. What force was he that she gave up all thoughts of protecting herself and simply bowed to his every whim?

“Sleep, Gretchen. I’ll keep you safe.”

She felt herself smile inside, but she was so very tired. With no more ability to fight the lure of his warmth and promises, she felt the darkness close over her.

Her body relaxed finally as she sank into sleep. He ached for her. Somewhere along the line, this woman had become something other than a killer to Rand. He pulled himself from her depths, wincing as the feel of her walls over his flesh brought a delicious torment.

She took him places he’d never been before. Inside her body he found a contentment he’d never known. It made him alternately angry and sad. He’d always thought Lily the other half of him. Yet, never had he experienced this level of completeness with her.

Lily had been his high school sweetheart. So blonde and perfect, she had captivated him with her hazel eyes, and the promise of their future had seemed so bright. He’d planned for their life, and when it had been snatched away, he’d suffered.

Thoughts of revenge had carried him through the last seven years. Then he’d looked into a pair of light blue eyes and lost something of himself in them.

Why her? Why this woman with her broken dreams, ability to kill without remorse, and ties to the ones who’d murdered Lily and Anna? He sighed and moved off her completely, covering her with the quilt, and wrapping a towel around his waist.

He went to his room and dressed. Fifteen minutes later, he was in the library with Adam, Dmitry, and Ken.

Ken threw him a look full of betrayal. Adam looked everywhere but at him, and Dmitry just smiled and snorted.

“What?” he asked.

Dmitry pointed to the bank of cameras behind the desk, and Rand felt the blood leave his face. They’d seen it all . . . damn.

“You have nothing better to do than keep track of me?”

Ken cursed. “We have a lot better things to do than watch you fuck my sister’s killer.”

Rand’s muscles locked for what seemed an eternity, and then he was on Ken. His first punch knocked the other man out of the chair. Rand followed him down, and the second one split open the skin under Ken’s eye. He punched again and hit the floor, white hot pain shooting up his arm.

Ken took advantage, swinging and connecting with Rand’s jaw. Stars floated through Rand’s vision, and he rolled to the side, spitting out blood. He got up, felt a foot connect with his gut, and reached out, catching enough of the blow to push Ken off balance.

A crash sounded, and Rand shook his head, trying to clear it. He headed toward Ken, but then Dmitry grabbed him from behind, and Adam did the same with Ken. The two men struggled mightily, holding them both back, but eventually Rand shrugged out of the hold.

“Let me fucking go,” he bit out.

“Get your hands off me, Adam,” Ken demanded.

“You two are arguing about the wrong thing,” Adam said quietly as he and Dmitry moved between the two men.

“He’s fucking her!” Ken damn near shouted as his face reddened again.

Rand remained silent. It was none of Ken’s business who he fucked and when or where. He understood the feeling of betrayal on Ken’s part, but Rand was a grown man. He may have no idea what he was doing with Bullet, but it was none of Ken’s affair.

“Why man? Why are you fucking her?” His friend’s voice broke, and Rand was startled out of his silence.

“I’m not
fucking
her,” he said furiously. It was so much more than that when he was inside her.

Ken went white and his eyes widened. “No way. Not her! Not that killer, Rand. Tell me no.”

Rand refused to answer. “This is none of your business, Ken. I’ll deal with her.”

Ken ran a hand through his hair. “I thought I knew you. I thought the whole reason behind Trident was to get revenge on Lily and Anna’s killers. But this? I don’t know who the fuck you are anymore.”

“I’m still the same Rand Beckett you’ve always known. And finding their killers and bringing them to justice is still my primary motivation in life, Ken. But that woman upstairs is just as much a victim as you or I, Lily, or Anna.”

“No, she isn’t. She’s a killer, Rand. And now you’ve involved more than just you in this. We are all involved here, and Joseph is gunning not just for us, but for her as well. I got a call tonight. Director Hobbs is dead. Slug to the head.” Ken waited, arms crossed over his chest, temple already bruising from Rand’s punch.

“I watched it happen. It wasn’t Bullet,” he managed to get out between clenched teeth.

“You fucking watched as someone murdered the head of the fucking CIA? And you did nothing?”

“You saw his name on the list. He’s how Joseph was able to strike at us here. Don’t fucking question me, Ken. If you’d given me five more minutes instead of bitching about how I’m fucking her, I would have told you everything. Dmitry was there. Ask him though, if you doubt me.” Anger swirled in Rand’s tone and disbelief was there too.

He’d never stopped to think what this would do to Ken. Hell, he’d been unable to think about what it would do to himself to get involved with her. He’d simply been unable stop the train from moving down the track. She called to him . . . everything about her, from her broken soul to her heartbreaking eyes. He could no more stop being drawn to her than he could stop breathing.

He watched as Ken struggled for control. Ken finally won a measure of it and looked at Rand from deadened eyes. “I want answers, Rand. We need to plan. Arequipa is less than seven days away now. Not much time to plan and prepare. Since you’re fucking her, I assume you’ll get the answers we need?”

Rand pushed the rage down deep fighting for his control. “I’ll get the answers.” He walked closer to Ken, pushing Adam and Dmitry out of the way as he got in the other man’s face. “Keep your mouth closed, Ken. You’re pushing me, and I believe we both know what happens when you do that, don’t we?”