“Cate!” he shouted.
Her muffled response reached his ears. “Leave me alone!”
He could smell the sweet fragrance of her shampoo now. She was close.
He ran faster, turned right, then left, then raced down the narrow path, all the way to the end. He spotted her the moment he rounded the corner, her blue cotton pajama pants and loose white tank top reflecting the shards of silvery light from the sky above them.
A moment later, he’d grabbed hold of her arm and was yanking her backward.
“Listen to me!”
“No!” she spat out, trying to shrug out of his grip. “Get away from me!”
He planted both hands on her shoulders and shook her hard. “Goddamn it! Let me explain!”
“Explain what?” Venom dripped from her words. “Explain how you killed Gabriel? You know what? Fine! Go ahead and
explain
! Tell me how you did it, Nik. Tell me how you mowed him down with your car!”
His chest constricted when he glimpsed the tears in her eyes.
“Did he die when you hit him?” she panted. “Or did you snap his neck afterward? Come on,
tell me
!”
The guilt that poured into him was so powerful it blurred his vision. She would never know how difficult it had been for him to kill that boy, but he’d had no other choice. He’d left the boy with a warning and gotten into his car, all the while knowing that Gabriel would hop on his scooter and go to Cate.
And then he’d gone after him, eliminating the threat with a heavy heart.
He hadn’t derived any pleasure from the task. Lord, how could he? He wasn’t a killer. He oversaw smuggling routes, for Christ’s sake. But someone had needed to silence the Traver boy, and unfortunately, that someone had been him.
He had to make her understand. He had to make her see that he’d only done it to protect her. That was all he’d ever wanted—to protect Ariana.
“Please,” he pleaded. “Please, sweetheart, don’t look at me like that.”
He tried to touch her face, but she batted his hand away. When he noticed the flicker of fear in her eyes, something inside him split apart.
“Don’t look at me like that!” he howled.
Her eyes widened as he backed her into the prickly wall of the maze and slammed his thigh between her legs.
“Stop looking at me like I’m going to hurt you! I would
never
hurt you!”
“Wh-what are you doing?”
He grabbed her chin with both hands. “I love you! Don’t you understand? All I’ve ever done is try to protect you!”
“Let go of me,” she whispered.
“Damn it, Ariana! I
love
you! Don’t you see it?”
His mouth crashed down on hers before she could respond. He registered her horrified gasp, but it sounded like it had come from far away, and he ignored it, because the pleasure that flooded his body was too overwhelming. He kissed her with everything he had, years of pent-up passion exploding inside him.
He groaned into her mouth, vaguely aware of the sensation of something hitting his chest. But he ignored that too, because the kiss was too incredible, too beautiful.
He’d ached for this moment. He’d missed her so much.
His hand trembled as it slid down to cup one firm breast. Another groan ripped out of his throat. Lord. So sweet, so beautiful.
“Ariana,”
he moaned.
A jolt of pain slammed into his nose.
“Don’t ever touch me again!”
Nik blinked, his vision rapidly coming into focus to find a pair of blue eyes blazing fiercely at him.
Blue eyes. Not chocolate brown.
“Catarina,” he choked out.
Her voice was low and deadly. “Don’t come near me.”
“Cate...I didn’t mean to...I didn’t mean...I...”
He couldn’t hear himself over the loud pounding of his heart. He’d kissed her. He’d
fondled
her. Bile coated his throat as the full weight of his actions sank in. He’d disgraced himself in front of Ariana’s daughter.
“I’m so sorry,” he stammered. “I’m so sorry.”
When he took a step toward her, her fists snapped up in a defensive stance.
“Don’t you fucking come near me, Nik.”
Tears stung his eyes. “I didn’t mean to do that, Cate. I...got confused.” He blinked rapidly, then cleared his throat. “It’s time for us to go back inside.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
As the broken pieces of his composure fused back together, he looked at her with genuine regret. “You don’t have a choice, sweetheart. You know it as well as I do.”
Cate’s panicked gaze darted around them as she considered her options, but they both knew she had nowhere to run.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I really am, but you’re coming back inside with me. Your grandfather will be wanting to speak with you.”
Her bottom lip trembled.
“I’m not leaving this maze without you.” His voice cracked. “So either you walk out with me on your own two feet, or I’m afraid I’ll have to carry you.”
“No! You’re never touching me again!” she blurted out.
Shame spiraled through him. He wanted to apologize again for his indiscretion, promise that it would never happen again, but he knew it wouldn’t make a difference.
After a few long moments, her face collapsed in defeat.
“Let’s go,” she mumbled.
He kept three feet of distance between them as he guided her out of the maze, and when they emerged into the garden, she froze in place, her expression clouding over as she gazed at the house.
“I don’t want to be here,” she whispered.
Nik swallowed a lump of pain and met her helpless eyes. “This is where you belong,” he said simply.
Noelle didn’t get back to the penthouse until later in the evening, after spending an exasperating day talking to various contacts, all of whom had zero intel for her. With that bastard Charron turning on her, she’d had to take even greater precautions before and after every meeting, and she was tired and annoyed as she stalked into the living room.
Jim’s newest recruit was sprawled on the couch, his green eyes popping open at her entrance.
“Where’s Jim?” she said in lieu of greeting.
Ash hooked his thumb at the corridor. “Bedroom.”
She rolled her eyes. “Sulking again?”
“Not sure. He’s been holed up there for a couple hours with a bottle of tequila.”
Fucking hell.
Noelle scowled at the dark-haired rookie. “And you’re—what?—just catching a little nap while he drinks himself stupid?”
“I drew the graveyard shift tonight. Gotta get some sleep before I go.” His voice contained a southern drawl that was no doubt a big hit with the ladies. “And if the boss wants to drink himself stupid, there ain’t much I can do about it, darlin’.”
She raised her eyebrows. Not many men had the balls to use sugary endearments in her presence. Clearly this kid was fearless.
“Go back to sleep,
darlin’
,” she said mockingly. “A growing boy needs his rest.”
She heard him snickering as she headed for the bedroom, and she fought a smile. How did Jim always manage to find the most charming guys to work for him? She wondered whether it was a requirement for joining his team of scoundrels.
She wasn’t sure what she was expecting when she strode into the bedroom, but it certainly wasn’t the sight of Jim sprawled on the bed, bare-chested and barefoot, with his eyes wide-open and a bottle of tequila tucked at his side.
“Hey, baby,” he rasped. “Took your sweet-ass time getting home, didn’t cha?”
Noelle sighed. “You’re drunk.”
His sensual mouth formed a smirk. “Just a li’l bit.”
“Wow. You’re a real bastard—you know that? Lying here shit-faced while everyone else carries out
your
mission.” Jaw tight, she gestured to the bottle. “Where’d you get that?”
“I sent Ash to the liquor store.” Disbelief entered his voice. “Did you know you don’t have any tequila in the house?”
Of course she knew. She purposely didn’t stock her bar with it because the blasted drink reminded her too much of
this
asshole.
Even in his drunken state, Jim proved that he was still more than capable of reading her mind. “Shit,” he blurted out. “You don’t keep it around ’cause it makes you think of me, eh?”
Noelle went to the foot of the bed and crossed her arms. “Get off your ass, Jim. You need to sober up and take control of yourself.”
He ignored the command. “Why do you have to pretend you don’t think about me? We both know you do. You remember everything.”
She shot him a cool look. “Remembering and thinking isn’t the same thing.”
“Yeah, guess you’re right.” He raised the bottle to his lips and took a hearty swig. “Case you were wondering, I think about you.”
She masked her surprise. “Yeah?”
“Uh-huh. I think about you whenever someone passes me a saltshaker.”
Noelle couldn’t stop the laugh that popped out of her mouth. “And why is that?”
“’Cause you always oversalt your food.” He narrowed his eyes. “Do you still do that?”
“I like salt,” she said defensively.
He threw his head back and laughed, and the deep rumble made her heart skip a beat.
Goddamn it. A sober, surly Jim she could handle, but an intoxicated, scarily candid one? She wasn’t equipped to deal with it, and she feared this encounter was veering into very dangerous territory.
“Oh, and I think about you when I jerk off.”
Her breath caught. “Really.”
His blue eyes smoldered. “It’s the fastest way for me to come.”
She didn’t know whether to be insulted or flattered. Or maybe a bit of both. What she did know was that Jim was positively plastered. The alcohol had brought a flush to his cheeks and a slur to his words, and she knew that when he sobered up, he’d probably regret every word he was saying to her.
“Admit it,” he taunted. “It’s the same for you. No man has ever fucked you the way I do.”
Noelle briefly closed her eyes, trying to tamp down her rising desire. “Why are you in here drinking?” she said quietly.
He barked out a laugh. “What else am I s’posed to do? Watch Dietrich’s house like a pathetic fool hoping to catch a glimpse of my kid? What’s the point? My daughter doesn’t want to see me. She’d rather live with a criminal than be with me.”
“What did you expect? Dietrich is the only parent she’s ever known.”
Bitterness hardened his tone. “Shoulda been me.”
Noelle arched a brow. “I take it you’re about to blame me again?”
“Nah. Not your fault. My fault,” he mumbled.
This time she couldn’t hide her surprise. “Since when?”
“Since always.”
He struggled to shift into an upright position, the muscles of his chest bulging and flexing. With a grumble of annoyance, he finally slid up against the headboard and tried to place the tequila bottle on the nightstand.
He wasn’t successful—the bottle wobbled, bobbled, and toppled right off the table. Amber-colored liquid spilled all over the floor, forming a puddle next to the bed.
“Shit,” he muttered. “Sorry.”
She stifled a groan. Wonderful. First a fistfight that had left the bedroom a glass-covered mess, and now tequila soaking into the hardwood—she and Jim were well on their way to destroying her home.
“Anyway...not gonna blame you,” he went on, rubbing his eyes with his fist. “I used you, remember? I used you, and you got your revenge by warning Ariana about me.” His powerful chest rose as he drew a breath. “She needed to be warned. I was using her too, y’know.”
Noelle took an irritated step away from the bed. “I’m not in the mood to attend your pity party, Jim. Come find me when you’re sober.”
His husky voice stopped her before she reached the door.
“Don’t go.”
When she turned to face him, she saw that his hand had moved to his waistband, uncoordinated fingers fumbling with his zipper.
She sighed again. “You’re in no condition for that.”
“Says who?”
And then he pulled out his cock, leaving no question as to whether or not he was up for it.
His erection, long and hard, jutted out enticingly. Noelle glimpsed the drop of moisture pooling at his tip, and her body responded accordingly, growing wet and achy and unbearably hot.
“C’mere and ride me,” he commanded.
She ignored the desire tingling between her legs. “That’s probably not a good idea right now.”
“Sure it is.” He yanked off his pants and boxers, and threw them aside. “C’mon, baby, I need the distraction.”
She supposed she could have said no, but how often did an opportunity this delicious come along? There was nothing sexier than the sight of Jim stretched out on the bed, gloriously naked and hers for the taking. The tight ripples of his abdominal muscles, his sculpted pecs, the dusting of dark hair that arrowed down to his groin—everything about him radiated potent masculinity.
She craved him on a whole other level, the kind of craving that made her heart pound and her mouth go dry. The kind of craving that erased all common sense and turned her into a hot, needy mess.
The kind of craving that only this man could satisfy.
As she watched him stroke his own cock, she could no longer fight the demoralizing truth. Jim Morgan would
never
be out of her system. She would never stop wanting him, no matter how hard she tried.
“Take off your clothes, Noelle.”
Her hands involuntarily reached for her waistband. She shoved the leggings down her hips and kicked them away. Her tight black tee came off next, then her bra, her red boy-short panties, and then she was as naked as Jim was, standing there on display.
His blue eyes burned with approval. “Christ, you’re beautiful. Have I ever told you that?”
The intensity of his tone startled her. “Not in a long time.”
“Well, you are. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.”
Her breath got caught in her throat. “Thank you.”
“I wanna touch you, but you’re too far away.”
“Is that your way of asking me to come closer?”
“Uh-uh. I want you to stay right where you are.” He gave his erection a slow pump, then absently stroked the tip with his thumb. “Touch yourself for me.”
“Or I can come and ride you like you wanted.”
“Not yet,” he said with a stubborn shake of the head. “I want you to touch yourself, and pretend it’s me doing it.”
She decided to humor him. “Where would you like me to touch?”
“Your breasts. Cup them.”
Keeping her gaze on his face, she lowered both hands to her chest and cupped the heavy weight of her breasts. Her nipples stiffened, the sensitive buds straining against her palms.
“Squeeze,” he ordered.
She squeezed. Pleasure danced through her body and settled in her core, forming a knot of anticipation.
“Play with your nipples.” His hand moved over his erection in lazy strokes, while his blue eyes stayed glued to her breasts.
Noelle rubbed the pads of her thumbs over the puckered buds, enjoying the flurry of shivers that skipped along her skin.
“Feels good?” Jim murmured.
She nodded.
“Take one hand and put it between your legs.”
She did as he asked, her palm covering her slick folds and gliding over her clit.
He inhaled sharply. “Slide a finger inside.”
Swallowing, Noelle used her index finger to toy with her opening, then pushed it into her aching sex.
“Are you wet?”
Her breathing grew labored as she fingered herself, slow and steady. “Very.”
Jim let out a groan. “God. C’mere.”
Shooting him a seductive smile, she climbed onto the bed and sat astride him, her knees on either side of his muscular thighs. He wasted no time moving his hand south and slipping one long finger inside her.
“Fuck. You
are
wet.”
Disappointment rippled through her when he withdrew that wicked finger, but she didn’t have time to voice it, because suddenly he was reaching for her breasts.
“Gimme,” he ordered. “I wanna taste.”
Noelle slowly eased forward and brought a breast to his mouth, moaning when his tongue came out to flick one rigid nipple. He wrapped his lips around it and sucked gently, and the warmth of his mouth set her hypersensitized skin on fire. When he shifted his attention to the other breast, teasing and sucking her other nipple, another moan slipped out and she sagged into his gentle assault.
“Love this. I fucking love this.” His deep voice vibrated against her breasts.
Her head lolled to the side as his mouth enclosed her nipple again. He kissed it with unexpected tenderness, then sucked using that same gentle approach. Each soft pull sent a shiver up her spine and a rush of sweet agony to her core. God, this man was liable to kill her. She squirmed on his lap, so turned on she could barely breathe, surrendering completely to his delicate ministrations.
When she felt his finger probing her entrance, she squirmed even more, desperate to feel him inside her.
“Fucking hell,” he ground out once his finger was lodged deep. “So goddamn wet. Is it all for me?”
She managed a nod.
“You want me.”
“Yes,” she whispered, her eyelids fluttering closed as she rocked into his talented finger.
“You missed me.”
Her eyes flew open. “No.”
Rather than argue, Jim just nodded. “I guess I deserve that.”
The air of defeat emanating from his powerful body was disconcerting. She didn’t like this subdued, beaten version of him, with his slumped shoulders and tired eyes and discouraged attitude. Jim Morgan was a warrior, damn it, and as much as she hated his alpha asshole-ness at times, his strength and intensity were what had drawn her to him in the first place.
Gritting her teeth, she reached out and slapped him.
“What the fuck, Noelle!” Blinking wildly, he rubbed his cheek. “Didn’t you get your fill the other day? What the hell was that for?”
“For being a pathetic loser. You’re not this man, okay? You’re not the guy who drowns his sorrows in cheap corner-store tequila and laments about his past mistakes. You’re James fucking Morgan! You don’t hide and whine when things don’t go your way. You go out and make shit happen.”
He seemed utterly fascinated by her words, which only pissed her off all the more.
“Stop being a whiny baby,” she snapped. “You want to win over your kid? Then come up with a fucking plan and do it.”
She felt like a coach addressing his losing team at halftime, but the cheesy speech had flown out before she could stop it.
Except now Jim was staring at her with unbelievable lust in his eyes. And his erection looked impossibly thicker.
Noelle sighed. “Seriously? That silly pep talk actually turned you on—”
She was on her back before she could finish that sentence. Jim’s heavy body crushed hers, his blue eyes gleaming down at her as he guided his blunt head to her opening and plunged inside, summoning a desperate noise from her throat.
She gasped when he started to move. She was so wet from arousal that his cock slid in and out of her body with ease, and each time he drove in again, he hit a sweet spot deep inside and unleashed a new flurry of shivers. Her sex stretched around his cock, her inner walls quivering, clasping him tight.
“Feels so good,” he mumbled. “Always feels so damn good.”
His fingers dug into her hips as he quickened his strokes, but then he abruptly went still and voiced a question that threw her for a loop. “Have you fucked a lot of men since...since me...?”
She paused. “You know the answer to that.”
“Yeah, I figured. I’ve been with other women. A lot of women. But it wasn’t like this with them. Never like this.”
His hips shot forward in a hard thrust that stole her breath.
“Not enough,” he rasped. “It’s never enough.”
She knew exactly what he meant. The sexual need between them was unbearable. She didn’t just feel desire for the man—it
consumed
her. It was the most powerful thing she’d ever experienced in her life.