Ricochet (21 page)

Willa’s grin widened. Her hunch that the girl wore a universal translator paid off. “Now.”

“He’s in two.” The silver-haired attendant spat after she gave up the information.

Willa ignored the lapse in manners. “And, in case you were still wondering, he won’t require anything from you tonight.” Holstering her weapon, Willa headed for a staircase in one corner. At the landing, common sense returned and she paused.

What could she say?
You’ll say whatever it takes to fix the problem.
Smoothing a hand down the front of her slick suit, she took a deep breath and let it out. There was no other choice. They needed each other in order to leave the planet. She’d suck up her pride and apologize.

And she needed him on some base level. If he turned her down after she’d said her piece, she promised to accept it as the final word. Until that scenario happened, she’d have to try. With a nod, she drew the zipper on her suit downward until the pull rested between her breasts. At least she’d go in with an advantage. The man seemed fond of her body, so seduction wasn’t out of the question.

Scrubbing her damp palms along her hips, she approached door number two.
Now or never, Willa. You can do this. He’s a man, not a black hole.
But if she screwed this up, the results could be just as destructive.

Before her nerve left, she knocked on the door. When no one answered, she placed her palm on the identification reader. The screen flashed red in denial of her biometrics. An anxious feeling wouldn’t leave her no matter how hard she tried to ignore it.
He’s only one man, not the center of the universe
. No way would she break down in tears again. She’d had her breakdown, and that was enough. She pummeled the door. “Damn it, Sin, open up!”

Seconds ticked by before the door swung inward, and Stratton stood in the opening, a black towel slung low on his waist. Animosity roiled in his dark eyes. “Did you forget to call me a name, or maybe you tracked me down to brag about how great you are. I know I get real tired of hearing that.”

“No.” Her mouth went dry while she raked her gaze over his bare torso. Water droplets still clung to every chiseled muscle. A curl of desire unfurled low in her belly, but she fought it. Not until she got through this. One bead of moisture slid down his arm. Willa’s knees shook. “I came to tell you…”

“Cat got your tongue?” Stratton leaned a shoulder against the door frame. “It’s not like you to be so timid.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Here’s the thing. Why don’t you turn around and walk away. That’s what you’re good at, isn’t it? Leaving before you work out the problem? Running from everything that scares you or is a challenge? Blaming your family for your issues?”

Anger cooled her ardor. “You’d know, wouldn’t you, Mr. Never-Get-Too-Close-for-Fear-of-Being-Abandoned.” Her stomach clenched as hurt clouded his eyes.
Damn it, no, that’s not what I came here to say.
She gathered her hair, transferring it over her left shoulder. “I don’t want to start another argument.”

He shrugged. “Then don’t.”

Of course he had to be difficult. She’d expected nothing less. Biting her bottom lip, she debated leaving him to his fate. The flipside of that was she’d also be left to hers.
I have to try. If I don’t, I’ll always wonder what could have happened. Big-girl panties, Willa.
“I’ll say this once. I won’t beg. I won’t plead, but I have to get it off my chest.” She fiddled with the zipper pull on her wet uniform, pleased when his gaze fixated there. “People leave, that’s a hard fact of life. On the other hand, you have to give them time to get used to you, to see if you’ll fit into their life, as well as if they’ll slide into yours. If you don’t, how do you expect to be firmly stuck in their hearts, their minds?”

Horrible silence met the question. The tendons in his neck constricted as he swallowed. She wanted to follow the meticulously groomed line of his beard over that stubbornly strong jaw with her finger, but she held her ground, albeit incessant shivering broke her stalwart stand.

Willa shook her head as a wave of sadness engulfed her. “Give them—give
me
—an option, Stratton. I might surprise you and stick around.” Taking a ragged breath, she held it, waiting, as her heart pounded.

Say something, you big louse!
She stared at him, searching for some sign of life, for forgiveness, for acceptance—for hope.

There was none.

Chapter Twelve

Stratton stared at the woman before him in awe. When he’d opened the door to find Willa looking at him with big blue eyes and her black hair damp from the snow, all the feelings he’d worked so hard to shelve came tumbling out of their boxes. The force of their fall almost swamped him. Then, as she made her speech and struggled to hide the emotions flitting across her face, emotions he wanted to spend more than a night trying to figure out, his resolve to grasp the moment came rushing back.

He pushed off the wall as his heart beat a rapid rhythm. “Willa, I…”
Screw it!
Now wasn’t the time for his usual empty lies and escape talk. “Glad you came to your senses.” As she sputtered in outrage, he grabbed her hand and tugged her into the room, making sure to close and lock the door behind them.

“I didn’t ‘come to my senses’, you slug. I’m here—”

“Stop.” He held up a hand, palm toward her. “Neither of us has time for excuses so let’s get to the point.” If there was ever a time to offer up his heart for victimizing, this would be it. What she’d said made sense. He did leave before an attachment could form. That needed to change, and it took this woman coming into his life to make him realize it.

“Do you have something to say, or should I make myself comfortable?” The sarcasm in her voice wavered under thick emotion.

He’d let her belittle him to the ends of the galaxy if only to listen to her speak. Stratton grinned. Desire sank its teeth into him as he made his decision. “You irritate me like no other woman I’ve ever met, but hell if I don’t want to see what’ll happen between us.”

“Oh, that’s real romantic.” She rolled her eyes. “Wait, I think I might feel an old-fashioned swoon coming on.” Placing the back of one wrist against her forehead, she closed her eyes in an imitation faint.

“If you’re looking for poetry and flowers, you’re in the wrong room. I’m not that kind of guy.” While she wasn’t paying attention, he closed the distance between them and caught her wrist in his hand. Her eyes flew open, surprise and anticipation darkening the irises. “But, I can offer you excitement, danger and devotion for as long as it lasts.” He placed a gentle kiss on the inside of her wrist. “Hell, you can even have love if you rub my belly after meals and massage my feet after a long day.”

If he’d said it to any other woman, he’d be killed on the spot for the inflammatory statement. With Willa, he knew he was on equal footing and she’d give it back to him, word for word. The knowledge warmed his insides and made him feel happy for the first time in years.

A shiver shook her arm, still in his grasp. “Oh, I’ll do that stuff, then toss you out on your ass, you cheating, lying…” Her words died away. He walked them the few steps until her back connected with the door. “Bastard.”

“Face it.” His cock jutted against the plush fibers of the towel. Right now, he wanted her, only this time it wouldn’t be about getting his rocks off or teaching her a lesson. No, this time it would be about her. He’d show her he could worship her body, but he’d also not back down from her wise-ass comments. He’d push her to succeed, even as he’d accepted her help to meet his goals. “You’ve got a thing for real men who know what they want.”

This partnership would be a give and take of mutual respect, passion and competition.

“Don’t flatter yourself.” She wet her lips, leaving them slick and awaiting his attention.

“I won’t. You’ll do it
for
me.” He embraced her, his hands pressing her soft frame against his length. Resting his forehead on hers, he held her gaze. “Thank you for coming back. I hope you don’t regret it.” His stomach knotted with worry that she eventually would.

“No problem, Ace. You’ll probably be sorry first. I’m kinda hard to live with.” She leaned forward as he captured her mouth in a kiss.

Raw need became his new reality. Her soft lips felt like every victory he’d ever experienced, her sigh of surrender like the sweetest song ever heard. He groaned when she pushed for control by gripping his shoulders and holding him closer. Not willing to give it to her, he slid his hands into her hair, cupping her scalp and slanting his mouth more firmly over hers.

With gentle movements, he skated his tongue along the curve of her lush bottom lip, this time asking permission to go further as he traced the seam of her mouth. She gave in almost immediately, welcoming him with the heated satin of her tongue, meeting him stroke for stroke until they both panted with desire.

Stratton wrenched away in order to breathe. She was as hot as a supernova and just as beautiful. When he peered into her face, his heart lurched to see the fleeting vulnerability there. He caught her chin in one hand, tipping her head up so she met his gaze. “You have much more than my respect, Willa. Never forget it.”

She nodded, and her fingers went to the towel at his waist. “Good to know.” With a tiny movement, the cloth fell to the floor. When she slid a hand around his cock, kneading and stroking, he sucked in a surprised breath. His balls tightened. If she kept up her torment, this little venture would be over soon. Time to distract her.

“Let me lead.” He batted away her hand, then slid his over her hips. He smoothed his fingers along each rib, palmed her breasts, weighed each one with a connoisseur’s air. “Do you know how many times you’ve tortured me with these?” Rubbing his thumbs over her hardened nipples, he grinned as a soft moan escaped her lips. “Looks like I found a weakness.”

“Don’t be coy. You know what I want.” She held his gaze while drawing down the zipper to her suit. “I need your mouth on me.”

He loved that she didn’t waste words. “Right away.” Pushing the material over her shoulders and down her arms, he left it tangled at her hands in a makeshift bind. Seconds later he’d worked the clasp on her bra, and her boobs popped free of the lace. Damn, she had a gorgeous rack. He bent and planted his face in her cleavage. So soft. She moaned as he licked one of the puckered buds. “Screw it. I’m taking you to bed.”

“About time.” She wriggled free from the slick gear’s sleeves. “While I’m creaming my panties, you’re goofing around.”

“I’m trying to take it slow and make it nice.” He stooped slightly and picked her up in his arms. A quick trip across the floor, then he dropped her on the bed. Her breasts jiggled from the sudden contact.

“It would be
nicer
if you’d fuck me already.” Her teasing grin made his blood boil, but when her gaze lingered on his dick, he nearly shot his wad prematurely.

Oh, she’d pay for that. “Trying to control the situation?”

“If there’s a chance, I’ll take it.”

After yanking off her boots, he tugged the slick suit the rest of the way down and did the same to her panties. “Here’s the problem with that.” He joined her on the bed, lying to one side of her. “I won’t let you. I command your body’s reactions, and I’ll say when you can give in.”

“You’ve said that before. I wasn’t impressed.” She squirmed in an effort to get him to touch her, the movement belying her words. “Stop being a jackass for once and make love to me.”

He forced down the lump of emotion clogging his throat. Making love was different from having sex to relieve tension or boredom. Making love meant something much more with one’s partner.
Am I ready for that next step
? Stratton glanced at Willa, skimmed a hand over her curves and let it rest at the thatch of curls between her thighs. She stared back with questions in her eyes. He had his answer.
Absolutely
. For her, he’d do this and much more in order to keep her in his life.

He brushed a kiss on her lips. As she slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, warmth filled his stomach. For now, this was where he wanted to be. Nuzzling the smooth skin of her neck, he licked a path along its strong column, tasting salty sweat and the earthiness that defined her.

His fingers at her curls drifted lower, through the damp hairs to part her feminine lips and find the heat at her core. She uttered a sound halfway between a moan and a sigh. Stratton smiled against one breast before taking the pebbled bud into his mouth. He ran the tip of his tongue over the rough surface while drawing his finger back and forth along her wet cunt.

Willa arched into his hand, her fingers plucking at the quilt. Her eyes closed as a blissful smile played about her kiss-swollen lips. “More.”

He sucked hard on the nipple, alternating that with lightly grazing the flesh with his teeth. She moaned her pleasure, wriggling her hips. Stratton abandoned her breast in favor of settling between her bent legs. His cock rested, hard and heavy, against her thigh, throbbing with need. There’d be time to relieve his own urges, but right now he intended to send Willa into oblivion. “Tell me what you want.” Strain thickened his voice.

She bumped her hips upward. Shock waves shot into his dick. “Come on, Stratton. Either touch me or get down to business. You want it as much as I do.”

“Yeah, but I want you screaming my name so loud your buddy Chaf will hear and kick himself for not hooking up with you.”
That bastard needs to know she belongs to me.
He slipped a hand between them, once more finding Willa’s folds. Parting the soft flesh, he strummed his fingers over her clit.

Willa squirmed, attempted to push his hand away. “I don’t want him.”

“Good to know.” Stratton grinned, enjoying the feeling of power he held over her. Catching her wrists in his free hand, he continued his play between her legs. Occasionally, he’d lick moist paths over her breasts. They strained upward, the rosy crests jutting to the sky because of the position of her raised arms.

He could spend days getting to know those two perfect peaks.

Harder, he teased the small bundle of nerves. A cry broke from Willa’s lips. “Not loud enough,
kita
.” She tugged against his grip, but he didn’t release her. His fingers busy, he stroked faster, in time to her bucking hips. Her thighs quivered. Her breathing became shallow and quick. One more stroke. One more circle. She tensed for a second; then her mouth opened, and she screamed his name. The shout ended with a whimper as she shook from the force of her orgasm.