Seize (St. Martin Family Saga: Emergency Responders) Book 2: Erotic Romance (8 page)

“You’re not going anywhere.”

He was going to strip her down, she could feel it. “I’m uncomfortable. Let me go.”

“No.”

“Why not? You’re hurting me.”

He smiled. But it wasn’t a smile to comfort. It was the kind of smile she imagined stalkers gave when they happened on their prey. “I’m not even touching you.”

“I didn’t mean that kind of hurt.”

“Mia, you shouldn’t tease a master manipulator. I want to fuck you. I’m going to be clear here because we’ve been over this before and yet you’re still at it. You were right about what you said back at the motel.”

He stood and that meant she could finally breathe.

“I’m not a very nice guy. I don’t do well with women, so I don’t intend to ever pretend I’m a monogamous kind of guy.” He removed his sunglasses and laid them on the stump next to her hip. “It may not matter to you, but taking your virginity isn’t a small matter.” He unhooked his large belt buckle, the eagle with spread wings. “You’re innocent and fresh and God, you’re young—too young for me.” He started unbuttoning his jeans.

It was her turn to stand. “Um, what are you doing?”

“I thought I’d let you get a look at the goods. You have seen a man before, haven’t you? I’ve only ever been with experienced women. I assume you’ve done your research.”

“I saw
the goods
at the hotel.”

“Not in the daylight and in all of their glory.”

His fly was open, and he was pushing the waist of his pants down.

She saw his flesh, and immediately her eyes flashed up to meet his. Yet his penis was that quickly imprinted in her memory. It rose from his crotch, long and veined, smooth and thick; the base cushioned by his sack. Her mouth went dry, as if she’d been eating cotton. Her eyes throbbed from being stretched so wide.

She swallowed. “There’s no hair.”

His head shot back, making his erection stand even taller. He laughed so hard his entire body shook. “It’s referred to as manscaping.”

She didn’t like it when he laughed at her, which he did a lot. She’d just have to see if she could get his attention another way.

She stood, reached out, and took his warmth in her hand and squeezed. His head shot back to its normal position, his demeanor anything but a joke.

“Are you done laughing at me?” she asked. She started the motion she’d seen in those movies her father watched. Augie’s moans seemed to express appreciation for her actions. His eyes were hooded as he looked down at her hands. He slid down against the tree stump and she followed, kneeling and pumping him.

“Where’d you learn how to do that?”

“Movies.”

“What the hell? What movies?”

“My dad watched porn.”

His hand went into her hair and fisted there.

Her fingers squeezed over his tip.

“Ahh … ” His eyes widened. “Did you … did you ever practice these moves on guys?”

She shook her head and grinned. Moisture coated her hand.

He leaned in and seized her lips, tugging, sucking, licking, and massaging. He felt moist and warm against her. They separated, and he pulled her down to the soft grass of the meadow. With her jacket, he created a pad, and then he rolled her to her back and he lay on his side next to her. His hands roamed her torso lightly as she watched. He was a man, not as young as she was. He knew what a woman had under her clothes, and he knew how to use that knowledge to bring them both pleasure. Mia wondered what it would be like to experience his masterful seduction in all of its glory, but she could tell he was holding back.

“God, Michaela.”

“No one calls me that.”

“Why not, it’s a beautiful name. It’s sophisticated. Like you.”

His hand at her stomach burned through her shirt.

“Besides, Evie told me it’s your full name.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t like it. It gives me bad memories. And she’s wrong.”

“What? Why?.” He reared up and kissed her jaw as his hands held her immobile.

She felt vulnerable—she’d already shared so much. Truth told, she wanted to tell him. It would ease the burden, a release she needed, but would he think her a total disaster?

“I’m named for the boy the doctor told my parents they were having.” She shrugged. “Dad was so upset when they presented me to him as a beautiful baby girl that he didn’t even bother to have my name changed. Or my room at home. It was hockey themed until I was ten. On my birth certificate my name is Michael, but my mom told everyone it was Michaela.”

He traced from her shoulders to her waist. “I was thinking we would conduct a little experiment.” His brow arched at her.

“I’m going to use Michaela because I like it. But I’ll only use it at certain times, because it’s the kind of name you cry out when you’re about to come.”

Chapter 7

Her mouth opened
on a gasp as his hands moved under her shirt and cupped her just under her breasts.

He willed himself to go slow, but her soft skin and the way she molded under his hands, like fine clay, left him desperate to taste that flesh. He dipped his head as he pulled up her shirt, and his hot mouth landed on the dip of her stomach. He tongued her belly button, and then his lips traced across the area slicked by his saliva. She tasted salty and smooth. And he needed to taste more of her.

As he kept up his survey of her torso, he expertly unfastened her blue jeans. Kneeling, he lifted her shirt over her head and held her in his arms as he delicately kissed the small swells of her breasts. He unclasped her bra as his stubble rubbed the skin there, making it pink. Her breasts were small, but her nipples were a barometer for her arousal as they darkened and elongated beneath his touch.

She responded like a goddess. She was soft and sweet, warm and moist. Her sounds were relaxed and deep, hypnotic guttural moans that he delighted in. He was lost in her. God save him, he couldn’t even remember the mission. All he could do was touch, taste, hear,
feel
the woman falling to pieces in his arms. He nuzzled her ear to whisper, “I want to taste your sweetness.” His hand slithered down past the rim of her jeans and into her panties where he felt her delicate wet flesh. “Will you let me?” Her breath was uneven as her chest rose and fell erratically. “Do you like it when I touch you?”

“
Yessss
.” Her voice was low and breathy.

“Do you want my mouth on you here?” He rubbed her core and sucked her earlobe between his lips.

She gasped, then moaned.

“I didn’t hear your answer.” His lips moved to her neck. “I said, do you want my lips on you here?” He used his finger to run along her seam.

Her neck and back arched. “God, yes, I want you to kiss me there.”

So sweet. She was exquisitely responsive to his touch and words, and he loved it. He slipped to his knees, straddling her as he shimmied her jeans down her leg. Then he slid her silk panties down.

“You’re a beautiful woman,” he said.

She rolled her eyes and snorted.

“Are you calling me a liar?” He leaned down to kiss her lips sweetly.

“No.” Her chest rose and fell and her breaths were heavy between words. “I just know how I look—all limbs and no womanly curves. I have the body of the boy my father longed for. I could probably pass for a Michael.” She smiled at him.

“I like your limbs. And you have just enough curves.”

His hand traced the small outer swell of her breasts, her collarbone, and her hip bones, then he slid his hand down her lower back and filled both hands with her ass, kneading firmly. “You have curves where it matters. You’re efficiently built, no excess. In a way it’s even better; there’s no waste.”

The women he usually bedded had ample curves but looking at Mia, Augie couldn’t recall what he’d thought was sexy about them. He’d never been with anyone like her, but he liked her natural freshness. It had him hard as titanium. He moved down her body and pushed her legs back to expose her pussy to him.

“Did you watch this on your dad’s porn?”

She tried to close her legs, but he wouldn’t let her.

He rested between her legs and used his shoulders to keep her spread.

“Did you?”

“No, but I read about it.” She took a deep breath. “In a magazine.”

He delicately massaged her until he felt her clit grow taut. Then he spread her wider and used his tongue to explore her essence. She was sweeter than he’d imagined, softer than velvet, and completely at his mercy. Her legs trembled, her body bowed tight, but again she couldn’t seem to let go. He wanted to be inside her, bring her that sweet release from the inside out, but he honestly didn’t have a clue about virgins. Would he hurt her?

He let his fingers replace his tongue as he shifted so his weight rested on his shoulder.

“Please, Augie.”

“Mia, remember you have to let go. Free fall.”

Her body writhed and her eyes closed tight. He lay alongside her and kept massaging.

“Mia, open your eyes. Look at me.”

Her eyes were deep amethyst with pewter-gray rims. Their color was incredible.

“Please,” she pleaded.

He rimmed her opening with his finger. He slowly pushed past her barrier. She gasped but never broke eye contact with him. He massaged her clit, and she fell apart next to him, squeezing her legs around his hand so hard it actually brought him pain. She shattered, and he pulled her into his arms, whispering in her ear.

“You’re the most beautiful and honest woman I’ve ever had the honor of pleasuring.”

Her face was flushed and her eyes were returning to that lighter shade of purple gray. She smiled and reached for his erection, but he grabbed her hand and placed kisses on her knuckles.

“I want to taste you now,” she said.

He shook his head, and her eyes narrowed.

“It’s all about you this time.”

“But I want more. I want you. And I know you want me too.” She pointed to his crotch.

Yeah, he wanted her, but preserving her virginity, at least from him, was more important.

“Are you saying you’re not satisfied? Because from here it sure seems like you should be.”

“Oh!” Her eyes went wide, and she jumped to her feet, dressing in record time. Then she took off in the wrong direction.

He couldn’t help but laugh. Slowly he stood, gathered her jacket, and turned to go after her.

*

The imbecile! Yes, the things he did to her were nice; yes, she was satisfied; and yes, she’d definitely enjoyed herself. But she felt as if a part of her was destined to go unfulfilled. When she’d held his heat in her hand, she’d wondered what it would be like to be that close to someone you were actually connected intimately with.

A steely band enclosed her upper arm and she yelped, startled.

“We’re going this way.”

“What?”

“In your haste, you took off in the wrong direction.”

She stopped and considered his words.

He laced his arm through hers. “Come on.”

She reluctantly let herself be pulled around.

They walked through the brush, leaves crunching underfoot. When the sun went behind the clouds, it turned cold and Augie placed the jacket on her shoulders.

“Are you still mad at me?” he asked.

“No. It’s surprisingly difficult to stay mad at you.”

In silence they walked for roughly twenty minutes until he stopped and turned her to face him. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing. I’m just tired.” She felt weird, numb. Her leg throbbed, and she was worried about her mother.

His hand went to her forehead. “You’re warm despite the drop in temperature.” His gaze pierced her.

“We’ll get to your mom. One way or another, we’ll get to her, but right now we have a mission to accomplish. I estimate two days. We can make plans to see your mom after that.”

He was beginning to know her quite well and his promises comforted her. She cupped his jaw. “Thank you.” When that didn’t seem like enough thanks, she kissed his chin.

They walked a while longer. After an hour, her leg started to feel tight and the stiff spot in her shin felt hot, but then it went almost numb. Thankful, she thought the one thing Augie didn’t need right now was to be burdened by a girl with an injured leg.

He walked ahead of her, clearing and holding branches out of the path when needed. She knew that looking out for her slowed him down, but he seemed content. As he held a rather low-hanging branch aside, she asked, “Is Augie your nickname?”

“Yeah, my full name is Augustine.”

She stopped walking. “You’re named after a saint.”

“Exactly.”

“Wow, that’s some high expectations your parents had. I mean, if anybody was going to be named after a saint, I think you’re a great choice.”

He smiled.

“So tell me about this Saint Augustine.”

“He was a philosopher who wrote some mumbo jumbo about the theory of self. He actually did a lot to establish the doctrines of the Catholic Church.”

“So you know a lot about the Catholic Church?”

“Baptism, confirmation, holy communion, Catholic school, altar boy—trust me, you’ll find no one more Catholic than me.”

“So you attend mass every week?”

“No, I uh haven’t stepped foot inside a church in years.”

His lips tightened, and his jaw twitched.

*

They made it to a small fishing village where vacation rentals were tucked into the woods. The rental office was closed, but that didn’t stop Augie. Mia followed him up to the back door of a house that had a long fishing dock. He twisted the knob.

“It’s locked.”

He squatted and dug through a potted plant. A few seconds later he produced a key that he used to unlock the door.

“Have you been here before?” she asked.

“No.”

The door creaked when he opened it. Mia followed him in and through the house. Back in the living room he said, “Sit on the couch. Don’t touch anything. I’ve got to secure a few things.”

Sighing, she plopped down on the couch. She needed a nap, but felt guilty since he was doing all that work to ensure their safety. She tried to keep her eyes open, but lost the battle.

Images of Evie braiding her hair flashed behind her eyelids. Evie’s fingers raked through her hair, soothing her. Rolling fields spread far and wide and they ran, hand in hand, all the way to the mountains. Only, the mountains were farther than they appeared and they weren’t reachable on foot.

Fingers were now rubbing Mia’s stomach in a touch that was more intimate than a sibling’s. A masculine sigh funneled into her ears and woke her from the dream. Her eyes opened slowly to find Augie staring down at her.

Her head was on his lap.

“Hey there, sleepyhead.”

Embarrassed that he’d been watching her dream, she turned her head into his lap and smiled lazily. His hand snaked through her hair and massaged the base of her scalp.

Mia groaned her appreciation.

“I’ve secured the place; you need to be aware of a few booby traps. At the top of the stairs I’ve strung fishing wire and attached a set of chimes, so be careful not to trip it.”

“Where’d you get chimes?”

“Back porch.”

“You destroyed their stuff?”

“You’ll need to step over the wire.” He ignored her concern. “Additionally I’ve reinforced each point of entry.” He regarded her with a raised brow. “I used scraps I found in the garage; nothing was destroyed.”

She smiled, burrowing against him.

“Each door and window has been secured. If I’m not available and there’s an emergency requiring you to leave, simply pry the added wood apart and away using this crowbar.” He lifted the tool. “It will be at the foot of the stairs. Then run like hell across the field to the neighboring cabin.”

Lifting his butt from the couch, he slid one hand into a pocket. “Here’s the key—keep it on you at all times. There’s no electricity but there is a flashlight at the front door mat. Lock yourself in the cabin and wait there until morning and then you can walk down to Larry’s Live Bait and use the phone.” He pinched her lightly. “Questions?”

She scratched her head and sat up. “And why am I fleeing without you?”

“It’s plan B. I don’t think it will come to that, but if I am incapacitated, that’s the protocol.”

“Where’d you get the key?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just keep it on you at all times.” His fingers raked her back, but the way he spoke so coldly about the plans gave her a shiver. Like hell that was plan B. She wouldn’t leave him behind to be hurt.

“You seem so serious.”

“I am fucking serious. None of this is a joke. Those men that came after you work for an organized crime ring. Nicolas is deeply involved. Deeper than I ever thought possible.” He clicked his tongue and shook his head. “I didn’t want to involve you in any of this, but I think it’s important you know just what you’re up against.”

She laced her fingers in his. “We’re up against.”

The silence grew, and her thoughts wondered. Did he plan to kill Nicolas? She worried for Augie’s safety. And his mental state. He already had nightmares. Bad ones.

What would happen to him if he killed Evie’s husband?