Cold Day in Hell (42 page)

“Sorry. I forgot I hadn’t shown you the underground tunnels.” He walked to the refrigerator and took out a beer. Twisting off the cap, he took a long draw from the bottle, his dark eyes fixed on her face. “They connect the other houses on the property and also lead to the armory—and to a sub-basement where we house the 3-D security array and computers.”

“Just like the Bat Cave in Sanctuary?” She sat motionless, watching him watch her.

Was he testing her for fear? Or, was he plotting her sexual downfall? Probably both, she decided. She returned his concentrated stare with what she hoped was a calm facade.

“Just like.” He drained his beer and set the bottle on the counter, gently, making no sound, then walked, no stalked, toward her. “Your first lover was Tweeter? Why didn’t you tell me?” His voice was devoid of all emotion, but she knew he was anything but emotionless. He used his body to keep her on the stool, surrounding her with male heat, musk and muscle.

Outlining her face gently with a single finger, he continued, “Especially in light of the fact you’ll be working with the man, often closely, while I’m out in the field.” The muscles in his face were tense, emphasizing his rugged bone structure. A muscle in his jaw jumped, but his touch never hardened in any way.

She captured the finger and swirled her tongue around the tip, then held his hand against her heart. “I didn’t love Tweeter. He was there. He was safe. He was a friend.” Some of the tension left his body with her words. His silent seething had been more about this than her being involved in taking out Cruz.
Good.

“Go on. You did it twice with him. I can see once for curiosity’s sake, but why did you do it again?”

“Maybe
he
thought we could be more than friends, I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I was … excited that an older man, even an inexperienced one, wanted me. He was twenty-two to my eighteen. He’d spent his early years protecting Keely. I helped my father raise my brothers. Neither of us had lived yet. We both wanted experience.” She sighed. “The first time was uncomfortable.” Risto winced. “Awkward, you know?” He nodded, his face expressionless except for the clenching muscle in his jaw.

“The second time was … better, but the awkwardness didn’t go away.” She took the hand she clasped and brought it to her face, rubbing his warmth against her still-cold cheek. “He was like a brother to me. We finally realized that feeling would never change, then laughed at our silliness in thinking we could be anything other than siblings by choice.”

She brought his hand back to her chest, over the heart that pounded just for him.

“Tweeter’s never mentioned those two times to me again. I would never have sex with him or any other man. Do you understand? I love you. The feelings I have for Tweeter or any of the Walsh boys are the same feelings I have for my brothers.”

“Good.” The muscle in his jaw relaxed. He drew his hand from hers, then lifted her off the stool. With a firm hand on her lower back, he ushered her to the bedroom. He closed the double-doors. The snick of the lock sounded like a gunshot in the quiet, dimly lit room. “Get naked, Callie.”

His voice was rough, guttural. She turned and shot him a concerned look. “Didn’t you believe what I just said? Tweeter means nothing to me.”

“I believe you. I trust you.” Risto approached, his movements akin to those of a large cat stalking prey. She backed away until the back of her thighs hit the end of the bed. She reached back to brace herself on the mattress. “But I’m worried about your safety tomorrow and that … stresses me. And when I get stressed, sweetheart, I need a release.

Since I can’t kill Cruz right this minute, I’ll take that release in the form of sex.” He stopped about a foot away and tucked some hair behind her ears, then traced a finger down her neck, along her collar bone and down the center of her chest. “And since you,” he tapped her sternum lightly, “are the cause of my tension, you can be the designated release valve.” His glittering dark gaze swept over her body. He cupped her ass and pulled her to the evidence of his arousal. He massaged her bottom with both hands. “So, strip, baby.”

His voice was a sexy rumble. His anger over being scared on her behalf—because she didn’t believe the stressed argument for a second—had morphed into lust. Her body flushed with an answering desire, her intense arousal soaked the crotch of her leggings.

Her breath came in short gasps.

“Callie? You want me to take your clothes off for you?” He brought his hands to the front of the flannel shirt she’d scrounged from his closet. “I can’t … can’t promise to be gentle. I’ll rip them off. I’m that close to losing control. I don’t want to scare you, just fuck you.”

God, he needed her—and she wanted to give him whatever he wanted.

“Rip them off.” She smiled and placed her hands over his and pulled. The shirt tore open, buttons popping off. “Fuck me. Just like in Ungaía. I loved it. Lose yourself in my body. Take me until you find the balance you need.”

Risto’s nostrils flared and his lips twisted into a sexy smile. “Fuck, I love you.” With one quick pull, he tore the shirt from her body, then did the same with the T-shirt she wore underneath. Her unbound breasts heaved with her excited, erratic breaths.

He lifted her to sit on the end of the bed and pulled the leggings from her, then removed her socks. He stepped away. His breathing slow and controlled, he scanned her nudity.

The lust blazing in the depths of his eyes had her flushing.

“Crawl up the bed. I want you on your knees. Head down. Butt in the air.” Callie swallowed hard. “Are you going to spank me?” He’d threatened to do so in the past and again earlier today, but she’d thought he’d been teasing.

Risto grinned evilly. “We’ll see. Now get in position.”

She nodded, biting her lip. She scooted farther back onto the bed, then turned over and crawled to the middle and assumed the position he’d dictated. She swore she could feel his fiery stare on her bare ass. “Like this?” She wiggled her butt, teasing him.

“Almost perfect.” His purring voice came from her right side. His hand smoothed over each buttock. Her pussy got even wetter and goose bumps popped up all over her body at his touch.

Several seconds passed without any further action on Risto’s part. She heard the sound of a zipper and the rustling of clothing. She turned her head toward him then inhaled. He was gloriously naked. Every muscle sharply defined by the indirect lighting of the bedroom. Her pussy tightened around the emptiness, demanding to be filled. His cock was fully erect, the plum-colored head glistened with precum. “Um, why almost?

You sure look ready to me.”

“You’ll need some support in this position.” He pulled a couple of pillows from the head of the bed and tucked them under her stomach. “This should take some of the strain off your back. Now, stretch forward. Reach for the headboard. Head between your arms.”

“Like this?” She laid her head sideways so she could breathe.

“Here,” he tucked a pillow under her head and arranged her arms to lie on either side of the pillow. “Comfortable?” He swept a hand over her back from the top of her spine to her ass, again and again—petting her, soothing her, exciting her.

“Yes.”

“Good. You’ll be there for awhile.” On his next stroke down her back, he fondled her bottom, caressing each globe. “I want you comfortable. You hurt or get a cramp, I want to know. I don’t want to upset the baby.” He smacked one butt cheek lightly then massaged it with firm fingers. She gasped and shot him a questioning look. He smiled.

“Just a warm-up tap.” He spanked the same area two more times. “You pink up quickly.

Barely any jiggling.” He squeezed one of her ass cheeks as if testing it for ripeness. “Nice and firm. You have a gorgeous ass, sweetheart.” He leaned over and licked the area he just fondled. She squirmed. His tongue tickled and was cool against the heat of her skin.

She shivered.

He fingered her pussy. “You liked that. You’re getting wetter.” It wasn’t a question.

“I liked doing it.” He climbed onto the bed behind her, his legs on either side of hers, blocking her in. He slapped her other ass cheek several times, then eased the slight sting with his tongue. She blushed at the intimacy of his mouth on her bottom. Her clit throbbed with each touch of his hand and his tongue. He checked her sex with his finger again, taking his time to touch her labia and clit. “Sweet Jesus, you’re so responsive. So beautiful like this.”

She wiggled her butt—and he laughed. Risto slapped each ass cheek until she felt her skin heat up.

“Perfect color, all rosy just for me.” He covered her body with his. His arousal snuggled against the seam of her butt. His pubic hair scratched the sensitized skin of her ass. He supported himself with his left arm placed alongside her outstretched one. He nuzzled her hair away from her neck then kissed and teethed the shoulder he bared.

“Risto!” She thrust her butt to meet him. “In. Now.”

He nipped her shoulder sharply. “Not yet. Behave.” He cuddled a breast with his free hand, his thumb rhythmically brushed over her aching nipple again and again.

She gasped, jerking away from his touch. She clenched her inner muscles against the ache. She was so ready to come and would as soon as he put his cock in her—if he ever would. “So sensitive.” He kissed the top of her spine and nibbled down the vertebrae. Her back had become one giant erogenous zone. She shuddered as he slowly detailed each inch of skin along both sides of her spine. He continued to tease her right breast, altering the pressure on her nipple with each pass of his thumb. “Did Tweeter take you this way?” His words jerked her out of the almost euphoric state his lips and hands had created.

No matter what he’d said, it still bothered him her first sexual experience had been with a man he considered a friend and colleague. A man he’d have to face every time he went to Sanctuary. Only time and her love would take care of his insecurity.

“No … no … just you.” She moaned as he sharply pinched the nipple he’d stimulated. The pointed pain translated as pleasure to her clit.

“Fuck, I’m glad.” He kissed his way back up her spinal column then rubbed his cheek over the same area as if he were a male cat rubbing his scent over his mate. He moved his hand to the other breast, caressing it, arousing it to the point of pain-pleasure.

All the while he kissed, licked and nibbled along her neck, shoulders and spine until he had her whimpering. Her juices were dripping down her inner thighs now.

She shoved her bottom against his hot, hard, pulsing erection. His cock slid along the seam of her ass. She could feel his precum dampening her. “Dammit, Risto … take me.

Fuck me. Hard.”

“Not yet.” His voice was harsh with sexual tension. She was glad she wasn’t the only one suffering. He moved his hand from her breast down over her tightened stomach muscles to her sexual folds. A firm finger stroked over and around her opening. He managed to miss her aching clit each and every time.

Damn him for being a tease.

“You are so wet for me. Just for me.” He shifted slightly to nip a butt cheek.

“God, yes … only you.” She panted and rubbed against him, tempting him in the only way she could as he surrounded her with his body.

“Good, ’cause I’m going to pound you, baby.”
Thank you, Lord
. “Going to release all the fear clawing at my gut over you endangering yourself.” He spanked her pussy right over her clit. The small bite of pain had her yelping into her pillow and almost threw her over into orgasm. “Going to claim what’s mine and will never be Walsh’s again.” He rubbed his thumb over her engorged bud.

She whimpered then gasped as he shoved two fingers into her pussy and thumbed her clit, setting a punishing rhythm. “Only yours. God that’s so good, so good … God, please, fuck me now. I need you. Only you.”

Risto snarled something dark and gritty against her back as he fucked her with his fingers, his thumb on her clit, pushing her to a climax she wasn’t sure she’d survive. She could barely breathe, let alone scream, for the pleasure building within her.

She reached blindly for the arm he’d braced alongside her. She gripped it hard as her orgasm overtook her. She shouted her pleasure again and again into the pillow. He held her in place and continued to ply her pussy and clit, drawing out her enjoyment. And just when she thought the powerful release was winding down, he pulled another intense peak out of her by stroking her G-spot with his thrusting fingers.

“So fucking gorgeous.” He kissed and nipped her back from her neck to her bottom.

Finally, he pulled his hand from her sex, but even then her body continued to convulse with minor aftershocks. “Look at me, baby.” He turned her onto her back, pulling the pillows out from under her until she lay flat on the bed.

She watched him lick her fluids from his hand. His dark eyes filled with heat and enjoyment. “You taste like heaven.”

He stroked her sides, gentling her, as he sat back on his heels. She smiled at him and felt herself slipping into sleep.

“No sleeping yet. I’m not done with you.”

“Oh, damn, you haven’t come yet.” She eyed his erection. It jutted from his groin, its tip almost reaching his navel. She reached for him with one hand as she supported herself with the other arm on the bed. “Come into me.”

“Hands down.” He positioned her hands on each side of the pillow supporting her head. “Leave them there.” He tipped her chin so he could kiss her. She tasted herself in his hot mouth.

Once again he surrounded her, anchoring her with his body, this time face-to-face. It was so hard not to touch him, but she sensed he was on a short fuse and wanted to take this at his own pace. She wasn’t going anywhere until he allowed it. All she could do was answer his kiss with her tongue and mewl in the back of her throat as he took her mouth.