Delta: Revenge (16 page)

An angelic expression softened her features. “What’d you do?”

He shrugged. “Nothing worth talking about.”

“Oh.”

Despite all the lines he’d thrown down over his life and all the ease he normally found talking to women, this wasn’t like that. The other night, he’d charged in and gotten in her face. Now he had no excuse, just a simple desire to hold her.

She sat down on the edge of her bed, nodding as though giving him permission to join her. It never occurred to him that this type of situation would be different than other interactions of the down-and-dirty variety. But now that he was here, not on a mission to get in her face or with a smooth line ready that could walk the pants right off her, he was almost ready to clown himself.

“What’d you do?” he asked.

“Read, mostly.”

“What’d you read?”

She giggled. “Romances.”

That
caught him off guard, and he laughed with her. “Alright, then. Didn’t see you as the Fabio type but—”

“No!” She laughed harder. “Not 1980s bodice rippers.”

“I had no clue there are different types.”

“Like the action-packed, supersteamy kind.”

He rolled his lips together, amused and not sure he was ready to admit his curiosity about what made a book supersteamy. “What else did you get into?”

“There’s drama in the village, but I don’t know what about.”

“Oh, yeah.” He could’ve told her that and assumed she was prying for info, but he couldn’t give it to her.

“Yup.”

“And how do you know about that if you haven’t been sitting in your window?”

She shrugged. “I may’ve sat in my window.”

He shook his head. “Yeah, I bet.”

“Probably nothing.”

Shifting on the bed, she dropped her eyes as though she didn’t know what they were there to do, and the truth was, he wasn’t in a familiar spot either. “You came up to hang out?” she asked.

“Something like that.”

She gave him the evil eye, half joking, half scowling. “To get some?”

“No—well, yeah, if that happens. But no, not why I came up here.” He rubbed his hands over his face. “Shit.”

“What?”

Javier pulled his hands away. “You’re beautiful, Soph. You’re sweet and unlike anyone I’ve hung out with.”

“Oh, um—”

“I always have the right thing to say, but with you… there’s something that throws me off my game.”

She blinked, innocent eyes widening in surprise. “You don’t have to have game with me, Javier.”

Only a few inches separated them on the bed. He needed to respond, but instead, he simply studied the slope of her cheeks, the grace of her neck. He knew what she tasted like and what she screwed like, and he wanted more of that and the simple truths of statements like there didn’t have to be game. With her, it wasn’t a woman in a bar dying to go home with him and just having fun. It wasn’t taking his pick from the groupies that stalked the dark corners of the underground to nab themselves a battle-hardened street fighter for the night.

He scooted closer, scooping his arm around her side to move her next to him. Instead of kissing her, he palmed her cheek, swiping his thumb to her lips and back up again.

“I’m just me,” she whispered against his thumb. “I think we met under… very honest, raw circumstances.”

Javier had had nothing but cold revenge in his heart that day. He hadn’t been able to breathe for the disappointment until Sophia walked in and caught him in the middle of dejection. And she’d hugged him.
She
hugged him—the girl who had a shittier day—and at that moment, he felt warmth. Her smile, the sound of her voice, and the carefulness of her touch had made everything right.

“I wasn’t honest with you, Sophia.” His throat stung, not wanting this to end. “Your brother told me not to go near you.”

She pulled him into her arms, and unready for that reaction, he tensed until he breathed in her lavender scent and absorbed the tenderness in her hug.

“Javier.” She pulled back enough to kiss him, doing so harder than he expected and hungrier, too. “When my lips are on yours, everything is okay.”

Yes. It was true. He kissed her back as he laid her down, threading his hands into her hair. This wasn’t even about fucking her but was just the relief that ran through him when she said shit like that. He felt the same calm after getting new ink or after walking away, in the quiet night, as the winner of a bare-knuckle brawl.

They kissed and then stopped and stared until her eyes started to drift. Their fingers were tangled together, and he shifted to give her his bicep as a pillow.

“I grew up too fast. And angry,” he said while staring at her ceiling. “I’m good at what I do, but Colin is a marine just like our team leader. US Marine. Grayson, American Army. Ryder, Australian Special Forces. But I’m foreign. I’m a fighter. I’m just… deadly.”

She didn’t move. “You also have a good heart.”

He blew out a breath, not believing that he was mentioning any of this. “Probably not.”

She pivoted to her side, and her hair brushed his skin. “Why do you say that?”

“I want to hurt someone. A group of somebodies. They hurt my sister, and I want to hurt them back. I want blood.”

They stared forever, and he was sure this was the moment that sweet, innocent Sophia would kiss his cheek then kick him out.

“I’m sorry for whatever happened to your sister.”

And…? But nothing more came. He chewed the inside of his mouth then picked up his arm and pointed to the scrolling letters.
Revenge.

Sophia glanced at what he showed her. “I hope you get it.”

He wrapped the arm inked in a promise for blood around the most understanding woman he’d ever met and didn’t want to let go.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Javier woke up with his arms still holding Sophia. Hours had passed, and he’d never let her go. He checked his watch and listened to his stomach remind him he’d skipped dinner. Food would be available by now, but instead of sating that need, he turned to his priority.

Trailing his fingers over the edge of the comforter, he brushed strands of hair away from her sleeping face. “Morning, Soph.”

She stirred and snuggled close. Warmth that had nothing to do with the blankets or her body ran through his blood. She warmed his heart and his insides. She brought a smile to his face without lifting a finger.

Javier kissed her cheek. “Paixão.”

Her sleepy smile broke before her eyes opened. “Good morning, baby.”

Yeah, he liked that word on her tongue—almost as much as he liked his tongue on hers. She stretched, still not opening her eyes, and he couldn’t resist. Javier pressed his lips to her startled ones and kissed her awake. A raspy growl purred through his lips, and Sophia’s chin tilted as she kissed him back.

“I like waking up in your arms,” she whispered, curling hers around his neck. “I like this more than I should.” She rolled into him, pressing their torsos together and locking an ankle behind his knee. “Way, way more than I should.”

“You start that,” he murmured, “and we might miss breakfast.”

“I’ll make sure you get lunch.” She loosened her grip around his neck and tugged the back of his shirt up.

“Didn’t you promise I’d get breakfast?” He pulled the shirt from his arm then turned his attention to her. With a quick slide up her sides, he had her topless as her shirt landed on the floor with his.

“Make it fast.”

“Challenging me first thing in the morning. Seems you have a few lessons to learn.” One arm grabbed her, the other did away with her bottoms, and he had her naked. “Pretty sure that’s a record.”

“Note to self: get what I want by just asking.” Sophia’s honey-brown hair fanned on the pillow. Her legs were long and her skin a milky cream color, contrasting to the darkness of his. Her curves made his hands want to trace her limb to limb, and the sweetheart pout of lips that were kissed swollen made him harder than he’d been in his life.

“Crazy, it being that simple, huh?” He winked but kept his eyes locked on her as he bent to her thigh, kissing her hip bone. “Spread your legs wider for me, Soph.”

Her breath caught, and she gave a slight nod as she obeyed.

“Good girl.” Javier let his thumb massage her clit, gently dragging his knuckles across her folds, but all the while, he watched her face. What did she like, what did she do? She was like an adventure; everything he tried elicited a new reaction.

“You’re staring,” she whispered.

“I know.”

“I’m naked.”

He smiled. “Which is why I’m staring.”

“Take off your pants, Javier.”

“You’re just using me for sex.” He delved his fingers into her pussy. “You like it nice and slow.”

“Yes.”

“I like what you like, Sophia.”

“I like that accent. Keep talking while you strip.”

“Bossy and beautiful.” He maneuvered to do as ordered, snagging a condom from his wallet. Once, then twice with Sophia hadn’t been enough, and he knew the third time wouldn’t be the charm. But he didn’t care. He tore the packet open and slid the condom down his aching shaft.

She straddled him, her full breasts swaying with the move. With sexy confidence like that, Javier didn’t care if he came back for fourths or fifths. Though they’d have to scavenge the embassy for protection.

His eyes sank shut as Sophia slid her tightness down. “Paixão.”

“Javier?”

He blinked and focused. “Yeah?”

“What does that mean?” Her jaw hung, and her eyelashes fluttered. “Tell me.”

“Soon.” He didn’t want her to know. He wanted it to be his secret, how he felt. Why he’d used it on her since day one, he had no idea. It rolled off his tongue and fit. “Promise.”

“Promise.” She leaned forward, tilting her hips. The change was like a stroke, but he didn’t dare move until she said yes. She caught his lips, dragging a kiss across his cheek where her tongue teased his ear. With that, he draped one arm around her waist and placed a hand at the back of her head and thrust into her.

Her back arched into his hold. “God, yes.”

He did it again, and she pushed back.

“More.” Sophia worked her hips and rode his cock. The deeper he went, the tighter she felt, the more her teeth scraped his neck and his shoulder. A moan that he thought would never end started as he held her bucking body to his. Her teeth latched onto him, and his climax roared through him as the sweetest thing he’d ever held cursed and bit his skin.

She collapsed on him, and his arms went slack, still holding her. Her pussy muscles clenched and released, rippling over his shaft. They were out of breath; sweat kissed their skin. His mind was spent, and they hadn’t even left the bed. Javier didn’t want the morning to start, because eventually the day would end. Time would pass, and he’d be gone, doing what he was supposed to do. What he lived for. But with her in his arms… he only wanted to stay.

“I’m starving,” she said into his neck.

He squeezed her tight, ignoring his confusion. “Me too. Let’s go grab grub.”

And with that, they stood up and dressed. He snagged her hand, and they followed the scent of brewing coffee.

***

Walking hand in hand into the dining room wasn’t the smartest move. Her bosses wouldn’t give two hoots, but Janella, on the other hand, looked ready to have a coronary.

“Oh, Lordy. We’ve got hand holding.”

Nothing was sacred. Of course, Janny would narrate to the room. Thank God they were the only ones there. Still, Sophia’s cheeks caught fire. She planned to give Janny an earful later.

“Good morning, Janny.” Her warning voice was low but didn’t wash away any of her friend’s amusement.

Janella stepped close, eyed Javier, then smiled at Sophia. “Good morning to you, little miss nothing’s gonna happen, he wants my ass back in Pennsylvania.”

“Janella!”

But Javier squeezed her hand before letting it go to grab a breakfast plate. “I don’t want her in Honduras. No secret there.”

“I’ve heard you’re sweet.” Janella batted her eyelashes at him in the most obvious, annoying of ways.

“Janny!” Sophia snipped.

Javier turned to her, tucking her under him in a protective agreement masked with a playful tease. “I’m sweet? Yeah?”

Sophia stuttered to respond as Janella continued. “And
I
like the way you talk. Pro column for that.”

“Seriously.” Sophia picked up a mug. “I’d like to make it through coffee, maybe even breakfast, without having to die from embarrassment.”

Janella laughed as she headed from the dining room to the kitchen. Javier leaned into Sophia’s ear. “Sweet?”

“When you’re not being a jerk, maybe.”

“I am sweet. To you.”

His voice traveled straight down between her legs, and if she hadn’t been so irritated at Janny, Sophia might’ve given up her own
Oh, Lordy
. “Whispering against my neck isn’t fair.”