Silver Fire (Guardians) (13 page)

“How did they find out about Silver Fire Research?”

“Blackstone International tracked down an Abu-Haxa spy in their mining subsidiary in South Africa. The Brotherhood worked on speculation at first. They went on high alert after a transmission was caught about a zefinium bomb.”

“Huh, tied up nicely. So what’s Viktor got so far?”

“Ademola seemed resigned. I don’t think it’ll take much time for him to break down.”

“So technically, Sophie is out of danger.”

“Should be, but I can be bribed to say that she needs to stay with you a couple of more days just to be sure,” Maia teased.

“Ha. Ha. Pierce,” Derek said mockingly. “So, you heading home?”

“No. I’m dropping by Guerrero’s parents house to make sure they have everything they need.”

“I’m sorry, Maia,” Derek said softly. It was hard when one of their own was lost.

“She was so young, but I thought she was ready.”

“Stop second guessing your decisions. Guerrero was a great agent and they were outnumbered. How about Connelly, is he still at the hospital?”

“Yes, he’s my last stop.”

“Ah, do you think that’s wise? The man’s got a hard on for you.”

Maia gave an irritated huff. “He’s still my responsibility. But I’m telling Viktor to ship him out soon.”

“Good idea. I don’t think I can take your husband in enclosed spaces for much longer.”

“I’m still pissed at you guys for taking on Silver Fire Research.”

“Maia, you need to let it go. You forget that I used to work with you, and Jack is an ex-Navy SEAL. A—Navy—SEAL.”

“OK, Lockwood. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow for the debrief.”

After Derek hung up with Maia, he went to grab a beer from the refrigerator. He lingered in the kitchen drinking the beer while staring broodingly down the darkened hallway leading to Sophie’s room.
 

Fuck it
. Derek tossed back the rest of the drink and silently made his way to Sophie’s room.
 
He leaned his ear to the door and knocked. “Sophie?”

He heard rustling and then foot falls padded softly to the door. The door cracked open and Derek had to catch his breath at the glorious sight before him. Sophie’s big gray eyes were heated, her skin was flushed, her lips were moist and slightly parted and she was panting.

“Are you OK?”

Sophie shook her head and slowly reached out to pull Derek through the door. “Sleep with me.”

Derek could not be more shocked if she had shot him. She was wearing one of those damned nighties again, and he could see her form clearly through the translucent silk. He just wasted a cold shower because now he was painfully hard.

“Sophie, I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“Make me forget him,” Sophie raised herself on tiptoe and brushed his lips, her hand reaching down to stroke his erection.

“Not like this, Angel,” Derek said gruffly. When had he become so noble? The woman whose panties he’d been dying to get into was offering herself to him and he was the one retreating?

“Will you stay with me tonight?” Sophie asked. “I don’t want to be alone.”

“That I can do,” Derek replied gently. It would be torture, but he wanted her in his arms so fucking bad. She climbed up the bed and smiled at him shyly. He felt a lurch in his chest again as he got in behind her.

He tagged her around her waist, pulling her to him, her back side fitting so snugly to his front. Derek stifled a groan as her butt hit his crotch. He’d probably be awake all night, but he wasn’t complaining. He had her exactly where he wanted her. Not exactly in his bed, but close enough. He lifted her hair to the side so he could plant a kiss on her neck, his fingers lightly stroking her torso.

“That feels nice,” Sophie murmured.

“What, Angel?”

“Your hands. They feel good.”

He planted another kiss on her neck. “Sleep, baby.”

A few minutes later he heard her even breathing. But he was still wide awake and damn he needed to think of dead puppies, sports stats and fuck! What did he agree to? He’d just slip out when she was asleep so he could jerk off in his bathroom. That was the only solution. Derek realized that this was also the first time he was sleeping with a woman. And they were not even having sex.

***

In another part of New Park City, in an apartment building penthouse, the scene was starkly different. The floor right outside the elevator leading to the foyer was strewn with a robe and objects that used to belong on top of the half moon table in front of the elevator.
 

A woman with flame red hair was naked, half-sitting on the table, while a man whose trousers were hanging loose, had his hips wedged between her thighs, thrusting forcefully into her, one hand cupping her ass to leverage against him, the other trapping her wrists above her head in a gesture of dominance.
 

Their grunts and moans echoed distinctly through the darkened apartment. The intensity of their coupling and the smell of sex permeated the air.

“Look at me, Maia,” Jack demanded as he thrust into her, balls deep. “Do you want to come, sweetheart?”

“Stop teasing me,” Maia glared into his eyes.
 

“You smell so fucking good,” he groaned as he buried his face in her still damp hair.
 

“Jack—”

“I need to mark you—”

Thrust.

“Stop it!”

“So no one will think to take you away from me.”

Thrust and thrust deeper.

“You’re drunk.”

Jack paused and drank in the nakedness before him. He had stayed in his office all evening, polishing off his fair share of cheap whiskey while seething over images of Braden Connelly’s lips on Maia’s. The man was laid up in a hospital and Jack had no outlet for his frustration. So when he walked in on his wife who was fresh out of the shower, he had completely lost control. He swiped the knick-knacks off the table, hauled her unceremoniously on top of it, ripped the robe from her body and slid into her without preparation. He needed to fuck her hard, to take the brand of another man’s touch off her.
 

“Not too drunk to fuck you,” he smirked. He released her hands and dropped to his knees as he spread her thighs before him. He was painfully excited as his hardness strained against him, but he wanted to taste her sweetness. “And eat you until you scream.”

“Jack.” Her breathy whisper took him over the edge as his tongue parted her folds and swirled around her clit. He buried his face further into her core, his tongue laving up the honey that was flowing from her. Maia started squirming, the heels of her feet sliding restlessly on his back. Her hands shamelessly kept his head between her legs, her fingers gripping his hair, further inciting him to plunge his tongue deeper, spearing her entrance.

“Oh god, I’m going to—” Maia panted.

Even in his inebriated state,
 
Jack knew what his wife needed. He flattened his tongue and licked her hard from the base of her slit to the swollen nub of her pleasure. He fastened his mouth on her clit and sucked and felt the exact moment when his wife hit her orgasm.

“Ahh...Jaaack!” Maia screamed. “Oh god, don’t stop, don’t stop...there...”

Every convulsion against his mouth spurred his erection harder until he felt like he had an iron poker between his legs; his balls were aching for release.

Rising to his feet, he secured her hands behind her with his right hand while crushing her to his chest, his fingers digging into her left thigh, securing it firmly around his hips.

“What are you doing?” Maia gasped.

“Give me this, sweetheart,” Jack whispered hoarsely. He wanted to dominate her. He wanted her submission. Just this once. “Please. I need this, Maia.”

Maia leaned forward and took his mouth in a searing kiss, her acceptance washing off the simmering rage within him. He buried himself inside her again and tore his lips away, releasing her hands and yanking her hair down so her face tilted up, their faces close but not touching, their breathing heavy between them. He kept his eyes on hers as he started moving inside her. Her breasts rubbing against his chest with each thrust. The pleasure of her tight sheathe squeezing his shaft, pushing him madly up to his climax. He drove into her hard, the table rattling beneath them.
 
Jack wouldn’t be surprised if they had already fractured the table legs by now. He lowered his gaze to where their bodies joined, grunting with satisfaction as he watched his cock sliding in and out of her.
Fuck. He was going to come hard
. It didn’t take long for her to reach another peak and a few powerful strokes was all it took for his own violent release as he emptied himself inside her.

“Ffuuuuck!” he shouted raggedly, shoving his face in her neck. He gripped her tightly until the last of his shudders waned.

Breathing hard and with their sweat mingling,
 
Jack curled his hand at the base of Maia’s head and leaned his forehead on hers. “I love you, babe.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

Sophie woke up feeling awfully warm, her blurry eyes focusing on the faded Georgetown University logo on a t-shirt that had seen too many washings. She was in bed with Derek. Her head was on his pectorals and as her gaze drifted lower, she flushed a few degrees warmer. Derek’s morning erection was in evidence, the mushroom head pushing out the waistband of his boxer shorts. He—Was—Huge. And thick. She was so tempted to run her tongue on its tip. Her mouth watered.
 

“It’s not going to bite, you know,” a deeply amused voice rumbled above her.
 

Gasping, Sophie pushed herself up on her hands and twisted her body to look at Derek in outrage. His eyes were barely open, but his lips were curved in a half grin.

“You...you...” She was tongue-tied. Embarrassed really, that he had read her lascivious thoughts accurately.
 

“Do you want to touch it?”
 

Oh my god. His eyes were open now, those chocolate eyes still in the haze of sleep. His dark blond hair was tousled bedroom-sexy, his voice was a raspy whisper. Everything about him screamed sex.
 

“Or do you want to straddle me? Sink into me, Angel?”

 
Sophie scrambled out of bed and huffed off to the bathroom. Derek’s easy chuckle followed her retreating
 
form.
Arrogant, arrogant man
, she blustered inwardly. And yet she was incredibly turned on. She looked down her front and realized she was wearing a skimpy baby doll nightie. The morning light probably revealing more than she had wanted Derek to see. Memories of the night before came crashing back. She propositioned him. Damn! What was she thinking? She wanted to escape yesterday’s disturbing events: some people wanting her dead, watching Thalia getting gunned down, the haunting memory of Adam. All this darkness threatening to fill an existing void inside her, and she wanted to give in and let the depression take over. Then Derek showed up, and he represented a light to this darkness, a warmth to this chill. And he turned her down. She didn’t know whether to be relieved or angry with him.

She was bent down over the sink, rinsing off the mouthwash when she felt movement behind her. Nonchalantly, Derek took the side of the sink beside her and started splashing water on his face. He grabbed her bottle of mouthwash, unscrewed the top and took a swig.
 

Sophie wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and glared at him for his intrusiveness. The man was purposefully taking his time gurgling, but she caught his eyes angling toward her. Ugh! She hoped he choked on the mouthwash.
 

When he finished, he looked at her. “What?”

“You need to leave the bathroom.”

“Why?”

“I need to pee!”

“So, pee.”

“I will not. I want some privacy,” Sophie declared.

Suddenly, she was airborne, his fingers digging into her hips as her ass landed in the bowl.

“Actually, Angel,” Derek murmured. “Don’t pee. It will make this more intense.”

“What—”

His lips slanted over hers, ravaging her lips ruthlessly in deep, plundering strokes. She got giddy. His fingers lightly brushed her thighs, moving his hips between them as he yanked her closer so her throbbing center hit his arousal.

He groaned into her mouth and started trailing his lips down her shoulder, nudging one strap off to bare one breast. He suckled and sucked and grazed his teeth on her nipple.

Sophie whimpered.

He tore her panties off and immediately touched her there. In a place she’d never thought she’d feel a man’s touch again and want it. This time instead of freezing, she was on fire. The sharp pleasure started from her belly and shot straight to her sex. A raging wave of hunger threatening to break through a dam that had impounded it for so long.

“Derek...”

He raised his head and looked into her eyes. “Stay with me, Sophie.”

“Yes,” she breathed throatily.

His chocolate eyes were now molten with his own desire as his fingers teased the slit of her sex, spreading her and finding her slick. His thumb massaged her clit harder.

“Damn, Angel, you’re so wet,” Derek groaned. He kept his gaze on her, but Sophie could tell he wanted to just crush her to him.

He sank one finger inside her, feeling him shudder even as her need coiled tighter. He sank a second finger and started pounding into her—in and out his long fingers went while his thumb maintained pressure against her clit.

“Come for me, Angel,” he rasped, his eyes darkening. The pressure built and built, Sophie gyrating her hips madly until she finally blew apart as she came while his fingers continued thrusting into her.

“Oh god, oh god!” Sophie cried. “Derek!” She couldn’t help but bury her face into the crook of his neck, trembling with the aftershocks of the orgasm that ripped through her body.
 

“That’s it, Sophie,” Derek murmured into her hair as he continued stroking between her thighs and with the other arm adjusted her so her upper body was flushed with his. “Let go, baby.”

Sophie was shocked by the insane pleasure she derived just from Derek’s fingers. She slowly descended from her high, satiated. “That was...amazing.”