Wilde Ink (Wilde Brothers Book 3) (8 page)

“Is that good thing?”

“It is. But I think you already knew that. You always seem to know the right thing to say to me.”

He burst out laughing. “That’s not true. If it were, I wouldn’t have blown the moment I let it slip that you were making out with your boss’ brother.”

“You didn’t know either.”

“It wouldn’t have stopped me if I had known. I went out on that balcony looking for you.”

She jerked her head up to stare at him. “You didn’t.”

“I sure as hell did. You were the hottest woman there, and once I figured out that lame duck you were with wasn’t actually your boyfriend, I was on a mission.”

“He’s not a lame duck! Danny’s seeing your sister-in-law’s sister, so you better quit thinking of him that way. I’ve got a feeling he’s going to end up being part of your family.”

“Fuck, no. The last thing the Wilde family needs is more cops filling the ranks.”

She arched a brow at him, and he knew he was in trouble. The walls he’d worked so hard to tear down were being rebuilt as he watched.

“I see.”

Fuck. Shit. Goddamn. Double fuck. Way to go, asshole.

“That came out wrong. See? I told you I don’t always know the right thing to say.”

“Uh huh. What I’m seeing is that you really don’t think much of my profession.” She started to pull away from him and he locked his arms around her, aware that he had to make her understand before she got up or she’d be out the door and gone.

“That’s not it. I have nothing but respect for what you do. You have to understand, I grew up in a blue household. Dad, Dave, Ben, Tag, all of them wore the badge, two of them still do. Dave’s ten years older than me. He was in uniform before I was out of high school. Then Dad retired and instead of relaxing, he opened a fucking cop bar. I have been surrounded by law enforcement my whole life, and as you may have noticed, I am not cut from the same cloth. Blue is not my color.”

“Then why the hell am I here?” Lia demanded, fighting harder to pull away from him.

“Because I don’t care what you do for a living. That’s part of who you are, but it’s not all there is. I want to know all of you. And before you get too hot under the collar, let me point out that it’s pretty clear you don’t think much of my chosen profession either.”

She huffed out a breath and stopped trying to get up. “I…uh. Well, damn. You’ve got a point there.”

‘Uh huh. You need to stop looking for reasons to run away from me. I meant what I said, I’m just going to come after you anyway. You may not think you deserve to be happy, but I do.”

“I wasn’t going to run away,” she said, her voice softer now.

“Good. Because I still need to feed you, and then I want to sketch you.” An idea popped into his head. “Or, if you like, I can show you what it’s like to get a tattoo. Nothing permanent, but maybe if you got to experience it, you’d understand better why people get ink, and why I love what I do.”

Lia’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What would that entail, exactly?”

“Well, feeding you involves pizza, and hopefully beer. I did mention there’s beer in the fridge, didn’t I? Sketching involves you, naked and stretched out on this comfy day bed while I indulge in two of my favorite things. Drawing, and you.”

“Smart ass. I meant the tattoo part, though I like the idea of being one of your favorite things.”

“You rank even higher on the list than whiskers on kittens.” Nick had meant it as a joke, but his words rang true. Despite the fact they were still getting to know each other, she was already important to him. He hadn’t been totally honest with her about the way she’d looked in the sketch she’d seen earlier. He had drawn her sad, because it was there in her eyes every time they’d met. More than anything else, he wanted to banish those haunting shadows from her eyes and bring a smile to her lips.

Lia laid her hand on his cheek and gifted him with one of her rare smiles. “I’m honored.”

He winked at her. “You should be. Kittens are damned cute. As for the tattoo idea, I was thinking of using henna. Janie does henna tattooing. It’s temporary, all natural, and it just dyes the skin. No needles. I could draw up a design, transfer it to your skin and then give you a simple henna design that would last a few weeks.”

“What would you draw?” she asked, and he knew she was interested.

“We’d figure that out together, just as if you were a client coming in. It’ll be fun.”

“And no one would be able to see it?”

“I promise, we’ll put it somewhere no one else will see it but you and me.” Damn straight no one else was going to see it. Nick planned on putting the design above Lia’s breast, over her heart. The only one who was allowed to get that personal with Lia was him. Period. End of discussion.

“Okay. If you swear it’ll come off, then I’m game.”

“That’s my girl. Okay, you start thinking about what you might like, and I’ll throw on some jeans and go downstairs to wait for dinner. It should be here any moment.”

“How come you get to be dressed and I don’t?”

“Because if I meet the delivery guy naked, I’m going to need to give him a really big tip to cover the therapy he’ll need.” Her smile was almost enough to tempt him to forgo dinner and make love to her again. The only thing that stopped him was the knowledge that they were both going to need to eat to keep up their strength for what he had planned. It was going to be a long, glorious night.

“Okay, you can get dressed. Did you bring my clothes up with you?” she asked, sitting up.

“I did. They’re over there, with your purse. I know better than to part a woman from her purse for long. I’ll be back soon, with sustenance. You’re in charge of finding something to drink in the fridge. Oh, and if anything moves in there, assume it’s dangerous and move out of striking range.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Mostly. So far none of the life forms growing in there have become self-aware. I just thought I’d give you fair warning.”

“If anything moves, I’m going to shoot it.”

“Fair enough. Your gun’s with your purse. God, there’s a line I never expected to come out of my mouth.”

She smirked at him. “If you’re planning on spending time with me, then you better get used to it.”

“Believe me, I plan on spending a lot of time with you, Cin. You’re not getting rid of me anytime soon.”

She looked at him for a moment, then nodded. “Good to know.”

He still had a long way to go, but for now, Nick would call that progress.

Chapter Eight

Lia couldn’t help but wonder at the strangeness of eating and laughing with Nick while they were both naked. She’d never spent time with someone like this, talking and flirting, both of them tangled up with each other as they ate. It was intimate and messy and even as they were in the midst of it, she knew that this would be one of the memories she would cherish forever. Moments like this were rare, especially in her life. Nick’s words of earlier echoed in the back of her mind. She’d been angry at the time for saying it, but now she was willing to admit he might be right, at least in part. She didn’t let herself be happy very often. Not like this.

It felt damned good.

Nick reached over and smoothed his index finger from the tip of her nose to her hairline. “You’re thinking again. Stop it. Every time I see that little crease appear between your brows I know you’re overthinking things, and then you start coming up with reasons why this is a bad idea and you need to leave.”

“I wasn’t—well, okay, I was thinking, but not about what you think I was thinking about,” she said and then had to stop and mentally repeat what had just come out of her mouth to make sure it made sense. It did.

“So, what were you thinking?”

Lia’s cheeks heated and she found herself dropping her gaze to a point between their two bodies. “I was thinking that tonight might have been the most fun I’ve allowed myself to have in a very long time.”

Nick kicked the empty pizza box to the floor and had his arms around her seconds after she’d spoken. “I’m glad. If I have my way, then we’re going to have a lot more nights like this. Maybe next time we’ll do it at my place, where I have a real bed and a bit more furniture. Not a lot more, mind you. Keep your expectations low.”

“After braving the fridge over there, I have no illusions. You’re a bachelor to the core and I’ll try to keep my expectations in line with that.”

He laughed and kissed her, making it impossible for her to think of anything at all for the next few minutes. Every time he touched her she felt like she might combust at any moment. Enough men had called her frigid in her time that she’d started to believe it, but not anymore. With Nick, everything was fire and flames.

Somehow they wound up with Nick beneath her, her thighs spanning his waist and her hands planted on either side of his head as she stared down into his face. She intended to kiss him, but then she found herself speaking instead. “You could come to my place, sometime. If you wanted to, that is.”

He gave her a charming, lopsided grin. “I’d like that.”

“I would too. Mister Darcy may never forgive me for bringing home a strange man, but if I have to expand my horizons, then so will he.” Lia knew she was babbling, but she couldn’t help it. She’d never made that offer to anyone before. But Nick had invited her into his personal space, sharing a bit himself with her in the process. She wanted to return the favor. She’d already broken damned near every rule she had when it came to Nick, why not break all of them?

“Who or what is a Mister Darcy?”

“He’s my cat.”

“Then we’re set. You just tell him those catnip mice I gave you today are a gift from me to him, and if he wants more of the same, all he has to do is not pee in my shoes. I’m not above bribery.”

“You know, that might just work. He’s a catnip addict. We’ve done therapy, counseling, but nothing works. He’d sell one of his nine lives for a hit. He says he can quit any time he wants, but I don’t believe him. If you’re willing to enable his addiction, he’ll probably decide he likes you better than me.”

Nick’s face split into a grin and he laughed out loud. “You just cracked a joke! My god, the world might end.”

“I happen to be a very funny person when I want to be. Most people just don’t get my sense of humor. It’s too dark. I guess it’s a side effect of what I do for a living.”

“I’m just glad to see you smiling. You’re beautiful no matter what, but when you smile, Lia...the whole world lights up.”

She searched his face, looking for some hint that he was insincere, that he hadn’t meant every word. There was nothing in his eyes but desire…and something more. He couldn’t be falling for her. That wasn’t possible. It was too soon. Nick wasn’t the kind of man who wanted anything long term. At least, she hadn’t thought so. But the more she got to know him, the more Lia realized there was more to him than she had even imagined.

“Stop that.” Nick’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts and brought her back to the present.

“Stop what?”

“You’re doing that scrunchie-faced thinking thing again. I’m hereby declaring this entire place a no-thinking zone for the rest of the night.”

“For someone who recently stated I should play professional poker for a living, you don’t appear to have any trouble reading me.”

“That’s because I’ve been paying attention. Also I’m talented, insightful, amazing, and incredibly modest. It’s a burden I’ve learned to live with.” He was laughing before the last words left his mouth, and Lia found herself leaning down to kiss him.

“You have the sexiest laugh,” she whispered before sealing his lips with hers. Everything about Nick Wilde made her hot. His laugh, his strength, the way he touched her, and the way he pushed right past all her defenses and took what he wanted with a smile that melted her heart a little more each time she saw it. He cradled the back of her head with one hand, holding her close as they savored each second of contact. It was the most intimate moment she’d ever shared with another person. The taste of his lips, the scent of his skin, the heat of his body beneath hers all blended together. Tongues dipped and tangled, mouths mated, skin sliding against skin.

She moaned into his mouth and he took their kiss deeper, devouring her and holding her so close there was nothing between them but heat. She opened her eyes and found herself staring into his, falling into their blue depths. Time slowed, and then came a moment of perfect connection, when even their hearts beat as one. It was overwhelming and wonderful, and when it had passed Lia knew things would never be the same again.

“You’re magic,” Nick murmured, looking up at her with adoration burning in his eyes.

“Can’t be, the wand is still downstairs.”

“I don’t think we need the wand anymore. Do you?” Lia’s heart skipped a beat and then she shook her head.

“No, I don’t think we do.”

Nick raised his head and kissed her, his hands smoothing down her body until they were on her hips. He arched his back, lifting her off the bed and she felt the hard shaft of his cock brush against the curve of her ass. “I need you.”

“Then take me.” Lia broke their kiss to sit upright, shifting her position so that his cock was between them, sliding through the slick folds of her pussy.

“Condom,” Nick grated out the single word, his hands closing on her hips as he fought to stay in control.

Lia paused, and then broke the last rule she had. “I’m on the pill and I’m clean. If you can promise me the same, then we don’t need one.”

Nick’s eyes widened and his fingers bit into her flesh as he gripped her tighter. “I’ve never gone without one. Not once. You’re sure?”

“I trust you,” she said, and she watched the impact of her words tear through Nick like a wildfire. His eyes blazed, his smile turned feral and his dick twitched and turned to steel where it was pressed against her clit.

She raised herself up, reaching between them to guide him into position. Nick lifted his head to watch as their bodies came together, and as her body took him in, he loosed a wild groan of raw need.

“So good. Fuck, you feel incredible, Lia. Please tell me we can do it like this every time, because now I’ve had you like this, I don’t know if I can go back.”

Lia could only nod. There were no more barriers between them. She’d torn them all away, broken every rule she had. She gave herself to him without restriction, and he took her gift with a smile.

“Mine now,” he growled as he drove himself up into her body, filling her so completely she could feel his cock throb against her inner walls. His primal words inflamed her, and she dropped her hands to his forearms bracing herself against them as she began to move. Every roll of her hips drew another low groan of need from Nick, who was watching her with hooded eyes.

“This again? I’m not yours, Nick,” she argued. There was a snarl and then the world went topsy-turvy. Lia blinked once, then again, and found herself staring
up
at Nick.

“Mine.” He repeated as he took her by the wrists and pinned her arms to the bed. His weight kept her pinned in place, and there was a wild look in his eyes that made her breath catch in her throat.

“No.”

“Liar. You feel it too. You can’t deny there’s something between us anymore, Lia, I won’t let you. It was there the night we danced, and it’s never gone away. There are nearly three million people in this city, and yet I found you again. That’s fate.”

“No, it was my interfering best friend and your future sister-in-law.”

“Fate. I’ve never met anyone like you before, and I don’t think I’ll ever find someone else that makes me this nuts. I want to find out just how good we can be together. So stop fucking fighting me and tell me you’re mine.”

Her temper flared to life, hotter than the fire of lust that coursed through her veins. “I’m not yours. Not yet. If you want that from me, then we have a long way to go yet,” she challenged him and then lifted her head, kissing him hard as she sank her teeth into his lower lip.

“I’m not going anywhere.” He said, pain and pleasure roughening his voice. He pushed his body upward, over of hers, freeing them both to move again. Before she could do more than draw a single breath, he was moving, setting a punishing pace as he drove his cock into her again and again. He kept her hands pinned, but her legs were free. She planted her feet on the bed and met him thrust for thrust, too enflamed to do anything but give in to the demands of her body. She craved his touch, the way he stretched and filled her. Every stroke and counter pushed her closer to the edge, both of them panting, half wild with need.

This time it was Nick who lost the battle for control first, bottoming out inside her, groaning her name in low, shuddering tones. He came hard, pounding her into the mattress as he emptied himself inside her, and those last few thrusts sent her hurtling past the brink and into her own release.

“Remind me to start taking vitamins again,” Nick eventually muttered into the soft skin of her neck.

“Why?”

“Because I think it’s pretty obvious you and I are going to fight from time to time, and if that was any indication, I’m going to need to prepare in advance, or the make-up sex might just kill me.”

****

Nick was torn between the desire to keep Lia in his arms as long as he could, and the burning need he had to put his mark on her. He wanted to see his designs on her golden skin. Even if no one saw it but the two of them, he wanted to know it was there. Every time she looked down, it would be there, reminding her of this night, and of him. When she stirred and started to sit up, he knew it was time.

“Are you ready to get on with the next item on tonight’s agenda, Cin?”

“I’ve lost track of the plan. What’s next again?”

“My favorite bit. This is where I get to draw on you.”

She gave him a slow, sleepy smile. “You were that kid in kindergarten who was always keen to get the finger paints out, weren’t you?”

“Oh yeah, that was me all right. I brought up everything we’d need earlier, so now you just need to answer a few questions while I get set up. You stay here and relax, I’m going to sit at my desk so I can draw up the design while we talk.”

She nodded, sitting up and gathering the quilt around her shoulders before nestling into a corner of the bed. The studio was well heated, and his former career had left him with little thought for his own nudity, so Nick simply stood and crossed over to his desk without bothering to dress. It wasn’t until he was seated, sketch book open and pencil in hand, that he noticed Lia was staring.

“Were your family nudists or something? I’ve never seen anyone so comfortable in their own skin,” she said.

Her question caught him off guard, and for a split second he considered confessing the truth, but then he thought better of it. Lia wasn’t ready to hear about his time as a dancer yet, she’d just use it as a reason to run. “Florida is too hot to wear much, so I just got used to showing more skin.”

“One day I want to go somewhere like that. Warm ocean breezes, blue water and nothing on but a swimsuit and sunscreen.”

“Sounds good. Especially the part about you in a swimsuit. Got any vacation time saved up? We could have our toes in the sand by the end of the month.”

Lia’s eyes widened and her lips parted several times, but no words came out. He took a shot in the dark. “How long has it been since you took time off?”

“Uh. A while.”

“I know that look. I know that answer too. It’s the same one my “all work, no play” big brother Dave gives my mom when she asks him that question. Let me make it simple for you. Have you taken vacation time in the last two years?”

“No.”

He pushed her a little further. “How about the last five years?”