Delta: Revenge (7 page)

Again, he lifted both his shoulders in reply, making his shirt curve over his muscles. “I have a working knowledge of something they’ve honed in on.” He swigged from his bottle of champagne, offering it to her. “They asked if I wanted in, and I said yeah.”

There was something carnal about sharing the bottle. As if he knew hers was inches away, but he wanted her lips and his to have a shared bond. “That simple?”

The truth played on his features before he shook his head. “Not at all.”

She took a sip, curiosity piqued, and she let the bubbles slide down her throat. “What’s your working knowledge?”

“My working knowledge…” He took the bottle back, his sure fingers grazing her paler ones, then he took his turn with a drink. Javier’s dark eyes closed, and he held the expensive bottle in his large hands, toying with it as though he needed a distraction. “It’s nothing pretty. The world’s ugly. Nothing you need to worry about.”

If he only knew. “You’re the protective type?”

Javier chuckled as though she were asking something as obvious as whether he’d ever seen a street fight.

“Okay, you’re the protective type.” She was, too, in her own way, but explaining that was hard—or classified—so Sophia leaned into him, wanting to experience his strength but also to explain as best she could without spilling a secret. “I know you see what you see.”

“What’s that?”

She pointed to the lace. “Fancy dress.” Then drew a finger in the air, encircling the bedroom. “Fancy house. Whatever you think you see, it isn’t me.”

“Same.” His gaze didn’t fall on her but past her shoulders and out to nowhere, where the wallpaper melted into another world. The warmth in his cheeks, the smile on his lips—they were gone, and a deeper pain that she knew he wouldn’t admit to appeared on his face.

She hugged him without thinking, needing to feel their connection again, that warmth from his touch, that salve to the wound. She needed the distraction, the reminder that something could feel good, not just this gray cake-and-champagne haze.

Javier stiffened, hands dropping to his sides, apparently
not
needing a connection. But even for the moment, their hug made the rest of the world melt away. With a happy little sigh, she inched away, not apologizing but not willing to make a fool out of herself for an extended period of time. “Just needed that. Thanks.”

His hand jumped and wrapped her back, holding her in place, halting her slow retreat.

“Oh.”

He bent, his forehead touching hers, and the light scent of his peppery cologne was better than cake and champagne. It was better than getting married, just to be that close, to smell someone who made goose bumps jump on her skin and her mouth water for a kiss.

Forcing herself to look him in the eye, she tilted her chin up and whispered against his lips. “You needed that too. A hug.”

Seconds slid by without a sound.

“Yes.” His warm breath tickled her skin. “Bad news sucks, whether it comes from the phone or at the altar.”

Sophia nodded, dropping her head against the crook of his shoulder as his other arm came up to her spine. Two powerful arms held her to his impossibly broad chest. Javier felt like a man should, powerful and sexual. Her face pressed into his collared neck, and she inhaled loudly enough that he had to have heard.

He gave her a squeeze and then leaned back. They were against the headboard again, but this time, their bodies were aligned, with shoulders, sides, and legs touching. She rested her head on his shoulder. A tension swirled around them, inside her, reaching deep. Her mind raced as fast as her pulse, and she leaned her weight against him, needing to be closer. Snuggling him.

“Sophia.” His low voice hit her hard. “You don’t want to do that,
paixão
.”

Paixão?
If he’d say that word again, she’d do that and so much more. “It’s one of the only good things I felt today—leaning up against you.”

He nodded, his stubbled cheek brushing against her forehead. “I know what you mean, but still.”

She twisted to rest her chin on his shoulder, her chest feeling full and her mind fuzzy. “Still what?”

“Still…” He took a deep breath, turning his head so that their cheeks touched. His dark stubble scratched her skin, forcing a wave of goose bumps down her back. His lips and breath were dangerously close to her ear, each breath nearly silent and absurdly erotic. “This… isn’t a good idea.”

She leaned into him. “Yes it is. It’s the only thing that feels good right now.”

He mumbled what could’ve been a curse, but his hand sifted into her hair. “Softer than I thought.”

His other palm went to her waist, sliding over the loose gown up her stomach to the curve of her breast.

“That’s nice.”

Fingers flexing, his hand didn’t waver. “Yeah?”

“Yes.” Her mind stuttered to keep her mouth from begging him to touch her, take her.

“I shouldn’t.” His full lips brushed her neck. Excitement prickled across her skin with the simplest of his touch.

“Javier, yes.” Her breathy command begged as his absurdly defined body pressed to her. The entire world washed away as he moved closer. “You totally,
totally
should.”

The idea of him undressing her, running his tongue along her lips, and drifting his palm over her bare skin made the sensitive flesh between her legs awaken. With short breaths and a needy core, Sophia cupped his cheeks, loving the way her palms scratched against his shadow, and ran her fingers into his thick, dark hair.

“Paixão.” The weight of his head shifted in her hands, urging her fingers to delve deeper into his locks. “
Eu queria que você me fizesse um cafuné.
”

She had no idea the meaning, but his sinful mouth touched hers. The velvet slice of his tongue urged her to kiss him back, and it wasn’t a request she could deny. She hadn’t kissed anyone but Josh in years, and the anticipation of what might come flooded her. Her tongue touched his, and he tasted sweet. Within seconds, there was no question. This was the best kiss.
Of. Her. Life.
Intense and passionate. Deep and seductive.

Javier groaned, grabbing her possessively.

Sophia opened for him, letting him delve as she hungrily matched him. He tasted like sweetness and strength, like champagne and cake. Her head swam as she dropped her hand to explore his hard chest. The buttons caught under her manicured nails, and she toyed with the one under his chin and the two farther down his chest. A primal need urged her to rip it open, but instead, she concentrated on the delicious idea of undressing him. With care, and with far more attention than was needed, she unbuttoned his dress shirt. One button at a time. Slowly. Seductively. She let her fingers tease inside his shirt even though she was a woman on a mission to bare his chest.

Catching his eyes, feeling his soul down to her stomach, she explored his warm flesh, raking her fingers through the smattering of dark chest hair and up to his broad shoulders, then she pushed his dress shirt down his biceps.

There was no
oh my God, what are we doing.
Breaths slamming, they were kissing, trembling, rabidly out of control. Panting, she pulled back to savor Javier’s well-defined, corded,
inked
chest. “You are…”

He hushed her to let her know she shouldn’t gawk.

“
Handsome.
” Not all his skin was tattooed. But the parts that were inked were simply magnificent.

He ran his fingertips along her neckline, tracing down the side of her dress, giving it a light tug. “You’re sure, Sophia?”

“Yes.” She was surer than she’d been about walking up the aisle to marry Josh.

“Good.” Javier slid her dress down her arms so it piled around her waist then swept her into his arms as though she and the fabric weighed the same, which they didn’t. That dress was heavy, and she was no feather.

His starving stare worked up her legs and over her lingerie. It was about the only thing that she’d chosen without comment from others—not Liz or Josh or her mother. It was the only thing that,
truthfully
, she hadn’t thought of for anyone but herself. Josh wouldn’t have noticed it anyway, but she did. She loved the silk, and the cut was sexy and feminine while still making her feel like a princess.

“This is…” Javier graveled so low it rumbled. “Gorgeous.”

Her fingers touched his chin, and her thumbs swept across his cheeks, brushing his dark eyelashes and stilling over his cheek. Javier didn’t just notice what she wore but appreciated it. Ironic.

“I’ve never…” He didn’t finish.

“You never, what?”

“Wanted to savor a moment before.” Javier stretched her across the bed. His tongue licked above her ankle, bending her knee as he slowly kissed up her leg.

Kiss wasn’t the right word. He made love to her with his mouth, touching her with such concentration that she mentally surrendered. Defying all she expected from a military man, he worked his way up to her thighs, sensually kissing the white silk lingerie that all but bared her. “Please.”

A hot, lashing lick pressed over her fabric-covered clit, and Sophia cursed. Her hips writhed. Javier ignored her pleas and prayers, instead trailing up her stomach to torture her breasts. Heat enveloped her nipple through the bra she thought would always be ignored. “Oh, so good.”

“I’m going for better than good.” He pulled down the cup, taking the tight bud into his mouth as his hand slid under the thin silk of her panties, delving into the hungry slickness between her legs.

Her head pressed into the pillows, and her eyes rolled into heaven. Sensations she’d only dreamed of swam through her head as Javier teased her pussy folds open, stroking slowly, steadily, creating a rhythm that matched the pounding of her heartbeat. “God. Javier.”

“Better, gatinha.” His fingers encircled her sweet spot at the same rhythm as his tongue trailed kisses to her other breast, sucking and toying with her nipple. His teeth tugged. Hard. Harder. She felt pain and ecstasy both at her breast and deep inside her body, where he slipped two thick fingers inside. And…
oh…
the flicks of his tongue, the heat and the suctions. There was no other way to think of him: Javier was a
master
.

“Open for me.”

“Yes, sir.” Her breath stuttered, trembling her legs wider. “Javier.”

He steadily pumped his hand into her tightness while his thumb worked her clitoris. His mouth
never
stopped flicking and sucking her nipple. God.
Never!

“I’m—” Gasping, she couldn’t find the words to explain the building wave of climax. He knew her body, knew what she needed. The pressure, the thrust, the bites of pain and pleasure, the
everything
increased, and Sophia moaned. Quaking against him, clawing her hold to his massive hulk, she hurt for how good she felt.

“Come for me, Sophia.” The accent had nothing on his honed attention.

“Yes.” She arched, letting her most intimate muscles clench his fingers, and she scratched down his back. The room went warm as the lights swirled and twirled. An addictive wave of euphoria hit, and all was amazingly perfect.

Javier took his hand from her, cupping her face and kissing her lips. The gesture was sweet but packed with intent. He ran a palm down her back, unhooking her bra, and she shrugged it off, letting her hands slide down his inked chest.

His ripped abdominal muscles were defined in a way Sophia had never touched before, the tan skin covering them warm with a short, tight teasing of dark chest hair. Her hands rested on his belt, and she noticed his dress pants hid nothing. An impressive bulge waited for her—intimidated her. He made her mouth water as much as he made her anticipate the sleek gorgeousness of his Latin body.

She tugged on his leather belt when his strong hand clamped over hers. “Tell me to go, Sophia. Throw me out of your bed. You got what you needed. I did, too, in my own way.” His grip squeezed her hand tighter, punctuating his absurd request. “Tell me to leave.”

“No,” she whispered then kissed his chest with tongue and teeth, letting her hands unbuckle his belt as he growled in approval, his hips flexing. “You’ve given me just a start of what I need.”

She bit the flat disk of his nipple, and his breath caught.

Under her control, the zipper gave way, and she tugged at his pants. Massive, powerful thighs and a thick erection were her reward. He moved from her, kicking his shoes and socks off then grabbing a condom from his wallet and holding it up as if asking for silent, final permission to make love to her on her wedding night.

“Please.” She nodded intently, both begging and promising what they both wanted.

His eyes glimmered, locking on to hers, staring at her as though he were starved—for her. God. He tore the packet open without breaking their visual hold. Javier stroked his length, covering his shaft, and eased back onto the bed. He held his hands out, waiting for her to take them.

Carefully, she placed hers in his, her dainty and pale ones contrasting with his tough and bronzed. He squeezed, and Sophia crawled over the sculpted muscle of this sexy man, memorizing the carnal flush in her veins.