Finally Home (Home Series) (26 page)

"Shall I trail my hand down your body, into your pants?  Feel your curls between my fingers?  Are you wet for me, baby?" he said to her, all in Italian, his lips skimming her ear, her cheek, her lips.

Lainey was going to die.  She knew it.  They didn't have to worry about Charles Conroy, because Commander Michael Casiano was going to do her in right there in Melissa's guest bedroom.  She was shivering and trembling and she couldn't let on that she understood every delicious word that he'd said to her.  She was aching to touch him but she didn't dare try to free her hands for fear of him following through on his threat to leave the room. 

"I'm going to let go of your wrists," he told her in English, "but you leave those hands right where they are, am I clear?"

"Yes, sir," she breathed a little mockingly, brow arched in challenge to him.

His smile broadened, "Yes, sir," he echoed, "I like that," he said, his tongue tracing the shell of her ear.

"Mike," she whimpered, feeling goose bumps erupt all over when he released her wrists so that both hands could lift her shirt and he moved down to skim his lips over her stomach and ribs.  She wanted to touch him.  She wanted her hands in his hair.  She wanted...

"Lainey," he said, his voice firm.

"What?"

"Hands," he said and she realized she'd lowered her hands from where he'd placed them above her head.

"Mike, please," she gasped.

"Uh-uh.  Reach behind you and hold on to the headboard.  Do not let go.  I won't warn you again.  You let go, I'll stop whatever I'm doing, get up and leave.  Am I clear?"

"Mike," she pleaded.

"Am. I. Clear?"

"Yes, sir," she replied.

"Do it now," he ordered.

Frustrated, she lifted her hands and wrapped them around the bars of the wrought iron headboard.

"
Brava,
" he told her.  Good girl.  Lainey sighed and closed her eyes when his lips returned to her stomach. He kissed a burning trail down to the waistband of her jeans, then to her surprise, he tugged her button free and pulled the zipper down, and then his hand did just as he'd teased her with, sliding inside her pants to seek her center.

"Mike," she gasped when his fingers began a slow, sensual massage.

"Shh,
bellisima,
" he said, one finger sliding in to stroke her deep.

"Oh, God," she cried, her hands tightening on the headboard
.

He stroked her slowly for several long moments, then let a second finger join the first.  Lainey clenched her teeth to keep from crying out, but it was hard, especially when his fingers began pushing into her in a stronger, faster rhythm.  When she began whimpering, he slid back up, sealing his lips over hers to absorb her cries. 

"Please, Mike...oh, God...Mike," she panted against his lips.

"That's it,
cara mia
, ride it out."

"Please...can I touch you?  Mike..."

"Leave your hands where they are," he commanded, his hand moving faster and harder, until he felt her muscles gripping his fingers and she was crying her release.

"Mike," she gasped, feeling herself shatter in his hands.  She whimpered when he withdrew his fingers.  He brought his hand up to her lips, trailing the tips over her lips.

"Open," he ordered, then pushed his fingers slowly into her mouth when she obeyed.  "Lick them clean,
cara
, see how good you taste."

She locked gazes with him as
she licked and sucked on his fingers, ignoring her taste and concentrating on his.  When he pulled his fingers away, he leaned down to claim her mouth, licking her lips before sinking into the kiss.

"Please...let me touch you," she panted when he pulled back from the kiss.

He ran his nose along hers, then kissed her again.

"You did very well,
cara mia
," he praised her, "you can let go now."

She immediately released the headboard and twined her arms around his neck, fingers sinking into his hair.
  Mike wrapped his arms around her and turned them so that they were on their sides facing each other.

"Why wouldn't you let me touch you?" she whispered after a time.

"I wanted you to do as I said for once," he said, making her smile.

"I suppose I don't listen enough for your liking, do I, Commander?"

"No.  You don't."

"I need to change clothes.  Will you stay with me, all night?"

He kissed her forehead, then cupped her chin in his hand, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"I said I would, didn't I?"

"Yes."

"If I tell you I'm going to do something, then I'm going to do it.  Don't question me when I've already given you the answer,
capisce
?"

"Yes, sir...but Mike?"

"Yes?"

"Don't expect me to say
'Yes, sir' to you outside of the bedroom."

He chuckled.  "
I'm surprised you said it at all, but I have to admit, I like it," he said, watching her get up and go into the bathroom.

Knowing he was asking for trouble staying in the same room with her, Mike rolled to his back and stared up at the ceiling.  He hadn't really meant to
make her keep her hands off of him, but she'd been close to raising his shirt and he wasn't sure he was ready for her to see his scars just yet.  She would.  Soon.  No way he was going to put off claiming her much longer.  It was killing him now not to be able to lose himself in the comfort of her arms and her body.  Ten years was a long time to go without being with a woman.  While he hadn't really cared before, now it was sitting on him like a huge elephant. 

A knock on the door drew him from his thoughts.  He glanced toward the door to the bathroom then got up to answer the door, taking a moment to smooth his hands over his hair.

"Lainey, I..." Riley began but stopped when he saw Mike at the door.

"What did you need?" he asked
.

"You staying in here with her?" Riley asked.

"Just to sleep, man."

Riley nodded.  "OK...I was just bringing her bag to her.  Want me to grab yours?"

"If you don't mind.  I promised her I wouldn't leave...she's still upset about that phone call."

"I understand.  I'll grab your bag and be back."

"Riley...?"

"It's cool, man, don't sweat it.  Be back."

Lainey came out of the bathroom just as Mike shut the door, wearing just her T-Shirt...her very short T-Shirt. 

"Riley brought your bag," he said, handing it to her.

"Oh, good.  I'll just go back in and change."

"Stay in there until I knock on the door.  He's coming back with my bag.  He said he's cool with me being here, but no need to add fuel to the fire by him seeing you half dressed in the bed."

She smiled.  "OK, Commander, whatever you say."

When Riley came back, he handed Mike his bag and bid him goodnight without staying to chat, for which Mike was grateful.  He quickly changed into his sweats and Navy tee then knocked on the bathroom door to let her know she could come out.  When she came out wearing the same Navy tee he'd seen her in before, he had to
clench his teeth to keep his libido under control.  She really was beautiful.

"How was Riley about you being in here?"

"Fine," he replied.

"Really?" she asked, climbing into bed and getting under the covers.

"I promised him it was just to sleep."

A sly smile spread across her face.  "Oh, really?"

"It is.  Now."

She laughed and he couldn't help but smile. 

"Semantics, Commander."

"Tomato, tomahto," he got in bed and lay on his side facing her, folding his arms over his chest as he'd done the first two times they'd slept side-by-side.  Lainey, however, wasn't having it.  She scooted close to him and pulled on his arms so that she could snuggle into his chest.  "You're killing me,
bambina
," he groaned.

"That's the plan," she said, smiling up at him.

"Imp," he said, kissing her brow.

Several quiet moments passed, then Lainey took a deep breath.

"You didn't want me to see your scars, did you?" she asked quietly.

He was quiet for so long she didn't think he was going to answer. 
Then she felt him take a deep breath and bend his head to kiss her forehead.

"I didn't want you to see them tonight.  You will, soon.  But for now, I didn't want them to spoil anything."

She pulled back from him so she could meet his gaze. 

"Your scars are not going to bother me."

He lifted a hand to brush her hair back from her face, then captured a thick strand between his fingers.

"Some of my scars are really bad, I won't lie."

"I imagine they are...but the important thing is, they are just scars and you survived them.  You survived them because you were not meant to die in that hovel in Mosul, Mike Casiano.  From the minute our eyes met at the Founders Day Ball all those years ago, I believe you were meant to come back to me.  I believe that's why my relationship with Kevin didn't work and I believe that's why you held yourself back from any other relationships."

"You could be right
...I thought about you...a lot over the years," he confessed. "I remember every story Riley ever told about you. There were times when we were out on missions, that all we did was sit around and talk to keep our minds off of the things we'd seen and done.  Riley talked about you and his brothers a lot.  He read the letters you sent to him to us.  We followed you through college and setting up your service with Kacee."

"What did you talk about?"

"I mainly listened to the others."

"Mike.  Your family..."

"I talked about them some.  Enough that everyone was familiar with the situation.  But not often."

"Do you think you will ever be able to forgive Nick?"

"I don't blame him.  Carolina is beautiful, and she is more suited to him than she ever was to me."

"But you still hold yourself back from them, as if you don't forgive them."

"I forgive them...I just don't forget.  And then there was the whole fallout with my father about me joining the Navy with Riley.  He never understood.  He never let me fully explain.  He latched onto the timing of it, right on the heels of Carolina breaking up with me to be with Nick.  They all think I joined because of them.  I tried to tell him that wasn't the reason; I had decided months prior to that.  Carolina tried to tell them, too, because I'd told her, but they wanted to believe what they wanted to believe.  Nothing I did or said could change their minds so I quit trying."

"That's just wrong."

"It is what it is."

"And then once you were in and you came home to visit?  Why did you start pulling away?"

He took a deep breath.  "We'd seen...so much devastation.  So many children who were afraid to even step outside their front door.  Children who were malnourished in Africa.  Children who learned to shoot a gun before they could read or write in the Middle East.  And then I'd come home and see my nephews and see how happy they were...and sometimes when I looked at them, all I could see were the haunted faces of the children I'd met in the war torn regions...it was hard to relate...so, I kept my distance."

"Mike," she whispered, touching his cheek.

"You see a lot when you're in the war zone.  Things that are hard to forget.  You learn to push it aside, push through it...but it's hard when it involves women and children...especially the children."

"That's
why I work mainly with children.  When we first started, we took on all sorts of cases, like I did with Charles.  But then we found that working with children was more what we wanted to do.  It's heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once."

"You did a great job with Cam."

She smiled.  "Cam has been one of my easy cases.  Since Riley stepped in, Cam is doing great.  Which reminds me, that was why I came in here earlier.  Cam had gotten a text from his dad that upset him.  I texted Wade but he hasn't responded.  When Charles called, I thought it was Kacee calling."

He cursed under his breath in Italian. "Got distracted.  I was going to check in with your father and see what they found."

"I'm sure Riley handled it."

He nodded.  "But it's my job."

"My father probably didn't think anything of Riley being the one calling.  And obviously they didn't get him or else Riley would have let you know.  Don't take so much on yourself; that's what the others are here for.  You can't control everything."

He stroked his thumb over the apple of her cheek.

"Where you're concerned I can...get some sleep,
cara mia,
" he said, "we have to leave early tomorrow."

"Will you sleep?"

"I'll try," he said, "that's all I can promise."

She placed her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him down for a deep, but brief kiss.

"Good night, Commander," she whispered.

"
Buonanotte, cara mia."

Chapter Eighteen

The heat was stifling.  Voices sounded all around him but he was having difficulty concentrating.  Pain.  Pain was all he knew now; pain was all he was.  It didn't matter.  What did was that
Melissa would have her husband's body to bury, and Riley would be safe.  That's all that mattered.  The pain...would end soon enough.  Soon, he would be blissfully free from all of this.  He wished he could see his family one more time.  To tell his parents that he loved them.  To see Nick and tell him that he forgave him.  To hug Gia.  To tease Andre.  He hoped they knew that, in spite of all their differences, he loved them all very much.

The voices of his captors grew louder. 
With his arms bound and tied above his head he was having a hard time breathing, but every time he came close to losing consciousness, they would devise some way to revive him and prolong his torture.  He knew by the sound of their voices that they'd come up with some new way to antagonize him...and then he heard a feminine gasp.  His eyes flew open and he saw that two of his captors held Lainey between them.  Real terror shot through him.  He couldn't understand what they were saying but he could get the gist.  Frantic, desperate, he scanned the room, looking for Abdul, the one who spoke English.

"Mike!" she cried when they tore her clothes from her and she stood nude before them all.

"Let her go!!" he roared.

Abdul crossed over to him, the hot branding iron he'd used on Mike in his hand.

"Is this your whore, infidel?" Abdul asked, stroking his hand down Lainey's cheek.  "She's very beautiful," he said, lifting a strand of her blonde hair and raising it to his nose, "smells as sweet as a rose."

"Don't you touch her!"

"Mike, please!" she sobbed, her eyes wide with fear, "Help me!"

Abdul's hand trailed down to her breasts, roughly pulling on her nipple, making her cry out.  Mike began fighting against his bonds, using what little strength he had left to try to wrench his arms free.
  Lainey screamed when Abdul pressed that awful brand to her lower abdomen, the blood-chilling sound echoing through the small room.  That was all Mike needed to give him that last bit of adrenaline needed to pull his arms free...he lunged forward after Abdul, but when he did, Abdul drove a blade through Lainey's heart...

Mike jolted awake, pulled more violently from the dream than ever before.  Beside him, Lainey sat up, placing her hand on the center of his chest.  Before she could speak, he crushed her to him, cradling her head to his chest, stroking a not-so-steady hand over h
er blonde hair.

"Mike?" she asked, her voice thick with concern.

He kissed her brow then released her, getting up to pace, taking several deep, calming breaths...and finding it wasn't helping.  Lainey had ended up in his nightmare.  Just the thought of her being in that God-forsaken place, even in a dream had him wrecked.  He thought briefly of the night Colt received the call that his wife was en route to the hospital and he needed to come home.  As he'd thought that night, he'd seen Colt face down a lot of enemies, been with him shoulder-to-shoulder through some intense fire fights and had never once seen the big man scared.  That night, however, his face had gone completely ashen and for the first time ever, Mike had seen real fear in Colt's eyes.  He glanced over at Lainey who was sitting up with her knees drawn to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs watching him pace.  She was so small, so pure...but also very strong.

"Talk to me, Mike, please?" she whispered.

He stopped pacing and faced her.

"I'm cold," he whispered, not really knowing what prompted him to share.

She stood and crossed over to him stopping just in front of him.

"Let me help you," she pleaded, reaching out to touch him.  He took a step back before her hand could connect with his arm.  "Mike?"

He shook his head.  "Don't touch me right now,
cara
," he said softly.

"Why?"

"My emotions are too raw."

"You're trembling," she said, "let me help you, Mike, please."

"I can't."

"Yes, you can," she countered.

"
Cara,"
he whispered.

"I'm not made of glass, Commander.  I'm stronger than you think."

The fight left him then. He sank to his knees and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face against her abdomen.  Lainey didn't hesitate.  She wrapped her arms around his head and held him close to her, bending slightly to kiss the top of his head.  He was trembling and it brought tears to her eyes, a huge lump forming in her throat.  What horrors had he just relived to bring him to this state? She held him tight, knowing he would allow her to draw closer to him in that moment than he ever had before.  She began combing her fingers through his hair, slightly rocking him and humming.  At first, she didn't even realize what she was humming, but after a time, the song that came to her was
.
  She hummed it for a while, and when he looked up at her, she began to softly sing it to him.  She knew she didn't have the best singing voice, but she wasn't bad, either. 

"
Bellisima,"
he murmured when she stopped.

She cupped his face in her hands, looking down into his eyes.

"Tell me about the dream," she implored.

He swallowed hard and shook his head slightly.  "I don't want to taint you with the details."

"I can handle it, Mike.  It's eating you up inside, can't you see that?  You need to talk about it.  Let me help you."

"You are helping me, just by being here."

"Mike...talk to me."

He stood then, towering over her.  For a moment, they stood just gazing into each other's eyes, then Mike slowly leaned down and kissed her forehead...then each of her eyes in turn, then her cheeks, then finally her lips.  Lainey wanted to protest, to keep trying to get him to talk, but she backed down, not wanting to push him too far.  The awful trembling had subsided and he seemed more in control of himself.