Hard As Ice (Fortis Series 1) (12 page)

Nia reached up and unhooked the clasp at the back of her neck, and lowered the zipper along the side of her waist. With a sweeping motion, she took hold of the skirt and pulled the dress off over her head. Evan took it from her hands and tossed it in the direction of the bench. She was left in only a minuscule thong and a sheer demi bra the color of dark ivory.

“Jesus, Nia, you’re so beautiful,” he whispered.

Nia felt it. She felt sexy and powerful. Desired and in control. It was liberating. She leaned forward, bending at the waist until she was able to kiss him. She started softly, teasing him with gentle brushes and light licks of her tongue. Evan seemed content to let her go at her own pace. Until she swept her tongue into his mouth, and twirled it around his.

With a groan, he grasped her naked bottom and pulled her high on his thighs with her knees straddling him. The kiss became deep, wet, and intense. Evan flexed his hips, brushing the rigid length of his erection between her thighs. Nia forgot about who was in charge, and got swept away by the flush of arousal. She clutched his shoulders and met his thrust. He swore thickly, trailing his lips down the side of her neck, over her collarbone and to the top of her breast.

“Yes,” she urged, leaning back to watch him.

He grazed his tongue over a nipple through her bra, then swirled around the peaked nub. Wetness pooled in her panties. He did the same to the other breast, until Nia was singing with a soft litany of moans. She wanted more, needed his mouth on her skin.

She leaned back on her knees and pulled down her bra strap, freeing her generous mounds from the lacy cups.

“Nia,” Evan growled before sucking a thick firm tip into his mouth.

“Ahh, yeah,” she sighed. As he tugged harder, her moans got louder. The temperature in the room went up several degrees.

“Condom,” he mumbled a few moments later.

“Where?” Nia gasped, her brain barely functioning.

“In my bag, beside the chair.”

It took another few seconds before she found the strength to pull away from his wicked lips. She slowly unfurled from her straddled position to stand in front of him. God, he was a beautiful sight, half naked and fully aroused. The way he licked his lips suggested he liked what he was seeing also. Feeling inspired, she unhooked her bra, and threw it aside, but left on the panties and high-heeled sandals. She then bent over suggestively, reaching into his leather weekend bag to pull out a square packet.

“You’re killing me,” muttered Evan, his fists gripping the arms of the chair.

She smiled wickedly, really liking his reaction.

“Really? Are you feeling tense again, Evan?” she teased, tossing him the condom.

“You have no idea,” he growled back.

“Well, let me see how I can help.”

Rather than returning to his lap, Nia remained standing, but leaned forward to trail her fingers over his chest and down the ripples of his stomach. He sucked in a breath, demonstrating the impact of her touch. Encouraged, Nia continued her play by unbuckling his belt, and undoing the button to his pants. Next was the zipper, until only the cotton shorts covered his arousal. She looked into his eyes to find them hot and fixed on her every move.

“Nia,” he pleaded, telling her what he craved.

Holding his gaze, she stroked his hard length. Evan clenched his jaw. Almost in slow motion, Nia slipped her fingers under the band of his boxers, pulling back the elastic revealing the smooth tip of his penis. She tugged farther until his thick erection sprung free. God, he was incredible!

Nia knelt down in front of the chair to take him into her hands. He felt like hot silk. She stroked her hands along his length, loving the way his body quivered from her touch.

“Jesus,” he hissed.

Then she bent forward to lick his head, swirling her tongue around the firm edge. Evan moaned a curse, running one of his hands into her hair. She sucked the wide tip into her mouth and he threw back his head with a deep growl. Nia was aching in her core, hungry for his touch, but really wanting to give him this unique pleasure. She slowly sucked in as much of his length as she could take.

“Nia, baby,” he whispered tightly. “Christ! I can’t . . .”

Increasing the rhythm, she tightened her lips to stroke over his pulsing arousal as he hit the back of her throat. She wanted to make him come apart in her mouth, but Evan had other plans.

He gently pulled himself away, and had her back into his lap. Within seconds, he was encased in the condom and lifting her up by the hips. Nia closed her eyes in anticipation.

“Look at me, Nia,” he demanded, brushing aside the thin barrier of her thong.

She opened her lids, meeting his heated gaze as he slowly lowered her onto his shaft, working into her slowly until he was buried to the hilt. Neither of them seemed to breathe as her body adjusted to his tight fit. The sensation was incredible, overwhelming.

“Evan,” Nia begged, rotating her hips against his, demanding more.

“Ready?” he asked, teeth clenched hard.

“Yes,” she whispered.

He started slowly, gently, warming her to his size. Every penetration triggered electricity. Then, as his strokes became deeper, faster, they both got lost in the rhythm. Their bodies moved together in a wild, unrestrained gallop. Their skin became damp with sweat, and their guttural sounds echoed in the room. Their eyes remained locked, creating a link that seemed to connect their souls. Nia lost all awareness of her surroundings; she could only feel the clawing frustration of building arousal that had spread through her whole body. It was growing and mounting until she thought she would die if it didn’t peak.

Suddenly, Evan slowed his thrust, and brushed his fingers over her swollen clit. Nia shivered, on the verge of coming. He thrust hard, deep, and rubbed her bud just so. That was it. She finally closed her eyes as her body tightened like a bow, then fell to pieces in a long, pulsing orgasm.

When she finally collapsed against him, boneless and sated, Evan was still stroking into her, slow and deep. He brushed a hand along her cheek, cupping her face tenderly before leaning forward to kiss her deeply.

“Hold on,” he whispered, taking the curves of her behind in his hands.

Nia gripped the arms of the chair as he took her hard and deep. Watching him stroking into her, climbing toward his own climax, was the most erotic thing she had ever seen. He chanted her name, completely lost in his passion. It had her slick and tingling all over again. Then he slowed his pace, opening his eyes to look between their bodies. His expression was hungry, urgent as he made a final thrust, his body shuddering in climax.

Evan slipped stealthily out from under the sheets and off the bed. He glanced over at Nia’s sleeping form, naked with her head nestled in a feather pillow. Her hair was curly and damp from their second time together in the shower, and her breathing was slow and deep. He crept over to his walk-in closet to pull on a pair of athletic shorts. Back in the bedroom, he paused near the door for another minute to ensure she hadn’t sensed his departure. Satisfied that Nia would remain asleep, he strode out of the room, her small clutch purse almost hidden in one hand and a small LED flashlight in the other.

In the dark spare bedroom, Evan went into the attached bathroom and closed the door before he turned on the flashlight and opened her purse. With quick efficiency, he memorized exactly how every item was placed, then dumped it all on the counter. There wasn’t much, only a bejeweled clam-style mirror, a face powder compact, a tube of lipgloss, and her cell phone. Her driver’s license and a credit card were tucked into a small inside pocket. Evan examined each item to ensure they were what they seemed to be. There was nothing unusual.

The cell phone turned out to be equally as innocent. It was her registered iPhone. Evan reviewed the contact list, text messages, and e-mail but found nothing unusual or remotely suspicious. While there was a private e-mail account configured on the phone, there were only a few messages from her bank and several high-end retail stores. The bulk of her messages went to her work account, and appeared synced with the corporate server.

There was also nothing noteworthy in the account before or after the night of the robbery.

Evan repacked her purse so it looked undisturbed, then went back into the spare bedroom. Her travel bag was on a chair next to the bed, and he noted a few items of clothing hanging in the closet. He went through all her things with the same thorough efficiency.
Nothing.

A few minutes later, he was outside the house in a secure spot to call the control center. It was after eleven o’clock.

“Ice, everything good?” Raymond asked.

“Yeah, unfortunately. I got nothing in my search here. She doesn’t have a burner phone on her.”

“If she’s been using one, it doesn’t make sense that she would leave Boston without it,” Raymond mused. “But I’ll have Michael check out her apartment tomorrow, just in case.”

“I agree with you,” stated Evan, rubbing an agitated hand across his forehead. “If there’s no burner, we have no proof she was at the scene of the robbery. Everything proves her alibi of being at home for the night.”

“She didn’t have to be there to be involved. Maybe she just provided the info to Flannigan, and he did the rest?” suggested Raymond.

“Maybe. But how’s she communicating with her contacts? Flannigan’s dead, so who’s she working with now? Who’s running the show? Who had possession of the jewels, and how is Nia going to get paid?” questioned Evan. “We’re missing something.”

Both men were silent for several seconds, until Evan swore.

“The man at the Dorchester community center,” he stated in a deep tone. “He’s the only one she’s met in person other than her friends and people at work. We need to know who he is and fast.”

“We’re working on it, Ice. But I don’t think we’ll get anything.”

“Damn it!” he exclaimed under his breath. “What about the charity organization, or the community center? Can we find out who the student is through them? The girl’s name was Meghan, and she has to be registered somewhere. The man was holding the girl’s hand, so I’m betting he’s a relative of some kind.”

“I’ll see what I can find,” Raymond confirmed. “By the way, Tony finally pinned down that contact in New York: Spencer.”

“Nice!” uttered Evan with relief. “Any more info?”

“Not yet. They’re meeting tomorrow morning.”

“Good. I’ll have James back in Boston sometime in the evening. We can regroup at the control center.”

“Sure thing, Ice.”

“Okay, thanks Raymond. I’ll call in again around noon, but send me whatever you find before then.”

Moments later, Evan crept back into his bedroom. Nia was still sound asleep, curled into a tight ball. He returned the small purse to the top of the dresser and slid back into bed. Nia groaned softly and turned toward him as though seeking out his body heat. Then, she snuggled against his left side until her head was cushioned on his chest. Evan moved his arm out of the way before it became trapped beneath her and folded it so the back of his head rested in his palm. It helped him in the effort to resist the urge to pull her closer into his arms. Partly so he didn’t disturb her, but mostly because he needed to get a grip on reality, fast.

An hour later, it was well after midnight, and Evan still couldn’t fall asleep. His mind was too busy trying to compartmentalize what was happening to him. In the quiet of the night, it became impossible to ignore the conflict between his rational thinking and natural instinct. He had to face the disturbing fact that at some point between arriving at the Clements party and the moment Nia fell asleep, he had managed to forget she was an assignment. It was the only explanation for the sense of complete physical satisfaction that had settled over him after their first time together. And their second time. That was a hard fact for Evan to swallow, since it went against everything he had been trained to accomplish as a field agent in the CIA. And it betrayed his sense of justice and dedication to his job.

Evan took a deep, frustrated breath. He didn’t have to close his eyes to recall the vivid memory of Nia naked and lush, flushed from orgasm, her dark honey skin slick with perspiration. It was an intensely primal and erotic image, and one he was already itching to experience again. Christ, she did something to him. She sparked a hunger and excitement that no other woman ever had. Including Mikayla.

It was an unacceptable situation.

He shifted in the bed, careful not to wake Nia up. She sighed softly in her sleep and snuggled into his neck. Evan brushed aside some of her hair. It was still a little damp and curly from their second round in the shower. Another delicious memory. And a sharp reminder of how far he had crossed the line.

Another hour went by as Evan ran through all versions of the possible outcomes to this assignment as it pertained to Nia. He may have taken her completely, even lost himself a little in her sweet body, but the reality of the situation was inescapable. He and the team would eventually determine her role in the robbery. There was no doubt about that. It was only a matter of time, and there was one unchangeable outcome. As addictive as it was, this thing he was experiencing with Nia was inappropriate and pointless. It was a fact he needed to come to terms with, and quickly.

Sex was one thing. Like many times before, it was a potential part of his cover on this mission from the beginning. But, Evan had no right to feel this softness for her; this affection that caused his stomach to quiver when she smiled at him. It needed to be snuffed out at all costs, before it started to impact his objectivity, and ultimately his ability to do his job.

At some point, Evan finally fell into a light sleep only to wake up shortly after sunup. It was a sunny, clear morning so he quietly headed out for a run along the beach. Pushing hard, he completed the eight-anda-half-mile route in under an hour. Back inside the house, he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and guzzled it while heading to the shower attached to his bedroom. He wasn’t surprised that Nia was still sound asleep. It was still fifteen minutes before eight o’clock.

After a long shower, Evan stood in front of the foggy bathroom mirror and looked intently at his reflection. Somewhere around the six-mile mark, while ocean waves rolled onto the beach, he had achieved some clarity and come to a realization. This heightened interest in Nia had more to do with all the changes in his life over the last year than any real feelings for her. He’d lost his dad, ended his civil service career, and recovered from a crippling injury. It was more than enough upheaval to explain his unusual distraction by a very sensual woman.

But it wasn’t real and he had a job to do. A certain amount of intimacy and affection was necessary to the mission. But Evan just needed to be smart by keeping their physical contact to a minimum, and keeping his head focused on the endgame.

Feeling grounded, Evan finished washing up and went back into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He found Nia sitting up in the bed cocooned in the thick feather duvet. She looked adorably ruffled and much younger than she should.

“Good morning,” he greeted with a soft smile.

She bit the side of her cheek, her eyes roving over his near-naked form.

“Hi. What time is it?” she asked, looking out the window.

“Just after eight. Are you hungry?” Evan asked as he sat next to her at the edge of the bed. “I could make us some breakfast. The kitchen was stocked up yesterday.”

The offer seemed to amuse her.

“You cook?” she asked with skepticism.

“I do all right. It won’t kill you but to be honest, my true talents are in other areas.”

Her eyebrows shot up.

“Really? Such as?”

Evan shrugged.

“I’m too humble to brag. It’s the type of talent that has to be experienced,” he teased.

Nia couldn’t hide her smile. It was soft and sultry. Evan felt that familiar, unwanted stirring in the bottom his stomach.

“Well, now that you’ve piqued my curiosity, you may as well show me.”

“I would, but it’s quite time-consuming,” he replied as he stood up and walked over to his dresser, effectively putting some distance between them. “You’d starve to death before I was done. I can’t be responsible for that.”

“Or so you’re told?” she questioned sarcastically. “So much for humility.”

“I’m just telling you like it is.”

He heard her shifting on the bed, then the soft steps of feet as she crossed the room. Evan took a deep, silent breath, bracing himself for her approach.

“Why don’t I be the judge of this special talent of yours,” she stipulated. One of her soft hands slid around his waist to press flat against the lean plane of his stomach. The muscle twitched in reaction.

Evan could feel the silky heat of her naked body as she hovered a breath away. He clenched his jaw, willing himself to stay focused on his strategy. Touching her again would only lead to trouble.

Her hand slipped lower, and she stroked her palm over his now-firm erection. Evan meant to remove her hand, step out of her reach, but his brain was on pause. All function had flooded into his cock, leaving him breathless with anticipation.

“Unless you’re all talk,” accused Nia in a throaty voice. She quickly pulled off his towel, and wrapped dexterous fingers around his pulsing thrust. It felt insanely good.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he whispered back, mentally recalculating the risk versus reward of what she was pulling him into.

How would he possibly explain stopping her now, with the obvious evidence of his arousal in her grasp? What harm could one more time with her cause, he reasoned. It was just two people enjoying sex; natural physiology. Nothing more. He could deal with that.

“Duly noted,” Nia quipped.

Evan turned around and swiftly lifted her naked body into his arms until her legs wrapped around his waist. He had her back on the bed within seconds.

“Okay, I need silence in order to do my best work. Now lie back and close your eyes.”

Nia rolled her eyes, mockingly, but did as he asked.

“I’m curious about how you discovered this talent? Was it by accident, or did it take lots of practice?” she asked with mock seriousness.

“Silence, please! I can’t be distracted,” Evan demanded.

She pursed her lips. Evan fought the urge to smile, to notice how adorable she looked.

Starting at her feet, he worked his way up her bare legs. Evan stopped at her calves to stroke and massage the firm curve, using his finger tips to lightly tease the back of her knees. Nia squirmed with a gasp. He brushed the sensitive spot again, enjoying the ticklish response and eager to see how else he could make her react.

Slowly, he continued his path up her naked body, occasionally stopping to brush or stroke a particularly intriguing spot. Her belly button was the perfect, sweet innie. Evan dipped his finger in its shallow well. There was a slight valley running up her belly. He trailed his thumb along it, up into the hollow between her breasts. Her dark, peaked nipples pebbled in response. The hollow above her collarbone had skin that was soft and silky.

She was incredible. All dark honey and milk chocolate with all the right lean dips and generous curves. He couldn’t wait to taste her, but forced himself to be patient, take his time.

From his position at the edge of the bed, he spread both hands over the span of her hips and started a firm but gentle massage with the heels of his palms. He went down her legs and up the side of her waist repeatedly, stopped below her breast. Nia started to relax, her body loosening, releasing tension. Evan put extra attention near the top of her thighs, creeping inward to the juncture between. She bit her lip and flexed her hips. Eager to explore her secrets, he trailed his fingers along the silky skin over her pubic bone, waxed bare except for a small strip along her delicate lips.

“Evan,” she whispered, her eyes still closed.

“What?” he teased, stroking along the crease of her thighs.

“Please . . .”

“Please, what?” he urged. “Tell me what you want.”

Nia sighed.

“I would. But it might distract you.”

Evan chuckled. Cheeky girl.

“Fine. I’ll just have to do whatever I want,” he vowed.

Leaning forward over her body, he swiped one of her nipples with his tongue. She took in a deep breath with a hiss. Evan pulled the tight tip into his mouth, teasing and tweaking it with his lips until she moaned. He did the same with the other nipple. She was so sensitive and responsive, her body taut with mounting pleasure. He sucked harder, and stroked his thumb over the valley between her thighs. She was now dewy and slick.