Nauti Intentions (4 page)

was coming off him in waves. Sexual tension.

“Just because I may have somehow caused you to miss out on a little piece of tail tonight doesn’t mean I’m wil ing to substitute myself for

her.†She slid her shoes back on, the three-inch heels giving her almost enough added height that she didn’t feel as though he was towering over

her.

She could feel that tightening in her chest again. But it wasn’t claws tearing at her; it was a sense of excitement. And she didn’t need it.

“Did I ask you to fuck me?â€

Her stomach clenched at the sound of his voice. He might not be asking for it, but she had a feeling he was thinking about it. And she was thinking

about it. And she was stepping into seven different kinds of trouble if she dared to mess with this man.

“Good thing you didn’t,†she told him softly, staring back at him regretful y. “I don’t think you’d have much fun.â€

“Real y?†he drawled.

“Yeah. I hear virgins are a bore to men of your advanced years, Alex. Go find your girlfriend. She’l give you better sport.â€

Alex stared back at her. Years of training kept his expression from slackening in total shock. And a superhuman effort kept his hands from reaching out

for her and jerking her against him.

“A virgin?â€

“See? I’m not even fair game,†she told him as she col ected her purse and keys. “Are you ready to leave now? Because I’m kind of

tired.â€

She opened the door, forcing herself not to shiver as the cold February air whipped around her stocking-clad legs.

“I’l walk you up.â€

He looked determined, implacable.

“Alex, I don’t need another guard dog.†She sighed as he stepped out.

She set the alarm and closed the door, locking it quickly behind her before moving up the wide, wood steps to the smal balcony and apartment door

upstairs.

“There’s no inside entrance?†Alex asked behind her.

“Only in my dreams.†She felt like groaning. She hated walking these stairs every night.

Alex watched her walk, watched her cute, tight little ass bunch and her hips sway. He was rock hard; images of taking her, seeing the innocence in her

eyes as he fil ed her, were torturing him.

She was right; he should have been turned off. The thought of a virgin should have him running for the hil s. The hel if he should be fol owing her to her

apartment like an obedient hound.

He could have sat in his truck and watched her to the door.

But, he told himself, that wouldn’t mean she was safe. Someone could have gotten into the apartment.

Yeah right. Sitting in the truck wasn’t going to get him under that skirt of hers. And knowing she was a virgin wasn’t helping things.

It sent a shaft of possessiveness burning through him. And that, he didn’t want to feel. He didn’t feel possessive about women. It wasn’t

al owed and it wasn’t part of his life.

So why the hel was he standing on her balcony now, watching as she unlocked the door and stepped inside? She disabled the security, closed the

door behind them, and flipped on the lights.

He watched as she kicked off her shoes; spiky black heels, they made her legs look sexier than hel . She dropped her purse on the little table just

beside the door and moved into the wide living room before turning on a lamp and turning to face him.

“See, I’m safe.†She lifted her arms out to indicate the room, the apartment.

Alex shook his head slowly. Safe from everything but him. “You know what I want, don’t you, Janey?â€

Her arms dropped to her side. For a second, just a second, she lost that unemotional, cool expression she had worn every time she had seen him in

the past month since he had returned home. He saw her eyes flare with interest, with need, a hint of fear. Then, just as quickly, they were gone.

“No, I don’t know what you want, Alex.†There was a thread of anger there now. “Do I owe you something? Is there something here that

belongs to you?†Her lips quirked mockingly. “I don’t think there is. I don’t think there’s anything here that you want to do more than play

with.â€

And she wasn’t a toy. The implication was there, and he knew, son of a bitch, fury searing his guts, he knew what Nadine had done to her. How she

had asked Dayle to let her just “play†with Janey for a while.

The doctor’s report, Janey’s recol ection of it—it had al been in Chaya’s report to Timothy Cranston, the agent in charge of that

investigation last year.

Alex had read it. He had forced himself to read it. To look at the pictures the hospital had taken of the bite marks on her breasts. Janey wouldn’t tel

them if the bitch had touched her anywhere else. For months Alex had dreamed he had kil ed Nadine slowly, slow and painful y, rather than the quick death

he had given her.

“There’s many different kinds of play, Janey,†he told her softly. “There’s nothing vindictive or painful in what I want. You know that.â€

She turned away from him, one hand propped on her curvy hip, the other lifted. From where he stood he could see her chewing on her thumbnail, and

he almost smiled. That was a “Janey†trait. It wasn’t a good sign. She was trying to hold back, anger, pain—whatever emotions Janey

didn’t like to deal with.

He knew her. Sometimes he thought he knew her better than Natches did. Because there were times when he hadn’t been on assignment but had

watched Janey, wherever she was, instead.

From that day on the lake, six years before, when Janey had teased when she shouldn’t have teased. When she had awakened a hunger he

hadn’t known lived inside him, though she had always brought out a possessiveness he hadn’t known he had. And he had worried about her.

Worried to the extent that several times a year he had shadowed her, watched her, kept tabs on her when he wasn’t there. Until this past year. Shit

had gone to hel with the operation in Somerset, and he’d let himself get distracted. He’d pul ed the tail off her to gather intel on other subjects

instead. And this was what had happened.

Janey had nearly paid with her life.

She turned back to him.

“Leave.†Her mask was back. That cool, professional, I-don’t-feel-a-fucking-thing mask. She was protecting herself and her emotions, and no

one understood the need to do that more than Alex did.

Alex grimaced and nodded. “I can do that.â€

But his feet weren’t moving. He wasn’t turning and heading for the door. Because he couldn’t. Because he had waited too long, wanted for

too many years. Walking away now seemed impossible.

“So why aren’t you?†Her gaze flickered again.

She wasn’t nearly as cool as she wanted him to think. Emotions seethed inside Janey; he could see them, feel them. He wanted to taste the hunger

he had glimpsed in her eyes; he wanted to feel it burning him.

“I want that kiss, Janey.â€

Her green eyes seemed to darken, almost. Just a shade, maybe. And it wasn’t anger.

“What kiss?†Her breathing was heavier now, deeper. Her breasts lifted and fel , pressing against her white blouse with tempting promise. And

her nipples were hard. The sight of those tight little peaks held him entranced.

“That kiss you teased me with the day I pul ed you out of Nadine’s.†He moved toward her, stepped behind her.

Alex let the scent of her wash through his senses. An essential smel of feminine warmth, of sweet heat. The smel of a woman, mixed with the peachy

scent of soap and the delicate fragrance of shampoo. The scent of her shouldn’t have been as arousing as it was.

She had cut her hair. It was straight, tamed, framing her face like black silk ribbons, instead of long and fil ed with the riotous curls that tempted his

hands. This hair was tempting, too, though. So damned tame and restrained that it made him wonder exactly what she was trying so damned hard to hide

within herself.

The pulse was throbbing at the side of her neck, almost as hard as the pulse in his dick, and the urge to taste her sweet flesh was nearly overwhelming.

He wanted to lick her from head to toes. He wanted to taste her, grow drunk and wild on her.

“You kissed me.†Her voice was weaker now. “I remember it.â€

“Do you cal that a kiss, Janey?†He lowered his head. He didn’t touch her any other way. Not with his hands, or his body, just his cheek

against her hair. “That wasn’t a kiss, baby. That was a tease. You owe me a real kiss.â€

She licked her lips, and he nearly groaned. Her expression wasn’t cool now; her profile was flushed, and yes, her eyes were darker.

“Why now?â€

“Because the thought of it has me crazy wild, sweetheart. I want to taste you, while you’re conscious, while you know whose lips are on yours

and whose tongue is in your mouth. I want that kiss, Janey.†He let his hands settle at her thighs, then smooth to her hips. “And by God, I want it

now.â€

TWO

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Fuck Natches. Fuck dying. Alex had lived dangerously al his adult life; he didn’t see a reason to stop now.

Alex knew if Natches caught him fooling around with his baby sister, then death would be the least of Alex’s worries. But like an addict, like a man

addicted to the scent, the taste of one woman, Alex found himself enthral ed. He found himself unable to walk away.

Fourteen years separated their ages, but nothing separated the desire he could feel burning between them except the clothes they were wearing.

She was as wary as a doe, standing before him, poised to run, quivering, uncertain about the next touch to come. She ached as much as he did.

Something about that knowledge almost humbled him. That the same hunger that fil ed him could fil her as wel . Just as strong. Just as deep, despite the

distance in their ages.

If she hadn’t told him she was a virgin, he would have suspected it now. She didn’t know if she should stay or run, if she should al ow him to

touch or if she should fight it. Fear and need battled within her, and Alex had to force himself to rein in his lusts, the hard-core center of his hunger, to give

her a chance to come to terms with what he sensed was unfamiliar ground to her.

“Natches wil kil me for this.†He let his lips touch her ear, and she jerked, inhaling a harsh breath as she swal owed with a tight reflex of her throat.

“He warned me, Janey. Six years ago. Not to touch you.â€

Natches had threatened to cut Alex’s dick off if he ever touched Janey.

“I can tel you’re real y scared of my brother,†she said, her voice breathless, her expression intent as she stared straight in front of her, obviously battling whatever emotions, or needs, were rising inside her.

“I stayed away,†he breathed against her ear. “Six years, almost seven, Janey. I stayed away.â€

He moved in closer to her, his hands tightening on her hips as he pressed his hips against her, letting her feel the hardened state of his cock beneath

his slacks.

She gave her head a little shake and shuddered.

“Why are you doing this?†Her hands moved to his wrists.

Smal , graceful hands. Her nails dug into his flesh as she held on to him. She didn’t relax against him, but she wasn’t fighting him either. Like a

creature unused to any touch that didn’t involve pain, she was debating what would come next. If the gentleness would dissolve.

Alex wasn’t surprised by the fury that rose inside him, but he was surprised by the fact that the hunger rising inside him was overriding it. Christ, he

needed to touch her. If he didn’t, then the pressure building inside his bal s was going to destroy him.

And if he did, the need was only going to get worse.

He could feel it. It was one of the reasons he’d left town immediately after her rescue. It was one of the reasons he hadn’t returned until he was

forced to. Because staying away from Janey had been damned hard before. He had a feeling it was going to be impossible now.

“Janey, I’m not going to force you,†he told her, letting his lips drift over the shel of her ear.

Her breathing was harder, faster. Her lashes drifted over her eyes and he watched her face flush, slowly. Need made her skin take on a rosy glow, made

her lips look poutier, prettier. He almost groaned at the need to feel them under his.

Her hands tightened on his wrists. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what you want from me.â€

He turned her slowly, slowly, in case she wanted to run, in case she needed to run. Tipping her chin up, he stared down at her with a sudden gentleness

he hadn’t known he was capable of feeling.

“Whatever you want to do,†he told her softly. “We can do whatever you want to do, Janey. But we start right here.â€

And his head lowered.

Janey’s breath caught in her throat. She stared up at him, eyes wide, caught, held, like a deer in headlights, as she watched his face lower. One

hand threaded in her hair, pul ing her head back for him. His arm curved around her hips, lifting her to him.

She had never seen his expression like this. Tight with lust, his eyes flinty with it, brows lowered, brooding. When his lips touched hers, she felt something inside her explode. A radiant heat, a need, cascaded through her, fil ing her senses as her lips parted, her hands gripping his arms, trying to lift

closer to him. Trying to draw herself into him. Trying to take as much of this feeling, this sensation racing through her, as she could consume.

Her lips parted as his slanted over them. His hand gripped the back of her head, one arm anchored her back, and she just wanted to crawl into him.