Savage Secrets (Titan #6) (21 page)

He ended the conversation before Jared could respond, then turned off his phone.

No one needed to know, but now he suspected everyone already did. Why hadn’t Roman said anything? And what about Caterina? Had Jared talked to her? It didn’t matter. At least not right now.

Quiet as he could, Rocco cracked open the French doors and crept back into the room. He took one long look over Cat as she slept, then he slid under the covers, pulling her into his arms.

“What do you know about me?” he whispered as she nuzzled against his chest.

“Not nearly enough.” All sleepy and sexy without even trying. Her eyes didn’t open. Her breathing didn’t change.
Sleep talking
.

His fingers slid over her arm and across her collar bone, testing if she was awake. No reaction. Even asleep, she was always an operative, always listening. For whatever reason, that did it for him. Her sleepy confession was all the confirmation he needed to know he’d fallen in love.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Sunlight flooded the honeymoon suite when Caterina woke up, feeling like they had made good use of the room since they’d checked in. She rolled over, and her gaze crashed into Rocco’s, warming her entire body in an instant. How long had he been watching her? “Good morning.”

One side of his smile kicked up, and the dimple killed her. Rocco brushed his lips over hers. “Sleep okay?”

“Like the dead.”

“Yeah, I don’t know about that.” He rolled back onto his pillow, tugging her with him. “I’m going to die if I have to put on a pair of khaki pants again today. Let’s blow this place and go have some fun.”

“Missing your camo and C-4?”

“Hell yes.” He kissed her then stretched, surrounding her with a wall of muscle. “Go shower. I’ll grab us some breakfast. Be back in twenty minutes.”

“And coffee.” She sat up, tugging the sheet around her. “Lots of coffee.”

“Roger that, Kitten.” Rocco crawled out from under her, off the bed, and headed for the closet. He passed over the clothes, grumbling. Finally selecting a shirt and pants, he was pulling on the shirt as he turned around. His eyes lit, watching her watching him. “Change of plans. I’m keeping you in bed. Then breakfast.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. There’s a
muy caliente
babe in my bed. You think I’m going to pass that up.”

“
Muy caliente
? I’m rubbing off on you.”

Rocco stalked over to the bed and kneeled on the mattress, making it dip under his enormous presence. “Whatever it takes to keep you talking like that.” He kissed her, wrapping his hands around her waist and letting them drift to her bare back. “Most times, I have no idea what you’re talking about. All I know is
dos cervezas, por favor
.”

He made her laugh. “Two beers?”

“Two beers,
please
.” He didn’t pull his lips far from hers. She still felt both the heat and his humor. “Let’s see what else I got…
Uno, dos, tres. Gracias. Adios. Arriverderci
.”

Spanish. Spanish. Spanish. Italian. “So close, big boy.”

“I’m just testing you. Besides, I said most times I have no idea. Don’t forget that sometimes I do.”

Her skin prickled as his fingers danced up and down her spine. “Do, what?”

Because if
do
meant understand her, after she’d talked about loving him, she might die of embarrassment. That mumbled, Spanish profession of love wasn’t for him to know about. Was she trying to get him to run? Hell no.

But right now, he wasn’t running anywhere, and she couldn’t keep her hands off of him. As quickly as he pulled on his clothes, she took them off. Their legs scrambled together, arms wrapping, holding each other. His breath was at her ear, her mouth at his neck. She loved him—needed him—the same way she breathed. Intrinsically. A basic requirement to make it through another day, sleep through another night. Rocco Savage was it.

Rocco pushed into her. “Goddamn woman.”

Uh-huh
. He was all she could feel, like sweet heaven. Hot like she’d never experienced. Not once in her whole life had she had sex without a condom. Never.

Her eyes opened. His did too. Locked together. “Please don’t stop.”

It could’ve been the wrong thing to say—the stupid thing to do—but their connection was too strong, and she’d had her birth control shot months ago. She was fine, and Rocco would never hurt her.

Tightening around him, Caterina prayed he’d keep going.

His breath hitched, mouth parting on a breath. “Okay.”

Statement. Question. Who knew? “Okay.”

Wrapping her in his arms, he pressed deep, breath catching. “Cat… You feel… unreal.”

Caterina’s hands gripped back, fingernails scratching and sliding down to the firm, flexing muscles in his backside. Rocco moved fast, driving and rolling. He owned her body. Possessed her mind. Everything, anything, he was the master. Together, they were almost more than she could stand. A hurricane of strokes and thoughts stoked her orgasm.

“So close.” She could barely speak. “Please.”

Rocco’s hips pinned to hers, fast fucking within an inch of existence. All she could do was cling to his extraordinary body and reach into the depths of his eyes. When her core tightened, her body pulsed, and her mouth screamed his name, Rocco hugged her tight, spearing so deep, and he came in her, deliciously, insanely hot. Her climax embraced his, intertwining. The sexiest, most spectacular feeling and it was in his arms.

He collapsed on her, pulling her tight, and she needed to crawl into him. Being held like that, feeling him inside her, all was right in their make-believe world and spilling out into her real one. Fake relationship. Real relationship. It didn’t matter, because she was in deep. Eventually, she unwound from him. She would shower in a few minutes, but now she’d rather just lay naked in their sheets.

“Still want breakfast?” His hair was mussed, and his lazy smile warmed her.

Sustenance. “Yes.”

Rocco rolled out of bed, throwing on his clothes. One final kiss and he grabbed his wallet and cell phone off the nightstand. “Be back in a few. I—” He tilted his head, giving her a wink and the dimple. “You are something special, Kitten.”

***

Yassine re-crossed his legs and set down his espresso, smacking his lips and embracing the burn on his tongue. His to-do list was growing at a rapid pace with the upcoming Big Ben event. But… was it big enough? Did it have the sticking power of, say, a meat dress or riding into an award banquet in an egg? God, he loved Lady Gaga. She was brilliant. His phone rang, and he tossed his magazine. The number was not only familiar, it was a pleasant surprise. “Hello, my friend. I thought I’d lost you.”

His tried-and-true distributor laughed into the phone. “The last few weeks were a testament to my network. I have to say, when our last
project
didn’t go as planned, I felt the heat.”

Yes, he bet so. “But no longer?”

Half-waiting for an answer, half-distracted, he picked up an unread newspaper with a headline reading that the royal family and the US president had an upcoming event. An event like that would make quite the splash.

“But no longer, my friend.” His pleased voice brought Yassine back to the conversation.

This was good. Buying his explosives and weapons from his regular dealer was more comforting, plus he had a sudden idea for a different project. An American project.

The man on the phone cleared his throat. “If you are still interested in making a deal, I am still interested in providing what you need.”

“Perfect.” He wouldn’t have to use an unknown like Locke.

Yassine’s mind wandered to Locke’s wife. Her olive skin would be a perfect shade if she were paler and… icy cold. He took another sip of the scalding espresso and imagined the feel of frigid skin under his palms. Locke had the nerve to charge him more for
looking
at his wife? There were so many ways to teach that man a lesson. How would he break off their agreement? Something memorable. Something that said El Mateperros was to be respected and remembered. Several ideas came to mind as he scalded his tongue on espresso again and wished for an icy remedy. He ended the call, thrilled with the opportunities flooding his mind. His excitement raced. Time to go end the deal with Locke.

Slurping the last sips of his espresso and jittery from finishing it so quickly, he called for his men to ready the car. El Mateperros had business to take care of.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Caterina lay in bed, buried in pillows, with a grin she couldn’t wipe away. Last night had been amazing. This morning… she had no words and still hadn’t recovered from being all love-drunk. Every time with Rocco was better than before, and where were his thoughts at—

Knock, knock
.

She jumped. He hadn’t been gone long enough to grab breakfast. A smile still painted on her face, she wrapped the sheet round her and nearly skipped to the door. “Forget something?”

No answer.

The hairs at the back of her neck stood a second too late as her hand turned the handle. Eyes focusing, she knew her instinct was right.

El Mateperros
.

His smooth as sin features smirked through the cracked opening. All the terror from her childhood crushed her chest. She froze. Panicked. Unable to move. Unable to reason.

Until El Mateperros cackled, startling her back to a shell-shocked reality.

“Daniel’s not here.” She slapped her palm against the door—both hands—and used her bare foot as a fulcrum point. It didn’t help as he pushed in. The sheet started to fall, and her elbows pinched it to her side.

El Mateperros wrapped his fingers on the inside of the door. “This is no way to treat a business partner.”

Shaking her head, she tried to remember where the closest weapon was. Much farther than El Mateperros’s, she was sure. “Come back later.”

He pushed the door again, then his shoulder crashed onto it. Him against her, no contest, he had the upper hand, and she couldn’t keep him out. All of her weight wasn’t slowing the bastard’s advance, and he didn’t stop until he stood in the living room. “Mrs. Locke.”

I know who you are
. His watery eyes nearly glowed. Behind him, two of his thugs stood uninterested in her refusal of entry.

“
Por favor
.” The octave of her voice jumped, and she hated herself for it. “I can’t let you in.
Daniel va a estar de vuelta en un minuto
.” Nerves were getting to her because the Spanish was coming on its own.

She had to play her part until Rocco came back. He’d confirm their cover. Mr. and Mrs. Locke. There would be no doubt. Their identities had been put together quickly, but they were primo. The room looked like a newlywed couple’s: rumpled bed, lingerie in the closet, condom wrapper… somewhere.

There was just no way El Mateperros knew they weren’t the Lockes. She’d been too careful.

He snickered. “I prefer not to wait in the hall.”

“You should have called.” She wrapped the sheet tighter around her, forcing away the disgust and alarm buzzing in her ears. She couldn’t let years of training become useless. He could overpower her, but she could bring him within an inch of his life and make him beg for mercy. She just needed the upper hand. “My husband will be furious.”

“Your
husband
?”

Maybe he did know. Shit. How? “Yes.”

“Interesting.” Two of El Mateperros’s henchmen stepped into the hotel room and locked the deadbolt. “Say it again,
your husband
.”

This felt all wrong. He asked about her husband, but he wasn’t angry. “Get. Out.”

“I found another distributor. I don’t need your weapons.”

“They’re not mine, and I don’t talk business for my husband.” She stepped away but didn’t turn her back. What was that cadence to his voice? “Now, let me get dressed and—”

His arm shot out and grasped her bicep. “Not so fast, Mrs. Locke.”

She clenched her teeth. “Let. Go.”

A rip of her arm and he pulled her close, the sheet tripping her feet, and she slammed into his chest. He breathed her in. “You smell like smut.”

Her stomach dropped. Arousal tinged his words.
Sicko
. She struggled in his grip, kneed for his nuts but missed. “He’ll kill you.”

“A beef-head arms dealer? No chance.” He turned to one of the henchmen. “Start the water.”

Water? What was this? Did he plan to work her over? And why did he sound turned on?
Ugh, disgusting
.

If she could anticipate his moves, then she could survive them. Waterboarding was more mental than physical. If that was his plan, she could last until Rocco came back. What else could he do with water? Soak her and shock her. That was a tough one too. Electrical shock was always hit or miss. It messed with the heart and fried the nerves. Her mind raced down the list of water-related ways he could elicit information from her.
Stop. Buy time
.