“I don’t want to leave you,” Kelly told her brother tearfully. “I feel like this is a dream and you’re not really here.”
Callum chuckled. “I’m really here. You’ve pinched me enough.”
As my wife hugged him, Callum and I exchanged looks over her shoulder, an understanding. They had a plan to infiltrate Stepanov’s organization, rescue Alana, and take down Ford in the process.
If Dmitry refused our help, he was an idiot. I’d hate to lean on Garrison to call the DNI and force him to include us. The SEAL op gave us justified involvement.
Plus, he had the agency’s intel at his arsenal, but I had an inkling he wanted as few people as possible to know what was going down. It was about revenge. It was about protecting the McGraths and about Dmitry’s own personal vendetta against Ford. Interagency red tape could curtail their plans and that was why they were going it alone instead of using us for help. Until I had all the intel I could use to make a case for our involvement, I wasn’t arguing with McG.
“Kelso is taking us back to the hotel,” I said.
“They’ll be watching,” Callum said. “But it’s one of Uncle Cesar’s hotels. If he says it’s secure, it is.”
After Kelly pulled away, I dragged my brother from another mother into a tight hug. “Great to have you back, man,” I rasped in his ear then leaned back and squeezed his face between my fingers. “Still want to punch you for what you put the family through.”
“Sorry—”
“But,” I cut him off. “We’re not digging shit up until you’re in the clear. Got me?”
“Loud and clear.”
After several false starts at goodbye, I managed to pry my wife away from her brother. I didn’t even give her a chance to say goodbye to Roth. The two of them knew better, but seeing them exchanging silent communications with their eyes made me gnash my teeth so hard, a dental appointment was in my future.
On our way back to the hotel, we were still reeling from the events of the past few hours.
Kelso, who was driving, glanced over at me. “Surreal, isn’t it?” He lifted his eyes to look at Kelly in the rearview mirror. “You okay back there?”
“I didn’t want to leave him,” she said. “Don’t know how I can keep it from my family. It doesn’t feel right.”
“It’s a good thing you don’t have your phone then.” I twisted around in my seat to look at her. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten you threw all our plans out the window and left willingly with Callum when I repeatedly told you to stay close.”
“It was Callum back from the dead,” Kelly argued. “It’s unprecedented.”
“It’s been five years, Kelly, he could’ve changed.” I glanced at the detective. “Right?”
“I’m not getting between that.” Kelso chuckled. “But if your brother had amnesia in the first few weeks, it’s not unheard of that he could’ve been brainwashed.”
“Come on,” Kelly retorted. “That’s too Hollywood.”
“So”—I pointed out—“is this back-from-the-dead plot twist.”
“You’re such a buzz-kill,” she mumbled. “This is huge news.”
“No matter how big the news is, babe, your safety is my priority.”
Kelly gave an annoyed huff and looked out the window.
Kelso snorted a laugh before focusing on the traffic ahead, but his mouth couldn’t stop twitching.
“You’ll not find this funny when you find a woman of your own,” I muttered.
“Not sure I want such entanglement. Bristow and I are perfectly fine with our bachelorhood.”
Bristow had signed off when we left the warehouse. Otherwise, we’d probably hear a wisecrack from him too.
“How are the girls?” Kelly asked. “Gramps and Nana?”
“Bristow said they binged on a new Primeflix series and stayed up late,” I said.
Kelso was staying in the same hotel as we were and drove straight to the underground parking. From there, we took the elevator to our rooms. He got out first and seemed eager to leave us alone. I had more words to say to Kelly regarding her escapade with Callum, and there were certainly plenty when we got to our room.
I waved the keycard and opened the door, letting Kelly through. I followed her in and shut the door and leaned against it, casually crossing my ankles and arms over my chest, while my gaze followed her strut into the kitchenette.
“I’m thirsty,” she said. “Want anything?”
“I’m good.” I had two beers at Callum’s. I was plenty hydrated.
When she returned to the living room which was directly across from the door, she frowned at me. “What are you doing standing over there?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “You tell me.”
She rolled her eyes. Oh, beautiful, you’re really asking for it.
“I need a phone.” She made the mistake of walking toward me.
My arms snaked out and hauled her against me. “You sure?” I asked. “Who are you calling? Roth?”
“Stop that. Don’t tell me you’re still jealous.”
“You think I can switch off simply because I’m back in your bed and I’ve fucked you?”
“How about you sleep on the couch?” she tossed at me.
I chuckled darkly. “You know better than to refuse me access to that sweet body of yours when I want nothing more than to fuck my mark into you.”
She slapped a hand on my chest and pushed. “You’re not intimidating me.”
I didn’t budge with my grip on her. “Oh, sweetheart. I don’t intimidate. You know that.”
Her eyes glittered with heat and annoyance. Her body thrummed with her desire. I could almost smell it. My dick thickened in response, because when we were fired up with each other this way, the sex was explosive.
Foreplay.
I lowered my head and braced her close, so she couldn’t escape. “You know what image I have of you right now?”
“What?” She was breathless, and judging from how her pupils dilated, she was wet.
“I’m on my knees and you’re on your back with your legs straight up, resting on my shoulders. Your ass is up high, and I’m pounding you so hard, you’re begging for me to stop.”
Her breath hitched. “That’s a terrible position.”
“Is it?”
“I’m completely at your mercy,” she whispered.
“That’s the point.” Grinning, my hands skimmed her sides, feathering her short shirt and reaching underneath it.
She shuddered against me, “Levi …”
I trailed my fingers over the back of her fantastic ass and squeezed the flesh there, before I let one hand skim her hip, slip under her skirt and stroke between her legs. “Just as I thought,” I groaned. “Wet.”
Foreplay over. I set her an arm’s length away, bent and shouldered her torso and tossed her over my shoulder.
“Levi!” she screeched.
With my prize struggling, I stalked into the bedroom. “I don’t recall the last time I turned that ass of yours red.” I was lying. I remembered every blistering second.
“Seriously, Levi. I’m getting dizzy.”
“Oh, you were begging for it in the end, weren’t you?” I said. Sitting on the bed, I flipped her over, and turned her over my knee.
“Don’t you dare!”
“Not the words to say to me right now, beautiful.” I grabbed the edge of her skirt and shoved it up, exposing the silky skin of her bountiful ass. The thong left little to the imagination. She squirmed on my lap, hardening my erection. My cock wanted inside her.
“The last time I fucked you, we broke the bed.” I stroked a finger across her damp slit. It came away drenched. I lowered my face and inhaled. The smell of her. Christ. It drove me feral. Made me just want to bury my face between her legs and drown in her juices. But the primitive need that I was going to be the best fuck she’d ever had proved stronger. I wasn’t joking when I told her that. I sucked and licked my finger before returning to its job of priming her for a hard pounding.
“And yeah, you’re ready for this,” I murmured, continuing the friction against her core.
“Seriously, Levi,” Kelly whined. “Let me up.”
“I haven’t punished you for almost giving me a heart attack when you left with McG, and that eye fuck Roth was giving you.”
“What are you talking about? I didn’t eye fuck him,” she protested.
“Did I say you did? I said Roth.” And saying his name riled me up further.
No kids.
Sound proof room.
Kelly at my mercy.
“How’s that even my fault?”
And she was still giving me lip. Perfect. She fed on it. My wife knew exactly what she was doing. She wanted to be fucked hard, and that was the only way I was capable of giving it to her at that moment.
“Hmm, not good enough.” I withdrew my finger, and palmed her ass before raising my arm and giving her a slap.
She laughed. “What was that?”
“Just warming up, babe.” I was gauging her receptivity. In our marriage, Kelly and I had been creative in our sexual games. We’d used toys and vibrators. We’d done bondage, but it always depended on the mood. I was in the mood to dominate but in order for me to get my thrills, I wanted her willing to submit. With her being sassy like this, she was receptive. My hand came down harder.
She hissed, but didn’t say anything.
“You know why I’m doing this?” I brought my hand down again.
Thwack.
“Because I disobeyed, oh lord and master?”
I bit back a smile. She was still being bratty. I gave her a solid thwack.
“Oh my God!” she whimpered. I ran my palm over her reddened flesh.
“Seems, I’m not getting through to you.”
Another slap landed.
“What do you want me to say?” she moaned.
I touched between her legs, and my fingers came away slick. I hungered to taste her there. “Damn babe.” I gave a smacking sound with my lips as I lapped up the evidence of her arousal around my two fingers.
“Levi,” she moaned. “I think I could spontaneously combust with you doing that.”
“We can’t have that now.”
I flipped her on the mattress and hovered above her. “I think I have a better idea.”
Her glazed eyes narrowed. “What are you thinking?”
“Had blue balls for a week, babe”
She rolled her eyes. “We were just following what the therapist said and not having sex.”
“Are you saying I should stop?”
“Don’t you dare leave me hanging, James.” When she used my last name, she was definitely fired up.
“So, are you saying the therapist is full of bullshit?”
She awarded me another eye-roll. “You know she had a point.”
I chuckled, “A point of giving me blue balls.”
“Levi! We discussed this.”
“Messing with you, babe,” I said, but I turned serious. “I’ll make you come if you promise never to leave my protection again.”
Her lips compressed.
“What did you do the first chance you were put to a test?”
“You would’ve done the same!”
“No. I’ll always pick you. I learned my lesson the hard way.”
“I understand you now more than ever. The stakes when you’re on a mission.”
With the back of my hand, I caressed her cheek. “Good. But I still need to hammer in a point.”
“By punishing me?” Her breath caught on the inhale.
I grinned wickedly. “Gonna be worth it.”
“You’re not …”
I crawled down her body, and she tried to get up, but I pushed her down. While stripping her undies off, I spread her wide and threw her legs over my shoulders before diving into her wet heat.
She cried out and moaned as I avidly tongued her entrance. She thrashed her legs and cursed my name, but I continued edging along her pussy lips without bringing it home.
“Dammit Levi … let me come,” she breathed raggedly. I scooped her ass to bring her closer to my mouth, yet the angle agitated her more. Her fingers clawed at my head, pulling me toward her cunt. I could never stay pissed at her forever. I loved this woman to the bottom of my soul. I would do nothing whatsoever to hurt her, but I could use pleasure to drive home a point.
Or the denial of it.
Her hips continued to squirm.
I should have tied her up.
I raised my head. “Promise me you’ll never go off on your own again.”
“I promise! Now make me come.”
“That was too easy, beautiful. Not sure you meant it.” I dipped my head and continued feasting. Her moans of frustration became louder. They were music to my ears. I edged the area around her clit, rimming it to avoid that sensitive bud that would deliver her ultimate release.
“Ahhh…. Levi, you’re driving me crazy … ahhhh …”
That’s the idea. I raised my head again. “You taste so good. Now, repeat after me. I promise to obey my husband from now on.”
There was a slight hesitation, before her “Yes.”
“Still fighting it, I see.”
“I’m not.”
“You just want to come.” I dipped my head and got to work again. Kelly continued to moan and whimper, her voice started to get hoarse. Even if it was pleasure ultimately waiting for her in the end, her misery and frustration were getting to me. I didn’t have it in me to prolong it.
Lowering her ass, I glanced at her from my favorite vantage point, between her legs, her chest rising and falling, her arms thrown back, and her eyes squeezed shut.
“Are you getting my point, beautiful?” I murmured.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I’m never doing it again.”
“It would kill me if anything happened to you, Kelly,” I said quietly. “More so if it happened on my watch.”
“I’m sorry. I really am.”
“Love you, beautiful,” I murmured, before setting back to my task, no longer teasing, but building. I’d mastered every inch of her sensitized flesh. I licked her in broad strokes, inserted my fingers once more and crooked them touching that sweet spot. I withdrew them and lapped harder before flattening my tongue against her clit, and pushing down on the tip of her mound.
Her body convulsed, her legs squeezed against my head and her cry of release spurred me to latch onto her clit, sucking it hard, feeling the swell of her arousal. I loved on her pussy until she became a melted puddle of limbs and flesh, pliant for my taking.
I pushed up to my knees and began to unbutton my shirt. Kelly watched me through hooded eyes, a satisfied smile on her lips.
“You’re so good at that,” she whispered. “Even if I hated you in the middle of it.”
My mouth quirked at the corners. Tossing the dress shirt on the floor, I started unbuckling my belt.
She licked her lips. “I also love it when you do this strip tease after you’ve made me come over and over.”
“Giving you time to recover.” I whipped the belt loose, and it fell to the pile on the floor. Unbuttoning my pants, I lowered the zipper before I lowered myself over her, propping up on my elbows. “You’re so beautiful when you come. All flushed cheeks and eyes craving for more.”
I bent my head and kissed her, taking my time to explore her lips while pressing my erection against her pussy to let her know how hard she’d made me. My tongue delved and tangled with hers. We explored each other in slow, lazy kisses, letting her taste how much I’d taken her over the edge.
When I trailed kisses down her throat, she sighed my name in surrender. I kissed her through the flimsy fabric of her dress, nudging the strap to expose a milky globe. She wore no bra underneath, just one of those sticky petals that strippers used. I peeled one away and paid homage to the taut bud, grazing the tip with my teeth before soothing it with my tongue.
“I want you inside,” she whispered.
I mouthed my way up her neck, before I lifted my head to stare down at her. I worked my hand between us and released my cock from my boxers. “Oh, I’m getting in there, babe.”
She understood my double-entendre and clasped her hands behind my neck. “I’m yours, big man. However you choose to make me yours.” She wrapped her legs around me and the tip of my cock touched her entrance. I hissed as I slowly sank in, the urge to shove inside her was overwhelming, but it was no secret I was a masochist in delaying gratification. Inch by fucking inch I slid inside, her inner muscles snug despite preparing her with my fingers.
“Christ, babe, how are you so tight?” I groaned. “It’s only been a week.”
“Who cares?” she gasped. “Just put it in.”
She clenched around me.
“Fuck, don’t do that,” I warned. Or it would be over before I thrust. I slid all the way to the hilt and hissed out a breath. “You feel so damned good. I want to make this last. But I have to move soon.” I looked down at her. “You good?”
Unlike the first time, she was ready sooner. “I’m ready.”
I withdrew slowly and squeezed my eyes shut at the exquisite pleasure, not only of the physical, but the pride bursting from my heart. This warm, living, breathing gorgeous woman in my arms was my wife.
My wife.
Those words echoed in my head as I started to thrust.
My wife.
Possessiveness threaded through my entire being.
Pumping, slowly but getting faster, I hooked her legs over my elbows. The pumping became a pounding.
“That’s it,” she moaned as I rotated my hips and ground against the top of her pubic bone in the spot where she got off during penetration.
“You’ve always been mine, Kelly,” I growled. I continued pounding her into the mattress. “This is everything, you underneath me, in my arms. My cock letting you know who you belong to.”
Pounding at a ruthless pace, I forgot everything else. All that surged inside me was the need to make her mine and mark her in every way. Take back what belonged to me. A trace of resentment flitted briefly with the reminder of Roth, but it dissipated quickly. The realness of this moment overshadowed everything else.
I hardened even more, but again, I held out until I couldn’t any longer and I shot forward, jets of cum spurted inside her. I continued pumping. She was going to get every last drop as I wrung out my release. I was primitive, feral in my possession of her.
My staggered thrusts slowed, and I gave her one last nudge before planting deep. I collapsed on top of her, giving her enough of my weight without crushing the breath from her lungs.
I stayed embedded.
Panting, sweat beading, our heartbeats and raspy breaths mingled. I raised my head to gaze down at her face, proud as fuck I put that sated look on her. “I love you, beautiful. Always and forever.”
“I’ve always loved you, big guy. Forever.”
Our lips touched and sealed our reaffirmation with a kiss.
