Desire & Deception (Entangled Ignite) (13 page)

A sweet arrow of pleasure shot up to her breasts, making her back arch off the mattress.

He stretched her, adding another finger, more pressure, and his thumb to tease her clitoris.

“Come for me,
preciosa
,” he said from around her nipple.

Head thrown back, lips open, hand clutching his arm as her legs closed around him, she did as he instructed. Sparks burst inside her, showering down against tightly pressed eyelids.

“Beautiful.” He moved over her, easing his arousal into her with gentle pressure.

Tessa shifted, welcoming his heated skin against hers. She bit her lip, swallowing a whimper as her body gave way.

He backed off, returning with slow, deliberate strokes to push deeper.

“Kris…” She groaned, still high from her orgasm.

He nipped her neck, finding a spot to nibble on as he pressed her further into the mattress. His fingers slipped between them, teasing her, stroking every sensitive spot with unrelenting pressure until she spasmed around him. He went still, groaning against her shoulder. She settled back, dragging in breath as she shifted under him.

“Stop, woman!” His hand pressed down at the curve of her hip to keep her in place.

Within the cradle of her thighs, he lay buried, still as rock hard as when he’d entered her. “Mmmhmm, you didn’t finish.”

“Uh-uh.” He shook his head, running his tongue down the shell of her ear.

She shivered.

He took her nipple between his fingers, playing it to a firm tip. “Up for more?” His words were coarse, his voice tight.

Her heart skipped a beat. “Again-more…or
more
-more?”

Warm breath fanned along her cheek as he nudged her walls. “Both.”

Her fingers strummed his back as she worried her lip. She’d underestimated his size. He moved again, with more patience than she would have credited him with. She wrapped her thighs around him, bringing him flush against her with a quick tug. The unexpected pressure drew a sharp hiss. She wasn’t used to feeling so full.

“That was rough,” he groaned. Even now, his balls pressed tightly between them, he tried driving deeper.

A shiver shot up her back to fan around her body. “Amazing,” she responded in a tight whisper.

He groaned.

“Mmmhmm, I wanted to feel you brushing against me.”

He lowered his chest until the hard muscles met her breasts. The first heavy strokes wrung a long, satisfied purr. His features were tight with barely controlled restraint. She was lost as they moved together. She surrounded him, caressing his body with shaking hands while he continued the exquisite rhythm.

She purred again, deep in her throat. “
Soooo
good.”

Her fingers curled rhythmically into his heavy shoulder muscles, urging him past the measured strokes until the headboard barely kept pace.

I never imagined…

His name echoed off the walls as fireworks exploded behind her eyelids.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Tessa’s head rested on his bicep instead of the damn pillow. Her chest rose and fell with her steady breathing. Maybe, like him, she’d finally rested. The past hour weighed on him until his pulse pounded against his temple with enough force to drown out all rational thought.

He’d held back from waking her, unable to satisfy his true hunger without a condom. But her scent, a mind-numbing mix of lotion, flowers, and him, tempted him more than he’d expected. He caressed the soft skin of her hip, her ribcage then moved up to cup her breast. The edge of her areola puckered against the side of his thumb. He strummed against the sensitive spot while two fingers outlined the other side of the stiff bud.

She breathed deep, shifting as she woke.

Kris kissed her shoulder, watching his thumb and finger curl around her nipple and play.

She moaned deep in her chest, triggering the memory of her release. The sound bounced around his mind. A blend of hesitation, surprise, and satisfaction rolled into one amazing cry. He
wanted
that. Again and again.

“Kris,” he murmured in her ear.

Her lashes fluttered. She tipped her face toward him, sharing a sleepy smile. “Who else would you be?” She reached back to caress him, sending a shudder down the length of his body.

His hard-on was cushioned against the V of her bottom, the head insisted on creating a third dimple at her lower back. He wanted her—needed her warm, wet, sexy, little body squeezing him tight.

They could indulge for a bit, a few measured strokes to tide him over and let him think straight. If she was up for it. If she was ready. His fingers skimmed down her torso, drawing a gasp when he reached the neat rectangle of sparse, red hair. The way she trimmed made him think of hot sun and tiny bikinis, but her creamy skin didn’t show a single tan line.

He slipped between her thighs, groaning approval at the invitation her body extended. Together, they rolled until she lay under him, their legs tangled together. He kissed her pulse point. “Say it. Kris. I want to hear you.”

“Kris…” A breathless whisper wasn’t what he wanted. Far from it. She just needed incentive, which he’d be happy to provide. He’d hold back, let her come without him like he’d done before.

A roving hand stretched down her ribs, waist, and hip until he brought each leg up and nestled between them. He moved against her folds, covering his shaft in her juices before he attempted to enter. She whimpered and arched against his chest, bringing her breasts to crush against him, sliding her arms around his shoulders.

His lips skimmed her throat as she turned to allow him access. “Mmmm, you have incredible stamina for a high-end thug.”

Her impertinence earned a nip to her earlobe. Stamina? She had no idea. But she’d find out tonight, he’d make damn sure. He shifted his hips, nudging her entrance, enjoying the heat capping his sensitive head before he filled her. “And you’re incredibly tempting, for a drug mule.”

…

Tessa’s eyes snapped open. Her legs dropped away from him. “A drug mule?” An iceberg surged from the pit of her stomach, sending icy chills to her extremities.

He went dead still above her.

“Kris.” She pushed at his shoulders. “What are you talking about? I’m not a drug mule.” How could he think she’d be involved with drugs? She didn’t even take vitamins, for goodness sakes.

He pulled back, his breathing coming in measured doses. His eyes focused on her, his brow scrunched as he studied her.

She twisted, trying to get out from under him. “Get off me.”

“No.” He dropped his weight, pinning her to the bed. “Not until we clear this up.” The Kris she’d discovered last night was gone. She was buck naked under the cold-hearted interrogator, and side-stepping his questions wasn’t gonna be easy. “If you’re not a mule, are you a buyer?”

He couldn’t be serious. “Noooooo.” Things had gone from bad to worse, now he thought she was a dealer. “Why would you think so?”

“Heather’s been trafficking for months,” he said in a detached tone. “Now she’s looking to buy for someone.”

That’s why she wanted to come along. “You think she’s working for
me
?” She struggled to wedge her hips loose, but only managed to press his cock against her inner thigh. He pinned her hands to the bed, and suddenly they were back where they started, with her trapped and at his mercy. She bit her lip to keep it from trembling. Had she misjudged him? Was this really what he was after?

His left eye narrowed for a split second before the mask was back in place. “You made a huge withdrawal the day you came here.”

Her eyes went wide as her jaw dropped. The man was dense! Talk about jumping to conclusions. “I bought a
house
!” She flinched. Now that she’d said it out loud, there was no going back. She had no way of getting the documents on the house from here to save herself. And if she did, every cent she’d scraped together would be gone.

He stared down at her, searching her face. “Damn it, Tessa.” He scowled at her. “Don’t you dare lie to me.”

She frowned, enjoying the scrutiny as much as a bad case of bed bugs. “Get. Off. Me.”

He pushed off his elbows, murder in his eyes. “There’s no house listed under your name.”

She glared at him. “I signed the papers Friday morning before I got on the plane.”

He shook his head, mumbling under his breath. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what? I’m not a drug dealer?” She folded her arms over her chest. “I’m not an axe murderer or a Martian either.”

He got off the bed and yanked on briefs then jeans, muttering about senseless women. “I’m having a hard time believing you, considering the information we
have
been provided,” he stated as he pulled up his zipper.

“Where did you get such a ridiculous idea?” She pulled the sheet high on her chest, needing a barrier between them. “Do you have me confused with someone else?”

“Why won’t you give me details on your trip?” His body was tense as his hard gaze dug into her. “Are you protecting someone?”

Tessa hesitated. Coming clean was a risk. How trustworthy was a man who included kidnapping in his job description? She bit the inside of her lips, struggling with her decision. Every one of her senses screamed a denial.

“This is just you and me, Tessa.” His tone was softer and his expression sincere. “I’m not asking for names, but I need to know why you’re putting your life on the line.”

She’d never been one to believe in heroes. Nobody would risk life and limb to come to her rescue. She’d always had to do for herself.
He saved me from the unthinkable.

“I came to visit my best friend. She lives here with her family. I’m not giving you her name,” she said, shaking her head. “While you have my life in your hands, I won’t put them in danger.” She let him process her statement before she continued. He nodded, losing some of the tension in his shoulders. “This is my first vacation—ever.”

A vein ticked at his temple. “Why?”

What a loaded question.
I couldn’t afford one. My three jobs never lined up quite right. I wanted a permanent roof over my head. Stability was more important than fun. I wanted something to call my own.
Any way she answered, she’d sound pathetic. “I had personal goals. Until I met those, I wasn’t going to stray from my plan.” She shrugged. “Everything came together at the same time.”

He rolled upright to sit on the edge of the bed, not quite as tense as he’d been. “Where does Heather fit into this?”

“Until recently, we shared an apartment. When she heard me planning the trip, she invited herself along.”

“Heather is in the market for cocaine.” Even though his tone was back to normal, Tessa’s stomach lurched. “She was openly shopping for a connection while you were out clubbing the last couple of nights.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Talking about large sums of money to anyone who’ll listen is reckless. She had no fucking clue what she was doing.”

She closed her eyes, trying to ignore the emptiness in her chest. “I couldn’t figure out why she insisted on coming.” She shook her head. “We’ve been roommates for years, but we’ve never been close. The trip seemed impulsive. But I never would’ve imagined
this
.” She slammed both fists on her thighs. “Stupid-stupid-stupid!”

“You provided good cover.” He cradled her cold hands, rubbing them between his own. “You knew people in the area and had reason to be here. She had a near perfect setup.”

Tessa sobered. “Heather isn’t tied up in some corner downstairs, is she?

He released her, his jaw hardening. “She’s fine. Don’t worry about her.”

His reaction told her otherwise. “Where’s Heather? Is she okay?” All the worst scenarios had played in her mind over the past few days. “She’s my friend.”

“Tessa, let it go.”

“I
caaan’t.
” She’d come too far to buckle at this point.

He squared his shoulders and gave her a dead stare.

She remained unfazed, recognizing when he slipped into his ‘Boss’ role.

“You want to know what your friend is capable of. I’ll tell you.” His lips twisted with disgust. “Heather isn’t like you, Tessa. She didn’t put up a fight to save herself or you.” His eyes turned hard. “She hasn’t
once
asked how you’re doing, even though you’re here because of her. Instead, she tried making quick arrangements for herself.”

Tessa couldn’t say a single thing in protest. Heather was self-centered, irresponsible, and loose. She wouldn’t lose sleep over anyone else—no matter what happened to them.

“She offered to leave
you
behind to service the crew while she went home.” He let that sink in for a moment before he continued. “Your friend works for one of the regional bosses at the Juarez border. She smeared you into her issue. You’ll both have to answer for some missing freight before anyone goes anywhere.”

Every drop of blood left her head and face. If not for Kris, where would she be right now?

“I went to the club after Heather, but missed her.” He frowned. “I got distracted in the process. When she left, I gave the order to bring her in.”

Oh God, I’m here because of him
. “I was never part of the plan,” she whispered.

“No. The reports confirm you weren’t.” Confusion clouded his eyes. “You could’ve bought your way out when Cruz asked if you had anything to bargain with. Why didn’t you?”

She squelched a wave of embarrassment. “I didn’t think I’d make it out of here. I wasn’t giving you a bonus after you…finished with me.”

Kris pulled on his boots, shaking his head. “I couldn’t even begin to explain how complicated this is.”

Fear, anger, and disappointment left her raw.

He ran his hand along the back of his neck. “I need to go deal with this mess.”

His long stride took him to the door without a backward glance in her direction.