Indulgence (323 page)

He never wanted it to end. He’d take everything she could
give him.

And more.

In the hazy aftermath of their lovemaking Armando noticed
that Gina’s eyes were filled with tears. He kissed her cheeks, rubbing the
streamers of saltiness away with his thumbs. He kissed her eyes and then lost
himself in her mouth all over again.

“Thank you. That was incredible,” he said as he came up for
air. He never said that to women. He was used to hearing it, though, but Gina
didn’t say that. Instead she said,

“I want you in my bed.”

Well, he wasn’t about to deny the lady anything. After all,
he’d just had the best sex of his entire life. It had been short, too short.
And it had happened in an old pickup truck, not even in private, on a bench
seat littered with Fredo’s fast food wrappers. But it was still the best sex of
his life. And he wanted more.

Way more.

Gina couldn’t believe she’d cried. In the back of a dirty
pickup after scorching hot sex. Well, on the back
seat
of an old pickup.
And with the hot guy she’d been dreaming about ever since she’d met him, that
Navy SEAL with the training and the self-discipline she obviously lacked. What
did he think of her? Even though he wiped away her tears, kissed her eyes, her
ears and whispered things to her mouth she didn’t understand…something in
Spanish she didn’t recognize. He must have thought she was a deranged, loose,
unprincipled woman so hot for sex she’d do it in a garbage dump.

Her body started to awaken from its erotic sleep as he
kissed her, cooed in her ear. The ache between her legs became uncomfortable
again.

I’m embarrassed.
God in Heaven. Was she really that
desperate?

Something inside her made the tears already filling her eyes
gush. She turned away from him and tried to bury her head in her wadded-up
dress. What was this? It wasn’t regret or shame.

What, Gina?

Armando’s strong fingers lifted her chin and turned her to
stare directly into his warm brown eyes. Did she see pity there?

“What is it, baby?” He kissed her again gently on the mouth.
He rubbed her cheeks with his thumbs, holding the back of her head, lazily
making circles in her scalp with his long fingers, as he nibbled everywhere.
“Did I hurt you?” he whispered.

What?
How could he think that? Oh yes, the tears. He
thought she was in some sort of pain.

Well, I am.
Something deep down inside her had been
uncorked, and now her emotions came out in a jumbled mess like clothes in a
dryer. Reds, yellows, blues and whites all mixed together. Random. No order.
And so frightening.

He nudged under her ear and whispered, after planting a
delicate kiss, “Talk to me, Gina. I didn’t mean to hurt you, take advantage.
Baby, I’m so sorry.”

So this guy was telling her he was sorry for releasing her
inner siren, the one she kept locked up because she always got Gina in trouble?
The one that fell too quickly for guys, especially guys who were masters at
breaking her heart? Like this Navy SEAL.

And she’d told him she wanted him in her bed.

What have you done?

She’d been staring at the dog tags dangling over her, at the
way the silver shone against his thick, tanned neck. His dark eyebrows and long
black lashes, the fullness of his lips. She loved the gentle rise and fall of
his chest, making the dog tags sway in the moonlight, touching her flesh,
tinkling like tiny pieces of breaking glass. It was music. She saw the beads of
perspiration caught in the stubble above his upper lip. That lock of hair that
fell in a shiny loose curl over his smooth tanned forehead. This was a face she
could fall for, dream about forever. This was the face of a protector, a hero.
And worst of all, he was worried about how
she
felt.

His forefinger rubbed along her lower lip, bringing her
gently back to reality. A small crease line had formed between his bushy
eyebrows. A vein pulsed above it, disappearing into his hairline.

She pressed her palms against his pecs, resting against his
warm flesh for a moment before pushing his hard body. He rose up and helped her
to sitting position with one strong muscled arm. He sighed, looking out the
windshield at the passing lights through the trees.

She had to explain, and hoped she could. “It isn’t what you
think.”

The jerk of his right shoulder told her he wanted to put an
arm around her and draw her close, but he’d stopped himself. He was resisting
the urge to be tender with her. God, her heart was beating so hard she thought
she might faint.

“The intensity. I’m not used to that much intensity.” She
took a chance and turned to look at his profile. The vein in his forehead
disappeared. He started to nod slowly. Then she saw the crease form at the side
of his lips, precursor to an unmistakable smile. As he continued to nod, she
watched his chin arc towards her, his body shift. His arm wrapped around her
shoulders as his fingers played with the hair at the nape of her neck. Firm
fingers dug into the muscles at the top of her spine and massaged her there,
making her relax.

His eyebrows tented as he seemed to have difficulty holding
back laughter. “But you’re okay with the sex?” His eyes sparkled as he searched
her face, like he was memorizing every detail. The lips that had done wonderful
things to her body just minutes before drew back and she was completely dazzled
with the most gorgeous smile she’d ever seen.

“I’m good with the sex.” She matched his smile.

“Outstanding, because, sweetheart, I’m just getting warmed
up.”

Oh, God.

“That invitation still open?” he asked.

She frowned, not sure what he was talking about. He leaned
over and kissed one of her nipples, sending it into a delicious little knot. He
held the side of her neck with one hand as he kissed her all the way up the other
side.

“The part where you said you’d show me your bed,” he
whispered. His warm breath gave her a little tickle she felt all the way to her
knees and beyond. Then his fingers eased their way toward the aching place
between her thighs, but she kept them pressed together.

“I love the way your body moves,” he whispered. “The way
your body tastes.”

She relaxed her knees and allowed him to slip a finger into
her opening. Their heat level was rising fast. She giggled. “Can we do it
without the trash?”

He jerked for a second, pulled back to study her expression
and returned the chuckle. “That was a new one for me too. Why don’t we get
dressed and you take me to your place? I’ll see if I can introduce you to some
more intensity, but only if you want to. You tell me when to stop, okay?”

He held her chin with his fingertips, placing his forehead
against hers.

“’Kay,” was all she was capable of saying.

The ride over was uneventful, except for the way she needed
to sit close to him, their thighs touching, his hand smoothing down hers, up
and down between her knee and her hip. Her body missed his warmth when he had
to pull away and shift the gears on the truck. She felt as if she were in high
school, with the soccer player she’d fallen in love with who always drove her home
after games. They’d detour down a country lane for some beautiful sex before
he’d take her to her front door. He used to drive his father’s old landscaping
truck, but it mattered little to her.

She’d lost her virginity to him that summer. It was a simple,
quick affair before he was to ship out overseas. There were no promises made,
but she knew she’d wait for him to come home. He was the son of Mexican
immigrant parents and had been proud to sign up to do his duty for the adopted
country he loved. The uncomplicated, simple ways he showed his gentle affection
for her became something she depended on. When he left for Afghanistan, she’d
found herself in a funk until the day his father called and told her in his
broken English that his son had been killed.

Something inside her died that day.

Gina thought perhaps all the other brief relationships she’d
had afterwards, the horrible choices she’d made in the ensuing years, had been
an attempt to find him again in the arms of her new lovers. But no one
compared.

Until now.

Now she was about to let in someone she had no business
being intimate with. She’d let him fully have his way with her. The brother of
their person of interest. Were her personal feelings getting in the way of her
job?

Hell, yes.

So, maybe that’s why she’d been crying. Maybe this was the
way it felt, just before you get your heart broken. Like the body knows before
the head does.

She watched the jewel sparkles of the colored evening lights
against the raindrops on the windshield in front of her. The music was playing
some tune she recognized, but didn’t want to recall. Like it was something
she’d have to forget later on. The warm familiarity with which his hands
caressed her, how she fit right inside the stretch of his arm, how good it
smelled to lean her head against the bulge of his shoulder. Even though she was
headed down a one-way, dangerous tunnel, for some reason she felt safe.

They pulled up to the condo the Department had rented for
her. All her stuff was in storage, since this assignment meant she had to let
her other apartment go. Like her life, everything familiar and part of her past
was packed safely away under lock and key. Her family photographs, yearbooks
from college, and special cards she’d saved were all hidden.

Only her public persona for the job, the “cheap” Gina, who
was the best friend to the lady they were using to get info on the gang
activity—that Gina was the one who lived here.

But that Gina had snagged this man, this perfect night. So
why deny herself? After all, wasn’t this just like all the other guys she fell
for? Guys who left her? Wasn’t it about time for her to take charge, allowing
herself to enjoy something, just this once? Then she’d be the one to do the
leaving. Wouldn’t that be good self-care? Break his heart before he could break
hers? Then it would be back to business. All cop, the real Gina. The Gina who
was tough and could function in a man’s world of crime, death and abuse.

She’d been leaning against him, and when he turned off the
motor and pulled the brake, she was reluctant to leave his side. They sat for a
moment watching droplets collect and stream down the glass in front of them. No
sense rushing if this night was all she would have with him. She knew that
whatever was coming next was going to change her life forever.

Armando looked down at her. “You okay?”

Gina nodded, but didn’t pull away.

“You sure? Now is the time to stop it, if you got some
reason—”

She reached up and pulled his head forward, kissing him. The
heat and the fire between them ignited again. The once-tentative kiss became
all consuming. Their hands flew over each other’s bodies.

A sharp whack on the driver window from the outside
shattered their aroused stupor. Gina knew instantly who it was before she saw
Sam’s tense outline under the light of the streetlamp. His twisted face was red
with rage.

Armando was out of the truck so fast Gina almost fell into
the driver’s door. With a couple of kicks to Sam’s fleshy midsection and one to
his face, the SEAL had Sam on the pavement groaning, and then suddenly he went
limp.

“You fuckin’ animal. Now you got a fight.” Armando straddled
him, yanking Sam’s arms up. But Sam was beyond caring. Gina slid out quickly
and tried to stop Armando, but he pushed her off.

“Get inside, Gina. Lock the door and call the cops.”

“Armando, don’t hurt him.”

The smirk Armando showed her broke her heart. His face was
full of a question he probably didn’t want to ask.

“I can handle this,” she began. “
You
shouldn’t get
involved,” she pleaded. It was true. Sam wasn’t really a threat to her, because
she would call the Department and complain, probably bring paramedics to look
Sam over, which would give Gina protection. But if Armando did some permanent
physical damage to a member of San Diego’s finest, he’d be in a whole lot of
trouble. And with a blown cover, so would she. Armando had to be convinced to
leave.

“Go. I’ll be okay.”

“I can’t leave you alone. Here. With this guy,” Armando shot
back.

“You have to. Don’t worry, I’ll call the cops. But you don’t
want to be involved. Just disappear. I promise I’ll call the cops right now. If
you get involved, you risk your career, Armando. He’s not worth it.”

Armando stood up. Sam’s bloodstained the front of his shirt.
His fingers combed his hair and then he put hands on his hips, breathing
heavily. “But you are,” he said.

“No, Armando. I’m not. Please, just go.”

“So it’s going to be this way, huh?” Gina noticed the bitter
squint in Armando’s face.

“Not what you think. All he wanted was to break the two of
us up. He’s done that. Let me get some medical attention for him and get the
police to haul him away. I’ll say I did this.”

Armando frowned at the suggestion. “Like they’ll believe you
that you beat this piece of shit up? What if he presses charges against you?”

“You think he’d risk the ridicule of his biker buddies,
saying he was slapped around by a girl? His ex? Leave it, Armando.”

Sam started to groan.

“Please. I don’t want you getting into trouble on my
behalf.” Gina practically got on her knees to plead.

“Why don’t you let me worry about that?” he said, wiping
sweat from his forehead with his arm.

“Because I have a gun and I know how to use it. Trust me,
I’ll be okay.”

Armando adjusted his clothes and rolled one shoulder. She
could see anger and confusion cross his face, but at last he shrugged and came
closer to where she stood.