Savage Secrets (Titan #6) (13 page)

Caterina gasped, her breathing just as erratic as his. Rocco swallowed, trying to wrap his mind around the woman in his arms. That he could feel this way…

That she could look at him like that…

His mind was blown. The thick ridge of his pants-covered erection pressed against her. She had to be cold. Had to be turned on. Her nipples showed through the wet dress. Dark and erect, and Rocco would feast on them soon enough. His mouth brushed her neck. His tongue traced across her flesh, and she wilted in his embrace, still pinned against the car.

“Tell me, Caterina Cruz, that this morning wasn’t a game changer.”

She shook her head, and the delicious smell of her shampoo filled his nostrils.

“Tell me,” he growled. “Damn it.”

“We both had a crazy day yesterday. Blowing off steam. That was this morning. I swear.” She shook her head again. “But no game changer. Nothing can be different.”

“Bull-freakin-shit, Kitten.” He kissed her neck, nuzzling his cock against her, drawing out a little moan. “Crazy doesn’t begin to describe my day yesterday. But I know how it ended, how I woke up, and so do you. Game changer. Now, tell me.”

Her chin jutted up, and her gaze fell away. “I don’t want to lose El Mateperros.”

“Forget that fuck. Forget that I’d rather stand between you and any enemy. Or hell, that I’d rather leave you home. Forget all that, then focus on me.”

Her gaze was far away, but her eyelashes fluttered.

“Look at me, Cat. Now.”

Eyelids shutting. Caged against him, she softened and nodded, whispering, “Game changer.”

The words were quiet, almost sad, which he could take a thousand different ways. But the only thing he would focus on was her and him and how a just-for-fun fuck had ended up far more than a hotel room romp.

“Glad we agree.” He kissed her, ignoring the cold rain that fell harder. “And whatever your beef is with El Mateperros, we’ll deal.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The green countryside rushed by, and the songs playing on the radio were the only thing that kept Caterina’s mind from spiraling. She sat in the passenger seat, watching Rocco drive back to the bustling streets of London, his huge muscles in a tailored shirt. Business GQ wasn’t her thing, but Rocco made a compelling case for dress shirts. He had the cuff links off and the sleeves rolled up, baring thick forearms. And when he drove with a wrist tossed over the steering wheel, the man couldn’t look any more confident.

Game changer
.

Too bad she couldn’t feel any less confident. Her body betrayed her life’s mission, leaving her turned on and quickly losing focus on her prize. A dead Dog Killer. She couldn’t shake her arousal. Vivid memories of Rocco pinning her to the cold, wet car door and nudging his hard-on between her legs all but made Caterina straddle him while they drove. She was far too obsessed with connecting to his touch again.

Rocco’s phone buzzed in the center console. She grabbed it. “It says Jared.”

His hard jaw sawed back and forth.

“What? You don’t want me looking at who’s calling?”

“No. I don’t know. Not used to it.”

She wasn’t sure if she liked that response. He wouldn’t be talking about game changers if he had a girlfriend at home. Or would he? Was that what a game changer meant to him? Whatever. She did like the way his biceps bulged when he took the cell from her. His undone collar emphasized how thickly the man was built, and the fabric around his chest begged for mercy. She closed her eyes and felt the press of his chest, the kiss of his lips. Every time she spoke in her native tongue, his desire made her feel beautiful from the inside out. When his arms wrapped around her—even when he simply tossed an arm over her shoulder—she felt safe. Those were new feelings, and she wasn’t going to mess them up because he had a problem with her picking up his phone.

Rocco had the phone perched on his shoulder. “All right. If there are any problems, have Parker let us know.”

Her complete fixation on El Mateperros wasn’t as strong of a driving force as usual. Rocco had been talking about the trackers and bugs they’d just planted, and she was having fantasies about his body. A little guilty that she could focus on anything besides El Mateperros, she tried to ignore how sexy Rocco was. Not the easiest thing to do.

He put his phone back in the console.

“Careful. If it rings again, I might look.”

He shook his head. “I don’t care. I don’t know why I did that.”

“Because you don’t want me seeing who calls?”

“Trust me, it’s not like that.”

“If you say so.”

He cleared his throat. “
Previously
, I had someone who wanted the title of wife in a major way. She had something to say every time a job came up.”

“Like what?”

“Like, don’t go. Let Titan calls go to voicemail. Get a nine-to-fiver. Stuff like that.”

“Sounds like she didn’t know you.”

“Does, doesn’t it?” He looked over, almost smiling. His gaze set her insides on fire all over again, catapulting her stomach into cartwheels. He cocked half a grin, flashing that dimple. “You might be the hottest little thing I’ve ever laid eyes on. Even in that dress.”

“What? You don’t like my dress?” Flirting was good. Flirting played down how she was unconsciously re-prioritizing major life goals, the fact that Rocco was, at the moment, far more interesting than El Mateperros and whatever started feeding from the bugs they’d just left.

“I do. But, holy hell, woman. That black getup when you’re ready to get your badass on? Hot. Covers you head to toe, but leaves nothing to the imagination.”

Sex. Completely superficial. She could handle that because it meant she wasn’t putting Rocco above El Mateperros—if she could just distract herself enough.

She un-clicked her seatbelt. “That’s a pity. Surprises are fun.”

“Didn’t say you—what are you doing?”

She unclicked his seatbelt and ran her hand along the plain of his chest. Solid wall of brute force. It was a total turn-on. Her tongue ran across her bottom lip, and he was watching her instead of the road.

“
Tu me vuelves loca, Rocco
.” And she would at least get some kind of fix now. Her hand ran over his cock, feeling it thicken through his pants. “And I want to drive you crazy too.”

A deep groan vibrated through the Audi. They’d drifted hard to the shoulder, and he righted them on the road. “Yeah, that mission’s been accomplished, babe. But—”

His eyelids sank shut as she rubbed his length. He forced one eye open, then the other, dropping his head back against the headrest but trying to watch the road. “Feel free to try any new torture moves you have up your sleeve.”

She pulled at his zipper. So slowly. The teeth unhooked one by one and echoed around them like an erotic promise of what was to come.

Rocco shifted in his seat. “Wicked little vixen.”

With the zipper down and him raring to go, she slid her hand into his boxers. Strong as steel, thick as a branch, and hot, silky, smooth. She pulled him free.

“God, Caterina.” He repositioned himself, his breath catching with the slide of her hand. Her thumb caressed the crown of his cock. “I’m gonna run off the damn road.”

“Liam Laird will be with us for a while?”

“Roman?” His head dropped back. “Please don’t say my buddy’s name with my dick in your hand.”

She stroked him. “I’m just trying to get a sense.”

“Of?” His voice hitched again when she applied more pressure.

“How much alone time we might have.”

“I’d assume next to none.”

“Pity.” She leaned over, taking just the head of him into her mouth. Her tongue licked and when Rocco groaned, she sucked tight.

“Vicious move.” He blew out a breath.

Her teeth teased him lightly, sliding up and down his shaft. Then she trailed her tongue. “I think you can handle it.”

A deep rumble escaped his chest. “Not complaining.”

“Good.” She took him in her mouth again, sucking him deep.

Rocco clenched one hand into her hair, steering the Audi with the other. His hips flexed. “Christ, we’re gonna get pulled over.”

“Stop?”

“Do. Not. Stop.”

She laughed with her mouth still around him.

He groaned. “You’re killing me.”

Taking him like this had started as a distraction for her, but now…it reaffirmed what she wanted to be distracted from. Desperate hunger filled her. The taste of his flesh, the saltiness of his precum, the sexy masculine sounds he made with each slip of her tongue and curl of her fingers. She loved this.

“Your mouth…” He sounded even rougher, and that urged her on.

Rocco made her want normal like never before. Normal life. Normal man. Maybe even normal love. Roots and a relationship were something she’d only wanted once her search-and-destroy mission was over. But was Roc the type of man she hoped for?

An American? That would be unexpected. Private military type? Not on her most desired qualities list, but she wouldn’t have to hide her past from him.

She pulled back, licking, tasting, stroking, exploring, then looked up and lost herself in his eyes, in the pleasure of making him come apart. Completely helpless in her desire, she prayed that this feeling would stay with her. Her hand cupped his sac, dragging her nails lightly over the tight skin. Needing his release, she tormented and tortured, until he was strung so tight she could count the seconds until he climaxed.

His head thumped back against the headrest. Thighs tightening and straining in dress pants, he growled her name, pulsing and throbbing deep in her mouth. Wet warmth came as he lost himself to her, and she swallowed, hungrily, greedily, savoring the power and perfection that was them together.

Erratic breaths and a hand laying haphazardly on her were the only things she noticed. Slowly, she came up, dabbing at her mouth. Everything made sense when she focused on Rocco.

“Game changer.” He winked. His lazy smile and sexy dimple hung on his face.

“You’ve got jokes.” But she couldn’t hide her smile.

“Nope.” He grabbed her hand and kissed it. “But I do have you.”

Consider her heart stolen. She had no defenses for that. “I like you.”

“Good. Glad you finally admit that.” His dark eyes were satisfied and shining. He rubbed a hand over his jaw and blew out, then readjusted and zipped his pants. “We should take more long drives in the countryside I might become a proponent of those ‘long walks on the beach’ lines you ladies always dream about.”

“Pretty sure that’s not what that’s about.”

He gave her a look that would melt a glacier. “Pretty sure I’d go and find out.”

Just when the moment couldn’t get any better, it flip-flopped and couldn’t get any worse. “I grew up on the beach. It’s not all that it’s cracked up to be.”

“Can’t be that bad.”

She tugged her hand back. “I hate the beach.”

He chuckled. “Some guy break your heart beachside?”

Her stomach turned. Her father’s screams echoed in her brain even this long after the massacre. “Something like that.”

She watched the passing trees and the sad gray sky, and ignored whatever Rocco was saying. An aching heart and a guilty conscience drowned out the rest of the world. If she hadn’t asked for her birthday to be on the water. If she had asked for her daddy to stop saving the world for just one day, just long enough to eat cake and play games with her, then her family might be alive. Her throat burned with uncried tears. She pinched the bridge of her nose, willing the tears to evaporate before falling. Instead a memory certain to make it worse rose up. Such bad timing.

“No, daddy, no. Not today. Today’s my day.” She sat on his lap trying to take off the badge he displayed so proudly.

“Every day is your day, my little one.”

She shook her head. “This is the big one. Ten years old!” She snatched at his badge again, and he let her take it this time. “Please,” she begged. “Mama hates the guns. Leave this at home.” She tossed the badge.

“Mama hates the gun runners,” he corrected. “Not guns.”

She hated the guns. They scared her. Her bottom lip came out. “Please.”

He sighed, shaking his head. “But today, we’ll make it just us. No good guys and bad guys.”

“No guns.” Caterina smiled, triumphant.

He smiled and kissed her cheek. “A birthday present to you. Only cake and presents.”

“Cat?” Gravel spun in the wheel wells, and the car jerked to the side. Rocco tugged her arm, dragging her from the wretched grip of her real life nightmare. “What’s wrong?”

She blinked, dazed. Where to begin? Streams of sadness fell down her cheeks. It may’ve been seconds ticking by, but they felt like lifetimes. When she did look up, Rocco’s surprised concern melted into gentle prodding.

“Caterina.” They were stopped, the car in park. He faced her, his fingers brushing her cheek. “You’re crying. What just happened?”

The memories were too much, and she couldn’t tell him about her family. She never told anyone. To voice that day, to explain what had happened and how she’d survived…that was too much. Too much regret. Too much sadness. She’d never survive the pain. Remembering was all she could stand.