The Veiled Cage (Lady Lawyer Series Romantic Suspense Novels Book 1) (34 page)

“
The best shot we have is if I go in alone. You know that
.
”

“
Yes, but I had to try
.
”

“
The three muske-techies will keep me safe
.
”

“
I admire your bravery, Ruby, to be willing to face a killer alone
.
”

“I’
ll be fine. I know karate
.
”

“
A small comfort
.
”

“
I have to do thi
s—
for Susan
.
”

“
And Tara, I suspect. It wo
n’
t bring her back, you know
.
”

“
I know
.
”

“
You were just a law student back then. You did all you could have done
.
”

“
No, I could have pushed the prosecutor harder
.”
Ruby rose and went to the window. She braced her hands on the sill
.“
I need to know I did everything in my power to stop this bastard from ruining Susa
n’
s life
.
”

“
Will it be enough?

“
No
.”
Ruby spun, eyes tormented
.“
But maybe then
I’
ll get some damn sleep
.
”

“
It might help if you did
n’
t sleep alone.
I’
d sleep awfully well if I had a gorgeous Spaniard telling me a bedtime story in that irresistible accent
.
”

“
Find someone else to set up. Jazz is right down the hall
.
”

“I’
ll stop in and see her on my way out
.”
Amy stopped in the doorway, and gave Ruby a serious look
.“
Consider me on-call
.
”

“
Thanks. When yo
u’
re done finding Jazz the love of her life, please send her in
.
”

Chapter 22

“
So this is how you operate
,”
Emilio said
.“
You tell your team that they can leav
e—
the plan is in place, the parts are set. And then you proceed to stay
.
”

“
Something like that
,”
Ruby said
.
“
And yet yo
u’
re still here
.
”

“I’
m accustomed to being the last one at my office
.
”

“
This is
n’
t your office
.
”

“
No, this one is
n’
t. Mine is down the hall
.”
Emilio flashed her a grin.

Ruby chucked a memo cube at him.

He caught it.

“I’
m working. Do
n’
t you have your tech empire to deal with
?
”

“
I can do my work from anywhere with the right equipment
.
”

“
And even without it
.
”

He tossed the memo cube in his hand.

She held up her hands as if in surrender
.“
I admit it. Your hodgepodge set-up is effective
.
”

“
It appears yo
u’
re defenseless, Rubina
.
”

“
I most certainly am not
.”
She dropped her hands and her eyes flared.

“
I wonde
r—
do you see me as a threat
?
”

“
I do
n’
t
.
”

“
Good
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re a harmless e-nerd
,”
she taunted, crossing her arms in challenge.

“
Am I
?”
He had her up and out of her chair before she could counter. He shut and locked her office door as he pressed her against it, ravaging her mouth with his.

“
I do
n’
t take what is
n’
t freely given
.”
He released her and stayed a breath away.

Acting on a force as great as thought, she moved into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

He held back, offering softness.

She wanted heat.

She grabbed his generous bottom lip in her teeth. He responded by flicking his tongue over her lips and then plunging between them, clouding her senses with his flavor.

Pulling her mouth from his, her chest heaved with the effort
.“
This is
n’
t going to happen
,”
she managed
.“
Not here
.
”

He spun with her, and set her on her desk. Hands on either side of her, he clutched the overhang until she thought i
t’
d break. Pushing away, he moved to the window and rested his forehead on the cool glass.

Hesitant, she approached and placed her hand on his shoulder
.“
Are you upset
?
”

“
Of course not. You may want to stand back a bit. I can still see quite vividly what
I’
d like to do to you on that desk
.
”

“I’
ve,
I’
ve never done anything like this
.
”

He turned in surprise
.
“
Oh
?
”

“
I do
n’
t mean sex. Ther
e’
s been sex. But never in my office. I keep my lives separat
e—
the professional and the personal
.
”

He smiled
.“I’
d like to see where you live, Rubina
.”
He linked their fingers
.“
Now seems like wonderful timing
.
”

She held back
.“
I
t’
s not. I
t’
s terrible. I have work
.
”

“
Our plans are solid. All tha
t’
s left is their implementation. Tha
t’
s not set to happen until nine
.”
He caressed her cheek, and she stayed still, gazing up at hi
m—
a frightened doe with a steel spine. Was it any wonder he found himself falling for this fascinating, shifting blend of contradicting layers? Knowing his thoughts would send her darting, he said, instead
,“
We can figure out wha
t’
s between us, or ignore it. Either way, i
t’
s there. What are you going to do about it, Rubina
?
”

✧

“
I
t’
s not much
.”
She shrugged as she led him into her apartment. After toeing off her shoes, she sank her bare feet into carpet, an indulgence for home or the beach
.“
Colin says the color scheme i
s
—”

He cut her off by spinning her around, yanking her in, and taking her mout
h—
hot, lusty, and lightly edged with humor. He broke the contact
.“
We can discuss your
dé
cor later, if yo
u’
d like
.
”

He gripped her hips and boosted her up, tipped so he fell with her pinned underneath him onto her bed. His mouth claimed hers.

She grabbed his exceptional ass and gave it a hard squeeze.

She slid her hand around, between them, and found him. The next hard squeeze brought a moan, had him shifting his mouth to her throat.

She met every demand, and made her own. He discovered the rhythms of her body, the secret places to exploit and seduce, inflame.

He found her a fascination and a glorious surprise.

Her hands gripped his hair. She arched her back, trembling, urging him to join them.

He traced the firm curve of her breast, and tasted her silky skin, surrounding himself with her scent. The catch of her breath and her hand around him drove him to a keen and lusty ledge.

Lithe, ready, she slid her body to meet him. She felt his heartbeat pounding, matching the drumbeat of her own.

Her mouth clung to his, fever hot, scrambling his senses beyond reason.

He reached for her mound and dipped his finger inside her.

Wet and hot, she cried in release and still he drove her higher. Her eyes fluttered shut.

“
Let me see what I do to you,
Querida
.
”

“
Now, Milo
.
”

She bowed up, shivering with desire. He thrust inside her, hard and deep.

Gasping, her fingers gripped his muscled shoulders. Quaking shook her to her core. The seismic strength of their passion shuddered toward her heart as they rode each other.

In the aftershocks, they lay facing each other. He brushed his lips over her shoulder.

Sex had been basi
c—
an uncomplicated release. This casual intimacy shook her. Her heart tripped. She was
n’
t ready to know what it meant.

“
Rubina,
I’
m sorry. I do
n’
t know what to say
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re . . . sorry
?”
Her heart dropped. She covered herself with a sheet
.“
I think i
t’
s time for you to go
.”
She managed over the lump of tears threatening to choke her, refusing to let him see his effect on her.

“
As you wish. You must know . . .
I’
ve never lost control like that
.
”

She studied him
.“
What, exactly, are you apologizing for
?
”

“
I did
n’
t treat you with the proper care
.”
He raised his hand to brush her cheek, lowered it and his head. I was practicall
y
—”

“
A sex maniac
?
”

He sat and held his head in his hands.

“
Wh
o’
s the prude now
?
”

“
I have the blood of Diego Ramirez coursing through my veins. You ca
n’
t know what that means, Rubina. I should have told you
.
”

“
I think I have a good idea. But why do
n’
t you tell me
?
”

“
H
e’
s more beast than man.
I’
ve prided myself on being nothing like him. And
I’
ve succeede
d—
until tonight
.”
He held her gaze as sadness crested into sorrow
.“
I failed you, Rubina
.
”

She let out a long sigh
.“I’
m no good at this, Milo. All I can think to tell you is that yo
u’
re being awfully moronic for a genius
.
”

“
Excuse me
.”
He lifted his head.

“
Are
n’
t you supposed to be a ladie
s’
man? Honestly, Emilio. You send orgasms ripping through me.
I’
m ready to blast to Venus. W
e’
re talking cosmic-grade explosions, and then you apologize. Apologize
.”
She emphasized.

“
I did
n’
t frighten you
?
”

“
Yo
u’
re impressive, but I think I proved I could hold my own
.”
She gave him a smug smile.

“
I meant to make love with you, Rubina
.
”

“
I told you. Mission accomplished. W
e’
ve rearranged the cosmos
.”
She grinned, and her breath caught when she saw his tender look.

“
No,
Querida
. Let me show you
.”
He eased her back against the pillows and captured her mouth in kisses as delicate as butterfly wings. His hand traveled down her, molding her shape as an artist caresses clay. Slowly, he trailed his mouth down to her breast, tasting her, teasing her until she went wild at his tongue flicking her nipple, stoking a fire burning hot at her center.

“
Milo
.”
She whispered.

He gripped her ass with his strong hands and kneaded as he sent sparks shooting with his tongue. He traveled down, murmuring his musical language as she fell beyond reason, spellbound. His whispers warmed the trail down as his hand moved around to cup her center, flicking her higher and higher. She heard a feral cry, too swept away to recognize it as her own. She lost sight to pleasure so intense it shifted her senses. It robbed her of sight and heightened the sensation in every synapse, as every fiber of her nervous system enlivened at his touch.

“
Again,
Querida
.
”

Her vision filled with him. She saw what sh
e’
d hoped for long ago in his dark, decadent eyes. Terrified and thrilled, she pulled him up and shifted her hips, cradling him. She cupped his face and nodded, readying herself to take the plunge
.“
Together, Milo
.
”