Under His Protection (17 page)

Moving slowly, she took her time as she drew him as deep as she could before releasing him. Over and over, she teased him until he made a strangled sound and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her up.

Before she could ask what he was doing, he pulled her up then flipped her under him. Oh yeah, he wanted to be in control, and she was ready to give him the reins. He kept his gaze pinned to hers as he reached between their bodies.

Cupping her mound, he shuddered when he slid a finger inside her. “So wet,” he murmured as he withdrew it. Without using his hand as a guide, he positioned his hard length between her slick lips.

Ivan watched her closely as he placed his hands on either side of her head, keeping most of his weight off her. It was the most erotic sensation to have his cock pressing at her entrance but not have his hands on her.

She had no such control. Stroking her fingers up his abdomen, chest, then back down again, she grabbed onto his waist, digging her fingers into his hard body as she arched into him. The spiciness that was partly from the body wash he used and mostly just his natural scent wrapped around her like a warm embrace. She loved everything about him and wanted to bury her face against his neck and just breathe him in.

Her body opened to him as he surged forward with a groan. His mouth captured hers, his cock sliding into her in one long thrust. She gasped into his kiss as he filled her completely. Her body stretched and molded around him, taking all he had to give.

It didn’t matter that she’d been primed for him, it had still been a long time and he was thick. Almost immediately her inner walls started convulsing around him, little ripples of her impending orgasm starting. Oh yeah, it wasn’t going to take her long at all.

As if he’d read her mind, he reached between them. He stayed buried inside her, barely moving as he tweaked her clit. Just like that, her climax started, a sharp punch of pleasure ricocheting to all her nerve endings. Reading her perfectly, he increased his pressure between her thighs, rubbing against her sensitive bundle of nerves with his thumb as he began moving.

The additional friction was too much, sending her into erotic overdrive. Her orgasm increased, cresting into so much pleasure she couldn’t think straight as her head fell back from his. Even kissing took too much focus. Eyes closed, she arched into him, clutching at his shoulders as he pounded into her, his thrusts erratic as she shouted her release.

Just as quickly, he fell over that edge with her, groaning her name like a prayer as he thrust, over and over, his thickness the most wonderful feeling she’d ever experienced. As her orgasm started to ebb she managed to open her eyes a fraction, watching as Ivan stared down at her, pure ecstasy on his face as he lost himself inside her.

It was impossible to look away from the stark beauty of his face as he was at his most vulnerable. She wasn’t sure how much time passed but eventually his thrusts slowed, his release warm inside her.

He cupped her cheek with his calloused palm, gently stroking over her skin with his thumb. “I’m grateful every fucking day that I met you. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”

She sucked in a breath at his words, the sincerity in them touching her bone-deep. He might have told her that he loved her, but this felt like more, a deeper confession somehow. The truth was, she couldn’t imagine her life without him in it either.

Reaching around him, she hugged him close, loving the skin to skin contact. “Good, because I’m not going anywhere.” She didn’t know what the future held for them but she knew what she wanted with him; the whole package.

Epilogue

Two and a half months later

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Julieta murmured, going up on her toes to kiss Ivan.

“Like what?” Probably like he wanted to devour her right there—because he did. But getting naked and having his way with her on one of the lounge chairs next to her parents’ pool at their big New Year’s party would be inappropriate. And get him an ass kicking by her brothers—and her cousins.

“You know what.” Her voice was a seductive whisper as she leaned into him.

They were surrounded by about fifty people, mostly her family, but some friends as well, for the big party. For the past couple months they’d been practically living together, switching back and forth between both their places. But he wanted so much more from her.

He wanted forever. Damn it, he’d planned to wait until midnight and do a big romantic gesture, but Jules staring at him with those big brown eyes in that formfitting gold dress that wrapped around her delicious body like a second skin—he couldn’t stand it anymore. He needed his ring on her finger and he didn’t care how caveman that made him. He wanted the entire world to know she was his. Hell, he wanted her to know how much she meant to him.

At one time the thought of marriage would have terrified him but the thought of not having Julieta in his life was far more terrifying. Without pause he went down on one knee, taking her left hand in his. Out of respect he’d already talked to her parents to let them know his intentions. Technically he’d asked for permission but the truth was, if they’d said no, he’d have asked her to marry him anyway. Julieta was his.

Her pretty lips parted in surprise as she stared at him, wide-eyed. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but no words came out.

Pulling the small box from his pants’ pocket, he wasn’t surprised that his hands were rock steady. He’d never been more sure of anything in his life. Around them he was vaguely aware of everyone going silent and the sound of the music dimming, but all his focus was on the woman he loved more than anything.

He held the blue box in his hand, but still hadn’t opened it. “I wanted to wait until midnight—”

“Yes!” she shouted, taking him by surprise.

Relief slammed into him, the small insecure part of him that had been worried she’d say no, soothed in the best way possible. His mouth curved into a grin. “I don’t think I asked a question yet,” he murmured low enough for only her to hear.

In response she held out her hand expectantly, her grin wicked and her eyes shimmering with tears. “You better put that ring on my finger right now, Mr. Mitchell.”

At that, his cock hardened instantly. She only ever called him Mr. Mitchell playfully in the bedroom. Thankfully his bent leg hid his response from their onlookers. Without waiting another second, he opened the box and slid the marquis cut diamond onto her finger. Oh yeah, he loved the way it looked.

She let out a gasp at the sight of the ring before she bent and threw her arms around his neck, practically tackling him. Catching her in his arms, he stood, pulling her with him as he captured her mouth with his. She tasted sweet, like the wine she’d been drinking earlier. Cheers and the sound of champagne bottles popping sounded around them, but he had eyes only for her.

Though it pained him to pull away, he did, looking down into the eyes of the woman he planned to spend the rest of his life with, to have children with. Growing up as an only child and with a father who was gone all the time, he’d craved having a family of his own his whole life, even if he’d never admitted it to himself. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Her voice was a scratchy whisper, the joy and love in her eyes shining through as they were bombarded by people wishing them congratulations. Glasses of champagne were pushed into their hands and her brothers immediately started giving toasts, mostly threatening to kick his ass if he ever hurt their sister.

Ivan wrapped an arm around Julieta’s shoulders and pulled her in tight to his side. That was one thing he’d never do. Julieta was the best thing that had ever happened to him and he couldn’t wait to start their lives together.

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Sneak Peek of

Bound to Danger

Deadly Ops Series

Copyright © 2014 Katie Reus

Forcing her body to obey her when all she wanted to do was curl into a ball and cry until she passed out, she got up. Cool air rushed over her exposed back and backside as her feet hit the chilly linoleum floor. She wasn’t wearing any panties and the hospital gown wasn’t covering much of her. She didn’t care.

Right now she didn’t care about much at all.

Sometime when she’d been asleep her dirty, rumpled gown had been removed from the room. And someone had left a small bag of clothes on the bench by the window. No doubt Nash had brought her something to wear. He’d been in to see her a few times, but she’d asked him to leave each time. She felt like a complete bitch because she knew he just wanted to help, but she didn’t care. Nothing could help, and being alone with her pain was the only way she could cope right now.

Feeling as if she were a hundred years old, she’d started unzipping the small brown leather bag when the door opened. As she turned to look over her shoulder, she found Nash, a uniformed police officer, and another really tall, thuggish-looking man entering.

Her eyes widened in recognition. The tattoos were new, but the
thug
was Cade O’Reilly. He’d served in the Marines with her brother. They’d been best friends and her brother, Riel, named after her father, had even brought him home a few times. But that was years ago. Eight to be exact. It was hard to forget the man who’d completely cut her out of his life after her brother died, as if she meant nothing to him.

Cade towered over Nash—who was pretty tall himself—and had a sleeve of tattoos on one arm and a couple on the other. His jet-black hair was almost shaved, the skull trim close to his head, just like the last time she’d seen him. He was…intimidating. Always had been. And startlingly handsome in that bad-boy way she was sure had made plenty of women… Yeah, she wasn’t even going there.

She swiveled quickly, putting her back to the window so she wasn’t flashing them. Reaching around to her back, she clasped the hospital gown together. “You can’t knock?” she practically shouted, her voice raspy from crying, not sure whom she was directing the question to.

“I told them you weren’t to be bothered, but—”

The police officer cut Nash off, his gaze kind but direct. “Ms. Cervantes, this man is from the NSA and needs to ask you some questions. As soon as you’re done, the doctors will release you.”

“I know who he is.” She bit the words out angrily, earning a surprised look from Nash and a controlled look from Cade.

She might know Cade, or she had at one time, but she hadn’t known he worked for the NSA. After her brother’s death he’d stopped communicating with her. Her brother had brought him home during one of their short leaves, and she and Cade had become friends.
Good friends.
They’d e-mailed all the time, for almost a year straight. Right near the end of their long correspondence, things had shifted between them, had been heading into more than friendly territory. Then after Riel died, it was as if Cade had too. It had cut her so deep to lose him on top of her brother. And now he showed up in the hospital room after her mom’s death and wanted to talk to her? Hell no.

She’d been harassing the nurses to find a doctor who would discharge her, and now she knew why they’d been putting her off. They’d done a dozen tests and she didn’t have a brain injury. She wasn’t exhibiting any signs of having a concussion except for the memory loss, but the doctors were convinced that this was because of shock and trauma at what she’d apparently witnessed.

Nash started to argue, but the cop hauled him away, talking in low undertones, shutting the door behind them. Leaving her alone with this giant of a man.

Feeling raw and vulnerable, Maria wrapped her arms around herself. The sun had almost set, so even standing by the window didn’t warm her up. She just felt so damn cold. Because of the room and probably grief. And now to be faced with a dark reminder of her past was too much.

Sneak Peek of

Sinful Seduction

Red Stone Security Series

Copyright © 2014 Katie Reus

Mina threw her elbow back, ignoring the pain as she connected with the man’s ribs. He grunted, but barely seemed affected. Another shot of raw fear slammed through her as his grip tightened. She started thrashing around and the man in front of her began to advance but suddenly froze, his eyes growing wide as he growled a curse. Then he raced past them and suddenly she was falling. Scrambling to hold on to something, anything to stabilize her, her fingers skimmed the nearby car before she fell onto the cobblestone road.

Despite the pain that ricocheted up her spine, she rolled over and pushed up, expecting to have to defend herself. Instead she saw one huge man fighting with three—three!—in the middle of the quiet road. He slammed his fist against the jaw of the man who’d covered her mouth. Even from this distance she could hear the crack. The man with the knife lunged at him but he kicked out at him like some sort of ninja, throwing her would-be attacker back a couple feet. Though it felt like forever, she knew only seconds had passed as they fought.