Chapter 17 #2
It wasn’t over yet, either. Rafe climbed onto the bed. Anticipation curled through her as she sat up, grabbed the dessert box.
“My turn.” Allison licked whipped cream from the box and shoved him backward.
“Ally...be gentle with me,” he mocked.
“Shut up, Rodriguez, while I have my wicked way with you.”
Encasing his shaft with her mouth, she set to work on him, enjoying the way he moaned as he’d made her moan, watching him shudder, feeling a surge of her own power, having him under her and knowing she was the one in control of giving him mind-blowing pleasure.
He began muttering rapid Spanish, too fast for her to understand with her limited knowledge, but judging from his reaction, he sure was enjoying himself.
When he came with a shudder, exploding in her mouth, she lingered for a while, reluctant to stop sampling the last little bit of delicious dessert.
Allison sat back, licking her lips and giving him a smug smile. She plucked a cherry from the dessert box, placed it atop his still erect penis and carefully encased it with her teeth. She chewed and swallowed.
“I got your cherry as well.”
A deep laugh rumbled from his throat. They were good together, she suddenly realized. Scary good.
The thought disconcerted her for a minute. What would happen when all this was over and he abandoned her, like the other guys had? Or she left him because she couldn’t see herself in a relationship where he’d eventually hurt her because his career meant more than she did?
Think about it later. Enjoy the moments while they’re here.
After a few minutes, Rafe sat up and reached into the nightstand for a condom. Allison helped him roll it on. She pretended shock while reading the label.
“Extra-large, huh? No modesty here, Rodriguez. You know a little humility...”
Her words were cut off as he kissed her roughly. Tangling together on the sheets, he finally rolled her over and entered her with a hard thrust that took her breath away.
Their gazes met, his dark and filled with desire. They began moving together again, her hips rising to meet the pounding thrusts.
She came again, hard, a few seconds before he threw back his head and shouted in Spanish, along with her name.
Heart pounding, she accepted his heavy weight, stroking his sweat-dampened back.
“Sure hope what you said was complimentary, Rodriguez,” she teased. “My Spanish isn’t that great.”
Raising his head, he looked down at her solemnly. “Do you really want to know?”
Suddenly she did. Allison nodded.
“I said...a lot of things.” He drew in a ragged breath. “But the most important was mi corazón es tuyo.”
Now it was her turn to marvel. Allison touched his face. “My heart is yours as well, Rafael.”
Rafe rolled off her and draped an arm over his head, closing his eyes. “Guess we’re both screwed, huh?”
She playfully punched his arm. “Don’t ruin a special moment.”
“Moment? I’ll have you know I last longer than a moment.”
So that was what he was doing. Blurting out his emotions when he climaxed, admitting what he’d said and now trying to make light of it. She got it. Such intensity was tough for them both.
Usually they saved the intensity for the job, not moments like this. So she played along, rubbing her leg against his.
She tunneled her fingers through the black hairs on his chest. “You have a lot of hair, Special Agent Rodriguez.”
“Supervisory Special Agent.” He kissed her again. “It’s a common trait of my people.”
“Cubans? Or FBI agents? Or bikers?”
“Men who like dessert.”
She laughed against his chest, enjoying the steady beat of his heart. Life, sweet and intoxicating, was filled with joyous surprises. Like discovering the guy you secretly crushed on for months also crushed on you.
And showed amazing moves in bed as well.
Allison snuggled closer to him, laying her leg over his. The crazy, ecstatic pleasure of sex slowed into a deep peace, the kind where she knew she’d sleep for hours.
His cell phone rang again. Rafe grunted, reached for it.
“Turn it off,” she told him.
“Can’t. Have to take this.” Naked, he slipped out of bed and paced to the bathroom.
She snuggled under the covers, utterly content. The bed sank under his weight as he returned. Allison opened her eyes. Damn. He looked serious.
“Ally, I need to talk to you.”
“What’s wrong? You need a repeat performance? I’m game.”
Rafe shoved a hand through his hair. “I’m serious, mi angel. We need to talk. It’s about your sister.”
All joking was set aside. Allison sat up, pulling the covers over her breasts. “I really do not want to discuss my sister right now, Rafe. Can we keep her out of bed?”
“This is the only time we can discuss her. When we’re alone.”
“I can’t get a break from her. First I have to convince her to elope up here, and then when she finally agrees, I have to set up the wedding venue and do everything for her.”
His gaze remained steady, not accusing but thoughtful.
“Ally, when are you going to let go and let her make her own mistakes instead of covering for her? Seems like she’s always handed everything, which means she probably doesn’t appreciate them.
You also have to consider that by bailing her out all the time, you’re denying her the chance to become independent. ”
Deep inside, she knew he was right. And resented it. “Leave my sister to me, Rafe. I can handle her.”
“There’s something you should know about what is going on with her before you get too involved, Ally.”
She had a bad feeling about this. “Di’s fine. She’s agreed to elope with Paul this weekend and everything will be fine. Paul’s an upstanding guy. It’s his family that is a little wonky.”
Rafe tensed. She watched the taut line of his jaw. No more mi angel or passionate mi amour. Those moments were gone, perhaps forever. She wanted to make a memory, the smell of his spicy aftershave, the scent of clean sweat, sex and the feel of fresh, soft sheets.
“The phone call was from a member of my task force. Diana is under investigation, Ally. My team found a connection between the hair salon, where she was getting her hair done, to Hector and the so-called candy for the reception. And now, her wedding dress.”
Allison sputtered. “You’re accusing her wedding gown of smuggling fentanyl?”
“The seamstress who did the fitting was arrested for possession. We’ve had her under investigation for a few months now.
She recently ordered a new commercial iron.
The old one didn’t work and was sent out for repairs.
It had a false bottom, and we confiscated 125 fake oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. ”
All the joy evaporated out of her. Staring at him, she felt cold sweat trickle down her back. “This doesn’t mean Di is guilty of anything. So she made a lousy selection of a seamstress for her fitting.”
“Right. You don’t think it’s odd that your sister chose a seamstress who had few clients, operated out of a tiny storefront with bad lighting and looked more like a storage facility than a shop?
When weddings in Miami are big business and most seamstresses operate shops that depend on elegant first impressions, with flowers and gilded mirrors and big windows and plenty of overhead lighting for the bride to see herself? ”
She blinked. “You seem to know a lot about fittings.”
“I have sisters. And cousins. I also know my city, Ally. And soon as I did a little checking on Diana and where she went, I got suspicious.”
“Di is not a drug dealer! It’s a coincidence. Nothing more.” Allison’s fingers curled tight around the sheet’s edge. Talk about a mood spoiler.
“She’s closely connected to one, one of the biggest in Florida, Ally.” He brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “Open your eyes and stop denying the truth.”
Swatting his hand away, she scowled. “My eyes are open, Rafe. You can’t get Hernandez on your own, so you put my sister under surveillance, for what reason? So you can force her into becoming a CI like I did?”
A shadow crossed his face, confirming her suspicions. His mouth compressed.
“I told Diana it would be in her best interests to cooperate with the FBI.”
Rage uncurled inside her. “Best interests? You mean your best interests. What’s next, asking my parents to spy for you at the local grocery store? Checking the melons to see if they’re stuffed with drugs? Is that what this is all about?”
She gestured to the bed. “You wanted me to sleep with you so you could get me to spill all the tea about my sister.”
His dark brows drew together. “Of course not. I had no intentions of...”
“But your timing is awfully coincidental, Agent.”
She felt like the biggest fool. And here she thought Rafe had feelings for her. His lovemaking had been passionate, tender and exciting.
Even another one-night stand with chauvinistic Dan Johnson was better than this. She knew where she stood with Dan. He didn’t coax her into bed and then try to get her to turn state’s evidence.
He gently clasped her wrist. “Listen to me, Ally. What happened between us was a long time in coming. We both know it. We both wanted it and it has nothing to do with your sister being a suspect.”
There was a softness in his deep voice that made her want to believe him. “I could no more resist making love with you than I could stop breathing, Ally. My feelings for you are separate from my actions toward your sister.”
How could she believe him? “My feelings and yours don’t matter. Family is family. I have to protect my sister. Her happiness and her future are at stake.”
Rafe made an impatient sound. “Always Diana. Why do you sacrifice your needs for your sister? I get it about your dedication to the job. I’m the same. But every time your sister coughs, you panic. She’s an adult, Allison.”
“An adult you think is a drug dealer.” Muttering a few choice curses in Spanish, she slid out of bed and grabbed for her clothing on the floor.
As she threw on her clothing, he left the bed. Naked, he padded across the carpet toward her. Allison tried to ignore how delicious he looked nude, the smooth muscles working under taut skin...
Remembering how he’d slid inside her and how amazing it felt.
“When are you going to stop protecting her and let her face consequences on her own? You can’t defend her forever.”
“She’s my sister and I always stand with her.”
“Even when you don’t fit into her world?”
Ouch.
“Who are you to judge me? Or what I’m really like?
” She picked up the pretty pink denim jacket with the flower print.
So feminine and tailored. She paired it with a white silk sleeveless blouse and her hot pink jeans.
Wearing it today, she’d felt pretty and desirable.
Di had helped her pick out the outfit back in Miami.
Diana’s voice still rang in her head.
“Layer, Ally. The secret of wearing a bold jacket like this is to wear it with confidence, let it shout out to the world you’re a woman of worth, a hot babe!
You need a white shirt underneath it, as to not diminish the jacket’s flare.
Or you. Stop hiding behind scrubs or T-shirts and baggy shorts.
You’ve got a great figure and beautiful hair. You’re a dynamo!”
A lump clogged her throat. For all the problems her sister could cause, Diana was the only one who truly believed in her potential. The only one who saw beneath the layers she’d built up to protect herself from those who could hurt her. The only one who thought she could be beautiful.
“I’m not judging you, Allison,” he said slowly, pulling on his black boxers and a T-shirt. “I’m trying to make you see reason. Diana may be in trouble, deep trouble.”
Allison crumpled the pretty jacket in one trembling hand. Now he was trying to placate her. Well, she wasn’t going to be soothed with flattering words.
Better to be angry than clinging, pining away for a guy, waiting for him to call and finding out he’d ghosted her. Because he only wanted her for sex, not a relationship.
Or worse, to use her for information he needed.
Better to end this right now before Rafe broke her heart like the other men had.
“You don’t fit into her world, Ally, because you’re honest and dedicated and down to earth and real. Not shallow like the glam world of modeling.”
Averting her eyes as he came closer, she snatched up her pack and stuffed the jacket inside.
“You know, Rodriguez, maybe you should stop worrying about my sister and focus on your own damn family. Seems like you don’t know where you fit in with their world as much as I don’t fit into my sister’s.
Even with your own grandmother you seem out of place. ”
The words tumbled out before she could bite her tongue. Oh, how she wished she could snatch them back, but there they were, hovering in the air. She’d used his own words and confession about his family to hurt him.
A shadow passed over his face before his gaze went arctic cold. Well, if she’d wanted to put distance between them, it worked.
But this wasn’t her. Nasty and sarcastic by using someone’s vulnerability against them. Worse than pouring salt into an open wound, and damn it, she was a nurse. She healed people, not wounded them.
“I’m sorry, Rafe,” she said and meant it.
“It’s better if we avoid each other for a while. You’re compromising my investigation.”
Oh, she knew what he meant. There was no going back. It was over, before it even began.
“I am sorry,” she mumbled.
“So am I.”
Allison hugged her backpack tight to her chest as she ran out of the hotel room, slamming the door behind her.
Her motorcycle sat in the parking lot, all gleaming black steel and silver chrome, shiny in the moonlight. So shiny it was blurred.
Or maybe it was caused by the tears starting to trickle down her cheeks.