Chapter 8
(Audra)
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His hands slide up my waist and just narrowly miss my breasts. His throaty chuckle does weird things to my heart, and my legs tighten around him in response. He leans back and tugs his shirt over his head, and my eyes go straight to the hard lines of his chest and stomach.
He starts tugging at the shorts I’m wearing until he gets them off. Then my shirt comes next. I help him out of his shirt and he grins against me when I hook my thumbs in the sides and shove my panties to the floor.
He runs his hands up my legs as he parts them farther. Every touch feels like fire against my skin. My head drops back as his tongue finds my clit. Then he moves back up and shuffles out of his jeans with a smile on his face.
“Foreplay will have to wait, Audra,” he says.
Excitement unfurls in my body as he reaches for the nightstand.
I hear the drawer open and foil crinkling.
Then he settles between my legs. He unhooks my bra, staring at me hungrily.
The kind of look that sends shivers through my body.
Once he’s fully sheathed, he looks up to meet my eyes, and his slow grin crawls up to capture another piece of my heart that I really should be guarding.
He shocks the hell out of me when he thrusts in without any warning. My breath comes out in a rush as the full, deep stretching sensation hits me. He pulls back and rocks in, and my breath comes out again as my body tries to accommodate him.
My thoughts all run together when he drives into me harder, and I pull him down to me for a kiss, hoping that will swallow all the embarrassing sounds I’m making.
Then he plunges into me deeply. His eyes roll back as he releases a guttural sound that threatens to push me to the edge too soon.
Our kiss becomes wild as our bodies thrash together.
A myriad of emotions and sensations hit me at once when he takes my nipple into his mouth and sucks hard. His name is coming out of out of my lips before I can stop it.
My body burns hot and cold as the sensation eclipses my entire being. Ethan comes soon after. Breathing heavily, he stays on top of me for a few seconds before finding the willpower to stand up and dispose of the condom. Then he climbs back into bed with me.
He doesn’t say anything. He merely kisses my forehead before pulling me into his arms.
As I lie there, panting heavily, feeling more sated and happy than I’ve been in a long time, I can’t help but think that I care about him a little more than I’d care to admit.
It’s scary, but it’s Ethan, so I know I’ll be okay. I fall asleep to the sound of his heavy breathing.
I wake up the following day to the feeling of him staring at my face.
“Stop,” I groan, throwing a pillow at his face.
He chuckles.
“You’re pretty violent, you know that?” he asks.
“I am not,” I protest. “I could feel your eyes on me, and it was creepy.”
“Whatever helps you sleep better. Now come on, get up. We’ve got to go and try to find your friend.”
We shower together, then get dressed before heading down to the reception. The manager is very helpful in figuring out my friend’s address from the bits I remember. Luckily, he doesn’t live too far away. The only problem arises when the owner panics as he thinks we’ll leave without paying.
“We’re not checking out, man. We’re going to come back.”
The man lets out a noise of protest. Ethan looks at me.
“Audra, could you please go wait for me at the entrance. I’ll be there in a minute,” he tells me.
I nod, not wanting to argue with him right now. I move away from him and the man, watching as they have a discussion. When Ethan walks over, there’s a big smile on his face.
“Did he agree to let us go?” I ask.
“Yeah. He asked for a finger as collateral, though.”
My eyes widen in shock.
“What?!”
“Calm down. Obviously, I disagreed. I spoke to him, a little pleading was involved, and in the end, he agreed to let us go after I promised we would return later today with his money. He’s not just in it for the money, he’s trying to be nice, but he doesn’t want to get screwed over either.”
“Oh,” I say. “You seem to like him,” I point out.
“He’s a decent man,” Ethan replies while hailing a cab.
We’re both wearing baseball hats and sunglasses. It’s obviously a disguise, but most people will hopefully just ignore it and think we’re tourists.
Ethan relays the directions I gave him to the cab driver and then we’re off.
“Are you sure this friend of yours will help us?” he questions.
“Of course, I’m sure. He’s a really good friend.”
“Why am I sensing there’s a backstory with this guy?”
I grin. He really is too smart for his own good.
“Technically, this friend and I had a fling when he still worked with the police.”
Ethan’s eyes bulge.
“What?” he questions, his voice low.
“It was many years ago. It doesn’t mean anything,” I hurriedly assure him.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” he mutters under his breath, but I still hear him.
I shake my head at his tantrum.
Men.
“I’d just like to say. It never works out when you date a co-worker,” Ethan states after a few minutes.
I raise an eyebrow at him.
“Really? You’re still thinking about that?” I question.
“Of course I am,” he grumbles.
He’s silent for the rest of the drive. We arrive at our destination, and after paying the cab driver, Ethan and I head up to the modern Spanish-style house with a well-trimmed lawn in front.
I’m relieved to see that it’s the same house I recognize from the photos he’s sent.
I was terrified I was sending us on a wild goose chase. I knock on the door.
A few seconds later, we hear footsteps, and the door swings open to reveal the familiar, handsome face of Gregory Tress. He grins widely when he sees me.
“Audra,” he says in surprise, walking out to wrap me in a big hug.
“Hey, Gregory,” I say with a laugh as I hug him back, careful not to hurt my injured arm.
“Hey, beautiful. I wasn’t expecting to see you. Figured you’d be back in the US by now,” he says.
“Yeah, I got into some trouble,” I tell him.
It’s then he seems to notice the frowning, tall man standing beside me.
He lets me go and turns to him. I stand in the middle of both men, and I know it’s awful, but I find myself comparing them.
Ethan’s way taller than Greg. Gregory’s not short, but he’s 5’9 tops, while Ethan is easily at least six feet tall.
Ethan’s rugged, sexy, muscular, and handsome. Gregory’s gorgeous too but in his own way. He has blonde hair, and Ethan’s hair is curly black. Greg has that all-American, jock charm while Ethan is more of a…... I don’t even know how to qualify him.
“And who is this?” Gregory asks me without looking at me.
Both men are too busy trying to stare each other down.
“This is Ethan; he’s a friend of mine. Greg, I feel really bad about turning up like this. I don’t want to bring trouble to your door, but we need help.”
He turns to me.
“I could never say no to you, beautiful. Come in. Your friend, too,” he adds, leading us into his typical bachelor pad.
It’s clean, but everything else from the furniture screams, single man.
“How has Mexico been?” he asks me.
“A nightmare,” I mutter under my breath.
“What was that?”
“Nothing. It’s been okay. I’ve been to the beach,” I tell him.
“That’s great, babe. Both of you sit while I get us some drinks,” he says before walking off into what I’m guessing is the kitchen.
“Beautiful? Babe?” Ethan asks through gritted teeth.
I know I really shouldn’t, but I can’t help but laugh.
“Are you jealous right now?” I ask him.
“No,” he retorts before crossing his arms over his chest.
It’s adorable, and I like seeing him jealous. Probably a lot more than I should.
Greg returns with a pitcher filled with cold lemonade. He serves us some, and I take a deep refreshing gulp.
“Thank you,” I tell him. Then I jab the brooding man next to me in the stomach.
“Thanks,” he grunts out, rubbing the spot.
“All right then. What’s going on?” Greg questions.
“We need your tech expertise. Ethan and I just spent the past few days in captivity. Terrorists kidnaped us-“
Ethan cuts me off before I can say anymore.
“I’ll take over from here, Audra, thanks,” he tells me before turning to Greg.
“As she told you, my name’s Ethan Boyne. I’m a member of the United States Special Operations Unit. Audra says you’re a former police officer but also used to work in the military.”
Greg nods.
“I’m not sure if you’ve heard of the unit, but we handle high-risk tasks in and out of the country.
We’re also off the books, so I’ll need you to promise not to tell anyone about us.
Anyway, I came to Mexico on a stakeout mission.
We’ve been tracking members of a particular terrorist cell.
The mission took a turn, and Audra and I got kidnapped.
We were able to escape a few days later but now we’re on the run, so to speak.
I’m positive any call made to the U.S. military is going to be traced, and we’ll be found, or the mission will be blown.
These terrorists aren’t small fish. They play big, which is where you come in.
We need your help in connecting with my teammates, so they know where I am.
Audra tells me you’re kind of a hacker.”
“I’m good with tech, not a hacker,” Greg protests.
“Of course. Can you help us?” Ethan asks.
Greg tilts his forehead to the side and narrows his eyes.
“Depends. Are you ordering me? Or asking for a favor?”
“We’re asking for a favor,” I hurriedly say.
Greg shakes his head.
“I want to hear it from him,” he states, gesturing at an almost fuming Ethan.
He’s really asking for it now.
“Fine. Please, help us. It’s a favor,” Ethan relents, surprising me.
“All right. We’ll need to head down to the basement.”
I shudder at those words.
“Yeah, count me out. I have trauma with regards to basements. I’m not going down there,” I tell both men.
“You sure?” Greg asks.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” I tell him with a smile.
“Okay, if you’re hungry, you can help yourself to some food in the kitchen. Or maybe make something if you’d like.”
“You remember that I’m a disaster in the kitchen, right?” I ask him.
“Oh, right. Please don’t go near my kitchen. Just sit here quietly and watch TV or something,” he says.
I laugh. “Got it.”
Ethan gives me a single nod as both men make their way to the basement.