Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
He kissed his wife.
Even after several years together, Vander couldn’t get enough of her. And he knew when they were both old, gray, and wrinkled, he still wouldn’t be able to get enough of her.
Her bare chest pressed against his, the rapid beat of her heart tapping out its familiar rhythm.
She was alive. She was his.
A violent, urgent need filled him. Take. Connect. Love. He lifted her off her feet and pressed her against the wall.
The kiss deepened, turned fierce.
“I need you.” He ground his hard cock against her.
She let out a low, husky cry. “Vander, we’re not safe—”
“No, we’re not.” It made his hunger hotter, stronger. “But they cleared the building, and I won’t let anyone touch you.”
She rocked against him, need in her eyes. “I want you, too.”
He fumbled with her wet trousers and panties. She helped, and together, they shoved them down her legs.
Then his hand was between her thighs.
“Yes.” Her nails dug into his back.
He found her drenched and stroked her pussy until she pressed her mouth to his shoulder and bit him.
He knew her well enough by now. She was getting close. He pulled his hand free.
“Vander, no.” Her hips jerked.
“You’re coming on my cock, baby, not my fingers.” Quickly, he unfastened his trousers and shoved them down just enough to free his cock.
“Hurry,” she panted.
He loved how much she wanted him. Brynn never held back. She gave him everything—her desire, her time, her love.
He couldn’t live without it.
He lined his cock up between her legs and drove deep.
She let out a low cry, her nails scoring his back.
Something settled in Vander. He was inside her. He had Brynn in his arms. Right here, despite the circumstances, everything was right in the world.
He set a hard, fast pace. His wife moaned, her hips moving to meet his thrusts.
“I can’t lose you, Brynn. My world would be destroyed.”
“I’m right here. By your side.” She turned her head and bit his neck. “Always.”
He felt his orgasm rushing closer. This wasn’t the time to take things slow. He wouldn’t last long. Everything was heightened by the danger, the chance of discovery.
He reached between their straining bodies and found her clit.
She came with a muffled cry. Her pussy milked him, and he thrust deep one last time, and came deep inside his wife with a low groan.
His partner. His heart. His soul. His everything.
He held her pinned to the wall, sucking air into his lungs. He had no desire to move.
“I love you, Vander.” She rubbed her lips against his. “I never want to be without you.”
He nibbled her bottom lip. “Same.”
Her fingers ruffled his hair. “That includes you shutting me out and not talking to me.”
Chest tight, he nodded. “I’m sorry, baby. Sometimes…I revert to old habits. It doesn’t mean I don’t love you or trust you. It’s me I don’t trust.”
“I trust you enough for both of us,” she murmured. “Now, how about we get out of here? Get back to our nice villa and make love in our bed.”
“I like the sound of that.”
Her gaze sharpened. “Then we’ll teach Luciano Navarro and his family a lesson about messing with the Norcross family.”
Vander fought back a smile. “You’re a little scary, Detective Norcross.”
“You love it.”
“I do.”
“But no one is scarier than my badass husband.”
He knew that she loved that, too. He’d never had anyone accept all the parts of him, relish all the parts of him, except for her.
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Let’s get dressed and get out of here.”
Holding her husband’s hand, Brynn jogged through the olive trees.
The boundary wall was dead ahead.
She was dressed again, trying to ignore the feel of her still-damp clothes, and dreaming of a steaming, hot shower. Vander was barefoot, but hadn’t complained once.
They reached the tall stone wall.
“You go first.” He gripped her waist and lifted her.
Brynn grabbed the top of the wall. As she hung there, she felt a pat on her ass.
“Timing, Norcross.” She pulled herself up.
“It’s always a good time to appreciate my wife’s lovely ass.”
She scrambled over, a smile on her face. A second later, Vander dropped down beside her.
Finally, they were out of Navarro’s domain.
A narrow road ran along the back of the mafia don’s estate, wildflowers growing on each shoulder.
Brynn touched her ear. She hoped the comms weren’t jammed anymore. “Haven, are you there?”
“Thank God.” Haven’s relieved voice came through clearly. “I’m here.”
“Vander and I are out.”
“I’m so glad. Justin and Rhys made it back to the vehicle. They’re waiting for you. You had us worried.”
“We had to hide from some dogs.”
And fuck like rabbits. Brynn decided to keep that bit to herself. “We’re at the rear of the estate.”
“Okay, hang on.” A pause. “Follow the road toward town, then take the first left.”
“Got it. Heading that way now.”
She and Vander set off down the dark road. She glanced at the wall of Navarro’s estate. She wanted to get as far away from there as possible.
“Breakfast by the pool tomorrow,” she said. “After a long sleep in.”
He smiled. She still treasured every smile he gave her. He was still dangerous and intense, but he wasn’t so stingy with the smiles anymore.
“Then we’ll stay in bed all day,” he added.
“I like how you think.”
“Justin promised me the best ravioli on the island. Hell, I owe him way more than a meal after this. Plus, we need to meet his wife.”
Brynn wrinkled her nose. “Alessandra and I met. Hopefully she wants us over for a meal still.”
Vander turned his head. “Why wouldn’t she?”
“Well, when you went missing, I was worried that maybe he’d sold you out. I broke into their house… Let’s just say it was a dramatic first meeting.”
“Hell.” Vander gave a low chuckle.
“It wasn’t funny at the time.” She elbowed him. “Stop laughing. I hate holding people at gunpoint, but I was worried about you.”
He stopped and cupped the side of her head. “Don’t know why I’m always so surprised.”
“At what?”
“At how I fall more in love with you every day.”
She grabbed his hand and squeezed. “Tell me again when we aren’t walking down a dark, Sicilian road, escaping from the mafia.”
He smiled.
They kept walking and turned left onto a road that led them away from Navarro’s villa. With each step, the tightness in her chest loosened.
It wasn’t too much farther to the SUV. This was almost over.
The rumble of a revving engine reached her ears.
She swiveled.
In the distance, a pair of headlights appeared, the vehicle speeding down the road.
In their direction.
Her stomach cramped. No, dammit.
“Run!” Vander ordered.
They broke into a sprint.
There were fields beside them, but it was just grass and not high enough to provide any cover. There were no houses or buildings close by.
Hell, there was nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide.
“Turn.” He shoved her onto a rutted, narrow side road.
Brynn pumped her arms, leaping over some potholes.
But a moment later, she heard the screech of tires and saw another car speeding toward them from the opposite direction.
They were trapped.
She stopped, and so did Vander.
Brynn swallowed and touched her earpiece. “Haven, we have company. Activate last resort.”
“Okay,” Haven said shakily. “Stay safe, Brynn.”
Vander was staring at the closest car, gun in hand.
“We making a stand?” she asked.
He lifted his chin, his gaze hard. Before her eyes, he morphed into the dangerous Ghost Ops operative he’d once been.
“Yeah, we’re making a stand.”
Brynn lifted her weapon and stepped up beside her husband, turning to face the second car as it screeched to a halt.