Chapter Sixteen
Sam woke much later to darkness and was immediately anxious about Ethan and Tracy and didn’t recall for a second that he’d been found.
“Easy, babe,” Nick said as he cuddled up to her. “Everyone’s safe.”
She exhaled as relief flooded her system in a rush of emotions that made her head spin. Ethan was in the hospital. He was safe. He hadn’t done anything to contribute to Luna’s disappearance. They would do everything they could to find her.
A sob erupted from her chest, taking her by surprise as all the scenarios she’d tried so hard not to consider when he was missing took her breath away. When she pondered the staggering array of horrible things that could’ve happened to her precious nephew…
Nick caressed her back in small circles. “Let it all out. I’ve got you, love.”
She cried harder than she had since her father died, and all she could think about was what she would’ve done—what they all would’ve done—if Ethan had been killed.
Somehow, she had to persuade Mike and Tracy to keep him supervised until he was older and more able to trust his own judgment, although no one would have to tell them that after this incident.
She’d be surprised if Ethan ever wanted to leave the house again now that he’d experienced some of the evil lurking in the world.
“All the scary shit we learned about men and boys while we were looking for him… I’m haunted by it. The things they’re saying and doing and thinking.”
“It’s terrifying,” Nick said. “Kids are being radicalized online while their parents think they’re playing video games. They think if they’re home, they’re safe, but that’s not necessarily true anymore.”
“We need to do something about this, like sound the alarm and make parents aware of how pervasive it is.”
“I want to know if Scotty and Eli have been exposed, and if so, how, when, who.”
“Do you think they have been?” Sam asked.
“I’d be shocked if Eli hasn’t heard about it. Not sure about Scotty, but I’ll find out.”
“The whole thing makes me sick, that there’s this whole dark underworld online that’s fomenting hate and violence. I mean, of course I knew the dark web existed, but learning about this subculture has brought it into sharper focus.”
“For me, too. Neither of us spends much time online, so we aren’t exposed to it. Not that we’d probably see this kind of stuff.”
“It’s all very unsettling.”
“On another note, I want you to know,” he said softly, “I can’t stop thinking about what you told Ruiz about Ethan.”
“I could’ve sworn we’d talked about that,” she said, sniffling as she wiped away the remaining tears.
“No, you’ve never told me how the timing of his birth was so consequential for you. I’m glad he arrived when he did and gave you a reason to keep pushing forward so you could eventually collide with me again.”
“And, oh, how I collided with you.”
“Mmm, I love colliding with you. Remember that first time when we got back together? You weren’t supposed to be anywhere near me. It was all so forbidden and so hot.”
“Against a wall, as I recall.”
“Hey, that’s a rhyme.”
She snickered and kissed his chest. “You’re the only person in the world who could make me laugh when I’m trying to have a serious meltdown.”
“I’m sorry to interrupt your meltdown. Please proceed accordingly.”
Smiling, she kissed her way to his jaw, which was sprinkled with whiskers. She loved him with a little stubble, but the rest of the world saw him only clean-shaven and put together. “I’ve lost interest in my meltdown. I’m just so fucking relieved that Ethan is safe.”
“Are you planning to talk to Tracy and Mike about making some changes?”
“Not sure I’ll have to say anything after this.”
“Maybe you should anyway.”
“It’s a tough spot to be in to be spouting off on what they should do when my own kids are under full-time protection.”
“You’d be spouting off as a seasoned law enforcement officer in the city their son wants to run around in unsupervised.”
“We’ll see if the opportunity presents itself. It’s a very fine line for me to walk in light of how protected our kids are.”
“I know.”
As she yawned, she asked him, “What time is it?”
“Six thirty.”
“AM or PM?”
“PM.”
“Oh good. I was afraid I’d slept for twelve hours.”
“Nah, just about four or so.”
“Did you sleep?”
“A little.”
“Sorry if I disturbed you.”
He pulled her in closer and pushed a leg between hers. “I love when you disturb me, but I hate to see you upset.”
“I’m okay now. Thank you for being my soft place to land in the madness. You always make things better.”
“Give yourself some time to process everything that’s happened in the last couple of weeks. It’s been a lot.”
“It’s always a lot.”
“This has been an extra-punishing stretch, even by our standards.”
“Yeah, it has.”
“Why don’t you take a few days off? You have more leave on the books than you could use in a lifetime. Your family has been through an ordeal. You’ve been through a couple of them. No one would fault you for taking a break.”
She tucked her hand under his T-shirt, looking for warm skin. “I might actually do that. I’m mentally and physically exhausted.”
“Even Superwoman needs a break every now and then, and you hardly ever take one.”
“We just caught a new case that could get complicated with the victim being from Spokane.”
“They’re all tricky. Your capable team can handle it. Punch out, babe. Take a breather, and P.S., what’re you doing?”
“Huh?”
“With the hand?”
Sam snapped out of the relaxed state she’d slipped into to realize her hand was now covering his hard cock. “Whoops. Did I do that?”
“No, it was Millie the housekeeper.”
“I knew you had a thing for her.”
“She’s eighty and insists on still coming to work at the White House.”
“God bless her.”
“Um, about the hand and the thing you built with it…”
She gave him a squeeze that made him groan. “Is this the thing you’re referring to?”
“Yeah,” he said, sounding a bit strangled. “That’s the one.”
“Are there others?”
“Not in this bed if you know what’s good for you.”
Sam started to laugh and couldn’t stop.
“It’s not funny! I was minding my own business, and you started doing…”
She stroked him from root to tip over the tight confines of his boxer briefs.
“…that, and now…”
“Now what?”
“You’d better think about finishing what you started.”
She kept her hand on him but stopped moving it.
“What’re you doing?”
“Thinking about whether I want to finish what I started, as directed.”
“Samantha…”
“Yes?”
His deep sigh said it all.
She decided to take mercy on him by continuing to stroke him. “You know what?”
“What?” he asked through gritted teeth.
“I love that I’m the only one in the whole world who knows you this way. I know what makes you groan…” She gave him a tight squeeze. “And I know what makes you twitch.” She cupped his balls, and sure enough, his whole body reacted. “I know what makes you sigh…”
Then she found out what made him pounce as she found herself on her back with a strong, sexy man on top of her. His hazel eyes were full of fire as he stared down at her. “You know how to drive me crazy.”
She smiled. “Do I?”
“You know it.”
“Whatever will you do about it?”
He brushed the hair back from her face as he continued to gaze down at her. “You’re so tired. You need to sleep.”
“I did sleep. Now I need you.”
“Are you sure?”
She lifted her hips to press against him, and he groaned. “Any remaining questions?”
“None.” He moved quickly to get rid of his briefs and her panties and was inside her in a matter of seconds.
“Oof,” she said, smiling. “Tell me how you really feel.”
“Thank you,” he said as he picked up the pace. “I will, and just remember that you started this.”
Sam closed her eyes and held on tight to the love of her life as he took them on a wild ride that was just what she needed to wipe clean the horrors of the last few days.
Then he stopped.
Her eyes flew open to find him grinning as he withdrew from her and kissed a scorching path from her lips to her breasts, biting her nipple through her T-shirt. He pushed up the shirt to get to her and impatiently tugged it over her head.
Sam moaned when she realized he’d decided to pay her back for torturing him. She yawned dramatically. “Can we move things along so I can get back to sleep?”
“Uh-huh.”
Rather than speed things up, though, he slowed down even more, giving each nipple a thorough treatment that had her squirming under him and about to beg for relief. “Nick…”
“Yes, dear?”
“Come on.”
“Where’re we going?”
“Ugh. You’re so mean.”
“How am I mean? I’m making sweet love to my sexy wife.
And I believe in doing things right or not doing them at all.
” This was said as he nibbled on her hip bone, which she hadn’t known was sensitive until he showed her.
Once he found out that it made her crazy, he made sure to do it as often as he possibly could.
When he was in this kind of mood, she’d learned that no amount of pleading would cause him to hurry things along.
So she closed her eyes again and floated in a sea of love and contentment, even if every nerve ending in her body was attuned to him and bracing for release.
Here in his arms, there were no murders to contend with or scary shit to process or anything other than peace and love and the kind of desire that made a girl delirious.
With her legs on his shoulders, he set out to drive her mad with slow, easy, sensuous strokes of his tongue.
Somehow, he managed to avoid the spot that burned for his attention while he drove her even crazier than she already was.
Grasping handfuls of his hair, she tried to direct him, but he only chuckled, refusing to be led.
“Relax,” he said. “We’ll get there. All in good time.”
She wanted to scream, but that might spark a response from the Secret Service, so she bit her lip and tried to find her nonexistent patience.