30. Chapter Thirty
Chapter thirty
A ria was tending bar, minding her own business when Mason came in, dropped off a bag of cookies to his pregnant wife with a kiss, then sat down at the bar, phone to his ear. She held up a bottle of the local IPA he liked and he shook his head. Instead, she got him a soda and set it in front of him as she made her way down the bar, refilling drinks and taking orders. By the time she got back to his section of the bar, she overheard him say, “Be there soon.” That was all. But something in the way he purposely kept his gaze averted and his voice low tripped her radar.
Was he talking to Nick?
“I’ll call you back when I’m on the road. Yes, I picked up the stuff.”
If Lyric wasn’t in the back working the grill, Aria would swear he was talking to her. But she did know better and wondered why Mason was being so coy about talking to his brother.
Of course, she could be wrong. But she had this feeling the last couple of days that Mason was uncomfortable around her, when he was normally friendly and like another brother to her.
He ended the call and put his phone away, taking a sip of his drink like he didn’t know what to say to her.
She raised a brow and stared right at him. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Good. Just have to run an errand. Will you tell Lyric I’ll be back in an hour?” He stood and started walking away.
“Sure. No problem. But aren’t you going to kiss her goodbye?” The man never missed an opportunity to get his hands on her sister.
Mason turned, gave her one long look, then headed back to the kitchen to get his Lyric fix, because the man was addicted to his wife.
Nick feels that way about me. He loves me. He promised he’d be here soon.
Except it had been another three days of him telling her that something else came up and he couldn’t leave Montana just yet.
And now Mason was acting weird.
Well, she’d had enough. She walked over to Jax. “Can you handle the bar for a little while? I need to go do something.”
Jax punched in another order on the register. “Sure. No problem. Where are you going?”
“I’m not sure yet.” But she pulled off her apron, ignored her brother’s curious stare, and walked around the bar toward the back office, knowing her FBI shadows were watching. At the end of the hall, instead of going into the office, she turned left toward the restroom, knowing anyone behind her would think she went through that door, but instead she unlocked the back door just past it and snuck out. She closed and locked the door behind her, then went to her car and climbed behind the wheel. Mason was just pulling out of the lot and headed, not to town, but toward his home and her family ranch.
Maybe she was wrong. Maybe he was going home to finish some work.
Still her gut told her to follow. So she did. At a very discreet distance. He was FBI; he’d spot a tail. And if he did, she’d simply demand some answers.
Nick opened the door the second he spotted Mason pull into the drive.
Mason went to the back of his car and pulled out two bags of groceries and a small cooler. He looked up as Nick met him and took the bags. “You’re screwed and you better think of something to say before she gets here.”
“What are you talking about?”
“She followed me.”
“So you led her straight here?” Nick panicked. He never panicked. But Aria meant more to him than anything and she was not going to be happy that he’d been lying to her for a week and a half. “Fuck.”
“Keeping her in the dark isn’t helping anything. Staying here and missing her is making you a cranky asshole. I get that you want to protect her, but leaving her alone every night is not the way to do that.”
“She’s not alone. There are two agents watching her every move, even when she’s up in her apartment.”
“Yeah, and if that asshole Lopez gets past them and you’re not by her side protecting her, you’re going to blame yourself for whatever happens after that.”
True.
Fuck .
Sure enough, Aria’s Bronco came around the corner and she stopped for a second, then hit the gas and came in hot, tires skidding as she hit the brakes, killed the engine, and jumped out of the vehicle, her gaze blazing at him.
Mason took the bags back from him and headed toward the porch. “I didn’t want to keep it a secret from you,” he yelled to Aria.
She didn’t halt or say anything to his brother, she just jumped into Nick’s arms, wrapped her legs around his waist, and kissed him like her life depended on it. His initial shock turned to molten heat as he fisted his hand in her hair and took the kiss deeper.
She pulled back and looked him in the eyes, hers still inflamed with anger. “You’re here . I am so mad at you for lying to me. But you’re here.” She kissed him again.
Okay, if she wanted to be mad at him like this, he could deal with it.
She leaned back again. “You are going to explain everything, then you’re going to grovel like you’ve never groveled before, and after that, you’re going to make this up to me.” She kissed him again.
Make-up sex. No problem.
“I’d do what she says.” Mason shoved Nick off his car. He’d been leaning against it trying to keep his weight plus Aria’s off his bad leg. “Take it inside,” he ordered, then got into his car.
Aria kissed him one last time, then hopped off him and headed for the front door, leaving him standing there, dumbstruck.
“Go get her,” Mason yelled as he backed up down the drive.
Nick headed for the house to do some major groveling. Oh, who was he kidding, he’d start by making it up to her first.
Aria looked around the living space at the TV set up in front of Nick’s black leather sofa. An empty beer bottle, paper plate with half a sandwich, and a bag of chips sat on the coffee table. Nick had been in the middle of lunch. The empty grocery bags were folded on the counter in the kitchen. She went in and opened the fridge, which was mostly stocked with lunch meat, cheese, vegetables, a few apples, milk, condiments, and some leftovers from the bar.
The freezer had a couple of pizzas, pot pies, and ice cream, including her favorite: coffee, fudge, and almond swirl. She slammed the door shut.
Nick came up behind her, spun her around, and dropped to his knees, taking her hips in his hands and laying his forehead to her belly. “I know you’re mad.”
“Damn right.” She still slid her fingers through his soft, golden hair.
He stared up at her, his hazel eyes so earnest. “I did it to protect you.”
She gripped his hair tight enough to get his attention, but not actually hurt him. “That’s not what I need.”
He slid his hand up her jeans skirt, hooked his fingers in her panties, and pulled them down her legs, over her boots, and right off her feet. Then he pulled one boot, and then the other off, dropping each of them on the floor with a thunk.
She brushed her fingers through his silky hair. “What are you doing?”
“Make-up sex.” He stared up at her as he kissed her thigh. “I know you want it as much as I do, because those panties are soaking wet.”
“Get off the floor, Nick, you’re going to hurt your leg.” She’d seen him wince twice already.
“I’ve hurt you a lot more and I want to make it up to you. I will. Starting with this.” He shoved her skirt up to her waist and stared at her bare pussy. “Spread your legs.”
She did it without any real thought. She was beyond that, because everything in her just wanted him so badly to touch her.
He slid one finger down her seam, coating the digit with her juices. He kissed her thigh just above her knee. “I’m sorry.” He slid his finger deep inside her in one long, slow push. He kissed her thigh a bit higher as he pulled out. “I’m sorry.” He pushed two fingers inside her wet channel, filling her even more. He kissed her thigh up higher. “I’m sorry.”
She kept her grip on his hair, hoping that he’d finally reach her clit and give her what she desperately needed, but all he did was kiss her mound as he sank those two fingers deep, once, twice, a third time in fast pumps that took her even higher toward that edge. But not close enough.
He started on her other leg, kissing her thigh above her knee, saying, “I’m sorry,” before he moved higher and added a third finger as he fucked her and kissed her and apologized over and over again.
“Okay, Nick. I believe you. I’ve missed you so much.”
His free hand squeezed her ass cheek. “I’ve missed you. I’m never leaving you again.” He hooked her leg over his shoulder, opening her to him, then dove in and latched his lips over her clit, sucking her hard and pumping those fingers into her core as he licked and laved her clit. The orgasm gathered strength.
Nick had to know she was close as she mewled incoherently, thrusting her hips out as she rode his face and fingers, looking for that friction.
He looked up at her as he tongued her clit. “Give it to me. Now.” He sucked her clit again and fucked her harder and faster with his fingers, hitting her G-spot and detonating an explosion of rippling pleasure through her as she yelled his name and leaned back on the island for support.
Nick kissed her pussy one more time, then slid his hands up under her shirt and cupped her breasts, tweaking her aching nipples. “I’m not done with you yet. I’ve only just begun to make things up to you. For your patience.” He kissed her belly. “For giving me a second chance.” He kissed her between her breasts as he stood, pulling her shirt up and over her head, letting it sail to the floor. “For loving me, even when I make it hard.” He kissed her lips, tasting herself and him and loving the combination they made.
She slid her hand over the thick length of him against the fly of his jeans. “It doesn’t seem like I’ve made it that hard for you to stay away. Maybe I need to show you how happy I am to see you, even if you should have told me you were already here.” He’d unpacked most of his stuff and settled in.
He kissed her forehead. One cheek, and then the other. “Move in with me. Let’s build a life and a family here.”
“We need to work on our communication and how you find it so easy to lie to me.” Her orgasm buzz was seriously fading.
“I thought it best that I stayed away from you. More than likely Lopez doesn’t know you’re mine. If he finds out, he’ll go after you. I don’t want him near you. Ever.”
She gripped his sides and stared up at him. “Am I ever going to be your partner?”
A pained look came over him. “You are. You’re mine. And I’m yours.”
“It doesn’t feel like it when you make these decisions without me. You could have told me you wanted me to stay away because of him. I wouldn’t have liked it, but I would have done it because you asked. Either you trust me or you don’t.”
“I do. A thousand percent.” He brushed his thumb across her cheek. “I’m sorry. I just need to protect you. If something happened because of me…I couldn’t live with that.”
“I get that, but all you’re doing is driving a bigger wedge between us. I know your work is dangerous. I know this guy is out to get you. But maybe if we stick together, we can protect each other and not ruin what we are trying to build here.”
Nick put one big hand on her chest, over her heart. “I want you to be safe.”
“And I want to be with you,” she snapped. “What if he never comes? What if he’s in hiding and all this time apart is just time wasted?”
“He’s not going to let this go.”
She took his wrists and pulled his big hands away from her body. “Yeah, well, neither am I. Either you’re here to take our relationship to the next level, or your job is more important than us. Which is it?”
“That’s not fair.”
She knew she was making more out of this unique circumstance than she should. But damnit, he needed to let her in.
Nick brushed his hands up and down her arms. “You know I want to be with you more than anything. And yes, my job is important and takes me away from you, but it is not more important than you. I love you.”
“Then love me by trusting that I can take care of myself. I am capable of following directions and not going anywhere without my trusty babysitters.”
He held up both of his fisted hands. “You’re here without them.”
She pressed her lips into a tight frown. “I snuck out to follow your brother. The FBI agent. If anything happened, he would have helped me.”
“I can’t believe he led you here.”
“Doesn’t it tell you something that even he thinks we’re better off together than waiting this out alone and separately? Doesn’t it tell you something that I’m willing to take the risk of being with you now, despite the danger we face?”
“I just… It’s…” He raked his fingers through his hair. “If something happened to you, I’d never forgive myself.” He ran his hand over his head again, fisting it in the back of his hair. “Fuck. Why do you have to be so smart and stubborn?”
She grinned. “I’m a Wilde. We’re made that way.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “And I love you that way because you love me, even though I’ve given you a million reasons to walk away, including a murdering, child-peddling asshole bent on revenge, who is after me, and probably you because you mean so much to me.” He palmed her cheek and kissed her softly.
She pressed her nearly naked body to his, feeling how much he wanted her in the hard press of his cock to her soft belly. “Take me to bed, Nick. Show me how much you missed me and love me.”
He hooked his hand around her hips and nudged her to walk past him. “Wait for me in our bedroom at the end of the hall. I’ll text the agents who are supposed to be watching you that you’re with me, then lock up and be right there.”
She gathered up her discarded clothes and headed for the bedroom, looking into the spare rooms as she went. She’d seen the pictures online and done a quick walkthrough when Nick brought her here to see it. The house was open and spacious and perfect for them.
The primary bedroom had windows on two walls. The bathroom off the third wall. Another bedroom on the other side of the fourth. It was big. The king-size bed dominated the room. Nick had made it up this morning. She pulled the charcoal-gray comforter, white blanket, and light gray top sheet down the bed. Nick had good taste in the color scheme and the softness of the blankets. He didn’t skimp on cheap sheets. She loved that he splurged on something. He deserved a nice, soft, comfortable bed after working the long hours he did more often than not.
She hoped that changed now that he’d moved here to take on a new role.
And she’d make it worth his while to be home. To prove that, she dropped her clothes at the end of the bed, peeled off her skirt and bra, then crawled up the middle of the bed and lay down on the pillow. She pulled her knees up and slid her hand between her legs. He wouldn’t miss what she was doing as he walked down the hall.
A moment later, he came into view and there was a distinct hitch in his step when he spotted her with her fingers dipping in and out of her slick folds.
He peeled off his shirt just as he came through the door. The mottled bruising on his chest was fading. She wondered how long his stitches had been out. He pulled the gun from behind his back and set it on the dresser behind him.
She hadn’t realized he was armed. He probably didn’t want her to know, to remind her that someone wanted to hurt him, then kill him.
“It’s just you and me here,” he reminded her. He undid the button on his jeans and her mouth watered and her sex clenched around her fingers. He slid them down slowly, revealing his long, thick length. His thigh looked better. Just a raised pink scar, no stitches.
He lost the rest of his clothes and shoes as he watched her work her pussy.
She made it nice and wet and ready for him. “Do you like what you see?”
“I love it.”
“Then come and get it.”
Nick crawled up the bed, just like she’d done, only he crawled over her, his hard cock bobbing as he leaned over her and took her hard nipple into his mouth. He sucked, then laved it, drawing it into his mouth again and again and teasing it with his tongue.
He gave her other breast the same attention; all the while she kept stroking her clit with one hand and fisting his cock in the other, stroking him up and down. No one could say she wasn’t a good multitasker.
But Nick grew impatient and brushed her hand away as he settled between her thighs, notching the head of his cock at her entrance. She gripped his sides and pulled him into her as he thrust forward, burying himself deep inside her.
“Fuck. If you keep clenching me like that, I’m not going to last.”
She hummed out her appreciation for him. “You feel so good. And I’m so close.” She’d worked herself up to another orgasm.
Nick pulled out, then thrust deep again and again. She hit the crest and rode out her second orgasm. Nick gritted his teeth above her, then distracted himself by leaning down and teasing her breast with his tongue again.
She hooked her legs around his waist and pulled him in deeper.
He groaned, then rolled her with him across the bed. She ended up straddling him, his hands on her hips. “Ride me, baby. I need to feel you come again on my cock.”
She rose up and sank down on him in a slow glide.
“Faster, baby. Fuck me like you mean it.”
She rode him hard and fast.
He slipped one hand around her hip to her ass and squeezed it tight. His other hand went to where they were joined and he played with her clit, circling it with his thumb as she bounced up and down on top of him, one hand braced on his chest on the opposite side of the scar where he got stabbed.
“Nick.” The worried tone in her words caught his attention.
“I’m fine. Don’t stop.” His head pushed back into the pillow. “You feel so fucking good.”
She kept up her pace and reached back below her ass and caressed his balls. Nick went off like dynamite, his cock pulsing inside of her as he pressed his thumb to her clit and she clenched around him, milking every last drop from him.
Cautious of his injury, she gently laid herself down, keeping most of her weight on his right side and away from his hurt shoulder.
He wrapped his arms around her. “You’re not hurting me.”
“I didn’t think at first, I just wanted you so much.”
“I’m fine.” His big hands rubbed up and down her back and over her ass. “God, the things you do to me.”
“It’s mutual. I’m so glad you’re here.” She hugged him closer. “I can’t believe you’re here. Finally.” The last was said with so much relief he felt her body expel it on a sigh.
He held her close and kissed her forehead. “I’m exactly where I want to be.”
“I love the house. It’s got so much of what I love. The kitchen…those counters…the island. I can’t wait to cook and eat with you in there.”
“I knew you’d love that and the freestanding tub in the bathroom. You can soak in there after a long shift on your feet.” Nick nuzzled her neck with his nose.
She raised her head from his shoulder. “You should turn the bedroom by the front door into your office. We could close up the hallway door and put in some glass French doors, or sliding doors, into the entry. That way if you’re working from home and have someone over for a meeting, the office is right there. Private enough, but also open to the rest of the house.”
Nick stared up at her. “That’s a great idea.”
“That leaves the two other rooms that share a bathroom for the kids.”
The grin spread across his face, brightening his eyes. “When are we starting on these kids?”
“I thought maybe in a year.”
“That will give us time to settle in together.” He rubbed his hand up and down her back. “When are you moving in?”
“I just need to pack up the last of my stuff in the apartment. Most of it is still in boxes from my last move.”
“Then it won’t take long.” He brushed her hair back on both sides of her face and held her cheeks. “I promise, things are going to be different now.”
“Good. Because that’s all I want, for us to really start our lives together.”
Nick pulled her back down to his chest and held her tighter. “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be at work?”
“Yes. Jax should have it covered for another hour, then I’ll have to go back and help with the rush.”
“So you’re saying I have about forty minutes to make you orgasm again before we go back to the bar and I pack up your stuff while you finish your shift.”
She raised her head and stared down at him. “Really. You want to move me in tonight.”
He grinned up at her. “Never letting you go, remember?” Nick palmed the back of her head and brought her in for another scorching kiss. From there, things just got hotter and he had her coming on his face, then his cock again.
This part of their relationship had always worked for them. They were compatible in every way in bed. But out of it, they spent too much time apart. It would change now. And she hoped it would add to the intimacy they shared. Because they lived so far apart, it was hard to really feel like she knew everything going on in his life. They caught each other up on their days over the phone, but that wasn’t the same as sharing space and time and being there with them when they spoke about their day and the emotions showed in their eyes and on their face.
Now they’d have all of that and more. She couldn’t wait.
Once they rid themselves of the threat Lopez posed, because they couldn’t really move on with their lives until he was behind bars.
Soon, this place would be a home. Their home. And no one was going to take that from them.