Lies (Phoenix Undercover #1) (7 page)

Chapter 15

Josh

After I showed up at Gabby’s apartment two nights ago, something between us changed. Without giving her too much detail, I managed to let her know the only thing keeping me from being with her all the time was my current case. When I told her I was undercover, she was concerned. The worst thing about the entire night was lying to her that I was safe and would remain that way as long as I protected my identity. Which meant I had to be away from her for days at a time. I just hoped what we were working on building was strong enough to come out on top of this mess.

“He’s here,” Mike announced as he placed a cigarette in his mouth and lit it.

I scrambled to my feet and adjusted the gun at the waistband of my jeans. Pulling my shirt down over it, I popped my neck and took in one last calming breath. It was time to become James Garrison, drug dealer, ex-con, and the asshole who didn’t give a fuck about anyone or anything but his next deal.

Leo entered the warehouse followed by his men, smirking as he approached us. Nodding, he slowly scanned the large space.

“You followed through. That’s good. And it’s secluded and very well protected, just as you promised.” He returned his gaze to me as he held out an envelope. “Here are the details of the shipment. It will arrive at midnight and be brought in no later the twelve fifteen. My men will arrive as well to ensure the safety of my merchandise.”

“My men will also be present,” I said assertively.

“Good.” He dipped his chin in agreement. “And if everything goes smoothly, we celebrate.”

“I guarantee you will be pleased with just how smooth things will be handled.” I did not falter as he continued to stare at me.

“We will see,” he added before turning his back to me and walking toward the exit. “I have three very eager young ladies that are looking forward to the company of you and your men,” he said with his back still to me. “Less than two weeks, James,” he added as he pushed through the steel door.

When he and his men disappeared, my body relaxed immediately. His presence was getting hard to tolerate. All I truly wanted to do was place my gun between his eyes and pull the trigger. The piece of shit deserved death, nothing more.

When Trevor assured us Leo and his men were gone, we began working on the next step of our plan.

***

Frank had a tail on Leo, looking for any lead on Roman’s whereabouts, so I could relax for a week and a half while we got ready for the deal with Leo to go down. I had every intention of taking full advantage of that time. When I left the warehouse last night, I immediately called Gabby and made plans to see her. I was going to invite her over for dinner, and I wasn’t planning to allow her to leave. I hadn’t given her that detail yet, but I would do whatever it took to convince her to submit to my plans.

At a few minutes past five, the buzzer sounded, indicating her arrival. I placed the last dish on the table and went to the door. She had her hand lifted as if she was about to knock when I jerked open the door and pulled her into my arms.

“Hello, beautiful,” I said just before giving her a sweet, welcoming kiss.

“Mm,” she moaned as I pulled back just enough to look down at her. “Hello,” she cooed as she brushed her thumb over my lower lip, attempting to wipe away the lipstick I was sure had transferred to my mouth from hers.

“What? Not my color?” I asked, cocking my eyebrow.

She smiled before wrinkling her nose. “It does nothing for your complexion,” she teased.

I backed myself into my apartment, pulling her along with me.

“Something smells amazing,” she said.

I dipped my head down and buried my nose against her neck. “Yes, I agree.” I kissed her neck, nipping at the tender skin, and she shivered against me.

“You’re in a good mood,” she said, and I couldn’t have agreed more. I felt lighter than I had in weeks. Everything had been so fucked up lately, but having her with me tonight felt right.

“I’ve been looking forward to seeing you all day,” I told her. “I have no plans to allow anyone or anything to interfere with what I have in store for you.”

“Oh really?” She bit her lower lip and looked up at me with that lustful stare of hers. “And what would those plans be?”

“You’ll find out soon enough. First I need to feed you.” I backed up, placing some distance between us before I knocked the food off the table and chose to eat her instead.

“What if I don’t want dinner first?” she countered. “I can only think of one thing I’m hungry for. Yes, I’m more than positive whatever you made is no less than perfect, but I’m thinking I want dessert first.”

She was taunting me, and my restraint was quickly slipping. “Dessert is the best part of the meal,” I agreed.

She nodded in agreement as her gaze shifted toward my dick. When she fucking licked her lower lip, my cock twitched. Her heels clicked against my tiled floor as she took a few steps forward, then placed her forefinger against my chest and slowly lowered it along my stomach before stopping at the button on my jeans. I stared at her in awe as she quickly opened the button with her other hand. After sliding my zipper down, she reached inside my boxers and cupped my growing erection. When she began to stroke me, I groaned and reached for her, but Gabby shook her head. My legs grew weak as she dropped to her knees in front of me and darted her tongue out once more to wet her lips as she tugged my jeans and boxers down my thighs. Appraisingly rubbing her hands over my hips and lower stomach, she eyed my cock that was now starting to become painfully hard.

I was already hanging on the edge when she flipped her wet tongue along the head of my cock. Taking me in her grasp, she placed her lips against me and slowly took me inside her warm, inviting mouth.

Throwing my head back, I let out a deep, guttural moan. Placing one hand instinctively on the back of her neck, I lowered my head and watched as she sucked me off.

Gabby needed absolutely no guidance as she rolled her tongue along my entire length. There was something so unbelievably sexy about watching my cock move in and out of her mouth, almost as if I had a claim to her now.

“Feels so good, baby. Suck me just like that, sweetheart.”

My toes curled, and she opened her eyes as she looked up at me. The look she gave me as my cock slipped from her mouth only to be quickly pulled back in awoke the beast in me. I fisted her hair and began guiding her head faster as I pushed in deeper. I felt the head touch the back of her throat, and I pushed in just a little farther, then quickly pulled back when she gagged. The control I had been trying to maintain was gone. I smirked at her as she scraped her teeth along my cock.

“You want me to fuck you, baby?” I asked as she continued to slide her lips over me. A deep groan escaped me as she sucked me back inside her wet mouth. Her eyes never left mine as her throat constricted around me in a swallow. My cock fell from her mouth as she pulled back and stood up. Leaning in, she then licked at my lower lip.

“Yes,” she whispered against my mouth before reaching beneath her skirt and tugging her panties down her legs and over her feet without removing her high heels. When she tossed them to the floor, she turned her back to me and bent over to arch her ass in the air, and I swear I almost lost my shit.

“You are the perfect woman, you know that, right?” I said as I reached down and removed my wallet from my pants pocket. I fumbled with the condom as she looked back over her shoulder and wiggled her ass, taunting me.

I had honestly hit the jackpot with Gabby. She was the perfect mixture of all things great, and I would never understand what I did to deserve her. But I would do whatever it took to assure I kept her.

***

“Mm,” she moaned as I licked the cream from her lips. “Amazing.” Her eyes fluttered as she sighed. When she opened them, I was scowling at her.

“What?” She shrugged. “Why do you look like Grumpy Gramps?”

“I’m not grumpy. Slightly uncomfortable, but definitely not grumpy.” I leaned forward and wiped at her lower lip with my thumb, then lifted it to my lip and sucked away the icing that had accumulated there. “I invite you over for dinner and you somehow make dessert more like a porn flick.”

“You’re awful.” She smirked.

A chuckle fell from me as I leaned forward and placed my lips against hers. When I pulled back, my gaze locked with hers. “And you’re beautiful.”

I had thought about making a smartass comment when she told me I was awful, but kissing her seemed so much better. Her cheeks reddened as she leaned forward and kissed me once more.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

I stared back at her in silence as I scanned her face. “Do you even realize just how amazing you make me feel?” I said. “Even in the small amount of time I’ve spent with you, every bit of shit from my day dissolves the second I kiss you.” I reached out and laced my fingers through hers as my eyes shifted toward our joined hands. “Thank you for putting up with all this, for letting me in and sticking with me. You have no idea how much it all truly means.”

“No need for thanks, Josh. You make me happy too,” she assured me. “Really happy.”

And almost instantly a familiar sense of peace settled within me and everything felt perfect once again.

Chapter 16

Gabriella

“I like the red ones,” Josh said before turning back toward the display of lingerie. “Oh, and this color. Is that teal?” He lifted up the pair of panties and held them out before him.

I smiled as a younger guy three feet away ducked his head in embarrassment.

“Now these would look fucking amazing on you. Damn, baby.” Josh’s eyes gleamed in excitement as he looked up at me. “I may go broke if you keep bringing me to places like these.”

I giggled as I grabbed the pink, lacy, and completely see-through nightie he held in his other hand.

“We’ll take one of these in every color you have,” he hollered to the clerk.

I hid my head against his chest and tickled his sides.

“What?” he grunted and tried to pull back from my assault. “You can’t blame me for trying, sweetheart. Forget about getting dressed daily. I think you should live in these nighties.”

I tilted my head and looked up at him. “You are insatiable.” I rose up on my tiptoes, bringing my lips close to his. “And extremely adorable.”

He closed the distance and kissed me, wrapping his arm around my waist securely. His tongue rolled with mine, and for a moment I forgot we were standing in the center of a department store. Someone cleared their throat, and I broke the kiss to look over my shoulder. An older salesperson was giving us a disapproving glare.

“Sorry,” I offered. When I turned back to face Josh, he was grinning from ear to ear.

“So—” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “—we are getting some of these. Right?”

I lifted up the light pink nightie and shook it in front of his face. “We’ll get this one and the red one,” I assured him as I walked toward the sales clerk at the checkout counter. When I looked back over my shoulder, Josh was smiling brightly and following close behind.

“Now that’s my girl. Looks like tonight we’re staying in.”

I rolled my eyes and turned forward again as he chuckled.

***

It was still hard to believe I had met Josh only two months ago. Things were a little rough at first, but I had grown to understand just how heavily the bureau and his fellow agents relied on him. He had a demanding job, and whether I liked it or not, I had no choice but to share him with the FBI. But I was willing to make that sacrifice because he had already gotten under my skin.

If he kept giving me weeks like the last two, I was confident I could learn to deal with the times in between. And that acceptance is what made me decide to introduce him to my family tonight. That in itself was a huge step for me to take. The last man I brought home had decided the night before our wedding that marrying me was a “mistake.” His word, not mine. Without any explanation, Lance packed his things and left me to deal with explaining why the wedding was now called off.

But tonight, my “no men around my family” policy was about to change.

My parents were celebrating their thirtieth wedding anniversary, and when Brook mentioned Josh to my father, he insisted I bring him along. I was a nervous wreck because my father can be a little intimidating at times, but Josh appeared unaffected by the upcoming introduction. He was lounging back on my couch, his arm propped behind his head as he flipped through the channels on the television. He was wearing one of the suits I love so much, and I had a hard time controlling my raging hormones whenever I saw him in one. They fit him perfectly and just enhanced his build. And the confidence rolled off him in waves whenever he put one on. The cocky smirk on his face when he caught me staring at him confirmed that he knew exactly how sexy he looked. He sat up on the couch and raked his gaze ever so slowly from my face down to my stilettos and back up again. Heat crept up my neck, and that familiar wanting ache in my stomach began again.

I should have run the moment he stood and began to walk toward me, but my legs were immobile under his hungry stare. He gripped my waist with his strong hand and closed the small amount of distance that still separated us. His eyes locked on mine, and he stared at me with such heat, I swore if he didn’t have a firm hold on me, I would have melted to the floor.

“You look fucking amazing,” he growled before licking his lower lip. I was just about to say the same to him when he slid his hand lower and cupped my ass, and the words I had on the tip of my tongue became an afterthought. “How much time do we have before your family expects us?”

His gaze continued to roam over my body and paused at my chest. I knew the low cut of my dress gave him the perfect view of the curve of my breasts. “Please tell me I have time to relieve some of this need I have for you,” he said in a pained whisper as he thrust his hips forward, letting me feel just how much I affected him.

“We’re already late. My mother has called three times.” I felt the same desire, yet I knew if we didn’t get moving, my father would be knocking on my door soon. He was already threatening to come get me.

“Do you understand the pain I’ll be in tonight?” he asked, and I looked up at him in confusion. “I’m going to have to be the perfect gentleman in front of your family. The problem is I’ll be having a shit-ton of nasty thoughts about you and those fuck-me heels, which I’ll have to hide. Your father’s a man, so he’s gonna see right through me.” He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. “Does he own any guns?”

I couldn’t hold in my laughter, and Josh flashed me a grin of his own. “He has handguns, and he spent eleven years in the Marines,” I said and waited for his reaction.

Josh’s eyes widened, and he stared back at me with a blank expression. “You’re fucking with me, right?”

“Nope,” I assured him.

“You sure we don’t have a few minutes to spare?”

“Oh, it only takes you a few minutes?” I taunted, arching my eyebrow.

“Right now I’m not sure I can last more than thirty seconds.”

I took his hands and led him to the bedroom. Looking back over my shoulder, I caught him staring directly at my ass. At this point I knew he was so lost in the moment, he had no hope of making it through the evening, just like he’d said. So I gave him exactly what he needed, and he was right; it was the best quickie I had ever experienced.

***

“It’s nice of you to finally show up,” my father said as he leaned forward to kiss my cheek. As he straightened up, his stare didn’t leave Josh, who stood back, allowing my father to do his intimidation tactics.

My mother and both of my sisters smiled as I stepped back. They knew what was coming whenever my father had that look on his face. It was the awkward moment when he acted like one of his girls was still fifteen and had just brought a horny teen boy home for the first time.

“Hello, sir.” Josh approached with his hand out. “I’m Joshua Phoenix. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

My father sized Josh up as he returned the firm handshake. Since they both stood at over six feet and were comparable in size, it was a tense display.

“So my daughter—” he looked over at me and narrowed his eyes before turning back to Josh, “—not Gabriella, but Brook, has informed me you work for the FBI.”

“Yes, sir, I do,” Josh responded with equal confidence.

“She has also informed me that on more than one occasion you have made Gabby feel as if she is not as important as your job.”

My stomach hit the floor, and I glared at Brook. She of course smiled brightly because she was finding this amusing.

When I looked back at Josh, I could see his confidence fade. He obviously felt uneasy at being reminded of the time when I told him I felt like he was pushing me away.

“I’m just gonna say that the idea of any of my three daughters coming in second in a man’s life does not please me. One day when you have a daughter of your own, I can assure you that if some man makes her feel even the slightest bit sad, it will eat away at you. And, son, Gabby does not need another man in her life that doesn’t look at her as his number-one priority.”

“Dad,” I said, irritated he’d bring that up.

“No, it’s okay.” Josh smiled back at me, and my stomach fluttered. “Your father is right.”

When he met my father’s stare once more, his expression became more serious. “I can assure you, sir, that if I had met Gabby prior to my current assignment, I would have declined the case. Unfortunately, I have to fulfill that commitment now. But after this case is completed, I can safely say I will take only those cases in the future that Gabriella gives her blessing to. Because she does come first. She always will.”

My heart melted, and I fought against the urge to throw myself at Josh and kiss him deeply. Instead, I took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. When he gripped mine and pulled me to his side, I smiled up at him brightly.

“I know I hurt her, but that was never my intention. My current case is very demanding, and now that Gabby understands that, she knows just where she stands with me. And sir,” Josh said as his gaze shifted to meet mine, “Gabby has my heart, fully.”

And there it was. Josh had just confessed his feelings for me in front of my family. And I had just become that mushy girl that I had always despised.

After that, my father let his guard down a little, and Josh relaxed in turn, so the evening was much less tense. Brook still gave Josh a hard time about being on her asshole radar, and Audrey eyed him as if he seemed familiar. I couldn’t understand what connection they may have, but I chose to ignore it. What could my sister who works as an architect in Boston have to do with my boyfriend?