Operation London (15 page)

"Miguel," she gasped
. "I need you. I need to forget everything for a little while. Please help me," she whimpered, kissing him deeply.

Miguel felt his loins tighten at her plea
. He wanted her so badly, wanted to take her fully right here on the deserted bluff, right where the pink and gold light was playing softly over her face and body, making her look so innocent and irresistible.

He looked into her eyes, into the silver, glinting depths, past the layers of thick black lash, and he wasn't completely ready for what he saw
. She was afraid. Not of him, but of something, and she wanted an escape. Setting his mouth, he shook his head, forcing the overwhelming need to take her out of it. Tonight he had to pleasure her selflessly. She needed to realize that she meant too much to him to use quickly then leave. When he made love to her, it would be all night, no interruptions. And he would make sure she fell asleep in his arms. He couldn't imagine anything less for her.

"Lean back, honey
. I'll help you forget," he promised, his voice full and smooth over her ragged nerves.

He traced her face with one finger, caressing the high cheekbones, the fine eyebrows like little wings
. The pad of his thumb circled her ripe red mouth and moved up to massage her temple. She leaned her head back, stretching her neck and sighing with contentment. All of the worry and anxiety from the day flowed out of her, taken away by the loving hands of this man.

Miguel stretched out next to her, kissing her face and neck, listening closely to the excited hum of her moans
. He dragged his mouth down to her collarbones, caressing the velvety skin with his tongue. She arched her back, forcing her breasts to push against the constraints of the fabric that bound them. Deftly, his hands found the zipper at her back. With one swift pull he yanked the zipper down, peeling back the fabric to expose her full breasts. Ava shook her head from side to side, her hips pushing up in anticipation of his sexual advance. His large palms found the smooth skin of her breasts, rubbed against the small, pert nipples. Underneath her dewy skin he could feel the wild thumping of her heart. Bending his head down, he caught one nipple in his mouth, licking and tasting with his tongue, pulling gently with his teeth.

Ava moaned his name, and he had to pause for a minute
. Her voice was making him crazy, driving him headlong towards a wild need that he didn't know if he could control. He forced himself to take a breath, kissing the flat planes of her stomach and gliding down even lower.

"Touch me, Miguel," she said in a husky whisper, so passionate and ready that she was pushing him past his threshold
. He needed to pleasure her before she made him go over the brink.

Ava pushed the dress down her long, silky legs and let her underwear follow
. She lay completely naked in front of him. They were past words at this point, past any rational reaction. She needed him to react with her, to make her senses reel, to take her to another place. Miguel felt choked as he gazed down on her long, slender body, displayed for him with simple confidence. She was curved delicately, invitingly. The grace of her supple limbs collided with her disregard for modesty, pushing Miguel to a point beyond his wildest fantasy. She was a contradiction, a Venus, a goddess, and Miguel was going to make her shudder with delight. She moaned and tugged on his midnight hair, silky smooth between her fingers. Eyes closed, she directed him to her warm mound, the salty aroma making his head spin.

He responded to her carnal plea, his hands brushing with maddening softness along her thighs, his mouth making hot, wet circles towards the dark curls that hid her most sensitive spot
. Slipping one finger inside of her, Miguel closed his eyes to block out the excitement of her heat. She was soaked through, tender to his curious hands. Fingers moving deep within her, Miguel worked an ancient rhythm on her, adding another finger and moving his thumb along her silky lips towards her center.

His thumb moved delicately over the waiting nub, caressing sensation out of it as he kissed and nipped at Ava's thighs
. She felt like a she was being hurled into space with no way to stop. She needed him to bring her to climax before she lost her mind. Sitting up slightly, she said his name softly. He ignored her, keeping the painfully slow pace that he had set. Her hips began to rise with greater intensity. She said his name again, louder, more adamantly. She needed him to listen to her, she needed him to make her scream out his name.

He sensed her eagerness, but he refused to be hurried
. A devilish smile played on his lips as he slowed down even more, enjoying the frustrated  movement of her legs.

"Ava, I want you to come like you never have before," he said, kissing her so lightly she wasn't sure if she had imagined it for a minute.

"I never have before," she admitted frankly, her mouth opened to let out the pants of desire and want.

Miguel felt that he had been given a gift
. He couldn't wait to bring this beautiful creature to the edge and watch as she dove off.

He took her fully in his mouth, sucking and licking so quickly she didn't know exactly what to respond to
. Before she lost herself in the delight of his bombardment he slowed down, licking with smooth firm strokes. She felt every one, relished the gentle assault his tongue made on her most sensitive regions. As he licked, he began to center in, finally concentrating on one spot over and over again. Each time she waited for his tongue she felt like she was waiting out a tiny torture. Each time he covered her with his mouth she felt a little shaky.

In previous relationships she had experienced this shakiness, had felt the beginnings of something exciting, but it had never amounted to anything
. Certainly not the kind of reaction the women in the novels she read had. Although she had longed for the experience, she had finally forced herself to come to terms with the simple fact that she did not orgasm.

She was about to be proved completely, absolutely, without a doubt wrong.

Miguel began to lick delicately, increasing his tempo until she began to pitch. She couldn't think straight, couldn't begin to make out all of the thoughts running through her head at once. Suddenly it was all too much. She writhed and kicked, but he wouldn't stop, refused to let her get away until it felt like something had exploded.

"Miguel, Miguel, no, please, Miguel!" she screamed, to Miguel's complete

happiness.

Her body jumped and bounced as she rode out the incredible high
. It felt like volts of electricity were running through her. Finally the shaking subsided and she lay back to feel waves of intense pleasure lulling her into sleepy peace.

Miguel looked down at her lovely, content face, a half smile playing delicately on her lips.

"Hey," she said with a grin. "Thanks."

"It was nothing," he said, his heart warming at his luck
. He had never even envisioned a girl like her, let alone thought he might meet and fall in love with one.

He was just about to tell her something along those lines when she sat up and checked her watch.

"Oh, no. I gotta go, I'm late!" she gasped.

"Late for what?  A dance date with yourself?  I don't think you'll mind, will you?" he
joked, but Ava paid him no attention. She was already throwing her clothes on, scrambling to the Jeep and beckoning for him with one hand.

Miguel stood and watched her for a moment
. Something was definitely going on. He could stand here and argue with her, ultimately making her madder than a hornet. Or he could play along with her charade and do a little agent work or his own.

"OK, OK, we're going," he said, getting in the Jeep and speeding back to Piper's.

If Ava noticed his glum attitude she failed to comment on it. She was instead focusing most of her attention on her watch and the road, biting her lip as they drove. Miguel tried to make conversation, but she was too distracted to respond to anything he said. All in all it was a pretty miserable ride back.

When they were about a mile away from Piper's Miguel and Ava glanced at one another nervously.

"Do you smell smoke?" she asked. He shook his head grimly in reply.

Flooring it, he buzzed to the gym, and Ava felt her heart wrench as she looked at her new friend's place
. Smoke and gases billowed out of the windows, and the pavement outside was wet from where the fire hoses had sprayed everything down. People were milling around outside, uncertain of where to go or what to say. Ava scanned the crowd and found Piper. She was relieved to see that Magdalene had her arm around her sister and Cormac stood nearby. Hurrying through the crowd, Ava rushed to join them.

"Piper, I'm so sorry
. Do they have any idea how it might have started?" Ava asked, squeezing Piper's hand. She looked like a different person with her trademark enthusiasm at a low.

"They can't be sure yet, but they'll find out
. I'm just so thankful everyone got out. No one was seriously hurt."

"That's such a relief," Ava nodded.

"It was arson," Magdalene said, her green eyes flashing daggers.

"Maggie, you can't go accusing someone of arson!" Piper reprimanded
. Magdalene looked unperturbed by her sister's rebuke. She had made up her mind and that was it.

Miguel came over to talk to Piper, and Magdalene pulled Cormac and Ava over to the side.

"I know this sounds completely callous, but this fire came at a great time for us to snoop around the school undetected," Magdalene said, glancing guiltily at her sister's troubled face.

"It does sound callous," Cormac agreed.

"It's also exactly right. We need to use every advantage we get," Ava said pointedly. She wasn't going to stand for Cormac's obvious antagonism of Magdalene.

Cormac nodded, his eyes down on the ground.

"We should probably get ready to leave within the next hour or two. Can everyone get there by then?" Ava asked. She and Cormac both looked at Magdalene, who was focused on Piper.

"Yes
. Piper will have our ma and dad and our older brother at home. I'll see to it that she gets where she needs to be," Magdalene said.

"I'll be there," Cormac said with solid enthusiasm
. He realized that his sour grapes attitude was not going to be tolerated by Ava, and he was loathe to ruin his chances of working with such an obviously capable woman.

The three disbanded, but not before Ava noticed Cormac putting a comforting hand on
Magdalene's shoulder. She stood still as a stone, but he did his best to offer his condolences and apology. Once again, Ava wondered what kind of history the two had, but now was not the time to delve.

Turning back to the charred remains of the building, Ava felt a snaking fear creep up her spine
. Angel Espino had been at the gym. She had blown him off, potentially made him angry. Had he done this to get back at Ava?  How exactly did a criminal mind operate?

"Penny for your thoughts?" a rich male voice asked
. Instinctively Ava nestled against the strong body at her back.

"It's just so devastating," Ava said, glad that Miguel couldn't pierce her with those knowing brown eyes
. "I'm so sorry this happened to Piper."

"I talked with some of the firefighters, and they don't seem to think it's all that bad. The fire did a lot of surface damage, but it was mostly in the changing room."

Ava felt a chill. Angel had walked away from her, into the changing room.

"Are you cold?" Miguel asked, feeling the slight tremor that went through her body
. He took off his jacket, wrapping it tenderly around her shoulders.

The action was so sincere and so sweet that Ava felt immediate regret for lying to him. He had been nothing but good to her, and she had repaid him with deceit
. For the first time in her life she felt a real connection with someone, and she seemed hell bent on screwing it up.

"Miguel," she began, turning around quickly
. She was going to tell him everything, not hold back even a single detail. But those eyes undid her. The way he was looking at her let her know without the slightest hint of a doubt that he would murder for her. And that sacrifice would cost him everything. "Thank you for the coat," she finally managed.

Miguel nodded stiffly
. He had expected her to tell him something important, to reveal one of the mysterious secrets she had been keeping from him, but something had made her back up. Controlling his temper, he told himself that it would only be a matter of time before he garnered some answers for himself.

As if on cue Ava checked her watch
. "I'd better get going. I was late before and now.....Well," her voice dropped and her silver eyes grew wide and inviting. "Thanks again. I had a really wonderful time," she said huskily.

"We'll pick up where we left off next time I see you," he said, pulling her close and kissing her with the full force of his passion
. She was completely inviting, so sweet that he almost couldn't believe it. It took a full minute before he was able to tear himself away from her taste.