SLEEPER (Crossfire Series) (16 page)

Greta shrugged again.
That
had been massive vanity on Gunther’s part. Lily had obviously changed her mind after getting her hands on the device. Good for Greta, bad for Gunther. Without Lily and the device, of course Gunther had to cooperate with her again, but now that the girl had resurfaced, it was a waiting game. Actually, Greta was surprised that Lily hadn’t attempted to sell the device earlier. And now at the club it was passports that had exchanged hands, not the missing weapon. What was happening here?

She finished her cup of coffee and looked down at her knitting. She was going to make that trip to Gunther. Then she was going to find out more about this R.C. who was with Lily Noretski. She hadn’t been able to run after them that night, not with having to take care of the downed man and then being shot at by someone else from behind. Gunther’s orders probably. She frowned. He was going to regret that so much.

Too bad her nephew had been killed by that damn SEAL. Dilaver would be useful just about now. He could ask around for her about this R.C. and maybe set up a meeting. She could use a weapons dealer right now, someone she could trust, and she’d trusted her nephew. She exhaled, feeling a bit regretful that she hadn’t had that much time with him before he was killed. That was why it was essential to get this job done, so she could spend more time with her relatives.

Passports…her eyes narrowed as she stared into space thoughtfully. Why had Lily purchased so many of them? Gunther was withholding something about Lily Noretski.

Greta picked up her knitting, squeezing the soft yarn in her hands. This was going to be the prettiest blue-and-pink shawl. She loved the swirling pattern she’d designed. She planned to add a fringe at the edge when she was done. She knitted, methodically moving the needles, sliding the stitches from one to the other.

Gunther first. Then Lily. And if she had to get rid of a gunrunner or two in between them, so what?

CHAPTER 9

A slow prickle of awareness woke Lily from a deep well of sleep. She tried to hang on to the darkness. It was so peaceful where she was—the deep, dark slumber where dreams didn’t interrupt. But the more she tried, the more her mind awakened, as if her spirit were moving from room to room, turning on the lights.

“No, not yet,” she muttered. She hadn’t had such great sleep in forever.

“Not yet, what?”

The sleepy male voice woke her up completely. Her eyes flew open. “Shit,” she said, as she stared up at the ornate ceiling above her. Everything was coming back. “Shit, shit, shit.”

“Is that how you greet your day?”

She turned her head slowly. Early morning was slipping through the window panels, giving her just enough light to make out Reed lying on his stomach, his face snuggled between a strong-looking arm and a pillow. His eyes were closed and his eyelashes looked ridiculously long. She looked at the hand resting by his face. That hand had touched her…everywhere. She quickly glanced down.

“Shit,” she repeated and tugged hard at the sheets trapped under his body.

His eyes finally opened into a sleepy half-slit. She couldn’t help it. Every time he looked at her, her heart skipped a couple of beats and heat stirred in the pit of her stomach. It irritated her, since he looked so calm while he was affecting her this way. Did the man ever get excited about anything? Too late she remembered she
had
seen him excited. She didn’t want to think about
that
while she was lying in bed. She pulled at the sheets again, trying to cover herself.

He lay there, looking at her, not saying anything as he watched. Irritated, she turned on her front, further twisting the sheets around herself.

The corner of his lips quirked. Lily glared at him. She knew he liked making her feel uncomfortable. She hoped he hadn’t woken up before her and seen how she’d kicked the covers off. Not that he hadn’t seen it all already. Dammit, she could feel the heat suffusing her cheeks. Hopefully the room was still too dark for him to see her embarrassment.

Slowly, Reed stretched his arms over his head, arching his back like an animal getting up after a nap. He rolled over. She stared at the way his T-shirt stretched tautly across his chest as he repeated the motion. The heat coming from his body curled her toes. He sat up, propping the pillows behind his back.

How could she explain that she’d wanted to continue sleeping? “I can’t remember,” she lied. “And the cussing was because I found you in bed.”

He regarded her for a moment. “You’re still mad about the painkillers,” he said.

“No, I’m mad because you forced me to take them,” she said. And she’d been turned on by his method. She really wasn’t mad. The medication had really helped, but he’d taken advantage of her exhaustion and she didn’t like it that she’d given in so easily. “You threatened me.”

“Do you feel threatened now?” he asked.

Lily held her breath as he slid closer until his body was inches from hers. One moment she was on her front, trying not to be conscious of his body. The next, she found herself flipped on her back, staring up into his shadowed face. Lily blinked, startled by his speed. He threaded his hand through her hair and held her head still. The look in his eyes had quickly changed from lazy sleepiness to banked heat. Her heart started thrumming that odd little staccato again.

“Do you like taking advantage of injured women?” she demanded as he leaned closer. She watched his mouth with the fascination of a caught prey. Everything about this man fascinated her. “You’ve been manhandling me since last night.”

“It’s becoming a habit,” he said, and closed the gap between their lips.

He kissed her softly, his lips moving against hers. She tried to turn her face away, but the hands in her hair held her where he wanted her. He didn’t force his kiss on her, though. His lips trailed to the corner of her mouth and she jerked as his tongue licked the little crease there.

“Sto—”

His mouth immediately covered hers again, easily gaining access, and the taste of warm male invaded her senses as his tongue slipped in and found hers. She felt a delicious shiver dance through her body as he sank into her, tasting her as if she were a delicate sweet that needed to be savored slowly. He deepened the kiss and her mouth opened further. Intoxicating moments went by as his tongue tangled with hers. The man…could kiss.

His mouth lifted, and she groaned as he trailed sensual kisses down the side of her face, following her jaw line to her earlobe. She caught his scent, a heady mixture of clean male and some kind of cologne, before his tongue invaded the shell of her ear. She gasped and jerked again, but those hands were still in her hair, holding her captive, as he explored that erogenous zone. She realized, too late, that she should really struggle in earnest.

Much too late. His tongue drove her crazy as he teased her sensitized ear. She pushed ineffectively against his hard chest as she gurgled out whimpering noises.

“Reed!” she managed to pant out, desperate for the torture to stop. She felt weak as a baby.

He finally relented. He released her hair, sliding his fingers caressingly over her warm cheeks. “That’s much better than ‘shit,’ isn’t it?” he asked.

Lily tried to catch her breath. Her left ear was still tingling. She was horrified at how weak she felt from just one stupid kiss. She’d never felt this way before. Usually in the morning she would be the one taking advantage of the sleepy man with her, not the other way around.

His head dipped again, and before she could reply, his mouth recaptured hers. This time he wasn’t slow or tender. He kissed her firmly, as if he had a right to her mouth. She couldn’t help herself; she responded equally fiercely.

He lifted his head. The glow of the morning brightened the room. Through her haze of desire, she noted that his eyes were more gray than blue, a shade that blended in with the shadows.

Her mouth fell open. He couldn’t know…. Again, thoughts disappeared as he took his time untangling the sheets from her body.
Do something, Lily.
But she could only lie there, watching helplessly. He pulled back the sheets, revealing her body to his eyes. There was plenty of time to resist, but she couldn’t seem to breathe, let alone say a word. Once again she was naked. The silence stretched as his eyes roved over her. He seemed to take pleasure just from the sight of her.

“You’re fully awake now,” he said. “Not out from the cold, not out from exhaustion. No medication.”

She bit down on her lower lip when he finally touched her. Maybe she was still feverish. She felt hot all over. His hand moved leisurely from her breast to her rib cage. She sucked in her tummy when his thumb tickled her belly button. Her once-relaxed limbs were taut with anticipation.

“Open your legs,” he whispered.

“I don’t even know you,” she said softly. “Just because you saved me doesn’t mean I have to sleep with you.”

He smiled for the first time and her breath caught in her throat. With the pale morning light behind him catching the gold glints in his hair and with the sensual curve of his mouth so temptingly close, he looked unearthly beautiful, like one of those mythological bad-boy gods paying a visit. And from the look in his eyes, with something very naughty in mind.

“We already slept together, sweetheart,” he told her, leaning closer. His hand moved over her lower tummy. “Now I want to just wake you up slowly.”

Her lips parted as his hand delved lower still. She didn’t seem to have any will to stop him at all.

“Why?” she asked, then closed her eyes as his hand slipped between her thighs. Every one of her senses zeroed in on the knowing glide of his fingers as he turned her into a useless puddle of emotional need.

His breath was warm. “Tell me you’re awake and willing, and I’ll tell you why.”

Her legs parted of their own accord. She was pretty sure he could tell she was only too willing.

“Why?” she asked again as his fingers continued their sensual exploration. She inhaled sharply as the tingling sensation built into a tighter knot.

“When I first saw you, you were blond and beautiful,” he told her. “Now you’re brunette and beautiful. And it’s your natural color.”

Startled by his words, she opened her eyes. He was looking at where his hand was causing such havoc. She’d forgotten about her wig. She must have lost it in the river. Right now…she didn’t really care where the hell her wig was….

“So I wonder who this Lily is who won’t tell me anything about herself,” he continued. “You’re so beautiful outside. What are you like inside? Can I get to know you? Make you tell me all your secrets?”

All the while his fingers glided against her erotically, his timing slow and perfect. Lily looked down at his hand nestled so intimately between her legs. A fire was slowly consuming her, making it hard to think about anything.

Secrets? She had plenty of secrets, but sex wouldn’t get any secrets out of her. She moaned softly as a finger invaded her softness. Would it? Her whole being screamed for release, as he seemed to stretch each pleasurable glide to eternity. She pushed her hip up to meet those fingers, a silent urge for him to go faster. He did. Just a bit. A long sensual pull upwards, leaving her aching for more. A heart-stopping pause, causing her lower body to shudder in pleasurable agony.

Lips swallowed her moans. Tongue invaded her mouth. The intimate caress below restarted. She responded eagerly as she followed his finger gliding down. Faster. Please. Another mind-blowing pause. She almost died. Then it began again.

Ravished. That was what it felt. When she’d first met him, she’d expected seduction, but this was more than that.

She could handle seduction. One had to be innocent or untouched in some form to be seduced, and she was far from that. So she had been reasonably sure he’d fail if he had seduction on his mind.

But she hadn’t counted on fighting her own attraction, too. Not another gunrunner. And she certainly hadn’t expected to be lying here naked, aroused to the point of no return, without even a whimper of a fight.

His lips trailed down her chest. A hot tongue surrounded her tender nipple.

Lily whimpered.

A hand slid under her, arching her back, bringing her breast fully into that hot mouth. It felt like when he’d dipped her, but this time, it was a sexual tango, with his tongue and fingers doing all the dancing.

* * *

There’s a devil inside all of us, dude. Sometimes he just makes us do things to get us into more trouble. Where do you think that expression came from?

Somewhere in heaven, Arch must be laughing his ass off, because Reed had found that devil inside him. On the one hand, he kept warning himself not to get emotionally involved, and then he abruptly turned around and did just that. On the other hand, he wanted to protect Lily from everything, which was, of course, not possible when the woman didn’t trust or know him.