Brotherhood Protectors: Hidden Danger (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read online

  He dragged the panties down until they were at her thighs then used his thumbs to spread the lips of her sex just enough so the hot bud of her clit peeped out. In the next moment, she understood what was meant by the phrase “an educated tongue.” He flicked it back and forth against the very sensitive flesh, each pass of his tongue sending heat rushing through her and making the walls of her sex pulse with need. She wanted to spread her legs, to give him full access to her body, to feel his tongue inside her, but he resisted all her efforts.

  “Please,” she begged.

  She fisted her hands in his hair and tried to lift his head so she could skim off her panties, but Charlie Zero was a determined man. His laugh vibrated against her, pushing her desire even higher, as his tongue worked faster and faster.

  And then… Oh god! Oh god!

  The orgasm burst from her, inner walls contracting as spasm after spasm shook her. She tried to squeeze her thighs together, to press against the throbbing that raced through her body again and again until she thought surely she would come apart from it.

  At last it subsided, leaving her panting, sweating, and yet strangely unfulfilled.

  Charlie sprinkled light kisses on her mound, her outer lips, and finally that still-sensitive little button, which he captured with his teeth and bit on it very, very gently. One last pulse of the orgasm spiked through her, and she tried again to squeeze her legs together, without success.

  “Take off your jeans,” she begged. “Let me touch you.”

  Charlie shook his head as he shifted between her thighs.

  “If I got naked with you right now, it would be all over in seconds, and I’ve barely gotten started.”

  She wanted to ask him what he meant, but then he eased her panties down her legs, peppered kisses in rows along her inner thighs. At last, he lifted her legs so they rested on his shoulders. Every bit of her was exposed to his ravenous eyes as they focused on her hot center.

  And then he was on her again, this time pressing the lips of her sex open as he slid his tongue stroking the wet, sensitive flesh, lapping gently, interspersing little nips of his teeth. Alix was on fire, her eyes closed as she gave herself over to the intense pleasure.

  When he slipped two fingers inside her and began a steady in-and-out rhythm, her pulse ramped up. She tried to squeeze her inner muscles around his fingers, and he added a third one, increasing the pace and filling her. She hooked her ankles together at the back of her neck and lifted herself into his touch, closing her eyes and giving herself over to the erotic sensation coursing through her.

  It felt as if mere seconds had passed before another climax spiraled up from deep inside her. She rode his clever fingers, squeezing them with her inner walls that pulsated over and over. Hot little sounds drifted on the air, and she realized they were coming from her as she rode his fingers to completion.

  When the last tiny spasm subsided, he lowered her legs and settled them on either side of his thighs.

  “Open your eyes, Alix.” His voice had a rough edge to it, filled with desire and hunger.

  She did as he asked and was stunned to see the unexpected depth of feeling in his own eyes. And the heat still swirling there. He moved forward until his mouth hovered just over hers.

  “Kiss me,” he told her, “and taste yourself on my lips.”

  His mouth was swollen and coated with her liquid. The taste of it on her tongue was so erotic that desire began to climb again in a body she’d thought was exhausted.

  “We’re not done yet,” he told her, as if he could read her mind.

  She lay there, panting, watching as he stripped off his jeans and boxer briefs. All she could think of was what an incredible male specimen he was. He could have been sculpted out of marble, his muscles so well-defined, those in his ass flexing temptingly as he moved.

  And his cock! Holy sweet mother of god. Long and thick, it rose in proud majesty from his body, the heavy sac with his balls resting against his thighs. She wanted to put her mouth on him, as he had done for her, close her lips around that swollen shaft and suck him until he was dry. Yet, at the same time, she wanted to feel him inside her, filling her, the thickness of it scraping her inner walls.

  Just the thought of it sent her hormones into action again. She watched as he grabbed his wallet and extracted a condom, rolling it on with a proficiency she didn’t want to know about. Sheathed, he crawled between her legs again, bent them back at the knees, and positioned the head of his cock right at her opening. He had that same intense hunger swirling in his eyes.

  “You are so fucking amazing. So hot.”

  Gaze still locked with hers, with one movement of his hips, he drove into her, filling every inch of her. He paused, giving her that hot stare again as if he could see clear inside her. Then he began to move. In and out, thrust and retreat, more and more, harder and harder. She wound her legs around him, locking her ankles at the small of his back so she could pull him into her even deeper.

  The coil deep inside her began to unwind then Charlie would back off then drive her to the edge of the cliff again. For a man who’d said he was seconds from coming, she thought he had enormous staying power. Three times he took her to the edge. Twice, he backed off.

  Then everything else disappeared as he drove hard into her again and again. All she could feel was the heaviness of his balls slapping against her and the very thick shaft filling her and rubbing her inner walls. She had the sensation of falling into a whirlpool of black velvet, spinning in wild circles. The orgasm exploded, shaking her like a slender tree in the wind, and she spasmed over and over around his pulsing shaft.

  The last of the tremors subsided, and they lay there, sweat-slicked bodies pressed together. Alix didn’t know whose heartbeat she felt thudding, hers or Charlie’s, or whose breathing was more uneven. Charlie pressed his mouth to hers, but this time, the kiss was soft and tender. His lips just brushed hers, his tongue licking the surface before he slipped it inside. But there was no ravenous hunger, no silent invitation to duel, just gentle sweeps as he tasted her. One last gentle kiss before he slowly eased himself from her

  Alix lay depleted, more satisfied than she’d ever been in her life. Her heart rate was finally slowing, as was her breathing, but she felt as if she’d just run a marathon. She lay there with her eyes closed, holding on to the pleasant aftermath, wondering if Charlie would slip into bed with her, pull her against his hard, firm body, and spoon against her. No, he’d probably dress and back out of the room, acting as if nothing happened.

  So she was shocked when she felt him actually slide in next to her and pull the covers over both of them. He curved himself around her, one arm resting at her waist.

  “Think you can go back to sleep now without any nightmares?” he asked, kissing the shell of her ear.

  She smiled, even though he couldn’t see it. “I think I’ve got a much better chance now.”

  She relaxed against him, her butt fitting against his rock-hard abs and stomach, his now only semi-hard erection nestled in the crevice between the cheeks of her ass.

  “I can’t sleep here all night,” he told her. When she tensed, he said, “Not for anything going through that active mind of yours. I need to sleep light and be able to check outside and outside the house now and then. Alarm system or not, I trust my eyes to tell me if there’s trouble.” He paused. “Okay? But all you have to do is call out for me.”

  She relaxed again and let out a soft sigh. “Okay. I’m sorry I was such a mess before.”

  “Listen, Alix. After what you’ve been through and learned today, anyone would have nightmares. But rest easy. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  Her eyelids grew heavy and, secure against Charlie Zero’s solid body, she fell asleep.

  Chapter Six

  Years of SEALs training had made Charlie a light sleeper, one who woke not just at the slightest sound but even at the disturbance of the air. He had a sixth sense that had kept him alive all these years. His sixth sens
e was telling him now that something was wrong. He eased out of bed, careful not to disturb Alix, and tugged on his clothes. Grabbed his gun and held it at his side as he walked softly down the little hallway. In the dark, he made his way to the living room and the windows looking out on the street.

  He peeked through the blinds, eyes sweeping the street, tensing when he saw two vehicles parked in front of the house next door. Hank had told him the people who lived there were out of town, which was a plus keeping Alix hidden. But then they wouldn’t be expecting any kind of visitors, certainly not at this hour. He stood there for a long moment, watching, his view between the edge of the blinds and the window frame unobstructed. There was no street light there, which was probably why the cars chose that spot to park.

  He waited five minutes. When no one moved, he headed to the back of the house. The sliding glass doors that led out to the patio were covered with vertical blinds, not horizontal like the others. He was able to see between the wall and the very edge, and, at first, he saw nothing. Then he made out the shape of a figure crossing the yard and heading along toward the side of the house and the street. Probably going to one of the cars.

  His first thought was, how had they tracked Alix here? The second was, why hadn’t this guy tried to get into the house? He slipped his cell from his pocket and pressed the speed dial for Hank’s cell. At this hour, without any high-value missions in process, he didn’t think anyone would be in the office.

  Han answered on the first ring. “Patterson. Go.”

  “It’s Zero. We’ve got company out front. Two vehicles, lights out. I had one tango scoping out the back of the house. Don’t know why he didn’t try to enter, but they may be planning their attack right now.”

  “On my way. I’ll bring some of the others not activated at the moment.”

  “Ten four.”

  He headed down the hall again to the bedroom where Alix was out like a light. He hated to wake her, but she needed to dress and get ready. He also didn’t want to turn on any lights, so he just snapped on the little nightlight by the bed and shook her gently, trying not to startle her.

  She sat up, pushing the masses of curls out of her eyes then blinked, trying to focus.

  “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

  “Yes. I don’t know how, but it appears Lee or his people have found you.”

  “What?” She shook her head. “Found me? How is that even possible?”

  “I don’t know. We’ll figure it out, but there are two cars of bad guys in front of the house next door. I—”

  “Oh, my god! Do you know how many there are? And why do they need two carloads of people to drag me back to Lee? Charlie, what’s going on?”

  “I don’t know how many there are or why he felt he needed an army. I—”

  “Are you sure they aren’t here for the neighbors?”

  “Yeah. The neighbors are away, plus I saw one sneaking around the backyard.”

  “We have to leave. We have to get out of here.” She leaped out of bed, obviously forgetting she was still naked.

  Charlie took her hand and pulled her toward him.

  “Take a deep breath. We are getting out of here. Hank’s on the way with reinforcements. But you need to get dressed. There’s a couple of backpacks in the closet. Put whatever you think you’ll need in one of them.”

  She was already digging through the drawers for something to wear. As she pulled on stretch jeans and a T-shirt, she noticed the gun he was holding.

  “Are we going to have to shoot our way out of here?”

  “Not if I can help it. I’ll leave that to Hank. They’ll cover us while I get you out of here.”

  “But where will we go? Where can we go that they won’t find me?” She stared at him.

  “I have a place. Don’t worry. Just get ready to roll.”

  He went back to the dining room to scope out the front again. Yup. The two cars were still there. What kind of idiots staked out a place where they stuck out like two sore thumbs? If these were the kind of people Lee Bonner had working for him, Charlie was surprised he’d become as successful as he was.

  The front was still clear, also, but Charlie knew these guys weren’t going to wait much longer. Even they weren’t that stupid. If they’d identified Alix’s location, they weren’t going back to Lee Bonner empty handed.

  Alix was dressed by now, her thick hair pulled into a ponytail. In one hand, she held a backpack, which Charlie hoped she’d filled with whatever she’d need for a few days. Where he was taking her, there were no corner drugstores or variety stores. She glanced at him, patted the backpack, and nodded.

  “Good girl,” he told her in a low voice.

  The minutes stretched out, each of his senses attuned for any activity. Then he heard scratching at the sliding door. He peeked out and went to let in Hank and two of the Protectors.

  “I see they’re still there.” Hank inclined his head toward the street.

  “Yeah. I can’t figure out what they’re waiting for.”

  “Maybe a way to grab Alix without waking the whole neighborhood.”

  “Okay. We’ve got more men coming up on those cars from behind, but first, we need to get you and Alix out of here.”

  Charlie nodded and turned to Alix, who stood next to him, scared but composed. He had to give her credit for a lot of guts.

  “Ready?”

  “Yes. Just tell me what to do.”

  As soon as Charlie got himself and Alix into the SUV, Hank punched the button to open the garage door. The minute the door began to roll up, one of the cars at the curb moved forward to block the driveway. But Charlie barreled backward down the short driveway, just as two Protectors appeared from beside the garage and shot at the car.

  Charlie scraped the side of the SUV against the car trying to block him, shoved the gearshift into Drive, and hauled ass down the street. Behind him, he could hear shots being exchanged and saw Protectors blocking the second car. Lights were popping on in some of the houses, but then Charlie turned a corner and they were away clear.

  Beside him, Alix sat rigidly in her seat, clutching the backpack like a lifeline. Charlie made sure no one was following them as they crisscrossed streets to get out of town. Soon, they were past the town limits and headed down the highway.

  Charlie reached over and took Alix’s ice-cold hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

  “We’re away from them,” he assured her. “You can relax.”

  “I don’t think I’ll ever relax again. Charlie, those men came to kill me, didn’t they?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “If they had, they’d have broken into the house, not worrying about any alarms, shot both you and me, and hightailed it out of there.”

  “But you have a gun,” she pointed out. “You could have killed them.”

  “I think they were ready to take their chances. All of them against one of me. But they weren’t there to kill you, Alix. They were there to take you back to Lee.”

  “Oh god.” She sucked in a breath. “That was my dream. He was— He—”

  “He didn’t, and he isn’t,” he assured her. “Listen, we’ll come to a gas station up the road here in a little bit. I’m going to stop and get you some hot coffee before you turn into an icicle.”

  “Why am I so cold? It’s not that chilly out.”

  He squeezed her hand again. “Fear can do that to you. Anyway, I could use a cup myself.”

  “Did you get any sleep?” She shook her head. “You could have been sleeping instead of—”

  “Stop!” He hadn’t meant to practically shout the word, so he dialed it back and repeated it. “Stop, Alix. I was doing exactly what I wanted to be doing. And with the only person I wanted to be doing it with.” He chuckled. “The bonus is you aren’t married to the scumbag, so you can do whatever you want, with whoever you want.”

  “What if I only want to do it with you?”

  He felt a sharp stab in his chest at her words. Hadn’
t he vowed never to get into a relationship with a woman ever again? Any woman? Yet, a fat lot of good that had done him the minute Alix walked into his life. All his good intentions went to hell in a handbasket. And this time it wasn’t just about how it affected him. What did he have to offer her, anyway? His soul was scorched, his body damaged, and his attitude about life could sure use a tune up.

  But, oh sweet baby Jesus. He just—

  “It’s okay.” Her words broke into his internal monologue. “I’m taking a lot for granted in a situation not even twenty-four hours old. Forget I said anything. I’m hardly a prize package, anyway.”

  “What?” The wheel jerked in his hand, and he had to straighten out the vehicle. “Are you crazy? Any man would give his left nut to have you.”

  Alix actually laughed. “Oh, right. A real prize. I was downright stupid in my last real relationship before Lee, and I certainly picked a winner in him.”

  “That’s their problem,” Charlie corrected. “Not yours. They’re the ones who are flawed. Any man would be proud to be with you.”

  “Except for you, right?”

  They had reached the gas station/convenience store, so Charlie pulled into the lot and parked the car.

  “When this is all done and put to bed, we’re going to have this talk again. And I’m going to tell you how much of a bargain I’m not. What a bad deal I am for anyone. But the minute I laid eyes on you, I wanted you. And what happened earlier tonight? I don’t know about you, but for me, it was more than some casual roll in the hay. So, maybe life brought us together so we could be together. But I have to get my head around that, okay?” When she didn’t answer, he repeated it. “Okay?”

  She studied him for a moment, Then her lips curved in a smile, a tiny one but one that warmed every bit of him. “Okay.”

  “I’m getting coffee.” He climbed out of the car then turned back to her. “You come with me because I’m not anxious to leave you out here. And while you’re waiting, think about what I said.”

  He opened her door and gave her a hand to help her out of the SUV. When she put her smaller hand in his larger one, a warmth spread through him that he hadn’t felt for a long time, if ever.