In a Broken Dream (The Broken Series Book 4) (25 page)

Well-muscled
arms grabbed me from behind. “Ladies first,” Rafael replied. His fingers moved deftly
over the buttons on my shirt.

I
sighed contentedly when he slipped his hand inside my bra. I loved the feel of
his skin next to mine. I closed my eyes and savored all the lovely sensations he
was coaxing from my body. My eyes flew open when I felt him harden against my
bottom. “We’ve got way too many clothes on.”

He
peeled the shirt from my arms. “My sentiments exactly.”

I
turned around and lifted the soft, gray cotton t-shirt over his head. I wrapped
my arms around his neck so I could fit my chest and abs to his. The heat
radiating from his skin was intoxicating. “You are so sexy, even when your body
is buried beneath that hideous suit.”

His
fingers traced every vertebrae in my back before he unhooked my bra. “I know
someplace else I’d like to be buried.” He stepped back and watched as my black
lace bra fell to the floor. I shivered as the crisp air cooled my skin.

Rafael
lunged for me. Sparks shot across every nerve ending when his sweltering mouth latched
onto my chilly breast. His tongue circled closer and closer until his teeth found
my nipple. My hands fisted in his hair. “Inside me,” I panted. “I want you inside
me. Now!”

One
arm held me firmly in place while he unbuttoned my slacks. His hand was in my
panties before my pants even hit the floor. “You’re so wet,” he murmured. My
head fell back when he latched onto my other breast. His left hand wound
through my hair as it brushed against my lower back.

His
fingers delved inside of me. I moaned softly as the tension grew tighter and
tighter. My knees buckled when his thumb pressed on the one spot he’d been purposely
avoiding. His hand stilled, denying my release. I groaned my frustration as I reached
for the drawstring on his pants. “Get your clothes off already!”

Rafael
laughed. His sweat pants were off in two seconds flat. There were no briefs
underneath. My eyes widened at the sight of him. I tried to kick my black
patent leather heels off, but Rafael stopped me. “Keep those on.” Rafael knelt
in front of me as he hooked his thumbs in my panties and slid them down my
legs. He pulled my right leg over his shoulder, kissed the inside of my thigh,
then lapped at the sweet spot between my legs.

My
eyelids slid shut. Pleasure pulsed everywhere he stroked. I nearly collapsed when
he latched onto the tiny nub and began to suck. I tried to wriggle away. “Oh,
God! Not like this. I want to feel you inside of me.”

Rafael
lifted me in one fluid movement. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he pinned
me against the door. My back arched sharply when he pressed inside of me. His
eyes captured and held mine as he joined our bodies in one long, deeply
gratifying stroke. “Is this what you want?”

“Yes,”
I moaned. My hands clenched against the nape of his neck when our hips met.
He’d buried himself to the hilt. I loved how thick he was, how tight everything
felt when he was buried inside of me.

He
pulled back and thrust. Hard. The air rushed from my lungs as my back hit the
door. “Don’t let go,” he demanded gruffly. I whimpered softly. I was holding on
by a thread, and it was already unraveling.

Rafael
released my hips. He caressed my breasts and thrust. Every stroke was deep and
slow. I reached for his face and dragged his lips toward mine. Our tongues tangled
in a sultry kiss. He drove inside of me again.

I
moaned wantonly when he latched onto my neck. He thrust hard and fast. A scream
percolated in my chest. He pinched my nipples and slammed deep inside of me. Every
cell in my body exploded. We clung to each other as he pulsed inside of me. “Thank
you,” I finally whispered into his dampened skin.

He
laughed. “Don’t thank me yet. We’ve still got the counter, the wall, and the
floor.”

*
* * * *

“How
did the training go?” Dr. Sandstrom asked. He was sifting through the end-of-course
surveys.

“Good,”
I replied. “I think the course was a little more intense than the students
anticipated, but it was empowering. Not only did we increase the students’
awareness of the risks they could face in peacebuilding, but we’ve strengthened
their ability to survive and cope with those threats.”

Shae
took a sip of Diet Coke. “I’m really pleased with the reviews. Our speakers
were very well received. Cenia and Kadyn did a phenomenal job with the SERE
training. I’m glad Rafael recruited Chance and Jase to help with the self-defense
training. Given the size of our class, I don’t think a single instructor would
have been enough.”

Dr.
Sandstrom looked contemplative as he leaned back in his chair. “Let’s make sure
we have three instructors for that self-defense training for future course
offerings then.”

“I
think the simulation was very effective. We received a lot of good feedback on
the risk assessment tool and the template for the personal security plans,” I
added.

“I
think you two did a fantastic job. You received very high marks on these end-of-course
surveys.” Dr. Sandstrom flipped through the documents again. “This feedback has
left me questioning whether we should offer this course twice a year.”

Shae
twisted the lid back onto her Diet Coke. “I think we should.”

“Me
too,” I agreed. “If we offer the course twice a year, the class size may
decrease, which would give students more hands on training in the self-defense portion
of the class.”

Dr.
Sandstrom smiled. “Consider it done. So, how does it feel?”

“How
does what feel?” Shae asked.

Dr.
Sandstrom’s bright blue eyes softened. “You took a horrific experience and
transformed it into something good.”

Shae
and I exchanged glances. A nearly identical smile spread across our faces. “It
feels good,” I replied.

*
* * * *

I
didn’t have to count my dance steps anymore. Kadyn and I had progressed enough
to where we could carry on a conversation while he spun me around the dance
floor. I was trying not to listen to the music. I’d already heard Alison Krauss
and Louis Armstrong croon so many times, both songs made me want to gouge my
ears out. “Are you dating anyone?” I asked, seeking a distraction.

Kadyn
stumbled but quickly regained his balance. He glanced at me uncertainly before
responding. “I’ve dated a couple of women over the past few months but no one
worth mentioning.”

I
quickly chastised my envious heart. I wanted Kadyn to be happy. Somehow,
despite all the twists and turns our relationship had taken, he had become my
most cherished friend. He deserved to be happy. I should encourage him to move
on. Still, my mouth stubbornly refused to do so.

Kadyn
maneuvered me around Cenia and Roger. “Why do you ask?”

I
bit my bottom lip as I sorted through how best to respond. “I was wondering if
you were bringing a date to the wedding.”

“Are
you?” he asked.

I
forced myself to meet his gaze. “No. Rafael is traveling to Paris while we’re
in McAllen for Cenia’s wedding. He needs to meet with the mayor and the
property owners in the community where Michael’s house is located. I’m not
ready to see Michael’s house, so Rafael scheduled his meeting for the same week
as the wedding.”

His
eyebrows furrowed. “Are you selling the house?”

I
shook my head. “We’re trying to convert it into a temporary safe house for
political refugees, but we need the mayor and the other homeowners’ consent.”

Kadyn
stopped dancing. He looked… stunned.

Katia
and Anton chose that moment to switch partners and dance with us. Eventually,
Anton returned me to Kadyn’s arms.

“Miss
me?” I asked with a playful smirk.

“Yes,”
he responded drily. He seemed no fonder of Katia than I was of Anton. “I’m not
bringing a date.”

My
smile widened. “Will you be my date then?”

He
nodded. Once. I was expecting a smile, but that stoic look remained on his
face. “Will Rafael be sending a bodyguard?”

“He
agreed not to send Jase if I promised to stay close to you,” I confessed. That
conversation sparked a rather lengthy debate, but Rafael eventually agreed that
Kadyn, Cenia, and Roger were capable of watching over me… both individually and
collectively.

Kadyn
sighed. “Sometimes I wish he didn’t trust me so much.”

I
shot him an incredulous look. “Why?”

“Because
it obligates me to maintain that trust, even when I’d prefer to act less
honorably,” he replied.

I
swallowed nervously.

“Do
you ever wonder why people, men in particular, are drawn to you?” he asked.

“Yes,”
I admitted cautiously. I was too worried about the previous statement to grasp
the sudden change of topic.

His
eyes softened. “It’s all the good that you do. You’re one of those people who balance
out all the bad in this world. Hope emanates from you, like a warm fire brightening
an otherwise depressing room.”

My
feet stalled, right along with my heart.

Kadyn
cradled my face in his hands. He stared into my eyes until the room fell away.
Then he quietly walked away.

*
* * * *

I
ran into Shae in the hallway. “Our team has officially arrived in India,” I
announced.

She
followed me into the break room. “Have they picked up their SIM cards?”

I
nodded. “Brogan’s already driving Sammi nuts. Evidently, he cleared out the
ladies room at the Indira Ghandi International Airport before allowing her to
enter. I told her she was lucky he didn’t follow her into the stall.”

Shae
laughed. “That was really nice of Brogan and Aidan to serve as their bodyguards
on such short notice.”

I
scooped coffee into the filter, filled the reservoir with water, and set the
coffee maker to brew. “Rafael told me his men prefer to work in the United
States, so I was a little surprised they accepted this assignment. I really
hope this works out well… for everyone. It would be nice to work with Rafael’s
security team on a more permanent basis.”

Shae
pulled a Diet Coke out of the refrigerator. She twisted the cap off and took a
swig from the bottle. “I’m anxious to hear how they perform in the training.
They didn’t have much time to prepare for that presentation.”

I
dropped into a chair at the table to wait for the coffee to finish brewing. My
fingernails tapped impatiently against the side of my cup. “We’ll find out soon
enough. They were able to secure Internet access at the hotel, so they can pull
us into their debriefings through Skype. We’re lucky the time difference works
in our favor. They’ll be wrapping up their first day of training around eight
o’clock tomorrow morning, our time.”

Shae
slid into the chair next to me. “Have you decided if you’re going on the next
assignment?” We had just firmed up the dates for our training in Rwanda.

I
was dying to go to Africa, but I wasn’t sure I was ready for another trip. I
wondered if I’d ever be ready. “I haven’t decided yet. Why? Are you going?”

She
nodded. “I think the longer we wait to jump back into these trainings, the
harder it’s going to be.”

The
coffee maker beeped. I returned to the counter so I could fill my cup. “Rafael said
he’ll support my decision either way, but if I go, he’s going with me.”

“Chance
said the same thing,” she responded softly.

I
joined her back at the table. “How are things going between the two of you?”

She
spun the clear plastic top from her soda bottle in the center of the table.
“I’m afraid he’s growing on me.”

The
bottle cap ground to a stop when I clasped her hand. I waited for her to look
at me. “That’s a good thing, right?”

Tears
pricked at her eyes. “I don’t know. What am I supposed to tell Konstantin? He’s
going to be here in two weeks.”

“Are
you in love with Konstantin?” I asked.

“Yes…
No… Maybe…” She offered me a tortured look. “His lifestyle scares me.” 

I
squeezed her hand. “How do you feel about Chance?”

We
both jumped when Chance and Jase burst into the room. “We need to leave. Now,”
Chance gritted through clenched teeth. He grabbed Shae by the arm.

Jase
dumped me out of my chair. I instinctively reached for my coffee. “What’s going
on?”

“Leave
the coffee,” he growled. He turned the coffee maker off. “You’ve got five
minutes to grab everything you need. You’ll be working at home for the next few
days.”

My
heart refused to beat.

“Is
it the SVR?” Shae inquired shakily.

Chance
continued tugging her down the hall. “Al Qaeda has called for attacks against
government workers in DC. They’re urging jihadists to massacre government
workers, to open fire on crowded restaurants.”

Jase
nudged me toward my office.

“But
we’re not government workers,” I protested. I shut down my computer, shoved a
couple of files into my briefcase, and reached for my purse.