Running on Empty (26 page)

They ate at each other’s lips as their hands shoved and ripped at clothing. The instant he felt the soft silkiness of her skin, he caught his breath and slowed down to savor. She felt even more magnificent than he remembered. 

His hands and his mouth trailed kisses from her neck and downward. Sabrina was equally as busy. When he felt her hands touch and then hesitate on the scars on his back, he whispered, “Please.”

The thought of her not wanting to touch him because of how he looked did something to him. Instead, he heard a soft, “I just don’t want to hurt you.”

“They don’t hurt anymore. I know they’re ugly, but—”

“No. They’re marks of your bravery. Only the people who did this to you can make them ugly.”

As if to match her deeds to her words, she gently kissed the scars on his chest as she caressed the web of scars on his back. “My brave warrior.”

Undone by her words, by the sheer beauty that was Sabrina, he lifted her into his arms. “Declan… Your arm and leg.”

“The day I can’t carry my wife to bed and ravish her is the day I don’t want to see.”

He went up the stairs, pushed open the door to the bedroom he’d been using, and dropped her on the bed. Yes, his healing injuries ached, but the rest of him felt too damn good to care. For the first time in forever, his entire body felt alive with fire and hope. 

She lay before him, even lovelier than he remembered. Her body, always beautiful and sexy, glowed with good health. For an instant, the expression in her eyes matched his earlier concern. She was wondering if this was a mistake. “Don’t think about anything but this moment, Sabrina. Okay?”

She nodded and opened her arms in welcome. He lay beside her and gathered her close, cherishing the feel of her body next to his. They held each other tightly. Finally, he pulled away from her and with an unhurried deliberateness that belied the arousal pounding through him, Declan began to make love to his wife. 

Emotion clogged Sabrina’s throat. Declan had always been passionate, occasionally rough when excitement reached its highest peak. She had thought that would be the case today. But now he was tender and giving. His lips trailing kisses down her body were both passionate and gentle. How many nights had she lain awake and fantasized about this? How many nights had she woken screaming his name, her body on fire for the only man who had ever been able to meet her desires, quench her thirst? 

Thoughts disappeared as fire and heat took over. His mouth drew on her nipple, suckling and tasting. Sabrina panted, breathless and wanting. Her eyes closed as the delicious feel of him drawing on her caused the deep, familiar throbbing in her core. It felt too good, too wonderful. She couldn’t take much more.

“Declan, please. I need you inside me now.”

“That’s where I need to be, too.” Rolling her to her back, he hovered over her and growled. “Hold me in your hand and put me inside you.”

Closing her hands around his hard, thick penis, she positioned him at her entrance. “Take me.”

And he did. Thrusting deep, he pushed all the way into her. Even though there was a slight discomfort at his entry, she relished even that. He filled her completely. No one had ever been able to make her feel this way.

He held himself still inside her, allowing her to adjust, to ease and soften around him. “You okay?”

“Perfect.”

“Ready?”

“Always.” 

He began to thrust, slow and steady. Sabrina wrapped her long legs around him and gloried in the ride. Every thought, every emotion, every feeling centered on the deepest part of her being, where she was possessed, taken. Her body felt as though it was flying, soaring. She wanted, needed nothing other than this delicious, wonderful need driving her. She felt her release coming and fought it. Not yet, not yet. She didn’t want to let go. She couldn’t. It felt too good to climb to those heights, to fly. But Declan, her wicked, beautiful lover, refused to let her hold back. His hand came between their bodies, and those devilish fingers flicked delicately, deliberately where they were joined. With a scream of sheer, incredible, carnal delight, she came hard. 

Under the roaring in her head, she heard his muttered, “Let’s see if we can go for another.”

Giving her no time to recover, Declan pulled out, threw her legs over his shoulders and covered her sex in a hot, openmouthed kiss. Sabrina zipped back to full arousal. Arching her body, offering herself freely, totally, she soared toward the heavens and then fell off a steep cliff into ecstasy. 

And still he wanted more.

How could he have forgotten how delicious she tasted? Delicate and salty, musky and sweet, Sabrina throbbed around his tongue as he lashed at her, licking inside and out, and then nibbling lightly on the knot of nerves at the top of her sex. 

She put her hands in his hair, and fearing she planned to push him away, he grabbed her hands and placed them on her knees, spreading her even more. “Stay just like that.” He pressed a kiss to the inside of each thigh and said, “Don’t move.”

Her eyes, dark pools of green, were dazed with heat and arousal. “Declan, what are you doing?”

“Pleasuring both of us once more.” She was open to him. Swollen, wet with arousal, with need. He lowered his head and openmouthed kissed her center again. 

She arched and screamed his name.

“Not yet,” he growled. Her entire body was shaking with need. He knew she wanted to let go, but he wanted to bring her back up slowly. He tongued her delicately, licking, enjoying himself. When he felt her body loosen, surrendering once more, he took her hips, held them still, and then began a hard thrust and retreat of his tongue. The soft tissue of her folds gave, moistening his way. When he felt the tension in her increase, he backed away. 

“Declan, please. I can’t wait much longer.”

“Almost there,” he murmured, and went back to licking her. Then, using his fingers, he penetrated her as he suckled her hard. She screamed hoarsely and came, her body arching into his mouth. 

Giving her no time for recovery, he rose over her and buried himself as deep as he could go. The pull of her orgasm squeezing him like a fist, he pounded hard, relentlessly into her tight softness. Her eyes locked with his, and he felt the connection he never thought to have again. Never losing eye contact, he plunged, retreated, plunged again. His impending release zipped like an electrical charge up his spine. With a shout for his own surrender, Declan let go, emptying himself into her beauty. 

Breath shuddered from Sabrina. Declan lay beside her, his own breath labored and deep. They were still and quiet for several long minutes, simply holding each other. 

“It was even better than I remember.” she whispered. 

“You haven’t been with anyone in a long time.”

“Not since our last time together.”

He raised himself on his elbow to frown down at her. “Why, Sabrina? You thought I was dead. Why didn’t you move on?”

How could she explain that she’d intended to never let anyone touch her again? “Before you, sex was either painful or degrading. I knew whatever came after you would never be you.”

“And Thorne?”

“He’s my partner, my friend. Never my lover.” She swallowed and opened her vulnerable heart. “Only you, Declan. Always, only you.”

If she was waiting for a declaration of devotion, she knew it wasn’t coming when he dropped his head back to his pillow and remained silent. 

Disappointed but not surprised, she let a shaky breath shudder from her as she dealt with the blow. Yet she refused to give up, refused to believe he would let all of this go. 

“Tell me this is a turning point for us, Declan. That you won’t just up and disappear on me again.”

 Instead of answering, he drew her back into his arms and began loving her again. This time, he was all tenderness, as if giving her physical pleasure was all he had left.

Sabrina took everything he offered, knowing that someday soon this might be all she had again—memories. They might still have the physical chemistry to burn up the sheets, but without love, they wouldn’t survive.

Chapter Twenty

Declan woke to an empty bed. She was gone. Even though he hadn’t heard her leave, he recognized the lack of life, the emptiness in the house. 

Making love to her last night had been a mistake. He’d known that the moment he’d walked toward her with the intent to devour. But the instant he’d touched her, all those feelings and emotions came rushing to the forefront. How he had loved her.

Knowing it would do no good to continue to regret something that had already happened, he rolled out of bed and got dressed. He was meeting with Angela and Jake early this afternoon to go step by step through all of the Agency’s employees. At least one of them, maybe more, had sold him out.

He grabbed the Jeep keys from the hook in the laundry room and then stopped in the kitchen for a slug of coffee before heading out the door. He found the note on the counter from Sabrina:

I hope to be home in about a week. If you need to get in touch with me, let Noah know. SS

The simple note clutched at his heart. Instead of giving him access to her, she’d made McCall their go-between. A deliberate move to keep the distance between them. Her signature said something else. It had been the way she’d signed her notes from the moment they married. She hadn’t taken his name—that would have been too complicated with their clandestine lifestyle—but for him, she had always referred to herself as Sabrina Steele, or SS.

Something about the note snagged at his memory. His subconscious grasped for meaning, insight. He shook his head. Dammit, it had felt like an important thread and now it was gone. What the hell was it?

Shaking it off, hoping it would come back to him at some point, Declan headed out the door. He would meet with Angela and Jake at LCR as planned, but he had a detour he needed to make first. It was time for Declan Steele to announce his presence and return to the land of the living. 

Caracas, Venezuela

Riley Ingram sat on the hard, tiled floor, her expression one of both dejection and fear. Shifting slightly, she tried to ease the numbness from her body. They’d been sitting here for what seemed like hours, waiting for “the boss” to arrive. When and if that happened, she’d have to move fast. She needed everything in good working order. 

She’d certainly been in much more uncomfortable positions. Compared to the life she had escaped from, this was nothing. She’d take a numb butt or human stink over a luxurious prison any day. Despite that assertion, her nose did take exception to the two sweaty fellows by the door. They had the manners of swine. Between one guy’s constant belches and the other one’s unfortunate flatulence, her sense of smell might never be the same.

Without moving her head, she cut her eyes over at Sabrina. The scrunching of her fellow operative’s nose said she was having the same thoughts. No wonder these creeps felt they had to steal women. No woman in her right mind would ever willingly be in the same room with them.

Getting kidnapped had been more difficult than anticipated. Two young, female tourists flashing obscene amounts of money while cluelessly shopping in a high-crime area should’ve been easy pickings. Instead, it had taken two days before she and Sabrina had attracted their target.

Once taken, though, things had worked out as planned. After being bound and gagged, they’d traveled in the back of a van for over an hour. During that hour, while acting suitably terrified, she and Sabrina had learned what they needed. These were the same men who had kidnapped the Dentons.

 Andrew Denton was an American businessman living with his family in Caracas. Four days ago, his wife, three children, and their nanny hadn’t returned from a shopping trip. Only hours after their disappearance, a ransom demand had been made. Venezuelan authorities had recommended paying the ransom.

Denton had contacted LCR with a request for assistance. 

Though kidnapping for ransom had become almost too commonplace worldwide, the most well-known and organized group in Caracas was the Bracho family. Known for kidnapping and ransoming wealthy tourists, they had a reputation of returning the victims but not always in the best shape. Though Denton had indicated he would pay whatever was necessary, he had wanted LCR’s assistance and expertise. Understandably, he didn’t want his family injured in any way.

The mission was clear: recover Denton’s family and protect them from harm.

Riley twisted her head slightly and took in the other captives in the room. Three children in one corner, two women in another. The Denton children, two girls and a boy, sat huddled together, quiet except for the occasional sniffle. The women in the corner were Marsha Denton, Andrew’s wife, and the family’s nanny, Cecile Poole. Marsha sat with her back to the wall and, despite the horrid bruise on her face and a puffy lip, maintained a cool arrogance. She had sneered more than once at the human pigs who had kidnapped her family, clearly showing them she would not be intimidated. Riley already liked her. 

The nanny was a different story. In the hours since Riley and Sabrina had arrived, Cecile had been statue still. Riley got the feeling she saw everything. She had no emotion on her face, and Riley hadn’t decided if that was a good thing or not. Could be she was in shock.

So far, other than a few shoves and some groping, the kidnappers had been surprisingly hands-off with her and Sabrina. Hopefully, they would remain that way, but if they didn’t, both of them were more than capable of teaching the creeps some manners.

Sometimes, it amazed her that she was doing this kind of work. Having been born to do nothing other than look pretty and do what she was told, who would have thought she could actually be of use in this world? One thing her old life had trained her for was to show absolutely nothing of what was going on inside her. If the world had been able to see behind her facade, they’d have been shocked, appalled, and possibly entertained. She would take being able to make decisions for herself—choose her own clothes, food, friends, and who she married—over that kind of luxury any day.