Stealing Carmen (4 page)

“But as a citizen of Metropolis, I’m damn grateful Superman is up there in the sky. Until the sidekick gets some skills, I need him there.”

Jack chuckled and nuzzled her neck. “You sending me off, woman?” His fingers pinched and rolled her nipple as he said it. Giving her a little tug at the end. Handling her as they relaxed was necessary. His response to her didn’t seem to be abating. The length of his hard cock pushed between her ass cheeks and he loved the feel of that.

“No.” Her neck arched for his lips as he nibbled. “I’m telling you I don’t know what you do or how you do it, but it doesn’t sound as if you like it anymore. Your heart isn’t in it if you can ignore that phone again.” It had started ringing on the floor beside them where Jack had dropped it. “And I’m not staking a claim or doing any other needy-woman thing. When you leave, I’ll still have a responsible job, lots of friends and my everyday frustrations. Only thing that will be different is I’ll have an amazing memory of Superman in his prime.”

Jack insistently shifted her so she lay on her back looking up at him. His back was to the couch as he loomed over her, his hand cupping a breast, thumb stroking over the reddened nipple. “And if Superman comes back? Will be you be off scrapping with Wolverine?”

Carmen reached up and stroked his cheek, her smile soft as her eyes caressed his face. “No, Batman is more my kinda guy. You know. Dark, tortured and a superhero. I go for those mysterious men who blink in and out of my world with no warning.”

Jack slowly lowered his lips to the plush velvet of her mouth. Their first real kiss and she was busy being sure he knew there were no strings attached. Two years ago he’d have been thanking his lucky stars and beating feet outta the house, eager to face the next challenge. Always on the hunt.

Her mouth opened under his. Her tongue shyly met his and he slid around it, sinking into her. God! She was sweet. A damp mystery and a hot flame in his hands. Kneading her breast as he ate of her soul, his hand slowly slid down her shuddering chest, around her side to slide over hip and back across her belly to cup the apex of her legs. Nothing more. He just held the gate to paradise as the wolves howled at his door in the form of his phone.

Reaching for the phone as he lifted his mouth from her, he couldn’t take his eyes off the peace in her face as he flipped the phone open. The conversation was short. The result exactly what he’d said it would be but with an unexpected twist. The closing line being his promise to be “there” in an hour.

“You can’t be anywhere from here in an hour,” Carmen accused softly.

“Sure I can. Remember the cape? It’s industrial size on the tarmac at the community airport.”

“Oh.”

Neither of them moved. He remained over her, looking down into her eyes. “I have to go.”

“Yes. You do. Should I be packing sandwiches or something? I don’t know what Lois Lane is supposed to do.”

He cupped her face, gently kissing her eyes shut. “You’re supposed to lay here and let me look at you ‘til I leave,” he informed her as he shifted over her and stood.

“You’re a romantic,” Carmen marveled softly as he stood by the couch gazing down at her.

“Now you’ve just turned mean, woman.” Jack was smiling as he sparred with her. “There isn’t another living soul who’d call me a romantic.”

Carmen chuckled and stood.

“I thought you were going to lay there ‘til I left,” Jack objected mildly when she grabbed his hand and led him into the bedroom.

“You were having a hard time finding your clothes,” Carmen stated as she went to the bed and began stripping off the sheets.

Jack pulled on clothes. She didn’t ask where clean sheets would be, there was a linen closet in the hall, just like on her side of the building. She had the bed remade by the time he was arming up.

She sat on it and solemnly watched a small gun go in one boot. A closed blade in each front pocket, a dagger in an ankle holster. A gun on his hip and one in a shoulder holster. Last the baseball jacket.

“What airport is going to let you out of your plane?” Carmen mused as he gathered up the last items—wallet, phone and change.

Jack glanced at her as he finished. If she were a spy trying to pump him for information, she’d done a damn good job of not appearing interested for two years. He was pretty sure the lady was exactly what she seemed, but he still couldn’t tell her details about his life. They would be burdens that could get her killed.

“I’ll be the mostly unarmed guy when I land where I’m going.” He strolled over to his naked baby girl sitting on the edge of his bed and gazed down at her. Carmen’s pretty eyes looked up at him with calm clarity. She really wasn’t going to get all girly about him leaving, but then why should she? It was one incredibly short event. She’d enjoyed submitting but what did he know of how she thought?

“Carmen, about what happened,” Jack started seriously.

Carmen held up her hand. “You don’t have to explain. I understand you have to leave. What happened between us was great. The most amazing experience of my life. It doesn’t bind you, Jack. I’m a big girl. I can handle it. All that stuff you said at the beginning was nice though.”

“Oh yeah?” he asked softly as he pulled her up into his arms. “You’re okay with it being kind lies? You’re doing better than me. I want this. I want you. This connection doesn’t happen often and all dominants are not like me. I’m trying to impress on you that there are a lot of bad guys out there who would hurt you. Not just physically.” His arms around her naked body tightened.

“I wasn’t lying when I said what I did. The phone call changed everything. I thought I’d have more time before this one came up. More time with you. This mission is different and I don’t know when I’ll be back. I can’t ask you to wait around.”

“I’m not a flighty teenager, ya know,” she informed him with a smile as she looked up at him.

“No, you’re not. But I’ll be gone a long time. No idea when the cape will land here again and I can’t say anything about what you do next. I’m concerned though. Experimenting, exploring that amazing submissive in your soul could get dangerous, baby. I’m feeling remarkably possessive of her.”

“I haven’t seen Batman buzzing around the place. Seems a sure thing the submissive will be here when you get back,” Carmen mused softly.

Neither of them were making promises, they couldn’t, but Jack was uncomfortable with leaving her. Damn, he wished he’d had time to imprint himself on her in a much more permanent way. Logically it was a good thing for her that he hadn’t.

She didn’t deserve to wait as long as he suspected this would take. It was the one hunt he’d been after his whole career.

He couldn’t tell her any of that. Leaving her wondering if he was dead or alive would be cruel. Not even he was that selfish.

He had to go. Had to leave her to her normal life and that shit was eating at him. She was so vulnerable right now. A brand-new natural submissive who was just beginning to explore her needs. She didn’t realize how strong this lifestyle was. It pulled at a person like a drug habit. The needs would build and some day she’d look for what she needed. That scared the hell out of him. Who would she meet? What sort of bastard?

There was nothing to say. He captured her mouth in a hard, demanding kiss while one hand held the back of her head, controlling her. The other spanned the small of her back, holding her soft belly against his cock. Even with pants, belt and everything on, her flesh moved him.

Wrenching his mouth off her he turned to the door and strode out. Leaving her in his bedroom was the best he could do. A memory was all he had a right to take with him.

Chapter Four

Seventeen months later

Sleet was icing the runway. They didn’t want to let him land. Jack swore viciously as he circled. “Look, buddy. I put this bird down on wheels or you’re keeping the entire fire rescue team up all night picking pieces of me off a field. Those guys are gonna be mad as hell at you for wreckin’ their Christmas Eve like that.”

The lone traffic controller finally flipped on landing lights. “I’m not calling the emergency until you’re a smudge on the runway,” he threatened in exasperation. “You’ll never make it to the hospital in time.”

“Fine. It’s on me,” Jack snarled. He knew he could land the damn plane and he wasn’t flying another two hours away to do it. Two hours’ flight time would mean four or more driving back up in these conditions. He had a much better chance of surviving one landing than that many hours on the road in a rental. He’d spent way too many long hours getting his ass here from the other side of the planet and he wasn’t stopping now.

He really was a fucking romantic. Carmen had seen right through him. Who arrives on Christmas Eve and expects the little woman to be waiting when she hasn’t heard from him in seventeen months?

Jack concentrated on getting the plane on the ground. It was a near thing but he eventually came to a skidding halt, the nose protruding way off the runway. The voice in his headset had been yelling useless instructions as he skidded in. Jack hadn’t minded. The guy needed to feel as if he were doing something useful while he watched a near crash. Now the man in the tower was silent.

“What? Disappointed?” Jack asked as he gingerly turned the plane and headed to the tie-down areas. Being both alive and on the ground improved his mood.

“You took a fu—freaking year off my life, bast—buddy,” the voice responded. “I don’t know who you are, but next time you crash into an airport, do it somewhere else.”

“Well, you’re new here or you wouldn’t have Christmas duty. You’ll get used to me,” Jack reassured the flight controller.

“Don’t tell me this is your home field.”

“Yep, it is now.”

“Fu— nuts.”

“If I’m lucky,” Jack responded with a chuckle to what the guy really said, though not quite how he meant it.

“Right. In that case give me her name so I can call her and let her know how near death you came. Any woman worth her salt will take your head off for attempting that landing.”

“Not a chance, buddy. Thanks, by the way. The landing lights helped.”

The voice laughed. “Go away so I can lock up. This place is officially closed ‘til the weather clears.”

Jack was already about done shutting down. “I’m gone. Just have to tie down and then my taillights are outta here.”

He kept the Jeep in the hanger with the battery on a charger, he was pretty sure it would start.

Time to go see if she was still his. That was a damn optimistic thought. Even if the woman was living next door he couldn’t expect anything.

The time he’d been gone had been more than seventeen months in terms of who he was. Coming back to her might have been his motivation in those moments when nothing else would do it but that didn’t make it her responsibility to take what he was now.

There were new lines on his face, more gray in his hair and fresh scars on his body. His soul had paid a price for victory. Being the victor didn’t make him the winner if he didn’t get the girl. Her wanting what was left of him was the gamble.

He’d be shocked if she was in tonight. Christmas Eve was a time for family, friends and warm fires. Still, he needed to get back. Even if it was dark on her side of the building he needed to be there. What he didn’t want to see was blank windows or a new vehicle over there. If she’d moved, that would be a clear sign she wasn’t interested. He’d still track her ass down anyway.

Pulling in the drive there were definite signs of life. Cheery-colored lights were strung across the entire front, both his porch and hers. The windows were all dark though. It was only eight-thirty but the winter night was vicious and dark. In his garage at last, Jack grabbed the duffel from behind his seat and entered his cold house. Dropping the bag he looked around with distaste.

He knew he was going to do it. It was illegal. It was arrogant and certainly rude. Jack took the flat leather case out of his duffel and exited his front door. At least he’d knock. Just in case someone was home. No answer.

Handy little case came out and her door opened easily. Her lock sucked. Her front room was dark except for a single electric candle. The type that usually sat in windows was in the middle of her dining room table sitting on top of an oblong box. There was a note with its corner secured under the lamp.

Her scent had welcomed him as he opened the door. It was still her home. But she was leaving notes for someone she expected to come in that front door. There was no hope of his not reading it.

Dearest Superman
,

This is a Christmas wish
.
You
’
ll never read it but I needed to do this for me
.

Tonight I
’
ll be at the Christmas party on the children
’
s ward
.
It
’
s from seven to ten
.
In the box is a new cape
.
Wish I
’
d see you there
.

Lois Lane

P
.
S
.
Batman just moved to town but I
’
d rather be wrapped in red on the flight home
.

Jack stared at the note in shock. She’d left it for him. How did that woman know he’d break into her house if he came home and she was out? Damn.

He carefully put the candle lamp and note down beside the box and pulled the cover off. The contents of the box seem to glow in the dim light. Neatly folded with the giant S on top was a Superman costume.

Jack jerked back in surprise. No! The woman could not be serious! Then his eye flashed to her note. He stared at it hard as his mind churned the facts. The note was much more literal than he was taking it.

She’d written
a Christmas wish
. She didn’t expect him to show up at all.

Batman just moved to town
.

Those two facts told him she was trying to close the door he’d opened. Carmen hadn’t heard from him in seventeen months. Any sane woman should have moved on long ago. She didn’t want to wait for him any longer. Or better said, she didn’t want to
want
him anymore. This was a gesture. An action meant to force herself to move on. After tonight she intended to get to know Batman, whoever he was.

The fuck she would! Batman was about to get his ass handed to him.

Jack looked at his watch. No time. Not bothering with another light he started stripping. Superman would be making an appearance at the hospital children’s party.

The suit mostly fit. He’d lost weight but the thing still didn’t give him anywhere to hide his cock. Not quite what the kids needed to see. He pulled on a pair of blue shorts and a long overcoat as he passed through his place on the way to the Jeep. Turning up the heat to a normal temperature in the house was an afterthought.

The streets were empty. Sleet had turned to snow and to him the snow pelting past Christmas lights as he drove to the hospital was surprisingly beautiful. He’d never noticed how nice that looked before.

Finding the children’s ward was easy with the help of a smiling nurse. Standing well back in the hall he watched a few minutes as the party wound down. It was almost over. Time to fetch his elf.

She’d lost weight too. Jack frowned. He hoped she didn’t think she needed to. She was amazingly beautiful in the little green outfit but he’d like to see the luxurious curves back on her body. He’d correct that. They would have time to take care of it if he could get his ass in there and take what was his.

Shedding the overcoat he ignored the sigh from the nurse who’d showed him where to find the party. Damn, this was difficult. He thought he’d faced danger and killed all the fucking dragons already. Missions he’d barely survived were nothing compared to stepping in that door and reading her face when she saw him.

The note said she still wanted him but several hours had passed since she wrote it. Perhaps that Santa dude was her Batman. He seemed fucking friendly with his elf. Maybe the guy was a fast worker and emotionally she’d already moved on.

Jack took a deep breath and threw open the door. Best make a big entrance. It would give her a chance to hide her response from everyone else in the room if she wanted to. No one would be looking at her; all eyes would be on him.

His entrance was indeed big. The kids went nuts, Santa scowled and Carmen froze. Then her hands slowly rose to her face, holding her own cheeks, she disguised the tears. A shy smile trembled on her lips.

She was still his.

Jack couldn’t stride across the room and scoop her into his arms. There were little broken bodies clamoring for his attention. Apparently Superman had a huge following at this hospital.

It was twenty minutes before he could even stand next to her as they waved to the children being returned to their rooms. Carmen had composed her face and Santa was forced to leave so the party could end. Fortunately Superman could hang around and assist the beautiful elf.

“You’re mine,” Jack murmured in a toneless whisper only she could hear. He couldn’t force his mouth to say any of the other stuff he knew women wanted to hear. This is what he needed first. Desperately.

Carmen was helping a little boy pile his big present on his lap so the nurse could wheel him back to his bed. She straightened, coming up in Jack’s space as if it were unintentional. “First I’ve heard of that for over a year,” she responded, and turned to help the next child.

Jack was right beside her, gently teasing the little girl as he lifted her, pretending to struggle with her weight and making her laugh. He put the little waif in her wheelchair and responded in Carmen’s ear. “Say it,” he commanded.

Carmen laughed with the little girl and waved her on her way. Her eyes met Jack’s and a brow rose. “I can’t. I don’t trust it,” she told him softly, knowing anyone who could hear them would have no idea what they were talking about.

The last child left. Housekeeping staff was already there cleaning up. Jack didn’t give a damn what those people saw at this point. His hand gripped her arm in a steel hold. He wasn’t marking her but she was in his control.

Carmen frowned down at the hand on her forearm and looked up directly into his eyes as if that would get him to release her.

This time Jack raised a brow. “Not likely, baby girl,” he responded to her unspoken demand that he let go. “We discuss this here and now. I don’t give a shit who hears or sees us.”

Abruptly Carmen turned her body into him, bringing them in contact from knees to chest. “Then make me believe it,” she challenged softly. Her beautiful face radiated strength and determination. This was no melting response to his command.

The air sucked out of the room and Jack was sure there were angels singing the Halleluiah chorus somewhere. Perhaps it was the piped-in Christmas music. The only reason he knew the name of that one was because they said the word so many times and right now he appreciated the sentiment.

Jack didn’t need to hear another word. He ignored the shock at her challenge and took what was his. One arm went around her back, his forearm up her spine and his fist held her hair. The other hand came down on her ass and he had her bent back and taking his kiss hard and deep.

Tasting her sweet mouth was like diving into fizzing soda. She made every neuron and nerve in his body explode in pleasure. There was no holding back as he drank her. He’d been feeling this kiss from about five minutes after he’d closed the door on her so long ago. He’d lived it when there was almost nothing else to keep him going. Getting back to this woman, this mouth, this soul had become the mission he’d complete at all costs.

He’d moved the earth to make it safe for her if he were in her life publicly. At the time he’d told himself he was burnt-out and mopping up the job he no longer wanted. He’d probably committed murder for her. It was complicated, but if the man he’d been hunting his entire career had lived, Carmen would never have been safe as his woman.