Whatever It Takes (24 page)

The three of them strolled through Uncle Leo’s secret garden and into the field, until they stopped several feet from the chopper. Walker was the first to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, followed by Ty and Sanchez. Rayna’s eyes were red and moist, and Alex almost lost it when they hugged.

Marco barreled from the cargo bay and rushed to her, pushing her back a step or two with the force of his impact. He clasped her legs and buried his face against her.

Alex finally pried his arms loose, pressed him back a step, and knelt in front of him. She smiled as she wiped a tear from his cheek. “I’m going to miss you, Marco. Don’t be surprised if I show up to visit you one day if it’s okay with your mother. Would you like that?”

He nodded even though his eyes held uncertainty.

Alex ached for him. If only there was some way to undo what had been done to him—­but there wasn’t, and he would have to toughen up and get past it, just as she would . . . someday. “Okay, then kiss me . . . right here.” She pointed to her cheek.

He gave her a peck and she hugged him one final time before Rayna took his hand and turned him toward the chopper.

Jimmy was next and by far the hardest. Her friend and confidant—­what would she do without him? Would he be okay if she wasn’t around? She clung to him for a long time, needing his strength, his warmth, but mostly his approval.

Finally, he stepped back. “Time to go, kiddo.” His ready smile appeared and he tapped her under the chin.

She fell back as everyone moved toward the chopper. Joe stopped beside her, slid his arm around her shoulders, and squeezed. “I have to see a man in Vancouver before we head home. If you change your mind in the next few hours, call me. I really hope you’ll give Nate more of a chance than that, though. He’s good for you.” He waved to Nate and strode toward the aircraft, raising his hand and making a circular motion in the air. Immediately, the Huey’s engine kicked to life and the rotor blades began to spin.

Nate stepped up beside her and put his arm around her waist. She leaned against him, not so much because she needed his support, even though she did, but because she wanted to be close to him. With that realization, she turned and gazed at him until he looked at her. A smile slowly claimed his face.

A minute later, the chopper lifted off, and Alex waved until they were out of sight. Finally, her arm dropped to her side, and she turned toward Nate, who waited patiently, his thumbs nonchalantly shoved in his pockets.

A twinge of nervousness made her squirm until she pushed it away impatiently. This was Nate. They’d been through a lot together in the last few days. Besides, she wasn’t afraid of anything, certainly not this man who’d been so kind to her.

She straightened her spine. “What now?”

Nate shrugged, glancing toward the house. “There’s food in the oven if you’re hungry.”

She laughed. “So . . . what you said about me and you, after everyone left . . . that was just talk, then?”

His gaze flew to hers.

“I thought you supposedly kept all of your promises. Oh, wait . . . you made
me
promise, but you didn’t actually say the words, did you?” Her impish grin couldn’t be tamed as she dared him to deny the charges.

Nate planted his hands firmly on his hips. “Oh no . . . no, no . . . you didn’t just say that.” He lunged toward her in a lightning-­fast movement.

Alex squealed, jumped backward, turned, and bolted for the house with Nate on her heels. Ignoring the ache in her ribs, she managed to eke out a small lead by the time she reached Uncle Leo’s secret garden, but Nate had the home court advantage. She slid around a curve in the path, brushed aside the overgrown vegetation, and ran straight into his arms.

His eyes, darkened by the shadow of his baseball cap, held a piercing question. He opened his mouth to speak, but she slanted her mouth on his, taking advantage of his open lips to invade and conquer. A groan escaped and he pressed her close.

Suddenly, the tide changed as his hands lifted her bottom and drew her legs around him. He swallowed her murmur of surprise when he ground his hardened shaft against her sensitive core.

His kiss turned gentle, and he tasted and sipped until she shuddered in his arms. He leaned his forehead against hers, breathing heavily. “Let me know if your ribs hurt. We’ll stop.”

“What ribs?”

“I’m serious, Alex.” He kissed her soundly as he strode toward the house. “Promise you’ll tell me.”

Oh no. Not another one of his promises. “Jeez! You’ve really got a thing about promises, don’t you?”

“If I want your trust, my word has to be golden.” He bounded up the steps to the deck like she wasn’t hanging off his neck.

“What if I can’t . . . ?” It took a lot of integrity to keep every promise a person made. No surprise that Nate had what it took, but did she? One thing was for sure. He made her want to be that kind of a person too.

“Remember when you told me you’d made a promise to always help ­people who were in trouble? Like when you came to my rescue in that bar before Daniels probably would have killed me and everyone else in there? That blew me away. I only hope to one day
keep
a promise as noble as that.” Nate opened the kitchen door, stepped through, and stopped long enough to activate the alarm. He glanced toward the oven, where a light indicated it was still warm. “Do you want to eat first, or—­?”

Alex squirmed until he let her go, and she slid down the front of him. “Are you kidding me?” She took his hand and started for the stairs.

Inside Nate’s room, she snuggled against him, folding her arms around his neck. He removed his hat and tossed it into a corner. Their lips met in a moment of frenzied pairing.

Nate began working on the buttons of his shirt that she still wore. “Man, you’re sexy in my shirt. I think we’ll buy you a few of your own.”

Alex shook her head emphatically. “They’re not the same unless they smell like you—­all leather and spice.”

He pushed the shirt off her shoulders and down her arms, and it landed in a crumpled pile at her feet.

She couldn’t help the blush that spread as he stared at her. Then he reached out and slid her bra straps down her arms, pulling her close, and leaned in to kiss her shoulders and neck. With seemingly no effort, he unsnapped her bra and dropped it on the floor.

His hands trembled as he stroked her breasts, taking his time. “Shit, darlin’.” The words escaped on a breath.

Alex reached for his waistband, opened the snap, and undid the zipper. His engorged member was all too eager to escape its confines. Dropping to her knees, she pulled his jeans and briefs down to the floor, revealing his muscular thighs and strong calves. He was perfect, and just looking at him fanned the flames of desire coursing through her.

He jumped awkwardly on first one foot and then the other while he worked to remove his boots and shake free of his pant legs without losing his balance, holding on to the top of her head or her shoulders while they both laughed.

Then she held his gaze as she wrapped her fingers around his shaft. His eyelids closed halfway, and a groan came from deep in his throat. It gave her a rush to know she had the power to bring Nate to the edge of ecstasy—­with nothing more than a look or a touch—­and that he could do the same for her.

She’d never cared whether any of the men she’d been forced to please had experienced any pleasure. None had complained to Hu Sun, for that would have earned her dire punishment. Being with Nate was different. She wanted to touch him, explore his body, and please him in every way possible.

The hot smoothness of the man beneath her hand made her desire to know more. Every inch, every vein, she caressed with thoroughness. Her eyes fell closed as she inched closer on her knees.

Suddenly, he lifted her to her feet and crushed her against his chest. “Darlin’, let’s slow this train down a little. It’s your turn.” Nate’s voice was deep and gritty, and his hot breath feathered over her ear. His hips nudged against hers as he slid his hands down her backside and pulled her close. He covered her lips in a hard kiss, yet with so much tenderness it made her legs weak. She melted against him, and the sexy grin he wore chinked away at the rest of her doubts.

She wanted Nate . . . and not just in bed . . . and not only for today. A new emotion was lodged in her throat, keeping her from giving voice to words that smacked of permanence. Alex hesitated to put a name to what she was feeling . . . in case the black cloud she seemed to live under jinxed them . . . but could it really be . . . forever?

Chapter 20

A
LEX’S SILKEN HANDS
slid beneath his shirt and shoved the edges upward until it got stuck at his armpits. Nate had to let her go long enough to jerk it over his head and give it a fling. While shedding his clothes was important, he was much more interested in getting her out of her shorts and whatever tiny scraps of fabric existed below that. He grabbed her hand and tugged her to the edge of the bed. Kneeling in front of her, he pulled on her shorts and bikini underwear, and waited for her to step out of them.

Now it was he who knelt in front of her, his gaze memorizing each gorgeous curve. When his eyes finally met hers, he groaned at the undisguised desire they held.

He shifted his hands to cup the backs of her knees. “You take my breath away.”

A reckless smile curved her lips. “You haven’t seen anything yet, Detective.”

Nate shook his head. He didn’t doubt for a minute that she was full of surprises, and he looked forward to every one of them. Hooking his arms around her thighs, he pulled her toward him. Now was probably not the time to stop and consider how amazing it was that she’d agreed to stay with him, because, if he thought too long about it, the fact that he’d done nothing to deserve her would creep in like some insidious virus and destroy the moment they shared.

He trailed kisses along the inside of her thighs, then felt her tremble as his mouth covered her most sensitive place, his tongue stroking and coaxing her to a frenzy, before continuing upward to her firm, flat stomach. Pushing to his feet, he lifted her against him, and she threaded her arms around his neck while he guided her legs to either side of his hips.

“Hold on.” Nate cradled her with one arm while he shuffled on his knees to the center of the bed, satisfied they were far enough from the edge. Mindful of her fractured ribs, he held himself off until she was lying comfortably on the bed.

“Doing okay?” He pinned a lock of hair behind her ear and kissed her brow. As he raised his head, he would have sworn her eyes held a sheen of tears for a fraction of a second. He frowned.

“How many times are you going to ask me that?”

“As often as I start to worry about you. You should probably get used to it.”

“Why are you so good to me?” Her fingers smoothed the worry lines on his brow.

“Did you not hear me say I love you? Why wouldn’t I treat you like the most valuable treasure?” He nuzzled her neck, moved lower to her breast, and took one firm nipple into his mouth.

Her breath hitched and her fingernails raked across his back. “But . . . I wrecked your car . . . and I’ve been mean and sarcastic . . . and you’ve been nothing but nice to me. Are you for real, or is this just an act you’re hoping I’ll fall for so you can get even?”

Nate choked and stopped suckling her breast. “That’s not a half-­bad idea. Unfortunately, I didn’t think of it. And then there’s still the little matter of
I love you.
What don’t you understand about that?” He kissed his way across to the other breast and flicked the rosy peak with his tongue.

She jerked with each stroke. “How long?”

Nate lifted his head. “Huh?”

“How long will you love me?”

Hell . . . was she afraid he was going to use her and throw her away like the dregs of humanity in her past? He leveraged himself up, settling on the bed beside her. Grabbing the edge of the comforter, he pulled it toward them, tucking it around her nakedness.

“I’m sorry, Nate. I realize now’s not the time. I should have left it alone. It’s none of my business anyway.” Alex tried to coax him closer, but he intended to nip this in the bud.

“None of your business? What the hell, Alex? Hopefully, this is your future we’re talking about. You have every right to ask questions.” He laid two fingers alongside her jaw and turned her to look at him. “I’ll love you forever if you’ll let me. In a week or so, I’m taking you to meet my parents. They’ve been married for forty years this July, and they’re more in love today than they ever were. That’s the kind of stock I’m from. That you don’t walk out on ­people you love has been instilled in me since I was old enough to understand. I hope that doesn’t scare you, because it’s all I know.”

He threw one arm across her, then raised it quickly and groaned. “Shit. Did I hurt you?”

“No.” She trailed her fingers down his face. “No, I don’t think you ever could.” She curled her hand behind his neck and pulled him closer. A tentative smile almost erased the worry in her eyes.

“I would never intentionally hurt you. You can count on that.” He covered her lips with his and enticed her mouth open. The comforter slid away as he reached beneath and drew her closer.

He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Alex. So far, she hadn’t committed to anything other than a trial period together, but that was all right. He would keep on loving her, and he’d continue to be someone she could trust. The rest would come in time if it was meant to be.

The kiss grew more urgent, more demanding. The penetration of his fingers within her warm and welcoming folds made her arch into him, which in turn caused his swollen manhood to twitch in anticipation and impatience. Nate sucked in a breath and held it as he strove for a few more minutes of control.

He groaned with the exhale and captured her lips again. Alex moaned into his mouth and squirmed against him, pushing him closer to the erotic moment ahead.

Nate explored the softness of her skin until he again found the spot between her legs that made her cry out in pleasure. He twirled his thumb in a circular pattern, and Alex jerked in his arms, striking his chest one minute, pulling him closer the next.

He kissed her gently. “Darlin’, I’m going to put your hands over your head and hold on to them, just so you don’t accidentally deck me. Do you think that will be okay?”

Panic took root in her eyes for the space of a heartbeat, but then she smiled and lifted her arms over her head until her hands rested on the pillow. “What makes you think it would be an accident?”

“Good point.” Overlapping her wrists, he secured them with one hand.

He nibbled her lips and trailed kisses across her neck and chest, then suckled each breast in turn. Caressing her back, down across her firm ass and to her shapely thighs, he eventually arrived at the apex of her legs again.

The moment that he entered her with his fingers, he took her mouth, plunging deep with his tongue as he sought to own her completely. When Alex was totally caught up in the rhythm and intent on returning his kisses, sparring with his tongue, his thumb slipped back to her responsive center.

This time, she moaned and pressed into his hand while he kissed her gently. Nate fingered and stroked, and kept pushing her until her climax claimed her body with an explosive shudder. He released her hands, and she flung herself around him as though she couldn’t get close enough.

Nate lay still for a ­couple of minutes, holding her like the precious gift she was, before he couldn’t hold back any longer. He unwrapped her arms from his shoulders and rolled to the edge of the bed, grabbed his pants from the floor, and dug his wallet from his pocket. The small plastic packet crinkled as he tore it open, and he must have looked like an inexperienced teenage boy trying to get the damn thing on.

When he returned to the bed, Alex lay propped on her elbows, a ghost of a smile on her lips. Nate didn’t think he could get any harder, but his engorged member constricted painfully.

He climbed onto the bed and lowered himself between her legs. “I need to be inside you.” He set his lips on hers and nipped and licked while he positioned the end of his shaft at the opening to her warm, wet folds. With a loud groan, he thrust into her, seating himself deep within her tight sheath.

“Oh God, darlin’. You feel so damn good. I could stay here forever.”

Alex sprinkled butterfly kisses across his face. “Unrealistic goals.”

Nate groaned. “Smart-­ass.” He held her face between his hands and kissed her soundly. “I love you, Alex Morgan.” Then he started to move within her.

He didn’t expect her to tell him if she was hurting, but she wouldn’t be able to hide it in those expressive dark brown eyes. So he’d go slow and controlled, and stop if she gave any sign of discomfort. That was the plan, anyway. Clearly he’d underestimated her effect on him. One minute he was watching; the next he was climaxing with all the finesse of a rogue elephant.

His breathing heaved in and out as he rested his forehead against hers. Damned if making love to her didn’t get better every time. He would never get enough of her. When he could move again, he raised his head and smiled.

Alex’s eyes were closed and her breathing was labored.

He rolled off her, imagining the worst. “You okay?”

Her eyes opened slowly and a smile spread across her face. “I’m terrific. I don’t think I’ll ever forget this day.”

Nate kissed the corners of her mouth and then nipped at her lower lip. “We’re going to make lots of memories, darlin’.”

A
LEX WOULD H
AVE
been content to stay right there in his arms indefinitely, but the ringtone of his cell phone intruded into their relaxed conversation regarding what they would do with the rest of their day.

“Just let it ring.” Nate pressed his lips to her forehead and settled them more comfortably on the pillows.

Alex chewed her lower lip and propped up on her elbow to stare at the phone. “What if something is wrong? It could be Joe. Maybe Marco is sick.”

Nate’s blank expression clearly said he was hiding what he really thought, which was probably that she needed to grow up, but she didn’t care what he thought at the moment and was relieved when he reached for the device on the nightstand.

“Sanders . . . Hey, Cap. Thanks for calling back. You suggested I take some personal time after what happened to Burke and Anderson, so I’m going to do that if you can cover things without me . . . ­Couple of weeks at least . . . Those reports are on my desk. I’ll come in and finish that and a ­couple other things . . . No problem. I’ll see you in about an hour . . . Thanks, Gene.”

Nate put the phone back on the night stand. “Wasn’t Joe.”

“I got that. It must have been your nice boss . . . and you’re going into work?” Alex tried to keep the bleakness from her voice but she failed miserably.

He rolled toward her, tucking her close to him. “Not really. I just have to finish a ­couple reports and give details on one of my cases to another detective. I’m sorry. Your first day here and I leave you on your own. You could come with me.”

Alex was tempted. She wasn’t keen on the idea of rambling around this huge house all alone. “Can we get a dog?”

A short laugh burst from Nate, which he stifled when she didn’t join in his merriment. He sighed. “Apparently, I have a serious case of can’t-­deny-­you-­anything.”

She smiled brightly. “Excellent! I’ll make a list while you’re in town.”

“Very funny. Really? A dog?”

“You don’t hate animals or something, do you? Because that would be a deal breaker. A dog would be excellent company when you’re gone. No one would be able to sneak up on us.” Alex held up a finger for each point she made.

“That’s what my expensive alarm system is for, and you don’t have to feed it twice a day.” But the twinkle in his eyes told her she’d won. No doubt he was only grumbling his opinion so that later, when conditions warranted, he could say he told her so.

She brushed her lips over his. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I’ll stay here, if that’s all right. I need to do some laundry. I don’t have anything clean left to wear. I could do a load for you, too, if you’d like.” The blue of his eyes darkened perceptibly as she leaned against him.

“That would be great, but no heavy lifting. You’re to take it easy. You can explore this big old mausoleum if you want, but no cleaning. I have a housekeeper who comes in a ­couple times a week for that. And no cooking—­I’m taking you out for dinner.” He nibbled her earlobe and she had to struggle to remember what they’d been talking about.

“I didn’t bring any fancy clothes on this trip. Rayna is going to send some of my things, but that could take a while.” Great. She’d probably embarrass him during their first time out.

“You won’t find many fancy duds in my closet either. I was thinking maybe . . . pizza and beer. Sound all right?”

“Perfect.”

His warm lips met hers one more time before he swung his feet to the floor and stood. “But tomorrow or the next day, we’re going shopping so you can pick up what you’ll need until Rayna sends your things—­my treat.”

“No, no way. You’re
not
paying for my things.” She’d establish that boundary right now. Alex wouldn’t be a kept woman.

He moved back to the edge of the bed and leaned over, bracing one arm on each side of her. “Uncle Leo left me an obscene amount of money. More than I could spend in three lifetimes. He told me before he died that he’d be happy if I blew my entire inheritance on women. Uncle Leo was kind of a womanizer, but I’ve only found one woman I’d want to spoil. I’m looking at her right now. Let me do this.”

She sucked in her breath. “That is so not fair—­using your dead, womanizing uncle to make me feel sorry for you.”

Nate straightened and winked, a grin taking root where dejection had been a second ago. “That’s settled then.” He strode, in all his naked glory, to the closet, retrieved some clean clothes, and retreated to the bathroom.

A second later, Alex heard the shower. She rolled off the bed, searched her bag for her cleanest dirty clothes, and chose a pair of jeans and a long-­sleeved, red V-­neck pullover. When Nate came, bare-­chested, from the bathroom, smelling of clean soap with his hair still dripping, Alex was already dressed, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She’d shower later, after she had clean clothes to put on.

Nate strode to the chair where he’d dropped his duffel bag. “I’ve got something of yours I think you’ll want.” He pulled out a folded towel, laid it on the bed, and threw back the edges.

Alex gasped. “My dagger! I thought I’d lost it for good.” Her stomach roiled slightly when the image of where she’d last seen the blade flashed in her mind. A cold chill sent her flying into Nate’s arms.