Defended & Desired Read online

  “Oh, my God,” she said on a moan. “You’re hired.”

  A laugh rasped from his chest. Despite the sexual comebacks streaming through his mind, he didn’t reply. If he spoke right now, his words would turn into a heathen growl, and he’d be all over her in a heartbeat. He wanted her to feel relaxed and safe, not smothered.

  Though his raging libido hated him for the effort.

  Minutes later, the muscles along her spine released all tension, and her back rose and fell in steady, gentle motions. He paused and eventually smiled, realizing she was asleep.

  Good. This was probably her first chance at restful sleep in days. He slid away from her, chucked towel to the floor and turned off the bedside lamp. Then he snuggled in beside her, pulling the covers around them. He gathered her in his arms and held her tight.

  “Goodnight, beautiful,” he whispered, kissing her hair, amazed at the sense of rightness in his gut. He wanted this feeling to last tonight. All night. Maybe forever. He closed his eyes to absorb the sweet perfection of holding her.

  When she shifted against him, he woke with a start out of a sound sleep. His hips thrust forward instinctively, and he realized he was inside her.

  He blinked in the darkness, attempting to shake himself from the hazy place between dreaming and waking. Her wet warmth encased him, and her back arched.

  A tremor ran through him and he thrust again, unable to stop or get his bearings. She lifted her knee higher on the mattress, and he came on top of her fully, his chest rasping against her back as he shifted, moved, rocked over her.

  Threading their hands, he dragged her arms above her head as he pumped his hard erection into her. He kissed the backs of her shoulders, then set his chin into the crook of her neck, scraping her skin as he rocked into her, murmuring phrases that didn’t make sense, but made her moan in pleasure. His forearms bracketed hers. He lifted his hips, angling into her more deeply.

  Their moans echoed through the room. His heavy heat coasted in and out of her slick channel. Her fingers tightened around his, and her cries were muted by the pillow as she clenched him deep inside her.

  When she shivered under him from head to toe, he whispered, “That’s my girl.”

  The darkness robbed his sense of time, but she came again twice again before he felt the surge at the base of his sack. He plunged rough and hard and tumbled into a soul-shaking orgasm.

  Slowly sinking back into the present, he released his clenched grip on her hands. “Did I hurt you?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “That was amazing.”

  He pulled out and rolled onto his back, tucking her against his side. She was a perfect fit alongside him, in his arms. He nudged her chin up and found her lips in the blackness. He savored their long, lingering kiss. “Good. That was some hot sex.”

  “Mm-hmm,” she agreed, resting her cheek on his chest. “You should wake me up like that more often.”

  A grin of satisfaction spread over his face. “More often” meant more of her. More of them. Together. Definitely a step in the direction he wanted. “I like the way you think.”

  “My mind always in the gutter?” she replied in a teasing tone.

  “Yep. You’re pretty much perfect.”

  She gave a short laugh. “Hardly. But I’m glad you think so. Just keep taking whatever drug you’re on and we’ll be set.”

  He almost said something stupid and cheesy like “you’re my drug.”

  She’d already taken a big leap by suggesting she wanted what they had to continue. He wasn’t about to ruin that by getting too touchy-feely mushy. Although for the first time, he understood why poets wrote about romance and their fascination with the objects of their desire. He could fill a book talking about Devon.

  Then he noticed she’d gone still against him. She murmured, “I can practically hear the wheels turning in your head. What are you thinking?”

  “That this is good.”

  He felt her smile on his skin, and the center of his chest warmed with hope. She nodded, and they drifted off into sleep.

  Only to be awoken what seemed like minutes later by Peanut’s piercing yap.

  What seemed like a few seconds later, Trey woke with a jerk. Peanut’s piercing yap was the most annoying alarm clock.

  “Peanut, hush!” she hissed, scrambling from the bed to let him out of his cage, before hotel personnel noticed the unwelcomed overnight guest.

  Trey sat up and scrubbed a hand down his face, noticing the rough scrape of beard growth against his palm. His gaze shot to the side of Devon’s neck, where patches of red marked her pristine skin.

  A rush of primal satisfaction lit his veins. He’d left his mark on her. She was his.

  The leftover caveman part of his brain didn’t care how that sounded. She’s mine.

  Sliding from the bed, he grabbed his formerly discarded towel, slung it around his waist, and lumbered over to the coffee maker on the kitchenette counter. When it finished brewing, he handed her a cup.

  Dressed in a fuzzy robe from the hotel bathroom, Devon somehow made terrycloth sexy. Marveling, he shook his head. “So what’s on tap for today?”

  Her dark eyes shuttered and looked away.

  A flash of frustration ignited in his chest. What the hell? They’d spent an amazing night together in and out of the sheets, and she wanted to push him back at arm’s length?

  With a heavy sigh, he told himself to be patient. But honestly, why didn’t she see he was all in? Wherever this ride took them?

  Instead of letting his frustration show, he took a sip of fresh coffee, scalding the roof of his mouth. Still, he appreciated when the caffeine kicked in and his brain began functioning on all four cylinders. He reminded himself just because he wanted to dive into this great thing he’d found with her, she still had barriers that had been in place long before they met.

  One amazing night—no matter how perfect—wasn’t going to fix or change her cautious nature like a car turning the corner. And he needed to stay steady, to build on this good thing, until she was as sure as he was that this type of chemistry came along only once in a lifetime.

  After taking a minute to think things through, he realized how intense he could’ve come across if he’d pressed his point.

  One more instance where he was glad he was the rational one in the family. If he’d gone into Adam-mode, he and Devon would’ve been over before they started. Though the temptation was there—his Viking blood demanded he storm and conquer her guarded heart—he wanted to do this right. Pushing her to make plans or leaving her to think he had to be glued to her side twenty-four/seven, wouldn’t accomplish anything. And he wasn’t the desperate type. Far from it. Even though he was secure enough in his manhood to admit he craved her presence until he saw her again.

  Attempting to strike a balance between what he needed and what he wanted, he said, “I actually have a lot on my plate today.”

  “Oh?” Her face softened with interest, and she moved closer to him.

  “I have to review the plans I got back from my contractor this week. I’m gutting half my house to put on an addition.”

  She arched her eyebrows. “Sounds like a big endeavor.”

  He rolled his eyes. “You have no idea. I bought the place for a song, because most people who looked at it had no vision. When I scouted the edge of the property line, I knew I’d struck gold. I saw the promise waiting in the rafters. Back in April, I had the overgrown brush and trees cleared, and now I have a killer view of the Denver skyline surrounded by mountains.”

  “That sounds stunning.” Her expression took on a dreamy look, and he wondered what she pictured in her mind. Whatever she imagined, he intended to show her his vision personally.

  “Believe me, it is. Knowing I’ve got just the right plans to make my dreams a reality is well worth living with a rotting roof, leaking sunroom and seventies shag carpeting.”

  She grinned. “Let me guess. Avocado green countertops, too?”

  “Oh, yeah
. And they carried the color scheme into the bathrooms.”

  She made a sour face and laughed.

  “Oh,” he added, “and they must’ve gotten a steal on crappy harvest gold flower wallpaper. The stuff is everywhere.”

  “My God, how awful. No wonder you got it on the cheap. How have you lived with it this long?”

  “The plans went through four revisions before I signed off on them.” He poured himself another cup of coffee and topped off her mug. “As long as, in the end, the result is exactly what I want, I can be a very patient man.”

  The double meaning behind his words—which applied to all aspects of his life, including her—must’ve shown in his gaze. Because her eyes widened a fraction, followed by a subtle glow that settled in their brown-gold depths. “I’m sure it’ll be worth it in the end, when you have a beautiful home you’re proud to live in and share with your family.”

  “That’s the plan.”

  For some reason, when she said the word “family,” he saw acute sadness fill her eyes. She glanced away and blinked a few times, then abandoned her coffee cup on the counter, heading toward her fluffball pooch.

  “Hi, baby boy.” She kissed the dog’s wet nose, and he licked insatiably. “Let mama get dressed and I’ll take you out to pee. You were such a good boy last night. Thank you.” She tossed Trey an apologetic look and shrugged. “Gotta take care of my boy.”

  “Sure.” Trey nodded. “He’s been really good. Does he always hold it this long?” Were they really talking about her dog’s pissing habits? He snorted to himself.

  “He can, but this situation isn’t ideal.” A frown pinched between her eyebrows. “I can’t keep him in the hotel with me, but I don’t want him to stay overnight for days on end at the kennel.” She made a face. “Whenever I’ve taken him there longer than a day, he comes back with an upset stomach. He leaves me disgusting presents all over the house for days.”

  “Hey, I get it.” Trey crouched to Peanut’s height on the bed and reached out to scratch behind his ear. “Animals become a part of the family. Especially dogs. They’re so eager to please, what’s not to love?”

  “Exactly.”

  He glanced up to find her expression wistful as she looked at her goofy little dog with the painful underbite. “I could take him” he offered. The fluffy guy held a big place in Devon’s heart, and he’d do anything to make her happy.

  She blinked as though startled. “What?”

  “Yeah, no big deal. I can take him to that puppy-care place you talked about, during the day, then grab him on my way home at night.” Then he added, “Just until you hear back from Stone Security Systems about your alarm trigger.”

  “Oh. Okay. You’d do that?”

  “Sure. I kind of miss having a dog.”

  The look she sent him suggested she didn’t believe he’d dare to be seen with a lap dog Paris Hilton would stash in her purse. Normally, she’d be right. Peanut wasn’t his first choice in canines, but he’d always been around pets and wanted to help her out in her tough position. “Hey,” he admitted, “our house backed onto an alley. Cats galore. And our two labs loved breaking through the fence my dad repaired weekly. Growing up, we had guinea pigs, lizards, shakes. Even an alligator once.”

  She looked horrified. “Did you feed it alley cats?”

  He laughed. “No, goldfish.”

  She let out an amusing sigh of relief. “I guess that qualifies you to handle one small, cranky dog.”

  He shot her a grin. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  She hesitated. “Just until I hear from Stone Security, right?”

  “After that, Peanut and the townhouse are all yours,” he assured.

  “Trey.” She twisted her fingers together and glanced down at her hands. “Thank you—”

  Swiftly, he closed the distance between them and kissed her lips until her throat relaxed and her tongue twined with his. Then he cupped her cheek and stared down at her. “No worries. I’ll take care of it.”

  She held his gaze for several poignant moments then nodded. She threw on the bare minimum of clothes required to take Peanut outside to do his business. He watched her tight ass in leggings and her small perfect breasts poking through her tank top glide out the door, while she attended to her dog.

  He blew out a low whistle. Then he went to the window to watch her let Peanut out, since he couldn’t be too careful with the hacker-stalker lurking around any corner. He saw her down below urging Peanut to do his business. Her ass looked amazing in those stretch pants. Willing himself to do the noble thing, he got dressed instead of diving into bed and waiting for her under the covers, so they could pick up where they’d left off.

  Actually, he did have a lot to do today. Even though he could pay someone else to take care of his property, he liked the mindless escape of hopping on his mower and trimming his four acre lawn on Sundays. His dad had always mocked the upper crust, wondering why they had huge beautiful laws they never bothered to mow themselves—what was the point? So Trey mowed his own lawn. Also on Sundays he watered the extensive flower beds the previous owners had left, then lazed around envisioning his future house with a huge great room and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the distant city lights. And six bedrooms he couldn’t wait to fill with a brood of his own.

  Obviously, his first addition would be Devon. The rest would follow its natural course.

  He grinned, picturing his wife and tons of kids scrambling around his new huge house, hardly containing himself until his life spread before him exactly how he’d imagined it.

  *

  Late Sunday morning, Devon returned to the office.

  Truthfully, she needed something to take her mind off Trey. And sex. And sex with Trey.

  There weren’t enough positive adjectives in her vocabulary to describe his mind-blowing moves in bed. Her thighs clenched just thinking about their torrid lovemaking last night. The way he’d gripped her tight, the sensation of his length gliding inside her. And Lord, what that man could do with his mouth. He’d found all her hot zones and matched his need with her own.

  Even more tantalizing, she suspected he was just getting started. Ramping up for future sweat-soaked marathon sessions between the sheets. So much to look forward to…

  She’d never felt more connected to a man, so in sync on so many levels. He got her. He knew what she needed before she even asked and gave her what her heart had craved for so long. Connection. A true, deep, undeniable bond with another soul. He looked into her eyes, and all she wanted to say was yes. To anything. To everything that his beautiful eyes promised to give her. And those dark depths told her that if she said yes and took the leap, she wouldn’t regret it.

  She shivered and blew out a slow breath to calm her spiking heart rate. If she didn’t focus, her confused thoughts would drive her to distraction.

  With a pained sigh, she eyed the stack of notes she’d started to work on for technical documentation. The bane of every programmer’s existence. But a necessary evil if she wanted to leave her IT team with the capability of moving on without her.

  An uncomfortable hollowness took root within her.

  This new job offer came with so many unexplored horizons. She had felt excited and so certain yesterday at the arcade, experiencing interactive player games that she could help create to please nerds and gamers all across the globe. But today, the boops and beeps and zombies and quests seemed more like a consolation prize than her dream career path.

  After spending the night in Trey’s arms, something fundamental had shifted her internal chemistry. He’s pushed past her well-maintained emotional boundaries. Throwing her into chaotic, unexplored aspects of herself. Which overjoyed her and irritated her at the same time. She didn’t know what to do. The split inside her was fast becoming a chasm.

  Two weeks with Trey wasn’t enough. Not nearly. That she knew for certain.

  Yet she wanted equal fulfillment in her career choice. She didn’t mind her job as Directo
r of IT for Soren Security Bodyguards, but the work didn’t make her spirit dance or her soul sing, whereas, on a personal level, Trey accomplished both those beautifully. But as much as she wanted to dive into and explore what could be between them, she needed to think about her future as a big picture. Something she’d always excelled at before her new lover had enticed her into exploring boundaries unknown and possibilities undiscovered.

  When it came to Trey, the adventurous side of her intended to live in the moment, to hell with the outcome. Still, the cautious side of her insisted she stop playing with fire before the flames Trey stoked inside her burned them both.

  Realizing she wouldn’t solve her conundrum today, she forced herself to attend to the deadly dull task of writing up the one thing she knew back and forth with her eyes closed. Network administration.

  She set up the table of contents and formatted the basic structure of her document. Then she plugged in technical layouts, and typed the explanations behind them, plus her thoughts and suggestions about how to smoothly implement all the logistics involved in maintaining her legacy.

  Hours later, the sun sank toward dusk, washing the snowcapped mountain peaks in a white-gold glimmer. She stared out at the beautiful vistas, appreciating her fourth floor corner office packed with windows. In Phoenix, all she’d see were flat planes of rust-colored desert in her new company’s one story office complex.

  A ding from her email alert caused her to swivel in the direction of her monitor. She clicked the notification.

  The blood drained from her face. Her fingers went cold then numb as she read the email unsourced email.

  Hello, Devon. Don’t bother tracking me. You’ll be wasting your time. I see you’re distracted by your new boy toy. Whatever. If that’s what scratches your itch, I will leave you alone this week. In return, I want you to join me at DEFCON. Below, you’ll see I’ve taken care of your travel arrangements.