Claim & Protect Page 23

  “Yes.”

  Another whack, this one on the other cheek. “Yes, what?”

  Her sex quivered, a fresh release already so close her thighs trembled with it. “Yes, sir.”

  He chafed the globes of her ass and squeezed, the light dusting of hair along his quads ghosting against the backs of her thighs. “Fuck, darlin’, you have no idea how sweet that sounds.” He slicked his fingers through her folds and pumped two fingers inside her. “Gonna make you say it a lot. Scream it before you come shouting my name.” His fingers disappeared and he smacked the inside of her thighs. “Knees wide. Ass up.”

  Eagerly, she widened her stance and arched her hips. Two months ago, she’d have never been confident enough to offer herself like this. Would have never been so motivated to explore the edgier, darker side of sex. Sure she’d taken Wyatt on her hands and knees, but this...this was so much more than positioning. This was animalistic. A primal connection so far beyond the ho-hum experiences of her past it was as if she’d never lain with another man.

  “So pretty.” He slicked the head of his shaft through her drenched labia. “Swollen, pink and all mine.” Forgoing her entrance, he pushed forward and teased the side of his shaft against her clit. He blanketed her back, and the heat of his torso scorched and soothed her tension-laced muscles. His fingers speared through her hair and fisted tight, wrenching her head back and leaving her throat exposed. “Say it, Nat. Want to hear it from your mouth.”

  Dear God, she’d say or do anything he wanted right now. Find a way to give him the sun, moon and stars if he’d fill her up and push her over the edge. “I’m yours. Anything you want. However long you want.”

  He jerked her upright so hard and fast her lungs seized, the merciless grip he kept in her hair not giving an inch. “You think I’d let this go?” He released his grip and cupped her breasts, kneading her mounds just short of too rough. His lips coasted along the line of her neck in a devastatingly soft contrast. “You’ll walk before I ever give up what’s between us.”

  Like hell she would. For years with Wyatt, she’d twisted and turned herself inside out trying to be someone she wasn’t. Trevor took her as she was. Accepted and championed her son, and chiseled past the surface to facets of herself she’d never known existed. Wyatt hadn’t proven worth the fight, but for Trevor she’d storm the pits of hell. “Then you don’t know me very well. I want this. Need this.” Grinding her clit against his cock, she reached behind him, one hand tangling in his thick hair and the other sinking nails in his flanks. “Please.”

  His answering growl vibrated against her back and he bit her shoulder. His hips shifted, bringing his cock in line with her weeping entrance. “Anything you want. Everything. As long as you’re mine.”

  He surged forward, filling her in one savage thrust. Claiming her in the most primitive way possible and branding her more thoroughly than any iron. Together, they fell to their hands, his powerful body pistoning against hers in a hedonistic rhythm. This was the stuff of legend. The kind of passion few women ever found but every one of them craved.

  And it was hers.

  His.

  Theirs.

  He clenched her hips and powered deep.

  The sweet, powerful pulse of impending release swelled, so close her lungs burned with a barely stifled roar.

  “Trevor!”

  “Not yet.” His fingers dug deeper in her flesh, holding on for dear life and marking her in a way she’d feel and remember until the day she died.

  “Please.” She dropped her head and her hair fell around one shoulder, the soft strands gliding against her hypersensitive skin like satin. Her breasts bounced and swayed with each slap of his hips, an erotic sight to be sure, but nowhere near as startling as watching his cock tunnel in and out of her eager sex. “I’m there. Now.”

  “A little more. Take it. Ride it.”

  “I can’t.” Reaching between her legs, she cupped his sac and gently squeezed. “You said anything.”

  “Fuck!” He rolled his hips the same as he had when he’d stripped, only faster and driving to the hilt. “Goddamn right, anything. Everything.” One hand slipped between her legs and found her clit. “Come. Now.”

  He pinched the tight bundle of nerves and her pussy clenched tight, the power of her release seizing all but the haggard rhythm of her heart and the convulsing muscles at her core.

  “Mine!” Trevor bucked one last time and his cock jerked inside her, the force behind his claim mingling with each flex and release of her sex and resonating clear to her toes. “Say it.”

  Say it? She’d sky-write it if it meant easing the vulnerability behind his demand. She covered his hand between her legs, her fingers lying atop his as they soothed and guided her back to earth. “All yours,” she whispered, then gave him back his own. “Anything. Everything.”

  In and out, each velvet scrape of his length inside her sent tiny shock waves rippling out in all directions. Her muscles shook, but she was too languid and peaceful to care. Too content to just be in the moment. Somewhere in the fury, the music had long died out, the only beat that remained was the ragged tempo of her heart in her ears.

  His palm glided soft and reverent up and down her spine, and his ragged voice drifted between their heaving gasps, so soft she doubted he even realized he spoke aloud. “Never thought I’d risk it.” Splaying his hand against her pelvis, he held their connection, sat back on his heels and guided her up against his chest. His warm breath ghosted across the back of her sweat-dampened neck. “Won’t let you regret it, Nat. Swear to God, I won’t hurt you. Won’t let myself, no matter what happens.”

  Something in his tone jangled her instincts, but the bone-deep lethargy and lingering aftershocks coursing through her muscles swiped all non-critical queries aside. Later she could tend to whatever wound lay beneath his cryptic promise. Right now was for savoring the moment. For comforting each other and fortifying the growing bond between them, starting with a vow of her own.

  She guided his hand above her heart, rested her head against his shoulder and rolled it enough to meet his gaze. “I trust you. Everything you’ve done and what it took to get you here, I want you just like you are.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Sunday nights didn’t get better than this. Good food, great people and simple time spent kicked back in front of the television. From his place at the end of the couch, Trevor squeezed Natalie’s shoulder and tucked her tighter to him. She’d thrown on a simple cotton pajama set about fifteen minutes after they’d carted in their luggage and declared it a pizza and Avengers night, which was perfectly fine with him. Hell, anything would have been fine with him so long as he could touch her and reassure himself last night hadn’t been a figment of his imagination. Waking her up this morning in time to sneak her back to her room before Levi woke had taken every ounce of discipline he’d had. She belonged next to him. Not slinking off like what they’d done was wrong.

  The explosions from the movie’s final action scene filled Natalie’s tiny living room and lit up the otherwise dark space. Maureen had cleared away the empty pizza boxes halfway through the movie, refreshed everyone’s drinks and now sat dozing on the opposite end of the couch. Just like Trevor had when he was little, Levi was parked front and center of the screen, his back propped up on the coffee table. The way his eyes were glued to the set, the Hulk would have had to stomp through the front door before Levi would’ve looked away.

  Sweeping Natalie’s hair to the side, Trevor nuzzled her neck and inhaled her wildflower scent. He kissed the sensitive spot behind her ear and murmured, “Gonna have a hell of a time sleeping this week without you beside me.”

  Her lips curved in a satisfied smile and she twisted enough to whisper back, “It doesn’t have to be the whole week. We could sneak you in when you get home Thursday night.”

  A little
of his quiet bliss dimmed, the reminder of his overseas trip the next morning pile-driving him back to reality. If Wyatt had really managed to tie Trevor to the bootleg product winding its way through Dallas, Trevor might end up spending Thursday in a jail cell, no matter how influential the passengers on board his plane might be.

  He tucked her hair behind one ear. Much as it pained him to be away from her, the last thing he needed to do was give her ex any extra ammunition. At least not until Trevor had the bastard tucked between a rock and a hard place. “Not so sure our late-night visits are a good idea right now. Wyatt might be playing nice on the surface, but he’s already shown he’s tracking Levi. If he’s got someone watching the house too, he’d likely use me staying overnight as a reason for another lawsuit.”

  She toyed with the hem of his T-shirt, and the peaceful glow behind her dark eyes faded. “I don’t like sleeping without you.”

  “I know, darlin’.” He ran the backs of his knuckles along her cheek. “I don’t like it either, but it won’t last forever. I promise you that.”

  Levi glanced over his shoulder and frowned. “Mom, you’re missing it.”

  Natalie bit back a smile and traded a Lord, save me expression with Trevor. “I’ve seen it five times already, Levi. I don’t think the Hulk’s temper tantrum is going to be any different this time around.” Still, she squared her shoulders back to the television and nestled back in the crook of Trevor’s arm.

  Trevor chuckled. “My bad, bud. No more interruptions. I promise.” Besides, the movie was nearly over, which meant his quiet time with Natalie was almost gone. Tomorrow, he’d be wheels up and headed for his fate.

  I trust you. Everything you’ve done and what it took to get you here, I want you just like you are.

  Over and over, he’d replayed her earnest words, torn between a euphoric high and bone-chilling terror. She’d shared them in reference to his past, but what happened if she found out about his present? She’d made no bones about how little she’d approved of Wyatt’s involvement with the unapproved drugs, and the odds of her feeling any different on who was doing the peddling were slim.

  For the umpteenth time that day, he considered bailing on tomorrow’s run. Someone else could fly his passengers to London while he stayed put in Dallas and let the whole deal go. God knew, he’d rather take a more direct approach with warning off Wyatt. Preferably one that involved a whole lot of pain and months of healing on Wyatt’s end.

  But then a wife might lose her husband. Kids might lose a dad. And he’d lose a chance to get Natalie long-term leverage with Wyatt. Her ex might have connections a plenty now, but if their plan worked and the Feds caught him with a load of non-FDA-approved drugs, his highfalutin cronies wouldn’t even acknowledge his existence.

  No, even if he landed in jail and lost Natalie in the process, those were some pretty stout reasons to suck it up and take the chance. Risk was part of life, and a man didn’t play things safe when it came to doing the right thing. Especially when the right thing made his woman’s life better.

  Just as the credits began to roll, Natalie’s phone lit up and sent her generic ring tone blasting loud enough to jolt Maureen from her nap.

  “Levi, turn it down.” Natalie crawled over Trevor to the end table and snagged the device, putting her sweet ass on prime display. If Levi hadn’t craned his head around at that exact moment and Maureen wasn’t in direct line of sight, Trevor would have happily sampled a handful.

  She checked the display, scowled, and plopped back down beside him. “Hey, Wyatt. What’s up?”

  The post-movie high on Levi’s face slipped, replaced with a wariness Trevor recognized all too well. He’d felt it himself at the same age, and he’d be damned if Levi lived another year dreading the mention of his father’s name. No way was he backing down on his plans.

  Natalie did her best to blank her expression while she listened to whatever Wyatt said on the other end, but the way she clenched her hand around his wrist belied her exterior calm. Her grip eased a fraction and surprise spread across her features. “Really?”

  Only a hint of Wyatt’s voice registered from the device, the words unintelligible.

  Her gaze shot to Trevor, then to Levi, and a sunrise-potent smile stretched ear-to-ear. “Yes, of course. I’d love that. I just...” She looked to Trevor as though he might offer the elusive words her tongue refused to form. “It’s just unexpected.”

  Her eyes sparked with pure joy. “Yes, I’ll tell him. I’ll pick him up on Friday. Thank you. Really. It means a lot.”

  It shouldn’t have pissed him off, but hearing Natalie thank that bastard for anything sliced deep. Especially knowing whatever gift he’d given would come with a price.

  She ended the call and tossed her phone to the couch, her focus shifting between her mom and Levi. “Wyatt said he has a Christmas Eve function he has to go to with his parents. He offered to let Levi spend Christmas Eve and Christmas with me.”

  Oh, yeah. Definitely a ploy. And a damned good one, given the way both Natalie and Levi bounced with barely contained glee.

  She twisted to Trevor. “You’ll be with us, won’t you? I mean, your dad’s welcome, too. Mom and I hadn’t planned much, but with Levi here, maybe we could do dinner that night and watch some Christmas movies after?”

  Clad in his Iron Man pajamas to match their Sunday night movie, Levi scrambled to his feet. “You’ll like it, Trevor. I promise. We open presents on Christmas morning and I bet Mom and Nanna would cook us a huge breakfast after.” His eyes widened, the blaze of some grand idea firing behind his gaze. “Hey, what if we spend the night at the ranch? Then Lady and the horses wouldn’t be alone, and your dad and Nanna can spend the night too!” He focused on Natalie. “Santa could still find me there, right?”

  “Now, Levi,” Maureen chimed in. “You can’t go volunteering Trevor’s home for him. It’s not nice.”

  The hell if he couldn’t. Especially when the idea went a long way to undercutting whatever favors Wyatt hoped to gain with Natalie. “I think it’s a genius idea.” He grinned at Natalie. “Levi’s right. I’ve got a lot more room at my place, and everyone knows Santa knows where kids are on Christmas Eve, so we’re covered there.”

  “And Trevor’s got a real tree!” Levi added, practically jumping up and down. He aimed the biggest set of puppy dog eyes Trevor had ever seen on Natalie. “Please, Mom? We’d get to spend Christmas on a real ranch. Even Bobby can’t top that one. It’d be cool.”

  Natalie bit her lip and did some kind of woman to woman silent communication thing with her mom. From the look on her face, Trevor couldn’t decide if she was looking for moral support, or asking for permission.

  Maureen grinned much as a cat would if a mouse danced in front of its nose. “Well, we would have a bigger kitchen to work with, and I imagine Frank would appreciate more time with his son.”

  Oh, she was good. A finagler to rival Frank’s matchmaking efforts for sure. He’d have to be sure Santa left a few extra goodies for his fellow conspirator as a thank-you.

  Trevor smoothed his hand up Natalie’s spine and cupped the back of her neck. “See? Perfect reasoning. All you need to do is say yes.”

  She huffed and put on a decent show of being put out, but she couldn’t quite keep the smile from her face. “Like I can fight all three of you.”

  “Wahoo!” Levi bounded over to Maureen and hopped in her lap. “Wait till you see Lady, Nanna. She’s pretty and fast. And the horses are huuuge.”

  Maureen laughed and corralled him in her arms, hugging him tight as she stood. “I’m sure they are, but you’ve still got one more week of school to get through before you can have your country Christmas. How about we get you to bed so you don’t go to sleep during class?”

  Trevor tried to stifle his chuckle, but it still eked out. Maureen had about as much chance of getting Levi to slee
p as a bug had of surviving a windshield.

  Natalie nabbed a fistful of Trevor’s T-shirt and tugged him toward her. “You look mighty pleased with yourself.”

  Oh, he was pleased all right. Nothing beat one-upping an asshole like Wyatt, even if the idea had come from an innocent seven-year-old kid. “Well, you gotta admit. It’s a genius idea. More space, lots of bedrooms...” He pulled her astride him, squeezed her ass, and lowered his voice. “And your ex can’t see when I sneak you in my bed. Best Christmas present ever.”

  Her laughter filled the room and she lowered her head for a sweet kiss.

  More than ready to indulge in her mouth and the press of her body against him while he still could, he palmed the back of her head and deepened the kiss.

  Natalie dug the heels of her hands into his shoulders and pushed away, her gaze sober and searching. “You’re sure you’re okay with this? Mom’s right. We shouldn’t just intrude on your home.”

  But it wasn’t just his home anymore. Where the certainty came from or how long it had been there, he hadn’t a clue, but he wanted her there. Not just for a holiday. Not just for a night. But forever. Her and Levi. Even her mother if that’s what made Natalie happy. Hell, the guest house would be perfect for Maureen.

  He urged her closer and teased her lips with his. “I’m more than okay with it. I want it.” He sealed his words with a kiss. One way or another, he’d make it all happen just as soon as he got Wyatt behind them. First, he had to get through the next four days without everything falling to shit.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Trevor’s copilot, Jerry, switched the plane’s comm radio frequency to 125.2 and activated his headset with the push-to-talk. “Regional approach, Gulfstream N152HB, level fifteen thousand.”

  A deadpan masculine voice crackled through their headsets all of two seconds later. “Gulfstream N152HB, regional approach, turn left heading two-one-zero, descend and maintain niner thousand.”