The bedroom was cast in shadow. The full moon hung suspended over the edge of the mountains, glowing so brightly, she bet werewolves were running rampant. It was a crazy moon, big and round and ripe, tempting the world to shed inhibitions and go wild.
Since they’d already made love twice, Mia had no problem following Mother Nature’s instructions.
“Tell me about Hollywood.”
He regarded her lazily. “Wanna hear about the stars?”
She laughed. “No, I want to hear about your job. You were a bodyguard. Who did you protect?”
“A few different people—no big celebrities, at first. Then I was assigned to Delilah Devlin.”
“The actress from that popular HBO series?”
“That’s the one.”
She lifted her head with a frown. “Wait, I think I remember reading something about her. Yes, she was with a Special Forces guy and got engaged and—” She broke off, stunned. “Ethan, were you engaged to her?”
“Yes.”
A rush of jealousy gripped her. The idea of him sleeping with a famous actress and actually proposing shook her foundation. She tried to pull back to gather some space, but he seemed to sense her discomfort and tugged her back against his hard chest. He tipped her chin up to look at him.
“Mia, it’s not what you think. We were engaged for three weeks before I left on a mission.” His face hardened, but he met her gaze head-on and continued. “When I got back, I was fucked up—both my brain and my leg. She came to see me in the hospital, and we realized immediately everything had changed. She wanted things to go back to the way they were. Hollywood parties and red carpets and fun. She wanted me to be her bodyguard again and leave the military behind, along with my memories. She couldn’t understand I was too damaged. I had changed. I could never go back to the man I was. To what we were.”
Something shifted inside, opening her up to the faint regret in his voice as he spoke. She waited, sensing there was more. “Did you try to fix it?” she asked softly.
“There was nothing to fix. She was concerned about how a breakup would look—not about losing me. I told her it was okay to spin the story so I took the blame and seemed like a cold-hearted bastard. We didn’t care about each other enough to fight for the relationship.”
She caressed his rough cheek. “Do you miss her? Wish it could have ended differently?”
He tucked her hand in his. “No. The only regret I had is thinking I knew what love was. I thought love was fun and frothy, like some cocktail you get on a remote beach. I thought it was easy and neat and tidy. When she walked away, I barely even missed her. I’m ashamed I allowed myself to believe in that type of world, when I was fighting so hard for real stuff in the other.”
His words rocked her to the core. She kissed him, needing the touch, and he kissed her back. Something had changed between them, but she didn’t know what it was yet.
“Thank you for telling me.”
He smiled, and she lingered in the following silence, stroking his body. Her fingers ran over the bare skin of his back, tracing the beautiful scrawl of ink that declared the motto he lived and breathed: So Others May Live. His muscles jumped under her touch, and satisfaction curled deep within. It was nice to know she had the same power over his body that he commanded over hers. “When did you get your tattoo?” she asked.
“After I joined. I worked with a pretty tight team, so we all went out one night and got matching tats.”
“How sweet. Male bonding at its essence.”
“Hey, it was hardcore. We’d just gotten off a mission in Mosul, and they joined me for a few days in LA. We got drunk, stumbled to a hole in the wall, and demanded to get matching tats. I was the lucky one.”
“What do you mean?”
“Let’s just say Wingbat’s tat says, ‘So Others May Lie.’”
She laughed. “No way.”
“Way. What a fuckup.”
“Is his name really Wingbat?”
“No, it’s Kevin. But when he jumps from a plane, he tends to look like a crazed bat, so the name stuck.”
“Ted says he’ll give me a free tattoo for helping him with his marketing campaign.”
He quirked a ginger brow. “You gonna take him up on it?”
“Maybe.” She took in his grin and pursed her lips. “You don’t think I would?”
“I think you never considered it a possibility before. Maybe it’s time to indulge in a little rebellion you missed in your youth. What would you want?”
She cocked her head, considering. “A rose?”
He groaned. “Lame. Everyone gets a flower or peace sign. You need to think of something that will mean something to you, even when you’re old. It needs to be a symbol that remains timeless.”
“Damn, you take this stuff seriously. Oh, wait, I know!”
“What?”
“A pair of Christian Louboutin shoes. I can never have enough, and they’re timeless.”
“You’re such a brat.”
Mia giggled and went back to her playground. His body was magnificent, and too much of it had missed her attention. She scored her nails down the line of his spine, stopping to press a kiss in the center of his back. “So we have ‘Wingbat.’ What’s your nickname?”
“Ethan.”
“What about these?” Her hands coasted toward his left biceps, where three deep gouges formed a jagged oval. “How did this happen?”
“Someone tried to give me a nickname.”
She laughed, pinching his ass for his punishment and her pleasure. “Stop, for real. What happened?”
“Stray bullets. Had to dig them out in a warzone, so it got a bit messy. They’re kinda ugly, huh?”
“They’re beautiful.” She dropped an open mouth to kiss the scars with tenderness. “What about your other arm? This crisscross scar?”
“Bullets got me in the leg and right there on my last mission. Another messy surgery.”
“I think they’re manly and sexy.” His snort turned into a groan when she worked her way down his naked body for more investigation. The sheets tangled around his ankles, and she savored his musky, male scent. She pushed him onto his back and straddled his thighs so she had full access. Even after two rounds, he was hard again, his massive erection throbbing for attention. She ignored it, choosing to bestow her attention on his broad chest, generously sprinkled with hair, her thumbs flicking his tight, flat nipples. He jerked in a breath, reaching out to grasp her shoulders, but she lifted her head and wagged a finger.
“No touching.”
“Ah, are we playing now? ’Cause I do enjoy a good game.”
A shiver shot down her spine at his dark, almost threatening tone. That dominant voice he used like a flick of the whip got her instantly wet, but it was her turn tonight. She’d never embarked on bedroom adventures before, never comfortable enough in her own skin. Sure, she’d donned lingerie, lit candles, and tried to play the role of seductress, but something had always fallen short. Looking back, she realized it was her own insecurity in her sexuality. But Ethan made her feel not only secure but also sexually wanton, the open approval and hunger in his eyes soothing her nerves, tempting her to take what she wanted, how she wanted. Mia liked this new part of her.
A slow smile curved her lips. “Maybe. If you’re really good, I’ll give you what you want, horse man.”
“Princess, you have no idea what you just promised me.” He propped up both arms behind his head, giving her free rein. “Go play.”
Her gaze dropped to caress his stiff cock. She licked her lips, enjoying the buzz of challenge between them, and lowered her head with slow, deliberate movements. “This should be fun.”
His smug smile faltered.
When she dragged her tongue down the line of hair on his chest, he stiffened.
When her teeth nipped at his hip, he muttered a curse.
Mia reveled in every tremble and growl as she steeped herself in the beauty of pleasing him. His battered body was rock solid, with a lean strength and powerful muscle demanded of his job and his dedication. She slid down lower to stroke his damaged knee, where the skin was raw and puckered, a reminder of the bullets that had shredded flesh and muscle and bone with an intent to kill. She left no inch untouched by her lips and tongue and fingers, showing him with each stroke how she worshipped him.
By the time she worked her way up, a faint sheen of sweat gleamed on his skin. His fists clenched behind his head, and his pale-blue gaze met hers with a desperation and need she couldn’t deny. “Mia.”
She grasped his hard cock by the root and took him fully inside her mouth in one long, slow movement.
He gave a vicious jerk. Burying his hands in her hair, he held the back of her head and arched his hips for more. Crazed by his response, she took him deeper, moving back and forth to lick the tip, then slide him toward the back of her throat. His balls tightened, and he grit out her name, but she kept up the pace, not slowing down, using her hands to squeeze and stroke every last inch, sucking harder, and then with a mighty roar, he let himself go.
Before she had time to gentle her grip and take him back down, he’d grabbed her by the hips and flipped her over on the bed. Sliding his palms under her ass, he lifted her up to his descending mouth and devoured her.
He sucked and licked and teased, and in moments, she edged near orgasm. Digging her heels into the mattress, she reached for more of that wicked tongue dancing over her clit. “Ethan, I need you.”
“I’m playing. Don’t bother me.”
She moaned in torturous agony as his tongue circled the hard nub, and his fingers thrust deep into her pussy, curling just right to hit the sweet spot. Again. And again. She begged and cried his name until finally, he pulled back and donned a condom. Almost sobbing with relief, she tried to drag him toward her, but in one swift motion, he tossed her onto her knees. “Head down, baby. Hips back. This is my reward.”
He pressed his way inside her inch by slow inch. His fingers dug into her hips, holding her still until he was fully seated. The raw intimacy of the moment, along with her vulnerability, shattered the last of her control. She shuddered and moaned into the pillow, wiggling to get closer and force him to move.
“You feel so fucking good,” he groaned. He reached out and fisted her hair, turning her face toward him. “Eyes on me.”
He moved. With each slap of their bodies, the tension twisted tighter as his cock buried deep, filling every empty space inside her, shoving her closer to release. And with each thrust, his gaze locked on hers, until Mia was helpless to deny him. She shattered with a cry, and his mouth took hers in a rough, intimate kiss, and she let herself go.
Later on, she realized she was already lying to herself.
“Hey, Ethan, we got a problem over here.”
The sun had just broken over the horizon, but he’d been getting used to being up by dawn and already on the farm. He headed over to the barn on the far side of the property. It was the smallest of the bunch, holding mostly equipment and a handful of horses who were more senior and had been with the farm for a while. Harper and John stood aside, examining something with matching looks of worry. He stopped beside them and studied the wall of the barn.
Spray paint in blood red scrolled the word BITCH.
Underneath, in inky black, the word PRICK was in fat block letters.
Two of the barn windows were smashed in. Broken glass scattered on the sill and littered the ground.
“Horses okay?” he asked, his mind working quickly to piece together the strange vandalism.
“Yep,” Harper said. “Nothing’s been touched inside the barn. Anyone hear something last night?”
John shook his head. “Did my nightly check and found no trouble.”
Ethan regarded the crude words on the side of the barn. “Hey, Harp, any pissed-off boyfriends we don’t know about?”
She snorted. “Hell no. How about you? Piss off Mia last night?”
“Ha ha. Seems like our criminal isn’t gender specific. Did you call it in?”
Harper shrugged. “Not yet. I will so there’s a report on file. Sometimes the college kids drift off on a drinking spree and get mean. I’ve been thinking about installing cameras for extra security, but we haven’t had any problems in a long time.”
“Let’s get them installed this week,” he said. “Just in case it’s not a fluke. What about you, John? Gambling debts? Cheating on the wife?”
John cracked out a laugh. “I wish my life was that interesting. I’ll ask around to see if any of the other workers saw anything.”
“Okay. I’ll check with Chloe when she gets here, too. Also Ophelia. Probably nothing to worry about, but I’ll have the cameras up by this afternoon.”
“Thanks.”
Harper and John started the cleanup, and Ethan grabbed his phone to look up Gary from Beltran’s Alarms. The bashed-in windows were more common than the profanity. It was just a bunch of horses and farm workers here. Who’d want to send a clear message of hate?
A few hours later, he’d lined up Gary to come out and had spoken with all the other workers. No one had heard or seen anything, and no one seemed to think it was a specific grudge. Must be kids.
He was heading over to work with Phoenix when Chloe entered the barn. “Hi, Ethan. I freshened up the hay in Barn Two. Can I help John with Missy’s bath?”
“Sure. Hey, I want to show you something. We had an incident last night, and I wanted to check if you heard anything.”
She frowned. “What incident?”
He led her over to the damage. Her skin turned sheet white, and she gasped in horror. “Oh my God.”
“Not the most welcoming message.” He studied her face, noting her shocked expression, and relaxed. He didn’t think she had anything to do with it, but with the past vandalism, he needed to consider it. “Any idea if someone was targeting the farm? Anyone mad at you? Or me and Harper?”
She paled further. Her hands trembled slightly, but the girl shook her head, hard. “No. No one.” Her voice sounded faint. Ethan watched her, noting the hesitation in her voice, the tone of someone covering up the truth. “Did you see who did it?”
“Nope, but we’re getting cameras installed so it doesn’t happen again.” He paused and drilled her with his gaze. “Did you do this, Chloe?”
Her features turned fierce. Her blue eyes blazed. “I didn’t do it, Ethan. I’d never do anything to hurt the farm or the horses. Please believe me.”
He studied her for a moment, then nodded his head. “I know, sweetheart. I believe you.” And he did. Working with Chloe the last few weeks had bonded him to her in a way he hadn’t expected. He was protective over the girl and proud of the way she’d grown under his watchful eye. Seemed like his intention to stay unattached to any person or animal who needed him was slowly fading away. Mia was in his bed every night. Phoenix had intrigued him. And Chloe allowed him a flash of what it felt like to mentor someone in his field—so different from the military.
What was happening to him? When had his temporary retreat begun to turn permanent?
He refocused on Chloe. “I don’t want you to worry about this; we have it under control. I have to work with Phoenix, so John could use your help with the baths.”
“Okay.” She walked off, her shoulders a bit slumped. Maybe he should talk to Mia about her reaction. He didn’t want the girl to be scared of intruders when she was his responsibility while working here.
He caught sight of Gary coming out of his truck and walked over to meet him. He’d feel better with the cameras. Maybe he’d dig a bit in town later on in the week and see if anyone had been causing trouble.