Chapter Two
Rio gave an inward smile as the rental clerk, who’d offered them a ride, turned the corner toward the hotel and Celeste’s skirt went riding up well-defined thighs. She sat next to him on the bench seat, her crossed legs angled toward him thanks to the gearshift in the ancient Chevy truck. The woman must be a runner if he had to guess. He’d never understood leg men. The first thing they did was toss those legs apart to claim the prize. But watching her fingers chase after the hem, he had the urge to explore the skin along the slope of her thighs—with his mouth. He grimaced inwardly. Those thoughts shouldn’t be in his head. A woman like her had no business being with a guy dragging his kind of baggage.
“Here ya go.” The old timer pulled over to the curb in front of the Breman Hotel. “They got some good food at that cafe up the street.” He pointed to a sign. “The missus loves the Danish at the coffee shop back there. And a few places fer you ta get some clothes since the airline lost your luggage.”
“Thank you.” Celeste gathered her purse and coat.
Rio checked the surroundings from behind his shades. Clearing the area was ingrained, out of necessity. He grabbed his duffel off the floorboard, throwing the strap over his shoulder as he stretched across her for a handshake. “Thanks, Bud.”
“Eh, no worries.”
Rio stepped into the chilly air, scanning the other side of the street while he offered Celeste a hand. Seconds ticked by before cold fingers tentatively slipped into his, as he’d expected. She’d been raised with manners, and a good deal of money, if her clothes were any indication. Classy, yet low key.
Most people at the airport had looked right past her, or through her, but to him, she stood out from everyone else, in more ways than one. With her down-turned head and graceful manner she was the picture of innocence—which was a crying shame. He looked back just as her skirt did another one of those peekaboo things when she stepped out. Yeah, a crying shame. He couldn’t have stopped himself from looking if he tried.
Yanking back her hand, she shut the door and then pulled on her coat, missing the sleeve. Distracted, she caught her shoe in a tree root punching through the battered sidewalk. “Whoop—”
Rio reached out in a purely reflexive attempt to catch her. Every softly rounded curve he’d been itching to explore landed in his arms, settling against him. He held her and watched, fascinated, as she shuffled emotions across her face in a split second, like she’d done on the plane. Eyes widening in shock. Brows drawing together in embarrassment, then releasing as she discovered his hard-on pressing against her belly. And finally, her lips parting in a sharp breath.
His cock stiffened further, hard enough to separate them under any other circumstance. Meanwhile, little Miss Innocent stared at his mouth like he held the answer to life itself. He ran his thumb along her lower back. “You okay?”
She set her forehead on his shoulder but didn’t move. “I may never be okay again.” Her whispered confession held such a woeful note, he couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
His unexpected bark sounded strange to him. How long had it been? He shook his head. Celeste, with her angelic appearance, had more layers than he’d initially thought. She hid behind the appearance of a very proper librarian, but he recognized a disguise when he saw it.
She’d no more been reading on the flight than he’d been sleeping. Though she’d kept it on the down low, he knew a good eye fucking when he was on the receiving end. Her tight little ass squirmed in her seat when she’d caught sight of the tent in his pants. Then, to his utter surprise, she’d tried taking a picture. No ICE agent worth his salt would let that happen. Not when a cartel could put a face to the target on his back.
A perverse need to see her reaction made him put her on the spot. Again, he’d been stunned, watching emotions flash across her features, hinting at something complicated and fascinating deep inside. He’d never chased a woman before, but when she bugged out, he’d tracked her with the same determination he hunted his marks. The lack of rental cars rattled her, and once she’d finished her lost luggage claim, all the taxis were out. So she’d had no choice but to accept the ride and sit next to him on the way to town. He grinned.
Now here they were, all alone, in a place nobody knew them. She was full-bodied and curvy, but he’d easily toss her over his shoulder and find the first quiet corner to set her down, straight onto his hard cock.
Fuck.
He caught himself. Celeste wasn’t a dark-corner girl. If she was, he wouldn’t be so turned on by her response. Damn it. Those blue eyes may be sparkling with interest, but she’d end up with way more than she bargained for. Women like her didn’t sleep with a guy without some promise of tomorrow, and he didn’t go past right now.
Pushing back, she straightened as a blush stole across her pale features. He scooped up her coat, wrapping it across her shoulders. “Come on, let’s check in, then we can grab lunch.”
“Th-that’s okay.” She ran her hand along her temple, down to where a flat clip held her hair at the base of her neck. “I, um…”
Yeah, he should get himself to a room, or better yet, call one of the guys in Dallas to airlift him out. According to a reliable C.I., one of his top marks was coming to Houston. He’d been called in to organize his men and track the son of a bitch. It was a hell of a time to be stranded.
He should call. He should go. He should be there. Instead, he took a step, getting Celeste moving with a hand at the curve of her lower back.
“Careful,” he said, redirecting her attention to the uneven sidewalk. He pulled open the door, guiding her into the hotel ahead of him.
Looking over her head, he found a scrawny kid in his twenties at the front desk. The kid stood perfectly straight, his heavily starched, white shirt standing away from his shoulders.
A stiff, uncomfortable vibe filled the room, so he let her take the lead as he surveyed the area.
“Welcome to the Breman Hotel,” the clerk said in a tight voice. “Do you have a reservation?”
“No.” Rio watched with interest. Celeste seemed to find her voice as soon as he was out of sight. “I was hop—”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” He went on as if she hadn’t spoken.
“Do you have rooms?” She went still.
“Yes.” The kid adjusted his glasses, and Celeste visibly relaxed. “But the internet went down forty minutes ago, so I can’t review the registrations.” He held up a clipboard with handwritten names, all in straight lines, with precise lettering.
“Well, would we be able to check in?” She asked.
“Not until after four p.m. It’s procedure.” Four o’clock was over an hour away.
“What if I paid extra, for today?” She opened her purse.
“No, ma’am.” He shook his head, hiking a shoulder. “I don’t normally work the front, so I have to follow procedure to avoid causing a problem.”
“Well, can I make a reservation?”
“The internet’s down,” he reminded her. “So I can’t get into the computer.”
She looked over her shoulder at Rio, that scared rabbit look replaced by annoyance. He typed in a search for hotels on his phone, shaking his head when his browser eventually timed out. Likely everyone, stranded or not, was using their phone, bogging down the network. They hadn’t passed another hotel, and there was no telling if there was anything within walking distance. “We can grab some coffee or something then come back.”
“Well, if the internet isn’t back, you’ll still have to wait. But if it’s after six, I can write you in.”
“At six we can check in?” she asked. The kid nodded. “Not before.” He shook his head.
“It’s procedure,” they said at the same time.
“After the six o’clock cutoff, I can work with the rooms without a late check-in reservation. We should have plenty of rooms, so don’t worry. I’ll make sure you have a place to stay.” He jotted down their names then turned in his direction. “I-I can hold your bag in the office, if you’d like.”
“That’s all right.” Rio went out the door, scanning from one end of the street to the other.
“Trust issues, much?” Her low tone teased him as she approached.
A smile played at one corner of his lips, enjoying this side of Celeste. “Definitely, Miss Celeste-of-no-last-name.” Head held high, she walked past him, ignoring his grin.
Usually, he was the one not sharing personal information, yet it bugged him she didn’t offer more. What was she hiding? He studied her, from her unadorned hair to her flower-covered dress and brown heels. “You okay to walk around in those shoes?”
“Yes, of course.” They started toward the cafe. “Um, you don’t need to wait on me.” She gave him a quick glance, shoving her hands into her coat pockets as she stepped up the pace. “I’ll do some reading to pass the time.” She patted her bag.
This wasn’t an opportunity to cut out; she’d all but dismissed him. And it rubbed him raw. Well, everyone’s gotta eat. And one of them should be chowing down on a generous helping of crow. “Okay. Then I’ll head over to the pastry shop and grab a snack.”
…
Celeste stopped mid-stride. “Pastries?” She glanced his way as he swung around and headed in the opposite direction. The jerk didn’t even acknowledge her. Her narrow-eyed glare followed him for a handful of steps before she gave in and followed. To add insult to injury, she had to hurry if she was going to match his long-legged stride.
He adjusted the shoulder strap on his bag as he gave her a quick glance.
“Changed your mind?” The dark sunglasses hid his eyes, but she had a sneaking suspicion he was laughing on the inside.
“The weather’s perfect for coffee and pastries,” she said with exaggerated sweetness.
They continued across the street and down the block to where a group of people walked out a glass door, carrying disposable coffee cups. The scent of freshly baked bread reached her before she could see the storefront. Her mouth watered as she imagined the soft, sweet confections inside.
Rio stepped ahead, pulling the door open for her. Jerking her head back, she caught the hint of laughter on his lips. A blush worked its way up her face. One sniff of sugary goodness and she’d all but forgotten she wasn’t alone. She averted her face and practically dove into the shop, narrowly missing an exiting hipster. “I’m so sorry.” She cringed, her cheeks going from a mild blush to a full scorch.
The man scowled, holding his coffee away from his vintage leather jacket. One look over her shoulder and he shut his mouth, reconsidering whatever he was about to say. She followed his gaze, but Rio placed a hand at her hip, burning her right through to the skin and urging her forward to the line of customers with an arm wrapped around her protectively. The guy adjusted his beanie and cut around them to get out the door.
“I don’t know if they have lattes, but according to Bud, their Danish is a favorite.”
“Regular coffee’s good.” Within a few seconds, the line had moved forward. Celeste craned her neck to look in the display case. Trays of streusel, bear claws, fritters, and éclairs lined the bottom. The top held an array of Danish, from pecan and maple to cheese, with several fruit-filled in between. All of them looked divine. She bit her thumbnail. Would Rio think less of her if she bought a box, with a full assortment? She eyed the top rack then looked down at the streusel.
They made it to the clerk, a college-aged woman who ran the back of her gloved hand along her temple. “How may I help you?” While she asked Celeste, her eyes wandered to Rio more than once.
Studying the display, he asked, “Danish or streusel?”
She wrinkled her brow. How had he known what she was looking at? “I-I can’t decide.” Again, she had the sense he was amused by her.
“You had a cheese Danish earlier, and you went right past the maple, so I figure you’ll probably get something with fruit.”
Her chest tightened. He’d seen her at the airport. That’s where she’d had a latte and snack. Wonderful, his first image was her stuffing her mouth with sweets.
“You made me wish I’d grabbed more than just coffee,” he said absently.
She faced forward to find the clerk giving an exaggerated exhale. Somehow, Celeste managed not to squirm. What he said, or maybe the way he said it, sent Vix into action. She slinked onto the counter in a skin-tight dress, offering several options for him to grab.
“Maybe I’ll just have cheese,” she squeaked, hoping to appease the clerk so she’d stop glaring at her.
“We could share,” Rio offered.
Somehow she managed to keep her jaw from dropping. He’d come up with a perfect solution, until a man in an apron came by and pulled a long rack from the display. She may have whimpered. The clerk turned back, her features tightening as she realized she was about to be asked for one of the pastries that had just gone to the back.
Rio leaned in, “Amanda,” he said in a tone that sounded both understanding and pleading. “Do you think you could get me one of each Danish so we don’t hold you up?”
The woman stood staring at him, her cheeks turning a light pink. Celeste watched, fascinated, as the clerk stuttered through her reply “I-I-I-I, uh… I can take ’em to your table.”
“Sounds great.” He smiled. “Think you can add in some coffee?”
“Uh-huh,” she said, still holding the cheese Danish. Rio dropped some bills on the counter and ushered Celeste to the nearest table, pulling out her chair.
Seconds later, Amanda set a plate and two cups on their table while the people in line waited.
Celeste looked at the array. “I wonder what that one is,” she said, pointing at a piece with an amber topping.
“Want me to ask?”
Celeste gasped. “No.” Glancing up at him, wide-eyed, she zeroed in on the tilt at the corner of his lips, then narrowed her eyes. “You’re laughing at me.”
His eyebrows went up, past the edge of the dark glasses, in what was surely feigned innocence.
“Let me see your eyes.”
He pulled down the sunglasses to show almond-shaped, hazel eyes with a rich fringe of dark lashes. Her gaze brushed down smooth, closely shaved cheeks, to where a smile danced along his lips.
Vix’s jaw dropped, and she adjusted her blouse until a lacy black bra peeked out from her cleavage.
How could a man end up with lashes like that when hers were so pale sometimes she couldn’t see them in the mirror. Oh God. And earlier she’d thought traveling with him would be a challenge.
…
What exactly did a guy like him say to a “nice girl”? He had no clue. But they’d sat together long enough for her to taste each of the half-dozen Danish and pack the leftovers. He kept imagining breaking off the next piece and feeding it to her, just to keep that sublime expression on her face.
Giving in to the hopeful expressions from the line of customers, they decided to finish the coffee and leave. Now he needed to regroup before he ended up hard enough to push the door open with his fly.
“We’re still early,” Celeste said, checking her phone as she picked up her purse. “Maybe I should stay back and do some reading.”
Again with the escape tactics. “That kid at the hotel didn’t seem like he knew what he was doing. How about we check on our rooms before we end up sleeping on a park bench?”
She hesitated, clutching the to-go container. “I suppose you’re right.” She followed along, like a prisoner to sentencing. “It just seems like you don’t care for the idea of me reading.”
A fat raindrop slapped his shoulder while two hit the ground ahead of them. In seconds, rain pelted the sidewalk around them. She shrieked, stuffing the container in her bag as she huddled into her coat. With one quick move, he looped an arm around her waist and ducked into the doorway of a closed store.
The deep-set entrance offered enough shelter for them both if they crowded into a corner. The single, wide step brought her to eye level, and a devilish streak made him want to goad her now that he had a captive audience. “That depends,” he said, studying her startled expression. “Were you actually going to read, or were you planning on doing surveillance?”
“I-I don’t know what you mean.” Her eyes widened until the blue irises floated in a sea of white.
“Really…” He layered in enough doubt to make her chew her bottom lip. So that’s how she was going to play it. Fine. Pushing a woman like her, sweet and a little innocent, could go one of two ways. She would either be shocked and disgusted or intrigued and turned on. He’d be damned if he didn’t find out how she rolled. Bracing his hand on the wall, he blocked the rain and any view from the street. Her gaze shot down to his chest, then skittered back to his face. “You don’t remember the way your eyes dragged across me on the plane?” He stared at her parted lips, but nothing came out. He gave her one more bump. “Or the way you were checking out the hard-on you gave me.”
She shook her head, her face turning a heated red. “I-I didn’t—” The words drifted away and realization sank in. “Whaaat? I gave you?” Brow furrowed, she blinked several times. “Me?”
The two seconds of emotions running across her features hardened his cock. Surprise, interest, curiosity, temptation, and a healthy dose of lust. Goddamn, what he wouldn’t give to watch her face as he worked his cock into her. Would she change with every position, every touch, or every stroke?
He suppressed a groan, determined to wipe the image from his mind and failing. They were close enough that he detected her subtle perfume over the dampness in the air. Nervous energy surrounded them. He could sense her fight-or-flight instinct was telling her to run, but her head kept her in place. He liked that about her. Admired her strength. Despite the walls he’d set around himself, he knew a part of her had slipped through.
“Wondered what would happen if you were in the next seat,” he murmured.
“Rio.” She failed to sound even remotely shocked. “Y-you have no sense of boundaries.” The whispered words were barely a protest.
“Of course I do.” He tucked a silky, blonde tendril behind her ear, watching the pearl-drop earring dance about. “How else would I know where to push?”
He had no intention of touching her. Bastard that he was, he wanted her to admit she wanted him. Why it mattered, he had no clue. He took an extra second to memorize heavy-lidded eyes and flushed cheeks then found himself leaning into her. A brush of his mouth against hers; that was all he needed. To know how she tasted, so he wouldn’t be left wondering when he walked away. But Celeste was hungry, her mouth playing against his, both giving and taking in what was anything but a simple kiss. Her soft lips gave way, sharing her unique flavor, challenging him to pull away. Holy hell. His teeth grazed her bottom lip, and he deepened their contact. Her fingertips dug into his biceps, holding on like she never wanted to let go. For once, he was in full agreement. He didn’t want to set her back and move on.
She shifted, but in the confines of her shelter, she couldn’t go far. “What were you imagining, Celeste?” he asked, his voice husky.
She stared at his shoulder, looking a little dazed, the tip of her tongue running across the edge of her bottom lip.
“Tell me.” He cupped her chin, tilting her face back to figure out what was going through her head. Right now he was banking on his ability to read people to help him get through to her. Because he wanted—needed—more of her, and she was whole new territory for him.
She blinked, and her fingers loosened. “Rio…” She swallowed hard, ducking her head to hide any telltale expressions.
He’d been Rio, his ICE code name, for so long, he sometimes forgot who he’d been before. Somehow, Celeste was in a similar situation. Only she was hiding from herself, too. That innocence he wouldn’t have thought he’d like, would buckle under what he suspected was a daring streak she kept tightly leashed. A change in tactic was in order. Being they were so alike, he knew exactly what she needed—a hard dose of reality.
He scanned the area then lowered his head to murmur in her ear. “You don’t have to hide here, Celeste. Nobody knows you, not even me.”
…
Her mind echoed with the scratch of a needle across vinyl.
Oh my God!
Vix, who had her leg wrapped around his waist while using her best pole-dancing moves, came to an abrupt stop. Full red lips formed an O as her eyes widened. Her gaze darted back and forth between her and Rio as she waited to see what happened next. Seconds ticked by as his words bounced around her head, squashing the very rational urge to make her escape.
She’d spent most of her adult life trying not to call attention to herself. Like the hotel clerk, she’d been doing things because it was procedure. Because that’s how she’d always done them. What if, for once, she did what she wanted, with whom she wanted? She had to ask herself, what would Vix do? That was an easy answer. She’d go for it. What harm could it do if they were in a little town where nobody knew either one of them? Most importantly, did she have the guts to go where her desires were leading her?
Vix nodded in encouragement. She untangled herself from Rio, a feat in itself, then ran a manicured hand down Rio’s shoulder as she sauntered past.
“Celeste…” Rio circled her waist, fitting them together so the heat of his body seeped into hers. She splayed her hands on his arms, flattening her breasts against an incredibly well-muscled chest. The urge to close her eyes and melt against him threatened to overwhelm her.
“We’re in the middle of town, across from a public square, for goodness sake.” At least she remembered thinking that before he drew her close, scrambling her brain.
“Baby, I could lay you down under that tree and run my lips along every inch of you to see if you’re as sweet as I imagine.” The image flooded her mind, as he must have planned, and a blush fought its way to her face.
An odd rumble left her throat. “How do you come up with these things?” Okay, now she desperately needed to put a couple of inches between them before she took over Vix’s pole-dancing moves.
“I’ve been thinking about it for hours.” Her legs went weak, and for a second, she worried her panties would drop on their own. “All the different ways I’d like to touch you. Taste you. Feel you wrapped around my cock.” He squeezed, low on her hips. “Wondering if the same thoughts had your tight little ass squirming in your seat during the flight.”
“Rio,” she whimpered. That part of her tingled, reminding her of how long it had been since her last disappointing encounter, and the inevitable regrets that followed. To date, the only orgasms she’d enjoyed were provided by her imagination and a few well-chosen toys.
“Mmmm. That’s what you said at the end of my fantasy. Only it was more of a scream, while I was grinding into you.”
The throbbing intensified, drenching her underwear and stoking an unexpected hunger. Her gaze shot to him, but his eyes were hidden. “Take off your sunglasses.”
The corner of his lips quirked, but he pulled the glasses off, letting them dangle on the braided cord. Why had she thought this would be better?
He leaned down, nipping at her swollen lower lip until her mouth rubbed lightly against his. Her fingers curled into his shoulder and chest. Better. Without the sunglasses he didn’t seem so imposing, but now he was a whole other level of hot. She tapped down the doubts whispering at the edge of her mind. Mom’s disappointed voice telling her she’d never be beautiful. Her father’s warning that men would use her to get to him.
She parted her lips, letting his tongue sweep in while she slid her arms up over the hard ledge of his shoulders. Their bodies melted against each other, creating pressure on her breasts that sent a hot spike of erotic energy straight to her core. This is what Vix had been angling for on the plane. But she wanted more. What, she didn’t know. Her body was asking for things she’d never put into words. Her own demons hadn’t let her enjoy sex the few times she’d been with a man. Once, she’d even found herself wishing it would be over. But those times didn’t come anywhere near this.
She liked having his warm hands wandering along her back and hips, touching her, molding her pliant body to his. He must have sensed her pleasure, because within the confines of her coat, one hand slid up to graze the underside of her right breast. His large palm curled around the swell of flesh, his thumb fanning back and forth along the swell. She gasped into his mouth, as much from the caress as from a foreign sense of being wanted. Desired. Then he stroked the edge of her nipple and another rasp came from the back of her throat.
“Those purrs are pure torture.”
Celeste bit her lip. She’d never been so daring, so turned on, or so wet. How was it that even though she’d never had an issue keeping her panties on, she was ready to climb Rio like a cat on a Christmas tree.
“Maybe I’m not the only one regretting the hotel’s damn rules.”
No regrets. Because otherwise she would be up in her room. Alone. She didn’t say it, but she didn’t have to. Not with him making his way down her skirt, inching under it. This was where she should stop him. Keep him from moving up her thigh, leaving a heated trail along her skin with the back of his fingers. Was this the same path he imagined following with his mouth? Oh God, she’d never be able to go past a park without thinking of him tasting her.
Goodness, her pulse pounded at her neck.
“So soft.” He followed the crease of her leg, tracing her high-cut panties back down to the base of the narrow V.
“Smooth,” he said in a gravelly voice.
At the time, she’d cursed the bikini wax. Now, she was grateful for the self-imposed torture.
“Oh fuck, baby. You’re so wet.”
Her breath echoed against his throat while her fingers curled into the material at his shoulders. They were making out in the street, and she couldn’t care less at the moment.
His knuckle pushed the damp silk against her inner folds before continuing on to follow her slit then returning, with added pressure.
“This is what I imagined on the plane.” He circled her clit, starting the maddening journey between her legs. “You sitting next to me. My fingers playing against you until I had to keep my mouth on yours so you’d be quiet. And every time the flight attendant came by, I pulled away.” He stopped, leaving her bereft. She whimpered, her hips rolling forward to seek more of his touch. “But as soon as she left…”
He reached for her again, this time slipping under the elastic to explore the wet folds. Heat shot through her, threatening to consume her. She’d never felt so alive.
But he pulled those searching fingers away, smoothing his palm down her hip to set her skirt back in place. Her whimpered protest earned a quick, hard kiss and a squeeze to her bottom before he stepped back from her. What the hell? For once, she’d been on the edge of something wonderful. And he cut her off.