Chapter Three
Ria watched Jackson’s face as it settled back into that distant expression from the waiting room. It had been a gamble, hoping that her sexy hitman would recognize her brother from the picture and get the message. She had a couple of other ways she could have told him about Carlos, but this one worked out nicely. And this way I got the fuck of my life out of the deal as well.
But now he seemed—not worried, exactly. More like he’d just made a decision. “Is everything okay?” she asked. “Look, Carlos won’t do anything to you, I swear.”
Jackson shook his head. “It’s not that. I’m just thinking.”
She was about to ask him about what, exactly, when her stomach rumbled. “We missed lunch. I got the makings for chicken Caesar wraps if you want something.”
A trace of warmth came back into his eyes. “I could eat.”
“Okay, then.” She rolled out of bed, deliberately avoiding the pile of clothing with his gun. She could feel his considering gaze like a weight on her skin as she headed to the bathroom for a quick pee and clean up. He may not be worried about Carlos, but something’s definitely bugging him. Grabbing her robe off the back of the bathroom door, she slipped it on and headed into the kitchen to raid the fridge.
She was in the middle of slicing cooked chicken breasts when he came into the kitchen in his pants and nothing else, scratching his chest with one huge hand. He planted himself on one of the stools at the kitchen island, watching as she layered chicken and romaine lettuce on large tortillas. A dollop of sauce and a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan finished each wrap, and she added a handful of sweet potato chips on the side. “Here you go. I’ve got water and sweet tea to drink.”
“Sweet tea, please.”
She poured two tall glasses of tea, sliding one over to him. “You know, I never asked. What’s your first name?”
He paused in mid-bite, chewing thoroughly and taking a sip of his tea before answering. “Colton.”
Colton. It suited him. “Nice to meet you, Colton. How long have you been a hitman?”
He gave her a dry look. “I prefer the term independent contractor.”
“I prefer the term hitman. It’s catchier.” She sipped her own tea. “Fine. How did you get into independent contracting?”
He toyed with a golden-red chip. “I joined the Marines after high school. Did two tours in Iraq as a sniper. I was good at it, too, earned medals and everything. But I got tired of the heat and the shitty food, so after my last tour was up I came back. Only problem with that was, nobody wanted to hire a guy with a high school diploma who was good at killing folks. So one of my buddies put me in touch with a private military outfit, and I went to work for them. Even went back to the Middle East for a couple of months. Made a nest egg, got out, and set up stateside as an independent contractor.” He shrugged. “So what’s the sister of Carlos Salazar doing working for a shady lawyer in Dallas? Shouldn’t you be living in a secure compound somewhere?”
Why did everyone who found out about Carlos think that? “Number one, Freddy Ray wasn’t a shady lawyer,” she said, annoyed. “I mean, yeah, sometimes he plays—played—a little fast and loose, legally. But so do all the other high-powered lawyers in town. And two, I was working for him because I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life in an armed compound waiting for the DEA or the Mexican federales to come screaming over the wall. Freddy Ray arranged for my new identity. When I found out he needed a new secretary, I offered to work for him.”
Colton nodded. “Okay, I can see that. So you like being a secretary?”
She shrugged. “It was okay. The pay was decent and I didn’t mind the work. Plus I learned how to make Microsoft Word jump through hoops.”
“Huh. I can barely get it to print.” He peered over his shoulder at her dining and living room. “It just doesn’t seem like much of a life, if you don’t mind me saying so. I mean, this place looks more like a hotel room than a home.”
She tamped down her irritation. The few people she’d allowed inside her place had said similar things, which was why she’d stopped letting people in. “I like things simple, okay? And I don’t want to waste money on decor.” And if she did have to run for any reason, she didn’t want to leave something she loved behind. The things that were important to her could fit in one bag. Everything else was replaceable.
Those narrow blue eyes flickered once and she got the feeling he understood. Well, considering what he does for a living, he probably does. “Okay. It just seems sort of joyless, that’s all.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, really? And what the hell does a hitman—sorry, an independent contractor—know about joy?”
“I know that life is short, and you never know when it’s going to end. It’s why you need to grab it by the balls and wring every drop of happiness and pleasure you can from it.” He picked up his tea, considering her over the rim of his glass. “You need more joy in your life, baby girl. You bloom when you’re happy.”
Pendejo. Why did every guy think that making a woman come made her happy? Okay, yeah, they were some of the best damn orgasms she’d ever had, but still. She’d just met him that morning after he killed her boss and kidnapped her. He didn’t have to psychoanalyze her on top of everything else. “I can make myself happy,” she said shortly. “But that would be a hell of a lot easier if ‘independent contractors,’” she gave the word finger quotes, “from Alabama didn’t stroll in during lunch and turn my life upside down.”
“Louisiana.”
“What?”
“I’m from Louisiana, not Alabama.”
“Whatever.” She slouched in her chair. He really had turned her life upside down. Now she would have to work directly with Royce Davis, which was going to suck so badly. “Who paid you to kill Freddy Ray, anyway? I liked him. His partner’s the grabby asshole.”
A dimple formed in Colton’s cheek as he smirked. “I wasn’t paid to kill his partner. And I can’t tell you who paid me to kill Freddy Ray. My clients hire me because they know I’ll protect them. Right now, I’m trying to figure out how you fit in to all of this.”
A chill raced over her skin. “This has nothing to do with me.”
The dimple disappeared. “I don’t think that’s true. See, if you’d gone off to lunch as planned, you would’ve come back to the office, found Freddy Ray, and called the police. You’d have an airtight alibi for the time of his death, and while I’m sure the thin blue line of Dallas would have made you miserable for a few hours, they would’ve had to cut you loose in the end.” One large hand turned, spreading as if letting something go. “Instead, you came back early, which turned you into a witness. And if I had killed you, which by rights I should have done, I might as well have put a bullet in my own head before your brother got ahold of me.”
She went still. “You think we were both set up?”
“It’s starting to look that way. Which means you’re not safe here anymore.” He picked up the rest of his wrap and polished it off. “Much as I think you’re going to hate this, I’m afraid Ria Guzman needs to disappear.”
She pushed her plate away, all appetite gone. “Fuck. No.”
“Yeah.”
“No, Colton. I don’t want to go back to Carlos. I do that, he’s never going to let me go.” Grief and anger washed over her. “You don’t know him. I love him, he’s my brother, but he wants to keep me locked up like I’m some kind of fragile doll. Or worse, marry me off to one of his damn lieutenants.” She’d worked so hard to get away from that world, given up so much for her freedom. She wasn’t going to turn around and walk back into a prison, no matter how luxurious it was. “I can’t live like that. I won’t.”
The look he gave her was solemn. “I’m not saying you should, Ria. Which is why you’re going to come home with me.”
****
Colton watched her stiffen. “With you? You mean Louisiana?”
“Yeah. I’ve got a nice place in a secure building. A lot bigger than yours, more than enough room for two people.” He didn’t have to tell her where he lived, not just yet. But Shreveport was a decent city, and he had a lot of contacts in the area. It would be easy enough to get her set up with a new identity, even a new job if she really wanted one. And after that…
He pushed the thought away. Ria Guzman—no, Ria Salazar—was an independent woman. If she wouldn’t let her brother protect her, she definitely wouldn’t want to go along with what he had in mind. But by God, he was going to do his damnedest to convince her. “Course, you might not like it. I got way more pictures than you do.”
She gave him a dirty look. “I know I suck at decorating. You can stop with the jokes already.”
“I’m sorry. Come here.”
Scowling, she got up, letting him wrap his arms around her. “Goddamn it,” she muttered. “I thought I was done with all this shit.”
He rubbed her back through the soft terrycloth. “That’s another reason why I want you to come with me. I got you into this. It’s my responsibility to get you out.” He pulled her onto his lap, arranging her until her head was tucked into his shoulder and his arms were securely around her. “You don’t have to stay with me for long if you don’t want to, but I can get you set up with everything you’ll need. I know at least three law firms that would be happy to hire you if you’re as good as I think you are.”
“I am good,” she mumbled. “You should’ve seen Freddy Ray’s files before I got there.”
“All right, then. You come home with me, I get you set up in your new new life, and then you’re free to go. No strings attached.” Even though he wanted to drape every string he could on her. She was smart, gorgeous, great in bed, and he liked her dry sense of humor and her practicality. And she already knew what he did for a living, so it wasn’t like he would have to lie to her about his “business trips.” Having Ria Salazar in his life might actually be the best damn thing to happen to him in a long time.
She let out a long breath, relaxing against him. “Louisiana, huh? Tell me you don’t live in a swamp.”
He chuckled. “No, I live near downtown. Got running water and Wi-Fi, just like you big city folks.” He shifted a bit, enjoying the feel of her plush ass in his lap. “Although I do have a cabin out in the woods. We could go out there if you like. I’ll teach you how to catch crawfish, and we could do us a good ol’ fashioned Cajun crawdad boil.”
“Whee. What else is there to do in Running Water, Louisiana?”
“You like monster truck shows?”
“Oh, Jesus.”
“I’ll take that as a no.” He kissed her hair. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you’re not bored.”
She raised her head. The fear and anger were still there, but she wasn’t going to let them swamp her. “Gonna keep me entertained?”
“Mais oui, cheri.” He kissed her, meaning it to be playful. But the softness of her lips and the smell of her skin pulled him in again, intoxicating him and making his cock stiffen. She felt it and shifted, twining her arms around his shoulders. He slipped a hand into the gap of her robe, cupping the warm heft of a satiny breast. The hard press of a nipple tickled his palm and he pulled away from her mouth, kissing a trail down her throat toward her chest. “The thing I love most in the world,” he mumbled between kisses, “is a pair of tits just like yours, baby girl. They’re proof that the Lord is a kind and loving creator.”
“First time anyone ever said my boobs proved the existence of God—ah!” She threw her head back as he sucked a hard nipple into his mouth, torturing it with his flicking tongue and firm little nibbles. He felt her shudder under his mouth and let the nipple slide free with a wet pop, running the flat of his tongue over it before tracing the edge of her areola. “Fuck, that feels so amazing.”
“Good, because I plan on kissing and sucking these as much as I can.” He nuzzled his way toward her sternum. “I love your ass, too, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve been a tit man since I first noticed girls had them.”
“Yeah, kinda guessed.” Her breath hissed as his mouth sought out her other nipple while he squeezed and stroked her abandoned breast. She pressed his head closer and he complied, opening his mouth wide and sucking in nipple, areola, and as much breast as he could, running his tongue over everything he could reach.
His cock was starting to complain about being ignored. Reluctantly, he let go and licked his lips. “How about we take this back into the bedroom?”
That pretty flush was back in her face as she slid off his lap. “Good idea. There’s something I want to taste, too.”
****
There was something about knowing people wanted her dead that kicked Ria’s libido into high gear. The hell with it. If I’m going to die, I may as well have some fun first.
Feeling wicked, she led Colton back to the bedroom, urging him into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. She untied the knot on her robe belt and let the terrycloth slide free, standing naked in front of him.
His eyes darkened in appreciative need. “Oh, yeah. So fucking gorgeous, baby girl.”
“So are you, papi.” She coaxed his knees apart and knelt, studying the thick bulge that poked through his dress slacks. No underwear held it down, and she could see the thick mushroom head against the fine wool cloth.
Dios, she missed this. She loved giving head, taking a man’s dick in her mouth and driving him wild with her lips and tongue. She wanted to taste Colton’s cock and see if it was as yummy as the rest of him.
She unzipped his fly and the head popped through immediately, as if searching for her mouth. Leaning forward, she licked a broad stripe up from the base to just below the plummy corona where a man had a sensitive triangle of flesh. She teased it with the tip of her tongue, wanting to learn what pleased him.
He leaned back on his hands, watching her. “That’s it, baby girl. Suck it. Yeah.”
Following his lead, she took the head in her mouth, careful to cover her teeth with her lips. He was so big that there was barely enough room to swirl her tongue over the smooth, rounded head. The tiny slit in the center wept salt into her mouth and she swallowed, enjoying the fresh taste.
There was no way she would be able to deep throat Colton. Instead, she wrapped her hand around his shaft, fingertips just barely meeting her thumb, and brought the ring of her fingers to her lips. She started bobbing her head, careful to breathe through her nose while she sucked and slurped the thick flesh in her mouth. Veins throbbed against her tongue and she could taste more pre-cum as she brought her left hand up and wrapped it below her right, giving him the illusion of an impossibly long, tight throat.
He started cursing softly, running thick fingers through her hair without trying to press her head down or control it. She was getting wet from sucking him off, and feeling him strain for control made her pussy tighten in anticipation. His cock stiffened even further and his balls started to pull up in their sac when he chanted, “Baby, please, stopstopstop.”
She pulled her mouth off, licking her lips. “Getting close?”
“Yeah.” He gave her a breathless grin. “Don’t get me wrong, I wanna come in your mouth, but not right now.”
That worked for her. She scrabbled for the remaining condom packets on the nightstand, opening one and sliding the latex sheath over him. “On your back, caballero. I’m taking you for a ride.”
He turned and stretched out over her bedspread. “Cowboy, huh?”
“No, that’s vaquero. Caballero translates to ‘horseman.’ It can also mean gentleman or knight.”
“Knight, huh?” He steadied her hips as she knelt over him, reaching for his sheathed cock and positioning the head at the entrance to her pussy. “I think a knight would get his lady warmed up first.”
“You already did, papi.” She eased herself onto his shaft, sighing happily as her inner muscles stretched around him.
He stared up at her in surprise. “You got wet just from sucking me?”
“Yeah. I like giving head.” She touched the tip of her tongue to her upper lip. “It’s also my favorite way of waking a man up.”
His head dropped back onto the pillow. “Oh, baby girl. You do that and I may not be able to let you go.”
So don’t. The thought surprised her, but it also felt right. For the first time since she’d become Ria Guzman, legal secretary, she was enjoying herself right down to her soul. And Colton Jackson, with his strong hands, honey-sweet Louisiana accent, and thick dick, was the reason why. Maybe I could stay with him for a while, get to know Running Water or wherever the hell he lives. Might be nice.
She rolled her hips, grinding down on him in a slow, deliberate pace that rubbed his cock exactly where it felt best inside her. His hands came to rest on her thighs, urging her on. “Fuck, you’re beautiful, Ria. I love watching you ride me, seeing my dick slide in and out of your sweet pussy. You feel so damn good around me.”
“You feel amazing,” she purred, sinking lower on that thick shaft. And he did, stretching her wide and lighting up muscles and nerves she’d forgotten she had. She was going to be sore as hell the next day, but it was so totally worth it. “I love the way you fuck me, papi.”
“Baby girl.” His hand shifted, thumb coming to rest over her clit and rolling in tiny, firm circles. She moaned as his touch added to the heat building between her hips, stoking it higher. Her rocking lost its gentleness. Now it was all about chasing friction, striking the match that would set her on fire with pleasure.
She cupped her breasts, rolling her nipples between her fingers. “Oh, God, yeah. Yeah, Colton, there, there!” The match lit and ecstasy billowed through her, inner muscles clamping down hard on his surging cock and milking it hard.
He came with a shout, thrusting upwards and pulling her down hard on him. The tip of him hit her cervix but she barely noticed, caught up in the bonfire roaring though her. Gasping for breath, she fell forward, catching herself just before she landed on his chest.
He pulled her down the rest of the way, warm hands spread across her back as he kissed her. “Holy God. If that’s what you call a ride, I’ll be your thoroughbred any day.”
Dazed, she slid off him and curled up at his side, arm thrown across his chest. “Best damn ride in the park, papi.”
The sudden high chime of her doorbell broke through her haze. Colton blinked, the laughing lover subsiding behind the hitman. “You expecting someone?”
“No.” And she wasn’t. Oh, shit, don’t tell me Katie decided to stop by for some girl talk.
Colton sat up, skinning off the condom. “Stay here.” He slipped back into his pants and shirt, grabbing his gun from her dresser and catfooting it out of her bedroom.
Ria rolled out of bed, moving silently to the door. From this angle she couldn’t see the apartment door, but she heard Colton say, “What are you doing here?”
And felt a surge of rage when Royce Davis’s voice replied, “I could ask you the same damn thing.”