Mine to Hold

Del absorbed his words. He’d unraveled her, turned her inside out, and all that was left was the raw woman who bled and feared . . . and hoped. Tears fell down her cheeks, even as another orgasm clawed its way through her and left her speechless.



So she simply nodded.



As if that had turned on some switch inside Tyler, he shoved his cock into her rougher, faster, grabbing her hips and looking her right in the eye. “Come with me. Yeah?”



It astounded her that she could. She could barely move at that point, she’d been so drugged by the pleasure. But she managed to nod, then clamp down on him in a thundering climax harsher and more demanding than all the rest. She screamed until she lost her breath, her voice—and still the ecstasy racked her. It turned up a notch when she felt Tyler jolt, then the wet jet of his semen blasted deep inside her.



With a long, low growl, he filled her again and again with his pleasure and his seed, clutching her. The growl became something like a moan. Then his body went completely limp underneath her.



Their hearts thundered together. Breaths mingled. And reverent silence filled the rest of the room. Something had happened here. She’d given a piece of her soul to Tyler that she’d never be able to take back. It scared the hell out of her.



Walking away from him scared the hell out of her more.



“Angel,” he breathed. “God, you’re perfect. It’s never been just sex with you. It’s like . . . melding. I only wanted to get deeper inside you and never leave.”



“Yeah.” She didn’t have prettier words, just a fresh batch of tears at the touching way he’d described their lovemaking. “It’s like my body knows how much you mean to me.”



“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner about everything . . . the past.”



Del swallowed. The stark honesty on his face couldn’t be a lie. He meant every word he said. His apology and his sincerity choked her up. Could this man get any more perfect? “I know.”



Relief filled his expression, and he burrowed his face into her neck, breathing her in. “I want to hold you all night.”



It sounded heavenly . . . except they were going to need a change of sheets if they didn’t get up soon.



Then their situation struck her. She gasped. “You didn’t use a condom.”



“I’m clean,” he offered immediately, then peered closely at her. “You’re not on the pill?”



She shook her head. “No reason to be.”



He hesitated, then nodded. “You’re right. No reason at all. Seth needs a brother or sister.”



That quickly, Del felt his cock growing, lengthening. She gaped at him. “Tyler, we—”



“We’re going to be good parents to the boy we have. Don’t you want more children? I do.”



“When all this danger is over, we can talk about it, but I—”



His strokes grew deeper, longer. “I’m not letting this motherfucker dictate my future. We’re going to get him, and when we do, we’ll celebrate. If you’re pregnant again, we’ll celebrate even more. Angel, please. I want to be with you every step of the way this time. I want to make you utterly mine.”



Damn, the picture Tyler painted was so seductive. He made it sound heavenly and ridiculously simple, like all she had to do was lay back and let him love her until nature took its course and a new baby to love grew in her belly.



Reality intruded. Carlson could even now be on their asses. They were still in danger, and until this slimy bastard was caught, none of them were safe. That wasn’t her only objection. She wasn’t terribly old-fashioned, but she’d just gotten divorced last time she’d given birth. This time she wanted to be married and settled.



Still on top, Del disentangled herself from Tyler and pushed off the bed before he could grab her. “Now isn’t the time to be careless or make rash decisions. I need to think about this.”



Confusion racked Tyler’s face. “I love you. I love Seth. I want our family, and I want it to grow.”



“Right now, we don’t even live in the same state,” she pointed out.



“And neither of us can rent a moving van and fix that?” He raised a tawny brow at her.



She flushed with something between anger and shame. “We can. Like I said, this is happening awfully fast. I knocked on your door in Lafayette a handful of days ago.”



“I’ve loved you for years. You love me. I think you’ve loved me for years, too. I’m not letting anything come between us again. What else is there to know?”



Del couldn’t answer that. But she felt like her life was on fast-forward. She didn’t know how to cope. The most prolific playboy she’d ever met now talking about forever and babies and commitment just didn’t compute when she was still rattled from danger and mind-bending sex.



“Just . . . let me sleep on it, okay?”



His face closed over. “Sure.”



She’d hurt his feelings, and that hadn’t been her intent. All she’d needed was for him to slow down a bit and let her breathe.



On silent feet, she padded over to Tyler and wrapped her arms around him. “I love you. I’m not walking away again, I swear.”



“Good. I’d just come after you.” He relaxed a bit and enfolded her into his embrace, placing a soft kiss on her mouth. “Take a bath and get ready for bed. I’ll see if I can find out if your phone has been traced and if there’s anything new on Lobato Loco.”



“Thanks.” She squeezed his hand. “For everything.”



Tyler nodded, slapped on his jeans, and walked away.



DAMN it.



Tyler stomped into the office across the hall from the master bedroom, slammed the door shut, threw himself into his chair, and shoved his head in his hands.



Real smooth, fucktard. She got shot at tonight after finding out her ex-husband was cheating scum, and you want to make babies. Want to hunt for unicorns and rainbows next?



He was angry, not just at himself—but at the fear that coursed through him. The last time Del had been sweet but distant after sex, he hadn’t seen her again for two years. No fucking way would she get that far from him again. She was his now. Was always going to be his. Once all this shit with Carlson was over, she’d stay his. There’d be time for more babies then. Oh, and she’d probably want to get married first. Duh! He probably should have mentioned that.



The “M” word that had once made him break out in shivers and hives now had him smiling. She’d look gorgeous walking down the aisle toward him in white lace with Seth beside her and all their friends around him. Of course, he liked the picture better with her sporting a baby bump. Guess that made him a caveman after all.



Right now, he had to get his head out of his ass. He couldn’t possibly hope for that future if he didn’t untangle this danger. Despite the clock reading something like two in the morning, Tyler resolved to press on. There was a reason Lobato Loco hadn’t shown up, and Tyler wanted to know why.



First, he had to solve the problem with Del’s prepaid cell. Wincing, he called Jack. No doubt, his new boss would love the oh-dark-thirty wake-up call.



To his credit, Jack answered on the second ring and didn’t sound remotely sleepy. “Tyler?”



“The shit is hitting the fan.” Tyler explained what had happened at Desnuda.



“That’s a lot of shit.” Jack agreed with his assessment.



“How can I tell if Del’s calls are being monitored?”



“You can’t, and it doesn’t matter. You need to dump that phone.”



“It’s the only number Lobato Loco has for Del,” Tyler argued.



“He’s either a traitor or he’s dead. In either case, he’s useless to you.”



Tyler raked a hand through his hair. “That’s going to kill her. We’ve got nothing else.”



“Xander’s money trail is interesting, but inconclusive. It looks shady, but . . .”



“Doesn’t prove a damn thing. I don’t know where to turn. She needs something, Jack. She’s a strong woman, but being away from Seth, being in this much danger, it’s too much upheaval. It’s killing her. I’m worried.”



“God, you’re so in love with this woman.” Jack laughed. “The girls here are already planning a wedding, you know?”



Despite the grim situation, Tyler smiled. “Tell them to make it sooner, rather than later. I don’t want to wait.”



“Will do. Get some sleep for now. Deke is supposed to have a follow-up with his guys in the FBI later today. Maybe they’ve dredged something up. They sounded real eager to talk.”



With that, Tyler disconnected the call. The computer hummed in front of him, and he opened the lid, checking some local sites and blogs to see if there were any news or warrants following the shooting at Desnuda.



The flash of Del’s e-mail at the bottom of the screen caught his attention. She had a new message.



Jumping up, he found her soaking in the tub, looking frail and exhausted. But when she opened her eyes, the look inside them was fierce. She was totally committed to ending Carlson and—he hoped—getting on with their future.



“You have a new e-mail. You should come check it, just in case.”



She didn’t ask questions or protest about being tired. Del just rose, water dripping from her body like some Venus. Inch after inch of creamy skin looked rosy, and he could see the marks of his possession on her body—whisker burns, faint bruises, swollen nipples and mouth. She couldn’t look more gorgeous, and all he wanted was to sink back into her body and love her again.



Adjusting himself in his jeans, Del watched with a raised brow. “Again?”



“Always,” he promised hoarsely.



A blush rushed up her cheeks as he helped her out of the tub. It took a lot of restraint to let Del cover herself. Right now, nailing Carlson was more important than nailing her. At least that’s what he told his dick.



She tossed on a fluffy robe they’d found on the back of the bathroom door, and Tyler took her hand. Together, they padded across the hall. Wordlessly, Del sank into the chair and concern crept across her face. As she put her fingers to the keyboard and accessed her mail, she looked tense, ready for flight. He cupped her shoulder in a show of silent support.



“It’s from Preston,” she murmured.



“Before we read whatever he’s said, we should know if he tried to go to the warehouse you misdirected him to.”



Del sat back in her chair, leaving the e-mail closed and waiting. “You’re right. I have to know whether I can trust him.”



Tyler picked up his cell and called Xander again. God, as often as he’d been reaching out, the asshole was likely going to think it was either a joke or a come-on.



Xander answered, panting. “Yeah?”



Something laced his voice, not sleep. Not exhaustion. Something happier, something— Shit, it was satisfaction. “Am I interrupting something?”



“You’ve got lousy fucking timing.”



Tyler winced and paced across the room. “You didn’t have to answer.”



“I do if you’re dying, right? Spit it out.”



“Did anyone try to hit your warehouse tonight?”



“No,” he ground out. “Not even a mouse stepped foot on the premises. I looked into it before I . . . settled in for the night.”



“She anyone we know?”



Xander laughed. “Well, let’s say now I know what’s under the red scarf and thong.”



Tyler couldn’t help but grin. “Thanks, man. Um, carry on.”



Xander didn’t even bother to reply, just hung up.



Tyler set his phone down and turned to Del. “Looks like Preston might be in the clear. It’s not one hundred percent . . .”



“Nothing is,” Del agreed. “But if he’d been working for Carlson and had a supposed lead on our location, I think he’d have followed it up quick.”



“Especially after everything went south at Desnuda.”



With a nod, Del opened the e-mail. Her gaze flew across the screen, her eyes getting wider and wider until she gasped.



“What?” Tyler demanded, his gut clenching.



“Oh God, Lobato Loco is dead—at the hands of his own gang.”



“What?” Tyler scowled, then demanded. “How do you know?”



“Preston says that after he finished answering questions for the police about Lisa’s murder and identifying her body, they dropped him off at the office so he could get his car and go home. On the office’s stoop, he found a box and a note that proclaimed Lobato Loco a rata.”



“A rat. Okay, but why do you think he’s dead?”



“Because”—her voice trembled—“they sent the note along with his head.”



The bottom dropped out of Tyler’s stomach. Del looked pale as a sheet, and when she looked up at him, eyes frightened and mouth trembling, he nearly jumped over the desk to take her into his arms.