Delta: Rescue: A MacKenzie Family Novella (The MacKenzie Family) (10 page)

Her eyebrow rose. “I can have a driver here in a minute, flat.”

A grin curled his lips. “Nervous?”

“No.”

“Then in you go. Time to get the princess out of her castle.” A moment of beautiful surprise crossed her face, making him falter a step, though he
never
faltered. He also
never
spent time with skin peddlers, preferring to take them
out
than take them to dinner. Which was what he was doing.

He leaned to the cabbie. “You know where Cuba de Ayer is?”

The man nodded and jumped into traffic, but Maddy’s finger began to wave. “No, no, no.”

Luke leaned back, smiling. “What? Not hungry?”

“Not really,” she replied with a nervousness he found endearing.

“You’re having a hard time with the lack of control right now?”

“Um, yes.” Her face tightened. “But—”

“Sit. Back.”

Throwing her hair over her shoulder, she slipped back, eyes locked on him. “This isn’t what I signed up for.”

Luke ran a hand over his face before settling back. “Beautiful, me neither.”

CHAPTER TEN

They breezed in and breezed out of the famous, open-all-night joint in Little Havana, and Maddy didn’t say a word. Luke ordered to go, and she had no idea where they would go with Cuban takeout. The taxi had long since gone, and he took her arm, guiding her outside, helping her over a step.

“I’ve got it.” She pulled away from the protective gesture. She didn’t need anyone to cross a threshold covered in flowering vines. A midnight meal and a romantic Miami street might’ve been an ideal night out, but not for her. The tension in her shoulders was nearly killing her, making it hard to breathe and impossible to think. The only thing that would clear her mind was another kiss, and this guy—she couldn’t stop replaying how his mouth had taken hers—wanted none of that. Apparently, he wanted
Masitas de Puerco Fritas
.

They rounded the block to an apartment building that had seen better days, and he dragged her like a gentleman up the brightly painted stairs and into the unit farthest away, in a corner that overlooked both the street and an alleyway. Her father would appreciate the thought that had gone into a unit placed like that.

As it did in any new location, her training kicked in. She quickly scouted the exits and knew the place well enough to map it out. Several things caught her vision that could be used in an escape, not that she was worried about leaving. Her precautionary measures were who she was.

The apartment was clean but barren. The walls were plain, the furniture sporadic, much in contrast to the streets of Little Havana. A nondescript sofa and coffee table. A couple of lights. A small hallway led to what could only be assumed to be a bedroom and bath.

“This is your place?” His suit was custom tailored and expensive. It hung on his frame as if each stitch had been hand threaded with his physique in mind. The man didn’t match his place. There were no hints of his law enforcement or military job—whatever it was that he did—which should have been enough to keep her away.

“Sort of.” He threw the bag of takeout on the counter then turned, watching her stalk the room.

Nothing personal anywhere decorated a single square inch. The building hadn’t seemed to be a flophouse. It was definitely nicer than that with the gardens and ornate gates. They weren’t extravagant but tasteful and well-planned.

“Not what I expected from your place,” she said.

“Not really
my
place.” He shrugged. “Just a place.”

Paranoia seeped into her. He’d kissed her but hadn’t touched her since. Was it a setup? He brought her to a secluded location, without security or transportation. Even as she studied him, she couldn’t believe that was true. But…why else was he going to eat a late dinner after he’d swept her off her feet? This was the problem with attraction, why there was an industry built on it. She was off her game, making stupid mistakes, just to get a fix of that insatiable feeling. “I’m going to head out.”

Apparently done watching and waiting, he pushed from the counter. “Freeze, beautiful.”

She obeyed. Her limbs shivered, and that thrill she chased so hard ran down her back. “Why?”

His long strides ate the space between them until his hands cupped her face, and he took her in a hard kiss. Before had been teasing, a whiff of his masculine scent, a tentative sample of what would come. But now, his mouth owned her. He forced her to submit, their tongues clashed, and she clawed her arms around him, clinging to what she wanted—him.

His hands climbed up her back, threading into her hair. His fingers knotted and pulled, making her moan. The light bites of pleasure were erotic, and her flesh jumped to life with the hot need of arousal.

Luke hugged her with one arm and bit her lip as he hustled them down the hall. The bedroom door bounced against the wall. She shut her eyes to focus on one sense at a time. Looking at him would be too much—until he tossed her on the bed. Then her eyes flew open.

The room was just as sparse as the front area. It was clean, almost sterile, making the man standing before her contrast harshly with their surroundings.

With strong, deft movements, he untied his tie and pulled off his jacket. A quick toss landed the jacket on the floor and the tie on the bed. He filled out his button-down shirt, his muscles bulging. Those biceps were a flex away from splitting the fabric, his chest a deep breath from popping the buttons. Slowly, his fingers unfastened each one, and he stripped the shirt to show the decadent artwork.

He took a condom out of his wallet and tossed it on the nightstand. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

She sucked a quick breath at the promise of sex. “You won’t. I know you won’t.”

With a quick shake of his head, he stepped closer. His gaze ran the length of the black dress. “Why have you never been kissed?”

“I’ve never been interested.”

His jaw flexed. “Why?”

“Nothing’s wrong with me.” But a million things were wrong with her. What woman made it to her twenties without ever experiencing arousal?

His head shook again. “Didn’t say that. I was just wondering what happened or what it took.”

“Just you,” she whispered.

“Damn.” Luke stared at her before he drew in a deep breath. “Tell me more. About you. About why. I want the truth.”

She closed her eyes, shutting the world away, picturing his honest inquisition. He really wanted to know. This wasn’t for a case. He wasn’t building a file against her.

Without looking directly up, because she couldn’t stomach if his face dropped in disgust, she swallowed a lump of guilt. “I never knew my mother and grew up with a deviant for a brother. He took after the monster who is our father.” Maddy looked up to stare at what surely would be disgust. But it wasn’t.

“You saw things you shouldn’t?”

She nodded. “If that’s what sex was, what arousal was, then from early on, I wanted nothing to do with it. The things I saw, heard…”

He came to her, and she rested her cheek against his chest while Luke stroked her hair.

Turning her head, she pressed her lips to his skin. “You’re the first person to make me feel like I’m not in this fight alone.”

“What fight?” he asked.

She tried not to shake as she readied to share another, maybe her most important, secret. “To take out Papa and crumble Mercier.”

There.
She’d said it to someone besides Hale. If Luke was a pawn for her father, testing her, then he would kill her. If he was a federal agent not on Mercier’s payroll, then he’d use that info to get what he wanted. Instead, he pulled her to sit on the edge of the bed, sank to his knees, and pressed his perfect, soft lips to hers. The kiss was a promise, and she hoped that meant she’d eventually win her battle.

Her mouth stilled on his. “Please don’t hurt me.”

A careful, purposeful caress answered before he did. “No one has ever taken care of you.”

“No.”

“Time’s come, beautiful.”

He swept her onto her back, laying her across the mattress while his heavy weight came over her. Luke kissed her sweetly, as though he was trying to rid her mind of everything outside this room, as though he wanted to erase her world by making her feel so light and airy that she was melting and flying at the same time.

His hands smoothed against her sides, taking his time as he explored. “Sexy dress.”

“It unzips.” Maddy twisted, and Luke dragged the zipper down slowly, letting his fingers trail down her back. Her skin erupted in shivers. An addictive rush ran down her spine as he bent to kiss one shoulder blade, slipping the dress off.

“Oh…” She couldn’t think with his tongue and teeth tracing a maze on her back. Maddy shimmied out of her dress and watched him take in the black bra and panties. “What?”

He smiled. “No joke, no line. I’ve never seen a woman as gorgeous as you.”

A blush hit her cheeks, and before she could think of something that sounded better than a generic thank you, he took her lips while unfastening her bra.

Luke trailed wet kisses down her neck. “Just when I thought you couldn’t be more perfect…” His hands tugged her underwear off. “But you are.”

“Not at all.” She shook her head. “I’m broken on the inside.”

“Beautiful”—he held her gaze—“even if you are—broken—those things heal.”

“I don’t—”

“Trust me, I wouldn’t have believed it. But they do.”

Lying naked for him, baring her body and soul, she asked, “You’ve healed?”

“No.” He leaned over, caging his forearms around her head. “But since I met you, I’ve realized that it’s a possibility.”

As his breath tickled her skin, Maddy closed her eyes, hoping that was true. She ran her hands down his corded back and stopped at his slacks.

“Take these off.”

“Only because you’re used to getting your way.” He kissed her cheek, rolled to the side, and stripped.

“Luke…” He was magnificent. Given her life, she’d seen naked men before, but none as broad and defined. His thick length unnerved her, and she had no idea how…
this
would, could, happen. Her gaze trailed over his shaft and rose over the definition of his abs and the ink on his chest, to the chiseled face watching her take him in.

“You okay?”

She nodded. “Better than.” But worried about his size, how it would feel. Worried about a thousand awful things she’d come to expect with sex.

Luke moved to her, holding her, kissing her, making her entire body light up. His fingers were feather light, his mouth blazing hot. His strong hands massaged her breasts, explored her stomach and her hips, then dipped further south. She pulsed in want and became slick with need. He was
readying
her, and, God, that made her want him even more.

As his fingers slid between her legs, she waited for the incredible sensation to go away, for it to hurt. But Luke stroked her as languidly as he kissed her, gently urging her thighs to spread, and then teased her folds open, paying deliriously amazing attention to her sweet spot.

“Feel good?”

“Yes,” she whispered, shocked and hungry for his further seductive onslaught.

One long finger moved inside her, and her eyes rolled back.

“Still?”

“Still.” Her breathing hitched at the intrusion. Wanting more, her hips rocked, and he used two fingers, stretching her, making her feel delirious. “God.”

He growled against her neck as he kissed. His hand thrummed into her tightness, and his thumb encircled that spot where he’d started. “Never been kissed. Never been touched.”

She nodded her head, her shallow, rapid breaths rasping. A building tension ran from her shoulders to her mound. She wanted to scream for more but also to push away and run from whatever was coming. However, it was too good, too much—too everything she didn’t know existed.

“Never come?”

“No,” she breathed, and a thought hit her—he knew when her climax would come before she did.

The intensity of his touch increased. “Not even for yourself?”

“No. God…”

“Maddy.” He took her mouth and worked between her legs.

Her sex almost hurt for needing relief. Her lungs were on fire, and she was lost in sensation, wanting more of what he was doing to her. “I’m—” She moaned. “Oh, Luke.”

It was too much, and it would never stop. As though she was tightening and exploding, she clenched his fingers inside her body, and her eyes squeezed shut. A wave of euphoria hit her. It rolled through her with more punch than she could ever have imagined. Her feminine muscles spasmed, clutching his fingers, and she gasped his name again.

Luke stilled his touch and softened his kiss as though he knew the slightest movement to her oversensitive skin would be too much. Carefully, he moved, hugging her to his muscular frame.

“You good, beautiful?”

She was limp and lazy, her mind spiraling toward a sated oblivion that was nothing like what she knew of sex and orgasm.

“Maddy, baby. You’re good?”

“
Oui.
” The French slipped out of her unguarded mouth without hesitation.

“Good.” His brilliant smile lit the room. “What do you need from me?”

“That was spectacular.”

He chuckled, kissing her bare shoulder. “We have a good thing.”

“I want more.”

His jaw flexed as though he was holding himself back. “Tell me.”

“I need to feel you inside me.”

The fire and hunger in his eyes jumped, but he didn’t move. “Yeah?”

“Yes.”

Luke took her hand and placed it on his shaft. He was hard, yet the touch of his hot flesh was shockingly smooth. Maddy stroked his length, watching how the movement changed his face. His eyes sank shut, his jaw tightening.

“What do you need from me?” she asked his question back. She knew what girls were trained for, what they endured, what they didn’t mind, but she didn’t know what free will should mean. The possibilities seemed endless.

“Anything, baby.”

Anything… What did she want?

She took her time, dipping her head to taste him. Her tongue swirled around his crown, her thumb tracing the ridge on her upward stroke. A salty, heady flavor made her dizzy with want as she bobbed her head and held him with both fists. The sounds he made, the way he moved…it wasn’t what she’d expected. This was
not
angry or dirty or degrading. It was freeing.