Under His Protection (14 page)

The man was seriously built like a god, something his plain T-shirt and lounge pants couldn’t hide. And the way he was looking at her, as if she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, made her feel more powerful than she’d ever imagined.

He leaned closer to her spread legs and inhaled. Actually inhaled, like he couldn’t get enough of her. She might be comfortable with her body but oral sex was so intimate and this was Ivan, a man she’d been fantasizing about for months, kneeling in front of her as if he wanted to devour her.

Something she was more than on board with. This wasn’t about wanting to forget everything either, though she did want to get that last text out of her mind. This was just about Ivan. As they’d sat and talked tonight, before company had arrived and after, she realized she’d fallen a lot harder for him than she’d thought possible. And maybe she wasn’t as okay with casual as she’d tried to convince herself that she was. She wanted more with him and wasn’t afraid to fight for it.

He’d stepped up and protected her when he’d had no reason in the world to other than he was an honorable man. Even his profession was all about protecting people.

“Put your leg over my shoulder.” His voice was a soft growl she felt all the way to her core. And his order was one she had no problem following.

As she lifted her leg and slid it over his shoulder, he looked up at her. With him clothed and her naked she could only imagine the display they created and it made her even hotter, heat flooding between her legs in a rush.

“Next time I do this, you’re wearing those red fuck-me heels. I want to feel them digging into my back as I taste you.” His words barely registered before his mouth was on her.

He moved so fast, the intimate action taking her off guard even though she’d known what he planned to do. She’d just assumed he’d tease her, work up to it. Nope, Ivan went straight for her clit, licking his tongue over the throbbing bud in one long sweep. His hands pressed against her inner thighs, keeping them spread and open.

Crying out, she jerked against the chilly window and he shifted lower, opening her wider to him as he slid his tongue along her wet slit. Her nipples pebbled tighter at the erotic sensation. She clutched his shoulder with one hand and slid her fingers through his hair with the other. When she dug into his skin and slightly tugged his hair he moaned against her and increased the pressure.

Over and over he flicked and teased her, dipping his tongue between her lips before moving back to her clit. She completely lost all semblance of time as he knelt there, learning what she liked by the sounds she made.

Taking her by surprise, he slid a finger against her opening, testing her wetness before letting out what sounded a lot like a triumphant growl. Just like with his teasing mouth, he gave no warning before sliding a finger inside her.

She released a shuddering breath at the welcome intrusion. Her inner walls clenched around him, gripping him tight, not wanting to let go.

He increased his pressure against her clit, his tongue positively magic as he slowly began sliding his thick finger in and out of her. Her foot dug into his back, her body incredibly open to the pleasure he was giving her. The orgasm started to build inside her, her abdomen clenching the closer she raced toward release.

He growled something against her spread lips that sounded a lot like “Come for me”. She lost it, her orgasm ripping free in a rush of sensation.

Closing her eyes, her head fell back against the window as it built and built, her entire body tingling with the freefall of her climax. It was as if all her nerve endings lit up at once, the shock to her system almost too much pleasure. Almost.

As her orgasm started to ebb in slow, pleasurable waves, Ivan slowly withdrew his finger. Immediately she wanted to tell him to push back inside her, but she didn’t have the energy. It took effort but she forced her eyes open and looked down at him.

Her body was boneless and if it wasn’t for the window supporting her she might have collapsed. A small part of her expected him to look smug that he’d wrenched such an intense orgasm from her the first time they’d been intimate together, but the only thing in his blue eyes was heat.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

His lips quirked up and he lazily slid a hand up over her thigh and down to her knee where her leg was still slung over his shoulder. He squeezed lightly. “I could keep you like this all night.” A soft, hungry promise filled those words as his gaze dipped to her mound again.

She should be sated, but another rush of heat slid through her and she hoped they were just getting started. Slowly, he slid her leg off his shoulder. She wobbled once as her foot touched the ground, but Ivan grasped on to her hips.

His hands were warm and steady. He only dropped them for a moment so he could stand. In that moment, with her naked, she realized just how big he was. She already knew, but their differences seemed somehow over pronounced now, especially since she was basking in her post-orgasm glow and completely bare to him.

On instinct she looked down at his erection, her eyes slightly widening at the sight of the impressive bulge covered by his pants. She reached for him, wanting to stroke him, to taste him, but he caught her wrist with his hand.

Her gaze snapped up to him. “What’s wrong?” she whispered, unable to make her voice carry any higher. She didn’t want to ruin the atmosphere between them.

He cupped her cheek with his free hand, rubbing a calloused thumb over her skin. “Not a damn thing. But tonight is about you.”

“I want it to be about both of us.” Because she wanted to make him lose control too. She wanted a deeper physical connection with him.

He was silent for a long moment, watching her, his expression unreadable. She resisted the urge to squirm. Finally he spoke. “Outside your brothers’ restaurant, what you said about me only wanting casual…you’re wrong. I want something real with you, Julieta. I’ve never had a real relationship before so some of this is guessing for me, but I know enough that just telling you something isn’t going to cut it. I want to show you I’m serious.”

She inwardly winced at her assumptions. “I shouldn’t have said that. And you don’t need to prove or show anything to me, especially not like this. I’m not a selfish lover and—”

“It’s not that.” His fingers squeezed lightly around her wrist. “And I never imagined you would be selfish. It’s… I
want
tonight to be about you. You’ve been through a lot and I just want it to be about you.”

There was something in his tone, as if he was unsure of himself that made her pause. Because Ivan
never
stumbled over his words. Part of her wanted to push because she was pretty sure if she rubbed a palm over his erection, he’d cave, but…If she was honest, it was insanely hot that he wanted tonight to be just about her. Even if she was dying to finally strip all the barriers between them. “Okay. But next time is going to be about you too.”

He half-smiled, the way his lips quirked up making him seem almost boyish and her knees weakened again. “Next time?”

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she moved closer and lifted up on her toes. “Oh, yeah.” There was definitely going to be a next time. Lots of them, and very soon, if she had anything to say about it.

Chapter 12

Where the hell was she? He slammed his hand against his steering wheel then flinched at the blast of the horn. His palm stung from the impact but he welcomed the pain.

It had been four fucking days. Four. Days. Julieta hadn’t been into work or to her home. Not that he’d seen and he’d been by her shop enough times to know. She must be with that blond man. The one he’d seen her with last Saturday.

She was probably fucking him. Stupid whore. She belonged to him and no one else. She thought she could disappear on him? He refused to let her hide.

His hands shook as he turned down the street to her shop. It was Friday and she always worked Fridays. Of course she usually worked every damn day. She’d been so predictable, her actions like clockwork. Until now.

It was why he’d been patient to wait, to take his time building up to when he’d finally kidnap her. Now…he needed to see her. After that last text he’d sent showing her how much she affected him, he hadn’t sent anymore.

He’d been determined to show some control, to prove to himself that he had restraint. Even if she pushed at his. Women always thought they were smarter than him. Just like his stupid mom, always telling his dad what to do, beating the man down until he had no opinion of his own. And now she wanted him to go to therapy. As if he fucking needed it.

He wasn’t going to waste time sitting on some couch talking to an overeducated asshole who looked down on him, thought they were better than him. No way in hell. Besides, what he needed was Julieta, screaming for him as he cut her, fucked her, and killed her.

He was definitely going to keep her alive for days now, make her beg for death. She didn’t get to hide from him. His heart jumped in his throat as he spotted her car a few parking spots down from the outside of her store. He couldn’t stop the erratic thump in his chest as he cruised by her store, sticking to the speed limit.

She was
inside
. Finally.

For a moment, it was as if everything around him faded away as he watched her talking to that blonde slut who worked with her. Julieta smiled as she arranged something in the window. She didn’t look afraid, like she’d been up worrying about what text he’d send next or where he’d strike; her house or store.

For days he’d imagined her losing sleep as she fought fear of the unknown. Of him. Of what he’d do next. He’d stroked himself off countless times as he fantasized about her living in terror.

But she was practically glowing, like she didn’t have a care in the world. Rage detonated inside him, making his entire body shake.

He forced his gaze straight ahead, his vision going hazy for a moment as the anger inside him bubbled higher and higher.

He knew what he had to do. She was going to find out there was nothing he wouldn’t do to have her. It didn’t matter that she was behind the glass windows and doors of her store. She wasn’t safe, even surrounded by people.

He was going to show her exactly how powerful he was. What kind of man he was.

And then he’d take her life.

* * *

Julieta’s gaze turned toward the front of her store as the bell over the door jingled. For a moment she thought they had more customers but it was just the two women who’d been shopping finally leaving. They’d been browsing the past hour and had bought a ton of merchandise, which normally made her happy.

She just wanted today to be over. Which was probably a little ungrateful of her, but she was mentally exhausted. She felt like she was constantly looking over her shoulder and expecting her stalker to jump out of the shadows.

For four days she’d been hibernating at Ivan’s but she’d finally had enough this morning. Ivan hadn’t wanted her to leave at all; he’d been fine with her cooped up under his roof. If she was honest, when she hadn’t been focused on the reason she was hiding out, it had been a lot of fun just hanging out with Ivan. They’d been intimate and she’d slept in his bed every night with him holding her—though he was still keeping her at arm’s length as far as sex went. He had way more patience than her. They’d also cooked together, watched movies, and thankfully he was like her and didn’t mind the quiet so when she’d wanted to read, he’d read too.

She came from a huge family so having actual quiet time to read or just check her email was a miracle. Because living by herself didn’t mean she had privacy. One of her brothers, cousins, parents or aunts was always stopping by. Something she loved. But still, a little privacy would be nice.

Over the past four days she’d gotten to know Ivan a lot more too. He’d been in the Army for eight years before working for Mina’s father and it was clear that Ivan had really cared for the man. He’d lost his own mother during childbirth then his father to cancer. Now he was basically alone. Well, not alone. He had a lot of friends from the Army and in his current job, but she’d heard the longing in his voice more than once when he told her how lucky she was to have such a supportive family. And she was, of that she had no doubt.

Now that she’d come to her store she was starting to feel somewhat normal again. Not safe exactly, because she wasn’t stupid. Just because her stalker had been quiet the past few days didn’t mean anything. There were any number of reasons he could have stopped bothering her, but she knew he hadn’t just forgotten about her. No, he was still out there. Somewhere. Damn it, if she just knew what he looked like, it would ease some of her tension.

Everywhere she looked she wondered if her stalker was nearby, watching, waiting. As she hung up a silky, purple robe someone had left in the dressing room, she mentally shook herself.

“You look deep in thought,” Ivan said, his voice making her jump a little.

She turned from the rack she’d just hung the robe on and smiled at him. He’d been with her all day as she’d made the rounds to her family’s restaurants and then her shop. She’d been determined to get out and stop living in fear. It amazed her that she wasn’t sick of Ivan
and
that he wasn’t tired of her. If anything, she wanted to spend more time with him. “Just thinking of you and…later tonight.” Because after four days of sharing the same bed with him and no sex, and she was about to crawl out of her skin. She needed a deeper physical connection. She felt like she’d been waiting for Ivan for years.