Her Covert Protector by Victoria Paige

11

Nadia didn’t regret drawinga line in the sand the night before, and she was glad John didn’t attempt to pull that line to his favor. They ate dinner and maintained a civil conversation that had nothing to do with what was going on between them. John didn’t talk about his two-week mission to Ukraine. He asked mostly about her dad and her team. He was particularly interested in Kelso, maybe because he was the lead on the Crown-Key investigation.

John put her up in a separate bedroom, but she slept terribly. It was the first time they’d spent the night together in a house. She had no doubt he expected them to pick up where they left off. She’d even hazard a guess that he was ready to explore more, but his total radio silence these past two weeks only reiterated her decision to resist him.

Any kind of relationship with John Garrison would only end in heartache. And it was neither of their faults. Nadia wanted something stable and certain, and that wasn’t John. That man wasn’t meant to be anchored in one place.

Noise in the hallway drew her attention, and she rolled over in her bed and snatched the phone. It was five thirty.

Minutes later she heard the coffee grinder go. The kitchen was equipped with one of those fancy industrial ones. Her sleep-deprived brain immediately responded to the promise of caffeine, and she scrambled out of bed. Crap, she didn’t have clothes. She texted Kelso last night to swing by her place to grab a few items. He had a key to her apartment like she had a key to his. It wasn’t unusual that they ran errands for each other. Gabby used to be in the mix until Declan walked back into her life.

She padded to the bathroom to take another shower. Afterward, she put on another fresh shirt and went without panties again. Nadia’s thoughts strayed to their encounter last night.

They’d almost kissed.

Again.

Dammit.

The sooner she escaped John’s clutches, the better. Those little gestures from him … the chips and salsa, making sure she wasn’t walking barefoot on cold kitchen tiles were … endearing and so not good for her resolve. It was so unlike John and, yet, seemed such a part of him. He was an enigma.

That was his spy craft, her suspicious mind whispered. The first time she’d met him, he’d been pretending to be a suit from Homeland Security. He let Declan do all the talking, but he slipped in and out from the background. He could blend into the walls if he wanted to, but if he needed to be heard, he spoke with authority. And everyone listened.

Her lady parts quivered, reminding herself again that she was going downstairs without panties. She seemed to lose her panties whenever John was around.

She stuck her head out of the bedroom door and immediately inhaled the glorious aroma of freshly brewed coffee. But when she arrived in the kitchen, he was nowhere to be found and she wondered if the coffee machine was set on a timer. Oh well, didn’t mean she shouldn’t partake. However, she noticed the front door was slightly ajar, and she heard the gates.

Shit, she never checked her phone when she came out of the shower. Nadia had a feeling that it was Kelso.

She headed to the door, but before she reached it, voices filtered in from outside.

John entered, holding a black gym bag with Kelso following closely. John’s eyes raked her from head to toe, his mouth flattening.

“Sorry!” Nadia chirped, deliberately ignoring his displeasure at having a surprise visitor sprung on him. “I forgot to tell you Kelso was stopping by.”

The detective didn’t appear too happy himself. Did John say something to him?

“As you can see, Lieutenant, Nadia is fine.”

“I wanted to see her with my own eyes,” her teammate shot back. “After the last time I had to pick her up—”

“That was a misunderstanding,” John clipped.

Her brow arched. It was?

But Nadia was familiar with the clash of testosterone in her line of work. And it hung around John and Kelso as thick as the LA smog at rush hour. And was equally as suffocating too.

She needed to diffuse the situation. “It really was.”

“You sure?” Kelso asked, doubt tinging his tone.

“Yes.”

“You two are not—“ Kelso started.

“None of your business,” John growled at the same time Nadia said, “No.”

Silence.

She exhaled in exasperation. “John is watching out for me because you and Gabby have enough on your plate. Besides I’m sure after our meeting later, it’ll be back to normal.”

John shot her a look that stated, don’t count on it.

She shot him one of her own communicating, wanna bet?

“Fine,” Kelso said. “I need to check with our CSI tech regarding the prints they lifted off the other three assailants, but we’re pretty sure if they’re not related to the Brotherhood, they’re hired mercenaries.”

“I can find out if they can’t.” Nadia returned her gaze pointedly at John.

Translation: I’m sure the CIA will let me check their databases.

“Okay, then,” the detective started backing out the door. “See you at eight.” His mouth quirked. “I’m sure I put everything in there and your dad says hi.”

Pivoting on his heel, he left the house.

“You can drop the bag there.” Nadia already turned to head back into the kitchen. “I need coffee.”

She heard something plop on the floor, the door shut, but nothing else. Nadia went on tiptoes to get the coffee mug—why was everything put up on a shelf that was hard to reach. She was five-seven. Before she was able to grab one though, she was spun around and pinned against the countertop.

“What the hell—” Her voice caught at the fierceness of John’s expression.

He leaned in, hard face a scant inch from hers, his harder body keeping her own hostage.

And he was hard everywhere. And pissed.

“Don’t tell me this is about Kelso showing up unannounced,” she said.

“I’m used to that. Try again.” Clipped words.

“I don’t know, John,” she returned with a touch of sarcasm. “Why don’t you enlighten me?”

She might have regretted those words.

Or maybe not. Because the gleam in his eyes changed, and it made her nipples harden.

“If you need anything that touches your body, you tell me first.”

“This is about the clothes he brought me?”

“Yes. How did he get them?” He must have pushed closer because she was leaning further away. And why was she taking this? “Get off.”

“Answer me!”

“How else? He has a key to my apartment. I’m warning you, John.” She was going to knee this asshole in the balls the first chance she got.

His eyes narrowed. “Get it back.”

“What the hell? What’s wrong with you?”

“You should’ve asked me first.”

“Why make it complicated? I’m not your responsibility.”

“Yes, you are.”

“Is this about the ‘I might be pregnant’ again?”

“No, it’s about me staking a claim.”

How could his bossiness make her hot and indignant at the same time? “Stop being such a caveman, and let me—”

John crashed his mouth on hers, and she squirmed against him. She opened her mouth to protest, but he slipped his tongue inside. Big hands cupped her bare buttocks, and she felt him groan. He squeezed her ass, and she felt warmth pool between her legs.

He boosted her up, spun around and walked over to the center island, all the while still kissing her. Then he tore his mouth away as she landed on her ass on the cool granite surface. He hauled her to the edge, and the shirt rode up, her pussy bared to his eyes.

Indignantly, she braced herself on her elbows but seeing John staring solemnly at her core stifled the words she wanted to say. His gaze flicked to hers momentarily. “You’re wet.”

A finger stroked her slit.

“Yes, so what?”

“You want me, Nadia, even while you try so hard to push me away.”

“You’re bad for me.”

His mouth tightened. “I’ll change your mind.”

Without saying another word, he bent forward, tossed her legs over his shoulders, arching her back and then his head disappeared from view.

The first lashing of his tongue on her pussy had her biting back a moan. She slapped the back of her hand on her mouth to keep from crying out as he licked and assaulted her with broad strokes, fastening on her clit, sucking the bud between his lips.

Nadia exploded and bucked against his mouth. Exquisite pleasure drummed at the tip of her mound, and he knew what she needed to extend that feeling, pressing down on the top of her pelvis and prolonging those pulsating sensations.

Then he hauled her up and started kissing her again. Letting her inhale her own scent on his skin, he devoured her mouth with a consuming possession that couldn’t be denied.

Finally, he pulled away, and Nadia sucked in an instinctive breath. “What the hell?” she mumbled against his mouth.

They were face to face, his hips between her legs. She was in a very precarious position to be fucked. All he had to do was lower the waistband of his track pants. His erection wasn’t trying to be shy either. He was long and rock-solid underneath that thin fabric. He read her mind.

His eyes crinkled at the corners. “I can fuck you right here, right now.”

“And if I say no?” She arched a brow.

“Then I won’t.”

“I don’t get it. You’re willing to suffer through that.” She didn’t dare brush his shaft and tempt fate. If he was experiencing blue balls, he brought that on himself.

He stared at her intently. “Oh, it’s not suffering.”

“It’s not?”

“No. You’re going to remember how easily I made you scream while tongue-fucking you on this counter. The guys will be here any moment. They’ll be sitting around that table, but you won’t be thinking about anything but this …” His large hand wrapped around her skull to bring her face forward. His indigo eyes studied her reaction, and then he grinned, but it wasn’t exactly in humor. “My head between your pretty thighs, your hips squirming to feed that pussy into my mouth. That’s the image you’re going to see in your head today, babe.”

“You sound possessive.”

John shrugged.

“You don’t get possessive, John.”

The fingers around her scalp tightened. “I’m possessive of you.”

“You didn’t listen to what I said last night.”

“I listened. And I gave you a chance to stew over that foolish assumption.”

“I was very clear that I don’t want anything to happen between us anymore.”

Very deliberately, he raked his teeth over his bottom lip in an attempt not to smirk.

“You manhandled me!” And it got her all lusty and hot. “I didn’t have a chance to say no.” Even as she sluttily opened her legs the moment he wedged his hips between them.

“I dare you to say I forced you.” His stare continued to hold hers captive.

Nope. He didn’t.

“I dare you to say that you didn’t lay awake in your bed last night, hoping I’d come to you and end your stubbornness.”

“Self-preservation is not being stubborn,” she said.

John stared at her for a scant second longer before turning away from her. He searched the cabinets and hooked two coffee mugs in his fingers.

“I get where you’re coming from,” he said finally.

Was he admitting defeat? A desolation swept through her. Wasn’t that what she wanted, though? Argh! The conflict is real!

He grabbed the carafe of coffee and started pouring it into a mug before handing her one. “Black?”

She nodded.

Filling his own with brew, he took a measured sip. “There’s a lot I want to say. Part of it you’ll hear when the guys get here. But know that I’ve always intended to explore whatever this was between us, even before I left for Ukraine.”

She started to protest, but he cut her off. “Nadia, I’m not proposing marriage, but something incendiary is happening between us. I’d be stupid to let my job get in the way of what could make me the most human since I’ve lost the ability to empathize … well, empathize like a normal human.”

Nadia snorted. “Glad you made that clear. You’re not a sociopath, John. I’ve seen you care. Does it come naturally to you? No. But that’s not even the issue here. It’s the nature of your job.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Don’t worry about it?”

“We’ll cross the bridge when we get to it.”

“See that’s the whole problem!” Nadia’s voice rose. “You’re not seeing my problem.”

“I’m seeing quite clearly. You think I don’t have what it takes for a long-term relationship.”

“Are you denying it?”

“No. Your fears are legitimate, but, like I said, I want to change your mind.”

“By giving me orgasms?”

At this, his grin widened. “Among other things, but—”

“See! You think because we’ve got this chemistry—”

“But—” he cut in firmly with that authoritative voice that made her obey. “But, we’re going to take the emotional shit slow.”

“Oh, as long as we continue with the physical shit.”

“Have I ever given you shitty sex?”

Nadia crossed her arms and clasped her biceps, looking away. “I mean you want to continue having sex and wait until you feel something? That’s what you mean, right?”

“No,” John said, making her eyes snap back to his. “I’m not fucking you until you ask me to.”

“That’s not what happened just now.”

“Call that a preview of what I can give you. You’re going to allow me to touch you, but no sex. And what I mean by no sex is the actual act. Penetration. Filling you with my cock, you feeling me move inside you—”

“I get the picture.” Nadia squeezed her legs together. “You can stop the dirty talk.”

He smirked. “Is it working?”

“Damn you, Garrison,” she said under her breath.

He chuckled softly before drawing her into his arms, putting a finger under her chin and tipping it up. “I’ve been damned many times, babe, but now I’m ready for my reward.”

Nadia didn’t dare ask him what he meant because it was clearly etched in his eyes.

And she was a little bit afraid.

Because John was everything that was exciting to her, and in his determination to change her mind about giving them a chance, she was afraid that he would be successful. But what if he realized it was not what he wanted and craved his nomadic existence again.

Where would that leave Nadia? She wanted stability; she didn’t want uncertainty.

John cursed under his breath. “You’re still hesitant.”

She sighed. “Do you blame me?”

“No. This can’t be solved in a morning.” He glanced at his watch. “And there’s only so much I can say, but we’re out of time. The guys will be here soon. Go get dressed.”

“You don’t want them to see me in your shirt? Wouldn’t that be more your caveman speed?”

“I’d rather they not see your nipples or imagine you without panties.”

“They’d never—”

“They’re men, Nadia. Fuck it, I don’t even want to think about it.”

She was surprised how strongly he felt about that. He let her go and walked over to where he dropped the gym bag. Returning to her side, he handed it to her and nodded his head toward the staircase.

John was lucky she found his bossiness hot, otherwise, his crotch would be meeting the contents of her coffee cup.

She gave one of her dramatic turns and strutted out of the kitchen. Let him drool over her swaying ass.

And when she heard his strangled groan, she smiled wickedly.