Empire (Eagle Elite Book 7) (27 page)

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Sergio roared, he fell to his knees in front of me and grabbed my hands. “Val, look at me.”

His blue eyes locked on mine. He was so beautiful. Just like the story. And that was another thing. My uncles didn’t know about the letters.

Meaning, they were forgotten.

I had two more.

And they were lost to me now.

My stomach sank even more.

“You aren’t a failure.” Sergio cupped my face. “It’s a bit presumptuous of you to assume what I do and don’t need in a wife. What if I like the idea of finally having someone to protect? Someone to save? Someone who’s vulnerable,” his voice cracked. “Sometimes Val, it’s nice to be needed. Sometimes, it’s nice to be someone’s hero. Just for once.”

I reached my arms around his neck. “I didn’t call you a hero.”

“You didn’t have to.”

“That’s presumptuous.”

“Well, I’m fairly confident in my damsel in distress saving abilities.”

“Cocky.”

“Eh, do we want to call it arrogance or just the ability to be a bad ass? I mean, call a spade a spade, Val.”

I burst out laughing.

He’d made me laugh.

The same guy who looks at people wrong and makes them burst into tears and confess all of their sins.

He’d made me laugh.

“Thanks.” I pulled back, our noses almost touched. “For being my hero.”

“All in a day’s work.” His eyes darted to my lips then back up to my eyes as if asking permission.

So I gave it.

By kissing him first.

With a groan he slammed his lips against mine, meeting me halfway. Strong hands dug into my hips pulling me almost completely off the seat as my legs dangled across his lap. Sergio fell back against the floor, tugging me the rest of the way with him. He stayed in a sitting position as he wrapped my ankles around his waist and continued his wicked assault on my lips.

His mouth was hot.

And it felt — dangerously tempting.

Like I was in danger of falling and never being able to get back to where I had the upper hand — then again, I never did have it, not where he was concerned.

His hands slid up my sides causing my body to rise above his, he guided me back down.

I squeezed my thighs around him, with each squeeze more and more sensation built, his movements were slow. And every time my body collapsed against his, I felt him pushing into me.

Too much dress was blocking our bodies from joining.

Well that, and the fact that he still had clothes on too.

But I wanted it.

Fear wasn’t attached to the way we kissed — only hot exploration on my part, and need on his.

“Please prepare for takeoff,” the captain said over the speaker.

“Damn it.” Sergio pulled away from me, eyes wild. “We should…” He pointed at the chairs.

I hadn’t even noticed how nice the inside of the plane was, I was too busy noticing how sexy he was, well that, and having a nervous breakdown.

Cream-colored leather captain chairs and couches were decorated sparsely around the main cabin. A small kitchen and mini bar with a flat screen TV was on the opposite side, and a door that I imagined led to either the bathroom or a bedroom was at the far end.

“I won’t pressure you.” Sergio kissed my mouth again. “Tonight.”

“What about tomorrow? Will you pressure me then?” I just had to ask.

“No.” He grinned smugly. “I don’t think I‘ll have to.”

“There you go with that arrogance again.”

“I’m cocky.” He thrust against me, then chuckled darkly against my neck. “What can I say?”

The plane started picking up speed, so I hurried off him, adjusted my dress as best I could, and buckled up in one of the seats nearest him.

Once we were airborne, Sergio took off his seatbelt and walked over to me, he leaned over, his mouth hovering near my ear as he whispered, “Don’t move.”

And sleep, that sometimes shuts up sorrow’s eye, Steal me awhile from my own company. –A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Sergio

I WAS BEING
cruel.

Well, not cruel.

But using her fear against her.

Chest heaving with each breath she took, Val froze, her entire body going rigid as I stood in front of her, bent over and slowly unbuckled her seat belt.

I kissed her right cheek, then her left, my lips hovering over her mouth. Her innocent kisses had become addictive in the worst way.

I’d forgotten.

It was that simple.

I’d been so lost in my own sadness and mourning that I’d ignored every single carnal thought — thinking it almost a betrayal against
her
memory.

But each kiss with Val brought me closer and closer to the edge until, finally, I took the leap, only to realize it wasn’t guilt I was met with.

But lust. Need. Desire.

I remembered that I liked sex — hell, I loved it.

I wanted it, I could taste it, taste her arousal in the air every time my tongue touched her lips and her innocent little hands reached for my body.

I was hard before I had even touched her.

A virgin.

A girl who hadn’t even been kissed.

Which meant I couldn’t just slam her against the wall and toss up her skirt, or tell her to bend over and take me.

Damn, just imagining all the different positions had me wound up all over again.

I needed to lock her in the bedroom so I didn’t strip her bare and sink myself into her inch by inch.

“Come on.” I lifted her into my arms and carried her back into the bedroom. She wasn’t as light as Andi had been.

More muscular.

More curves.

And for the first time in a while, it didn’t feel like I was making a comparison, where Val fell short and Andi won.

It was more of an observation. She was heavier.

And I liked it.

Her lips were fuller.

And they tasted different.

But they were wicked — tempting.

And when she kissed me, my body buzzed with awareness, my tongue nearly going numb with adrenaline as I felt my blood surge.

I sat her down gently on the bed and crossed my arms. “Why don’t you change into the clothes we bought since yours are packed. You can take a nap.” Val was staring at me. And for the first time since I’d met her, I couldn’t for the life of me read her expression. So I kept talking, my voice getting louder as if to quiet my thoughts, the dangerous thoughts that pointed out how sexy she was sitting on the bed, and how her right thigh was exposed all the way up to her hip crease.

“And.” I coughed and turned around in a semi-circle, trying my damndest to find the light. “Here’s the light switch.”

Val’s eyebrows rose.

“For…” Another awkward cough. What the hell? “Turning… the lights off.”

“That is what switches tend to do,” Val said sweetly. “Turn off things.”

I swallowed, my body completely on board with the whole turn off turn on scenario. “So…” I found my voice, thank God. “Maybe sleep off all the trauma.”

“Okay,” Val agreed quickly and stood. “But first can you help me with my dress?”

“What was that?” I asked hoarsely, my hands shaking at my sides.

She turned her back to me. “My dress, the back few buttons are impossible to reach. It’s a bodice after all, and I don’t want to rip the rest of it from the front.”

Was she sure about that? Because I was pretty sure I could get on board with said ripping. Instead, I moved toward her and quickly undid the twelve torturous buttons, my fingers trembled as I found the zipper and slid it down the rest of the way.

The sound was more erotic than it should be.

The rustling of her dress as it fell to her feet.

My heavy breathing as I placed my hands on her shoulders.

Only to look up and realize.

She literally had no bra on.

At all.

But she did have on a white lacy thong, nestled between the sexiest ass cheeks I’d ever seen in my entire life.

No comparison necessary.

Just simple truth.

Her ass was more than nice.

Staring at it made me dizzy and jealous at the same time, that the simple scrap of fabric was going to get more action than me.

I slid my hands down her smooth arms then took a step back. “Done.”

She turned, hands on hips. “Are you?”

“Hell.”

“Sergio?”

“Don’t tempt a sinner, sweetheart.”

“Funny, I always thought you were more saint.” She was like a goddess before me, all curves and smooth skin. My eyes had trouble focusing on one general thing. Funny, how before it had been my goal to focus on just legs, or just her hips, or just her eyes, hell even her ears.

And now, it was laughable. Completely ridiculous how blind I’d been, how I hadn’t seen it sooner.

How gorgeous she was.

Because what made Val… Val… what made her beautiful — had everything to do with all of those features. By themselves, they were perfection, they painted a picture of such deep-rooted beauty that, had I looked at her, truly seen her the first day I met her.

I would have been screwed.

And most likely jumped off a building to keep myself from feeling — from taking — from following through.

“I don’t know how to do this,” she confessed in a soft voice. “Your move, Sergio.”

I wasn’t worthy of that type of trust.

“Are you sure?”

“No.”

Her answer surprised me. “You’re not sure, and yet you’re standing in front of me topless?”

“I don’t think a virgin is ever sure. That would be lying. You want truth in this marriage? You promised me your body.” She took a step forward. “Now give it to me.”

Her hands shook, it was barely noticeable. My girl was being brave. Hell, she could cry over gunfights all day long — but bravery in the bedroom? It was all I needed.

And something I never even knew I was desperate for.

Permission to be
with
her.

Minus the guilt of withholding the best parts of me.

Two steps and my hands connected with her lush body, pulling her against me, her breasts pressed against my chest, teasing, taunting.

I moved my hands to cup them both. Damn it, she might be young, but she was all woman.

The power she had over me was humbling and terrifying all at once. Our mouths met in a frenzied kiss. My hands dug into her hair while she gripped my ass.

Where the hell did virgins already know how to please a man before he’s even inside her?

Her nails dug into my slacks.

With a curse I pulled back and jerked my shirt over my head tossing it to the side. The plane hit a patch of turbulence sending her into my arms. I fell onto my back pulling her with me, just as we hit another bump.

The seatbelt light flicked on in the bedroom.

“What do you say?” I grinned. “Live dangerously?”

“Oh, I’ve got that covered.” Val smirked. “I married the mob.”

“Yeah, you did.” I burst out laughing.

In bed.

With my new wife.

Crazy.

Impossible.

But there it was.

She licked her lips then trailed a finger down the middle of my chest. “I want to…” She looked lower. “Please you.”

“I want that…” I grabbed both of her hands. “Later. But right now, let’s make this more about us than about me.”

Her eyes widened.

Probably like mine did.

My admission scared me.

Because I was no longer thinking in the singular — but as a team.

With a new partner.

One I’d never asked for.

One who’d been forced upon me.

Again.

Her eyes searched mine as if to say, “What now?”

I tugged her head down, our mouths meeting somewhere in the middle as I tasted her over and over again, then hooked my foot around her legs, flipping her onto her back. The plane bounced, causing her to jerk up toward me.

I was going to use the turbulence in my favor.

With a sly smirk, I kicked off my pants then crawled slowly up her body, leaving no patch of skin without attention from either my lips or my tongue.

Her eyes closed, and opened, closed again. “I feel…”

“Everything,” I said for her. “I want you to feel everything.”