Her Spy to Hold (Spy Games Book 2) Read online

  “Want to talk about it?” he asked.

  She pretended to misunderstand, which really, wasn’t that difficult. He’d been thoughtful all evening. He could be staring at her for any number of reasons. She had no idea what was going on between them right now. “The plot is nonexistent and the actors don’t appear invested. I doubt if it’ll launch any careers or win major awards.”

  “I mean about this.” He picked up the remote with his finger and thumb, waggling it in front of her face. “Sorry, but you don’t get to hand off responsibility. I’m not into conquests.”

  She wasn’t used to being one. Or making them either. “But you do like the thrill of the hunt.”

  “In my line of work I kind of have to enjoy it,” he agreed. His slow grin had her heart pounding at her ribs. “But when it comes to women, I’m more of a catch-and-release kind of guy.”

  She gave up trying to play a game she had no hope of winning. “I never know what you’re talking about,” she confessed. “I wish you’d be more direct.”

  “Direct, huh?” He studied her for a long moment that quickly became uncomfortable. “Why is it so hard for you to believe I find you beautiful? And that I want to take you to bed?”

  The compliment, combined with the heat in his eyes, curled through her. “I have no idea how you find me. We’ve only known each other a few days.”

  She didn’t know the real him either. He pretended to be so good natured and easygoing. Today she’d seen evidence to the contrary. And she couldn’t quite come to terms with how he made her feel. The thought of his hands on her skin stole her breath.

  “You’ve never met a man you’ve been instantly attracted to?” he asked.

  “Of course I have.” The proof was sitting beside her.

  He flicked off the television and leaned forward to toss the remote on the coffee table. The room plunged into semi-darkness, illuminated only by the single streetlight situated a few yards down the road from the foot of the driveway. The curtains at the floor-to-ceiling windows were drawn back. He slid his arm along the back of the sofa. She’d showered before the movie started, leaving her hair free to dry. His fingers tangled in it at the nape of her neck, tugging through the snarl of loose, slightly damp curls.

  “I think we’re both clear on what I’m interested in,” he said. “My concern is that neither of us knows what you really want, although whatever it is, I’m pretty sure it’s nothing short-term.”

  Short-term was exactly what she wanted from him. The thought of anything else was too ridiculous. And overwhelming. “You think you know me that well after a few phony kisses and a day at the beach?”

  “I’m saying you’d never go through with it. You’re too…”

  His voice trailed off as if he’d thought better of whatever he’d intended to say. His expression, however, made his point loud and clear.

  “Boring?” she suggested.

  “I thought we’d cleared up that misconception last night. Boring is the last thing I find you. You aren’t, however, the kind of girl a guy picks up in a bar for one night.”

  She crinkled her nose. “I’m judging you right now.”

  He laughed. “Let me rephrase that. You’re more the kind of girl a guy takes home to his mother. I haven’t introduced mine to anyone since Sarah Keddy in fifth grade.”

  Which brought them right back to boring. “Still judging you. For what it’s worth, I’m more interested in competing with the kind of woman you’d pick up in a bar than a fifth grader.” She drew air into her lungs and went for brave. She swung her leg over his and straddled his hips, resting her palms on his chest. She leaned in close, her lips suspended above his. “I am very interested in that one night you speak of. Strictly for research purposes, of course. To see how you’d perform against a baseline.”

  She read the astonishment in his eyes. Then, the spark of pure lust.

  One broad palm cupped the arch of her bottom. Heat scorched through the thin cotton-latex blend of her yoga pants. “I confess I’m a little turned on by the dirty research talk.”

  “Maybe a discussion on safe sex should come first. I’m clean and I’m on the pill.” She blurted it all out on a single breath, the words tripping over each other.

  “Same here, Dr. Babe. Except for the pill part. I’m waiting for you science types to perfect one for men. When you do I’ll be all over it. Until then I can probably scrounge up a condom or two if you don’t trust me.”

  “I trust you.” She wouldn’t be sitting on his lap if she didn’t. The last reservations inside her broke free. “I’m still not sure I like being called Dr. Babe though.”

  “How about if I say it like this?” His fingers eased under the hem of her tank top, caressing the bare flesh of her stomach as they worked their way beneath her bra. She caught her breath, the erotic sensation of his fingertips stroking the sensitive skin beneath the curve of her breast shooting fire to the insides of her thighs. “You are so freaking hot, Dr. Babe. I can’t wait to be inside you.” The evidence of that declaration was apparent, his erection hard and enormous beneath her. His eyes narrowed to cat-like slits in the darkness, predatory, intent, and a total turn on. “Tell me what you’d like me to do to you to get me there.”

  Talk during foreplay wasn’t something she’d ever been good at. Tonight was about seizing opportunities, however, so she was willing to give it a good try, even though her cheeks blazed at the mere thought of it. She caught the lobe of his ear in her teeth and gave it a light nip, then whispered, “I want you to touch me. Lower.”

  The pad of his thumb swiped across the tip of her nipple. Flames licked at her core. “You can do better than that. Be more specific. Talk dirty to me, babe. Since you’re conducting scientific research, if it makes you more comfortable you can even use the right terminology.”

  Under normal circumstances she would have died of embarrassment right about now. The few men she’d been with had been more focused on the summation than the preamble. This, however, was Kale. Embarrassment didn’t appear to be part of his vocabulary. Not to mention she was already damp from wanting him inside her, and the fastest way to get him there was to cooperate. She didn’t intend to be too fast about it however. Proper research took time and the right preparation.

  She made a move to roll off his lap. “We should close the curtains.”

  He held her in place with one hand on her knee. “Learn to relax, Irina. Let go of those inhibitions. It’s dark in here and your house is well off the road. No one can see us.”

  “Someone took photos of me,” she reminded him. “That’s why you’re here.”

  “I’ve taken a walk around your house for three nights in a row now and seen no signs of anyone,” he assured her. His thumb stroked the inside of her thigh in a silent challenge. “Where’s your sense of adventure? But if it makes you feel better…”

  The idea of some low-risk exhibitionism was oddly exciting, and definitely outside her comfort zone. She settled back on his thighs. If she planned to do this she’d have to trust him. If they were setting inhibitions free though, then he could go first.

  “Take off your clothes,” she commanded, to see if he would.

  “So that’s how it’s going to be.” Without hesitation, he shrugged out of his T-shirt and tossed it onto the floor. “I say we take turns undressing, but fair warning. There’s going to be talking and touching involved. And it’ll be dirty.”

  She inched forward, the apex of her thighs rubbing the base of his erection. “Let’s make sure we have the rules straight. I get to talk and touch first.”

  “Those are good rules.” He leaned back against the sofa. “Be my guest. Why don’t we say three of each, talking and touching, per turn? There should be at least one compliment involved in the talking, though.”

  “Fair enough. Put your hands behind your head.”

  He complied, lacing his fingers together. “Don’t forget the compliment.”

  “Shh. It’s my turn to talk.” All he
r worries over tonight now seemed ridiculous. She could relax and enjoy. Try something new. She tapped her chin with her finger. There’d be no shocking him. He’d made that perfectly clear. Besides, after his investigation was finished, they were never going to see each other again. She could say or do what she liked. “I plan to start at the top and work my way down. All the way down.”

  The thought of how he would taste had her shifting her weight in eager anticipation.

  He let out a groan. “Did I say three of each? I meant just one. Either or. And there should be a time limit.”

  “It’s too late to change the rules now.” She molded against him, her chest pressed to his, hands on his shoulders, and took his lower lip between her teeth. She drew it into her mouth, nipping and sucking, licking it with the tip of her tongue. She felt the rapid rise and fall of his chest and the quickening pace of his breaths. “I love the shape of your mouth. I can already imagine how good it will feel on my labia minora.”

  “I can’t believe you managed to make paying me a compliment sound smart and dirty,” he growled.

  She smiled, ridiculously pleased with herself. She eased back a little, sliding her palms from his shoulders to the heavy pectoral muscles, weighing their solid strength, then lowered her mouth to one of his nipples. She flicked her tongue across it. His back arched in response and he muttered a swear word. She took the dampened flesh between her thumb and forefinger and teased it gently as she moved her tongue to the other nipple.

  “This counts as three touches,” he warned her, his voice husky. “You’ve got one comment left. Then it’s my turn. Brace yourself.”

  “That sounds like a promise.”

  “Oh, it definitely is.”

  She straightened, trying to think through the puddle her brain had become. “The feel of your hard penis against me makes me wet inside.”

  Laughter rumbled through his whole body, spreading to hers. “I don’t care how scientific I said you could be. I’ve got to draw the line somewhere. You can’t say penis. There’s no way I believe it makes you wet when it’s making me shrivel, and that’s not going to be good for either one of us. Try saying ‘dick’ for me. Even ‘junk’ would be better.”

  His laugh was infectious and tempting, seductive all on its own. She was not, however, changing the script. He’d issued a challenge.

  Challenge accepted.

  She spread her palms on his rock-solid abdomen, hooking her thumbs in the waistband of his shorts. “What really makes me wet is knowing that as soon as these come off, I’m going to find out how good your penis tastes. I’m going to run my tongue around the rim of your penis and take it into my mouth. I’m going to suck on your penis until you’re ready to explode.” She eased her hand inside his shorts. He was full and hard. Not at all shriveled. She slid her fingers up and down, then kissed his mouth. “Penis,” she whispered against his lips for good measure, feeling both wicked and daring.

  His laughter choked off. She’d managed to shock him, and herself too, but in a good way. This was so much more fun than she’d expected. She’d never been this turned on by a man in her life. Knowing this was going nowhere—that they’d never meet at a conference, or work on a project together—was liberating in a way she hadn’t expected.

  He swallowed. “I changed my mind. You can say it as much as you like. But we might have to save that for next time. I’m ready to explode as we speak. Now lose the shirt. It’s my turn.”

  She peeled it off, taking her time.

  “Holy crap. That’s what weapons systems placement designers wear under their clothes?”

  Pretty, frilly underwear had always been a weakness of hers. The sexy lingerie gave her more confidence in unfamiliar situations, and Kale, so overwhelmingly male, was about as foreign as anything she’d ever experienced. It was a psychological advantage. But that didn’t change the fact that it worked. His reaction proved the effect wasn’t only on her.

  She tossed her tank top to the floor. “Want to see what else we wear under them?”

  “Do I ever.” He crooked a finger under the clasp at the front. “I want you to strip for me.”

  He was testing her. Seeing how far she’d go. Dirty talk, it seemed, wasn’t going to be enough. It wasn’t for her either. Tonight she planned to be bold.

  She pushed off his thighs and stood so she faced him. He stretched his legs out, his erection straining the front of his shorts, his eyes heavy on her as he settled back to watch. She half turned away and undid the clasp of her bra, then slid the straps off her shoulders, one at a time, covering her breasts with an arm. She dropped the bra to the floor and faced him again, cupping her breasts in her hands, inching her fingers apart so her nipples peeped through. Slowly, she lowered her hands.

  “You are so fu—freaking beautiful,” he said. “I want to suck on them both. I want to take your sweet ass in my hands and I want to pound my dick in you so hard, you’ll scream my name when you come.”

  She tilted her head and looked him up and down. “You think you can make me scream?”

  “Baby, I know I can.”

  She wriggled out of the yoga pants and kicked them aside. She watched his jaw drop at the sight of the thin scrap of pink thong they’d been hiding. She traced a fingertip over the tiny triangle of lace at the front, then nudged her finger underneath it to touch herself in a way she would never have dreamed of doing with anyone else. He wasn’t walking away from her tomorrow thinking she was a prude.

  “This,” she said in the same prim, scholarly tone she’d use at a lecture while fondling her mound with a sweep of her thumb, “is called a mons veneris. It’s all yours if you want it.”

  “I do. And I think I’ll unwrap it myself. It’s time I did some touching.”

  He caught her hips with his hands and drew her toward him until he had her trapped between his thighs. The coarse blond hairs on his legs rubbed against her skin, already sensitive with anticipation. He hooked his thumb in the strings of her thong and slid the panties out of the way. He eased a finger into her damp folds, stroking until he had her breathless.

  “Oh my God.” Irina grabbed his shoulders to steady herself. She closed her eyes. Heat scorched through her frame, leaving her trembling with need. “More. I want more.”

  His smile was one of pure, male self-satisfaction. “That’s not my name. Let’s hear you say it.”

  “Kale.” She clutched him tighter. His finger moved in and out. Any second now she was going to orgasm. She bit her lip, trying to hold back.

  “Louder.”

  “Kale.”

  “And what do you want from me?”

  She opened her eyes and met his in the semidarkness. “I want you to make me scream.”

  He took his hand away, skimming out of his shorts and lifting her onto his lap. She fisted his shaft, guiding the tip of his erection into position, stroking her thumb under the velvety rim. His hips bucked upward. He began sliding into her, inch by slow inch, hot and hard and thick. She sucked in a sharp breath, afraid she might pass out from the pleasure of it.

  Instantly, he stopped. His hands braced her, supporting her weight on his forearms, his fingers digging into her buttocks. “You OK? Because this has got to be good for us both, not just me.”

  Having sex with a giant had its drawbacks. Physically she only had as much control as he gave her, and right now she did not want him to stop.

  “Oh, it’s good,” she assured him. “And if you’ll let me do things my way, it will get even better.”

  “Big talk, Dr. Babe,” he teased, easing his full length inside her. His thumbs roamed her belly, trailing fire in their wake.

  “Are you disappointed so far?” she panted, more intent now on actions than words. She rose on her knees ever so slightly, then settled again, taking him deeper. Her inner muscles clenched, adjusting to the feel and the fit of him.

  His eyes glittered at her in the darkness. “Not even a little.”

  He thrust upward, again, then again,
establishing a rhythm until she shuddered, unable to hold back any longer. She cried out as her orgasm ripped through her. He arched his back, lifting his hips off the sofa. His hands slid to her breasts and he groaned as he spilled inside her.

  She collapsed on his chest with them still connected, limp with spent pleasure and more satisfied than she could have believed possible. They were both breathing hard. She could feel his heart pounding, and the rise and fall of his rib cage beneath her. The world settled back into place.

  If this was what being brave and talking dirty earned her, then she was all for it.

  “That,” Kale said slowly, the husky, raw words rolling over her head in the darkness, “was an experiment that bears repeating.” The rough pads of his fingertips mapped the length of her spine, a languorous and sensual caress that had her shivering with rekindled need within seconds. His voice deepened. “I believe I owe you a few compliments, Dr. Babe.”

  Chapter Seven

  Best night of his life.

  The spare bedroom was gloomy in the gray light of dawn. A light rainfall pattered against the steel roof and on the ground outside the open window. They’d stumbled into his room after the first round of sex, with him carrying her in his arms and her legs wrapped around his waist.

  He watched her face as she slept, nestled against him in a double bed that was far too small for a man of his size, but right now suited him perfectly. She had one bare leg pressed between his thighs. Her hand was trapped against his ribs by the weight of his arm, her fingers curled into a tiny ball. She was using the crook of his elbow as a pillow and he could feel her breath against his throat every time she exhaled.

  He snagged a damp tendril of hair off her face with the tip of a finger. She murmured in her sleep, her freckled nose crinkling as it did whenever she was irritated, in a way that made her look so freaking pretty. She snuggled in closer, all naked and warm. Her dark lashes fluttered but she didn’t wake. She felt like a priceless piece of art in his arms. He was afraid if he moved she might break, although she’d already proved that was unlikely to happen.