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She cut me off with what suspiciously sounded like a giggle, my heart lifting at her teasing. “I’ll up that to top two.”
I lifted my head enough to glare at her in mock anger.
“Hey,” she said, humor dancing in her pools of purple. “There’s always room for improvement.” She paused, realization dawning on her face as she realized I was growing hard within her again.
“You’re going to owe me a hundred bucks.” Satisfaction rifled through my voice.
She hummed, wiggling her hips. “I’m pretty sure you’re going to make it worth my while. But,” in a practiced move, she flipped me so fast I barely had time to blink, “I get the top this time.”
“Well.” I couldn’t deny the view. Her jet-black hair was tousled and riotous around her. Wild waves of silk called for my fingers to play. I gave into temptation and speared a hand into it, cupping the back of her head. “I guess itisyour turn.” Wild laughter followed as I leaned up to press my lips to hers.
Chapter 21
Alessia
Mymindblown,panting,and lying undignified in a heap on my bed, I felt wrung out, worn out, and well-tended. Brody McCallister was no stranger to sex, and, unsurprising to me, he was damn good at it. I couldn’t remember a time I’d come more than once in a night, let alone took part in a sex marathon, but he had succeeded in not only making me lose count of how many times I’d come but turning my mind to mush in the process. How had I lived that long without realizing that multiple orgasms were an actual, real-life possibility and not just something writers made up in romance novels? My past lovers had some explaining to do, that was for sure. I might have teased Brody about being in my top five, but in reality my past bedroom adventures paled in comparison.
“That was fun.” I panted, not even ashamed of my exertion. He struggled for breath next to me, so I felt some satisfaction that he was as wiped as I was. “How long do you think before we can do it again?”
He snorted. “I think I just set a record. I don’t think I’ve come that many times since I was fifteen, maybe not even then. I’m not as young as I used to be, you know.”
It was my turn to snort. Brody was every inch a man in his prime. Lean muscle corded under his skin, flexing and writhing under flesh as he moved. “I think you can handle a challenge. Besides, I’m sure it’s like any other cardio. The more we do it, the more reps we can add.”
He laughed, and I smiled, liking the carefree sound. He was so serious most of the time; it was nice to know I could add some humor to his life. We lay there, the sound of our breathing the only break in the silence as I drifted on a post-coital high. My eyes were closed, my body heavy as I floated between falling asleep and resting when I heard him lift his head and felt his eyes studying me.
“What?” I asked, not wanting to open my eyes.
“Are you ever going to admit what you are? I signed your NDA, and I’m sure you’re aware of my status in the military. I have a pretty high-security clearance, and it would only help you to read me in on what it is you are.”
My eyes popped open, my desire for sleep and another round, or four, forgotten. “What did you do in the Marine Corps? Keene won’t talk about it.” Rolling over onto my hip, I propped my head in my hand, looking expectantly. An offence was the best defense. With any luck, I could distract him with his own stories. Failing that, there was always sex or food.
He gave me a suspicious look, unsure how to take my innocent act. The trick to maintaining an excellent cover was the mixing of lies and truth. Straight-out lies were easily sensed by those trained to detect them, while too much truth blew your identity to smithereens. Brody knew, or had a very strong hunch, that I was more than I seemed, but as long as I skimmed that edge of giving him something concrete, I could keep him guessing and not break protocol or my oath to keep my job a secret.
“I tried to get Matteo to dig into all of my brothers’ files, but he said something about things being classified and going to jail for eternity for breaking into them. He said I should ask them if I wanted to know something.” I gave him an aggrieved look. “I think you know my brothers enough to know that, other than an occasional tidbit here and there, they aren’t ones for sharing.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You don’t know what your brothers did while they were enlisted?” His disbelief was clear.
“Well.” I shifted, letting the sheet slip down a bit. His gaze followed the movement, and I took a breath, making sure I didn’t exaggerate the movement too much. “I know what branches they were in, and they share stories here and there, mostly with each other that I just happen to overhear. But no, they don’t like to talk about it much, and I don’t think they want me to know that side of them, you know?” I didn’t give him a chance to comment. “So?” I said expectantly.
“So, what?” The sharpness in his eyes softened, and I knew I’d succeeded in shifting his focus.
“What can you tell me about what you did? Where did you and Keene meet?”
Uh-oh. Wrong move. Whatever or wherever they met was either a bad memory or classified. He shook his head, focusing back on me. “We were talking about you, not your brother and me.”
I huffed, sliding out from under the sheets. Naked as the day I was born, I didn’t bother looking back as I walked into my closet, no longer in the mood for more fun at the looming probability of having to cut Brody loose since I couldn’t lie to him or tell him the truth. “I’m a model who doesn’t particularly enjoy her work most of the time.” Grabbing a pair of yoga pants, I called over my shoulder as I yanked them on, “I’ll admit to enjoying the company of some not-so-nice people from time to time. I was raised to be over-vigilant and over-prepared, and I continue to be that way, despite my overprotective brothers’ thoughts on the contrary. Though I will admit that I tend to get myself into trouble, so it’s a good thing I prepared for the worst outcome.” Turning around, I glared at him, pissed that, yet again, I was forced to skirt the truth with someone I desperately wanted to be honest with, especially in my own home. “Something you might not know about me, that my family didn’t know until yesterday, was that I wanted more than anything to serve my country, but my father forbade it. So now, I’m the only Accardi who hasn’t served in the armed forces.” I let a hint of pain come through, letting him know I was speaking the truth. “There was nothing I wanted more than to serve my country, but Daddy wasn’t about to let his little girl go play soldier. So I’m sorry if you think there is something to find, but bringing up bad memories and insisting I’m something I would’ve killed for when I was younger will not get you anywhere.”
The distress on Brody’s face told me he hadn’t meant to hit a sore spot. He wasn’t that kind of man, even when he was frustrated. I softened as he ran a hand through his hair, clearly unsure of his next move. “Go shower,” I directed. “I’ll start coffee and see if there is anything to eat. I’m starving, and I’m sure you are, too.”
I didn’t even let the coffee finish brewing before pouring a cup, my mind still fuzzy from days of little-to-no sleep. I’d barely gotten an hour in before Brody called that morning. Somehow the morning had faded into late afternoon, and if I was going to stay awake long enough to make the food my body was demanding, let alone eat it, I needed at least a few cups, or I would probably fall asleep standing at the stove.
Rummaging in the freezer, I found a bag of frozen vegetables and started a stir-fry. No chicken or beef, but I found a can of Spam that I cut into chunks to throw in as the protein. I’d just poured the rice into the pot when an alarm sounded, my phone buzzing insistently simultaneously.
Brody came running, gun in hand, hair dripping. “What is it?”
“First perimeter alarm.” I didn’t bother getting too excited yet. Another noise sounded off, my phone now pulsing in my hand. “And now someone’s tripped an inner wall sensor.” I nonchalantly grabbed my nine from under the counter, where I stored it, before heading to the family room to turn on the television.
“Where do you think you’re going? We need to get you to an interior room. The police would have been notified and should be here shortly.” His indignation would have been cute if I had been in a better frame of mind.
