Page 24

Aries

“Please tell me you have something? It's been months, Ari.”

Boone asks from his place next to me at the table in The Heart.

Leaning back in my chair, my arms stretch high above, then move to grip the back of the chair. I stare down the long table, men lining each side.

It’s been months, and we have nothing. Not a single damn crumb on the masked man that flipped my world upside down. To say I’m beyond frustrated is putting it lightly.

Mission volume hasn’t slowed, and I know my team is exhausted. We are all running ourselves into the ground, well, all of us except me.

That’s all about to change, though. Dr. Link officially cleared me and recommended I return to work.

It's closing in on seven months since my rescue from that cage and I am just finding my ground to come back to the thing that I hate to love.

Shaking my head, I mutter, “No, but let's discuss this after so we can get the guys out of here.”

Boone nods. Zoro and Indy, who sit on my other side, follow suit.

“Alright folks,” I say, grabbing everyone’s attention, the chatter in the room immediately falling silent. “I know you are all exhausted. I am told that there are rumors of a new team moving in close to help with coverage along the Northwest sector of the US. I don’t have a timeline, but as soon as I do, you will be the first to know. Until then, I appreciate all of you for working your asses off.

“Which leads me to my next point. I have been cleared to come back to work. I just want to say a quick thank you to everyone for filling in during my absence and ensuring the team still ran flawlessly. I am proud of each and every one of you. Braveheart is lucky to have you all.”

“Welcome back, Prez!” Tombstone yells from the other end of the table, eliciting an uproar of clapping from the entire team.

I wave them off and quickly the applause settles. “Thank you all, but you should be the ones celebrated.”

“Take the compliment, Prez. Stubborn motherfucker,” Zoro mutters before popping a cigarette in his lips.

Leaning forward, I pull the cigarette from his mouth and toss it behind me.

“Hey!” Zoro exclaims.

I shrug, dismissing him and running a hand through my hair. “You know better than to sass me during a meeting. I know I’ve been gone, but did you forget who is in charge here?”

“No, he didn’t, Prez. My apologies for my husband’s lack of decorum. He’s been trying to quit smoking. Clearly it's not working and frying his brain.”

A chuckle escapes me. “No worries, Indy. Even us seasoned guys need to be checked every once in a while.”

I glare at Zoro for a moment before smiling and turning my attention back to the team.

“Alright. Let’s get this meeting started so you can sleep before we have to head out.” I pause and turn my attention to Boone. “Boone. Start us off, please.”

Boone claps his hands together. “I’m going to run through the details of the case and then we will set up a plan of execution. As always, if you have questions or ideas, speak up.”

Immediately, Tucker’s hand flies up and Boone’s head falls into his hands before popping back up and letting out an exasperated sigh. “Yes, Tuck.”

Tucker smiles, practically bouncing out of his chair. That damn kid is a wild child, but I love his crazy ass. He is also Taylor’s best friend and a kick-ass fighter, so I have confidence knowing she is protected if she is ever out with him and, for some reason, can’t take down the assailant herself.

“Where’s Tay? How are we gonna know where to go if she isn’t here briefing us on what to do?” He directs his question at Boone, but his focus is on me.

Sly, little asshole.

“Taylor has sent over her notes,” Boone says, holding up an iPad. “She apologizes for her absence. She is down with a migraine and will not be accompanying us on this mission.”

Groans of displeasure and disappointment echo through The Heart and I don’t know if I should be mad a group this large are up in arms at the lack of my girl’s presence or honored that she is that loved.

“I know. I know. We will miss her, but she has left very detailed notes and—” The door flies open, cutting Boone off.

Taylor storms into the room, her eyes wide and her hair looking as if she has been pulling at it for hours.

I stand, immediately trying to assess her because if she is storming into a meeting in this fashion, something must be wrong.

I have no idea what it could be. The last time I saw her was right before the meeting, and she was about to take a nap because of her migraine.

I set her up in my room since it has blackout curtains and she was almost passed out when I left.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, moving towards her.

Her piercing green eyes go wide as she glances around the room, down her body, and back up to me.

It’s as if she was in some trance and suddenly she’s realized where she is. Standing in front of all of Braveheart in one of my shirts she must have stolen, which barely covers her ass.

Anger fills me at the thought of anyone seeing her. She may not have said the words that cement her as mine, but as far as I’m concerned, she is.

“I found something!”

“You what?” Thinking I heard her wrong. The last time I caught her looking into my case, I practically had a damn heart attack and begged her to stop.

“I found something! I have a name and an event of where we can find—” I stop her by moving her to stand behind me, but she just walks around me, ignoring the fact that she is standing in almost nothing in front of the entire team.

Well, not almost nothing, but certainly less than I would like anyone here to see her in.

Taylor stares up at me matter-of-factly. “I was able to find the deed to the house and trace it back to Neman Security. Now I don’t have much because there is about a million and one men dressed in suits there, but it's a start! And! They are having an event in New York City in just a few days and I figured—-”

Pulling her into my arms, her back plastered against my chest, I cover her mouth and point to the door. “Everyone out. Now.”

The room is full of shocked faces staring at us with wide eyes.

Without a word, everyone stands and quickly exits the room.

When the latch clicks, I move to the door, pulling down the shades that cover the windows and lock the door before turning my attention to Taylor.

I’m furious. I asked her to stop for her own safety and she kept pushing. There is no telling what kind of danger she’s put herself into. All I want to do in this moment is recreate that red handprint on her gorgeous ass and make her understand I would be fucking destroyed if anything happened to her.

Fuck it. That’s exactly what I’m going to do.

She hasn’t moved from her spot, but she isn’t paying me any attention, her sole focus on her laptop.

I eat the space between us in a matter of seconds, plucking the laptop from her hands.

“What the hell, Aries!?”

Pointing to my chair, I say, “Go sit. Now.”

“What? No! Give me my damn laptop back!” Taylor protests, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Go. Now. I’m not playing with you, Taylor. Sit your ass in that chair now.”

Throwing her hands up in frustration, she spins around and the second her back is to me; I smack her ass.

Taylor tries to spin around, but my hands on her shoulders stop her.

“What the hell is your problem, Aries?!”

Not bothering to respond, I guide her to sit in my chair. With her arms crossed over her chest, she stares up at me, frustration written all over her face.

I can’t help the chuckle that escapes me as she tries to stare me down, her nose scrunching.

My arms cage her in the chair and I lean close, our noses brushing. “I thought I told you to stop looking.”

Taylor’s breath hitches, and she shifts in her chair. Judging by the heat on her cheeks, I can tell she is flustered. Backing up slowly, she tries to gain an ounce of space. “You know I couldn’t do that, Ace.”

Taking a deep breath, her warm vanilla scent fills my senses, and I rest my forehead against hers. “Don’t you understand that if anything happened to you because of me, it would be my demise?”

My hands grip the side of the chair, and I lean back, my gaze burrowing into hers. “Don’t you understand I am completely consumed and captivated by you? You are the color to my dark, lonely world. Without you, my life is black and white and utterly dismal.”

“Ace.”

A groan escapes me, my head falling to her shoulders. “When are you going to stop fighting this? When are you going to let me show you just how invigorating life could be with me by your side?”

My patience has snapped. I know I promised to give her time, but every day she isn’t mine is torture. I see the way she looks at me. I know how her lips feel against mine and how her body melts into mine. While I understand her hesitations, I wish she would just take the leap and see that the fall isn’t so scary when I’m there to catch her.

“Okay.”

My head snaps up at Taylor’s whisper.

What did she just say? Surely I’m dreaming.

“What did you just say?” I ask, my voice shaking.

“Okay.”

“Okay what, Butterfly?”

Her head hits the back of the chair in mock frustration. “Damn, Ace. You’re really going to make me say it, aren’t you?”

A smirk spreads across my face. “Yes.”

“I’m tired of fighting it. I’m tired of living scared of the unpredictable future. I’m scared shitless of how this is going to go, but if you have shown me anything since your confession, it's that I’d be stupid to pass up the opportunity to know what it feels like to be loved by someone as cunning, smart, and fearless as you.”

The second the words leave her mouth, my lips are against hers.

Fucking finally.

Sinking down to my knees, I devour her. Our tongues tangle and Taylor’s fingers twist in my hair.

A groan escapes her and my control snaps.

My hands move to her waist and I pull her down into my lap, my ass hitting the floor. A yelp escapes her, but that doesn’t stop her from tugging on my hair and sinking her teeth into my lower lip.

Fucking hell. This girl is going to send me to an early grave.

Taylor’s knees rest on the floor and she uses the leverage to grind against my rock hard cock, eliciting a groan from both of us.

My fingers dig into her ass, moving her back and forth.

Taylor’s head tilts back, exposing her neck, and I don’t waste a second before my mouth is on her skin.

“Fuck Ace.”

My name on her mouth shatters every ounce of dignity and respect.

“Hang on tight, Butterfly,” I mutter, my lips fluttering over her neck.

Taylor’s eyes go wide as I stand, followed by a yelp as I toss her over my shoulder, my hand smacking her ass and because I can’t help myself, moving it downward to brush her clit.

My teeth grind as I feel her wetness soaking through her shorts as I practically run to my room, not caring about the wide stares from people passing by in the hallway.

The second I step foot in my room, I kick the door closed and toss her on the bed. Her arms fly out to the side and I’m on her before she can mutter a single word.

My hands prop me up on either side of Taylor’s head, her legs winding around my waist and pulling me down on top of her.

“Ace. I need you,” Taylor whispers, her voice full of heat and desire.

Damn. I thought her usual melodic voice was my favorite sound in the world. But I was wrong. This raspy, full of need version is one that I know will be playing on repeat.

Peeling my lips from hers, I search her heated green eyes for a hint of hesitation and regret. “Tell me you’re mine and I will give you whatever you want.”

Without hesitation, she drags her nails down my back, eliciting another groan from me as she bucks her hips upward. “I’m yours. Now fuck me, Ace.”

My lips slam against hers before I rise to my knees and tear my shirt off, tossing it somewhere behind me.

Taylor’s eyes go wide and I can’t help but smile as her cheeks flush. “Like what you see, Hellhound?”

“Shut up. You know you're hot as sin.”

Falling forward, my arms catching me as my face lands inches from hers. “I know. But it's an entirely different story when it comes from someone like you.”

“Someone like me?”

“Yeah. Someone that is all fucking mine.”

My mouth slams against hers as my hands work her shirt up, only parting as I pull the fabric over her head.

My eyes go wide when I notice she isn’t wearing anything but a pair of shorts that might as well be underwear, beneath my shirt.

Rising up, I tear my eyes away from her beautifully tattooed chest. “Did you really wear this in front of the entire team?”

“What?” Taylor asks, distracted by running her hands down my chest, tracing my tattoos with her fingers and sending shivers up my spine.

Oh hell no, Butterfly. You’re not getting out of this one.

My hand cups her jaw, tilting her gaze to focus on mine, and I lean in close to ask once more. “Did you really wear next to nothing in front of my team? One breeze and they would have seen what’s mine.”

“What if I did?” Taylor says, biting her lip.

Tilting her face up further, I pull her lip from her teeth, taking it in mine. “Well, that answer is quite simple, my beautiful Butterfly. Any guesses?”

Taylor shakes her head no.

My hips grind against her covered pussy. “Aceeee.”

A chuckle escapes me as I rise to my knees and unbuckle my belt. Taylor’s darkened green eyes tracking my every movement.

I kick my jeans off and grasp the waistband of Taylor’s shorts, pulling them off in one swoop. My mouth immediately latching onto her clit.

Taylor’s back arches off the bed. “ARIES!”

Her taste overwhelms me and I kiss my way up to her mouth, my cock resting against her thigh, hard as a damn rock.

“Ace. Please fuck me,” Taylor begs.

“I promise to take this nice and slow next time so I can worship every part of your body, but right now, slow isn’t possible. I need to consume you.”

A devious smile spreads across her face. “Fuck me like you’ve been waiting years to finally have what’s yours.”

Without hesitation, I slide my cock into her and groan as her back arches off the bed.

Not wanting the entire compound to hear her, I press my lips against hers, swallowing her moans.

Taylor’s hips buck against mine, urging me to go faster.

My hips slow, my cock sliding in and out of her wet pussy.

“Ari. More. I know you’re trying to be nice, but if you don’t fuck me like you own me and not like some fragile toy, I swear to—-”

Slamming into her, her breath hitches as my balls slap against her ass, my hand squeezing her neck.

My tongue darts out, licking a line up her neck until I get to her ear. “Oh sweet girl, you are far from a fragile toy.” Grabbing her leg, I bend it upwards to her chest, allowing my cock to sink further into her.

“More?”

Taylor rapidly nods, her pussy clenching around my dick.

Slamming into her over and over, I alternate between swallowing her moans and kissing down her neck to her breast.

The second my teeth latch onto her nipple, her pussy squeezes my cock so hard I think I see stars.

“Don’t stop,” Taylor moans.

“Never.”

My hips slam into hers at rapid pace, my cock aching.

“Come for me, Hellhound. Now.”

Pushing her knee farther into her chest, I thrust into her once more.

Taylor squeezes me so tight, coming all over my cock and taking me right behind her.

My arms give out and I fall to the mattress beside her, Taylor instantly moving to lie on my chest.

Our rapid breathing finally slows after what feels like coming down from the best high of my goddamn life and I thread my fingers through her hair, the other resting atop hers on my stomach. “So, we’re going to New York?”

Taylor’s head snaps up, an excited look on her face. “Really?”

“You didn’t put all that work in for no reason. And I could use a getaway, just me and you.”

Taylor nods. “When do we leave?”

“Not sure. I need to do something first.”

Her brows furrow, giving me a questioning look.

In one swift motion, I roll on top of her and a giggle escapes from her. “I need to take you to the shower and fuck you.” I fake looking at the nonexistent watch on my wrist. “Approximately ten more times, before I can think of getting on a plane with your gorgeous ass nestled close to me.”

Taylor smiles, shaking her head. “You’re insatiable.”

“Oh. You have no idea, Hellhound.”