Page 15 of Redeeming Violet (Red Team #3)

Violet

What the hell was I doing?

When I’d woken up pressed against Jaxon’s side, I don’t know what came over me. Okay, I did know, lust. I rolled over and his chest was bare; all the muscles I’d wondered about were on full display. Every. Last. One.

I couldn’t not touch them. When I spied the tattoo on his side, my hand moved to touch it.

I couldn’t see the whole thing, but the American Flag seemed to wave with every breath he took and the eagle that covered some of the red and white stripes was so beautiful I had to touch the colorful ink.

It was fitting for a man like Jaxon to be marked with our nation’s symbols.

But I didn’t stop there. Without permission, my hand made its journey lower.

My sex clenched, and an ache began spurring me on.

When his hand grabbed mine and he told me to think before I went any lower, my body caught fire.

His voice was deep and sexy and his tight grip on my wrist was not a deterrent.

The warning only fueled my desire and when he released my hand and I finally fisted his length, I was ready to explode with excitement.

Now, after our talk, the spell had been broken and I was back to being shy and unsure.

“Violet.” His voice reminded me he’d asked me something.

“Huh?”

“Lean closer so I can kiss you.” That’s right, he wanted to kiss me. I scooted to get comfortable and Jaxon grabbed my hips, his fingers digging into my flesh. “Baby, for the love of Christ, please stay still.”

I looked down at his dick trapped between us. Nothing but my undies separating us. All it would take was pushing them to the side and he’d slip inside of me.

“Don’t even think about it. I’d like to tell you I have iron control, but the truth is I’m skating a fine line. Please have mercy on me.”

My confidence grew at his admission. I was amazed that I could threaten to break this big strong man’s will.

I wouldn’t. But knowing I could gave me just what I needed to bend forward.

I didn’t need to go very far, just enough for one of his hands to leave my hip and catch me around the back of the neck.

He moved the rest of the way and our mouths finally met.

Holy Mother of God in heaven. The man could kiss.

His tongue came out, licked the seam of my lips, and demanded I open.

When I did, his tongue pushed in and Jaxon took me on an adventure.

Yes, an adventure, with all the twists and turns you’d expect.

Hard and demanding, then soft and gentle.

His tongue stroked mine, and he sucked and licked and took.

It was fucking incredible. By the time he broke the kiss, I was panting and damn near mindless.

But when he lifted me and pulled my nipple into his mouth, that’s when things started moving at warp speed.

The pull of his lips around my nipple was mind-bending and when he pushed my breasts together, so he could alternate between licking my left nipple and then the right, I lost control.

“Christ woman you have beautiful tits.”

My hips started rocking and the chafing from my panties was sending tiny shockwaves over my body. It didn’t take long for him to push his hips up so I could gain much-needed friction. I was so close to orgasming and all we were doing was dry humping like a couple of horny teenagers.

“So fucking hot, Vi,” he growled. “Take it.”

My panties slipped to the side and my wetness coated his dick making it easier for me to glide against him.

And when I thought it couldn’t get any better, he bit my nipple and bucked up, making the head of his dick grind on my clit sending me over the edge.

My body froze as the sensation washed over me and he took over, not stopping his movements.

He finally slowed as the aftershocks waned.

“Holy shit,” I shuddered.

My brain slowly reengaged but before embarrassment could take hold he kissed me again. This time it was slow and sweet, like we had all the time in the world to explore each other, but we didn’t, and the thought was depressing.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah. You?”

Instead of answering, he rolled us to the side, facing each other, and gently brushed an errant strand of hair off my face.

His thumb remained on my cheek, gently grazing my skin, the gesture so sweet it made me want to cry.

Why was the universe out to get me? In my thirty-two years, I’d never found a man I was so physically attracted to, that was good, and brave, and kind.

But I could never have him. I was the opposite of everything he was.

I knew it and he knew it. I was going away for the rest of my life and he’d find a woman that was his equal.

Life sucked. Really, really sucked. I had to remind myself of all the reasons why I’d betrayed my oath, my brother and all the other men and women who would’ve been harmed. In the end, it was worth it.

“Where’d you go?” he asked.

“What happens now?” Instead of answering, I tried to change the subject.

“Now? We lie here awhile before we get up and shower and find something to eat.” He was being daft on purpose; he knew what I meant.

Jaxon sighed but hadn’t taken his hand away from my face.

“I’ll tell you if you tell me where you just went.

I’ve never seen anyone move from lust to deep concentration so quickly.

I have to tell you, that’s a pretty big hit to my ego. ”

I tried not to smile at his off-handed remark. I appreciated him trying to lessen some of the awkwardness.

“Please. I don’t think I need to worry too much about your ego. You didn’t even have to touch me to make me have an orgasm.”

“Baby, I was touching you. I believe it was my dick that you were grinding on. And I’m pretty certain it was my mouth playing with your sexy as hell tits while you got off.

” My cheeks heated at his crass words. No man had ever talked about sex so bluntly before.

And to punctuate his words, his hand moved from my face and his finger circled my hardening nipple.

“So responsive. Damn Vi, so fucking sexy. I’m kickin’ my own ass for not thinking about throwing a box of condoms in my bag.

Who the fuck needs MREs? I’d gladly go without eating if it meant I could have you. ”

“Why couldn’t I have met you a year ago?” I blurted out.

“What do you mean?”

“That’s what I was thinking about. Before.

That I met you now and I’m days away from being turned over to the Feds.

” I realized how presumptuous and stupid I sounded and quickly tried to correct myself.

“I mean, not that you’d want to date me or anything.

” With each word I spoke, Jaxon started to close down.

I should’ve been happy, but it hurt. I didn’t regret a single second of what we’d done, but nothing would ever come of it.

It was best that both of us go back to our proverbial corners and stay away from each other.

“Never mind. It’s not coming out right. I just meant I’d never been sexually attracted to anyone like this before.

Forget I said anything. What happens later today? Are you guys taking me in?”

Jaxon removed his hand from my breast and I was acutely aware of the fact I was half naked.

The awkwardness had grown tenfold and I wished we were not having this conversation with my breasts on display.

He must’ve noticed how uncomfortable I was because he pulled the blanket up, muttering he didn’t want me to get cold.

The gesture was welcomed, even if it was under false pretenses.

“Zane already told you, you’re staying with us until we can figure out what Manuel is planning.

Today the team, or at least Eric and Zane, will come here.

The less you’re seen out in public, the better.

Manuel has proven he’ll go to great lengths to take you, and we’re not going to let that happen. ”

“Do you really think I was Manuel’s target all along? He wants to use me against Declan?”

“Yes. I think everything else was bullshit. He needed something to hold over you. The Siles / Gomez job was just that, a job. I’m sure he took it because it paid well and played into his plan.

I don’t think Manuel Ortega cared one way or the other who came out on top and gained control of the drug territory they were fighting over.

However, I don’t think Manuel was anticipating you sending the conversations to Gomez though.

If you hadn’t, we would’ve tracked Gomez and taken him out. ”

“You knew I sent Gomez the files?”

I thought I’d covered my tracks well enough.

When I sent the recorded telephone conversations between Siles and his men to Gomez I knew it was a gamble.

But one I still had to take. Siles had done a good job pinning the kidnapping of Olivia Cox on Gomez.

The Gomez family still had a stronghold in the Bolivian gun and drug trade, but sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.

“I didn’t know at the time. But I always wondered how Gomez got the intel.

When he came to us and gave us the recordings, he wouldn’t say who sent them, if he even knew.

After you mentioned you hadn’t deleted them, it made sense you’d be the one to send them to Gomez.

Keeping him in power was the lesser of two evils.

I’m finding the more I get to know you, I learn you weigh the options.

Your decisions are based on what you believe to be an acceptable loss.

And your belief is the only acceptable loss of life is your own. ”

“So, what now?” I asked, still unsure where I fit in.

“Now we figure out why Ortega is after Declan,” he explained.

“But he knows where he is. That’s what I’ve been trying to explain to you all. I saw the video. Timothy and Manuel have eyes on Declan, always have. That is what they used to get me to cave.”

Why was no one listening to me? If Manuel wanted Declan dead, he’d kill him.

“Violet.” Jaxon started. My heart squeezed when he said my name.

I wasn’t Vi or baby — I was back to Violet.

“He doesn’t want Declan dead.” His features softened, and his hand went back to my face as if his touch could soften the blow.

“This is personal for Ortega. He wants Declan to suffer. Knowing he left his sister unprotected and it is his fault she was being drugged and raped is enough to send Declan over the edge. He’d abandon his post and go in search of you.

You’d be moved and hidden any time Declan got close.

Ortega would have him by the balls. You are Declan’s weakness. ”

“How do you know Declan would feel that way? He didn’t leave me unprotected. He doesn’t even know me,” I rejected the idea.

“Because, baby, that’s how any man would feel if a woman he loved was taken.

Doesn’t have to be a man’s wife. A sister, a child, a mother.

When the women in a man’s life are threatened, it turns any rational man into a savage.

He’d stop at nothing to protect what’s his.

A man like Declan? A man like me? The world would be torn to pieces.

The havoc Declan would cause while he searched for you would be exactly what Ortega would want.

He would be so overcome with anger it would ruin him. ”

I would stay locked in the basement of this barn without complaint if it meant Manuel couldn’t find me and torture my brother with images of me being raped.