Page 30 of When He Fights (Protector & Defender #3)

Chapter Sixteen

He had Ana pinned against the wall. He was buried balls deep in her. Bare. Fucking bare. And his eager dick was already swelling again.

His mouth pressed to her throat. He could feel her racing pulse beneath his lips. He’d bitten her at the end. Marked her.

He needed to pull the hell out of her.

Pinned against the wall.

He needed to make sure she was all right. That he hadn’t hurt her. And he would if he could just withdraw from the hot heaven of her body.

I love you.

Those words wouldn’t stop playing in his head. Over and over again. A dream that could not be real.

His dick was lodged inside of her. Fully erect. Yeah, that had been fast. Fully erect again, already.

Her legs were still locked around him.

I still have her pinned to the wall.

He should withdraw. He began to slide out of her.

Ana gave a little gasp. Sexy as hell.

She doesn’t love me. She can’t. His head rose. He looked down at her.

Her lips were swollen from his kisses. Her long, dark lashes lifted, and she stared at him—she stared at him as if…

This is my dream.

This is my Ana.

She stared at him as if she really did love him.

He drove right back into her. She gasped, and her legs tightened around him. Her nails bit into his shoulders. Her head tipped back, and she moaned and then asked, voice sliding over him in the best possible way, “How can I still want you this much?”

He eased out. Drove in.

Kane couldn’t speak. That function was way beyond him. He was ravenous for her. Too lost. Too intent. Too focused on her and on the way her hot, tight pussy sucked in his dick. She was wet and warm and utterly perfect around him.

He slammed one hand on the wall. The other remained curled around her waist. He eased back, just enough to look down at their bodies. To watch as his dick sank into her.

So. Fucking. Good.

The wild drumming of his heartbeat filled his ears. Every breath he took, it tasted of Ana. Her scent surrounded him. She surrounded him. That hot, tight core sucking him in.

He withdrew, nearly pulled out.

Then plunged all the way inside.

She gasped for him. Arched her hips. Slammed up to meet him.

He thrust into her. Again and again. The curtains were open. Sunlight spilled into the suite. No one could see them, though. This was the highest floor in the hotel. The highest one in the whole freaking city. The glistening water and the beach waited beyond the window.

A killer view that he didn’t give two shits about because he was fucking his obsession. His Ana.

In and out.

Shoving inch after inch into her. And Ana began to tremble.

To buck harder against him. He felt her inner muscles clamping around him, and he knew that she was coming for him again.

His heart pounded harder. He thrust harder.

Drove into her endlessly and felt those inner contractions of hers stroke along his eager cock.

There was no stopping his own release. It poured from him as he clenched his teeth to hold back a guttural shout.

He emptied into her and he wished—fucking wished— that he could make Ana pregnant.

Because then maybe she’ll begin a new life with me.

Yeah, he was a selfish prick. When it came to Ana…

I want her. Every bit of her.

And…

I will have her.

Her legs slid off him. He withdrew, slowly, hating to slide out of her because she felt so incredibly good. He could fuck her forever and never get enough of Ana.

He eased her to her feet. But when she swayed, his hands instantly steadied her. “Ana?” Shit, had he hurt her?

A sleepy smile. “I think I still have on my bra.”

Yeah, hell, she did. A waste, because he loved to see those sweet breasts of hers.

He also still had on his shoes. How the hell had that happened? He kicked them away. Tossed his socks. And ditched the jeans and boxers that were half-down his legs. He also discarded the shirt. Not like he needed it.

“Oh, no!” Her horror was real. “Kane!” Ana reached for him. “Your stitches! Did I hurt you?”

He blinked at her. Then laughed. A deep, booming laugh burst from him.

She frowned. “Kane? Are your stitches okay?”

He bent and pressed a kiss to her soft lips.

“I have no clue if the stitches are okay or not.” They’d been the last thing he thought about.

“I just know fucking you is like sinking into paradise, and having you is worth any pain in the world. Sure as hell worth a few popped stitches.” Then he scooped her up against him.

Her right arm curled around his neck. “This is not the way to stop stitches from tearing!”

Yeah, but who cared? It was the way to carry her. And carry her, he did. Back to the bedroom. Back to the big bed. He lowered her carefully into the middle of the mattress, nestled her there among the rose petals. Then he frowned. “Stay right here.”

She blinked. Frowned.

Oh, shit. That had sounded growly. He amended, “Please?”

She quirked a brow. “Am I staying alone in the bed?”

“Just for a second.” Like he could leave her alone for longer than that.

“Fine, but the bra is coming off.”

Sweet hell. He double-timed it to the bathroom. He half-expected to find a heart-shaped tub waiting. But, no. Just a shower that filled up three-fourths of the bathroom space. He yanked on the water, had steam pouring out, then he rushed back to collect Ana.

The bra was, indeed, a thing of the past. He staggered to a stop and stared at those pretty, tight nipples. Nipples that he needed to feel in his mouth. Against his tongue. That he was dying to taste and suck and she was so sensitive when he sucked her nipples.

Could he make her come from nipple play alone? Oh, he would love to know.

“Kane?”

Right. He shook himself out of his stupor and scooped her up again.

Her mouth brushed against his ear as she chided, “You are going to pop a stitch.”

His head turned toward her. He brushed her mouth with his. “I don’t give a shit.”

Soft laughter from Ana. Then, “You’ll care when you have to get stitched up again.”

Nah. He wouldn’t. He took her into the bathroom and eased her under the warm water. Not too warm. He didn’t want it too hot for her. He followed her inside, lathering up his hands.

“Kane!” Real alarm now. “ Stitches! How many times do I have to tell you to be careful?”

He kissed her and put his slick fingers between her legs.

He cleaned her completely and made her come at the same time.

There wasn’t any other talk about stitches, but he did try to avoid letting the pounding water hit that particular area of his body.

An easy enough task because he wasn’t trying to get clean.

He was enjoying the hell out of stroking her. When Ana came around his fingers, when she squeezed him so tightly and he could feel the quake and shudder of her orgasm, he intended to just keep working her core. He intended to hold back on his own pleasure and glory in hers.

He’d just fucked her.

But…

But her lashes lifted.

Steam drifted around them.

Water droplets slid down her cheeks. “I want more than your fingers, Kane.”

Hell, yes.

So he did take her again. Even as she’d finished one orgasm, he was lifting her up against the tiled shower wall. He was lodging his dick at the tight entrance to her body, and he was pushing it in. Squeezing it inside her tight heat and loving the way she felt around him.

Losing his mind because the pleasure was so intense. Because she gripped him so well.

Because he was fucking his dream.

His Ana.

When she came, she gasped, “I love you!”

He greedily drank up the words. He held her caged against the shower wall, and he pounded into her, and he erupted on a blasting wave of release. His teeth snapped together. A snarl escaped him as he poured into Ana.

The orgasm surged through him. Lasted and lasted. Left him utterly wrung out and soul satisfied.

Her head sagged against the shower. Her eyes drifted closed. “If you pulled stitches, it’s your own fault.”

He smiled. She didn’t see the smile.

Ana yawned. “Gonna need you to carry me back to bed.” Sleepy. Slurred. Gonnaneedyoutocarry…

He withdrew. Let the water wash over them again. Then he took her out of the shower. Dried her carefully. Yanked a towel over himself. And had her back in the bed even as she was nodding off against him.

He shoved away rose petals. Eased her beneath the covers. Hesitated. “Do you want me to stay?”

Before, she’d?—

“Yes.” Another yawn. Eyes closed.

He slid beneath the covers with her. Tucked her against his side. Felt peace settle over him. Then Kane slipped instantly into sleep.

He was in hell. Explosions were going off all around him. Blasts of fire. Screams filled the air. The rat-tat-tat of gunfire.

Women were hurt. Children were crying. And the demented bastard in front of him was going to kill more.

Kane launched at him. He flew through the smoke and the fire, and he tackled the SOB even as he felt the cut of the knife across his skin.

He ignored the pain. He pounded with his fists.

Drove them at the bastard over and over again.

He couldn’t stop.

He wouldn’t stop.

Except…

The bastard before him—his face changed. Even as Kane’s fist drew back, the figure shifted. It was no longer the terrorist who’d planted all the bombs in that long ago hospital. It was…

Logan Catalano.

Smiling. Smiling with a busted lip and a broken nose. And he was saying… “You can’t save her. She’s mine, and I’ll kill her before you can save her. ”

Kane’s fist drove down, but he just hit the floor.

Logan was gone.

The smoke and the fire and the screams—gone.

He was…

In a house.

Ana’s house.

He could hear the faint strain of a harp playing. He whirled around, and Kane saw Ana. She was sitting at her stool, and her fingers fluttered over the strings of her harp. Her hair blew around her face. Why? Why was her hair blowing?

The drapes behind her were blowing, too. Blowing inward because the glass was broken.

He rushed toward Ana, then staggered to a stop.

Her fingers stilled on the harp.

“There’s…there’s something on your shirt, Ana.” His voice felt distorted. He felt distorted.

“It’s blood.” Her head tilted back. “Where were you?”

Kane shook his head. “What?”

“You didn’t save me.” She began to play again, and blood seemed to drip from her fingers, turning the strings red. “And now I’m dead.”

No. No. No. No. No !

He leapt for Ana. Grabbed her hands and pulled her up from the stool, but there were bullet holes in Ana’s body. Blood covered her.

“You weren’t here,” Ana said softly. “Not when I needed you. Where were you, Kane?”

He pressed his hands to her wounds. The blood just soaked through his fingers.

“Where were you?” Ana asked again.

“I’m here, Ana.” He pressed down harder. The blood soaked him. “I’m here. I’m here. I’ll protect you, Ana. Ana! ”

Kane thrashed in the bed. Ana grabbed him. “Kane!”

He shot upright. “Ana!” A bellow.

A loud bellow. Jeez, had the Feds heard him outside? Were they about to break down the door?

“I’m okay.” Her hand flew over his arm. His shoulder. “I think you were having a nightmare.”

His head whipped toward her. He blinked. Seemed to be trying to see her in the shadows. Light trickled through the blinds, but it was a faint glow. His hand flew out, and he turned on the lamp. His gaze locked on her fingers. “You’re bleeding.” Horror whispered in his rough voice.

“No, you are.” She turned her hand over. Showed him the blood on her fingertips. “Those stitches. They definitely tore. I warned you about that.”

He hauled her against him. Held her in a crushing grip.

“Kane?”

He tightened his hold. Seemed as if he would never, ever let go. “I’ll protect you.”

“What?” She tapped him lightly. “You’ve got to ease up so I can breathe.” A squeak.

He eased up, barely. Then he shuddered and let her go a bit more. Enough so that he could stare down at her. “I will always protect you. I will stand between you and any threat.”

“Kane?” A shiver skated down her spine. “You were thrashing around in the bed.”

He blinked.

“Did you have a bad dream about me?”

Another blink. His expression shut down.

“What happened to me in the dream?” Ana pushed.

Kane swallowed. “We should go back to sleep.”

“ Kane. ”

She heard pounding in the distance. Had to be at the suite’s main door. Someone needed to go reassure the Feds before they broke down that door.

“I wasn’t there, Ana. The bullets hit you.” He exhaled on a ragged breath. “I will protect you.” A vow. “If Logan wants to hurt you, he truly will have to go through me. ”

But…

But if that happened…

Then you could be the one who dies, Kane.

And she couldn’t let that happen.

The pounding came again.

“Let’s go tell the Feds there is nothing to worry about,” Ana murmured. But she had plenty to worry about. Too much.

Because there was no way she’d let Kane take a bullet for her. When you loved someone, you protected the person, no matter what. There was no one in this world that she loved more than Kane.

So she would do whatever it took in order to keep him safe.