Page 24 of Winter’s Heart (Three of Hearts #1)

“Fine. But I’m going to be talking to your superiors about this,” she snapped.

She wriggled behind him, and he took a step forward to allow her to remove the backpack from her shoulder.

She handed it over with a sullen pout, her pretty face a mask of fury.

“If your boss wants me to testify at this court case, then I need my computer back as soon as possible.”

“Thank you, Dr. Winter.” It was Miller who spoke, shooting Sabitino an undecipherable look when he snatched the bag from Nikki’s hand. “And your cell as well, please.” She held out a hand and waited while Nikki grimaced, then finally dug in her jacket pocket and handed over her phone.

“Don’t ‘thank you, Dr. Winter’ me , ” she snapped.

“I don’t know what the FBI is playing at, but this is not helping.

Are you even going to let me testify?” No one moved, but the stupid smirk on Sabitino’s face got a little wider, giving Nikki her answer.

She turned on her heel and pushed between the two agents, marching up her driveway toward her house.

Jacob hurried after her, leaving the operatives to bring up the rear, but only after they handed Nikki’s backpack and both phones in to Linstead.

Without even glancing back, Nikki bent down and retrieved a spare key from underneath a pot plant and had the front door open just as the two agents made it up the small set of stairs and onto the front porch.

Jacob followed her inside and was right behind her shoulder as she turned to face the FBI agents.

“Like we said,” Sabitino started. “We’ll have four agents guarding your house. Two out front, and two out back to make sure you are safeguarded. So if you need anything—”

She slammed the door in Sabitino’s face.

“Yeah, right,” she shouted. “You’re not safeguarding us.

You’re keeping us prisoner.” Then she kicked the wooden paneling and pivoted sharply, running straight into his chest. His arms came up around her instinctively.

He wasn’t sure if it was more for protection or for comfort.

She was small and slight in his arms, but as tightly tensed as a bowstring.

She drew back a little so she could look up into his face. “Am I wrong?” she asked.

For a millisecond, he thought about denying it. Telling her she wasn’t now a prisoner in her own home. But she deserved the truth.

“No.” He brushed a lock of blonde hair away from her face. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but they don’t want us leaving here. And they don’t want us to contact anyone outside, either.”

Her eyes clouded with angry tears. “Why? Why don’t they want me testifying?”

He didn’t know why. And he wasn’t completely sure what was happening here.

They might still let her attend the court case.

Their non-answers had been evasive, but not conclusive.

He had a few ideas about why they would try to control her access to things like computers and phones, but none of them were good, and so he didn’t air them in front of Nikki.

Not until he got more of a grasp on what was going on.

His hand moved from her face down her shoulder, then slipped around her narrow waist, drawing her in closer.

She felt so good in his arms. Even with two agents standing guard on the other side of the door only a few feet away, he couldn’t ignore the way her body molded to his; every one of her curves seemed to fit into all his hard edges perfectly.

“It could be temporary,” he hedged, not fully concentrating on what he was saying anymore.

The feel of her thighs pressed against his was sending tingling shocks of electricity through him.

He tried to focus on their conversation.

“They might just be checking that everything is legit. Then they’ll return our items… ”

“You don’t really believe that, do you?”

He shook his head. Something about the sly look on Sabitino’s face, and the smooth calmness of Linstead’s assurance both screamed deceit to Jacob.

If only he could contact M?rten. His levelheaded partner would have this figured out in no time.

And even if he couldn’t, he’d know who to call to help them out of this pickle.

The tears in Nikki’s eyes glistened but didn’t fall as she drew in a fortifying breath.

“Oh, well, we’ll just have to find a way out of this.

” She stood a little straighter, the movement pushing her pert breasts harder into his ribcage; he could feel them even through the layers of their winter jackets.

His cock responded immediately. Did she realize what she was doing to him?

He should step away, end this before it went any farther.

“I’ve got a landline. Could we use that?” she asked hopefully, widening those big, blue eyes at him. The urge to kiss her was just about unstoppable.

Jacob shook his head. “If it’s even working, they’ll have tapped it for sure,” he murmured.

The place was probably bugged as well, but he didn’t tell her, not wanting her to freak out.

But that thought slipped from his mind almost instantaneously when she tilted her head to the side and her face softened as if realizing how close his mouth was to hers.

Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, and he stared, fascinated, at their slick, cherry-pink plumpness.

He’d already tasted that sweetness, but now he wanted more.

He couldn’t remember lowering his head, all he knew was that the allure of her mouth was drawing him in.

Oleg had interrupted their last kiss before they’d even had a chance to explore each other.

But their chemistry had been undeniable.

And now they were alone in her house, with nothing and no one to interfere.

His mouth crushed down on hers, letting her know how much he wanted her, not withholding anything this time.

She moaned and tipped her head back, allowing him full access to those delicious lips.

Without breaking their kiss, she drew down the zipper of his jacket, and slipped her hands inside, underneath the layers of jumper and T-shirt to feather her fingers up over his lower abs then around his ribs to knead the muscles on each side of his spine.

His skin pebbled at her touch, wanting more.

“My bedroom is the first door on the right,” she said, pulling her mouth from his, voice ragged.

“I’m not sure…” He could barely speak; the sensual pull of her eyes, her lips, her swaying hips beneath his hands was almost too much to bear.

But someone needed to be the sensible one here.

There were a million reasons they shouldn’t do this.

The first being the four FBI agents standing guard outside.

Her pupils dark with desire, she whispered, “I need this, Jacob. More than anything right now.”

Did he do this? Did he drop all pretense of protocol and professionalism and follow his cravings?

She took him by the hand and led him down the darkened hallway.

And he gave no resistance; he followed willingly behind.

At least it was warm in here; Nikki must’ve left the heat on while she was away.

Or else the FBI had turned it on while they’d been searching the house.

Because he had no doubt the agents had been in here to make sure there was no way for them to escape, and no other way for them to contact the outside world.

When she closed the bedroom door, she dropped his hand and tugged impatiently at her clothing as if in a fervor to rid herself of all encumbrances.

He was so fascinated watching this amazing woman reveal herself as she stripped off her jacket and jumper, then boots and jeans, he dared not move.

Until she finally stood naked in front of him.

His mouth went dry at the sight of her. Nothing in this world was more beautiful than Nikki Winter.

Skin pale and smooth in the sliver of light leaking in around the drawn curtains.

Long hair left to fall over slim shoulders unimpeded. She was magnificent.

“Do you need some help?” she enquired, quirking one eyebrow up as he continued to stare, mesmerized.

Galvanized into action, he began shedding his clothing just as rapidly as she had.

But his efforts were seemingly not fast enough for her liking, because she came to him and undid his belt, her nimble fingers unfastening his buttons, and pushing his jeans over his hips.

Then he was naked too, her hands running all over his body.

Exploring, appreciating. Her touch heated his skin everywhere her fingertips landed until he could take no more.

Picking her up in his arms as if she were as light as a feather, he carried her over to the large bed in the middle of the room. The rest of her bedroom remained a mystery to him as he focused on her and only her.