Fifth Regret (Heaven Sent Book 5) Read online

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Andrew,” she said and he lifted his head. “I want you.”

  Breathing heavily, her gaze lowered from his broad forehead, to his determined powerful eyes, and landed on his strong lips. He looked older and sexier with hair on his face. She loved the feel of it between her legs. Her body burned for him, to feel his touch and his cock buried deep inside her. The release she’d had calmed her some, but she needed more.

  He rose and began unfastening his jeans. She stared at his defined chest like she had so many times before. She marveled at the solid ripples showing his strength. Each curve of muscle begged for her touch. And if her back weren’t hurting, she would.

  His shorts fell to the floor and his thick erection jutted forward. She wanted it in her hands and in her mouth, but it wouldn’t be possible yet. She would claim him with her lips another time.

  He moved closer with his hungry eyes fixed on her.

  “Not here,” she said, bringing him to a halt. “I can’t.”

  The moment she’d swung her fist at his face she felt the harsh sting of her stitches pulling her flesh. When he’d thrown her on the bed, the fire in her back blazed stronger. She couldn’t handle any more pressure or strain to her injuries, but she refused to let the pain stop her from getting what she sought.

  She turned her head and saw the chair. It was perfect. She pointed. “There.”

  Andrew shifted his attention. While his head was turned, she flattened her palm on the bed and jerked herself upright, trying to keep her back as straight as possible. She whimpered from the slight ache renewing among her skin.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked in a more panicked tone. He grabbed her hips and helped her straighten.

  “Sit.” She pointed again.

  He stared at her as if he were debating to help her or do as instructed. When she gave him a nudge with her uninjured hand, he decided to follow her command.

  His gaze never left her as she approached him. She removed her shirt and dropped it. He swallowed hard as he viewed the bandage wrapped around the upper half of her body.

  “Em—”

  “Shut up.” She moved in front of him and put her palm to his cheek. “I need to feel you inside me.”

  He put his warm hands on her hips and gave her a single nod. Pleased with his obedience, she moved closer until she was straddling him. She passed the bandage on his thigh and recalled a bullet had grazed him. Fortunately, the wound was low enough and on his side, so she wouldn’t irritate it. His loving eyes remained fixed on hers. Heart thudding, she slowly lowered. On his own accord, he positioned his hard erection as she sat on him.

  Pure and hot desire flooded her as he slid inside her. He held his breath while he dug the tips of his fingers into her skin. She loved this man and she would love no other. When she’d taken him whole, she pressed her lips to his and proposed her tongue as a gift. He accepted each tender stroke and returned the favor. His hair tickled her face, but she loved the feel of him, his heat, his passion as kissed her and ran his hands along her hips and thighs. He brought his touch up and over the bandages and within seconds his playfulness all but died.

  “Em,” he breathed out between their lips.

  She refused to stop. Her longing for him demanded satisfaction. She licked his lips.

  “Does it hur—”

  Gripping a handful of his hair, she pulled his head back just enough to get his attention. “I said shut up.”

  As if her dominance had boosted his desire, he swiftly captured her face in his hands and kissed her with enough force to steal her breath away. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and rose and then slid down on him while using the strength in her legs to help keep her back as straight as she could. Tongues tangled, he returned his touch to her hips. He held her firmly and thrust up into her each time she time she sank onto him. His strong cock slid deep and filled her the way she needed to be. Her famished body burned with raw desire for him. This man was hers and she’d fight to keep him. Maybe she had lost her mind, but she’d do anything to please him.

  Again and again he drove inside her, hitting that sweet spot to deliver to heaven. The urgency to quench their carnal hunger took control. Her breaths were heavy, and so were his. He tightened his grip on her hips as he pumped harder. She was on fire, rushing closer to her climax. Then in a snap, he gave her the release she’d been desperate to have. Her muscles gripped him strongly as pure bliss circulated through her. Groaning, he impaled her a few more times before his climax burst free. He held her tight, panting while the strong pulse of his cock hammered inside her.

  Together, they rode the train to paradise. No man had ever made her feel so good, so cared for, and so loved. She would be a fool to lose him. She wasn’t stupid.

  She brought her hand back to his hairy cheek and kissed him. “Don’t you ever, ever give up on me and walk away again.” If her back hadn’t been hurting, she would’ve beat the crap out of him. But she kept that tidbit to herself.

  He pressed his forehead to hers. “Never again. I swear it. You’re mine forever.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Wearing only a towel around his hips, Andrew stood behind Emily next to the vanity in the bathroom. Naked, she held a cloth under her arms to cover her chest and had her head turned, gazing in the mirror while he cleaned two of the wounds on her back. There were so many slashes, so many stitches. She’d torn a few, probably from punching him.

  “How bad is it?” she asked.

  “The doctor did a good job. A lot of them are red as if they’re irritated. Your skin broke free in two areas, but it’s not too bad. The bleeding has practically stopped.” He dabbed the wet cloth to her back, clearing away the dark fluid. “We should get some alcohol and peroxide. I’ll clean them better.”

  The woman who held his heart had taken such a beating, yet she suffered through and fought to get back to him. He now knew for sure leaving her had been a huge mistake and he would never make it again.

  “I didn’t want you to see how ugly I looked. Troy shouldn’t have forced you to see me. That was cruel and he knew it.”

  He met her gaze in the mirror. The eye she’d hit earlier had swollen a bit and had changed color a little. Fortunately, she hadn’t punched him too hard or he would’ve had a worse-looking shiner.

  “How is he? I can’t imagine he would’ve agreed to you finding me. And how did you find me?” Andrew asked.

  She turned to face him. “My friendship with Troy is over. All ties have been severed.”

  Only one word came to mind. “What?” He couldn’t understand her statement. She’d been close friends with him for twenty years. He would’ve killed to protect her.

  “First of all, he let days go by without telling me you’d left. Then when he told me he’d made you look at me…” She swallowed and shook her head. “I couldn’t believe he done such a thing. He took advantage of your emotions to convince you to leave. I had to find you. He said you would be the death of me and he refused to see it. So he walked out and told me never to contact him.”

  He dropped his gaze. Although he was angry for what Troy had done, a touch of sadness crept into his heart. Maybe Troy was right and Andrew would lead to her death.

  “Going after these demons is dangerous. I don’t want you to end up dead as a result of helping me.”

  “Hey.” She placed her palm on his cheek and brought his attention back to her. “I make my own choices. You will not be responsible for my death. Got it?”

  “I love you so much that it hurts to think I could lose you.”

  She smiled at him. Smiled. Why?

  “If you’ve taught me anything it’s that death is not the end. We will be together again.” She slid her hand down to his heart. “I know you’ll get me in heaven to be with you.”

  Her faith in him lifted his spirit, but his worry remained present. He feared she could die before he returned to talk to the council. Her aura had improved, which indicated she was on th
e right path, but he wasn’t certain she would make it up the road to the pearly white gates yet. She could end up in purgatory. Sure, he would fight and do everything in his power to get her upstairs, but he didn’t want her to suffer any more. He didn’t want to see her die before he had to return to heaven. The days without her had been excruciating.

  He put his hands on her shoulders. “I can’t bear being without you here or there. If you die before me, I will be devastated.”

  “I’m not going to run off on my own again. We will work together.”

  Her firm words led him to believe she would stand by them this time.

  “I have faith you. Now it’s time you put your faith in me,” she said.

  She hadn’t asked for him to kill for her, to run out at two in the morning and buy ice cream, or requested him to worship at her feet. He’d probably to the last two without hesitating. Bottom line, she’d made a fair appeal. No jury would deny her. How could he when he loved her with all his heart? She more than deserved his faith.

  “Deal,” he said as he grazed his fingers down her arms. “So, he really walked away from you?”

  She took in a long breath. “Yeah. Gone for good. I made the choice and I don’t regret it for a second.”

  He took her uninjured hand into his and squeezed it. “I’m sorry. I know how much he meant to you. And I have to admit, I’m really surprised he would turn away.”

  “It makes me sad because we grew up together and he helped me become the strong independent woman I am today. Without him, I could’ve ended up some timid girl afraid of everything. I told you about my family. I was the black sheep who could never do anything good or right. He took me to training with him, encouraged me to be better and fight. He gave me confidence. I’ll always be grateful for everything he’s done for me.” She took in a deep breath. “But he has a cold heart. He’s never had compassion for anyone. I was a tool to him, a trusted resource to call upon. He needed my help for jobs and I agreed time and time again. When we ran into danger, he always had my back. We were a loyal team, but only for the purpose of getting what we wanted, mostly what he wanted. I thought he cared. I guess he did in some way.” She lifted a shoulder. “But to force me between you and him…” She shook her head. “My decision came easily. I’m sad because he threw away our friendship and has chosen to ignore everything we went through over the years.”

  He saw sadness in her eyes. As much as he admired Troy for his loyalty and devotion to Emily, he also despised the man for bringing her into harm’s way through his illegal jobs. One could argue she’d made the decision to help Troy, but if he hadn’t influenced her so much, her life would’ve gone in a different direction. Neither of them would know if the alteration would have been better or worse.

  At least Andrew was trying to end evil and save lives. Emily had made the right choice to say goodbye to Troy. She didn’t need bad people like him in her life.

  “I am sorry you had to decide between him and me, but I’m glad you chose me,” Andrew said.

  “I’m not sorry. I never will be.”

  Her words filled his soul with joy. She truly loved him, as if she hadn’t proven it already.

  She pressed her lips to his. His heartbeat grew stronger. Oh, how he’d missed her.

  “Let’s lay down.” Still holding his hand, she took a step back.

  “How did you find me anyway?”

  She paused. “Matt told me. He remembered the name, city, and state on your arm. And don’t you dare be mad him for telling me. Which reminds me, I need to call him. I said I would after I found you.”

  Andrew glanced at the damp bandages on his forearm. He’d completely forgotten he’d shown the writing to Matt. “What did he say when you asked?”

  “Well, he was hesitant to tell me. He told me how Troy forced you to look at me and how upset you were.”

  Andrew pressed his lips together. So that’s how she knew he’d seen her back that first day at the hotel.

  “He said he tried to convince you to stay and he disagreed with your decision,” she said. “He believes we belong together. He’s a very smart man.”

  Andrew grinned. “And a great guy.”

  “We owe him a lot.”

  He wrapped his hand around the nape of her neck and pulled her to a kiss. “You should call him later.”

  “Why not now?”

  He claimed her lips again while his fingers tugged on the towel covering her breasts. It slipped between them and to the floor. Warmth rushed through him as her nipples brushed against his chest. His erection stiffened.

  “I have other plans for now. He’ll have to wait.”

  She smiled and dragged her fingers down his torso to the towel covering his hard-on, and not very well at the moment. In one swift move, she yanked the cloth away. His balls ached when she wrapped her hand around him. “I’m sorry for hitting and kicking you. But you seem okay.”

  “Oh, it hurt real bad. I’m still a bit tender. But I was too excited to see you. Still am, in case you hadn’t noticed.” He covered her breasts with his hands and squeezed them. Desire grew at an alarming rate as she stroked his length.

  She gave a lazy blink as if she were enthralled. “Care to show me those other plans of yours?” She rubbed her thumb over the head of his cock, making it twitch in her grasp.

  The yearning within him took control. He tweaked her nipples before he bent and claimed one between his lips. She sucked in air between her teeth. Her grasp of his erection had disappeared, but he didn’t mind. He had plans for her and they started with sucking and flicking the hard bud. When she moaned and ran her fingers over his scalp, he moved to her next tit and gave it equal treatment. The feel of her flesh and the sounds of her pleasure strengthened his longing. She belonged to him and nothing would stop him from having her.

  He dropped to his knees, planted kisses below her navel, and then looked up to her. “My plans are simple. To love you and to please you. So relax and enjoy.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Emily sat upright with her legs stretched out in front of her on the bed. A pillow separated her back from the headboard. Andrew had his head in her lap and his arm draped across her thighs. They were both naked and enjoying the cool air from the window unit. She continued to run her fingers through his soft dark hair. He was overdue for a cut, so the waves had increased and curled around her digits. He seemed content. He had to be since he hadn’t moved since she returned from the bathroom over ten minutes ago. For all she knew, he could’ve fallen asleep on her.

  The television showed the news. In California, the four young ladies who had been missing were trying to get back to their normal lives. One of them, Pamela, spoke to a few reporters and shared her gratitude for Nancy, AKA Carrie, who had helped them escape their kidnappers and return to San Diego.

  Emily grinned while she shook her head. At first she hadn’t believed the gals would keep her identity hidden since she’d been the one who’d selected them to go on a boat to party with the famous country singer, Annabelle Butler. But Emily, who’d been using her alias, Carrie, hadn’t known they were going to be shipped out and sold as sex slaves. If she had known, she wouldn’t had picked the girls out after the concert. In the end, they’d agreed to use a different name for her and hide details about her and everyone else who had helped them escape.

  The news changed and it didn’t look good. The reporter talked about a female body recently discovered not far from Lafayette. Police had been unable to identify the woman or determine if she was a victim of the serial killer on the loose. However, there were signs such as the arms being bound by zip-ties and stab wounds in the chest.

  “This is crazy,” Emily said.

  He breathed deeply and then released the air over her thigh, tickling her. “What? This? Us? Yes, I’m crazy for you.”

  “No, silly. The news.”

  He tilted his head up an inch or so. “Oh, that.”

  “A serial killer targeting women? I’d like to sa
y I’m shocked, but I’m not. And you think it could be the demon who is a cop?”

  He twisted around until he was on his back, head on her thigh and knees bent with his feet flat on the mattress. “How do you know?”

  Her gaze drifted from his bluish-gray eyes, down the valley of muscle in his chest, and pausing on his penis. If her back weren’t bothering her so much, she would spend more time with it buried between her legs. Well, they’d spent most of the afternoon having sex, but there weren’t many comfortable positions for her. Rubbing her stitches against the bed while on her back was a no-no.

  “Em, you’re staring,” he said and she blinked out of her trance.

  “I’m entitled to. It’s been too long since I last saw you naked.”

  His lips formed a smile. She’d kiss him if she could bend.

  “You’re right,” he said as he reached up and pinched her nipple. “It had been too long.”

  His touch sent an erotic zing through her. She raked her nails over his head. “I love you.”

  “I will never tire of hearing those words come from your sweet voice. But back to my question, how did you know I’d been thinking the demon is the killer?”