Keeping Her Close Read online

  “What is it?”

  “We can’t go out that way. It’s blocked.”

  I felt her stiffen and tried to think of something reassuring to say. “I’m going to see if I can go out a side door. Hotels like this normally have some sort of delivery area in the back. With a little luck, the door will be open and we’ll be able to pass through.

  “Won’t there be people standing there as well?”

  I didn’t answer, partly because she had a point, but also because I found her scent rather distracting. She still smelled of sex, still smelled of me, and despite our danger, I could feel my cock press against my slacks once more.

  Down boy. We had to get out of this hotel first.

  “There’s a sign.” Tess pointed down the hall and I nodded in acknowledgment. The sign was for a small restaurant that was attached to the building. Hopefully that part of the hotel hadn’t been disturbed.

  The restaurant was separated from the hotel by a glass door, and as we came closer, I could see that it wasn’t a fancy sit-down place, but a small internet cafe. Inside, it seemed as if it was business as usual, which meant that we had a chance of escaping.

  “May I help you?” a short, bird-faced woman asked from behind the counter as we stepped inside.

  I pulled Tess closer and turned her toward my chest. There was nothing I could do about her hair, but thankfully the female trend of bleaching one’s hair so blonde it looked almost white still held. Hopefully, we wouldn’t get too much attention.

  “We’d like to place an order, but first, we’d like to use the restroom.” Tess stepped on my foot and I bit back a grimace.

  “Sure.” The woman smiled, but I could tell by her features that she was slightly suspicious. Better to get out of there as quickly as possible. “It’s right around the counter, to the left.”

  “Thank you.” I smiled and steered Tess away. Our luck held, and we were able to slip out a side door before anyone got too suspicious. Once we stepped outside, Tess looked up and pushed her hair out of her face.

  “Thank God that’s over.”

  “Don’t relax too much,” I said as I pushed her head back down so she stared at the sidewalk. “We’re not out of the woods yet.”

  “The coffee in there smelled so good.” Tess sounded tired, reminding me that while I was used to all of the activity and adrenaline, she was not. Not only did I need to get her out of here, but we needed to get someplace warm to relax.

  “Come on.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “To a safe place on the other side of the city. Somewhere they’ll never look for us.” I had come up with the idea while we were in the supply closet. My younger brother had started dating the sister of someone at the police academy. She was an actress in some off-Broadway production of a modern-day fairy tale, and he had come down to the city to support her in her final week. After her last show, they celebrated with a little vacation on Cape Cod. They had given me the key to her place and asked me to take care of her plants while they were away.

  Never did take care of those plants, but now I’m glad I had that key. No one would think to look for us in her place.

  I took Tess down into the subway once more. She never made a face as we went through the turnstile, never complained as we waited with the rest of the New York commuters for our ride. It struck me as odd that someone who came from so much money and influence would prefer to travel in a taxi over a guarded limo, and that she had no qualms about using public transportation. The more time I spent with her, the more I realized that the pretentiousness I had seen back at the airport was all an act. In reality, Tess was quite down-to-earth.

  This impressed and intrigued me, but unfortunately I didn’t have much time to think about it. As we slipped onto the subway car along with the other passengers, I tried to keep her close. It was rush hour, so there were no seats. I snaked my arm around her waist and grabbed the pole as the subway took off.

  Tess grabbed the pole and kept her face down, just like I had warned her to do. She seemed more nervous here than back in the hotel, which I found quite strange. I wanted to ask her about it, but now wasn’t the time. Instead, I held her close and counted the stops to my brother’s girlfriend’s apartment.

  “Max,” she whispered after a few moments.

  “Yeah?”

  “People are starting to stare.”

  I glanced around and realized she was right. Back on the street, there had been dozens of people, and they were all moving. Here, everyone had to wait around. Many of them were probably bored. Thanks to her pale hair and skin, she was drawing the attention of the other passengers. While only a few were openly staring, many were examining her out of the corner of their eyes.

  The wheels on the subway screeched, and we came to a stop so quickly that Tess and I were pushed to the side by the force of it. A passenger a few seats down moved as well, and swore as his earbuds fell out of his ears. A familiar conductor’s voice echoed through the car as the passenger scrambled to stick his earbuds back in.

  “Several police officers are searching the downtown area . . .”

  The young man glanced in my direction, then quickly turned away. Shit.

  “We’re getting off here.” I grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the platform and away from the dozens of curious stares. I should have known that she’d be recognizable. Tess was like a rare flower. The things that drew me to her were drawing the attention of others as well.

  A surge of possessiveness welled up inside of me as I hurried up the stairs and onto the sidewalk. We were still several blocks out from the apartment, but it was too risky to do anything but walk.

  “Only a few more blocks to go.”

  “Good, because my feet are killing me.” Before we headed underground, Tess had put her boots back on. They looked incredible on her, but were rather impractical—especially considering the circumstances.

  We continued the rest of the way in silence, keeping to the shadows and looking away from any passing people on the street. All the time we walked, I kept a watch out for danger. Every commuter was a potential international assassin. Every city worker was a potential spy. I could feel my blood pressure rising, just like it rose during that incident that got Vash shot. A sense of helplessness flooded over me, tightening my chest and making it difficult to breathe. I did my best to push it aside and keep walking. The last thing Tess needed was for me to have a panic attack. I had managed to keep things under control, but by the time we reached my brother’s girlfriend’s apartment, my nerves were fried and my temper was short.

  “Where are we?” Tess asked.

  “A friend’s apartment.” I looked up at the tall building. “She’s away for the week.”

  “She?”

  Was that a note of jealousy in her voice? I couldn’t help but grin. “Yes her. It’s small, but it should suit our needs. It’s on the fourth floor.”

  “Ugh, more stairs?” she asked as I keyed into the building.

  Her exasperation made me chuckle. “No, we can take the elevator.”

  “Thank God.”

  We walked across a small, carpeted lobby to the elevators. Besides the bells for each apartment and the mail boxes, there wasn’t much to see—or anywhere to hide. If someone decided to come in right now, we’d be stuck.

  “Max, look.” Tess tugged on my suit jacket, drawing my attention. She pointed outside, and I saw two women climbing up the front steps toward the building.

  Tess pressed the elevator button multiple times in a row. “Come on.”

  “Too late,” I said as I grabbed Tess’s arm and pulled her toward me.

  “What are you doing?”

  The elevator doors opened right as the women started coming inside. Knowing that I wouldn’t have enough time to get away without looking suspicious, I pulled Tess into the elevator, hit the button for our floor, and dragged her to the far end.

  “Max!” she squealed as I turned her around so that her back was against
the metal.

  I leaned in close to her ear. “Just followed my lead.” I guided her hands underneath my suit jacket so they’d stay out of sight. Then I leaned down and pressed my lips against hers.

  I had expected her to be surprised or to stiffen under my touch. Instead she relaxed and immediately molded her body against mine. Immediately the pressure in my chest eased, and my panic disappeared. I leaned into her warmth, and as she tightened her grip on my suit jacket, I tilted my head and deepened the kiss.

  “Oh my,” I heard the woman behind me. “Sorry, we’ll take the next one.”

  Relief washed through me as the elevator door closed. My plan had worked. The women were gone, and neither of them had seen or recognized Tess. I had every reason to break off the kiss and let her go, but they all paled in comparison to how good she felt pushed up against my chest.

  She dipped her tongue into my mouth. The move was hesitant, as if she was unsure of my reaction. I caressed her tongue in return, coaxing her out of her insecurity. With a groan, she pressed herself harder against my chest, and my muscles immediately tightened with need. Sliding my hands down, I spread my fingers out over her backside, loving how perfectly she filled my large palms.

  This wasn’t what I was expecting. The kiss was supposed to be nothing more than a cover, something to hide Tess so that no one could see her unique features. It was never supposed to feel this good or be this intense.

  As she moaned and moved against me, all I could think about was getting her back to the apartment and getting her out of her clothes. Making her come had been amazing, but the next time she orgasmed I wanted to be inside of her.

  I hoped to God my brother had left some condoms in the bathroom or nightstand of his girlfriend’s apartment. If not, I was in for a very long, rough night.

  I pulled her against me and rubbed my aching cock into her lower abdomen. She clung tighter to my neck, kissing me with such enthusiasm that I knew my lips were going to be sore the next morning.

  The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. It took every ounce of willpower I had to push away from her warmth. She moistened her lips as she grasped my fingers.

  “What do we do now?” Her voice was light, but her expression was anything but innocent.

  This was wrong. I had a job to do. Keeping her safe was my number-one priority. Then again, the safest place she could possibly be was in my arms, wasn’t it?

  I tugged her out of the elevator. “Now, we get you to that apartment before I lose it and tear off all of your clothes in this hall.” I quickly glanced at the wall and pulled her in the direction of the apartment. When we got to the door, I pulled out my keys and fumbled for the one my brother had given me. She giggled as I opened the door, and the sound made my skin tingle with anticipation. I flung open the door and dragged her into the apartment. By the time the heavy door closed behind us, I already had her half-way to the bedroom.

  “Get in there and wait for me. I’ll just be a second.”

  She flashed me a questioning look, but did as she was told. I rushed into the bathroom and flung open the medicine cabinet.

  “Come on, buddy. Come on.” He had to have left some of his condoms behind. If he took all of them on his vacation with his girlfriend, I’ll probably die of blue balls.

  “Damn.” I closed the medicine cabinet and checked the drawers. The condoms had to be here somewhere. “Yes!!” I pulled out a small black box in the back of the bottom drawer. A quick glance inside told me that I had enough to last us the night. Grinning, I did a quick fist-pump in the air and made my way to the bedroom.

  “Thanks, bro,” I murmured under my breath. “I owe you one.”

  Chapter Nine

  Tess

  I had no idea what Max was doing in the bathroom. I just hoped he’d hurry. It only took me a minute to pull off my boots, and after placing them by the door, I hurried to the bedroom. This was the last time I bought expensive shoes. My feet were killing me.

  Ah, who was I kidding? Shoes were my one extravagance, my one guilty pleasure.

  I stopped at the bedroom door and stared. This was . . . not what I was expecting.

  The place looked surprisingly feminine. The pale pink curtains over the windows matched the new-leaf colored walls. The cream-colored carpet felt soft and inviting underneath my feet. The bed took up most of the room, and its pine-wood frame matched the color of the end tables. One end table supported a small lamp, the other a dying fern. Various makeup brushes, lipsticks, and hair accessories lined the small bureau along the opposite wall, and a floor-length mirror doubled as a door to the closet.

  One thing was for certain, if Max had something going on with this woman, it wasn’t serious. There wasn’t anything masculine about this place, a strong hint that no guy spent more than a few hours here. It was interesting how Max had a key to a place so obviously feminine, and I couldn’t help but wonder what this person was like. Was she tall and thin like me or something different? I imagined her strong-willed. Someone would have to have a little backbone, I suspected Max liked women with backbone. She’d have to be beautiful as well.

  I set my purse on the dresser with the makeup, then did a slow turn toward the closet. Part of me wanted to open it up and see if he had any clothes in there. Another part of me was afraid of what I would find.

  What was I doing? This wasn’t me. I was a strong, independent woman who was more comfortable alone, not some jealous high school girlfriend. This was so out of character for me. Then again, it wasn’t every day that someone attempts to take your life.

  Stuff like that changes a person. As I stared at myself in the mirror, I realized that while I hadn’t outwardly changed, something inside had shifted since I had arrived in the States. No longer did I want to live in the shadows. Life was far too short to live it as a recluse. I wanted to experience it, enjoy it. Thanks to my overbearing father, I had spent too much time overthinking and overanalyzing decisions. He meant well, but life was supposed to be lived in the moment, not five or ten years from now.

  Max made me feel amazing. That should be enough for now. With Kami hurt, I desperately wanted to feel connected to someone once more. I’d figure out the rest if we ever got out of this mess alive.

  “Found them!” Max waved a box of condoms in the air as he walked into the room. So that was what he was up to! I chuckled as he tossed them on the bed and slid his arms around my middle. I knew Sam would come through for me.”

  “Sam, is that her name?”

  “What?”

  I glanced around the room. “The person who lives here.”

  He laughed. “No, Sam’s my younger brother. This is his girlfriend’s apartment.”

  “Oh.” I averted my gaze, feeling rather stupid that I had jumped to different conclusions.

  “Yeah, he and his actress girlfriend are on vacation and gave me a key so I could take care of her plants.” He frowned at the dying fern. “I had forgotten about it until this afternoon. I didn’t tell anyone about it. No one will come looking for us here.” He tugged me back against his chest so we both faced the mirror. “Now, where were we?”

  Through the mirror, I watched him kiss my neck and slide his hands over my body. Tingles spread out over my skin as I reached back and held his head close to my skin. I had to admit, the sight was highly erotic.

  “Hmm, that’s nice.” I threaded my fingers into his hair, loving how the thick strands felt against my skin.

  “Nice?” he lifted his head, revealing a devilish gleam in his eye, and raised his brows at me through the mirror. “Surely I am better than that.”

  “I’d like to see you try.” I nibbled my lower lip as anticipation rippled through me.

  “Is that another challenge?”

  “Maybe.”

  He slid his hand down over my lower belly, causing my skin to heat. “Then keep your eyes focused on the mirror.” He tugged my sweater up, exposing my abdomen. He slid his hand up underneath the fabric and grabbed my breast as he r
esumed his sweet torture on my neck.

  I was mesmerized. Never before had I watched someone touch me. As he dipped his fingers underneath my bra and caressed my nipple, a dull ache formed in between my thighs. I widened my stance as his second hand dipped beneath the waistband of my jeans.

  “Yes.” Desire burst through my system as I rubbed my backside against him.

  He slid his lips lower and nibbled at the base of my neck. “God, you taste amazing.” He lifted my bra up over my breasts and pinched my nipple. The spark of pain shot through my torso and intensified my need.

  I wiggled against him as he kneaded and teased my sensitive skin. Reaching behind me, I grabbed his hip with my free hand, desperate for more.

  “Put your leg up on the dresser,” he commanded as he undid the button on my jeans.

  I glanced over my shoulder. “What?”

  “Take off your pants, and put your leg up on the dresser’s edge. It will give me better access.” He eased back to give me room to move.

  If we were anywhere else, I would have argued with him. For years I had been running my own business and taking charge of everything around me. I hated to admit it, but shutting down that part of my mind and following his orders felt freeing. It was nice to not worry about anything and just let someone else take charge for a change.

  I quickly shed my pants, and as he came up behind me, I leaned back into his chest and placed my foot on the edge of the dresser. I could see my red panties in the mirror in front of me, covering my most intimate of places. It was my small defiance. I had opened myself up for Max, but not given him complete access. If he wanted me, he was going to have to work for it.

  Using his free hand, he slid his fingers down my soft belly and eased them between my thighs.

  I rested my head back onto his shoulder and groaned as he pressed against my damp thong. I imagined him entering me, pleasuring me. Closing my eyes, I pressed my backside into his hard cock as he squeezed both my breast and my mound.