Adele, Claire - Guardian of Her Heart (Siren Publishing Classic) Read online

  Waiting for his touch, desire heightened in her. He separated her sensitive folds with one hand, the other holding her snug against him. He circled her clit, his fingers first gentle and then more forceful. She gasped with pleasure.

  His mouth closed over the curve of her shoulder, his teeth gently squeezing. The head of his erection caressed the opening of her sheath. She held her breath, savoring the sweet sensation. The engorged head of his penis stretched her, entered her, slid slowly inside. A sound of pure enjoyment came from him. She pressed her lips together as he thrust slowly, deeply, filling her all the way to her womb. Heavens, it felt so right.

  His heart pounded against her back, his body strong and masterful. His warm breath caressed her. The hand that held her cupped her between her thighs, building the fire. His fingers stroked her swollen clit. She shivered and her back arched. He slid partway out of her and thrust deeper, his muscular thighs, damp and hot, rubbing hers.

  “Come for me, honey,” he rasped, his breath warm against her ear, cool against her sweat-dampened throat.

  She swallowed a shriek of intense pleasure as he filled her with the thick length of his cock and stroked an extremely sensitive place inside. He pulled out and thrust again. Pressure built. “Mike. Yes!”

  Her orgasm rocked her. She bucked with the force of it.

  He held her tight against him and surged inside her, never leaving her as her climax stroked around him with uncontrolled pulses. He thrust once more.

  She moaned, shaking. “That’s incredible.”

  Mike held her, caressing her as his own pleasure grew unbelievably. She turned her head and kissed his wet brow. The gentle lick of her tongue and her hot, slick sheath squeezing his cock catapulted him to the heavens. He shouted in pleasure, his body arching over her as he spent himself deep inside her wet velvet. His body continued to pump. He wasn’t finished before he felt the contractions of Melissa’s body as she came again with a cry of delight. Her second climax added to his intense pleasure.

  “My God, you’re incredible,” he rasped.

  He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her snug along his body. She turned her face toward his. Tilting her head, she offered her lips for the most satisfying kiss he’d ever known. He hugged her, sharing soft, tender kisses until his body relaxed in sweetest paradise. He’d never felt at one with anyone before.

  Melissa was a beautiful treasure. He would guard her with his life. Whatever it took.

  He slipped from her slick vagina. “Stay right there for a second.” He removed the condom and dispensed it. He lifted her into his arms, backed to the bed, and sat down with her in his lap.

  She smiled at him, looking dreamy and satisfied. “That was the most amazing sex I’ve ever experienced,” she breathed. “You were fantastic.”

  “You were pretty amazing yourself,” he said. He dipped his head to lick and then suckle one soft nipple.

  She writhed against him, her hand gliding over his shoulder. It wouldn’t take much to turn her on again. He released her nipple and moved to kiss her sweet lips. She half turned, one leg bending at the knee as she stretched up his torso. With her legs parted, he slipped one hand between her thighs, his fingers stroking through her swollen, wet folds. She breathed in sharply. He slid a finger deep inside her sheath. She bucked and whimpered. It was time to take her to bed.

  Chapter Four

  Melissa didn’t look forward to the coming conversation with Paul, her security guard at the crisis center. She looked up from the paperwork on her desk as he filled the doorway.

  “You wanted to talk to me?” he asked.

  “Morning, Paul. I want to let you know that I’ve asked Mike Wolfson to help out with security for a while.”

  “Why? I don’t need any help.” His tone was surly and defensive, just as she’d expected. “Don’t you think I can do my job?”

  “That’s not the issue. You’re doing a great job. But since one of our mothers and her son have been threatened bodily by the boy’s father, I decided it would be smart to have an additional security guard.”

  “I’ve seen the way Mike works. He’s a violent man. Not the sort of person you want protecting the kids and grownups here.”

  “I trust Mike to do the job. If it comes to my attention that he causes a problem, I’ll attend to it.” She nodded to Paul. “That’s all, thank you.”

  He muttered to himself as he turned and left her office.

  She had to admit she had a little concern about Mike. The security guard might be right. The way Mike dispatched Tito and his friends the first time she needed help was amazing. She’d never seen anyone move so fast. Thank goodness he did, or she might have been kidnapped.

  If Mike didn’t agree to do things her way at the crisis center, she’d be forced to ask him to quit. That would be really hard to do. She had to believe he wasn’t volatile like Paul said. She’d hate to have to end her relationship with Mike.

  Maybe it might be a good idea to slow things down between them. Things had moved so fast. Last night, he’d taken her to bed and made love to her again. She’d let him have his way with her, and she’d felt no shyness or embarrassment, reclining naked, her thighs spread wide for him. He’d brought her to orgasmic rapture once again. Just thinking about it made her ache for him. If he walked into her office right now, she’d lock the door and seduce him into giving her pleasure here on the desk.

  They’d rushed from good friends to intense sexual intimacy with lightning speed. She should take a step back.

  How could she? She didn’t want to.

  The crisis center must come first. With her rocketing relationship with Mike, she might overlook something or someone in need. She couldn’t live with herself if she let down or failed someone who needed protection from battling parents…or even one dangerous parent.

  She could definitely use some additional security help right now. Mike had agreed to fill that need. Hopefully, it would work out the best for everyone.

  * * * *

  Mike flopped onto Melissa’s couch after helping her with the dishes from dinner. He could hear her quiet activity in her bedroom. Was she changing into something more comfortable? A vision of her wearing a short, see-through top and bikini panties sent lust surging. He had no problems making love to her, but fear of failing Melissa and her charges preyed on him.

  He’d always felt lacking, sort of an outsider. That came from the chaotic home he’d been raised in, rather than a well-rounded family like Melissa had. Tormented by his father, who hid the physical form of his werewolf nature but not his abusive temperament.

  Mike had failed to protect his mother. He’d failed her in every way. Would he fail Melissa, too?

  He’d become a private eye to prove himself and to protect others. Also to prove his self-worth, if he were truthful. He hadn’t been there when his mother needed him.

  He feared what would happen if he continued to spend his days and nights with Melissa. If at some point, they had to call it quits, he’d leave with half of himself missing. She made him feel whole for the first time in his life.

  In the low light of dusk, she crossed to him from the hallway, her bare feet padding softly, and joined him on the couch. She wore a soft cotton T-shirt with straps and hip-hugging jeans. She snuggled close against his side. Seeing her sweet smile, he couldn’t resist kissing her. Her lips were warm and pliant. Her scent of warm woman and lilacs affected him like a strong aphrodisiac.

  “Make love to me,” she whispered.

  He couldn’t resist. His kisses turned passionate. He was going to have to tell her soon what kind of life he’d come from. It would be up to her afterward whether she wanted to continue their relationship or not. He feared she’d run in disgust from him if she knew his mother had been an alcoholic or if he told her about his mother’s death.

  Melissa had no idea he was after the Hawks’ leader because of his mother’s death caused by a possible drug overdose.

  He’d hate for her to find out abo
ut his parents’ terrible relationship, too. If she did know everything, would she turn her back on him? Derek and Juan were the only ones close to him who knew, and both of them were also suspicious of Tito Gonzalez.

  Melissa’s lush lips caressed his jaw before nibbling his ear. Her hands unfastened his shirt and pulled his thoughts to focus on her teasing fingers sliding his shirt away from his chest.

  Before he could embrace her and ravish her lush lips, she moved down his chest, following the dark line of hair. She touched the tip of her tongue below the first pair of abs. Outlining each one with her warm, wet tongue, she moved lower over the ridges. His cock rose high and hardened, his balls fully engaged. God, he was close to coming already.

  She tasted every inch of him, stopped at his waistband, and unfastened his jeans.

  Melissa wanted to see all of him, touch all of him, taste him. She glanced up and met the hunger revealed in his eyes. After pulling down his boxer shorts, she gazed in admiration and smiled. With one finger, she continued to trace the silken, dark line to the blanket of hair below framing the base of his shaft. It leaped at her touch.

  She searched his face. His eyes were dark, half closed, and watching her. He must burn with need like she had from his touch before.

  As she closed her fingers around his cock, his eyes closed, and his nostrils flared with his deep breath. Her own body reacted and ached to have him inside her. Not yet. First, she wanted to pleasure him.

  What did he like? She held his rigid penis close to the base and circled the engorged head with her index finger. A drop of cum had beaded. She smoothed it over the tip with her thumb. Meeting his eyes, she licked her thumb. A dark, almost feral promise of pleasure smoldered in his half-closed eyes, as if he wanted to devour her. Daring his passion, she lowered her head, parted her lips, and kissed the sculpted helmet of his rock-hard cock.

  “God, babe.” He breathed deeply and closed his eyes.

  Her lips slipped easily over him, and she took him into her mouth, tasting and teasing with her tongue, learning the contours and ridges. Swirling her tongue around him, she smoothed her hand beneath his balls, weighing them with her fingertips.

  He groaned. “Melissa, I’m going to come. Wait. Stop. I want to be inside you.”

  Melissa removed her mouth from him and lifted her hand from his sac.

  He grabbed a condom from his jeans pocket and shucked his boots and clothing.

  She unzipped her jeans and pushed them along with her panties down her legs.

  He bent and removed them from her feet. “Straddle me, hon,” he rasped.

  She knelt on the couch with his raging erection between her legs. He supported her, holding her with his hands at her waist as she positioned the head of his hard shaft at her slick opening. Lowering her body, she took all of him deep inside. He filled her to perfection.

  “Take off your top.”

  She made quick work of her top and bra.

  “Move forward. I want to taste you.”

  She leaned forward until her breasts were within reach of his mouth. The movement tantalized her as he pressed inside her. He licked one nipple and drew it into his mouth, sucking hard.

  A moan escaped her at the pleasure. She supported herself with her hands on his muscular shoulders. He released the nipple and tasted the other one, giving both the same attention. When he cupped her breasts and circled her nipples with his thumbs, she moved forward, sliding her sheath up and down his cock. It felt amazing.

  He raised his hips and pushed deeper inside her. She could feel him caressing every surface.

  Her body tensed. Her muscles tightened. She shook with the force as her climax ignited. Her neck arched as wave after wave of contractions cradled her in ecstasy. When she returned to her senses, Mike growled deep in his chest, his muscles hardened with his climax. She felt him pumping inside, her body pulsing around him in response. She sighed, replete, and dropped forward to rest on his damp chest.

  He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. “I wish we could do this nonstop.”

  She chuckled and pressed her lips to his strong neck as she rested her head on his shoulder, happy to stay right there.

  * * * *

  The following day at the crisis center, Mike stood inside the front entry watching as Melissa walked with Mrs. Catalina Martinez, one of the mothers, and her young son to their expensive-looking Lexus. She was a pretty woman but had big problems with her husband.

  A black sedan drove by and caught his attention. The sedan made a U-turn and slowed as it neared the center.

  Mike stepped outside and started toward Melissa, who stood beside the woman and child. The black sedan stopped, and a man opened the passenger door and ran toward the women.

  “Hey,” Mike shouted and raced for them. Melissa started to take the lady’s arm and reached for the boy. “Get back inside!”

  Melissa grabbed the woman’s son and hurried toward the building.

  Mike tackled the man who had caught the woman. She went down with them flat onto the strip of grass next to the curb. Mike wanted only to free her. He slammed his fist against the man’s wrist, and he let go of her. She scrambled away and ran for the building.

  Mike fought with the man, hoping to hold him for the police. Another ruffian rushed from the sedan. He kicked Mike in the side. His breath whooshed from him. He grunted and rolled to avoid the next punishing blow.

  Another one like that and he could morph to his werewolf form. Not here. Not now, with no warning to Melissa.

  Paul yelled from across the lawn near the entry.

  When his assailants left him, Mike looked up. Too late to stop them now. They jumped in the car, and it took off down the street. He turned to see if the women and boy were safe.

  Paul reached him. “You all right? Need an ambulance? You took a few hard kicks to your ribs. Anything broken?”

  “I don’t think so.” Mike got to his feet and took a deep breath. His ribs were sore, but not like they would be if they were cracked or broken. He brushed himself off and ran toward the center.

  “We’d better call the cops,” Paul said.

  “Hell, yeah. We need to make a report.” But first, he had a few questions of his own for the woman. The gang was definitely after Mrs. Martinez instead of Melissa this time. There had to be more than one reason why.

  He and Paul entered the building and found Melissa with the shaken woman and her son waiting in the office.

  “I’ve called the police,” Melissa said.

  “Good,” Mike said softly and looked at the young mother with her son at her side. “May I talk to you alone about what just happened? We could talk right out here in the hallway.”

  Fear evident in her eyes, the woman looked to Melissa for assurance.

  Melissa smiled at her and then turned to the young boy. “I’ll stay with Raymond, and we can keep each other company, can’t we?”

  Serious and quiet, he nodded in agreement but watched his mom as she preceded Mike into the hall.

  She stopped about two steps from the office door. Mike would keep this short and to the point. The police would arrive any second. “Why do you think those men wanted you?”

  “It must be because they know me through my husband. But I don’t know why they would try to kidnap me.”

  “How did you and your husband meet them?” He watched her eyes for any evasive reaction but saw none.

  “In the past, my husband has invited them to our house for parties or for dinner. I didn’t know he owed them money, but they came to the house recently and I overheard them arguing. They raised their voices.”

  “What did they argue about?” he asked.

  She shook her head, looking dismayed. “They demanded money and my husband told them he didn’t have it right now. That’s when they beat my husband. I yelled at them to stop and they left the house and drove away. Now, here they are today trying to kidnap me and my son when I came here for help. Will the police catch them and put them in ja
il?”

  “I hope so.” Mike’s parents had hosted parties where the guests included questionable people with ties to drug dealing. It sounded like this woman’s husband might be in deep shit.

  Mike escorted the woman back inside the office. Melissa gazed at him. He had a feeling she had questions of her own for him.

  “I need to talk to you, Mike.”

  He nodded. “As soon as the police leave.”

  Chapter Five

  Later, after a shower and dinner at Melissa’s, Mike waited in the living room for her to join him.

  The police had come to the crisis center and taken down all the information Mike, Melissa, and Mrs. Martinez could give them. Mike didn’t plan to wait for the police to protect Melissa and those at the crisis center.

  He had his own plan. He also needed to tell Melissa about his life with his parents, their questionable acquaintances, and his failure to protect his mom.

  He looked up as she came in from the hallway. She wore a soft, sleeveless knit top, that left her delicious middle bare, and hip-hugger jeans. Nothing on her shapely feet.

  “How are your bruises?” Her eyes revealed her concern. “Are you sure you don’t need to go to the emergency room for treatment?”

  Mike shook his head. “Nothing’s broken. I have some pretty ugly bruises forming, and I’m sore, but that’s all. I’ll be better when you sit beside me.”

  She smiled at him and sat on the sofa, careful not to lean against his side.

  He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “I need to tell you something that I’ve been holding in for a long time. After talking to the woman who was attacked at the crisis center today, I think it’s important for you to know.”

  “Mrs. Martinez.” Melissa’s eyes were wide and questioning as she looked at him. “Something she said is worrying you?”

  “Yeah.” He took a deep breath and let it out.