“Did you seriously chase after a purse-snatcher?” I asked her, leaning over to kiss the side of her face.
“First time in my life I’ve ever had a little money,” she said. “Plus, it’s a leather purse I bought in Greece. I was damned if I was going to let him have it.”
“You’re something, you know that?” She kept blowing me away.
“Should I have let him go?” she asked in confusion. “I sat huddled in a closet a little over a month ago, terrified and helpless as my father and brother were almost killed. I don’t ever want to feel that helpless again. Ever.”
“You were never helpless,” I said gently. “You called Xander. You had no idea what kind of reception you were going to get, but you called him. That’s brave, honey. You’re brave.”
“I didn’t feel brave,” she whispered. “I felt frustrated and angry. And that stupid policeman didn’t even believe me. He actually thought that guy was my brother. I really hate my country sometimes.”
She stared off at nothing, her face tight with anger.
“Erik’s working really hard to change things,” I said.
“Change like that takes decades.”
“Then you can feel good knowing that your generation was part of that change.”
“I hope so.” She gazed out at the beach.
“We can walk on the beach or I can take you back to the bed and breakfast and put you in that giant bathtub?”
She smiled. “Bathtub. As long as you get in with me.”
“Couldn’t keep me away.”
I was a little frustrated that our wonderful evening had been rudely interrupted, and annoyed that I’d have to call Sandor now to tell him what happened. Using our badges was rare, and we had strict protocol to follow when we did, which included calling either Sandor or Erik directly. I wasn’t in any trouble, but it was a hassle.
When we got back to our room, Solange went to run the bath and I called Sandor.
“Hey.” Sandor sounded surprised to hear from me.
“Hey.” I told him what happened.
“With more tourism comes more crime,” he said thoughtfully. “It’s curious that the cop was so quick to believe the guy and not Solange or the witnesses.”
“I waited a few minutes but once he put his hands on her…” My voice trailed off. I didn’t have to explain how much that pissed me off.
“Yeah, I would’ve done the same.” He paused. “Of course, Lennox would’ve already beaten the shit out of the guy so more than likely I would’ve had to bail her out of jail.”
We chuckled together.
“Anyway, I just wanted to check in. Protocol and all.”
“I appreciate it. I’m going to call the police chief down there in the morning, get a feel for what’s what. But seriously, I’m glad she’s okay. Don’t worry about using the badge. We’ll sort it out on this end.”
“All right. Talk to you later.” I disconnected just as Solange came out of the bathroom. She was gloriously naked, but before I could focus on that, my eyes zeroed in on the ugly purple bruise that had formed beneath one knee. “Were you hurt?!” I demanded.
25
Solange
I hadn’t even realized I’d been injured until I undressed. It would be an ugly bruise but it hadn’t occurred to me Axel would be upset about it. His dark eyes gleamed with intensity as he practically pounced on me to inspect it.
“I didn’t realize you’d fallen,” he said in a gruff voice. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I didn’t notice,” I said quietly. “I guess the adrenaline rush masked it. Are you mad?”
He looked up, tender fingers on my calf. “Not at you. But the fact that guy could have hurt you, that you went after him without knowing if he was armed or anything…”
“I saw him, he was just a kid. I suppose he could have had a gun, but weapons aren’t as common here in Limaj. It’s not like the U.S. And anyway, it’s just a bruise. I landed on my knee when I knocked him down. Don’t be angry, Axel.”
“I’m not upset at you, just at the thought of you getting hurt.” He pulled me close. “I would be extremely pissed if someone hurt you.”
“No one is going to hurt me.” I wrapped my arm around his neck. “I have you to protect me. Now let’s get in the bath.”
“Nice deflection, by the way, coming out of the bathroom naked.” He ran his hand down my ass.
“It wasn’t intentional, but I’m glad it worked.”
We soaked in the tub even though it was still a little cramped for Axel. He made me feel so safe and protected, his strong arms wrapped around me tightly, that I must have dozed off. The next thing I knew it was morning and I was nestled against his chest. He had one arm around me from behind, resting on my hip; the other was behind his head and I realized he’d been watching me sleep.
“What time is it?” I murmured. “Why are you watching me?”
“Because you’re so fucking beautiful it takes my breath away.” He smiled and, as usual, my insides got all squirmy and soft. My body was completely in love with this man. The rest of me was slowly catching up, but my body had a mind of its own, reacting to him in ways the rest of me couldn’t quite process.
“You always say the sweetest things,” I whispered, looking into his handsome face with a desperate urge to kiss him. My stomach growled, and though I ignored it, Axel heard it.
“Are you hungry?” he rumbled roughly.
“Only for you.” I moved on top of him and lowered my mouth to his. He opened for me, hands skimming my back, his lips soft and sweet as we kissed.
“I finally get to make love to you in a bed,” he whispered, flipping us over so I was on my back and he was on top of me.
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep last night.” I loved how it felt for his huge body to cover mine. He was kissing me again, getting me all worked up without doing much of anything else. His warm hands were magic, but his lips captivated me. Always.
When he reached for something on the nightstand, I put my hand on his forearm to stop him. “I got an IUD this week. We’re good.”
“You’re, uh, okay going without protection?”
“I’m protected against pregnancy and I don’t have any diseases.” My eyes met his and he nodded.
“I haven’t been with anyone else in more than six months.”
“Make love to me, Axel.” I pulled him down again for another soul-twisting kiss and my legs fell open without any encouragement from him. He was thick and hard against my thigh and I raised my knees, giving him easy access.
“God, you’re gorgeous.” He slid into me slowly, our eyes locked, and everything disappeared. He’d been inside of me dozens of times since that first night, but this was different. The lack of condom, being on a bed, our first trip away together, all of it came together to make something shift between us and as he glided in and out, there was no mistaking his need for me was as great as mine for him.
He didn’t rush, like we often did because we had somewhere to be or didn’t want to get caught, but instead made a point of drawing everything out. Each stroke of his cock was slow and intense. He was making love to my lips at the same time, kissing me as if it was the first time all over again, with a tenderness that matched the motions of the rest of him.