She wasn’t sure to which one he was referring; she had several. Last night he had spent a considerable amount of time tracing the spiraling design over her hip with his tongue. And surely he’d had a lovely view of the fallen angel on her back when they had...
Nicki slammed a wall down on those thoughts before the desire for an encore became unbearable. And she had no intention of sharing the reasoning behind her ink; it would be impossible to explain that without explaining everything, and there was no way in hell she was going to do that. Those were memories that she had commanded to the deepest, darkest pits of her blackened heart, for her and her alone.
“Nothing so meaningful,” she said elusively. “How many brothers do you have?”
“Six. You?”
“Just Nick. Any sisters?”
“Three, by marriage.”
It was an interesting answer, she thought. Most men would have just answered “no”, or maybe mentioned having some “in-laws”, but Sean considered these women to be as much a part of his family as if they had been born to it. A sharp but brief pang of envy shot through her at the thought of being part of this man’s life beyond a night or two. Would his brothers and their wives accept her quite as fully and easily? No, she thought wryly. There wasn’t a chance in hell of that happening. If what she’d seen in the hospital lobby was any indication of the type of women Callaghan men went after, she was about as far off the mark as she could get.
The minute she finished her breakfast Sean whisked the plate away, along with the silverware, glass, and mug. He hadn’t prepared one for himself, she’d noticed.
“You’re not eating anything?” she asked.
He gave her a wicked smile. “Now, baby, whatever gave you that idea?”
Sean sat down on one of the stools and patted the counter. “Come up here.”
Excitement flared through her body, but she really should be going. She shook her head, but the denial got stuck in her throat. And why couldn’t she get her legs to move?
Sean chuckled, reaching out to capture her and then smoothly lifted her onto the countertop as if she weighed nothing. He repositioned himself on the stool between her legs, his hand bringing a resounding crack on her right bottom cheek as she fidgeted.
“Behave,” he growled, “or I’ll bind you again.”
She stilled, though the thought of restraints was intensely arousing. Odd, she had never seen herself as such a submissive. But with Sean, she needed to be.
He took his time with her. Spreading her legs. Rubbing chilled, juicy strawberries over her soft folds, then topping the area with whipped cream. Biting. Sucking. Licking. Kissing. Devouring her as if she was a seven-course meal. He brought her to the edge several times, only to pull back and begin the onslaught all over again.
“You know,” she panted as she tried to thrust her hips against his face and take the release she so desperately needed, “it’s not polite to play with your food.”
Sean laughed against her, and it was one of the most erotic things she’d ever felt. “You’re right,” he agreed. He kicked the stool away and quickly freed himself, plunging into her, filling her until she thought she would burst. He fucked her hard and fast, taking his release the same time he gave her hers.
He was still leaning over her when the doorbell rang. Sean cursed and grabbed for the remote beneath the counter as a small, mounted five-inch screen flared to life above them. Two unfamiliar men looked directly into the security camera, flashing badges.
“Fuck,” he muttered, withdrawing from Nicki’s wet heat. Even if they hadn’t flashed their badges, the dark suits, white shirts, black ties and shades screamed Fed. “Nicki, baby, go on into the bedroom. I’ve got some business to take care of.”
Nicki blinked, but said nothing. Sean thought these guys were here for him? He obviously didn’t seem at all surprised, just annoyed at the timing. Just how many Feds showed up at his door anyway?
She couldn’t think about that now; she had to get the hell out and do some damage control. The fact that Fisher and Brookes were here only drove that point home. She stayed too long, taken things too far. There would be consequences.
*
Sean pulled on his jeans, not bothering to grab a shirt. He waited until Nicki disappeared into the bedroom before remotely disengaging the locks on the lower door.
“Agents Fisher and Brookes, DEA,” the taller one said. “May we come in?”
Sean examined both badges and ids before allowing them to enter. “What can I do for you?”
One of the men removed his sunglasses and considered Sean for a moment before answering. “We are looking for Nicolette Milligan. Is she here?”
Nicki? What did the DEA want with her? Did it have something to do with her brother? Christ, he was going to kick that kid’s ass next time he saw him.
While Sean’s mind raced, his face remained calm. He even managed a little smile. “Well, now, why don’t you tell me what you need and maybe I can help you?”
The shorter, stockier agent returned his smile, but without a trace of amusement. “Are you aware of the penalty for holding a Federal agent captive, Mr. Callaghan?”