“Oh, you can count on it.”

  CHAPTER 29

  Holy hell.

  The first thing Phoenix saw when he let himself into the hotel room was a sleeping Ellie, dressed in nothing but a man’s white shirt, her legs bare. She lay on top of the massive bed, her freshly washed, still damp hair spread out over the pillow. She looked like an angel.

  A fucking sexy angel.

  If he wasn’t so exhausted, he’d have taken her into his arms right there and then and removed that shirt, especially as he was pretty sure it was exactly like the one Blade had been wearing earlier.

  On top of the exhaustion, he was filthy and probably didn’t smell too good after two days in the jungle. Peeling off his soiled clothing, he tossed it into the corner of the room then stalked, naked, into the bathroom. Seconds later, he was luxuriating in the best shower he had ever experienced—or at least it felt that way.

  The police questioning had been intense, and they’d kept him and Boomer there for nearly four hours, verifying every last detail of their statements. Finally, they’d been allowed to leave but were told not to go far.

  One thing he had managed to discover was that they were still going through everything found at the wrecked rig site. So far, forensics hadn’t managed to figure out what had caused the blast—or who. But with Boomer’s accurate description of the IED and Phoenix backing him up, they would be able to refocus their search in the right place.

  As for the lab equipment, electrical devices, and reports, it didn’t look like anything had survived, and anything they retrieved from the water would be damaged by now.

  After emerging from the shower, he dried himself off then lay down next to Ellie on the bed. It was big enough that they didn’t touch. Phoenix pulled a sheet over himself, seeing as he was naked, but the thought of putting on his dirty clothes was not appealing. The hotel room was nice and cool, the blinds drawn. Ellie’s breathing beside him soothed his galloping mind, and soon he was dozing off.

  Phoenix didn’t know how long he’d been sleeping when he felt Ellie stir. He was about to drop off again, when he felt her roll over and snuggle up beside him. A slender arm draped over his waist, and he felt soft breasts under the shirt press against his side.

  Oh, boy.

  Any notion he had of going back to sleep evaporated as his body sprang to life. He couldn’t help it. She was so beautiful, so angelic with her wild hair, and her shirt riding up to expose her long, pale thigh and a hint of perfect butt.

  He ran a hand down her arm, making her shiver. Then her eyes fluttered open and her delighted gasp made his dick turn to granite.

  “Phoenix, you’re back.”

  Was he ever?

  Ellie draped a leg over his, and even though he was under the sheet, he felt her heat burning right through him. Turning onto his side, he wrapped an arm around her slender frame and kissed—hard.

  A gasp caught in her throat, then she leaned into him, her breasts crushing against his chest, her leg intertwining with his, pulling the sheet with it. Soon, they were a tangled mess of limbs and arms and desire.

  When they broke for breath, he kicked off the sheet then rolled on top of her, pinning her beneath him. She felt much smaller than he remembered, probably because in the cabin on the island, she’d been straddling him. Suddenly he was aware of his weight. “I’m not too heavy, am I?”

  She shook her head, her eyes dancing. “I like it.”

  Goddamn, she was sexy. Flushed cheeks, lips swollen from kissing, breath coming in excited little gasps. His dick jerked in agreement. It was all he could do not to ravish her right then and there.

  One thing he’d realized at the police station was Eleanor Rider, chemical engineer, could never be his. Not really. The best he could hope for were moments like these. The questions they’d asked had been an eye-opener.

  “How do you know Miss Rider?”

  “Did you know she was a chemical engineer?”

  “Did she discuss her work on the Explorer with you?”

  “Where was she during the explosion?”

  At first they’d suspected Ellie was involved, but he’d told them about her discovery, about how she’d questioned the validity of the reports, and how she herself had been targeted on the Explorer, narrowly escaping with her life. That, along with her trip to the Discoverer to double-check the geographical survey maps seemed to satisfy them. While they’d have more questions, she was off the suspect list.

  It made him realize how different they were. She was smart, ambitious, a scientist. He was a blunt instrument, the only thing he knew how to do well was kill people.

  She was integrity and intelligence.

  He was lethal.

  Like oil and water, they’d never mix. Once this was over, he’d go back to work for Pat and the team at Blackthorn Security, while she’d go on to her next job on some other oil field somewhere in the world, far away from him.

  It was probably for the best, even though thinking about it had made him feel physically ill. Still, if that was their future, right now he was going to make damn sure she never forgot him.

  Slowly, he unbuttoned her shirt. Those big, cat-eyes fixed on his face, brimming with anticipation. “I’m going to show you what it’s like to be loved,” he murmured, bending his head and sucking one of her nipples into his mouth.

  She gasped, and thrust upwards, arching her back.

  He gripped her under her ribs and worked his tongue and teeth until her nipple formed a hard, granite nub, then he moved to the other one.

  “Oh, God.” She squirmed beneath him. “That feels so good.”

  He was just getting started.

  Kissing his way down, he inserted his fingers under the edges of her panties, feeling her twitch beneath him, before he peeled them off. She was soaking wet, which made his cock throb with longing.

  In the cabin, it had been rushed, frenetic, their desire taking over, their coupling tinged with danger and an urgency he knew came from a first time together. Now, he wanted to linger, to draw out every second. To make her scream his name as she came so many times she’d think she’d died and gone to heaven.

  She rose off the bed, pushing her groin against his hand. Gently, he rubbed his fingers against her wetness, hearing her sigh at the touch, then moan as he delved deeper, his finger finding its mark. At the same time, he kissed the gentle curve of her stomach, her hip bone, and the soft hair around his finger.

  “Please…” It was a throaty whisper as she thrust up and down against his finger. Next thing, it was inside her, sliding in and out, stroking her until she cried out with pent-up desire. He moved faster, rubbing his thumb against her enlarged bud, little circles that had her crying out his name.

  “Phoenix… Oh, God. Oh!”

  He replaced his thumb with his tongue and licked and sucked until she came, shattering beneath him with a strangled cry. He held her steady as she arched her back off the bed, unwilling to release her until every last ecstatic wave had rolled through her.

  CHAPTER 30

  She was flying… falling… dying.

  Finished.

  Breathing hard, she stared at Phoenix in awe. What the hell had just happened? Her entire body was trembling, and yet she still wanted more. How could that be?

  He’d literally just shattered her, and now he was kissing his way back up.

  Wrapping her arms around his neck, she drew him close, her whole body pulsing with aftershocks. He held her, murmuring in her ear, nibbling her neck, and then claiming her lips once again.

  This time, he possessed her mouth with his tongue, thrusting, sucking, showing her just how much he wanted her. There was no mistaking his desire, as his enormous erection pushed into her thigh.

  God, she was so ready for him!

  He’d made her so wet, she was practically dripping—not something that had ever happened to her before. Somehow, her body just responded to this man, melting under his touch.

  Wrapping her legs around him, she whispered, “Take me. Take all of me.”

  His midnight-blue eyes scorched into hers, as he positioned himself on top of her. Bending his head, his tongue delved into her mouth as he rolled his hips forward then thrust into her in one swift stroke.

  She cried out against his mouth, but he sucked the sound out of her, burying himself so deep that she could feel him touching her cervix. It was almost enough to send her over the edge again.

  He exhaled in a hiss as he withdrew, before sliding in again, filling her so completely that she convulsed around him. How was it even possible that she was coming again so soon? One more thrust and she was gone.

  His balls against her skin, her body absorbed every inch of him. She cried out as he took her over the edge, then he held her, staying deep within her as she shuddered beneath him. Her insides pulsed with a release deeper and more satisfying than she’d ever experienced before.

  Sweet Lord.

  Overcome, she felt hot tears slide down her face, but he kissed them away. When she’d stopped coming, he pulled back, then thrust again, his own desire taking over. Gripping onto his shoulders, she felt him increase his pace until she was once again rocking beneath him.

  Oh, shit.

  She was going to come. Again!

  Matching his increasingly violent thrusts, she felt herself riding a wave that got bigger and bigger the harder he drove into her. She was rising off the bed, the headboard slamming against the wall, masking the sound of their skin slapping together.

  Part of her thought he was going to split her apart, but the other part cried out, “Yes, harder. Oh, God. I’m coming!”

  She heard him give a low yell as he slammed into her, flooding her with his scorching seed, possessing all of her—over and over again.

  It was too much.

  Ellie screamed as her orgasm hit. Her insides clenched around his swollen cock, feeling him pulse into her, throwing her off the cliff and into the abyss. She came hard, unable to help it. Hands clutching at his shoulders, hips raised off the bed, legs holding him in a vice-like grip, she broke into a thousand shards of glass, totally shattering beneath him.

  Ellie walked into the bar convinced the other men would know what they'd been up to. She was pretty sure she was still glowing. How could she not after that?

  Phoenix.

  Oh, God. She felt her pussy twitch just thinking about him. He’d made her come multiple times until she was a shaking, whimpering mess and he was spent, panting beside her.

  Before they'd come downstairs, they'd gotten Blade to get them a change of clothes from the hotel clothing store. Consequently, Phoenix was wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt with a bull's head on it and Texas scrawled in a vintage font across the top. It wasn't his usual style, but she thought it kind of suited him, particularly the way his rock-hard thighs filled out the denim.

  "What do you call that?" he'd glared at Blade, as he'd handed Ellie a thin, silver slip dress, silk pantyhose and heels to match.

  "You said to get her something nice." He shot Phoenix a wicked grin.

  "It's fine," Ellie giggled, taking it from him. The only problem was she'd put it on, just to have Phoenix peel it off again, which was why they were late.

  "'Bout time," growled Pat, gesturing for them to sit down.

  "You look very nice, Ellie," Boomer said, winking at her.

  "Thank you, Boomer." She smiled back and sat next to him. With a sour look, Phoenix took the remaining chair.

  Pat, Blade, and Boomer were drinking beers, so they ordered two more from a passing waiter then got down to business.

  "We did some digging into Gilded Futures," Pat began. "They're an investment firm specializing in commodities and futures markets. On the surface, they look legit."

  "Except we know they're not," Ellie cut in. "They hired those thugs to kill us."

  "If they're behind this, they bribed a survey company to falsify records in order to convince Xonex, a private energy company, to acquire expensive drilling licenses and start exploratory drilling in a location that held no oil reserves."

  "Do you know why?" Blade asked.

  Phoenix shook his head. "Could be any number of reasons."

  "Who did you say was involved?" Pat asked Ellie.

  "My boss, a man called Henderson. He works for Xonex."

  "Okay, we'll get our people to look into him." Pat took out his phone and fired off a text message.

  It was nearly eight o'clock, and he still had people working for him? Ellie was impressed.

  "How are we going to catch them?" she asked. "Phoenix and I are the only loose ends, and they don't know where we are."

  "Not yet," Blade said, the corners of his mouth turning up.

  Phoenix scowled. "I don't want Ellie involved in this. She's been through enough."

  "Okay," Pat said slowly, "But we're going to have to make them think she is, else they won't come."

  "Come?" Ellie looked between Pat and Phoenix, confused.

  "We're going to set up a sting operation," Blade explained for her benefit. Somehow, the other men already knew what they were going to do. "We need to draw them out."

  "Which means we have to make them think you've got evidence that can get them arrested," Boomer finished.

  "Like what?" Ellie said. "I lost everything in the explosion."

  "But they don't know that," Phoenix told her. "You were out on the inflatable when the rig went up. Henderson saw you return, that's how they knew to come after us."

  "So?"

  "He doesn't know you didn't have your laptop with you, or some other incriminating evidence."

  Ellie nodded slowly. "How are we going to convince them that's true?"

  "Do you know anyone at Xonex you can call?" Pat asked. "A friend, maybe."

  "There's Suzi." She glanced at Boomer and then Phoenix. "She left to visit her father the morning of the blast. I could call her and tell her I managed to get away with my laptop with everything on it and need to convince the authorities of the fraud."

  Boomer frowned. "You think they'll be tracking Suzi's phone?"

  "Maybe," Phoenix said, thoughtfully. "Ellie could tell Suzi she wants to get a message to Henderson, as she's worried about her job and wants to know what she should do with the information."

  Boomer tensed his jaw. "You're going to use Suzi to contact Henderson?"

  "He's her boss too," Phoenix said, reasonably.

  "I'll just act like the clueless bimbo they always wanted me to be." Ellie gave a determined nod. "After all, that's why they hired me. Shouldn’t be too hard to convince him I'm lost and don't know what to do with my reports, which belong to the company, anyway."

  Pat grinned. "Sounds like a plan to me."

  Phoenix inhaled, his giant chest rising. "Where's she going to say she's staying? Not here."

  "Another suite," Pat said. "They have some chalets out by the golf course. She can say she's in one of those. They're relatively isolated, easy to get to unnoticed. Fewer security cameras."

  Phoenix was nodding.

  "I'll ask for one right now," Ellie said, standing up. "Then I'll make the call."

  The sooner this was over, the better.

  "Brave girl," she heard Pat say, as she walked away. Phoenix's reply was lost in the general chatter of the bar.

  He wouldn't have said that if he'd seen her two weeks ago. She'd been a simpering wreck, too scared of her own shadow to do anything even remotely risky. Then Phoenix had dive-tackled his way into her life, and all that had changed. Now she felt empowered, like she was doing something proactive.

  Hell, she was still terrified—that hadn't changed—but at least she was dealing with the fear now, not quaking in her boots, unable to breathe.

  Ellie booked the chalet by the golf course then returned to the men. They were bent over the table, talking in low voices, their massive shoulders all huddled together. It was quite a sight.

  "Ready?" Pat asked, looking up.

  She nodded. "Ready."

  "Okay, make the call."

  Boomer handed her Suzi's number, and she used Pat's phone to call it.

  Suzi answered almost immediately.

  "Suzi, it's me, Ellie."

  She listened while her friend screamed into the phone. "I thought you were dead. I've been trying to call you. Oh, my God, Ellie. What the hell happened?"

  "I lost my phone," she began honestly. It had been left on the inflatable when it had sunk. "But I've been meaning to call to let you know I'm okay."

  "Where have you been?"

  "I managed to make it to a nearby island, and I was rescued from there this morning. I'm in a hotel in Corpus Christi now."

  "Which one? I'll come and see you. Are you all right?"

  "Yes, I'm fine. Honestly, there's no need to come. I'm actually calling to ask you a favor."

  "Oh?"

  "I need to get hold of Henderson."

  A pause came before Suzi spoke. "Henderson? Why would you want to get hold of him?"

  "Well, he's still my boss," she said, as if that was obvious. "And I've got my reports and laptop with me with all my findings on them. They're Xonex's property. Now that the rig is… well, destroyed, I don't know what to do with them. I'm guessing we no longer have jobs."

  Suzi let out a little sigh. "I can try and call him for you, but I don't know if he'll pick up. The company is getting a lot of heat right now."

  "I understand." She glanced at Phoenix. "Well, if you could try him once more, I'd appreciate it. He can call me here at the hotel."

  "Where are you staying?"

  "At the Palmetto Sunset Hotel on the waterfront. I have a chalet by the golf course. I'll be here for a couple of days before I decide what to do."

  "Okay, stay put, and I'll be in touch."

  They said goodbye, and Ellie hung up.

  "How's that?" She glanced at Phoenix, whose eyes were shining.

  "You did great."

  "Brilliant," agreed Pat. "Now let's hope she gets in touch with your crooked boss."

  "I feel bad using her." Ellie bit her lip.

  Boomer nodded. "Me too."

 

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