Hidden Prey (Lawmen) Read online

  Her lips curved into a broad smile as she opened the package and pulled out a beautiful notebook called The Musician’s Notebook, with staves for writing music, tablatures for recording chords, and space for writing lyrics. The notebook was black with quotes from legendary musicians on the creative process and the thrill of performance.

  “Thank you.” She almost teared up from the fact that he’d taken the time to get her the notebook. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

  “It was no problem at all.” He returned her smile before spooning white rice onto his plate and following that with broccoli beef. “Pencils are at the bottom of the bag, along with a pen.”

  She slipped the notebook back into the bag and set it on the chair beside her. “You don’t know how badly I wanted that.” She reached for the carton of Kung pao chicken.

  “If you end up going into the Witness Security Program.” Agent Danson tilted her head to the side. “You will never be allowed to perform in public again or even teach music.” She gave Tori an apologetic smile. “You won’t be allowed to do anything that relates to your current career. The cartel could find you if you did.”

  Tori paused in mid-motion, her hand on the Chinese food container. She looked from Danson to Landon. “What?” She wasn’t sure she’d heard right. She was praying she hadn’t heard right.

  A hard look crossed Landon’s expression and he glared at Danson. “If—no, when—we take down Diego and Alejandro Jimenez, that won’t be an issue.”

  Tori’s appetite vanished. “What you’re saying is that if you don’t get them, I’ll have to go into hiding and never perform again? I wouldn’t be able to teach music?”

  “That’s one of the rules of WITSEC.” Danson drew Tori’s attention back to her. “You have to take on a new career, change your name, move to a different part of the U.S., and can never be in contact with your family or friends from your old life.”

  Tori’s mind reeled and she placed her palms flat on the table to steady herself. Never perform again? Never teach again? Never see her family again? Never see her friends from school, or the symphony, or anyone else she knew?

  Dear God.

  She pushed back her chair. “Excuse me. I’m tired and I’m going to bed.” She scooted her chair back up to the table and didn’t look at Danson or Landon as she left the room and headed up the stairs to her bedroom.

  Tears burned in her eyes. She wanted to slam the door shut behind her so that it vibrated through the house. She wanted to scream and beat on the walls with her fists. The cartel could take everything from her. Everything.

  She sat on the edge of the bed and covered her mouth with her hand to hold back a sob.

  A knock came at the door. “Tori?” Landon’s voice.

  She didn’t speak and he pushed open the door. He was holding the bag with the musician’s notebook. He set it on the nightstand, next to the paperback book she’d been reading.

  He sat beside her on the bed and tears began rolling down her cheeks. Landon put his arm around her shoulders. At first she resisted but then she allowed him to draw her close to him and rested her head on his chest. A hard lump rose up in her throat and then it was like the floodgates had been let open. Her entire body shook with the force of her sobs.

  “We’ll get them.” Landon stroked her hair. “We’ll take down the bastards and you won’t ever have to run ever again.”

  More tears squeezed from her eyes. “I can’t give up my life, my family. I can’t give up everything I love.”

  Landon said nothing for a moment and his silence said everything he didn’t.

  She trembled. She didn’t know if she could ever stop crying. He held her for a long time, comforting her.

  “Shhhh.” He held her close. “We’ll get them. You need to believe that we will.”

  She gave one last shuddering sob. When she drew back, she looked into his eyes. “Please. Please get them.”

  Without thinking about what she was doing, she moved her face closer to his and brushed his lips with hers.

  He sucked in a breath, as if she’d caught him by surprise. She drew back but he slid his fingers into her hair and cupped the back of her head before bringing his lips down on hers. He kissed her in return, slowly exploring her mouth. He traced her lower lip with his tongue before gently nipping at her lip and tugging on it.

  “You smell so damn good,” he murmured. “I love the feel of you in my arms.”

  “I like it, too.” She looked into his eyes. “I don’t want to stop. I want you.”

  “You don’t know how much I want you, honey.” He held her close, her head against his chest. “Unfortunately, we have chaperones.”

  She sighed. “It was a dumb idea.”

  “It was a wonderful idea.” He nuzzled her hair. “You are amazing.” He leaned back and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. “Why don’t you come out and get something for dinner?”

  “I’m going to go to bed.” She brushed her hand over the front of her blouse and he looked down. Her nipples were hard, poking against her T-shirt. “It’s only too obvious what I want.” She shook her head. “I need time to think about all of this and I might as well get some sleep.”

  She put her hand on the bag containing the musician’s notebook. “Thank you for this.”

  He gave her another soft kiss. “Good night, honey.”

  She drank in his green eyes, wishing that she could look into them as he slid inside her. “Good night.”

  He pressed his lips to her hair before getting up and going to the bedroom door. He gave her one last lingering look before walking out of the room. He drew the door almost closed behind him, leaving it open a couple of inches.

  After he left, she sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her hands. Musician’s hands. Music was all she knew how to do, what she loved more than anything.

  She closed her eyes tightly and let out her breath. Landon was right. She had to believe in him and believe that the agents would take down the members of the cartel who were after her. She’d get her life back then.

  All would go back to normal. As normal as it could after everything that had happened and everything that lay ahead.

  CHAPTER 17

  Something soft and firm brushed Tori’s lips and she stirred. A mouth moved over hers in a long, languorous kiss that stole her breath.

  She was dreaming about kissing Landon and it was the most beautiful thing she could imagine at this moment. God, how she wanted to trace his abs with her tongue and her fingers before she kissed him even more deeply.

  If he were real right now, she would see the length and girth of his erection before taking it in her hand. She would feel the softness and the steel of it, then lick a path from the tip to the balls and back. She would love to go down on him, take him to the back of her mouth. The feeling would be a powerful one, knowing she had control of his pleasure.

  So real. The kiss felt so real. He sucked her tongue before taking her bottom lip into his mouth and lightly biting it and licking the soft flesh, something that drove her crazy.

  The kiss deepened and became more frenzied, more urgent, as she answered it with her own kiss. A warm hand cupped her cheek, a thumb stroking up and down, while holding her still so he could kiss her hard and deep.

  Her breathing was harder as her body revved up. She needed him. God, how she needed him.

  She let out a soft sigh as the kiss ended. Her lips felt moist and they tingled. Her eyelids fluttered and then in the near darkness she found herself looking into Landon’s gaze.

  Her eyes widened and she parted her lips to say something, but he put his hand over her mouth. Was something wrong? No, nothing could be wrong. Everything was right, so right. His hand smelled like soap, and she breathed in his scent. He smelled clean like he’d just taken a shower, yet his scent was musky and now familiar.

  The light was dim, but she could still make out the desire, want, and desperate need in his gaze. The feeling it gave her was de
ep and powerful...it was so potent to be wanted. She could see it in the way he looked at her, the way he’d kissed her.

  “Shhh.” He skimmed her cheek with his knuckles and threaded his fingers into her silky hair before holding her tight. “I’m sorry.” His voice was husky with need, deeper than usual and almost strained. “I looked in to check on you, but you looked so beautiful that all I wanted to do was kiss you. I don’t know if I can keep my hands off of you now.”

  Earlier he’d said he was going to protect her and he wasn’t going to let her go. A strong sensation of him claiming her as his own was heady. At this moment she wanted him to claim her, wanted to be his.

  “I’m glad you did check in.” She was breathless, shameless that she sounded needy but didn’t care. “And just maybe I don’t want you to keep your hands off of me.”

  Bedsprings creaked as he shifted his weight so that he was leaning over her and his hands were braced to either side of her body. The door was closed but light seeped in from beneath the door, and a little more came through the blinds that were not quite closed all the way.

  Knowing that other agents were in the house was a heady, intense feeling. Could they be caught again? Only this time it would be far more than kissing.

  She wanted to rock his world while making sure the other agents didn’t know.

  In the faint light she saw the intensity of his expression. His scar was a wicked slash along his cheek, and she wanted to trace it with her fingers, to kiss it. He looked so good, so large and powerful. He made her feel safe, and at the same time he made her want him.

  His scent…it permeated every pore of her body, fueling her desire for him. She drank him in, filling her lungs with the wonderful, clean and musky scent that was Landon. It made her squirm and ache between her thighs even more.

  Her nipples had grown tight beneath her sleep shirt as she grew wetter. Her nipples were so sensitive, especially when they were hard. She wanted him to lick them, suck them with his hot mouth. To drive her crazy with need.

  She raised her arms, slid her hands around his neck, and pulled him toward her until his mouth hovered over hers.

  “I think you need to climb onto this bed with me.” Her breathing was hard as she played with the short hairs at his nape. Her body was already moving, as if he was inside her. God, how she wanted him inside her. “Just to make sure I’m safe, of course.”

  His breathing was even harsher than hers. “Probably not a good idea.” He pressed his lips to hers then moved his mouth a fraction above hers. She could tell he was so close to the edge that it wouldn’t take long before she pushed him over the edge into the temptation of taking her. “On second thought, it’s the best idea I’ve ever heard.”

  She smiled and slid her hands into his hair and sifted the strands between her fingers. She held his head tight, like she never wanted to let him go. “That’s because it is the best idea ever.” She kissed him and nipped at his lower lip before drawing his tongue into her mouth. Her need for him became more urgent and she kissed him with even more passion.

  He kissed her hard, letting all of his desire pour through her where their lips met. He was possessing her as if marking his territory, claiming her as his woman.

  He broke the kiss and moved his lips along her jawline to her ear. “Damn. You’re too much of a temptation.”

  It was clear the temptation to touch her was too much now as he moved his hands over her body. He started to edge up her shirt until it was under her breasts. He slid his fingers under the cloth, cupping her breast before tweaking her nipple.

  Wanting to keep him close to her, she grasped the short hair at his nape and moaned into his mouth, arching her back to get even closer to him. His cock felt so hard against her belly. She wanted to strip off his T-shirt and jeans, and any other clothing he might be wearing. She wanted to climb on top of him, wanted to feel their naked bodies sliding together, and she wanted to ride him, hard. His cock would hit her cervix, in her so deep he’d be rubbing her G-spot, and feeling so good inside her.

  When their mouths parted, their breathing was heavy. She had to drag air into her lungs with all the erotic sensations rampaging through her. By the roughness of his breathing, she could tell he was affected too.

  “Do you think Danson and O’Donnell will know we’re together?” She knew it should cool her ardor a bit, but somehow she didn’t care. It was actually hot to have them so close while she did everything in her power to rock Landon’s world.

  “We’ll be fine.” He rubbed his thumb along her lower lip, and she caught his finger in her mouth. His breath hitched as she sucked it, like she wanted to suck his cock. “It’s my turn to sleep upstairs while they monitor the front and back doors downstairs.” He sounded strained, like he was trying to focus on his words. “They’re not going anywhere.”

  With the other agents out of the way, she had more of a chance to explore Landon. She smiled and pushed the blanket to her waist.

  He captured her T-shirt covered breasts in his big hands. Her breasts felt heavy from her desire, her nipples growing tighter beneath his touch. He circled each nipple with his thumbs, causing her to clench her teeth to hold back moans of pleasure. Her nipples were so sensitive that it made her crazy.

  Her reaction seemed to get him even more worked up and he tugged at her sleep shirt and slid it up and over her breasts.

  “We need to be quiet.” Landon gave a low groan as he pushed her sleep shirt up higher. “But damned if I know how I’m going to manage it with you beneath me.”

  His words fueled her and she arched her back as she helped him pull the shirt over her head. The new sensation of cool air against her nipples had her bucking and squirming beneath him. She was unable to help it, her body wanting him inside her.

  “So beautiful.” He dropped the shirt on the floor before lowering his head, his mouth hovering above her breasts, his breath hot against them. She thrust her breasts up to get them closer to his mouth. “You’re so damned beautiful.”

  He slid his lips over her nipple and she gasped as the hard nub was enveloped in the soft, wet warmth of his mouth and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. Her nipples were so sensitive that his licking and sucking was driving her out of her mind. Her hands moved over his body, the hardness of his muscles making her want even more. She wanted everything he could give her. In her haze-filled mind, she wasn’t sure what that was, but she wanted all of it.

  “Landon.” She gasped and writhed in his arms, begging him with her body to take more of her. She clenched her fingers in his hair as he ran his tongue around her nipple. “I want you inside me.” The need burned inside her like an inferno. “I need you like five minutes ago.”

  “God. I will. Soon.” He sucked her nipple hard before moving his mouth to her opposite one. “I’m going to fuck you, honey. I’m going to stretch you, be deep inside you. I’m going show you who you belong to. But first I need to make you come.”

  His words made her shudder with desire. “Don’t make me wait.” She moved her hands to his upper arms and then his shoulders and gripped them. She loved strong shoulders and upper arms, the feel of them flexing beneath her palms. “I want you inside me. Now.”

  “Patience,” he murmured, but she could tell that his attempt at slowing down was costing him and that he wanted her just as badly.

  She fought for breath as her hands slid down his chest to his belt buckle. He sucked in his breath as she slid her fingers between his jeans and his belly and moved her hand down until she brushed the soft head of his cock. He groaned.

  If he was going to tease her, she was going to do the same to him. “Get those clothes off, Landon.” She found it hard to even get the words out. The anticipation was driving her out of her mind, just knowing he was going to be long and thick. She couldn’t wait to feel all that heat in her hand, her mouth, her body.

  Hunger burned in his gaze as he stood. He looked reluctant to part from her for even a moment. She sat up in bed, bra
cing her hands on the mattress as he stepped back and she watched every movement he made. She brought her hands to her breasts, her eyes focused on his as he looked down at her while he unbuckled his belt then unfastened his jeans.

  He looked pained as he saw her fondling her breasts. At the same time she watched him, unable to tear her gaze from the bulge in his jeans, waiting to get her first look at his cock.

  His hands seemed to tremble a bit as he pushed his jeans and boxer briefs down to his knees. He widened his stance, completely freeing his cock and balls.

  She caught her breath. He was even bigger than she’d anticipated. Now she wanted to touch and taste his long, thick cock and balls. She’d never been with a man as big as he was, and she could almost feel him stretching her, a welcome invasion.

  The need to have him inside her was almost too much to bear. She let the sheet fall completely away as she reached for him. He sucked in his breath as she wrapped her fingers around his erection and used her other hand to cup his balls. She ran her thumb over the pre-come on the top. As if it was a tether, she drew him closer to her.

  Tension coiled in Landon’s groin, an intense sensation that made him afraid he was going to explode just from her touch.

  Still holding his cock, Tori sat up then got to her knees on the bed. Her breasts were generous, her areolas a deep wine color, her nipples large and hard. Her body was so perfect for his hands and mouth to explore. Her skin was so smooth, curves so lovely, lips so soft.

  He was mesmerized by the look in her eyes as she gripped him and slowly stroked her hand up and down his erection. She cupped his balls with her other hand where they were tight against his body.

  His eyes almost rolled back into his head as she moved her finger slowly, over the skin just behind his balls. It was so sexy and the erotic sensation nearly drove him to his knees. But God help him, he couldn’t have moved if he’d tried. For a moment a flash of jealousy shot through him, wondering who had taught her that move. But then he was too far gone to care and was just grateful she was touching him that way.