Page 50 of Guarding her Gangster Girl

“Hush up, now,” I say gently to them, as we step into the foyer. “Let me check the place out, and then you two can relax.”

But the place is exactly as we left it, minus some of the dust. Looks like Solara’s housekeeping came through in Brie’s absence. “Come on,” I say when I arrive back in the foyer. “Let’s get you settled, Holden. You look like you could use about a week of sleep.”

I want to ask him more about the threats he’s received. Hopefully it’ll be another clue toward whoever is doing all this. But now is not the time—the guy needs sleep. Brie leads him to a guest bedroom in the far wing of the house. It’s nicer than any hotel I’ve ever stayed in, with a view just as spectacular as the one from the master bedroom, even at night; the Milky Way threads through the midnight blue in a more spectacular show than even the Vegas Strip can offer. As Holden takes it all in, his eyes wide with wonder, I can’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for him. Like Brie, his whole world has changed recently.

“Try to get some rest for now,” Brie tells him, squeezing his hand. “We’ll figure this out in the morning, I promise. But you’re safe here.”

Holden nods, already looking a little more relaxed now that he’s away from the casino. Back in the main living area, Brie collapses onto the leather couch, kicking off her heels with a groan. “What a fucking day,” she mutters, rubbing her temples.

I sit down next to her, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from her body. “You did good,” I say softly. “Taking care of Holden like that. Not everyone would stick their neck out when their own is on the line, too.”

“He’s family,” she says simply. “Maybe not by blood, but Terry loved him. That makes him my family, too. And family protect each other, no matter what.”

I nod, understanding all too well the bonds that form in this underworld life. They’re not always pretty, not always clean, but they’re strong as hell. It’s what’s kept me focused on the Consortium all these years, the fact that my father and my father’s father worked for them.

There’s history there that can’t be ignored.

And speaking of the Consortium, I still haven’t told Brie about my meeting with Eva. But before I can find a way to bring it up, Brie shifts closer, her hand finding mine. “Thank you,” she whispers, “for going along with this. I know it’s not exactly what you expected when you arrived in Vegas with the Consortium. And I know Eva’s orders are about protecting me, not anyone else. But I couldn’t leave Holden there at the Golden Sands, not if someone’s targeting him.”

I shrug, trying to ignore the way my fingers are tingling in hers. “It’s my job to keep you safe. If this is what it takes, then so be it.”

She laughs softly, shaking her head. “Always the professional, aren’t you, Nik? Don’t you ever let your guard down?”

There’s a challenge in her eyes, a heat that makes my breath catch. Before I can think better of it, I’m leaning in, tasting her lips. She responds instantly, her hands tangling in my hair as she pulls me closer. The kiss is desperate, hungry, filled with tension and fear and uncertainty.

This is a bad idea. A bad, bad idea.

And I’m willingly diving headfirst into it.

CHAPTER 22

Nik

We stumble toward the bedroom,shedding clothes as soon as the door slams shut. There’s an urgency to our movements, a desperate need to feel somethingrealin the midst of all this chaos, or maybe it’s just so that we don’t stop and really think about what we’re doing. As we fall onto the bed, I try to push away the guilt gnawing at the edges of my mind—the memory of Eva’s words, the weight of my divided loyalties.

But Brie’s hands are on me, trailing fire across my skin, and everything else fades away. There’s only this—the softness of her body against mine and the driving, pulsing need I have for her.

And when I push her back against the pillows, the world narrows even further. All I can see is the beautiful, powerfully sexy woman underneath me, her bright hair spread across the pillow, eyes wide with desire.

I kiss her slow and deep, savoring the taste of her, the feel of her body against mine. Her hands wander down my body, tracing the lines of muscle, and a shiver of anticipation runs through me. Her touch is electric, and I can feel myself needing her more and more with every passing second. And then she says it.

“Hold me down. Be mean to me, Nik. Just a little.” She looks up at me through her lashes and smirks. “I know you want to.”

Thing is, I do. She fills me with a strange, fond cruelty at times, a desire to punish just so I can comfort afterward. So I take her wrists and push them firmly into the bed over her head. She struggles, just to test me, but I’m strong. Stronger than she is. And she likes it that way, I can tell by the soft sigh she gives, the way those glorious breasts quiver underneath me.

“Fuck me,” she says.

I lean in to kiss her. “You don’t get to tell me what to do right now. You’re not the boss here. Not anymore. Agreed?”

She nods, and I can see the excitement building in her eyes. I kiss her again, then trail my lips down her neck, her collarbone, to the sweet curve of her breast. Her skin is soft, warm, and I can’t help but sink my teeth into her, just a little, just to make her squirm. She does, moaning softly, and I keep going.

I move down her body, kissing and biting, marking her beautiful golden skin. I hope she’ll have faint bruises tomorrow, a reminder of our time here. I reach the swell of her hip and bite again, a little harder this time. She gasps, and her hips buck up against me. I can smell her now, the sweet scent of her arousal, and I can’t wait any longer.

I slide a hand between her thighs, urging her to open up her legs for me. She does, eagerly, and I run a finger along her glistening folds. She’s soaking wet, and it’s all I can do not to bury my face into her and devour her immediately. But I shift lower, spreading her legs wider, and kiss the inside of her thighs instead. She squirms, trying to push me where she wants me, but I’m not giving in that easily.

Instead, I reach up and give her nipple a firm twist. “Stop that,” I order. “You’re going to be still, and you’re going to do exactly as I say. Understand?”

She hums her assent, and I reward her with a gentle lick across her clit. I can hear the catch in her breath, feel the tension in her shaking body. But she stays still, so I keep going.

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