He loved when she talked to him, told him what she needed.
She bent her knees and gave him more access, and this time he couldn’t hold back. He drove inside her hard, letting out a guttural cry when his orgasm ripped through his body like a rush, blinding him to anything and everything but the feel of Ava’s body shaking underneath him, the sounds she made making him shudder against her as he lost control and gave everything up to her. He drank in her loud cries with a kiss, his tongue dueling with hers as they went over the edge together.
Spent, sweating, he could only take in deep gulps of air with every breath. They slid onto the floor and Rick pulled Ava on top of him, hoping like hell he hadn’t hurt her. He’d had her in such a tight hold at the end he was afraid he’d crushed her.
She lifted her head and he swept her hair away from her face, hoping he wouldn’t see anger or fear there.
Instead, her lips curled in a smile. “Well, that was fun.”
He let out a short laugh. “You surprise me.”
“Yeah? How?”
“Sometimes you seem so straitlaced, like I have no idea what you’re doing hanging out with a bunch of bikers. Other times, like this, you’re so wild and out of control.”
“Really?” She grinned. “Hmm, maybe I’m a woman of mystery.”
He cocked a brow. “Maybe you are.”
“Good. I like that.”
“In other words, you aren’t going to tell me which one is the real Ava.”
She sat up. “What fun would that be?”
What fun indeed? He had to admit he liked her just the way she was. He’d never known another woman like her. Maybe it was because she was wholly unpredictable.
Which didn’t make his assignment any easier, because as soon as he thought he had a handle on why she was here and what she was doing, she surprised the hell out of him. She was innocent one minute, a wild vixen the next. And he still had no idea who she really was.
As soon as they cleaned up, there was a knock on the door. Rick went to look at the peephole. It was Bo and Lacey, so he opened the door.
“Oh, you’re here, too. Hi,” Lacey said as she brushed by Rick.
Bo nodded and walked in.
“What’s going on?” Rick asked.
Bo yawned. “Nothing much. Late start today.”
“Long night?”
Bo laughed. “Yeah. But oh so worth it. You two should have stayed. We’d have had some fun.”
Rick didn’t share women. Not his kind of fun. “Yeah, well, some other time, maybe.”
Like never.
“What’s going on over there?” Rick motioned with his head to the excited conversation between Lacey and Ava.
“Oh. I’m giving Lacey a trip to Mexico. She wants Ava to go with her.”
“Yeah? When?”
“Today.”
Those warning bells clanged so damn loud inside his head that Rick couldn’t hear himself think. “In the middle of the rally? Why not wait ’til it’s over?”
Bo shrugged. “It just hit me spur of the moment.”
“What hit you?”
Bo looked over at the women. “Lace, you okay for a few? Rick and I are gonna go grab some coffee.”
Lacey waved her hand. “Go on. We’ll meet you down there.”
They ordered two coffees in the small coffee shop downstairs, since the restaurant was full with the lunch crowd.
“So what’s with the impromptu vacation?”
Bo shifted, leaning forward. “I have a seller just over the border, and Lacey’s my mule. She’s going to do the pickup for me.”
Rick tensed, hid the shock that rocked him. “Yeah? Does she know that?”
Bo’s lips lifted. “Hell no.”
“Has she done this for you before?”
Bo let out a soft laugh. “Yeah. A few times, actually. She thinks I love her so much that I routinely send her on these spa trips while I have business to attend to. I tell her it’s because I feel guilty and I don’t want her to be lonely.”
“Unaware she’s transporting drugs across the border, of course.”
“Of course.”
What a f**king ass**le. Rick hid his disgust with a smirk. “No wonder she’s in love with you.”
“Hey, man, I treat her like a princess. I buy her presents, feed her, clothe her, cater to her, and once a month she gets a free trip. What more could she want?”
Honesty? Integrity? A man who actually cared about her and wasn’t putting her future on the chopping block for his own selfish gain?
“I can’t imagine. So what’s the deal? What are you running?”
“Cocaine. We’ve got a great supplier and he gives me plenty of product. I just sent the money over. It’s a nice clean transaction, and so far no hassles with the Border Patrol.”
“You’ve been lucky. How are they hiding it?”
“I had several hiding spots made in the new car I bought Lacey this year. And the scent is masked in case there are drug dogs. It’s slick, I’m telling you.” He leaned in closer. “We’re running a ton of coke here in the city alone. I’m looking to branch out territory, take it statewide and then beyond. You came back at just the right time. I’d really like to tap into your Chicago connections.”
His nonexistent Chicago connections. “You got it. Anything you need me to do, just let me know.”
As if he finally relaxed, Bo leaned back in the chair. “I have some really good guys working for me, but none that I’m close to like you and I were. I’d like to have you as my second-in-command someday. If you’re interested.”
“You know I would be.”
Bo nodded. “You’ll need to prove yourself, of course. Not just to me, but to the higher-ups in the Hellraisers national organization. Once you do, then you’ll progress fast and I’ll have you positioned right where I want you.”
“Okay. What do you need from me?”
“I need you to do a run for me into California tomorrow.”
Rick just bet he did. What he wanted was to make sure Rick had no ties to Ava, so that he could ship Ava off with Lacey into Mexico. If Rick objected, then there’d be trouble.
This was make it or break it time.
The problem was, everything was now on the line—the assignment, Rick’s cover, and Ava’s safety. Rick would have to be very careful how he played the game moving forward.