Monk (K19 Security Solutions Book 7) Page 4

  His eyes took in her pink lace bra that matched the panties he’d barely gotten a glimpse of. He reached around, unfastened it, and tossed it on the floor.

  He knelt then and attacked her nipples with his lips and teeth, soothing each bite by rolling the silver ball at the end of his tongue around the hardened buds.

  He trailed down her body, not stopping until he reached her heat. “Put your hands at your sides,” he said when he felt her fingers in his hair.

  “I want to touch you,” Saylor whined.

  “You will,” he said before diving in to feast on her wetness.

  He rolled the silver ball on her sensitive nub and brought her to the first of what he knew would be several orgasms. He held her still as she shuddered.

  “Remember earlier, when I said I liked your piercing? I was wrong. I love it,” she said without opening her eyes.

  Monk climbed next to her on the bed and rolled to his back, pulling Saylor until she was stretched out on top of him.

  “I like feeling your body on mine,” he murmured, stroking her back. “Since the first time I saw you, I’ve wanted to run my fingers over your porcelain skin.”

  Saylor lifted her head and kissed him. “I want more of you,” she whispered.

  “Take it, Saylor.”

  She positioned her knees on either side of him and straddled his stomach.

  “Do you…have any…”

  “In my wallet.”

  Saylor slowly slid down, almost killing him as she kissed her way down his body like he’d done to her.

  “Either take me in your mouth or get the condom.”

  When she chose the former, he closed his eyes and focused on the nirvana of having her lips and tongue and mouth and hands on him.

  As much as he wanted to weave his fingers in her silky hair, he rested his arms at his sides, like he’d told her to do. The gift she was giving him was too good to do anything but accept.

  THE KNOCK CAME at the door just as Saylor was kissing her way back up his sated body. He grabbed her arms before she could get up and brought her mouth to his. Without letting her go, he shouted toward the door. “Leave it in the hallway.”

  Saylor smiled.

  “Good girl,” he said when she knelt between his legs. He released his grip on her arms. “Now put the condom on me.” When she straddled his body again, Monk put his hands on her waist and eased her down on his hardness.

  “Oh my God,” she groaned, arching her back until he was in as deep as he could get. As she found her rhythm, Monk covered both her breasts with his hands, toying with her nipples.

  He wrapped his arms around her and pulled himself up so he could reach her breasts with his mouth. “I want to pierce these,” he said, flicking her nipples with his tongue. He gripped the cheeks of her ass and began moving her back and forth, setting his own rhythm.

  “Link your ankles behind my back,” he told her, taking control of her body and his. He took her hard and then backed off when he felt her on the brink. He did that again and again until she begged him not to stop.

  “Say it again,” he demanded.

  “God, Monk, please don’t stop. I’m begging you.”

  “Give it to me, Saylor. Let me feel you.”

  5

  Saylor rolled onto her back. That was as much as she could move. She’d started to get up, but when Monk told her in his sexy-as-shit demanding tone of voice to lie back down, she did.

  She watched as he pulled on his jeans, walked to the door, opened it, and wheeled the cart of food into the room.

  “I think this is for you,” he said, handing her a folded note.

  Saylor laughed when she read it. “My mom says thanks for knowing roast chicken is her favorite. She thinks I ordered it, but think how impressed she’d be to know you did.”

  She handed the note back to him and was about to get up and put her clothes on when she saw him drop his jeans to the floor. He moved two chairs side by side at the table near the window and then moved the domed plates of food there as well.

  “I can help,” she said, getting up from the bed.

  He shook his head. “Take a seat.”

  She walked naked over to the upholstered chair and sat down. He poured two glasses of wine, handed her one, and then sat down beside her. He lifted the dome from her plate and set it out of their way.

  “This looks fabulous,” she said, smiling when she saw that each entrée had been portioned in two and divided between the plates. “Thank you, Monk.” She leaned over to kiss the center of his Aztec sun tattoo. “My brother has the same ink.”

  “Yes,” he said, setting his fork on his plate and taking a drink of wine.

  “I CAN’T TAKE ANOTHER BITE,” she groaned after only eating half of the food in front of her and noticing Monk’s plate was empty. “Would you like more?”

  Rather than answer, he switched their plates and continued eating.

  She picked up her glass of wine, took another drink, leaned back, and closed her eyes, reveling in the peacefulness. The only time her house was quiet was when her daughters were at school or asleep. If they were home and awake, the noise was non-stop.

  “Come,” said Monk, holding his hand out to her. “You need to sleep.”

  Instead of handing her the clothes she left scattered on the floor, he pulled back the blanket and sheet and motioned for her to lie on the bed.

  “Monk, I can—”

  He put his fingertips on her lips. “Sleep with me.”

  When he crawled in next to her and pulled her into his arms, she realized how much nicer this was than going next door and having a conversation with her mother, not that she’d mind that part of it. Getting into a cold bed, though, would’ve been so much worse.

  Monk kissed her forehead, and in the stillness of the night, Saylor slept.

  —:—

  Monk waited until Saylor’s breathing evened out before he let himself close his eyes. He tightened his hold so her body was as close to his as he could get it.

  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d fallen asleep with a woman in his bed, and he didn’t bother trying to recall it. No woman he’d slept with came close to comparing with Saylor. Being with her was so easy that sometimes he felt as though she could read his mind.

  When his thoughts drifted to her ex, Monk pushed them away. How a man could strike any woman was unfathomable to him, but to strike Saylor? It was incomprehensible. Her spirit was so pure, flawless like her skin. He’d seen enough of her to know that the way she was with him, was the way she was with everyone.

  Saylor didn’t judge. She accepted. She smiled easily, was very intelligent, and was physically exquisite.

  He pushed the thoughts of their lovemaking away too. If he didn’t, he’d never let her sleep, and they both needed to.

  The events of the last couple of days plagued him. At the end of every mission, the team held a hotwash. The immediate after-action discussions and evaluations every member of the team participated in allowed Monk to let go of everything that had happened over the course of the op, whether it had been a matter of days or months. His guess was that many of the other partners felt the same way he did. However, with Razor being shot and almost dying, the hotwash hadn’t happened.

  On this particular mission, the op involved rescuing Ava from the kidnappers that had knocked Monk out at the fishing cabin, and then assassinating the ringleader.

  While Ava had been successfully extracted, along with the three other girls who were being held, Makar Petrov, the assassination target, had gotten away. That meant the threat against Ava hadn’t been neutralized; it had been fueled.

  Sometime in the next few days, he anticipated a meeting being called during which the team would reconvene to take Petrov down.

  With that thought, Monk let his eyes drift closed.

  WHEN THE SUN CAME UP, he woke Saylor with his body.

  “Am I dreaming?” she asked between sweet mewls of pleasure.

  He took her
softly, knowing she’d be sore from the night before. She accepted it and let his body love hers.

  He held her afterwards, and she drifted back to sleep. When he heard room service knock, he eased her off of him, pulled on his jeans, and padded to the door.

  When he wheeled the cart next to where she lay, Saylor stretched her arms over her head and smiled. “Breakfast in bed? I like it.”

  “You’ll want to get back to the hospital. This will make it easier.”

  “You’re very considerate, Monk.”

  He smiled and handed her a fork.

  “What?” she asked.

  “I’ve been accused of being pragmatic more than considerate.”

  Saylor took a bite of fruit. “You’re both.”

  6

  “They’re moving you to a regular room, Bro,” said Saylor, happy to find Razor sitting up and looking more like himself. “The doc said you’re a damn superhero.”

  “I’ve been telling you that since we were kids.”

  Saylor slugged him and then sat in the chair by his bed. “How’s Ava?”

  “Fragile.”

  “Understandably.”

  “How much do you know about what went down?”

  “More than you’d want me to.”

  “Monk decided now would be a good time to start talking?”

  She laughed. “No. Doc’s wife, Merrigan, told me some of it. How badass is she, by the way?”

  “Ava’s father remains a threat.”

  “What can I do?”

  Razor shrugged. “When this is all over, I’m going to ask her to marry me.”

  “Don’t wait, Raze.”

  “No?”

  “You, of all people, should know just how precious life is. Ask her today. Hell, marry her today if she’ll have you.” She winked.

  “Hey, how’s Mom doin’?”

  “Fine. Didn’t you see her a half-hour ago?”

  “Yeah, but you know how she is.”

  “She’s been a trooper. I have to admit, I was a little surprised.”

  “She likes Ava, right?”

  Saylor’s eyes filled with tears.

  “What?”

  “She asked her to be here with us when they took you off life-support.”

  “Wow.”

  “I know.”

  “Just to confirm, that means she likes her. Right?”

  Saylor slugged him a second time. “You’re such a dork. How’d you ever become a spook?”

  “Why do people keep saying that to me? And, by the way, we refer to ourselves as agents or officers, not spooks.”

  “I love you, Razor. Don’t ever get shot again.”

  “I love you too, Saylor.” He winced when he tried to sit up straighter.

  “Take it easy, Superman.”

  “Listen, there’s something I need you to do for me, kind of along the lines of what we were talking about a minute ago.”

  “Name it.”

  “I don’t know yet when I’m going to get out of here, but when I do, I know Doc will send the plane, if it isn’t here already.”

  “What does this have to do with me?”

  “I’m going to propose.”

  “On the plane? Ew.”

  “You haven’t been on this plane.”

  He told her the layout of it and what he wanted her to do.

  “Okay, you convinced me. I’ll do it. What about a ring?”

  “Mom already had that covered.”

  “How…you know, never mind. The woman never ceases to amaze me.”

  When she stood to leave, Razor grabbed her wrist. “She said you and Monk—”

  Saylor sat back down. “Listen, Raze, I’ve been where you are, although I’ll be the first to admit your choice of a future spouse is way better than mine was. Anyway, my point is, I’m not looking to get into another relationship. Monk is hot as all get-out, and he’s a nice enough guy, but that’s it for me.”

  “Mom said you didn’t come home last night.”

  Saylor laughed out loud. “Is that the way she put it? Home? We stayed in a hotel.”

  Razor nodded.

  “She’s a hoot.”

  “Listen to me, Saylor, Monk is—”

  She stood up and put one hand on her hip. “Did you not hear a word I said?”

  “I did, but—”

  “Look, I’ll say it again. It doesn’t matter what Monk is or isn’t. It matters what I am. I have two little girls to raise, neither of which remember their father, thank God. They are my priority. Monk was there last night, and it happened to work for both of us. That’s it.”

  Razor nodded again, but the look on his face said he wasn’t convinced.

  “I know the life you live, Raze. You may be able to take some time off now since you almost died and all, but I’ve seen exactly how often you come and go. I’m not interested in a relationship with Monk, but even if I were, that alone would be enough for me to rethink it.”

  She leaned over and kissed her brother’s forehead. “I’m the big sister. I worry about you, not the other way around.”

  When she walked out of Razor’s room, Monk was standing in the hallway.

  “How long have you been here?”

  “Long enough.”

  “Look, I—”

  Monk walked past her into Razor’s room and closed the door behind him.

  He wasn’t upset, right? He just didn’t feel like listening to her unnecessary words. They were both on the same page. Weren’t they? Of course they were.

  “You’re talking to yourself,” said a nurse who walked by.

  “Yeah, I do that.”

  “Doesn’t everybody?”

  Saylor walked out of the ICU in search of her mother. If she was going to do the stuff Razor asked her to, she needed to go shopping.

  —:—

  “Hey, man,” said Razor when Monk walked in. “My sister was just here.”

  “I saw her.”

  “Right. Look, the reason I asked you to come in was because I want to thank you for saving Avarie’s life.”

  Seconds before Razor was shot, Monk had been able to shoot the gun Petrov had leveled at Ava, out of the man’s hand. It bought them enough time for Razor to shelter her with his own body.

  “I didn’t know who he was at the time, and I didn’t have the order to kill him.”

  “I know that, and while I wish the bastard was dead, I am not questioning your actions. You did the exact right thing, and because of it, Ava is alive and so am I.”

  “Who shot you?”

  Razor shook his head. “I have an idea, but Gunner thinks I’m wrong.”

  “The Russian?”

  “Yep. The fact that she disappeared seems proof enough to me.”

  “Unless somebody took her.”

  “Do me a favor, and don’t repeat those words to Gunner.”

  Monk nodded. “What else do you need from me?”

  “I’ll leave the details to Doc, but we’re going after Petrov with all the firepower we can.”

  “Roger that,” said Monk, standing.

  “Before you leave, I want to talk to you about my sister.”

  “I know everything there is to know.”

  “Her ex, he hurt her bad.”

  Monk nodded. “He’s in prison.”

  “I know he is, but that isn’t my point. What I’m trying to say is, she’s built a brick wall around herself.”

  “You heard her, Razor. She isn’t looking for a relationship. Neither am I.”

  “Okay. As long as you’re both on the same page.”

  MONK WALKED out of the ICU, relieved that Saylor wasn’t waiting for him. He hadn’t expected her to be, but he never knew when it came to women. He was also relieved to know she was exactly who he thought she was. No nonsense. No bullshit. Great sex. A little comfort given between two people who were hurting. End of story.

  He checked in with Doc, who told him he wasn’t needed for anything, so he took a walk.

&nb
sp; The hospital was in the kind of neighborhood he liked: not quite gentrified, but on its way. He stopped in a bookstore that had a used-book section and picked up a couple of mysteries he’d been wanting to read.

  A few doors down, he saw a coffee shop with tables out front. It looked like the perfect spot for him to sit and enjoy a quiet afternoon.

  He tossed the two books on a table and went inside to order.

  “Hi,” he heard Saylor’s voice say from behind him.

  He turned around and saw her seated by the window with her mother. “Hi, Saylor. Sally,” he added, taking her mother’s outstretched hand.

  “Thank you for dinner last night, Monk.”

  He nodded and was about to turn back around to order when Sally stood and walked around him.

  “Excuse me,” she said, pointing to the restrooms.

  “Nice seein’ you,” he said to Saylor.

  “Wait, Monk. Do you have time to sit for a minute?”

  He nodded and sat in the chair her mother had just vacated.

  “I really enjoyed the time we spent together last night. I want you to know that.”

  “Me too.”

  “It’s just that…my life…your life.”

  Monk leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. “Let me tell you what I think, since I already heard what you think.”

  “Okay,” she said, barely above a whisper. She sat back in her chair and folded her arms.

  “From the first moment I saw you, I wanted you. That hasn’t changed. I have no idea what tomorrow will bring. I never do. As you told your brother, you know exactly how our lives work. I’ll tell you this, though, if you and I are in the same place at the same time and there’s a chance I can feel your naked body next to mine, I’ll take it.”

  He smiled when she dropped her arms to her sides.

  “Jesus,” she muttered, making him smile more. “What woman could resist that?”

  He stood and leaned over her, his mouth near her ear. “I don’t care what any other woman would or wouldn’t do.” He put his fingers on her cheek, turned her head, and kissed her. It wasn’t a chaste kiss. He didn’t waste time with shit like that, he thought to himself as he felt the tip of Saylor’s tongue play with the silver ball on the tip of his.