The Assassin's Bride Ch. 11

The last chapter's feedback was so nice, how could I not add another? ;)

You can thank/curse Rumpole for the poem. I don't do poetry and was planning to weasel by the details, but he insisted it was necessary.

Hopefully this gives more closure.

Enjoy x

***

Softly whistling, Michael exited the lift and saw the mail on his doorstep.

"Thank you, God," he breathed, pocketing the padded envelope and using his key to scan into the apartment. The décor was mostly blue slate and steel grey, his favourite colour scheme, similar to his room at the island mansion.

Kicking off his boots by the door, the marble-tiled floor was refreshingly cool on his feet. Michael looked to the bare kitchen, then at the packet in his hand, perplexed by the decision to be made.

"What to feed..." he muttered, debating his hungers. Though he was rather famished, the delivery parcel won. It would feed him more than once and he wouldn't be able to concentrate on assembling dinner knowing it was there, waiting.

Michael fiddled with his phone until a soft beat thudded from the ceiling speakers. Yanking the sleek t-shirt over his head, he sat at a long, glass table and eagerly opened his laptop. He emptied the packet into his hand, a small USB fell into his palm with a sticky-note attached.

'Best I could do, E. We're even.'

Michael shrugged with bored acknowledgement. He'd called in an owed favour for a personal cause, and his contact wasn't impressed; thinking it was a big risk on their part for a rather petty payoff. But the payoff wasn't petty to Michael.

Connecting the USB and opening the file, Michael held his breath, his pupils rapidly dilating when the screen filled with a surveillance image. What seemed like a still picture was suddenly a video when Carina jogged into view, and Michael's chest tightened with excitement and longing.

The footage was greyscale, but the picture was clear, and that was what mattered. With her hair in a tight, high ponytail, Carina steadily jogged to the end of the gym. It was clearly not her first round, her loose tank adhered to her body with sweat. The hem was tucked in, so she'd probably been doing wall handstands. Her arms were always toned, but they appeared distinctly strengthened with lean muscle. The small gym shorts hid her great ass, but her long legs...

Michael softly growled when she turned the curve and he got a clear view of her face. Pausing the video, he zoomed in. She looked exhausted, determined, and fucking beautiful as ever. Zooming back out to resume the footage, he watched her, his little energizer bunny prancing for a cause; to indefinitely avoid him. Michael didn't care she was workout-sweaty; he would love nothing more than to pin her down and give her a tongue bath.

Carina glanced to someone off screen and nodded, slowing to a standstill, resting her hands on her hips, her chest expanding while catching her breath. She didn't look resentful or defeated; her posture was upright, in control, like she could have easily kept going.

Michael's muscular upper body tensed as his hand found his cock, appetite forgotten. He'd have to get takeout, because there was no way he would cook anything, now. Tightening his hand around the increasing girth of his shaft, Michael's breath hissed through his teeth while he watched her. She was so fucking adorable.

Michael smiled tenderly; his eyelids heavy with lust as he remembered burying himself inside Carina and thrusting to a powerful climax. The thick length pulsing in his hand was once deliciously enveloped in her sweet cunt, her dismayed mouth parting deliciously against his hungry lips. Once, not so long ago, that delectable girl was under him, on top of him, in his mouth. He subdued her easily, fucked her senseless and made her cum. And he'll do it again.

Michael swore under his breath when a very tall man entered frame.

It was Gavin, wearing a grey tracksuit like a fucking kid's soccer coach. All he needed was a cheap whistle to complete the outfit. Michael watched him walk right up to Carina and hand her water. She didn't stiffen angrily or shrink from his proximity. She gladly accepted the offering, chugging the drink while Gavin playfully traced the long dark strands of Carina's ponytail, the gesture naturally intimate.

Michael again zoomed on Carina's face, disliking like the way she smiled invitingly at Gavin, toying with the bottle opening with her teeth, sexual interest in her eyes. Michael's jaw clenched as they walked off together, like a couple. It was obvious to anyone who might be watching that they clicked.

Gavin and Carina's personalities were polar opposite. It was an uncertain match that would either bomb or succeed; there was no in-between. And by some unfair miracle, they fucking succeeded.

Michael hoped Gavin would fail to connect with Carina and discard her as an intolerable brat. But Gavin, who never fucked around with women, somehow found patience for Carina's mischievous nature. On the flip-side, Michael hoped Carina would find Gavin's self-discipline dull and abandon him, but instead she had taken to Gavin's steadfast character.

After being immersed in a world of brooding, dark-eyed Latinos, he supposed Gavin's light hair, pale-blue eyes and fair complexion was something of a novelty to Carina. Whilst Michael was aware of being quite blessed in the looks department, he still wished Gavin wasn't so damn attractive.

And sometimes, when he was feeling particularly fanciful, Michael hoped Carina might regret not choosing him for a partner. It wasn't an impractical fantasy since they'd travelled in close quarters for years, 24 hours at a time. They never fought; they were always laughing and enjoying themselves together. She once accepted his guardianship as a natural way of life.

There were just those little hiccups of killing her boyfriend, drugging and kidnapping her, and forcing her into his bed. The fact she now hated his guts was a bit of a hurdle.

But there was a silver lining. Gavin would always be conscious of being tailed and could never settle down with Carina. Michael was glad for it; he felt a sick gratification that he partially held their lives hostage. When he ambushed Carina at the hotel and she tauntingly expressed an interest in motherhood, it was, as she intended, like a stab to his heart.

But Michael could trust Gavin to protect Carina from other dangers. It was like having a very reliable baby-sitter to mind Carina while he worked, and Michael had to stay occupied. There was no point being idle when Gavin and Carina were sheltered. Once they finished up at the facility, Michael's contact would notify him, and the chase would resume.

Until then...

Michael sighed deeply, hit 'replay' and began to jerk off in earnest.

***

"What are you looking at?" Carina panted, as Gavin thoughtfully considered the security camera.

"Nothing," he murmured, still staring with his eyes slightly narrowed.

"I know that look," she pouted. "What's wrong?"

"Honestly, Carrie, it's nothing."

"Fine. Don't tell me," she huffed, moving to a standing quad stretch.

Gavin sighed. "I don't trust everyone here, that's all. Don't worry, we're safe," he reassured her, when she looked alarmed. "But when we do eventually leave here, it's going to be without notice and in the middle of the night."

"Oh," she said blankly, following Gavin from the indoor track.

"It's getting easier, right?" he asked as they entered the changerooms.

"Yup," Carina answered, her cheeks still glowing bright red. "I think I'm ready to mix things up. Can we-?"

"No," Gavin chuckled, leading her to the shower stalls. "Fitness before combat. I'm pleased with your progress, but you have to be patient."

"I am patient!" she argued, feeling her already racing heartbeat accelerate as Gavin began to undress.

"Good," he replied, settling the matter in his aggravating way.

Carina indulgently bit her lip, her eyes glowing as Gavin discarded his jacket and his shirt quickly followed over his head, sexily tousling his blonde hair.

"Mm," Carina purred under her breath, feeling suddenly hot all over at the shirtless sight of him. When Gavin dropped his pants, she felt slightly giddy in the presence of man that looked like he'd stepped straight out of a male model catalogue.

Eventually Gavin noticed Carina's telling silence and hungry eyes. "You're not tired?"

"Not that kind of tired!" she insisted, hurriedly peeling the tank top from her torso and swiftly unhooking her sports bra.

Gavin licked his lips, his eyes on Carina's firm, jiggling breasts. Turning on the water, he backed into the shower stall and beckoned her.

Carina practically barrelled into him, not caring about the water temperature. If anything, the cold water was quite invigorating after the workout. For a few minutes they explored each other, hands slipping down shorts and underwear, rubbing and stroking while they playfully kissed under water. But Carina tired of the heavy petting and began to tug at his briefs.

"Really?" Gavin murmured through the spray; his hands cupped her pert breasts and they indulged in another passionate kiss. "If Ralph catches us again, he's going to be pissed."

"I know," Carina cooed into his mouth, the water muffling her words. Arching against Gavin's chest, her hands slipped down to find his cock. Loving the way Gavin squeezed and kneaded her sensitive breasts, slowly flicking her nipples, Carina was reluctant to retreat. But she was hungry.

"Uh-oh," Gavin thickly muttered, slightly turning the showerhead when Carina sank to her knees. Reaching for her damp ponytail, he slowly wrapped it around his palm.

"I. Love. Your. Cock." Carina spoke each word with sinful emphasis.

"Good," Gavin growled.

Carina wickedly met his eyes, her tongue poked out invitingly, then curved around his shaft. Shortly after, she moaned, sucking more of his length into her mouth. One hand pumped his shaft, the other gently cupped his balls, massaging them before moving to fondle her breasts, knowing the imagery would drive Gavin crazy.

"Fuuuuuck." Gavin stiffened as his heart raced; his fingers tightened on Carina's wet hair, guiding her back and forth. Abruptly turning the water off, he freed his hand and hauled Carina to her feet, walking the dazed girl to sit on a bench. "Open," he brusquely ordered, a leg up beside her so he could thrust into her mouth.

Without flecks of water interfering with her vision, Carina gazed boldly at him, her eyes sparkling like violet crystal, her mouth obscenely full. Gavin shuddered as his shaft withdrew, glistening with saliva, fucking her face.

After a while he stepped down and lifted Carina onto the bench, briskly propping her on hands and knees. She really was something out of a dream; his compliant little fuckdoll. That only changed if she was denied, and lately Gavin had great difficulty denying her anything, though he persevered when it mattered.

With a big dreamy smile, Carina arched like a cat, softly giggling when Gavin dragged her damp shorts and panties down her hips and thighs, yanking them over her sneakers. He liked fucking her in sneakers and nothing else.

Gavin grinned, admiring the smooth curves of Carina's bubble-butt, her toned thighs and sleek back. Her pussy looked deliciously swollen, invitingly exposed as she arched further to look over her shoulder, her captivating eyes impatiently narrowed at his pause.

"Don't worry, Carrie, you're gonna get it," he said wickedly, wrapping his hand around his aching cock to slowly stroke it.

Gavin knelt behind and spread her cheeks, gazing at her glistening pussy. Finally, his mouth attached to her, encompassing the sweet spot that he knew drove her wild. Carina gasped and arched more, willing Gavin's tongue to explore deeper. His hand slid across her buttock, his thumb gently tapping her tight asshole, pressing inside.

Trembling with pleasure, Carina loudly whimpered, her hands fiercely gripping the bench rungs as Gavin's tongue rhythmically flicked her clit with a perfect pressure, his thumb in her ass a whole other incredible sensation. But she didn't want to come this way.

"Gav, please, fuck me!" she moaned, still straining to give him full access. "Please-!"

Gavin sank his teeth into her buttock, smiling into her skin when she softly squealed with excited protest. Then he drew back and stepped over the bench, straddling it. Carina cried out when he entered her in a hard thrust, her slick juices making way for a perfect entry.

Gavin groaned at the slick warmth squeezing his cock and slowly pulled out until he was halfway buried. The sight was perfect; her pink, wet pussy clenched around him like a suctioning vice, taking his sizeable girth like such a good girl.

Losing much of his restraint, Gavin began to really fuck her. If he weren't gripping her hips, she might have fallen off the bench. The room was filled with sounds of their panting, urgent moans and grunting, wet flesh rapidly slapping together.

Burying himself to the hilt, Gavin bent to curl an arm around her torso and leaned back, lifting her with him.

"Here's another workout for you," he said thickly, pulling her earlobe with his teeth. "Fuck me."

Thankful for her sneakers, Carina began to lift and drop, panting with the sensations and muscular burn in her thighs. Gavin's hand tweaked her nipples, the other reached between them, his fingers expertly toying with her splayed pussy, targeting her engorged clit.

"Oh, God!" Carina cried out, her eyes widening, fucking harder. "Your cock is... Oh, God, fuck me! Oh, God, Oh, God-!"

Gavin's hand left her breast and pulled her ponytail, forcing her head back to meet his kiss.

"Come for me, honey, come on, my naughty little slut," he growled, nibbling her lower lip before resuming the kiss, his tongue urgently entwined with hers. He felt her thrusts slow as his dirty-talk took her over; her petite frame seized up against his chest. He worked harder on her clit, heard her muffled cry in his mouth, her body writhing through her release as she continued to grind on his cock.

"Oh, you-!" Gavin's teeth clenched as his cock strained, impossibly hard in her tight, warm, hole that throbbed around his girth. "Good girl," he slurred, jerking his hips and pumping her full of cum.

Over the next minute their movements slowed as they came down from it, both exhausted. Gavin relaxed against the wall, recovering, until he heard Carina's throaty chuckle. She was still in his lap, impaled on his cock, her legs bent wide and sneakered-feet on the bench.

"Not really the position for someone worried about Ralph walking in," she faintly remarked, allowing him to slowly lift her off his softening cock to cradle in his lap, their bodies stickier than before the shower.

"Well, I guess if he has to see, it should be worth his while," Gavin joked.

Carina giggled into his chest. "I love you, Gav."

"Yeah?" he replied, teasingly noncommittal. "That's nice."

"Your turn." Carina nipped his pec, grinning when he growled.

"You're a fucking glutton for compliments."

"Yes, I am," she admitted, stoking his hard chest. "Go on, indulge me."

Gavin's smile turned musing. "I really didn't want to fall in love with you."

"Why not?" Carina said indignantly.

"Because of the way you hooked Ethan. And then how Carlos was..." he lightly shrugged. "I was scared I'd end up like them. Besotted and unhinged to my demise."

"Well, now you know it's not so bad," Carina slyly replied, nuzzling his neck.

"Stop fishing," Gavin laughed, lazily tracing her smooth shoulder with his thumb. "I'll never be like that. I like what we have." His hand shifted lower, tweaking her breast then sliding up her thigh. Her legs instinctively parted so he could stroke her.

"I prefer actions to words, so let's sum them up," Gavin narrowed his eyes when she expectantly peeked up at him. "I risked life and limb to take you with me. We've entered into a rather indefinite, ongoing arrangement. Now, I'm training you full-time until you're equipped to have the life that you want. Oh, and did I mention you belong to me?"

Though the words lifted her heart and the last line made her pussy zing, Carina still nodded eagerly as though to say, 'Yes, and...?'

"Fine, brat," Gavin sighed. "I really-"

Hearing sounds outside, he frantically lifted Carina from his lap, gaping at fluids messily glistening along the bench.

The noises drew closer and Carina ran for her wet clothes, clasping the soaked bundle to her body when a voice thundered through the room.

"You two better not be doing what I told you not to do!" Ralph called. "This isn't a fucking hotel!"

"Come in and find out!" Carina taunted.

Gavin shook his head with exasperation. "I'm paying him enough for accommodation, I don't want to add you to the price!"

"I'm pretty sure he's gay!" Carina snorted, her comment carrying through to Ralph.

"I'm bi! No one is safe if I come in there!" he threatened.

"Two minutes!" Gavin shouted with fresh panic, though laughing almost as hysterically as Carina.

"That's what I thought," Ralph grumbled from outside, his tone good-naturedly haughty. "That girl is a bad influence, Gavin. You were always so proper. Now, it's like I'm housing two rabbits."

"How did he know I'm your sex bunny?" Carina naughtily whispered.

"Enough, Carrie! Get dressed!" Gavin said sharply, quickly unravelling the hose to wash the bench. "You've already earned a belting!"

"Good," she grinned.

***

The sizeable airy room was rather quiet for lack of numbers, the large pool still bobbed with watery movement after Carina hauled herself out.

"Ready?" Gavin smiled, comfortingly rubbing the sides of Carina's arms, newly encased in heavy material.

"Seriously, Gav, when will I ever be wearing this much in water?" she demanded, glaring up at his intimidating height.

"You never know," he answered, tucking a wet strand of dark hair behind her ear and pinching her damp cheek. "That's the point."

"Come on, Carina!" Ralph called from the stands. "Let's beat your last time!"

"Fiiiiine," she said flatly, still glowering at Gavin.

"Do I have to push you in again?" he grinned. "You'll cover it faster if you jump."

With an irritable little shake, Carina took a huge breath and launched from the platform, her head tucked under her arms in a perfect dive.

"Good girl," Gavin murmured, hitting the timer.

Ralph left the stands and sauntered over to watch Carina navigate the underground course. "Not a bad start, but she won't beat her record in that jacket."

"She'll manage, eventually," Gavin replied, his eyes sharply watching the dark blur that was Carina quickly disappear into a wide cylindrical structure.

Another ten seconds passed.

"She's still in the tube, Gav," Ralph said uneasily.

Gavin checked the time. "Shit."

Ralph sprinted across the room to hit the emergency button as Gavin dived underwater.

The seconds ticked by until the water's surface smoothed in settling ripples. Then Gavin broke through, gasping, holding Carina limp in his arms, the sleeve ripped clear from her jacket.

Ralph helped drag Carina out to begin CPR. Gavin angled Carina's head to open her airway and fastened his lips to hers, pushing air to her lungs while Ralph continued pumping.

"She got caught?" he huffed.

"Fucking sleeve button," Gavin panted, his ear to Carina's parted lips.

"She'll be alright," Ralph muttered unconvincingly, his cupped hands pressing Carina's chest in a forceful rhythm.

Two medics burst through the doors with a gurney. "What's the damage?"

"Water ingestion," Ralph rasped.

"That's all? How long was she under?" one asked, pressing his fingers to Carina's pulse while the other attached an oxygen mask and cut down the front of her shirt, exposing her chest and bra. "This isn't good. How long?"