by Jami Gray
My arm tightened, pressing all those soft curves against me. I stroked her hair, moving downward until I could capture her chin, my thumb rasping over her damp lips. Holding her darkening blue gaze, I gave in and took those lips that had infiltrated my dreams. As I kissed that sweet mouth, drowning in the honeyed heat and spice, I couldn’t hold on to the reasons for not doing this—for not taking what she offered and feeding the hunger clawing through me.
As she’d done earlier in the parking lot outside her apartment, she met my hunger with hers, no hesitation in those sexy little caresses as her tongue tangled with mine. The kiss went supernova in seconds as the heat of her palms ran down my chest, leaving aching trails of need in their wake. I drank down her feminine taste, gorging on her as she twisted and her hands slid up my shoulders until her nails could curl into my neck, holding me close as she all but crawled on top of me, almost as if she was worried I’d pull away. Fuck that. I was right where I wanted to be, diving into the fire and heat that wrapped around us.
As I kept her mouth captive, my hands went to her hips, helping her find her position until the heated center of her settled over my aching dick. I let her lips go to suck in much-needed air. “Fuck,” I groaned.
She pulled back. Not about to let her escape, I ran my hand up her spine, over the thin cotton of her shirt and sank my fingers into her hair. With a gentle tug, I took advantage when she dropped her head back, exposing the long elegant lines of her neck. Using my lips and tongue, I kissed my way down to the hollow of her throat. The arc of her spine pressed the luscious unbound curves of her breasts against me as the heated scent of a summer storm wrapped around me. The smell and feel of her had my dick jerking with anticipation.
“Bishop.” My name came out on a husky moan as her hips began to ride me.
Holy shit. If I didn’t regain some control, I was going to come before I could get her where I wanted her—namely, under me, naked, wet, and wanting. Tightening my hand on her hip to still her sexy ride, I shifted my hold, dropped my feet, and lifted her enough to take her to her back on the couch. Something fell to the floor, but caught in the carnal storm, I couldn’t give a fuck. Short of a damn house fire, I wasn’t leaving the delectable feast in front of me.
The change in position pushed her shirt up, baring the soft skin of her stomach. Not about to miss out, I smoothed my hand over all that silky warmth, inching the material higher until my fingers could brush the curves hidden beneath. I wasn’t the only one intent on touching. Her hands drifted down my chest, making me eternally grateful I’d decided against a shirt. Those clever, devious fingers slipped low until they could trace along the elastic edge of my sweats.
Nipping her lower lip in punishment, I whispered against her mouth, “You’re playing with fire.”
Those fingers continued to taunt even as she lay under me, her hair an alluring tangle, her eyes dark with hunger, and a flush riding under her skin as her lips, reddened from our kiss, curved into a purely female smile of wickedness. “I know.” It was the only warning I got before she hooked a leg around my hip, pulling me closer.
“Megan!” I hissed, tormented. God, she was breathtaking. Unable to resist, I ground my aching length against her heated center. Her moan echoed mine as I took her mouth in another carnal dance. Our clothes didn’t do anything but irritate me. Determined to change that, I stripped off her shirt in a quick pull, leaving her bare from the waist up. There was no way to stop my groan at what met my eyes.
Her luscious curves were topped by rigid berry-red nipples that made my mouth water and my hands itch. It was like revealing a feast to a starving man. Unable to resist assuaging my hunger, I captured one beautiful breast and traced her curves with fingers and tongue until she writhed under me, piling sensation on top of sensation. Only when I’d managed to map every delectable inch and she was panting my name in a soft pleading tone did I go for dessert, drawing her breast deep into my mouth as I continued to stroke and pet the other.
She called my name in a husky wail, and her spine arched as she offered me more. Not one to turn down a good thing, I took it. As her hands delved into my hair, her nails scraping against my scalp, I switched to her other side. I didn’t want any part of her feeling neglected. The leg at my hip tightened as she rolled her hips against mine. The feel of her, hot and damp, seared through me like lightening, and I lifted my head, eyes closing, as I could do nothing but follow her.
Holy hell. I needed to slow us down before we spontaneously combusted. Fighting for control, I gritted my teeth and forced my hand to brace against the sofa cushions next to her. As I lifted my chest, my hips pushed tighter against hers, which made my dick twitch like a damn anxious puppy. Pull your shit together, man! I didn’t want to take her in a mindless lust-filled rut—I wanted to take my time. I wanted to lose myself in her taste, in her touch, in the feel of her until she knew who held her, who fucked her, who needed her. I dropped my forehead against hers, keeping my eyes closed as I tried to get a grip.
“Hey.” Her voice was soft as she cupped my face in her palms.
“Hey.” I lifted my eyes to find myself caught in a sea of worry and need.
Those blue eyes held mine even as a small frown lined her brow. “What’s wrong?”
I rubbed my jaw over her palm, relishing the feeling of her skin. “Nothing.” Except I want to fuck you so bad you won’t consider walking away. Nope, not saying that out loud.
She dragged her hand along my jaw then traced my lips with a finger. “Do you want me?”
The doubt in her voice cut me to the quick, and I winced. “God, yes.” A small frown marred her brow, and the finger at my lips paused. Unable to fight the temptation, I drew it into my mouth in a blatant suggestion. She gave a small gasp and tugged it free, but in case she still hadn’t understood, I nipped her chin and growled, “Hell yeah, I want you.”
She swallowed hard, but her eyes drifted over my face. “Then why’d you stop?”
A world of vulnerability was held in her question, and my need to protect rose fast and strong. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Hurt me?” Her lips twitched. “If you think you were hurting me, I’m not doing something right.”
Her playful tease had me smiling. I shifted to the side, trapping her between me and the back of the couch. “Oh, you were doing everything right. Too damn right, woman.”
Her hands braced on my shoulders as she moved until she was facing me, her back against the couch, our legs tangled. “You want this, right?” She slid her hands down from my shoulders, and her fingers curled into my chest.
I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and drew my finger down her jaw until I could hook it under her chin. Angling her face upward, I dipped my head and took her mouth in a hungry kiss. Only when breathing became necessary did I stop. Those long lashes fluttered, and a flush of hunger and lust colored her face. “I want this, but…”
She bit her lower lip as she cupped my face, waiting until my gaze met hers. “But?” When I didn’t answer, she dove in with a courage that left me weak. “I don’t understand how you think you’re going to hurt me. I know what I’m doing, Bishop. I’m a big girl. I want you. You want me. That means there are two consenting adults here.” She let me go, and her fists rested against my chest.
Unable to stop touching her, I stroked her shoulder, her arm, and the curve of her hip. “And when this is over?” I inwardly cursed the fact I couldn’t play the typical male-female games and pretend I wanted nothing more than a casual relationship. Megan was too important to me, too necessary. That was a first for me. I’d spent my life flirting but refusing to let anything more than a good time develop. But this woman, with her quiet courage and loyalty, had managed to wiggle her way into my heart. I wanted to hold her close, protect her from what lay ahead of us, but that wasn’t in the cards. As much as I wanted to promise her a happily ever after, I couldn’t.
As if reading my thoughts, she gave a smile of sad resignation. “I’m not l
ooking for forever here.”
But what if I am? That resentful thought left me off balance and wondering when the hell I’d managed to lose my mind. Even worse, why did it piss me off to hear her say she wasn’t looking for a long-term relationship? Did she have no sense of her worth? She was exactly the type of woman a man would be blessed to have standing at his side. She wouldn’t bail when shit got hard—her loyalty was hard-wired to those she loved. And I want to be one of those. I tried to ignore that childish thought, and frustration made me speak sharply. “You deserve it.”
Her gaze dropped from mine as her hands uncurled and pressed against my chest. “No, I don’t, because we both know tomorrow it could all change.”
Reading the guilt in her voice, I snapped, “You won’t betray us.”
An edge of humor lightened her face. “Why? Because you said so?”
Battling the urge to shake her until she stopped spouting shit, I hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her close until mere inches separated us. “No, because that’s not who you are.”
She stiffened, her gaze burning into mine. “And who am I?”
“Mine.” It was an asshole thing to say, but the truth of it reverberated through me with a startling clarity. There was no way I could walk away from this woman, no matter what happened.
Her expression darkened, and her tongue came out to swipe over her lips, disbelief clear in the azure depths of her eyes. “Maybe for tonight.”
I let the topic go, knowing it was an argument for another time. For the moment, there were other things I wanted to talk about. “Are you offering?”
She studied me before finally giving me a slow nod. “I want to do something I know comes from me, not what someone wants me to do. I want you.”
“Works for me.” I decided to move us to another room, where I could make the most of what she offered and convince her to take a chance on whatever this was between us.
I got up and stood in front of the couch, holding out a hand. She shifted until she was sitting in front of me, looked up through those long lashes, and took my hand. My fingers curled around hers as my mind took in our respective positions and offered some highly erotic images of what we could do. Hmm, maybe later. My dick twitched, and her gaze dropped to it and darkened. If she kept looking at me like that… “Bedroom,” I growled, tugging her to her feet.
Not trying to hide her partial nudity, she led the way to the bedroom as I kept my hands on her hips. There was something about following that sexy strut that made walking hard. We stepped into the bedroom, where moonlight seeped through the blinds and joined the faint light from the front room, leaving the bed wreathed in shadows. She stopped at the foot, her back to me. Even in the murky light, I could make out the line of her spine and shoulders. Her yoga pants clung to the curve of her hips. I came up behind her, closing in until the brush of her warm satin skin against mine was a seduction in itself. This close, her ass cradled my dick as I ran my hands down her arms and tangled our fingers together. I laid a line of soft open-mouthed kisses along her shoulder until her head fell to the side, and she gave a soft moan. Not about to miss out, I kissed my way up her neck as I let go of her hands and caressed her stomach until I could capture the warm weight of her breasts in my palms. She shackled my wrists, not to pull them away but to hold on as I used my thumbs to stroke and tease.
“Oh God, Bishop.” She melted into me as she turned and met my mouth with hers.
“Megan.” All I could manage was her name, as I wanted nothing more than to eat her alive. Leaving the wonderland of her breasts, I sank my hand into her hair, holding her where I wanted as I kissed her. Slowly, with destructive accuracy, I ran a hand down her stomach, dipping under the edge of her pants. Lace and warmth met my fingers. I traced patterns over the material, circling closer to the damp heat that waited.
The hands at my wrist tightened but held it in place as she turned to face me. Her move forced my fingers lower until slick fire coated them in silky wetness. My knees buckled, but I managed to stay standing as her husky moan joined my groan. The feel of Megan, hot and damp, blew apart the last of my control. Lust, desire, want, and need collapsed into an inferno, wiping all but instinct away.
In a sensual blur, her hands and mine clashed as we got rid of our clothes and tumbled into the waiting bed. Mouths, tongues, nips, moans, and groans… the need to touch, taste, devour, take, and give drove me. Her cries spurred me higher as she arched and writhed under my hands and mouth, like a beautiful flame. I wasn’t alone in my hunger—her mouth was a wicked weapon of destruction as her hands caressed and reshaped me until I was wholly hers. Those fingers wrapped around my dick and stroked with a sexy ownership that stole my breath as her thumb spread my wetness along my sensitive tip. I thrust into her hold with more instinct than finesse. Only when one more stroke threatened to set me off did I capture her hands, drawing them above her head and locking them in place. “No touching.”
She pouted, and when she opened her mouth to argue, I gave her a hard kiss. Without let her hands go, I raised my head and stared into her dazed eyes. “Keep them there.”
She stared back with wild hunger, but she followed my directions, so I rewarded her by kissing my way down her chest and not letting her pretty breasts distract me as I moved down her stomach, where the musky scent of her filled my mind and left me ravenous. Drawing her legs open, I didn’t go gently but covered her, using my tongue with carnal precision, feasting until her body danced under my mouth as her cries filled the room. Only when her muscles began to stiffen, heralding an ending I didn’t want, did I lift my head.
Frantic and lost in our shared passion, she clutched at my hair, trying to hold me in place. “Don’t stop, Bishop.”
I pressed a kiss against the inside of her thigh before resting my chin above where that honeyed garden waited. “You taste like fucking paradise.” I stared up her body to find her watching me, her lips parted, face flushed, eyes glittering as those fingers pricked my scalp. I crawled up her body, sliding my skin over hers as her hands brought me closer and her legs rose to wrap around my hips. I braced myself above her, dragging my dick against the hot, wet center of her. The feel of her against me held me in a momentary vise. As much as I wanted to sink into her, skin to skin, the need to keep her safe intruded. With a mild curse, I shifted and managed to nab my wallet from the nightstand. My fingers fumbled as I freed the two condoms tucked inside. I dropped the wallet and used my teeth to open the package.
Before I knew it, she was there, taking the package from me as she licked her lips. Those clever, wicked hands rolled the condom over my aching length as she nibbled on my chin. Her hands stroked once, twice. “Do I get a turn?”
The image of her on her knees, those red lips wrapped around my dick, just about finished what her clever hands and spicy taste had started. I dipped my head until my lips barely brushed hers. “Next time.”
“Promise?” she asked on the softest breath.
“Fuck yeah,” I groaned as I took her mouth and sank into paradise.
Chapter Fifteen
I was in the colonel’s office, my arms filled with files, when the top one jumped out of my grasp and tumbled across the floor. I set the pile down on the colonel’s desk and crouched to pick up the escapee. As I held out my arm, it scooted just out of reach until I was engaged in an awkward game of tag. The fact that I found nothing odd about an inanimate object doing something distinctly animate should have been my first clue about what was happening, but I was so focused on capturing that elusive file that I didn’t even give it a second thought. Stupid me.
When the file did another hop, I lunged forward and ended up on all fours. Slapping my palm on it, I trapped it against the cool linoleum. “Gotcha, you stubborn little—”
Voices drifted down the hall. Scrambling to my feet, I tucked the runaway file on top of the others I was holding. A quick glance down revealed blurry lettering, making it hard to read. Okay, maybe I was tired. I rubbed my eyes with
a knuckle and tried again, and this time, a familiar name caught my eye—Jacob Archer. My heart skipped a beat as recognition hit. Jacob Archer was Bishop’s legal name.
The thought acted like a switch, and the rest of the file names snapped into sharp focus, searing my vision. As I scanned them, dread built because each name belonged to one of Delacourt’s operators, including Devon Rouser, my brother. What the hell? Panic scrambled at my brain as I tried to figure out why the information was stored like this—on paper, unsecured—when policy required secured access.
The voices in the hall got closer, triggering an anxiety I didn’t bother to fight. Instead, heeding instinct, I gathered the folders and frantically searched for somewhere to stash them. No one could see these, no one. I needed to hide these names before anyone saw them, otherwise… my thoughts refused to cross that dark line. I didn’t want to tempt fate. Moving behind the desk, I tried the drawers. Locked.
Dammit. Scanning the rest of the office, my pulse raced as the voices got progressively closer, riding the tide of foreboding, making my hands shake. Other than the desk, there was a filing cabinet, but I dismissed it. Too obvious. The bookshelf under the window held a mishmash of books and binders, offering a quick-and-dirty solution. I could hide the files in plain sight. I rushed over and grabbed one of the thickest binders, taking note of the label designating it as a collection of archived order forms. Good enough. I tucked the files inside the binder and shoved it back in place. I managed to get back to the colonel’s desk and sat there, pen poised over a sticky note. When the door opened, my heart was pounding so hard I worried I would pass out.