by Natalie Ann
“How about you first stop waving that thing in my face.” Beau gently pushed her hand away with his before mashing his fingers through his hair. “And I did just ask you.”
“You never asked me anything. You commanded me to tell you what – let’s see – how did you so elegantly put it – oh right. You demanded I tell you what was bugging me. Yes, that was it.”
Beau had the hardest time keeping a smirk off his face. His little firecracker nanny actually hopped when she leveled him with the final line in her diatribe. All he wanted to do was throw her over his shoulders, take her in his bedroom and make passionate love to her… and watch her melt.
Instead, he turned away so she couldn’t see how much fun he was having. He used a tone that had gotten him laid many times before. “If I offended you, Elli Storm, please accept my sincere regret. By the way, has anyone ever told you how much you live up to your name?” He saw her face and backed off that line of conversation. “Okay, I’m sorry. Please accept my humble apolo—”
***
She wriggled to stand in front of him and saw his gleeful expression before he wiped it off. “I knew you were playing me, you ass. This has got to stop.”
“Me, playing you? No, I like that we can communicate, and you’re easy to tease.”
Elli felt like exploding. “So now you think I’m easy, boyo. Well, let me tell you… I’m nobody’s plaything. Unless you can discuss this situation reasonably, like adults, I’m leaving.”
Beau straightened, and his face took on a different appearance. There was a touch of haughtiness she’d never seen the easy-going man wear before, and it made her a little leery to push him further. But she hated that he’d betrayed Caro and even her, in a much smaller way, by trying to find his brother.
On the other hand, it wasn’t really her business, and so she should back off. And she would if she could, but it wasn’t in her makeup to leave trouble alone and let it grow.
“Okay, fine. You want to know why I’m mad at you right now. Because you want to give Caro away.”
“I what?”
Beau’s expression boded ill for her going any further. But it was too late to stop now.
“You know.” She edged away from him.
This time he looked ready to explode. “Hell, lady, I have no idea what you’re talking about, but you better spill the beans soon before I really get mad.”
“You’re looking for your brother.”
“Yeah, so?”
“So you can give Caro back to him.”
“What? I wouldn’t give him a pet hamster to look after. Why would I let him take the kid?”
“You said so.”
“When?”
“This afternoon.”
“What exactly did I say?”
“You said you were looking for him.”
“Yes. So, I can get him to sign over custody of Caro to me. I’d never let her go, especially not to a flake like Roger. I mean, I love the goof, but he’s on a mission to screw up his life, and there’s no way I’d ever let him take Caro as his sidekick. Her mom’s already begun doing that, and it looks like it’ll take us some time to fix those—”
***
She kissed him.
If he hadn’t of said “us”, maybe she could have controlled herself. But the wonderful idiot said the one word that made her want to show him just how much she adored him for being the man he was. So, she threw her arms around his neck and planted a smooch smack dab on his mouth.
Only it changed from a friendly kiss to hungry and serious within a few seconds. The growing heat between them blazed red hot. That’s when she lost her mind completely. His arms picked her up, and she was being carried into his bedroom, a place she couldn’t get to fast enough.
Showing him how much she adored him needed to happen now. His kisses were warm and thorough, soft at first. But once he had her under him on the bed, it felt like he could draw her essence right out of her soul. She’d never wanted to give so much of herself away before, not to any man, and it scared her.
What the hell was she doing? Stop!
She pushed him away and sat up, swiveled to look at him and saw the ardor in his gaze. The slumberous passion he didn’t try to hide. “This is wrong. Right? We shouldn’t mess up our working relationship with sex.”
“Are you asking me or telling me? Because I really don’t want to answer if it’s a trick question.”
“What are you talking about? How can it be a trick question?”
Beau settled back against the headboard, put his hands behind his head and smiled. His expression was nice, soft, no anger from being pushed away that she could see. “Well, let’s see. You asked me if this was wrong between you and me. Yet, I’ve never felt so right about anything before.” He pulled her into his arms again, though he made sure she could still see his face. His hands moved to encase her head, so she was trapped, but ever so lovingly. “And for me, this isn’t just sex.” He kissed her forehead, and then rubbed his nose teasingly with hers.
“What if our isn’t-just-sex clouds the issues, and we can’t handle me working for you and being your… your lover?”
“Do you question every sensation you experience and put a name to it? You just overwhelmed me, and I wanted to show you how you made me feel. If you want to call yourself my lover, then shouldn’t we first make love?”
Chapter Seventeen
Elli caught on and had to agree. Maybe it was best to just go for it, make love with Beau and let the future take care of itself. But it wasn’t in her to do something so rash.
She kissed him quickly before leaving him on the bed. Heading for the living room, she almost ran before she could change her mind. Her brain had won out over her heart, but the repercussions had already started as she questioned her sanity.
No! Think clearly. This isn’t you… hopping into a man’s bed because he’s such a sweetheart.
Becoming lovers was a bad idea. She’d only known him for two days. Two days! But in her defense, under extreme provocation, he’d so far behaved better than any other man she’d ever met.
Time to leave. Before she went, she needed to freshen up. She heard Beau come into the room and motioned to him she was going into the bathroom, grabbed her purse and left him with both hands dragging through his hair.
When she returned, he’d disappeared. Listening, she heard a sound coming from Caro’s room. Tiptoeing down the hall in that direction, she stood framed in the doorway. She watched as the tall man she’d begun to adore, now on his hands and knees, leaned over his sleeping niece. The soft caress of his hand as he cleared her long hair away from her small, sweaty face made Elli swallow hard. His gentleness didn’t disturb the tiny sprite who’d pulled her mattress onto the floor so she could sleep on it.
Why she didn’t just sleep with it on the bedframe, Elli had no idea. Did the child somehow think she didn’t deserve to? Who knew? But Beau’s reaction had the beat of Elli’s heart quicken. No man had ever looked so handsome, messy hair and all. No man had ever appeared so sexy, even with his shirt loose from his belt and his face full of love for the cherub in his care.
If nothing else proved his adoration for Caro, watching him deal with her quirks with such patience and compassion was all it took for Elli to make up her mind.
She left the room without him even knowing she’d been there.
Chapter Eighteen
Beau watched Caro sleep and made a silent vow. Little one, Uncle Beau will make everything better. One day, you’ll sleep on the bed, and you will chatter so much, I’ll probably wish the silent days were back, until I remember how much I wanted you to talk. We’ll work things out, baby, I promise.
He covered her with a light blanket and stood, thinking he’d better say goodbye to another little lady who’d trampled his heart a few minutes earlier.
When he saw the emptiness in the living room, and that the bathroom door now stood open, his happiness tanked. She’d left. Without even saying goodbye.
Feeling de
vasted, he headed for the bedroom and stopped in the doorway, his breath stuck in his throat.
There on his bed lay a naked angel waiting with open arms and a smile so warm and sexy that he wondered if he’d died and gone to heaven.
“Beau, I couldn’t leave us like that… you like that. I’m a freakin’ fraud and a ‘fraidy-cat, looking for problems before they even begin to happen. Come...”
He’d never stripped so fast in his life. Where the clothes landed, he had no idea except that one shirt sleeve got ripped in his haste to get to his princess.
He dove on the bed next to her, scooped her in his arms and kissed her with all the delight he felt. “You didn’t leave me.”
Without thinking about how telling those words could be to someone with degrees like hers, he hugged her to him, holding back his enthusiasm in the worry he might leave bruises. All he wanted was to squeeze her so tight, she’d never leave again.
Before he could back away, her arms came around him, and she did what he’d wanted to do. She burrowed into him and held on, so he knew without a doubt she was exactly where she wished to be.
The delight was heady. It made him feel so many overwhelming emotions of lust mixed with passion mixed with delight and intensity. The more he looked into her eyes, her beautiful blue crystals, his demonstrative personality woke up and his worshipping genes began forming so strong, he could barely breathe.
Her kisses began on his chest, and she worked her way to his shoulders, his neck, cheek, and though the waiting almost killed him, she finally reached his mouth. Without any possibility of holding back, he took over.
She felt his impatience in her playfulness and loved that he held his emotions in check, giving her the freedom to show affection in her own way. She also appreciated that when he did take the lead, he did so by bringing her along with him in every move he made. Like when he kissed her mouth, he provoked her to play with him, her tongue with his. When he bit her lips teasingly, he let her have the time to bite his back. And when he licked them, he encouraged her to do the same to his.
It was like performing follow the leader, and she became totally invested. His hands drew a path from around her face down to her chest where he caressed her breasts and kissed each in turn. When she did the same, he purred like a satisfied cat.
Their breathing quickened, and the sounds of their craving drove her to explore, touch… kiss. Having complete freedom with his body filled her with temptations. Urges to show her delight overcame her so much that she stopped holding back. She writhed under him, her legs entwined with his, bringing his body closer.
He anchored himself away slightly, leaving his hands free to travel her hips, her stomach, and end where she wanted them most, between her legs. Finding her sweat-coated body drenched, she loved his reaction.
He hummed with appreciation. When her hands traveled the same path on his body, his humming turned to words of delight, “Yes. Baby, yes. Having your hands on me feels so good – every wish I ever had come true.”
Elli had to agree. The truth was the truth. Having him touch her, make her shudder with sensations, fulfilled her dreams too. She’d never been so invested in another’s pleasure, never wanted to give so much of herself to any man.
And… never had she worried if her body would please her partner. They were so few and far between, her experience was limited. Yet, she didn’t need to be extremely proficient to recognize that Beau seemed to worship every part of her. He’d pleasured her breasts in such a worshipping way, she’d felt intense satisfaction. In fact, her first orgasm had begun forming from his sucking on her nipples. Palpitations in her lower body began building then, making her super sensitive.
As his hands caressed her stomach and her legs, his husky comments complimenting her smooth and silky skin added to her building passion.
When his fingers found her entrance and stroked the slick walls to drive her insane, she reached for him, wanting to give him the same pleasure. Stroking lovingly, and then guiding him to her, she demonstrated her readiness to go further, to end the torment. No more tender stimulation, her pulsating body needed him inside her now.
Hungrily, she moaned her needs, showing him with her movements, her body’s arching, squirming, her legs straddling and her writhing that he needed to come to her before she crested.
Voicing her demands, she whispered brazenly, “Beau, baby, don’t make me wait. I’m on fire.”
His appreciative groan turned to soft words, “I’m here, Elli.” Then his words, “you’re mine now,” as he entered her body were spoken in the most sensual way to ensure her satisfaction.
He groaned yet again. His sexy tone driving her, cresting the wave of sheer happiness – she had to fight to keep her sanity.
Stimulated beyond belief, wanton actions followed. She cried out. She arched toward him, holding nothing back. She lost herself in the passion. Her swirling senses left the world behind while she had an orgasm so thrilling that the aftershock lasted as long as it took for him to catch up.
Feeling every pounding thrust while he lost control in an explosion of his own insanity, her shudders seemed only to increase his pleasure.
My God! Never in her life had she ever been so turned on. Breathless, panting, she needed air so her brain wouldn’t explode. Yet, she never wanted this enchanted satisfaction to end. His last groan and final deep thrust left her tender, full of satisfaction – blissful.
Slowly, with their passion ebbing, her body delightfully sensitized, she snuggled into his gathering arms and knew no more until a pounding on the door broke into her dreams.
Chapter Nineteen
The ringing of the doorbell woke him up. Thunderous hammering followed and let him understand that whoever intended to disturb them from sleeping the night together, wouldn’t give up.
Someone meant to get attention, and Beau had full intentions of wringing the intruder’s throat as soon as he got to the door.
Seeing as how his beautiful sorceress still slept, he wriggled away from her clinging arms, left her warm body and cussed under his breath. If he hadn’t been worried that the noise would reach Caro and frighten her, he’d have tuned it out and prayed for the intruder to get lost.
Before he could put on the pants he’d grabbed, all hell broke loose. The door to the apartment was rammed and uniformed men swarmed into his bedroom and into the rest of the house.
“Get your hands on the top of your head and down on the floor.”
What the fuck?
“Do it!”
“Now!”
Whimpering, Elli responded by pushing closer to him. Half-awake, he felt her fear and shoved the blanket protectively towards her. Ignoring the order long enough to stick one leg into his pants, he yelled. “At least let me cover up, for Christ’s sake.”
Before the officer could answer, he’d yanked them on fully and watched as the guns they had pointed his way were suddenly seriously leveled at him in case he made the wrong move.
Now covered, he laid down on the floor, put his hands on his head and spoke reasonably. “I have no idea why you’ve busted into my apartment, but I’m sure this as all a terrible mistake.”
“Are you Roger Williams?”
Beau cursed loudly. Shit! No mistake. “He’s my brother.”
By the time they had cleared all the rooms in the apartment, and Caro ran to him with tears dripping off her face, their bizarre arrival had calmed. He left Caro with Elli and moved the cops with him into the living room.
The three dressed in S.W.A.T. gear stood at ease, but with weapons still visible, while the detective in plain clothes holstered his Glock22 and took charge.
“I’m Detective Harding. Your name please?”
“I’m Beau. Beau Williams.”
“You say Roger is your brother. Can you tell us where he is right now?”
“Nope. I have no idea. In fact, I tried to find him recently, searched all the places online where I thought I might get a hit.”
�
�I know. We saw your trail. It’s why we’re here. We had a report that he replied and contacted you, maybe showed up.”
“As you can see, he isn’t here, and no, he never got back to me. What’s he done, Detective? I know he’s a drifter, never stays long in one place, but I’ve never known him to break the law.” Beau stood with his legs solid and his arms crossed. He was not happy. Not at all. But he knew better than to react like an outraged idiot when the police had a job to do.
“He’s been charged in the kidnapping of Carrie Davis. She’s been missing for over a week and the last known place we’ve tracked her to is here.”
Now he saw a connection. “Must have been when she dropped their daughter off. Said for me to give her to her daddy when he returned.”
“Roger?”
“Yes.”
“So, he’s expected?”
“Not that I know of. As I told you earlier, I’ve had no contact with him for almost a year.” Beau watched the detective’s skepticism and asked, “What’s happened to make you believe differently?”
“Carrie’s mother got a ransom note yesterday asking her to pay ten thousand dollars or her daughter would be killed. She believes Roger sent it.”
“What? That’s insane. Why would she think that? Carrie was here over a week ago and dropped off the little girl, claimed Caro was Roger’s daughter, and she couldn’t look after her anymore. That she had plans to leave town and start living her own life.”
“Is that the kid in the other room? You figure she’s your brother’s kid?”
“Oh, Caro’s his daughter all right. She has his eyes. I’ve been taking care of her.” A question hung in the air and Beau had to ask. “Hell, if Carrie had a mother, why did she bring her daughter to me?” Knowing there was another relative available scared him. What if the grandmother wanted Caro too?
“From what we gathered after talking to the woman, they’re estranged. Have been for years. Mrs. Davis told us she kicked her daughter out after she got pregnant and wanted nothing more to do with Carrie or her bastard baby. It seems she’s a religious nu… ahh, person, and though the note said for her not to go to the police, or Carrie would die, she knew her duty.”