by Karen Rose
He hadn’t needed to beg. She took her hand down the rest of the way, closing around him, only the thin layer of fabric between her palm and his throbbing cock. She squeezed experimentally, and he arched his back, groaning his pleasure.
‘God. Kate.’
‘Sshh.’ She kissed him again to quiet him down. All they needed was for the night guard to investigate. Or, even worse, Dani. This is probably not on her list of recovery strategies. But Kate didn’t care. Couldn’t care. Because Decker was rolling his hips, thrusting into her hand, growling deep in his throat.
He was . . . God. She shuddered when he groaned again. He was better than she’d imagined. She stroked him firmly, wishing she could feel his skin. Wishing she’d been braver. Should have snuck under the sweats. Because she’d missed this. Missed the feel of hot, silky skin sliding over iron.
‘I’m . . . God, it’s been too long. I’m not gonna . . . Fuck it.’ He grimaced, grinding his teeth. Trying to keep from coming too soon.
Fuck it, she echoed, letting him go long enough to yank the sweats past his hips. He growled because she’d let him go, but the growl deepened when she touched his bare skin.
‘Kate.’ He arched his back again, digging elbows and heels into the mattress, driving into her fist with a hard, steady rhythm that showed her in no uncertain terms what he’d be like if he was inside her right now. And God, she wished he was, because it would feel so, so good.
Next time, she told herself, even though her body was screaming Now! This time was for him, but she wanted to give him more than simple release. Wanted him to remember this moment for a long, long time. Wanted him to remember her.
Releasing his cock, she flattened her palm on his stomach, feeling his muscles clenching hard. His eyes flew open, wild with arousal. ‘No,’ he rasped. ‘Don’t stop now.’
‘Sshh.’ Pressing her palm against his stomach, she leaned in to kiss his mouth, gentling him. ‘Relax. It’s not a race.’ She kissed him again, licking into his mouth, swallowing another guttural groan she could feel vibrating against her palm. ‘Let me take care of you.’
His swallow was loud in the quiet of the room. ‘You’re gonna kill me.’
She smiled against his lips. ‘But what a way to go.’
He laughed, the sound making her glad that she was still wrapped in the blanket, because if she’d been free, she’d be jumping his bones right now. Drawing a breath that expanded his chest, he kicked off the sweatpants, leaving him bare except for the unbuttoned shirt.
She took a moment to look, then knew she’d never have her fill, because just looking left her breathless. He was truly beautiful, from his broad smooth chest to his long, long legs, bent at the knees, spread wide in invitation. He had scars on his chest, some new, most old. Some straight, some jagged. His legs bore the evidence of war, too, another scar that cut across his left thigh diagonally. And those were only the ones she could see. He had more, she knew. On his back. In his heart. But he was still beautiful. Inside and out.
He exhaled on a ragged sigh. ‘Not a race,’ he repeated.
‘Nope,’ she whispered. ‘Let me.’ Holding his gaze, she swept her hand down his chest, trailing her fingers downward, making sure she avoided his bandages. With one finger she lightly followed the narrow trail of hair down his stomach, down his groin, up his length, smiling at the shudder he couldn’t suppress.
‘Let me make you feel good,’ she said, and he nodded, his eyes closed in concentration, his hands gripping the sheets, his mouth open as he tried to control his breathing. Closing her fist around him again, she began stroking, first long and slow, then fast and hard, intermittently sweeping her thumb over the crown, already wet with the release his body couldn’t hold in.
Shuddering violently, he groaned once more, softly this time. ‘Kate, please.’
She kissed him again and he let go of his grip on the sheet and grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her in to him, mindlessly kissing her back in a clash of tongues and teeth as his hips began to thrust again. He was close, but she wasn’t finished. She needed to make it last as long as she could, needed to give him all the pleasure he’d been missing for four long years.
Well, no, she allowed. Not all the pleasure. All would include swinging her leg over his hips, mounting him, taking that big, gorgeous erection deep inside her and riding him until they both exploded. And if she got the chance again, she’d jump him in a heartbeat. But not tonight. She wouldn’t hurt him for the world, and she didn’t have any condoms. So no riding. No exploding. She nearly moaned at the loss, but touch would have to be enough for tonight. From the look on his face, he was more than making do.
Touch me, he’d all but begged. No one had done so in such a long time. Too long. No one had touched her either, and God, she’d missed it too. Her body clenched, throbbed, needed. More. She needed so much more. She wriggled her hips, trying to get close enough to rub against him, but the damn blanket was in the way. Cursing, she let go of his cock to pry his hand from the back of her neck and splay it over her breast, pressing it hard against her nipple. The blanket was still between them, but the pressure felt good. So good. She heard herself whimper as the contact sent a zing between her thighs and—
She felt the exact moment that Decker’s control snapped. Growling deep in his throat, he twisted his hand to get control of hers and dragged it back to his erection. He folded her fingers around him, then gripped her neck and yanked her back down for a kiss that bordered on brutal, unleashing all the ferocity he’d been keeping restrained.
It was rough, but Kate liked rough, and right now, she needed rough. She kissed him back, squeezing her fist when he bucked his hips, holding back the release he sought. He let go of her neck and grabbed the blanket, wrenching it down then pulling desperately at her T-shirt until he reached the bare skin of her stomach. His palm splayed wide for a second before he slid it up to cup her breast, flicking her nipple with his thumb.
Oh God. More. More. More. The plea pounded in her mind, in sync with the pounding of her heart. Her hand stroked him harder, faster, and he pulled away from the kiss, throwing his head back on the pillow.
Watch. She dragged her gaze from her hand on his cock to his clenching abs, then up to his face, sharp and feral as his release barreled through him.
See. Remember. A low groan ripped from his throat as he came, long and hard.
Beautiful. He was so damn beautiful.
He collapsed back, panting, eyes still closed. ‘My God,’ he breathed. ‘Oh my God. Kate.’ He shuddered, trembling, his body jerking with aftershocks. ‘Thank you.’
She kissed him, gently this time, first on the lips, then on his temple, trying to bring him back down. ‘Sshh,’ she soothed. ‘Let me take care of you.’
He huffed a choked laugh. ‘Isn’t that what you just did?’
‘Mmm. Yes. And it was . . . remarkable. You are a beautiful man, Griffin Davenport.’
He grimaced again, embarrassed now. ‘You didn’t come.’
‘Not this time.’ Almost. She almost had, just by watching him. She really wanted to now, but she’d taxed his healing body enough for one night. ‘So now you owe me.’
His teeth gleamed in the darkness as he flashed a predatory grin. ‘I like that kind of debt.’
‘I thought you might.’ She struggled out of the blanket and crawled off the bed, but he caught her around the waist with surprising strength, considering he’d just come enough for three men. He pulled her to sit on the narrow strip of mattress between him and the edge of the bed.
‘Don’t go,’ he whispered. ‘Stay. Please.’
‘I’ll be back. I’ll get something to . . . you know.’ She waved her hand toward his chest, now shiny with his ejaculate.
He smirked at her. ‘I thought you weren’t a prude.’
She lifted her chin. ‘I’m not. I
got you off, didn’t I?’
He grinned again, slow and sexy. ‘I’d have to say that’s a definite yes.’
She nodded crisply. ‘All right then. So stay here. I’ll be right back.’
Her bedroom had an en suite bath, so at least there was no danger of running into Dani or the night guard. Because there was no way in hell she’d be able to swallow the Cheshire Cat grin that had taken over her face.
But she was wrong. The grin faded as she wet a cloth with warm water. The last time she’d done this had been for Johnnie, a few short months before he died. He’d been too weak to make love to her, so she’d loved him as best she could.
She looked in the mirror and wanted to sigh. She looked . . . tired. Because I am tired. But there was more in the glass than a tired woman, and that little bit extra made her lean a little closer. Studying her reflection, she glimpsed the ember that flared in her eyes.
She hadn’t had any kind of fire in three long years. Until tonight. Until the man who waited for her in the bed they’d share for at least tonight. She wrung out the cloth in the sink, hoping that this lasted for more than one night. She’d missed her own fire.
Decker’s eyes were closed when she started to wash his stomach, but they snapped open. He hadn’t been asleep. In fact, he was very much awake, his eyes sharp. ‘My debt’s starting to accrue interest,’ he said quietly, sending a shiver down her back.
‘At an alarming rate.’ She finished the cleanup, then tossed the cloth into a hamper. ‘You should arrest me for usury,’ she said lightly, but it sounded forced. Because he was ready again. Very ready. She swallowed hard. She wanted it, wanted him, but not tonight.
She turned to find his sweatpants, but he grabbed a handful of her T-shirt and held her in place. ‘What do you want, Kate?’ he asked in a low rumble that melted her from the inside out.
She tried to smile. ‘Nothing that we can do tonight. Not gonna risk your stitches.’
He tightened his hold when she tried to pull away. He gripped more of her shirt, reeling her closer, then rolled to his side and up on one elbow, so that his face was level with what had become a bona fide, completely visible wet spot on her sleep shorts. He raised his eyes to hers, then, gazes still locked, drew a deep breath, making it clear that he was scenting her arousal.
Oh God. Her knees went weak.
‘What do you want, Kate?’ he whispered.
Her cheeks heated. Hell, all of her heated. Her eyes darted to his erection. ‘You,’ she said honestly. ‘I want you. Inside me. But I won’t hurt you. I can wait.’
‘I can’t.’ He tugged her shirt hard, catching her when she fell across him. He lifted her easily, arranging her so that she straddled his chest, then gripped the hem of her shirt. ‘If this isn’t what you want, tell me now.’
His blue eyes were hot and fierce, his lips still swollen from their kisses. And Kate still ached. Deliberately she pulled his hands from her shirt and placed them on her thighs, then pulled the shirt off herself.
He stared up at her, hungry, his fingers clenching convulsively on her thighs. He was breathing hard again, his chest rising and falling. His fingers clenched once more before skimming up her body and closing over her breasts.
She closed her eyes and simply enjoyed as he fondled and teased, rolling her nipples between thumb and forefinger, gasping when he pinched lightly. ‘You like that?’ he whispered, and she nodded, unable to say a word because her throat had thickened.
It felt so good she wanted to cry.
It had been so long since anyone had touched her. Like she was beautiful and vital and necessary. The warmth of his hands left her breasts and slid up her back, pressing her forward. She let herself fall, grabbing onto the edges of his pillow, gasping again when the tip of his tongue teased one taut nipple before sucking it into his mouth.
He let her go long enough to push her hair out of the way so that he could see her face. ‘Open your eyes, Kate. Watch me.’
She opened her eyes as he slowly closed his lips over her breast, the sight blurry until she blinked. He thumbed her cheeks, wiping them dry. ‘What’s this? Why the tears?’
‘It’s . . . it’s been so long. It’s overwhelming. But don’t stop.’
His smile was sharp and dark and full of understanding. ‘Then keep your eyes open.’ He sucked her in again, hard, tonguing her nipple with enough force that she shuddered before releasing her to do the same to the other breast. His hands dropped to her thighs, gliding up and down, going higher each time, brushing up under the hem of her shorts, teasing the elastic of her panties, but never touching where she really wanted him.
By the time he dropped his head back to the pillow, she was shaking, she wanted him so badly. Her cheeks were wet but her panties were wetter.
He’d held her eyes the whole time and now he smiled again, looking like a blue-eyed wolf on the prowl. At some point she’d started rocking her hips, trying to relieve the pressure between her legs, but she couldn’t get the angle right. He gripped her butt, holding her still, making her whimper in frustration.
‘I’m going to taste you now,’ he said, and she shuddered hard, her body jerking involuntarily. ‘Don’t worry. I won’t leave you like this. Okay?’ She nodded unsteadily. ‘Good,’ he murmured soothingly. ‘Now sit back. I won’t let you fall.’
She leaned back to find that he’d bent his knees, making his body into a chair.
‘Lift up,’ he ordered softly, and she did, sucking in a breath when he pulled her shorts and panties down to her knees. He bent one of her legs, then the other, pulling her shorts completely off, leaving her naked and . . . so damn horny. She reached behind her, knowing he was fully erect and probably throbbing, but he grabbed her wrist, still gentle with her. ‘Don’t touch me. I won’t be able to stop myself.’ He lifted a brow. ‘And you’ll have to explain any blown stitches to Dani.’
She blushed, making him chuckle. Then he sobered, his eyes taking a slow, thorough journey over her body. His throat worked as he tried to swallow. ‘You’re perfect.’
She started to deny it, but stopped herself. He looked perfect to her, scars and all. Denying him the same would cheapen the moment. For both of them. ‘Thank you.’
His hands burned a path up the inside of her thighs, stopping millimeters short of what should have been his goal. She hissed a warning and he chuckled again, darkly this time.
He cupped her ass and, lifting her, hauled her to the top of his chest, where he draped her thighs over his shoulders and tilted her forward so that she straddled his face. And then he ripped a strangled cry from her throat because finally he was touching her.
God. He was touching her. Licking her. Tasting her. Driving her insane. She drove her fingers into his hair and held on, pulling him closer.
He pulled back, his eyes hot, his lips shiny. ‘I want to fuck you so bad,’ he whispered hoarsely. ‘Next time, Kate. Okay? We’ll get condoms and . . . next time. Okay?’
She nodded breathlessly. ‘Yes.’ Her voice cracked and she didn’t care. ‘Fine. Just . . . don’t stop. Please.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
She leaned her head back and let her eyes close and . . . felt. She felt beautiful and desirable and sexual. Finally. After so long, she felt again.
He seemed to know what she needed and gave it to her. And gave and gave some more. He sucked and licked, parting her with his fingers so that he could get closer still. He stabbed her with his tongue and reached up and fondled her breasts, and she was so close. So close.
And then he coordinated his attack, nipping her with his teeth while he pinched her nipples, sending her over the edge into freefall. She was flying, weightless, surrounded by light, the pleasure almost too big to contain. And then it was too big. It was too much. She was crashing into the sea, where a giant wave pulled her under and all the light turned dark.
And then she was in his arms, shaking. Crying. Clutching him like he was a life preserver.
‘Sshh.’ He was rocking her, soothing her, stroking her hair. ‘It’s okay. It’s okay.’
She drew a shaky breath, swiping at her wet face. ‘Oh God. Oh my God. What was that?’
‘Breaking dam,’ he said dryly. ‘Terrified townsfolk. Stampeding wildebeests, even.’ He kissed the top of her head. ‘Otherwise known as an orgasm that was long overdue.’
‘Holy shit,’ she whispered. ‘The first part was amazing. But then . . .’
‘It was too much,’ he said quietly. ‘I guess we’ll have to make sure you don’t go too long before the next one. Wouldn’t want you to get all built up like that again.’
Her lips curved. ‘You’re so altruistic.’
‘Aren’t I though?’ He yawned so wide that his jaw cracked, then he slipped from the bed. ‘I’ll be back. I have to clean myself up. You weren’t the only one who came just now,’ he added with a jaunty grin. ‘If you hear a thud, come help me up. Otherwise, just stay here.’
She heard the shower running and briefly contemplated joining him, but decided against it when her body would not move. She’d almost fallen asleep on top of the blanket, stark naked, when he came back and carefully lifted her and tucked her under the cover.
‘Sleep with me?’ she asked drowsily.
‘Absolutely,’ he said softly, getting in beside her, spooning behind her.
Fifteen
Cincinnati, Ohio,
Friday 14 August, 6.15 A.M.
Mallory made her way clumsily down the stairs to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee before taking on her morning Roxy chores. She hadn’t slept well last night.
She still couldn’t get the sound of JJ’s screams out of her mind. He’d tortured her for the better part of three hours. Which Mallory figured he’d done partly to make sure that Mallory knew he could and would. He’d been intimate with JJ. She’d fed him information about his drug customers who’d shown up in the ER because they’d OD’d. JJ had made sure that those customers had not survived to tell anyone who’d sold them the drugs. JJ had been useful.