His brows creased as if concerned. “A bad dream sent you to the police? Must have been pretty bad.”
“The dream alone didn’t send me. It was the missing time that went with it.”
His eyes widened. “Missing time. Like a blackout?”
Laurie nodded solemnly. “And no one around me seemed to have missed me, but three days were gone. Poof. It freaked me out.”
“So you went to the police?” He prompted her with his sincere expression. “Why?”
Laurie sighed unsure she should spill everything. But what the heck? He probably wouldn’t believe her either. “Because of the newspaper article about the dead guy.”
“Dead guy?” He squinted in obvious confusion.
Laurie turned towards him to explain. “There was an article on the front page of the paper the next morning after I ‘woke up’. It was about a man who’d been killed mysteriously at his office the night before after work. He was shot.
“In my dream I struggled with a man over a gun and he also ended up getting shot. The shirt I was wearing in the dream got blood on it.
“Then I woke up after three days with no knowledge of where I’d been and found the same shirt in my closet. Then there’s this dead guy on the front page of the paper. Like I said, it disturbed me enough to take action.”
Laurie expected his face to be filled with disbelief, but he surprised her. He nodded as if her wild explanation was plausible. “Do you still have the shirt?”
“No. After I got back from the police station it was gone. Maybe I dreamed it up too.
“When you first showed up, I thought since I’d seen you in the police station that you tracked me to put me in jail.”
He shook his head. “I was just visiting my cousin. Then this blonde babe tackled me.”
She smiled. “I didn’t tackle you, I fell on you.”
“Ultimately, it’s the same difference. After I got back from my last assignment overseas, I did track you down.” He leaned closer. “But for purely personal reasons, not to arrest you.”
“Do you think it’s possible that I killed that man in my blackout?”
Colin’s eyebrows rose as if he pondered the possibility. “I doubt it. However, I have a connection at the local police station. I could make some discrete inquiries, if you’d like.”
Her eyes widened as panic flowed freely. “What if I killed him?”
“What if you didn’t and you’ve been worried for nothing all this time. I can see if the case was ever solved and I won’t even need to use your name.”
He had a point. She’d never even once considered she was innocent. She’d stuffed the disturbing memory on a back burner and ignored it. “All right, if my name isn’t used. It would be a relief to find out that I wasn’t involved.”
“Consider it done.” He stroked a hand down her body distractedly. “So have you had any other blackouts since then?”
She nodded. The memory of the most vivid one made heat creep up her cheeks.
“You’re blushing. What else happened?”
“I dreamed about…you.”
He grinned. “Really? Tell me. What did you dream about me?”
She thought her face might explode with the heat radiating off her cheeks. “It was wicked.”
His grin went wider. “More wicked than what happened tonight?” He waggled his eyebrows.
Laurie shrugged and smiled in satisfied memory. “Your head was between my legs. You were licking me.” Whispering the information didn’t alleviate her embarrassment.
His grin remained but he shrugged. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Laurie.”
“I know. But in the dream you were handcuffed to a bed.” Laurie closed her eyes and buried her face in his shoulder so she wouldn’t have to see his expression.
Colin cleared his throat and massaged the back of her neck.
“So do you want to try out handcuffs next time?”
“No,” she said sharply and pulled away. Was he horrified? She couldn’t read his impassive expression but he didn’t seem angry. “Unless you want to.”
Colin grinned again. “I don’t usually go for bondage games, but I’m willing to try it, if you want to.”
“No.” She shook her head to solidify her answer.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded vigorously. “I’m sure.” But was she?
Laurie had woken that next morning to the sound of blood rushing in her ears from the power of her thudding heart directed by that carnal dream. The excitement at the mere prospect of what it implied had left a potent ache between her legs from unsatisfied longing. She’d been left so wet and aroused afterwards that she’d slipped her hand down to stroke herself and relieve the throbbing pressure.
Colin’s hand touched her face. A thumb stroked her jaw. “You don’t have to be afraid to tell me what you want. What is your desire?”
Laurie was certain her face would melt off from embarrassment, but longing overrode her shyness. “Will you…um…lick me?” Her eyes darted down to convey where she wanted his tongue.
“I’d be delighted.” He leaned forward and kissed her first dipping his tongue inside for a quick exploration. His fingers found her breast and teased the nipple until it pebbled.
Colin kissed a slow wet path down her body and buried his face between her legs. His tongue licked a wide path along her seam. He lapped up the moisture and moaned. “You taste so good.” The tip of his tongue tickled her clit teasing her with pleasure.
Laurie was about to burst. She slid her fingers into his hair to direct his mouth to latch on and suck. His lips wrapped around her clit as if he’d read her mind. Powerful sensations from his mouth forced her back arching off the bed. When he sucked the nub into his mouth she vibrated on the verge of a powerful climax.
He stopped sucking on her clitoris and resumed licking the moisture from her drenched opening.
“Please.” She groaned in frustration and grabbed two fistfuls of his hair to guide him.
His tongue delved deeply between her lower lips entering her in simulated sex. Seconds later he licked his way back to her clit and rubbed the tip of his tongue against her until she climaxed, screaming.
Colin kissed his way back up her shivering body. He stopped to take a nipple in his mouth and sucked on it tenderly before trailing his mouth to her neck.
The hard length of his arousal rested against one hip. “Will you get on top of me? I love the feel of your body completely pressed over mine.”
“Sure.”
He reached over to the nightstand. Pulling open the top drawer, he fumbled around before retrieving another foil packet. Laurie turned her head to watch and noticed his gun and holster next to his badge before he closed the drawer. The sight of the gun alarmed her for a second, until she was distracted by watching him secure another condom over his wide erection.
He whispered, “I love the look of wonder on your face when you look at my cock.”
Laurie grinned and he slid down to rest on top of her. Colin grabbed both of her hands in his and laced their fingers together. He pressed her hands above her head and kissed her mouth sensuously. The musky scent of her own arousal on his lips as he kissed her sent an electric pulse pounding through her veins.
“Open your legs for me,” he whispered between kisses.
She spread her knees apart widening her thighs until his shaft rested between her legs. He thrust forward piercing her core as his tongue mimicked the movement below. His pace was slow and tender and she found she preferred the harder, faster rhythm from before.
Breaking his kiss she whispered, “Please, go deeper?”
He groaned and captured her mouth in a long kiss as his hips responded in kind to her ardent request. She squeezed his fingers in hers and lifted her hips to meet his thrusts.
Hands, mouths, hips, legs all worked together to create the most pleasurable bliss imaginable. Laurie felt another climax coming. She couldn’t help it. She lifted her hips to meet h
is thrust and came moaning into his mouth. Two strokes later, Colin crushed her fingers in his and slammed inside her body. He shuddered and collapsed on her. His fast, hard breathing tickled her skin.
After several minutes, and still buried deeply inside her body, Colin started kissing her neck and shoulders as he whispered, “You’re amazing,” over and over. Her spent body demanded a nap and she closed her eyes for a brief rest.
Laurie dozed off with Colin pressing kisses to her collarbone. She woke up moments later to someone pounding on the door.
She shot up in the strange bed slightly disoriented for a second, but calmed down when she recognized the motel room. Colin lifted his head when she moved, opening his eyes briefly and seeing her smile he settled again.
Putting a hand to her chest and releasing a big sigh, she glanced down at Colin’s tousled hair resting on the pillow next to her. She couldn’t believe she’d fallen asleep so soon after making love the last time.
The loud knocking came again rattling the door in its frame. She turned toward the noise as Colin stirred awake beside her. Glancing toward the door, she caught the big red digital numbers glowing by the bedside nightstand.
Laurie blinked once. Panicked alarm grew once the numbers on the clock registered in her brain.
No. It couldn’t be. The clock was obviously wrong.
She shrieked in horror when she noticed Colin’s watch also displayed the exact same time. Two thirty-four!
Oh God. She was late. Really late.
The next sound was a groan from Colin lifting his torso to his elbows beside her. His action was followed a split second later by the splintering of wood from the cheap motel room door as it was kicked inward.
Gun drawn above the flashlight he wielded and shined in her panicked face, Royce shouldered the door the rest of the way open and stepped inside the motel room sporting a deadly expression.
Chapter 10
Colin raised up in time to see Royce enter the motel room and kick the now broken door shut with one foot.
“Are you okay, Laurie? I heard you scream. Did he hurt you?” Royce growled his questions and advanced closer to the bed. Gun drawn, he pointed the barrel at Colin’s head.
“Put your gun away and douse that fuckin’ light.” Colin put a hand up to shield his eyes from the narrow beam piercing his retinas. If this was the sort of headache Laurie experienced before a nosebleed ensued, he’d be even more sympathetic from now on.
“What are you doing here, Royce?” Laurie’s quivering voice penetrated his pain.
The radio on Royce’s hip crackled to life and distracted him. Colin reached across Laurie for his gun in the drawer next to the bed until Royce moved closer and said, “Don’t even think about it. Laurie, you’re coming with me.”
“No. She’s not.” Colin moved his hand away from his gun. “I’m a federal officer. You’ve already seen my badge. You better have a good reason for breaking in here.” Colin’s petulant tone was uncharacteristic, but he hated being burst in on. He imagined Laurie was mortified. “And another thing, you’re paying for the damn door.”
Laurie gathered the sheet higher until it covered her neck. She trembled as she whispered, “Royce, please step outside?”
“You heard her. Wait outside.” Colin slid out from under the covers and snagged his jeans from the floor. “You had no right to burst in here in the first damn place.”
Royce huffed. “We’ll see about that.”
Colin pulled his jeans on, zipped them and came around the end of the bed to stand in front of Laurie shielding her from Royce’s curious view. He was pissed after so little sleep. Not to mention that Royce’s presence in his room was intolerable.
Royce’s eyes darted up and down her obviously naked body beneath the sheets several times before he lowered the weapon and stuck it in his holster. The flashlight remained trained on the bed and his eyes remained transfixed on Laurie’s body.
“Stop staring at her or I’ll rip the eyeballs out of your skull.” Colin wanted to growl and punch the smug look off of his face.
Royce shifted his gaze to Colin and huffed once before sending a stern glare back to Laurie. “Hurry up and get dressed.”
Laurie’s fists tightened on the sheet edge. “I will not.”
“Do you know the trouble you’ve caused with this stunt? I’m taking you home. No arguments.”
“Get out, Royce.” Fury raced through his veins like poison compelling Colin to answer for her. “Her personal life is none of your business.”
“It is when I get desperate late night calls from her Aunt Fiona sending me out to look for her because she’s not home when she was supposed to be.”
Laurie sucked in a surprised breath. “She called you?”
Royce crossed his arms. “She was crying so hard she could hardly catch her breath.”
Laurie gasped, lowered her face and sniffed as tears spilled down her cheeks.
From behind him, Laurie’s tearful voice asked, “What did you tell her, Royce?”
“I didn’t tell her that I suspected you were at a sleazy out of town motel with a stranger.” Royce leveled an angry look at Colin. “But I can call her right now.”
“No.” Laurie almost dropped her sheet.
“Stop it.” Colin advanced a step. “I mean it. Get out.”
Royce didn’t flinch. After a few seconds of tense staring he lowered his gaze and turned to leave. “I’ll wait right outside the door. Don’t take too long.”
As soon as the door closed, Laurie slid out of bed and frantically searched for her clothing. Colin snapped on the bedside light and helped her pick them up.
He placed a hand on her bare shoulder. “I’ll drive you back home—”
Laurie jerked away cutting him off with a sharply whispered, “No!”
Colin released a deep breath. Hooking his thumbs in his front pockets, he tried to calm down. “Are you really going off with him?”
Flitting around the room like a dragonfly on speed, Laurie had pulled her clothes on in a flash. She grabbed her purse and finally paused long enough to give him a regretful gaze.
“No. I’m not going ‘off’ with him. I’m getting in my own car to drive home. I’m three hours late. My aunt is upset.” She broke the stare they shared and glanced at the broken door. She took a tentative step towards the exit and a waiting Royce, but Colin wasn’t ready to let her go.
He slung an arm around her waist before she bolted out of his life forever. “When can I see you again?”
She laid her head on his shoulder and whispered, “I don’t know.” Her hand lifted to his chest and soon traced soft strokes along his collarbone and shoulder.
Colin put a finger under her chin, lifted until he could see her face. He kissed her mouth tenderly. Releasing her lips he said, “I’m sorry we overslept. But I’m not letting you leave with Royce hot on your trail until I know when I can see you again.”
“All right.” She expelled a breath which brushed across the hair on his chest. “Meet me in exactly a week at the library.”
“No. Let’s meet tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Her head lifted off his shoulder.
“Yes. My departure flight isn’t until the day after and I don’t want to sit here all alone. I might get into trouble.”
She squinted and a tiny smile lifted one side of her mouth. “Maybe I don’t care if you get into trouble.”
“Sure you do. Besides you’ll miss me.”
“I don’t know.” She tried to pull away but he kept her anchored at his side.
He kissed her forehead. “I have skills you know. I could track you down.”
Laurie smiled. “Fine. I’ll meet you tomorrow at the library.”
“Same time as today?”
She shrugged. “Sure.”
“You’re going to stand me up, aren’t you?” He huffed. “You’re probably not even working at the library tomorrow. Royce will greet me and I’ll be driven out of town on a rail.”
<
br /> “What a fanciful imagination you have.” She moaned quietly when he nuzzled her neck. “It’s just hard to get away without a cloud of suspicion. After tonight it’ll certainly be worse.”
Rubbing her back he kissed her neck again. “It’s a date, not a cloud of suspicion.”
Another partial smile lifted one side of her mouth. “I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.”
“Until then.” Kissing her again, Colin released her. The stabbing pain gripping his heart expressed how much he absolutely didn’t want to let her go.
For the first time in his life, waking up next to a woman had seemed right and comfortable, not at all awkward. At least not until Royce had burst in and completely ruined the moment. He didn’t want to be a problem, but he refused to say good-bye to Laurie.
Perhaps it would be a good idea to track down and find out where Laurie lived in case something, or rather someone, prevented him from seeing her. He also wanted to question Royce privately to find out how long he’d been following them.
After Laurie and Royce had a lively heated argument, Colin stood poised at the door to his room and watched Laurie back out of the parking spot and pull away followed closely by Royce’s police car. He narrowed his gaze and debated the merits of following them back to Montgomery.
* * * *
Tears threatened to spill uncontrollably as she exited the motel room. Laurie was about to lose it. She strangled her guilt-filled emotions and shoved them down refusing to cry another drop in front of either Colin or Royce.
Royce waited on the sidewalk, arms crossed, belligerent expression pressed firmly into the creases of his face.
She noted that his police cruiser blocked her car. A stray notion occurred to her as she prepared for the trip home. “How did you know I was here? Were you following me?”
“I think the better question,” Royce stated in a cold tone, “is what you’re going to tell your aunt about why you were late. The truth would certainly be unkind.” He glanced at Colin now standing in the open doorway of his motel room.
Shirtless, with those sexy jeans caressing his hips, he leaned a bare muscled shoulder against the doorframe to his room and gave her a bone melting half smile. Explanations flew through her mind about what she could tell her aunt, but anything she came up with would require Royce’s complicity.
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