by Betina Krahn
She wasn’t ready to play the role of domestic goddess, or even live-in girlfriend. No matter how nice it had been to wake up in his bed this morning and watch him sleep for a change.
Time to run, girlfriend.
But she couldn’t leave just yet. Not until they’d reached Officer Parker and found out what he wanted them to do about their unwelcome stalker. They might need to get in touch with the local police. Or she might have to go right back and report to the Chicago ones. She just didn’t know.
“Forget it,” Reese said, watching her from the doorway of the bathroom. He wore a white towel slung around his lean hips and looked so utterly delicious she wished she’d said yes when he’d offered to share his shower. “Forget what?”
“You’re not going home, not until we’ve dealt with this guy.”
“So, what, I’m supposed to just move in here?”
He shrugged, a non-answer, but the quirk of his lips said he didn’t mind the idea.
She forced away the flash of pleasure that gave her, knowing she couldn’t let herself be distracted by the realization that Reese really wanted her to stay. “I don’t have any clothes.”
“It’s not the Magnificent Mile, but we do have stores here in Pennsylvania.”
She ran a hand through her hair, which she hadn’t even brushed yet this morning. “I have a job.”
“Your plane’s sitting at the airport, isn’t it? Who’s to say you can’t fly from here to go pick up your passengers?”
That was a good point, and was, in fact, exactly what she would have done if she hadn’t been able to get coverage for today and tomorrow. But she wasn’t ready to give up. “I really shouldn’t.”
“Yeah. You really should.”
The sexy, cajoling smile widened and he walked toward her. She swallowed as that hard, muscular form stopped in front of her, and she couldn’t resist reaching out to rub her fingertip along the rippling muscles of his stomach.
“What’s more, you really want to,” he whispered, stroking her hair and then her cheek.
Amanda leaned closer, wanting to taste that hot skin. She pressed her mouth to the hollow right below his hip, which was uncovered by the low-slung towel. “How will I spend my time?” she asked, brushing her lips across him, toward the long, thin trail of dark hair that led from his flat stomach down into the white terry cloth.
The fabric began to bulge toward her as he hardened right before her eyes. “Mmm.”
He lifted his other hand and twined those fingers in her hair as well, but he didn’t guide her closer, didn’t force her anywhere she didn’t want to go.
She was capable of deciding that all on her own.
A quick flick of her fingers and the towel fell to the floor. His rock-hard erection jutted toward her, and she blew on it lightly, hearing him hiss in response.
She knew what he liked, knew how to please him. But she also knew how to draw out the pleasure. So instead of opening her mouth and sucking him in, she continued to press those featherlight kisses on his groin, letting her cheek brush against his shaft, knowing every soft caress sent his tension—his want—skyrocketing.
“Manda…” he muttered, already sounding near the edge of control.
She moved her hand, sliding it across his strong thigh, one goal in sight. When she cupped the delicate sacs in her palm, handling them carefully, Reese jerked toward her. Only then did she open her mouth and lick at the broad tip of his cock.
“More?” she asked.
His hands tangled a little more in her hair, but he still didn’t take what he wanted, merely accepting what she chose to give him.
And what she chose to give him was the pleasure of sinking that throbbing maleness into her mouth. She took as much of him as she could, then tilted her head to take a little more. Using her tongue and soft, gentle suction, plus the careful strokes of her hand between his legs, she soon had him groaning in pure sexual pleasure.
She was ready to go all the way, loving the taste of him and the power of knowing how much he loved what she was doing. But he suddenly pulled back, gently pushing her off him. Then he lifted her under the arms and tossed her back onto the bed, following her down.
He didn’t say a single word, didn’t kiss her, or stroke her, seeming beyond all capacity to do anything except have her.
It didn’t matter. Because when he plunged into her, she was creamy-wet, completely ready for him.
She arched up, taking everything, meeting him thrust for thrust, not even minding that he began to reach his climax long before she was ready for him to. Especially not when he muttered, “I’m sorry. I swear, I’m going to make you come so many times tonight that you won’t remember what it feels like not to be having an orgasm.”
That sounded like a pretty okay deal to her.
Then he couldn’t say anything else, he could only groan as he exploded in a hot rush inside her. Having long since gone on the pill so they wouldn’t have to use condoms, she savored every sensation, loving that there was nothing separating skin from skin. Having this man empty himself into her body made her feel connected to him in a way she’d never been with anybody before.
Or maybe it was more than that. Perhaps it was the knowledge that, for the first time in her life, she hadn’t just opened her legs to a man.
She had begun to suspect she’d opened her dusty heart to him, as well.
HIS FAMILY KEPT their distance for the next few days. Reese didn’t get a single phone call, not one e-mail, and didn’t have to endure any fact-finding trips disguised as casual dropping-by-the-brewery-to-say-hello visits.
That was fine. Just fine. No, he wasn’t still furious at them for barging in on him the other night, whether they thought they had the right or not. But he just didn’t want to deal with that part of his life right now.
Not when the rest of it was going so very well.
Amanda might not be his wife, she might not even be ready to admit she loved him, but she was sleeping in his bed at night. She was sitting across his table for breakfast each morning, and curling up on the couch to watch a movie with him during the evening. She used his toothpaste and she slept in his undershirts, her shopping trip that first day not including a stop for a nightie.
She’d even done as he’d first suggested and gone back to work from here, flying in and out of Pittsburgh. Her origination point didn’t really matter, considering she picked up people all over the country and shuttled them where they wanted to go. So it wasn’t a difficult adjustment—he took her to the airport in the morning and picked her up at night.
They were playing a whole new game: normal couple. And he’d never enjoyed anything more.
The only imperfection in the whole thing was that they were playing this game because some sleazy criminal from Vegas might be after her. There hadn’t been much progress in the case, though they kept in touch with Officer Parker, a detective from Chicago and a local cop, all of whom were monitoring the situation.
Parker had been furious to learn the thief had been able to access police records to track down the witnesses against him. And their first conversation with him had been quickly followed up by one with someone from the Internal Affairs office.
There was one bit of good news: they’d at least identified the guy. Parker had had a few leads on suspects, and when he found out about the thug’s visit to Chicago, he’d narrowed them down even further, focusing on any who had left Vegas. A faxed mug shot later and they’d both identified their man as one Teddy Lebowski, age thirty-six, occupation petty thief and all-around scumbag.
Hearing the criminal was loosely connected with one of the Vegas crime families hadn’t made their day. But the fact that he had never been charged with a violent crime, and that Parker considered him little more than a blowhard who didn’t have the balls to actually try to hurt anyone, brought a hint of relief.
Sooner or later, the bastard would be caught. Reese half hoped he was stupid enough to show up in Pittsburgh. He’d sincerely li
ke the chance to beat the guy to a pulp for what he’d done to Amanda, both in Vegas and when he’d stalked her in Chicago.
“Hey, you,” she said, interrupting his thoughts as he finished locking up his desk for the night. She hadn’t had to fly today, and had agreed to come to the brewery for a few hours this afternoon, to see where he worked.
The afternoon had stretched into evening, as a crisis had arisen with one of their distributors. But Amanda hadn’t appeared bored, insisting she’d enjoyed touring the place, inspecting the enormous vats and watching the plant workers running the equipment and observing the bottling line.
She’d done a tasting, declaring their amber lager the best, then had sat quietly in a corner while Reese dealt with putting out the fires. Now that the last phone call was done, he stood and wearily rubbed at his temples.
“You look like you could use a massage,” she said, rising from the couch that stood against one wall of his office.
“Mmm. You want to play massage therapist now?”
“I think that could be worked into my repertoire,” she said flirtatiously.
Arm in arm, they walked outside. A few night workers remained within, but Reese paused to lock up. Then, taking her arm again, they headed for his car.
They hadn’t even made it down the outside steps when he saw a familiar vehicle pull into the parking lot. “Oh, hell.”
Beside him, Amanda tensed, going on alert. “What is it?”
“More like who is it.” The Caddy came to a halt directly in front of them. “You’re about to meet my great-aunt Jean.”
“Oh, terrific. I can hardly wait for this one,” she said, her tone saying exactly the opposite.
He had a lot to say to his great-aunt, both for her leading the charge over to his house the other night—which he had no doubt she did—and for the way she’d slunk out the back door after getting everyone completely stirred up.
The door opened and the elderly woman stepped out of the driver’s seat, into the shadows of the parking lot. Then she walked around the luxury auto, approaching them without a hint of wariness, her obnoxious red-leather cowboy boots clicking merrily on the blacktop.
He was about to open his mouth to warn her against saying anything out of line to the woman at his side when Amanda made a small, confused sound. “Mrs. Rush?”
“Hello, Amanda my dear,” the old woman said as she reached the steps and walked up them. She leaned over to press a kiss on Amanda’s cheek. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you here.” She wagged her drawn-on brows at Reese. “And under such delicious circumstances.”
Reese couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, couldn’t put a thought together. He could only stare, wondering how in the name of God his great-aunt knew his lover.
“I don’t understand,” said Amanda, sounding a little dazed.
But Reese did. Or he was beginning to. “Damn it. You manipulative old…”
His aunt waved aside his anger, as if it were a pesky odor, then lifted her cheek for his kiss.
He didn’t give it to her. “You set this up. This whole thing.”
“Oh, no, of course I didn’t.”
“Wait,” Amanda said, finally catching on. “You’re really Reese’s great-aunt Jean?”
“Guilty as charged,” said the woman.
“Son of a bitch,” Amanda muttered, taking the words right out of his mouth.
“Oh, you two, please stop acting as though I had anything at all to do with this fine mess you’ve gotten yourselves into.” She tsked and shook her head, though her lips twitched with merriment. “I merely pushed you in each other’s direction. Arranged for your first meeting after I’d planted a few suggestions in Reese’s mind—” she turned toward Amanda “—and made sure you were suitably dressed and loosened up for the occasion, thinking you were going to be part of my in-flight costume party.”
Her Halloween costume. His last-minute flight. All a setup.
The light dawned. “You called old Mr. Braddock and had him call me to get me to come to Chicago that day.”
Her bracelets tinkled as she clapped her hands, as if pleased he’d put it together so quickly. “Yes!” Then she made a cross-my-heart motion and said, “But that was all. Everything else is all on your heads.” She almost beamed at them, so wrapped in approval and self-satisfaction she could barely contain herself. “Oh, my, playing such wicked games in Las Vegas.” She tapped her fingertip against Reese’s chest. “You’re a naughty one, Reese Campbell.”
He crossed his arms, almost forgiving her, considering she had, in fact, done him one of the biggest favors of his life. But he wasn’t quite there yet. “Did you have anything to do with that video clip showing up on YouTube?”
She shook her head hard. “Absolutely not.” Then, averting her gaze, she admitted, “Though, I must admit, it was one of my friends whose daughter spotted you in it and sent me a link. I fear that video has gone, what do they call it, viral? You’re right smack-dab in the middle of your own fifteen minutes of fame.”
Lucky him. And he’d had absolutely no clue. One more reason he wasn’t so crazy about the Internet age.
“Let me guess. You just had to show it to the rest of the family after I left the other night.”
“Yes. I would say I’m sorry, but you know I’m not.”
Of course she wasn’t. The woman had never been truly sorry for anything she’d done. Damn, she must have led his great-uncle on a merry chase.
“So, all’s well that ends well!”
“No, it’s not,” he protested. “In case you’ve forgotten, my family is convinced I’m married to a hooker.”
She waved an unconcerned hand. “No, they’re not. I straightened that all out.”
Almost not sure he wanted to know, he asked, “How?”
“I told them you were flamingly angry and embarrassed that you and Amanda had been caught on camera at a New Year’s Eve costume party in Las Vegas. That it was all a joke and you were punishing them for assuming the worst of you.”
It wasn’t a bad story, come to think of it.
His aunt reached over and pinched Amanda’s cheek, apparently not noticing that she’d been almost completely silent. “I knew you’d be perfect for him…and that he’d be perfect for you. Do forgive an old woman’s meddling. It’s just that when I see two wounded people who so obviously belong together, I can’t stand not doing something about it.”
Without waiting for a reply, she turned around and skipped down the steps like a woman one-third her age. She gave them a cheery wave before getting back into her car and driving away, leaving them staring after her in silence.
He didn’t move for a long moment, just stood there absorbing the fact that he’d been completely manipulated by a family member. How much worse must it be for Amanda? God, she barely knew his great-aunt, who, apparently, from what they’d said, was one of her regular customers.
He should have known, should have suspected when his aunt simply insisted he take her place on the private flight to Chicago on Halloween.
“Amanda?” he finally murmured. “Are you all right?”
She hesitated for a moment, then, tilting her head sideways, with her brow furrowed, she replied, “Your family is freaking nuts, you know that, right?”
Startled, relieved, he could only nod and grin. “Yeah.”
“I mean, certifiable.”
“I repeat…yeah.”
She paused again, shaking her head, still staring off down the road where his elderly relative’s car had disappeared. When she spoke again, her confusion was gone. So was any hint of anger. “You know, I like that crazy old woman.”
“I do, too, when I don’t want to strangle her.”
“We really have to plan our revenge.”
His heart getting lighter by the minute, he nodded in agreement. Plotting together made it sound like she planned to stick around for a while.
Which sounded just about perfect to him.
10
; AFTER THEY’D LEFT HIS OFFICE, Reese insisted on taking Amanda out for a late dinner. It was after eight, they were both wiped and a steak was the least he could offer her considering she’d just come face-to-face with the person who’d been pulling her strings for months, even though she hadn’t known it.
They went to one of his favorite places, not too far from home. It was low-key with good food and great service. There was no play-acting, not even a whisper of suggestion to be anything other than who they were. He didn’t mention it, not wanting Amanda to think for a minute that disappointed him.
On the contrary, he couldn’t be more pleased that she continued to drop those walls, let down her guard and just be herself…the woman he had fallen in love with.
He knew she didn’t want to hear it, and that she’d warned him against it, but there was no hiding the truth, especially not from himself. He’d fallen hard for the woman. Fallen head over heels into the kind of love he had seen in others—like his parents—but hadn’t had time to consider he might find for himself.
By the end of the meal, they were laughing as they tried to outdo each other with extreme revenge plots against Aunt Jean. He had also promised her a dozen times that if and when she met his family again, they were going to be falling over themselves to make up for their assumptions and their coldness toward her.
That would happen even if he had to order, blackmail and browbeat everyone in his family to make absolutely sure of it.
Once they were finished eating, they walked to the car. Night had grown deeper, and she shivered in the frigid air.
“You okay?” he asked, dropping an arm over her shoulder and tugging her closer.
She nodded, clutching her coat tighter around her body. “How can it be colder here than in Chicago?” “It isn’t.”
“It sure feels like it.”
“I’ll warm you up,” he offered.
She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “I’m counting on it.”
Once inside the car, Reese watched as Amanda fastened her seat belt, then he put the key in the ignition. But he didn’t turn it right away. Instead, he glanced over at his companion, wondering what she was really thinking, wondering if her good mood was covering up any last, lingering resentment over his aunt’s confession.