His hands steadied her by sliding beneath her backside, massaging her bottom as he continued that slow press with his tongue. She gasped in pleasure, riding it out. He didn’t let up until she had come back down again, slack under his hands.
He didn’t know what was going to happen when the sun came up, but they were here now, and he wasn’t going to worry about it. One way or another, no matter what happened, Joanna was part of his life now. Part of him.
They had the night to play, to explore.
He lifted up over her, and, to his surprise, her hand planted itself on his chest and she pushed him back up against the headboard to a sitting position. Ben shifted as she straddled him, crossing her long legs behind him and enveloping him inside her body, both of them wordless but gasping as she did.
The position kept him deep, very deep, and pleasure subsumed him. She wrapped her arms around him, too, riding him in a slow, seductive grind.
He slid his hands down to her hips, grasping her gently and moving her in a slow, circular motion as he took her lips in a deep kiss, their tongues mating in the same way their bodies were. It was unbearably intimate, wrapped around each other, so deeply connected, and his pounding heart slowed down to a drugging beat as he dipped down to suck at a beaded nipple, making her moan in a completely beautiful way, her head dropping forward to his shoulder.
She tightened her wrapped legs to bring him even deeper and they kept up the motion that was so perfect he wasn’t sure he had ever experienced anything like it. Joanna framed his face in her hands, kissed him as he looked at the woman who drove him crazy and pushed his buttons, tempting him and making him feel more than anyone ever had, or he suspected, ever could.
The kiss deepened as she levered her hips to help him hold her up, thrusting her gently against him. Their sighs and moans of mutual release shattered them both in a cascade of sparks and warmth that made him feel as if they had melted together.
One.
That was definitely new. Ben had never really realized it before, but he had always maintained some distance from his lovers—he felt desire, affection, sometimes friendship for them—but never this incredible intimacy that made him hers for good.
JOANNA WATCHED BEN SNOOZE, worn out after their lovemaking—which was what it was. Not sex now, but something more.
She knew what had happened between them tonight wasn’t like the other times. This had been…deep.
They’d been wrapped around each other so tightly…she had never been that close with a man. The way he had looked at her when he was deep inside her, everything open to each other, had moved her. In spite of the deceptions between them, she couldn’t help but feel that he was one of the only people who truly knew her. Then it occurred to her that she had shared more with Ben Callahan than she ever had with anyone—the lies were small details, but everything else they shared was true.
She drew her fingers over his cheek, his jaw, to his chest, and felt his hand tighten on her hip, pulling her against him to where he was responding to her, erect in his sleepy state.
Peering over his shoulder, she saw her marshal’s star on his nightstand, next to her gun. Joanna had no idea what was coming next, but the idea of being without Ben, of him not being involved in her life, was quickly becoming unbearable.
And that was a problem. She saw women give up their careers, everything they had worked for, for a man, for kids, and regret it. She hadn’t devoted her life to her work for this long only to walk away.
She groaned out loud in frustration, unable to find a solution. She couldn’t make any guarantees with the way her life was. Work had to come first.
Rubbing his face against her skin, his lips met the scar on her shoulder, making her startle slightly.
“I want to kill the guy myself for doing this to you,” he whispered, darting his tongue out against the puckered skin.
She hadn’t realized he was awake, watching her.
“He’s in jail, where he will rot for the rest of his life. Don’t worry about it.”
“I hate the idea of anyone hurting you,” he said.
She smiled in the dark. Normally, a man saying that would irritate her to no end, but having Ben feel so protective of her made her warm inside.
“No worries, cowboy,” she said, lightening the moment. “I can handle myself, and you too.”
“Don’t I know it,” he said with a smile in his voice before he continued to kiss her, her breasts, her stomach and lower again.
He erased any thoughts for several minutes, and Joanna was sure she’d never experienced such luxurious pleasure with a lover before.
So maybe they could just have what they had right now, she thought. They’d enjoy this, and deal with the rest later.
She sighed as he lifted over her and she parted her thighs, allowing him to settle in between. He didn’t accept her invitation just yet, but planted soft kisses on her neck, making her moan sleepily and push back a little more insistently.
Finally, just when she was about to get bossy, he slid inside and gave her what she needed. All of him, as deep as he could be and pushing deeper still.
“More,” was all she could say, opening wider and linking her legs around his hips, her hands grasping his shoulders tightly.
He pumped his hips faster, harder, turned on by the gasps and whimpers of pleasure that she couldn’t hold back as she reached a hand down to touch him where his body met hers, and then herself.
“Harder,” she cried, wanting him to lose it completely, to take her in the way she had fantasized about since they’d met.
He pulled away, and to her pleased surprise, flipped her over so she could push up on all fours. He was back inside her instantly, holding her hips as she held on to the headboard to steady herself against the motion.
Yes, this is what she wanted. All-out, nothing held back, she thrust back against him so hard that she thought they might fall off the bed. She’d never been more turned on in her life.
“I—I can’t hold on, Jo,” he said, his breathing heavy.
“I know,” she panted, feeling delectably feline, like the tiger on her hip, loving how she could make her man lose his iron-clad control. She was just as close to the edge. “Me too.”
Ben hammered into her relentlessly, shouting her name as an orgasm wracked his body, emptying him out as Joanna cried out from her own climax a split second later.
Both of them collapsed back to the bed, breathing heavily, their limbs tangled together as they recovered. When his fingers found hers, quietly linking, Joanna knew what she’d known all along: she was in love with Ben Callahan.
Stemming the burn of tears, she waited until he was sleeping, then slid from the bed. Finding her clothes, she took her phone, gun and badge, and closed the bedroom door quietly behind her.
BEN AWOKE ALONE AND AT FIRST he was disappointed to reach for Joanna and find her side of the bed empty, but then he settled back, relieved to have a moment to himself. She was probably downstairs on watch, doing what she did. What had happened between them both times tonight was off the scales, both in terms of being the hottest sex he’d ever had, and because he was experiencing such intense emotions about it. Their time together had been far from normal, certainly, and it was all moving fast, but Ben knew what he was feeling, and that it was real.
He loved Joanna Wyatt, and he had to find a way to convince her to give what they had a chance.
Smiling, he thought about the week until the trial—he had that much time to convince her, and he looked forward to trying.
Taking a quick shower, he smiled at the amazing aroma wafting up from the kitchen and figured Joanna had made some breakfast. He threw on some sweats and a T-shirt, heading downstairs.
Turning the corner of the kitchen with a wide smile, he found himself anticipating seeing her even though she had been with him all night.
Things were different now. He had a plan, hopes for the future.
“Hey, lover, whatever you’re cooking, it sme
lls amazing—”
He stopped short when he didn’t find Joanna at the kitchen counter, but a tall, powerful-looking man who slanted a grin his way.
“Sorry to disappoint, but glad you like my grandma’s waffle recipe,” the guy said, and then held out a hand, the badge hanging around his neck telling Ben all he needed to know. “Marshal Russ Tyler. Grab a plate,” he said congenially, and headed to the table with a plate of his own.
“Where’s Jo…Marshal Wyatt?”
The guy shrugged. “Don’t know the details, but I was called in to replace her and so you’re stuck with me for the week. Joanna was called back to San Antonio early this morning, and it must have been important, since they hauled me out of bed to get here right away,” Tyler explained. “She didn’t tell me anything, just took off out of here like her ass was on fire.”
Ben leaned back against the counter, shocked. Dismayed. Then concern set in.
“Did something happen with Charlie? The witness they took in from here last night?”
Again the marshal shrugged and continued with his breakfast.
Ben grabbed his phone, dialed Joanna’s number, and waited. It went to voice mail.
He tried again.
“Sit down and eat. Most likely, they decided to take her off WITSEC and put her on fugitive pursuit. I heard something about a prison break over at Telford, and they probably needed her on that more,” he added.
A prison break? Ben’s blood ran cold thinking about her involved in something like that, but that was her life, wasn’t it? And she’d gone back to it without so much as waking him up for a kiss goodbye.
The ache he felt threatened to collapse his chest, but he managed to hold himself upright, grabbing some breakfast, moving mechanically to the table. He was numb, and couldn’t quite process all of the strong emotions running through him. Love, worry, anger, shock.
The waffles that had smelled so good a few minutes ago now tasted like cardboard.
“It happens,” Tyler said, watching him closely.
“What?”
“Sometimes lines are crossed, people mix it up, and someone always gets hurt. Better she left. Ones like her, they have to run, they aren’t good at staying put,” he said, almost kindly.
“You know her?”
“In passing, but that’s my point. Some of the marshals, especially in fugitive pursuit, they live for the chase. Once they catch you, well, it’s time to move on,” he said, slanting that smile again.
Ben wanted to hit him, but knew he was probably right. What did he expect? That Joanna would give up her career and stay here with him, waiting tables for the rest of her life?
He’d been a fool.
“I have only one concern,” Tyler said.
“What’s that?”
“If that affects your willingness to testify.”
Ben thought about it, but the answer was easy. Even without Joanna here, he had to do the right thing. “Yeah, I’ll be in court.”
“Good. Don’t worry. Putting those guys away will make you feel a lot better.”
Ben wasn’t sure that was true, but he nodded. Even so, he was pretty sure that he wouldn’t feel better for a good, long while.
13
A WEEK AFTER SHE HAD LEFT Ben’s in the middle of the night, Joanna paced the courtroom in San Antonio where Ben was to give his testimony against the rodeo judge’s killer. She was there in a completely unofficial capacity, unable to stay away, waiting for the other marshals to escort him out. Then he would be finished with his obligation. This trial, however, was only to put the killer of the rodeo official away—for life.
Charlie’s testimony, with that of his former dealer, Joe, was the key to putting the bigger bad guys away for a good long time. After they had agreed to be witnesses, the U.S. Attorney no longer needed Ben’s testimony to pressure the killer into spilling, and that made Ben a whole lot safer—and happier, Joanna figured. He’d never been easy with his testimony being used to leverage a deal with a killer who would be free, then protected by WITSEC. Instead, they were all going to jail.
Charlie’s testimony, paired with that of his former drug dealer, Joe, unraveled the entire operation. It meant Charlie could be a target for the rest of his life, and so he had been offered a deal. New location, new identity. Full WITSEC rollout. Joe, as well.
He hadn’t given them his decision yet, knowing it meant leaving everything behind.
Joanna jumped as the court doors behind her opened, the soft swish echoing in the empty hall. She turned, disappointed to see it was only Don, her supervisor, leaving the courtroom.
“You seem on edge, Marshal,” he said, his lips twitching in a smile. “You’d think you were out here waiting for someone.”
“Funny, Don. You’re a really funny guy,” she said flatly. “How is he doing? Did he testify yet?”
“In a few minutes.”
“I wish I could go in and see him.”
“It’s probably better you don’t. Don’t want him losing his focus.”
“Yeah. You’re right.”
Don had taken the news about her and Ben surprisingly well—and had commended her for making the smart move the week before the trial. It had gone a long way in cementing his faith in her readiness to return to full duty. Which was ironic, since she was thinking of not returning to her job; not in fugitive pursuit, anyway.
A week without Ben had been torture. He’d called her a few times, and it had taken every ounce of self-control she had not to answer.
She didn’t know which was worse.
“Listen, there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about,” she added, grabbing his elbow before he went in.
“Now?”
“Well, just to let you know, I’d like to be permanently reassigned to WITSEC in San Antonio, if possible. I know I’ve always said it’s not for me, but…things change.”
“Sudden urge to stay local, huh?”
“Something like that. I’m tired of chasing lowlifes all over the planet.”
“Never thought I’d see the day, but I think we can work something out,” Don said with an amused smirk.
He turned to walk into the courtroom, and she grabbed him one more time.
“Oh, something else,” she said.
He turned, leveling her a look, hands on hips.
“What?”
“The file on Lisa’s husband…can we do something about that?”
“Already done. She’ll have her divorce by the end of the week, and we’re putting through paperwork to relocate her, Charlie and the kids. He said he’d go if she goes with him.”
Joanna smiled in relief. It wouldn’t be easy for them, leaving everything they knew, or for those they left behind, but she knew that WITSEC could provide some communication, maybe even a chance for Ben and Charlie to get together in the future. Especially if she was in charge of their case, but she figured she’d float that idea by Don another day.
“We’ll talk more when this is over,” he said.
As Don went into the courtroom, Joanna continued to pace the hallway, thinking she should leave and approach Ben another time, but she couldn’t quite make herself do it.
It had been wrong, leaving like that, not explaining, but she’d been afraid he would talk her into staying. One kiss, and she would have been back in his bed. She’d had to go, do the right thing. He needed a marshal who could keep him safe, and she’d needed to get her head on straight.
As it turned out, it was her heart that made her finally know what she had to do.
It was the first time she would be seeing Ben in a week. Her hands were actually clammy as she waited for him to exit the courtroom.
As Ben was ushered out of the back of the courtroom, she found her way to where they would take him to the transport. She released a long breath as they emerged, and froze to the spot, watching.
He was dressed in a formal suit, more polished than she had ever seen him. He looked good enough to eat.
Marsh
als escorted him out of court, and she finally found the courage to speak up, her throat hoarse and dry.
“Ben,” she called, or more accurately, croaked.
Luckily the marshals with him knew who she was and didn’t shoot her, but they did stand watching with broad grins, and Joanna knew there was going to be no end to the guff she was going to take for this. Apparently, it was common knowledge she’d fallen for her witness.
And she couldn’t care less.
“It’s good to see you,” she said, coming forward and looking up into Ben’s face.
He seemed surprised, then guarded, and nodded.
“You, too.”
Talk about awkward silence. Joanna decided to break it.
“Um, I know I left in a hurry, and I should explain about that.”
“No need. I get it.”
“I don’t think you…” She stopped talking and did what she’d been dying to do, taking his face in her hands and kissing him.
The marshals beside them cleared their throats.
Breaking the kiss, she waved them off.
“You can beat it, guys. I’ll take it from here,” she said, staring into Ben’s deep honey-colored eyes, and hardly aware of anything else.
“I CAN MAKE IT TO MY CAR ON my own,” he said coldly as Joanna followed him out of the building. “They were only seeing me there as a formality, I guess. They do it with all witnesses, until they are clear of the building. I don’t need protection anymore, since—”
“I know. I know about Charlie, and how it all worked out. I’m so glad, for him, Lisa, and for you,” she said honestly.
Ben was pretty sure the last week had been the longest one of his life, but the minute he’d seen Joanna standing there, it had all evaporated. He’d been glad his testimony was over quickly, the defense having no interest in cross-examining him evidently. When he’d walked out of court, he’d been relieved, and thought it was over.
Then she was there, bringing it all back.
She was breathtaking, even in the somewhat shapeless blue blazer she wore with her jeans, her badge hanging around her neck. There were shadows under her eyes, as if she had slept about as little as he had.
Straight to the Heart Page 17