In Dreams

by Patricia Rosemoor

  That’s what Justin wanted to know. “I don’t know what’s going on, but the department obviously has Montgomery under investigation, and Montgomery being who he is and all…well, that might put Mike in a tough spot.”

  “So you think he won’t use the information?” Lucy asked, spots of color flaring to her cheeks.

  “I think he’ll probably use it, but quietly until he’s sure of what he has.

  “That won’t stop us, I hope.”

  “Not for a second. Let’s get going.”

  Justin had wanted to keep focused on the case, but returning to the sex club with Lucy at his side was one hell of a temptation to put his own needs—and hopefully hers—first. Dressed in a little black outfit that showed off her curves and revealed several inches of smooth skin at her waist, Lucy Ryan looked hotter than he’d ever seen her.

  Justin couldn’t help himself. As they stepped into the club, he slid a hand around that exposed skin. The bandage was gone, though he could still tell the flesh had been nicked by a bullet. That healing flesh quivered under his palm and he heard the sexy little catch in her breath. He stared down into her eyes and nearly lost himself. But the thunderous beat of the music and the growing tension in the crowd drew him back to his surroundings.

  Justin swiftly guided Lucy across the dance floor before they could get caught in the midst of sex-fever as they had the last time.

  If his raised eyebrows were any indication, Zeke had spotted them as they approached his bar. But the bartender was taking an order and didn’t acknowledge them directly. He began making drinks as Justin held the only empty stool for Lucy.

  “Do you think he’s purposely ignoring us?” she asked, her mouth practically to his ear.

  The resulting sensation had Justin fighting for his equilibrium. “He’s taking his time. Upping the ante.” Justin had no doubts that Zeke would expect big bucks for more information.

  Eventually Zeke got around to them and asked, “What can I do for you?”

  “The usual.”

  “Information.” Zeke nodded. “What kind?”

  Lucy slid a couple of photos of Theresa at him. “When was the last time you saw this woman in here?”

  Zeke glanced at the photos and shrugged. “I’m not sure that I have seen her.”

  Without comment, Justin slipped him the required gratuity.

  Though he took it, Zeke said, “Really, I don’t know if I have seen her or not. She looks just like hundreds of other young women that come through here every week to put some excitement in their dreary lives.”

  Justin placed the photos he’d printed of the political candidates in front of the bartender and took over the interrogation. “How about one of these men? Ever seen either of them?”

  “They both look familiar,” Zeke admitted. “But that’s all I can tell you.”

  “Familiar—you mean you’ve seen them here in this club?” Justin asked.

  “Maybe,” Zeke said evasively.

  “Both of them?”

  Zeke’s expression darkened. “Look, I’ve told you what I can. What do you want from me, blood?”

  “I want you to take a better look,” Justin insisted. No doubt the bartender was trying to protect himself. “And I want the truth. Or I could let the NOPD ask you the same questions. I’m working closely with Mike Hebert, the detective in charge of the case.”

  Apparently the threat worked because Zeke said, “Okay, yeah, so I’ve seen them both.”

  “When was the last time they were here?”

  “You got me.”

  “But you know who they are.”

  “Yeah, I watch the news occasionally,” Zeke said. “But I don’t keep track of who comes and who goes, or when and how often. This is a busy place, in case you haven’t noticed. But I know for sure I haven’t seen either one of them tonight. If you want to find one of these guys socially, check out the big shindig tomorrow night.”

  “What shindig would that be?” Lucy asked, seeming suddenly on alert.

  “Big political fund-raiser, sponsored by some women’s group. And that’s all I know.”

  Not giving them a shot at another question, Zeke turned his back on them and made his way to a customer at the other end of the bar.

  “Fund-raiser…political…an opportunity…” Justin said more to himself than to Lucy.

  But she instantly responded, “And I know how to make it happen.”

  “Then why are we still here?” he asked. “Let’s go someplace where we can talk about it.”

  But the way out was blocked for the moment.

  A woman on the dance floor held all watching her in thrall. She tossed her dark hair in a circle toward those in front of her, then did the same with her derriere to the crowd in back. Moans from most of the men—and from some of the women—rippled across the room.

  Justin found himself pulling Lucy lightly to his side, and when she looked up at him, it was with hungry eyes. He was thinking how easy it would be to abandon the case and get one of those rooms upstairs when the music reached a crescendo as did the hot dance.

  Then two men approached the dancer, each taking one arm. Onlookers stood in place, mesmerized by the struggle before them. Apparently each man expected the dancer to go with him. She ended the tug of war when she whispered something into one man’s ear, then into the other’s. The two men made up their minds and all three walked together to one of the alcoves and slipped inside. The woman gave the crowd a sexy smile before drawing the curtain closed with a snap.

  Her words coming out in a breathless whoosh, Lucy said, “That was some performance.”

  One that had turned them both on, if he was any judge. Lucy’s features had softened as had her body pressed along his side.

  “Part of me wonders if it was real, though,” he admitted, looking around at some of the activities that seemed to be marginally legal in public. “Or was this something arranged by management to inspire the crowd.”

  “You think anyone who comes to a club like this needs inspiration?”

  He gave Lucy a heated gaze. “I have to admit I’m pretty inspired.”

  Her lips parted and her tongue darted out to wet them. Justin couldn’t help himself—he leaned over to help, the touch of his tongue on her lips giving him a jolt that went straight to his dick. With a little moan that did him in, Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her softness to his hard-on.

  Knowing this was insane, Justin took her in his arms, began dancing her across the floor to the exit while indulging himself in a long, lust-filled kiss. He probed her hot mouth the way he would like to probe her body. Imagination running amuck, he thought of several ways they could do it, each making him hotter than the last until his hard-on had a hard-on.

  His hands practically circled her waist. He slid them higher, under the top, and allowed his thumbs to glide along the side of her breasts. She was wearing a bra, but the material was so fine that he could feel the heat of her flesh through it—she might as well not be wearing anything at all.

  Sighing into his mouth, she kept the kiss going while shifting her breasts away from his chest slightly, giving his thumbs room to maneuver. He touched her soft tips and used the pads of his thumbs to caress the nipples into hard, tight points that he yearned to take into his mouth and savor.

  Realizing they’d reached the other side of the dance crowd, Justin came up for air and released her breasts. But everything was hazy, especially anything that didn’t have to do with having Lucy as soon as possible.

  “I want you,” he said.

  She nipped his lower lip. “Ditto.”

  For a moment, he was tempted to find out whether they did have rooms upstairs, but then he thought better of it. He didn’t want to make love to her in a place like this, no matter how exciting it seemed.

  He wanted her alone, all to himself, where no one could hear her cry out in response to his exquisite torture.

  Justin pushed away the caution that had made him wait th
is long to have Lucy. What did it matter if they made love tonight or several nights from now? What if they never nailed the murderer and he kept his vow, which meant he would never have her at all. Unthinkable. And unnecessary.

  Just because he’d let his hormones loose didn’t mean he would be letting down his guard. He didn’t intend to let Lucy out of his sight again until the case was solved.

  With that resolved, he led her to the exit before one of them could change their mind.

  IGNORING the No Parking sign—a man in his position could snap his fingers and any ticket would be forgiven—he left his car at the corner and headed down the block, anxious to get to the club. He’d stayed away long enough.

  He probably shouldn’t be indulging himself, not without a bodyguard, not with his race for reelection just starting in truth. But his bodyguards were busy keeping an eye out for Lucy Ryan, and his constituents had voted for him because he was a man’s man. They would expect him to have certain…appetites.

  This particular appetite quickly faded, however, when he saw someone who could be the Ryan woman herself slip out of the doorway with a man in tow. He immediately hugged the shadows lest they turn and see him.

  He glared at them, willed her to turn so he could better see her face to be certain. As if on command, she did, glancing up at her companion. He kissed her and she lifted a leg and wrapped it around the back of his.

  His groin tightened and he silently cursed. He’d needed the club tonight, but now he had something more important on his mind.

  She was the Ryan woman, he was sure of it.

  Racing back to his car, he figured to follow them. Since she’d abandoned her town house, that would be the only way he’d know where to find her.

  Lucy Ryan had seen what he’d done. She was a liability, and he couldn’t afford liabilities. That’s how this whole mess had started. Not that anyone would believe he had actually murdered that tarot-reading whore.

  But still, even the hint could ruin his chances of reelection.

  Glancing back as he got to his car, he saw they were headed down the street, their hands all over each other. He got in the car and started to trail them.

  He never should have gotten involved with anyone on more than a one-night stand basis. And certainly not with someone so unsophisticated. But he’d been taught by the best how wielding power over an innocent could be an aphrodisiac—he’d learned that from his own stepmother when he’d been a teenager—and Theresa had been a sweet conquest. It had been his pleasure not only to deflower her as she’d wanted, but to corrupt her, as well. He’d taken everything from her as everything had been taken from him.

  Then she’d thought he was hers. As if he would give up everything—wife, children, home, profession—for a pretty little piece of ass. She’d threatened him, had said she would go to his wife to settle things….

  He pulled to the curb when he saw the Ryan woman get into a car with the man. Then he waited until the lights went on and the car crawled off. Another car was coming, and for a moment, he feared he would lose them. But after a few blocks, the other car turned off. He could ride right up into their trunk if he so chose. He gripped the steering wheel so he wouldn’t be tempted.

  Patience. Everything came to the man who could curb his impulses…ironically, something he should have done with Theresa Vaughn.

  He followed them out of the French Quarter and into an area of loft conversions. Sure enough, Ryan’s escort drove his car into a garage.

  He noted the address and left the car long enough to write down the names of the tenants. Not that he would figure it out himself. He would leave that to his investigator and have an answer by the end of business the next day.

  And then he would see to their quick demise.

  FRENZIED BY the long wait she’d had for this moment, Lucy swept her tongue up Justin’s hard length with a passion she hadn’t ever before experienced. A passion that had finally taken over, not allowing her to back down, even knowing what she did.

  Though she realized this was exactly what she’d been doing the first time she’d dreamed of Justin, she couldn’t stop herself.

  She would simply change it…not play out the sex dream as she’d dreamed it.

  But first…she sucked the sweet softness of his head into her mouth, reveling in the drop of come that met her tongue. He moaned, and fingers of fire sluiced down her body to the heat between her thighs.

  Oh, yes, she did want him there. And she would have him, at least for a bit.

  Slowly, she eased herself upward, until their mouths met in a hot kiss.

  He swallowed her whole with that kiss, making her feel as if she were drowning.

  Too familiar…too familiar…now was the time to change things, Lucy thought hazily.

  “Let’s get in the shower and do it there with water beating down on us,” she said, trying to get off the floor where they’d dropped their clothes in a frenzied rush.

  “Later,” Justin whispered, holding on to her, not letting her get away from him. “In the shower…in the bed…on the washer, if you like. Anywhere you want later. But right now, it’s right here.”

  And before she could protest, he was kissing her again and the tip of his erection probed at her hot center and she was lost. Not that her good intentions were forgotten. But she had to feel him inside her, at least for a bit. Then she would change things. She would insist she wanted to bring him off with her mouth and he would let her. He’d loved the things she’d done to him with her mouth.

  She ended the kiss and pushed herself up so that she could see him. His sharp features were punctuated by a fall of inky hair across his high forehead. Watching them excited her, especially his eyes. Bedroom eyes with heavy lids that revealed the promise of pleasure…bedroom eyes that could make her insides curl.

  Her insides were curling now.

  “Stop!” she said.

  He stopped. “Did I hurt you?”

  “No, it all feels wonderful,” she admitted, “but you know what would feel better?”

  He seemed interested in this. “What?”

  “I want you in my mouth.” She licked her lips, adding, “I want to taste you, especially when you come.”

  “Later,” he said.

  She felt him moving under her, his hot hands slid along her thighs, then a thumb stroked her clit so sweetly she could hardly think. “This first. Oh, Lucille, I want you to come first. I want to watch your face when you can’t stand it anymore. I want to come because you take me there with you.”

  Before she could gather the will to protest, to try to change his mind, his free hand traveled upward to her breasts. And then when he tugged at a nipple and stroked her clit in tandem, she was lost to sensation. She couldn’t stop her back from arching or from opening herself wider to him.

  Just like in the dream…

  “Now, chère, now!”

  She wanted to hold on long enough to stop him…to make the reality end differently than the dream…but he wouldn’t ease up on her and the friction pushed her over the edge. The pulsing began deep inside her, and she dug her nails into the flesh of his thighs. He jerked and made a low guttural sound, and her murky world turned bright as they fell into the abyss together….

  He held her close for a few moments, kissing the top of her head and her temples. Then he dipped lower and kissed her on the mouth, long and deep, and something stirred against her belly, making her aware that he wasn’t ready to call it a night.

  “Justin…”

  “Shh,” he hushed her, as he scooped her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing and headed for the stairs.

  She clung to him, not wanting to end this, knowing she should.

  A moment later, he tumbled with her into his bed.

  “I’m tired,” she murmured, closing her eyes and hoping he would take the hint.

  The second dream had taken place in this very bed.

  “You rest, then,” Justin said, kissing her lightly, now from her chin to
her chest to her stomach.

  Lucy deepened her breathing, tried to pretend she was asleep, but Justin wasn’t buying it. He continued seducing her with his mouth and with his tongue. She began to squirm under him, then turned to crawl away.

  He caught up to her as she grasped the iron bedstead to pull herself up.

  “Mmm, just like that,” he whispered, suddenly fitting himself behind her.

  Oh, no, this was it. The second dream. He felt hot and heavy between her thighs and she could do nothing but draw him to her. She pooled wet and thick, a hot slick invitation he couldn’t resist. Her hands tightened on the bedstead as he began to pulse behind her. She was on her knees, and he hooked his fingers into her hips so she tilted a bit. Then, her bottom pressed into his groin, he slid in and out of her and ran his hands over her body as if trying to memorize every inch.

  When he had her where he wanted her, he slid a hand to her breasts, where he tugged her nipples until she cried out. His other hand explored lower, where it feathered her and then found her clit.

  “There,” she murmured as he slid a single finger along the sensitive area. “Oh, yes, sweet heaven…”

  The dream…exactly as in the dream…

  She glanced up to catch a reflection of them in the mirror. He watched her there, his bedroom eyes glittering at her. She wanted to tell him…stop him, but she couldn’t stop herself.

  A lust-filled, flushed-face wanton, her red hair wild and radiant stared back at her from the mirror. His features were equally taut with lust. Licking her lips, she rubbed her breast against his hand and pushed back hard. Their coming together over and over excited her further.

  She let go of the bedstead and reached back with one hand, flexed her fingers and scraped her nails against his hard flesh, until he came undone. Waves of pleasure rippled through her, too, and the moment was so intense, Lucy wanted to cry. This really was the best sex ever.

  Justin pulled her down to lay against him and wrapped his arms around her.

  “I’ve been dreaming about doing that since I met you,” he whispered, his breath laving her ear.

  And then she wanted to cry for a very different reason. No matter that she’d tried, she hadn’t been able to change the outcome of that first psychic dream of him.