Gotcha!

by Christie Craig

  His hand moved to her bare midriff, and he pulled his mouth from her breast. “Then, that day at my office, your sweater came up and I saw…” He tucked one finger under the elastic of her pajama bottoms. “All I saw was a little bare spot here.” He slid a finger across her panty tops. “And all I could think about was running my tongue over it.”

  With one sweeping motion, he’d removed her pajama bottoms and panties. He repositioned himself down between her knees. “Like this.” He slowly licked his way across her abdomen.

  As his tongue moistened her bare skin, his fingers moved between her legs. “You’re so hot.” His fingers separated the lips of her sex and he slid a finger inside her. “And tight.” He leaned down, spreading her thighs with his hands.

  Macy gasped. “You don’t have to do that, I mean—”

  “Shh.” His tongue moved over her. He found the nub of most sensitive flesh and circled it.

  Macy forgot all doubts. She forgot everything but the building pleasure. With two handfuls of sheet bunched in her fists, she started unraveling faster than she’d ever unraveled before. Pleasure exploded within her, and when she realized she was screaming, she slapped a hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry!”

  “For what? Scream all you want.” He crawled on top of her and positioned himself between her legs. His naked chest met hers. Her nipples, tight and sensitive, pebbled against him. He must have removed his boxers, because his sex rested against her thigh. Hot, hard. Ready.

  She spoke breathlessly. “I didn’t know I could come so fast. Or that I was a screamer.”

  “Was it better than chocolate?” he asked. “Really good chocolate?”

  His smile was cocky. His sex probed her opening. He pushed his hips forward, and the glorious width of him stretched her. The swirl of sensation, and the hunger to feel him deep inside, had her hips rising off the mattress.

  “Look at me.” He slowly entered her. “Tell me chocolate can compete with this.”

  “What’s chocolate?” She jutted her hips upward to take him deeper. She wanted all of him, every hard inch filling her, stretching her.

  “Damn. I forgot protection,” he gasped. “Right back.”

  She watched him move across the room, his penis so hard it pointed to the ceiling. He yanked open a drawer and dug out a pair of black socks, unrolling them. Several foil packets fell to floor. Catching one, he opened it and sheathed himself.

  The bed swayed and he was back. “Miss me?”

  She grinned. “You hide your condoms in your socks?”

  “Old habits. Mom was a snoop.” His brows arched. “Like someone else I know.”

  He passed a finger over her lips. It smelled musky like sex, both hers and his. He kissed her neck.

  But it wasn’t her neck begging for attention. “Weren’t we further along?” She brushed her knee over his naked thigh.

  “Demanding little wench.” He rose up on an elbow and ran a finger over her lips. “You want top or bottom?”

  “A little of both.”

  “Hard on a man, aren’t you?”

  Macy slipped her hand down and cupped his sex in her hand. “Did you say hard?” The condom felt cool compared to his skin. She squeezed.

  “You get top first.” He pulled her onto him.

  Her knees landed on each side of his hips. She shifted until she felt his erection where it needed to be. Where she wanted it to be. Then, as if they had all day, she lowered herself and took him inside her.

  His moan brought on a surge of confidence. She pressed her palms on his chest and began rocking, slowly, taking him in an inch, out an inch. They watched each other. Then, reaching up, he brushed a thumb over her lips. She took his finger into her mouth and gently sucked. Their gazes met and locked.

  Everything in her mind let go, everything but Jake Baldwin: the way he made her feel, the way he looked at her. His hips moved faster, and she let him set the pace. Sensation exploded.

  “Not yet,” he ground out. “You asked for both.” His words rang deep, and his hips rose to meet hers one more time. “You…get…both.” He flipped her over.

  She locked her legs around his waist and he buried himself inside. Deeper, with each thrust of his pelvis he went deeper. Deeper into her life. Into her heart. Into her soul. Her desire built and at last she exploded into a thousand pinpoints of pure rapture. She let out another cry.

  She heard him catch his breath, and he collapsed on top of her. The next second, he rolled off but pulled her against him. The sound of their gasping for breath filled the room.

  “You okay?” he finally asked.

  She nodded against his chest. He pressed a kiss to her temple.

  “I knew it’d be good, but I had no idea it would be…You’re amazing.” He rolled onto his side and looked at her. “The way you look. And move.” He caught her hand. “The way you touched me.” He kissed her palm. “The way you taste. The way your hair feels sliding across my stomach. The way you scream.”

  She felt her face heat. “It was pretty awesome on this end, too.”

  His sex, already hard again, bumped against her hip. “I hope you don’t like to sleep. Because you’re not going to get very much from here on out.”

  Jake wasn’t joking. They made love two more times during the night. Waking up before him this time, she leaned on her elbow and enjoyed the view. This awesome man was an awesome lover. Images of what they’d done filled her head. She remembered screaming….

  And instantly she broke out in hives.

  How could something feel so right one minute, then so embarrassing the next? Oh goodness, she’d behaved like a wanton little hussy! Like Samantha in the Sex and the City. And she was so not a Samantha. What had gotten into her?

  Her gaze shot to the clock. Almost noon. Noon? Oh, crappers. Hadn’t she’d agreed to have lunch with Nan and her mom? She hopped up off the bed and started searching for her clothes.

  “What are you doing?” Jake sat up, the blanket slipping down to his waist. A sleepy smile pulled at his lips as he stared at her, completely naked. He crooked his finger. “Come here.”

  Naked. She was completely naked.

  Oh, he’d seen it all, touched it all. Tasted it all. She still wanted to cover up.

  Spotting his boxers at her feet, she snatched them up and held them in front of her. “I’m looking for my clothes. I…” She spotted her pj bottoms, but they were too close to the bed—to him. “I told Nan I’d come for lunch.”

  “Oh.” Disappointment filled his eyes.

  His disappointment got to her. Still holding his boxers over as much of her as possible, she said, “Nan invited you, too.”

  “Really?” His eyes twinkled and lowered from her eyes to her body. “You’re showing a little something there.”

  She dropped the boxers a bit to cover herself better. “I’ll shower in the hall bath.” She set off to do just that.

  “You have a gorgeous ass.”

  She yanked his boxers behind her.

  Macy had just gotten the water temperature right, when a naked Jake stepped in. “What—?”

  “Mr. Dudley believes in water conservation.” Jake pulled her against him. His erection, thick and ready again, pressed against her stomach. He cupped her chin and made her look at him. “Is this the morning-after jitters?”

  “No. Well, probably. But we’ve got to hurry.”

  As if he had all the time in the world, he soaped up his hands and ran them over her back. “I called Nan. Told her we’d be late.”

  “You did?”

  He didn’t answer. Instead, his gaze lowered. “You know the cure-all for morning-after jitters, don’t you?” His slippery hands toyed with tight nipples.

  “Let…me guess. The hair of the dog that bit you?”

  His grin widened. “No.”

  “No? Then what?” She leaned into him. Shameless, she accepted it now—she had no willpower where he was concerned. The sensations were delicious. Warm water hit her back. The warmth
of Jake covered her front.

  “You do something more embarrassing than the night before.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I think we already did everything!”

  He clicked his tongue. “Sweetheart, I’ve got a lot to teach you.”

  The house was filled with the warm scent of Sunday lunch. Macy watched Jake clean up a second helping of pot roast and mashed potatoes, but she just picked at her own food. Her mother had remained mostly silent, still nursing a broken heart.

  As the phone rang, Nan snagged it from the bar behind her and looked at the caller ID. “It’s him again.”

  “Don’t answer,” Macy’s mom said.

  “Who is it?” Jake and Macy both asked, and Macy suspected they thought the same thing: Billy.

  “Mr. Klein,” Nan said. “For the thirtieth time today.”

  Macy’s mom had confessed everything last night: How they’d met, had been flirting with each other, how she hadn’t told him who she was. Oh, and how she’d caught him with another woman in his arms.

  Nan spoke up. “Why don’t you see what he wants?”

  “Like I’d believe anything he told me,” Faye snapped.

  Jake let out a breath. “Didn’t Agent James suggest you not see him until later?”

  Nan spoke up again. “Haven’t you figured out by now that none of the women in this family like doing what a man suggests? We pretty much make up our own minds.”

  Jake frowned. “It might jeopardize—”

  Macy’s mom spoke up. “I’ve already told that FBI guy that I didn’t have anything to do with the escape.”

  The phone continued to ring. Nan forked up a bite of mashed potatoes. “He flashed her.”

  Macy’s mom scooped another helping of roast onto Jake’s plate. “Let’s change the subject.”

  Macy met her mom’s eyes. “Mom, Jake doesn’t want any more.”

  Her mom blinked. “How do you know?”

  “Because he didn’t ask for it.”

  “Maybe he’s just shy about asking for something he wants,” her mother suggested.

  “No. He’s not. He pretty much takes what he wants.” She remembered that morning.

  Jake bit back a smile and picked up his fork. “I can handle this. But after that I’m saving room.” He pointed to the apple pie cooling on the bar. “And if I haven’t said it, I appreciate you inviting me.”

  “So, have you introduced Macy to your family yet?” Nan asked.

  Remembering she’d told Nan about the whole birthday-party issue, Macy shot her grandma a warning look. She knew what Nan was up to, and the woman could turn a hard-core conservative into a liberal by way of subtle—or sometimes not so subtle—conversation.

  “She met my mom.” Jake’s smile left no doubt that he was remembering the encounter.

  “How about the rest of the family?” Nan asked.

  Jake looked suddenly uncomfortable. “I plan on her meeting them soon.”

  “When?” Nan asked.

  The question must have taken Jake by surprise, because he choked on his carrots. When he’d finished coughing, he looked up at Macy. In his eyes, she saw it. Fear. Why didn’t he want to take her to his grandfather’s party? Jake swallowed so hard that Macy heard it.

  “Meeting all the family is important,” her mom remarked.

  So, her mom was in on Nan’s little plan. Macy shot her mother a warning look.

  Macy stood and snatched up the silverware. “We’re not that serious. We barely know each other.”

  “Yes we are,” Jake argued. “And yes we do.”

  “He’s your boyfriend,” her mom said.

  Macy rolled her eyes. “He’s not officially my boyfriend.”

  “I think last night makes it official,” Jake said under his breath, but Macy felt certain her mom and Nan had heard him.

  Macy glanced at him. “We’re not that serious.” But her heart started thumping as if she was telling a big fat lie.

  “You invited him to meet us,” her mom accused.

  Macy ground her teeth. “I didn’t invite him. Nan did.” Just like his mom invited me. But I wanted him to come. Why doesn’t he want me to meet his family? She escaped to the kitchen to wash up the dishes.

  The bubbles were just rising in the sink when Jake stepped in behind her. This close, she could feel his gun in his shoulder holster. When she’d seen him put it on, she’d asked if it was really needed. He’d kissed her and said as long as Tanks was on the loose, he’d need it. Macy couldn’t help but wonder what else would change when Tanks was caught.

  “Do me a favor,” he whispered in her ear.

  “What? Hurry and serve the pie?” She tried to sound casual, tried to pretend that her heart wasn’t on the verge of breaking into a thousand pieces, tried to pretend she wasn’t already in love with a sexy-as-sin cop who didn’t really want to introduce her to his family.

  “Go with me Saturday to my mom’s. To the party she told you about.”

  Macy’s throat tightened, and she turned around. “What did Nan say?”

  Jake blinked. “Say about what?”

  Okay, so Nan had used the subtle approach. “Nothing.”

  He studied her. “It wasn’t what Nan said. It was what you said.”

  “I haven’t even mentioned the party.”

  “About us…not being serious.” He tapped her nose. “We’re serious.”

  She blinked away several tears threatening to fall. “You don’t have to take me. If you don’t want to take me, don’t.”

  He looked confused. “I want to take you. It’s just…”

  “Just what?”

  “Nothing.” He exhaled. “But do me a favor. I want you to dress in something extremely sexy. I want everyone there to know what a lucky bastard I am.”

  Confused by his statement, she looked up. But his kiss silenced her questions.

  “Come on. Let’s have dessert!” her mom called.

  Macy dried her hands and walked out beside Jake.

  Her mom reached for the pie, then pressed a hand to her stomach. “Ouch!”

  “It’s infected, isn’t it?” Nan snapped.

  “It’s nothing,” her mom insisted.

  “Nothing?” Nan rolled her eyes and looked at Jake. “Piercing should be outlawed. Can you imagine it? A fifty-six-year-old woman getting her belly button pierced. God only knows why.”

  Macy’s mom scowled. “I’ll tell you why: Because my ex-husband would have hated it. Maybe even because my mother would hate it. I did it because I’m…I’m rebelling. And if I want to get something else pierced, I’ll do it. Maybe my tongue!” She stuck the next-to-be-pierced organ out of her mouth.

  Macy looked at Jake. “They aren’t always this bad.” Then her gaze shot to the screen door and to the woman standing there.

  “I might just have my nose pierced, too,” her mom was saying.

  “Mom!” Macy waved at her mother, then pointed to the door.

  Her mom took a step back, bumping into the wall. “Just go away. I’m not fighting you for him. You can have him. All I did was share my lunch. As for seeing him naked, it wasn’t my fault. I see a lot of people naked in that place.”

  “Who is that?” Jake asked Macy.

  Macy pressed a hand to her forehead. “I think it must be Mr. Klein’s girlfriend.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  “This could get ugly,” Jake said.

  “I…My…You saw him naked?” The woman at the door glanced over her shoulder.

  Macy fell back against Jake. It was just a little thing, but he really liked how it felt, as if she knew he’d catch her.

  “This can’t be good,” she muttered.

  Jake glanced from Macy’s mom to the brunette in the door. Then, appearing behind her was a barrel-chested man with salt-and-pepper hair. Hal Klein?

  “Can we come in?” the man asked, but he didn’t wait for an answer. He stepped inside.

  “No,” Faye Moore said. “You can’t.”

&nbs
p; “Be nice,” Macy’s grandma said. “Hear him out, then kick him in the balls.”

  Klein’s eyes widened, but he waved for the brunette to come inside.

  Jake, going into cop mode, tried to assess the situation. Klein walked slowly, but not so slowly, considering he’d just been shot in the chest and had his testicles threatened. Jake also noted how the man looked at Macy’s mom. Something told him the woman at Klein’s side wasn’t a girlfriend.

  The screen door banged closed behind the woman. Silence filled the small house. Finally, Klein spoke. “Faye, I’d like for you to meet my daughter. Melissa, this is Faye Moore. She’s the volunteer I told you I asked out on a date.”

  Macy’s mom sank into a dining room chair. “Your…daughter?”

  Klein nodded. “It finally occurred to me that you may have gotten the wrong idea. And since I wanted to start dating you, I figured it might need to be cleared up.”

  Jake, trying not to smile, stepped forward and offered the man his hand. “Jake Baldwin.”

  “The boyfriend, I assume?” Klein shook Jake’s hand and looked at Macy.

  Jake glanced at Macy too, and winked. “Yup, the boyfriend.”

  Jake loved watching Macy sleep, loved the way her head fit into the crook of his arm. He loved the way her nose tilted up at the end, the indentation above her top lip, and the way her hair got messy. He loved her gentle weight against him. It all felt right. As if all his life he’d been waiting for her. It wasn’t the sex. Not that the sex wasn’t the best he’d ever had. It was. But this was more.

  He loved her. The truth had been driven home during lunch. He’d damn near choked on his food when Macy informed her mother that they weren’t that serious. It had hit him then that Macy might see his not inviting her to his grandfather’s party as a sign that he didn’t consider what they had as real. So he’d done it. He’d invited her to his grandfather’s party.

  His first thought had been, hell yeah, he wanted his aunts and uncles and grandfather to meet Macy. His second thought was that he wanted to rub his happiness into his brother’s and Lisa’s faces. But now doubt was settling in. Oh, he still wanted his family to meet Macy, and rubbing his good fortune in his brother’s face still sounded like a hell of a plan. Even the thought of seeing Harry and Lisa together didn’t make him flinch anymore. Well, not as bad as it had. But the last thing he wanted to do was to have to explain to Macy that the woman he’d loved had ditched him for someone else.