by M. S. Parker
His fingers hooked under the waist of my pants, and I lifted my hips so he could pull those and my underwear off together. Even that little movement made my muscles protest. I'd definitely overdone it today.
“Which scent do you want?” he asked as he stood. “Rose or vanilla?”
“You choose.”
It should've felt weird that I was sitting here naked while he was completely dressed, but it didn't. And while I totally loved his naked body, there was something to be said for watching the way his muscles bunched and moved under his clothes. As he bent over to pick up the rose-scented bubble bath, his jeans tightened around his ass and my stomach clenched.
Damn. I'd almost forgotten how much I loved just watching him move.
He turned around, a startled expression on his face when he saw me staring. “What?”
I flushed. “Nothing.”
“No, something.” He came over to me and held out his hand.
I took it and let him help me to my feet. The familiar scent of roses filled the air, but as he pulled me closer to him, all I could smell was him. Fuck. He smelled so good.
“I was looking at your ass,” I blurted the words out.
“Really?” He arched an eyebrow, a pleased smile on his face.
“Really.” I smiled at him. “You have a great ass.”
He slid one hand around over my hip and squeezed my ass. “So do you.”
“I have a sore ass,” I came back.
“Right.” His smiled softened. “Into the tub.”
He held my hand as I climbed in, not letting go until I needed to grip the sides of the tub to lower myself down. I sighed as the water closed over my body, and I sank down until it just reached my nipples. The bubbles frothed around me, hiding the slightly darker flesh as I settled. The water was the perfect temperature, almost too hot, but not so much that it was uncomfortable. I could feel it starting to work on my sore muscles
“Relax,” he murmured against my ear. “Close your eyes.”
I shook my head. “Nope.” I reached up with one soapy hand and ran my fingers through his hair. I was feeling warm, and a more than a little sleepy. “I wanna look at you.”
He chuckled. “You're loopy.”
I laughed and nodded. “A little.”
He reached out and ran the tip of his finger down my nose. “Close your eyes, baby. Let me take care of you.”
“You are,” I assured him as I leaned back.
I closed my eyes, a small moan escaping my lips as Jasper's fingers slid across my wet skin. He cupped my breast, then began to move his thumb back and forth across my nipple. It hardened under his touch as ripples of heat and pleasure fanned out from that point, moving through me.
“Relax, baby.” His voice was low, soothing. “I've got you.”
His hand moved lower, trailing down my stomach until his fingers brushed against the thin curls at the top of my core. I spread my legs, wanting his fingers lower. He obliged, his hand sliding between my legs. Long, strong digits delved between my folds to easily find my clit.
“Ahh...” The sound came out in a rush.
His fingers worked over me with surprising gentleness, just the right amount of pressure to keep the heat inside me building until he moved his hand lower and slipped one finger inside. My back arched, hips pushing up even as his palm rubbed against my clit. His finger moved slowly in and out, a soothing sort of rhythm. When a second finger joined the first, the pressure inside me began to expand, pushing its way through my body.
“Almost there, babe,” he said. He ran the tip of his tongue along the outside edge of my ear.
He curled his fingers, rubbing the tips against that spot inside me until I was writhing. Sparks of electricity were shooting through me, making my skin tingle and my muscles quiver. And then the wave came, pulling me under fast and strong. I heard the water lapping at the sides of the tub even as it caressed my skin. Jasper's calm voice vibrated in my ear, coaxing me, reminding me that he had me, that he was going to take care of me. The strength of his hand as he held me, drew me out of myself.
It was like nothing I'd ever felt before. This wasn't an explosive orgasm, the kind that took my breath away, and made me see stars. This was the slow kind of burn, the sort of flame that engulfed and consumed everything in its path, turning it to ash.
When I finally came down, he was still there. His hands were in my hair, washing it, fingers massaging my scalp. I made a pleased sound and let myself fall into that blissful relaxed state that came after a really good orgasm.
By the time he was done, I was already half-asleep. I barely registered him draining the tub and lifting me out, but I did somehow manage to stay on my feet while he dried me off.
He carried me into the bedroom and slid me under the covers. The sheets were soft and cool against my bare skin. I snuggled more deeply, expecting I'd be asleep before Jasper climbed in next to me, but when he settled behind me, I was still awake. Everything had that fuzzy, almost dream-like sense to it, but I was coherent enough to pull his arm more tightly around me and press back into his naked body. He was hard against my hip and groaned as I pushed my ass against him.
“Not now,” he murmured, running his hand down my side and over my hip. “You need to rest.”
“But you...” I wriggled, drawing a half-pained sound from him.
“Shh, baby.” He wrapped his fingers around my hip. “I'm okay. No guy ever died because he had a hard-on.”
“I love you.” I pulled his other hand up so that he was cupping my breast.
He kissed my temple. “And I love you.”
Silence fell for a moment, but I didn't want quiet. I wanted to hear Jasper's voice.
“Talk to me,” I said, my voice starting to get that thick sound that came before I drifted off.
“About what?” His fingers combed through my hair.
“Anything.” I closed my eyes. “What happened that you had to stay late?”
He made a disgusted sort of sound. “Georgia.”
I was suddenly much more awake. “What happened?”
“She was doing something, moving some filing cabinet or something and she ended up cutting her hand. Easily a two-inch laceration across her palm. There was blood everywhere, and she was freaking out. I had to get her cleaned up before I could even take a look at her hand. She needed stitches, and then I had to bandage her hand up. She couldn't drive home because I had to give her something for the pain. Then I had to go back to the office, clean up the mess there, and fill out the workman's comp forms.”
Jasper's voice was flat, almost bored, and the stroking of his fingers through my hair was hypnotic. It should have made me want to fall asleep, but everything he was saying was having the opposite effect.
Georgia.
I should've known.
I'd never liked her, but I'd kept my mouth shut. She'd been with Jasper for a long time, and she'd been helping him at the clinic. While she'd been terse – all right, she'd been downright rude – with me, I'd borne it because I didn't want to be that woman. The woman who thought that every other woman wanted her man, that every little slight was due to jealousy.
I still wasn't going to say anything, especially not now, not when I was so emotional. My head was a wreck, and I didn't need to be thinking of anything that was just going to make things worse. I also wasn't going to say anything without proof. I'd learned the hard way that I had a tendency to jump to conclusions when I thought with my heart instead of my head.
I wasn't going to do that again.
I also wasn't about to let her get away with it if she was going after Jasper. I knew now that I wasn't going to do anything that could possibly make me lose him. I'd lost one man I loved. Jasper was going to be stuck with me as long as he'd have me.
With that thought, I firmly pushed everything else out of my mind. The slow, steady breathing behind me said Jasper had fallen asleep, and I was ready to join him. I could feel the exhaustion in my bones, and gave into
it. There'd be craziness enough tomorrow, but tonight, I was clean, I was comfortable, and I had Jasper's arms around me. That's all I needed.
Chapter 10
Knowing I didn't have to be up for work always made it difficult to get out of bed. Having six feet of hot, muscular man wrapped around me made it even harder.
Pun definitely intended.
I woke up before the alarm went off, and Jasper's cock was hard against my ass. I couldn't help but wonder if he'd been that way all night. Considering the fact that he still had one hand on my breast, and the other hand had slipped down until his fingers were brushing against the curls between my legs, I thought it was a good possibility.
Warmth filled me as I remembered what happened last night. Not all of the bad stuff, but rather the good. All the good that had come from Jasper. How he'd taken care of me. How he'd denied what his body so clearly wanted simply because he knew I was too tired.
Well, I wasn't too tired now.
I shifted, rolling over until I was facing him. His embrace loosened, and he rolled onto his back. I kept my eyes on his face as I folded back the blanket, but his eyelids didn't so much as flicker.
My muscles were stiff as I moved onto my knees, but I wasn't even close to how bad I feared I'd be. I knew a lot of that had to do with the hot bath Jasper had gotten me into last night. That and the very relaxing orgasm he'd given me.
Now it was time to return the favor. I let my gaze move from his handsome face, down over his amazing body. Broad, muscular shoulders and chest. Trim waist and hips. An absolutely beautiful, long, thick cock that was currently curving up towards his flat stomach.
And he was all mine.
I leaned down and wrapped my hand around him, holding him as I worked my mouth over the soft skin. I didn't look up when I felt him wake, felt the muscles in his stomach tense as he realized what I was doing. He said my name, but I kept my attention on the pulsing flesh between my lips.
It wasn't until I felt his hand in my hair, tugging me off of him, that I raised my head. I looked up at him as I let his cock fall from between my lips. My eyes locked with his and I moved my hand faster, gripping him harder.
“Shae, let me...”
“No.” I twisted my hand across the head of his cock and smiled at the hiss of air he let out. “You took care of me last night. It’s my turn. Let me take care of you.”
His eyes looked nearly black and his grip on my hair tightened. “I'm not going to last long.”
“Good.” I smiled at him. “Then you won't be late for work.”
I flexed my fingers and he swore.
“Come on, baby.” I felt his cock pulsing under my hand. He was definitely close. “You're almost there.”
“Shae.”
My name came out as a moan, and my stomach twisted at the sound.
“I want to watch you come. Come for me, Jas.” I didn't want to look away, didn't want to blink. I wanted to see his face when he finally came, to know that I was responsible for making him feel that way.
Suddenly, he groaned, his hips jerking, and hot liquid spilled over my hand. His head tipped back, eyes squeezing closed as he came. He called out my name as I continued to work my hand over his throbbing shaft, milking every last drop until my hand and his stomach were coated with the sticky mess. Only then did I release him.
My day was already off to a better start than yesterday. I just hoped it continued to be that way.
Considering I had to go talk to my favorite detectives today, I doubted it.
I'd dressed carefully for my 'interview' today. A black skirt and a nice blouse that would've been appropriate for work, but weren't too dressy for just coming into the station. I wanted to look like I could be on my way to work, but that I could also just have dressed this way to come in and talk. I wasn't planning on lying to the cops if they asked about my job, but I wasn't going to offer the information either. It wasn't any of their business that I'd been suspended. Hell, it was their fault. Them and their stubborn insistence that I must have been involved in Allen's death.
I didn't want them to completely overlook me, since that would mean they were doing their job correctly and considering all possibilities, but I did want them to get their heads out of their asses long enough to realize that I didn't deserve to be the main focus of their attention.
I paused a moment by my car to smooth down my neat, black pencil skirt and then patted my hair to make sure nothing was out of place. I wanted to look calm and collected, but not cold. It was a good thing I'd had at least a couple years teaching under my belt. It helped me maintain that balance between professional and cordial that working with kids required. I couldn't keep myself too distant from my students, or they'd think I didn't care, but too friendly was inappropriate. Teaching had also given me practice in keeping my emotions from showing too much on my face. Especially when working with elementary students, a teacher couldn't let their personal life affect how they treated their students.
I'd just have to think of Detectives Reed and Rheingard as second graders. At least, I thought wryly, it wouldn't be that difficult with Detective Reed. He didn't appear to be the most evolved person I'd met.
I went inside and walked straight past the desk sergeant. I knew where I was going. Both detectives were already at their desks. Reed was nursing a cup of coffee while Rheingard looked busy with some paperwork. I wondered if any of it had to do with me.
“Good morning, Detectives.” I kept my voice pleasant, as if the last time I'd seen them, they hadn't been accusing me of homicide.
“Mrs. Lockwood.” Detective Rheingard looked up, raising an eyebrow. “We weren't expecting you so early.”
“Since I had to cancel yesterday, I figured I should come in early today.”
“Feeling any better?”
I turned from Rheingard to Reed and suppressed a scowl. The expression on his face clearly said that he didn't believe that I'd been sick. While that hadn't technically been true, at least in a physical sense, I hadn't been emotionally capable of talking to them last night. That counted as sick, at least in my book.
“Better enough,” I said. “Should I take a seat?” I gestured towards the chair next to Reed's desk. I knew we'd end up in an interrogation room again, but I figured it couldn't hurt to try. I was, after all, in here voluntarily.
“Why don't we go somewhere a little more private?” Rheingard suggested, pushing back from his desk.
“You should remember the way.” Reed smirked at me as he stood.
I didn't bother to respond. I'd figured out their interrogation strategy before, though I did wonder if Reed's ignorance and statements intended to provoke were intentional or just part of his obnoxious personality.
“Please have a seat, Mrs. Lockwood.” Rheingard held the door open for me to go inside.
I settled in the same chair I sat in before and folded my hands on the table in front of me. Reed and Rheingard sat down, the latter across from me.
“With your permission, Mrs. Lockwood, I'd like to record our interview.” Rheingard put a small recorder on the table between us. His eyes cut towards his partner, and then back to me. “Just so there aren't any misunderstandings later.”
“Of course,” I said amicably. “I don't have anything to hide.”
I wondered if Henley had anything to do with that, or if it had come from the DA due to the less-than-honest way the detectives had gone about getting my arrest warrant. I was sure the police department didn't want to risk something like that happening again.
Detective Rheingard pressed the button to record, waited a moment, and then spoke, “First, I want to make it clear that you're not under arrest.”
I had a feeling Reed would've liked to have added 'yet' to the end of that statement.
“I understand,” I said. “I came in voluntarily to answer any additional questions you might have.”
“And we appreciate you having come,” Rheingard said.
“Especially since you have su
ch a busy schedule,” Reed added. “What with school, and running the vineyard, and your new live-in boyfriend.”
I wanted to shake my head in amazement. He was jumping right in there.
“I am busy,” I said calmly. “With the holidays coming up and everything, but this is more important. I want to make sure everything possible is done to find out exactly what happened to my late husband.”
“Except you know what happened, Mrs. Lockwood,” Reed said. He gave me one of those smiles that made me itch to reach across the table and slap him. “But we're going to hold off on that for a moment. We have a couple other matters to discuss before we have you go over the details of that day.”
Again, I wanted to add. Go over the details again.
I'd told it so many times that I wasn't even sure how many times I’d said the words anymore.
“You were originally supposed to come in last night after work,” Rheingard said.
“I was,” I agreed.
“Why didn't you?” he asked.
“I wasn't feeling well,” I said. “So I called to reschedule.”
“That's not entirely accurate, is it, Mrs. Lockwood?” Detective Rheingard gave me a hard look. “You weren't sick yesterday. You didn't want to come in because you'd been suspended from your job, and you were worried that you'd be too emotional to hide the truth from us.”
My fingertips turned white as I pressed them together. How had they known I'd been suspended? Then again, I couldn't say I was entirely surprised. The other teachers would've known, of course, and the office staff. Gossip could spread like wildfire, especially when it was bad.
“I wasn't feeling well,” I repeated. “And, yes, a lot of that was due to having been suspended from my job.”
“So you lost your job and that made you feel sick so you couldn't come in and answer questions about something you said was important to you?” Reed asked.
“I didn't lose my job,” I said tersely. “I was suspended pending the conclusion of this investigation.”