by Tee O'Fallon
The darkness. Gray’s seeking hands stroking her skin. The pounding spray and moist, sensual steam… Sexy didn’t begin to describe it.
Alex angled backward until Gray’s stiff cock brushed against her ass. She rested her hands against the shower wall and spread her legs, willing him to enter her before she exploded. She no longer felt the dull throbbing from her injuries. Every inch of her skin tingled with anticipation.
Gray eased his hands down her ribs to her back. “Does that hurt?”
“God, no.” She reached behind her to slide her hand up and down his now-sheathed erection. “It’s wonderful.”
“Is this what you want?” Gray’s breath was hot against her neck. “To have me inside you in the dark? No seeing, only feeling?”
She was still so slick from her first orgasm he slid easily inside her from behind. “Yes,” she whispered.
God, this was so, so sexy.
Alex closed her eyes, reveling in the erotic sensation of Gray making love to her in the dark, steamy shower. And he was right. With the lights out, the sensation of his cock between her ass cheeks and his hands squeezing her breasts was intensified a hundred fold. And when he began thrusting, his balls slapping against her ass, she threw back her head and moaned.
Their soapy, water-slicked bodies slapped together, the sound echoing in the shower stall.
Gray gripped her waist then pushed upward and deep until her inner walls tightened and shuddered. When she was on the verge of coming, he parted her folds, gyrating his fingers, heightening the sensation that was quickly rocketing out of control.
“Come for me,” he growled against her neck. “Come for me again.” Still thrusting in and out, Gray cupped the side of Alex’s head, turning her so he could kiss her deeply, mimicking the thrust of his cock with his tongue.
Alex jerked beneath his fingers, and this time she did scream into Gray’s mouth as she came.
“Yesss.” Gray came in a powerful thrust, nudging Alex against the tiled wall. His heart beat wildly against her back, his breath feathering her neck.
For several minutes they stayed that way, absorbing each other’s orgasms. When Gray’s breathing slowed, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. He pressed his lips against her neck.
Alex shivered then smiled. She could easily stay this way for the next hour with Gray pressed up against her. She closed her eyes and leaned back against him, loving the way their bodies fit together.
When Gray eventually pulled out, Alex groaned at the loss. Eager to touch him again, she grabbed the bottle of body wash and began soaping up his chest and abs. A quick glance at his openly grinning face told her how good she was making him feel. Her hands lingered at his hips, then she moved around to soap up his broad back.
When he began to rinse off, Alex suddenly felt her exhaustion and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his back. She closed her eyes and in seconds was half asleep. The water shut off and a large, fluffy towel came around her as Gray began rubbing her down until she was dry.
“C’mon, sleeping beauty.” He helped her out of the shower and into bed.
He lowered her onto the cool sheets then warm bedcovers surrounded her. But it was the large, hard body snuggling against her back, enveloping her in a cocoon of warmth, that had her smiling.
That was the last thing Alex remembered.
…
Gray woke to sunlight pouring in through the bedroom window. Something soft and sweet smelling tickled his chin. Alex’s hair. She was draped across his chest.
He skimmed his hand down the back of her head, twirling some of the blond locks between his fingers. In response, she slid her hand down his abdomen until it rested on his painfully hard morning erection. Gritting his teeth, he repositioned her hand safely onto his chest.
Last night’s lovemaking in the shower was beyond incredible, it was… Hell, he couldn’t begin to describe it. And while he couldn’t wait to do it again, Alex needed rest. He shouldn’t have made love to her last night at all, but he was damn glad he did.
He couldn’t stop himself from smiling like a fool.
The clock on the bedside table said it was already eight o’clock. Luckily they had no place to be today, having been given another day’s reprieve to rest and regroup before the debriefing tomorrow. That would also give them plenty of time to drive up to Hopewell Springs and bring Nicky home this afternoon.
Gray thought of Nicky’s dark brown eyes staring up at him. The kid really did want a father. Someone to take him to baseball games and be there to help with homework and other kid stuff.
His mouth lifted at the prospect, but he was getting way ahead of himself. He and Alex still had a helluva lot of things to learn about each other and a whole lot of hurdles to overcome. One thing he was certain of, for the first time in his life, he was falling in love. Sappy, all-consuming, head-over-heels in love.
Sunlight glinted off Alex’s bare back, and he couldn’t resist stroking her smooth, soft skin. He slid the sheet lower, revealing the round curves of her ass. With it came the vivid image of him sliding in and out, exploding as he came.
She raised her head, her eyes still groggy with sleep. A sweet smile tilted her lips, and he couldn’t resist leaning down to kiss her.
“Mmm.” Using his chest for balance, she sat up and straddled his thighs. His erection nestled hotly between her legs. “How do you feel about throaty women?” Her voice was better than last night but still scratchy.
Gray grinned. “On you, I love it.” As the realization of what he’d just said hit him, his smile faded. As did hers. While it hadn’t exactly been an outright admission of love, he hadn’t planned on saying anything yet.
Too soon.
But didn’t he know all the important things, all the things that really mattered? Like Alex Romano, aka Aileen Alexanderson, was not only beautiful on the outside but courageous and loving and a wonderful mother.
Maybe it’s time.
“Alex, I—”
His cell phone rang. He grabbed it from the bedside table and glanced at the screen. Mike. Taking the call, he muttered, “This better be good, Flannery.”
Mike chuckled. “Let me guess, coitus interruptus? Cassie said I shouldn’t call this early.”
“She was right,” he growled, his own voice still somewhat raspy from smoke inhalation, although not as bad as Alex’s.
“You were right, sweetie,” Gray heard Mike say in a muffled way that told him he had his hand over the phone. “Sorry, buddy. Seriously though. Dom called Cassie, who called your parents, who called your other brothers. They agreed to leave you alone for a while on the condition that Cassie and I called to check up on you and Alex.”
“We’re fine.” He reached up to fondle Alex’s breast with his free hand.
“I’ll bet.” Again, Mike laughed.
“Who is that?” Alex asked, then leaned down and stuck her tongue in his ear.
When his cock leaped, Gray clenched his jaw. “Is Nicky awake?”
At hearing her son’s name, Alex sat upright, her eyes wide with enthusiasm.
“That kid is up at the crack of dawn every morning so he can take Raven outside. I told Cassie she’s gonna have a hard time separating the two of them. They’ve bonded. You should warn Alex that all Nicky wants for his birthday is a Belgian sheepdog puppy. Hang on and I’ll get him.”
Alex stuck out her hand for the phone. The joy at talking to her son was written on her face, unearthing an unexpected longing.
Someday I want children of my own.
“Hello, Nicky?” Still straddling Gray, Alex settled in to talk to her son.
Gray winced as his cock continued to swell. The woman had no idea what she was inflicting on him.
“Sweetheart, it’s Mommy. How are you?”
Gray heard Nicky’s enthusiastic voice describing all the baseball he’d been playing with the local boys and how much he loved Raven and wanted a puppy for his birthday.
&nbs
p; While the conversation went into extra innings, he rubbed his palms across Alex’s flat belly. She covered one of his hands with her own, but her mind was totally on the conversation with Nicky. Her eyes were lit with joy, and she grinned the entire time.
Waking up next to her and watching her chatter away with Nicky left Gray with a warm feeling in his gut and chest. He was…happy.
With his hand still on her belly, he wondered what it would be like to feel his child kicking around in there. He froze as the full meaning of his thought slammed home.
He was finally ready to settle down. In time, with Alex. If she’d have him.
“Nicky, I’ll come by to get you later today,” Alex said. Gray couldn’t hear what Nicky said in response, but his voice was high-pitched and excited. “Yes, Gray will come, too.”
And I will come, Gray thought when Alex wriggled on top of him while setting the phone on the table. “Now where were we?” He skimmed his hands up and down her sides.
She leaned down to pick up where she’d left off with her tongue in his ear. “I believe I was right…about…here.”
Gray canted his head to give Alex better access. God, but the woman’s tongue was amazing. Hot, swirling, thrusting. Goose bumps erupted all over his skin.
“Do you like that, detective?”
“Uh-huh,” was all he could mumble as her tongue delved deeper, finding a sensitive spot behind his earlobe.
“You know,” she whispered with her lips pressed against his ear, the vibrations from which gave him chills, “I have a better idea what to do with my tongue.”
When Alex began kissing and licking her way down his chest, then past his abdomen to the juncture of his thighs, Gray thought he would hyperventilate. As she wrapped her soft hands around his cock, the sight of her pretty pink nails alone had him ready to blow like a volcano. She dipped her head and flicked her tongue at his head. Her mouth closed over him, and—
His cell phone rang again. Fuuuck.
Gray flung his arm over his eyes and groaned. He lifted his arm to glance at the phone’s display, fully prepared to ignore the call until he caught sight of Lt. Frye’s name. This can’t be good. The way they’d left things last night at the hospital, he and Alex were in the clear until the debriefing tomorrow.
Obviously, something had changed.
He grabbed the phone and answered the call. “Lieutenant.”
“When can you and Alex be in my office? We’re moving up the debriefing to today.”
“An hour.” Gray’s mind buzzed with concern. He’d worked with Lt. Frye enough years to recognize the sound of serious shit in his supervisor’s voice. “Anything I should know?”
“Just get your ass in here.” Lt. Frye ended the call.
Gray lay back against the pillows, pulling Alex down with him. She draped herself over his chest, her silky hair sliding down his rib cage, caressing his skin. “Sorry, baby. We have to go in today for the debriefing.”
“What happened?” She lifted her head to meet his gaze. “I thought it wasn’t until tomorrow.”
“It wasn’t. Something must have come up.” What that something was bugged the shit out of him.
“Can we still drive upstate to get Nicky today?”
“Of course.” No way would he disappoint her by delaying that. He knew how much she wanted him home.
She breathed a sigh of relief. “How much time do we have?”
“None.” Reluctantly he sat up, easing her off him. Beneath the sheets his erection visibly objected.
Noticing the tented sheet, Alex grinned. “Too bad.”
“You have no idea.” Gray smiled back and stroked her cheek. “Another time.” He hoped.
Lt. Frye’s urgent command to get to the office was an omen. Somehow Gray didn’t think he and Alex would be alone for a long time to come, and it had nothing to do with bringing Nicky home. Now that he was trusting his instincts again, the source of his sudden anxiety came from something he couldn’t begin to explain, but it was there, simmering in his gut. Like a shit storm about to rain down on the city.
Right on top of his and Alex’s heads.
Chapter Twenty
At a red light three blocks from the precinct, Gray leaned over and kissed Alex. Not a quick peck on the cheek, but an openmouthed kiss that had Alex’s insides quivering for more. Sadly, the light turned green and minutes later Gray parked in a zone cordoned off for NYPD vehicles.
Before she could reach for the door handle, he rested his hand on hers. “You’ll do fine in there.”
“I know.” She took a deep breath and picked up her pocketbook from the floor at her feet. Her throat was still raw, but at least the goose egg on the side of her head had stopped pounding and the ache in her ribs had subsided to a dull throb. “Talking about yesterday will be the easy part. What I’m worried about is whether IA will still push for criminal charges against me with the DA.”
When she reached for the door handle, her hand shook. Even Gray’s calming presence couldn’t slow her snowballing anxiety. Most of all she wished they’d had more time alone this morning. Her decision to tell Gray everything about Nicky’s father last night had been thoroughly derailed the minute they’d stepped into the shower. She’d been counting on talking with him today, but with the debriefing moved up she hadn’t had the chance.
“After yesterday, it’s doubtful IA will have a leg to stand on where that’s concerned.” He cast her a meaningful look. “Forensics forwarded files that were on the thumb drive you snagged from the barn. I took a quick look at them on my phone while you were in the shower. I didn’t have time to fully evaluate the data, but I can tell already there’s some kick-ass stuff that will have the FBI, HSI, and INTERPOL drooling. After the meeting, we’ll fill IA in on everything you went through. They’ll have no choice but to recommend no charges be filed.”
“I hope so.” Alex hadn’t quite caught all of Gray’s conversation with Dom that morning while she was getting dressed, but she gathered whatever was on the storage device was hot evidence—valuable and unexpected.
“Let’s go.” Gray got out of the car and came over to the passenger side door to hold it open for her. He winked, a small gesture that bolstered her courage.
Ten minutes later, they were seated in the main conference room, along with Lt. Frye, Dom, and the FBI and HSI agents. Gray’s presence in the chair beside her was comforting, but what concerned Alex was the unexpected presence of Detective Simonetti at the table. This was supposed to be a debriefing, the results of which were to be forwarded to IA after the meeting. Not during.
“What are you doing here?” Gray looked at Simonetti, then to Lt. Frye. “We have a meeting with IA tomorrow.”
“I requested to be here,” Simonetti said with a smile that was far too smug for Alex’s liking. “And when I told Lt. Frye the reason, he agreed. He also agreed that it was important enough to bump up your meeting to today.”
Alex froze in the process of setting her bag onto the floor. This can’t be good.
Gray looked to Lt. Frye. “Should we talk privately first?”
“No. You’ll hear it soon enough.” Lt. Frye’s expression was grim, another thing worrying Alex’s stomach into knots. “Let’s get started. First, I want to hear about Alex and Nicky’s safety. Dom?”
Dom cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair. His blue eyes were red-rimmed, as if he hadn’t gotten much sleep last night. “As we already discussed, Pyramid assassins work mainly alone. I say this because Fatima unexpectedly had a partner. But since both the woman and her partner are dead, it’s likely that no one else in the Pyramid knows about Alex.”
“Can you be sure of that?” Gray asked. “I need to know if she or Nicky are still in any danger.”
Dom shook his head. “I can’t be sure of anything. Normally, Pyramid assassins have their own clients, and their own hits. In exchange for the Pyramid’s technical expertise and resources, individual assassins transmit a portion of their proceeds to the
head office. But something about Fatima was different. Her having a partner was a serious break in protocol, and according to what Alex told us, it looks like she may have been planning to break into One PP to slaughter everyone inside.”
The direness of Dom’s words weren’t lost on anyone in the room. Even Alex had a sudden sense of doom that had nothing to do with her own situation. The Pyramid had to be stopped.
“But mass murder is not what the Pyramid does,” Dom continued. “It’s too showy. The Pyramid is all about making money, not mass shootings. Their success is dependent on their anonymity. Taking out everyone in One PP would call major public attention to their existence, which would definitely not be good for business.”
“Where exactly are you getting all this intel?” FBI Agent Will Tanner asked.
“Here and there.” Dom’s cryptic words elicited a frustrated sound from Agent Tanner.
“Moving on,” Lt. Frye said. “Let’s discuss the preliminary information on the thumb drive that Alex grabbed yesterday.”
“When did that report come out?” Simonetti asked. His eyes narrowed to crinkled slits, making him seem even more evil than Alex already considered him to be. “And why wasn’t I sent a copy immediately?”
Gray shot Simonetti a steely look cold enough to freeze the other detective’s balls off. “First of all, the report is far from finalized. We only got the thumb drive less than forty-eight hours ago. Second, as an IA detective you won’t automatically be provided with details about what’s in that report, except insofar as it evidences Alex’s cooperation.”
“Detective Simonetti,” Lt. Frye interjected. “Your presence at this meeting was granted solely because you assured me that you had information relevant to this investigation, and because Detective Chavez is tied up in court today. Hold your tongue until my detectives are finished.”
Simonetti scowled and crossed his arms.
Gray tapped a pen on the table, all the while staring at Simonetti. “Based upon the fact that Alex cooperated fully with the department and gained valuable information on the Pyramid—at great risk to her life—I suggest you rethink charging her with anything.”