by Ruth Langan
She saw a look in his eyes that was dark and dangerous, and as close to violence as she’d ever seen. But instead of fear, she felt a heightened sense of excitement.
“Hurry, then. I want you, too. Now.”
She’d never known such greed. But the desire for more pleasure prodded her to wrap herself around him, to take them both higher. She wanted to take and give until they were both sated.
She arched her hips in welcome as he drove himself into her. And though she’d thought it impossible to want more, she did. As she began to move with him, to climb with him, she knew she wanted it all.
“Alexandra.” Her name was torn from his lips. “My sweet, tenderhearted, beautiful Alexandra.”
He kept his eyes steady on hers as he took her up, then over. This was how he’d wanted to see her. Mad with desire. All her defenses gone. And as wildly out of control as he felt at this moment.
His, he thought. For now, for this moment, this wonderful, beautiful treasure was all his.
Then his mind was wiped clean of thought as he felt her shudder and collapse against him. At his own sudden, violent climax, he cried out her name again. Or thought he did as he held her close and felt his body shattering into millions of bright, shiny pieces, before drifting back to earth.
Chapter 11
Grant lay perfectly still, amazed that he was still breathing. He’d thought for a moment that he’d died. He’d felt himself splintering, then falling to earth like a snowflake. He closed his eyes, unwilling to break the spell.
Alex wasn’t a woman who wept easily. But as they lay, still joined, bodies slick with sheen, she found herself on the verge of tears. She blinked and dragged in a steadying breath.
Feeling it, he levered himself on his hands to look down at her. When he caught the glint of a tear on her lashes, he felt his heart stop.
“What’s this?” With a muttered oath he touched a finger to the moisture. “I can’t believe I could be so rough. Oh, baby, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”
She reached up to press a finger to his lips. Her eyes were still shiny, but her lips curved into a smile. “I don’t know what’s come over me. I never cry. But…” she drew his face down and touched her lips to his “…that was just so incredible.”
His heart skipped a beat. “Then you’re not sorry?”
“Sorry?” She kissed him again, and gave a ripple of laughter. “The only thing I’m sorry about is that we waited so long.”
“Is that all?” He threw back his head and laughed, and felt his heart begin to beat again. Then he rolled aside and drew her into his arms, and marveled at the way she seemed to fit so perfectly against him. “If you’re really sorry, we could always go for seconds.”
“You’re a greedy man, Mr. Malone.”
“Yeah. But I think there’s a little greed in you, too, Ms. Sullivan.” He brushed his mouth over hers and felt the quick rush of heat. How was it possible that he could want her again so soon?
He shifted his focus to the window. “Did you see what’s going on out there while we were…otherwise engaged?”
She turned. “Oh, Grant. Isn’t it beautiful?”
“Yeah. As long as we’re on the inside looking out.”
“That’s just it. We’re in here, all snug and warm, and Mother Nature is out there decorating our world for us.”
He shook his head in wonder. “It doesn’t take much to make you happy, does it?”
“Not much. A snowfall. A cozy fire. A man who can kiss me until my head spins.”
He leaned close and brushed his mouth over hers. “Happy to oblige, ma’am.” After a moment he slid from the bed. “I’ll just add a log to that fire and be right back for more of that.”
As he turned she caught sight of the ridge of scars along his back and thought about all the pain he’d suffered. Not just the physical pain, which must have been nearly overpowering, but the mental anguish as well.
“Oh, Grant.” When he returned to bed she touched a hand to the spot. “This must have been so horrible.”
The minute the words had been spoken, she regretted them. But he managed a grim smile.
“It goes with the job. You either accept that, or you walk.”
“Is that why you’re here? You walked?”
He shook his head. “I’m here to sort out a few things. Then I’ll decide if I stay or walk.”
She tentatively touched a hand to the ridge of scars. “Is there any lingering pain?”
He shrugged. “Some. But I can live with it.”
She pressed her lips to the spot. “I wish there was something I could do.”
He drew her close and nuzzled her temple, feeling the heat begin to grow again, and with it, the hunger. “You already have, Alex. My beautiful, wonderful Alexandra. Just by being here in my arms. In my bed.” He felt a wave of sudden tenderness. “Now about that greed we both seem to harbor, Ms. Sullivan…”
He ran his hands along her sides and his thumbs found her breasts. At his mere touch they seemed to swell against his palms. She had a sudden, urgent need to pleasure him as he had pleasured her. To feed the hunger that she could see in his eyes. To fill the need that she could taste in every kiss. She wanted, she realized, to comfort him. To make him forget, for at least a little while, all the things he had endured. But all she could give him was this. Slow, passionate kisses. And a touch that was soothing, even while it aroused.
Her reaction to his touch had his head spinning. “If I’d known how easy you were, I’d have tried this a long time ago.”
“I may be easy, but there will be a price to pay.”
He paused.
“You promised to feed me. And I intend to hold you to that.”
“You’re a hard woman, Alexandra Sullivan.”
Her eyes glinted with mischief as she straddled him, causing him to suck in his breath. “Hmm. And amazingly, you’re a hard man. Again.”
“Exactly. Which is why we’re a perfect match.” While he kissed her long and slow and deep, his hands began weaving their magic.
As he lost himself in her he felt a welling of such emotion for this woman, who had heard the plea of his tormented soul and had answered it. She’d managed, with her simple generous nature, to reach him in a way that none of the experts had been able to do.
And as he poured out all his feelings in a torrent of lovemaking, he felt the long-denied healing begin at last.
“Mmm.” Sitting up in bed Alex sampled the salmon from the plate Grant handed her.
“It would have tasted better a couple of hours ago.” Barefoot, wearing only jeans unsnapped at the waist, he tossed another log on the fire, then hurried over to settle down beside her.
He studied the way she looked, her hair tumbled around a face that glowed in the light of the fire. She had pulled on one of his flannel shirts for warmth. Unbuttoned, it skimmed her breasts, barely covering her nakedness. She was so beautiful she took his breath away. He still couldn’t believe she was here with him.
“I’ve been meaning to tell you. That looks a heck of a lot better on you than it does on me.”
“Thanks. That’s because I’m prettier.”
“You’ll get no argument from me.”
“Well, I could say you’re pretty, too. For a man.”
“Thanks, I think.” He grinned. “How’s the salmon?”
“It’s wonderful.” She held the fork to his mouth and he took a bite, then nodded his approval before reaching for the bottle of champagne.
“Not bad, considering it had to be nuked. Better see that you eat plenty of it.” He filled two flutes and handed one to her.
“Why?”
He shot her a dangerous grin. “Because you may want to fortify yourself. If the past couple of hours are any indication, I’d say we’re both going to need all the strength we can get.”
“Don’t worry about me, Mr. Malone. If I can hike clear around the lake and up into those hills, I think I can keep up with you.”
He caught her chin and br
ushed his lips over hers. “No doubt about that, Ms. Sullivan.” He saw the slight flush that colored her cheeks and knew that she’d felt the heat as surely as he. “Unless I decide to try a new tactic.”
“And what would that be?”
“This.” He took the flute from her hands and placed it beside his on the night table. Then he caught her foot and tugged until she was lying flat. Without warning he began nibbling on her toes, which sent her into spasms of laughter.
“Stop! Oh, Grant. Stop. Please.”
“Let’s see if you can keep up with me now, Nature Girl. We’re not just hiking forests and mountains. This is something much more challenging.”
He began running kisses across the arch of her foot, her ankle, the back of her knee. As he brought his mouth higher, he paused to glance at her. The laughter had died, replaced with a look of astonishment, and then of pleasure.
“Still want me to stop?”
She was beyond words as he brought her to a sudden, shocking crest. And then, as he took them both on a slow, erotic journey, all she could do was hold on for the ride of a lifetime.
“What made you decide to be a cop?”
They were sitting in bed, sipping mugs of coffee, with the first faint hint of dawn light spilling into the room. A fire blazed on the hearth, chasing away the chill.
“I told you about my grandfather, Mickey. I grew up listening to his stories of heroes and villains, and good always winning over evil.” While he talked, Grant played with the ends of her hair. It felt so good to be able to touch her, whenever, wherever he pleased. “I was a good student, and both my parents thought I’d follow them into the field of teaching. My father is a professor of mathematics at New York University, and my mother teaches high school English. My sister, Ellen, taught first grade until she took a maternity leave. The family was pretty upset for a while when I announced that I wanted to go into law enforcement. But eventually they came around and understood that I loved what I was doing.” His voice lowered. “Until now. Now I don’t know what my future holds. I’ve dealt with the psychologists and the medical profession, and I’ve been advised to take as much time as I need to heal and decide where I want to go from here.”
“I bet your grandfather could give you some advice. Have you talked to him about this?”
He nodded. “A little. As much as I was able. He understands, even though he admits he never had to deal with anything quite like this.” Grant leaned back, amazed at how easy and natural it seemed to talk with Alex about this. “But I think he feels confused about why I’d ever consider leaving law enforcement. He was so proud that I’d joined the academy. And so proud the day I earned my badge.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“Yeah.” He drew her close and brushed his mouth over hers. “So are you.”
“Careful.” She steadied her cup. “I wouldn’t want to spill this.”
“Neither would I.” He took the mug from her hand and set it beside his on the night table, then gave her one of those heart-stopping smiles. “Now I’ll give you a proper kiss.”
“You really shouldn’t.” As they came together she muttered, “You know what this always leads to.”
“Yeah. That’s what I’m counting on.”
With a sigh she sank into his embrace. And allowed him to take her on a fast, heart-stopping journey of delight.
Thin morning light seeped into the room, along with the eerie white light that always signaled a snowfall.
Alex awoke on a sigh of contentment and sat up, sweeping the tangles back from her face before glancing at the man beside her. She found herself studying that beautiful sculpted body, like a warrior of old, honed for battle. Ever so gently she traced the remnants of the bullet wounds he bore, several of which might have sent a lesser man to his grave. But they were nothing compared with the wounds to his heart and soul. She prayed the day would soon come when they would be nothing more than the shadows of scars. And the pain of them would dim to a distant memory.
“So solemn.” He lifted a finger to the little frown line between her brows. “Have I made you so unhappy?”
She shook her head, sending that rich cloud of hair dancing around her face. “I can’t remember when I’ve ever felt better or more alive.”
“Then why the frown? What’re you thinking?”
“That we’ve been in this bed for hours. If we keep this up, we’re going to grow lazy.”
“Oh. I see. It’s strenuous activity you’re looking for, is it?”
“Mm-hmm.” As she started to slide from the bed his hand closed around her wrist, holding her still.
She turned and shot him a look.
He grinned. “Come here, woman. I have the perfect activity in mind to get the blood pumping and the muscles stretching.”
“I’ll just bet you do.” But she allowed herself to be dragged into his arms without protest.
And then, as he brought his mouth to her throat and began to nibble his way lower, she found herself purring. “I like the way you get your exercise, Sergeant Malone.”
“It’s Captain Malone. And I thought you might.” He moved over her body until she hummed with need. “I think you’ll like this, too.”
As he brought his mouth lower, the sound in her throat changed from a purr to a growl.
“And this. And…”
“Grant…”
“Shh. Not a sound. We’ll just get in a little healthy exercise.”
And then there was no need for words as they took each other on another slow, delicious journey.
Chapter 12
“Where are you going?” Feeling the mattress shift as Grant moved away, Alex automatically reached for him.
He leaned over to kiss the tip of her nose. “Not far. Thought I’d toss another log on the fire. I just realized it’s cold in here.”
Alex sat up as the realization dawned. “The heat. I’ll bet it’s gone out.” She slid out of bed and began hastily pulling on his flannel shirt.
“Why would the heat go out?”
“That’s why.” She pointed to the window. “All that heavy snow probably knocked out some power lines.” She hurried from the room.
Minutes later she returned to find him standing across the room, staring out the window.
He turned as she entered. “We must have had a foot or more of snow last night. It’s as high as the woodpile in places.” He shook his head. “If we ever had this much snow in New York City, we’d have to shut it down.” He paused, listening. “What’s that sound?”
“Hmm?” She walked up beside him to enjoy the view, her eyes as wide as a child’s. “Oh, the generator. The power’s out.”
“Can’t you call someone?”
She laughed. “Don’t worry. It happens a lot up here. We’re used to it. That’s why we have a backup generator. I just switch it on and we have just about as many comforts as when the power is on. We’ll have to conserve hot water, and we’ll use more wood in the fireplace. Other than that, there’s very little inconvenience until the line crews can get through the snow.”
“Conserve hot water, you say?” He grinned. “I’m all for that. From now on, we’ll just shower together. I’ve been wanting to put that huge shower to some use.”
She gave a mock-pained expression. “I can see that you’re feeling really inconvenienced by all this.”
He chuckled and gathered her close. “It’s a tough life out here in the wilderness. But I’m learning to survive.” He caught her hand and started toward the shower. “Come on, Nature Girl. I’ll let you scrub my back.”
Wearing woolen leggings and a heavy turtleneck, Alex made her way to the kitchen, breathing in the rich fragrance of sausage and onion and potatoes on the grill. “How wonderful. I see you fixed breakfast.”
“I was in need of a real he-man breakfast. After all, thanks to you, I exerted a lot of energy through the night.”
“Hmm.” She studied the grill, then turned toward the toaster. “Is that cinnamon toas
t I smell?”
Grant nodded. “And scrambled eggs.”
She opened the refrigerator and poured juice. “I was thinking more along the lines of cold cereal.”
“That’s for wimps. This morning we’re going to eat.”
“Maybe you’re right.” She danced across the room in a burst of excitement to peer once more out the window. “With all that snow to play in, you’ll need to be fortified.”
“Play?” He nibbled a piece of toast while he served their plates. “You really want to play in the snow?”
“Isn’t that why nature gave it to us?” She was already sipping her juice and fairly twitching with excitement. But when she bit into the first sausage, she shot him a look. “You’ve been holding out on me. You really do know how to cook all kinds of different things. This is wonderful.”
“Oh, it’s nothing, ma’am. But you really ought to taste my beef tenderloin marinated in my own concoction of red wine and spices. I don’t like to brag, but there are master chefs who would pay a fortune for the recipe.”
She laughed. “It just so happens that I have a lovely tenderloin in the freezer that I’ve been saving for a special occasion. Would you like me to thaw it for dinner?”
“It would be my pleasure. But if I’m going to do the cooking, you have to promise to do the cleanup.”
“Promise.” She pushed away from the table and returned with a parcel in butcher’s wrap. “Do with this what you wish, Chef Malone.”
He wiggled his brows and gave a dangerous grin. “Careful. Women have been known to offer to become my slaves after the first taste of Tenderloin Malone.”
“Uh-huh.” She couldn’t resist laughing as she finished her breakfast. “We’ll see about that slave bit. For now, let’s hurry. I can’t wait to get out in all that snow.”
Minutes later she shoved away from the table and began slipping into her parka and boots.
Grant took one last sip of coffee, then reached for his parka hanging by the back door. As she twisted a scarf around his neck he caught her by the shoulders and nuzzled her temple. “Sure you wouldn’t rather have fun indoors? I’ve still got a few things I’d like to show you.”