His words ripped down her defenses. Amber leaned into him, her body capitulating before her mind could process. She wanted to believe him… “Raylan, if you screw up again…”
Raylan crushed his mouth to hers, silencing her words and driving any thoughts from her mind. Her senses exploded in an instant wave of desire. He slid his hands around and cupped her butt. Amber lifted her legs and locked them around his waist. She was barely aware when he took a few steps back to the blanket. They didn’t break contact, even when they fell to the ground.
Hungry, her soul open and aching, Amber dug her nails into his shoulders, silently pleading for him to hurry.
Raylan broke the kiss first, and she instantly missed his taste. “Slow down, I want to get this right this time.”
Amber reach for him. “We can go slow the next time.”
Raylan caught her wrists, and then pinned her arms above her head. Every inch of the blanket, padded by the soft white sand cradled her body.
“No—I made you a promise, and I intend to start seeing to it right now.”
His warm dark-chocolate eyes crinkled at the corners and she wanted more than anything to bury her hands in his silky black hair. Trace the outline of his strong sexy jaw and devour him whole. But he held her down, forcing her to give in to his command.
Raylan lowered his head to her neck and placed a tender kiss at the hollow of her throat. The moon hung low and full in the night sky, a zillion stars as its backdrop. The rushing river nearby lulled her senses, leaving her almost intoxicated by her surroundings, as if Raylan had conspired with nature to make this spot the most romantic on earth. He gently nudged the wide shoulder of her dress down, trailing small kisses in its wake. A sultry breeze caressed her newly bared flash and chills raced down her arms.
Her dress offered no resistance when Raylan tugged it down further, leaving the material pooled around her waist, and completely bare from her tummy to her head.
Raylan sat back on his heels and rubbed his hand over his mouth, the lust in the hard gaze locked on her chest making her aching nipples bead tightly. Amber stretched her arms further overhead and arched her back, daring him to keep taking it slow.
“Cher, you tempt a man beyond control.” Raylan licked a languid circle around her nipple, avoiding her sensitive peak. Thoughts of presenting a sexy picture disappeared, and she tangled her fingers in his hair, directing him. “Raylan, please.”
In answer, he flicked her nipple with the tip of his tongue, the small light touch sends sparks through her. “More.”
His mouthwatering grin made her heart do a flip-flop in her chest.
“My girl is demanding. I like it.”
She barely had time to process the fact that he’d said she was his girl before his entire mouth closed over her sensitive bud and sucked hard, pulling a loud moan from deep in her chest.
How could she have ever thought Tommy would be a substitute for this?
Raylan kissed his way down her belly, pulling her dress down with it, and thoughts of Tommy fled. When his mouth closed over that most sensitive spot between her legs, Amber arched completely off the blanket, the rushing river not nearly loud enough to drown out her cry of pleasure.
Fire engulfed her; her entire body clenched. Raylan alternated between light teasing flicks and long slow licks, until Amber writhed mindless with pleasure, unable to do anything but hold on for the ride. As she climbed higher and higher, Raylan placed his hands on the inside of her thighs, pushed her legs wide, and sucked hard. Amber came apart, screaming her orgasm.
When she finally floated back from that cloud of bliss, Raylan had already shucked his shirt and jeans. He dropped to his knees before her.
Her hands gravitated to his chest, entranced by the hard sinewy lines. His lean muscular frame widened just enough at his shoulders to be devastating.
Raylan took her lips in another fierce kiss. “Please, tell me you’re on the pill.”
“Yes.” The last thing she’d wanted was an unplanned pregnancy, especially with her ex. Raylan has a son…
“Thank God. I don’t want to use a condom, but I will if you want me to.”
His rough words excited her even more as she felt him nudging at her entrance, hovering there.
Braced on his elbows, his eyes closed in concentration, sweat beaded his forehead.
She traced the outline of his clenched jaw, knowing she should make him use a condom as extra protection, but her logic had washed downriver long ago. “No. No, condom.”
Amber expected him to say something else, to kiss her, anything. But when he opened his eyes, pure need reflected in their depths. He pressed forward, impaling her completely with one hard thrust.
She gasped and grabbed his shoulders at the sudden intrusion.
“Thank God. I don’t want anything between us.” Those were the last words Raylan spoke. He found her hands, threaded their fingers together once more, and pinned her arms to the blanket beside her head as he took her slow, and long, and hard. Already another orgasm built inside her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, urging him to go faster.
And this time he obliged, taking her until there was nothing on that sandbar but them.
Raylan plunged in all the way, threw his head back, and roared his release, pushing Amber over the edge.
*
Undeniable satisfaction coursed through his veins. Raylan wanted to hold her forever and never let her go. Wanted her near. He gathered Amber into his arms and rolled to the side. Her long hair lay in a mass of messy waves. Her full lips were swollen from his kisses. She looked like a sex goddess laid out for sacrifice. He’d never seen anything as beautiful and never felt as deeply connected.
Raylan wanted to stake his claim right there, demand that she fully accept him. He wanted to tell her that he’d already started looking for an apartment in Mercy just in case he got the job on Greer’s team. But telling her he had a son was enough of a shock for one night. “Thank you for giving me another chance.”
Amber hummed, the sound deep in her throat like a cat’s purr. “You definitely started out on the right foot.”
Raylan tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He found himself looking for ways to touch her. “Just a foot?”
She cracked open one eye, her gaze slanting his direction. “Don’t push it.”
Her hard ass words were tempered by the smile still stretching her mouth. He just grinned and kissed her, relenting when they were both breathless.
“What was that for?”
“Because you’re just too damn irresistible. And if you don’t want to be out here all night, you better put some clothes on.” Half teasing, half telling the truth, he’d used every single bit of his control taking it slow, and already, he felt himself stirring again. “As romantic as this whole moonlight dinner was, I much prefer the comfort of your bed.”
Raylan yanked her closer to him, pressing their bodies together. The moonlight caught a small bruise in the curve of her neck, and he traced it gently. Chills chased his fingertip across her skin; the pulse at the base of her neck increased. “I left a little mark right here.”
Amber stiffened, and her eyes shot wide open. “You gave me a hickey?”
He grinned, his primitive response one of satisfaction. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, you look really sorry. How am I supposed to cover this up? No one wears scarves in the summertime.”
His body tightened instinctively. Definitely got to get her home, now. Raylan rose and pulled her up beside him. A secret part of him wanted to mark her every single day, stake his claim bright and bold for any male that came near her to see.
Including her ex-boyfriend. “Has Tommy threatened you before?” Because he was going to kill that fucker if he had. And he knew all the secrets ways to make a body disappear without a trace. Oh yeah, he’d go Dexter on his ass in a second.
Raylan yanked on his clothes, a little too roughly. Instead of getting sand inside his boots, he stayed barefoot.
Amber put on her dress and pulled her hair to the side, covering her neck.
“Just some phone calls, nothing like this morning.” She shrugged a little too casually. “I can handle him.”
Anger fueled his veins, and he wanted to shake her. Instead, he stood rooted to the spot. “A grown man threatening a woman isn’t something that you should handle alone.”
Her chin lifted. “You think I can’t handle it myself?”
“I saw him; he’s a big guy. If he tried to hurt you—”
Amber’s hand sliced through the air, silencing him. “Tommy is none of your concern. And frankly, none of your business. I told you I’d handle it, so drop it.”
Raylan bit down until he tasted blood. He might not be the smartest, but he wasn’t so stupid he’d push his luck. Besides, as a field operative, he could watch Amber, and she’d never even know.
He had every intention of making sure she wasn’t out of his sight for long. Even if he had to keep her in bed twenty-four hours a day to do it. Raylan forced a nod. “You’re right. How about you get the blanket, and I’ll clean up the rest of the stuff so we can go home.”
The anger faded from her face, and she worried her bottom lip with her teeth. “Raylan, I think we should take it slow. It would be better if you took me home and just dropped me off.”
Another unexpected blow. His gut tightened. His plans had been wrapped around being with her, staying with her, making her forgive him, not giving her a chance to second-guess. “If that’s what you need.”
Everything about her stance, the way she clasped her hands together and tortured that bottom lip screamed uncertainty. “I think it’s for the best.”
Ten
A little while later Raylan parked in front of her house, got out of the truck, and opened her door. They walked to her front porch in silence, her door a glaring obstacle to his plan.
Raylan spied a discarded piece of paper on her porch and squatted to pick it up, after first doing a quick scan of the surroundings. Big flowery bushes lined the entire front porch, a couple of tall, neatly trimmed hedges framed each end. Perfect places for a predator to hide. “You want me to toss this for you?” Raylan went to one end of the porch to do a quick peek around the side.
“Just give it to me. I’ll throw it in the trash.”
Raylan turned to see Amber, keys in one hand, holding out the other for him to hand over the paper. He focused over her shoulder, and she frowned when he walked past, stopping at the other end. Identically cut bushes stood sentry, nothing down the rest of the side yard but fresh cut grass. “Want me to go check the back for you?”
If that asshole had a single brain cell firing in his head, he’d be in the backyard hiding, waiting on Raylan to leave.
He crossed back to Amber whose hand was still outstretched.
“I can check it myself, thanks.”
He sighed. “Did I do something else to piss you off?”
The hard lines of her face softened, and she dropped her hand. “No, I just need some space.”
Raylan traced the small worry lines creasing her eyes. “Are you regretting tonight?” His chest tightened, a pit of dread formed in his stomach. If she said yes, he honestly didn’t know if he had the strength to walk away. Again.
“I don’t regret it. I just don’t want things moving too fast. I still need time to process…everything.” Amber tilted her head into his hand.
“You want me to tell you more about my son? I’m not hiding anything from you. I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
Amber’s fingers wrapped around his wrist and pulled his hand from her face. “I would love to hear all about him. But not tonight.”
She reached for the wadded up paper, and he loosened his grip, allowing her to take it. Raylan tucked his hands into his pockets to keep from reaching for her. He knew he was looking for excuses to stick around. Just like he knew it was pathetic, but didn’t care.
Amber unlocked the front door, reached inside and turned on the lights. She turned, her warm expression closed.
Raylan caught a movement over her shoulder, a shadow in the back of the house, and reached for his gun only to come up empty. Dammit. He yanked her behind him. “Get behind me.”
She pressed against his back, her keys digging into his spine. “Raylan, have you lost your mind?”
He ignored her and eased into the house, quickly assessing his environment. The heavy candleholder on her entryway table would have to make due for a weapon. He grabbed the silver and held it like his police baton.
“You’ll break my candlestick!”
Raylan glanced over his shoulder. “Hush. I saw someone in your house. Stay outside.”
Amber’s eyes went wide. Convinced she would at least listen to his warning, he turned back to the house.
Heart pounding with adrenaline, he eased into her foyer and paused at the entrance to the back of her house. The wide hallway was dark, so Raylan focused on the sounds. Something creaked down to the right, and he took off, chasing a man out her back door.
“Stop! DEA!“ His training kicked into gear, and Raylan ran after the intruder. He burst through the back door, gaining momentum down the small set of steps. The man grabbed the chain link fence and vaulted over; the loud sound of metal rattling filled the night air. A dog barked nearby. Knowing he couldn’t catch him in the dark and not wanting to leave Amber alone, Raylan stopped at the fence and watched the man disappear around the next house.
Raylan went back into the house and locked the door behind him. Amber hovered near the front door, wringing her keys in her hands, the front door wide open behind her. Not only had he forgotten his gun, she was all but inviting the intruder back inside.
Raylan reached past her, shut and locked the door, and took the keys. He placed the candleholder and keys on the entry table and took her hands, turning them palms up. She’d dug small indentions into her palms, the grooves giving proof of her worry almost as much as her saucer-wide green eyes.
“That was Tommy, wasn’t it?” Amber’s voice stretched out thin, ready to snap.
“You make any other enemies lately?” Raylan smoothed circles over her injured flesh, attempting to ease her worry and get his racing pulse back under the speed limit.
Amber shook her head, mouth slack, and stuttered, “I-I don’t know. I mean, no. I don’t have any enemies.”
He thumbed her pulse-points, measuring her response like a seismometer reading an earthquake. Amber trembled, and then an all out shudder worked down her body. He could see the lines of fear dividing her thoughts, leaving a gaping void of uncertainty down the middle.
Raylan cursed and yanked her into his arms. He’d been around enough victims to recognize the symptoms of shock setting in. “It’s okay. I chased him away. He’s not coming back tonight.”
“He was in my house—”
“Yes, he was. And you’re sure as hell not staying here by yourself now.” Raylan pulled his phone from his pocket and called the sheriff.
Bo answered on the second ring. “I knew you were going to cause me trouble.”
“Not me. Tommy. The bastard broke into Amber’s house. I’m here with her now. I chased him, but he got over the back fence. You need to get over here.”
“Shit, be there in five.”
Raylan ended the call and shoved the cell into his back pocket. Amber shivered and Raylan squeezed her tight, the need to protect her nearly choking him.
“Sheriff Lawson is on his way. After he gets here and checks the place out, we’re gonna pack you a bag. You’re staying with me tonight.” Raylan tensed, waiting on her to remember she didn’t want him here and tell him to shove it. She could protest all she wanted, he would toss her over his shoulder and drag her with him if needed.
“Okay.”
Her one word response drained the fight right out of him. A soft sob cracked the air. Amber’s chest caved against his. Regret—hot and fast—burned through his chest. How could he worry a
bout their relationship status more than he worried about her?
Raylan picked Amber up, the feeling of her in his arms just right. He sat on the couch, settling Amber in his lap. She wrapped her arms around his waist and tucked her head against his shoulder. Raylan’s chest swelled. This is what it felt like to really care for someone, real love, not the fleeting fancy of a one-night or even one-week stand. He wanted Amber in his arms forever.
“I had that new lock installed two weeks ago. How did he get in?”
“Probably broke a window. After the sheriff makes his round, we’ll know.”
Amber pushed off his chest, her eyes bright with tears and anger.
Good. He preferred her pissed to frightened.
“I want to know right now. That…that…weasel violated my house. I want to know how.”
Raylan felt the smile all the way from his heart. There was his fighter, his tigress. “Me too, cher.” He kissed her then sighed when she didn’t respond in the least. “But if we mess with a potential crime scene, we may screw up the evidence.”
“And Tommy’s big-time lawyer will say we framed him.”
“Exactly. If his lawyer is good enough, he’ll get every single piece of evidence thrown out of court. Do you really want to chance that bastard getting off free because we weren’t patient?”
Amber’s sigh could give the big bad wolf a run for its money. Her hair hung wild around her shoulders, the tousled look stirring his baser nature to life. She worried her bottom lip and lighting struck, his body responded instantly. No way she didn’t notice him digging into her hip.
“Raylan.”
“Cher, if you don’t want me hard twenty-four seven, you have to quit biting your lip.” Raylan ducked his head, nuzzling her neck. Her scent, so feminine and alluring, wrapped around him like a net, anchoring her to him even more. “I’ve told you what your lips do to me. I’m not a saint.”
Amber wiggled and tilted her head to the side, giving him better access to the tempting column of her throat. “No one ever accused you of sainthood.”
Raylan growled and nipped at the dark bruise where her shoulder began. His mark. His woman. Unable to help himself, he grabbed her hips and thrust, grinding his length against her leg. Amber’s answering whimper was all the permission he needed to toss her on to the couch and take her mouth.
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