by Tara Rose
Her coat came off, as did his, and where they landed on the floor was where they stayed. Chad pulled her close again for a rough, deep kiss that sent fireworks shooting through Annalise’s brain and a flood of wetness to her already-moist panties. She groaned into his open mouth as his tongue ravished the inside of hers with wild abandon. Annalise couldn’t remember being this hot for someone. All thought ceased, and she simply clung to Chad as he devoured her mouth.
She was barely aware that he’d removed his shirt and hers. His hard, muscled body was pressed up against her breasts, and she suddenly wondered why she still had on a bra. As if reading her mind, he unhooked it, tugged the straps off her shoulders, and tossed it onto the floor. He released her mouth and planted tiny nips on her neck, while backing them up. When her calves touched the edge of the sofa he lowered her until she was sitting on it, and then he fell on top of her as she lay back against the cushions.
“Annalise…you taste so good…” He continued to kiss and gently bite her neck while trying to remove his jeans and boxers with one hand. Annalise unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans and pushed them off her hips, but she couldn’t get them any further down, nor could she reach her boots.
Chad stood up and shed the rest of his clothing, including socks and shoes, holding her gaze with an expression full of raw lust and desperation. Just before he dropped his jeans to the floor, he dug in one of the pockets and pulled out several condom packages.
Shadow chose that moment to wake up from her nap on the armchair. She meowed, stretched, and then Annalise swore she did a double take as she realized Chad was there. She came over and rubbed his leg. Chad stared at her with the most exasperated expression she’d ever seen on a man’s face, and Annalise couldn’t help but laugh.
It wasn’t only Shadow’s impeccably poor timing, but also the realization he’d been carrying around more than one condom the entire day. The scene in front of her filled her with giddiness, and tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes as she struggled to hold it in.
Chad reached down and absently petted Shadow’s head. “As if I could help it,” he said. “I’ve wanted to make love to you since the first night I saw you at Luke’s Bar.”
“You did?” The urge to laugh was suddenly gone. She sat up and stared at him with her mouth open. His dick was thick and red, already slick with pre-cum. She wanted to gobble it up. But even more stunning than his physique was the confession he’d just made. “How long ago was that?”
“About two months. You hadn’t been here long, from what I was told.”
“Chad, why didn’t you say anything to me?”
He shrugged, and Annalise’s heart gave a strange lurch. This rugged cop who was sexy as hell and could probably have any woman in this town suddenly looked unsure and vulnerable. It made her want to gather him in her arms and hold him tightly.
“I don’t know,” he said. “You’re so…so damn pretty, and you seemed out of my league.”
“Chad, are you kidding me? It’s the other way around.”
He shook his head and knelt in front of her, cupping her face in his strong hands. “Don’t even think that. I’m not some kind of stud in this town, okay? I’m just me. The other Racy detective.”
She smiled. “The other one?”
“Sean gets all the attention.”
“Well I don’t know about that. Wasn’t it you who saved Sean and Maddox’s girlfriend from that crazy couple who kidnapped her?”
“All I did was mobilize our police force and the state cops.”
“Stop downplaying it, Chad. I listen to the talk in the bar. You’re the town hero.”
His gaze softened, and Annalise’s heart did the flip-flop thing again. She could get used to a guy looking at her like that. “I’d rather be your hero, Annalise.”
They stared into each other’s eyes for long moments, and Annalise had the unmistakable feeling that Chad was waiting for her to make the ultimate decision. What was right thing to do? She had another date with Dustin on Thursday. This was crazy, but she didn’t want to say “no” to Chad. And she didn’t want him to bring up Dustin again. If she showed any hesitation, he might do so. Annalise couldn’t handle that right now. She didn’t want to. She only wanted to make love to this gorgeous charming man.
She kissed him, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders and pressing her breasts up against his chest. The smattering of blond hair on it tickled her nipples and she pushed closer, welcoming the sensation. He let go of her mouth and pulled off the rest of her clothes, then her boots and socks. When he gazed at her body, his dick twitched and Annalise moaned out loud.
“You’re fucking beautiful.” Before she could react, he clamped his mouth on one nipple and took the other breast in his hand, kneading it in a way that sent a fresh wave of desire coursing through Annalise’s body. His mouth on her nipple was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. He licked it in long slow strokes then sucked hard, and then returned to lavishing attention on it with his tongue.
By the time he finally moved to the other one, Annalise’s pussy was so wet she was sure there would be a stain on her sofa cushions, but she didn’t care. All she wanted was this strong, sexy man in her arms. She wanted his mouth on her and his dick inside her.
Shadow finally ran away, and Annalise grasped fistfuls of Chad’s hair to pull his head closer, though in reality he couldn’t physically get any closer. She whimpered and moaned as jolts of electricity shot straight from her nipples to her sopping-wet pussy. When he moved his tongue down her abdomen, she cried out in anticipation.
“I can smell your pussy, Annalise. I can’t wait to taste it. I’m going to make you come with my mouth.”
“Oh, God…” He wouldn’t have to try very hard. She was nearly there already, and he hadn’t even touched it.
Annalise spread her legs wide, feeling even more wanton than she had on Friday night. Chad licked her pussy in long, slow strokes, just as he’d done to her nipples, and when he flicked her clit, she cried out as her pussy began to contract. They were tiny contractions, and he must have known her climax wasn’t quite there, because he tortured her by alternating between licks and sucking hard on her clit.
She thrashed her arms and legs, bucking her hips toward his face, unable to help it. When she reached down toward her pussy with both hands, he caught her wrists and gazed into her face with a combination of need and possessiveness. She shivered as his eyes roamed over her naked body.
“Keep that up, and I’ll hogtie you.”
She was so tempted to dare him to do just that, and for a split second she was certain he noticed that desire in her, but then he let go of her wrists and slid two long fingers into her pussy. He sucked hard on her clit, and that was all it took. She exploded in a blinding orgasm that sent wave after wave of contractions racing through her body.
Before it was completely finished she watched him slip on a condom with trembling hands, and then his dick was inside her pussy. He lifted her ass cheeks and put her legs over his shoulders. He fucked her slowly at first, staring into her eyes the entire time. His hands grasped her breasts, kneading and pulling with expert strokes.
As his thrusting increased, the words pouring out of her mouth grew more incomprehensible. She couldn’t even think. All she could do was feel. It was exquisite and erotic and completely fulfilling.
“You feel incredible, Annalise…I’m going to fuck you all night.”
She nodded. Speech was impossible. There was no need for it. Her body said it all for her. Chad pulled out and flipped her over then pushed a sofa pillow under her hips and slid his dick into her pussy from behind. Annalise groaned loudly as he filled her completely. Each thrust pushed her clit into the pillow, bringing on another climax. When he began to smack her ass cheeks with his hand, she could only whimper.
“Do you like that?” he asked.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“I’d love to use a paddle on your ass next time. Would you let me do tha
t?”
“Oh, yes…yes…”
“I love your sexy, curvy body, Annalise. It’s fucking perfect.” Chad kissed her neck tenderly. “You’re fucking perfect,” he whispered.
Annalise’s pussy contracted in another crazy orgasm, sending mind-numbing jolts of electricity out through her fingertips and toes. She’d never had such hot vanilla sex in her life. His thrusting grew so fast she wondered how he could keep up the pace, and then his own cries filled the room as he came.
When he finished, he turned her onto her back again and pulled her into his arms, cradling her against his body as if she were a precious treasure he had to hold and protect. He stroked her hair and back, whispering her name over and over again. When he released her, she led him to her bed and they fell into it, wrapped in each other’s arms. Annalise drifted off to sleep listening to Chad’s heartbeat.
Chapter Nine
Dustin finally finished up with all the emergency visits on Monday around eight in the evening and called Chad, but his cell went straight to voice mail. That was odd. Chad never had his cell off, even when he was working. Dustin was fairly certain that Chad was off duty tonight. When he’d finally spoken to Chad on Saturday afternoon he hadn’t said anything about having to work tonight. Maybe something had come up?
The weekend had been a nonstop rash of pets eating the wrong things, and this was the first time since late Saturday afternoon that he had a moment to stop and sit. He still felt guilty that he hadn’t told Chad about his date with Annalise. Why keep something like that from his best friend? The worst thing that could happen would be that he’d tease him mercilessly and demand details.
Dustin called Sean and asked if he knew where Chad was.
“That’s too funny,” said Sean. “He was in Nan’s Place Saturday morning by himself. Julie, Maddox, and I came in to have breakfast and were teasing him about not being able to reach you.”
Dustin rolled his eyes. There were times when Sean was more gossipy than he could believe. “I had my phone off.”
“What?”
Dustin realized his mistake as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Every resident in Racy who owned a pet knew that Dustin never turned off his cell phone. It was one of the reasons they could reach him in the middle of the night if they needed to, and they’d grown so used to it that what he’d just said to Sean would surely be all over town within the hour. “I needed some sleep.” That was the truth, at least. Annalise had worn him out, but in a good way.
He smiled in spite of the slipup. He hadn’t stopped smiling since kissing her goodbye late Saturday morning when she’d finally left his apartment over the clinic.
“Wow. I’ll keep this to myself, okay? It’ll give everyone a heart attack if they hear it.”
“Thanks.” Dustin was growing impatient with Sean’s theatrics. “So do you know where Chad is or not?”
“No, I don’t. He’s not on duty. Guess he must have needed some sleep, too.”
After Dustin disconnected the call, he walked out onto the tiny porch that overlooked Riverfront Drive. On warm nights he loved to sit out there and watch the lights from the buildings reflected on the river. A few of the shops were still open, but he was surprised to see a truck parked in front of Have Some Coffee because he knew Jane Snyder didn’t stay open past seven on weeknights. When he realized it was Chad’s truck, Dustin actually did a double take.
He stared at the truck for a long time, trying to figure out who Chad might be seeing that lived close enough to necessitate his leaving his truck parked on this street. Had they walked somewhere else? Had she met him there and driven him back to her place, or into town? Why else would his truck still be parked here?
If he’d been on official business, his squad car would be there, not his personal truck. And Sean had already said that Chad wasn’t working tonight. Dustin threw on some clothes and went outside. The truck was locked and Chad wasn’t in it. The coffee shop was dark and locked up tight.
As far as Dustin knew, no available women lived in the apartments above this strip of shops, and he was fairly certain Chad wasn’t banging Jane Snyder. She was almost twice his age, and everyone in town knew she was carrying on with Claude Busler. So where the hell was Chad?
Dustin walked along the river, but no one was out tonight on the footpath. A strong western breeze blew across the water, making the air feel much colder than the forty-two degrees the thermostat outside Minnie’s Flower Shop said it was.
Dustin loved that thermometer. Minnie Hester’s grandmother had made it, and even though it sometimes stopped working, Minnie refused to get rid of it. It was aluminum, in the shape of a flower basket, and the glass holding the mercury had so many tiny cracks that any day Dustin expected to walk by and find the mercury gone. He imagined Minnie would still keep the thermometer hanging outside her shop regardless. It was as much a part of it as the gaudy flower decals plastered all over the glass in the door and windows were.
He pulled his coat closer and picked up the pace, walking back toward his clinic. Chad wasn’t on Riverfront Drive or walking along the river. So where was he? He tried Chad’s cell again, but it went to voice mail. Dustin wasn’t really worried about him, just curious. Chad usually told him everything. Obviously he’d met someone at the coffee shop, or one of the stores near it, but who? And why had he kept it from Dustin? Dustin found it amusing that there was a possibility they were both keeping recent new developments in their sex lives from each other.
Dustin decided to take a walk into town. It was a chilly night but not unbearable, and he wouldn’t be able to relax for a while anyway. The day had worn him out, but right now he felt wired. A brisk walk would clear his head and then he could get some much-needed sleep.
To take his mind off Chad’s secret rendezvous, he pictured Annalise’s face and her luscious ripe body. He couldn’t wait to see her again. They were going to a movie on Thursday, and Dustin hoped they’d end up back in his apartment afterwards. He might even try and persuade her to stop in at Tye Me Up first. She was the most exciting woman he’d ever met, and he still couldn’t believe she’d not only spent the night with him, but was willing to go out with him a second time. It was more than he could have hoped for.
Most of the shops on Market Street were already closed, but Luke’s Bar was open. He strolled inside and glanced around, frowning when he didn’t spot Chad. If he wasn’t here, he might be in Nan’s Place, but other than that, Dustin had a hard time picturing any public spot he’d have taken a date. Unless he was at the movies. And there was always the possibility he wasn’t out in public at all.
Dustin walked back outside and headed toward Nan’s Place. This was the last place he’d try. If Chad wasn’t there, he’d go back to his apartment and crawl into bed. He wasn’t about to go snooping around inside the Cineplex Movie Theater. If Chad hadn’t told him about his clandestine affair, it must be with someone he didn’t want anyone to know about. Which of course was ridiculous in this town. Everyone knew everything, and if they didn’t, they soon found out.
Dustin took a seat at the counter after glancing around at the patrons. Emma came over to ask what he wanted to eat. “Well,” he said, giving her a sheepish grin, “nothing really. I was just wondering if you’d seen Chad tonight. I can’t reach him on his cell, and his truck is parked outside Have Some Coffee.”
Emma raised her eyebrows and put a glass of water in front of Dustin. “Is that so? Well, I don’t know why his truck is parked on Riverfront, but I heard Michelle Shelton and her friends giggling earlier about having seen Chad and that new waitress at Luke’s, Annalise, kissing outside the bar. Maybe he’s with her? Did you look in Luke’s Bar?”
Dustin had to remove his hand from around the glass because he squeezed it so hard he was certain it was going to break. The air in Nan’s Place suddenly felt heavy. He had to get back outside. He forced himself to slide off the stool at a normal speed, but his mind was playing tricks on him. He would have sworn he slipped off
it so quickly that he passed by Emma as nothing but a blur.
“Oh, okay. Thanks, Emma.” His voice sounded flat and high-pitched. Surely she’d notice that. “Guess I’ll try the bar.”
“Good luck.” Nothing about her expression changed. Couldn’t she see he was about to pass out? Dustin walked to the end of the strip mall and ducked around the corner, taking in large gulps of crisp night air as he leaned against the cold brick wall.
Chad had been kissing Annalise outside Luke’s Bar. Chad’s truck was parked on Riverfront. Chad was with Annalise. Were they in her apartment? Well, they certainly hadn’t walked all the way out to Elm Parkway where Chad’s house was, had they? No. Chad would sooner chop off his own leg than leave his truck in town. They had to be in Annalise’s apartment, right down the street from Luke’s Bar.
“Jesus,” whispered Dustin. Did Chad know he’d been with her? No. Chad wouldn’t have done that. And if he had, he must have had a damn good reason. “Fuck.” Dustin hadn’t meant to shout, but the word rang out loud and clear in the night air.
He didn’t know what to do. He was torn between wanting to march over there and confront them, and going into Luke’s Bar to get drunk. He only knew he couldn’t face going back to his apartment alone.
Had he been wrong about Annalise? The moment that thought raced through his mind he pushed it away. He’d given her no reason to believe they were exclusive, and he was being an ass to think she’d assume that. They’d had one date. Just because they’d ended up in bed didn’t give him rights over her. But why Chad? And had she gone out with him before? No. Chad would have said something, wouldn’t he? He suddenly wasn’t so sure about that.
“He didn’t tell you about tonight.” Dustin glanced around, but no one had heard him. The fact that he’d kept his own date with Annalise from Chad didn’t escape his consciousness. If it hadn’t been so damn painful Dustin would find it funny that they’d both done exactly the same thing, and had each kept quiet about it.