by Marie Harte
“No more ignoring me.”
As if he could. Remembrances of this night were indelibly etched into his very being. “No more ignoring you.” No more ignoring us, the honest part of him insisted. He slid out from under her and hurried from the bed to the bathroom. He returned with a towel and after cleaning them both, joined her in bed once more and hugged her close.
“And quit treating me like crap or I’m going to make you pay,” she warned, apparently not finished issuing ultimatums.
He groaned. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have avoided you.”
“Why did you?” Her lips returned to his cheeks, his nose, then his lips.
Before he could answer, the languorous kiss melted his ability to think. Sudden exhaustion filled him, and before he knew it, he’d fallen asleep again, this time right where he wanted to be.
Under Storm.
Rafe woke from the best dream he’d ever had in his life, only to find he hadn’t imagined any of it. The sun streamed through the window, highlighting the fact that he wore Storm Buchanan like a blanket. She lay in his bed, in his arms, and her lips wandered everywhere. When he groaned she lingered, and when he tensed or shivered she pulled away.
He ran his hands through her hair. “You feel so soft.”
“Mm. And you’re so hard.” She petted him all over, her fingers stroking and telling him without words she liked what she felt. “You could bench press me, I think.”
Male pride refused to let him take the compliment in stride. “Want to try it out? Except instead of lifting you over my head, I’ll lift that sweet pussy over my mouth. I’ll press you up and down over my tongue, and I’ll fuck you with it.”
A smarter man would have gauged his lover first, but Rafe couldn’t help pushing her, to see what she could and couldn’t take. Now that the floodgates had been opened, he wanted her in every way.
She paused for a moment before continuing her lingering kisses. “You can fuck me any way you like,” she whispered.
He hardened as if he hadn’t just come like a rainfall a few hours ago.
“Don’t say it if you don’t mean it,” he warned.
“Why? Will you punish me?” She kissed just above his belly button and raised her sweet ass in the air.
He growled, incredibly turned on all over again. “Yeah, I will. Except I won’t spank your ass, I’ll fuck it.”
She licked her way down toward his groin. “Promises, promises.”
She had to feel what she did to him. Part of him wanted to spank her for teasing, but the other part wanted to take her ass and own it.
“Storm, watch it, baby. Or I might just take you up on that.”
“Later. Right now there’s something I’ve been wanting to do.”
When her breath stirred over his cock, he froze. Images of her mouth haunted him.
“Wait,” he rasped and shoved a pillow under his head for a better angle. “I have to watch this.”
“Lazy. Stand up over there.” She pointed to the floor.
“You reading my mind?”
She knelt in the bed and waited for him to obey. Giving her the lead, he took his place. He’d humor her this morning, right before he took her surrender once more. Last night had really happened, and it had been as good, and as scary, as he’d expected.
Shit, he couldn’t think about anything but Storm right now. The woman went to his head faster than any Scotch.
“I’ve waited a long time for you.” She cupped her breast and tweaked her nipple. The soft moan caused him to throb.
“Oh?” If she fingered her clit, playtime was over. He’d toss her down under him and fuck her until neither one of them could move.
She ran her hands over her body, enthralling him as she confessed, “Every man I’ve ever dated did whatever I wanted him to. He responded even when I tried to stop him. But you won’t. You don’t do anything but what you want. Even when you loved me last night, you were too slow. Making me hurt, making it so good,” she whispered and licked her lips.
He stroked himself, not sure when he’d taken himself in hand.
“And now I want to show you what you do to me. If you can stand it.” She smiled and licked her lips again.
“Get over here, you little tease. On your knees.” He lost his breath when she crawled from the bed and settled between his feet on the floor. “Please tell me I’m not dreaming.” And if I am, don’t let me wake up until this is over.
Storm took him in hand and kissed his sac, nuzzling his balls.
He swore, determined to hold on.
She flicked out her tongue and licked him from the base to the tip of his cock. Then she ran that soft pink tongue over him and swept the drops of come from his slit.
He grabbed her hair and held her, so out of his mind it was a wonder he didn’t gag her when he pushed deeper.
But Storm didn’t protest. She worked his shaft with her tongue and lips, sucking him like a treat she intended to savor. She took him in her mouth and applied gentle pressure where he needed it most, with the slow drag of her teeth, grazing the spot under his crown that set him off.
When she reached a hand under his sac and cupped him, he surged deeper into her mouth.
She pulled away and watched him watching her.
“This is the best fucking night—hell, day—of my life,” he said in a hoarse voice, unable to hold the truth a secret. “This is right. So right.”
She smiled, a sly grin that distracted him enough he didn’t notice her fingers along the seam of his ass until she pushed against his anus.
“Shit, woman, what are you—ah,” he moaned when she sucked his cock once more.
Storm pushed and retreated. She rubbed a finger over his wet slit, using his own arousal as lube. Excitement swelled inside him, especially when Storm slid her finger around his rim and pushed it inside. The intrusion stung, but he didn’t stop her.
To his astonishment, he hardened like stone. His orgasm loomed perilously close.
He could barely speak. “Baby, I’m going to come down your throat. So if you don’t want to swallow, you’d better pull away now.”
Angel that she was, she sucked harder and shoved that finger deeper.
“Oh fuck, oh fuck, yes,” he hissed as he exploded in her mouth.
He cried out her name as he released, nearly on his toes when she pressed that spot inside his ass that felt like heaven ten times over. She stopped searching and teased that spot again as he continued to come, until finally, she withdrew her finger.
Drained and on the verge of passing out, he pulled away from her mouth and steadied himself on her shoulder.
He wanted to thank her, to tell her that no matter what, his time with her had been worth his career, his future and anything life had to offer. But he had no words.
Fortunately, he didn’t need any.
“Yeah, that’s what you did to me earlier.” She smiled. “Lay down and I’ll be right back.”
She left for the bathroom to clean up, and he tried to hold out as he struggled to keep the rest of the world at bay.
But he couldn’t think past the need to hold her in arms once more, where she belonged. In his arms, by his heart. Nothing else seemed to matter. He should have felt more scared. He knew he would be, eventually. But not now.
Storm lay against a firm chest. A steady heartbeat and the familiar, sexy scent of Rafe relaxed her.
Good Lord, he’d put a spell on her. There was no other explanation for the way she’d acted. Talk about mind control. She’d come hard, without a care that Rafe had been naked inside her. She didn’t worry about pregnancy, but the possibility of disease remained. Still, she trusted him. She knew Rafe would never put another in harm’s way, not if he could prevent it.
No, what really concerned her was the way she’d lost her inhibitions with the man. She’d touched herself in front of him, gone down on him, and she’d fingered his ass. Rafe had loved it, but would he think less of her now for being so open? She’d sensed not
hing but pleasure from him.
She flushed and scooted out from under him. To her amusement, he sighed her name and closed his eyes.
That had to be a good sign.
Bemused at how much she wanted a possible future with the man, she reminded herself to be cautious and headed to the shower.
As she cleaned herself, she wondered about him. After their encounter in the safe house, she’d expected a few days of fun and hot sex. They had to be together, so why not make the most of it? Instead, he’d made excuses to stay away, and it hurt. For some odd reason, she’d thought he’d actually started to like her.
Then to wake up last night with his hands on her… She felt as if she’d finally come home. Sexually, they fit. And from what she’d seen of his house and his life, they shared so much more. A shared love of books, adventure movies, Southern-styled cooking, fitness, psychic abilities…the list went on.
They had their differences, of course. He was a neat freak and she a disorganized—according to him—slob. They worked for rival agencies. But the joy of being near a man she liked who didn’t obey her every command? Sheer magic. She kept telling herself to keep it cool. They didn’t have to marry, simply get to know one another better. Time enough for his heart to catch up to hers.
Because damn it all, she had a bad feeling she was falling in love. If any other man had avoided her for days then pounced on her for sex, she’d have shown him the door. With Rafe, she’d opened her arms. Now how to make sure she had a chance to see where this new relationship between them might go without scaring him off?
Despite Rafe’s obvious strengths, she had a feeling that pushing him too hard would scare him away. Playing it cool would not only confuse him, it’d keep him on his toes.
She lathered herself with soap, catching the citrus scent she associated with her lover. Just thinking the words warmed her, and she chuckled. Rafe wouldn’t find her so easy to ignore anymore. This time the hunter would become the hunted, and the poor guy had no idea.
An hour later, when Rafe came looking for her, he found her watching a talk show as she sipped her coffee. It took everything Storm had not to rush into his arms and give him a big, wet good morning kiss. But knowing that, one, it made little sense to feel so deeply for a man she hadn’t known for long, and two, he would push her away if she became too clingy, she remained seated.
“Hey, handsome. Coffee’s on the counter. I didn’t want to wake you. Hope the TV wasn’t too loud.”
“No.” He cleared his throat and came to stand by her. “You okay?”
She smiled up at him, pleased when his eyes darkened and fixed on her mouth. “Just fine. I feel boneless, if you want the truth.”
He smiled, and her heart shattered at his feet. Oh man, it was way too soon to be feeling the L-word.
“Good thing I didn’t know what you could do with that mouth when I had you tied up in Locklen’s study. We might never have left.”
She frowned. “You just had to bring that up, didn’t you?”
His smile widened. “I can’t wait to tie you up again.”
“Who said there’ll be an again? Maybe I’ve had my fill of Rafe Savage. You’re a little bossy, anybody ever tell you that?”
Rafe stared down at her with a look that seared her to her toes.
“Don’t even think about messing me up, Savage. I just took a shower. Stop. Right now.” She called on her power and gave it everything she had.
One hot, sweaty lovemaking session later, she straddled him on the couch and tried to get her breath back. Their clothes were scattered all over the floor.
“Beast.”
“But I’m a happy beast.”
“A bossy beast,” she muttered, wishing she could feel even a little mad for his domineering manner.
“Time for another shower, hmm?” Rafe laughed and carried her into the bathroom.
Later, they sat in his kitchen munching on toast and eggs and drinking coffee.
Storm considered him. “Something I just realized. You’re easy. Mr. Big, Bad and Sexy is a pushover when it comes to sex. Who knew?”
He flushed and shot her a frown. “Smartass. It’s you. Not my fault I lose it any time I’m within five feet of you. My dick’s been hard for days, and I’ve been pent up since you first started making trouble for me.”
Nice to know she hadn’t been the only one affected by their first meeting.
“Something else we need to discuss.”
“Yeah?”
“I’ve come in you without protection.”
The words hung in the air. Embarrassed but knowing they needed to talk about it, Storm concentrated on her coffee. “I’m on the Pill, and I haven’t had sex in so long before you I was practically a born-again virgin.”
He coughed but didn’t manage to stifle his laughter. “You sure aren’t virginal anymore.”
“Not since meeting you,” she agreed.
Chapter Nine
“You should know it’s been the same for me. I don’t date much, and when I do, I use protection. I’ve never been with a woman without it, actually.” As he said it, Rafe looked surprised.
They watched each other until the quiet grated on Storm’s nerves. “Aside from what I learned having sex and snooping through your house, I don’t know much about you.”
“What do you want to know?”
“I don’t know.” Everything. “Why do you work for Westlake, of all places?” She frowned and he grinned. “What exactly can you do with your mind besides annoy me? Because I still don’t know.”
“A tall order.”
“Rafe…”
“Relax. I have nothing to hide. I was a cop in Atlanta for a few years before I found Jurek Westlake, or rather, he found me. I wanted to work in a place where I wouldn’t have to hide my abilities, so I took the job he offered and haven’t looked back since.”
She thought there was more to it than that, but she didn’t want to stop him from sharing. “What all can you do?”
“I see glimpses of the future. I call the visions with concentration, but sometimes they hit me without warning. Like when I saw your hit and run.”
“That must have shaken you up.”
“You have no idea.” He finished his coffee and poured himself some more. “What about you? Do you do more than that mind control thing? I know all you Buchanans have psychic abilities. It’s a family thing, right?”
“Yeah. My mom and dad both have it. I can manipulate minds—well, most of them.” She wondered what made him so different. “My parents seem to be immune, but my brothers had to learn it. Mom and Dad taught them to shield themselves at an early age. From what I’ve been told, I was a terror as a toddler.”
He smiled. “But a cute terror, I’ll bet.” His eyes grew intense, and he gave her a look she couldn’t read. “So you work for your uncle as an investigator? Seems like a real family business.”
She shrugged. “Uncle Max started it on a smaller scale years ago. He likes helping people. I think if it wasn’t for the politics and hiding what he can really do, he’d have joined the police force like you did.”
He nodded. “I loved it, but it was hard. I could never explain why I knew certain things.”
“Yeah. So Max started his firm. My brothers and I worked independently for a while doing the same thing, then we thought we might as well join the team. I love working there.”
Rafe snorted. “I’ll bet. No rules, excitement, and hefty fees. Hell, half the things you people do are illegal.”
“Really? So finding you in Locklen’s office, breaking and entering, that was a fluke?”
He grinned. “Good point. Now, let’s not ruin our fragile peace with a discussion about whose firm is better.”
“Why? Because you’d lose?”
He chuckled but refused to answer her. “What do your parents think about what you do for a living?”
“They support me. They like all their kids working together. We manage to keep one another out of troub
le most of the time. What about you? Do you have family? What do your parents think about you working for Westlake?”
The glow in his eyes faded. “My parents are dead.”
“I’m sorry.”
He blew out a breath. “They died fifteen years ago. They say time heals, but I still miss them, you know?”
“Yeah.” As close as Storm was to her family, she understood his pain.
“I don’t have brothers or sisters. No aunts or uncles. It’s just me.” He stopped and cleared his throat. “Anyway, I think they’d like me working for Jurek. I get to use my ability to help people. Hell, I became a cop just like my dad. My mom served too. She was a Marine.”
“No kidding?” She knew she would have liked his parents.
He smiled, and the warmth in the expression made her belly do flip-flops.
Oh man, I am falling so hard.
Rafe continued, “She liked ordering us guys in the family around. Both Mom and Dad lived to see me enter the Academy. But they didn’t see me pin on the badge.”
She couldn’t stop herself from asking, “What happened?”
“We all lived in Atlanta at the time. Made a family weekend of it and drove down to the stadium for a Braves game. I remember it was a really nice day,” he said softly, his eyes distant. “The Braves won seven to six in overtime. Everyone was crazy happy. And so were we. Then on the way home we ran out of gas.” He toyed with his fork. “Dad pulled into a rundown station to fill up and ran into a cliché. When he went inside to pay, he interrupted a robbery and got shot. My mom happened to go into the store with him when it happened. She didn’t make it out either. I caught the guy on his way out. Sheer dumb luck. He bumped into me in his haste to get away. I laid him out flat. But it was too late.”
“I’m so sorry, Rafe.”
He shrugged. “It happened a long time ago. And it’s not something I like to talk about.” He took the hand she’d unconsciously reached toward him.
“I’m sorry for bringing it up.”
He tightened his hand on hers. “Thanks for listening.”