In His Sights

by Jo Davis

  “Robyn,” he breathed into her hair.

  “Mmm?”

  “This feels so good, holding you. I’ve wanted to do this since we met.”

  “God, me too,” she admitted. “Please, kiss me.”

  He sucked in a breath, his expression showing surprise. But he recovered quickly. “My pleasure.”

  His mouth covered hers, his lips full and firm. Warm. She melted against him and buried her fingers in his soft hair, tangling her tongue with his.

  The first stirrings of arousal were a welcome surprise. She wasn’t surprised that she was aroused by him, but it had simply been so long she’d forgotten this feeling. The wonder of having a man pressed against her, his hard length trapped in his jeans between them, evidence that he felt the same. It was so normal. And yet such a revelation.

  His hands slid under the hem of her blouse, palms skimming her abdomen. Her skin tingled where he touched and she shivered. Desire flared, tightening her nipples. The place between her thighs heated and she wanted more. To get closer.

  Breaking the kiss, he framed her face with his hands. “I don’t want to push too hard.”

  “You’re not pushing. If you do, I’ll let you know.”

  “All right.” He gave her a rueful smile. “I want you so bad it hurts, just so you know.”

  Her pulse leapt and she laid a hand on the front of his shirt, reveling in the muscles of his chest underneath her fingertips. “I want you, too. You have no idea how much. Come back to my place for a nightcap?”

  “What about Maddy? Will it freak her out if I’m there?” His concern was sweet.

  “She’ll be in bed by now,” she reminded him. “And besides, even if she wasn’t, she thinks you’re awesome.”

  “We’ll see if that lasts when she spies me kissing the crap out of her mom.”

  When, not if. She liked that. “My daughter is made of strong stuff.”

  “If you’re sure . . .”

  “Positive.”

  “To your place, then.”

  The trip back to the car wasn’t rushed, but neither did they linger. He opened the door to the vehicle and helped her in, then jogged to his side and soon they were on their way. The ride to her house was charged with desire. Robyn couldn’t speak for Chris, but finding him had been like stumbling from the desert into an oasis.

  She wanted to drink until she was sated.

  When they arrived, she used her key to let them in. Quietly, they made their way to the living room, where Rachel was curled up on the sofa watching TV in the darkness. On seeing them, the sitter stretched and yawned.

  “Did you guys have a good time?”

  “We sure did,” Robyn told her with a grin. “How were things here?”

  “The usual. Maddy colored for a while, then we played a couple of games, and she had her bath. She went to bed at eight twenty, after her snack, and she was out like a light by eight forty. She squirmed around some before she fell asleep, but I think that was because you were out on your date.”

  “So she was no trouble?”

  “Are you kidding?” Rachel snorted. “She’s the best kid ever.”

  “Well, I happen to agree, but then I’m biased.” Slipping off her purse, Robyn dug for her wallet and extracted the money she owed Rachel. After counting it out, she handed over the bills. “There you go.”

  “Thanks, Dr. Lassiter.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate you watching Maddy.”

  “No problem.”

  Robyn saw her to the door, and then locked up behind her. When she returned to the living room, Chris was sitting on the sofa watching her with pure male interest. The heat was unmistakable.

  “That was hot.”

  “What?” Puzzled, she took a seat next to him.

  “Dr. Lassiter,” he emphasized. “I like that. Who would believe I snagged a smart, beautiful doc of my very own?”

  “Oh, I don’t know if you’ve snagged me just yet,” she began. But she found herself wrapped in his arms as he growled playfully.

  “Oh, you don’t, huh?”

  “Nope.”

  Turning, he leaned over her and cupped her face, planting another skillful kiss on her lips. His mouth devoured hers and she went with it. Let need take over and fuel the fire, licking at her body higher and higher with each passing second. His hands roamed, caressed her thighs. Stroked.

  They explored each other’s mouth, touched as much as they could there on the sofa, where they could be discovered any second. Finally she could take no more.

  “Do you have protection?”

  “Never leave home without it.”

  A small laugh escaped her. “I’m not sure whether that’s a comfort.”

  “Can we go with yes?”

  “We’d better, or I’m going to combust,” she told him. “Come on.”

  Taking his hand, she led him down the hallway, tiptoeing past Maddy’s room. The door was open and she glimpsed her little girl’s sleeping face in the glow of the night-light before moving on. She felt a bit guilty, but why she wasn’t sure. She was a grown woman with all the desires that came with it. And hers had been sorely neglected for years.

  Once they were in her room, she closed and locked the door. “If she gets up and needs me, she’ll knock.”

  “You sure this is all right?” he asked softly.

  She tugged on his shirt. “Never more so than I am right now. And you’re way overdressed, my sexy detective.”

  He helped her off with his shirt. “Have a fetish for a man in uniform, by any chance?”

  “Nah, it’s not the uniform that does it for me,” she said breathlessly, working on the button on his jeans. “More like the total package. The smokin’ body, the weapon—both kinds—and the whole authority figure thing. Turns me on.”

  “Lucky me.”

  There wasn’t a lot of talking after that, which was fine by Robyn.

  With his shirt discarded, she got his jeans undone and pushed them down his thighs to reveal strong, sculpted legs. From head to toe, he looked like he could’ve played football at one time, though he was built more like a quarterback than a linebacker—lean, toned muscle. He had a light dusting of dark hair on his chest that matched the neatly trimmed bush surrounding his cock.

  And what a cock. Mother nature had blessed Chris with what she guessed was a good nine inches, thicker at the base and tapering to a flared mushroom head that was weeping little pearls at the slit. She needed a tiny taste, had to have him.

  Kneeling, she grasped the base of him and guided the tip to her mouth. He groaned, hips pitching forward some as she swirled it with her tongue. Lapped and enjoyed the salty-sweet essence. Wrapping her fingers around his girth, she began to pump. As she inched him farther into her mouth and sucked, she used her hand to work the rest that wouldn’t fit. She enjoyed sucking but wasn’t good at deep-throating.

  He didn’t seem to mind. A moan rumbled in his chest as he found a rhythm, fucking into her mouth at a pace that wouldn’t hurt her. She was working on making him come when he suddenly, but carefully, pulled back.

  “I’m going to come if we keep that up, honey. Your turn.”

  Taking her hand, he helped her up and then got busy removing her clothes. He unbuttoned her blouse first, parted the material, and pushed off her shoulders, letting it slide to the floor. Then he reached around her and unclasped her bra, eased off the straps. The bra joined her blouse and he sucked in a breath, cupping her breasts reverently.

  “You’re beautiful.”

  She wanted to duck her head and avoid his gaze, but she didn’t. Even though it seemed like a lifetime since a man had seen her body, she wouldn’t shy away. “Thank you.”

  His thumbs brushed her nipples, hardening the already pert peaks to bullet points. Bending, he flicked one of the little points with his
tongue, sending small tremors of delight through her nerve endings. He laved first that nipple, then the other, before working to unfasten her pants.

  He pushed them down, along with her lacy panties, and she stepped out of them. Bared to his hungry gaze, her desire mounted. “I need you. Now.”

  His lazy grin was disarming. “You’ve got me.”

  Crowding close, she walked him backward until the backs of his legs touched the mattress. Then she gave him a playful shove, enjoying a sense of satisfaction to see the hotter-than-hell detective sprawled on her bed. Pouncing, she quickly crawled over him to straddle his waist and bent to spread kisses on his yummy chest.

  “Damn, that feels good,” he whispered. “You have magic lips.”

  “Mmm, but you have the magic wand.” Scooting down some, she reached for him and began to stroke the rigid length.

  Chuckling, he raised his hips, making it clear how much he loved the attention. She gave him a few more strokes and then reached for the square packet on the nightstand. Quickly she tore it open and sheathed his cock. She held him while she got into position, then slowly lowered herself, working him inside.

  “It’s been so long . . .” she breathed. He was a tight fit. So snug the stretch almost burned.

  “Don’t hurt yourself, honey.”

  “I won’t. Just need to adjust.”

  Gradually, her channel relaxed to accommodate him and the burn began to ease. As she moved up and down, riding him, the discomfort gave way to heat that started in her sex and spread to her limbs. She wanted to get under his skin, merge, become a part of him.

  As she rode him, the way he gazed up at her, as though she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, spiraled her desire out of control. His big hands spanned her waist and held on as she increased the tempo, bouncing on his lap. Breathy moans filled the air. Hers and his mingled, along with the musky scent of sex.

  All too soon, her passion was driven over the edge. “Oh! I’m gonna—”

  “Do it,” he urged, fucking her hard. “Come all over my cock, baby.”

  Unable to hold back, she shattered. The orgasm rolled over her in a tidal wave of ecstasy, shaking her to the foundations. Her lover quickly followed, burying himself deep and grinding his hips, head thrown back as he spasmed on and on, filling her with heat.

  Spent, she draped herself across his chest and kissed his lips. He responded with enthusiasm, returning the kiss for a long moment. Pulling back, she smiled down at him.

  “Stay for a while?”

  “I’d love to. I’ll be up early, though, before Maddy stirs. I’ve got some witnesses to see in the morning, anyway.”

  She didn’t want him to go, but knew that was for the best. “Okay. But you’re all mine for now.”

  “And you’re mine.”

  She snuggled into his side and drifted. As she did, it occurred to her that she hadn’t thought of Greg at all, except for when Chris had asked about him at dinner. Am I really ready to move on? Can I open myself up to more pain?

  She didn’t know about the future.

  But the here and now felt pretty damned good.

  * * *

  He waited for hours.

  Seething, he watched the darkened house, positive his special chosen one would come home. The others were vital, but this one . . . he was the culmination of all the careful plans. He was the one who must suffer the most, which was why he was still breathing. The others were dying swiftly, as planned.

  But not him. The bastard must suffer the most horrendous death possible.

  But why isn’t he home? What if he suspects? Could he have figured out why he’s in such agony? Does he know why he’s dying, and how?

  Shifting from foot to foot, he began to sweat. No. If the cop knew, I’d be in handcuffs already. There’s still time to make sure everything happens as it should.

  So the cop probably didn’t know. But there was one way to find out.

  Making his way to the back of the house, he kept to the shadows. Using the trees and bushes as cover, he trod as silently as possible, careful not to alert the neighbor’s yappy dog. Pets were always a problem and sometimes he had to shut them up. Not that he liked hurting animals. They were mostly nice, but he had to do what was necessary.

  Moving slowly, he skirted the backyard and was halfway to the back patio door when he saw something interesting. In the light coming from the back porch bulb, he saw there was a hole in the grass, obviously dug on purpose. Dirt was piled to one side of the hole, and there was a wire with a small red flag to mark the spot. As if the big pile of fucking dirt wasn’t a clue about the hole.

  Briefly, he wondered what sort of work was being done, then shrugged. Who the hell cared? Hurrying, he made his way to the back door. This was the tricky part—he was exposed, unscrewing the hot bulb with a cloth from his pocket. If anyone saw him, the chase was on.

  But nobody did. In seconds, he had his special tools out and had jimmied the door open, and was stepping inside.

  It had been a calculated risk, targeting the cop. But this was meant to be. The bastard had to pay. Justice would be done for the wrongs he’d suffered.

  Inside, he shook himself from his musings and took a look around. He didn’t dare turn on a light, so he fished the small penlight from his jeans and used it instead. The house was tidy, not much out of place. The kitchen had a couple of dishes in the sink, two bills tossed onto the counter. Also on the counter was a scrap of paper with a number scrawled on it, and above that the words City of Sugarland Utilities.

  Could that be the reason for the small mess in the backyard? Going on a hunch, he walked over to the sink and turned on the water. Bingo! Nothing came out. The water had been turned off, which meant his target was likely staying somewhere else until it was fixed.

  Dammit—now his plans had been put on hold.

  He took a calming breath. The important thing was that they were merely on hold, not destroyed.

  Just to be sure, he went to check on the items most crucial to his revenge. Heart pounding, he searched, fearful that the ace up his sleeve had been discovered too soon. But no!

  The items were still there. Relief made his limbs grow weak. Now he needed to get out of here before he was found. Quickly, he retraced his steps and let himself out, then, after some debate, screwed the bulb back in over the porch. He could’ve left it, but if the cop got curious, he might snoop around. And if he did that, he might find the very faint scratches around the lock on his door.

  One thing could lead to another. So the bulb was put back to rights.

  He’d gotten away clean and congratulated himself for a covert operation well done.

  One more step toward his goal.

  6

  “Do I need to ask what—or who—is responsible for putting that stupid grin on your face?”

  Chris looked up from the file he was holding and saw Taylor Kayne standing just inside Chris’s office, his expression open and betraying his good humor. “I guess the rumors are flying, huh?”

  “About you and the foxy doc? Hell yeah, what else is there to gossip about?” Taylor leaned against the wall. “When are you going to introduce me? I somehow missed the pleasure at the party.”

  “You have your own pretty lady,” he said, sharper than he’d intended.

  The detective laughed. “Relax. I’m quite happy with Cara. You’ve got it bad already, man.”

  “Sorry.” He forced himself to relax. “I’ll introduce you guys soon.”

  “Been going out a lot?”

  “We had our first big date last Friday night,” he said, warming to Taylor’s interest. “I took Robyn to that new Italian place on the river. It was great. She’s great, and so is her little girl. We—”

  “Whoa, a kid?” Taylor whistled, arching a brow. “That sounds real domestic.”

  “So w
hat? Maddy’s a sweet girl, and she hasn’t had a father figure in her life for a while now. She and I get along really well.”

  “It’s cool,” Taylor said, nodding. “I was just wondering if you were ready for an instant family, that’s all. I mean, I’ve watched Shane go through it with Drew, and even though the boy is older and is a good kid, that doesn’t make the adjustment any easier.”

  “I know. Shane’s my cousin and I saw all that go down, remember? Anyway, I don’t want to jump the gun, but things are going well. I’ve taken lunch to Robyn at the hospital twice since our date, and it’s been fun. We’ve got plans to take Maddy out together tonight when I get off.”

  “That’s cool. I’m glad to see you so happy. For real.”

  “Thanks. Like I said, it’s early. And there’s this hesitance in Robyn that worries me.” He paused, trying to find the right words. “We get along great, and the chemistry is off the charts. But when I hint at getting serious, she changes the subject or clams up.”

  “Ah,” his friend said sagely. “A woman with baggage. Don’t worry, it sounds like she’s really into you.”

  “I think she is. I just wish she’d open up more about her past, particularly with her husband.” He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Robyn told me that he passed away two years ago, but I get the distinct impression there’s more to it than that. Whatever happened has left her scarred, and afraid.”

  Taylor clamped a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t sweat this, and don’t push too hard. She’ll tell you when she’s ready.”

  He sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. It’s just hard not to push when it’s in my nature.”

  Just then, Shane stuck his head in the door, leaned in, and smacked his partner on the arm. “You gonna stand in here and shoot the shit with my cuz all day? Come on, lazy ass, we’ve got cases to solve.”

  “Yeah, yeah, suck my dick.”

  “Not even for a million dollars. Let’s go, shithead.”