Storm pinned her to the wall and pressed himself against her, grinding his hips. Lucy closed her eyes, head lolling back. She could feel the hard lines of his body, the wall of his chest, the lean planes of his thighs, the thick pulsing heat of his cock.
“I’m gonna go first.” And then he stepped back.
She almost reached for him and then stopped, recognizing what Storm was up to. He wanted to lay himself bare before her eyes, be vulnerable.
Oh, yes, it was time they both laid down their armor.
And then he stripped off.
She watched, breathless, spellbound. Storm was a sight to behold. No chest hair. His abs were well-defined, bunched muscle beneath supple skin. Storm worked on the fly of his jeans. His gray boxer briefs strained, trying to contain his monster erection. He peeled them down slowly and his cock sprang free.
The tip of him was wine-dark, flushed. Ready. Her body throbbed in response, as though answering a call.
“Touch me?” His eyes were hooded, a touch uncertain.
With trembling fingertips, she explored his chest, fondling him, rejoicing in the way he moaned, the pained murmurs. And when she wrapped a hand around his dick, Storm stifled a guttural needy sound.
She stroked him, pumping his foreskin up and down, making his hips thrust in time with her movements.
Hmm, I could get used to this. Storm, at my command, under my control.
Storm grasped her arm. “Please, you have to stop. I can’t take anymore, or I’ll lose it.” His cheeks were hollow, and a muscle worked in his jaw.
Sometime in the future, Lucy wanted to push him, make him come apart in her arms, but not now. Not tonight. They were both too raw, ripped apart inside, the walking wounded.
“Can I?” he asked, gesturing to her clothing.
Lucy managed to nod.
She needed his hands all over her. In fact, Lucy might just die on the spot, if he didn’t touch her. He tugged at the hem, before slipping the shirt over her head, and then peeling the pants down her legs. Next, he knelt in front of her, to pull the black panties down. He smoothed her thighs, stroking Lucy as though reveling in the sensation of her skin beneath his fingertips.
Lucy was wet with need. Her scent perfumed the air, a musky fragrance made of longings denied.
When he’d finished the task, Storm reached around for the clasp on her bra, which he unhooked effortlessly.
Afterward, Storm sighed and laid his head against her breast, right above her heart. He wrapped himself around her like a familiar blanket, comfort personified. Being in his arms was like warming her chilled hands by a fire or coming home after an exhausting day.
It felt natural, Right. Familiar.
“Lucy, I…” Storm shook his head, unable to find the words.
“I know.” Tears stung her eyes.
He walked them over to the bed. Lucy landed on her back and he was right on top of her, pressing her thighs apart, and fitting his hips between them. His cock rested against her pussy lips, nuzzling inside.
And she relaxed, opening to him.
He kissed her breasts, licking the nipples, and rolling them between his lips. And then he explored her belly, kissing his way down, lower and lower. Storm played with her pussy, first the outer lips, and then slipping a finger inside.
Lucy gasped, eyes slamming shut. Her inner core throbbed in time with her heartbeat, like an ache, a wound. And she’d pictured this moment so many times, Lucy feared it might be a figment of her imagination.
“I don’t think I can wait much longer.”
“Me either.”
“Protection?” he asked.
“IUD. You don’t have to wear a condom if you don’t want to. I’m clean.”
Hussam had been scrupulous about medical care. Shh. Don’t think of him right now. Not here.
“Don’t want to.” His voice was a low rumble.
Storm inserted the head of his cock with one hand and slid all the way home. They both gasped. Storm glided in and out of her, the weight of him was an enjoyable burden. And then he began to rock, nudging into her. She lifted up to meet his thrusts, wrapping her legs around him, moving as one.
Storm squeezed his eyes shut, as though he were in agony. His pubic bone grazed just the right spot. She dug her heels into the bed, seeking more contact. He seemed to understand, slowing a bit, drawing this out for her pleasure.
Lucy sobbed, biting her lip, quivering. She could feel the release, hovering in the distance, so close, she could almost grasp it.
“Yes, I want you to come for me, Lucy.”
And then she let go.
She was lost. This was the first time she’d made love in years. This wasn’t about pleasing someone, fucking them for information. She was in Storm’s arms, because she wanted to be. Needed to be.
Lucy tumbled into an orgasm, that left her breathless, convulsing, followed by a series of aftershocks. Storm held Lucy as she orgasmed, muttering nonsense, guiding her through it.
After she came back to herself once more, he thrust into her hard, faster, furious with a sense of urgency. He groaned, the muscles in his arms clenching as he held himself above her. Storm slowed down, stopped, tendons pulling in his neck.
Lucy watched him, spellbound, unable to look away.
Storm growled as he shoved his cock into her one last time, flooding her with a hot rush of wetness.
But he refused to leave her right away. Instead, they shared an ineffably sweet kiss, so tender and soft, tears pricked her eyes. He stroked her hair, cupped her face, kissed her forehead, cheeks, and then the tip of her nose.
She felt cherished, adored. Loved. And utterly petrified.
“Look into my eyes. See me.”
She forced herself to meet his gaze.
And Lucy was lost. His dark eyes consumed her, drank her down and entered her.
She could feel his longing for her. His desire. It was frightening in its intensity, and not just physical.
“You feel it, don’t you?” he whispered.
Lucy nodded.
“I’ve been in love with you for years. You’re the only woman in the world to me.”
Lucy gasped.
For once, she didn’t suspect he was lying to her. The truth was right there in front of her, shining in his eyes.
Lucy choked up. No one had ever loved her, not in the romantic sense anyway. No one. Storm had just offered her all of himself. She’d never been this close to another human being.
“Do you feel the same way about me?” Tears spattered her cheeks and Storm wiped them away.
“I…I don’t know what to say.” She took in a shuddering breath. Lucy was confused. She loved him, hated him. Needed Storm. And yet, she longed to run from him.
He chuckled wryly. “Fair enough.”
Lucy gasped as he slowly pulled out of her. Bereft, she clung to him, trying to keep him within her but it was useless.
Suddenly, Lucy felt cold, empty without the warmth of him on top of her, inside her. Once more she was alone, and it was nearly unbearable.
“Storm, are we going to talk about this?”
He solemnly shook his head. “No. You know where I stand now. What is there to talk about?”
“But…”
“Lucy, it’s okay. Either you’ll take all of me or leave me, for good this time.” His breath hitched. “I’ve accepted that.”
“But I—”
“Hush.” He placed a finger to her lips. “All you have to do is say is ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ but I want you to take your time with this decision. It’s a big one.”
Yeah, no kidding.
The only problem is, Lucy didn’t have a clue what she should do.
***
I wish this night could go on forever.
Storm had stayed up into the wee hours of the morning, watching Lucy sleep. He didn’t want to miss one second of having her in his arms.
He didn’t know if she’d choose him or not. They’d be perfect together. He just hoped Lucy would giv
e him a second chance.
And then his phone beeped.
He’d programmed an algorithm to sift through Walker’s bank records, and he’d unearthed a few offshore accounts. The information Lucy had uploaded from his laptop had been invaluable.
Storm planned on putting tracers on them and following the cash. If the police couldn’t make murder charges stick, they might have another way of getting this bastard put away.
But first, coffee….
He was reluctant to leave Lucy, but he didn’t have a choice. There was a lot of work to be done. Storm pulled on a pair of jeans and then leaned down to kiss her forehead.
She snuggled deeper into the covers and drifted off again.
When he got downstairs, Storm found Nox at the kitchen table, nursing a cup of coffee. He had a stupid smile on his face. Seeing him so damn happy was downright scary.
Ever since he’d started dating their last client, Maeve, he’d been acting like Mr. Rogers. Normally, Nox was kind of a dick. A cranky one.
“Long night?” he drawled.
Storm didn’t respond. He poured himself a cup and sat down with his phone.
Nox waggled his brows. “That good, huh?”
“Lucy is…” Storm drifted off. Words failed him. She was important to him and he was scared, she’d walk away from him. “Everything to me,” he croaked.
“Believe me, I get it.” Something like compassion flitted across Nox’s face.
Clearly, he did. At least someone else understood his fears.
“Got any advice for me?” Storm asked.
“Yeah, don’t fuck it up.”
“Thanks, brother. That was helpful.”
Just then, the front door slammed shut and King walked into the kitchen. He had bags under his eyes and his red hair was a hot mess, sticking up every which way.
Nox gaped at him. “What the hell happened to you?”
King grunted. “I’ve only had two hours of sleep, dickhead.”
“Did you get it?” Storm asked.
“Well, hello, to you too.”
“Sorry. Good morning. What did you find out?”
King sat across from him and snagged Storm’s cup. He took a drink. “Finch, the chem lab guy, was up all night long running tests. He says he’s never seen anything like it.”
“And…?” Storm prompted.
“From the preliminary results, he says one of the solutions is a cocktail, a mixture of several drugs. In this case, a paralytic agent, a muscle relaxer, and something else that suppresses the vascular system.” King rubbed his forehead. “I didn’t follow everything. He was jabberin’ at me and it was really fuckin’ early so I only got about half of it.”
Storm groaned. “And what was in the other solution?”
“Apparently, it’s an antidote. Finch thinks it some kind of designer drug. He says once the cocktail’s administered, a person only has thirty minutes or so.”
“Until what…?” Storm was afraid he already knew the answer, but he asked anyway.
“Until they die. Finch said they slowly drift off if the drug isn’t counteracted.”
Okay, that made sense. Lucy said Walker had mentioned girls “willing” to play his game and the ones who didn’t. So, the creeper shot them up and then revived them, if the women “played along.”
And he let them die if his victims refused.
“And the pills?”
“He said it contained the same compounds.” So, the pills were a one-way ticket.
Storm shook his head. “So, where did he get this shit?”
“Didn’t you say that Tom guy also went to the sex club?” King asked.
“Yes, and he was a doctor.” Maybe he’d hooked Beckett up with the drugs. If not, there were plenty of high-end perverts there who could’ve created it.
“Sex club?” Nox rubbed his jaw. Do you mean Edge?”
Storm ignored him. “Why in the hell would he come up with a drug to knock girls out in the first place?”
There was nothing sexy about a limp body in bed. Lucy had been enthusiastic, clutching him, grinding her hips against his…
Focus.
Nox spoke up. “I know why.”
“Explain,” King said.
“Let’s just say, some guys like it when a girl’s lifeless.”
Storm grimaced. “You mean necrophiles?” He’d had some basic psych training, so he knew the fetish involved a preference for dead bodies, which was so disgusting, he couldn’t even stand it.
“You aren’t into that shit, are you?” King asked.
“Fuck no, I like my girls alive and kickin’.” Nox saluted him with the coffee cup. “Good luck catchin’ the freak.”
“You got anything to say to me?” King asked, crossing his arms over his massive chest.
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
“It’s gonna take a lot more than a ‘thank you’, Storm.” King frowned. “Finch demanded a favor in return, instead of cash. And the little weasel added an ‘express service’ fee to the total. As far as I’m concerned, you’re on the hook, right along with me.”
“Fine, I’ll help out. Whatever.” He’d worry about the rest later.
Storm just prayed this would be enough for the police to investigate
***
“Christ Almighty, it’s you again,” Red Ferguson said.
Storm, Lucy, and Huck, the local sheriff were at Red’s Smokehouse. Storm had made short work of the introductions, eager to get the police involved. Once they got on board, Lucy would no longer be in so much danger.
Red’s was a small, local restaurant that did a lot of business in these parts. The place didn’t have much atmosphere—the floors were white linoleum and the wood-paneled featured the occasional pair of deer antlers, mixed in with neon Wild Turkey signs.
It looks like redneck hell in here.
But there weren’t a lot of choices out here in the Styx. It was either this or McDonald’s.
“You remember me?”
“Yup.” His lip curled. “What can I get you?” At one time, he’d probably been a redhead, given the fiery hairs mixed in with all the white. Hence the nickname. He was a slight man, but sprightly for his age.
“I’ll have the fruit plate with cottage cheese and water.”
Red grunted. “And for the lady? Are you havin’ the same?”
“Hell, no,” Lucy shuddered as if repulsed by the very idea. “I feel like having breakfast for lunch. I want bacon and scrambled eggs with sourdough toast.”
Red grinned. “You’re my kinda girl.” He glared at Storm. “You could learn a thing or two from her.” Red glanced at Huck Wells. “What can I get you, sheriff?”
“I’ll have the pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw.”
Huck was in his mid-thirties and wore a khaki uniform with a big ass star pinned to his chest. Most women would consider him handsome. He had blond hair, blue eyes, and a lot of country boy charm.
Red ambled away and Lucy leaned across the table to whisper. “Okay, I’m dying to know, how did you piss him off?”
“I asked him one too many questions about the menu.” When they’d first met, Storm had grilled Red about everything, including what kind of oils were in the salad dressing.
“Let me guess. You went off on one of your health food rants, huh?”
“Something like that.”
Huck rubbed the back of his neck. “Not to be rude, but what’s the purpose of this meeting?”
Before Storm could find the right phrasing, Lucy blurted out, “We think Beckett Walker is a killer.”
Huck blinked. “Come again.”
So much for the slow and easy approach.
“You heard her,” Storm said. “We have reason to believe he killed three women, including Lucy’s friend, Christy Baker.”
For a long time, the sheriff was stunned into silence.
“The infinity murders, huh?”
Storm nodded. Evidently, they’d named the case.
Huck frowned. “I’m not sayin’ you’re wrong, but Walker’s a well-respected member of the community. If you wanna have a go at him, you’d better be armed for bear. What kind of evidence do you have?”
Storm and Lucy filled him in on the tattoo, the drugs, and the sex club connection. He listened to them, taking it all in.
“And how do you know all of this?” Neither one of them spoke up. “Don’t tell me you broke into the man’s house.”
“Actually, he lives in an apartment,” Lucy snapped.
Storm could tell she was growing more and more irritated. He didn’t blame her one bit. They both knew Walker was guilty as sin. Unfortunately, they needed Huck’s cooperation, and she was making it more difficult.
Or maybe Lucy was trying to blow this up? So, they’d have to do a black ops mission instead.
“Of course not,” Storm said smoothly. “Anyway, all the women and Beckett went to a local sex club called Edge.”
Huck’s eyes rounded. “A sex club.”
No wonder Huck was thrown. He was the sort of guy who said “please” and “thank you,” went to church on Sundays, and loved obeying rules.
“Will you at least take a look at what we found?” Storm asked.
Huck shook his head. “If the evidence was obtained illegally, it’ll get thrown out anyway. But I’m workin’ this case. I’ll follow the evidence, wherever it leads me.”
Dammit.
They finished the rest of their meal quickly, making polite small talk, in between bites.
Lucy grew more and more restless, glancing out the window. He could almost hear the gears whirring in her mind as she formulated a plan.
Afterward, they watched Huck drive off in the parking lot.
“Are you going to tell me?” Storm glanced at her expectantly.
“Tell you what?”
“What you’re working on.”
Lucy shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“There’s something you’re not telling me.”
“Why do you say that?” She looked him in the eye.
“Because I know you.”
She gave him a half-hearted smile. “I’m gonna go for a walk and clear my head.”
“At least let me drive you back to HQ.” Storm didn’t want her going anywhere alone.
“No, it’s okay. I’ve got my gun with me.”
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