Brie stared at his rugged face and the grim set of his mouth. With a thrill, she realized Linc was revealing another part of himself to her, and elation soared through her. This was the Linc she had always known existed beyond those walls he had set around himself. “So you felt the best way to help me was to create distance between us, of a sort?”
His gaze rested on her serene features. “I want to love you,” he said thickly, his body going hard with need of her. He saw and felt Brie arch against him.
“Linc,” she said huskily, “I don’t want that distance between us any longer.”
With a groan, he brought her to him.
Brie closed her eyes, opening her arms to receive him. The instant his mouth molded firmly over hers, a small moan of pleasure escaped from her. Her arms followed the curve of his shoulders. The white-hot shock of need uncurled heatedly in her as she felt him shift so that she was lying beneath him. His breath was moist and ragged against her cheek.
“Open your mouth,” he rasped, “I want to taste you, Brie. All of you…”
Another bolt of pleasure unwound through her as his tongue gently explored her mouth. An ache, so intense and startling, made her gasp as his hand trailed a path of fire around her breast. She felt her nipples growing hard, throbbing, begging to be touched by Linc. Her breathing became uneven, and she hungrily returned his fierce kiss. Brie ran her fingertips over his back, reveling in the movement of his muscles.
She was totally unprepared when Linc tore his mouth from her lips, captured one of her nipples beneath the gown and sucked it gently. A cry of need tore from her, and she arched toward him, filled with the ecstasy of pleasure. Another cry tore from her as Linc gave the other nipple equal attention, easing the ache there. His trembling fingers pushed the straps of her gown aside, and Brie froze. Her eyes flew open and she lay staring up at Linc, feeling a mixture of shame and shyness. He leaned down, kissing her lips, and she knew it was a kiss meant to give support, not ignite passion. He was breathing harshly as he rested his hand upon her injured shoulder.
“I’ll be gentle,” he told her.
His hand had begun to push the fabric away to expose the angry red flesh that Brie was so ashamed of. She tensed, her eyes going wide with pleading. He leaned down, kissing her lashes, nose, cheek and finally her mouth.
“Listen to me.” Linc breathed thickly against her ear, holding her close. “It makes no difference to me about your burns. They aren’t the whole of you. It’s only skin, not your heart, that’s been wounded.” He brushed a kiss on her cheek, sensing she was beginning to relax and accept his touch. “It’s what I see and feel from your heart that I want you to share with me. Your warm, giving, loving heart.” He shuddered when she pressed herself to him. “I ache for you. I want you so bad that I would tear this world apart to be with you.” He gently pulled down the strap. “What you have is in you. In your heart, Brie. Give that to me. Let me drown myself inside you…”
Tears clung like shimmering diamonds to her lashes. Then she opened her eyes, wrapped her arms around his neck and met his burning gaze. “Yes,” she whispered unsteadily. “I’m not afraid anymore.”
He smiled tenderly. He leaned down to place moist kisses in the valley between her breasts as he released them from the captive material. She was so beautiful, he thought, after he’d undressed her. He quivered as she lay before him on the dark wine-colored blanket, her body a creamy white with graceful curves. Pleasure sang through him when she sat up and with trembling fingers of her own helped him shed his pajamas. He liked her participation, finding it provocative. And when she came to him, settling on her knees between his legs, pressing her lips to his, his surprise melted into a caldron of fire.
He ran his hands down her torso, rested them on her hips and drew her to him. His body throbbed with heat and growing fire. A small moan of pleasure broke from her parted lips as he suckled her nipples, hands cupping their curved roundness. She was magic. She was a dream. And so much a woman. Dazed by her ability to take and to give in return, Linc brought her down upon him. He knew that because of Brie’s burns, he shouldn’t lie on her and have the sheet and blankets rub against her tender, recovering flesh.
Brie’s heart thrashed wildly in her breast; her body screamed to be freed of the torture of needing Linc. Hot flames were burning inside her, and Brie was barely aware when he lay back, taking her with him. He lifted her easily, as if she were a feather. The instant she settled against his hips and the hardness of his body pressed against her soft, womanly core, a sweet quiver rippled through her. It was so exquisite, so shattering that Brie could only grip his arms. And when he arched against her, a sob tore from her lips and she felt need as never before. Fire spread through her belly down to where she needed to join with him. As if he had sensed her need, Brie felt herself lifted, and in the next second, she welcomed him into her.
Sensations overwhelmed her as he moved against her in the way only a man can with his woman. Liquid heat built rapidly through her, and Brie tensed. A shattering explosion roared through her, robbing her of breath, stealing her senses and hurling her to the edge of an unnamed universe. She rested her head on Linc’s shoulder and called his name over and over again. His hands gently caressed her back and hips and he called thickly to her, moving, bringing her into fiery rhythm with himself once again. This time, she was aware of his power, his maleness and strength as never before. His hands tightened against her hips and he thrust deep and hard into her. Brie felt their universes collide, then fly apart in an eruption of golden light as they shared the ultimate with one another, the gift of themselves.
Linc lay there long afterward, breathing raggedly, his heart thudding savagely in his chest. Brie lay against him, her head on his shoulder. He could only feel. Thought was nonexistent, banished into exile. He ran his hands lightly down her body, which was slick and hot. Her heart was skittering, and he smiled. She was boneless, her giving, spent body molding and curving to the harder planes of his own. His hand settled on her velvet brown hair and he ran the strands between his fingers.
“You’re like a feline,” he said in a gritty voice, “purring and rubbing against me.”
Brie couldn’t open her eyes, wrapped in euphoria. “I’ve never thought of myself as a cat,” she admitted, her voice wispy.
Linc opened his eyes. “You’re the first woman I’ve met who reminded me of a cat. There’s something about you…” He groped for words that refused to come because he was still held in the glowing, throbbing spell of what they’d just shared. He cupped her face, staring into her half-closed eyes fringed with dark lashes. Her lips were slightly swollen, and he immediately felt regret, not wanting to have hurt Brie. But she had come to him with her fire to match and mate with his, and it had torn away all his best intentions.
“Any regrets?” he asked her.
Brie closed her eyes and gave a small shake of her head. “No.” She opened them and stared at him. “And you?”
Linc warmed to her. No other woman had ever asked him that. Or perhaps, cared enough to ask. For her, physical union went far beyond physical needs. But he had always known that. For Brie, the union was a nonverbal commitment of herself to him, and he was suddenly moved by what had occurred between them. He managed a slight smile, thinking how beautiful she looked after their loving, hating himself for having to keep a lie between them. “No. No regrets,” he told her softly. He saw the smoldering gold flame in her eyes suddenly die, and his hands tightened on her jaw. “What is it?”
Brie placed her lips against his palm, aware of the roughened texture of his flesh, then rested her head in the crook of his shoulder. “I’m scared, Linc,” she admitted.
His hand came to rest on her uninjured shoulder. “About what?”
“Us. Me, rather.” She took a breath and rushed on, her words coming out in a torrent. “I know your kind. And I accept that. But it’s the first time I’ve accepted it. I’m used to a one-to-one relationship where more counts than just the bedr
oom scene. I want…no, need that depth of sharing with a man.” She swallowed hard. “And I know from the way you’ve talked in the past that a woman is pleasure. That’s all. I knew all that before we made love with one another, and I accepted that about you. I’m not going to play a game with you and try to get you to change.”
She had courage, Linc thought. And she was clearheaded. She was right—women were to be enjoyed in bed. But he had enjoyed Brie in and out of bed. “In the past three weeks you’ve taught me something, little cat—what it’s like to be a friend to a woman.”
There was disbelief in her voice. “I have?”
He smiled and kissed her hair. “I’ve changed my mind about women because of you.” He sighed. “And it’s got to be due to you. I like you as my friend, too. I like all the things we do together.” Then he added as she raised her head, hope in her lovely green eyes, “In and out of bed.”
Tears scalded her eyes as she held Linc’s tender gaze. “You mean that?” she asked. His answering smile caressed her.
He wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Yes, I mean that. You’re different, Brie. And it’s hard to put into words what I’m talking about. You aren’t like other women. You’re unique, one of a kind.”
Brie leaned over and kissed his roughened cheek, then nuzzled her lips near his ear. “No, I’m not so unique, Linc,” she whispered. “All I did was refuse to allow you to put me into that mold. And you had no choice because we worked together. There are many other women out there like me. Circumstances just haven’t been there for you to see or discover that.”
He buried his face in the curve of her neck, tasting her sweetness and the saltiness of her skin. “There may be, but I’m interested only in you, woman. Now, come here…” He gently rolled her onto her back, levering himself beside her. Just the sound of her voice and the brush of her fingertips on his skin sent his body into rigid awakening once again. He wasn’t sure who was more surprised by it—him or Brie. But if she was surprised, it didn’t show in her welcoming green eyes. He leaned down and cherished her full lips, and he knew—she loved him. Brie was incapable of hiding her real feelings, and Linc felt a powerful current of fear and joy jag through him. His new awareness made the kiss he gave her that much sweeter. Brie deserved happiness. She deserved to laugh. He had seen life dancing in her eyes. She was like the sun, touching and coaxing life from the earth.
And what was he bringing her from himself? Lies, deceit and distrust. His heart felt as if it was ripping in two. How could he tell her? When? What would happen to this fragile joy they now shared? Linc didn’t want it destroyed. But how could he make Brie believe him? That his feelings for her were genuine? That he never meant to hurt her? Oh, God, he was going to, and he’d never felt as miserable.
Chapter Nine
So what now?” Brie asked quietly over breakfast with Linc.
“I called the FM when I was at the police department, and McPeak and Laughlin will fill in for our quadrant while we push this investigation on who’s after you.”
“Linc, if they want to kill me, why haven’t they done it yet?”
“They may have tried with that second explosive device up in Cleveland we answered.”
Brie nodded. “It might have been. But they’re tearing up our homes, not firing shots at us. Or me.”
Linc agreed with her. “Whoever it is is looking for something, Brie. Some tangible piece of evidence that was either in your possession or John’s.” He shook his head and scowled. “Believe me, I’ve been through all your paperwork and John’s, and I can’t find anything that would incriminate any company except for Bach. I just can’t figure it out. When John died, did Carol give you anything of his?”
Brie thought for a moment. “I was in the hospital when she called up one day. Carol was in tears, I remember that much.”
“What else?” Linc asked, hoping against hope that she could provide a clue or lead.
“I was on painkillers at the time, Linc. I think…I think she was going to throw out all his haz-mat books and manuals. I told her I’d take them, because John had some old ones that were out of print that had valuable information in them.”
“Did you pick them up when you got out of the hospital?”
She shook her head. “Carol had a key to my house, and she said she’d take the boxes over there. When I got home, there were three boxes in the living room near my bookcase.”
“What were in those boxes?”
“Books and manuals.” Brie looked at him. “I can show them to you if the person who broke into the house didn’t take them. What will you do with them?”
“Well, whatever they’re looking for is probably small and could be tucked away. It means sifting page by page through all of John’s books.”
Sudden excitement coursed through Brie, and she sat up. “Linc, I’ll know if any of his books are missing!”
“How?”
She clapped her hands. “I have a Rolodex that has every title and author of the books I own. That was one of the things I did right after I got out of the hospital. The books that belonged to John, I made a notation on each card. We can find out right away if all his books are there. And if they aren’t, we’ll know within a couple of hours, and that would give us a lead!”
Linc resisted her enthusiasm. “It’s a lead,” he admitted gravely. He reached out, caressing her hair. “The house is a mess, Brie. Are you up to going over there?”
She gave him a tender smile, sliding her arms around his shoulders. “I’m ready to tackle it.”
He ran his thumb across her flushed cheek. “From now on, I want you to be extra careful. Just stick close to me. If I tell you to hit the deck, do it without question. Okay?”
Brie swallowed hard, seeing the military part of Linc surfacing. “Yes, I’ll always listen to you.”
He grinned, trying to relieve some of the strain he saw appearing at the corners of her mouth. “You mean you’ll stop being bossy at haz-mat spills?” he taunted.
Brie managed a smile, loving him for his ability to ease the pressure from her. “That will never happen, Tanner.”
With a groan, Linc got to his feet, pulling her along with him. “I was afraid of that.”
* * *
As Brie walked through her home, she felt the strong urge to start cleaning immediately, but she knew how important it was to find the Rolodex. So instead she merely waded through the overturned furniture in the living room.
Linc spotted the Rolodex on the carpet next to the cherrywood desk. He gestured for her to come and sit next to him. “Take a look at this and give me the titles of John’s books and I’ll make a list of them.” Everywhere Linc looked, books were scattered like leaves off an autumn tree. There were hundreds of books to search through. It was going to take a long time to find them all—if they were still in the house.
Several minutes later, with thirty-five books stacked in piles, Brie called off the last title. She looked at the miniature towers that surrounded them.
“They’re all here, Linc.” Triumph was in her voice.
He took five books from the first stack. “That’s a good sign, little cat. Now comes the hard part—going through them page by page, looking for a clue.”
She joined him on the couch they had righted. “If there is one,” she groused.
Linc nodded, opening the first book. “Right. But judging from the break-ins, there’s probably something in one of these books that might point a finger. It’s the only link I can think of between you and Carol and John.”
Almost three hours later, Brie got up. “Nothing,” she groaned, rubbing her neck, which she had held in the same angle for so long. The sun had changed position, leaving a muted light in the living room that she loved so much. “Come on, let’s take a break and I’ll pour us some coffee.” At his apartment, she had wisely filled both their thermoses with coffee and brought them along with some cups.
Reluctantly, Linc followed her into the kitchen, taking the book he was t
humbing through with him.
“John was one for highlighting things in yellow and making notes in the margins, wasn’t he?” Linc made himself comfortable at the table.
“Yes, he was very thorough,” she answered, filling the cups and sitting down opposite him.
Linc thanked her for the coffee and settled back with the book, slowly turning page after page. John’s handwriting was clear and precise compared to his own hen scratchings. He read every margin note and highlighted sentence trying to figure out if they had any significance to the case.
He sat up, frowning. “Come here, look at this,” Linc said, placing the book on the table.
Brie stood and leaned over Linc’s shoulder, looking at where he held his finger. In the margin John had written, “PCB in #2. See Earl.”
“What do you make of it?” Linc asked. “This is a chapter on polychlorinated biphenyl—PCB.”
She rested one hand on Linc’s shoulder, studying the cryptic note. “PCB in number two could mean a lot of things. Number two tank or tanker?”
“Earl? Who’s that?”
Brie searched her memory. “Linc, I don’t know when John might have made that note. He was forever making notations. Earl might have been one of his teachers in college, for all I know.”
Excitement surged through Linc, and his mind began to work. “Number two could be a fuel oil grade, too. Couldn’t it? You know, the oil people use to heat their homes.”
“Yes, it could.” Her brow wrinkled. “But PCB in fuel grade oil is illegal because PCBs are known to cause cancer.”
Linc got even more excited and snapped his fingers. “Wait a minute! A certain level of PCB is found in the oil of older transformers. It could refer to an electric company, one of the companies you gave a hefty fine to—Ohio Utility.”
“By law and EPA regulations, that oil is to be drained from the transformers and trucked to disposal sites.”
Come Gentle the Dawn Page 17