by CP Smith
I studied the crinkles at the corner of his eyes for a brief moment then moved to the sensual curve of his lips. “Yeah, I think we just did.” My answer sounded breathy, maybe even a little bit awed. How had I ever questioned his integrity?
“I’m sorry I was foolish and listened to those rumors about you,” I blurted out, thinking back to when he’d called me out for my stupidity.
His lip twitched again. “You already apologized for that.”
My brows creased. “When did I do that?”
James leaned in closer until his lips were near my ear. “When I slid inside you and you cried out my name five times.”
My head snapped back and my face flushed. “I only called out your name three times,” I groused in a soft voice so no one could hear.
“It might not have been my name, but you shook the rafters of that old house.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I’m a good girl, we don’t shriek the rafters down.”
“If you’re an angel, then you’ll kill me if you turn devil in disguise.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”
James studied me for a moment. “Do you roll your eyes a lot?” he asked curiously, looking at my lips.
“It’s a standard response to infuriating men.”
His mouth tugged at the corner. “Be prepared to be annoyed then. Often.”
I waited for him to explain, but he didn’t. Too curious for my own good, I demanded an answer. “And why is that?”
“’Cause you’re cuter than hell when you roll your eyes.”
“So you like it when I’m cute?”
“Yeah, but mostly because it inspires me to kiss you, and that puts me in the mind to have you flat on your back.”
I couldn’t help it—I rolled my eyes again—two seconds before he kissed me soundly in the middle of the interrogation room, probably with officers watching from behind the one-way glass.
“You can’t kiss me in a police station,” I gasped after ripping my mouth from his.
“Sheriff’s department,” he corrected with a smile, fingering my hair until he’d wrapped it around his finger. Then his eyes came back to mine and he stated with male arrogance dripping in his tone, “Get used to it, babe. I plan to kiss you anytime and anyplace I feel like it.”
I started to roll my eyes, but caught myself, avoiding being kissed again in front of Murfreesboro’s finest. James’s grin widened at my response, so I dug my sunglasses out of my purse and threw them on. There, let the eye rolling commence.
James threw back his head and laughed. Loudly, I might add. I was shooting daggers at him behind my dark lenses when Pike came back into the room looking between us. He didn’t ask why I had my eyes covered with sunglasses, and I liked him even more for it, until he grinned at my arrogant man and rolled his eyes at James.
Whatever.
“Sheriff agrees with our assessment and gave us the OK to wake up the DA for an arrest and search warrant.”
My heart leapt at the news. “So, he’ll be in custody soon?”
James nodded. “Assumin’ we find him soon.” He turned to Pike. “He won’t give up easily if our failed bust is any indicator. You’ll need S.W.A.T. for backup if he’s dug in with his men.”
Pike nodded. “I already requested S.W.A.T. if we get the warrant from the DA.”
“Good, ‘cause there’s no way I’m sittin’ this one out. Not with her life on the line.”
My heart stuttered a beat at the thought of James being shot at again, and looked at his arm. “Are you cleared for S.W.A.T. duty?”
He raised a brow then followed the direction of my focus. “It’s just a scratch. It doesn’t affect my performance.”
Just a scratch? He still had it covered with a bandage, but I’d seen the gouge the bullet ripped into his arm, it had to have needed a dozen stitches to close it. “But your range of motion has to be affected,” I argued, looking at the detective for backup. Surely they had rules about this?
Pike tried to hide a smile and I narrowed my covered eyes at him. “It’s only been three days. Aren’t you goin’ to stop him?”
“Four,” James said, grinning. “It’s after midnight.” He was arguing, yet again, about the number of days.
“It takes two weeks for a wound to properly heal itself enough that you don’t need sutures to keep it closed,” I replied with authority.
“Then I’ll be sure not to get shot in the arm again.”
He was not to be believed!
I shot from my chair, crossing the space between us in an instant, my heart thundering again in fear. But for James this time. “Are you always this arrogant and reckless?” I cried out in fear.
His eyes flashed with something I couldn’t read.
“I’m not reckless, Susan,” he said raising his hand to cup my cheek, running his thumb across the apple in a gentle calming motion, his other hand snaking around my back. “I have too much to live for.” His answer and the look in his ultra-blue eyes took some of the air out of my sails, but I was still terrified something would happen to him.
How had I become so attached to this man in a matter of days? Hours? From the moment he whispered my name?
It shook me to my core how much he meant to me in such a short amount of time. It wasn’t like me to be this irresponsible. I was careful. I made lists to organize my life. Didn’t exit the figurative interstate to drive the highways and byways of life on the off chance I might find a hidden wonder. I didn’t take risks. I followed the rules. But this man stomped into my life and refused to deviate from his course to claim me for his own, and I took hold of his hand, with little coaxing on his part, without a second thought. And I knew with certainty that if anything happened to him, I’d never recover from the loss. Never. He had ruined me for all other men in one night.
“Don’t take risks on my behalf, James. Please. If you’re not one-hundred-percent, you shouldn’t put your life on the line.”
His eyes softened around the edges, their blue depths sparkling with mirth. He drew me further into his body, wrapping his arms around me until my head was tucked into his chest. “Did my range of motion seem impaired four hours ago?” he asked softly, as a door closing echoed in the room. Pike must have left to give us privacy.
My face flushed automatically in response to his arrogant question, but I had to admit his arm didn’t seem the least bit out of commission. So, I shook my head in his chest, not about to agree with him out loud.
“I live on a farm, babe. I’ve been usin’ my arm since the mornin’ after I got grazed. I’m fine. But you need to get used to the idea that I’ll be called out like this. It’s my job. I’m team leader, so even if I’m out of commission, I’ll be there as their eyes.” I knew he was right, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t worry about him the moment he stepped out the door.
I sighed and looked up, nodding my head.
He grinned, knowing he’d won this round, and it tweaked my temper.
I hated to lose arguments, so I mumbled, “I noticed you didn’t deny you’re arrogant, though,” just to have the last word.
He rolled his lips between his teeth, but, I’ll point out, he didn’t argue my point!
“You ready?” he asked, rubbing my arms while I contemplated sticking out my tongue.
I blinked. “We’re leavin’?”
“Yeah, I’m takin’ you to my house.”
I hesitated. I felt safe here with all these guns around me.
James must have felt my nervous energy, and responded, “Baby, if they don’t call up S.W.A.T. then I’ll be there with you, and Sullivan has no reason to know about us.”
That made sense, so I relaxed.
“Okay. That makes me feel better,” I agreed.
“I promised, and I intend to keep my word. I won’t leave you alone unless I know Sullivan is under surveillance.”
____________________________
I’d seen James’s house peeking out between the trees as I’d driven past, but I had no idea what
it looked like except for the fact it was painted a warm, pale yellow with white trim. I wasn’t expecting much since he was a bachelor, but even in the dark I could tell his home was picture-perfect. The two-story home with its large porch that was lined with fragrant flowers in autumn colors called to me, inviting me to climb into one of the old chairs, kick back, and relax. There were two, huge red barns on the property, one not far from the house that looked like it had been there for more than a century, providing cover for livestock, machinery, and hay. The whole setting was magically old-fashioned. Like we’d stepped through a time portal to a simpler time when all that mattered was God, family, and friends.
And I wanted to be a part of it.
“This way,” James said grabbing my hand, pulling me up the stairs to the front door. We’d made it two feet inside when he flipped on a light switch, illuminating the interior. Warm wood floors greeted me, the gleaming surface proving that James took care of the inside as well as the outside. His furnishings were sparse, primitive pieces that looked well used and sturdy. You could see every piece had a history to tell, one you wanted to hear, and they mixed perfectly with the few pieces of leather furniture he purchased new. His home was inviting, relaxed, but still a work in progress. He was waiting to finish it, or he was waiting for someone to join him in making the house a home. Susans look like home, hearth, and family.
Yes, I was an idiot. The signs that James was a good guy, the best kind of man, were there from the start.
I started to turn, intending to tell James how much I loved his home, when my feet left the ground on a shriek of laughter. “What are you doin’?”
James marched down a long hallway without mumbling a word then threw me onto a bed. I bounced twice then sat there in shock as he pulled the shirt from his body, his smoldering eyes holding me hostage with their intensity.
“It’ll take hours before they have a warrant,” he said by way of explanation for the toss, “so I plan on takin’ you again before I leave.”
I blinked and his jeans fell open, soft hair poking out between the buttons proving he went commando. I swallowed to control my reaction, then got to my knees and grabbed the hem of my T-shirt and pulled it over my head. One single heated look and I was at his mercy. It didn’t bode well for my future if we stuck like I thought we would. All he’d have to do was look at me with those eyes and I’d be putty in his hands.
My shirt barely hit the floor before he’d grabbed a fistful of my hair and tugged my head back, searing me with a kiss that spoke of possession, the need to claim.
“Wanted you in this bed since I watched you kick your tire. Wanted to lock myself deep inside you so no other man could,” he mumbled low, burying his hand down the back of my jeans to cup my ass. I leaned in and touched my tongue to his neck, and he shivered. I smiled against his skin, determined to draw the same reaction again.
Reaching down the front of his jeans, I wrapped my hand around his thick shaft and he grunted low in his throat as they fell to the floor. He jerked when I ran my thumb across the tip, then put his knee to the bed, twisted, then fell, taking me with him until I landed on top of him.
I should have been freaked out about Sullivan, not making out hot and heavy with James, but as James had said, ‘There may not be a tomorrow, so you shouldn’t take a moment for granted just because you think you’ll have a thousand more.’ With that in mind, I pushed up from his chest, slid to his side, and began kissing my way down his body until I reached my destination. Snaking out my tongue, I circled the velvet skin covering hot, hard steel. James hissed on contact, but I wanted a moan that vibrated deep in his chest, letting me know that his control would shatter by the time I was done with him.
“Take all of me,” James growled, and just like the good girl I was, I followed instructions and opened my mouth, taking him to the back of my throat on my first descent.
James bit out, “Christ,” as I sucked deeply on my way back up, my hand wrapped at the base so I could squeeze him tightly with each thrust of my mouth.
James knifed up and grabbed my hips, which were resting at his side, turning me so he could tug my jeans and panties off, then pulled me around to his mouth, spreading my slick folds apart so he could feast on my core. I bucked against his hand when he slid a finger inside, my mouth opening over his swollen shaft on a gasp when he curled his finger and hit the spot that turned my blood to liquid lava.
“James,” I whimpered, riding his hand, my grip on his cock like a vice.
“I want you to come on my face, baby.”
My plans to rip his control apart fell by the wayside. James’s tongue found my clit, then he pressed firmly on my G-spot and I shuddered, breaking apart into a thousand brilliant pieces.
“No . . . fair,” I panted as I fell from the clouds back to reality.
He responded by flipping me over, climbing up my body, and then slamming into me with such force that another mini orgasm slid through me.
His eyes had bled from ultra-blue to a deep indigo, searing me with their intensity. His jaw was hard like granite as he fought for control. My back arched on a powerful thrust, bringing my breasts closer to his lips. He took advantage, sucking a nipple deep into his warm mouth, and the combination threw me over the edge into white-hot bliss again.
“Fuckin’ brilliant the way you light up for me,” he growled.
I righted my head and reached up, grabbing his neck, pulling him down to my mouth, uttering, “James,” as I sealed my lips over his. I still wanted him to lose control, so I wrapped my legs around his hips and slammed down on his upward thrust, tightening my muscles, milking his steel shaft. I felt him stiffen, his arms banding around me in a steel-like hold as he gave me his weight. Then his tongue tangled possessively with mine on a deep, male moan, and he ignited, pounding harder inside me as he found his release. He was wild. Untamed. And it was beautiful.
All of it.
FIVE
STARING AT MY REFLECTION in the bathroom mirror, I wondered for the third time in the same night where my brains had gone. I’d done it again. I’d lost all control and forgotten about birth control.
“Reckless. Stupid,” I mumbled to my reflection, freaked out I could be pregnant. Yet, without conscious thought, my hand came up to my belly in a protective hold. Looking down at the flat surface below my belly button, I tried to envision it swollen with the heavy burden of a child.
“Susan?” James said, his voice creeping in from the other side of the bathroom door.
Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and looked up at him, feeling exposed, vulnerable. I’d finally found the guy of my dreams, and it could all be at risk because I hadn’t protected myself.
James must have read the fear on my face because he pulled me into his arms, resting his chin on my head. “I take it we’ve moved from great back to panicked?” he mumbled into my hair.
I tightened my hold on his waist and said nothing, a million thoughts rolling around my head.
“Told you I wouldn’t leave unless I knew they had Sullivan in their sights. I promise you’re safe here, baby.”
He thought I was freaking out about Sullivan again, which in a sense I was, but it wasn’t the only reason I was on edge.
“It’s just a lot has happened in a short amount of time, James. Sullivan, you and me. It’s a little overwhelming,” I finally replied.
Freaking out about a possible baby also had me doubting what was happening between James and me. We’d only known each other three days and it was already intense between us. What if it burnt out as quickly as it started and then we’re left with a baby on the way? What if his feelings for me were amped up because he cares enough to worry about me being in danger, but once Sullivan is behind bars he’ll realize he made a mistake?
“Hey,” he murmured softly, tipping my chin up so he could look into my eyes. “Look at me, babe.” He cupped my cheek like he’d done at the police station, running the pad of his thumb across the apple, and it felt so damn good
my bottom lip trembled a tiny bit. He made me feel cherished when he did things like that, and I didn’t want to lose that. “Whatever’s runnin’ through that head of yours, I’m here to tell you it’s not gonna work. I’m not gonna let you retreat from me because you’re scared.”
I blinked, then narrowed my eyes. “Get out of my head.”
He shook his head slowly, a grin pulling across his full lips. “Not gonna let you shake me off. Not after I’ve had all the facets that are Susan. Been waitin’ for-fuckin’-ever for you to show up. So brace, babe. It’s full steam ahead.”
I guess I’d been holding my breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop, because it left my lungs in a whoosh. “Facets?”
“Yeah, the layers that are Susan Elizabeth Montgomery.”
I raised a brow at the man and cocked my head. “And they are?”
He tangled a hand in my hair, tugging gently until my neck was exposed. Then he held my eyes briefly before he leaned in and touched his tongue to my neck, whispering, “Cute Susan,” against my skin, and I shuddered. “Smart-ass Susan,” he continued, dipping down to taste the skin at the top of my chest, and my knees grew weak. “And my fuckin’ favorite . . . Sexy Susan.”
He may not be a player, but the man still had serious moves.
“Okay.”
“Okay?” he asked, nipping my earlobe.
“Okay, I’ll try not to freak out.”
He pulled back and I expected him to be smiling, but he was intense instead. “No, you won’t. ‘Cause as long as you’re mine, you don’t need to worry about a fuckin’ thing. That’s my job. I want you cute and sweet, smart-ass and sexy, but never,” he ground out, “scared. Freaked out. Or worried about anything but bein’ you.”
I blinked. “I’m not sure I can promise that, Wild Man. Anytime you walk out a door with a gun in your hand, I’m gonna worry.”
His lip twitched and I realized I’d called him Wild Man without thinking. Dangitalltohell! It’s my motto that when you’re in a situation you want to crawl into a hole and die from, it’s best to just act like it didn’t happen. So I did.