When the Storm Breaks

by Heather Lowell

  Sean also closed his eyes to better experience the sensation of kissing Claire after denying himself for days that seemed like years. He wrapped one arm more securely around her, pulling her closer. With his free hand he touched her hair, the side of her neck, and her gently sloping shoulder. Hungry for more, he ran his hand down the side of her breast, pausing to repeat the stroking caress when her breath caught.

  With another deep kiss, he let his hand drop to her taut waist, then moved on to the curve of her hips. Repeatedly squeezing and releasing the supple flesh, he felt her body arch into his growing erection and knew that this time he wasn’t going to let her go until they were both satisfied.

  Without breaking the kiss, he released her and quickly unbuttoned his shirt. He jerked it free of his slacks, then caught his breath on a groan when her hands rubbed teasing strokes across his bare stomach and ribs. He tossed his shirt onto the hood of the truck and peeled off her short-sleeved cocktail jacket. In seconds it joined his shirt on the hood, and he was running his hands from her bare wrists to the sensitive skin where shoulder met neck.

  A gust of salt-tinged air whipped around them. Chills roughened Claire’s skin, though she wasn’t cold. The temperature had to be at least eighty, and the humid night shimmered around them with the electricity of the coming storm. Still, she shivered again and pressed herself closer to Sean, wanting to crawl inside him and wrap him around her like a down blanket on a cold night.

  The feel of her rubbing over him made his breath stop. He ran his hands down her sides to the soft skin of her thighs just beneath her hemline. It was as low as he could reach without breaking the contact of their lips. He let his hands slide around to the backs of her thighs, enjoying the sensation of slick nylon and warm flesh beneath. Pushing under the hem of her dress halfway to his elbows, he wrapped his hands around her bottom and shifted her until he had the dress up around her waist. He practically tore the nylons off her in his haste for skin-on-skin contact. Bunching the dress in one fist to keep it out of the way, he lifted her and wrapped her legs around him.

  Twining her arms around his neck, Claire took advantage of being nearly his height. Sliding her fingers through the soft hair at his nape, she leaned forward and ran her tongue teasingly across Sean’s lips. When his mouth opened, her tongue darted in repeatedly to find the soft flesh inside his lips and cheeks. He tried to deepen the kiss, but she pulled back to sip at his lips and flick them again and again with her tongue.

  Two could play at the game of tease and retreat. She figured it was time for him to get a taste of his own medicine. The game lasted until Sean traced the sensitive base of her spine with his fingers, then sent his hand below the waistband of her panties and arched his erection against her. When she paused in her teasing to enjoy being caught between his hand in back and the hard thrust of his flesh in front, he captured her mouth in a deep kiss. He arched into her again, feeling her moist heat through the thin fabric that separated them.

  When they came up for air, both were panting. Claire’s unzipped dress sagged loosely around her breasts. Sean felt the first cool raindrops splatter his back. Still holding her wrapped around his waist, he turned around, ducked her head, and laid her out on the truck’s oversized bench seat, a treasure he was about to devour.

  Crouching down in the doorway, he looked into the black depths of her eyes and gently ran his hands up her bare legs.

  “If this isn’t what you want, you’d better say so now.”

  “What?” Claire was drowning in the erotic sensation of his hands caressing her thighs, slowly drifting closer to the center of her pleasure.

  “Is this what you want?” Sean repeated, sliding his hands over her belly and up toward her breasts. The loosened material of her dress offered no protection from his wandering fingers, which stroked across nipples that were already hard and aching.

  “Talk about stupid,” Claire said. She caught Sean’s belt buckle and tried to pull him onto the bench seat with her.

  “Wait.” He slid her hand off the buckle and undid his clothes. “I’m too tall to get undressed in the truck.”

  Moments later, he was naked. She reached a hand out to him, but he merely kissed her fingers and urged her to sit up so he could remove the rest of her clothing. He unzipped her dress completely and watched the fabric pool around her waist. Her breasts were bare underneath the silky blue material.

  “Christ, woman. You’re practically naked under this dress.”

  “Built-in bra,” she said.

  He rubbed his palms across her nipples while she wiggled the dress down over her hips. The shift and slide of her flesh made him groan. With one hand he drew her dress down her bare legs, and tossed it up onto the dash-board. He watched as she lay back across the seat and fiddled with the elastic waistband of her panties.

  He reached for the scrap of dark fabric and slowly eased her out of it. Silently she lifted her hips to help him, then held a hand out to him when she was nude. In a heartbeat, he was stretched out across her. He groaned aloud at the pleasure of feeling her naked body against his for the first time.

  Claire heard Sean’s sound of pleasure and murmured a reply as she pulled his mouth back to hers. But they were too hungry to be content with kisses for long. Soon his mouth was traveling down her chest. He ran one hand up and down her ribs while he blew softly on the nipple closest to his mouth. She arched, and he ran his tongue across the taut crest, then blew on it again.

  When she stiffened with pleasure, he lowered his head and took the nipple deeply into his mouth, tormenting it with teeth and tongue. Then he was distracted by her other breast, which seemed to demand the same treatment when she arched and rolled her head on the bench seat.

  Claire closed her eyes and gave herself over to the sensation of Sean’s mouth caressing her breasts. She moved her hands across his strong shoulders, stopping to dig her nails in when he teased her gently with his teeth. Smiling as he arched back against her, she continued down his back with her hands, stopping when she reached the firm flesh of his buttocks. She repeatedly clenched her fingers and released them in a rough caress that made him groan.

  Suddenly fumbling, he reached to open the glove compartment. Pulling out one of the two condoms he had removed from his wallet, he tore open the foil packet and quickly sheathed himself. Settling on top of Claire once again, he pressed his erection against her damp flesh. He caught his breath at the sliding sensation and probed gently one more time.

  When she felt the touch of his penis against the most sensitive part of her body, she moved against him in return. Breathing rapidly, she raised her head and found Sean’s lips with hers. His tongue teased her mouth and his body teased hers, nudging her sensitive opening before retreating to rub his length against her. Finally, he stopped his teasing and pulled his mouth from hers.

  “Look at me, Claire.”

  She lifted heavy lids and filled her nostrils with the musky scent of Sean and sex. His eyes were dark blue in the dome light of the truck, his pupils dilated with passion. She vaguely recognized the steady sound of raindrops outside the car, but was too focused on the storm inside to pay attention.

  She kept her eyes on his as he nudged her legs even further apart and began to enter her. The incredible sensation of being invaded went on and on, until she felt sure she could take no more of him. Then he adjusted her thighs around his hips, and with a thrust seated himself completely inside her.

  At Claire’s shakily exhaled breath, he nuzzled her lips with his. “Everything okay?”

  “Mmmmmm.”

  It was more purr than response, but Claire couldn’t form a coherent reply. Instead, she tightened her legs and arched her body against his in a way he couldn’t mistake. Sean took the hint and began to thrust slowly against her. When she began to meet his movements with her own, he quickened the pace, losing himself in her.

  Claire felt the tension drawing her body tighter and tighter as he rocked against her. She realized her climax was fast ap
proaching and protested softly, not wanting the experience to end so quickly. But she couldn’t resist the temptation he offered and pulled him closer to her with a moan.

  He also felt himself begin to lose control. It was too soon, so he levered himself up on his hands and tried to change the angle of penetration to slow things down. But she locked her legs around his hips and demanded everything he had to give.

  He held back and kept stroking until he felt the shudders of completion begin to ripple through her body. Then he cried out hoarsely and buried his head in the curve of her neck. At the height of her orgasm, he locked his body into hers and stayed there, taut with his own climax.

  When Sean collapsed against her, Claire wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She felt her heart pounding and heard her breath coming in rapidly, like his. Outside she could hear the rain falling harder, as the full force of the storm began to pass over the banks of the Chesapeake.

  Little tremors continued through her body. She murmured and rocked her hips against him to prolong the delicious sensations. She stroked her hands across his damp back, feeling the taut muscles there begin to relax as he lay against her. Still the aftershocks continued, focused where he lay hard inside her.

  Claire’s breath caught and she moved her hips on the seat, trying to intensify the feelings.

  “Am I too heavy? Do you want me to move?” Sean asked without lifting his head, drinking in the scent of her perfumed neck.

  “Don’t you dare move,” she gasped, having just found the perfect angle.

  He lifted his head to look at her. “Not even to do this?” He braced his feet and thrust into her.

  Her only response was a choked cry as tension built inside her body once again. With a sense of disbelief, Sean felt his own heart begin to beat faster. He should have known that once would not be enough when it came to loving Claire. Leaning forward to kiss her reddened lips, he reached into the glove compartment for the last condom.

  Though she protested when he pulled out of her, she murmured happily when he joined their bodies again moments later. This time there was no hesitation, no questioning advance of his body into hers. Suddenly greedy, Sean thrust into her until he could go no deeper, then withdrew and thrust again and again.

  Claire felt as if every muscle in her body was tense, and yet they grew tenser still as Sean continued to move against her. She clung to him tightly with her arms and legs, hearing his breath rasping in and out. She felt the sensations inside her build almost to the point of pain, then stay there.

  Without realizing it, she dug her nails hard into his back as she tried to find a way to relieve the pressure growing and growing inside her. He pulled her legs higher up his body, until they wrapped around his waist. When he thrust again, she responded with a loud cry of pleasure. Soon every thrust was punctuated by a cry, and still the pressure built inside them both.

  Sean levered himself up on his hands so he could watch Claire’s face. Sweat burned his eyes, but he shook his head and continued to pound his body into hers, listening to the sounds of her pleasure while rain lashed the truck. He was breathing harshly, and groaned out loud as he felt her internal muscles squeeze him while her nails scored his back.

  He didn’t know where he found the strength, but he went harder and faster until her entire body went taut beneath him. The shudders that followed were his undoing. At the feel of her teeth on his shoulder, he dropped his head and buried himself as deeply in her as he could, then cried out as he came.

  Several minutes later, Claire sighed as she was released from the last of the tension that had gripped her body. Relaxation flooded through her as completely as pleasure had. She cradled his head against her and wondered what she was going to say to him. Before she could think of anything clever, she fell asleep.

  Sean felt her body go limp beneath him and decided he was too exhausted to be offended. With his cheek cushioned against her breast, he allowed himself to doze with her, lulled by incredible satisfaction and the sound of rain.

  Chapter 47

  Chesapeake Bay

  Very early Sunday morning

  Sean woke when the rain stopped. The windows of his truck were completely steamed up from the heat of their bodies. The luminous dial of his watch told him it was after two in the morning. He knew they should leave, get back to Washington before Aidan and Olivia began to worry. But he was reluctant to let go of their time alone, away from the case and his obligations as a police officer. He certainly hadn’t been thinking like a cop when he’d kissed Claire the first time this evening. And things had gone downhill from there.

  He’d done some stupid things in his time, but this was in a class by itself. Not only had he become involved with a witness on a case but he’d also done it knowing she was emotionally vulnerable. This had to stop—this insanity that took him over so all he could think about was her. It could get people hurt, especially Claire. He didn’t mind taking that kind of chance with his own safety, but he refused to put her life at risk any more than it already was.

  Claire stirred beneath him. Instead of doing what he should have, Sean stayed where he was and enjoyed the feel of her while she slowly stretched out her legs and rolled her head on the seat.

  Claire’s hands sifted gently through his hair, pushing it away from his forehead so that she could see his eyes. The combination of pleasure and guilt in them told her nothing had been solved. Well, nothing but the physical side, and that had been solved right down to the soles of her feet.

  “My, my, my,” she said in a husky voice. “Is that what the Brits mean when they say ‘Fuck me senseless’?”

  Despite his mood, Sean laughed at her hard language and soft drawl. No matter how low he was feeling, she could always make him laugh, which was dangerously appealing for a man who had little to laugh about in his line of work. He knew it was time to return to that unhappy reality, but instead he wrapped his arms tightly around her in a hard hug.

  “Claire. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. What in hell am I going to do with you?” Sean asked, running his thumb along her lower lip.

  Determined to keep him smiling, she said, “Anything you want, cher. Anything at all.”

  Temptation streaked through him. With a muttered curse he began to separate himself from her.

  “My wants are the problem.” He sat up and ran both hands through his damp hair, disgusted with himself and the knowledge that he was going to kill the happy glow in Claire’s face and eyes.

  “Why?” She sat up and hugged her arms around herself, suddenly cold now that they were no longer touching.

  “What I want is to take you home with me and not let you out of bed for a week.” He turned to look at her and draped an arm along the steering wheel. “What I’m going to do is take you to Afton’s home and not touch you again.”

  “But…” Claire trailed off, gesturing at the state of the truck cab, with clothes flung around the interior. Well, it had been good for her, anyway. Hell, it had been incredible.

  “I’m sorry,” Sean said. A lie, but not the first one he’d ever told in the line of duty. “It never should have happened.” That was the bitter truth. He forced himself to keep going, to keep seeing the happiness drain out of her when all he wanted was to pull her into his lap and start all over again. “Chemistry is bad enough, but having an ongoing sexual relationship within an investigative team makes clear thinking impossible. If we’re going to get through this operation without anyone else getting killed…” He shrugged.

  “My thinking is pretty clear right now, for the first time in weeks.”

  “Maybe it’s different for a guy,” he said. “It’s tough to stay in control of an explosive situation when all you can think about is getting your key witness flat on her back.”

  “Believe me, I’ve had similar thoughts about a certain detective.”

  He smiled slightly but didn’t stop talking. “Claire, you told me yourself that these last few weeks are way off of normal for you. You wer
e injured and now you’re being stalked. You feel off-balance and, well, vulnerable. Anybody would. And I feel like dog shit for taking advantage.”

  “Hold it right there,” she cut in. “I did everything but rip off your clothes, so forget about this taking advantage stuff.”

  He turned his head away, struggling for control. “Can’t you see what’s at stake? Don’t you realize that if I’m reaching for you when I should be reaching for my gun, you could be dead? Are you hearing me?”

  “Yes,” she said, watching the muscle clenching in his cheek. What she was hearing was that the man she wanted didn’t want her anymore. Too bad she had to find out when she was buck naked and trapped in the cab of a truck that still smelled of sex. “I hear you loud and clear.”

  He looked over at her and saw that she was hearing but she wasn’t understanding. “Do you? Or do you think I’m feeding you some line now that we’ve had sex?”

  She couldn’t meet his eyes.

  “Listen to me, Claire. I could be fucking you when I should be backing up Aidan and he could end up dead. Even if all of us get lucky and stay alive, I’m still jeopardizing my work. They’d fire my ass in a hot minute if they knew about this. I don’t want to have to look Renata Mendes’s mother in the eye and tell her that her daughter’s case is in the toilet because the lead detective is bouncing on the only witness.”

  Claire winced and bit her lip. “I understand. Mrs. Mendes is lucky to have a cop who cares about his work enough to…” She searched desperately for a cliché. “To go that extra mile. Dedicated, I mean, and responsible.”

  Claire reached toward the dash and pulled her hopelessly crumpled dress over her lap.

  “I’m sorry,” Sean said, looking at her downturned face. “I wish like hell things could be different.”

  “It’s what it is,” she said, trying to smooth out her dress. He was worried about losing his job. She was worried about losing her heart.