The Connaghers Series Boxed Set

by Joely Sue Burkhart

  He didn’t duck or try to stop her blows, but he kept her tight to the wall. It took all her strength, throwing her body like a weapon and using the wall for leverage, to gain an inch against him, while his fingers rolled and tugged her breast. His teeth sank into her shoulder, working closer and closer to her nape.

  His hardened cock pressed against her buttocks, and she redoubled her efforts. To get him inside me.

  Their panting echoed in the room, the dull thuds of flesh on flesh echoing, promising more, so much more. She could only imagine what it sounded like to Jesse downstairs.

  As if Elias knew she’d thought of the other man, he growled in her ear. “Can he take you like this, Vik? Can he make you groan and sweat facedown against the wall? Can he ride you at your worst, no matter how bad you buck and kick?”

  “No,” she wheezed out, her cheek smashed so hard against the wall it was hard to talk. “But I bet he’ll give me a good ride.”

  Elias let out a vicious growl against her ear, jerked her hips back, and surged inside her.

  Damn her and those torturous images she’d managed to lodge in his mind. All too easily, he could see her working the kid over as hard as he was taking her now. In fact, if she had him flat against the wall beneath her, Elias could be taking them both without even laying a finger on the man.

  He shuddered.

  The thought should have disgusted him. He’d never once considered having another man anywhere near him while he made love to a woman. But for Vicki…

  “Don’t you dare,” she retorted, shoving harder against him. “I’m not done with you yet.”

  Weaving his fingers with hers, he held her hands against the wall and eased his attack. She arched and rubbed against him like a cat, purring against his cheek. Vicki hot and wild, or smoldering tenderness, God, he’d missed her. “What are you doing to me, babe?”

  She choked out a laugh. “You really don’t know?”

  He tried to find the words. How sorry he was that he’d run out on her when things got too complicated. How much he valued her strength, intelligence, and dedication to her job. How sorry he was that Donnie had died, and how terrified he’d been at the thought of leaving her like that.

  It could happen any moment. The cartels were stronger than ever. More drugs hit the streets every single day, no matter how hard his team worked. They’d never keep the streets clean.

  “Vicki…”

  “I know,” she whispered, twisting her mouth back toward his. “I still love you, Elias.”

  She kissed him, not giving him time to answer. Because she didn’t want him to feel obligated to voice emotions she knew he hated to admit.

  She knows me all too well.

  To make up for being such a heartless asshole, he gave her exactly what she wanted. Long, powerful thrusts, his breath ragged in her ear, his body punishing, loving, tormenting, until she writhed against him.

  “Please, Elias. Please!”

  He buried his fingers between her thighs, kept her breast tight in his other hand, and gripped the back of her neck in his teeth like a mama cat carrying her babies while he thrust harder, veins pumping, muscles straining to bursting.

  She let out a wordless, hoarse scream that rattled the windows. Deliberately, he made his own groan rough and deep, a primal growl of the alpha taking his mate for the young pup downstairs. Sagging against her, he concentrated on catching his breath. His pulse thundered in his skull and his thighs ached like he’d run a marathon.

  He was totally unprepared for her to slither around, hook her heel behind his knee, and sling him around so he was on his back against the wall.

  Letting out a laughing groan, he dropped his head back against the wall and tried not to wheeze.

  “That’s better,” she purred against his throat.

  She nuzzled and rubbed her face on his chest, while she ran her hands over his shoulders and arms. No hesitant, gentle touches, not from his Vicki. She had the powerful hands of a masseuse. Even if she hadn’t made him blow his mind twice in the span of less than an hour, she could turn him into a puddle with those incredible hands. God help him when she decided to involve that luscious mouth of hers.

  “Don’t you want to hit your bed at least once, babe?”

  “Sure.” She bit his nipple, making him clench his hands into fists at his sides. “But it’s so rare for me to have you like this.”

  He narrowed his gaze, searching her face. “Like what?”

  “Passive. Calm. Worn out.” She smiled against his chest and slid her hands down his flanks and around to his buttocks. She gripped his ass firmly, tilting his hips closer to hers. “Mine to take.”

  His stomach tightened uneasily. That must be why she found Jesse so appealing. She could take him anytime she wanted, instead of wrestling and challenging him into exhaustion first. “Is that what you want, really? Because I can lie back and take one for the team, anytime, anywhere, Vik. If you want to take me, I’m yours.”

  Eyes dark and mysterious, she cocked her head and simply looked at him, her mouth quirked in a smug little half smile that miraculously made his cock stir all over again.

  “Do you want a shower now or later?”

  “I definitely need a shower before I stink up your bed.”

  Laughing with a sultry timbre to her voice, she released him and headed for the bathroom. “I hope I don’t drown you.”

  8

  Groggy and deliciously sore in places she hadn’t been in months, Vicki stirred when the bed dipped. She’d vaguely heard the shower running, but hadn’t managed to do much more than pull a pillow over her head. Bleary-eyed, she rolled over on her back and cracked open an eye.

  “Morning, Vik.”

  Elias’s husky voice in the early morning made her want to arch her back and purr an invitation. But she knew all too well that he had to get to work. “What time is it?”

  “Six thirty.” He leaned down and kissed her. “Thanks for last night.”

  “Thank you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. His hair was still damp at his nape, and he smelled so clean and fresh she could only think about making him sweaty all over again. “I see you found your stash of clothes. Are you coming back tonight?” Every night?

  His fingers cupped her nape, kneading gently. “Do you want me to?”

  Cases of argument flashed through her mind. Would it be better to pretend disinterest, so she didn’t appear too desperate? Would the truth only drive him away? She’d told him she still loved him last night. So why would he ask if she wanted him to come back?

  Some of her anxiety must have transmitted through the tightness of her arms, because he drew her against his chest and buried his face in her neck. “If you’re offering another home run like last night, then my answer is hell yeah.”

  Relaxing, she laughed and nibbled on his ear. “You mean you’re willing to take another blowjob in the shower?”

  “For the team,” he replied solemnly.

  She pulled back so he could see her face and the truth reflected in her eyes. “I want you every night, Detective Reyes.”

  “Then I’d best restock my supply of shirts.” He gave her another kiss and then stood to slip on his suit jacket. “By the way, Jesse met me at the stairs as soon as I stuck my head out and begged me to let him come in and cook breakfast for you.”

  That explained Elias’s sudden doubt attack and the clatter she heard.

  “He also asked me to give you this. Call me if you have any issues today.”

  She mumbled a reply and managed a smile at his back, but the watercolor artwork held her attention. Jesse had painted on heavy stock paper again, but it wasn’t folded like a card. There wasn’t a message on the back. No, the message was part of the design, like the birthday card he’d made.

  This time he’d painted sunflowers, bright and golden summer with a gorgeous azure sky and bluebonnets sprinkled along the bottom edge. In that heavy, graceful outline of curls and hidden words, he’d written:

&nbs
p; I came three times for you.

  Elias stuck his head back in the door. “Rise and shine, babe, or Jesse’s going to deliver your breakfast in bed.”

  She slung off the blankets and shot toward the bathroom, chased by Elias’s laughter.

  Vicki parked her red Mini in the department store lot and turned to Jesse. He didn’t meet her gaze and his shoulders were tight and hunched, reminding her of the first night she’d seen him. “Ready?”

  “Sure.” But he didn’t look up. Every muscle in his thin, wiry body screamed reluctance. The man had given at least a gallon of blood at the clinic and endured God only knew how many invasive exams, but paled at the prospect of shopping.

  “You’re not going to give me trouble, are you?” She kept her voice light, trying to tease him out of his mood. “I’ve bought or made Elias a dozen shirts and he refuses to wear them all.”

  Speaking of her lover brought Jesse’s head up. “I’ll gladly wear whatever you give me. I just…” His hands trembled in his lap, so she reached over and laced her fingers with his. “I’m so grateful, Vicki. I’ll pay you back. Every dime.”

  “Look at me, Jesse.” The shimmer in his turquoise eyes twisted her heart into knots. Gently, she cupped his cheek in her palm. “I want to help you, no strings attached. I love to shop and you’re gorgeous. It’s going to be fun, and I never want you to pay back a single dime.”

  He opened his mouth to protest, so she arched a brow at him and chose her words deliberately. “Would you deny me the pleasure of picking out a few outfits for you?”

  As she intended, his eyes sparked. “I’ll give you any pleasure you want.”

  She leaned in and whispered the words against his lips. “Then let me take you shopping.”

  His breath fluttered fast and frantic, his soft lips soft falling open in invitation. “Take me anywhere. Even shopping.”

  So far, he hadn’t pushed the flirting or temptation, even after the wild night she’d had with Elias. Curious how far he’d keep to the “no flirting” agreement, she didn’t kiss him. Pulling back, she dropped the keys and her cellphone in her purse. As she shut the car door, she glanced at Jesse and smiled at the decidedly pouted bottom lip. Which only made her think about sucking that lip into her mouth and gripping it in her teeth.

  Now who needs to remember the no flirting rule?

  In less than an hour, she had him trapped in the dressing room while she tossed outfits over the door for him to try on. Since he was still underweight, she tried to give him room to fill back out without endangering his modesty and her sanity. She started with casual clothes and moved toward business casual. Until she knew what kind of job he got, a few basics would be enough.

  She watched him twist and turn before the mirror. Even in basic chinos and a plain white dress shirt, he looked stunning. She ran her hands over his shoulders and chest, smoothing the fabric and checking the fit. “You really could be a model, you know.”

  “Never thought about it, I guess.” Jesse tried to catch her gaze in the mirror, but she determinedly concentrated on his clothes and not him. “I’m too old now.”

  She made a disgusted mock growl. “Don’t talk about old when you’re still under thirty. You really need a custom-fitted shirt to emphasize your trim waist.”

  He shrugged. “This is fine. Looks good to me.”

  She stepped back and studied him, tilting her head. An idea was starting to form in her mind, that old familiar itch promising a burst of creative energy. She could see him in a fancy shirt made out of the turquoise silk. Not a normal dress shirt—no, that would be too conservative. Something that suited his masculine yet delicate features. Maybe a gentleman’s shirt from the eighteenth or nineteenth centuries. Or an artist’s, something with a bit of lace or ruffle at the sleeve. Not too feminine, but long enough to hang out of his coat sleeves.

  A gray cashmere suit with an antique, custom shirt to match his eyes beneath. Yes.

  “How would you feel about participating in the show with me next month? Honestly. I totally understand if that’s not something you’d feel comfortable with. If I asked Elias, he’d probably arrest me.”

  Jesse’s eyes lit up even more than usual. “Really? I’d love to! The thought of wearing something you made with your own hands…” He let out a delicious little groan that made her nipples peak and sent a pulse of liquid heat through her groin. “Definitely, yes.”

  “I have an idea.” She had to clear her throat but her voice still sounded husky. “When we get back home tonight, I’ll sketch it out, see what you think.”

  To make him feel better about how much she was going to spend, she headed to the women’s department. Unfortunately, nothing really caught her fancy. That’s the downside of trying to launch my own line—nothing but my own designs will do.

  She turned around, looking for Jesse, and found him mesmerized by a white fluffy negligee a few rows back in the lingerie department. She walked back toward him, trying to figure out why he found the silly thing so interesting. It was innocent and frilly, totally not her style. He’d already said she was red, passion and fire. Not meek and insipid white, let alone such a feminine, helpless looking outfit.

  Her hackles rose looking at the damned thing, but she tried to keep the bite out of her voice. “You’re not picturing me in that, are you?”

  His cheeks flushed but he met her gaze with a sheepish shrug of his shoulders. “So sue me, I’m a guy. You’d be hot in it.”

  “In this?” Incredulity rang in her voice and he smiled wider. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “Remember the surprise factor.”

  That took her aback. When choosing colors and patterns only by her personal preference, she’d created a solid but boringly conservative line, which was far from what she’d hoped to accomplish.

  “I already knew you were strong, kind, gorgeous, and that once you make up your mind to do something, you do it one hundred percent all the way.” His dropped his voice to a rough whisper. “I heard enough last night to know that you’re also uninhibited and sexy as hell.”

  Now it was her turn to blush. He’d finally gotten in a dig about what all he’d heard last night. “What’s your point?”

  “If you were to deliberately pick out something to wear for Reyes, I bet you’d choose red or black, right? This is totally unexpected. It screams innocence and shyness, a direct contradiction to your personality. If you were to slip this little baby on for your cop, I guarantee he’ll swallow his tongue in surprise, and then blow a gasket trying to get you out of it.”

  Doubtfully, she took the hanger off the rack to examine the negligee closer. She tried to picture herself in it and failed. Just thinking about it made her feel awkward, shy and stupid, none of which she typically felt, especially around Elias. He brought out the vixen—rather, the crocodile—in her. Not the blushing virgin.

  Maybe that’s exactly Jesse’s point.

  He stepped close enough to whisper. “Hold it up to you. Let me imagine you wearing it.” For me.

  He didn’t say the last words out loud, but she heard the longing in his voice and read the intensity in his body. Could he be right? Would Elias like her in such a feminine, innocent-looking nightgown?

  She held the negligee beneath her chin and watched Jesse’s eyes flare wider, darken to the mysterious lost-lagoon depths.

  “If you think it’s too…”

  “Virginal,” she said wryly.

  His mouth quirked and he dipped his head. “Then wear something brazen beneath, like a see-through thong. Or better yet, nothing at all.”

  She arched a brow at him in warning but he only grinned wider. “That reminds me. You need underwear and socks. Hmmm, I wonder what size you are?”

  Since he was so close, it was easy enough to reach around his waist and slide her fingers down the back of his saggy jeans in search of the waistband tag.

  Mistake. Huge. Because instead of cotton, her fingers met only bare skin.

  “Jess
e. You’re not wearing any underwear.”

  A muffled gasp drew her attention. A blushing, wide-eyed saleslady stared at them.

  “No, ma’am.” Whispering, he dropped his head and allowed his shoulders to droop, that automatic, innate signal of surrender she recognized despite her refusals to ever consider learning more about the BDSM lifestyle as her brother urged. “Extras were a luxury, and I don’t mind going without.”

  Glaring at the ogling saleslady, Vicki shoved her hand down farther. Her index finger lodged between his cheeks, the rest of her hand cupping his buttock. Jesse quivered beneath her grip but otherwise didn’t move a muscle, while the saleslady flushed even darker and finally whirled to disappear down a side aisle.

  She tried to keep her voice firm instead of sultry, but her voice sounded like she’d slugged a flask of Jack Daniels. “I thought we agreed to no flirting.”

  “Um, it’s your hand down my pants, Ma’am.”

  She couldn’t help leaning into him, squeezing firmly, letting him feel how strong her hands were. She’d grown up on a ranch and although she had two older brothers, her parents had always believed in hard work for every single person in the family. “What did I tell you to call me?”

  “I can’t.” He breathed short and fast. “If I say your name while you’re touching me like this, I might not be able to control myself.”

  His erection throbbed against her stomach. Closing her eyes, she fought off the urge to slide her hand around to the front of his pants instead. Not here, not now. Get a grip, Vik.

  She gave him one last squeeze and slowly pulled her hand up out of his jeans, but she slid her palm higher, up beneath his shirt along his back, stroking less private skin. “I can’t seem to stop touching you.”

  “I’m not complaining.”

  Of course her continued stroking did nothing to ease his discomfort, and they certainly couldn’t walk around the store like this. Reluctantly, she pulled away to give him some space. “Let’s get out of here. I need to see Victor right now.”