Killer Romances

by Dana Delamar, Talullah Grace, Sandy Loyd, Kristine Mason, Dale Mayer, Nina Pierce Chantel Rhondeau, K. T. Roberts, H. D. Thomson, Susan Vaughan

  Damon heard the tremble in her voice and hoped she wasn’t beginning to cry. Shit, what had he gotten himself into? He gulped down the rest of his drink, setting the glass a little too firmly on the coffee table.

  Both of them stared at him.

  “Elvis, obviously the lady is concerned.” Damon stood. The sooner this got cleared up, the sooner he could get her to her car and go home. “You said this guy was a regular. Is there anything you can tell her?” Damon wondered if this whole thing had to do with Elvis’ private business downstairs. He shot Elvis a questioning look, but the man shook his head so slightly, only Damon noticed. Relief flooded through him. At least this guy that had apparently killed himself hadn’t done it because of that, at least.

  “Why did the police make the connection to you?” Julie asked.

  “I was there that day. I was the one who found him.” Elvis’ voice was a mere whisper.

  “Oh, Elvis, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. It wasn’t in the papers.” Julie laid her hand over Elvis’ trembling fingers. “I can’t even begin to imagine how awful that must have been for you.”

  “A Tilling?” Elvis paused as if contemplating some important information. “There is something I can give you. It’s tucked away in my safe downstairs.”

  At that moment, the phone on his desk chimed. “Excuse me.”

  * * * *

  Julie stood at the wall of windows, staring at the scene below. She had no idea what Elvis went to retrieve. She could only hope it might shed some light on Jason’s death.

  “You okay?” The heat of Demon’s breath caressed her neck. “Elvis is a good man. If he said he has something to help, I’m sure he does.”

  Thinking about someone finding Jason shot to death overwhelmed her. Sadness stung the back of her eyes and filled her throat. Even after all this time, she was still mourning her best friend. She would like nothing more than to lean into the man behind her for comfort.

  “I’m fine,” Julie said. “It’s been a long night, that’s all.” He was so close she didn’t dare turn around. If the compassion filled his eyes, the way it filled his voice, Julie wouldn’t be able to resist falling into his arms, and that hardly seemed appropriate at the moment. Then again, the idea of a private party sounded like something Jewel wanted. Women didn’t dress this way to keep men at arm’s length. Julie wasn’t sure she wanted to walk on the cautious side of life anymore.

  “Does it ever get tiresome watching it?” she asked, daring to dip her toe in the waters of seduction.

  “What?”

  Good, her question threw him off-kilter. “You know. The people and what they’re doing? You see the two men and that woman over there?” Julie leaned to the side so Demon could see around her as she pointed to a shadowed corner of the bar below. “I thought they were dancing, but there’s definitely something more going on.” A nervous giggle escaped her lips. “The man in front is definitely buried deep in the woman, and the man in back…well, I’m not sure what he’s doing. But with their mouths open that way, I’m thinking they’re all really enjoying themselves.” She dared to lean back, her bottom grazing his thigh.

  “Oh, they’re definitely getting it on.” Demon braced his hands on either side of her, pressing the solid plane of his chest against her back. They were both testing the waters. “And yes, I get tired of watching.” He leaned close to her ear, his breath the only thing separating his lips from sensitive shell. “They put in extra spotlights that shine on the platform for me so I don’t have to stare at them all night. I mean, even a saint would get a hard-on seeing people go at it for three hours.” He canted his hips, brushing the thick length of him against her ass, proving his point.

  Julie was enjoying their brazen flirtation. “I suppose you’re right.” She turned around to face him, purposefully rubbing her breasts across his chest. He didn’t move. “Did you originally bring me up here to relieve a little of that tension, Demon?”

  “I don’t think you want to know what I was thinking before we got in the elevator.”

  She tilted her head and cocked a brow, inviting him to share. “Oh, but I think I would.”

  “This is probably a very bad idea.” He took a step back, but she moved with him.

  She’d come this far and she had no intention of stopping now. “Maybe I was a little tipsy in the elevator, but I’m stone-cold sober now,” she said, laying her palm in the center of his chest. Her gaze swept the strong lines of his face, gauging his reaction. Even in the muted light of the office she could see the hunger sparking in his eyes. “We’re way past the stage of chivalry, Demon. I don’t need your protection.” She slid her thigh up his leg, surprised by her own audacity.

  “You think that’s what I’m doing?”

  She dragged a nail through the dark whiskers along his jaw, thrilling in the quick inhalation of his breath. “Oh, you play the animal, but the heart of a gentle man hides here.” She kissed the center of his chest, her body warming with the power of her seduction.

  “Then it may shock you to learn I intended on having my way with you when we got up here. That phone call pulling Elvis away was his attempt to give me privacy.”

  “No more than it would shock you to learn that’s what I’d hoped.” She scraped her teeth along the tight cords of his neck. “Elvis said he’d be gone awhile.”

  “Not nearly long enough.” Demon wrapped his arms around her, his lips coming down hard on hers. He tasted of lemon and smelled like heaven. His tongue ran along the seam of her mouth, and she opened for him. She swallowed his deep growl of pleasure, the thrill of it shooting straight down her core.

  His fingers gripped her neck, pulling her deep into the kiss, while hers frantically worked the buttons on his shirt.

  “Do you think they can see us from down there?”

  “Not on the couch.” Demon scooped her into his arms and carried her across the room. She kicked off her ankle-high boots on the way. His mouth never lost contact with hers. The pounding rhythm of the music was replaced by the roar of her heart hammering in her ears. He laid her on the couch, coming down on top of her. Julie shoved the shirt off his shoulders, her nails biting crescent moons into his back.

  “Demon,” she breathed into his ear, nipping at the lobe.

  “Damon. My real name’s Damon. Say it.” And she did. On hiccupping gasps, his name fell from her lips. He leaned away from her, pulling the front zipper down her corset, exposing her swollen breasts. She flushed under his hungry gaze, feeling sexy and wanton. When he leaned down and suckled one steepled nipple and then the other, she came off the couch. Jolts of molten heat shot through her veins with every lick and nibble. She pressed into his face, urging him to take more.

  “Beautiful. You’re so beautiful.” He kissed a path between her breasts. “Your skin’s like satin.”

  Her nails raked down his back. She cupped his ass, pulling him tightly between her open thighs. Oh, how she wanted this man. A stranger she’d only just met was making her hotter and wetter than she’d been in a very long time.

  The chime of a cell phone broke through the fog of desire engulfing her.

  “Wait. Just a minute, Damon. I need to get that.” Julie pushed at his shoulders. “My purse, there on the coffee table, my phone’s in my purse.”

  He handed it to her, grazing his teeth along her collarbone. “I’m sure it can wait.”

  “You never know, it could be an emergency.” Julie flipped open the phone. “Julie here.” Damon drew lazy circles with his finger around her stomach and breasts.

  “Hey, Jules, were you in bed?”

  “No, Dee, you didn’t wake me. Thanks for asking.” She mouthed “my sister” to Damon who nodded and ran is tongue over the pulse point of her throat and she gasped in response.

  “You okay? You sound out of breath.”

  “Breathless? Me? Oh, I was just doing some sit-ups before bed…and yes, before you say anything, I know what time it is. Sometimes I stay up this late. It is the weekend.”


  “You always do aerobics before turning in?”

  “Don’t worry about my fitness routine. Did you want something at this hour?”

  Damon laved her breast, and air whistled through her teeth.

  “Did you talk to Mum tonight?” Deirdre asked.

  His tongue took another turn around her nipple, and she had all she could do to focus on Deirdre’s voice. “Mum? Yeah, she called me earlier. She seemed fine. She told me Daddy didn’t feel well, but I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.”

  He nibbled at her earlobe, eliciting another moan of pleasure.

  “Jules, you sure you’re all right? You sound funny.”

  “It’s late.” Julie faked a loud yawn.

  Damon laughed and she covered the receiver. “Shh, I’ll explain later.” He went back to nipping and kissing her neck.

  Deirdre was still prattling on, but Julie was quickly losing her ability to focus. The wonderful wet suction at her neck and warm flutter of his fingers over her belly had her thoughts scattering in different directions. “I’m sure Mum’s fine, Dee. Nothing to worry about. I’m hanging up…go back to your game of pool—”

  “Wait, say hi to Bri.”

  “No, I don’t need to say hello to Brianna. Good-bye, Dee.” She closed the phone and dropped it on the floor.

  “You, Damon, are a wicked man.” Julie buried her fingers in his hair. “I want you to—” His mouth came down hard on hers, and he swallowed her words. Damon’s fingers took a slow walk up her thigh, bringing her skirt with them. His thumb trailed over the dampness of her thong. “Yeah, that. Touch me like that.”

  “You have entirely too many clothes on.” She reached between them, fumbling at his belt buckle.

  “Let me get it.” He stood up quickly, shucking off his jeans and cowboy boots. Julie hadn’t seen many men naked, but this one certainly stole her breath. The sizable erection tapping against his belly was all hers. The man was as aroused by Julie Tilling as she was by him. The thought empowered her, boosted her confidence to play the salacious sex goddess she’d been trying to portray. Sitting up, she took the condom he’d dug out of his wallet. Julie rubbed her thumb against the mushroom head, collecting the glistening moisture. She brought her hand to her mouth, dragging her thumb down her tongue in a move so seductive it had him grinding out a moan.

  “Damon, you taste so good.” She looked up at him through her lashes and rolled the latex down the length of his cock.

  Damon lowered his weight on her, their bodies melting into the leather. She sighed his name, and he ran kisses up her chin, his hand tickling the inside of her thigh, running up her slick folds and circling her aching clitoris.

  Damon’s touches were fire on her body, melting her bones and coursing heat through her blood. Julie couldn’t remember ever feeling this relaxed and sexy with a man. Sex had always seemed so mechanical in the past.

  Not this night. This night, she floated on a cloud of pleasure, her mind empty of everything but the sensations Damon offered her body. The heat of his skin against her fingers, the spicy smell of his cologne mingled with the scent of her desire, the sound of her name on his lips, and the way he stared at her as if she were a banquet and he was a starving man; all of it sending overwhelming need sizzling over her nerves. Every cell in her body screamed for him, craved this union with Damon and the ecstasy he offered. She didn’t know it could be like this.

  “Damon, I want you,” she whispered.

  “Julie.” He covered her mouth with his, their tongues battling as he lifted her hips and entered her with exquisite leisure, allowing her body time to adjust to his girth. He stretched her, but she was so wet he entered without pain, filling her completely. He swallowed the moan she couldn’t contain.

  “You feel so good, Julie.”

  His name was the only coherent word she could form on her lips.

  They found their rhythm, each moving their bodies to increase the pleasure. Damon held her arms over her head with one hand. The other slid between them, rubbing the pearled knot of her clitoris, sending her soaring higher with each stroke. Pleasure jolted along her nerves, tingling out to her fingers and toes. Her internal muscles clenched, pulling him deeper. Her world became narrowly focused on the encouragements and epithets he murmured in her ear, the talented teasing of his thumb and the push and pull of his cock. Her back bowed and she held her breath as her world exploded. Her orgasm rolled over her, making her buck against his powerful assault as she rode the breathless wave of ecstasy.

  Damon tensed and let out a feral growl as his orgasm overtook him. He pistoned his hips with such wonderful strength all she could do was hold onto him, anchoring herself against the second orgasm slamming into her.

  His hips slowed, soothing her quaking channel. He pulled his arm from between their bodies and came down on her, comforting her with his weight. She flexed her internal muscles, milking the last of his bliss. A shudder snaked through his body and she did it again just to hear her name come out of him on a deep moan of satisfaction.

  He pulled her close to him, gathering the pieces and holding her tight. Their chests heaved and their hearts pounded against each other. And Julie wasn’t sure she wanted this to be just a one-night stand.

  Chapter 4

  Julie set down the steaming mug of coffee and flipped on the Saturday morning news as she settled on the couch. Her body was pleasantly sore from her encounter with Damon. Of course her night tangling the sheets and fantasizing in the shower had only added to the thrumming need making her restless.

  The memory of their evening had kept the goofy smile lighting her face through breakfast and two loads of laundry.

  They’d barely gotten their clothes back on before Elvis had returned to his office last night. Between their flushed faces and the musky odor permeating the office, there’d been no doubt what the two of them had done in his absence. Julie had wanted nothing more than to blend into the wall and disappear as the men had talked and laughed about Damon’s co-workers at the radio station.

  Damon might be used to having sex in near public settings, but she had no idea how to handle the hour-after situation. As soon as she could politely extricate herself, Julie had taken the box Elvis offered her and hightailed it out the backdoor to her car with Damon on her heels. She’d left the man who’d rocked her world with a confused expression and a chaste kiss.

  She was so not cut out for the casual sex kitten lifestyle.

  Well, thinking about him would get her nowhere. She was mooning over a man who’d probably gotten up this morning without a thought of how his evening had ended. She needed to let go of her fantasies and move on.

  The tattered box she’d taken from Elvis sat on the coffee table in front of her. Sadness tripped over regret. Had she missed something about Jason’s demeanor the last time she saw him? Julie didn’t think so. But she still wasn’t sure how it had come to this. All she had left of her best friend was an old yearbook, a few faded photographs and a video tape labeled “Jason’s High School Years”. Julie retrieved the stupid kazoo they’d used at basketball games and hummed the school song into the silly toy.

  “Calling ducks?”

  The kazoo flew from her hand as she turned to find her sister standing in the living room doorway.

  “What the hell? Don’t you knock anymore, Deirdre?” Julie lived next door to her parents. It shouldn’t surprise her when a family member showed up, but it certainly could be annoying and inconvenient at times.

  “The back door was open.” Deirdre came around the corner from the kitchen, a mug of coffee in one hand, a half peeled banana in the other.

  “Help yourself.” Julie picked up her mug of coffee from the table.

  “Yeah, thanks,” Deirdre said. “You need more flavored creamer, by the way. I just used the last of it.”

  “I’ll remember to put it on our shopping list.” Julie didn’t disguise the sarcasm, but Deirdre either missed it or didn’t bother to acknowledge it. “
What’re you doing in town on a Saturday? Don’t you have work at the farmhouse or something?”

  “Bri wants to have a barbeque tonight. She’s leaving to do a story in Kansas next week and wants to have everyone over. I needed to do a landscaping estimate, and I thought I’d swing in to invite you and the ’rents to dinner. But they must be out grocery shopping or something.” Deirdre flopped onto the couch, bouncing the cushions, nearly causing Julie to spill coffee down the front of her. “So I thought I’d hang out here for a while until they come home.”

  “What if I have plans, Dee? You ever think of that?” Julie hadn’t meant for the question to sound so accusatory, but damn, didn’t her family think she had a life of her own?

  “Sure, well…sorry. I just saw your car in the driveway and came over to say ‘hello.’”

  “Well, I was thinking about going out tonight.”

  “You have a date?”

  She hadn’t exchanged numbers with Damon, which was really stupid on her part. Still, her sister didn’t need to know that. “Don’t sound so surprised. I do have a social life. His name’s Damon.” The deception heated her cheeks.

  “Sorry.” Deirdre dragged out the word into two long syllables.

  Deirdre’s sulky tone washed more guilt over Julie. “Forget it. You’re right. We didn’t make any definite plans for tonight. I’m not doing anything.” Julie set the box on the floor and turned up the television.

  “What’s in the box?”

  “Some old high school stuff, nothing much.” Julie shrugged, not wanting to talk with Dee about Jason. She focused on the television and flipped channels with the remote.

  “…WKOR’s own Demon Jones…morning prime time…”

  Flashes of Demon’s face came up on the screen as a commercial broke into the morning programming.

  “Boo. Hiss.” Deirdre blew a raspberry at the screen. “The man’s a menace to society.”

  “You know him?” Julie asked. She shifted on the couch, her body reacting immediately to the memory of his full lips on her.