by S. Nelson
Stone’s eyes widened for a brief moment before he walked across the room and pulled open a drawer. Slamming it closed he looked inside another, then another before he found what he was looking for. With a baggie in hand, he grabbed a cloth from the rolling cart and closed in on Psych. Running the fabric down the dead man’s chest, Stone tossed it in the baggie. Then he ripped out a chunk of hair from Psych’s head, throwing that into the same baggie.
Heading back our way, he showed me the bag and said, “I’ll have Addy contact someone and rush the DNA sample. Now all I have to do is convince Marek. He might fight me on it because of his fear that it could be true.”
“Can you blame the guy?” I asked.
“Nope.” That was all he said before we all dispersed.
Reece
Groggily wiping the sleep from my eyes, I swung my legs over the side of the bed. Tripp’s bed. Resting my feet on the cool floor, I inhaled the moment and tried my best to take in my new predicament. Not only the room where I’d spent the night, but that I was now jobless. Jobless and essentially held captive. Okay, held captive might’ve been a bit strong of a sentiment, but it was kind of on point. Sort of.
While I sat on the edge of the bed, I recalled my phone call with Carla the night before, choosing to focus on certain parts of our conversation more than others. For instance, when she’d told me, “I’ve known Tripp for some time now and I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he was looking at you tonight.” Why did the recollection of her telling me that cause a flutter in my belly? Being careless in the past had led to some of the worst decisions I’d ever made, essentially endangering my life, and it was precisely why I needed to keep my head straight. No matter how attracted I was to Tripp.
Deciding I needed a shower to wake me up, I shuffled across the room with my head hung low and swung open the bedroom door, running right into a naked, muscular chest. Quick hands reached out and grabbed me as I stumbled backward, righting me before I ended up on the floor.
“Jesus Christ, woman!” Tripp exclaimed, his fingers still wrapped tightly around my upper arms. The heat from his touch instantly warmed me. No, scratch that—his touch enflamed me, torched me from the inside. So hot I thought for sure he’d snatch his hands back from the burn. My belly fluttered like it had once before while my heart beat furiously inside my chest. Licking my lips, I broke free from him and retreated, which was a mistake because I could see more of him. But distance was most definitely needed; otherwise, I feared I’d allow my hormones to take over and literally throw myself at him. Try and climb his massive, sculpted form.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, trying like hell to avert my eyes from the practically naked man standing in front of me.
“No, I’m sorry if I scared you. I saw the door was closed and didn’t wanna wake you. Although, come to think of it, it’s almost noon.” He smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you normally sleep in this late?”
I heard him speak but his words jumbled together. As if in some kind of trance, my eyes trailed over his body, devouring the sight of his rigid, cut muscles, the V of his abdomen disappearing behind the white towel wrapped around his waist.
When my gaze moved upward, trailing over his arms still crossed and muscles popping, I saw him lick his full lips. His smile intensified, and it wasn’t until I finally looked him in the eye that I saw the glint of amusement. His short dark hair was wet, a few water droplets dripping off the tips and running down his neck.
“Like I said before, you can hit on me anytime.” Dropping his arms to his sides, he brushed past me and walked toward his closet. I tried but I couldn’t seem to peel my eyes away from him. The way he walked was mesmerizing, his gait confident and authoritative. Before I could even think to apologize for leering at him, his towel fell to the floor without warning. And there before me was the sight of his naked ass. His glorious, tight, round and muscular ass. I knew if I didn’t turn around in the next second he was gonna ruin me for all other men going forward.
“You still there?” His voice rumbled through the air and startled me, but it was exactly what I needed to regain some of the composure I’d lost when he’d dropped his towel.
I flipped around to give him some privacy. “Um . . . yeah. Sorry. I was . . . just shocked.” I could hear the rustle of his jeans as he pulled them over his thighs, followed by the zipper and finally the clank of his belt buckle as he finished dressing.
“You can turn around now, sweetheart. I’m decent.” He chuckled, the deep timber of his laugh making me clench my thighs together. It was obvious he loved getting a rise out of me. Was I that easy to rile up? Apparently so.
“Sorry,” I repeated, sheepishly grinning to try and hide my embarrassment. I hated how he could fluster me so easily.
“Am I that awful to look at?” he teased, stepping closer until he was only a few feet from me. His eyes stayed pinned to mine, and the lazy way the corners of his mouth curved up was probably the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.
“You know you’re not.”
“You’re quite the contradiction, you know that?” Intrigued by his odd statement, I took the bait.
“I don’t understand. What does that mean exactly?”
“Well, for starters, you’re a stripper. Or rather, you were a stripper.” I couldn’t help the slight irritation that flowed through me at the mention of my job loss. “You took your clothes off and danced for countless strangers, put yourself in a sexual environment all the time, yet you blushed when you saw me naked.”
“How do you know I blushed? You were turned around.”
“Because your cheeks are still red.” He reached out and ghosted his fingers down the side of my face. I hadn’t expected him to touch me, and when he did I couldn’t stop my body from reacting. Again. My breath came out in short spurts as if my lungs had stolen my air, yet I welcomed the strange feeling. Before I did something stupid like lean in to him, I retreated.
“I have to go,” I whispered, watching him closely for any sudden change in expression. Would he be angry that I wasn’t fawning all over him? Especially when it was obvious he was attracted to me? Would he find me challenging and pursue me, try to convince me to stay to see if he could get what he wanted from me—even though I had no idea what that was? Well . . . I could take a guess, but would he be so brazen? Of course he would. I didn’t see him as the type of guy to beat around the bush when it came to things he wanted.
But did he want me?
Oh my God! My brain was firing off in all different directions, most of my thoughts confusing the hell out of me.
“What’s goin’ on in that head of yours?”
“Just thinking that I overstayed my welcome,” I lied, fiddling with the bottom of his shirt which still covered me. His eyes drifted to where my fingers gripped the material.
“I think that’s my new favorite shirt,” he confessed, veering the conversation—what little of it there was—in yet another direction. Holy shit, we were all over the place.
“Well, it’s yours, so that would make sense.” I had no idea what else to say, other than to make idle, meaningless chitchat. After several heartbeats, I chose to get back to the main point. What was that again? Oh yeah. . . .”I have to go.”
“Where?”
“Back to the motel.”
“I told you that you’re not going back there,” he snapped, reining in his sudden temper once he realized his outburst. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at me, as if trying to will me into submission. I was sure most people followed Tripp’s orders, but I wasn’t gonna be one of them. Not when what he was saying was completely asinine.
“Where else am I gonna go?” Wanting to mirror his resoluteness, I put my hands on my hips and challenged him back. I was sure I was quite the sight, standing there in nothing but his T-shirt, hair tousled and looking a mess.
“You can stay here.”
“With you?”
“What’s wrong with that?”
&
nbsp; Was he offended?
“Um . . . let’s see. I don’t know you, for starters. Besides, you fired me, remember? What makes you think I’m still not pissed off at you?” My arms stayed glued to my waist.
It was then he decided to make a move, reaching me in only a few long strides. He stood so close I had to tilt my head back to see his face. “Are you?” His warm breath fanned my face and I couldn’t help but wonder what his kiss would taste like.
“Am I what?” I asked dreamily, so lost to the image of his lips pressed against mine that I’d lost all rationale.
“Pissed at me?” He reached out and tucked an errant strand of hair behind my ear, the pads of his fingers trailing over the sensitive area just below my earlobe.
“Huh?” My eyes were half closed at that point, and my mouth had suddenly become quite dry.
Chuckling, he leaned down until his mouth was but a whisper away from mine. “Are you still pissed at me? For letting you go from the club? Or are you imagining yourself kissing me? Is that where that beautiful head of yours is at?”
I couldn’t do anything other than stare at his mouth, the questions he’d just asked not even registering before I rose up on my tippy toes and pressed my lips to his, completely oblivious to how inappropriate my actions were.
“Aw . . . fuck it,” he muttered before giving in and kissing me back.
Tripp
With Reece’s lips pressed against mine, it didn’t take long before I lost all control and demanded everything from her. I hadn’t thought of anything else since the first time I saw her, which had been less than twenty-four hours before.
Our situation hadn’t started off ideal, but that didn’t seem to matter. Life threw me a surprise that flipped me on my goddamn ass, and I had no choice but to roll with it and see what happened. I wasn’t a deep thinker. I wasn’t a man who questioned “what does it all mean” or even considered something as unrealistic as fate, but I couldn’t deny the attraction and pull I felt toward Reece. An odd feeling, one I’d never experienced before, not once during my thirty-two years. There was something different and special about her. About us together. I knew she was attracted to me, could see it every time she looked at me, but did she feel that same undeniable force?
Our mouths collided while our tongues dueled, both of us desperately trying to savor the taste of the other. When she nipped my bottom lip I swore my dick became so hard I thought I was gonna explode right then and there. With the way we were goin’ at each other, it sure as hell wasn’t gonna take much anyway.
“Let’s get this off you,” I growled, breaking away from her mouth and raising the hem of her shirt—my shirt, to be exact—until it cleared her belly. Several seconds passed. I waited, impatiently I might add, but she didn’t protest, so I lifted the material over her head and tossed it somewhere behind me. My eyes traveled the full length of her, first stopping to take in the magnificent view of her round and perky tits, then moving lower to glance at the tiny pair of panties she wore which barely covered her. I stepped back to better take her in, and that’s when I saw her skin blush the sexiest color of pink. When I remained silent, she became self-conscious.
“What?” she asked, swallowing nervously while I continued to devour the sight of her.
“You’re perfect. Absolutely fuckin’ perfect.” I wanted my mouth to cover every single inch of her, starting with those full, kiss-bruised lips. Pulling her into me, I crashed my mouth to hers again, demanding she open up for me once more with the thrust of my tongue. I pulled back long enough to remove my own shirt, and then I was back to tasting her for what felt like forever.
She moaned, digging her fingernails into my shoulders as I walked her backward toward my bed. Reaching under her ass, I pulled her up my body and she instinctively wrapped her legs around my waist. The warmth of her chest pressed against mine felt like heaven. I could only imagine what it would feel like to slide inside her, the heat of her pussy surely enough to send me over the edge.
Once we reached the bed, I crawled on top and gently laid her beneath me, careful not to crush her delicate frame. The prickling awareness that she was gonna allow me to fuck her soon excited me all while making me nervous. To be more exact, I was nervous for her, not me.
I’d been with many women over the years and it never failed. Every time they discovered what I was packing down below, their eyes widened. Some of them had even looked a bit worried.
I was a large man. Everywhere.
My hands trailed along her sides, goose bumps covering the surface of her skin the more I explored. Gently biting the tip of her tongue, I pulled back and stared at her, loving the fact that she looked like she did because of me. Her skin was still tinged pink, her plump lips battered from my demanding kiss. Her eyes were half closed, desire pooling underneath so heady I could only imagine what I’d find if I ran my fingers between her legs. No doubt she was soaked.
“Tripp.” She whisper-moaned my name when my fingers played with the top of her panties. Shifting positions, I sat back and tugged the material down her thighs until her bare pussy was no longer covered.
“I can’t wait to taste you,” I said hastily, ripping her panties the rest of the way off before spreading her legs and burying my head in between. But before I could savor her sweetness, she uttered three words which stopped me dead in my tracks.
“Make me forget.”
She spoke the words quietly, but I’d heard them loud and clear. I clenched my jaw, knowing damn well I couldn’t continue on without making sure she was ready to fuck me because she wanted to, and not to escape from what happened the previous night.
After the attack she appeared okay, only a slightly frightened reaction moments after I busted into that back room. I stupidly thought she was completely fine, even thinking she was over it. But I should have known better. Of course, she’d suppress her feelings. I didn’t know of a single woman who wouldn’t be shaken after something like that, which was all the more reason I’d never allow her to put herself in that kind of situation again.
You hardly know her. How can you protect her?
Choosing to ignore my inner voice of reason, I pushed off the bed and stood at the edge, contemplating my next move. Fuck, this was hard. There she lay, naked and ready for me, and my dumb ass refused to fuck her unless she was doin’ it for the right reason. Goddamn, I hated having a conscience.
“What’s the matter?” she asked, closing her legs and leaning up on her elbows. I wanted to wipe away her look of self-doubt and confusion, but I couldn’t. Not until I made her tell me why she’d said, “Make me forget.”
“Reece . . . ,” I started, running my hands through my hair, tugging at the strands in sexual frustration. My cock pressed against the seam of my zipper, throbbing for a release I had a feeling wasn’t gonna happen any time soon. My hesitation made her even more aware something was wrong, so she pulled the covers over her to hide her nakedness.
“Why did you stop?” she gasped, remaining silent for a moment before saying accusingly, “You really are married, aren’t you?” She shuffled back on the bed.
“I’m not fuckin’ married. I told you that before.”
“Then why? Why did you stop?”
“Why do you want to fuck me?” I asked crassly, wincing at the harshness of not only my words but my tone.
“Because . . . I like you. And I thought you liked me too.”
“Is that it?” I arched a brow and set my expression to skeptical. She remained silent, not quite sure how else to respond. “Do you want me to make you forget what happened, to take your mind off being attacked?”
It was she who winced that time. “Yes,” she replied honestly.
Shaking my head, I reached for her hand and waited for her to give in. Once the heat of her palm connected with mine, I helped her from the bed, the blanket still wrapped loosely around her body.
“I can’t do this.” She opened her mouth to speak but I continued on, not allowing her to say anything
. “I’m not fucking you until I’m the only thought in that head of yours.”
“I don’t understand,” she responded. “I’m not thinking about anyone but you.” She tried to tug her hand from mine but I only tightened my hold. In fact, I pulled her closer.
“You need me in order to help you forget. You said so yourself.” Taking a breath, I continued, “You’ve been through a lot, and that’s on me for thinking you were okay with it. I should have known better, but I got caught up in you. In the thought of us together.” To relieve her of some of her mounting anxiety, I kissed her, my lips lingering over hers for several seconds. “I don’t want our first time together to be tainted by your need to escape from something else.”
My eyes widened in shock when she started to cry. At first it was a single tear, but then many more quickly followed. Her shoulders shook as she finally released what had been pent up since the attack. Without hesitation, I wrapped my arms around her as she expelled her anguish. I normally didn’t do well with a crying woman, but with Reece it was different. All I wanted to do was comfort her, to promise her that everything would be okay, even if I didn’t truly believe every word myself.
A tightness gripped my chest, the anger I felt about what happened to her rising to new heights. Such vulnerability and confusion on her part had me wanting to erase the memory of the night before. But I couldn’t. I didn’t know how to help her, and that alone killed me.
Reece
I couldn’t believe all that had happened in the course of twenty minutes. First, Tripp undressed in front of me, comfortable as could be with that unbelievable body of his. Then I fell under some sort of spell when he neared me, imagining all sorts of dirty things I’d love to do to him, and him to me. Then, as brazen as could be, I was the one who made the first move. With all of Tripp’s flirtation, I was the one to kiss him. I was the one who encouraged what happened next without question. I allowed him to take over, to take off my clothes and lay me on the bed beneath him. I was the one who allowed him to put his head between my legs, and I was the one who essentially stopped it with my admission that I needed him to help me forget all that had happened in the past twenty-four hours.