“Megan.” He spoke soothingly, but at least he didn’t try to touch her again. “I’m sorry if this is upsetting, but…” He stopped and glanced over Megan’s shoulder, and whatever he saw there seemed to catch his attention. She refused to look, but her peripheral vision caught a familiar rangy body easing into the conversation.
“Hi,” Joe said easily. “Would you like to dance?”
She turned in his direction, ready to accept. She didn’t care what it looked like. She wanted to have an excuse to get away from Bruce and she wanted to recapture the sense of safety that she’d found after the crash, wrapped in Joe’s strong arms. But he wasn’t looking at her. Instead, he was aiming his most charming smile directly in Bruce’s direction.
“What?” Bruce stammered. “Me? Uh, no, thanks.”
“Are you sure? The band’s really heating up.” And now Joe edged in a little, getting between Bruce and Megan, and she couldn’t see his face anymore.
“Yeah, I’m sure.” Bruce sounded impatient, but he clearly didn’t want to start anything with Joe. Looking at the wide expanse of shoulders in front of her, Megan couldn’t blame him. “I was actually just in the middle of a conversation here.”
That was Megan’s cue. She leaned around Joe, and she only felt a little guilty for taking advantage of the opportunity to balance herself on his strong arm. “No, that’s fine. Our conversation is over. If you want to dance, that’s fine.”
“I don’t…” Bruce looked from her to Joe. “I don’t want to dance with you, man. Sorry.”
“Well, you’re a bit of a tease, then, aren’t you? I mean, you’re at a dance…” There was no discernible malice in Joe’s voice, and no sarcasm. If Megan hadn’t known him, she would have assumed he was dead serious. She actually couldn’t be completely sure that he wasn’t.
“I’m here to dance with Megan,” Bruce said.
“Well, I’m not interested in dancing with you,” Megan said. It was much easier to be strong and assertive when she had Joe standing in front of her. “And I’m not interested in being interviewed either. Please leave me alone.”
“I really think…” Bruce started, but as he shifted around to get closer to Megan, Joe’s hand was suddenly there, bracing against Bruce’s chest just below his throat.
“She told you to leave her alone.” Joe’s voice was quiet and even. Megan remembered Tina’s wildlife comparison and wondered if Bruce was about to get snakebit. Joe leaned down just slightly. “I heard her, and it was pretty fucking clear. You’re done here.”
Bruce stared at Joe, but he didn’t last long before he looked away. He stepped backward, and Joe lowered his hand but kept it pointed loosely in Bruce’s direction. “You can’t hide up here forever,” Bruce said.
“That really sounded like a threat.” It was a new voice, and Megan looked over to see Anna standing near them. Her long dark hair was loose from its usual tight knot, and she was wearing a simple, flowing dress instead of her uniform. She looked beautiful, but didn’t seem to have lost any of her easy authority. “I’m Deputy Baker. Do I need to call for one of my colleagues to come pick you up?” She turned to Megan. “Are you interested in pressing charges at this time?” There was maybe the hint of a twinkle in Anna’s eyes, but Megan couldn’t even be sure of that. The woman was stoic.
“Not if he leaves me alone,” Megan said. She turned to Bruce. “I’m not interested. It’s not going to happen. Stop wasting your time.”
Bruce opened his mouth as if he had another argument, then looked at Anna and Joe. “Can I at least leave her my card?” he asked Joe.
Joe half turned toward Megan, the first direct acknowledgement he’d given her since this whole thing started. “Do you want his card?”
“No.”
“No,” Joe repeated back to Bruce.
“What are you, her fucking bodyguard?” Bruce was backing away now, and apparently distance made him a bit braver.
“Secretary,” Joe said. “And watch your language.”
“You said fucking two minutes ago,” Bruce protested.
“Sure I did,” Joe said, his tone patronizing. Megan was beginning to wonder where the snake had gone, but she didn’t think she missed it.
“You did,” Bruce insisted. He was two tables away now, but apparently this was the argument that he didn’t want to let go.
“I fucking doubt it,” Joe said, and he turned his back on the man, the dismissal clear. “He still going?” he asked Anna, and she kept her eyes on Bruce’s retreating form long enough to nod. Joe smiled at her, and Megan fought the urge to jump in front of Anna and wave her arms to capture his attention. She wasn’t sure it would have worked, anyway, not judging by the way Joe was focusing. “You look great,” he said. “I forgot how well you clean up.” Megan kept her eyes on his. If he glanced her way even for a moment, she didn’t want to miss it. But he didn’t. “You want to dance?” he asked Anna.
Anna looked over at Megan. “You okay on your own? I’m pretty sure he’s gone, and if he isn’t, we can come back over.”
“Sure,” she said, and hoped her smile didn’t look too forced. “I’m fine.” She wasn’t jealous. No, that wouldn’t make sense at all.
Anna looked as if she had some doubts about that, but Joe had been moving before Megan even finished speaking, his fingers loose around Anna’s but guiding her toward the dance floor. Anna didn’t resist. Megan was left standing by an empty table, staring after the hottest man she’d ever met as he made the moves on the closest thing to a friend she had in this crazy town, and there wasn’t even any rum in her damn Coke.
Chapter Twelve
Of course Joe was an excellent dancer. He wasn’t flashy, but he moved easily, firm and confident as he guided Anna around the floor.
Megan forced herself to look away. He’d asked her to come to the barbeque with him, she’d said no, that was it. This was her choice. And it had been a good decision. The smart decision. Megan had no idea how Anna justified dancing with a suspected criminal, but Anna wasn’t the one clawing herself out from the wreckage of a highly public illicit affair. Megan had let herself be drawn in by the wrong man once; she couldn’t afford to do it again. Damn it, she wished she’d saved her indiscretion for this man. She was pretty sure he’d be much more worth the pain than the idiot governor.
She needed some air. Which was ridiculous. She was outside, and the temperature hovered just above freezing. But she felt crowded, closed in, and the lights shone too bright. The band played too loud. Everything was just too damn much. She drifted to the edge of the crowd as the song ended and the band started into something slower. She refused to look back, but she could imagine the way Anna’s body would mold itself to Joe’s, the way his hand would slide a little lower on her back, not far enough to be crude or obvious, just enough that the tips of his fingers would gently tickle the spot where her spine got lost in the curve of her ass…
Apparently refusing to look back wasn’t doing her much good, since her imagination could torture her just as effectively as her eyes could. She needed to get over this. She wandered away from the crowd, and when she reached the edge of the parking lot and saw the pine trees growing just beyond, she walked into the forest. Not far. She could still see the people dancing under the lights, but she didn’t think they could see her.
She took a deep breath and smelled the pines, fresh and wild. Damn it, they smelled like Joe Cody’s stupid coat. This was getting out of hand. She walked faster, still on the edge of the forest but working her way around the perimeter of the clearing. She had no idea what she was doing, or where she was headed.
A flat ledge of rock jutted out of the forest soil, and when she reached it she sat down, facing the forest. She could still hear the party behind her but she couldn’t see it, and maybe that would be enough to allow her to regain her self-control. She breathed deep
ly and tried to remember what her yoga instructor had told her about relaxation. That thought called Joe’s mischievous smirk to mind, and she wondered which poses he’d been thinking of when he’d said there were ones they could try.
“You okay?”
She jerked her head around to see Joe standing a few paces away. She couldn’t escape him, and she wasn’t certain she wanted to anymore.
“I just wanted to check on you. If you want to be alone, I can go.”
“No.” She stood up. This needed to be dealt with. Exorcised. “Don’t go.” She felt like she was in a dream. Another world. The sounds and lights from the party faded away as she walked toward him. By the time she was close enough to touch him, it was just the two of them, and the pine forest was their whole world.
He looked as if he wasn’t sure whether to be concerned or amused, but he stood still as she lifted her hand toward his face. But just before her fingertips connected, his hand caught her wrist. “How much have you had to drink?” he asked.
She shook her head slowly. “Not much.”
He held her still for a moment, as if judging the truth of her words, then slowly let go of her wrist. Her fingers continued on their original path and, when she touched the skin of his cheek, she could feel his warmth all over her body. He didn’t move as she ran her hand gently down along his jaw, and she felt hypnotized, staring at her fingers as they eased down his neck, over the collar of his shirt and onto his chest. She let her hand rest there, and she could feel his breath coming faster than usual.
When she finally looked up at his face, he was staring at her, wide-eyed. Then it was her turn to freeze as his hand started at her waist and moved up. His whole palm cupped around her curves, over her rib cage firmly, ghosting over the side of her breast, and then onto her neck and back to tangle in the hair at the back of her head. He didn’t seem tentative, exactly, but she could tell that he expected her to stop him at any moment. Still, he kept going, easing forward and tilting her head up as he bent his down.
Their lips met softly, and then he pulled away far enough to see her face clearly. Apparently he was encouraged by whatever he saw because he leaned back down, and this time the kiss was firmer. His lips pressed hers open and she didn’t resist. When her tongue darted forward, his was there waiting for her.
Things sped up quickly after that. His mouth was hard against hers and his hands roamed all over her body, exploring and claiming. She leaned into him, held on to his strong torso as if it were the only firm ground in a swirling storm and gave in to the sensations. When his hand cupped her breast and his thumb brushed her nipple, her body arched toward him of its own volition, and she had to break off their kiss long enough to gasp for air.
Her entire body felt alive, electrified. All she could think of was getting more. She didn’t care about anything but this man, right then, right there. Whatever she was feeling was so strong that it was frightening, and that was what eventually brought her back to her senses.
“No, wait,” she finally gasped, and everything stopped. Joe just froze, his left arm still wrapped around her back, pulling her in so tight that she was standing on her tiptoes and barely carrying any of her own weight. His right hand was still knotted in her hair, and his thigh—god, his thigh, hard and strong—wedged between her legs just right. But he wasn’t moving anymore, and she realized that he was doing exactly as she’d asked. He was waiting.
His breathing came deep and fast, almost ragged, and she could feel her own, matching his. None of this made any goddamned sense, and she really, really didn’t care. “Okay,” she managed. “Go.”
He lifted his lips just a little from where they’d been frozen in the middle of sucking on her neck. “You sure?” he murmured, and she honestly believed that this could be it. She could walk away from this, no attempts to stop her, no complications, no further mention of any of it. At least, as far as he was concerned she could, but she knew that she was in way too deep to be able to force herself out.
“Fuck, yeah,” she said, and she wrapped her hand in his hair and pulled his mouth to hers. He obliged willingly and, after only a moment, they were right back where they’d been before Megan’s temporary fit of sanity.
Joe’s movements were so powerful that they should have felt rough. But she sensed a tight, thin layer of control that made her feel safe. Joe had heard her, and respected her wishes, and that gave her the confidence to release her own discipline more than she ever had before.
She was normally quiet during sex, but now she could hear herself—tiny, gasping keens when Joe’s wicked lips found the perfect spot, a low, almost grunting moan when he lifted her off the ground and spun them both around, braced her against a tree trunk and leaned into her. She could feel one of his hands between her back and the rough bark, cushioning it for her, and she didn’t even hesitate when his other hand slid up under her skirt and worked inside her sopping panties.
She needed one hand for his head, keeping her fingers knotted in his hair and dragging his lips to wherever she wanted them most, but the other hand found his wide leather belt and fumbled with it, tugged and dragged and pulled desperately. She was distracted by his hand, the fingers inside her now, the thumb brushing over her clit almost gently before coming back with more force.
It was too much. She’d been wound too tightly to start with, and he was too damn good at this. She was useless, unable to even manage to get his belt undone, and she didn’t care. She let herself give in to the sensations. She pulled Joe’s mouth up to hers and kissed him deeply. A tingling heat started to spread from the small of her back. As she felt it washing over her, she tried to resist, just so she could enjoy this for a little longer. It was useless, of course, with his fingers and thumb working together, his lips down over her breast, his strong body supporting and exciting her.
She cried out as the wave crested, again and again, and she knew that his lips had returned to hers because the sound of her voice was muffled and lost. And she was lost too, her mind overcome by her body as the pleasure swept through her. When the ecstasy finally faded, she had to loosen her fingernails from the bark of the tree behind her; apparently she’d reached back at some point and dug in.
She became aware that Joe wasn’t moving much, and opened eyes that she couldn’t remember having closed to find him standing still, his body pressed up against hers as it had been, his eyes wide and warm as he looked at her face. The first hint of self-consciousness was gone as soon as he leaned back in for another kiss. He was gentler now, and she let herself enjoy it as her body wound down.
Then his hand shifted, not much, just enough to remind her of where it had been, and that was all it took. She wasn’t done, not yet, and he wasn’t either. Her fingers had more control now, and his kiss deepened and roughened as she unbuckled his belt and started on his fly. She thought of her own near-frenzy and marveled at his self-control, then rethought it as her fingers brushed against his underwear-covered cock and his whole body twitched and surged forward.
“I want more,” she murmured into his lips. “Can you last?”
He pulled away far enough so that he could look at her clearly, and his smile was a bit shaky. “You’re killing me, Megan…” Then he kissed her hard, his tongue tangling around hers before he took a break to say, “Yeah.” Another kiss, and his hand eased back to her panties, this time hooking a finger around them and pulling them down her thighs. “But I don’t have anything....”
“I’m on the pill. And I’m clean.” Awkward to have to say it, but reassuring that it had at least occurred to him.
He nodded and ran his mouth down to her breast, still covered in fabric but damp from his earlier attentions and her own perspiration. “Me too,” he said, and he ran his hand up under her shirt to cup her breast as his mouth sucked her nipple, through the fabric. Then he glanced up with a quick grin. “Not the pill. Just clean.”
/> She smiled back at him. “Yeah, I got that.” The mood had changed somehow. It was still hot, and Megan could still feel the want and need growing as he continued his attentions to her body, but there was a playful, teasing air that hadn’t been there before. He pulled her shirt up enough to find the soft skin of her belly, and he kissed her there, then nipped a little, his eyes cutting up to hers to see her reaction. She raised her eyebrows, and he nipped again, then soothed her skin with soft, wet kisses.
His hand was back between her legs, and the sensations were just as wonderful as before, but she wanted more. She wanted him inside her. She wanted to give him as much pleasure as he was giving her.
She shifted enough that his hand was pushed away, and then she slid his jeans down over his ass and worked her fingers around to the front of his underwear. She could feel a shiver go through his whole body as she brushed her fingers along the cotton covering his long, hard cock, and he moaned when she did it again.
“If you want me to last, you should stop doing that.” His smile was gentle and his voice was controlled, but there was a tremor in it that gave the truth to his words.
So she slid his waistband down carefully, eased the underwear down to bunch in his jeans, and resisted the urge to taste his perfect cock. God, she wanted to do that, wanted to go slow and make him crazy, but not now. For now, she needed something else.
Joe seemed happy to give it to her. He kissed her again, a new hunger in his lips, and the playfulness was gone. His hands were strong and demanding, cupping under her ass, his thumbs urging her thighs to spread as he lifted her fully off the ground. One hand slid back to protect her from the hard tree again, the other supported her weight as she wrapped her legs around him and guided his cock home. They stared at each other as he slid in deep, and were still for a moment. His cock was thick and long, and she felt stretched, but not unpleasantly.
And when he started to move, it was perfect. Slow and gentle at first, and then building in intensity without gaining much speed. Each thrust ended with her pushed back into his cushioning hand, and as he withdrew she loosened the grip of her legs and then tightened them again, wantonly urging him back into her. His mouth was on her neck, and it felt good, but she wanted him with her, wanted his lips on hers. She reached for him, guided him up with her fingertips.
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