Vanessa shifted in her seat, slouching back in the chair and folding her arms across her ribs. It was clear body language for “Back off,” but the way it plumped up her breasts called him closer.
He looked away and thought about the shitty hockey game he’d seen the night before. When the blood stopped flooding his groin and started to flow through his system again, he looked back at her.
She was glaring at him. Not just a frown, but an actual glare. He quirked an eyebrow at her in question.
“Don’t you dare think you can pin any of this on JJ. That girl has had enough troubles in her life, and I will fight you every step of the way.”
“Whoa!” He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I’m not going to pin anything on anyone unless they’re guilty. I just want to know a bit about her background.”
“JJ moved here six months ago from Toronto, where she left behind an abusive asshole of a husband. He followed her here, and last month he was arrested for assault, and I believe he’s still in jail. JJ’s had enough taken from her in life that she’d never turn thief.”
“Then I guess I’ve hit a dead end here.” He shrugged. Unless you’re RR.
He thought it, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it. He hated that the thought even entered his mind. “Listen, I heard about another private ‘alternative’ gathering at an underground club called Chains. Ever hear of it?”
He watched her shoulders relax and felt a bit of tension drain from his own frame.
“It’s a small bar by the University. I’ve never been, but I’ve heard it mentioned.”
“There’s a private gathering there on Sunday night. I doubt I can get myself in. Are you still willing to help me with this investigation?”
12
Vanessa threw her hairbrush in the sink. God! This isn’t a date! So where did the butterflies in her belly come from, and why wouldn’t they go away?
Stomping into her bedroom, she looked at the outfit she’d laid out to meet with Kane. It was sexy, a bit demure for her, but that was good. She needed to look professional. She needed to look calm and cool, and not like she’d called him because she couldn’t forget the way he tasted. Whether it was butterscotch or beer, musk or male, his flavor was burned into her taste buds, and the dream of a partner was burned into her heart.
At first she’d been upset when he’d left the bar the night before. Upset with herself for forgetting that she wanted to stay away from the lawman, and letting him know how she felt. Upset with him for choosing his investigation over her. She’d agreed to help him get into chains later that week, and that had been the end of it. But then her dreams that night had been full of his rock-hard body and promises of acceptance, of partnership.
He’d picked up on her deep-seated dream the first night they met, and she couldn’t forget that. She wasn’t going to let him forget it either.
Whatever else was going to happen, she decided she wasn’t going to give up the one man that had been able to read her. Not without a fight.
She glanced at the outfit again and headed for the closet. Screw demure. She wanted Kane, and demure wasn’t going to get him.
It was just after two in the afternoon when she strolled into the police station. She was directed to an open room near the back of the building, and there she saw a half dozen desks covered in files, computers and paperwork. She spotted Kane near the windows with a tall, dark-haired guy whose face was covered by a long, unruly moustache.
She felt the heat of several gazes on her bare legs but the only thing that mattered was the way Kane’s eyes widened and lit up when he saw her stop in front of him.
“Vanessa! This is a surprise.”
“Is there somewhere we can talk?” She glanced at the guy next to him. Lean and mean looking in jeans and T-shirt, with visible tattoos on his arms; he had bright green eyes that looked sharp. Like they missed nothing. “Alone.”
Kane tossed the file folder he’d been holding on a nearby desk and started down the hallway. “Follow me.”
She noticed the way his trousers fell perfectly over his firm butt and wondered just how yummy it would look naked. It was round and muscled looking. Like something she’d really enjoy sinking her teeth into.
She gave her head a shake and fought to keep her hands from reaching out to pinch him. A second later he led her into a small room with a window that looked over the parking lot. There was a fridge, a coffee machine and a sink. A round table sat in the middle of the room and an overstuffed beige sofa was against the wall. A staff room.
“What can I do for you?” He closed the door behind him and turned to face her.
She reached behind him and flipped the lock on the door, then looked him right in the eye and grabbed him by the tie. With a quick tug she’d pulled him close enough so that her lips brushed against his when she whispered, “You can tell me how this makes you feel.”
Then she kissed him. She licked at his bottom lip, tasted his breath as he exhaled sharply in surprise, then sealed her lips over his and snaked her tongue into his mouth. The sweet, seductive taste of butterscotch was strong, but soon she could only taste him. The unique flavor of man.
“Hmmm,” he hummed in surprise. His hands gripped her hips and pulled her tight to him, where she could feel his cock growing rapidly.
She pulled her head back slightly and gauged his reaction. “Well?”
“I feel pretty damn good about it,” he growled and tugged her close again.
She steered him to the sofa and pushed him down on it before climbing on his lap. “When you left yesterday, I thought that was it. That we’d had our chance and I’d screwed it up by not holding on to you when you gave me the chance that first night. Well, now I’m giving you the chance. Take me or leave me.”
There was a brief struggle in his eyes before his fingers sank into her hair, and the words “Take you” flowed from his mouth to hers.
She grabbed his head and tilted it to the side, pulling her mouth from his and licking down the side of his neck. She nibbled on his earlobe and felt a shudder go through him.
His hands ran from her hip to her shoulders, then around her rib cage and up to cup her breasts. God she was glad she never wore underwear. His hands cupped the small mounds and her nipples pebbled against his palms. “More, Kane. I need more.”
He groaned and tugged the neckline of her cotton top down, exposing her bare flesh to his lips. His hot breath feathered across her sensitive nubs a second before he sealed his lips around one nipple and suckled.
She cried out and ground her hips down against him. Her hands reached between them, caressing his cock through the material for a minute before finding his belt buckle.
Suddenly, Kane pulled away from her, his head back against the sofa and his hands holding hers still. “Stop,” he gasped. “We can’t do this here!”
“Why not?”
“This is a police station. I work here!”
“So what? We did it on my desk.” Kane’s eyes drifted shut and Vanessa’s chest tightened. She needed this. She didn’t know why she needed it so strongly, but instinct told her she needed to cement this connection with him.
He opened his eyes and lifted a hand to her cheek. His calloused fingertip stroked over her bottom lip and her tongue darted out to taste him. “I want you so much, Vanessa, but it should be in a bed. You’re an amazing woman, and you deserve more than this. I want to strip you naked, lay you out and worship you the way you really deserve.”
“I don’t care where we are. I don’t want fancy sheets and candlelight. I just want you. I want that man that lost control on Wednesday, the one that really showed me how he felt, and not just what he thought I wanted to see.” She pulled his belt loose, and undid his pants. When her hand reached in and circled his hot hard cock, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. “I want you inside me now.”
With a quick wiggle she rubbed the head of his cock against her slit and they both groaned. Kane’s hands tighten
ed into an almost painful grip. One in her hair, the other on her naked hip under her skirt.
“Hurry,” he commanded hoarsely. “Take me inside you. Show me the way home.”
They met in an open mouthed kiss, all semblance of control gone the second Vanessa impaled herself on him and started to ride. The muffled sounds of people in the hallway disappeared as she rocked in his lap. She buried her head in his neck and breathed deep, inhaling the clean manly scent that held just a hint of musk. Whiskers were starting to sprout on his jaw, and she rubbed against them, the soft scrape making her feel primal. Marked by him.
He was so deep, settled firmly inside her. With every shift of her weight her clit rubbed against his pubic bone and shot pleasure bolts at the knot of tension low in her belly, making it bigger, stronger.
She panted against his neck. Trying hard not to be too loud. “More, Kane. So close. Harder.”
As if he already knew everything about her body, he placed his open mouth against her nipple, sucked hard and reached a hand between them to pinch her clit. The knot of tension in her belly exploded, her thighs squeezed him, and her inner walls clutched at his throbbing cock.
“Oohhh.” She dug her head deeper into his neck and cried out in pleasure as fireworks went off inside her. Just when she felt herself coming back down to earth, Kane thrust deep and hard, one, two, three times, until hot juice flowed from him to her. She wrapped her arms around him and held his head tight to her chest to muffle his own groan of release.
When all was quiet she leaned back to gauge his reaction to her whirlwind seduction. When his mouth curled into a slow, lazy smile, elation floated through her and she giggled like a schoolgirl.
“So, how is your day?” she asked.
A chuckle rumbled from him, and she realized it was the first time she heard him laugh, and her next words jumped from her mouth. “See me tonight.”
“At the club?”
“I can usually leave for an hour or so as long as it’s before ten. That’s when things start to get busy. Meet me for a late dinner.”
“Okay. I’ll be there around eight-thirty.” Kane’s lazy smile spread into a boyish grin and Nessa’s heart skipped a beat. “But I’ll never make it if I don’t get back to work now.”
They disentangled themselves slowly. Kane tucking everything back in and doing up his pants while Vanessa fluttered her skirt to shake out any wrinkles and adjusted her top. When they were ready he placed a soft kiss on her lips, but said nothing.
No words were needed.
13
“You’re thinking with your dick, buddy.”
“Leave it alone, Jackson.”
Kane knew it was too much to ask that Jack wouldn’t comment on Vanessa’s visit. Especially when he’d let it slip that morning about meeting her for a late dinner the night before.
The dinner had been great. They’d walked down the street and grabbed pizza at a small hole-in-the-wall place. Seated on the plastic stools at the chipped countertop, he’d felt himself falling harder for the woman next to him. Not only was she sexy as hell, she was intelligent and funny too. They’d spent the whole hour talking about everything and anything, except the past. She didn’t ask about his family and he didn’t ask about hers. There was none of the life history getting-to-know-you shit. It had all been about who they were now, not how they got to be there.
“You think because you’ve fucked her you know her? Kane, think about it. What do you really know about her?”
“She’s an Oilers fan, and she’s never tried to tie me up.”
“I think she doesn’t need to tie you up. She’s already got you right where she wants you.” Jack tossed a file in his lap and limped away.
With a heavy sigh Kane picked up the folder. What was his problem? He’d only gotten a glimpse at Vanessa the day before, and he had an instant dislike for her? It wasn’t like Jack to judge anyone so quickly.
Kane flipped open the file and started reading, only to feel pain slice into his chest.
Vanessa Lawson had a record.
Vanessa’s heels clacked against the concrete steps that led to the entrance to Chains. She’d called the owner the night before and he’d extended her an invitation, said he would put her name on the list at the door. When they reached the bottom of the steps there was a huge WWF look-alike in leather pants and a mesh T-shirt guarding the door. She glanced at Kane, humor tickling at the back of her throat, but when he met her gaze his eyes were quiet.
He’d been quiet ever since he picked her up, but she just thought he was apprehensive about facing another alternative crowd. But she couldn’t kid herself anymore. Something was wrong. The connection she’d thought they had was gone.
“Vanessa, from The O Club,” she told the bouncer.
He nodded his head and opened the door for them. Loud, throbbing music blasted up from even more stairs, making it hard to think. When she reached the bottom of the stairwell, it opened up into a large cavernous room. The basement bar was dark and dingy. The music was pulsating, and the crowd was mostly male.
It was then that she realized that the private night wasn’t for a BDSM crowd, but a gay one. “I got you in the door, but I’m afraid I’m not going to be of much help with anything else. This isn’t the type of crowd that will be open to me.”
Kane’s face tightened even more when it became clear to him what she’d meant. His neck turned red, but that was the only outward sign of his discomfort.
“I see several women here. Let’s have a drink anyway. I was told there’d be a bondage demonstration and I want to see who does it.”
Kane’s hand burned at the small of her back as he steered her toward the bar. The second they were there he removed it and she bit her lip. There was obviously something on his mind, something that made him pull away from her, and she wasn’t sure what to do about it.
This was why relationships sucked. She’d pretty much laid herself out for him, and he’d closed her out. What was the point? The sex was good. Okay, it was great, but was it worth the pain that was creeping into her heart?
They sipped their drinks silently. A couple of guys eyed Kane boldly as they passed—he did look yummy in a black T-shirt that molded to his muscles, and loosely fitted jeans—but no one approached them.
Then a pretty redhead came over and asked Vanessa to dance. Kane’s silent treatment was starting to piss her off, so she accepted the woman’s invitation, and headed out to the dace floor without a word to him.
Vanessa closed her eyes, let the music roll over her. Her pulse pounded in time to the beat and she let herself go. In her mind she was dancing for him. She felt his gaze on her as she moved. When the redhead danced close and did a bump and grind against her hip, Vanessa turned away, but kept on dancing. She tossed her head back and closed her eyes, letting her own hands run over her body. Skimming her curves, cupping her breasts and dipping between her thighs suggestively. When she felt a female body press against her from behind she knew it wasn’t the redhead. This body felt different. It felt good. It felt…erotic.
Another pair of hands started skimming her curves, hot breath feathered across her neck and Vanessa’s nipples hardened. Vanessa spun around and faced her dance partner.
She had long, blond waves, smooth skin and dark brown eyes that held a sexual awareness Vanessa had not seen in many people.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“Hi,” Vanessa replied.
They moved together perfectly. For the first time since she was teenager, Vanessa thought about another woman in a sexual way. She lifted her hands and placed them on her partner’s hips, enjoying the feel of the supple leather and the way it hugged her hips. Her nipples ached and her pussy heated. She saw the blond move in, felt herself being pulled closer, and she let it happen.
Their lips touched softly. Breath mingled and tongues reached out, rubbing, dancing against one another.
The music changed, the beat shifted and the kiss was over almost before it started
. Vanessa opened her eyes and gave the enticing blond a small smile. “Thanks for the dance.”
She left the dance floor and walked toward Kane. He was watching her with glowing eyes that heated her hot blood to a boiling point and any doubts she’d had about him fled.
When she stopped in front of him, his eyes went over her shoulder and affection filled his gaze.
“Fancy seeing you here, Lexy,” he spoke softly, but loud enough to be heard over the music.
Nessa turned sharply and saw that her blond dance partner had followed her off the dance floor.
“Kane, I wonder who’s more surprised to be found here, me…or you?” A secret smile played at the blonde’s full lips.
“You two know each other?” Something mean and green stirred to life deep inside Vanessa at their obvious affection.
“We’ve worked together on occasion,” Kane said. “You working tonight, Lexy?”
“Yeah. Used to be a woman only had to worry about her man cheating with another woman. Not the case anymore, as I’m about to prove to a very unlucky lady.” She glanced at Vanessa, but her question was for Kane. “You?”
“Yeah…”
Kane kept talking, but the roaring in Vanessa’s ears drowned him out. She’d expected him to say no, or, at the very least, a little business, a little pleasure. But he hadn’t even looked at her, and he’d said yes. He was working.
Everything slammed into place in her head then. The way he hadn’t been able to find the time to see her in the last two days. The way he’d kept his distance from her all night. He hadn’t even been able to touch her for any longer than was absolutely polite.
He was working the case. He was working her.
“Excuse me,” she muttered and pushed past them.
She spotted a glowing red exit sign and headed for the back hallway. She had to get out of there. Now!
14
The Cop Page 5