“Vanessa! Stop already.” Kane caught up to her in the short hallway at the bottom of the stairs. She’d almost gotten away. “What’s gotten into you?”
Her heart in her throat, she met his gaze. “You think it’s me, don’t you?”
His mouth snapped shut and he let go of her arm. Shit. This wasn’t how he wanted to confront her. He hadn’t even decided if he wanted to confront her. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, he wouldn’t lie to her.
“You are very good at using your sex appeal to distract men from what they’re really after.”
“When have I ever tried to distract you from your case? I’ve only ever offered help!” A rosy blush started at her chest and rose up her neck and into her cheeks.
God, she was beautiful, even in her anger.
Heart pounding, he ignored the stirring in his groin. “You’ve distracted me from the moment I met you.”
“If you think I’m the thief you’re after, at least have the balls to admit it.”
Her sneer cut through what was left of his patience. “All right. You are on my list of suspects. Right at the top, actually. And I’m not happy about it. You think I want you to be the thief? You think I want to arrest you and put you behind bars?”
“Why not? Since your only real interest in me is as part of your investigation, why not question me? Why not arrest me and try to put me away? Oh, right!” She threw her hands up and gave him a mocking look. “It’s because you have no evidence.”
He grabbed her arm before she could walk away and spun her around. When he had her back against the wall, he pressed the full length of his body against her. He cupped her soft cheeks in his hands and stared deep into the flames of fury in her eyes. “I haven’t done any of that because I’m afraid of the answers. I don’t want it to be you!”
He should’ve walked away right then, but he couldn’t. So he kissed her.
His tongue thrust between her lips and claimed her mouth. Vanessa fought for control of her emotions and lost. Her anger turned to lust and she kissed him back.
Their lips met, their tongues danced, their harsh breathing blending, filling each other intimately. She pressed her body against his, reveling in the feel of his hardness against her softness. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, the feel of it silky and soft, a complete contrast the hardness of him. His hips pinned her to the wall, his cock teased her, taunted her. Made her ache to spread her legs and be filled.
She tore her mouth away. A whimper of want escaped, only to be followed by a gasp as Kane’s mouth worked its way down her neck and his hands cupped her breasts. He tugged at the top of her satin corset and her bare breasts filled his hands. He tugged at her nipples and pleasure zinged straight to her clit. He continued to roll one nipple between the fingers of one hand while he offered the other one up to his mouth. With no hesitation, he laved the rigid nub, then pulled it into his mouth and suckled.
Vanessa tossed her head back and forth; her body writhing. She ached to spread her legs, to wrap them around his waist and feel him grind against her, but he wasn’t having any of it.
Kane was suckling, nibbling and licking at her nipples, first one, then the other, and he wasn’t going to stop. She felt his hand slip under her skirt and snake between her thighs. “Yes!”
A long finger slid inside, and her pussy clenched. He pulled it out and entered her again, two fingers this time. Vanessa writhed against the wall, her eyes closed, her hands clawing at him, pulling him closer to her. He wiggled his fingers inside her and pressed his palm against her clit. He rotated it, sucked on her nipple, pinched the other and her body jerked, an orgasm ripping through her. Her juices flooded his hand and her thighs, yet still her insides spasmed. Wanting more. Needing to be filled. “Please,” she gasped.
“Please what?” he demanded hoarsely.
“Please fuck her already, mate. I can’t wait to see what’s under that skirt,” called an accented voice from the shadowed entrance to the hallway.
Vanessa grabbed Kane and held him tight to her. Their eyes met, and she saw murder in them. With a small shake of her head she reminded him where they were. “Leave it. We were putting on a show, let’s just take it home.”
She saw the struggle in him. Felt it in the tremors of anger that went through the arms holding her. She also felt when he got control of himself. He pulled her corset back up, covering her nakedness before he stepped back and offered her his arm in a courtly manner.
“Ah, mate, you can’t tease me and leave me like that! I’ll stay quiet. I promise.”
Vanessa breathed a sigh of relief when Kane ignored the intruder and led her up the stairs and out the door.
They were silent during the drive to her house. The whole time she ranted to herself.
She shouldn’t be doing this. She should’ve told Kane to fuck off. Yes, that’s what she should’ve said. Instead she’d said, let’s go home. Vanessa gave her head a shake. How stupid was she? She deserved whatever she got after this.
She looked out the window and listened to the rumble of the powerful engine as Kane turned on to her street. It had surprised her to see him pull up to her house in a sleek black Charger. It shouldn’t have, though. Chargers were beautiful, strong cars. Powerful in a very subtle way. Much like Kane himself.
He wore his fancy silk suit, and had the clean cut good looks of a conservative businessman, but underneath…he was powerful…primal.
And a threat to her.
Yet there she was. Her mind racing as fast as her heart, her thighs sticky from the orgasm he’d given her, and the hunger for more urging her on.
15
“Are you coming in?”
She didn’t look at him when she asked. He should say no. He knew that. It was completely wrong to get involved with a suspect. Fuck, it was time he stopped kidding himself. He was already in too deep with her to walk away.
All he could do was hope to hell he was wrong. That Vanessa and the Risqué Robber weren’t one and the same, and that he wouldn’t have to send her to jail.
“I thought you’d never ask,” he replied and turned the car off.
He jogged around to open her door for her, but she beat him to it. Without waiting for him, she strode up the walk and climbed the three steps to the front door.
He watched as she fumbled with the lock and felt a surge of satisfaction that she was just as unnerved as he was by the whole thing.
She opened the door and entered the small bungalow-style house. He followed her, pulse racing, cock throbbing. He closed the door and gave the living room a cursory glance. He should take a closer look. There’s a lot to be learned by seeing what a person surrounds themself with. But he only had eyes for the woman in front of him. She glanced over her shoulder and turned down a hallway, leaving him to follow once again.
She led him to her bedroom. He stepped inside and was surrounded by the scent of Vanessa. The clean womanly scent that he’d always associate with her. The big double bed was made, with a maroon down comforter for a cover and a shit-load of pillows at the head. She’d turned a small bedside lamp on and the room had a warm, seductive glow.
With her gaze locked on his, she reached under one arm and unzipped her corset. So that was how the damn thing worked. His dick swelled and pressed against his zipper in a painful way. When she dropped it on the floor and reached back to undo her skirt, Kane reached for the snap of his jeans.
Her skirt dropped to the floor and she stood before him in nothing but high heels. “Make love to me, Kane. Give me this one night.”
Kane stripped his clothes off in record time and stepped forward. When he gazed into her eyes his heart swelled and he knew that, no matter what happened, he wanted more than this one night with her.
Cupping her dear face in his hands, he lowered his head and touched his lips to hers. “Your wish is my command.”
He wrapped his arms around her, taking her down to the bed and covering her body with his. For the first t
ime they were skin against skin, completely.
Emotion flooded him, and his hands trembled as he stroked her sides, her hips. She was soft, warm, and all things womanly. And his control was weak.
Vanessa shifted beneath him, spreading her legs so that he was cradled between her thighs, her hands roaming over his back and ass, trailing heat in their path as she writhed beneath him.
“Vanessa?” His breath caught in his throat.
A small hand wrapped around his cock and pulled a groan from low in his belly. Her thumb ran over the sensitive head and he reared back, but she wrapped her legs around his waist and guided him to her entrance.
“Now, Kane,” she whispered. “I don’t want to wait any longer. Love me now.”
Kane’s growl vibrated through the room as he thrust forward and slid home. A gasp escaped her and a small orgasm rippled through her insides.
“Oh, God,” he moaned, his muscles trembling as he held himself frozen above her.
Vanessa laughed as joy filled her. She might only get one night with this man in her bed, but it was worth it. He was so passionate and caring. So loving.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a passionate kiss. When he pulled away enough to rest his forehead against hers, they were both panting. She tightened her inner muscles and he groaned again. “You’re going to kill me, woman.”
“No.” Her tongue darted out and licked at his bottom lip. “I’m going to love you.”
Eyes locked with his, she let all her secrets show as she braced her feet on the bed and undulated beneath him. “Love me back, Kane.”
His head dropped and he kissed her as he withdrew, then thrust deeply again. At first he was slow and steady, the sensual rub of their tongues matching the slow seduction of their bodies, but their breathing got heavier, their bodies more demanding. Soon they were slick with sweat, his moans and her sighs of pleasure creating a music that only they would ever hear.
Her sighs turned to mewls and her insides tightened around him. “Kane, now, come with me.”
She looked into his eyes and fell over the edge into the swirling light that waited, knowing that he was right there with her.
She must’ve fallen asleep. She didn’t remember climbing beneath the covers, but she was snuggled deep, with Kane’s body at her back and his arms around her. She closed her eyes in the dim room and listened for what had woken her up.
There it was, a faint beeping.
She pulled away from Kane, pleased when he tried to fight letting go of her in his sleep. “Kane, wake up. I think that’s your beeper.”
His body jerked awake. “My beeper?”
“Yeah, listen.”
They were still for a minute and it sounded again. “Shit.” He crawled over her and snatched his pants up from the floor by the end of the bed. He read the glowing screen and cursed again.
Vanessa admired the view as he climbed from the bed and started to dress. When he bent down to kiss her good-bye the look in his eyes made her heart stutter. “What? Kane what is it?”
“Something new in the Risqué Robber case.” He pressed his lips to hers fast and hard. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he said as he walked out the door.
16
The sun was shining bright and Vanessa was quietly going stir-crazy when she heard the warning rumble of Kane’s car pull into her driveway.
Shit, was he back to arrest her? What had happened? Was it possible they’d found her backpack? No way. She’d driven all the way out to the dump to get rid of it. Why would they even look there?
Footsteps marched up her steps and the door swung open. He hadn’t even knocked. At least he was alone. He kicked the door shut behind him and strode into the room.
“What!?” She yelped when he bent low and swung her up into his arms. He strode down the short hallway to her bedroom, grinning from ear to ear the whole time.
“We arrested the Risqué Robber last night.”
He stood over her bed and dropped her onto the mattress. She immediately scrambled off the bed and stood next to him, hands planted firmly on her hips. “What? Who? If you’ve arrested JJ I’m going—”
“Not JJ,” he interrupted her with a shake of his head. “Your favorite person, Marissa DeVartan.”
“What? How?” She was starting to feel like a parrot, but none of it made sense.
“She was caught in the act. She dressed up, put on a wig and tried to seduce her way into her own ex-husband’s house. He blamed it on the drinks that he didn’t recognize her right off the bat, but as soon as she suggested tying him up he knew who, and what she was. He sounded the alarm and kept her there until the cops arrived.”
She was stunned. Marissa. What had that woman been thinking? “Did she confess to all of the robberies?”
“She doesn’t need to. We have her cold on one robbery, and the MO is close enough that I can close the case. We figure she was approached by her friends that had been stiffed in their divorces and did it for them. When her own ex’s new trophy wife was out of town, she decided to get a bit of her own back.” He stepped back and gave her a solemn look. “Or are you going to tell me different?”
God forgive her, but Marissa was an evil woman. And stupid enough to get caught.
She met Kane’s gaze and left the final choice up to him. Did he want to keep her around? Or did he want to send to her jail?
“Ask me no secrets, I’ll tell you no lies.”
Her pulse raced and her breath stuck in her throat as she watched the meaning of what she’d said sink in. He had her life…her heart, in his hands, and it was time to decide what he wanted.
He pushed her down on the bed and stretched out on top of her, whispering one word before covering her lips with his. “Deal.”
ARRESTED
Alyssa Brooks
1
“Come on, move already!” Kirsten pounded the steering wheel. Her angry fist struck smack in the middle. The unintentional horn blast made her jump out of the leather seat.
How could the longest stretch of nowhere be so backed up? Damn it. Kirsten stretched her neck to look for a break, but all her gaze found was car after car of backed-up traffic for miles on end. After sitting at nearly a dead stop for three hours in the miserable dry Texas heat, she’d had enough.
The sun’s sweltering rays had burned away the last of her patience, and her skin along with it. Not to mention cramped legs, a dry mouth and sharp hunger pains.
She needed relief. Now. Patience had met its blowing point.
She should have flown. Kurt wasn’t worth all the trouble he’d cost her. Hell, she’d put enough miles between them today to sleep safely tonight. She saw an opportunity, having finally inched her way to yet another rural, going-nowhere exit and this time she’d best take it.
Kirsten gritted her teeth and veered her Corvette off the shoulder, around the stilled vehicles toward the nearest exit.
A whine reminded her she wasn’t alone. She reached out and ruffled the fluffy white fur of the Samoyed moping in the passenger’s seat. The poor pup. He had to be thirsty. They’d run out of bottled water an hour ago. “It’s okay, Snowball. I know you’re tired. I’m bushed too. We’ll take a little break. I’m sure there must be a gas station and a diner out here in no man’s land somewhere. How about a steak?”
Snowball perked up and yapped in response. The sparkle in his beautiful blue eyes showed she had his complete attention.
“You’ll like Alabama so much better, Snowball, you’ll see. There’s a big yard with plenty of room to run, and the country air is fresh and crisp. No more inhaling smoke and pollution for us. Best of all, Kurt won’t be there.” She swore she could see the distaste in Snowball’s eyes at the mention of the scoundrel’s name. “Yeah, you never did like him, did you? I should have listened to your instincts.”
Snowball gave her one more bark then dived to the floorboards to curl up in the shade of the dash. “You got the right idea, boy.”
; Thoughts of Kurt brought on a frown, wrinkling Kirsten’s brows. Sharp discomfort followed. Another quick glance in the mirror revealed her newly attained sunburn. Though her face maintained an even tan, redness tainted her scalp under her pale blond tresses. Kirsten reached up and touched her head. The tender skin stung like the devil.
After living in Malibu for five years you’d think she’d have adjusted to the sun. But no, her fair skin burned on even the cloudiest of days, even with the protection of sunblock.
It would have been best to have the top up, but she’d have baked. As it was, she’d resorted to turning off the air to save gas nearly an hour ago.
And now the little red light in the dash blinked an annoying threat anyway.
Damn it.
Though its lack of signs gave her an eerie feeling, what real choice did she have but to take the exit? Man, she hoped she wasn’t headed deeper into nowhere rural Texas. “At least in the bayou, we’ll have plenty of shade trees. Hotter than hell down there, but we’re used to that, huh Snowball? We’ll finally have a normal life—if we ever get there. And at this rate, I’m beginning to wonder.”
Kirsten doubted Kurt would follow her. No, he didn’t seem to give that much of a damn about her.
Nevertheless, she wanted to be as far away from him as she could get, and as fast as possible. Better safe than sorry. From what she’d learned, her ex could be a dangerous man. Too bad it had taken her five years to figure it out.
The exit dumped Kirsten on a tar and chip country road. On either side she saw nothing but endless stretches of Texas fields of green. “What do you think, Snowball—north or south?”
Snowball raised his head and barked.
“Then south it is. You know best. From now on, you make all the calls. You see where mine got us.”
Every second along the rough road felt like nail-biting torture. She kept the gas pedal pressed to the floor, sure the car would putt out at any moment and leave her stranded.
The Cop Page 6