by Debra Webb
Dozens of pictures of women, some far younger than her, in degrading poses. How could she not have recognized how utterly sick Ned was? And if Brian were—had been, she amended with another quake of dread—involved with that kind of thing, he was pretty damned sick, too. Where was her intuition on the subject of men? It seemed she was utterly blind when it came to the opposite sex. Her naiveté had gotten her into real trouble this time.
Did the members of the Gentlemen’s Association see women as nothing more than pieces of meat? Or as mere play things?
The idea that she had been a part of that, even unknowingly, made her ill. She wanted—needed—to be able to depend on Mac. She rolled her eyes. There she went, calling him Mac again. She wrung her hands and tried to reason out the issue. What if she trusted him and he let her down the way everyone else had? But she needed him. She closed her eyes and confessed that truth. She needed him. She wasn’t sure she could get through this alone, and her relationship with Gloria was up in the air right now. At the same time that thought went through her mind, she told herself it was foolish. She could trust Gloria. Brian had lied. That was all.
A knock at her door startled her from the troubling thoughts. She stood, propelled as much by fear as by the instinct to answer the door. She peeked out the window. Her heart almost stopped. Duncan’s car was gone. Frantically she scanned the area surrounding the house. With immense relief she noted Mac’s sedan in the driveway.
Letting go the breath she’d been holding, she hurried to the door. As she reached for the lock she remembered what he’d told her. “Who is it?”
“It’s me,” his deep voice resonated through the wooden slab between them.
Something warmer than relief washed over her, and she quickly unlocked and opened the door. “Nothing else has happened?” She was suddenly afraid he’d come here to tell her more bad news. She’d just spoken to Gloria. She was safe for now.
He shook his head. “Nothing new. I just wanted you to know that I’d be out there watching tonight.”
She nodded mutely. He looked exhausted. She wondered why he didn’t just assign another of his men to take over.
“Call me if you need me,” he said.
When he would have headed back down the stairs, she abruptly regained her voice. “Could you come in for a while?” He stopped but didn’t turn. She snapped her mouth shut and called herself every kind of idiot. What was she doing?
Slowly, as if considering the prudence of that offer, as well, he turned to face her. Those blue eyes directed that very question at her.
She attempted a nonchalant shrug but managed only a stiff jerk of one shoulder. “I just thought we could talk for a while.” She folded her arms to hide the way her hands had begun to shake. “I guess I’m a little rattled.” She heaved a mighty breath. “Or restless.”
“Just for a little while,” he relented, moving deliberately toward her. When he stood in the doorway staring down at her, he qualified, “I’ll leave it up to you to let me know when it’s time to go.”
She nodded and stepped back so he could come inside. When she’d locked the door, she turned to find him standing in the middle of the room watching her. She summoned a smile. “Would you like coffee or tea?”
He shook his head, his gaze seeming somehow more potent and focused solely on her.
She told herself she was simply tired. It had been a long day. Hell, it had been a long week. The faces of all those women floated briefly before her eyes. The realization that Ned and Brian were dead. Murdered. And then the undeniable fact that she could be next. She swayed.
Mac was at her side in a flash. “You should sit down.”
Elizabeth leaned heavily on him as he walked her to the sofa. Damn. What was wrong with her? Was everything just catching up with her?
“Thanks,” she mumbled as he released her.
“Maybe you’re the one who needs some tea,” he suggested, concerned.
For just a second she basked in the warmth of his genuine concern. It felt so good to have someone worry about her. Then she shook her head and chastised herself for behaving so foolishly. “Please, just keep me company for a while.”
He dropped into the ancient overstuffed chair directly across from her and appeared content to simply watch her.
She looked away, at a loss as to what they should talk about. Here she’d practically begged him to stay and now she’d apparently turned mute. Well, she might not be able to initiate a conversation, but her blood was rapidly reaching the boiling point. Her gaze flicked toward him and she felt immensely contented just looking. He’d shed his jacket and tie. She couldn’t recall ever seeing him without his tie. A couple of buttons were loosened. Longing sent her pulse into a faster rhythm. What was wrong with her?
Her gaze bumped his and for several beats she couldn’t look away. Naked hunger flashed fleetingly in his eyes. That awareness sent renewed need swirling through her. She wasn’t the only one having trouble with the building tension. She felt a smile tickle her lips at the idea he could possibly want her. It seemed so... so unlikely, and yet she’d known from the very beginning that something sizzled between them.
With effort she directed her gaze elsewhere. To the faded rug, then the tattered fabric of the sofa.
“You checked in with your friend Gloria?”
Her head came up. Was it her imagination, or was his voice strained? She blinked and searched his face for any hint of that sexual hunger she’d thought she saw moments ago. But he’d banished it or she’d imagined it.
“She’s fine.”
He nodded once. “Good.”
The seconds turned into minutes as the silence thickened around them again. What had she been thinking? She should have known this wouldn’t work. She just wasn’t the type to play the part of seductress and he obviously wasn’t that interested or he would make a move.
She closed her eyes in self-disgust. What was wrong with her? People were dying all around them. How could she be thinking about sex?
“Well.” Mac stood. “I’ll be outside if you need me.”
Her eyes popped open and she scrambled to her feet “Um... okay.” She didn’t want him to go. It was crazy. She’d never been good at this, always made the wrong choices. But God, how she hated being weak and uncertain, being unable to go after what she wanted. For once in her life she wanted to be the one in charge. She wanted him.
Mac paused at the door. “Good night.”
Refusing to hesitate long enough to think, she grabbed him by his shirtfront and pulled his mouth down to hers. She closed her eyes tightly and she kissed him. For one terrifying moment all she could think was, this wouldn’t work. He resisted. Didn’t take her in his arms. Didn’t kiss her back. Defeat tugged at her fledgling determination. She couldn’t do this. Then the marvelous textures of his lips and mouth penetrated her senses fully and she got lost in the feel and taste of him. He kissed her back and then took charge.
He devoured her with his mouth, his jaw scratchy and rough but more tantalizing than any sensation she’d ever known. His fingers plunged into her hair as he deepened the kiss. She could feel the fierce energy radiating just beneath the surface of his hot skin. Those skilled hands slid down her back and suddenly he was touching her everywhere at once, stripping off her clothes, baring her skin to his greedy hands and mouth. His fingers set her on fire every place he touched. She was losing control and she wanted him to lose control with her.
She tugged at the buttons of his shirt until her hands flattened fully against the muscled terrain beneath. The heat of his skin seared her palms. She moaned and somehow his mouth found hers again, his kiss was insanely sexy and breath-stealingly savage. He pulled her body hard against his, kicked the door shut and carried her to the bedroom, all the while his mouth plundered hers. He tasted hot and strong, like dark, fragrant coffee, full of delicious flavor and the promise of relentless energy. She wanted him to sweep her away, to awaken every part of her body. To turn her into the kind o
f woman who could bring a man like him to his knees.
She wanted to see his vulnerable side, to find his weakness if it took all night long. She wanted to forget everything, to make the world go away for just this one night.
Their mouths mating hungrily, possessively, they stripped off the last of the restrictive garments, touching, teasing each new expanse of skin they uncovered. He felt so incredibly hot and hard. His muscles were beautifully defined, his body perfectly proportioned. She wanted to learn all of him, wanted to taste the sweet and the salty.
Broad, broad shoulders and a sculpted chest narrowed into a lean waist and hips. Incredibly strong arms that lifted her nude body against that tempting torso and lowered her to the bed. Long, muscular legs and strong, confident hands. He came down over her and she smiled as she considered the other generous part of him. His thick sex nudged between her thighs, and for the first time in her life she opened freely, without undue coaxing.
She wanted this. She wanted him. She stared into the fiery blaze of those dark-blue eyes and knew this was going to be special. Whatever repercussions tomorrow brought, this moment was worth it.
She gasped when his body drew away from hers, but she soon discovered that he had other plans. He trailed hot, wet kisses along her flesh until he reached his ultimate destination. With the first flick of his tongue she melted into a tangle of shivery sensations. Moan after moan drifted from her lips as he positioned her for full access and lapped hungrily at her sensitized flesh. He pushed her closer and closer to the brink until she was writhing and pleading for him to finish it. She felt ready to combust, to implode with the swelling pleasure.
She screamed his name and somehow his mouth came down on hers as he simultaneously drove into her. He thrust fully, deeply and for the first time she was utterly primed, slick and yielding. Muscles that had once resisted this very moment opened eagerly to him, welcomed the marvelous friction of his rigid male body along her skin and thrusting deep, deep inside her. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly, his hips setting the perfect rhythm, not too fast, not too slow. The world narrowed until there was nothing but his weight, his breath, his strong hands, and the plunge and slide of him.
The spiral of pleasure started so, so far away and then suddenly she was caught up in a hurricane. She reached frantically for him, called his name as his frenzied thrusts brought her closer and closer to that moment of complete satisfaction. Something snapped inside her and a pang of fierce longing erupted, shattered some imaginary wall that had held her captive for so very long, allowing the final burst of climax to rain wildly down on her, capturing her breath and sending ripple after ripple of pleasure cascading through her.
He followed her over the edge, coming with such force that her body arched like a bow, and with one completing thrust he made her forget everything but him and his touch.
Chapter Twelve
Mac lay in Elizabeth’s bed as the sun rose the next morning. They’d made love over and over again during the night. She’d come alive in his arms just as he’d longed for her to do. His gut clenched when he thought about how she could tear him apart with that luscious mouth.
She lay in his arms now, sleeping peacefully, trustingly. Her glasses were on the bedside table and their clothes were spread all over the apartment. His pulse began to race as he inventoried the way her body was wrapped around his. One creamy thigh was draped across his hip. Her arms were curled around his neck. Her sweet face was nestled against his chest. And those lovely breasts were flattened against his abdomen. Her long hair splayed over his flesh like raw silk. There wasn’t a part of him that didn’t ache for her still. Even after hours of mind-blowing sex.
No coddling or coaxing had been necessary. She’d kissed him first and she hadn’t slowed down until she’d fallen asleep, exhausted and sated. She’d explored his body without hesitation. After her second climax she’d rolled him over and climbed atop to ride to completion once more. Her appetite and eagerness had matched his in every way. She’d licked and sucked and kissed him until he’d thought he would go crazy or simply die.
And she was his.
His arms tightened around her.
Whether Elizabeth Young suspected it or not, he never intended to let her go.
“What time is it?” she murmured sleepily, those tempting lips moving against his skin.
“Time for both of us to get to work.” Mac knew she kept long hours just as he did. On the job early and didn’t stop until it was done. That was something they had in common, loyalty and determination. He respected those traits in her. He also respected her ability to make him hard with scarcely a touch even after a night like last night.
“Hmm... I see we’re up already,” she teased.
He rolled her onto her back and smiled down at her. God, he loved how she looked first thing in the morning. All soft and pretty and relaxed. “Honey,” he growled, “up will never be the problem as long as I’m within three feet of you.”
They made love again and then they showered together. Mac swore as he wrapped a towel around her damp body that he would not let this moment end. He would not let her down.
And no one would ever hurt her again.
Elizabeth couldn’t remember ever being this happy. Not even when she thought she had the world by the tail after Brian’s proposition that she come away with him. A flash of regret stung her at the memory that he was dead, but she forced it away. She’d cared for him, was sorry that he was dead, but never in her life had she felt the way she did at this moment about any man.
She studied Mac’s profile as he parked in front of the building where Boomer was already at work. He’d insisted that he would see her to work, and Duncan would take over from there for a few hours. After all, Mac had a case to solve. But he wasn’t about to leave her vulnerable, he promised. A warm glow started deep inside her at the idea of how protective he was of her. She’d never known that feeling of security with anyone except her father.
This was good. She knew it with complete certainty.
She smiled.
This was very good.
She didn’t want it to end. Ever.
Mac switched off the engine and turned to her, propping his arm on the back of the seat. “I’ve debated whether I should tell you this or not, but I feel like I have to.”
Fear trickled into her veins. “What?” She didn’t want to hear anything bad. She wanted desperately to hang on to this happy moment.
“The killer left behind some evidence at each scene. DNA analysis is back on the first two victims.”
She nodded, not sure exactly what that meant.
“All the victims were sexually assaulted.” She jerked visibly and he winced, clearly not happy at having to tell her this.
“Do you think it was Brian?” As much as she had hated him at times she couldn’t believe he was a rapist, much less a cold blooded killer.
Mac hesitated before answering, and in that moment her instincts warned that it was far worse than that.
“The DNA was a perfect match to Harrison’s.”
Shock plowed through her. For a moment she couldn’t breathe. “But he’s dead,” was all she could say.
Mac nodded. “Yes, he is. That’s confirmed.” He searched her face and she knew the pain on his was related to the anxiety he saw on hers. “Did you know he had an identical twin brother?”
That news startled her all over again. “No. I mean yes. Annabelle told us he had a brother who’d died, but she didn’t mention he was a twin.”
“They grew up bouncing around in foster care. Both managed to turn a bad beginning into bright futures.” Mac tapped the steering wheel as if contemplating how much more he should tell her. “His brother reportedly died four years ago.”
Just when she’d thought nothing else could shock her. Ned had never mentioned anything about a brother. “If he’s dead and Ned is...”
Mac leveled his gaze on hers. “Ned Harrison is dead,” he confirmed. “Don�
�t even go down that road. He’s definitely dead. But we haven’t confirmed the brother’s death. We’re working on it. I just wanted you to know that someone out there might be out for vengeance. If he thinks you or one of the other women killed his brother.”
No further explanation was necessary. “I get it.” Icicles formed in her chest. “So I should be on the lookout for a carbon copy of Ned.” This was too much. One Ned Harrison was more than enough.
“Not necessarily,” Mac countered. “He may have altered his appearance, surgically and otherwise. If he faked his death, there’s likely a reason and being recognized would not be a part of his plan, I suspect.”
She exhaled an exasperated breath. “So basically he could be anyone.”
Mac nodded. “Basically. If he’s alive.”
His fingers trailed along her hairline, sending a delicious stir of sensations through her as he tucked a stray tendril behind her ear. It didn’t pay to braid one’s hair while being kissed by a man like Collin MacBride. She probably had dozens of wisps hanging about.
“Don’t take any chances, Elizabeth. Stay close to Boomer. He’s safe. He was in prison when Harrison’s brother supposedly died, and besides, unless the identical twin was not identical, Boomer’s far too tall to be him. And don’t wander out of Duncan’s watch. I need you to be careful while I go do what I have to.” He shook his head and looked away for a moment. “To be honest with you, I’m tempted to arrest you and force you to go into protective custody—”
“You promised,” she interrupted. “I have to work. Finishing this project is too important. It can make or break me.”
“I know. I won’t break that promise.” His gaze found hers once more. “But I need you to swear to me you won’t take any chances. We can’t be sure who we’re looking for here. It could be someone from the Gentlemen’s Association who had a thing for Harrison or who wanted him shut down.”
“I won’t take any chances, I swear.”
Still not happy about her decision, Mac walked her to the door of the loft. Boomer promised not to allow her out of his sight. Duncan took up watch right outside the door.