He pushed the chair back, wincing when the legs scraped across the floor. It was barely a noise, but in the quiet of the apartment, it seemed to echo off the walls. Scarlett jerked awake. She repeated his earlier motions, eyes narrowing when she realized they’d fallen asleep. “What time is it?”
Connor gathered up the papers he’d be napping on, stacking them in a haphazard pile. He’d deal with it in the morning. “Just after two in the morning,”
Scarlett rubbed at her eyes and stood, but instead of heading to the bedroom she turned back into the kitchen. “You want a fresh coffee?”
She couldn’t be serious. She’d been working practically non-stop for over a week, hadn’t even taken a day off when she’d been shot, for God’s sake. Connor wanted to catch these assholes just as much as Scarlett, but he wasn’t going to stand by and watch her run herself into the ground in the process. He followed her into the kitchen, wrapping his arms around her waist, smiling when she dropped her head back on his shoulder. Damn, it felt good to just hold her, to be trusted enough that she’d let him be there, to take comfort in him. Connor just hoped she’d still be talking to him when he did what he was going to do next. Instead of wrapping his hands around her, he reached out and laid his hands gently over hers, stopping the motion of filling the coffee filter. Scarlett turned her head and looked up at him, her eyebrows furrowed, and he leaned forward and dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. “Sleep time, Gorgeous, before you fall over.”
Scarlett slipped her hands out from under his. “I’m f—”
Connor smiled. “You’re fine, I know. You’ve also had about five hours sleep the last two nights combined.” She opened her mouth to rebut, but he continued. “I know, I was there.”
Scarlett’s eyes rolled skyward, but she couldn’t keep the smile from her face. “My not sleeping last night was all your fault,” she said.
He bent over and swept an arm under her knees, his smile widening at the small shriek Scarlett let out as he picked her up. Leaving the coffee half-prepped on the kitchen counter, Connor turned and walked out of the kitchen and down the hall, ignoring the mess on the dining table, too. It would all still be there when the sun was up. For now, his girl needed to rest. “As I recall,” he said as he pushed open the bedroom door with his foot, “you started it.”
Scarlett giggled as he laid her on the bed. Connor stepped back and stripped off his shirt. He was toeing off his jeans when he looked up, the sight before him taking his breath away. Scarlett had also disrobed for bed, but instead of stopping at her underwear, as he’d planned to do, she’d stripped naked. She lay stretched out on the bed, her eyes hooded and pupils dilated. Her tongue darted out to lick her bottom lip, and he groaned out loud. A grin spread across her face. “Think I can convince you again?”
Connor fell onto the bed, pulling her body flush against his, and took her mouth in a long, searing kiss. His tongue thrust into her mouth in imitation to what his dick wanted. Fuck, with just one look at her naked body, he was so hard he could pound nails. His cotton boxer briefs were no match for his erection, his cock fighting its way out the waistband.
Scarlett reached her hand out and pushed them down over his hips, wrapping her hand around his cock. Pleasure rushed through him, and his lips faltered, nipping Scarlett softly on her bottom lip. She responded by gripping him harder and moving her hand up and down his length, twisting her fist at the top around the sensitive crown. “Fuck, yes, Baby, just like that.” His mouth fell away from hers as he groaned, and with a few more strokes, Connor felt a shudder run over his body, and his balls pulled up tight. There was no way he was coming until he was buried deep inside her.
Scarlett seemed to read his mind as her hand moved to his chest, pushing him back to lie flat on the bed. The blood pulsed through his veins, heating his body and making his cock lengthen further as he watched her swing lithely over his thighs. She rested her hands on his chest, toying with the flat disc of his nipples while she ground herself over him. Her eyes glazed over as she took pleasure for herself. A bead of precum leaked from his dick at the sight. Damn, there was nothing hotter than watching Scarlett using him to get herself off. Her breasts swung gently as she moved over him, and Connor couldn’t resist touching her. He took one in each hand, tweaking the tight buds of her nipples and reveling in the way his touch made her move faster, harder, over him.
She leaned down, touching her lips to his, and Connor moved one hand to the back of her head to hold her to him as he assaulted her mouth. He felt wetness slick against his skin where she was taking her pleasure, and he gripped her hair as his hips thrust forward, moving without conscious thought. God, he needed to be inside her, or he was going to come all over his abs. “Ride me.” His voice was gruff, deepened with arousal.
Scarlett’s eyes gleamed at his request, and her hand snaked in between them, gripping him again as she continued to grind against his thigh. A litany of curse words fell from his lips as pleasure flooded through him. The sight of her positioned over him, working him up to a frenzy while taking her own pleasure was almost overwhelming. “Gonna come if you don’t stop,” he muttered even as he thrust into her hand.
Connor grit his teeth, but perhaps mercifully, her hand fell away. He sucked in a breath, forcing himself to hang on long enough to give her the bliss she deserved before he blew his load like he was nineteen all over again. His relief was short lived, as Scarlett rose on one knee and then gripped him again, this time guiding the tip of him inside her. Moisture coated his dick as she slid it through her folds, and when he slid inside her, his head fell back against the bed as heat enveloped him. Connor didn’t take his eyes off her as she rose on her knees before sinking down again, taking more of him inside.
Finally, after three exquisite passes, she sat down on his thighs as his length slid balls deep inside her. His hands flew to her hips, gripping tightly as he resisted the urge to thrust up into her. This was Scarlett’s show, but God, how he was enjoying the view.
Her hands moved to his shoulders as she leaned forward and began to move, impaling herself on his cock over and over. Moans and grunts fell from both their lips. Connor raised his head and felt his balls tighten again at the sight of his dick disappearing into her pussy, the shaft glistening with her juices as she raised up to withdraw him almost to the tip, only to slam herself back down against him. Her fingers ran through his hair, tightening their grip as she slammed her lips against his. Connor couldn’t resist any longer, and his hips punched upward, meeting her thrust for thrust as their tongues tangled together.
Scarlett moved upright and her head flew back, and Connor’s hand tightened on her breast as he pushed up inside her, as deep as he could go. The wet heat and pressure on his dick filled him with an intense need to come, but he almost never wanted it to end, the expression of bliss on Scarlett’s face as she fucked him just about the best thing he’d ever seen. Trying to slow things down, he sat up, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to his chest as he kissed her again. Not willing to forgo moving entirely, he thrust up inside her almost leisurely, stroking the walls of her pussy in slow, even measure as his mouth kissed and licked every part of her he could reach.
Before long, the pressure in his balls grew again and he had to move. Keeping his arms wrapped around her, Connor lowered them down on the bed, lying on his side with her tucked up against him, her back to his chest. A dreamy look spread over Scarlett’s face as she dropped her knees to the bed, opening herself on display for him. That was all the invitation he needed. Connor rose to his knees and gripped her hips, lifting her up to rest on his lap, and then thrust into her pussy in one deep stroke. A cry of pleasure tore from her mouth as he pushed in, and he felt her pussy ripple around him. Thank God, she was as close as he was. Taking her hands in his and entwining their fingers, he held them out beside her head on the bed as he moved within her, fast and deep. At the beginning, watching Scarlett take her own pleasure was as hot as hell, and this position was more of
the same. Holding her beneath him as he thrust furiously was almost enough to make his eyes roll back in his head. His orgasm threatened, and Connor moved one hand to her clit, rubbing furiously as he pounded into her core.
Scarlett’s moans quickly turned to cries, short and breathy, as he pushed so deep inside her, her body nearly moved up the bed. He felt her pussy tighten around him, and he couldn’t take another second. Bracing himself with his foot, he pushed as deep as he could go and held himself against her, grunting his pleasure as he followed her over the cliff into ecstasy.
The next time Connor opened his eyes, the sun had breached the horizon and was filtering in through the blinds. His body was a little sluggish from only a few hours’ sleep, and for a moment, he wasn’t sure what had awakened him.
Scarlett was lying tucked up to him, her head on his shoulder and one arm flung across his chest. She was entirely relaxed, still asleep and breathing deeply, her hair a complete mess from their earlier lovemaking. Sleeping and sated, she was absolutely gorgeous. Her face looked as though she didn’t have a care in the world and Connor didn’t want to change that by waking her.
It was still early. They could catch a few more hours sleep before he’d have to get out of bed and face reality beyond finally having Scarlett in his bed. He was hopeful that this time, she’d stick around. Whatever had been making her keep her distance from any kind of relationship seemed to have melted away, a fact for which he was supremely grateful.
He moved his hand to gently caress and then rest on her hip, his eyes just drifting shut again when a low buzzing noise entered his consciousness. Connor ignored it. The feel of her silky skin beneath her fingers as her chest moved slowly up and down against his side was the best feeling on earth. The only thing annoying him was the constant buzzing coming from the side table, like a gnat that wouldn’t stop sounding right near his ear.
Still half-asleep, Connor reached out a hand to swat it away. When his hand came into contact with wood and then smooth metal, his eyes flew open. Wincing as he was forced to twist his body to grab the offending object, he hoped Scarlett would stay snoozing. When he read the screen, however, he huffed out a breath. As much as he didn’t want to, he needed to wake her. He had a feeling the person on the other end was going to keep calling until she answered.
He laid the offending object down on the bed and nudged her gently, then ran his fingers through her hair, brushing it back from where it had fallen across her face. The phone fell silent for a few moments before the incessant buzzing started up again. Glaring at it, Connor leaned forward and dropped a kiss on Scarlett’s forehead. “Gotta wake up, Sweetheart. Your boss won’t stop calling.”
A frown on her face, Scarlett’s eyes opened a crack at first, but then flew open wide as Connor’s words sunk in. She snatched up the offered cell as he held it out and clicked to answer. “Morning, sir.”
Connor watched as a myriad of emotions passed over her face. First Scarlett becoming more alert as she woke up properly, then curious, followed by puzzlement, incredulity, and lastly pissed the hell off. He reached out a hand to hold hers, but she moved away and stood, pacing across the room, her face growing grim. Every instinct in Connor was set alight, and his hands clenched the sheets as a poor substitute for being able to hold Scarlett and protect her against whatever the hell had put that look on her face.
A few moments later, she hung up her cell, but before he could speak, she launched it across the room. It hit the headboard and then bounced back onto the bed. Fortunately, the phone was still in one piece. Could Connor still say that about Scarlett?
He stood and walked over to her, opening his arms and enveloping her. Her body was tense for a long time, but she finally relaxed a little into the embrace. Her hands, however, stayed balled into fists, her jaw tight even as he brushed a hand up and down her back. Connor looked down at her, the storm still written all over her face. “Want to talk about it?”
She pulled away and moved to the bed, sitting to yank on her pants. Connor’s borrowed shirt followed, then she stood, likely hunting for her shoes. He stood, waiting for her to tell him what she needed, but it looked like it wasn’t going to happen. He strode over to her and took her hands in his, forcing her to stop for just a second. He looked into her gaze, hating the feeling in his gut when he saw her eyes. She was still furious, that much was obvious, but hurt simmered there, too, and they shimmered as if she was holding back tears. “Scarlett. You’re scaring me. What can I do to help?”
“Absolutely nothing,” she ground out, fire burning in her eyes again as she spat out the words. “I’m off the damn case.”
18
Scarlett
Scarlett was still seething as Connor drove her back to the station. He’d tried to get her to eat breakfast, to do anything other than grab the quickest shower on earth before heading out the door again. At least he’d had the sense not to suggest a repeat of what had happened between them the night before. Something turned over in her stomach at the thought. No, she was pissed. At her boss, at politics, possibly at the entire damn world. Connor was probably about the only person she wasn’t entertaining murderous thoughts about right now, but that didn’t mean she wanted to jump into bed with him. Did it? So why did she feel disappointed that he hadn’t tried to drag her back to bed? She couldn’t blame him. She was probably giving off vibes that she was about to explode. But still, disappearing back into their own little world where everything was okay and nothing existed except for Connor and what he could make her body feel definitely had its appeal. She just had no idea how to tell him that.
She sucked up a breath, firming her expression and forcing back the wobbly tear that was threatening. Fuck. This was why she didn’t do emotions. Orgasms were all well and good. When it came to making her body sing, the man was a damn virtuoso. It was what came after, when she was lying in the dark, wrapped tightly in Connor’s embrace, that Scarlett couldn’t handle. She’d spent the last year feeling so much that she felt like her entire heart had ripped itself apart in her chest. That had slowly faded into a sort of numb existence. She hadn’t felt the racking pain anymore, but neither had anything else existed. She hadn’t really missed it. Being numb was better than feeling like your very soul was dying.
Until Connor.
He had ignited things inside her that she’d thought were long dead. He’d made her feel, Goddamn it. And now everything in the world was searing and crisp again, and it hurt like hell. Being with him. It didn’t have to be sex. Hell, even just sitting quietly, lying against his hard chest while they watched TV had been heaven on earth. The problem was, letting herself admit she wanted that meant she’d opened herself back up to the pain and hurt that mired the world, too. Her nerves were still raw from coming under fire two days ago—not that she’d ever admit it—and Scarlett wasn’t sure how much more she could take. Letting Connor in meant letting everything in, and her boss’s call that morning had hurt more than it should.
She risked a glance over to Connor, fortunately when his eyes were on the road. If he took one more concerned glance in her direction, she was going to snap. She’d either start yelling or kiss the fuck out of him. She had no idea which, but doing either in anger was not a good idea.
Only the fact that Harrelson was her superior was stopping her from running out the door, slamming open his office door, and letting him know exactly what he could do with his ordering her off the case. After catching her reflection in the mirror and noticing she still had just-had-sex hair, Scarlett had forced herself to at least have a quick shower and down a mug of coffee before she went down to the station and probably did exactly that anyway. At least having taken the five minutes to allow the anger to rush over her as the hot water had flooded the shower stall should mean she wouldn’t get herself fired. But instead of the anger waning into the numbed void she was so used to, instead hurt had taken its place.
She looked out the window, biting her nails. Captain Harrelson was more than just her boss. He
’d been a friend, to both her and her husband, but especially to Derek. Today, though, that didn’t seem to matter. Scarlett was done sympathizing. Derek was gone, and she wasn’t. She’d finally found her path, and found something more special than she could ever hope to dream of finding again with Connor. Maybe a few months ago she would have stepped aside, allowing someone to take over. Nothing had mattered then, but now . . . fuck! She ran a hand through her hair. This was her case. She’d felt it in her bones from the very beginning, and no one, not even Harrelson, was going to take it away from her.
But why the hell had he? The thought stopped her racing mind dead. The captain hadn’t said anything more over the phone, and he’d had plenty of opportunities when she’d met his announcement in stunned silence, hanging on the line saying nothing for several seconds, until her brain had finally caught up with what the hell he was saying enough to plead her case. She’d tried, but it hadn’t been enough to change his mind, except Scarlett realized now that he’d never said why.
Her hand fell away from her mouth and balled up as she remembered her last actions before leaving the precinct the night before. She’d been careful, printing screen captures only and not clicking into any detail other than the basic summary and attending officers. Maybe it hadn’t been enough. The fellow officer she’d noticed appearing over and over again as she’d tested her theory wasn’t someone she thought capable of hacking the system, of doing anything to track her movements. The guy was a pushover, a uniform that would probably stay at the same rank until he retired.
Scarlett’s frown grew as her thoughts tumbled out of control again. The pattern was there. That she was sure of, but what did it mean? She couldn’t see him being a criminal mastermind. The rock in her stomach grew. No. He wasn’t smart enough for that, but he’d make an excellent lackey.
Under Fire (Southern Heat Book 7) Page 12