by Deborah Camp
She didn’t want to talk about feelings. She didn’t want to talk. That would prolong it and make her believe it was something more than just sexual release. “Let’s do this,” she said, moving her hand down to circle his cock. God, he was big and thick and hard.
He lifted his head and a frown line appeared between his dark blue eyes. She thought she saw a flicker of confusion there. She tightened her hold on him and the fingers inside of her stopped their seduction. He closed his eyes for a few moments and didn’t breathe. She gripped him tighter and ran her thumb over the glistening, moist tip, letting her nail slip inside. His eyes flew open and he bared his teeth.
“Fuck, Trudy!”
“Yes, please,” she whispered, opening her mouth and biting his chin right where the barest of a cleft tempted her.
His gaze hammered her for a few, heart-stopping moments, and then his mouth thinned to a line of pure determination. “All right then.” He ground the heel of his hand against her clitoris and she bucked and released her breath in a hiss. A bolt of desire shot through her, pooling between her legs. His smile was rakish, knowing. He stroked her again and she writhed as a moan worked its way up her throat. Her hand fell away from him and he rose to his knees.
She opened her eyes and saw him rolling a condom over his erection and then he positioned the crown of his cock against her opening. His chest lifted on a huge breath. “Easy,” he whispered, and then sank into her.
“Oh!” She let out a little yelp of surprise. Her body tightened around him. Too tight. His momentum stopped and he held himself in place, halfway inside her. Slowly, he pulled out. “No, don’t stop,” she gasped, her inner muscles revolting.
“Shhh,” he hushed her. “Let’s try this again.” He leaned down and his mouth melted over hers. The tip of his tongue stroked the slick walls of her mouth as his cock nudged her and then slipped inside, further this time. “Uh-huh,” he said against her mouth as he pulled out again. “Very tight, but I can work around that.”
She felt him gather himself, his back muscles tensing under her stroking hands. She stared up into his face, transfixed by the dark desire in his eyes and the determined set of his jaw. This man knew his way around a woman. In that moment she was certain that she would never regret this decision. She would take it to her grave as one of the best choices she’d ever made. She was in good hands.
One of those hands skimmed down her leg and his fingers slipped around her knee, pulling her leg up to give him more room between her thighs and tilting her pelvis at a different, more generous angle. His mouth plucked hers once, twice, and then the hard length of him plunged inside all the way. For a moment, she thought she could feel him in her throat – he filled her up that much.
He wasted not another second, but began moving, setting a rhythm that her body knew instinctively. With his hand around her knee guiding her, she arched up to meet his thrusts, and her muscles grasped him and stroked each long slide. A sheen of perspiration slicked their bodies as he increased the tempo, driving into her with more force, pulling out slowly, sensuously, letting her feel every smoking inch of him.
Laving her nipples and teasing them with little bites, he let go of her knee and his arms slid beneath her. He curved his hands around her shoulders, giving him more leverage and more command over how he wanted her to move. He was the absolute conductor and she let him maneuver her, guide her, control her. She felt him shift subtly and then the tip of his penis rubbed higher and she felt her orgasm spike. Her breath whistled down her throat and passion blinded her for a moment.
“Found it, didn’t I?” he rasped in her ear. “Here we go . . . come on. Come for me. Now, Trudy, now!”
And right on cue, she exploded. “Levi!” Her voice shook out of her, propelled by the intensity of her orgasm. No place in her body was spared. It seemed that every muscle quivered and her heart hammered so hard she was afraid it was going to shatter like glass. He continued ramming into her, his breath coming out in harsh grunts, and then she felt him grow even harder inside her. She knew he was close.
“Aaah, Trudy. I can’t . . . I’m there . . . we just . . .” His incoherent words buzzed in her brain.
Opening her eyes, she gazed at the utter look of rapture on his gorgeous face. A trickle of perspiration ran down his cheek to the corner of his wide mouth. His eyes were closed and he tipped his head slightly to one side as his lips thinned to expose his straight, white teeth. He bucked once, twice, and then all tension left his face and she knew he was releasing inside of her.
“Oh, Jesus,” he moaned and buried his face in the side of her neck. “You feel so good. So fucking good.”
He settled more completely on her and ground his hips against her, rubbing her clitoris and making her shiver with pleasure. It was uncanny how he knew just how to touch her and where!
“Come again?” he whispered against her neck and his chuckle warmed her skin. He circled his hips, grinding, pressing, his cock hardening inside her. Then his hand slipped between their bodies and his fingers slid in to find the pulsing nub and caress it.
The build up began, white-hot and all-consuming. Impossible, she thought, even as she flung her head back into the mattress when the orgasm burst through her belly like fireworks and lit her up from inside.
“Oh, oh, oh!” She let out a little scream and he rocked his hips into her, giving her another burning spasm of sizzling sensation.
“Good girl.” He lifted his head and kissed her eyelids, then rested his forehead against hers. A sigh whispered past his lips. “So good.” After a minute, he slid off her, lying along her side, one arm resting across her belly and his fingers spread across one breast.
Relaxing with him, softly simmering and replete, felt good. Way too good. Tears stung her eyes, alarming her, engulfing her. Trudy shoved up from the bed and padded across the carpet, bending down to snatch up her clothes along the way.
“Where are you going?” he asked in a sleepy voice.
“To the bathroom.” She went in and shut the door. Not wasting time sorting through her tumult of feelings, she dressed and ran her hands through her mussed hair, then emerged from the bathroom, intent on gathering up her purse and getting the hell out of there.
“Trudy?”
She stopped, her hand on the door knob, and closed her eyes for a few moments. Strengthening her resolve, she turned to face him. He was sitting on the bed, the condom gone, but his penis still perky. Really? Still?
“Where are you going?” he asked in a deceptively soft tone, although there was a crease of worry between his eyes. His hand slipped up and down his energetic cock.
“Back to the RV,” she said as casually as she could while trying not to stare at his erection.
“Now? Just like that?”
She shrugged. “We’ve had our bit of fun and now I’m leaving.”
“Is this how it goes down with you every time?”
She hitched her purse strap over her shoulder and tried her best to look calm and cool. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, are you a hit-and-runner? You hit it and run?”
Glancing away from his confused look, she heaved a sigh. She forced a smile and blew him a kiss. “Thanks. I’m glad we did it. What time did you want to meet up with Quintara this evening?”
“You’re glad we did it, huh?” He rolled his eyes. “You want to have dinner together?”
“Uh . . .” She shook her head. “I’ll grab something at the RV.”
His eyes darkened and a frown tugged at the corners of his lovely, giving mouth. “Okay. Seven-thirty?”
“Great. See you then!” And she made her escape.
Once she was behind the wheel of the Fiesta and barreling back to Stirring Palms, she let out a shaky breath and fought back the tears that were crammed up against the back of her eyes. Could she do this? Could she have sex with him and turn off her feelings? Just enjoy the moment and not allow any oooey-gooey romantic feelings to creep into her heart?
Her body still hummed with the pleasure he’d rained all over it. Her nipples tingled and tiny muscles clenched deep inside her. Her lips felt swollen from his drugging kisses. The man was magic.
But could she do this?
###
“Levi took me to a beautiful restaurant and we had a lovely dinner,” Quintara said, motioning for Trudy to come into Levi’s room. “You should have joined us, dear.”
“I’m glad you had a nice time,” Trudy said, looking at Quintara but utterly aware of the man standing by the round table by a set of windows. At the RV, she’d taken a walk with Mouse, eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and then had gone online to get a list of museums in Key West. She’d narrowed her quest to three that she planned to visit tomorrow. Then she had tried to take a nap, but had failed. Instead, she’d remembered every second she had spent in bed with Levi Wolfe. Even being in the same room with him now made her pulses thrum. She glanced at the bed and was relieved to see that the duvet and pillows were neatly in place again.
She realized that Quintara was dressed smartly in a white and gold caftan, gold sandals, and full-on makeup. Trudy felt underdressed in her V-necked pullover and jeans. Then she made the mistake of looking at Levi and her knees wobbled.
In a black, perfectly tailored, suit and pale gray shirt, he was beyond good looking. He was expensive eye candy. His silk charcoal and silver patterned tie had a tiny smatter of red running through it that drew the eye. He opened his netbook and glanced up, then held her gaze. He arched a brow and sent her a little frown.
“Come on, ladies. Have a seat,” he said. “Let’s get cracking.” He motioned for Trudy and Quintara to occupy two of the chairs he had placed there. After they were all seated, he sorted through pages and files on the netbook screen until he found what he wanted.
“Okay. First of all, I don’t know what the murderer looks like because he was wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap pulled down low. All I could see was his chin and mouth. He was clean shaven. He was average height and build. Shelly didn’t know him. He wore a long-sleeved pullover, blue jeans, and boots. Since his arms were covered, I don’t know if he has tattoos or any other identifying marks.”
Trudy stared at him and then at Quintara, who was smiling supremely. He was so “all business,” so organized and thorough. She sat straighter, impressed, and her mind sharpened.
“Now we come to Zelda . . .”
He sat back and unbuttoned his suit jacket, letting it fall open to reveal the crimson inner lining. It was surprising and Trudy wondered what other surprises were in store for her. Levi Wolfe was adept at throwing curve balls, making her feel as if she were swinging wildly most of the time. He ran a hand down his tie in a distracted gesture and it distracted her, as well. She recalled in vivid detail what was under that tie . . . under that shirt.
“I don’t know if Zelda knew the man was there. She might very well have been working with him. I just don’t know. But she figures into this, so we damn well need to talk to the police about finding her. That has to be a priority of ours.”
“What are the other possibilities concerning Zelda’s presence there?” Quintara asked.
He consulted his notes before he answered. “He could have been hiding in the closet and he could have known Zelda was in the bathroom, but since she wasn’t his chosen one, he didn’t care about her. He ignored her. That would mean he’s very arrogant and focused. Or he could have decided that if she stayed in the bathroom, he’d spare her, but if she came into the living room, he’d kill her. She hadn’t seen him, so she couldn’t I.D. him, but if she’d come into the living room, she would’ve left him no choice.”
“And she stayed in the bathroom,” Trudy noted. “She must have heard the commotion. I’m surprised she didn’t bolt out of there to see what was going on.”
“Maybe she did peek out and see him and was frozen with fear, so she locked herself in the bathroom until he was gone,” Levi said, consulting his notes again.
“She didn’t call the police,” Quintara said.
“No. She left her new friend dead, murdered, and didn’t even bother to call the police and report it. That seems to make her guilty instead of an innocent bystander.” Levi closed the netbook and sat back in the chair. “We could learn more about Zelda’s role in this through the killer, but that’s not my territory.” His gaze swiveled to Trudy and she felt as if she’d been speared by a hot poker. “I hope you don’t mind, but I shared with Quintara the revelation that you appear to have seen this murder while you slept and have recalled bits and pieces of it.”
“Oh. Right. No, that’s okay.”
Quintara regarded her. “That’s quite an interesting development, Trudy. Usually, when this kind of thing happens, the psychic is awakened with a jolt and recalls the scene. It’s amazing that you slept through it and then didn’t even remember the nightmare when you woke up.”
Levi responded before she could. “I believe . . . and please don’t take this as a criticism, Quintara . . . but I believe that she did that because you’ve taught her to block out the more grisly aspects of the murders.”
Quintara’s gaze snapped to Levi and it was as if a thunderhead formed between them. Trudy stared in rapt fascination at the silent, powerful exchange.
“How else would I take that, Levi?” Quintara asked, her voice taking on an edge.
“It’s an observation,” he said. “A theory. I could be wrong.”
“I thought we agreed on a different approach . . . a gentler touch,” Quintara said.
“We’re in agreement on that.”
“Helping her to block out the actual minutes of death and the ugly aftermath protected her,” Quintara asserted. “She was very fragile when she came to the Roundtable. You recall being fragile, don’t you, Levi?”
“Yes. Yes, I do.” A shadow passed through his dark blue eyes and he lowered his gaze for a few moments. “And I understand why you did what you did. However, she’s more in control now. Not seeing the whole thing through could hinder investigations and her ability to catch killers more quickly.”
Trudy looked from one to the other, blazingly aware that she’d disappeared, although she was the topic of conversation. Finally, after another few tense seconds ticked by, she cleared her throat. “I hate to butt into this fascinating tug-of-war in which I appear to be the rope, but I am sitting right here. Flesh and blood. Not a spirit or a vision.”
Levi turned his attention to her, his gaze sweeping down her and then moving back up to linger on her legs, her breasts, her lips. “So you are.”
Silence stretched like a rubber band – almost to the point of breaking. And then it was there again – that undeniable sexual chemistry. It wrapped around her and shot out to him. She knew the second he felt it because his eyes narrowed to smoky slits. For a moment, Trudy thought that she saw the super-charged air between them waffle, but she marked it up to her overworked imagination. However, the flexing of muscles in Levi’s jaw and the way his breathing changed from normal to deeper breaths wasn’t imagined. Oh, yes, she thought with satisfaction. He felt it and his thoughts were meandering down a particularly naughty path right along with hers.
“Children, I’m leaving you now.” Quintara rose from the chair, a Cheshire cat grin spreading across her face.
“What?” Trudy ripped her gaze from Levi to stare at Quintara. Oh, crap. She and Levi weren’t the only ones who had felt it.
Levi stood quickly and he also looked confused and shaken. “Is something wrong?”
“No, it’s getting late and I need to pack,” Quintara said, still smiling as if she had a delicious secret. She laid a hand on his sleeve. “And I need to book a flight back to Tulsa.”
“We’re leaving?” Trudy asked, and almost felt relieved because she was beginning to think that she might combust if she and Levi were left alone together again.
“We aren’t,” Quintara said with a soft chuckle. “But I am. I have my Roundtable work waiting for me and a c
ouple of magazine articles I must finish and send off before the end of the month. I wanted to get you two settled in. You’re well into this now and you don’t need me.”
“I wish you would stay, Quintara,” Levi said. “I’m afraid I’ve offended you and I certainly would never—.”
“You didn’t,” Quintara said, resting a hand alongside his face in a gesture that tugged at Trudy’s heart, especially when he smiled and rubbed his cheek against Quintara’s palm. “We understand each other on this. It’s time for you to take the lead now.”
“But this is so sudden and we could use your help,” he said, trying to persuade her to change her mind.
“That’s kind of you to say, but I can be of more use to more people back in Tulsa than I can be here. You don’t need me. You have each other now.”
Trudy’s gaze slipped hesitantly to Levi and his to hers. She quelled a shiver that started in her stomach and spiraled upward to her heart.
“At least allow me to make the travel arrangements for you,” he said to Quintara as he escorted her to the door of his room. Her brightly colored caftan flowed around her, the hem brushing the tops of her sandals. “Are you sure you won’t stay a day or two longer?” he asked so quietly that Trudy could barely catch his words. He dipped his head toward Quintara. “You don’t have to do this.”
“I know, dear heart.” Quintara placed a hand on his tie and adjusted the Windsor knot. “I’ll only be a phone call away. You can ring or text me anytime you need me.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” He opened the door.
Trudy stepped forward. “I don’t know what’s going on, but there isn’t any reason why you should take a powder on us, Quintara. I think things will go better all around if you’ll stay for a few more days.”
Quintara wrapped her warm fingers around Trudy’s wrist. “I’m so proud of you. You’ve come such a long way in such a short time. Now, it’s up to Levi to guide you the rest of the way up the mountain.”
Don’t desert me, Trudy mouthed, and Quintara laughed and shook her head.