Tactical Maneuver

by J. C. Wilder

  Her breath caught in her throat when he left the door open by only the narrowest of margins. If he shut it all the way, she was in serious danger of coming out of her skin. The violence of the past few moments had thrown her for a loop. Did all S.W.A.T. officers live like this? How awful for them.

  “What are we doing?” Her nails dug into his back.

  “Hiding,” he grunted.

  “Why are we hiding?”

  “Because they shot at me?” Jay sounded exasperated. “Damn it, they weren’t supposed to do that. A S.W.A.T. team never fires unless the hostage is in imminent danger and you weren’t.”

  “Then why did they?

  “They’re probably trying to get back at me for that present in the basement.”

  Emma frowned. “What present?”

  “I rigged a CO2 gas cartridge to the basement door. When they opened it, the cartridge went off in their faces. That stuff will suck the air right out of your lungs.”

  She thumped him on the back with her fist. “You gassed your teammates?”

  “Every chance I get.” She heard the note of pleasure in his tone.

  “I’d shoot you too, then.” Emma would have crossed her arms over her chest if there’d been enough room.

  As they waited, the building grew still around them. From time to time, she could hear the scrape of something being dragged across the floor downstairs, the squeak of a floorboard, then nothing. If they didn’t get out of here soon, she was going to faint from the tension.

  “I can’t breathe,” she hissed.

  “Come to the front.” Jay opened the door wider. “But you have to stay out of my way. I need to be able to maneuver around you.”

  Emma sucked in her breath and squeezed past, shimmying this way and that to get around him. She was painfully aware of the tall male clad in black and armed to the teeth. When she neared the partially open door, she could feel the slightest of air currents and the panic receded a bit. Now she’d be able to breathe.

  Just when she thought she’d make it out of the closet in one piece, Jay slid his arm around her waist and her heart almost stopped. Her hands landed on his broad chest and she tipped her head back, looking past his shadowed chin and firm sculpted lips and into his blue eyes.

  “We may as well get comfortable.” His voice was husky.

  She licked her lips. Who’d have believed Emma Taylor would end up in the arms of bad-boy Jay Barnes in a stifling closet during a S.W.A.T. training exercise?

  Not her…

  She inhaled his scent, a mixture of heated male flesh and healthy sweat. A quiver of awareness shot through her system when his hand pressed the small of her back, pulling her tight against his lean frame.

  He’d already kissed her once. What would he do if she tried to kiss him this time? Would he object? What did she have to lose? She was leaving in a week and this was her last chance…

  Her gaze dropped to his mouth. His taste still resonated on her tongue but she wanted more, much more. She licked her lips again and his hold tightened. Her gaze swung up to meet his heated one.

  “You’re making me crazy,” he said.

  “H-h-how’s that?”

  “Licking your lips. Don’t you realize what signals that sends to a man?”

  “What if I wanted to send that signal?”

  A look of surprise moved across his face. Clearly Jay wasn’t used to women telling him what they wanted. Then a slow, sexy smile touched his lips. “And what if I told you to leave your bedroom window open this evening and I’ll take you up on that invitation?”

  Emma licked her lips again. Was he being serious? A rush of feminine warmth invaded her at the thought of this man taking control and sneaking into her home to make love to her under the cover of darkness.

  “I’d say,” her voice dropped and her gaze fastened on his mouth, “bring a ladder.”

  Before she could think twice, Emma rose on her tiptoes and touched her mouth to his. She felt his jolt of surprise but it didn’t deter her from her mission. Keeping her mouth pressed to his, she nipped at his lower lip, then held her breath. Would he refuse? Push her away?

  Then his lips parted, his taste intoxicating her, and she sank into his warmth.

  Oh yes…

  She sucked at his tongue, eliciting a sound of need from him. Heat spiraled through her body as his grip on her waist tightened. Her shirt felt too tight and her skin was overheated. She couldn’t think straight. She wanted this man like none she’d ever met. He touched something dark, something carnal in her that no man had breached before.

  With a low groan, her tongue slid deep and she possessed his mouth the way she’d wanted from the first time she’d seen him. With each teasing stroke, her need flared hot and heavy…then she lost control of the kiss.

  His other arm captured her waist and his mouth consumed hers. Jay’s hand slipped beneath the hem of her T-shirt and caressed her overheated skin. She pressed him against the wall as his fingers skimmed her side. She felt as if she couldn’t get enough of him, his taste, his texture. She wanted him under her skin and she couldn’t quite figure out how to get close enough to appease that need. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stretched to bring them just a little bit closer.

  With his hand under her shirt, he cupped her breast and she nipped at his lower lip. She shivered when his thumb stroked her sensitive curve before palming her full breast. His fingers teased the cotton-covered mound, she made a noise in the back of her throat as he zeroed in on her erect nipple, giving it a firm stroke.

  Finally, yes, oh my god, yes…

  His confident touch sent spasms of joy through her nervous system. Here, finally, was a man who knew how to handle a woman’s breasts. With broad strokes and gentle tugs, she was almost on the verge of delirium and all he’d done was touch her breasts and kiss her. Here was the man she needed to take as her temporary lover. The man who would remove all thoughts of The Jerk from her brain—

  Without warning, the door flew open and light flooded the tiny space. Strong hands wrenched her from Jay’s arms and gunfire filled the air.

  Chapter Three

  No doubt about it. He was crazy.

  Jay pulled his truck up to the curb and turned off the ignition. A quick stop at the police station had heralded Emma’s address from the city employee files. Her apartment was the one on the end with the white plastic chair next to the back door. With the old wood frame windows her building sported, entering her apartment would take only a few seconds, especially if she’d left the window unlocked. Thanks to a few drug busts several years ago, Jay was very familiar with her apartment building so getting in and moving around would be a snap.

  He stared at her darkened windows. Imagine, one of Haven’s finest setting out to break into the apartment of one of its newest citizens.

  But he had to see her, taste her. Touch her again. Ever since they’d parted this afternoon, he couldn’t get her off his mind. After leaving the fire station, he’d joined some members of the tactical team for a grueling workout in the police station weight room, but even that hadn’t lessened the sexual tension that had him strung tighter than a guitar string.

  Even after a cold shower and two hours of accident paperwork, he was still sporting a perpetual hard-on.

  The need to have her beat like a mantra in his brain and infected his blood. It was that persistent thought which had driven him to this extreme. He would have her tonight.

  Emma had struck him as being a little shy and unsure of herself. In his estimation, the way to handle a woman like her was to take charge, to remove her options in the matter. Which didn’t mean he was going to override her objections, he wasn’t. It was simply a case of taking things into his hands, thus removing the decision from her. If all went well, she’d agree to a hot, deeply satisfying sexual relationship like what he had in mind.

  Now all he had to do was convince her.

  The lights came on her apartment and, through a gap in the curtains, he saw Em
ma pass through her kitchen. It was time to move.

  Jay exited his truck and carefully tucked his keys into his pocket where he was sure they wouldn’t rattle. Glancing around, he noted her neighborhood was quiet. Most people would be settled in front of their televisions in their air-conditioned living rooms, trying to avoid the humid August evening. Reassured that no one was watching, he entered her backyard, taking great care with the gate, not allowing it to clang in the stillness.

  Her backyard was small and the turf bone-dry from the lack of rain. With the brittle grass crunching underfoot, he moved easily through the yard toward the building. When he rounded the corner, he caught sight of Emma in her bedroom. She’d just dropped some packages on the bed before turning to enter what he assumed was the bathroom.

  Pressing his ear to the window frame, he could barely make out the sound of running water. She would undoubtedly be tied up in there for a few minutes, which left him free to make his move.

  Moving forward, he kept to the shadows of the building while he moved to the next window. Glancing in, he could see through the thin drapes and the room appeared to be devoid of any furnishings save a few cardboard boxes. This would be the perfect entry point.

  Removing a utility knife from his pocket, he slid the narrow blade into the frame of the window and, within seconds, he’d popped the rickety lock. He replaced the knife in his pocket and made a mental note to call the landlord. These locks needed to be upgraded. Why, anyone could break in here, even a horny police officer.

  Well aware he was putting his entire career at stake, Jay slid the window open and prepared to make entry.

  * * * * *

  Emma poured a liberal amount of lavender bubble bath into the filling tub. She loved the scent of lavender. It was so relaxing—

  Wow, that man could really kiss.

  Her toes curled into the soft cotton of her rug as the errant thought popped into her head for the hundredth time in the past hour. Damn, she was never going to get Jay off her brain, not even for a minute.

  She placed the bottle on the side of the tub then walked into the adjoining bedroom. In the middle of her bed was a pile of glossy shopping bags. After leaving the station, she’d decided to pay a visit to the local shopping mall. Two hours and several hundred dollars later, she was the proud owner of a new outfit and a pile of lingerie guaranteed to make any man feverish.

  Now she just had to find the man…

  She began unbuttoning her blouse. Brenda was right. If she was ever going to indulge in a wild no-strings-attached affair, now was the time to do it. She’d be leaving Haven and these people would never see her again.

  Jay was the perfect man to engage in a short-term passionate liaison. He was handsome, could kiss like nobody’s business, and he knew his way around a woman’s breast. Of course, the best part was that he made her heart race like no man had ever done. It also helped that he seemed to be well-respected by his coworkers, though his job did bother her. What kind of a woman would willingly fall in love with a man who took his life into his own hands every time he walked out the door?

  She shook her head and dropped her blouse into the clothes hamper. Ignoring that fact, the most obvious question was would he be interested? She shimmied out of her skirt. Yeah, he’d kissed her, but would he have kissed any woman in that situation?

  She pushed that disturbing thought away. Did she really care? After all, it was sex she was looking for, not a long-term relationship. It should have meant something that he’d asked her to leave her bedroom window unlocked.

  She glanced at one of the windows in question. He had to have been kidding. A police officer wouldn’t enter someone’s house via the window. He’d knock like any other normal human being.

  Lifting her foot, she placed it on the edge of the bed and began rolling the stocking down her leg. She loved thigh-high stockings. They made her feel sexy even on her worst hair days. Enjoying the feel of her hands against her skin and the slow slide of the nylon, her breasts felt heavy, the cotton of her bra constricting.

  She tossed the stockings on the bed. She’d felt this way ever since her tryst in the closet. She walked to the dresser, pulling out her hairpins as she moved. She groaned in relief when they were out and she shook her head, allowing her hair to fall in a thick, silken wave to below her shoulders. She hated pulling her hair back, but it was too thick to leave untamed.

  Emma knew she was average looking, nothing spectacular. She was big chested, a fact that always drew the attention of men, and she could stand to lose a few pounds, quite a few actually, but she was determined not to beat herself up over them. There were much worse things in life to deal with than being a size twenty. Besides, she really loved food and it should be a sin to give up something she enjoyed so much.

  Twisting her hair back with a big plastic clip, she walked back into the bathroom. Lavender-scented steam filled the air and clouded the mirror. Since it was so hot outside, she didn’t want to take too hot of a bath. She wanted one just warm enough to calm her mind and body.

  Especially her body.

  She stripped off her bra and panties and dropped them by the tub. Dipping her foot into the water, she smiled. This was going to be lovely.

  Turning off the faucet, she sank into the tub with a sigh. This was the best way to relax after a long day at the office. She soaped a washcloth, then drew it over her throat, acutely aware of the sensuality of the movement. As she moved, the water and fragrant bubbles teased her erect nipples. The sound of saturated cotton moving over her skin, the soft bubbles and the fragrance of the bath oil soothed her in a way she desperately needed.

  She ran the cloth down her throat to her chest before slipping it beneath the water. Lightly she brushed the cloth over the tip of her breast, aware as never before of her body and its reactions.

  She cupped her breast, feeling its weight buoyed by the water. Her thumb moved over the burgeoning tip and her breath hissed through her teeth. She gave her nipple an experimental tug, enjoying the sensations that zinged through her abdomen. She allowed her washcloth-covered hand to drift lower. Soft curls gave way and she cupped her mound. A thrill of naughtiness flowed through her limbs. Spreading her thighs, she breached her tender folds and brushed a finger over her delicate inner lips, parting them. A quiver of delight rushed through her body as her fingertip grazed her sensitive nub. She’d experienced orgasms before, many of them, but never with a partner. In her experience, an orgasm was a lovely, though lonely, physical release.

  Emma drew her knees higher and parted her thighs farther. Waves of sensation rippled through her nervous system when she settled into a slow, rhythmic caress. Her hips rocked with each stroke, her breathing deepening as she imagined Jay’s mouth on hers, his hands on her body, caressing her to fulfillment.

  Images of him slipping into her bed crowded her mind and she mentally replaced her touch with his. A sigh slipped from her lips and she arched her back, trying to make each caress last as long as possible—

  Yes…yes…

  Her body was balanced on the edge of release when an unfamiliar sound jolted her back to awareness. She sat up.

  What was that noise? A window opening? A door? Was someone in her apartment? She straightened. She’d locked the front door, hadn’t she? Yes, she was sure of it. But it wouldn’t hurt to check anyway.

  Emma got to her feet, the warm bathwater and suds running down her limbs as she struggled into her robe. Haven was a small town and the locals had assured her it was quite safe here. But being raised in a big city had bred a natural wariness in her, one she couldn’t overcome in the space of a few months. She wouldn’t be able to relax until she’d checked the apartment.

  She moved through the bedroom and into the living room and tiny kitchen. All was quiet. The windows were locked tight and the front door was bolted shut. She frowned and headed back to the bathroom.

  The scent of hot, humid air brought her to a halt in the doorway to her empty spare room. She stared in dis
belief at the white lace curtains fluttering in the faint breeze. Had she left the window open this morning?

  Before leaving for work, she’d opened all of the windows for a few minutes to air out the place. There was nothing more unappealing than stale, processed air twenty-four hours a day. But she was sure she’d locked every window afterward, this one included. If she remembered correctly, she’d even double-checked.

  Then again, she’d been in a hurry this morning. That’s what she got for hitting the snooze button one too many times.

  Smiling at her folly, Emma shook her head and moved to secure the window. Outside, her miniscule backyard was dark, the shrubs and trees throwing shifting, alien shadows.

  Beyond the fence, she saw a dark pickup truck parked in the alley. It was big and masculine with round lights on the roof and shiny chrome side rails. She frowned. It looked familiar. Where had she seen that truck before? She let the curtain slide shut and turned to exit the room.

  Casting another glance about her tiny apartment, reassured that all was secure, she skidded to a halt when she caught sight of a dark, masculine figure filling the doorway of her bedroom.

  “Hello, Emma.”

  For a few seconds she wondered if her overactive hormones had produced the tall, broad figure leaning against the doorframe. Clad in black, he looked massive, threatening. Then he shoved away from the door and approached her. The light from the kitchen moved across his face and she left out a huff of air.

  It was Jay.

  She blinked, her relief turning to panic.

  It was Jay.

  “What are you doing here?” she blurted.

  His sharp blue gaze moved over her body, making Emma painfully aware of the cotton robe now stuck to her damp skin. Her fingers knotted in the lapels and she drew them over her generous breasts. He smiled at the gesture and that one look was filled with the promise of sex, sin, and danger.

  “I came for you.”