Absolute Pleasure

by Jamie Denton

  Remembering the sparkling wine on the nightstand, he retrieved the bottle from the ice bucket. He took a drink, then settled his mouth over her hot center, allowing the wine he held in his mouth to mingle with the moisture pooled inside her. Then he drank from her.

  Sunny was certain she’d just imploded. From the inside out, sensations overlapped, intersecting and becoming confused in her mind. Cool. Hot. Slick. Wet. His mouth. His hands. The effervescence of the sparkling wine on his tongue, inside her.

  Too much, she thought. It was all too much and the cry that tore from her lips was long and forceful as another orgasm crashed into her before she could recover from the last one or even catch her breath. Powerless to calm the riotous explosions, helpless against the intense pleasure convulsing through her, all she could think of was that she wanted more, more, more.

  She wanted Duncan inside her, to feel his long, hard length deep within her body, stroking her, filling her. He drove her positively insane, made her crazy from the steady stream of shockwaves rocking her.

  The pillow disappeared, and she felt the strong grip of his hands tugging her toward the edge of the bed. With great care, he turned her over onto her stomach, then eased her onto her knees. She lifted her hips and he entered her from behind, connecting their bodies in one, long swift thrust. His hands held her hips as he withdrew, then pushed into her again, this time with such agonizing slowness she thought she’d die from the new wave of incredible sensation setting her body on fire. Using her arms to support herself, she widened her stance to take him deeper and lifted her bottom higher, wanting every glorious inch of him to fill her. Each stroke of his body increased the pressure building up inside her again. She hadn’t believed it physically possible for another orgasm to be within her reach so quickly.

  He increased the tempo of his thrusts. The wild moan that escaped her lips only made him drive into her harder. The tension inside her grew. When he reached his hand between her legs and caught her clit between his fingers, the orgasm slammed into her with the force of a meteor. She flew apart and grabbed his wrist, pressing his hand more firmly against her mound, riding the wave of ecstasy with a wildness unlike any she’d ever known. He’d done this to her, made her feel raw, primitive. Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard a deep, primal growl and was shocked to realize the sound had come from her.

  She felt Duncan thrust into her one last time. The hand still clasping her hip bit into her flesh as the force of his own release overtook him. Never in her life had she experienced anything so exquisite, so pure and beautiful as pleasure coursing through their bodies simultaneously. Physically, she didn’t know if she’d ever recover, but she couldn’t wait to experience the emotional oneness again.

  “Oh God,” she muttered breathlessly and slid down onto the mattress as if liquefied. She rolled onto her side and watched in fascination as he discarded a condom she hadn’t even realized he’d worn.

  “You were, uh…occupied at the time.” His lips tipped upward into a grin that under normal circumstances would have started her pulse pounding. Since he’d already cornered the market in that area considering her pulse rate threatened cardiac arrest, she figured he’d just gotten a two-for-one bargain.

  How on earth he had the strength to move, let alone take the few steps necessary to reach the waste can she kept by the nightstand, was beyond her. He joined her on the bed seconds later, and she mustered up the last of her energy reserves to scoot next to him.

  He pulled the sheet over them to ward off the chill as their sweat-drenched bodies cooled. Wrapping his arms around her, he effortlessly hauled her halfway up his body so she lay draped across his chest. She let out a very contented sigh and closed her eyes, lulled by the rhythm of his heart beating against her ear.

  “The right,” he said suddenly.

  His voice sounded raspy, sleepy, and she smiled, feeling a tad egotistical about her role in the whole thing. “What’s right?” she murmured.

  “The bed.” He attempted to stifle a yawn and failed. “Which side I prefer. The right.”

  She lifted her head and looked at him. “I should hope so. If you’d said left, you’d have to tough it out, honey. Nothing could move me now.”

  He chuckled. “Nothing, huh?” The arrogance in his gaze made her a wee bit nervous as he smoothed his hand down her spine and past her bottom. The tips of his fingers lightly teased her inner thigh.

  The first stirring of desire slowly uncoiled in her belly. She parted her legs and he lazily stroked her, leisurely stoking the embers into a low simmering flame. “Can’t resist a challenge, can you?”

  “I can’t resist you,” he said quietly.

  Her heart lurched at the emotion shining in his eyes. She wasn’t foolish enough to believe it might actually be love, but regardless of the label, she knew without a doubt the feeling was mutual.

  14

  ALONE IN THE DARKNESS, Duncan sat on the edge of the bed, elbows braced on his knees, head lowered into his hands. He never thought he could be so completely blindsided. He was the one who always did his best to be prepared for any possible outcome.

  He hadn’t even seen this one coming.

  Lust he understood; he’d been prepared for and could handle it. He could even accept that he cared about Sunny after such a short time. What he hadn’t considered was the tightening in his chest threatening his oxygen levels when he thought about not having Sunny in his life.

  “Damn it,” he muttered. He rubbed at the knot of tension forming at the base of his neck, but found no relief.

  How the hell had it happened? And so quickly? And to him?

  They’d known each other for exactly two days and he was what…seriously considering something long-term? Forget the complications and conflicts of her job, the threat to his bachelorhood had him scared spitless.

  He straightened. He had nothing to fear. All he’d done was confuse lust and the aftereffects of amazing, mind-blowing sex with…with that other L word. God, if he couldn’t even think the word, how was he supposed to say it?

  He reached around in the dark for his jeans, then stood and slipped into them. He was freaking out for no good reason. What could he possibly have to worry about? Once his misconduct issues were out of the bag, she’d plant those hot CFM shoes she’d worn the other night on his backside and boot him right out of her life. Problem solved. Bachelorhood saved.

  After he found his way to the master bath, he headed toward the kitchen to join Sunny. The clatter of dishware, the ding of some kitchen appliance and the unmistakable rhythm of rock music softly playing drifted toward him. Sunny stood facing the counter, her back to him. The ruffled hem of the cotton-candy pink chemise she wore barely covered her ass, which she was busy swaying in time to the upbeat song. The filmy fabric skimmed her curves, leaving little to his imagination.

  His dick was hard in under two-point-five seconds. Convinced he’d lost all reason and no longer possessed an ounce of self-control, he came up behind her to slip his arms around her waist and bent down to nuzzle the hollow between her neck and shoulder. Her hair was damp, and she smelled like fresh mangos, rather than the musky scent of sex he’d been anticipating.

  She wiggled her backside against his crotch. “Hungry?”

  “For you?” He gently took her earlobe between his teeth. “Always,” he growled in her ear.

  “I was thinking food.” She turned in his arms and wreathed her arms around his neck, rubbing sinuously against him. “First.”

  His hands coasted down her spine and over her curvy bottom to the hem of her nightie. He skirted his hands beneath the silky material and came into direct contact with satiny smooth skin, no scraps of lace or silk to impede a much more intimate exploration. “Are you suggesting I rebuild my strength?”

  “With what I have in mind for dessert, you’re going to need it.” She dragged her tongue slowly along her plump bottom lip, her meaning unmistakable. “Hmmm,” she murmured, then flicked her tongue over his flat nipple.


  She would be the death of him yet, but he had to have her. With his hands on her rump, he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Feeling her thighs clench his hips almost made him lose control. Better to go out with a bang than a whimper, he thought.

  The counter was cluttered with dishware and take-out containers, so he spun them around and backed her up against the closest wall. He had his jeans unfastened and was buried to the hilt inside her sleek, moist sheath within seconds. Her breath expelled on a throaty groan so low and sultry he nearly came out of his skin.

  She clung to him, making the most erotic little sounds of pleasure mingled with each hard pant of breath she expelled. His fingers bit into the soft flesh of her ass as he thrust, withdrew, harder, faster, again and again. She was hot, wet, and he lost himself in the raw openness of their lovemaking.

  Her moans grew louder, more demanding until she emitted one long shouted, “Yessss…” Her body tightened around him, and she flew apart.

  With one final deep thrust, he came in a heated rush and followed her into blissful oblivion on his own powerful release…without the protection of a condom, his conscience reminded him, just a tad too late.

  SUNNY STABBED the last marinated mushroom on her plate with her fork and popped it into her mouth. For someone hung up on safety, she’d certainly taken a huge risk. The worst of it was, she hadn’t even realized what she’d done until Duncan had apologized. He didn’t deserve all the blame. She’d been just as swept away by the uncontrollable, purely spontaneous passion, and was equally irresponsible. Since she was in the safe zone of her cycle, she was fairly confident they’d dodged a bullet—this time. First thing Monday morning, she was making an appointment with her gynecologist for birth control.

  “I’ve been thinking…” he said, and pushed aside his empty plate.

  “Uh-oh,” she teased. Shifting in the padded chair, she kicked her icy feet onto his lap, searching for warmth. “Did it hurt?”

  “Cute.” He smiled, not the least offended. “Comedienne, are you?”

  “I have my moments.” She nudged his hand with her toe, and he wrapped his fingers around the ball of her foot. “Ah, thank you,” she said, soaking up the heat from his hands. “Okay, now tell me what had you exercising your mind.”

  “Your transfer to ISU hinges on your success with SEDSCAM, right?”

  “Klabo didn’t use those exact words, but that’s the gist of it.” She set her fork on the edge of her plate and reached for her glass of soda, curious where this was all leading. “Why?”

  “I could help you get that transfer.”

  He’d already produced his files, which had understandably slipped her mind, but she had the distinct impression he wasn’t referring to any official documentation. Solving SEDSCAM would give her the transfer she wanted, but putting an end to the Seducer’s career and making sure the charges stuck were equally important. “How exactly?” she finally asked him.

  He released his hold on her foot. Leaning forward, he braced his arms on the table and gave her a direct stare. “By helping you nail the UNSUB.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “No, Duncan. Out of the question.”

  “Hear me out,” he argued.

  “Are you insane?” For a man who was losing it, she thought he did a good job of appearing quite rational. She lowered her feet to the floor and sat up straight. “You of all people know that—”

  “No nongovernmental entity shall be privy to evidence or other information gathered in connection with an ongoing FBI investigation,” he recited by rote.

  “For the explicit purpose of protecting the civil liberties of any person or persons of said investigation,” she finished. “That would include the UNSUB, in case you were wondering.”

  His expression bordered on impatient. “Sunny—”

  She lifted her hand to still his argument. “No. There are nine men and women sitting on the Supreme Court who’ll back me up on this one. They’ve kinda, you know…” she leaned toward him “…made it a law.”

  Frowning, he let out a sigh filled with frustration. “Would you just listen to what I have to say?”

  She folded her arms over her chest and frowned right back at him. “If you’re going to ask me to break the law, forget it.”

  “I can help you nail him, Sunny. Legally.”

  What if he could? Legally. She chewed her thumbnail and carefully weighed the consequences of her participation in this conversation.

  SEDSCAM wasn’t about her, or even the transfer she so desperately wanted, but about several women who’d suffered the humiliation of being taken in by a swindler. They deserved vindication. There may even be more victims who hadn’t come forward out of shame, but weren’t any less deserving. Didn’t Sunny owe it to each of those victims to do everything in her power to bring the UNSUB to justice?

  She couldn’t ignore the victims. They were the reason she’d become an agent in the first place. If she put her own needs, wants and desires before the victims, then she didn’t deserve her job and might as well resign from the Bureau.

  She looked at Duncan. While she had an idea what drove him, she still had to ask. “What’s in it for you?”

  “A quarter of a mil in recovery fees,” he said without hesitation. “Once he’s in your custody, my chances of getting to the property are small. He’s stashing the stuff somewhere and if he’s smart, which we know he is, he’ll try to use returning stolen goods to plead down to a lesser charge. You give me a chance to question him without the Bureau crawling up my ass, I get what I want, and you have a perp with no bargaining power.”

  “How is that legal?” she asked incredulously. “For one, if we get a line on his location and I tell you, my butt’s on the line for involving a civilian. I already said too much when I confirmed the UNSUB’s Ian Banyon alias. Second, I don’t want to think about the laws you’d be breaking trying to get information from him. And third, do you have a clue what they do to cops in prison?”

  He had the audacity to chuckle. “You can’t provide me with information on an ongoing investigation, but that doesn’t mean you can’t discuss documented evidence related to it. If it can be verified, it can be admitted.”

  He did have a point. Except for one small detail. “I can’t advise you of the UNSUB’s location if we catch him, Duncan. There’s no way around that one.”

  “I’ll have figured it out on my own, and you’re in the clear.”

  “Then why do you need me?” she asked, thoroughly confused.

  “Because you’re going to lead me to him,” he said.

  A chill brushed her spine and she trembled as his meaning became clear. Her ego took a bruising from the humiliation that she’d played right into his hands.

  “You son of a bitch,” she said coldly. She shot to her feet with her hands fisted at her sides. “You’d resort to having me followed? I guess it’s not that tough to do when your tail is in the same bed.”

  He came out of the chair. “Sunny, wait a—”

  She stormed off down the hall and slammed the bedroom door. There was no reason for the ache in her chest. Okay, fine, so he had no compunctions about taking advantage of their having become lovers. That still wasn’t reason enough for her to feel as if her ego had been kicked.

  He didn’t want her, he wanted to get the Seducer before she did so he could find the stolen goods and collect his recovery fees.

  He knocked on the door. The man obviously had a death wish.

  “Get out, Duncan,” she shouted through the door. “Go. And take your goddamn files with you.”

  He barged in, his expression only half as thunderous as her temper. “Just hold it right there,” he said, his voice rising. “Have you tailed? What kind of bastard do you take me for? I want to help you figure out how you’re going to locate the UNSUB.” He scrubbed his hand down his face. “Of all the…”

  Stupid. Asinine. Idiotic. She had at least a dozen more adjectives she could supply him. Judg
mental also sprang to mind.

  She dropped onto the bench at the foot of her bed and winced when she landed with a thud. Now she really felt like a fool. A first-class, blue-ribbon fool. Her defense was even more silly. She’d given herself to him completely, no barriers. That kind of total exposure was bound to leave a girl emotionally vulnerable.

  “I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I was…” Oh God, she had to say the word. “Wrong.”

  “Do you really think that’s what all this has been about?”

  “I jumped to the wrong conclusion,” she admitted, sounding rather petulant. “I said I was sorry. Can we just drop the subject, please?” She’d had enough humiliation—imagined and real—for one night.

  He walked toward her, then crouched in front of her. “Yeah, you did. A real wrong conclusion,” he said gently, settling his hands on her knees. “We might have met because of this case, but that’s not why I’m here now. Do you understand?”

  She could only nod because a boulder-sized lump had wedged itself in her throat. The tenderness in his eyes when he looked at her had her heart squeezing in her chest, for the right reason. She’d known he was trouble from the first moment she’d laid eyes on him, but she hadn’t realized the true extent until this very moment. He hadn’t said he loved her, and she wouldn’t have believed him if he had because it was too soon. Yet, regardless of how stupid she’d been, she was smart enough to understand that whatever he hadn’t said echoed what she suspected was already in her heart.

  FOR AS LONG as Sunny could remember, Saturday had always been her fun day. She rarely made solid plans, just did whatever she decided sounded like a good idea.

  Some days she’d putter around the condo in her pj’s until noon, or maybe spend the day watching old movies or reading a book. Occasionally she’d drive out to see her parents, or just get in her Jeep and drive with no particular destination in mind. The day had always been hers to do with as she pleased, and while she rarely shared them, she liked the idea of having Duncan hanging around on her fun day.