Tanner was staring, but his gaze was definitely not focused on her trust fund.
His body was tense and his gaze roamed her face, returning to her mouth over and over again. His pupils had dilated, and a dark flush of lust stained his skin. She could tell that he wanted her but that he was holding back.
She covered his hand with hers, stroking his skin. She felt the ridges of a few small scars—ones he’d no doubt earned doing his duty to God and country.
Roxanne wondered what it would be like to be loved by a man simply for who she was rather than what she could give him. Even the men who had their own wealth and prestige still had something to gain by being with her.
Tanner had never once asked her about her money. There had been no thinly veiled talk of investments or assets. He hadn’t questioned her about why she was selling such a stunning home to live in her much smaller one. It simply didn’t seem to matter to him.
Either that, or he was a fantastic liar.
For now, even that lie was a potent lure. She could easily pretend he was what he appeared to be and live in the moment. After the day she’d had, it was too compelling to resist.
She lifted his hand and pressed a kiss in the center of his palm.
His nostrils flared, and his jaw tightened.
She kissed him again, daring to taste his skin with just the tip of her tongue.
Tanner shifted on the bed and shut his eyes. His fingers curled down toward his palm, but he didn’t pull away.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Thanking you for being there tonight.”
“You do that with your mouth.”
“I am using my mouth.”
He shook his head as if trying to clear it. “I mean your words. You don’t have to do this.”
She tugged on his hand, and he came forward, close enough that she could loop her arms around his neck, which she did, trapping him in place. He wouldn’t dare move now for fear of hurting her back. “What if I want to?”
“It’s the adrenaline. Does funny things to people.”
She slid her hand up the back of his head, feeling the tickle of his buzz cut along her fingers. “I’m not laughing.”
“Roxanne,” he said, his tone a mix of warning and pleading. “We have to work together. We can’t do this.”
“You called me Roxanne, not Razor like the rest of the guys. I like it—the sound of my real name rolling off your tongue. It’s . . . intimate.”
“I didn’t mean for it to be.”
“So you don’t want me to kiss you?” she asked.
A low, hungry growl vibrated the air between them. It was such a primal noise, it woke up all the politically incorrect parts of her—the ones that responded to a man who knew how to be a man.
He seemed beyond words. His body was tight, the muscles in his arms straining, though whether he was holding himself back or simply angry at her question, she couldn’t tell.
Time to find out.
Roxanne tugged on his neck, exerting the slightest pressure. She didn’t want to force him, but she wasn’t going to sit back and do nothing, either.
Sure, it was unprofessional for her to come on to him, but life was too short to worry about things like that. She’d learned that tonight as her death had seemed imminent and the list of things she still wanted to do had popped into her head.
She wanted to see Jake again. She wanted to redeem herself in Bella’s eyes and catch the bad guys. She wanted a family of her own—one that cared more for people than things and status. But right now, with the specter of death so recently departed, she just wanted the basic human comfort of another person’s touch. And Tanner was going to give it to her.
Chapter Fourteen
Tanner was going to die. He was going to be split in two—the part that knew kissing Roxanne was wrong, and the much larger part that couldn’t fathom the thought of not kissing her. The problem was, he knew it wouldn’t stop at just a kiss. Adrenaline was one hell of a drug, and he had so much pumping through his system, he was as much animal as man.
If they started something, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop. He wasn’t sure it would even occur to him to try.
Her golden eyes dared him, and the remembered feel of her mouth on his skin only made him want more. She was so soft and beautiful. And she smelled incredible. With her staring up at him like this, with a small smile curving her lips and a naughty gleam in her eyes, he didn’t know how he was going to hold back.
So he stayed where he was, propped over her with his weight braced on his arms. Her fingers stroked his head, and he could feel the heat of them sinking through his short hair.
She tugged, and despite his much greater strength, he went, unable to resist her.
Roxanne’s smile widened, and she parted her lips in welcome.
Tanner forgot all about fighting her. He leaned down and did what he promised himself he would never do. He kissed her, feeling the softness of her mouth and the warmth of her breath. Desire spiked inside him, fueled by the first heady taste of her.
He tipped his head, covering her mouth more fully and taking what he needed. She was right there with him, her fingers gripping his shoulders and holding him close as if she feared his moving away.
Not a fucking chance. Now that he’d had a taste, he knew exactly what he’d been missing.
They fit together well, their bodies lining up as if they were a matched set. He covered her, pressing her down, pulling pillows out from under her as she went, until she was flat on her back. The ice pack flew and hit the floor with a squishy sound. It gave him pause, but he was too busy kissing her to figure out why.
His tongue swept across her lip, dipping into her mouth for a taste. She was sweet and intoxicating, and she went straight to his head. Her fingernails dug into his back, and she let out a throaty moan of pleasure.
If he didn’t get his mouth off hers soon, he was going to end up fucking her.
The thought should have stopped him cold, but, instead, it inflamed him, putting powerful images into his head. He could see her long, tanned legs wrapped around his hips as he drove into her, and he could hear her cries of release as he took her with his mouth.
“Yes,” she whispered against his lips.
His cock throbbed inside his jeans. His skin was overheating beneath his clothes. He needed to be naked and then strip her down so they could feel each other’s skin. Just the thought of cupping her naked breasts, of suckling her nipples, was nearly enough to make him come.
Tanner clamped down on his control long enough to make room between their bodies for his hand. He found the hem of her T-shirt and slid his hand beneath, spanning her stomach. Her belly fluttered under his touch, and she made a noise of approval that spurred him on.
She was so soft here, so smooth. The curve of her waist fit his palm just right and urged him to go higher and see if the rest of her fit, too.
Roxanne nibbled at his bottom lip and then licked away the sting. He’d never kissed a woman who showed as much enthusiasm as she did. Every little noise, every fluid motion of her body urged him on, calling to him on a deep level that had never before been touched.
He wasn’t sure if he should like it quite as much as he did, but there was no space to worry about that now. She filled his senses—her scent, the sight of her flushed body, the taste of her eager mouth and all those wicked little sounds she made—every bit of her sang to him, driving away all control.
His hand inched up, giving her time to refuse his advances. As enthusiastic as she seemed to be with him, it was his duty as a decent human being not to rush her.
It took all of his willpower, but rather than finishing the too-long journey to her breast, he slid his hand around her body to caress her back.
She wasn’t wearing a bra. No strap barred his path. They’d been in such a rush to leave the B and B, and she’d been dressed for bed, it made perfect sense, but it still shocked him to be greeted by smooth, bare skin.
> Roxanne’s mouth left his and wandered lower, kissing a path to his neck. Her hands cupped his ass, holding him still while she ground herself against his erection. His toes curled in his boots, and it was all he could do not to crush her against him. Her talented tongue drew circles on his throat, and spikes of pleasure radiated out into his limbs. He sucked in a deep breath and held it. His arms tightened around her, and he threaded his fingers through her hair to hold her in place.
Suddenly, she let out a gasp of pain and went stiff in his arms.
Tanner let up on the pressure and looked around for the source of her pain. No one was in the room. They were alone. Then he realized his grip was hurting her back—the one some asshole had injured less than two hours ago.
Remorse doused his lust, allowing him to think clearly again for the first time since his mouth had touched hers.
“I’m sorry,” he said, rolling carefully away so as not to hurt her more.
She rolled right on top of him, straddling his hips. Her mouth was a bit swollen and a deep, sexy pink. Her hair was mussed and her nipples beaded up against her T-shirt, taunting him with what he’d missed. “I’m not. But this might work better if I’m on top.”
Tanner closed his eyes to block out the sight of her, but that only made his other senses that much sharper. He could feel the heat between her thighs soaking through his jeans, right against his throbbing cock. Every breath she took rocked her slightly against him, but it wasn’t nearly enough. The scent of her skin and her heightened arousal filled the air. The taste of her was still on his tongue, tempting him to take more.
“We can’t do this. You’re hurt. We’re partners. It’s wrong.”
“To hell with wrong. Right is what feels good.”
“That’s easy to say now. Tomorrow, not so much. Please stop.”
She let out a long, heavy sigh and dismounted his body. He instantly grew cold, and his skin prickled at the loss of contact with hers.
“You’re right,” she said. “I won’t push you again.”
Roxanne refused to feel guilty for what she’d done. Or hadn’t done. Then again, if she had slept with Tanner, she might have had reason to feel guilty. As it was, she simply felt foolish for trying to seduce a man like him. Not only was he too hot for words, but he also had a noble streak a mile wide. And she now had proof that he didn’t want her for her money, because if he had, he would have done whatever she asked in order to get to it. Part of her respected him even more for turning her away, but the unsatisfied part of her was throwing a tantrum and stomping its feet in a petulant display.
She’d really wanted to lose herself in something good for a while, and Tanner was definitely that. He was better than the men she normally dated, perhaps enough better that he was out of her league. Still, she’d never been one not to try for something she wanted.
No guts, no orgasm.
She sighed into the shower spray, letting out all that pent-up frustration. The heat eased the cramped muscles in her back, but probably not as much as the languid aftermath of sex would have. Or a set of big, strong hands to rub away the ache.
Of course, if she got a certain set of big, strong hands on her, she probably wouldn’t want to stop there. It was best to suck it up and deal with the pain on her own. Whatever suffering she endured was worth it if she found Jake. And she would. No job, no man, and no series of thugs would stop her from finding Jake and bringing him home.
Tanner felt like he’d just missed the last bus to Disneyland. Disappointment weighed him down, but he tried to give himself a pep talk.
Stopping had been right. Not fun, but right. They both still had their jobs. He was thinking with his brain, instead of with his cock.
If someone had come for them when she’d been in his arms, he probably wouldn’t have even noticed. That wasn’t exactly the kind of behavior that saved lives. He knew better.
And yet he still felt cheated.
He checked the locks and peered through the blinds to see if there was any sign of trouble. No new cars had arrived. No vehicles sat on the road within sight. He didn’t have that feeling of being watched, which had saved his ass more times than he could count.
All was well. He was just horny—and going to stay that way.
Tanner fixed the pillows and refilled the ice pack so it was ready for Roxanne when she came out of the shower.
Not Roxanne. Razor. He had to think of her as Razor, no matter how much he loved the idea that she thought his saying her real name was intimate.
Remembering the ibuprofen he’d asked for at the front desk, he dug the packet out of his pocket and set it on her bedside table.
The water turned off. He checked his e-mail on his phone, trying not to think of her naked, rubbing lotion into her skin or doing whatever it was she did to make herself so soft.
Karen had sent him pictures from Millie’s party. The little moppet was grinning, her mouth covered in blue frosting from her first birthday cake.
He wished like hell that his little brother and father had been there to see the family’s newest addition turn one.
Tanner tried to swallow back his grief, but sometimes it was harder than others. He should have been there in Brody’s place. Not that he could ever take the place of a real father in Millie’s life, but he’d sincerely intended to be the best uncle any kid had ever had.
And yet he’d missed the big day.
Maybe Reid was right. Maybe he never would be able to balance his work and his family. It had been easy when he’d been in the army. He was either at home, one hundred percent invested in being with his family, or he was at work, one hundred percent focused on the job. Splitting his attention was something he’d never done before. What if he couldn’t?
Roxanne came out of the bathroom, a cloud of steam trailing behind her. She was dressed in a sloppy T-shirt that fell to midthigh. He couldn’t tell if she had shorts on under that shirt, and he wasn’t sure which option to root for.
She’d dried her hair and wore it in two low pigtails, which he found adorable. Her skin was rosy from the hot water, and without her makeup and fancy clothes, she looked vulnerable.
Tanner found himself heading toward her before he thought better of it. He stopped in his tracks. If he touched her again, he might forget his good intentions.
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “There’s some ibuprofen for you if you want it. Or I could run to get you something else.”
“Thanks, that’s perfect.”
“You should try to get some sleep.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I saw a vending machine at the corner. I’m going to get something to eat. Want anything?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I think I’ve risked my life enough tonight. But I wouldn’t mind some water.”
He nodded and left the room. The night air was warm. Bugs swarmed around the lights leading down the building. He stopped and listened, but he heard nothing more than the songs of crickets and the hum of the vending machines.
He stood outside the door, breathing fresh air and trying to focus. He could almost feel Roxanne at his back, her presence calling to him. Never before had a woman had quite such a strong effect on him, and as far as he was concerned, it was a case of shitty timing.
If he lost this job, there weren’t exactly a whole ton of other opportunities out there—at least not ones that paid as well as the Edge did. Helping his family crawl their way out of debt would go a long way toward Karen and the kids getting their lives back on track. And getting Reid to cut him a break.
They’d never gotten along well, but there had been a time when they could sit in the same room and not be uncomfortable. Mom picked up on every little expression and prolonged silence. She always knew when they were at odds, and right now, with her dealing with the death of a husband and a son all at once, she deserved not to have her two living sons at each other’s throats.
Tanner had to find a way to make things right with Reid, and the
only thing he could think to do was to make him proud on the job. That, at least, was something he knew how to do.
He squared his shoulders, feeling renewed purpose. He was going to help Roxanne find Jake and get him home safe and sound, because if he didn’t, he knew she wouldn’t stop looking for her friend. And that could very well get her killed.
Once that was done and Roxanne was back at home, he was going to make it his personal quest in life to find those responsible for the death and pain that had been caused and make sure they met justice head-on.
Jake woke at the sound of his door opening. He’d been waiting for it, ready to pretend he was asleep like a good little drugged-up boy.
He didn’t want to give away what he and Moss had done—plugging the tubes—knowing they would need that element of surprise when they finally did break out of this place.
He kept his breathing steady and even, his eyes relaxed and mostly closed. He watched through the narrow slit, gathering information he could use to help them escape so he could warn Rox.
A man in a white lab coat wheeled a small cart through the door, its wheels squeaking as it moved. A battery-operated desk lamp glowed atop the cart, but Jake couldn’t see what else the cart held.
Even though he and Moss had never discussed any plan, he must have come to the same conclusion Jake had—that they didn’t want to show their cards yet—and was playing possum.
The lab tech went to Jake’s bed first. He knotted a thick rubber tube around Jake’s biceps and drew blood. Next, he jabbed Jake again; only this time, it was to give him something that burned going in.
Almost instantly, Jake’s head began to spin and a boiling wave of nausea hit him. He swallowed, trying not to throw up and give himself away.
The tech propped Jake on his side by shoving his pillow behind him to keep him from rolling over. At least if he puked now, he wouldn’t choke on it.
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