“How?”
“With your trunk.”
He sank to his knees on the floor, running his hands along the backs of her thighs. She quivered with excitement as he nuzzled her sex from behind. He used his tongue to taste her, dipping inside. He went way beyond a sample, but she didn’t complain. She rested her elbows on the bed and tilted her hips, spreading her legs wider. He indulged her unspoken request, kissing and nibbling her until she felt like screaming.
“I think you’re ready,” he said, rising to his feet.
She’d been ready before he started.
He gripped the base of his cock and rubbed the tip against her opening. His penis slid over her clitoris, back and forth through her slippery folds. It was maddening. She wanted him inside her, and he was everywhere else.
“Please,” she whimpered.
“Please what? Spray you with my hose?”
She groaned and collapsed on her stomach. Her shoulder hurt, so she rolled over and parted her thighs. “Fuck me.”
He studied her brazen display with lust-dark eyes, his cock shiny and straining. Then he found a condom in the same drawer as the comic book. After glancing at the date, he tore the package open and rolled it over his length.
“Hurry,” she said, moistening her lips.
“I should have tied you up. You have no patience.” He positioned himself over her, lifted her leg onto his shoulder and thrust into her.
“Oh, God.”
“It’s Josh.”
“Unhh,” she said, beyond words.
He withdrew and slid home, over and over again, filling her with glorious precision. It felt so good she couldn’t do anything but make incoherent noises of encouragement, gritting her teeth in ecstasy.
Yes. More. Oh.
Instead of building to a powerful crescendo, he slowed down. He switched positions, fitting her legs around his waist and bracing his arms near her head. Her breasts bounced against his chest as he drove into her, hard and deep. Buried to the hilt, he touched his lips to her neck. “Can you get off like this, with just my cock in you?”
“No.”
“Good,” he said, panting.
“Why is that good?”
“I don’t want you to come too fast.”
She gasped, digging her nails into his skin. He continued to move in and out, thrusting his hands into her hair and his tongue into her mouth.
It didn’t last forever, despite his best efforts. He went still above her, his shoulders quaking from the power of his release. After a long, sweaty moment of crushing her beneath his weight, he rolled away and disposed of the condom. Then he joined her in bed again.
“How was it?”
She studied his smirk with suspicion. “You forgot something.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m going to punch you.”
He laughed, sliding his hand between her legs. “Is this it?”
She was swollen and sensitive, trembling with need. He dipped inside, getting his fingers slick with her arousal. Then he stroked her clitoris in rhythmic circles. She bit down on her lower lip to hold back a whimper.
“I like to watch your face when you come,” he said, kissing her flushed cheek. “Your body is…fucking hot, but I love your mouth and the sexy little sounds you make. Your eyelashes flutter and you…”
She exploded under the sensual onslaught, gripping his wrist and crying out his name. The orgasm undulated through her, bright and bursting. It seemed to go on forever. His touch gentled but didn’t waver, wrenching more pleasure from her shuddering flesh.
God.
She was a ball of wax with a heartbeat. Eyes closed, she lay there like a limp rag, rapturously spent.
“I love you,” he said.
The words floated over her, feather-light. She felt a buzzing-plane sensation, but it was just her blood pounding with post-orgasmic bliss. Nothing could rattle her right now. “You can’t spring that on me while I’m in a sex coma.”
“I put you in the coma, so I think I can.”
“It’s cheating.”
“Cheating would be saying it before I let you come.”
That would definitely be playing dirty.
“I won’t cheat, though,” he said. “I don’t need to cheat. I’ll be the best time you ever had, not just the best fuck.”
She opened her eyes to study him. He’d already been both, and he probably knew it. But she wasn’t as free and easy with her feelings as he was. She wasn’t going to say she loved him until she was ready. “You’re overconfident, aren’t you?”
“I’m just the right amount of confident.”
“You said I wouldn’t be able to walk when we were done.”
“Can you walk?”
She laughed, too languid to move.
“I rest my case.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
One month later
HELENA STOOD ON the stage next to Josh, touched by the thunderous applause of the crowd.
They’d both received public service awards in a large ceremony at Grape Day Park. There were much more deserving recipients among them. Firefighters and police officers and EMTs. As a zookeeper, Helena felt out of place. They were the real heroes, but she couldn’t insult the mayor by refusing to participate.
It was a beautiful day, balmy and mild. Everyone on the stage had a unique story of bravery and often heartache. The dead were honored, as well as the living. Greg Patel was mentioned as having given his life in an attempt to protect others. Tears burned in Helena’s eyes as his picture lingered on a screen above the stage. His family wasn’t in attendance. She’d visited Greg’s wife and daughters a few weeks ago to pay her respects. They were in mourning, and not going out in public.
Among the survivors was an EMT who’d been trapped in her ambulance when the freeway collapsed. Helena noticed how pretty the woman was when they were introduced.
There was another young lady in the audience who’d given birth in the rubble after the collapse. She was dark-haired and gorgeous, holding a healthy newborn baby.
After the ceremony, Helena and Josh parted ways to mingle with the crowd. Josh shook hands with the attractive women, but he didn’t linger or flirt with them. Helena chatted with the zoo’s director for a few minutes, and accepted a hug from Kim, her coworker. Every time she looked for Josh, he was watching her. It was a little disconcerting.
Gwen was here. She’d come to offer moral support, and because she liked social events. Helena had endured many parties simply by standing next to Gwen, who was friendly and vibrant enough for both of them. That was one of the reasons they got along so well. Gwen was also a bit of a misfit, like Helena. Today she was wearing a sleeveless print dress with a stretchy black belt. A koi fish tattoo glittered on her upper arm.
Gwen had encouraged Helena to spruce up her boring keeper uniform for the occasion. She’d paired her khaki blouse with a fitted skirt and high heels. She almost topped Josh with the extra boost in height. But he’d whistled with approval when he saw her, so she’d stood up straight and tall beside him.
“Your new boyfriend is hot,” Gwen said, taking a sip of champagne.
Helena murmured an agreement.
Josh wore his security officer uniform with pride. His shirt was ironed and starched, his shoes polished. He’d gotten a haircut the other day. He’d always been handsome, but right now he was dazzling.
“How’s it going between you two?”
“Good,” Helena said, smiling to herself. She’d never been better.
They’d spent a few days at his parents’ house, recuperating with Chloe. Helena’s mother had wanted to visit, but Helena advised her to wait. Thousands of people had died in the earthquake and the city was in shambles. She hadn’t been able to return to her apartment to assess the damages for more than a week.
The zoo was still closed for repairs. Freeways had been rerouted and construction was heavily underway throughout the downtown area. Helena had gone back to work. The elep
hants needed to be cared for, whether the wildlife park was open for business or not. Most of her coworkers were fine. Josh’s security partner was here today, along with his wife. Josh hugged Cordell and kissed Amelia on the cheek.
Trent wasn’t in the crowd, and neither was Louis. Trent had reunited with Melody after the earthquake, but they’d broken up since. Helena hadn’t heard the whole story. Sometimes tragedy brought people together; other times it tore them apart.
Josh wasn’t needed at the zoo, so he’d volunteered with the Red Cross. He’d been helping with the rescue and recovery efforts all month. Outside of work, they’d spent every waking moment together. She’d slept at his place more nights than she’d been home. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her. She hadn’t grown tired of him, either.
She didn’t think she would.
Chloe had healed from her injury and returned to San Diego with Emma. Mateo was staying in L.A. with his new team, but he’d visited a few times. Last week, Josh and Helena had watched Emma while the young couple went on a date. They were taking it slow, which earned Josh’s seal of approval.
Gwen drained her champagne glass quickly. “I have to tell you something,” she said in a nervous rush.
“What?”
“You know I saw Mitch at the evacuation center.”
Helena nodded. Gwen had mentioned it in passing. So had Mitch. He’d called Gwen after the earthquake to ask if she’d heard from Helena. They’d both volunteered at the same center while they were waiting for more news.
“We kind of…well, we were worried about you.”
“I was fine.”
“You were getting attacked by animals left and right.”
That was an exaggeration. She’d also been drinking whiskey and having wild monkey sex with Josh.
“Mitch really pitched in to help,” Gwen said. “We were working side by side for hours, and we talked a lot….”
“Mitch talked a lot?” Helena said. “My Mitch?”
“He’s not your Mitch anymore.”
“Oh,” she said, taken aback. “Wow.”
Gwen’s pretty face contorted into a grimace. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Even if you did, I’m the last person to criticize.”
“That’s not true, Helena. I’ve been your best friend since sixth grade. I wouldn’t make a move on your boyfriend.”
Helena waited for her to continue, suspecting there was more to the story.
“The thing is…I knew it was over between you.”
“Did you tell him that?”
“No,” she said. “But I felt it, and I started looking at him in a new way. He was lifting heavy stuff, and getting sweaty, and…”
“You wanted him.”
“Yes.”
Helena didn’t see the problem. Finding a man attractive wasn’t a crime. “I’m not sure why you’re telling me this if nothing happened.”
“Something happened. After your breakup.”
“I see,” Helena said. Mitch had been angry. So angry he’d slept with her best friend.
“I feel awful,” Gwen said.
“Because he used you?”
“No, I didn’t mind that part. He was really sweet about it, actually.”
“Sweet?”
“He’s called me a few times. I’m thinking about going to visit him.”
Helena raked a hand through her hair, unsure how to react. This was what Gwen had been getting at. If she’d had a one-night stand with Mitch, she could’ve kept it to herself. The real issue was that she wanted to date him.
“Are you mad?” Gwen asked.
Helena picked up a flute of champagne from a nearby tray. “No.”
“I need another one of those.”
Helena gave her a frosty glass. “I’m just…surprised. Is he planning to stay in Denver?”
“He doesn’t know yet.”
“And this thing between you two is serious.”
“It might be.”
Helena sipped her champagne, pondering this strange turn of events. “He’d better come back to San Diego,” she said finally. “I don’t want you to move away.”
Gwen’s dark eyes filled with tears. “You don’t hate me?”
“No, Gwennie,” Helena said, putting her arms around her friend. “I love you.”
They broke apart, and Gwen found a napkin to dab her eyes. Josh excused himself from the crowd to join them.
“What’s up?” he asked Helena.
“Gwen is dating Mitch.”
“Your Mitch?”
“He’s her Mitch now.”
Josh arched a brow at Gwen. “Mitch has good taste.”
Gwen laughed, wiping her eyes again.
“If he doesn’t treat you right, let me know,” Josh said. “I beat him up once and I’m not afraid to do it again.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Gwen said, smiling.
Josh smiled back at her.
Gwen handed her empty glass to Helena. “I’m sorry,” she said abruptly. “I need to go for a walk and clear my head.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“No. Stay and enjoy yourself.”
Although Helena protested, Gwen gave her a hug and left, clutching a red handbag under one arm. Her spike heels dug into the grass as she crossed the park. Then she strode down the sidewalk, hips swaying.
“Should I go after her?” Helena asked.
He shrugged. “She’s a grown woman.”
“I can see you noticed.”
He moved his gaze from Gwen’s curvy form to Helena’s bemused face. He’d probably never stop admiring pretty ladies. “Have I told you how hot you look today?” he asked, sliding his arm around her waist.
“Nice save.”
“When can we leave? I have something special planned.”
Her stomach fluttered with anticipation. “You’re ready to go?”
“Sure.”
He took her out to dinner at a place called the Elephant Bar. It was a global fusion restaurant with a lot of elephant statues and tiki torches. They took their seats at a quiet table in the corner near a gold Buddha.
“I hope they don’t serve elephant here,” she said in a stage whisper.
“Maybe we can order King Cobra.”
Almost all of the code ones had been recovered within days of the earthquake. Bambang, Zuma and Tau were safe and sound in their enclosures. The okapi, the cheetah and other escapees had been caught and returned. King was found in a drainage pipe near the flamingo pond. The only casualties were a pair of aggressive hyenas that had attacked injured humans in the downtown area. Both animals had been shot and killed.
Josh had taken her out for a steak dinner weeks ago, as promised. Tonight she ordered honey shrimp, while he tried the Mongolian beef. Her dish had a sweet, spicy sauce that was quite delicious. He watched her eat with pleasure, his eyes glittering.
“Do you want one?” she asked.
He leaned across the table to take a bite, licking the sauce from her fingers. When they were finished, he didn’t seem in any hurry to leave. She got the impression that he wanted to talk to her about something important.
“I have an interview with the Coast Guard on Monday,” he said. “They have openings in the San Diego division of maritime law enforcement.”
She hadn’t known he was considering a job change. “What about the zoo?”
“I’d have to resign.”
“I thought you loved it there.”
“I do,” he said, meeting her gaze. “I like the combination of environmental science and public service. The Coast Guard can offer me that, too, but with more opportunities for advancement.”
“And more opportunities to get shot at.”
“There’s a certain amount of danger involved,” he admitted.
She studied the Buddha in the corner, annoyed with his happy face.
“You look upset.”
“Should I be ecstatic?”
“You’re the one who
said I wasn’t challenging myself.”
“That was before I—” Fell in love with you.
“Before you what?”
They hadn’t talked about love since the first night. He’d made good on his promise to keep her well-satisfied, in and out of the bedroom. She enjoyed his company. He didn’t care about socializing with friends as much as she’d figured he would. They were both content to stay home and relax, or spend an afternoon at the beach.
He hadn’t pressed her about the future, either. She’d been expecting him to. He seemed so crazy about her, so intent on winning her over. She wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d brought her here to propose.
“Is this part of your campaign to convince me that we’re meant to be together and you’ll do anything for me?” she asked.
“I will do anything for you, but this is for me. It’s what I want.”
“Since when?”
“Since the whole city fell apart? I liked standing on that stage today, knowing I made a difference. I’m proud of what I’ve done so far, but I can do more. You were right about that. You were right about a lot of things.”
She waited for him to continue, her pulse racing.
“My time in the navy was full of challenges and responsibilities. I was disappointed that I didn’t make it through special-ops training. The death of my crewmate weighed heavily on me. Maybe I lost faith in myself. Since then I’ve avoided big commitments. I didn’t want anyone depending on me, because I was afraid of letting them down.”
Reaching across the table, she took his hand. “You didn’t let me down. You didn’t let your sister or Emma down.”
“I’m glad,” he said simply. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
She rubbed her thumb across his knuckles. He’d be a conscientious officer, not reckless or trigger-happy. He’d have to take some professional risks, but so did she. She couldn’t let her fears hold him back. She couldn’t let them hold her back, either.
They needed to have a serious conversation before they could take their relationship to the next level. She’d learned her lesson about failing to communicate with Mitch.
“Do you still have a gut feeling about me?” she asked, pulling her hand back. “That we belong together?”
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