Vanished Final 7.2019: An ALIAS, Enemies to Lovers Romantic Suspense

by Lisa Hughey

  “So the worst thing was I was too busy barreling through my own life, trying to rack up credits and move to the next level.” Hamish laughed bitterly. “I was so busy catching those criminals, I didn’t even realize that he was drowning.”

  She couldn’t stand it any longer. The whisky flowed through her, warming her from the inside out. She sat on the bed next to him, her thigh along his, their hips touching as she placed her fingers over his wrist. “It wasn’t your fault.”

  He didn’t look at her. “I know whose fault it was.”

  His zeal for catching Beatrice made so much more sense. His pulse thudded against her fingertips, quickening as she unconsciously stroked his skin, wanting to give him solace.

  Heat rose between them. When she registered how close they were, Jill glanced up into his navy eyes and the heat nearly incinerated her.

  She should move away, retreat from that inconvenient attraction. But she didn’t want to. Her breath caught as he very deliberately leaned around her and set his nearly empty glass on the nightstand next to the bed.

  His scent, a soft pine that reminded her of Christmas morning, wrapped around her. “You sure you know what you’re about, love?” He had curved his arm around her shoulders, the weight solid.

  His rough voice, that rolling burr, like a siren lured her into bad choices. “I got nothing.”

  He carefully lifted her glass from her grasp and placed it next to his on the end table. “Now would be a good time—”

  She pressed her fingertips over his lips so that he couldn’t finish his sentence. She didn’t want to hear what he had to say. Because they both knew this shouldn’t happen. But in that moment, the hushed atmosphere of that impersonal hotel room, she needed intimacy. And he needed comfort.

  This didn’t have to mean anything, it was one step removed from a bar pickup.

  If you ignored the fact that they were on opposite sides of the issue of Beatrice. But Jill didn’t want think about that right now.

  His lips moved beneath her fingertips, but he didn’t speak, instead he pursed them and traced his tongue along her fingers.

  Jill shivered at the intimate touch. His hand came up and curled around her fingers. Spreading his palm flat against hers, he threaded their fingers together, his right hand, her left, and held on.

  Hamish tilted his head and bent toward her. He paused, their lips separated only by a sliver of light and the soft sough of breath.

  She let her eyes drift closed and waited. He inhaled, seeming to stop breathing altogether, and she knew this was up to her. Ever so gently, she touched her lips to his. His mouth was hard, yet his touch soft when she fused her lips to his and kissed him.

  Jill’s heart beat so hard. This moment felt significant, important. As if taking a step that couldn’t be reversed. One that would put them on a new path.

  He cupped the back of her neck with his left hand, his thumb grazing her jaw as he took over the kiss.

  It started out soft, gentle, hesitant, but like lightning, desire exploded between them.

  Hamish leaned back against the headboard, drawing her with him until she lay half over his chest, his pectorals supporting her, a safe place to land.

  His fingers tunneled into the twist at her nape, threading through the strands and loosening her hair from the tight clasp.

  She tested the muscles of his shoulder, smoothing over his biceps and trailing down his forearm.

  Everything about this encounter should be wrong. But instead she felt as if she were coming home. His body cradled hers, his arms tight around her, and his embrace was sure and forgiving.

  Her pencil skirt was not conducive to climbing his body the way she wanted to. In a slick move, he rolled onto his back, pulling her with him until their crotches aligned and his thick erection pressed into her belly.

  Jillian was a little bit buzzed. Just enough to relax but not so much that her judgement was impaired. This was probably a bad idea, and yet she didn’t care.

  Hamish was doing very interesting things with his tongue as he pressed a line of kisses along her jaw. He traced the whorl of her ear with his nose, and then nipped gently at her lobe.

  “This is a terrible idea.” Jill reached for his belt buckle.

  “Quite right.” He trailed his fingertips down her breastbone and then closed his large hand around her breast and squeezed. Her nipple hardened, almost painfully.

  She moaned into his mouth and drew the belt from its loops. Her knuckles brushed his impressive erection, and he plucked at her hardened nipple with renewed enthusiasm.

  “Harder, love.”

  She struggled with his zipper, his erection filling the space like a divining rod bursting toward her and her needy, greedy pussy.

  He tugged the dove-gray sweater above the flat plane of her belly and skimmed those calloused fingers along her ribs. Jill’s breath caught in her throat. His fingers were sure and confident as he squeezed her lace-covered breast.

  He softened his touch, until his fingers were barely there, just lightly stroking the edge of lace.

  “Harder, love,” she demanded. He laughed into her mouth and scooped her breasts out of the soft lace, but he didn’t unclasp her bra, so the mounds pushed up like a feast for the gods.

  “You want it hard?” He deftly unbuttoned the waist of her skirt and rolled until she was beneath him, his knees bracketing her hips. His hands cupped her bare breasts as he squeezed them together and sucked both her nipples into his mouth.

  Jillian arched up, pressing into his hungry, voracious kiss.

  She couldn’t spread her legs because they were trapped in the confines of her skirt. Dammit, why’d she pick today to wear her signature skirts?

  Jillian groaned, unable to do more than arch against him. He was bent over her, his dark hair flopping in his eyes, and a sheen of sweat shimmered on his brow. His mouth was slick from eating at her. She couldn’t stand it and reached into his pants to grab his cock. She wanted him inside her, now.

  “Now,” she demanded.

  He groaned, burrowing his fingers beneath the tight waistband of her skirt.

  “No time.” Jill didn’t want to let go of him. His girth was hot and smooth in her hand as she pumped his dick. A drop of pre-come heated her palm. She commanded him, “Pull my skirt up.”

  Hamish stood up on his knees, his cock pointing toward her as she worked him with both hands. He groaned and eased her skirt up over her hips until it was bunched around her waist.

  “You’re killing me, love.”

  “Then you can die happy.” Jill panted with the frantic need to have him inside her. “Get rid of my thong.”

  A ruddy flush spread over his cheekbones as he shoved her panties down to her ankles with a deft move. She used her feet to get out of the lace and spread her legs.

  “Aren’t you a pretty picture?”

  “You don’t really need to charm me right now.” She pumped his cock again, wanting him inside her more than she wanted her next breath. “I’m pretty much a sure thing at this point.”

  “Maybe so.” But he tugged away from her and slithered down her body. “But I want to explore.”

  “What?” She was a damn sure thing. “Where are you going?”

  He placed his hands back on her breasts. Her clothes sort of still on, her skirt rucked around her waist and her sweater shoved up around her collarbones.

  He played with her sex, stroking into her with his sure callused fingers. Her body responded to him as he conducted her arousal, playing her body like a finely tuned instrument. He plucked at her nipples while he devoured her with his mouth. He nipped the soft skin of her thighs and rubbed the scruff from his beard against her as he licked into her with an intimate kiss.

  She was trapped by her clothes and he took advantage of the restraints to play with her body, paying sensuous attention to every erogenous zone she’d ever had and some she’d never expected.

  Jillian arched up into his embrace as her orgasm swept over her
in a sudden violent crest. Her sex contracted in bright sharp spasms, milking his fingers and throwing her body into a slipstream of sensation. She moaned his name, wanting to touch him, feel his body press down on hers.

  Hamish continued to kiss her and stroke her body, slowly easing her through the intense sensations until her heart rate slowed and her body came down from the high.

  She sat up quickly and shoved his pants to his knees. He was right there in front of her and she licked her lips, leaning forward, ready to inhale him, as he had inhaled her.

  He reached for his wallet and pulled out a condom. Before she could do more than lap at him a few times, he had rolled the condom on and edged over her.

  He paused at the entrance to her body, the tip of his cock nudging her swollen lips.

  “You sure, love?”

  “Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?”

  “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  He took his time, easing into her body with finesse. Her sensitized channel, swollen and aroused, accepted him greedily into her body.

  They were both holding their breath as if waiting in anticipation for something neither of them had expected.

  “We good?” He was seated to the hilt inside her, invading her with his masculinity. He was nearly flush with her body but still kept his upper body propped on his elbows so that he didn’t crush her. A gentleman even during sex.

  They lay there connected in the most intimate of ways. Still he didn’t move and just let her body adjust to his size.

  He fit. They fit.

  He pulsed within her and she arched up into him, demanding without words.

  Finally. Finally, he began stroking in and out of her body with muscled ease. The dusting of hair on his chest rubbed at her already sensitized nipples. Jillian wiggled a little and wrapped her legs around his thighs, pushing up into him with every thrust.

  With every rock of his hips, he hit that spot inside her, and her desire began to build again.

  Hamish grunted and slid his hands beneath her ass and cupped her in his palms.

  He canted her hips and began to power into her until they were banging together in a frantic rhythm. Every hit of her G spot and the tingles grew, flowing over her body, into her, out of her like a tsunami until her orgasm battered at her and she tumbled head over heels into another realm.

  Above her Hamish stiffened, his neck and face straining as his orgasm crashed into him. She didn’t usually watch her partners when they came. But there was something beautiful and magnetic about the way that he let the sensations overwhelm him.

  With a muffled groan, he collapsed on top of her, his face buried in the curve of her neck, he licked her skin, tracing the same path as before, and then nipped at her earlobe. And their hearts slowed together in a beautiful rhythm.

  Jillian hadn’t let go with a man in a very, very long time.

  Maybe she should be sorry she’d chosen Hamish, but she wasn’t.

  Hamish nuzzled the curve of her neck.

  His heart thundered in a furious beat. The interaction had been quick and frantic. For round two he’d like to take his time. Explore her body and her reactions in more depth. But he had no idea if she’d shove him out of bed, figuratively of course since they were in his bed.

  He wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t want to break this fragile truce. But they needed to talk and he had a feeling that the sex wasn’t going to ease the issues between them.

  “That was—”

  She placed her fingertips over his lips. “No regrets.”

  Hamish’s brows rose. In his experience, even when people wanted no regrets some were inevitable. “Sounds good.” And he pursed his lips and kissed hers.

  “Now you’re quiet,” she teased.

  “You’re the one talking too much at the present.” He nuzzled her neck, pressing soft openmouthed kisses along her collarbones and gearing up for round two.

  “I just had two orgasms.” She certainly wasn’t shy. “And you…you can’t possibly—”

  He lifted his head, to see her surprised expression. She gave a soft laugh when he began to harden.

  Flirty, she smiled at him, her lips curving. She looked…happy.

  “With the right incentive, I absolutely positively can.”

  Jillian said, “Then let me put my mouth to better use and give you incentive.”

  And she did.

  Chapter 10

  Jillian lay in the hotel room bed, thinking about all the reasons why last night had been a bad idea. But the thing she kept going back to was…it had felt good. Better than good. She had taken a few hours for herself, indulging her inappropriate attraction to Hamish.

  But it was a new day and she needed to get going.

  “Good morning,” Jillian rasped in husky post-sex voice.

  Hamish rolled over and propped his head on his palm, his bare chest distracting her. He smiled lazily, his surprisingly even teeth gleaming white in the dim, shadowed light of the hotel room. “Brekkie, love?”

  “We had a good time last night.” She pushed up from the bed and a rush of cold air swept between them. “Doesn’t mean we’re best buddies today.”

  “I thought you said no regrets.”

  “Just because I don’t have any regrets doesn’t mean I’m suddenly going to trust you.”

  “Fine, then let’s talk about the elephant we ignored last night. Your partner is involved with Brianna.”

  Her mouth hardened. “You don’t know that.”

  And they were back to being enemies. The truce had been nice, but the truth was they were on opposite sides of this…problem.

  “Even though it’s circumstantial, it is fairly damning.”

  “How can you say that?”

  He ticked off the facts on his fingers. “Your partner is missing. Brianna aka Beatrice is missing.”

  “That doesn’t mean together.” Jill shook her head and left the bed completely naked.

  “Can you verify that they disappeared about the same time?”

  Jill refused to be self-conscious about her nude body. She started picking up pieces of clothing.

  She clipped her bra together. Hamish watched with hot eyes, and she wished that the soft woman who woke in his arms had time for another round. But her hardheaded take-no-prisoners business persona was back. She had to protect her heart from hurt.

  “Still doesn’t mean they’re together.” She was pissed.

  “Let’s work together and you can prove me wrong,” Hamish coaxed. His charming grin almost worked on her.

  The ringing of her cell, an old-fashioned dial telephone ring, muffled and barely audible interrupted their…discussion.

  The ringing stopped.

  Jillian pulled her phone from the pocket of her Hermès leather bag. The missed call was from Jake. She was about to hit redial when her phone began ringing again. Jake. She pressed the answer button. “This is Jillian.”

  “Hey, Jill, bad news.” Jake’s voice was tight and annoyed.

  She pulled out her earphones and plugged them in.

  “Hit me.” Jill reached for her underwear, irrationally feeling more self-conscious now that she was on the phone. Standing on one foot, she slipped on the impractical thong and tugged it up one-handed, only pausing when Jake said, “Somebody tried to break in.”

  “Tried?”

  “Yeah. They weren’t subtle about it either.”

  “Did the security system get any good photographs?”

  “I’m going through the feed as we speak.” Jake sighed. “We’re going to need a new back door.”

  “I can be there in a few hours.”

  There was a pause. “Hours?”

  The only one in the office who knew she’d gone to Philadelphia was Kita.

  “Uh, yeah. Sorry, I’m…out of pocket.” Jill began scrolling through airline websites to get a new flight back to DC.

  “Everything okay?” The sleep-riddled voice of last night’s mistake interrupted her
search for her blouse. Hamish stood in front of her. His chin dipped low as he searched her face.

  “Who’s that?” Jake said in her ears.

  “Everything is fine.” Jill glanced at her screen again, then checked the time. There was an 8 a.m. flight she could make if she rushed. “I’ll be back soon.”

  “Everything okay there, Jill?” Jake asked again.

  “It will be.” Jill stood in the middle of the hotel room. Half clothed in only her underwear, she pawed through the pile of clothing on the floor. “See you soon.”

  She tucked her phone into the back pocket of her skirt and slipped her arms through yesterday’s sleeveless sweater.

  “Anything I can do to help?”

  Last night’s distraction was today’s annoyance. But a thought did occur to her. “Did you come here alone?”

  Hamish jerked back. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “To the United States? Alone?”

  A flash of something flickered then disappeared in his dark blue eyes.

  “Someone tried to break into our offices.” Jill narrowed her gaze at him. “Awfully convenient that you show up asking questions and a couple days later my office is compromised.”

  “You don’t seriously think that I had anything to do with that.” He propped his hands on his hips, the very picture of male outrage. Naked male outrage. “I’ve been in Philadelphia, with you, for the last 24 hours.”

  Well, that was one way to get rid of her one-night stand. Accuse him of a crime.

  “You’re right. Forget it.” Except he hadn’t confirmed coming to the States alone.

  She shrugged on her matching cardigan, buttoning it up quickly and trying to forget last night when he had been undressing her. The sensual glide of his fingertips over her lace-clad skin, his knuckles brushing her nipples as he had facilitated a mini striptease.

  “Got to go.” She walked into her pumps and headed toward the door. She tried unsuccessfully to ignore him.

  “I’m coming with you.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “So we’re back to this?”

  “I guess we are.” She should never have forgotten that he was the enemy. And though he denied it, she had to wonder if the attempted break-in at Adams-Larsen was somehow connected to Hamish Ballard and her missing client.