by Cynthia Eden
“Wait…when he was saying that about Jenny, about dumping her body…” Her gut twisted. “You don’t think he was serious?”
His expression told her how he felt even before Odin said, “I think I’m finding his damn boat.”
Chapter Sixteen
The prick had been taunting him. Odin knew when he was being baited, and Clay must have been feeling freaking bulletproof to say that shit to him about Maisey. For the moment, though, Odin shoved aside his simmering fury at the jerk. He had a job to do. Wannabe PI, my ass. Odin kept talking to his contact, knowing the woman would be able to dig through databases in record time.
“He’s got a boat,” Odin said into the phone. “It’s gonna be close by. Start with the marinas in the area. You already have his description. The boat isn’t registered under his name because I checked before. So try looking under different last names, but with the same first name.” In his experience, that was often the easiest way to fake a new identity. You kept your first name because when people called out to you, you responded. Your head turned automatically. If you just wanted a quick and dirty fake ID, you altered your last name.
“You’re gonna owe me,” his contact said. “You and War because I’ve been doing a ton of favors for him lately. I prefer payment in the form of super expensive chocolates and luxury vacations.”
He shook his head. “Ali, consider the chocolate done, but you gotta talk to War about the vacation trip.” He hung up the phone. One item down. Had Clay tripped up when he said that bit about the boat? Odin sure thought he had.
This could be the break they needed. A boat.
They were on the coast. Hell, yes, he’d considered the option—dark as it was—that maybe Whitney’s body had been dumped in the Gulf of Mexico. And in order to do that, Clay would need a private vessel. His own transport so no one would see what he was doing.
“His anger seemed real.”
He turned his head. Odin found Maisey with her hands twisted in front of her.
“It was.” Odin didn’t doubt that. “When you’re the bad guy and people are closing in, you get mad.” He advanced relentlessly toward her. “You get scared.” And, what worried him… “You get desperate.” He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. “That’s why we don’t lower our guard.” Why he would not be leaving Maisey. He’d be sleeping at her place that night. He’d keep watch over her and keep tabs on Clay.
And it’s not about fucking seducing her. Having sex with her was bonus. Keeping her safe? That was the priority. “I’m not screwing you over.”
Her long lashes lifted. “I never thought you were. In fact…” A faint smile teased her lips. “You tried to reject me as a client, remember? Told me that you couldn’t take advantage of me.”
He’d said that and then had her in bed with him at the first opportunity. “I couldn’t keep my hands off you.” They weren’t off her now, either. His palm slid over her cheek.
“I don’t want them off.” Soft. Husky.
Did she know that he was hard for her? Simply being near Maisey made him hard. Her scent. Her touch. Everything about her sent him into overdrive. She had, from the very first.
“I like it when you touch me,” she told him. “I actually like everything about you, even your overprotective ways.”
Good to know. Because his overprotectiveness? Not going anywhere, not when it came to her. In a short period of time, Maisey’s life had come to mean more to him than anything else.
“What is it?” She rocked toward him. “You aren’t thinking about what Clay said, are you? Because you’re not a burned-out anything, and I know you aren’t stringing me along. He was trying to mess with us, just like we were there to rile him.”
Like Odin gave a flying fuck what the other guy believed. “He can think I’m burned out. He can think I’m an amateur who has no clue what he’s doing. I don’t care.” He was staring at the person who mattered. “Not gonna change anything for me. I will do the job. I won’t ever back down or give up.” Not when Maisey needed him.
I think I will always need her.
He wanted her. Wanted to strip her and take her. Feel her against him and know she was safe.
But he stepped back. “It could be a while before my contact gets back to me. She’s good, but there are still plenty of records to search.” He inclined his head toward Maisey. “Jinx is gonna keep watch on Clay’s place. Clay won’t move without us knowing. So if you want to rest, now’s the time.”
“I’d like to shower.” Her face scrunched. “I think I’m covered in dust from the storage room, and I probably smell terrible.”
“You smell delicious.” An automatic reply. “Like strawberries and cream, and it makes me want to eat you up.” Like the friggin’ big, bad wolf that I am.
Maisey licked her lower lip. “Ah…”
He took another step back. “Go for your shower. I’ll have a turn when you’re done.”
“I have two showers. You can use the one in the guest bath.” She held his stare. “Or you could just join me.”
His fingers fisted. Released. Fisted again.
“If you wanted,” she added uncertainly.
There was nothing he wanted more than her naked with him. “I’m in the shower with you…” His voice deepened even more than normal. “Then I’m in you.” No way could he hold back if she was naked and wet in front of him.
“Yes. That’s kind of the idea, isn’t it?” Maisey seemed to hold her breath. “I’ll just go get the shower started. If you want to join, follow me.”
He’d follow her anywhere, any damn day.
Maisey turned away, and he took a step after her.
His phone rang. It buzzed and vibrated and he yanked it up to see Jinx’s grinning image on his screen. Odin shoved the phone to his ear. “What?” he barked.
Maisey stopped. Glanced back.
“Well, hello to you, too, sunshine,” Jinx drawled in his ear. “Did I interrupt something?”
“Is there a problem?” Odin demanded. “Is Clay on the move?”
“No. Take a breath. I’m just checking in.”
He lowered the phone. “It’s okay,” he told Maisey. “Go ahead.”
She hesitated, but finally nodded. She headed for the bathroom. Where she’d be getting naked and wet while he talked to Jinx.
Freaking Jinx. Odin put the phone back against his ear. “Make your check-in fast.”
“Grumpy.” A sigh. “And here I am, out doing the grunt work. Hiding and staring at a house all night while you’re snug and cozy in there with Maisey.”
“PI work is grunt work. It’s doing the dirty deeds so you get the case closed.” He couldn’t see Maisey any longer. “Maybe it’s not the line of work you want to get into.”
“I don’t know. Perhaps if I were the one close to the hot client, it would be different…”
“Jinx. Do not go there. Ever.”
“Check. She’s off-limits. I meant another hot client. I’m sure there are others, you know. Not like you magically got the only one in the whole world.” A pause. “But I’m off topic.”
“You are.”
“Learn anything useful on the visit next door?”
“I learned that Clay Prescott has a boat somewhere. A boat I didn’t discover on my first hunt. I’ve got Ali looking for it.”
Silence. Huh. He’d finally managed to shut up Jinx?
“Didn’t know you were still working with her.” Mumbled.
“Ali is freelance, and you know hacking is pretty much second nature to her. War had me pull her in for a few jobs, and the relationship has been good. So far.”
“Has she mentioned me?”
“Why in the hell would she mention you?” He did not have time for this shit. “Look, I have to go. I have—” A hot, naked Maisey. “Something waiting. You see activity on the house next door, you call me. I’m afraid Ramsey is gonna be closing in, and the last thing I want is for the guy to kill our suspect before I can get to the truth.”<
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“Fine. I’ll make sure Ramsey doesn’t kill him. But if Ali mentions me, I want to know it.”
What-the-hell-ever. He hung up. Tried not to run down the hallway. He flew through Maisey’s bedroom, then drew to a quick stop. The bathroom door was shut, but when he approached, he could hear the heavy stream of the water. Maisey was in there. Naked and wet. And she wanted him with her.
He put the phone on the table near the door. Lifted his fingers to knock. Holy hell. Were his fingers actually shaking?
Yeah, they are. Because you want her so badly you can barely hold back. He knocked lightly.
“It’s not locked,” Maisey’s voice called out.
He grabbed the knob. Twisted it and threw open the door. Steam drifted in the air. And Maisey, completely naked, with the water rushing around her, stood in the shower. She’d left the glass door open, and he had a perfect view of her.
She smiled at him. Her dimples dipped in her cheeks. “Now, we’re even.”
He barely heard her words. His heart jackhammered too hard in his chest and echoed in his ears. He grabbed for his shirt. Yanked it over his head. Kicked off his boots and socks and tossed away his jeans.
Her gaze slid down his body. Widened. There was a gleam of feminine appreciation in her eyes that had him surging toward her. He stepped into the shower with her. Hauled the door shut behind him and pulled her up against him. The water poured on him. Slid over his skin. Maisey’s hands curled around his shoulders as she tipped back her head.
He took her mouth. Thrust his tongue inside even as his leg moved between hers. He lifted her up, had her riding his thigh as he kissed her with fierce demand.
Maisey.
He loved the way she tasted. Loved the way she smelled. Loved the way she felt against him.
Love the way she feels when I am balls deep in her.
He wanted to drive into her until she was screaming and he was coming as the pleasure lashed them both.
But Maisey pushed against him. “We…need to get clean.”
Did they? He was in the mood to be dirty as hell.
She stared up at him with her molten eyes. “I was hoping to clean you off.”
Okay, he wasn’t sure exactly what that meant, but he was down for it. Slowly, using all of his control, Odin released her.
Maisey started cleaning him off. Sliding the soap over his body. Smoothing her fingers over his skin. Working him ever so carefully. He didn’t move. His body had turned to stone beneath her. She carefully caressed his back, murmuring over the bruises there. Fluttering that soft mouth of hers over his skin. Every gentle touch was driving him crazy, but he wanted to see where this was going. Sure, it was his own version of torture, having beautiful Maisey caress his body—
She eased in front of him. Her fingers slid down to his eager, bobbing cock.
Torture. But it was also heaven.
His breath hissed out as she began to stroke him.
Absolute heaven.
“You are so big.”
And you are tight and hot and perfect. Speaking was beyond him. Growls were pretty much all he could manage.
Her fingers slid over the broad head of his cock. “I want to taste you.”
Maisey’s mouth around his dick? He’d be a goner.
She pumped him again. Her fingers and his cock were slick from the water and the soap and her squeezing hands felt so incredibly good.
She was lowering toward him. Her lips were parted. He knew what she was gonna do—
“Need you.” Did he actually say the words? Just sounded like more growls to him. He grabbed Maisey. Lifted her up. Held her against the tiled wall.
He kissed her. Drove his tongue into her even as he put his cock at her hot core and shoved into her.
Her nails bit into his shoulders. For a minute, he stiffened, afraid he’d hurt her. He hadn’t given her enough care. He should have—
Her legs locked around his hips. “Do not stop.”
He withdrew. Thrust deep. Over and over. His hand slid between them. Rubbed her clit. Squeezed. Strummed her.
“Odin!” She was holding on tight. Her mouth went to his neck. She kissed him and sucked his skin. Gave him a savage bite that had him pounding even harder into her.
She felt so good. Better than anything in the world. She was wet and hot and tight and her bare skin was against him as—
Bare.
His left hand slammed into the wall beside her. “No…condom…”
Maisey’s head lifted. Drops of water streaked down her face. Her neck. She stared at him in confusion. Her eyes shone with need and passion.
“I don’t…” He broke off because she’d just squeezed him with her delicate, inner muscles. His eyes wanted to roll back into his head because that squeeze felt so freaking good. “Don’t have protection. Have to…protect…”
“I’m on birth control.” Whispered. “I don’t—I’ve never been with anyone without a condom.” A pause. “Until you.”
He could not look away from her eyes. “I haven’t, either. I’m clear.”
“Then don’t stop,” she said. “Because I like the way you feel.”
Done. Gone. He lost it with her words. His fingers went back to stroking her clit. He made sure to work her into a frenzy and soon her nails were scratching over him as she thrashed against him. As soon as he felt her climax hit her—
“Odin!”
He pounded into her even deeper. Even harder. He couldn’t let go. Couldn’t pull back. Nothing in the world would have stopped him. He was surging toward paradise, and there was nothing better. Nothing but—
“Maisey.” The orgasm tore threw him and obliterated everything else. But then, wasn’t that exactly what she’d done to him from the beginning?
Tore into his life…
And obliterated everything else.
Chapter Seventeen
Maisey’s eyes opened. The water kept pounding down on her, and it felt good. Not as good as Odin, of course, but…
Did anything else feel this good?
His head lifted. Very slowly, with his eyes on hers, he eased out of her. He lowered her until her feet touched the bottom of the shower, and then he was carefully washing her. A gasp sprang from her lips as his big fingers slid over the folds of her sex.
Was she supposed to get turned on again, so soon?
Before she could push against those wicked fingers, he’d pulled back.
His bright eyes pinned her. “What am I going to do with you?”
Love me forever. The words just rolled through her mind, and she almost said them. Almost. They almost burst out of her the way so many rambles did, but Maisey caught herself at the last second. Her lips clamped together, and she stared at him in horror.
OhmyGod. When had it happened? When had she done this? When had she fallen for her PI?
“What is it?” His knuckles slid over her cheek.
I love you. This was too soon. If she said those three words, she’d probably freak him out. She didn’t want to freak out Odin. She just wanted him.
Maisey shivered. Even though the water was warm, the shiver rocked her body because she was suddenly aware that she was in way, way deep with Odin.
“You’re cold. Come on, baby. I’ll take care of you.”
And he did. He got her out of the shower. Dried her off. Carried her to bed and eased her under the covers like she was something precious and fragile. He handled her so carefully. As if she mattered.
Maybe she did. Maybe this was more than sex for him. It was certainly a hell of a lot more for her. But she didn’t know what to say. So she stayed quiet.
Odin turned off the lights. Climbed into bed with her. Pulled her into his arms. “Did I hurt you?”
“No.”
His hold tightened. “You’re scared.”
Absolutely terrified. She’d never been in love before. Never come close. But she knew this was it. Odin was it. “Wh-what do you mean?”
“You talk when you�
�re nervous. You go dead quiet when you’re scared.” A pause. “Did I do something that made you scared?”
No, I did. I went and fell in love with you.
“Maisey?” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “I can’t fix it if I don’t know what it is.”
“I feel like I fit with you.” A whisper.
A soft laugh. “I think we happen to fit pretty damn well.”
No, she, um, didn’t mean sexually. Though—yes. Maisey turned in his arms. “I’ve been alone a long time.”
He brushed back her hair.
“I told you that I was left at a hospital when I was a kid. I never knew my mom. Never knew if she was the one who put me there or if it was someone else. I was left, and whoever left me never looked back.” It was too dark for her to see his face. Too dark for him to see hers, so he wouldn’t notice if a tear or two slid down her cheeks. “It was a small town. You would have thought that someone would notice a pregnant woman who was suddenly minus her baby, but that didn’t happen. Maybe—Pop thought perhaps she’d been someone who drove through town. Someone who was looking for a safe, good spot for her baby girl to grow up.”
“Pop?”
“My adoptive dad.” His image slid through her mind. His grizzled cheeks. The humor that had always sparkled in his dark eyes. “He was the sheriff. He and his wife adopted me. Pop told me…” He’d told her this a hundred times. “That he looked at me and knew I was his. He told me that some people just fit you, and you know it.”
Another press of Odin’s lips against her temple.
“It’s because of him that I first started watching crime shows. We’d stay up late watching them together. Get lost in them. He would always want me to try and solve the cases with him.” She could see him so clearly in her mind as he sat on the edge of that old, sagging couch. “My mom was the town’s librarian. When I wasn’t trying to solve crimes with him, I was reading with her. My life was good. It was quiet. It was safe.” A slow exhale. “Until that safety ended.”
“Baby…”
“The town was supposed to be perfect. A place where you know everybody and everybody knows you.” She swallowed. “But how well can you really know anyone? I told you before, I get that evil can hide. And Pop figured out that one of the guys in town—this fellow who went to every PTA meeting and city council meeting—he’d been pulling robberies left and right two cities over. Pop went to confront him, and instead of surrendering, the guy ran.” And that was when things ended. “But he didn’t run far. He blamed my dad for destroying his world. For making his perfect illusion shatter.”