by Katie Reus
He blinked once, as if she’d surprised him, but just as quickly, he moved into action. One hand slid behind her, gripped the counter tight as he leaned into her.
The only sound was their breathing, and that seemed over-pronounced as his other hand reached between them and slowly began pushing her cocktail dress up. The rustling of her dress seemed just as loud as their breathing. She was surprised she could hear anything anyway with her heart beating in her ears.
Nerves danced in her belly when his fingers grazed her inner thighs, barely touching her. Another rush of heat pooled between her legs at the teasing.
He had her pinned in place with his gaze when he slid her panties to the side, stroked a finger through her slick folds.
“This for me, baby?” he murmured, his eyes still trained on her mouth.
Her nipples tightened at the feel of him touching her so intimately. “Yes,” she whispered, loving how he called her baby or sweetheart. Oh, how she wanted him to push inside her. Her inner walls clenched, needing to be filled, but he just slowly stroked against her folds, barely penetrating her.
She rolled her hips against his hand and he shuddered. “You’re killing my good intentions.”
She clutched onto his shoulders, needing him for support. “What intentions?” she rasped out.
“You need rest,” he murmured, even as he slid a finger over her clit, gently massaging.
No, what she needed was more of this. But she couldn’t find her voice when he increased the pressure.
She started to close her eyes when his lips covered hers. Unlike their kiss at the beach, this one was slow, sensual, as if he didn’t mind taking his time. The pacing was just as easy as his gentle strokes against her clit.
She had no idea what Ford wanted, or whether this was just casual for him.
He nipped her bottom lip. “I want to taste you.” His words came out guttural.
She moaned into his mouth, pretty much the only response she was capable of when he was touching her so intimately. But he was already tasting her— Oh. It took a few seconds for her brain to catch up to his meaning. She felt her cheeks flush as he grasped the edge of her panties and tugged them down.
Gravity did its job and when they reached her ankles she stepped out of them.
“I want to taste your come, to feel you climaxing against my mouth.” He lifted her onto the counter and she couldn’t find any words as he kneeled between her legs.
The sight of his dark head between her spread thighs under the bright light of her kitchen was one of the most erotic things she’d ever seen.
He looked even bigger like that, his shoulders broader than she’d realized. And talk about exposed. She’d never felt so vulnerable and turned on before.
It was clear that Ford had a lot of experience and liked talking dirty. She’d never been a big talker during sex and wondered if he wanted that. She wasn’t going to start now because she figured anything she said would sound stupid.
He didn’t seem to mind her quietness though. Not when he inhaled deeply before burying his face between her legs.
And that’s when she lost the ability to talk or really think about anything other than the pleasure he was giving her.
He swiped his tongue up the length of her folds, practically growling against her. She felt the subtle vibration trickle out to her nerve endings. And the way his facial hair teased her inner thighs made her just as crazy.
Sliding her fingers through his short hair, she held on for dear life.
“Feet on my shoulders, spread wider,” he demanded against her body.
She did what he said, feeling even more exposed. He shoved his tongue deeper inside her after she shifted position.
“Ford,” she groaned, shudders racking her as he continued teasing her with his wicked, talented tongue. His beard rubbed against her folds now too, not just her inner thighs. The sensation was different…stimulating.
When he reached up and began massaging her clit with his thumb at the same time, she lost it. She hadn’t even realized how close she was to climax, but the pressure was intense, perfect.
“Right there. Don’t stop. Please.” The last word came out as a plea, but she didn’t care. She didn’t want him to stop.
He increased the pressure against her sensitive bundle of nerves even as he increased the stroke of his tongue. It was all too much.
Her orgasm slammed into her, sending a shock of pleasure out to all her nerve endings in a harsh, pulsing wave that had all her muscles tightening. Oh God, it had been so long since she’d felt anything remotely close to this. And her vibrator had nothing on Ford’s talented tongue.
She was a quivering mass of nerves when Ford finally stopped, the teasing too much for her sensitive flesh.
When he stood, the hunger in his gaze was scorching as he watched her. And when he crushed his mouth to hers, the only thing she knew was that she needed him inside her right now.
He said something against her mouth, but she couldn’t make it out. Something about her taste. Buzzing with adrenaline, she reached between their bodies, grasped at his belt buckle and pants even as she felt him unzip the back of her dress. Next he stripped off his shirt.
The material of her dress slid to her waist, cool air rushing over her already hard nipples as she shoved his pants down.
His tongue teased hers as he slid a finger inside her, and groaned again. Scooting to the edge of the counter, she grasped his cock, stroked once. Twice.
He pulled back, his neck muscles corded tight as he seemed to struggle to breathe. “Fuck, Raegan.”
Feeling insanely powerful, she stroked him again, watched the way his whole body reacted. He rolled his hips once into her hold, but just as quickly he moved her hand aside and positioned himself between her thighs. Apparently he liked to be in control.
She stared down at his thick length and grew even wetter. The man was big all over. Feeling it and seeing it were two different things. She rolled her hips against him as he thrust inside her.
He cupped the back of her head and held firm as he buried himself deep. “You’re so fucking tight.” His words were harsh.
She couldn’t talk at all, and couldn’t believe he could. Not when he felt so damn good inside her. As he began thrusting, she let her head fall back and closed her eyes. Pleasure rolled through her with each push inside her.
He kissed a path up her neck, nibbling at her earlobe as he continued those long, steady strokes. She arched into him, sliding her hands up his broad chest, digging her fingers into him as her inner walls started to tighten quicker and quicker around him. She hadn’t thought she’d be able to come again, but her body said otherwise.
When his head dipped suddenly and he sucked on one of her nipples, her eyes flew open and she jerked from the sharp pleasure pervading her body once again. As a second orgasm crested inside her, he groaned against her breast, his whole body trembling.
He drew back as his thrusts grew faster, wilder, until all his muscles pulled taut. The lines and striations in his arms were more defined as he emptied himself inside her, his shout of pleasure raw and harsh.
As his thrusts slowed and he grew soft inside her, she buried her face against his chest, inhaled his scent. She loved the way he smelled, a spicy musk.
His big hands settled on her hips, his breathing steadying as his chin rested on her head. Suddenly he stiffened and muttered a short curse.
She couldn’t imagine what was wrong until he said the word, “Condom.”
That was when she realized they hadn’t used one. Crap, crap, crap. It had been so long since she’d been with anyone that she hadn’t thought about it. Okay, the truth was, she hadn’t been thinking, period. Which wasn’t a good excuse, just the way it was.
Cringing, she pulled back to look up at him. “I’m on the pill.” She had been since she was fifteen, thanks to an erratic menstrual cycle and horrible cramps.
He let out a sigh of relief and she didn’t blame him. She wanted
kids—eventually. But not anytime soon.
“I’m sorry, Raegan. That was fucked up of me. I should have—”
“There are two of us right here. I forgot too. God, I wasn’t even thinking.” She didn’t like him shouldering all the blame.
He shook his head, his expression annoyed, clearly at himself. “I’ve never had sex without a condom. And I’m clean. I was tested six months ago and it’s been about a year since I’ve been with anyone. I’ll get tested again though if you want.”
“I haven’t been with anyone since…” Ugh, she didn’t want to say it out loud. But she couldn’t hold back, not when he was being honest, not when they were talking about something serious. And not when she was wet with his come between her thighs. “Since my college boyfriend. Almost three years ago,” she rushed out, just wanting to get it out of the way. “I’m clean.”
He looked surprised, maybe at how long it had been for her, then he simply crushed his mouth over hers with one of those sexy growls she felt all the way to her toes. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he lifted her off the counter. He was already growing hard again, which was a big surprise, but a welcome one.
She lost her dress completely and he lost the rest of his pants on the way to her…living room. Yeah, they weren’t making it to the bed tonight. Not this second time anyway. Her back hit the couch and then they toppled to the floor.
He lifted up on his arms so he wouldn’t squish her, caging her in beneath him. He let out a short laugh. “Shit, sorry.”
“Don’t be.” She grinned, happier than she’d been in a long time. Even with all the insanity of the last couple days, she was still glad that it had inadvertently brought her and Ford together.
She just hoped that this meant something more to him too. That this wasn’t a one-time thing. He’d seemed okay with her going to the event tonight with another man, even if she had told him that they were friends. Her own cousins had been annoyed with her—because they apparently didn’t want her to even talk to the opposite sex—but not Ford. She should be glad he hadn’t been all stupid caveman about that, but still, she wished she knew if he did care. If this was more than just physical for him. She wouldn’t focus on that now, didn’t want to bring herself down from the high of being with him.
In the morning she’d deal with reality.
* * *
Ford frowned at the sound of Raegan’s front doorbell going off. She was in the shower and it was too damn early for anyone to be here. Anyone other than her relatives. Which didn’t create a problem, but he didn’t like throwing it in Grant’s face that he was sleeping with Raegan.
Sighing, he pulled on his clothes from yesterday, sans his work belt, but he still kept his weapon in hand. Right now he wasn’t going to let his guard down when it came to Raegan.
After looking through the peephole he grimaced. It was Grant and Porter. Tucking his pistol away, he disarmed her security system and opened the door.
Both men stared at him, Porter more in surprise than Grant. Just as quickly that surprise turned to annoyance and something a little more heated. Ford didn’t have a sister, and it was clear the Caldwell brothers thought of Raegan more like a sister than a cousin, so he could understand their annoyance at finding him here.
“Look, before we go any further,” he said, not bothering to ask them why they were on Raegan’s doorstep at seven in the morning, “you need to know that this isn’t casual for me.” He kept his focus on Porter since he was the one who seemed annoyed about it and he’d already told Grant this. “I like Raegan a lot and unless she tells me otherwise, I’m not going anywhere.”
Porter seemed to relax at his words, and gave a sharp nod. “Good. You hurt her, I hurt you.” He said it so matter-of-fact, not waiting for a response as he continued. “We got the security feed from the convention center. The cops are still waiting on a warrant to get a copy, but my dad called in a favor.”
Ford stepped back and let them in as Porter pulled out a USB drive. “Got a ton of footage on here and for all we know, there’s nothing useful. We just thought Raegan might recognize someone from last night and be able to place him at the club too. Which is nothing the cops can use unless she can pick out the guy who tried to take her Friday.”
“She says her memory’s a blank from that night,” Ford muttered. Fucking GHB did that to people, wiped out blocks of time. And he hadn’t gotten a good-enough look at the guy that night, not with that fucking hoodie and sunglasses, to give a description or even pick someone out of a lineup.
“I know. Still, if she recognizes someone not even from Friday but somewhere else, someone she’s seen around and didn’t realize until now, maybe it’ll trigger something in her memory and hopefully we’ll be able to narrow down who’s after her.”
“So you think the two nights are related?” He’d had a bad feeling about that.
Both Grant and Porter shrugged and Porter said, “We’re not ruling anything out.”
“Good.” Because he wasn’t either. It just seemed like too much coincidence that she’d been drugged, some guy had tried to take her out of the club and then someone had come after her when she was alone last night.
If last night hadn’t happened he would have written off Friday night as bad fucking luck. Now…he was going to be on guard 24/7 until they caught this asshole.
Chapter 11
When he looked into Raegan’s office, his breathing automatically grew ragged, his heart rate ratcheting up. She wasn’t here—probably in a meeting because it was too early for lunch—but this was her space. It even smelled like her. When he started to get aroused, he stepped away from her office door.
Glancing down the hallway, he saw that there was a normal amount of activity on this floor. Plenty of armed men and women going about their business. Raegan wasn’t armed of course, but he’d never be stupid enough to try to take her or hurt her in the Red Stone building. He’d never get out alive.
But he liked being around her things, liked imagining her touching her things, talking on the phone.
Since he had no business being in her and her boss’s office, he continued down the hallway. It wouldn’t do to get caught being inside her space. He’d be able to talk his way out of it if he was caught, he had no doubt. He could just pretend he’d gotten mixed up with office numbers.
But if he did that, someone might remember he’d been somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be. Then later, once he had Raegan, someone could remember and report it to her family. It wasn’t the police he was worried about, but the Caldwell family.
He didn’t know much about Keith Caldwell, but he’d heard the rumors that he was a dangerous man. No, he wouldn’t risk getting on anyone’s radar. After he took Raegan, he wouldn’t even change up his routine. At least not for a month or so.
He had it all planned out. Once he got her to his place, she’d be his. He had a room specifically set up for her. It had plenty of insulation so no one would be able to hear her scream. Not that he wanted to hurt her. He just wanted her to be his. Once he convinced her they were meant to be together everything would be okay.
Just taking her was the biggest problem. She was always surrounded by people. Pushing his cart down the hall, he smiled and nodded at people he saw almost every day.
Keeping up his façade was becoming more difficult, but for Raegan he could do it. To have her, he could do anything.
* * *
Ford loved his job, especially now that he was at the range full time training officers. He’d briefly been on patrol, had done undercover work and been part of the drug task force for a while in addition to being part of SWAT, but the training was where he really excelled.
It had surprised him, but not his superiors when they’d promoted him. He’d thought he would miss being on the streets, but this was a different kind of fulfilling.
Except today, when all he wanted to do was get the hell out of here. He’d been looking at his watch every ten minutes, practically counting down until h
e could leave. Because all he wanted to do was see Raegan. She’d asked him if he wanted to come over tonight and he planned to cook for her.
At least to start the night. Then he planned to have her naked and under him for hours.
Stopping in front of his locker, he rolled his shoulders as he slid off his shoulder holster. Today had been long and tiring, and right about now he wanted a hot shower and Raegan on a platter. As he started to strip off his T-shirt his phone buzzed in his pocket. He always kept it on silent out at the range, and sometimes he didn’t bring it at all.
Today he’d wanted to be available if Raegan needed him. When he saw her name on his caller ID his heart rate jacked up triple time. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had gotten him this worked up.
Try never.
“Hey,” he said, answering on the second buzz.
“Hey yourself.”
He smiled at the sound of her voice, pressure easing inside his chest. Even though he knew her cousins had had an undercover guard with her all day, hearing her on the other end of the phone made him feel sane again. “How was work?”
“Long, tiring,” she said, laughter in her voice. “And unfortunately I’m not done.” Now there was regret.
Disappointment swelled inside him as he realized she was going to cancel their plans, but he understood she had to work. He leaned one shoulder against the neighboring locker. The room was mostly empty, almost everyone except another trainer gone for the day. “You have to stay late?”
“Yeah. It’s… I’ll fill you in later. I still want to do dinner tonight though, if you’re game?”
“Yes.” He didn’t care what time, he just wanted to see her, to hold her in his arms again. He loved the way she blushed so very prettily when he talked dirty. Every time they’d been naked together over the weekend, she’d seemed to get even wetter the more he said, which had taken him by surprise. “What time were you thinking?”
“Seven thirty, eight, which I know is kinda late for dinner. If you want to cancel, I understand.”