Banning's Woman

by Ruth Ryan Langan

  She shivered, knowing she was in over her head. She didn’t have the street smarts for this kind of thing. In the morning she would phone her brother Micah and tell him what was happening. As a former member of the Secret Service, he had access to the most highly qualified bodyguards in the business. She would ask him to assign one to her until this madman was found.

  She could have asked Chris to take her to her mother’s place tonight. But she hated put ting her mother and grandfather through this again. They were still on pins and needles about the first attack. A second one would have them watching her like a two-year-old toddler heading toward a cliff.

  She punched a fist into the pillow and rolled to her side, determined to sleep. But though she spent another hour with her eyes tightly closed, her mind refused to shut down. At last she gave up and tossed aside the covers. Shoving hair from her eyes, she paced to the window, where she drew open the blind to peer at the lights of the city spread out below.

  She hated feeling afraid. It was so alien to her. She thought back to the time when she’d lost her father. Though she’d been broken-hearted at her loss, she hadn’t been afraid. Especially after her father had sat beside her on her bed looking just as he always had. So big and strong and handsome, with that wonderful glint of humor that always danced in his eyes.

  Know this, Mary Brendan. I’ll always be here for you, just as I’ve been since the day you were born. Do you believe that?

  She had. And though she hadn’t given it much thought lately, she still believed.

  She hugged her arms around herself and whispered, “Oh, Dad. What a mess. I don’t want Mom and Pop worrying themselves sick over me. But I know the minute I phone Micah, he’ll tell them everything.”

  She walked back to the bed and sank down on the edge of the mattress. Almost at once she felt a presence beside her, and a thought came to her in a sudden flash of insight. The man in the next room would gladly lay down his life to keep her safe. There was no one better to have beside her than Chris Banning.

  Bren stood and began to pace the floor. What had happened to all her doubts? Suddenly they’d been swept away so completely, it was as if they’d never existed in the first place.

  She pressed her fingertips to her temples, wishing Chris were here to rub away her headache. But she could tell, from the silence in the next room, that he’d finally worked off his frustrations and had gone to sleep.

  She sighed as she experienced a sudden craving for a soothing cup of tea. She opened the door and crept toward the kitchen, using the light from the fireplace as a guide. As she passed the sofa she had to fight an almost-overpowering desire to wake Chris and throw herself into his arms. Instead she moved resolutely to the kitchen. Once there she quietly closed the door and switched on the light before making her way to the sink.

  It took only a minute to fill a kettle with water and turn on the stove. While waiting for the water to boil she rummaged through the cupboards until she located a package of tea.

  She was just turning toward the stove when the door opened.

  “Chris.” She looked like a kid with her hand in the cookie jar. “I’m sorry. I was trying to be so quiet. Did I wake you?”

  He flashed her that heart-stopping grin. “Please. Don’t apologize, Congresswoman. Especially since I finally get to see what you wear to bed.”

  Chapter 9

  Chris studied the blue-and-white, man-tailored nightshirt buttoned all the way to her chin. It might have been prim except for the fact that the shirttail barely covered the essentials.

  “Great legs, Lassiter.”

  “Thanks.” She couldn’t deny the shiver that passed through her at the way he looked, barefoot and naked to the waist, his jeans unsnapped as though he’d pulled them on in haste. He was thoroughly rumpled, his cheeks and chin darkened by stubble, his eyes blood shot from lack of sleep. He looked dark and dangerous and incredibly sexy.

  “Your backside’s not bad, either, Bren.” He craned his neck. “You wearing anything under that shirt?”

  “I might ask the same about those jeans.”

  “I’ll show mine if you’ll show yours.”

  “Guys.” She shook her head and reached for the kettle.

  “If you’re making tea, make two cups.”

  He reached over her head and removed a second cup and saucer, then continued standing right beside her while she poured the water over the tea bags.

  “You smell good.” He bent close to breathe her in, and she felt a sudden shock to her system.

  She turned with a frown. “You know exactly what you’re doing, don’t you?”

  He looked offended. “And what would that be?”

  She handed him a cup. “Pushing me. To see how far I’ll let you go.”

  “Really? Tell me, Congresswoman. How’m I doing?”

  “You’re good. But you forget. I have three brothers. That makes me well aware of how guys operate.”

  “Oh, yeah. I know how smart you are. And how tough.”

  “That’s right.” She gave him a smug look. “Now that we have that settled…”

  “It’s far from settled.” He set down his cup and took hers out of her hands.

  She shot him a puzzled look. “What’re you…?”

  He backed her against the counter and unbuttoned the top button of her nightshirt. “No more lines. No more games or tricks.” The laughter was gone from his eyes. In its place was a dark, smoldering look that had her heart beating overtime. “I want you, Bren. I’ve never wanted anyone or anything as badly as I want you.”

  She put a hand to his chest to hold him back.

  He stunned her by lifting it to his mouth. “I’ve been lying on the sofa for the past hour thinking I’d have to break down my own door just to get to you. And then, wonder of wonders, the door opened and out floated this angel. You made it all so easy. Now here we are, and it’s time for some honesty.”

  “Chris, this isn’t smart.”

  “Maybe it’s the dumbest thing we’ll ever do. I don’t care about smart or dumb. I just know I’ve been half in love with you since the first time I saw you, standing there facing that madman and waiting to die.”

  She felt his words wash over her and wondered at the thrill that shot straight to her heart.

  He brushed his mouth over hers, tempting himself with the taste of her, the sweetness of her. And all the while his hands moved up and down her arms, sending sparks dancing across her flesh.

  “I’d like to do the noble thing, the honorable thing, and tell you to go back to my bedroom and lock the door. But it’s too late for that now, Bren. The way I’m feeling, there isn’t a lock anywhere in this place that could keep me from you.”

  He lifted his hands to the second button of her nightshirt, all the while staring deeply into her eyes. “There’s one thing that can stop me. And only one.”

  He paused and saw her arch a brow.

  “Just tell me to stop, Bren. If you do, I may go half-mad with the feelings threatening to explode inside, but I’ll stop.”

  Without a word she went very still, and he felt his heart skip a beat. Then, just as misery was turning into despair, she stood on tiptoe to reach his mouth. As she did, she moved aside his hands and unbuttoned the second button, then the third, until her shirt parted.

  She heard him suck in a breath as his gaze moved over her. Then with a sly grin he touched his hands to the silk ties at either side of her hips. “Such naughty panties, Congresswoman. Do you suppose if I pull this tie…” He smiled as the pale blue bikini pants parted and drifted to the floor. With a growl of pleasure he dragged her into his arms. “You do know how to torture a man.”

  “It’s not something I was planning. I still can’t believe this is happening.”

  “Me, neither. Though I can’t say I haven’t been planning this since the night we met.” He brought his hands to her shoulders, sliding the nightshirt down her arms. “I’m just glad we both lost our senses together.” He trailed soft
moist kisses down the smooth column of her throat and heard her suck in a breath of pleasure. The sound had all the blood rushing to his loins.

  Her skin was as soft as the underside of a rose petal. In fact, she smelled like roses. The scent filled his lungs as he feasted.

  Helpless to do more than whimper in pleasure, she let her head fall back, giving him easier access. As his eager mouth moved lower, she had to remind herself to breathe in and out.

  His hands, those big, clever hands, were moving over her, causing the most amazing heat to build deep inside. Deliciously weak, she gripped blindly at his waist, needing to anchor herself. The touch of his naked flesh had her fingers tingling. She brought her hands slowly up, palms flat against his chest, and felt his breath hitch.

  The thought of taking her here, now, had his heart thundering. It was what he wanted. What they both wanted. Still, he forced himself to take in a long, deep breath and slow down. Though he knew he would soon have to end this madness, he wanted so much more.

  He pressed his mouth to a tangle of hair at her temple. “Do you know how many ways I want to love you?”

  “Tell me.”

  His grin was quick and deadly. “I’d rather show you.”

  In one smooth motion he scooped her up and headed out of the kitchen. He was hoping to make it to the bedroom, but after only a couple of steps he had to pause to taste her lips once more.

  That was his undoing. The minute his mouth was on hers, he felt the room begin to tilt and whirl. Dizzy with need, he veered toward the sofa. But when she tangled her hands in his hair and moaned with pleasure, he stopped dead in his tracks, taking the kiss deeper.

  She fumbled with the snaps at his waist and heard his guttural curse as he kicked aside his jeans. She looked down, then began chuckling. “Why Captain Banning. No underwear?”

  “No time. Come here, woman.” He hauled her into his arms and kissed her until they were both breathless.

  He couldn’t get enough of her. With every kiss, every touch, he wanted to crawl inside her skin. To take and give until they were both sated.

  As the kisses became more demanding, he felt the heat rise up between them, threatening to choke them. He thought about making it as far as the sofa, but even that was too much effort. Instead he lay with her on the rug, feeding from her mouth like a man starved for the taste of her.

  “I thought I could wait, Bren.” His eyes looked hot and fierce in the glow of the fire. His body glistened, all damp muscles and sweaty flesh. “But I have to have you now.”

  There was something so wild, so primitive about him. She felt herself being drawn down into the darkness of those piercing eyes. Into the desperate desire of his tortured soul. It was deeply arousing.

  With a sigh she tangled herself around him, hot flesh to hot flesh. He shocked her by pulling back and raining kisses down the length of her body until she was trembling with need.

  When he brought her to the first climax, she was so stunned she could do nothing more than cry out his name. She was still reeling when he took her again. Higher. Faster. And then again.

  Each time she thought he would surely end this, he found another way to shock her until, sobbing his name, she clutched at him and nearly begged.

  He was beyond hearing. Beyond seeing. His heart was rocketing so loudly in his chest, he wondered that it didn’t simply explode. Half-blind with need, he wrapped himself around her as he entered her.

  In that same instant, she opened to him and took him in fully.

  For the space of a single heartbeat they paused, staring deeply into each other’s eyes. They were all they saw as they came together in a deep, searing kiss.

  Then they were moving, climbing, soaring, before shuddering and falling slowly back to earth.

  “You okay?” Chris didn’t move. Couldn’t. The thought of moving away from her was too painful to contemplate. If he could, he would stay just here, just like this, wrapped around her forever.

  “I’m fine.” Her voice sounded faraway even to her own ears.

  “Yeah.” He brushed his mouth over hers. “You’re more than fine, Lassiter. You’re—” he shook his head “—amazing.”

  “You’re not bad yourself, Banning.”

  “Not bad?” He looked down at her with that cool, self-assured grin. “Admit it, Congresswoman. That was fantastic.”

  “It was…all right.”

  “Liar.” He rubbed his lips over hers. “Tell me you didn’t see stars.”

  “Oh. The stars.” She couldn’t help laughing at the frown line furrowing his brow. She touched a finger to the spot. “All right. That may be a first for me. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen stars before.”

  “That’s better.” He smiled.

  “Maybe it would have been better if you’d found us a soft bed instead of this hard floor.”

  “You call this hard?” He rolled aside and lifted her on top of him, cushioning her body with his. “Now, woman, this is what you call hard.”

  That had her bursting into spasms of laughter. “There’s that male vanity again.”

  “Oh. I see. You think I’m just bragging?” He ran his hands lightly down her back, causing her to wiggle.

  Suddenly she went very still. Her eyes widened slightly. There was no denying the fact that he was fully aroused.

  He tangled his fingers in her hair and brought her face down until their lips met. Against her mouth he muttered, “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for more.”

  “Yes.” With her body already highly sensitized, she wrapped her arms around him and sighed as they came together again. “Oh, yes.”

  They had no need for words as they took each other on a long, slow journey of desire.

  “Mmm.” Bren’s nose wrinkled slightly at the wonderful aroma of fresh coffee. She poked her head up from beneath the covers to glance around. It took her a moment to remember where she was.

  Sometime in the night Chris had carried her to his bed, where they had giggled like children and rolled around in an orgy of lovemaking that had left them, instead of exhausted, so charged with energy, they’d been unable to do more than doze.

  He set down two mugs of coffee and crawled into bed beside her. “I figured since we never got that cup of tea last night, I had a solemn duty to make you coffee.”

  “It smells wonderful.” She sat up, shoving hair from her eyes, and accepted the mug from his hand. After one sip she sighed. “Oh, it’s heavenly. Thanks.”

  He set a plate between them. “I toasted a bagel.”

  She pried it apart. “What? No cream cheese?”

  He grinned. “I make you coffee and a bagel at dawn, and all you think about is what I forgot.”

  “You don’t like cream cheese?”

  “I love it. But I don’t happen to have any.”

  “Well, if you want me to bunk here again, you’ll have to remember to buy some.”

  “I’ll put that on my to-do list.”

  She bit into the bagel and made a little purring sound as she chewed. “This is wonderful. Want some?”

  She held it out and he took a bite.

  “I thought for a minute you were going to hog the whole thing.”

  “I did think about it.” She laughed. “That’s what comes of living with three brothers. I learned to zealously guard my food.” She offered him another bite, then polished off the last crumbs before sipping her coffee.

  He saw her looking around. “What do you need?”

  “I need to know what time it is. I thought I spotted a clock earlier tonight.”

  “You did. I hid it.”

  She shot him an amused look. “You hid it? Why?”

  “So neither of us would know what time it is.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I figured our time together was too special to be wasted wondering if it was time to get ready for work.”

  “So you hid the clock?” She was laughing as she shook her head. “Did you think we could just forget
about our obligations and stay here all day, playing in bed?”

  “Yeah. I did.” He trailed a finger along her arm to her shoulder, then down past her collarbone to her breast, where he slowly circled, all the while watching her eyes. “Have I told you how much I love your freckles? Like this one.” He pressed his mouth to one at her collarbone, then began following a trail of freckles to her breast.

  “Chris.” She nearly bobbled the mug before setting it aside.

  “Smart move, Congresswoman. What I’m about to do to you calls for both your hands to be free of hot coffee or sharp objects.”

  She was giggling as he tugged her down into the covers.

  “Hmmm. I seem to have found more interesting freckles.”

  Minutes later her laughter turned into a moan of pleasure as he took her on a slow, delicious ride to paradise.

  The ringing of the phone woke them. Bren shoved red tangles from her eyes as Chris grabbed the phone on the second ring.

  “Banning.”

  He sat up on the edge of the bed, suddenly alert. “You’re sure?” He listened a minute longer before saying, “I can’t be there this morning. But maybe this afternoon.”

  Fishing through her things on the night table, Bren found her watch and gave a gasp. It was already after nine. She had a committee meeting at ten. With a last glance at Chris, still talking on the phone, she made her way to the bathroom and brushed her teeth before turning on the shower.

  She’d just stepped inside and lathered her hair when she heard the door open.

  “I’ll be through here in a minute,” she called, ducking her head under the spray.

  Chris wrapped his arms around her, drawing her firmly against him as he pressed his lips to the back of her neck.

  “Chris.” She sighed as he continued kissing her while his clever hands began to work their magic.

  “This was another one of my fantasies when we first met.” He turned her into his arms and lifted her.

  “All right. Now I know you’re crazy.”

  “Like a fox. Are you saying you’d rather take a pass, Congresswoman?”

  In answer, she brought her mouth to his.

  As the warm spray played over them, they gave themselves up to the madness of the moment.