by Dale Mayer
Regretfully he pulled himself from that line of thinking. Enticed into a swimming pool was not a relationship, not yet in this case. As much as he might want to see where it would lead them, there was no guarantee it would take him anywhere other than here for the one night.
He stepped back to search her gaze. “Will this make life difficult for the investigation?”
Her gaze warmed. “Not on my side. Will it on yours? Will it get you into trouble?”
He shook his head, not having put any thought into that concept. “I don’t think so,” he said smoothly. “Certainly any number of our team members have found partners through jobs they have done.”
She chuckled. “I had heard something about Ice’s matchmaking ability.”
He grinned and kissed the tip of her nose. “Doesn’t mean that’s what this is.”
She leaned back, her arms linked around his neck, just floating in the water. Then she wrapped her legs around his hips and said, “Maybe not. But you’re certainly the most interesting man I’ve met in a long time.”
He already knew she’d had two recent relationships but nothing since then in the last year or two. “I don’t want you thinking I’m anything like the other men you’ve had problems with.” He slowly slid a finger up to flick her nose gently. “I certainly don’t have the money you do, or your family does, but I wouldn’t want anybody thinking I was a gold digger.”
She chuckled. “Nobody in their right mind would think you were a gold digger.”
He frowned down at her, not sure why she had laughed or how she would know him that well this fast.
“Don’t you realize just how much honor is in every rigid bone of your frame?” she asked.
He smiled. “But maybe that’s deceptive,” he said. “You don’t really know who I am.”
“No, but I know Levi, and I know his crew. I highly doubt you’re anything less than he is.”
Dezi had to admit he certainly didn’t consider himself anything less than Levi. That Levi was their leader, his boss, was one thing. But they were all of the same class; she was right about that.
She slid her arms farther up, her fingers sliding through his hair.
He could feel his body warming, responding. He wanted to spend the next few hours showing this woman how very special she was but worried she saw him in the completely wrong light. But she was busy kissing and nibbling on his lower lip, her fingers doing things to his head that sent shivers up and down his spine.
Finally, when he could, he pulled back, only to have her surge up and kiss him with a passion that surprised him. From that moment on, he was lost. All thoughts of protesting or sorting out the stuff they’d been discussing fled his mind. His body took over his needs, and his wants rose to the surface.
Not only was he supposedly the most interesting man she’d met in a long time, but she was definitely the most fascinating woman he’d ever met. She was so damn special. The work she did, the way she ran her business, he had to admire everything about her. The fact that she was long and lean, not voluptuous like so many women, but a nicely rounded handful as his hand cupped her breasts, was a perfect fit.
He slid his hands around her back and undid the clip on her bra. The bra was tossed up on the cement, and his hands went back to cupping her perfect plump breasts. She moaned and arched backward, but she still hung on to the back of his neck, so she floated in front of him as far as she could without letting go. He gently stroked her ribs and her belly, coming up against her tiny white lace panties. He slipped a finger under the elastic waist and drew it across her belly.
Her muscles tightened, showing the long lean line of her. With both hands, he covered her breasts again, pinching the nipples between his fingers. She arched against him, swaying in the water as it lapped against the two of them.
“It’s so beautiful being here with you now,” she whispered.
Her words were a surprise. She said the darnedest things and always the nicest things. He slipped his hands behind her back and pulled her toward him, so he could slide his fingers up to cup her head. He kissed her lips gently, once, twice, three times. “Thank you,” he whispered. “And right back at you.”
She chuckled. “You wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t made the first move.”
He wanted to shrug in irritation because, of course, she was right. But, because she was right, he knew there was no point in arguing. “That’s true,” he said. “I’m on the job. I’m supposed to be looking after you … but not in this way.”
The corner of his mouth kicked up as his hand slid down to cup her butt. He pulled her tight against his ridge. As she slowly slid up and down, he swore softly under his breath, straightened, still holding her firm against him as she teased him. Shudders quaked in his body.
She chuckled. “I gather you like that.”
“What’s not to like?” He gasped. “I love that.”
But they were still wearing too many clothes as far as he was concerned. She surged up higher on his body, climbing his frame as if riding him. He pulled her higher and higher, so he could latch onto her nipple, and he suckled her breast, moaning at the delicious taste of her. She held his head close against her heart as he worked first one and then the other, easily holding her high in the water.
As he lifted his head and let her slide back down, he grabbed her underwear and pulled it down from around her buttocks, so she was caught with her underwear across her thighs, and he lowered his own underwear so he could kick it free.
She gasped. “That’s not fair. I want mine off.”
He chuckled. “But this way I’ve got you pinned.”
She mock glared at him and slowly lowered herself on his shaft. Then there was no laughter. He groaned as she stopped halfway. She slipped one knee up high against her, while he still held her up. She kicked off her panties, then wrapped her legs around his hips and tightened.
In a thick voice he muttered, “Tease.”
She chuckled and slowly lowered herself again on his shaft but wouldn’t drop all the way.
He measured his breath, trying hard to let her do her thing and to not take over, but it took every ounce of his control to not slam her against the side of the pool and thrust into her with everything he had.
And she dropped a little more.
He groaned out loud, and she finally slid as far down as she could go. He wrapped his arms tight around her rib cage and thrust up while he pushed her down even deeper, so they were seated together and tightly sealed.
She whispered, “Christ, that’s good.”
He lowered his head, took her lips in a flaming passionate kiss that set off fireworks inside. And yet, he still had not moved. She had made several mewling sounds, like a kitten, as he kissed her harder and deeper. He slid his fingers down the crack between her two plump cheeks, gently stroking. She gasped, her body arching as she surged her hips tight against him again and ground against his hips.
As if something snapped, he gripped her hips and started to thrust. But, in the water, it was as if there were no force to his thrusts. He groaned, and she chuckled. But he had a solution. He pivoted, carried her gently to the steps in the shallow end, and two strides later at the top, with her seated at the edge of the pool, he plunged in even harder, deeper, faster. She cried out while she hung on as he drove them both to the edge of their orgasms … and then beyond.
When she lay back along the cement surrounding the pool, she chuckled as he collapsed beside her. “It would be easier on our skin if we’d stayed in the water,” she whispered, curling over him.
He smiled. “You’re right. But I needed to feel you. I needed to drive a lot deeper and harder than I could in the pool.”
She slowly sat up, her knees on the top step but still astride him. “That’s all right,” she whispered. “I’m totally game for this too. Especially now that you’re on the bottom …” She gave him a cheeky smile, then leaned down and took his lips with hers.
Chapter 7
Stret
ched out, completely nude on the patio beside the pool, a towel beside her, not caring to either lay on it or be covered by it, she’d never felt this good. Something about the cement warming her skin cooled by the water felt wonderful.
At her side Dezi was stretched out, his beautiful body showing signs of scars from the rough life he’d lived. She rolled over and placed her head on his shoulder, her fingers idly drifting across several of the scars. “You must have been badly injured.”
“I’ve been injured lots,” he said in a smooth voice. “But never badly.” He stretched up slightly and kissed the top of her head. “You, on the other hand, are perfection.”
She chuckled. “If I am, it’s because I’ve been lucky,” she said. “I don’t do anything to maintain it.”
“Lucky you,” he admitted. “I’m at the gym constantly.”
She rolled over on top of him, loving the feel of their skin against skin. It was so rare to find someone happy to lay outside under the evening sky and to let Mother Nature be their blanket. Finally she sat up. “Okay, now I’m hungry again.”
That caused a big laugh to erupt from him. “That’s fine with me,” he said. “Do you have anything to eat?”
“There should be leftovers inside.” She stood and chuckled when she saw both her panties and bra wadded into a ball on the top step. She leaned over, pulled him up and then grabbed her underthings to spread out on the back of one of the loungers to dry.
“Nobody’s gonna see them?”
“I don’t care if they do,” she said gaily. She did stoop to pick up her breezy dress and throw it on.
He grabbed his soaked boxers, wrung them out and put them back on again. He would let them dry somewhat, then would worry about putting on the rest of his clothes later. He followed her into the house.
She waited for him at the door, reached out to pat his boxers and said, “We can throw them in the dryer if you want.”
“They’ve been lying on the warm cement. They’ll be fine in a minute.”
She smiled. “Glad to see you’re not too delicate.”
“I’m not delicate at all,” he protested with a big grin.
She shot him a quick look of admiration and nodded, her fingers stroking across his chest, heading right down to the hair still showing above the boxers. “No, you’re not at all,” she said, “much to my delight.” She chuckled as she watched the color work up his neck and to his cheeks. Taking pity on him, she turned and headed to the fridge. “There’s still some casserole left,” she said, “and a Greek salad. If we eat it now, we won’t have it for tomorrow though.”
“We can take care of tomorrow’s food tomorrow,” he said.
She warmed up the casserole in the microwave and served it with the Greek salad and more wine. Carrying their plates, they headed back to the patio. “I guess it’s a good thing Vince didn’t come, huh?”
“Yeah. He knew where this was headed,” Dezi said with a shrug. “I didn’t think so, but he did.”
Her laughter pealed out across the garden, bringing a big smile to his face. “Smart man,” she said. “You were just being blind.”
“I was being cautious,” he argued comfortably. “I didn’t want to overstep my welcome.”
“No problem there,” she said. “You’re welcome to all of me that you want.”
At that, his grin turned lecherous, and he said, “I want it all.”
Their laughter was a balm to her soul. She loved to connect with somebody on this natural level, especially when she knew somebody else was trying to hurt her at her most intimate level. Her creativity was part of her heart, part of her soul. This man had become part of her body, but he’d also become part of her inner circle.
She hadn’t had many lovers. She was picky about who she chose to spend intimate time with. But something about Dezi was so solid, so reassuringly honest, that she couldn’t resist. She picked up a bite of the casserole and smiled. “I don’t think my housekeeper expected it to be all gone tonight.”
“I don’t think it’ll be an issue,” he said. “I don’t know if you have much food, but I can cook.”
She looked up at him in astonishment. “Outside of a barbecue?”
His lips twitched. “Yes, outside of a barbecue.”
“Good,” she said with a note of satisfaction. “I was honest when I told you that I can’t cook worth a darn. So breakfast is on you.”
He smiled. “Perfect. I can handle that.”
She settled back. “I do want to go inside after we’ve eaten and make sure everything is safe.”
“I would suggest it,” he said. “I also need to check in with Levi and Vince to see if any of the numbers and names we’ve been running have come up with any interesting results.”
“Yes, you’ve got a lot of things in play. The sooner we figure out what’s happening, the better.” She sighed. “I wish I could see the necklace that’s on its way. I hate waiting. I want to confirm how much damage has been done to it.”
“It will be here tomorrow?”
She nodded. “Yes, tomorrow. Tonight’s for other stuff.” Then she batted her eyelashes at him.
He grinned. “I can multitask. We can get a lot of work done, and then we can go spend some time together.”
She savored that word together. She hadn’t realized how alone she’d become, how isolated she’d let her work make her world. It was a problem. She would get lost in her art and not surface for hours, then go back under until she finished a design, and that could sometimes take days. It wasn’t that she blocked out everybody else, but, in a way, she did … because they couldn’t enter her space without her permission. When she was doing her artwork, it was just her and her muse. And sometimes that went well; sometimes it didn’t. But, when it went well, she could be hours and hours and hours, totally caught up with her work. And when she started working with the stones, it was much better to leave her alone.
She frowned, thinking about that. It had never been a problem with her relationships before. But that was because the men were tolerating it because they wanted something else from her. Literally the connection to her father or her money. “How are you about handling that I could disappear for days on end into my art?”
“Do you completely disappear? Do you go into your room and lock the doors, and nobody gets to see you?”
She shook her head. “No, it’s not like that. But I will work for six or seven hours, come out for food, maybe a swim sometimes. I exhaust myself. And I just sit out here with a glass of wine at times. But, when the muse is on me, it’s almost impossible for me to pull away. I spent a long time getting into a creative state like that, so that now, when I get there, I honor it, and I work until I’m done. Whether I’m done energywise or the piece is finished.”
“I don’t imagine I would have any problem with that,” he said, his gaze studying her, a warm look to his eyes. “More to the point is, if you’re talking about the two of us spending a lot of time together, how will you feel if I’m not around all the time?”
Her eyebrows rose. “I guess, working for Levi, you travel a lot, don’t you?”
“A lot.” He emphasized the word. “The last few months, I’ve barely been home. I could probably ask for a little more balanced time, home versus away, but, when it gets crazy busy, and people need help, we answer the call,” he stated quietly.
“Understood,” she said. “Well, I’m alone most of time, so, if I know you’re coming and going, that would be fine too.”
She linked her fingers with his. She loved the differences in their hands. Her fingers were long, slender, very white. She kept her nails clipped short because of the work she did. His hands were tanner, muscled, hardworking, calloused.
She smiled. “Just the contrast of our hands says so much about who we are.”
“Does it bother you?” he asked.
She looked up at him in surprise. “No, of course not. I like it.” She flashed him a teasing grin. “The last thing I would want is somebody l
ike me, another artist living at their own tempo. I’m not sure we would ever come out at the same time.” She laughed. “But I do need somebody who understands that I walk to the beat of my own drummer.”
“We all do,” he said. “It’s just some drummers nudge along against others easier.”
“Very true.” She put down her empty fork and pushed back her plate. “My stomach feels much better now,” she announced.
He nodded, stacked up their plates and said, “Let’s take our wine into your office. I’ll grab my laptop, and we can work in there after you check everything out.”
She watched in amusement as he washed the plates and stacked them to dry. When her housekeeper saw that, she would know for sure that Diamond had had company. Diamond admitted to being a lousy housekeeper. But then she’d never had to be anything else. She’d always had a housekeeper. At least somebody who came in every once in awhile and cleaned up after her. She was spoiled, and she knew it.
The thing was, that had never mattered to her. She didn’t see the mess. All she ever saw was her artwork. That was why the business side, when it pulled at her, was such a frustration. Why didn’t these people understand she just needed to work on her own stuff? The creative side was important, but, as her father had taught her, the business side was just one aspect of her art that allowed her to keep doing her art.
Dezi stepped up beside her, his hand on her low back. “Problems?”
She turned toward him and kissed him on the chin. “No. Come on.” And together they trooped into her office. She had a spare chair there. She pointed at it and asked, “Are you okay to work there?”
He nodded, saw a small side table, moved it over and placed his laptop on it. She sat down at her desk and went through her drawings she’d brought back with her. She had not only a briefcase for her sketches but a laptop for her digital copies of everything. She often doodled designs on paper. It was soothing for her, something she tended to do without thinking about it; then, when she’d look at them, she’d realize they were good.
