Before the Dawn

by Gail Chianese

  Her body instantly responded, muscles clamping around him. He took his time, establishing a slow, steady rhythm, building the heat, driving her closer to the edge. He was hard and thick and filled every inch of her. Each stroke increased the pleasure, deepened the connection, claiming her as belonging to him. The climax built until she couldn’t take any more, sending explosive tidal waves rolling through her. She rode the crests, hanging on until he joined her on the next ride and they crashed to shore together.

  Shawn fell on top of her, burying his face against her neck. Their breathing raged, both bodies spent, appetites satisfied. For now. Neither spoke, they simply lay there, letting the after waves of pleasure hum over their bodies. Shawn recovered first and rolled off her, letting fresh air into her lungs. Instead of getting up, he pulled her back against his chest and wrapped her in his arms.

  Emotions swam through her. She should go home, now. Two more days of lying in this man’s arms, getting to know him better, deeper, would only lead to heartbreak. But truth be told—because she never lied to herself—she didn’t need two more days to fall in love with him.

  She was already there.

  Chapter 9

  Both had been so exhausted from the day’s hunt for the missing teen, their run-in with the thugs, and culminating with their lovemaking that each fell into an instant, deep sleep. Now morning peeked through the curtains, spearing its bright rays into the room and right into Shawn’s eyes. Scrubbing his hand over his face, the feel of a warm, soft body next to him penetrated his sleep-addled brain. A smile crossed his face as he remembered the night before and the sexy, take-charge woman in his arms.

  If you’d asked him a few days ago if Kat Jones was the type of woman who’d agree to a no-strings fling and would more or less take the reins in her own hands, his answer would have been a flat-out no. Seems the lady had more to her than he expected, and he looked very forward to discovering what other hidden assets she had camouflaged beneath the armor she wore on a daily basis. Intelligent, professional, blue blood by day, sex kitten by night. More like sex tigress. Kitten implied inexperienced and timid, neither of which fit Kat Jones when she sank her claws in.

  He liked her. A lot. If they had more time, it would be so easy to let the affair run its own course. Too easy, in fact. Picturing Kat with his friends and family back home came as naturally as a lazy summer afternoon. Gram would love her dedication to work. His cousin, Sutter, would love her feistiness. His mom would simply love that she made him smile.

  But he was getting ahead of himself.

  They’d only just met.

  A weekend fling didn’t mean a whole lot. Definitely not a long-term commitment. Then again, being with his ex for years apparently hadn’t meant a long-term commitment, at least from her, either. But he wasn’t going to compare Kat with Debi. That wasn’t fair. Not to Kat and it sure wouldn’t help his mindset. It’d taken him a few months to venture out into the social scene after his breakup. While he’d met a few nice women, there hadn’t been a real connection worth pursuing.

  He gazed down at the woman sleeping next to him. There was a connection, he couldn’t deny it. Why couldn’t they have met again two months ago, or even last month? Man, his timing sucked. Royally. If he was any kind of decent person, he’d get up, make her breakfast, and apologize for last night.

  Then again, he’d never claimed to be a saint. Based on what he’d seen over the last few days, if he did apologize for making a mistake, Kat would probably slap him or something. She was smart, savvy, and knew the score. To apologize would insult her intelligence and he wasn’t that much of a prick.

  Trailing his fingers tips lightly up her arm, he debated whether he should head to the kitchen for coffee and let her sleep or wake her up and make love to her again. The debate lasted all of two seconds. He nuzzled aside her hair to expose the creamy flesh of her neck, where he proceeded to nibble his way up to her ear, sucking the lobe into his mouth. A little moan caught his attention as she pressed her ass into his groin. He nipped her ear before releasing it to move on to trail kisses along her jaw, heading toward her luscious mouth.

  Kat reached up and threaded her fingers in his hair. “Mmm, Hugh, don’t stop.”

  His whole body froze. “Who the hell is Hugh?”

  A little smirk pulled her lips up. “Sorry, was dreaming about Hugh Jackman.”

  “Really?”

  Twisting around, she came face-to-face with him, snuggling her sweet, soft body so they touched from chest to toes. “Maybe. Jealous?”

  “Baby, he’s got nothing on me. By the time I’m done with you, you won’t even remember his name.” And he set out to prove himself a man of his word.

  His mouth claimed hers in a deep kiss, leaving them both panting. Wrapping his arms around her, he rolled to his back, taking her with him and allowing his hands the freedom to roam down her backside to her pretty, perfectly rounded ass. Slipping his fingers between her folds, he found her wet and ready for him.

  “Grab the headboard rails and don’t let go.”

  “Planning to take me for a ride on your fire truck, Marshal?”

  “I’m going to take you for the ride of your life.”

  Sliding down her luscious body, he kissed, bit, and licked his way to heaven. Kat shivered beneath his touch. He took his time, exploring, learning her weaknesses and preferences as his fingertips glided over her skin, barely caressing the tips of her breasts.

  She sucked in a breath.

  He repeated the motion with the other side. Followed with his tongue. She cried out, pushed forward and dug her hands into his hair.

  “Uh-uh. Hands on the rails,” he reminded her.

  “That’s cruel, Marshal. Not allowing me to touch.”

  He laughed. “I know. Now lie back and enjoy.”

  She groaned, but listened. He returned his attention to the feast before him. He rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, adding pressure as her breathing grew heavier.

  “You’re killing me here.”

  “Not yet.” She was nowhere close to where he wanted her. He took her into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the lovely, pink tip. He scraped his teeth over the sensitive bud before sucking deep and hard. She squirmed, panted, and cried out for more. His cock was rock hard and aching for releasing.

  When he finished with the one side he moved on to the other and gave it equal treatment. She let go of the rail with one hand, slapped the bed, and begged him to fuck her now.

  He released her tasty nub, stole a quick kiss, and placed her hand back on the railing. “Not yet, love. When I’m done with you, I’m the only man you’ll dream of again.”

  It was wrong to want her to remember him when he left, to dream of him and them together when he would be on the other side of the country, but he didn’t care. He knew he’d be doing the same.

  He kissed his way down her stomach as his hands massaged, squeezed, and teased her overly sensitive nipples.

  Sitting back, he took in the gorgeous woman laid out before him, flushed with lust and filled with passion, need, and want for just him. It was a pretty fucking heady drug. She groaned her impatience and ran a foot along the length of his cock, a sly smile spreading.

  Chuckling, he grabbed her ankle and kissed his way up her calf to her inner thigh. She laughed and squirmed until he bit down on the tender flesh, which had her moaning. He slipped a finger between her folds and stroked deep before circling her clit. She released the headboard and grabbed the sheets in her fists, letting out a whimpered plea.

  “What was that? Did you want me to stop? Because I get it. No means No.”

  “No. God no.”

  “Okay, then.” He stopped touching her and she shot up straight in bed.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Her eyes were filled with hunger and anger. “Why did you stop?”

  “You said no.” He smirked.

  She reached out and grabbed a handful of his hair, tugging him closer. “I meant, no,
don’t stop. Look, if I’m not okay with anything, we’ll use a safe word.”

  “Which is?”

  She thought for a moment, her lips curving upward. “Meatloaf.”

  “What?”

  “It’s the least sexy thing I could think of that couldn’t also be mistaken for yes or no. Now, do you want to debate this or continue?”

  He kissed the crazy woman in his bed until they were both panting with need and then he crawled back down her body. Slowly he spread her open and kissed her most intimate parts. Slow, long, and slick his tongue tasted, teased, and drove her to the edge. Her hands fisted in his hair.

  “Yes. More,” she whispered making sure there was no mistake this time what she wanted.

  And Shawn gave her everything she asked for until her body was quaking. Until she screamed his name.

  He gave her a minute—or intended to, but Kat had other ideas.

  She slapped a foil package on his chest before pushing up, sliding back and wrapping her hand around him. Lightly stroking his cock with one hand, with the other she held the condom wrapper to her mouth, tearing it open with her teeth. Once he was protected, she raised up and slowly slid, inch by inch, onto his cock, and proceeded to blow his mind away.

  Later, after the most amazing wake-up sex he’d ever had, he carried her limp body to the shower. Turning the water up to just below boiling, he pulled her in with him under the hot spray, letting the rhythmic pulse pound on their tired muscles. Kat reached for the shampoo, but he grabbed it before her.

  “Let me. Turn around.”

  The look on her face was priceless. Eyes wide open, nose wrinkled, little lines of confusion creased her forehead with her lips slightly parted as if she didn’t know what to say. He gave her the twirl-around signal with his finger. She stepped forward to give him room to work, with her ass teasing his cock. Massaging the shampoo into her hair, he took his time working through the pretty curls, playing with the silky strands before working his way down her body. Soaping every sexy, smooth, soft inch, loving the feel of her curves in his hands.

  “That feels good.” She turned into his body, poured soap into the palm of her hand, and returned the favor. “Just so you know, big boy, unlike men, women cannot live on sex alone. I do hope you plan to feed me this morning, or I may pass out during our next round.”

  “See now, that’s another rumor you women started. Men cannot live on sex alone, we need food, and the occasional sports game too. I don’t suppose you’re a Seahawks fan, are you?”

  Her hands moved down to cup his balls, and all thoughts of football, food, and anything but sinking back inside of this woman fled his mind. He didn’t understand the effect she had on him. Even with Debi, whom he had planned to marry, he didn’t have this unquenchable thirst for her body or her company. But damn if he wasn’t going to enjoy it while it lasted, or at least until it was time to leave.

  “Condom?”

  “On the pill and clean. You?”

  “Tested and good to go.”

  She looked down, that one brow raising. “Yes, I’d say you are.”

  He took her in the shower, shoving all thoughts of reason and emotion to the back of his mind. He took and gave without conscience or guilt, for he’d laid his cards on the table and she’d agreed to the terms of the game. That’s all this could be, a game to pass the time. He’d worked hard to get the excellent evals at work, ones that would land him a spot in one of the best firehouses in Seattle. Once before, he’d put his career second for a woman and he wasn’t about to do that again.

  Her body felt like warm pudding as she curled up on the couch, watching Shawn cook breakfast. Had it ever been like this with Paul? Easygoing, relaxed, and charged with chemistry to the point where they couldn’t keep their hands off each other? Racking her brain, she tried to come up with a time when they’d made love three times in less than eight hours, and couldn’t.

  Maybe back in the beginning of their relationship they might have made love daily. Absently she rubbed her earlobe. No, she realized with dismay, even back then when love and lust were so new, so fresh they should have been burning up the sheets, it hadn’t been so. Their relationship had never been like this. Even now, with her body sweetly aching, she wanted to run her hands over Shawn’s sculpted chest, to have his strong arms wrap around her and to thrill in the feel of him filling her.

  With a bittersweet ache she admitted it wasn’t just the sex she craved. In a short period of time since they’d met, her life had changed. She laughed more. Had more confidence. Felt emotionally stronger. Wasn’t so afraid of what life would throw her way next. And in two weeks when Shawn left, she’d kiss him goodbye and thank him for giving her this time. Then she’d pick up the pieces of her heart and life would go on.

  “Breakfast is served. Nothing fancy, just a little snack to fuel you up.”

  He handed her a plate loaded to near overflowing with pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, and hash browns. A snack? His snack could feed a small country. There had to be about seven hundred million calories on that plate and every single one of them would go straight to her hips and thighs.

  “I can’t possibly eat all of this. Maybe the eggs and some fruit, if you have any.” She tried to refuse the plate, but Shawn set it in her lap.

  “You need to eat, woman, keep your energy up. I’ve got plans for you.” He gave her a lecherous smirk while doing a silly eyebrow wiggle.

  She toyed with the food. “Ha! See, sex is all you think about.”

  Holding up his plate in salute, he responded. “No, I also think about food, remember?” He shoveled a forkful of eggs into his mouth before continuing. “You should think about it more too.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “Nothing. Women with curves are sexy and I’m rather fond of your curves.”

  She was rather fond of his hands on her curves. “What’s the plan for the day, besides sex and more sex?” She took a bit of the pancakes and rolled her eyes in ecstasy as they melted on her tongue.

  “I had thought about a hike over at Bluff Point, with a picnic overlooking the water and then coming back here for marathon sex. But according to the weatherman we’ve got a nasty storm coming our way. Do you like music?” Shawn flipped on the television, already tuned to VH1 Classics. “What’re your thoughts on Judas Priest?”

  “Who?”

  And so, the argument began. Who were the best bands in the 80s, 90s, and of the past decade? He hated Journey (she wasn’t sure she could leave sex on the agenda after that confession), loved Priest, Joan Jett, Saxon, and a dozen other heavy metal bands she’d never heard of. He also liked Slipknot, Greenday, Puddle of Mudd, and Nickelback (okay, she could now put sex back in their plan of the day—after all, if he liked Nickelback, he couldn’t be all bad). From there they moved on to movies and television shows. He watched Doctor Who, she watched SWAT, they both watched Star Trek.

  “What actor or actress would you watch in any movie they made, even if it doesn’t sound like something you’d normally like?”

  “Johnny Depp.” She held her hand up to stop his snarky response. “Wait, it’s not because he’s gorgeous and sexy as hell. Although, that isn’t a point against him. He’s incredibly talented, always takes his roles one step further than the average actor. And for an actress, hmm, it would have to be Reese Witherspoon.”

  “Yeah, I could get behind her movies.” He flashed her a quick grin, one that said he knew what she was thinking and she rolled her eyes in response. “No, honestly, she’s pretty funny. But I’d have to say the actor that tops my must-see list is Samuel L. Jackson. That guy never touches a movie that isn’t good.”

  And so, the day went, snuggling on the couch discussing likes and dislikes and exchanging heated kisses, stirring the embers of lust.

  “What’s wrong? Don’t you like the coconut curry chicken?”

  For dinner, Shawn had run out and picked up Indian. She’d insisted they move to the table for their meal. Her butt had proba
bly made a permanent dent on the couch cushion at this point.

  “The food’s delicious,” Kat said.

  “Why the frown lines then?”

  “Thinking about the case. It isn’t far from Pawcatuck to Norwich and Colchester, but I just can’t see these kids being behind the fires. What’s their motive?”

  “We don’t know for certain the good doctors are involved in their drug dealing. Maybe they were giving them sample meds because the kids said they were in pain and their parents didn’t have insurance to pay for the prescription. Could be the docs found out what they were selling and refused to keep giving them drugs? Or if they were supplying the gang with drugs, maybe the docs decided to go clean or a different route?” Kat suggested.

  “I’d think if that were the case, they’d hit the Pawcatuck clinic first. And no matter how I play it out in my mind, I can’t see them driving to the other two clinics and burning them down.”

  “Me either. Unless someone paid them,” said Shawn.

  “Do you really think they were smart enough to set all three fires with no clues left?”

  He gave her a look that curdled the coconut milk in her stomach. “No.” He offered her the coconut fried rice before piling it on his plate when she declined. “I think I just wanted to close this case out before I left. To take the easy answer.”

  “Has the easy answer ever been the correct one for you?” she asked.

  “Hell, no.”

  “Me either, so let’s hope your detective friend gets something out of these punks to help point us in the right direction come Monday.”

  She carried their dirty dishes to the sink, ran piping hot water, turned to get the remaining food, and came face-to-face with Shawn. Trapping her between his arms, he flipped the handle of the faucet. Leaning forward so there was only a centimeter or so between their bodies, he nibbled his way across her exposed collarbone up her neck to capture her earlobe with his teeth.

  “Leave them. I’ll take care of it later. For now, we forget about work, the outside world and all its problems and enjoy the moment and each other.”