“Hey.” She smiled at him. “How did the second round of questions go? I’m hoping having your lawyer call in kept things calm.”
“It’s been a long-ass day.” But the night was looking up. “I had to wait while Ben and Captain Rogers searched Whitaker for the location where Judson was killed. They didn’t get far before the thunderstorm started and they came back in.”
“You didn’t go along and help?”
“I’m the main suspect, so no.”
“Right.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “Well, while you had a boring four hours in Ben’s office, I had time to take a shower, change, and relax a bit.”
Thinking about her in his shower would lead to interesting places, none of them okay. “Ben didn’t seem to feel bad about wasting my time.”
Hansen slipped off the wet coat and shoes and disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes. When he stepped out again, he had switched out the damp jeans for dry lounge pants. His stomach made a noise and he thought about his late lunch and skipped dinner but quickly dismissed the idea of food. What he wanted sat on the couch. He joined her, sitting close, letting her knees balance against his thigh.
“I had to walk him through my activities of the last few days, while he and my lawyer went back and forth on speakerphone about every detail. It took forever before I could sign a formal statement and get out of there.” He slipped his hand under her legs and lifted them until they rested across his lap.
The position, all warm and bound together, struck him as domestic and wildly unfamiliar. He had dated on and off, preferring to pour his time and attention into the job as he and Connor built on the impressive foundation their father and the people who worked for him had built.
Long hours. Lots of takeout food. Sex here and there. Dating when he found someone interesting but never serious and never for long. He’d only ever brought a few women home to meet his parents. They were great—smart, dedicated, caring, pretty—and he should have been hit by the she’s-the-one sensation at some point, but it eluded him. He didn’t go hunting for it either, much to his mother’s chagrin.
His mom always made it clear she wanted her kids happy and hoped that meant marriage but understood it might not. At least that’s what she used to say until Alexis walked down the aisle to Judson. After she died, his mom didn’t say much at all.
He lost focus due to the constant crash of guilt for not doing enough and frustration over not getting answers. She grew quiet, wistful. Hansen’s father could coax her out, but she now wrestled with a sadness that could never really be healed.
Tessa set the book down and relaxed into the cushions. “You okay?”
He touched her because he couldn’t not touch her. Ran his hand up and down her leg over the blanket. Let the thumb on his other hand skim over the back of her fingers where they rested on her stomach. The moment felt right. She felt right.
“I told him the truth, Tessa.”
She tilted her head to the side and her long hair fell over her shoulder. “Which one?”
The words sliced through him. He hadn’t expected the body blow, but it landed. “Yeah, see, I don’t like that I put you in the position of having to ask that question.”
“I volunteered to act as alibi. No one forced me. And even then, I avoided any details so I didn’t really lie.”
It humbled him that he’d earned her loyalty when he hadn’t acted in a way to deserve it. “That’s not really the point.”
“You were right there in the house, and that’s what I said.”
He massaged her calf. “I filled in all the pieces for Ben. Every little detail, no matter how frustrating and infuriating. He knows about my sister, her murder, the way the justice system failed, and my reaction to Judson getting away with it. It’s not information I normally spew like that, but I don’t want you to be in the position of covering for me.”
“Careful, your decency is showing again.” She lifted her hand. Skimmed her fingertips along his chin, over the ruff scruff he now wore. “You’re going to ruin your grumpy-old-man reputation.”
“Old?” She made him feel powerful, capable. Not like someone who lost his way and couldn’t figure out how to get back.
The sheer force of how much he wanted her scared the hell out of him. He didn’t come to Whitaker for sex or a girlfriend, not that he knew exactly which, if either role, she wanted to fill. But the days of pushing her away and using sarcasm as a weapon to fight her off seemed like they happened years ago. When it came to her, his defenses slammed down, and he couldn’t yank them up again even though he’d tried.
Her thumb traced his mouth and slipped over his bottom lip. “Don’t worry. You look like you can still move.”
This sounded like flirting and he should end it, but no way in hell was that going to happen. If one of them planned to throw the brakes, it would have to be her. He didn’t have the will to avoid her. Not anymore. “Oh, really?”
“I mean . . .” She drew out the phrase. “I’d have to test the theory to see, but sure.”
Heat shot through him. Raced from his head to his lower half and pooled there. Mind-blowing heat that could get them both in trouble if they weren’t careful. “You’re walking a dangerous line.”
“I’m not afraid of you.”
“That’s because you don’t know what I’m thinking right now.” Her naked. Under him. And that was just the start. He’d been dreaming about her for weeks. If he were being honest, he’d admit it started the day they met six weeks ago.
“Give me a hint.”
The husky edge to her voice made him ache to say the words. The way the light bounced off the lighter streaks in her hair. This close, he could smell his soap on her skin.
She was one hundred percent pure temptation. Had him running in circles and mentally shouting for more. But he had to at least try to exhibit some control. “That wouldn’t be smart.”
“What am I wearing in this mental picture?” Her hand slipped down, trailed along his neck before settling at the base of his throat.
“Nothing but me.”
She made a low satisfied sound like a mix between a moan and a hum. “I’ve had the same dream.”
Every argument left his head, the logical and the illogical ones. He could almost feel the words tumble out and scatter on the floor. “You . . .”
Her fingers slipped back and forth, under the neckline of his T-shirt and across his collarbone. “Do you think you’re the only one who’s been thinking about us getting together?”
The few remaining words he did manage to remember how to pronounce jumbled together and his brain refused to sort them out. “Maybe.”
“For a very smart man, you can be kind of slow to pick up on obvious clues.” She gathered up the blanket and dumped it on the floor.
Bare legs. That fact hit him first. A solid slam to the gut that had his breath stuttering in his chest. His gaze wandered over her, up those sexy legs to the shirt. His shirt. The worn chambray one he liked to put on at the end of the day after a shower. It only reached to the top of her thighs, exposing miles and miles of bare skin.
He was so screwed. “You know if we go one inch past that kiss . . .”
“Things will get messy. Yes.” She shifted to her knees. Threw one long leg across his lap until she straddled his hips with a knee on either side.
Hot. Damn.
He tried to gulp in air. Find one last shred of reason. “Neither one of us wants a relationship.”
“Very true.” Her fingers speared through his hair.
“We both have a lot of baggage.” He had to swallow a few times before he could continue because she massaged the back of his neck with a touch both gentle and insistent. “You haven’t shared, but I’m guessing from the way you tensed up when Ruthie talked about my family’s connections that I am not the only one dragging a rough past behind me.”
“I’m not denying it.”
She didn’t offer up any details, but this was not the
time for an interrogation. “So, it would be smart to not even think about us doing anything.”
His hands slipped up her bare thighs. Caressed and memorized every inch of her with his fingertips. Her skin was as smooth as he thought she’d be.
“Absolutely.” She nodded as she nudged his lips with hers. Not kissing. No, this was some sort of sensual torture she’d devised that included the brush of her mouth over his nose and chin. A dart of her tongue over his top lip. “Not smart at all.”
He was all in. “We’re ignoring that, right?”
She leaned forward until her breasts skimmed his chest and her mouth hovered over his ear. “Yes.”
The heated whisper and puff of warm air sealed his fate. “Thank God.”
His hands went to her face and his mouth covered hers. The kiss hit him with an explosive bang. Heat rolled over him. He couldn’t get close enough, pull her in tight enough.
Still cradling her with their legs and arms entwined, he lowered her down until her back hit the couch. His lips trailed over hers, then moved to her neck.
She slipped his glasses off and curled her fingers around them. With the glasses in her hand, she stretched, head thrown back and hair spilling on the cushions, giving him room to worship her.
The fire he’d banked for so long roared to life. Energy sparked in every cell. The mix of hands and lips. The warmth of her mouth. The way she clamped her thighs against his leg, trapping him there while desire ramped and revved inside him.
She smelled of his shampoo, and with every blinding kiss, the hold on his control loosened. The rest of the world faded away as he trailed his tongue down her neck to that soft divot at the base of her throat. He licked her there once, then again. She moaned and shifted, her body restless underneath him.
Her fingers pushed under the edge of his shirt and shoved it higher. The edge of his glasses, still in her hand, scraped against his side but he didn’t give a shit. He lifted off her, leaving just enough space for the two of them to yank and tug and nearly rip it off. Then he eased on top of her again, his body melting into hers. Her back arched off the cushions as his hand inched higher on her leg. Her skin, so smooth under his fingertips.
One elbow hit the back of the couch and his foot fell to the floor. They were making out on the couch when a perfectly good bed sat right upstairs. He wanted room to explore her, nestle between her legs. Lick her.
Out of a desperate need to bring every fantasy he’d ever had about her to life, he broke off the kisses and lifted his head. Staring down he saw her puffy lips and pink cheeks. She got sexier by the second.
“Bed.” That’s all he could get out.
Her gaze shot to the ladder. “Once I’m up there I’m not going to want to come down for a very long time.”
The words sent a renewed flush of heat racing through him. “And we’re moving.”
He balanced a knee on the cushion and sat up. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he took her with him. One swoop and he had them on their feet. Unsteady and still intertwined. Her ankle hooked around the back of his calf and she balanced on her tiptoes.
“You’re wearing my shirt.”
She leaned in and kissed him under his chin. Gently sucked on his neck, then licked the spot. “It smells like you.”
Damn. “Now it will smell like you.” So did he. His whole house did. She used his soap and his shampoo, yet on her, mixed with her skin, every scent took on a new dimension.
“I can take it off.” She tucked his glasses into the front pocket and her fingers went to the top few buttons. That sexy eyebrow lifted in question.
“You definitely should do that.”
She unfastened the rest of the buttons one by one. Bare skin peeked out from the gap she created. The deep shadowed vee grabbed his attention and wouldn’t let go. The tops of her breasts and the strip of flesh she’d uncovered. She didn’t stop until the sides hung open and her fingers wrapped around each side, holding the shirt not closed but not open either.
It was a seductive tease that called to him and he didn’t hold back. His finger trailed over her body, starting at the base of her throat and skimming with the barest touch down her chest. The plump sides of her breasts brushed against his hand, but he forced his arm to keep moving in a straight line. Over the sexiest little swell of her stomach. Then he stopped. Hesitated, craving an invitation until the need pulsed inside him.
He glanced down, letting his gaze follow the path his finger just traveled. She’d left the bottom two buttons fastened and the material blocked his view. “Are you wearing anything under there?”
“I guess you’ll see in a second.” She dropped her hands to her sides. The material draped over her breasts, hanging there and hinting at so much more.
“You should show me now.”
“I will.” She winked at him before heading for the ladder. After two steps she shot him a look over his shoulder that issued the invitation he’d been wanting. “Follow me.”
He nearly tripped over the couch to get to her.
She got to the base of the ladder and turned to face him. “Will this hold me?”
Every syllable she uttered sounded like a seduction. The husky voice and the barely there shirt.
“I’ll be here to catch you.”
Without breaking eye contact she peeled off her socks. Treated him to a peek at those toenails painted a deep red that glowed almost black in the low lighting. Then she started up, taking the first rung backward, while still facing him. On the second step she turned, flashing him the full length of those made-for-sex legs.
The last of his calm broke. She took a step and he inched up right behind her. Her butt wiggled in his face and he had to fight the urge to give it a nip. He settled for sliding his hand up her calf. When he reached the back of her knee, she stopped climbing.
Heavy breathing echoed around them. He didn’t know if it was his or theirs and he didn’t care. Heat had settled over the room, and the tension ticking up had him wanting to grab her and race up the ladder. But the smooth silk of her inner thigh silently begged for him to wait, draw this out.
With one leg stretched straight and the other bent on the rungs above, she leaned into his touch. Taking that as a call for more, his fingers edged higher until he found the elastic band at the bottom edge of her underwear. “Yes?”
She balanced her forehead against the rung above her. “Please.”
Need thrummed off her until it thickened her voice. He identified the sensation, hot and ready and itching to peel the rest of her clothes off, because he felt it, too.
His finger slipped under the band and over her ass. The touch of skin against skin made his hand shake. They needed to get to solid ground, but one more thing . . . His finger brushed over the plump globe, then down. Tracing just outside the place he most wanted to touch. Heat and wetness greeted him.
“Inside.”
She whispered the word, but he picked it up. Knew what she wanted. He ached to plunge inside, first with his fingers, then his body. He tightened his grip on the ladder with his free hand. It didn’t move but he couldn’t take the chance of it wobbling while they were so vulnerable. And he wanted to see her. All of her. Laid out, legs open, hands over her head, every inch of her welcome to his touch, his mouth.
“Keep walking.” His finger kept slipping over her, around her outer lips, but depriving them both of the final satisfaction.
She still hadn’t lifted her head. “I can’t.”
“Pink.”
She shifted her elbow and looked down at him through the small space she’d made. “What?”
“Your underwear. Sexy, little, pink.” He pulled at the top edge, dragging them over her ass cheeks, then kept going.
“Hansen.”
“I want to see all of you.”
“You’re killing me.” Her head fell back now. She would have enjoyed a perfect view of the beamed ceiling, but her eyes stayed closed.
“Let’s take these off.” He glided t
he bikini bottoms over her ass, taking his time to reveal inch after inch of the body he fantasized about every night. When he dropped them down to her ankles, she hugged the ladder and stepped out of them. He rubbed the soft cotton against his palm before letting it fall to the floor. “You’re not going to need those tonight.”
“We need to get to the bed.”
She moved now. Her bare feet thumped on the rungs as she climbed. With each step she flashed him a sexy peek of that ass. Tempted him with glimpses of her naked body as the material billowed around her.
At the top, she stood there, looking from the ladder to the bed. Her chest rose and fell on harsh breaths and she balled her fists, clenching the bottom of the shirt in both hands.
“You could take a better look now.” She sounded out of breath and so ready.
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
He didn’t wait another second. His arms wrapped around her waist and he lifted her off her feet. One hand tapped against the back of her thigh and she took the hint. A second later her legs clamped against his waist and her hands dangled down his back.
Somehow he managed to hold her, walk, and not crush his glasses. Good thing he didn’t have to go far. The loft held the bed and a small dresser and little more. He maneuvered them to the end of the mattress and dropped down. He had her out of the shirt and completely naked before her back hit the comforter.
Then his mouth was on hers. Bold and demanding, fierce with need. His muscles shook from the force of holding as he savored the taste of her lips against his. He dreamed about curling her body around his, but he’d never imagined the smell of her, the heady excitement he would get just from his lips touching her.
The woman knew how to kiss. She dove in and devoured. Her tongue swept over his. She didn’t hold back or hide. She knew what she wanted and grabbed for it, and he loved that. Loved meeting her halfway, as lost as she was.
The curves of her body proved too inviting to ignore. He slipped down, trailing his mouth from her cheek to her neck. He lavished every inch of skin he discovered. His tongue swept over her nipple, then around it. When the nub puckered, as if begging for more, he did it again. One, then the other, he sucked and caressed her breasts. Inhaled her fragrance.
Her Other Secret Page 12
