by Mia Dymond
“Rolled up in the sketches.”
“It wasn’t there this afternoon.” Grace took several deep breaths in an attempt to curb her panic. “It must’ve gotten inside my bag somehow and then ended up in the tube after I replaced them.” She felt the blood leave her cheeks. “I’ve had it the whole time.”
Bailey closed the distance between them and took her hand. “Grace, relax. You didn’t know it was there.”
“Did you touch it?”
“Are you kidding? I’ve watched enough crime TV to know better.”
“Good.”
She gave her friend’s hand a squeeze, grabbed a blank, white piece of paper and a pen, and then went to the table. Very carefully, she used the pen to move the jewelry on top of the paper and then folded the paper into a makeshift envelope.
“You go home where it’s safe,” she told Bailey. “I’ve got to get this to Harvard.”
“No can do.”
“Why?”
“I drove, remember? Your car is still parked at his office.”
“Oh, right.”
“Call him.” Bailey pointed at her bag. “I’m sure he’ll have some advice.”
“Well, at least we have the jewelry.” Grace retrieved her phone, pushed the icon she’d programmed for Harvard’s number, and waited for him to answer.
“Yes.” Bailey’s brow furrowed as she agreed. “But if you didn’t know you had it, who did?”
***
Harvard drove the distance to Saving Grace like a madman while he ran the new information through his brain. Although he assumed the peacock was the target the whole time, finding out his assumption was correct really didn’t make him any more confident. The only thing Grace’s discovery did tell him was that she truly was in danger. He released a hard breath. How the hell did the jewelry get into her bag? And, how long had it been there?
He finally steered into the parking lot and shook his head at Bailey’s red convertible. Talk about a dead giveaway. No way could those two women travel in that vehicle until this was all over.
Anger fueled his footsteps and pushed him inside. And when his gaze landed on a very pale Grace, red colored his vision.
“Everybody okay?”
Bailey nodded. “Just shocked to find the peacock.”
“Where is it?”
Grace handed him a folded-up piece of paper. “Inside. We didn’t touch it.”
“How did you get it in here?”
“I used a pen.”
He grinned. “You really are a cat burglar, aren’t you?”
She gave him a weak smile and shrugged.
“Come on.” He shoved the paper into his pocket and then placed one hand to the small of each woman’s back. “Let’s get out of here.”
Remarkably, neither of them argued as they left the office. He helped Bailey into her car and then closed the door. “We will follow you home. Can I trust you to stay put or do I need to call for reinforcement?”
“I’ll stay put. Honestly, I’m a little rattled by all this.”
He nodded and then led Grace to his truck, helped her into the passenger seat, shut the door and then entered the driver’s side.
“Where are we going?”
“We will follow Bailey home and then you and I will go to the compound.”
“Oh, right. My car is there.”
“No.”
“It isn’t? Where is it?”
“Your car is safely parked outside the office, but you’re not driving it home.”
“I’m not?”
He ignored the challenge in her tone and reached for his cell phone on the seat between them. “No,” he said as he dialed.
Much to his surprise, she didn’t issue an argument.
“Ice,” he said as the call connected, “Grace found the peacock in her bag.”
“Should I brief the Captain?”
“Notify him.” He gave Ice a summary of the action. “We’re following Bailey home now and then returning to the compound for the night.”
“Bailey’s going home alone?”
“Affirmative.”
“Damn,” Ice muttered. “Okay. We’ll rendezvous tomorrow.”
He disconnected the call and then dropped the phone back onto the seat. He stole a quick glance at Grace.
“You okay?”
She nodded. “I just can’t figure out how the jewelry got into my bag. I must go through it a hundred times a day and I didn’t ever see it.”
“Did you ever dump everything out?”
“No. I have it divided into sections and generally I just reach inside and grab what I need.”
“My guess is that it got lodged in a corner and then tossed around as you put things in and took things out. It was sheer luck that it ended up rolled inside the sketches.”
“So, what now? Do we return it to Mrs. McGuire or give it to the police?”
He reached across the seat and covered her hand with his. “Now, we have what we need to catch our guy. I’ll meet with Diesel and Ice tomorrow to figure out how to proceed.” He parked in Bailey’s driveway and squeezed her hand. “Sit tight.”
He left the truck and approached Bailey’s car. She lowered the window while her garage door opened.
“Go ahead and pull inside,” he told her, “but leave the garage door open and stay in the car until I check the house. Do I need a key?”
“No, the door leading inside from the garage is unlocked.”
“Alarm?”
“Not set.”
He nodded. “I’ll be right back.”
As soon as he entered the house and assured himself that she was safe, he returned to the garage.
“Lock yourself in and I’ll have Grace call you in the morning.”
“Thanks, Harvard.”
He returned to the truck as the garage door lowered. Satisfied Bailey was safe for the night, he backed out of the driveway and headed for the compound.
“I told her you’d call in the morning,” he told Grace. “Do you have a tight schedule?”
“No, I’ve just got a few things to check on.”
“We’re hosting a barbeque and pool party for the team tomorrow. Will you come?”
“I don’t have my swimsuit. Would you like me to skinny dip?”
Although he focused his gaze on the road in front of him, he mentally visualized her sly smirk. He’s kill to see her skinny dipping, just not with his team as an audience.
“I’ll take you home in the morning to get your suit. Be sure to invite Bailey when you call.”
“Okay, but if I’m going home in the morning, where am I staying tonight?”
He slowed just outside the compound gate and waited for the electronic eye to read the sensor in the truck.
“With me,” he said as the gate opened. “Are you opposed?”
“Absolutely not.”
Her sure, soft, breathy response pushed him to drive the distance to his house quickly. Within minutes, they entered the house, he closed the door, set the alarm, and then reached for her.
“Wait.” She held up a hand and stepped out of reach.
“What’s wrong?”
“We need to discuss a few things first.”
He bit back a smirk. The woman had an organizational obsession.
He crossed his arms over his chest to curb his urge to reach for her. “Okay, shoot.”
“You should know I don’t do this often. In fact, it’s been quite a while.”
“For me too.”
“Right.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s okay, I can guess the extent of your popularity.”
“Grace.” He stepped near her and tucked a wayward curl behind one ear. “I’m serious. I haven’t been with a woman in the last year and I’m clean.”
“Why?”
He frowned. “Because I’ve never had unprotected sex and I have a yearly physical.”
“No.” Another giggle made his eager cock jump. “Why haven’t you been with anyone?”
; “Why haven’t you?”
She shrugged. “Work, I guess. Besides, men don’t tend to appreciate my obsessive need to organize.”
“You are extremely obsessed,” he teased.
“What about you?”
“Same.”
“Try again. We both know you’re not remotely organized.”
“I am now.”
“Answer the question.”
“My job keeps me busy. Believe it or not, I am a lot like you when it comes to a case. I tend to live and breathe it until it’s solved.”
“That, I believe.”
“Anything else?”
She nodded. “Promise you won’t stop this time.”
“Baby, I’m too far gone to stop.”
“Okay, good.”
“Bedroom is upstairs, first door on the left. You have three seconds to get there before I throw you over my shoulder and take you myself.”
She didn’t attempt to argue before she turned and climbed the stairs, her sexy hips hypnotizing him the whole way.
She made an abrupt stop just inside the doorway. “Which side of the bed do you prefer?”
“Doesn’t matter.” He pressed a hand to the small of her back and urged her to the edge of the neatly-made, king-sized bed. “We’re going to be all over this bed before morning.”
He reached for the bottom of her t-shirt and eased it up. “Lift your arms, Grace.”
As soon as the cotton left her body, he tossed it behind him on the floor.
“Don’t you want to put it -?”
“Sshhh.” He placed a finger to her lips. “This time piles are good, sweet girl.”
He paused a moment to take in the sheer sight of her, now standing before him with her very full, creamy breasts cradled by a sexy lace red bra. His lips itched with the desire to rip the barrier from her body and feast but he knew as soon as had his mouth on her, things would progress quickly. No, he intended to take his time, build her desire until she screamed for him to take her.
He grasped her hips, lowered his lips to the nape of her neck, and pressed a series of soft kisses to the surface. A soft moan left her lips as she lifted her arms and began to free the buttons of his shirt. Her fingers worked at a furious tempo and she clawed at the material, attempting to push it over his shoulders. Grinning, he lifted his lips and then shrugged the shirt from his body and dropped it on top of hers.
She gave him a sexy smile and then moved one hand to her cleavage. With the flick of two fingers, the red lace released her breasts and she wiggled it off. He licked his bottom lip as she handed it to him. He haphazardly tossed it behind him, not concerned if it made the pile or not.
“Sweet Heaven,” he mumbled as he reached behind her, pulled back the sheets, and then gently eased her to lie vertically in the middle of the bed.
He reclined next to her and wasted no time in palming one breast and massaging the perfectly round globe. He lowered his lips to hers in another feverish kiss while his thumb moved over her hardened nipple.
A small whimper left her lips as she arched into his touch. Encouraged by her reaction, he gave the nipple a quick pinch before moving to the second breast and then lifted his lips.
“I think you like that.”
She nodded while her eyes closed and she thrust her chest further into his hand.
Determined to prolong the agony of desire, he lowered his head, closed his lips around the second nipple, and sucked the pebbled flesh inside his mouth. His tongue danced around the hard nub while pressure on his scalp told him that her fingers had burrowed into his hair.
“Ah, yes,” she groaned as he released the suction and then closed his teeth around the tip.
His cock screamed for relief and he released her second breast long enough to reach between them and pop the button of his pants. He released a long breath. Even though he knew the relief was temporary, it would have to do for now.
Her fingers tightened in his hair. “Harvard, I ache for you.”
He responded with a low chuckle. He wouldn’t classify what he felt as an ache, he was in absolute pain and he hurt so good he knew only one thing could soothe him at this point – Grace, naked beneath him, screaming in ecstasy.
Encouraged by the tiny whimpers that continued to slip from her lips, he moved one hand down her body and beneath her skirt. Heat radiated from the space between her legs as he moved his palm over the front of her panties and then rubbed her mound in small circles.
“Oh!”
She gasped and raised her hips and he took the cue. He applied more pressure to the sensitive spot right in the middle until moisture coated the fabric.
His balls tightened and he moved his hand from her body to give his cock a desperate hang-on-or-else squeeze. He returned his hand to her body, this time without finesse – no, he was on a mission to touch her, to make absolutely sure she knew who made her delirious with need, and to coax her into insane satisfaction right along with him. He tucked his fingers into the waistband of her panties.
“Up.”
She raised her hips and he removed the barrier in record time while he kept his gaze trained on the nearly-bare treasure between her legs. He wet his lips with his tongue and then moved his index finger to her glistening clit and worked it from side to side.
“Okay, baby,” he murmured, “let’s see just exactly how ready you are.”
She bit down on her bottom lip and then released a soft groan as he eased a finger inside her body. Swollen, wet flesh surrounded the digit as hungry muscles sucked it deeper inside. No doubt about it, she was primed and ready.
He twisted his hand and quickly traded his index finger for his thumb on her clit and then inserted two fingers back inside of her. This time the greedy inner muscles clamped down hard. Sweat droplets danced on his forehead and he locked his jaw. He was determined to take his time, to make this good for her, to do the gentlemanly thing and wait his turn. But, reality was a bitch and the reality at this specific moment was that he wanted – hell, needed – to jerk his fingers from her body, cram his cock inside and stroke them both to Heaven.
He took a deep breath and pushed past the incredible urge to brand her while he began a slow, easy, in-and-out motion while his thumb worked her clit.
“You’re close, baby,” he murmured, “let me have it.”
He increased the tempo and arched his fingers upward into the specific spot that burned even hotter and sucked even harder.
“Harvard,” she gasped.
“Do it, Grace.”
She released an amazingly sexy groan while she raised her hips and ground against his hand. Hot, wet heat coated his fingers, muscles squeezed him like a vice, and then finally – ah, God, finally – he felt the solid pulse as her orgasm swept her away.
He gently removed his fingers while he placed a kiss in the middle of her forehead, intent on giving her the time she needed to recover before he took her body hostage again. He reached between his legs to make a temporary, necessary adjustment.
Although logic dictated it would happen, Grace nearly screamed when Harvard’s fingers left her body. The man may not be an organizational genius in his daily life, but when it came to pleasuring the female body he was an organizational god. Every touch, every stroke, every caress was placed in strategy; he knew exactly where, when and why to perfect each one.
With her body pulsing, she rolled her head to one side and caught sight of his hand on the bulge between his legs. Her mouth watered. No doubt he was skilled with that tool, as well.
She gave him a sultry smirk. “I can fix that.”
“Think so?”
“Know so.”
“You have a manual?”
“Ha, ha.” She rolled to one side, rose to her knees, and then lowered her head until her lips met the surface of his right pectoral. She tasted a slight hint of salt and his musky cologne as she dragged her tongue over the solid muscles to the opposite side of his chest. He released a low groan and pressure to the back of her
head told her that he commanded more contact.
She lifted her head and placed both palms against his chest. “How do you get this so smooth?”
A low, husky laugh rumbled in his chest. “Wetsuit.”
She moved his dog tags with one finger. “Badges of courage.”
As expected, he simply shrugged. Her heart rolled over. A reluctant hero.
She released the metal and moved her hand downward, pausing to draw lazy circles on his defined abdominal muscles. “You’re so hard,” she murmured.
Those tight muscles jumped when he spoke. “I think it’s obvious that I’m painfully hard, sweetheart.” He lowered his head to place a kiss to her lips. “And it’s your fault.”
“I’m working on fixing that.”
She reluctantly left the abdominals, exceptionally appeased when she placed her palm against his length.
“My, my, my,” she tsked. “Surely I can come up with a way to alleviate your pain.”
Before he could respond, she bent forward, placed her mouth against the fabric that still covered him and released a long, hot breath. When the muscle beneath jumped against her lips, she removed her mouth, reached a hand to ease down the zipper, and then peeled back the cotton of his briefs until her mouth met bare, hot, hard flesh.
“Damn,” he spat as he thrust closer to her mouth.
She dragged her tongue along the exposed length of him, down until her mouth met denim and then up, caressing the smooth, veined surface and finally over the head. She hesitated there, allowing her tongue to play over and under the tip before she opened her mouth further and sucked him completely inside.
The clean, male scent of him pushed her to draw him in further, as far as she could before he finally bumped the back of her throat. She swallowed and the taste of him told her that he enjoyed her attention immensely.
Suddenly her skin heated with his touch when she felt her chin cupped in his hands.
“Grace, baby,” he growled. “Your mouth feels so good on my cock.”
His admission fueled her desire and she tightened her lips around his hard muscle and then began to move him in and out of her mouth in a heated rhythm. Pressure on the back of her head pushed him further into her mouth with each forward motion. Driven to make him crazy with pleasure, she flattened both palms against his groin and took him to the back of her throat. Her eyes watered as the muscles there worked to bring him extreme pleasure.
