by Meryl Sawyer
Get over it!
Her sole experience with a naked man had been years ago when she’d first gone to work at the bank. Every week a man from Jackson delivered boxes of deposit slips and other paper supplies to the bank. They’d gone out for several months when she’d agreed to go back to Corbin Gutcheon’s motel. They’d had sex that still made her cheeks hot when she recalled the awkward situation. Immediately, she’d known she’d made a mistake. Corbin had asked her out many times after that, but she never went.
Kat heard the water shut off. She tugged down the hem of the board shorts she was wearing and adjusted the wrinkled blouse she’d pulled out of her things, when David had brought them over. She was a little self-conscious about not wearing a bra, but she’d been too exhausted to rummage though her clothes to find one.
With a sidelong look, she caught a glimpse of Justin as he emerged from the bathroom. His wet hair stood up in glossy black spikes. She quickly averted her eyes, but she couldn’t help noticing his great shoulders, broad and muscular. Tufts of dark hair arrowed downward and disappeared under the towel knotted around his waist. That didn’t stop her from appreciating his powerful thighs and long, lean legs.
Don’t go there, she warned herself, realizing her body was flushed with warmth. She had no business being around Justin. She should have asked David to take her home with him. Surely, she would have been just as safe there.
A few minutes later, Justin emerged barefoot from the bedroom, wearing cargo shorts and a black Miami Heat T-shirt that couldn’t possibly survive one more washing. She’d only gotten a quick peek at his chest before, but the well-worn cotton emphasized every masculine line and contour. Her gaze traveled up the lean, solid length of him until his eyes met hers and held. She struggled to bend half a smile while the pleasing scent of soap floated through the room.
Why did Justin have to be so heart-stoppingly gorgeous?
He went over to the window air conditioner in two long-legged strides that reminded her of what an exceptional athlete he’d been. “This swamp cooler isn’t worth a damn.”
She mustered a reply in what she hoped was a level voice. “The air is sort of cool.”
He didn’t respond while he tinkered with the dials. The swamp cooler wheezed and belched out a gust of colder air. He looked over his shoulder, and she admitted to herself that he had the most amazing blue eyes she’d ever seen.
He rose to his full height, saying, “Want some ice cream?”
“No, thanks. Today I’ve had more than I’ve eaten since…before.”
“It’s strawberry.” A playful smile tilted the corners of his mouth upward, giving him a boyish, yet sexy expression. Obviously, David had told him that strawberry was her favorite.
“Okay, just a little.” She used her thumb and forefinger to indicate a tiny bit.
“Feel up to helping me?”
“Sure.” She put down the book and pushed to her bare feet, wobbling slightly on the cool wood floor.
He reached out and grabbed her arm to steady her. “Maybe you shouldn’t—”
“I’m fine.”
He slipped his strong arm around her waist, and pleasure radiated outward from every place his body touched hers. “It’s a good idea for you to move around a little. In a hospital they always make you get up and walk as soon as possible.”
She managed a nod, totally aware of his rock-hard body pressed against hers. The warmth of his powerful torso was reassuring. She told herself she could walk on her own, but she couldn’t quite manage to pull away. They crossed the small distance to the kitchen, Redd at their heels. Justin let go of her to open the freezer.
Gingerly, she took a step backward so she was no longer so close to his appealing body. Rummaging through the frozen food, he seemed oblivious to the devastating effect he had on her. He said, “The bowls are over the sink beside the plates. I’ll get the spoons.”
Still a little woozy, she retrieved the bowls and set them on the counter. He dished out a generous dollop of strawberry ice cream. She shook her head. “Half that.”
He cut down the portion with the spoon and dropped it into his dish. He added a huge scoop with a cocky grin. “My stomach’s fine.”
It was more than “fine,” she thought. His stomach was so flat and taut that you could bounce a penny off it. She doubted he ate ice cream often. As they took seats at the kitchen table, she thought about the chubby girl she’d been, then told herself this small amount of ice cream couldn’t hurt after days without food. They ate in silence, but she couldn’t help noticing how relaxed he seemed, while she couldn’t help being on edge.
Justin rinsed off their dishes and left them on the drain rack. “Come on.” He held out his hand to her. “Let’s get you walking. It’s the only way to get strength back in your legs.”
His arm encircled her waist in a no-nonsense manner. He exuded sexual magnetism, but he was all business now, and she forced herself to concentrate. With baby steps she walked barefoot across the living room toward the bedrooms. Redd followed beside them, peering up at Kat and seeming to be concerned.
“I guess you found the bathroom,” he told her. “Just open the cabinet on the wall for fresh towels.”
They approached the bedroom she was using, and Kat realized she was walking a little faster now. Inside the room her things were piled in one corner. She didn’t know where to put them. Maybe she wouldn’t need to move them; she could be leaving anytime. He reached for her hand and turned her around.
“Let’s go another lap.”
“Lap? How far did we go? Forty feet?”
“Less than that.”
He didn’t drop her hand. His fingers twined between hers, warm, reassuring. She wasn’t in this alone, she told herself. It was profoundly disturbing not to know who her enemies were, to suspect most people around her, but at least she knew she could rely on Justin and David for help.
Pulse racing, she did her best not to lean against him as she walked. Having his arm around her was more comforting and, admit it, more pleasurable than holding hands, but Justin was all business. He might have been a little attracted to her at one point, but now he had two murders to solve—and she was the key to one of them. Who knew? Maybe she was linked to both.
“Pick up the pace.” His voice had a husky edge.
She walked faster, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. She’d never be able to solve the mystery unless she regained her strength. Still, having Justin at her side was distracting. Tempting.
Kat had been in prison too long, away from any men except the disgusting guards. She might have been an ugly duckling who could boast of just one brief relationship, but that hadn’t kept her from looking at men. And daydreaming about them. For as long as she could remember, Justin Radner had lurked in her romantic thoughts.
“How do you feel?” he asked when they reached the kitchen.
“I’m fine. Ready to do it again.” She made herself say this even though she longed to collapse into the easy chair again. No pain, no gain, she reminded herself.
She twisted her fingers out of his grasp and marched toward the back bedroom. Her calves burned but she kept going. If prison had taught her one thing, it was to never show weakness. She walked briskly until she was in the bedroom she was using, her toes up against a black duffel with Boston Globe in white script. David had stuffed her things into one of his duffels when he’d discovered she had more clothes than would fit into the satchel she’d brought to the apartment. She pivoted, ready to do it again, or fall flat on her face trying.
Justin was right behind her. He held up his hand. “Whoa! That’s enough for now.”
She set her chin high and sailed by him just the way she would have a prison guard. Show no fear. In this case, she wasn’t afraid of Justin; she was afraid of being too weak physically to defend herself. Who knew what would come next? She had to be prepared, to rely on herself.
Justin grabbed her and pulled her so close that her breasts flatt
ened against the solid wall of his torso. The rapid rise and fall of his chest sent her pulse skittering. “Don’t overdo it. You’ll have a relapse and it’ll take longer to recover.”
His breath feathered the wisps of hair at her temples. Her throat went dry, but heat throbbed in her veins, then shafted downward, warming her lower tummy and thighs. Face facts, Kat told herself, she’d always been a sucker for Justin Radner. His gaze met hers and another rush of heat surged to the area between her thighs. The air between them was suddenly charged with sexual attraction.
Before she could utter a word, his mouth slanted over hers. His lips were moist and firm, the way they’d been when he’d kissed her before, but this time there seemed to be…an urgency to the kiss as well as a tenderness that she hadn’t felt with previous kisses. The faint prickling of his emerging beard heightened the sensation. Her already weakened legs turned to rubber and she sagged against him. His arms supported her like bands of steel while his tongue nudged between her lips.
Oh, my.
His tongue filled her mouth, mating with hers, the way she’d imagined over and over and over in her dreams. Desire, dark and urgent, swept through her, eradicating rational thought. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back for all she was worth.
She craved each touch, each movement of his mouth, his powerful body. The reality was even more exciting than anything she’d ever dreamed. Kissing Justin was so much…more thrilling than she ever could have anticipated. Why stop here? her body asked. Why?
She’d never felt like this in her whole life. True, she hardly had any experience with men, but this seemed to be so much more than she expected. This was the bomb! She was almost dizzy with the heat suffusing her body. One of his hands crept downward to cup her bottom, and she couldn’t resist the urge to rub her chest sensuously against his torso. Her nipples were tight nubs while her breasts felt heavy and aching with pleasure as she moved. His hard, swollen penis pressed against her belly from behind his fly.
His hand caressed her buttocks, then inched upward under her blouse. She pulled back, still kissing him, still clinging to him, to allow space for his hand to touch her. He cradled one breast in his palm while he slowly traced his thumb across her erect nipple. A purring sound rose from deep in her throat.
Don’t stop, she silently prayed. If someone was going to kill her, Kat wanted to go to the afterlife knowing what it was to really make love to someone. Instinct told her Justin wouldn’t be a wham-bammer like Corbin. As if reading her thoughts, Justin swooped her up in his arms and carried her over to the bed. Gently he lowered her to the sheets and in the dim light coming from the luminous dial of the alarm clock she saw the blaze of heat in his eyes as he gazed down at her. His breathing uneven, he traced the high arches of her cheekbones, then eased his fingertips into her hair.
Kat’s whole body quivered with amazement that he could want her as much as she wanted him. Sensing his desire, her pulse kicked up another notch. Maybe his burgeoning erection had taken over his brain. This was a man who could have any woman he wanted. This might just be about sex and nothing more.
Who cares? Right now, she needed him to make love to her. If it meant more to her than it did to him, Kat was willing to take the risk. Who knew what tomorrow might bring? She could indulge in soul-searching later.
He angled his body across hers. “Am I too heavy?” he whispered.
“No.” Actually, she found his size, his weight reassuring.
She slid her arms around his neck and surveyed the shadowed contours of his face while he unbuttoned her blouse. He brushed the panels aside, revealing the soft mounds. Cool air whisked across her heated flesh, and goose bumps like pinpricks sprang up.
“Damn,” he muttered. “You’re beautiful.”
She’d never thought of herself as beautiful. Her “assets,” as her mother called them, were small compared to Tori’s, but there was no mistaking the reverence in Justin’s tone. Now, in this moment, she did feel beautiful.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
KAT GAZED UP at Justin through her long eyelashes. His hands pulled out of her hair and slowly trailed downward, caressing her cheeks and neck, finally coming to rest on her taut nipples.
“I’ve wanted you since the moment I set eyes on you,” he told her.
“Really? When I was a fat kid?” She was justifiably proud of her irreverent tone.
He paused and smiled at her, his thumbs still on her nipples. “I wish I did remember you back then, but I didn’t pay much attention to younger kids.”
Unless they looked like Tori, she silently amended.
“But when I spotted you outside Jo Mama’s, I was a goner.”
This was something, she supposed. A belated victory. Once again she thought about the way prison had changed her. Hell on earth had made her tougher—and more attractive. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Her father used to tell her that. Now she knew what he meant.
“I wanted you, too,” she admitted. She’d always had a thing for Justin, but the night when Hank Bullock had attacked her in Jo Mama’s parking lot marked a milestone. She’d never been so physically close to him before that evening. The impression he’d made had been powerful. She hadn’t been able to get him out of her mind since.
“Make love to me,” she heard herself whisper.
“What in bejesus do you think I’m doing?”
“Who knows? You’re takin’ your sweet time.”
His pupils had dilated until they were black with a narrow rim of Arctic blue around them. He whispered in a raw, thick voice, “Are you a virgin?”
“No!” she snapped back. Undoubtedly, he believed the ugly duckling had never had sex and it bothered him.
“Thank God for small favors.”
He sounded so relieved it was all she could do not to punch him. Then she stopped herself. A virgin was a huge responsibility, and Justin realized this. Corbin Gutcheon had not. Her first and only sexual experience had been a disaster because the man knew she had no experience but never thought about anyone except himself. At least Justin cared enough to ask.
With a sigh, she surrendered. She wanted him inside her with such intensity that she was dizzy with anticipation. Get a grip, her mind kept telling her, but Kat’s body had other ideas.
CHILL, JUSTIN TOLD HIMSELF, but it was impossible. Beneath him was the sexiest, most erotic creature he’d ever envisioned. How had this happened? A parade of women had tromped through his life, but not until now—until Kat—had a woman made such an impression on him. He wanted her, sure, but even more he was desperate to protect her. Who wanted her dead? He hadn’t a clue, and it frustrated him more than he could say.
“Kiss me again,” she whispered, her voice low, seductive.
“I want you to understand,” he said, then forgot what he wanted her to know. She pivoted in his arms, turning just a degree but the friction of the movement sent scores of nerves in his body tingling. Aw hell, what was she doing to him?
He didn’t blame Kat. She wasn’t a virgin, but she wasn’t experienced enough to play him like a fish on the hook. Her moves were uncalculated. She wasn’t like other women who took seduction to the highest level.
Kat was different, special. She had a guileless, emotional honesty that he found refreshing. And intriguing.
For a moment, he regretted she’d been with another man. He couldn’t be jealous, could he? Okay, he conceded, maybe he was a tad jealous. Justin longed to know who her lover had been. Had he left her to face prison by herself? Then, suddenly, unexpectedly he didn’t care. She was his now. His alone.
Kat’s tousled hair was fanned against the pillow. The glimmer of light from the hall kindled her red highlights. He’d dreamed about having her on her back like this, but the reality was so much more pleasurable. He needed to make this good for her, to bond her to him in a special way that only true intimacy could accomplish.
Her arms encircled his neck and held tight. His lips touched hers, and he s
topped thinking while he kissed her. His erection had become painful now, begging for release, but he couldn’t rush it. He wanted her to remember this night forever. She’d had sex, but there couldn’t have been that many men in her life. He needed to be exceptional.
Justin unzipped her shorts, then hooked his thumbs in the waistband and yanked them downward. She wasn’t wearing any panties. He sucked in a gulp of air to keep from losing it. Her shorts slid down her trim thighs, and she wiggled her legs to free herself.
Justin reared back on his knees, inhaling sharply, his breathing harsh, unsteady. She tugged at his shoulders as he unzipped his cargo shorts, shimmied out of them, freeing his erection. With one knee, he nudged her thighs apart, then rested between them. His heart thundered against his ribs as if this were a marathon. He forced himself to try to breathe normally. This wasn’t a race. They had all night.
With heavy-lidded eyes, he gazed down at her for a moment, not saying anything. Damn, Kat was beautiful. He’d told her that a few minutes ago, and she’d seemed startled. Hadn’t anyone ever told her how pretty she was? What about the creep who’d taken her virginity? Hadn’t he appreciated the way she looked, the interesting person she was?
Where had she been his whole life? It seemed as if he’d been journeying toward this moment for years.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked, a warning note in his voice.
She pressed her hand flat against his nosily beating heart. “You bet I’m sure.”
There was a quaver in her voice, but he barely noticed. With one fluid movement, he shucked the T-shirt and threw it to the side. It landed on Redd’s rump. The dog was watching them intently.
