by Cate Beauman
No matter how she tried to tell herself she didn’t, she needed him too. She stepped closer instead of away as he cupped her face and kissed her, plundering as if he’d starved since the last time. She hooked her fingers into the top of his jeans, meeting his hungry demands as feverishly as he gave them.
He hummed in his throat, his muscles shuddering as she lifted his shirt, touching his stomach and pecs.
“Lay down with me, Soph,” he murmured against her mouth, sending her top to the floor, walking with her to the bed, easing her down. “Are your ribs okay?”
She nodded, pulling his mouth back to hers as he settled himself on top of her.
“I need to touch you.” He unfastened her bra, lowering his head to tease her nipples with wet, whispering slides of his tongue. “So soft.”
She closed her eyes, sucking in a breath as sparks of anticipation started deep in her center.
He pulled at the snap on her denim capris and tugged down the zipper, getting to his knees, sliding off her pants and taking her panties with them.
She bit her lip and parted her legs, watching as he freed himself from his clothes, ready for him to enter her. Opening her arms, she invited him back.
He took his place on top of her, capturing her mouth while he pushed himself deep inside, swallowing her cries with the power of her climax. Before she could fall, he began moving slowly, lazily, bringing her up high with each thrust, taking her over again. He pressed his lips to her neck, her jaw, staring into her eyes as he brought his lips back to hers, kissing her endlessly until his breathing grew choppy and his movements jerky.
She cupped his face in her hands, holding his gaze as he gave into his own needs.
Filling her, he let out a raspy groan as he gasped for air, resting his forehead in the crook of her neck.
She’d missed this—what he could do to her, the connection. It was impossible to regret something she would happily repeat again. She slid her hands up and down his back, wondering where this left them.
~~~~
Stone lifted his head, kissing Sophie’s shoulders, her neck, and jawline, staring into her eyes as he lay inside of her. Not ready to break their connection, he adjusted himself slightly, careful to keep his weight on his arms and off her bruises. “Every time, Soph. Every time you destroy me.”
“I can easily say the same thing.” She smiled, tracing her finger over his bottom lip. “Sometimes I wish I didn’t know.”
He frowned, nibbling the tip of her finger between his teeth. “Know what?”
“The way it is. How we are when we’re together.”
He captured her mouth once more, hungry for her flavor. “That doesn’t have to change. I don’t want this to be a one and done.”
“We shouldn’t have ended up here again.”
“Why not?” He tried to keep the frustration out of his voice as he stroked his thumb along the side of her bicep. They had something. This was so much more than just sex and a business arrangement.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I thought we were both trying to move on. It’s hard to do that if we’re doing this.”
“So that’s what this was, blow off a little steam and go our separate ways? Is that all it has to be?”
She shook her head with another shrug. “I don’t know how this works. I’ve never been in this situation before.”
“Let’s just lay it all out on the table.” They would either figure this out once and for all, or he didn’t know what they would do. “This thing between us, most relationships don’t start out the way ours did.”
“No. Our situation is pretty unique.” She gave him a small smile.
“But somehow it worked. We were making it work.” He tucked several strands of hair back behind her ear. “We had a couple of rough spots, but otherwise we were happy, weren’t we? Or was that just me?”
“I was happy. I liked us until I realized maybe you didn’t.” Swallowing, she looked away. “I didn’t have a right to hold you back from your life, Stone.” She met his gaze again. “You were doing me a favor.”
How did he make her understand that she was his life? “I stopped seeing our arrangement as a favor a long time ago. Were you happy being married to me, Soph?”
Her fingers paused against his back, then kept going. “Yes but it was foolish to continue the way we were.
“Why? What changed?”
“I think we needed different things.”
“I think we let people—Eric and Amber—get in the way of what we had.”
She evaded eye contact again.
He tilted her chin until she had no choice but to look at him. “Amber likes baseball, and she’s nice enough, but she’s not you. I love you, Soph. That’s why I want to be married to you.”
Surprise flickered in her eyes as they filled with tears.
“I love you, Sophie,” he whispered, touching his lips to hers.
“I—I didn’t know.”
“I’m sorry I never told you.” He kissed her. “Somewhere along the way I realized I’ve been crazy about you pretty much from the beginning.” He kissed her, feeling her trembling lips. “All of this is new for me. I’ve never felt the way I do about you, for anyone.”
“I love you too.”
He smiled, relieved to hear the words. “That’s a damn good thing.”
She grinned. “I’m glad you think so.”
He rested his forehead against hers, ready to confess the rest. “I, uh, I kind of need to tell you something.”
“What is it?”
“I never sent the papers back to your attorney for filing.” He held his breath as she blinked.
“You didn’t?”
He shook his head. “I signed them, but I couldn’t do it. I can’t let you go, Soph.”
“Kevin said everything was all set.”
“I don’t know what to tell you.”
She chuckled. “All these weeks we’ve been apart...”
“I don’t want to live my life without you. I want you to marry me again.”
She frowned. “But I thought you just said you didn’t dissolve our marriage.”
“I didn’t. The courthouse deal was a quick fix for our pinch. The vows we took are real, but when I look in your eyes and say them this time, I want you to know I mean them. If you want, we can have a ceremony in front of our friends.”
“How can I say no?” Laughing, she threw her arms around him. “Yes, of course.”
“Stone, Sophie, I’m taking Murphy out,” Shane hollered down the hall.
“Okay,” they said at the same time.
Sophie grinned. “We should get up.”
He grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers, not wanting the moment to end. “How about a movie?”
She nodded. “Sure. We should probably let Shane pick—”
Murphy’s vicious barking carried through the window.
Stone pulled away from Sophie, rushing out of bed. Pulling on his pants, he grabbed his gun. “Stay here.” He opened the bedroom door and hustled to the living room as Shane pulled a growling Murphy back into the house, locking up behind him. “What the hell’s going on? Did you see something?”
“No.” Shane moved to the monitors. “But Murphy did.”
Stone joined him, bending close to the screens, studying the footage outside.
“I was watching TV when Murphy started whining. I figured he had to go to the bathroom. I gave the monitor a quick scan while I leashed him up. As soon as I opened the door he went ape shit and started pulling me toward the canyons.
Stone’s eyes immediately moved to the footage back by the area where the footprints were found two nights ago. He rewound the tape, but there was no one there.
“Nothing’s activated, but he’s out there. He has to be,” Shane muttered.
“Let’s call Owens—” He turned when Murphy whined, wagging his tail. Sophie stood by the couch, her hands clasped and her face pale.
“What’s going on?” She crouched
down, petting Murphy as he nuzzled her cheek, leaning against her.
He hated seeing her afraid. “Murphy must’ve smelled something when he was outside.”
“The man who caused my accident is out there.”
“Not necessarily—”
She stood. “Yes he his.”
He sighed, not bothering to argue when he would only be lying. “Shane’s calling Detective Owens.” He gestured to their friend, who’d turned his back to talk to the detective on the phone. “Nothing activated, so he’s not on the property.”
She crossed her arms. “What are we going to do?”
He walked to her, pulling her close, kissing the top of her head. “Wait and see how Owens wants to handle this.”
“Okay. Thanks.” Shane hung up and turned, facing them. “Owens will send a unit out to check the area, but that’s all they can do without any confirmed activity.”
He struggled to keep his frustration at bay, giving a quick nod of his head, not wanting to scare Sophie any more than she already was. “See? Even the cops aren’t too worried about it.” He took her hand. “Let’s stick to the plan and start a movie while we wait to see what the cops find.”
Shane nodded. “Sounds good to me. I’m pretty sure it’s my turn to pick.”
“We’ll go make the popcorn,” Stone added.
“I don’t want popcorn,” Sophie said.
“I do.” He could care less about popcorn or the damn movie, but he wanted the fear to vanish from her eyes. Keeping her busy helped.
“I wouldn’t mind popcorn—with real butter if you’ve got it,” Shane chimed in. “Or maybe the caramel stuff you put on that one batch.”
Sophie nodded, too polite to tell their guest no. “Sure.”
He walked with her to the kitchen, helping her pop the kernels old-fashioned-style on the stovetop and melt butter and brown sugar together. As he did, he glanced at the monitor in the living room to see two officers moving toward the canyons in the right quadrant of the screen.
Chapter Thirty-seven
Rain poured in blinding sheets as he fought his way up the canyon pass. Sliding back a step, he caught himself on a sharp rock, swearing when he scraped his palm. He wiped the thick mud on his shirt and kept going, determined to finish this once and for all. He’d waited for days, holding out for the perfect opportunity to deal with Sophie McCabe, but she was never alone. Paparazzi loitered outside her jewelry store on a daily basis, and once she hunkered down in her ex’s house for the night it was impossible to get a clear shot on her through the blackout shades.
Tonight, shades, surveillance cameras, and bodyguards wouldn’t be getting in the way. The weather sucked, but he was going to use the downpour to his advantage. There would be no footprints to track, and his scent would be difficult if not impossible to follow when the cops realized they had a triple murder on their hands. The contract was for Sophie, but Eric would be getting a three-for-one deal.
The stupid bastard was crazy, calling everyday with threats, ranting his demands. If Winthrop kept it up he was going to get them both caught. It was bad enough he was dealing with security lights, barking dogs, and Los Angeles PD every time he came up here attempting to do his job. The last thing he needed to worry about was the lunatic artist with the big mouth. Eric Winthrop was a loose end he would have to deal with after he finished up and collected his cash.
Slightly winded, he made it to the top of the rise, hunkering low by one of the bushes, careful to avoid the cameras scattered around the property. He blinked rapidly as water dripped in his eyes, noting that the second vehicle belonging to the man who came to stay in the evenings wasn’t there. “Perfect.” Time to make this happen. He inched forward, stopping shy of the sensors he’d tripped the other night, lifted his weapon, aimed, fired, and hit the first video camera and floodlight, then the second set, third, and fourth. He sprinted forward, well aware that the clock was officially ticking. He came to a stop by the Mustang and fired on the front door’s doorknob, rendering the lock useless, weakening the structure for a quick entrance.
Staring through his scope, he moved forward again, entering the dark, quiet house.
~~~~
Stone snuggled Sophie on the couch while he watched TV and she flipped through one of the hundred bridal magazines Abby had dropped off at McCabe Jewelry. Not even twenty-four hours had passed since he and Sophie decided to do the whole ceremony thing, and she and her pal were in full planning mode, calling each other at least every half hour with some random idea.
“What do you think of these hydrangeas?”
He glanced down at the deep pink flowers she pointed to on the page. “I think I like whatever you do.”
Smiling, she rolled her eyes. “That’s what you keep saying.”
She’d wanted his thoughts on cream-colored candles versus white, traditional cake toppers or something a little more fun, invitations, and the little gift deals for their guests—and that was just in the last fifteen minutes. They were having a small ceremony on the beach and the after-party here on the cliffs in some rented tent. Why the hell they couldn’t have burgers on the grill instead of a sit-down meal was still a mystery to him. He kissed the tip of her nose. “What’s wrong with that?”
“It’s not very helpful. You’re allowed to have an opinion. This is your wedding too.”
“Soph.” He pulled her closer, wrapping his arm tighter around her. “You’ve got great taste. I know whatever you pick out is going to be beautiful.”
“Thank you, but I want you to be happy as well.”
“Are you my wife?”
“Yes.”
“Do you love me?”
“You know I do.”
“Then I’m happy.”
“Aww, you’re so sweet.” She gripped his jaw gently, kissing him.
He pulled her back for more before she could ease away. “How sweet?”
She grinned. “I have three weeks to pull this wedding together. I’ll show you how amazing I think you are later.”
“Promise?”
She slid her tongue along his bottom lip. “Absolutely.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
“I hope you will.” She resettled herself against his side, her smile dimming as she glanced toward the monitor before giving her attention back to the magazine.
He brushed his thumb along her wrist, wanting to soothe. He’d caught her looking at the screen more than once since they got home. He’d suggested dinner out to help chase away the tension, but she’d turned him down, wanting to get home and pour over all the stuff Abby gave her.
“Do you want me to check on the roast or something? It smells like it’s ready.”
“Mmm, no thanks.” She shook her head as she bookmarked the page with the hydrangeas. “We’ve got at least another forty-five minutes before we eat.”
He was looking forward to tender roast beef and vegetables on this raw, soggy night. “Okay.” He settled back against the cushion, sighing, when his cell phone started ringing. Tipping the phone, he peeked at the readout. Shane. “Yeah,” he answered.
“Hey, man. I’m running behind. The rain’s pouring and the traffic’s awful. I’m probably fifteen or twenty minutes out yet.”
He glanced at his watch. “No problem. How’d the meeting go?”
“Looks like I’ve officially been assigned to the Appalachia Project.”
He’d dodged a six-month stint in rural Western Kentucky, and he couldn’t say he was sorry after the nightmare reports that had come back time and time again. “Should be fun.”
“Can’t wait. Sounds like it’ll be…interesting.”
“When do you leave?”
“Couple days after your wedding.”
“That’s right around the corner.”
“Tell me about it. We’ll talk when I get there. I can’t see for shit. I just wanted to let you know I’m on my way.”
“Thanks. See you soon.” He looked at Sophie, who was staring at
him with troubled eyes. He shoved his phone back into his holder, next to his gun.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Shane’s running late. The rain’s slowing him up a bit.”
“Oh.”
He pulled the magazine from her white-knuckle grip. “Soph, relax. Everything’s fine.” Despite the fun of wedding plans, she’d been on edge since the cops drove away last night. They hadn’t found anything new, but reminding her so didn’t seem to ease her mind.
“It’s not fine, Stone. He was here.”
“Maybe.”
“We both know he was. Murphy’s never barked like that before.”
“Soph, they didn’t spot any fresh tracks.” But he had this morning when he went out for a look on his own. “And Murphy’s not barking now.”
They both looked over at the dog curled up and snoring in his bed.
“Yes, but—”
He shook his head. “No buts. Come here.”
“I’m sitting right next to you.”
“Closer.” He grabbed her around the waist, careful not to hurt her ribs as he pulled her into his lap so she straddled him.
“Stone.”
Ignoring her warning tone, he took her wrists, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. “There. Much better.”
She stared at him as he slid her skirt higher up her legs. “Stone,” she said again.
He clutched her firm ass, bringing her closer. “What?”
“What are you doing?”
He raised his brow, moving his hand, rubbing his fingers over the crotch of her sexy purple panties. “I’ll give you one guess.” He nipped her chin.
Her pretty eyes went instantly dark with desire. “Shane will be here soon.”
“He’s not here yet.” He pushed the barrier aside, invading silky fire.
She arched back, moaning.
He kissed her neck as she purred in her throat next to his ear. “Make out with me for a while, Soph.”
She cupped his cheeks, her breathing ragged as she pulled his mouth to hers, teasing his tongue into a dance.
