His jeans felt rough against the backs of her thighs and his cock felt hot and unyielding inside her. Talia wriggled in his lap but that only made the sensations intensify. She felt her body beginning to melt and she fought to steel her mind against him.
As tender as his touch might be, she couldn’t let herself be fooled. She knew him. He was a good cop, one who wouldn’t be able to look the other way. This wasn’t going to change his mind about her.
If anything, it was changing her mind about him.
Anxiety raced through her when she realized how badly she wanted to confide in him. The deep-seated urge scared her and she clawed at his hands to try to free herself. “I’m not going to fall for this. I won’t turn myself in to you. You’ve got no proof against me. You just want to gain my trust so you can throw me in prison.”
“Throw you in prison?” he barked. “Damn it, woman.”
She wasn’t settling down, so he did what came naturally. He began fucking her.
“Why would I want to throw you in prison when I could have this?”
“Ah!” She tried to pull away but the feel of him shafting her was too good. “Drop the investigation,” she begged.
“No.”
Distress clogged her throat.
He pressed his mouth against her ear. “But I will do everything I can to make sure you get off easy.”
His hands pinched at her nipples and her neck arched in pleasure. She fought the feelings surging through her. She wasn’t ready to give in. “Why would you do that?”
“Why? In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve got a thing for you.” His breaths sounded loud in her ear. “Your ways are twisted but your intentions are pure. You’ve got a big heart, you’re beautiful and you’re cunning as hell. Somehow, the combination turns me on.”
“But we couldn’t ever be together,” she said, her voice tight. “I know that. You’re just trying to confuse me.”
“We aren’t having a problem being together right now.”
He juddered into her almost roughly and her breath caught in her lungs. He didn’t give her time to regain her poise. He started humping her hard and fast. The electricity started to zap again and she reached back to catch his hips.
“Ah! Riley!”
“Too deep?”
“No.” In this way, she couldn’t fight him. “Just like that.”
She was feeling every inch of him but he wasn’t satisfied. Reaching down between her legs, he sought out her clit. Her body bowed when he found it and her fingers raked across his butt cheeks.
“We’ll find a way,” he growled into her ear. “Trust me and I’ll do everything I can to protect you.”
Resistance drained out of her as she gave herself up to his capable hands.
Her body soon became slick with sweat and she could feel her juices slathering everything—his thighs, her bottom, his balls… His hands were everywhere. On her breasts. Raking up and down her thighs. Probing between her legs. She gritted her teeth when she felt the familiar zing start low in her belly.
Please, dear God, she thought. Don’t let him be lying. She wanted to believe in him.
She bounced on his lap until the rush went through her. Her entire body arched and she called out his name.
“Trust me,” he demanded one last time.
“Yes!” she cried as her body seized.
He held her tight as he fucked her through it. When his own orgasm hit, he thrust so hard, he lifted her right off her knees, impaling her as far as he could go.
When Talia finally found her air again, they were both leaning against the wall of the van and groping at each other for support. She reached out to brace herself and found the window fogged over.
His grip on her tightened.
“I’d never hurt you, baby,” he said between breaths. “But things have got to change. You’ve gotten yourself into one hell of a mess. If somebody else cracks the case first, I won’t be able help you.”
“I know,” she said softly. “I need you to understand. I—”
The ringing of a cell phone made them both flinch. Talia looked around but realized that her coat was on a box near the front seats and her purse was nowhere to be found. She’d probably dropped it outside.
“Shit. That’s me.”
“Don’t answer,” she said instinctively.
“I’ve got to. I’m on duty.” He reached down into the pocket of his leather jacket and pulled out his cell phone. “Kinkade here.”
Kinkade.
As in Detective.
The call was business. It broke the intimate little cocoon they’d made for themselves and Talia felt her bliss fading. She didn’t want the real world in here. It brought back all her fears and doubts.
“Where?” he said, his attention focusing on the call. “Damn it. Okay, I’ll be right there.”
Her warning signals started bleating. Ramona! Oh, dear Lord. She’d forgotten about that.
Fear ripped through her. Riley would go off the deep end when he discovered that her striptease hadn’t been for his enjoyment alone. She couldn’t believe how close she’d come to admitting her guilt.
He hung up the phone and silence screamed throughout the back of the van.
“I’m sorry,” he said, nuzzling her shoulder. “I have to respond to that call.”
“Do you have to?” she asked, trying to forestall the inevitable. When he discovered what she’d done, they’d be adversaries again.
“I wish I didn’t.”
His hands settled onto her hips and gently guided her off of him. There was a distinct slurp as their bodies disconnected. Talia felt empty. She knew she was losing more than just that part of him. She concentrated on straightening her clothing rather than look at him.
“This is important,” he said as he zipped up his jeans. “I wouldn’t go otherwise.”
“I know,” she said as she zipped up her skirt and pulled it back down over her hips. Her throat felt tight. She just wanted to bawl. She’d screwed things up so badly. “Go ahead. Go do your cop business.”
He leaned forward and rocked her composure with a hot, possessive kiss.
“I’ll be back. Don’t worry, baby. We’ll talk and we’ll find a way to work things out. Everything will be okay.”
She nodded.
Deep inside, though, she knew it wouldn’t.
Chapter Fifteen
Talia was stressing out as she drove to New Covington College. The call Riley had taken in the van had her scared. Flat-out, plain scared. It had been about the robbery at Ramona’s place, she knew it. She had to find Professor Winston. She needed to get rid of the crystal paperweight she’d stolen now. Once Riley saw all the telltale signs at the condo, he’d be back for her. She had no misconceptions about what would happen then. He’d search her place. If he found the stolen property, he’d arrest her.
It didn’t matter what had just happened.
Her foot jammed harder on the accelerator. What had just happened?
Good Lord, she hadn’t been prepared for that. She hadn’t been prepared for him. She’d known they were attracted to each other; she’d felt it from the moment they’d met. She just hadn’t expected that their coming together would be so incredibly explosive.
And she’d thought that Brent Harrington had power over her.
“Don’t,” she snapped at herself.
Things between her and Riley were nothing like that. With him, she felt… different. Emotions and feelings got all jumbled up in the mix. Her body heated at the memory of his intimate touch and she squirmed in the driver’s seat to ease the ache in her sex.
“Stop thinking about it!” she ordered.
Looking down at the speedometer, she forced herself to ease up on the gas. Getting caught for speeding was the last thing she needed. Things were already convoluted enough and she’d left herself no margin for error. She had to settle down and concentrate on getting herself out of this mess.
Analyzing what was going on between her
and the detective would have to wait until later.
Slippery roads made the drive take longer than normal. The sidewalks weren’t much better but the need for discretion made Talia park at the diner and walk the rest of the way. By the time she made it to Jefferson Hall, she was a nervous wreck. Why had she waited so long to pass off the take to Winston? She knew better than that. Her heels clipped a fast pace down the hallway and the briefcase weighed heavily at her arm.
What if Riley was already searching for her?
She bypassed the lecture hall and went straight to Winston’s office. The light was on. She took a calming breath as she gripped the handle and swung open the door.
“Professor—” The words died on her lips as she found a slew of people inside. Heads snapped toward her and she took an unconscious step backwards. “I… I’m looking for Professor Winston.”
“He’s been detained.”
The quiet but lethal voice from the back of the room sent a shiver down her spine. A woman with a fingerprint kit stepped to the side and she saw the man with the voice like ice. Her stomach plummeted. “Riley.”
He was looking at her with fire in his eyes. In his hand, he held one of Brent’s African pieces, which she’d sold to the professor.
Her entire body began to shake.
The gig was up. It was over. They were over.
And they’d hardly gotten started.
“Ms. Sizemore,” he said in that same, scary tone. His gaze raked over her, but froze on the briefcase in her hand. The tension in the room became suffocating. “Do you have business with the professor?”
Talia’s heart was pounding so loudly, she feared she might have a heart attack. She got the insane urge to hide the briefcase behind her back or toss it down the hallway. Self-preservation instincts warned her not to do anything foolish.
“I took classes from him,” she said in the steadiest voice she could manage. “I often consult him when an unusual piece comes into my shop. Is there a problem?”
The look on Riley’s face was tortured. “Yeah, there’s a problem.”
She fought the urge to run. “Then I’ll come back at a more convenient time.”
“Like hell you will.”
The words exploded, making everyone in the room jump. Looks that had been trained on her suddenly swung toward him.
“Shit,” he hissed. He raked a hand through his hair. His shoulders shifted up and down as he took deep breaths. The room went quiet as everyone waited but looks of uncertainty were exchanged.
Only Talia understood what was going on.
He was deciding her destiny.
And there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.
Suddenly, he turned and swept up the box of wooden carvings.
“Finish up here,” he ordered his team. “I’m going to take Ms. Sizemore for questioning.”
A whimper escaped Talia’s throat. This wasn’t how she wanted things to end. She watched Riley anxiously as he came at her. The lover who’d taken her so greedily was gone. In his place was a police detective filled with ice-cold determination. She held up her hand to fend him off. He caught her and turned her with a jerk. She had to practically run to keep up with him as he dragged her down the hallway.
“Riley,” she said, her throat tight. “I can explain.”
“Save it.”
The anger radiating from him was blistering. It scared her even more. He’d been upset with her before, but never like this. He led her out of the building to his car. When he opened the passenger door, she meekly got inside. She knew better than to fight him.
“Put on your seatbelt,” he snarled as he sat down in the driver’s seat.
She quickly snapped herself into place. “Please listen to me.”
He slammed his hand against the steering wheel. “Not another word! Don’t you get it? Things have changed. An entire NCPD crime scene unit just put you at a third crime scene. I can’t cover for you anymore.”
“I’ll tell you everything.”
“Don’t. I don’t want to see any evidence or hear any confessions. The time for that has passed. Don’t give me anything I might be forced to use against you.”
The words buffeted her and she sank into the seat. Muck flew from under the tires as he threw the car into gear. The back end fishtailed as they pulled out of the parking lot and she instinctively reached for the dashboard. She risked a glance in his direction.
His profile was stony. Lines of stress crossed his forehead and red slashes marked his cheekbones. The lips that had kissed her so hungrily were now pressed nearly flat. He didn’t look just angry.
He looked hurt.
Guilt suddenly assailed her. From his point of view, things had to look terrible. He knew she was the Cat Burglar; that wasn’t what had him so upset. It was what had happened in the van. He’d told her he’d help her if she turned herself in but what had she proceeded to do? Run out and meet her fence.
Talia closed her eyes in remorse. She wouldn’t blame him if he kicked her into next week.
Silence sat heavily in the car as they drove across town. Just when she thought she couldn’t stand the tension one second more, he pulled into the driveway of a nice, middle-class, ranch-style house. He’d taken her home. She didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. He reached in her direction. She shrank back but he jabbed the garage door opener. Dread loomed in her chest when he pulled into the garage and closed the door behind them.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He finally looked at her. “Get out,” he said flatly.
Talia felt tears press at her eyes. She truly was sorry. She was sorry she’d hurt him. She was sorry things had gotten so messed up. Most of all, she was sorry she’d ever moved to this horrible town.
Miserably, she followed him into the house. He dropped Brent’s box onto the coffee table in the living room and whipped off his leather jacket. It went sailing across the room. “Do you have any idea the position you’ve put me in?” he roared.
She flinched. His temper was finally turning loose. Shame made her want to curl into a little ball but she forced her chin to stay up. She deserved this. “I didn’t mean to put you in the middle.”
“Well, that’s smack dab where I’ve landed.” His glare dropped down to the briefcase she still held tightly in her hand. “Get rid of that thing!”
She quickly set it on the floor.
“Don’t show me that,” he said as he raked both hands through his hair. “I can’t see what’s in that case.”
Confusion made her stand upright slowly. He hadn’t taken her to the police station and he didn’t want to search her briefcase. What was going on?
She watched as he began pacing heavily around the room.
“I can’t believe you showed up at Winston’s,” he said. “I didn’t know you were using him.”
Uneasiness pricked at the back of her neck. “Then why were you there?”
“This wasn’t about the Cat Burglar,” he said, flinging one hand into the air. “We’ve been watching the professor for nearly six months. He was suspected of fencing stolen art but we weren’t able to prove it until today when he tried to sell a painting to an undercover cop.”
Talia’s air seeped out of her lungs. It hadn’t even been about her! She’d stumbled into something that wouldn’t have touched her if she’d just stayed away. Dismay made her stomach sour.
Riley changed directions and came right at her. “What were you going to give him anyway? When could you possibly have swiped anything?”
She braced herself. Oh, God. He couldn’t find out about Ramona now. It would make things even worse—if that were possible.
“I watched you all night long.” He came to a dead stop and his eyebrows lifted dramatically. “Oh, that’s low, baby.”
“Riley,” she said, her voice like sandpaper. “Please understand. None of this had anything to do with you.”
“That little striptease sure as hell had something to do
with me.” He planted his hands on his hips. “Godammit, Talia. I should warm your bottom for this!”
The air sizzled between them.
“In fact,” he said more softly. “That’s not such a bad idea.”
A distinct glint lit his eyes and she looked at him in shock. He wasn’t kidding.
Mortification washed through her. She knew she had to pay, but not like that. Fight or flight kicked in and she bolted toward the door.
He hooked her about the waist before she’d gotten three steps. “You need a keeper, woman.”
Her heart slammed against her rib cage. She didn’t like the sound of that. She flailed at him but he was too strong. The room spun as he carried her to the couch. When he sat down, he plopped her on her belly over his lap. She immediately tried to leverage herself up. He put his hand flat on her backside and pushed her back down.
“I had other plans for this ass but this will have to do,” he said.
She squirmed on his lap with indignation. She’d never seen this side of him. There was no tenderness in him at all, no leniency. He was incensed by her betrayal and intent on showing her how much. She batted at his hands as he pushed up her skirt.
“You got rid of the nylons but you found some panties, I see.”
“Don’t,” she said when he began peeling them off. The degradation was too much, especially from him. Twisting around, she grabbed for her underwear. Mercilessly, he pushed her hands aside.
The struggle became a battle of wills. She kicked at him, hoping that the heels of her boots would connect, but he pushed her panties down her thighs and her legs got tangled. He shifted her hips, throwing her off balance. The position thrust her bare butt cheeks up into the air. Humiliation rushed through her and she tensed. She still wasn’t ready when the first slap came ringing down hard.
“Ow!” Her body jackknifed. That was no love tap. “Let me go.”
“Do you know what kind of hell you’ve put me through?” he said harshly.
Another smack came down crisply on her tender cheeks and Talia let out a cry. His bare hand was as biting as a paddle. Her butt clenched and her skin stung. She shimmied her hips to try to get away but suffered two more slaps on the ass.
On the Prowl Page 24
