“It’s the only way for you to see what I have on under this dress.”
His gaze shot to the shadowed junction where her thighs met. And didn’t wander away again. He squinted as if trying to see what she hid under the bunched material.
Exactly according to plan.
She stripped, and his mind focused solely on her. On this, Ben proved wonderfully predictable.
“You need to burn off some energy. I need you inside me.” She scrunched the silk in her palms and lifted the dress another half inch. Any higher and the mystery would be gone because a great deal of her would be out in the open.
“Wow.”
“I see you’re finally getting me.”
“The plan sounds good.” His stare locked on her legs.
“Then I need you to touch me.”
“Really?”
“Actually, I’m going to make that a requirement of this exercise.”
“Fine.” He threw off his jacket and dropped down on the couch.
“That’s a good boy.” She straddled him, placing one knee and then the other on the outsides of his thighs. The position put them eyes to breasts. With her hands braced against the top of the couch, she eased down and pressed his erection against her through his dress pants.
With his hands on her sides just under her breasts, he leaned his head back and stared up at her. “When do I get to see underneath the dress?”
“You’re an action type of guy. Why don’t you let those long fingers go exploring and find out?” She dragged his hand to the very heat of her.
“You’re naked.” The second his fingers touched her bare wetness his body hummed with excitement. Shaking overtook his hands. He shifted to get a better angle, to ease two up inside her.
“Not completely. I’m still wearing the dress.”
“But that’s it.” He slid his fingers higher.
“You are quick.”
“Please tell me you took your underwear off when we got home. That you weren’t walking around the courthouse in this state.”
“Well, no. This is my reception outfit. Except for the soaking-wet part, of course.”
“Male lawyers were drooling over you. If they had known…”
“This is only for you.” She leaned down and brushed her lips against his ear to calm him back down when his mood got all riled. “Watching you made me hot. I knew I’d be ready the second we walked in the door.”
“Jesus.”
She drew her dress up higher so she could watch his hand, see his fingers disappear inside her and then pull out slick before entering again. The back and forth mesmerized her. She watched him touch her. Felt the insistent caresses. The combination took her body from ready to flaming fire.
“You feel so good.” Her groan of satisfaction filled the room.
“I was about to say the same thing about you.” His free hand slipped around to her lower back, guiding her as she rode his hand.
The moment was for him, but she stole some time for her. With her head thrown back, she closed her eyes and gave in to the sensations rolling through her from his probing. It wouldn’t take much for him to set her off. The promise lured her.
She inhaled a few times before dropping her mouth to his. The kiss lingered as his fingers worked. He pumped. His lips conquered.
She lost the battle.
Giving up the fight to the rhythm, she let her building orgasm rock her hips. Her body sucked his fingers deep inside as she gasped for breath. Then her lower half bucked. Waves of pleasure crashed over her until he gentled his touch against her sensitive folds.
When she finally fell against his chest, her mouth pressed against his neck. Her muscles turned to soup.
“Beautiful woman.” He whispered the word against her forehead.
“Talented man.”
He chuckled. “One who’s hard as hell and sick from wanting you.”
“That’s sweet.”
“I didn’t mean it to be. Kind of was asking you to hurry up before my underwear catches fire.”
“Let me take care of that for you.” He didn’t argue as she slid off his lap to sit on the floor in front of him. “My, those pants do look mighty tight.”
He plowed his fingers through her hair. “They sure are now.”
“You poor thing.”
“I’ve had a rough night.”
“Maybe this will help.” She cupped him through his pants and felt his cock jerk in response.
“Definitely.”
With his deep breaths as an invitation, she eased the zipper down, listening to the steady clicks as the front of his pants came undone. “Where were you hiding this at the party?”
He brushed her hair off her neck and stared down at her fingers. “I was too busy trying not to kill the men who tried to get a peek down your dress.”
“Mmmm.” She lifted his penis out of his boxer briefs and squeezed her palm around him.
He groaned as his hips shifted forward on the couch to meet her mouth. “Yes. Just like that.”
She gave him what he needed. Her tongue circled his tip as her hand moved up and down on him.
The torment had his hand clenching in her hair. “Harder.”
Her pace stayed steady as she took him deep into her mouth. Warm and hard, he slid down the back of her throat, growing thicker with each stroke. She caressed and licked, pumped and enticed. When his body tightened and his words shifted to grunts instead of words, she knew she had succeeded in making him forget about anything but her.
Two hours later Rod sat with his very high-powered father across from Mark at the conference table. With the accusations shooting at him, the kid had been smart enough to ask for a lawyer. Unfortunately, the lawyer in this case meant his wealthy dad, Dale. Which was even worse.
The only good part was that Dale wanted Emma in the room. If it wasn’t for the request and the very real possibility the kid would have stopped talking if Mark refused, Emma knew she’d be at home. Alone. Mark never would have let her stay. Acquiescing grated on him. She could see it in the hard edge to his jaw. As it was, he agreed but limited her access to standing and keeping quiet.
“I was set up.” Gone was the panic and yelling. Rod acted calm and in control now. Having Daddy right there ready to pull the plug on the questioning made Rod’s chest puff up.
“You were caught on camera.” Mark’s smile promised retribution. “Didn’t know we put those in, did you?”
“You saw him standing in a room. In an office he works in, I might add.” Dale looked at Emma. “We all know that is not evidence of anything. And I suspect if you watch the full video, you’ll find your real suspect walk in and out before Rod ever got there.”
Mark tapped his pen against the table. “Why were you in there, Rod?”
“I was told Callie wanted to see me. To have it out over some of our disagreements. Once she arrived at the party, I went upstairs to wait. Figured she’d flirt and mingle before joining me.”
“You’re changing your story.”
Rod looked at his dad. “That’s not true.”
“Earlier you said Callie was the one who told you to go upstairs.”
Rod traced an invisible pattern on the table. “I thought the message was from her.”
Dale put a firm hand on his son’s shoulder. “Just tell them who gave you the message.”
Rod glanced at Emma. “I’m sorry.”
She knew the accusation was coming. Felt it before he said the name. “Don’t play games. Just tell me.”
“Scott,” Rod said.
Dale stood up. “There you go. As you can see, you have the wrong clerk. Now, if you don’t mind, I would like to take my son home and forget this evening ever happened.”
“Not quite.” Mark motioned for Dale to sit back down.
The man balanced his palms against the table and stared down Mark instead. “Mr. Walker, it’s time you admit you made a mistake here. Rod is willing to move on, with apologies from you and Judge Walk
er, of course, along with some other concessions, including a stellar recommendation and some help with landing him an associate position wherever Rod thinks is best after his clerkship. This questioning, however, must stop right now.”
Mark screwed up his mouth. “How nice of him to let us set up his life for him.”
“Mark—” Emma stopped talking when he sent her a look of pure fury.
He turned back to Dale. “I’m not convinced of Rod’s innocence, so I think you can imagine how long he’ll need to wait for those apologies.”
“You were wrong about me,” Rod said.
“We have your computer records and know what you’ve been checking out, Rod.”
“Nothing bad.”
“Bomb making websites. Combine that with your background in science and we have a problem. An exploding kind.” Mark leaned back, his demeanor cooler and more in control. “I’m just trying to figure out the motive.”
“For his degree?” Dale asked, obviously stunned that Mark had added the facts together and come up with attempted murder.
“I planned to go to med school.” Rod’s voice grew louder with each syllable. “And the website stuff is not true. You can’t lay that on me.”
Dale touched his son’s arm, opting for maturity over Rod’s hot temper. “That’s enough.”
“You sure? It was just getting interesting,” Mark said.
Dale smoothed down his tie. “If I were you I’d be worried about Scott’s background, not Rod’s.”
Emma jumped in the conversation. Couldn’t help herself and ignored Mark’s scowl to do it. “What does that mean?”
Relief showed in Dale’s eyes at dealing with her instead of Mark. “You have the wrong clerk. Scott lured Rod up here. Scott is obsessed with Judge Walker. Scott has access to the offices and computers just like Rod does. It would appear Scott has fooled everyone and tried to frame Rod.”
The thought sent Emma’s mind reeling. What if she had introduced the craziness into all of their lives? What if, once again, her instincts had failed her.
Mark looked to Sheriff Danbury. “Where is Scott now?”
“I’ll find him.” The officer took off at a near run.
Emma hoped Dale was wrong. And that it wasn’t too late.
Chapter Twenty-three
Callie woke up from her sex-induced doze an hour later. She lay on her side with her arm thrown across Ben’s bare chest. Somehow they ended up in the dead center of her bed with the sheets bunched underneath them. Not comfortable, but he didn’t utter a complaint. Probably because he was too busy drifting off to sleep.
She curled into him and felt his breath blow against her forehead. Her hand rose and fell on his stomach with each intake of air. Slowing the longer she touched him.
Comfortable but not okay. She needed him awake and talking.
She poked his side. “Are you asleep?”
His shoulders jumped off the pillow as his eyes popped open. “What?”
“Having trouble sleeping?”
He groaned. “Am now.”
“I need to ask you something.”
He hid his eyes under his free arm, the one she wasn’t crushing under her. “This is almost unfair.”
Talking to his forearm was not her idea of a good time, so she pushed it over his head and stared at him. “How do you figure?”
“You jostle a guy out of—”
“Who the hell uses the word jostle before his eyes are even open?”
“—and expect him to have an intelligent conversation.”
“You’re the one who’s supposed to be so freaking brilliant.”
“When I’m awake, maybe.”
“You’re fine.” She drummed her fingers on his stomach. “So, do you think Rod did all of this?”
Ben’s face crunched up in disbelief. “Are you kidding me?”
“No.”
“I thought we settled this issue last night.”
She scooted up until her elbow rested on the pillow next to his head. From this angle, she could watch his eyes…and poke them if needed. “I don’t see a motive.”
“We’re really going to talk about this now.” He spun the alarm clock around until the green lit numbers beamed across the bed. “At midnight. That’s your plan?”
Time for the big guns. “Should I have talked about this before I got down on my knees and took you into my mouth?”
“I can see I’m not going to win this battle.”
“Of course not.”
He pretended to bang his head against the pillow. “Go ahead.”
“Rod as the stalker. Does that work for you?”
“He hates you, remember?”
“Oh, thanks for blaming me for everything that’s happened.”
“Just playing along.” Ben stretched out both arms wide to the side and yawned.
“Don’t think you can ignore me by pretending you’re tired.”
“I don’t think you appreciate how much energy it takes to keep a woman like you satisfied.” His fingers brushed up and down on her arm. “Not just any man could keep up with you.”
That was good since she only wanted one man. “Are you looking for a compliment?”
He closed one eye and pretended to think about the question. “I think I am.”
She leaned down, her mouth hovering over his. “You rocked my world.”
“Nice one.”
Her thumb skimmed along his lower lip. “If you were any hotter I’d be in the hospital.”
“Right back at ya, sweetheart.”
He lifted his head and stunned her with a soul-burning kiss. Warm, wet, and wild. It teased and caressed, stole her breath, and then replaced it with his. Just when it wound down and she thought about pulling back, he speared his fingers through her hair and held her close.
The second round wiped out all memory of the first. His mouth met hers, slanting and exploring, convincing her that dropping her defenses and letting him in had been the right move.
When she finally lifted her head, a happy dizziness assailed her. “Talk about impressive.”
He flashed a cocky smile. “I aim to please.”
Being silly, she used her finger to trace a heart on his skin. “It didn’t work, you know.”
“And here I thought I could control you with sex.” He closed his eyes, but the big grin stayed put.
The quiet allowed her to study his strong features. So handsome and powerful. Just seeing him turned her bones to jelly.
“You can but only for short periods of time,” she said.
One eye shot open. “That better not be a knock on my stamina, woman.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” She waited until he drifted back into a state of sexual bliss. “But I still haven’t forgotten about the Rod issue.”
Ben let out a long, labored groan as he sat up, propping his back against the headboard. The move brought her up on her knees at his side.
“Women.”
“You love women.”
“The quiet ones.” He rushed on before she could smack him for that. “But I can see I’m not going to get any more sex or even post-sex flirting until we talk about this. Go ahead.”
“That’s using your big brain.”
He gestured for her to continue. “Hit me.”
“I’m pretty good at reading people.” When he stayed quiet, she continued. “The Rod connection doesn’t make sense.”
“You’re the one who put him on Mark’s radar.”
She bit her lower lip, trying to think of a way to make someone as smart as Ben ignore the obvious and rely on her instincts instead. “I put Elaine on there, too, but I never thought she wanted to hurt you. Everyone near you, close to you, talking about you, or mooning after you went on my list of possibles.”
His eyes widened. “Mooning?”
“Got a problem with my verb?”
His fingers explored the side of her arm, raising goose bumps as he went. “And you complain about my word usage.”
“I complain when you say stupid things like ‘word usage,’ but that’s not the point.”
“What is it then?”
“I know the evidence is pointing that way, to Rod, but don’t you think it’s a bit convenient?”
“Having my law clerk try to kill me? No. There’s nothing convenient about that. Trust me.”
It never dawned on her that Ben might view the whole situation as a knock against him. That he would read the signs and figure he failed Rod in some way. “It’s not your fault.”
Ben didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “I hired him. That means I put Emma in danger. Made you a target. There’s no one to blame but me for this one.”
Feeling the need to soothe him, she snuggled against his chest and inhaled his musky scent. She reveled in the comfort of having him wrap his strong arms around her waist. “You can’t predict crazy, Ben.”
“I know.”
The wistful note in his voice made her look up. “Does this have something to do with your name change?”
His arms stiffened around her. “We’re talking about Rod.”
The verbal smackdown packed as much force as a physical one. Disappointment streamed through her. She craved intimacy, and he refused to talk about something so important and basic about his life. A true unloading and sharing of the past. For her, for the first time, it came easy. Seemed right. But he still refused to open that door and let her in.
Rather than let the push back destroy her, she focused on her thoughts about Rod. Sitting up, she pulled the sheet over her lap, leaving her bare breasts open to his view but cutting off his access to anything else. “It’s really Scott.”
Ben blinked several times. “You lost me.”
“I was so sure about him being the one.”
“Because he dropped the first note off at my office? He had an explanation for that. It made sense. Even Mark had to admit that much.”
“Explaining this is tough.” She tried to put something as fleeting and uncertain as her uneasy feeling into words. “He was almost desperate to have me see Rod’s faults.”
“That sounds familiar,” Ben mumbled.
“I’m choosing to ignore that.”
“Got it.”
She wound the edge of the sheet around her finger and pulled tight enough to cut off the circulation. “And then there’s the thing about your family law judge days.”
Leave Me Breathless Page 20
