Leaning into him, Harper licked her lips and held his gaze as she took him into her mouth. Riley’s eyes lowered but didn’t close as he watched her. As she slid her tongue along the underside of his flesh, she moaned in appreciation. She’d never sampled anything so exquisite. His taste was addicting. Although she was appeasing her craving for him, she still couldn’t get enough.
His virile scent filled her nostrils, and she couldn’t inhale it deep enough. His flavor on her tongue sent tremors of need pulsing throughout her body. The heady combination dampened her inner thighs. Her muscles contracted in anticipation, anxious to feel him stretching her.
Along his length she toyed with her tongue, her teeth, her lips. Around the base of his cock, she pumped her hand in time with her mouth. She sucked him as deeply as she could, and hummed around the mouthful.
Long, thick fingers fisted in her hair, gripping tight, then relaxing, pushing, then pulling, over and over as if he couldn’t decide which action he needed more. His breath grew labored as she continued the pleasurable torment to his cock.
A few moments later, Riley groaned. “Damn, baby.”
Harper smiled with contentment as she released his cock, and still stroking, lifted it so she had access to his balls. The sac was taut and pulled up close to his body. With her teeth, she gently plucked at the fine dusting of hair covering his boys. Riley’s breath blew out in strangled pants, and his fingers tightened in her hair. When she began tonguing his twins, she felt Riley sway.
She withdrew momentarily and smiled up at him. “Hold on there, big guy.”
“You’re torturing me. It’s sweet torture, but torture nonetheless.”
Harper pouted, continuing to stroke his cock. “You want me to stop?”
Hunger flickered in Riley’s eyes. “Ahh, no. You’re a beautiful sight using your mouth on me.”
She chuckled, then ran her tongue over his left ball, then his right. Back and forth she laved him, all the while pulling on his length. She glanced up again to find Riley had thrown his head back. His lips were parted. She assumed his eyes were closed. His chest expanded and contracted with shaky breaths.
When his gaze met hers the raw need burning in his eyes set her body ablaze with want. Her skin tingled. Her nipples throbbed, they were so hard. The scent of her arousal tickled under her nose. She abandoned her torment of his balls, took the head of his cock between her lips, and drew on his flesh. He allowed her only a handful of strokes before he cupped her chin and pulled himself free of her mouth. She whimpered a protest and opened her mouth wide in invitation.
“You’re going to take me over the edge,” he declared.
“What’s wrong with that?”
“I want a turn.”
“That was your turn.” She smiled.
“I want you to lay back against those pillows, spread your legs wide, and show me how hot you are for me. I know you’re wet. I can smell you.”
Harper’s cheeks heated, and she sucked in a breath at his brashness. She wasn’t offended, but the sudden onslaught of desire flooding her was a surprise.
Releasing Riley’s cock, she licked her lips while holding his gaze, and positioned herself against the pillows along the headboard, as he’d instructed. Once comfortable Harper spread her legs and raised her knees slightly.
Riley’s gaze dropped to her center, and a smile lifted his lips. “I knew it. You’re drenched.”
The bed dipped under Riley’s weight as he crawled along the mattress and settled his broad shoulders between her knees. When she reached for him, he shook his head.
“My turn,” he said, and dipped his head.
A soft moan rumbled in her chest with the first swipe of Riley’s tongue along her folds. Over and over he flicked his tongue against her lips, with each pass delving deeper and deeper. When she wiggled her backside and lifted her hips in an attempt to get closer to that mouth of his, Riley pulled back a fraction, but still maintained contact with her mound, and chuckled. The vibration ricocheted like a pinball through her body.
Resting on his elbows Riley used his fingers to spread her outer lips open, revealing the swollen and aching nubbin hidden within. When he closed his lips around the tingling protrusion and began suckling her, a delicious sexual haze snagged her into its grasp. Though tempted to close her eyes and get lost in the erotic sensations Riley’s mouth invoked, she didn’t want to miss one second of the expression of pure satisfaction etched on his face.
Between her inner lips the tip of his tongue probed, and when he pushed it inside her, she nearly came unglued.
“Jesus, Riley.”
As he alternated between tongue fucking her and suckling her sensitive clit, Harper struggled to draw air. The warmth of his mouth and breath stoked the embers of need coursing through her, causing the flames to lick higher.
Caught up in the dizzying sensations of Riley’s talented mouth, Harper missed the early signals of her approaching orgasm.
“Oh God,” she whispered, moments before she tumbled over the delightful edge.
As if recognizing her desire Riley abandoned his oral assault to sit upright. From under the pillow he retrieved a condom and rolled it over his length. His fingertips then dug into her hips, and he roughly tugged her down the bed toward him, and onto his cock. As he slid to the hilt, Harper arched her back. Her eyes rolled back, and her mouth opened in a silent cry of satisfaction. His claiming was raw, primal, almost savage as he shoved inside her.
To some his forcefulness might border on abusive, but for Harper, it was exactly what she craved. For she knew where Riley was rough and demanding in his taking, he’d shown he could also be gentle and giving.
As he gripped her hips, holding her still, she clutched his biceps and allowed the tidal wave of climax to wash her under. Her muscles clamped onto Riley’s cock as if fearing he’d pull free, convulsing around him in exquisite spasms of release. Bright lights splintered behind her eyelids as she squeezed her eyes closed and surrendered mind, body and soul to Riley’s persuasion.
Riley began stroking within her, slowly, methodically, blissfully drawing out her orgasm. She opened her eyes to find his face a hairs’ breadth away from hers. The feral gleam in his gaze caused her breath to catch in her throat.
“That’s my girl,” he praised with a growl, and increased the rhythm of his hips, thrusting into her with abandon. “Do it again for me.”
Harper couldn’t have stopped even if she’d wanted to. She lay decadently pinned beneath Riley’s weight, his hands holding her hips in place as he continued pounding into her, his body demanding that she come again. It took effort to stifle the keening cry hovering on her lips; the last thing she wanted was to wake the rest of the house up. Instead she gripped Riley’s arms tighter and allowed the moan of toe-curling pleasure rumbling in her chest to break free.
Sweat peppered Riley’s upper lip, and his teeth sank into his lower lip as he slowed his thrusts. When the waves of her orgasm diminished, Riley sped up once again until he found his own release.
“You are incredible, Harper.” The smattering of gentle kisses he pressed along her neck and jaw made her melt into him.
“Hmm, right back at ya, cop.”
After a languid shower and another round of intense lovemaking, they fell asleep in each other’s arms.
Chapter 21
Harper woke early to Riley’s soft snoring coming from beside her. Grinning, she remembered their decadent experience the night before. The sex was always fantastic with Riley, but last night, she’d let go of her self-control.
She realized it was time to put the past, in the past. She was ready to face her demons, and share the deepest and darkest parts of herself with Riley.
Harper crawled out from under the arm and leg Riley had possessively laid across her body, trapping her against the bed. After tending to her needs in the bathroom, she headed back to the bedroom to pull on shorts and a t-shirt for a morning run. Once dressed, she looked over at Fred and Ginger now
lying on either side of Riley, who was sprawled out face down in the middle of the bed. The top sheet barely covered his exquisite form. Harper stood admiring his firm backside for a few minutes.
“We’re going to need a bigger bed,” she declared, looking at the three of them covering the entire surface of the mattress. “Okay you two, who’s ready for our run?”
Fred lifted his head, replying with a yawn. He lowered it just as fast and closed his eyes. Ginger didn’t flinch.
“Oh, brother. He’s turned my dogs into lazy lumps.” She shook her head as she left the room. After checking on the sleeping girls, she laced up her sneakers and left for her run.
It was time to tell Riley everything. All her secrets. When she came home, she was going to sit down with him and reveal it all.
It was a beautiful morning. The air was warm, and there was a gentle breeze caressing her rapidly heating skin as she jogged down the street. Birds were singing and bathing in the puddles left from the storm the night before.
It was a little over a week since Alex’s death, and Harper missed him. Although they hadn’t been very close the last few years, Harper loved her brother and regretted not making more of an effort to build a relationship with him after their parents had died. Olivia seemed to be handling his passing a lot better that she was.
Harper had held out hope her brother would wake up and the bastard who shot him would be put behind bars. That would never happen now.
Maybe it was time to sell the house, pack up and make a fresh start in another city. Well, perhaps they’d start with another neighborhood and take things from there. She didn’t want to break Olivia and Zandra up. She also came to the realization that she loved being with Riley. He was good for her, and so good with Olivia. Thinking of the four of them spending time together made Harper’s heart fill with pride and her body tingle with excitement. They were becoming a family. Maybe Olivia was right in her four-year-old logic that Kate and Zandra’s mom were watching over them and had brought them together.
Harper stopped beside a tree to stretch out a stiff calf muscle and check her heart rate. She was making great time without Fred and Ginger holding her back, stopping to sniff every fire hydrant, tree and bush.
From out of nowhere she was grabbed from behind. A big hand holding a cloth covered her face, pressing hard, smothering her.
Before she had a chance to panic, her world went black.
* * * *
Riley awoke to Fred snoring deeply beside him. When he shoved Fred, the dog just groaned, refusing to move. Glancing over at the clock on the bedside table revealed it was eight-thirty. He’d slept in. But he’d needed his rest after his marathon fuck-fest with his woman the night before. She was a fabulous lover, and he couldn’t get enough of her. Thoughts of the night before aroused the stirring beast between his thighs.
For a few minutes he lay there wondering why Harper hadn’t awakened him. He heard the light hum of cartoons on the television and figured he’d better get moving since the girls were already up.
Riley stretched before making his way to the bathroom to jump in the shower. After he dressed, he ventured to the living room. He tried hard to gain the girls’ attention away from TV. When that failed, he conceded defeat and strolled toward the smell of freshly brewed coffee.
“Good morning,” he said when he entered the kitchen and spied Melina seated at the table.
“Good morning, Riley. Want some breakfast? Cold cereal is on this morning’s menu,” she offered.
“No, thanks. Where’s Harper?”
“I haven’t seen her. She must be out for a run,” she replied and began loading the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher.
Riley checked his watch. Unease lifted the hair on the back of his neck. Normally she was back by now. But maybe she’d gotten a late start. He hadn’t felt her get out of bed or heard her leave the house, so he had no idea what time she’d headed out. He decided not to panic, and picked up his mug of coffee and went into the living room to watch cartoons with the girls.
A short time passed, and Riley’s unease took root. Harper still hadn’t come home. Something wasn’t right. She wouldn’t still be running this long. Why hadn’t she taken the dogs with her? She always took the dogs. Riley knew Fred and Ginger were two big babies, but with each dog weighing in around one hundred thirty pounds apiece, he’d always felt better when Harper had them with her.
Riley knocked on the door to Melina’s bedroom. After hearing her call him in, he cracked the door. “I’m going to drive around and look for Harper. She should have been back by now.”
“She’s still not back? That’s odd.” Her brow narrowed in concern. Getting up off her bed, she closed the textbook she was studying from and set it on the nightstand. “Okay, I’ll watch the girls, go on.”
Riley searched outside the house and their vehicles before getting in his car. He pulled out of the driveway and drove the usual route Harper ran nearly every morning. There was no sign of her. He wasted no time calling in some favors with some of his buddies to help him find Harper.
When he returned home, Melina’s concerned gaze met his. He shook his head at her unasked question.
“What do you need me to do?” she asked.
“Exactly what you’re doing is a great help. With you watching the kids, I can focus my worry on only one person.”
* * * *
After darkness fell, Riley tucked the girls into bed and went back out to search for Harper. Dispatch had uploaded Harper’s picture and stats to every computer in the department, those in both the building and the vehicles.
Riley made his way to Pleasures to see if she’d shown up for work, even though all her work stuff was still at home. He didn’t know what else to do, but this was his next place to beg a favor.
Tiny met him at the front door.
“Hey, lawman, where’s my girl? She’s usually here by now.”
“Christ. So you haven’t seen her?”
“No. What’s wrong? What happened?” he asked, his concern evident.
Riley cursed himself. “She went for a run this morning and she hasn’t come home. I haven’t seen her all day.”
“What the hell did you do to her, cop? Her life was fine ’til you showed up,” Tiny accused.
Riley was in no mood for a verbal sparring match with Tiny. “Back off, asshole. I’ve been going crazy all fucking day. I’ve got the whole force looking for her. She just vanished, Tiny. I don’t know what to do. I need your help, man.” Riley slumped into a chair beside the door.
“Go home, Spence, it’s late,” Tiny said after several tense moments passed. “You need to be home with the girls, and to be there when Harper comes home. Here’s my cell number.” He handed Riley his business card. “Call me as soon as you find something out, no matter what time it is. I’m going to make some calls. I’ve got people too. From here on out, we’re on this together.”
“Thanks. I owe you.”
“Fucking right you owe me. Now get the hell out of my club, lawman. You’re bad for business.”
Riley was numb as he drove back to Harper’s home. He knew he was in way over his head for allowing himself to get close to her. He’d let his guard down. He’d been so confident that he could find the evidence he was searching for and keep Harper safe. What did he have to show for his arrogance? Two empty hands and a pain in his chest he thought might kill him.
He spent a fitful night, flopping around on the sofa, sleep the last thing on his mind. The first was Harper and if she was even still alive.
Chapter 22
Harper struggled to open her eyes. Her head felt heavy, and her body ached. She was lying on a hard, cold surface. Bright light filled the room, and she squeezed her eyes tight as pain splintered behind her lids. She brought her hand up to shield them.
“Good morning, Harper.”
Marshall’s voice made her skin crawl.
“Where am I?” she asked.
“Doesn’t really matter unti
l I get what you’re hiding from me.”
With effort, she forced herself to sit up. When her eyes finally focused, she realized she was in a small room, maybe fifteen feet by twenty feet, lying on a steel cot. Her captor sat directly across from her.
“May I please have some water?” she asked, despite the prick to her pride. Her throat and mouth felt dry as dirt.
He motioned to a table beside the cot. There, she found a bottle of water and took a couple of big swallows, before his voice made her stop.
“Don’t drink it all, I only brought you one. It’s up to you how long you’re here. If you cooperate, you won’t be here long. But if you fuck around with me, well...”
Harper swallowed one more mouthful of water before twisting the cap back on the bottle. She rubbed her temples, trying to get the fuzziness to subside.
“You drugged me,” she wheezed.
“It’s just chloroform. The effects will wear off soon enough. Tell me what I want to know.”
“I don’t know what you want,” she mumbled quietly.
“Sure you do, Harper. I want your brother’s evidence against me from his undercover investigation.”
“I don’t have any evidence. I never found any.” She continued to rub her forehead and temples.
“You must have. He was a thorough detective. He made notes, lots of notes. He was always writing in those fucking notepads. Now where are they?” he hollered.
“I don’t know!” Harper yelled back, and was suddenly overcome by a wave of nausea.
Her captor studied her for several minutes before standing up.
“Well then, sweetheart, let’s see how cooperative you are after you’ve spent some time alone.” With that, he walked out the only door in the small room and locked it behind him.
Harper jumped from the cot, swallowed back the bile rising in her throat and ran to the closed door, banging on it with clenched fists. “Come back here, you rotten son of a bitch! Let me out of here! You bastard, come back here!”
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