by Desiree Holt
Long seconds passed before he could pull himself together. Then he lifted himself to catch his weight on his forearms, aware that he was heavy on her slight frame. He looked down at her, trying to figure out what to say, and realized she had the same stunned expression in her eyes that he was sure was in his.
She wet her lips. “Well,” she said at last.
“No kidding.” He studied her face, trying to read her expression. Wondering if she was as completely stunned as he was. “What the hell was that?”
“Damned if I know.” She let out a ragged breath. “I don’t even know how it happened.”
His laugh was uneven. Ragged. “At least that’s one thing I can tell you.”
She looked away from him. “That’s not what I meant. What I wanted to know was how we even let this happen? I’m not even sure we liked each other?”
“Maybe. At least not at first.” He eased himself slowly from the wet clasp of her body. “Let me clean up a little here and we can talk about it.”
“Bathroom’s through that door.” She pointed. “But I have to warn you. I don’t want to talk this to death.”
Neither did he. But he also had no intention of writing this off as once and done. Whatever was between him and Jinx Malone was a lot bigger than one night—one very short night—of hot sex.
Chapter Three
Jinx pushed herself up from the bed, dug her short robe out of the closet and tied it around her waist.
“I’m getting us cold drinks,” she hollered at the bathroom door. “Back in a sec.”
She heard him mumble something back at her as she headed downstairs to the kitchen.
What on earth was I thinking? Have I lost my frigging mind?
There was no denying the level of heat that had ignited the moment she and Dillon Cross laid eyes on each other. The very last thing she’d been looking for when she came home was another entanglement of any kind. She still fell asleep with nightmares of Max in their bed with two women. Not one, but two. She was sure it would be a very long time before the image faded. And even longer before she trusted another man with either her body or her heart.
Yet here she was, fresh from the most outstanding, combustible, erotic sex she could ever remember having. She’d been a more than willing participant.
She pulled two cans of soda from the fridge and rolled one against her forehead, hoping it would cool down her still overheated body.
“Jinx?” Dillon’s voice drifted down to her from upstairs. “Did you run out on me? I hope not. This is your house.”
“Coming.”
Oh, wait. That might not be the right word to use.
She grabbed two glasses and hurried up the stairs to find him waiting in the hallway, glorious in his nudity and totally unself-conscious about it. She swallowed a laugh thinking how he put Max the braggart to shame with his equipment.
The corner of his mouth turned up in a hint of a grin.
“I certainly hope so, but I think I need a minute to recharge.”
So he’d caught the double meaning of her answer. Damn. Heat crept up her face.
“Here.” She thrust a can of soda and one of the glasses at him. “I thought we could use this to cool off. We certainly need it.”
Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he nudged her back toward the bed. “Thanks for the cold drink.” He stretched out his legs on the bed, unconsciously rubbing his thigh.
Jinx noticed and frowned. “That’s some scar you’ve got there.”
“Reminder of a battle with a reporter.”
“Are you kidding?” She sucked in a breath. “A reporter shot you?”
“Might as well have. Anyway, it’s the hazards of the job. Come on. Let’s talk a little. And not about that.”
Hummingbirds were doing a nervous dance in her stomach as she adjusted herself on the bed next to him. She kept her robe on, deciding she needed as much protection from him as possible. Or was it from herself?
Dillon took a long swallow of his drink before he said anything.
“I’m sure neither of us expected what just happened here. Or was looking for it.”
She nodded her head. “You’re right. And if I did anything—”
“Stop.” With his free hand, he took one of hers, linking his fingers with hers. “There’s no blame here, Jinx, except maybe on my part. I don’t know. What I do know is the heat between us has been off the charts since we met at the crime scene.”
She couldn’t stop the giggle that broke loose. “Not the usual way people meet, right?”
“Believe me, I’ve seen stranger.” He lifted their linked hands and kissed her fingers. “But my point is there’s something going on here, and except for this incendiary explosion I sense you’re not any more eager to jump into something than I am.”
The hummingbirds disappeared to be replaced by tight knots. What was he saying? Thanks for the great sex but it was a mistake? Wait. Shouldn’t that be her line? And no, she wasn’t looking for any kind of relationship. Situation. Whatever. But perversely, she didn’t want to give this up. This first time had been hot and fast, but the overwhelming desire still hung in the air. One time hadn’t even taken the edge off.
She chose her next words carefully, not wanting to let him see this might have meant more to her than to him.
“You’re right. That’s very sensible. I’m sure we can forget all about this and pretend it never happened.”
“What?” He tightened his hand on hers and pulled her around to face him, anger flashing in his eyes. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. I mean…” The words trailed off and he filled the space by taking a long drink of soda. “I’d like to keep seeing you, Jinx, but I’m in no condition mentally or any other way to think about a real relationship. I’m just trying to be fair to you. That’s all.”
Okay, she could deal with this. She hoped.
“You’re right that I’m not looking for anything. Or anybody. Not now.” She gave an unladylike snort. “Maybe never. But this—” she waved her hand in the air, “—whatever it is, I don’t want to back away from it either.”
“I still don’t like reporters,” he reminded her.
“I still don’t like cops.”
“So noted. And just so we’re clear. We’ll enjoy each other’s company—in private—and that’s all it will be.”
She nodded. “Sex with no strings.” And didn’t she just sound so sophisticated saying that.
“Exactly. Because I definitely want more.” He set his glass down on the nightstand. “There’s something I need to say first.”
Really? What could be more important than “I want no-strings sex?” This isn’t even friends with benefits.
She waited a heartbeat, and when he didn’t say anything she prompted, “Well?”
“Just so we’re clear, I don’t normally fall on a woman like an ape in the jungle the way I did with you. I just want you to know—”
He was worried about their instant combustion? Hell, she hadn’t been any better than he was.
She touched a finger to his lips. “Not a problem. I don’t usually let someone do that either. So we’re square.”
“I feel like I’m in the middle of a minefield here,” he told her. “I like this place and I like my job. I don’t want to do anything to screw that up.”
“Don’t worry. We won’t let that happen.”
“Then we just have one more problem.”
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“We used up the only condom I had with me.”
She burst out laughing. “Then I guess we’ll just have to be more inventive.”
Inventive was a mild word for what happened next. He took away her drink and arranged her on the bed so she was lying with her head on the pillows. Taking her wrists, he pulled her hands over her head and curled her fingers around the spindles of the headboard.
“Keep them there.” His voice was thick with unsatisfied hunger. “Don’t move them until I tell you to.”
Just the demand was enough to moisten her pussy again and set her inner walls to throbbing. And this was despite the fact that he’d just exhausted her with an intense and rapid coupling that had drained everything from her.
He began with her mouth, a gentle kiss at first, tasting her lips before pushing his tongue gently inside. Very slowly, he traced the entire inner surface with just the tip of his tongue. Waking up nerves she didn’t even know existed. Her fingers itched to thread through his thick hair, but she made herself stick to his command. Just the idea of giving him that control turned up her inner flame.
While he used his tongue to explore her mouth, he cupped her face with his hands, stroking his thumbs over her cheekbones, his breath a warm breeze on her skin. The hunger was there, just as strong, but she also sensed a need on his part to taste slowly and savor. To linger with every touch and enjoy the sensations. She whimpered in protest when he moved his mouth from hers, but in the next moment he was trailing tiny kisses along her cheek to the tender spot behind her ear, nipping her earlobe then soothing it with his tongue.
Somehow he managed to balance himself so his entire weight wasn’t pressing down on her. Still, she felt the hard wall of his chest and the crisp chest hairs against her breasts, making her nipples stiffen and peak. She tried to turn her head to find his hot mouth again but he moved it again, this time to her neck and down to where it joined her shoulder. Light nips at the sensitive tendon sent another flash of heat through her from her nipples directly to her cunt.
“Mmm.” She twisted her body beneath him, his swelling cock hot and thick against her thigh.
He had a very educated mouth, knowing exactly where and how to use it. He teased the swell of her beasts with whispers of kisses and circled her areolas with tiny licks with his tongue. Her nipples all but begged him to wrap his lips around them but he took his time, laving every inch of surrounding flesh before finally pulling one taut bud into his mouth. When he closed his teeth around it gently she felt the tug clear to the center of her cunt. She squeezed her inner muscles hard against the insistent throbbing.
When he’d paid long seconds of attention to the one nipple, he shifted to the other and gave it the same sensual treatment. Her body was so ready for him Jinx wanted to cry out in frustration. But there was no rushing Dillon. He obviously intended to make up for the haste with which they’d dived into each other the first time.
He shifted his body to move lower on the bed and swirled his tongue in the furled flesh of her navel then licked a path to her mound. Reaching up, he took her nipples between thumb and forefinger and rolled and pinched them. She arched her body up to his touch, every nerve firing in rapid rhythm.
And then… Oh God, and then he shifted to allow himself access to her pussy. Parting the lips and exposing her aching clit, he took it in his mouth and feasted on it, nibbling and lapping until Jinx wasn’t sure she could bear it for one minute more.
She wanted so badly to tangle her fingers in his hair, to feel the flex of the powerful muscles in his back, but she kept her hands at the headboard as he’d commanded. It took a great effort of will to do so.
Feeling a climax building inside her again, she wrapped her legs around his neck and pulled herself up to his mouth.
“One minute,” he gasped, moving her legs so he could shift his body around. “Move your hands now. I’m giving you something to hold onto.”
His thick shaft bobbed at her mouth as he sucked her clit into his mouth while thrusting two fingers inside her. She closed her fingers around his cock, licking the thick fluid sitting right at the slit before pulling him into her mouth. When she slid her other hand between his thighs to cup his balls, his groan told her how close he was this fast, just as she was.
Dillon worked his fingers in and out of her while she took him into her mouth and proceeded to suck him dry. It didn’t take long for either of them to reach that peak, despite the fact they’d had such an intense orgasm just a short time ago. Her pussy clenched just as she felt Dillon’s cock pulse and his body tighten.
When the surge hit her every one of her muscles convulsed, her cunt clamping down hard on his fingers. As he emptied himself into her mouth, she poured her own liquid into his hand, riding those fingers until the last tremor faded away.
She closed her eyes and dragged air into her starving lungs. Dillon wrapped his arms around her hips and rested his lips at the crease of her thigh. After long moments, he shifted himself so he was lying full length next to her, her head on his shoulder, one arm loosely holding her.
When she could catch her breath she said, “That was—”
“Definitely inventive,” he finished. “I’ll have to work hard to top it next time.” He tilted her face up so she was looking into his eyes. “And there will absolutely be a next time.”
“Got a minute, Sheriff?”
Dillon looked up from the fax he’d been trying to read for the past fifteen minutes to see his chief deputy, Nick Savage, standing in the doorway. The man was holding a printout in one hand and running the fingers of the other through his hair. From the look of it, he’d apparently been doing that for some time.
“Sure, Nick.” Gratefully, he put aside the damn fax and motioned the man into the office. “What’s the problem?”
Nick dropped into one of the two chairs in front of the desk, his forehead creased in a frown.
“Greg Dinardo and I have been going through everyone on the rolls for Rowan County. Which,” he added, “isn’t all that difficult when the total population is just shy of thirty-four thousand.”
Dillon cocked his head. “And?”
“And if anyone’s missing no one knows about it. Or wants to own up to it.” The deputy shook his head. “I can’t figure it out.
“You checked all the ranches to see if all the hands are accounted for?”
The deputy nodded. “And the Wal-Mart employee list, the feed stores, the groceries, just about every damn thing.” He brushed his hand against the papers. “We got nada.”
Dillon swallowed a sigh. He supposed it was too much to hope that this had been the result of a fight between two drunks and one had gotten a little overactive with a shotgun.
“I was afraid of that.” He rubbed his jaw. “We’ve had a brawl or two or five but nothing that got out of hand. And no one seems aware of animosity between two people so strong it would lead to something like this.”
“I’ve had everyone asking questions as they run their patrols too.” Nick told him. “And of course since they know most everyone in the county so they’d hear if something was going on.” He gave a short laugh. “Rowan County isn’t exactly a hot spot for action.”
Dillon laughed. “Why do you think I wanted this job? It means I might actually live to a ripe old age.”
“Anyway,” Nick went on, “I’m suggesting we look outside the county now. Nothing’s come over the wire about a missing person who might fit this situation. Obliterating someone’s face is more about delaying identification than rage.”
“I have to agree with you on that.”
“I’ll reach out to the two counties that are contiguous to us, but I thought you might want to get with San Antonio yourself.” He looked at Dillon, questioning. “Figured you still had connections there and could get around the closed doors and bullshit.”
“I can do that. Although why someone would want to haul a body out here to dispose of when there are so many great dumping places in Bexar County is beyond me.”
“Especially with his face blown away.” Nick rubbed his jaw. “But maybe whoever did the deed thought the same thing. That no one would come out here from the city to dispose of a body. Maybe drop the body here to confuse things?”
Dillon spread his hands. “Anything is possible. If that’s the case, our headache just got bigger, because it means we have to search regionally and nationally for missing persons.”
“And call dozens of police departments to see if they’ve lost anyone.”
“Let’s start a little closer.” He picked up the telephone receiver. “I’ll call my former sergeant. Maybe he’s heard some rumors. Or they might be looking for someone who’s just disappeared off the map. And you can widen your search geographically.”
“Good enough.” Nick rose from his chair. “I’ll call some deputies I know in neighboring counties, too. See if anything’s shaking.”
“Good. Let’s check back with each other in a while.”
“Good enough.”
As soon as Nick had left the office, Dillon started to lift the telephone receiver but paused with his hand on it. He needed to be coherent when he spoke to Charlie Whittaker. The problem was his brain had been scrambled since he’d left Jinx Malone’s house Saturday night. He’d had to use every bit of control to keep his distance on Sunday during the auction and dinner afterwards.
He had to hand it to her. She was as good as her word. No sly glances, no suggestive innuendos like other women he’d dated. She laughed and chatted with her friends often, all but ignoring him. But she looked so cute and casual in her jeans with her hair pulled back in a ponytail. And he loved the cute way she crinkled her nose when she laughed. Cute? Wait a minute. Did you call women in their thirties cute? Did it please them? Insult them?
And why the hell was he worried anyway? It wasn’t as if this was any kind of relationship. Right?
Just sex, he reminded himself.
But what incredible sex it was.
Hell and damnation, the woman made his cock stand at attention every time he came within five feet of her.
He could still feel the sensation of being inside her. Still remember the unique flavor of her pussy. Still feel the weight of her breasts in his palm. The Starks and the Montgomerys had given them both knowing glances all afternoon but had been smart enough not to say anything. He and Jinx had managed to keep other people between them at the auction, but somehow their well-meaning friends maneuvered them at dinner so they sat next to each other.
