What the heck is he all hot and bothered about? He’s the one who’s done this before and could be disease-ridden.
It was damn near insulting and she never took well to being insulted.
“I don’t have anything, you know. So you can calm down with the pacing and cursing,” she snapped at him and tried to push back the hurt feelings welling up in her chest.
He stared at her for a moment. “I don’t have anything, either, if that’s what you’re implying. And disease isn’t the only thing to worry about. I’m assuming that since you were a virgin you weren’t on birth control?”
So much for holding the hurt feelings at bay…
He was worried that he might have gotten her pregnant as if, God forbid, he were to have a child with the likes of her. How she wished she could burst his bubble and proclaim that she was protected. But she wasn’t on the Pill or any other form of birth control.
Getting up slowly, she reached for her clothes and started to get dressed. Once dressed, she moved to leave the room. He took her arm, halting her.
“Are you on the Pill or anything, Minerva?”
She could only shake her head, her voice totally lost to the mess she had made of everything. But she vowed that she would find the voice to cuss him out if he had a fit because she wasn’t on birth control. She didn’t know she was going to move to New Jersey, be shot at, fall in love with a cop and give up her virginity to him in a gorgeous house in the Poconos. How did she know she would need to be on the Pill? And did she really just admit that she was in love with him?
She wasn’t ready to admit that, not even to herself. So that thought could just move on back to the far reaches of her conscious mind, where it belonged.
He wrapped his arms around her. Pulling her close, he planted a tender kiss on her forehead. “I’m sorry, baby. I should have protected you better. I’ll do better next time.”
Her face twisted in confusion. He wasn’t mad at her? He blamed himself?
What. The. Hell?
“It wasn’t your fault the condom broke, Lawrence. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. But can we change the subject? Better yet, can I just leave this incredibly embarrassing situation altogether and go hang my head in shame alone.”
He stood back and seemed to notice for the first time that she was fully clothed. “You could do that. Or…you could take those clothes off and join me in the hot tub. I’m sure you must be pretty sore right about now. The hot tub would be good for you. Let me take care of you, Minerva.”
He squinted, studying her every expression. And she was sure her face was a sight to see. She had never felt so confused in her life.
He pulled on his jeans and took her hand.
“Come on. A nice soak in the hot tub will do you good. And I promise to be on my best behavior.” The sexy gleam in his eyes suggested anything but.
Yet she followed him, anyway.
She had never been in a hot tub before. But she had to admit he was right. The aching soreness that had taken over her body after their lovemaking slowly ebbed away. And, luckily, for the first fifteen minutes or so, Lawrence was content just holding her and not talking about the embarrassing, but oh-so-satisfying chain of events that had led them there.
“So what made you wait until you were twenty-six years old to have sex? And why me?”
It couldn’t last for long…
She had just gotten comfortable and was working on putting the incident behind her.
“Try having a social life with a gang-banging brother always getting in your business. He scared away all the nice and not-so-nice guys alike. After a while, I decided to just focus on school and work, getting my degree. And I figured when the right guy came along, Calvin wouldn’t be able to intimidate him or scare him away. He’d be the one…”
He cleared his throat and his voice came out kind of strained. “So why me, Minerva?”
You. Are. So-oo. The. One.
But she wasn’t even about to go there. She was hardly ready. And based on the strain in his voice and the apprehensive expression on his face, neither was he.
“No worries, Detective Hightower. I’m not pegging you for the love of my life…” Liar. Liar. Liar. The words blazed in her mind like an alarm going berserk. “I just figured since we’re both so attracted to each other, and there’s not much else for us to do while we’re hiding out here. We might as well explore our attraction.”
Her words sounded so bold and brazen. She leaned over and placed her lips on his. She nipped his bottom lip with her teeth and nibbled seductively. She trailed the kisses to his neck and chest.
He inhaled deeply as if trying to control himself. “Watch out there, baby. You’re still sore. I can’t promise I’d be able to restrain myself if you got me started again. I will ride you hard and put you through your paces. You’d be soaking for days to get rid of that sweet ache.”
Dang! Good. God!
She stopped her kissing and stared at him. A devilish grin crossed his face. She assumed he must have thought he’d scared her off. She wished she had a camera for the shocked expression on his face when she straddled his lap and kissed him full on the lips with everything inside her. He didn’t need much coaxing at all. He opened his mouth and plundered hers, taking over the kiss with very little effort. His hand trailed her body in the water. All she could feel was silky wetness and strong touches, focused touches, marking touches. Every spot he caressed he owned.
“Lawrence…” she moaned when his hand moved to her core and stroked her there. She writhed on his lap wildly as an orgasm ripped through her at the first swipe of his skilled fingers across her slick folds.
“You were warned, baby. You didn’t listen. I told you about being hardheaded and stubborn. Now you have to learn your lesson. It’s a hard lesson to learn. But by the morning you might get the hang of it.” He grinned that sexy grin of his as he reached for his jeans, resting next to the hot tub, and pulled the protection from his pocket. He moved her long enough to sheath himself first with the condom and then in her, deep and all-encompassing.
“Ohhh…” It felt glorious with steamy water all around them. She started to move her hips, rocking back and forth and moving up and down, her knees bracing her on either side of his strong muscular thighs.
“Yes. Mmm…baby…yes.” His hands grabbed her hips, halting her movement.
Perplexed, she stared at him. “What’s wrong?”
“I got this, baby. Time for your first lesson.” He lifted her slowly and slid her back down his slick soulful shaft.
She groaned. It felt so good, so achingly good.
He kept at it, moving her up and down, slowly, over and over again and again until she thought she would get seasick. The sound of the water splashing and the feel of her own wetness overwhelmed her. She felt soaked, but she knew one feeling was just out of her reach and it would remain out of her reach as long as he controlled her movements the way he was.
“Lawrence…please…”
He smiled. She covered his mouth in a passionate kiss and he held her suspended with just the tip of his sex resting inside of her. She twirled her tongue and nibbled his lips earnestly.
“Please, Lawrence…”
He groaned and picked up his pace, moving her up and down harder and faster, touching spots inside her she had never known existed and sending off rockets in her core.
She screamed and screamed again. She loved the feel of her breasts bouncing fast, up and down, up and down. She wrapped her arms around him on the down-stroke and clung to him the way her sex pulsed and tightened around his. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she shook.
He laughed and lifted her off his lap, positioning her so that she was kneeling on the bench of the hot tub and her hands grasping the edge. He entered her again from behind, stroking in sure possessive measures. He moved in and out with such powerful quickness she would have started speaking in tongues if she knew how. She moved her hips in circles, meeting his every thrust. All she could
do was mumble and sigh and moan and grunt, at least until she had to scream. Then she turned around to look at him.
His scream followed hers as he grabbed her and held her close to him, his sex still pulsing hotly inside her. They remained like that for a couple of minutes, each panting in satisfaction. The warm water felt so good and he felt even better.
She smiled and stretched as she yawned and remembered all the ways that Lawrence had taught her lessons, all night long. He hadn’t been making idle threats. They were really hard lessons. It was a good thing she was such a quick study.
She sat up just in time to see Lawrence come into the room with a tray full of food. There was coffee, fruit and French toast—enough for an army. He probably hadn’t eaten himself yet. She figured the bulk of the food had to be for him.
“Aww…did you cook all this for lil’ ol’ me?”
“I told you I had you for breakfast and lunch…And if you’re really good, I might just throw some steaks on the grill for dinner and some baked potatoes in the oven. And I make a mean hot fudge sundae.”
“Well, now, just exactly how good does a girl have to be? And can’t I be a little bad?” She stretched her arms and arched her back as she winked at him.
His gaze heated up to a sensual simmer. “You need to eat and get your strength up, baby. I can see you’re ready for another lesson or two.” He cut the French toast with a fork, dipped it in the syrup and fed it to her.
“Umm…full service. A girl could get used to this.”
She picked up one of the strawberries, dunked it in the bowl of whipped cream and placed it near his mouth. He opened his mouth for a taste and she placed it in her own mouth instead, making a show of chewing.
He smiled a devilish smile as he watched her. “Oh, yes, baby, eat up and eat well, you’re going to need your strength for sure.”
Chapter 10
He was getting in too deep and the only problem was he didn’t want to get out. If Minerva Jones wasn’t the perfect woman for him, then the perfect woman for him, didn’t exist.
He flipped the steaks on the grill, happy for the slight chill in the air. He hated grilling in the summer, but liked to crank up the fire in the fall and winter. When the patio door opened he turned to see that Minerva had woken up from her nap and joined him.
They had spent most of the day in bed. And if he hadn’t worked up such an appetite, he might have been content to just lie there holding her until she got her energy back.
He couldn’t contain his grin at the sight of her. “Look who’s finally awake.”
“Yeah, you went to sleep first. So it’s only fitting that I woke up later. I had to listen to your snoring before I could doze off.” She smirked as she took a seat on the teak lounge chair.
“Well, at least my snoring didn’t wake you up out of a dead sleep,” he teased. Her snoring didn’t really wake him up. She actually had a cute little half wheeze, half-breathe snore.
“I don’t snore…that bad…” She giggled and leaned back on the lounge. “The steaks smell great. I’m starved.”
“Worked up an appetite, huh?” He flipped the steaks and closed the grill before giving her his full attention.
“Yes, I did. I think I’ve learned my lesson.” She shot him a sly glance and licked her lips.
He gave her a mock stern stare. “I’ll be the judge of that, baby. I think you need a little more schooling.”
She laughed. “It’s really nice up here. The air smells so crisp, so fresh. It feels like a world away from Paterson and definitely a world away from smog-filled Los Angeles.”
He took a gulp of air. The refreshing mountain air was a big change from Jersey. He’d forgotten how nice it was to just come up here when it’s not ski season.
“Do you miss home?”
“Sometimes. I miss my brother the most. And I miss…some friends. But I think I would be really lonely if I were in Los Angeles now. I miss the social worker—Valerie—who was always there for us. With Calvin gone, I don’t have anyone else. The McKnights were the closest thing to family for me, and now they’re gone.”
The pause she gave troubled him. Who did she miss in Los Angeles? A boyfriend? Maybe the person who was after her? He suddenly had an overwhelming need to get the truth out of her again.
“And don’t you want their deaths vindicated?”
“Of course!”
“Then why aren’t you helping the police? Why didn’t you stay and talk with the LAPD? Why aren’t you doing everything you can to help us find the people who killed the McKnights?”
Her beautiful eyes formed big circles and she looked as if she’d been struck. She squinted and then stood. The hurt expression on her face cut him deeper than if he had hurt himself.
Yes, he was in too deep. That’s why he had to make sure that she was on the up-and-up. He had trusted in the past and been burned. He didn’t know if he could take it if Minerva proved to be lying to him.
“I’ll go make a salad and check on your baked potatoes.” She didn’t wait for his response. She didn’t tell him to kiss her behind, nothing. She just left him standing there at the grill.
If he could have taken the hurt out of her eyes, he would have. But he needed to know what he was dealing with. He didn’t feel like getting caught on the bad end of a surprise.
Not again. Not ever again.
He placed the steaks on a plate and covered them with foil to rest before they ate. Once inside the house, he found her in the kitchen.
She had the salad fixings out and she was pouring olive oil into a bowl as she whisked it with the rest of her dressing ingredients.
He didn’t say anything. He just watched her chop and dice and then pour what appeared to be some kind of homemade dressing onto the salad.
They ate in silence for a little while and then she cleared her throat.
“I think that we should probably stop this…this…whatever we’re doing. It seemed like a good idea at the time but in hindsight it really wasn’t. You don’t trust me and I don’t blame you. But I can’t continue to be this open and share this much of myself and still have you treating me like an immoral liar. If I knew who killed my brother or Tommy or Timmy, I would tell you. I would have told the police. If I had gone to the LAPD, it would have been a waste. I had nothing to tell them. But it only took me leaving the police department in Paterson to get shot at.”
His gut clenched. This wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted her to be open with him and tell him what she was holding back. He didn’t want her to break off what they had started to share. He cleared his throat. “So you want to end this?”
“I don’t want to. I have to. For my own good…You’re…” Her lower lip trembled and he felt a sharp pain in his heart.
He had to try and make her see where he was coming from.
“When I was sixteen, I used to run with a pretty bad crowd. We thought we were too cool for school, work, anything that even hinted at respectable. We cut classes so much that a few of the guys in the crew even ended up getting kicked out of Eastside High School during the days of Joe Clark. I had always kept up with my schoolwork, at least enough to pull Cs and Ds. So I didn’t get kicked out. I had a cousin who was the same age as me, Michael, the chief’s baby brother. Anyway, we had been tight growing up. But once I got with that crew, I didn’t want Mike around ruining my rep. He always found a way to tag along, though.
“We were all cutting school and hanging out. The most we had ever done before was drink liquor we could steal from our parents’ cabinets or that we could pay an old drunk to buy for us. But on this day, Johnny decided to bring drugs. I didn’t know there were drugs there. I never would have suspected my friends of having anything to do with drugs. And while my cousin was a nuisance and I didn’t want him hanging around, I believed with all my heart that he was safe there. But he wasn’t.”
He took a deep breath. He had never really talked to anyone but his father about how he really felt, how guilty he felt. And that
had been years ago, when it happened. He tried not to talk about it a lot, opting instead to just live his life in a way that would honor Michael’s memory. But if talking about it would get Minerva to understand where he was coming from and trust him, so that he could trust her, he had to open up.
Taking another deep breath and running his hand across his head, he continued. “A bunch of them got high in the basement and then thought it would be cool to play Russian roulette with a handgun. My cousin died high on weed in a basement all because I trusted the wrong people, including a girl I loved who was part of the crew.
“My family forgave me and said that it wasn’t my fault. I didn’t make him take the drugs or hold the gun to his head. But I don’t believe that. He was a good person. He wanted to continue the Hightower legacy of public service and be a cop one day. And now he’ll never be able to.
“You’re holding something back, Minerva, I can tell. And, I won’t be able to trust you until you trust me enough to tell me what it is.”
She couldn’t help but stare at him. She had told him everything she knew. The only thing she had left out was David’s involvement in helping her get out of town. But bringing David further into this mess was not an option.
“Then I guess it’s really best that we end things now, Lawrence. I’ve told you everything I know. And while I can see where your distrust is coming from, it hurts too much to keep doing this. I can’t continue to do this.” Her entire heart was on the line. Couldn’t he tell?
He nodded. “So that’s it?”
“Yeah. Maybe once the murderers are caught and you realize that I’m not a criminal. Maybe then we can see.”
She wanted to tell him that she loved him. That she trusted him with her life. She wanted to, but she knew she couldn’t. He probably wouldn’t believe her anyway.
She got up and started clearing the table. “I’ll clean up tonight, since you cooked.”
He shook his head. “I’ll help.”
The Law of Desire Page 10
