If she didn’t look so damn sexy with that half-pout, half-mad look on her face, he might have laughed out loud before he engaged Lainey in battle. But he had no intentions of staging a command performance of last night’s debacle. That meant he had to concentrate on what he’d come to say. Better for him if he got the hell out in a hurry.
“Maybe it’s time you headed back to Savannah.” He walked to the chair and sat down, waiting for her reaction.
“Excuse me?” Her voice conveyed her indignation. “I don’t recall ever asking your opinion. If you want me out of this house, fine. I’ll leave in the morning—tonight, if you prefer.”
He met her eyes, even sexier with the new fire burning in them. “I have three unsolved murders and a killer running around who can’t help but notice you’re asking a lot of questions.”
“I can take care of myself, but thanks for your concern.” She stood up. “Now, unless there’s something else …”
“Damn it, Lainey! You’re not playing Clue with your sisters now. In my book, a nervous killer makes for an especially dangerous one.”
“Is that what you think, Colt?” She laughed. “How is it I knew about the wine before you did? Or the fact that Roxy was dropping off five grand before you even questioned her?” She huffed. “My money’s on Mr. Mustard in the office with a wineglass, by the way.”
“That’s not funny. You knew about Roxy because you’re the one who planned that cockamamie scheme sending her to Lakeview in the first place,” Colt shouted, unable to hide his frustration. He’d wondered how she knew those things. How she’d managed to stay one step ahead of his investigation. “And both you and Roxy could have ended up hurt—or worse—because of it.”
He took a breath. “Stick to reporting, Lainey, and leave the police work to me.”
She pointed to the door, not even trying to disguise her rage. “My long day, remember?”
He stood up and moved toward the door, then suddenly wheeled around on one foot for one last try at warning her, unaware she was right behind him. When she fell backward, he caught her wrist before she hit the floor, and he pulled her close, feeling her tense body relax in his arms. He stared into her face, trying to read her eyes.
“Do it,” she whispered hoarsely. “We both know you want to.”
TWENTY
CRUSHING HER AGAINST HIS body, Colt pressed his mouth to hers, a guttural moan escaping as his heart pounded in his chest. His tongue first traced the outline of her lips, then forced them open, sending shock waves through his entire body. He felt her shiver in response.
Every logical reason why he should walk away popped into his brain. Every argument why this shouldn’t happen assaulted his senses, the unnerving voice in his head screaming Lainey could never be just another woman.
That scared the hell out of him. But when she moaned softly in his arms, his brain cried uncle. She smelled so damn good, like flowers on a windy day. Tasted so damn good, as he possessed her with his mouth.
Her breath came in short bursts as she teased back with her tongue, demanding, exploring. Somehow he found the strength to pull away from her burning mouth and tilt her head so his lips could reach her neck. In the soft fold at the base, he nuzzled, planting tender kisses. A jolt of electricity spiraled through him as she rose on tiptoes and pressed her body closer, her firm breasts pushing into his chest.
Suddenly, he raised his head, held her in front of him, and stared into her jet black eyes now raging with the flame he felt shooting through his body. “Lainey?”
With cheeks already flushed from his five-o’clock shadow, she took a slow breath and released it as her tongue seductively licked her lips. “Don’t stop now, Colt. I want you so badly, I ache.”
He answered with his mouth, urgently tasting, nibbling first on her lips then moving to the tender lobe of her ear. With one hand in the small of her back, he pulled her closer, wanting her to feel his own desire while he slipped the sweater off her shoulders and let it fall.
There was no turning back now.
Fumbling, he unbuttoned her blouse, his hand lingering over
her heart, now racing beneath his fingertips. He didn’t bother removing it. Instead he slipped one hand behind her and unhooked the lacy black bra, the only barrier between his chest and her luscious breasts.
He cupped first one creamy mound, kneading her nipple until it was hard with desire before replacing his hand with his lips. Seductively, he caressed the swollen tissue with his tongue, causing a flashback of repressed desire in his own loins that nearly buckled his knees.
When he felt her hand brush the bulge in his jeans as she un-buckled his belt and moved to his zipper, he caught his breath.
In one fluid motion, he lifted her into his arms and headed for the bedroom, kicking the door open in his haste. Gently, he lowered her to the bed, his lips still holding her captive.
Then he hesitated, giving her one last chance to protest, praying she wouldn’t.
Somehow, he knew what was about to happen would change his life forever, that this woman was different than the others he’d had casual sex with over the years.
But he was too far gone, his body no longer his to control. Only she had the power to stop him.
He watched as the hint of a smile crinkled her eyes.
God help him!
His mouth recaptured hers as he pulled back the covers and slid in beside her. This time, he removed her blouse and bra, throwing them across the room before surrounding her perfectly shaped breasts with his mouth. Slowly he licked, teasing her with his tongue, torturing himself with desire before he moved on.
She moaned softly as he released her swollen nipple and moved lower to her navel, fueling his intense need to possess her. Circling it with his tongue drove him mad as she writhed in obvious pleasure.
She wanted more.
He wanted more.
He was on fire, and she was the accelerant. There was only one way to douse the flame and that was to give into the raging desire that consumed him.
His hands fumbled at her waist, and she lifted her body high to allow him to unzip her jeans and slide them over her hips. When it was clear the skin-tight jeans wouldn’t budge without assistance, he rolled over as she pushed them down over her thighs, wiggling her hips suggestively. He didn’t think it was possible to be turned on even more.
He was wrong.
He took a moment to strip out of his own clothes. He wanted to feel her naked skin under his, to slide her silky white breasts against his chest. He glanced up, noticing she was watching his every move. Her eyes settled on the part of his anatomy crying out to be one with her, and she smiled.
Christ!
His mouth reclaimed hers, further igniting his passion already out of control. His fingers caressed her breast once again before moving lower, and he felt her body shudder under his fingertips. He tasted lavender as his tongue followed the feathery trail of his hands.
His lips reached the core of her womanhood, and she gasped, shattering any doubts he may have had. Relentless in his pursuit to pleasure her, he tasted, sucked. When he felt her hands in his hair, pushing him deeper into her, he nearly exploded, unable to take much more.
Slowly, he moved his body up the length of hers, sliding easily with the moisture of their lovemaking. Gently he lowered himself into her, becoming one body, one spirit with the woman beneath him.
Long forgotten were his fears as her body moved in perfect harmony with his. Nothing mattered but what was happening in this bed at this moment. Thrust after thrust, she met his passion, until they simultaneously erupted with the intensity of their climax.
His breathing, fast and frantic as if his body craved oxygen, finally became normal, and he slid off her. Staring at the ceiling, deep in thought, he knew he had just crossed the line, his own self-imposed line. Knew things could never be the same between them now. Knew it and was terrified this incredible moment had been a disastrous mistake.
“Okay, then,” she s
aid, her voice still breathy as she broke the silence between them.
“Lainey, I’m—”
She reached across and put her finger to his lips. “Shh. Let’s enjoy the moment. It is what it is. Nothing more.”
“I never meant—”
“Colt, I’m serious. No apologies. We both know this didn’t mean anything. Leave it at that.” She giggled. “I gotta tell you, though, Mr. Winslow. You have a couple of major moves I wasn’t aware of.”
The mischief in her eyes forced him to smile. “And you, as well, Ms. Garcia.” He sat up in bed, afraid to allow the afterglow to cloud his judgment. “I’ll see you in the morning, Lainey.”
She reached up and pushed him back down to the pillow. “Oh, no you don’t. Stay and let me pay you back for your generosity.” She winked.
He studied her face, trying to find a reason to go but drawing a blank. Why couldn’t this just be two people enjoying each other’s company, each other’s bodies? Why did he have to make it out to be something it wasn’t? She’d said it herself. It was what it was.
Sex!
Pure and simple.
Hot and wet.
He growled and reached for her again. “Enough talking. Payback time.”
_____
It was her wedding day, and her stepfather was walking her down the aisle toward the altar. Her dress was gorgeous, the long train flowing behind her, pink roses embroidered down the center.
After Johnny Lopez lifted her veil and kissed her, she glanced up at her husband who was waiting at the altar, his smile illuminating the entire church.
“Lainey.”
She smiled back at him. “I do,” she responded, thinking this was the happiest day of her life.
“You do what?”
Opening her eyes, she stared up at Colt, surprised he wasn’t standing at the altar in a tux. She jerked her body into a sitting position, then grabbed the sheet to cover her bare breasts as the man in the dream she’d had so many times as a teenager offered her a hot cup of coffee instead of a wedding band.
She felt her cheeks flame. “I must have been dreaming.”
The smile spread across his face. “I would love to have been a fly in that dream. You were smiling like you’d just won the lottery.”
He sat down on the edge of the bed, and Lainey pulled the sheet closer to her chest.
That’s rich, she thought, remembering what had happened the night before. After their third bout of lovemaking, both had fallen asleep, totally exhausted.
She glanced at the clock on the nightstand, amazed it was already after nine. She hadn’t slept this late in years. She reached for the coffee from his outstretched hand and sipped. “How long have you been awake?” she asked, enjoying another sip. The man brewed a mean cup of joe.
Dressed in jeans and a blue plaid shirt that brought out his eyes, his hair still damp from a shower, Colt shot her a devilish grin. “About an hour. You were dead to the world, so I let you catch a little more shuteye.”
He picked up the morning paper from the table and handed it to her. “Gotta run to the office for a few hours. My mom’s bringing Gracie home around noon.”
Her cell phone began to vibrate, skittering across the nightstand to hang precariously on the edge. Colt jumped, catching it just before it went over.
Lainey grabbed it from him and flipped the receiver open, irritated that one of her sisters was calling this early on a Saturday morning. Their rule had always been no calls before noon on the weekends.
“Hello.”
“Hello, sunshine. Where’ve you been all morning? I’ve been trying to reach you for over an hour.”
Her eyes met Colt’s who hadn’t moved from the side of the bed, his body language indicating he had no intentions of going anywhere anytime soon.
“I slept in this morning. I must have switched off the phone last night,” she lied, her heart rate speeding up suddenly. “Why were you trying to reach me, Dan? Is something wrong?”
He chuckled. “On the contrary.” He paused. “I need directions to get from DFW to Vineyard.”
“You’re at the airport?” Her voice elevated an octave. “What are you doing there?”
She glanced up when she heard the door shut behind Colt.
_____
Colt had spent the last five hours going over the murder investigation files, growing more frustrated by the minute.
Damn it! I’m missing something that’s probably gonna jump up and bite me in the ass when I least expect it.
He scratched his forehead as a disturbing thought occurred. What if the two murders at the Conquistador had nothing to do with Tessa? The only real connection he could make between her and Porter was the oil drilling contract, and Tessa had made herself perfectly clear on that subject. She had no intentions of selling Spirits of Texas to him.
Still, Porter had indicated he’d found a way to get around Tessa. If his plan was working, why would he need to kill her? And what about Carrie blackmailing Roxy? Did that fit into the whole picture or was it just a coincidence? Carrie had grown up in a poor neighborhood and had always schemed to get ahead in life. Maybe squeezing money out of Roxy was simply a way to get easy cash.
Roxy! He needed to take a second look at her, dig deeper. It was obvious to everyone except Moretti she’d only married him for his money, that she’d been sneaking around behind his back with Porter. Could she have had a serious disagreement with her lover and killed him?
What about Thornton? Was he just a thug Roxy had known from her porn days and hired to axe Porter? Then who killed Thornton?
He slammed the file to the desk and raked his fingers through his hair. The image of Lainey doing the exact same thing during their lovemaking marathon brought a smile to his weary face.
God! He didn’t realize how much he’d missed sex.
The smile faded as the devil’s advocate in his head reminded him last night hadn’t been all about good sex. He’d been dancing around his attraction to her since the funeral. Even Lainey had picked up signals. “Do it,” she’d said. “We both know you want to.”
Obviously, he’d been so sex-starved she’d seen right through him. But it was more than that. Something about her got under his skin. Maybe that’s why he’d been thinking about her since he’d left her talking on the phone this morning.
He pursed his lips wondering who this Dan guy was anyway? Colt didn’t remember hearing that name before this morning.
He exhaled audibly in an attempt to blow away the twinge of jealousy he felt in his gut. No matter how much he hoped the guy turned out to be a gay friend or someone else’s husband, Lainey’s body language when she was on the phone had spoken volumes. He’d been a cop too long to miss the way she’d turned her back to him when she answered, the way she’d lowered her voice when she recognized the caller, and most telling, the look in her eyes when she’d finally turned around and met his gaze.
Whoever Dan was, he was definitely someone important in her life, someone she’d either shared or was still sharing an intimate relationship with. He scolded himself for wishing for the former. He had no business even thinking about going down that road, especially with his ex’s sister. He and Gracie were getting along just fine without adding another relationship to the mix.
But his mind challenged his good sense that since he’d had a taste of her lips, her body, once would never be enough. Vivid snapshots of her squirming on the bed, moaning softly from his touch, brought another smile to his lips.
“You’re not gonna be grinning like that when I tell you what I found out this afternoon, boss.”
Colt jerked his head up, the smile fading as Danny Landers walked into the room and sat down hard in the chair.
“I was just thinking about something Gracie said this morning,” Colt lied.
“Thought Gracie spent the night with your mom.”
Sometimes he hated that his business was common knowledge in Vineyard. “I talked to her on the phone before I left the house.�
�� Colt shrugged. “So, what’d you find out?”
Danny leaned forward. “You know how I try to make it to all my nephew’s soccer games?” When Colt nodded, Danny continued. “Well, this morning, they played in Lewistown.” His eyes lit up with pride. “You should see him, boss. That little six-year-old can fly. He’s faster than the bigger kids on the team.”
“That can wait, Danny,” Colt interrupted. “What did you find out that was important enough to barge in here?”
“On the way home, I stopped by a convenience store in Shakerville to get a slushy. Just for the hell of it, I asked the clerk if he’d sold any prepaid phones lately.”
Colt’s eyes narrowed. “Go on,” he urged.
“As it turned out, he was the owner. Said he’s thinking about taking them off the shelves because nobody’s buying them anymore.” Danny paused before explaining. “The phone companies have lowered their prices on the calling plans and most of them come with a free phone.”
“Another dead end?”
Landers scooted to the edge of the chair. “Don’t rush me. Everything needs a little foreplay.”
Colt couldn’t help chuckling. If his young officer only knew how close to home that remark hit after last night. “The day’s only so long, kid. Get on with the story.”
Danny glanced out the window at the three or four people milling around the station, then got up and shut the door. Instead of sitting back down, he leaned over Colt’s desk. His voice dropped to a whisper. “He sold one about a month ago.”
Colt’s interest escalated. “Please tell me the guy used a credit card to buy it.”
“Better than that.” Danny beamed. “You have to register for a prepaid phone. Unfortunately, when I ran the guy’s name through our computer a few minutes ago, it turns out he’s been dead for six months. Heart attack.”
“Dammit! I thought we were going to catch a break.” Colt slid back in the chair. “Any relatives in the area that might have used the name?”
“The guy was staying at a hotel off Highway 114. Some kind of business conference. His family all lives back in Boston.”
“Hmm,” Colt mused. “Who walks into a 7-Eleven and buys a phone with an out of town dead guy’s name and personal information?” He turned to Landers. “Did he use the Boston address or a phony one?”
Heard it Through the Grapevine Page 19
