Freedom to Love [Freedom, Colorado 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Melody Snow Monroe

  “Harper was rather frustrated because your regular maintenance company couldn’t service your machines.”

  “True.”

  “So he used someone they recommended.” Conner nodded. “I’m thinking the bad guys—I’m not ready to name Jack Marr yet—had something on these regular repair men. It doesn’t matter what, but your regular company was forced to recommend the saboteur.”

  “You believe that if look at the tape that you might get a photo of the guy, which will help identify him?”

  She loved his quick mind. “Yes.”

  Conner blew out a breath and stretched out his legs. “I appreciate you coming all this way, but I’ve already done that and saw nothing but a guy in blue overalls wearing a baseball cap. He must have scoped out where the cameras were located because he kept his face averted while he worked.”

  She held up a finger. “That’s where I come in. I’ll go frame by frame. I will find something.”

  “That will take hours.” He leaned forward.

  “So? You’re in trouble and I want to help.”

  He grinned. “I’m seeing a pattern here. ‘Men In Trouble. Woman Keeps Saving Them.’”

  She laughed. “It’s what I do, and I want to help.”

  “I appreciate that more than you can ever know.” He lifted his cell and punched a number. “Pulls. I need you to bring the footage of the casino floor for Wednesday to my office.” He disconnected. “Harper will not be happy.”

  She nodded. “I know, but this is partly why I want to help. The sooner we find out who’s behind this, the sooner I get to see Harper smile.”

  Conner stood, pulled her to a stand, and wrapped his arms around her. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered in her ear.

  Her body melted. “Me, too.”

  They both leaned forward at the same time. She really needed to feel his lips on hers. Instant lust flared the moment they kissed. Her nipples pebbled and her pussy wept. God, what the man did to her. As if she’d opened the spigot, his passion flowed. His hands raced to her ass as he pressed his crotch against hers.

  He broke the kiss and gazed into her eyes. “I want you.”

  “Me, too.”

  He deepened the kiss and ran his hands up her back then leaned away. “Damn jacket.” Conner slipped it off her shoulders and let it drop to the floor before continuing the siege.

  She wanted to explore all of him, but Pulls was coming and she didn’t need him to bust in and find her slammed against the wall, naked.

  As if she had telepathy, a knock sounded.

  “Fuck. It’s Pulls,” he said. “Hold that thought.”

  As Conner went to answer the door, Holly picked up her jacket and placed it on the back of the chair.

  Pulls walked in. Wow. He was nothing like she’d pictured, though except for his name, she had no reason to draw any conclusion about his appearance. Pulls stood no more than five-feet-three inches tall, was skinnier than she was, and had bright red hair that looked like he’d donned a clown wig. She liked him immediately.

  He glanced over at her and nodded. “Ma’am.”

  “Thanks, Pulls. We’ll get this back to you as soon as Holly checks it out.”

  “Hope you see something I didn’t, ma’am.” He then disappeared.

  Conner returned and handed her the large drive. “Perfect.” Now that she had what she’d come for, should she leave and get to work or would Conner mind if she enjoyed his company a little longer?

  Conner twirled her hair in his finger. “How about if I follow you back to your office and watch you work? I might be able to spot something you don’t.”

  She saw through his ploy. “Are you worried someone will nab me between here and Freedom?”

  Conner dropped down in his chair and nodded. “After Harper dropped you off at Lucas’s ranch, he came home but wouldn’t talk about his fear. That worries me. He’s like he was after Wendy’s death.”

  Part of her should be flattered, but mostly she ached. “I can’t live in a cave for fear something bad will happen. Doesn’t he realize that it doesn’t matter who’s behind this mess? People get jealous, want revenge, whatever, and will lash out. Does he think the only way not to get hurt is to push everyone away?”

  Conner stood and faced her. “That would be my guess, but don’t worry. He’ll come around.”

  The big question was when. And more pressing, if Harper decided he wanted to keep his distance, would Conner keep away, too?

  * * * *

  All during the half-hour drive from Black Hawk to Freedom, Conner’s mind wouldn’t stop reeling. Holly was determined to do her thing, and as much as Conner liked keeping her out of harm’s way, Harper’s definition of safety was to stay away from her, thinking that if Marr’s minions didn’t see them together, she wouldn’t be a target. Fortunately, during the trip, Conner didn’t spot anyone behind him or he might have insisted she not stop in town.

  When they reached her office building, he parked next to her, which was close to a back door of her building. He didn’t like the seclusion of the alley and would ask her to park on the street in the future, especially if she came at night.

  She slid out of her car before he could reach her. As he approached her vehicle, he checked the alley, but no one else was around.

  “Right this way.” Holly pulled open the door. “It’s on the second floor.”

  They headed up the steps. Her office door was locked, implying Dani and Nikki were out on a case. Three adjacent rooms, all of which had one glass wall facing the corridor, opened onto a smaller room that acted as a reception area. “Great digs.”

  “We like it. This is Dani’s office.” She walked to the next cubicle. “This is Nikki’s, and this is mine.”

  The third office was twice as big, but that was probably because the equipment took up one wall. “Nice setup.”

  “It’s not as nice as when I worked for the government, but it suits our needs.”

  He grabbed her waist. “Aren’t we the snob?”

  She twisted in his grip and giggled. “Con–ner.”

  “Ticklish, I see.”

  “Yes.” She grabbed at his waist, but he tightened his muscles to prevent the tickle reflex from taking effect.

  He let go. “Come on. We need to work.”

  She opened her mouth and the urge to kiss her took over. He slid her jacket off her shoulders then slipped out of his. Even though her back wall was all glass, no one was here, and ever since Harper had taken her to Colorado Springs, his cock hadn’t rested. He wanted Holly bad.

  He backed her up until her butt hit the desk. Miss “keep everything neat and perfect” had little on top. He moved a few odds and ends off to the side, lifted her up, and set her in the middle.

  “Conner. What are you doing?” There was a mixture of delight and censure in her voice.

  “Something I’ve been wanting to do for days.”

  She grinned. “What’s that?”

  “Wish you a happy birthday in person.”

  She laughed and the sound only served to make him harder. He stepped to the side of her desk and pulled the blinds closed. He saw no need to give the people of Freedom an afternoon show.

  “How are you going to do that?”

  “This.” He slipped his fingers inside her jeans waistband and pulled them open.

  She clamped her hands on his wrist. “We can’t have sex here.”

  He ignored her plea and lowered her zipper. “Why not? No one is here.”

  “But either of the girls would walk in any minute.”

  “So?”

  She glanced down the hallway as if they’d suddenly materialize. “Can we be quick?”

  He laughed. “I do love you.” He held his breath waiting to see if she’d take his comment seriously or if she thought it was just a saying.

  Her gaze shot to the right then left as if she wasn’t sure how to respond. Before she thought too much about it, he tugged off her boots and socks, and then yanked down
her jeans. “Lift.” She did, and he removed not only her jeans but her panties as well. He whistled. “Love the bright yellow panties. Were you thinking that maybe we’d…?”

  “No. I just like nice underwear.” When her gaze shot to the left, he knew she was lying. That thrilled him.

  Because she was only a few inches shorter than he was, he dragged her off the desk, pulled her to his chest, and kissed her without bending down.

  She shoved back her hips. “It’s cold.”

  He spotted his belt buckle. “I can solve that problem.” As fast as he could, he ditched the shoes, jeans, and pants. He might look stupid wearing only his shirt, but if the girls did come in, he could dress quicker. “Now where was I?”

  “Ready to ravish me.” Holly pressed her chest to his, and the second his cock collided with her naked pussy, his breath caught.

  “I want you so damned bad.” He captured her lips but he still couldn’t get enough of her.

  “Me, too.”

  He slipped his hands under her shirt and beneath her bra that he pictured matching her panties. If possible, his cock turned harder. As soon as his fingers touched those highly sensitive nipples, Holly moaned. He wanted to lick her and fuck and kiss her and touch her—and not necessarily in that order. God, he needed a room so he could spend hours adoring her.

  “Can I suck your cock?”

  The woman knew how to push him to his limits. Since time was an issue, he’d allow her a few licks. “Be quick.”

  She grinned and he saw trouble. She grabbed his shoulders and swung him around so that his butt was against the desk. Her chair sat two feet away. She rolled it toward her and sat. “Saves my back.”

  “You are practical and resourceful.”

  “Just wait and see how resourceful I can be.”

  He half expected her to pull something from her drawer, like a feather or something and tickle him. Instead, she ripped off her hair tie then lifted one end. With the softest of touches, she ran the ends up and down his cock. Maybe it was because it was Holly doing it to him, but he had to grip the edge of the desk hard to keep control. “Put your mouth on him.” He hadn’t meant to jerk his cock, but the erotic sensation wasn’t like anything he’d ever experienced.

  As if she could sense his desperation, she lowered her mouth over his dick and dragged her lips downward. He might have been able to handle the hormonal surge had she not grabbed his hard length and rubbed her hand up and down. He gritted his teeth, loving the rush, but hating his lack of control. “Need. More. Pressure.”

  She did as he asked and his pulse soared. He’d let her go a little longer, but then she had the nerve to cup his balls. He clamped his hands on her shoulders and stepped to the side.

  His ragged breath embarrassed him.

  “You like that?” She would have to add a cute little laugh at the end.

  “Let’s see how well you last.” Conner gave her no option and pulled her to a stand then set her on the desk. “Put your feet on the edge so I can drink in your sweet juices.”

  “You do have a way with words.”

  Not only did she spread her legs nice and wide, she pulled back her pussy lips for him. He almost came right there. He wedged his shoulders between her legs and sopped up her juices. “Mmm.”

  She raised her hands to his head, tugged on the thong holding back his hair, and threaded her fingers across his scalp. Her sensual touch ignited his blood. To return the sensory pleasure he pressed two fingers into her tight pussy and licked her delicate little nub. Her squeals of delight prompted him to finger-fuck her fast and furiously.

  “Oh, Conner.”

  Her passionate plea took him over the edge. “I can’t wait.” In one quick move, he drew her hips almost off the desk and impaled her.

  She gasped. “God. That feels so good.”

  Amen. “Wrap your legs around me.” As soon as she did, he flipped them around. “Put your feet on the desk.” That would give her balance and leverage to lift up and down. “Now fuck me.”

  She dropped her head on his shoulder and drove her pussy down on him hard. He gasped.

  “God, I could do this all day,” she said.

  Her words floated out as if on a cloud, but he was convinced she was yanking his chain. He was on edge and had to bring her along with him. “Wrap your arms around my neck and hold on.”

  He lifted her shirt and bra and nabbed her nipple. The self-proclaimed ice princess groaned loudly. Gotcha. She held still as if she needed a moment for the pain and pleasure to register. Swirling his tongue around her hardened nub, he lowered his hand to her hip. He needed the leverage to pound up into her. On the first thrust, she gasped.

  “Conner. Conner.” Her cry urged him on.

  He drove into her hard, all the while focusing on her wonderful breasts. Not wanting to forget her lips, he lifted his head and hungrily took her. Their tongues tangled as they both fucked each other hard.

  “I’m coming, I’m coming,” she managed to chant a second after she came up for a breath.

  So totally lost in the sensuality of loving Holly, only now did he realize he hadn’t put on a condom. He withdrew and a second later shot his wad up her belly.

  She yelled her release and then looked down. “Why?” She sucked in a breath. “Oh, shit. I can’t believe we forgot the condom.”

  “You said you were on the pill, but I pulled out anyway.” He held up her shirt. “Maybe you should clean up.” He pulled some tissues from a box and handed them to her.

  “Right.” She grabbed her pants and jogged across the hall to the bathroom. He wiped his cock and redressed.

  Christ. Holly had totally gotten under his skin. If Harper didn’t come around, he’d be totally hosed.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Holly’s eyes were blurry after looking at the footage for a few hours. Conner had slipped out to get a pizza, and she was determined to find a few frames where the guy in the blue overalls had turned his head by mistake and faced the camera.

  “There.” She pressed the pause button. Her heart raced. “Gotcha, you bastard.”

  “Who you calling a bastard?”

  She swiveled around. “Hey, you.” Conner was there with a pizza box and two drinks that he set on her desk. She was in her chair along the wall of machines. “Look here.” She moved to the side so Conner could get a view of his face.

  “Can you blow it up?”

  “Sorry.” She was used to looking at small images. She moved the still into Photoshop and enlarged it. “It gets really grainy when I do this, but I can use an unsharp mask on it.”

  “I need it clearer not less sharp.”

  Everyone made that mistake. “Hold on.” She tweaked it the best she could. “Recognize him?” She held her breath.

  “Nope, but that doesn’t mean someone won’t.”

  “I’ll send this over to Sam Cook at the sheriff’s office.”

  “He’ll run a check for you?”

  She looked up and smiled. “Freedom Security has an in with the department. Wait until my brother begins work for Brady.” Having access to their database would help so much.

  “Sweet.”

  She made the call, and Sam agreed to run the guy’s photo through a recognition program. “I’ll call you when I have something.”

  “If I get more images, I’ll shoot them over.” She disconnected and e-mailed Sam the photo. Then she faced Conner. “I’ll continue looking, but this one should be good enough for an identification if he’s in the system.”

  Conner opened the pizza box, and her stomach grumbled at the wonderful smell. While he placed the slices on the plate, she continued her search.

  “Come and eat. Work can wait,” he said a minute later.

  She wheeled over. The first bite was nirvana. Holly hadn’t realized how hungry she was. “If Sam Cook does come up with a name, then what?”

  “I’m not sure. Can you print the picture of the guy for me? I’m betting he’s not using his real name with the
company, which by the way, could be legitimate.”

  She blew out a breath. “Sure.” A few keystrokes later and a color photo slid out of the printer, and she handed it to him.

  “Thanks.”

  “What will you tell Harper if you learn his name?”

  Conner took a big bite of pizza then washed it down with his drink. “Don’t know. Harper’s in his dark place. He has it in his head that these men will come after you.”

  “Maybe I should learn how to shoot a gun.”

  Conner’s face lost some of its color. “No, baby. That’s a terrible idea. If you had a gun, and they didn’t, they’d take it from you and use it on you. Besides, I don’t think you could bring yourself to shoot anyone.”

  “True. Then what? I’m not wearing a Kevlar vest every time I go out.”

  He laughed. “As soon as I learn the guy’s name, I’ll turn the information over to the police in Black Hawk. The man might claim he made a mistake when he switched out the chips, but that doesn’t mean the cops have to believe him. What I am sure of is that he won’t give up Jack Marr.”

  “You mean we may never know who’s behind this?”

  He picked up another slice. “I’m afraid so.”

  Damn.

  They’d just finished eating when Nikki and Dani rolled in. They pushed open her door. “Hey, Conner. What are you two up to?” Nikki asked.

  “Trying to find out who sabotaged our slot machines.”

  Dani edged in front of Nikki. “And?”

  “Got a picture of the guy and sent it to Sam Cook. If he gives us a name, then we’ll let the Black Hawk police take over.”

  Nikki planted her hands on her hips. “Not before you let Dani and me have a go at him.”

  She shook her head. “It’s too dangerous. This guy could be a killer.”

  Dani waved a hand. “Posh. Killer.”

  They all laughed. Conner sobered first. “Holly’s right, but if you insist, mind if I tag along? We do a bit of surveillance.” He glanced at Holly. “I might look like an Indiana Hoosier, but I’m pretty handy with a rifle.”