“I know,” he said. Rubbing his hand over her arm he started to rock her again. “But it didn’t happen that way. You stayed hidden, stayed smart, and came to the right people to protect you. You’re safe, Mags. Perfectly safe.”
She lifted her head so he could see her tear streaked face. “You called me Mags.”
Wincing he brushed his thumb to her cheek. “Sorry about that.”
“No, it’s fine,” she whispered. “Grand-mère used to call me that all the time. Used to make me feel better when I needed it most. Like now.” Brushing at her cheeks she let out a shuddering breath. “God, I must look a wreck.”
“Not in the least,” he told her. Truth. While she was still pale, and a little shaky, she looked stunning to him. “Why don’t you throw some water on your face? I’ll go grab my laptop, and I’ll come in here to work while you sleep. Might help you sleep better if you sense someone a little closer to you.”
“I’d like that, thank you.”
Smiling he shrugged. “You don’t have to thank me, Maggie.”
“Right, just doing your job.”
He frowned at that as she slipped off the bed and went to the bathroom. Damn but that didn’t sit well with him. It wasn’t part of his job to hold her, or comfort her. He did it for her. Blowing out a breath he went to collect his laptop and the files he’d been working on. He also grabbed a bottle of water for them both, and returned as she walked out of the bathroom.
Stopping, he took her in. He hadn’t really gotten a good look at what she’d been wearing. Or not wearing as the case was. Tiny little shorts and a tank top with thin straps that fell to just above her belly button. Holy shit, the woman was built like a woman. Long limbs with all the right curves in the right places.
When she made to lower the towel she’d been drying her face with Douglas made sure his back was turned. No way in hell was he letting her catch him gawking. That and his pants were more than a little tight once more.
“Better?” he asked, throwing her a look over his shoulder.
“A bit,” she told him. She looked nervous, and a little wary.
“Good. Hop back into bed. You only managed about an hour, not nearly long enough to feel rested. Here.” He handed her a bottle of water. “I’d drink a little. It might help you sleep if you’re hydrated.”
“Thank you,” she told him. At his look she rolled her eyes. “Right, quit thanking you.”
“It’s unnecessary, Maggie. I’m happy to be here to help you get through this. No one’s twisting my arm, nor do they have a…” Gun to his head. Yeah, probably best not to say that.
“A what?” she asked.
Her smooth legs sticking out of those itty bitty shorts fried his brain for a moment until she covered them with the blankets again. “Nothing. Just an extremely inappropriate phrase given the current situation. Basically I was trying to say I’m here of my own free will. Now, drink some of your water, and try to get some more sleep.”
Pulling up a chair he settled down near the end of the bed, and got his laptop up and running once more.
Chapter Four
Half an hour later she still couldn’t sleep. She was terrified to close her eyes. Even with Douglas in the room Maggie couldn’t make her eyes close. She was exhausted, but her fear was overriding it all.
She knew she was safe. The man and his gun were barely four feet away from her. Mr. Sorvino didn’t even know she existed, let alone where she was. But every time she blinked she saw that gun pointed at her head.
“You do know you need to close your eyes to sleep, right?”
Shifting her gaze to him she frowned. He wasn’t even looking at her, so how the hell did he know she wasn’t asleep?
His gaze lifted to meet hers. “Your breathing is too ragged, and you’re tense. I can practically feel the vibrations coming through the bed from how tightly you’re holding yourself.”
Oh. Well all right then. “Every time I blink I see the gun pointed at my head. I know it’s not real, but that fear, the terror is real. It keeps trying to swamp me.”
He nodded slowly. After a minute he shifted in his chair, stood, and moved everything he’d been working on to sit on the chair he’d vacated. Coming around the bed he pulled the holster off his belt, set it and the gun on the nightstand, and then eased onto the bed next to her. She noted he’d ditched his shoes and his tie at some point. She’d missed that earlier.
Licking her lips she watched him as he eased down on the bed. Once he had a pillow tucked under his head Maggie wiggled in closer to him. Hesitantly she put a hand on his arm. When he didn’t protest she tugged her pillow closer so she could feel his arm brushing her nose.
Strangely enough it was what she’d needed to soothe her. Taking a chance she closed her eyes and waited. For long moments she took slow, deep breaths. No flash of the gun. She couldn’t even see anything from that night. Her every sense was filled with the heat of Douglas, his scent blending perfectly with whatever aftershave he used, and the feeling of his arm under her hand.
“Sleep, Mags. I’ll be right here until you wake up. Promise.”
Sliding her hand up a little on his arm she curled her fingers around as much of his bicep as she could manage. With a nod she released a long, shaky breath and focused on the rhythm of his breathing. Slowly, so slowly she felt her body relax into that smooth inhale, exhale until there was nothing but darkness.
****
When she woke next Maggie was disoriented. She was warm, being held close to something firm by a tight band around her waist, and she was horny. Holy shit was she horny.
It took her a while to figure out where she was. And more importantly, who she was draped over. Lifting her head she was met with Douglas’s face barely an inch from hers. She was practically sprawled over his body, one leg hitched up over his hips, and his arm wrapped around her back to hold her close. His other hand was resting on her naked thigh.
She suppressed a low moan when she shifted, her clit rubbing his hip. God damn it. She’d never woken up with such a hunger in her life. And for someone she didn’t even know. Had he been awake she’d likely not have been able to resist. His eyes made her feel like she was tumbling out of control. With him asleep though she had a shot of getting away. Maybe.
Carefully she reached down to wrap her fingers around his wrist. When he didn’t budge she eased his hand off her leg, and then inch by inch slid her leg off his body. Setting his hand down over his stomach, very flat and firm looking she noted, she let his wrist go. Step one completed.
Step two was more complicated though. Somehow she needed to work his arm from around her waist without waking him. Since she didn’t know when he’d fallen asleep Maggie had to go with the assumption it hadn’t been all that long after she had. Which meant the possibility of him waking mid-maneuver was high.
She could do it. Course she could. It wasn’t that hard really. Loosen his hold on her waist enough to slide free. Easy. Yup.
In theory it all sounded good. In practice it didn’t go so well. First step was to locate his wrist, which was a bit difficult to do given how he was holding her. Maggie couldn’t get her head turned to the right angle to see so she had to go on feel. Pure luck had her landing on his wrist on the first shot. Then luck ran out.
When she went to lift his arm the muscles flexed, and he drew her in tighter to his side. Damn him and his beautiful, sinfully sexy, self to hell!
“What are you doing?”
A whimper tried to break free, but Maggie squashed that bitch down. His voice was husky from sleep, and it was doing naughty things to her body. Licking her lips she turned her head, and found herself caught by his heavy lidded gaze.
So, naturally, she said the first thing that came to mind when under pressure. “Gotta pee.” Smooth, Maggie, really smooth. “I, uh, didn’t want to wake you up.” She knew from his expression that he didn’t believe her.
“Do you really need to use the facilities, or were you just trying to get away
?”
Since she’d mentioned it Maggie realized she did need to go. “I actually need the bathroom.”
His arm slid away, slowly, his fingers dragging over the bare skin of her belly, side, and lower back. Her pussy clenched in reaction to the light rasp from his rough fingertips. She was loose, and yet she couldn’t move. Until her bladder made a protest.
Rolling away from him quickly she scurried into the bathroom. Five minutes later when she came back out, she found him right where she’d left him. His lids flicked up when she stopped midway between the door and the bed.
Maggie so wanted to jump back into bed with him, preferably on him. But that wouldn’t be right. Beyond his name, his job, and the fact he was apparently single, she knew nothing about him. She couldn’t dive into bed with a man she knew nothing about. Even if he did rev her engine up to full throttle without trying.
“Maggie, is something wrong?”
With a blink she brought him back into focus. He was sitting up now. Hell, he looked ready to jump off the bed if need be.
“No,” she said. Lifting her hand she chewed on the edge of her thumbnail as he watched her.
“Okay, something is going on though.” Douglas moved to the edge of the bed, gaining his feet, and walked toward her. “Care to share?”
“Not sure yet,” she muttered.
One of his eyebrows arched up slightly. He didn’t say anything though, for which she was grateful. It gave her a moment to think things through a little better. Though it would have been nice if he hadn’t been standing quite so close to her.
Screw it all. “I find you incredibly attractive, Douglas. I have from the moment I met you. I’m trying quite desperately not to jump you right now.”
“Why are you holding back?”
That threw her for a bit of a loop. “Because I know nothing about you of course.” Sounded good to her.
“What do you want to know?”
Son of a bitch. The man was being much too cooperative. Huffing out a breath she planted her hands on her hips, and glared up at him. “Are you in a relationship? What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Do you prefer action movies, comedies, or romance? Did you have a pet growing up? Where do you see yourself in five years? I don’t know, stuff!”
Chapter Five
She was adorable when she was all flustered. Smiling slightly Douglas stepped closer to her, not at all surprised when Maggie scampered back a step, and then planted her feet while lifting her chin. He took another step toward her, impressed when she didn’t move.
“I haven’t been in any sort of relationship in over two years. The hours tend to piss some women off. I like vanilla because you can add any type of topping to it, or have it plain. I love a good action flick though I’ve been known to watch a romantic comedy on occasion if the mood hits me. No pets, my mother was allergic to fur, and my dad had a dislike of anything reptilian. In five years I hope to still be at my job, though I’m always open to new opportunities so I wouldn’t shy away from something if the potential was there for greater growth. And, for the bonus points, I like the idea of children if it’s with the right woman. A woman who understands me, gets why I do the job I do, and is going to stand by my side as I stand by hers for a lifetime. Now, same questions back at you.”
She blinked up at him clearly not having thought that far ahead. “Uh. No relationship for five years, though I’ve had a few dates that left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth of late. Chocolate chip mint is my preferred flavor, though I don’t discount the versatility of vanilla. War movies, old and new ones, but I also like action films. I had a cat that lived to be nearly nineteen years old, and passed away just after I left home. I have always wanted to be a writer, so I’d try my hand at that though I would definitely keep my day job. For the bonus round, I’m looking for a man who gets that a newspaper doesn’t run on any particular schedule, that I’ve never been on time for anything in my life, and that I prefer to stay in rather than go out and party.”
Impressed he smiled at her and nodded. “Very good. Though I do have to ask, what sort of writing are you interested in?”
“Mystery writing. I’ve always loved the whodunits, and would love to take a crack at it. No clue if I’d be any good, but unless I try I’ll never know.”
“True enough.” He took another step, taking note of how her breathing changed, the rise and fall of her breasts, and the fact her face was slightly flushed. “My turn for a few questions.”
“All right.” Her chin cranked up another notch.
He liked her spirit. “What’s the one food you would be willing fight tooth and nail to get your hands on? What are your feelings on shopping? Is your shoe collection larger than your wardrobe selection? How do you feel about hot, sweaty, mind-blowing sex?”
Her breathing was more erratic, and her pupils had dilated more. “A bowl of my grand-mère’s jambalaya. I don’t mind shopping. It’s a necessary evil in the world, but you will never find me in a store over a holiday or Black Friday. I have eight pairs of shoes, total. With the right person hot, sweaty and mind-blowing sex is my idea of perfection.”
Her last words had a breathy quality, one he rather liked.
“Back at you,” she said in a firmer tone.
“A deep dish pizza from Lou Malnati’s in Chicago. I hate shopping with a passion. I do it all online except for groceries because I prefer being able to see, smell, and feel what I’m purchasing. I’m a guy. I have four pairs of shoes, three of which are for work. And I wouldn’t have brought up the subject if I wasn’t already imagining you naked on your hands and knees in front of me.”
“Holy shit,” she whispered with a distinct little whimper at the end.
Douglas took the final step to put them chest to chest. Relatively speaking. He was a hair over six feet, but she was definitely short without her killer heels on. Placing his hands on her waist he slowly slid them around to press one to her mid back, and the other to the upper curve of her ass. He was thrilled when her hands came up to grab hold of his arms, subtly tugging him closer. “It’s against agency policy to get personally involved with a witness, or a suspect. But I’m more than ready to toss that out the window if you’re at all interested.”
She gave a jerky nod, her tongue sliding over her lips. “I’m definitely interested in getting personally involved with you, Douglas.”
“Oh thank God.” Dropping his hands to her ass Douglas pulled her up to meet him for a kiss. Her arms slid around his neck pulling him down into her, and he went gladly. She tasted like mint, and all woman. Turning them he began to back her toward the bed.
When the backs of her legs made contact he slipped his hands inside the little pajama shorts, cupping her bare flesh, and lifted her up. Laying her down on the bed he slipped her bottoms off, tossing them to the side. Breaking the kiss he yanked her top off and went to work on the buttons of his shirt while she worked his zipper.
Her hand closing around his cock nearly put him on his knees. Groaning he wrenched the last two buttons free, and got rid of his shirt. A push to his slacks had them sliding down his legs where he could kick them free. Another squeeze and a stroke from her hand had him bending in to kiss her hard. “Need a condom, two seconds.”
“Hurry,” she demanded. She let him go to slide back onto the bed, spreading her legs, and lifting them to a bent position to perfectly show off her pussy. She had a small strip of hair down her mound, but the rest of her was completely bare.
“Shit,” he breathed out heavily. For a moment he couldn’t make his brain work. Then everything snapped back into focus, and he was back on task. Condom, immediately.
Chapter Six
Smiling slightly Maggie watched him make a mad dash for the bathroom. She couldn’t believe she was going to have sex with him. Yet it felt right, perfect even. The impromptu and rapid-fire question session had strangely reassured her, a lot. The fact he’d gotten into it a bit had eased her worries even more.
When he came bac
k tearing into the condom wrapper she decided to be naughty. Just a little bit. Sliding a hand slowly down her torso she watched him until she knew for sure she had his attention. Then she slipped her fingers down over her mound to find her clit.
Slowly she began to circle the tight bud, rubbing it lightly before going lower. She’d never been so bold in bed before, but with Douglas’s eyes on her she felt an odd sense of empowerment. Pressing her finger between her labia she rubbed at her opening, her eyes drifting shut for a moment before she pushed the lids back up.
She didn’t want to miss his reaction to her actions, and she was rewarded. He had a hard look on his face, his attention riveted. Sliding her finger into her pussy she began to slowly pump the digit in and out. She was wet for him, so damn wet.
Her low moan, one she couldn’t control, had him jolting back into motion. He tossed the wrapper aside, his hand dropping to roll the condom onto his fully engorged cock. Walking to the bed Douglas kneeled between her legs, pushing her knees further apart as he continued to watch what she was doing.
Maggie pressed a second finger into her body, her hips starting to rock in time with the thrusting of her fingers. She let out another low moan that had his hands tightening on her knees. Biting her lip Maggie drew her fingers out to rub over her clit then lifted them to him.
He took her fingers into his mouth, his tongue stroking over her digits before he drew back to release them. Douglas licked his lips slowly. The look in his eyes should have warned her of what was to come. Sadly she was a little distracted by how turned on she was by watching him licking her fingers.
Shifting on the bed he went down on her, his head between her legs, his mouth on her pussy. And his tongue—God, his tongue, lapping at her like a man desperate for more. She could only grab at his hair, the soft strands wrapping around her fingers while her body bowed up. “Douglas!”
There was no reprieve from his mouth, though. He sucked, licked, flicked, and generally tormented her with every stroke. Maggie couldn’t control her body. Her hips were rocking into his mouth, trying to get closer to him. When he bit her clit she clenched his hair tight, a keening sound escaping her while her eyes tried to roll back in her head. Holy shit that felt good!
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