The Warrior In Me

by Anita Philmar

  “We have nothing in common,” she said, determined to stand her ground.

  “I beg to differ.” He tugged her forward until he had a hand at her waist and drew her onto the bed. The gentle prodding didn’t stop until he had her on her knees straddling his lap. “You like me. I like you. We both enjoy spending time in each other’s company. What more do we need?”

  “What about our jobs? We live and work in two separate parts of the world.” Lily set her hands on his shoulders and eased them slowly lower. His crisp chest hair tickled her palms. His body heat warmed her and unleashed a hunger in her core. Moisture seeped from her pussy.

  “I don’t think it’s a problem. You are my job for the foreseeable future. I need to keep you close so I can protect you and have my wicked way with you.” He laid his hands on her thighs and nudged his thumbs to her folds. His touch teased but didn’t satisfy.

  “Wait a second, are you saying this isn’t a temporary assignment? I mean after you find out who killed Cain and Mark, won’t you be reassigned?” She rubbed her fingers over the tight bud of his nipples, playfully plucking at the peaks.

  Nudging her elbows upwards, he ended her fun and lifted her nightshirt over her head. Once it was free, he tossed it aside and closed the space between them by wrapping his arms around her. His gaze met hers and held. “No. Like I told you, Neanderthal warriors are my ancestors. And you’re the scientist with all the answers about them. Rex wants to know everything there is to know about the gene project you’re working on. You’re my permanent assignment until he has all the answers he wants.”

  Seeing the serious glint in the depths of his eyes, she fought for some perspective. “But that could be years, we’ve just identified the genes. Now, we’ll need to determine what traits those particular genes have.”

  “Exactly. So you see, I’m not going anywhere.” He lowered his head and nibbled on her neck. His hard cock nestled against her feminine mound, tantalizingly close but not anywhere near where she needed him.

  She tilted her hips to relieve the building tension and struggled to make sense of his explanation. “Sebastian, I don’t understand.”

  “You don’t need to at the moment.” He dipped lower, captured her nipple, and then released it. With long, delicious laps, he licked at the sensitive peak, causing shudders to ripple through her.

  “Sebastian.” Her warning tone didn’t faze him.

  He continued to play, driving all reason from her head. His hot mouth finally closed over her breast, drawing a moan of ecstasy from her. Each brush of his tongue launched a violent onslaught of desire against her senses. Yet, he didn’t ease up or give her a chance to catch her breath.

  No. The wicked man cupped her other breast and pinched the tip. Then he rolled the rigid nipple between his fingers.

  Strung out on a sexual high, she tunneled her hands through his hair and tugged. “Please. I can’t take much more. I need you inside me.”

  Wrapping his fingers around her hips, he nudged her onto her knees. His mouth broke free from her breasts with a loud pop. “Okay, sweetheart, you’re in charge.”

  Uncertain of exactly what he meant, she felt the round head of his cock prodding against her entrance. She followed his lead and slowly glided down his extended length.

  “Oh, yes, take all of me.” He rocked his hips, allowing another inch of penetration.

  Once fully seated, his body locked intimately to hers, she had a sense of completeness she’d never enjoyed before. The uniqueness of their position allowed her the opportunity to stare directly into his eyes, to see the hunger in them.

  She licked her lips and spoke without thinking, “You want me as much as I want you, don’t you?”

  “More.” He groaned and leaned forward. His mouth claimed hers, taking her lips hostage and working his tongue deep. Then he retreated to nibble his way to her ear. He squeezed her ass. “Ride me, baby.”

  Following his direction, she lifted off him. The slow movement dragged the velvety steel of his cock against her needy flesh. Upon reaching the tip, she paused.

  He hauled her back down his solid girth. Back and forth, pushing, pulling, he worked deeper until she had no doubt he’d established a place up through the center of her body to the top of her head. Time lost meaning, and her body shook with the effort it took to do his bidding.

  A wild hunger raced through her, and she couldn’t maintain the easy pace. No, she had to have more. In a frenzy, she bucked her hips, altering the controlled rhythm and creating a rowdy ride.

  He punished her into submitting to his will by pressing her back against his raised knees. The new position left her open to his questing fingers and had her sitting in the saddle of his groin.

  Arching her back, she met him stroke for stroke as he powered deeper, taking everything she had and demanding more. She silently questioned her strength to survive when her climax crashed down over her, engulfing her in a passionate storm of quivering muscles. Her body shuddered, and she must have conveyed her need for him to follow her into an orgasmic bliss. With one more thrust, he poured himself into her.

  Completely spent, she collapsed forward and wrapped her arms around him. Her head landed on his shoulder. She kissed his cheek. “That was amazing.”

  He shifted down in the bed, keeping her body snug over his. The click of the lamp’s light switch added a new level of darkness behind her closed eyelids. “I agree, but we should probably try to get back to sleep. Tomorrow will be no cake walk.”

  Exhausted by the prospect of all she needed to do, she melted over him, hoping only for the strength to get through the event without falling apart.

  ****

  Low inspirational music played through the funeral home speakers. The people assembled in the viewing room spoke in hushed tones while the adjacent area had a more jovial atmosphere as friends and colleagues met and conversed.

  Sebastian scanned the crowd, looking for Lily. She’d wandered away to give him a few minutes to talk to Bruce alone. His partner had arranged for them to meet with Detective Callahan the following afternoon after Mark’s funeral.

  “That’s not the best time for us to head into San Francisco. If he’d meet with us in the morning before Mark’s funeral that would work better.” Sebastian’s gaze fell on Lily’s blonde head. Twisted into a knot, her hair was half-hidden under a small black hat. Sheer netting bordered the rim and concealed the top of her ears. Her silk, black dress had short, puffy sleeves and fell to just above her knees.

  His body hardened as he recalled seeing her walk downstairs earlier. What should have been a widow’s attire reminded him more of what she’d wear for a hot date. The dress hugged her curves and accented her creamy complexion. Even her respectable sling-back heels had set him on fire.

  Studying the way she moved, he narrowed his gaze when she nestled close to another man. The two locked in an embrace. A proprietary spurt of rage raced through his system. “Who is Lily talking to?”

  Bruce gave the couple a cursory glance. “That’s her assistant, Devin Fleetwood. They work very closely together and have been friends for years.”

  “Nothing else between them?” Sebastian studied the man, noted the pale coloring of his skin, his slightly bent posture, his dark hair in direct contrast to Lily’s light blonde.

  “Not that I’ve heard. He allegedly has a girlfriend. But no one has met her as far as I know of,” Bruce grumbled and resumed the earlier thread of their conversation. “I’ll contact Callahan and see if we can change the location of our meeting, but don’t count on it. The detective is not overly thrilled to have our help in this matter.”

  “Not surprising, and thanks for handling him,” Sebastian said to Bruce as he kept an eye on Lily. “I have enough to do to keep up with Lily. Her trip yesterday with Zane was without my approval. I made the mistake of thinking she’d sleep for most of the day. I should have known better.”

  “I understand. She caught me off-guard more than once by taking off on her own.�
�� Bruce veered to one side to allow a couple of women to step past them.

  “Mark never could risk the co-eds. That’s why…” The woman’s words captured Sebastian’s attention.

  He swiveled his head, searching for the speaker. “Did you just hear that?”

  Bruce nodded and strolled after the group.

  Confident his partner would find out what they needed to know, Sebastian headed in the opposite direction, working his way steadily to where Lily still stood with Devin.

  “I thought it best if you didn’t know. That way, you wouldn’t worry.” Devin shifted his gaze. The menacing glare ran from the top of Sebastian’s head to the tip of his black, alligator boots.

  Unhappy with the shrewd, little smile on the man’s lips, Sebastian sauntered forward and wrapped his hand around Lily’s waist. “Why don’t you introduce me to your friend?”

  Turning her body into his, she snuggled close and smoothed her hand over his tie. “Sebastian, I’d like you to meet my best friend and assistant, Devin Fleetwood.”

  The man lifted an inquiring brow and held out his hand in greeting. “You’re her new bodyguard, right?”

  Annoyed by the man’s attempt to dismiss him as being unimportant, Sebastian slapped his hand into Devin’s and squeezed just a bit harder than he normally would. “Yes, and I’m also probing into Cain’s and Mark’s murders. Do you have anything you’d like to share concerning the investigation?”

  Devin drew back with a frown. “No, I shared everything I knew with a police detective yesterday.”

  “Yes, a Detective Callahan.” Lily nodded. “He happened to be at the house when we arrived. I’m afraid I didn’t give him the best impression. Exhausted, I, well…” She lowered her voice. “Olivia was in true form.”

  “Naturally.” Devin scanned the area, as if searching for the woman.

  “After I told her to pack her things and move out, I—”

  “You did what?” Eyes wide, the man stared at Lily as if she’d lost her mind.

  Satisfied the man didn’t pose any danger, Sebastian allowed Lily to move out of his embrace.

  She laid her hand on Devin’s arm and leaned closer. The two appeared like two naughty children, whispering in a hushed tone, sharing some deep, dark secret. “I did, and what’s even more shocking is she moved out.”

  “Yes, finally we’re rid of that woman,” Devin countered and hugged Lily.

  Sebastian swallowed the smile that threatened to reveal his part in Olivia’s decision to vacate the premises. It hadn’t taken much, a few choice words, and a gentle warning of what would happen if she continued to live in Lily’s house.

  Being an intelligent woman, Olivia elected not to risk losing her standing as a first-class fundraiser for nonprofit organizations. Luckily, he had no qualms about keeping silent regarding her misuse of funds. If their accountants hadn’t found a reason to question her ethics, why should he?

  “Oh, my. I can’t believe that woman had the nerve to show up here.” The loud exclamation had heads turning to the doorway leading into the viewing area.

  Olivia stood with her hands on her hips, her face covered in a mask of fury. Doing her duty as a grieving fiancée, she wore a black long-sleeved dress and black nylons with four-inch black heels. The color on Lily had a sexy appeal. On Olivia, the dress made her appear more like a female version of the grim reaper with fangs instead of a scythe.

  A tall, thin man hovered by her side. He seemed uncomfortable with her outspoken words and laid a hand on her arm in an attempt to calm her. With a shrug, she brushed him aside, but he didn’t falter as he blocked her from entering the room.

  Sebastian couldn’t hear the man but from the look on Olivia’s face nothing short of a miracle would keep the woman quiet.

  “Oh, shit,” Lily grumbled beside him and grabbed a hold of his hand. “Devin, you go delay Karen from going into the viewing room while Sebastian and I deal with Olivia.”

  “Sure thing, but Bruce can probably protect her better than I can.” Devin hurried off.

  Scanning the crowd, Sebastian observed his partner talking to the woman they had seen earlier. “Who’s Karen?”

  Lily darted toward Olivia and dragged him along behind her. “Mark’s first wife. She’s the one who introduced Olivia to Mark. The two have been at war since.”

  Weaving through the masses, he followed her lead until she released his hand to tap the tall man next to Olivia on the shoulder. “Stan, why don’t you find Olivia a glass of water? I’m sure she can use it to cool off.”

  “I don’t want any water. I want that woman out of here.” Olivia fumed and glared at Lily as if ready to do battle.

  “Are you sure? Because the last time you two tangled, the local society page had a blow by blow account of the event.” Lily waved a finger over her shoulder. “Those same reporters are here, today.”

  Olivia straightened her shoulders and eyed the crowd. After a moment, she brushed her hand over her chest and toyed with her necklace. “How long do you think she’ll be here?”

  Lily shrugged and pointed to a door at the back of the room. “Probably no longer than it’ll take for you to go to the bathroom. The director said there is a room right across from the restrooms we can use if we should feel the need to get away for a few minutes.”

  “You want me to leave?” Olivia incredulous tone revealed an unwillingness to comply.

  Sebastian stepped up behind her and laid a hand on her waist. “Everyone knows this is an emotional time for you. No one would begrudge you a few moments to yourself.”

  A tissue magically appeared in Olivia’s hand, and she lifted it to her face, blotting the corners of her eyes. “You’re right. Mark wouldn’t want me to cause a scene.”

  With a dramatic show of despair, she ducked her head and wove her way to the back door.

  Once she had disappeared, Lily slumped against him and whispered, “Man, she really didn’t know Mark. He would have loved the idea of women fighting over him at his funeral.”

  Sebastian gathered her close and turned her in the circle of his arms. “Are you kidding?”

  “No. Mark cheated on his first wife, me, and even Olivia. Although, she probably doesn’t know it. He had a way of keeping his affairs under wraps.” Lily brushed a hand over his chest. “Don’t look so surprised. Why else do you think I divorced him?”

  Chapter Twelve

  The man had been a blind fool. Sebastian stared into Lily’s beautiful face, wondering if perhaps he’d heard her incorrectly. “What?”

  She shifted closer and slid her hands under his suit jacket. The edges locked her deeper in his embrace. “He claimed humans are basic primates and need the variety of different partners.”

  “And you didn’t find this out until after the wedding?” He struggled to understand why she’d married Mark in the first place. Not only had he been years older than her, but a player to boot.

  Lily lowered her head to his chest and groaned. “No. I just naïvely believed he’d change for me. Stupid, stupid, stupid.”

  He held her close and lowered his head to whisper in her ear, “The man was a fool.”

  She peeked up at him. “This from a man who—”

  “Lily, what did you say to Olivia to get her to back off?” Violet nudged a space between them and demanded Lily’s attention.

  Wanting to tell the woman to back off, he relinquished his hold and stepped back. His gaze stayed on Lily’s face, making sure the other woman didn’t say or do anything to upset her.

  “Just that she didn’t want to cause a scene,” Lily responded and slid an arm around Violet’s waist. “She doesn’t like Karen being here, probably any more than you do.”

  Whoa, what beef did Violet have with Mark’s first wife?

  “Yes, well, that was a long time ago. We’ve all moved on.” Violet glanced around nervously. “Remember, Zane doesn’t like to be reminded of my affair with Mark.”

  “Right.” Lily smiled. “You’ve been in Mar
k’s life a lot longer than I have. Can you tell me how all these people know him?”

  “That’s easy. Most had him as a professor or worked with him at the university.” Violet steered Lily to a group of men standing a short distance to the right.

  Sebastian followed along behind them, half-listening to their conversations with the other guests. He stood beside Lily or held her hand, making sure whomever they met understood she belonged to him even while he struggled with his perception of Mark.

  On the surface, he appeared to be a renowned university professor who strived to make headway in genetics. As a smart businessman, he envisioned a way to market his product and opened his own lab while he continued to do his research. Still, the man’s personal life read like a porn flick.

  From the way Lily described him, Mark had no problem sleeping with any woman he wanted. Married or not, he hadn’t cared. Could that be who killed him, a scorned lover?

  But if that were true, why kill Cain? Or had Zane decided to eliminate the competition?

  Searching the room for the older man, Sebastian noticed him striding toward them.

  Zane slid his arm around Violet’s shoulders and tucked her close to his side. “Hey guys, I’ve had more fun than I can stand. I’ve even managed to convince Jenkins to do some more computer programming for us. Now, I’m ready to leave. Can I convince you to go with me?”

  Violet blushed and giggled like a teenager. “You know we haven’t been here that long. It’s been—” She glanced at her watch and groaned. “Two hours. I had plans not to stay more than an hour.”

  “Then go,” Lily suggested and shifted restlessly. Her sensible shoes were probably reminding her she’d been on her feet this whole time.

  The other couple frowned.

  Knowing they didn’t want her here by herself, Sebastian edged closer and secured an arm around her waist. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay with her.”

  “Has Karen left?” Violet asked as she searched the area for the lady.

  “Yes, she left close to thirty minutes ago. Said she had some other business to take care of.” Zane released his grip on Violet when she spun in the circle of his arms.