Elle grimaced. Should she laugh or cry? Richard had totally lost it. Thank goodness she’d woken up from the nightmare of their relationship before she’d done something really stupid—like marrying him. “Serves Richard right. I hope he actually has to suffer the consequences. He’s been able to get away with everything his whole privileged life.”
Luke nodded agreement. “Sean, you didn’t say anything about Milton, did you?”
“Hey, give me some credit. I didn’t breathe a word about Blue Van Man, but I had to explain to Holmes why I was there. Said you’d called me to come look for his sorry ass after you saved Elle from Carmichael and got her the hell out of there pronto. Smooth, huh?”
“Great job, Sean. Truck, check. Holmes, check. Next on the list: Does Stone have a dungeon?”
“Dungeon?” Sean said, puzzled.
“Yeah, in his fortress. Don’t all fortresses have dungeons?”
Sean snorted. “Stone has…a holding cell. Hot damn. You caught the kidnapper.”
“Not exactly.”
Elle’s stomach roiled at the thought of the dead guy, so she kept her lips pressed together. She might have whimpered because Luke shot her a concerned glance.
“Milton lied or the kidnapper was gone?” Sean asked.
“Neither. The kidnapper’s dead. Don’t tell anyone, even Jessie. Tanner’s picking him up—quietly.”
“Dead? Then the dungeon is for Milton.”
“Give the guy a gold star. Now, how do I tell Stone I need to stash a murderer at his place?”
“You don’t tell him, you ask him. I work for the guy, but he’s a freaking scary dude. Don’t piss him off, especially if you want his help.”
“Okay, okay, I get the message. Why don’t you ask him then, since you know Stone so much better than I do?”
“Nope, he’s all yours. What’s the plan?”
“Shit. Thanks for nothing, Sean. Go back to sleep. I’ll tell you the plan tomorrow at Stone’s…if he doesn’t kill me.”
After Sean disconnected, Luke’s rigid posture, tense expression, and stony silence exposed the depth of his frustration and disappointment. Elle couldn’t fathom why his friend had refused to call Jake.
But then, nothing about tonight made sense. And she just wanted the horrid day to end.
* * *
Screw you, Sean. Sometimes, Luke resented his friend whose life had been so much easier than his own. Sean hadn’t lost both parents while a teenager. He hadn’t needed to take care of a devastated younger sister. He’d fallen in love, lost his girl, but then gotten her back and married her. After earning a college degree, he’d gotten his dream job with the LAPD, and when it turned out not to be such a dream, he’d come home with big-city cop written all over him. Then Sean had landed a cool, no-rules-and-regulations gig with Jake Stone. Now the always-had-it-easy guy wouldn’t even do Luke a favor and talk to his shadowy boss. This sucks.
Luke drew a calming breath and pushed his resentment and indignation aside. He wasn’t being fair to Sean, who had always been his best friend. Hadn’t Sean agreed to come guard Elle at the hospital in the middle of the night? Hadn’t he arranged for them to stay at Stone’s fortress? Hadn’t he gone out tonight and retrieved Luke’s truck from another town? So, why was Sean refusing to call his boss about Milton? Did he expect Stone to balk at the prospect of harboring a criminal? No. The issue probably wasn’t a legal problem. According to his friend, legality didn’t rank at the top in Rogue Security’s operations. Positive results did.
Luke narrowed his eyes. What else could have prompted Sean’s refusal? Was this a goddamn test? Did his friend want to see if Luke had the balls to confront Stone? Maybe. Or could this be Stone’s test? Possibly. But why?
Either way, it sucked. To hell with both of them. He needed a safe, secure place to hide Milton, and he’d ask the devil if necessary.
Elle cleared her throat, and he realized she’d been watching him, waiting for him to tell her whom to call next. “Get Stone.”
“Okay.”
“What’s happening, Johnson?” Stone answered. “Burke called and gave me an update while he was getting your truck.”
“Then you already know the Carmichael meeting turned into a complete disaster.” He gulped. “But I’ve got a plan.”
“Good to know.”
“I need someplace…secret…to stash Mike Milton,” Luke said, sounding more confident than he felt.
“Why?”
“He murdered the kidnapper.”
“I see. Are you planning to kill Milton?” Stone asked matter-of-factly.
Elle gasped, and her eyes widened.
“Shit, of course not,” Luke said. “I just need him out of the way, somewhere isolated so he can’t screw up the plan. Sean says you have a holding cell.”
Stone grunted a cold, harsh sound. “You might call it that.”
“I’ll tell you the rest of the plan later. Deal?”
“Without any plausible explanation, you expect me to have a murderer as a guest in my home?”
Luke’s jaw clenched. “He’s not a guest; he’s a prisoner. I thought that might appeal to you.” He considered adding you sick bastard but thought better of it.
“Good answer, Johnson. What the hell. Bring him here. Just remember, I’m not running a damn B and B.” Stone disconnected.
“That went well,” Elle said.
“Yeah, just great.”
They drove the rest of the way to Valley Center in silence, broken only occasionally by Milton’s groaning. When they reached Stone’s house, he was waiting outside the front door. He motioned for Luke to drive around to the side of the house where one of several garage doors was already open.
Luke pulled the old van into the cavernous garage. By the time he killed the engine, Stone had trotted inside. The garage door closed behind him with a heavy metallic clang.
“Milton’s blindfolded, right?” Stone called as he approached the van.
“Does the jerk think I’m a mindless minion?” Luke muttered under his breath to Elle.
“Behave,” she warned.
They exited the van and met Stone at the sliding passenger-side door.
“Yeah, he’s blindfolded, gagged, and has his ears plugged,” Luke said indignantly.
Stone simply nodded.
After climbing inside the van, Luke found a knife among Milton’s supplies and slashed the strips of duct tape holding him to the floor. Favoring his injured arm, Luke rolled his prisoner to the door. He jumped down and pulled until Milton’s legs stuck out through the opening. Finally, he cut the rope around Milton’s ankles and helped him stand.
“Where to?” Luke asked.
“I’ll take him from here,” Stone said with an icy stare that left no room for argument. “You two look exhausted. Go to bed.”
“I’m too wired.”
“Me, too,” Elle said.
Stone’s expression softened. “I know it’s late, but a soak in the Jacuzzi might really help. The one in the rock grotto is especially nice at night.”
“It sounds wonderful, but I don’t have a swimsuit,” Elle responded immediately.
“Not a problem,” Luke said, smiling and wrapping his good arm around her shoulders.
“Now just a minute,” she said, color rising in her cheeks.
“Relax. Underwear works fine, too,” Luke assured her with a wink.
Chapter 29
Elle slid down into the hot, bubbling water until only her head was visible. Sighing with pleasure, she closed her eyes and let the jets pound the tension from her muscles. The spa felt amazing after a hellish day.
Peeking through her lashes, she watched Luke stretch out on one of the lounge-style seats on the opposite side. The soft lighting from behind the rocks and the steam rising off the water gave the scene a dreamlike quality. He certainly looked dreamy with his wavy blond hair hanging onto his forehead, his seductive blue eyes pinned on her, and his double dimples on full display with his misch
ievous grin. A different kind of heat swept through her.
He cocked his head and another stray strand of wet hair swung onto his forehead, giving him a rakish appearance. “You good?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I don’t know. You look… Never mind.” He leaned back in the seat and shut his eyes.
She gulped. “What you said earlier…”
“I said a lot of things earlier.”
“You know, about no swimsuit not being a problem.”
His baby blues opened wide, and his eyebrows arched. “Well, it’s not.”
She glanced nervously through the curtain of water shielding the grotto from view. Not that she seriously thought Jake would be spying on them. Besides, he was probably playing with Milton—like a cat plays with a mouse before killing it. “Truth or dare?” she asked, turning back to Luke.
He frowned. “You want to play that game?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Truth.”
“Have you ever…gone skinny-dipping?”
Laughing hard, he sat up straight. “Lots of times. Truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
“Have you ever gone skinny-dipping?” His sly grin said he already knew the answer and dared her to lie.
She squirmed on the hard seat. “No. Never.” She hesitated. “Truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
“Where?”
He leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees, and peered at her intently. “Where’s this going, Elle?”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Right. Where? Let’s see. Pools, lakes, Jacuzzis, hot tubs, ocean.”
“Ocean?”
“Sure. At Black’s Beach, here in La Jolla. Swimsuit optional. Not legally, of course, but the cops look the other way. Or at least they say they do.” His grin was contagious.
She giggled. “Yeah, I bet they don’t look.”
He nodded to indicate it was her turn.
“Truth.” Her heart jackhammered each beat while he stared at her for the longest time.
“Do you want to go skinny-dipping…now…with me?”
Anticipation launched her across the spa at him. “Oh God, yes.”
When he pulled her onto his lap, his dick was already hard inside his boxer briefs, and her excitement doubled. He captured her lips with his, and while his tongue danced with hers, he unfastened her bra and slid it off. His large, strong hands cupped her breasts, and his thumbs circled her nipples. She groaned into his mouth.
He pulled back slightly. “I think you have to get up for us to get our underwear off.”
“You first,” she said, slipping onto the seat beside him.
“Gladly.”
He stood up, but before he could remove his boxer briefs himself, she hooked her fingers in the waistband and slowly lowered them. Inch by inch, she teased them down his narrow hips. When his erection sprang free, she squealed and grabbed for it.
He caught her hands. “Easy now.”
“Sorry. It’s just so…so…”
“Big?”
She laughed. “Humble much?”
“All right, smart-ass. What were you going to say?”
She thought a moment. “Glorious…which is way better than just big.”
“‘Glorious’ works for me.” After stepping out of his underwear, he pulled Elle to her feet. “My turn.”
He sat on a seat in front of her, carefully pinched the edge of her lacy panties, and took them off. When the black panties bobbed to the surface of the water, she suddenly felt completely exposed and plopped down with a splash.
“No hiding,” he joked. “I’m going to turn off the jets so you can stretch out and float.”
She did as he suggested. Reining in her modesty, she closed her eyes and focused on the wonderful sensations. Drifting in the cocooning heat of the grotto, she began to shed the day’s stress.
Until Luke moaned.
Her eyes popped open, and she discovered him kneeling beside her, gazing at her naked body like a starving man at an all-you-can-eat buffet. She floundered until she managed to right herself and scoot onto one of the seats. “What? Is something wrong?”
“Your kidnapper was either a masochist or an idiot. If I saw you bare-ass naked day after day, I’d have a permanent, painful hard-on,” he said, his expression completely serious.
At first she frowned, but it morphed into a smile and eventually a giggle. “You mean that as a compliment, don’t you?”
He scowled at her. “Damn straight. What else could it be?”
“Nothing. It’s definitely a compliment. Thank you.” Warm tenderness spread through her. Luke was a good man, a caring man, a gentle man. One day, he’d make some lucky woman a great husband. She tamped down a sudden surge of envy.
He was still on his knees with his mesmerizing blue gaze locked on her. The hunger in his eyes made her pulse quicken. She saw him gulp. Twice.
“I want you,” he whispered.
Her turn to gulp. “Here?”
He nodded. “Now. I know what I said this morning, but I can’t help myself.”
She shot a nervous glance at the cascading waterfall covering the entrance to the grotto.
“Stone can’t see us. Besides, he’s not that kind of guy,” Luke reassured her and reached for her hand.
Hesitantly, she grasped his outstretched fingers. He lifted her up as he stood. Ignoring the plastic bag taped over his wound, he wrapped his strong arms around her and pulled her against him in a possessive embrace. He nibbled at her neck and ears before capturing her mouth in a demanding kiss.
Elle’s desire ran hotter than the spa water, racing through her like liquid fire. Her body needed him as much as her heart wanted him. Or maybe it was the other way around. She groaned with urgency against his lips.
Without breaking the kiss, he guided her to the rear of the grotto, settled on a seat, and helped her straddle his lap. When she started to lower herself onto his rigid dick, he caught her hips.
“Wait, babe.”
“What? I need you. Now.”
He gave her the sexiest grin. “Good to know, but we need protection.”
“Damn.” She whimpered with disappointment and laid her head on his shoulder.
“Never fear. Boy Scout here.”
She blinked at him. “What are you talking about?”
“Be prepared.” With his good arm, he reached up to a ledge in the rocks and retrieved a condom packet.
She gasped. “You…you knew I’d want sex in the spa?”
“A guy can always hope.” Before she could decide whether to be indignant, he kissed her again and then whispered against her ear. “I need you, too, Elle.”
She studied him. “Good to know, Boy Scout. What are you waiting for?” She moved so he could put on the condom, and then she straddled his lap on her knees.
“Ready?” he asked, one hand on her hip and the other strategically aligning his dick.
“Oh, yes,” she said, closing her eyes in anticipation.
He guided her down until she felt him pressing against her. With a single buck of his hips, he slid inside—barely—and stopped.
Her eyes fluttered open. “What—”
“Lower yourself the rest of the way. It goes really, really deep in this position, and I don’t want to hurt you. You control it, okay?”
Good, caring, gentle. Her throat tightened and she couldn’t speak, so she just nodded.
Slowly sliding down on his rock-hard dick, she watched the desire in his eyes, the restraint in the set of his jaw, and the pleasure in his expression. He filled her completely, and she had to stop. “I can’t…”
“It’s okay, babe. Hold on. I got this.”
As soon as she gripped his shoulders, his hips began to pump. Gently up and down at first.
“You good?” he asked, continuing to move.
“Uh huh.”
“Great. Now I’m gonna give you a helluva ride.” His hands grasped her
hips to keep her in place as his upward thrusts increased in speed and force, but never caused any pain by going too deep.
Sensations crashed over her like a tsunami. All the awful events of the day were washed away, replaced by primal sexual desire. Despite his stabilizing hands, she couldn’t hold still. She caught his rhythm and plunged herself down on him as hard as she could. Flinging her head back, she rode him with wild abandon, something she’d never before experienced.
Too soon, pressure built, everything tightened. When her orgasm exploded, she cried out and collapsed on him, gasping and laughing and crying, totally consumed.
* * *
Luke and Elle finally made it to bed about two o’clock Thursday morning. He lay on his side with her curled up in front of him. He needed to get to sleep quickly before the feel of her sensuous body made the desire to be buried deep inside her irresistible. Again. He couldn’t imagine ever getting enough of her.
Despite the surreal events of earlier tonight, he was now not only sexually satisfied, but also…content. Who would’ve thought he could be so comfortable with a reporter, especially a socialite reporter? Elle belonged to a class of people he scorned and worked in a profession he hated. Of course, she didn’t fit the stereotypes of either one. She was an enigma, captivating his interest. And he felt…what? He frowned as he contemplated what he was feeling—not an easy process for a guy, to be sure. Connected. That was a good description—not too complicated or serious. Yeah, but he felt more connected to Elle than he’d ever been with a woman.
He was also damn sure it didn’t go both ways. He was a country boy, who hadn’t even graduated from college and who worked in law enforcement. Nothing enigmatic about Luke Johnson to captivate the interest of someone like Elle Bradley. She was just going through a rough patch and needed life-affirming sex. Which was all she wanted from him…now or ever.
Since the kidnapper was no longer a threat, all they had to do was nail the person or people behind Elle’s abduction. If his plan worked, this whole thing could be over in a few days. He tried to shrug off the pain in his chest because he had always known Elle’s leaving was inevitable.
He’d grown used to friendly dating, casual sex, and simple flings because he couldn’t make a serious commitment. And he’d done his best to warn Elle of his situation. For a long list of reasons, nothing more could come of their physical attraction and sexual compatibility.
Only Obsession (Rogue Security Book 3) Page 24
