Within His Sight

by Denise A. Agnew

  *

  Mary saw feral intent in Dace’s expression, a heated animal need. When she closed her eyes, his cock brushed up and over her clit. She gasped. With a soft groan he entered in one hard thrust, parting her tightness with steady pressure. He stretched her deep and wide, pushing until his hips lay flush with hers. Heat and light seemed to engulf her, a steady electric desire that sparked and danced within. He buried his face in her hair and propped up on his forearms. He shuddered and groaned, and her heartbeat went double-time. An ache centered high up inside her, and she arched upward as if he could impale her deeper. Desperate to feel him moving inside, she wriggled her hips.

  Hot puffs of his breath teased her ear. “You feel so good. So hot around me.”

  His mouth moved over hers with increasing fervor as he started to move. Frantic excitement propelled her to join his fierce dance, to bring them to the edge of a fiery end.

  She tightened around all that delicious erection, and his kiss grew hotter and more desperate. His body caressed deep inside, inflaming her desire. She’d never had sex without a condom and the sensation of his naked flesh against her, inside her, heightened her arousal. Mary cried out and clung to him fiercely, responding to each deep stroke. The bed creaked with their movements and his thrusts changed, growing sharper and faster. Short, hard strokes generated a heat so exciting she groaned with pleasure.

  Faster. Oh, God. Faster.

  Her body warned her, muscles within her clenching and releasing, fluttering around his hardness. Mary cried out sharply as her climax sent deep shivers through her. She shook, she gasped, everything inside her exploding into pleasure. He pounded out his need, fucking her with massive strokes that hammered deep as her contractions clenched over his cock. Dace slammed into her and released a throaty groan as he quaked with surrender. She felt his hot semen flood her, and the intimacy sent tears of happiness to her eyes.

  They fell asleep a short time later, but she woke sometime in the night, Dace’s palms touring her flesh with urgent caresses. He spooned behind her, his thick erection hot and bold between her legs. Lovemaking this time went much slower, took longer to complete.

  This is right. So very right.

  Mary knew this night would remain forever in her memory, no matter what happened next. She would cherish it and keep it with her always.

  Soon his urgent caresses chased away all thoughts. His fingertips teased her nipples, unrepentant in their attention. He plucked, he tugged, he cupped. His relentless brushes and tender touches strummed over parts of her she’d never considered erogenous zones before. Her heartbeat quickened as he drew his cock back, then slipped forward, starting a rhythm with his hips. As his long length stroked over her dampening flesh, she squirmed and panted. Just like that, he turned her on, her body aching and wanting and begging for more. He released her inhibitions with every new tour over her naked skin, his touch drawing patterns. Long, steady strokes of his cock plied and coaxed more reaction from her already heated body. She opened her legs wider and arched back against him. With a steady push he thrust inside her.

  Mary gasped with the pleasure. Each stroke broke way for more delicious sensations to come forth. She joined the dance. He twisted and tugged her nipples, and the added friction sent a hot wire of need rising higher and higher. Gasps and groans parted her lips, but she didn’t care. Nothing mattered but finding that rising tide and drowning in it. She moved her hips with more aggression, slamming back against him. He picked up the pace as she urged him onward.

  His big, hard body cradled and protected at the same time he drove her straight over the edge of the abyss. His hands cupped her breasts and held them as he pounded deep.

  Heat blossomed until it expanded and became her entire world. A scream hovered on her lips. Her body tightened around his cock, and with a scream she climaxed violently. As her body shivered and shook, he thrust harder and growled in his throat. A second later his harsh shout and the hot spurt deep inside her signaled his release.

  Mary wondered if anything could be better than this. They lay sticky and hot, panting and filled with a beautiful afterglow. His hands still surrounded her breasts, his cock stayed hard inside her. Before she could emerge from her orgasmic fog, his hips started to move again.

  She gasped.

  “Mmm.” His moan of enjoyment sounded thrilled and eager for more.

  And he gave her more and more until she thought the ecstasy would be too great. She didn’t think she had any more desire, but each thrust brought renewed pleasure. Endless strokes caressed her until the rush to orgasm came at her so fast she cried out with bliss.

  Chapter Seven

  Friday morning came too soon for Dace as he rolled over in bed. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this happy. Maybe he’d never been this content before.

  He reached for Mary and found the sheets cool and empty. His eyes popped open. Yep, he lay in bed alone. What else was new? He’d think it was a dream, but since he was in Mary’s bed, he knew last night happened.

  The aroma of coffee teased his nose. Yeah. That smelled good.

  He drew on his briefs and left the bedroom. When at first he didn’t see her anywhere, a mild panic tightened his muscles. Where was she? Then he saw her standing on the small balcony, fully dressed, with steaming coffee in hand. It had stopped snowing, but he could see her breath puffing outward in the freezing temperature. She wore big clunky boots, a thermal jacket and stocking cap. Though she’d covered her body from head to toe, he’d never seen a more beautiful woman. Last night’s lovemaking hit home with him—he couldn’t imagine not experiencing the sweet slide of moving inside her and the sharing that went beyond mere body into body movement.

  She caught sight of him through the closed sliding glass door. He expected a smile, but instead he saw her wariness. Man, oh, man. He could feel it through that minor thickness of glass; he wouldn’t like what she had to say. She opened the sliding glass and slipped inside.

  She smiled, but it didn’t hold the warmth he expected. Wanted.

  He moved in on her, feeling a primal need to make his mark and claim her. She kept her coffee mug in hand, so he leaned in and kissed her lightly. “Morning.”

  “Morning. Like some coffee?” she asked.

  “Don’t mind if I do.”

  Her soft eyes caressed him, lingering over his naked chest, and cruising downward to admire the rest of him. Her obvious appreciation drew his ego higher but humbled him at the same time. “Would you like some breakfast?”

  “I’m good for now. If you’d like some, go ahead.”

  He poured only a half a cup of coffee for himself, registering a feeling in the air he didn’t like. When he sat next to Mary at the breakfast bar, he stared right at her. Her gaze didn’t give anything away.

  “Something wrong?” he asked.

  She leaned on the counter with her forearms, her expression detached. “I got up early this morning because I was awake and couldn’t stop thinking about us.”

  “Come to any conclusions?”

  She folded her hands, almost as if praying for an idea or strength. “What we did last night was a…” She rubbed the back of her neck, her eyebrows slightly drawn together. “It was a mistake.”

  Keen disappointment nailed Dace. He wanted to rage against what she said, but a small part of him understood what she meant. “I can’t say I’m surprised you’re saying that.”

  She groaned softly and continued to rub her neck. Concerned, he stood and came up behind her.

  He brushed her hair away and massaged her neck and shoulders gently, loving the feel of her slender bones, the delicate flesh that made Mary every inch a woman. “Feel all right?”

  “I think I’m hung over.”

  He smiled. “Too much sex?”

  He couldn’t see her face, but she laughed self-consciously. “I hope not.”

  “Why do you think we’re a mistake, Mary?”

  She turned toward him. “Last night I was upset and o
n overload. I said things and you said things.”

  A terrible doubt eased over him. “That we didn’t mean?”

  “Yes.”

  “I meant every word I said.” He slipped his fingers into her hair. “I wouldn’t lie to get you into bed.”

  Her eyes saddened, and Dace understood he’d hit on a sore spot. She closed her eyes under his touch, and he almost leaned in to kiss her. If he tasted her maybe she’d give in, admit she’d lost her head and that she cared for him.

  Damn it.

  “You wouldn’t have had sex with me if you didn’t care about me, Mary. You’re the type of woman who has to feel something for a man before you jump into bed with him.”

  “Type?” Her voice rose. “I didn’t know I was a type.”

  God, he was going to fuck this up at this rate. He released her and stepped back. If she needed distance and time to mull over their relationship, he had to give her what she wanted.

  He shoved his hands through his hair. “All right. At least tell me why you think we’re a mistake.”

  The sadness in her eyes increased. “Because you’re a cop, and I don’t want a connection to a cop. It is plain and simple. Being with you will eventually bring me pain.”

  His intrinsic wish was to push her, to make her understand that him being a cop had nothing to do with her fear. But he knew that logic wouldn’t help. He saw the worry in her eyes, the ardent belief that her concerns were fact rather than a fiction she’d created out of what happened to her father.

  “You don’t think I understand what you went through, but I do,” he said. “I know what it’s like to lose someone you love and wish you could turn back time and save them.” He almost reached out to her but changed his mind. “Tell you what. You need time to think about what happened yesterday.”

  He didn’t kiss her. Didn’t attempt to touch her. Let her have as much space as she wanted to process. He headed into the bedroom to shower and dress. When he came out a short time later, she was back out on the balcony. He crewed on his lip, gnawing on the idea to just leave and not say goodbye. But no. No matter how hurt he felt right now, he wouldn’t act like an immature teenager.

  He opened the sliding glass door, and she turned to look at him, sadness darkening her expression. “I’d better go. Call me when you want to talk.”

  She nodded. “I will.”

  Wanting more, but hollowed out by uncertainty, he left.

  * * * *

  “What’s wrong with you this morning?” Lakeisha asked Monday morning as she sat in Hannah’s workstation.

  Mary tried to plaster on a smile, but it didn’t work. Nothing worked. “I’m fine.”

  “Hannah should be back tomorrow.”

  “Good.”

  Mary hadn’t talked to Dace since their uneasy parting, and she’d only seen him at a distance earlier this morning. Over the weekend she’d had a lot of time to think. When she came back to work, she’d assured her boss that she could return and have no problems. One more thing needed solving before she could have peace of mind.

  “Did you hear?” Coreen said as she stopped by Mary’s desk.

  Mary sighed. She didn’t want to hear it. Her fingers flew over the computer keys. “What?”

  Coreen’s inky black hair dipped over her cheek as she leaned forward on the high counter and glared down at Mary. Her brown eyes held a cold, calculating measure that she couldn’t hide under any pretense. At least, not to Mary. She could read this woman like the proverbial book.

  When Coreen didn’t respond, Mary looked up in exasperation. The damn woman stayed right where she was, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Coreen, I have a couple more reports to finish before I leave today. If we could cut right to the chase…”

  “Dace was hurt on a call a couple of hours ago.”

  Mary’s entire body froze. She couldn’t look away from her computer screen. “What?”

  “They took him over to the hospital for observation.” For once Coreen didn’t have an insolent, superior look on her face.

  Worry bit into Mary with sharp teeth. “How bad is it?”

  “Like I said, I don’t know. I’ll keep you posted.” Coreen left the room.

  “Right,” Mary said to herself. She snatched her phone and started flipping through her phone book. “What the hell is the phone number for the hospital?”

  Before she knew it, she’d located the number and dialed. On pins and needles didn’t quite describe Mary. No, her heart pounded too hard, her pulse fluttered too much, her stomach clenched tight. Despite all that, numbness took hold until she reached the front desk at the hospital and they passed her along to the emergency room. It took some doing but she reached Kelso.

  “Is Dace all right?” Panic rose despite her efforts to force down her wild feelings. “Coreen told us he was hurt.”

  “He’s damn good considering he had a hand grenade tossed out the window at him.”

  “What?”

  “Yep. Crazy jerk on the north side decided he’d resist arrest, and we set up shop when he barricaded his house.”

  “Oh, God.”

  “Dace got his bell rung and a bruised rib, but he’s excellent. They’re letting him out of here.”

  She sighed in relief. “That’s good news.”

  “Hey, you get off in about a half hour, right? I’ll stall him until you can get here.”

  “Stall him?”

  “I know you want to see him. The doctors don’t want him to drive and they want him to stay home for a day. He’ll need a babysitter.”

  Kelso’s blatant and not so blatant meaning came through loud and clear. “I’ll be there as soon as I get off. Don’t let him escape.”

  “Not a chance.”

  * * * *

  As Mary walked into the hospital, she knew what she had to say to bring closure to a part of her life that had almost caused her to lose someone very dear. She hated the hospital, but then so many people did. Here, people found hope, they suffered, they found a cure, they sometimes died.

  The dying part bothered her the most.

  Because thinking about Dace leaving this earth without her having him in her life first… Well, the thought tore a hole in her that couldn’t be mended.

  She found him in the emergency waiting room parked in a wheelchair, without Kelso to pin him down. Surprise, surprise. A television high in one corner played one of those repeating broadcasts that screamed the latest health scare. Reading a car magazine, Dace seemed oblivious not only to the news but the full waiting room around him. From here he looked in one piece—no bruises, no cuts, no bandages that spoke of damage. Relieved, she hurried forward.

  At first he didn’t see her. “Dace.”

  He looked up, and his expectant and pleased expression eased some of her worry. “Hey. Took you long enough.” Her mouth popped open. Before she could speak, he smiled. “I’m kidding. Kelso gave me some crap about having to leave and that you’d be by to get me.”

  She returned his grin. “He’s good at that, isn’t he?” She squatted down by his wheelchair and clasped his forearm. “How do you feel?”

  His smile flashed as if he hadn’t almost lost his life. “I feel damn good. My ribs are sore, but other than that, I’m wonderful.”

  “Kelso said you were knocked out.”

  He shrugged, then grimaced. “All of two minutes. Don’t worry. My brains aren’t turned to mush. Yet.” He winked. “I’ve still got my mojo.”

  She laughed. “If I didn’t know you, I’d say the blast turned on your inner comedian.”

  “When I woke up and realized my ass hadn’t been blown off, I made a vow. I decided I’m lightening up. I feel like I’ve blocked too much fun from my life.” He covered her hand. “I’ve been too willing to pass by the small, good things.”

  “Such as chocolate ice cream?” she asked.

  His gaze turned hotter, more purposeful. “With whipped cream.”

  Oh, yeah.

  She swallowed hard and sto
od up. “Ready to go?”

  “They have to wheel me out. Hospital regulations.”

  She let the nurse at the front desk know she’d arrived to get him, and another nurse they both knew wheeled him out to Mary’s car. By the time they left the parking area and negotiated the snowy streets, a strange silence settled over them. Now that she had Dace in the car, she couldn’t seem to form a sentence. Finally, they reached his house.

  “Come in for a while?” he asked as they parked.

  “Absolutely. I’m going to make sure you’re safely tucked into your apartment.”

  He smiled. “I’m fine.”

  She glared. “Right. You almost had your ass blown off. You are not fine.”

  He laughed. “Ow. That hurts.”

  “See what I mean?”

  “So payback is a bitch? I took care of you the other day and now you’re paying me back.”

  “Something like that.”

  He laughed again and groaned one more time. He got out of the car before she could rush around and open the door for him. He walked a little stiffly, but other than that he seemed stable, thank goodness. His apartment was on the first floor, and when they entered she saw he hadn’t decorated much.

  “You look like you’ve seen something nasty.” He closed the door and took off his coat. “This is my second apartment in town and I’ve just started to redecorate.”

  “Oh.”

  “You thought this was all there was, eh?”

  “Um … yes.”

  He laughed and groaned. “If you’re going to make me laugh like this, you’ll have to give me a massage afterwards.”

  The train was rolling, and she didn’t plan to stop it. She took her coat off and looped it over a chair arm. “You got it.”

  His wicked smile grew wider. He sauntered toward the hallway. “I’m going to put on some sweats.”