Handcuffs and Lies

by Bronwyn Green

  Stiffly, she crossed the sidewalk and lifted a helmet off the back of the seat. Fumbling with it, she nearly dropped it. He took it from her trembling hands and placed it on her head, gently tucking her wayward curls inside. The caress of his callused fingertips brushing over her cheeks and temples sent shivers through her body. His lips tightened into a frown as he buckled the strap under her chin.

  “I want to go on record as saying, I hate these things,” she muttered quietly.

  The corner of his mouth kicked up in a crooked grin that she had the sudden urge to taste.

  “Duly noted.” He tied a black bandana over his hair before putting his own helmet on and nonchalantly climbing on the bike. “Get on, baby. We’re out of here.”

  With nervous butterflies bombarding her stomach, she hauled herself up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist like a vise grip. She hated these damn things. She’d seen far too many riders show up in the ER, and most of them left via rehab facilities or the morgue.

  “Ease up a little, Tori. I need to be able to breathe to drive this thing.”

  She loosened her hold a scant amount, but as soon as he started the engine, she scooted forward and plastered her chest and face to his back, pressing her legs against his. He revved the motor, and she tightened her grip, her muscles trembling with the effort of holding onto him. She couldn’t remember the one time he’d been buried inside her, but she’d never forget this. The bike’s engine rumbled through her body, heightening her need for him.

  “Hang on,” he growled and he pulled away from the curb.

  Her stomach lurched as they moved into the flow of post-midnight traffic. She closed her eyes as they picked up speed and headed toward the expressway on-ramp. This night couldn’t be over fast enough.

  After she filled out the appropriate forms, she turned in the drugs to her supervisor while Michael sat in one of the waiting room chairs, his long legs stretched out in front of him. It was tempting to sneak out the back, but she’d brought this little slice of hell on herself, and she’d see it through.

  The ride to her apartment was as nerve wracking as the trip to the hospital. Wrapped around Michael with the thrum of the engine vibrating through her body, her panties grew damp. It was ridiculous to think she still wanted him. Hadn’t the fear and the embarrassment of the last couple hours proved he was nothing but a bad idea? Apparently not, because she was still reliving the sensation of his lips on hers as he pulled into her driveway.

  Disgusted with herself, she removed the helmet and handed it to him. “Thanks for the ride,” she muttered as she hurried up the stairs.

  Within seconds, he was next to her, pushing his way inside as soon as she’d unlocked the door. “You’re welcome. Now, pack your bag.”

  “Beg your pardon?”

  “Pack your bag. There’s no way I’m letting you stay here now that those guys have your address.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “You’re not letting me...?” She shook her head. “I can take care of myself. Just go.”

  “God damn it Tori, I’m trying to protect you.”

  She whirled on him. “So shoving your tongue down my throat is your idea of police protection?” She knew why he’d done it, but she was too upset by the entire situation to be swayed by logic.

  Ignoring her outburst, he grabbed her backpack from its spot by the door and walked to her bedroom. Yanking open her dresser drawers, he grabbed a handful of underwear. Her stomach fluttered at the sight of the silky bits of lace clenched in his fist. Hesitating for the briefest of moments, he shoved the panties in the knapsack before grabbing a couple of bras and adding them to the bag.

  “Look, you’ve already asked for extra patrols, I’ll be fine.”

  Rifling through another drawer, he pulled out several knit shirts and a pair of flannel pajama pants. Snagging a couple of books and her MP3 player from her bedside table, he put everything into the bag.

  “Get whatever information you need so you can contact your bank and your credit card companies.”

  “Michael, stop! I’ll be fine.”

  Stalking toward her, he held her motionless with his gaze. “It only takes a few minutes to break into a house and not much longer than that to rape someone. You want to end up as a patient in your own emergency room? That’s if they let you live…which is highly unlikely.”

  She knew he was trying to scare her. And it was working.

  He was so close his body heat radiated toward her in waves, and all she wanted to do was reach out and run her hands over his broad chest.

  Anger and pain clashed in his eyes as he held her gaze. “I can’t leave you here alone. I promised Alex I’d take care of you.”

  Like a deflating balloon, her breath left her. “When?”

  “What?”

  “When did you promise him that?”

  He looked away. “Right before he died.”

  She couldn’t move if her life depended on it. She hadn’t thought the hollow feeling in her chest could get any worse, but now it was filled with a knot of pain so tight it hurt to breathe.

  “You promised him you’d take care of me,” she finally choked out. She shoved at him, needing some distance. “Did that promise involve fucking me and leaving me to wake up alone the morning after we buried him?”

  His eyes closed momentarily as if praying for patience, his regret impossible to miss. Stepping around her, he headed for the bathroom. “Get the rest of your shit together. We’re leaving.”

  She followed him into the bathroom to find him shoveling toiletries into the backpack.

  “There’s no way I’m going with you.”

  Dropping the bag, he spun and planted his hands on either side of her head, effectively pinning her against the bathroom door. “You have a choice. You can either leave town until this investigation is finished, or you can come home with me. Be very aware, if you decide to stay in town, you’ll be at work, or you’ll be with me.”

  “I don’t have any money. Those jerks took everything.”

  His hard gaze held hers. “Then I guess you’re stuck with me.”

  Michael could barely tear his eyes from Tori’s lips. They were glossy and parted, and it was all he could do to keep from pushing her against the door and tasting her again.

  She opened her mouth, but he shook his head. He needed to get the hell out of her house and away from the press of memories. He might not remember much of the night he'd spent with her, but he remembered enough.

  “Don’t. Say. Anything.” He pushed off the door, picked up the backpack and slung it over his shoulder. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her out of the house. “Let’s go.”

  What should have been a fifteen minute drive took over an hour. He was exhausted, but he wanted to make sure they hadn’t been followed. The last thing he needed was for Lucky’s guys to find out where he really lived. He’d promised Alex he’d keep Tori safe, and he couldn’t do that if they knew where to find her.

  He sighed. He could have paid for a hotel for her. He could have slapped her into protective custody, whether she wanted it or not. He could have done a lot of things, but instead, he’d chosen the stupidest one of them all. He’d chosen to bring her home where she could be a constant threat to his common sense and sanity. Good thinking, Mike. Real good thinking.

  Pulling into his garage, he shut off the engine and closed the door behind them. He didn’t miss how quickly she scrambled off the bike—away from him. Unbuckling her helmet, she handed it to him and retrieved her knapsack from the saddlebag he’d stowed it in.

  “All right, you’re in charge. What’s next?”

  He unlocked the door to the kitchen and went inside. What was next was that he was going to lie awake all night with a hard-on that refused to go away while the source of that hard-on pouted in his guest room. He was pretty sure that’s what would be happening next.

  Not bothering to turn on the lights, he locked the door behind them and tossed his coat on the back of a chair. Hoping
to at least dull the need that thrummed through his veins, he pulled a couple of beers out of the fridge and handed one to Tori.

  She took it with a grateful almost-smile and nearly drained it. “So…how long am I going to be stuck here?”

  He watched her lick a stray drop of beer from her full lower lip, grateful that his T-shirt was long enough to cover his hardening cock. “Look, Tori, it’s not like this is my idea of good time.” Liar. “As soon as we can get this case wrapped up and the guys in jail, you’re free to go back to your life. But for now, it’s my job to take care of you.”

  “Your job, huh.” She leveled a glare at him. “Good to know where we stand.”

  “What do you want me to say? That I’m glad you showed up to fuck my investigation? That I’m thrilled that I had to fake sex with you instead missing what might have been my only chance to arrange a meeting with Lucky? Yeah, you’re part of the job now, babe. Get used to it.”

  “This isn’t going to work.” She set her bottle down and dug her phone out of her purse.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Calling a friend to see if I can stay with her ’til this is over.”

  “You want to put her at risk, too?” He snatched the phone from her hand. “Get it through your head. These people don’t care who they hurt.”

  “Then I’ll figure something else out.” She grabbed her backpack and tried to push past him.

  “The hell you will!” He gripped her shoulders and pushed her against the refrigerator. He’d had enough of fighting with her. They’d barely managed a handful of civil words since she’d barged into his investigation.

  She shoved ineffectually at his chest, and he almost groaned at the sensation of her small, strong hands, wishing they were on his bare skin. “Let go of me!”

  “Knock it off, or I swear to God, I’ll cuff you to my bed.”

  Heat flared in her eyes, and this time he couldn’t hold back his groan. For the rest of his life, he’d imagine Tori naked and cuffed to his headboard, waiting for him, her lips parted like they were right now.

  Her eyes widened as they scanned his face, hovering over his mouth.

  Fuck, fuck, fuck. He shouldn’t kiss her, but he couldn’t come up with a single reason to stop himself. Except for Alex. Michael had promised him he’d protect his sister. And yet he couldn’t seem to protect her from himself. Hadn’t he already hurt her enough?

  Taking a steadying breath, he released her shoulders and straightened. He needed to do the right thing by her. For tonight that meant shuttling her off to the guest room and tomorrow finding a better way to protect her. He couldn’t save Alex, but he could sure as hell make sure nothing happened to Tori.

  He tried to tell her where the guest room was, but he couldn’t form the words.

  She stared at him, anger and desire clouding her eyes. He had half a memory of her looking at him the same way before she’d kissed him that night. He could no more move away from her now than he could then.

  Unable to stop himself, he drove his hands into her short curls, loving the silky slide against his skin. What he wouldn’t give to feel them slipping over his stomach as she took his cock deep in her mouth. His balls pulled tight at the thought.

  Splaying his fingers, he cradled the back of her head as he angled her for his kiss. Midnight swallowed the blue of her eyes as she stared at him, and he was lost. Her lips parted on a gasp, and he delved into her mouth, no pretence of gentleness. The bitterness of the beer and the sweet warmth of Tori exploded on his tongue as tasted her.

  For the briefest of moments, she froze in his arms, but as his tongue stroked hers, she grabbed his waist and pulled him flush against her body. His cock pressed against his fly, seeking her warmth before their hips actually collided, and it was all he could do not to grind against her like a desperate teenage boy. But damn he wanted inside her.

  Any semblance of rational thought vanished as she responded, kissing him back, nipping at his lower lip before darting her tongue into his mouth. With grasping fingers, she pulled at his shirt, trying to tear it from his body. He released her long enough to let her yank the fabric over his head and drop it to the floor while he pulled his gun from his waistband and set it on the counter.

  She trailed her hands over his back, urging him closer, stroking his heated skin and sending tremors of need coursing through him. Christ, he couldn’t remember wanting another woman the way he wanted Tori. He’d always wanted her—from the second Alex had introduced them. And despite the fact he hadn’t had any real contact with her since he’d snuck out of her bedroom three years ago, he’d never stopped wanting her.

  Tori brushed her lips across his chest before sinking her teeth into his pectoral muscle. His cock jerked in his pants and this time when he had the urge to grind into her, he didn’t hold back. Her breathy whimper feathered against his skin as he crushed her to him. The tight peaks of her nipples pressed into his chest. His mouth watered—he needed to taste them, needed to feel them harden against his tongue.

  With clumsy fingers, he pulled at her buttons. What had been relatively easy to unbutton before now bordered on impossible.

  “Just rip it already,” she muttered.

  Her voice, tight with need, scraped over his skin, and he swallowed hard, his throat thick. Fisting his hand in the front of her shirt, he yanked, tearing the fragile material and exposing her lace covered breasts. The sound of rending fabric echoed in the quiet room. His breath caught at the sight of the rose colored tips pebbling against the sheer white material. Lowering his head, he sucked a peak into his mouth, nipping at it with his teeth, dampening both the fabric and her nipple. The tender flesh crinkled further against his tongue. He sucked harder, wanting to wring out every sweet response from her.

  She silently tangled her fingers in his hair, pressing him closer.

  He stroked his hand across the satin skin of her stomach, loving the way her muscles trembled and jumped beneath his touch. Reaching behind her, he unfastened her bra and quickly pulled it and the remnants of her shirt from her body and dropped them onto the floor. Diffused light from the street lamp shone through the kitchen window, illuminating her skin, giving her an almost otherworldly glow.

  As he captured her other nipple, she reached out and slid her hand along the length of his aching cock. She squirmed in his arms. Her mouth trailed over his shoulder. Each kiss tormented and soothed. Every touch of her lips wound him tighter. Every caress of her fingers took him that much further from the past and everything he wanted to forget—at least for a little while.

  Slipping from his grasp, she sank to her knees and fumbled with his fly. His cock was so fucking hard he doubted she’d be able to unzip his jeans. She took her time, rubbing her lips over his stomach while she unfastened the denim. Hooking her fingers in his underwear, she forcefully tugged them down his legs. His cock sprang free, brushing against the satin-soft skin of her cheek.

  Wrapping her hand around him, she stroked him from root to tip, bringing the already damp head to her lips. His breath caught in his throat. Something about this situation was wrong, but as she stared at him, her eyes heavy with desire and her mouth hovering above his cock, he couldn’t remember what it was.

  Instead of the tentative swipe of her tongue he’d expected, she engulfed the entire head in the searing heat of her mouth. Barely able to keep his balance as she took him deeper, he braced his hands on the fridge, straining to remain still. His muscles screamed as he fought not to thrust all the way down her throat.

  Using her hands and mouth, she devoured him, drawing hard on his cock while she teasingly traced the veins and ridges with her fingertips. She ran her tongue over his balls, tugging lightly as he fisted his hand in her hair. Had anything ever felt as good as her mouth? He couldn’t remember a single thing that came close.

  “Tori,” he groaned.

  Holding his gaze, she took him into her mouth again, and he watched as his cock disappeared and reappeared, glistening in the low l
ight. Gently, she scraped his shaft with her nails. He sucked in a deep breath through clenched teeth and Tori laughed at his reaction. The sound prickled his awareness. When was the last time he’d heard her laugh? As the answer hit him, so did everything that was wrong with this situation. Fuck. He was taking advantage of her just as surely as he had the night of the funeral.

  “Stop,” he choked out as she took him deeper than he’d thought possible.

  Frowning, she sat back on her heels and looked up at him. “Why?”

  He pulled her to her feet. He couldn’t think with his cock bobbing level with her sweetly swollen lips. “We need to talk.”

  Tori shook her head. “I’m pretty sure that’s the last thing either of us needs right now.” If they talked, he’d push her away, and she refused to give him that opportunity. She wasn’t deluding herself that this was the beginning of a relationship. If anything, it was the beginning of the end. She was his job, and as soon as the job was done, he’d be done with her. But first, she wanted to know what it was like to have Michael inside her—and remember it this time.

  Ignoring his concerned expression, she brought her hands to the waistband of her jeans.

  “I think…”

  His voice trailed off as she pushed the button through the hole and lowered the zipper. Shoving off her jeans, she let them drop to the floor with the rest of their clothes. His hand drifted to his cock, and he slowly stroked it, watching her through hooded eyes. Her pussy clenched at the expression of raw lust on his face. If her panties hadn’t been wet before, that look would have done it.

  She let her fingers skim over his to circle the head of his cock. “Can I finish, now?”

  A guttural noise tore from his throat, and he stalked forward, backing her into the fridge. The cool enamel chilled her back, contrasting sharply with his fevered skin against her chest. He slid his hand inside her panties and palmed her ass before sliding further and slipping his fingers through her folds.

  “Christ, you’ve soaked these,” he groaned, grazing her ear with his lips.

  The sensation of his callused fingers stroking sensitized flesh had her squirming against him. “Please tell me you have a condom.”