He caught her by the waist as she straddled him, and his halfway softened cock perked back up to attention. One go around with her hadn’t been enough. It would take weeks, months … He didn’t know how he’d ever be able to get her out of his blood. Air filled his lungs when she ran her fingers down his chest to his abdomen and back up again. When she started down the same path with her mouth, his fingers dug into her thighs.
Their problems weren’t gone, but this was helping.
He let out a hiss when her delicate tongue traced his rib. It was helping a lot.
He cupped the back of her head. Her soft hair was sliding all over him. If he didn’t slow down, he was going to embarrass himself before she even started to ride.
‘How did you learn about baseball?’ he asked.
Her lashes fluttered up. ‘Are you serious?’
He chuckled. ‘Kind of.’
He’d somehow managed to crash through the physical barricade she’d set up – probably because she’d let him – but her mental barricade was nearly as intriguing.
‘My grandpa who raised me coached Little League.’
He shifted when her mouth moved dangerously lower. Her grandpa. He could deal with that.
‘All the cute boys spent their summers at the ballpark.’
His fingers tightened in her hair. ‘Sorry.’ He hurriedly soothed the hurt, stroking the ash-blonde strands.
Her look was mischievous as she dipped her tongue into his belly button. ‘You spent your summers at a ballpark, didn’t you?’
His eyes narrowed. Come to think of it, he had.
‘So you think I’m cute?’
‘That’s not exactly how I’d describe you.’
‘Good.’ He stretched out underneath her when she crawled up to kiss him. Cute was for teenagers and puppies.
‘You’re … pugnacious.’
He cupped her face. ‘Hey, I think I resent that.’
It wasn’t fair for her to use big words when her breasts were plumped against his chest the way they were.
‘And stubborn and irritating …’
Irritating? He’d show her irritating. He cupped her pert breasts and tweaked her nipples with his thumbs. A soft cry escaped her. ‘Like that?’
Her eyelids went heavy. Reaching between her legs, she found his erogenous zone.
Hell, every inch of his body was erogenous when it came to her, but his cock was especially attuned to her touch. She pumped him sexily and carefully squeezed his balls.
‘And maybe, just a little … lust worthy.’
Josh’s heels dug into the mattress. He liked that she wasn’t shy. He liked that she was as bold in the bedroom as she was the boardroom, because reining himself in with her would have been damn near impossible.
He reached between her legs and swept a finger deep through her slit. Her eyelids went heavy, and she ground herself into his hand.
‘Do you have any more of those condoms?’ she asked tightly.
‘In my billfold.’ He started to roll her off of him, but she was nimble. She sprang off the bed and began searching through his pants pocket. If he hadn’t been as desperate as she was, he might have let out a laugh.
At this critical juncture, he wasn’t that damn stupid.
She flipped through his wallet and found what they needed. She ripped off one and put the rest on the nightstand.
He stroked her leg as she stood by the bed, naked. He liked that she didn’t have any protection on hand.
He liked it a lot.
She finally got the condom out of the package, and she mounted him again. He puffed up the pillow beneath his head and watched intently as she unfurled the latex over the tent-pole of his erection. The feel of her fingers sliding all the way from his tip to his base made his head spin.
‘You better get on there fast,’ he said through gritted teeth.
She rose on her haunches, and he felt her heat against his tip.
She began to lower herself, and he felt the tight clasp of her pussy all over again. His hips reflexively swung up to meet her, and she gasped. Her eyes squeezed shut, and she braced her hands against his chest.
Josh stopped breathing when she pushed down hard, seating herself all the way.
He relaxed against the pillow and caressed her thighs. Her hands fisted against his chest.
Oh. Yeah.
She began to pump herself up and down, and he caught her breasts. What she was doing felt amazing. She felt amazing. He rubbed her nipples between his thumb and forefingers until they were hard little beads.
Why had they circled each other for so long? They said that waiting made the reward sweeter, but he didn’t see how that could possibly be.
Her neck arched back, and her hair swung behind her. Her breaths were going short, but her thrusts were slowing. He caught her by the waist. Bending his knee, he went to flip positions with her, but her nails bit into his chest.
‘No.’ She caught his hands and pressed them onto the mattress on either side of him. The hot kiss she planted on his lips made him stay.
The woman wanted to be on top? He’d let her.
This time.
She kept moving atop him sensually, erotically. Between watching her and feeling her, Josh was so aroused, he couldn’t think. He felt himself getting closer and closer. He’d been primed from the get go. Much more and –
He couldn’t take it. He wasn’t going to come without her. He yanked his hand out from where she had him pinned and pushed his hand between their bodies to where they were connected. He found her clit and rubbed it urgently. She went stiff above him, and they climaxed as one. Her body arched voluptuously atop his, and his hips did a double hitch.
When he came back down, she was with him.
He took her weight easily, his arms wrapping around her. His heart thudded as her ragged breaths skimmed over his chest.
She stayed there for a long time, and he petted her back. He kissed the top of her head and tried to think of something to say, only to decide against it. He followed her gaze across the room to the nightstand where his gun and her butterfly sat. She stayed quiet for so long, he began to worry that something was wrong, but her breaths had steadied and her body was limp. He would have held her like that for as long as she wanted – her on top of him and him inside her – but it had been a while now. And, as hot as she made him, he couldn’t keep it up for ever.
‘I should probably take care of …’
She flinched at the sound of his voice. ‘Oh, right. Sorry.’
Sorry?
She pushed herself upright and tried to disengage their bodies. It was the first time since he’d arrived at her apartment that things got awkward. He took charge, gathering her up and switching positions.
This time, she let him. He pulled out of her carefully and took care of the clean-up. She remained quiet throughout, but the butterfly on the nightstand caught a glint of sunlight.
He lay back down on the pillow next to her. ‘When was the last time you slept, Nina?’
‘Last night.’
‘I mean the whole night through.’
Her forehead furrowed as if it took effort to count.
That was enough evidence for him. He caught the bed sheets and pulled them over both of them. He knew exactly how long it had been for him. He hadn’t gotten a full night’s rest since the Gunderson incident. He’d lay odds it had been just as long for her, but sleep was pulling at him now. Hard.
And he had no intention of leaving.
The warm haze still filled the room, but it wasn’t bright enough that he felt inclined to get up to shut the curtains. The apartment was still and quiet. It was strange compared to the creaks and groans of his old house, but Josh felt like he’d just run a marathon. He was just about to slip under when the bed shifted.
He rolled his head on the pillow to look at Nina. She’d inched closer to him.
She looked sleepy, too, with her hair uncharacteristically tangled and her lips puffy. Her che
eks turned pink when she realised she’d been caught.
‘You’re on my side of the bed,’ she said.
‘Uh huh.’ He knew better.
She’d been looking over her shoulder, running for too long. He knew, because he’d been the one chasing her. He slid his arm underneath her and pulled her close. So close she pressed against his side, and her head rested on his shoulder. He heard her sigh.
‘Sleep.’
He’d finally caught up with her, but it would take a while to convince them both that wasn’t a bad thing.
He ran his fingers up her spine and under her hair.
They’d deal with tomorrow when it came. Until then, he had her back.
Chapter Seven
Nina woke first. The sun coming through her bedroom window was brighter and more insistent in the morning. She hadn’t made the effort to close the curtains last night; she’d been too distracted. Still, she felt refreshed. She’d slept dreamlessly, the whole night through. The dull ache behind her eyes was gone. She stretched and felt a soreness that actually felt good.
Her cheeks warmed. She might be a madam, but she didn’t have hot sex every night.
Warily, she turned her head on the pillow. She was still tucked up against Josh, only they’d shifted positions over the course of the night so his big, muscled body spooned hers. He was like a heating blanket all along her back.
A heating blanket with a very alert morning erection tucking up against her bottom …
Her gaze quickly snapped away and landed on the blue butterfly on her nightstand. The way the sun was glinting, it seemed ready to take flight.
So did her heart.
What had she done? She’d let him into her home. She’d let him into her bed.
She’d slept with him.
The happy, relaxed feeling in her chest squeezed down into a ball of dread. When had she gotten so careless? Why had she dropped her guard?
Trying not to wake him, she caught his wrist and lifted it from around her waist. As soon as she was free, she slipped off the bed. He moved as she was putting on her robe, and she froze. He just rolled onto his back, but he flung his arm out to the side, almost as if he was looking for her.
Her pang of regret turned into a pang of guilt.
She’d never expected this. She’d had dreams about it, but their relationship had been always been so combative and tense. He was a cop. For that reason alone, she’d held him at arm’s length. Yet right now he looked so relaxed and sexy. So handsome, virile and male …
She left before she could do something truly stupid, but the energy inside her only grew. She paced across her living room, trying to think, but stopped when she caught her reflection in the mirror above the bouquet of flowers.
It stunned her, and she stepped forward for a closer look. Not only did she feel better, she looked better. The dark circles under her eyes were gone. Her hair was tangled in waves, and her lips were pink and puffy.
She looked softer and younger.
She spent a fortune on face creams to keep away wrinkles, but she got better results by falling into bed with the very man who was causing her frown lines?
She raked a hand through her hair. That was so like him!
She spun away. This had to be a one-night stand. She couldn’t let this continue. Having him in her home was making her edgy. This was her personal space, her safe haven. The case was closed; everyone had been cleared. It would be foolish for her to see him.
To start a relationship with him.
An exclusive one.
‘Nina,’ she hissed.
She closed her eyes and took a calming breath. She could handle this, but it needed to be handled now. There was no need to hurt his feelings or cause conflict. They’d both had a nice time.
A nice time?
She pinched the bridge of her nose. She needed to get him up and moving, thank him again for his help with Genieve and send him on his way.
She padded barefoot into the kitten and jabbed the start button on the coffeemaker. Feeling totally discombobulated, she leaned back against the kitchen island. Sex had scrambled her brain. She needed it back.
The scent of coffee reached out first, but the pot was nearly full when she heard movement in the other room. It felt strange, knowing someone else was in her apartment. Cosy.
She busied herself pulling coffee mugs out of the overhead cupboard. She felt him before she saw him. Glancing over, she found Josh leaning against the open archway to her kitchen. He’d put his pants on, but his chest and his feet were bare.
Intimacy turned the air thick, and her toes curled under her robe. She should have stopped to find more clothes. She should have put on tie-dye and flip-flops, like he liked to tease her about.
Her heart did a little flip inside her chest.
The way he was looking at her, she doubted even that would put him off.
‘Morning,’ he said, his voice still husky from sleep.
‘Good morning,’ she said quietly.
She pulled the pot off the heating element before it was done and heard a hiss. She poured two cups of coffee anyway. He moved closer as she poured creamer and sugar into hers, and took the one she left black.
‘Tell me this is leftover from what you have down at Luxxor.’
‘The blend?’ She nodded. ‘We buy it special, because we all like it.’
He took a drink, and his eyes closed in appreciation. ‘Ah. The best part of waking up.’
When he opened them again, his eyes had a glint. ‘Almost.’
He surprised her by moving in and kissing her. Nina’s breath caught. His mouth was warm and soft. He tilted his head and found the angle that sealed their lips as one. Her hand lifted to his chest, but inside of pushing him away, she spread her fingers wide. His skin was warm and inviting. Tempting. She was just sinking into all the sensations when she remembered her resolution.
She pulled back and dipped her head. Keeping her movements calm and steady, she stirred her coffee.
His brow furrowed. ‘Did you sleep OK?’
Between her multiple orgasms and the warm pillow of his chest?
‘Mm hm.’
‘Good, because we need to talk.’ He stole her mug and began walking to her living room.
Nina let out a gasp of indignation and glared at his back. She wasn’t about to be led around her own apartment.
But wasn’t that what she’d planned to do anyway?
She exhaled slowly. Yes, they needed to talk.
Stiffening her spine, she followed him. The sunlight coming through the floor-to-ceiling windows in her living room wasn’t muted at all. There were no window sheers, and the warm light felt way too bright. Illuminating. She sat on the sofa and pulled her robe over her knees.
She frowned when he set down their mugs and chose to sit on the coffee table beside them. He was facing her. Once again, he was in her space. Nudging her where she didn’t want to go.
‘All right,’ he began, ‘I know I said –’
‘That is not a chair.’
He blinked. ‘Excuse me?’
‘That is a coffee table. It’s for magazines and beverages, perhaps feet, but it is not a place for you to park your backside.’
Sexy as it might be.
He lifted an eyebrow. ‘All right.’
He moved, but she caught her breath when, instead of choosing the chair, he sat next to her on the sofa. And he was close. Their shoulders didn’t touch, and their knees didn’t bump, but she could feel his heat.
‘Morgan,’ she sputtered.
He lifted his coffee and settled back against the cushions. ‘As I was saying, I know we promised no detective work in the bedroom, but we need to talk about the case.’
He wanted to talk about the case? Her thoughts did a U-turn and veered in a different direction. ‘It was closed yesterday. We’re done.’
His eyes darkened. His hair might be mussed, but he’d woken up with his mind sharp.
And it was running di
rectly counter to hers.
‘We’re not done. We still need to figure out who called in that tip.’
She crossed her legs away from him, and made sure her robe didn’t gap. He was doing this on purpose, keeping her off centre.
‘OK.’ The tip. He was right. They needed to find out who’d caused so many problems. She could focus on that – if she stared out the window and didn’t look at him. They’d talked plenty in the past, but they’d never been stripped down.
It was disconcerting.
‘Could we do that later today at my office?’ she asked. ‘It’s late, and I really need to get out the door.’
He paused. ‘Like you scurried out of the bedroom? Want to talk about that instead?’
Her lips pressed tight. She didn’t scurry any more than she sashayed. She’d … run.
She’d run.
‘I didn’t think so.’ He took another drink of his coffee and set it aside. ‘All right, it’s time to pool our resources. Do you have any idea who called TMI News?’
Nina folded her hands in her lap. She supposed she could share what she knew about that. She’d already confessed her company’s line of business to him – at least one of them. ‘We went through our patrons and put together a list, but so far none of them have panned out.’
She turned to look at him and found him closer than if she’d left him on the coffee table. ‘Who do you think it is?’
‘The same person who sent Higgins this.’ He leaned forward as he reached into his back pocket, and Nina’s pulse jumped. She refused to pull away, but she frowned when he handed her a tube of sturdy paper.
It was photo paper. She unrolled it and stared. It was a still shot of the fifty-foot-high LED scoreboard at Nationals Park, brightly showing all of DC their first kiss. Her mouth went wet. They looked sexy together, immersed in each other, a thousand miles away from the ball game or other spectators.
‘How did he get this?’ she demanded. She spread the photo open to keep it from curling. It felt violating for someone like the opportunistic Higgins to have possession of something so very private.
And it was private. She didn’t care who had seen.
But that was the point, wasn’t it? Somebody had seen her and Josh together.
Courting Suspicion Page 12
