Courting Suspicion

by Kimberly Dean

  ‘OK.’ So why did his stance make it seem as if he was facing off against her? Discreetly, Nina put her computer in locked mode. ‘What can I help with?’

  ‘The problem is that we have too big of a timeframe to cover. Apparently Genieve hasn’t stayed at home since the night of the break-in at the Emissary.’

  The implications of that sent a shiver down Nina’s spine.

  ‘So her place could have stood open that whole time?’ She hated the thought of anyone being able to come and go as they pleased in her home. Pawing through her things … trying on her shoes …

  ‘Probably not. The damage would probably have been worse if it was.’ Josh’s onyx gaze was unmoving, full of that old suspicion. ‘Has she been with Haynes this whole time?’

  A warning bell went off in Nina’s head. She’d known he’d been bothered by that meeting at the Apple Tree Grille. She’d tried to reassure him, but he was still irritable. Distrustful.

  She spread her hands flat on her desk and leaned forward. She’d done nothing wrong, and she wasn’t going to apologise for it. ‘I don’t see how that’s pertinent.’

  His biceps bulged. ‘Yeah, I’m getting that from you a lot.’

  The old tension was back, the kind they’d experienced before they’d begun sleeping together. The friction of right versus wrong. They’d worked their way into the grey area in between, but the incident last night had somehow pushed them back into their respective corners.

  She didn’t like it there.

  ‘Yes,’ she said, giving an inch, ‘she’s been staying with him to keep out of the limelight.’

  ‘What exactly does that guy fix, Nina?’

  She reached up to touch her earring. It wasn’t fair for her to always ask him to compromise. The questions he was asking didn’t touch Luxxor, but she was so used to keeping secrets, it made her uneasy to share somebody else’s. Brody was an ally, even more these days than before. He’d been protecting her employee.

  ‘He moves in the political world,’ she said simply. ‘Although right now I think he’s more focused on Genieve.’

  She dared her detective to challenge that.

  ‘Do you have any leads?’ she asked, turning the questions back around on him. ‘Do you have any idea who might have done this to her?’

  ‘Do you?’

  ‘Why would I?’

  ‘Because it’s personal.’

  Nina’s heart tripped over itself. ‘You think that Genieve has been the target all along?’

  Did they need to go back and look over her clients again? Was it someone they didn’t even know about? A neighbour? Someone she’d dated? Someone with an unhealthy infatuation?

  Josh stepped forward until only the desk separated them. ‘It was someone who didn’t like seeing her with the senator. I can’t say if it was on his side or hers, but someone didn’t like their so-called relationship.’

  Nina’s eyes narrowed at the not-so-subtle poke. ‘How do you know?’

  ‘Because whoever hit that place picked through it like a kindergartner eating vegetable soup. They knew exactly what they wanted, and they left the rest. They only took items that the senator had bought for her. It was personal.’

  He fired off the words staccato, and Nina thought fast. ‘But the senator is single.’

  ‘Who cares? It could be a stalker or a conservative group who doesn’t like his ways.’ He jabbed his finger against her desk. ‘Somebody out there didn’t like him seeing an escort.’

  Nina’s foot rocked back on her heel. She wrapped her arms around her waist and tilted her head back to meet his challenging gaze. She didn’t like where this was going. She especially didn’t like his tone.

  ‘How did that relationship work, Nina? You said Genieve and Gunderson were exclusive, but she still worked for you. We both know she wasn’t a full-time receptionist. Did she go out with clients and then come back to Gunderson’s bed? Once she was kicked out of it, did she roll right into Haynes’?’

  ‘Enough.’

  The irritating tension was taut as the string on a bow. It could only do one of two things: snap or be set loose and sing.

  She got up from her desk and walked around it to the door.

  Josh rolled his head on his neck and let out a frustrated sound. He planted his hands on his hips. ‘You work in a dangerous world, Nina, one that I believe teeters on both sides of the law. I can’t keep looking the other way.’

  She knew.

  ‘Kicking me out isn’t going to –’ He stopped abruptly when she closed the door.

  And locked them in.

  She understood. He was tired and grumpy and facing an ethical dilemma. They’d been glossing over things, ignoring them. She had a code, but she respected that his was different. She’d had his morals at one time.

  ‘I’m sorry you’re in the middle again,’ she said quietly, ‘but this was a robbery. Can you focus on that? Genieve has just as much right to protection as anybody.’

  His jaw set.

  ‘Shit.’ He finally reached up to rub the back of his neck. ‘You’re right. I know. But this has got to end, Nina, all the smoke and mirrors …’

  ‘I’m scared, Josh.’

  His head came up.

  She looked at him steadily. He wanted her to lay things out for him? She swallowed hard. She could do that.

  ‘Things are happening that I don’t understand, and last night made my blood run cold.’ She held up a hand to stop him when he took a step forward. ‘But I’m never going to be the stay-at-home little woman. If that’s what you want –’

  ‘That’s not even close.’

  ‘I needed to do something. That’s why I went to the restaurant last night.’

  He let out a long sigh. ‘It felt like an ambush, seeing you there with them. Like you were using me. I’m not going to be your puppet within the legal system.’

  Like she’d ever be able to lead him around. She knew she hadn’t tamed him. She didn’t want to.

  She shrugged and shook back her hair. ‘I just wanted to help. The last time they’d run into you, things were tense. They didn’t know what to expect.’

  His expression darkened. ‘I went above and beyond, just meeting them there.’

  ‘I know.’ She walked towards him and let her fingers trail over the blue chair in front of her desk. ‘I also know you don’t like Brody Haynes.’

  He glanced away toward the window and let out an unintelligible grumble.

  Nina took a gamble.

  ‘Do you know what I thought when I saw you two in tuxes at the Capitol? That he looked like a little boy playing dress-up – and I wanted the man.’

  A muscle at his temple jumped. She moved closer to him and put her hand on his chest, right over his heart. He was warm, and his blood was pumping.

  ‘I’m not jealous of him,’ he said testily.

  ‘I didn’t think you were.’ She lifted herself up and pressed a kiss to his jaw. ‘You have no reason to be.’

  His hands settled on her waist, not quite pushing her away, but not drawing her in. ‘Nina.’

  ‘I know there are challenges between us, Josh, but I’m not willing to give up yet.’ She’d fought too hard to keep it from happening in the first place. Now that she’d given in, she wanted to enjoy it for as long as she could.

  Because it was good between them.

  Good enough that she knew she had to make some compromises. She needed to be the one to take the next step. There was an obvious one she could take to help them past this little bump in the road.

  She looked deeply into his eyes and took a small step back. Her hand went to the tie at her waist. The dress she was wearing was a wrap-around. She liked it for its burgundy colour and because the deep neckline distracted people from her lack of height. When she undid the knot and drew the dress open, she knew Josh liked it for another reason.

  It came off fast.

  His eyelids became heavy. ‘Rielle said you had an appointment.’

  She h
eld the dress open and let him look his fill. The way he looked at her made her feel hot. Sensual and wanted. ‘He can wait, but you said you couldn’t stay long.’

  Time drew out. Her nerves tightened. If they were having problems now with sex –

  ‘I’ll find the time.’

  He reached for her, but Nina stepped back. Watching him closely, she slid the dress off her shoulders and down her arms. She dropped it in the chair beside her and reached out for his hand. He took it. Slowly, she drew him around the desk to her side.

  His hand felt big around hers. Protective.

  This was about more than sex to her. He’d moved a long way out of his comfort zone to meet her, more than halfway. It was time she trusted him.

  Still, her heart was beating hard. She’d fought so hard for power, for respect, for control … She’d held onto them so tightly for so long, her knuckles were beginning to ache. Maybe it was time to give in … just a little …

  She stopped and stepped closer to him. Watching him closely, she tugged his T-shirt out of his jeans. She worked it halfway up and pressed a soft kiss to his chest. His lungs were working as hard as hers, and his muscles flexed as he pulled the T-shirt over his head.

  She traced the line of his pectoral. His muscles were thick and roped. His strength was a turn-on for her, especially the way he tempered it when they were together. ‘By the way,’ she said, ‘you don’t have any ibuprofen in your medicine cabinet.’

  He paused, and the T-shirt fell to the floor. ‘What?’

  She caught his waist. It was tight, and his skin was smooth. ‘It’s acetaminophen.’

  His eyes sparked, and his laugh caught them both by surprise. ‘I knew you couldn’t resist.’

  ‘I resisted – until you dared me.’

  He swiftly removed his gun. ‘I’ll keep that in mind,’ he said, his grin flashing.

  He set the weapon safely on the desk and drew their bodies together. Nina dropped her head back for his kiss.

  She’d wanted him ever since the first time he’d entered her office, uninvited, to ask questions about the Jason Sloan case. His observant dark eyes hadn’t missed a trick, and she’d had to think fast to match wits with him. She’d wanted him gone. His bulldoggedness had agitated her.

  It had also woken her up. She’d focused so long on filling others’ needs, she’d forgotten about her own.

  She couldn’t ignore them any longer. Her need for him was nearly consuming her.

  She turned them around and gave him a gentle push towards her chair. He sat down, but when he realised where he was – and what she was offering – he stiffened. ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Yes.’ She placed one knee on the seat beside him. As large as he was, there was enough room for her in the huge thing. Her throne, as Rielle had once teased her. It wasn’t that far off. Her leather chair was her seat of power, one of her favourite places. She wanted to share it with him.

  Just the idea of it was making her wet.

  She climbed on board and straddled him. His hands circled her waist, his fingers nearly touching. They clenched harder when she caught the back of the chair above his head and leaned in to kiss him. It was a sexy kiss, open-mouthed and intimate. Their tongues swept across each other, and their breaths meshed.

  ‘Did you get any sleep?’ she asked.

  ‘No.’ His hands glided over her hips and along her thighs. ‘But I did beat the crap out of the boxing bag at the police gym.’

  ‘Mmm,’ she hummed. She’d like to see that some time. No wonder he smelled like he’d come fresh from the shower. She nuzzled his neck as her hands wandered down to his jeans.

  She undid his zipper and carefully pulled it down. There was already a bulge there, waiting for her. She fisted her hands in the denim, and he lifted his hips to help her.

  ‘Oh,’ she gasped when she rocked on his lap.

  ‘Hold on.’ He caught her hips, and she worked his clothes down to his thighs.

  ‘Oh.’ That was better.

  She wrapped her hand around his erection and pumped him as she kissed his chest. His hands were already under her panties, cupping her bottom and massaging her deeply. They didn’t need a lot of foreplay. They’d missed each other all night long.

  Nina rose on her haunches, and he rolled her panties down. She felt his gaze blistering her skin as she left the chair to step out of them. Clad only in her shoes and her black bra, she began to mount him again. His cock stood thick and tall, waiting for her.

  The leather cushion dipped under her knee, but she paused.

  She lifted her gaze to meet his. His dark eyes were heavy-hooded. They sparked in surprise when she pulled back.

  ‘Nina?’ He lifted his hands from her, and concern wrinkled his brow.

  Her heart was thundering in her chest as she hesitantly turned around. She widened her stance to the point where it felt indecent, but then backed up the few inches to the chair again.

  When she looked over her shoulder, the confusion on his face was gone. In its place was hard-driving desire.

  She’d wanted to show him her trust.

  ‘Are you sure?’ he asked.

  He slipped his hand between her legs, and her head dropped back. Her hair brushed low on her back as he toyed with her intimately, nudging at her clit and sliding into her wetness.

  ‘Yes,’ she whispered.

  Slowly, she lowered herself towards him, leaned back and lined herself up. Her fingers bit into the arms of the chair. She knew what this position did to her. It ripped the control out of her hands and made her a sensate being. It made her feel what it meant to be a woman.

  The head of his cock found her notch. She was wet, and she was aching. Gradually, she sank onto him. Her body stretched to accept his thickness, and her thigh muscles burned. His hands were at her waist again, guiding her down.

  The stimulation was startling, but she kept going. She was offering herself to him, but he was letting her set the pace.

  She couldn’t keep going slow. She needed him inside her. All of him.

  Her hips pushed down harder in a rush, until she dropped into his lap. Her back arched, and she let out a moan that rippled across the room. She felt so full, so taken.

  ‘I’ve got you, baby,’ he growled into her ear. His arms came around her, one hand sliding up to cup her breast and the other going down between her legs.

  The trembling started, but she didn’t want it to end so soon. Her stilettos dug into the carpeting, and she determinedly lifted herself up again. She only made it a few inches before she felt the need to grind back down hard. He swept her hair aside and kissed the back of her neck. He was all around her, behind her and beneath her.

  Her body undulated on top of him as if driven by instinct. Up and down she rode him, but it was too soon before her thrusts turned jagged. She’d only lasted a few minutes when she felt the trembling in her lower abdomen clench.

  ‘Ahhh,’ she cried.

  Josh pumped his hips once, going deep into her, and pleasure shot through her system. Nina’s head rolled on his shoulder as he held her protectively, playing with her clit, drawing out the orgasm until she was gasping for air.

  He didn’t give her time to recover. When she went limp, he lifted her off him and stood. His strength was in full display as in one smooth motion he turned her, picked her up and set her on the desk. Nina moaned as he pulled her right to the edge. He pushed her thighs open and thrust inside her again.

  Her fingers curled into his back, and her legs hooked around his thighs. ‘Josh.’

  His strokes were long and deep. He undid her bra and pulled it off her shoulder. He cupped her breast in his hand and squeezed. ‘I’ve dreamed about this for a very long time.’

  So had she.

  She held on as he fucked her fiercely. Her heels knocked together, and the items on her desk wobbled. He reached past her at one point to save the blue glass dolphin teetering on the edge. Nina clung to him, not caring what might be broken.

  T
heir lovemaking was hard, fast and powerful. Right on the edge of being a little wild.

  At last, his hands clamped down on her hips. His eyes were bottomless pits as he watched her take him. Nina couldn’t break the gaze. He was beautiful like this. Strong, masculine and dominant, and she didn’t care.

  He was strong enough to match her.

  She raked her fingers down his back. The moment they dug into his Grade A backside, he let out a shout. His hips slammed forward and his head reared back. The tendons in his throat went taut as he came. Nina felt him spurting wetly inside her, and she squeezed her eyes shut in pleasure.

  She wrapped herself around him, legs around his hips, arms around his middle. She pressed her breasts against his chest and kissed across his collarbone. Finally, she rested her head against him. His heart thudded beneath her ear, and his hands dropped to the desk to take part of his weight.

  ‘We’ve got to figure this out,’ he said, his voice raspy. He kissed her shoulder and pressed his face into the crook of her neck.

  She’d been trying to think of a way. She was becoming a bit desperate about it.

  She stroked her fingers gently over the back of his neck. ‘I’m sorry I’m so high maintenance.’

  ‘It’s all right.’ He took another ragged breath and kissed her shoulder again. ‘I’m willing to do the work.’

  * * *

  They stayed in that night at her penthouse, eating takeout Thai food and watching the Nationals game on her big-screen TV. Nina looked at Josh stretched out on her sofa with a beer within reach on the coffee table. She smiled softly. He’d taken off his shoes, and a coaster was underneath the bottle.

  He was too long for the cushions, and his ankles were propped up and crossed over the armrest. He’d worked late after going in early. Way too early. She wanted to tuck him in bed, with her under the covers beside him, but they both needed to wind down.

  They both needed to catch their breath.