Sinful Secrets

by Melissa Ohnoutka

“Whoa, you give me too much credit. We were pretty wasted that night.” Kane grinned, a sheepish look easing over his handsome features and relaxing the tense lines at the edges of his eyes and mouth.

  “Maybe, but hearing you say it really hit home. You were sincere. Had no reason or motive to steer me one way or another, unlike so many others in my life. You were just plain honest, and it was something I needed to hear.”

  “Do you regret your decision?” Looking more at ease after her confession, he sank down on the couch.

  “Nope. Never regretted it once.”

  He motioned for her to join him, patting the seat cushion beside him. “I feel like you’re in another room way over there.”

  “Might be safer if I keep my distance.” She laughed and only hesitated briefly before picking up her beer and joining him on the opposite side of the couch. So there had never been a bet. She gave him a sideways glance, a twinge for what might have been tightening her chest.

  He picked at the label on the bottom of his bottle as the cushion shifted beneath her weight. The corner of his lip lifted in a sexy smile. “Did you ever think about me?”

  His question surprised her. Hell yes, she thought about him. Even thought about trying to find him several times over the years. Give him a chance to explain himself or apologize, but her common sense would kick in, reminding her of the bet, and she’d return to the real world. “No. Not really.”

  “Liar.” His gaze traveled from her eyes to her lips, so seductive her cheeks flushed.

  “What?” She gave him a puzzled look. “You don’t believe me?”

  “Not at all.”

  “You’re certainly sure of yourself.”

  “I watched the truth travel all over that pretty face, your failed attempt to hide a smile a dead giveaway. I was a detective, remember? I’m trained to spot a lie a mile away.”

  “Noted.” She drained the last swig of her beer. “So I thought about you. Big deal.” As if she wasn’t in enough trouble sitting next to him, he had to go and turn on the charm, too.

  He placed his beer down on the sofa table, grabbed her empty bottle and did the same, then inched closer till their thighs innocently touched. Her heart rate soared. “I’ve thought about you often. That’s a really big deal, don’t you think?”

  She cursed the rising fever between them. “I don’t see how that’s my fault. Maybe you’re just lonely? Some kind of workaholic?” Move. Get up. For God’s sake, don’t just sit there. But her body had a mind of its own. Her double-crossing hormones wanted more.

  “You could be onto something. My work definitely cuts into my leisure time. But you put some kind of spell on me from the first day I saw you in that parking lot of the high school.” He reached up and gently feathered her hair away from her face “I can’t explain it. Lord knows, I’ve tried to forget about you.”

  She swallowed hard.

  “Jo Jo.” He ran his fingers down her cheek. “I’ve loved the name ever since you said it that day in front of your first period history class years ago. Never heard it again until a few days ago. And that’s when the world I’d pieced together crashed down around me.”

  “Again, not my fault.” She dared to meet his gaze, the downright sinful look in his eyes making her throat pasty dry. She found herself leaning toward him, desperate to feel whole again.

  “Oh, but it is.” He cupped her face in both his hands. “I love the flash of fire in your eyes,” he said in a whisper. “And the sweet curve of your mouth.” He traced her lips with his thumb, his boyish charms replaced by a rugged sensuousness.

  An electric sensation shot through her as heat coursed all the way to her core. She felt almost lightheaded.

  “Don’t you see? You stole something from me that night I haven’t been able to get back.” He kissed her then, a light brush of his lips to hers, a gentle caress. “Until now.”

  A lazy, victorious smile lifted the corner of his mouth, and she almost slid off the couch into a puddle of gooey mess. His touch, the sincerity in his words, that silky Southern drawl all worked to wear down every last defense.

  “Ryker, wait.” She lifted a hand between them to keep their bodies apart and felt the racing beat of his heart as her palm rested against his chest.

  “I’ve waited too long already.” With that, he ignored her small attempt at building a barrier and crushed her to him, her hand trapped between their bodies.

  He kissed her then. Not the soft butterfly kiss of a hopeful suitor, but a fierce fiery passionate kiss of an all too familiar lover. They’d shared something special that night, and it had not just been because they were drunk or needed a one-night stand, or to win some stupid bet. As strange as it might be, they’d connected somehow. A spell working its magic on both of them, and Joanna couldn’t help it. Her entire body burned, the heat of need pulsing through her veins with the desire to be one.

  She wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him closer. He moaned, his hands tangling in her hair as he pushed her backward onto the couch where he crushed her beneath him. She felt the strength of his hard body through their clothes, and a low thrill surged deep in her chest.

  The delicious touch of his tongue seared her lips. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?” His husky voice caused the fire in her lower extremities to rush to her ears as his hand moved down her side to cup her breast, caressing it, kneading it before traveling lower to the valley between her thighs.

  Oh, dear. She felt like she’d explode.

  God, it had been years since Ryker had kissed a woman like this. Wanted a woman like this. While he’d managed to sate his needs over the years with a relationship here and there, he’d completely forgotten what passion felt like, what it could do to him. His entire body scorched until mere seconds likely remained before he lost all sense of morality. He broke the heated kiss and removed his weight from her soft body.

  “Wow, that was…unexpected.” She backed away, her fingers touching her swollen lips.

  “Jo Jo, I’m sorry.” He worked to salvage the damage. He’d taken her reaction to his kiss in the hospital as a sign he had a chance.

  Those big angel eyes blinked, mystified. “I…I don’t think this is a good idea under the circumstances.”

  “You’re right. I should never have kissed you like that.” Drawing in a deep breath, he let his shoulders fall back against the couch. Idiot. He’d known better. What made him think anything had changed? He was still the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. But he wasn’t willing to give up. Not yet. Especially after that fiery exchange.

  “Ryker, it’s just—”

  “No, let me continue.” Leaning forward, he placed his elbows on his knees. “I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Seeing you the other day in the hotel lobby, I realized something.” He paused, grasping his hands in front of him, giving her the chance to stop him, or get up and leave. She did neither.

  “This may not be a good time, but when this case is over, when we find your father, find these people and put them where they belong, I’d like to see you again. See where this might take us.”

  She started to speak but cleared her throat instead. He hoped that meant her defenses were breaking down. That she was willing to give them a try once this mess was over.

  Bringing her knees to her chest, she wrapped her arms around her legs and surprised him by scooting closer and bumping her shoulder to his. “You really know how to kill a mood.” A slow, calming breath escaped those perfect lips he longed to taste again.

  “Yeah, I’ve been told that before.”

  She laughed, and he decided to risk it all.

  “So why didn’t you return my calls??” He cocked his head, locking his gaze with hers. “Why didn’t you give me a chance to explain?”

  Her eyes closed, breaking the trance. “It was a mistake, Ryker. You, me, us.”

  “A mistake? But we didn’t do anything. Was it something I said? Something I did? We didn’t
know each other that well in high school, but surely you knew I wasn’t that kind of guy. I’d never make a bet like that.”

  Slowly, her beautiful eyes opened, and she regarded him with so much emotion he gritted his teeth to keep from reacting as she continued. “You’re the first man who didn’t try to take advantage of me. Even after I pushed you way too far, even though we were drunk out of our minds, half naked, you stopped.” She reached over, covering his hand with her smaller one and the ache expanded within him. “I think that’s why the idea you were using me to win some stupid bet hurt so badly.”

  “I’d never take advantage of a woman.” His throat felt raw.

  As if he hadn’t spoken, she said, “The truth is, I’d never felt so alive, so connected.” Her breath caught then, and he thought she might stop. But she recovered quickly, turning to look straight ahead. “And I thought I was some kind of frat bet. So I ran. I couldn’t face you. Couldn’t face it all being a lie. Couldn’t risk proving my father right. That I wasn’t strong enough to make the right decisions on my own.” She paused, running her tongue over her bottom lip.

  He sat stunned, speechless. Never in a million years had that reason crossed his mind for her quick departure. “And you’ve believed the lie all this time.”

  “I wish I could go back. Do it over.” She raised her head, her wide-eyed expression tugging at his heart. “This is a big mess I’ve gotten myself into, isn’t it?”

  “You could say that.”

  “Why don’t we agree to keep our emotions out of play until we find my father? I’m in no condition mentally to make any rash decisions right now.”

  Ryker crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat. “Okay. I guess I can live with that.”

  She turned to look back at him over her shoulder and grinned, a shockwave of desire shooting through him at the seductive tilt of her perfect mouth. “Okay, then. We have a deal.”

  Damn, why did he feel like he’d just signed away any hopes for their future? He should be happy. She was open to giving a relationship between them a try. But something in her eyes when she talked about finding her father filled him with apprehension. Like the outcome in this case would have the final say in whether they continued. And deep down, he knew her father’s chances were slim.

  “I’m going to get that other beer. You want anything else?” she said.

  He admired her curves again as she rose and walked away.

  A loud crack like a car backfiring sounded outside.

  “Get down!” He dove at her, knocking her to the floor with one move. “Gunshots,” he said against her ear. “Don’t make a sound.”

  Inching their bodies along the floor to the far wall, he tuned into the sounds outside. He couldn’t see a damn thing through the dark windows, but he heard enough to send his instincts into overdrive.

  Footsteps on the back porch. The French doors being tested. But it was the erratic heartbeat of the woman beneath him that struck a massive chord within. Screw the case. His main objective was to protect her at all costs.

  “What’s going on?” she whispered. “Someone’s shooting at me?” She tried to push him off, but her efforts fell short.

  “From the sound of the trajectory, looks like the shots were possibly a scare tactic.” He had her halfway underneath the loveseat with one push. Then he rose to his knees to switch off the table lamp, throwing the room under a blanket of darkness. “I need to check on the officer outside. You stay here. Don’t move.”

  “Wait,” she whispered, panic edging into her voice. “You can’t go outside.”

  “Don’t make a sound.” He placed two fingers to her lips to emphasize his point, and she nodded against his touch, visibly shaken. But she didn’t argue as he slithered across the floor toward the window opposite the front door, keeping his body low to the ground. Once at the wall by the front door, he inched up until he had a clear view, pulling one corner of the blinds back. He scanned the area where the police cruiser sat under the streetlight. Nothing moved.

  Shit. The officer was slumped over the steering wheel, his body hunched unnaturally to one side.

  Things had gone from promising to the pit of hell in the span of a few seconds. He knew he should have driven his truck instead of having Turow drop him off. At the time, he’d thought it a good idea because she couldn’t turn him away. No way she’d make him walk the ten miles back to civilization.

  Keeping low, back against the wall, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911. Nothing happened. What the hell? He glanced down. No fucking bars. Shit. They needed backup. Now. With precision, he removed his gun from his back holster, readied it, and listened for the footsteps. Silent now. But they’d been heavy, boot clad—probably male—and slow. Whoever it was, wasn’t worried about being seen or heard. Probably thought Jo Jo was inside alone, wanted to scare her. That gave Ryker the upper hand.

  His gut tightened. Could they be that stupid to show up here?

  He strained through the darkness, catching a glimpse of Jo Jo’s shadowed form still huddled right where he’d left her. She had to be terrified.

  Inches away from his head, through the thick wooden front door, more footsteps shuffled on the porch.

  The lock was checked.

  His entire body tensed.

  Easy. Wait for it. He’d been in situations like this a dozen times in his former life. And he was armed and ready, but all he could think about was Jo Jo getting hurt. Normally, his heart rate wouldn’t have even picked up, but it raced now.

  Just stay put. Please, just stay put. He had no way to alert her. Couldn’t risk giving his position away.

  The footsteps faded back down the porch, moving around the opposite side of the house again. Breaking in unseen would be faster and easier through the French doors. But with so many uncertainties and Jo Jo’s life at stake, he didn’t want to risk sticking around to find out if he was right.

  After glancing out the window to make sure the coast was clear, he crawled back across the floor where she waited patiently and whispered, “We need to move. Now. Where’s your phone?”

  “I don’t know. I lost it when you jumped me.” She slipped quietly out from under the loveseat, gripping his right arm for support.

  “Is there a landline?”

  “No. Not out here.” Her attention immediately dropped to his weapon. “You have a gun?”

  “Never leave home without it.” His attempt to lighten the mood helped, and she laughed under her breath.

  “Perfect. My very own Rambo.”

  Patting her hand, he said, “Let’s go. They’ve gone around back, so we’re going out the front.” He prayed there was only one of them.

  She nodded.

  Careful to make as little noise as possible, he led her toward the door. They needed to get outside, make it to the police cruiser, and call for backup. All unnoticed. Easy enough. He’d learned it best to believe things would go smoothly, even though nine times out of ten they didn’t.

  He twisted the deadbolt slowly and then the knob, pushing the door open a crack so he could see without exposing them. The street beyond the drive sat quiet, dark. The nearest neighbor was a good hundred yards away, and that house looked vacant. He glanced up at the limbs of the old oak trees making a canopy over the cobblestone walkway as the wind rustled through the leaves. If they ran hard, they’d make it to the police cruiser in a matter of seconds. He needed less than ten more to make the call.

  Muscles straining, he took off, yanking her behind him. The pace was much too fast for her smaller stride, but he didn’t dare slow down. And she didn’t complain. Even after she stumbled a few times, a tiny whimper was the only sign she struggled at all. Her resilience impressed the hell out of him.

  Once at the car, the cold metal handle felt like a lifeline when he grabbed hold on the passenger’s side backdoor. He flung it open, shoving her inside on the floorboard to keep her out of view. “Stay down.”

  Closing the door quietly, he then opened the pass
enger door and kept the image of the officer from his mind. From what he could tell by the blood splatter on the windshield, he’d been shot in the back of the head. Probably never even saw it coming.

  After checking for a pulse anyway, he shook his head. “Sorry, buddy,” he whispered, maneuvering the man’s lifeless body out onto the sidewalk before taking his seat behind the wheel.

  He grabbed the radio. “Code eight. Code eight. Officer down. Need ambulance and backup. 2431 La Seine.”

  Nothing.

  He glanced at the radio. The device looked functional, except for the cord giving it juice. It dangled beneath the dash like a spaghetti noodle. Someone had cut the line. Shit. Shit. Shit. He pulled out his phone again. Still no service. Double shit.

  The next disappointment came when he reached for the keys to start the car. “Son of a bit—”

  “Ryker, what is it?”

  “Someone took the keys, so we’re on foot. You up for it?” He prayed whoever was behind this was inside Jo Jo’s place still searching for her. He scanned the darkness around the property. Nothing but the trees moved in the shadows.

  “Yes. Just get me out of here.” She popped up from the backseat and gasped, seeing the bloody cop’s body now lying on the sidewalk. “Is he…dead?”

  “I’m afraid so. Come on.” He opened his door, then helped her out, instantly on full alert.

  “Is it safe? Are they inside?” She trapped her lower lip with her teeth.

  “I haven’t seen any movements.” He laced his fingers through hers, taking note of how perfectly they fit together, and crossed the street to the darker side beneath another canopy of trees. “The neighbor home?”

  “No. They’re on vacation for two weeks. Dad was taking care of their dogs for them.”

  “Perfect. Maybe we can hide out there.”

  She jerked to a stop. “Won’t that be the first place they look? I mean, they know I was home. And my truck is still in the garage, blocked by the police car.”

  “It might buy us time. We need to call for back up. Lay low.” He looked back at her front door. “You’re neighbor have a landline??”