The Hill

by Carol Ericson

  Before she dropped the pillow on the couch she buried her face in it, breathing in Judd’s scent. She’d dated too many guys who went heavy on the cologne. Judd had a different essence—natural, manly. Even the smell of him made her feel safe and protected.

  She unzipped her boots and pulled off her socks. She stopped short of changing into pajamas. How obvious did she want to make this seduction? Of course, there were pajamas and then there were pajamas. She could slip into some baggy flannels. The silk and lace would act as a sledgehammer.

  The key scraped in her lock and Judd charged through her front door. He kicked it closed behind him, and before she could say one word or catch her breath, his long stride ate up the distance between them and he pulled her into his arms.

  He cupped her chin with his large hand and took possession of her lips. While devouring her, he wrapped one arm around her waist and yanked her close. He fitted his pelvis against hers and she felt his erection through his jeans, her jeans and the haze of desire that had engulfed her.

  He pulled away and she blinked, touching her throbbing bottom lip with her fingertips.

  “What just happened?”

  “Do you want this, London? Do you want me?”

  If he had to ask, she hadn’t been as obvious as she imagined. She couldn’t even form one word. She nodded and squeaked.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” This time he took her face in both of his hands and got serious. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, and his kisses were as spicy as the curry they’d just consumed.

  She undulated against his erection and he dropped his hands to her derriere and squeezed.

  He growled. “Uh, can you hold off on that right now?”

  She pressed her lips against his jaw instead and whispered, “What happened over there?”

  “Over there?” He stroked one hand down her back and she felt as treasured as his Harley.

  “Next door. Were you peering through the peephole and witnessed me taking off my shoes and socks and got turned on?”

  His laugh turned into a growl. “I’ve been turned on since the minute you ripped your dress off in the alley.”

  Her tongue darted into his ear. “I only ripped off the bottom of my dress, and did it really take you that long?”

  “Long? That was the first time I saw you.”

  “How soon they forget.” She planted her hands against his rock-hard chest and grabbed handfuls of his T-shirt. “I’ve been turned on since the moment I saw you across the room at the hotel that night, and when I bumped into you.”

  “You bumped into me?”

  “I guess I wasn’t that memorable.”

  He snapped his fingers. “That was you. The cold blonde awash in sparkles. Untouchable.”

  She pulled her sweater over her head and unhooked her bra. Then she took his hands and placed them over her bare breasts. “Clearly, that’s not the case.”

  His spiky dark lashes dropped over his eyes as he cupped her breasts and brushed his thumbs across her nipples. He hissed through his teeth. “So soft and warm for an ice princess.”

  She dragged her fingernails along the ink on his arm. “So sensitive and protective for a badass biker.”

  His eyelids flew open and he tugged at the buttons of her jeans. When they gaped open at her hips, he yanked them down to her thighs and she stepped back to peel them off.

  She crossed one leg over the other, standing like a stork, and rubbed her arms. “It’s chilly in here.”

  Before she finished the last syllable, Judd’s warm, rough hands skimmed down her back and thighs. Then he cupped her bottom and hoisted her up until she wrapped her legs around his hips.

  He held her against his body, strong enough for the two of them, and kissed her silly.

  She tugged on his earlobe and he released her lips. “Do you want to find a bed?”

  “As long as it’s yours.”

  She untangled her legs from around his body and clutched his arm as she swayed. “You took my breath away, Judd Brody, and not for the first time.”

  She turned toward the stairs and extended her hand behind her. He laced his fingers with hers and she led him to the staircase.

  Halfway up, he yanked her back toward him, hooked an arm around her waist and nuzzled her neck. “I could take you right here.”

  She turned in his arms, and being one step above him, she could stare deeply into his blue eyes. “Why now?”

  “Because I like a little variety. We can do it on my Harley, too.” He kissed her nose and she tugged on the lock of hair that curled beneath his ear.

  “You know that’s not what I mean. You’ve been sort of holding me at arm’s length. I get that you wanted to maintain a professional relationship.”

  His blue eyes darkened, and she wondered if she’d ruined the moment by reminding him of his professional code.

  He slipped his hands inside her panties and caressed her flesh. “It’s like you said before, there’s something between us, something between our stories. When this is over, we’ll go our separate ways. You’ll be heading your international corporation, and I’ll probably be off to the Greek isles to keep an eye on some shipping magnate’s daughter. Why not—” he yanked down her panties so that they puddled around her ankles “—live for the moment?”

  Before she could object to the part about going their separate ways and the Greek shipping magnate’s daughter, Judd caught her in his arms again and eased her back against the steps.

  The Persian runner that climbed up the center of the stairs did little to cushion the hard wood beneath. Then she forgot all about the wood and the shipping magnate’s daughter as Judd knelt on the stairs below her and pressed his hands on the insides of her thighs, nudging them apart.

  He buried his head between her legs, and when his tongue touched her most sensitive area, she gasped and threw her head back. He probed her with his tongue, and just when she thought she couldn’t stand the pleasure anymore, he burrowed inside her, bringing her to unimagined heights.

  She panted his name, and he answered by planting a row of kisses down her thigh while his finger took the place of his tongue.

  She closed around him, lifting her bottom from the step.

  Putting his hands beneath her, he guided her back to his mouth. He added his lips and teeth to the exquisite torture he was performing, driving her toward a precipice whose descent would surely shatter her into pieces.

  He obviously didn’t care. He suckled her between his lips and the world exploded behind her tightly closed eyes. She thrust her pelvis forward and then back over and over as the warm surge melted her bones.

  When her climax had drained every drop of energy from her body, she collapsed on the steps like a rag doll, used and forgotten.

  But Judd had no intention of forgetting her—at least not now.

  He scooped her up in his arms, and her legs went around his waist again in a natural fit. As he climbed the remaining steps to the second floor, the soft cotton of his T-shirt brushed her breasts, making her nipples tingle all over again. The rough denim of his jeans chafed her sensitive flesh, still throbbing with her release.

  With her curled around his body, he kicked open the door of her bedroom. “Ah, here’s your bed.”

  He dropped her on top of the bedspread and then stood back, crossing his arms, his stance wide.

  When he’d tossed her onto the bed, the lethargy from her climax had prevented her from making a move. She lay splayed across the mattress, her hair fanning out behind her, one arm dangling over the edge.

  His gaze roamed over her naked body, and a slight smile hovered on his lips.

  “Why—” Her voice came out as a croak, and she cleared her throat. “Why are you still completely dressed, down to your boots, and I’m stark naked?”


  He cocked his head. “I thought you liked being naked. That’s what all the tabloid stories say. London Breck naked in fountains. London Breck naked at the beach. London Breck naked on a yacht.”

  She scrambled to her knees, reached up and pressed two fingers against his soft lips, the lips that had just rocked her world. “London Breck naked and Judd Brody naked. That’s all I want now.”

  “Come and get it.” He spread his arms wide.

  She pointed to his feet. “Okay, you’re going to have to take off those boots yourself. I draw the line there.”

  He whistled. “After all that work I just did on the stairs? You are a diva.”

  She swung her legs over the side of the bed. “If you want me to...”

  “Just kidding.” He chucked her under the chin. He sat on the edge of the bed next to her, crossing one ankle over his knee. He pulled off one boot and then the other, peeling off his socks in the process.

  She placed her hands against his back. “Stand up again. I want to do this right and I want to enjoy the view while I’m doing it.”

  He stood in front of her and she rolled up his T-shirt, pulling it from his massive shoulders and over his head.

  Sitting back on her heels, she blew out a long breath at the sculpted figure in front of her. If she looked up the definition of built, a picture of Judd Brody’s body would be next to it. Thick muscles bunched across his shoulders and arms, and another tattoo spilled across the chiseled muscles of his chest.

  “Are you just lookin’ or are you going to help me out here?”

  By helping him out, she had no doubt he was referring to the bulge in his jeans.

  “I’ll gladly help you and help myself.” She fumbled with the button at his fly, suddenly as nervous as a virgin on her wedding night. While she tugged at the button, he plowed his fingers through her hair and whispered, “Like a silver mane, capturing all the light.”

  Her fingers shook as she pulled down his zipper. He had mad skills with his mouth and tongue and he could spout poetic lines.

  She got the zipper down and peeled his pants away from the black briefs that barely contained his straining erection.

  Tugging down his briefs with one hand, she caressed his smooth, tight flesh with the other. His body bucked, and she reached around and dug her fingernails into the hard muscle of his buttocks.

  He sealed his mouth over hers and she deepened her strokes as he deepened the kiss.

  She whispered against his mouth, “Join me on the bed.”

  He stepped back from her and pulled the tangle of jeans and underwear from his body. Before discarding the jeans, he reached into a pocket and pulled out two foil packs. He tossed them onto the nightstand.

  She fell back against the pillows, stretching her arms over her head. “How long have you been carrying those condoms around? Or do you always keep a couple of spares in your pocket?”

  He joined her on the bed, lining up his body with hers. “I’ve been carrying those since the moment I saved you in the alley.”

  She kissed her fingertips and dabbled them across his scruffy chin. “You’re lying, but I don’t mind a bit.”

  Slipping his arms on either side of her, he twirled her around so that his chest pressed against her back. He lifted her hair from the back of her neck and kissed the nape.

  She wriggled against him and he prodded between her legs.

  She heard the foil of the condom wrapper crackle. Then he toyed with one breast as he smoothed his thumb down her belly. His thumb continued its downward path, and he entered her from behind.

  Her heart stopped for a second, the connection between them electric. He made love to her, filling up all the empty places in her soul and satisfying every desire.

  They lay spent in each other’s arms. She couldn’t tell if the sweat that dampened her skin was hers or his. She couldn’t even tell where her limbs ended and his began as they tangled in the sheets.

  He yawned and nibbled the edge of her ear. “Toothbrush.”

  She wanted to drift off to sleep in his arms, but hygiene called. “I left it—”

  A bright, white light started blinking in the corner of the room as a high-pitched whine shattered the air.

  Judd bolted upright. “What the hell is going on?”

  The acrid scent hit her and she scrambled from the bed, grabbing Judd’s arm. “Fire!”

  Chapter Twelve

  Judd grabbed his jeans from the floor as London flung open her closet door and disappeared into the walk-in. She’d better not be picking out a coordinating outfit.

  “London!”

  She stumbled out of the closet, clutching some clothes to her chest. “I need to get my father’s computer.”

  He buttoned his jeans and swept his shirt from the floor. He took her by the arm. “We need to get out of here now.”

  They hit the bottom of the stairs and she pushed him toward the dining area. “Grab the laptop while I put these clothes on.”

  He snagged the computer from the kitchen table and tucked it under his arm. By the time he returned to the foyer, London had on a pair of sweats and was pulling a sweatshirt over her head.

  He stopped her from rushing out the front door, placing his palms against it first. Not feeling any heat, he cracked open the door and stuck his head into the hallway. Gray smoke rolled down the hall from the opposite direction of the stairwell. He stepped out the doorway and pulled London behind him. “Let’s head for the stairwell. I have my phone. I’ll call nine-one-one.”

  He yanked open the heavy fire door leading to the stairwell and let it slam behind them. Their bare feet slapped against the metal stairs as they jogged down.

  When Judd got through to the emergency line, they informed him that the fire department was already on the way.

  They joined other residents of the building in varying states of undress in the stairwell. Nobody seemed to know where the fire had started—but he had a good idea.

  If he hadn’t been so focused on bedding London, he would’ve done a better job of securing that unoccupied unit. In fact, he should’ve stayed there like he’d planned to...until London had curled her arms around him on the bike, pressing her sexy body against his in all the right places. He’d decided then and there he had to make good on the promise between them.

  When they hit the lobby, the overnight security guard was already letting the firemen into the building.

  One of the firefighters stepped into the middle of the lobby. “Did anyone see anything?”

  Judd spoke up. “There’s heavy smoke on the top floor of the building from unit 502. It’s unoccupied.”

  The fire captain directed the firemen streaming through the front doors of the lobby. “Fifth floor, unoccupied unit. Everyone out of the building.”

  The residents shuffled through the doors and Judd kept hold of London’s hand.

  She pressed her shoulder against his. “Someone set fire to my place. How did they get in?”

  “They got in because I was too busy satisfying my own pleasure instead of looking out for you.”

  She squeezed his hand. “That’s ridiculous. It would’ve been worse if you’d been sleeping in there. Maybe you wouldn’t have made it out alive.”

  “If I’d been sleeping in there instead of in your bed, the other guy wouldn’t have made it out alive. There’s a reason why you keep business and pleasure separate.”

  Tucking her fingers into the waistband of his jeans, she tugged him close. “That’s not possible for us and you know it. We’re in this together, Judd, now more than ever.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and held her snug against his body, and that was all the confirmation she needed.

  While the firefighters worked upstairs, the residents returned to the lobby, where groups huddle
d under blankets and sipped hot coffee provided by the security guard.

  The fire captain took the elevator down to the lobby, and London pinched Judd’s arm and pointed. “That’s a good sign.”

  “Ladies and gentlemen. There was a small blaze in the unoccupied unit on the top floor caused by some faulty wiring in the kitchen. We have it contained, and there’s no damage to any of the common areas. I understand the owner of the unit is here, so I may please speak to her? The rest of you can return to your homes.”

  Judd pushed up from the floor where they’d been curled up beneath a blanket and extended his hand to her.

  She grabbed it and he pulled her to her feet, leading her to the fire captain.

  “I’m London Breck. I own the unit.”

  “Ma’am, I’m afraid there’s some extensive damage to the place, mostly from the smoke and the CO2 we used, but we had to make sure it didn’t spread to the rest of the building or even the rest of the floor.”

  “I understand. You said it was electrical?”

  “Some wires in the kitchen. It’s common, especially in vacant units. You really should think about renting it out and keeping it occupied once you repair it.”

  “Thanks for the tip.”

  Judd grabbed her elbow and steered her toward the stairwell. “Can you manage five flights of stairs or do you want to wait for all those people to go up the elevator?”

  “I can do stairs.” She stopped at the first step and grabbed his arm. “Just so we’re clear, we both know that was no accidental electrical fire.”

  “We’re clear.”

  When they got to her floor, the smell of smoke and flame retardant lingered in the air. They didn’t even bother going back to bed. She knew she couldn’t sleep. Instead she plopped on the couch, crossing her legs beneath her.

  “What was he after this time? Do you think he’s trying to kill me?”

  “I hate to break it to you, but there are easier ways to do that than setting fire to the unit next to yours. He was trying to drive you out of your place or destroy it.”