He shoved inside her so deep her toes curled, and her pussy spasmed in a shockwave leaving her shuddering and gasping and spinning into an un-ending orgasm.
“Bo!”
He slid in and fused them together, releasing inside her.
“Cheri!”
He held himself just above her, and she threw her arms around him, unable to resist even that small distance separating them. He was still hard inside her, her core clenched, and she became aware of the wonderful ache from his fullness. They were one. She knew she’d never feel this way about another man again, so vulnerable. So raw.
And when Bo lifted his head from the mattress next to her shoulder, and gazed at her with aching tenderness, she knew she’d never felt so loved.
26
Satisfaction crawled through his soul. She belonged to him. And he belonged to her. How could he have ever thought his job fulfilled him? He’d been going through the motions, carrying out the law, trapped in an endless cycle of protocol and the knowledge that if he did everything the way it was supposed to be done life would be perfect.
Cheri shifted, her back to his chest, and he buried his face in her hair and inhaled her. She was perfection. She fulfilled him.
Deep down he’d known it; he’d just been too scared to admit it. Her saucy attitude and carefree life drove him nuts, but he could not deny their connection anymore. He loved her.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he whispered against her skin.
“No, you were perfect.” She yawned, stretching out her legs and feet, entwining them with his.
“I’m still not letting you out of this bed for at least twenty-four hours.”
“Is that my punishment? To slowly drive me crazy with boredom?” He grinned at her sassy mouth.
“You wish I’d let you off so easy.” Bo said, grabbing her hip and grinding his already hardening cock against her ass.
She wriggled in response, and he had to dig deep, really deep not to roll her over and plunge inside her again.
“As soon as Dr. Simmons clears you is when your punishment will begin. I’ll let you think about it for a little while.”
Moreover, he still had a murder to solve and Dupree to catch, which would mean extra time on the clock and away from Cheri. And he would need hours, probably days, to devote to teaching her a lesson. He didn’t even want the thought to enter her mind to do something so foolish ever again.
He felt her tense beneath his touch, and her voice came out soft. “You wouldn’t really hurt me would you?”
He took a minute to process her words, slightly shocked she thought he might actually harm her. He’d rather die than cause her true pain. “You really think that?” Maybe he had been too rough. He’d been so focused on the lust burning through his veins like molten lava he’d forgotten one of the most important aspects of her care.
Her body shook against his, was she crying? Fuck, Fuck, Fuck. “Cheri, baby.” He cupped her delicate shoulder and gently turned her on her back. “I’m sorry if I—” There were no tears on her face, just a mischievous smile and a twinkle in her eyes.
“You’re going to so pay for that one.”
She reached up and skimmed her fingers through his hair. “Actually, I thought you were going too easy.”
He grabbed her hand and gently nipped her palm. “A mistake I won’t make twice.”
Her pupils dilated with desire. God, he loved her expressions. Her every reaction was so bold, uncaring what anyone else thought. She lived and breathed high definition color with every word and every movement. He’d been living in black and white until her.
“I do want you to promise you won’t ever lie to me again. I need you to promise me.”
Cheri let out a long sigh and settled more comfortably into the mattress. “I guess we need to talk now.”
“You don’t have to look like I’ve sentenced you to death row. I need you to fill me in on what you know about Dupree, and I need to know about Lamont’s involvement. If I’m going to help your cousin, I have to know the details.”
She worried her bottom lip the same sexy way she always did when she was mulling over a problem. But it was the deep vulnerability in her gaze that held him arrested.
“You promise you’ll do everything you can to protect him? He’s the only family I have. I honestly don’t know what I would do if he was hurt.”
He’d known she felt deeply, but the concern and love for her cousin went beyond the superficial to utterly profound. He wanted her to look at him like that, to love him like that. And if it meant protecting Lamont, as long as he didn’t break the law, Bo would do whatever was necessary. “I can promise you I will do everything in my power to keep him safe.”
“And out of prison?”
Bo raked a hand through his hair. If he promised her that, he’d be lying. If Lamont really had gone into felon mode, there wasn’t a damn thing Bo would be able to do to save him. But damn it, he wanted Cheri to be happy. He wanted to erase the look of fear on her face.
And he wanted to solidify her love for him so that if he did have to throw Lamont’s ass in jail, she’d stay with him.
He could bond her to him with sex. He knew he could.
He knew he could pin her hands to the mattress and make her beg him for orgasm after orgasm. He could make her so dependent on him for pleasure, she’d never even dream of another man. But he couldn’t make her love him.
And now that he had her love, he’d fight to the death to keep it. “I love you, Cheri. I said it earlier and I meant every fucking word. I’ve been blind for too long and it took nearly losing you to make me see, when it came down to my job or your life, I’d choose you every goddamn time.” Bo couldn’t help that his voice had gone harsh, hell it was all he could do to get the words past the invisible chokehold on his throat. “But I can’t change who I am for you. I uphold the law because I believe in its power, and I’ve seen what happens with lawlessness. I’ve seen women raped and beaten, children murdered in the name of Allah because some twisted fuck warped his religion and went on a killing spree, and because there was no real law to stop them, hundreds of innocents died.”
She looked to the wall, robbing him of her deep green eyes. A pang of fear encircled him, locking his chest down with enough pressure to stop Old Faithful from blowing.
“I can’t let it happen here. Not in my country. Not in my town. If I start down that slope, there will be no stopping it.” He had to make her understand; he couldn’t sacrifice his belief system, even for her. “Does this mean I’m going to lose you?”
Cheri was silent for too long, her face so full of worry he had to fist the sheets to keep from shaking her and demanding she tell him she wouldn’t leave.
When she finally spoke, she cut short his relief by keeping her gaze locked on the wall away from him. “Thinking about Lamont in jail makes my heart ache. Thinking about you putting him there tears it in two.”
He couldn’t take it another second. Bo slid a hand to her jaw, gently turning her face to him and when her eyes met his, his lungs stopped working. Filled with tears, her light green irises turned emerald with anguish. When a tear slipped free to trail down her temple, he caught it with his thumb just before her hairline. “Don’t.”
“I can’t help it. If it wasn’t for Lamont, I might not be here.”
“What do you mean?” He’d always known those two had a past that went beyond simple blood relatives. He could sense it when they got in the same room. Lamont, despite his carefree playboy self, kept a steady eye on Cheri and she him.
“I mean we grew up next door to each other. We spent nearly every day together, until we grew old enough where I only wanted to hang out with my boyfriends and him with his girlfriends.”
“Sounds normal enough.”
Cheri drew in a long, shuddering breath and more tears slipped free. “Until Lamont found out my dad was beating me.”
Bo blinked. His gut clenched. Black rage filled his vision. “What?” He a
sked in a menacing voice, praying he’d misheard her statement.
“The Reverend Jeremiah was so godly, and despite what his parishioners thought – which was that my father was a fucking saint – he liked to hit me and my mother.” She scoffed but the pain in her voice nearly destroyed him.
“Didn’t anyone know?”
“He was really smart about his abuse. He kept it all below the neckline, and since I was the preacher’s daughter, no one thought it was strange I wore long sleeved turtlenecks in summer.”
Bo couldn’t breathe, no matter how much he tried to find the oxygen in the bedroom. He’d told her he wouldn’t break the law for her. Well, he’d fucking lied. “Where does your father live?”
He knew ways to kill a man no one could trace.
“If he was worth it I’d tell you.”
“Where was your brother? Frankie looked a lot older than you.”
“I don’t know if you noticed, but that level of shithead doesn’t develop overnight. It’s bred into the blood at birth.”
Another blast of rage hit him, this time with enough force to derail him from the fucking tracks. Frankie wasn’t a small man. He’d been nearly as big as Joe Johnson. “Frankie look a lot like your father?”
“Yeah.”
The image of a man Frankie’s size waling on a little girl was enough to push him over the edge. “Why didn’t you fucking tell me at the bar. I had my hands around his neck.”
Cheri put a hand on his bicep and Bo knew she was trying to calm him. “Frankie actually never hit me, he just stayed out of the way when dad went into a rage.”
“He’s your brother.” And brothers were supposed to protect their baby sisters.
“He was never my brother. I never had a family, not a real one. Except for Lamont.”
“And how exactly did Lamont help? Did he ever come between you? How old were you when your dad starting hitting you?”
“Eleven.”
“And Lamont tried to stop him then?”
Cheri shook her head and tried to look away, but Bo held her in his grip, forcing her to face him.
“Not until the day before I turned eighteen.”
Bo exploded. “Let me get this straight. Your precious cousin lived next door to you your entire life, knew your father beat you – a defenseless little girl – and didn’t stop him for seven fucking years?”
“No! He didn’t know. I never let him know.”
“Then how did he find out?”
Cheri swallowed and her gaze took on a distant look. She was seeing her past and he didn’t like it one bit. He wanted to ground her here and smother her with so much happiness she’d forget her past. But she needed to tell her story, and he needed to hear it.
“I came home after my first date. I’d gone to the movies with the quarterback of our football team. We snuck out and parked at the mall. One of Frankie’s friends saw us making out.” She paused, obviously struggling for control.
“Go on.”
“I should have sensed it when I unlocked the front door. There was always this force in our house when dad lost it. But that night I was on cloud nine because I’d finally kissed a guy for the first time.” She shook her head and he could see the sadness so plain on her face. “My father came after me as soon as I’d locked the door. It was really bad, worse than others. He called me a slut, and said I’d disgraced our family and shamed him before the church.”
“And?” Bo asked quietly.
“And Lamont heard. He stepped between us and aimed a gun at my father’s head. If it hadn’t been for Lamont, I would be dead.” She continued with her story in a wooden voice, looking straight through him. “We drove for what seemed like hours before he pulled into a hospital. We had no money and no insurance, but they treated me anyway. The doctor said two of my ribs were only a centimeter from puncturing my lungs. If I’d taken another blow I’d be dead.”
Heart pounding, Bo gripped her arm, unable to see past the rage flooding his vision.
“Since then, we’ve been on our own. We look out for each other. I try to keep Lamont from getting killed by a jealous husband and he keeps me company.” Her pupils focused, lasering in on his soul. “Maybe now you can understand when I say it’s impossible for me to picture my life without him.”
Goddammit. He was so screwed. How could Bo ever hope to fight that? Lamont had saved her, and for that Bo would be forever thankful. Even so, he couldn’t break the law – not if Lamont committed a felony. Not if he’d gotten in too deep with a man like Dupree.
“I do understand.” He swallowed, buying some time as he searched for the right words. “Cheri, I’ll do whatever I can to make sure he stays with you, but if he’s gone too far, I won’t be able to stop the law. I’ll do my best to make sure he gets a light sentence, but that’s all I can promise.”
Please, don’t fucking leave me.
He held on to her, trying to anchor her physically to him in case she withdrew, searching for any way to keep her. He’d tie her to his bed if he thought it would help.
But he couldn’t keep her forever. Tomorrow would come, bringing Lamont between them, and it wouldn’t change until this case was put to rest.
He’d work morning and night if he had to. He’d put Dupree away and fight for her cousin. He’d prove to her he meant what he said.
“Bo,” Cheri said, her hand covering his.
Shit. This was it. The moment she told him to take her home. What a change from his normal. Most of his previous women begged him to stay and he’d been running for the door. But Cheri made him want to move her in and lock the door.
“I understand. If Lamont really is that bad off in it, then you have to put him in jail.”
Wait a minute. “What?”
“I’d rather him be in jail and safe than on the streets working for Dupree.”
“Fuck, you’re amazing.”
She offered him a tremulous smile even as more tears slipped free. Bo lowered his head and kissed them away. “I know.”
He let out a bark of laughter. “And confident.”
“Only with you. You make me feel beautiful and cherished. I believe you’ll do everything in your power to save Lamont from himself. I trust you.”
Bo dropped his head to hers, fighting the joy exploding through every cell in his system. “I love you.”
She lifted her lips to his. “I love you, too.”
“I need to be inside you. Can you take it?” He was nearly exploding right now. Her trust. Her faith. Her love sent blood coursing through his body and straight to his cock.
She nodded, lifting to nip at his chin. His neck. Chills raced down his chest. He wanted her mouth somewhere else.
A loud ring burst through the bedroom and Bo jerked toward the bed stand to see his phone lighting up.
“It could be Lamont.”
Bo slammed his eyes shut, concentrating on her touch. The phone call might be nothing.
His phone went silent. Bart would leave a message if it was important. Bo grabbed her hand, moving it up and down him, showing her how he liked to be held and dreaming about how good her mouth would feel around him. He was going to spend the rest of the night showing her how much he loved her.
His phone went off again. “Fuck.”
Bo jerked it to his ear, straining to make his voice normal as Cheri pumped him with her hand. “This better be really important.”
“So touchy.” Val’s voice filled his ear.
“What?”
Cheri tightened her grip, and he felt a drop of pre-cum slide out.
“Thought you should know Dupree is in your territory.”
A little too late. “Tell me about it.”
Cheri giggled and Bo gave her a stern stare. She was having way too much fun torturing him.
“You got him?” Val’s normally droll voice turned hopeful.
“No.” Fuck, he couldn’t think with Cheri teasing him like this. He needed to get Val off the phone so he could finish what she’
d started.
“You let him go?!”
“No choice. He nicked a civilian.” A civilian who was slowly driving him toward losing his mind.
“A civilian, huh?” Cheri asked with a mischievous smile as she scooted down the bed. When he felt her hot breath on his cock, he slapped the headboard and held on for support.
“What do you want, Val?”
She didn’t answer the question; instead, she was railing at him. “You let a murderer like Dupree escape just because he nicked a civilian.”
Bo heard the incredulity in her voice and knew what she must be thinking. He’d lost his mind, and he’d broken standard procedure. But tonight had been different. The victim hadn’t been a stranger. It had been Cheri.
She licked him from base to tip. His eyes rolled back in his head. He had to end this call now. “I’ve got a BOLO out on him. I’ll let you know when we find something.”
Val paused and he could feel the condemnation in her voice. “I hope whoever you broke procedure for was worth it, because you just let a killer, who’s now called in his posse to your town, loose on the streets.”
Cheri sucked him into her mouth and he blanked. Fuuuuck. Bo ended the call and threw his phone to the floor, Cheri’s sweet tongue the only thing on his mind. She sucked him slow, gripping his waist to balance her movements.
The caveman inside him needed to control her, and he threaded his fingers in her hair, thrusting into her mouth at his own pace until he neared release. “I’m close.”
She sucked harder. Bo’s spine tingled. He picked up pace, using her mouth for his pleasure. Cheri moaned and arched. Bo yanked out at the last minute and spilled on her chest, groaning out her name. She panted, her hands roaming over his stomach. His hips.
When he could breathe again, he leaned down and took possession of her mouth. “That was naughty.”
She gave him a sassy smile. “I know.”
“Stay put.” Bo bounded off the bed with renewed energy, grabbed a towel from the bathroom and then cleaned them both off. When he’d finished, he climbed into bed with her and held her against his chest.
Relentless River: Men of Mercy, Book 10 Page 17
