Tempted by Love

by Jennifer Ryan

  “You’re sweet.” She felt the same about spending a quiet evening with him. She clinked her glass to his, then sipped the fruity, light rosé.

  She didn’t want to talk about work. His or hers. She wanted tonight to be about getting to know him better.

  “Tell me something I don’t know about you that you normally wouldn’t tell anyone.”

  He stared at her for a long moment, then decided to play along. “You ready for this?”

  She took another sip of wine and stared right back at him. “Lay it on me.”

  “I have like a thousand channels on my TV.”

  “Please don’t tell me you’re a die-hard Housewives of whatever fan. Seriously, this will be over. That’s a deal breaker.”

  He chuckled. “Worse.”

  “Not The Bachelor. Please don’t say The Bachelor.”

  “No. Not that either. The dog channel.”

  “The what? Huh?”

  “There’s a channel you can leave on for your dog. It’s all these dogs doing different things. Chasing balls, wandering around outside, stuff like that. I like to watch it.”

  “Like cat videos.” She sighed her relief that it wasn’t some mindless train wreck where people did stupid things and were mean to each other for ratings.

  Why can’t people just be nice? The world needed more nice.

  “Sometimes those dogs really crack me up.”

  She laughed under her breath and finished off another perfectly cooked and just the right amount of crunchy and soft potato. “Why don’t you get a dog?”

  “I’d love one, but leaving it alone for hours on end isn’t fair to the dog. My horse doesn’t seem to mind, but a dog is a social animal. They need their human friends.”

  “I am learning so much about you. Big, bad DEA tough guy is a softy.”

  “Because I don’t want to abuse a dog?”

  “Because you care about his feelings. That’s so sweet.” She laughed even harder at his incredulous frown.

  “What do you like to watch?”

  “Home and garden shows. I love how they take something old, worn, and neglected and make it functional and pretty again. Mostly, I like movies.”

  “Let me guess, romantic comedies.”

  She had no qualms about admitting that one. “Love is a part of life. I don’t know why guys are always so down on a love story.”

  “I don’t mind a love story as long as something blows up.”

  She propped her elbow on the table and planted her chin in her palm and stared at him. “Like our love story?”

  He leaned in and kissed her softly, tasting of garlic and wine. “Now, that’s my favorite story.”

  “Does it have a happy ending?”

  “It does tonight because I get to spend it with you making love.”

  “My favorite part.” She leaned back and took another sip of wine. “What about six months from now?”

  He chewed and contemplated her for a good long moment that made her both nervous and anxious. “In six months? Well, by then you’ll live here, have my ring on your finger, and the wedding will be no more than a few days away.”

  She gaped at him.

  He leaned in to her again. “How does that sound to you?”

  “Like there are still a lot of pages of this love story to be written to get there.” She glanced around the candlelit room, the pretty table he’d set, the wonderful food they’d shared, and the man she loved more each day, though she still hadn’t told him. She thought about their lunch earlier, how he’d opened up to her, dropped his walls, and let her into his world and his pain. She’d never felt closer to anyone. “If the days between now and then are like this, that’s a reality I can’t wait to see happen.”

  Jay held his glass out to hers. She clinked hers to his in a toast to the future they both wanted.

  Jay yawned for the third time during dinner. “Sorry. I barely slept last night.”

  “Missing me?”

  “Desperately.”

  They’d both done justice to the fine meal he’d prepared. She stood, took his hand, and tugged. “Come with me.”

  He stood and gave her a roguish smile. “Are we going to sleep?”

  “Eventually.” She blew out candles as they left the dining room and headed for bed. With every step, her heart beat faster, the warm flutter in her lower belly grew hotter, and every nerve sparked to life. And he hadn’t even touched her yet.

  She walked into the room ahead of him, but he stopped short, pulled her hand, and she swung around and rushed into his open arms as he leaned down for a searing kiss that turned the heat in her belly into a volcano of need.

  “Are your neck and shoulder still bothering you?” he asked against her lips.

  “Not much. You? How’s your head, shoulder, and leg?”

  “All I feel is drunk on you.”

  His hands slid down her sides, over her hips, and around to cup her bottom in both his hands. He pulled her up hard against his erection.

  She rubbed against him, getting the growl of need she wanted.

  Clothes fell off and went flying. Naked, Jay wrapped an arm around her back, hauled her up so her chest pressed to his and she wrapped her legs around his waist, his thick cock pressed to her core. His big hand clamped onto her ass. He moved her up and down his length, driving them both crazy. He limped to the bed, though his strength never wavered. His steely arm around her, he laid her out on the bed and pressed her into the mattress with his warm, hard body. Hands free, she let them roam over every sculpted muscle down his arms, over his back, and up his rippled belly to his wide chest.

  He left her mouth and headed south, nipping at her neck and over her chest. She arched up and he found one of the nipples she’d offered up to him. His mouth suckled softly, then hard, sending a lightning strike of fire to where she wanted him to touch her next. She didn’t need to ask, his seeking hand slid down her side, over her hip, and dipped low between her legs. His fingers caressed her soft, slick folds. One, then two slid into her. She rocked into his hand, sliding her fingers through his dark hair and holding him to her breast as he drove her wild with need.

  “Jay.”

  He reached for the bedside drawer and a condom without stopping the sweet torment, his fingers working deep inside her, bringing her up to the brink and holding her there. Just about to come apart, he withdrew his hand and thrust into her. Her whole body contracted, then let loose in a wave of ecstasy. He held still, jaw locked, as her body contracted around his. The second her body began to relax, he moved, sliding out, then filling her again. He leaned down and kissed her hard and deep, then wrapped his arm around her waist, held her hips locked to his, and rolled over, bringing her on top of him.

  He kissed her again, then stared up at her. “That hurts my leg. Ride me, sweetheart.”

  She straddled him, rocked her hips forward and back. His eyes closed on a sigh. She slid her tongue along his bottom lip and nipped his chin. She sat up, raised herself up on her knees, sank back onto his hard shaft, and rolled her hips against his. His hands clamped onto her bottom, but he let her lead the dance. She found her rhythm and a kind of freedom she’d never felt in his arms. She let go, pleased him while she pleased herself, finding that perfect spot, just the right amount of friction and speed. He read her movements, her body’s needs, and moved with her and against her until both of them were breathing hard, drawing out every stroke of their bodies moving in concert. She grabbed one of his hands and moved it to her swollen breast. He squeezed the soft globe and gently tugged her nipple between two fingers, setting off a wave of heat that had her grinding against him, her body locking around his. He thrust into her deep and they both let go and fell over the edge into blinding bliss.

  She rode out the pulsing pump of his body and the contractions of hers until she collapsed on top of him in a puddle of contentment.

  Somehow he found the strength to move and wrapped her in his arms and hugged her close. His chest heaved with eve
ry breath, but he planted a soft kiss on her head. She fell asleep on him, still connected and heart to heart and woke up snuggled against his side, his arm still around her. Dawn had barely broken through the dark on a new day when her mind formed one thought: I want to stay right here forever. And her heart agreed.

  She needed to go home, work out, shower, and get ready for work. First, she wanted to do something as nice for Jay as he’d done for her last night.

  She slipped from the bed and dressed quietly, then headed back to the kitchen, stopping in the dining room to gather the dirty dishes and wasted leftovers. She cleaned up the mess and went to the fridge, hoping to find what she needed. He might not cook much, but he did manage to stock eggs, cheese, and a jar of salsa. She could work with that. First, she found the coffee, scooped some into the machine, poured in the water, and hit the brew button. By the time it started dribbling into the pot, she had three eggs cracked and scrambled in a pan. A little salt and pepper, a dash of garlic powder and parsley flakes she found in the spice rack, and she flipped the eggs, added cheese and a healthy dollop of salsa, and folded the concoction in half to heat through and melt the cheese. One last flip and she turned off the burner. She poured a mug of coffee, plated the omelet, and took both with her back through the house and down the hall to Jay’s bedroom. Their bedroom.

  Thinking about this as their place got easier and more comfortable the longer she spent here. And it had only been a few days. Things were happening fast. And still felt not fast enough.

  She set the plate and mug on the bedside table, planted her hands on the bed, and leaned down and kissed Jay on the forehead, brushing her fingers through his hair and down over his scruffy jaw. She absently played with the silver strands sprinkled just over his ears.

  “I think I got a few more gray hairs when I heard about your accident.”

  She stared down at him and smiled. “Morning.”

  “Why aren’t you in bed? Do I smell coffee?”

  “Sit up.”

  “Hmm, first, this.” He hooked his hand around her neck and drew her down for a soft kiss. “Morning.”

  She raked her fingers through his hair and ruffled it into an even messier array of sun-bleached, silver-threaded brown waves. “I have to go.”

  “I want you to stay.”

  “I know. But it’s a long drive back and I can’t be late for work. I open. Plus, I have some research to do on those printouts Mandi downloaded. But before I go, I made you this.” She took the plate and mug from the table and held them out to him.

  Jay sat up and bunched the pillows behind him all at once. His wide gaze met hers. “You made me breakfast.”

  “You probably have another long day ahead of you. You should eat a good breakfast before you head into work.”

  Jay took the plate and mug, sipped the coffee, and sighed. He stared down at the omelet like he’d never seen one.

  “It’s nothing much, just a little cheese and salsa.”

  Jay looked up at her, his eyes filled with wonder and gratitude. “Thank you, Alina. No one has ever made me breakfast in bed. I wish you could stay and enjoy this with me.”

  Her chest ached with that heartfelt thank-you. She leaned in, planted her hand on his bare chest over his heart, and kissed him one more time, holding back the happy tears glassing over her eyes. “I wish I could stay, too, but I’ll see you soon.”

  “Uh, one of my other cases is heating up. I don’t know how late I’ll be.”

  She nodded, understanding all he couldn’t say, because he didn’t know how his day would go and what it would lead to later. “I’ll see you soon.” She headed for the door, but stopped and turned back when he called her.

  “Alina.” He paused, trying to find the words. “Last night, this morning”—he nodded to the plate in his lap—“it was really good, right?”

  Obviously feeling like her, this thing they shared was so intense and they both wanted it to be that thing they’d always wanted but never found. Until now. “It was perfect.”

  His soft, understanding smile knotted her belly.

  “No woman should ever leave a man as sexy as you in bed alone.”

  The wolfish grin he gave her and the intensity of heat in his bourbon eyes sent a blast of heat low in her belly.

  “I’m going to really regret this, but I have to go.” She turned for the door before she gave in to the overwhelming pull and dove for him in that big bed.

  “Alina.”

  She turned back again, caught in the intensity of his stare.

  “I . . .”

  She held her breath, waiting to see if he’d say those three words they’d expressed but never spoken aloud.

  “I’ll call you later.”

  The disappointment stunned her. In the past, she’d heard those words and so wanted to believe them. Other times, she prayed the other person wouldn’t say them so she didn’t have to let him down gently because she didn’t feel the same. Now, she couldn’t wait to hear them. From him.

  Was she ready to tell him?

  Soon. They were well on their way.

  “Please be careful today. Keep your guard up. We still don’t have a definitive answer on your car accident.”

  “I will. Promise. And I’d kind of like you back in one piece, so work on that today, too.” This time when she turned away, his soft chuckle followed her out the door.

  She glanced back, but kept walking down the hall, and stared at the man she never expected to show up and become such an important piece of her life in the blink of an eye.

  One night.

  One bad idea that had turned out to be so right.

  She’d taken a risk and found everything she’d ever wanted in this unexpected man.

  Temptation led her down this path and she’d found love. The real kind.

  The kind that grows deeper every day.

  The kind that lasts.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Alina felt so good she couldn’t contain her smile all day. The hours at work flew by until it was almost time to go home. Jay, sweet Jay, sent her a text message this morning telling her he missed her. She’d only left him naked with breakfast in bed an hour before that. At lunchtime, he called just to say hi and let her know he probably didn’t have to work late tonight.

  She couldn’t wait to see him.

  “You get any happier, you’re going to float like a helium balloon,” Mandi teased.

  She hadn’t felt this light and happy in a long time.

  Mandi leaned over Alina’s shoulder and stared at the reports Alina had been sorting through for the last few minutes. “Did you see how long some of our customers have been taking those painkillers?”

  “One of them has been on them for more than three years.” Alina couldn’t imagine being in that much pain that she’d need a steady dose of drugs for that long. And to live in that state of pain and numbing from drugs that had their own side effects.

  Long-term use meant you needed a higher dose to achieve the same level of relief you got in the beginning. Not to mention the risk of damaging your liver, living with symptoms like nausea, bloating, constipation, and even more dangerous, respiratory depression, which could lead to hypoxia due to lack of oxygen.

  “Some of these customers are on multiple drugs to counteract side effects. The longer the drug tries to hide the pain, the harder the body works to send the pain signal to the brain. They become more sensitive to the pain and need a higher dose to mask it. A few of these customers are taking Fentanyl. It’s fifty times more powerful than heroin. Two milligrams can kill. The potential for overdose and death is so much greater than these other painkillers.”

  “Jeez.” Mandi shook her head. “Makes you wonder if in a lot of these cases the underlying cause of the pain was ever really addressed in the first place.”

  Alina thought of her own situation. Did she really need such a powerful drug after her accident? Maybe for a day or two, but she’d had a real gut check at lunch with Jay when sh
e found herself popping them when the pain had been a mere shadow of what she’d endured right after the accident.

  Were others as aware as her of the dangers? Did they taper off when the pain subsided? Or did they take the meds as prescribed, not really thinking about it, then find themselves needing more? And more. How often did that scenario play out and ruin lives?

  Mandi tapped the list with her silver-painted nail. “Mr. Woodward suffered a back injury in the winter shoveling snow. Maybe it was a pulled muscle, maybe something worse. But he’s been taking those pills for months now. Maybe what he needs is physical therapy.”

  Alina pointed to another name. “This patient is seventy-three and she’s been on them for fifteen months. Odd, looks like she had to renew the same prescription five months ago two days after she picked up her order. She must have lost her pills or something.”

  Mandi peeked over her shoulder. “Mrs. Green? She had a hip replacement last year. Never did feel right, she said. But what’s even stranger is that she died three months ago in a home invasion burglary.”

  “Oh my God. That’s awful. But if she passed away, who refilled her prescription the last two months?”

  “I don’t know. Someone in the family trying to get them for themselves?”

  Alina pulled up her browser and did a quick search on Mrs. Green. Her obituary and a news article about the robbery and her death came up. “She suffered a major head injury after she was pistol-whipped by the burglar. You know, I listened to a podcast about burglaries like this on the rise. The burglars aren’t looking for valuables, but prescription medications.”

  Mandi rolled her green eyes. “I don’t doubt it. There’s been a rise in teens having pill parties, too. They raid their parents’ medicine cabinets, bring the pills to the party, and everyone picks pills from a pile. They don’t even really know what they’re taking.”

  “Or what could happen to them if they take too much or have an adverse effect to the drug. They’re literally playing with their lives all for a high.”