RETURN TO ME

by Christy Reece

  “Promise me, baby.” His fingers released the pressure, waited half a second, and applied it again.

  Another whimper of arousal and then she breathed the word he needed. “Yes.”

  Noah wasted no time. He’d gotten what he came for. No further words were necessary. Dropping her skirt to the floor, he groaned at what he revealed. Except for an almost nonexistent thong, she was nude. He bent his head to the breasts he dreamed of tasting. As his tongue curled around a taut nipple, he pulled her legs up to straddle his waist.

  Turning, he pressed her against the wall, pulled away, and looked down at her. “I missed you.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

  “I missed you too. … Kiss me … please.”

  Whatever she asked for in that sweet husky way of hers, if it was his to give, he would give it. Covering her mouth with his, his tongue licked at her lips. When she opened, he plunged over and over, showing her what he wanted, needed.

  She dropped her legs and stood before him. With a smile that held secrets he’d die to know, she began to undress him. Pulling his shirt from his trousers, she lifted it off his head and threw it on the floor. He slid his shoes off and they worked together to get his pants down and then off.

  Hooking his hands in her thong, he pulled it down as he went to his knees. Her panties holding her captive just below her knees, he set his mouth to her sex, nipping, licking. Ignoring her little cries to do more, Noah did what he dreamed about every night. With his thumbs, he spread the lips of her sex and licked. … Nothing tasted as delicious as his Mara. When he heard her squeal, he grabbed her butt and pressed her harder against him, his tongue going deeper and deeper into her vagina. The roaring in his head almost drowned out her sobs of release. As she throbbed around his mouth, he thrust softer, gentler, building heat and need again.

  Her hands pulled at his hair. “Noah, please. I need you.”

  The tears in her voice were almost his undoing. Standing abruptly, he scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. Laying her gently down, he followed her.

  Samara forgot modesty. Inhibitions didn’t exist. When Noah followed her down, she spread her legs wide, took his penis in her hands, and led him to her opening. Without giving him time to go slow, wanting him inside her immediately, she grabbed his perfect ass and pushed him deep.

  “Slow and easy, babe. … We’ve got all night.”

  “Can’t wait … Noah. Please don’t make me wait.”

  He gasped out a half laugh, half groan. “No, sweetheart, no waiting for you.” With those words, he went deep, then deeper still. Samara spread her legs wider, wanting him as far as he could go, her need for him unlike anything she’d ever felt before.

  Obviously seeing her desperation and sharing it, Noah rose to his knees, hooked his arms under her knees, and plunged. She screamed as heat exploded, then settled deep into her womb, throbbing, pulsing. … Explosions of lights went off inside her head.

  Noah reared back and plunged again and again. She dimly heard his deep growl as he pulsed inside her. Burying her face against his neck, she held him tight, glorying in his big body over her, inside her. She inhaled deeply, loving the scent of a sweaty, masculine Noah and the musky fragrance of wild, untamed sex.

  Pulling from her body, he gathered her to his side and cuddled with her. Tears pooled in her eyes, and she buried her face against his shoulder to hide them. The other two times they’d made love, he’d never held her like this. The first time, he’d left her immediately after he’d gotten his pleasure; the second time he’d knocked her out. Neither one was the kind of memory she wanted to have after having the most incredible sex of her life. This time, however, the sex had been more than incredible and the cuddling all she could have asked for and more.

  She snuggled up against him and smiled at the soft sound of a light snore. She’d never slept with him before and treasured this moment, along with all the preceding ones. She had dreamed, hoped, and prayed he’d return to her and he had. Settling her head against his chest, Samara closed her eyes and luxuriated in the bliss.

  Noah woke, somewhat startled to find himself still in bed with Samara. He rarely slept with a woman. After finding pleasure, he was usually out of the door or in the shower. Falling asleep meant being vulnerable around another person. That wasn’t something he felt comfortable doing. With Samara, oddly enough, it didn’t bother him. Sleeping with her felt good … right.

  Noah jerked his thoughts back to the present. No way in hell did he need to be thinking in those terms. He’d come here for one purpose only … to convince her to stop putting herself in danger with this crazy new job of hers. He’d allowed himself to get off track, but anytime he was around Samara, that was bound to happen. She’d tempted him as no other ever had, ever would.

  He pulled away to look down at her, still amazed that this petite, angelic-looking creature was filled with so much fire and spirit. Not only did she turn him on like a raging wildfire, he honestly liked her as a person. Liking people wasn’t something he knew a lot about. He respected and admired certain people, but there were few he truly liked. Perhaps because he held himself back from people. Most probably because he had so little in common with most of them.

  What did he have in common with Samara?

  As he gazed down at her, he could only shake his head. Nothing. Another amazing fact. He had nothing in common with this beautiful, fiery woman and yet he liked and admired her beyond measure.

  Samara moaned slightly and rolled over to lie on her back, giving Noah an unobstructed view of her delicate, beautiful body. As his eyes roamed, he looked for any remaining signs of her injuries but could see none. Her skin was clear and creamy once more, the dark bruises, cuts, and scratches she’d suffered months ago had disappeared. No outward scars, but what about on the inside? What about her memories? What lingering darkness and horror still lurked because of her experience? How had what happened to her affected her spirit, her confidence?

  As he’d made the long flight from Paris to Birmingham, one thought had consumed all others. She never would have involved herself in tracking predators online if he hadn’t brought her in on the Bennett case. He’d almost lost her once because of his stupidity and selfishness. … He couldn’t let her risk her life like this. She’d fight him but he didn’t care. The most important thing was to keep Samara safe.

  Noah didn’t question why he felt so strongly about this. He knew the reason. He was responsible for bringing her into this kind of life, but he’d be damned if he’d let her stay in it.

  Unable to resist staring at the lovely creature before him without touching her, Noah pulled away and crawled to the end of the bed. Picking up a slender foot, he began the agonizingly delicious task of nibbling and tasting her tender flesh.

  She was having the most incredible erotic dream of her life. Samara knew she was moaning and twisting on the sheets, making all sorts of naughty sounds, but she refused to open her eyes. She couldn’t bear it if the dream ended. Big, hard calloused hands tenderly caressed her legs, while male lips nibbled as if she were a delicacy. The stubble of his beard rasped against the inside of her thighs, zinging electricity through her and causing a flood of warm moisture to pool between her legs. Without conscious thought, Samara opened her legs wider and thrust upward. A sexy, laughing growl brought her eyes open wide.

  “Good girl. Now that those eyes are open, I can do all sorts of wicked things to this beautiful body and not feel the least bit guilty.”

  “I thought I was dreaming again.”

  A tender smile tugged at his mouth. “You dream about this, too?”

  “Every single night.”

  His eyes darkened as he leaned forward. “Let’s see if we can make reality better than the dream.” Pressing his mouth against her sex, he kissed her. Samara opened her legs wider, held his head to her, and gave herself up to the most glorious oral sex of her life. His tongue licked at her, then went deeper.

  Sobbi
ng screams escaped her and Samara put her hand over her mouth to stifle her cries. Noah raised his head and growled, “Take your hand away. I want to hear how good it feels for you. Tell me how it feels … if this is what you want, if you want more.”

  Samara stared into his glittering eyes. “I’ll wake the neighbors.”

  “You let me worry about the neighbors.” He pressed a finger on the swollen aroused nerves at the top of her sex. “I want to hear your pleasure. Understand?”

  His demanding voice did something to her … set free a wildness she didn’t know she had. Unable to articulate this strange phenomenon, she could only nod her head in agreement.

  Noah lowered his head and started all over again. His tongue licked and plunged, his teeth nibbling at her clit, then his mouth covered her sex and sucked. If he hadn’t been holding her hips, Samara would have come off the bed. Orgasm hit her like a bullet and nothing mattered but expressing the experience in the way Noah wanted. She screamed everything, how good it felt, how much she wanted him, and then, when the final shattering release hit her, she screamed her love for him … giving him everything he asked for and more.

  Shuddering and sobbing, Samara barely realized Noah had pulled her into his arms and held her against him. She’d had orgasms before—he’d been responsible for some spectacular ones—but this went beyond orgasm into a realm she never knew existed.

  “Shh.” Noah held her tighter and pressed quick kisses all over her face. “Tell me those were cries of delight.”

  Swallowing one last shuddering sob, she managed a trembling smile. “Delight doesn’t even come close. I’ve never felt anything like that in my life. It was spectacular.”

  His eyes gleamed with satisfaction and need. “Let’s try for beyond spectacular.” He pulled her over him to straddle his legs. “Take me inside you.”

  Her gaze locked with his, Samara pressed down onto his hard length, welcoming him into her body. She took him slowly at first, not wanting this moment over too soon. Noah had other ideas. With a growl, he pulled at her hips and seated her fully.

  “Now. Ride.”

  Samara started a slow, easy rhythm until, with his command to go faster, she picked up speed. Sobbing again in need and hot, wanton desire, she exploded around him. Noah pulled her down and held her as he thrust over and over, finding his release.

  The rest of the night passed in a hazy, surreal sexual smorgasbord. For every sexual fantasy she’d ever had, Noah gave her the reality and it was richer, sweeter, and far sexier than anything her imagination could ever dream up.

  Finally, at dawn, he released her one last time. Holding her quivering body in his arms, he fell into a deep, exhausted sleep. Samara closed her eyes against the emotional tears. Never would she have guessed herself to be this ravenously sensual being. Noah had given her this … freedom to express herself sexually.

  Snuggling into his arms, she fell asleep and dreamed about how wonderful their future would be together.

  seventeen

  Samara sat in a chair at her bedroom window and stared out at the dismal scene of her rain-drenched parking lot. Waking in Noah’s arms had been heaven and hell. Heaven, because she wanted a lifetime of mornings like this one. Hell, because it couldn’t be. Cold reality had slammed into her just a little after dawn, forcing her to pull out of his arms. She bitterly resented having to leave them, but she needed to think. Last night proved that thinking rationally in Noah’s arms was an impossible feat.

  He had wrapped her tight in a web of sensuality and eroticism she thought only existed in books and erotic fantasies. Every part of her body tingled and zinged with life and a fierce, bone-deep satisfaction. Out of bed, away from him, things were clearer and coldly stark. Three issues had reared their ugly, truthful heads and she couldn’t hide from them.

  First, Noah had seduced a promise from her to stop working with the Macklin group. With embarrassingly little coercion, she had agreed to stop something she’d become enormously proud of over the last few weeks. His manipulation incensed her. Her weakness infuriated her.

  Second, she screamed her love for him over and over during the night and not once had he even issued anything remotely similar.

  Third and most telling, the last time they made love, right before he fell into a deep sleep, he whispered something. She hadn’t understood the significance of the words until she’d woken, but now, their meaning was heartbreakingly clear. “At night, when you’re alone, I want you to think about how good it feels to have me inside you.” His voice, low and sexy, had caused shivers to cover her body and curl her toes, which was probably the reason she hadn’t paid attention to what he’d said.

  When you’re alone, meaning, he wouldn’t be with her. God, she felt so stupid. Of course he wasn’t here to declare his love. He hadn’t come here to tell her he was wrong and beg her to come to Paris, marry him, and work with him at LCR and share his life. That was one fantasy destined not to be reality and she’d missed it completely.

  He’d come to Birmingham with one purpose, to convince her to stop trapping online predators. And, since he was here, why not get in some hot sex? Samara had no doubt he cared for her. … Noah might be a jerk, but was actually a very caring person. He didn’t want her to get hurt. Yes, he wanted her body and as willing as she was to spread her legs for him whenever he was around, why the hell shouldn’t he take advantage of the opportunity? She’d never in her life been an easy lay, but with Noah, that’s exactly what she was.

  She had started her job with the Macklin Agency because she thought she could make a contribution. There had been another reason, too. She’d wanted to prove herself to Noah. Had wanted to show him that she could take care of herself, that she would be a good LCR operative. That she could share a life with him. Samara closed her eyes in shame. … She’d wanted to prove herself worthy of Noah.

  For the first time since they’d become lovers all those months ago, Samara realized that her fantasy of Noah coming to his senses and admitting his love for her was nothing more than a silly dream. One he’d probably laugh at if he knew about it.

  “Mara.”

  The low, husky voice caused an immediate reaction in every erotic nerve in her body. Noah knew them all, where they were and how to turn them on. Gripping the arms of her chair, she forced herself to stay seated, fighting every emotion-filled instinct telling her to forget pride, take any and everything he could give, and be grateful for it. She snarled at those instincts to back off. They’d had their fun last night. Now cold, sane reasoning had to take over.

  “Why are you here, Noah?”

  Whether it was her cool tone or words, she didn’t know, but Noah shot up in bed and stared at her.

  “What?”

  “You came to see me for a reason.” She shrugged slightly. “I’m assuming it wasn’t just to screw me. So, what’s the real reason?”

  Frowning, Noah leaned back against the headboard and stared at the woman who only hours before had been like hot, molten lava in his arms. Now if she got anywhere close to lava, she’d turn it to stone immediately. Never had he seen such a cold, almost mean look in her eyes. What the hell had happened?

  “I saw your interview on television. I don’t want you involved in this kind of life.”

  “What right do you have to tell me what I should or shouldn’t be involved in?”

  “As your friend, I have every—”

  “You’re not my friend. Where did you get that idea?”

  Well hell, so much for his idea of spending the day in bed with her. “Why are you so pissed … because I actually care about what happens to you?”

  Samara stood. She’d covered herself with a soft, cotton robe, and almost more than he wanted to breathe, he wanted to pull the robe from her body and take her again and again. From the expression on her face, he was destined to be disappointed.

  “I don’t need you to take care of me.”

  “Mara, I have to—”

  “You don’t have to do an
ything. What I choose to do with my life is my business, not yours. Just because we’ve had sex gives you no right to—”

  “Dammit, we’ve had more than sex.”

  Standing in front of him, hands on her hips, she looked arrogant, furious, and so damn beautiful. “What else, Noah? Tell me what else we have.”

  Shit. Noah dropped his head back onto his pillow and blew out a harsh sigh. She was right. They had nothing else. He could feel her eyes on him, waiting for an answer he couldn’t give.

  “Go home, Noah.” A sad weariness coated her words.

  His head shot up again. “You made a promise last night.”

  “Correction. You seduced a promise out of me.”

  “Like hell.”

  “Don’t try to deny it. You’ve manipulated me for the last time. Go home and leave me the hell alone to do my work.”

  “Mara, you’re not equipped to handle these kinds of creeps. You wouldn’t even be doing this if it weren’t for me.”

  “I’ve been doing pretty damned well for almost three months now, and what the hell do you have to do with it?”

  “You’re putting yourself at risk because of what you went through.”

  “I won’t deny that, but how is it your business?”

  “It’s my fault. Before I asked for your help, you never would have considered doing anything like this.”

  She blew out a snort of disgust. “You give yourself way too much credit … as always. I’m doing this because I’m good at it and I’m helping people.”

  “And yourself, too.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I’ve seen it too many times not to recognize it. You were helpless, vulnerable … at the mercy of some very bad men. Now you feel powerful and in control.”

  “Stop psychoanalyzing me. I’m doing this to make a difference and you make it sound like it’s a power trip.”

  “Not a power trip. A need to prove yourself.”

  “Prove myself to who?”

  “Yourself. Me.”