His arms tight around her, he headed to her bedroom. A quickie against the wall or on the kitchen table wasn’t going to do it this time. Now was a time to savor, to experience the ecstasy that only Honor’s body could give. That required no clothes; a soft, comfortable place; and plenty of room to roll around.
Laying her on the bed, Seth pulled away to look down at her. So incredibly feminine, so beautifully strong, so damned sexy.
Her slender body moving sensually, she smiled up at him. “What are you waiting for?”
That growling tone in her voice when she was aroused got him every time. Seth took the opportunity to appreciate this particular moment. Soon it would be all over, but for right now, he wanted to take his time. Pulling completely away from her, he stripped quickly.
The husky laugh she gave hardened him even more. Hell of a thing—that just her laugh could almost bring him off. He pulled her shoes from her slender feet and kissed the bottom of each foot. Grateful that she was wearing a skirt, he slid his hands up silken legs, spreading them as he went. When the skirt was bunched at her waist, Seth looked down and breathed out a shaky sigh. Honor’s underwear. The woman dressed as conservatively as any serious federal agent could, but underneath those conventional clothes lurked the sexiest and most provocative lingerie he’d ever seen.
Leaning down, Seth put his mouth at the center of her crotch. She gasped and arched upward. She was already wet … her musky scent almost causing him to stop the play and take her hard and fast. Almost. No way was he going to detour from this journey. Especially when the destination was so very worthwhile.
He nuzzled her center with his nose and mouth and felt the ripple of that sweet flesh. She was already on the verge of coming, but that wasn’t going to happen for a few minutes. Increasing the anticipation for them both, he stepped back.
“What?” Cat eyes blinked up at him. “Why’d you stop?”
“Too quick, too easy.”
“And that’s a problem, why?”
“Getting there’s half the fun.”
Her hands went to her panties. “Let me help you get there faster.” She pulled the minuscule thong down toward her knees.
Seth put his hands on her, stopping her. “Not yet.” Pulling her arms over her head, he held her wrists with one hand. She opened her mouth, probably to protest, but Seth didn’t give her a chance. Covering her mouth with his, he plunged deep. Honor opened her mouth wider and took him, her tongue sliding, licking, and dueling with his. Groans and gasps filled the air—a husky blend of two excited lovers, exploring, seeking ecstasy together.
Seth pulled away to whisper, “We’re going to do this slow and easy, baby. Yes?”
“Yes,” she sighed with a soft breath.
Back on his feet again, he tugged at her underwear and skirt, pulling them slowly down her long, slender legs. Dropping them on the floor, he took a moment to gaze down at perfection. Creamy, dewy, freckled perfection. Strawberry blond hair covered her mound and the soft, delicious secrets he was throbbing to get to. But not yet.
Wrapping his hands around her ankles, he pushed her legs up and then open, getting a better view of the beauty that awaited him.
Her body arched toward him. “Kiss me,” she breathed softly.
“With pleasure.” His thumbs spread the folds of her sex … he licked at the delicate, wet flesh and then thrust his tongue deep, spearing. With her half scream, half sob urging him on, Seth withdrew and then sank even deeper, eating at her, nibbling, devouring.
Her hands were in his hair, pulling and then pushing him harder as she bucked up into his hungry mouth … the cries of her need making him crazy hot.
Lifting his head, he watched her face. Yes, she was close. Her eyes gleamed, sparkling with heat, aroused and needy.
“You ready, sweetheart?”
She nodded and spread her legs wider for him. Seth dipped his head again. Covering her clit, he sucked hard, and then thrust and retreated, over and over. Honor screamed and then she came, throbbing, wet and sweet, against his mouth. Gentling the suckling as she began to recover, his tongue lapped softly, loving her taste, her responsiveness.
Honor returned to reality, enjoying the hot, wet licks of Seth’s tongue on her most sensitive flesh. Seth as a lover was unlike any man she’d been with before. Not that there’d been that many, but even if she’d had a hundred, it wouldn’t have mattered. Good sex was one thing. Fabulous, wonderful, mind-blowing sex with the gorgeous, sexy man you loved? No comparison.
Seth lifted away from her again, and she took a moment to appreciate the beauty of the naked man before her. Six foot four of pure male power. Broad chest with just the right amount of furring, powerful biceps that could pick her up with ease. Her eyes dropped lower, past the hard, taut stomach to the long, thick appendage that was so aroused, she could see him throb. Her mouth watered.
She rose up, needing to taste him. She took one lick and then strong hands landed on her shoulders, stopping her. Tilting her head, she looked up at him curiously. “What’s wrong?”
“Not yet. I won’t last five seconds in that hot mouth. You’ve got way too many places I need to explore.”
She smiled, happy with his response. “Who am I to argue with such logic?”
Taking advantage of her sitting position, Seth pulled her shirt over her head, leaving her in a lacy black bra. She watched his eyes grow hotter as they roamed, visually caressing her. Her nipples peaked harder at the hot intent of his gaze—she knew what was coming.
“Take it off.”
The words, said in that sexy, growling voice of his, made her burn brighter. Her eyes never leaving his, Honor shivered with anticipation as she unclasped the front closure and pulled the bra off.
“Lift them up for me.”
Cupping her breasts, she lifted them to Seth and gasped as he took one entire breast into his mouth and suckled hard. Seconds later, he released her to give the other breast the same treatment.
She was small-breasted, but with Seth, that had never mattered. He loved her breasts, had told her more than once that they were perfection to him. With a boyish figure and a body covered with freckles, Honor had never considered anything about her body perfect. In Seth’s arms, she felt perfect.
“Can’t wait any longer,” he muttered.
“Good.” Lying back on the bed, she watched him hover over her. Her legs opened wider to welcome him home. Seth barely paused before his body covered hers and, with one hard, powerful stroke, plunged deep, filling her to the hilt.
Honor gave a strangled gasp and wrapped her legs around his waist, meeting each hard shove of his penis with an answering rhythm of her own. She let him set the pace, watching his face tighten as he fought to hold off his climax. His eyes, deep midnight blue, locked with hers as he rode her harder and harder. Honor’s heart thudded … she wasn’t going to last much longer. She was at the edge, ready to free-fall into absolute bliss, and the most wonderful thing of all? She knew that Seth would be there, ready to catch her.
Seth ground his teeth, fighting his release. Dammit, he didn’t want to come yet, but the tight clasp of her channel, sucking and gripping him, was breaking him fast. He had intended all of this to last much longer. The tasting, the sexy talk, the heat. All of it. But with Honor, his intentions often got sidetracked by just his sheer need to be inside her, holding her as tight as possible. Sensation rippled, then zipped up his spine, and then it was too late. Explosion came quickly. Growling her name, Seth rode the wave of pleasure.
Eons later, he drew the trembling woman to his side. Words choked in his throat, things he wanted to say, promises he wanted to make. He wanted to tell her how special she was to him. That there was no one like her … and that in his heart, there never would be again. He had never told her he loved her. The words had trembled on his tongue dozens of times, but he couldn’t allow himself to say them. Telling her his true feelings would only make what he had to do a million times harder. And since what he had to do was alr
eady going to rip his heart out, he spared them both at least that amount of pain. No, he could give her no words, no promises. Nothing.
Breathing in her scent, Seth tried to treasure the rightness of the moment as it was. Very soon, he would be gone and there would be nothing to treasure.
Honor rolled over and reached for Seth. When her hand met a cold space where his body had been, she sat up and looked around. Dawn was creeping through the windows, casting the bedroom in a grayish tint. The room seemed empty without Seth’s overpowering presence. Tilting her head, she listened. No sounds in the shower. He must be in the kitchen, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. One of the many things she loved about Seth was his voracious need to read. She’d grown up getting lost in autobiographies and novels of all kinds. She loved that they had that in common.
Dropping back onto the bed, she stretched and smiled at the delicious little aches in certain muscles. Last night had been beyond wonderful. Sex with Seth was always spectacular. Last night it had been just as amazing, but different, too. There had been an element of need in him she’d never felt before. The connection they’d shared seemed almost otherworldly.
Honor rolled her eyes at her thoughts. Here she was sighing and getting all gooey over what had most definitely been Seth’s way to stop her from asking questions. She should resent the manipulation, but she couldn’t. Resenting such an incredible experience would definitely be in the territory of “cutting off her nose to spite her face.” Besides, they’d have plenty of time to talk today. It was Sunday, and they had nothing planned other than spending it together. Sundays were their special day—the only day of the week they reserved exclusively for each other.
The quietness of the apartment suddenly disturbed her. And if Seth had made coffee, why couldn’t she smell it? Bounding from the bed, she grabbed a robe from the hook on the door and pulled it on as she went to the kitchen—the empty kitchen.
Telling herself there could be any number of reasons why he’d left without waking her or at least leaving a note, she nevertheless wandered throughout the apartment looking for one. Nothing. It was as if he’d never been there.
First coffee, and then she would phone him. Maybe he’d gotten called back to the restaurant unexpectedly. She was making excuses for him, she knew that, but after last night, how could she not? Their lovemaking had always been passionate, beyond wonderful. Last night they’d reached a closeness she’d never thought it was possible to reach with another human being. Totally in tune with each other’s bodies, each other’s needs. A phenomenal experience she’d never forget and one she hoped to repeat often.
The vibration of her cellphone pulled her from dreamy, lustful thoughts. Hating the intrusion of reality, she grabbed up the device. Maybe it was Seth explaining why he wasn’t here. “Stone,” she said.
“Your boyfriend’s been cleared of all charges.”
Her heart leaped with relief. She had known there was nothing to the charges. Seth committing murder was almost laughable. She was glad it was over, though, not only for his sake, but hers, too. Dating a murder suspect wouldn’t exactly look good on her record.
“Did they catch the murderer?”
“Don’t know.”
“Do you know any details of why they dropped the charges on Seth?”
“No.”
She recognized a certain tone in Dudley’s voice. He wasn’t that hard to read when something was bothering him. “There’s something else. What is it?”
“Nothing other than I can’t get anything on why they no longer consider him a suspect. Just seems too damn hush-hush for my liking.”
Honor was used to his suspicious nature … it went along with the job. But when it came to this, there was no need to be suspicious. No matter how much circumstantial evidence, Seth as a murder suspect had never made any sense to her. She was glad Houston PD had seen that, too.
“I’m just happy it’s over.”
“Hmm.”
The reply wasn’t a rousing endorsement, but she hadn’t really expected anything more. Dudley had a tendency to want all of his people single and unattached. Honor hadn’t had a problem with that philosophy until she’d met Seth.
“Thanks for calling.”
Sounding preoccupied, Dudley said, “Yeah.”
Honor closed the phone and dropped it into the pocket of her robe. Despite her relief at hearing the news, something still nagged at her. Seth’s business required that he associate with all sorts of people, but she still couldn’t understand why one of those people had to be Hector Clemmons. Was there more to their association than he was telling her?
Disgusted with herself, Honor went to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. She had faith in Seth and felt guilty for even doubting him. When he returned, she’d make sure he knew how much she believed in him.
The steering wheel gripped tightly in his hands, Seth focused his eyes on the apartment in front of him. Honor’s apartment. She would be awake by now, wondering where he’d gone. He’d hated leaving her for the meeting. All warm, cozy woman cuddled up against him—the most beautiful woman he’d ever met. In a few minutes, it would be more than just leaving for a meeting. He’d be leaving forever.
He dragged a hand down his tired face and cursed himself. There was no one else to blame. He’d agreed to this assignment—so damned cocky and self-assured. Sure, he could take down Hector Clemmons. Sure, he could create such a deep-cover web of lies that not even the slickest of Hector’s investigators could penetrate it. He was single, had no commitments. When it was all over and done with, he’d explain everything to his family, and they’d understand. Fuck!
That was before Honor. Before he’d met the woman he knew without a doubt he’d love for the rest of his life. And his family? Hell, he’d taken them for granted, too. Had assumed he’d be able to lie well enough to head off their questions. Had consoled himself with the idea that he was doing something good and honorable, and that when the time came for them to know the truth, they would forgive him easily and all the hurt would go away.
He was no longer a murder suspect. Not that he ever had been, but it had given Clemmons pause and that’s what they’d needed. The man trusted few, and Seth had been well on his way to slipping inside his inner circle. And then Hector had gotten antsy, backed off. Seth’s relationship with Honor had come under discussion; questions had been asked. Seth had known something was going to have to be done.
Monty Jenkins’s death had fallen into their laps—an opportunity too convenient to pass up. The suspicion of murder had been Bill’s idea. Jenkins was a former employee of Clemmons’s who’d been fired for stealing. He’d been found dead of a heroin overdose.
Instead of reporting the real cause of death, they’d decided to make it seem that Seth had done the deed. Everything had been a lie, from the neighbor who called in saying that there had been a gunshot and that he’d seen Seth leaving Jenkins’s apartment just a few minutes later, to the first on-the-scene detective, who’d reported that Monty had a bullet hole in his head. Then, when Seth was cleared of all suspicion, it would reassure Hector, because now not only was Seth in his camp, having murdered someone for him, but he could slide out of trouble as well as anyone—with a little help from Clemmons, that is.
Being cleared of a murder charge that he had every appearance of having committed wasn’t going to be enough, though. It might have eased Hector’s suspicions, but the man was still asking too many questions about Honor. And Honor’s mention of digging into Clemmons’s background had put Seth even more on edge. Having her involved with any of this wasn’t something he wanted. Stupid to think he could keep his personal life and professional life separate, especially when his personal life would be nonexistent until Clemmons went down.
Gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles went white, Seth shuddered out a breath. She would hate him. But he preferred hatred over her losing her career or her life.
He got out of the car, and on the way to th
e door, he set his jaw to the hard line of insolence he’d learned over the last few months. With his hand on the doorknob, he paused for a moment and, as crazy as it seemed, whispered a prayer for strength. Breaking Honor’s heart was going to require everything he had. He needed all the help he could get.
Honor looked up when the door opened. She’d been staring into her coffee for over an hour, arguing with herself over whether she should call Seth and find out what was going on. Thankful that she didn’t have to continue, she stood and waited for him to say something.
He walked into the middle of the living room and looked down at her full cup. “Any coffee left?”
“Yes.”
He passed her and went to the kitchen. Huffing an exasperated sigh, she followed him and watched as he poured himself a cup.
“I understand you’re no longer a murder suspect.”
He took an appreciative swallow and said, “News travels fast.”
“Did they get the murderer?”
Broad shoulders lifting in a careless shrug, he took his cup back into the living room, saying, “Hell if I know. Just glad to have them off my ass.”
Confused by his strange mood, Honor followed him again. He seemed almost cold, unapproachable. Feeling uncertain with Seth wasn’t a comfortable place for her. Especially after last night. Determined to move forward, she said, “So what do you want to do today? I thought we might—”
“I’ve already got plans.”
“What kind of plans?”
He lifted a cool gaze to her. “Plans that don’t include you.”
Honor jerked in response. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means exactly what I said. I’ve got things I want to do. You’re not invited.”
“What the hell’s going on?”
Sweet Justice Page 3
