by Rachel Lacey
Shit. I’m sorry. I’ll babysit for you later this week. You pick the night.
“What are you doing?” Pete slid his arms around her.
“I’m trying to bribe Merry into taking care of my dogs tonight.”
“Hurry.”
She heard the urgency in his voice, and it fueled the aching need inside her.
You’ll babysit, and you’ll give me a full rundown on whatever you’re up to tonight, Merry texted back.
Deal. You rock. Gotta go.
Olivia slid her phone into the pocket of her jacket, grabbed the blanket, and hustled after Pete toward the road.
“Follow me,” he said. He kissed her, then slid behind the wheel of his SUV.
She didn’t have to be told twice. She jumped into her Prius and cranked the engine.
The ride into town had never taken so long. Pete annoyingly hugged the speed limit, somehow steady and calm when she was ready to jump out of her skin with the need to feel him inside her.
He turned down Townsend Drive and pulled into the driveway of a gray townhouse near the end of the street. She pulled in behind him, painfully aware of how obvious her red Prius was in his driveway. As much as she wanted him, she did not want to keep him from being promoted to detective.
And despite what he’d said, her reputation had the power to do just that. She backed out of the driveway. He stepped out of his car, watching, hands on his hips.
She drove down the street and around the corner, parked, and walked back to him.
“What the hell was that?” he asked.
She shrugged, then led the way to his front door.
“Seriously, Olivia.” He grabbed her elbow, turning her to face him.
“Half the people in town know that’s my car. I don’t want to get you in trouble.”
“And I told you that you won’t.” His expression hardened.
She shrugged. “Then call it me not wanting to advertise this night to the world, okay? Maybe I’d like some privacy for once.”
He shook his head. “You’re thinking way too hard about this.”
He opened the front door, greeted immediately by loud booming barks from the back of the house. She followed him in and stood for a moment in his foyer.
Then Pete had her pressed against the wall, kissing her senseless. “Give me five minutes,” he whispered against her neck.
“If you insist.” But she knew he had to tend to Timber. It would have been the same at her house.
He pulled free and disappeared down the hall toward what she presumed was the kitchen. She poked around in his living room, finding photos on the mantel of what looked to be his mom and sister. No evidence of a father. She filed that away as another piece of Pete’s puzzle.
While she waited for him, she ducked into the hall bathroom to freshen up. When she came out, he was just coming in the back door with Timber at his side. The dog literally leaped for joy when he saw her. She went into the kitchen to greet him, and Timber twirled and howled his pleasure.
“No offense, buddy, but you’re cramping my style right now.” Pete gave his dog a long look, which Timber completely ignored. Pete fetched a hollow bone from a box in the corner, stuffed it with peanut butter, and tossed it onto Timber’s bed. “Have fun,” he said.
He pulled a baby gate across the doorway to the kitchen and tugged her toward the stairs.
“Finally.” She went up on her toes to kiss him.
Pete scooped her into his arms and carried her up the stairs. She clasped her hands behind his neck, nibbling beneath his jaw as he walked. He tossed her into his bed, on a gray quilt that smelled intoxicatingly like him. Then he kicked off his shoes and lowered himself on top of her, bracing on his forearms so that he didn’t squish her.
She slid her hands beneath his T-shirt, skimming them over his hot, firm skin. Muscles bunched beneath her touch. Sometime later, she wanted to enjoy the fine sight of him without clothes, but right now, she couldn’t wait another moment, and based on the hard evidence in the front of his jeans, neither could he.
“Please.” She shimmied out of her panties and reached for the zipper of his jeans. “Hurry.” She was burning for him, aching to finish what they’d started by the lake.
“We should slow down,” he whispered against her neck, even as his hands explored her bare skin, stroking and teasing.
She whimpered. “We have the rest of the night to take it slow.”
Something in her tone must have broken his control because he gripped her ass, thrusting his pelvis against hers, making stars dance behind her eyes. She unzipped his jeans and freed him. He was hard, so hard, and he thrust into her hands with a groan of pleasure.
Her body clenched with anticipation. “Now.”
“Christ, Olivia.” He sounded half-strangled. He pushed his jeans and boxers down, crushing his mouth against hers, his cock straining against her belly. “You have no idea how much I want you.”
“That makes two of us.” She wiggled beneath him, desperate for release. “Hurry up and get a condom.”
He froze, then collapsed onto the bed beside her, cursing a blue streak.
“No condoms?” She rolled to her side, letting him suffer from his own lack of planning for several long seconds.
“Fuck.” He pulled his boxers back up, grimacing as if the action caused him severe pain.
“I have one in my purse. It’s downstairs.”
He gave her a look that could only be described as panty-melting (if she’d been wearing any in the first place), then kicked off his jeans and, wearing only his boxers and T-shirt, practically ran out of the room.
This was taking way too long.
When he returned, he held her purse in his right hand. He handed it to her, then shucked his boxers and dropped onto the bed beside her. She fumbled through her purse until she found the condom, then ripped open the packet and rolled it over his hard length, letting her fingers tease him as she went.
“You are something else.” He stared deep into her eyes, and then with one long stroke, he slid inside. There was no more talking then. They were frantic, clinging to each other as he thrust inside her, hard and fast. Sensation swamped her, pleasure filled her to bursting, and she was coming…
Pete gripped her hips and pushed even deeper, taking her even higher. She writhed beneath him, completely undone. He thrust into her again and again until, with a groan, he went still as he found his own release.
They lay tangled together, gasping for breath. Aftershocks of pleasure hummed through her. Pete rested his forehead on hers, eyes closed. The tension had gone out of him, the dark cloud lifted, at least for now.
Her heart pinched as she remembered what he’d witnessed tonight. Death was hard enough to stomach, but the death of a kid… She cupped his face and kissed him.
His eyes opened, burning into hers. “You are so fucking amazing.”
“I could say the same.” She smiled playfully, even as she felt the pull of something deeper between them, an undercurrent of emotion neither of them wanted to acknowledge.
He kissed her again, then rolled out of bed to get rid of the condom. When he returned, she put a hand out to stop him before he slid back into bed.
“Wait.” She went up on her knees and tugged his T-shirt over his head. That’s better. She ran her hands over his chest, shamelessly enjoying the sight of him naked. He was all tanned skin and taut muscle, and she wanted to touch every inch.
“My turn,” he said.
Olivia was still basically dressed, her skirt bunched around her waist. Pete peeled it down her legs, stroking fire with his fingers as he went. He lifted her shirt over her head, leaving her in nothing but a pink lace bra. He traced the edge of the lace, then popped the clasp and kissed his way down her neck and over her breasts.
“You are so beautiful.” His voice was low and rough, thick with lust but also heavy with emotion, as if he found her equally attractive inside and out.
And that touched a vulnerable s
pot in her heart, the place where she harbored insecurities about her career and her future. In his arms, she felt worthy of whatever dream she chose to chase, no matter how whimsical or foolish.
They lay together in his bed, kissing and touching, taking time where before they had been rushed. Desire built inside her, a slow burn that grew hotter with each kiss, each movement of their bodies together.
“We have a problem,” she said between kisses.
“I know. That was our only condom.” His cock pressed against her inner thigh, hard and ready.
“For a guy, you aren’t very well prepared.” She gave him a teasing smile.
“I got off work later than I’d expected.” He paused, and his expression changed. “I don’t do this that often.”
She absorbed the vulnerability he’d just shared, tucked it away in her heart. He didn’t have casual sex, yet he didn’t want a committed relationship. Baggage from his divorce? She touched his cheek. “Since your wife?”
He nodded. “I’ve dated since the divorce, just not lately.”
“How long?” She had no right to ask, but he’d brought it up after all.
“A year. Maybe a little longer.”
Wow. “That’s a long time.”
He chuckled. “Tell me about it.”
Oh, Pete. His scars ran deeper than she’d realized. She’d lost a little piece of her heart to him tonight, and she could only hope he’d give her the chance to help his heal.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Pete felt like he’d been knocked flat on his back. It had been so long since he’d felt anything but pure physical release during sex, followed by an all-encompassing sense of emptiness. With Olivia, he felt protective. He felt vulnerable. He felt alive.
She’d taken him in her arms and rocked him to his very core. He wanted her. Needed her. And he had no fucking idea where they went from here.
As if she’d read his thoughts, she smiled softly. “You know, there’s a twenty-four-hour Walgreens over on Hanover Street.”
He laughed in spite of himself. “In a minute.”
Because he wasn’t quite finished with her yet. He wanted to taste her, wanted to watch her come, not hard and fast like the first time, but slow and fierce. He slid his hand between her legs, feeling how hot and wet she was.
She moaned, arching against him. He stroked her slow and steady, watching the blissful look on her face and loving every moment. Then he dipped his head and settled between her legs. He gave her pleasure with his tongue until she writhed against the sheets, each breath a needy gasp.
He brought her closer and closer to the edge, drawing out her pleasure for as long as he could. She begged. She panted. And finally, she came apart with a scream.
“Holy shit.” Her voice was hoarse, her body limp and trembling.
He smiled with satisfaction as he kissed his way back up her belly to her mouth.
Their little problem was now his big problem. He pulled back with a grim smile. “I think it’s time for me to take that trip to the drug store.”
And it was going to be one hell of an uncomfortable trip.
Olivia looked up at him, her eyes still glazed with satisfaction. “Not so fast. I can’t send you out in this condition.”
“No?” If it was possible, he got even harder just imagining what she might have in mind.
“No.” She pushed him down flat on his back.
He was breathing heavy, and she hadn’t even touched him.
“You are—” She kissed his neck. “The sexiest—” Her lips brushed over his collarbone. “Man I have ever known.”
He fisted his hands in the sheets, desperate for her touch. She took her sweet time trailing feather-light kisses down his chest and over his stomach. Her fingers brushed against his shaft, and he squeezed his eyes closed, unable to breathe.
“You’re so hard.” Her breath teased him, and his cock throbbed painfully. “So big.”
Her fingers gripped him, stroking up and down his shaft in one long, slow movement, and he thrust against her, unable to hold back, completely lost to her touch.
“So hard,” she whispered again, and then she took him in her mouth.
He swore roughly, his hips arching off the bed. Her tongue circled his head in a swirling motion while her fingers continued to stroke up and down in a painfully slow pace that had him ready to beg. But then it would be over, and he wasn’t sure he’d ever felt anything as exquisite as the swirl of her tongue, the pressure of her lips as she urged him on.
He fought to hold himself back, to let her take the lead, but his need was too great. His whole body tightened, swamped with sensation, pulsing with it. More. He needed more. He swore again, fighting to keep his hips still, not to thrust too hard against her.
She must have sensed she’d pushed him to his breaking point because she picked up the pace then. Her hand tightened around him, stroking hard and fast as she applied a gentle suction with her mouth.
And like that, he broke. He came so hard he lost his senses. A guttural groan tore from his chest as she sucked him dry. Wave after wave of red-hot release pulsed through him, leaving him limp, spent. Sated.
“Holy fuck.” He pulled her up against his chest.
She smiled sweetly. “Better than driving to Walgreens with a hard-on?”
“Fuck.” Apparently he’d lost the ability to do anything but swear. “That was—” Well, it was one of the most intense moments he’d ever experienced.
She kissed his nose. “I’m glad.”
He held her close as he caught his breath, wondering how he was ever going to let her go.
* * *
Olivia woke before dawn, exhausted but exhilarated. After a trip to Walgreens, they’d made use of their new box of condoms (and the chips and candy bars he’d bought to go with them). They’d finally fallen asleep sometime after midnight, but Pete had woken her in the dark hours of the night to make love to her again.
He was like no man she’d ever been with, and already she wanted more. She wanted this to be more than a casual fling, but he’d laid the ground rules, and she’d agreed to them, so she would be happy with this…for now.
The sky outside was beginning to lighten, and an idea took hold. She rolled on top of him to kiss him awake.
“Mornin’.” He snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her closer.
“Good morning. I have plans for us,” she said.
“So do I.” He shifted her hips so that his cock pressed between her legs. Hard. Ready. And so was she. A burning need took hold inside her at the feel of him.
“Okay, your plans first.” She reached for the bedside table and grabbed a condom.
“Slow down, babe. There’s no rush.”
“Yes,” she said. “There is. We need to be at MacArthur Park by sunrise.”
“What?” His brows drew together.
“My plans.” She sheathed him in the condom, and there was no more talking as they succumbed to the desperate desire that only seemed to grow more intense each time they made love. When they’d finished, they stepped into the shower together.
By the time they got dressed, she was rushing him along. Timber, hyper and miffed at having been left downstairs, made his displeasure known with his howls and a frantic dance across the linoleum.
“Bring him,” she said.
Pete leashed his dog, and they walked outside. The air was cold and invigorating, crisp with the arrival of fall. They rode in his SUV, arriving at MacArthur Park just as the sun peeked over the horizon.
She led him to her favorite spot by the old pecan tree. The sunrise gleamed golden over the field before them. She spread her blanket, and they sat together on it as Timber frolicked in the field.
“You know, I don’t need to meditate anymore. I think I’ve discovered a better method of stress relief.” Pete gave her a teasing smile.
She punched his shoulder. “Sex isn’t everything. Meditation is good for your soul. I could teach you ways to incorporate it int
o your day, just a few minutes here and there when you need to find your center.”
“My center, huh?” He looked out over the field, and they sat quietly for several minutes. “It’s nice here.”
“I come here almost every day.”
“I can see why.” His hand closed over hers. They sat together, watching the sun rise. “I’m on duty at eight,” he said finally.
“And I need to get home to my dogs. I just wanted to start our day here together.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. This is what I picture when I close my eyes.” She gestured to the field before them, glistening with color as the sun rose above the treetops. “If I’m having a tough day at work or whatever, I just close my eyes, wherever I am, and picture this. Try it sometime. The more you practice, the better it works.”
He gave her a long, dark look, as if here, in the light of day, he wished she didn’t know as much as she did about him. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Okay.” She stood and led the way back to the car.
Pete loaded Timber into the backseat. Olivia climbed into the passenger seat as Pete cranked the engine. Timber stuck his head around her headrest, first on one side, then the other, making a series of comical faces at her.
“I’m not really a dog person, but I like you,” she told him. Timber woofed his approval, then craned his head to lick her cheek. “Don’t push your luck.”
He let out a high-pitched whine before settling down on the backseat.
“I’m off at three, then coaching soccer until five thirty. Dinner?” Pete asked.
She shook her head. “I’m working until nine.”
“When will I see you?” He sounded awfully possessive for a man who’d claimed to want nothing but a physical relationship.
“I took yesterday off for court, so I’m working the rest of the week. Tom put me on noon to nine today and tomorrow. Why don’t we play it by ear?”
He pulled into his driveway. “Let me see your phone.”
She handed it to him with a questioning look. He typed in some numbers and handed it back. “My personal number.”
She looked down to see that he’d added himself to her address book, and a warm feeling spread through her chest. She gave him a quick kiss, grabbed her purse, and pulled open her door. “I’ll call you.”
