"You don't trust any man around me," Maria said.
"I have to agree with him," Conner said.
She gave Conner a look that told him that he would be better off staying out of the argument. “What are you doing here? I had no idea you were a member.”
“Neither did I,” Jillian said.
Maria peeked over his shoulder and smiled.
“Hi,” Maria said and slipped past him before he could stop her. “I’m Maria Callahan. I knew Conner at the FBI.”
Jillian smiled. “Nice to meet you. You know Eli?”
Maria chuckled. “At one time I thought he might be a serial killer.”
Jillian glanced at the cowboy. “I’m assuming he was cleared?”
Maria nodded. “I have a feeling he might be guilty of something, but it wasn’t of being a serial killer.”
And knowing Maria, there was more to it than she was saying. Conner filed that information away to ask her about later.
“You say you worked with Conner? You look really young to be a contemporary of his.”
Micah snorted, and Conner shot him a look.
“Her father trained me, and I helped train Maria.”
Jillian’s eyes were twinkling, her dimples starting to appear. His heart raced, and he had the sudden urge to kiss that smirk off her face.
“Oh, that explains it, because you are a bit older,” she said.
“Hey.”
She smiled at him and turned back to Maria. “Are you here with the FBI?”
Maria shook her head. “No. I left the FBI a few months back. I’m trying my hand at writing. I’m working on my first book.”
Without missing a beat, Jillian slipped her hand into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out a business card, handing it over to Maria. “Give me a call.”
Maria’s eyes widened when she saw the name. “Oh, thank you.”
“So, what are your plans while you’re here, Con?” Dee asked.
Everyone turned to him as if waiting to hear exactly what he said. He had never been under this much scrutiny in his life, and it was weird. “Just to relax.”
There was a moment of silence then everyone who knew him started laughing.
“What are you laughing at?” Rome asked.
Maria shook her head. “You have to understand. Conner doesn’t know how to relax. My father used to call him the Energizer Bunny.”
“Well, thanks for that. What I want to hear is that my mentor compared me to a fluffy bunny,” Conner said, only half joking.
“She’s right, you know. There was some speculation in the dorm about that stamina,” Jillian said.
He could feel heat singe his cheeks. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
She shrugged and blinked a few times in mock innocence. She opened her mouth to respond, but instead of keeping the conversation going, he grabbed her hand and tugged her to the dance floor.
She was laughing when he pulled her into his arms.
“Why, Agent Dillon, you’re so forceful,” she said, injecting more of her southern accent.
“You better behave yourself or you’ll find out just how forceful I can get.”
“I haven’t said I have a problem with that.”
Just hearing her say that had his body reacting. From the moment he had seen her in the club, he had wanted to touch her. Now he was getting to, but they were wearing too many clothes. And there were in public. She shifted against him, and he groaned.
She looked up at him with wide eyes. “What?”
“I’m riding a very fine line of control, Jillian.” He bit out every word, trying to keep his irritation under control. He wasn’t used to this problem. There had been women he had wanted before, but not with this force. That alone was unsettling and irritating. But the feelings of jealousy that had him melting down earlier were not common or welcomed.
She rose to her tiptoes and said, her breath feathering against his ear, “I promise I’m not trying to push it, but I have to admit, seeing you lose control might be fun.”
She slipped back down off her toes, and he looked at her. She was, as always, honest with her feelings. In all the years he had known her, she had never tried to pretend or put on airs.
“I’ll give you a warning. Behave yourself or you won’t see anything of the club after now. Unless you’re into public submission.”
She shivered against him, and he groaned again.
“Please stop that.”
“Sorry. When you say things like that, I can’t help but be turned on.”
He sighed. “This is going to be one long freaking night.”
* * * *
Jillian’s body was still humming when she slipped out of her car a couple of hours later. Conner pulled his rental beside her and unfolded his length.
“Do you always drive so fast?” he asked.
She smiled at him, liking this version of Conner better than the FBI agent she knew, or the man who had shown up just a few days earlier. There was still that air of danger around him. There was no way he could diminish it. This was a danger of another sort, and it had anticipation dancing over her nerve endings.
“I like it fast.”
There was very little light, but she could see the change in his expression. “Really,” he said, his voice smoothing over the word and sending small sparks of excitement racing through her blood.
She had been right. He had been flirting with her. That thought made most of her brain melt on the spot. When she finally gathered her brain cells to answer, he had moved closer, resting his hand on her car behind her. She could smell him, that musky scent of his aftershave and…Conner. It took all her control not to lean in and sniff him.
“Yeah. But then, I know just how fast to go.”
His expression hardened and even in the dim light, she could see the flush on his cheeks. Knowing she was getting to him had her libido revving.
“Do you know what you’re messing with?”
She stepped closer. “I think that’s who, not what.”
His mouth curved. He slipped his hand around her waist, pulled her close, and kissed her.
At first gentle, then he deepened it, plunging his tongue between her lips. Everything in her yearned, wanted, needed. This man had been hitting all the points for days, and now she wanted him.
He moved and pressed his body against her. She would have to be dead not to feel his erection.
By the time he pulled back, her head was spinning and her heart was beating so hard, she thought she might pass out. Lord, the man was deadly with his mouth.
“Answer me one question?”
She couldn’t seem to open her eyes.
“Jillian, open your eyes.” When she didn’t respond, he snapped out, “Now.”
She did as he ordered before she even thought about it.
“Were you at Rough ‘n Ready for fun or was it really research for a book?”
She smiled, knowing it would irritate him. She wanted to push him just to see his reaction and what it would do to her. “A little of both.”
He didn’t like that answer. She could tell by the way his eyes narrowed as he studied her. “I don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself into.”
“Why don’t you tell me about it, Conner.”
She heard the challenge in her voice, knew that she was definitely hitting some hot buttons for him.
He crowded her against her car. The heat of him surrounded her, and she wanted another kiss. Another taste of the paradise she knew he would be able to offer her. Conner leaned down.
When his mouth was within a centimeter of hers, he said, “When you want to do more than play games, you let me know, Jillian.”
Then, without kissing her, he pulled back and motioned toward her front door. For a moment, she couldn’t gather her thoughts enough to walk. Her entire body was a throbbing hormone, and he had just stepped back and away from her as if it was no big deal.
She looked at him, saw the
grim expression on his face, and realized that it wasn’t easier for him than for her. She walked to her door. Conner took the keys from her and unlocked it.
She stepped inside and turned to face him. “You could come in tonight.”
“I could, but you aren’t sure. I want you to be sure. You know what I’m asking, right?”
She knew enough about BDSM to know he was asking if she was ready to submit. Something in her melted at the idea. She knew that Conner would definitely be a strong Dom. He might have had the air knocked out of him, but he was coming back to life. And with that, a man who needed someone to submit to him.
“Yes.”
“Shut the door and lock it.”
She did it without thinking.
“Good night, Jillian,” he said through the door. Then, she heard his feet going up the stairs to his apartment. With a sigh, she dropped her purse and decided to get comfy and write. The man had definitely left her in a quivering mass of need, and it wasn’t very nice of him. She undressed, and then tugged on a pair of knit shorts and a tank top.
Maybe she should take a cold shower. That might help her. Then, she collapsed on the bed. An ache for him welled up inside of her. Damn Conner for being such a good guy. A bad guy would probably have taken her up on the offer. But, of course, that was why she probably wanted to try this with him. She trusted him.
Knowing that didn’t help her now. She needed relief. With a groan, she rolled over and opened the drawer to her nightstand. She was dipping her hand into it when she heard her cell phone ring. When she saw Conner’s number, she wanted to groan again.
“Yes?”
“Don’t even think about masturbating.”
She froze. “You can see me?”
“No, but if you want to submit, you will not get yourself off tonight. You don’t come unless I give you the approval.”
She didn’t want to admit it, but that turned her on even more. Damn, her nipples were so fucking hard they hurt.
“Jillian?”
She glanced at her drawer, at the big purple vibrator, and knew it would allow her to gain some relief and actually get some sleep.
“Don’t.”
That one word kept her from reaching for the item. With a sigh, she fell back on the bed.
“Now I’m not going to get any sleep.”
“Learning the pleasure of restraint and enjoying the anticipation will make the end more satisfying.” He waited for a moment then said, “Good night.”
He hung up without waiting for an answer. Her body was throbbing, wanting relief, but if he wanted to play this game, she would go along with him. She knew in the end he would make it worth the wait.
With that, she stood and pulled off her clothes. She needed a cold shower if she had any hopes of sleeping that night.
Chapter Six
Jillian cursed when the family cell played Beethoven’s Fifth for the third time that morning. Fate was definitely a bitch with a wicked sense of humor for giving her relations who were such a pain in the ass.
With her eyes closed, she reached for the phone and answered the call.
"Morning."
There was silence at first, then an aggravated sigh. "Really, Jillian, it's the middle of the afternoon. Are you still in bed?" her Aunt Blanche asked, her tone dripping with the disapproval it always did.
“How do you know I’m in bed?”
“You sound half asleep and you haven’t answered my other calls.”
“Maybe I was just ignoring them.”
“Don’t even try to lie to me. You were always lazing around in bed when you were younger. I don’t know why it would be different now.”
Most of the time, Jillian could be nice, but this time, she was tired. She'd had little sleep after that hot kiss, knowing only a floor separated her from Conner. Not to mention she was beyond sexually frustrated.
"First of all, I don't need your approval for when I get out of bed. It’s one of the reasons I don’t live in Atlanta. I picked here to live because no one here gives a shit when you get out of bed."
"Language," her aunt admonished. The damned woman thought she had a right to tell Jillian what to do even thousands of miles away.
"You woke me up. You get what you get."
"If you would tell me where you lived, this would not be a problem."
No fucking way. If they knew where she lived, they would be popping up here looking for handouts. It was one reason she’d moved away from the mainland.
“Jillian?”
Jillian sighed. "What do you want?"
Blanche didn’t say anything for a moment. Jillian knew what was coming. The family only called her for two things: death and money.
“Money. I’ve run low this month and need a little bit more.”
It was only the fifteenth and she was broke. How did people go through ten thousand dollars in fifteen days? She lived in the family mansion, had her food provided, and not to mention, they didn’t pay for utilities or their cars. Her grandmother was probably rolling over in her grave. But then she had made them all dependent on her while she had been alive, so it was really her fault.
"We talked about this. You have a set limit, as does Brent. Charles already said no."
"Of course. Not all of us have all that extra money you have, and we have to survive. Lord knows you probably have a mansion wherever you live."
Jillian opened one eye and looked at her simple house, then shut it. Her house probably would fit into one of their bedroom suites.
"Sure, living in the lap of luxury. If it truly is for you, contact Charles and get an advance."
"I don't want that. This is an important living expense I need."
Which meant that her cousin Brent was still begging his mama for money. On top of that, he’d asked twice in less than a week, and he had been a coward and had his mother call her. He blew through the ten grand he was given each month like it was nothing. He had no living expenses since he lived with the rest of the family in a massive mansion outside of Atlanta. His ten thousand a month was for fun. And he couldn’t seem to keep hold of it.
"Tell Brent to talk to Charles."
Her aunt paused. "He's in trouble. He had an accident, and now he needs a new yacht."
Jillian held the phone out and looked at it and then pulled it back to her ear. "So, this isn't anything other than Brent screwing something else up, and he ran to his mommy to fix it? Charles refused, I take it."
"Yes, he said that Brent could wait a few days to get money."
Jillian sighed. She needed the entire story, but she wasn't going to get it from her aunt.
"I'll call Charles and talk to him."
"Thank you. It is the least you can do."
Other than run the business and act as a nursemaid for a family of lazy idiots who always expected her to fix things, she did nothing in their eyes. She had a feeling that if she lived on the mainland, she would have to take sedatives to deal with them. Especially if they found out where she lived again.
"I have to go."
"Make sure you think about coming home for the annual deb ball. You know they would love to have you there."
Yeah, they loved their token. "Busy. I'll have Charles call you."
She hung up and rubbed her temples. She was getting a headache and it wasn’t even noon.
The worries of her family dissolved when she heard a footstep on her ceiling. So, Conner was up. Damn man kept her up most of the night. He had known when he told her not to touch herself that she wouldn’t. He had known she would dream about it, too. How could she not? He was on her mind, driving her insane, and without a problem her subconscious had brought to life a totally delicious dream.
Her aunt had ruined it, though. Hearing that bitchy voice first thing in the morning was enough to make Jillian not want to think about men. As soon as she thought it, the image of Conner flashed through her mind. Okay, she could, and she could also melt at the idea. Just one little taste of him hadn’t been eno
ugh. That much she knew. And the wonderful dream where he had her strapped to the bed had been ruined all because of her damned aunt.
With a sigh, she opened her eyes and hit Charles’s number, knowing it was going to be all bad news. Better to get it over with because she knew from prior experience with her family that they were like a venereal disease. Ignoring them just made the problem worse.
* * * *
"So, you liked Rough ‘n Ready?" his sister asked. Conner sighed and regretted he had told her he had gone to see Dee.
"Yes, it was nice."
"I do like that club, and we are really lucky you are such good friends with the owner."
It wasn't that he was a good friend of Micah's, but he didn't point that out. His sister would just argue with him about that. Hell, he was pretty sure Micah would probably argue with him. He’d noticed that Micah seemed to adopt people into what he considered his family. Conner had a feeling that he and Maura were already considered family.
"So, whatcha doing today?" she asked.
He settled down in a chair and realized she wasn’t going to let this go. With Maura, it was best to let her gnaw on whatever bone was bothering her at the time. "Not sure. Taking it easy."
There was a beat of silence. "Now you're scaring me."
He laughed. "No, it’s just that I haven't talked to Jillian, who apparently thinks she is my personal tour guide. I also want to head on over to Bellows today."
Micah had told him it was a good place to boogie board, and it was a cool, windy day.
"Oh, well, if I know her, she's still in bed."
If he had been downstairs, she would definitely be in bed—beneath him.
Damn, he had to stop thinking about that. Just that little kiss had him wanting more, wanting her every way he could think of. Right now, he could imagine her on her hands and knees, that luscious ass of hers up in the air as he smacked it until it was red.
Shit. He was doing it again. And he was on the phone with his sister. Conner knew it was inappropriate, but even his silent admonitions didn’t seem to quell his desire. He wanted her. Hell, even that was an understatement. He needed her in a way that was starting to worry him. He hadn’t even touched her past that simple kiss, and he couldn’t get her out of his mind.
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