“Shouldn’t you be asleep?” she whispered, giving him a halfhearted smile.
He propped his head on one elbow, the other arm still draped over her with his hand settled firmly on her back. “Uh-uh. Did you think I’d fall down on the job twice in one night?”
“What do you mean?”
“The nightmares. I dropped the ball. I also hurt you earlier this evening, and even though I didn’t mean what you thought I did, I’m sorry.”
Alex placed her fingers over his lips. “No, don’t. I know what I am.”
Nate’s hand whipped around to grab her wrist. “I don’t think you do. You’re a beautiful, sexy young woman, a whole lot stronger and braver than most men I know, with a heart as big as that entire lake out there. Without a doubt, you had a bad start in life and that sucks, but you’ve already pulled yourself out of the mud, and you’ll make it the rest of the way too.”
“Are you always so confident?” Alex tugged his arm around her again and snuggled into his chest.
“Hell, no.” Nate laughed softly and then sobered. “Will you do something for me?”
The serious tone of his voice drew her and she met his gaze.
“Someday, when you trust me enough, will you tell me what happened to you in that place?” His voice encouraged and promised understanding. He slid his hand up her back, and his thumb hooked the hem of her T-shirt, spreading heat across her bare skin.
A shiver rocked her, and she tensed as the old images started to crash around her, but this time Alex fought back. Focusing on Nate’s ice blue eyes and the feel of his body against hers, she forced herself to stay with him, pushing down the screams, the pain, and the degradation that lurked deep in her mind.
A wave of triumph buoyed her spirits. “Maybe I could do that.” It probably seemed a shallow promise, but to her it was huge. “Can I ask you something?”
“Honey, ask me anything.” He rolled onto his back, pulling her with him until her head rested on his chest again.
“Tell me about Val?”
He tensed, and she was swept with guilt for springing the trap. After all, he couldn’t refuse—not if he wanted her to confide in him.
He stared at her with raised brows for the space of a heartbeat before a wicked grin slowly materialized. “You think you’re pretty smart right now, but you’ll pay for this.”
Alex smiled softly and nestled comfortably into the crook of his arm. He hugged her tighter, and she quieted as he drew a long breath. “You sure you want to hear this?”
“Quit stalling.”
“Val was the prettiest girl in my eighth grade class, and the first time I laid eyes on her, I fell hard. On the other hand, she hated me—or it could have been all the pranks I pulled to attract her attention.”
Alex laughed, imagining the young bad boy he’d been.
“It was the middle of my sophomore year before she finally agreed to go out with me.”
“Was she worth the wait?” Alex tipped her head so she could see him better.
“Oh yeah.” He threw her a wink. “We were joined at the hip from then on—until she left for college at Southern Cal. It was holidays, the occasional weekend, and summer break for the next four years. When she graduated, I started at the Salem Policy Academy.
“She wasn’t happy with my career choice, but she stuck it out for a while. We got engaged and moved into Uncle Leo’s house after he passed away. One night I came home and she was gone. I guess being stuck so far from town was the last straw.”
The regret in his voice tore at Alex’s heart. “She never came back?”
“We broke up, got back together, and broke up again. In the end, we made better friends than lovers. She got married recently. I went to the wedding. To see us together, you’d never know she ripped my heart out.”
Alex rested her chin on her arm and peered into his face. “What about you? Did you move on too? Find someone else?”
He grimaced. “Statistically, it’s likely any relationship of the long-term romantic variety will end up a casualty of a cop’s job anyway. Besides, no one could put up with me for that long.”
A wisp of sadness tugged at her and eroded her better judgment. He’d helped her feel safe and worthwhile. She wanted to return the favor. That she was irresistibly attracted to everything about him was alarming, but it was the truth nonetheless. Her body craved his touch and now, while he held her so close, heat relaxed her to the point where she couldn’t move away from him—even if she wanted to.
She didn’t. She longed to press close and feel the beating of his heart beneath her cheek. Taste his lips and let her hands learn the planes and contours of his body. She wanted to please him—give him something of herself—even if it was for only one night. The unease that always came with thoughts of sex flared within her. The bile rose in her throat as images emerged from the past . . . forced to submit to men and their perverted sexual appetites . . . drunk on rotgut whiskey poured down her throat to relax her. She never knew if it was the degradation, the filthy, smelly men, or the whiskey that made her retch up her insides when it was all over.
This was different. That other life had been forced on her, but it was over now. She’d learned in order to survive, and now she had an opportunity to be with someone she liked . . . because she wanted to—not because she was compelled to.
Nate wouldn’t hurt her. He was kind and compassionate. She trusted him. Still, it was a stupid, reckless, even dangerous thing she contemplated, but she’d already made up her mind. She stretched over his firmly muscled chest and placed her hand behind his neck.
Without giving him time to object, she brushed his lips in a light kiss. He responded instantly, pulling her in, gently moving on her mouth, releasing a jolt of pleasure that settled in her core. She lifted her head and searched his face. The answering spark of passion in Nate’s eyes sent excitement spiraling through her.
“Sometimes you have to take a risk, Detective Sanders.” Her lips hovered close to his.
Nate rolled to his side, cinched his arms around her waist, and hugged her against him. He captured her mouth with moist, warm lips, kissing her once, twice, and then settling in for the longest, gentlest, sexiest kiss she’d ever experienced. His lips, moving on hers so intimately, set her heart racing and left her gasping for breath with an insatiable need to be held tighter, kissed harder, and touched in ways she’d sworn she’d never let anyone touch her again.
He gently kissed the corners of her mouth and then nuzzled her neck, licking and nipping from her throat to her ear. She trembled when his warm breath moved the hair near her earlobe. He picked his head up and searched her eyes.
“You okay?” He rested his forehead on hers. “Should I stop?”
She lay quietly until he lifted his head again and looked at her. “Do you want to stop?” Simmering passion stared back at her, but she had to be sure.
“I’d sooner chop off a leg.” He sucked on her bottom lip, then kissed her gently. “You, however, are in the unique position of getting to call the shots. I’d like nothing better than to make love to you, but if it’s not the right thing, or the right time for you, I’ll get over it. Actually, I’ve been told I’m a damn good cuddler.” He held her gaze as he reached for her leg, pulled it up, and hooked her knee around his hip, bringing her Lycra-clad core in contact with his very rigid hard-on. “Don’t let my obvious state of arousal affect your decision.”
Alex tried to squelch the laugh that bubbled up inside, but it burst free. He winked and then covered her mouth, muffling her giggles. Nate was like no one she’d ever met. He had the uncanny ability to make her feel safe, cherished, and desired in the same breath. It was a heady combination since she’d been short on those emotions all her life. Common sense told her this was a bad idea, but her heart said it was already too late. She was falling for Detective Nate Sanders.
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She pushed back from him, assumed a serious expression, and trailed her fingers down his chest and abdomen until her hands curled around the elastic waistband of his sweats.
“You know what I think? I think you have too many clothes on.” She lowered her voice as she tugged at his waistband.
He hooted a short laugh. “I like the way you think, but are you sure about this? We’re blowin’ the hell out of our friendship.”
“Friendship is overrated.” Alex watched his eyes darken as she slid her hand in the front of his sweats and grasped his swollen member.
A shudder rocked him, his breath expelled in a rush, and his eyes fell shut. As soon as she began to stroke him, he captured her hand and twined his fingers with hers.
“I’m intrigued as hell, but if you’re going to continue down that road, we’ll be done here before we get started. Better let me take the edge off first.” He rolled her onto her back.
“That’s what I was trying to do.” Alex bit her lip and joined her hands around his neck.
“An interesting diversion for sure, but I want the real deal the first time.”
He nuzzled her neck, and she started to giggle. “What makes you think there’ll be another time?”
He kissed her nose. “Simple. You won’t be able to get enough of me.”
She huffed. “Oh brother! No wonder you’re still single.”
“I thought you were going to be nicer to me?” Nate rose up on his elbows, parted her legs, and fit himself to her as though they were made for each other.
Alex held her breath as the hard bulge in his pants pressed against her stomach. She was trapped, held down, and at his mercy, but it was Nate and she trusted him. He wouldn’t hurt her. She forced the intrusive thoughts from her mind and concentrated on the amusement in his blue eyes.
She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him closer. “This is me . . . being nicer.”
“Well, okay then.” Nate kissed her possessively, a groan rumbling from his throat. He placed his hand on her stomach and slid it beneath her T-shirt until he reached her breasts.
His touch, as he swiped his thumb over her hard nub, made her jerk and writhe in a frantic attempt to get even closer. Her desperation shamed her, yet she was incapable of stopping.
Nate tugged her legs from around his hips and moved off her. Kneeling between her knees, he carefully pulled her shorts over her hips, raising one leg and then the other until the fabric slid free. Next, he pulled her T-shirt off, over her head, and tossed it onto the floor.
Suddenly, Alex was too exposed. She couldn’t do this—lay spread out before him with nothing on but a very small pair of bikini panties. She folded her arms across her breasts, sat up, and pulled her legs beneath her.
A growl vibrated through his chest, and she glanced up to see him shaking his head. He reached for her hands and pulled her arms out to the side. His gaze swept slowly over her, lust shining in his eyes and a smile clearly announcing his approval.
“You’re beautiful, Alex.” His voice was solemn, almost reverent.
Alex couldn’t help a disbelieving snort. “Stop ogling, Sanders. How come I’m the only one who’s practically naked?”
His gaze traveled slowly to her face and a grin lifted the corners of his lips. “Now, if there was just something we could do about that mouth of yours.” He moved forward on his knees and dropped down beside her. “Ah . . . that’s right. There is.”
As she started to protest, he covered her mouth with his, sliding his tongue deep inside and muffling her retort to a surprised squeak. At the same time, his talented fingers pulled and plucked at her nipples until her breathing hitched and sputtered.
Lost in a dark haze of desire, she answered his ardent kiss, her tongue dueling and parrying with his. She was barely aware of her fingernails scraping down his back. When his hand swept the front of her and under the tiny scrap of her panties, her entire body arched upward in urgent need of his touch.
Unerringly, he found her center, the spot that controlled all the rest of her body because one touch from his strong, sure fingers left her contorted and gasping for air. Not once in all her captive years had she experienced this. She didn’t know it was possible. She’d heard things from the other women, but the men who had visited her weren’t interested in her pleasure.
Nate didn’t stop there. His mouth continued to ensure her silence as his fingers awakened senses long buried. Her insides melted in a fiery inferno of pleasure as he pushed her up, up, and over the precipice until she groaned his name and clung to him.
Too languid to move, Alex opened her eyes when she felt him stir. He stood and peeled off his clothes, searched through his wallet beside the bed, and rolled on the condom he finally found. He was incredibly rugged and sexy. At least six feet, five inches of muscled steel, thighs and biceps that bunched and corded with every movement, and his rock-hard maleness jutted in front of him, thick and engorged. Excitement coursed through her again.
He smiled as he approached her. Gently, he lifted her, drew her panties to her ankles, and tossed them on the floor.
“You’ve been very patient.” Her gaze wandered slowly up his length to his powerful chest. She reached for him, needing to feel the strength that radiated from him with her own hands.
He crawled on the bed and covered her body with his. “That’s about to change.”
With infinite tenderness, he brushed the hair back from her temples and kissed her with unmistakable possessiveness, branding her with the heat of his lips. He moved his hands to her hips and held her in place while he shoved forward into her. One more thrust seated him deep within.
“Ohh, Alex . . . that’s so good.” Between shattered breaths, he kissed her.
His slow, measured rhythm kindled the fire within her again, to her surprise, and she met each stroke. When he picked up the pace, she wrapped her legs around him. Thrusts came hard and fast, filling her physically and, in a strange way, emotionally. She screamed out his name this time when he tipped her over the edge, and his release followed swiftly.
She couldn’t be certain, but surely the fact he didn’t let her go—that he tucked her in front of him and held her tightly after they were both sated with lovemaking—was a good sign. For her part, it was official now. She was undeniably in serious lust with Nate.
Chapter 7
NATE WOKE AT first light, Alex’s beautiful, nude body intertwined with his, her soft breaths against his chest sending tingles clear to his groin with each exhale. He dipped his head and studied Alex’s face. Her peaceful innocence sent a wave of protectiveness washing over him. Thankfully, no more dreams had invaded her sleep last night—but then he’d kept her up until the early hours of the morning.
He quickly suppressed the grin that slid across his face. Damned if he hadn’t broken one of his cardinal rules—don’t get involved with your partner. His arm tightened reflexively around her. The hell with the rules. Nothing in recent history felt as right as Alex in his bed.
The satiny skin of her back was cold to his touch, and he reached to pull one of the sleeping bags around her. It had cooled down during the night. He hadn’t thought to start the heater. Besides, they hadn’t needed it for most of the night. Nate stretched, and the relaxed exhaustion in his muscles put a smile on his face and awakened the urge to do it all over again. His growing arousal got his attention the same instant she stirred and opened her eyes.
“What’s so funny?” She stretched and slid one of her legs over his.
“Do I have a stupid grin on my face?” Considering where his thoughts had carried him, it was more than likely.
“Yes, but this one is different than your usual.” Alex smiled impishly.
Nate growled, threw a hand over his heart like she’d stabbed him, and then kissed her quickly on the forehead. “Glad to see you’re back to normal this morning. I
’d like to point out that all the time you were here in bed with me—not one nightmare. Now do you believe me?”
Alex laughed. “I’m pretty sure one of the prerequisites for nightmares is sleep. There wasn’t a lot of that going on last night.”
“You noticed that, huh? With a little luck, we could keep your bad dreams away for a long, long time.” She jabbed him just below the rib cage and he flinched, catching her hand. Sliding down until his face was even with hers, he teased her nose with his for a moment, then covered her lips and drew her tightly against him.
They fit so perfectly together, it couldn’t be an accident, but he knew better than to hope for anything long-term. He was still a cop and it had already been proven what a detriment that was to a relationship. And if that wasn’t enough, then there was Alex. She had a whole other set of problems, and given her skittishness, the odds were pretty good she’d run if things got too comfortable.
She wasn’t running now though. With eyes locked on his, she lazily swept her hand across his chest, teasing his already hardened nipples, then moved down over his ribs and abdomen until she brazenly coiled her fingers around his erection.
He drew in a faltering breath and held it while she caressed him with slow, easy strokes. When the pleasure grew until he couldn’t hold back any longer, he grabbed for his last condom and pressed it into her hand.
“We’ll have to hit a store today.”
Alex burst out laughing. Finally, she managed to get the plastic package opened and the condom in place. “You’re assuming you’re going to need more of these?” Her brow quirked comically.
Nate smiled, rolled over, and pinned her beneath him. “I said you wouldn’t be able to get enough of me, and so far . . .”
Alex wrapped her arms around his neck and her lips met his, her supple tongue making him forget anything else he was going to say. He pushed inside her and she held him in her tight, hot sheath until he couldn’t remain still any longer. Relishing every movement, every stroke, every thrust deeper than the last, he smiled and kissed her tenderly when she climaxed, but didn’t relent until he followed her over the top.
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