by Lori Foster
Riley curled a hand around her thigh. He needed to come. He needed to be inside her. “So do you.”
They stared at each other for a long moment before Regina bent to press one last innocent kiss to the head of his erection. Riley watched her straddle his thighs, saw her frown as she carefully rolled the condom on.
He checked it with her fascinated gaze never wavering, then pulled her over him. “Now what, babe?”
“Now I want to do it like this, with me on top.”
“Yeah?” He gave her a crooked smile that almost hurt, he was so turned on. “I like that idea. That means I can see and touch all of you.”
Her eyes darkened. “Yes.” She lifted up, guided his cock to her opening, and slowly began sinking onto him. Riley held her thighs. She braced her hands on his chest.
It was incredible…seeing her face, watching her expressive eyes and the telling way her lips parted and her breasts rose with each deepened breath. “A little more,” he urged, and her eyes closed as she wiggled, seating herself fully upon him.
Neither of them moved. Riley gasped for air, Regina’s body clenched and relaxed around him.
“I can feel you throbbing.”
He groaned and couldn’t stop the lifting of his hips. Through his teeth, he growled, “I’m a nanosecond away from coming.”
“Really?” She smiled down at him, then lifted.
“Really.” She dropped and he said, “Regina…”
“I like this. Do you?”
Groaning again, he cupped her breasts, brushed her nipples with his thumbs, then caught them both in his fingers, lightly pinching, tugging. Her back arched, driving him even deeper.
He knew he wouldn’t last so he moved one hand between her legs, gliding his middle finger along her swollen lips, taut around him, then up to her turgid clitoris. “Move, honey. Ride me.”
Her fingers splayed over his chest and she began to rise and fall, faster and faster. He loved the small sounds she made, the way her face contorted with her concentration, her pleasure. Riley kept his fingers just where she needed them, treating her to a constant friction that worked with her own movements. Soon she was in the same shape as him, shaking, on the verge of exploding.
He brought his knees up to support her back and returned her thrusts, lifting her knees from the bed as he drove into her. With a startled cry, she collapsed against him. Her mouth opened on his shoulder, her teeth coming down in a tantalizing love bite.
The small pain pushed him over the edge. Riley lost control. He gripped her ass and pounded into her, groaning harshly with his own unending climax, the crushing waves of pleasure going on and on….
He wasn’t sure how much time passed when he became aware of Butch jumping beside the bed, demanding attention. Regina was a soft sweaty weight over his heart.
“Hey?” He moved fistfuls of her hair aside, kissed her ear. “You okay?”
“Mmmrrmf.”
Riley managed a grin. “What’s that?”
“I’m fine,” she said against his neck, wiggling lazily. “Better than fine. I feel extraordinary.”
He stroked her behind. “Yes, you do.”
Her giggle was one of the sweetest sounds he’d ever heard. She was totally relaxed with him. Soon, she’d love him—as much as he loved her.
“We have three problems. We’re both sweaty and sticking together. The condom’s going to become useless in about two seconds if we don’t separate. And Butch is none too pleased to be ignored.”
Regina pressed her face into his chest. “You smell good sweaty.” Lifting up to see him, she asked, “Do I?”
Damn, but she wrenched at his heart. “Good enough to eat.”
She smiled and blushed, then turned her attention to Butch. “You have to wait, sweetie. Give me a second to regain feeling in my legs, and I’ll get up and play.”
“That dog is worse than an infant.”
“How would you know? Ever had an infant?” It was just an offhand remark, not really serious.
“No.” Riley rolled her to his side, filling his hand with her hair so he could see her face. “I wanted a baby though.”
That bald admission, especially after lovemaking, got her attention. “You did?”
“Yeah.” He kissed her, then sat up in the bed. “Stay put. I’ll be right back.” He headed to the bathroom to dispose of the condom. It also gave him a moment to gather his thoughts and figure out how to say what he wanted her to know, to understand.
When he returned, she was sitting up against the headboard, wearing his shirt and holding Butch. The dog took one look at Riley and tried to keep him out of the bed with his pseudo-attacks.
“You mangy little mutt, I’m the one who brought you the bone, remember?”
At the mention of the enormous chew, Butch’s ears perked up and he went to the edge of the bed, whining to be let down. With a sigh, Regina lowered him to the floor. He ran out the bedroom door in a flash.
Riley found his boxers, pulled them on, and sat on the bed at her side. “You look good in my shirt.”
She laughed, making a halfhearted effort to smooth her wild hair. “You know what I think? I think you just like giving compliments.”
“Only to people who deserve them.” He fingered the collar of the shirt, then undid the button between her breasts. He didn’t know if he’d ever get enough of her—
Something solid and damp landed on his foot. Butch had dragged the colossal chew bone over to him, and was now jumping at the side of the bed again.
“Oh no. I don’t want that thing in my bed.”
A barked argument ensued. When Riley held firm, Butch got hold of the very edge of the bone and tried to stand up against the bed. He couldn’t. He looked ridiculous with his mouth full and he made an odd snorting noise during his struggle. Riley couldn’t help but laugh. “All right, you pathetic little beggar. You win. But keep it down at the foot of the bed.”
He lifted both dog and bone, then laughed again when Butch did his best to hide the gigantic thing under the covers. Riley helped by lifting the blankets for him, then caught Regina’s sweet indulgent expression. “What?”
She reached out and touched his jaw. “When I first met you, I knew you were very capable and strong. That’s as noticeable as your blue eyes, and I told myself that I needed to get closer to you to learn some self-defense.”
“Which you’ve yet to do.”
She ignored that. “Then after a while I decided you were a terrific friend, too. You’re so at ease with the guys and with Rosie. I wanted so badly to be a part of that.”
“And you are.”
“Yes.” She touched his mouth, tracing his lower lip with her fingertips. “After I brought Butch home, I got to see how gentle you are. That was such a turn-on, Riley.” Her smile trembled. “Now, seeing your patience and generosity, it occurs to me that you’d also make a wonderful father.” She laughed. “Although you’d probably spoil your kids rotten.”
Riley turned his head and kissed her palm. She was getting into some pretty deep stuff here. So far, she’d admitted to liking and admiring him. He wanted more. He wanted her love.
“I think we can spend a few minutes talking before we need to get dressed for the ceremony.”
“I’d like to talk about…things.”
“Yeah?” He moved into bed beside her, put his arm around her and tugged her into his side. “I haven’t wanted to really talk to a woman in a long time.”
“You prefer to just rush her into bed?”
He shrugged. “I haven’t been a saint, but I haven’t been sexually attracted to that many women either. Now here you are, and I want to talk to you and be inside you at the same time. It’s damn strange.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Riley hugged her. “You go first then.”
He felt her nod before she said, “I always knew it wasn’t me.”
Riley just held her, waiting.
“I’ve never been ashamed of my build or thought
I was lacking. I’m just me and I try really hard to be the best that I can. But even though I realized Luther is a creep, I was still…worried.”
“Without reason. You’re incredible, a beautiful person inside and out.”
“Thank you.”
Riley smiled at her continued good manners. “Any problems in the sack were his, Red. It was never about you.”
“Yes, I know.” She stroked his abdomen and sighed. “Especially now. After today, after being with you, I won’t worry anymore.” Then she turned into his side, wrapped her arms tight around him as if to protect him, and whispered, “But you didn’t know, did you? The woman who hurt you—you blame yourself.”
Riley tensed. “It’s not the same thing, honey.”
“Will you tell me what happened? Not for an interview and not for nosiness, but because I care about you, Riley. And I know from experience that it helps to talk.”
A good start, Riley thought, then wondered if she’d feel the same when he finished his tale. “I’ve never told anyone before.” He wanted her to know that, to understand the level of his trust. He shuddered at the small kiss she pressed to his chest, right over his heart. “She died, Red.”
A strange stillness settled over her. “Your wife?”
“Yes.” He was glad Regina kept her face tucked against him, rather than looking at him. He wasn’t a coward, but he couldn’t remember those awful days of lies and deceit—his and hers—without feeling raw. “She was having an affair with Phil, one of my friends from the SWAT team.” With disgust he added, “A man I respected.”
The silence felt heavy, almost suffocating Riley before she asked, “How do you know?”
Riley shook his head, once again wishing he could somehow change things. “I caught them in bed together. I came home from work early and found them in my bedroom, in my bed.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I always have control, Regina. Always. But when I saw them, I didn’t bother using it. I can’t claim temporary insanity or a blinding jealous rage. That would be a lie. I was pissed off, completely furious, and I wanted to beat the hell out of Phil, so I did. I coldly, methodically, hurt him. Not permanently, but I did a lot of superficial damage.”
“But listen to what you’re saying. You could have killed him, Riley. You’re more than capable. But you didn’t. Instead you just hurt him, as he deserved.”
Riley shook his head. “No one got what they deserved that awful day.” He had to draw three breaths before he could continue. “My wife flew around me, screaming and crying. Phil… He was good, but he didn’t stand a chance against me.”
Regina fisted a hand on his chest. “He was in bed with your wife, Riley. Most men would react the way you did.”
“Most men aren’t me.”
“Meaning you fight better than they could?”
He laughed. “There was no fight to it.”
“And don’t you see? Another man without your control might have killed him, even if he hadn’t meant to.”
He couldn’t deny that. As a cop, he’d seen more than a few crimes of passion. “You know, it was strange, but a good part of my anger was for Phil’s wife. She was seven months pregnant at the time.”
Regina curled closer, both arms around him, one leg over his. Absently, Riley stroked her shoulder.
“God, Regina, when Phil finally left my house, my wife went with him and…” He hesitated, but she had a right to know. “They both died in a car wreck.”
“They made their own decisions, Riley.”
“They were both upset. Physically, Phil was in no condition to drive. I should have stopped them. I should have at least stopped her from going along. But I didn’t.” His throat hurt, but he said it all. “I wanted her out of my sight. I wanted her gone.”
“But you didn’t want her dead.”
She sounded so sure of that. Many times, Riley had remembered that awful day and wondered. He’d been so detached through it all, as if his heart had been anesthetized. “No, I didn’t want her dead.” Saying it out loud made him finally believe it. He’d reacted, but without the intent of such dire consequences. “Hell, I didn’t even want him dead. But when I got the call, I dunno, most of my concern was for Phil’s wife. I kept seeing her in my mind, how happy she’d been, all the plans she’d been making for them as a family.” He glanced down at Regina. “She was cute as hell pregnant and whenever we got together she’d show us the new baby clothes she’d bought or a bassinet or a toy.”
“Oh God, how did she take the news about Phil and your wife….”
He shook his head. “I never told her, Red. Not about the cheating. I’ve never told anyone.” He glanced down at her. “Except you.”
Regina’s eyes were big and soft, filled with understanding. “How did you explain them being in the car together?”
He laughed, but the sound wasn’t humorous. “I was CSI—I knew how to cover my tracks. I made sure no one would know I’d been home when he and my wife left together, then I said my wife must have been helping him with a gift for the baby. I told everyone that they’d discussed it, made plans to buy something wonderful because Phil wanted to surprise his wife. No one doubted it. No one questioned me. Hell, no one even noticed my bloody knuckles.” He swallowed down his own disgust. “They didn’t see the bruises on Phil, either. The wreck was pretty bad and the car caught on fire.” His voice went so quiet, it was barely audible. “Neither of them was all that recognizable.”
Riley could feel Regina shivering. “Was anyone else hurt in the wreck?”
“No, thank God. They went off the side of the road, down into a gully. The car flipped and hit a tree. There were no other cars involved.”
His stomach started churning; absently he rubbed it, trying to fight off the familiar sickness. Butch appeared, his little furry face so expressive, so concerned. He whined as if he’d sensed Riley’s upset, then crawled up onto his chest and curled up under Riley’s chin.
Stupidly enough, it helped.
Emotion clogged Riley’s throat, but he hugged Regina with one arm, patted Butch with his other hand, and wished the damn story didn’t still hurt so much.
Regina was frozen and silent for a long time before asking, “What ever became of Phil’s wife?”
“I stuck around until after the birth, trying to help her out. She had a baby boy she named Phil, after his daddy. Phil had a life insurance policy so she’s not too bad off financially. After that, I left. I quit my job and moved here. I heard she got remarried about a year ago. Her kid would be… I dunno, almost five now.” He stroked his fingers through Regina’s hair, taking comfort in her warmth and softness. “I hope she and the kid are happy.”
Suddenly Regina sobbed.
Startled, Riley tried to see her face but she pressed herself so close, it felt like she wanted to crawl inside him. Butch panicked, whining at Riley, poking his nose into Regina’s cheek.
“Hey. Honey, what’s the matter?”
She hiccuped and in a strangled voice said, “I want to give you something, Riley, okay?”
As she spoke, she turned her face up to his and Riley grimaced. She didn’t cry well. Already her eyes were watery and red, matching her nose. Her cheeks were blotchy. He smiled. “Yeah, sure. But please, don’t cry, baby. I can’t stand it.”
That made her start sobbing again. She crawled out of the bed, still sniffling, and headed out of the room.
“Regina?”
“I’ll be right back,” she wailed.
Riley watched her go, enjoying the way his shirttails barely covered her tush. He looked at Butch. “Women.” Then he added, “But damn, she looks good in my shirt, doesn’t she?” And he murmured, “Even better out of it, though.”
She came back into the bedroom, the framed photo in her hand. She plopped into bed, burrowed into Riley’s side, and dropped the photo on his lap. “Here, you can have it.”
Lip curled in distaste, Riley lifted the smug, smiling face of Senator Welling a
way from his body and dropped it on the nightstand. “Gee, thanks. Just what I always wanted.”
Regina gave a choked laugh, lightly punched him, and then hugged him in a strangle hold. “You asked me earlier why I brought the stupid thing along.”
Stupid thing? “Uh, yeah.”
“I see the photo and I remember his commitment to his family and how he stands for all the things, I value. It gives me hope that someday I’ll have those things, too.”
Riley rolled his eyes. “Regina…”
“It gave me hope that some day I’d meet a man like him. But I don’t need him for inspiration anymore.” She smiled up at Riley and even with the blotchy cheeks, she looked beautiful. “You’re the finest man I know, Riley. No one else could ever measure up to you.”
Oh hell. It was bad enough when he thought she used Welling as a masculine measuring tape. But if he became the damn tape, she was bound for disappointment. “No, Regina, I’m just a man.”
“A good man. A real man. And that’s better than a public persona any day.”
Riley’s heart about stopped. Was it possible she loved him, too? Had he finally gotten through to her? He started to tell her so when his phone rang. Riley reached for the nightstand and snatched up the receiver. “Hello?” And then with foreboding, “Yeah, Dermot. What’s up?”
Just as he suspected, Earl had been released. The judge returned not more than a few hours ago, but Earl had made his call and somehow gotten things expedited.
“Thanks for the heads-up. I guess all we can do now is hope he doesn’t jump bail.” He hung up and rubbed his face. “Looks like we’re back to square one unless Senator Welling can remember something vital.”
Regina gasped as if someone had pinched her. “Oh no. Senator Welling and the ceremony. We’re going to be late.”
Riley glanced at the clock and cursed. “We’ll make it if we hurry.” He threw the covers aside and stood.
Regina remained in bed, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. “Riley? Are you sure we can’t just skip it? Somehow, I’m not as excited about seeing him as I had been.”
