by Milly Taiden
“Harder,” she ordered, only for him to slam right into her so far, fast, and rough her ass lifted off the bed. If he hadn’t had such a tight grip on her hips she would’ve bashed her forehead on the headboard
“Oh, god. More.”
She whimpered and propelled her ass back with each thrust of his cock back into her, making him reach deeper than she thought possible.
“Like that?” he asked and turned up the speed of his movements, jackhammering her with his cock. The mattress’s squeaking sounded louder and louder, until she was sure everyone in the entire motel could hear them. Not that she cared. Right now the place could fall down around her and she wouldn’t stop.
“Si. Fuck me faster.”
His chuckle came at the same time he increased his tempo. The speed of his thrusts made it difficult for her to do anything other than try to catch her breath. Her pussy screamed for the orgasm that was just out of reach. Trent reached between her legs and rubbed her pleasure nub while continuing his wild slides in and out. The heat of his body caressed her spine. He kissed the back of her right shoulder, licking her skin with sensuous flicks.
“You’re mine, Erica.” He growled by her ear; his deep voice sent pricks of lust straight to her core.
“Yes, yes, yes.”
“Mine!” He growled and fucked her harder.
“Oh… Yes!” She choked on a scream when she came. A rushing tidal wave of ecstasy coursed through her body. Her pussy clenched around Trent’s cock in an iron grip.
Seconds later she heard him groan. He bit down on her shoulder, hard. His fingers dug into her hips while he ground his cock into her pussy and tensed. He jerked into her repeatedly. She’d swear his cock thickened inside her, and warm semen filled her womb. The biting combined with his jerks into her swollen sex sent mini-orgasms whooshing through her. They ended up right back where they started, on their sides panting for air.
“Well?” He was out of breath.
“Goddamn. I didn’t know you’d bite.”
“Sorry. I—”
“Don’t apologize. I must have more issues than I realize, because I liked it.”
He laughed and kissed her shoulder. The kisses started feeling like licks after a moment. “So what did you think this time?”
“Okay, I can’t lie. That was better than adequate…it was good.”
She laughed when he squeezed her breast and pinched her nipple. Damn. If she wasn’t so exhausted she’d totally continue their game. However, sleep decided to claim her, and she found herself doing something she hadn’t done in a long time: allowing a man to snuggle and hold her while she fell asleep.
Chapter Six
Trent knew the moment Erica fell asleep. Her body leaned back into his and softened under his hands. His cock, which seemed to feel right at home in the curve of her ass, lifted up with interest. He tried to will his erection away, but the fact was her sexy curves made him so hard he wanted to fuck her until he couldn’t move a muscle. And that bossy attitude when she told him to fuck her harder? That just added to her overall perfection.
He wondered what his mom and sisters would think when they met her. And they would meet her. She was his mate. His woman. There was just no way they could have a relationship without his family finding a way to bring her into their bosom. Long-term with Erica? Yes. Both he and his wolf had known from the moment he had met her that she was special, that she was his. He had been willing to wait, but he didn’t think her level of hesitancy would run this deep. It was time to step up his game and show her they were perfect for each other. She might be wary of his past, but she’d come around.
There was a knock at the door. He didn’t want to wake up Erica. She was so exhausted she didn’t even stir when a second knock sounded. He stood, dressed, and covered her with a sheet. She snuggled into the thin blanket and sighed. He checked the air conditioning unit so she wouldn’t sweat while she slept.
When he opened the door, Brock was at the other side of the threshold.
“We need to talk.” Brock didn’t frown; he glared at Trent as if he’d committed a crime. He motioned for Trent to follow him outside. Trent glanced at Erica’s sleeping form and quietly shut the door behind him.
“What’s going on?” Trent knew he sounded brusque, but he couldn’t help the jealousy he felt over Erica trusting Brock more than him.
Brock marched to the other end of the motel, where a small diner was located. Trent trailed behind him. Once inside they slid into opposite sides of a booth; the plastic cushions squealed when they sat. The place was empty even though it was early evening, and only one plump, middle-aged waitress stood behind the counter. She smiled flirtatiously, unaware some of the red lipstick had stained her teeth.
The waitress walked over to their booth and handed them laminated menus.
“What can I get you to drink, boys?” She bent forward to place filled glasses of water on the table.
“I’ll have coffee, please.” Brock examined the menu.
“Make that two.”
The waitress took off. Brock put the plastic menu down and gave him a look like he wanted to beat the shit out of him.
“I’m guessing you finally got into Erica’s pants?”
Anger made Trent grind his teeth. “That’s none of your business.”
“Actually, it is.”
Before Trent had a chance to reply, the waitress brought their coffee.
“Have you boys decided what you’d like to eat?” She smiled at Brock and then winked at Trent. The way she spoke made the word “eat” sound like something dirty, and not in the good sense.
Brock handed her the menu. “I’ll have a cheeseburger with fries. No pickles. And a soda.”
Trent nodded. “I’ll take the same, but make mine a bacon cheeseburger.” He needed to remember to bring something back for Erica to eat. He’d order her food after they finished. No sense in bringing back cold food.
“Look, Trent, Erica is special.”
Brock used his first name—something he never did. He then dumped enough sugar in his coffee to make any kid bounce off the walls. He added cream and started to stir, frowning.
“I know that. She’s mine.” Trent said.
“She’s yours?” He stopped and stared at him for a moment. Trent knew his words conveyed the message of how serious he was for Erica. “It’s gone there, huh?”
Trent added two sugars and some cream to his coffee and locked on to Brock’s face.
Brock took a sip of his coffee and sighed. “I hate driving this far without caffeine. I don’t think you realize just how special Erica truly is—”
“Look…” Trent tried to hold his temper since Brock was still his boss. “I know she sees things about victims and the toll it takes on her—” He stopped when Brock shook his head.
“I knew you’d either figure that one out or she’d tell you about it. That’s not what I’m referring to as special. She’s very important to me.”
Trent ground his teeth and bit back an oath. His wolf pushed at the skin. “How important?”
Brock shook his head. “She’s like my sister, jackass.”
“Oh.” His jealousy disappeared. “So what do you mean?”
“Erica is a very important part of our group, yes, but she’s also very independent and self-controlled.”
Trent ignored his cup, his interest now fully on what Brock said. “I know that. She’s made it clear in all the time we’ve worked together that she doesn’t depend on anyone.”
“Do you know why?”
The waitress came back with their food just then.
She put the plates and drinks in front of each of them and curled a hand on her hip. “If either of you need anything else, I’ll be right over by the counter. Just wave and I’ll come right over.”
She sauntered off, wiggling her butt. Trent couldn’t help it. This time he did chuckle. He glanced back at Brock to find him grinning and getting ready to eat.
“No. I don’t
know why, but I’m assuming it’s got something to do with her past.” Trent put fries, ketchup, and mayo on his burger and then added the top bun. He put the massive burger straight into his mouth and took a large bite. Damn, that was a good burger. Probably made better by the fact he’d worked himself into hunger devouring Erica’s sexy body.
“OK, I’m going to give you a summary so you’re not caught unawares, which I have a feeling might happen. Erica was abandoned by her mother into the court system.”
Trent was about to take another bite but stopped, shocked by what Brock had said. “What do you mean she was abandoned?”
Brock sipped on his drink before answering. “Exactly what I said. Her mother was freaked out that her little girl kept telling her about crimes people had committed and told the court system she couldn’t handle a crazy kid. So Erica went into the foster care system.”
Trent sat immobile. He couldn’t believe a mother would do that to her child. “How old was she?”
“Four,” Brock answered, popping a fry into his mouth.
Good lord. Could a woman really do that? A mother? It didn’t seem possible to him. His mom had been both mother and father to five unruly children, but she’d never lost her patience with them. And he knew they’d done enough stuff to make a saint drop his halo and kick their asses. His father had been Alpha of their pack, but when he was killed his mother took him and his sisters and moved away. She had been unwilling to let anyone in the pack tell her what to do. She raised them among the humans. So Trent didn’t see how Erica’s mother could have actually given up her daughter. Trent lost interest in his food.
“What happened then?”
Brock swallowed what he’d been chewing before answering. “She went through a slew of foster homes until she was about fifteen. That’s when her last foster parents had her committed.”
“Wait, what? What do you mean they had her committed?” His voice rose in anger. Erica was not crazy.
Brock nodded. “Yeah. She told the foster mother that the foster dad had raped a girl who had previously stayed with them and was later found dead. Erica had found the girl’s bracelet, and when she touched it she saw what he did. It created a mess for Erica.”
Trent could only imagine how alone she must’ve felt when she told the truth and was labeled a liar and crazy. His stomach clenched, and the urge to go over to the room where she sleeping and hold her struck him. He never wanted her to feel alone again. He looked up and saw Brock eat the last of his burger. “What happened after that?”
“Well she was in a hospital for a little while. They did all kinds of tests, and Erica realized she needed to keep her mouth shut in order to be set free. Once they found out she really wasn’t crazy, they sent her to a group home. But by then she’d enrolled in an early college program. One thing she’d never done, even with all the things she was going through, was let her grades slip. She was accepted into a criminal justice program and went off with a full scholarship. That’s when her life really started.”
Trent could sense a hidden message in there. “But?”
“But she learned not to trust anyone. When she came to the academy she was always alone, but she has a deep connection to the crime victims in a way no one else has. And from that, she could understand things about the perpetrator that no other evidence could show us. I created a new unit, a special unit, and wanted her. She was the only person who could do what she does. She sees the crime as it happened. She sees the killer.”
“How did you find out about her ability if she doesn’t trust anyone?” Trent’s jealousy returned.
“I knew of her past from her files, but the way they worded things, it truly made her sound like an unstable person, a psychotic who heard voices. But the longer I worked with her, the more I realized her file was filled with lies. So one night on our first big missing person’s case, I handed her a photo of the victim. She grabbed it without realizing what I had given her, and you can imagine what happened next.”
Yes, he could. “Scared the shit out of you, didn’t it?”
Looking down at his burger, Trent decided to give it another chance. He picked it up, took a bite, and glanced back at Brock.
Brock nodded. “Hell yes. There we were, talking calmly one minute, and the next she was screaming at the top of her lungs to be let out. Thank god we were the only ones working that late, or someone would’ve thought I was killing her. It took some persuasion. I had to tell her how helpful it would be for the job if she told me about her skills. I was given the go ahead by superiors to create the Federal Paranormal Unit. You, Ramirez, and Donovan joined next. But I made sure to work one-on-one with Erica, alone at the crime scene or at the victims’ homes. Most cases I have acted as her guardian and helped her work up to the moment of contact. I made sure she didn’t push too far too fast.”
“Why do you have so much interest in her?”
Brock shook his head as if trying to let him know he was taking things the wrong way. “She’s got no one else. I couldn’t stand seeing her live her life believing she had no one on her side. She doesn’t trust anyone, but she knows I have her back.”
“So what you’re trying to tell me is that she’s going to make it difficult for me to have a relationship with her?”
Brock laughed. “Buchanan, she’s not just going to make it difficult, she’s going to make it so hard you’re going to think you’re back in boot camp.” He chuckled again like Trent’s love life was the biggest joke in the world. “I like you, and I think she likes you too, which is why I’m telling you all this.”
Trent frowned, trying to remember what he knew of her past love life. “But she’s had other relationships before, hasn’t she?”
Brock shrugged. “Not really. I know she dated in the past, but she always cut them off when they started to look for more. She’s scared to trust and depend on anyone. When she thinks that’s where the relationship is headed, she dumps the poor saps.”
“Wait, if that’s what’s waiting for me, why would you want to help me?”
“I told you, I like you, and I am pretty sure she does too. Erica is very private, but she’s got this entire ice queen persona going when it comes to men. She’s like a sister to me, and I want her to be happy.” Brock’s smile slid off his lips, his eyes taking a bright glitter Trent knew as some kind of paranormal energy fighting to come loose. “So that means if you don’t make her happy I will kick your ass.”
“Threat?”
“No. That’s a promise.”
Trent had a lot to think about. He contemplated the food that remained. His appetite had vanished, so he pushed the plate away. Things with Erica were not going to go as smoothly as he’d predicted. He knew what they had between them was special and worth pursuing. He’d never felt the way he did with her with any other woman. His mother and sisters had always told him that when he met his mate he’d know because he wouldn’t be able to stand the thought of being away from her. Just imagining Erica out of his life made his palms clammy, his stomach twist, and his anger soar. He just needed to find a way around her mistrust.
He glanced up to catch Brock watching him with a smile. “I told you, she’s going to be a hard one.”
“She’s my mate.”
“Look, I know what that means to you, which is why I’m not going to give you a dissertation over your playboy past, but Erica doesn’t really know what a mate means to you. I trust that you have long-term intentions with her.”
Trent was no quitter, and Erica was the woman he wanted. And not just for a little while, he knew she was the right one for him. She was a prickly, sarcastic, bossy, and sexy-as-hell little harpy. Yeah, she was the perfect woman for him. His mate. “Don’t worry about me. I’m not letting her go anywhere.”
Brock laughed and ate the last of his fries. “OK, but you need to tell her about your little animal problem.”
Trent nodded. “I plan to. Soon.”
“Good. She already mistrusts people. The last thing s
he needs is to feel like you’ve been playing games with her too.” He leaned back on his seat, making the plastic on the booth seat squeak. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, tell me about the case. Other than what she’s told me, what is your impression?”
“Honestly? I think the ex either did it or knows who did. This is aggravating as hell. The bodies have been scrubbed clean, so no particular scent is left behind. Even their apartments are so filled with stuff we can’t discern a particular scent. So that’s my guess. Look. Two girls went out with the same guy. They both disappear, are murdered, and there’s no other links between them. And we know that they were killed by the same guy.”
Brock nodded and handed his plate to the waitress, who had popped up out of nowhere.
“Can I get you anything else, handsome?” She gave Brock what Trent assumed to be her version of a sexy smile.
Brock grinned, probably because of the lipstick, and pointed to the pie display. “Do you have apple over there?”
“Sure do. Want it warmed up with some ice cream?” She licked her lips, and Trent almost burst into laughter.
“Yes, please.” Brock winked at the woman, and she sighed as she walked away, completely ignoring Trent in her haste to get the piece of pie.
Trent shook his head. “That’s messed up, man.”
“Hey, if it gets me some food without spit in it, I’ll gladly smile and wink at anyone handling the stuff that’s going to go in my mouth.” Brock was unapologetic.
He did have a point.
“Did Donovan find out anything else about our victims and their social media?” Facebook, Twitter, and all the other social sites made things even harder for them. Donovan would have to search through both of their profiles and check for anything strange.
“Donovan said Lisa might have been dating a professor, but that’s not definite. She’s still going through emails, texts, and chat logs.”
At the mention of a professor, Trent jerked his gaze to Brock. “Gina Torres babysat for one of the professors in the college.”
