by Kimberly van Meter - A Sinclair Homecoming (The Sinclairs of Alaska)
She nodded and wrapped her arm around his. “Walking is good.”
They fell into an easy step together with no particular destination in mind. Clint couldn’t go home with everything swirling around in his head. He needed an outlet or he would lose his mind.
As it was, his heart was howling.
“We met freshman year in college,” he shared, needing to talk. “He was the fast-talking, smart-ass kid with the jokes. People just flocked to him. I was the exact opposite. Somehow we fit together.”
“Opposites attract, even in friendships,” Jordana said.
“I should’ve seen this coming. Even in college, Alex had always been looking for shortcuts. He almost got busted for stealing tests. Skated past that collision by the skin of his teeth. At the time we laughed about it. Now, it seems cheating the system for his gain was ingrained in his DNA.”
“Some people change, some people don’t. You couldn’t have known that Alex had a character flaw that big.”
“Couldn’t I, though? I missed that red flag even though it was waving in front of my face. My blindness nearly got me killed. I trusted the wrong person with everything I had. What if Alex had bankrupted Broadlocke? What, then? It’s just stupid luck that we haven’t gone under now that I know Alex has been sucking off the books like a damn vampire.”
“You’ll be able to fix this. What’s most important now is finding who this hit man is before he tries to finish the contract.” She shivered, glancing around. “I’m not sure it’s a great idea to be wandering around in the open. You never know if you’ve got a target on your back. You should come back to Braxville with me. It’s not safe here.”
“It’s not safe anywhere,” he reminded her.
“Yes, but the odds of the hit man getting to you are significantly lower if you’re where I can protect you.”
“I’m not going to run and hide.”
“Don’t look at it that way,” she said, frustrated by his refusal. “This is about more than your male pride.”
“I don’t want to argue with you.” But he wasn’t going to let anyone run him out of town.
“You’re impossible,” Jordana growled, but her eyes were soft with concern. “At the very least, we should get you inside. Let’s get you home.”
He supposed Jordana was right but he didn’t relish the idea of spending the night alone. He stopped, turning to meet her gaze. “Stay with me tonight.”
Jordana winced in a subtle movement as she shook her head. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I have my hotel room.”
“Forget the hotel. Stay with me.”
“I’ve already paid,” she said, fishing for reasons.
“I don’t care. I’ll give you the cash. I just don’t want to be alone right now.”
“I don’t want your money. I want you to be safe.”
“I need you, Jordana,” Clint said with a catch in his voice. God, he’d never needed anyone more than he needed her right now. “I don’t know what to think anymore. I need someone I know I can trust with me tonight. You’re the only person I trust in this entire world.”
Jordana softened and relented. “Just tonight,” she warned when his relieved smile widened too far. “We already know how this doesn’t work out. I don’t want a repeat of before. I’m not staying in Chicago.”
He’d take those terms. “Just tonight,” he agreed, closing his eyes before pressing a kiss to her forehead, repeating in a cracked murmur, “Just tonight.”
It was a devil’s bargain. One night of comfort would only soothe temporarily but the heartbreak of watching her leave again would only twist the knife deeper into his heart.
It is what it is. He’d take what he could get.
Chapter 28
It was a wordless exchange, an offer without sound. Jordana knew accepting his offer would mean one thing—she wasn’t sleeping anywhere but beside him. And she was shaking with the desire that heated her blood. It was one thing to pretend she was over Clint when she had work to distract her. It was completely another to be in his arms, his body pressed against hers, as her heart awakened with a painful jolt.
“Clint,” she said with a soft cry as he hoisted her onto his hips, carrying her to the bedroom. Memories washed over her from her time there, both good and bad. He laid her down gently as he quickly stripped, his eyes centered on her as if he were afraid she might disappear if he blinked. She let her gaze wander the exquisite planes and valleys of the man she adored with all her heart but would never get to keep, and reached out to him, almost desperately. “I’ve missed you,” she whispered a confession as he helped her out of her clothes.
“Baby, you have no idea how much I’ve missed you,” he returned in a feverish tone. He lavished attention on her bare breasts, taking care to gently drag his teeth against the sensitive nipples, causing them to pearl into hardened tips that he sucked into his greedy, hot mouth.
Jordana gasped as his tongue rasped along the tender skin, suckling at her breast as his hand slid down her belly to find the softness of her mound. She curled around him, cradling his head, before he released her breasts to travel where his hand rested. He inhaled her scent, driving himself wild. His groan of appreciation sent goose bumps of awareness rioting through her nerve endings, awakening a hungry beast inside her.
He parted her legs, pressing sweet kisses down her inner thighs until he settled on the swollen bud between her folds. Her sharp gasp as her hands curled into the bedding was the encouragement he enjoyed. “That’s it, baby,” he murmured against his damp skin, “come for me, sweetheart.”
She cried his name as pleasure washed over her in a crashing cataclysm that left her toes curled and her womb clenching as everything spasmed in beautiful unison. Jordana fell back, damp and spent, breathing hard as the final waves of pleasure continued to ebb around her. Clint climbed her body to plant a deep, soul-searching kiss on her awaiting lips.
This was heaven and hell. Heaven to know that perfection existed within another’s arms; hell to realize it would never work between them.
Tears sprang to her eyes and Clint seemed to understand, wrapping his arms around her, rolling to his back so he could gaze up at her. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured. “I love you, Jordana.”
“I love you, too,” she said, choking on her tears. His hardened length burned beneath her, hard and insistent. Jordana was desperate to feel him inside her, to merge with him in the most primal way possible. Positioning him at her entrance, she slowly descended on his hot staff, taking each inch with deliberate intention, sinking into the pleasure of being filled by the man who owned her heart.
He groaned as her wet heat enveloped him on all sides, gripping his length as he bracketed her hips, guiding her as she rode him, finding her pleasure as he took his.
“Jordana.” He gasped her name like a prayer, his fingers curling into her flesh, creating delicious disharmonious sensations to compete with her nerve endings. She found the rhythm that suited her best, moaning as she neared her climax. Sweat broke out across her hairline, her breasts swelling, nipples hard. She shuddered as heat washed over her, pleasure rippling up and down her body as she crashed into an orgasm that exploded from a deep place inside.
Stars alive, I’ll never meet anyone like you. Falling to his side, limp and out of breath, Clint threw one leg over his shoulder, bending her in half as he impaled her again on his length. His name escaped on a cry as Clint thrust against her with a fervor that spoke of a man running from grief, heartache and betrayal. All she could do was be his vessel, his conduit to some sort of relief.
But even as he neared his climax, Jordana felt the beginnings of a new orgasm rumbling through her nerve endings, tingling and ringing as loudly as a bell atop the church tower. There was no escaping the pleasure as it gripped her around the throat, sending sweet surrender cascading through her body, wave after wave un
til they were both drenched in sweat and breathing hard as they recovered.
Moonlit skies filled the bedroom window, bathing their naked, glistening bodies in a pale glow.
She met his gaze, her fingers finding his, curling together. In this moment, perfection was a tangible thing, a tangle of arms, legs and souls. She’d never been one to spout poetry or over-the-top proclamations, but she suddenly understood the impulse. Clint was unlike anyone she’d ever met. He was not replaceable. How cruel was fate to introduce them, only to tear them apart?
Just as she couldn’t ask him to leave everything he knew where he was established, he shouldn’t ask her to do the same. They lived in different worlds and neither were compatible.
Fresh tears welled in her eyes. Clint pulled her into his embrace with a murmured, “Shhh,” as if to say he understood but now wasn’t the time to talk about it. Jordana nodded and settled against his chest, her naked body fitting so well against his.
If tonight was all they had, why ruin it with the reality of tomorrow?
Her eyes drifted shut on a sigh.
* * *
Clint knew the minute Jordana fell asleep. Her breathing slowed as her body relaxed, followed by light snoring that he found incredibly endearing, though she would likely disagree.
A smile found him even though he knew she was fully planning to leave him again. It was no use to try and convince her to stay. It’d been wrong of him to drag her to Chicago in the first place. She was a beautiful wildflower that only grew in the country. Chicago, with its cement forests and cacophony of human life, had been slowly killing her. But he wanted to ask her to stay. He wanted to sleep beside her every night, listen to the minutia of her day and argue about stupid stuff, like whose turn it was to wash the dishes.
The reality that Alex had betrayed him in the worst possible way left him with the realization that Jordana was the sole person he trusted completely, and she was going to get on a plane and leave him behind. Fate and circumstance were nasty bedfellows. And he had to find a way to stop beating himself up for missing the red flags that’d been waving in front of his nose.
Loved ones are always our blind spots. He loved Alex like a brother. The fact that that street had been one-way hurt more than he wanted to admit.
He tightened his arms around Jordana, needing her warmth to permeate the winter chill on his heart. Only Jordana made him feel like happiness was possible, that trust was rebuildable. Not with Alex, of course, but with others. He had details to work out with the lawyers, business entanglements to sort out, protections to put in place as they went forward without Alex.
Attempted murder coupled with the embezzlement came with a hefty sentence. Alex would likely go away for a very long time. Tears stung his eyes. Betrayal was a bitter taste on the tongue. Tomorrow he’d have to give a statement to the police. He’d have to tell in great detail everything that’d happened since his assault in Braxville. Word would likely get out quickly that Alex Locke of Broadlocke Enterprises had been busted. Company morale would be shattered. Investor confidence would be tested.
He had to have a plan to save his business before Alex’s actions completely tanked a dream that took years of grueling work in the trenches to create.
Fresh anger flooded Clint. What the hell was Alex thinking? Was he thinking at all? Like Jordana said, addicts didn’t think about the people they were hurting, only the fix. He knew more heartache was coming when he had to face Alex in court, to stare in the eyes of the man he’d thought had his back only to find out that same man was his enemy.
A sigh rattled out of his chest and Jordana stirred with a faint whimper. He pressed a soft kiss on her exposed neck and she settled. Was there a way to convince this strong, independent woman that their lives could intertwine without sacrificing either of their interests? She’d want a plan; he didn’t have one. Saying “But I love you” wasn’t going to cut it. Ignoring the selfish part of himself that wanted to do whatever was necessary to keep her with him was a struggle.
But he’d never ask her to stay when she wanted to leave. He’d respect her wishes but nothing could stop him from wanting her. Until then, he’d just have to savor the moment until it was gone.
Chapter 29
Morning came and, with it, the sad acceptance that she had to go back to Braxville.
She woke before Clint, giving her the chance to watch him sleep. He had a classically handsome face with a hint of ruggedness. His chest rose and fell with each heavy breath. Muscles that had no business residing behind a button-down shirt and jacket made her hunger for something other than food.
His eyes slowly fluttered open, a smile following as he reached for her. “I’ll never tire of waking to this face,” he said with a sexy sleep-roughened voice.
Jordana didn’t want to talk. She wanted to spend this last morning with Clint, loving him without words.
She slid her hand down his stomach to find his erection, already hard and ready even if he was barely awake. Smiling, she burrowed under the blankets to take him into her mouth.
He groaned, his hips thrusting gently against her mouth. Jordana worked him until he was ready to burst. Clint threw the covers aside and fell back against the bedding with a harsh moan, his muscles tensing as he neared his climax.
A raw sense of power rippled through Jordana as she held this powerful man between heaven and hell. She teased him, pushing him to the brink, only to slow down before starting again.
“Oh, God,” he moaned.
Finally, she pushed him to the edge. Clint stiffened, going rigid as he came. It was primal and raw.
She rose, her hair a mess but a smile wreathing her lips. Clint looked more in love with her than ever. That expression was the sweetest memory she’d take with her. Jordana kissed him, then rose to drink some water. She took her fill and handed Clint the bottle. He guzzled the bottle, finishing it. He fell back on the bed, inviting her to return to his side, but Jordana had to get to the airport.
“If I climb back into that bed, I won’t leave.” At Clint’s raised brow, she clarified, “And I have a plane to catch.”
His expression dimmed and she hated to be the one to ruin the moment. “You know, if you’re ever in Kansas...you can always look me up.”
It was an attempt at brevity but they weren’t friends with benefits, happy to leave each other behind until the next time. Their lives were so complicated there was no easy answer for either of them.
“Is there anything I could say that would make you want to stay with me?” he asked plainly.
“It isn’t a question of wanting to be with you,” she answered. “It’s just that we tried it already and your world isn’t compatible with mine.”
“Maybe we didn’t try hard enough.”
“Maybe we ignored what we should’ve seen from the start.”
“Which is?”
She gazed at him with love and sadness. “That I’m a police detective for a small town who loves her job and you’re a wealthy business owner who has to wine and dine clients for future contracts. You need someone on your arm who will help you achieve that. I’m not that person.”
“You make it sound like I’m the kind of guy who uses a woman for an advertisement. I’ve never been the type to chase after a trophy wife. If I’d wanted that kind of partner, I would’ve stayed with Iris.”
“Maybe that’s the person you need.”
“Don’t patronize me, Jordana,” he said, his temper flaring. He rose from the bed and pulled on his loungers. “I understand your world. Maybe you’re right that I wouldn’t fit in a small town and you don’t fit in a city but you never asked me if I could try and make it work, either.”
Jordana frowned. “Why would I ask you a question that I already know the answer?” she asked in confusion, hating that the morning was turning sour. She tried to smooth things with an apology. “I shouldn’t h
ave said that about Iris. I didn’t mean to patronize you. Sometimes my mouth gets away from me.” She peeped a sidewise glance at Clint. “Sort of like this morning...”
The sexy reminder softened the hard edges of his expression. “You might be the devil,” he growled, walking toward her. He pulled her into his arms for a tender kiss that belied his rough touch. “But I like whatever you are.”
Jordana threw her head back to give him better access to her neck. He nibbled and kissed until he returned to her lips, announcing with an impish grin, “We should shower,” then shocked her when he scooped her up, carrying her to the bathroom.
She knew what was going to happen the minute they were both naked. And she wasn’t complaining. She still had plenty of time to catch her flight. Or she could reschedule. Either way, Clint was doing his best to make her forget all about Braxville.
For now.
* * *
Clint knew that no matter how many epic orgasms he gave Jordana, she was determined to be on that plane back to Braxille, but he gave it the good ol’ college try. In the end, all he managed to convince her to do was share a late breakfast with him at his favorite restaurant after she confessed her secret love of eggs Benedict.
His favorite breakfast place was world-renowned for their eggs Benedict, and if that’s what his woman wanted, that’s what she was going to get.
Once seated, he said, “So tell me about the case with my uncle. Have you found out anything new?”
Pleased to talk about anything other than boarding that plane, Jordana nodded with a smile. “Actually, yes, but I’m not sure if it was a lead or anything. The bodies were found with an odd chemical on the bones, CCA, which stands for chromated copper arsenic. It was a common enough chemical treatment in the ’70s but the EPA banned its use in 2003.”
“When was the building built?”
“Well, as it turns out, my dad said the building was built in the mid-1970s so that tracks, but between you and me, I can’t shake the feeling that CCA is some kind of clue. I just don’t know what, though.”
