She eased his zipper down and tugged his pants over his hips until he was finally free. He stared down at her as she took him into her mouth. The sight of her lips sliding down his shaft nearly did him in. He ground his teeth, struggling to keep control, to make it last. Tangling his fingers in her hair, he rocked into her mouth slowly.
Her fingernails slid up the back of his legs, teasing his ass, encouraging him as she sucked gently. He growled her name. Every muscle in his body tensed. Too close. He didn’t want it to be over yet. “No more. I’m about to lose it.”
She kissed her way up his bare chest, her wet lips teasing his nipple until she stood before him. He claimed her mouth and bent his knees. Catching her waist in one arm, he straightened, lifting her off the floor. She wrapped her legs around him as he slid his hands along her thighs.
His erection brushed her opening, hot and wet. She rocked her hips, and he sank into her. He groaned into the kiss, his pulse hammering in his ears. If it were humanly possible, he’d never stop making love to her. Never.
Mel couldn’t catch her breath. She broke the kiss, her lips trailing down his neck. In the mirrored closet door, their reflection made her heart race. His muscles were taut, defined, and all hers—at least for right now.
She tingled all over as she nibbled at his ear. “You’re so sexy,” she whispered.
He turned to kiss her lips and caught their reflection in the mirror. She followed his gaze. He paused, and for a second, she worried everything might be ruined. She clenched her inner muscles and slowly writhed, taking him even deeper. He dropped his head back, thrusting his hips, as his grip on her thighs tightened.
She pulled her attention from the mirror to Nate’s face. Sweat glistened on his forehead, and desire burned in his eyes. He kissed her, then growled against her lips, “Come with me.”
His hands were busy holding her up, so she brought one hand between them, rubbing with each thrust. He slammed into her harder and faster, and her entire body tightened. She cried out against his shoulder as he erupted deep inside her.
“Mel…” His arms trembled as he walked her to the bed, but his hold on her never faltered. He laid her on the bed, keeping her close so their bodies remained connected. He kissed her shoulder and whispered, “I…” He lifted his head with a crooked smile that made her heart flutter. “No words.”
She nodded slowly. “I know what you mean.”
He cupped her cheek. “I like being able to see you.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat, running her hands up his muscular biceps to his shoulders. “Seeing you…turned me on, too.” She shook her head, her lips curving. “You are beyond hot.”
He chuckled, rolling his eyes. “I don’t know about…” His voice trailed off, his expression sobering. He met her eyes. “Oh shit. I got so caught up…”
Mel blinked. “Condom.” She cringed. “Crap.”
“Yeah.” He slid free from her and sat up. “I’m sorry. Dammit. I’ve never forgotten before.” He looked over at her. “What do we do?”
Her big, strong police detective was asking her what to do. She sat up, sliding her arms around his waist from behind him. “We make sure we don’t screw up again. It usually takes more than one time to get pregnant.” Who was she trying to convince, him or herself? She started doing the mental calculations in her head and breathed a sigh of relief. “I don’t think I’d be ovulating yet anyway.”
His body tensed up, and a fit of inappropriate giggles hit her. He tried to look back over his shoulder, but she dodged his stare, making the laughter even worse.
“I’m sorry. I guess talking ovulation isn’t great pillow talk.”
He heaved a sigh and chuckled. “Not a word I use often around here.”
“Now I want to get a puppy and name her Ovulation.”
He turned around and pinned her on the bed, catching her hands in his. A playful grin she’d never seen before lit up his face. “No puppies.”
She mustered her best innocent smile. “Maybe a kitten? We could call her Ovie for short.”
He laughed, kissing her long and slow. Her entire body warmed. When he pulled back, his eyes searched hers. For what, she couldn’t even venture a guess.
Finally, he whispered, “I’m going to keep you safe.”
“I know.”
But would he still be there when the threat was gone? She pushed the thought from her mind and got under the covers. One day at a time. He held her close, and she drifted off to the steady beat of her Guardian’s heart.
Her cell phone buzzed. She squinted, stretching to turn off her alarm. It wasn’t even light out yet.
The joys of teaching…
She eased out from under Nate’s arm and got showered and dressed. Her legs were sore, but she smiled remembering the amazing workout she’d gotten the night before.
Yeah, it was going to be a good day.
She waited for her inner muse to cast a shadow over it or remind her that she could be pregnant, but there was no sign of tragedy.
Once she was ready, she came into the bedroom and found Nate awake. She frowned. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“How are you feeling?”
She started to smile. “Really good…” He looked concerned. A light bulb came to life over her head. “And definitely not feeling pregnant.”
The corner of his lips curved. “Probably too soon anyway, right?”
She nodded. “Way too soon.” Before she could stop herself, the words fell from her mouth. “Do you have any children?”
He grimaced a little and raised a brow. “I told you this is the first time I ever forgot a condom. And I’ve never been married.”
“Right.” Heat flushed in her cheeks. “I just… I was looking for a piece of paper yesterday and saw a drawing of you and a little girl. I just assumed…” She shook her head. “I better get to work. See you later.”
She scooted out before things could get any more awkward. And somewhere deep inside, her inner muse reveled in it.
Nate waited for the door to close before he sat up. He hadn’t meant to keep Maggie a secret, but he’d also been hoping to protect Mel without having to share everything.
Old habits die hard. Part of him was still bracing for the fall out, protecting himself. Oh shit. Maggie.
He had to go talk to her class.
Pulling up the calendar on his phone, he double-checked the time. Three o’clock. Then he was going to take her to get some ice cream. He fired off a text to Mel.
The little girl’s name is Maggie. She’s not mine, but she’s pretty amazing. I’m supposed to speak to her class at 3.
He hit “Send” and stared at his phone. His palms started sweating. He was getting in too deep, but it was so easy where Mel was concerned. Screw it.
Want to come?
He set the phone down and went to the closet. Before he had his shirt buttoned, his phone chimed. He picked it up and smiled.
I’m off at 2. Pick me up?
He shouldn’t have been so eager, but he texted back immediately.
See you then.
What the hell was he doing?
Chapter Fourteen
“You’re in a good mood for a guy who lost his only lead last night.” John dropped off a Styrofoam cup of coffee on Nate’s desk. “What’s up with you?”
Mel’s face filled his head. He picked up the coffee and grinned. “Nothing. I figure the murder tells us I was right about everything being connected. We were getting too close.”
“And now we’re miles away again.”
“Nah. Belkin Oil is involved. I don’t know exactly how yet, but I’m going to find out.”
“Without a murder weapon and a suspect, it’ll be tough to make anything stick,” John said. “Belkin will have the ultimate legal team, too, I’m sure.”
“That’s why we need more evidence.” Nate sipped his coffee. “And we’ve got to find Lewis Gold.”
“If he exists.”
“H
e can’t hide forever.” Nate finished his coffee and dropped the cup in the trash. “I’ve gotta leave at two today.”
John crossed his arms. “Hot date?”
Nate shook his head slowly. “Maggie.”
John sighed. “Not sure if that’s better or worse. You’re still hoping she gets adopted, right?”
“Just cover for me, okay?”
He nodded. “You know I will.”
“Thanks, man.”
Nate worked through his lunch hour, eating a sandwich at his desk, trying not to keep checking the clock. Not that he was eager to see Mel. He just didn’t want to be late to Maggie’s school. Mostly.
When he got to Mel’s high school later, the parking lot was busy. The fact that many of the drivers had only been behind the wheel for a year or less also made it hazardous. But he only used the horn once.
Two students were still at Mel’s desk when he walked through the door. The girl looked up at him and then quickly away, her cheeks coloring. But the boy tipped his head. “This your new man, Ms. Jacoby?”
Mel chuckled. “Brian, this is Detective Malone.”
Brian did a good job covering that he just swallowed his gum. Nate slid his sunglasses down a little so the kid could see his eyes. “Good to meet you, Brian.”
Brian grabbed the girl’s hand. “Come on, Carla. We gotta get to Chem Lab.”
Mel called after them. “Don’t forget to practice your poems for the slam tomorrow.”
Brian waved over his head as he and the girl crossed the threshold.
Nate grinned as he approached her desk. “I’m almost sorry I’ll be missing your slam poetry tomorrow.”
She rolled her eyes, but her smile was still addictive. “You are not.” She grabbed her bag and a flash drive, then straightened up. “So tell me about your presentation. Which grade is Maggie in?”
“Second grade.” He offered her his arm, ignoring the flush of electricity coursing through him from the simple touch. “I’ll be talking about being a detective to a bunch of seven-year-olds. Now you see why I wanted some backup?”
Mel laughed and squeezed his bicep. “And how did you get roped into this?”
He opened the car door for her and came around to his side. Once he was inside, he turned the key and glanced her way. “Maggie was the little girl I told you about, the one who lost her mom to her abusive father.”
Mel’s smile faded. “Oh… Did you arrest her dad?”
“Yeah.” He lowered his voice. “I was the lead detective on the case and testified in court to put him away for life.” He met her eyes, but again, there was no sign of judgment there. “She didn’t like me much at the beginning. I was the villain, not her dad.” He ground his teeth and tightened his grip on the wheel. “But now, other than her new foster parents, I’m all Maggie has left.”
Mel’s eyes brimmed with tears, but she blinked them away. “This must be Bring Your Parent to School Day?”
He nodded slowly. “She’s at a new school. I can’t let her be the only one who doesn’t have a parent come.”
She rested her hand on his thigh, squeezing it. “You’re a good man, Nate Malone.”
Hearing her say those words meant more to him than he could articulate. He cleared his throat and pulled into the flow of inexperienced drivers.
“She’s a great little girl.” He clenched his jaw keeping his eyes on the road. “She got dealt a tough deck of cards. She deserves better.”
Mel had never met a man like Nate. He’d been raised by a bastard who made him feel ashamed and unworthy, but instead of being bitter, he did his best to protect others from his own fate. He would probably deny it, but she saw the way he loved others—Maggie and his partner—with tenacity and compassion. But he wouldn’t allow himself to commit to it, to really jump in with both feet. At least not when it came to her.
Sadly for her, she was already slipping in.
And she’d been glowing all day. Today, teachers and students alike commented on her smile, her skin, her hair, all without realizing the only thing that had changed was that she’d woken up in Nate’s arms.
Hearing about his loyalty to this little girl who had lost so much, only made her feel like she was falling faster. And without a safety net. She hadn’t admitted it out loud to another soul, but there was no denying it would be so easy to love Nate Malone.
He pulled to the curb in front of the elementary school and turned off the engine. “Thanks for coming with me today. I…” He stared at the dashboard. “I think Maggie will love you.”
Hearing him say the word set off a million butterflies in her stomach. Oh shit. Maybe she was further gone than she wanted to admit.
“Thanks for inviting me along,” she said.
She got out and walked into the office with him. When he approached the desk, the receptionist grinned up at him and played with her hair. “May I help you?”
Mel smiled watching the flirtation unfold. Nate saw his scars, but women saw a chiseled detective with eyes that could melt you where you stood.
“I’m here for Maggie Keen.”
The receptionist finally noticed Mel and toned down her smile a notch. “You must be her parents. Are you here to tell the class about your job?”
He didn’t bother to respond to the first part. “Yes. Do we need badges?”
She pointed to a clipboard. “Sign in here, please. Both of you.”
While they filled out the sheet, the receptionist wrote up two stickers that read MAGGIE KEEN. She offered one to each of them. “Put these on. She’s in room twenty—down the hallway and to the right.”
They stuck the badges on their shirts and headed for the classroom. Nate stopped outside the door. “Can you wait out here for a second?”
Mel nodded; worried she’d made a bad decision agreeing to come along.
He squeezed her hand. “I’ll be right back.”
True to his word, he came back, a little girl with a head of strawberry-blonde curls in tow. She gazed up at Mel but didn’t say anything. Nate cleared his throat. “Maggie, this is Mel. I invited her to come with me today so she could meet you.”
Mel knelt down, eye level with the girl, and held out her hand. “Great to meet you, Maggie.”
The little one looked up at Nate and back to Mel. She finally took her hand. “Mel is a boy’s name.”
Mel chuckled. “It’s really Melanie, but my friends call me Mel.”
“Maybe we can be friends…?” Maggie’s voice was still tentative.
“I’d like that.” Mel resisted the urge to hug this little girl who had seen too much tragedy in her few years. “I saw your artwork at Nate’s house. You draw much better than I do.”
Maggie flashed a smile, and the gap-toothed joy made Mel grin. “Thanks. I like drawing.”
“Do you mind if I come in while Nate talks?”
Maggie’s eyes sparkled. “You can sit with me.”
Mel straightened, her gaze locking on Nate’s. He smiled at her, but it was somehow different. Tender? She swallowed hard.
Maggie let go of Nate and took Mel’s hand instead. “Come on. I’ll show you my desk.”
Nate mouthed Thank you as she passed by with Maggie, and he followed them inside.
The teacher stood behind her desk. “Okay, everyone, come find a seat on the carpet up here. Maggie has brought her…”
“Uncle Nate,” Maggie announced formally. “He’s a police detective.”
The class came to life, racing to the carpet. Maggie tugged Mel after her. They found a spot, but Mel noticed that none of the other kids sat near them. As a teacher herself, it was easy to read their behavior. Maggie didn’t have any real friends here.
Nate started talking, and all the chatter faded away. He told them about his job helping people and solving crimes. He never pulled his gun free of the holster, but he did take off his badge and let the kids pass it around. When he asked for questions, anxious hands popped up.
He answered the first few, eve
rything from have you shot anyone to does your car have lights on it. Finally, he called on a boy near the back of the carpet.
He looked over at Maggie, his eyes narrowing as he smiled and faced Nate again. “Why didn’t Maggie’s dad come to talk to us?”
Shit. Before Nate could come up with an answer that didn’t include her dad being in prison, Mel leaned forward, staring down the kid. “Maggie’s got so many people who love her that when her dad couldn’t come, we all arm wrestled to see who would get to come to her class. Uncle Nate won.”
The class giggled, tension released, and best of all, Maggie grinned. Mel was a damn miracle.
The bell rang, and the kids raced to collect backpacks and homework. He walked over and offered Mel a hand. He pulled her to her feet. “You were amazing. Thanks.”
She shook her head. “I work with kids. I’m used to shutting down the ones who think they’re better than everyone else. Sad to see it starts so early.”
He nodded, keeping an eye on Maggie. “I had to call in a couple favors to get her into this school. She’s only been here a few weeks.”
“Time to have a barbeque at the park and invite some nice kids,” Mel said.
He raised a brow. “It’s not her birthday.”
“You don’t have to wait for a birthday to make some new friends.” She chuckled.
Maggie ran over with her FBI Training Academy backpack on her shoulders. “Thanks for coming to my class, Uncle Nate!”
“I wouldn’t have missed it.” He scooped her up, making her squeal with giggles. “Ready for ice cream?”
“Yes!” He set her down, and she grinned up at Mel. “Will you come with us, Mel?”
“I’d love to.”
Maggie raced ahead of them, and Nate caught Mel’s hand, his fingers lacing with hers. She smiled up at him. “Thanks for introducing me. Maggie’s a sweet kid.”
My Paranormal Valentine: A Paranormal Romance Box Set Page 103
