Harlequin Romantic Suspense December 2020 Box Set

by Addison Fox, Cindy Dees, Justine Davis

  No, instead they’d blunted his ability to think three steps ahead of himself.

  That was where he now found himself, healing with all the comfort of a riled grizzly while sporting a near constant erection.

  It hadn’t been this bad at his house. Maybe because she’d hid out much of the time in the guest room? Or maybe because her family had dropped in several times, effectively diminishing his more lustful thoughts about their baby sister?

  Who knew?

  All he did know was that after three days his side hurt like a beast, the stitches itchy as they healed, and Sadie Colton flitted around his cabin like his own personal angel of mercy.

  She made his breakfast.

  She refilled his coffee.

  She plumped his pillows.

  And all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her, drag her down onto the old lumpy couch and make love to her until both of their eyes crossed. His desire was so great he’d even gotten over feeling embarrassed he had condoms in his gym bag. It was an oddly hopeful purchase he’d had no reason to make doing last month’s shopping, yet had anyway.

  Hopeful and now a taunting reminder from his worn-out GRPD duffel.

  Tripp groaned at the injustice of it all.

  “Tripp? Are you okay?” Sadie turned from where she stood at the kitchen counter, concern written across her face.

  “I’m fine.”

  “You sounded like you were in pain.”

  “No.” Unclenching his teeth, he tried to come up with something plausible. “I just moved the wrong way.”

  “Are your stitches okay?”

  “I’m fine, Sadie.”

  The words came out sharper than he’d intended, but really, what was a man to do? Her light and sweetness and, hell, just her, was slowly driving him mad.

  The computer Tripp had settled on the coffee table rang, an incoming video call lighting up the screen. He tapped the button to answer it. Literally saved by the bell. “McKellar here.”

  As the video came up, he saw several of his team members in one of the GRPD meeting rooms. Riley was also visible in the shot, along with Ashanti Silver.

  “Looks like a full house,” Tripp drawled.

  “You better believe it, McKellar.” His chief started right in. “We’ve got a lead on Matthews.”

  Sadie entered the living room, coming fully into view on screen. “Chief Fox. How are you?”

  “Sadie. Good to see you.”

  “You, as well. Please tell us you’re calling with some good news.”

  “You bet we are, little sister,” Riley told her. “Matthews took the bait.”

  Although Tripp wouldn’t go all the way to admitting to skepticism, he had definitely had his concerns that the honeypot plan to capture Wes Matthews wasn’t going to pay dividends. Not because it was a bad idea, but because the notion that Matthews could still think about sex in the midst of his pyramid scheme going bad seemed like an impossible stretch.

  Clearly, he’d underestimated the male libido.

  Not that his was doing him any favors.

  “Tell us what you’ve got.”

  Ashanti took over the video call, using the sharing feature to run through the most recent emails her “character” had shared with Matthews. A few of the images were quite graphic and Tripp couldn’t help but side-eye Sadie.

  To her credit, she was completely focused on the discussion. A true professional, all while that very libido Tripp was so busy condemning in Matthews was distracting him with Sadie.

  “But the best was the conversation we had last night.” The images on the screen fell off as the GRPD meeting room once again came into view. And then Ashanti played the recording of her call with Matthews.

  Tripp listened as they talked of deals and investments and some money Ashanti’s “character” wanted to invest. She purred a little, letting off the throttle when the discussion of investments shifted toward a face-to-face meeting.

  “I don’t believe he fell for this,” Sadie said to Tripp, but added under her breath and low enough it didn’t interrupt the replay, “But Abigail said it would work and she was right. She even suggested they pepper in big words and reference a few old movies that he loves. Listen to how smoothly Ashanti slid all of that in there. He’s putty in her hands.”

  Matthews certainly was, Tripp thought to himself. He remained quiet, listening to the rest of the recording before interjecting. “Has he committed to a meeting yet?”

  “Not yet,” Ashanti said. “I think I’ll get him on the next call, though.”

  “Do we still think he’s in the Bahamas?” Tripp asked.

  “That’s still the latest intel from the Bureau,” Chief Fox affirmed. “They’ve worked well with us on this and Agent Winston has played more than fair with me.”

  Tripp suspected that might have something to do with how well Kiely was working with her new fiancé, but who wanted to quibble? While he understood the situations that often dictated one side or the other to behave territorially, they were all after the same end goal. And Tripp had had little time or acceptance in his career for the politics that often existed between the Feds and the local government.

  Part of why he’d always respected Cooper Winston was his willingness to do the same.

  Taking down Capital X and Wes Matthews needed to be priority number one. It was good to know that everyone collectively felt that way.

  As if reading his thoughts, Fox added, “Sadie, your sister Kiely has been a huge help on this, too.”

  “Thank you, sir. She wants to see this wrapped up, just like we all do.”

  “Without question.” Fox changed gears, his next question deftly shining a spotlight directly on Tripp. “How are you feeling, McKellar? Healing up well?”

  “Yes, sir. Feeling good as new.”

  “You keep telling yourself that,” Chief Fox chuckled.

  In minutes, the call had ended, Tripp’s computer screen once again dark.

  “That is encouraging news,” Sadie said. “I really wasn’t sure this was going to work. But it’s so weird, it’s just like Abigail said. Her father is highly susceptible to this approach.” She shook her head before gesturing in the direction of the now dark computer screen. “I didn’t want to believe it but it’s hard to deny that sort of response.”

  “It’s hardly a surprise.”

  Sadie stood and had only taken a few steps toward the kitchen when she stopped, cocking a hand on her hip. “What’s not a surprise?”

  “Men. Their egos. And body parts farther south. It’s a cliché for a reason.”

  “Maybe,” she said and shrugged. “I guess I wanted to give him a little more credit, though. I may hate his criminal line of work, but the guy did work hard to build up his pyramid scheme. Seems like an awful big waste to lose it all just because he couldn’t keep it in his pants.”

  “That’s still to be seen.”

  “I suppose.”

  Tripp continued, all that lingering frustration still roiling in his gut. “Besides, guys like him? Like Greer? They all think they’re above getting caught.”

  “Are you okay? Your voice sounds strange.”

  Was he okay? Up until a few days ago, he would’ve said he was fine. More than fine. And then Sadie Colton had come into his life like a hurricane.

  Yes, he had been attracted to her before. But it was hard to believe how quickly that slow burn had turned into an inferno.

  “I’m fine.”

  “You keep saying that, and yet each time you do, I’m finding I believe you less and less.”

  “What do you want me to tell you?”

  “The truth.”

  What did she want him to tell her? That he cared about her? That he suspected he felt more strongly toward her than he should or than he ever wanted to feel for another human being ev
er again?

  Or maybe she wanted him to tell her how she decimated his willpower with the barest glance.

  Perhaps what she really wanted to know was that she was in his blood and, no matter how much distance he put between them or how many times he told himself he couldn’t touch her, they were racing toward some sort of inevitable cliff.

  And it would take barely a glance to push him straight over the edge.

  “At the risk of paraphrasing a movie line, I’m not sure you can handle this truth.”

  Whatever patience she was hanging on to vanished in an instant. “You have some nerve, treating me like my ideas have no place here, with this surly dismissal. This was your idea, may I remind you. Your idea to come sit here and hide out from Tate Greer.”

  “I know.”

  “So why are you acting like this? We just got some good news. Hell, great news.” She heaved out a heavy breath. “And all you can do is sit there being an ass about it all.”

  “I’m not—” He got to his feet, the tug of pain in his side nothing compared to the desperate need that twisted and churned inside him. “You know what, I’m not doing this.”

  “Doing what, Tripp?”

  He was nearly out of the room when her question stopped him. The confusion, yes, but something else.

  The hurt.

  And with that small note of hurt something inside him broke wide open. His resistance vanished and, with it, any and all ability to stay away from her.

  He pivoted, marched straight back to her and pulled her into his arms. One minute they were on opposite sides and the next she was right in the moment with him, her mouth fused to his, kissing him back like her very life depended on it.

  It was what he’d wanted. What he’d yearned for.

  And as his hand slid down her back to settle on her hip, Tripp finally quit fighting it.

  * * *

  Finally.

  That lone word rang over and over in her mind as Sadie held on to Tripp.

  How long had she wanted this? Wanted him?

  There had been times when it had felt like forever. She knew she’d been someone before the day, as a rookie, that she’d been introduced to Tripp. But so often she’d forgotten what life had been like before she’d met him. Before she’d lived with the reassuring knowledge that there was someone in the world as good and decent and honorable as Tripp McKellar.

  And hot, her subconscious reminded her as Tripp deepened the kiss further. Never forget wildly attractive and hot. Because to her, Tripp was the perfect man.

  “Sadie,” he whispered against her lips.

  She ignored it, especially since most of what had come out of that lush frame in the form of words over the past hour had only served to annoy her. She much preferred what they were doing now.

  Maybe if they stayed like this, mouths fused, they could get past whatever irritation had somehow found its way beneath his skin.

  “Sadie.” He said her name more firmly before matching the words with a fixed hold on her shoulder, stilling her.

  “What?”

  “We shouldn’t—”

  She lifted a finger and pressed it against the lips that had so recently ravaged her own.

  “If you say we shouldn’t do this, I’m going to slug you. And I have two brothers, so don’t think I don’t know how to deliver a rock-solid punch. Both because they taught me how and because I’ve used it on each of them with considerable effectiveness.”

  “But we—”

  She pressed harder. “No. I’m sick of excuses for why this is a bad idea.”

  He shifted one hand from her shoulder, capturing her finger in his. “Would you listen to me?”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m trying to be responsible here. You’re here in my home at my insistence. And I’m your boss. And less than five minutes ago we were on a work call with the chief of the Grand Rapids Police Department. And your brother,” he added in what felt like a low-blow afterthought.

  “I’m not sure what my brother or, come to think of it, the chief, has to do with us having sex.”

  “Who said we’re having sex?”

  “I did. And I want to. Unless you don’t want to.”

  “Sadie—”

  “Yes or no, Tripp. I’m not interested in any other answer you can possibly come up with. That goes for excuses, too. Or any other half-baked reason that comes out of those impressively creative lips of yours. It’s a question with a binary answer.”

  “‘Impressively creative’?” A lone eyebrow quirked over those endless pools of blue.

  “Yes.”

  “We shouldn’t do this. And those reasons you’re brushing off so easily are actually real reasons.”

  The light of battle was no longer reflected in his eyes. Instead, all Sadie saw was a very real, impossible-to-ignore vulnerability. And she understood it, because in that blue gaze she saw herself.

  “I want you, Tripp. Right here, right now. I don’t care what comes after this time. Or what might happen once we’re back in the office. We’re two adults. And I’ve known you long enough to know that if we make love, you won’t hold it against me at work.”

  “But I—” He stopped, his gaze never leaving hers. “Yes or no, right?”

  “That’s it, Tripp. Yes or no.” She kept her hands on his shoulders, but otherwise remained still. And in the waiting, recognized he needed the same from her. “My answer is yes.”

  He looked down at her for one inscrutable minute and she waited, not even daring to breathe. He wanted her. She knew that. Recognized the same need she felt in herself for him.

  But still, she waited.

  Because whatever held him back went far deeper than worrying about work. Or a boss/employee relationship that barely held water as an argument since Tripp had minimal, if any, sway over the CSI team.

  No. This was something more. Something that went far deeper than desire between a man and a woman. Something she’d sensed in him for so long. Something deeply felt that held him back.

  “Yes.”

  That word was practically a growl, guttural with need, as he pulled her close. His mouth closed over hers and Sadie thrilled to the heat that rose once more between them. Pressing herself against him, delighting in the hard lines of his body and how they complemented the far softer lines of hers, she put everything she was into the kiss.

  Into her yes.

  The couch that had been his work space for the past few days suddenly seemed as good a choice as any, the two bedrooms they’d each been occupying down the hall much too far to walk.

  She was done with waiting.

  She wanted him here. Now. And there was no more time to lose.

  The clothes they wore—his well-used gym gear sporting GRPD labels from a bag in his trunk and hers, more loaners from her sisters—vanished in moments, falling to the side of the couch with gentle thuds as one piece followed the next. With a soft sigh, she pressed her now naked chest to his, the heat of his skin warming her despite the cold that howled outside the door.

  Her breasts ached for his touch, her nipples sensitive points where they rubbed against the coarse hair of his chest. Sadie ran her hands over it, that male covering tapering to a narrow line just below his stomach. She was careful to avoid the bandage that covered his healing stitches, instead following that line of hair where it trailed to something even more male, more impressive. And as her hand closed over the firm length of him, Tripp exhaled heavily against her lips.

  “Sadie.”

  The heat of him branded her, hot and hard and pulsing with life in her palm. She moved then, tentative stroking motions from base to tip, growing bolder when his breath grew more ragged, his hold on her tighter.

  Without breaking that steady pressure, Sadie continued the sweet battle between them. His hands roamed over he
r body, drawing sensations as his thumbs brushed her nipples before both hands fully cupped her breasts. She stilled briefly, her chest arching into his hands as her head fell back, his ministrations shooting molten need to her core. It was only as he grew bolder, the press of his own hands more urgent, that she resumed those steady strokes.

  “Wait.”

  He nearly stumbled as he stepped away, cursing as he crossed the room. Although she immediately missed his touch, she could hardly argue with the sight of his taut butt and muscled back and thighs as he crossed the room to his gym bag. “What are you—” She stopped as she recognized the box he came up with after digging deeply in the bag, another round of curses bulleting from his lips.

  A giggle started deep in her belly, rumbling to life as he stomped back to her. His face still bore the unmistakable signs of sexual tension, which only served to make her laugh harder.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You.” His mouth dropped as he caught sight of her, but she rushed on. “The cursing and that petulant little frown is too cute for words.”

  “Cute wasn’t quite the look I was going for.”

  She reached for the box, digging out a condom and tossing the container onto the coffee table as he continued to stare down at her. She tore the foil before looking up at him from beneath her lashes. “Ruggedly handsome work better?”

  “Much.”

  “Then sit that ruggedly handsome yet still-healing body down on that couch and let me get to work.”

  The surly look vanished as he took a seat. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Sadie settled herself over his lap, straddling his thighs with her own. “Did you just ‘ma’am’ me?”

  “I’m afraid I did.” He rubbed his thumbs over her nipples once more as he nipped kisses along her jaw. “Ma’am.”

  “You’re going to pay, McKellar.” She unrolled the condom over him, with deliberate, agonizing slowness, amazed that sex could be as much about laughter and fun as it was about pleasure.

  And as she centered herself over his sheathed body and began to move, Sadie realized something else.

  Sex was also about joy. And fun. And, as her pleasure crested, unleashing wave after wave of sensation through her body, she knew it for love.