Deceive Her With Desire (11 page)

“You are tight, baby. You feel so good.” He pushed into her only twice more before pulling free and wrapping his hand around his slick cock. He pumped himself through his fist, releasing a feral growl with the orgasm convulsing through him. His seed shot onto her belly in silken ropes as ecstasy rocketed over his muscles and nerves.

Deirdre watched Austin ejaculate on her torso. His face pinched in ecstasy, his voice hoarse as the rumble of pleasure thundered out of him. He milked himself dry before falling on the stairs next to her.

Retrieving his boxers, he gently cleaned the mess on both of them.

“Why’d you do that?” Deirdre shouldn’t ask, but she wondered if something about her repulsed Austin. Even in her limited experience with the opposite sex, no man had ever done that before. She didn’t know if she was turned on or hurt.

“Deirdre, it was too quick. I couldn’t wait to get you upstairs to get protection.” Austin smiled impishly. “Trust me, it’s not what I really wanted to do, but I didn’t want to presume anything about your birth control.” He leaned over, his lips softly brushing hers, the kiss so tender it brought a lump to her throat. “You said it’s been a couple months since you’ve been with someone. I just didn’t know, so I took the safe way out.”

She wrapped her arms around him, kissing him with a loud smack on the lips. Her heart tripped over itself, pleased he’d been thinking about her.

“I think we should take this party upstairs and try this all over again, a little slower,” she said. His cock quivered against her thigh.

Austin stood, pulling her with him. Her pants and underwear were caught around one ankle, her breasts hung below the cotton bra. She knew her hair was mussed where Austin had raked his fingers through it. She smelled of their mingled sweat, her own arousal, and the musky odor of Austin’s ejaculate. Deirdre felt wanton and sexy as hell.

He pulled the bra over her head, dropping it on the stairs where she’d kicked over her pants.
“Much better.”
He dipped his head to suck on one of her nipples as he cupped the other breast. “Damn, you taste good, woman. You’d best move, or we’re going to have a repeat performance right here.” He turned her around, pressing gently on her shoulders. “Since you know the way, why don’t you go first? I like the view from back here.”

Deirdre sashayed up the stairs, imagining how he saw her from behind. Moisture dampened her thighs at the thought of his eyes on her. As if reading her mind, Austin moaned and nipped her ass. She was beginning to enjoy his company more than she would’ve imagined.

At the top of the stairs, he scooped her into his arms, carrying her into the bedroom they’d shared, when was that? Two days ago? After all she’d been through today, it seemed longer, and yet at the same time, after what they’d just done, it felt as if this was simply a continuation of their night together.

“Deirdre, all I’ve thought about in the last two days is having you in my bed again.” He stopped just inside the door of the bedroom and released her legs. She slid down his torso. “I was disappointed to wake and find you gone.”

“I thought you wanted some uncomplicated sex. And I thought that’s what I wanted too.” Shyness washed over her. Deirdre couldn’t stand the hurt she saw in his eyes, and she dropped her gaze to her fingers playing in the soft tufts of hair on his chest.

“But?”
He bent to look into her eyes.

“But when you acted like you didn’t know me at Shawn’s house today, it started eating me up. It hurt actually.” She lifted a shoulder. “It’s not like you owed me anything. I was a real shit leaving the way I did.”

Austin opened the bureau drawer next to him. He pulled out the black lace thong and held it to his face breathing deeply. “You’re all I’ve thought about for two days, Deirdre.” His cock tapped against her belly, hard and ready. “I was surprised as hell to see you in Jameson’s garage. I didn’t know you were the one wielding the chainsaw in the tree. I thought you were more than his landscaper.”

“I told you I never met the man.”

“Tonight, you told me that. But it does beg the question as to why he came to your rescue at the police station.”

His accusatory tone dropped a cold curtain over her simmering libido. Deirdre stepped away from him. “I haven’t any idea why he was there. I don’t know how the hell he found out about the arrest!” Her voice pitched higher with each sentence. “I sure as hell didn’t call him. Not much of
a way to impress a new client, having them bail
you out of jail for heroin possession.”

“Deirdre, I didn’t mean to imply…” He reached for her, but she yanked her arm out of his grasp.

“No, you know what. Let’s forget this whole thing. We’ve got too much baggage to make anything worth our time here. Thanks for the fuck. Not bad for a
guy
.” She started to storm from the room, intent on going home, but he grabbed her arm and turned her back to face him.

Anger and confusion made deep lines on his face. “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

The hurt pressed like hot coal in her throat, and tears stung her eyes.
“Just that.
Great sex.
No strings. Thanks for dinner. Adios.”

“No, the remark about the
guy
thing.”

“My ex-lover was a woman. I haven’t been with a man in a long while. Probably won’t make this mistake again.”

Austin’s brows furrowed, but he said nothing.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.
Too much baggage, Austin.”
She stalked down the hall.

“I don’t think so, Deirdre.” He stormed after her, spinning her so fast she fell against his chest. “I don’t see how your ex has anything to do with this.” His hands fisted in her hair, his mouth crushing down on hers. Austin’s tongue ran along the seam of her lips, begging her to open for him. She tried to resist, but he changed the angle and assaulted her mouth with a hunger that weakened her knees.

She snaked her arms around him, grabbing his ass, kneading the muscles, pulling him tighter to her body. His erection pushed against her belly. She wanted him as badly as he seemed to want her.

He pulled back, his heavy lids shadowing eyes dark with desire. “You can’t tell me you don’t feel anything for me, Deirdre.” His nostrils flared, and she knew he could smell the arousal on her thighs.

Damn, he could make her wet.

“We’re good together,” he said, the words deep and husky. “Don’t leave tonight. Stay and let me prove to you how much I’m beginning to care for you. Don’t run from this.” He lifted his elbows, his gaze sweeping hotly over her face.

“I don’t know what I can give you, Austin.”

“Give me tonight, Deirdre.” He leaned over and licked the shell of her ear.
“Just tonight.”

Deirdre lay staring at the sliver of moonlight moving slowly across the ceiling.

Austin’s body was tangled with hers. His hand possessively cradled her breast, his leg thrown over her thighs as if he needed to hold her captive. She’d decided a while ago, as his breathing slowed to a gentle rhythm, she had no desire to go skulking into the darkness. She liked the solid feeling of his body pressed pleasantly against her.

What kind of a mess was she getting herself into though? He was a business
man
from
away
. Two problems rolled into one incredibly sexy package.

But Austin wasn’t her only problem.

Thinking about the consequences of the drug arrest was actually the reason she was still awake. Sleep was a fickle creature, meant only for those with a clear conscience. Hers was filled with uncertainty and apprehension. She hadn’t done anything illegal, but still felt incredibly guilty. Perhaps it had something to do with the expression of doubt that seemed to shadow Austin’s face every time they talked about Shawn and the drugs.

Deirdre couldn’t help question what this meant to her life. Surely she’d lose the Jameson job and all the money that went with it. And when the rumors churned through the gossip mill in Delmont, as they inevitably would, the townspeople wouldn’t be hiring her to do their landscaping jobs either.

Hell, her arrest would probably even affect the family business. All of Tilling Gardens and Plants, including Meghan’s floral business and Julie’s accounting clients, might walk away. Even when she was proven innocent, the school board wouldn’t allow Mark to continue having his students work for her. The whole thing was a
friggin
’ time bomb, and when the smoke cleared, Deirdre was beginning to wonder if there’d be enough pieces to pull her life back together.

She’d called Rachel from the bedroom extension sometime after they’d eaten the reheated spaghetti and before the steamy sex in the shower. But for the life of her, she had no idea what she’d said to her best friend. Austin’s tongue had been in her ear and his fingers working magic on her clitoris. She’d rushed off the line just before the orgasm had slammed into her.

The clock on the nightstand read 2:14. Her body was pleasantly sore in a way it had never ached before. Maybe she should work Austin into another frenzied pitch and see if he could take her mind off the problems looming in the darkness.

The muffled sound of music wafted up the stairs. It took her a moment to identify the ring tone of her cell phone.

It stopped momentarily, but began again almost immediately. Who could be trying to reach her at this hour? And why were they being so persistent? She tried to slip out of bed without rousing Austin, but he came instantly awake the second time the phone released its melodic tune.

“Who’s calling?”

“It’s my phone on the stairs. I have no idea. Let me find out.”

“No, don’t go. They’ll leave a voice mail.” The ringing stopped and started again.

“That’s the third time. Let me get it.”

Deirdre extricated herself and ran down the hall, bumping down the stairs, fumbling in the dark toward the ominous sound. Her stomach did a somersault as she rifled through her pants, searching for the pocket in the mass of material. She gasped when she saw the number illuminated on the phone’s display screen.

“Meghan, what’s wrong?” Her sisters never depended on her for anything. Only a life or death situation could have her tracking down Deirdre in the middle of the night.

“Dee,
it’s
Daddy.”

“Is he…he…” A sob escaped. Her stomach went cold and her legs turned to mush beneath her, dropping her hard onto the stairs. She couldn’t finish the question. She didn’t want to know the truth. She loved her father too much to lose him now. Austin pushed past her, dropping to his knees in front of Deirdre, his hands rubbing her thighs.

“I think it’s his heart.” Meghan talked through her tears. “Mum called an ambulance. They’re headed to the hospital now. Peter and I are leaving now. We’ll meet you there.”

Deirdre’s heart sank as the line went dead.

“Deirdre?”
Austin brushed the hair from her face.

“Daddy’s in the hospital. He’s…” Fear clogged her throat.

“Get dressed. I’ll have you back in Delmont in less than thirty minutes.”

* * * *

 
Deirdre jumped out of the Jag before Austin had a chance to put it in park. The emergency entrance of the Delmont Hospital glowed eerily in the dark of the night. The sulfur street lamps cast an ominous orange hue over the scene. She’d been in this nightmare before.

Not waiting for Austin, Deirdre sprinted the short distance across the nearly empty parking lot, wanting only to get inside and find her father. Austin had made the drive from Cutler in less than twenty minutes. Still, it had seemed like an eternity for them to reach their destination.

Deirdre hoped she wasn’t too late. Meghan had shut off her phone, and they’d had no communication since she’d talked to her sister in the stairwell at Austin’s condo.
Another heart attack.
She prayed her father’s weakened body could survive the trauma.

“Where’s my father?” she said to the receptionist before the pneumatic doors hissed closed behind her.

“Deirdre.”
The petite blonde at the emergency room receptionist desk stood abruptly, dropping the romance novel she’d been reading. Everyone in Delmont knew the
Tillings
. “He’s been taken up to ICU. Your family’s already up there. We’re all saying prayers for him,” she yelled at Deirdre’s retreating back.

Deirdre absently acknowledged the woman over her shoulder and sprinted toward the stairwell. The elevator to the third floor would be too slow. She took the stairs two at a time, Austin’s feet pounding on the rubber treads right behind her.

She’d talked non-stop since climbing into the car, nonsensical ramblings about her childhood and her sisters. Austin seemed to understand her need to focus on her family. He hadn’t commented, only forced the Jag along the twisting back roads at reckless speeds. Her heart was as heavy as the darkness that shrouded the car. Hope glowed weakly like the dashboard lights. But it was all she had to hold onto—hope and her family.

She burst through the door on the third floor and ran the short distance through the familiar hallway to the ICU. She detested hospitals. The smell of disinfectant nearly made her retch, but she swallowed down the bile with the fear clawing at her throat. Austin ran into her back when she turned the corner and stopped abruptly.