His Obsession Next Door (In the Line of Duty) (7 page)

Keeping to the shadows, she watched him exit the room and a shiver moved through her. She’d never seen him so edgy, so intense before. After he left she stood there, barely able to breathe, let alone comprehend what had just happened. Douglas came back to her and his voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Is everything okay, Gemma?”

“I…uh…you’re going to have to excuse me, Douglas. Something has come up.” Okay, it wasn’t entirely true, but it wasn’t a lie, either.

“Is there anything I can do?”

“Please tell your folks I enjoyed speaking with them tonight and I appreciate all their support, but I have to run and will catch up with them again later.” He nodded and she excused herself. She grabbed her clutch off the table and forced her legs to carry her out the door. She left the ballroom and when she rounded the corner, she found an agitated Cole waiting for her. Her heart leaped and she wondered how she’d ever keep this thing between them casual. Dark eyes locked on hers and her entire body quivered, coming alive with anticipation. She drew a breath to center herself, determined to simply enjoy the physical pleasures between them. Cole had made it perfectly clear he had nothing more to offer.

They moved toward each other and he put his hand on the small of her back to usher her to the elevator. He jabbed the button and then his hand captured hers. As his large, rough palm swallowed hers whole, the sheer strength of his grip and the powerfulness behind it didn’t go unnoticed. The second the doors opened he guided her in. She stole a glance at his face and resisted the urge to pinch herself. Was this really happening? Excited by the prospect and eager to finally experience his brand of lovemaking, her blood began pulsing, wet heat flooding her sex.

“Which floor?”

“Nine,” she managed to get out, trying not to sound as breathless as she felt.

He pressed the button as her phone started ringing. When she reached for her clutch, Cole stopped her.

“Ignore it,” he said, the impatience in his voice filling her with a new kind of excitement.

A few seconds later the elevator stopped and Cole held his hand out. “Give me your key.”

She dug into her purse and handed him the keycard. He looked at the room number and glanced up and down the hall to gather his bearings. With determined steps he guided her down the passageway. Once they reached her door, he slid the key into the lock, stepped inside and dragged her in with him.

The sound of the lock clicking into place sent shivers of need racing through her. Catching her by surprise, Cole backed her up against the door. He pressed his hands on either side of her head, caging her in place. Dark, intense eyes stared down at her and she was sure she was going to climax just from the hungry way he was looking at her.

“Cole…” Her heart thumped wildly as she waited for him to say something, to do something. He looked at her mouth. She parted her lips, aching for him to kiss her. When he didn’t, she wondered what he was thinking, what was going on inside that head of his.

Before she could ask, he eased away. Silence hung heavy as he put a measure of distance between them. His chest rose and fell erratically, his gaze never leaving hers as he drew in a ragged breath and continued to inch toward the bed until the back of his legs hit the mattress.

At the foot of the bed she noticed a complimentary bottle of champagne chilling in a stainless steel bucket, and a bowl of strawberries next to it.

“It’s just sex, right?” he asked, his tight voice drawing her attention back to him. “A onetime thing?”

“Two people scratching an itch,” she assured him. “No promises, no regrets.”

Heat moved into his eyes and his nostrils flared. “Then come here.”

Her nipples tightened painfully as she dropped her purse and took three steps across the room, until she stood before him. Her body ached with the need to feel his hands on her flesh, his lips on her mouth, his cock deep inside of her. He slipped his hands around her waist and her skin came alive. She arched into him, the heat from his hard body fueling the need inside her.

“You look beautiful in this dress.” As he fingered the material, his hands scraping her skin, his hot touch sent shockwaves rocketing through her. “But I bet you look even more beautiful out of it.” She caught the raw ache of lust in his glance as skilled fingers gripped the zipper at the top back of her dress. He slowly drew it down her spine until he reached the small of her back. “Take if off. Now.”

He stepped back as her dress fell off one shoulder. When he grabbed a strawberry and popped it between his teeth, the juice wetting his mouth, her chest heaved and her entire body went up in a burst of flames. Good God, she’d never been so aroused before, so hot for it. Then again, she’d never been with a guy like Cole before.

Excitement coiled through her as she shimmied out of her dress and watched the way his throat worked when she removed her shoes. She unhooked her bra and he licked the strawberry juice from his lips as she released her breasts, freeing them from their confines. With her nipples puckered, eager to feel his hot, wet mouth wrapped around them, she reached for her panties. The slow shake of his head stopped her.

There was a dangerous gleam in his eyes as he grabbed another strawberry and moved closer. He brushed the berry over her lips, then ran it over her throat and between her breasts, going lower and lower until he reached her pelvis. With his other hand, he gripped the thin lace of her panties. His mouth crashed down on hers in a kiss fueled by dark passion as he curled the band through his fingers. A quick tug later, he tore the scrap of material from her hips. His mouth swallowed her gasp of surprise.

He stuffed them into his pocket like they were some sort of souvenir. Perhaps they were a token to remember this night because not only would it be their first, it would also be their last. With his attention back on her, he popped the strawberry into her mouth. He pushed the blankets to the foot of the bed, then gathered her into his arms before he gently tossed her onto the mattress.

“Open your legs and show me how hot you are for it.”

She swallowed the sweet berry and a whimper escaped her lips as she inched her legs open. The light from the night stand lamp glistening on her nether lips, letting him know how much she wanted him. His nostrils flared and he gripped her thighs to urge them farther apart. He spent a long time looking at her nakedness, his eyes savoring the sight of her. She quivered beneath the intensity of his glare, needing him on top of her, inside her, more than she needed her next breath.

“Cole,” she said, surprised to find her voice still functioning. She arched her hips, her body conveying what she wanted as she reached for him.

“What?”

“Please,” she said, not above begging.

His hand went to his jacket and he shrugged it off his shoulders. “Is this what you want, Gems?”

“Yes,” she murmured. “I want you naked.”

He kicked off his shoes and the next thing to go was the tie and shirt. He folded them neatly and placed them on the bureau. Gemma took that time to admire his body. Even though he had been hard and built in his youth, his young body was nothing compared to the man standing before her today. Her skin moistened all over, her fingers itching to stroke his rippling muscles as he turned back to her.

She pointed to his pants. “Keep going,” she managed.

His eyes flared hot at her boldness. “You really are a bad girl at heart, aren’t you?”

Her body pulsed, the heat between them tremendous as his hands went to his zipper. Ten seconds later he stood before her stark naked, save for his dog tags. She began trembling from head to toe, never having seen such a perfect male specimen before. Lacking modesty, he moved closer and sexual energy leapt between them, threatening to burn everything standing in their path.

A low growl of longing sounded in his throat as he knelt on the mattress and climbed up her body. He settled on top of her and she relished the weight of his hardness pressing her into the soft mattress. His mouth closed over hers, and when she tasted the sweet flavor of champagne and strawberries on his tongue, she whimpered in erotic delight. The sound seemed to urge him on. He deepened the kiss, his tongue slashing urgently against hers.

Their tongues tangled, their lips moving with purpose, everything in their kisses deep, sensual, hungry. A long while later, her bruised lips thoroughly kissed, he abandoned her mouth. His hands trailed her contours as he urgently acquainted himself with her body. He stroked her, gauging her reactions to his caresses. Everything in his touch was intensely intimate and highly erotic as he physically introduced himself to her.

Her sex moistened and as the scent of her arousal saturated the room, he slid lower. He buried his face in the sensitive crook of her neck before traveling to her breasts. He pulled one nipple into his mouth. She cried out in pure ecstasy as he nipped and nibbled, then swiped the soft blade of his tongue over her engorged bud to ease the delicious sting left behind.

Thorough lover that he was, he paid homage to her other breast before beginning a downward descent. His lips trailed over her quivering flesh. Everywhere he touched he left a trail of fire that threatened to burn her from the inside out.

When he reached the apex of her legs, he gripped her thighs. As she lay there, completely exposed to him, her breath came quicker, and she became completely aware of the dangerous storm building inside her.

“Gemma,” he growled, his heat reaching out to her and firing her senses in ways that almost frightened her. “You’re fucking beautiful.” She slid her fingers through his hair. When he lifted his eyes to see her, something potent passed between them, something that instantly brought them to a deeper, more meaningful level of intimacy.

Her body shuddered and she became completely pliable in his arms when he dropped his gaze back to her sex. He ran the soft blade of his tongue over one thigh. His hot breath scorched her skin and the air ripped from her lungs as his mouth came perilously close to the hungry little spot that needed him most.

He brushed his thumb over her quivering sex and his voice sounded broken, fractured when he said, “You’re so wet, baby, and I haven’t even touched you.”

The heat in his eyes licked over her and, as sparks shot through her body, she nearly lost it then and there. “Cole, please,” she said, barely able to keep a coherent thought as the man of her dreams took her to places she’d never been before.

He gripped her legs and spread them wide. “Is this what you want, sweetheart?”

Knowing her voice would only fail her, she gave an eager nod. A moment later he buried his face between her thighs, entirely in tune with her needs. He drew a deep breath and filled his lungs with her scent before he gave a long, leisurely lick that nearly had her exploding like a round of C4. That first sweet touch of his tongue to her sex had her hips coming off the bed. She began moving, pressing against him, her body seeking what it craved from the man she’d wanted for so long.

As his tongue seared her and he ignited her blood to near boiling, she continued to writhe until one large hand went to her stomach to anchor her back down, taking complete control of the situation, and her body. Damned if his take-charge attitude didn’t excite her.

Good God, there was no denying Cole was as proficient in the bedroom as he was in the field. He clearly knew more about what she wanted than she herself did. As she soaked in his warmth, she handed herself over to him, his to do with as he pleased. Taking control of her pleasures, he continued to feast on her while he pushed a thick finger inside her.

“Cole,” she cried out. A small tremor pulled at her core as he stroked her with expertise, running the rough pad of his finger along the bundle of nerves no man had ever before been able to locate.

As emotions and sensations ripped through her, he pressed his mouth hungrily to her swollen clit, while deep inside his deft finger moved with purpose. Her heart hammered, her entire body going up in a burst of flames. She began panting, needing him to end the sweet torment almost as much as she needed him to continue. Heat reverberated through her blood and she licked her dry lips, the world around her blurring as pleasure forked through her.

“Oh, God, Cole.” Her sex clenched hard around his finger as he proceeded to push her over the edge. Her body pulsed and vibrated with release and Cole stayed between her legs while she rode out every delicious wave of pleasure.

When her tremors finally subsided, he climbed up her body. Her flesh began tingling again when he took full possession of her mouth. He reached between them and gently stroked her wet slit and she knew he was preparing her for his impressive girth.

She moaned as she tasted herself on his lips. His tongue tangled with hers, pillaging with hungry, demanding flicks, and she suspected he was slipping past the point of no return. He groaned deep and a moment later he inched back. As he pulled away from her his tortured glance moved over her face, his entire body tightening.

“Cole?” Fearing she was about to lose him and praying he wasn’t having second thoughts again, her throat constricted and her heart raced like mad. She cupped his face and looked into his dark eyes. “What is it?”

“I want to be inside you, sweetheart.”

Relief moved through her. “I want that too.”

Trembling hands brushed her hair off her cheeks, then slid gently over her bare shoulders. The small, affectionate gesture elicited a shiver from deep within. Her heart squeezed in her too-tight chest. “I don’t suppose you have any condoms.”