Rescuing A Runaway Bride (8 page)

 
“Look at me,” he demanded, squeezing her breast. When her fevered gaze locked with his, he growled, “I’m in control. Do you want it this way?”

“Oh yes, oh yes, please fuck me.”

“Who’s your erotica instructor?” He bent to take a budding nipple into his mouth, drawing it hard into his mouth, nipping at it

 
“You, only you,” she cried out, pushing her breast up into his mouth.

He played with her other nipple, sucking it hard, nipping at it, making her moan and arch against him. Letting it go with a final rough lap of his tongue, he fit his stiff cock to her quivering vagina, and thrust it home. Her hot pussy clamped on to him, making him growl out, “Mine.”

“Oh yes,” she cried, her hips snapping up to meet him.

He gasped as her cunt rippled against his thrusting cock. Ratcheting up on his arms to deepen the impact, he pounded into her again and again, her fevered cries driving him on. His pleasure was building, making his cock jerk inside her. “Come now,” he demanded, and she tightened around him like a vise as he spilled high inside her against her cervix.

She was crying, sobbing, coming, moaning his name and he loved it. He couldn’t help kissing her, stroking her, licking the tears off her face. He rolled to the side, and pulled her to him.

Samantha sagged limply against Jake’s chest, totally drained, listening to his thundering heart as her pulse slowed. She felt thoroughly fucked, and cherished, strange, as it may seem. “That was
¼
”

“Intense,” he suggested.

“Yeah, intense.
You’re making me crazy, you know.”

“Good.”

She smiled against his chest, unable to work up any anger right now. Then she remembered the reason he’d left her. “Who did you go see?”

Jake looked down at her. “How did you know I saw someone?”

She tilted her head back to look into his eyes. He was surprised by the information, and tense, she could feel his body tighten as if for battle.
“Just an educated guess.
You wanted to make sure I didn’t stumble across you. My brother Tad isn’t in tow. So that means you went to see someone.”

 
“Damn, you’re good.”

“Thanks,” she said, warming. “So spill, what happened?”

“They ran down the Ford that sideswiped you. It was stolen, dented, and then abandoned.”

Samantha relaxed at his words. “Ah just some kids screwing around, I’m relieved.” Then she tensed when she thought of who’d brought the news to him.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, skimming a hand down her back.

“Oh my god was it Kathy outside. Does she
know
¼
”

He stilled for a moment then sighed. “Don’t
worry,
your surrender is safe with me. Nobody will ever know.”

Chapter 9

Two hours later, the click of the screen door snapping shut jolted Samantha jolted awake. Even before she sat up and looked around, she knew Jake was gone. The scent of their arousal still hung headily in the air making her smile even though she was sleeping solo. What did he have against sleeping with her anyway? Last night he’d left her tucked alone on the sofa after they’d made love. Was this more of the same? She idly wondered if she could break him of the habit as she sat up.

What the hell? It was happening now. Had he deliberately lied to her about the date of the drop to keep her out of the loop? She rolled out of bed, slid into her shoes, and ran to the window. In the dark she could see a boat scuttling across the lake toward the boathouse. Shit, looking closer, she could see the shadow of a man hiding behind the shed.
Probably Jake.
Darn him for not trusting her.

She had to hurry down there. No matter what the future brought, she would protect both Jake and Tad. She clambered down the ladder, totally forgetting her fear and raced toward the shed, keeping in the shadow of the tree line. Jake turned at her approach. His harsh expression let her know she wasn’t welcome. “I thought you were going to wake me,” she whispered as she crouched next to him.

He frowned down at her, the set of his shoulders rigid. “I told you I’d take care of things. Go back in the house, Samantha, while there’s still time.”

“I’m staying.” Short of him tying her hand and foot, there was no way she would comply with his order. Jake’s frustrated scowl told her he read her intentions perfectly. “Why do you think he’s here ahead of schedule?”

“We don’t know what his agenda is, but I don’t take this early invasion as a good sign. Go back to the house. I don’t want to worry about you being in the line of fire.”

Samantha bit her lip. Would she be a hindrance? At that moment, the problem was taken out of her hand when the boat’s engine stopped. “Too late,” she whispered.

He clamped a restraining hand on her shoulder. “Stay here while I go check this out.”

She nodded as his will came close to breaching her defenses. The only way to get him to back off was to capitulate. She schooled her expression into one of submission.
“Fine.
I’ll stay behind.”

His eyes narrowed. “You’d better, or I’ll paddle your ass so hard you won’t be able to sit down for a week.”

She glowered up at him.
“My hero.”
When he continued to glare down at her, she let out a sigh of defeat.
“Fine.
Just make sure you’re extra careful.”

He scowled. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to do anything to your brother.”

“It’s not just Tad I’m worried about. I care about you too, you hard-headed jerk.” She watched his eyes widen and saw his startled smile. His pleased reaction told her that she might just as well have said she was crazy about him. Jake bent to brush a quick burning kiss across her lips. When he pulled away, Samantha blinked up and noticed his fierce, totally macho smile. “What was that for?”

“For being worried about me. It’s a new experience for me.” He turned and moved away to blend into the shadows, heading toward the boathouse.

Stunned by his outburst of affection, she hesitated for a moment, and then drew her wits back together. They still had a crisis to get through, and she was well known for being calm in a crisis. She’d do her best to stay out of Jake’s way, but she had to be close enough to help. She sprinted to the corner of the shed and glanced at the pier. The boater was tying up to the dock. In the dark, she couldn’t tell who it was. She had to get a little bit closer.

A few quick steps took her back to the gloom of the tree line. She picked her way through the pines until she reached the boathouse. Holding her breath, she glanced left and right but she didn’t see Jake. Was he hiding inside? She made a quick dash to the door. As quietly as possible, she turned the handle. It turned silently and easily. Jake must have oiled it for just such an occasion.

The darkness inside the room was oppressive. The moonlight shining through the dusty windows gave only a tiny bit of illumination. She didn’t see Jake. Just then, the door on the dockside began to squeak open. Samantha quickly stepped inside, closed the door, and dove for the shadows.

Footsteps rang on the concrete floor as the intruder stepped inside. A flashlight beam split the darkness. “Is anyone there?” the trespasser shouted.

Samantha gasped and sprang to her feet.
“Tad?”

Suddenly, there was a thud followed by Tad’s outraged, male bellow.

Samantha scrambled out of her hiding place. The fallen flashlight illuminated Tad and Jake wrestling back and forth on the floor, struggling for domination. She rushed over to grab the flashlight and beam it at the fighting men. “Stop it immediately, you two idiots!” she shouted in time to catch movement next to her. She swung the beam into the darkness only to find two of members of Jake’s security crew creeping toward them guns drawn. She sucked in a shocked breath and turned to glare at Ramsey. “You fucking lied to me. Telling me you were working this case alone. Who else is going to show up, the FBI?”

Jake hesitated for a moment, then said, “Now, sugar, it isn’t what it looks like.”

“FBI,” Tad screeched, landing a glancing blow off Jake’s chin, then glanced up at Samantha and let out a startled gasp. “Sis, what are you doing here?”

Samantha gazed at her little brother in horror. How could he have betrayed their father this way? She was barely aware of the security team anymore she was so shocked. “That’s what I want to know. How could you be disloyal to Dad this way?”

“Stay out of this, Samantha.” Jake rolled to his feet. “This is police business now.” He bent to jerk Tad up by his collar then turned to his men saying, “Stand down, guys.”

“What the hell’s going on?” Tad gasped, shooting a worried glance around the men. “And why is the goon squad here?” He reached for his dropped attaché case. His feet stumbled for a steady footing as he jerked out of Jake’s grasp.

Samantha willed herself to calm down as Jake’s men faded into the background.
How long have they been here guarding the house?
Not long or they would have responded to her rude arrival. Pushing back those questions, she decided to focus on Tad. His genuinely shocked reaction at the mention of the FBI wasn’t that of a criminal. “Before we take this any further, we should take this inside. I need to fix you both up with ice packs for your wounds.”

Jake pushed Tad forward. “All right, Tad, let’s follow the lady.”

Samantha noticed Jake’s limp as he followed a glowering Tad. His knee was clearly acting up again, thanks to the tussle with her brother. The Logan family was responsible for causing him a lot of pain this week. “Your knee’s bothering you again.”

“I’m okay.”

Noting the grim set of his mouth, she knew he was far from okay. She walked up to him and put her arm around his waist. His taut muscles rippled at her touch. “Lean on me.”

Tad turned, scowling. “You two are pretty cozy.”

She felt Tad’s scornful glare rake over the two of them, and her temper boiled over. “You have no right to question my conduct after the stunt you pulled tonight.” From the corner of her eye, she noticed Jake’s masculine, self-satisfied smile and sighed.
Men!
She thought about moving away, but Jake seemed to read her thoughts and clung even closer to her side. Samantha and Jake followed Tad through the cabin door. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, Tad.”

“But
¼
”

She let go of Jake and rounded on Tad. “Have you been stealing from the firm? I told Jake it couldn’t be you, that there had to be some explanation, some mitigating circumstance.”

“Why don’t you both leave me alone?” Tad backed away. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Jake held up a hand. “Hold the interrogation while I make us some coffee. I think we’re going to need it.”

Samantha cast a concerned glance Jake’s way. Was he hurt worse than she’d thought? “I’ll go get some pain pills.” She rushed to the bathroom and got out the bottle, then ran back to the kitchen with it.

“Thanks,” Jake said, taking the bottle from her. He glanced at Tad. “Want one, kid?”

“No thanks,” Tad said.

“I’ll pour the coffee,” Samantha said, looking for something to do. She glanced up at Tad, standing close to the door. He wouldn’t meet her eyes, a sure sign he was guilty. She still couldn’t wrap her mind around that horrifying fact. Heartsick, she turned back to the coffee maker. Jake took one look at Samantha and took the cups out of her shaking hands. “I’ll do that, sunshine, you sit down.” He turned to look at Tad. “Well, Tad, why don’t you tell us what’s been going on.”