Revelation: A Contemporary Erotic Romance (Iris Series) (16 page)

“I don’t like him for you,” Mike said, almost with a pout.

“No?  Who would you pick for me then?”  She cocked her head.

He hesitated then said, “Not him.”

Janie smirked.  “Thanks for the advice, brother dear.  You two have fun.  Get her home safely,” Janie said dryly, giving her brother a look.

He gave her a droll look, then a huge hug and kiss before turning to Emily.  With a promising gleam in his eye, he asked, “You ready to go, Counselor?”

Emily swore the sounds were louder, the colors more vibrant, the smells more fragrant; every sense was on high alert.  The rumble from the bike’s engine vibrated between her thighs and under her ass, causing a sharp clarity in her mind, making her more aware of her surroundings.

Not the least of which was the muscular back directly in front of her.

His white casual button down was flapping around him while her hands held on to his torso with its soft cotton plastered against him due to the wind.

I’m gonna do this.  I’m really gonna do this. 

They hadn’t said anything to each other since they’d left the barbeque.  Instead, all of their communication had been made with their eyes, a stroke of the hand, a clearing of the throat.  She had no idea where he was taking her, but she knew wherever they ended up, they’d be alone.

Her hands wandered along his stomach where his muscles jumped.  She couldn’t wait to bite him.  She wasn’t sure where her new found violent streak came from, but it certainly reared its ugly head whenever the detective was around.  She just wanted to get him between her teeth. 

What the hell was wrong with her, anyway?

The Harley roared up the streets of Midtown and eventually slowed on Eleventh Ave. turning west onto 57
th
Street. 

Why did it not surprise her that they’d ended up in Hell’s Kitchen?

Mike pulled into a parking garage right next to a series of six story walk ups then parked in a spot and turned off the bike.

The silence settled around them and all Emily could hear was her own erratic heartbeat.

Don’t be nervous.  Don’t be nervous
.
  You need to be in control, Emily.  Keep breathing.

They both took off their helmets, locking hers in the back panel while he carried his.  With his free hand and without looking her in the eye, he took her hand and led her out of the garage two door fronts down to what she could only assume was his apartment building.

They walked up to the third floor where he opened a door marked 3C and led her into a small foyer.  Putting his helmet on the table there, he tossed his keys down then continued walking her into the comfortable living room. 

She noted many things immediately with surprise:  terra cotta colored walls; bookshelves overflowing with what looked like an assortment of best-selling crime novels and English classics; an acoustic guitar resting against the wall in the corner; an eclectic grouping of paintings; a handmade coffee table which she presumed was made by Jeremy; and a leather sofa.

She was beginning to think that every man in the world owned a leather sofa at some point in his life.  It seemed like it was a prerequisite to being male.

The place had a comfy feel.  Very masculine and very warm.

He finally turned and looked at her for the first time in what had been close to twenty minutes.  She saw lust, first and foremost.  But she could almost swear she saw relief, excitement, maybe…concern?

“Do you wanna talk?”

She let out a light laugh at his question, finally decompressing the tightness that had settled into her lungs nearly a half hour earlier.  One corner of his lip tipped up while examining her reaction.

“I have some rules,” she began.

“Of course you do.  I would expect nothing less.”  His mouth quirked up even further.  He was making fun of her.  She knew it.

“As long as whatever we’re calling this thing is happening, I don’t want you fucking other women.”  There.  She’d said it. 

A surprised smile appeared on his lips then he tsked.  “So demanding, Emily.  I like that.”  Then he got serious.  “And just so we’re on the same page, the same goes for you.”

“You have nothing to worry about there.  I’m not in the habit of fucking any women.”

“That’s a shame,” he quipped, wiggling his eyebrows.

“You’re such a guy,” she said, shaking her head.

He nailed her with his gaze.  “Yes, I am.  And you knew what I meant a second ago, Counselor.  I won’t share you with anybody else,” he said, making sure she was looking at him when he spoke.

It had been three years since she’d been with a man and he was worried about her with other men?  She found that hilarious and tried not to laugh.

“Birth control?” he asked.

He continued to surprise her, pleasantly so.

“I’m on the pill, but –” She stopped.  She didn’t want to sound like she thought he was a man whore, but he’d obviously been with a ton more people than she had.

“I’ve always worn a condom.  My last check up when I was tested was three months ago and I was clean.  Which means I still am.”  He let that bit of info sink in.  “Like I said to you the other day, it’s been a while for me,” he shrugged, looking sweet in his admission.

“You’re really telling me you haven’t had sex in three months?”  She didn’t believe him.

“Well, no.  That’s not exactly true.”

She knew he’d been lying –

“It’s been more like four.” 

She barked out a laugh.  “You losing your touch, Detective?”

He took a step closer and looked at her lips.  “You’ll have to tell me in about an hour.”  His tongue came out to touch the corner of his mouth then his eyes bounced back up to hers.

That stopped the laugh and shut her up quick.

“Wait right here.”

He disappeared quickly and returned within what seemed like 10 seconds holding a piece of paper.  He held it out to her.

It was a doctor’s paperwork describing a very healthy man. 

He shrugged.  “Either way if you’d feel more comfortable with condoms, I’m obviously fine with that.”  She began to think, a little surprised that he would even consider sex without a condom with her.  If he’d always worn one, why change that practice now?  He interrupted her thoughts.  “How about you, Em?  You have a clean bill of health?”  He asked it with a smile, as if he knew the question would catch her off guard.  It did.  He was playing with her, she knew.  She sensed that he knew she didn’t do this kind of thing often.

“I don’t have any paperwork on me, Detective, but trust me.  I’m clean.”

“I do trust you.  And I hope you can trust
me
.  I would never lie about something so important.”  He continued to look at her.  “But I’ll let you make the decision.  Condom?”  He took another step closer.  “Or no condom?”

She tilted her head back farther as he came toward her
, and swallowed when he stopped within a few inches of her.  She’d never had sex without a condom, but all of her friends who were in committed relationships said it was an incredible feeling to go without one.  Both Ayanna and Ryann talked about it every time the topic of sex came up. 

“You’ve always used a condom before?” she asked quietly.

He nodded.  “How ’bout you?”

“Always.”  She hesitated.  “Why would you even suggest -?” she began to ask, avoiding his eyes.

He put his finger under her chin and lifted it so she was looking at him.  “I don’t really know exactly. All I know is that I’m dyin’ to feel you.  With nothing separating us.”

She didn’t trust that she could speak, so instead she answered his question from earlier by shaking her head in the negative.

He let out a low garbled moan and his eyes became even more heated, looking like he was barely keeping it together.  Her chest was rising and falling rapidly.  They were both on the brink.

“Just so we’re clear.  No condom?”

“No condom,” she whispered and looked at him.

“What changed your mind?”

She knew to what he was referring.  He wanted to know why she’d all of the sudden decided to have sex with him.  She wasn’t ready to tell him that.  That she wanted to live past the pain and fear.  Instead, she shrugged and evaded his eyes. 

“It’s just sex,” she mumbled.

He stroked her cheek then his hand fell to his side.  “I’ll get it out of you one of these days.”

There was a long pause where all that was heard in the room was their deep breathing.  Finally, Mike broke the silence.

“Anything else you want to talk about, GC?” he whispered.  He clenched his fists opened and closed at his sides.

She felt as if she was going to start hyperventilating at any second.  The butterflies had already set flight in her stomach.  She wanted him, pure and simple.

“This doesn’t change anything between us.”

He took a moment then spoke in a low voice.  “You mean you’re still gonna be a strong minded pain in the ass who disagrees with everything I say, and mop the floor with me every
chance you get?”

This was the moment of truth for her.  Her ex hadn’t liked this side of her but she had come to realize that if a man was going to want her, he was going to have to want the whole package. 

“Yes,” she whispered, sealing her doom.  She looked at him defiantly, waiting for him to argue.

“Thank God,” he breathed. 

His arms snaked around her and lifted her quickly off the ground forcing her to wrap her legs around his torso.  She plowed her fingers into his hair then they stared at each other for one last moment.  Without waiting another second his mouth swooped in to claim hers.

She held his head still while she attacked his mouth, already feeling her control completely shattered.  His last comment had done it.  She wanted to taste all of him.  Their moans and gasps sounded in the small apartment as he carried her down the hallway, stopping momentarily to catch his balance against the wall as their movements became more frenzied.

She was trying to take off her jean jacket while he sucked on her neck. 

“Your neck.  I love your neck,” he muttered.

“Take off your shirt,” she said, tearing at his buttons.  “Hurry.”

He let out a low laugh.  He leaned back to help her and kept her nailed to the wall easily with his pelvis.  She only weighed 110 lbs, but was pure muscle.  She gripped his torso with her thighs, grinding into him in small circles.

“Yeah,” he moaned as he went for her mouth again.  “Just like that.  I want to feel every inch of you.”

Their hands grappled as he tore off her tank top and she pushed his shirt off of his shoulders. 

He looked at her breasts still encased in her lacey white bra and his breathing hitched.  She was having the same reaction from looking at his chest.  His body was so warm which was welcome given he had the a/c on in his apartment.

Still mesmerized by her bra, he reached up his right hand and cupped her left breast, rubbing his thumb over her hardened nipple.

Sparks were shooting from her body.  She was sure of it.  She let out a half gasp, half moan.

“These gorgeous things were part of the reason I lost that rematch,” he murmured.  “I kept looking at your nipples.  God, you’re so fucking hot.”  He looked her in the eye still stroking her nipple, her hands still gripped in his hair.  “You’re gonna burn me up, aren’t you, Em?”  He nipped at her bottom lip and she nipped back.  “Yeah,” he whispered.

She continued kissing his mouth as he stumbled them into the bedroom.  He was reaching one hand back to untie her shoes and a couple of seconds later she heard them drop to the floor.  He tossed her on the bed and began working on her pants getting them undone quickly and peeling them down her legs.

She propped herself up on her elbows and zeroed in on his own pants, scooting to the edge of the bed bringing him between her legs.  She began undoing his buckle.  He put his hands in her hair and tilted her head back, smiling down at her with the sexiest smile.  She bit her lip then went back to her task but got distracted by the six pack directly in front of her.

She licked her lips and leaned forward, taking the third muscle in the ‘six’ between her teeth.  Sucking lightly she pulled the skin into her mouth and bit down softly.

“Shit,” he hissed.  His fingers tightened in her hair but she didn’t let go.  She just kept nibbling and sucking the stomach muscle, then madly tore open the snap on his jeans trying to lower them over his hips.

His erection was proudly reaching out to her begging for her to touch it.

She obliged by pulling down his boxer briefs and freeing it from its cotton dwelling.  Finally releasing the stomach muscle from her mouth she leaned back slightly to look at him and couldn’t help but lick her lips.

He looked delicious. Long, thick, hard.  And so ready.

She glanced up at him and made eye contact.  He was staring down at her, a flush resting on his cheekbones, his eyes nearly setting her on fire.  While looking him in the eye, she leaned forward and reached out the tip of her tongue to stroke it lightly on the head of his penis.