'Wait,' she gasped. It was getting hard to talk, but she needed some answers. 'What made you think you had to
'It's the way I work,' he said simply. 'It was a good plan, too. There was only one problem with it.'
'What?'
'You.' He brushed his mouth deliberately across hers. 'You didn't respond according to plan.'
'Maybe you should have discussed your scheme with me before you tried to implement it.'
He traced the line of her jaw with his forefinger. In the emerald shadows she could see his faint, wry smile.
'I'm not used to talking about my plans with anyone else,' he said. 'I've always worked alone.'
'Got news for you, Boone.' She started unfastening the buttons of his shirt. 'You're not alone anymore. You're working with me, at least for now.'
'Elly.'
He picked her up and fell across the bed with her in his arms. She landed on top, feeling shaky and excited. He tugged off her running shoes, and then he unzipped her pants.
She fought a sensual battle to undress him. It was not an easy task. In the end, Cooper had to sit up to yank off his boots and get rid of his trousers.
For a moment he stood looking down at her, drinking in the sight of her lying there in the light that angled across the bed. Under his intense, hungry eyes, she felt incredibly sexy and powerful in her femininity.
When he moved to come back down onto the bed, she reached up to draw him close.
He made love to her with a slow, ghost-hot passion that rezzed all of her senses. Taking his time, he found the most intimate places on her body with his mouth. His fingers explored parts of her that she had never before considered erogenous zones.
Sweet heat and a greedy need built within her. The same delicious tension that she had experienced when they had made love in the front seat of the Spectrum was back, gripping her insides in honeyed talons.
She braced her hands against his chest and tried to push him onto his back so that she could settle herself astride him.
'Not yet,' he whispered, anchoring her beneath him with one heavy leg across her thighs.
'Can't wait,' she panted, twisting impatiently.
'You were in charge last time. Ruined all my plans. This is my night. This time we do it my way.'
'Okay, okay, as long as you hurry up about it.'
He laughed softly and reached across her and down over the side of the bed. She realized that he had picked up an object, but she could not see what it was.
He loomed over her again, reaching back toward the elaborate headboard. She heard a faint click and then the soft slide of leather being fed through a belt buckle.
She opened her eyes very wide. 'What are you doing?'
He caught one of her wrists and then the other. He put the end of the leather belt into her hands.
'Giving you something to hold on to when the going gets interesting,' he said against her mouth.
'Uh, Cooper?'
'Just hang on tight and don't let go, not matter what happens.'
'I'm not sure-'
He started working his way down her body, dropping kisses as he went. When his tongue touched her nipple she gasped, instinctively tightening her grip on the belt.
'That's it,' he whispered.
He slid lower on her body, separating her thighs. When he found the excruciatingly sensitive spot between her legs she nearly screamed.
And then his mouth was on her there and he was doing something incredible with his fingers just inside her and she could see little flickers of ghost light dancing in the air around the bed and she knew that he was closer to the limits of his self-control than he would ever admit.
Energy pulsed through all of her senses. Her need was fierce and hot and compelling.
'Hold on,' he ordered in a low, husky voice. 'Melt amber for me.'
And she did.
As the last of the shattering release rippled through her, she was vaguely aware of Cooper changing position. His broad shoulders blocked the exotic green light coming through the window.
He entered her, pushing deep.
She let go of the belt, sank her nails into his shoulders, and wrapped her legs around his waist.
'The belt thing is okay,' she whispered. 'But I'd rather hold on to you.'
She bit him very gently on the shoulder.
He muttered something dangerously explicit and incredibly erotic.
She laughed at the sexy threat and clung harder to his powerful frame.
His release roared through both of them with the force of ghost fire.
Dancing waves of energy lit up the night.
Chapter 30
HIS PHONE RANG A LITTLE AFTER THREE IN THE MORNING. Cooper stirred against the warm, comfortable softness of Elly's curved backside and stretched an arm out from under the quilt to answer.
'Yeah?' he said.
'Ormond Ripley, here. Thought you'd like to know that my evening was very nearly ruined a short time ago by a glory-hunting detective named Grayson DeWitt of the Cadence Police Department's Drug Task Force. Maybe you've heard of him?'
Cooper felt the adrenaline splash through him. He sat up against the pillows. 'Saw the name in the papers.'
'DeWitt does like the media,' Ripley said. 'And the media loves him. He showed up here tonight with a warrant and what looked to be about half the available manpower of the department. He also had a bunch of intrepid reporters from the
'What did he want?'
'Evidently he had received an anonymous tip from a reliable informant to the effect that there was a large stash of drugs on the premises.'
Elly rose on one elbow. In the reflected glow of the fog Cooper could see the concern on her face.
'I assume Detective DeWitt did not find any drugs,' Cooper said.
'Of course not.' Ripley sounded quietly satisfied. 'The Road to the Ruins is a legitimate business that pays its taxes and operates strictly within the laws.'
'Right.'
'Pursuant to our earlier conversation, I found it interesting that Detective DeWitt did not feel the need to conduct a full-scale top-to-bottom search of my club and casino. He headed straight down to the basement. Evidently, the anonymous tipster gave him very explicit directions.'
'What happened when he failed to turn up a drug stash?'
'He did not look very cheerful,' Ripley said, sounding quite cheerful, himself. 'I do believe that he was counting on another headline in tomorrow's papers. He's going to get it, but I doubt if it's the one he wanted.'
'Are the headlines going to be a problem for you?'
'Haven't you heard the old saying that there is no such thing as bad publicity? There will be lines around the block tomorrow night.'
'Any luck with that other matter we discussed?' Cooper asked.
'Nothing yet, but I'm still going through the video recordings from the security cameras. I'll be in touch tomorrow.'
'Thanks.'
'By the way, anytime you and your lady friend want to stop by for a drink on me, let me know. I'll give the
