Hot On Her Heels

to send Jed to jail then it has to stand up in court.”

“Agreed.”

She looked at him. “I thought you’d want to keep up your little covert operations.”

“I wasn’t looking to play spy. My way is faster, but you’re right. If we want to be able to use it against Jed in court then we’ll do everything legally.”

“Okay. The sisters are off-limits.”

“I’ve already said I’m not going after them.”

“I’m just checking. You haven’t exactly been brother of the year through all this.”

He nodded. “I give you my word that I will do nothing to hurt any of my sisters. Now or in the future.”

Now came the hard part. She squared her shoulders and looked him in the eye. “This is strictly business. We’re helping people we care about, nothing more.”

One corner of his mouth turned up. “Meaning?”

“Nothing personal between us.”

The words just kind of hung there in the silence. She braced herself for his laughter because this was where he pointed out she was nothing he would ever want.

“Haven’t you figured out it’s all personal?” he asked right before he kissed her.

She was caught off guard, something she never allowed to happen. One second he was speaking, the next he had his hands on her upper arms and was drawing her close to him. At the same time his mouth claimed hers with an intensity that left her breathless.

This wasn’t an exploring, getting-to-know-you kind of contact. This was hot and demanding. He kissed her as if he didn’t have a choice.

Heat swept through her. It burned away any conflicted feelings, so that she could feel nothing but his hands on her arms and his mouth on hers. She couldn’t think, either. There was only the sensation of skin on skin and the fact that she needed so much more than this.

She shook off his touch so she could hang on to him. He wrapped both arms around her, drawing her nearer still. They touched everywhere and it wasn’t enough.

The intensity of the flaring passion frightened her, but it also intoxicated her so that resisting wasn’t possible. She tilted her head, then parted her lips before he even asked. He swept inside and she met him stroke for stroke. They kissed deeply, taking and giving, straining for more.

His hands moved up and down her back, then to her sides. She broke the kiss long enough to nip his lower lip. He dropped his head so he could nibble the length of her neck.

Everywhere he touched burned. Her breath came in gasps. She ran her fingers through his hair, in part to touch him, in part to hold him in place. His breath was hot on her skin, his mouth warm and teasing.

Without thinking, she reached for his shirt. She told herself to stop, that this was insanity, but there she was, unfastening the small white buttons. He pushed her back and grabbed the hem of her sweater. With a single, swift movement, he pulled it up and over her head. Then they were in each other’s arms, mouths clinging, tongues teasing.

She felt fire on her skin and a quivering that began low in her belly. The wanting was beyond powerful. It was greater than her need to breathe. She knew she would die if they stopped-that her heart would cease beating.

He touched her bare arms, then her bare back. Every inch of contact was heaven. She wanted his hands everywhere.

Her bra was suddenly loose. She hadn’t felt him unfasten it, but was grateful that he had. She tossed the sensible white undergarment away and reached for his hands. She placed them on her breasts and moaned softly as he cupped her curves.

His thumbs and forefingers found her aching nipples. He squeezed them, sending ribbons of liquid need pouring through her. She was ready, so ready. She wanted to be taken until she was weak with surrender.

Surrender. The word was nearly enough to stop her. While she enjoyed sex, she never gave in completely. There was always a part of her that she kept to herself. A place no man went.

A problem for another time, she thought frantically, trying to tug off Garth’s shirt so she could touch him.

He drew back enough to shrug out of it. While they were separated, he kicked off his shoes. She pulled off her boots. His pants went flying, as did her jeans. Socks followed and soon his briefs and her panties were puddles on the floor.

She had a brief impression of toned muscles under scarred skin. He was already hard and thick. Just the sight of his arousal made her thighs tremble. The intensity of her desire made it difficult to catch her breath. They reached for each other again.

Even as they kissed deeply, he was urging her backward. She took several steps, then felt the sofa behind her. He pushed lightly on her shoulders, urging her to sit. Unsure of what he wanted, she hesitated, then he pressed a little harder and she sank down.

Before she could figure what was going on, he’d dropped to his knees on the carpet and leaned in to kiss her breasts. His mouth sucked deeply, pulling satisfaction from her. His hands explored her thighs before dipping between them. She knew she was already wet and swollen and waited breathlessly for his fingers to discover all her secrets.

He didn’t disappoint. He parted her curls and went directly to that one spot designed to bring her pleasure. He circled it, then rubbed it lightly, making every muscle in her body tremble. It wouldn’t take long, she thought. She was so close, so fast. A few minutes of concentrated attention and she would be flying.

He shifted to her other breast. She closed her eyes and leaned back, torn between the sensations he evoked. His mouth and tongue against her nipple, the steady movement of his hand between her legs. All of it made her strain for more. Then he shifted his hands to her hips, where he pulled her forward, so she was nearly hanging on the sofa. He lowered his head.

She knew exactly what he planned to do.

“No,” she said, trying to move back.

He didn’t bother looking up. “Yes.”

“No. I mean it. Not like that.”

He straightened and stared into her eyes. There were questions there, questions she didn’t want to answer. Fortunately men were easily distracted.

She reached for him. “Be inside of me,” she said, guiding him toward her. “I’ll come that way.” She rubbed the length of him, then stroked her thumb against the tip.

She shifted so she could take him inside, but instead of going along with the suggestion, he pulled out of reach.

“Why?” he asked.

“It’s not my thing.”

“Maybe it’s mine. Talk to me.”

Words no normal male ever said on purpose, she thought, annoyed and feeling the passion fade away.

“Does there have to be a complicated story about everything?” she snapped. “I don’t like it. So let’s move on or forget it.”

Actually moving on was no longer an option. She stood and stepped around him. There were clothes everywhere, a testament to their uncontrolled desire. Or at least it had been uncontrolled until he’d insisted on getting bossy.

This was exactly why she didn’t have anything to do with men like Garth. They were too used to getting their own way every damn time.

Instead of grabbing her clothes, she stalked out of the living room, down the short hallway and into her bedroom. She picked up her robe off the bed and pulled it on. But before she could tie the sash, let alone return to the living room, she felt him reaching for her from behind.

She started to turn toward him, but he held her with both arms around her waist. His powerful body nearly dwarfed hers and she wasn’t especially tiny. Only one more wildly annoying thing about the man.

“You should get dressed,” she said. “This isn’t going to happen.”

She braced herself for the temper tantrum sure to follow, but all she got was a soft kiss on her temple.

“Why does it frighten you?”

“It doesn’t. Just because I don’t happen to like something doesn’t mean there’s a problem. It’s a personal