She sucked in a breath hard enough that she hissed. His gaze was confident satisfaction, that of a victor, taking his time pulling in his win and enjoying every moment of dominating and gaining submission.
There was no way she would ask what he wanted her to do.
“Promise me right now you won’t pull a stupid stunt like that again.” Apparently Perry believed he’d learned the truth even though she never confirmed it. His confidence probably got him far in life, and if she wasn’t careful it would get him too far with her.
Creating even a fraction of a romance during an investigation would be a serious mistake. “What?” she said, whispering as he did and making her tone husky and as sultry as she could manage. Which didn’t take much effort with all that solid muscle touching her everywhere. “Let you in the door? Is that the stupid stunt you’re referring to that I shouldn’t do again?”
Perry growled and pounced on her mouth, pressing his tongue between her lips and parting the way inside. He impaled her with a savage hunger that sent the fever that already tortured her insides to the boiling level so fast she swore the room tilted.
Once again he grabbed her, keeping the kiss going, hot and heavy and so damn demanding there was no room for argument. He dragged her over his body as he moved on the couch. Then sitting, with her draped over him, he wrapped his arms around her, cradling her against his chest.
As rough as he’d been a moment before, his actions turned gentle, enticing, his lips pressed to hers, and he moved slowly, with meticulous detail. The man could kiss better than anyone else she’d ever met. He turned her on more by just kissing her, his hands barely moving, while he devoured everything she offered. And if he didn’t stop soon, there wouldn’t be much she would say no to.
Goddamn him for putting her in this position. She wanted to fuck him. No, right now she needed to fuck him. The pulsing between her legs created a swelling that spread throughout her body, making every inch of her incredibly sensitive to any move he made. The gentle caress of his fingers up her arm until he reached that sensitive spot just above her collarbone had her melting in his arms. The muscles that twitched in his legs when she adjusted herself on his lap made her pussy throb. And his cock, hard, thick, and long, promising every time it twitched to satisfy her in ways she was sure she’d never dreamed possible, damn near made her come.
She could fuck him and not allow any further involvement to occur. After all, even after he damn near brutalized her, she hadn’t told him a thing. And he wasn’t pressing for information. Perry was satisfied he had all the answers. She knew he could satisfy her.
“The stupid stunt that you won’t pull again,” Perry began, tracing a moist trail from her mouth to her neck, “is putting yourself in danger without letting me know so I can watch your back.”
Kylie let her head fall back, arching into him, and laughed. “I doubt you’d be watching my back. And if I suggested doing something dangerous, you’d throw out that macho act of yours and demand I behave and submit.”
His hands slid up her back while he held her, keeping her from falling backward. She relaxed, giving him the opportunity to show how he would hold her, keep her from falling. A rather odd thought tripped through her mind. She imagined working with him, Perry truly watching her back, while they took on her perp together. It was a sobering thought, and ridiculous, too. John had the power to pull her off the case if she blew her cover.
“I’m not an act, Kylie,” Perry said, his tone serious enough that she lifted her head and stared into his smoldering gaze. “While you keep up your act, and after you drop it, I will watch you. And protect you,” he added, pressing his lips over the swell of her breast exposed above her vest. “Even against yourself.”
Chapter 12
Kylie laughed, wondering if it was possible to protect herself from herself. The thought had its appeal at times. Right now, if she really had a protector, he would yank her off all of this hard-packed muscle and shake her silly until she came to her senses.
Even when Perry stood, still holding her in his arms, and walked down the hallway to her bedroom, thoughts warred in her mind over the ramifications of what she was about to do.
Damn it. She wouldn’t think about how long she’d gone without sex. There were offers every now and then. Offers easily tossed to the side. Nothing about Perry was easy, though. And one thing she knew would be true over anything else: fucking him wouldn’t make him easier to handle.
He entered her bedroom and adjusted her, allowing her to slide down his body until she stood in his arms, her breasts pressed hard against his muscular chest.
“Fucking you isn’t going to make you trust me any more than you do now.” He stared down at her with those penetrating green eyes while brown flecks floated around his pupils, giving him more sex appeal than a man should be allowed. “And I’m curious why you don’t trust me yet were willing to meet someone in a dark parking lot. Did you know the man in the Suburban?”
Kylie sucked in her lower lip, enjoying the power she held over Perry when his gaze dropped to her mouth. She fought the smile at the realization that he voiced her thoughts, but wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing what he’d done.
“I’m not going to discuss that with you.” She stepped backward, slipping out of his arms. “If you don’t drop it, you know where the door is,” she offered, refusing to allow the conversation to stray toward trust, or to admission of her personal life.
“Take off your clothes.” He moved next to her, sitting on her bed, and took off his shoes.
When she didn’t move, he grabbed her waist, those strong hands of his large enough that he easily wrapped his fingers around her. Then turning her to face him, he slipped his fingers under her vest and reached up to cup her breasts.
“I’m going to fuck you.”
“Do you ever lack confidence?” Her voice was raspy, the need inside her so strong she almost shook from it.
“Do you ever let your guard down?”
“Never.”
Perry pulled her to him, falling backward on the bed and bringing her down on top of him. “My God. I think you just told me the truth for the first time.”
“Fuck you, Perry.”
“Yes, you will.”
He displayed amazing skills when he removed her clothes, kissing her flesh as he exposed it. When he unzipped her jeans, she slipped out of her shoes, letting them fall to the floor with a gentle thud. He peeled the denim down her legs, rolling her to her back and bending forward, kissing her pelvic bone with soft, warm lips.
She was already dangerously close to the edge and grabbed his head, groaning her desires as his mouth moved lower.
“I think your brutal confidence is a cover-up for a desire to please,” she suggested, preferring they dissect his nature instead of hers.
She couldn’t tell if the dark gaze he gave her was a warning or he simply thought her comment preposterous. He didn’t stay focused on her face for long, though. His knuckles scraped the outsides of her legs as he pulled her jeans the rest of the way off her and tossed them to the floor.
“I don’t plan on covering up anything.” The corner of his mouth twitched, a movement she was learning meant he hid his smile from her.
“What is your plan then?” she asked, leaning on her elbows when he grabbed her legs.
When he lifted her legs, Kylie grabbed her bedspread and willingly opened for him. He crawled closer, releasing her so her ankles landed on his shoulders, and then brought his face to her, bending her in two.
“You’re the little detective. You figure it out.”
She hoped her expression looked hurt, but didn’t have time to worry about it when he nipped at her lip. His hands moved over her breasts, cupping and tugging and then capturing her nipples between his fingers. When he pinched, electrical shocks surged through her, igniting the heat smoldering between her legs.
“This doesn’t take any detective work,” she whispered against his lips. “You’re making your intentions very
