Chapter 18

"Want to see how much I liked it?" Patrick eased his fingers from her and, one at a time, licked them clean of her juices.

Kristi sighed, leaned forward, and kissed him. She could taste the faint flavor of herself on his lips, and it was one of the most erotic sensations ever. Lying on him like this, her breasts flattened against the hard wall of his chest, she struggled to catch her breath again. She was stunned when Patrick eased her forward a little, reached out an arm to the nightstand drawer, and grabbed one of the condoms he kept there. She braced herself and looked down at him, astonished.

"I can't believe it," she breathed. "I thought you were done for."

"Believe it," he grinned.

"You're insatiable," she teased.

"Where you're concerned," he agreed. "It's what you do to me. I think, with you, I'm always ready. Now help me a little here and get up on your knees."

She felt a thrill of satisfaction and a sense of power that she could do this to him, and, shockingly, she found herself becoming aroused, too. He helped her balance herself and adjusted her the way he wanted. As soon as she was in position, he rolled the condom onto a cock unbelievably hard and ready again. Wrapping the fingers of one hand around his shaft, he guided it to her opening and eased the head inside.

"Slide down on me." Desire blazed in his eyes. "That's it, just like that."

Very carefully, she eased down, taking him into her hungry sex one slow inch at a time. When he was fully seated inside the hot clasp of her flesh, he threaded his fingers with hers, allowing her to balance herself on his hands.

"Do it," he urged, his voice raw and needy.

Locking her gaze with his, Kristi moved, slowly at first, then faster as he urged her on and on.

She couldn't believe that after the orgasms they'd each had, they began to spiral so quickly. She threw her head back and thrust down on him harder and faster, until her entire focus was centered on his shaft locked in the wet clasp of her inner walls. Harder, faster, more, more, until, without warning, they both exploded. She gripped him with her thighs, the intensity of her spasms shaking her.

As he pulsed inside the thin latex sheath. Patrick shouted his release. Her inner walls gripped him with fierce possession as she rode him to completion. Finally, finally, the shudders slowed down, became tremors and then, at last, aftershocks.

Patrick brought his arms around her, banding them and holding her tight to him. She could feel the solid thump of his heart against her chest, and hers beating in synchronization with it. She'd be happy if she never had to move again. It wasn't the explosive orgasm he'd given her that made her so content, but rather the one she'd given him, putting everything she felt into it. It gave her a measure of peace to know she could give of herself so completely to him. If that pesky little voice she tried to keep locked away was struggling to be heard, well, she'd just remember tonight and shut it down.

"Tired, babe?" He stroked her skin in a gentle rhythm.

"Uh-huh. A good kind of tired."

"You know," he went on, still smoothing gentle caresses on her skin, "that first night we were together I had the feeling if we hadn't been at your house, you'd have gotten up and run like hell."

She stared at him. Had he sensed it? And the other times when, for a moment, she was scared to believe in this?

Tell him. Tell him right now.

But she couldn't make her mouth work.

"But, tonight, I told myself I was imagining things. Nothing could be this good if you didn't feel like I do." He pulled her body against his. "I love you, Kristi. You may not be ready to say it yet, but I felt it tonight, and I thought, 'Thank god.'"

She wanted to cry because, somehow, she was afraid to say the words back to him.

"It's okay," he went on. "I can feel it. Tonight, for sure. I can wait for you to say it."

Was there ever a better man? She'd better make damn sure she didn't lose him. Instead, she said, "You have to go to work tomorrow."

"I do." He slapped her buttocks. "While you can laze around in bed. Let's get under the covers."

She lifted her head to look at him. Usually she slept in a long T-shirt and he wore his boxer briefs. "Like this? Naked and everything?"

"Don't tell me you're getting a sudden case of shyness," he teased.

"Nope. Not at all." She liked the idea of sleeping skin to skin with him.

"Okay, then."

He shifted her, eased her from his cock and onto the bed. He was gone for only a moment while he disposed of the condom. Then he slipped back into bed, tucking her in beside him. With his body curled around her, she nestled into his warmth and reminded herself not to screw this all up by letting the past control her.

*****

He sat in his car, watching again, his anger keeping him warm against the chill of the night. He could not believe she hadn't ditched that cop by this time. He had all but moved into her house.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

He had it all planned out, how he'd bump into her accidentally as she was coming home. He'd follow her from the station, tell her he was just passing by, tell her- Oh, what the fuck. He couldn't tell her anything because he never got a chance. That cop monopolized all her time when she wasn't working.

All he got out of it was a late night chill and blue balls. He was getting more satisfaction from his hand than from any female. And it was all his fault.

Okay, he knew what he'd do. Once he got rid of the cop, he'd have clear sailing. And he knew just how he was going to do it. Then he'd be the one curled up in her bed with her.