Part 13 (1/2)

Who the h.e.l.l had she been having s.e.x with, anyway? Was it the men shead been with, or was it the past that had gotten her all screwed up?

This was going to take some finessing, and a h.e.l.l of a lot of patience.

aAnna.a She narrowed her gaze at him as he approached.

aWhat?a aYou see s.e.x as a battle to be won.a She backed away. aThatas ridiculous.a aIs it?a He caught up to her, took her hand and pulled her toward the sofa, dragging her on top of him. She went willingly, but d.a.m.n she was stiff as a board.

aItas not ridiculous. Youare tense. All my hard work ma.s.saging those tight muscles just went down the drain.a She sat astride him, pressing her hands on his chesta”keeping distance. aThatas because you p.i.s.sed me off. We were doing fine in the kitchena”until you stopped.a aBecause I could tell you werenat ready.a She c.o.c.ked a brow. aReally. And how could you tell?a aIt was in your eyes. Your body was saying yes, but the rest of you wasnat on board.a She fisted his s.h.i.+rt in her hands. He wasnat sure if she was frustrated, turned on or preparing to take a swing at him.

aPsychoa.n.a.lyzing me, Renaldi?a aNo, just reading some clear signals that told me to back off. When we have s.e.x itas going to be because youare ready for it. Totally ready for it.a She surged against him and his c.o.c.k roared to life. He gritted his teeth, refusing to let her control the game. aSeems to me youare totally ready.a aWe arenat talking about me. Weare talking about you.a She leaned forward, her hair loose and draped around her beautiful face. aI am ready.a She rocked against him again and he thought for a few seconds about giving up and throwing her to the sofa and taking what she was offering. Why bother worrying about whether or not she was psychologically ready? Physically she was totally in the game, right? She was offering, and it had been a long time since head been inside a hot woman. It would be easy, they could both get off and ease some of the tension. Then they could concentrate on finding a killer.

But this was Anna, and something was off with her. He didnat just want to f.u.c.k her, he wanted to make love to her, wanted her to be with hima”really with him. Not just two bodies grinding together, but engaged in a way that went beyond just the physical.

And he didnat think head get that if all they did was rip each otheras clothes off and go at it.

Not right now, anyway.

She needed a slow, seductive dance. He intended to break down her barriers no matter how long it took, no matter how painful it was going to bea”for both of them.

And the one thing he knew about her was that she liked to be in control. Head bet that extended to the bedroom, too, where maybe the average guy wouldnat notice that she wanted to be in charge so she could playact the game of s.e.x.

Like now, when she slid her hand between them to rub his erection, hoping to distract him.

aIam ready, Dante. Letas get to it.a That was part of her problem. Her body was all over his, hot and s.e.xy and doing all the right things. G.o.d, was she doing all the right things. In fact, if she continued to do that he was either going to explode or throw her on the floor and shove inside her so he could come. And head make her come. And shead be happy about that, too. Theyad both be happy.

But there was a disconnect in her eyes. Her body might want the s.e.x and the release that went with it, but the rest of her hadnat shown up to the party.

And he really wanted her focused on what they did togethera”what he did to hera”not just her body, but her mind, her heart and her soul.

Maybe it was too much to ask of her, given what shead been through, but he was willing to give it a try.

He wrapped his arm around her and flipped her over onto her back, looming over her, keeping watch as her eyes widened.

aYouare ready, huh?a She smiled. aTotally.a aFor anything?a He saw the glint of wariness, but she masked it by lifting her chin. aI can take whatever youave got. Bring it on.a And then he knew for sure she looked on s.e.x as a challenge to be won, not something to be shared.

He was going to change that.

When she reached between them to touch him again, he grabbed her wrist and held it pinned to her side. aNo.a She frowned. aWhy not?a Instead of answering her, he kissed her, a deliberately gentle kiss with just his lips, meant to slow down the tempo. He knew she wanted him hot and bothered and eager for penetration. Which he was. He reallya”oh, h.e.l.l, yesa”was. But he was also a man used to denying himself what he wanted.

He could wait.

Anna had no idea what kind of game Dante was playing, but the rules had changed and she didnat have the upper hand anymore, which she didnat like one bit.

But he was kissing her in this slow and deliberate way that made her head fuzzy, and all her limbs went lax until all she could think about were the delicious things he was doing with his mouth.

So when he rolled to his side and slid his hand under her s.h.i.+rt to snake his fingers along her stomach, her guard was down and her concentration was focused on his hands and how very much she craved his touch. And when he cupped a breast, his thumb drawing lazy circles across her bra-covered nipple, she whimpered in protest, wis.h.i.+ng she was already naked so she could feel the touch directly.

She was a languid pool of nerve endings, a sensual puppet, and Dante pulled all her strings. Somewhere in her s.e.x-fogged brain was the thought that this wasnat how it usually played out. She always had control. She was the one who set the pace, the scenario, and she never, ever handed the reins to a man.

But when Dante hooked his leg over hers, his denim-clad thigh rubbing against her center, and he took her mouth at the same time he pulled the cup of her bra down and found her nipple, a million stars exploded behind her eyes. All coherent thought fled as he plucked the bud between his fingers and drove his thigh against her s.e.x, his mouth devouring hers, his tongue exploring in a sensual dance she had no hope to resist. All she could do was clutch his s.h.i.+rt in a death grip and hope she could continue to draw breath through his a.s.sault.

His fingers were on a march, sweeping over her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, her abdomen and lower, her breath catching as he slid his hand into her shorts.

He pulled his lips from her mouth. She opened her eyes and found him watching her, something far too intimate to bear, especially considering where his hand was. She scrunched her eyes closed and buried her face in his neck.

aAnna.a His fingers danced along the top of her s.e.x, dipping into her panties. She arched against him as wild sensation burst and she lost all hope of controlling this game.

aAnna, look at me.a He asked too much of her. She bit down on her lip when his fingers slid lower, but couldnat resist the moan of sheer pleasure as he found the tight bud and began to play with it.

aAnna.a She tilted her head back and opened her eyes, meeting his gaze at the same time he tucked two fingers inside her. Her lips parted and she gasped, lifting to take more, feeling every sensation as his thumb swirled around the tight knot until she thought she might explode.

aDonat hold back,a he whispered, pinning her with his gaze. aRelease for me.a Shead never known a man like this, who could take her from anger and frustration to sweet pleasure in mere minutes. But as she rode the crest of his finessing fingers, she knew without a doubt she couldnat hold back.

It had been too long and, d.a.m.n him, he was just too good.

And as the pulses began deep inside her, she knew that he felt them, too, saw the smile of triumph on his face as she rocked against his hand and let go.

She gripped his arm, lifted her hips, and his name spilled from her lips.

aDante.a He took her mouth in a deep, searing kiss as she climaxed, absorbing her cries as waves of pleasure crashed over her, leaving her shaken and trembling against him.

And still, he held on to her, his fingers continuing to coax every quake within her until he finally withdrew.

She expected him to strip her and take her then, but he only held her, kissed her, took her down gently from the rollicking roller coaster of sensations and emotions of her o.r.g.a.s.m until she couldnat help but ask him.

aDante.a He looked down at her. aYeah?a aWeare not finished yet.a He grinned. aNo, Anna. Weare not. Not by a long shot.a aShouldnat weaa aGet back to work? Yeah, we probably should.a He s.h.i.+fted her upright.

Was he serious?

aButa”a He cupped her chin with his fingers. aI think you need to trust me before we go any further. Letas take this slow.a She glanced down at the ridge against his jeans that showed the pleasure had been all one-sided, and wondered how he could deny himself like that.

aIall survive. Letas get back to work. We have a killer to catch.a She inhaled, let it out and watched him head into the other room.

Trust him? She didnat know what to make of him.

She stood and headed into the kitchen.

Fifteen.

aYouave got one h.e.l.l of a smile on your face.a Anna lifted her head, lost the smile and narrowed her gaze at Roman, who leaned a hip against her desk. aI do not.a He frowned and crossed his arms. aWhatas going on?a aNothingas going on. Iam working here.a aYouare working with a smile. Thatas not like you.a Geez. She came into the office in a halfway decent mood and she got an interrogation. aWhy are you being so nosy?a He slid into the chair next to her desk. aWhy are you being so evasive?a d.a.m.n Dante, anyway. This was why she preferred being tense. Her being relaxed made people suspicious. aIam not being evasive. I got a good nightas sleep, thatas all.a Roman laughed. aYeah, that is unusual for you. And strange considering everything going on. What brought on the sleep?a She adjusted the files on her desk. aI kind of had a bodyguard. Danteas staying with me.a Roman arched a brow. aIs that right?a aHe insisted.a aAnd youare no pushover. So what gives?a She shoved the files away and gave Roman a pointed look. aYou suddenly have a problem with Dante?a aI just wonder if heas really who he says he is.a She looked around, though Dante wasnat there anyway. Head gone with Ellen Clemons to help her make Jeffas funeral arrangements, something she admired him for doing and knew wasnat going to be easy for him.

He told her head catch up with her later. After head followed her to the precinct, of course. And that had been after much arguing on her part that she could drive herself to work without an escort. But head insisted. Shead told him he could shadow her if he wanted, but it was a waste of time.

He had, and had pulled off when shead entered the lot.

Anna was grateful for the reprieve after last nightas intimacy. She needed time to regroup and figure out just what they meant to each other.