Collared (Going to the Dogs) (17 page)

He nudged her legs a bit farther apart, then brushed soft kisses along the inside of each thigh, teasingly close to where she ached for him to go. Her fingers twisted into his hair, playing with it, toying with the ends, sending little jolts of pleasure through him. For once his princess wasn’t manhandling him. She put her trust in him that he would make it good. He pressed a kiss against her soft curls, then slowly, gently drew the tip of his tongue downward. Her fingers gripped his hair tighter until it was just on the edge of painful, but he just didn’t give a damn. He continued to play, teasing her with his tongue until she was twisting beneath him, then finally sliding one finger inside her as he suckled and toyed some more. He pushed her to the edge with long, slippery strokes, both with his finger and his tongue, until she finally couldn’t hold back any longer and went shuddering and moaning over the edge.

He had to press his hips firmly into the mattress to keep his full, aching dick still, gritting his teeth as he slid his thumb over her and kept her vibrating. He fought against the almost uncontrollable urge to rear up and slake his need deep inside her while she was still coming. Instead, panting, he started all over again, kissing softly, teasing gently, even more so now as she was jittery and pulsing. She didn’t push him away and that made him smile. She showed him how ultrasensitive she was at the slightest breath from him by how restlessly she moved against him. He took his time, and she slowly relaxed and began to climb again. When he slid his finger inside her this time, he had to swallow a groan of need, so badly did he want to be there right now. He thrust gently into her, pushing up just enough to hit that other spot inside her, so sensitive, all the while kissing, teasing, tasting, until she cried out as her hips jerked almost violently off the bed. He stayed with her until she was just past the peak, then finally, almost shakily, climbed over her and pulled her legs around his waist, and, lifting his hips completely off the bed, he plunged into her.

She cried out, and he grunted as she took him, held him, moved beneath him, matching him stroke for stroke as she continued to pulsate and shudder around him. He had no alternative, couldn’t stop the climax from steamrolling over him until he was mindless with the release. She clutched him to her, her legs tightening around his lower back as he came with a long, jagged groan. It was as if he couldn’t get deep enough, close enough into her. It was beyond seeking physical pleasure. It was this connection he couldn’t shake. With her.

He lay trembling on top of her now, so thoroughly sated he never wanted to move off her glorious body.

Finally he found the strength to shift off of her, rolling to his side and pulling her with him. He wasn’t sure if she was a cuddler. In the past, he could take it or leave it.

This time it was different. For him, anyway.

She shifted a bit, and he thought she was pulling away, but she was just getting more comfortable against him.

So he rolled to his back and tugged her to his side. She laid her arm across his chest, sliding her leg over his hip possessively. He laughed softly.

She propped her chin on his chest, her fingers rubbing against his ribcage. “What’s funny?” she asked, looking sated and smug.

He ran his hands through her damp hair, pushing the silky wisps back off her smooth temples, brushing against her satiny shoulders. He traced over her cheekbone with his fingers, along her creamy jaw, up her chin, rubbing the pad of his thumb across her swollen, thoroughly kissed bottom lip. “Claiming me, princess?”

For the first time, she looked pensive, then she started to pull away, but he held her tightly against him. “Hey, just teasing,” he said to lighten the moment and get her face to change to one of amusement.

She looked up at him again and a shot of hope went through him as she didn’t struggle, but she didn’t relax, either. He cursed himself for reminding her that they’d moved way beyond either the just-sex zone or the cynical zone. He supposed he shouldn’t let it bother him…as it was a bit selfish of him to expect her to give all of herself instantly…Harper would not be hurried.

He supposed she might be lumping him together with every other man she’d slept with, which bothered him even more. He liked her confidence, but he didn’t like her keeping him at arm’s length.

Instinctively reacting to her tentativeness, he lifted his head and tugged hers closer, so he could reach her lips. He planted a soft, slow kiss against her mouth until she finally let go enough to relax against him slightly. “I know you have no reason to trust me,” he murmured against the side of her cheek, keeping her nestled closely, “but my intentions are sincere in this. I’m not snowing you. I wouldn’t, not you, princess.”

She shifted, and nestled her face just below his jaw, kissing his neck then sighing before pulling back just enough to look at him, but not enough, he noticed, so that she separated from him, her silky thigh still resting against his hip.

“That’s exactly what a guy with a hidden agenda would say.”

There was amusement in her tone, and in her eyes, but along with that humor was trepidation, whether or not she wanted him to see it.

“I don’t have a hidden agenda. I don’t have the finesse for that.” He rolled to his side, tipping her to her back, but keeping their legs entwined as he propped his head on his hand. “So, how do I prove to you that I mean what I say?”

“You don’t,” she said. “I simply have to decide to trust you or not. It’s not easy for me, so I think you’ll have to be patient.”

He rolled to his back and pulled her on top of him, making her yelp in surprise. He laughed and kissed her. “You
have
met me, right? Grumpy, irritable, and downright contrary.” Then he rolled her to her back and kissed her again. She was pushing at his shoulders, but she was laughing. And she was kissing him back.

“What? You? No. That can’t be. You are the most easygoing guy I’ve ever met.”

He laughed again and tickled her waist as she twisted under him. “That’s dirty pool, handsome.”

“Shane tells me I fight dirty, so I guess that’s a warning. I do what I can to get my way.”

“Shane?”

“My partner. He wants to meet you. He reads the society pages and is generally a pain in my ass.”

“Awww, poor guy, he has to put up with you?”

“Hey, whose side are you on?”

“Right now I’m plastered all over your side.”

“Hmmm, I like that.”

She pressed a finger across his lips. “I do believe you mean what you say. It’s just…I’ve built up a tough skin for so long. It’s not easy to just let that go when we’ve only just started to get to know each other.” She pressed her finger harder against his lips when he tried to interrupt. “I’m not finished, pushy.” He smiled against her finger.

Her eyes darkened, and he noted how she took a steadying breath. “I can already tell that you do what you say and say what you mean,” she said somewhat shakily.

“You’re right. All I can do is ask you to trust me,” he said. She allowed him to tuck her under his arm again. He noted she settled far more naturally against him, her head resting easily on his shoulder this time. He wondered if she even realized it.

He tipped up her chin and kissed her, gently but firmly, all playfulness gone.

“I’m parched,” he said. “I suppose you’ve got high-priced water in your fridge?” He reluctantly rolled away from her.

She laughed. “As a matter of fact, I do. Do you want me to get it for you?” She slid with him, and he liked that very much.

“No, I got it. You want one?” He sat on the edge of the bed and she pressed herself against him, her arms slipping around him and banding across his chest. “You got any high-priced food in there, too?”

“Ah, men, food and sex. Probably the only things that you need.”

“And, what’s it with you, sex and shopping?”

“Oh, my, you
are
a good detective.”

He chuckled. “Cute, lady.” He rose and slipped on his pants.

“Can you find the kitchen okay?”

“Yes,” he tapped his temple, “I memorized it the last time I was here. I’m good at mazes.”

“Part of being a good detective, I’m sure.”

He shook his head and smiled all the way to the kitchen. He had no idea where the damn light switches were in this place, but the dim glow from night lights illuminated the way well enough for him to find his way to the kitchen.

He was almost to the fridge when someone grabbed him into a chokehold and started to squeeze. His immediate reaction was to throw himself backwards. He was gratified to hear his attacker grunt. He had only one thought on his mind, and that was to subdue this intruder in Harper’s penthouse. He was pissed. If she hadn’t changed those codes.... All thought scattered as he had to fight against the grey edging around his vision. Every move he tried, the guy was ready to counter, as if he was highly trained.

Caleb struggled against the punishing hold, and with several quick, fast jabs of his elbow, he finally broke the guy’s hold, but a fist came out of the dark and collided with his jaw and he staggered backwards. Then his attacker was all over him with jabs and punches, the blows driving Caleb to his knees. This guy was good…military good…no, Special Forces military good. At this point, all he could do was defend.

Light flooded the room. Shit! Harper.

“Oh, my God. Jeffrey what are you doing?”

Caleb braced himself against the floor and looked up at Harper’s chauffeur with a fierce look on his face.
Protection mode
.

Harper was there helping him up. “Oh, God. Are you all right?”

Caleb leaned back into the counter as Harper glared at Jeffrey.

Breathing heavily, Jeffrey leaned back, too. “Dammit, I didn’t know he was here. I thought they’d come back for round two. I’m so sorry, Detective Shaw.”

Technically, this guy had attacked a police officer, and he could haul him in. He silently considered that. It would give him a reason to check the guy out. But Caleb saw the look on his face and the look on Harper’s. Something passed between them, and he suddenly felt like the odd man out, wondering what exactly was their relationship as jealousy slid into him like a knife between the ribs.

“I’m going to overlook the attack because I suspect you were just trying to protect Harper, so no assaulting an officer charges.”

Harper looked more relieved than she should have and suspicion started to grow. They had just had a talk about trust. But she was hiding something, and that made him wonder why. It also made him understand that his instincts about this guy were spot on.

With another apology, Jeffrey left and Harper grabbed two bottles out of the fridge and a couple of sandwiches. She shoved everything into his arms and hauled him back to the bedroom, shutting the door. Taking the stuff out of his hands she dumped it on the bed. She brought him into her bathroom and sat him on the vanity.

“Every time I’m near you, I get my ass either knocked down or kicked. Are you trying to tell me something?” he said it lightly, but Harper’s face didn’t change.

Grabbing a washcloth, she ran it under the water. If she was upset, her face didn’t show her distress. If anything it was cold and blank. He suspected this was the face she put on for the world. He immediately got pissed. He didn’t want that kind of face from her. Dammit, just when he’d thought he was starting to make progress.

He grabbed her wrist when she went to dab at what felt like a cut on his forehead. “Don’t look at me like that!”

“Like what?” Her voice was carefully modulated.

“Your public face. After what we just shared less than ten minutes ago, this is bullshit.” He stood up. “I want more than that. Let me see something more than that. Who is he? Tell me the truth.”

She blinked a couple of times, then her eyes closed. “I don’t want to care about you. It complicates everything.”

“I bet it does. You have no problem protecting Jeffrey.”

Her eyes flashed open and then he saw the emotion there and it cut him. “I see. That’s the way it is.” He dropped her wrist and strode out of the bathroom, snatching up his shirt.

“Caleb,” Harper said rushing after him from the bathroom. “Please don’t go. I don’t have any interest in Jeffrey, if that’s what’s bothering you.”

He continued to dress. This hurt more than it should. More than he expected.

“Caleb, please. Don’t make this an ultimatum.”

“Why? Sounds like I’d lose.”

“No, that’s not the case. And you just finished promising not to push me.”

He sighed and looked at her.

Her face crumpled. “Don’t push me on this. Please. Just forget it ever happened. All right?”

She wrapped her arms around him and he took a breath at how good it felt to have Harper show him something other than her biting cynicism.

“There’s something happening between us,” she said against his chest. “I’ll admit it if that’s what you want. I don’t know how it’s going work out, and quite frankly, you scare me shitless. But when something scares me I just want do it all the more. I never give in to my weakness. But please don’t go. I want you to stay. Stay with me,” she was pleading and he was completely sure that she’d never done that before in her life. He dropped his shirt and gathered her up in his arms in a tight embrace. She pressed her face against his shoulder and relaxed against him.

“He’s sort of a bodyguard. Okay? I’ve never been with him and never will be. I just don’t think of him like that. You, on the other hand, I can’t stop thinking about you. All the time. Dammit,” she said, thumping her forehead against his chest. “All the time.”

His heart melted, just dissolved into a gelatinous goo. This woman had him—she had him, and he was okay with that. “He’s military, Special Forces, I’m sure of it. Why didn’t you just tell me this when I asked you about him before?”

“I don’t like to talk about it. It’s not an aspect of my life that I like thinking about. Just let it go, please.”

He wasn’t sure whether she was telling him everything, but he was sure about one thing. He wanted her to trust him, but he couldn’t force her. He’d let his jealously get the better of him. But she’d let that mask drop, and that was at least something. Building a relationship with Harper was a delicate thing. She had some really tough barriers. And he intended to break them down. He wanted to go like gangbusters, but his usual tactic of overwhelm and annihilate wasn’t going to work here.