Every Move She Makes (18 page)

He didn’t feel especially guilty about the other women, but he did still blame himself for the accident that had crippled Carolyn. They had been arguing. He’d asked her for a divorce. She’d gone berserk and told him that she would never give him a divorce.

She’d cursed him, saying, “If you think I’ll give you up, then think again, you son of a bitch. You’re my husband and you’re going to stay my husband. How could you even think of leaving me for that whore?”

That was when he’d realized that Carolyn knew about his relationship with Judy Conway. He hadn’t meant to fall in love with Judy. But Judy was everything that he had sadly discovered his wife was not. When he’d married Carolyn, he’d been deceived by her beauty and her genteel manners. She hadn’t allowed him to touch her until their wedding night, which had, for him, been a disaster. His bride hadn’t liked sex. She had endured it. He’d soon found that his genteel wife was not only cold in the bedroom, but was a bitch to anyone she considered a subordinate. He had tried to make the marriage work, but after two miserable years, he had asked for a divorce.

Fate had stepped in and dealt him an almost lethal blow. After Carolyn’s accident, he had ended his love affair with Judy. Guilt ate away at him for years, and he’d tried his best to be a faithful husband. But he hadn’t been able to get Judy out of his mind or out of his heart. They had come together again, years later, for one unforgettable night. Junior Blalock had known about that night and about the child Judy had conceived. If Junior had ever told Carolyn that Webb had fathered Regina Conway, only God knew what Carolyn would have done—not only to him, but to Judy. And to little Regina, the child he had never been able to claim. He supposed there was a special place in hell for men like him—men who fathered illegitimate children and never acknowledged them.

Webb suspected that the intense hatred that now existed between Reed Conway and him had actually begun all those years ago. Even as a small boy, Reed had seemed to sense that Webb was bad news for his mother. And as the years went by, Judy’s son became her zealous protector. Did Reed know the truth about Regina’s paternity? Was that one of the reasons that, as a teenager, he had bristled every time he’d come into contact with Webb?

Webb had questioned his own motives when he had prosecuted Reed for Junior’s murder. He’d known that by not stepping down, not turning the case over to the assistant district attorney, he would sever all ties to Judy. She hadn’t been able to forgive him. But that had been what he’d wanted, hadn’t it? Losing Judy forever had been his punishment and, oddly enough, his atonement.

But did Reed think Webb hadn’t suffered enough? Was Judy’s son intent on hurting the person Webb loved most in the world—his daughter Ella?

Webb knew that he had to do whatever was necessary to protect those he loved, just as he’d always done. Even if that meant protecting them from himself.

“Miss Ella?” Roy Moses eased open the door to her office. As always, he offered her a warm smile. “I got your lunch. A small barbeque sandwich, a little bag of chips, and a diet Dr Pepper. I got your order right, didn’t I?”

“Yes, Roy, thank you.” Ella exchanged the sack lunch for the cost of the meal, plus a generous tip. “By eating here in my office, I can relax for a while.”

“I heard about what happened at your house,” Roy said, his smile wavering. “Who would do something so mean?”

“I don’t know, but I hope the police catch him.”

“It wasn’t Reed,” Roy told her. “Reed ain’t a bad man. Not like people think he is.”

Ella set the paper lunch sack on her desk. “No one is accusing Reed.”

“Reed’s my friend.” Roy’s smile returned, broader than before, showing off uneven rows of crooked, yellow teeth. “Me and him are fixing up an old Corvette over at the garage. He says I got a natural talent for mechanic work. And Reed, he don’t never fuss at me the way Briley Joe does.”

“I’m glad you’ve found a friend in Reed,” Ella said. She really didn’t want to discuss Reed Conway’s virtues, not even with Roy. She didn’t want to be reminded that Reed might actually be a good guy.

“You enjoy your lunch, Miss Ella. I gotta get back to work.” Roy paused in his slow, plodding exit. “If you need me for anything, just have Kelly call down to the basement when she gets back from lunch.”

“Yes, thank you, Roy.”

As soon as he closed the door, Ella grabbed the sack off her desk, collapsed onto the leather sofa, kicked off her shoes, and sighed. An hour of peace and quiet…she hoped. Dealing with the police, their insurance agent, and her father all in one morning was more than enough stress. And despite the defendant’s guilt in the case before her earlier today, it hadn’t been easy sentencing a woman to life in prison.

She felt the door open before she actually looked up and saw Reed Conway burst into her office. He slammed the door shut, almost jarring it off the hinges. Ella sat up straight, bringing her legs around so that her bare feet hit the floor. Her lunch sack scooted off her lap and onto the sofa.

Pure rage—that’s what she saw on Reed’s face, in his eyes, in his tight jaw. Instinct told her to run. The old fight-or-flight mentality kicked in. With Reed, her best bet was flight. No way could she win in a fight with this man. Not when she would be fighting herself as well as him.

“Why the hell do you keep siccing Frank Nelson on me?” Reed stood just inside her office, his big body a solid block positioned between her and the only escape route.

“I didn’t…” She cleared her throat. “I did not sic Frank Nelson on you. It isn’t my fault that you’re the most likely suspect.”

Reed took several steps in her direction, his presence threatening. “I am not harassing you. I did not break into your home and ransack the place. What I want to do is prove that I didn’t kill Junior Blalock—not commit a crime that would send me back to prison. Haven’t you got enough sense to realize that?”

“You shouldn’t be here.” She rose to her feet, squared her shoulders, and aimed her gaze point-blank at his cold blue eyes. “I want you to leave.”

“Do you?” He moved steadily toward her.

“Turn around and leave right now. If you don’t, I’ll be forced to call security.”

He didn’t seem to hear her. Or if he had heard, he chose to disregard her warning. Within seconds he came upon her. Big. Intimidating. Threatening. A man to be reckoned with.

“It’s time you and I settle this thing between us,” he said.

“There is nothing between us.”

“Oh, yes, there is. There’s this.”

Before she could voice a protest, he grabbed her by the nape of her neck and took her breath away with a kiss of raw fury and unleashed desire.

Stop him. Stop him now. You can’t let this happen. You’ll regret it. Oh, God, help me!

She struggled against him, but he held fast, and when she tried to protest verbally, he thrust his tongue into her mouth. Heady, sexual sensations burst inside her, shooting through her at the speed of light. Ella found herself responding automatically, instinctively, as if her body recognized this man as her mate.

This is wrong! This is so wrong. Think of the consequences of your actions
.

She laid her hands on his chest and shoved him as hard as she could. Her effort accomplished her goal and ended the ravaging kiss. When he released her neck, he glared at her, hot passion in his eyes.

Ella’s knees weakened, and for a split second she thought they might give way. Wiping the moisture of his kiss from her lips, she looked straight at him. He was, without a doubt, the most devastating man she’d ever seen in her life. All hard, masculine muscle. Totally male. Whatever softness that might have once graced his features had disappeared over the long years in prison and left behind only the strong, granite features of a tough warrior.

Their gazes locked. He was staring her down, proving his dominance, trying to intimidate her. He had to know the effect he had on her—had to have guessed by the way she’d responded to his kiss that she was hungry for him. His icy blue eyes, pale against the rich, leathery tan of his face, possessed a mesmerizing ability that drew her to him. Fighting with all the strength she possessed, she tried to resist the urge to fling herself into his powerful arms.

“Whatever you think is going to happen, it’s not,” she told him.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“No, you’re not,” he said, his voice deep and seductive. “You’re not sure of anything anymore, are you?”

“I’m very sure that I dislike you and that I want nothing to do with you. As a matter of fact, I’m beginning to hate you.”

He grinned. Actually, the curve of his lips was more an amused smirk than a grin. “You don’t hate me, lady. You hate yourself for wanting a man like me.”

Color stained her cheeks and she cursed herself for allowing his comment to embarrass her. For pity’s sake, she was thirty years old. She’d heard cruder propositions come out of other men’s mouths and she’d simply been offended. Her reaction to Reed’s statement came from the fact that there was some truth in what he’d said.
Some truth? Face it—you want him like crazy
.

“You’re wrong,” she lied.

Taking her off guard, he grabbed her chin, clamping his fingers and thumb over her cheeks. Shocked by the unexpected move and by the fierceness of his touch, Ella gasped.

She heard the sound of people passing by outside her office, feet padding along the hallway. Voices engaged in conversation.
Cry out for help. Do it now, while you still can. Otherwise, you’ll be lost
.

She could tell by Reed’s expression that he heard the people beyond the closed doors and he knew what she was thinking. As he held her head in place, positioning it to accept the onslaught, his mouth took hers in a hard kiss. It was all she could do not to react. She forced herself to resist temptation. Suddenly he ended the kiss and withdrew from her.

“There’s the door, babe”—he nodded in that direction—“leave now or you’re not going anywhere for a while.”

“This is my office. If anyone is leaving, you are.” She felt a certain amount of satisfaction for standing her ground. She had called his bluff.

“Last chance,” he said.

Ella didn’t budge.

He turned around and headed for the door. She breathed deeply, sighing with relief. And yet at the same time a wave of inexplicable disappointment washed over her.
You idiot
, she chided herself.
Count yourself lucky that he backed down, otherwise you would have done something you would regret for the rest of your life
.

Ella’s relief and her disappointment were short-lived. A distinct click alerted her that Reed had locked the door. All her senses came to full alert. Reversing his stance, he faced her. She knew there would be no reprieve. She had to accept the truth. Reed hadn’t been bluffing.

“There’s one thing I want to know, Miss Ella. Have you ever been fucked?”

Ella gasped.

“And I don’t mean made love to by one of your suitable beaus. I mean screwed by a man who wants you so bad it’s eating him up inside.”

“You have no right to talk to me this way. No right to think that I’d have sex with you.” As she shook her head in denial, she held up her hands in a defensive measure, as if to ward him off.

He took one slow, deliberate step after another, drawing ever closer, his gaze riveted to hers. “Give me the right. You know you want to. You want it as bad as I do.”

“You’re wrong.” Panic spread through her like an insidious disease, destroying her resistence.

Why aren’t you screaming? Why aren’t you running from him? There’s still time
.

He reached out to cradle her face with his hands. She sucked in a deep, startled breath. His touch was strong yet gentle. A shiver of fear and longing shimmied along her nerves. His lips settled over hers: warm and moist, demanding but not brutal. Female reacted to male—woman to man, recognizing her mate. Ella kissed him back with the same desperate need, and that response ignited an uncontrollable blaze within him. Keening softly, she leaned into him, her breasts pressing softly against his hard chest. He eased his hands from her cheeks, across her ears, to spear his fingers into her hair and grasp her head. He deepened the kiss, his tongue delving into her mouth and dueling with hers. She braced her open palms over his chest to balance her unsteady body. And because she needed to touch him. The kiss went on and on until they were both breathless. When he broke the bond, Ella felt momentarily bereft, as is she’d lost a part of herself. But within seconds, his lips found new territory. He nibbled at the side of her neck, then mouthed her ear.

As she licked her swollen lips, her hands moved of their own accord to tug at his short-sleeved chambray shirt. One by one, she undid the buttons to mid-chest and slid her hands inside to caress his bare chest. Her fingertips encountered swirling brown hair that spread over defined muscles, circled tiny male nipples, and descended in a thin triangle. Oh, how she loved the feel of him.

The moment he touched her, she unraveled, whimpering with longing. He unzipped the back of her sedate navy blue summer dress and dragged it to her waist, all the while his hands smoothing their way down her back. With his arms circling her and his lips pressing into the hollow of her throat, she explored his body. After tugging his shirt free of his jeans, she finished unbuttoning it and spread it apart to give her complete access to his upper torso.

Reed unhooked the back closure of her bra and eased it off her shoulders, inch by inch, slowly revealing her breasts. When he lifted the weight of each mound and flicked his thumbs across her nipples, Ella closed her eyes and allowed the painful pleasure to radiate through her body. He tormented each pebble-hard point, flicking, pinching, rubbing, until Ella was panting. Then he lowered his head and took one nipple into his mouth while his fingers continued their assault on the other. When she thought she couldn’t bear another moment of such exquisite torture, Reed lifted his head and looked into her eyes. They exchanged a heated glare as their labored breaths created the only sound in the room.

Desire so intense that it was a palpable thing sucked them into the hot, dark depths, down into the irrational, primeval abyss of mating. All other considerations ceased to exist. Only one thing mattered, and that singular need outweighed all others. In that endless moment when they looked at each other, they both knew. Both understood.

Although the air conditioning in Ella’s office was quite adequate, she suddenly felt hot, as if the Southern summertime heat had invaded her body. She had never felt this way, had never known such powerful sexual hunger. Had never needed a man the way she needed Reed. And he felt the same urgency, the same raging ache, riding him hard. She could see it in his eyes.

When he cupped her buttocks and pulled her up against him, she made no protest. Indeed, she went willingly. With their gazes still connected, he inched his hand down, down, down until he could insert his hand under her dress. She clung to his shoulders, her lips becoming acquainted with his throat, his chest, his nipples. His big hands worked their way up her thighs to her hips where he encountered her silk panties.

He slid a couple of fingers beneath the leg band of her panties, running the edge of his calloused fingertips over the curly hair flattened by her underwear. She shuddered against him. He groaned as if in pain, but Ella instinctively recognized the mating call for what it was. Hurriedly he removed his fingers, then swept one arm under her hips and lifted her off her feet.

Reed tossed her onto the leather sofa. She lay there gazing up at him. While he unbuckled his belt and unzipped his jeans, he watched her, seemingly unable to take his eyes off her. Then, without a word exchanged—no request for permission or whispers of affection—he reached under her dress and dragged her panties over her hips, down her legs, and off.

All Ella could think at that very moment was how glad she was that in the hottest part of summer, she never wore pantyhose or stockings. Crazy, idiotic thought. And quite wanton. Heaven help her, she was wanton. A real hussy.

When Reed came down over her, bracing one hand on the back of the sofa and the other on the edge of the cushion just below her shoulder, he inspected his handiwork. She knew from the feel of them that her lips were red and swollen. And glancing down at her breasts, she saw her tight, distended nipples, bright pink from his suckling.

He shoved the skirt of her dress up above her hips, preparing her, then pulled his jeans and briefs down. She held her breath, shocked and yet aroused by his actions. He was big and hard and powerfully male. He was going to take her, ram himself inside her and…

Never had she wanted anything more. Positioning himself over her, his penis brushed across her mound. She shivered. The tip of his strong erection found the opening of her body. He inserted himself only a couple of inches. She lifted her hips, seeking more.

“I’ve got to fuck you, babe. I’ve got to have you now.” He thrust his hands under her hips and lifted her up, impaling her, imbedding himself as deeply into her as possible.

She cried out. The feel of him inside her, filling her, expanding her sheath to its limits, produced a nearly orgasmic response. “Reed…”

“I know, babe. I know.” He began moving, slowly at first, setting the pace, breaking her in gently, allowing her body to adjust to his size.

His lips and hands were everywhere. Caressing, encouraging, arousing. She was lost in a whirlwind of carnal pleasure, a new and glorious experience for her. She was no simpering virgin, but God help her if Reed didn’t make her feel as if she’d never been with another man.

They went at each other like animals, wild with a bestial craving that only complete, unbridled sexual satisfaction could appease. She writhed beneath him, giving herself over completely to the carnal act. Gentleness and tenderness gave way completely to savagery. Lust controlled their every action. And with each thrust—each hard, fast lunge into her body—Reed brought her closer and closer to fulfillment. Flooding with steamy moisture, she swelled tighter and tighter, her internal movements milking his stiff penis.

Her climax was inevitable. She could feel the oncoming tide of release, and the overwhelming sensation frightened her. It had never been like this—an unbearable pleasure, an intensity that shook her to the very core of her being.

“No, babe. Don’t be afraid,” he murmured, as if he’d read her thoughts. “Come for me, Ella. Just for me.”

Swept away completely. Shattered into a million fragments of pleasure. Her orgasm went on and on, affecting her entire mind and body, leaving no part of her untouched by the magnitude of their lovemaking.

Reed hammered into her, hard and fast. While the aftershocks of her release radiated through her, he came inside her. His ejaculation powerful, he groaned as his body jerked convulsively. As satiation claimed them, Reed kissed her and whispered her name. She reciprocated, loving the aftermath of affection that he displayed. But within minutes, reality set in, making her painfully aware of where she was and what she’d just done.

Wriggling beneath him to dislodge him, she shoved against his chest at the same time. “Please, let me get up.”

He gazed down at her for a long moment, then lifted himself off her. Once his feet hit the floor, he pulled up his briefs and jeans and closed the zipper. His shirt hung open loosely at either side of his big body. He held out his hand, offering her assistance. Reluctantly, she accepted his hand. He pulled her to her feet. When her bare breasts made contact with his chest, she gasped.

She looked at him pleadingly. This shouldn’t have happened. It was wrong. They had made a huge mistake. It must never happen again. All these thoughts and more came to mind, but she didn’t say a word. She knew she should feel shame and remorse, yet she didn’t. How could she regret something so incredibly wonderful, the most fabulous sexual experience of her life?

She’d just had sex with an ex-convict, her father’s sworn enemy. A man as dangerous as any of the criminals who came through her courtroom.

Reed released her, but for just a second neither of them moved, letting the remnants of desire caress them. He stepped away first. Ella dragged the undone bodice of her dress up just enough to cover her breasts.

“I’d better go,” Reed said.

She nodded.

“Ella…”

“Please, just go.”

“Yeah, sure.”

He turned around, crossed the room and unlocked the door. Glancing over his shoulder, he said, “See you around.”

He opened the door, went out into the hall, and closed the door quickly behind him. Thank God Kelly was still at lunch. Ella sucked in a deep breath and released it slowly. What the hell had just happened?