Everything But The Truth (12 page)

With deft fingers, he traced the leg openings, teasing her bare skin. Then he found her center and, through the silk material, probed her. Hypnotized by his touch, her hips lifted from the bed on their own accord, seeking, searching, her body vibrating with liquid fire.

“You’re sopping wet,” he said with satisfaction.

“Reeve, please,” she begged.

Looking pleased with himself, he smiled down at her. “Now, who’s rushing?”

“But I—”

He hushed her with a kiss, his tongue tracing the outline of her lips. “You have the most amazing green eyes. And your smile…I love your smile.”

His mouth left hers to trail tiny kisses along her jaw and at an extra sensitive spot between her neck and shoulder. Peyton writhed, unable to lie still. Finally, his mouth found her breast and closed around a nipple, suckling her till she wanted to scream. The exquisite torture was all so exhilarating, she couldn’t hold back her moans of pleasure.

His hand found her unoccupied breast and began toying with it. Then he treated it to the same attention he’d given the first one. She felt his erection pressing against her thigh, and the dewdrops of moisture that had leaked from the opening.

She couldn’t take any more, and she didn’t care if she had to beg. She wanted him. Now.

“Reeve,
please
!” she shouted, clawing at him, digging her nails into his back.

His mouth released her swollen nipple with a popping sound. Teasing her damp center again, he said, “Tell me what you want, sweetheart.” He was deliberately tormenting her.

“I want you. I want you inside me. Please, Reeve,” she pleaded.

He kicked his jeans aside and dragged off her silk panties all in one motion, it seemed. “Honey blonde,” he said, smiling, staring at the hair between her thighs. “Just like I imagined.”

Peyton felt her cheeks coloring.

Tearing open one of the cardboard boxes, he shook the contents onto the bed and said, “I sure hope we have enough to last us tonight.”

She thumped him playfully in the chest. “Stop teasing.”

“Who’s teasing?” Grabbing a foil packet and ripping it open with his teeth, he held it out to her. “Do you want to do the honors?”

Shaking her head violently, she said, “No, you do it. My hands aren’t very steady at the moment.”

He laughed and rolled the latex over the length of him. Then his eyes turned serious and, bracing himself on his hands and knees, he leaned forward and kissed her again.

She dug her hands into his hair, then arching her back, she lowered her hands and reached for him, fumbling until she found the object of her desire and guided him to her. With a single thrust, he was inside, filling her completely.

Wrapping her legs around him, she followed his lead and moved with him. His hands touched her everywhere, and her body hummed with the sensations. Tiny gasps escaped her lips as her pleasure escalated. He reacted by thrusting harder, faster, until he sent her over the edge.

“Oh, Reeve,” she screamed, convulsing around him.

The muscles in his shoulders bunched, and his expression became a combination of pleasure and pain. Then, shuddering, he gasped her name.

He practically collapsed on top of her, careful to distribute his weight so he didn’t crush her. His heart throbbed viciously in his chest, the vibrations moving through her body. Reeve’s breath came in fast gulps while every one of her nerves tingled in the aftermath of their lovemaking.

She smiled. She loved him, and she hoped he loved her.

When his breathing slowed a little, he lifted his face and propped himself up on one elbow, staring into her eyes. He trailed a finger across her cheek.

“You handled yourself like a real pro,” he said.

Peyton’s face fell, alarm bells ringing in her head.
Oh no
. She knew the moment of truth had finally come. Trying to reel in her emotions, she took a deep breath and concentrated on telling him the truth, praying he’d forgive her for lying.

Chapter Twelve

Reeve watched as Peyton’s eyes widened and her face paled. She sat upright, dragging the sheet with her to cover her breasts. Raising her knees beneath the sheet, she hugged them to her chest, and with her back to him, she looked over one shoulder.

“Reeve,” she said, then paused. “I’m not what you think. I’m not a—”

Holding back a smile, he finished for her. “Hooker?”

Her shoulders tensed, and she sucked in a huge breath. “No, I’m not. I lied to you, but I—”

“Peyton,” he said, tugging on the sheet. “I already know.”

“I lied because…” She stopped, then angled herself to face him more fully. “You
already know
? Was I that bad?” she asked, a look of mortification coming over her. Then suddenly, her face grew tight with anger. “What do you mean you
already know
?”

This time he let his smile unfold. “You didn’t think I believed you, did you? I mean, come on. Look at you.” He reached out to touch her bare shoulder, but she swatted his hand away.

Scooting toward the edge of the bed, the sheet firmly held in place to cover her, she said, “You knew I wasn’t a hooker, and yet you let me do that stupid striptease?”

He shrugged a shoulder. “I didn’t think it was stupid.”

“No, of course not. Because
you
weren’t the one humiliating yourself.” She let out a puff of air. “I don’t believe this. When did you realize I was lying?”

“From the very beginning,” he said, refusing to play the fool.

Her green eyes zoomed in on his as she studied him. “You’re lying,” she accused. “Why else would you have been so nasty to me?”

“I was never nasty to you.”

“The heck you weren’t. From the very moment I walked into the tavern, you had your mind made up that you hated me.” With her free hand, she pushed the hair from her face.

“I never hated you.” He raised his brows. “Did it look like I hated you a few minutes ago?”

“That’s beside the point. You’re a man, and all men—”

“Now look who’s postulating.” He grinned. “See, I know big words too, and I can also use them in a sentence. Impressed?” he asked, teasing her.

Some of the anger drained from her face. “I’m sorry. You’re right,” she said, “but I still feel like a fool.”

Reeve sat up and, very sneakily, began to lower the sheet. “You’re not a fool.” He placed a kiss in the crook of her shoulder and neck where he’d noticed she was sensitive earlier.

Reacting to the sensation, she scrunched her shoulder and giggled softly.

“Do you like it when I kiss you there?” he asked.

She moaned with satisfaction.

“How about here?” he asked, dropping a kiss on the swell of her breast.

Another moan. This time her eyes closed and her head tilted back, allowing him more access.

Lowering the sheet completely, he watched as her nipples hardened. Gently, he plucked one between his fingers and toyed with it.

“They’re so responsive,” he said.

He heard her swallow. “Reeve, we should probably—”

“Shut up, Peyton.” And then, to ensure her silence, he kissed her soundly and dragged her down onto the bed to lie beneath him. She didn’t protest one little bit.

****

Cuddled in Reeve’s arms, Peyton’s mind wandered. She was still trying to figure out when he’d discovered her deception, and then it hit her. The call he’d made from the phone booth.

He’d lied. He hadn’t been talking to Matt’s wife. He’d been talking to Matt, and immediately following that call was when he’d started behaving like a hungry wolf. She should have known.

Of all the dirty, low-down tricks.

Reeve’s hold on her tightened, and he mumbled something in his sleep. Her cheek lay pressed against his warm chest as she listened to the steady beat of his heart and enjoyed the feel of his breath tickling her forehead.

She had no idea what time it was. They’d long ago turned out the lights, and because of the thick, rubber-backed drapes, it was pitch dark in the room.

Moving her hand to play with the hair on his chest, she smiled and remembered their lovemaking. He’d been so attentive—gentle and patient at times, and silently demanding at others. He’d made her feel so cherished, yet he’d brought out her bold side as well. The bold side she’d never realized she had. It had probably been there all along, just waiting to escape, and Reeve had found the key and unlocked the door. Just thinking about it embarrassed her, and even though the room was as dark as a bottomless hole, she knew she was blushing.

Okay, so he’d lied and played a dirty trick on her. But she’d lied too. And if she expected him to forgive her, she’d have to forgive him as well.

He began stirring and running his fingers through her hair. “Why aren’t you asleep?” he asked in a whisper.

“I was just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Things.”

“Peyton,” he sighed, “go to sleep.”

Closing her eyes, she tried to drift off, but couldn’t. After some time, she said, “I’m a counselor.”

“I know that.”

Of course he did
. Matt had probably told him.

“The girls I counsel…they’re important to me.”

“I figured that.”

“They’re not despicable. They’re scared young women who have been hurt. Some of them are prostituting themselves so they can punish the people who have hurt them; some are trying to punish themselves.”

His hand left her hair and stroked her bare back, but he didn’t say anything.

“I only half believed them when they said some people would rather cross the street than walk by them on the sidewalk. That day I walked into the tavern, you and your brother both treated me as if I were a leper.”

His hand stilled for a moment, then continued to caress and fondle. “I guess I owe you an apology. I’m sorry.”

“After that cold reception, I was trying to teach you a lesson,” she said.

“Lesson learned.”

She smiled, believing him. “That’s not the only reason I kept up the charade.”

“What was the other reason?”

“I was afraid to tell you the truth because of what happened to Detective Brozack. He’d said there was a leak in the department, that someone was in Sonny Donatelli’s pocket. I figured the less you knew about me personally, the safer I was.”

“You didn’t trust me.” It was a statement, not a question.

She sighed, rather than answer him. He was right. She hadn’t trusted him, at first.

“Brad and I have never been very trusting,” he said. “Our father was a cop. When I was ten, and Brad was twelve, he was shot to death by a sixteen-year-old kid who had just robbed a convenience store.”

“Oh, Reeve, I’m so sorry.”

She felt his shoulder move. “It was a long time ago.” He paused for a moment, then said, “The day of the funeral I decided I wanted to be a cop so I could rid the streets of all the bad guys. Brad thought I was crazy. He said he’d never be able to trust himself with a gun, that he was afraid he’d shoot any guy who looked at him sideways.”

“Do you miss it?” she asked. “Being a cop?”

“Sometimes, but I don’t regret giving it up. I have Kevin to think of, and I’d do anything for him.”

“What’s he like? Do you guys get along?” She wanted to know all about Reeve’s son and their relationship.

“Kevin’s a great kid. And yes, we get along just fine. He’s a little moody at times, but that’s to be expected, losing his mother and all.”

Moody. Like father, like son.
She smiled as she continued to gently twirl her fingers through the hair on his chest.

“He loves soccer; in fact, he’s at camp right now. He’s also extremely close with his cousin, Sean, who’s two years older. They fight like brothers. Just like Brad and I used to.”

They both lay still for awhile, the hum of the air-conditioning unit filling the void. She’d thought maybe Reeve had fallen asleep when he asked, “What about you? What’s a nice girl like you doing in New York? Where are you from, anyway? By the sound of your accent, I’d say the Midwest.”

“I grew up in a small town. Bedford, Iowa. And I already told you I’m a counselor.”

“You could do that anywhere. Why New York City?”

Wrapping her arm around Reeve’s waist, she said, “There was a girl, Amy. She was the baby sister of the guy I’d been dating since high school—David Wilkins. Their father died when Amy was sixteen, and shortly thereafter, their mother remarried.”

She cuddled closer. “Amy didn’t get along with her new stepfather and was resentful that her mother had married so quickly after her father’s death. She started rebelling, using drugs, and running away from home.

“David asked if I’d talk to her. Of course, I said I would, and soon after, twice a week, Amy started coming to my apartment after school. She promised me she would try to give Randy, her stepfather, a chance. But instead, she and her boyfriend took off for New York City.”

Peyton stopped to moisten her lips with her tongue. “None of us had any idea where they’d run off to, until the boyfriend came back to Bedford a few months later. Alone. He said Amy was into drugs big time, and that she’d been prostituting herself. He said she refused to come home.”

Swallowing hard, she braced herself to tell him the rest. “A few days later, she died of a drug overdose.”

Reeve pulled her closer. “It’s not your fault.”

“I know. But I can’t stop thinking…what if I’d done something differently?”

“Don’t,” he said, kissing her forehead through her bangs.

He was right. It wouldn’t change anything.

After a few moments of silence, he asked, “What happened to this guy…Wilkins? You’re not still seeing him, are you?”

“No,” she said. “David thought I could have done more to help his sister. After she died, he was so angry. I know he blamed me, although he denied it. His mother was a different story. She didn’t hold back her accusations, and David never bothered to apologize for her.”

“Bastard.” He’d sworn softly, but still she’d heard. “Working in New York won’t bring her back, you know?”

“I know.” And she did. Nothing would bring Amy back, but still, working with the runaways was something she had to do.

Nestling closer still, she pulled the covers up around them and closed her eyes. She loved lying in Reeve’s arms, being comforted by him. He made her feel so safe and warm.

She was almost asleep when he said, “Tomorrow, we’re going back to New York City.” Her eyes popped open and stayed open the rest of the night.

****

“Why do we have to go back to New York?” Peyton asked when Reeve came out of the bathroom the next morning. She looked petrified, sitting as stiff as a ruler on the edge of the bed, her hands folded primly in her lap.
Probably to keep them from shaking
.