Falling for Her (26 page)

“Enough.” Flipping her, grinning when her eyes widened and she giggled at finding herself suddenly under him, he lowered his face and brushed his lips over hers. “My turn,” he murmured before trailing a path of kisses down to her breasts. While his fingers played with one rose-colored nipple, he sucked the other into his mouth and gently bit down.

“Ahhhh.”

The drawn-out word brought a smile to his lips. “Like that, do you?”

“Uh-huh.”

He chuckled, pleased he’d robbed her of speech. It was fair payback. She tasted like sweet, summer strawberries, and he knew he’d never get tired of loving her. With his mouth still sucking on her breast, he trailed his hand over her stomach, down to her folds, and slipped a finger inside her. A sigh escaped at how wet she was, at how her desire drenched his finger. She was so incredibly ready for him, but he wanted her begging. He slid another finger inside and found her clit with his thumb.

“Jamie.” A shiver passed through her, and she brought her knees up, spreading her legs open for him.

“Yes,” he said in approval. As soon as he felt the muscles in her sheath clench around his fingers signaling she was close to climaxing, he pushed down and pressed his face against her mound. The musky scent of her drove him wild, and he drank her in as she came. He almost did, too, barely managing to hold back.

Although she didn’t yet know it, she owned him heart, body, and soul.

When the last of her convulsions faded, he made one last lick with his tongue through her curls, then rose to his knees. “Condom.” At the puzzlement on her face, he laid over her and opened the drawer, snatching the box.

Ripping the foil package open with his teeth, he rolled the condom over him when it was the last thing he wanted to do. He wanted to feel her, skin to skin, no barrier. Once he was fully encased in rubber, he gripped her hips with his hands, and because she was so wet, he easily slid into her. Stilling when he was buried to the hilt, he stared into the dilated, violet eyes trained on him, and for the second time, he almost blurted that he loved her. But he wanted it to be special when he said them, so he swallowed the words and concentrated on their physical connection. He moved, leaving her, then sinking back in.

She was heaven.
She was his home.
He’d not had a true home since his parents had died, and he suddenly didn’t know what to do with the intense longing raging inside him. All he knew was that he needed to claim the woman who’d decided Sugar Darling was a good name.

He dug his fingers into her hips, marking her and not caring if he left his prints. He hoped he did. She was his. As if she returned his need, she gripped his arms, scraping his skin with her fingernails.

“Jamie.” She rolled her head to the right. “Jamie,” she whispered, rising up to meet his thrusts. “Jamie, please.”

“All right, love.” He gave up on being gentle. As he thrust into the velvety heat of her, he leaned down and captured her mouth. She sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, then bit down on it.

The wildness that had once been a part of him returned full force, and he pulled out and flipped her over. “Damn you, Sugar. Get on your knees.” As the command left his mouth, he had a moment to worry that he’d scared her. But she obeyed with a too-pleased-with-herself smirk tossed over her shoulder.

“If I’m going to be bad, I want to be bad with you, Jamie.”

“Then let’s be bad together.” He eyed her sweet bottom and gritted his teeth to keep from coming just from looking. Leaning over her back, he put his face an inch from her shoulder. “When a stallion covers his lady love, he clamps his teeth onto her shoulder so she knows she can’t get away. Like this.” Opening his mouth, he pressed his lips on her soft skin. “You’re not getting away from me, Sugar. Ever.” He bit down, ready to enter her.

A needy moan sounded low in her throat when he ground against her, and she wiggled her bottom, trying to capture him.

“Like that, sweetheart?” he whispered, rubbing harder.

She laughed. “Stupid question, hot guy.”

“I’d take insult at being called stupid if you didn’t think I was hot,” he said, giving her bottom a light slap as the last of the heavy weight he’d carried around in his heart for what seemed like forever floated away. It had been years—over ten of them—since he’d played during sex. He’d never been with such a responsive woman before, one who knelt in front of him, looking back at him with a challenge in her eyes.

“Do that again, or I’ll take it back.”

“This?” He gave the opposite cheek a light tap. “Or this?” he asked, gilding his erection through her slick folds again. Her body trembled, and she came, hard and fast. As the last shudder passed through her, he slid inside her, closing his eyes at the rightness of loving her.

“Oh, God.” She lowered her face to the pillow. “Oh God, Jamie.”

The huskiness of her words, combined with the heat of her, was almost too much. Gripping her waist with his hands, he pressed his fingers into her skin and rocked his hips. She pushed back against him as if she couldn’t get enough. Already on the edge, but wanting her to come again, he slid his hand down her stomach and into her curls. When he flicked his thumb over her clit, she exhaled a rush of breath, then screamed his name as an orgasm shook her body.

That was all it took. The force of his climax, the way he kept coming and coming, was like nothing he’d ever experienced. When the last shudder ripped through him, he fell onto her back, squashing her into the mattress.

“Jesus, Sugar,” he gasped, unable to find the strength to move away.

She twisted her head and found his mouth. Her tongue swiped across his bottom lip. “I love you, Jamie.”

He felt reborn. He was reborn, and it was amazing that a violet-eyed—worst driver in the world—woman named Sugar Darling had brought him to his senses. “I . . .” Remembering his plan on how to tell her he loved her, he changed his words midstream. “I’m crazy about you, sweetheart.”

The hurt in her eyes almost had him telling her, but he kissed her senseless instead.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

S
ugar pressed her hand over her heart and willed it to beat normally. The collar on the demure dress she wore suddenly felt too tight, making it hard to breathe. It helped that Mr. Kincaid had had the foresight to have her wear the dress when they’d put her through all that training, but she hated wearing Hannah’s clothes.

Rodney had only allowed Hannah to wear modest dresses, and the one time he’d caught her wearing a pair of shorts, he’d called her a slut. Even though she’d been inside the house where no one else would see her, he’d used a belt on her to teach her a lesson, resulting in the scar on her shoulder.

He’d fled for home after shooting her, believing he would be safe where he ruled his little kingdom. She could only hope he still believed he was the king, and his arrogance would be his downfall. If only her damn heart would stop its incessant pounding in her ears. Rodney would search her for a wire, but she didn’t see how he could find it. Those K2 guys had the kinds of toys that made her think of James Bond movies. Knowing that Jamie could hear everything happening inside the house on his headset calmed her a little.

The guys had debated the merits of sending a team with her and Jamie, but feared Rodney would have people watching for strangers arriving in town. A carload of scary-looking men would have been suspicious, so the guys were staged at a private airport in a nearby town. She did have to admit that the helicopter ride they’d taken out of Pensacola had been thrilling. After landing, she and Jamie had rented a car, slipping into Vanders just before dawn and hiding the car in a stand of woods a mile from Rodney’s house. The plan was for Jamie to break into a back bedroom window while she had her husband occupied.

It had done wonders to her battered heart that Jamie would just as soon have put a bullet between Rodney’s eyes than put her though what she was about to do. If only he’d said he loved her. What if he didn’t want her when this was over?

The door swung open, and she almost bolted at the sight of her husband.

“I-I’ve come home.” The words tasted sour and vile on her tongue.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside. The deadbolt clicked with a solid thunk, sounding like something out of a Stephen King novel. Before she could speak, he pushed her against the wall and grabbed her breasts so hard it brought tears to her eyes. He thrust his thumbs over the vee of her bra, digging them into her skin. When she tried to pull away, he wrapped hard fingers around her neck and forced her chin up.

“You wearing a wire, Hannah?”

“No. No, I’m not.” It was difficult to talk with the pressure of his hand against her throat.

“Forgive me if I don’t believe you.”

With that, he spun her around and began a thorough frisk of her body. She tasted bile at the back of her throat from his touch on her skin. It took every ounce of her willpower not to cringe. He had to believe she had returned willingly and was prepared to stay. Seeing his face badly scratched by Junior gave her some satisfaction. She eased air out of her lungs, and did her best to stay calm.

“What are you up to, Hannah?”

Because Rodney’s mouth was inches from her ear, his hot breath crawled over her cheek. She smelled the cologne he always wore, hating the heavy sweet scent with a passion. Her face pressed to the wall, she squeezed her eyes shut against the tears burning in them. She could stand a little roughness if it meant putting an end to the nightmare named Rodney Vanders, but his closeness, his touching her, made her feel sick.

“I told you. I want to come home.”

Blunt fingers dug into her shoulders and jerked her around. “Bitch. You’re lying through your teeth, Hannah. I can always tell.”

He was right. Hannah didn’t know how to lie, especially to Rodney, and from the minute he’d opened the door, she’d been Hannah. No way Hannah could manage what needed to be done. Sugar mentally wrapped her arms around Hannah and led her away to a safe place, tucking her into a quiet corner.

Then she thought of Jamie and how strong and self-assured he was, visualized his strength and courage flowing through her veins, and thought of all the training the team had put her through. She raised her eyes to Rodney, reminding herself not to overplay her role. The last thing she needed was his suspicion . . . rather more suspicion.

“I’m not lying, Rodney, I swear. No argument I’m not the same girl who ran away, but it was a stupid thing to do. I thought . . .” she looked away. She had to do this right or he wouldn’t believe a word she said. Settling her gaze back onto him, she let her expression go shy and uncertain, and a little fearful. It was what he’d expect from Hannah.

“I thought you killed Mrs. Lederman for her money. But you killed her for me. It took me a while to realize that.” She commanded her hand to lift and cup his cheek. “You’d do anything for me, wouldn’t you?”

Uncertainty flashed in his eyes before he hid it. Damn, she’d almost screwed up. Hannah would never have been so confident. “You don’t need to answer.” She let her hand fall from his cheek, sliding her fingers just under his throat—where she’d like nothing better than to squeeze the life out of him.

“I’m sorry, Rodney. I just . . .” She lowered her gaze, hoping he’d think she was too afraid to look at him. That was what he wanted, for her to be in fear of him. “I just forgot you knew what was best for me.”

Let him be in control, Sugar, or at least let him think he was.
The cruel mouth that had abused every part of her curved into a smug smile, and she fisted her hands to keep from adding her own scratches to Junior’s.

“You forgot a lot of things, Hannah, but I’ll take great pleasure in reminding you.”

Still digging his fingers into her shoulders, he marched her into the kitchen. Dirty dishes were piled up in the sink, and burnt food was crusted on the stovetop. No surprise as Rodney considered housework beneath him.

What did surprise her was seeing her father sitting at the foot of the kitchen table, a bottle of beer in his hand, and several empty ones pushed to the side. Her knees buckled, and she grabbed the back of a chair to steady herself. How had they not considered he’d be there? The two men were drinking buddies, partners in crime, and thick as thieves.

“Daddy.” The word—one she hadn’t used in years—slipped out, and she hated how she sounded like a little girl begging for her father’s attention. Rodney pushed her down on a chair and then sat at the end of the table. He’d positioned himself so she was sandwiched between him and a father she no longer trusted.

The urge to jump up and run almost had her doing it. Instead, she gripped the seat of her chair and stayed put, stayed quiet, stayed still. They had things to say to her, and if she were lucky, it would involve the things they had done. If not, somehow, she had to lead the conversation toward admitting they had committed a murder.

“We need to know where you’ve been the last two years, and what information you shared that wasn’t anyone’s business,” Rodney said. “And I want to know where my damn money is.”

Here goes.
What would Hannah do right now? A no-brainer. She’d stare a hole through the wood of the table as she struggled to answer. Sugar focused on the pine, narrowing her gaze on a darker knot of wood. If she didn’t play this just right, someone would get hurt. If it came to that, she prayed it would be her and not Jamie.

“I-I’ve been in Pensacola the whole time. I-I . . .” she lifted her eyes in embarrassment. “I don’t have any friends to tell anything to.” She glanced away, hoping her guilty expression was believable. “That’s not really true.” Returning her attention to Rodney, she shrugged in defeat. “I told Junior everything.”

“What did you tell him, Hannah?”

“What I just said, everything.” Sugar hated how he kept saying her name, like he could control her by reminding her of who she used to be. Rodney’s jaw was going to break if he clamped it any tighter. She sincerely hoped it would. A darted glance at her father to see how he’d reacted to this news didn’t give her encouragement, nor did his shuttered look warm her heart.

Rodney snaked his fingers around her throat. “Everything? Just what is everything?”

Swallowing past Rodney’s iron grip, she tried to jerk away, but his hold was firm. “I can’t talk,” she managed to gasp out, inhaling deeply when he loosened his hold. “Everything means everything. I told him how I was forced to marry you. You remember that part, right?”

One blunt finger pressed hard against her skin. “That’s not the way I remember it at all.”

Damn, she was making him mad, not a good thing to do if she wanted to get a confession out of him.

“Actually, we did force her to marry you, Chief.”

Shocked, Sugar stared at her father. He hadn’t stood up for her since the day her mother died.
Oh, God, please let my watch be recording this.
It would be something she’d listen to over and over. If she managed to get out of this alive. The man she’d once called
daddy
with affection refused to look back, instead keeping his attention on the bottle of beer he twirled on the table.

“A minor detail and long past,” her husband said.

Being forced to marry a man one hated was far from a minor detail. But her father had spoken up for her, and her heart—the one that remembered having parents who loved her—forgave him, just a little.

“I’m waiting, Hannah.”

Well, screw your waiting, Rodney, dearest.
Since that wouldn’t be a wise thing to say, she lowered her chin to her chest in what she hoped he would take as defeat.

“I told Junior how you put a pillow over Mrs. Lederman’s face.” When all five of his fingers bored their way into her neck, she commanded herself not to show how much it hurt.
“
’Cause that’s what you did.”

Rage flickered in his cold brown eyes, and she wondered if she’d gone too far. But the only way to get Rodney to admit to anything was to force him to lose his cool. The belief he owed no one an explanation for his actions had been ingrained in him, and the only time she had seen him lose control had been the night he’d tried to drown her. Each time he’d dragged her—coughing and spitting—out of the water, he’d yelled all the reasons she should be afraid of him, chilling her to the bones with his confession of two previous murders. There hadn’t been the slightest doubt he could kill her and get away with it.

If he was to be believed, he’d gotten away with murder three times if she included Mrs. Lederman. She had believed him then and did now. Back at K2, they had agreed that to get a confession, she had to anger him so badly that he spoke before he thought.

“You’re trying my patience, Hannah. You know what happens when you do that.”

She couldn’t argue with that. She probably knew what he was capable of better than anyone who’d survived Rodney’s displeasure. As she tried to think of the best response that would spur him on to that coveted confession, Sugar caught her father’s intent focus on her watch.

Shit.
Did he realize everything said was being recorded? His blue eyes—a shade lighter than hers—lifted and for a few heartbeats she imagined she saw her daddy. The one who had once loved and protected her, but that was only wishful thinking. He’d forgotten he had a daughter long ago.

“Give her a break,” her father said, darting a quick glance at the watch again. “She came back, didn’t she?
Why piss her off and send her running again? It’s just the three of us sitting here, and all of us know you did smother the old woman, Chief.”

Sugar sucked in a breath, not quite believing her ears. It was almost
as if her dad did know they were being recorded and was making sure
the facts were clear. It was almost like the father who’d once loved her was back. Across the span of a kitchen table, her eyes met her father’s
and for a moment too soon over, she saw her beloved daddy again.

“Daddy?” she whispered.

“So I fucking killed the bitch,” Rodney said, drawing her attention, his mouth thinned into a harsh slash. “She was too old to live anyway.” He turned an enraged glare on Sugar. “This Junior person. Was that the man with you the other night?”

As much as she wanted to look back at her father to see if what she’d seen in his eyes was true and not her imagination, she kept her attention on Rodney. Wasn’t wise to turn one’s back on a venomous snake. “Why, so you can kill him, too? What, you find cats a threat now?” She snorted. “Junior’s my cat, Rodney. The one who did that to your face.”

She’d finally gone too far. She knew it the minute he grabbed her hair and yanked her out of the chair. The blood rushed to her head, the pounding in her ears so loud, she felt faint.

“Where’s the fucking money you stole from me?” he snarled, then backhanded her, knocking her to the floor.

Gray tinged her vision when her head hit the tile.

At Vanders’s words, Jamie eased down the hall. Breaking in had been easy, and now he wanted Sugar out of there. With the man’s admission, they had what they needed, and it was time to get her out of danger. Wearing soft-soled shoes, he followed the sound of their voices. His intention to slip up on them ended when the crack of a hand on skin resonated in his earpiece.