Repressed (Deadly Secrets) (24 page)

His mouth covered hers, so fast she barely saw him move. And then he drew her into a kiss that rocked the world right out from under her.

His tongue swept along hers, and even though all she wanted to do was get lost in him forever, she pushed back. “Have you been smoking?”

He exhaled and rested his forehead against hers. “Five months and twenty-six days without a cigarette. Down the drain.”

“Really? You never told me that.”

“My nicotine addiction is not something I go around advertising.” He lifted his head and looked at her. “Usually I can control it. Tonight, I lost the battle.”

“Oh, Ethan. I don’t want fighting with me to be your weakness. I’ll stay away from Will and Je—”

“Samantha.” He rubbed his thumb over her cheek, and shards of heat raced across her skin at the simple touch. “
You
are my weakness, and nothing you say or do can stop that. I knew you were my weakness the minute you danced with me on that football field, and I wouldn’t change it for anything. I know I’m being irrational about Branson, but I can’t bear the thought of anything happening to you.”

Tears filled her eyes again. Tears and hope and a joy she’d always been too afraid to wish for.

“I’m not going to lose you, Samantha. Today scared the crap out of me. I can’t go through that again.”

She wasn’t going to lose him either. She lifted her mouth to his lips, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and drew him into her mouth, into her heart, even into her soul.

His tongue danced over hers, and she pulled him down with her to the couch cushions. His weight pressed against her, solid, warm, real. And then his hands were on her, streaking down to the hem of her sweatshirt, pushing it up her ribs and over her breasts, dragging it over her head as he broke the kiss and tossed the garment on the floor.

His gaze swept over her breasts, and the approval she saw in his eyes made her nipples pebble and her stomach cave in. “You’re gorgeous.”

He lowered his mouth to her breast, drew one nipple into his mouth, and suckled. Threading her fingers into his hair, Sam tipped her head back and groaned.

He moved to the other side, repeated the licking, sucking, and swirling with his tongue, then kissed his way down to her torso and flipped the button on her jeans. “I want these off.”

She lifted her hips as he tugged her jeans and panties down her legs. Didn’t try to hide herself as his gaze raked her most intimate flesh. Moaned long and deep when he lowered his mouth to her sex and licked right where she wanted him most.

The horror of the day drifted to the back of her mind. All she could focus on was him. On this. On them. She slid her hand into his hair as she lifted to his mouth, loving each and every stroke of his sinful tongue and the way he could make her forget everything but him.

Her orgasm built, growing in strength and intensity, teasing the edges of her control. Her hips flexed. She tightened her fingers in his hair.

“Oh yes, Ethan . . . ” He licked faster, drove her harder to the edge. Sex with Ethan was like nothing she’d ever known. It wasn’t just physical. It touched every part of her. It made her crave so much more. It left her spinning in a way that wasn’t just satisfying but made her feel absolutely complete. “Right there. Just . . . there.”

The wave crested, and she cried out as pleasure streaked along every nerve ending. And as it faded, she felt his lips kissing a soft, wicked path up her torso, around each breast, then higher until he reached her throat and suckled.

Desire rebuilt, hot and needy. She needed to show him, needed to be close to him. Framing his face with her hands, she pulled his mouth back to hers and kissed him until she was breathless.

“I want you, Ethan,” she mouthed against him. “Just you. Now. Right now.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Ethan’s heart swelled. He wanted her too. Just her. An hour ago, he hadn’t known what to do. Now, the only thing that mattered was this, her, them.

He pushed up on his hand, reached back and fisted his cotton shirt. Her fingers tickled his bare chest as he pulled the garment off and tossed it on the floor, warming his torso and pecs, sending tingles all across his skin. She trailed her hands lower, unhooked the button on his jeans, and slid her hands inside his waistband. Lowering his head, he kissed her, desperate to taste her, to feel her, to be close to her. Her hands shifted inside his jeans and cupped his ass, pulling him into her heat just as she flexed her hips and lifted.

Blood pulsed in his veins and gathered in his groin, leaving him hard and hot and desperate. He kissed her deeper, toed off his shoes, then pulled away from her mouth so he could reach back for his wallet and find a condom. Breathing heavy, she helped him shove his jeans and boxers off while he fumbled with the condom, then wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him back down to her. “Come here.”

Her legs opened, and she lifted to his kiss, drawing him into her mouth and her body at the same time. He groaned at the tight, slick pressure, at her sweet, wet tongue tangling with his. And as their bodies moved in a rhythmic dance that was familiar, desperate, and new all at the same time, he knew everything that had happened in his past—even the most horrible things—had been worth it. Because they’d brought him to this moment. To being here, with her. To finding a love he’d never thought he deserved.

Every slip and glide and pulse and throb pushed him closer to his release, but he didn’t want to crest without her. Levering up on one hand, he brushed the silky hair back from her face and whispered, “Open your eyes, Samantha.”

Her body trembled. Perspiration dotted her skin and melded with his. Blinking several times, she looked up with warm, glossy chocolate eyes he was almost sure he could see forever in.

“That’s it.” He thrust deeper, moved faster. “Don’t look away. Stay with me.”

“Ethan . . . ” Her fingertips dug into his shoulders, but she didn’t look away. And then her whole body shook, and his name faded on a groan.

Her orgasm triggered his. Pleasure raced down his spine and exploded in his hips until there was nothing left but a shimmer of sensation that radiated outward and echoed through every cell.

He collapsed against her, his body slick with sweat, her chest rising and falling against him while she sucked back air. Trembling through the aftershocks, he pressed a kiss against her shoulder and rolled to his side on the couch so he didn’t crush her. His arms closed around her as she laid her head against his chest. And as he ran his hands up and down her damp spine, he knew this was right. He knew they could make this work.

“You’re the one, Samantha. The only one for me.”

She sighed, pressed her lips against his throat, and held on tighter. His heart swelled even more, and he told himself . . . soon. Soon he’d find a way to tell her about his past. But not tonight. Tonight he just wanted to go on holding and loving her. Because tonight he didn’t want her to have to worry about anything in their past or future. Tonight he only wanted her to focus on him.

Sam rolled to her side in Ethan’s big bed and sighed in complete contentment.

Her muscles were sore from the most amazing night with Ethan, but she barely cared. She was so relaxed she didn’t even care that she was alone because she knew he hadn’t gone far. Shifting to her back, she stared up at the ceiling and smiled. He was probably downstairs making her breakfast or getting her coffee or juice. He was always doing little things like that to make her feel special. And she loved him for that. Loved the way he took care of her, loved the way he looked at her, loved everything about him. But mostly she loved the way he loved her, in a way no one ever had before. And she couldn’t wait to see him again and show him just how much that meant to her.

She climbed out of bed, found a baggy sweatshirt in his closet, and pulled it on. After running her fingers through her hair, she brushed her teeth with a new toothbrush she discovered in his bathroom cabinet, then headed downstairs to look for him.

The kitchen and great room were empty. Moving through the house, she checked rooms and smiled again when she found him in his office.

He sat in the chair behind his big desk, his feet bare and perched on the dark surface, his strong legs covered by gray sweats while a blue Mets T-shirt stretched across his toned pecs. A file folder lay open in his lap, a soda can sat on the desk to his right. Tortoiseshell glasses were perched on his nose, and his hair was mussed as if he’d run his fingers through it several times. And even though Sam knew he wasn’t trying to look sexy as he worked, a wicked hot burst of arousal coursed through her just the same.

“Hey,” she said, stepping into the room. “Am I interrupting?”

One corner of his lips curled in a sultry smirk. “Not at all.” Dropping the folder on his desk, he lowered his feet to the floor, pushed back, and held out a hand. “Come here, gorgeous.”

Tingles rushed all over Sam’s skin as she took his hand and let him pull her onto his lap. She relaxed against him, laid her head on his shoulder, and sighed as he wrapped his arms around her. Oh yes, she was definitely getting used to this. Could easily see herself here with him every day.

“How do you feel?” he asked softly, running his hand up and down her arm.

“Good. Tired.”
Horny.
She traced a lazy pattern on his T-shirt. “I missed you this morning.”

“Sorry. I couldn’t sleep any more, and you looked too peaceful to wake.”

There he went again, being considerate, making her feel special. She relaxed into him even more, loving the way she seemed to fit against him as if they were made for each other.

Her gaze strayed toward the can on his desk. “Is that how you get your caffeine in the morning?”

He chuckled. “No. That’s how I get my caffeine at eleven a.m.”

“Eleven?” Pushing a hand against his chest, she sat up and looked toward the sun slanting through the glass. “I didn’t realize . . . ” She glanced down at him. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

“Because you needed the sleep.”

“I didn’t even take that sleeping pill your father left.”

“I know. You can thank me for completely wearing you out later.”

Smiling, she sank back against him. “I can’t remember the last time I slept ’til eight, let alone eleven.”

“You obviously haven’t been out partying with my brother Alec.”

“Late nighters, huh?”

“Let’s just say I’ve been dive-bombed in some really interesting places because of Alec.”

She trailed her finger over the logo on his T-shirt. It was silly. She usually shied away from family, but she had a burning urge to know more about his. “Maybe we should try it sometime. I’d love to meet him.”

“Sorry. Alec gave up his wild ways a few years ago.”

“That’s too bad. We’ll have to find another reason to stay in bed until 11:00 a.m.”

Beneath her hip, his erection swelled. “I can think of several reasons to stay in bed until 11:00 a.m.”

She laughed and turned her lips against his throat, loving this easy, lighthearted moment.

Unfortunately, though, it couldn’t last. “I, um, need to go home today, Ethan.”

He tensed beneath her. “I don’t think it’s safe for you to stay there alone right now.”

“I agree.”

“You do?”

The surprise in his voice made her push back. She nodded. “Until we figure out what’s really going on, I think it makes sense to be cautious. I just want to go pick up a few things and fix the broken front door so the realtor can sell the place.”

“Okay.” He studied her with narrowed eyes. “I can take you.”

“I was also hoping”—nerves bounced through her belly as she dropped her gaze to his collar—“that you might have some suggestions for where I can stay. In the meantime, that is. I’m not opposed to a commute to work each day so long as the place is nice. With, oh, I don’t know . . . a fireplace, granite counters, a Jacuzzi tub, and a big soft bed.”

His lips curled into a sexy, knowing smile, and his hand skimmed her thigh. “I think I know of a place like that.”

“Oh yeah?”

He nodded and lifted to kiss her. “It’s got a great couch too. The last woman who spent some time on it was thoroughly satisfied.”

Desire surged in every cell. “Oh, yes, she was.”

He leaned in and kissed her, and as Sam wrapped her arms around his shoulders she knew the decision she’d made this morning while brushing her teeth was the right one.

She drew back, resting her forehead against his, and toyed with the hair at his nape. “I’m not going back to California.”

“You’re not?”

She shook her head and leaned back. “You have completely rearranged my priorities, Dr. McClane. I want to stay right here. With you.”

His hands captured her face, and then his mouth was on hers again, kissing away any lingering doubt. “In that case,” he said when they were both breathless, “you might need to grab more than just a few things from your house.”

“What kind of things?”

“All your things.”

Sam’s heart filled as she looked up into his gorgeous eyes. It was crazy. They’d only known each other a few weeks, but moving in with him felt . . . right.

He smiled, a sexy, mesmerizing grin that did wicked things to her blood. And sliding his arms around her waist, he lifted her out of the chair. “Wrap those gorgeous legs around me.”

She obeyed, tightening her hold on his shoulders at the same time. “Where are you taking me?”

“Our shower.”

Our . . .
She sighed, loving how one small word made everything perfect. “You already had a shower, Dr. McClane.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t.”

She laughed. “I have a feeling we aren’t getting to my mother’s house for quite some time.”

“Now you’re thinking.”

Standing on Sam’s front porch, Ethan braced a hand against a piece of plywood and hammered a nail into the wood, boarding up the broken sidelight by her door.

The happiness he’d felt earlier had trickled away as soon as they’d reached her house. He’d been so focused on getting what she’d needed yesterday that he hadn’t taken time to survey the damage. Now it was all he could focus on. Every time he looked at her broken front door or the shambles that used to be her kitchen, he had flashes of Saunders attacking her, of Branson barging in midscene with a gun, and his vision turned red.

He should have been here. He shouldn’t have left her alone. And the fact that she hadn’t confessed how bad it had actually been made his chest burn. He hadn’t yet asked her about the shredded blouse he’d found in her trash can. But he would. When he could think straight again.

“Hey, Dr. McClane.”

Ethan turned and stiffened. “Thomas.” Looking away from the kid, he pulled a nail from between his lips and knocked it into place. “What are you doing here?”

Thomas moved up the first step with a backpack slung over his shoulder. “Ms. Parker wasn’t at school yesterday afternoon. I, uh, just wanted to stop by and make sure she was okay.”

Warning vibrations zinged up Ethan’s arm. The kid might be innocent of what had happened to Margaret Wilcox, but Ethan didn’t like his budding fascination with Samantha. “She’s fine. Too busy to see—”

The door next to him pulled open, and Samantha stepped out onto the porch with a dish towel in her hand. “Thomas.” Her lips curled in a smile that was anything but suspicious. “What are you doing here?”

“Hey, Ms. Parker.” He shifted his backpack and looked quickly away from her bruised face. “I, uh, I was on my way home from the library. Just wanted to stop by and see if you needed anything.”

“That was sweet of you. I’m fine, though.” She ran a finger over her bruised cheek as she stepped out onto the porch. “Word spread, huh?”

Unease passed over Thomas’s face when he looked up at her. “Yeah. Manny Burton’s dad works at the hospital.”

“Ah.” Samantha shot a knowing smile Ethan’s way. “I should have guessed. Manny Loose Lips Burton.”

Thomas chuckled, then kicked at something on the step with the toe of his sneaker. “He’s not that bad. Not that good either, but don’t tell him I said so.”