Ripper (37 page)

“One day,” he whispered, “I’m going to plant our baby right there.”

“One day.” In the future, I vowed, because I wasn’t ready for that and I wanted some time with him before we even thought about having babies. There was so much we needed to figure out before we could consider it.

“But for tonight, I’m going to take out all of my frustration on your sweet body,” Gray promised.

He tweaked a nipple and I just about came off the bed. Well, I would have if I hadn’t been tied down. There was something about being completely at his mercy that made my heart race in a good way. Those ropes wouldn’t hold me if I really wanted to get out, but they were a reminder that I didn’t have to think about anything but him. I didn’t have to do anything but let him please me.

“Do you have any idea how scared I was?” he asked, his voice thick with emotion.

I did. I know how I would have felt. “I’m sorry, baby.”

His hands had sprouted neat claws. With infinite care and precision, he dragged them over my skin. Everywhere they touched I felt a spark. “I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t handle it if something happened to you. You have no idea how important you are to me, how alone I was before I found you.”

Oh, I did, but this was his moment and I let him have it.

Gray reached over to the nightstand and brought back a brown paper bag. He smiled down at me, a sexy, sensual expression. “I went shopping on my way home.”

It was two in the morning. “What kind of store was open on your way home?”

He shoved his hand into the bag and came out with a small, oval-shaped object. It was a pretty pink color and had what looked like wings on either side. He laid it right over my clitoris and grinned as he turned it on.

“Oh,” I sighed as the vibrator went to work. I tried to squirm, but Gray had been very efficient.

“Feel good, baby? I thought you would like it,” he drawled as he looked down on me. “It has a remote, you know, and straps to hold it on while you walk around. I’ll put this on you when we go to a party or out to dinner and you’ll come for me. I’m going to train you properly. I’m going to top you, sweetheart. You’re going to be my sweet little bottom.” His eyes were dark with arousal as he looked over my body, and I was surprised as his fangs had come out. I noticed in some ways his fangs seemed to be on the same wavelength as his cock. When his cock got hard, really hard, it was almost impossible for him to keep the curved fangs in check.

I hoped he understood just how hot those fangs were. They reminded me that no matter how nicely he dressed, there was a beast inside my man. My beast.

He moved to the side, his hands cupping my breasts as he leaned in.

“Kiss me,” he ordered as he leaned over, and I didn’t hesitate.

I’d realized that there was nothing at all truly violent about what Gray wanted from me sexually. He wasn’t playing out rape fantasies. If I refused, he would untie me and turn over and go to sleep. What Gray got off on was my enthusiastic compliance. I opened my mouth under his and let my tongue play around those magnificent fangs of his. They were like Gray himself—dangerous if wielded improperly, but this man would never hurt me. I let my head fall back as he nuzzled my neck. He was my knight in shining armor and I wasn’t a girl who believed in them. I did now. I believed everything he was offering me.

The butterfly hit the perfect spot and I started to moan. Gray’s head came up.

“No. Not yet. Tonight you come with me. You come all over my cock or you don’t come at all.” He brushed the vibrator to the side and kneeled between my legs. “I have a lot of work to do with you, Kelsey mine,” he promised as he fitted that big cock against my pussy. “I think you’ll enjoy the training, though.”

One long, rough thrust and he was in. He was so big that the fit was almost uncomfortably tight. He was on his knees, his hands cradling the cheeks of my ass as he ground himself into me. His eyes were on the sight of his flesh disappearing into mine.

“You’re so beautiful, baby,” he said reverently. “I love you.” After a minute or two of long, slow thrusts he changed his position and placed the vibrator back on top of my clit. The exquisite tremors made me shake.

“Gray,” I pleaded because he didn’t want me to come but I didn’t see a way around it.

He chuckled as he moved on top of me, his weight pressing the vibrator down, grinding it in time with his pounding thrusts. “You come now, Kelsey. You come all around my cock. Make me feel it.”

I obliged, thrusting back against him as much as the restraints would allow. The whole center of my body convulsed. Every muscle seized almost painfully and then burst into pleasure. I screamed as I came and Gray’s hands became almost savage as he held my hips in place and his desire took over. He’d seen to me and now he would let himself go.

He pounded into me, using me as roughly as he wanted because he knew I didn’t care. I lay shaking beneath him as I watched him throw back his head and growl as he came. He bit into his bottom lip as he held his hips tight against mine, getting every last drop out, pouring it all into me. He finally fell over, exhausted. He let his head lay against my chest and his hands moved restlessly over my body.

“I reserved the room today,” he said and I felt his smile on my skin.

I knew which room he was talking about. He was talking about the bridal suite at the downtown hotel where he’d first “seen” me.

“You were sure of yourself,” I murmured. My body felt deliciously replete.

Gray’s head came up and he looked seriously at me. His hand went possessively to my stomach. “I’m sure of us.”

I smiled. “I am too, Gray.”

He seemed satisfied with my answer and went about untying me, kissing each limb sweetly as he undid the knot. When he was finished with the task, he rolled over onto his back and pulled me into his arms. He cuddled me close, my head resting on his chest.

I was drifting off to sleep, secure in the circle of his body when he whispered to me. “I’m going to marry you and no one will ever take you away from me. I won’t let it happen. Once we’re married, I won’t let you run away from me.”

I shook my head because that was a strange statement to make. I hadn’t tried to run from him when I discovered his parentage. I couldn’t think of anything that would make me run from him.

I didn’t have a very vivid imagination.

Chapter Fourteen

Peter Hamilton simply wasn’t strong enough. The next day, I stood inside the courthouse trying to pretend to listen while Gray introduced me to some attorney he knew. The minute we entered the courthouse, Gray had been besieged with acquaintances. It had taken us twenty minutes to finally make it to the department that handled marriage licenses. We’d signed everything we needed to sign and now had to wait three days to get married right back here at the courthouse. I was supposed to arrange some sort of small reception afterward with my mom, brothers, and Liv. I’d received these instructions in between small discussions with coworkers who were shocked to discover Lieutenant Sloane was taking a bride.

I was supposed to play the dutiful fiancée and start moving into my new home, call the restaurant Gray wanted to have the reception at, and most of all contact Devinshea Quinn and give him back his check. That didn’t seem particularly fair to me. I’d caught the killer¸ I deserved the money, but Gray had been extremely insistent that I have nothing further to do with the faery.

“We’re getting married in three days,” Gray was saying to John something or other.

But I was thinking about strength.

I’d felt Peter Hamilton’s strength last night. It seemed to be an intrinsic part of whatever was happening to me. When that other part of me took over, I could judge my opponent’s strengths. One thing had been certain. Peter Hamilton’s body was breaking down. He’d found it difficult to properly aim the gun due to his advanced brain tumor. If he had trouble holding a gun, how had he managed to handle five werewolves and a shapeshifter?

That wasn’t the only question running through my head.

“How did he know to send the letters to you?” I asked Gray as he walked me to my car. He held my hand in his and squeezed it lightly.

“Kelsey, it’s not a secret that I’m a Texas Ranger.” He was dressed in proper Ranger gear today. He had on a suit and tie, with expensive cowboy boots on his feet and a Stetson on his head. He looked delicious and masculine, and I had no idea how he brimmed with energy after the night we’d had when I could really use a nap. It was his fault. He was the one who woke me up at the god-awful hour of six a.m. because he needed sex before he went to work.

“I don’t know.” Nothing about the night before added up in my head, including the fact that I was just getting around to thinking about it. I’m suspicious by nature, but it hadn’t really hit me until that moment.

“All he had to do was look on the website to find out what area I work for,” Gray continued. “It’s also no secret I’ve worked serial murders before.”

“So have several of your colleagues. And I seriously doubt that it mentions your supernatural affiliations on the website.” That was my issue. Unless Alexander Sharpe had actually been working with the professor, he had zero ties to our world.

Come to think of it, how had he figured out Alexander’s secret? There were too many questions and not enough logical answers.

Gray took both of my hands in his as we reached the Jeep. “Kelsey, let it go. Hamilton’s in jail. I’m going before the Council this evening to wrap it all up and then we can put all of this behind us. I’m going to work some normal cases for a while and we’re going to concentrate on our honeymoon. I took two weeks off. We’ll spend our wedding night here in Dallas and then we’re going to Hawaii where we won’t even discuss serial killers. So stop worrying about it.”

“But why would Hamilton want to cause the Council trouble? He doesn’t even really understand how vampires work. How would he know about the Council?”

Gray’s hands tightened around mine. “I don’t know, Kelsey. Does it matter? We were wrong about him wanting to cause trouble between wolves and vamps. It was merely an unfortunate side effect. As for how he knew about vamps at all, I have to figure one of the students in his class told him. Joanne probably wasn’t the only supe he taught.”

My heart sped up. I knew there was a reason I wanted those class rolls. “You’re right. If Joanne wasn’t the one who told him, then maybe I could question the other students in his class. Quinn would probably know which ones were supes, or I could ask Marcus to take a look.”

“No.” Gray frowned as he regarded me. “You’re out of this. If you absolutely have to work then go open your office, but this case is over. We caught him with the sixth girl’s heart, Kelsey. He’s guilty. Let it go.”

Some part of my stubbornness must have shown through because he softened his stance.

“Sweetheart, is it so surprising I want my future wife to concentrate on our wedding instead of a closed case?” he asked, his voice cajoling me. He lowered his lips to mine and touched them sweetly. “Please, Kelsey mine, I want to be happy for a little while.”

Put like that I couldn’t refuse him. I sighed and kissed him back. “I’ll call the restaurant.”

“Thank you.” He rewarded me with a brilliant smile. “Go on then, future Mrs. Sloane.”

And I meant to. I really did. I meant to call the restaurant, but I got another call first.

“So, I had to hear from Marcus that you caught the killer last night?” Dev Quinn’s smooth voice accused me over my cell phone as I drove west on I-30 toward Hurst. I needed to pack some things. I could figure out what to do with my furniture later, but my clothes needed to come with me now.

“He’s in custody,” I replied with as much professionalism as I could muster. I toyed with the travel mug of coffee Syl had handed me as I left the house earlier today. It was already empty. I needed a bigger mug. “I believe Lieutenant Sloane will be meeting with the councilman tonight to go over everything.”

“But I didn’t hire Lieutenant Sloane, Kelsey.” Quinn’s reply made me feel guilty. “I hired you. Marcus was surprised that a college professor managed this on his own.”

Loyalty told me to keep my mouth shut. Honesty had me turning the car around. If I didn’t at least look at those rolls, I would hate myself. I owed Helen Taylor to follow through, to make sure that the end was really the end.

“The Rangers are sure they have the right man,” I replied even as I was estimating how long it would take me to get to SMU.

There was a pause, and even over the phone I found Dev Quinn intimidating. “What do you think, Kelsey?”

“I have some questions.”

“Then find the answers,” Quinn ordered. “Come to my office at five. I expect an update.”

I was about to tell him I wouldn’t be cashing his check, but I was met with a click as he hung up, obviously certain I would obey his command. Quinn and Gray had more in common than they would guess. Maybe it was why they didn’t get along. According to the clock on the dashboard, I had plenty of time before it got dark. It was more than enough time to go look at the rolls and meet with Quinn. I would update him and then politely give him back his check. If Gray got upset I hadn’t done everything he asked, then I would have to find a way to make it up to him.