The Reckoning (20 page)

A moan escaped her lips. Mike let his cock slide though her wet juices, readying himself to take her. He wanted her nice and wet and begging for it before he sent her over the top.
Elizabeth
trembled in his arms, her legs almost buckling beneath her. Mike pulled his fingers from her wet fold and turned her. He lifted her in his arms and pressed her back against the wall. He eased his shaft inside of her, inch by slow inch, until fully seating himself and holding himself still. He leaned down and took a nipple in his mouth and sucked hard.

“Please, Mike.”

Mike glanced up at her, never removing his mouth from her breast; he nibbled at her nipple with his teeth.

He let go with a pop. “Please what, baby?” Mike rubbed her neglected twin. “I can’t leave this one out.”

He gave the same treatment to her other nipple. But the way she was squirming in his arms told him she’d almost had enough. He let that one go with a pop.

“If you don’t start moving, I may have to kill you.”

Mike withdrew and inched his way slowly back in. “Like this, baby?”

Elizabeth
squirmed again, trying to get him to speed up.

“What’s the Matter, baby? Don’t you like it slow?”

Elizabeth
growled and held his stare. “Don’t make me shoot you.”

Mike couldn’t help the smile that formed on his lips. The feel of her heat surrounding him was almost enough to make him explode.

Mike pulled out and rammed back in, increasing the speed of his thrusts.
Elizabeth
let her head fall back against the tile and raked her nails against his shoulder. Mike grunted. He couldn’t get enough of her.

“I can’t take anymore.”
Elizabeth
’s chest rose and fell in a rhythm that matched his own. Mike reached down between their connected bodies, pressed his thumb to her clit, and increased his strokes, sending her tumbling over the top and into the abyss.

Elizabeth
screamed. Tears ran down her face, and she collapsed against him. An intense worry shot through Mike. Had he hurt her? Mike lowered his head. “
Elizabeth
honey, what’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”

Elizabeth
shook her head against his shoulder, but no words left her lips, only silent tears, hot and wet, soaked his shoulder.

“Baby, talk to me. Are you okay?”

Elizabeth
leaned back. Her eyes glazed over. “I love you, Mike Bennett.”
Elizabeth
crushed her lips to his. He’d started to grow hard still lodged inside of her. He would never get enough of her no matter how long he could convince her to stay around.

Mike pulled back, drawing in a breath. He leaned his forehead against hers and reached up to cup her cheeks. The steam around them increased. His voice cracked. “I’m afraid I can’t let you go home tonight.”

“Why is that? The professor is dead, and the threat is gone. You’re off babysitting duties, Detective.”

Mike placed a kiss on her neck. “I think I need to do a full body check just to make sure you weren’t hurt, and that could take all night.”

Mike never let her feet touch the ground. He stepped out of the shower with one hand under her ass, grabbed a towel with the other, and took her to bed, only letting her come up long enough to call her sister to let her know  she wouldn’t be home.

CHAPTER 17

Mike opened his eyes to the sun pouring through the curtains. The smell of coffee drifted to his nose. He turned to snuggle into
Elizabeth
, running his hand up and down the empty sheets. He sat up and looked at the door. His little doc stood at the threshold with a coffee cup lifted to her lips.
Elizabeth
swallowed and nodded to the bedside table.

Mike leaned back against the headboard, picked up his own coffee cup, and took a large gulp before swinging his legs over the bed and standing naked in front of her. Mike leaned over, placing his cup back on the bedside table and took two steps toward her. His hands splayed around her hips, pulling her close. “Why are you dressed, Doc?”

Elizabeth
shook her head. “Uh-uh, we have stuff to do today.”

Mike poked out his bottom lip. “Oh come on, baby. Come back to bed with me.”

Elizabeth
stepped out of his embrace. “I have to go see my sister, and you need to meet yours. Not to mention that we still need to figure out who Winters is.”
Elizabeth
turned toward the door and glanced over her shoulder. “Get dressed, detective. Maybe later we can pick up where we left off.”

Mike grumbled. He couldn’t help that he wanted her. That he needed her. Mike walked into his closet and pulled out a pair of boxers. He called out, “Doc, I’m sorry about last night.”

Elizabeth
reappeared in the entrance to his walk-in closet and took another sip of her coffee. “Sorry about what, Detective?”

Mike pulled up boxers before he turned to her. “We didn’t use protection.”

Elizabeth
’s lips tilted up at the corners. “I’m on the pill. Take a shower and finished getting dressed.”

Elizabeth
walked away, leaving him standing in his closet. He should have been elated that she was on birth control, but he wasn’t. The thought of making a baby with
Elizabeth
had excited him. He wasn’t letting her get away this time. Now all he had to do was convince her to stay. Removing the threat against her had consequences that he hadn’t thought of. There was nothing keeping her here. She was safe enough to return to her old life, to leave him. Mike frowned and shook his head. He’d just have to convince her to stay. He hurried through his morning rituals and walked out of his room.

Mike found
Elizabeth
waiting for him on the couch. She stood when he entered. “Are you ready to go?”

Mike shook his head and strolled in her direction, stepping right up in front of her. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her flush against his body. “Not before this.”

He pressed his lips to hers and pulled her tighter into his embrace. Her arms slid up his chest and around his neck. She tilted her head, and Mike deepened the kiss. He’d never get enough of
Elizabeth
.

She broke the kiss, and Mike leaned his forehead against hers. “Good morning.”

Elizabeth
let out a contented sigh. “Good morning, Detective.” Her lips rose in a smile. “I could get used to that.”

Mike tapped her on the ass and grabbed his keys. “Get used to it, Doc.” Mike pulled and held the front door open. “I’ll expect it every morning.”

****

Elizabeth
’s heart raced at Mike’s comment. She hoped he meant it because she damn sure did. The thought of going to bed with that man again and waking up in his arms set her body on fire. She’d fallen hard for him. There was no denying it any longer. As happy as she was, guilt nudged at her conscious for leaving Gracie alone after their ordeal. “Can you take me home? I need to see my sister.”

Mike nodded and cleared his throat. “Doc?”

Elizabeth
glanced to Mike. “Yeah.”

“I’ve got to go to the office but be ready by seven.”

“What happens at seven?”

Mike’s grin grew bigger. “We’re having dinner at Emma’s house. Thompson told me they plan to catch Winters at Claire’s fundraiser, and I need to inform my sisters that they won’t be going.” Mike flashed his dimples at her. “I might need you to doctor me up after I tell them.”

Elizabeth
leaned her head back and laughed. The man was right about that. There was no way he was going to convince Abby or any of his sisters that they couldn’t attend the fundraiser. Yep, he was right. He was going to need her.

Mike pulled into her drive and leaned over to kiss her. “I love you, Doc.”

Elizabeth
’s heart melted. “I love you too, Detective.”

****

Mike left
Elizabeth
at her house. His head knew she was safe, but deep in his heart, he still worried. Was this what it was like to give your heart to another? A light feeling ran through his chest. A feeling he’d never experienced before. 

Mike pulled into the station, glad to have a distraction from the foreign feelings that
Elizabeth
brought out in him. She had been right. He still had stuff to do, and it wasn’t going to get done with him playing house with the petite doctor. Mike strolled into his office and plopped down in the leather chair behind his desk. He hadn’t even picked up the phone before Thompson walked in and took a seat across from him.

“I’m surprised to see you here. I was sure you’d keep
Elizabeth
holed up at your house for at least a week.”

Mike couldn’t think of anything he wanted more, but knew
Elizabeth
had been right. He couldn’t pretend everything was going to work itself out. It hadn’t in twenty years; today was no different. Mike leaned back in his chair. “We’ve still got work to do.”

“Don’t you mean I still have work to do? Last I checked, you were told to stay out of this. My team will catch Winters.” His voice was absolute, his words not lost on Mike. It wasn’t going to stop him; no, he would see this to the end. He owed his dad that much.

Mike studied his friend. His creased brow and closed-off posture wasn’t going to deter Mike. As a cop, he understood why they didn’t want him involved, but as a son, he wanted to make certain the man that had killed their father was brought to justice. Mike thought about his next move before opening his mouth. What he said next meant either getting the information he needed or being shunned from the investigation, and that wasn’t an option.

Mike leaned forward and propped his elbows on the desk. “I’ll make you a deal.”

Thompson narrowed his eyes before he grinned. “What do you have in mind?”

Mike reached for the file on his half-sister and pulled it from the drawer. “You tell me everything you know about Winters, and I’ll stay out of it.”

Thompson’s smile fell. “It can’t be that easy.”

Mike slid the file across the desk. “On one condition. I also need to you to find out why my half-sister is on the run.”

“I knew there was a catch.” Thompson opened the file. Mike watched Thompson as he scanned the picture that Mike had already studied in great length. “What makes you think the FBI has a file on her?”

Mike leaned back in his chair, propped his arms on the armrest, and steepled his fingers in front of him. “She went off the grid before she showed up here, and I want to know why.” Mike pointed at the file. “Tell me that picture wouldn’t be of interest to the FBI or at least Homeland Security.”

Thompson glanced up. “Where did you get this?”

“It doesn’t matter where. I just want to know what the government has on her.”

Thompson picked up the file and stood. “Old friend, what are you thinking?”

Mike stood. “There’s only one way to keep my sisters and Elizabeth safe, and that’s to know what is on
Lydia
’s agenda. Why is she here, now of all times? Just when we’re about to catch Winters.”

Thompson nodded. “Consider it done.” He turned to leave and stopped. “I’ll get you a copy of what we have on Winters.” The fine lines of Thompson’s brows creased again. “
Elizabeth
isn’t going back to work until next week, right?”

Mike stepped around his desk and sat on the edge. “Yeah, why?”

“All of the notes the professor had on Winters indicates he’s on staff at the hospital.”

Mike felt his blood pressure rise. His
Elizabeth
worked with a potential killer and had no clue. She was still in danger especially if Winters knew her affiliation with his family. Not knowing Winters’ identity was hindering his ability to keep her safe. Yet again, he was screwed. He couldn’t keep
Elizabeth
from work any longer, and damn it, he couldn’t be with her one hundred percent of the time. “Then go pick his ass up.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Why the hell not?”

“We don’t know who he is. We found a calendar at the professor’s, indicating he was going to do an exchange with Winters at the fundraiser.”

Mike’s head fell forward, thinking of this new turn of events. “Shit, and now the bastard is dead.” Mike lifted his gaze to Thompson. His chest was wound into a tight bundle of nerves. Mike rubbed his temples. “We couldn’t lay a trap for him even if we wanted to.”

Thompson leaned against the doorframe with
Lydia
’s file clutched under his arm. The corners of his lips tilted up in a curve. “They’ve met before. We have times and places, and we’re getting any and all security from those places to see if we can pinpoint exactly who he is.”