Thieves Like Us (24 page)

Her heart nearly beat through her ribs. She swallowed and licked her lips, and swore her thighs were parting in anticipation. “I think I could eat a lot of dessert tonight.”

His slow, crooked smile made her want to take him right there in the car.

She was suddenly in a hurry. “Have we lost our friends yet?”

“Not yet.” He signaled his exit from the expressway, giving anyone who cared plenty of time to follow them.

“I hate to tell you, but that’s not gonna do it.” She watched the traffic behind them in the passenger’s side mirror. “Which car, the black one behind us?”

“White SUV, four cars back.” He made several more turns through a light industrial area, signaling each one in advance. The SUV was half a block behind them when they pulled into a lot and stopped at a tall chain-link fence topped with razor wire. Behind it she saw nothing but haphazardly parked rows of cars, most of them pretty disreputable looking.

“What is this place, a prison for cars?”

“Exactly. It’s an impound lot.” He rolled his window down and waved at a man behind the fence.

The man squinted, then broke into a smile. “Hey, Rocky!” He pushed a button on the fence and a gate slid open. Rocky rolled forward, meeting him halfway.

“Hey, Danny. I want you to meet Janet Aims.”

“Hi.” She leaned forward to see him better, smiling, like stopping by police impound lots was something she did every day.

Danny ducked his head and looked her over. “Hey, Janet. Nice to meet you.” As he straightened she caught the nudge he gave Rocky’s shoulder.

“Got a favor to ask you, Danny.”

“You aren’t here to pick up a car?”

“Nope, just passing through. That okay?”

“No problem.” Danny raised his head and looked up and down the street. “That white Caddy?”

“Yup. Bad people, don’t mess with them.”

“Don’t worry, I just work here. I don’t know nothin’.”

“Thanks, buddy.” Rocky eased the car forward as the gate closed behind them. Waving, he headed down a row of cars that looked like the sloppy overflow from an outdoor concert.

She saw nothing ahead but more cars and another razor-topped chain-link fence. “I don’t get it.”

“Let’s hope they don’t, either. There’s a back gate that lets out on another street. By the time they figure it out, we’ll be long gone.” He waved at a gangly kid with an earpiece who’d apparently just gotten orders to open the back gate for them. They cruised through, hit the street, and sped back toward the major roads.

“Won’t they just wait for us at home?”

“I’m sure they will. But whose home? Mine? Yours? Elizabeth’s?”

“So we’ve reduced the odds of them finding us.”

“Better than that. We’ve got a place they don’t know about—Jack and Ellie’s house.”

Safe, but a little weird. She really didn’t want to make love in the same bed Ellie and Jack used. A big sexual buzzkill. “Um . . . I don’t really want to have sex in my best friend’s bed.”

“Neither do I. They have a guest room.”

“Oh.” She smiled. “Not bad. And you need to water those plants.”

“Then this is a necessary stop, isn’t it?”

“Vital. Ellie loves that fern.”

He parked in the empty spot in the garage, ensuring no one would see their car. All it took was one kiss and they stumbled into the house, kicking off shoes as they tried to kiss and walk at the same time.

“Wait,” he said against her lips, sucking the lower one into his mouth before pulling away. “Refrigerator.”

“Not again. I’ve already done the refrigerator thing. I want a bed.”

He chuckled as he opened the door and pulled out a spray can. “Whipped cream.”

“Oh.” She was salivating already, picturing where she wanted to spread it on that hard body of his.

He yanked her back against him, kissing her hard and deep. She came up gasping for air and more than ready to play his game. “You asked for it, buddy.” Grabbing his shirt in both hands, she jerked it open, sending buttons flying across the kitchen floor and parting the blue hibiscus flowers and green palm fronds to reveal a plane of tanned chest. She smiled.

“I hope you know how to sew.”

“Give me that can. I’m feeling inspired.”

Something sparked in his eyes and he didn’t stop to ask questions. Giving it a shake, he held the aerosol can between them.

Holding up two fingers, she allowed him to spray them with a glob of the silky cold confection. She studied his chest like a master studying a blank canvas, then smeared a line of cream across his right nipple. Beneath the cold white stuff, his nipple tightened into a hard bud. She paused to admire it, then leaned in and ran her tongue over it, lapping at the tight nipple and savoring the sweetness in her mouth. Savoring, too, the warm yearning that blossomed below her stomach. “Ooh, I’m gonna like this.”

“Jesus,” he breathed. The can hit the counter. The next second her shirt came over her head and his hand pushed at her bra, bypassing the hooks and simply shoving it down to release an eager breast. “Perfect,” he murmured, touching with one hand while the other reached blindly for the whipped cream and found it. He spritzed a dollop over her nipple.

She gasped at its cold touch. It quickly turned warm from the heat of her breast, and she burned as his mouth settled over her nipple and sucked hard. Fierce jolts of pleasure shot through her, settling between her legs in a pool of heat. She moaned, pushing into him, one hand holding his head to her while he suckled before releasing her and raising his eyes to hers in a smoldering gaze. “This is the best idea I ever had.”

“I have a better one.”

He treated her to a devilish smile, grabbed the whipped cream, and took her hand as he headed for the hallway. Seconds later she was standing in Ellie’s guest room, one breast exposed, taking in the clean lines of dark furniture while he set the container on a night stand and flung aside a comforter. Without hesitating, he turned her around, unfastened her bra, flung it aside, and gently pushed her onto the bed.

She caught her breath and smiled up at him as he settled astride her. “Nice technique, Hernandez. Primitive but effective.”

“Glad you approve.”

She ran her hands up his chest and over his shoulders, appreciating his lean muscles. She could watch him with his shirt off all day and never get tired of the view.

“Hey, what’s the tattoo on your shoulder mean?”

“Claw marks, because I was a cat burglar. Get it? I did it right before I embarked on my life of crime. It’s embarrassing, but I used to be a bit cocky.”

She laughed. “So what are you now?”

He held her gaze, something blazing deep within his eyes. “Confident. And incredibly competent.”

He sprayed a dab of cream on one finger and held it in front of her.

She closed her mouth over it, making a show of sucking the cream off, then licking her lips. “Yum.”

His dark eyes went black. “You’re playing with fire, lady.”

“Prove it.” Not waiting for him, she reached out to unbutton his jeans and lower the zipper. The material stretched across his hips where he straddled her, effectively trapping the part she most wanted to set free. “You’ll have to move for the next step. Oh, and I’ll be needing that can.”

His smile met hers. “You catch on quickly.”

“I’m a fast learner.”

“Uh-huh.” His mind seemed to be elsewhere as he scanned her shoulders and bare breasts. His fingers followed, palms softly molding the sides while his thumbs brushed the tops of her nipples. She drew a sharp breath and closed her eyes, riding the wave of pleasure that built inside her. His hands continued downward, unfastening her jeans. “But I’m on top so it looks like I get to go first.”

She arched her hips, allowing him to strip off her pants and panties in one tug. “Darn.” She didn’t even pretend to sound sincere.

He laughed, but the dark desire in his eyes banished any thoughts of boyishness in his expression. He was pure man. His hair was mussed from her fingers, arms corded as he held himself over her, chest hard, and the line below his open zipper even harder. She ran her hand along its length, just to remind him that she had plans, too.

His eyes turned to shadowed slits as he reached for the whipped cream. Hooking an arm beneath her knee, he spread her thighs apart, sprayed a blob of whipped cream on two fingers, and smeared a line from her knee to the edge of her dark curls. He looked at the cream left on his fingers as if it were the most interesting part of what he’d done. She bit her lip and watched, mesmerized. Just when she was certain he was going to offer it to her to lick clean, he lowered his hand and stroked it up her center.

Flares shot off between her legs and she struggled to keep her voice steady. “I hope you plan to do more than tease me with that.”

“Sweetheart, that’s not teasing. That’s a promise.”

She knew it as well as he did, and she loved how he made her feel like she was melting into the bed.

“Promises,
shmomis
—” She broke off on a gasp as his tongue licked along the whipped cream trail from her knee upward. Without pausing, he followed it to its sweet end. She couldn’t think; all she could do was feel.

Her fingers grabbed for purchase, fisting first into the sheet, then his shoulders, as fireworks danced behind her closed eyes. She thought she might scream from the pleasure, but her throat closed up and all she could manage was a tiny squeak of delight as he pushed her legs open and drove every nerve ending to shattering ecstasy. Muscles clenched all the way down to her toes, rigid with delight, then went limp.

He raised his head, looking pleased with himself. “I keep my promises.”

“No argument here,” she managed. Raising a limp hand, she wiggled her fingers as if testing for nerve damage. “I believe I’ve momentarily lost my fine motor skills, so would you mind taking off those jeans and boxers for me?”

He laughed and got right to it. Before tossing the jeans, he pulled a string of three condoms out of his pocket.

“Not yet. I haven’t had my dessert,” she purred.

“I can’t tell you how glad I am that you aren’t on a diet.”

Even if she were, she would have given it up on the spot. Pulling him down beside her, she raised to one elbow and took her turn with the whipped cream, first applying it with gentle strokes, then licking it off. He shuddered once, choked on an expletive, then groaned in surrender. Less than a minute later, he lifted her head and flipped her onto her back. “You’re done.”

“I was just getting into it.”

“You’re done or else I’ll be done. And I have other plans.” Since he was reaching for a condom, she wasn’t about to argue the point.

She was more than ready, making room for him between her legs, gripping the headboard behind her in anticipation of the same energetic pace he’d set so far. Her breaths were already coming fast, her body impatient with need, aching to clench around him. He settled over her, took her mouth in a deep kiss, then slid inside her with one slow easy stroke.

And stopped. She felt hot and full, and whimpered with pleasure.

“God, you feel good,” he groaned.

She gave him a another kiss. “I’ve heard it’s even better if you move.”

“Funny. You in a hurry?” He took one leisurely stroke, pushing hard against her, watching her.

She caught her breath in the rush of desire. “Yes!” But then it would be over too fast. “I mean, no.” But if he didn’t move soon she’d die from sheer longing.

“Not thinking clearly?” He took another slow stroke and rubbed against her.

She moaned happily. “Guess not.”

“Poor baby. How about if I drive this time and you don’t have to think. But next time you’re in charge.”

“I can deal with that.” Considering the liquid heat he ignited with each thrust, she’d agree to anything he suggested right now.

His lips curled into a cocky smile as he began a slow rhythm. Dipping his head, he nuzzled her neck with feathery kisses as he moved.

It was quite possibly heaven. She trembled as the first few jolts of pleasure shot through her. Surprise flickered at the intensity, and she could have sworn she saw the same glimmer of wonder in his eyes, but she quickly dismissed it. There was nothing mysterious about enjoying sex after going for so long without it. Especially if it was good sex. Very good sex. She refused to be distracted.

He moved faster and she followed his rhythm, allowing the mind-blowing sensations to drown any emotions beneath them. When he moved his hand between them and touched her, her last shred of coherent thought was gone. She tipped her head back as desire built to frantic purpose.

His ragged breaths matched hers. Tension showed in his jaw as he held back, waiting for her need to catch up with his. In the next breathless moment it did, and somehow he knew. He drove into her with the force she craved. She came hard, releasing a startled exclamation before wrapping him in a tight embrace as he shuddered and dropped his head into the cradle of her neck.

A contented groan vibrated against her. “That was definitely worth waiting for.”

The dreamy haze cleared as a sliver of concern pierced her languor. Worth waiting for? She ran his comment past her dulled brain one more time. “We just did it yesterday.”

“Not that, we didn’t.”

She didn’t want to ask him what he meant, because she was afraid it had something to do with that moment when physical pleasure got tangled up with emotion, and everything had suddenly felt brighter, and warmer, and
more right
than it ever had before.

It was more than she had expected.

And she was still shaking.