Wrapped In Shadows (22 page)

“
Oh God!
” he rushed out in a windy breath. “Does that feel good? Is your pussy wet for me, beautiful? Do you want to feel me inside you?”

I nodded and my body tensed, my muscles locking stiff as my hips bucked. His erotic words almost made me come. I beat my finger fast against my clit and moaned.
So close
…

“
Luke, oh, Luke!
”

“I’m so fucking hard, and watching you do that is driving me nuts!” I felt tremors wrack his body and the hand holding my head shook. “Tell me where you want my cock, beautiful, because I’m about to make the decision. I
need
to be inside you one way or another!”

I couldn’t form words. The pleasure shooting through me was consuming me like an inferno. My pussy was soaked and my body trembled on the verge of orgasm. Luke looked equally pained and I darted my tongue out again to tease his immensely swollen tip. Looking into his eyes, I parted my lips wide in invitation. There was no hesitation. With a shout, he plunged into my mouth, seating himself deep in my throat. His grip on my hair stung my scalp, but I unhinged my jaw and welcomed him. I’d never had a man this big before, but I loved the velvety slide of his thick cock and the pungent flavor. Luke pulled out and drove forward again, gentling a bit when I gagged. I closed my eyes and devoured him, groaning around my mouthful. I could tell by the sounds he was making, he was close.

“Touch my balls, baby!” he rasped.

I curled a hand around his tense sack, rubbing the puckered skin.

“
Squeeze them! Harder…that’s it!
”

His body went rigid and he moaned like an animal. His hips jerked in continuous spasms and he exploded in my mouth. My breath came fast and my eyes watered. I tried to swallow everything he gave me, but it leaked from my mouth onto my chin and drizzled down his shaft. Almost manic, I tongued him, trying to consume every drop. Luke eased me back onto the bed and tried to pull away, but I grabbed his buttocks and tugged him down with me. He cursed and tried to angle between my legs, but I was busy with my own agenda.

Instead, he grabbed my bottom and turned my hips, leaving my head where it was so that we could both indulge at the same time. I had to adjust my body to reach him as he was a tall man. I drove my tongue around the base of his still semi-hard shaft then drew his sac into my mouth and sucked gently. I still could not get enough of him, and wondered vaguely about this new oral fixation.

The first touch of his tongue between my thighs had me arching my back and crying out. I tried to continue my ministrations, but he sliced his tongue through my pussy and found my acutely swollen clit. He lashed it with his tongue, moaning wildly. It was a delicious torture that wrung my body senseless. I was a live-wire, and when he sucked on my aching flesh, I tripped and detonated in a rapturous blast of sensation. Writhing pleasure undulated through my body and I buried my face in his groin and bit into his thigh to keep from screaming my head off.

We stayed where we were, on our sides, comfortably languishing in a sensuous descent. When I could breathe again, I soothed my tongue over Luke’s inner thigh, feeling guilty because I knew I’d bitten him hard enough to leave a mark. I couldn’t see it in the dark, but knew it was there. He surprised me with a sudden groan and I realized he’d grown fully erect. We played and teased for a while, our moans filling the air like musical notes. Luke made long, languid sweeps of his tongue, surprising me with his thorough exploration, but the unexpected pleasure had my muscles tightening and my brows raised with curiosity. At one point he focused his attentions on my rosebud and I gasped, feeling strange flutters beat up my spine. This was a new experience for me. I’d never had any attention back there.

“Relax, beautiful.”

I obeyed the voice from below, soaking in the new sensations. This man was making me crazy. He played my body like a fine instrument, hitting each delectable key with precision. What he was doing now was making me pant, squeezing the breath from my lungs in a short staccato.
Just how much pleasure could I take?

His engorged cock strained against my neck, trapped between our bodies, and was already leaking onto my chest. Luke kissed the insides of my thighs and rose to his knees. My avid gaze zoomed to his stiff shaft. He was facing the light and it loved him. It glorified his body and flicked shadows over his colorful tattoo, making it come to life. I looked into his eyes and saw a mosaic of desire—greens and gold with beautiful flecks of yellow, all dancing like flames in his irises. He smiled and dropped a kiss to my naked shoulder, then pulled me up and turned me around gently. I pinched my lip between my teeth as he positioned me on my hands and knees, and I tried hard to keep my limbs from shaking as he moved behind me.

His lips brushed against my neck then whispered across my bare back, leaving goosebumps in their wake. My ponytail had long been unraveled, and hair fell around my face in waves. Luke’s body cloaked mine, a wall of muscle against my back. His warmth, his solidness, the hint of sandalwood drifting up from the sheets, all added to the sensual milieu and spiked my passion. Intuitively I pushed my bottom back, nestling it against his hips.

“Kay, my beautiful Kay,” Luke whispered, grazing his fingers along my soaked cleft.

I gasped at the touch, reveling in the tentacles of pleasure curling tight in my groin. I squeezed my eyes shut and my lips parted when he replaced his fingers with the blunt head of his cock. He dragged it through my slippery folds, unlocking a long moan from my throat. His chest rumbled as he plowed forward and tunneled through my flesh, seating himself insanely deep.

“
Oh, fuck!
” I gasped, my eyes flying open as sharp pleasure singed every exposed nerve ending.

I clutched the edge of a pillow, anchoring myself for another deep thrust as he withdrew. But it didn’t come. Instead, Luke rolled his hips, advancing and retreating just enough to make my blood boil and my flesh sing. He kept up the short, slow stabs, deliberately tormenting me.

“
Luke, oh, God…please…”
I tried to push back but his big hands held my hips, bracing me, denying me.

“Please what?” he teased against the shell of my ear.

He kept pumping his hips, feeding me tiny portions when I wanted a giant gulp. Every fiber of my body tingled with anticipation and my tight channel strangled him with each shallow plunge. I was sweating, crawling out of my too-tight skin. He was driving me crazy, and I wondered if he was retaliating for earlier. Tiny explosions trembled through me, vibrating down to my curling toes.

“
Deeper…deeper…more…more…
” I flung out each word, matching them to his short thrusts.

My movements slowed when I felt the glide of a finger between the globes of my cheeks. I held my breath, going stock still when his wet digit ringed my back entrance.
Breathe
… I wasn’t sure what to do, but the demands of my body were overwhelming and fierce. Luke pressed his finger forward slowly, copying the steady pumping of his dick. My muscles clenched when the fingertip popped inside, and I grunted, surprised by the dark pleasure. My body was tense with indecision, unused to the invasion.

“Relax, beautiful…just feel…don’t think…” Luke instructed, sliding his cock deeper as he sank to the first knuckle.

“
God,
y
es!
” I sucked in a breath, pushing back to take more of what I needed from him. There was a slight discomfort that was quickly obliterated by other wonderful sensations. The stretching of my sex coupled with the fluttery buzz as he stroked the tip of his finger gave me unbelievable pleasure. I groaned again and eagerly rocked back into him, biting my lip as spasms worked their way through my pussy, coming from every direction.

“Luke, that’s soooo good!”

“
Yes, Kay! Fuck, yes!
” Luke groaned and slammed into me hard, impaling me as he set a quicker pace. The force of his hips propelled me forward and I braced my hands against the wall for leverage. My breasts jounced and swayed with each thrust, my nipples aroused to tight, ruddy points.

He was driving his hips, pounding me fiercely, and I felt deliciously full. Soon the sweet tingle of approaching orgasm gathered in my pussy and I crashed back against him, humping his thick cock with a blinding speed. Wisps of hair stuck to my damp face and neck, my back arched to almost breaking, and my heart raced like a stallion in my chest.

Luke hissed and grabbed my hip with a bruising hold. “
Fuck, Kay! I’m close! Come with me, baby! It’s so fucking good! So fucking good!”

As if on command, my muscles seized violently, clamping down as my climax slammed into me. Luke was a maniac behind me, and all I could do was collapse onto the bed as the force of his thrusts shoved me forward. I was pinned beneath him, wedged between his damp body and half hanging off the mattress, still hovering in bliss. I braced one hand on the floor and another on a poster, trying to leverage my balance. He kept pounding me hard and I keened in pleasure as another peak crested, scorching-hot and brutally intense. Suddenly he released a roar and I felt his cock jerk and throb as wet heat flooded my passage.

Luke was breathing harshly behind me, air raking from his lungs between moans. I loved the robust sounds he made during sex.

“
Christ, Kay!
You're amazing. It’s crazy what you do to me!” he gasped. I felt his cock jerk with another spasm and he grunted hard.

What I do to him
? I couldn’t help but twist my lips wryly.
Holy Mother of God, was he kidding me? Here I was, twisted like a pretzel and dangling naked off the bed—a position that was in no way sexy. My new favorite flavor was Luke, who I’d just devoured like the fat kid with his last ice-cream cone,
and
I’d just come twice with a finger in my ass! Hellooooo…

Okay, I had to admit to loving every freaking minute of it! Although my vagina was a little jealous at first of the shared attention, it was obvious Luke had no difficulty multitasking.

“You okay?” he asked. Humor danced in his eyes as he hoisted the top half of my body back onto the bed.

“
Umph!
” I flipped onto my back and landed on a pillow with an exaggerated groan. “I think…I can still…move my limbs.”

He raised up on an elbow and shot me an indecently sexy, lopsided grin. “Then I haven’t done my job.”

I chuckled and pushed playfully on his shoulder, trying to topple him back, but he surprised me and grabbed my arm, pulling our bodies close together. I examined his face, noting the thick, disheveled waves of his hair spiky with perspiration, his strong, slightly prominent nose, and the angular lines of his jaw. I could live in this moment forever.
So freaking gorgeous…

The way his lips tilted when he smiled, and the look he gave me, caused my heart to teeter precariously. Afraid he’d see how much he affected me, I leaned forward and brushed my lips against his. Dropping onto the pillow, he folded me against his solid chest, the dragon kissing my cheek. I sighed and settled in, listening to the drum of his heart.

“I meant what I said, Kay.”

A brow rose. “About doing your job?”

He laughed and kissed my forehead, then chucked his palms along my arms.

“Well, that too, but about you being amazing.”

Oh…that…
I grinned.

“
You are pretty amazing
.”

“You’re not so bad yourself.” I smiled, feeling his chuckle vibrate his chest. I snaked an arm across his torso and nuzzled into his neck, inhaling deeply.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Luke

I awoke several hours later, feeling incredibly content. The light was still on in the corner of my room, casting a glow on our naked bodies. Katie was warm and supple, beautifully feminine. Beautifully Kay. Wondering at the time, I pulled away slightly and twisted my neck to find my bedside clock.
Two am.
It was Christmas Eve. Mrs. Rogers had a few days off. Livy was an early riser and in just a few hours would be knocking on my bedroom door. I didn't mind her finding Katie here, but certainly not in the state we were in. I’d have to set my alarm so we could wake earlier and dress. I wondered what her plans were for the holiday. No doubt she was spending it with her family. I was glad, though, that we’d had this time together. I still couldn’t believe she’d gone to the police and made a statement. She was full of surprises. I smiled.
Another good one.
I liked the good ones.

With the recent chaos in my life, I had trouble looking into our future, but couldn’t deny my strong feelings for her. I was definitely not an optimist when it came to relationships, and with my past, I had a hard time trusting women, but I was willing to believe again, to give love a shot again.

As if it was a conscious decision
. I smiled to myself, knowing I was already falling hard for Katie. For me, our connection was profound and irresistible. Livy seemed to really like her too and that made warmth cycle through my heart.

Jack had been optimistic when we’d spoken, but I wouldn’t know more until after the holiday. I sighed. Right now, I wanted to enjoy having Katie by my side, and in my bed. Sex with her was incredible, and I could see she enjoyed exploring new pleasures. I was glad because I hadn’t even skimmed the surface of where I wanted to take her. Needing to feel her warmth against me, I turned on the pillow and was surprised to see her wide, troubled blue eyes staring back at me.

I frowned, pulling her into my arms. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”

She molded against me, but I could sense her disquiet by the goosebumps on her skin. I pulled the covers around us and tossed a leg over her, rubbing heat into her silky legs.

“I couldn’t sleep. I’ve been thinking.”

“About what?” I asked, but thought I already knew by the tone of her voice.

She propped her head on my chest, resting her chin on her laced fingers. Her brows furrowed as she gazed at me

“I’m hopeful the charges against you will be dropped, but it doesn't change the fact that someone tried to frame you.”

Despite the fact that I’d guessed what was on her mind, my body tensed. The question of who was behind my troubles had been plaguing me for days. I’d hired my own investigator to work with Rasco to dig into the details of Ms. Carmen’s murder as well as the murder that occurred the night of Mr. Kotobuki’s party. But I already had my own theories.

“It would most likely be someone who had access to your office to plant the rope…someone who hated you.”

I nodded slowly and watched her lids drift down.

“Do—do you think that Josh could have planted it?”

My gaze was steady, analyzing her expression. I knew this had been a difficult conclusion for her to come to. After all, she’d almost married the man. She’d loved him, and on some level might still. The thought poured venom into my gut and I had to force myself to calm. Could she still have feelings for him, despite how he’d treated her?

I hooked a lock of blonde hair behind her ears. “It has crossed my mind.”

She nodded and I saw her throat work down a swallow.

“He never liked you—always talked about how people at work were out to get him.”

“Josh has had a difficult time at Davenport. He’s not the easiest man to get along with.”

She nodded and her gaze returned to my face.

“Luke, I know he’s got issues, but I don’t think he’s capable of murder.”
I had to blow out a slow breath.
Was she fucking defending him? The man was a monster and capable of many more atrocities.

“Sorry, I don’t have as much faith in him as you do.”

“He’s still trying to deal with his mother’s death. He has a lot of anger, but I can’t see him committing murder.”

Was she fucking kidding me?

“Look at what he did to you! He was in a rage!”

“Yes, but—”

“Kay, you said the night you went to
Sensations
you caught him with his ex-girlfriend.” I forged ahead, no longer willing to listen to her defense of Josh. It was killing me.

She nodded quietly. “I thought they were fooling around. I was wrong.”

I ignored her, trying to focus on keeping my tone level. “Is it possible that he knew where you were going, that he followed you?”

Her eyes widened dramatically then her forehead creased into a deep frown. She shook her head. “No. No way.”

“Think about it. Could he have found out about us somehow? Known that you were in a room having sex with me?”

She was shaking her head vigorously now, sitting up in bed and hugging the sheet to her.

“He would have gone insane! And even if he hadn’t barged in on us, he would have called off the wedding. But he wanted to marry me. He—he begged me to take him back.”

I pushed up to a sitting position and pinched the bridge of my nose, not sure how to say what was on my mind.

“Kay, why wouldn’t he want to marry you?” I asked sarcastically. “You’re a Vandercamp. The Vandercamp name goes a long way.” I paused. “I can’t guess at your assets, but I assume you’re a very wealthy woman.”

I could see her anger in the deliberate squareness of her naked shoulders and it pained me. I didn’t want to hurt her.

“Are you saying he wanted to marry me for my money? That he never loved me? That that’s all I was to him?”

Shit…
She was pissed, and by the fumes steaming off her, I couldn’t help but wonder if the thought had crossed her own mind at some point.

“The Wilkinson name is very prestigious. Josh’s father is worth millions!”

“Yes, but Josh is cut off from his family’s fortune.”

“I know he and his father don’t get along. That’s why he left and went out on his own, but he’s not cut off. He’s never lacked for money.”

I pushed my fingers through my hair again, agitated. “Look, I know Matt Wilkinson pretty well. He asked me to give Josh a job to help him out, to keep him out of trouble. Josh did not
choose
to leave the family business. He was asked to.”

Her face suffused with color and she bit down on her lip. I could see the disjointed thoughts fracture in her brain, and knew she was trying to piece them together, but I couldn’t tell if she believed anything I said. Believing me would force her to examine everything she’d ever believed about Josh and their relationship, everything she’d put faith in. It might even cause her to question herself.

I sighed again.
Fuck!
We’d been having a wonderful time together. The last person I wanted to talk about was Josh Wilkinson!

She turned to me, confusion coloring her eyes a dark blue. “I would have known if he knew about us. He would have done something, said something, maybe—”

“He did, Kay,” I said steadily. “Your earring. I think he planted it to scare you, to let you know that your secret was out. I think it was also to keep you quiet. He knew I had an alibi for that night and he knew who it was. I’m sure he never thought you’d come forward.”

She covered her face with her palms, blowing out a long breath. “You seem to have this all figured out.” There was disbelief weaved in her words. “You think he committed that other murder too?”

“He might have,” I replied firmly. “That might have also been to scare you, I don’t know.”

“This is crazy!”

“Yes, it is! I’ve been fucking living it!”

As soon as the angry words erupted, I regretted unleashing them on her. I circled her shoulders and pulled her into me.

“Kay, I don’t want to talk about this now. I don’t want to talk about Josh. I don’t want him between us. I’m sorry we’re both wrapped up in this mess.”

Her features softened and she cradled my cheeks between her palms, her gaze scattering over my face.

“It’s over between Josh and me. You have nothing to worry about. I’m where I want to be.”

She smiled in a way that made the breath stall in my lungs, but I couldn’t help the slight doubt that plagued me.

“I want to be right here with you, and I want to help you figure out what’s going on.”

The determination in her eyes revved up my heart rate and I tried hard to bury my doubt and believe what she had with Josh was over. “I appreciate that, Kay, but I’ve hired an investigator and Jack is working on getting the charges dropped. You’ve already done more than enough.”

She nodded and leaned in, brushing her lips against mine. I captured her bottom lip and sucked, loving the silky plumpness. She moaned and turned to face me fully, pushing the sheet down and straddling my thighs. Her arms snaked around my shoulders and I loved the press of her naked, supple breasts against my chest.

Cupping her buttocks, I smiled and pulled her in tight. Seemed her limbs were fully functional again. I’d have to take care of that. We still had a few hours till morning. I delved my tongue into her mouth, plumbing the luscious depths. I loved the way she tasted, loved the feel of her tongue against mine.
Damn, she was sexy!

A distant ringing broke through our sensual haze and Katie pulled back, frowning.

“I think that’s my phone.”

“It’s two in the morning.” I copied her frown, but she was already off my lap and pulling my shirt around her shoulders. I scooted to the edge of the bed as she rushed toward the door and followed the ring chiming from the living room.

Who the hell would be calling her at this hour?

By the time I’d pulled on my jeans and joined her in the living room, she’d already found her phone and was listening intently to whoever was on the other end. She looked up when she saw me.

“Hold on one second, Cindy.” Katie took the phone from her ear and shot me an apologetic look. “One of the girls from work is having a problem. I’m sorry,” she whispered.

He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and kissed her forehead, somehow feeling relieved. “It’s okay. I understand.”

Her lips pulled up at the corners and she put the phone back to her ear. Settling on my couch, she folded her naked legs beneath her, already enrapt in the call. I watched her brows pleat with worry and knew this was going to take a while. Leaving for a minute, I returned with a blanket and draped it over her shoulders, then I kissed her forehead again and left, giving her privacy.

It was an hour before Katie returned to the bedroom, and from her expression, I knew it had been a difficult conversation.

“Sorry,” she said, slipping into bed beside him. “Cindy was very upset.”

I unbuttoned my shirt and slid it from her shoulders. “Anything I can do? Do you want to talk about it?”

She sighed, leashing her hair in a loose knot. “Cindy hasn’t seen her family for some time. She surprised them for the holiday, and it wasn’t the home-coming she’d hoped for.”

“I’m sorry,” I said genuinely. I knew the holiday season was eagerly anticipated by most people, but it could also be a tough time of year for many. Katie had hinted that spending time with her own family could sometimes be stressful, and truthfully, the holidays was not my favorite time either. I did like spending time with my family, but this time of year always reminded me of my loss.

“Thank you for understanding.”

“Sure.” I turned and snuggled behind her back, throwing a leg over her. I loved wrapping her up with my body. It felt like she was mine.

As if reading my previous thoughts, she asked, “How do you spend the holidays?”

I smiled, thinking about my boisterous family. “Today Livy and I will go to my oldest brother and his wife’s home for dinner in Jersey, then tomorrow dinner is at my parents in Queens.”

“Does your entire family go? I remember you saying you have six brothers.”

“Oh, yeah…and it’s absolute mayhem.”

“If they’re anything like you, then I can imagine,” she teased.

I chuckled, my thoughts on previous holidays. “When we get together, it’s a good time. Wanna come?”

As soon as the invitation slipped out, I regretted it. It wasn’t that I wouldn't enjoy spending more time with her, I just didn’t want Katie to think I was moving too fast.
Plus there was a warning voice in my head telling me it would be prudent to slow down. Inviting a woman home for holiday dinner was a big deal—in my book, anyway. I hadn’t introduced a woman to my family since Roslyn, and they would be all over her like ants on a cookie crumb. I was very close to my brothers and parents, and their well intentioned, yet nosy, interrogations would no doubt drive Katie irrefutably bonkers.

She just got out of a tough relationship, and probably needed time to sort things out in her head. Although she wanted to get to know me, she most likely needed space.

It wasn’t until I felt the slow beats of my heart that I realized I was holding my breath, waiting to see how she’d respond.

“They sound like fun, and thanks for the invite, but I can’t.”

At least she sounded disappointed.

“I go to my grandmother’s tonight. Tomorrow, the girls from the foundation and I volunteer at a soup kitchen in Chelsea, and then I go to my parents for dinner.”

Dread seemed to burden her words as she finished the sentence. Sensing her change in mood, I made a decision.

“Close your eyes.”

“What?” she laughed, wary.

“Go on, close them.”

She complied but only after sending me a warning glance. I grinned and reached into the top drawer of my night table.

“No peeking, or you’ll get in trouble.”

She laughed again, but her eyes were still closed when I turned back to her.

“Okay, open them.”

The surprise on her face when she saw the medium-sized red box with a white silk bow was priceless, and my heart tripped in my chest. On a whim I’d purchased the gifts while out shopping with Livy. I’d intended on leaving the box with her doorman, then after Saturday’s fiasco, had been undecided whether I’d give her the gifts at all. I smiled, thinking fate had decided for me.