They were back at the fire station now. He’d sent the two uniforms home because he planned to stay with Lora. The firefighters were wrapping up their reports. The new team was coming in, getting briefed, and Lora was about to slip away.
With him.
She wore a white T-shirt. Her blond hair had been washed, and it curled a bit around her face. No makeup, not here. Just clean, shining skin. The faintest traces of shadows lurked beneath her lashes because the woman was tired. Hell, she should be tired. Her lips were pale, but when she walked toward him, they curved, just a bit.
He took her hand and finally took a deep breath. The ache in his chest eased.
“You made the news,” he murmured as they passed the television in the lounge. There was Lora’s face, smudged, darkened, beautiful, as she leaned over Brian London and ruffled his hair. “They led with a hero story.” Not the sick kill left by Phoenix. Huh. Maybe Channel Five wasn’t as bad as he’d thought.
“You clear to leave?” The question came out too rough, but he was doing well to manage speech right then. He needed her.
She nodded.
“Then come with me.” Stay with me. Be with me.
Fucking bitch. He watched Lora and saw the smug smile on her lips. Why did she have to do this to him? Why?
She hadn’t learned a lesson from the fire at her house. Hadn’t even seemed to care. Was she out hiding somewhere? Fearing that he’d come after her?
Fearing the fire?
No, not her.
But then, she had the special agent hovering around her, watching her with greedy eyes and possessive hands.
Maybe she didn’t think that she needed to fear.
A fatal mistake.
She shouldn’t screw with him, shouldn’t take his time and walk away. She wasn’t the woman she pretended to be. Not loyal. Not true.
She was a fucking whore—one out to get him.
And Lora deserved just what she was going to get.
Burn, bitch, burn.
CHAPTER Eighteen
Kenton slammed the hotel room door shut. Lora glanced back at him, “Kent—”
His mouth took hers. Lips, tongue, taking.
Just what she wanted. More—what she needed.
Her hands locked on his and she shoved him back against the door because she wasn’t the type to just get taken.
No, sometimes, she liked to take.
Her hands rose and flattened on his chest as she pushed onto her toes and met with hungry lips and an eager tongue.
Adrenaline still spiked her blood, that wild combination of fear and euphoria that came from slipping away from the fire.
And having Kenton so close.
She yanked his shirtfront open and sent buttons flying. That perfect shirt, all ruined. Lora smiled against his mouth and let her nails score his flesh.
Kenton tensed beneath her touch. His breath hitched as his mouth tore from hers. His arousal pressed against the vee of her sex. Hard, long, and ready.
Good, because she was ready. Had been, all during that long, tense ride from the station house. It had been a difficult ride because she’d had the feeling if she so much as moved, he’d jump her.
Or she’d jump him.
What I’m doing right now.
She eased back, moving away just enough to strip off her T-shirt and toss it to the floor. She kicked out of her shoes even as she fumbled with the button of her jeans.
Screw waiting. She needed pleasure. She needed fury. She needed the ache inside to ease.
She needed him.
Lora shoved down her jeans, stepped out of them as fast as she could, and reached for him again.
“No, wait… my gun…”
She always forgot the gun. And the man was always armed.
He took off the holster and set it on the desk just a few feet away, turning his back to her.
She pressed against him. Strong muscles. Sexy ass. The man really did have a perfect butt. Her hands wrapped around him. Her fingers found his belt, unclasped it, and eased open his pants.
No underwear. Oh, that just made things easier.
Lora took his cock in her hands and pumped him, from base to tip. Again. Harder this time.
“Fuck, Lora.”
She loved the way he said her name.
And loved the way he tasted.
Everywhere.
He clasped her hands, freezing her. “Not… gonna… last.” Guttural. Kenton turned to her with his eyes narrowed and that jaw she loved clenched.
Lora smiled because she didn’t want him to last. She wanted him to break. She wanted that control to break with her.
She pulled away from him, and her hands were rock steady when she unhooked her bra and let it drop to the floor.
He sucked in a breath and then he was on her. Hands tight around her. Mouth closing over her breast, sucking deep and strong, and her sex quivered. Cream pooled between her legs, and she wanted him.
His tongued swirled over her nipple. His teeth scored her sensitive flesh, and Lora choked out his name on a breath of need.
His cock shoved against her. That thick flesh drove right against her underwear. His hand pushed between her legs and caught the elastic edge of her panties. When they ripped under his fingers, she laughed.
At the sound, his head snapped up, and he stared at her with a heated gaze. He stared as if he hadn’t seen her before and muttered, “Fucking beautiful.” Then his hands were around her waist as he lifted her up. The muscles in his arms flexed as he held her.
Wow, didn’t realize the man was so strong, didn’t know—
She licked his throat.
Screw it.
Lora wrapped her legs around his waist. His cock pushed against her, pressing right at the wet entrance to her sex.
She arched toward him just as Kenton slammed deep.
So deep.
She bit her lip to hold back the scream.
Skin to skin. Hot. Slick. So full.
Her nails dug into his shoulders.
His eyes, molten steel, blazed at her. His fingers gripped her waist. His thighs were rock hard against her, and his cock—
So good.
Lora rose up, sank down, and thrust back against him.
And he swelled even more within her. Thick, hot flesh.
Flesh.
No condom.
“Kenton!”
He whirled around, and they fell to the bed, bouncing lightly on the soft mattress. He stayed within her. His cock lodged deeper, and his fingers pushed between her folds to press against her clit.
The bed began to squeak beneath them. Thrust. Withdraw. Thrust.
“Kent…” Oh, damn, but she was close to exploding around him. “Con… condom…”
His eyes widened with understanding. “Fuck.”
Her sex clamped tight around him when he began to withdraw. No, he felt too good. “I—I’m safe.” No diseases, and she was on the pill.
“Me, too, swear…” His jaw clenched.
Her fingers sank into his ass. That sexy ass. “Then, move.”
And he moved.
Faster. Harder. Deeper.
They twisted a bit and ended up facing each other, side to side. He grabbed her leg, hoisted it higher, and her eyes nearly rolled back into her head because this was it, the spot she needed. So perfect, so—
“Fucking amazing… nothing ever… this good.”
She tightened her muscles around him and then heard the growl that built in his throat.
And when he drove into her again, she came, convulsing around his thick cock and biting his shoulder.
Faster, faster, he thrust, and she rode out the pleasure, and every drive of his hips made the climax pulse more.
Kenton hadn’t come yet. Her sex still quivered when she forced him onto his back and rose above him. His eyes, so intense, blazed up at her.
Her knees pressed alongside his hips. She rocked against him, still fast, her flesh swollen and slick. Lora stared into
his eyes and shoved against him. She took everything, every inch, all of him—
“Lora!” He erupted inside her with a long, hot splash. His hands bit into her waist. “Fucking good… so good… love the way you feel… love… you!” He rose up and his mouth locked on hers.
She held him tighter and the pleasure rocked through her once more.
Love… you.
Oh, damn.
“Do we call Kenton in on this?” Sam asked, even as her fingers flew over the keyboard in front of her.
“No.” Monica sighed and glanced at her watch. “The guy probably just got in. Let him sleep. When we have something, we’ll call him.” Because right now, to paraphrase Hyde, they had their good buddies Jack and Shit.
“Speaking of sleep…” Luke murmured.
She glanced at him.
“You’re weaving. You’ve been up all night, and you need to get some rest. Go back to the hotel.”
But they were so close. She shook her head.
His eyes hardened. “You can’t solve this one if you’re dead on your feet.”
Her jaw locked.
“Let’s take shifts,” Ramirez said. “You go back to the hotel, rest up, then you and Kenton can come back and swap with me and Sam.”
Sam glanced back at her. “A few more hours… I should have something then.”
A few more hours. Monica gave a grudging nod. “Fine, but if you get something, anything, you call me.”
Luke took her elbow. “Come on, baby.” The endearment was soft enough for only her to hear.
They headed for the door.
And nearly collided with Captain Lawrence and Malone. The detective’s eyes were narrowed, and she saw that stare dip to her arm and to Luke’s hand.
“We found a witness who saw Malone arrive early this morning at Lora’s house,” Lawrence said, crossing his arm over his chest. A witness? Jesus, who had those cops woken up to get an alibi? “Seems that after the fire last night, Ms. Susan Lynn James didn’t get back to sleep right away, so she was late heading to work today.”
So Malone hadn’t been anywhere near Bob Kyle. Well, she’d already figured that.
“I want you to release my detective,” the captain told her. “And he’d like an apology.” He stared down at her with a smirk she thought she’d never see, and seriously, she wasn’t in the mood for this crap.
When Luke tensed beside her, she knew her lover had the same thought. “Sure.” She barred her teeth. “On behalf of the SSD, I’d like to officially apologize for doing our jobs and questioning a man with ties to all of the arsons. I realize it was a terrible inconvenience having to answer questions you should have answered from the beginning, but, hey, that’s the way the system works, right?”
The captain’s jaw dropped.
Malone’s brows rose.
Behind her, yes, that sounded like Ramirez’s snicker.
She inclined her head toward the detective. “No hard feelings. We cleared you thirty minutes ago.”
“What?” the captain yelled. “You cleared him but you didn’t brief me?”
“I just did.” She kept her head up and her shoulders straight. The guy needed to recognize that when it came to the hierarchy here, the SSD was on top. This wasn’t a pissing match. It wasn’t a debate.
“If you hadn’t run from me when I headed toward your office—” And the guy had really run. She’d thought he was running because he felt guilty over Bob Kyle. But the arrogance was back now. Probably because he thought that he’d just knocked them off-track with his cop’s alibi. “If you’d stayed, you would have known then.” He didn’t get to play the tough guy just because he had an audience.
She left him sputtering and headed for the door with Luke right at her side.
Her hand touched the metal handle, and she froze. Monica glanced back at the captain. Priorities. The guy needed them. “There’s something else you should know.”
He’d started to turn away but froze at her words.
“Bob Kyle did have family in the area. Cousins. An aunt. They’ll be coming for the body.” Her eyes held his. “And, by the way, they’ll be needing an apology, from you.”
She shoved open the door. The sun hit her, too bright, and Monica realized she’d been in the PD far too long. I lost the whole night.
No wonder her knees were trembling. When was the last time she’d eaten?
“Agent Davenport!”
Great.
“You can ignore him,” Luke said. “The car’s right there.”
Ah, but that wasn’t her style. She stopped and spun slowly back toward the PD and saw Malone running toward her.
Her spine stiffened. If he wanted to push her, he’d be drawing that hand back with some frostbite.
He’d deserved his interrogation. So his pride was hurt. Big damn deal. Pride could recover. And if it hadn’t been for his interrogation, well, the pieces might not have clicked for her.
“You know who it is, don’t you?” Malone said, stopping close and squinting against the sun.
She gazed back at him.
“I saw your face, when you were questioning me—something—something happened.” His eyes scanned her face now. “You know who it is.”
If only.
“I want in on this. I’m cleared, and I want back in on this. These are my people, my city. I sat there for hours and let you go at me. Shit, I deserve to be back on this team. I—”
He did. “You didn’t break.”
Malone blinked.
All those hours and he hadn’t let the anger take over. Hadn’t lost control. Impressive.
Or dangerous. She wasn’t sure which. Not yet.
“Get some sleep.” Ramirez was right. If they didn’t get rest, they’d all be screwed. “Then come back. We’ll put you on the task force.”
“You know.”
Not yet, but—God willing—soon. “When you come back, we’ll have a list of suspects ready.” They’d need help narrowing down that list, and she’d see what Malone could do.
Because she knew that list would include the names of his friends. Malone was tight with the firefighters in the area, and, most likely, with the killer.
Lora glanced at the bedside clock. Oh, hell. “Is that really the time?” Two-thirteen P.M. She’d slept most of the day away. “I’ve got to get dressed. Garrison will be here at three.” She jumped from the bed and let the sheet drop. “We’re going to the hospital to check on Wade—”
“You’re trying to act like it never happened.” His voice stopped her. “It happened, Lora. I’m not gonna play nice and act like I never told you—”
Her breath caught. “Kent…”
“That I love you.”
Her knees did a fast tremble.
Kenton rolled from the bed and pushed to his feet. Then he stalked toward her. Naked, tall, strong. “Maybe you don’t want to hear it, but too damn bad.”
Lora wanted to retreat, but she didn’t move. Not an inch.
He brushed against her. “I didn’t plan this. I planned for sex. Hot. Wild. And so good we’d both go crazy. Because I knew it would be like that the first time I kissed you.”
She turned fully toward him and didn’t know what to say. But, yeah, she’d planned for that. She’d wanted that hard rush of release that she knew would banish her ghosts and the pleasure that would force her out of the past and show her the present.
“One time. Just once and I was hooked.”
Wait, was that good? Or bad? Sounded bad.
But she understood the feeling. She’d been the same way. Hooked. On his touch. His kiss.
“Then I started to fall for you,” he said. “Or, hell, maybe I started that first night.” His lips curved, again, and her gut tightened at the sight of his dimples. “That first night—when you knocked me on my ass.”
“Y-you wouldn’t get out.” Her voice softened a bit. “I didn’t want to—”
“Doesn’t really matter when, though.” His eyes narrowed at the cor
ners. “Just know that now, when I breathe, I taste you.”
She gulped.
“When I wake up, the first thought I have is of you.”
Even when he wasn’t in her bed, he was her first thought, too.
“I’m not the jealous type, Lora.” A shake of his head. “But I almost punched that cop because he’d had you.”
Ah, Pete? He was talking about Pete now?
“I don’t want to think of you with anyone else, before or after me. Sure as hell not after, because I don’t want us to end when this case is over.”
Neither did she. Her feelings—yeah, they scared her. Because when you cared so much, you opened yourself up to a world of hurt. She didn’t want to hurt again.
No, she hadn’t planned for him.
Wild sex was what she’d wanted.
But she’d found much more.
Enough to risk her heart again? “Kent…”
He kissed her. He brushed his mouth over hers. Not in a hard, demanding kiss. Instead…
Caressing.
He lifted his head while she still wanted his mouth. “We’ll finish this case. You’ll get your justice for Carter.”
But it wasn’t just about that anymore. So many others—
“But I want you. I want you to give us time to see where the hell this is going because, sweetheart, I’ve never felt this way about a woman before, and I damn well don’t want to lose you.”
Her breath came too fast. He was offering her a chance at love again. Kent. A smart woman would grab hold with both hands.
Her hands locked around him. “You’re not losing me.” Being afraid of taking a chance—that wasn’t her either.
She hadn’t been afraid of life or of loving until Carter. Until she’d lost him.
Then she’d tried to lock herself away.
That plan hadn’t worked. Kenton had broken right through those locks.
Too soon? Too fast? Maybe. But screw it. Life was fast, and if she’d learned anything, it was that life could be over far, far too soon.
Take a chance. She nodded. For him, she’d take it.
She’d take the thrill and the fire and the passion. She’d take everything, and in the end, if ashes came, she wouldn’t regret being with him.
Not for a moment.
A knock rapped at the door. She wanted to ignore it and just stay right there in his arms.