Serena shook her head. “You’re the magnificent one. Kevin, you mean more to me than any man ever has. Can’t that be enough for now?”
“Serena, just holding you is enough for now.” He tilted her chin up so that she was looking directly into his eyes. “Don’t you think you’ve got enough going on right now? And don’t you think I know that? When this thing is over, when Damien LaFleur is back behind bars where he belongs, then we’ll talk. All right?”
“All right.”
Kevin cleared his throat. “There is something else I wanted to talk to you about that.”
She stared at him, mystified. “About what?”
“Jack Rawlins.”
She snorted before she could stop herself. “Are we back to that?”
The look he shot her was sizzling hot. “We never would have left it if you hadn’t distracted me.”
“Then I’m glad I distracted you.”
“So am I.” He laid a firm hand on her knee. “But seriously, Serena, there’s something about that guy I don’t like.”
“What’s not to like? He was more than helpful today, just like he’s always been.”
Kevin’s eyes narrowed, but Serena was too upset to notice. “What does that mean?”
“It means that he worked really hard to convince the DA not to offer Damien the deal ten and a half years ago, just like he went above and beyond trying to keep him in jail this time.”
Kevin’s eyes narrowed and she could almost see the wheels turning in his brain. “So you’ve known Jack a long time.”
“Yes. He’s always kept in touch, calling me every few months just to check on me. I’ve run into him numerous places through the years—”
“What do you mean you’ve run into him?” Kevin took his eyes off the road long enough to glance at her. She could tell he wasn’t happy, but at the moment she was more than annoyed enough not to care.
“Just that. At the dry cleaners or the movies. Stuff like that.”
“Baton Rouge isn’t huge, but it’s big enough that repeated meetings seems kind of odd, doesn’t it?”
“We live in the same neighborhood!” she answered, her voice rising in exasperation. “I don’t think it’s odd that we both eat at the same restaurants!”
Kevin let that pass, but still didn’t drop the subject. “Isn’t it strange that he’s kept in touch with you all these years? I didn’t realize DA’s did stuff like that.”
She shrugged. “Sandra’s was the first big case Jack ever worked—he was fresh out of law school. It made an impact on him.”
Kevin snorted. “I’m sure it did.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means he’s interested in you, Serena.”
“No, he’s not. We’re friends. Friendly acquaintances, really.”
He glanced at her again. “He wants to be more than that.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“Yeah, he does.” He held up a hand when she started to protest, “He’s never made any moves toward you? Never stood too close, never acted just a little too friendly?”
“No.” Kevin raised one mocking brow, but Serena shook her head emphatically. “He’s never done any of that. And even if he had, it wouldn’t have mattered. I was never interested in Jack that way. I couldn’t be, not with his connection to Sandra’s death.”
“Maybe he doesn’t know you feel that way.”
Her gasp of outrage echoed through the car. “Don’t you think you’re taking this jealousy thing way too far? You’re being ridiculous.”
“Am I?”
“Jack’s the only one from that whole time period that I trust. That’s all there is to it.”
Kevin pulled the car to the side of the road with a swift skill she might have admired at another time. “Maybe he doesn’t know you don’t return his feelings.”
Serena studied him, completely shocked by this new side of Kevin. “I never would have taken you for the jealous type.”
“Then you’re blinder than I thought.” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “But this has nothing to do with jealousy.”
“Then what—” She paused, her stomach twisting sickly as the truth sunk in. “You can’t possibly think Jack’s behind this!”
“I can’t?”
“No! Absolutely not.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’s not a psychopath, for one. And he’s always been incredibly kind to me—he would never go out of his way to hurt me like this.”
Kevin watched her with hot eyes, but his voice, when he spoke, was ice-cold. “All kinds of people develop obsessions, Serena. Even men like Jack.”
“You think I don’t know that? You think that I, of all people, don’t know the atrocities seemingly normal men can commit?”
“I didn’t say that.” Kevin’s voice held exasperation and something more dangerous. “I know you’ve been through a lot, cher, more than anyone should have to experience. But I think you’re wearing blinders when it comes to this guy.”
“You met him exactly once and you think you know him better than I do?”
“I think you don’t see him for what he is.”
“And you do? Jack was nothing but helpful today; he spent time I’m sure he couldn’t afford trying to help us. You’re letting some stupid jealousy get in the way of the truth.”
“It’s not jealousy,” he ground out, his teeth firmly clenched.
It was her turn to eye him disbelievingly. “Yeah, right. For a minute I thought you were going to grab me by the hair and drag me back to your cave to stake your claim.”
His growl was low, warning. “Don’t push me, Serena.”
Her look was incredulous. “Or what?”
He ignored the question, his hands tightening on her shoulders involuntarily. “I don’t want you seeing him again. Not alone.”
“I don’t take orders from any man, Kevin.” She shrugged his hands off, the molten chocolate of her eyes promising retribution. “Not even you. Especially not you.”
“He’s dangerous, Serena.”
“So are you, but you don’t see me running in the opposite direction, do you?” She eyed him with contempt. “Although maybe I should.”
“That’s it, I’ve had it,” he roared, pulling her into his arms and crushing her mouth with his own. It was a kiss meant to punish, to express his frustration. But the second his lips met hers, it softened into something so much more.
At first she fought him, but as his lips moved gently on hers, Serena yielded. He skimmed his tongue over the corners of her mouth, sipping from her, coaxing her to open to him. When she did, his tongue darted inside, exploring the tender recesses of her. Trying to connect with her. Trying to gain her trust when he knew she had so very little to give.
With a groan, he ended the kiss, but moved his hands to cup her face. “I’m worried about you, cher. I’m scared for you.”
She stared at him with wounded eyes. “I know you are. But ultimatums aren’t going to get you anywhere with me.”
“So what will?” His eyes shot blue thunderbolts at her, though his touch remained gentle.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t,” she reiterated at his disbelieving stare. “Asking maybe. Explaining why it’s so important to you.”
His eyes darkened threateningly. “I’m not real good at asking, bebe.”
“And I’m not real good at taking orders, bebe,” she mimicked. “So maybe we should just forget this whole thing!”
Kevin was shocked at the feeling of loss that went through him. “Do you mean that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.” She stared at him with hurt and angry eyes. “We’re not exactly bringing out the best in each other.”
Kevin tamped down on his own hurt, focused instead on the pain he saw in Serena’s eyes. “I’m sorry, cher. This whole thing has blindsided me. I just want to keep you safe.”
“That’s not your job.”
“Then whose job is it???
?
“Mine.”
He wanted to argue, wanted to tell her that her battles would always be his, but he knew it was too soon. He’d already told her that he loved her, had already pushed her as far as he could today.
Which meant that it was time to back off. Though it cost him, he shoved his suspicions regarding Jack Rawlins to the back burner. The last thing he wanted was to upset her any more than she already was. But, whether or not she wanted him to or not, he would mention a discreet word to the police and see what shook out. There was no way he was going to leave Serena vulnerable again, no way he’d give another psycho a chance to get his hands on her.
Probably nothing, he admitted ruefully. Maybe Serena was right—maybe he was letting jealousy focus his attention somewhere it didn’t belong. God knew, he hadn’t liked watching Rawlins touch her, had wanted to smash the guy’s face in within the first minute of watching him look at Serena.
Tamping down the worry—and the anger that it inspired—he said softly, “When this thing is over, when Damien LaFleur is back behind bars where he belongs, then we’ll talk. All right?”
“All right.” But the look she gave him was just a little bit sad as he settled her into the car. Because he could relate, he said nothing.
Chapter Fifteen
“Need someone to wash your back?”
Serena stifled an instinctive scream as Kevin slid into the shower behind her, his arms warm and strong as he pulled her back against his front. Damn—this whole thing had her jumping at shadows and she resented—bitterly—the fact that Damien could do this to her all over again. And with so little effort. It had taken her years to regain some semblance of normalcy and it galled her that it could so easily be taken away from her.
Kevin’s hand slid up her warm stomach to cup her breast, his long, artist’s fingers toying with her nipple until it stood straight up. “That’s not my back.” She struggled to make her voice sound normal, but must not have succeeded very well because Kevin’s hands froze in mid-stroke.
“You okay, cher? You’re heart’s beating a mile a minute.”
“I’m fine.” She turned her head to smile at him, enjoying the feel of him hot and hard against her back as the warm water of the shower sluiced over her breasts and stomach. “You just startled me.”
His hands slid up her arms to her shoulders, where they began a soothing massage. “Mon Dieu, I’m sorry. Sometimes I don’t think.” His voice was thick with self-disgust.
Suddenly she couldn’t stand it for one more second—couldn’t stand that he blamed himself over and over again for her shortcomings. She was the one who was a basket case. The one who couldn’t be a normal lover. The one who was a total and complete failure.
The pain and guilt of it overwhelmed her and she whirled in his arms, reaching up to pull his mouth forcefully down to hers. Their tongues met, tangled for long seconds and arousal whipped through her—more powerful for the instants of fear that preceded it.
But she could feel Kevin holding back, his sorrow nearly palpable in the close confines of the shower. Pulling out of his embrace, she cupped his beautiful face in her hands. “It’s not you.”
He shrugged off her words. “Of course it—”
“No, it’s not.” She went on tiptoes at the same time she pulled his face down so that she could look directly into his troubled midnight eyes. “None of this is your fault. You’ve been nothing but wonderful to me from the moment we met and I won’t let you take that away from me with your stupid, misplaced guilt.” She grinned, and if it didn’t go all the way to her eyes, then at least she’d made the attempt. “I’ve got more than enough neuroses for the both of us.”
He studied her as the water continued to slide over them. She wasn’t sure what he was searching for, but he must have found it, because he smiled and it lit him up from the inside out. “God forbid I should try to horn in on your neuroses,” he teased.
“Exactly.” She leaned forward and leisurely licked from his navel to his collarbone. His erection—already long and powerful—jumped against her leg so that she couldn’t resist repeating the motion.
He groaned even as his arms came around her. “Bebe, let me—”
“Oh no, not this time.” She slipped away, reached for the sandalwood shower gel on the shelf next to the shower head. “You’re always taking control, driving me insane.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” His eyes were nearly black as they watched her rub the gel between her hands.
“Of course not. But this time—” She slid one slippery hand down his chest, pausing to toy with first one nipple, than the other. “This time, I get to make you crazy.”
He thrust helplessly against her thigh, his cock so full and hard it nearly bruised her. “I’m already crazy.”
“Then you’ve got a problem.” She glanced at him from beneath her eyelashes. “Because I haven’t even gotten started yet.”
“If that’s true—” His breath hissed out as she lapped gently at first one nipple and then the other. “If that’s true,” he repeated, his voice much hoarser than usual, “Then I don’t think I’m going to make it out of this shower alive.”
Her smile was wicked. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?”
Dropping to her knees, she licked the water from the area right under his belly button. He tasted so good—so fresh and clean and wonderful. She loved kissing him, loved running her tongue over his body.
“Lower,” he groaned, hands tangling in her hair as she ran her tongue along the light dusting of hair that ran from his navel to the thatch of black pubic hair at the base of his cock. “Lower and harder.”
“You need to get some patience,” she murmured in between delicate licks. “I want to play a little first.”
She covered his abdomen with little nips, her tongue soothing the sting away almost before he could feel it. His hold on her hair was getting tighter and tighter, his muscles tenser than she’d ever felt them. For a brief moment she wondered if she should give in and take him in her mouth like they both wanted. Then she thought of all the pleasure he got from tormenting her and slowed her meandering pace to his cock even more. Let him suffer—he deserved it.
She was killing him, the hot silk of her mouth touching any and everywhere but the place he needed it most. His body arched toward her of its own accord, his cock begging for her lips, her tongue, her hot and hungry little mouth.
But Serena merely laughed and brushed a cool, soft cheek against the length of him before continuing on her journey down his body. She nibbled at his inner thighs, ran her lips and tongue over his balls, dug her fingers into his ass as she drew him closer and closer to her questing mouth.
His heart was pounding. His cock was throbbing. His lungs were bellowing in and out as he tried desperately to get enough air. His balls had pulled up so tightly that for a moment he thought he would explode, his cum shooting all over her before she’d so much as touched the tip of her tongue to his erection. The humiliation would—almost—be more than he could bear, but the relief, the sweet relief of it almost made it worthwhile.
He opened his mouth—to demand, to protest, to beg that she finish it—but before he could get a word out, she’d leaned forward and slipped his long erection between her breasts. Her elbows pressed tightly against her sides so that the warm, wet pressure of her breasts drove him so close to the brink that ecstasy turned the edges of his world black.
“Fuuuuuuck.” He couldn’t stop the word any more than he could stop his hands from clenching furiously in her hair as she began to lift and lower her upper body in a rhythm guaranteed to make him even crazier. “Cher, bebe, mon coeur—” The words poured out of him with no premeditation—she’d taken him so close to insanity that no part of his body was within his control. His brain, his mouth, his unruly cock—she’d taken them all over. In return, she gave him the most incredible pleasure of his life.
Electricity coursed down his spine, lighting him up as the soft
ness of her breasts continued to envelop him. And when she lowered her mouth and took the head of his cock in her mouth, he couldn’t stop the hoarse shout that echoed through the bathroom and beyond.
He arched into the warm wetness of her mouth, helpless to do anything else. Nothing had ever felt this good. Nothing would ever feel this good again. He thrust furiously against her, driving his cock deeper and deeper into her mouth. He struggled for control, fought to keep from thrusting his cock all the way down her throat—but as her throat closed tightly around him for the first time, it was impossible. With a shout, he slipped the reins of his control and let himself go. He strained against her, trying to get closer, dying for her to take every part of him inside this most vulnerable part of her.
Again and again he thrust, his cum boiling up hot and uncontrollable. His fists clenched in her hair spasmodically and for a minute he feared hurting her. But then she moaned deep in her throat, let her tongue tickle the sensitive spot at the base of his head. The world went black and he came apart in her arms.
His orgasm was a violent explosion—it took over his senses, his body, his brain—until the world no longer existed. Until nothing existed but him and her and the incredible fire that burned between them.
The ecstasy consumed him, took him under, enveloped him until he was shuddering over and over again, his hands twisting in her hair as he anchored her wild, wet mouth to him. And still she took him, swallowed his cum, continued to suck him until he was longer and harder than before.
“Enough!” His voice was low, guttural—but it was the best he could do as need rode him hard. He tugged on her hair until she reluctantly released him with a last, lazy curl of her tongue. His eyes nearly crossed as he yanked her to her feet, and with one, smooth motion he turned her until her breasts and stomach and pubic hair were pressed against the glass walls of the shower.
His fingers settled on her outer thighs—wrenched them apart—and then he was thrusting himself balls-deep inside of her. Her body was slick and welcoming and so fucking hot he nearly came with his first thrust. And then she screamed, bucking wildly against him as her muscles clenched around his shaft. He gritted his teeth against the urgent need to orgasm—he wanted to hear her scream again and again. Needed to hear her call his name with a desperation that would have bothered him if he wasn’t so far gone.