Page 159 of Bloodlust
He swallowed hard. “Is that your way of saying I’m forgiven for tricking you?”
“Forgiven? Hmm,” she said a tad coyly, as though pondering it. “I’m still thinking that over.”
“Fair enough, but there’s more, and you charge by thequarter hour, so I need to get this out fast. In spite of my recent enlightenment, I may backslide now and then and need a refresher course from a reputable psychologist.”
She arched an eyebrow.
Hastily, he continued. “Not to be a patient. Per se. Because being a bona fide patient comes with strings attached that, frankly, stink. I’d just like to have, you know, someone I could be with, and… and look at… while we talk.”
Then they stood and stared at each other, until he said, “For god’s sake, Dylan, you’re killing me here.”
And she said, “Are you crying?”
“Yeah, I do that,” he said, blotting his eyes. “I told you.”
“So did John.”
“John told you I cried? That asshole!”
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“It’s not studly, either. I’m a badass cop, is what.” By now, she was laughing. He assumed a militant stance. “And, ma’am, I’m here to execute a search warrant.”
She stopped laughing, but there was mirth in her eyes. “For what?”
“Your body.”
“My body isn’t missing.”
He laughed. “Damn. That was a good comeback, and it completely threw off my timing. I had a good joke.”
“There’s nothing wrong with your timing.” She reached across the threshold for his hand and pulled him inside, then closed the door.
He didn’t wait another instant before enwrapping her and clamping his mouth to hers. Her response was as fervent. She pushed her fingers into his hair and held his head as they kissed with pent-up passion, now freed.
When they took a breath, she said, “The bedroom is upstairs.”
“Much too far.” He started undoing the buttons of her blouse. “Ma’am, every part of you is going to be thoroughly searched.” He peeled her blouse off, then pulled her to him and murmured into her ear, “Then frisked.”
Between kisses, they shed their clothes as they made their way to the living room sofa, which, of course, had too damn many pillows on it. Together they sent them sailing.
The room looked like a tornado had swept through it. Their lovemaking was even stormier. Each of them selfish, each of them giving. It was graceless but intensely gratifying. At the height of it, before he even had to ask her to fulfill a fantasy that he’d been entertaining ever since the first time he saw her, she wrapped her gorgeous legs around him.
After, they lay unmoving to savor the coupling that neither wanted to separate.
Eventually, Mitch raised his head and looked into her face. “I loved a woman. I loved her with all my heart. But I’ve fallen in love with another. Something I didn’t believe would ever be possible. Congratulations.”
“Congratulations?”
“You’re her. The lucky winner.”
She gave a soft laugh. “Don’t joke.”
He placed the tenderest of kisses on her lips. “Wasn’t joking.”
