Bare It All (26 page)

Her wary stare annoyed him. “Relax, will you? I’m not going to
drown you.” Yet. But after that debacle of a phone call, he was in a killing
mood.

Unfortunately, in order to keep that pain-in-his-ass Alice from
slipping through his fingers, he needed Cheryl alive. “I thought she would care
about you.”

“She—she does. She will. Let m-me call her back. I’ll convince
her, I sw-swear.”

Studying her, Hickson rubbed his chin. “You’re sure you don’t
know her last name?”

Cheryl shook her head hard.

Hmm... “Maybe she needs to hear you suffering to make her
realize the enormity of the situation.” He strode to her, kneeling down and
grabbing her hair when she tried to scamper away. “Maybe she needs you doing a
little wailing to know that your life is on the line here.”

Cheryl did indeed wail, so loud and pathetic that he wanted to
strike her. Instead, he tightened his hand in her hair, pulled her head back.
“Just like that, Cheryl. You need to be that authentic when you call tomorrow.
Do you understand me?”

“Y-yes!”

He looked into her eyes, saw the stark terror there, and knew
she would do as told. Releasing her with a shove, Hickson gained his feet again.
He needed a foolproof plan, one that would ensure Alice showed up alone, without
the law, without enforcements.

Vulnerable.

Easy prey.

“Here’s what we’ll do.” Pacing in front of Cheryl, he detailed
every step, and he felt confident that in the end, he’d get what he needed.

He’d get Alice. His life depended on it.

* * *

R
EESE
GOT
HOME
sooner
than Alice expected. She’d just stepped out of the shower when she heard Cash
bark.

Not that long ago, alarm would have overtaken her if someone
had entered her apartment. Even if someone had knocked on her door.

But she’d learned to recognize Cash’s different barks. She knew
when he was afraid, protective, suspicious, and—like now—welcoming. She made the
easy and comfortable assumption that Reese was back.

Wrapping a towel around herself, Alice came out of the
bathroom. She smiled to see Reese on one knee, holding Cash by the face and
talking softly to him while Cash’s tail thumped hard in joy.

When Reese kissed the dog on top of his head, her heart
expanded, getting so full that it threatened to break. To fight off the excess
of sentiment, she strode closer to man and dog.

Her
man and dog—whether they quite
realized it yet or not.

“Rowdy is okay?”

“Up to his ears in female adoration, but otherwise fine.” Reese
stood, looked her over, and a familiar heat burned in his beautiful green eyes.
“How are you?”

“I’m all right.” She unpinned her hair and let it drop down to
her shoulders. “Worried, of course. I mean, I keep thinking about what Cheryl is
probably going through right now. How scared she must be.”

Instead of coming to her, Reese shoved his hands into his
pockets and continued his perusal of her person. “Until she calls back, there’s
really nothing we can do.”

“But I assume you have a plan.” Blind faith had never been her
forte—not until Reese. She needed to know that he had things in hand, that
somehow he’d make it all okay. “You do, don’t you?”

“Working on it.” He tilted his head and studied her body. “How
is it that every time I look at you, you get hotter?”

Alice felt a blush rising. “You’re...” Well, she couldn’t say
smitten. In lust? Maybe. She settled on, “A charmer.”

Cash looked between them, then trotted to the kitchen, hopeful
for a treat.

Reese’s slow smile made her toes curl. “Cash assumes we’ll be
having sex.”

Because usually they were. But...maybe not this time.

Despite the warm way Reese looked at her, Alice could tell that
he had more than sex on his mind.

“You’re going back out, aren’t you?”

His gaze cut to her face, and a cynical smile twisted his
mouth. “So astute.”

That sounded almost like an insult.

Or a complaint.

Alice held the towel a little tighter. “Obviously you have
other plans or...”
You’d have already been on
me.

No, that was another thing she couldn’t quite say.

She lifted her chin. “Or you wouldn’t be waffling around,
acting out of character.”

“Waffling?” Taking his hands from his pockets, Reese closed the
space between them, lifted her chin with the edge of his fist, searched her
face. “It’s almost scary how you do that. How you so easily read me.”

Ironic, because if she could read him better, she’d already
know if he loved her. “You’re in cop mode,” she explained. “Anyone can see
that.”

If anything, that made him look more forbidding.

“I understand,” Alice rushed to reassure him. “With Cheryl’s
call and then Rowdy needing you... What was that about, by the way?”

Instead of answering, his thumb caressed her chin, and he bent
to take her mouth, startling her since he hadn’t looked in a kissing mood.

Despite everything going on, all the threats and her worry, she
couldn’t remain immune to his mouth on hers. She groaned a little, reached for
him...

But he ended the contact as abruptly as he’d introduced it.

Alice whispered, “Reese?”

He headed to the kitchen to give Cash a treat.

“Only half,” he told the dog. “I don’t want you getting
spoiled.”

Cash took the treat and went to his favorite spot in front of
the balcony doors. Reese stayed in the kitchen, just looking out the window,
silent and somehow distant.

Alice didn’t know what to do. “How much time do you have before
you have to go back out?”

Bracing his hands on the kitchen sink counter, he dropped his
head forward. Alice took two deep breaths—and removed her towel.

Though he had his back to her, he seemed to sense the moment
she was naked because his head slewed around and his interest burned all over
her.

On the pretense of drying her shoulders, Alice avoided his
gaze. “It’s okay to tell me, you know. I won’t kick up a fuss. I can tell it’ll
be something dangerous, and of course I’ll be anxious. But I’m not the type
to—”

She squeaked when Reese suddenly scooped her over his
shoulder.

“Reese!” The towel slipped from her grip to land on the
hardwood floor.

His hand covered her backside, holding her still as he strode
toward the bedroom. He told Cash, “Stay,” as he passed him.

So Cash was right? They
would
have
sex?

Smart dog.

In her ignominious position, Alice could do no more than hang
on and wonder what had gotten into Reese. One minute he’d been distant, then
austere, then all over her.

She felt his hand moving, sliding down to her inner thigh,
tucking in between for a fleeting touch.

“Reese!” she said again, but she didn’t really struggle. What
would be the point?

“Hush.” He stepped into her room and kicked the door shut
behind him.

“But...what are you doing?”

His hold was rougher than usual, and she could feel him shaking
when he said, “I need you.”

“Oh.” Well, of course that was okay. Hanging over his shoulder,
Alice said, “I need you, too.”

He gave a dark laugh. “Always so agreeable, Alice.” He dumped
her sideways onto the bed and stood back to look at her.

She came up on one elbow but didn’t bother to close her
legs.

Peeling his shirt off over his head, Reese stared at her
breasts, then down to her sex.

Alice licked dry lips. “Are we doing something different?”

“I’m going to get my fill of you.”

Her heart skipped a beat and she went still. She didn’t like
the sound of that.
Oh, God, please don’t let him mean that
the way it sounds.

But she had to know. So, she drew in a breath, shored up her
courage and whispered, “Do you mean...for forever?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

A
LICE
FELT
ONLY
nominal relief when Reese gave another humorless laugh, accompanied by
a shake of his head. “I doubt that’s even possible.”

Well...good.

“No, I meant for the night.”

The reprieve left her limp until his words sank in—then her
heart started tap-dancing again. “Oh.”

He opened his slacks and pulled down the zipper. “I’ll have to
be gone for a while, and I’m going to need to focus.” His gaze clashed with
hers. “By the way, Logan and Pepper will be here with you.”

“I don’t need babysitters.”

“
I
need you to have company.” He
shucked off his pants. “I don’t want to worry about you while I’m gone, but I
will if you’re here alone.”

Mmm. The sight of his body always inspired her, and her fingers
curled into the bedcovers. “I’ve been by myself for a long time now, Reese. You
know I’m capable of taking care of—”

“Me.” Naked, he stepped up to the bed and caught her knees,
then opened her legs more. “You can take care of me.”

The way he displayed her made her voice die in her throat.

His fingers kneaded her knees while he studied every inch of
her. “I feel almost savage.
You
make me feel
savage.”

Meaning
what?
Alice didn’t
understand this new mood of his. She’d seen many facets to his personality, but
none this urgent, this dark. “I don’t mean to.”

“Doesn’t seem to matter if you do it on purpose or not.” He
pushed her knees up—and wider apart.

Bracing herself, Alice did her best not to shy away. “Reese,
tell me, did something happen?”

“You happened.” He slid his hands down to her hips, then drew
her to the edge of the mattress.

Her legs dangled over the side, and she floundered, grabbing on
to the covers. “Reese...”

“You keep saying my name.” He went down to his knees.

Between her legs.

“I like it.” Lifting her legs over his shoulders and cupping
her bottom in his big hands, he said, “You are so fucking beautiful.”

Good grief, he was staring at her
there.
It was intimidating but also exciting. Alice dropped her head
back and studied the ceiling. “Is this because of what I did to you
yesterday?”

“It’s because I want you. All the time, it seems.” He brushed
his lips along her inner thigh, his cool hair tickling her skin, his hot breath
making her shiver. “Other women hit on me, and I don’t care because you’re
always in my head.”

Whoa, wait. “What?” She tried to lever up. “Other women hit on
you? When?”

Nuzzling against her, Reese gave a soft growl that almost
stopped her heart. “You smell incredible.”

A thundering heartbeat made her weak, so she lay back again—and
felt his mouth and his tongue on her thighs, along the delicate skin of her
groin, her belly.

“Oh, God.”

“Be still, honey.” Using just his fingertips, he teased over
her lips, opening her, dipping in the tiniest bit, back out, in again. “You’re
already wet.”

Alice squeezed her eyes shut.

He slicked two fingers into her, turning them a little,
withdrawing. “Nice and wet.”

That low, rasping voice washed over her, assuring her that he
enjoyed this, enjoyed holding her this way. It was both embarrassing and
exciting.

She waited, her breath held, her body tense in anticipation—and
his soft, hot tongue licked over her.

In her.

Sank deep.

Sensation washed over her, arching her back and lifting her off
the mattress.

With a hand on her stomach Reese brought her flat again, all
without breaking the deep, intimate kiss. He locked his arms around hips,
keeping her still, keeping her close. After another long, soft lick, he moved up
to circle her clitoris with the tip of his tongue.

Alice moaned sharply, the pressure already building. He circled
once more, teased and tasted, and then closed his mouth around her, sucking
gently.

The exclamation of
“Oh, God, oh,
God”
dwindled to indecipherable groans as the climax uncoiled inside
her. Even against Reese’s powerful hold, her body bowed again. She couldn’t keep
from rolling up to the pleasure, moving against his mouth in a rhythm that
enhanced everything he did.

He was voracious, unrelenting, and oh, so incredibly patient,
almost as if he didn’t want to stop, as if he could have done this for
hours.

She was almost there, reaching for the release, when Reese
readjusted and put his fingers inside her again, filling her up, stretching her
a little.

That did it.

Crying out, she gave over to release and slowly sank back to
the bed.

She hadn’t yet gotten enough breath into her lungs when Reese
straightened, her ankles still up on his shoulders, and thrust into her.

It was so unexpected that she gasped...but her climax had left
her wet and soft, and with a low, vibrating groan he filled her up.

Locking his gaze with hers, Reese brought her legs to the crook
of his elbows and slowly lowered himself over her. Her legs ached from the
position, but she felt him so deeply, loved the raw pleasure on his face, and
already her sensitized nerve endings sparked again.

Opening his palms over her breasts, Reese rasped her nipples
while driving into her, and Alice exploded with another orgasm.

Reese waited until the last shuddering spasm had faded, then he
stilled. Eyes squeezed shut, he said, “I’m not wearing anything.”

All but insensate, Alice lifted a limp hand to his sweaty
shoulder. “I know.” Still tingling all over, she tried to shift beneath him.

He sucked in a breath. “Don’t.”

“I love your body, Reese.” She loved every single inch of
him.

“I don’t mean clothes.” His teeth locked and he panted. “I
skipped the rubber.”

Eyes widening, Alice stared up at him. That admission brought
her around some, although every muscle remained mostly unresponsive. Beyond
curious but not really alarmed, she put both hands on his face.

After Rowdy’s call, he hadn’t taken the time to shave, and she
loved the rough texture of his beard shadow, how aroused color slashed his high
cheekbones, the way he held himself in check—just barely. “Why?”

“Didn’t want to.” He kissed her, then kissed her some more,
slanting his head for the perfect fit before finally coming up for air. His big
body strained against hers. “I still don’t.”

That damned emotion gathered in her throat again, choking her,
making her eyes burn. She tried a smile that quivered too much, giving away her
heart. “Then, don’t.”

As if he’d just been waiting for permission, Reese stopped
holding back. Again he took her mouth, his kiss consuming as he pounded into
her, keeping her legs pressed back so that each and every stroke entered her so
deeply, she felt him against her womb.

When he suddenly threw back his head on a harsh groan, his big
body drawn taut, Alice watched him, enjoying every nuance on his face, glad that
she was the one here with him.

He dropped against her, his heartbeat shaking them both, heat
pouring off him in waves.

Usually she relished the closeness, but this time she protested
his weight with a small wiggle. “My legs are dead.”

With what seemed like a great effort, Reese struggled up and
helped to untangle her legs from his thick, muscular arms. He lowered them
carefully, massaging her left thigh for a moment. “Okay?”

“It was worth it,” she whispered.

Smiling, he separated from her and dropped down beside her
again, but he kept a hand on her belly, his fingers spread out to encompass her
from hip bone to hip bone. The seconds ticked by while they both held silent,
each concentrating on breathing.

Reese moved his fingers in a gentle stroke. “You are incredibly
delicious, Alice.”

She had no idea what to say about that.

Turning toward her, he rose up on one elbow. “I haven’t had sex
without a condom since I was an ignorant schoolboy.”

So that meant...something, right?

Far too serious, he smoothed her hair back, brushed her temple
with his thumb. His brows came together, and his voice went deeper. “Even now,
after just having you, I want you all over again.”

Oh, no way. “I’m not sure I could—”

He kissed her hard and quick. “It’s insane and unsettling, and
I’m not sure I like it. Other women flirt with me and it makes me want you.
Rowdy fills my ear with important info about the tattoo murders, and I want you.
Lieutenant Peterson agrees to go undercover, and even that, something I never
expected in a million years, gets overridden by thoughts of
you.
”

It finally occurred to Alice: Reese was telling her how he
felt.

Joy filled her, along with contentment and excitement, and she
smiled at him. “I’m glad you don’t want other women.”

This laugh sounded honest, more lighthearted and sincere. He
dropped flat again. “God Almighty, woman, you kill me.” He took her hand. “And,
no, I don’t want other women.”

“I don’t want any other men either.”
Ever,
she could have added, but didn’t want to push him when he was
already struggling to share with her.

“Great. Glad we got that settled.”

Alice wondered what exactly they had settled, but she only
smiled and let out a breath. “So, we’re exclusive.” For now. “That’s nice.”

He, too, seemed to relax more when she didn’t start digging for
more details about this new exclusivity. “I’m sorry, but I have to leave soon.”
He lifted her hand to his mouth, brushed her knuckles over his lips. “I’ll be
out late.”

Alice turned her head toward him. “Should I worry?”

“No, because it’s my job, and I’m good at my job.” Using her
hand, he tugged her atop him. “Even when a certain sexy lady keeps shattering my
thoughts and giving me mental fits.”

“Hmm.” Alice kissed his bottom lip, then his whiskery chin.
“So, did you get me out of your system?”

He shook his head. “No.” He brought her close for a deeper
taste, lingering, somehow almost...desperate. “But you did give me plenty of
incentive to get back home safely. In the meantime, let’s go get some breakfast,
and I’ll tell you what’s going on.”

* * *

R
EESE
RAN
A
hand over
his whiskered jaw. He still hadn’t shaved; being scruffy helped him to fit in.
Parked across from the cigarette store, he waited in one of Rowdy’s cars. The
Ford sedan ran well but looked like shit.

Probably because that’s how Rowdy wanted it.

With sunglasses in place, a ball cap on backward, a worn
T-shirt and his most comfortable jeans, Reese drank a Coke and tried to look
negligent. The hot afternoon sun baked the car. He was alert and ready but,
thanks to Alice, not so tense.

And hell, even now, while on surveillance, he thought of
her.

In his peripheral vision he saw Rowdy approach the tattoo
parlor on the pretext of perusing a few designs in the front window. Unlike
Reese, Rowdy looked the same as always—which meant he didn’t stand out the same
way a cop would.

It was an attitude thing, Reese decided. Rowdy was just as
watchful, but on him it looked street-smart, not authoritative. Huh. He could
probably learn a few things just by observing him.

Now, where was Peterson? He glanced at his watch. Rowdy could
only window shop so long before someone got suspicious.

Reese glanced in the rearview mirror and saw a woman stride
down the street. The color of that short hair looked right. The height and
weight, too, but...no way could that be Lieutenant Peterson in high heels, a
miniscule black shirt and a barely there white blouse unbuttoned so low he
thought he might see her navel if he looked close enough.

The Coke can nearly slipped out of his hand. He resisted the
urge to jerk around and stare, but heaven help her, Lieutenant Margaret Peterson
looked like walking, breathing, smiling sex.

Her dark sunglasses kept him from seeing her eyes, but who’d
notice her eyes anyway with her cleavage on display like that? Before this
moment, he hadn’t even thought about the fact that Peterson had breasts, much
less that she could make them look so round and full and...

He shuddered, unsure how he felt about noticing her now.

Rowdy gave her the attention expected for any attractive woman,
even going so far as to leer a little—real or fake? Hell, Reese didn’t know. But
when Peterson strolled inside Killer Designz, Rowdy followed hot on her heels,
his gaze zeroed in her rump in the tight skirt.

Reese broke out in a sweat, and he didn’t know if it was the
heat of the sweltering sun, the high stakes of the situation or seeing
Lieutenant Peterson as a sex kitten.

Oh, God. He shuddered again as he sank into his seat and tried
to obliterate the image from his mind.

The sun continued to beat down. Sweat gathered on the back of
his neck, between his shoulder blades, and at the small of his back where the
concealed harness held his Glock.

The other gun, strapped to his ankle, wasn’t as uncomfortable
in the heat.

Minutes felt like hours, and still nothing happened.

Until Reese saw two men pull up in a black SUV. A chill went up
his spine, and damn it, he didn’t like it. The men glanced around as if looking
for witnesses, but this wasn’t an area where concerned citizens kept watch. It
was more a “see no evil” type of habitat.

Reese used his sunglasses to hide his direct gaze, turning his
head down as if playing with his radio.

The two men had a similar look, one in expensive jeans, the
other in khaki slacks, both in black polo shirts with Bluetooth earpieces and
mirrored sunglasses. They looked like professional thugs, and unlike him, they
hadn’t even attempted to blend in.