Framing Felipe (9 page)

thing
Doc’s
clinic
was
in
an
office
park
and
not
a
hospital.
The
flashbacks
were
a
beast.

FRAMING FELIPE
–
32
–
Holley Trent

Felipe
sank
onto
the
cushion
next
to
her
and
uncapped
his
bottle.

She
allowed
herself
a
moment
of
distraction,
watching
the
bobbing
of
his
Adam’s
apple

as
he
swallowed
sip
after
sip
of
water.
Her
eyes
tracked
upward
to
his
chin,
now
shadowed

with
a
bit
of
dark
blond
stubble,
and
then
the
pink
of
his
moist
lips.

She
must
have
stared
too
long,
because
he
leaned
in
close
and
grazed
those
enviable

lips
across
hers
once
more.
She
sat
stunned,
inhaling
the
spiciness
of
his
natural
scent,

feeling
sleeping
things
in
her
body
awaken
and
unfurl.
His
mouth
tracked
lower,
finding
the

edge
of
her
jaw
and
then
his
warm
tongue
lashed
against
the
sensitive
flesh
on
the

underside
of
her
neck.

She
giggled
and
leaned
back.
“Quit
it
.
”

His
chuckle
was
throaty
and
mischievous
as
he
leaned
his
left
elbow
against
the
sofa

top
and
stared
down
at
her.
“You
say
stop,
but
the
way
your
breath
sounds
is
more
like
not

now
.”
His
grin
was
downright
predatory,
and
she
found
herself
leaning
into
it.
Eager
to

touch
it.

The
hell
is
wrong
with
me?
She
scooted
away,
mumbling
about
presumptuous
jerks
and

opened
the
laptop
lid
to
send
Dana
one
last
message.

Tell
me
where
to
poke
and
I’ll
get
you
some
information
if
you
want.
I
left
something

on
the
backburner
in
Carrboro,
so
I’ll
be
heading
out
soon.

That
was
code.
Whenever
a
Shrew
mentioned
Carrboro—where
none
of
them
actually

lived—it
meant,
“Gotta
move.
I’ll
check
in
later.”
The
case
was
getting
more
and
more

complicated
with
each
passing
minute,
and
with
the
Shrews
scattered
all
over
the
county

on
were-‐cat
business,
they
didn’t
have
their
usual
safety
in
numbers.
Time
to
go
code

orange.
Dana
would
know
Sarah
had
a
plan…or
at
least
an
end
goal.

Sarah
closed
out
the
computer
programs
and
shut
the
lid
of
the
laptop.

Felipe
brought
the
water
bottle
back
to
his
lips
and
eyed
her
with
a
lascivious
glint.

“You’re
thinking
about
sex,”
she
intuited,
rolling
her
eyes.
“At
a
time
like
this.”

“It’d
be
wonderful.”

“You
sure
about
that?”

“I
think
you
underestimate
my
creativity.
Have
you
forgotten
already
I
grew
up
in
the

circus?
My
imagination
puts
you
in
some
very
delicious
situations.”
His
eyes
never
left
hers

FRAMING FELIPE
–
33
–
Holley Trent

as
he
set
the
bottle
on
the
coffee
table.
His
tongue
smoothed
over
his
bottom
lip.
She
was

pretty
sure
it
wasn’t
an
idle
tic.
He
was
trying
to
entice
her,
and
given
the
way
her
heart

pounded
and
belly
burned
at
his
seductive
maneuvers,
it
was
working.

He
leaned
in
close,
slowly,
and
put
his
lips
against
her
ear.
His
right
arm
snaked
around

her
front
and
drew
her
close—pressing
her
side
against
his
hard
chest.
“You
want
to

experience
flying
without
a
net
below?”

“Shit.”
She
swallowed,
fairly
certain
she
was
translating
his
Spanish
adequately.
He

wanted
to
bone,
and
it
kinda
sounded
fun.

“Perhaps
I’ll
bind
your
wrists
and
let
you
hang
nude,
waiting
for
me
to
act
out
my

whims.
Touch
you
everywhere.
Leave
you
breathless.”

“Never,”
she
said
in
a
low
voice,
though
that
was
just
automatic.
It
was
what
she
was

programmed
to
say
to
strange
men,
but
really?
She
didn’t
mind
the
idea
of
someone
else

taking
control
for
once,
assuming
that
person
had
the
skills
to
pleasure
her
without

instruction.
He
had
to
have
the
expertise
to
go
along
with
that
swagger.
Sexy
as
they
were,

words
meant
nothing.

He
dragged
the
tip
of
his
tongue
up
her
lobe
and
nipped
at
the
top.

A
sharp
exhalation
of
air
left
her
lungs
and
her
eyes
widened
even
as
she
tried
to
pry

her
body
away
from
him.

His
grip
on
her
waist
tightened,
and
the
calloused
palm
of
his
other
hand
eased
inside

the
back
of
her
shirt,
abrading
the
skin
there
and
sending
delightful
jolts
down
her
spine.

“Yes,
I
think
so,”
he
whispered.
“You’ll
do
what
I
want
and
like
it.”

She
ran
her
tongue
over
dry
lips
and
blinked
several
times,
vision
hazing
from

incredulity
or…what?
She
didn’t
know.
“What
if
I
don’t?”

“I
think
I’ll
figure
out
what
you
like.”
His
hand
eased
slowly
around
her
ribcage,
up
to

the
band
of
her
bra.
“And
then
I’ll
make
you
like
what
I
like.”

She
drew
in
a
breath,
steadying
herself,
and
thinking,
He
wouldn’t
,
though
she’d
dare

not
move.

And
he
did.
His
large
hand
closed
over
her
left
breast,
and
his
thumb’s
pad
made
a

circuitous
path
over
the
fabric
covering
her
areola.

Presumptuous
bastard.

FRAMING FELIPE
–
34
–
Holley Trent

But
she
didn’t
pull
away.
She
wanted
to
see
just
how
far
he’d
go—just
how
brazen
he

was.
And
how
dare
he
be
so
forward
and
yet
so
calm
while
she
was
burning
up
inside?
She

could
feel
his
heart
beating
against
her
right
shoulder,
and
its
drumming
was
steady
and

even.
He
could
have
been
at
the
symphony,
for
how
slow
it
was.

“Why
hasn’t
anyone
claimed
you?”
He
peeled
back
the
edge
of
her
bra
and
freed
her

breast,
cupping
it,
fondling
it.
Now
his
breathing
sped,
too.
It
was
just
a
bit,
and
if
Sarah

hadn’t
been
paying
attention
she
would
never
have
heard
it.

“I’m
not
a
thing,”
she
said,
tipping
her
chin
toward
the
ceiling
to
allow
his
lips
access
to

the
throbbing,
hot
pulse
point
of
her
neck.
“No
one
can
claim
me.”

“
Te
llevaré
.”

“I
don’t
think
so.
I
can
take
care
of
myself.”

“I
don’t
think
so.
I
think
you’re
missing
certain…”

And
up
she
went.
His
free
hand
burrowed
under
her
rear
and
in
a
jerk,
she
was
on
his

lap
feeling
the
dull
stab
of
his
erection.

“…
equipment
,”
he
finished.

Damn.

Just
her
luck,
right?
She’d
thought
it
was
a
goddamned
riot
when
Dana
hooked
up
with

Patrick
in
the
middle
of
a
case.
Sarah
thought
she’d
never
be
susceptible
to
such
a
thing.
She

was
too
independent
and
too
aggressive.
If
she
wanted
a
man,
she
could
have
had
one.
That

had
never
taken
her
much
effort.
Where
the
real
effort
came
into
play
was
what
happened

after
that
first
roll
in
the
hay.
They
always
clung.
No
matter
how
tough
they
made

themselves
out
to
be,
she
seemed
to
have
a
knack
for
picking
the
needy
ones—the
ones

who
wanted
constant
coddling
and
reassurance.
The
ones
who
wouldn’t
go
away.

She
didn’t
understand
Felipe.
Didn’t
know
anything
about
him,
really,
but
at
that

moment
wouldn’t
mind
so
much
watching
him
strip
those
clothes
off.
Wouldn’t
mind

seeing
if
he
had
what
it
took
to
take
control.
And
if
he
did,
then
what?

That
was
the
scary
part.

Somehow,
she
found
her
breath
and
pressed
her
hands
against
his
chest.
She
gave
him

an
ineffectual
push
backward.
“Let
go
of
me,”
she
whispered.

Maybe
it
was
the
tone
of
her
voice,
but
he
didn’t
resist.
The
hand
that
massaged
her

breast
retreated
from
her
shirt
and
the
other—the
one
gripping
her
waist—fell
away.

FRAMING FELIPE
–
35
–
Holley Trent

She
stood,
blowing
out
a
breath
while
assessing
his
too-‐calm
expression.
He

understood
limits.
Good.
After
six
weeks
undercover
at
that
strip
club,
she
was
especially

guarded
of
her
personal
space.
All
the
groping
and
unprovoked
fondling
angered
her
at

first,
but
then
she
learned
to
compartmentalize—to
push
the
sensations
to
the
back
of
her

mind.
To
make
them
nothing.

She
didn’t
like
that
this
man
she
didn’t
know
had
broken
down
that
wall
of
hers
so

quickly.
She
felt
.
Oh
boy
did
she
feel.
She
wasn’t
sure
she
wanted
to.

He
reached
for
his
water,
his
gaze
still
locked
on
hers
as
he
unscrewed
the
cap.

“Looking
at
you
makes
me
want
to
have
a
home,”
he
said.

“What
do
you
mean?”

He
raised
one
dark
blond
eyebrow
as
he
drank,
his
expression
rife
with
Do
I
really
need

to
spell
it
out?

“Well?”
she
pushed.

The
bottle
now
empty,
he
set
it
down
and
eased
those
fabulous
lips
into
a
smirk.
“I

think
you
need
someone
to
go
home
to
every
night
who’ll
take
away
all
the
reins
you’re

holding.
Give
you
fewer
choices
to
make.”

“Sounds
a
lot
like
chauvinist
bullshit
to
me.”

He
chuckled
and
stood,
reaching
his
arms
overhead
and
stretching
his
back.
His
shirt

rode
up
to
display
his
rock-‐hard
belly,
so
smooth
and
hairless,
and
seemingly
on
its
own

volition,
her
hand
reached
out
and
pulled
back
his
waistband.

She’d
intended
to
just
steal
a
quick
peek
to
confirm
how
far
down
that
hairlessness

went,
but
one
glimpse
turned
into
a
long
stare.

“Oh
my…”

It
was
like
she
was
frozen.
Couldn’t
move.
Couldn’t
stop
looking.