Full Exposure: A Loveswept Contemporary Erotic Romance (25 page)

“You didn’t want to—” She gestured to the couch. “You’re mad about me not calling you and I know I’ve been a lot of trouble lately but—”

His mouth swooped down and took hers violently, the tenderness from earlier nowhere to be seen. His lips devoured hers, his tongue thrusting into her mouth, claiming her, branding her with every stroke.

When he finally broke the kiss, her lips were bruised and swollen and her panties were soaked through. “You aren’t any trouble. And even if you were, I’d still want to be with you.
Vous me rendez fou!
You make me crazy,
cher
. You turn me inside out. When are you going to figure that out?”

Serena stared into his midnight-blue eyes, saw the anger and possessiveness burning there. His feelings were so intense she wanted to look away, but she forced herself to maintain eye contact. As she looked deeper, she saw past the rage to the caring and concern, saw past the fear to the agony of love reflected there.

His hands were still wrapped around her upper arms, his fingers gripping her hard enough to leave bruises, but he seemed oblivious to his actions. She reached up, cupped his face. “Then what were you thinking about? What are you having such a hard time saying?”

His hands dropped away and he looked instantly uncomfortable. “I almost didn’t say anything, because I could be wrong. But I’ve been thinking things over since I got Steve’s call.” He took a deep breath and finally blurted, “What if it’s all connected?”

She looked blank. “What if what’s all connected?”

“The SUV in San Diego, your car here. These crank calls. What if it’s all the same guy?”

“But who?” She was bewildered, even as her heart rate increased. “We already talked about the fact that you’re the first serious relationship I’ve had in a long time.” She paused, backtracked. “Not that we’re—”

“Damn right we’re serious,” he snarled, his expression daring her to contradict him. “But, as you said earlier, I think we can safely rule me out. However, and I’m really sorry to bring this up if I’m wrong, but haven’t all these things happened after Damien got out of jail? After you testified at his parole hearing?”

Serena paled alarmingly, her skin turning clammy beneath his hands. She struggled for breath, tried to maintain perspective as nausea threatened to overwhelm her. “That doesn’t make sense. Why would he risk his parole on something this stupid? Someone could have easily seen him in front of my house, could have called the police and he’d end up back in prison for another five years.” She shook her head, her tone decisive. “He’s too smart. He wouldn’t risk it.”

“He may be smart, but he’s also obsessed. And more than a little crazy or he wouldn’t have been able to … do what he did.”

She thought over what Kevin said, hating the cold logic behind his words. “But the calls started in late June, months before he even got out of jail.”

Kevin shrugged. “He wasn’t in maximum security lockdown, right? That means he had access to a phone.” His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “In fact, it should be easy enough for the police to check out the records from the prison, see if there were any calls from the pay phones inside to your home or cell numbers.”

“But why? We had almost nothing to do with each other when Sandra was alive. She knew I didn’t like him, so after the first couple of months she kept us apart.”

“You were the key witness for the defense, right? Wasn’t it your testimony that forced him into cutting a deal?” At her nod, he continued, “Revenge is a hell of a motivator.”

“Ten years later?”

“What’s that old expression? ‘A dish best served cold?’ ”

Her lungs wouldn’t work. She tried to breathe, tried to force air into her starved lungs, but nothing was happening. It was as if Kevin’s words had broken her, tearing her apart until nothing worked as it should.

Things started to go black and she felt herself sway. Then Kevin was shoving her head between her legs, calling her name as he pounded repeatedly on her back.

The blackness beckoned, so once again she focused on her breathing, concentrating on drawing noisy breaths into her oxygen-deprived lungs. The sounds she made weren’t pretty as she tried to force her shock-frozen lungs to accept air, but finally, finally, the darkness began to recede.

When she felt well enough to sit up, she did so only to find Kevin staring at her with horror-glazed eyes. “
Mon Dieu, bebe
. You sure know how to take the years off a man’s life.”

She smiled weakly. “I can’t—”

“I know,
cher
. I know.” She let him cuddle her, let the steady beat of his heart lull her into a sleepy daze where she didn’t have to think about her sister or Damien or the blood that had covered her long after the nurses had sponged her off.

Kevin held her for a long time, murmuring softly to her in French. When he finally spoke in English, it was to say, “We need to call the police. Tell them what we think.”

“Not yet.”

“Serena—”

“I know, I know. We will. But not right now, Kevin. Not quite yet. Just give me a few more minutes before I open that door again. Just a few more minutes.”

He continued to rub her back. “All right,
bebe
. But just a few more.”

“Serena? What are you doing here?”

She turned at the familiar voice, and watched in surprise as Assistant District Attorney Jack Rawlins strode across the battered police station toward her.

He crouched down next to her. “Is everything all right? Did something happen?” Jack rested his hand over her clasped ones. “Can I help?”

She felt Kevin stiffen behind her at Jack’s familiarity, heard the low rumble in his chest before he could stop it. She leaned back against him reassuringly. “I’m fine, Jack. Just dealing with an unfortunate incident that happened yesterday.”

Kevin snorted at her “unfortunate incident” comment before saying, “Her car was vandalized.”

“You’re kidding! Like you need more crap, right? Do they know who did it?”

“We’ve got a good idea.” Once again, it was Kevin who answered.

Jack turned to Kevin, eyebrows raised. “Who exactly are you?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Kevin, this is Jack Rawlins, the ADA who worked extremely hard to keep Damien in jail. Jack, this is Kevin Riley. He’s my …” Her voice trailed off as she tried to figure out what to say. Boyfriend seemed far too insipid for what they shared.

“Lover.” Kevin supplied as he extended his hand. “I’m Serena’s lover. It’s good to meet you, Jack.”

“Kevin!” Serena flushed bright red as she twisted in her seat to glare at him. His face was bland as he met her look with a smile.

He shot her an innocent look. “Well, I am,
cher
. Aren’t I?”

She was too mortified to answer so she simply glared at him. He winked, then turned back to Jack. “Maybe you can help us,” he commented.

“Maybe I can.” Jack pulled up an available chair and sat with them as they waited for the detective in charge of Serena’s case to return. “Now why don’t you two tell me exactly what’s going on?”

Kevin nodded, almost liking the quiet ADA, despite his overly friendly interest in
Serena. But the hurt she’d inflicted the night before was still raw enough that his answer was abrupt. “Detective Grayson doesn’t seem to be taking our suspicions as seriously as I would like. Maybe you can speed him along.”

Jack’s eyebrows rose questioningly as he pulled out a pen and a yellow legal pad. “We’ll just have to see, won’t we? Now, this is about your car, correct?” His tone grew serious.

Serena related the details from the past few weeks, stopping only when Jack asked for clarification. Halfway through her story, Grayson returned, but was shushed by the ADA as he continued to question Serena.

When she had finished her version of the events, Jack turned to Grayson, “I assume you’ve checked the prison phone logs?” he asked, his voice and eyes colder than Serena had ever seen them.

“I’m working on it,” Grayson returned just as coldly. “How’d you get involved anyway? I’m not ready to call in the DA’s office yet.”

“I’m a friend of Serena’s. And it sounds like she’s got a pretty good point.”

“I’m not disagreeing. I’m just trying to check the facts out. I’m on my way to LaFleur’s house to check out his alibis for the dates and times we’ve discussed. That okay with you, boss?” The look he gave Jack was sarcastic in the extreme.

“Good. Let me know if you find something.” Jack ignored the sarcasm, turning toward Serena and Kevin with his hand extended. “I’ll do some looking into this as well. Give me a call if anything else turns up.”

He turned back to the detective. “Keep me posted about what’s going on, Pete. I’m extremely interested in this case.”

“Then maybe you should’ve done a better job keeping the guy behind bars.” Grayson grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair and stalked out of the building without another word.

Jack’s gaze was rueful when he looked back at Serena. “Pete and I don’t have the best relationship—a case that went bad a couple years ago. But he’s damn good at his job. He’ll find out what’s going on.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Thanks for all your help, Jack.” Serena extended her hand.

He took it, rubbing his thumb back and forth across the back of her hand. Kevin
shifted warningly. If the ADA didn’t get his hands off Serena soon, he’d—

“It’s nothing. And I expect to hear if anything else happens, understood?” His gaze encompassed both of them, and Kevin found himself staring into Jack’s amused eyes. Perhaps he wasn’t being as subtle as he’d imagined.

But when Jack leaned over and brushed his lips over Serena’s cheek, he couldn’t stop the warning growl that started low in his chest. Fuck subtle, he’d rip the guy—

Then Jack was extending his hand and grinning like a fool when he hesitated to take it. When he finally did reach forward and clasp the guy’s palm, he found Jack’s grip firm to the point of pain. He answered in kind, then felt ridiculous as he saw Serena’s gaze resting on their taut handshake.

He dropped Rawlins’s hand immediately, but couldn’t help watching as the man strode down the hall away from them. What exactly was the ADA’s relationship with Serena? And why did it bug him so much to know that there was something more than her sister’s case between them?

*  *  *

Hours later, when they were only minutes away from Kevin’s house in the bayou, Serena finally asked, “What was going on back at the police station? Between you and Jack?”

Kevin’s gaze slid to her face, a slight smile curling his full lips. “What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean!” She said in exasperation. “You told him we were lovers!”

“We are lovers.”

“Something I think he could have figured out, even without your advertising the fact.”

Kevin shrugged. “I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. He was interested and I wanted him to know you were taken.”

Serena steadfastly ignored the warmth spreading through her at Kevin’s words, focusing instead on their utter absurdity. “What am I, your bone?”

His smile turned wolfish. “I kind of thought it was the other way around.” He
grabbed her hand, brought it to the erection currently squeezed behind the zipper of his jeans.

“Kevin!” She tried to look horrified by his pun, but ended up laughing despite herself. “That’s terrible.”

“That’s not what you were saying a few nights ago.” He thrust lightly against her palm.

It was her turn to grin as she began stroking him through the denim. Lightly at first, and then with a little more pressure as he groaned in appreciation.

She’d never been in a relationship this free before, had never felt comfortable enough with another human being to do and touch whatever she wanted. With Kevin, everything felt so natural that she often forgot to put a lid on her response to him.

She loved his erection, loved the proof of his desire for her. But she wanted more. Much more than a quick feel in the car. Easing his button open and his zipper down, she was rewarded by Kevin’s harshly indrawn breath when her hand finally slipped inside and found him.

“You’re not wearing underwear,” she accused, her breathing a little faster than normal, despite her resolve to stay in control of the situation.

He winked at her. “Thought that was your own private domain, hmmm?”

His words reminded her, as they were supposed to, of the last time she’d gone without underwear. In San Diego. At the museums. Her nipples peaked and she grew wet, suddenly as aroused and uncomfortable as she’d made Kevin.

“I wasn’t complaining,” she murmured, her fingers gliding over and around his erection. He really was delightful, a mixture of incredible hardness and velvety softness. She loved the feel of him—in her hand, in her mouth, and most assuredly in her body.

Squeezing her aching thighs together in defense, she murmured, “Hurry,” knowing that she sounded as breathless as she felt, but totally helpless to stop it.

“Hurry what?” Kevin asked, his own voice raw with desire.

“Hurry home. I want you.” Slipping out of her seat belt, Serena bent down and took him slowly into her mouth. She ran her tongue along the huge, hot, hard length of him, loving the faintly salty taste of sweat that clung to him.

“
Mon Dieu, bebe!
You’ll kill us,” he protested, even as he thrust involuntarily
against her mouth and hand.

She delivered a long, leisurely lick down the length of his cock and stopped to suck on the head, before turning her face up to his. “Me?” she asked with false innocence. “You’re the one driving.”

He glanced down at her incredulously. “You’re the one making me so hard I can barely see.”

“I like that.” She grinned as she once again lowered her head. “Let’s see what I can do for your other senses while I’m at it.”

Her mouth closed fully over him and he nearly lost it at the wet, sweet pressure of her. Her left hand reached lower, to cup his balls, and he gritted his teeth against the sudden, urgent need to orgasm blasting through him.

He wanted to be inside her when he came. He wanted to prop her hot little ass down on the kitchen table and drive into her again and again. He wanted to kneel between her legs and lick her for hours. He wanted to fuck her—from the side, behind, standing up, sitting down. Every way he could think of. As long and as hard as possible, until she was so exhausted and so sated that she wouldn’t be able to think about leaving him.