His Obsession Next Door (In the Line of Duty) (6 page)

“Yeah. If we’re going to help Gemma out, I should learn a little more about what she’s trying to do over there.” While it wasn’t a lie, it wasn’t the entire truth either. But he wasn’t about to tell his friend, a guy who took him in when he had nowhere else to go, that he couldn’t stand the idea of Gemma being there with another man. Fuck. There was an unwritten rule amongst his comrades, an honor amongst the brotherhood. They took care of each other’s families, they didn’t lust after them, and Jack was fully aware Gemma was his late friend’s kid sister.

Jack gave him a long, thoughtful look before disappearing into his bedroom. He came back with a suit inside a zipped garment bag. He handed it over and asked, “You sure you know what you’re doing, Cole?”

“Yeah,” he lied, never more uncertain in his life. “Can I leave Charlie with you? I don’t want him alone for any length of time after his surgery.”

“You know it,” Jack said. “Colby would love the company.”

Leaving his dog in good hands, he tossed the fabric bag over his shoulder and hurried back to his condo. He jumped in the shower, then dressed. Close to an hour later, after opting for his truck over his bike, he made his way to the other side of town.

He stepped into the grand entrance and took in the opulence of the upscale hotel. A concierge made his way over to him. “Right this way, sir,” he said, guiding him through the lobby to the ballroom at the far end.

A woman sat outside the closed doors and smiled politely as she asked for his invitation.

“Cole Sullivan,” he said, trying not to fidget or pull on his starched collar.

“Yes, of course.” She sifted through the envelopes on her table until she found the one with his name on it. “But you’ve missed the speeches,” she said and pulled open the door for him.

Cole walked into the dimly lit ballroom and took note of the people milling about. A waiter came by with a glass of champagne. Even though he was a beer drinking kind of guy, he accepted to be polite. Keeping to the shadows, he scanned the room, looking for Gemma. The second he saw her, his entire body tightened with a need that nearly rendered him senseless.

His throat dried as he watched from a distance, taking in the familiarity of her hand gestures as she spoke passionately to a benefactor. As he registered every delicious inch of her, he drew a fueling breath and noted the slow tremor making its way through his body. He worked to bank his desires, but unfortunately, his damn cock refused to cooperate. Watching her for the last few days had played havoc with his libido, and there was no denying she’d gotten under his skin in a way no woman had ever done before. He panned her contours and the sight of her in that sexy cocktail dress evoked a myriad of sinful thoughts, mainly going over there and dragging her to one of the rooms upstairs where he could finally have his way with her.

“Cole,” a familiar voice said, and he turned to see Audrey Matthews coming his way, her arms outstretched. Shifting his stance and knowing he’d been caught admiring Gemma, by none other than her mother, he took a swig of champagne to wet his parched throat.

“Audrey, how are you?” He bent to give her a hug. “I’ve been meaning to call.”

Blue eyes that mirrored Gemma’s glistened as Audrey looked him over. “Gemma said you were back.”

“Yeah, and listen, I meant—”

“Oh, don’t be silly, Cole. I know you’re busy and you’ll come by when you get the chance.” She gave him a wink and added, “Besides, you’ve been in the field a long time and probably had a few oats in need of sowing before you did anything else.”

Uncomfortable with the direction of their conversation, especially because he’d been caught lusting after her daughter, Cole tugged on his tie. “I…uh.”

She waved a white-gloved hand. “Oh now, no need to be embarrassed.” Just then, a woman stepped up to Audrey and spoke quietly to her. As they conversed, Cole studied Audrey, happy to see how well she was doing. The last time he’d seen her she’d had the strain of losing a son all over her face.

When the woman left, she turned back to Cole. “Gemma told me how you, Jack and the others were going to help her cause. You’re a good boy, Cole.” Her voice dropped, became conspiratorial. “You know, I’m glad you came home when you did. Gemma is living all alone now, and I don’t like it one little bit.”

“Don’t worry, Audrey. Nothing will happen to her as long as I’m around.”

She smiled. “That’s my Cole. I knew I could count on you.” She blew an exaggerated breath. “But I realize you have your own life and until I get her married off and know she has a man in her house to protect her every night, I’ll never rest.” She blinked up at him. “Promise me you’ll stay as close to her as possible until that happens.”

“I promise.”

As his gaze strayed to Gemma, he watched her back straighten and he instantly got the impression she knew he was here. Her eyes scanned the room and when they locked on his, passion and heat swimming in their stormy ocean blue depths, everything inside him screamed possession.

They exchanged a long look and he swallowed, trying to appear unaffected when her date stepped up to her, his hand going to her lower back.

“They do make a lovely couple, don’t you think?” Audrey asked as her gaze locked on Gemma and her date.

“Yeah,” he said, biting the inside of his mouth to stop from telling her what he thought. That he’d like to walk over there and punch the guy in the face and tell him to get his fucking hands off Gemma.

Audrey waved to someone on the other side of the room. “Well, I must go, I’m being summoned.” Before she left, she said, “I’m staying in the city this month. Do come by for dinner. I’ll have all your favorites prepared.”

“I will,” he promised and dropped a kiss onto her cheek before she stepped away. Less than five minutes after she disappeared into the crowd the music started playing. The waiter made another round and as Cole placed his empty glass on the tray, he worked to pull himself together.

As he watched Gemma’s date guide her to the dance floor, tension grew in his body. Everything about the way she moved triggered a craving like he’d never before experienced. With lust overshadowing sensibility, every reason he had for staying away from her suddenly seemed insignificant. Before he even realized what he was doing, he cut through the throngs of people and tapped Douglas Washington on the shoulder.

“I’m cutting in,” he said, the bite in his tone letting the other man know he wasn’t asking.

Chapter Four

“What do you think you’re doing?” Gemma asked as Cole moved in to take Douglas’s place.

Strong hands circled her hips. The roughness of his palms felt erotic as he pulled her into a tight embrace, anchoring her body firmly to his. When his warm, familiar scent curled around her, a shiver raced down her spine. She shifted but there was nothing she could do to conceal the telltale hardening of her nipples as they pressed against his even harder chest. Dark eyes met hers unflinchingly. The intensity in his gaze frightened her as much as it excited her.

“Maybe I should be the one asking you that question.”

Feeling slightly breathless as their bodies swayed together, not to mention the way his firmness meshed against her softness, she jutted her chin out and asked, “I have no idea what you mean.”

“You know full well what I mean,” he bit out, appearing more pained with each passing second.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to elaborate. The only thing I’m doing is trying to raise funds—”

“That’s not all you’re raising,” he groaned.

“What do you mean?” she asked, feigning innocence.

“Stop leaving your curtains open.”

She blinked. “My curtains?” His hand trailed lower on her back, and when his big fingers splayed over her sensitive flesh, the air instantly charged. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” As a wave of heated anticipation prowled through her bloodstream, she realized there was nothing impersonal in the way he was touching her.

“And stop parading around in nothing but slinky underwear,” he added, clearly not buying her story.

She wet her lips, and gave a casual shrug. “I didn’t think it would bother you, considering…”

His nostrils flared and between clenched teeth he said, “You were a kid, Gems.”

“Well I’m not a kid anymore now, am I?” she challenged, her pulse leaping with renewed excitement. She had the sneaking suspicion her devious plan had actually worked, and that she’d somehow gotten under Cole’s skin.

A strange, strangled noise sounded in his throat as he drew in a ragged breath. “Maybe not.” He fingered the silky material on her dress. “But underneath this façade, this life you built for yourself, you’re still that same wild child, aren’t you?”

Her heart sank. She must have misread him. She steeled herself, waiting for the lecture. “Cole, I…” she began, wanting to make it perfectly clear to him she didn’t need his protection.

“I never said I didn’t like that side of you, Gems.”

Everything in the way his voice softened when he said her name had her realizing she hadn’t misinterpreted him at all. A slow lick of flame moved over her flesh and liquid desire settled deep between her thighs. “Well if you must know, I’ll probably always have a wild side, but believe me I’m not a child anymore.”

His nostrils flared, like he was waging some sort of internal war. He clenched his teeth harder, the muscles along his jaw rippling. Her glance went back to his and when she saw the desire reflecting there, a shudder moved through her body.

Arousal thickened his voice and volatile heat backlit dark eyes full of raw lust when he whispered, “What are we doing?”

Her heart missed a beat. Everything from the tortured way he was looking at her, to the way his body was pressed against hers—one part in particular—spoke volumes. Cole Sullivan, the same guy she’d been lusting after for ten long years, was finally seeing her as something more than his friend’s rebellious kid sister. She’d be damned if she wasn’t going to do something about it.

Her nipples scraped against his chest and she murmured, “We’re doing what we should have done a long time ago.”

He frowned and gave a hard shake of his head. He rested his hands on her hips as if he was having second thoughts. “I need to get out of here.”

He continued to press against her, his body telling an entirely different story—he wanted her in his bed as much as she wanted to be there.

She wasn’t sure about the demons that haunted him or why he’d want to deny himself what his body craved. But now that she had him right where she’d always wanted him, the rebellion from her youth had turned into fierce determination and she wasn’t about to let him flee again.

With her body beckoning his touch, she pushed her hips into him. In a voice full of invitation she said, “If you need to go somewhere I have a room upstairs.”

He exhaled slowly. “I’m pretty sure that’s not going to help me cool off.”

“You can take a cold shower.” She ran her hands through his hair, went up on her toes and purposely put her mouth to his ear when she added, “Or a hot one.”

“Gems,” he murmured, his hands circling her hips. Once again sexual tension hung heavy. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. I want you.” She ran her hands over his lapels. Even though the tough soldier cleaned up nicely and looked rather dashing in his suit, underneath the clothes he was still that same rough and rugged, fiercely protective guy who hung out at her family’s ranch. “I’ve always wanted you.”

“Gemma—”

She molded her body against his, aware of the explosive heat arcing between them. “Why don’t you sneak me to my room like you used to do when we were younger, and instead of lecturing me, I think you should strip me naked and spend the rest of the night in my bed, inside me.”

She felt a tremble move through him. “Jesus, you can’t say something like that to me.”

“Why?”

“Because it makes me want to fuck you, that’s why.”

“Then what’s stopping you?”

He frowned, and she could almost hear the wheels turning. “Are you forgetting who you’re talking to? I know you better than you know yourself and I know you want the big house with the white picket fence.” His fingers bit into her flesh and conflicting emotions passed over his eyes when he added, “I’m not the guy who can give that to you.” He opened his mouth like he wanted to say more but stopped himself.

“I’m not asking you for any of that, Cole. All I’m asking for is one night.”

His deep growl reverberated through her body. “If I give you what you want, will you close your curtains and stop torturing me?”

“What
I
want?” she challenged, pushing her pelvis against him harder and taking note of the impressive bulge pressing against her midriff. “Are you telling me you don’t want it too?”

“Hell yeah, I want it too.” He shackled her wrists, removed them from his shoulders and placed them by her sides. His gaze shifted, scanning the room. It occurred to Gemma that the man who was always in control, always so careful and calculated in his every decision, was coming completely unglued—because of her. Damned if that didn’t excite her all the more. He leaned into her and put his mouth close to her ear. “You’ve got five minutes to excuse yourself,” he said in whispered words. “I’ll be waiting for you near the elevators.”