Immortal Distraction (7 page)

“You mean aside from my hostile witness who’d rather be sexually inappropriate than do anything decent that might show some glimmer of humanity?”

“Yeah, I mean aside from all that. And I’m quite sure you enjoyed yourself the other night, so if you’re expecting some apology from me, dear, you’ll be waiting one hell of a long time. What bothers you most about me, Brit, the fact you can’t control me with that oh-so-pleasant attitude of yours, or the fact you want to fuck me so damn much?”

“Fuck you.” Her jaw was tight, and her heart was pounding as he watched her.

“I’m afraid until you’re ready to let go of that cold-ass block of bitch sitting on your shoulder there’s little chance of that happening. I want you begging me and submitting to me, and I’m guessing that’s a bit out of your comfort zone at the moment.” He was taunting her, pushing the buttons he knew would trip her up. The funny thing was, he didn’t want to. He enjoyed the scent of her arousal, the increased heart rate, every last sign she inadvertently gave him of just how much she craved him. He may enjoy seeing all of it and knowing he could incite it easily by toying with her, but he was growing weary of it. He wanted her. Pushing her buttons wouldn’t get him there with her though. It was just too damn hard being her enemy when all he wanted was her trust. But he knew well he didn’t deserve it.

There was a drive to her spirit he rarely saw in anyone. She was fighting tooth and nail to be the person she thought she needed to be, escaping some weakness, some past or bond of some sort she didn’t want to be tied to, and he intended to find out what it was. He wanted to see where it came from. He wanted to understand her, reach her, and as fun as it initially was to work her over the same way she was trying to work him over, he wanted more. He wanted all of her.

Chapter 8

“I thought you said dinner.” He had said dinner, but this was a bar. Not just some random bar either, but a quiet, intimate wine bar. Their table was closer to being its own private room than a booth, and it left them sitting close—too close.

“I changed my mind. If you’re hungry, I’ll buy you something to eat…”

“No, I’m not hungry. I’m not thirsty either. I’m only here because I have to be.”

“That’s not true, Brit, and you know it. But if it makes you feel better to convince yourself of your unwilling participation, then so be it.”

After Brit ordered a glass of Pinot Noir, Angus waved the waiter away. “Aren’t you getting anything?”

“I’m not thirsty, but I’m glad you’re having something. Perhaps it will relax you.”

“Well, I’m not crazy about drinking alone. Don’t you like wine? This is a wine bar, and it was your choice to come here.”

“I like champagne … very much.” His brows shot up teasingly and left no doubt he was referring to the fundraiser, and she was blushing before she could rein in her composure. She looked from him instantly, but it was too late. She could see his smirk from her periphery as he studied her. But he didn’t torment her for too long. “Tell me about your family.”

“No.” She was willing to talk about a great many things, but this was not one of them. He continued to study her. He watched with an impressively impassive expression. And it left her fidgeting and wanting to look away from him. But she forced herself to hold his gaze.

“Fine, then you can cancel the polygrapher.” And then pulling a fifty from his pocket, he tossed it on the table and he stood as Brit fought to maintain her composure.

“Stop! Why are you doing this?” She was seething, trying to be quiet but furious he was toying with her again.

He turned back to her, studied her for a moment before leaning to her ear. His lips touched the sensitive skin, and he spoke quietly for only her to hear. “We had a deal. You broke it. I didn’t ask for much, but it was apparently more than you were willing to give.”

And as he righted his body, she grabbed his wrist. He stopped, turned slowly toward her again and looked down to her eyes once more. His crystalline-blue eyes were searing holes into her brain as he studied her, the heat a contradiction to the cool blue. “Fine.” She relented, and as she watched him, he winked and slid back into the close crescent shaped booth.

“So you were just getting ready to tell me all about your family.” He was smirking again. But at least her wine had arrived and given her something to calm her nerves. She took a sip as the warmth spread through her stomach.

“There’s little to tell. We’re not close. I speak with them occasionally, and that’s about it.”

“Well I’m sure it’s difficult to keep in contact when you’re father’s doing thirty in Massachusetts Correctional Institution.” She almost gagged, but managed instead to focus on him. She could feel her cheeks burn, her eyes pop open wide, and she knew there was little she could do to keep the shock of his words from her expression.

“How do you know that?” Duh. Of course it was public record for anyone who would choose to go looking, but rather than ask why he was so intent on looking, she panicked. Her humiliation was creeping up on her.

“I also know you’re mother has a problem staying out of trouble as well, though for decidedly different reasons. Tell me, what was it like growing up with a mother who was a prostitute and a father who was a drug dealer?”

“Why are doing this?” She was nearly whispering as she spoke the words, and she knew there was no strength behind her voice. The humiliation continued to burn through her cheeks, and she could feel tears prick the backs of her eyes. Why could he have not at least have stayed away from the topic of her parents. They were the first, last, and every awful memory in between in her life, and she failed more often than she succeeded at stowing the pain of them.

“Because I can. I want to know you, and I don’t like that you insist on holding me at arm’s length, least of all after I’ve tasted your tits and made you come with nothing more than my words and your absolute need for it. Stop pushing me away.” His words may have been seductive, but his tone was harsh.

“You’ve made it clear you have no intention of helping me, and I absolutely believe you have information pertinent to this case. If I had enough cause to arrest you for obstruction, I would. So you’re kidding yourself if you think I owe you a damn thing.” She was almost shocked that her voice was holding its own. In truth, she was desperately trying to push him away from the topic of her mother and father, and his knowledge of her case seemed as good a reason as any.

When his lips curled up in a smile, her heart fell. She just couldn’t win with this one, and she hated it. But she still couldn’t stop wanting him either. Her skin was flushed as though his smile had reached out and caressed her skin. It was an incredible shiver that ran cool and hot all at the same time through her entire body. She wanted to give in, and though there was no real chance she could, she wanted to anyway. She couldn’t control this one, and she was tired of trying.

When he touched her knee, her head snapped up and she gasped, but she didn’t pull away. Her skin was bare above her knee high dress boots, and she was instantly pissed and glad that she’d chosen a skirt that fell just above her knee. His hand was cool, but still sent warmth pulsing through her body.

“Your parents’ choices aren’t yours, Brit. Why are you so embarrassed of them?” She
was
embarrassed by them. Always had been. He was far too perceptive, and it had her rattled again. He seemed to see right through her. Through her behavior to the scared and humiliated little girl she really was inside.

He worked his fingers up her thigh as he watched her face. “Don’t be embarrassed with me.” It was a commanding, quiet voice, and his intense eyes backed it up. Brit glanced away as her breath came out in a ragged and terrified sigh. She needed to push him away, but she couldn’t. She didn’t want him to stop … and he didn’t. He never once stopped studying her face as his hand pushed farther up her thigh. Their table was hidden and secluded, and they sat toward the back of the crescent-shaped booth out of anyone’s line of sight.

When his fingers reached the top of her thigh, she parted her legs before she could stop herself. He leaned to her ear. “Thank you. Now try not to be too loud when you come.” And before she had a chance to understand just what he might be implying, he brushed his fingers down under the leg of her underwear and his hand pushed to cup her sex. The moment his palm was hugging her skin, his fingers parted her lips, and he plunged his middle finger deep into her body. But she did moan. It was quiet, and as he heard her ecstasy, he moaned quietly in response to her pleasure.

He pulled his finger from her before plunging two back in swiftly. “You may be cold as hell on the outside, but you are so fucking warm on the inside.” His voice was seductive in her ear. “Now look at me. And don’t even think of taking your eyes off mine.” When he leaned back from her, he sought out her eyes, and she held his. She was panting as his fingers plunged, swirled through her wetness, and pulled back out. His eyes were intense and fiery in their smoldering heat. He plunged over and over as she swallowed harshly over the lump in her throat. She wanted to scream out the moan she was stifling in her throat, and her hands were fisted at her sides. When her body started shaking and her lips started trembling, she knew she was close to losing it.

He sank his fingers to his knuckles, turning, twisting, scissoring, and swirling through her cum as he continued to plunge. He refused to look from her, and he watched as her trembling became more pronounced and her breath started coming in gasps. His expression was impassive, but the smoldering blue heat in his eyes was not—nor was the bulge in his pants that she managed to steal a quick glimpse of. When she came, she gripped and twisted her knuckles into the fabric of his shirt while the fingernails of her other hand dug into her palm. She was fighting hard to stifle the sound from coming out of her mouth, and he watched her as her body convulsed and her stomach muscles twitched through the waves of pleasure that coursed through her body.

When her orgasm finally faded, he didn’t immediately pull his fingers from her body. Instead, he stroked a few more slow and gentle penetrations into her body as the walls of her vagina clenched down on him. And as he pulled his hand from under her skirt, she could see the glistening wetness left on his fingers. He moved his fingers instantly to his mouth, and he sucked them clean quickly. It wasn’t overt nor did it appear to have anything to do with her or the fact she was watching him.

When he reached to her cheek, he pulled her mouth to his and pulled her top lip between his lips. He tasted amazing—like nothing she’d experienced before and completely indescribable. When he claimed her bottom lip, he moaned quietly against her mouth, and then he plunged his tongue. He licked, tasted, and groaned into her mouth as he dipped his tongue into her and explored and tasted her taste. When he finally pulled back from her, he looked just as shocked and desperate as she felt.

“You have to stop hating me, because I want you too fucking much to stop.” She was still gasping and trying to catch her breath as he spoke.

She stared, unable to look away, and then, finding some semblance of control, she stood and turned back to him before she failed to fight him off again. “Tomorrow at four. Please don’t be late.” Her voice was shuddering and lurching as she spoke, but she managed to get the words out before she turned her back on him and walked away.

She wanted to look back, she wanted to go back, she wanted to give into him and be done with it, but she couldn’t. She was overstepping some major boundaries with him. Allowing a witness, unwilling or not, to put his mouth on her was most definitely not okay; letting him put his fingers in her body was so far outside the realm of okay it was laughable. This wasn’t Brit. Brit was controlled, boring, and emotionally constipated to the point of being frigid. She was not easily dissuaded from her path. But she kept crumbling with him.

He had a strength and composure she couldn’t quite wrap her head around, and she certainly couldn’t beat him at his game or hers either.

* * * *

When she picked up after the second ring, he was almost shocked. The wine bar had been incredible. When she cut him off before he was ready to see her go, he’d been disappointed. The feel of her warmth and wetness gripping his fingers as he stroked into her body was enough to leave him wanting to fuck her right there in the bar, and had she stuck around long enough, he wasn’t at all sure he wouldn’t have figured out some way to make that happen. But she’d pushed him away again.

It’s not as if he blamed her. Of course she had to push him away, but she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Of that, he was certain. He may not have needed her to tell him about her family to know about the disastrous people her parents were—there were plenty of police reports to paint a good picture. He wanted her to talk to him about it.

“Why are you calling me? Wasn’t the wine bar enough?” She sounded exasperated with him.

“The wine bar wasn’t nearly enough. Now tell me about your parents. It couldn’t have been easy growing up in a home like that, and I want to know about it.”

“Why is this so important to you?” Her voice was a desperate whisper. He didn’t need her to tell him this was hard for her to talk about.

“Because it’s an important part of you.” He was being as honest as he ever had been. He was desperate to hear her talk—really talk. He didn’t want to hear her shtick or her attitude. He wanted the real her. And after a long pause where he could nearly hear the gears in her in brain turning, she finally gave in.

“It was humiliating and pathetic. I was never important enough for them to stop.” He stayed quiet. He didn’t want to give her any reason to stop talking. “My mother’s been an addict as long as I can remember. She didn’t start hooking until my father was busted. He’d always kept her strung out just the way she liked it, and with him gone, she became desperate. Didn’t really seem to have much effect on her though. She was high all the time anyway and didn’t much care how or what she had to do to stay that way. So, I was just alone.”