Killer Love (62 page)

She sought out someone, anyone, she might know, some small, ridiculous part of her hoping Dex would be here.

Her dress was a satin, ruby-red strapless, slit high on one thigh, making her feel self-conscious and daring at the same time. She felt, if not beautiful, at least pretty.

She didn’t want to talk to Dex, didn’t want to even see him, but—although she’d never considered herself vain, she wanted
him
to see
her
. Wanted him to see that she could be an attractive woman. She refused to scrutinize why she gave a damn what Dexter Hawkins thought of her.

Frank approached, looking almost presentable in a black tux jacket over an ocean-print shirt. He was accompanied by a tall, red-haired woman wearing too much make-up and revealing too much cleavage.

“Hey there, you’re a freakin’ knockout, Spike. Who’da thought it?”

“Gee, thanks, Frank.”

“This here’s Shannon.”

Sam and the woman exchanged greetings and the three made small talk for a few minutes before Shannon tugged on Frank’s arm and led him out to the dance floor, leaving Sam alone again.

Sam glanced around, looking for the bar, and spotted Dex standing across the room on the other side of the dance floor. She only caught glimpses of him as the dancers parted. She turned away, not wanting to be caught staring. After a few moments, unable to resist, she let her gaze wander to where she’d seen him, but he’d disappeared, and she tried to tamp down her disappointment.

“You look amazing.”

Sam nearly gasped at the sound of Dex’s husky voice so near. She turned to face him, a little shiver running through her, the breath catching in her throat.

“Thank you. So do you.”

And he did. He wore a charcoal gray tuxedo with a satin lapel, a white wingtip shirt, and silver vest. His hair had been trimmed but the dark blonde edges still brushed the collar of the tux jacket.

The corners of his mouth lifted in a lazy, dimpled grin. “Can I get you a drink?”

“Yes, please. A vodka tonic.”

“I’ll be right back.”

Before he could walk away, she reached out to stop him. He glanced at her hand on his sleeve, then his gaze lifted questioningly to hers. “You need something else?”

She released her hold and said, “I wanted to ask you about Clayton’s autopsy.”

“Oh yeah, sorry. Meant to give you a call when I finished up this evening. The autopsy showed cause of death was the snake bite and he appeared to have been dead for a very short time.”

She nodded. “That makes sense. I spoke to him just a few hours before I arrived.”

His gaze slid down her body, then back up to her face, his eyes meeting hers, seeming to convey an unspoken promise. “Just for tonight, how about we eighty-six the shop talk? You look too beautiful to be discussing corpses.”

She couldn’t speak. His nearness and his devastating smile caused her throat to close up and her heart to beat faster than it should, so she simply nodded.

“I’ll be right back with that drink.” He bestowed another flash of dimples upon her before weaving his way through the crowd.

Sam watched as he stood waiting for their drinks, noticing that someone to his right had caught his attention. When Samantha followed his gaze, she saw Rachel Conniver. Her husband, Anthony, stood by her side. As Sam watched, Dex made his way toward the couple and Sam’s insides clenched. Surely he wasn’t going to make a scene, right here in front of everyone?

Although, that quickly, he’d shattered her affable mood, and once more pissed her off, she didn’t want a big blow-up at the mayor’s birthday party.

Thinking she may be able to defuse a bad situation, she worked her way to the bar and approached the threesome just in time to hear Anthony Conniver say, “What the hell is your problem?”

“No problem, buddy, just wanted to say hello to Rachel.”

“You mean my
wife
?”

Apparently, Anthony had heard the rumors.

Dex’s face blanched and his gaze went to the woman. “Your wife?”

Dex hadn’t noticed Sam yet, but she spoke behind him. “Dexter, I was looking for you. I think you owe me a dance.”

He whirled, looking at her without speaking, and for a second, she thought he was going to refuse, thought he’d rather stay and fight over this woman than dance with her. But after a slight hesitation, he said, “Yes, that’s right.”

He took Sam’s hand and led her onto the dance floor. She got a whiff of his cologne, a light, masculine scent she didn’t detect until he pulled her close against his body. Too close. The contact immediately sent ripples tingling along her flesh, adding to her conflicted state of mind.

“What the hell were you doing, flaunting your affair right here, in front of her husband?” she said in a low hiss.

“Affair? For one, we’re not having an
affair
. We went out a couple of times, that’s it. For two, I damned sure didn’t know she was married.”

“Right. That’s what they all say.”

“It’s the truth. I would never, ever do that. Especially after...” He trailed off, shook his head. “Never mind.”

Especially after his wife cheated on him. She knew that, but he probably didn’t know she knew. And she wasn’t going to let him off that easily. Some devil inside her made her keep pushing. She didn’t like herself much for it, but that didn’t stop her.

“No sense pretending,” she said, letting her voice drip with sarcasm. “Guys like you need the challenge, the rush, the sense of living on the edge. Don’t try to fight it, just let the beast run free.”

He gazed at her incredulously and shook his head. “You
want
me to be the villain, the bad guy, don’t you?”

She shrugged. “You just make it easy.”

She felt him tense, then a heavy sigh left him and he released her. He stared down at her, not touching her. Eyes that had, just moments ago, held a hint of desire, were now filled with disgust. Without a word, he stalked off the dance floor.

Sam stood there, deserted in a sea of couples, stunned and embarrassed.

And knew she deserved it.

She’d been wrong to taunt him like that. It was immature and spiteful. They were professionals. They had to work together. She owed him an apology.

Through the archway of the ballroom, she saw him leave out the front door and she followed.

She stepped outside and looked out over the lawn, for a moment thinking she’d lost him. That he’d disappeared that quickly. But then she spotted him heading out toward the gardens on the south side of the property. She made her way down the porch steps as quickly as she could, which wasn’t as quick as she’d like, thanks to the six-inch heels she was unaccustomed to wearing.

She caught up to him in a little clearing in the center of the garden and for a moment, she was so astounded by the beauty of the setting, she nearly forgot her purpose for being there.

A wall of brilliant hibiscus, orchids, and various plants surrounded a koi pond, the water so clear, the colorful fish were like vibrant little beacons beneath the surface. A trickle of water fed over rocks into the pond, the sound soothing and mesmerizing. The garden was lit only by the meager light coming from the pond and the shine of the moon peeking through the fronds of the plants. Two small iron benches sat on either side of the pond and a stone wall secluded the courtyard from the rest of the property.

Sam was shocked that other party guests hadn’t ventured out to this little piece of paradise. She and Dex were its only inhabitants.

He stood with his back to her, hands in his pockets, as immobile as the stone wall he faced. He must have heard Sam approach because he whirled to face her, his eyes narrowing with recognition.

“What do you want?”

“Just to talk.”

His body seemed tense, as if he were holding himself in check. He was silent for so long, she thought he was going to simply ignore her until she went away.

The only sound that broke the stillness of the evening was the trickling of the fountains and the light breeze dancing through the leaves of the foliage.

When he finally spoke, his voice was hoarse, as if the words were forced out of him. “No talking.” He moved slowly toward her, stalking like a jungle cat. “If you stay out here, I’ll do exactly what I’ve wanted to do since I met you.”

“I just came to...I need to apologize,” she stammered.

“This is your last warning. My restraint won’t hold out much longer.” He closed the remaining space between them and looked down at her.

The moonlight reflected in his eyes, giving them a jewel-like hue, an otherworldly glitter, as if a mythical creature had inhabited his body and taken human form for some unknown purpose. Perhaps it was to sustain this constant, churning unease she felt every time she was around him.

“Run away, Samantha Colby,” Dex said softly. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave while you can.”

Chapter Ten

She didn’t run away. She stayed right where she was, looking up at him, feeling her heart nearly jumping out of her chest. She swallowed and her lips parted, but she had no idea what she was going to say.

It didn’t matter, because before the words could form, he growled and tugged his hands out of his pockets, reaching out and crushing her to him, making her gasp for breath.

He brushed his lips across hers, then planted kisses along her jaw line. She shook her head in weak protest, at the same time dropping it back to allow him better access to her throat. He obliged, abrading the tender flesh with his whiskers, a sensation that was slightly painful, yet highly erotic at the same time.

She made a half-hearted sound of protest and he gave a low chuckle.

“You can’t deny what’s happening here, Samantha.” Her name dripped like honey off his tongue. His words were nearly as seductive as his touch and she wanted him—with equal fervor—to both shut up and keep talking.

“I don’t...I can’t...”

“You can,” he murmured hotly against her neck.

Yes,
her mind screamed, but this was a mistake, a big one.

He brushed a hand across her collarbone and her nipples tightened. His knuckles skimmed along the sensitive peaks and she sucked in a breath, warm moisture pooling between her thighs. Every square inch of her flesh was tingling hot, alive, yearning and aching with need. It had been so long since a man had wanted her. So long since she’d wanted a man. And never had she wanted one like this.

She strained her upper body toward him and he took her breast in his hand, kneading it through the satin material while his thumb moved in slow circles around the tip. His other hand cupped her bottom, pressing her against the tightness in his slacks.

“Okay, okay, okay,” she panted, grabbing his face between her hands, her fingers touching the rough stubble along his jaw. She ground her lips against his, her tongue delving inside, tasting the essence of mint and brandy and man.

“Yeah?” he asked huskily between kisses.

“Oh yeah,” she groaned. “I can’t do this anymore. I need you.”

“Yes,” he whispered triumphantly, brushing his lips along her bare shoulder and working kisses downward, to the vee between her breasts, then,
oh God, yes
. His hot, wet mouth latched onto a nipple and she gasped.

“Please, make love to me,” she begged huskily, groping at his shirt, pushing it back off his shoulders.

His mouth left her breast and he stared down into her eyes. “You sure?”

“I’m sure,” she said breathlessly.

He reached behind her, found the zipper and tugged until it came loose. The silk slid down her body, pooling at her feet. She wore nothing but a strapless red bra, thigh-high hose, and garter belt. The night air caressed her bare skin and she shivered. She felt wanton and sexy and oh so turned on.

“God, you’re beautiful.” He bent his head and kissed the tops of her breasts. Her skin tingled, tightened with wanting him. She placed her hands on the back of his head, feeling his silky hair beneath her fingertips. Pressing him more tightly to her, she thrust against his seeking mouth, urging him on.

“Please, now, I need you,” she moaned. “Let’s do this thing and get it out of our system.”

She felt a subtle change in him that her passion-glazed mind couldn’t comprehend. He went motionless. His head lifted and he looked down at her, holding his fully clothed body against her nearly naked one. The desire in his eyes was gone, replaced by... What? Disappointment? Anger?

“This
thing
?” he bit out.

She nodded slowly, confused, her body still craving satisfaction.

“How long has it been?” he demanded in that same clipped tone.

“What? How long has what been?”

“Since you’ve been with a man. Since you’ve had sex.”

“What does that have to do with—”

“Because, it appears you may have agreed simply because you need a fuck.”

She flinched at the harshness in his expression, in his tone. But he was right. She hadn’t had sex in a very long time. So, yes, she probably did need it.

What he didn’t understand, and what she was only now coming to realize, was that she didn’t want sex with just any man. That’s why she hadn’t had it in so long. She wanted it with this man. But that was foolish. Foolish and dangerous. She couldn’t afford to lose her heart to a man like him.

“Sure,” she said, forcing nonchalance into her tone. “Isn’t that what you need?”

He stared at her, his eyes going hard as flint. His lips curled into a humorless smile. “I did, yes. Suddenly, though, the urge is gone.”

And she knew—because their bodies were still pressed together—that he was telling the truth. His erection had disappeared.

Nice job, Samantha, you managed to
un
-turn on a man.

She felt tears at the back of her throat as her desire, although more slowly than his, ebbed away.

He pulled back and goose bumps shivered over her flesh. She snatched the dress up, hurt and humiliated, fumbling to step into it while he stood and watched, arms crossed, a look of contempt on his face. He didn’t offer to help and finally, she managed to get dressed.

His gaze latched on to hers for just a moment, then he shook his head and stalked out of the courtyard, his footsteps echoing along the stone path.