Midnight Sex Shop (11 page)

"It's good to see you,
Lina." His voice was a dark reminder of all the whispered words in her ear
as he held her in his arms that night she stayed over. It haunted her these
past weeks remembering his words of how beautiful she was, how good she felt,
all the things he'd said to her during their time together.

For a moment, she wavered,
not knowing to say. She should have prepared a speech, argument, or
something.
God, why did she come here with nothing? So she could bare her soul to a man she
barely knew and get shut down? Panic was quickly rising inside like water
boiling.

She finally settled with,
"Ditto." She saw a ghost of a smile at his lips and didn’t have time
to be embarrassed over her stupid reply. She realized she hadn't moved from her
spot inside the door when he stood and came to her. As he got closer, she saw
his eyes were still shadowed like they were in the hospital. The little
crinkles at his eyes and the lines at his mouth seemed a little deeper. 

He stopped a few feet from
her, so far away. "How do you feel?"

"Fine." She took a
deep breath and felt the hot burn of humiliation scorching through her neck and
cheeks. God, this had been a mistake. A huge mistake. He didn't want to see her;
he'd made that
very
clear. And now that she was here, she could barely
mutter more than a single word. Pathetic. She tried telling herself that if
only she'd worn her jeans, had her badge and gun, she'd feel strong again, but
she knew that was a lie. Just as she knew it was impossible for her not to come
here, if only to see him one last time.

"How's the lung?"
The muscle above his eyebrow ticked.

"Fine, I still have to
take it easy, but the damage was repaired." She didn't mention she was
still on painkillers that she technically wasn't supposed to drive on. He
tilted his head to the side, studying her face, his eyes growing soft. His hand
shot out, reaching for her, but it paused an inch away, and dropped to his
side.

For that one moment, her
breath had caught. Where had the tough Detective Lina gone, she mocked.
Apparently, she'd died or was still hiding in the shadows somewhere because
this Lina seemed incapable of showing anything other than her insecurities in
plain sight to the world.

"I came to talk,"
she finally said.

He looked towards the far
door—his bedroom door—and his expression grew serious. Oh God. He probably had
a woman—hell probably three—stashed back there waiting for him. And here she wanted
to
talk.
God she was lame.

"Never mind, this was a
big mistake. I'm just gonna go." She pretended that her voice didn't crack
a little and turned for the door. She didn't make it a step before she was
caught up in warm, strong arms. Arms that made her heart feel so much lighter
in her chest.

His voice was raw and filled
with so much emotion. "You can't leave me now. I almost lost you once.
God, I missed you." He breathed in her hair, his arms holding her tight.
She was wrapped up in him and for the first time in weeks, she felt truly good.

"Why didn't you call
me?" He stiffened, his muscles tightening around her, and laughed. It was
a pained, ragged sound.

"Lina, I don't know how
to do this. I've never, that is, I don't have relationships. I didn't know what
to do. This is all very new to me. It sounds stupid but I didn't know if you'd
even want to see me. After all, it was a client at my club that shot and killed
you." His arms tightened at the memory, nearly stopping the air in her
lungs.

"You've never just
dated? Had a girlfriend," she pressed her nose to his hot neck and
breathed in his familiar, delicious scent. "How is that possible? I missed
you so much," she whispered so quietly she wasn't sure if he heard. Wasn't
sure if she wanted him to hear. He groaned though and picked her up, wrapping
her legs and body tighter, closer around him like he was trying to mesh them as
close as possible together.

He was walking her
somewhere, but she kept her eyes closed and just listened to his voice. "I
had relationships when I was younger, but after I started this business it's
been my life. I haven't needed a relationship. If I needed something, I sought
it out."

"Sex, you mean?"
Her voice was bitter.

"Yes. God, I missed you
too. Missed you poking around my club and annoying everyone." His hands
squeezed her bottom with a loving, possessive caress that sent shivers over her
body.

"Is that all you
missed," she asked in small, quiet voice. She opened her eyes at the sound
of a door opening and saw he was taking her to his bedroom. A warm heat
simmered inside her.

"No, baby. I missed you
in my bed, in my arms, snapping back at me, shaking your tight little ass
around me."

A bubble of laughter escaped
her. "I did not shake my ass, and it's hardly tight and little."

"Yes you did and it is
to me, Lina." He was pressing her back into the bed, and it had never felt
more right. When he stood and started to pull of his clothes, she stopped him.

"Wait, what does this
mean between us? I need to know." He smiled and resumed pulling off his
jacket and started unbuttoning his white shirt.

"Just look over
there," he said nodding to the other side of the room.

Lina twisted her head back
and quickly sat up, gasping. Box after box of chocolates, some in heart-shaped boxes;
some that looked like expensive truffles that made her mouth water just looking
at them, and nearly the whole side of the room was covered flowers. Vases, bouquets,
large and small bundles, some wreathes filled with roses, tulips, lilacs, and
orchids. White, pink, red, and yellows. They were so beautiful. Her heart was
stuttering in her chest. A burning liquid was in her eyes, threatening to
embarrass her if she blinked.

"What is all this?” She
couldn't look away from it all. It must have cost a fortune. She wanted to ask
him what it meant but bit her tongue instead.

"I bought that for you
while you were sick," he paused and she held her breath. "I wanted to
make you feel better. God, it was so hard not to call. I drove by several times
a week. I couldn't stop myself. I had to see you even if it was just through
your window."

So this was why he'd looked
uncomfortable at the bedroom. It definitely wasn't a set of sexy twins he had
stashed back her but gifts for her. She swallowed hard.

"Why didn't you send
them to me? I would have liked that." She panicked for a moment at
answering so honestly, baring her soul. God, he could so easily stub her right
now if he wanted to.

"I told you,
relationship issues. I've never really done this, Lina." Hands on her
legs, pulling off her heels. Lina turned back to him, her eyes widened in
shock. He was completely naked and crawling towards her. He lifted her shirt
and she let him pull it off her. His eyes were soft but hot and hungry as his
gaze swept over her, warming and touching her in all sorts of places.

When her bra and panties
followed next and he simply stood over her, his fingertips trailing idly over
her thighs, she'd swear she'd never felt so close to him. He came down to her
then and words weren't necessary. Her legs moved to give him space and he
wrapped her in his arms, one hand in her hair, the other cupping her bottom,
and then his lips were on hers.

Their kiss was one of
longing and passion and something deeper. Lina felt it down to her toes and in
to her heart. Their tongues twined and when he lifted to look down at her she
knew this was why she'd come here tonight. This feeling inside her was what she
craved. And only he could give it to her.

She burned to ask him what
all this meant. But he kissed her again and slid inside her. She was so wet, so
needy for him, her body let him in on a hot glide. He held her close, each
thrust shooting intense pleasure through her.

He buried his face in her
neck. The heat of his breath spread goosebumps over her sensitive skin.
"You feel so good, Lina." He sounded...thrilled, humbled. His voice
didn't have the cocky attitude it usually did. Lina knew that right now with
her arms wrapped around him, his hips pumping, she was seeing the real Cade
Vanderoth. And she liked it.

Then he hit a spot inside of
her that was just too good. She kicked her head back and started moaning. His
breaths panted faster against her neck, his grip tightened harder on her.

"Oh, baby. You need to
stay with me," he panted.

Lina's eyes shot open at his
words. Hope flared in her and nothing she could have done could stop it. Her
hips bucked beneath his and then he filled her one last time and shot them both
overboard.

Her breath froze in her throat;
her eyes met his in an expression of agonized pleasure. His brow furrowed hard,
his neck tendons flexing as his semen started shooting inside her. Her nails
bit into his back with the effort not to scream; the shaking in her legs rushed
through her, moving all over her so that only his grip kept her from flying
away.

When it was done, Cade
looked over her flushed cheeks and moist lips and kissed her on a groan.

The shrill of the telephone
broke the spell like a hammer on glass.

Cade cursed and moved to it.
Lina stifled her disappointment by turning her face away. A loud crash had her
turning back. The phone on his nightstand now rested in about a dozen pieces on
the floor. She couldn't stop the laugh that came.

He laughed with her and
cuddled her into his side.

"I don't want anything
between us tonight."

"Me neither," she
said.

Chapter
16

Cade didn't just make love to her all night; he broke something
down inside her. She was very afraid that if she left him that morning and
never saw him again, she'd never be right. That no man could ever make her feel
the same way. She felt rounded, whole, and happy. Like a key or piece in her life
has been finally put together. She loved it. She loved him.

She moved around his
apartment and felt like she was seeing more of him than she ever had. What kind
of man didn't own a house? Especially a man who had the kind of money Cade did.
She knew the answer now. He was married to his work. He'd been living with
nothing in his life but this club and his employees. Even his parents were dead
and with no siblings, he’d had nothing but this club.

She slipped back on her
clothes and left his apartment. He'd left this morning to do some work, but they
still had so much to talk about. There were questions she was burning to ask.
But last night had been so beautiful and wonderful to her that she wanted to
give him something back. Something special and a little sexy.

She grinned and made
arrangements with one of the assistant managers to have a room to herself. Then
she went into a changing room that she'd found while interviewing employees.
Men and women's fantasy clothes of nearly every possibility were here including
matching shoes, jewelry, wigs, and makeup.

Lina grinned; this was the
first time she had ever used her detective skills to figure out a man's
fantasy. She moved down the rows of lacy outfits, negligee, and costumes with
her finger trailing over them. Finally she stopped in front of a black and pink
outfit. She didn't know what to call it—lingerie? It had several pieces
including lacy stockings held up by braided garters, a corset top lined with
light pink fringe mixed with black. She snatched the outfit off the rack, her
heart beating a little faster in her chest.

She felt like she was
getting ready for a job interview and not about to seduce her boyfriend...her
friend...her lover?

Shaking her head, she took
off her clothes and started putting on the outfit. It was much harder than she
expected it to be. It was just clothes after all, and yet she nearly poked her
toes through the stocking and struggled to attach the garter belt to the
stockings. By time she was done, she was certain this was a very bad idea. She
closed her eyes and took deep breaths.

No, she wanted to do this.
For him and for her. She didn't know exactly why this was important but knew it
was. She picked a pair of tall black heels that were both sleek and sexy with a
thin stem of a heel and put them on. She applied just a little bit of dark
makeup around her eyes.

A knock sounded at the door,
startling her so bad she nearly poked her up with the mascara stick.

"Come in.”

Alice, referred to by her
friends at the club as Ms. Saigon, came in then. She looked beautiful in a
white nightie that stopped just a hair past her ass. The straps looked thin and
breakable. The whole ensemble with her soft dark hair down around her shoulders
made her look wholesome and young, almost too real. Her almond shaped eyes were
beautiful, exotic.

"Are you sure you're
okay with this?"

She nodded, smiling, then
bit her lip and winked playfully. “I'm flattered and excited, to be honest.”
Her smiled stopped and turned serious. “How about you? I do this for a living,
you on the other hand, don't.”

Lina stood and looked at
herself in the mirror. She looked like she could be any of the employees who
worked here. Her dark brown hair with just a hint of copper tones was curled
and just a little springy. She flushed remembering how Cade had pulled on the
strands and told her how much he loved her curly hair. Her heart fluttered in
her chest as she turned back to Alice.