Naughty Bits 2 (37 page)

A WEEK LATER, LIAM FINALLY CAME TO THE
conclusion Chrissie needed longer to cool her heels than he'd originally thought, but he was a tenacious sort. He wanted it resolved. In his line of work—late hours, moving from post to post quickly—he didn't often get the chance to spend quality time with the women he met. It was a family trait; he and his brothers had displeased their mother royally by not securing good women for her to take under her wing. Displeasing an Irish mother was a bad move, resulting in long, woeful speeches over family dinners; speeches about how hard done by she was not having daughters-in-law to nurture. It didn't bother him, or in fact any of the three of the O'Neil brothers, but Chrissie had caught his attention more than anyone he'd met in years. He wanted to see her again.

However, when he'd turned up at her workplace he found she'd taken unplanned leave. The staff there wouldn't hand over her home address. He couldn't blame them for that. She didn't respond to his voice mail, or return his e-mail, even though he knew she'd be checking them both from home. The desire to speak with her was becoming an unrelenting need. Thoughts of her filled his mind, his libido easily triggered as he thought back over what had happened between them. It
didn't help that he had to prepare the closed-circuit footage for evidence. He delivered the hard drives for each of the nights that showed Theresa's nocturnal visits to the police. Problem was, the camera in Theresa's office had also caught the whole of his interlude with Chrissie. As far as Liam was concerned, it was the hottest porn he had ever seen.

He made an executive decision not to include that drive, since it wasn't strictly needed. Instead, he would wipe it before he returned it to supplies.

First, he had to watch it a few more times.

The images were hampered by the angle and the gloominess of the room, but he was able to enhance it and zoom in. He was fascinated by the way Chrissie looked, her abandonment. The raunchy way she wrapped her legs around his hips made him painfully erect. He jerked off as he watched her pulling him in, whispering his name and letting down her barriers. The noises she made during the lovemaking made his balls ache. His fist moved faster. He wanted to be inside her again, now, right now.

At the moment of climax, she turned her face away from his, and it caused him to swear under his breath as he watched her mouth opening, her fingers meshing in his hair. At the base of his spine pressure built, thudding hard as he jacked his load, cursing the fact it was a lonely emission instead of a shared pleasure. Afterward, he noticed that her arms closed around him and she kissed the side of his head. That surprised him most of all. At the time he'd been so caught up in his own release he hadn't realized she had shown any affection toward him.

He spent longer than was good for him rerunning the footage, and eventually burned it onto his own hard drive before wiping the company drive. He couldn't help himself—he wanted the memento. He also wanted proof she had been that way, she'd wanted that level of intimacy with him and she'd enjoyed it.

At the same time he knew that if he confronted her at work, she would make a run for it, just like she had that night. That's why he came up with a plan, a plan that involved enlisting his older brother's help to convince her to listen long enough that he could point out some home truths to her. Liam was a practical sort of a man, and he came up with a practical plan, albeit a bit aggressive.

Whatever it took, Liam was going to make her listen to what he had to say. There was a deeply sensual woman underlying that stubborn and headstrong exterior. If it took sex to bring it out in her, it was his duty to hunt her down and shag her senseless.

 

Chrissie drove her car into the driveway in front of her small suburban house, parked and sighed with relief. Well, she convinced herself it was relief. Maybe it was resignation. The important thing was she'd survived day one back at work. It was hard. Theresa had been the only other woman in the office, and Theresa had turned out to be the weak point. That made her feel bad, even though she knew she herself was a strong link. Meanwhile, Liam had filled her e-mail box and her voice mail, but hadn't, thank God, turned up to bug her in person. She'd been ready for that—expecting it, almost.

Now she was safely home and it was her haven. It had felt a bit lonely over the past few days, while she was off work, but Liam didn't know where she lived, which meant he couldn't hassle her here. He'd give up soon. Maybe he had already. Her head dropped back against the headrest. Just thinking about what had happened between them and how misguided she'd been made her feel uncomfortable, even now, a week later. She'd meant to confront him over his devious behavior around the office and get to the bottom of it. Somehow he'd got her on her back instead. She sighed as the physical memories flooded her, her pulse tripping when her body flared into life at the mere thought of him.

“Snap out of it,” she told herself, and reached for the door handle. It was then she noticed the blue lights flashing in her rearview mirror. There was a police car parked up behind hers. “What the hell?”

She grabbed her keys and got out of the car, watching as a tall uniformed police officer walked up her driveway. Stern but attractive, he was built like the side of a house, and he looked vaguely familiar. There was another man in the car, and the way the vehicle was parked, it was completely blocking the driveway, hedging her in like a criminal. What would the neighbors think?

The officer flashed a badge. “Good evening, madam. Are you aware of any traffic violations you might have made in the last ten minutes of your journey home?”

“No!” Chrissie was shocked; she was a very careful driver. She was mortified to think she'd done something wrong. Then she realized she'd snapped at the policeman and tried to soften it with a non-offensive smile. “I'm sorry, officer, I know it's no excuse, but I've had a lot on my mind recently.”

She wished he wasn't wearing sunglasses. It unnerved her that she couldn't see his eyes. His jaw looked as if it was made of granite and he had a scar across one cheekbone.

“Turn around and put your hands up against the roof of the car.”

A rush of humiliation hit her as she did as instructed, resting her keys on the car roof and then flattening her palms against it.

“Can I get some assistance here?” The officer shouted toward the parked car.

Assistance? Something wasn't right here. Surely you didn't have to be searched for a traffic violation—or even several road traffic violations—and especially not by two of them. She heard a car door slam, then footsteps. The tension at her back intensified, the scrutiny of the two men behind her making the skin on her back prickle. She moved her head, trying to see their reflections in the windows of the car.

“Hold it right there.” Strong, male hands moved under her arms and down her sides, patting her down. Blushing furiously, she prayed the neighbors weren't watching. His hands slowed to a stroke at thigh level and he lingered there a moment, before he stood up and drew her hands together behind her back. Whoever it was—and she guessed it was the second bloke—she could feel his breath warm against her neck.

“You've acted inappropriately, but I'm willing to let you off with a verbal reprimand, if you take what I have to say seriously.”

Something like déjà vu tickled her mind. Her spine straightened, her faculties gathering. Oh, that voice. Her head jerked as she tried to look back at him. Something cold and metal slid into place around her wrists, and she heard the click as she realized who and what it was—handcuffs.

“Liam,” she said in disbelief, staggering on her heels. “You followed me home!”

“Step inside.” His voice was gruff. “I need to talk to you.” One strong arm around her waist held her steady, the other snatched up her keys from the car roof. “Do you agree to hear me out?”

“You bastard—you can't just come around here and tie me up like you're some egotistical caveman.” Jolting forward, she leaned against the car, pulling away from him with all her might.

“If that's what it takes.” He grunted, hauling her away from the car, where she had pinned herself. “I'll do it. Chrissie, we have to talk.”

She wriggled and twisted in his grasp, but he lifted her off her feet, and despite her kicking back at him with her heels vigorously, he managed to turn her around and wedge her against the car so she couldn't move. Her cuffed hands were slammed hard against the car door and one heel was bending under her as she tried to lever away.

Liam grinned.

“You are getting some sort of sadistic pleasure out of humiliating me like this!”

“It's a means to an end, but you do look extra sexy when you're angry.” His eyes burned with lust, and it triggered a response in her that made her press her lips together with annoyance, afraid she might say and do the wrong thing.

“Jesus, Liam,” the other man said. “I thought you said she would enjoy this.” The police officer standing by had his hands on his hips and looked perturbed.

“She
is
enjoying it, she's just a stubborn, iron-willed little vixen who refuses to admit when she's having a good time.” He lifted his eyebrows, letting her know exactly what he was referring to.

Riled, she stuck her tongue out at him.

Liam laughed, and then goaded her under his breath. “What, you can't deny you enjoyed it back there on that desk when you had your legs wrapped around me?”

Her cheeks burned. Her head was reeling, her nerves jangling because he had her locked in his arms. Desperate, she turned her attention to the other man. “Who the hell are you?” She looked from one of them to the other. “He's not a real policeman at all, is he?”

“Actually, yes, he is. Chrissie, meet my older brother, Colin.”

The police officer gave her a mini salute and an apologetic glance. “I'm sorry, madam. It was a ruse.” He looked rather awkward, as if he'd been forced into this. “Your driving is impeccable,” he added in a lower voice.

“Col is the uptight member of our family,” Liam added.

“Fuck you,” the police officer said, then cleared his throat and adopted a serious expression. “Excuse me, madam, but I have to ask, am I okay to leave you in my brother's capable hands?”

She was about to respond, order him not to leave, when
Liam ducked down and kissed her full on the mouth. His sheer strength demanded she submit, his mouth claiming hers. With his hands holding her so tightly and his body against hers, she could feel the passion in him, the hard pressure of his cock through their clothes letting her know how much he wanted her. She melted, her body betraying her as she wilted against the side of the car, her head dropping back to take his kiss, to return it. One gentle thrust of his tongue into her mouth and her sex clenched, eager for his thrusts there, too. When he pulled back, a soft moan escaped her open mouth.

“There, you got your answer, she's enjoying it,” Liam said to his brother.

The policeman nodded, a sardonic smile on his face. “I surely did.”

Bewildered, Chrissie stared at Liam. He'd done it again; he distracted her from what she was going to say.

“I owe you,” Liam said to his brother. Then he set about moving her in the direction of her own front door, one hand on the bridge of the cuffs pushing her forward, the other examining her keys.

When she saw the determined set to his expression had resumed, her resentment flared and she pulled herself together. What the hell was it with this guy that he could trick her so easily? She ground to a halt and made him pause long enough to kick out in the direction of his shins. “Manhandling women against their will runs in the family, does it?”

He winced when she managed to make contact, but his expression only became more focused. “No, but determination does, and I am determined you will hear me out.”

Oh, but that determination ran in his voice and in his actions, too, and it was a huge turn-on. Though she struggled and kicked, a secret part of her blazed in response, the part that wanted to hear what he had to say, the part that battled
against her logic and will—the essential woman in her that had reveled in the time they'd spent together the week before.

He jostled her up the path, away from the police officer who stood with his arms folded across his chest, shaking his head, a wry smile playing around his mouth. How dare he? He tipped his hat and headed back to his car.

“I will report you for abusing your position,” she shouted out across the lawn.

Liam grabbed her against him, and applied pressure on the bar between the handcuffs, drawing her shoulders back. His breath was warm against her ear as he looked down at where her breasts thrust out through her shirt because of the position he'd got her into.

“He was helping me out, and if you are going to bandy about threats, think about this. I have some nice footage of you on your back, enjoying yourself immensely, on your boss's desk.”

He'd been filming it? Of course he had, he'd been on a stakeout, for Christ's sake. She remembered him saying that when Theresa had come into the office. He had footage of the whole thing. Her eyes flashed shut, her entire skin going hot and cold. She was taken right back to that desk, a series of images flashing through her mind, images she'd been thinking about in her silent moments, remembering and reliving. Knowing they were captured on film did bad things to her. The temperature between her thighs built rapidly. “I hate you,” she hissed.

“No, you don't.” He grinned, sure of himself. “It makes very interesting viewing, believe me. But I'm willing to keep it to a private showing between the two of us.” He laughed softly against her ear, one hand against her waist allowing him to caress her beneath her breasts as he spoke. “If you give me something in exchange.”