Revelation: A Contemporary Erotic Romance (Iris Series) (23 page)

That was a lie.  She
did
want to enter, but it scared the shit out of her, especially when she knew he wouldn’t be around long. 

Once they had their food, they ate, completely enjoying their meal and talking about how good it was.

“So, what made you go into law enforcement?” she asked taking a bite of her linguine.

“9/11,” he responded after swallowing a bite of meatball.  “I was a senior in high school when it happened.  I had some friends whose family members were killed in the towers.  It was such a hard time here in the City,” he murmured, then took another bite.  They continued to eat in silence until he said, “I had already applied to NYU and was waiting to hear back from them.  I actually wanted to study Psychology or maybe English, if you can believe that.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. 

“Actually, now that you mention it, I do remember you quoting Shakespeare to me once,” she chuckled. 

“ ‘Methinks the lady doth protest too much.’ Truer words were never said, especially about you.”  He nailed her with a look.

“So, did you go to NYU?” she asked, wanting to change the subject.

“I changed my mind and went to CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice.  It’s right by my apartment.”

“What did you major in?  You got a bachelor’s?”

He nodded.  “I ended up getting a BA in Criminology then went into the police academy after that and the rest is history.”

“I’m sure you had to study sociology and psychology.  It explains why you’re always picking my brain,” she muttered.

“Just making friendly conversation,” he teased, taking another bite of his sandwich.

“Uh, huh.  Do you always pick apart the women you sleep with?”  They paused then laughed when they thought about her wording.  “You know what I mean.”

He shook his head, “Not usually.  Certainly not as much as I do
you
.”  He studied her with his eyes.  “You fascinate me.”

“Great,” she mumbled.

He smiled, wiping his hands on his napkin.  “Whattaya wanna do for the rest of the night?”

Sex, please. 

No, Emily.  And whatever you do, don’t let him sleep over.

“We should probably call it a night soon. We’re both gonna be up early and I need to be there even earlier to make sure everything is good to go.  I wanna pick up some breakfast for everyone, and stuff.”  She began cleaning up her food.  “I need to look over some papers tonight to get prepared, so...”  She let her voice drift off and avoided looking him in the eyes.

He continued sitting there watching her.  She could feel the heat of his gaze until finally, she looked up at him, trying to hide her exasperation.

“What?”

“Come here.”

“Let me clean up first,” she began.

“It can wait.  Come here,” he said taking her and draping her on his lap so her back was against the arm of the sofa and she was snuggled into him.

She tried not to, but couldn’t seem to stop the contented sigh that escaped her body.  He was warm, sexy, smelled good…and she liked him.  She really
really
wished she didn’t, knowing full well this was how all of his women probably felt when they were with him.  Content.  Safe. 

“If that sigh could talk, what would it be saying?”

“You talk like a therapist, Detective,” she mumbled into his chest.  She felt his response in the form of a rumble of soft laughter passing through him against her cheek. 

“It was a good sigh, I hope.”

Too good.

“Ask me to stay.”  He said it so quietly she almost didn’t hear him.

A moment passed while stillness sat around them until he continued.

“I wanna stay, but I get the distinct impression that you don’t want me to.”

She had never known another person who showed his cards so readily.  It was as if he was just going to put it out there at all times and then let the chips fall where they may.  How was it so easy for him to show his vulnerability?  She took a breath trying to figure out how to respond to him.

“It’s not that I don’t want you to stay.”  She swallowed.  That was as far as she could go on the vulnerability scale.

“But?”  He was stroking her hair. 

“I don’t think it would be wise.”

“Because?”

She exhaled sharply.  “Because,” she sputtered.  “This is just sex.”

He was nodding then he tipped her head back so she was looking at him.  His hand cupped her face and she tried to look away, but his gaze was so penetrating she couldn’t seem to not look him in the eye.

“Is that what this is?” he murmured.

A bout of nerves hit her stomach and she swallowed.  “Yes.”

He nodded again.  “If you say so.”

Well, what the hell did that mean?
  His words made her feel confused, unexpectedly hopeful, then completely empty.  She clenched her teeth.

Fucking do NOT get upset, Emily.  This is what you both agreed upon.  This is only the second night you’ve been with him.  Are you gonna screw this up so early on?

She didn’t hesitate and with defiance, grabbed his face and kissed him.  She was feeling raw and that was the way she wanted it.  She plunged her fingers into his hair holding him still for her attack.

He seemed to expect it and rolled them to the floor, pulling her shirt off, then his sweatpants while she worked on her own.

“Is this what you want, Em?” he asked, kissing her neck, then chest, working his way down her torso.

“Yes,” she breathed. 

“Tell me what you want, what you like.”  He was getting closer to her pussy and she knew she would fly apart within seconds if he got there.

“Just keep doin’ what you’re doing, Detective.  I think you’ll be able to figure it out,” she breathed.  She wiggled her hips, pushing into him as he slowly crawled down her body.  She could feel his smiling lips on her skin.

“I might need some guidance,” he murmured into her, taking nibbles as he went lower and lower.  He was resting on his forearms between her legs letting his hands coast up and down her outer thighs.  She looked down at him just as he stopped and looked up.  He stared her in the eye as he rubbed his cheek on her inner thigh, sucking her skin gently into his mouth.

“How ’bout this?  Do you like this?”

She nodded.

“I can’t hear you, Emily.  You’re gonna have to say that a little louder.”  He grasped the skin near her pussy between his teeth and bit gently.

“Yes,” she gasped as the humming sensation took over her body again, arousal further dampening between her legs.

“And what about this?”  He licked at her labia and drew it into his mouth, biting down.

“Yes,” she moaned.  “I definitely like that.”  She couldn’t control herself any longer and pushed her hands into his hair to speed him along.

He chuckled, then whispered, “Mmm, me too.  Is that all you like?  If this is only about sex, then we better make it good.  What else do you want me to do?  I might need you to be specific.”

“Mike,” she growled in frustration, trying not to ruminate on his words.  “Suck it.  Kiss it.  Put your mouth on it.  Come
on.
”

He kept looking at her, but this time his stunned expression quickly morphed into one of such primal lust, she almost gasped at the sight of it.

“Like this?” he whispered.  He leaned forward and gently lapped at her nub and ended with an equally gentle suck, then backed away.

She moaned and gripped his hair even tighter, watching him from above as her chest rose and fell.  “Don’t stop,” she gasped and dropped her head back onto the floor.  “Don’t stop.”

“Baby, I wouldn’t dream of stopping.  Not when I can bathe in your scent, take it home with me.”  He leaned in and sucked gently on her clit again, teasing her.  “Does this feel good?”

“God, yes.  Keep going!”

He did, alternating between teething her, sucking her, rubbing his nose into her. 

“I can’t wait ’til you come all over me, Em.  When are ya gonna do that for me?” he asked in between bites and licks.  “Are you gonna come for me, Em?” he teased.

Her gasps and moans grew louder and louder as her hands slipped from his hair to his face.  “Yes, yes,” she sobbed, her fingers playing near his jaw and mouth as he consumed her, his mouth now nipping at her hands near her pussy.  She pulled her legs back further.

“Yeah.  That’s it.  Show me that pretty pussy,” he murmured against her, moving his hands under her knees and holding her open for him.

He finally stopped teasing and went at her, feasting on her until her body felt like a bow being stretched to its limit.  Then he let the arrow fly.

And she screamed out his name as she came in his mouth and he took every last drop of her.

By the time she came down from the sweet oblivion he’d thrown her into, he was kissing her mouth, mingling her scent with his lips on hers. 

He pulled at her hair and she did the same to him as he consumed her mouth.  When he slipped himself inside, they both groaned with relief.

“There’s no other feeling like it,” he breathed into her mouth.  “There’s no other feeling like having you around my dick.  It’s like heaven.”

He began moving and she nearly stopped breathing.  He felt too good and breathing just got in the way of her pleasure.  A second later, she let out a whoosh of air as he pressed more forcefully into her, picking up speed.

“Come for me again, Em. I need to feel you come around me,” he whispered in her ear as he fucked her.  “I need to feel it.”

She moaned as he hit her G-spot over and over, now hypersensitive after the literal tongue lashing he gave her moments earlier.  “I’m almost there.  I’m almost there,” she gasped.

“Mmm,” he murmured as he kissed her cheek, then jaw.  “Your smell.”  He held her head still with his hands and his movements grew faster.  “Your eyes.  God, Em.  Get there. 
Get
there,” he moaned.

It was her name on his lips and him holding back until she found her own release first that did it for her.  She got there while yelling his name and he followed right after her with his own release.

……

Two revelations hit Emily while lying underneath this spectacular man:  one, she’d said his name.  Without him having to ask, in the throes of passion only moments earlier, she’d said his name.  Two, if she was going to remain unscathed, she would need to end this affair with him soon because she was fairly certain she was falling in love with Michael Callahan.

Not yet.  She couldn’t end it with him yet.  She wanted him too badly.  She was beginning to feel like she needed him, that she hadn’t fully experienced living until she’d met him.  Whatever it was they had with each other, she needed it as much as she needed her next breath.  There was no stopping her hormones when he was around. 

What she needed to do was keep her true feelings hidden so she could protect herself.  She was terrified he could read her thoughts,
feel
them.  She felt splayed open as if she were an animal being dissected in a science lab.

While they lay there finding their breath, she slowly began to erect the wall of bricks around her heart. 

Brick one.
  She’d said his name and she was damn sure he noticed it.  He would joke about it.  Never let her live it down.

Brick two.
  And her saying his name could only mean one thing:  he
knew
.  How many other women had he made fall in love with him, with his charm and good looks; his easy going banter and his ability to make a woman feel like she was the only woman in the world he wanted. 

Brick three.
She was realizing, much to her horror and disappointment, that she wasn’t the kind of woman who could simply have fun and not get her heart involved.

She lay there, adding brick after brick, building the wall higher and higher until her heart was completely protected enabling it to withstand the feelings bombarding her, along with the battering ram that was Michael Callahan.

She took a deep breath and calmed herself then gently pushed him off of her.  He moaned and slipped out of her then she walked to the bathroom to clean herself.  When she came back, she handed him a towel so he could do the same while she put her clothes back on. 

More armor. 

A minute passed.  Then two.  She began cleaning up the dishes.

“You’re quiet,” he murmured.  “You okay?”

“Uh, huh,” she chirped, avoiding his eyes, as if to say
What a silly question, Detective.

“I’ll get going then,” he said after a moment of hesitation.  Once he was fully dressed, he stood in front of her stopping her from cleaning up the dinner.  “Hey.”

She stopped and looked at him, shuttering her eyes.

He knows.  He knows.  He’s gonna mention the fact that I called out his name.

“I’ll pick you up in the morning.  What time do you want me here?”