Ring of Fire (3 page)

“Hmm. I didn’t know that I had an audience. Don’t’cha know, little firebrand? It’s not polite to spy on unsuspecting men who are undressing. You might just get more than you bargained for, hotstuff.”

Erin felt the heat flood her cheeks but decided to play along.

“Hmm, so even if you think no one is looking at you, you strip off your clothes, piece by piece like a Chippendale dancer? You must be in awe of your body, Nate Stryker. Or maybe you are just that cocky.”

Nate chortled. “I’m both, sugar. Cocky as hell and yeah, I’m in awe of my body. It must be good, to have a gorgeous woman like you licking her lips in anticipation.”

Erin reared up. “I am not licking my lips! In your dreams!” She hesitated then conceded. “Well, maybe I am—a little.”

Nate roared. “Come on, Erin. Admit it. You were gonna lay there in our bed and pretend you were sleeping until I was standing here in all my naked glory. Then you planned to jump little old unsuspecting me and have your wicked way with me. Am I right, my little voyeur? Admit it, hotstuff. You were planning on taking advantage of me.”

She tossed her head. “Right. Like I ever could! But, fine I’ll admit it. I like the idea of having the upper hand with you, Nate. Giving you orders instead of the other way around. Hmm, maybe, if you’re lucky, I might even take charge….”

“Ah, now that would be an interesting turn of events, wouldn’t it, sugar? Tell you what. You tell me what you want
me
to do and then I’ll tell you what I want
you
to do. Deal?”

Erin sniffed and hid her grin.

“At least the first part works for me.”

Erin rose up in the bed and rested against the tall headboard. The evenly placed slats didn’t leave much to the imagination nor did the high posters on all four corners. Erin shivered remembering the nights that Nate had made excellent use of all the features of their amazing bed. She looked him over from head to toe taking an erotic inventory. Tapping one long fingernail against her lips, she nodded as though coming to a conclusion.

“I think I’m thirsty, Nate. How about I sip on your beer while I decide what I’m going to do with you?”

Nate grinned.

“That’s okay for now. But, honey, just so you know, I’ve got other plans for that mouth of yours, but yeah, you can have some of my beer. Just keep being thirsty, okay?”

Erin struggled with the heat rolling up over her neck and face. How did he do this to her, she wondered? He drove her crazy just smiling at her. And now, his torso bare, the dark gold matting of hair on his chest that arrowed down his flat stomach and disappeared in the top of his jeans had her swallowing hard. To moisten her suddenly bone dry mouth, she took a healthy swallow of the beer.

He stood before her, his big hands resting on his hips. As though daring her, he inched his tight jeans lower on his hips but was stopped by the enormous bulge that was getting bigger by the second. Forcing herself not to stammer, she tossed her head and glared at his trousers.

“It’s good to know that you want me, Nate.”

“Want you? Damn, Erin. I’ve wanted you since the first time you shook that hot little ass of yours and told me to get the hell out of your way. Nothing like a feisty woman to get a randy bull like me pawing at the ground. And as for this?” He pointed at his arousal tenting the front of his pants. “You better decide quick what you want to do next, baby. This guy is an impatient son of a bitch and is likely to forget that you’re in charge.”

His eyes lit up like gleaming emerald jewels. His voice was soft, teasing.

“You
are
in control, right, Erin?”

Erin choked realizing that inadvertently she’d slipped her hand under the covers to quiet the raging sensations between her legs. Feeling the moisture there didn’t help. Neither did the grin spreading across his face.

He chuckled.

“Tell you what. You’re looking a little flushed. Why don’t you take another sip of that beer and then let’s get rid of some of those covers you’ve got pulled up to your chin. We wouldn’t want you to get overheated, now would we, Erin?”

Erin couldn’t stifle her groan. She slammed her eyes closed trying to block out the sight of the incredibly sexy man advancing on her.

His whisper sent shivers along her spine.

“How about I crawl up on the end of this bed and drag some of these covers off of you. I wanna see what you’ve been hiding from me. Oh, and Erin? Can we agree that you’re handing me the reins? That it’s my turn to give the orders?”

Erin gave a muffled moan and squeezed her eyes shut tighter. At the rush of cool air wafting over her, she opened her eyes and gave a startled gasp. Nate was standing at the foot of the bed gripping the tangled bedcovers in his hands. If she wasn’t so aroused herself the sheer lust in his eyes would have frightened her. Instead it ramped up her desire to a fever pitch.

His voice was a low growl. “You didn’t answer me, baby? Am I in charge now, sugar?’

At her passionate groan, Nate chuckled.

“I’ll take that as a yes, Erin.”

His smile quirked the corners of his mouth. Eying her silk cropped pajama top, he jerked his chin. No words were needed. As though following a list of detailed instructions, Erin eased her hands under the hem and slowly drew the silky top up and over her head. Excitement flooded her at his gasp. It was good to know that she could excite him as much as he excited her.

At her involuntary attempt to cover her naked breasts with her hands, he shook his head.

“Uh uh, Erin. Oh no you don’t. Cover up
those
treasures? Those soft luscious sexy gems that drive me to distraction just thinking about them? Uh uh, Erin. Not a chance.”

He moved forward so that he was kneeling up in front of her.

“Tell you what, Erin. How about you put your hands over your head and hang on to a couple of those bars. That’s the way. Now hang on tight baby and arch your back. That’s right. Hell, yeah! Damn, Erin. Look at you. You have the most gorgeous breasts I’ve ever seen. Especially when those rosy tips are getting hard just by my looking at them.”

Erin tossed her head from side to side, unable to quiet the whimpering sounds coming from her. All she wanted was to feel his hands on her, or better yet, his mouth, his lips, and God, yes—his teeth.

His voice was soft, crooning.

“That’s a good girl, Erin. Stay just like that.” As though she had any say in the matter, he asked, “Will it be okay if I crawl up between your legs and feast on these, Erin?” Grasping her breasts in his big hands he squeezed the tips between his fingers and thumb. Chuckling at her squeal, he murmured, “Oh yeah. And maybe when I’ve had my fill of these glorious treats, I’ll find some other sweet place to taste. How does that sound? Good, baby?”

Erin did her best to hang onto the slats above her head, but when he pushed her feet up against her bottom and spread her legs, she cried out and tried to wriggle free—to no avail. He was insistent, and too strong.

“Uh uh. I need to get closer, Erin. If we handle this just right, honey, not only am I going to be able to feast on your breasts but my cock is gonna be nudging his way into the sweetest spot on earth. But don’t worry. I’ll keep my pants zipped. I’ve got a few orgasms planned for you before I come inside of you. So keep hanging onto those bars, Erin, and then give into all the things I’m going to do to you. Got that? Good. Now, Erin, feel. Just feel.”

Erin writhed against him as he stroked her tender nipples with his expert tongue. Just when she didn’t think she could stand his feathery lashes a second longer, he began to suckle her in earnest. The strong pull of his mouth and lips sent a firestorm of sensation straight to her core. She cried out, begging him for more. When she thought she couldn’t go any higher, couldn’t climb another erotic peak, he twisted one hard beaded nub between his fingers and bit down on the other. Wild waves of passion splashed over her, each more forceful than the last. She shrieked a harsh keening cry and gave into the overpowering sensations rocketing through her.

He gently licked her and stroked her as she came down from her climax. She tried to pull back not knowing how she could possibly do more than dissolve in a puddle of sensations. Nate shook his head dragging his lips across her fevered chest.

“Uh uh, baby. We’re not done.
Damn
, Erin. You are one hot woman. I could take you like this again and again. And you know the best part? You would come every time just as hard and wild as you did now. But honey I’m gonna confess. This big guy of mine is not to be denied.”

His voice was tight, a mock accusation. “Look, Erin! Look what you’ve done to me!”

Nate knelt up and managed to shove his jeans down over his strong thighs. Erin gasped at the sight of his burgeoning arousal. He grasped his shaft at the base, a drop of pre-cum hovering on the slit of the swollen head.

“Touch me, baby.” He grabbed her hand and wrapped it around his staff. Stroking up and down, rubbing the silky covering over the iron hard shaft, he groaned. “Yeah, Erin. Like that!”

Seeing the flush creeping across his cheeks, Erin became emboldened. She licked the tip of her finger then rubbed it across his weeping slit. His eyes flew open when she stuck her finger in her mouth and sucked on it noisily.

“Christ, Erin. Do you know how fucking hot that is? But honey, if I let you suck on me like that, on my dick? I’d last all of three seconds. No, I’ve got a better idea. But first let me see if you’re as wet as ready as I am. Are you, honey? Wet, hot, ready for me?”

Erin cried out when he maneuvered her down against the bed and in one fluid movement stripped off her silky shorts and dragged her legs up over his shoulders. Lifting her hips he brought her groin up to his mouth. For the next several minutes, Erin wasn’t sure she could survive the fierce sensations driving her. Holding her bottom in his huge hands Nate opened her to his mouth and tongue. Unerringly circling her clit with his relentless tongue he lapped at her quivering flesh, urging her higher and higher until she was crying out for release. When she was sure she would die from desire, he sucked her clit into his mouth and bit down. In the midst of her cries he rose up and pressed his turgid staff against her entrance. In one hard thrust, he drove into her. At her shriek, he lifted her hips even higher. He pressed her thighs against her chest and pounded into her. He thrust in and out going deeper and deeper until he could go no more. As she climbed to the top of the precipice, his harsh roar echoed her passionate cry made all the more powerful because they rode the crest together.

For many long moments they lay wrapped in each other’s arms, laughing and crying, shaking as sensation after sensation washed over them. Crooning loving words Nate praised her. Told her how beautiful she was. How powerful. How she made him feel and what it meant to him that she loved him the way that she did.

Later he untangled himself and returned from the bathroom with a wet washcloth. He washed her gently, her face, her neck, her slick chest. He murmured to her as though she was a small child who played so hard that she was covered with sweat. And in truth she was. Hot, sweaty, filled with his release and her own. Barely hearing his crooning murmurs, she drifted into a luscious space at the edge of sleep and then allowed herself to give in to the powerful man holding her safely in his arms.

Erin didn’t know how long she’d dozed when she realized that Nate was sitting up resting against the headboard. He frowned when she looked up at him dazed, surprised to see that he was wide awake.

She forced herself to wake up.

“Are you okay, Nate? Is something wrong?”

“I’m sorry, Erin. God, honey, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

She roused up on one elbow and nestled in against him.

“You didn’t wake me. But… are you okay?”

“Erin, how could anything be wrong after what you and I just did to each other. You know, Erin. I love you more than I knew it was possible to love another person. You’ve made me the happiest guy in the world. Thank you, baby.”

She pressed her fingers against his lips.

“I know that, Nate. I never believed I could feel the way I do about you. That someone like you would love me the way that you do. It’s…a miracle. But Nate, I can tell when something is bothering you. Talk to me. Tell me what is on your mind.”

He gave a heavy sigh.

“Ah, Erin. You know what’s bothering me. You’re as close to it as I am. I hate like hell that it intrudes on our time together.”

“I know, Nate. But we can’t ignore it.” Her voice was wistful. “Maybe… together we can keep it from interrupting our lives, from stealing our joy.”

Nate’s voice was fierce. “We have to, Erin. We can’t let the crap around us threaten everything that matters to us. Promise me, Erin. Promise me you’ll keep your guard up. Not let that happen!”

Erin made her voice firm. “I promise, Nate. I love you too much to let anything hurt us.”

She knew in her heart that she did. But like Nate, she was only too aware of the dangers swirling around them. Physical dangers, and more potent emotional dangers. Demons from their separate pasts hid in the shadows rearing their ugly heads without warning. She and Nate were just now getting to the place where they both trusted that the love they felt for each other was powerful enough to face whatever came their way. Erin nestled against his strong shoulder and prayed that they were right.

Chapter 4

“Nate, if you sigh once more, I’m going to think you’d prefer to ditch me somewhere along the road.”

Nate sniffed and shook his head. “Hell, Sam. There’s no one I’d rather have along on this. You know more about meth than anyone on the CFPD except for yours truly—and of course Chief Roberts. I don’t want to give you a bigger head than you already have, but again with the exception of me and the Chief, you’re the smartest cop I know. High praise, buddy.”

Sam whistled. “Damn, Nate. Now I
am
getting worried. This guy really must be something if you are that concerned about meeting with him. Or, is it that you’re concerned about me?”

“That’s what I mean, Hollywood. You’re too damn smart. Okay, I’ll be straight, cut the trash talk. This is a big fucking deal. While Jeb Stuart Jones has always been a pain in the ass, he’s become significantly more dangerous. He threatens everything I believe in. And he’s not to be toyed with. In the last year he’s managed to connect with some very powerful, very dangerous people. While I can’t give you names, or solid proof, if the information my CI’s getting is as good as I think it is, we are getting damn close to tying him in with La Familia Muerte.