Round-the-Clock Temptation (13 page)

She pushed up against his hands, let out a frustrated groan, but he didn't stop. He licked and nibbled his way lower, across one shoulder, following the path of her collarbone to the opposite side. Maybe if he would touch her breasts this wouldn't be so bad, but every time he got close, when she felt his breath warm her nipple and she arched up toward his mouth, he'd become preoccupied somewhere else.

She could feel her skin growing warmer, feel herself getting wetter. Which didn't mean much considering all he had to do to get her wet was look at her the right way. Right now she was more frustrated than aroused.

He went for her mouth again, brushing his lips softly against hers. She did love kissing him. She lay perfectly still, knowing that if she so much as breathed hard he would stop again. He nibbled her upper lip, then the lower one, teasing with his tongue. She couldn't stop herself from touching her tongue to his, and the second she did, he backed away.

She felt like screaming. Was he trying to ruin this for her, trying to make her miserable?

He wound up at her throat again somehow, and slowly licked his way down, between her breasts. Her nipples pulled into tight, aching points. He ignored them completely and kept going lower, down each of her ribs, kissing them, one after another. As he descended, he let go of her wrists and she wrapped her hands around his head, tunneled her fingers through his hair. He sank lower still, kissing her belly, teasing her navel with the tip of his tongue.

Keep goin', she wanted to tell him, a little farther. Instead he started up. She tried to push him down but he brushed her hands out of the way.

“Don't make me tie you up,” he warned. Considering the devilish gleam in his eye, she wouldn't put it past him to do exactly that. She let go of his head and fisted her hands in the blankets instead. He was going to pay for this, for torturing her. She felt like a rubber band stretched too tight and ready to snap.

Without warning he ran his tongue across the rounded underside of her breast. She was so surprised she gasped and nearly vaulted off the bed.

He looked up at her and grinned. “That must have felt awful.”

“You just startled me,” she said, surprised by how husky her voice sounded. Yeah, maybe she was turned on, but if he thought this was going to do the trick, he was wrong. He was moving too darned slow.

He licked the opposite breast the same way and though she tried to hold it in, a moan slipped from her throat.

He looked up at her and grinned. “Startled you again, did I?”

Oh, he was so smug. He wouldn't be so cocky later when he realized what a waste this had been. He wouldn't be smiling then.

His mouth closed around her nipple, sucked hard. She cried out and rocked against him.

He lifted his head to look at her. “You want me to make love to you, Nita?”

She shook her head.

He settled himself between her thighs. With the slightest shift he would be inside her. “You sure about that?”

She looked him in the eye and, using blunt language, told him exactly what she did want.

Though he pretended to look shocked, she knew he loved it when she talked dirty. “Someone needs to wash out that mouth of yours,” he told her.

“Already been done,” she said breathlessly. “It didn't help.”

He shifted his hips, rubbed against her. She couldn't stop herself from arching up, seeking him out. He was killing her. She was dying a slow, agonizing death.

“Nita, look at me,” he said.

She opened her eyes, looked up at him. His eyes were deep blue wells of emotion, and as much as she wanted to look away, she couldn't make herself do it.

His eyes still pinned on hers, he slowly entered her. She clung to him, sank her nails into his back. When he'd filled her completely he stopped for what felt like an eternity, then eased out and slowly pushed forward again. She wanted to tell him harder, faster, but her voice wouldn't work. She couldn't even focus.

If he didn't do something soon she
was
going to die. Her body was on fire, screaming for release and he moved in the same slow, steady rhythm. Then he lowered his head and kissed her, his mouth hot and sweet, his tongue rubbing sensuously against her own. She wasn't sure how it happened but one second she was in agony, the next ecstasy, gripped by the most fierce, most erotic orgasm she'd ever had in her life. All she could do was lie there, paralyzed by pleasure. And just when she thought it was over, when she caught her breath and the world came back into focus, she opened her eyes, saw Connor tense with his own release, heard him cry out her name, and she flew apart all over again.

C
onnor was helping Nita and Jimmy unload supplies from the truck the following morning when he heard a vehicle and turned to see Jake's black SUV pulling up the driveway. It wasn't like him to drop by for no reason. No doubt he'd gotten a call from their father.

“It's my brother,” he told Nita. “I should talk to him.”

“Go ahead,” she said. “We'll finish up here, then I'll get lunch started. What sounds good? Burned grilled cheese or canned stew?”

“Burgers at the Royal Diner,” he said, laughing and darting out of the way when she tried to swat him.

“You think you're so funny,” she grumbled, but she was grinning, too.

He headed to his brother's car. Jake climbed out, a
perplexed look on his face, and as Connor got closer, he began to shake his head. “Look at you.”

Connor stopped and looked down at him self. “What about me?”

“I don't know,” Jake said. “You look…different. Your hair is longer.”

Connor dragged a hand through the hair that was about six weeks past its monthly trim. “Yeah, haven't had time to get it cut. I'm thinking I might grow it out.”

“It's not just that. You look relaxed and…I don't know. I guess you look happy.”

“I am happy,” he said, and for the first time in his life really meant it.

“I imagine that has a lot to do with the call I got from Dad last night.”

Connor grimaced. He should have known after he shut his phone off their father would have been through the roof, hopping mad, and he would need someone to take it out on. “Yeah, sorry about that. I should have called and warned you.”

Jake leaned against the hood of his car. “So, you finally did it. You told him off.”

Connor could swear he saw admiration in his brother's eyes. Which didn't make sense because Jake had never held back when it came to putting their father in his place. “Actually no, I didn't. I just told him I was resigning from the firm. I didn't stay on the phone long enough to hear him rant. Nothing he could say would change my mind, so I hung up and turned my phone off.”

“Which would explain why he called me.”

“I'm sorry if he gave you a hard time.”

He shrugged. “You know me. Everything he says
pretty much rolls off my back. But that isn't the only reason I'm here. Gavin got some new information.”

“About the feud?”

“About Jonathan Devlin's death. It seems that Malcolm Durmorr worked at the hospital as an orderly at the time that Jonathan was injected. He was later dismissed on the recommendation of a board member—Opal Devlin.”

“Meaning he could have something against the Devlins, and a reason to keep the feud going?”

“It's a possibility. He's had his share of run-ins with the law. And he's been seen with Gretchen. She has a horse here, doesn't she?”

Connor nodded. “Yeah, Nita said she doesn't ride it, though. She's only been here a couple of times to see it.”

“Maybe he came with her. He could have planted the syringe here. Hell, for all we know she could have planted it for him.”

“You think she's in on it?”

Jake grinned. “I'd love to think that, but I'm biased. I want to win the election, but I want to win it fairly. I want to get all the facts before we start pointing fingers or I could lose all credibility.”

“Nita never mentioned Malcolm being here, but I'll see what I can find out.” Connor leaned on the car next to him. “So, Dad was pretty mad, I guess.”

“At first he was more stunned than angry. He's used to you doing whatever he asks. After we talked for a few minutes I could tell he was really getting mad. He expected me to drop what I'm doing and take over for you. When I told him no, he just about had a stroke.”

“I should probably feel guilty, but I don't. The truth
is, I don't care what he thinks anymore. I don't know why I ever did.” He sighed, long and deep. “That's not true. I know why I did it. Because I was jealous.”

“Jealous of what?”

“Of you. You were the popular twin. The twin everyone loved. And no matter how much you screwed up, you always managed to come out ahead somehow. I've done everything our father ever asked of me, but not once have I felt like he approved of me.”

Jake laid a hand on Connor's shoulder. “That's the difference between you and me. I don't give a damn what he thinks of me. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I don't have too many regrets.”

“When we were kids, I used to wish I could be you, just for a day, so I could know what it felt like.”

Jake laughed. “You probably would have been disappointed. My life wasn't as exciting as it looked. I was as confused and mixed-up as most other kids, I just didn't let it show. The important thing now is that despite everything, I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. How many people can say that?”

Connor looked up at Nita, realizing he felt exactly the same way. He couldn't even explain how he was sure. He only knew that he belonged here, and that whatever he'd been, whatever had happened in his past, didn't matter anymore.

“I was going to ask if you're in love with her, but I think I've already got my answer,” Jake said.

“She doesn't want a relationship.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“I'm going to marry her.” He looked up at his brother and grinned. “She just doesn't know it yet.”

 

Nita woke with the length of a very warm, very aroused male body curled behind her. Though she typically liked to sprawl out and hog the bed, Connor liked to spoon. The past couple of nights, she'd begun to grow used to him sleeping with her. Not that he'd given her a choice, considering, once he was in her bed, he wouldn't leave. Every time she made noise like he should get up and go to his own room, he would start kissing her and touching her and she would forget what she was saying, until he had her so completely exhausted and sexually sated, she didn't care where he slept. And yeah, okay, she kind of liked waking in his arms, and he didn't seem to care that she climbed out of bed looking like Frankenstein's bride.

She liked watching him while he slept, too. The lines of his face softened and he looked younger. She also liked the way he woke her—with his hands and his mouth in all the places she loved to feel them. Red-hot sex was definitely the best way to start the morning.

The truth was, there wasn't too much she didn't like about sleeping with Connor. Which was all the more reason to put an end to it as soon as possible. She usually thought with her head, but now her heart was starting to dictate the rules and that scared her.

And she didn't scare easily.

She glanced over at the clock, saw that the alarm was set to go off in twenty minutes, and decided she might as well get out of bed. If she waited for the alarm, Connor would wake up and start doing his magic and they wouldn't get a thing done before lunch.

She rolled out of bed, shivering as her bare feet hit the
cold wood floor. She grabbed the afghan from the foot of the bed and wrapped it around herself then walked over to the window to see what the day would be like—half hoping for torrential rain so she and Connor would have to stay indoors. She pushed the curtains aside and peered out. The sun glowed pink across the horizon and a fine mist of dew covered the ground. Another beautiful day—oh well. Then she looked down at the driveway and saw that the second truck was parked there.

Five days after her daddy had left, he was finally home. He'd called Saturday and left a message saying he would be gone for a few days, but when he did come home, he and Nita were going to have a talk—meaning she'd been found out. Considering Jane's car was nowhere to be seen, Nita's fib obviously hadn't done any good. She'd been worried sick that something horrible had happened, or that her meddling had only made things worse. What if, instead of going to see Jane, he'd gone to see Lucas Devlin and they'd duked it out?

She must have left a dozen messages on her daddy's voice mail, but he hadn't called her back. She'd even tried calling Jane to see if she'd heard from him, but kept getting her answering machine. Jane either wasn't there, or was too mad to call her back.

Now that Will was home, he was going to get a piece of Nita's mind.

“Is he home?”

Nita turned to see Connor sitting up in bed, stretching. She loved the way he looked in the morning, all rumpled and sexy. And he felt even better. “How did you know?”

“I heard the truck pull in late last night.”

“You should have woken me.”

“I tried. You were out cold.” He pulled the covers back, patting the bed beside him. “It's early, come back to bed.”

“The alarm is set to go off in less than fifteen minutes. I should get ready for work.”

“You sure? You'd be amazed what I can do in fifteen minutes.”

She could think of a dozen reasons not to get back into bed, but her feet carried her there regardless. Another prime example of her heart not listening to her head.

“Okay, but only fifteen minutes.” She let the afghan slide to the floor and climbed in beside him. Then his hands were on her body, driving her crazy like no one ever had before.

This was too good she realized, too perfect. And she knew it had to end.

Later, she decided, as his hot mouth found her nipple. She would worry about it later.

 

An hour and a half later Nita headed down the stairs, showered and dressed, ready to have it out with her father. Maybe what she'd done was a little unethical, telling him Jane was in cahoots with a Devlin, but what he'd done was far worse. A man couldn't just disappear for five whole days and not worry his family sick.

She stomped her way to his bedroom and pounded on the door. “Daddy, I want to talk to you.”

Through the door she heard the covers rustling, the sound of hushed voices. She couldn't believe it. He had someone in there! Had he been so distraught he'd picked up some floosy? Had Nita driven him to it?

She didn't know who to be more angry at, him or herself.

The door opened a crack and her daddy stood there in his robe. “Now isn't a good time to talk.”

Well, that was just too damned bad, because she had something to say. “Have you got a woman in there?”

He looked more exasperated than angry. “If you must know, yes, I do.”

Nita's mouth fell open.

“Don't look at me like that. I made it legal first.” He wiggled his hand in front of her face, showing off a shiny new wedding band. “We got hitched in Vegas.”

She was almost too stunned to form words, but somehow she managed. “You're
married?”

“Yep.”

This was even worse than she'd thought. They were never going to get Jane back now. And she doubted any wife he picked up in Vegas would know how to run a farm.

“How do you think Jane is going to feel about this?”

“Lemme ask her.” He called over his shoulder, “Jane, honey, how do you feel about me getting hitched?”

“I'd say it's about time,” Jane called back.

This time Nita was too stunned to speak.

“Satisfied?” her daddy asked and Nita nodded numbly. “Then if you don't mind, I'm going to get back to my bride. I'm a newlywed, you know.”

The door snapped shut and Nita stood there a good five minutes, letting it all sink in. Her plan had worked. She'd gotten Jane and her daddy back together, just as she'd hoped to. She'd never seen him look so happy and she knew Jane had to be feeling like the luckiest woman alive. It's all Nita had ever wanted for the both of them, so why did she feel so jumbled up inside?

She was happy and excited and something else, something darker.

Then she realized she was jealous. Nita was used to having her daddy all to herself. Now that he was a husband, she would have to share him. What was even worse, though it shamed her to feel this way, she was jealous of their happiness. Jane would be the perfect wife—everything Nita would never be.

Nita had been this way long enough to know she would never change, even if she tried. But for the first time in her life, deep down, she wished she were different. She wished she could find a man to love her for exactly who she was, someone to start a family with, to spend her life with. At that moment she wanted it so bad it was a sharp ache in her chest.

And she wanted the man to be Connor.

Somewhere in the past few weeks, she'd gone and done the one thing she'd promised she would never do. She'd let herself fall in love. And she suspected, from the way he looked at her, the way he touched her, maybe he was falling in love with her, too.

Nothing could be worse.

No matter how much she ached for it, she knew it would never work. Men expected certain things from the women they married. They wanted someone to cook and clean and take care of them. Things that she couldn't do. Couldn't and wouldn't, because she refused to end up like her momma—so unhappy it killed her. She could never be a proper wife, and that was what Connor deserved.

There was no way around it, she had to end this thing between herself and Connor, and she had to do it soon.
Maybe this morning, before they got in deeper than they already were.

With a heavy heart, she walked to the kitchen and started fixing a pot of coffee. A few minutes later, when she heard footsteps behind her, she knew it was Connor, and she knew what she had to do.

“So, did you talk to him?”

“Yeah, I talked to him.” You can do this, she told herself. It'll be easy. Just flat out tell him it's over.

She forced herself to turn and look at him. He was dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt, his hair still damp from his shower, his chin cleanly shaved. He looked so good she wanted to cry, and the ache in her chest throbbed even harder. She was so nervous her hands were trembling.