Shadow of Sin (The Martin Family) (5 page)

She offered him a sad smile. “The gesture is appreciated, Caleb. Thank you.” She pulled her face away.

Refusing to let her retreat, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and cupped her face. Soft, warm skin greeted his palm. He brushed his thumb across her cheek, amazed by its smoothness. “It’s the truth. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean —”

She put a finger to his lips and he barely resisted the urge to open his mouth and taste her.

“Yes, you did. And it’s okay. We may not get along, but at least you’ve never lied to me. Please don’t start now. I’m a big girl, Caleb. I can take it. And I owe you an apology. I’m sorry for not considering your feelings where Amanda is concerned.”

Her touch rocked him. Revamped his desire to have her wet and screaming his name. “I’m sorry for all that.” He offered her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “I’m so used to you calling me horseman now, I’m afraid I’d never answer to anything else from your lips.” Those sweet, succulent lips. “What is it about you that makes me so crazy?” he murmured.

She chuckled. “I’m too tired to fight anymore, Caleb. The best course of action would be to find the evidence I need to bury Matteo. Then we can move on.”

The mention of her stalker snapped his brain back to attention. He had a job to do. Eliminate the threat and protect Samantha.

Best he remember that.

Distractions led to mistakes. He couldn’t afford any more mistakes.

He forced his voice level, undemanding. “It’d be a lot easier if you’d let us help. Let
me
help. Trust me to take care of this for you.”

Asking for her trust was a long shot. In truth, he probably didn’t deserve it. But, he had to try. Needed to try. He would protect her.

“Trust you?” She seemed to consider his words. After a moment, she surprised him by nodding. “I can’t promise miracles, but I’ll do my best to follow your lead … until this is over.”

Caleb resisted the insane urge to pump his fist in the air. “So, we have a deal then?”

She caressed her fingers over his jaw. He leaned into her gentle touch, feeling it all the way to his bones.

“Oh, now you’re willing to make deals?” She looked him dead in the eye. “All right then, but once Matteo is caught and the threat against me is gone? You’ll go on with your life and I’ll go on with mine, and hopefully, we can stay out of each other’s way. That’s the deal.”

She dropped her hand to her lap.

“After this, Caleb, we’re done.”

Chapter 5

Oh, hell no. Caleb pushed to his feet. “Explain that.”

She shook her head. “I don’t see how I was unclear.”

Jesus, he’d been on roller coasters that didn’t challenge his stability like she did. Just when he thought they’d finally reached an accord, she’d swiped the rug out from under his feet.

“Try again.” Because there was no way he’d heard her right the first time.

She shrugged. “You said it yourself. I make you crazy. I don’t see what you’re getting all worked up about. All we do is fight. Aren’t you the least bit tired of it?”

He opened his mouth to respond and she cut him off.

“I’m offering you an out. A way to be rid of me forever. Or, at least as much as possible, considering I have no intention of ending my relationship with Amanda. Or Alec. Come on, Caleb. I’d think you’d be happy. This is what you’ve wanted from the beginning. Me, out of your life. When this is over, you can walk away. No more feeling like you have to look out for me. No responsibility. No remorse.”

What if he didn’t want her out of his life? He knew one thing: she damn sure wasn’t going to decide for him.

She made him crazy all right. Caleb clenched his teeth against the pain in his groin. If she made him any crazier, he’d bust out of his shorts.

He was horny, tired, and fed up with Samantha and that sassy mouth of hers. Right now, he didn’t care what anyone else thought. He didn’t care about repercussions. She pushed his buttons like no other woman. He was ready to push a few of his own.

She’d screamed his name once, by god. She’d do it again. Live and in-person.

He softened his features and scanned his gaze over her body—the same way he’d done in his room just a few minutes ago. She’d found pleasure then; he’d seen the signs. The subtle change of her breath, the darkening of her eyes as her pupils expanded, the tightening of her nipples. Tight buds that even now pressed against her shirt. His shirt.

Caleb cocked his head to the side when his vision reached her lap, pondering once again whether she wore panties. His dick was painfully heavy, straining against the nylon of his shorts. One look and she’d know how hard he was for her.

He didn’t have to fake a hungry expression when he met her eyes again.

“Caleb? What the hell?” She crossed her arms over her breasts, appearing nervous. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

He watched the rise and fall of her chest, her breaths coming faster now.

His chuckle sounded foreign in his ears. Dark and husky. “Your hair is such a deep, rich red, Samantha. I wonder…” He let his gaze drift down once again. “Is the hair that covers your pussy just as red? Or do you shave?”

“Had a lot of experience with the grooming habits of women, have you? I wouldn’t have guessed that.” She laughed, seemingly unaffected by his blunt statement.

Caleb knew better, could see it in the flush of her skin and in the way she clenched her thighs together. He knew his way around a woman’s body. He took pride in giving pleasure. He’d learned to watch, to pay attention to every sound, movement, and shift. To ignore a woman’s needs in search of his own would be a grave injustice, because there was nothing more beautiful, more satisfying, than a woman in the throes of passion.

She cleared her throat. “I assure you, this color is natural, if that’s what you were wondering.”

“Hmm.” He pretended to consider her answer. He’d meant to shock her—give her a taste of what she’d given him over the years. But, the game didn’t matter anymore. There was only one way this was going to play out. “Your nipples are hard. I’ll bet they’re the color of your lips, and taste just as sweet.”

“Shut the hell up. You don’t know what I taste like. Whatever you’re trying to do, stop it. It’s not funny.”

His cock jumped at the thought of tasting her. For once, his brain and his lower extremity were on the same page. Caleb shoved his fingers through her hair and jerked her head back. “I’m about to find out.”

Samantha whimpered a second before he pressed his lips to hers. He waited a moment, savoring the feel of her soft lips against his and giving her time to slap the shit out of him. Instead, she reached up and grabbed the back of his head, holding him in place as she opened her lips and offered him her tongue.

Not offered. Demanded.

If the vixen thought she’d wrestle control from him, she had another thing coming.

He tightened his grip, a subtle reminder of where he wanted her.

She broke away. “Caleb. What are you —”

He jerked her to her feet and captured her wrists, forcing her hands behind her back. He crushed his mouth to hers in a brutal assault, need overpowering any thought he might’ve had about being gentle. He kept hold of her as he pushed his tongue past her lips, ready for her to either bite him or knee him in the balls. But the taste of her … so worth it. The sweet and spicy essence of her mouth filled him as he took possession.

Samantha latched onto his tongue and sucked hard, still wrestling him for control. Caleb tightened his grip, tugged her hands with a growled warning as he slid his tongue against hers. Like a man starved, he feasted on her mouth.

Samantha relaxed, her hardened nipples brushing against his chest, begging for attention. He shifted his grip, holding her tight with one hand while he smoothed the other under her shirt to cup her breast.

“Apparently, we haven’t communicated very well. So, let me break it down for you.”

“Caleb.” She quivered as he passed his thumb over her nipple, causing the dimpled skin to peak further.

“When I said you make me crazy, I should’ve said you make me hard as fucking concrete.” He rolled the tight bud between his thumb and forefinger, testing her sensitivity. “I should’ve said I’m dying to feel your pussy wrapped around me. You make me crazy with the need to fuck you.”

Hunger tore through his system, ripped at his guts, as he forced himself to go slow. “Tell me you want this, Samantha.”

Her eyes were glazed over with desire. “Caleb.”

She strained against him, but he held firm. “Say it, Samantha. Tell me you want me.”

His tone dared her to deny it. This was a bad idea, but god help him, the only way he’d stop was if she pushed him away. But he knew she wanted him, and he’d be damned if she’d claim otherwise when they were through.

He rubbed his aching cock against her belly. “Do you feel how hard I am for you? Do you want to feel me pump inside your sweet body?”

She bit her upper lip and nodded.

“Say. It.”

Her shiver echoed through his entire body and drew his balls up tight.

“Fuck me, Caleb.” She pressed a kiss to his jaw, leaned up to nip his earlobe. “Fuck me like you mean it.”

The precarious hold he had on his arousal threatened to break. He released her hands and walked forward, forcing her back on the bed. Her shirt rode up, the glittering gem resting in her belly button too much for him to resist. He bent down and ran his tongue around her navel, flicking the jewel before raising his gaze to hers.

“This ring is another thing that makes me crazy.” He toyed with it again. Her stomach fluttered as he placed his palms against her, caressing upward. “Show me the rest of you, Samantha. Raise up, sugar.”

Samantha arched her back as he pulled the shirt up and over her head. Light pink nipples peaked her breasts. He couldn’t wait to get them in his mouth, to watch them darken, draw impossibly tight as he worked her into a frenzy.

She leaned back on her elbows, a wicked smile on her lips. “Well? Was it worth the wait?”

He liked that she met his gaze dead on, not showing the least hesitation in revealing her body to him. It was sexy as hell that she was comfortable in her own skin.

She reached as if to stroke his face, but he pulled back. He couldn’t handle her hands on him. Not yet. After their argument and her declaration to be done with him, he was already skating on the outer limits of his control.

Grabbing her wrists again, he stretched her arms above her head. “Keep your hands here,” he demanded.

“And if I don’t?” She jerked against his hold.

He smiled and ducked his head. He captured a nipple between his teeth and tugged until she cried out. He soothed the reddened nub with the tip of his tongue. “Mmm, I could pleasure you for hours without giving you release.”

She sucked in a breath. “You wouldn’t.” Her hips moved against his leg, her body clearly game for whatever he had in mind.

“Oh, but I would. Make no mistake about it.” He traced his fingertips across her skin, pleased when it erupted with tiny bumps. “So soft. So responsive.”

“Yeah, well … it’s been a while.”

He smirked. “At least a few hours, right?”

Her shocked expression melted into a smile that was pure innocence. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“Is that a fact?” Caleb pressed kisses to her neck, working his way from her ear to her collarbone. “Then what was all that moaning I heard earlier?”

Samantha lifted her head and bit into his shoulder. “You know, orgasms make the best sleeping pills.”

“Is that so?” He traced his tongue over the swell of her breast. “I think we should test that theory. What’s your recommended dosage, doc?”

“At least two. Maybe three.” She cocked a brow when he raised his gaze. “You up for it?”

He pressed his hard length against her. “Oh, I’m up, sugar. I’m definitely up.”

Her breath hitched and she arched her hips. “I hope you have enough condoms.”

Caleb chuckled as he tipped his chin toward her hands, giving her a final warning. “Keep those there.” He eased off the bed, taking a moment to enjoy the view.

Rich auburn hair framed her face and spilled over the sheets like a dream. Blue eyes, lazy with desire stared back at him, tempting him with open invitation.

Her lips, red and swollen from his kisses, curled up into a sultry smile. “How long are you going to make me wait?”

Caleb stomped the urge to take her then and there. He didn’t know if he’d have this opportunity again, and he wasn’t going to waste it. When he was finished, she’d know what it meant to share his bed, if only for a night. She thought to go on with her life, but her body would remember his touch.

He’d make sure of it.

“Just enjoying the view. Get used to it. Before we are through, there won’t a place left on your body that I’m not intimately familiar with.”

Her arms flexed as she gripped the sheets, but she never broke eye contact. “Take me then. I’m wet, Caleb. I’m ready for you. Wouldn’t you like to see what you’ve done to me?”

His cock jerked in powerful demand. In testing her, he’d test his own restraint. If she kept talking like that, he wouldn’t last another five minutes.

He leaned over and hooked his fingers into the waistband of her panties. She arched her hips and in one smooth movement, he pulled them from her legs and tossed them aside.

Dark red curls formed a strip on her mound, ending abruptly at the top of her slit, leaving her sex bare and glistening. His mouth watered as he imagined plunging his tongue deep in her core, feeling that silky smoothness against his face, lapping at her juices until he was drunk on her.

Mesmerized, he trailed a finger over the wet lips of her pussy. “Perfect.”

* * *

Two or three orgasms?

What had she been thinking? She’d never had multiple orgasms. Of course, most of the men she’d been with hadn’t been worth the effort. Something told her Cale
b Martin could change all that.

Samantha held her breath and willed herself not to come as his fingers teased over her mound.

Sweet mercy, he’d hardly touched her and she could already feel the telltale signs of an orgasm tightening in her belly. She needed to get hold of herself. After endless nights dreaming of having Caleb in her bed, she wasn’t going to spoil her chance to enjoy him by finishing too soon.

“Be right back.” He pointed at her. “Don’t move.”

“Okay, okay. Bossy.” She rolled her eyes, drawing a growl from him as he left the room. “Hurry up!” she called for good measure.

Samantha stared at the ceiling and tried to regain control of her body. She had no idea what just happened. One minute they’d been arguing—nothing new there—and the next, they were naked. Well, she was naked. With her hands clasped above her head.

The whole situation was surreal.

She shifted her hips from side to side then squeezed her legs together, trying to relieve the ache he’d caused. If he didn’t come back soon, she’d say to hell with it and take matters into her own hands. Again.

She really hoped that wouldn’t be necessary.

He strolled back into the room, stopping just inside the door. He flashed a wicked smile and her breath caught. His smiles were rare, and she’d never imagined the power of being the recipient. The expression softened the hard lines of his jaw and his eyes gleamed with knowing, with an arrogance that said he knew exactly what effect he’d had on her.

“Let’s see what we can do to end your dry spell, shall we?” He tossed a condom on the bed beside her.

“I wouldn’t call it dry,” she teased, disappointed he hadn’t returned with a whole box. One condom meant he didn’t intend to linger, but to get the job done and be on his way. Exactly as she’d told him they would do when this was over.

She wouldn’t think about that now. She was moments away from having him naked and buried inside her. She’d have plenty of time to deal with regrets later.

“Oh really?” He stood at the end of the bed, his hands resting on her feet. “Show me.”

Oh god. “What?”

“You heard me, Samantha. Don’t go shy on me now. Spread those gorgeous legs, sugar. Show me that sweet pussy. Let me see how wet you are.”

“I’ve never been accused of being shy.” Lightning shot through her veins as she eased her thighs apart. The cool air teased her swollen clit, causing a shiver to curl its way up her spine. Her stomach contracted. Holy shit, she was so close.

Samantha wasn’t a virgin, for chrissake. Far from it. Yet, she’d never been so aroused, so ready for a man in her life.

Her breasts weren’t normally sensitive. In fact, she usually got bored when a lover played with her nipples. The play didn’t do anything for her. But now, under Caleb’s watchful eye, her breasts grew heavy, their tips drawing so tight she had to force herself not to touch, to grab and massage, to ease the ache, the need burning its way through her body.