Chaos

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica
Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Chaos

ISBN 9781419922275

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Chaos Copyright © 2009 Barbara Huffert

Edited by Helen Woodall

Cover art by Syneca

Electronic book Publication September 2009

The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of
Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not
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permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home
Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons,
living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The
characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

Dedication

For Courtney, the daughter I meant to have.

Trademarks Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark
owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Chuck E. Cheese’s: Showbiz Merchandising, Inc.

National Guard: Army National Guard

Secret Squirrel
: Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc.

Superman: Detective Comics, Inc.

Victoria’s Secret: Victoria’s Secret Stores Brand
Management, Inc.

The clanking of metal against metal shattered the early
morning silence. Shane McKade felt the stiffness in his shoulder and the
pressure on his wrist as he tried, unsuccessfully, to lower his arm.

A feminine groan, followed by an extremely unfeminine string
of obscenities, came from beneath the covers next to him. “What the fuck are
you trying to do, McKade, pull my arm off?”

Shane’s brown eyes locked with luminescent green. He
muttered his own set of obscenities. “Campini? What the hell are you doing
here?”

“I was sleeping until you so rudely woke me.”

“This isn’t happening. I must be dreaming. Yeah, that’s it.
I’m dreaming.”

“Why?” Alyssa Campini glared at him. “Is finding me in your
bed so repulsive? That’s not what you implied last night.”

“Yes. No. Damn! I don’t fucking believe this.” Shane managed
to sit up, relieving some of the tension on his shoulder.

Alyssa squirmed upward to face him. “What exactly don’t you
believe? The fact that we ended up here at all or the fact that I didn’t slink
off during the night, as I assume, from your reaction, your other partners do?
In case you haven’t noticed, that was impossible but if me being here annoys
you so much, uncuff me and I’ll go.”

“Uncuff you?” he said with disbelief.

“What?” she demanded, scowling.

“Me. Uncuff you. As in, you didn’t grab the key last night
with the cuffs.”

His words sank in. “Where is it?”

“Over there, on the dresser with my badge and cell phone.”
He pointed to the other side of the room. “And, for reasons I’ll never
understand, you weren’t happy to hook us to just the bed. No, that we could
have managed. You just had to be thorough and loop the cuffs around the pipe
too.”

“Why is that pipe there anyway?”

“It’s an old building, who knows?”

“Well? What are you going to do?”

“What am I going to do?”

“Yes, you. You’re the cop. Do something!”

“I’m the cop?”

“You know, McKade, this habit you’ve developed of repeating
everything I say is getting old. It’s not helping. Can’t you pick the lock
somehow?”

“I could if I had a paperclip maybe. We’re in bed, Campini.”

“I know where we are. Don’t you have something in your
nightstand you can use?”

“I doubt it but shift your arm this way as far as you can
and I’ll look.” Alyssa pushed her hand behind the pipe in order to give him as
much leverage as she could. “Nothing.”

“Where’s your gun? I thought all cops slept with their guns
under their pillows.”

“You watch too much TV. My gun is locked in my gun safe
where it belongs. What good would it do us anyway?”

“You could shoot off the link between the cuffs.” Shane
stared in disbelief. “Come on, McKade. Do something! You’re the cop.”

“You keep saying that like its significant. Yes, Campini, I
am a cop. That doesn’t make me Houdini. You’re a photographer. Why don’t you
come up with something?”

“Argh,” she growled in frustration. “This is all your
fault!”

“My fault! You’re the one who snapped on the cuffs.”

“Well, you sure as hell didn’t stop me! In fact, you didn’t
seem to think any of this was such a bad idea last night.”

“Yeah, well, it was different last night.”

“Why?” she demanded hotly.

“I don’t know. Maybe it was the romantic feel of the entire
day or the moonlight on the patio while we were dancing or that you looked so
soft and feminine in that dress.”

“Oh so that’s why you started kissing me.”

“No, I kissed you to stop you from biting my head off every
other minute.”

“What’s your excuse for bringing me here?”

“Lust? Why did you come with me?”

“Your kisses had me hot. I wanted you. When I want someone
and he’s willing and unattached, I see no need to be shy.”

“You, shy.” He snorted. “Now that’s a laugh. You carry your
medical records in your car for Christ’s sake.”

“Ooh,” she scowled. “You were just as quick to produce yours
so why don’t you just shut up!”

Shane caught her hand as she took a swing at him. “Lighten
up, Campini. Can’t a guy tease you even when we’re in a predicament like this?”

Alyssa stared at him silently, frowning at his lame attempt
at humor. Finally, she asked, “How are we going to get out of this?”

“I don’t know yet. The phone’s nowhere near where it usually
is this morning. We must have bumped it at some point.”

“What about my purse? I half remember dropping it in here
since we had it so tangled around my wrist.” She tried to scan the floor on his
side of the room.

“It’s over here,” he said, surprised when she leaned across
him to see exactly where it was. “Careful there.”

Alyssa’s face showed that she realized the position they
were in. They were naked, in his bed and she was sprawled across him. Her free
hand was on the other side of him, putting her arm precariously close to his
groin. Her naked breasts were pressed against his hard stomach. “Damn it,
McKade. Would you concentrate?”

“I am concentrating.” He caught her chin and forced her to
look at him. “Just probably not on what you want at the moment.”

Alyssa couldn’t resist. “How do you know what I want?”

“I was under the impression that you find my company a lot
less desirable this morning and are ready to get out of here. Am I wrong?”

“I never said you were undesirable.”

“So you still want me?” He had her pinned tightly against
his chest.

“Maybe.” She grinned. “And apparently you aren’t all that
disinterested in me this morning after all.” She stared at him until he knew
that she had noticed his erection.

“I’m a guy. What do you expect to happen when there’s a
naked woman crawling all over me?” He grinned in return.

“Meaning last night was just another night for you and it
would have been the same no matter who you were with?”

“Hey, you’re the one who said all it takes for you is a
willing body.”

“You forgot the part about me wanting you, you ignorant
bastard!” They glared at each other for a long moment. “See if you can reach my
purse.”

Dragging his eyes from hers, he muttered, “Whatever.”

Shane shifted to dangle his foot over the edge to attempt to
snare the purse. “Can you give me any more slack?” Alyssa wedged her arm even
tighter behind the pipe. “Give me your other hand. I think I can reach it but
you’re going to have to hold onto me to keep me from falling off the bed. If
you don’t, I might break both our arms.” Stretching as far as he could and
using Alyssa for balance, he finally hooked the strap with his toe. “Got it!”

Shane’s attempts caused the sheet to slip off him. Alyssa
waited, trying unsuccessfully to keep her eyes averted until he covered himself
again before she yanked her cell phone from her purse. “Okay, now who do we call?
How about one of your cop buddies? Does one of them have a key to your
apartment? Or the fire department? They can break in.”

“No keys other than my family’s. Besides, if I called one of
the guys I work with this would turn into a dirty joke and be all over the
station by the time I get to work Monday. Same with calling the fire
department.”

“What is it with you, McKade? You afraid they’ll laugh at
you? Are you embarrassed to be found like this? Or is it that you’re with me?”
Her voice dripped with venom.

“Give me a little credit here, Campini. I’m sure this whole
thing will be humorous eventually. Not now, of course but I imagine we’ll both
laugh about it someday. I don’t want it to get around because I’m being
discreet for your sake. They all know my brother married the camera babe’s
cousin and I’ve already heard comments.”

“Camera babe?”

“Yeah, that’s what you’ve been called ever since you started
working on the book with the gang members. Depending on who says it though, the
name can take on a wide variety of meanings.”

“What does it mean when you say it?” She was curious.

“It depends on how recently you’ve pissed me off. But from
now on, I’m sure I won’t be able to refrain from grinning a little when you
come up in a conversation. Why?”

“Just wondered.” She wouldn’t look at him. “Who can we
call?”

“As I see it, we only have two choices that will preserve
your reputation. Either my parents, since they aren’t going home until later,
or Brett. He has a key to Jordan’s so he could go get the one for here.”

“Your parents? I’ll chew off your hand first. Or Brett? You
can’t be serious! I thought you just said you were worried about my reputation.
Not that I really care much what people think of me but frankly, I’d rather
take my chances with the guys you work with than with him.”

“Well, I care! My personal life is private. You’re part of
that now, whether you intended to be or not, so that means what we did last
night and may or may not do again is no one’s business but ours. You are also a
member of my sister-in-law’s family so I prefer not to inspire speculation
about your performance. What do you have against Brett anyway? Surely you can’t
still be annoyed by the way he spouted his opinion of both of us back on your
birthday. He only did that to keep us from barging in on Jordan and Kiley.”
Shane waited but she remained silent. “He’s okay, Campini. He’ll tease the hell
out of us when he catches either of us alone but he really won’t bring it up in
front of anyone else. Is that it or is there something else going on in that
offbeat mind of yours?”

“Offbeat mind! What the hell does that mean?” She was back
to glaring.

“Calm down. Jeez, you are the touchiest female I’ve ever
met. I meant that in the most complimentary way.”

“Yeah, right, offbeat is complimentary.” She rolled her
eyes. “Fine, do it your way. Call Brett. Just get on with it.”

“In a hurry to go somewhere?” Shane wasn’t sure where the
roller coaster of her thoughts would head next.

“Not particularly but my arm is going numb and I can barely
feel my fingers.”

“I’m still not exactly sure why you handcuffed us,” he
commented as he called Brett. “Morning, sunshine. Did I wake you?”

“Shane? What time is it? What’s wrong?” Brett Hudson
answered, fighting to overcome the sleep-induced grogginess.

“It’s just after five and I need a tremendous favor.”

“At five a.m.? Man, this better be good,” Brett grumbled to
his self-appointed older brother.

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll get so much amusement out of this that
you’ll find it worth waking up for.”

“Really? What’s the favor?”

“I need you to go to Jordan’s for my spare key and bring it
over here.”

“Here meaning your apartment? Why?”

“I’m in a bit of a jam and I could use a little assistance
getting out of it.”

“What kind of jam?”

“Why don’t you go get the key and come see for yourself?
Just make sure you yell when you come in so I’m not surprised, okay?”

“Yeah, sure, give me about twenty minutes and I’ll be
there.”

“Thanks, Brett.” Shane dropped the phone into Alyssa’s purse
and tucked it in the nightstand out of sight. “He’s on the way. Can I suggest
you hide under the covers when he gets here? Maybe we can get away with hiding
your identity.”

Alyssa looked skeptical. “How long before he gets here?”

“He said twenty minutes.”

“So what do you want to do while we wait?” She linked their
fingers of their bound wrists.

Shane raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you tell me what’s on
your mind?”

“Well, McKade, you did make that certain claim while we were
dancing last night and you are still a guy in bed with a naked woman. See if
you can figure it out.”

“Gonna hold me to that twenty-four in twenty-four thing,
huh?” He used his free hand to fondle her breast. “You know, when I said I
could accomplish that with one hand tied behind my back, I didn’t expect you to
take me literally.” His mouth followed his hand. “You’ve only managed to
deprive yourself of combined sensations.”

She arched against him. “Mm, I don’t know. These sensations
are quite adequate.”

Shane raised his head to kiss her. “Perhaps, but think of
how it’d feel if I had unlimited access.”

Alyssa urged him over her. “As I recall, you’re nowhere near
the twenty-four you promised yet. Unless you’re admitting you’re not up to it.
I’ll just head home once we’re free.”

“No way, Campini. I seem to remember it as a challenge, not
a promise.” Their breathing was becoming ragged as he pumped his cock slowly in
and out of her wet pussy.

“You’re not going to forget that even after I’m so kindly
doing you this favor?”

“This is a favor?” Shane felt her begin to tremble.

“Sure, unless you wanted Brett to see the state you’re in.”
She pulled him deeper by wrapping her legs around his waist.

“If you think he’s not going to figure out exactly what I’ve
been up to when he sees the handcuffs, you are severely underestimating his
powers of observation.” He was frustrated with the limited access he had. For a
woman who aggravated him at every opportunity she certainly was equally capable
of exciting him.

Alyssa’s gyrations became insistent as she neared her
climax. “Harder,” she gasped.

Shane complied, feeling her grip tighten around their joined
fingers. After she reached her peak, he let himself follow. When Alyssa’s body
finally relaxed enough for him to stop crushing her beneath him, he said, “Okay
so how many is that, ten?”