Authors: Ann Vaughn
“I’ve never seen anyone who can
compare to you, Sarah,” he told her.
Her eyes trailed down his perfect
washboard abs to the highly chiseled V that lead to where his hand held his sex
in what looked to be a firm grip. Mouth suddenly dry, Sarah moved so that
she was on her hands and knees and crawled slowly, sensuously over the bed to
him, his resulting groans of appreciation emboldening her. She got up on
her knees and reached out to cradle his heavy sac in her hand, lightly
squeezing and rolling him while he continued to stroke himself.
He used his free hand to pull the
band from her hair then buried his fingers in it at the nape of her neck and
gently but firmly tugged, pulling her head up so he could crush his mouth over
hers in another of his fiery kisses. Sarah had to remind herself not to
squeeze him too harshly in reaction and ended up pulling her hand away
altogether to keep from hurting him.
“Condom, top drawer of the
nightstand,” he said against her lips. She crawled over to the head of
the bed and opened the drawer, finding the box of condoms and pulling one
out. Crawling back to him, she tore the package open and handed it to
him.
“I would but I really don’t know what
I’m doing, so you’d better do the honors.”
“Lie back like you were before,” he
ordered as he quickly covered himself.
She did and watched him kneel on the
bed.
“Open your legs for me, Sarah,” he
said, then groaned when she was on full display for him. He covered her
and she felt him pressing slightly into her. “Look at me, baby.”
When her eyes locked on his, he slowly slid into her, filling her like she’d
never been filled before. She studied his face as he settled inside her,
glorying in the look of pure ecstasy on his face. “You feel so good.”
She cupped his face in her hands and
kissed him, then trailed her hands through his hair, to his neck and shoulders,
nails lightly scraping him. In her wildest dreams, she never could have
imagined it could be like this. That with just a look and a touch he
could completely set her on fire and consume her the way he did. His arms
enveloped her while he buried his face in her neck, nuzzling her as his thrusts
began to pick up speed. She trailed her nails down his spine to cup and
squeeze his muscular butt, loving the feel of his muscles flexing under her
palms.
“I think I love your butt,” she told
him, capturing his earlobe between her teeth.
He chuckled. “Do you, now?”
She squeezed both cheeks. “Mm
hm.”
“You know, if you’re thinking about
my butt, I may not be doing this quite right.”
“Oh, yes you are!” she cried.
“Mmm, no, I don’t think so. Put
your arms over your head and hold on to the pillow.”
“What?”
“You heard me. I need you to
concentrate.”
“But I want to touch you,” she
pouted.
“In a minute. For now, do as I
say.”
She gave his butt one final squeeze
then raised her arms and held tight to her pillow. He began a slow, deep
rhythm that left her writhing and moaning but every time she tried to release
the pillow and touch him, he would stop.
“Frustrated yet?” he asked, running
his nose along hers.
“Yes! Colt! Please!”
“Please, what, baby? Tell me
what you need.”
“Everything!” she gasped.
He laughed, deep and low and so sexy
she thought she might come just from the sound of that alone. His lips
touched hers and then slid down her neck to her breasts again, feasting on each
one in turn until she was nothing more than a quivering mass of need.
Only then did he release her to touch him and then all she could do was hold on
for dear life as his hips pounded into her. She was gasping and almost
screaming by the time her release finally came, then she swore she came again
when a short while later he shouted his own release.
“Oh, my gosh,” she panted, arms and
legs wrapped firmly around him, hands clutching his hair. His face was
buried in her neck as he fought to control his own breathing. When he
raised his head, it was only to again claim her mouth in a tender, soul-stealing
kiss that brought tears to her eyes.
“What’s this?” he asked, wiping a
tear with his thumb.
She shook her head, unable to speak
just then. How could she tell him what she was feeling? That never
in her life had she felt closer to someone than she did right at that
moment. That even though she barely knew him, she was pretty sure she was
already head over heels in love with him. How could she possibly tell him
all of that right now?
“Hey,” he prompted, and the concern
she heard in his voice made her pay attention to him, “are you all right?”
“Mm hm,” she nodded, combing her
fingers through the back of his hair.
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just
thinking about laying here like this forever and not ever letting you go.”
A low chuckle rumbled through him, making her tighten her hold on him. “Colt?”
“Yeah, baby?”
She smoothed her hand over his cheek
and gently kissed him. “I’m falling in love with you,” she whispered.
He smiled and leaned down to kiss
her. “No falling allowed,” he teased, “but I’ll catch you if you do.”
She giggled. “I’m serious.”
He smoothed his hand over her
brow. “And I am, too. Come on, let’s go soak in the tub until we’re
ready for round two.”
She arched a brow, a bit surprised.
“Round two?”
“Oh, hell yeah, babe. You
didn’t think I was finished with you, did you?”
“Well, I…”
“Baby, we’re just getting started.”
He slowly slid out of her and stood,
then reached down and lifted her into his arms, carrying her into his enormous
master bathroom. Placing her on her feet next to the tub, he started the
water and then lifted her and gently placed her inside.
“Be right back, babe,” he said,
kissing her brow.
She watched him walk away, very much
admiring the view, then leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She
didn’t want to think about what they’d just done, didn’t want to over-analyze
it, but it was proving to be inevitable.
Face it,
she thought to
herself,
you just slept with someone you’ve only known for three weeks and
on top of that, you just told him you were falling in love with him.
It
wasn’t quite as bad as putting out on the first date but it was pretty darn
close, she figured. She knew she should feel all kinds of guilty about
it, but couldn’t quite bring herself to. No one had touched her like that
in nearly eight years. No one had really even touched her at all except
for the kinds of hugs that friends give one another, since her parents
died. She didn’t count the few little end-of-date kisses she’d received
over the years. None were spectacular and none were repeated. Colt
was just all kinds of different. As far as telling him she was falling in
love….well, she’d worry about that later.
The door opened and she opened her
eyes to see Colt walk in, two glasses and a bottle of wine in his hands.
He stepped into the tub and settled on the opposite side of the enormous
Jacuzzi before filling their glasses. Sarah didn’t usually like wine, but
after taking a sip from the glass he handed her, she decided it wasn’t too
bad.
“Do you know…this is the first time
I’ve gotten into this tub since I moved in?”
She smiled at him over the rim of her
glass. “Not a bath guy, huh?”
“Not so much.”
“You haven’t brought any other women
in here?”
“I haven’t brought any other women to
my house, period.”
She couldn’t help the little thrill
those words gave her.
“Really?”
He reached under the water for her
feet and settled them in his lap, beginning a slow massage of her left foot.
“No one I wanted to get this close
to. Told you that.”
“Yes, you did…well, this is a first
for me, as well.”
“What is?”
“Sitting in the tub with
someone. It’s kinda nice.”
The water had reached the correct
level for him to turn the jets on. That, combined with the wine and the
foot massage had Sarah groaning in appreciation.
“Keep that up and we won’t last long
in here,” he told her, making her smile.
“Promises, promises,” she laughed.
“Is that a challenge, Miss Sauter?”
She bit her lip. “I don’t know,
Mr. Harris. Are you up for it?”
He placed his wine glass on the
ledge, took hers and placed it next to his, then lifted her into his lap,
entering her with one swift thrust.
“Oh, my,” she sighed.
“”Don’t ever doubt me, Miss Sauter,”
he said, arrogance oozing from his tone.
“Duly noted.”
“Before this goes too far…are you on
the pill?”
She shook her head. “’Fraid
not.”
“Right. I’ll try not to get
carried away, then.”
Sarah secretly didn’t care whether he
did or not so long as he continued to move and make her feel as if she were
about to take flight.
Later, Sarah lay nestled into Colt’s
side, her head resting on his shoulder, both his arms wrapped around her.
Sleep was pulling at her but she knew she needed to get up and get dressed; tomorrow
was Monday. Work was going to be a challenge that was for sure.
With a sigh, she started to get up, but his arms tightening around her kept her
from moving.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he
asked, kissing her brow.
“I’ve got to get home. Gotta go
to work tomorrow.”
“Call in. Stay here with me
tonight.”
She did sit up then, pushing her hair
out of her face.
“I can’t just call in, Colt.
I’ve got to go to work.”
“Don’t you have any vacation or
personal days?”
“Well, yes, but –“
“When’s the last time you called in
sick?”
“I’ve never called in sick. The
only time I’ve missed work was when my parents died.”
He reached up and stroked his finger
down her cheek and along her jaw.
“Call in, baby. Spend the night
and day with me.”
She looked down into his eyes then
took a deep breath. When he called her ‘baby’ like that in that low, sexy
voice, she knew she would do whatever he asked.
“I need my phone. It’s in my
purse downstairs.”
He sat up and kissed her. “I’ll
get it. You stay right there.”
He walked over to his dresser, pulled
out a pair of shorts and slipped them on, then left. Sarah sank back
against the pillows, pulling the covers over her. She couldn’t believe
she was actually going to do it; she was actually going to call in. She
hadn’t been lying. In almost eleven years of work, the only time
she missed work was when her father died and then six months later when her
mother died. After that, she usually had to be forced to take her
vacation days. It wasn’t that she just couldn’t stand being away from
work…it was that the people at work were her family and when she wasn’t with
them, feelings of loneliness over took her.
Colt came back in and handed her
purse to her. She reached in and pulled her phone out, scrolling through
the contacts to find her boss’s number.
Taking a deep breath, she raised her
phone to her ear, locking gazes with him while she waited for an answer.
“Hi, Barbara,” she said when her boss
answered. “Listen, I need to take tomorrow off, I’ve got some things I
need to get taken care of that I’ve been putting off for too long.”
“Absolutely,” Barbara replied.
“Is everything OK?”
“Yes, it’s just, like I said, a few
things I’ve put off for too long.”
“Do you just need tomorrow? You
have nearly two months of personal days accrued. Do you need more time?”
“Um, just tomorrow for now.”
“All right, well, if you need more or
if you need any help just let me know, OK?”
“I will. Thanks, Barbara.”
He took the phone from her and placed
it on the nightstand when she was done.
“All good?”
She nodded. “She even offered
to let me take more days if I need them.”
He smiled and she felt her heart
accelerate at the sight. “Loyalty and being a good employee have their advantages.”
“So, now you have me all night and
all day tomorrow. Whatever shall you do with me?” she asked.
“Oh, I have an idea…or twenty,” he
said, leaning down to kiss her.
She twined her arms around his neck
and welcomed him back to her. He kissed her deep until they were both
panting, then settled back into the bed and pulled her close to his chest,
kissing her forehead.
“Good night, babe,” he whispered.
She ran her palm over his stubbled
cheek and chin then pressed her forehead against his throat. Today had
been absolutely perfect for her. His sister was really nice to her.
His nieces were just as beautiful as she’d imagined they would be and it was
obvious they loved their uncle just as much as he loved them. His friend
and now brother-in-law, Coop, had been hilarious and she enjoyed the time she
spent with them.
But coming back here with Colt,
making love with him, had been more than she ever dreamed for herself.
Her hand rested on his left pec, right over his heart and its steady beat was a
comfort to her; it said two things to her: he was strong and he was
healthy. He wouldn’t be getting sick and leaving her all alone again anytime
soon.
“You aren’t sleeping,” he mumbled.
She smiled. “I’m just counting
my blessings.”
He tightened his hold on her.
“I’d give you the world if I could,
baby,” he murmured and Sarah melted. Literally melted.
And that’s when the doubt started
creeping in. He was too good to be true. She was scared that everything
that was happening was too perfect and that the other shoe would drop at any
minute.
“Sarah,” he said, his voice stern and
pulling her from her thoughts.
“Hmm?”
“Stop thinking and go to sleep.
Everything is fine. Relax.”
“I will if you’ll kiss me again,” she
said, smiling at him.
He gave a mock groan and pulled her
to him.
“If I must.”
The kiss led to more and after
another round, she finally let her mind shut down and let sleep claim her.
Colt woke when his phone started
buzzing on the nightstand. He carefully disentangled himself from Sarah
and grabbed it, seeing that it was Tessa calling. Quietly, he slipped out
the door and headed down to his office.
“Hey, Tess.”
“Did I wake you up, sleepyhead?” she
teased. “It’s after ten in the morning! Have you ever slept that
late?”
He rubbed his fingers over his
eyes. “It’s been a while. What’s up?”
“Well, I wish I had something to new
report but the truth is, I haven’t found any more than you did.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. If your girl was
adopted, it either was under a different name for both her parents and her, or
it wasn’t a legal adoption.”
He sat down on the edge of his desk,
a bit shocked by the news.
“Did you find anything on the
adoptive parents?”
“I called Gib in on this, he has access to people who have higher security
clearances than I do. He found that prior to 1987, there are no records
for Jesse and Linda Sauter.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“I wish I was. After some
digging, he found your girl’s social security number. It belonged to a
woman named Sherry Alexander, who was born in 1962. We’re digging
further, but we think we’re going to find that Sherry Alexander was the
daughter of Sarah’s adopted parents. And Colt, if that’s the case, you
have a problem on your hands.”
He rubbed the back of his neck.
“I’m beginning to see that.”
“Something isn’t kosher about all
that we’re finding. You need to talk to her. Find out what
she knows about her parents and her adoption. If she has an adoption
certificate, I need to see it.”
“Yeah, OK. I’ll try. She
clams up whenever I push her on this, though.”
“It could be that she knows or suspects
something is off.”
“Maybe. She’s been so
sheltered, though, I doubt anything like this has ever even entered into her
thoughts.”
“She’s sure she’s adopted? I
mean this Sherry Alexander was born in 1962. She could have been Sarah’s
birth mother, and the adoptive parents could be her grandparents. That
isn’t unheard of.”
“I’ve seen pictures of the adoptive
parents. She looks nothing like them. They were, to be blunt, kind
of plain. Sarah’s features are definitely more striking. And I’m
not just saying that.”
“OK. Find out what you can from
her. Ask for her adoption certificate. Gib is checking
international records to see if that’s possible. We’re just afraid that
there is no legal adoption.”
“Yeah, all right. Thanks,
Tess. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
“Take care, Colt.”
He ended the call and put the phone
down on his desk, raking both hands through his hair in frustration. How
was he going to break this to Sarah? He’d known something was off with
the whole adoption thing, but he wasn’t expecting something like this.
The angle that the Sauters could actually be her grandparents or aunt and uncle
had occurred to him, but if that were the case, why the need to change their
names? For Tessa and Gib’s FBI contacts to be coming up empty like this
didn’t bode well at all.
A foul oath escaped him and he
slammed his palm against his desk.
“Colt?” Sarah’s startled voice came
to him from the doorway. He looked up to see her dressed in his T-Shirt
from last night, hair tumbling around her shoulders. His gut tightened
just looking at her. “Is everything OK?”
“Just had some news that concerns me,
that’s all,” he said, rounding his desk to go to her. “You look sexy as
hell standing there in my shirt, babe.”
A smile touched her lips but he could
tell she was concerned about what she’d seen from him. He knew he needed
to talk to her about what Tessa and Gib uncovered but he wasn’t ready to drop
that on her just yet.
“Are you sure everything is OK?” she
asked, slowly approaching him.
“Everything is perfect now with you
in here. Come here,” he said, reaching for her. He pulled her to
him, running his hands over her curves, “I’m thinkin’, I gotta have you right
now, on my desk.”
She bit her lip. “You’ll never
get any work done in here after that.”
“Probably not, but it’ll be a helluva
memory,” he said, lifting the shirt over her head to find her bare
underneath. “Damn, baby,” he growled. “Lean over the desk.”
She gave him a saucy look over her shoulder
then proceeded to slowly, seductively lean over his desk, arching her back,
making her curvy backside an inviting target for his eager hands.
“Oh, hell yeah,” he said
appreciatively. He crossed over to his windows and closed the plantation
shutters (couldn’t have his nieces peeking in). “Gotta go grab a condom
from upstairs but I want you to stay just like that, waiting for me.
Understand?”
“Mm hm, but hurry,” she told him.
He dashed up to his room, grabbed a
couple of condoms from the box and went back to his office. She was still
just as he’d left her, leaning on her elbows on his desk, ready and waiting for
him.
“Oh, yeah, baby. I’m gonna
picture this every time I walk in here from now on.”
He came up behind her and skimmed his
hands down her back, bending down to place a kiss to the small of her
back. Taking his time, he stripped down while memorizing the way she
looked just then. When he entered her, she was more than ready, pushing
back into him. He thought he was going to take her but she quickly took
control, setting the pace. It wasn’t long before he barely had any
rational thought left.
“Sarah,” he rasped, causing her to
laugh, low and seductively.
“You like that, baby?”
“You know I do.”
She leaned back and caught him around
his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. It was just what he needed to send
him over the edge. She turned in his arms and sat on the edge of his
desk, wrapping her arms and legs around him. He held her close, hating
that he was about to have to turn her world upside down. Before, it may
have been a judgment call, but now he really had no choice. If her social
security number wasn’t legitimate, it would be only a matter of time before
that was discovered. Maybe not now, but somewhere down the road it was
bound to happen. He just wasn’t sure how to bring it up.
Sarah couldn’t stop touching
him. The smooth skin of his back and shoulders over his muscles drew her
fingers over and over. The feel of the steel of his muscles under her
hands gave her a thrill. So much power held in check. She loved
when he was looming over her, holding himself on his hands or forearms, muscles
bulging. And she loved now, that he was relaxed but she could still feel
all his power under her fingertips. Trailing her nails lightly up his
back to his neck and then to his hair, she toyed with his curls and felt him
shudder in her arms. It gave her a thrill to know she could produce a
reaction like that from such a powerful man. He started to pull back but
she tightened her hold on him.
“I never want to let you go,” she
whispered.
He nuzzled her neck and the scrape of
his stubble sent chills through her. She leaned her head back, arching
her neck to give him better access and felt him smile against her.
“Like that, do you, baby?” he asked,
kissing the underside of her jaw.
“I could stay here in your arms like
this forever. I lo-“ He cut her off with a kiss and lifted her from the
desk. Breaking the kiss, he carried her back upstairs and to the
bathroom. He’d stopped her from saying the words, but Sarah was pretty
sure how she felt was written all over her face.