Chapter Twenty-Eight
They arrived home and went inside to find Shelby curled up on the sofa watching a movie. She got up when they came in and folded the sofa blanket. “Did you have a nice time?”
“It was great. My lovely husband took me back to the scene of the crime at the Hay-Adams.”
“Oh, well played, Nick.”
“It was great. We had the ballroom all to ourselves, so no one was gawking at us.”
Nick glanced at Sam, looking sheepish. “This would probably be a good time to tell you that Shelby is the one who made it happen when I called to ask if she still knew people there.”
Shelby gasped. “You didn’t have to tell her that!”
“I can’t take credit that belongs to you. Thank you again for making it happen.”
“It was my pleasure.”
“Thank you, Shelby,” Sam said. “For helping Nick to arrange the perfect night and for staying late with the kids.”
“No problem at all.”
“Where’s Avery?” Sam asked.
“He took Noah home to bed a while ago. He told you he’s having people in to celebrate my birthday next weekend even if I’d rather skip it?”
“You’re not skipping your birthday. We’ll be there.” Sam gave her a hug. “Thank you so much. We needed this.”
“Anytime.”
After she left, Nick put his arm around Sam and guided her to the stairs. “Loft. Five minutes. Don’t make me wait.”
He set her on fire with seven words.
Upstairs, they looked in on the kids. They tucked in the twins, kissed their foreheads and tiptoed from the room. In Scotty’s room, they shut off his TV and bedside lamp, kissed the top of his head and stepped out, closing the door behind them.
As Sam went into the room she used as a closet, she heard Nick telling the agent on duty in the hallway to take a break.
She moved quickly to change into a nightgown and matching robe, before crossing the hallway to their room, where she brushed her hair and teeth. With seconds to spare, she scooted up the stairs. While he waited for her, he’d lit the coconut-scented candles and turned off the lights.
He was on the double lounge chair waiting for her.
Sam dropped the robe onto the floor and crawled into his outstretched arms.
They were kissing wildly before she’d even fully landed.
Hours of buildup and anticipation only made the desire hotter and sharper than usual.
They held on tight to each other as the kiss became more desperate by the second.
Without breaking the kiss, he rolled her under him, pushed up her nightgown and joined their bodies in one deep thrust of his cock into her.
Sam broke the kiss, sucked in a deep breath and held on to him as he took them on a wild ride. She had nearly reached the summit when he slowed down all of a sudden, leaving her hanging.
“Nick!”
“Yes, love?”
“Ugh. You did that on purpose.”
“Of course I did. I’m not looking for a wham, bam, thank you, ma’am.”
“Because you had that earlier.”
“Exactly.” His lips skimmed over her neck and the outer shell of her ear as he continued to move in her, albeit slowly. “This time, I want to take my time.”
She sagged into the mattress, resigned to doing this at his pace and not hers.
“Don’t glare at me. It ruins the mood.”
“Nothing ruins your mood.”
“You’re right—any time I get to make love to my beautiful, funny, smart, sexy, adorable, grumpy wife, nothing can ruin my mood, even my adorable, grumpy wife.”
She stabbed him in the ribs with her index fingers, drawing a grunt of surprise and laughter from him.
“I suppose I ought to be glad you don’t have your rusty steak knife with you.”
“Yes, you should. I was on the verge of an epic orgasm and you took it away from me.”
“Aww, baby, don’t you know? Whatever I take away, I give back in spades.”
He was too cute for words, and she loved him madly, which was why she’d forgive him for teasing and tormenting her.
Besides, no matter how they got there, he always made the grand finale worth the wait.
This time was no different as he moved in her while gazing down at her, forcing her to look at him, to dwell in the intimate bubble they lived in together, where there was only them and only this.
“I love you, Samantha. More than you’ll ever know.”
“Love you, too. Just as much. Maybe more.”
“Not possible.”
“Yes.”
He smiled. “No way.”
“Yes way.”
Shaking his head, he kissed her while holding perfectly still inside her, adding to the torment. He had her completely pinned and at his mercy, the way he loved her best.
Sam had learned to surrender to him, to let him take the lead. Giving up control didn’t come naturally to her in the rest of her life, but it was effortless with him.
Grasping her hands and pinning them over her head, he picked up the pace while holding her gaze.
The orgasm that had started earlier broke over her in a tidal wave of pleasure that seemed to come from the very heart of her.
“Samantha.” Her name was a whisper on his lips as he thrust into her one last time and found his own release.
They held each other tight for a long time afterward. Sam liked this part almost as much as the main event. No one did snuggling the way he did. No one did anything the way he did. She dozed and drifted, her mind and body settling the way they did only at times like this with him.
In the blissful aftermath, warm and cozy in the arms of her love, she closed her eyes, letting her mind wander over the parts and pieces of the case, thinking it through from every angle, each angle leading her in the same direction—back to the odd encounter she’d had on the street with Massey. Her eyes snapped open. “Bryce.”
“Um, babe? Saying another man’s name while your husband is still inside you isn’t the best idea you ever had.”
“It’s him. I should’ve known he had something to do with this from the first second he tried to intimidate me on the street.”
Nick raised his head to look down at her, brows furrowed. “Wait. What?”
“I told you that.”
“No, you didn’t.” He withdrew from her and moved to his side. Propped up on an elbow, he raised a brow. “Start talking.”
Sam told him about the interview with Tara’s ex and the encounter she’d had with him on the sidewalk after.
“So you were there by yourself after Freddie left, and he came at you? This is the stuff that gives me nightmares.”
“Don’t forget I’m armed at all times and know how to take care of myself.”
“Samantha… Your former boss is on trial for wrapping you in razor wire. We both know that no one can take care of themselves all the time.”
“That was a onetime mistake in judgment on my part.”
“You’re in no way responsible for what happened to you that day, but the thought of some random dude attacking you when there’s no one there to help you…” A shudder went through his big body. “Unbearable.”
“I’m sorry. I hate that you worry the way you do. I swear that ninety-nine percent of the time, I never feel unsafe or in any kind of actual danger.”
“The one percent is all it takes.”
“I fended him off, but we need to make sure his alibi holds up.” She reached for her phone, which she kept close at hand ever since the night Arnold was killed while she was off the grid. Every part of her buzzed with the certainty that she’d missed something with Bryce.
She found the text from Isabel, the intern, and put through a call to her.
“This is Sam Holland.”
“I never thought I’d hear from you.”
“Sorry to call so late, but I have a question regarding the World Bank.”
“Oh, um, sure. Happy to help if I can.”
“Bryce Massey’s assistant, Janice. She said he was in meetings all day and that neither of them left the building. What I want to know is if she’d be with him at his meetings, or if there were times she wouldn’t know for sure he was in the meetings.”
“I’m not sure if she goes or not, but I have a friend who works on their floor. I can call her to ask. She’d know.”
“Do it and call me back?”
“I will. Right away.”
“Thank you.” Sam closed her phone and tried to be patient in the two minutes it took for Isabel to call her back.
“She said Janice never attends meetings with him.”
Sam wanted to shout hallelujah. “This was extremely helpful, and I won’t forget it. Let’s have coffee in the next few weeks.”
“I’d love that.”
“Shoot me a text, and we’ll set it up.” Sam ended the call and put through another to Carlucci.
She answered on the first ring. “Hi, LT, what’s up?”
“What’s the latest with Bryce Massey?”
“Funny you should ask. We’re preparing a report for you now in which he’s the star.”
“Give me the highlights.”
“We found a connection between him and Delany Russo.”
Sam’s backbone buzzed with sensation. “I’m on my way in.” She slapped the phone closed and started to get out of bed when an arm around her waist stopped her.
“Where do you think you’re going at midnight, my love?”
“To get justice for Tara and to save us a move to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.”
“As much as I don’t want to make that move, you need rest.”
“I need this more.” She kissed him. “Please?”
He let her go, albeit reluctantly. “Be careful with my wife. I love her madly.”
“I will. I promise. Thank you for an amazing night.”
“My pleasure.”
Sam flew out of bed, grabbed her robe, put it on and tied it as she went down the stairs.
She hated leaving him but this was the best lead they’d had yet, and she would never sleep wondering what was happening at work.
Besides, she didn’t get to work with her two third-shift detectives very often, and this was a good opportunity to give them some attention—and some overtime.
She nodded to the agent in the hallway and ducked into her closet to get clothes and then crossed the hall to her room, making a beeline for the shower.