Chapter 26
Berkley moved quietly through the house, glad Nick had enough dim lighting that she could see well enough without having to turn on overhead lights.
Unable to sleep, she was hoping to find a good snack in his fridge and maybe a glass of wine. Instead, as she stepped into the darkened kitchen she found Nick standing in front of the open refrigerator—shirtless.
The light did a perfect job of illuminating his washboard everything. Abs, pecs, biceps, holy hell, the man was built built. She’d kinda figured (okay fantasized about it too) since he worked in construction and his shirts and pullovers could only hide so much, but damn.
“Ah…sorry,” she whispered, then wondered why she was whispering. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“Me neither,” he murmured with a smile. “And I’m not hungry either,” he added as he shut the fridge. “But please feel free to raid it.”
“Work stuff keeping you up?” she asked instead of opening his fridge. There was recessed lighting above the cabinets, throwing the kitchen into a soft, warm glow. One might even say romantic. Not her, but someone might. She sat at the island countertop. “Also, do you have any white wine?”
“Not work stuff,” he said as he pulled out a glass for her, then yep, he did indeed have an unopened bottle of pinot grigio. “Just going around in circles about what you told me.”
“It’s a lot.” She turned at a soft click, click, click sound, smiled when Sunshine trotted into the kitchen.
The golden retriever made a sort of snuffling sound as she stared at the two of them and stomped her paw once.
“Is she annoyed with us?” Berkley asked, because Sunshine was throwing them major side-eye.
As if in response, Sunshine snuffled again, stomped her paw again, then turned around, swishing her big fluffy tail before she disappeared back into the hallway.
“She likes her beauty sleep.” His tone was dry as he popped the cork. “And she gets annoyed if I don’t go to bed by ten. No, I’m not kidding. So yeah, she hates it when I get up and interrupt her precious sleep.”
Berkley snickered. “I love how big her personality is.”
“I do too.” There was unmistakable fondness in his tone. “And to go back to your earlier question… I don’t like how personal those attacks on you feel, and I hate that I can’t do anything about it.”
“I know. I really do. I hate feeling so useless. Part of me wants to investigate things myself but…I don’t even know how I’d do that.
I guess I could ask Silvia for help but she’s got her own stuff going on.
” A job she couldn’t even give them full details on.
“And it just feels dangerous when I know the detectives are working on the case.”
“I agree,” he muttered, leaning against the countertop.
It took all of her self-control not to drink in every hard line of the man, to not allow her gaze to dip lower, lower… So she focused on her glass. Not the half-naked, way too sexy for his own good man who was keeping her safe at his house.
And watching her through heavy-lidded eyes.
Oh, she was not mistaking that look. Was she? Feeling more than out of sorts, she took another sip of her wine and realized she’d almost drunk all of it.
Yep, it was time to go to bed. Or at least get some space from Nick Storm and those soul-searching eyes.
She slid off the stool and went to place the glass in the sink.
“I think I’m going to head back to bed.” And you know, proceed not to get any sleep at all.
Maybe she could try counting to a billion and see how that worked.
As she stepped back from the sink, a strong, callused hand grasped hers.
Instead of making a quick escape, she turned into him, inhaled that intoxicating masculine scent. Before she could blink, however, he just took over, slanting his mouth over hers in a heated claiming she felt all the way to her toes.
She could think of nothing but the feel of his chest under her fingertips. The staccato rhythm of his heartbeat as he teased his tongue against hers, as she teased him right back. He might seem like he was in control on the outside, but he was just as affected as her.
He was barely touching her, simply cupping the back of her head in a possessive grip, but that was all she needed. Because she was on fire for him in a way she’d never experienced.
This man who’d made everything inside her light up the first time they’d met. Even when he’d pissed her off, when she’d wanted to wipe that smug look off his face, she’d also wanted to sit on his face to do it.
Because oh my god, his other hand was sliding down her body now, clutching onto her hip. There was something about the possessiveness in his hold that sent even more ribbons of heat curling through her.
When he suddenly pulled back, breathing hard, his face so close to hers she wanted to trace her fingers over his cheekbones, all she could do was stare. Apparently anything else was outside her skill set at the moment.
“Is this okay? I’m not pressuring you—”
Oh my god! She grabbed his face, and yep, he took the hint and kissed her right back, pressing her up against the island top.
Now it was all skin to skin, not just a hand on her hip and her head. Nope, she was getting to feel all his powerful body against hers as he nipped her bottom lip with his teeth.
She moaned into his mouth, feeling impatient and desperate for more. It was probably stupid to hook up with him when she was stuck under his roof for who knew how long, but she absolutely didn’t care.
Worrying about the after of this was a problem for future Berkley.
Slowly, sensually, he slid his hands up her hips and started teasing the hem of her pajama top.
“Is this okay?”
“Yes.” God, did she sound desperate? Whatever, she wasn’t sure she even cared. “And for the record,” she rasped against his mouth, “it’s okay if you take off the rest of my clothes too. You don’t have to ask.”
The slow, wicked grin he gave her before brushing his mouth over hers again, whew, it sent another heat wave through her. This man was going to do wonderful things to her body and she wasn’t going to have any regrets.
Nope.
Tomorrow was a new day, and right now she was going to take life by the balls and enjoy it. Someone wanted to hurt her, was out there plotting against her. Well screw them.
But first she was screwing Nick Storm.
After he stripped off her top, she leaned into him, savoring the way her nipples brushed against his chest. Sucked in a breath at the sensation of being so intimate with him.
So vulnerable.
Weirdly enough, she didn’t feel vulnerable, but empowered. He’d done nothing but try to keep her safe, literally keeping her out of jail since barreling into her life less than a week ago. This man was safe, something her body knew even if she was starting to get up in her head again.
When he slid her bottoms—and panties—off, her brain took another break and she spread her legs in invitation. Thinking was definitely overrated.
He growled against her mouth, an actual growl, before he hoisted her up onto the countertop. “I’ve been fantasizing about going down on you since the coffee shop.” It sounded like a confession.
One she was happy to hear. Her inner walls clenched, heat rushing between her legs at his words.
Keeping his gaze pinned on hers as he slid one of his big hands up her thigh, waaaay too slowly for her liking, she felt as if he could see straight through to her soul.
And when he slid a finger inside her, she gasped, unable to stop the response even if she wanted to.
“You’re so wet.”
She wasn’t sure why, but his words turned her on even more. She rolled her hips, silently begging for more. Because right now she was walking a tightrope of control, not sure that she even cared if she lost it. “More.” That was all she could get out.
Thankfully he was in control and more than happy to give her what she wanted.
With another kiss, he crouched down between her spread thighs, urging her to lie back as he began teasing her with that wicked, wicked tongue.
He made her feel like nothing but her pleasure mattered, that they were the only two people who existed as he slid another finger between her slick folds.
It didn’t take him long to find that perfect rhythm, his fingers thrusting in and out of her as he focused on her clit with the patience of a man who knew what he was doing.
“Nick.” She slid her fingers through his hair as he sucked on her clit, the action taking her off guard in the best way possible.
Her hips rolled off the countertop at the sudden jolt of pleasure and she felt that ripple go through her entire body. She was so damn close, and she might have told him just that, but she couldn’t be sure she got the words out.
When he increased his rhythm and focused solely on her clit, she forgot everything else until she was coming against his face and around his thick fingers. Her orgasm hit her so fast and so hard she finally had to stop him from teasing her when the pleasure bordered on pain.
Splayed out on his countertop, she’d never felt so satisfied in her life—and wondered what that said about her previous sex life.
Suddenly he was there, leaning down over her and tugging her up to him as she spread her legs to accommodate his size.
“I love the sounds you make when you come,” he murmured before kissing her in another raw claiming where she tasted her own pleasure.
“Now I want to hear you come.” She bit his bottom lip as she slid her palm down over his very hard reaction to her. His lounge pants did nothing to hide his reaction, and feeling how much she affected him sent another rush of power through her.
She absolutely loved that this was all because of her.
She squeezed him once, grinning at the way he shuddered under her touch. He rolled his hips into her hold, still kissing her as she slid her hand down the front of his pants.
He was thick and hard and she loved the feel of him in her hands.
She might have no idea where they went from here, but she wanted the chance to find out. Even if this didn’t last, she’d never been so attracted to anyone, and oh god, he was moaning into her mouth as she gripped him harder, stroked him harder.
He clasped onto her hips, his fingers digging into her as she tightened her grip. “About to come,” he rasped out.
She stroked him even faster, moaning with him as he came hard and long in her grip before resting his forehead against hers, his breathing raspy and uneven.
“That was incredible.” He kissed her once then slid her off the countertop. “And we need to clean up.”
She let out a startled laugh at his words, but didn’t argue as he led her to the sink. She was coming to find out that he was really thoughtful in so many unexpected ways.
The picture she’d painted of him—which was mostly his fault—was so much different than the man she’d been getting to know. The one who was keeping her safe and the one who’d just brought her so much pleasure she was still reeling from it.
She didn’t think she’d made a mistake tonight, but she was also pretty sure she’d just gotten in way over her head—because she’d definitely caught feelings.