Текст книги "Heated"

Автор книги: J. Kenner

Соавторы: J. Kenner
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Текущая страница: 17 (всего у книги 18 страниц)

Chapter Twenty-Four

I didn’t go to The Drake when I got back to Chicago. Instead, I went to my tiny apartment. I wanted time to think. To be alone. To let all the pieces come together in my head. What I knew. What I wanted.

And how there was no way over, around, or under the giant impasse that was cop versus criminal.

Even if Hernandez was right and I didn’t need to be slapping on the cuffs or ratting the guys out to Kevin, that didn’t change the fundamental nature of the problem—I’d fallen for a man I couldn’t have.

I wanted time alone.

I should have known that was too much to ask.

I opened my door, and found myself staring at Tyler, standing in my tiny kitchen brewing coffee, looking nine kinds of sexy in a white button-down and jeans.

“You broke in?” I said. “Well, why not? Just another crime to add to the list.”

“A minor one, all things considered.” His voice was smooth and held a hint of humor. I knew him well enough to know he was trying to keep a lid on my temper.

I wasn’t entirely sure it was going to work.

“I thought Cole was the one with the lock-picking skills.”

“No, I said it was one of Cole’s two skills. I don’t believe I discussed my many and varied skills at all.” He held up a mug. “Coffee is on the list.”

“Why are you here?” I asked wearily. I moved to the bed and sat on the edge, exhausted. I wanted to be angry, truly I did. I wanted to yell and rant and scream and rave. But I was just too damn tired and sad.

“Cole told me what happened.”

“Yeah, I kind of guessed that.”

“I never lied to you,” he said.

I exhaled. “No,” I said, “you didn’t. Skirted around the truth, but never lied. And I never looked. I was like one of those monkeys with their hands over their eyes, their mouth, and their ears. I only saw what I wanted to see.”

“You were only really looking at Destiny,” he said. “And it’s scrubbed clean. Evan insisted on that if he was going to remain a partner.”

I shook my head. “No. It wasn’t Destiny I was looking at.” I drew in a breath. “It was you. You filled my vision. Larger than life. Bold and sexy and exciting, and I lost myself in the shine. And now I’m afraid that I see you way too clearly.”

“So now you’re punishing me because I am what you thought I was all along?”

“Don’t,” I said, and now the temper was rising. “Don’t play games. Not now. Not with this. I’m a cop, and you know it. Maybe I’ve been living in a fantasy with you, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m sworn to uphold the law.”

“You became a cop to punish yourself, Sloane. You made a cage out of the rules and the laws. But you don’t have to do that. You don’t need to be punished. Justice won that night, I promise you.”

I shook my head. “No. This isn’t about Harvey Grier—it’s not,” I said, though he had raised no protest. “It’s important to me, those rules, those codes. It’s my life.”

“And if I wanted you to be my life?”

His words, said so simply and plainly, were nothing more than a sucker punch. And I had to work not to shake. Not to cry out. Not to shout for him to please not say that again, because just the mere idea of it was too damn tempting—and I couldn’t afford to be tempted.

Slowly, when I thought I could manage it, I shook my head. “We both know that’s never going to happen.” I felt the tears behind my eyes, and as I sat with ramrod posture, I kept my eyes wide open, determined not to cry.

He stood by the sink, his eyes firmly on my face. “I have never wanted a woman the way I want you,” he said, his voice so full of promise and raw emotion that it almost broke me. “And I’ve never let a woman see into my cracks the way I have you. I understand your hesitations. I respect them. But know this. I’m damn well going to push against them.”

I ran my fingers through my hair. “I’m tired. And I’m confused. I want to be with you, but I don’t know how. I told you. This is the chasm, and I don’t see a way across. I mean, Christ, Tyler. You’re running an extortion scheme.”

“No,” he said. “Not extortion. Those tapes weren’t for money, but for protection.”

“What do you mean?”

“You might be surprised to know that not all politicians are fine, upstanding citizens. As it happens, the newly elected Alderman Bentley used to be a cog in a wheel that the guys and I ran.”

“The kind of wheel that I’d disapprove of?”

He hesitated only a second, then said flatly, “A money laundering scheme. Bentley was right in the thick of it. And that means he knows too much about our operation. And now that he’s an elected official, he may be inclined to try to use that information to gain pull.”

“Use it and he exposes himself.”

“Maybe. But it might be worth it to him.”

“But it wouldn’t be worth it if those pictures got out,” I said.

“That’s the plan. He stays quiet, the pictures are never released.”

“That doesn’t make it any less illegal.”

Tyler shrugged. “Not really my main concern.”

“What is?”

“Lately? Lately, it’s you.”

“Tyler …” I felt like a hand was squeezing tight around my heart.

“It’s true. It’s why I’m here running off at the mouth. Do you know how much I’m risking letting it out in the open? Because when you get right down to it, what I’ve told you could destroy us. And I’ve never been so careless before.”

“Why now?” I asked, both dreading and craving the answer.

“Because I’m an idiot,” he said. “I’m an idiot for falling in love with a cop.”

“Tyler.” Just one word, but it was full of passion and apology and, yes, love.

He moved from the kitchen to kneel in front of me. “This is more than a game to me, Sloane. And you’re more than just a prize. I want a woman who burns with me. Who melts into me. Who fits into all my hollow places. That’s you, Sloane. Do you see that? Do you know it? You’re my everything. You’re my whole world.”

I swallowed, overwhelmed with emotions—confusion, fear, love.

He rose up and brought his mouth to mine, his kiss both possessive and tender.

“I told you once I want no secrets between us,” he said, as he trailed his fingers up and down my arm. “I meant it. I want to tell you everything. I won’t bore you with a laundry list, but if you have questions, just ask.”

I had so many, but I didn’t know where to begin, or even if I wanted to ask them all. “You said Destiny was clean. But it wasn’t always, was it?”

“No,” he said.

“And it is now because of Evan. He gave it up for Angie, didn’t he? Because what he does could damage her father.”

“Yes. And I think the thrill was fading. He likes business, plain and simple. I like taking a different approach.”

“Could you do that, though?” I asked, realizing how much hope was lacing my voice. “Could you give it up?”

He was silent so long I thought he wasn’t going to answer. When he did, it wasn’t the response I’d expected. “Could you give up being a cop?”

“It’s not the same. I’m enforcing the law. You’re twisting it around to your liking. And you can’t do that. You can’t push the envelope and not expect to pay.” I licked my lips. “That’s the crux of it. I love you, too, Tyler. Desperately. It amazes me because it’s hit me so hard and so fast. But it’s true.” I sighed. “Even so, it’s not enough, because I don’t know how to get past this.”

“Then we don’t get past it,” he said. “Not yet. We’ve been living in a bubble, sweetheart. Let’s stay in it for just a little longer.”

I drew in a breath and considered. I only had a few more days before I had to report back, anyway. And the truth was, I would do anything for a few more days with this man.

“All right,” I said as I glanced around my crappy apartment. “But can we stay at The Drake?”

Chapter Twenty-Five

The condo that Angie and Evan shared was about the most amazing place I’d ever seen. It was huge, and one side of the living room was made up of a wall of windows that looked out over Lake Michigan, and the boats lit up on the water at night made it look like there were stars both below and above us.

“It was my uncle’s,” Angie explained. “I inherited it. And since Evan loves the place as much as I do, we mostly live here.”

They had invited Tyler and me over for drinks, along with Cole and Kat. Kat had arrived before us, so I got a good look at her face when Cole entered. Attraction, fascination, and then—when Cole told Angie that someone named Bree wouldn’t be joining him—disappointment.

I liked Cole—he had a straightforward manner that I appreciated, and a deep-seated passion that I admired. I’d seen some of his art, and had been shocked by its beauty and power, the imagery in contrast somehow to the burly man with the dragon tattoo. I thought also of what I knew about Cole and Michelle and the dungeon. And then I said a little prayer for Kat. But whether it was for her to figure a way into a complicated man like Cole, or for her to just move on, I really didn’t know.

“Got any beer, Dragonbait?” Cole asked Angie.

“You know we do. Help yourself.”

He paused by me on the way to the kitchen. “I’m glad you and Tyler got clear,” he said. And then he surprised me by pulling me into a quick, tight hug.

While Cole went to the kitchen, the rest of us followed Evan and Angie through a living room filled with art, most in the kind of frames that each had their own spotlight.

One piece, however, stood out. It was a handmade quilt, framed and hung just off the living room in an adjoining hallway. “Isn’t that like Tyler’s quilt?”

“The same woman gave them to all three of the guys,” Angie said.

I glanced curiously at Tyler. “Really? How interesting.”

Kat snorted, but Tyler only rolled his eyes. “Mind out of the gutter, Detective. They were handmade by the grandmother of the very first girl we pulled out of the trafficking scheme.”

“They’re very special,” Evan added.

“They are,” I agreed. “You touched a lot of lives.”

Evan turned to Angie. “Why don’t you girls head up to the patio. We’ll bring the drinks up.”

The patio turned out to be a massive outdoor living area on the roof of the high-rise. Angie and I sat on two of the plush outdoor sofas, and Kat plunked herself down on the ground. “I thought you were running a con,” Kat said to me. “When I first saw you, I mean.”

“A con?”

She shrugged. “I knew the guys were keeping an eye on you, and I couldn’t figure out why. I didn’t know you were a cop, so I figured you were trying to scam them. I couldn’t believe that anyone would be stupid enough to think they could pull a con on those three and get away with it. Trust me, I know.”

“Yeah? How?”

“Well, not personally,” Kat amended. “My dad did a real estate deal with Tyler years ago, but I wasn’t involved. I got to hear about it from Dad’s end, though.” She grinned. “That’s how I know you don’t play mind games with Tyler Sharp.”

“He took your dad?”

“Let’s just say he didn’t let my dad take him.”

“That sounds like Tyler,” I said, and couldn’t help but wonder which side of the line Kat’s father fell on.

The guys were back soon with the drinks, and the evening fell into an easy rhythm. They talked about work and various projects, all of which sounded legitimate, and it occurred to me to wonder just how much Kat knew about what these men did.

As for Kat and Angie, they asked me all sorts of questions about being a cop and about stripping at Destiny. I had to admit, it made for an interesting mix of topics.

I was on my second glass of wine when Kat stood up and said she had to go. “Work,” she said, then pulled a face. “There really needs to be an easier way to make a living.”

She headed out, and Angie and I moved to the glass barrier that shielded the patio from the abyss below. “He’s gone on you,” Angie said, as soon as we were out of earshot of the men.

“It’s mutual,” I said. “But it doesn’t matter. Our lives just don’t intersect, you know? And I’ll be back in Indiana by the end of the week.”

“Maybe it’ll work out,” she said. “I didn’t think it would for Evan and me, but here we are.”

I shifted to look at her better. “Can I ask you something? I know your dad’s a senator,” I began after she nodded. “And I know the guys are into a few things that are less than legitimate.”

She cocked her head. “You figure?”

“Tyler told me,” I said.

“Oh.” Her eyes widened. “Well, that is interesting.”

I grinned wryly. “Yeah, well. I imagine Evan’s clean. What with your dad being who he is. Am I right?”

She nodded.

“So he changed. Evan, I mean. He changed for you.”

“He changed,” she said. “But it was for himself. I don’t think I could be with a man who was someone other than himself. Could you?”

“No,” I said, “I couldn’t.”

But I also couldn’t be with a criminal.

When we returned to the guys, they were still talking work. This time, the gallery space.

“You mentioned it before,” I said. “You’re opening an art gallery?”

“We are,” Cole said. “And it’s an amazing space. You should check it out, Evan.”

“You know I’m not signing on with you.”

I raised a brow as I looked at Tyler. “Something shady going on under the layers of paint?”

As soon as I spoke, Evan and Cole glanced sharply at Tyler.

He just shrugged. “I told her,” he said. “Everything.”

I saw them tense, and then relax at his next words: “I love her,” he added, then held out his hand for me.

The other men said nothing, but I saw the acceptance in their eyes. That was all it took, I thought, as I rested my head on Tyler’s shoulder. They were family.

“Come take a look,” Tyler said to Evan. “It’s not like we’ll make you sign in blood. And who knows,” he added. “Maybe we’ll end up going legit. Stranger things have happened.”

We stayed another two hours, and then Tyler pulled me away, making our excuses to the others. Angie gave me a hug, and Cole and Evan both kissed my cheek. I felt, I realized, like I belonged.

“I like them,” I said. “We can hang out longer if you want to.”

“Can’t,” he said, checking the time on his phone. “We’re on a schedule.”

“We are?”

“We are,” he affirmed, with mischief dancing in his eyes.

“Will you tell me what?”

“Nope,” he said, but when we stepped out of the building, I saw my first clue—a stretch limo, complete with liveried driver holding the door open.

I turned to Tyler to ask, but he just shook his head. “In,” he said, and I complied.

He followed me in, only now he held a single, blood-red rose. He gave it to me, followed by a long, slow kiss.

“I like this,” I said, when he drew away. “Mysterious and romantic. How far are we going?”

“Not far,” he promised, as he put his arm around me and pulled me close.

The watch that Jahn had given him brushed my shoulder and that, coupled with the fact that we’d just left a condo that had been owned by Jahn, made me remember what I still hadn’t asked.

“Will you tell me now why you won’t get the watch fixed?”

He turned, looked at me, and nodded. “Howard Jahn was an incredible man. Brilliant. Engaging. Entrepreneurial. He taught Evan and Cole and me everything we know,” he added, with a meaningful grin.

“He wasn’t, however, good with women. He kept too many secrets, and they always left. Apparently one of his first wives got so fed up with him that she threw the watch at him. And then another one did the same. Instead of fixing it again, he decided to wait until he found the woman of his dreams.”

“He never did,” I said, thinking of the broken watch. “That’s so sad.”

“I know, it really is. But when he got sick, he wrote notes to the three of us. And in mine he said that he thought he and I had a certain spark in common. That we each needed to find the right woman to make us whole, and he hoped that I would find her soon, so that I wouldn’t be lonely like he was.”

His eyes were on me as he spoke, and my pulse quickened.

“He said that time could start again once I found her.” His smile was quick and just a little winsome. “I’m hoping to have the watch fixed soon.”

“Are you?” I said, smiling.

“I am,” he said, and had just enough time to kiss me before the limo came to a halt and the driver pulled open the door.

I peered outside. “The aquarium? Weren’t we just here?”

“I thought we should try again. I like this place. I want you to have good memories.”

“But it’s the middle of the night. It’s closed.”

“Not for us,” he said, then led me to the entrance. Sure enough, we were allowed in, then led back to the Caribbean Reef Rotunda again.

“Tyler,” I said, the word little more than breath.

The room was set up with just one table, draped in a white tablecloth. A violinist played off to the side, and a private chef stood at the ready.

A single candle lit the table, and there was an empty bud vase for my rose.

I looked at the room, at him, and felt tears prick my eyes. “Why?” I asked.

“Because I look at you and all I want is to be inside you. To touch you. To throw you down and take you, any way and anywhere. It overwhelms me.”

“It overwhelms me, too.”

“But even with all of that,” he said, “I don’t want to forget to romance you.”

He took my hand and pulled me into his embrace. “I’ve gone out with a lot of women, Sloane, but I’ve only fallen in love with one. I want to make this work.”

“So do I,” I whispered, though I’m not sure how I managed to speak through the roar of emotion. “But I don’t know how.”

“We’ll figure it out together.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

“Venti nonfat latte, right?” the barista asked, and I cringed, just a little.

“I should probably cut back,” I said. “But yes.”

I paid, then scooted over to wait for my drink. And as I did, Kevin came up to me.

“I need to talk to you,” he said.

I gaped at him. “What the hell? Have you been following me?”

“I just need two minutes.”

“Jesus, Kevin. You’re going off the rails.”

“I’m not,” he said, then shoved an envelope into my hands. “That’s everything I have on them, a laundry list of the operations I think they’re involved in.”

My heart pounded in my chest with the rising fear that Tyler—that all of the knights—were in trouble. I worked to stay steady. To not let Kevin see my reaction. Or, if he did, to think it was the thrill of the chase.

“All right,” I said. “I’ll look it over.”

And I would, I thought. Carefully, and with Tyler. And if their asses were hanging out in any way, they could use Kevin’s list as a blueprint for getting clear.

Tyler wasn’t at Destiny when I got there, so I left the envelope in the top drawer of his desk, then headed in to get ready for my shift.

I had on the short shorts and was getting ready to do a circuit, when Cole’s hand clutched tight on my upper arm.

“What the fuck, Sloane?”

“Excuse me?”

“Tyler’s a good man—he trusted you. And that meant we trusted you, too. But dammit, girl, none of us take kindly to being played, Tyler most of all.”

I jerked my arm free. “What are you talking about?”

I had no idea what had sparked this, but it was clear that Cole had a tight rein on the temper I’d seen before. Right then, he looked like he could put a hole through me the same way he put his fist through the hospital wall.

I didn’t know if any of the three had ever killed someone, but in that moment, I was damn sure that Cole was capable.

“Just watch yourself,” he said, then walked away.

“Cole!”

He turned back, his finger held up, his expression so tight I knew he was fighting an explosion.

And then he turned away again and stalked off.

I couldn’t decide if I was pissed that he hadn’t told me the problem, or relieved that he hadn’t pummeled me into dust.

Either way, I wanted to ask Tyler what was going on. I knew that he’d arrived about a half hour before, so hurried to his office and pushed through the door. “What the hell is up with Cole?” I began, but the dark expression on Tyler’s face chilled me.

“What’s up with Cole?” Tyler repeated, bursting to his feet, his face a portrait of anger and hurt. “Maybe the better question is what the hell is up with you.”

“Jesus, you too?” I snapped as confusion and a sick feeling pounded over me. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Cole saw you,” he said. “You’re working with Kevin Warner, that goddamn prick. I trusted you. Hell, Sloane, I love you. How the hell could you—”

“You son of a bitch.” I was beyond furious, and my words came out low and harsh and cold. “You goddamn son of a bitch. You really believe I would betray you? That I was working with Kevin? He’s been dogging me, Tyler. Trying to get me to find dirt on you. And all I’ve done is tell him that you’re clean. I compromised my own fucking values to tell him you’re clean.”

I stalked to his desk and ripped open the drawer. I pulled out the envelope and tossed it in his face. “There. That’s what he has on you. I thought you might find it useful in case you wanted to clean up whatever goddamn mess you’ve gotten yourself into. Fuck,” I added, then slammed my fist down on the desk. “I’m not Amanda, Tyler. I didn’t run to the cops. I’m not betraying you.”

But I couldn’t stay, and without another look back, I ran from the room, grabbed my purse from my locker, and headed back to The Drake, not even bothering to change my clothes.

The shorts and bra-top got a few stares, but I barely noticed, I was still seething too much.

And it wasn’t until I reached the penthouse and was in the bedroom digging workout clothes out of my drawer, that I realized the irony. I’d come here. To the penthouse.

I’d been pissed, and I’d come home. And to me, home was where Tyler was.

How fucked up was that?

I changed into leggings and a sports bra, then called down to the front desk to find out the location of the fitness center. As it turned out, the tenth floor had its own, and I found it easily enough, and was grateful to see it had a punching bag.

I quickly taped my hands, then shoved on some gloves. Then I started to beat the shit out of a bag while a skinny man in headphones jogged on the treadmill, occasionally shooting me concerned glances. I wasn’t surprised. If that bag had been a man, he’d have been dead, several times over.

I’m not sure how long I tortured the bag before the door opened and Tyler eased inside. I saw him approach in the mirror. I didn’t turn.

“Want to take a few swipes at me, too?”

“Hell, yes.”

“We need to talk.”

“We really don’t.”

He moved closer, then reached out and held the bag steady. “We can talk here with an audience or we can go back to the suite. But we are going to talk.”

“Fine.” I headed toward the door, then waited for him to open it as I was still wearing the gloves.

He glanced at them as we walked down the hall. “Planning on punching me?”

“Depends on what you say.”

“I’m apologizing,” he said, and the fist around my heart loosened. “There may even be some groveling.”

I crossed my arms and tilted my head as he opened the door to the suite. “All things considered, yeah. I think groveling is in order.”

“I’m sorry,” he said again once the door closed behind us. “This thing between us—I want it so desperately, but it scares me, too. I told you, I don’t trust easily. And when Cole told me what he’d seen, it was Amanda all over again. I fucked up.”

“You sure did,” I said, then used my teeth to tug off the gloves. I drew in a breath. “Trust has to be mutual. You don’t trust because she betrayed you. But she didn’t trust you, either. She didn’t believe you knew how to handle yourself.

“I don’t trust easily, either,” I said as I uncoiled the tape around my hands. “But I trust you, Tyler. I may not agree with what you do, but I trust you.”

“I trust you, too,” Tyler said. “I do. Despite my very royal fuckup.”

“I know you do,” I said. “I love you, Tyler.” I handed him the tape. I wanted him to really know, to truly understand, how deeply I meant those words. “I love you, and I trust you.”

He cocked his head, obviously unsure. “Sloane. Are you sure?”

“I want it,” I said. “All these years, it’s been in my head. He tied her up. He hurt her. I don’t want that there anymore. I want you. Bind me, Tyler. Bind me, and make love to me, and make the bad stuff go away.”

He scooped me up as if I weighed nothing at all, then carried me to the bedroom and gently laid me on the bed. He got on beside me, then leaned over and kissed me. Soft and gentle at first, and then harder, until the kiss was almost a punishment.

“I want you,” he said. “I need you.”

“I know.” I tightened my arms around him, clutching him tight, wanting more of his kisses, deeper and hotter. “I need you, too.”

“I was afraid, you know. For a moment I was afraid that I’d fucked up beyond repair. That I’d lost you.”

“Never,” I said, and my voice trembled with the truth of it.

Slowly, he peeled off the sports bra, then took my breast in his mouth, one and then the other, suckling each until I felt those sparking threads of sensation shoot all the way from my breasts to my sex. I arched up, wanting more. More of him. Of his touch, of everything.

“Sit up,” he said. “And scoot back.”

I did, and ended up sitting upright against a pillow that Tyler had placed against the wrought-iron headboard.

“Cross your wrists around one of the bars,” he said.

I hesitated. I’d imagined he’d tie me down, arms out to the side.

“It’s okay,” he said, as if understanding my hesitation. “You’ll like it. We both will.”

I nodded, then complied. I breathed deep, as if that would keep the ghosts at bay.

“Are you doing okay?” Tyler asked once my hands were secured behind me.

“Yeah,” I said, surprised by the truth of the words. I tilted my head up for a kiss. “So far, I’m doing fine. More than fine,” I added, because the truth was I was getting excited. Knowing I was going to be bound. Taken. Knowing that I was about to surrender totally, to submit completely.

I should be terrified. Should be writhing in a desperate attempt to get free.

Should be kicking Tyler in the balls.

But I wasn’t. Just the opposite. Instead, I was looking forward to what came next with potent anticipation. And all because I trusted this man.

He turned away from me, then opened a drawer at the bottom of the dresser. When he came back, he held two coils of red rope.

I frowned. “I’m not sure if I should be glad you’re experienced at this or irritated that I’m not the first woman you’ve done this to.”

He sat beside me, then kissed me gently while his fingers played with my breasts. It was an intimate, casual moment, and reminded me again that right now, more than before, I was truly his to do with as he wished.

“You are the first,” he said, his voice low and full of meaning. “The first. And the only.”

“Tyler—”

“I know,” he said. “I know it can’t last. You’ve made it clear, and I get it. But that doesn’t change the truth. I love you, Sloane,” he said as he eased my leggings off. “And that will never change. Now,” he said, with a quick change in tone. “Bring your knees to your chest.”

I bit my lower lip, but complied. Then I held my breath as he wrapped the cord around my left leg just below my knee, effectively binding my calf to my thigh. Then he took the loose end of the cord and tied it to the post beside my hand, pulling it taut to take up the slack, and in that way holding my leg up, knee at my chest, my sex completely exposed.

He ran his fingers over me. “Your cunt is so wet, Sloane. I think you’ve been thinking naughty thoughts.”

“Very,” I said.

“Like what?”

“That I like this,” I whispered, as he sank three fingers deep inside me. “That I like being at your mercy,” I said, forcing the words out past a moan of deep pleasure. “That I like knowing that I’m yours. And not knowing what’s coming.”

“Good. Very good,” he said, then repeated the process with the other leg. “Nice,” he said, when he’d completed the task. “Now close your eyes.”

I did, then jumped as he took hold of my knees, lifted me just a little, and spanked my ass.

“Not the best position for that,” he said. “But I recall the lady liked the sensation. I wonder how far she’d like to go.”

“Very far,” I murmured. “All the way,” I said, and he chuckled.

“All the way it is,” and then I felt the smack of his hand again—not on my ass, but on my sex. I cried out, the sensation unfamiliar and strange, and yet arousing, too. And when he did it again, the sting lingered, making my clit so sensitive that I thought a single burst of air might make me come.

“So sweet,” he murmured, and I opened my eyes to see his mouth close intimately over me, and just the sight of him, laving me like that, made my body quiver with the need to draw him in.

Tyler complied, first with his tongue—thrusting it so deep I arched up, at least as much as the restraints allowed, and then bucked against him, in silent demand for more.

He gave me that more, his mouth sliding up to my breast as his hand teased and tormented my sex, sending waves of sensation swarming through me. I wanted to writhe, to move, but the minuscule amount of movement I was allowed did little to deflect the onslaught, and I was overwhelmed by the sensations, certain I was about to burst.

“I’m close,” I said. “Oh, god, Tyler, I want you inside me. Please, I want to feel you in me when I come.”

He stripped quickly, then knelt between my legs. He lifted me up just slightly with one hand as he took his cock in the other and positioned it against me.

“Yes,” I said, the pleasure so acute I almost came at that moment. Then Tyler held my legs for leverage and thrust inside me. “Watch,” he said. “Don’t close your eyes.”

I did, mesmerized by the way he thrust in and out of my body. Torn apart when I watched him take one hand off my leg so that he could tease my clit, sending me spiraling even higher.

“You’re close,” he said. “I can feel how tight you are. How close you are. Come on, baby. Come on, and let’s go over together.”

I listened to the sound of his voice, as if it could carry me all the way.

“Now, Sloane, now,” he cried, and I exploded with him, my body reaching out for the heavens even though I was so thoroughly tied down to the bed.

The shudders ripped through me for what seemed like forever, and Tyler left me like that, his fingers slowly stroking me as if to draw out every last bit of pleasure.

“Stay with me,” he murmured, as he touched me so intimately. “Don’t go back to Indiana.” He stroked my cheek, kissed my lips, teased my sex. “Stay.”

I closed my eyes, wishing things were different. “I want to. Tyler, you have to know that I want to. But I can’t. I’m a cop. I can’t give it up. It’s part of who I am. You know that.”

“So be a Chicago cop. Or even in private security. Hell, you could work for BAS.”