Текст книги "Sweet Surrender"
Автор книги: Maya Banks
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Текущая страница: 12 (всего у книги 19 страниц)
CHAPTER 27
The office building resembled the monthly meeting of the SWAT team just an hour later. Policemen, friends of Pop’s, littered the offices of Malone’s, and the buzz of a dozen different conversations reverberated through the building. Amid the chaos Micah walked cautiously in, a bewildered expression on his face.
“What the fuck is going on?” he asked from the doorway of Pop’s office.
All four men turned around, their cell phones to their ears. Pop tossed his aside. “Do you know where Faith is?” he demanded.
A peculiar look crossed Micah’s face. “Uh, why do you ask? What’s going on?”
Gray rose and walked over to where Micah stood. “If you know where she is, tell me. She’s in a lot of danger.”
Micah’s gaze sharpened. He lowered his voice so only Gray would hear. “She’s at Damon’s beach house.”
“Who the fuck is Damon?” Gray growled.
“He’s the manager of The House, the guy who set Faith up to visit. You probably saw him when you went to get her.”
“Yeah, I saw him,” Gray muttered. What the hell was she doing with the sex club guy?
“She’s alone,” Micah said as if reading Gray’s thoughts.
“Would you two care to share with the rest of us?” Connor demanded. “Micah, if you know where Faith is, then you better spill it.”
“I know where she is. Now who’s going to tell me why our office looks like a policemen’s union meeting and what that has to do with Faith being in danger?”
Gray quickly related the story to Micah. Micah frowned and glanced over at Gray. “So all this time you were jacking us around?”
Gray sighed. “I had a job to do, man. You were a cop. You understand.”
A dull shadow crossed Micah’s eyes. “Yeah, I do.”
A commotion in the hall had them all looking up. A few seconds later, Mick came barreling past several policemen. He hadn’t shaven in at least a week, and he looked like hell.
“Damn it, Mick, what are you doing here?” Gray demanded.
“Where else would I be?” he ground out. “Now tell me what’s going on.”
Gray sighed. “I can’t be involved in this, Mick, and neither can you. I’ll give you the key to my apartment. You can go stay there. The police will notify you when an arrest has been made.”
“The hell you say! And where the hell are you going?”
“I’m going to make sure Faith stays out of harm’s way,” he said evenly. “Hopefully this will all be over quickly.”
“You’re leaving?” Mick asked incredulously. “You’re going to let some piece of ass deter you from catching your partner’s—your brother’s—killer?”
In a blur, Connor flew past Gray and shoved Mick against the wall, his hand twisted in Mick’s shirt. “Listen to me, you son of a bitch. That’s my sister you’re talking about. Why don’t you do what Gray told you and get the fuck out of here.”
Pop strode over and pulled Connor away. Though he appeared calmer than Connor, his eyes blazed with anger. “Back off, son. Me and Mr. Winslow here will have a little chat. And then he’s going to clear his ass out of my office.” He turned to Gray. “You need to get on out of here. You’re supposed to be protecting my daughter.”
Gray started to dig around in his pocket for a key to his apartment, but Pop waved him on. “I’ll take care of making sure Mr. Winslow has a place to stay. You focus on your job, and we’ll do ours. I’ll be in touch and let you know how things are going and when it’s safe to come back home.”
Gray nodded then turned to Micah. “I need you to tell me where.”
Micah walked out to the front with Gray and picked up a tablet of paper and a pen and jotted down an address. He tore off the piece of paper and handed it to Gray. “Just head straight down Seawall Boulevard out of town. You can’t miss it. Just about the time you think you’re going to fall off the other end of the island, you’re there.”
“Thanks,” Gray said. “Look, keep me posted okay? You weren’t here this morning, and the guys are pretty pissed over this. I don’t blame them, but I need to be kept in the loop, and Pop is adamant that Faith not know any of what’s going on. If I had to guess, he’s not going to be calling much.”
Micah nodded. “Will do, man. Let me know if you need anything.”
By the time Gray arrived at the beach house, it was close to sunset. He pulled onto the paved circle drive and parked outside the steps leading up to the front door. As he got out, he eyed the bags he’d packed but decided to wait and bring them in later.
He jogged up the steps and tapped at the door. Déjà vu settled over him as he recalled doing the exact same dance at her apartment earlier that morning.
This time when she didn’t answer, he didn’t waste any time letting himself in to make sure she was all right. He stepped into the spacious living room and took in the masculine decor. Definitely a bachelor pad. Didn’t have a woman’s touch at all. He briefly wondered if Damon had planned to join Faith here and scowled at the thought.
When his gaze lighted on the French doors leading out to the deck, he saw an arm draped over the side of a lounger. Faith’s hand dangled and brushed the floor.
He hurried, and when he got close enough, he could see that she was curled up asleep. Quietly, so as not to wake her, he eased outside, closing his eyes in appreciation when the gulf breeze blew over his face.
But as his gaze lowered to Faith’s sleeping form, his appreciation only grew. She looked beautiful. One hand dangled from the lounger, the other curled underneath her chin. Her chest rose and fell gently with each breath, and the breeze lifted the blond strands of her hair and blew them around her face.
All the way down here, he’d convinced himself that he’d tell her the truth no matter what Pop wanted. But now that he looked at her, so fragile and innocent, he understood why Pop wanted to protect her. Hell, he wanted to protect her. Wrap her in cotton and make sure nothing ever hurt her.
She wanted to be taken care of, and what man wouldn’t want to? She was sweet, soft and delicate in all the right places. As he stood watching her, she stirred and moved restlessly on the lounger. Her eyes fluttered open. She blinked as she looked at him, and then her eyes widened in surprise.
“Gray?” she asked sleepily. “What are you doing here?”
He bent and ran a finger down her arm. “I hope you haven’t been lying out here all day. You’ll burn.”
“Was in the shade most of the day,” she mumbled. “What are you doing here? How did you know where I was?”
She shifted and sat up in the seat and continued to regard him with sleepy eyes.
“I wanted to talk to you,” he said simply.
Her expression was disbelieving.
“I know I’ve acted like an ass,” he said. “The fact is, Faith, you threw me for a loop.”
He knelt on the wood deck, shifting his weight to alleviate the discomfort on his knees. She placed a gentle finger over his lips, and he was shocked into silence.
“Let’s go inside to talk,” she said.
He rose and held out his hand to help her up. Her hair, tousled by her nap, blew in the breeze, and he reached out to snag a tendril, unable to resist touching the silky tresses.
She turned and walked inside, leaving him to follow. He watched the gentle sway of her hips, and he imagined himself between her thighs, his hands curled around those hips as he thrust into her.
His throat tightened, and he swallowed against the uncomfortable sensation.
When she entered the house, she turned and looked over her shoulder at him. “You coming?”
He moved forward, the knot growing a little larger in his stomach at the thought of what he was about to embark on. He was continuing, not ending, his chain of deception, and he was looking to start a relationship steeped in those lies.
The cooler interior air brushed over his face as he stepped inside. Faith padded barefoot into the kitchen and opened the fridge.
“You want something to drink?” she asked. “There’s beer, wine and some juice.”
He shook his head then said, “No, I’m fine.”
She poured herself a glass of juice then walked back into the living room where he stood. “So what did you want to talk to me about?”
He observed the slight tremble of her lips, something she tried to disguise by raising the glass to her mouth. She was nervous. Hell, so was he, but he didn’t want her to feel uneasy with him.
He reached out and cupped his hand under her elbow. “Let’s sit down.”
She gazed at him with troubled eyes as if fearing what he’d say. Unable to help it, he leaned in, cupped the back of her neck with his hand and pulled her to him. Her glass pressed into his stomach, mashed between them as he captured her lips with his.
He swallowed the whispery sound of surprised pleasure that escaped her mouth. He tasted the tangy orange on her tongue, absorbed her flavor and savored it with every swipe of his tongue over hers.
When he pulled away, her unfocused gaze met his, confusion outlined in the depths of her eyes. Her mouth, now puffy from his kiss, tempted him again. Later, he told himself. He’d sample every inch of her skin.
He nudged her backward until her legs met the edge of the couch. Then he sat her down. Opting to stand, he moved a few steps back and began pacing, unable to control the anxious energy flowing through him.
“I made a mistake in pushing you away,” he said.
Her green eyes widened. She set her glass on the end table then folded her hands in her lap, clutching at her fingers until the tips were white.
He stopped pacing and looked directly at her. “I want what you want, Faith. You, in my bed, in my arms, my way.”
Color surged into her cheeks as she reacted to his blunt statement.
He moved toward her, kneeling in front of her. He gathered her hands in his and raised her fingers to his lips. “I’m not easy, Faith. I’ll push you. I’ll demand things of you that you may not be sure you can give. If we do this, you’ll give everything to me. In return, I’ll cherish your gift. I’ll see to your every need. I’ll take care of you.”
A slow blaze began to burn in her eyes as she studied him. “You want this?” she asked huskily. “You want me? This isn’t some game? Some role you think I want you to play?”
He cupped her chin in his hand and stared into her eyes. “No games. You’re off for a week. As it turns out, so am I. This is the perfect opportunity for us to explore this relationship.”
Her chin trembled in his hand. He rubbed his thumb over her velvety lips before he stood and began pacing again.
“There are some things you need to understand, Faith. If we do this, I will be in complete and utter control. There are no safe words, no playacting, no ‘lifestyle’ books to read. That’s all bullshit. I’ve never lived by anyone else’s rules and certainly not a bunch of rabid lifestylers all spewing what people do or don’t do according to their list of guidelines.
“If that’s what you’re expecting, then you need to walk now. You can forget about anything you’ve read or experienced, because what I will demand from you bears no resemblance to what a bunch of role players screwing around with sex games would.”
He paused to let his words sink in. Then he walked forward again, kneeling once more in front of her. He threaded his hand into her hair, twining the strands around his fingers as he caressed her scalp.
“You’ll be mine. Mine. You’ll give your everything to me, and in return, I’ll give you more than you can ever imagine. I’ll take care of you, pleasure you, provide for you.”
“Wow,” she said after a shaky breath.
“Is that a yes?” he asked as he stroked through her hair.
Slowly she slid her hands up his chest and around his neck. Her fingers curled at his nape, and she dug her fingers into his hair. “Yes,” she whispered.
He carefully extricated his hands from her hair then touched her face with his fingers. They fanned lightly over her cheeks, and he pressed his lips to hers.
When he pulled away, they were both breathing heavily, though the kiss had been tender. He slid his fingers over her shoulders and down her arms, enjoying the sensation of her skin on his.
“Let’s drive into Galveston. Go someplace nice to eat. When we come back, we can start all over again.”
She rubbed her hand over her mouth nervously and nodded. “Okay,” she said huskily.
CHAPTER 28
Faith took a shower and hurriedly dressed. Her stomach was a mess, and she wasn’t sure she was going to be able to eat a thing. She dried her long hair then brushed it and let it hang loose over her shoulders. She knew Gray liked it that way.
Mine.
His declaration still echoed in her mind and sent sparks to her girly parts every time she pictured the possessive look on his face when he’d said it.
Deciding on a pair of jeans and a short-sleeved pink top, she dressed and searched out a pair of heels. She gave herself one last once-over in the mirror, and then she walked into the living room where Gray waited.
He was standing by the French doors, thumbs hooked into his pockets. His blue eyes sparked in appreciation as he let his gaze drift over her.
“You look beautiful,” he said.
She smiled. “I’m ready if you are.”
He dug his keys out of his pocket then walked toward the door. When he got to her, he held out his hand. She slid her small hand into his much larger one, and his fingers curled tight around it.
Together, they walked out to his truck, and as he’d done the night at The House, he settled her into the passenger seat. During the drive into Galveston, they were silent, but Gray tucked her hand into his and rubbed his thumb across her knuckles.
She took comfort in the intimate gesture. It made her less nervous. Like this was a date like any other. As soon as that thought crossed her mind, she nearly laughed. This was nothing like any other date. This was what she’d been looking for, waiting for, wanting. Not much pressure there.
“Seafood sound good?” he asked, breaking the silence.
She nodded.
He slowed and made a left then eased into a parking spot. Then he squeezed her hand and looked into her eyes. She smiled shyly at the approval she saw reflected in his gaze. He leaned across the seat and kissed her, warm, soft, nonaggressive. Then he drew away and stepped out of the truck.
When they walked in, Gray spoke quietly to the hostess, who gave him a quick smile and nodded. She glanced past him to Faith and smiled again. Then she collected two menus and motioned them to follow her.
“What did you tell her?” Faith whispered as they walked behind the hostess.
“Just that we wanted some privacy.”
And sure enough, the hostess sat them in a corner booth toward the back of the restaurant. The closest people were at least six tables away.
As they sat, a waiter appeared to take their drink order. A few seconds later, they were finally alone.
Gray reached across the table and twined his fingers with hers. “We’ve…well, I’ve spent too much time avoiding you. Things have been crazy between us, moved way too fast. I want to slow things down just for tonight so we can learn more about each other.”
A contented glow warmed her chest. “I’d like that,” she said softly. “I don’t know much about you. Just what Pop’s told me. You’re a cop. You live in Dallas. You lost your partner earlier this year, and you’re taking a break to sort things out. I’d like to know more.”
He looked a little chagrined, as if he’d been expecting her to volunteer information on herself first.
“When was your last relationship?” she asked.
His mouth turned down into a frown. “Relationship? I’m not sure I’d call my encounters with the opposite sex relationships.”
She arched one brow. “What would you call them then?”
“Sex,” he said bluntly.
“And is that what I am to you? Just sex?” she asked softly.
He stared at her for a long moment. “No. And that’s what scared the shit out of me. Why I put you at a distance and tried like hell to stay away from you.”
“Why do guys freak out so much over the idea of a woman being more than sex?” she asked curiously. “It’s become positively cliché. Did your mother never hug you or something?”
His eyes widened in surprise, and then he laughed. “No, I can’t blame my mother for my issues with relationships. I didn’t know her well enough for her to turn me off or on to the female populace.”
She waited for him to go on, not sure what part of that statement she wanted to tackle first.
He let go of her hands and leaned back in his chair. He lifted his glass to his lips and took a long swallow before setting it back down. “My issues with relationships stem from my frustration with not finding what I want.”
“We seem to have that in common,” she said.
He nodded. “I saw in you things that appealed to me. I saw a woman who I imagined being a perfect fit, but the old adage too good to be true kept coming to mind.”
“I hope I don’t disappoint you,” she said wryly. “I can only be myself. Just like you don’t want a script to adhere to, neither do I.”
“I wouldn’t ever want you to change, Faith. I like you just the way you are. Even if we don’t work out.”
“But you don’t know anything about me,” she pointed out.
He shook his head in disagreement. “I know that you’re beautiful. Loyal. Intelligent. Feminine. You know exactly what you want, and you won’t settle for less. You’re not afraid to surrender to a man.” He leaned forward again, pinning her with his earnest gaze. “There are two kinds of women I could never get involved with.”
She cocked her head to the side in blatant curiosity. The inner workings of a man’s mind…well that was definitely worth the price of admission.
“A woman who plays games. Mind games, sex games, whatever. I like a woman to be honest, not to hide behind a mask. The second is a woman who isn’t strong enough to surrender.”
That earned him another raised brow. She too leaned forward, her curiosity growing.
“I don’t want a woman I become involved with to become a mindless puppet any more than I want to become one. It takes a very special woman to submit to a man but still retain everything that makes her strong and unique. Her own person.”
“You’ve given this a lot of thought,” she mused.
He shrugged. “It’s what I want.”
“And what about out of the bedroom?” she asked. “Does your control extend to every aspect of the relationship? I gathered that the game players you referenced are those women who only want good, kinky sex and then want to step out of the role as soon as they get out of the bedroom.”
He looked intently at her, his expression one of absolute seriousness. “I have no desire to be a tyrant. I just know me. I’m a control freak. I’m comfortable when I’m making the decisions. When you pair that with the kind of woman I’m most attracted to—a soft, feminine woman who I can protect and take care of—then I suppose I do want an all-encompassing relationship where I call the shots in and out of bed. Does that alarm you?”
She smiled. “No. Does it make me weak to admit that I want a man who can take care of me?”
A gleam of satisfaction shone in his eyes. He stared at her with promise reflected in every facet of his face. “I think you’re probably one of the strongest women I’ve ever met, Faith.”
She felt warmed by the praise and the admiration in his voice. And she’d have to be a blind fool not to see the lust in his eyes. Every time he looked at her, it was as though he was peeling her clothing off, inch by inch. She’d waited forever for a man to look at her like this. Like she was the only woman in the world. No, she didn’t feel weak. At the moment, she felt very powerful.
They were interrupted when the waiter brought their food. They relaxed and began eating. From time to time, Gray offered her a bite of his food, and he seemed to enjoy feeding her.
When they’d had enough, the waiter took their plates and left the check, but still, they lingered at the table. Faith was nervous about the return to the beach house. Not a bad nervous. She was still unsure of what to expect but was relieved that she wouldn’t have to make the moves. That was clearly Gray’s territory.
They chatted about innocuous things. Gray told her about growing up in a crime-infested neighborhood and how that influenced him to become a cop. He told her about his partner and Mick, his pseudo father figure.
She’d already suspected Gray was a very black-and-white kind of guy, and after hearing him talk about his job, justice and his partner’s death, she was more convinced that he wasn’t one to see anything in shades in between. Everything was either right or wrong.
Gray motioned for the waiter to refill their drinks. Then he regarded Faith intently as he sipped from his glass. “When you went to the sex club…”
She winced at the description. It seemed so tawdry. “The House,” she corrected.
He shrugged. “When you went to The House, what did you want to happen?”
“I would think it was obvious,” she said. “You saw what happened.”
“I was only there a few minutes,” he said. “You’d obviously been there for a while. Did what you saw interest you?”
Her face warmed. “Some of it,” she admitted.
He raised an eyebrow. “What parts?”
She looked down for a moment. “It was in part shocking. I mean I’ve watched porn movies, but I’ve never seen or experienced anything like that in person.”
“Did it arouse you?” he asked.
She slowly nodded. “Very much so.”
“Some of it more than others?”
Again she nodded.
“What parts did you like?” he pressed.
Her tongue lay thick in her mouth. Her lips parted as she worked to overcome her awkwardness. “When I first got there, in the downstairs rooms, there was a woman sitting between two men. Their attention was focused solely on her. It was obvious they both wanted her. I was jealous of her.”
He watched her, keen interest in his expression. “Go on.”
“Then when we went upstairs there were two men. I’d never seen two men having sex, not even in a movie. It was shocking, yet I was so transfixed I couldn’t look away. It was one of the most erotic scenes I ever remember seeing. And then there was a woman who was having sex with two men. In that moment, I wanted to be her so badly.”
“Having two men intrigues you?” Gray asked.
She flushed.
“Don’t be embarrassed. Would it surprise you to know that a lot of men fantasize about sharing their woman with another man?”
She cocked her head, intrigued by his statement. “Really? Do you?”
He shrugged. “There’s something primitive, not to mention erotic and arousing, about allowing another man to possess what’s yours, to fill more than one of a woman’s orifices. Simultaneously.”
Her face grew even hotter.
“You’re turned on by that,” he observed.
“What woman wouldn’t be?” she blurted.
“What else did you see at The House?”
“The spanking.”
“You liked it.”
She shifted in her seat. “It wasn’t so much the spanking. It was his control over the other woman. His authority. It was so dark and sexy. It started a yearning in me that made me feel like I was turning my skin inside out.”
“Yet when you took her place, the spanking did nothing for you,” he said quietly.
She shook her head. “How did you know?”
He smiled gently. “It was obvious. I could see your disappointment and your frustration. You needed more than what he was giving you.”
“Yes,” she whispered. “It wasn’t real, and I knew it.”
He leaned forward, reaching for her chin, cupping it in his hand. Their gazes met and locked. “This will be real, Faith. I don’t play games.”
She shuddered delicately as the huskily rendered promise slid over her body. “I know.”
They sat in silence for a while, sipping at their drinks. Faith relaxed and let go of some of her nerves. The evening had been perfect. The idea that they had an entire week to explore each other gave her a thrill. She couldn’t wait to discover if Gray was truly the man who could give her everything she’d dreamed.
At one point, Gray set his drink down and looked over at her again. She could sense the forthcoming question. She looked inquisitively at him.
“Are you on birth control?” he asked bluntly.
“Yes,” she said calmly.
“My last sexual encounter was over six months ago,” he said. “I’ve had a physical since then. And there’s the fact that I’ve never not worn a condom when I’ve had sex with a woman.”
She shifted a little uncomfortably. “Well, my last checkup was a couple of months ago. The guy I was seeing until recently had blood tests before I would sleep with him. But we also used condoms.”
Gray nodded. “My question is how you would feel about us not using them.”
A whole host of colorful images flashed through her head. The idea of taking Gray into her body, skin to skin, was extremely arousing.
“You’ve never not worn a condom?” she asked.
“No. And if you’d prefer, I can have the results of my last set of blood tests faxed down tomorrow morning. I’m not some horny teenager willing to say anything to get into your pants.”
She smiled. “I believe you. And the thing is, I’d love not to have to mess with condoms.” She wrinkled her nose. “Without a good amount of lubricant, they’re extremely uncomfortable for me. But I have to be honest. The last time I had sex was right before you and I met for the first time. We used condoms. We’re both clean, but you deserve to know the situation you’re getting into,” she said plainly.
“I very much want to feel every delicious inch of your pussy,” he said in a husky voice.
An uncontrollable quiver rolled over her body.
Gray looked down at his watch, and she knew their dinner was over. So many things bubbled up. Desire. Excitement. Curiosity. Fear. Her hands shook as she bunched them together in her lap.
“Are you ready?” he asked softly.
She nodded and stood when he got out of his seat. He touched his hand to her back and ushered her out of the restaurant.
The warm, salty breeze hit them as soon as they stepped out. In the distance, intermixed with the sounds of passing traffic, the soft music of the ocean filled the night.
“Let’s get back,” Gray said close to her ear.
She nodded, and they climbed into the truck.
