Six of Hearts(92)

His hand still gripping my neck, he reaches around with the other, seeking my clit. I whimper when he finds it, rubbing fast circles, bringing me closer to the edge.

“Come for me, darlin’. Come on my cock,” he rasps into my ear, his lips on my skin.

“I….” Words fail me.

His sculpted chest is pressed into my back, his hips jutting in and out. Warmth spreads all through me. I feel fevered, reckless.

“Your body drives me crazy,” he growls, biting down on my shoulder, his fingers digging into my neck. I clench around him, my orgasm close.

“Wow, you like it when I’m rough with you, don’t you?”

“Shut up,” I manage, and he laughs tenderly.

My body jerks as I come, the pleasure intense, consuming me. His thrusts slow down as he turns my head back to him and captures my mouth with his. His tongue plunges in, licking, caressing. Then I feel him coming hot inside me. My body goes limp, and he gently pulls me on top of him as he reclines backward, holding me tight in his arms, his release giving him a satisfied glow.

My face rests on his shoulder, where I place soft, worshipful kisses on his skin, sighing at the simple pleasure of lying in his embrace. We stay like that for a long time, absolute darkness surrounding us. There are no street lights here, just the vague light from the city in the distance.

When I move to find my clothes, a deep, rumbling growl emanates from his chest.

“Don’t,” he whispers, his lips brushing my ear.

“We can’t stay here all night,” I protest.

“Can’t we?”

“I don’t sleep in cars, Jay.”

“Hey, now, this car is worth more than some houses,” he jokes, his grip on me loosening. “But fine. Go put some clothes on, you little seductress.”

I give him an amused look as I clip on my bra. “Me? I think you’ll find you’re the one who did the seducing.”

A sardonic eyebrow goes up. “Did I? You follow me here, all brazen, dressed in that cute little outfit like you’re playing detective, pissing me off and getting my blood up. You’re lucky you got away with a quickie. I have a good mind to make sure you can’t walk straight in the morning.”

“Jay!”

His laughter fills the car as I slap him lightly on the arm. We dress ourselves, and then Jay climbs to the front again. I stay in the back, thinking. Now that I’m not overcome by the crazy lust I have for him, I can think more clearly.

“You still haven’t explained what tonight was about,” I say as he starts the engine. He shoots me a serious look, his playfulness forgotten. I bluster on, “I mean, I’ve let some things slide already, but I’m not sure I can ignore this. What are you doing, Jay?”

“I’m driving us home,” he answers casually. It infuriates me.

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

“What did you mean?”

I fold my arms. “Fine, you want me to tell you what I’m thinking? I’m thinking that all is not what it seems. I’ve been reading through the files for your case, and you know what? It all just feels a little too perfect, like everything is fitting itself into a neat little package. And real life isn’t neat. It’s messy and frustrating, and there are always roadblocks.”

“You think it’s neat that Una Harris has been trying to destroy my career? Yeah, Watson, that’s what I call a real perfect scenario right there.”

“No, I don’t think it’s neat. I think it’s awful, and I think she’s an awful person. Having met her, I’ll be honest and say the woman gives me the creeps. There’s something not right about her, and it’s not just the fact that her face is more plastic than flesh. But at the same time, I feel like your anger at what she’s done is…questionable. You act pissed, but then there’s a hint of pleasure masked behind it. Almost like you want her to bad-mouth you, like every word she prints is more ammo in your arsenal.”

“You’re right. It is. It’s ammo for the case, Matilda.”

The movement is minuscule, but I see his jaw twitch. Yeah, I’m definitely on to something here. Jay pulls the car out of its spot and starts driving back home. He doesn’t breathe a word, and I don’t take my eyes off him.

We’re almost to the house when I whisper, “Don’t you trust me?”

His gaze draws away from the road to meet mine. A long sigh escapes him. “I trust you. It’s not about trust. It’s about the fact that if you knew the truth, you might not want me anymore, and I couldn’t live with you not wanting me.”

My breath leaves me in a rush. His eyes are shining in the darkness. I know he’s telling me the truth now — I can just feel it. He pulls into the driveway and turns off the engine. We sit like that for a moment, neither of us saying anything.