Fallen Angels: Beguiled / Wanton / Uncovered

“I also got a letter in my mailbox.”

“Where is it?”

She pulled an envelope from the basket on top of her refrigerator and handed it to Derek. The letter was now wrinkled from her many hours of examining it, but Derek had no trouble making out the typed message. “I’ve found you,” he read aloud. He was silent for a long time, his face dark, his expression tight. He threw the letter on the table and turned on her.

“You thought I was behind this?” he asked, his teeth clenched, color high on his face. “You thought I would resort to sneaking around and stuffing threatening letters in a woman’s mailbox, in your mailbox?”

His reaction was genuine and for the first time she felt absolutely positive that he played no part in the harassment.

A little truth now certainly wouldn’t hurt. Problem was, as she tried to give it, tears gathered in her eyes, and she couldn’t quite work up the nerve to accuse his family, the most likely of suspects. Not yet.

She shook her head. “No,” she said, trying to sound sure of herself. “I don’t really think you’re behind it. But the letter came after I contacted you. Before that, all I’d gotten was phone calls. And you noticed the fake name on my mailbox that day. Now tonight, you showed up right after the call, and it was the first time he’d ever spoken to me. That’s a lot of coincidences.” She searched his face, hoping he’d understand. “I had to consider you, Derek. I couldn’t take any chances with Grayson’s safety.”

Seconds ticked by, then he reluctantly nodded.

She drew a deep breath of relief. “The whole reason I contacted you again, the only reason I introduced Grayson to you is because deep down, for some incredibly insane reason, I guess I still trust you. Even after everything that happened, I thought…I thought you would help. I hoped you would help.”

She swallowed, the sound audible, almost choked. “Derek…I’ve been so scared, and I don’t have anyone else to go to.”

A stunned moment of silence fell between them. She could feel the waves of emotion emanating from him, anger and regret and need. Then she was in his arms and it felt so good, so right, she curled closer and snuggled tighter, trying to fit herself completely against his long, hard length. His arms wrapped around her, urgently, almost violently, while his mouth nuzzled down her face, giving her small anxious biting kisses until finally he reached her lips and then he was devouring her and she was glad, so very, very glad.

CHAPTER SIX

DANE KNEW HE SHOULD pull back, that he was making a terrible tactical error. He wasn’t completely in control, and he should be. But he couldn’t put so much as an inch between them. He wanted, needed her, right now. Even two seconds more would be too long to wait. And Angel was so soft and anxious against him, her breasts pressed to his chest, her pelvis cradling his own. She wanted him, too, and that was all that mattered. The deceptions, the worries, could be taken care of in the morning. He’d make it all okay, one way or another, but for now, tonight, he wouldn’t say a single thing that would put a halt to her greed.

Growling low, he slid his hands down to her backside and cuddled her even closer. She felt so damn good.

“Angel.”

She pressed her face into his throat and shuddered. “I don’t understand this, Derek,” she said on a near wail. “I’ve never felt like this before.”

How could he possibly explain it to her, when he didn’t understand it himself? He knew she would compare him to Derek, and as much as he’d loved his brother, as dedicated as he was to finding out the truth, right now claiming her took precedence over everything else.

He shushed her with more kisses. “I’ve never felt this way either, honey. Don’t worry about it now. Just let me love you.”

She opened her mouth against him and took a soft, greedy love bite of his throat. Gasping, he quickly picked her up, mindful of her injured leg, and hurried to her bedroom, nudging the door shut behind them until it closed with a secure click. He didn’t want to take the chance of waking Grayson. He wanted no interruptions at all.

He didn’t put her on the bed, choosing to stand her beside it instead. He wanted her naked, and he wanted to look his fill. It felt as if he’d been waiting forever.

As he grasped the cloth belt to her robe, ready to pull it free, she caught his wrists. His gaze darted to her face and he was amazed to see how heavy and sensual her eyes had become, her thick lashes lowered, the green eyes bright and hot. Her high cheekbones were colored, but with need, not embarrassment. She took soft, panting breaths as she looked up at him.

She licked her lips, and even that innocently seductive sight had him trembling.

“I don’t want to disappoint you, Derek.”

He’d never before minded being mistaken for his twin. Through his entire life people had often done it, sometimes even his parents. Before their father had died, he and Derek had often played tricks on him, deliberately confusing him.

But now, he hated it. He had to struggle for breath. He gave her a hard quick kiss, which turned tender and hungry and lingered sweetly. When he pulled away, it seemed to take a great effort on her part for her to get her eyes open. He smiled. “There’s no way you could disappoint me, honey.”

“My body’s changed. The baby…”

Still holding her gaze he tugged the knot out of the belt and pushed the robe off her shoulders. She dropped her arms and the robe fell free all the way to the floor. Angel lowered her head and turned slightly away.

For nearly a minute he was speechless. She was more beautiful than any woman had a right to be, and there was absolutely nothing motherly about her heavy, firm breasts, the stiff dark nipples. Her rib cage expanded and fluttered with her uneven breaths and her belly looked soft and slightly rounded, very pale. He spread one large, hot palm over her stomach and heard her small gasp.

“Derek…?”

“Shhh. I’ve never wanted a woman the way I want you, Angel. Trust me when I tell you there’s not a single thing about you that could disappoint me.” Her legs were long and so sexy, even with the harsh scars on her left shin. He immediately pictured those long legs wrapped around him, her heels digging into the small of his back, urging him on, and he groaned as his erection pulsed, demanding release.

Slowly, so he wouldn’t startle her, he slid his palm downward until he was cupping her, his fingers tangling in the dark blond curls over her mound. They felt damp and soft under his fingertips, her flesh swollen, and he breathed deeply through his nose, trying to ease the constriction in his lungs. He held still, just holding her like that, letting her feel the heat of his palm, letting the anticipation build.

Angel moaned and stepped up against him. Her hands gripped his biceps, her forehead pressed to his shoulder.

Dane swallowed and smiled grimly. “Do you remember when I touched you in my office?” he asked against her temple.

She nodded her head.

He licked her ear and gently nipped the lobe. “You were so close then, Angel, and I’d barely done anything to you. Little more than kissing.” He nearly groaned with the memory.

Her hips jerked, encouraging him. Anticipating her response, he inched his fingers lower, gliding over her warm flesh, opening her soft, plump folds, learning her, exploring. She was already so hot, so silky wet, and it amazed him the way she reacted to his touch. It also made him nearly crazy with a frenzied mix of lust and overwhelming tenderness.

Her body felt frozen against his, very still, waiting. Even her breathing became suspended, as if she was afraid to move for fear of missing something. Determination swelled within him. He had no intention of leaving her with complaints; her views on the joys of sex were about to be altered.

“Open your legs a little more for me, Angel.” He could tell that she responded to his words, and he wasn’t about to disappoint her. “Let me feel you. All of you.”

With a shudder, her face well hidden against his chest, she carefully widened her stance. Immediately he pressed one finger deep inside her, at the same time he braced his free arm around her waist.

She needed his support.

Her body went alternately stiff and completely yielding. Holding her against him, acutely aware of her broken breaths, her soft moans, the way her fingers dug into his chest, he stroked her. He could feel her tightening, feel the small shudders moving up and down her body. He eased her a little away from him and she allowed the small separation, her head falling back on her shoulders, her still-damp hair trailing down to tickle against his arm. He saw her breasts heaving and dipped his head down to take one plump nipple into his mouth.

“Ohhh…”

He lapped with his tongue, nibbled with his teeth, drew deeply on her. Her hands raised from his chest to his head and her fingers tangled in his hair, tugging, trying to draw him even closer.

“I have to sit down,” she moaned.

“No.” He blew on her damp nipple, watching it go painfully tight. The pregnancy had no doubt made her breasts extra sensitive, and he intended to take advantage of that fact. “Right here, Angel. We’ll get to the bed in a minute.”

He switched to her other breast and heard her give a soft sob of compliance. Voluntarily, she parted her legs even more and then thrust against him. He slid his finger all the way out, teasing, then worked it heavily back into her again. “You’re so wet for me, honey,” he said on a groan, amazed and thrilled and so hot himself he wanted to die.

Forcefully, making him wince, she brought his mouth back up to her own and this time she kissed him, awkwardly but with so much hunger he thought he might burst. He rubbed his heavy erection against her soft hip while he carefully forced a second finger inside her. He found a rhythm that pleased her and went about seeing to her satisfaction. He was playing it safe, not about to remove his clothes or lie with her on the bed, knowing his control was thin at the moment and any little thing could send him over the edge. He wouldn’t risk taking his own completion before he’d seen to hers.

Within minutes she was crying, her body tight and trembling, her hands frenzied on his back and shoulders. Slowly, he eased her down to the side of the bed so that her legs hung over the edge, then knelt between them. She dropped back, her hands fisting in the bedclothes, her hips twisting. Dane lifted her legs to his shoulders and before she could object—if indeed she would have given how close she was—he cupped her hips in his hands and brought her to his mouth.

She tasted sweet and incredibly hot and he was beyond teasing her, so close to exploding himself. His heart thundered and her scent filled him as he nuzzled into her, driving himself ever closer. As his tongue stroked over her sensitive flesh, as he found the small engorged bud and drew on it, teasing with his tongue, tormenting with his teeth, she gave a stifled scream and climaxed.

Quickly, wanting to feel every bit of her, he pushed his fingers back inside her. Her feminine muscles gripped him, the spasms strong as she pressed herself even higher, moving against his open mouth and continuing to cry and moan and excite him unbearably. It went on and on and he almost lost control. He was shaking all over when she finally quieted, her eyes closed, her lashes damp on her cheeks, her mouth slightly open as she gulped air.