“Don’t be silly,” he whispered, his voice gruff. “I like you fine.”
“I’m sorry.” She sniffled. “I know I should stop crying like a baby—”
“You’re upset. Anyone would be.” He sat back from her a little. “But I don’t want you to worry. Reese said he’s going to have cops patrol the area for a while, and my friends and I will keep a watch on things, too. You’ll be protected.”
She nodded, but covered her face. “Nothing is ever going to be the same again.”
Lost, Cannon gave in, pulling her into his lap and cradling her against his chest, rocking her a little. She leaned into him, saying over and over, “I’m so sorry.”
He felt her rounded bottom on his thighs, her br**sts against his chest.
He felt himself sinking.
Hugging her closer, he lied and said, “No problem.” It was a big problem—but somehow he’d deal with it.
Determined, he kissed her temple, smoothed her hair. Somehow he would make everything okay. It wouldn’t be easy, but few things in life ever were.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE SLOW, ALMOST RESISTANT way Margo moved her knees apart fired Dash’s blood.
“A little more,” he insisted softly.
Staring straight ahead out the windshield, she bit her bottom lip—and pressed her knees farther apart. “This is silly.”
“You with your legs open for me?” He stroked her slender thigh, feeling the muscles taut with expectation. “That’s as sexy as it gets.”
“You can’t do anything in the car while driving.”
“I can get you primed.” And himself, as well.
She stilled, then admitted, “I already am.” She glanced at him, her eyes dark and mysterious and heated from within. “It seems that with you, I always am.”
Progress. Soon she’d realize that she needed him, only him. “I’m glad. I like seeing you like this. Open to me. Ready.” He skimmed his fingertips up the inside of her thigh, but didn’t touch her between her legs. Not yet. “You are ready, aren’t you? Tell me you’re wet.”
Embarrassment heated her face, but she gave one faint nod.
With the backs of his fingers, Dash touched her warmed cheek. “Remember something, honey. When you’re with me like this, you’re not a lieutenant. You’re not the boss. And you’re definitely not holding the reins.”
She trembled...with excitement.
Pushing her, Dash whispered, “I know what you need, and I know when you need it.”
Being in control was important to her. Dash knew it, and that was the main reason he wanted her to trust him to do what was best for her. He wanted her to let go completely.
With sex, with him, it was the only time she’d ever let that happen.
She shifted slightly. “What if someone sees us?”
“What if they do? You’re a woman enjoying the touch of a man.”
“In a car, in the open—”
“And that’s not proper?” He lowered his fingers to her breast, lightly brushing over her nipple before resting his large hand around the very top of her thigh. “I don’t want you to be proper,” he told her, keeping his voice low, cool. Commanding.
“Then what should I be?”
Dash didn’t hesitate. Clasping her thigh firmly, he drew her legs farther apart still. “Carnal.” Damn, he loved seeing her like this. “Honest. Open and real.”
Her eyelashes fluttered, her lips parted with fast breaths.
“Before we’re done tonight,” Dash promised her, “I’ll make you sweat and cry. And come. I’ll touch every part of you and taste you all over.” He gently cupped her mound. “Especially here.”
With her right hand, she gripped the door handle as if to ground herself. “Dash...”
Keeping his attention on the road wasn’t easy. “You’re too stiff. Relax your spine a little.” Hell, he was the stiff one. No way could he do this and not get hard. “That’s better,” he told her as she exhaled and relaxed her shoulders back against the seat. “I’m wondering about something.”
In a small voice, she asked, “What?”
“Will you be as agreeable without the drugs?” He trailed his fingers back and forth along the seam of her slacks. Even through the material, he could feel her softness and heat.
“I don’t know.” Still resting back against the seat, legs open, she turned her head to see him. “Maybe. Depends.”
He glanced at her, then back to the road. “On what?”
“On whether or not you leave me hanging.”
His smile quirked. Even now, with her legs sprawled and her eyes dark with need, she tried to wrest control from him. He understood that instinctive reaction; it was in her nature to always push. “I already told you that I’ll give you an orgasm. More than one. In fact, I’m going to enjoy making you come again and again.”
A low groan escaped her, and for only a moment she closed her eyes. “I want you inside me, Dash. I want to feel your weight on me, feel you sinking in.” She stared at him. “I want you filling me up.”
Damn. She said it and he saw it, him over her, her legs around his waist, or maybe on his shoulders. His gut knotted with the need to take her, but losing to her now could mean losing her forever.
As a strong woman, she needed a stronger man. He intended to be that man.
“It’s going to happen.” Her eyes flared, and he added, “Eventually.” Then, chastising her, he added, “Not tonight, though.”
She started to close her legs, but Dash pressed his hand against her more firmly. “I’ll have my fingers in you.” He waited two heartbeats. “And my mouth on you.”
Reluctantly, she settled back with another groan of impatience. “God, I can’t wait.”
“But you will, because I’m going to feed you first.”
“Damn it, Dash!” She caught his wrist, but didn’t push his hand away. “You’re talking hours from now!”
“One hour, that’s all. I bought boneless chicken. It cooks quickly.” He kept his smile contained. “You need to eat, honey. And you need some aspirin.”
Sizzling frustration made her voice high. “Then why start teasing me now?”
That particular tone was all woman without a single sign of badass cop in sight. “I like touching you and teasing you. I love knowing you want me.” He cupped his hand over her. “And you like it, too.”
Chest heaving, her face flushed, she finally released his wrist and, in a sign of surrender, stopped straining away from him.
“Plus,” Dash said softly, his fingers once again exploring, “you’ve forgotten all about your work and worries.”
Her lashes lowered over her eyes and she shifted uneasily. “So you’re making me wild to help me?”
“Oh, no, honey. I haven’t even started yet on making you wild.” Picking up again as if she hadn’t interrupted, he said, “After dinner, we’ll take a bath. Yes, we. I want to sit behind you with your back to my chest. I have long arms, Margo. Long arms and big hands and I’ll be able to reach every inch of you. You can trust me to be thorough.”
Eyes dark as midnight and full of sultry expectation slanted his way. “You’ll have to be naked, too.”
“Naked and nestled up against your sweet little ass.” His testicles tightened just thinking about it. He squeezed her thigh. “It’ll be torture for me, but I’m looking at it as a character builder.”
She shook her head and, surprising him, gave a tense, breathless laugh. “You are so nuts.”
No, he was in love—but she wasn’t ready to hear that yet. So instead he’d win her over with sex and the freedom she’d have around him, and he’d ease her into the idea of more. A lot more.
Like everything. And forever.
“After our meticulous bath, where I promise to pay special attention to certain areas—” he bobbed his eyebrows at her, making her groan with excruciating need “—I’d like to have you on my lap. Facing me.”
The smile faded. “Still naked.”
“Yes. You’re beautiful, Margo, always. But never more so than when I can see every sweet inch of you.” He pressed his fingers more firmly to her sex. So much heat. He couldn’t wait to have her, all of her, in every way. “Your pretty thighs will be wide open around me so I can look at you and touch you as much as I want.” As much as she needed. He lifted his hand and brushed his knuckles repeatedly over her left nipple. It stiffened, making her catch her breath. “And with your br**sts right there, even with my mouth, it’ll be easy to—”
“That’s enough.” Trembling a little, she straightened, drew a long broken breath. Like a threat, she said, “Tomorrow when I get this sling off—”
“Then all bets are off,” Dash agreed, “and I’m going to f**k you senseless.”
With an explosion of heat, Margo stared at him, bit her lips again and nodded. “Okay.”
* * *
DASH’S HAND SLIPPED AWAY from her body—and didn’t return. He had ratcheted up her need to the point she knew it wouldn’t take much to have her begging for release. It was diabolical the way he pushed her only so far, then retreated, only to get her going again. With every touch her body thrummed more insistently, the heat building, the sweet tension coiling tighter.
Dash gave a low curse, and that prompted her to finally open her eyes. “What?”
“Company.”
She followed his line of vision and... Damn.
It was a nasty trick of fate to find her father and brother in her driveway as they started down the street to her house. Disappointment overwhelming, Margo groaned long and low. The last thing she wanted or needed was another delay.
Face set in lines of regret, Dash said, “I’m sorry, baby.”
“Are you?” No way could she temper the accusation. “Because it’s thanks to you that I’m on fire over here.”
His hands worked on the steering wheel as he slowed the car. “They won’t recognize the rental so I could maybe slide by without them—”
“Yeah, nice try.” Dash was the funniest man she’d ever known—and by far the sexiest. “They’ll just wait forever. My dad is pigheaded, and West is probably worried.” Straightening, she drew three deep breaths that didn’t even come close to abolishing the lust. “God, this is awful.”
“I know.” His hand smoothed over her thigh, this time comforting more than inciting. “We’ll get rid of them as quick as we can.”
“My dad goes only when he wants to go.”
Dash glanced at her. “It’s your house, honey. Tell him you have plans—which you do—and he should understand and book.”