Fall from India Place (On Dublin Street 4)

He shouted. Lin’s eyes sprung wide at the sensation of warm semen shooting against the base of her spine. Kam’s shout segued to a guttural growl as he continued to slide his cock in very short strokes back and forth between her buttocks.

He leaned forward toward her ear, still clutching her bottom as he ejaculated. “The next time, I’m going to be inside your little ass when I come. You won’t be able to keep any secrets from me then, will you?”

Lin clenched her eyes shut, overwhelmed by the sound of his dark, intense declaration and the sensation of him still coming next to her spine, the warm fluid pooling at the top of her ass. Their heated exchange had been, by far, the most intimate, not to mention scalding, sexual experience she’d ever had. The truth alarmed her.

But unfortunately, that didn’t make it any less true.

A moment later, she leaned up slightly and watched Kam in the mirror as he slid his cock out, still pinching her buttocks together with one strong hand. He reached with a long arm and snagged some tissues, mopping her dry before he released his snug hold on her. In the mirror, she could see his light eyes contrasted with his sex-flushed, perspiration-glazed features. His pants and underwear were gathered around his lower thighs. She remained still, allowing him to dampen a washcloth and clean his residue from her skin, but then she stood. What they’d done before—what she’d allowed him to do to her—had been outrageously illicit. His gentle cleaning of her felt no less personal, but also sweet. Poignant. It was unbearable somehow.

She hastily reached for the towel she’d dropped earlier. Her abrupt action seemed to startle him. She didn’t meet his gaze until she’d covered herself.

“Why are you convinced that I’m keeping something from you?” she asked, coaching herself the entire time not to look down and gawk at the sight of his damp cock suspended between his thighs, firm and flushed despite his recent climax.

His mouth dropped open in surprise at her question. He seemed to gather himself after a moment and flung the washcloth he held in the sink. He jerked up his underwear.

“You’re one of the most controlled people I’ve ever met,” he answered bluntly. “But I still think you’d prefer to contain yourself with me even more than usual. Am I right? Are you? Keeping secrets?” he pressed, pulling up his jeans.

“What makes you say that?” she demanded, her voice going up a decibel. What precisely was he saying? How much did he really guess?

He glanced up from buttoning his fly. “Aside from the fact that you told me earlier you were keeping something from me about Phoebe?”

She bristled and turned to the sink, beginning to wash her hands. “You were the one keeping something from me about that.”

“I told you. Phoebe and I are not an item. I thought you believed me before,” he said, sounding slightly suspicious. In the mirror, she saw his dark eyebrows slant. Her discomfort ratcheted up a notch when she saw the dangerous glint in his eyes. “You did believe me. You’re just saying this now to throw me off course.”

She jumped when the house phone rang shrilly. He didn’t move, just continued to study her furiously beneath a lowered brow.

“We should get that,” Lin said levelly, drying off her hands. “It’s probably the doorman calling about Angus.”

“Angus?” he nearly shouted, nostrils flaring.

Lin neatly refolded the hand towel and rehung it. She turned to him. “Yes. Ian asked us to arrange to have Angus flown here to keep you company. That’s my deep dark secret. Never mind, I’ll go get the phone.”

She walked past a dumbstruck Kam.

She couldn’t keep this charade up much more. Her dishonesty with Kam seemed to cause something in her stomach to curdle.

But was she being dishonest? She was betraying no one in carrying on with Kam, except for perhaps herself. Ian didn’t return her feelings; he didn’t even know she had any beyond employer loyalty and friendship. Which brought up another crucial question.

How did she feel about Ian these days? It seemed impossible to focus on the question with Kam eclipsing almost her entire awareness.

Chapter Twelve

Lin had no sooner answered the phone when a brisk knock came at the door. She hung up and turned to Kam.

“The courier was already on the way up when the doorman called. Ian had warned him about Angus’s arrival,” she told him. “I’ll just wait in the dining room,” she said, since she was still wearing the towel she’d wrapped herself moments ago.

“I was wondering why all that dog food was in the pantry. I thought the previous owner had a dog,” Kam said.

Lin just grinned and walked away.

Angus arrived like a furry rocket. As soon as the halter collar was released, she practically brought Kam to the floor with a tackle. He managed to calm her down sufficiently after a few rubs and pats to give the courier a healthy tip and shut the door. Then Angus’s paws were up on his shoulders and she was giving his nose a tongue bath between excited barks.

Kam scolded her, laughing uncontrollably the whole time, turning his chin to avoid her tongue. When he opened them, he saw Lin standing in the living room, watching the joyful reunion with a sublime smile on her face.

“You’ve got good reason to look so smug,” he muttered gruffly as he pushed Angus off him, giving the dog some hearty rubs and scratches. “I missed the beast.”

“I’m not smug. I’m just glad that you’re happy,” Lin said, transferring her gaze to the golden retriever. “Hi, Angus. I’m Lin,” she said, clapping her hands invitingly in front of her. “Did you have a good trip, girl? Are you happy to see Kam?”