CaughtInTheTrap (9 page)

 She dropped her head in her hands. “It was a hard pill to swallow. I was disappointed I only raised $2,500 two weeks before I was supposed to leave for China. I had no choice but to accept I wouldn’t be able to attend.  I was ready to make the call to the IOC then, Ty and Phil handed me $15,000 in cash.  I didn’t ask them any questions because I was too excited to be able to go to China and represent the USA.  There was enough money for Paula and Mom to travel with me.  Mom declined since she was afraid to fly.”

Zach was somewhat tipsy but his mind was still sharp. “Back it up a step, Carla.  Before you boarded the plane, did Tyrone or Phillip give you anything or ask you to make contact with anyone once you got to China?  Or did anyone contact you asking about them once you got there?”

Carla shook her head. “No. Once I checked in the Olympic Village, I didn’t go anywhere without a tour guide.  Zach, I was 19 when I landed in China; I had my 20th birthday the day before my first competition.  Paula and I celebrated with a couple of my USA teammates in her hotel room.  I swear I did not talk to people that weren’t part of the Olympics.  I couldn’t if I wanted to anyhow; the language barrier was a problem.  I sought out other athletes to get to know, but those that didn’t speak English stayed in their own groups.”

“I’m not getting this at all,” he said scratching his head. “Your cousin’s handed you a lump sum of cash and wanted nothing from you in return?”

“That’s right.”  She narrowed her eyes at him. “You don’t believe me.  I can see it in your eyes.”

“Did I say I didn’t believe you?”

Carla straightened her body on the bed. “Well, thanks for the beer and music. I’m going to my room since you didn’t get what you needed from me.”

Zach scratched at the hair on his face. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re plying me with alcohol and soothing music thinking if I’m drunk and relaxed enough, that I’ll reveal something I haven’t already told you. Another disappointment for you, huh?”

He groaned and clenched his teeth. “That wasn’t my intention, Carla.  I’m trying to see how you got put in the middle of this shit.”

She raised her voice over the music. “I don’t know what how I got here! Do you want me to make up something to tell you?  Will that make you happy and get you off my back?”

He heard himself yell back at her. “What would make me happy is if you would stop blowing up at me whenever I ask you a simple question! Hell, I’m on your side.”

The way she arched her pretty brows annoyed the hell out of him because he knew what was coming next…a dramatic reaction.

“Are you really, Zach?” She asked bouncing a leg over her knee. “Are you on my side or playing me for a fool?”

Her coy look managed to bring down his alcohol buzz. “You really need to shut your trap and listen to me…”

She snapped at him. “Oh, no you did not,” she fumed. “No man talks to me that way.”

“I’m not just any man, dammit! I’m the man trying to keep your ass on this side of the grass.”

“Screw you!”

Zach’s lips thinned. “You are working my fucking nerves!”

“What are you going to do about it—spank me?”

“You need a damn spanking. I have a notion to go outside and pick a switch for your little ass! Keep testing me!”

Her eyes narrowed at him. “Ooh, you are messing with the wrong one. I am not a kid.”

He drew in a ragged breath, she had the ability to turn him on and piss him off at the same time. “What you are is a grown woman acting like a kid and I don’t deal with kids well.”

“That’s funny, because I don’t see you dealing with women well, either! What you are is a chauvinistic jerk, Zach!”

Before he had time to think, he pounced, pushing her down on the bed, partially covering her with his body. His mouth softly moved about her face until he claimed her lips in a hot searing kiss. His tongue pressed against her lips forcing them open. Zach felt Carla’s hands pushing on his chest.  He started to give up but then felt her give in and accepted the kiss. Yes, she was kissing him back and groaning from the pleasure.  Her fingers gripped his firm shoulders, kneading his skin.  Zach groaned, letting his tongue explore her mouth. She tasted of beer and it drove him insane. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead to hers but not letting her up. “I shouldn’t have done that.  If you want to report me to my commander, go ahead.”

Carla licked her lips. “Why did you kiss me?”

He looked at her.  Her brown eyes carried a warm golden tone to them drawing him in deeper. “That’s what you want to know?”

“Yes.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “You intrigue me.  I like that you’re feisty and don’t take any shit off men.  Plus, kissing you was the only way to get you to shut up.  I’m not in the mood to argue with you anymore tonight.” She eyed him and it made him a little nervous, which was not easy to do. He thinned his lips. “I know; you don’t believe me.”

“I believe you and I trust you, Zach. I have to admit I’ve been curious about you too.  What really hides behind those hard blue eyes? You can’t be all macho and not have any feelings.”

His head spun. She was taking it the wrong way.  This was not an attraction kind of moment.  “Carla...”

“Shhh, just kiss me again.”

“You know this is wrong.”

“I don’t care that it’s wrong.  I might not see tomorrow or the next day. Make love to me for what may be my last time, Zach.”

Zach knew the proper protocol for situations like this…walk away. Never get involved with a subject and never have sex with the women in his custody. “You will walk out of here alive, Carla.” He attempted to move and she wrapped a leg around his waist trapping him.

“You can’t promise me that. Plus, you don’t walk away from a kiss like that without a follow—up,” she said letting her hand cup the bulge that had gown and protruded through his shorts.

He frowned. “Don’t tease me, Carla. I don’t like it when a woman works me up and then doesn’t put out. Plus, I make it a point not to get attached to the women in my care.”

“You have no emotions, Agent Murphy.  There is no fear of you getting attached to a loud mouth, black woman. Admit you’re curious about me.  What I’m like in bed.  I see how you look at me.  How your eyes lingered on my naked body.  You want me don’t you?”

What’s she doing? Enticing me now to use it against me later? Nah, she isn’t a vindictive person.  It had to be the liquor driving her or she’s horny too.
He moved her hands from his crotch. “What if I am curious? I have to know if you have the ability to separate lust from romance. When we’re done, we walk away.”

“Call it what it is, Zach.  We’re about to have meaningless sex.  Once I’m free to leave your custody, we’ll never see each other again and I’m fine with that.”

His assignment was to protect, it didn’t include touching her. If he touched her, he would jeopardize not only this case but his job.  His brain was not connecting with his libido.  He ran a thumb over her cheek, and she sighed. It was the sexiest sigh he’d ever heard.

Don’t do it
. His head screamed.

Fuck it
. An emotion Zach couldn’t identify flooded him. It started at the middle of his chest and washed outward until he ached with it. Desire flowed in its wake, deep and hot and strong. But different from anything he’d ever felt before. It was far more intense. When he dipped his head, her lips parted. He paused right before sliding his lips to hers. The sound of her panting filled his ears.

Carla made a soft mewling sound at the back of her throat, and he couldn’t think, couldn’t block out his lust he’d been fighting since seeing her naked. She wound her other leg around his waist pulling him fully atop her.  He took that opportunity to angle his head to trace her nipple through the thin nightgown. It puckered under his lips and he grew tighter beneath his shorts.  He peeled the loose fitting nightgown from her shoulders pushing it down so he could knead her soft breasts with his rough hands and tongue her nipples. His tongue and teeth pulled on the pebbled flesh feasting on them.  They were as delicious as he imagined they’d be.

Zach rolled her over on her side and wedged his leg between hers, she shifted her pelvis to grind against him, and he felt the shudder ricochet through her body. Zach gritted his teeth, the ever-growing devil on his shoulder screamed at him to give her what she asked for. Starting at her hips, he slid his hand up under her nightgown, over the smooth expanse of her back to caress the back of her neck. The contact made her arch into his caress, all while their tongue mingled in a hot wet kiss.

Carla matched him caress for caress.  She explored his body with her gentle soft hands. When she sucked on his tongue, he returned it by capturing her bottom lip between his teeth to suck gently.  Desperate to taste more of her, he licked his tongue down the side of her neck, tasting her velvety skin.  He moved to her shoulder and nibbled on her collar bone.

She slid one hand between them and wrapped her hand around his erection that strained painfully against his briefs. The alarms went off in his head again. He should ignore them, but he couldn’t. With phenomenal effort, he pulled back, his lips tingling.  He looked down at her heavy-lidded eyes and asked. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stop?”

Carla dragged her eyelids open and met his gaze with dilated pupils. “Please don’t stop,” she answered licking her lips.

Zach nipped at her bottom lip. She arched into him again, and he clenched his teeth against the onslaught of desire. Faintly, he heard her say, “I want to touch you.” It took him a moment to register what she’d said. “You are touching me.”

“I want to see you and touch you.”

Shifting slightly, he rolled off her and onto to his back and tucked a hand under his head. “Touch me all you want.”

Her eyes flared as she ran her fingertips over his hard pecs.
Oh, hell yes
. He kept his other hand free and played with her hair, the thick curls kissing her small shoulders. She smiled as her fingers traced over his abs and outlined his tattoos.

“I like your tattoos,” she said licking her tongue down his chest.

Her tongue felt like satin. She shifted and her hand slid under his briefs and touched him, his hips rose involuntarily and he squeezed his eyes shut. The feel of the palm of her hand rubbing against his balls drew a groan from him.

She traced the tip of her tongue over his nipple, and his penis went rock hard under her fingers. She repeated the action, and he growled. A slow smile spread over her lips, and she bent over his chest. The feel of her breath on his chest made him take a deep breath. But it wasn’t until her tongue teased his nipple with the ring piercing it, that he lost control.

He flipped her on her back and settled between her thighs. He wanted her like he’d never wanted any woman before. But he wasn’t going to rush. He didn’t know if she had a lot of experience with sex.  He could only assume she wasn’t a virgin since she had a boyfriend for four years.  Clearly, he had to have tapped her once or twice. And if he didn’t it was because it was something wrong with him. Regardless, he wasn’t going to push her and take more than she was ready to give.

He lifted her nightgown over her head and tossed it on the floor. He hovered over her belly button and softly blew on her soft brown skin. She raised her hips, grinding against him. He tried to focus on what he was doing, not what she was suggesting.  Leaning down, he kissed her softly, and she moaned in his mouth. Sliding his hands up her torso, he cupped her breasts. With his thumb, he traced over her tight nipple. He sought to make her nearly as crazy as she was making him.

“Zach...” Her voice was thread and her body was arching with need.

Damn, she’s beautiful
. He plucked at her nipples, and she moaned low, sliding her hands into his hair. Dipping his head, he closed his lips around one of her nipples and tugged. With a low, deep moan, he held her to him, feeling her arch against his tongue. He suckled gently, plumping her other breast with his hand. Carla scored her nails on his shoulders, and Zach moaned. He repaid the favor by grazing his teeth over her distended nipple, and she nearly bucked him off the bed. Her nipple was like satin as he tweaked it between his teeth.

“Oh, my God,” she whispered. He shifted his attention to her other breast even as she rocked her hips under him in a steady motion; rolling in a way to make him desperate to slide inside of her. But not yet, he wanted the full experience of torturing her.

Zach’s heart pounded against his ribs. He pressed his lips on hers full ones. Her legs widened to accommodate his body as he supported his weight on his forearms. Kissing down her chest, he tried to keep focus on making her scream his name. That’s what he was known for. If at the end a woman didn’t scream his name as she released, then he failed to get the job done.

When he released her nipple it made a soft suction sound, and Carla lifted her head. Her eyes were wide with a mixture of lust and confusion. “Why are you stopping?”

“Before I go any further, Carla.  Are you sure? We can’t undo this once it happens.”

“For the last time I’m sure.  I’m on fire, Zach; please…”

“That’s right, beg for me,” he said as he moved down her body, kissing her flat stomach, and her inner thigh.  His tongued played with the dark curly hair protecting the gate to her womanhood.  His tongue licked those precious lips and he felt Carla’s body quiver.

Her fingers curled through his short hair.  He looked up at her and licked his lips.  “My tongue wants to be inside of you,” he said with an arousing dominance.

She cried out when he licked her at her core, the heat of his tongue penetrating her walls.

“Open for me, that’s it.” He growled his approval when her legs fell open and he moved forward, his whole body crowding into the space between them. He kissed her like he was kissing her mouth, like he couldn’t get enough. He held her thighs open, not letting her close them as she shook beneath his tongue.

“Zach.” She shuddered beneath him as he tongued her slickness. He looked up at her and his eyes were glazed over with lust. He held her gaze as he leaned back down, his mouth meeting her tender nubby flesh and sucking on it.