Causing Havoc (40 page)

wil ing to talk to him. But he left town right after the last incident."

"Because I refused to marry him."

"Or because I cal ed the cops."

Lorna stepped behind Cam and put a hand on her shoulder. "I think you should go, Dean. You've

upset her enough."

"No." Trying to pul herself out of the fog, Cam patted her aunt's hand. "This is Dean's house, too, remember."

"One thing at a time, hon." Dean stood. "Promise me that if, or when, Roger contacts you, you'l let me know."

"I don't know...."

"I'm not going to attack him, I promise. I just want to talk to him. If I'm off base, then Roger can clear this al up in no time, and I'l gladly apologize to him. But until then, I want to know that you're not alone with him."

To her disbelief, Aunt Lorna agreed with Dean. "It wouldn't hurt to be cautious, dear. And once Dean

talks to him, we can put this nonsense to rest."

"Al right. I'l let you know if I hear from him." Cam prayed that would be soon. She couldn't bear the thought of Roger never returning to her.

Dean nodded in satisfaction. "Now." He clasped his hands behind his back. "Since I'l be moving to Harmony, and because I intend to handle any financial difficulties you've had, I'd appreciate it if you'd

show me al your records."

Cam looked up at Aunt Lorna. "Aunt Lorna has always taken care of our money, so you'l have to

work with her on that."

"I'm good with numbers," Lorna said.

Smiling, Cam agreed. "Tt's been very helpful to us, not to be bothered with bil paying and balancing budgets and al that." Cam prayed that Dean would understand. Her aunt needed a solid role in their

lives, one that gave her importance and al owed her to contribute.

"I can walk you through everything," Lorna said. "Just let me know when you're available."

To Cam's relief, Dean nodded. "How about tomorrow afternoon?"

Lorna nodded. "That would be fine."

"Thanks." Dean bent and put a kiss to Cam's cheek. "I need to get going now."

Concerned that her aunt might have run him off again. Cam said. ""What about lunch?"

Dean winked. "I'l grab something on the road. Today I'm getting my stitches out, and then I have a

date with Eve."

"Oh." Cam grinned, too. "Wel , then, I'l probably see you tomorrow afternoon."

BEFORE Dean made it completely up the walkway, Eve had her front door open. She must have

been waiting for him.

She'd changed from her work clothes into a casual T-shirt and jean shorts. Her hair hung loose

down her back. Her feet were bare, and Dean could see that she'd skipped wearing a bra.

After one look at the anticipation on her face, Dean knew it'd be a very close thing.

He didn't slow his approach, didn't say a thing. When he reached Eve, she threw her arms around

his neck, and Dean backed her into the house, then kicked the door shut behind him.

Catching her beneath the bottom, he lifted Eve up and she wrapped her legs around him. Locked

together, he walked them into her bedroom.

Other than their heavy breaths and an occasional soft moan or sound of pleasure, the room was in

silence. For the longest time, Dean held her against him, kissing her, gliding his hands over her back,

that lush bottom, lower.

Eve arched against him and freed her mouth. "I can't wait."

"You don't have to." He lowered her i'eet to the floor and skimmed the shirt off over her head. With an arm behind her, he pressed her upward and took one nipple into his mouth.

Her fingers clenched in his hair.

She smel ed of soap and lotion and of Eve, a combination guaranteed to make him nuts. When he

switched to the other nipple, she groaned and then attacked the snap on his fly.

Dean caught her hands. "No, honey. Not yet."

"Dean—"

"Shhh. Trust me." Stil holding her hands, he walked her backward to the bed. When her legs bumped into the mattress, he urged her to lie back while he came down over her with his knees braced on

either side of her hips. He kissed each of her palms—then pressed her hands above her head.

With a submissive moan, Eve turned her face to the side and closed her eyes.

Taking his time, Dean surveyed her body. She was so pretty, so sexy. But more than that, she was

his. And he'd known it almost from the moment he spotted her in Roger's bar.

Leaning down, he kissed a trail over her soft skin, from her shoulder to her right breast, her ribs to

her hipbone. Eve squirmed, but otherwise stayed stil . Utilizing slow precision, Dean moved to her

right side and peeled away her shorts and panties.

His hands resting lightly on her waist, he said, "Open your legs for me."

She did, but not far enough to suit him. Dean lifted her left leg until she bent it, then pressed it

outward, leaving her sprawled and open and so very tempting.

Breathing deep and slow, Dean teased his fingers from the inside of her knee, up, up, until he

touched her silky lips, now wet and hot, softly swol en. Easing himself down on an elbow beside her,

he watched her face while he fingered her.

When a careful touch made her shiver, then moan, he smiled. "You like that, don't you?"

"I like you."

Careful y Dean worked two fingers into her, as deeply as he could. "Do you more than like me?" She started to reach for him, but he said, "No. Stay stil and just let me enjoy you. I feel like I've been waiting a lifetime."

Her lashes lifted, and she stared at him with smoky blue eyes. "Yes."

"Yes what?"

"I more than like you."

At her admission, tension gripped him. Dean took her mouth again, sinking his tongue in just as he

worked his fingers in her. He could feel her muscles tightening around him, and he withdrew, then

worked a third finger in. Her excitement slicked the way, dampening his hand, fil ing the room with her

scent.

Her breaths came faster, hotter.

Unable to resist any longer, Dean leaned away from her, met her disappointed gaze, and lifted his

fingers to his mouth. His eyes closed at the taste of her, then opened again so he could see her

every expression.

Face flushed, Eve watched him with excitement.

"I want more, Eve." He bent to kiss her bel y. "I want everything." He moved lower.

Eve pressed her legs apart, taut with anticipation.

Clasping her knees, Dean opened her wide, and after one mind-numbing look, he covered her with

his mouth.

She cried out at the contact, cried out again when his tongue curled around her, stabbed into her,

licked deeply and softly over her.

Knowing he'd lose it any second now, Dean put her legs over his shoulders. Using his fingers to

open her a little more, he drew her distended clitoris into his mouth and suckled softly.

In seconds she was coming, riding up against his mouth, twisting on ihe bed. Her hands again

locked in his hair as she ground out a climax, crying, moaning, then sinking slowly back to the

mattress. Little aftershocks kept her trembling. Her skin was dewy, warm.

Dean reared back and shucked off his jeans. Eve lay there, spent, smiling and content. He barely

had enough forethought to find a condom before he pressed into her, clenching his teeth against the

incredible pleasure of it.

The first stroke took him deep, and he locked her close to his heart, holding her too tightly but unable

to loosen his hold.

Eve wrapped her legs around him and made soft, soothing sounds in his ear. Dean rode her hard,

nearly violent in his need, but she stayed with him, moving with his rhythm, and when he threw his

head back and shouted out a release. Eve stroked his chest and watched him.

After col apsing beside her, his limbs stil throbbing and his cock stil wet from her. Dean knew he

wanted to do it again. Every night, maybe a lot of days, for the rest of his life.

* * *

out of the bed, naked and rosy from head to toe, thanks to his beard shadow. She lifted clothes and

hunted through sheets and blankets in the destroyed bedroom before final y locating the phone

beneath a chair.

"Hel o?"

Dean watched her face, the way her lips moved when she spoke, the tilt to her head, how her

slender fingers tucked her tangled hair behind her ear.

Getting knocked out was nothing compared to this.

He loved her so damn much, it hurt al over, sharper than any physical pain, more consuming. His

unending desire for her was like a live throbbing in his heart, his head, his muscle and sinew. Even

after repeated lovemaking, he needed to breathe her in, taste her again, touch her and hold her, and

just be with her.

So many things that she'd said or done affected him deeply. Rather than think him foolhardy at

fourteen, she'd labeled him noble. From the beginning, she'd known how he would react with his

sisters, when he hadn't had a clue.

She'd expected a lot of him, al of it good.

How could he not love her?

As Eve spoke into the phone, Dean paid little attention to the words. He was only aware of the

feelings flooding through him, so ful of clarity for the first time since returning to Harmony.

When she hung up, he watched as she crossed to his side of the bed and seated herself on the

mattress. "Dean?"

"Hmmm?" He reached up and touched her breast. Not because he wanted to make love again,

although he did. And not because she was naked.

She was so damn sexy, she stole his breath, but even that didn't factor in. He touched her because

he could, because she was his even if she didn't know it yet.

"That was Lorna." She frowned as she said that.

"Anything wrong?"

Her gaze met his, and he knew the answer before she spoke. "Roger cal ed and asked Cam to

meet him at the hotel. She left already."

Dean shot upright on the bed. "She did what?"

"Lorna said that you told Cam to cal you before meeting with Roger, so she wanted you to know."

Dean was already off the bed and hunting for his jeans. "Son of a bitch."

Eve helped him in the search. "Do you real y think there's any danger?"

"I don't know." Fuck. Where was his cel phone? His wal et? "I need my keys, damn it."

His urgency rubbed off on Eve. "I'l come with you."

Dean grabbed her shoulders. "No. I don't want you anywhere near Roger. I have a bad feeling about

this."

"But—"

"Not now. Eve." He released her and stepped into his pants. "'Not this time."

He found a shirt and yanked it on over his head, then shoved his feet into untied athletic shoes.

Turning, he found Eve scrambling into her own clothes. "You're not going."

"You're not my boss."

Dean paused, determined to make her see reason. Only there wasn't any time. He drew a breath,

striving for patience. "Usual y I think this pushy need you have for butting into my business is cute."

Eve paused, staring at him in disbelief and hurt.

"This time, there's nothing cute about it. Be smart, wil you please? You're holding me up, when Cam

could be in danger."

"If you real y believe that, cal the police."

"And tel them what? That I suspect her fiance of foul deeds? Don't be dumb."

Her back went stiff. "Dumb?"

Hel , he hadn't meant to insult her, but he did not have time for this. "Damn it, Eve—"

She bent, picked up his keys, and tossed them to him. "Go." She dropped to sit on the edge of the mattress. "I'l be here when you get back."

That sounded more like a threat than a promise, but Dean nodded and trotted out the door.

"Thanks."

He'd apologize for the "dumb" comment when he returned. Surely she already knew he didn't mean it that way.

By the time Dean pul ed into the hotel parking lot, he'd put most of his worry about Eve from his mind.

She was a reasonable woman who wouldn't hold one misstep against him. Would she?

Then he saw Roger. And Cam and Jacki. And Gregor trying to get to Roger . . . sort of. If Gregor

had real y wanted Roger, Cam and Jacki couldn't have held him off.

Dean jerked the car into park and stalked toward them. "Back off, Gregor."

Gregor yel ed, "He stil thinks Jacki should get a boob job."

Roger, more irate than worried, said, "I do not. I said if she wanted one, I'd help her."

Jacki smacked at Gregor, shoved against him, even pinched him once. But Gregor just kept easing

closer to Roger in an intimidating fashion.

Frantic, Cam met Dean halfway. "Please cal a halt to this, Dean. Please."

Rigid, Dean gave one nod. He reached Gregor, caught him by the back of the neck and yanked him

away.

Gregor hadn't been expecting that.

He actual y fel on his ass. An instant later, Jacki was there beside him, seeing if he was hurt.

"Where'd you go, Roger?"

"Nowhere." Roger straightened his clothes, stil seething. "I just needed some time to think, so I stayed in my house for a few days."

"Convenient," Dean told him, "that while you're playing hooky, someone is trying to shoot me."

"I'm in no mood for your ridiculous accusation, man, so back off."

"The hel I wil ."

Roger squared off with him. "So you want to settle this in private?"

"Yes."

That startled him, probably because Dean had previously refused to fight him. But Roger didn't back

down.

Grim and determined, he started to agree—until Gregor got back on his feet and planted himself

between them.

"C'mon Dean, you don't real y want to kil him."

Cam said, "No, he does not. Now knock it off, Dean." And to Roger, she said, "I won't have you fighting my brother."