CovertDesires (5 page)

“I know. He thought you deserved fair warning. Apparently
it’s a guy thing.” She led the way to the back of the room where a table of
people waited for them. “Because Barkswell agreed with him.”

Jack shook the other man’s hand as he stood up. “Good to see
you again.” Barkswell was another one of the group of people he’d come to
depend upon for keeping Rowe out of trouble. “How’s Eliss?”

“Ready to give birth at any moment and pissed as hell that
Harlow dragged me out of bed at this ungodly hour. But she sends her love. To
Rowe, of course.”

“Of course.” He’d only met Barkswell’s wife a couple of
times. She was a nice enough woman but she seemed to be of the “slow to warm”
variety. She’d do anything for her friends. But she didn’t consider just
anybody a friend. And Jack was still just another anybody to her.

“Have a seat.” Harlow pointed at the empty chair
expectantly. She might have framed it as a request but he heard it for what it
was—a command.

“Thank you.” He sank into the uncomfortable chair and looked
at the people around him. “I know you’re all worried about Rowe and probably
have a lot of questions about what happened tonight. I’d like to start by saying
that she is doing fine and only had superficial injuries.”

“I’m sure we all owe you a great debt for keeping her safe.
We realize how important this work is to her.”

He looked over at Parker and just shook his head. “Thanks,
but you’ve got it wrong this time. She’s the one who kept me safe tonight.” He
quickly filled them in on as many details as he legally could. He wouldn’t
compromise the case by giving them confidential information but he painted
enough of a picture for them to understand the danger they’d been in and how
resourceful Rowe had been. When he finally stopped talking he was amazed at how
still the table had become.

“Fuck.” Harlow mumbled the word so low he almost missed it.

Intent on defending Rowe’s abilities in the field, he turned
to look at Harlow. “She did good. I’ve never been more proud. You should’ve
seen her as she guided us through the woods to the compound fence. We could
hear the dogs behind us but there wasn’t even a tremble in her hand.” He was so
full of pride and admiration that it probably showed in his goofy expression
but he didn’t care.

“I swore I was going to kill you.” Harlow took a deep
breath. “Your insistence on dragging her into harm’s way was enough for me to
hate you. But when I saw you with her tonight…” Her smile held no warmth as she
stared at him. “I wanted to gut you. To take advantage of someone as gentle and
innocent as Rowe? That was a whole new level of low.”

“Harlow.” Barkswell started to stand but a gesture from
Harlow stopped him.

“I’m not going to kill him. Sit down. He’s suffered a much
worse fate as far as I’m concerned.” She held out her hand but there was no joy
or welcome on her face as far as he could tell. “Falling for a prophet. You’re
never going to know a moment of rest. But that’s really not my problem. Welcome
to the family. You hurt her and I’ll track you down and torture you so badly
they won’t be able to recognize the remains.”

She’d read him. And whatever she saw in his head had been
enough for her to welcome him into their select family. It should’ve made him
feel better but it terrified him.

Rowe spent the next week allowing her friends to smother her
with good intentions. There was really no way for her to stop them. Besides she
couldn’t shake the feeling something bad was about to happen. She liked being
able to keep tabs on everyone. Even if they thought they were the ones keeping
tabs on her.

“Are you hungry?” Jack’s warm breath caressed her ear as he
spoke. She loved waking up to his warm body pressed firmly against her back.
And that was exactly how she’d woken every day this week. “Would you like me to
make you an omelet before I leave for work?”

She opened her eyes to the sun-streaked walls of her
apartment and smiled. He did make the best omelets. But she had something else
in mind. She rocked her hips so her ass would brush against his cock. Since
she’d recently started sleeping naked she could feel him start to harden
against her. “No.”

He leaned forward to kiss her. “We don’t have time for
that.”

“Because you’d rather cook an omelet.” She rubbed against
him once more before rolling over on her back. She loved staring up into his
eyes. They were so peaceful. It set her at ease. Everything would be okay if he
would just stay here with her. But he wouldn’t.

“Of course not.” When he leaned forward to kiss her she
wrapped her arms around his neck so she could bury her fingers in his hair.
“But someone has to feed you.”

“Harlow will. She’s coming over to visit today.” She didn’t
even bother to argue that she could cook for herself. Almost everyone in her
life knew that just because she
could
didn’t necessarily mean she
would
.
Sometimes eating just didn’t seem overly important. She didn’t say that out
loud anymore though. Not since she’d told Harlow and had seen the woman’s
reaction. Apparently that was an untraditional opinion. So much so that it had
gotten her scheduled for regular appointments with a shrink for a time.

“I like cooking for you.” He dropped a gentle kiss on her
nose as if to punctuate the statement.

“And I like fucking you.” Sex with him was better than
anything she’d ever eaten anyway.

“You’re a very hard woman to say no to.”

“Then you should say yes.” She sat up on her elbows and
kissed him before he could debate the point any further. And when his body
relaxed with surrender she nudged him so he was lying on his back. She was only
really at peace when he was in her bed. And she planned on keeping him there as
long as possible.

Her head swam with endorphins by the time she broke away
from him but the chemical high wasn’t enough. She wanted the heightened
sensitivity that came with his touch. The exhilarating race of her heart as he
possessed her. The frantic need to find bliss. She craved it all.

She straddled his hips and then continued in her efforts to
convince him to stay by kissing his jaw. The coarse stubble tickled but she
loved the sensation. So much so that she rubbed her cheek on his before tracing
the long column of his neck with the tip of her tongue.

“Yes.”

She smiled at the whispered word. “You are a smart man.” Her
skin broke out in goose bumps as he cupped her breast in one of his calloused
palms.

“Or you are a very persuasive woman. One could argue that
sleeping naked is cheating.”

She looked up at him and cocked her head. Did he not want
her to sleep in the nude? She’d never asked him. She just assumed he liked the
feel of her skin on his as much as she did. But men made no sense to her. It
was completely possible she’d misjudged. “I could sleep dressed if you’d
rather.”

His whole chest shook as he laughed. “No. I like a woman who
knows how to cheat.”

She smiled and then leaned forward so she could kiss his
chest. His body was strong and warm under her. And when she put her palm on his
sternum she could feel his heart beat faster. She excited him. And that made
her content in a way she’d never experienced. “And I like the way you look in
my bed.”

After making her way a little farther down his body she
kissed his navel. She was fascinated by this small indentation in his abdomen.
She’d tried to overcome the fixation over the past week but her efforts had
been in vain. Whenever she saw him without a shirt she wanted to caress the
small hollow in the otherwise flat expanse of his stomach. Maybe it was because
she didn’t have one. Or maybe it was because he shivered so enticingly when she
traced its ridge with her tongue. Either way he’d come to accept her adoration.
And judging by the way he arched his back as she nipped at it, she guessed he
enjoyed it as well.

“God yes.”

She whimpered in concern when his hand left her breast. But
when she felt his nails scoring her scalp she relaxed. She loved him caressing
her body but this did allow her to explore a bit further. Which was what she
really wanted anyway. Coarse hair rubbed her chin as she kissed the muscle that
defined his inner hip. The sensation reminded her of how close she was to his
cock.

She gasped as he tugged on her hair. She’d been so focused
on him she’d forgotten his hands were still wound in her tresses. It wasn’t a
sharp pull. It didn’t hurt. But it had gotten her attention. And it’d made her
thighs clench with a sudden wave of need. “Do that again.”

This time when he pulled she closed her eyes and allowed
herself to enjoy the full experience. Her heart raced and her stomach knotted
with desire. But it wasn’t the normal hunger that filled her when he was near.
This was deeper—darker.

She tugged against his hold to intensify the burn of her
scalp then relaxed against his thigh and hummed with pleasure as a tingle
spread over the crown of her head. She ached with need. Her body burned to be
possessed. She had to have him.

She lifted her head and looked up at him. His eyes were
heavy and his pupils were dilated but his attention was focused on her. “I
can’t wait any longer.”

One side of his mouth twitched in an almost smile. “I don’t
remember asking you to.”

But there was still something else she wanted to do before
she succumbed to her hunger. She positioned herself so she was kneeling between
his thighs and then took his cock in her hand. He was warm and hard and his
skin was silken beneath her touch. She kept eye contact as she leaned forward
and ran her tongue over the tip of his erection.

His hips bucked and he clenched his jaw with what appeared
to be raw determination but he didn’t object so she allowed herself to do it
again. Only this time she swirled her tongue around the circumference of the
head of his penis.

“That feels incredible.” He let go of her hair and then
grabbed the sheets next to his hips. “Don’t stop.”

She had no plans on stopping—yet. Instead of telling him
that, she decided to show him. She dropped down and took his cock deep into her
mouth. And as she caressed him with her tongue she cupped his balls in her
hand.

He moaned as his hips bucked and thrust his cock deeper into
her mouth. “Yes. Just like that.” He was growing harder against her tongue with
every second. “Now. I need to be inside you now.”

She released him from her mouth but then ran her tongue
along his length one last time before sitting up. “Did you grab a condom?” He’d
made sure to put a large stockpile of them in her nightstand when he’d started
sleeping over. She’d laughed at the time but now she was glad he’d had the
foresight to do so. Having them so close at hand had saved an incredible amount
of time over the past week—just as it did again today.

He smiled as he held up one foil package. “Get up here.”

She made her way back up him but brushed her body against
his as she did. When she was looking directly down into his eyes he wrapped one
arm around her waist and rolled her over so he was now on top of her. He kissed
her deeply before pulling away from her. But he was only gone momentarily. As
soon as he’d sheathed himself in the condom he was back in her embrace. She
expected to feel him pressing into her but he paused. “What?”

“I need to make sure you’re ready.” His smile was one of
pure mischief. She didn’t trust that look.

She wrapped her legs around his thighs so she’d be in a
better position for him to take her. “I am.”

“Then you won’t mind if I check for myself.”

“Please.” She didn’t need him to check. Her body ached for
his. Every second he wasn’t inside her was painful.

“Thank you.”

She was confused by his reply until he moved so he was
kneeling between her thighs. “I didn’t mean that as ‘please check’. I meant…”
The rest of the sentence was lost as he dragged his tongue along her clit.

“I love how wet you are for me.” His breath was warm against
her skin. “So hot and tight.”

She moaned as he sucked on her clit. “You’re driving me crazy.”

He kissed her one last time before sitting up. “We wouldn’t
want that.” He inched forward on his knees until he brushed against her sex.
She only had to shift her weight to her heels and tip her pelvis to position
herself. When he finally pushed into her she sighed with relief. This was what
she needed.

Her hips rocked in time with his. The pace was fast and
hard. Which was what she wanted. But she needed something more. When he brushed
his thumb against her clit her entire body froze. Her muscles were locked with
anticipation. And when he pressed down on the bundle of nerves she found what
she needed. The world was lost in a rush of release. Her body shook and she
could feel her throat tighten as she called out but all she heard was the
whooshing of white noise. The moment hung like an eternity but was over in an
instant.

As soon as her body started to calm, Jack stretched out on
top of her. His long and lean body fit hers perfectly. She loved how his weight
felt against her and the visible flex of his muscles when she was caged under
him. This was exactly where she wanted to be. She wrapped her legs around his
hips and welcomed his thrusts.

His movements became erratic and he swore as he reached his
climax. She loved watching him in this moment. The pulse in his neck raced and
his body glistened with a fine sheen of sweat. He was both at his strongest and
at his most vulnerable at this moment. And he chose to share that with her. It
meant something. It meant everything.

“You are amazing.” His whispered words echoed her thoughts.

“I like you.”

He laughed as he pulled out of her. “That’s a good start, I
guess.”

She didn’t get the joke but didn’t sense any malice or hurt
in it so she let herself relax as he disposed of the condom.

“I’d love to spend the rest of the day in bed with you but—”

“You have to go.” She wasn’t needy or clingy. But every time
he left she could sense something bad was going to happen. It’d been a distant
worry up until now. But today was different. It actually made her ache.

“I do.” He got dressed and then sat on the edge of the bed
and pushed her hair out of her face. “I would stay if I could.”

“But you have to work.” She couldn’t stop her frown. It was
becoming harder and harder to be left behind.

“Don’t pout. You’ve only got a day or two left on your
medical leave. Before you know it you’re going to be cleared to come back to
work too.” He dropped down to kiss her forehead. “I’ll be back in time for
supper.”

“Be safe.”

He smiled down at her. “Always.” And then he left.

Her stomach started cramping as soon as the door closed.
This wasn’t going to work. She couldn’t just hang around all day waiting for
him. She had to go keep an eye on him. Make sure he was safe.

She got up and dressed as quickly as she could. When she was
brushing her teeth, though, she heard the door open again. At first she thought
it was Jack. But when he didn’t call out she knew it wasn’t him.

“Rowe? Rowe? Where are you?” That would be Harlow. There was
no way she was going to be able to keep an eye on Jack now. Harlow wasn’t going
to let her anywhere near the office until she’d been completely cleared.

“I’m in the bathroom. Just brushing my teeth.”

“Okay. I was thinking that maybe we could do a little
shopping today.”

In other words, busywork. “Sounds like fun.” Still, no
reason she couldn’t use it to her advantage. “Would you mind if we stop by that
little bakery on Atom?” It was just two doors down from the office. Jack always
brought her something to eat from there when he came over after work. It’d be
close enough for her to keep an eye on things. And if anything happened she’d
be in the right place at the right time.

“Not at all. Parker loves their bagels.”

She made her way through the bedroom but took a deep breath
before she stepped out into the living room. Harlow was a tough woman to fool.
She had great instincts and, even if she didn’t, she could read minds. She
would have to be at the top of her game if she were going to pull this one off.

Before she could change her mind she placed her palm on the
reader and the door slid open. “Thanks. I’ve been craving some of their
pastries.”

“I’m surprised you aren’t sick of them with as often as Jack
brings them to you.”

Oh no. Was she on to her? “What can I say, I’m addicted.”

Harlow nodded and grabbed her purse off the countertop. For
one moment Rowe thought she bought the act. But then Harlow cocked her head.
“Wait.”

Rowe’s stomach dropped at the single word. “If we wait,
they’ll be out of the chocolate croissants.”

“Come on, Rowe. Don’t lie to me.” Harlow put her bag back on
the counter and then crossed the room so she was standing right in front of
Rowe. “You don’t want a pastry. You want to keep an eye on Jack.”

Damn it. Why was that woman always digging around in her
head? “Why does it matter? You want to shop. I want to go to a store. Does the
motivation really make a difference?”