Playing With Fire (28 page)

Erin was surprised.

“You really built this, Nate? That’s amazing. It looks like
something out of an Architectural magazine.”

“Yeah, I’ve had some nibbles from those magazines. Guess
they think a cop living in a place like this would make a good story.”

“Did anyone do the story?”

“Hell no. The only thing I prize more than my bad boy
reputation is my privacy. Except for the Lang family last Christmas, and, of
course the Chief, you’re the only person I’ve brought here, Erin.”

Erin’s eyes widened, and she frowned trying to grasp what he
was saying.

He covered his surprise admission with a wicked grin.

“As for those chains on the headboard, you may have noticed
that I do have a four poster bed. And, hey, who needs chains when you have
handcuffs?”

He laughed when Erin flushed a bright rosy pink.

He poured her another glass of wine then headed to the
kitchen.

“Don’t know about you, but I’m hungry. How about it? Are you
ready to eat?”

She looked as though she was still chewing on his outrageous
remark, but managed a tentative smile.

“Yes, please. I think that’s my stomach that is growling.”

Erin heard pans rattling in the kitchen and soon the fragrance
of spicy chowder and baking bread filled the room. She was amazed that Nate
built this extraordinary house. The more she studied it she saw the intricate
attention to detail in every place she looked. But as surprised as she was by
the house, she was more taken aback by his statement that she was the first
person outside of his family that he’d invited to his sanctuary. Did he really
mean that those women who talked endlessly about the amorous exploits of Nate
Stryker had never been to this place? She quickly reminded herself that he’d
brought her here to hide her, to protect her. But a little voice inside her
that refused to be quiet noted that if he wanted her safe, his condo close to
the precinct would have served as well. She was relieved of further introspection
when Nate came in carrying a large tray of food.

“Tell you what, honey. Why don’t you be brave and crawl out
of that corner you’re crouched in and move a little closer to the food and to
me. That way we can keep the salad here along with the bread.”

Erin knew she must be blushing because he was right. She had
been clinging to the arm of the sofa, but the smell of the delicious food urged
her forward. She watched in anticipation when he ladled a bowl of chowder and
placed it on the table next to his.

Striving for lightness, she sniffed it.

“This looks and smells wonderful. Did the big bad-assed cop
really make this or do you keep a little serving girl in the pantry.”

He chuckled.

“No darlin’. This is all me. One of my old standbys.”

He broke off a piece of bread and dipped it in the sauce and
held it out to her. When she reached for it, he gave a little shake of his head
and leaned over to put it in her mouth.

“Here, taste this. This is the best way to sample all the
flavors.”

She sighed in appreciation. It tasted wonderful. She had to
move closer to him to let him put it in her mouth. Without thinking she stayed
in the same place, much closer to him than she had been. She saw the tiny smile
tug at the corner of his mouth and knew that he had noticed.

As if to compound her nervousness, she startled herself with
her next statement.

“I heard some of the things you and Connor talked about. He…
he seemed to understand why you did what you did.”

Nate grimaced.

“Yeah he wasn’t happy about it, but he did admit he couldn’t
have kept up with the deception.”

Erin reached deep for courage to continue.

“He said that you were his hero. That he admired you — and
what you had done.”

Nate glanced up with a slight frown. Then as though he
remembered what Connor had said, he gave her a rueful smile.

“I see. So you heard that part of the conversation, huh,
Erin? What he said about us?”

She gazed at her hands, then unwilling to look away, she
faced him and nodded. “Yes. I… I was surprised.”

Nate studied her for a long moment. A slow sexy grin spread
across his face.

“I guess I’ve been outed. Not much use in holding back now,
is there? It’s kinda a relief. Now that you know all my secrets, no sense
trying to impress you with good behavior. I can go back to being my big ole
badass self.”

He moved over next to her and brushed his knee against hers.
She took a deep breath to quiet the rush of sensation that the slight touch
elicited in her body.

He winked at her reaction.

“You aren’t eating very much, Erin. Tell me, baby, do you
like crab?”

She swallowed and shook her head yes.

“Good. Let me find you a tasty piece.”

He speared a piece of crab with his fork and held it up to
her mouth. When she reached for the fork, he shook his head.

“Uh uh. No hands allowed. Just your mouth.”

With a teasing smile he moved the fork far enough away that
she had to chase it with her tongue to capture it.

His voice dropped to a husky murmur.

“Mm hmm. That’s the way. I like watching your tongue around
that piece of meat. Let’s try that again, honey.”

Without taking his eyes off of her, he speared another piece
of fish and moved closer to her. He held the fork in front of her mouth and
whispered, “Come and get it, baby.”

She stuck out her tongue then grasped the tantalizing morsel
with her teeth.

He ran his finger across her lips and murmured, “Oh yeah,
Erin.”

She felt her face flush and couldn’t hold back a soft moan.

He speared another piece and moved closer to her.

“Nate, I can feed myself.”

“I know you can.”

Her heart pounded at his knowing grin. Beneath his teasing
smile she sensed that his anticipation was as great as hers. It excited her and
made her want to drive him crazy with desire the way that he was her. Gathering
her courage, she inched closer. With a saucy smile she reached for the fork.

Again, he shook his head.

“Uh uh, darlin’. Show me how hungry you are. Come and get
it.”

His sexy command ratcheted her desire to soaring heights and
made her brazen.

She held his hand to position the fork next to her lips. She
delicately ran her tongue in a teasing circle over the succulent crab then
sucked it into her mouth.

“Damn, Erin. You are one sexy woman. But, honey, you’re
kinda messy.”

When she frowned, he daubed his finger in the broth and
rubbed it on her lips.

“Let’s clean you off, honey. Lick it off, baby. Show me how
you lick it.”

She swallowed hard, certain he could hear her heart pounding
in her chest. She ran her tongue back and forth slowly to moisten her lips,
then more quickly when his breath hitched.

He groaned, a deep rumble, and dipped his finger in the
broth and touched her lips. When she opened her mouth slightly, he shook his
head.

“I think you missed some sweetheart. I know what we’ll do.
Open your mouth, darlin’.”

When she did, he slipped two fingers inside.

“That’s the way baby. Now suck on my fingers. Mmm, yeah.
Like
that
, Erin. Suck them just like that.”

Erin felt a rush of heat to her core so strong that she
groaned.

He nodded his approval and muttered.

“Honey, that little escapade went straight to my dick. But,
you know that, don’t you?”

She shook her head then gnawed on her bottom lip and
whispered, “Yes… I noticed that it did.”

He gave a low chuckle and pressed her hand against his
throbbing cock, grinning at the way she startled at the touch.

Her cheeks were flushed with excitement. She dipped her
fingers in the broth and held them out to Nate.

Her voice was soft and her hand trembled, but her eyes were
sparkling.

“Aren’t you hungry, Nate?”

“Oh, yeah. I’m more than hungry, Erin. I’m starving.”

He took hold of her hand and sucked her fingers into his
mouth. His mouth was strong. When he had licked her fingers clean, he bit each
one of them, lightly on the tips.

He grinned when she gasped at the slight pain. He leaned
down and tugged on the corner of her mouth with his teeth and bit down on her
lip.

She felt her cheeks flush with excitement. Her body was
commanding her now. Nothing her frightened brain said would stop her. She
needed this. Now.

“I… I think I need more, Nate. I don’t want to miss a drop.
Will you feed it to me again?”

“Fuck, yeah.”

He made no pretense of covering his arousal. His breath was
coming as fast as hers. He plunged his fingers into the broth. When his fingers
were just inches from her mouth, she reached out and pulled them next to her
lips.

“Open for me baby. That’s the way Erin. Now, suck on my
fingers. Mm hmm, just like that.”

She closed her eyes, startled at the sensations flooding
her. When she opened her eyes he was studying her.

His eyes were smoldering. She didn’t have to look down to
see his arousal. It was pressing against her hip, sending delicious jolts of
heat up her thighs.

Nate pushed the tray of food away from them both, and made
no secret of adjusting his bulging dick. He shrugged and grinned at her.

“Sometimes there is only so much a guy can do. Some parts of
us have a mind of their own.”

She blushed and picked up her wineglass peeking nervously at
that “part of him.” Even through his pants it was amazingly prominent.

Nate reached over, took her wineglass, and set it on the
table.

“Come here, Erin. Let me hold you.”

He brushed his lips against her hair and whispered, “Honey,
before we go any further I need to tell you again how sorry I am—”

She shook her head and put her finger against his lips.

“Don’t, Nate. I don’t want to talk about that now.”

Nate guffawed.

“I’ll be damned. Isn’t that my line? I thought it was only
us guys who ‘didn’t want to talk about it,’ especially at a time like this. But
hell, honey, I’m all up for just letting it go.”

Erin frowned.

“You know I don’t mean that. I’m not letting it go. I just
don’t want to talk about it or think about it now.”

He pinched her cheek lightly.

“I know that I’m not getting off that easy, Erin. Just a bad
attempt at humor.”

Pulling her up next to him, he began idly stoking her back,
his strong fingers drawing lazy patterns on her sensitized skin.

Her heart was pounding so loudly, she was sure he could hear
it.

“I… I love the music. I’m hearing everything from Marvin
Gaye to Barry White with a little Sade thrown in.”

“Yeah, honey, I’m a sucker for anything soul and remotely R
& B. Of course it needs to be as sexy as hell.”

Nuzzling his lips in her hair, he tugged at it gently but
enough to send shivers down her spine.

“What are you doing, Nate?”

“Trying to be good, Erin.”

A minute passed in silence. Only the whispers of their
panting breaths and rustling of their clothes as they sought each other’s
bodies could be heard. Erin broke the quiet.

“Nate.”

“Yes, Erin.”

“What would you do if you
weren’t
being good?”

“Hmm. Let me think. If I wasn’t being good? Well, I guess
I’d have to be bad.”

She whispered, “Very bad?”

He growled a low sound. “Oh yeah, baby. Very, very bad.”

To her surprise he got up and walked into the bedroom. She
heard rustling sounds, but didn’t know what he was doing

He stood in the doorway, his eyes dark with lust. His body
was as lean and hungry as a panther. His arousal was strikingly apparent in his
loose fitting pants. Erin swallowed as much as her dry mouth would allow,
wondering which she wanted more: His mouth covering hers, or to feel the press
of that amazing male body that she’d been dreaming about since the first night
she met him. She decided she wanted both.

“What… what were you doing?”

“You told me you like being in front of the fire.”

“I do.”

“Then it’s a good thing I have more than one fireplace
because right now I prefer the one in the bedroom.”

Nate legs ate up the short distance between the doorway and
the sofa. Erin’s expression echoed the sensations bombarding Nate’s body. Her
cheeks were flushed, her eyes were simmering with desire. God, how he wanted
this woman. And if her whimpering moan as he reached for her was a dependable
sign, she wanted him. His only concern as he scooped her up in his arms was how
to hold back, how to contain the clamoring sensations rioting through him. He
didn’t want to frighten her. It was bad enough that his thick shaft was rock
hard tenting against his sweatpants. No secret there. But he had to be careful.
Only hours before after all, she was in shock, nearly killed. Moreover, knowing
her past as he did, it was critical that he take her slowly, follow her
signals, and not rush her. He grimaced. Yeah, just what he was known for.
Restraint, coolness in the bedroom. Not! But, God help him, Erin was different.
She deserved more. And if it was the last thing he did, he would give her the
loving respect she deserved.

The fire in the fireplace cast leaping shadows of red and
gold against the wall. Outside the wind and rain beat a raging tattoo against
the windows. A fitting metaphor for the passion burning inside of him, he
thought with a groan. Erin’s rapid heartbeat against his chest reminded him of
a frightened bird who’d fallen out of its nest, onto some very unfamiliar
ground. He held her in his arms and whispered soft comforting words. Gently
lowering her to the floor, he kept her close, letting her feel his arousal
against her abdomen. Let her get used to him, to his size, to the passion that
had him vibrating with need.