Playing With Fire (6 page)

“Hmm. Tell you what, babe. Give me his name and I’ll make
sure the son of a bitch never takes advantage of another desperate woman.”

An ugly look crossed his face giving her a glimpse of what
he might do if someone made him angry. Any sympathy she thought she saw was
quickly lost in his sneer when he turned his attention back to her.

“Why’d you do it, Erin? Didn’t think your name was cutesy
enough? Or you just got tired of being the old you? Or maybe you wanted to
change your whole damn identity while you were at it?”

It was no use trying to keep her voice from shaking. The
best she could do was to speak quietly.

“You are such a fuck.”

“Yeah, I am.” He put the water bottle down on the table and
leaned forward. “Among other things.”

She clung to the doorway for strength.

“Did you bring a goddamn search warrant? Even you have
some
rules. Even you have a
boss
, don’t you?” Her voice was more desperate
than angry. “I… I want you to go. Now.”

He gave her a glimmer of a smile, but there was no mirth in
his voice.

“I’m not going, Erin.”

He unwound his lanky frame from the miniscule chair. He’d
looked big enough seated. Now he looked huge, threatening. He moved toward her
slowly, a large, powerful animal closing in on its prey.

She felt her face heat, frantic to get away from him but not
knowing how. Breathing hard, her voice was shaky but firm. Pulling the door
open she moved to leave.

“You think a woman is like a child? To be protected… or
bullied… and nothing else? If you’re not going, I am.”

She was halfway out the door when one of his big hands
grabbed her. Her frightened shriek died in her throat when he pulled her back
inside. He pushed her up against the wall, kicking the door closed with his
foot.

She closed her eyes gasping for air, fighting the wave of
dizziness that flooded over her. He was so big. The top of her head came just
to his chin. She felt his muscled chest, the weight of his body as he pinned
her against the wall. He smelled like soap and a subtle hint of aftershave,
mixed with the unique odor of a strong man. Against all reason, Erin felt
herself becoming perversely aroused by this intruder, this oppressor. His voice
was low, dangerously soft.

“It’s best we establish a few rules right now, sweetheart.
You’re not going anywhere unless I say you are.”

Nate held her firmly, not wanting to frighten her any more
than she already was. Her smell gave her away. Damn, anybody who didn’t think
you could smell fear wasn’t holding this trembling woman. To complicate
matters, underneath that fear, he smelled another more tantalizing odor. A
spicy musky smell that had his errant prick rising to attention.

As Nate leaned in even closer, he sensed a slackening of
resistance. He pressed his lips against the sensitive place on Erin’s throat
and tugged on her earlobe with his teeth. At her gasp, he nuzzled in closer.

“Who are you running from, sweetheart?”

She shook her head.

He asked again.

“Is someone after you, baby?”

When she still didn’t answer, he gently tugged at her
ponytail, tipping her head back so he could look in her eyes. When she closed
her eyes, he shook his head.

“Uh uh. Look at me.”

When she glanced up then quickly looked away, he murmured,
“I asked you a question, honey. And when a cop asks you a question, you’d do well
to answer.”

He waited. When she didn’t answer, he said, “Last time,
Erin. Who are you running from?”

Tired of being pushed, contained, interrogated, she twisted
away from him, trying to push him back — but he held her tight.

“You! I’m running from you!”

Nate frowned, then grasped her meaning.

“The cop? Or the asshole?”

Her voice was tiny, thick with despair.

“Both.”

Erin, despite all her righteous indignation, all her fear,
all her rational thoughts opposing it, could not stop herself being excited by
this man. Oh god, she asked herself… did she actually
like
being
contained by a controlling powerful man? Nate pressed his hand against her
chest, his palm flat against the valley between her breasts.

“Let’s see. If it’s the cop you’re afraid of, that might
explain why your heart is pounding like it is.”

He spread his hand wider brushing his fingertips against her
nipples.

“But if you are kinda excited by the asshole, that would
explain these.”

He tweaked first one than the other of her nipples that had
risen to tight hard peaks, fighting against the stretchy fabric of her exercise
bra. At her soft cry, he murmured, “Yeah, these are a real give away, Erin, and
this makes it conclusive.”

He rubbed his hand between her legs against the damp crotch
of her running shorts.

His voice was a husky drawl.

“You’re wet, Erin.”

She jerked away and cried out, “Stop! Oh, my God. Stop!”

But he pulled her closer, holding her tight against him.

“I don’t know that I can, sweetheart. You might just be the
sweetest smelling fugitive I’ve ever inhaled.”

He nuzzled against her throat, nipping at the soft skin
below her ear. Gratified by the shiver that shook her, he whispered, “But,
honey, just so you know I will stop… if you tell me again to.”

He waited to see what she would do, if she’d pull away, tell
him to back off. When she whimpered, a soft breathy sound, he pressed forward.

“But you’re not going to do that, are you, baby? Uh uh. This
sweet hot body of yours wants me as bad as I want you. Isn’t that right,
darlin’? You don’t want me to stop any more than I do.”

Her deep shuddering moan was the answer he was waiting for.

Testing, he pressed his lips against hers. They were soft,
yielding. He ran the tip of his tongue across the seam, seeking to enter that
soft moist space. He took advantage of her gasp for air and pressed his
advantage. He worked his expert tongue against her teeth. When she still
resisted, he whispered, “Open for me, honey. Let me taste you.”

At the sound of her soft moan, he pressed his tongue inside,
grasping her tongue between his teeth, lightly biting, then sucking it into his
mouth. To his surprise, she began to kiss him back. In response he thrust
deeper, harder, plundering her amazingly receptive mouth. Her soft breathy
sounds, her gasps for air, ratcheted up his simmering desire. What started as a
gentle exploration, a need to taste, to touch, escalated beyond his control. It
was as though his body was on fire. He needed to feel her, to connect with her.
He wanted to be inside of her, deep inside of her. He nudged his thigh between
her legs, stunned at the rough growl that rose in his own throat when she
opened for him. Any semblance of control he might have had was lost when she
cried out and put her arms around his neck dragging him closer. As if some
magic floodgate opened she rode up on his thigh pressing all that softness
between her legs against his rock hard dick.

“Jesus, God, baby.”

Erin shuddered at his deep growl. She fought against the
fiery sensations sweeping over her. But it was no use. She’d never felt this
way with a man, been so crazy, so hungry. As if there was no way she could get
enough of him. She was helpless against her need to feel him deeper, harder.
His arousal pressed against her crotch, hard, thick, powerful. But it wasn’t enough.
She needed more. She cried out, begging him not to stop as wave after wave of
passion flooded over her, like a dam breaking.

His voice was low, soft in her ear, urging her on.

“Yeah, darlin’. That’s the way. Ride me. Christ, baby, don’t
stop. Yeah, just like that, you sweet, sweet woman. Erin, honey. Where did you
come from?”

Stunned at what was happening she buried her face against
his chest, clinging to him. She knew that the heat zinging over her would never
be enough. It was only the beginning. She wanted more. From his deep male groan
of approval, she knew that in minutes he’d be where she wanted him to be. Where
she was desperate for him to be.

As though some devilish prankster, some passion-slashing
fiend had entered the room, she realized the pounding she heard was not the
beating of her heart against her chest or the blood rushing through her ears.
Nate had lifted her down off of his strong thigh and was whispering cautions in
her ear, urging her to be quiet.

“Erin, someone is at the door.”

Only then did she allow herself to hear the insistent
knocking and Ettie Mae’s urgent voice.

“Erin, Erin, honey, are you in there? Are you okay?”

The flimsy door didn’t stop the large woman accustomed to
barreling her way through tougher barriers than the door she’d shoved open.

“Oh, I’se sorry, honey. I didn’t know youse had company. I
see’d that big flashy car out front and I thoughts the neighborhood pimps were
tryin’ to get you for their cribs.”

Nate did the best he could to rearrange himself, and shield
Erin from the enormous woman peering around the door. Her knowing expression
and ill-disguised ‘humph’ made explanations superfluous.

Keeping his body between Erin and the huge woman’s wise
eyes, he shrugged and muttered, “That’s the first time my $80,000 car’s been
mistaken for a pimp buggy.”

The large woman peered at him, at his badge, then
recognition lit her expressive face.

“Wait a minute. I knows you.”

Turning toward her, Nate faced her head on.

“You do, huh?”

“Youse that smart-mouthed poleese hot shot that came to our
watch meeting and told us all if we cared about our kids we’d get them the hell
out of here.”

She added with a scowl, “Like we had a choice.”

Nate allowed a sheepish grin to cross his face.

“Sorry about that. It wasn’t the most sensitive advice I
could have given you.”

She shook her head, her chins rippling in response.

“Sensitive? Whadda I care? Yo advice was jus’ stupid, is
all. But, for what it’s worth, I would if I could.”

She glared at him.

“But you, Mister Fancypants. You tell us to leave, then you
stick your little girlfriend in this hellhole?”

Her eyes swept across the ugly room.

Adding insult to injury, she snarled, “Whatcha doin’? Hidin’
her from your wife or sumthin’?”

Erin said quickly, “He’s not my boyfriend.”

Simultaneously Nate mirrored her. “She’s not my girlfriend,”
and added darkly, “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m not married.”

Ettie Mae’s puffy lip twisted in a wry grin. She looked at
the bulge in his pants and then at Erin’s tousled appearance. Rolling her eyes,
she grunted out another expressive, “Humph.”

She glanced around and a strange look crossed her face as if
she were seeing the room for the first time.

“Jeez, girl, I din’t realize you had nuthin here. Damn,
honey, I got some things you coulda borrowed. They’s nuthin fancy but they’d do
until—”

Erin broke in. Her face was flushed. She pushed away from
Nate and moved toward the door.

“Ettie Mae, please. I need you to go.”

Including Nate in her glare, she added, “Both of you. Please
go. I need to take a shower. I work the night shift tonight.”

Nate pinned her with a cold stare.

“How do you get to work at night?”

She raised her chin.

“None of your business.”

Ettie Mae raised an animated brow and nodded to Nate.

“Maybe you and me have more in common than I thoughts we
did. I keep tellin’ her it’s dangerous to run in this neighborhood at night.
But she just takes off like a little gazelle — like she can outrun any of them
bad boys.”

Nate gave the older woman an appraising glance.

“May I call you, Ettie Mae?”

“No, we’re not that friendly yet. Mrs. J. will do.”

“Okay, Mrs. J.; I appreciate your concerns. I’m also
concerned about Erin. Her locks are shit and I don’t like that she runs back
and forth to work on a fairly reliable schedule. Tell me, Mrs. J., do you have
a cell phone?

She gave him an insulted sniff. “Course I does.”

“Great. Give it to me.”

He took her phone and programmed in his number.

“If you see anything suspicious, you let me know. Just hit
the number three key.”

Ettie Mae nodded then turned to face Erin. Her face was
wrinkled with concern.

“Honey, I didn’t realize you had nuthin’ here. I got an old
bed, some things I could bring over….”

Erin bit her lip and glared at her.

“That won’t be necessary.”

“Honey, I knows you got that brand new stuff ordered. When
did you say it was due to come in?”

Erin’s face flushed a rosy pink. Nate was sure those were
tears he saw in her eyes. She flushed even brighter catching the knowing look
he exchanged with Mrs. J.

Before Erin could answer, Ettie Mae reached out with a pudgy
finger and stroked Erin’s cheek. Her voice was gentle.

“I hope you don’t get mad at me, for flappin my lips, but
I’se wonderin if you’ve told your friend here—”

Erin almost shouted. “He’s not my friend!”

Nate frowned at her. “Told me what?”

Ettie Mae barged ahead, ignoring Erin’s pleading look.

“You know, honey. About your car.”

Nate managed to keep his voice calm but his hard glare
forced Erin to meet his eyes.

“What about it. I thought you didn’t have a car, Erin.”

Ettie Mae smacked her lips.

“Well, she did, sure nuff ‘til couple months ago. Sonny
James, you know the feller over at the QT?”

Nate nodded. He kept his gaze on Mrs. J. but put a
restraining hand on Erin’s arm sensing her flight response kicking in.

“Yeah, I know Sonny. He’s a good man.”

Ettie Mae nodded in agreement.

“Sonny thinks that some of the neighborhood gangbangers put
sugar in her gas tank. Caused it to all choke up. Poor thing, she had to junk
it, and now she has to run where ever she goes. I cain’t help but wonder,
honey, if they’s the same ones who came in and broke up all your stuff.”