Shot in the Dark (9 page)

“Come for me,” he whispered. He knew she was more than ready, and wanted to be the one to take her to the next level. “This night’s only beginning. Come for me…
now
.”

It was suddenly very important that he knew what she liked best. Touching. Testing. How to take her to the edge and hold her there until he felt her legs shake. He held his breath and waited for the moment he felt her let go, giving herself to him. In the quietness of the room, Luci cried out as her body dissolved in delicious spasms around his finger and against his mouth.

Twisting a finger inside her, Dev watched her sea blue eyes flutter closed. He watched her breasts rise and fall in gasps.

For this moment in time, she was his.

Chapter Nine

Luci’s heart pounded so rapidly she was afraid it might burst from her chest. Her legs trembled beneath her as she grabbed Devan’s bare shoulders to keep herself from pitching forward.

Her orgasm was shooting electrical shock waves through her as she realized his finger was still inside her. The feeling made her dizzy, his touch made her hypersensitive.

When she finally opened her eyes and gazed down, Devan’s eyes were closed, his handsome face motionless as stone. He looked as if he was relishing her reaction from his touch.

Luci wondered if she should be thinking about the attack. It had been looming in her thoughts just a short time before. But with Devan here, the memories faded. His touch was so gentle; it was the caress of a lover, erasing her attacker’s dirty touch.

Devan’s midnight black hair fell in a sexy tumble onto his forehead as he licked his lips, and she knew it was from the taste of her. Need coiled again inside her.

Slowly he pulled his finger free and met her gaze. His dark brown eyes were black with deep yearning.

Brushing her fingers over his shoulder, she said huskily, “I don’t believe in sex being a one person show. That was amazing, but I want you…
all of you
. Can I help with your pants?”

He nodded laboriously.

Naked, she dropped to her knees and quickly yanked off his shoes and socks then offered a hand to help him stand and guided him alongside the bed.

“Hold onto the headboard,” she said. “I’ll take it from here.”

His gaze never left hers, as she reached for the already loose buckle on his trousers. Freeing the zipper, she slid the lightweight grey wool down over his thighs.

She could see the strong outline of his erection as it pressed against the black cotton of his underwear. Running her fingers along the elastic at his lean waist, she pulled the snug boxers down and then off.

Devan’s erection was full and hard. He let out a groan of satisfaction as she wrapped her fingers around the base and slid to the tip.

“Lay on the bed,” she said.

He reached for her, but she shook her head. “Not until
I’ve
had some fun.”

Lying down, filling a large portion of her bed, he stretched to his full height on the velvet comforter.

Luci dropped to her knees beside him. “Look at this beautiful body. You were keeping this all to yourself?”

She could tell he was embarrassed, not sure if he should believe her or not. She was hoping he would relax, but it wouldn’t be easy.

For the first time, she surveyed the bullet wound on Devan’s thigh, tracing a gentle finger across it. It was a mass of puckered skin with white scar tissue forming around an almost perfect indent where the impact had been taken by his leg muscles.

The rest of him was achingly perfect and she relished in the pleasure of looking at him. “God, you have a great body.” She knew he needed reassurance. “So, who has the best scars?” she asked, flipping him a grin in the candlelit room. “I think mine’s better.” She pointed to her bare thigh. “Burns always look nastier…
more graphic
. Like an Anime comic book. I win.”

“You’re crazy… this isn’t a scar competition,” he said, but smiled back as he shook his head.

Luci moved closer, dipped her head, and took him into her mouth. He sighed out a long breath as her mouth closed around him. She slid her lips base to tip.

His cock hardened even more, if that was possible, as she swirled her tongue over the velvet crown. Power consumed her as he let her take control of his body and felt her pulse kick up a notch.

He tasted salty, all male and sexy as hell.

Devan choked out, “Luci… stop.”

Keeping him grasped in her fist, she loosened the suction and kissed the tip.

“I thought I could wait…” Devan confessed as his fingers grasped her shoulder. “But that feels so good. You’ve shot all my self-control and I want it to last. I haven’t been with a woman for a while.”

She smiled. The thought pleased her. Tipping back on her heels, she opened the nightstand drawer and removed a condom. Tearing the foil, she sheathed his length.

He was so handsome, chiseled like granite in the flickering golden light. His face was intense with concentration, studying her fingers touching his erection.

“If it’s okay with you,” she asked, “I’ll be on top until we get that leg of yours back in shape.”

He nodded, as she straddled his hips, and then slowly leaned forward to take him in a heated kiss. The curled hair of his chest brushed her nipples to tight peaks as she rubbed against him.

Devan grabbed his shaft, holding it in position as she slowly lowered herself inch by glorious inch onto him.

She tipped back and rooted herself to the base, taking him as deeply as possible. She stopped and took the time to savor the moment of Devan inside her for the first time. He waited, giving her time to adjust before taking her hips and plunging upward.

The slow tempo was no longer enough for either one of them. She was ready to take whatever he could give.

Luci moaned, pushing up before descending to take him full hilt. Devan was killing her, controlling the steady, unhurried glide. He pinched the tight bud of her nipple between his lips as, he pulled her close. His actions sent fire shooting through her veins.

His hand pressed between them, his finger stroking the bundle of nerves between her slick folds. Tension grew, coiling deep. He quickened the pace. Arching, she adjusted the angle to match his, feeling the curved press of him inside.

“Come for me again, and this time take me with you,” he said in a gravelly voice.

With his powerful thrusts she felt her orgasm take her over the edge and with one last deep plunge, Devan’s ridged cock pulsed and released.

Luci collapsed onto his chest as aftershocks shook through her. She couldn’t move, and didn’t want to. She wanted to stay with him, like this forever.

When she finally raised her head, she brushed back a lock of his damp hair with her fingertips and kissed his forehead. Luci swung her leg free and then rolled herself off his body.

He pulled her close, spooning them and then moved her hair far enough to the side to kiss the hollow at the back of her neck.

She’d gone into the evening hoping Devan could erase the bad memories of her attack, but she’d gotten much more than she’d ever bargained for. This hadn’t been a quick release, or a meaningless tumble. Luci had never been touched with such love or caring by any man. The way Devan caressed her made her feel special. It spoke to something deep inside her.

“I’ll be back,” Devan murmured, struggling to sit. He draped his long legs over the side of the bed before pulling himself upright with the help of the headboard. He padded barefoot toward the bathroom.

When he returned, Luci’s eyes followed down his naked form to the ridges of his abdomen still glossy with sweat from their lovemaking. Stretching out before him, she loved the way his gaze heated as his eyes caressed her body.

She dropped her head to rest on her arm. “So if you’re leaving, are you going to make coffee?” For the first time in her life, Luci didn’t know what to say. It was awkward.

She wanted him to stay.

To her surprise, he joined her back on the bed. “I told you, you’re the barista. I make crap coffee.” He paused before asking, “Do you want me to leave?”

She bit her lip, and shook her head. “Only if you want to.”

“I don’t want to overstay my welcome,” he said, passing a finger down her flat stomach.

“You? I’m the one who asked you for the sympathy— ”

He cut her sentence off with another long, slow kiss that stole her breath. He added, “If you haven’t figured this out yet, I don’t do things unless I want to. You were amazing tonight.”

“I know it’s probably ‘
cramping your style,’
but could you stay?”

Devan gave a deep chuckle and nipped her shoulder. “I think maybe I could go against my rules, this once.”

Luci rose to her feet, leaving the bed, and blew out the candles with a puff of breath. Moonlight lit Devan’s shadowed outline as he pulled back the bedcovers. Returning, she stretched out beside him.

In the darkness, she ran her fingers over the strong planes of his chest, down his abdomen to the puckered skin of the wound on his leg.

He pulled in a shallow breath. “I know you want to hear the full story. I didn’t
just
get shot. I managed to get a kid killed along with the mistake I made that night.”

Luci drew closer, resting her head on his chest as he stroked a hand over her back.

“My partner Mac and I were on a dead-end lead for a drug bust. We were on our way home. It was late and we were both tired. I asked if we could stop at a local convenience store and get something to eat.”

“Then what happened?” Luci whispered.

“Mac and I walked through the front entrance. A gunman was robbing the cashier behind the front counter. Mac and I were joking around at first. I didn’t see him. When I did, I went with my first instinct and yelled, ‘Police, drop your gun.’ We were plain clothes, and it took the robber by surprise. I heard a shot and there was a spray of blood. All I remember was the look on the clerk’s face… he was only eighteen.”

“Is that when you were shot?” she asked.

“Mac yelled my name as the man fired the shot that took me down. Mac killed the shooter. The three of us must have fallen at almost the same second. Time stopped. I looked over at the kid. I knew he was dead when he hit the floor.”

Luci felt her chest tighten. “It was an accident. You didn’t know the store was being robbed.”

Devan blew out a snort. “Yeah. If we’d been there on a call, I might have felt different, but we just stumbled into it. That kid’s dead because I wasn’t a good enough cop to be aware of my surroundings… just like last night when you were robbed.”

In the darkness, it was easier for the two of them to talk. “That’s why you blame yourself for my attack? You thought you should have seen the guy and somehow known he was there to rob me?”

“You said it, not me.” The muscles of his chest clenched under her fingers.

“Devan… I never blamed anyone but myself. I was brainless and opened the door without checking to see who it was.”

“If I’d waited…”

“He was waiting until I was alone. You know that. If you’d stayed another five minutes… ten minutes… an hour, it wouldn’t have mattered. I told you, I won’t put up with you kicking yourself for things you have no control over. Those days are over.”

“Yeah, well…” he grumbled, but continued to stroke her back.

“I’m happy you told me what happened. It means a lot to me. But I have to warn you, making love was the easy stuff. After tonight, it’s going to be an uphill battle. Wait until you see the rehab I’ve got planned. We need to get your leg and body back in shape so you can get back on active duty. I’ve been told I’m a hard ass when it comes to rehab.”

“I’ve had a few people say the same thing about me. We’ll see who gets their way,” he chuckled.

“You’re going to be sorry you ever met me. Hard ass Lombart, that’s me.”

She squealed as he grabbed and pinched one of the bare cheeks of her butt. “They don’t feel hard to me. In fact, they’re smooth and soft. Anyway, I never said I was going to let you get your hands on me.” Devan pulled her higher until she could feel his cheek brush against hers. The soft stubble of his beard sent a shiver running through her.

“I just had my hands on you,” Luci stated. She reached under the covers and wrapped her fingers around his stiffening cock. “We’ll see who gets their way.”

He hissed in a breath as she stroked him. “You’re pushy for a blonde.”

“A true blonde, mind you.”

“I noticed.”

“This means I get what I want. So shut up and lay back.”

His hands grabbed her slender waist as she slid up and over him. This time, when she and Devan made love, the edgy anticipation of the first time together was gone.

This time was for fun.

****

It was after seven. Luci was up and making a fresh pot of coffee. She was happy Devan opened up and told her what happened the night of the shooting. Now she knew how he was injured and why he carried it around like an albatross around his neck.

Hearing the bed springs squeak, and the click of the cane on the hardwood floor, she knew Devan was up. She poured him a cup of coffee and handed it to him as he came into the kitchen.

Propping the cane against the cabinet, he inhaled the steam from the cup and took a deep drink. “Do you always get up this early on days you don’t have to work?” he asked, gazing at her through sleepy eyes. He looked adorable and hot all at the same time.

He was shirtless, his dress pants slung low on his lean hips. She loved his body and couldn’t help but admire the cut muscles of his chest and stomach. There was just the right amount of dark hair which trailed across his pecs and down a line on his stomach. Her eyes took in the sharply defined ridge that led from hip to groin. A man cut. Devan had a great one.

He cocked an eyebrow at her lazy perusal of him. “It’s a little late now to be checking me out. I told you I was damaged goods.”

Luci smiled, and shook her head. “You’ve got a great body and I’m finding I love every inch of it. Do you lift weights?”

He nodded. “Why?”

“Do you do any leg work?”

“Not usually. I just lift barbells.”

Men.
It was his leg that he needed to strengthen, not his biceps. There was a reason for her line of questioning, but she wasn’t going to tell him just yet. She cocked her head. “I was checking you out because I was trying to decide which part of you I was going to lick next.”

Devan choked on his next sip of coffee. He set the ceramic cup on the counter as a smile played at the corners of his lips.

Taking a step closer, he cupped a hand around the nape of her neck, leaned in, and pressed his mouth gently to hers. She could taste the coffee. It tasted rich and sweet in the recess of his mouth.

Luci placed a hand on his thigh for balance. He shifted his weight, and her fingers grazed the erection building behind his fly. Drawing her hands higher, she wrapped them around his neck and pulled him in. His hands dipped and pulled her tight derriere to fit against him.

Breaking away, Luci said breathlessly, “You’re trying to distract me. We have work to do.”

Devan smiled and kissed hot, open-mouthed kisses down the side of her neck to the swell of her breasts, fingering a beaded nipple trough the camisole she wore. “I
am
working. I’m working on getting you out of your clothes.”

Putting a hand against his chest, she pressed back. “I figured that one out. I may be blonde, but I’m not dumb. So cool your jets. Hopefully, we’ll have more than enough time for your plan; but you have an appointment this morning.”

“Wait a minute… what appointment?” He frowned. “What do you have in mind?” he asked suspiciously.

“I have a friend, Dr. Bob, who’s a chiropractor. I told him I have a friend who desperately needs an adjustment. He’s fit you in this morning.”

“A chiropractor? You’re taking me to a bone cracker? What good is that going to do? I have a bullet wound in my leg.”

“Look.” Luci squared her shoulders and faced him. “There’s more to your injury than just the wound. When I watch you walk, your gait is off, which leads me to believe your hips are out of alignment. A chiropractor is an easy place for us to start.”