Chapter 13

Alec watched Ian out of the corner of her eye as she listened to the play-by-play on the other end of the phone. He hadn’t said much since they left the club, but long silent moments seemed to be something he had often. Dancing with him the way she had tonight was not something in her character, she still couldn’t believe she had done that. Of course, she had never been so turned on in her life as she was doing it. Or now, still.

Looking away from him, she brought her mind back to the detective on the other end of the phone. “Reid will send someone over to sit watch tonight, just call him when you’re sure that’s where you’re stopping. And get pictures of everything.” Glancing at her apartment building, she checked to see if Reid had anyone hanging around tonight to watch her. If he did, they were staying much more hidden this time. “What?” Her attention was back on the conversation. “No, I wouldn’t dance with you if you were the only man left on earth.” She’d been afraid of something like this happening, the ribbing she’d take from her behavior. At the time she’d thought of it but did it anyway. A woman like her didn’t get many chances to play dirty dancing with a man that looked like Ian did.

Hanging up, she turned and looked at him again. “They’re still on the other guy. The pictures have been sent to Brent, so we should have a name to go with the faces in the morning.”

Ian nodded and then finally turned to look at her. “And the comment about dancing?”

Alec felt her cheeks flush. “They should have been watching Willard and the others at the table.”

A nerve ticked in his jaw. “Yes, but you knew they wouldn’t ignore watching you.”

“Yeah, and they’ll remind me often too.” Clearing her throat, she opened the door.

Ian was out his and around the car before she got turned and both feet on the pavement. There was no graceful way to get out of a vehicle in heels like these. He offered her his hand and she accepted it and let him pull her to her feet. While she straightened her skirt back in place, he got her duffle bag out of the back seat and slung it over his shoulder.

“So what’s being done about the courthouse meeting tomorrow?” He closed her door and used the key toggle to set the alarm on his car.

“We’ll observe and most likely just follow Willard to see where he’s dropping it off.” She paused as he opened the door to her building for her. Moves like that still caught her off guard, it wasn’t something she was used to.

“Don’t you want to know what the package is?”

Nodding, she went over and pushed the button for the elevator. “Yeah, but we need to see who he’s taking it to.”

The elevator door opened and again he waited to let her go in first.

“Can’t you take it and then send someone else to drop it off.”

“Where?”

He paused for a second, thinking. “Well, after you get him to tell you where.”

Alec grinned. “That’s easier said than done.” They stopped on her floor and she waited for the door to groan open. One of these days she fully expected to get trapped inside it. Stepping past Ian when he held the door open, she moved down the hall to her door.

Closing the door behind her, he set the duffle bag down and leaned against the wall. He stood there looking at her and even in the dim light she could see him looking at every inch of her. Her heart began to pick up, which didn’t take a lot considering she was still primed from the dancing. When he took a step closer, she almost stepped back.

“For someone that said they couldn’t dance in those shoes, you managed to cause every male in sight to drool.”

She snorted. “I think you’re exaggerating, a lot.”

Shaking his head, he stopped close enough she could feel the heat of his body. Holding her breath, when he suddenly knelt down in front of her and grasped one of her ankles, lifting her foot from the floor. Slipping the shoe off her foot, he set it down and took a hold of her other foot, and repeated the action.

When he stood up again, close enough that she felt his breath against the thin material of her dress, she just stood there looking at him.

“Better?” His voice was so low, it sent a shiver down her spine.

Nodding, she swallowed. “Thanks.” Alec had never run from anything or one in her life, but she found herself sidestepping and turning to put some space between them. As she went to move down the hall her foot caught in the duffle bag and she stumbled a few steps. Before she could right herself Ian wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tight against his body. In the back of her mind, she was thinking maybe falling on her face would be the safer of the two.

“I remove the heels and you forget how to walk.” His soft chuckle was next to her ear.

He made no indication he was going to release her, and she didn’t try to move out of his grasp. She could feel the hard outline of his body pressed into her, his breath against the side of her neck.

“All night one thing has been driving me crazy.”

She swallowed. “What’s that?” Is that my voice?

He turned her slowly toward the wall and leaned forward and placed one hand on the wall in front of her. “You didn’t take a jacket or purse in the club...” his hand loosened from around her waist, “so I have to wonder where you’ve hidden your gun because I know you would never go in there without one.” Slowly he slid his hand across her waist. “Am I right?”

Biting her lip, she didn’t trust her voice, so she gave him a quick nod.

“I guess I’ll have to find it.” His breath brushed over her shoulder, as he slid the shoulder of the dress off. Leaving a trail of light kisses along the exposed skin, he brushed his hand along the neckline, his long fingers brushing over her breasts as he did.

Her nipples hardened, eager for his touch as her breath hitched in her throat. Reaching out, she placed a hand on the wall as her knees weakened.

Ian knew he needed to drop his hands and get away from her, but his brain and body weren’t communicating at the moment. He could feel her tremble beneath his touch and the male in him was on a power trip knowing he affected her that way. Kissing his way slowly down her shoulder, her skin so soft and smooth, he could taste her all night and not get enough.

Moving his hand across her ribs, he pulled her back tight against him, molding that perfect ass of hers into the hard evidence of how much he wanted her. As he slid his hand over to her hip, she leaned both hands against the wall, pushing her body against his.

Holding her tightly, he turned them both and put his back to the wall, widening his stance and softly kicking her feet further apart as he did. She dropped her head back against his shoulder and he couldn’t resist biting his way along her exposed throat.

Reaching down, he walked his fingers along the material of her dress, gathering it up and lifting it so he could touch the skin beneath it. Skimming his fingers over the bare skin exposed along her thigh above her stockings, he gritted his teeth when she gasped an appealing soft wanton sound.

Opening his hand wide, he ran it down her thigh, bending her forward so he could reach to the back of her knee. With slow movements he slid it up the back of her leg, relishing the breaths of anticipation she was taking as she clasped his arm that was holding her.

Her scent was driving him mad, after the warmth from dancing it was a heated smell fueling his desire to have her. With unhurried motions he moved his hand around to brush over her hip once more, going lower with each inch until his fingers felt the satin of the thong she wore. Running his finger along the edge of it, he followed it between her legs and then moved his hand down her thigh once again. “I don’t think it’s on this side,” he grasped her earlobe gently in his teeth and then licked it to take away the sting.

Alec’s breath hitched more than once as he moved his hand back up her hip and across her stomach. Ian couldn’t remember ever feeling such a response to just his slightest touch before. The hand holding his arm trembled when he skimmed his hand under the material and up over her ribs until he could feel the satin of her bra. Tracing a finger along the edge of it, he smiled when he felt the leather case holding her badge. “Unless you’re planning to arrest me, I don’t think we need this.” He pulled it free and dropped it to the floor.

When she tensed, he didn’t give her time to think about what was happening, he grasped her chin and turned her face toward his. Taking her lips with his own, he tried to go with the light teasing he’d managed so far, but the taste of her had him crushing her mouth, assaulting it with all the desire he felt for her.

She moaned into his mouth and drank at him with the same fiery passion that was slowly swallowing him. Her arm snaked up around his neck and grasped his hair, letting him know she didn’t want him to go anywhere.

Releasing her chin, he dropped his hand down to the hem of her dress again and pulled it up out of his way. Running his hand over the front of her bra, he could feel the hard nubs beneath the soft fabric straining for his attention. Flicking the release open, he grasped one soft mound of flesh in his palm and was rewarded with another moan.

It took a few seconds for him to realize her could hear Alec’s thoughts over the pounding of his own need.

I’m on fire. He’s destroying me with his touch. Mmm, he can kiss me all night...

Pinching one hard nipple, her thoughts faded, and he didn’t mind one bit. He wanted her unable to think, preferred it right now. As he grasped her other breast and rolled the nipple in between his finger and thumb, her hold on his hair tightened and she nipped at his tongue, making another surge of lust flash through him.

Tearing his mouth away from hers, he moved it down her throat and ravished her neck with his tongue and teeth. He fought to control his restraint, he didn’t want to take her standing in the hall, but he couldn’t bring himself to release her and move to the bedroom just yet.

Moving a hand down over her taught waist, he ran his fingertips under the satin material of her thong until he could feel the hair beneath them. Her grasp on his neck tightened as he moved them lower until he could cup her heat in his palm. She hissed out a breath and grabbed his hand that teased her nipple. At first, he thought she was going to stop him, but she only held her hand over his, encouraging his ministrations.

Spreading his fingers, he dipped one into the wet heat and almost lost control when he felt how ready she was for him. Cupping her, he began to move his hand over the swollen nub as he pushed two fingers inside her. The mewling sounds she was making made him so hard he thought for sure his zipper was going to break open on his pants. She was gorgeous, perfect and so ready he was nearly shaking because of it.

Her thoughts broke through his haze of lust in his mind and he was just about to attack her mouth again to block them out, until what she was thinking registered.

I don’t deserve this but I need to feel it just once... just once please...

The anguish in her mind filled his like a blast of cold air, causing him to pause and lose his movement for a second. Not able to take it, he lifted his mouth away from her skin and crushed her mouth beneath his to prevent her from thinking again. With a new determination, he set his own wants aside and continued to caress her body. The louder she moaned into his mouth the faster he moved his hand, the harder he squeezed her breast. Her hips rocked into his hand, matching the stroke of his fingers moving in and out of her. His hand was soaked with her moisture and his own throbbing erection was becoming painful in the confines of his clothes.

Pinching her nipple hard, she tore her mouth from his and cried out as her body clamped around his fingers and pulsed around them. He could feel her legs shaking and pulled her back tight against his body as he continued to move his hand against her. She panted out a breath and then moaned a guttural sound in the back of her throat telling him she went from one orgasm to another. His own legs began to shake as he held back his own need.

Stroking over her softly, he let her come down even though he wanted to see how quickly her could drive her back up again. Her breathing was ragged and his wasn’t exactly smooth at this point either. As she relaxed against him, he brushed the softest kisses he could manage along any flesh he could reach. Letting the dress drop back down to cover her, he continued to hold her against him, waiting for his heart to slow so he could speak again.

“I’d love nothing more than to continue this until dawn...” He licked along her ear and smiled when her breath hitched again. “But we have an early day tomorrow and can’t be sleep deprived for it.”

She tensed in his arm and then nodded. It wasn’t how he wanted to end this, but he had to get out of here or he was going to bend her over and take her in mere seconds. He knew she would let him, knew her body would respond, but inside he knew she didn’t want it. Turning her slowly, he gave her time to get her legs beneath her.

Just looking at her with her mouth swollen from his and the sated lust look in her eyes almost undid his resolve. Grasping the back of her neck, he crushed his mouth down on hers determined to take the taste of her with him. Lifting his head, he smiled at her and then gently moved her away from him before he changed his mind.

Going over to the door, he gave her one last glance and wanted to carry her to the bedroom despite her thoughts. “Lock up behind me.”

Ian stumbled into the elevator and leaned his forehead against the grimy wall, not caring at that moment about contracting some disease. What the hell had just happened? He’d wanted a glimpse of Alec’s thoughts, to find out what made her tick, but that wasn’t what he’d thought he’d find. So much pain and guilt rode her. Hell, living in this dive wasn’t by choice, it was self-inflicted punishment for what she thought she deserved.

His body ached for completion. For her. What the hell had happened to her that she thought she only deserved a brief moment of pleasure? He shuddered when he replayed her moans, Jesus there was a lot of passion inside that woman, her response to him had almost brought him to his knees. You are in way over your head, Ian, time to decide if you’re staying or getting the hell out. If walking away were only that easy, he’d be gone.

He was out of the elevator before the door was completely open, needing to reach the cool night air to clear his head. The idea of walking away from this whole mess, from Alec filled him with a rage that he couldn’t quite identify.

He admitted a small part of Alec’s appeal was he couldn’t hear her thoughts. It was intriguing and for the first time, it gave a relationship a little mystery. It was sexier than hearing her thoughts and doing what she wanted. If her response meant anything, he at least could feel pleased that he could bring her pleasure without cheating.

Climbing into his car, he paused and looked back up at the floor her apartment was on. Someone had to protect her in all of this and from herself. Shit. Remember that rule where you never get involved with anyone associated with a job? I have fucked that up beyond any reason now. Sure, he’d slept with women that were part of the job, usually to get information. He’d had very few pangs of guilt over doing it at the time. Alec wasn’t just part of the job though and somehow sleeping with her, even wanting her in the primal way he did was not just bending a few of his rules, it was breaking them all to hell and scattering the pieces across the universe.

Starting the car, he pulled away from the building and drove on autopilot toward his side of the city. Right now, Brent and Reid were probably running all the pictures and putting names to all the players. Ian needed to know those names as much as he needed to know where the lead to Andrea Weaver went. Alec’s life depended on him unraveling all of these leads, and his own was getting closer to teetering toward survival.

If only he could bring Brent in on what was going on, the truth behind his own work. Because that’s so easy to explain. He snorted. The few times in his life he’d tried to explain what he could do hadn’t ended well. It also coincided with the rare times he thought he was finally in a relationship strong enough to be truthful. I know too well how that story ends.

Breaking at the red light, he sat there, clenching the steering wheel tight in his grasp. Fuck! If I had half a brain I would be packed and out of this city before dawn. Apparently, he didn’t have even that much self-preservation. Glancing behind him, he checked to make sure no cars were there and jerked the steering wheel to turn the corner, aiming him in the direction of the station and further from the safety of his home.

After this, you might be packing anyway you dumb son-of-a-bitch. That is if Brent didn’t call the folks with the white jackets and have him committed first.