Chapter 18

Jac watched Sandy pace around the room again. “I think you’re more anxious to find out what’s been going on than I am.”

Sandy stopped and looked at her. “Well, it’s not every day my best friend helps to apprehend a killer.”

“True. Don’t get used to it though, this is the first, last, and only time.” Jac looked at the clock again. Did it really take two hours to do whatever it was that had to be done when someone was arrested? “I don’t even know who he was.”

“Does it matter?” Sandy perched on the edge of the chair.

Jac thought. “Not really, just curious as to how, why, and everything.” She bit her lip. “I have so many questions, yet at the same time, I don’t want to know any more about it.

“Well, I for…” She stopped and looked at the door when someone knocked on it. “I’ll get it.”

Jac smiled, Sandy was at the door before she could even get to her feet. She stood there, almost holding her breath, as Reid walked in. He looked tired and frustrated.

Reid grinned at her. “Sorry for taking so long. Paperwork, which took some time to do, Brent and I needed to figure out small details.” He smirked at her.

She raised an eyebrow. “Details that kept me out of it?”

He nodded and walked into the room. “Something like that.” He dropped down into the chair and rubbed his hand down his face. “So, we arrested Alan Howard, processed him, and were halfway through a long discussion with him when his lawyer showed up.” He shook his head. “Then we had to wait for their little meeting and then wait some more.” He looked up at her, still standing there, not moving. “He confessed.”

She let out a breath she’d been holding. “The owner of the dating site?” She frowned. “I didn’t see that coming. Why?”

He threw up his hands. “We don’t know yet, his lawyer wanted to confer with him some more, so any further discussions will have to wait until tomorrow. We discovered that Ms. Thomas was not part of the plan though.”

She sat down on the edge of the couch. “Why?” He shrugged. “Well, that would explain why I couldn’t find him in the customer profiles.” He nodded.

“And—more bonus points to you, we were in the middle of being told about how a promise of a winning trip was how he got them, but his lawyer arrived before we could get the details.”

She chewed her lip. “That doesn’t explain how the funds were transferred before they were killed, it explains the clean clothes, but …” She frowned. “How did his partner take it?”

Reid smirked. “His partner wasn’t there at the time.”

Sandy sat down and laughed. “Probably a good thing for him, I’d probably freak right out if you and your partner came barreling into my office.”

He laughed. “I suppose.” He gave Jac a serious look. “Brent is hanging around down there to see if anything else happens. He sent me to fill you in on what we know so far.” He sat back suddenly and closed his eyes. She realized he ran at full speed while he was working a case, then probably crashed when it was over. “Hopefully, we’ll get all the details tomorrow, and everything will fall into place.”

She nodded again. “Yeah, I guess one more night of wondering is okay as long as he’s locked up.”

“He won’t be going anywhere for a long time. I’d be surprised if bail was even granted.”

Sandy grimaced. “I hope it’s not, people like that we don’t need …” Her beeper went off. “Uh. I’ll be so happy when next week is here, and I’m not on call.” She stood up and sighed. “I want details in the morning.”

Jac grinned at her. “Absolutely. Thanks for coming to rescue me.”

Sandy grabbed her bad and shrugged. “I didn’t mind at all, it saved me from a patient that just sits there and sighs for an hour at a time.”

Jac grinned. “Well, as long as I was useful.”

“Always are.” She walked quickly to the door and waved with her cell phone in her hand. “Talk later.”

Reid studied her for a moment. “Are you okay?”

Jac nodded. “Yes. I had a small emotional breakdown when we got here, I think it was mostly relief it was over, but I’m good now.”

He gave her a sheepish grin. “I think Brent kicked me out because I was driving him crazy worrying about you.”

“You didn’t have to, I was fine.” She hid how touched she was, especially when he had everything else to deal with.

“I couldn’t help it. You were shaking when you walked back out into that waiting room…”

She clasped her hands and looked down at them. “Almost coming face to face with a man I saw almost felt…” She took a slow, calming breath.

He moved quickly off the chair and knelt in front of her. Taking her clasped hands, he squeezed them in his own. “I didn’t mean to drudge it back up.”

She sat there looking at his hands holding hers. The fact that he could touch her, even though he’d just spent a few hours with a killer, and she could find no trace of it in his emotions. She smiled at him, searching the brilliant green of his eyes. “You have the most amazing control of your emotions, Reid, it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced.”

He watched her eyes. “It was a skill I had to acquire to survive what I do for a living.”

“Hmm, and here I’ve always sought out intellectuals all my life, feeling they’d be in control. I never once thought I’d be able to be in the presence of anyone that dealt with the grim truth of humanity.”

He dropped back onto his heels, studying her for a moment. “My ex couldn’t handle what I dealt with; I tend to withdraw into myself sometimes.”

“With good reason. I’m sure you see things that most people couldn’t imagine.” She sighed. “Withdrawing and staying inside of yourself is a coping technique people use without realizing it, or so Sandy likes to keep telling me.”

“Compared to what you have to live with every day, what I do seems easy.”

Not knowing what else to do, she smiled shyly at him. The understanding wasn’t something she was used to. She watched his eyes as his hand came to rest lightly against her cheek. She felt his strong fingers touch the back of her head. His eyes searched hers as he leaned closer to touch his lips against hers. The light touch of his mouth erased all the tension she’d been feeling. Resting her hand over his, she didn’t want him to move away yet.

“Is my touch bothering you?” His voice was a whisper.

She shook her head.

Moving closer, he turned his head and kissed her again. She returned the kiss, slowly taking her time to explore his mouth. He reached behind her, pulling her closer to the edge of the couch so that she could feel the heat from his body.

Needing the contact, she put her arms around his neck and pulled him against her. She wanted to feel the heat of his body against hers. She had been deprived of human contact most of her life, and here was a man that changed all the boundaries she’d needed, that allowed her to be able to be near someone. As his mouth moved across to her neck, she gasped. She leaned back further to give him access. The fire inside her burned hotter when he pulled her hips again, and she slid off the couch to straddle his legs where he kneeled. The feel of his strong arms around her, holding her tight against him, made her feel dizzy.

The quiet gasps she was making as his mouth moved over her throat made him harder than he had been before. Reaching under her, he grasped the backs of her thighs, lifting her as he rose up to his knees. Her body brushing against him almost caused him to shake with a need he’d thought he’d never feel again.

He supported her shoulders and leaned her back on the couch, and kneeled on one knee to look down at her. The hair she’d tried to secure was falling out and framing her face in gentle black wisps. Her eyes were clouded, lips swollen.

Reaching up she pulled the clip from her hair. She pushed herself to stretch out on the couch and reached up with a hand to pull on his shirt, bringing him back down to her. He could feel her heart beating as fast as his when he slowly lowered his body over hers.

He held himself up on his elbows, keeping most of his weight off her. She reached up with both hands she circled his neck, pulling his head down to hers. Leaning up to meet his mouth with her own, she whispered against it. “I haven’t been close to anyone in a long time, Reid.” She kissed softly beside his mouth, gazing up into his eyes.

The reality that she’d had a life starved of contact with others made the fact that he was with her right now even more important. He kissed one eyelid, then the other, and watched her eyes slowly open. “Neither have I.” He ran his tongue down the silky skin of her throat. “We’ll take this slow.” His body wasn’t agreeing with his words, but he regained control, determined to ensure he didn’t rush this.

Her small hands worked his shirt out of his jeans. When her hot palms ran up his back, it felt like trails of fire everywhere she touched. She pushed his shirt up his back and began pulling it over his shoulders. Leaning up , he pulled it free from his body and quickly moved back down to her.

Lost in the feelings she was creating and the feel of the warmth of her body, he felt like he was on fire and floating at the same time. Her hands moved over the bare skin on his chest, lifting her head, her mouth followed them. Her tongue brushed over his skin, and he need for her flared again. Reaching up, she pulled his mouth down to hers once more.

Slipping his hand under her head, he lifted her head and devoured her mouth, showing the hunger he felt for her. With every touch, his need became more undeniable. Resting his weight on the arm that held her head, he moved his other down to pull the shirt from her pants. Lifting his head, he moved down to run his mouth over her rib cage. He pulled the buttons open with his teeth and free hand to expose her pale soft skin. Looking up at her flushed face, he ran his tongue slowly along the edge of the white lace bra she wore. Her mouth opened and gasped again.

He realized they were on the couch like a couple of teenagers. Running his tongue along the lace again he grinned when her hand tightened in his hair. “Let’s take this into the other room.” He didn’t wait for a response, just slid up to his knees, lifting her with him. When she wrapped her legs around his waist, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to walk to the bedroom. When he stood to his full height, her body rested against the throbbing hard-on in his pants.

Walking quickly towards the bedroom, he almost stumbled when her mouth moved up his neck, her legs tightening around him as she stretched up his body. Pausing, he leaned her against the wall and grabbed the backs of her thighs to rub her body up and down the hard length of him while he kissed her with a need that left them both panting.

She leaned her head back against the wall, looking at him. “I think the time for slow has passed.” She grinned at him as he nodded breathlessly, pulling her tight against his chest to walk the rest of the way to the bedroom.

Stopping beside the bed, he lowered her to stand and pulled her shirt off her arms. Nipping her neck gently, he whispered against her ear. “These clothes need to go.” His hands moved to the button on her pants and undid them.

She was only able to hang onto his neck to support her weight, trying to keep upright as his hands moved inside her pants to push them to the floor, as his mouth sucked along the edge of her bra. Dropping her head back, she hugged his head closer to her skin. His gentle hands moved up her back to release the clasp of her bra. With one hand, he pulled it up her arms as his mouth closed over one sensitive nipple.

As soon as her hands were free from the bra straps, she dropped them down to pull at the button on his jeans. Pulling the zipper down, she shoved at the waist of his jeans, quickly pushing them down over his hips. She grasped him in her hand and ran her hand slowly up the length of him. He grasped her hand to stop her. With quick moves, he got his wallet out and pulled the condom out of it. When he’d put it there earlier, he never thought he’d be using it this soon.

“Let me savor you a bit first, if you touch me, I’m going to lose it.” He bit the side of her neck and followed it with a lick. Kicking his jeans off his legs as his mouth followed the curve of her neck and shoulders, he leaned her back onto the bed.

Pulling the pants off her legs, his mouth moved up her thighs and across her hip. She sucked in a breath. “Reid…” His tongue dipped into her belly button. Grasping his hair, she pulled gently, trying to get him back up to her mouth. “I want you to…” His lips closed over her nipple and sucked hard on it. She finally tugged his hair again to be rewarded with his mouth on hers. Clinging to his neck, she kissed him with the crazed need she was feeling. His hands shook as he put the protection on, he felt like he was fifteen all over again. Squirming, she moved under him completely and lifted herself until their bare bodies touched.

Groaning, he lifted his head and reached down to stroke a hand up the bare leg against his waist. Moving his hand under her, he lifted her hips and slowly slid into the tight, hot, heat waiting for him. He moved into her until their bodies were tight against each other. Running his hand down her leg he pulled out slowly again. Grasping behind her knee, pulling it higher, he moved into her slowly again. He could feel the strain already as he grit his teeth, lost in the amazing feeling of being inside her.

Jac moaned in the back of her throat, then gasped and dropped her head back as he moved into her again. She tried to move to speed things up, but he held her so she was unable to do more, other than let him drive her into a slow torturous wantonness. He lowered his head and sucked a nipple into his mouth as he moved back into her, harder this time. She gasped, sucking in a breath. She wrapped the leg that was free around him and pulled him down towards her.

Lifting his head, he looked down into her eyes. The raw need he saw there was his undoing, releasing her knee, he allowed her to move with him. Grasping her hip, he pulled her with more force against his body as he stroked into her. He cradled her head with his other hand, wanting to see her face.

She lifted her hips into his body. He knew she was on the edge, with each stroke, he kept her just hovering there. Running her hands down his back, she pulled him harder into her body. His mouth rained hard kisses against her throat as he moved into her. The rhythm was getting faster with each stroke.

When she started panting, he lifted his head, watching her face as she went over the edge. Just watching her made him lose that last thread of control he had, a fire moved through his whole being. He thrust into her again and felt her muscles contracting around him. Dropping his head, he gasped into her ear. “Jacinda.” Then he crashed over the edge with her.

Panting to catch his breath, he focused on keeping his body from dropping on her. Lifting his weight onto both arms, he slid them up beside her head, kissing his way across her shoulder. His arms began shaking, so he quickly flipped them so he was on his back. Blowing out a deep breath, he grinned into the hair that was surrounding him. Pulling the black silk away from his face he stroked a hand down her damp back. “I’m going to need a few to regroup before I continue that savoring part.”

Smiling, she panted out a breath and lifted her head to look up at him. “Continue?” She grinned. “Again?” He felt his body stir inside hers, and she laughed.

“Yeah,” he said as he brushed the hair away from her face. Her dark eyes were still glazed. She laughed again. Grasping her hips, he pulled free from her warm body and moved her up to rest her head against his shoulder. Turning his head, he kissed her lingeringly. “If that’s okay with you, that is.” He whispered against her mouth.

She smirked contently. “Oh, I think it will be.”