Chance Collision (19 page)

Pete was so screwed.

Chapter Nineteen

Nikki closed her eyes and sighed. Hot water sluiced down her body, melting away tension in her muscles, but she was sore in a good way. Pete had made love to her twice throughout the night, and she wouldn’t have changed the tightness in her arms and thighs, and certainly not the throbbing between her legs, for anything in the world.

She smiled, tilting her head back under the spray of his massaging showerhead. Burying her hands in her hair, she rinsed away conditioner.

Despite having her own bath stuff in his shower, she was surrounded by his masculine clean woodsy scent. Nikki loved it. It was like being encased in Pete.

The door to the bathroom closed and she stilled, but when the glass door to the wide shower stall slid open, a tremor shot down her spine. A tremor that had nothing to do with cool air accompanying Pete’s entrance from the bedroom.

He said nothing, just closed them in together and came up from behind her. His muscled chest pressed into her back and his hand settled below her navel. Pete tugged her bottom against him. An erection pushed into her.

“Hmmm…” Nikki murmured, laying her head back on his chest.

His hands rose, exploring her stomach and breasts as if he hadn’t touched her a hundred times. Pete kissed her neck, stubble teasing her hot skin, the water from the shower intensifying things.

He teased her nipples with his thumbs. She already ached for him in any place with nerve endings. Nikki wiggled her ass against his erection and Pete moaned in her ear.

“Don’t you want to wash?” She turned in his arms.

Pete lowered his head for a kiss, but she pulled back before he could deepen it. He nipped her bottom lip, then licked the spot.

It was her turn to moan.

“I need to get dirty, first.” Despite his wink, his green gaze was intense.

Nikki wrapped her arms around his neck and crashed her lips to his. He took it from there, kissing her so long and hard her belly quivered from the inside out and her legs threatened to wash down the drain like the water.

He held her up, pinned to his chest, kneading her bottom until they fell into a natural rocking rhythm that wasn’t enough for Nikki. Her thighs shook and her core begged for him.

Pete’s kiss turned her into a ball of need.

The shower didn’t help. Her muscles were lax and her overheated skin super-sensitive. If he touched her clit, she would come in two seconds—she wanted him that badly.

“I need you,” Nikki breathed against his mouth.

In answer, Pete pressed her back to the tile behind the showerhead. The water beat down on him, soaking his sparse chest hair, rivulets running down his gorgeous pecs, down his defined abs and his beautiful jutting erection.

Nikki bit her lip. His thighs were thick and powerful and all she could remember was the feel of his rough hair against her legs when they were entwined in bed.

“Darlin’, don’t look at me like that.” Pete’s chest rose and fell with his effort to speak.

She wanted to lick the water droplets off his chest, suck his nipples then tell him to get back in the shower so she could do it all over again. Then she’d taste the rest of his body, too.

Why wait?

Dragging her hands down his chest, Nikki knelt in front of him, cradling his penis in both hands, running her hands over his soft skin, cupping his sac.

Pete gasped when she enfolded him into her mouth. She sucked the thick head of him, tracing the underside with her tongue. His whole body shuddered and he buried his hands in her wet hair. She took all of him, moving slowly up and down on his shaft. The water caressed her head and shoulders and Nikki closed her eyes, tasting every inch of him.

Saltiness tinged her taste buds—he was close. Her sex pulsed, her blood pounded in her ears. Making him feel good was a total turn-on. She wanted to finish him, give him ecstasy like he had with his tongue on her, but she didn’t get the chance.

Pete grabbed her arms, yanking her up against his chest. His mouth descended hard. He kissed her until she was dizzy, the hot water and steam surrounding them arousing her even more.

“Inside you…now…”

Nikki didn’t need another invitation. She wrapped her arms and legs around him.

He shoved inside, filling her completely even before the cool tile hit her back again. Panting his name, she tilted her hips to take him deeper, holding on tight when his thrusts became desperate.

Neither of them lasted long. The arousal and heated haze had Nikki so wrapped up in Pete she had no chance of drawing out her pleasure. With only two more lunges of his hips, she was screaming his name and gripping his biceps until her nails sank in. Her whole body contracted.

He shouted when he came, his erection jerking inside her, and he buried his face against her neck. Pete’s wet, blond locks brushed her cheek and she clung to him so hard her breathing was laboured. She didn’t care. Nikki could die at the moment and be content.

Pete pulled her away from the tiled wall, caressing her back with such tenderness she shivered.

Nikki lowered her legs from his waist. They shook, threatening to dump her on her ass, so she stayed close to his chest, smiling as he pressed a kiss to her cheek. She felt a sense of loss when he slipped from her body. Pete held her tight.

Safe. Warm. No cares in the world
.

He tilted her face up so gently a wave of emotion took her by surprise and she had to blink tears away.
Please think it’s shower water.

Pete kissed her tenderly and it melted into something deep, languorous. Made Nikki yearn for more. For him. Forever. She moved as close as she could get, kissing him back with all her might.

Their mouths parted and he studied her face until she almost squirmed. He caressed her cheeks with both thumbs. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Perfect. You make me…feel better than I ever have.”

He smiled and her heart stuttered. “You too, darlin’. You make my blood boil I want you so bad. Even after I just had you.”

“I want to stay here with you.” She left
always
off her statement.

Pete spoke of lust, physical need, want. She felt that for him, definitely. But…there was more.

Nikki couldn’t put a word to the feeling. Not even in her own head.

“Damn good thing you’re not going anywhere, then.” He winked and she couldn’t help the smile that curved her lips.

“You know you’re adorable, right, Detective?”

He reared back as if she’d slapped him, green eyes wide. “Adorable?”

“Yup. Adorable.” Nikki kissed his chin and his chest.

“Hmmm, that seems like a word much more appropriate to describe
you.
”

“Well, instead of arguing with me, why don’t we get you clean? It seems like you’re more than dirty, now.”

Pete laughed and kissed her.

They made love in the shower once more before Pete finally shut the water off and gathered her up in his arms.

Drying their bodies didn’t result in getting dressed because of wandering hands on both their parts. So in a tangle of lips and limbs, Nikki gave herself to him again.

They could stay in bed all day as far as she was concerned. Pete’s body could sure use more nips, licks and kisses. She hadn’t touched him enough. Every time she tried, he’d end up taking over, and taking
her.

She’d complain, but who could be mad at a selfless lover?

Nikki traced the police badge tattooed on his chest, going around, down the side and back up, moving on to touch the black gun next to it as well as the decorative ribbon that announced a date in a flourish of gold lettering. “What does this date mean?”

Pete lay with one arm around her and the other tucked behind his head, elbow bent. His expression was content, and about as relaxed as she’d seen him lately.

One corner of his delicious mouth lifted. “The day I started at APD. Patrol Officer Pete Crane. A long time ago.”

“Well, it’s gorgeous work. Detailed. It doesn’t look old at all. And neither do you, Detective.”

He winked. “Well, you were, what, nine?”

“Ten, thank you very much. So what?”

He sighed and broke eye contact.

Her heart sank.

Pete must be bothered about their age difference, because he was the one who kept mentioning it. Nikki didn’t give a crap how old he was. She loved him anyway.

Freezing against him, she was suddenly glad that he wasn’t looking her way for her little revelation. Being shocked was a copout.

She
did
love him.

It’d happened fast and should’ve taken her by surprise, but it hadn’t. Her detective was a great guy. She’d known that for years. Spending a little time with him, despite the circumstances, was all the encouragement her heart had needed. And now it belonged to Pete.

Did he want it?

Blinking back tears, she refused to acknowledge that he’d most likely crush it. She stared at his profile. His strong jaw line, patrician nose, fair stubble, piercing green eyes. Nothing
didn’t
appeal.

“Pete?”

He swung his head back around and their gazes locked.

Nikki sucked in a breath. “I don’t give a damn how old you are. You know that, right?”

His eyes widened, but he didn’t say anything.

“And besides… I’m a woman. Not a child. A woman who knows what she wants.”

She dragged her hand down his chest, traced his abs with her fingertips until he was panting. Continuing to move downward, she encircled his growing erection, stroking him until Pete was whispering her name like a mantra.

“What…does…she want?” he breathed.

“She wants her detective. Inside her.”

Nikki’s belly fluttered as desire unfurled for him again. Her core quivered at the intensity in his eyes. Pete sat up, resting his hand at the back of her neck to pull her closer.

She met his heated kiss halfway and slid her tongue into his mouth. She’d show him with her body what she couldn’t tell him in words. For now, it was all she could do.

He shivered when she touched the puckered skin of the round scar under his arm.

“The bullet went in right there?” Nikki’s voice was concerned. Like he’d been shot yesterday.

“Yes. And out my back. Collapsed my lung on the journey.”

She gasped. Her eyes welled with tears that clenched his heart.

“Darlin’, don’t cry for old wounds. I’m fine.” Cupping her face, he pressed a kiss to her mouth, but her expression didn’t soften.

Her hands spread over his right shoulder, examining the scar of the less lethal result of his run-in with Carlo Maldonado last year.

“What about your arm?” she whispered. “Sometimes you hold it like it hurts.”

Pete frowned. How the heck had she noticed that? Had his little redhead been watching him at work? “Sometimes it’s stiff,” he admitted.

“I’m sorry.”

“What the heck for?” He made her look at him again.

“I don’t like that you got hurt. And my…situation…puts you in danger, again.”

Pete laughed. “I’m a cop, Nikki. Besides, I’m the one who got
you
shot.” His fingers brushed the bandage covering the stitches on her upper arm. “You had nothing to do with what happened to me last year.”

Nikki’s auburn eyebrows drew tight and he tried to focus on that instead of her bare breasts propped on his chest.

“
You
did not get me shot, Pete Crane.”

“I shouldn’t have let my guard down. It got you hurt.”

“Let your guard down?” Now hurt crossed her gorgeous face and he could have kicked himself.

Why did that tumble out of your mouth, idiot?

“Nikki—”

When her eyes misted over, his gut tightened. “Do you regret what happened at the safe house? Before you open your mouth, you damn well know I’m not talking about the shooting, so don’t play stupid.”

“No.”
The truth
. “I don’t regret what happened between us. I regret that my screw-up got you hurt.”

She didn’t relax. “Pete, I wanted to be with you then. I want to be with you now.”

He gripped her shoulders and pulled her closer, ignoring how her nipples brushed his. His cock twitched. “You are with me, sweetness.”

“Do you want to be with me?” The whisper was heavy, hesitant. Pained.

How could she even ask that after he’d made love to her more times than he could count? Was he that much of an ass to make her so insecure? “Yes, darlin’. You can’t tell by now?”

The tease had missed its mark. Her face was still tight, hurt.

His cell blared from his nightstand and Pete cursed it to hell and back. He wanted Nikki’s answer. It mattered. How she felt…mattered. More than it should. It didn’t matter—even if he’d let the call go to voicemail, the moment was gone.

She moved away, backing off his chest. He was cold, and it wasn’t because of the loss of her body heat.

“Crane.”

“Today’s Sunday.”

“Aren’t you the observant one, little brother?” Pete said.

Nate growled.

Damn, you’re losing your touch all around today.

“Are you coming to Mama and Pop’s?” Nate barked before he could answer.

Nikki’s eyebrows shot up and Pete pulled her back down, rubbing her back in long strokes. He wanted her close. He wanted things okay with the two of them.

She didn’t fight him, resting her cheek on his chest and looking much too interested in his phone call.

“Uh… I’m working a case.”

“It’s Sunday.”

“So you’ve pointed out.”

“Pete, seriously. I
will
come over there and kick your ass all the way to Mama’s. Don’t leave me hanging with my balls out.”

Nikki stifled a giggle and Pete winked.

“Balls out? Would hope they’d be all put away when you grace your parents’ house with your presence.”

Nate sighed. “Gonna make me beg?”

“Gonna tell me what your issue is?”

“Your mother.”

“Ah, you mean
your
mother? What’d she do?”

“She’s bugging the crap outta me and I need backup.”

Pete winced. He hadn’t been to his parents’ for Sunday dinner in three weeks. If he did go, his mother would bug the crap out of
him.
And besides, he’d have to take Nikki. God, his mother would never let him hear the end of bringing a woman home. She’d have them engaged before end of dinner and married off by the end of the week.
Shit.