Connor's Gamble (12 page)

“I'm sorry.  So very, very sorry.”  His words were punctuated with kisses, across her shoulders, dipping into the hollow of her throat.

Alyssa knew his words covered so many things she wasn't sure which offense he apologized for.  His behavior at dinner tonight?  His lies about never cheating?  Right here, right now at this moment it didn't matter.  Nothing mattered except being in Connor's arms.  Tomorrow would come soon enough and with it the recriminations and regret.  In the words of a famous heroine, she'd worry about it tomorrow.

Connor dropped to his knees in front of Alyssa, licking along the bottom of her breast, caressing the soft fullness through the thin barrier of her camisole. His tongue curled around the nipple in a single sweep, using the perfect amount of suction, tugging it between his lips before continuing his journey of kisses along her torso.

His hands slid beneath the edge the lacy knit fabric and slid it upward.  Alyssa grabbed the hem, yanking it over her head before grasping Connor's face in her hands and then threading her fingers through his hair.  He looked up and smiled.  Then he trailed his tongue across her midriff, lavished her other breast with the same attention he'd shown the first, palming the full weight within his hand.  Sucking the areola within his mouth, his teeth grazed against the distended flesh, and goose bumps spread across her skin.  His thumb and finger plucked at her other nipple, and Alyssa arched her back, a gasp escaping.

“Connor.”  His name sounded on a moan when his tongue painted a wet pathway between her breasts, continuing his downward journey.  A shiver threaded down her sensitized skin.  Connor made her feel . . . adored.  Worshipped.

He stood, holding out his hand in silent entreaty, and her body responded.  She moved forward, gliding toward the bed and the bliss awaiting her.

“I love the way you feel, Lyssa.  So soft.  So perfect.”  Connor's whispered words burrowed deep into her heart, and she held them close, reveling in them.  With a gentle nudge, Connor laid her onto her back, the coolness of the sheets meeting her heated skin.  Somehow he'd pulled the bedspread back, and all she felt was cotton against her.  With slow gentle care he removed each item of clothing, pulling off the skirt and panties with practiced ease, tossing them onto the floor.

Alyssa sighed as she licked her lips, drawing his attention back to them.  She needed his kiss, craved it like a starving person craved her next meal.  She whimpered when his fingers slid between her thighs into the moisture pooled there.  A soft touch at first, she never imagined his touch this gentle.  Her body tensed as his fingertip flicked against her clit, pleasure rocketing through her.

“Connor, that feels so good.”

His breath came in shorter pants.  She could see his control beginning to slip.  “Babe, I want it to feel good.”

“No.  Hurry.  Now.”  Lyssa felt like she would splinter into a million pieces when he continued rubbing her clit, little circular motions designed to drive her insane.  They'd barely begun and already she wasn't sure how much more she could take.  She moaned and clawed at his shoulders.

“Shush, baby.  Relax.  We've got all night.”  His other hand petted her hair and he gentled his stroking fingers between her thighs.  “You are so beautiful.  Everything I ever wanted, Lyssa.”

Alyssa whimpered in pleasure as Connor leaned forward, letting his body rest across her lower half.  The cloth of his trousers abraded her already sensitive skin and made her realize he was still fully clothed.

“Off.”  The appalled look on Connor's face would have been comical in any other circumstances, but Alyssa realized he'd misconstrued her words.  “No, not off me.  Clothes off.  Now!”

Connor's face lit with a grin and she knew she'd done the right thing.  “Impatient, are we?”  His teasing tone had the corner of her mouth tugging though she struggled to keep from smiling.  “Don't worry, babe, I'm getting there.”

Her hands scrambled against his chest, down toward his waist.  She fumbled with the top button of his jeans, before easing the zipper down.  He stood, pulling and yanking his clothes off in a matter of seconds, pausing only to pull a condom out of his pocket.  Sheathing himself, he slid into her welcoming folds slowly, inch by inch, the strain of going at such a slow rate etched across his face.

Alyssa felt a slight burn from muscles unaccustomed to this much activity in such a short amount of time followed by cavalcade of sensation.  A sweet fullness that stimulated nerve endings and had her clamping down on his hard length.

As he eased back, she arched toward him, not wanting the sensations to end.

“Yes,” Connor hissed, as he slid in to the hilt.  “Take all of me, my love.  I always want to be like this, inside you, loving you.”  His words flooded her with warmth, as he slid inside her again and again, pushing her closer to orgasm.  Alyssa cried out, aroused and desperate for more.  She wanted everything he had to give.

Pleasure coursed through her with each glide of him within her.  Panting breaths filled the room, and Connor latched onto her breast, laving and sucking, planting arousing kisses all along her aching flesh before moving to the other breast.  Her oversensitive peaked nipples hardened almost to the point of pain.  Another shiver curled down her spine, and her belly tightened as she grew closer and closer, her body spiraling toward the climax she felt building within, her muscles clenching and fluttering around him as he rocked deep inside her.

“I don't know if I can hold out much longer, love.  You feel too good.  I'm so close.”  Deeper strokes accompanied his words.  She felt his body tightening and his sheathed erection seemed to grow larger and more insistent.  Pounding pleasure built fast and hard, each stroke pulling her into an ocean of sensation Alyssa thought she'd never feel again.  Her body rode higher with sensation piled upon sensation, trapping her within its erotic pull.

Connor's fingers slid between her slick folds, rubbing and stroking her clit as he stroked deeper inside and her body stiffened.  Bowing her back off the bed, her head thrown back, she screamed his name as the orgasm soared through her.  Connor's hands tightened on her hips as he began an incessant pounding rhythm.

“Love you, Lyssa,” he cried as his body stiffened with his climax, his head thrown back, his face savage and beautiful in his release.  Pleasure overloaded her body, and Alyssa catapulted into another orgasm, the blinding ecstasy like nothing she'd ever experienced.  She gasped as her climax raced through her.  Building and building, it spiraled like a wildfire into a huge explosion, as a scream ripped from her and she was flying.

They fell together into a tangle of bodies on the bed, sweat soaked and physically satisfied.  Alyssa rested her head against Connor's chest, her eyes closed.  His strong heartbeat thumped beneath her ear, their bodies winding down from their lovemaking.  Connor's arms encircled her, and she felt safe and secure, with this man she adored holding her in his arms again.

He brushed back the tangled locks and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.  She felt their connection all the way down to her bones but knew this had to end.  The lies and mistrust couldn't be erased by a quick roll in the sheets, no matter how spectacular.  And it had been spectacular.  Heck, she was surprised they hadn't set the sheets on fire.

She'd take this one night and make new memories, keep them safe for the long empty nights she knew would come at the end of this trip.  They had no future together.  No happy ever after, but tonight she'd take every bit of love buried deep within her heart and allow it free rein.

Tomorrow was another day.  Tonight she'd spend wrapped in the arms of the man she loved.  The one she would once again walk away from—heartbroken.

Chapter Sixteen

Saturday

S
he moved in the same way she did everything; confident, capable, and with an underlying sensuality that always struck him right to his core.  Ex-wife she might be, at least legally, but nobody stood a bat's chance in hell of taking her place in his heart.  From the first day he'd met her, the moment he'd looked up at the fire station with kids clamoring over the fire truck on their field trip from the elementary school, he knew.  Her laughter when one of the girls grasped her hand and tugged her over toward the fire pole on the other side of the room, that laugh had captivated him.  Still did, though he hadn't heard it much recently.

The replacement bus arrived earlier that day.  Not as luxurious as the first, but everybody was happy to get back on the road for New Orleans, counting the hours until they'd be hitting the casinos.  Watching her now as she moved down the row of seats, murmured conversations dimmed around him.  Everything else paled, secondary to her.  Legs propped up on the armrest of the seat in front of him, he slouched down in his seat.  He'd chosen to sit at the back of the bus again.  Avoiding conversation with anybody, especially his Gran, was priority number one.

He grimaced as pain lanced through his shoulder.  Damn thing throbbed like a demon bite this morning.  He grinned. 
Last night's wild hot monkey sexcapades made any pain in my shoulder this morning totally worth it. 
Though he was mostly healed, he'd be headed back to work after this trip.  Well that had been his plan until the stupid accident wrenched the holy crap out of his shoulder—again. 
Hey
, a
t least it isn't broken
.  Maybe if he didn't mention anything, Doc might still clear him for active duty.

When he glanced down the aisle again, he met Alyssa's stare.  One reddish-brown brow quirked, and she winked at him.  The hint of a smile touched her lips as she turned back to continue her conversation with one of the seniors seated near her.

Last night had been nice.  No, nice was too tame a word for what they'd shared.  He missed all the special moments they'd had together.  The little things like coming home to the scent of her shampoo when he'd brush a kiss across her cheek.  The home-baked cookies she'd spend hours making from scratch, packaging them up and bringing them to the station to share with the crew.  Sitting on the sofa watching TV, her feet in his lap.  All the small things that separately didn't amount to much, but as a whole they painted a picture of home, and what he missed every single day since she'd walked out the door.

The previous night started out a total SNAFU.  Bethany Banks had cornered him early in the afternoon at the coffee shop, determined to finagle an exclusive interview.  How many times did he have to explain?  The case hadn't gone to trial yet—he was prohibited from talking even if he wanted to. 
Which I don't
.

Glancing toward the front of the bus, he winked at Alyssa and watched as a blush stole across her cheeks.  He'd missed her smiles, the playfulness and fun, the joy that filled her eyes and lit her face.

He couldn't hold back his smug grin as he remembered the last two nights.  She may have smiled at her boss, but she'd spent the night wrapped in his arms.  It was his name she'd moaned as she'd come.  Jealousy may have motivated him to act the fool, but his love for Alyssa redeemed him, made him whole in a way no one else ever could.  Two nights would never be enough—never.  Somehow, some way he had to find a way to convince her to give him—give them—another shot at happiness.

The bus sped down the highway, the roadways clear of the ice they'd encountered two days prior.  Clear and a bit warmer, the sun shown deceptively bright.  It was still cold enough that the elderly ladies were bundled up in jackets and scarves, chatting amicably at the front of the bus, leaving him in relative quiet.  Alone with his thoughts about Alyssa, kissing her, making love with her.  He closed his eyes, reliving the previous night.  Every tender caress.  Every glide of his hand.  Every taste of her skin.

“Boy, you got the same look on your face my husband used to get after we done the horizontal mambo.”

Connor's eyes popped open with a start at the words.  He frowned at Gladys.  When had she snuck back next to him—again?  This was becoming a habit with her.

“Morning, ma'am.”

“What did I say about calling me ma'am?  It's Gladys.”  She shook her bony finger in front of his nose, her gleaming bright smile covering the bite of her words.

“Okay, Gladys.  How are you holding up this morning?”

“Me?  I'm just peachy, kiddo.  Takes a whole lot more than this bungled trip to get me down.  I'm like that rabbit on the TV, I keep going and going and going.”  She laughed as his face scrunched up at the analogy.  “I suppose you'll be glad to get home after all this excitement, though.  Be getting back to New Orleans, back to work.”

“Yeah, sure.”  Connor said, though his heart wasn't in it.

“Wow, you don't sound very excited.  Want to talk about it?”

Connor looked Gladys up and down, taking in the fiery red wig still perched atop her head, the unnatural brightness a direct contrast with the multitude of wrinkles on her face.  The pink fuzzy slippers still adorned her feet.  He frowned.  She had to be freezing in that getup she wore.  No coat, no scarf?

“Here, Gladys, let me give you my coat.”  He started to stand, shrugging out of his jacket.

“No, no.  I'm fine.  Plenty warm enough.  You keep it.”  She winked.  “How'd things go with Alyssa the other night?  I saw you grab that bottle of Scotch on your way out.  Did she let you in?”

Connor felt the warmth flooding his cheeks at her words.  Gladys took one look and burst out laughing.  “Well, I'd say from your blush, she definitely let you in.”  Sobering, she asked, “How's she doing—really?  I haven't talked to her, but I'm worried.  This is a whole lot to handle, everything that's been happening.  She's got a big heart and she'll put everybody else before her own needs.”

“She's handling things okay, Gladys.  Of course she wants to shoulder everything.  I spent some time with her, had a drink.  Let her talk.  Hopefully it helped.”

“I'm sure it did.  You’re a good man, Connor.  Your Gran raised you right.”  She grinned at him, before standing.  “Get some rest.  I'll talk with you in a bit.”  Turning, she sauntered down the aisle, head held high like she was the queen of the bus, strolling among her subjects.  Hell, for all he knew, she was the queen of the senior center.