Criminal Promises (28 page)

“I’ve missed you,
Mags.”

She closed her eyes as the
lingering tension drained from her shoulders. He did care. With a
deep breath, she opened her eyes and smiled. “Are you
okay?”

He tugged her until she was
pressed against his right side. “Better now that you’re
here.”

“I mean your wound.” She
tried not to move too much as she curled into him. She didn’t want
to jar him, but staying away wasn’t possible.

“I know what you meant.”
He ran his thumb in small circles over her knuckles. “I’m fine as
long as I don’t breathe wrong or move too fast, but I’m not going
to break if you touch me.”

She rested her free hand on his chest and
felt the steady beat of his heart. Strength and warmth radiated off
him. She grew more certain by the second he would in fact be okay,
but it didn’t stop her worrying.

Pulling away from him, she
picked up his bag. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”

“Where’s home?”

“You’re stuff is still in
your room at my place.”

They didn’t talk much
during the ride home. She wasn’t sure where to start and she didn’t
want to be trapped in the car if it didn’t go the way she hoped.
She carried his bag into the kitchen and sat it on the table.
“Would you like something to eat? You’ve got to be tired of
hospital food?”

“What did you have in
mind?”

“I could cook.” She went
to the fridge and pulled open the double doors. The cool air
soothed her heated cheeks some. She wasn’t handling this well.
“There’s ice cream.”

He stayed silent until she
turned. His blue gaze arrested her. “You have chocolate
sauce?”

“Yeah.” Her heart pounded,
her blood thrummed and her body shook with each breath. “Sit down
and I’ll get the stuff.”

“I can help.” He went to
the cabinets and got bowls and spoons. As he passed behind her, he
rubbed his hand along her lower back.

She sighed.

The man fit her. He enjoyed her family, her
kids. He gave her screaming passion that singed her skin hours
later. He might be abrasive at times, but he’d offered her the
security she needed to break down and face the fact she couldn’t
handle everything on her own all the time. He’d given her the
security to know she didn’t have to be strong every minute of every
day.

Turning to place the ice
cream and toppings on the island, she slammed into his chest.
“Sorry.”

His hands rested on her
shoulders, his fingers rubbing the line of her collar bone. “Don’t
be. I like the feel of you.”

What’s a woman supposed to
say to that?
“Thank you, I
think.”

He narrowed his eyes and
studied her face. “You’re smiling.”

“You’ve seen me
smile.”

“It’s in your eyes this
time. The shadows of fear and sadness are gone.” He leaned back and
looked her up and down. “You’re wearing jeans and a T-shirt. You’re
hair is in a ponytail. Hot pink flip-flops.”

“So?”

“You were dressed like
this with hot pink cleaning gloves the first day I came here.
Casual. Comfortable.”

“And?” What was he getting
at? And how did he remember what she’d worn a year ago?

“You’re happy and relaxed
instead of feeling like you have to be in complete control. It
suits you.”

“You and Craig killed my
problems.” She stepped back and moved around him. He was entirely
too perceptive.

“Right.” His voice dropped
an octave.

He slanted a glance her way
that slid over her skin as gentle as a touch. Her stomach
jumped.
Calm down, Maggie.
Popping the top of the whipped cream, she shook
the can, and lifted it to her mouth.

Grinning, a wicked glint in
his gaze, he leaned against the counter. “Are you sure that’s a
good idea?”

“What?”

“You dug pretty far back
for that. How long’s it been in there?”

“It’s canned air. It
doesn’t go bad.”

“It has a date on it.” He
took the can from her and shook it slowly. “I think it should be
tested.”

“Tested?” Had he lost his
mind?

His cobalt stare was captivating as he
shifted away from the counter. She turned to stay facing him. Like
a slow dance, he maneuvered her so her back was against the island.
Was he flirting with her?

Her pulse drummed in her
ears. Lighting quick flashes of heat struck her body, leaving a
tingle of awareness behind. “Harte.”

“I think I need to make
sure it’s still…edible.”

Daaaang.
He looked as hungry as when he’d stood before her
holding a condom. Like he could, would, devour her in an
instant.

“It was good last time.”
The flare of arousal in his eyes broadcast her mistake.

He stepped closer,
effectively pinning her to the counter without touching her. “I
remember.”

And I want more!
She pressed the mute button on the voice in her
head, but it didn’t help to suppress the arousal begging her to
take anything he offered. “Harte.”

“I thought you wanted
some.”

“Umm.”
Distance. Must have distance.
She
slid along the counter. They needed to talk. She couldn’t even
think.

He edged along in front of
her. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Allowing her no argument, not that she had a
good one, he yanked her against his good side and locked an arm
around her waist, imprisoning her against his hard, extremely
aroused body.

“You know…”

“How good you’re going to
taste? Yes.” His sexy I-know-how-to-make-you-shiver rumble rippled
across her nerves.

He aimed the whipped cream can at her face.
His huge body, pressed against hers, radiated heat. He was after
sex, and as dangerous as the idea was, she couldn’t make herself
try to step away.

She wanted whatever he wanted to give her.
For however long she could have it.

“I suggest you open up,
Mags. This could get messy.”

Her eyes locked with his. The breath backed
up in her lungs, her body hummed. The body bliss he’d brushed over
her earlier wouldn’t be the same. His earlier patience was snapping
to get free.

She wanted to know how his unleashed desire
tasted. Without blinking, she licked her lips and opened her
mouth.

“You’re going to melt
faster than the ice cream.” His smile was wickedly sexy, as he
filled her mouth with cream. A heartbeat later, he dipped his head
and covered her open mouth with his.

His tongue curved into her mouth and drew
some of the cream into his own. He drew back a few inches and
licked his lips as if to savor the taste. His hands gripped her
hips and held her tight against his arousal.

Her stomach clenched. She swelled and ached
for his touch. To feel his mouth on her like before. To feel him
lap at her the way he was lapping at the cream in her mouth.

Melt? No, she was evaporating.

He lowered his head a second time. His
unwavering gaze promised explosive pleasures. She trembled beneath
him. His breath teased her lips as he traced her lower one with his
fingers and smiled.

He dipped a fingertip in
the quickly dissolving pile of cream in her mouth. Licking it
clean, he sighed. “So creamy.”

Certain he was going to repeat the
embellished torment until he’d emptied her, she was surprised when
he slid his tongue in her mouth and finished off the cream in one
lick. Then, he took her mouth in a hard, hot, fast kiss.

His hips ground into hers. She slid a leg up
his, trying to get closer. Her heart slammed against her ribs,
pumping boiling blood through her veins. The lace of her bra
scraped across her sensitized nipples like coarse sandpaper. Her
knee buckled. She grabbed Burke for support.

With a smile, he grabbed her hips and lifted
her to the island. She helped by jumping so he didn’t hurt himself.
His fingers dug into her scalp and pulled her head back. His teeth
nipped at her bared throat. She moaned, locked her ankles behind
him, and pushed into his erection.

“I want you
naked.”

She nodded.

“Here. On the counter.” He
slid his tongue over the edge of her ear. “So I can eat these
toppings off you instead of the ice cream.”

Reaching for his back, she found the hem of
his shirt and pulled it over his head, careful of his injury. He
could eat all he wanted later. She wanted him. Now.

“In a hurry,
Mags?”

“Yes.” She brushed her
hand along the edge of the bandage. He stiffened against her, but
relaxed when she smiled.

His thumb brushed a path
along her hairline. “You…”

She buried her fingers in his thick hair and
yanked his mouth to hers. What was with him? He was all over the
fast and furious moves until it came to doing the deed. Then he
turned all soft and tender.

Well, forget it. She’d had years of soft and
tender. Boring! She wanted flames and dynamite. She wanted them
from him.

He pulled back and stared
into her eyes as his chest heaved. “You’re still
dressed.”

“Then quit wasting time.”
Because if he didn’t finish her off pretty quick she was going to
knock him on his butt and take over.

“Mags, I—”

“Need to shut up and keep
your promises.” She popped her hips off the counter and bumped his
erection.

He sucked a breath through his teeth.

Pulling back a bit, she reached for the snap
of his jeans and shoved them past his bulging erection. Looking at
him the first time she’d thought he would be too big, but he filled
her perfectly. She wanted him buried deep. Now.

He finally pulled her up enough to yank her
shirt off. Her bra disappeared with it. His mouth closed over her
breast while his busy fingers pulled at her pants.

“You taste like warm
vanilla. And cream.”

She buried a hand in his hair and held him
close. The flames surging through her thrilled her more than a free
fall from an airplane. The room spun when he yanked her hips to the
edge and buried himself in her.

“Burke!”

“That’s right.” He thrust
into her again and again, grinding himself against her clit each
time. “Scream it all you want. No one can hear you, and no one is
going to stop you.”

Completely out of control and loving it, she
writhed. Feeling completely wanton, she reveled in the experience
of being taken on the kitchen counter.

Her heart stumbled in her chest as he
collapsed onto her. His head rested between her breasts. His heart
slammed against her stomach. Next time they’d go to her room,
because she planned to enjoy him as long as possible.

“Crap.” He lurched away
from her and grabbed his pants.

Stunned, and brain fogged,
she pushed up on her elbows. He yanked up his pants and grabbed for
his shirt. “Burke?”

“Stupid. Sorry.” He
muttered and mumbled as he picked up her clothes and tossed them to
her.

“What’s wrong?” Other than
the orgasmic hit-and-run? She’d wanted to see him out of control
and she had, but his reaction was way stronger than
necessary.

He smacked his hand against
his forehead and backed away. “We shouldn’t have done this. This
was wrong on so many levels.”

His words lashed out and
cooled her roaring emotions more effectively than a bucket of ice
water in the face. Jumping off the counter, she grabbed the waist
of his pants before he retreated. “Hold it. What is wrong with what
we just did?”

He looked toward the
ceiling. “Put some clothes on.”

“No.” She took his chin in
her hand and forced him to look at her. “Tell me what your problem
is. You can’t take something beautiful and fulfilling and turn it
into a mistake that fast.”

He’d granted another fantasy. He’d treated
her like a woman he couldn’t do without. Like a desirable woman
capable and worthy of fiery passion. The kind she didn’t want to be
without.

“We didn’t use a condom.
We aren’t in—”

“A relationship?” She
indicated her naked body and locked her eyes with his. “I disagree,
and for what it’s worth I’m on the pill to regulate my
cycles.”

“Oh, um…”

Now it was his turn to be
speechless. That was new for him, but would work for her. She
wanted some answers. “How often does this happen? You getting shot
or hurt on the job?”

“This is the second time
in over ten years. Craig and I are good at our jobs, and we’re
careful. Why? Don’t you want to put some clothes on?”

“No. It wouldn’t change my
vulnerability.” Life had no guarantees. “And, I like to know what
I’m getting into.”

“Getting into?”

“I don’t know how to do
this, Burke.” She yanked her ponytail out and fisted her hair. “I
don’t know if I’m strong enough.”

“Do what?” He angled his
head. Slowly, a smile spread across his mouth and lit his eyes.
“Forget that. Do you trust me?”

“I do. I also worry about
you.”

“Then we’re on the same
wavelength.” He tugged her hand to his lips like he had in the
hospital. “I’m sorry. Sorry for any lies or hurt feelings. Sorry
for scaring you, though I can’t say it’ll be the last
time.”