Dusk Til Dawn (9 page)

“That makes one of us.”

She swatted his shoulder. “Jackass.”

“Pet name already? See, that’s why you’re dangerous.”

She snorted and looked away, but not before he saw the hint of blush staining her cheeks. At least, it seemed she was somewhat affected by him, which meant he wasn’t the only one feeling the oppressive heat smoldering between them. A heat that thickened his cock painfully against his jeans as his gaze skipped over her form. Only now, he knew what hid beneath the lacy bra and cotton sweats. He sighed, allowing his gaze to drift to her feet. Perfect pink toes wiggled against the mat.

“Damn. Annie. Why didn’t you tell me you didn’t have any shoes on?”

“You pulled me out of there before I could grab them, and my heart’s been racing too fast to allow for logical thought.”

“Call me crazy, but I was more concerned about keeping you in one piece than whether you were dressed properly.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I supposed we can stop, though just thinking about that feels wrong.”

She leaned back when her eyes widened, and she reached under the seat, tugging a bag out. “Thank god.” She rummaged through, removing a small pair of sneakers. “I was careless before and forgot my purse in the Jeep. These aren’t as rugged as my boots, but it beats going barefoot.” She nodded at the road. “So, are we going anywhere specific, or are we just going to drive until we run out of gas?”

He forced himself to focus on her face, wondering when he’d developed a foot fetish, because crazy or not, he longed to nip the arch of her foot before placing it on his shoulder as he pounded into her.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I was kind of counting on Avery to give me some pointers. This is a bit out of my area of expertise. I suppose I could ask dispatch to put me through to his cell, but…” He reached into his pocket, removing the instructions Avery had placed in the bag. “Do me a favor and read what it says in here about avoiding ghosts?”

She took it, her fingers brushing enticingly along his. The simple contact sent a jolt of heat scorching down his spine, and he had to shift in his seat to ease the sudden ache between his legs.

Annie held the paper up. “Ok, let’s see. There’s a list of the supplies, a few examples of those symbols we saw…here’s something. It says a line of salt will stop a ghost from crossing over it. They also have trouble getting past iron or silver.” She glanced over at him. “Don’t suppose you have any silver bars lying around.”

A touch of humor in her voice made him smile when the obvious answer hit him full force. “That’s it. Honey, you’re brilliant.” He grabbed the mic hanging below the dash and smiled. “Hope you meant what you said about liking simplicity over extravagance, ‘cause where we’re going, it doesn’t get any simpler.”

* * * *

“Not to be a buzzkill, Dylan, but your definition of simple and mine are definitely two different things.”

Dylan glanced at Annie, loving the way her nose wrinkled and her brow furrowed as she surveyed at the small, empty room. It’d taken them about twenty minutes to drive into the Tenderloin district, park the Jeep in a spot he hoped would offer it some measure of security and pick their way through the abandoned building, dodging pieces of broken glass and other debris. He’d called a buddy at the nearby precinct and cashed in a favor. One night at the old police station minus any curious officers. It had taken a fair amount of haggling, but he’d finally convinced his friend his intentions were pure—at least with respect to the law. Now where Annie was concerned…

He tried to push the nagging thought away as his gaze skipped down her torso. He’d given her the long-sleeved shirt he’d grabbed out of the laundry basket and had to admit—she looked good in it. She’d left the top few buttons undone, showing just the right amount of creamy skin to blaze a fire straight to his groin. He could easily picture her wearing it as she ambled around his place, a rosy hue coloring her cheeks from hours of lovemaking.

Dylan closed his eyes in defeat. Who was he kidding? He was crazy about a woman he barely knew, and if given the chance, he’d spend the foreseeable future with her writhing beneath him.

“Dylan? You okay?”

He snapped out of his daydream, smiling at the pout gracing her perfect lips. Lips he wanted to mold to his as he tasted the pure essence that was Annie. “Sorry. I was just thinking.”

“That we’ll have to get a volley of vaccinations when we’re done? Me too, ‘cause, wow, this place is something else.”

“It might be a bit…rough.”

“Sweetie, camping without a tent is rough. This is biohazardous.”

He laughed. “Sorry, but there are few options where we can encase ourselves in iron without actually wearing armor. And what better place than an old holding cell…iron in the bars, in the walls. The instructions say we just need to salt the perimeter, and we’ll be all set for a peaceful night. Besides, I brought in some supplies I had in the Jeep. It won’t be that bad.”

He tossed the two bags down in a corner, grabbing the container of salt. He glanced back at her as he made a line around the room and across the windowsill, watching her follow his every move. She didn’t even try to hide the way she looked at him, just knelt beside the bags, rummaging through the supplies before lighting a couple of candles as her gaze kept returning to him.

She pursed her lips as she stood up, clicking off the flashlight. The flickering candles provided just enough light to bathe the room in a soft glow. Her shadow danced along the wall behind her as she moved over and glanced out the small basement window.

“Tell me again why we couldn’t go to the real police station?”

He put the bag of salt back, shaking out a blanket he’d had in the trunk before laying it on the ground. He turned to her, his mouth lifted into a bemused smile. “Do you want to explain to the Watchman why we need to hide out in a cell all night? ‘Cause, honey, that’s not a fight I’m willing to start. My unit’s pretty decent about not razing me because my brother’s a famous ghost hunter. But I don’t need them looking at me as if I’ve gone completely nuts as well.”

“Right, because risking your life on a daily basis is so much saner.”

“It’s not on a daily basis, and I’m good at what I do.”

Her eyes met his. “Which is either a huge turn-on or a reason to run for the hills.”

His breath caught, and he moved before he could consider the consequences, pinning her to one of the walls. Her chest crushed against his as he palmed the concrete on either side of her head. Her hands planted on his shoulders, and he waited to see if she’d shove him away. She stared up at him, her face shrouded in shadows as his body blocked out most of the light. Her eyes clashed with his before her expression softened and her fingers curled around his frame.

Dylan fought the dizzying arousal that shot down his spine, spiking his already engorged cock against his pants. A breathy hum fluttered past his neck as his erection pressed against her groin, and he knew she was more than aware of the effect she had on him.

He lowered his head, hovering his mouth an inch from hers. “Which is it?”

She swallowed noisily, swiping her tongue out to dampen her lips as if they’d suddenly gone dry. He eased forward just enough she flicked it across the rim of his mouth before she moaned and drew it back inside. A sweet scent carried to him, and he smiled, knowing her answer without her saying a word.

Annie held his gaze, her increased breath fluttering the hairs hanging around her face. “You don’t see me running, do you?”

He closed his eyes. She was so close. So accepting of him. Her scent surrounded him, and he gathered her hair in one hand, feeling the silky strands caress his skin. He fisted a mass of it, sliding his other hand to her jaw, brushing his thumb over her cheek. She nuzzled into the touch, another whispered moan breathing across the shell of his ear.

Dylan closed the distance, slanting his mouth over hers, drinking in her hum of approval. He moved slowly, enjoying the play of her lips on his, as she relaxed against him, her body molding to his. He eased his hand back, trailing it down the side of her neck and across her shoulder, skimming the sleek curve of her breast before settling it on her waist. Her muscles tensed at the gentle contact then softened as she sighed, parting her lips ever so slightly.

He groaned, pulling her groin flush with his as he tilted his head and traced the seam of her mouth, silently warning her of his intentions. She accepted, tangling her tongue with his as he deepened the kiss. Her fingers tightened on his shoulder, one hand rising to thread through his hair. Fire swept along his skin, the sweet taste of her mouth hotter than he’d imagined. It wasn’t until his lungs burned in need that he pulled back, his mouth never quite leaving hers.

“Dylan.”

The husky rasp of his name sounded like pure sin, the feel of her breath mixing with his more addictive than any drug.

“Annie.”

He resisted the urge to lift her up and fuck her against the wall as her fingers bit into his skin. She deserved tenderness, passion. Romance.

The thought sobered him slightly. He was way out of his league, and if he didn’t stop it now, there’d be no coming back. He eased away, holding her questioning gaze as he released her hair, allowing his hand to palm the wall again as the other dug into his pocket.

Annie quirked her lips but didn’t move, watching him as if he was some kind of puzzle she could work out in her head. Hell, maybe he was. He glanced away, still too close to the edge to figure out what to say next.

“It was that bad, huh?” She rested her head against the wall, her chest just brushing his as she drew a deep breath. “Guess I’d worked it all up in my head.”

His head snapped back, his fingers curling into a fist against the wall. He growled, pinning her to the wall again, pressing his shaft against her hip. “Does it feel like this is only in your head?”

“So you’re saying it was bad?”

He snorted. “If it was any better, I’d already be done.”

Her mouth twitched, lifting into a tentative smile. “Then what’s the problem?”

He hissed his breath out through clenched teeth, trying to think of a way to voice his thoughts without sounding like a scared teenager. “The problem is that I’m about a second away from taking you against this wall. No sweet words. No silk sheets.”

Annie raised an eyebrow. “Your idea and my idea of a problem are definitely different, sweetie.”

He leaned in closer, nipping her bottom lip before laving it. “Are you sure that’s enough?”

She opened her mouth then seemed to rethink it for several heartbeats before sighing and raising one hand, brushing a few strands of hair back from his face. “I think the real question is…are you?”

He lowered his forehead, resting it on hers. “It always has been before.”

“Sounds like there’s a
but
at the end of that statement.”

He grunted, hating she saw through him so easily but enjoying the sense of connection she gave him. “But you’re not like the other women I’ve dated.”

“So we’re dating now? ‘Cause I thought this was just sex.”

He pulled back, her taunting tone impossible to miss. He swore under his breath, pounding his hand against the wall as he readied himself to leave, when her fingers curled around his shirt, holding him prisoner. She didn’t speak, just stared at him, those soulful blue eyes daring him to answer her. To lie to her.

He released a weary sigh. “I don’t want to have sex with you.”

Her body tensed at his words, the slightest catch of her breath betraying her calm facade. Her fingers loosened, and her head bowed down as her shoulders hunched with a hint of regret.

He smiled, knowing he was lost but too damn happy to care. He placed a finger under her chin, lifting it until she was forced to meet his gaze. He dropped a kiss on her nose, loving the look of confusion on her face.

“I don’t want to have sex because it won’t be just sex. I knew the moment we hit the floor of that stupid haunted house that you were trouble. If you think I’m worth
picking apart
then I’d like to make love to you…all night. And more than a few after that.” He bent his head even with hers. “I want to take you in my arms and never let you go. I want to be so far inside you, your every wish will be my promise.” He nipped her lips this time. “It’s your choice.”

Annie stared up at him, eyes wide, lips slightly parted before lifting into an easy smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a choice where you’re concerned.” She lifted both arms, wrapping them around his neck. “Now I believe you said something about taking me against this wall.”

Her words hit him like a physical blow, and he leaned forward, claiming her mouth with crushing intensity. She didn’t shy away, meeting his conquering tongue with equal force, tracing every contour of his mouth when he eased up slightly. She tasted minty and sweet, and he made another pass once he’d grabbed a quick breath. She moaned into the kiss, tilting her head over as he released her mouth and trailed kisses down the sleek column of her neck. Her muscles twitched at each pass of his lips, and he couldn’t resist nipping the soft hollow by her collarbone.

“God, yes.”

Her voice was a raspy plea, and he repeated the bite, licking the spot gently when her fingers scraped across the back of his neck, sending shivers racing down his spine. Every touch of her hands, every caress of her breath created a chain reaction in his body, and he knew he’d need to quench some of his hunger if he had any hope of staying in control.