No Mercy (23 page)

the robe she’d been wearing last night, her hair tousled, and stil looking a little sleepy. And here he

was, temper flaring, acting like a frustrated jerk.

“Sorry about that.” He did his best to relax his tense muscles. “Hope I didn’t wake you.”

“I was already awake.” She walked over to him and laid her hand on his arm. The heat traveling

through him from her touch went straight to his heart. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

Dylan couldn’t help himself. He brought her into his embrace and held her. He rested his chin

on the top of her head and stroked her hair. “Just a little frustrated with Nate and his postcards.”

She leaned back and looked up at him, and met his gaze. “You know Nate never would have

done anything to put us in harm’s way, if he’d thought there was the slightest chance any of us would

get hurt.”

“Yeah, I know.” The protectiveness he felt for her wel ed up inside him, nearly overcoming him.

He kissed her forehead. “I need to call in to work.”

She stepped back when he released her. “It’s just after seven. You must get to work early.”

“Some of us do.” He pul ed his phone out of its holster. “The guy who’s handling that memory

card always comes in early.”

He found George’s direct number and pressed the connect button. When the tech guy answered,

Dylan said, “What have you got for me on that memory card?”

“Nothing yet.” George sounded slightly irritated. “This is high tech and slightly unusual. The

passwords are encrypted and breaking them is going to be a bitch.”

“I have something that might help.” Dylan stared at the notepad, where it had landed near the

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“I’m open to whatever you’ve got.”

“I’l send you a copy. Hold on.” Dylan retrieved the pad and took a picture of the pad and sent it

to George’s email. “Get it?”

“What the hel is it?” George asked.

Dylan explained the chart. “It’s missing information.” He put his fingers to his forehead. “Think

you can get anywhere with what I sent?”

“It’s something to go on,” George said. “I’m going to do my damnedest to get you answers.”

“Thanks, George,” Dylan said before he disconnected the call.

For a few seconds he stood there, his thoughts returning to the cards. If only there was a copy

of Tom’s, like Leon had made—

Blood pumped faster through Dylan’s veins. God, he was mentally running on empty with

everything that had happened, or it would have been too obvious to him. Of course Tom would make

a copy. The question was whether or not the copy was at the hospital versus his home. The hospital

would likely balk at the warrant, but since it was for information unrelated to any patients, it ultimately

wouldn’t be a problem.

Dylan looked up the number on his phone for the Copper Queen Hospital and asked for Dr.

Emma Miller. When the answering nurse said Dr. Miller was with a patient, Dylan told the nurse who

he was and that it was a matter of life or death.

He was on hold for about ten minutes before she answered.

“Dr. Miller here.”

“This is Agent Curtis.” Dylan shifted his stance. “We talked about Tom the other day, and the

postcard he received from an old friend?”

“Yes.” She sounded cool, and he wondered if she was perturbed by his call. She verified that

when she added, “Is that why you took me away from my patient?”

“This is very important.” Dylan pressed the phone tighter to his ear. “Did he mention making a

copy of that card?”

“I’m not sure.” Her words were brittle, as if she might be at the breaking point. “Is that all?”

Dylan tried to keep his cool, too. “Think a little harder, Dr. Mil er. Please.”

A moment of silence, and then she said, “I think he did. I was distracted at the time and in a

hurry. It was so trivial that I didn’t real y think about it.”

Dylan’s heart beat faster. “Thank you.”

When he got off the phone with Dr. Mil er, Dylan called Trace. “We need a warrant to search Dr.

Tom Zumsteg’s office at the hospital. We’re looking for a photocopy of the postcard mailed to him by

Nate O’Mal ey. We might get lucky and he left a copy of the postcard at work.”

“You’ve got it,” Trace said.

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holstered his phone. She looked at his handwritten list he set next to the spread-out copies of the

postcards. She cocked her head as she scanned the page with the B & B insignia at the top. “Did

you figure out something?”

“I don’t know.” He sat next to her and explained what he’d done by listing what words were wrong

and substituting the correct word in the following column. “This could be interpreted any number of

ways.”

She nodded and looked at each postcard again. “You wouldn’t think he’d make it too difficult,

but he probably didn’t want to make it too easy, just in case someone caught on.”

Dylan tapped the capped end of the pen on the notepad. “I have George, our tech guy, trying

his hand at figuring this out. He’s a phenomenal code breaker.”

They sat in silence and she could almost see the wheels churning in Dylan’s mind. After a while,

he leaned back and blew out his breath.

She studied him and couldn’t help her mind from wandering and admiring his naked torso—all

he had on was a pair of worn Wrangler jeans. Damn but he’d grown some muscle over the years.

His hair was tousled from sleep but he looked wide-awake as he studied the pieces of paper in front

of him. She wanted to run her hands all over that incredible body yet another time.

His muscles grew tenser and it was clear he was getting frustrated again. She wanted to do

something to ease—at least temporarily—the stress he had to be feeling right now. Well, there was

something she
could
do for him.

“I’m going to take a bath.” A zing traveled straight between her thighs. Her nipples tightened in

the cool air as she stood and let her robe fall open, exposing her breasts. “Care to join me?”

The look of hunger that swept over his expression was all the answer she needed. She turned

away and let the robe drop to the floor.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw him pulling something from his back pocket before

pushing down his jeans and stepping out of them. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that he’d

been commando beneath his jeans, and his cock was rigid and ready for her. The intense look in his

gaze made her shiver.

He closed in on her before she could make it into the bathroom. She gave a delighted laugh as

he swept her into his arms and held her to his bare chest. His skin was hot against hers, and the

heat radiated throughout her own body.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, loving the skin-to-skin contact and the power of his

embrace. It felt so good being carried by this big, powerful man, who happened to be the same man

she’d fallen in love with in high school—only in a bigger package.

His eyes were smoky and he exuded the kind of intensity that made her feel like she was all he

could think about. Just as he was all she could think about.

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claw-footed tub. “I think it’s going to have to be a bath instead of a shower.”

She grinned. “This might be a little tight.”

“We’l make it work.” He looked so serious, she almost laughed.

He put the stopper in the tub after running the water until it was warm. In the meantime she

found a small bottle of complimentary bubble bath and poured it all into the tub. It wasn’t long before

bubbles were rising and the tub was filling.

She tested the water with one foot. “Oh, this is going to be heavenly.” She turned off the water

and climbed in, her back to the faucet as she sank blissfully into the bubbles. Her breasts were

covered in bubbles and her hair wet from sliding down so far.

“Bubbles,” he grumbled, but she could tell he was teasing. He stepped into the tub and eased

down. He was so big that the bubbles were stil below his chest. “Come here.” He gestured to her

with one hand.

She moved to him and he took her by the waist and had her sit astride him. She almost moaned

at the feel of his rigid cock pressed against her folds. The urge to rise up and bring herself down on

his erection was almost overpowering.

Water dripped from her hair and trickled down her breasts, droplets like tiny kisses on her skin.

He raised his wet hands, water rolling down his arms, and he cupped the sides of her face before

bringing her in for a kiss. She wiggled closer to him so that her nipples rubbed his chest and her

thighs were snug around his hips.

His kiss sent thrills through her body, and she trembled with need for him and only him. Last

night hadn’t been enough. Maybe she could never get enough.

He sucked her tongue before slipping his own tongue into her mouth. He moved his mouth over

hers in a demanding kiss that nearly made her wild.

Water sloshed over the edge of the tub as she squirmed on his lap, grinding her hips so that her

clit rubbed along the length of him. The friction shot spikes of arousal through her belly. She moaned

with pleasure.

He brushed bubbles from her breasts before he lowered his head to suck her nipples. She

gasped and slid her fingers into his hair, holding his head so that his face was pressed close. He

moved his mouth to her other nipple and sucked it into his mouth. Her nipples were so sensitive that

every lick and suck sent tremors throughout her.

She skimmed her palms up the hard muscle of his chest, over his shoulders, and down his

powerful biceps. He gently tugged at her nipple with his teeth and she dug her nails into his arms

and leaned her head back.

“I can’t wait.” He raised his head before reaching with one hand to grasp the packet off of the

vanity. He tore open the packet and she shifted on his lap so that he could sheathe his cock.

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placed the head of his cock against her entrance. Their gazes met and held as she sank down on

his cock. Her eyes widened at the sensation of him stretching her, sliding deep inside her. Even

though she’d had him last night, she was amazed at how full he made her feel.

She braced her hands on his massive shoulders and started riding his cock. She slid up and

down the length of him, gasping with every thrust of his hips. The water around them splashed over

their skin and sloshed over the side of the tub. Her knees and thighs were pinned between his hips

and the slick porcelain.

“That’s it, precious.” He grasped her waist. “Ride me.
Fuck
me
.”

The way he said
fuck me
was so incredibly erotic that it almost shot her straight into an orgasm.

She managed to hold onto the fine lines of control and rode him even harder than she had been.

“God, that feels good.” Her words came out breathy and fil ed with the sound of need. “Don’t

stop.”

“I don’t intend to.” He thrust up hard, causing her to gasp. “I plan on taking you until you can’t

walk straight for the rest of the day.”

She groaned. Every word he said just made her feel like her body was going to burn up

completely.

He eased one hand from her waist and moved it between their bodies to slide his finger into her

folds. He stroked her clit and she couldn’t have stopped the cry that tore from her if she’d tried.

She threw her head back, her hands clenching his shoulders, her fingers digging into his skin.

So close. She was so close to coming with his big cock inside her. She felt her orgasm growing

like a ball of light inside her. Expanding, becoming bigger and brighter with every stroke of his fingers,

every thrust of his hips.

And then she was gone.

Starlight fractured her mind. Shards so bright that she could see them behind her eyelids. She

came with a shriek, her cry echoing inside the small bathroom.

Her body throbbed and her body felt so sensitive, like the lightest touch would make her come

again.

He ground his hips against hers and it was enough that another orgasm hit her hard and fast.

She cried out and could barely breathe from the wild sensations coursing through her body.

A moment later and he shouted as he came. He thrust his hips several more times before

stopping. His breathing was harsh and ragged as he tried to regain control. And then he pulled her

into his arms and brought her face against his wet chest as he stroked her damp hair.

His words came out husky but firm. “I’m never letting you go again.”

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