Sweet Arrest (9 page)

When the toe of one of their shoes impacted with her head, she cried out, and he stopped. “What the—"

"What's down there, Tavon?” another asked.

The guy who had kicked her bent down and brushed the hair off her forehead. “A woman. Damn, fellas, we were working that club all night, and here all tied up for us was a sweet thing, right beside our car.

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Her eyelids fluttered. She pursed her lips and frowned, a glimmer of pain and fear coming into the unfocused eyes. “I..."

"Shh.” Connor stroked her cheek. “No, baby, don't try to talk. Just rest. I'm here. You're safe, and no one is going to hurt you."

She cried as she had been doing in her sleep when he arrived at the hospital. The doc had given her something to help her rest, but he imagined the horror she suffered came flooding back with consciousness.

"They said ... They were going to..."

"Shh. We can talk later.” He tried to soothe her, but she insisted on speaking. He waited, letting her get out what she felt she needed to.

"Those teenagers. I thought they were going to...” She jerked like she would be sick, but was too weak to. She fell flat against her pillow, her eyes drifting closed and then open again.

"No, the guys who found you called the police. They cut your rope off, wrapped you in a jacket and tucked you in their car until the police and ambulance arrived. Those guys saved your life."

Her sweet mouth formed an O. He drew her into his arms. He shouldn't feel this emotional over her, not having known her that long, but the sense of fierce protection still rose inside him. The person who had taken her would pay for hurting her. He'd see to it.

The door opened, and Carl stepped inside. Connor eased A'isha back against the pillow. “She's just waking up. Can't this wait?"

"Afraid not.” At least his partner looked sympathetic. The chief didn't care if it looked like someone else was involved in this. He stuck to the fact that Connor had screwed up. He hadn't been reinstated despite new developments. Carl sighed. “I need to question her while this is still fresh in her mind. It might give us more to go on."

Connor nodded. “Fine. Go ahead, but make it fast.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “If she cries, the interview is over."

"Damn, Connor. She's had a rough time. Of course, she'll cry.” Carl's eyebrows shot up, a look of disbelief in his expression. “One would think you were in love with her, but that can't be. You've just met."

"Just question her!"

Connor leaned forward and brushed the hair from her face. His light touch caused her eyes to drift open again. She first looked at him and then Carl. Not giving a damn what Carl thought, he slipped his hand in A'isha's willing her to take some of his strength.

"It's okay, baby. He just wants to ask you a few questions,” he encouraged her. “If you tell the detective all you can remember, it will help us catch this guy."

"Woman,” she whispered.

Carl's eyes narrowed. “Come again?"

She drew in a shaky breath and tried to sit up. Connor pressed her down, but used the mechanism to raise the bed higher.

A'isha went on. “It was a woman. She acted like she knew me."

"What did she look like?” Carl's voice was too sharp, making her tremble. She nearly cut Connor's circulation off as she gripped his hand. He guessed she was afraid they wouldn't believe her, would think she had set the whole mess up. But that raw skin on her wrists wasn't staged. In some places, the rope had cut through, and she bled. From her wrist to half way up her forearms bruises discolored her skin.

"I don't know what she looked like. She kept a blindfold on me the whole time. It wasn't until I got away from her that I got it off by scraping my face on the ground.” She began to sob. Connor stood, but she waved him off. “It's okay. Sh-She asked me about some papers. I didn't know what she was talking about. I have nothing of value at all. Nothing."

Connor reached for her. He didn't care what Carl thought. He tucked her onto his lap and rocked her gently. “It's going to be okay."

Carl was not to be put off. “You said you didn't recognize her, her voice. Could she be an old friend? She first struck at the bakery, which used to belong to your mother. Maybe she was an ex-partner or—"

"Partner!” A'isha struggled out of Connor's hold. “Yes, my mother did used to have a partner. That was eight years ago. They had a falling out. Ma never said what it was about, but I just assumed she couldn't take Mil's baking anymore. The woman had no business being in my line of work. She couldn't cook worth a damn."

Carl took down the information in his notebook. “Her name is?"

"Mildred Servant.” A'isha rolled her eyes. “She was anything but. Loud and obnoxious. I can't believe I forgot her, but then she was ditzy. I don't believe she was involved. This woman couldn't have been Mil."

Carl snapped his book closed. “You'd be surprised at the masks people wear. We'll find her. Don't worry.” After a few more questions, he nodded to Connor and left as quietly as he had entered.

A'isha's injuries weren't great, just the bruising and somewhat sore muscles, but Connor wouldn't allow her far from his side. He assisted her up the stairs to his apartment and insisted she lay down. He made sure she was comfortable, and he hovered.

She gritted her teeth and scowled at him. He offered an innocent look. “What?"

"You know what!” she snapped. “Connor you're driving me crazy. I'm much better, still scared mindless, but not panicky and weepy like yesterday. You don't have to hover like a mother hen."

"A'isha, if I had been doing my job, been on alert, this wouldn't have happened to you.” He lifted her chin and planted a kiss on her lips. “She could have—"

"Don't.” She covered his mouth with a fingertip. “Could have but didn't. I got away. How I found the courage, I don't know, because I could have wet my drawers."

He burst out laughing despite the seriousness of the situation. “Your drawers?"

"Yeah, drawers, smarty pants.” She pulled his hands until he sat down on the bed beside her. “Don't blame yourself. This is all her, Connor. And me really. If it is Mil ... well I'll deal with that when we know, but I just want to forget everything, forget she threatened to hurt you if I didn't cooperate, and—"

"Whoa, what did you say?"

Her eyes widened. “She said she would hurt my boyfriend if I didn't give her the papers."

A'isha blushed at calling him her boyfriend. He studied her beautiful face, and figured he would like to be. Not just lovers. He wanted to date her, and he would when this was over. For now, he needed to protect her.

"When she said that, I would have given her what she wanted.” Her eyelids lowered.

"Why?"

"Because."

He pushed her chin higher, forcing her to look him in the eye. “Because, huh?” Tracing her soft lips with his tongue, he breathed in her sweetness. He wondered if he would ever in a million years get enough of her. One way to find out. Careful of her injured wrists, he eased her back against the pillows. “You've been hurt. Let me make you feel better."

He pinched the buttons of her shirt open to reveal her lacy white bra. Her breasts swelled above the delicate material making his mouth water and hunger for a taste of her nipples. His shaft grew stiff in his pants, but he welcomed the discomfort, knowing the reward he would soon receive.

An animal growl erupted when he had freed her of her blouse and bra, and he bent down and licked a line from her navel, between her breasts to her neck. She quivered under his touch. Not taking his eyes off her luscious body, he ripped his own shirt over his head and tossed it away. She mewled, reaching out to touch him, but he moved out of reach.

"Uh-uh. This is all about you for now. When I've made you scream a few times, maybe then."

"We can scream together.” She wiggled her brows. He chuckled.

He kissed his way down her belly to the band of her pants. Unzipping them, he breathed in her heady scent. She was most certainly ready for him. To test his theory and her reaction, he slipped a hand inside her pants to cup her mound. She opened and closed her legs, unsure whether she wanted to invite him farther or squeeze his hand against her hot center.

Connor made the decision for her. He leaned back and slipped her pants off, followed by her panties. Spreading her legs, he took in the view. Sweet come ran down from her opening to caress her ass. He licked his lips, dipped a finger inside her tunnel and pulled it out. He let her watch him suck his finger clean.

She squirmed and moaned.

"You want me to eat it, baby?"

She panted. “Yes!” For a moment, he was distracted by the bandages on both arms as she rested them on her chest. He climbed back up her body and kissed each before gently placing them at her sides. “I'm so sorry you're hurting."

"I'm okay, Connor.” A shudder went through her. “I've never had anyone take care of me, not for a long time anyway. I guess I'm not good at it, but I give it everything I have. It ... It feels nice not to worry, even if for a moment."

He took her mouth, dipping his tongue between her lips. She pushed him back, and he frowned. “What?"

"You taste like my snatch.” She laughed. “It might get you all hard and ready, but I don't want to eat myself."

"No?” He winked. “You don't know what you're missing.” Not waiting for her comment, he moved to her nipples. Tweaking them, he watched them pucker and tighten into little peaks ready for him to suck. He took in first one, and then the other, running his tongue around the rims, luxuriating in her color and the texture of her skin. Kneading the bud between the roof of his mouth and his tongue, he tugged. A'isha groaned. She ran a hand over his dick, and he nearly exploded at the one touch.

Again, he moved out of her reach and unzipped his pants. He watched her take in the sight of his erection, loving how she appreciated his body as much as he did hers. He stroked himself, smeared his pre-come over the tip. She moaned. He coated his finger and leaned over to push it into her mouth. What had he been thinking? That move was all him. His shaft tightened and grew thicker while she worked his finger like she would work his dick.

He pulled away. “Woman, if you don't stop, I'll come. I said this is about you, and I'm going to keep it that way until I've satisfied you."

She shrugged with a grin.

Suddenly done with delaying, he gripped her hips and buried his face between her thighs. He plunged his tongue inside her and sucked to his heart's content. Her juices filled his mouth, and he swallowed, dipping in for more. Running his tongue from the bottom of her moist opening to the top, he lapped until she squirmed. He exerted himself to hold her still.

Anticipation built in him when he hovered above her nub. She would come and come hard, he guessed.

He clamped down. She screamed. Before he could draw on her bud more than a half dozen times, her thighs quivered, a sure sign she was about to come. She cried out a second time, moaned and fought. Her hips bucked, but he held on, coaxing her to climax.

"Connor, I can't. I can't. Ah!"

She had been wrong. The warm flow coated his chin as he continued to suck her nubbin. He pushed his chin against her opening. She whimpered, grinding against his face. Finally, the spasms eased, and she relaxed, her breathing harsh, the only sound in the room.

"Well?” he asked.

"Well what?” she grumbled.

He laughed. “Have I pleased you?"

"You can be very anal sometimes, Connor. I bet other women have told you that.” She continued to scowl, but the gleam in her eye was unmistakable. Something told him A'isha was just as amazed at how good they fit together, how they matched sexually. If they spent more time together learning about each other, would they fit mentally, emotionally? Carl had to be wrong. He barely knew A'isha, and couldn't love her this soon.

He climbed atop her, letting his dick rest at her soft tunnel. He wanted to ram himself inside, being hungry for satisfaction, but he resisted. Savoring this time with her was more important than him reaching his peak.

"I've been told that once or twice."

Resting his cheek against hers he whispered. “Do you want me inside you? Do you remember how great it felt, how right for us to be molded together, finding our rhythm?"

She groaned. “Just your words set me on fire, Connor. Your body, your touch make me want to bow down and worship you."

"No.” He shook his head. “I don't want you to worship me. I want you to feel like I'm the only man that can run a thumb over your nipple and make you have an orgasm. The only man to please you.” He kissed her, lingering on her top lip, tasting, savoring. “I want to be the only man with the right to do this.” He entered her.

"Connor..."

With his hands on either side of her waist, slow and easy, he drove his staff into her passage. And just as deliberate, he pulled out until his swollen head pushed against her nub.

Their eyes met. She sniffled, tears in her eyes.
I want you to be the woman I can love, A'isha.
Repeating the sensuous mating, their bodies merged. He pressed deep, lifting her legs higher. She arched her back, grinding her hips to his. They breathed out hot and heavy. And then they came, together, in synch, needing more than just the physical.

"Connor...” she began.

"Shh, rest, baby. I'm not going anywhere."

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She wanted him, lying between her whoring legs. On some level, although she hadn't been longing for a man, he appealed to her. When she took him captive, she might sample his goods for herself.
After
she made A'isha suffer for that little stunt she pulled. Thinking about it drove her just short of putting her fist through the window where she watched them. But she held back.

No, a plan was better. Sneaking up on him in the dark had been a good move, but he would be ready now. She'd seen him walking A'isha from the car to his house. His hand had never left the gun strapped to his body except to unlock the door. She had heard he turned in his gun and badge, but cops were sneaky. They always had backup weapons.