Treacherous (The Wolf Pack Series) (5 page)

“I know. And so would you.”

Sterling didn’t deny it.

Celeste angled her head to smile wryly at him. “You know, I didn’t need a paternity test to tell me that Michael is your son. He’s just like you. They both are. If they ever decide to leave Atlanta, I know they’ll find their way right back.”

Sterling chuckled. “That’s probably true.”

As a sultry breeze wafted over them, Celeste sighed languorously. “I could stay out here all night, Sterl. Isn’t this so romantic?”

“Very,” he agreed. “Next time we visit, we’ll leave the boys at Mama Wolf’s house and spend a couple nights at one of those bed-and-breakfasts.”

“Mmm, that’s a
wonderful
idea.”

Sterling grinned. “I get one every now and then. Speaking of which— Whoa, what’re you doing?”

Celeste had reached down and started unzipping his jeans. At his startled question, she gave a low, naughty laugh. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

“It
looks
like you’re trying to get us ar—” Sterling broke off as her warm fingers slipped inside his boxers and wrapped around his penis, which grew instantly hard.

“Oooh,” Celeste crooned with wicked satisfaction, stroking him slowly.

“Looks like
someone
wants some special attention.” Sterling groaned with pleasure, even as his eyes darted around the moonlit park to make sure no one was nearby.

“Relax, sweetheart,” Celeste murmured, lowering her head to his lap. “No one’s gonna see us.”

“I’m not so sure about—” Sterling sucked in a sharp breath as she took him between her lips. His head fell back, eyes rolling closed in ecstasy.

As she slid her hot mouth up and down his length, he groaned raggedly. “This is crazy, woman. I used to arrest people for this kind of thing.” Celeste’s soft, throaty laughter was the sexiest sound he’d ever heard. “No one’s getting arrested tonight, Detective,” she purred, swirling her tongue around the sensitized head of his shaft, “unless you brought a pair of handcuffs you wanna use on me.”

Sterling swore hoarsely, his pulse kicking into overdrive. He’d always loved it when his wife talked dirty to him.

She began sucking him harder as his hips thrust upward, making love to her mouth until her low moans of pleasure joined his.

“Babe, I’m about to—”

As he tried to pull out of her, her lips clutched at him, not letting him go. He came violently, shuddering as he spent himself inside her mouth. She swallowed greedily, as if she were receiving nourishment from his body.

When she’d milked him dry, Sterling collapsed onto his back with a husky groan. Celeste snuggled against him, discreetly draping her sundress across his waist to conceal his open fly.

“That was…” Sterling trailed off, at a loss for words.

Celeste laughed softly. “That good, huh?”

“Hell, yeah.”

“I told you no one would catch us.” She motioned to the gently swaying canopy of moss. “It’s like we’re in our own little cocoon under here.” Sterling grinned. “I still say you’re gonna get us arrested.” Celeste chuckled. “They can’t arrest you,” she said, propping her head in her hand as she smiled down at him. “They’d be violating some unwritten code of brotherhood.”

“Maybe.” Sterling smiled lazily, reaching up to slide his hand into her hair. He felt ten years younger, so buoyant and carefree he could have floated away at any moment. “We definitely need to do things like this more often.”

“
Definitely
.” Celeste leaned down and nibbled on his earlobe, then traced the shell of his ear with her wicked tongue. It was enough to send a hot rush of blood straight to his groin.

As if sensing his body’s reaction, she let her hand wander over him until she cupped his thickening erection. “Mmmm,” she purred seductively. “I think you’re ready for round two, Detective.”

Pulse galloping, Sterling watched as she sat up and reached under her dress.

Smiling like a naughty schoolgirl, she pulled off her panties and tossed them at his face. He caught the scrap of silk with a laugh, enjoying her playfulness.

“So you act all shy and virginal at my grandmother’s house,” he teased, propping himself up on his elbows, “but out in public, you become an exhibitionist.”

Celeste gave a sultry laugh, squatting beside him to tug his jeans and boxers just past his hips. “You know what they say about preacher’s kids.”

“Umm-hmm,” Sterling agreed as she straddled his thighs, her dress billowing around them. The feel of her hot, moist cleft against his skin sent a jolt of raw hunger through him. If he hadn’t already gotten his second wind,
that
definitely would have done the trick.

He slid his hands beneath her dress and grasped the plump, curvaceous swell of her butt. Her skin felt like heated silk. As he caressed her bottom, she curved her arms around his neck and slowly undulated her hips.

Holding her smoky gaze, he leaned forward and captured her lower lip between his teeth, gently sucking it the way she liked. She shuddered with arousal, sliding her tongue into his mouth. They shared a long, deep, sensual kiss.

Pulling away, Sterling tugged down the bodice of her dress, humming appreciatively as her round, perky breasts spilled out over the top. He palmed them, rasping his thumbs over her nipples until they tightened. Lowering his head, he drew a dusky areola into his mouth. Celeste moaned as he laved and suckled her, first one nipple and then the other.

They stared into each other’s eyes as she raised her hips, then guided his erection into the snug, wet clasp of her sex. As they both groaned with pleasure, Sterling began thrusting into her. She moved naturally with him, their bodies rising and falling as one. Whatever else their problems might be, they’d always known how to satisfy each other.

As the tempo of their lovemaking increased, sweat dampened their skin and pooled between their joined bodies. Sterling groaned as he plunged in and out of Celeste, watching as she threw back her head and cupped her bouncing breasts.

The sight was so erotic that it blew his mind.

He felt her thighs begin to shake seconds before she whimpered, “I’m coming. Ohhh, Sterling…
baby
!”

Her back arched as the orgasm tore through her. Moments later Sterling exploded, tightly gripping her butt as he spilled into her womb.

Celeste dropped her head onto his shoulder as they both panted harshly, trying to catch their breath.

They remained locked together for several minutes, the air thick and warm around them.

At length Celeste sighed deeply. “I’ll never forget this night, Sterling.”

“Neither will I,” he said softly, then wondered if he’d only imagined the note of farewell in her voice.

“Girl, I’m exhausted.”

Celeste glanced up from the magazine she’d been perusing to watch as Prissy wrapped a beach towel around her dripping, swimsuit-clad body and flopped down on the lounge chair beside hers.

Celeste smiled at her. “No wonder you’re exhausted. You’ve been swimming with the fellas all afternoon. If I didn’t know better, I would think you were training for the Olympics.”

“Not quite,” Prissy said wryly, smoothing her wet dark hair off her face. “I’m just trying to lose some weight.”

Celeste arched a surprised brow. “What for? You look great.”

“Thanks, girl,” Prissy said with a small, self-deprecating smile, “but we both know I could stand to lose a few pounds. I’m still carrying around some baby weight, and it’s been six years since Mason was born.” Celeste gaped at her. “You’re kidding, right? Prissy, you’re the mother of five children. Not one, not two.
Five
. Do you know how many women would
kill
to have your figure after popping out that many babies?” Lips pursed, Prissy unwrapped her beach towel and looked down at herself, critically assessing her gently rounded belly, flared hips, and thick, healthy thighs. She frowned. “I wish I could get rid of these damn stretch marks.”

“Girl, please. Did you hear what I just said? You’re a mother of five. Those stretch marks are your badge of honor.”

Prissy snorted, shooting an envious glance at Celeste’s smooth, slender thighs.

“Easy for
you
to say. You don’t have any stretch marks.”

“I also don’t have a bodacious booty that makes grown men act a damn fool whenever I walk by. You obviously didn’t notice all the heads you turned when you strolled across the beach to get in the water. But your husband sure noticed,” Celeste added with a chuckle. “Girl, one brotha was ogling you so hard, I thought Stan was gonna kill him.”

Prissy laughed. “You’re right. I completely missed all that. But it’s nice for Stan to see how
I
feel sometimes, watching the way women throw themselves at him. It’s ridiculous.”

Celeste smiled ruefully. “I guess that’s the price you pay for being married to a tall, dark, and handsome firefighter.”

Prissy sighed, staring across the beach. “Tell me about it.” Celeste followed the direction of her sister-in-law’s gaze to the water, where Stanton, Sterling, and the boys were laughing and splashing in the frothy waves, their beautiful dark skin glistening in the sun.

That morning, the two families had packed a large picnic basket, donned their swimwear, and headed to Tybee Island, a scenic coastal town located twenty miles outside of Savannah. Only Mama Wolf had stayed behind, needing time to recover from yesterday’s sightseeing excursion.

Once they arrived at the crowded beach, Celeste had pulled out a few magazines, stretched out on a lounge chair beneath an umbrella, and contented herself with relaxing in the shade while everyone else went swimming. After the steamy workout she and Sterling had given each other last night, she’d earned the right to be lazy.

“I think Stan’s having an affair.”

Startled out of her reverie, Celeste swung her head around to stare at Prissy.

“
What
did you say?”

Meeting her stunned gaze, Prissy said quietly, “I think Stan’s cheating on me.” Celeste gasped. “Why on earth would you think something like that?”

“It’s the way he’s been acting lately. Distracted, restless…unhappy.” Her voice dropped to a trembling whisper. “I think there’s someone else.”

“Oh, honey,” Celeste said soothingly, setting aside her
Jet
magazine and sitting up on the chair so that she could face her sister-in-law. “I’m sorry, but those aren’t good enough reasons to assume your husband’s cheating on you.

Maybe he’s just stressed out from work—”

“He’s been putting out fires for fourteen years,” Prissy interrupted. “By now he should be used to the pressures and dangers of the job. Besides, I know it’s not that. He
loves
being a firefighter. He couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

“All right, so maybe it’s not work. Maybe something else is bothering him.” Celeste hesitated, then gently confided, “Sterling told me that Stan and the boys aren’t adjusting well to Denver. They want to move back home.” Prissy nodded, guilt flashing in her dark eyes. “I know they’re not crazy about Denver. And I know, to some extent, they blame me for uprooting them the way I did. But I had no other choice. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make
twice
what I was earning as a high school principal in Atlanta. And God knows it’s impossible to support a family of seven on a fireman’s salary.” She grimaced, hearing her own words. “That didn’t come out right. I don’t begrudge Stan’s career choice. Ever since his parents died in that house fire when he was younger, he’s wanted to become a firefighter, and he’s damn good at it.” She sighed. “I just wish that rescuing people from burning buildings was a bit more lucrative.”

Celeste nodded sympathetically. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me.

You know I understand better than anyone how difficult it is to raise a family on modest incomes. Sterling and I are just barely making ends meet.” Her lips twisted ruefully. “Yesterday when he gave Marcus twenty dollars to buy some snow cones, I couldn’t help wondering how far that would set us back.”

“Oh, God,” Prissy said, her eyes filling with concern. “I can’t believe I’m over here whining about my problems when you and Sterling are going through such hard times. Do you need to borrow some—”

“Girl, no,” Celeste said quickly, her face flushing with embarrassment. “I didn’t tell you that to make you feel sorry for me. I just wanted you to know that I understand and respect your decision to accept the job in Denver. You did what was best for you and your family, and someday they’ll realize that and thank you.”

Prissy nodded slowly, gnawing her lower lip. “Are you sure you don’t need some money?”

Celeste heaved a sigh, wishing she’d never opened her mouth. “Of course I need money,” she admitted. “But I won’t take any from you.” Prissy frowned. “Why not?”

“Well, let’s see. You’ve got more mouths to feed than I do, you have to pay the mortgage on that nice big house of yours, and I know for a fact that the cost of living in Denver is much higher than you’re used to. So, no, I won’t take a dime from you. Besides,” she added when Prissy opened her mouth to argue,

“Mama Wolf already offered to loan us some money, and I accepted. But
please
don’t tell Sterling. You know how proud he is.”

“I won’t say a word,” Prissy promised. “But how are you going to explain the extra funds?”

“I’m telling him I got a bonus from the hospital. Anyway, let’s get back to you and Stan. What I was saying is that you shouldn’t jump to conclusions just because he’s been acting differently. If he’s still unhappy about living in Denver, couldn’t
that
explain his behavior?”

“Maybe.” But Prissy didn’t look or sound convinced.