You Really Got Me (10 page)

Maybe they could do this. They did have something together. She could have someone to lean on, just a little. Maybe he could be the one who really could give her what she wanted…

She gave a slow nod and his eyes darkened.

“Good girl. I promise, we’ll go slow.” He pulled her head down toward him and kissed her mouth.

Chapter Seven

Natalia’s parents arrived the next afternoon, beside themselves with worry. Maria Debarros seemed particularly fragile, almost dazed with agony. Kendall’s heart throbbed for them, for the dread she saw in their faces, and when Mrs. Debarros broke down and cried, Kendall took her in her arms and hugged her, even though she’d never met the woman before. She tried to comfort Mrs. Debarros as best she could, made them tea and sat with her and listened to her talk about her daughter. She couldn’t blame them for being distraught—their only daughter had disappeared. And the more time that passed, the more it seemed likely something had happened to her. But they needed to
know
.

Kendall made a dinner that nobody really wanted to eat. When she’d shown Juan and Maria to the guest room and made them comfortable there, then cleaned up the kitchen, she quietly left the house and crossed the driveway through the cool, dark night. Faint stars twinkled in the sky above her.

She backed her ancient BMW out of the garage, turned and headed down the road toward the highway to Las Colinas. Trees shadowed the road, the leaves and branches creating lacy black patterns against the deep blue sky, until she turned onto Highway 154. She picked up speed. She knew this road, she could probably drive it blindfolded. Moments later she turned onto Salinas Street in Las Colinas and made the series of turns that took her to Jason’s house. Excitement curled inside her.

She’d been unpleasantly surprised the first time she’d gone to his place, to find out that he lived on the street where Kevin had had his accident all those years ago. She hated remembering that whole crap storm.

She parked out front, and climbed the wide stairs onto the veranda fronting the house. She spared a glance for the beauty of the architecture, the original gingerbread and columns supporting the roof of the veranda. Jason opened the door before she even rang the bell, wearing low slung jeans and nothing else. His wide chest was bare, a dark dusting of hair between two flat brown nipples, slabs of muscle evident beneath smooth brown skin. His wide torso narrowed down to his lean waist, defined abs, and a small trail of dark hair arrowed down beneath the jeans that hung on his hip bones.

Holy mother of cake.

Looking at him totally distracted her from the frustration mounting inside her at the lack of progress in finding Natalia.

“You’re here already,” he said, stepping aside to let her in.

“Am I too early?” She slipped inside and he shut the door behind her. Then she gave a husky laugh and raked him with an up-and-down look. “What am I saying? Apparently my timing is perfect.”

“Funny.” She caught the smile that touched his lips.

She looked around the house. The first time she’d visited, the mayhem had taken her aback, but she’d grown used to the fact that his house was always under construction. The front rooms were stark and bare, a massive leather sectional and big screen television taking up space in the living room, the hardwood floors battered and scarred. She loved the brick fireplace and substantial mantel, the gorgeous French doors between living and dining room, the wide carved baseboards and door casings. Drop cloths and tools and paint cans lined one wall. A chemical smell filled the air along with the scent of old wood. Only a floor lamp lit the dark living room.

“Sorry about the mess,” Jason said.

She turned to him. “You stripped the banister. It looks really nice.”

The corners of his mouth lifted. “That’s not all I want to strip.”

She gave him a look up through her eyelashes, trying not to smile, and he grinned.

“Come on in.”

She had to focus on her thoughts with his brown muscled chest displayed in front of her, biceps bulging as he crossed his arms. She swallowed and followed him through to the kitchen.

“Any news?” she asked, her anxiety and aggravation returning.

He shook his head. “No.”

She made a noise of frustration. “You’re not doing enough to find her!”

He lifted one eyebrow.

“I don’t mean you personally,” she backtracked. “I mean the
police
aren’t doing enough.”

“I’m the police chief,” he said quietly, “so when you say ‘you’, you
do
mean me personally. I’m ultimately responsible for this investigation. We’re doing everything we can, Kendall.”

“It’s not enough!” She dug her fingers into the edge of the counter and leaned toward him. “Mr. and Mrs. Debarros arrived this afternoon. They’re out of their minds with worry. My brother is heartbroken. None of us believe any more that Natalia ran away. We all know she would have contacted us by now to let us know she was all right. Something’s happened to her.”

Jason nodded slowly. “I’m afraid you may be right.”

“You have to do more. You have to find out what happened to her. And if someone has…” Her words got stuck in her throat. “If someone has hurt her…you have to find that person.”

He stepped closer. All that muscle and smooth tanned skin was right there, radiating heat and strength. She gulped.

“Ah, Kendall.” His eyes gleamed like sapphires. “I promise you, we’re trying. There are almost a hundred law enforcement officers working on this case, between our department, the county sheriff’s department and the FBI.”

“Please,” she whispered, her eyes burning in the corners. “Please try harder. You have to try harder.”

And when he reached for her she could only fall against him, all the tension and anxiety and stress overwhelming her and turning her into a limp heap against his bare chest.

Strong arms circled her, held her tight, making her feel safe and cared for. “He’s my only family,” she choked out, her mouth moving against hot satin skin. “He’s all I have in the world.”

“I know.” One hand slid up into her hair. She loved the feel of his fingers tugging gently through the strands. “I know, Kendall.”

She sighed and leaned into him again. “Sorry. I’m just…frustrated.”

Fingers slid through her hair again in a soothing gesture, yet a gesture that sent tingles over her body. “I know you are.”

“You’re patronizing me.”

He choked on a laugh and his arms tightened again on her body. “No, I’m not. I know you’re frustrated. I am too.”

From the moment she’d met him, she’d sensed the strength and conviction inside him, the sense of deep responsibility as well as the pain that kept him aloof and at a distance from most people. And although her flare of anger had been directed at him, she couldn’t help but believe him when he said they were doing what they could.

She sighed. Her anger faded and was gradually replaced with heated arousal. She couldn’t stop herself from rubbing against him. She glided her hands over his big shoulders, all smooth skin and hard bone, and pressed into him.

“Kendall.”

“Mmm.”

“Gonna kiss you now.”

“Yeah.” And she shifted in his arms, tipped her head and melted against him as he covered her mouth with his. Her fingers dragged through his short hair, arms twined around his neck, her mouth open under his. Lord, he felt good, so good, tasted so good, hot and sexy, and heat slid through her veins with every beat of her heart. She made a small whimpery noise in her throat and he spread his legs, one hand sliding to her ass and pulling her even closer. A thick hard bulge behind the fly of those low slung jeans had liquid heat pooling low in her belly.

“I’m glad you came,” he murmured against her cheek.

“Mmm.” She’d had her doubts, after what had happened the last time she’d come to his place. But he’d promised to take things slow. And damned if she could stay away.

They kissed again, mouths fused, tongues sliding together in an erotic rhythm that had her aching and wet. She tipped her pelvis into him in a seeking movement. “I need you. God, I need you,” she whispered as he kissed his way across her jaw to the sensitive skin beneath her ear. Shivers cascaded over her body, every nerve ending quivering with pleasure.

She slid her hands over hot skin, gripped big muscles, let her head fall back so he could draw on her throat, pulling her skin into his mouth in a suckling kiss.

“Come upstairs,” he said, hands sliding back to her ass to pull her hard against his erection.

“Yes.”

In a daze she let him lead her out of the kitchen, back down the narrow hall and up the stairs. She trailed a hand over the bare wood banister as she climbed, looked up into the darkness above them. On the second floor, he turned right and entered the first bedroom, pale moonlight filtering in through dark Venetian blinds on the window, creating faint stripes. Tonight there were no candles, no music, no blindfold or ropes lying on the bed. The darkness of the room enveloped her, dark walls, dark furniture, a rug over the light wood floor. It felt…safe.

And yet she knew she was in so much danger here, danger from things she didn’t want to think about, including the powerful attraction she felt for this man and the alarming things she wanted from him.

Heat suffused her body, her skin burning with anticipation, as she stood in the middle of the room, Jason’s dark shadowy body looming in front of her. His face was half in darkness, emphasizing the pureness of his bone structure, one high cheekbone, one corner of his square jaw and half of his straight nose.

“We need some rules,” he said quietly.

She nodded, wide-eyed.

“You have a safe word already.”

Her stomach fluttered. “Jason…”

“I said I’ll take it slowly and I will,” he replied. “I’m just making sure you feel safe. In here, I’m in charge. Okay, babe?”

She was insane to be doing this, but a force bigger and stronger than she was had taken over her will, something sexual maybe, but also something soulful, because she felt a connection with this man on some level, a sense of loss and longing, a shared need to both conquer and surrender. She felt an overpowering need to give in to it, to take what he wanted to give her. “Y-yes.”

“Good girl.” His hands drifted over her arms, down to her wrists which he lifted to his lips. He opened his mouth over the pulse on one wrist, his eyes, luminous in the dark, meeting hers.

His mouth moved to her other wrist, the sensitive skin leaping at his warmth, her pulse fluttering wildly there. A feverish awareness ran through her, a buzzing, an intense electric need, and she kissed him again, wrapping her arms around his neck, opening her mouth to him, her pussy pulsing with the same beat as her heart. She needed relief from the ache there, arched into him, her skin desperate for the sensation of his against her. She needed her clothes off, and as if he read her mind, his hands slid under her T-shirt and up over her bare back.

Her body cried out with pleasure at his touch, and she moved in his arms so he could continue to push the shirt up, higher, then over her head and off. He trailed his fingertips along the scalloped edge of her lace bra, sending shivery tingles over her breasts and a heated flush up to her cheeks. Her nipples ached behind the lace, needing to be touched, but he didn’t, which made the need that much more. He traced the cleavage between her breasts, slipped his fingers beneath the small satin bow, then back up again. Then he set both hands on her hips and brought her pelvis up against him again, where he was hard.

“You are so fucking beautiful,” he muttered. Then he reached behind him and clicked on the lamp on a small table beside the bed. “There. Now I can really see you.”

“Oh. Do we have to have the light on?” She bit her lip.

“Yes. I want to see you.” His hands slid around her to her bare back, then one slid lower over the edge of her jeans, coming to rest at the base of her spine and her skin tingled with need. His other hand stroked up and down her back in delicious, slow movements, pressing her tighter into him. “So beautiful. So perfect.”

“I’m
not
perfect.”

“Yes, you are.”

“I have cellulite on my thighs,” she said breathlessly.

He laughed, standing there in front of her, light glinting off his short dark hair, gleaming off the satiny skin over muscle. “Oh no.”

“I’m addicted to animal crackers,” she continued in a rush.

“Animal crackers?”

“Um. Yeah. I leave my clothes piled up on the chair in my bedroom instead of hanging them up. And I have to write a to-do list every morning.”

“Those are some serious imperfections.” The corners of his mouth tilted up in a sexy half-smile. “I may have to spank you.”

Heat flared low down inside her. She bit her lip as she looked up at him through her eyelashes, and the way his eyes went smoky, she knew he saw how much she wanted that.

He knew more about her imperfections than most people. And yet…he still wanted her. Which made her want
him
even more. She flattened herself against his body, winding her arms around his neck, skin against skin, now her shirt was off. Her body flooded with voluptuous pleasure at the contact and they kissed again.