Page 33 of Desperate Temptations

Neither said a word. Both just wanted to bask in the aftermath of such an overwhelming experience. Cain ran a hand up and down her back to soothe her.

Maybe they dozed, because the next time she opened her eyes, the light coming in through the curtains was a few shades darker, widening the shadows in the room. He moved, pulling away enough to be able to look down at her face, then smiling in tender affection at her peaceful look.

Her pulse fluttered when he moved her to her back, and her eyes slowly focused on his rugged face above hers.

“Hi,” he murmured quietly with a smile.

Jessa raised her hand and trailed her fingers down his face in wonder. She inhaled sharply when he grasped her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. She shyly smiled back, uncomfortable with the feelings raging through her.

Cain’s hand glided over her, setting off prickles of sensation through her body.

“How are you? Are you hurting or sore anywhere?” When she shook her head.

“Are you hungry? I think it’s probably pretty close to dinner,” he said.

She nodded and then blushed when her stomach growled, which made him chuckle.

He ran his callused hand around her stomach, studying the contrast between his large, sun-browned hand and her creamy, soft skin. Cain watched her intently, making her nervous. She could also tell he was as reluctant to leave the bed as she was.

“I guess you are. Come on, you shower while I start dinner, and then you can help me finish.” He bent down and placed a hard kiss on her mouth before he rolled off the bed and pulled her up.

She could feel herself blushing when his eyes slid over her body. The heated need that filled his eyes calmed any embarrassment she had.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Early Monday morning, Cain sat at his desk in his office at work. His hands were steepled, his elbows on the arms of his chair, his brow furrowed in concentration. He was happy. He couldn’t remember being this happy or content. The thought of never having Jessa, never having spent time with her, never making love to her, made his stomach ache, and a jagged slash of pain pierced his heart.

He’d taken her several times this weekend and never seemed to get enough of her sweet body. In the bed, on the sofa, and in the shower. They’d made love so many times they were both tender, and it still didn’t keep them from reaching out to each other.

He smiled smugly. She was finally his. And he would do whatever he needed to keep her. He would allow nothing to take her from him, ever.

He knew he was pushing her, but he couldn’t seem to help it. He was usually a patient man with everything in his life, except her, it seemed. He wanted everything she had, everything she could give him. He wanted her heart, her body, her soul.

There were times he caught a look in her eyes that told him that she was mentally trying to pull away from him, to build a wall between them, and it infuriated him. He could feel when she tried to keep a part of herself from him, and it drove him crazy. The only thing that kept him rational was that every time he reached for her, she would come to him willingly, hungrily. The more time they spent together, the more they fucked he knew would seal them tighter together.

Cain would back off if he sensed he was going to make her run. The last thing he wanted was to scare her off. But he wouldn’t let her go either. If that sounded like a stalker, so be it. It might sound arrogant, hell, he knew it did, but he would make her happier, love her more than anyone else ever could.

He owed Gary a big thanks for getting them together, even though he knew that hadn’t been his intention. And if he had to guess, Gary wouldn’t appreciate the thanks.

Cain sat back, folding his hands behind his head. He’d thought more than once that something was going on with the man. His gut and the little hairs on the back of his neck told him to stay alert, and he never ignored those. They’d kept him alive more than once through the years.

At any other time, he would have ignored the situation with Gary, but because he felt it had something to do with Jessa, he had no choice but to address it. He would do whatever it took to keep her safe. Because the thought of losing her when he’d just gotten her would have killed something vital in him, and he knew he’d never recover from it.

A deep voice from the door jerked him out of his thoughts.

“Hey, Quinton, come on in.” Cain came around the desk to shake his friend’s hand. He and Quinton had been deployed together and had become friends in the Navy. Since their discharge, they’d both gone into law enforcement in one capacity or another.

Cain shut the door because he definitely didn’t want anyone to hear what he had to say. He strolled back to his desk, sat back in his chair, and eyed his friend. Cain wasn’t sure if he wanted to get Quinton involved, but he knew he needed help with this. He cleared his throat.

“I need a favor.”

Quinton sat back, stretching his long legs, folding his hands across his stomach.

“What do you need?”

Cain narrowed his eyes.

“Since you’re with the police department, you’re able to get more information on another cop, who’s actually a detective, than I could working with the D.A.’s office.” At Quinton’s nod, he continued, “I need you to look into Gary Sanders. He’s with the ninth district. And you have to be discreet.”

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