Katrina gasped. “Yes. Like that.”
She tightened her legs around his hips and moved in time with him, grinding her pelvis into his, driven on by the exquisite friction of his hardness moving high inside her. He pulled out, almost completely free of her tight heat, before slamming back in. Pinned by his weight, her arms flung wide, Katrina strained against him, her body convulsing with pleasure.
The sound of ragged breathing filled the room as she came down from a high she’d never dreamed possible. Watching Spencer’s face as he continued to thrust, she could see his concentration and sense him getting closer to his own release. Then his breathing changed, hitching and almost stopping, his neck muscles corded and his face blank. After one final thrust, he tilted forward and rested his head in the curve of her neck. She could feel the sheen of sweat on his skin and the shaking of his muscles.
A few minutes later, he turned his head and pressed his lips to hers, his eyes smiling. The kiss was soft and sweet and lasted for a long time. At some point, the shared peace turned to laughter about the cramp in his leg and the ache in her arm.
“Where are you going?” Katrina grumbled when he eventually pulled away. She didn’t want to lose the feeling of his skin on hers, his muscles beneath her fingertips, his breath on her cheek.
“I’ll be right back. Just need to lose the condom.”
There was no awkwardness attached to the remark. For the first time in her life, she felt she could be completely open with another person.
Spencer headed to the bathroom, returning a few minutes later to draw her back into his arms. “In case I forget to mention this before I fall asleep, you are amazing.”
She smiled against his chest. “You’re okay, too.”
“Just okay?” He pretended to be hurt. “You’re hard to please.”
“I’m glad you figured that out. Get some sleep, Spencer.” She reached up and patted his cheek. “Maybe next time you can please me enough to upgrade from ‘okay’ to ‘good.’”
Chapter 15
Although Katrina woke early, it was light enough for her to see Spencer’s face on the pillow next to hers. His face was softened by sleep, some of the pressures of his work life and the pain of his past soothed away.
Or maybe it was the amazing sex?
She smothered a laugh at the thought. But it had been beyond amazing. She’d never experienced anything approaching the sexual energy between them. It had generated a connection so intense she could still feel it now. The intensity was a lot like an unbreakable bond. The thought was scary and exciting at the same time.
It also meant there was no chance of her going back to sleep. Slipping quietly from beneath the bed covers, she grabbed some clothes and headed for the bathroom. When she emerged, she checked the time on her cell. Five thirty.
She headed out to the kennel, nervous about what she would find and worried that she should have checked on the dogs earlier. Despite the veterinarian’s reassurances, a night of passion was no excuse for not monitoring their condition.
Boris seemed fully awake and wagged his tail when she entered. Holly lifted her head and licked Katrina’s hand when she stroked her, but flopped down and went back to sleep. Although he snored loudly, Dobby didn’t stir at all. Katrina decided that figured. The greediest of the three dogs, he had probably consumed most of the drugged meat. She placed a bowl of water close to him, ready for when he did wake, then left the kennel.
Remembering Spencer’s comments about starting the day with a decent breakfast, she decided to head to the twenty-four-hour convenience store and stock up on provisions. Snatching up her keys and purse, she headed out. Only as she was driving did she spare a thought for what Spencer would say about her recklessness in leaving the safety of his protective presence.
Were bad guys early risers? She knew being flippant wasn’t a good attitude given the situation, but she was already midway between home and the store. She may as well keep going, get her breakfast supplies and put this lapse down to the distractions of the previous night. The combination of frightening and delightful distractions.
When she reached the store, the parking lot was almost empty and she pulled into a space close to the entrance, casting a wary glance around. There was no one close by and she dashed from the car to the entrance. Once inside, she grabbed a basket and tried not to look like she was sprinting as she snagged pastries and juice from the shelves. She was just heading toward the deli section, when the sight of a familiar figure stopped her in her tracks.
The answer to one of her earlier questions was
standing with his back to her, clutching a bag of chips and a family-size pack of cookies. Some bad guys clearly were early risers. Either that, or they didn’t go to bed at all. Judging by the munchies-busting foods in Kenyon Latimer’s hands, Katrina figured the up-all-night option was more likely.
A wave of anger surged through her. Her sister was likely in deep trouble. For all Katrina knew, Eliza might be dead and this guy could be the cause. Yet he was able to do normal things like buy cookies and chips, while she didn’t know what had happened to her twin.
Forgetting to be afraid, she marched up close and tapped him on the shoulder. He swung around fast. A little too fast for a man who had nothing to hide. Up close, he wasn’t quite so good-looking. His skin was bad and the dark shadows beneath his eyes looked like bruises.
He frowned down at her from his superior height. “Do I know you?”
There was a nasty note in his voice that should have frightened her, but concern for her sister kept her anger level high. She was going to do this for Eliza and not be intimidated by some nasty AAG thug.
“No, but I think you knew my sister. Eliza Perry?”
She could almost see his mind working, assessing how to respond. In the end, he smiled. She found the expression even scarier than his scowl. “Oh, yeah. You’ve been asking about her at the AAG ranch. I think I met her a few times.”
He wasn’t as polished as most of the other AAG members. As he spoke, his gaze wandered away from her face and he shifted from foot to foot. She tried to judge whether he could have been the man who broke into her house and threatened her with a blade. Although his build was similar, the voice was different. But she had been certain that the guy with the knife had been disguising the way he spoke.