With skillful, knowing strokes, he turned her body to liquid, her mind to mush, and pushed her to the very edge of ecstasy. The pressure and tension spiraled to an exquisite pitch, and then she was falling and crying out and shuddering as pure, carnal pleasure shook her to the very core of her being.
She gulped air into her lungs, and her quivering legs buckled. He caught her around the waist, holding her up, keeping her safe in the shelter of his arms, then turned her around in his embrace. Dark, glittering eyes met hers, and he pressed her up against the stall while lukewarm water showered down upon them. He crushed his lips to hers, parting them easily, and kissed her long, deep, and hard as the entire length of his body moved restlessly against hers. Their wet skin rubbed, igniting a fire deep within.
Needing more, Jo wrenched her mouth from Dean’s as a feverish sound escaped her throat, as did the softest of pleas. “Dean, I want you inside me. Please.”
“I’m there,” he promised, and tucked his hands beneath her bottom, spreading her knees wide as he lifted her feet off the ground. Wedging his thighs in between hers, he pulled her supple, giving body back down to his and buried his rigid erection to the hilt.
A searing heat shimmered through her and a startled gasp ripped from her chest. Her shoulders were braced against the wall for leverage, and she automatically wrapped her arms around his neck and clenched her legs tight around his hips to help hold on.
“Oh, God, are you sure about this position?” she asked breathlessly, so incredibly aroused she knew she wouldn’t last long, even this second time.
“Oh, yeah, I’m very sure,” he whispered in her ear, his words confident, his breath hot. “There’s something to be said for being a featherweight. All you have to do is hang on, sweetheart, and enjoy the ride.”
With a strength and agility that amazed her, he gripped her hips in his large, strong hands and worked her body precisely the way he wanted, exactly the way she craved. He surged deep inside her, withdrew, slid upward once more, pushing into her, over and over. He felt so vibrant, so alive, like a flame burning inside her, consuming her. She clung to him as he increased the rhythm of his thrusts, as he sank deeper into her soft, welcoming body.
And still, it wasn’t enough.
Wet, slippery skin created an unbearable friction, and she tangled her fingers in his wet, silky hair as she arched into him with every thrust, fusing them more intimately. His harsh breathing quickened against her throat as his hips pushed more forcefully against her, pumping harder, faster. A frenzied need built, sizzling hot and immediate. Demanding in its intensity.
Pleasure swelled to a bursting point then exploded, dragging them both under at the same time. He caught her moans of ecstasy with his mouth as the pulsing spasms shaking his body rippled into hers.
Boneless and sated a short while later, he eased her down the wall until he was kneeling on the tiled floor with her straddling his waist and their bodies still joined. His heartbeat thundered against her chest, and she relished the connection, the quiet, perfect intimacy of the moment.
Cool water cascaded over them, chasing away the heat that had scorched them both. She brushed a kiss to his full, soft lips and pressed her forehead against his. “It seems you’re the only one with a concealed weapon,” she teased.
He grinned lazily. “At least I know what to do with it.”
She chuckled at his sexy reply. “Oh, that you do, Mr. Colter.”
His gaze turned a deep, serious shade of jade that was underscored with a wealth of tenderness—the kind she’d had very little of in her lifetime. “I think I’m addicted to you, Jo Sommers.”
She swallowed hard, fearing the same thing, that this man was quickly becoming a habit she didn’t want to shake. And she had no idea what she was going to do about the growing obsession.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
After a night of intense pleasure and incredible, erotic passion, Dean was disappointed, but not entirely surprised, that Jo had woken that morning with her emotions withdrawn and tucked neatly away, and her demeanor all business and much too formal. They’d eaten breakfast at a local diner, then walked the one block to the service station to wait for the Suburban to be repaired. Since hitting the road hours ago, she’d adeptly avoided any deep, serious conversation that might lead to something more personal—such as their current relationship and what lay ahead for them…if anything at all.
Gone was the teasing between them. And gone was the warm and willing woman who’d allowed him free, uninhibited access to her body and desi
res, only to be replaced by a contemplative and quiet female who seemed to disregard all the intimacies that they’d shared the past two days. And the closer they got to their destination, the more emotional distance each mile seemed to put between him and Jo.
Shifting restlessly in his car seat, Dean exhaled a low, heavy breath. Despite his frustration, he kept his concentration on the stretch of freeway Jo was navigating toward San Francisco, his gaze off the silent woman sitting beside him, and his thoughts to himself. The latter was the most difficult since there was so much he wanted to say to her, so many uncertainties he wanted to talk about in terms of them, together.
In a very short amount of time he’d grown to care for Jo in ways he’d never anticipated. Hell, he knew his feelings for her went deeper than just lust and sexual desire. They encompassed emotions and needs that made his head spin and his heart pump hard in his chest. He wasn’t willing to walk away from her with nothing more than a friendly goodbye once he was cleared of the crime he hadn’t committed, yet she’d never indicated she wanted anything more than a brief fling. He also knew he had no right to ask her for something more long-term when he had to get his own life in order.
In the meantime, no matter how difficult, he’d respect the personal boundaries Jo had erected since this morning, even though he hated being shut out in the process. If he’d learned one thing about this stubborn, self-sufficient woman, he knew she needed her space and didn’t appreciate being pressured, coddled, or backed into a corner with ultimatums.
By the time they finally pulled up to a one-story brick building with the company name Sommers Investigative Specialists etched on the front door, the tension surrounding Jo and in the truck was nearly palpable. The emotional distance between them was as wide as the Golden Gate Bridge he’d glimpsed on the way to her brother’s offices.
She cut the engine, allowed a deep sigh to unravel out of her, then glanced his way. “Well, here we are. One step closer to you being a free man.”
He chuckled, trying to lighten the moment between them. “I never thought I’d love hearing the sound of that.”
The faint smile he’d managed to glean faltered and shifted into a more serious expression. “Dean…I know you’re innocent but, just so you know, Cole isn’t too thrilled that you aren’t cuffed and restrained, despite what I think or feel.”
The realization that she’d defended him to her brother pleased him immensely. “You told him I’m innocent?”
She nodded and rubbed her palms down her jean-clad thighs. “Yeah, last night when I called him. I tried to explain about your last visit to San Francisco and someone stealing your ID and assuming your identity, but he was skeptical.”