All Tied Up

***

HEAVEN. HER BATH had been heaven.

Nicole slipped into the pink velour sweatpants and matching T-shirt she’d bought, and inhaled the scent of her favorite bubble bath still floating in the air. She’d bought a few bras, but she didn’t bother putting one on, nor did she bother with panties—panty lines were something she could do without.

Spraying on some perfume, Nicole felt nearly herself again. She didn’t consider herself spoiled, by any means, but her little habits gave her a sense of pleasure she now realized should never be taken for granted. Next up, drying her hair, applying a little makeup. The idea of Constantine seeing her as a woman, not a mess, appealed far more than she cared to admit. Especially since they’d been anything but friendly the past few hours. Still, the attraction between them lingered, waiting for exploration as readily as a new day. No one resisted such an attraction in close quarters. Sex was a basic need, a need she’d long denied herself. Of all the things Constantine had awakened in her, her sexual appetite was top of the list.

She sighed and leaned on the sink, staring at her image. More than her sexuality had been reinvented since meeting Constantine. But then, she’d sensed he would do this to her. Sensed he was the catalyst that would create inevitable change in her life. Remembering the night she’d met him, she recalled the air of dangerous excitement he’d sparked in her. The way she’d known he would somehow make her look inside herself, force her to examine realities she wasn’t sure she was willing to face. Deep down, she had known she’d been hiding from herself. Constantine had led her to a crossroads. When this experience ended, she would have to choose a direction for her life.

Would she fight to walk that narrow, perfect line or would she detour? More and more that line felt constraining, and hearing Constantine’s opinions on things made her realize how not black-and-white life could be. But if she detoured from this path, where did that leave her? So what was she? Who was she? Unhappy, she thought. Miserable. Tired of being something she wasn’t. That left her where? She had no idea. She wanted Alvarez behind bars and so did Constantine. That mutual desire and their shared attraction had melted away their black-and-white viewpoints. But had she lost herself to him? Lost everything she’d fought to achieve? Lost the moral fiber on which she’d based her past few years of living?

Her mind went back to seeing Carlos, to running for her life. Yes, she had hoped for Carlos’s demise, for Constantine to kill him. Oh, God. She knew why she was drawn to Constantine. He was so like her that it was scary.

She squeezed her eyes shut. Her problem these past few years had been with the system. She’d changed sides but the battlefield was the same. Grabbing the hairbrush, she roughly pulled it through her hair. She couldn’t do this now, couldn’t think about this now. She had to be her best during this trial, to put Alvarez away for life.

But later, she had to face some life-changing decisions, and she had Constantine to thank for that. Part of her hated him for it, while the other part felt grateful.

She’d funnel those emotions into the only outlet she had…sex.

***

NICOLE ENTERED the bedroom to find Constantine lying on the bed watching the news, his head propped up against the headboard, long legs stretched out in front of him, shirt off. Her mouth went dry. She didn’t hide her inspection.

He looked every bit the sexy stranger she had seen in that bar that first night and then some. Knowing he was a dangerous temptation had only served to enhance her desire for him, to solidify the dark danger of his allure. She stood, unmoving, staring at him, him staring at her. Awareness built like warmth turning to heat…ready to burst into flames.

“Feel better?” he asked, his dark eyes mesmerizing in their directness. His voice had that lusty, provocative tone he used when they were intimate.

“Oh, yes. I feel much better,” she said, walking toward the bed and sitting down on the end of the mattress. “I need to call Dean.”

He grabbed the phone off the nightstand and handed it to her. “I like the outfit.”

She took the phone, realizing his gaze had settled below her chin. Her nipples tightened and peaked, the heaviness of his attention creating equal heaviness in her breasts. The effect was a rush of sensation in her core, between her thighs.

She put a finger under his chin and lifted his gaze to her eyes. “Go take a shower. I have to call Dean, and I can’t do it with you looking at me like that.”

A slow, mischievous smile slid onto his lips, lighting those dark eyes. Damn, he was hot when he smiled. He didn’t do it enough. “You can join me when you finish.”