Blackmailed Into Bed (Louisiana Liaisons 2)

Amy jerked her face away from his hand and valiantly tried to take control of the situation. "N-no." She shook her head.

"No? You don't think it's going to be fun?"

"I don't want to get involved with you." Her voice was soft, but firm. "You shouldn't have threatened me. You shouldn't have made me come here. You knew I hadn't been drinking tonight."

"That's bullshit. You know I wouldn't force you to do anything. I'm a cop, not a criminal. You took the easy excuse I gave you, and now here you are. You're still letting whatever hang up you have about me scare you. So, what's the problem?"

"I don't want to get involved with you." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well, strictly speaking, babe, I don't want to get involved with you, either. I just want to sleep with you." His voice was arrogant, self assured.

"Well, that's not going to happen. Since you're not going to arrest me, you can take me home."

"I'm not taking you home until I get some answers. Why the hell are you so scared of what's between us?" Jake was irritated at his own tone. He was barking at her, when he knew he should be talking gently, seducing her. He tried to temper his words with slow, gentle movements.

Amy felt her hand taken between his. He pulled her to her knees and her hands fell to his shoulders. He steadied her with his hands on her hips. He spoke softly. "What's wrong? Why can't you just give me all this softness?" His words were bewitching, filling her mind with pleasure.

She leaned her head into him and answered him. "I'm scared of cops."

Her answer disconcerted him. He tried to stay gentle. "Why, sweetheart? Have you done something wrong?"

Her head was buried in his shoulder. He felt the small, negative movement as she shook her head. "Then what is it? Tell me."

She took a deep, shuddering breath. "My father was killed in the line of duty."

Chapter Three

Shock went through him. His arms immediately tightened all the way around her. He held her for a long moment in silence. "I'm so sorry. Oh, sweetheart, you don't know how sorry I am."

"It was a long time ago. I was thirteen and we were in California." The words started pouring from her. "My mother tried to run away from it all and moved us all the way to Lake Charles."

He wanted to know the details, but this was not the time to ask. Later on, after this initial conversation.

"A lot of good it did. Dad's department kept up with us, and notified the sheriff in Calcasieu parish. You know the system. Law enforcement takes care of the widows of fallen officers. It took barely eighteen months for my mom to be married again. This time to a sheriff's deputy. They've been married ever since. Her voice was flat, unemotional.

He held her while she talked, running his fingers up and down her spine in long, soothing sweeps. "And you didn't like that?"

"I love Robert. I even call him 'Dad' now. I just don't understand how she could do it. Losing my father was horrible. How could she put herself through that again? Of course I understand why she would get married again. She was only thirty-five. So young, and she was so pretty--"

"Was she as pretty as you?" The words were deep, questioning.

She lifted her face from his shoulder to look at him. "Umm, I d-don't know…we look alike. All my life, everyone has always told me I look exactly like my mother."

Tenderness consumed him at her hesitant answer. "She must be beautiful." He kissed her lips, teasing them apart. They shared a slow, consuming kiss filled with need and hunger. He lifted his lips from hers. "So that's the reason? The reason you've been running from me for ten weeks?"

She opened her eyes. "Yes."

His hands gripped her harder. "I won't let

you go. I'm sorry for everything you've lost, but I won't let it make me give you up. I'm not asking for a relationship. Hell, I don't want a relationship. I'm not expecting a commitment or anything from you. But I will have you. Understand?

Her eyes were dark with emotion as she trembled in his arms. She nodded her head in surrender.

He couldn't wait. Lust raced through his system. The reason for her reticence explained, he wanted her now. This second.

He fastened his hands on her and picked her up and dropped her in his lap. He smoothed a hand over her silky, dark hair. "Look how perfect you fit in my arms," he whispered in her ear. He dropped a hand to the row of buttons on her shirt. "Everything is going to fit just perfect, babe." He spoke into her ear. The first button came undone. "I bet you're tiny all over." The second button came undone. "Are you? Are you this tiny all over?" His hand left her shirt and drifted to the liquid heat between her thighs. He pressed and rubbed her through her jeans.

She couldn't find her voice to answer him. Need clawed through her veins. "I'm going to be real careful, sweetheart. I don't want to hurt you." He unsnapped her jeans. "You don't want me to hurt you, do you babe?" He ran the zip down. He lifted her chin and gazed into her eyes. His words were drugging. She whimpered. "You promise to be a good girl and let me be gentle with you, okay?"