“I need this,” she softly repeated, speaking more to herself than to him. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him over to the SUV. Jase jerked open the backseat door, climbed inside and hauled Kate in behind him.
He lifted her, settled her astride his lap, one of her knees on each side, making her short skirt ride up on her thighs. He tried not to wonder what she was wearing underneath, which, with any luck, he was about to find out.
Sliding his hands into her long, thick, honey blond curls, Jase kissed her until both of them were breathless, until she was squirming against his hard-on and moaning.
She shoved up his T-shirt, and he stripped it off over his head. He pulled off her tank top, unfastened the front hook on her lacy white bra and slid it off her shoulders, filled his hands with her luscious breasts.
“Beautiful,” he said, admiring the soft globes that perfectly fit his big hands. He kissed the side of her neck, and Kate tipped her head back to give him better access. He trailed kisses over her shoulder and took a rosy nipple into his mouth. Breathing hard, Kate ran her hands over the muscles in his chest.
“I love your body,” she said, leaning down to kiss him. “Please... Jason.”
“I’m all yours, baby.” He was reaching between them to unzip his fly when he heard a young couple walking toward the SUV. The girl was laughing, a soft, sweet sound more like a teenager than someone old enough to be drinking.
Kate’s whole body went tense.
“Easy,” he said, pressing his mouth against the pulse beating in her neck, kissing his way down to her shoulder. “They’ll be gone in a minute.”
Kate dragged in a shaky breath. A noise came from her throat that sounded something like pain.
“It’s all right,” he said. “They’re just kids. They aren’t going to bother us.” But she was already moving off him, reaching for her bra and sliding it on, hooking the front, grabbing her tank top and pulling it over her head.
“I’m... I’m really sorry,” she said as she slid off his lap. “I’m not like this. I don’t do this kind of thing.”
“You’re a grown woman, Kate. You can do whatever you want.” He wanted to be mad. Nothing worse than a tease, but the pain in her eyes leashed his temper.
She cupped his cheek, and when she looked at him, he realized there were tears in her eyes. “Something bad happened today. My sister was killed. I couldn’t... I can’t get the image of her dead body out of my head.”
“Jesus, honey.”
“I just... I just wanted to forget for a while.”
Jase pulled her back into his arms and she let him, her body softening against his. She started crying and he tightened his hold. He knew a lot about death. He’d been a marine. Now he was in law enforcement. He knew a lot about grief.
“It’s all right,” he said. “It just takes time.”
“I’m sorry.” Her hand shook as she wiped tears from her cheeks. “I made a fool out of myself tonight.”
“I don’t think you’re a fool, Kate. And everybody does things they regret once in a while.”
She drew away from him, opened the door and climbed out of the SUV. Jase grabbed his T-shirt and pulled it on, followed her out and she handed him back his keys. He was still hard as a brick, aching with every heartbeat. He couldn’t remember wanting a woman so badly.
“My name’s Maddox. Jason Maddox. Give me your number and I’ll call you. We’ll start over, go out to dinner or something.”
She just shook her head.
“At least tell me your name.”
She smiled sadly. “It’s just Kate. Thank you for being so nice about...tonight.”
Nicewasn’t a word often used in connection with the Hawk.
“Good night, Jason.”
“You shouldn’t be driving. Let me take you home.”
“I’ll call an Uber.” Turning away, Kate dug her phone out of her purse as she hurried off toward a hot-looking black-trimmed white Camaro sitting under a light in the parking lot. Jase watched her until an Uber car appeared out of nowhere, she climbed inside and the car drove away. Opening the door of the Yukon, he slid in behind the wheel and fired up the powerful engine.
She wouldn’t give him her name or her number. She didn’t want to see him again. Or at least that’s what she’d said.
