“Hands and knees,” he said.
Her stomach contracted so hard she trembled. Dear God, had she really believed she wasn’t in the mood?
He unzipped his jeans as she climbed up on the mattress, turned her head to watch him undress over her shoulder. Hard muscle rippled with every move, tightening the hot knot of anticipation coiling low in her belly.
In seconds his boots were gone, his jeans and briefs. Her mouth watered as he walked toward her. He was big and he was hard. This was Hawk Maddox and she wanted him. So bad a soft moan slipped from her throat.
Jase climbed up on the bed and moved behind her, lifted her hair aside and pressed his mouth against the nape of her neck. Soft bites and moist kisses trailed over her shoulders and down her spine. Big hands ran over her hips. He bent and kissed her butterfly tattoo.
Kate whimpered. When he stroked her, settled himself behind her and eased deep inside, pleasure scorched through her. There was no room for sadness, no room for anything but Jason and what he made her feel.
He started slowly, taking his time, heightening the pleasure. Some intuitive part of her knew this was for her, a respite from the terrible day she’d had, the awful grief and overwhelming despair.
She arched her back to take more of him and he increased the rhythm, gripping her hips to hold her in place, giving her what she needed. Heat erupted like lightning, burning over her skin, hurling her toward the peak. She cried out as a powerful climax struck, traveling from the base of her spine out through her limbs, gripping her and refusing to let go.
Jase didn’t stop, just keep driving into her until she came again before he followed her to release.
Both of them collapsed on the bed, curled together spoon-fashion. Their hearts beat wildly, finally began to slow. Jase kissed the nape of her neck, then left to dispose of protection.
She was groggy, more than half asleep when he returned, curling her against him back to front. A big arm draped over her middle, keeping her close. She felt safe in a way she never had before, safe and protected.
Kate closed her eyes and drifted into a deep, untroubled sleep.
Bright morning sun beat through the windows. Yesterday had been sticky and hot, probably be the same today.
Jase sat at the kitchen table, his coffee now cold, a few crumbs of the pastry he’d picked up earlier left on his plate. His laptop sat open, his mind once more on the Gallagher case and finding Christina Gallagher’s killer. Or possibly more than one.
He needed a lead. He phoned Detective Benson, but it was Saturday and Benson was off for the weekend. Jase asked if Heath Ford was there. Heath was a friend, the best homicide detective on the force, as far as Jase was concerned, and he always seemed to be working. Sure enough, Heath was there.
The line picked up. “Detective Ford.”
“Heath, it’s Maddox. I know you aren’t working the Gallagher case, but I was hoping you could check, see if the liquor store has been verified as the primary crime scene.”
“I don’t have to check. I know it has. I heard Benson talking about it. Blood type found at the crime scene matched the dead girl’s. Benson followed up, got a DNA match on her from the autopsy.”
“Did they find any other DNA?”
“They found a splinter of wood from the murder weapon, some kind of club, I gather. Skin DNA on the wood. Unfortunately, there was no match in the system.”
So Eli had been telling the truth. Considering he’d had a pistol stuck in his mouth at the time, Jase wasn’t really surprised. Zepeda had left Tina alive. If his DNA had been on the wood, his name would have popped. As many times as Eli had been arrested, he would definitely be in the system.
“Did Benson say if he’s turned up anything else?”
“Not that I know of. He’s got a lot of cases right now. We all do. Wish I could be more helpful.”
“At least I know I’m on the right track. Thanks, Heath.”
Jase looked up as Kate came into the kitchen. He should have gone home last night. He’d been spending way too much time with her. He needed some space. Figured she did, too.
Still, he didn’t regret staying. She might not have known it, but she’d needed him last night. She’d had friends and sympathy all day. More of the same wouldn’t have done her any good. She needed something else, something to challenge her, fire her blood, and he understood her well enough to know exactly what that was.
He’d done what he’d set out to do and given her a little peace. Kate had slept like a baby.
His body stirred just thinking about it. It took a real woman to handle a big man like him, and Kate Gallagher was up to the task.
She walked behind him, leaned down and kissed his cheek. “Thanks for last night. You were amazing.”
His smile held a trace of arrogance. “You were pretty amazing yourself.”
