Page 75 of Dangerous Liaisons

Chapter Fifty-Five

Egyptian cotton sheets and Cole’s warm body. Jesse opened her eyes, aware of the glow of a bedside lamp—and the passage of time. Red digits of a bedside clock read two a.m.

Cole shifted beside her in his sleep, his arm curling tighter around her shoulders. He held her as if it were the most natural thing in the world, as if he had been doing it all his life. His lovemaking had left her content. The intimacy incited fear.

She had loved Michael. He had been intense, brutally honest, and a little dangerous. She told herself it was the dangerousness that ended their relationship, but she now wondered if that were true.

Her life with OIA was over. Even if all charges were dropped and her name cleared, she couldn’t go back. She had to go where no one could associate her with clandestine games, and start a real life, which meant dropping off the radar, forever.

She’d known this day would come, though she hadn’t expected it to be quite so violent or complete. All agents knew they’d eventually quit, but most didn’t disappear. The shock she expected to feel didn’t come. She didn’t feel anything.

“You look serious.”

Jesse started at the sound of Cole’s voice. She met his gaze. Intense curiosity sparkled in his eyes. This man might think he could change for a woman. They all loved to think that. Michael thought it. He had been wrong.

She managed a tentative smile. “It’s serious business.”

He grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”

Jesse couldn’t help a laugh. He wasn’t kidding. He had made love to her with the single mindedness of a greyhound with his eye on the rabbit.

He rolled onto his back, pulling her against his chest.

“You really think the three of us can pull this off?” she asked.

“I’d give the odds sixty-forty in our favor.”

That was better than her calculations. “Who was the man you met in the diner?”

“Victor Morales.”

“Morales? He didn’t look Spanish.”

Cole placed a kiss on her forehead. Jesse closed her eyes, steeling herself against the wave of longing that rolled over her.

“His mother’s All American, blond and blue-eyed,” Cole replied. “I’m betting the money transfers between Perez and Lanton have his fingerprints all over them.”

Her mind snapped to attention. There had been something about the guy that bothered her. “Are we certain Lanton is working alone?” she asked.

“We can’t be certain of much,” Cole said. “What’s eating you, Jess?”

“This Morales is a wild card.”

“What do you want to do about him?” he asked.

Jesse hesitated. What did she want to do? With Cole so close, she couldn’t concentrate on anything except getting onto her back with him inside her. Tomorrow—what was she doing? Tomorrow—and the real world—were only hours away.

Jesse yanked aside the covers. She felt Cole tense, and thrilled when his erection pulsed under her scrutiny. She flattened her palm on his stomach and was sure he held his breath as she slid her hand downward over two cigarette burn scars. She brushed his erection before slowly wrapping her fingers around the thick shaft.

Cole groaned, thrusting into her hand. “Jess.”

She watched his rod glide up, then down, reveling in the strain of each measured thrust. This was what it was like for him when he was inside her, the need, the demand for more. Mesmerized, she stared, aware her body had gone taut. A throb pulsed between her legs and she gently squeezed his member on the next thrust. His arms tightened around her in what seemed an involuntary move, and he quickly loosened his hold.

Jesse nuzzled his chest, taking a swipe at his nipple with her tongue. “Don’t hold back.”

In a flash, he flipped her onto her back and slipped under the covers. Jesse started at the touch of his moist mouth around her belly button. Cole ran his tongue downward. A shiver rocketed up her spine. He veered left, along her hip, and she gasped when he kissed the insides of her thighs.

She buried her fingers in his hair and pushed his head deeper between her legs. He licked her with gentle rolls of his tongue. Jesse tightened her fingers in his hair, tugging convulsively with each lick. Cole shifted, and she startled. His fingers massaged her nipples while his tongue worked. Fast and slow. He lifted her legs onto his shoulders. He drove her higher and higher until she exploded.

As Jesse lie sweating and panting, Cole worked his way up her body. He kissed her, and she pulled him inside her again.