Page 68 of Blood Moon

She smiled and looked at the kitchen clock. “It’s a few hours before dawn. You should use them to sleep.” She stood up. “What time should I be ready?”

He pushed his chair back, grabbed the tie belt of the robe, and reeled her in between his spread knees. She was taken off guard but didn’t stop him when he pulled the knot at her waist free, bent his head and worked it inside the robe until it rested against her midriff. “I’m ready now.”

“John…”

“Do you have any idea what hell it’s been to keep my hands off you?” He slipped them inside the robe and settled them on her hips.

“If memory serves, this morning, after kissing me quite thoroughly, it was you who couldn’t leave fast enough.”

“For your own good, Beth.”

“It didn’t feel like that.”

“Believe me, it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.” He nuzzled the side of her breast. “God knows I wanted to stay and kiss you again, and not stop there.”Filtered through her tissue-thin tank top, his breath was humid and hot.

She placed her hands on his head, lightly. But then his mouth was opening and closing over her nipple, and his hair became enmeshed in her fingers as she clutched at it.

He raised his head and looked up at her. The light from the sconce shone directly into his eyes, making them look mercurial and fervid. His scruff was rough against her forearms, exposed now that the wide sleeves of the robe had fallen back.

He turned his head and touched his tongue to the pulse point on the inside of her wrist, then murmured against it, “We’re going to sleep together.”

His fingers began flexing and contracting against her hips, drawing her closer. “It’s only a matter of time. It’s been only a matter of time since I asked you if that seat was taken. You knew it. I knew it.”

He lowered his head again and pressed kisses into her middle, working his way down even as he tilted her hips upward and closer, until he reached the strip of exposed skin between the bottom of her top and the elastic waistband of her sleep shorts. He lightly nipped her with his teeth, then swept his tongue across the love bites.

A yearning sigh ghosted through her lips.

“Like that?”

“Um-huh.”

She felt his smile against her skin as he slipped his finger into the waistband and gave it a downward tug.

Then his cell phone rang. They froze. He swore as he removed his hand. The elastic snapped into place againsther belly. She stumbled backward, tripping over the tie belt that dangled from its loops.

“I’ve got to get it,” he said hoarsely. “It’s probably my guy with info on Carla.”

“Of course.” She fumbled her attempts to retie the robe’s belt.

He picked up the phone and, without taking his eyes off the wet spot his mouth had left on her tank top over the tip of her breast, clicked on his phone. “Bowie.”

It wasn’t his guy. It wasn’t any guy.

A young and tremulous female voice said, “Dad?”

Chapter 19

Tuesday, March 11

They skipped,” the ogre said. “Don’t know where to.”

“Excuse me?”

“Evaded us.”

He didn’t elaborate. He didn’t need to. Those two words were enough to further sour his boss’s disposition, which could already curdle cream. Against the advice of his doctor to take it easy for several days, Tom had phoned Frank early, waking him up and summoning him into his office.

“Within half an hour,” he’d said before hanging up.