Scott knew things were going far better than he had a right to expect. Next step, go back to her place and make love to her for the rest of the night. Then he'd tell her everything, throw himself on her mercy, and hope she could keep his secret until this case was over.

They walked in silence back to the entrance. She hadn't shaken free when he'd taken her hand, but something was definitely bothering her. Her body language had changed. Before, she had been leaning into him, her face turned frequently toward his, her smile bright and teasing. Now her expression was neutral, guarded even, as though she were trying to hide her feelings from him. Her body was tense, the grip of her hand rigid.

But she didn't try to pull free as they walked toward the line of waiting cabs. He could see the wheels turning behind her calm expression.

They were third in line when she turned to him. "Scott, I'm dying of thirst. Do you suppose one of those carts has some water?"

He looked around. There were several carts selling snacks. Two had water.

"Would you like me to get you a bottle?"

"If you don't mind... but, no, don't worry about it. We'll... I mean I'll be home soon. I can hydrate then." Then she smiled. He found himself smiling back. Was she flirting with him again? Was there an unspoken offer in her words? We'll be home soon? She'd corrected herself, but her expression was teasing. If she needed water, he'd get her water. When they got back to her place, he didn't plan on wasting any time getting her naked and under him in bed. Maybe it would be a good idea for them both to be well hydrated. He had a long and busy night planned for them.

"Not a problem. In fact, now that you mention it, I am thirsty too. You save our place in line and I'll grab some water." He dropped a hard kiss on her lips, one that he hoped she'd take as a promise, then released her hand and strode quickly and confidently over to the nearest cart.

There were three people in front of him in line. He checked the other two carts. They were busier. He tapped his foot with impatience and checked his watch. It was only a couple of minutes, but it seemed to take forever. On the plus side, Cat was sure to be at the front of the cab line when he returned. He got the impression she didn't live far from the restaurant. With any luck, they'd be at her place and naked in less than half an hour.

6.

Catherine settled into the backseat of the cab as the driver pulled into traffic, headed toward the address she'd given him. She glanced backward. Scott was still in line. She sagged back in her seat as she felt a mix of relief and disappointment. She felt a sexual attraction to him that hadn't changed in the four years they had been apart, but how could she get involved with him again?

She tried to tell herself she was doing the right thing. Scott had claimed he'd changed, gotten his life back on track, but if that was true, why was he carrying a gun?

It was possible that he was legally entitled to carry one. But why would he need one? Rick had introduced him as a fellow CPA. Maybe he really was one, but if that was true, why would a CPA need a gun? Especially going to a dinner for a colleague's celebration. Did he think one of the members of the Kinky Book Club was going to turn violent?

She was an idiot to have gone out alone with him and pretended that the last four years hadn't happened, even for just a few hours. She knew that. She had known that deep down when she'd left the dinner with him, but she had let her libido override her good sense. At least for a while. But she knew that if she let him take her home, she'd end up back in bed with him and it would be magical, and when he left her or betrayed her, it would hurt even more the second time around.

One part of her felt kind of bad for ditching him the way she did, but she knew she couldn't even say goodbye. If she'd let him into the cab with her, she wouldn't have been able to keep her hands off him. She would have let him come up to her apartment and make love to her. Hell, why was she lying to herself? He'd have fucked her and she'd have gloried in it. Their sexual chemistry was off the charts, and she would have ripped his clothes off and ridden him like a wild bronco if he gave her half a chance.

No, this was the sensible thing to do. Leave. Get away from temptation. She didn't know what he'd been up to for the past four years, but it couldn't be anything good.

And tomorrow she'd talk to Rick about firing Scott.

She just hated that being sensible hurt so much.

She had done the right thing. She knew that. So why was she sitting on the couch watching bad movies at two AM instead of in her bed, sleeping the sleep of the just?

Her thoughts were such a jumble as she kept going around and around the same scenario. She knew was better off without him. But that little voice in her head was whispering that she could have gone with him to his place, fucked his brains out, and then walked out satisfied, never having to see him again. Stupid little voice. And where the hell was it when she needed it back at Navy Pier?

It was too late now. She hadn't just dumped him; she'd abandoned him without a word. She'd done the right thing. Any potential anything between them was long gone. It had ended four years ago, and she was a fool to think that spending any time with him was a good idea. She'd told herself that she could handle a one-night stand, but she'd been lying. He was like an addiction. When he kissed her, she couldn't think straight. She had to quit him cold turkey.

She just had a bit of insomnia. Everyone did, occasionally. She wasn't waiting for him to show up at her door and sweep her off her feet. She wasn't. She was just experiencing withdrawal. It would get better. Eventually. It had to.

She had just dozed off when the sound of a knock caused her to fall off the couch. She jumped to her feet, confused for a moment, and bumped her shin on the coffee table.

The knock came again as she was rubbing the sore spot.

She checked her watch. It was two twenty-five in the morning. Who the heck would be at her door at that hour? And her condo had good security. Just how did they get to her door without buzzing?

She hesitated as she realized that there was only one person it could be. Her body knew who it was. Her nipples were hard and jutting and her lower body was already clenching with desire, and that damned little voice was back, saying let him in, let him in.

The knock didn't come a third time. Instead, her door silently swung open. Neither of them said a word. She turned and walked toward her bedroom. She felt rather than saw him follow her.

7.

Scott stood in the doorway and stared at the woman he hadn't been able to stop thinking about for the last four years or the last four hours. It had been a breeze to get her address. In his line of work, he had the means to find out almost anything he wanted about anyone.

He expected yell or freeze in place or even rush at him, trying to push him out the door, but she surprised him. No drama. No surprise, even.

He followed her wordlessly to what he assumed was her bedroom, shedding the jeans and t-shirt he'd changed into on his way. By the time he arrived in her room he was naked and so was she. She was standing beside her bed, watching, waiting, her lush curves outlined by the lamp on her nightstand.

She was magnificent. Her nipples were hard, puckered points and her lush brown hair swirled loose around her shoulders. Her big blue eyes were glowing with arousal as she looked him up and down. He heard her sharp intake of breath as she stared at his hard cock. He fisted it, running his hand up and down the length, letting her take in its length and girth.

He watched as she licked her lips.

There was so much he wanted to do to her, but first, he had to establish some ground rules. She'd run from him without a word. That was not acceptable. But he wasn't like Rick. He was no Dom. He had no desire to beat her ass or tie her to the bed.

He was Alpha, though. He was in charge and before the night was over, she would know and accept that he was back in her life and her bed. He watched as she licked her lips and grinned.

Cat looked at Scott and felt her pussy clench as a gush of moisture coated her inner thighs. He was magnificent, his body lean and muscular, cock long and thick and hard. She watched as he stroked himself and hadn't been able to stop herself from licking her lips.

She glanced at his face. He was grinning, but it wasn't a pleasant expression. It was more of a baring of his teeth. His eyes glittered with sexual desire. She could almost feel the testosterone coming off him in waves.

And then he pointed at the ground and she found herself dropping to her knees without even thinking. He took a step forward, and that magnificent cock of his was close enough to lick.

He entwined his fingers in her hair, stopping her forward movement. She looked up at him, held in place by his grip on her locks.

"We still need to talk."

"We will, but later, much later, Cat, much, much later."

He waited until she nodded before continuing.

"You ran from me. What makes you think you deserve my cock?"

She whimpered, too overcome by a wave of desire to even speak. It was like four years had just fallen away, and they were playing one of their bedroom games where he took charge and took her to paradise.

"You want to suck my cock, Cat? You want to take me deep down your throat and let me fuck your mouth until I come down your throat?" She nodded carefully, as he still gripped her hair. "Or maybe I should mark your tits with my cum? Would you like that? Would you?"

"Wh... wh... whatever you want, Scott!"

"Right answer. Now suck my cock and make me come. And if you do a really good job, then maybe I'll fuck that hot pussy of yours and you'll get to come, too."

Cat leaned forward. He held his cock toward her mouth, his hand fisting it just below the bulbous head. She licked the slit that was already oozing a pearly drop of precum. She opened her lips and took it into her mouth.

He released his cock, and now he was gripping her hair with both hands. She reached up and gripped his shaft. He was so large that she almost couldn't close her fingers around him. How had she deep-throated him before?

She sucked as hard as she could on the head while her hand gripped and pulled down hard on his length. Then she took him as deep in her mouth as she could while repeating the pulling motion with her hand as she sucked hard and pulled her head up the shaft. Over and over she repeated the motion, her head bobbing and her hand tugging. Her left hand dropped between her spread thighs, her fingers spreading her folds and reaching for her swollen, throbbing clit.

"Grab my thighs," he ordered. "Do not touch yourself. You'll get to come when I am inside you and not before. Right now, it's all about me. So just relax your jaw and breathe through your nose."

With that, he wrapped both hands in her hair and started thrusting, going deeper and deeper with each movement. Cat tried hard to obey, relaxing her jaw and breathing through her nose, but he was so thick and long that with each thrust she found it harder and harder to breathe.

Abruptly, the pattern of his thrusts changed. Shallow, shallow, deep. Shallow, shallow, deep. She matched him thrust for thrust, her lips sealing tight around his cock when he plunged in and sucking hard as he pulled out.

Soon, too soon, she could feel his cock give a twitch. Then he held himself deep as rope after hot rope of cum shot down her throat. And then it was over. He pulled out. She leaned forward to lick him clean, taking care to get each and every last drop of cum.

"Good girl!"

He patted her head approvingly, before pulling her to her feet and helping her onto the bed.

"Don't move."

She couldn't have moved if the place was on fire. Considering that she hadn't come, she felt so relaxed and replete that she was close to falling asleep.

It was only a few minutes later that he returned. He threw a handful of foil packets on the bed beside her.

"Now I'm going to fuck you until you scream my name!" he declared, "but first things first. Hold onto the headboard and don't let go until I tell you to."

Scott leaned down and kissed Cat like he was a starving man and she was the only meal in sight. Hell, that wasn't necessarily wrong. It was only with her that he felt alive again. She was nourishment for his soul. They were meant to be together and before he was done, he'd get her to admit she felt the same way.

Slowly, reluctantly, he pulled away from her mouth and moved down her body, licking and sucking as he went. He paused at her left breast, worshiping her nipple and pulling moans from her as he lightly gripped it with his teeth and tugged. Then he moved to the right breast and repeated the process.

"Please, Scott!"

"Please what?"

"Please make love to me!"

"Soon, Cat. You have to be patient. It's been four years since I had you naked in my arms. I've missed the taste of you, the smell of you. I plan to have my fill and kiss every inch of you before I finally make love to you."

"Love first, kiss second!" she demanded, but he just chuckled and moved lower to the apex of her thighs. With a satisfied groan, he spread her legs and draped them over his shoulders. She could feel his warm breath on her most delicate parts for a long moment before he lowered his mouth to her clit and suckled. Hard.

She screamed as her orgasm slammed through her with no warning.

The second one took longer, but he seemed determined to draw it out of her. In addition to his mouth, he used his fingers, pressing two and then three into her. She whimpered. It felt so damned good as he flicked his tongue against her swollen and sensitive clit and his fingers moved in and out of her pussy.

"Please, Scott!"

"Please what, Cat? Please do this?" He removed his fingers and circled her opening with his tongue. "Or what about this?" He plunged his tongue inside her.

"Yes, yes, all of that!"

He laughed as the ripples from her second orgasm started. He replaced his tongue with his fingers, curling them so that with each stroke they rubbed against her G-spot.

She was still coming down from number two when he slid up her body. She heard the sound of foil tearing and then he was poised at her opening.

"Look at me, Cat."