She felt her eyes widen in response to his words, and gasped when he reached out, tugging her up against him, his jaw set, his eyes moving over her hungrily.

"I've played the part of the gentleman, Charlotte, but that's not all there is to me. Not by far. I have money, and breeding-whatever that all means-but at the moment, it doesn't seem to matter."

Barely able to catch her breath, she couldn't look away from his intense stare. "What do you mean?"

"I can see who you you are, Charlotte, and it makes me crazy. I want you so much I can barely think straight, and that's not a familiar, or comfortable, place for me to be. Even when I shouldn't have wanted you, when I thought you were a criminal, I couldn't keep my hands off you. Before I met you in person, I knew I wanted you." are, Charlotte, and it makes me crazy. I want you so much I can barely think straight, and that's not a familiar, or comfortable, place for me to be. Even when I shouldn't have wanted you, when I thought you were a criminal, I couldn't keep my hands off you. Before I met you in person, I knew I wanted you."

He rubbed his thumbs over the bare skin of her arms, his voice becoming raspy with unmasked desire. "I came here tonight with the best of intentions, to protect you, and had every single intention to keep my d.a.m.n hands off you."

She shuddered as his palms moved over the bare skin of her back, pushing the sheet farther away.

"I told myself you'd been through enough, and I wasn't going to take advantage of a woman in your vulnerable position. But all I know right now is I want you to see me me. Not a romanticized image of someone you've cooked up in your head, not a cop or anything, but a man. A man who can't keep his hands off you. So right now, I'm not feeling like much of a gentleman."

His hand stole up to her shoulders and pulled her over top of him, the sheet sliding down to her waist, exposing her to his view. He devoured her with a l.u.s.tful glance, possessing her with his eyes before he matched his mouth to hers.

Charlotte wanted to respond, to tell him she did see him for the man he was, to tell him she didn't just think of him as a shallow romantic prince or her personal protector. But the desperation of his kiss, the need that fueled it, overcame her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, weaving her fingers tightly into his hair and crushing her mouth into his to try to let him know how she was feeling in the only way she could. The muscles of his neck were tense and hard beneath her fingers, and she ma.s.saged them with her fingertips as they kissed. She wanted to send a clear message: if he wanted her, she was his.

When he yanked the sheet away completely, she tugged at his shirt, wanting him out of his clothes as quickly as possible. He was obviously in agreement, his breathing labored as he slipped off of the bed, forgetting the cuffs, his linked arm tugging at hers before he got very far.

"I think we can take those off now, don't you?" She looked at him from beneath her lashes, his arousal obvious. He stared at her, as if considering, then, pulled a small drawer out from the bed-stand, and he took out a small key. He loosened his cuff, and she scooted forward, holding out her wrist, but gasped when he took her other hand, pulled it forward, and locked it into the loose cuff.

"EJ! What are you-don't you trust me to stay here with you?"

His grin was wicked, his intentions clear. Charlotte's lips formed a silent "oh" as she watched him undress and understood his restraining her had nothing to do with law enforcement.

"As much as I love those warm, soft hands on me, honey, this time, I want you at my mercy. Do you mind?"

EJ watched her slow smile with primal satisfaction, her eyes caressing his naked body with a sweeping glace.

"Not one bit."

8.

EJ WANTED TO POUNCE WANTED TO POUNCE on her and take her fast, sate the hunger that had spiked in his soul, but he intended to do just the opposite, and enjoy every exquisite second, and take her as slowly as he possibly could. He wanted to expose every secret, know every soft, unexplored place of her body. He wanted her completely. on her and take her fast, sate the hunger that had spiked in his soul, but he intended to do just the opposite, and enjoy every exquisite second, and take her as slowly as he possibly could. He wanted to expose every secret, know every soft, unexplored place of her body. He wanted her completely.

He moved forward, gently lifting her arms, joined at the wrist by the cuffs, and dragged his tongue down the length of the inside of her arm, from palm to shoulder, before taking her mouth in a carnal kiss. It was as if every woman he'd ever made love to were stops on a long journey to finding this one woman, who aroused him more than any other ever had.

He pushed her back gently, lifted himself up over her and planted his long length firmly between her thighs. He shuddered when his erection graced the silky inside of her leg, and nearly lost it. He was dying to get inside of her, but instead just teased the hungry core of her s.e.x with the tip of his erection, pushing inside slightly, then pulling out to slide along the slick alley between her legs, stimulating her until she was crying out and arching up underneath him.

He backed off, denying his own hunger, his breath coming hot and heavy as he watched her flushed form writhe on the messed bed, the sight of her restrained hands fueling some basic pa.s.sion within him.

He levered up over her, placing a hand on either side of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and pushing them together, fitting them closely so he could take both peach-colored nipples in his mouth at once and nipped her with gratification when she yelled his name, bucking. He sucked hard, then licked, burying his face in the fragrant fullness of her bosom and found, when he finally moved away, that his own hands were shaking.

"Charlotte, I swear, you are the most delicious woman...I have ever been with. I can't keep my mouth off of you..."

He returned to her skin, burning a path down her belly and beyond, holding her thighs wide apart with his hands while exploring the slick folds of her s.e.x with his mouth, stroking her with his tongue into an o.r.g.a.s.m that had her fighting the hold of his hands, tightening her legs around his shoulders and crying out into the room. EJ delved even farther into her, unwilling to stop even though she'd come, moving down her legs and eating every inch of her, committing each spot to memory.

"EJ, please, I want you."

Charlotte felt like a hot-b.u.t.tered noodle, reveling in the feeling of being totally female and totally ravished. Her mouth was raw from kisses and the sc.r.a.ping of his light beard, the spot between her legs melted and craved more of him.

As he moved up over her, she licked his shoulder, savoring the taste of his skin as he nudged against her again, teasing and torturing. She wanted to touch him, to pull him into her, but her hands were still bound. She had expected frustration at the restraints, but instead she felt stimulated by the denial, open to him and at his bidding. It was completely erotic, and made her skin tingle at every touch.

He lifted up, the separation eliciting a cry of protest from her as she saw him reach for the key again and move to uncuff her. And just when she was totally getting into it.

"I want you free. Free to move when I'm inside you."

Oh, she thought, not missing the handcuffs one little bit, suddenly.

He stood, looking at her with raw desire in his eyes, and she crawled forward on the bed, watching him watch her, his chest heaving, glistening with a fine film of sweat, his hands clenched as his gaze bore into her. She stayed planted on her hands and knees, looking at him seductively, sensing he was holding on to the last bits of his control. And she wanted to shred them.

"Whatever you want, EJ. I won't hold anything back."

He growled and his c.o.c.k jerked with arousal at her words, and she smiled, wicked and wanton. He walked toward her, his erection tantalizingly even with her mouth for a moment, and she suddenly couldn't resist tasting. He stilled, freezing, as he seemed to intuit her intentions, and edged a little closer, encouraging her.

The heat from his body radiated out like a furnace and she thought she could feel a sizzle as her lips closed over the smooth head of his shaft and slid all the way down in a wet, testing caress. He cursed out loud and wove his hands into her hair, directing her but not forcing her as she experimented to find what pleased him and sighed against his skin when he reached farther down to ma.s.sage a breast while she sucked him to the edge.

"Charlotte, I need to get inside you. Now."

She pulled back, gasping as he caught her by the waist, swinging her around until her backside faced him and her knees perched precariously on the edge of the bed. But she didn't have to worry about sliding off-EJ was solid and close behind her, ma.s.saging her bottom with both hands, spreading her and pushing forward until he was buried deep inside, extracting groans of sheer pleasure from them both.

The soft cotton of the comforter teased her nipples to excruciating sensitivity as he moved behind her, his own animalistic sounds filling the room as their flesh slapped together echoing the rhythm of their urgency.

Charlotte dug her fingers into the blankets, pushing back for all she was worth, grinding against him in the total pursuit of the pleasure that hovered again, just past the horizon.

When he leaned forward, sucking the tender skin in the middle of her back, she lost it, a blinding o.r.g.a.s.m hit, the sensation blasting through her, disintegrating every inch of her to her fingertips. Only seconds later she heard his cry of release as he let go, still buried deep, filling her with a different sense of satisfaction.

They stayed linked in their positions for a few minutes, catching their breath, and finally Charlotte moved forward, collapsing on the bed and EJ slid up alongside of her, pulling her into his arms.

"You're amazing, Charlotte." He leaned down, capturing her mouth and kissing her until she couldn't breathe, but they both came up laughing. "I can't seem to stop wanting you. You're like a drug."

"You're not so bad yourself." She laughed, kissing him lightly, then drawing back when she saw his expression fall, his eyes close.

"d.a.m.n it."

Charlotte put her hand to his face, concerned.

"What?"

EJ turned his head to press a kiss into her palm, his gaze regretful, and she felt her heart clench in reaction, stealing her breath as he spoke.

"We didn't use anything."

His eyes bore down into hers, and she didn't quite understand for a second until his meaning dawned on her. They'd forgotten contraception. Tired, emotionally drained, needy and pushed to the edge, precautions had been the last thing on her mind. Or on his, apparently.

"Oh."

She counted mentally. She'd had her last period two weeks before, but she really had no idea if this was a "safe" time or not. She'd never really committed the schedule to memory. s.e.x had been such a nonfactor in her life that she'd given up the pill years ago, disliking the effects of synthetic hormones and figuring she'd deal with the issue when it arose.

Well, it had just arisen.

And surprisingly, she felt no panic at all. Not even an iota. Maybe her life was in such chaos that she'd developed a resistance to any new shocks, or maybe it was the safety of the night, and being here with EJ. Maybe things would be different in the morning, but right now the slip-up didn't seem to be all that big of a concern to her. However, he still looked really worried. Probably because pregnancy was the least of people's concerns these days. She took a deep breath.

"Listen, I was tested years ago in school, and I haven't slept with anyone since then, like I told you, so you don't have to worry about catching anything from me."

The words seemed to add to the distance between them.

"I figured as much. You don't have anything to worry about in that respect either, from me, but still..."

Charlotte took a deep breath, and couldn't repress a smile, for some unknown reason. "I know. There are...other risks."

"You don't seem all that upset about it." EJ watched her smother the smile, and wondered at the curious response. Once Millie had forgotten her pill and had nearly had a heart attack when she remembered. It had taken EJ days to calm her down. But Charlotte didn't seem angry or panicked that he'd forgotten to protect her.

"Well, you know, I guess I'm not. Chances are nothing happened. I heard once that the chances of getting pregnant are really pretty slim, statistically speaking, you know, so many people try for months and years, so it's unlikely that one time will result in a pregnancy, though that does happen, of course..." She took a deep breath, trying to stem the nervous babble that just seemed to spout.

"I think I'm probably at that safe time of the month, though I can check for sure later. But even if something did happen, I guess I'm okay with it."

The fact surprised her as much as anyone, and she continued, talking to herself as much as to him.

"I never thought I'd want to have a baby by myself, in fact, I always wanted to make sure I never repeated my mother's mistakes. But I wouldn't do what she did. I wouldn't give up my baby. It would be mine, and we would be our own little family. I wouldn't be alone anymore, and neither would he or she. I'd make sure of it."

He saw something flicker deep in her eyes as she spoke the words and he leaned in, kissing her softly. It was the only thing he could think of to do, and there was only one thing he could say.

"You wouldn't be by yourself. I wouldn't leave you alone."

He meant it. He'd made a mistake, and he would take responsibility for it. But was there more than that going on here? He fell back to the pillows, processing what had happened, and how the h.e.l.l he could have let it. He'd never slipped up like this once before-never-and he didn't know what to feel.

It had only been a day, and everything in his life had changed. He wasn't the kind of guy to abandon his responsibilities-but wasn't that exactly what he'd done with Millie and his family? What of the carefree lifestyle he enjoyed? Was he ready to give that up? Did he love Charlotte, or were they just dealing with the moment?

All questions he couldn't answer right now. He cast a glance at Charlotte. She seemed unperturbed. Cool as a cuc.u.mber.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see, but I think we should still strive to be, uh, careful from now on. The situation isn't exactly uncomplicated at the moment."

She propped herself up on her elbow, staring down at him. "Okay." She leaned down, flicking her tongue over a flat brown nipple. "So there's going to be a 'from now on,' huh?"

He couldn't believe the effect she had on him, and his d.i.c.k twitched in response to her caress.

"I think I'd like to see what could happen once we get out of all of this mess." It was a nice, noncommittal answer.

"Me, too." She yawned, curling into him, and wrapping herself around him in way that made him feel in a way he never really had before. Did he love her? Was that possible? He didn't know, but whatever they had, for now, it was enough.

EJ STEPPED FROM STEPPED FROM the shower, his body tensing in immediate alert. He heard noises in the kitchen, looked across the room and saw that Charlotte was still asleep. Someone was in the house. the shower, his body tensing in immediate alert. He heard noises in the kitchen, looked across the room and saw that Charlotte was still asleep. Someone was in the house.

As he reached for the gun he'd left on the table by the bed, Charlotte's eyes popped open and he quickly lifted a finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet. There was another rattling sound from downstairs, and she slid to the side of the bed, grabbing a robe he'd put out for her and quickly donning it.

EJ whispered for her to stay put and he slid from the room, hugging the wall as he made his way down the hall that looked down over an enormous great room, with its two-story vaulted ceiling and floor-to-ceiling view of the Atlantic coastline. He heard another clash and figured whoever was down there didn't know the house was occupied or didn't care, because they weren't being particularly quiet. It sounded like they were looking for something.

Sidling down the steps, he slipped quietly to the corner of the room by the kitchen, and caught sight of Charlotte standing in the doorway of the main bedroom, watching him closely, his cell phone gripped tightly in her hand.

While he wished she would stay put, he appreciated having her at his back, if only to dial 911.

It was then that he heard the familiar spitting of "SugarHoneyIcedTea!" that followed a huge clash of pans, and he swung around the corner, letting the gun fall back to his side with a whoosh of relief as he met the beautiful jade glance of his little sister, Grace.

Grace was the only one he knew who spelled out "s.h.i.t" as a harmless acronym when she wanted to curse. Like his mom, Grace was a southern lady, though recently she'd been proving herself as one h.e.l.l of a businesswoman as well. He grinned at her, setting his gun safely on the granite counter and pulling her into a bear hug.

"EJ! You scared me half to death." She caught her breath, laughing as he squeezed her, pulling her up off her feet as he'd always done since he was able.

"Same back atcha, little sister. Didn't you see my car?"

"I did. But when I came in, I called your name, looked around and didn't see anyone, and figured you were out fishing or something."

He must have been in the shower or sleeping like the dead. Luckily he and Charlotte hadn't been up to anything more noisy.

Grace eyed the gun on the counter. "Is there a reason you were on high alert?" She studied him. "And while you're welcome anytime, I'm a little surprised to find you here."

EJ looked back over his shoulder, wondering where Charlotte was; it hit him that she might think he was still downstairs with a burglar. He walked to the doorway to signal to her that it was okay, but she wasn't there anymore. She'd gone back into the room, apparently.

He a.s.sumed she'd heard their conversation and knew everything was okay. Ironically, the one thing he didn't want right now was more cops showing up at the door. Not until he had Charlotte out of the line of fire for last night's shooting.

"Uh, Gracie, I'm not here alone."

His sister arched up one well-groomed eyebrow.

"Really? That's news." She looked discreetly over his shoulder. "Who's the lucky girl who finally dragged you away from your computer?"

"She was a suspect." He held his hand up as the brow reached higher. "Was. I've been investigating her, but things got complicated, and then they got dangerous. I couldn't think of anywhere else safe to go last night."

"You know you're always welcome, EJ. You don't even have to ask." She looked toward the doorway again before meeting his serious look with her own. "But I take it this is some serious trouble?"

"Her home was broken into, her brother's missing, and an officer was shot last night. Then some guy tried to grab her but luckily I got there in time. I want to stay out of sight until I know what's going on."

Grace's hand flew to her lips, her eyes dark with concern.

"Shot by whom?"

"We have to find out."

"And they could still be after her? After you?"