But Kim could accept that some people just clicked. She had friends whom she’d known would become valuable pieces of her life from the moment she met them.
That didn’t explain why she wasn’t at least partialy scandalized by the things she and Raze had done to each other since she arrived. There wasn’t a centimeter of her skin that didn’t know the stroke of his fingers or the lash of his tongue. He knew parts of her body better than anyone, better than even she did. And his erotic abandon goaded hers.
She’d lost al inhibition. She had done things to him that she’d never imagined doing and she had loved every minute. There was nothing in her head about playing fair or returning favors. She pleasured him because she couldn’t help herself. She pleasured him because it made her feel as good as when he pleasured her. He’d shown her that any sexual act could be intimate and mutualy pleasurable if you had the right partner. She didn’t think there was anything she wouldn’t let him do to her or anything he could ask of her that she wouldn’t do to him—a man she hadn’t known existed just a few short hours ago.
He glanced at her, caught her staring, and smiled. The curve of his gorgeous mouth was wicked, but the heat in his eyes was tender and warm.
Her chest tightened in a way that warned her she was wading into treacherous waters. Taking a deep breath, Kim set her fork down and wiped her mouth again.
“Thank you for dinner.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
“Wasn’t it obvious?”
“I’ve heard stale chips can taste delicious after sex,” he said wryly.
She laughed and stood, colecting her tray off the bed. “I absolutely enjoyed it. I’ve enjoyed everything since I arrived.”
Taking the dishes back out to the living area, she took a moment to herself, debating whether she should get going now while the getting was good. She considered it long and hard, but the thought of returning to her apartment alone at this time of night made her stomach knot. And the thought of leaving Raze bummed her out so much she knew she couldn’t go until it was absolutely necessary. It wasn’t like they worked together or had the same friends or even lived in the same city. So what if she moped a little after it was over? He wouldn’t be around to see it. He wouldn’t be around as a constant reminder of what she couldn’t have.
“Hey,” Raze caled out. “Your phone’s vibrating.”
She went back to the bedroom, which was softly lit and intimately welcoming. It smeled like him and sex and delicious food. She realy didn’t want to be anywhere else. Looking around for her bag, she found it on a chair near the closet, several feet away from the bed. “How can you hear the buzzing over the television?”
He shrugged.
Digging her phone out, she looked at the screen and sighed at the sight of her brother’s name. She answered without preamble, “It’s a little late, isn’t it, Kenny?”
“Why the hel aren’t you answering your phone?”
“Because I was busy. And it’s late.”
“Kimberly Laine McAdams. You can’t go off with some biker you spoke to for five minutes in a bar and not expect us to be worried sick.”
“Oh my god. This isn’t Kenny. It’s Mom sounding like Kenny.”
“That’s not fucking funny.”
“No, it isn’t.” She hit the mute button. “Raze. Do you ride a bike?”
He glanced at her with brows raised.
“You know,” she elaborated. “Like a Harley.”
His grin flashed fierce and sexy as hel. “Heritage Softail.”
“Shit.” So he was a biker after al. The thought made her hot and needy. Kim took the phone off mute. “I’m a big girl, Kenny.”
“Who is stil dealing with walking into the murder scene of her best friend!” Ken growled and in her mind’s eye she could see him fisting his dark hair with his free hand and clenching his jaw. “You’re not the only one who’s freaked by what happened to Janele. I worry about you al the damn time. You need to give me a break, Kim. Stop giving me gray hair. Now what’s this guy’s name?”
“Why so you can run him? Do you do a run on al your one-night-stands?”
“You’re not the one-night-stand type.”
“I am tonight. I’l cal you when I get home tomorrow. And tel Delia I’m gonna to kick her ass.” She hung up, then powered her phone off.
“Everything al right?” Raze adjusted his position so that he was propped against pilows piled against the headboard. Sprawled like that he was a sensual feast.
God. He was just what she’d needed. What she stil needed.
She tossed her phone back in her bag and puled his shirt over her head. “Everything’s great. And about to get better.”
CHAPTER 5
Raze looked at the video feed of a blackish rose arrangement perched on Vash’s desk and pronounced, “Creepy.”
“They’re for you.” She pushed them aside. “Salem found them on your porch about a half hour ago. No card, but we know who it’s from, don’t we?”
“Yeah, we do.”
“She’s his wife, by the way. Of a couple hundred years. Torque traced Baron—previously known as John Schmidt, Baron Seagrave in his mortal life—back to the Regency period, when he married Lady Francesca Harlow.”
“Torque’s the man.”
“Yes, he is. And you’re dealing with a woman who just lost the love of her life.” Vash’s fingers drummed on the table. “Take it from a woman who knows what that feels like: She wants your head on a pike and your nuts roasting on an open fire. She won’t let this go until one of you is dead.”
“I’m ready and waiting.” He glanced out the window at the gradualy lightening dawn sky, then over at the closed bedroom door. “But I might be waiting in the wrong place if she’s gone to Raceport.”
“Torque traced the roses back to a florist in Chicago. If she did her homework at al, she’l know you’re hanging around there. But she doesn’t know where. She’s hoping this’l rattle your cage a little.”
“I’l get out more today. Be seen. I don’t suppose we’d be lucky enough to have confirmation that the baroness is the woman in the video. A photo match, maybe?”