Too late she"d realized she had said the wrong thing, and quickly wondered why she"d said it at all. She had wanted to strike out at something and he was an easy target. The dark eyes staring at her became darker and his jaw tightened. His hands were opening and closing in tight fists, and she wondered if he"d decided to wring her neck, after all.
He slowly turned to the others and said in a rather calm voice, "Excuse us a moment. Sam and I need to have a private conversation."
It was on the tip on her tongue to say no, they didn"t need to have anything, but then she changed her mind. It was best to get it over and done with now. She"d thought last night was the end of things, but apparently it wasn"t.
None of the others, she noted, seemed inclined to hang back. Luke, however, leaned over and whispered in Blade"s ear, but loud enough for everyone to hear, "Hey, man. Go easy on her. Remember, until they catch this guy you"re still a suspect."
Blade"s eyes sharpened, but hers rolled. She was glad when Mac all but shoved him out the door. When the door closed behind them, Sam decided to sit back down in her chair. If Blade wanted to stand during their confrontation, that was his business.
"So, what do we have to talk about?" she asked.
He didn"t say anything for a long while. He just stood there and stared at her.
"Well, I"m waiting and I don"t have all day, Blade."
She knew she was goading him again, deliberately being a pain in the a.s.s. But for some reason she couldn"t help it. He wasn"t supposed to be here. Last night should have been the last she"d seen of him, at least for a good while. He was a player and she had played him. He was supposed to hate her guts. He should be spitting on the ground she walked on, or better yet, sticking pins in a voodoo doll that bore her likeness.
But instead he was here. He had all but burst into her office like a madman, as if he was a former lover or even her current one. The entire time Detective Adams sat asking her questions, he"d stood across the room, propped against the wall with his eyes glued to her.
"Why didn"t you tell Detective Adams everything, Sam?"
She logged off her computer and then turned and looked at him. "Everything like what?"
He crossed his arms over his chest. "Like how you like getting your kicks as a player hater by playing guys. Did you ever think doing that kind of c.r.a.p might catch up to you one day? Did it ever cross your mind that somewhere along the way you might have p.i.s.sed some guy off big-time?"
She rolled her eyes, something she"d found herself doing a lot around him. "Hey, Blade, it"s not that serious. Does every woman you dump come gunning for you?"
He came around the desk and pulled back her chair and then pinned her in with his arms braced on both sides. He leaned down, in her face, and nailed her with his gaze, as if he wanted to make sure he had her absolute attention.
"How many times do I have to tell you that the women I get involved with know the score?" he said in a clipped tone. "I don"t play those kinds of games with women. They know what I want from them. They also know what I don"t want, which is a commitment of any kind. And if they somehow get it into their heads that they can change me along the way, then it"s their fault for thinking it and not mine. Not all players are dogs, so don"t blame me for what some other guy did to you, Sam. I don"t appreciate it and I won"t accept it."
A caustic comeback was just on the tip of her tongue. She thought about telling him that she didn"t give a d.a.m.n what he didn"t appreciate or accept, but something stopped her. Maybe it was because she realized just how close those s.e.xy and kissable lips of his were to hers. It could have been his heated breath that warmed her skin. Or maybe it was the memory of those lips on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, her belly, between her legs, inside of her, that suddenly made a shudder run through her body. Whatever the reason, it didn"t matter, because she was sure that he felt it, as well. He"d once said her body had the ability to send him vibes. Evidently it was doing so now. There was a change in his eyes, in his breathing and in the way he looked at her. At that moment she knew that she was his main focus.
She tried to shift her body in the chair and wished she hadn"t when her knee accidentally brushed against his crotch. She felt his erection-hard and ma.s.sive. Her throat tightened and she tried to look away, but found she couldn"t. The gaze holding hers was intense, almost daring her to avert her eyes even a fraction. And she couldn"t. Instead she sat there, staring as intently into his eyes as he was staring into hers. She felt the heat rise between her legs, wetting her panties, sending fierce sensations all the way to her womb.
And then she remembered just how it felt to have him inside of her. Although he hadn"t gone in all the way, he had gone in deep and far enough for her to commit to memory what he"d felt like. At that moment, that was what her mind was dredging up. The feel of him inside of her, how her inner muscles had clamped hold of him, ready to pull everything out of him.
It would be so easy to just go ahead and reach out and unzip his pants, and pull out his aroused body part, shift her position in the chair, prop her legs on her desk if she had to, and lead him inside of her, to finish what they"d started last night. She could just imagine him gripping her hips with his hands, leaning forward, flexing his lower body to push all the way to her womb. She"d never been taken in her office before, although she"d fantasized about it several times. And he"d always been the man she figured that she would be crazy enough to risk doing such a thing with.
If the chair got to be too uncomfortable, he could always move her to the desk, spread her legs, get on top of her and pump his way inside of her. He could hold her body immobile while he thrust back and forth like n.o.body"s business, and make her come all over the place, all over him. And likewise, he would come, too. She could just imagine the feel of his hot s.e.m.e.n shooting inside of her.
She clenched her thighs together, wondering if a woman could have an o.r.g.a.s.m in broad daylight just thinking about what a man could do to her. She heard herself moan and realized from the look in Blade"s eyes that he"d heard it, as well. Before she could pull in her next breath he responded to her moan with a guttural growl, just seconds before slamming his mouth down on hers.
He didn"t mean to kiss her. In fact, he had decided after last night that he wouldn"t come within ten feet of her again. But there was something about Samari Di Meglio that got to him on a level no other woman could. She had done more than just get under his skin. She had gotten into other places in his body, as well. Places he didn"t want to think about now.
Instead he wanted to concentrate on this-the taste of her, the feel of her tongue tangling with his. The sensations that having his mouth locked with hers were invoking within him-those were the things he wanted to focus on. Those were the things so clearly on his mind.
She was a hard nut to crack since she still refused to acknowledge or believe that no matter what she said, her body always told a different story. He"d known the moment she had wanted him, the moment her panties had begun getting wet. He didn"t have to touch them to know it had happened. Her body had emitted a sensuous scent, an aroused scent, one he had come to know and recognize. It was a scent that pushed him to want to take things to another level, such as taste her in the most intimate way. Get inside her body and this time stay there, without any d.a.m.n interruptions, whether he was wearing a condom or not.
He heard the warning bells going off in his head. They were flashing like crazy, making all kinds of loud noise. But he would deal with all that later. Right now, the only thing he wanted to deal with was this. The tastiest woman he"d ever had the pleasure of devouring.
The soft knock on the door broke them apart. He pulled back reluctantly and breathed in deeply. Then a frown covered his face. Whoever was at that door had better have a good reason for interrupting them.
"What?" he called out, and none to nicely.
The door slid open and Luke poked his head in. He glanced at both of them and Blade was certain he could clearly see Sam"s kiss-swollen lips and his still-wet mouth. And Luke had the d.a.m.n nerve to smile.
"Sorry for the interruption, but I"m just checking to make sure that the two of you are still alive in here, and haven"t done each other in." His smile widened when he added, "It was Mac and Peyton"s idea. They were worried."
Blade moved toward the window, deciding to let Sam respond to that. "As you can see, we"re fine. However, we"re still discussing a few things," she said.
"Okay, I"ll let them know. Priscilla ordered pizza and it should be here in a few minutes. It"s best eaten when it"s hot."
"Fine. We"ll be out shortly," Sam said.
Luke nodded and then closed the door.
Sam glanced across the room. Blade had been standing at the window, gazing out, but when Luke closed the door he had turned around with his hands in his pockets and was staring at her. She pulled in a deep breath. "I thought we settled things between us last night, Blade," she heard herself say in a shaky voice. That had been some kiss. Her body was still tingling all over from it.
Emotions she didn"t want to deal with, emotions she wished would stay locked where she had kept them, were rising to the surface. She tried forcing them back under lock and key and discovered she couldn"t.
"I thought so, too," he said. But for some reason she didn"t think he was as confused by what had happened as she was.
"You said you wanted to talk," she reminded him.
She watched as he slowly walked back to her desk and sat on the edge of it. Then he said, "I"m sure you have your reasons for not telling Adams everything. I don"t have a full understanding of what those reasons are, but what I do know is that there are two women beyond that door who will do anything, even put their lives on the line if they had to, in order to protect you. Do you want that?"
No, she didn"t. She didn"t even want to think of her own life being on the line, although after reading that card she had to face the reality that there was a strong possibility it was. "No, that"s not what I want," she finally said, reaching for the business card Detective Adams had left her. It was a business owned by a friend of his. She picked it up. Rowdy"s Security Service. She shook her head. Security service was just another name for bodyguards.
"And do you want to do that?" he asked, glancing at the card she held. "Hire someone to be around you twenty-four hours a day?"
She glanced up at him. "No, but do you have a better idea? And I meant what I said about not wanting my parents to know. They would call in the darn National Guard if they thought for one moment my life was in danger."
Blade nodded. "You might eventually have to tell them what"s going on."
"I"ll cross that bridge when I come to it," she said, tossing the business card back on her desk.
Blade looked at her. "And to answer your question, yes, I think I have a better idea, and I want you to hear me out. Okay?"
She wasn"t sure what his idea would be, but she was willing to listen. "Okay."
He stood, paced a few times and then turned back to her. "The way I see it, you"re probably safe at work and at home. Any danger you"ll face will be traveling between both places."
"Kind of."
He lifted a brow. "Kind of?"
"Yes. I do go places other than work and home, Blade. I go grocery shopping. I get my hair done once a week. I get my nails done and occasionally a pedicure. Also, when I need to, I get a wax job and-"
She stopped talking. Clamped her mouth shut. Too late she realized she"d given him too much information, especially since he knew firsthand about her Brazilian wax job in an up-close-and-personal sort of way. She cleared her throat. "Uh, you get the picture."
He met her gaze. "Yeah, I got got the picture." the picture."
Probably more than he should have, she thought. "So as you can see I do have a life."
"And I"m sure you want to keep that life, so I propose that when you"re not home or at work that we hang out."
She lifted a brow. "Hang out?"
"Yes. Since we live next door to each other, it will be easy for me to drop you off at work each day and come back and pick you up in the evenings. I can also make sure you get to all your errands."
Blood rushed through her ears upon hearing his offer. Her first impulse was to tell him where he could take his offer, almost certain that there was an ulterior motive. But then she decided to not be so quick to jump to conclusions.
"Why, Blade? Why would you waste your time doing that? You"re an intelligent man, so I"m sure you know what I pulled last night was meant to break all ties between us."
He shrugged. "Breaking all ties between us is easier said than done, Sam, especially since your best friend happens to be my cousin"s wife, and her husband is a man who is as close to me as a brother. When they worry about something, then I worry."
She narrowed her gaze. "So you"re willing to put up with me so they won"t have to worry?"
"That"s the gist of it. There cannot and never will be anything between us. I think we both know that."
She glared at him. Did he have to be so brutally honest? In a way it was for the best, since they both knew where they stood. But if that was the case, then what was that kiss all about a few moments ago? He had taken her mouth like always. Nothing had changed there. Not even her response to him. Or the fact that she wouldn"t mind too much if he decided to take her right now. She wasn"t sure why she had this fantasy about being taken on her desk, but she did.
She shook her head, not believing the path her thoughts had taken. This was not a good day. It had started off bad and now it had ended badly. She needed a gla.s.s of wine. She needed to spend time in her sauna. A relaxing soak in her hot tub sounded real nice. She needed Blade to move away from her desk. He was too close. He definitely didn"t need to be within arm"s length of her again. And she certainly didn"t need to see up close how aroused he still was.
She cleared her throat. "Fine, if you want to play babysitter, then knock yourself out."
She could tell by the expression on his face he would probably like the pleasure of knocking her out instead, given how flip her response was. But he wouldn"t. Blade was not a violent man. He might be pretty p.i.s.sed off with her, but he would not hurt her. She really and truly believed that.
And, she thought, glancing over at her flowers-or rather she hoped-that the person who"d sent them wouldn"t hurt her, either. She was hoping that whoever he was, he was just trying to mess with her, scare her out of her wits. He had signed the card "an old friend." She tried to remember how many players she had humiliated over the years. Now she would be racking her brain for the rest of the day and probably all night, trying to figure out who it could be.
"Ready to go? I left my car at Luke and Mac"s place, which is just as well, since I"ll be using yours," Blade said, breaking into her thoughts.
"Whatever. We"ll take this a day at a time. I"m hoping this is all a bad joke and that nothing comes out of it."
"Trust me," he said, opening the door and then leading her out. "I"m hoping the very same thing."
The man picked up the phone on the first ring. "Is there a problem?"
"The flowers were delivered with a card this time."
He rolled his eyes. "I"m well aware of that," he said, trying to keep his voice calm. The woman was getting on his nerves. "You said you understood why I have to do what I"m doing, and that I had your full support. Are you changing your mind now?"
"No."
He smiled. "Good. And I"ll have something special for you when I see you again. And remember, no matter what, we"re in this thing together. All I want to do is shake her up a little bit, scare her some. Once that"s over, our life together can begin."
The lie coming from his lips was bittersweet. First, he would take care of Samari Di Meglio, and then she she would be next. He couldn"t risk anyone ever finding out he was the mastermind behind everything. He had waited years for this opportunity. would be next. He couldn"t risk anyone ever finding out he was the mastermind behind everything. He had waited years for this opportunity.
"Love you," he said, repeating another lie in a deep, husky bedroom voice, trying to remind her of what had happened between them the last time they"d been together, and how good things were between them when she did what he asked.
"Love you, too."
He knew she did, and he would play it for all it was worth to get the results he wanted.
Chapter 15.
"I can"t believe I ate so much pizza." can"t believe I ate so much pizza."
Blade started the car and couldn"t help looking down at Sam"s legs. Not for the first time he thought they were definitely a luscious pair. He had been between them three times and there was still unfinished business. He still didn"t know how they would feel pinned around his back while he was locked inside her body, rocking them toward one h.e.l.l of an o.r.g.a.s.m. He felt his lower body swell just thinking about it.
He tracked his gaze from her legs up to her face and saw that her eyes were close. And as if she felt him looking at her, she opened them and glanced over at him. She lifted a brow. "Well?"
He swallowed. "Well what?"
She rolled her eyes. "Can you believe I ate so much pizza?"
He couldn"t help but chuckle. h.e.l.l, yeah, he could believe it, since he was watching each and every time she slid a slice into her mouth, recalling how she had used that same mouth on him. "Yes, I can believe it. I saw you." He would tell her that much. "Evidently you were hungry."
She nodded. "I was. I skipped breakfast and figured I"d get a bite to eat later. As you know, that didn"t happen."
Yes, he knew.
When she closed her eyes again he backed out of the parking lot. They rode in silence, and when he came to the first traffic light, he glanced back over at her. Her eyes were still closed, so he lowered his gaze to her thighs. Her skirt had inched up when she"d buckled her seat belt. He liked seeing her thighs, but definitely needed to say something to her about wearing those short skirts.
He chuckled to himself, thinking he really didn"t have the right to tell her how to dress, and knowing Sam, she wouldn"t hesitate to let him know it. It wasn"t as if they were involved or anything.
Then what the h.e.l.l was he doing becoming her chauffeur? Her personal bodyguard? Frankly, he didn"t have a problem with the latter, he thought as he drove the car through traffic. If anyone needed to guard her body it might as well be him. Not that he could lay claim to it or anything. It was just the principle of the thing. He smiled, wondering just what that principle was.
"What"s with the smile?"
He glanced over at her. She had awakened from her nap. "Nothing important." Then to change the subject he asked, "And what time do you plan on going into the office tomorrow?"
He watched as she drew in a deep breath before running her hands through her hair, to take advantage of the breeze that was coming in through the window.