CovertDesires by Chandra Ryan

Parker to the door as she spoke. “I’m
glad you’re okay, Jack. But I think it’s time we left. I wouldn’t want to
overstay my welcome.”
    “Good night.” Rowe wrapped Harlow in an embrace. “See you
tomorrow.”
    Harlow smiled at them and then nodded. “See you then.”
    He wasn’t sure what’d happened between them that made Harlow
feel that drugging Rowe was her only option but seeing them make peace made him
happy. He didn’t like it when Rowe was upset.
    “Good night, Barkswell.” Rowe’s cheery voice brought him
back to the present. “Thanks for coming with me tonight.”
    “Anytime.”
    When she closed the door they were finally alone. “Crazy
night, huh?”
    He was ready for any number of responses but not for her to
throw herself at him again. Thankfully this time his hands were free and he
could catch her before they both tumbled to the ground again. Though he
wouldn’t really mind as much now that they were at her apartment.
    “I was so worried. I could feel something was going to
happen.”
    He kissed her reassuringly. “He just wanted to warn me.
That’s it. I was never in any real danger.”
    “Of course you were. You still are.”
    “Not really. Once they find out I didn’t drop the case,
they’ll be too busy trying to get their hands on you to worry about me.” He
guided her to the couch. When he was seated he pulled her onto his lap. “I
missed you.”
    She turned so she was facing him while straddling him. “I
missed you too.”
    He pulled her shirt up over her head and then leaned forward
to kiss her shoulder. “You called this home. Earlier. When we were talking to
the captain.” Had she meant to refer to it as his home as well or had that been
an accident? He had to know. It was driving him crazy.
    She shivered as he ran his tongue over the sensitive skin
where her shoulder met her neck. “It is my home.” She rocked her hips and he
moaned at the delicious sensation.
    “Okay.” He nibbled on her shoulder and her skin broke out in
goose bumps. It wasn’t a direct answer but Rowe didn’t always do direct. She
tended to let the answers reveal themselves with time. He just had to be patient
enough to let her get there.
    “It’s a good home.”
    “That it is.”
    She leaned over and ran the tip of her tongue down the shell
of his ear. “If you’d like to add your palm to the reader, you could come and
go as you pleased.”
    He tried not to smile as his heart felt suddenly light with
emotion but he failed miserably. He was worse than a teenager. “I’d like that.”
He unfastened her pants as he kissed her collarbone. “I’d like that a lot.”
    As soon as her pants were undone she stood and stripped out
of them and her panties. For one moment he was free to appreciate the beauty in
front of him. She was amazing. He had no idea how she came to be in his life.
He was a good guy. Always tried to do the right thing for the sake of it being
the right thing. But he’d never done anything noble or grand enough to have karmically
earned someone like her. And yet the universe had dropped her right in front of
his desk. Maybe it expected him to spend the rest of his life making up that
debt? If so he was happy to try. “Come here.”
    “But we need to get you undressed.” She leaned over to take
off his shoes and he was mesmerized by the sway of her breasts. “Care to help
me out? Or were you just planning on taking in the sights all night?”
    “The sights are tempting. But I guess I could give you a
hand.” He was happy to take his shirt off as she undid his pants. Then it only
took him raising his hips and his pants and boxers were stripped off him.
    “There. Now we’re all even.” She reached over to one of the
end tables and took a condom out of the drawer.
    “Have you been stocking the house while I’ve been at work?”
    “I learned from the best.” She winked at him before putting
the condom down on the couch next to them. He felt a little disappointed