He rose and kissed her taut nipple, gently capturing it between his teeth. He licked, suckled, taking his time as if he savored every taste.
When she thought she’d go mad, he began to move faster. Coherent thought vanished in a whirlpool of sensation that pulled her deeper and deeper until it overwhelmed her. Her body exploded with a riot of sensations. Bowman pushed faster and faster until he released.
He collapsed against her, his heart beating hard against her chest. He nestled his face in the crook of her neck, and for a moment neither moved as they struggled to catch their breath. Only as her heart slowed did her mind clear.
He gently rolled off her, closing his eyes for a moment, but already her mind buzzed and she wouldn’t allow herself to nestle close to him. Sex was one level of intimacy but cuddling more so. A gentle breeze blew over her naked skin as she searched around for her T-shirt.
He traced those fingers over her spine, and this time the touch surprised her. “You’re running away,” he said.
“Not running. I don’t want to crowd you.”
He grabbed her hand, halting her slide off the bed. A gentle tug and she faced him. He’d tucked his other hand behind his head, staring at her with an unvarnished curiosity that made her want her T-shirt all the more. “You aren’t crowding me.”
The time for her coyness had passed. “Look, I know the last time we hooked up, it meant more to me than it did to you. I get that. I’m trying not to make the same mistake twice.”
“It was a tough time for me. You were a perfect light in the darkness, but I wasn’t ready to feel good or be happy. I woke up that morning and for the first time didn’t think about Karen, and I felt guilty as hell.”
She braced for another rejection. “It’s okay.”
“I’m not that guy anymore.”
She shook her head. “I’m not the same gal. My life has more complications than it did before.”
“Hanna’s a good kid.”
“She is and she’s also a teenager with abandonment issues. It’s not always easy. We’re a package. Like Cooper and I are a package on the job.”
He traced her jawline with his thumb.
“I understand.”
A muscle tensed in his jaw as he stared at her. Without a word, he tipped his head forward and kissed her. Against her lips, he whispered, “You’re better than I remember. And a few hours isn’t going to cut it for me.”
His hand came up and stroked her breast and she leaned into the touch, every nerve in her body firing again.
“I love your hair,” he said as he raised a lock of it to his nose. “It still smells like roses.”
When he entered her the second time, her breath caught in her throat and she had to fight not to rush to orgasm. It had been too long since she’d been touched like this.
He rose, staring at her with an intensity that stole her breath. He moved faster and faster while the heat built inside her so quickly she couldn’t stop it. Within seconds her body tensed and she climaxed, the sensations rolling over her like crashing waves.
“Riley,” he said.
He kissed her as he thrust deeper inside her, and within seconds, climaxed even harder than the first time. Finally, he rolled on his back and stared up at the ceiling. Despite what they shared, she couldn’t read his expression. She’d promised herself this would be casual. She would not get invested. But she’d dealt with enough liars to know she was lying to herself.
Her phone rang, and as she sat up to get it, he grabbed a handful of her hair and playfully tugged.
“I need to check. Hanna is traveling.”
He released her, relaxing back against the pillow. This was a man who understood duty.
She found her pants on the floor and unclipped her cell phone from the waistband.
“Tatum, this is Sharp. I thought you might like to know we have two more bodies.”
Her thoughts went to Sandy, to Jo-Jo, and other girls she’d spoken to over the last few days. “Who?”
“Not over the phone. You have to see this. I’ll text you the address.”
“Okay, I’ll be right there.” She hung up, holding the phone close to her chest before she squared her shoulders.
Bowman traced his hand over her back. “What?”
“They found two bodies. Sharp won’t say who.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“Thanks. Second set of eyes might pick up something.”
She quickly dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, and ankle boots before going to get Cooper. “Work time, Cooper.”
No matter what time of day it was or how little sleep they’d both had, Cooper was always ready to work. After Riley texted the address to Bowman’s phone, she pulled on her belt and holstered her gun. She ran fingers through her hair and made a ponytail.
At the front door, Bowman grabbed her arm and tugged her close, kissing her on the lips.
She smiled, and without a word, they each got into their vehicles. Twenty minutes later they arrived at the rural scene.
Several marked local and state cars were at the scene, as was the news van with Eddie Potter. The man must live on the police scanner.
Potter spotted her and started to move toward her. She heard Bowman get out of his SUV and slam the door closed, but she didn’t dare look back. The last thing she needed was Potter suspecting a connection between her and Bowman.
She moved toward the reporter, her hand outstretched. “Mr. Potter, you keep long hours.”
“I couldn’t pass this up. Can you tell me anything about the victim?”
“I just arrived. I suggest you talk to Agent Sharp.”
The reporter’s face soured. “Tried that. Would rather not get my head bitten off again.”
She forced down a smile. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I do need to check in.”
“You’ll double back and talk to me?”
“Can’t make any promises.”
Bowman had moved across the field toward the yellow crime scene tape and caught Sharp’s attention. As she moved toward them, she heard Sharp’s deep voice. “We don’t know much at this point. I checked local property records on the way out here. No connection to the victims.”
“Who are they?” Riley asked.
“Jax Carter and Darla Johnson,” Sharp replied.
“What!” Riley didn’t hide her surprise.
“Go look for yourself.”
Sharp handed them latex gloves, which they each donned before ducking under the tape. Riley walked up to Martin as he snapped pictures. “Mind if Mr. Bowman has a look? He’s worked his share of homicides.”
“Sure. I don’t mind.”
Bowman followed Riley into the crime scene. They stared at thick ropes tossed over a beam and wrapped around the man’s and woman’s necks. The two dangled, their heads slumped forward, mouths agape, and the settling blood darkening their limp fingers. “Have you checked their pockets yet?” Riley asked.
“Not yet,” Martin said. “I’m still photographing the scene.”
“Mind if I check?” Bowman asked.