Chapter Eight
“He’s got a car.” Dan read the message on his phone then saved it. “A 2009 Ford SUV. Black.”
“You’re kidding.” Summer crooked her head to peer at the phone. “For some reason, I had the feeling he didn’t even have a driver’s license.”
“The man’s twenty-seven,” Dan pointed out. “So I can’t see why he wouldn’t.”
“From what I gathered while I was at the Switzers, he’s been institutionalized for most of his life. Driving wasn’t an option.”
“That doesn’t mean he hasn’t figured out how to get one without them knowing it. Or doing a lot of other things.”
Troy made a sound in his throat. “What bothers me is that they know how he feels about you. And you’ve been in the media enough lately. Decency would have had them call you and warn you he was gone.”
Summer touched his hand. “It makes me angry, too, but I have the feeling they’re in complete denial. That they can’t deal with one more episode with him.”
“But this is your life,” Troy insisted. “This isn’t just acting out. I say we give them a call, just to make sure we’re tagging the right person. If he’s back at home, then we start at square one again.”
Summer accessed her contacts list on her cell and rattled off the Switzers’ phone number. “But please be gentle with them,” she cautioned. “This isn’t a pleasant situation for them.”
“Easier than for you,” he bit off, “but I’ll let Dan make the call. He’s smoother than I am anyway.”
It wasn’t hard to tell from Dan’s side of the conversation that the Switzers weren’t too thrilled to hear from him. Nor were they inclined to be helpful.
“They seem to ignore the fact that you saved their daughter’s life.” His voice was edged with anger as he disconnected the call.
Summer shrugged. “And I can’t regret that. But you’ve heard what Nolan is like. You’ve all listened to the phone calls. They’re probably praying by this time whatever he does it doesn’t come back to them.”
“If he gets to you,” Troy snapped, “harms you in any way, they’ll get more grief than they ever imagined.”
“He’s not going to get to me.” Summer tried to take the edge off his temper. “Not when I have all of you here to keep him away from me.”
“It’s okay,” Dan assured him. “We’ve got guards front and back and electronic eyes on everything in between. And now at least we’ve got a car to look for.”
Mark, who had joined them a half hour ago, just snorted. “Yeah, good luck with that in a city this big.”
“We don’t have to search it all,” Dan reminded him. “Now we know what kind of vehicle he’s driving, we only have to get him to show up here, and I have a feeling he’s about to do that. We’ll give the guards his picture and the info on the car, and we’ll be ready for him.”
“But what if he doesn’t?” Troy asked. “What if he keeps up the phone calls, trying to keep her off balance until he’s ready to pounce?”
Dan shook his head. “Mia said from the tone of his calls it sounds like he’s rapidly escalating. I don’t think we’ll have long to wait.”
Summer leaned forward and looked at each of them. “What if we give him a little nudge?”
Troy scowled. “I don’t think I’ll like what you’re about to say.”
“Just listen to me a minute. I don’t think I can stand waiting much longer for him to act. Or even worse, having him stop until the next time. It’s not pleasant, knowing he’s out there fixated on me.”
“I hear you,” Dan said, “but—”
Summer cut him off. “What if we flush him out? Use me to tip him over the edge, so to speak.”
Three male voices chorused a loud, “No.”
“Just at least listen. You keep saying I’m well protected, but he doesn’t know that. Maybe I could answer him the next time he calls. Tell him I’m tired of listening to his garbage. I’m changing my number again so he’ll leave me alone. That will up his level of frustration, and I have a sense that he’ll be forced to make a move.”
“We’d have to move the guard and his car from down the street,” Mark said unhappily. “He sticks out like a sore thumb.”
“Which was the original purpose,” Troy pointed out. “At least the three of us will be in here. Unless Switzer’s got eyes on the place all the time, he can’t know whether or not Summer’s alone.”
They argued as Summer knew they would, but in the end they all had to agree—they couldn’t just sit around waiting for the nutjob to make his move. This way at least they’d be controlling the situation.
Troy turned the ringer back up on the landline, and they waited for the call they were sure would come.
Reid figured there were two things he could do: One was to get a pro to set up a tap on Summer Cahill’s phone line from an outside connection. The other was to cruise the neighborhood as much as he could without calling attention to himself and see who else was keeping an eye on her. Neither option appealed to him. He knew enough about Phoenix to realize they’d be suspicious of a telephone repairman who appeared out of nowhere. And the car parked conspicuously down the street had to be a guard they’d placed there to keep an eye out for trouble.
Swell.
So just how the fuck was he supposed to find one asshole in the middle of this city?
Bonner was not good for much of anything except keeping eyes on the Hauser woman, but he didn’t know what good that would do until Summer Cahill agreed to her request.
Reid had Googled Summer and found hundreds of links to articles about her abilities as a psychic healer. But fat lot of good that did him. Nothing referred to a stalker or anything remotely related to one. Could it be someone she’d treated who was now unhappy? Someone she hadn’t treated who was even more unhappy?
He needed more information to know how to proceed. Olberman could get Vivian and her computer on it, but he had a feeling calling his boss right now wasn’t a great idea. The next-best thing was checking the Cahill woman’s house out once a day at different times so the rent-a-cop watching the house didn’t get suspicious.
And hitting the library to use their LexisNexis database. It provided a searchable databank for more than twenty thousand sources and was much faster than his laptop. Somewhere in all that information, there had to be a clue for him to follow.
And he’d better get on it at once. Getting on Olberman’s bad side could have devastating consequences.
Summer was doing her best to control her nerves as the hours of the day ticked past. She forced herself to focus on her web business, posting the updates her customers had requested and setting up the basics for two new sites. But it was a struggle to keep her mind focused.
She sensed that Troy was uncertain how to help her. He knew enough not to hover, but he also checked on her frequently. He, Mark, and Dan were camped out in the kitchen, handling business from their cell phones, but periodically he brought her tea or a snack. Faith called to check on her, and Summer was grateful for the concern. But she wasn’t in the mood to chat even with a close friend.
She was focusing on manipulating a graphic when a tap on the doorjamb to her den broke her concentration.
“Getting on toward dinnertime.” Troy smiled. “We’re discussing what kind of takeout to get. Any preferences?”
“My first preference is for that idiot to call so we can get this over with.”
Troy moved to stand behind her, his strong hands massaging the tight muscles in her neck and shoulders. “We all think that. Strange that he’s been silent all day.”
As if summoned by his words the phone, which had been silent all day, shrilled into the air. Summer jerked, startled, then reached for it, but her hand hovered tentatively over the receiver. She looked up at Troy.
“Go ahead,” he nodded. “I’m right here.”
As if to reassure her, he rested one hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently.
Summer picked up the receiver, tilting it so Troy could also hear the conversation. “Hello?”
There was a pause on the other end, as if she’d surprised the caller by answering.
“So you finally decided to answer the phone, bitch.” The voice was harsh with pent-up anger. “Did you actually think I’d give up? Stop calling you?”
“I could only hope.” She knew she was baiting him, but this was the way they’d decided she should handle him.
“I’m never giving up,” he ranted. “Not until you’re gone from the face of this earth. Not until you stop spreading that black magic everywhere.”
She swallowed and tightened her grip on the receiver. “You keep saying that, every time you get on a kick like this, but you never follow through. It’s been three years now. If you really have a problem with me, maybe we should talk about it.”
Another silence. She could almost feel the hatred vibrating through the connection.
“You want to talk to me?”
“Yes.” She leaned back closer to Troy. “I think you have the wrong idea about me. If we could get together maybe you could tell me what’s bothering you, and I could answer any questions you have. I—I’m not as bad as you think. Really.”
“Not as bad?” he screamed. “You’re worse. Much worse. You want to talk to me? See me? You think I’m all show and no go? Get ready then, bitch. You’ll see me sooner than you think.”
She flinched as the phone slammed in her ear.
Troy took the receiver from her hand and replaced it in its cradle. Then he cupped Summer’s face in both hands, bent his head, and kissed her with such tenderness it nearly made her cry. She didn’t ever remember anyone caring this much about her. Even her family. She could almost be grateful for the chaos that had brought him into her life.
“We’ll be ready for him, Summer,” he promised. “We’ve planned this out well. I hate that you have to go through this, but at least we’ll be able to end it once and for all.”
“I hope.”
He urged her up from her chair, pulled her against his body, and dipped his head for another kiss. As tender as the previous one had been, this one was hot and demanding. He teased her tongue with his, shifting her head this way and that to give him a better angle. A deeper one. When he ended the kiss, they were both breathless.
Troy brushed a stray bit of hair back from her face.
“When this is finished tonight, we’ll celebrate. That kiss is only a taste of what’s to come.”
And just like that, everything settled inside her. “I can’t wait.”
“Come on.” He took her hand. “We’ll have to make do with sandwiches or whatever. I don’t want to order anything and have the delivery guy show up at the wrong time. Besides, we have to put our plan into place.”
And then it will be over. Finally.
Nolan Switzer gripped his head with both hands. He was finally going to see her. Finally get all this out of his system. Lay it all out for her, how she ruined lives instead of saving them. How he was actually doing people a service by getting rid of her. Maybe then he’d finally have some peace.
He swallowed four acetaminophen tablets, then rolled the glass against his forehead. Once he rid society of the she-devil, his headaches would disappear. He just knew it. For three years, he’d waged war against her, each time hoping he’d frightened her enough to stop. Now he had to end it.
He was sure she had a security system, but he’d figured out a way around that. His eyes glanced at the small box lying on the kitchen table, a pricey piece of electronics that had been worth every penny. Besides, hadn’t she invited him to come to her house?
There was always the chance that man was still there with her, but he had a remedy for that, too. The gun he’d purchased at a pawnshop where no one asked questions would take care of whoever this guy was.
Then it would be just the two of them, and he’d be rid of her at last.
He just needed to wait until it was dark.
Reid was edgy about driving past the house yet again, but he wasn’t sure what else to do. His eyes ached from the strain of skimming all the info he’d pulled up on LexisNexis, but at least he was marginally better off. The information about Summer Cahill was very sketchy. She obviously worked hard to control her anonymity and protect her privacy. After too many hours of searching, he’d finally managed to find a few tiny news items about some requests she’d turned down. Angry families had written letters to various newspapers condemning her, but the story apparently wasn’t hot enough for anyone to give it more than a “Letter to the Editor” space. He’d finally narrowed the list down to the six most likely candidates, families with a grudge against her because she’d turned them down.
But he wasn’t sure whether he’d have time to contact all of them. What would he say, anyway? Is someone in your family stalking Summer Cahill? Shit, what a fucking mess this was turning out to be.
Tomorrow, he’d try sitting down with the Hauser woman again. Getting her to press harder for the healer to come to the hospital. Remind her how steadily her husband was failing and that this was his last chance. Maybe he could convince her to go right to the woman’s house and plead with her in person.
Dark came early in the fall, so there was no foot traffic on the sidewalks in Summer Cahill’s neighborhood. And very few cars on the road. Mostly people getting home late from work, he assumed.
When he turned the corner onto her block, he was surprised to see the car that had been parked down the street for the last few days was gone. Of course, so were the media, so maybe Summer and her friends had called off the dogs. That would be a big plus. Now all he had to do was make sure the Hauser woman contacted the healer again, and Olberman would be happy.
Thank God.
But as he reached the end of the block he saw another car come up behind him, driving as slowly as he was. He sped up slightly to see what the other car would do, and when he passed the next cross street, his shadow turned right on it. Reid quickly drove around the block and discovered the other car had parked in the shadow of towering oak trees.
What the hell?
Another car was parked farther down the street, but he ignored it as insignificant. Reid coasted to the end of the block, turned off his lights, and positioned himself around the corner so he could keep watch. He thought about leaving, but the funny tickle at the back of his neck made him stay where he was. Maybe this was nothing, but what if the stalker was finally making his move?
Reid slid down in his seat, eyes glued to the other car. Watching. Waiting.
Nolan put the car in park and sat quietly, watching the street around him. Another car had driven down the street, and he could have sworn it had doubled back to check him out. Then it turned the corner and turned out its lights, so he dismissed it, chalking it up to paranoia. There was another car parked farther down, but he figured it belonged to one of the homeowners or a guest of theirs. Nothing to do with him. Who would be following him, anyway? In the three years he’d been calling and sending notes to the Cahill woman, no one had identified him. Why would it be any different now?
He laughed silently at the thought the bitch actually thought he might walk up to her front door and introduce himself. What a joke. Did she really think he was that stupid? He told her he was coming for her, but he’d control the situation.
Still, he waited fifteen minutes before unscrewing the dome light and slipping from the car, carrying the small canvas bag with the tools he’d need tonight. The house directly behind the she-devil’s was a two-story similar to his home. And like his, it was surrounded by high shrubbery that allowed him to sneak past it successfully. He moved in a running crouch until he reached the shrubbery border that ran across the back property line.
Light shone from the upstairs windows of the Cahill house, but downstairs it was completely dark. Maybe the witch was waiting for him in the blackness, but he was ready for her.
Eyes flitting everywhere as he checked to see whether he’d been spotted, he pulled his expensive electronic device from the bag he carried. The high-end jammer had cost a fortune, but it would be worth it. The description said it would disable almost any sophisticated system for up to two minutes. That was all he needed. By that time, he’d be inside. And even if that guy was still inside with her, his 9mm would take care of him. He hadn’t planned to kill anyone else, but in any mission there was always collateral damage. And that’s what this was. A mission. To rid the world of evil.
The tiny light on the jammer turned green, a sign that the security system was now jammed. Still crouching low, Nolan made his way to the small back porch of the house. A lock pick took care of the locks with little effort. He placed the canvas bag on the porch, removed the 9 mm, and eased open the door.
In the dark of the living room, Dan disconnected the call on his cell phone.
“That was the guard. He’s here and on his way.”
They heard the high ping when Switzer attempted to jam the security system. They knew what they’d set up was too sophisticated for any jammer on the market, but Dan had reset the system so it would appear to the stalker that it had worked. The cameras still operated, though, and from the monitor in the den Mark called out the man’s progress.
They waited silently, eyes adjusted to the dark as they’d often had to do when they were all still in the military. Troy snapped his fingers and pointed toward the back door. His keen sense of hearing had picked up the faint scratch of metal against the locks and the nearly inaudible creak as the back door was opened. Dan touched Mark’s shoulder, and the three moved into position. He’d tried without success to get Summer to wait upstairs, but that was one damn stubborn woman. The best he’d been able to do was stash her behind the couch, crouched down, waiting for them to tell her she was safe.
He stood motionless, as did the other two men who were focused on the entrance from the kitchen to the living room. In seconds they made out the figure of a man moving slowly into the room. When he had nearly reached the center of the room Troy slipped into position behind him and placed the barrel of his gun directly behind Nolan Switzer’s left ear.
“Lights,” he called.
Dan switched on a lamp, and he and Mark, also armed, moved forward to box Switzer in.
“Drop your weapon,” Dan ordered in a flat tone. “Now.”
“Better do it,” Troy told him. “Any one of us would be more than happy to put a bullet in you, believe me.”
Switzer didn’t move, just looked wildly around the room.
“Where is she?” he demanded, still clutching his handgun. “Where is the evil she-devil?”
Troy reached around him with his free hand, chopped at the man’s wrist, and the gun fell to the floor. Mark scooped it up immediately. Dan moved forward with handcuffs, only now Nolan was losing control, so it took two of them to hold him still and cuff him.
“Where is she?” he screamed again. “I want to see that bitch. Damn it, make her show herself.”
“I’m right here, Nolan,” Summer told him in a soft voice, rising from her place behind the couch.
“Damn you to hell anyway,” he shouted. “You should be destroyed, practicing your black magic on people. You ruined my family.”
“I healed your sister,” she pointed out in the same even tone. “What happened after that is all on you.”
“My parents turned against me because of you.” He struggled against Dan and Troy, each holding an arm securely. “You ruined my life.” And then the vitriol spewed forth from his mouth, vile curses impelled by uncontrolled anger.
Mark, who had been speaking quietly into his cell phone, disconnected his call and shoved the phone in his pocket. He nudged Troy out of the way and took his place holding Switzer.
“I called the cops,” he told them. “They’ll be here shortly. And I told our sentry he could go home. Get Summer out of here, Troy. She doesn’t need to be part of this any more.”
“Come on, sugar.” He gladly gave up his hold on Switzer, not just to get away from him but also to make sure he didn’t forget himself and kill the man with his bare hands. “Let’s get you away from here.”
Summer’s face was pale, and she was trembling, leaning into Troy’s protective arm. Just before they made it to the kitchen, she turned back to her tormenter.
“I’m sorry for you, Nolan. I sincerely hope you get help for yourself. But it has nothing to do with me.” She looked up at Troy. “Okay. They can have him now.”
Troy brewed tea for her and put on a pot of coffee. They could hear Switzer still raving in the other room. Then the doorbell rang, and the police were there. Sergeant Hurley had come himself, along with his men. Entering the kitchen, he walked directly over to Summer and took both her hands in his.
“I’m glad I was on tonight,” he told her. “I wanted to come and haul this piece of shit away myself. Make sure you can finally have some peace.”
“Thank you.” Troy could see she was still shaken but had pulled herself together a little. He’d made up his mind to glue himself to her side. If the cops wanted to talk to him, they could damn well do it right here.
“I’m eternally sorry I didn’t believe you in the beginning,” Hurley went on, “and that we weren’t able to do better for you in catching him.
“I think we had better resources to smoke him out,” Dan commented. He and Mark had walked back into the kitchen. “The important thing is this is done with. Sergeant, your men have him in the patrol car. He’s all yours now.”
“I’ll need official statements from all of you,” Hurley told them. “Just so everything’s in order and he doesn’t slip through a loophole.”
Mark nodded. “We’ll come down to the station tomorrow. No problem.”
“I’d appreciate it if you could take Summer’s statement here,” Troy put in. “Any time tomorrow that works for you.”
She looked up at him. “Troy, I’m perfectly capable of going to the police station. Especially if you’re with me.”
But Hurley nodded at Troy. “I’ll call you in the morning to work it out.”
Troy urged Summer up from the chair. “Let’s get you upstairs. Mark and Dan can show Sergeant Hurley out on their way to the door.”
And just like that it was over.
“I have good news.” Reid spoke into his Bluetooth cell phone.
On the other end of the connection, Olberman grunted. “It’s about time. Did you find her asshole stalker and take him down?”
“Didn’t have to. Her friends did it for me.” He gave his boss the few details he’d observed. “So they hauled him off to the station, and my guess is we’ve seen the last of him.”
“Call the Hauser woman again first thing in the morning. Let’s not wait to see if our girl calls her first.”
“I will. But I want to point one thing out to you, just so we’ll be prepared.”
“Now what?” Olberman’s voice was edged with impatience.
“These friends of hers are no lightweights. If she turns out to be what you want, snatching her isn’t going to be any walk in the park.”
“That’s what you get paid for,” his boss growled. “Figuring out what to do and making it happen.”
“I just—”
But the connection was broken. Reid tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, studying Summer Cahill’s house and those around it. He’d better start preparing now, so when Olberman gave the word, he’d be ready to act. But like he’d told his boss, it wasn’t going to be that easy.
Troy locked up the house and reset the security system again. He’d left Summer upstairs and suggested she shower and get into bed. Even a blind man could see she was holding herself together by a thread. In the kitchen he poured brandy into a small glass and carried it up to her. He needed to take the edge off those nerves and get her to relax so she could sleep. Put this whole thing behind her.
But not put him behind her. Oh no. He had plans for Summer and their future, and tomorrow it would be time to talk about it. He hadn’t ever really seen himself as settling down in a relationship with one person for the rest of his life. But that was before Summer and the instant connection that exploded between them.
But the circumstances up until now had been anything but normal. All her senses had been ramped up, and his had been overshadowed by the intense need to protect her. Now that the danger was eliminated the tension had eased, and in the morning, over coffee, he would talk to her about their relationship and where he hoped they were going.
He didn’t expect it to be easy. Summer had spent most of her life holding people at arm’s length, much as he had. But during this time when he still didn’t have anything pressing with Phoenix, they could test the waters. Get to know each other more than just in bed.
When he entered the bedroom, she was already under the covers, propped up against the pillows. Her freshly washed hair fell in a silken curtain around her shoulders, and her face had that newly scrubbed look. She looked good enough to eat, his mouth watering for the taste of her.
Smiling at her, he set the two snifters of brandy on the nightstand and pulled his T-shirt over his head.
“Give me five minutes to scrub off the day, and we’ll have a nightcap to celebrate getting your life back.”
“I can get into that,” she told him and patted the bed next to her. “I’ll keep your place warm for you.”
Hot might be more like it, he thought, and seriously considered showering with cold water. Especially when the steam still lingering in the bathroom was filled with the fresh scent of her bodywash and the shampoo she used. His cock swelled and hardened, and his balls ached with need. In that instant, he wanted her more than at any time since he’d first walked into the house.
Not tonight. She needs soothing and tenderness, not hot sweaty sex.
With ruthless determination, he turned the shower to its coldest temperature and stood under it until he was sure his balls had shriveled to the size of raisins. Probably looked like them, too. He dried off with brisk movements, tied the towel around his hips and went into the bedroom to get clean shorts out of the drawer Summer had given him in her dresser.
“You won’t need those.”
The husky note in Summer’s voice made him turn, boxers still in his hand. His eyes widened, and he nearly swallowed his tongue. She’d lowered the covers, leaving her naked to the waist. Her breasts, so round and plump, rested in her hands as if she was offering them to him. As he continued to stare, she brushed her thumbs lightly over the tips, and his mouth went dry as dust.
“Jesus, Summer,” he breathed. “Have a heart.”
She licked her lower lip with a slow swipe of her tongue.
“I do,” she told him. “And a lot of other parts, too. I thought you might want to check them out. Make sure they’re still in working order.”
He let the boxers fall back into the drawer and walked cautiously to the bed.
“This has been a very stressful day for you,” he reminded her. “And evening. I thought we both could use a nightcap and some sleep. I don’t want to push you when . . .” His voice trailed off as she raised up on her knees, the covers falling away completely.
“I’m not some fragile doll, Troy. I’m a flesh-and-blood woman, and tonight I want to be treated like one. I want something good to wash away the taste of Nolan Switzer.” She held out her hands to him. “Please. Don’t make me beg.”
“Sugar, begging’s the last thing I expect you to do.”
And a man only has so much willpower.
He undid the towel and tossed it to the side, climbing up on the bed to straddle her, dipping his head to capture one rosy nipple with his mouth. Summer clutched his shoulders and gave a soft moan that stirred all his nerve endings. He grazed the pebbled surface with his teeth while his hand palmed the other breast, kneading with a soft, gentle squeeze. Another moan escaped her lips, and Troy’s cock flexed in response.
“Don’t be gentle with me,” Summer pleaded. “Not right now. Please, Troy.”
His brain told him she didn’t know what she needed, but his body had a mind of its own. And he was past the point of exercising much control. Pushing her back against the pillows, he proceeded to ravage her breasts with his tongue and his teeth before lifting his head to take her mouth in a devouring kiss. Her tongue met his with eagerness, moving in an age-old dance of thrust and retreat.
He tore his lips away and trailed his tongue along the slender column of her neck and the underside of her jaw. When he reached the place in her throat where her pulse beat rapidly, he pulled the delicate flesh into his mouth. He kissed a trail between her breasts to her navel, taking a moment to trace the furled flesh with the tip of his tongue.
Summer writhed beneath him, her fingers clawing at his shoulders as her hips bucked up against him. With a wanton gesture she spread her legs wide, offering herself, silently urging him to go lower. Taste the slick flesh of her hot core. She was damn hot, completely turned on, and the scent of her musk drifted up to his nostrils and drove him crazy.
He traced the crease between each hip and thigh but then crawled back up her body to smooth kisses across one shoulder, along her collarbone to the other shoulder, then down through the valley of her breasts again. She writhed and moaned and tried to tell him with her body to hurry, hurry, hurry.
His cocked brushed against her inner thigh and jumped in response.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.
If he wasn’t careful, he’d come before he even got inside her.
Linking his fingers with hers, he raised her hands over her head, stretching out her arms in a way that made her breasts arch up to him. Hardened nipples tempted him, and his lips closed around one firm bud, pulling on it as his tongue flicked back and forth over the pebbled surface. She writhed beneath him as he paid careful attention to first one breast then the other. He moved his mouth to trail a line between her breasts and down to her navel; her lips parted as she panted with need.
When he reached her mound, he traced every inch of it with his tongue. He licked and ate gently into the softness of it, every intimate inch of it open to his exploration. He teased with his lips and his tongue, pulling at her now here, now there. Her arousal pooled in the heated flesh of her and coated his tongue. Sweet. He didn’t think he’d ever get enough of the sweetness of her.
She bucked up against him when he captured the hot little knot of her clit, delicious sounds drifting from her mouth. She tried to squeeze her thighs against him, but his wide shoulders kept them spread apart. Her fingers gripped his, tightening as he drove her higher and higher, backing off, then teasing her again.
It took every bit of his willpower to control himself. His cock was so hard and swollen, and his balls ached so badly, he was afraid he’d come with no warning and embarrass himself.
Beneath him, Summer writhed, the air punctuated by those little sounds of need and hunger he loved so much. At the moment she was finally reduced to begging, he shifted position and flipped her over to her stomach, lifting her to her knees. The rosy puckered flesh of her anus tempted him, his mouth going dry at the sight. Not tonight, he told himself, but soon. He would take her there, and she would be completely his.
But now he reached for the condom on the nightstand and rolled it deftly on with one hand. He positioned himself at the entrance to her wet center, gripped her hips, and thrust into her with one long, slow glide. Her muscles tightened around him, and he had to hold himself still, drawing in a breath to steady himself. Jesus, she just did it to him, as if she seeped into every pore of his body and owned him, body and soul.
Summer rocked back against him, her movements punctuated by breathless little moans. That was all it took. He drove into her again and again, the walls of her core scraping against him, rubbing every sensitive nerve in his cock, the head of it dragging erotically against her sensitive inner walls. He held out as long as he could, reaching one hand around beneath her to find her clit and rub it between two fingers.
He felt her entire body clench even as she bore down on him, and the orgasm ripped through her. She pulsed around him, crying his name, rocking harder and harder. When he felt the final intense grip of her walls, he let himself go, wishing there was no thin latex between them. That he could feel her hot inner muscles wrapped around him as he emptied himself in great spurts. Shuddering with the force of his release.
Time seemed to stop as aftershocks rippled through them both, the still air broken only by the rough sounds of breath being drawn into starved lungs. Troy managed to catch his weight on his forearms so he didn’t smother her, but that seemed to be all the strength he had left. She turned her head, and when he looked down at her beneath him, her eyes were open, watching him, and a rosy flush suffusing her skin. The smile she gave him would have made his cock harden again if he wasn’t so thoroughly spent.
He traced the shell of her ear with the tip of his tongue before finally rolling to the side and taking her with him.
“I was afraid we might set the sheets on fire,” he grinned.
She laughed, a soft musical sound. “I’m not sure I would have noticed.”
“As soon as we can drag ourselves out of bed, I prescribe a hot shower, then something to eat. And finally, a good night’s sleep.”
“Tomorrow, I’ll call Mrs. Hauser back and tell her it’s all clear for me to help her.”
Troy tensed. “I’m still not so sure you should expose yourself again. At least not so soon after the last incident.”
“It will be fine.” She touched his cheek. “This is what I do, remember? Part of the package.”
“Okay. But you don’t go anywhere without me.”
“I can definitely get on board with that.”