* * *
SHE WORE A long white nightgown that looked like something straight out of a Victorian fetish catalogue. Sleeveless. Flowing. Opaque enough that he saw only shadows...a tease to his tested control.
Already taut in places that didn’t bear close scrutiny, Reese tried not to dwell on the image she’d made coming into the bedroom: face freshly washed, hair just brushed, her small feet bare and that long white gown swinging around her slim ankles as she marched to the bed with transparent eagerness.
It should have shredded his ego that a woman wanted to sleep chastely with him instead of indulging in raw, hot sex. But instead, with Alice...it broke his heart a little.
She’d be wrecked if she knew that. Pity was not a sentiment she’d welcome.
She wasn’t all that keen on concern either.
And she despised prying.
Too bad for her that he couldn’t let it go. If she were another woman, sure, he could take what he wanted and dismiss the rest. But with Alice...no. Not possible.
She’d beamed at him from the other side of the bed until, teeth locked, he’d shucked off his clothes and gotten under the covers, hopeful that she hadn’t seen his erection beneath snug cotton boxers.
Ha. Alice made no bones about checking him out at every opportunity.
But she hadn’t remarked on it. She’d just crawled into the bed beside him, still smiling, smelling like lotion and toothpaste and like Alice herself, warm and soft and so desirable his teeth ached.
Cash, tail thumping in excitement over having them together, had bounded up, circled the bed once to say, “hey,” to each of them and then collapsed near their feet. Reese turned out the light, stretched out on his back, and a second later Alice cuddled close.
“Okay?” she asked.
Torturous. But he’d said only, “Perfect.”
Now, half an hour later, Cash’s doggy snores softly floated on the quiet air, mingling with the hum of the air conditioner.
Thank God she didn’t leave the windows open at night, but then, he wasn’t surprised that she’d locked up, checked everything twice and checked it again.
At some point, as naturally as if they’d slept together dozens of times, she’d turned, scooting back against him until he spooned her. That lush little ass—such a surprise—snugged up close to his groin, taunting his efforts at gentlemanly restraint.
His arm draped over the significant dip of her waist. He badly wanted to open his hand over her belly, so much so that his palm tingled. The thin barrier of that boner-inspiring gown wouldn’t hinder his touch at all.
No.
Leaving his hand lax on the mattress in front of her, Reese squeezed his eyes shut and resisted temptation.
His roiling thoughts refused to calm. Visuals continued to slam into his brain. Without meaning to, he dipped his head so that his nose brushed Alice’s baby-fine hair. He inhaled deeply.
Without saying a word, her hand covered his, fingers twining together.
At times, Alice could be so deceptively peaceful. He knew her well enough now to know it was a ruse; at all times, she remained aware, alert. Of everything.
She surprised him every other second. With her hurt. Her courage.
Her sexual openness.
He could take her now. He knew it whether she did or not. She might have issues clouding her desire, but he could get her past that easily enough. A few kisses, a touch—and she’d be ready.
But this time, with Alice...damn it, he wanted more.
And so he would wait. He needed to know everything that she tried so hard to keep hidden. If he wasn’t a detective, maybe, just maybe, he could let it go. Leave it in the past.
But he couldn’t. It was in his nature to uncover mysteries. Especially when he feared there could be danger involved.
Danger to Alice.
Maybe he should tell her that. Maybe if she knew sex hinged on complete honesty, it’d be incentive enough for her to come clean. To bare her soul.
To him.
He’d work on that—
“Reese?”
Her soft voice, coming to him in the dark...even that turned him on. “Hmm?”
Untangling her hand from his, she squirmed around to face him, her breath on his chest, her knee so close to his dick that he twitched.
“You seem antsy. Are you okay?”
Suffering a raging hard-on seemed antsy to her? He counted to three to take the sting out of his voice. “Overwrought with lust, but otherwise well enough.” As she turned her face up to him, he said, almost in desperation, “No, shhh. It’s fine. I’m enjoying this, holding you.” Torture, yes, but the sweetest kind.
“Me, too.” She wiggled closer—and there it was, her leg against his boner.
Ah, God. He locked his teeth.
“I’ve never slept with a man before.”
His eyes widened in the darkness.
“I’ve had sex,” she said softly, her fingers now toying with his chest hair. “I didn’t mean that.”
Reese tried to relax. Impossible while she employed her unique brand of foreplay.
“Only a few times, and it wasn’t all that memorable. That was before...”
“I know.” If she started talking now, they’d never get any sleep. He wanted her well rested. Tomorrow was D-day, the day he’d get answers. But if she knew that, she’d never doze off.
Alice might think she hid it from him, but he saw her angst anytime she thought he might press for more information. She wanted to feed him details in dribs, maybe hoping that’d lessen the impact...of what?