Page 85 of Once a Killer

“I’m on board with that,” she murmured, twining her arms around his neck. She jumped up and curled her legs around his waist and pressed close, smiling as the hard length of his erection pressed between them. “Feels like you’re on board with that, too,” she murmured.

“Completely,” he said, nibbling on the sensitive spot beneath her ear. The one he knew drove her wild.

By the time they’d reached his bedroom, he’d stripped off both their shirts and her bra. Every step rubbed his chest hair against her already-sensitive nipples, and by the time he set her on the bed and went to work on the button of her jeans, she was trying unsuccessfully to hold back her moans.

“Don’t do that,” he whispered as he slid her jeans down her legs. “I love the sounds you make when you’re really into what we’re doing. Don’t ever hide your feelings from me.”

She froze for a moment, then nipped his lip. “Why would I do that?”

“Hiding is your fallback, Bree,” he murmured.

She stilled. How had he figured that out? She thought she’d been careful. Open about some stuff. Hiding the big things.

But Jameson had seen through her attempts to muddy the waters.

Unlike her, he’d been open from the beginning about how much he’d wanted her.

She’d been the one running scared.

And she still was.

Slowing his steps, he held her eyes for a long moment. It felt as if they’d exchanged a significant promise. Like she’d seen the future in his gaze, and it was everything she’d ever wanted.

But that thought scared the crap out of her. So instead of pressing her mouth against his and sealing the deal, she shoved her fingers through his hair. “Okay, sexy man. Let’s see what you’ve got. Time to put your money where your mouth is.”

For a moment, she saw disappointment in his expression. Then he bent to kiss her. “Only too happy to put my mouth anywhere you want it,” he said against her lips. The vibrations of his voice had her squirming against him. And if she tasted regret in his kiss, she told herself she was imagining it. Things were great between them.

The sex they had every night was incredible. The connection between them got stronger every day. And judging by Jameson’s reactions, he felt the same.

But the cost of that connection was becoming higher and higher. The strings binding them together were becoming stickier. Pulling tighter. Soon they’d be knotted so tight they’d never loosen.

It would become impossible to say goodbye to Jameson and walk out the door when this case was over. Then what would she do? Give up her job for him? Make him give up his lab for her?

She didn’t want to give up her job. And how could she ask him to sacrifice the essence of who he was for her?

She had no answers to those questions. Didn’t even want to think about them. But as they held each other in bed that night, kissed and caressed and joined together, she couldn’t push them out of her mind.

And she knew Jameson could tell.

“What’s wrong, babe?” he murmured as he stroked his hand down her back, whispering a kiss over her hair. “You’re a million miles away right now.”

“Worrying about what’s going to happen tomorrow and the next day,” she said. It wasn’t the complete truth, but it was part of it. Hopefully enough for Jameson tonight.

SheknewJameson, and she should have known better.

His hand paused as he stroked her back. “Is that all?” he finally murmured. “Seems like more than that.”

“I’ve never been in an intimate relationship,” she finally blurted out. “I’ve had sex, but it was all physical. I’ve never felt this kind of connection with a lover.”

She was horrified by the words spilling out of her mouth, but Jameson didn’t seem fazed. “And you’re scared,” he murmured.

“Damn straight I’m scared.” She took a deep, shaky breath. “I’m your bodyguard. I shouldn’t even be sleeping with you, let alone… let alonefeelingthings for you.”

“I like that you feel things for me,” he said quietly. “I feel things for you, too. But I’m willing to wait. Now’s not the time to focus on that. Now’s not the time to let ourselves be distracted by personal stuff. We need to figure out who’s trying to steal my program and stop them. Once we do that, we’ll have as much time as we need to figure out the other stuff.”

She knew Jameson would make sure of it, and the realization scared her to death. But she held a joker in her hand, because once this case was solved, once she was certain that Jameson was safe and the perpetrator was no longer a threat, she’d have to head back to Montana.

That might be the coward’s way of dealing with her feelings, but she’d never claimed to be brave or strong. Never claimed to be some perfect person. She was just Bree, flawed and imperfect.

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