Page 35 of Pleasure Control

It never occurred to him that in his original quest to melt the Ice Princess he’d stumbled onto something he had no idea how much he wanted.

Now that he’d found it, it made him rethink his lifestyle, his future. Until tonight, he’d never really known how lonely he’d been. How tired he was of the bachelor lifestyle, tired of going home to an empty apartment, eating alone, waking up alone.

He’d never brought a woman to his place before. It was much less complicated to spend the night at hers, and then escape when the time was right.

For the first time in his life, he wanted to bring someone into his home, his territory. He longed to wake up next to a woman who was sweet and caring, warm and welcoming. He wanted to feel Laura’s loving body in his arms, to kiss her awake and spend the weekend talking over coffee. He wanted to share her happiness, her heartache.

The night they’d spent together at her apartment certainly hadn’t satiated his appetite for her, the way he thought it would. In fact, his reactions were quite the opposite. It left him wanting, yearning for more. So much so that he ravished her in the director’s bathroom. He was losing himself in her. Body and soul.

It basically boiled down to one thing. He wanted Laura, inside the bedroom and out.

He could tell her how he felt, but why would she believe him? He knew his reputation as a playboy preceded him. No doubt she’d assume he was sweet-talking his way into her panties again. Not that he didn’t want her writhing between the sheets, mind you. He did. After all, he was a healthy red-blooded male.

But that would have to wait, because right now he wanted to show Laura there was more to him. To show her how much he cared, how he longed to be with her, and how good they would be together outside the bedroom. He wanted to prove to her that he was worthy.

He turned his attention to Clyde and watched him run laps inside his exercise wheel in an attempt to burn off some of that excess steam. “Ease up there, little buddy, before you hurt yourself.”

Reaching into a nearby cage, he gathered Bonnie into his hands and brought her close to his face. He murmured into her ear. “Hopefully the potion works this time and Clyde will give you a break.” Bonnie’s nose twitched as she wiggled to free herself.

He placed Bonnie into the far side of the cage and waited. Clyde stopped spinning his wheel, went up on his hind legs, and sniffed the air.

Jay scrubbed his hand over the prickly growth speckling his chin and observed Clyde’s actions. He glanced at the clock and yawned. What was taking Laura so long?

Clyde stopped sniffing, climbed from the wheel, circled like a cat, and then curled up in the fetal position. In no time at all he fell fast asleep. A wide grin split across Jay’s face, but he was too damn tired to jump up and down with excitement. In an automatic reaction, he turned to tell Laura the good news but quickly realized she wasn’t there. A sense of loneliness enveloped him. It surprised him how he’d grown so accustomed to having her at his side.

As he made his way over to his desk to note his findings, his cell phone vibrated and began ringing.

Who would be calling at this time of night? He dug into his pocket and flipped open his phone. Perhaps it was Laura letting him know she was running late.

“Hello.”

“Jay, it’s Erin.” She sounded anxious.

He froze midstride. “What’s up?”

“You better get to Laura’s place right away. Her apartment’s been broken into and she’s hurt.”

His whole body stiffened. Laura was hurt. How? Where? Who? Before he had time to ask any of those questions, Erin hung up.

Dropping everything, Jay bolted out of the building and hopped into his car. At breakneck speed he flew down the freeway and made it to Laura’s apartment in record time.

A sick feeling settled in the pit of his stomach as he pulled in behind two police cruisers. Their rotating lights lit up the tree-lined walkway. He climbed from his car, dashed into the building, and hurried up the stairs.

He burst through Laura’s door and spotted her sitting on the sofa, an ice pack pressed to the side of her head. Erin sat with her while the officers, the same ones he’d encountered at the lab the previous night, muddled through the disorder and dusted for prints.

With determined strides, he stepped over a smashed lamp and crossed the room. He took one look at her ashen face and felt his blood run cold. She looked so fragile, so vulnerable. He wanted to take her into his arms and soothe away her troubles.

“God, Laura, are you okay?” He gestured for Erin to shove aside so he could sit next to her.

Laura forced a smile. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine.” Mumbling curses under his breath, he placed his hand over the ice pack and held it in position for her. She looked exhausted and her body felt chilled. He glanced at Erin. “Would you mind grabbing a blanket?”

“Sure.” Erin stood and disappeared down the hallway.

He turned his attention to Detective Doyle. “Who did this?”

“We’re working on it,” he assured him.

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