Lori Foster - Bare It All

“Be quiet, Alice.”

The order got her back up, and pretty much guaranteed she couldn’t go quiet. “I don’t take orders from anyone!” Here she was, doing her best to be clear and up front with him, and he—

“Think of it as a request,” he snarled.

He dared to sound angry! That annoyed her enough that she forgot her disjointed explanations on her possible hang-ups. “Maybe I would if you couched it that way.”

“Please be still a moment, Alice. Let me think.”

She pressed her lips together, but it wasn’t easy to stay silent, especially when more than a full minute passed.

Finally he said, “If we’re laying it all out there, then fine, I want you. You know that. Every damned time I’m near you I get hard, so it’d be impossible for you to miss.”

She was just irked enough to say, “Braggart.” The accusation came out before she could censor herself.

“I wasn’t...” He scowled at her, but the scowl lifted into a crooked smile. “It is noticeable, and you know it.”

More subdued—and on the verge of grinning herself—Alice nodded. “Yes.” Most definitely, very noticeable.

“It’s insane.” This time when he reached for her hand, she accepted the gesture. His hand was big and warm, holding hers securely. “There’s something unique, something very special about you.”

She would have called it odd.

“But I’m not a kid who can’t control himself. And now, knowing you were kidnapped...” His hand tightened. “The last thing I ever want to do is pressure you, or make you uneasy.”

There went her grin. Ice expanded inside her, cramping her stomach. “Please don’t pity me, Reese.” She could take just about anything but that.

He made a rude sound. “Trust me, Alice, pity for a woman doesn’t get me jacked.” He released her to steer around a corner, onto a quieter, more suburban street. “I see you and I react. Can’t help it. I also can’t ignore what you told me.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“That you were kidnapped? The hell it doesn’t. I need to know what happened, if that’s the reason you’re reserved now. If it’s something else—”

“I wasn’t raped.” She startled him with that blurted statement.

He swallowed hard, nodded. “I’m glad.”

“But it was ugly, and awful and...” How much should she tell him? As a cop, he could find out some details on his own, so maybe she could just expand on that. She lifted a hand toward him and realized she was shaking. She tucked it back toward her lap. “It was a while before I managed to get away.”

“Days?” He worked his jaw. “Weeks?”

She shook her head, unable to admit the truth. “The important thing is that I did get freed, and now...I don’t know. If I’m hesitant, it’s because I haven’t felt like a woman for a very long time, and I haven’t been that aware of men except to avoid them.” She studied his strong profile and whispered, “Until you.”

“And my dog.”

Humor wormed its way in past her bleak memories. “Yes, and your dog.”

“Thank God for Cash.”

That sentiment nearly brought tears to her eyes. “I’m sure he feels the same way about you.” After all, Reese had rescued Cash from sure death. But she didn’t want him to rescue her from her self-imposed isolation and uncertainty.

She would rescue herself.

Putting her shoulders back, she faced him. “I might need a little time to adjust, but I want to give you whatever you want from me.”

He accepted that with a nod. “I want everything.”

Her mouth opened twice before she managed to squeak out, “Oh. Okay, then.”

“While we get things back in order, I’m going to stay with you.” He pulled up to a stop sign. “I want to have sex, Alice, that’s a given, but I also want you to want it.”

Never had she imagined this conversation. But then, never had she imagined wanting a man again. Not after everything else that had happened in her life. “Okay.”

“While you’re being so agreeable...” He pulled the car away again. “I don’t want anything to do with Pam or Nikki or, currently, any other woman. So, get that out of your head.” He gave her a hard glance. “And I don’t want you involved with any other guys either.”

That struck her as hilarious, and the laugh bubbled out before she could stop it. When he looked more murderous, she pursed her mouth to hold in the humor.

“Promise me.”

“You have my word.”

“Good.” The car slowed again. “We can work on everything else, take it one step at a time. Starting with that deeper kiss. Sound good?”

Better than good. Her breathing hitched. “I... Yes.”

He stopped the car, turned in the seat to face her. His gaze went all over her, narrowing on her breasts, her belly. Reaching out, he touched her cheek, smoothed back a hank of damp hair.

Breath bated, she waited for the promised kiss.

“Alice?”

“Hmm?”

“It sucks, believe me, but we’re here.”

“Here?” She looked up, and sure enough, he’d pulled into the drive of an impressive house, right up next to an expansive three-car garage. Only a few feet separated her from a nice overhang.

She’d forgotten where they were going!

“Buck up, sweetheart. We won’t stay long.” And then, while the rain continued to pound down, Reese took the umbrella from the floor, opened it as he left the car and circled around to her side.

CHAPTER SIX

LEAVING THE UMBRELLA by the door, Reese allowed Pepper to usher them along the foyer to the living room, but drew up short at the sight of Logan sitting on the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table, a pillow behind him and a throw over his lap. He knew Pepper had likely arranged his friend there, exactly like that, and he laughed.

Logan scowled. “I’d hate to see you have to turn around and leave again in this storm.”

“Surely even Pepper wouldn’t be that cruel.”

Pepper said, “Ha-ha,” at the same time Logan promised, “No, but I would.”

“He doesn’t like being sick,” Pepper explained.

“I’m not sick, damn it.”

“Wounded, then,” Pepper snapped right back. “You heard what the doctor said. You have to take it easy.”

“I’m seeing a whole new side to her personality.” Logan pushed the throw away from his legs. “She didn’t want to let me out of the bed even for company.”

“And you’re complaining?” Reese tsked. “From what I remember, that’s where she always wanted to keep you.”

Pepper cracked a smile. “He’ll be more agreeable to that again after his arm is healed.”

“No doubt.”

“I’d be agreeable now,” Logan grumbled, “if you’d only—”

Pepper smashed her fingers over his mouth. “Behave.”

Stepping out from behind Reese, Alice said, “Thank you for allowing us to visit.” She slipped off her shoes and placed them at the edge of the foyer rug. “I’m relieved to see you both in such good spirits.”

Logan’s attention shifted to her and locked there.

Even though Reese already knew what he’d see, he looked at Alice, too. The visual packed quite a punch.

Her usual persona was starched and standoffish, prim and proper.

But getting drenched had taken care of that.

With pink cheeks, tangled hair and dewy skin, her sweet summer dress outlining every understated curve on her willowy body, she resembled the woman from his dream.

No way around it, she was sexy as hell.

And damn it, Logan saw it, too.

“You might want to go dry off some,” Reese told her. “Bathroom is all the way at the end of the hall, past the stairs and the entry to the kitchen, last door on your right.”

“Of course.” She put a hand to her hair. “There’s a towel in there I can use?”