Liam stepped between her and the hallway, using his large frame to block her process. “Everything I want is right in front of me.” He tangled his fingers in her hair and lowered his lips to hers. Alone, with her in her apartment, a bed just a few rooms away, he gave into the desire that had flared as soon as he saw her at the zoo.
Their mouths met in a carnal dance, matched by their feet as he walked her backwards. Turning, he pinned her between the counter and his body. His hands dropped to her waist. Lifting her, he moved between her thighs, sliding his palms around to cup her buttocks and bring her in intimate contact with him.
Sarah moaned, pulling away long enough to draw a shaky breath. Her hand fell to his thick sweater, a bit overdressed for the warmer D.C. weather. Tugging it free, she traced the arrow of wiry hair leading down to the waistband of his jeans. She stroked the trail, working to his navel, then higher to rake her fingers across his nipples.
Her urgency drove him to rear back and yank his sweater over his head. Dropping it to the ground, he worked on her blouse. Soon, it joined the floor, and in the ambient light, he stared at her. Sitting on the counter, her hair tousled, her lips swollen from his kisses, she looked like a siren. Her nipples pressed against the lace of her bra, and when he stroked them with her fingers, the tiny mewls of need she made had him hard and eager.
How could he have stayed away? Claiming her mouth again, he reached around her back and unfastened her bra. Her breasts spilled into his hands. Cupping them, he rubbed his thumbs over her nipples. Perfect. Kissing her, making love to her mouth, he thought only of the woman sitting on the counter in front of him. He caressed her breasts, stroking along her collarbone to her neck, then down again. The desire to cherish her, to show her how much she meant to him had him keeping his own needs at bay.
When the need for air parted them, he trailed kisses along the side of her neck. Pulling a nipple into his mouth, he tongued it. Her fingers tightened on the back of his head, her answering moan music to his ears. If he had a thousand years, it would never be long enough to make love to Sarah.
He alternated between kissing and caressing her breasts until her cries escalated. The prim suit skirt she wore offered him easy access to shove it up towards her hips. He knelt between her knees and groaned aloud when he saw her thigh-high stockings and panties. “If I had known you were wearing these, we wouldn’t have gotten out of the zoo,” he growled.
“Lucky I didn’t tell you then.” Sarah spread her legs, offering him greater access.
He stroked her thighs, his fingers inching perilously close to the damp silk covering her sex. Just when he thought he knew everything there was to know about this woman, she surprised him. He teased her through the soaked fabric, brushing his fingers across her labia just to hear those sexy little noises she made in the back of her throat, before caressing the insides of her thighs. With her legs angled across his lap, she was open and ready for him. He picked up her ankle, marveling at its slenderness. These were the legs of a woman who had hiked miles with him through the Alaskan wilderness. Those calves and thighs had allowed her to keep up with him. He gingerly rolled down her stockings and kissed the exposed, taut-muscled skin.
Coming to D.C. had been the best thing he could have ever done. He’d left Round the Bend in Johnny’s capable hands. His brother had promised that he’d look after the business and forget about being a Quintursa agent for a while, if anyone could forget such a thing.
Sarah moaned and lifted her hips. The wanton movement drove all thoughts of his family, Alaska, hell of anything but sinking inside her from his mind. His fingers slipped past the elastic of her panties. With his free hand, he tugged them down, over her bare legs, smoothing his hands back toward her thighs. Her musk tormented his nose, mingling with her lavender scent, and a growl rumbled from his chest.
Now.
The bear cried. It roared in his soul, a desperate demand to claim his mate. The Quintursa had allowed him to come here. He was here, with her in his lap, and his bear wanted what was
his.
He pulled her upright so she straddled his lap. Running his fingers through her hair, he let it cascade free from his confines, the silken strands rolling over his skin and down her back. Fingers fumbled to remove her shirt and bra, and while he was still fully clothed, she was naked. He captured one taut nipple in his mouth, suckling it, words from his people’s bonding ceremony filling his head.
These are the breasts that nurture our young.
In the confines of his jeans, his cock twitched in anticipation of making those young.
His hand fluttered over her stomach.
This is the womb that carries our young.
He traced her slick folds. The tip of his index finger slipped easily inside.
This is the passage that soothes my soul and delivers our young into the world.
Sarah gasped. Tightening her inner muscles around him, she tilted her head back, offering him her body, and he thought, her very soul. Pleasure gave her face a sensual, wanton expression. She grabbed his shoulders, her nails digging into his flesh.
“Damn, you’re beautiful.” He kissed her collarbone. “Do you know how much I love you?” He pumped his finger.
“Liam!” Sarah groaned. She moaned, her head falling forward to press their foreheads together. “Tell me that again.”
“What, that you’re beautiful, or that I love you?” He circled her with his finger, loving the way her hips jerked against him. He flicked open the first buttons on his jeans in a futile attempt to give his straining cock some relief.
“That you love me.” She pressed a quick, hard kiss to his lips. “Because I love you.” Then, she reached between their bodies to finish unfastening his jeans.
“Sarah,” he groaned.
A heavy knock echoed through the apartment.
Sarah stiffened.
“Sare? You in there?” Nat’s frantic, tear-clogged voice sounded through the door, along with more knocking.
“It’s my sister.” Instantly, her demeanor changed. “Just a minute,” she called, grabbing a quilt from the back of the couch. Wrapping it around her, she hurried to the door, mouthing, “I’m sorry.”
Liam watched her go, amazed by her change. He buttoned his pants and scooped up her clothing, knowing the situation would be awkward enough without Sarah’s clothes strewn all over the floor. Picking them up, he headed down the short hall to find her bedroom.
The door creaked as it opened. Low voices, interspersed with hiccupping sobs drifted to him. He could have eavesdropped if he wanted to, but it was family business. “Of course, honey. I was just changing after work. Come on in.” The white lie easily rolled off her lips, a stark reminder of her political work.
She dashed into her bedroom, not surprised to see him there.
“Do you want me to go?”
“No! Let me get dressed and you can come out in a moment. Nat’s lost her job, thanks to my report and that slime ball Senator she works for.” Sarah donned a t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants.
Here she was, about to comfort her sister, and watching her dress had to be one of the biggest turn-ons for him. The worn cotton material of her shirt draped across her breasts, her nipples clearly visible. “What can I do?” he asked. He didn’t need to be ogling her. Not right now. She needed his support, not his lust.
Sarah pecked him on the cheek before turning to the door. “You’re already doing it. You’re here.” She dashed back into the living room. Moments later he heard her give an apology and ask if her sister wanted beverages. More rustling, and then the two sat down on the couch.
“…turned in the report because Senator Durwell called me into his office. He spoke about beliefs and being responsible for our actions. He told me that I no longer fit his image and he couldn’t afford to have me on staff anymore. I was fired,” Nat said. She wiped away tears.
Sarah sat with her arm around her sister’s shoulder, letting her cry. She gave him an apologetic shrug as he went into the kitchen.
“Who’s that?”
“That’s Liam, the man I told you about in Alaska. He helped me write my report.” Her matter-of-fact words punched him in the gut, sounding so different from the impassioned declarations of love given just a few moments ago.
Sarah continued to try and soothe her sister, but all he could think about was the cold way she’d described their relationship. He’d helped her write the report. He’d done a hell of a lot more than that, and now, with reality crashing down upon them, he wondered if she regretted her actions.
The hurt look in Liam’s eyes haunted Sarah. She bit her lip, hating the fact that she denied their relationship to her sister. With Nat’s marriage strained by Jim’s inability to work and now losing her job, Sarah feared if she spoke the truth that it’d be like rubbing her good fortune in her little sister’s face.
I went to Alaska, found a hot man, fell in love, oh, and made decisions that got you fired. Sorry!
It wasn’t like Hallmark made a card for that.
“Later,” she mouthed to Liam, hoping he understood.
Nat sniffed and straightened up. “So what do I do now?”
“You get another job.” Seriously, sometimes her little sister was too needy. “You said that Senator Durwell made inappropriate passes at you. I don’t think you’d want to work for someone like him anyway. And I know you didn’t agree with his politics. I know this is tough, but if it were me, I’d be happy that I’m no longer pushing his conservative right-wing agenda.”
“Oh Sare-Bear. You always were the strong one.” Nat sighed. “What do I tell Jim? Things are tight.”
“You tell him the truth. And maybe push him to get a job, too. I know all about the construction work and his injury. But surely there are things he could probably do that wouldn’t further injure his back.” Sarah laid her hand on Nat’s knee. “I love you. I’ll do anything I can for you, but I can’t prop you up. Someday I may decide to move elsewhere and won’t be across town. You can get through this, Nat. You will.”
Nat sniffled, but to her credit, didn’t start crying again. “I know. It’s just so easy to lean on you. You’re always there and you’re so strong. I’ve been talking to Jim. His firm has talked about bringing him in as a supervisor or consultant, something where he won’t be on his feet all day. I told him to go for it, but he doesn’t think he can.”
“Sounds like both of you need a hug and a gentle push. Now come on, let’s look at job openings on the computer before I send you home.” Sarah wrapped her arm around her sister and gave her a quick hug.
Across the room, Liam looked less thunderous. He had three brothers, all younger, surely he understood what she went through with Nat. And if not…Sarah refused to think about that. He sat there, listening, hands resting on the arm of the chair.
“No, that’s okay. Your man is here, and if he followed you all the way from Alaska, well… I remember how those days were. Thank you. I’ll go home and talk to Jim. I’m sure we’ll come up with something.”
“That’s the spirit.” Sarah stood, and thankfully Nat followed. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, she helped her sister to the door. One it closed, she leaned against it and sighed. When she looked up, Liam stood in the doorway.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to push us on my sister when she was clearly distraught over losing her job. You know you’re more to me than just some guy I met in Alaska. I love you. You believe that right?” After being the strong one, Sarah realized she needed reassurance. Straightening, she crossed the space between them and wrapped her arms around him. “I’ll tell Nat. I promise.”
“I know.” He bent his chin to her head and wrapped his arms around her. The sexual mood from earlier had fizzled.
Sarah nestled into his embrace. “I know it’s late, but I want to go back to the office. Ken might still be there, or maybe Bill, and I’d like to catch them both if I can. This has got to end. I know Senator Durwell isn’t a good man, but he fired my sister. If Ken or Bill had anything to do with it, then I need to know.”
Liam tilted her chin so she looked at him. “If they were behind it, what will you do?”
“Whatever it takes to make the truth come out.” She pressed her cheek against his chest and hoped like hell it wouldn’t come to that. But if it did, she’d fight for what she believed in until the end.
“Then let’s go.”
Liam’s determination infused her with strength. She
could
do this. She pulled away from him long enough to grab her laptop and her purse. When she returned to the dining area, he waited.
“Do you think they’ll still be there?”
Sarah checked the clock above the dining room table. “It’s barely six. I know Ken and Bill like to work late nights, especially after the reports come through. I’m sure they’ll be there.” Her stomach fluttered. If she’d misjudged and they weren’t there…well, things could wait until tomorrow morning. She’d much rather confront them alone than with an entire office present.
“We’re in your wilderness now. It’s my turn to take orders.”
“I’ll hold you to that later.” She tossed the innuendo back at him, and was rewarded with a flash of heat in his eyes. He trusted her to do what was right for the bears, for his people, and for his home. A hot burst of lust unfurled low in her stomach.
That
was what she wanted from Walt and had never received, an easy acceptance of her competence and her strength. Instead, he had tried to mold her to his ideas, to his idea of the perfect political wife. Just thinking about him made her skin crawl and she focused on the task at hand as she led him to the parking.
The drive to her office passed in silence. Covertly, Sarah watched him. As they drove past skyscrapers and packed housing developments, over the six-lane concrete rivers leading through the heart of the city, she started to ask what he thought. Then, she stopped. He’d told her he trusted her, that this was her wilderness. Idle chatter wouldn’t change that.
He trusted her.
The words warmed her far more than he would ever know. In Alaska she’d given herself over to him, knowing that he would keep the bears away and lead her back from the wilderness. Now, it was her turn. She pulled into the familiar parking and nodded. “We’re here.”
“What do you want to do?”
“I figured I’d go in like I was going to work late. It’s common. Lots of us come in after the dinner hour to finish things up. And then, hopefully be able to talk to Ken or Bill. I’ll admit, I hadn’t thought about it much past that. Ken’s always been a reasonable guy. I’m pretty sure I can talk to him.” Sarah’s stomach fluttered. Maybe she should have thought this through. Ken had acted more hard-nosed than she was used to seeing from him. She licked her lips.
“And Bill? He’s a reasonable guy too?”
Sarah stared through the windshield. “He used to be. The last time I saw him he was acting erratic, talking to himself, certainly not acting like his usual self. I still think I can talk to him.” She swallowed hard, battling the fear that she was wrong.
“Okay. This is your turf. I’m here in whatever capacity you need me to be.” Liam reached across the car and squeezed her hands. “I did some work for our ruling body. You might call it Special Forces stuff, though that wasn’t my bag. I do have some training if things go south, and my first priority will be to get you out of there and keep you safe.”
A sudden chill snaked down her spine. “You really think things might go that badly?”
Liam shrugged, a nonchalant movement that told her more than his words that he was used to dealing with high, powerful people who wanted to get their own way. “When money and power is involved, who the hell knows. Let’s go.” He opened his car door.
Sarah followed suit, grabbing her laptop from the back seat and slinging it over her shoulder. She carefully locked the doors, trying to tell herself it was just another night at the office. Nothing to worry about. No reason for her stomach to sink or an awful feeling of dread to make her stomach drop somewhere in the vicinity of her knees. Her access card granted her entrance to the building. The elevator ride to their floor passed in silence. The business they shared their floor with was surprisingly dark. Everyone must have gone home.
Standing outside her office, she checked windows. A light burned in Bill’s office. All the other places appeared dark. She waved her badge in front of the card reader. The door clicked open and she opened it.
Something stung her nose.
“Gas.” Liam clamped his hand over her arm. “Don’t go any further.”
“What?”
“Smells like someone spilled a gas can in here. Let’s go.” He reached for his pocket for his cell phone. “You have security in this building, right?”
“Yeah, there’s a guard who is usually on duty downstairs.” Sarah smelled again, this time identifying the searing odor of gasoline.
“Won’t do it. Won’t do it. Won’t do it.” Bill’s voice rose to a shout, repeating the words over and over again like a chant.
“We have to get him out of there. Don’t use your phone. The spark might start a fire. Go downstairs and alert the guard.”
“Sarah,” Liam growled.
“This is
my
wilderness. You said it yourself. Go tell the guard what’s happening. I’m getting Bill.” She yanked her arm away from him and dashed down the hall.
Behind her, Liam gave a muttered curse. Moments later she heard the elevator ding.
Sarah took shallow breaths, her eyes watering from the gasoline smell. The further she got into the office, the worse it got, until she swore she saw hazy fumes hanging in the air. “Bill?” she called.
The chanting stopped.
“Bill. We have to go. There’s a gas leak.” She stopped at his open door. There, on the floor, lay at least six large gas cans overturned on their sides. Gas leaked slowly from one of them, and she stepped forward, the carpet squishing beneath her foot. “Bill?” She held out her hand.
The man sitting in the middle of the gas cans bore no resemblance to her boss. His gray hair stood up at odd angles, greasy as if it hadn’t been washed. His rumpled clothes and wide eyes looked so different from the cool, calm boss she knew. “It’s over, Sarah. I’m sorry.” He fished a lighter from his coat pocket.
“No!” She snapped. She crouched down. “It’s not over. Tell me what’s going on. We can fix this.”
Bill flipped the lighter open.
“Don’t do this.” Her heart jack hammered. Her mouth went dry. “There’s people in the building. Whatever it is, it’s not worth killing yourself or others for. You don’t know what an explosion would do.”
Liam probably would.
And she’d sent him downstairs, hopefully to safety. She stood and stepped forward.
“Don’t come any closer.” He worked the lighter, opening and closing it with his fingers. “It’s all gone. The firm. Our reputation. We were never fair and unbiased. I took their money and I told them what I wanted.”
“No,” she breathed. All this time she dreamed she worked for a greater purpose, that she was one of the good guys in Washington DC. She shook her head. “We can fix it. Don’t throw it all away.”
“I already have.” His hand, with the lighter, dropped to the carpet. “They’re coming for me, you know.”
Sarah crept forward. “Who?”
Damn it, where was Liam?
She strained to hear sirens, anything that told her professionals were on the way. She was a researcher, a political scientist. She wasn’t equipped for this. Somehow, she made it to Bill’s side. She reached for the lighter.
He jerked it away. The silver object tumbled in his grip. It slid from his fingers, hitting the carpet and bouncing a few feet away.
Sarah stared at it, wondering whether to reach for it or not.
Bill lunged.
She lurched after him, grabbing his shoulders and hauling him back from the lighter. Together, they hit a gas can. It toppled over. The glug-glug of spilling liquid sounded like Niagara Falls. “Bill. Let’s go.” She started to stand.
He dropped like a dead weight. “You don’t understand, Sarah. You were the best. I never wanted to do this to you.” For a moment, she thought tears choked his voice. Then, in a flash, they were gone. The man looking at her from rheumy green eyes wasn’t the boss she’d known. Somehow, he’d folded in on himself.
Distantly, Sarah heard sirens.
Her heart leapt. Maybe the police, security, someone was coming to save her, and she wouldn’t’ have to talk her boss out of killing them both and blowing up the building. Drawing a deep breath, she thought of Liam. He had to come back. Surely by now he’d gotten to the security guard. She couldn’t count on him. If she’d come back on her own, she’d have had to deal with Bill. She could do it now.
“Bill, tell me what you did. Whatever is wrong, we can fix it.”
He jerked as if shot. “No, we can’t. Go, Sarah. Leave me.”
Sarah glanced at the door. Leaving now meant mustering other people from the building, a chance to save lives. If Bill let her get that far. She swallowed hard and looked at the man who had been her mentor. Like a father, he’d taken her under his wings, helped her climb political ropes and avoid the land mines. If she left, she’d be letting him fall into one the dark pits awaiting the unwary. Politics was like that. All sunshine and light over death traps.
Liam, get everyone to safety. I have to do this.
She willed the words at him. He might be a different species; he wasn’t telepathic.
Please.
“I’m not leaving you, Bill.” She sat next to him on what she hoped was a dry patch of carpet. Reaching behind her, she carefully righted the gas can. The fumes stung her nose. Her eyes watered. Taking his too-cold hand between her own, she gave it a squeeze. “You’re not going to kill yourself. Whatever it is, isn’t worth your life. Tell me.” She stared into his eyes, wishing to see a glimpse of the man she’d once known.
He stared at her for a long moment, then turned away. “I’ve done a bad thing. I got greedy.”