Vixen Healed Read online

  ****

  Sunlight spilled through the window in the guest room to turn Claire into a Grecian goddess. Her skin was flawless, and her hair shone like dark silk. I should leave now. She wanted him to stay that night, and he had. The thought of her waking up and feeling abandoned or ashamed kept him in place. They’d broken a bevy of rules last night, but the feel of her pressed up against him, and the absolute trust that shone in her eyes, made it all worth it. He caressed her face with the back of his hand.

  “Mhmm.” She opened her eyes and squinted.

  “Morning,” he said.

  “Morning. Thank you for staying.”

  “It was my pleasure.”

  “Why?”

  Her bluntness shocked him. He rolled over in the bed to face her, propping himself up on his elbow, and she did the same. He arched his eyebrow in query.

  “You’re sexy as sin, intelligent, funny, and successful. Why would you think twice about a girl like me?”

  “I’m glad you think I’m sexy, darling. I’d like to return the sentiment. I’m not really catching what you’re asking me though.”

  “Come on, we both know I’m a bit of a mess.”

  “Aren’t we all?”

  “You hide it well.”

  “Work is my life. I come from a broken home that’s made me spend the last forty-two years of my life running from love. I drink too much and I swear constantly.”

  She snickered. “I noticed. It’s not the same.”

  “We all have our dark side, C. You and I, we’ve seen some of the worst life has to offer. It changes a person.” He shook his head. “There’s no shame in that. Wear your scars like a badge. You’re still here, standing even though life knocked you flat on your back. That takes a lot of strength. More than some people have.”

  “You saw me at my lowest.”

  “Truth is that night you saved me. I was coming off of a long stint undercover and questioning the meaning of life, asking myself why I was still in this career field. When you’re a part of that seedy underbelly for so long, you lose hope. Especially, when money greases the wheels of justice and men who should be buried beneath the jail cell and not simply placed in it walk scot-free.” His chest ached as he was taken back to that time. “Then I met a beautiful girl who’d had her life destroyed by senseless violence, and it lit a fire under me, reaffirmed my decision to help others. When I made you that promise I meant it. I never forgot for one second. I’d pull the case file occasionally. See if any new leads had come up. Then I got a match, called you in to the office and had my mind completely blown. The young girl had grown up. But she was still hurting. I wanted to take that away. I still do.” He reached out to trace the curve of her heart-shaped face.

  “This is me, who I am. I want you to see me the way you’ve allowed me to see you. All bullshit aside. I’m fair if I’m anything.” She studied him with dark eyes that held mysterious still be discovered.

  “I like what I see, Kelly Quinn.”

  “Aaah, I was hoping you’d say that.” He moved forward and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, moaning when she took control and nipped at his bottom lip. The love bite unleashed the passion he’d been holding back. He rolled her onto her back, making quick work of the tiny pearl buttons that kept her soft yellow baby doll pajama top together. He peeled back the layer, likening it to wrapping paper keeping him from candy. The bra she wore was a sheer, pink number that made his mouth water and his cock threaten to pop out of his boxer briefs.

  Her Hershey kiss nipples strained against the material.

  “Beautiful.” He leaned down and sucked a swollen nub into his mouth, exploring her curves with his hand. He slipped inside her waistband and traced the underwear.

  “Mmmh, your underwear is soaked. Will your pussy be even wetter?”

  “Why don’t you find out?” She stared down at him from her position, leaned back on her elbows. Her hair tumbled around her face and down her back like a raven waterfall. Her eyes had darkened to an almost black that smoldered.

  He slipped a finger inside her panties and watched her lush lips part as he stroked her sodden lips.

  “Well?” Her cheeky bravado made him chuckle.

  “I think we can do better.” He circled her with his thumb before he eased inside her tight sheath. “Look at how tight you grip me.” He stroked her inside, circled her walls and licked his lips when she arched and gasped.

  “It’s been a while.”

  “How long is a while?”

  “Eight years.” The words were so low he barely made them out. He paused mid-stroke.

  “No, don’t stop.” She covered his hands and moved his fingers inside her. “I want to feel, to remember what it is to live fully. I’ve been surrounded by too much death and fear. It’s your turn to bring me back from the brink.” I’d never seen a more erotic sight than Claire getting herself off with my hands. His balls grew heavy, and he ached to move inside her. I have to make sure she’s ready, and take care. Make the most of the special gift she’s giving me. He hooked his finger, found the g-spot inside her, and she exploded. A creamy rush of honey spurted out and ran down his fingers.

  “I’m going to need to see that a few more times at least.” He brought his hands up to his lips and popped them into his mouth. Salty, sweet, and delicious.

  “Lift your hips.” She complied, still dazed, and he pulled down her underwear and shorts in one go. “Spread those sexy stems of yours for me.” A bashful expression crossed her face as he spread her legs even wider. He kneeled down and admired her neatly trimmed cunt. He spread her lips, dipped his tongue inside her molten core, and hummed his appreciation. He thrust inside and sipped her, swirling his tongue around as he played, pausing to flick her clit as he enjoyed his feast. Her throaty cries and moans inflamed him until he was fucking her with his tongue. She clamped down around him. Her thighs shut around his ears as she came. He drank her down. Her body went slack, her legs flopped open, and he sat back on his knees, pulling his stiff member out of the cotton containment. He rubbed the tip, dipped into the wealth of moisture that escaped from his slit.

  “Are you ready for me, Claire?”

  “God, yes.”

  He leaned over to the left side of the bed and pulled out a square foil. He never fooled around with the women he brought home in his bedroom. That was his space. I’ll have to change that now. She sat up.

  “Let me help.” Her hands shook just slightly as she opened the condom. He twitched when she placed the tip over his head and rolled it down. I didn’t know I could be this hard. Her small hands felt magical as she stroked him, applying just enough pressure to tease without bringing him to his release.

  “Damn, you’re testing my resolve.”

  “Good, because you shattered mine.” Her words brought questions into his mind, but now was not the time. Keep it light.

  “Hold on. I’m not done yet.”

  She laid back. He moved between her legs and lined himself up to her entrance. He rocked forward teased her with just the end of him. She was like no other woman he’d known. The foreplay had him struggling not to go deep and penetrate as far as he could.

  “You’re so fucking tight.” He inched in further. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “I can take it.” The challenge in her dark eyes called to him.

  “You don’t know what you’re asking for.”

  “I think I do. I want you to fuck me Kelly.”

  “Shit.” He glanced away, clutched the sheets beneath his fisted hands. “I’d rip you to shreds.”

  “Come on Detective what’s a little pain between friends?” She arched a thin eyebrow and he growled.

  “If that’s how you want it.” He pushed inside her, rougher than before, but still restrained. She swallowed him, her muscles held him tight. His eyelids slammed shut as ecstasy threatened to make roll his eyes back into his head. How had the seducer become the enchanted?

  She grunted.

  “Are you o
kay?”

  “Y-Yes.” Her hands clutched the sheets, and he stilled, halfway inside her.

  “Damn you, don’t you dare stop.”

  “I’m giving you time to adjust, beautiful. Don’t worry. We’re not stopping until we’re both satisfied.”

  He reached down between them and rubbed her. A fresh flood of juices eased his path, and her walls quivered. He moaned. She moved her hips up, taking him deeper.

  “I want all of you.”

  “Then that’s what you’ll get.” He slid home, and her legs locked around his hips. Her body cradled him as if he was meant to be there. A pang of loss chased him as he pulled out, only to be replaced by rejoicing when he returned. This was more than sex—it was enlightenment. A fine sheen of sweat broke out onto his body as they moved together in a carefully crafted ballet of body and soul. Her body tensed.

  “I’m so close, Kelly. So close.” Her head thrashed from side to side.

  “That’s it. Come for me, C.”

  Unable to hold back he pounded into her box. She let out a yowl that made his balls draw up. The thud of bodies locked in sexual battle filled the air. Her muscles contracted, putting a lock down on his dick that had him spilling all he had to give as she screamed his name. Bliss encompassed him as they both collapsed onto the bed. He buried his face against her neck. She massaged his scalp, lulled him into a peaceful state he hadn’t experienced in far longer than he cared to remember. I’m in trouble here.

  Chapter Four

  A phone rang in the distance.

  “Shit.”

  Kelly’s voice was rough and full of the ire she too felt. He pushed off her. “I gotta get that.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.” Her eyes ate up the view of his tan skin, firm ass, and muscular back as he moved from the bed and headed into the bathroom. A few moments later a flush of the toilet sounded, followed by running water. The faucet cut off, and he jogged out of the bathroom, through the bedroom, and out into the hall. She shook her head. Only Kelly Quinn could make that move look sexy. Early forties never looked so good. She slipped out of the bed, stiff, sore, yet better. The moment that passed between them was more than a release of sexual tension. It was a bloodletting of emotion and parts of the past she hadn’t known she still clung to.

  She padded over the floor into the bathroom and turned on the shower before she twisted her hair up into a makeshift bun. When steam began to form, she opened the curtain and stepped inside. Hot water beaded down on her skin, easing a sigh from between her lips. It was heaven on her achy bits. She felt like she’d run a marathon—below the belt. Kelly was beautiful, thick, about ten inches, and curved just-so to the right. She giggled. I can’t believe we just did that. It felt good to find joy in such a dark place. She grabbed her pink bath sponge, added honey and cream body wash, and built a healthy lather over her skin. The feeling of being watched made her turn around. Kelly’s outline was visible through the shower curtain.

  She poked her head around the side, and then her happiness shriveled and died. His face was stern, his lips were set in a pencil thin line, and his eyes had darkened to a dark gray.

  “You should get dressed as soon as possible. We need to go in to the station.”

  “What happened?”

  “Craig Johnson has been arrested … he was caught breaking into your house.” Anger swirled hot in her belly. Would no part of my life be left untouched? He’s violated me in every way he could think of: my past, my job, and now my home. Her body shook. She balled her hands into fists.

  “C?”

  “If I had been at home…” She shook her head as the list of things he could have done to her played on a loop in her mind.

  “I know. But you weren’t, and that’s what you have to focus on.” He grabbed a towel from the rack behind him and held it up. “Come on, let’s get dressed, head downtown, and nail this bastard to the wall. There’ll be no getting off the hook or escaping this time.” She stepped into his arms, allowed herself to soak up his strength and find comfort in his crisp, clean smell, as he wrapped the soft material around her. His skin was warm and damp.

  “I took a quick shower in my room. If I’d joined you we wouldn’t see the station for a long time.”

  She peered up at him from beneath her lashes. He was sinfully good looking in a pair of black dress pants and nothing else.

  “Don’t look at me like that, C.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like you’re starving and I’m a steak.”

  “Kind of how I feel, Detective.” She held the towel to her chest and moved into the other room. His footfalls assured her he followed. “How will this affect the trial?”

  “Sway it in our favor more. Maybe move it up. The Chief’s been pushing for that since we had to hide you.”

  “Thank God you did.” She moved over to the dresser that had become hers, pulled out a lacy, black set of undergarments, and walked to the closet where she hung her clothes. What did one wear to a reckoning? This man had terrified her for far too long. Today she took that power away from him and came one step closer to sending him to a jail to rot. She decided on a pair of dark denim skinny jeans, a white camisole, and a suit jacket that cinched in at the waist with a belt and ended in a ruffled hemline.

  Kelly placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.”

  His brow furrowed.

  “Okay, not fine, but managing.”

  “All right, I’m going to finish getting dressed, and I’ll meet you in the living room.”

  “Okay.” Left alone with her thoughts she wondered what would happen when this was all done. Was this a mere distraction for him? She believed there’d been a genuine connection and honest exchange of … something more this morning. But she was rusty, and out of practice. Guilt hit her as she dressed. She was distracted. Was this how she honored Campbell’s memory? She took a deep breath and recalled her numerous conversations with her therapists and her friend. I have a life to live here. I start thinking about what ifs and I’ll be headed down a slippery road that never leads me anywhere good. It was time I took that final step and became intimate with someone, and Kelly was the right person. She turned to face the mirror over the dresser and opened her zebra print makeup bag. She was conflicted, but she’d be damned if she let it show.

  As she stepped out into the living room her stomach did a flip. Quinn had finished his outfit off with a gray button up shirt, a nice pair of black leather shoes, and a black sports coat to conceal his weapons. If he looks this good now he’d be devastating in a suit. She let out a low whistle.

  “You clean up well. I can’t decide if I like you better clean cut or scruffy.”

  “Shit, as long as you like me both ways we’re good.”

  They laughed. The tension that had filled the space lightened.

  “You ready?” He lifted an eyebrow as he peered at her with kind eyes.

  “Very. Allons-y.”

  “Let’s go, eh?” He smirked.

  “You speak French?” Color me impressed.

  “No, I speak Whovian.”

  She burst into laughter. “I have to say I never would have pegged you for an avid Doctor Who fan.”

  “There’s a lot left to learn.”

  “Are you trying to entice me or distract me?”

  “Both. Is either working?” He moved to the door, holding it open for her as she grabbed her purse off the end table.

  “Maybe.”

  ****

  Twenty minutes later she was seated in a stiff chair on the opposite side of double-mirrored glass. Her limbs shook. Anticipation mounted, pushed her to the edge. She kept her hands clasped together in her lap to prevent her nails from digging into the soft flesh of her palms.

  “Okay, we’re going to start the line up momentarily. I want you to take your time, study each person and remember. You can see them, but they can’t see you.” Quinn spoke from his position beside her in a chair.

 
“I understand.”

  “Okay, boys, send him in.”

  Her world narrowed to the men walking in front of the white and black background and the face of the man who haunted her nightmares. The bones no longer protruded from his body, but the cold look in his dark eyes remained. His gaze seemed to penetrate the glass. He narrowed his eyes, and she flinched.

  “That’s him,” she whispered.

  Kelly turned to her, glanced around at the others in his room and placed a gentle hand on her shoulders.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.”

  “Okay, I’ll follow through with procedure, and we’ll go from there.”

  “Turn to your left.” Her mind wandered as he turned so she could take in his side profile.

  “Now?”

  “This is the man. You can flip him upside down, paint him red, or put a wig on him. I’d still recognize him.” She gritted her teeth, frustrated with the snail’s pace. She wanted this bastard found guilty and locked away like yesterday. For the past eight years he’d walked around while Campbell couldn’t. The thought cut her to the quick.

  “Okay. We’re good, boys. Take Johnson back to his cell.”

  The adrenaline began to wear off as they moved into the paper pushing portion. It felt like a crash from a sugar high. She had been all over the emotional spectrum, and it was barely noon.

  “That’s the last of the paperwork. I’m not sure if they’ll try them together or separately at this point. It depends on Craig Johnson’s response now that he’s under custody. One of them might try to make a deal.”

  “Deal?” She saw red.

  “Yes, to plead for a lesser count. There’s no walking away free on this one.”

  “What happens next?”

  “We wait for trial.”

  “Do you think I’ll be safe now?”

  He nodded.

  “They worked as a team, but they had no gang ties or mafia connections that we ever saw. No one will come looking for revenge.”

  “Does that mean I’m no longer under protective custody?” What does that mean for us? She bit the inside of her cheek.

  “Depends on what the Chief wants to do. I’ll go talk to him while you finish up here.”