Chapter 6

She had cleaned the bowl by the time he was through with his call.

"I guess I was hungry."

His eyes crinkled in amusement as he picked up the tray and put it away. "I guess you were." He studied her face. "How do you feel?"

"Full." She admitted, rubbing her stomach.

"I mean the nausea. Anything?"

She shook her head. "Nothing so far. I feel much better like I can always go back to work."

"But you won't." It wasn't a question, and instead of being annoyed, she felt the laughter bubbling up inside her.

"You would make a delicious dictator."

He grinned, unwittingly sitting next to her on the bed. "I lack certain qualities."

"Such as?"

"I hate ordering people around and imposing my will on them." His expression challenged her to say otherwise.

"I see." Pretending to think about it, she tapped a long, elegant finger against her left cheek, eyes brimming with mirth. "I can see where there would be a problem."

"Precisely." The urge to climb into bed with her was so strong that he could barely resist it. His expression turned sober, and he leaped off the bed like it was on fire.

"What is it?"

"Nothing." Shoving his hands into his pockets, he stared at her with a frown. "I have been here longer than I anticipated." The way he said it sounded very much like an accusation, as if it was entirely her fault.

"I never asked you to stay." She reminded him coolly.

"I never meant-" Breaking off with a sigh, he dragged his fingers through his hair. "I apologize for sounding like-"

"A jerk?" She supplied, her brows arching.

A smile touched his lips. "Something like that." The smile transformed what was habitually a very stern and cynical face to one of startling, good looks. His eyes crinkled, and his lips were quite sensuous, sending unexpected tingles running up and down her spine. The man was lethal when he wasn't being rude or frowning. "Will you be okay?"

"What?"

"I am asking if you will be okay."

"Yes, of course." She started fussing with the sheets to give her hands something to do. It occurred to her for the first time that she had a strange man inside her room, a beautiful, virile man, one with whom she was carrying his baby. The last man that had been inside her bedroom had been the one who had betrayed her.

"Good." He stared at her curiously, trying to figure out if something else was happening with her.

"I will be fine." Forcing herself to be neutral, she threw him a smile. "I will just try and get some rest. I have to be up bright and early to go in and do some paperwork."

"I thought you were brilliant in the courtroom," he commented.

She stared at him in surprise. "I was not my best."

"Even so," he smiled at her. "You made that son of a bitch twitchy enough to confess." His eyes gleamed. "It seems you have a knack for dragging the truth out of people."

She rolled her eyes and made him laugh, and he had the urge to drag her into his arms. "If that were the case, I wouldn't still be working on getting that bastard Daley to confess to multiple crimes."

A frown touched his face. "I thought that was over and done with."

"It's not." She retorted, shaking her head firmly. "He is a dangerous man who takes pleasure in hurting people, and I am not going to stand by and watch him get away with it."

Flynn felt the icy finger of fear touching his spine. "His verdict was overturned."

"I am seeking a retrial. There is someone out there who is not afraid of the bastard and is willing to step forward to be a witness."

He moved closer to the bed and sat facing her. "Leave it alone." He said.

"What?" She blinked at him and thought she had not heard him right.

"I said leave it the hell alone. I know of Daley; from what I know, he is ruthless and vindictive. There is a reason the witnesses end up dying or going to the hospital. If you continue to pursue this, he will go after you."

Her eyes flashed. "Let him try. I am not afraid of him."

"I admire your fearlessness, and in any other matter, I would applaud it, but this is not one of those cases. Drop the damn case; nothing is worth losing your life over."

"I will not drop it, and you cannot tell me what to do."

Flynn stared at her, and the urge to shake some sense into her was so fierce that he actually found himself reaching out with his hands toward her.

"You are pregnant." He reminded her tersely.

"I am well aware of my condition." She pointed out coolly. "I am not some doddering old woman who has to be led around by her walker. I have been doing this for several years now, and I am not going to let some sick bastard make me afraid to do my job."

Flynn stared at her and realized that he did not like this side of her. She was stubborn, and from the determined set of her chin, he knew she would not listen to a word he had to say.

"Ryleigh-" The sound of her name in his deep voice had her staring at him, startled. "I do not doubt your expertise or ability for your chosen career. All I am saying is that you lay off this case. In my experience, men like Daley will get what's coming soon enough."

"And in the meantime, I am supposed to sit back and wait for that to happen?"

"Yes," he told her. "If you persist in this vendetta-"

"Vendetta!?" She cried. "I am an officer of the law-"

"And there are limits to what you can do." He snapped, suddenly frustrated at her tunnel vision. "How many times have you gone up against that bastard?"

"It doesn't matter," she muttered.

"I think it does. He has unlimited resources-"

"No one has unlimited resources, not even you."

She got a baleful look for her response.

"He has resources from his ill-gotten gains, ones he is not afraid to use. I read that the last witness had to go to the hospital and refused to testify."

"He was lying about his condition," she said darkly. "I wish I could haul him up on charges of perjury."

"But you have not been able to do so." He sighed. "Let it go."

"No."

The single word pushed him to the limit and had him hauling her up against him, his fingers biting into her arms. "What are you doing?" She screeched.

"Trying to drill some sense into you." he gritted. "You are carrying my heir-"

"Let go of me." She started pushing at him, but a pitiful effort made her angry.

"You are carrying my heir, and for that, I am invested in keeping you safe."His eyes glittered at her. "If you cannot see what you are up against, it is dangerous, and I will have to do something about it."

Her eyes glowered. "Like what? Locking me in my room?"

"If it comes to that, yes. You have no idea what you're up against." Suddenly, the atmosphere changed and became charged. Both of them felt the shift simultaneously. His expression altered and became more intense, his glittering eyes landing on her completely seductively parted lips.

"No." She whispered, fingers curling into the silk of his sweater.

"Yes." He mouthed the one word, his body hardening, head bending to hers. She should have resisted.

Later, she would tell herself that she had no choice, that she was too weak from the afternoon sickness, that his nearness, the spiciness of his expensive cologne, and the appeal of his hard, handsome face was a combination that had her lifting her head and parting her lips as his head descended.

Not to mention the intoxicating feel of his breath on her face. Uncurling her fingers, she slid them around his neck, her body pressing against his.

Flynn considered letting go of her for a few seconds, telling himself that this was an awful idea, a mistake, and that he should run in the opposite direction.

But her cologne was already assailing his nostrils, her breasts were already branding his chest like hot pokers, and her hair, which had become loose, was spilling over her shoulders in waves and curls and her lips- with a groan, he lowered his head and gave into the inevitable.

Pulling her on his lap, he bent her slightly backward, brushing her lips with his. Just a whisper as if waiting for her to push him away.

When she drew his tongue into her mouth, he felt as if the bed beneath him had taken wings and was edging toward the roof. His heart was hammering inside his chest, his entire body shuddering as he met her tongue with his.

One hand drifted upward to cup the back of her head, the feel of the silky softness of her hair lending itself to the image of it spread over the pillows. He wanted her, he thought dazedly. He wanted her so much that he would go mad if he did not have her now.

Deepening the kiss, he braced her back against the pillows, his body covering hers as he dug his fingers through the thick softness of her hair.

Holding her steady, he plundered her mouth with a hunger that sent them toppling over the edge and into an abyss where the pleasure was so deep, so forbidden, that very soon, the kiss was out of control.

Smothering a groan, Flynn plunged his tongue into her mouth, retreating and then plunging again, his flesh hardening as she returned his kisses with an ardor that was designed to drive him crazy.

Reaching between them, he felt for her zipper and tugged at it. He had to feel her flesh, or he was going to die.

Easing the waistband of the silk panties away, he pressed his hand against her with enough force to have her arching toward him.

Tearing his mouth from hers, his eyes bright with passion, his chest heaving from the effort to try and control himself, he stared at her and waited. He should not have started, but now that he had, he did not want to stop, but he was leaving it up to her.

"Yes." She whispered achingly. Ryleigh could not believe she was giving consent and capitulating to a force of desire she had never experienced before. But she wanted him. She wanted to feel him driving into her, wanted to feel his naked body against hers, and she did not care about the consequences.

Not now.

Stumbling off the bed, he fought to get his clothes off, laughing with her as she made fun of his awkwardness. Keeping his underwear on, he sat on the side of the bed and tugged off his boots before climbing in next to her.

Turning her to face him, he studied her exquisite features, his eyes latching onto her full lips, which were made even more so by his ardent kisses.

Pulling the sweater over her head, he unhooked the front clasp of her lacy bra and moved it out of the way so that he could admire her full breasts with the puckered nipples. He was not touching her, and they were rising in reaction to his hungry gaze.

He hunkered over her, peeling away the last barrier of clothing so he could feast his eyes on her delectable flesh. Her skin was flawless, her hips curving gracefully down to surprisingly long legs.

Her waist was so tiny that he wondered how she could carry a baby to full term on earth. The thought worried him, but for a second before, he was distracted as she moved restlessly, making him realize that he was just staring at her.

Moving upward, he bent his head to kiss her throat, loving the way she was purring at the touch of her lips. He journeyed down the swell of her breasts, kissing the skin softly.

When he closed his lips over the nipple, she almost leaped from the bed, the feel of his mouth on the sensitive skin making her feel as if someone was poking at her insides with white-hot sparks of flames.

He tugged at the nipple, her reaction to his touch spurring him on and making him bolder. Her hands lifted to wrap themselves around his neck, fingers gripping the strands of hair at his nape as sensations poured into her body like wildfire.

Transferring to the other nipple, he gave it the same thorough treatment, his shaft fairly bursting from the blood pounding through the hardened flesh.

Lifting his head, he stared at her in wonder, holding her gaze as he carefully guided himself to the very edge of her opening, his large, muscled body straining to plunge deep into her so that he could achieve his satisfaction.

When she took matters into her own hands and lifted her graceful legs, she wrapped them around his trim waist. He sank slowly, an inch at a time, gritting his teeth as her tightness wrapped around him like a glove. He went still for a second, his face harsh with passion, his eyes boring into hers.

He started moving then, the feel of her flesh wrapping around his erection so exquisite he could barely stand it. His hands lifted to brush back the strands of hair from her face, his fingers gentle.

She moved with him, the shivers running up and down her spine, her heart rate increasing. Before long, her fingers were digging into his flesh, her body on fire. She could not get enough. He wanted more. He wanted to go deeper, to be forged into her flesh.

The possessiveness took over, and he realized he wanted to be the only man in her life. He wanted it to stop with him. The fierce thoughts spurred him on until he was driving into her with a force that shoved her head into the padded headboard.

Bending his head, he brushed his lips against hers with a tenderness he thought he could no longer feel. Her lips opened beneath his like a flower, opening its petals to the touch of sunlight. He kissed her slowly, his tongue darting into her mouth.

Her moans were captured deep inside his throat as the exquisite climax claimed her. It was far from the pleasant yet gentle pop she had felt with Glen. This one was so violent that it crashed through her body and lifted her against him, fingers racing over the corded muscles of his back.

Jerking her mouth from his, she buried her face into the broadness of his chest, the dense dark hairs tickling her flesh as she fought to stop the scream from erupting.

Her body trembled, arms wrapped around him as sensations, incredible, mind-blowing sensations, jarred her and wrapped her around in such sweet ecstasy that she had no idea how to feel.

She tried to twist her face away, but he covered her mouth with his tongue darting inside. She came again, her slender body racked and trembling as the climax claimed her.

He shot his load into her, emptying the bitter disillusionment that had been his for so long. He kissed her, a deep, drugging kiss that seemed to go on forever as his seed watered the opening of her womb where his baby was nestled.

As soon as he could find the strength and belatedly remembering that, up until an hour ago, she was not feeling well, he shifted so that he was lying next to her instead of her bearing his weight.

His heart pounding unsteadily inside his chest, his large body still shuddering.

They stayed that way for a few minutes, with her curled up in his arms, her face against his chest.

"That was a mistake." She blurted the first thing that came to mind.

"Really?" His tone was bland as he continued to stare at her.

"We have complicated things." She tried to gesture, but her hands were trapped between their bodies. Her fingers were splayed on his chest, the warmth of his skin seeping through her flesh. "You should go." She finished lamely.

"In a minute."

"Look, it happened. We were both emotional. "

"We are attracted to each other," he said when she trailed off.

"We cannot be."

"And yet we are." A smile touched his lips briefly.

"We cannot be." She insisted.

"What do you want me to say?"

"That you agree with me. We – both of us just came out of broken relationships. We are still reeling from what happened to us. It would be a mistake to just jump into anything. Besides, we have a business arrangement."

"Which could work out perfectly." He pointed out. "We both know what we are getting into."

"And what is that?"

"A no-strings-attached relationship." He murmured, watching her expressive face. The lovemaking had confirmed what he suspected.

He was fiercely attracted to her, and that attraction had grown into something much more, but he could not tell her that. She was not ready for anything of the sort. He would continue to be blasé about it, pretending it was physical.

"We can't,"

"Why not? We are two unattached individuals, and as you pointed out, we have been trampled underfoot by people we trust. What we did just now was vastly enjoyable; why should we deprive ourselves of the pleasure of each other's company?"

His logical suggestion appealed to her sharp and analytical mind, but something warned her that it would never be this straightforward and uncomplicated. She was carrying his baby, and they just had the most mind-blowing sex she had ever experienced in her life, which should tell her something.

"It will never work." She insisted.

"Care to tell me why not?" His patient tone had her staring at him in suspicion.

"I am not interested in a relationship."

"Neither am I." he pointed out.

"So, just sex then?"

"Is that something you could see yourself doing?" He held his breath briefly before rushing on before she could respond. "Just think: we have done the relationship thing, put our hearts out there, and where did it get us? We were disappointed and betrayed and decided never to want that to happen again. Why not enter this on our terms?"

"Just sex. And you will be satisfied with that?" She demanded.

"What about you? Unless you are looking for more- "

"No' She countered so swiftly that he had to force himself to keep his face straight. "I am not looking for another relationship."

"Then what I am suggesting is perfectly acceptable. We see each other on a purely physical basis."

"And when I have this baby?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I am pregnant."

"I know."

"With your baby."

"That's right."

His imperturbable expression was driving her crazy. He could not be this unemotional.

"It's going to complicate things."

"Not if we don't allow it to."

"You have an answer to everything, don't you?" She accused him.

"I am just trying to make you see that we have nothing to worry about." When his hands clamped around her waist, and he shifted so that she was straddling, her eyes widened as she felt his hardness pulsing inside her. "I just made my point."