together, sent desire sliding like liquid silk into her core. Hungry need curled low in her belly, reminding her how good it was between them, making her ache for more.
More kisses, the feel of his hands on her breasts, Bran’s hard body pressing her into the mattress, moving deep inside her, driving her to the peak of pleasure. She wanted to feel those things again, and more.
Kissing her all the while, he stripped her out of her clothes, shed his own, and settled her in the middle of the bed. She almost didn’t recognize the hoarse moan that slipped from her throat as his lips traveled along the side of her neck, over her bare shoulders, and he took her nipple into his mouth. She could feel his heavy erection in the vee between his legs.
“I want you, baby,” he said. “So damn much.” His tongue collided with hers in a deep, wet kiss that made her shiver all over. She couldn’t resist sliding her fingers into his thick dark hair.
He was kissing his way down her body, mumbling soft words that said how much he wanted her when it happened. When her traitorous mind began to slide backward, away from Bran, away from the present, back to another, darker time when she was trapped, tied up, and unable to move.
Cold hands were touching her breasts, moving like snakes over her skin. She struggled as the hands moved lower, his slick hot lips pressed against the side of her neck, making the bile rise in her throat. She tried to cry out, but the gag in her mouth muffled her cries for help. Dear God, she couldn’t bear it—not a moment more.
“Stop!” she screamed. “Get away from me! Oh, God, please stop!”
A dark head shot up, and even in the dim light of the bedroom she recognized Brandon’s beloved face.
“Easy, baby. It’s all right. No one’s going to hurt you. Everything’s okay.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she realized what she had done. That Ray Cummings had intruded back into her life. That she was a victim. That she could no longer trust herself to behave like a normal woman. Not even with Bran.
She started crying and he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against him, like a fortress against the evil in the world.
“It’s okay, honey. It’s okay.”
A sob escaped. “I’m so sorry, Bran...so sorry.”
He kissed her forehead and drew her even closer. “It isn’t your fault. You hear me? It’s his. Cummings. I promise you he isn’t going to hurt you. I’ll kill the bastard first.”
She whimpered. It was exactly that kind of thinking that destroyed whatever chance they had of being together. And yet, as she thought of Cummings and the terrible things he had done to the women he’d locked in his basement, the awful things he had meant to do to her, there seemed a rightness to it. A notion that justice would finally be served.
She couldn’t think about it now. Not now. Instead, she slid her arms around Bran’s neck and clung to him. “I ruined everything,” she said tearfully. “It was always so good between us and now I ruined it.”
Bran eased her a little away. “You didn’t ruin anything.” He gave her the sweetest smile. “Worst-case scenario, you get to tie me up again.”
An unexpected laugh escaped. She couldn’t believe it. Her eyes burned. How could such a hard man be so sweet? I love you, she thought. I love you so much.
The thought formed crystal clear in her mind, and there was no more denying it. She was desperately in love with Bran Garrett, and losing him would be the hardest thing she had ever done.
Bran shifted her a little but didn’t let go. “Why don’t we watch a movie? Something boring so we can both get some sleep.”
She nodded, her heart squeezing at the way he always looked out for her. “That sounds good.”
“Tomorrow’s another day,” he said. “Things always look brighter in the morning.” Then he softly kissed her. Crossing the room unashamedly naked, he grabbed the remote off the dresser.
As she watched the supple movements of his powerful body, Jessie was already thinking of tying him up again.
THIRTY-THREE
Now that they were back in Colorado Springs, their first order of business Monday morning was to request the exhumation of James Kegan’s body. They needed proof he was murdered. Jessie had believed from the start that a second autopsy would give them the evidence they needed.