Arrested Pleasure Read online

"Used to be friends?" His gaze bore into hers. "What does that mean? Should I be concerned that you're up to no good? A bomb, perhaps?"

  "Huh? What?" She shook her head and hugged the package closer to her. "No. I just sort of lost contact with him. I knew he'd be at work and I wanted to drop off this . .

  . um . . . present for him."

  His eyes dropped to the package clutched to her chest. His gaze lingered there for a moment, before dropping lower as he continued to peruse her body. She wore a black mini skirt with a peach silk top. She'd eschewed nylons, her long legs bare except for the high-heeled black sandals on her feet. Even at her height he towered over her by a good five inches.

  "Look, I'll catch him another day."

  His gaze flitted back to her face. "Can I give him a message? Tell him you were here? You are—?"

  "No!" She winced at the sharpness in her voice. "I'll call him and um . . . catch up with him then."

  She turned away, intending to slip the package into her purse unobtrusively as possible and make a quick getaway. He made her nervous with the way he perused her from head to toe and left her body aching in reaction.

  "I'll head out now and—" She started to step off the short flight of steps, but her sandal heel got caught in the carpeted welcome mat. "What the—" She tried to pry her heel away, but began to lose her balance.

  "Watch it!" Cassie heard as her body pitched forward. She heard a shriek and realized it was her own. Her arms flayed wildly, but before she fell to the deck, hands slid around her waist. The force of the motion left them both unbalanced and out of control. She closed her eyes, bracing for the hard surface as they tumbled down onto the deck.

  Momentary silence followed. She quickly assessed the situation. She hadn't broken any bones. To her surprise, she'd landed on something soft. Yet hard. She pried an eyelid open.

  She lay on top of the strange man. He'd taken the brunt of the fall, protecting her from serious harm. His eyes were closed, and she wondered for a moment if she'd knocked him out cold. She wiggled to check for any damage and to move off him. His body was strong and hard in all the right places. Especially below the waist, she realized as the hardness against her stomach made itself known.

  Then she heard a grunt.

  "Don't freaking move, lady, unless you want to pay for the consequences."

  His eyes remained closed as he spoke. Well, at least he didn't seem to be unconscious.

  "Are you alright?" She went to shift the weight of her body off him, but he gripped her arms, forcing her to stay in place. Obviously he wasn't too far out of it.

  Slowly his eyes opened, and Cassie stared wide-eyed into his hazel ones. She couldn't look away. He stared back at her for a long minute before dropping his gaze to her mouth. His lips were a mere inch or two from hers.

  She closed her eyes, welcoming what was coming next. She wanted him to kiss her. One taste, that's all. She inhaled the scent of his aftershave.

  She sensed him leaning closer. Yes.

  Just one kiss from . . .

  Her eyes popped open from a sudden awareness that she didn't know his name or his relationship to Gavin. "Let me go," she muttered as she rolled off him. He released the grip he had on her arms.

  Cassie rose unsteadily to her feet. Without glancing at him, she said, "I need to get out of here. I'm already late for a dinner. Tell Gavin I'll call him in a day or two and"—she gazed down at her hands—"my package! Where is my gift?"

  He slowly rose to his feet. "It can't be too far."

  With a quick perusal around the deck, she finally spotted the clandestine package—now ripped apart. "Oh, no!" She picked it up and peered inside. The note was still tucked away neatly, but the cock ring was gone. Damn. Maybe it'd fallen between the cracks of the deck?

  "Are you looking for this?"

  She whipped around at the sound of his voice and cringed when she spotted what he held up in his hand.

  The cock ring.

  Her face warmed and a flush rushed up her skin at the realization that he now knew what her gift for Gavin was.

  She couldn't meet his eyes. "Er . . . yes." She held out her hand, hoping he'd hand the ring over, no questions asked. "Just give it to me. I'll put it back . . . ."

  Instead, he grabbed her hand. He jerked her forward, closer to him. Startled, all she could do was stare at him. Once again, they were face to face.

  "Just what did you plan on doing with Gavin?" Hazel eyes bored into hers.

  Accusatory.

  What could she say? He held the damning evidence in his hand. "Noth . . . .

  nothing." She stammered as he set off alarms inside her brain. His closeness unnerved her. "We used to date, and I've been leaving him presents. That's all. Let me go." She tried to pull away from him, but he stilled her movements.

  "Are you obsessed with him? He's engaged to Sharon, a nice girl, and I won't—"

  His words sounded angry, and Cassie didn't have a clue why. Was he related to Sharon? A brother perhaps? Then something he said penetrated.

  "Engaged? They're engaged?" The first she'd heard this news.

  "Yes . Engaged. In fact, they're living together at Sharon's condo. No way I'll tell you where. I don't want to see either of them hurt by the likes of you."

  She absorbed his words. Gavin now lived with Sharon, and they were engaged.

  Wow, things must be serious. She felt glad for them, but she wished Gavin had the courtesy to mention this in one of their chats. It would've saved her the embarrassment of this encounter.

  She realized the stranger still watched her closely, those damn eyes of his accusing her of trying to entice Gavin away from Sharon. She lifted her chin and looked him square in the eye. "I'm glad Gavin and Sharon have found each other. I'll have to tell him the next time I see him."

  "You're not hell bent on breaking them up with this little toy?" He held up the incriminating evidence. The sunlight glinted off the silvery jewelry.

  Mortified that this stranger thought her a home wrecker, she set him straight.

  "Hell, no. It's a gag gift. Nothing more."

  His eyes narrowed.

  "Believe me, this is noth—"

  "Are you involved with Gavin?"

  She shook her head. "We were—a long time ago. But not anymore."

  His hold loosened slightly. "Good. Then you won't mind this."

  "Mind what?" she asked, curious why he seemed to know so much about Gavin and Sharon's personal life.

  He deposited the cock ring in his jeans pocket and lowered his head to hers.

  "This."

  His mouth covered hers, and at the first touch, shivers of desire coursed throughout her body. Hard lips sought and demanded an immediate response from her.

  One that she gave back eagerly. God, she was crazy, but she'd been too long without a man. As he ravished her mouth, he sent spirals of excitement rushing through her veins. A moan escaped. Unable to control her response, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Even if the man hated her, she couldn't resist his kisses.

  He seemed to sense her out of control reaction. "Come on, baby, you want this just as much as I do," he murmured against her lips.

  Unable to speak, she only nodded in agreement. His kisses and words were more persuasive than she cared to admit.

  His lips bore down on her mouth, while his hands roamed her back, rubbing gently, but seductively. He caressed her lower back, causing her to arch in response. He pulled her closer to his hard body, making her acutely aware that he was as turned on as she.

  Her body on fire, she shuddered as he stoked the flames even further when his hands dipped to her ass, curving his fingers to cup her through the fabric of her skirt.

  Bodies flushed against each other, she felt every hard angle of him.

  Cassie moaned into his mouth. He used that opportunity to slip his tongue between her lips. His kisses grew more intense as he explored the recesses of her mouth. The heady essence of him filled her senses. She could get intoxicated
just tasting him.

  Through her fogged mind, Cassie became aware the back of her skirt crept upward as he inched the fabric higher and higher until his hand slipped under the hem.

  The heated touch of his fingers on her bare ass shocked her. As was her custom, she wore only a teeny black thong under her skirt.

  A stranger was touching her intimately.

  She jerked, fully intending to pull away.

  "No babe, let's finish this."

  Cassie untangled her tongue and lips from his and stared at him. "No—" She couldn't let him get this close to her. She didn't know his name.

  "Shh . . ." He placed his free hand onto her lower lip, stroking the delicate skin, while his other hand continued to caress her behind. "Don't ask questions. Just ride the sensation." He lowered his head and claimed her mouth again.

  In the back of her mind Cassie told herself this was wrong. The only thing she knew about him was Gavin and he were somehow friends. But the heat of her pulsing body was overruling her reservations.

  His finger dipped underneath the thong and into the crevice of her ass. Her legs faltered, and she sagged against him as an overwhelming sensation hit her.

  Suddenly, he hoisted her higher, bracing her against the wall of the house and spreading her legs wide apart. Surprised by his actions, she reacted by wrapping her legs around his waist, forcing the heat of her desire against the bulge at his crotch.

  This only made her more accessible to him, and he took full advantage. He tugged at the miniscule scrap of her cotton thong. His strong hands were not a match for the flimsy material as her panties ripped apart. She shuddered in reaction. God, she loved a man who took control during sex. Lowering her head, she nipped his neck as a rush of air hit her most sensitive area.

  Now using both hands, he brazenly explored her nether regions. He dipped his hands under her ass cheeks using his fingers as to spread her apart. She shuddered when he brushed against the wetness that oozed there. He continued to explore while she bit his neck to keep from shouting out. His fingers drifted upward, until he swirled a single digit inside and found her hot button.

  "Yes . . . ." She moaned as shivers racked her body.

  "You like that?"

  Cassie nodded and closed her eyes. She couldn't respond in either coherent thoughts or words right now. White lights of fiery sparks danced against her eyelids.

  His fingers continued to stroke her heat. Wetness built, and she sensed she was about to go off like a volcano.

  Without warning, two fingers thrust inside her molten center, causing her body to jerk again. He pulled out slightly, before pushing back in. He appeared bent on tormenting her until she dissolved into a quivering mass.

  "Please," she panted . "Finish . . . ." Cassie gasped the words against his neck.

  His chest reverberated as he chuckled. "I told you we'd finish this, babe," he replied, as his fingers continued to push in and out. He braced her against the hard surface and held her in place. His fingers pinched her clit, sending shockwaves vibrating upward into her body.

  "No. Now. Need—" She groaned as she pulsed against his fingers, the sensation of need rushing at her. She tried to fight it, but it slammed into her like an out of control train.

  "Don't hold back. Let it go," he cajoled her, his fingers thrusting deeper. "Come on, babe, let me take you over."

  His words faded out as the first flash of an orgasm spread throughout her body.

  The climax hit her so hard she lost all recognition of her surroundings.

  In the arms of a stranger she'd just met.

  But that didn't matter now as her body quaked and the spasms rolled through her veins. She bit back a scream, collapsing her face into his shoulder. Wave after wave of pleasure tore through her.

  As the shivers faded, he gently lowered her legs to the ground. Though a bit unsteady, she could stand. In the silent aftermath, she faintly became aware of her location. Outside on a patio. In a stranger's arms.

  The backyard was private, but she realized if any one of the neighbors happened to glance over the fence and spot them . . .

  "Oh. My. God." She dragged her skirt back down to cover herself. Her thong lay in ruins on the ground at her feet.

  The man beside her had a satisfied smile on his face. "Good, wasn't it?" he asked her.

  She stared at him, speechless for a moment. Good couldn't begin to describe what happened. Yet it frightened her.

  She opened her mouth to respond when the ringing of a phone pealed from inside the house.

  "Oh, hell," he muttered. "I need to get that. I'm expecting an important call." He started to open the door, but paused, watching her intently. "Stay there. It should only take a minute." He smiled. "We'll continue in a few moments and pick things back up."

  Then he disappeared inside.

  The ringing stopped, and Cassie heard his deep voice talking to someone.

  She gazed around the backyard. The birds chirped and the shadows of shade had begun to darken the area. She shivered slightly. June normally wasn't a very warm month, and after the rain earlier, it felt even cooler against her heated skin.

  Yet the coolness acted like a bucket of cold water and made her realize she'd made a grave mistake in letting a total stranger do things to her body that she had no control over.

  Cassandra Nichols was always in control of her emotions.

  Reaching down, she grabbed her ruined thong and picked up the package. The cock ring was still in his pocket and no way did she plan to stick around to ask him for it back.

  Not bothering to say goodbye or let him know she was leaving, she hurried across the deck and out the gate. Within seconds she started her car and shot off like a cannon into the street. A passing car honked at her when she pulled in front of a driver onto the main thoroughfare.

  She had to get as far away as possible after treading dangerous water with that man, a man she didn't even have a name for. This wasn't something she normally did, nor did she ever act without conscious thoughts. He made her feel something she'd never experienced before—out of control.

  And the idea scared the hell out of her.

  Chapter Two

  "Hell, if I had a dollar for every prostitute who told me her pimp was like a father to her, I'd be rich and retired now instead of sitting here drinking cold coffee."

  Gabe Banks rubbed his nose as he listened to his partner, Charles "Chaz" Rush.

  "You bet. They have to make excuses for what they do." Gabe realized their excuses were lame, but money sometimes did that to people.

  Chaz shook his head and tossed his half-empty paper cup into the nearby trash.

  They were in the middle of processing paperwork after helping to book several hookers who'd been picked up near Burnside. They were part of the vice squad desk division.

  Their duties weren't as exciting as going undercover to apprehend the girls and their johns, but a necessary task. "I know, but when a sixteen-year-old gazes at me with forty-something eyes, I get a pain in the chest thinking what their 'daddy' has put them through."

  Gabe's gut tightened at Chaz's words. It was the truth. He'd seen enough in his ten years working vice squad to recognize how easy it was for men to persuade women to sell their bodies. Money and drugs were the big draws.

  "That's why we arrest them and hope they realize selling sex is wrong."

  "Yeah." Chaz grimaced at the cup in his hand. "Provided they live long enough."

  "I agree, yet sometimes it takes getting beat up for them to spot the truth.

  Nothing we can do otherwise." Gabe shrugged and turned back to his computer screen.

  He had reports to finish and chatting with Chaz wasn't going to write them.

  He heard the scrape of Chaz's chair. "Still sickens me, and I want to shove my fist down the pimp's throat. The john's too, since they paid for the sex."

  Gabe squinted at the screen, the words blurry as his vision filled with memories of his mother, Dianna. He wished he'd done the same
thing to the man who provided the heroin that killed her. Maybe his mother would still be alive.

  Chaz wasn't finished. "Here's an example. Check out this one. Olivia Sanchez, age twenty-three. Says here she has a kid. A little girl who's only seven. Bet within ten years the girl will be on the street selling her body."

  Gabe glanced at Chaz, who continued to read the arrest report. They were familiar with Olivia Sanchez. She was one of the small numbers who stuck around Portland rather than head north to Seattle or south to California. She had a rap sheet, mostly prostitution. Each time she swore she only sold her body for sex because of her child and promised she'd be done with criminal activity.

  Of course, no one bought her claim she'd turn straight. They rarely did.

  Maybe a little chat with Ms. Sanchez was due. "Is she in holding? Or has her pimp bailed her out already?"

  "Nah . . . her pimp probably isn't up yet. It's still morning. You want me to have Dickens bring her up, and we have a little interrogation?"

  "Sure. Wouldn't hurt. Throw a little scare into her and make her think about her little girl for once."

  Chaz picked up his phone to ring the jail. While they waited, Gabe returned to his report, yet his mind kept wandering back to yesterday.

  He still didn't have her name. He'd been too busy this morning to ring Gavin and find out who his friend was that left interesting tokens behind.

  He smiled as he recalled the look of pleasure on her beautiful face as he'd brought her to a climax. She was a beauty with her long black hair and exotic looks.

  Dark brown eyes that had flared in anger when she'd discovered Gabe there instead of Gavin. Plus, those hot, smoking long legs. When she'd wrapped them around his waist yesterday afternoon . . .

  He glanced over at Chaz, but he was busy reading reports between grimaced sips of the newly poured cup of lukewarm coffee. He wasn't sure why his friend didn't make a new batch of brew.

  They'd worked together for a while, and normally Gabe shared his personal life with Chaz, but something in him wanted to keep the info a secret until he knew more about the dark-haired beauty. He hoped Gavin would give him her phone number.