She closed her stinging eyes, unable to look at him any longer. “Don’t you understand?” she whispered. “I’ll never be safe with you—with anyone. And you’ll never be safe with me.”
He ran his thumb along her cheekbone—wiping away a tear, prompting her to open her eyes once more.
“That’s a risk I’m willing to take.” He smiled, so confident, so fucking gorgeous.
That was all the motivation she needed to crush her mouth against his.
Chapter 13
Ronan
Her lips against his own made his thoughts short-circuit, but the little voice came through to his ears easily enough.
What are you doing, Ronan? What are you doing?
She was a witness—that alone should have given him pause. But no part of her heat against his skin felt wrong. He’d wanted her from the moment he laid eyes on her and every moment since. It might end badly, might cost him his job, but the joy blazing in his heart couldn’t be wrong, could it?
Fuck protocol. Fuck this case. All that mattered was her.
The heat of her was intoxicating, the musky-sweet smell of her flesh, the clean lemon scent of her hair. The softness of her lips, the hardness of her shoulder against his arm as she shifted forward, slipping her hand between his legs, moaning into his mouth when she felt his dick, stiff and ready.
He was a man who’d learned to trust his gut, saved more lives than he could count by relying on his instincts, and right now, every cell in his body was screaming yes. Was there anything more beautiful in this fleeting life than those shared moments, completely and utterly immersed in someone else?
He wasn’t sure—it had never happened to him before. But it felt right, even necessary. This feeling was something he’d always wanted but never had: honest emotion, free from pretense.
Unless she wants something from you, Paddy’s voice whispered in his brain. Maybe she wants you on her side so you’ll protect her.
But Jenny didn’t need to earn his protection—she already had it. He’d been caught in her orbit for months, unable to pull himself free, every glance, every dream, dragging him further under.
The evening sunlight glinted off the hood of his car and painted her face in a hazy yellow that accentuated her high cheekbones and made her eyes shine with lust. He drew his fingers down the side of her face and to the hollow of her throat. Feeling her heartbeat against his thumb. Fast—so fast.
“Are you nervous?”
“No.” She released his groin and tugged the top button on his shirt instead.
When it came free, she moved on to the next, baring his flesh all the way to his belt. Jenny leaned her upper body across the console to unbuckle his pants, tearing the zipper free. He shivered as she buried her head in his lap, slipping his cock between her lips.
For a moment, he just moaned, letting her have her way with him, the pressure so intense that his eyes watered as she bobbed her head up and down. Her tongue massaged his shaft, flicking against the tip before she sucked him back into her throat.
“Jesus,” he moaned. He resisted the urge to tangle his fingers in her hair—she clearly didn’t need his guidance. “You’re fucking amazing.”
She dragged her tongue from the base of his shaft up past the tip, then lifted her face. “Do you want to fuck me, Detective?”
“Is that what you want, Deputy?” It was weird to say deputy like that, but he didn’t know her real name—it wasn’t Jenny. And he didn’t want to use the name she’d adopted out of fear. Not now.
His cock twitched, fingers itching to grab her, to fuck that pretty mouth of hers. Instead, he remained still—restrained. Her eyes were hooded with naked desire, breath coming sharp and fast, but he needed to hear her say it.
He brushed the hair from her forehead. “I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life. But I need to know that this is what you want. I’m not going to use my role as a detective in some bullshit power play. This is your decision.” His dick twitched again like it was begging her to say yes. It was—oh, it was.
When she spoke, her voice was low. “In this car, with you… it’s the only place I’ve felt safe in years.”
He trailed his thumb over her cheekbone, searching her face for signs of uncertainty. He saw none. “I’m not sure that’s a reason to fuck me. No matter what happens here, I’ll still protect you.”
Her eyes glistened, and she angled her mouth down, planted a kiss on his thumb. “It’s not about that. It’s… I mean, logically, I know I’m not safe. But you make me believe that I’ll be okay. Except…” She gripped his cock in her fist, working him up and down, drawing a moan from his belly. A rush of heat exploded in his veins.
“Except?” he gasped out.
Her eyes cut left. “Maybe we should move to the backseat.”
