Page 65 of Blood Money

Alex woke to find Gray was no longer nestled against her backside as he’d been after they made love for the third time. Exhausted, she’d fallen asleep to the comforting feel of his fingers drawing lazy circles on her hip and belly.

A glance at the digital clock on her nightstand told her it was only five o’clock, and her stomach clenched at the thought that he’d already left. Not only didn’t she want to believe that he’d snuck out on her the same way Dom had done to Daisy, but after what had happened between them last night she desperately wanted—no, needed—to tell him about Nicky’s father.

The rich smell of coffee wafted into the bedroom and with it came a sense of relief.

He didn’t leave.

A few moments later Gray walked in, wearing his skin-tight jockey shorts and holding two steaming mugs. Even the dark fabric of his underwear couldn’t hide his semi-erection.

“Coffee, beautiful?” He sat on the bed and held out a mug. “We’ve still got a few hours before we have to leave for the ops meeting.”

Still basking in the relief that he hadn’t left her in favor of his own bed on the sofa, Alex couldn’t speak.

“Hey.” He set both mugs down on the bedside table and cupped her chin. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” The fear that had been digging at her eased, and she nestled her chin in his hand.

“Liar.” He lay down next to her and pulled her against him. “Talk to me.”

“It’s nothing, really.” She snuggled against his shoulder and chest, her hand stroking the ridged muscles of his abdomen.

Gray nudged her chin up with his finger, forcing her to look at him. “What?”

“I thought you left,” she finally admitted, no longer feeling the need to remain silent about her greatest fear.

“I told you I wouldn’t leave you and I meant it.” He dropped a light kiss on her forehead. “So where in all that did you come up with the notion that I left?”

“No, not that.” Alex propped herself up on her elbow. “I know you’ll see me through all this with the Pyramid. I thought you moved to the sofa before I woke up so that we wouldn’t have to go through all that morning-after awkwardness.”

“Morning-after awkwardness? The only thing awkward,” he said, lifting up the edge of the sheet to peer under the covers, “is that you’re still naked and I’m not.”

He tugged the sheet away, then shucked his shorts and sheathed himself in a condom. He slid onto the bed, scooped her up, and deposited her on top of him. She gasped as he eased her onto his fully aroused cock.

“You tell me,” he growled. “Is this awkward?”

“No.” She laughed as he clasped her hips and raised her up.

Firm, thick pecs and biceps bulged as he lowered her again onto his shaft. Ridged abs rippled as he thrust upward to meet her hips. She laid her hands on his chest for balance, awed by his strength and power. Moist though she still was, the lovely friction had her shuddering as he filled her again and again. She threw back her head and moaned.

With his hands at her waist, Gray lifted her and kneeled, still sheathed inside her. His mouth was now level with her breasts, and he alternately sucked her nipples into his mouth, nipping and licking them into hard, wet peaks.

Alex threw her head back as the explosive orgasm shattered her.

A moment later, Gray held her hips tightly to his while his orgasm spurted against the protective shield of the condom. In the hazy recesses of her brain, she wondered what would happen if the condom broke and she became pregnant with his child. The thought had her smiling.

“Aren’t you glad I didn’t leave?” Gray kissed her neck then eased onto his back, pulling her down on top of him.

Beneath her cheek, his heart raced. “Mmm,” she murmured, sifting her fingers through the dark, springy hair on his chest.

A few minutes later he kissed her forehead. “How ’bout that coffee now?”

When she sat up and reached for their mugs, his fingers caressed her back and the side of her breast, nearly making her spill coffee all over the bedsheets. She seriously doubted she’d ever get over that super-charged electricity from his touch.

After handing Gray his mug, she snuggled next to him, sipping her own coffee. As the caffeine began to work its energizing magic, she couldn’t stop wondering what changed last night. Why did Gray, who only saw things in black and white and never did anything outside the box, make love to her—a police cooperator?

For her, their lovemaking was more than just latent sexual attraction. Somewhere in the middle of all this, she’d come to the frightening conclusion that she was in love with Gray. But did he feel the same, or was it merely lust for him? Would he cast her aside when her usefulness to the department was over?

Alex couldn’t imagine Gray was that callous, but there was too much at stake. She’d never given her body—let alone her heart—to anyone unless she was certain her feelings were returned. She’d once felt that way about Nicky’s father, and look how badly that had turned out.